A story about the trials and hardships that come with being different. And how peace can be achieved between two species that have fought for over two hundred years
The Wasteland is a dangerous place where ponies and zebras struggle to survive. Raiders, Slavers, and monsters around every corner. Hope is a rare thing in the wasteland, especially in the Badlands. Heroes come in many different shapes and sizes. But one will prove to be the guiding light that will unite the Badlands.
This story will follow a young stallion from Stable 100 on his journey through the wastes to find balance in his life and his heritage. Joined by his friends he will fight the evil and protect the innocent, as the Badlands Guardian.
Inspired by Kkat's Fallout Equestria, Somber's Fallout Equestria Project Horizons, and VisualPony's Fallout Equestria Duty. Fallout Equestria is by Kkat and can be found here Fallout Equestria Project Horizons is by Somber and can be found here Fallout Equestria Duty is by VisualPony and can be found here
Cover Art by RenSaio on YCH.
Title card edited in by Scaramouch Be sure to check out his stuff.
Fallout Equestria: Guardians of the Wastes Prologue
Equestria was a land known for its kindness, friendship and harmony. For thousands of years the kingdom was a shining beacon of hope for all the good in the world. Two sisters ruled over the sun and moon, both keeping the balance of the land. Though times were tough in some cases, Equestria always found a way to return to harmony and live in peace. But like all things in the world, it would have to come to an end.
During the reign of Princess Celestia, after the return of her sister Princess Luna from her long imprisonment on the moon, conflict broke out between Equestria and Zebrica. The Caesar declared war on Equestria and the zebras fought for their leader. Then came the massacre at Princess Luna’s School in Littlehorn Valley. Celestia moved for peace many times, but the Massacre of Littlehorn was the last straw. Celestia then stepped down from her throne and Luna rose to the task of defending Equestria from the zebras. The war went on for decades, both sides refusing to surrender. Luna created the Ministries and appointed the Elements of Harmony to run her government and help her win the war. Alas, the war did not end as anyone wanted.
The war tore Equestria apart, megaspells rained from the sky and devastated the land with balefire and radiation. The civilization that stood for over a thousand years. But the ponies lived on. The company Stable-Tec created underground shelters for the ponies to ride out the apocalypse and keep their species alive. The Stables, as they called them, were built all across the country and ponies from every corner of the land reserved their places to save themselves and their families. But for those who could not get in, life went on. The once beautiful land of Equestria had turned into an irradiated wasteland where radiation ruled the lands.
Our story takes us to one of these stables, and it was different from the others in many ways. This is Stable 100 and the purpose of this stable, in the eyes of the public, was to not only save ponies but also zebras. Now I know that might seem strange after all that talk about the war and all, but this stable was designed in part to help rid the hatred of zebras from the population and bring ponies and zebras together in hopes to prevent the actions of their ancestors.
Stable 100 survived the war and lived in peace for two hundred years under the leadership of its two Overmares, one pony and one zebra. But there were other features to this stable that the residents and even Stable-Tec itself were not aware of. They would soon learn that they would play a role in rebuilding Equestria and the hardships they would face would change the world. And the first step in this process came from a young stallion who was not meant to exist, yet would be their greatest hero.
Stable 100, an underground shelter made to protect ponies and zebras from the horrors of balefire and radiation. This has been my home for my whole life, and I've come to know it well.
As I walked down the halls of the west wing, I thought about the history of our stable, and what it meant to Equestria. Stable 100 was built by Stable-Tec, with assistance by both a tribe of zebras and a private pony corporation. They worked to design the stable, to outfit it with the essentials for survival in the event the worst should occur, which it did. But there were secrets that Stable-Tec was not aware of, and the true purpose of Stable 100 was kept secret till the day it was sealed.
200 years later, here we are, a thriving population of earth ponies, unicorns, and zebras all in one place. And for the most part, we live in harmony with each other, racism is rare here in Stable 100, but the punishment for said beliefs keeps them in check. It is through the cooperation of ponies and zebras that our stable's greatest achievement has been made a reality. The return of a long forgotten ritual, and the warriors it created. The individuals who served under the Goddess of the Moon long ago, The Guardians.
Guardians, on the outside, look no different from ponies and zebras, but on the inside, they can be considered something else entirely. Through the powers of pony magic and zebra alchemy, ponies and zebras were given new abilities and attributes that exceed the natural limits of their physiology. This ritual is called the Trial of the Stars; every ten years, ten foals around the age of 10 are chosen to undergo the alteration.
The results of the trials make the Guardian a unique being beyond the normal pony or zebra. A guardian's senses are heightened exponentially including sight, hearing, smell, and touch. These heightened senses increase a guardian's agility and reflexes to the extremes. While the enhancements are excellent and make a guardian a formidable force, all gifts come with a price, and in some cases, a very steep price.
But enough on that for now, let us continue with our story.
"I wonder what Master Broadsword has in store for us today?" I said as I walked down the hall towards the melee training gym.
I had my suspicions, but I didn't like to assume anything. But where are my manners, my name is Shadow Strike, and I am a guardian here in Stable 100. I've been a guardian for well over 15 years now, and my training has been going strong in my opinion. Guardians usually finish their training after the age of 30 so that the older generation can step aside and retire.
Walking towards the training gym, I began to hear something around the corner; or somepony in this case. I could sense ponies, three to be exact, all lurking behind the approaching corner that I was about to pass. Without needing to look past the corner I realized who they were, and I was not going to enjoy our contact.
As I walked closer to the corner, three security ponies came around it and blocked my path. Two brown earth pony stallions were standing to either side of their leader, a tall grey stallion with a coffee-colored mane. This stallion was named Granite, and he had to be the largest blockhead in the stable.
"Well, well, well, lookie what we got here boys, the half breed freak," Granite said to his two minions to either side of him.
That's why I hate ponies like him; they look at my biology, rather than getting to know me. Perhaps I should explain. I am a half zebra, half unicorn, a zony with a horn for simplicity. I have a dark gray coat with light grey stripes along it, a silver mane with gray streaks in it as well as my tail, and brown eyes.
Now, the reason I am getting harassed by this blockhead and his minions is that I am the only hybrid in Stable 100. Now, that might seem strange for a population that is equally divided between ponies and zebras, but there is a simple explanation for this. When the stable was sealed, the laws brought on by the first two Overmares declared any cross-breeding illegal. And yet, here I am.
"What should we do with him boss?" One of the minions urged as he stood next to Granite with a demented grin.
"Let's teach him a lesson about respect for ya' boss," the other one said as he started to pull out his baton.
"Yeah, cause that worked out so well for you last time, Granite; when I put your buddies in the infirmary after you ran off and cried to daddy," I said smirking at Granite who was about to say something.
I honestly hated dealing with Granite and his boys; because all it accomplished was getting Chief Onyx on my case, and he hated me enough already. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that Granite's dad is the Chief of Security here in Stable 100? Yeah, that's the only reason he has any authority here in the stable.
He scowled towards me while drawing his own baton for a charge, preparing to strike me on the head, seemingly to knock me out. But with my reflexes, I easily evaded his baton and moved to the side in a blur of movement. Hearing one of the stallions come up behind me gave me an idea as of how to get away from the situation at hoof. As Granite extended his foreleg for another attack, I remained still till the last minute; then I quickly ducked to the side making him pound his friend in the head instead.
"What the hell!" Granite said after spitting out the baton.
The other stallion took a glance at me, fixing a scowl to his maw, but as I turned to face him, I only smiled and sat down on my haunches. He looked at me with confusion as to why I had stopped fighting until he felt a knife at his neck.
"Now what is this all about? Shadow, are you having fun without me?" Came the voice of a Zebra mare muffled by the knife she gripped her mouth that she held to the throat of the second stallion with a playful hurt look towards me.
"I would never go into a brawl without my best friend Keira, how could you ever doubt me," I said playfully back to my best friend.
Keira, a fellow Guardian and one of the few friends I actually have here in stable 100. She and I have known each other even since before the trial. She has always been at my side through the toughest times, and I've done the same for her. She is like the sister I never had.
Granite looked to the newcomer and glared, "This doesn't concern you Keira, this is official security business, now beat it," Granite said with an arrogant grin.
"Yeah like the million other times you decided to gather your boys here and try to mess with my friend, Shadow. Tell me, Granite, how are the bruises I gave you last time?" Keira said with a cocky grin, still firmly holding the knife to the stallion's throat.
Granite then glanced back at the both of us before snorting loudly. Picking up his first friend that he hit accidentally before looking at Keira with a glare that could melt steel, "This isn't worth it, let him go, and we'll leave the freak alone."
Keira released the stallion, he quickly departed from the mare and ran towards his boss. Granite then carried his friend on his back and proceeded to trot to what I could surmise was his dad's office in the North wing. His second buddy following him with a swift pace.
I walked towards Keira and looked down at where the stallion previously was only a second ago. He had pissed himself, and after Keira saw it; as well as putting her knife away, we both broke into our own fits of laughter.
I stopped chuckling first, and looked toward my friend, "'morning Keira, shouldn't you be in unarmed training right now?"
She looked at me and smiled, "'morning Shadow, and I'm not in unarmed training because guess who is passed out drunk in his room again?"
I shook my head and sighed, "Master Cross? -- she nodded -- Not again! The Overmares are gonna be pissed."
Master Cross, an old Zebra stallion that was in charge of the unarmed combat training in the stable. He may be a drunk and a bit goofy, but don't think that means he's not fit to teach. He taught me everything I know about Zebra martial arts. I am his best pupil, and he has always been a kind but firm teacher. Honestly, he is like a father to me in some ways, primarily because he's known my mom since both were young.
Turning back to Keira, I remarked, "Well since you're free, how about you come to melee training with me? Better than just going back to your room," giving a friendly smile to my friend. I always enjoyed having Keira around, she always supported me, when I needed it most.
She turned to me and gave me her trademark grin, "and watch you beat the crap out of the snobby unicorns in your class, count me in," she said walking up to my side as I started to trot towards the training hall again.
The walk to the training hall was uneventful after my run in with Granite and his lackeys, but it was nice just walking with my best friend. Honestly without Keira and my other friends, I don't know how I would get through most days. Most of the stable refuse to pay the slightest attention to me, while those who did either made fun of me or wanted something from me.
While lost in thought, I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going and promptly crashed my face into someone big and sturdy. Based on the smell of tobacco and the stern look I could feel on me, I looked up to find Master Broadsword.
He looked at me and gave me a firm smack on the back of my head, then proceeded to shout in that drill instructor voice I so used to, "Shadow how many times have I told you to stay alert? Those improved senses aren't shit for anything if you don't fucking use them!"
My ears rang a bit as I recoiled from the force in his voice before replying, "My apologies Master." I then quickly made my way inside and barely dodged another strike. Keira saw this and giggled as I ran inside, she then looked to Master Broadsword and said, "Master, may I join this class for today? I've got nothing to do at the moment."
He looked at Keira and smiled, "There's what I like to see, some dedication to training. Most would sleep in and be lazy, but not you Keira, come on in and maybe you can whip these horn heads into shape." Keira smiled and replied in a strong voice, "Yes Master!"
Then, she proceeded inside the training hall, followed by Master Broadsword as the doors slammed shut, signaling the beginning of training.
I made my way through the training hall to the locker areas where my gear was stored. Keira followed behind me, and we both went into our separate locker rooms for the stallions and mares. Going towards my locker, I then connected my pipbuck to the locking mechanism, and after a few seconds, it clicked, opening to reveal my weapons.
Guardians are not permitted to carry anything bigger than a knife like the one Keira used earlier, so their weapons are kept in personalized lockers in the training hall that can only be opened by the owner’s pipbuck. As I pulled out my equipment, I took a minute to gaze at my weapons and the beautiful craftsmanship that went into them.
Guardians choose their weapons after the first year of training. This gives them time to test out several different styles of fighting, as well as types of weaponry. After the weapon is chosen they go to the blacksmiths of the stable to have special unique weapons crafted by experts using recycled metal and materials from the centuries we lived in the stable. Blacksmiths make all types of weapons from swords to halberds. With help from our unicorns, weapons can also have enchantments added to them. Through years of research and study, our unicorns have made several enchantments including increasing the weapons striking power, or keeping weapons in good repair without the need for daily maintenance.
My weapons were created by Master Forge, one of the most talented smiths to ever live in the stable. The first is a longsword which I named Venta, despite its length I can use it at fast speeds, moving it like the wind. My cutie mark is edged into the pommel, a little something that Master Forge added before he presented it to me. Second is my dagger named Umbra, which I use for silent kills and for when my opponents get too close. Umbra has a crescent moon edged into its guard as a symbol of my loyalty to our Goddess of the Moon. Guardians like to name their weaponry as it helps them to think of their weapons as their partners, and extensions of themselves. The two combined make a force to be reckoned with, alongside my martial arts skills.
“Shadow, are you coming or not?” Keira said from the doorway to the locker room, making me realize that I had spaced out.
Securing both weapons around my barrel, I made my way out and walked with Keira over to the center of the training hall. Peering over to my friend I noticed her signature weaponry fastened securely to her side. Keira specialized in something you'd normally think only a unicorn could use. But Keira proved that she could master it. A thorned whip with spikes that ran the whole length that could be folded, and had enchantments to allow Keira to command the length of said whip. The spikes were pure steel and could rip cleanly through solid stone. Anything that came into contact with her whip would be torn to shreds. With the combination of her martial arts skills and years of practice, Keira can wield the whip in her mouth, hooves, and if the need arises, with her tail. Trust me you don’t want to mess with Keira. She named her favored weapon Rosa, fitting in my opinion.
“So Keira, you think the matchups will be interesting today?” I asked after taking my seat in the center of the room, Keira sitting next to me while the other unicorns in my class made sure to have plenty of distance from us. This is why I prefer the zebra class, at least they had manners.
“I hope so, from what you tell me at least some of these guys know how to fight,” Keira said with a grin as several of the unicorns turned to glare at the two of us. Master Broadsword was a unicorn, but he made sure that he treated every one of his students with respect regardless of race. The old red unicorn stood in front of the class and began the lesson in his usual way.
“Good Morning Students” Master Broadsword shouted over us, and we immediately gave him our full attention.
“Today’s training shall be my personal favorite activity, Sparring.” He declared, causing most of the class to groan in disappointment.
Master always enjoyed sparring as he believes it is the most effective way to improve one's skills, as it forces both combatants to use all their training and push themselves to overpower their opponent. I personally enjoyed sparring myself, notably when it was Keira and me during our free time.
“Joining us today is Keira from the Zebra class, she will be participating, so I don’t want to hear any whining about fighting a zebra! You must be prepared to fight any foe!" Master Broadsword said as he paced back and forth in front of everyone.
He looked at each one of us, and no doubt had matchups already planned in his head. “So the first round of sparring shall be Shadow Strike and Swift Saber,” Master Broadsword declared after a good minute of pacing.
I groaned on the inside and wondered why Master would put me through this again. Swift Saber was in his own terms, my rival. He hated me even more than Granite did, and that, in my opinion, is an accomplishment.
Saber got up and grinned at me, “come on Shadow, it’s time that I pay you back for our last match.” He walked to the right of Master Broadsword, as I walked to his left.
Replying to him wouldn’t accomplish anything as his ego was too big for anything but compliments to slip through his ears. Saber then drew his signature weapons, twin scimitars that were designed to be used together as twin blades. He named these weapons Fame and Fortune, believe it or not.
As I drew Venta from its sheath, I readied myself for the fight that was to come. Saber and I have had many fights throughout our training, and for the most part, I had always come out on top, mostly due to Saber’s overconfidence and ego. He would make his attacks too flashy and did not bother learning to always keep your eyes on your surroundings. But there were times where we would keep going, and Master Broadsword would have to call it a draw. Saber hates the fact that he has never beat me and he made his life's work to make my life both in training and outside training a living hell. But enough on that now, let’s get to the fight.
“If you two are ready, you may begin.” Master Broadsword declared.
Saber wasted no time rushing me with both swords swinging. I swept Venta across my vision, blocking both at once. Holding both of his swords was difficult, especially with his superior telekinetic strength. But I quickly jumped back as his swords, under the weight of his telekinesis, dug into the ground of the training hall and gave me the opportunity to move in and strike him on his side. He saw my attack and moved to the side just enough to where my blade barely scratched his stable barding. He pulled his swords out of the ground and yelled as he charged me again. Only this time, he attempted an arching motion at my hooves with one of his blades. This was a ruse to draw my attention, so that he may bring his second sword overhead to where he expected me to jump.
Unfortunately for Saber, I saw this coming. I quickly jumped and unsheathed Umbra from my back. Using my daggers hilt, I redirected his sword enough so that it missed me, and then took the opening to slash at Sabers face. I cut him across his cheek, causing blood to trickle down his exposed maw, though the injury was shallow. This action did, however, piss him off to the point that he headbutted me and I was sent flying a few feet away with a headache as my reward. I quickly grabbed my weapons and readied myself again as Saber stood there smirking.
“You’re gonna pay for that one Shadow, let’s see if I can make those stripes of yours red instead of white!” Saber said as he wiped the blood off his cheek. Honestly, his threat was a bit cheesy and not that unique or original.
“If you spent half as much time training as you do talking and boasting Saber, you might be able to beat me. Hell, I might actually consider you a rival,” I said as I gave him a bored look. I moved to strike, catching him off guard as he had lowered his swords. By the time he had them at the ready again, I was already upon him and had struck him across the chest deep enough only to draw a thin line of blood and make a noticeable slash in his barding. He howled in pain and clutched his chest cursing at me.
“Damn it you fucking half breed! You’re gonna pay for that!” Saber lunged at me, managing to cut my cheek with one of his swords before I jumped back as we fought in a circle, both striking and parrying our weapons back and forth for what felt like 10 minutes.
As the fighting continued, Saber’s anger was slowly rising, and he was getting sloppy in his attacks. I saved my energy, only blocking his attacks in order to wear him down and fuel his anger. And then opportunity showed itself as Saber misstepped and lost his balance, giving me the moment I needed. I struck at his swords while his focus had faltered, hitting them away, then using his momentum, I knocked him on the ground and placed Umbra to his throat, pinning him to the ground.
Master Broadsword walked up to us, “That’s enough, the winner is Shadow Strike, an excellent fight my students,” I removed my dagger from his throat and offered him a hoof in respect. Unsurprisingly, he batted me away and scowled at me. We both stood up and looked to Master Broadsword for our evaluation.
“Good fight you two, as usual. Saber, you may have lost, but you are definitely improving if Shadow’s aching head isn’t proof enough. But you still have plenty of your old issues that need to be worked out. For example your overconfidence and that temper, you let your guard down to make threats and gloat, allowing Shadow to give you that nice little cut across your chest. Always be on your guard and save the boasting for after the fight is done.” Saber looked away and growled as Master Broadsword gave him the same talk as usual. He would never learn, I swear.
“Shadow, excellent work, you are improving every day, and your dedication to your training truly shows in a fight like that. However, that headbutt clearly shows you that even if you avoid the weapon, the enemy can still counterattack and you must be aware of this to avoid whatever they might have planned. Other than that, excellent form.” I gave a respectful bow to Master Broadsword as he finished my evaluation.
“That will be all for you two. Saber go to the locker room and get a healing potion. Shadow you may take your seat for the next match.” Master Broadsword said as he turned to look at the class, no doubt thinking about the next matchup.
I walked over to Keira, who offered me a hoof bump that I gladly accepted. I took out my own healing potion that I had made the other day, taking a sip to help with my headache. I saw Saber stomping into the locker room, grumbling about the loss.
“Alright, the next matchup has been decided. Emerald Gem vs. Keira.” Oh, now that is a mismatch if I ever heard one. Emerald had no chance, but I guess that might sound biased coming from her best friend.
Looking up to Keira as she got up, I said, “Good luck Keira, try not to hurt her too badly.” She looked at me, giving her trademark smile. She walked to the right side of Master Broadsword, and Emerald walked to the left. Both mares stared each other down, but Keira just smiled like always.
Emerald gave a look of a bit of annoyance and disgust as she took out her weapons, two fans that had sharpened edges. Each fan had an emerald in the center cut to match her cutie mark, honestly, it was a bit much. She used these fans as long-range weapons that she controlled with her telekinesis, making it difficult to get close to her. She could also use them for wind spells, making wind currents strong enough to cut through solid rock. But I wasn’t worried, having fought Keira for years, I knew what she was capable of.
“Alright ladies, when your ready, you may begin,” Master Broadsword declared as he gave the mares their space.
Emerald quickly threw both fans directly at Keira, the both of them flying sorely on target. Keira simply used her hoof to pull out Rosa and flip it into her mouth. The enchantments came to life, the whip extending until it became the length Keira desired. She then used her head to bring the whip up and blocked both fans with one lash. The problem Emerald was going to have with this fight is not only is Keira an expert at fighting from a distance, but her whip gives her a range around herself that almosts make projectile attacks useless.
“Alright, let’s see you deal with this Zebra!” Emerald yelled as she pulled her fans back towards their owner, her horn glowed brighter.
She waved her fans in a sweeping motion in front of her, conjuring a stream of air that went straight for Keira. The magic used in the spell could cut her in half with the right amount of force. But Keira saw this and, easily dodged the attack with only a lost hair on her tail.
Keira drew her whip and jumped into the air, wrapping the handle around her foreleg. She used her momentum to lash her whip out at Emerald, landing a solid blow on her shoulder. Emerald cried out in pain, but luckily for her, Keira hadn’t opened the thorns on her whip. Emerald glared at Keira, who stood ready for a counter attack. Emerald screamed, and threw both fans at once, adding wind magic to increase their power. Keira jumped over the two fans avoiding them, then lashed out at Emerald, striking her across the forehead, right under her horn. This caused Emerald to lose her focus, and the two fans limply hit the wall and clattered to the floor.
After closing the distance between them, Keira pinned Emerald down and held her there. “So, how does it feel to be beaten by a lowly Zebra, huh hornhead?” Keira said grinning down at the mare.
Racism technically is illegal in the stable, and those who displayed it in public are usually disciplined, but it was overlooked by many officials including the Overmares as long as it doesn’t get too violent. A valid law, but no way to actually enforce it, not that many officials ever really bothered.
“That’s it for this match, the winner is Keira,” Master Broadsword said as he walked up to the two mares. Keira removed her hoof and was immediately kicked off by Emerald who tried to tackle Keira to the ground. This would have worked had it not been for Master Broadsword, who caught her in his telekinesis and moved her up to meet his eyes.
“I said the match was over Emerald, when I say it’s over, that means you stand in line for your evaluation, you want to throw a tantrum because you lost to a zebra? Do it on your own time!” Master Broadsword yelled in her face. He then put her down on the ground in front of him.
“As for your evaluation, you have good technique, but you are exceedingly flashy in your attacks which makes them predictable. You need to learn to keep your cool and adapt to your opponent,” Master said with a stern voice. Emerald hung her head to hind her embarrassment. Master then gave his attention to Keira who had been waiting quietly for her evaluation.
“Keira, excellent technique, you always impress me with how well you control your whip; as well as how flexible you can be when defending and attacking. However you must not get too overconfident, or you might lose more than just a few hairs on your tail,” Master said finishing with a grin while pointing a hoof to the split hairs on the end of Keira’s tail. I barely suppressed a chuckle of my own, and judging by the flick of Keira’s ear, she heard me. Well, I’m gonna pay for that later.
After Keira and Emerald sat back down with the group, more matches went on with very little excitement. Unicorns tended to use their weapons to keep their enemies at a distance most of the time. This is why I enjoy watching the zebra and earth pony groups; because they use their weapons along with their martial arts skills. They tended to have more creative ways to use weapons since they can’t rely on levitation like the unicorns. As the last fight ended, Master Broadsword stood before us again.
“Excellent work today students, your training is coming along nicely, keep up the good work, and I’ll see you all next time.” Master then dismissed us. We all started to head to the locker rooms to store our weaponry. I put Venta and Umbra in my locker, careful not to scratch the intricate designs before I closed the door. The lock engaged, they were safe and stored. I made my way to the exit of the locker room only to find Saber blocking my way. Oh, this will be fun.
“You got lucky this time freak, but next time, I’ll put you in your place,” Saber said with a glare towards me. Honestly, I didn’t see why he hated me so much, it felt like more than just jealousy, like there was something rooted in his hatred. As I walked past him though, I barely heard him whisper something, probably thinking I wasn’t paying attention.
“You’ll get what’s coming to you soon half breed, you can be sure of that,” Saber whispered as he went back into the locker room. I don’t know what he meant, but it sent a chill down my spine.
“Shadow, you coming or not? If we don’t get a move on we’ll be late for lunch with our friends,” Keira said as she came out of the mares locker room. I blinked and turned to her.
“Sorry Keira, come on, let’s hope they saved some of those snack cakes you love so much, or you’ll be cranky the rest of the day,” I said with a grin. That remark earned me a punch on the shoulder which stung for a bit. I moved with a bit more pace towards the exit to the training hall as Keira followed behind me.
Melee training is done, and the rest of the day awaits.
As Keira and I made our way to the mess hall for lunch, we talked about what classes we had today and how our fights went. Keira and I weren’t ones to brag, but we did enjoy analyzing and rating our fighting skills. Honestly, training was when I felt at peace believe it or not. The energy that goes into every movement and the rush of adrenaline makes me feel so alive. But I guess the real reason I love training so much is that it gets me away from the hardships that I go through almost every day in the stable. Not only with the looks of disgust and prejudice but also other things that I really don’t like talking about.
“Shadow you’re spacing out again,” Keira said as I nearly walked into the wall near the door to the atrium. I quickly caught myself and looked to my best friend.
“Sorry Keira, I got lost in thought,” I said with a sheepish grin as I rubbed the back of my head with a hoof. I tended to lose myself in thought quite a bit, and Keira always loved teasing me about it. I couldn’t help it, my mind just seemed to take off when I wasn’t concentrating on anything in particular.
We made our way into the atrium and headed towards the lines to get our food. Food in Stable 100 was bland, to say the least, but was decent enough I guess. Some of the lower levels of the stable had fertile gardens that grew not only our food but also herbs and other plants for our alchemy needs. I would often volunteer my free time to helping out the gardeners with their tasks when I wasn’t training with Keira or Master Cross.
Immediately I felt a large stallion throw his forelegs around my shoulders from the side. I didn’t even need to see the stripes on his forelegs to know who it was.
“Greetings Master Cross, get any sleep last night or did you just drink to the point of passing out?” I said with a grin as I looked at the zebra stallion who smelled like a distillery. He was a good stallion, don’t get me wrong, but he wasn’t the pinnacle of role models in the stable.
“Shadow come on kiddo, you know me, I just got a little carried away is all. By the way, you need to try this new batch I cooked up yesterday, it is amazing,” Master Cross said as he used me to support his shaky legs.
He was silly, but he was always there when I needed him. When Master Cross is sober, and in his element, he really shows how much he cares, not just for me, but for all his students. One thing he does not tolerate in this training hall is bullying. He’s the closest thing to a father figure I have, plus he’s known my mom since they were kids.
“So Keira, I heard that you joined the horn heads for melee training today. You have fun? Hope you didn’t hurt them too bad did ya?” Cross said looking towards Keira with a smirk.
Keira simply gave him her trademark smile and moved ahead in the line. Cross was slowly getting his balance back as we made our way to the counter where the food was laid out, similar to those schools I’d read about in our history books. I wonder if the food in those schools were just as bland as here in the stable?
“Ah, now I can feel my legs again.” Master Cross let go of my shoulders and began to walk on his own, albeit, still on wobbly legs.
“You know, if you keep this up, the Overmares are gonna be pissed, might even kick you out of the stable,” I joked with a little chuckle. He knew I was only kidding, no one left the stable, well except for that one time, but we’re not allowed to talk about it.
“Pfft, Those two wouldn’t be able to kick me out with the entire security team, especially when I got my prized pupil to back me up,” Cross said while giving me a jab in the shoulder. He had a point, I would be at his side, he would do the same for me. Plus, the Overmares didn’t exactly like me that much.
“Master Cross!” Shouted an angry sounding mare who was all too familiar to me. Master Cross and I turned to see not one but both Overmares making their way through the crowd heading right towards us. Master Cross groaned, I just sighed as the two mares stopped right in front of us with stern glares on their faces.
The Overmares of Stable 100, Cherry Cobbler, a unicorn with a bright red coat and a light orange mane, and Zira, a zebra mare whose coat and mane showed the signs of constant care. Their position was passed down through their family lines since the Great War. They were the ones in charge of the security team and most of the ponies here in the Stable. I personally didn’t have anything against Cherry Cobbler, other than the dirty looks she gave me. Zira, on the other hoof, hated my guts for several reasons. She would have my head on a pike for all to see if she had her way.
“We heard you were asleep on the job again, and judging by the smell, we don’t need to ask why,” Cherry said as she scrunched her nose in disgust at the smell of alcohol.
“We would hope that a Master would set a better example for his students, but knowing you, that is unlikely to happen,” Zira said with a blank expression.
Master Cross straightened up, and spoke in a clear voice, “My students see me as an instructor, not a role model, hell even my star pupil here knows better than to think of me like that,” I simply nodded rolling my eyes a bit at this situation. They had to do this in public to try and make an example out of Cross, prove to themselves that they were the highest authority in the stable.
“The hybrid has clung to you all his life, and follows you like you are his father, it’s no wonder he has such poor manners,” Zira said as she looked my way, giving that hateful smile that she reserved only for me. I simply gave her a flat look and said nothing. I didn’t expect Master Cross to suddenly be in her face with a look of pure rage in his eyes.
“Insult me all you want Zira, but leave Shadow out of this. We all know you hate him, but I will not tolerate you bad mouthing him when you don’t even know him,” Master Cross said in a dangerous tone that I rarely heard. He then backed up and dragged me through the line.
“Come back here Cross, we are not finished talking,” Cherry shouted after us as we disappeared into the service area of the atrium. I looked back to see both mares looking furious, especially Zira.
They both huffed and strutted out of the atrium. They were spoiled brats, to be honest, but that’s what ya’ get when you spoil your children from day one. No training, no chores, all schooling done by the parents and private tutors.
We caught up with Keira, and made it to the food grabbing trays. Taking both mine and Master Cross’ lest he drop it in his still drunken haze, I picked up an assortment of veggies, fruits, and a sweet bun that I knew would perk him up after that encounter. After we had gotten all our food, I took our trays, as well as Keira’s as she was putting it on her back. She smiled at me, and we all made our way to our usual table in the back. Setting down our trays, we took our seats and began our meal.
“So Master, think you’re up for a round of sparring later this afternoon? I was really disappointed we didn’t have training this morning,” Keira said with a bit of a pout. She used this strategy a lot when she wanted something. Those eyes were next to impossible to say no to when they started to water.
Master Cross turned to look at Keira and answered, “Of course Keira, I could never say no to one of my best students. Shadow you will be joining us, I’ll not hear any excuses.” I shook my head but agreed all the same with a smile on my face. I always enjoyed our times together.
Out of nowhere, a stripped hoof came up and smacked Cross right in the back of the head, making his face land on his tray. Looking up to the owner of said hoof, I smiled and got up from my seat. Standing behind Master Cross was the one zebra who I cared for even more than Keira.
“Hi Mom,” I said as I wrapped my hooves around her neck. My mother, Zephira, the best alchemist in the stable, and instructor for all alchemy classes and experiments.
She had been a prodigy from a very young age, she taught me everything I know about potions, toxins, and concoctions. She was a strict instructor but never cruel, she always strived to help her students learn and help them succeed. And she always made time for me for extra training and instruction.
“Hi sweetheart,” Mom said as she hugged me tightly. She was also quite strong for a zebra who spent most of her time in a lab. She stayed in shape, and could even spar with me on occasion. Trust me, you don’t want to underestimate her.
“How was melee training this morning? Didn’t put Saber in the infirmary again I hope,” Mom said with a small smirk.
“Come on Mom, that only happened once and that was because he attacked me after Master Broadsword stopped the match,” I said with a smirk of my own. Mom knew about the stuff I went through more than anypony in the stable. In the younger days, she would always be at my bedside while I cried about being picked on or getting in trouble for something I didn’t do. She was always there for me, and I loved her so much.
“Zeph, what the hell was that for!” Cross yelled as he pulled his face out of the splattered fruits and veggies on his tray. He looked back at Mom with annoyance.
“I heard you got drunk and skipped out on your duties again. Cross you need to be responsible and think before you go and drink yourself silly,” Mom said with a look of disappointment.
Mom and Cross had been friends since they were young and knew each other well. Mom would always get onto him for his drinking habits, and he would shrug it off. Honestly, I found their interactions amusing, and so did Keira considering the giggles she was poorly trying to contain.
“I just got a bit carried away, ya’ didn’t have to hit me,” Cross rubbed the back of his head with a pout. Mom just sighed and sat down with her tray. We all started back into our food, as the chatter of the atrium went on in the background.
“Well you all are just as lively as ever. Cross, are you ever going to grow up?” A new voice came into our midst. Recognizing it immediately, I got up yet again to embrace one of the few ponies in the stable that I considered family.
“Auntie Text,” I said while wrapping the mare in a hug. Text Scroll, head of education and historical records here in Stable 100.
She was a white unicorn with a pink mane that had a red streak running through it. Her cutie mark was that of a scroll laid out with a quill writing into it. She wasn’t my aunt by blood, but she and my mother had known each other since they were fillies. I spent a lot of time with her when I was young, mom was usually busy in the research labs. Auntie Text always took me to the library and would show me all the history of the stable and the old world of Equestria. Ever wanted to know anything about the history of the country, just ask her.
“Shadow, good to see you, I hope training went well,” Auntie said while giving me a big hug. We let go, she set her tray next to Keira and sat down.
“Keira, I hope you have that paper done for class today. I don’t want to see another tardy paper because you spent too much time in the training halls again,” Auntie said while looking at Keira with a smile. Keira had been known to forget about writing assignments and wasn’t as enthusiastic about class as I was. I had tutored Keira on more than one occasion, but I was happy to do it.
“Yes Mrs. Scroll, I got it done last night, it’ll be on your desk after class today,” Keira said with a hint of a groan. She took a bite out of her snack cake, and that perked her right back up.
“Hey Text, I figured you would have taken your lunch into the library again. I mean you practically live in there,” Cross said while leaning over to look at Auntie. She threw a carrot at his nose, and that shut him up.
“Better be careful what you say Cross or she’ll make you sit through one of her lectures,” said a booming voice, accompanied by three sets of hooves coming towards us.
Two earth ponies and a unicorn made their way towards us, one was a large stallion with a dull grey coat and a black mane, another was a stallion around my age with a dull grey coat and a brown mane, and the unicorn mare had a white coat and a pink mane with a silver streak through it. The last of my little family had arrived.
“And what is so bad about my lectures Forge?” Auntie turned to the stallion with a look that spelled doom if he answered wrong. The stallion came up and kissed her before sitting down next to her.
“Nothing at all dear, just that I can’t see Cross making it very long considering you don’t tolerate sleeping in class,” The stallion said with a laugh.
This is Master Forge, the one who made Venta and Umbra for me, he’s also husband to Auntie Text and my uncle. He was always fun to be around, and his blacksmithing skills were unmatched throughout the stable. His cutie mark was of a blacksmiths forge with a fire burning bright inside. As he sat down, the other two ponies sat down across from us and gave us all warm smiles.
“Hey everyone, how’s the day treating you all?” The younger stallion said as he sat down.
This is my good friend Grindstone, who was learning under his dad to take his place in blacksmithing. He had talent and was also quite friendly. He and I would wrestle when we were kids, which I would win most of the time. Grind had a great sense of humor that he definitely got from his dad. His cutie mark of a grindstone sharpening a sword.
“Yes how was training this morning Shadow?” The younger mare said to me as she sat down.
Last but certainly not least is my good friend Silver Scroll, who is a bigger bookworm than I am. She has been studying to take Auntie’s job, and she was definitely suited for it. She and I were the top students in our age group, we would often compete to see who would get the better grade. So far we were even, but that could change. Her cutie mark was a textbook with the stable door on the cover.
These two were like siblings to me, same as Keira. Without them, I don’t know how I could have gotten through my childhood. Grind would always keep the bullies off me when he was around and taught me to stand up for myself without resorting to violence. Patience was something all blacksmiths learned and he taught me all he knew about patience. Silver was the one who was always there to help me when I needed a tutor and would spend time with me in the library. This group right here at the table were my family and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“It was alright Silver, Saber was my opponent again, and it ended just like the other matches with him,” I said smiling over to her.
“He never learns, I don’t understand why he was picked as a Guardian, I certainly wouldn’t trust him with protecting anyone,” Silver said, then went for her carrots and broccoli.
“Yes, the day has been an interesting one Grind, but I can’t really complain,” Keira said looking over to Grindstone.
“Yeah just another day in Stable 100,” I said right before the most obnoxious voice in all creation rang out for all of us to hear. I groaned loudly as I turned to see a zebra mare walking towards us with a smile that honestly makes me cringe.
“Hey cutie, mind if I sit here?” Said the zebra mare. So I guess I should explain who this is.
This is Ivory Stripe, the daughter of Overmare Zira, and the biggest slut in the stable. And despite her mother’s hatred for me, she’d decided that we were meant for each other, and had been after me for over 5 years now. Luna give me strength…
“I do mind actually, Ivory, I already dealt with your mother earlier, I don’t want to do it again, so how about you go sit with your friends,” I said before taking a bite of the last of my carrots. Ivory, of course, didn’t listen as she came right in between me and Keira, pushing Keira into Auntie. This earned a glare from all three of us.
“Come now Shadow, if mom is giving you trouble, I can talk to her for you, as long as there is something in it for me,” Ivory said with a look towards me that made me sick to my stomach.
“Hey whore, pretty sure no one gave you permission to sit here, let alone push me out of my seat. Take a hike,” Keira said with a dangerous tone. Ivory turned around and glared at her, both mares glaring so hard you could almost see sparks in between them. Something had to be done, or Keira was gonna tear her apart.
“Ivory, I think it would be best if you left and found your mother,” Mom said from right behind Ivory which made her jump. Mom always had a talent for moving quietly. Ivory then got up and started to move away from the table before looking back at me.
“One day you’ll see it my way Shadow,” Ivory said right before she blew me a kiss.
The action made almost throw up in my mouth, and thankfully she was gone by the time I looked up again. That mare was a complete slut, and I had no idea why she was so interested in me. Keira and I had a few theories, one being that she was just doing it because her mom said not to. I personally didn’t care, she was absolutely not my type. She was the worst student in the class, skipped half the time and wasn’t punished for it. She had the IQ of a radroach, and a personality that screamed, “bitch.”
“I can’t believe the Overmare lets her act like that, if she ever takes over, the stable will be even worse off than it is now,” Auntie Text said after finishing her meal. She had a point, as much as I hated Zira, I’d keep her as Overmare rather than having Ivory take over.
“She’s the daughter of the Overmare, most of them end up like that. Cherry’s daughter is alright in my opinion,” Mom said as she finished her meal as well. Overmare Cherry Cobbler’s daughter is somepony I didn’t see around all that often, never talked to her either. Think her name is Strawberry Swirl or, something like that.
“Yes, but she is the least social pony of her age group,” Auntie Text said as she got up.
“Well I need to get to my classroom and prepare for the lesson today, children, I expect all four of you to be on time to class,” Auntie said looking at all four of us with a stern look before giving a smile and walking off to her classroom.
I was never late, well, except for those few times Keira and I lost track of time in the training halls. Auntie always gave us an earful afterward. We all finished up and took our trays to the recycle bin and made our way to the halls of the stable.
“I must go to my beginners class, hopefully they don’t blow a hole in the stable walls again,” Mom said giving me a quick hug. She then walked off and around the corner.
“Yeah I guess I should head to my beginners class, hopefully, they at least try today. Later kiddos,” Master Cross said as he waved to us over his shoulder heading in the opposite direction of mom.
“Well then, it’s back to the workshop for me, see you kids later,” Master Forge walked off towards the elevators to make his way to the workshops three levels down.
“Well we better go get our saddlebags and get ready for class today,” I said looking to my friends. They all nodded, and we made our way to our rooms separately to pick up our things. As I made my way to my room, I started to hear someone talking, but it was faint, coming from one of the closed doors in the hallway.
“..... the time is almost upon us, we shall arrive, and everything will change for the better. Make sure you have everything prepared, or there will be consequences,” A voice I had never heard said, muffled by the door. I quickly made my way down the hallway hearing the door to the room open and close. Something was going on, but I didn’t know what. Probably Granite and his buddies planning another attack on me or something.
I walked on through the stables’ halls, making my way to the space that housed me and my mom. We had our own living area like everyone else in the stable. The area consisted of a living room with a small kitchen, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Walking towards my room, I found my saddlebags near the desk on the opposite side of the room across from the bed. Slipping them on and making sure I had my paper that was due today, I walked out of the room and down the hallway.
“Perhaps I can kill some time in the library before class starts,” I said making my way to a turn towards the library.
After spending some time in the library reading some books on magical creatures, I made my way out into the hall turning in the direction of Auntie Text’s classroom. It wasn’t far, and I would get there in plenty of time. Auntie does not tolerate tardiness, trust me I learned that before the first day of class. She is very passionate about being a teacher, especially when it comes to history. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Equestria and the stable itself. If I wasn’t a Guardian, I wouldn’t mind learning under Auntie and becoming a record keeper here. Or becoming an alchemist like mom, she always said I had a talent for it.
Turning a corner, I spotted Silver making her way to class, and moved to catch up with her. Upon hearing me walking up to her, she turned, and gave me a warm smile.
“Hi, Shadow, ready for class?” Silver said as we both walked down the hall towards class.
“I sure am, it’s history day, my favorite day of the week,” I said with excitement in my voice.
Class usually had different subjects every day to give us a broad education in several topics. History has always been my favorite and best subject. Classes were all separated by age groups, all races including guardians had the same classes in the stable.
“Yeah it’s always interesting to hear about the past of Equestria and the stable,” Silver said, looking at me with a friendly smile.
“Remember when we were still kids, and we would sneak into the library just so we could read more about the history behind Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon?” I said, picturing the memory in my mind, making me smile.
“I do remember that, I also remember both our moms catching us and grounding us for a week for breaking curfew,” Silver said with a small laugh at the memory.
“So Shadow, read anything interesting in the library? I’m guessing that’s where you went during your free time,” Silver asked as we continued down the dull gray halls of the stable.
“Just went over some books about magical creatures that were native to Equestria. One in particular that caught my interest is the hydra. They can grow back their heads and restore limbs at an alarming rate. Very difficult to kill,” I said with a tone of fascination.
“Well, I’m sure one can’t get into the stable so no need to worry. I actually was in my room reading about the different tribes of zebras, at least the ones that we have records about.” Silver said with a hint of disappointment near the end.
As Silver and I made our way to the next corner in the hallway, I could hear two familiar voices chatting from around the corner. I put my hoof in front of Silver and made a gesture to tell her to wait. As I crept towards the corner, I peeked out and saw my prey. I positioned myself, and just as I was about to pounce.
“Don’t even think about it Shadow, or I will make you revisit the memories of the first time you tried this little plan of yours,” Keira said without even looking back to see it was me. She always had this sense, which told her when I was around, it was scary sometimes.
“Let’s not be too hasty about something like that Keira, it took me days before I could breathe properly again,” I said, then a shiver went down my spine remembering that night, I still had no idea where the hell she got that feather from. Silver came around the corner rolling her eyes at me but still had an amused smile.
“Hey Shadow, hey sis, ready for class? I have a feeling it’s going to be a long one,” Grindstone said looking over to us with a smile. He and Keira had most likely gotten here early and just waited for us.
“Yeah, question is, are you ready? Most of the time you two can’t stay awake for these lectures,” I said with a smirk, which earned me a glare from my two friends. After about a minute of silence, we all broke into laughter. Soon we passed the last turn into the hallway with Auntie Text’s classroom.
Walking into the classroom, Auntie saw us and waved, which we all returned. We then took our seats for today’s lecture. I was excited to hear what we had to learn today.
As the rest of the class took their seats, Auntie Text took to the podium and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. She then turned on the projector which showed the Stable-Tec logo.
“Alright class, today we are going to learn more about our home, Stable 100, and the powers that made this home possible,” Auntie Text said as she then moved to the next slide that showed a map of Equestria from the old days.
“Our story begins long before the Great War that devastated Equestria, in fact, our history goes back long ago before the Goddesses defeated Discord. Off in the far land of Zebrica, there lived a nomadic tribe called the Moon Drifters,” Auntie Text said before moving onto the next slide which depicted a group of zebras walking towards the full moon.
“The Moon Drifters got their name from their admiration of the stars, and the moon of course, unlike the other tribes who saw the stars as a great evil. The Drifters eventually left their homeland due to the constant fighting with other tribes over their beliefs,” Auntie continued onto the next slide depicting a map that had showed an area close to the borders of Equestria.
“It was here, that the Moon Drifter met a tribe of ponies that had lived in the area since the fall of Discord. The ponies were skeptical about them at first having never seen zebras before, but in time they grew to befriend one another and made their new home thrive,” Auntie paused as she saw a zebra mare raise her hoof for a question.
“Yes dear, what is your question?” Auntie asked with a gentle smile.
“Where did the Moon Drifters come from, in terms of a tribe? Which tribe did they originally belong to?” The mare asked with a curious tone.
“An excellent question, but I’m afraid our records do not have anything on where they originated. Our records only tell us that they split off from another tribe and came to Equestria,” Auntie said with a bit of disappointment. I was curious about that too, why didn’t we have records about that?
“Either way, let’s get back to the lecture,” She spoke while moving to the next slide showing fields of crops and a good sized village.
“As they grew and prospered, the tribes became one, and they lived in peace. And one day the tribe caught the attention of the royal sisters. Ponies had spoken of a group that lived in harmony with each despite the difference in race, and the sisters had to see it for themselves. One of the sisters saw great potential in this settlement, and journeyed to meet with her new subjects. And we all know which sister it was.” The next slide revealed our Goddess of the Moon looking upon the town and its inhabitants with a joyful smile.
“Princess Luna, the embodiment of the moon, descended on the valley that our ancestors had called home and graced them with her presence. Her arrival sparked a celebration that lasted days, the princess joining in the festivities as the guest of honor. She learned all about how the Moon Drifters had followed her moon to Equestria and made their home here. They worshipped her as their goddess, and she gave them her blessing in their new home.” Auntie paused to take a drink of water before she continued onto the next slide which turned to a saddened goddess.
Keira raised her hoof, “Yes Keira?” Auntie said after seeing her hoof.
“Was that the festival that started the Lunar Festival we hold in the stable every year?” Keira asked.
Auntie smiled and answered, “Yes Keira, The Lunar Festival we hold every year in honor of The Goddess Luna when she first visited our tribe all those centuries ago.”
Auntie moved to the next slide, which showed Princess Luna with a sad and tired expression.
“Sadly, every good thing must come to an end. The Festival of the Moon as our history tells us, ended as Princess Luna was called to deal with another problem left by Discord. As their goddess left them, they began to discuss how they could best serve their goddess. And after weeks of ideas and discussions, a plan was formed.” Moving onto the next slide, showing an alchemy lab.
“Using the alchemy skills of the zebras, combined with the magical talent of the ponies, a new procedure was made to create a new power that would allow the tribe to serve their goddess beyond the limits of normal ponies and zebras. This is the origins of the Trial of the Stars, and of course, the beginning of the Guardians.” Auntie paused again to allow students to take notes or ask questions.
I raised my hoof, and Auntie turned to me, “Yes Shadow?”
“How long did it take them to make the trial? It must have taken hundreds of different mixtures and experiments to get the right procedure,” I said with curiosity in my voice.
Auntie smiled and spoke, “Very good question Shadow, and one that I can answer. According to records we have here in the stable, it took the tribe nearly three years to perfect the Trial of the Stars. Through trial and error, mixtures were created, and the Trial was perfected.”
Auntie then moved to the next slide showing several ponies and zebras in old-fashioned armor, carrying several types of weapons.
“Several members of the tribe volunteered for the process, even when knowing the risks involved, but a chance to serve their goddess and free her of her burden was more than enough to satisfy them. The Guardians then went to assist the goddess Luna in her efforts to fight back the chaos left by Discord. Luna saw the Guardians as her personal warriors, dedicated to serving her in her time of need. Guardians then spread out across Equestria helping ponies in need, all in the name of their goddess.” Auntie spoke proudly, looking at me, and the other guardians in the room. I couldn’t help but smile myself. Then the next slide came and that smile went away.
“But again like all good things, it did not last. After the chaos had been cleansed from Equestria, the Guardians were feared for their strength, and ponies began to wonder if they could just be monsters waiting to take over. Luna tried to calm their fears but she was not successful. The shunning of her beloved Guardians broke the Princess’ heart and her jealousy and hatred towards her sister grew. In fact, some history books claimed that ponies blamed the Guardians for the appearance of Nightmare Moon.” Auntie said with a noticeable sadness in her voice. The next slide depicted the Mare in the Moon.
Silver raised her hoof and asked, “Why would ponies blame the Guardians for Princess Luna’s transformation? What evidence did they have?”
Auntie simply shook her head and spoke in a softer tone, “Silver, in times of crisis and panic, the citizens feel they have to place the blame on something. And, in this case, it was the ponies that were closer to Luna than her own guards.”
“But the Guardians wouldn’t gain anything from corrupting the princess. They respected her more than anyone,” Silver stated, trying to understand why the ponies would turn on the Guardians so easily.
Auntie sighed and then spoke, “Silver, under stress and fear, anyone would lose their rational thought. It is common instinct, and the Guardians were the unfortunate target of the ponies.” Auntie then moved to the next slide showing the Guardians with low heads and sad faces.
“Princess Luna’s banishment broke the hearts of the Guardians and their tribe, driving them into hiding, where they were not seen nor heard from for centuries. Even upon the return of Princess Luna, the tribe refused to revive the Guardians in the belief that they had failed their goddess. As time went on the Trial of the Stars was forgotten, and the Guardians were lost from history.” Auntie then stopped the changing of slides to address us directly.
“Alright class, let’s take a fifteen minute break and stretch our legs. Be back in your seats in fifteen minutes, and we can start on the beginnings of the stable.”
I got up from my seat and moved to a corner of the room where my friends and I could talk in private. I was quickly followed by Keira, Silver, and Grindstone.
Keira was the first who spoke up, “I can’t understand why everypony tried to blame the Guardians for Princess Luna’s transformation. They would not benefit from it, and it broke their hearts to see their Goddess fall victim to her inner darkness.”
I nodded and spoke, “I agree with you Keira, it doesn’t make any sense. But Auntie had a good point, fear and desperation will make ponies do strange things.”
Silver spoke next, “I have always been curious as to why Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon. Why did she fall into darkness? Surely it wasn’t just jealousy towards her sister.”
I had to admit, that was something I had been interested in as well. We had been taught that Princess Luna had always been a protector to her subjects, and that the Guardians were her personal force that protected all of Equestria. Why would ponies just turn to the conclusion that they were responsible for her transformation? And the biggest question of them all is, why did Princess Luna become Nightmare Moon?
“Those are questions only the Goddesses themselves can answer. We may never know the answers, but we can still believe that our Goddess of the Moon was a benevolent ruler who loved her subjects,” Grindstone said with a serious tone.
Keira raised her hoof and said, “Damn straight. We know our Goddess is with us and she loves us. We are her legacy, and we will do her will.”
I raised my hoof and spoke proudly, “I couldn’t agree more.”
After another five minutes of talking amongst ourselves, Auntie called for everyone to sit down.
“Alright students, I hope you enjoyed your break. Now we can move onto the beginnings of our stable,” Auntie said as she started up the projector once again.
“Now, we move to the time of the Great War and how our stable came into existence,” Auntie smiled and gave us time to prepare for the next lecture. I myself was eager to learn how our stable had started.
“Our tribe remained in their homeland, offering help to any who were in need, be they zebra or pony. But after the Massacre at Little Horn, they knew that they needed to do more. So they founded The EREC, The Equestrian Relief Effort Corporation. The new corporation worked independently to help ponies and zebras all over Equestria. They were not part of any of the Ministries, despite the efforts of the Ministry of Peace and the Ministry of Image,” Auntie paused to move to the next slide, which showed the symbol of the EREC, a full moon decorated with magic runes and zebra glyphs.
“The EREC used its knowledge and resources to help all who were affected by the war, and were ridiculed by the ponies of Equestria for helping zebras. It wasn’t until one fateful night that the directors of the EREC had been given the one thing that their tribe had wanted for centuries. Princess Luna visited the directors in secret and told them that she remembered their tribe fondly, and she needed their help once again,” Auntie paused and turned off the projector for a moment.
“It was in this meeting, my students, that the plan for Stable 100 came to life. The directors with the aid of Princess Luna commissioned Stable-Tec to build them a stable in a location that was away from the public, where they could conduct their research in peace. Stable-Tec took the bits offered and completed the stable in record time, supplying it with technology and equipment requested by the Princess. This stable would not be known to the public and would offer space for the employees of the EREC and their families. Close friends were also given space in the stable, but none knew what the purpose of the stable was for,” Auntie then turned the projector back on to reveal a slide that depicted Princess Luna giving a group of ponies and zebras what looked like ancient documents.
“Princess Luna had given the EREC a special mission to carry out within the stable, one that would affect the future of Equestria. In her great wisdom, she returned the original formula for the Trial of the Stars, and the process of creating the Guardians. She used her resources to supply the stable with everything they would need for the procedure. She had each of the directors promise her that they would come when she called for their aid. They accepted, and Stable 100 was complete. As the last of the residents came inside, the doors were sealed, and the experiment went underway,” The slideshow ended, and Auntie turned off the projector.
“And ever since that day, my students, we have remained here, recreating the Guardians and preparing for the day Equestria will need us. No one knows what goes on outside the stable, or when the call will come, but we remain here and continue our work,” Auntie moved from the center of the room to her desk and addressed the class for the last time today.
“That will be all students. I hope you all took notes cause there will be a test next week on this subject. Now I will take your assignments that are due today, after which, you are dismissed. Have a good day,” Auntie finished with a smile as we all rose from our seats to bring her our assignments.
I walked to Auntie Text’s desk and gave her my assignment, only to stay and stand at her side hoping to ask a few questions about the lesson before I left. Waiting for the other students to turn in their assignments gave me time to think about my questions. However, I noticed that Saber did not turn in his assignment, and saw him leave the room with an odd look on his face. Like he saw this as pointless, but there was something more in his expression, something similar to deceit. I couldn’t quite put my hoof on it, but it sent a chill down my spine, like this was the calm before the storm.
“Shadow, are you just going to stand there or do you have something to say?” Auntie asked with an amused expression. I spaced out again, great.
“Oh yes, Auntie, I had a few questions about the lesson. Is it true that the tribe members volunteered for the Trial? Did they know what they would go through during the trial or how it would change them?” I asked in a bit of a rush. Auntie just smiled at my desire for more knowledge.
“Ever the curious one aren’t you Shadow?” Auntie said while stacking the assignments on her desk.
“Yes, they did volunteer, though I suspect not all of them knew of the dangers of the Trial. Most were so willing to aid Princess Luna in her time of need that they did not care about the risks. But we do have records showing that not everything went smoothly, and some did suffer. You know the details better than I ever could my dear nephew,” Auntie finished with a sad smile to me before wrapping me in a comforting hug. The Trial was not easy for any Guardian to talk about, memories would flood back to a time we would want to forget.
“Now run along, I believe you and Keira were promised a sparring session with Cross. I need to go and start grading,” Auntie said as she let go of me and moved to the door. I followed, and we went our separate ways.
Walking through the dull gray halls of the Stable once again, I ran into Keira on our way to the unarmed training room where we would meet with Master Cross.
“So that was an interesting lesson, I wouldn’t have guessed that our history went that far back. I bet you we have the richest history of any of the stables that were built,” Keira said as we walked down the empty halls of the stable. She took to the lesson a lot better than normal, usually, these history lessons would bore her to sleep.
“I’m surprised you actually listened to that lecture. Are you joining me and Silver in the egghead club?” I said with a mischievous grin. That remark earned me a snort and a laugh from Keira.
“In your dreams, it’s just nice to know that our species have been at peace within our tribe for so long, makes you wonder why the war ever happened in the first place,” Keira said with a sad smile. I knew what she meant, why couldn’t everyone just get along like we did?. Granted, we still have some racism in the stable, and not everyone was descended from the original tribe.
We reached the door to the unarmed training room, and moved to open the door where we both got caught in a double headlock from behind. The old buck was silent as a ghost when he wanted to be.
“There’s my two favorite students, you two ready for your training?” Master Cross said with a happy and sober voice. He must have sobered up, at least for now.
“We are always ready for training Master Cross, come, let’s get in so we can start,” Keira said excitedly. I chuckled at her enthusiasm, and so did Cross.
After Cross let us go, we all walked inside and stood at separate ends of one of the training mats set up for unarmed combat training.
“Alright, kiddos let’s start off with some two on one combat. Both of you against me, remember, teamwork is key when you have someone you trust at your side. When faced with an opponent who is stronger or more experienced than you, rely on each other, and you can pull through,” Master Cross said as he sat waiting for us to make the first move.
It only took one look between us for us to know our plan of attack. I charged Cross from his left in an attempt to draw his attention. It somewhat worked as he dodged my kick and moved to use a hoof strike to send me flying away. He then ducked under Keira’s high kick that she attempted while she thought he was distracted. Keira fell onto her back, where we both laid in a daze.
“That was a good tactic kiddos, but it was predictable. You need to be crafty, and learn to throw your opponent off by using different tactics,” Master Cross said as he stood before us sitting on his rump.
I got up and moved to help Keira. After she recovered, we both moved together and came at him from both sides. He expected this and jumped up hoping to make us hit each other. But we had other plans, we both used our forelegs to help maneuver our hind legs to deliver twin kicks to his sides. He took the hit and grunted as we sent him back a few feet but he held his ground and did not fall.
Looking up at us with a grin, “Now that’s more like it, did not see that one coming, I might have a bruise,” Cross said almost gleefully.
Keira and I hoof bumped and stood ready for Master Cross’ counter-attack. He then moved faster than I could blink and before we knew what was happening, we hit the ground head first and were laid out on our backs. Master Cross had hit us so hard I lost my breath and judging from the sounds Keira was making, so did she. Master Cross was looking down at us from behind, so we quickly regained our composure and got up. We then charged Cross with all our might…
Two hours later….
I was sore all over, and I needed my bed. Keira wasn’t in any better shape as we left the training hall. Master Cross had given us a beating and a good work out. Cross walked past us and gave us a smile.
“Well, you two are definitely getting better, I’m actually a bit sore from that workout. Keep it up, and you two will probably be teaching this class once I kick the bucket,” Cross said before he started for his living quarters.
I looked at Keira, and she did the same to me. We both started laughing as we made our way towards our own living quarters. We lived not too far from one another, so we usually walked back together. I was ready for bed after that bit of training. Keira looked like she was about to collapse as well. I made sure to keep close, just in case she stumbled.
As we reached her quarters, we exchanged one last hug for the night, and she went inside. Then, I made my way a few doors down and found the quarters that I shared with Mom. Walking inside I found Mom on the couch looking over some papers, some assignments from her class no doubt.
I quickly jumped over the couch and landed to her right, opposite the stack of papers, nearly knocking them over. Mom looked at me with an amused smile and pulled me into a hug.
“How was training with Cross dear?” Mom said looking through her papers again.
“We held our own, but goddesses I feel like I fought off an Ursa,” I groaned as I rested my head on her shoulder, finding comfort in her.
“I’m sure you did sweetheart, Cross trained you himself, plus a little help from yours truly,” Mom said with a proud smirk.
“Well I’m going to shower then head to bed, I’ll see you in the morning, Mom,” I said getting up off the couch and giving her a peck on the cheek.
“Goodnight Shadow, may the goddess grant you pleasant dreams,” Mom said smiling at me as I left.
I quickly showered and made my way into bed. I was so tired and needed to rest.
A tenth birthday is usually quite the milestone in a young one’s life, feeling that much closer to being an adult. Old enough to take responsibilities, and begin your work in the stable. Unless, of course, you are one of the unlucky ten, chosen for a different fate, one that begins with pain. A pain that will haunt your very being all your life.
“NO! YOU CAN’T TAKE HIM!” Mother cried out as security ponies held her back while I was being levitated by a unicorn scientist because I refused to cooperate.
I didn’t understand what was going on, it was my tenth birthday, and right in the middle of the party, security came with Overmare Zira saying that I was chosen for something. Next thing I knew, I was being forced down the hall while they held back Mother. I was crying, and trying to break free of the spell to get to Mom, but the unicorn was too strong.
“Zephira, you know the rules, those who are chosen are to be taken for the Trial of the Stars. You cannot stop this, so please stop resisting,” the Overmare said, looking at mother. I could only see the back of her head, but with Mom’s expression turning dark and scary, I was pretty sure the Overmare was smirking. I never liked Overmare Zira, neither did Mom.
“This is bullshit Zira, and you know it, the last child was chosen yesterday, and it wasn’t Shadow. So please explain to me why you are taking an eleventh child for the trial,” Mother said in a really scary voice she only used when she was mad.
“Unfortunately, the mother of the tenth child killed herself and her child, most likely to avoid living with the horrors of losing her child or him becoming a Guardian. No matter the reason, we are now short one child, and your son was chosen.” Overmare Zira said again with a calm tone that still had a hint of something I could not place.
“You and I have always hated each other Zira, but I never thought you would stoop so low as to take my son just to get back at me,” Mom said with noticeable venom in her voice. I knew they didn’t like each other, but Mom never would tell me why.
“That is quite the accusation Zephira. I would be careful with your words, lest they get you into trouble,” Overmare Zira said, before she finally turned around, and ordered the unicorn to take me to the lab. I was trying my best to fight the spell, and only increased my efforts when I heard Mom crying. No one made my Mom cry!
I managed to get my hoof free and hit the unicorn on the horn, after remembering mom telling me how sensitive their horns were. The spell dropped, and I landed on the floor, turning towards Mom and was about to gallop as fast as I could to her. However, the next thing I knew was blackness, as something hit me in the back of my head.
I woke up in a white room where there were nine other colts and fillies my age, walking, sitting still, some crying, and some that seemed just out of it. I got up and started to look around the room looking for a way out. I had to get back to Mom, she needed me.
Before I could though, a colt came by and pushed me to the ground. Looking up, I saw a unicorn colt with a red coat and a yellow mane and tail. He looked at me with a wicked smile, and I had a feeling this encounter was not going to be a pleasant one.
“Well lookie what we got here, the hybrid freak that I’ve been hearing about. You’re probably not going to survive today, so I hope you said goodbye to your mommy. The name is Swift Saber by the way, not that it’ll matter.” The colt that I now knew as Swift Saber said with a grin that made me want to puke.
All of the sudden Swift Saber was pushed a few feet away from me, landing on his side as he and I looked to see who pushed him. It was a zebra filly, her mane was cut short, and she did not look happy. I knew this filly all too well, my best friend next to Silver and Grindstone.
“You leave him alone, he can’t help what he is, and he doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment, especially from you.” The zebra filly said with an audible snort to top it off. Saber quickly moved to another part of the room, and the filly walked over to help me up.
“Keira, am I glad to see you,” I said while wrapping my forelegs around her neck. Keira had always been there for me, and having her here would make this easier.
She returned my hug and spoke softly in my ear, “It’s nice to see you two Shadow, I’m glad my best friend is here with me.”
I let her go and looked around at the other fillies and colts again before looking back at her. “What is going on? Why are we here Keira?” I asked hoping my friend had the answer.
She looked around and spoke, “I’m not sure, but my parents weren’t happy about it. They were crying when they came for me.”
She then looked back at me, and smiled sadly, “And I was worried I’d miss your birthday party.”
I chuckled at that, Keira always thought of me before herself. It was one of the many things I liked about her. “You didn’t miss much, we were about to set up for the party before the Overmare came,” I said sitting down on my rump.
It was then that the doors to the room finally opened, and several doctors came in, followed by both Overmares. Overmare Zira immediately found me, and smiled wickedly, sending chills down my spine. Overmare Cherry Cobbler came forward, which immediately got the attention of everyone in the room.
“Greeting little ones, now I know you are probably wondering why you are here and not with your parents. Well, I am here to tell you that you have been chosen to be given a great honor, one given to us by the Goddess of the Moon herself.” Overmare Cherry said an excited voice. Hearing about the goddess made all of us look up at her with curiosity and interest.
“Long ago, Princess Luna gave us the key to unlocking a pony or zebra’s inner strength. A procedure that will change you all in ways none thought possible,” Overmare Cherry proclaimed, increasing our curiosity. It was then that Overmare Zira stepped up and demanded our attention.
“You ten children have been chosen as the next generation of Guardians, warriors under the guiding light of our goddess. You will all ascend to new heights of skill and power, so that we can protect our stable, and Equestria when the time comes,” Overmare Zira said with a similar voice, but with a hint of something that made my fur stand on end.
“Now who wants to be the first to become a Guardian?” Overmare Zira said with a gleeful smile. I backed away, not sure about this. I knew Master Cross was a Guardian, so it would be kind of cool to be more like him.
“I’ll go first!” Saber said while holding his hoof up, jumping up and down to get the Overmare’s attention.
The Overmare smiled at him, and he was escorted to another room where there was no window. Overmare Zira went inside while Overmare Cherry stayed outside with us. It was weird, Overmare Cherry looked like she was gonna be sick. She seemed fine when she was talking to us.
We all sat in silence, waiting for Saber to come back out for about ten minutes or so. It was hard to tell time, the plain white room had no clock or anything to help pass the time. I looked at Keira, and was about to ask her what she thought of this, when it started.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Saber’s scream could be heard through the walls and door. The screaming continued, and went on for what felt like hours. We all grew worried, and some of the others started crying, begging the Overmare to make it stop. But after a while, it did stop.
The door opened, and Saber was on a stretcher. He was breathing, but his eyes looked like he didn’t know where he was. He didn’t move as he was taken away by the doctors out of the other door. What did they do to him? I didn’t like him, but even he didn’t deserve that. Overmare Zira came out with a smile on her face, looking to all of us.
“That went smoothly, now who is going to be next?” Overmare Zira looked around, but no one was volunteering after hearing all that screaming.
Her smile faltered just a hair, and she looked to Overmare Cherry. The two Overmares simply picked out a hat with slips of paper inside. Pulling one out, they called out Candy Cane, a pink earth pony filly who started to cry, and was forcibly taken by Overmare Zira. After the door closed, we all waited, and sure enough, the screaming came again.
This time, it seemed like the screams went on longer than when Saber was taken inside. Candy Cane kept screaming longer than I had ever heard someone scream. But suddenly, the screaming stopped. Overmare Zira came out followed by another stretcher. But unlike Saber, Candy wasn’t breathing. Her eyes were lifeless and cold. She was dead.
All of us started screaming and crying for the Overmares to let us leave. But they did not listen as the continued to call out names. One after another, earth ponies, unicorns, and zebra foals were taken into the room. The screaming went on and on, one right after the other.
After what felt like days, I looked around to find that the only ones left were Keira and myself. I panicked, and grabbed my best friend hoping to find an exit from this nightmare. Out of the eight that had gone inside the room, only two including Saber had come out alive. The others were dead and lifeless, being carried off to who knows where.
“Alright next will be Keira,” Overmare Zira came over and pulled Keira out of my grasp as Overmare Cherry held me back from reaching out to my friend. Overmare Cherry sat me down and made me look her in the eye.
“I know this seems cruel little one, but it is for the good of the stable and Equestria. Do not fear, Luna will watch over those who could not pass the trial,” Overmare Cherry said in a soothing tone, no doubt trying to keep me calm.
The next thing I heard nearly made my heart stop. Keira was screaming, louder than most of the others, she was in pain, and I could almost feel her pain. I wanted nothing more than to go in and stop them. The screaming continued, and I just curled up in a ball in front of the Overmare. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get away from the screaming. Eventually, though, they did stop, and I bolted up to look for my friend.
They had Keira on a stretcher, and I could see her breathing. Thank the goddesses she made it through. But as my relief fell over me, Overmare Zira came up and looked down with a wicked grin. I was the last one, and to say that I was scared would have been an understatement.
Knowing that there was no escape for me, I just walked with my head hung low towards the room that scared me beyond imagination. As I walked inside, I could see all kinds of medical equipment, vials of potions, and a table with straps. Overmare Zira grabbed me and threw me onto the table. I grunted as I landed and the doctors quickly strapped me down, so tight that I couldn’t move.
I looked around the room once more to see that there were signs of the other participants before me. Bile and blood covered the floor around the table, and a smell of something horrid filled the air. The doctors moved all around the room, moving potions and setting up something with three different vials. I could smell someone brewing potions inside the room, the same type of smell I was used to when I was with Mom in her lab.
Doctors came up to me and made incisions into my legs, placing tubes inside my veins, it hurt so badly. One of the doctors then brought three potions of different colors and attached them to the IV that fed into me. Once the potions were set, one of the doctors injected something into me, and some of the earlier pain went away.
“The subject is prepped, and the potions are ready, shall we begin the procedure Overmare Zira?” The head doctor I guessed from his attire said to Overmare Zira who simply smirked and nodded.
“Very well then, administering the first potion, Goddesses Tears,” The doctor said as he pulled a lever, and I watched in horror as the first potion came through the tube and into my body.
At first, it made my skin tingle and wasn’t that bad, but as I began to relax, the pain hit me like a door slamming down on my spine.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed as it felt like molten liquid was in my veins, slowly spreading all throughout my body.
The only thing I could do was scream and endure the pain, knowing that if Keira had survived this torture, I could too. I wanted to return to Mom and see Keira again. It felt like hours before the potion finally seemed to die down a bit, but the pain was still excruciating.
“Subject’s vitals in the normal range, administering the second potion, Wildride Nectar,” The doctor said as he pulled the second lever. The next potion hit me with a chill to my spine, and the pain increased tenfold.
My screams intensified to the point that I thought my voice would give out, but it didn’t. In my mind, I was begging the Goddess Luna to make the pain stop. I began to shake violently and pulled at the straps with all my strength. But I could not break free, and the pain only intensified. I could feel my heartbeat in my chest, and it was beating so fast I couldn’t keep up. I felt like the potions were melting me from the inside out as it replaced my blood with lava.
I then felt bile reach my throat and puked all over one of the doctors who glared at me and moved to clean themselves up. Overmare Zira appeared to get an impatient look on her face as the time went by. It was hard to focus on anything other than the pain, but she seemed to be upset about something.
“Administer the last potion,” Overmare Zira said with a hint of impatience. The doctors all looked to her in shock, but a glare from her told them that they had better do as they were told.
“Very well, administering the last potion, Moonwillow Sap,” The doctor then pulled the last lever, and the potion went into my bloodstream. The pain had been bad before, but this potion made the earlier pain seem like a papercut.
“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I screamed with a new volume that I didn’t think I was capable of as the pain overtook my senses.
Pain was all I knew at that point, and all I thought about was how to make it stop. I could hear the monitor they had connected to my heart rate, it increased in tempo as time went by and my heart felt like it was close to bursting. My vision began to blur with red as I felt something wet run down my cheeks, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t tears.
Then everything went black, the pain was gone, and I felt like something was pulling me. I felt like sleeping and never wanting to wake up again. My mind began to blur, and everything seemed to fade out of existence. But then a certain thought came to mind as I drifted off. The look on Mom’s face when they took me and the cries she wailed. I never wanted her to feel that pain and more memories came into view.
Grind and Silver playing with me when the other kids all picked on me. Keira hugging me while I was in a corner of the lower levels, where she found me after I ran from class. Auntie Text showing me the library for the first time. Master Forge showing me the smiting level of the Stable and burning himself by accident when he was showing me his job. And Mom holding me as I cried, when I was picked on by adults for reasons I didn’t understand.
I had family, and I had a friend who would miss me if I didn’t come back. So I resisted this force that pulled me into the darkness and fought back.
“Wait look, his vitals are returning to normal!” I could hear one of the doctors yelling out as I slowly came back from the haze that clouded my mind. My vision slowly came back, and I saw doctors moving all around me, and the tubes that had been connected to me were removed.
Overmare Zira had a look that was a mix of frustration and annoyance when I looked her way. She then left the room without a word, which seemed to confuse the doctors as they unstrapped me and cleaned the incisions in my legs. I felt so weak and out of breath, but the pain had gone down to a dull throb. The doctors then bandaged my legs and began to take all kinds of notes if the scribbling on their notepads was any indication.
After they finished their notes and looking me over one last time, I was moved to a stretcher and taken out of the room. As I moved out of the door, Overmare Cherry came by and had a look of amazement when she saw that I was breathing. She smiled at me and moved ahead of the stretcher to open the doors.
As I was taken inside, I saw body bags on one side of the room and the other three survivors on the other. I was taken over to Keira, the other survivors, and laid onto a bed. I was right next to Keira, and I tried to lift a hoof to wave, but my body felt like it was made of lead. I still smiled at my best friend, and she smiled back, though she looked like she hadn’t recovered either. The blue unicorn filly who had also survived had a blank look on her face, and seemed distant, but she was breathing. Saber looked over to me and gave me a look of disgust.
I ignored him, and laid my head down on the pillow that was given to me. I sighed and felt like I had made an accomplishment. It was then that both Overmares came over and stood in front of us. Overmare Cherry addressed us first.
“Congratulations children, you have passed the Trial of the Stars and are on your way to becoming Guardians. I understand that you may feel resentment towards us and the doctors who put you through that horrible ordeal, but please understand that this task was given to us by the Goddess Luna herself in order to create protectors that will one day save Equestria from the hardships that have plagued it,” Overmare Cherry said with a proud and kind smile. I didn’t really resent her as she had been nothing but kind to us throughout this ordeal. It was then that Overmare Zira addressed us.
“Do not think that you are Guardians now. You have many years of training ahead of you. This training will help you to adjust to your new bodies, and the changes that you have undergone. You will be trained in several different aspects of combat including unarmed, weapon handling, firearms, combat magic for unicorns, and other skills that will be useful in battle. The training will be hard, but you will become a force that no evil can stand against. All in the name of our Goddess Luna,” Overmare Zira said with a practiced tone. I sensed that she was still disappointed about something.
“Now, you will be given two weeks to recover and adjust to your new senses, and of course we shall return you to your families in a moment. Your parents are waiting right outside the door to take you home. Rest little ones, for you will need every bit of it for the training to come.” Overmare Cherry said, then she made her way to the door, which she opened.
Immediately after she opened it, adults came rushing inside. Most went towards the body bags and cried so loud that I didn’t know how the Overmares could take it without covering their ears. I almost felt like it was louder than the crying I heard before the trial. It was strange. But I didn’t have time to think about it before I was scooped up into a familiar pair of forelegs and hugged with the strength of a snake.
“Shadow! My sweet baby, you’re alive!” Mother said as she held me so tight it was hard to breathe. But I didn’t care as I simply rested my head on her chest. If I could move at all, I would have wrapped my hooves around her and never let go. She held me there for what seemed like days. But eventually, she let me go and put me on her back. I saw Keira with her family and smiled at her, which she returned.
Mom saw this and moved towards the family of zebras. Our parents talked while Keira and I spoke to each other.
“We made it, how are you feeling Keira?” I said with a chuckle and a bit of concern for my friend.
“It hurts so much, and everything feels different. But I know that we are alive, and we will get through this, right Shadow?” Keira asked me with a smile that seemed to radiate warmth.
I smiled and tried to reach out to her, but my body ached too much.
Then something changed in the atmosphere of the room we were in. The lights went out, and I could not see anything in front of me. I noticed that I was not sitting on Mom’s back anymore, rather, I was on the floor, unable to move. I looked around, and searched for Mom and Keira to help me, but neither appeared. It was then that I heard a shuffling over in the part of the room that held the body bags if I was still in the room at all.
Unzipping could be heard, and wet steps were moving towards me. I looked in the direction of the sounds and nearly threw up right there. It was Candy Cane, her eyes nothing but black holes with blood dripping out of them. And she wasn’t alone, others came and moved around me with those same eyes. I could smell blood and decaying flesh in the air, and it burned my nose.
Candy then did something that scared me to my core, she started to speak.
“You were lucky to have survived, why couldn’t we have survived like you did?” Candy said in a tone that did not seem natural. She and the others moved closer. “Why did we have to die while you live?” Candy said as the group advanced even closer.
I could not understand what was happening, all I could feel at that moment was fear and sadness.
“I don’t know why, I’m sorry, but I don’t know why, please leave me be,” I said crying now as I could not move away from the group of dead fillies and colts. I began to panic as they moved even closer, and blood oozed from their eyes and mouths.
One of the colts spoke next, “Why should the hybrid live while we all die? It isn’t fair.”
They all came closer, and the smell only intensified, making me almost puke again.
I couldn’t take it anymore and just closed my eyes as they came upon me. I heard them all scream and lunge for me.
“NOOO!” I bolted awake screaming from the images that I had seen. I hadn’t had that nightmare in years, but it was one that had plagued me for a long time. Keira had similar nightmares from what she had told me. I could almost feel the pain of that day. The day my life changed forever. I felt so cold as the sweat rolled down my brow. I knew that it must have been late in the night so I moved to rest my head and try to return to slee--
I was wide awake after that explosion, and I raced to my hooves to try and find out what it could have been.
“Maybe an accident happened in research and development, but that explosion seemed too big for a research experiment,” I said as I moved to the living room, only to barely dodge a machete from a pony I did not recognize.
An earth pony with spiked leather barding moved to try and cut me with his machete again, but I quickly kicked it out of his mouth and grabbed him around the neck. I threw him to the ground and wrapped my hooves around his neck. He struggled in my grip and managed to hit me in the side of my head, but I didn’t let go. After some struggling, I pulled with all my strength and twisted his head, breaking his neck immediately.
I turned to see Mom fighting against two more earth ponies, one armed with a machete, while the other had a miniature chainsaw in his mouth. Both charged at mother like blind fools, I almost felt sorry for what was about to happen. Mom moved to the right of the chainsaw pony and kicked the side of his head to force his weapon into the neck of his companion. The machete pony fell to the ground drowning in his own blood.
The chainsaw pony turned back to Mom with hatred in his eyes, swinging his head to cut her. But Mom quickly moved again, and struck him in the jaw under his weapon, knocking it out of his mouth. She then moved to grab his head and slam him hard against the wall, a loud crack told me his skull had caved, and he hit the ground dead.
I moved over to Mom, and looked at the ponies, “Mom, how did these ponies get in here and why did they attack us?” I said with confusion in my voice.
“I am not sure sweetheart, but I feel like this is far from over. There are surely more of these invaders, keep on your guard.” Mom said as she looked around cautiously.
Suddenly, the intercom system came online.
“Emergency, Emergency, This is Overmare Cherry Cobbler, The Stable door has been breached. All citizens are to report to Level 10 for their own safety. Security team split to help civilians and repel the invaders. All Guardians are to collect their weapons from the Melee Training hall on Level 6 and prepare for combat. Lethal force is authorized. All Master Level Guardians have been briefed with instructions to be given out in the Melee Hall. This is not a drill!”
I could not believe what I was hearing, the Stable had been breached. I did not think it was possible, but it was happening right at this moment. I knew now that this was serious and I needed to take action, to protect my home.
I turned to Mom and looked at her with determination. “Mom, head out and help the citizens get to Level 10. I need to get my weapons, and join the fight.”
Mom looked at me and put a hoof on my shoulder, “Be careful my son, I have an uneasy feeling about this invasion,” Mom said before removing her hoof and making her way into the hall.
I moved outside our room, and went to Keira’s so we could leave to get our weapons. I found three dead ponies outside her home, and Keira walked out a moment later. Her parents came out after her, and started moving towards the hall that led to the elevator.
After making sure her parents got away safely, Keira looked over to me, “Shadow, what the hell is going on? Where did all these ponies come from? And how did they open the stable door?” Keira asked me with a mix of worry and rage.
“I don’t know Keira, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. For now, we need to get our weapons, then we can figure out what these ponies want,” I said to Keira as I started to head down the corridor towards the melee hall. Keira followed after me, and we met several other guardians along the way.
As we passed the next turn in the hallway, I heard a single gunshot and started running. We found a few more Guardians along the way, but we did not slow down. Finally, we made it to the last turn that led to the entrance to the melee training hall.
A huge crowd of guardians were standing around the door, but nobody moved as they seemed to be staring at something in horror. I moved through the crowd to see what was going on and when I got to the front, I froze.
There, lying in a pool of his own blood, was Master Broadsword, a single bullet wound right between his eyes. I could not believe my eyes, but the surprises were not over as I looked to see who was holding the gun that caused this tragedy. What I saw made my blood boil in my veins with hatred stronger than I had ever felt in my life.
“SABER!” I roared in fury as I saw the red-coated guardian unicorn holding a 10mm pistol in his magic. He wore his usual sadistic smirk as he looked at me, and the crowd that was gathered behind me. Keira finally made it through the crowd, and proceeded to stand at my side most likely glaring at Saber too.
“Shadow, Keira, nice of you to join us. I was just about to start my proposal when you arrived,” Saber said as he holstered the pistol and moved to address us with whatever he had to say.
“Guardians of Stable 100, the time has come that we take our rightful place among the ponies of the world. I have been in contact with a group of ponies from the surface for months now, feeding them Intel about the stable. Their leader has shown a great interest in our abilities. He wishes to have us as his personal army, who will resettle the surface, and bring law and order back to the savage world above. He promises all of us riches, power, and anything our hearts desire in exchange for our loyalty and obedience. He has already named me his commander, and put me in charge of the troops here in Stable 100,” Saber said with a voice that made me want to punch his teeth in.
He led these invaders into our home, murdered innocent ponies and zebras that had called this place home alongside him. He killed Master Broadsword in cold blood, and he expects us to join under his command for an enemy that we know nothing about.
“Now my fellow guardians, who will join me as we take our rightful place on the surface?” Saber said as he finished his little speech.
I moved forward and looked him dead in the eye, “Saber, you betrayed your stable, killed Master Broadsword and innocent civilians, and you expect us to follow you to someone responsible for killing our people. You are even more foolish than I thought,” I said before turning to the crowd around me.
“Well, my fellow guardians, who here wishes to join this traitor in his delusions?” I asked loudly over the crowd.
My answer was clear as all of them glared over at Saber with hatred in their eyes. Looking back at Saber, he strangely did not look worried by the fact that he had well over one hundred ponies and zebras glaring at him with the urge to kill.
Saber then looked at me for a second and faced the crowd, “I guess I forgot to mention that you do not have a choice in the matter, none of you have your weapons and I have a squad of ponies armed to the teeth only a few minutes away. If you decide to refuse, all of you will be executed for treason.”
I could not believe how arrogant he was, and it was at that moment that I had enough of his bullshit. I turned to him and charged, he tried to pull out his pistol again, but I had closed the distance and knocked it away. I tackled Saber to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face. But he teleported out from under me and disappeared as my hoof hit the hard floor.
I looked around for him and saw that the crowd had turned towards the corner that led to the atrium. The crowd moved aside so I could see, and I saw him standing there downing a healing potion. He then glared at me, and motioned behind him with his hoof before vanishing around the corner; the coward.
Soon after he left, ponies with guns and machetes moved around every exit, as they tried to trap us, but what they did not expect was a zebra stallion come from behind them and snap the neck of one pony who had an assault rifle. Master Cross moved like lightning as he bucked the next pony so hard he made a dent in the wall. I quickly moved past the crowd, Keira right behind me, as we made it to the ponies, and started giving them hell. Between the three of us, it wasn’t much of a challenge, they most likely thought that we would not risk fighting back unarmed. Boy were they wrong.
As the last one fell, we looked to each other, and despite a few scratched and grazed bullets, no one got hurt. Master Cross moved to the front of the crowd and addressed us with a serious look, one you did not see on his face often.
“Alright kids, we’ve got to arm ourselves and move to clean up the rest of these ponies. After gathering your weapons, we shall split into four strike teams. One team will head to Level 10 and secure the civilians, on the way, escort any injured or trapped civilian to Level 10. The next team will make their way to the Overmare’s office, we need to make sure Cherry and Zira are secured. Next team will make their way to research and development, supposedly the ponies are after something here, and we need to stop them at all cost. The last team will make their way to the atrium and give these bastards hell,” Master Cross finished giving us our orders.
As he finished, we all turned to see that the other Master level guardians had arrived. Master Gutshot, a green earth pony stallion, who was a firearms specialist and instructor. Master Ivy, a zebra mare who was the Guardian’s alchemy teacher, where Mom taught anyone willing to learn. Master Rune, a blue unicorn mare who was our magic instructor. And finally Master Zala, a zebra mare who specialized in stealth and espionage.
They all joined Master Cross up front and saw the body of Master Broadsword on the ground. Master Gutshot spoke up first, “Who did this?”
I moved to the front and spoke, “It was Saber, he was the one who opened the stable door and let these ponies in. He had been in contact with someone from the outside, and he was promised power in exchange for information about the stable. He tried to force us to work under him, but we refused. He disappeared a while ago heading towards the atrium.”
All the masters looked at me with mixed expressions of shock and rage. It was Master Zala that spoke to me first, “Shadow, did he say who he was working for, or what they wanted?”
I looked to her, “He said they wanted us as a personal army, then he was spouting off about resettling the surface. But I have a feeling the ponies here are after something else if they are moving towards R&D.”
She nodded and looked to the other masters, “We must move quickly, if they are moving towards R&D, there is no telling what secrets they could be after.”
Master Rune spoke next, “Alright all of you, arm yourselves and split off into teams. I want the majority of the team heading to Level 10 to be unicorns who specialize in shields, we need to protect our civilians at all cost. The other teams try to be diverse and balanced. Use what we have taught you.”
Master Ivy moved up to address us next, “Each of us will be leading a team to guide you through this crisis. I shall accompany the team that will be heading to Level 10, any injured should be treated there. Master Gutshot will lead the attack on the atrium, Master Zala, and Master Rune will lead their team to secure the Overmares, and Master Cross will lead his team to secure research and development on Level 8.”
“Alright kiddos, you have your orders, let’s get moving and kick these bastards out of our stable,” Master Cross said as he opened the door to the melee training hall.
I quickly moved along with Keira inside towards the locker room, but as we got close, I noticed something on the floor.
“Everyone stop! We got mines in the doorway!” I shouted after seeing about ten frag mines on the floor inside the doorway leading to the weapons lockers. A few unicorns came to the front of the crowd and used their magic to disarm the mines and move them out of the way.
Keira came up beside me, “Saber probably set them up in case we got passed him. I am going to kill him in the most painful way possible when we catch up to him.”
“Don’t worry Keira, we will deal with that traitor when the time comes. For now, we need to focus on protecting our home, and killing those that threaten it,” I said moving into the doorway and turning towards the stallion’s locker room.
I walked towards my locker and opened it with my pipbuck. I quickly grabbed Venta and Umbra, and secured them to my back. I was now ready to take on this invasion force and may the goddesses have mercy on any who oppose us. I was pissed, and I was going to kill any outsider, and then find Saber so he could stand trial for what he has done. I moved outside finding Keira who had gathered her whip and was waiting for me.
After we made our way back to the entrance, it was time to pick a group to join. It was a no-brainer for us. Keira and I walked over to join Master Cross’ group, the old zebra saw us approach and smiled. He wore his special made retractable hoof claws which were perfect for unarmed combat. He could slice through body armor like it was tissue paper.
“I couldn’t ask for better recruits on my team. So my prized pupils, are you ready to send these scumbags back to Tartarus?” Master Cross said with a smirk towards us as the other volunteers for the R&D team gathered around us.
“Let’s go kick some ass Master Cross, and show these ponies that they made the biggest mistakes of their lives coming here,” Keira said with a grin that would scare any invader into pissing themselves.
After some final preparations, all Guardians left the training hall and marched in different directions to complete their tasks. Our group was around twenty guardians including myself, Keira and Master Cross. The majority of the guardians went to the atrium to fight off the main force of enemies. We had our mission, reach the research and development level of the stable, and eliminate all forces there, preventing them from stealing any valuable information.
As we moved through the stable hallways, not many ponies had attacked us, other than the occasional idiot that tried to hide around a corner with a machete. It was strange, if the one in charge knew so much about us, why were his forces so ill-equipped? If he knew our fighting styles, he would know that more firearms and explosives would work better than machetes and melee combat weapons. I walked alongside Keira pondering this as we made our way through the dull gray hallways towards the stairs that would take us to R&D.
A high pitch scream pierced the air, and all of us were immediately on alert. But as I listened to the screaming, I soon gained a look of horror on my face as the voice that was screaming sounded so familiar.
“Silver!” I yelled as I bolted past everyone towards the direction of the scream, worry filled my being as I thought of what could be happening to her. I prayed to the Goddess Luna that I wasn’t too late. Coming up to a room off the path to R&D, I drew Venta ready to face what was threatening Silver. When I opened the door, I saw something that killed what little restraint and mercy I had for these invaders.
Silver and Auntie Text were both tied up with ropes and were sprawled out on desks with four stallions around them. Two were right behind them, and I knew exactly what they were planning to do. They had no idea how bad they’d fucked up.
“Get away from them!” I said as I charged them full speed. All four stallions immediately turned, their faces got a look of fear as I closed the distance. I swung Venta with blinding speed at the closest stallion, cleaving his head clean from his shoulders. Another stallion tried to tackle me from behind, but I quickly drew Umbra and stabbed him through the neck.
The third stallion tried to throw a chair at me, which I simply knocked away with Venta. I moved over to him and thrust my sword straight into his heart. As I pulled my blade out, the last stallion, a unicorn, had made it to the weapons that he and his friends had left on a desk. He pulled out a shotgun with his magic, turning to point it directly at me. I swiftly moved around the room, and the stallion took three shots, with only the last one grazing my hind leg. I quickly jumped and threw Umbra at him. My aim was true, and my dagger pierced right into his left eye. The shotgun dropped from his magical grip, and he fell in a pool of his own blood. I used my magic to retrieve my dagger and quickly moved over to Silver and Auntie.
As soon as I undid their bonds, Silver latched onto me in a tight hug, choked sobs coming from her exhausted throat. I held her tightly as Keira, and Master Cross caught up with me and saw Silver sobbing into my chest. Auntie Text was shaken as well and as soon as Master Cross was in range, she quickly hugged him, which he returned.
“Text, what the hell happened in here? Why aren’t you two at Level 10 with the other civilians?” Master Cross asked as he stroked Auntie’s mane to try and calm her down.
Auntie pulled away from Cross so she could speak, her voice was shaky, “We heard... the Overmare’s message, a..and rushed out of our quarters to head to the elevators. But they had disabled the elevator. ...So we tried to go for the stairs. But... those four stallions found us on our way to the stairwell, and they dragged us in here. They tied us up, and they… they...”
Silver cried even louder, and I held her as tightly and comfortingly as I could. Auntie didn’t need to finish her sentence, we all got the idea. Auntie broke up into tears, burying her face in Cross’ shoulder. It was then that Keira came up, and joined in my embrace with Silver, stroking her mane.
“Shhh, its ok Silver. We won’t let them touch you again. I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Keira said as she continued to help me comfort Silver.
Master Cross gave Auntie Text one last embrace before he pulled away and spoke, “Ok, I need someone to take these two to Level 10 with the other civilians. After they are safe, you can stay and help defend the civilians, or meet up with us at R&D.”
“I’ll take them Master,” Keira said almost immediately after Cross had finished talking. “I can take multiple opponents out quickly, and I know my way around Level 10. I’ll meet up with you all at R&D.”
Auntie turned to Keira and smiled, “Thank you Keira, you are a blessing from the Goddess herself,” Auntie then turned to me and spoke, “Shadow, watch your back and be careful.”
I smiled and gave her one last embrace, “Don’t worry Auntie, I’ll be fine.”
Auntie smiled, and she departed with Keira and Silver as they made their way to a nearby stairwell that would take them to Level 10. I know Keira will keep them safe, and I know that after this ordeal, Silver will need all the comfort I can give her. I then turned to see that everyone was moving towards another stairwell that would take us to Level 8 where R&D was located. Time for some payback.
We all moved through the stairwell, and began our descent to Level 8. We needed to go down two levels in the stairwell, and had no idea when the enemy would try an ambush, or setup a trap. Our senses were on high alert, and as level 7 came into a view, a unicorn in the front disarmed a grenade bouquet that the enemy had set up. I’ll give these guys credit, they knew how to set up traps.
As we moved past Level 7, something caught my eye. A shimmer in the air like light reflecting off of water. I immediately thrust my hoof in the direction of the shimmer and felt something. I grabbed at whatever I could and threw it over my shoulder to land it on the floor as I put my hoof where I guessed its neck was.
The shimmer was gone and replacing it was an earth pony mare with a sickly green coat and mane. She seemed dazed from my throw, and wasn’t struggling at first, but once she saw me and some others staring down at her, she started to panic. I saw a pistol at her side and quickly removed it with magic, holding it over her head in my white magical glow.
“Now, hold on there freaks, let’s just talk about this for a second ok, no need to do something drastic,” She said with a nervous chuckle.
“That depends entirely on you, and if you give us the answers we want. Also calling us freaks is a bit counterproductive in your situation, don’t you think?” Master Cross said as he came up to my right looking down at the mare.
“Look, I’m just doing what they pay me to do, so maybe we can work out a deal?” The mare said with a smile that screamed dishonesty. So I hit her in the head with her own gun, causing her to yelp as blood started pouring from her forehead.
“We don’t deal with scum like you, now tell us why you are here, and what you are after.” Master Cross said in a calm but firm voice that meant that he was serious.
“Fuck you, if I tell you anything, the boss will fucking kill me,” The mare said in a defiant tone.
Master Cross looked unamused and looked at me with a stern expression. I understood the silent message and dragged the mare over to the railing of the stairwell that had an opening in the middle of it that led to the bottom level of the Stable. No way to survive if you accidentally fell over.
The mare figured out what I was doing when I hoisted her up and held her in my magic grip over the railing. She started squirming with a look of pure terror.
Master Cross walked over to stand right beside me and addressed the mare again, “Trust me, Miss, we can do far worse than this boss of yours. Now tell us what we want to know, and I suggest you do it quickly, my pupil’s magic can be unstable at times, and he might lose his grip on you any second.”
The mare was now in tears, and started begging, “Ok, ok I’ll talk, please just put me down!” I simply held my focus and looked at her with a hard expression.
“Talk first, then we decide whether or not to let you go,” Master Cross replied to her with a tone that did not warrant an argument.
“Ok, ok, some guy came into our base with a bunch of heavily armored ponies and wanted to hire us for a job. He offered more caps than we had ever seen in our lives, so our leader took the job without question. We were told to infiltrate this stable and help the inside agent. They didn’t tell us what they wanted from this stable, only that we needed to kill any who stood in the way of the inside agent they had here, and the cloaked mare that led us here.” The mare spilled the beans finally and kept going as I just held her in midair.
I asked the next question, “Where is your leader, and this cloaked mare that led you here?”
She hesitated for a second, so I shook her in my magic until she spoke again, “Ok, ok stop, our leader is in the atrium, fighting. He wanted to go for the Overmares, probably to make them his bitches. And the last time I saw the cloaked mare was when she stationed me in this stairwell to warn her of any incoming security, or you freaks. She kept talking about going to the research and development area or something like that. That’s all I know I promise!” She didn’t seem like she was lying, and that was all the information we needed. I brought her over the railing again and dropped her in front of us.
Master Cross looked at her and said, “Normally I’d let you go now for all the information that you have given us, but you invaded our home, and even if we let you go, you could tell others of our stable.”
The mare’s face grew pale as she started to sob, Master Cross simply lifted his specially made hoof claws and pierced her neck. She screamed and then drowned in her own blood. A cruel act, but one that was necessary. She would have gotten reinforcements, or spread the word outside the stable, and who knows what else would come here.
Master Cross then turned to us and spoke, “Alright kiddos, here’s the plan, we need to get to R&D as fast as possible. If this cloaked mare came here and went straight for R&D, then there is no telling what secrets she could be after. Once we arrive, spread out and kill any invaders, secure the scientist, and find this cloaked mare, but keep her alive if at all possible. She could have more information for us.”
All of us replied to our new orders, “Yes Sir!”
After that, we all moved out at a greater pace towards R&D. We knew more of the enemies plan, and who we were after. This cloaked mare was in for a bad time with us coming for her. As we finally made it to Level 8, we all moved towards the door that led into the hallway. I opened the door with my magic when everyone was clear of the doorway, just in case of an ambush. No shots were fired, and the coast seemed clear. Master Cross peaked out into the hallway, and gestured us to move out.
We all knew our mission, so we split off in different directions. Master Cross, myself and five others took the main corridor leading to the science lab. I unsheathed Venta, and had it at the ready. Just as we made it to the hallway that ended with the door to the main lab, two large earth pony stallions saw us and opened-fire with their assault rifles. We all ducked behind the corner and avoided the bullets. One of the earth pony guardians that was with us had apparently gotten a frag grenade from one of the invaders that he slew, so he pulled the pin and tossed it at the two stallions. The grenade exploded and we heard the screams of pain from one of the stallions.
Master Cross leaped into action, and crossed the distance quickly. As he came up to the second stallion who had avoided most of the shrapnel of the grenade, he extended his hoof claws and tackled the stallion. As the stallion landed on his back, Master Cross took his claws and ripped his throat out with precision. The stallion’s head laid back as he died quickly.
We all moved up to join Cross as he got off the stallion. I took the lead in front of Master Cross and took a look inside the lab. The lab was split into two separate rooms, the first one was for discussion and planning, tables and chairs all around with papers everywhere. Someone had been looking for a specific document judging by all the papers that were littering the floor, as well as the desks. The next room held all the experimental chambers and materials, protective glass shielding around each chamber to protect those who were outside the room. It also housed the Stable-Tec mainframe.
Looking around the first room, I saw several doctors and scientists who were laying on their bellies with looks of fear and distress. Strangely there was only one guard watching all of them, I guess that the ones outside were his backup. I gestured with my hoof for everyone behind me to stay put and keep quiet. I drew my dagger Umbra silently, and moved towards the stallion as quietly as possible, which was not easy thanks to everything on the floor.
As I crept closer, one of the scientists, a unicorn mare, started to cry and try and talk to their captor, “Please, just let us go, we already told your boss where the information she wanted is, why are you doing this?”
The guard, an earth pony in metal armor, looked to her and hit her in the face with a security baton, no doubt taken from one of our security team. He then spoke, “Shut your mouth and keep still like a good little bitch. You go when the boss says you can go.”
I picked up my pace as my anger grew from that action. I soon found myself right behind the scumbag, and before he could blink, Umbra was stabbed to the hilt in his neck. He didn’t have time to respond, and I held my hoof against his mouth so as not to alert any others that might be close. He soon went limp, and I pulled my dagger out of his neck. The scientist had all seen me by this point, and they all looked relieved to see a Guardian.
Master Cross soon came in with the others and helped the scientists back to their hooves. One unicorn stallion came up to Master Cross and spoke, “Master Cross, we thank you for coming to our rescue.”
Master Cross replied, “I only wish we could have gotten here sooner, is everyone alright?”
The stallion nodded, “A few bruises, but nothing serious, but your work is not done. The mare who led these ruffians is in the next room, and she is trying to steal important information from the database,” He pointed to the door to the next room, and his tone held a sense of urgency.
I walked up and addressed the scientist, “Does she have anyone else with her?”
The scientist looked at me with a hint of fear, “No she doesn’t, but I would proceed with caution, there was something about her that scared me to my core. She wore a cloak, so, I don’t know if she is armed.”
I nodded and looked to Master Cross, “Master, you watch this room in case reinforcements come in, I’ll sneak up on this mare and try to take her alive,” He nodded to me, and I made my way to the door.
Opening the door, I peeked inside and saw that no one was around, so I made my way inside the hallway. I listened for any sign of movement but none came, whoever this mare was, she was masking her presence well. I had an idea where the mainframe was kept so I made my way to the end of the hallway, the closed door, of course. But when I got up to the door, it opened without my touching anything, and on the other side, I saw the cloaked mare, standing in front of the mainframe with her back to me.
I walked in, and she immediately addressed me without turning, “I was hoping I would run into you in this place, fate seems to have brought us together at last.”
I stopped around twenty feet away from her with my sword drawn. What she said made no sense, she couldn’t have known me, and she hadn’t even turned around.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “Who are you? And why do you sound like you know me?”
What happened next made my skin crawl, she laughed. Her laugh made shivers go down my spine, and the air in the room seemed to get colder. She then turned, and all I could see of her face were two burning red eyes. I immediately tensed up and readied myself for a fight, yet, she only looked at me with curiosity.
“Hmm, you truly are him, I have wanted to meet you for so long. It’s why I volunteered for this mission. I’m rather bored waiting for this download to finish, why don’t we have a bit of fun?” She then lunged at me with incredible speed.
I dodged her assault and brought my sword to bear, attempting to slice at her side as she turned to face me. What was odd was she didn’t even try to dodge, simply taking the cut that tore at her cloak, revealing a black coat underneath.
“Oooooh yes! That’s what I’m talking about,” She said as if she enjoyed the pain, her blood was soaking the cloak, and then miraculously the bleeding stopped as if her wound had healed already. But, that was impossible.
“You sure know how to have some fun, but I think you need to step up your game. Come at me with the intent to kill, let us have some real fun,” She said with a crazed sounding voice that made me nervous. What was this mare’s deal?
I drew Umbra from my back and took a stance with both blades, my sword pointing at the mare and my dagger crossed over sideways just above the guard of my sword. With this stance, I could be ready for any tricks that this mare could be hiding.
She actually giggled at my stance, “Well, this is going to get interesting, come on then. Show me your strength.”
I charged full speed and swung my blade to slash across her chest, and this time she did dodge, moving around me with a graceful step and simply stood behind me. I quickly moved to stab at her with my dagger, and she took the hit this time as I dug it into her shoulder. Holding it there with my magic, she seemed like she was in bliss from the pain. I had never faced an opponent like this.
She then looked at me, and punched me right in the face, her strength was on par with Master Cross, and it hurt like a bitch. Rolling to land on my hooves, I held my nose as blood poured out of it. But I had a feeling that she wasn’t even trying, like she was playing with me.
Standing up straight, I faced her as she had her back to the door of the chamber. “I’ll admit, that was a good hit, I don’t know who you are, but you are strong. I have been holding back in hope to take you alive for questioning.”
I pointed Venta straight at her and spoke in a clear calm voice, “But now I see that if I am to capture you, I will have to come at you with the intent to kill.”
She just smirked and giggled again, “About time you figured that out, well then come on, show me your full strength.”
I lunged at her at full speed, my blade poised to stab her in the heart. And yet again she did not dodge as my blade dug into her chest and pierced her heart. I cursed inwardly and regretted taking things too far. But I felt my blade move, and a hoof was placed on the guard. I looked up in horror as the mare had blood coming from her mouth, still wearing that expression of bliss.
“Oh yes that is incredible, no one has ever had the guts to stab me like this. I feel the pain flowing through me, and it’s delicious,” The mare said as she drew my blade further into her chest. I tried to pull it out, but her strength held it in place.
Ding! A sound came from behind me. I saw that her download had been completed. She looked at me with disappointment in her eyes now.
“Oh darn, I wanted to play some more, but duty calls, and I cannot be late for the meeting. Sorry Shadow, but we must part for now. Hopefully, we can meet again, and have some more fun,” The mare said as she walked forward, stabbing my blade further into her body and drew her hoof back to strike at me. There was no time to dodge or pull my sword out. I didn’t know what to do.
Then out of nowhere, a whip wrapped around her neck and she paused in her attack. I looked over her shoulder to see Keira in the doorway. She had her whip in her hoof and a look that would make any other pony piss themselves.
The mare looked over her shoulder like the whip didn’t even bother her and spoke to Keira, “It isn’t polite to interrupt somepony when they are trying to have some fun, zebra.”
Keira simply shrugged and spoke, “Sorry to spoil your fun, but you were about to hit my best friend, now you have two choices. You can surrender, and come with us, or I cut off your head. Which will it be?”
The mare simply looked at Keira and said, “You aren’t worth my time, go away and let me finish my fun, before I hang you by this precious whip of yours.”
It happened in an instant, the spikes on Keira’s whip came out, and she pulled at her whip. The mare’s head came off, and rolled on the ground, the rest of her body slumped forward. I pulled my blade out and walked to Keira.
“Thanks, Keira, she was starting to creep me out. It was like she enjoyed the pain,” I said giving Keira a quick hug.
She smiled at me and said, “I leave you for an hour, and you get some crazy mare with a pain fetish trying to kill you. You are so lost without me.”
“Now why would I ever want to kill him, we have so much more to do before we get to that,” A familiar voice behind us said, and we both froze. I turned around, and saw that the body of the mare was back on her hooves with her head back in place. Looking over I saw that the head that Keira had cut off was now a pool of blood. The mare looked at us with a bored expression.
“You are such a killjoy, zebra, but I suppose I need to go anyway,” The mare turned and pulled out a holodisk from the mainframe.
I quickly got back to an aggressive stance, and Keira followed my actions. “If you think we’re just gonna let you walk out of here with that, you are mistaken,” I drew my blade and pointed it right at her.
“Oh don’t worry Shadow, we shall meet again, soon I hope,” The mare said as she reached into her cloak.
“How do you know my name?” I asked the question that had been plaguing my mind since she called me by name earlier. I had never told her, and no pony would have told her on her way here. And she said it like she was familiar with me.
“Oh I know a lot about you Shadow Strike, but unfortunately we are out of time. Until we meet again,” The mare said as she threw something at both mine and Keira’s hooves. It looked like a potion vial, and as soon as it shattered on the floor, black smoke came out of it. Keira and I started to cough, and I soon felt sleepy. I felt so tired that I couldn’t stand anymore. I fell over on my side, and heard Keira do the same. The last thing I remember was a hoof brushing across my mane, and then everything went black.
I slowly came to, when I felt someone placing a wet cloth on my forehead. I opened my eyes to see Mom sitting in a chair to the right of me. She had a look a relief on her face as she noticed me looking at her. She leaned over, and when I thought I was going to get a nuzzle, I got a hoof right to the base of my horn, and that woke me up pretty quick.
“OW!” I said as I tried to protect my horn from another strike.
“You had me worried sick, I told you to be careful when you left, and after the crisis is over, I find you and Keira in the infirmary,” Mom said with a tone that told me I was in trouble.
“Hey, I don’t know what that mare’s deal was, but none of our weapons worked, Keira even cut her head off, and she just grew another one. Then that potion knocked us out, and that’s all I remember,” I said holding my hooves up in defense. Looking around the infirmary I couldn’t see Keira, so I asked, “Mom, where is Keira?”
She smiled at last and said, “Keira is fine, she woke up an hour before you did, she should be resting in her room. You’ve been out for two days, sweetheart.”
I was relieved that Keira was ok, but I was annoyed that I was knocked out for two days, what kind of potion did she use? And then I thought about what had happened in R&D. That mare knew me somehow, what my name was, and she recognized my face. I had never seen her before, but she knew me somehow. I was frustrated, and I knew I needed answers, but first things first.
Turning back to Mom I asked, “What happened after I was knocked unconscious? What happened to the mare Keira and I were fighting?”
She looked at me with a grim expression, “The guardians managed to drive the invaders out of the stable. Both Overmares were secured, but Zira did suffer some minor injuries. There were some civilian casualties, and a few among the guardians. The mare that attacked you injured Cross and disappeared without a trace, taking some important data from our database.”
I sighed and fell into my pillow, as I tried to relax on the bed, despite being in the infirmary. How could we let this happen? Who was that mare and what did she want? Then another thought struck me.
Turning my head back to Mom I asked, “What about Saber? Did they capture him?”
Mom shook her head and spoke, “I’m afraid not. According to Master Gutshot, Saber fled with the cloaked mare as soon as things were going badly for the invaders. No one knows where they went.”
I sighed again and cursed under my breath. That traitor got away, and with valuable information. Then it hit me, what did they steal?
“Mom, did the scientists discover what the mare took from the database?” I asked with a serious expression.
Mom frowned and spoke in a dark tone, “According to the database, the mare took the research and recipes for the Trial of the Stars, the very one that was given to us by the Goddess Luna.”
I went pale, and could not speak for a good ten minutes. She had stolen the most precious piece of information in the stable, the process for making Guardians. There is no limit to what she could do with that information. It could mean disaster for Equestria.
It was then that the door to the infirmary opened, and in the blink of an eye, I was tackled into the bed by a familiar white mare, who had buried her face in my chest crying. I smiled and held her gently knowing how worried she must have been.
“Silver, come on, I’m ok, no need to cry,” I soothed her while stroking her pink and silver mane. She had a terrifying experience in this ordeal, and learning about me being injured probably made it worse.
“I was so scared, I thought you wouldn’t wake up,” Silver cried into my chest as she started to calm down. Uncle Forge came up with Auntie Text and Grindstone, all of them having relieved expressions on their faces.
Auntie came up to the opposite side of the bed that Mom was on, “Shadow, you had us worried sick. Keira told us what happened.”
Grindstone moved in front of my bed and spoke, “Dad and I ran into some of the invaders, but we got through pretty much ok. When Keira showed up with Mom and Silver, I was scared that something had happened.”
Uncle Forge moved beside his son and placed a hoof on his shoulders, “It’s alright son, Shadow is fine, and he made it through. But Shadow, I’d like to know more about this mare you and Keira fought. Keira said she cut off her head, and she just grew a new one.”
I nodded, “It’s true, none of my attacks seemed to affect her at all, in fact, she seemed like she enjoyed the pain. But that wasn’t what bothers me the most about her.”
Mom looked at me with concern in her eyes, “What do you mean, Son?”
I looked to her and said, “Whoever this mare is, she knew my name and seemed to recognize me. But how is that possible?”
Mom’s eyes grew in shock at the news as did everypony else in the room. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but there was something about that mare that seemed familiar to me as well.
Mom finally spoke after a minute or so, “Shadow, this could be worse than we originally thought. If that mare knew who you were, it means they have been watching this stable for a while. Perhaps longer than they were in contact with Saber.”
That thought drew another chill down my spine, if they had known about the stable before they contacted Saber, then how did they find out about the stable? And why did that mare have information on me specifically?
The door to the infirmary opened again, and a familiar zebra stallion came in. Master Cross was limping on one of his forelegs as he came up to my bed.
“Hey kiddo, how ya’ feeling?” Master Cross said with a smile as he stood next to Mom.
“Hey Cross, I’m a little stiff from being in this bed for two days. I guess the mare did that to your leg?” I asked with a concerned look towards the stallion. He, of course, just shrugged and gave me that smile of his.
“Eh, she got a lucky shot in, it’s not too bad. I was more concerned about you and Keira after she came out of the mainframe room. The scientists analyzed that vial she used, according to them, it was a sleeping draft, ten times stronger than normal. If it weren’t for our enhanced metabolism and immune systems, we could have been out for a few weeks,” Cross said before taking out his flask, most likely whiskey, and drinking a sip.
I stood up straight in the bed at that new information. “That confirms she knew exactly how to combat Guardians.”
Cross nodded, “Looks that way. The Masters and the Overmares have been talking non-stop since the attack, and we haven’t come to a decision on what to do about this.”
“Why not? We can’t just sit around and do nothing!” I almost screamed in frustration. How could they hesitate to take action against these invaders? Who knows what damage they could do with the Trial of the Stars in their possession?
“Shadow, please calm down,” Silver asked as she put a hoof on my chest to get my attention. She always had a way of calming me, her and Keira.
“Yeah Shadow, after what we went through, you need to relax,” Another voice said from the door of the clinic. We all turned to see Keira strolling into the infirmary and coming up to lay on my bed, opposite Silver.
Master Cross looked to Keira with a stern look, “Keira, I thought I told you to go home and rest.”
Keira simply smirked at Cross and said, “I did, and now I’m here for my best friend. Didn’t you always teach us that we should put friendship first?”
Cross gave her a light smack to the back of her head, “Don’t use my lessons against me,” Cross said with a smirk. He then turned back to me, and was about to speak again when the intercom came on.
“Attention Guardians of Stable 100, you are hereby summoned to the atrium to receive a briefing on the current situation we find ourselves in. I repeat all guardians are to report to the Atrium for a briefing. Overmare Cherry Cobbler, out.”
We all heard the announcement, and Master Cross looked pissed about the orders. He then looked to Keira and me.
“Alright Keira, you heard the Overmare, we gotta go,” He started towards the door, and Keira got up to follow. I was sick of being in this bed, so I started to get up as well. Silver and Mom saw this and tried to stop me.
“Shadow you just woke up, you need to rest,” Silver said with a concerned look as she put her hoofs on my chest.
“She is right my son, you need to rest,” Mom said as she put a hoof on my shoulder.
I smiled at both of them as they showed such care for my wellbeing, but I needed to get out of this bed. I gently pushed them off me and got on my hooves, despite the stiff feeling of being in that bed for so long.
“I appreciate your concern, I truly do, but I have rested enough, and all Guardians were called. I need to know what the Overmares have to say, and I need to learn more about what happened,” I said looking at Silver and Mom. I knew that they were worried for me, but I needed to see this through. I moved to hug the both of them before moving to the door where Keira and Cross were waiting.
“If you’re sure about this Shadow, then come on, we gotta get up to the atrium,” Master Cross said as he started to lead Keira and I to the elevator. The atrium was a few floors above us, so we had to take the elevator. As the elevator went up, I could feel Keira giving me a look I knew all too well. I caved after a few minutes and looked to my best friend.
“Keira, I know you’re worried, but I’m fine. I needed to get out of that bed,” I said looking at her.
Keira then looked me dead in the eyes, “I know the real reason why you wanted to go to this meeting. It’s that mare isn’t it?” Same old Keira, she could always see right through me.
“Yes, ever since I woke up she has been all I could really think about. Who was she? And how did she know me? I need to find answers, Keira, and sitting in a hospital bed isn’t going to get me anywhere,” I said with a determination that surprised even myself.
Keira just smiled at me, “Shadow, I understand that you want answers, and I’ll help you find these answers. But I want you to promise me that you will take it easy after this meeting, you just woke up, and I still felt a little weak when I woke up. Promise me, ok Shadow?” She gave that look that made me want to hug her, I hated when she used this on me.
I hugged her, and said in a calming voice, “Ok Keira, you win. After the meeting I’ll go back to my room and rest,” We stayed like that for a while Master Cross looked at us with a smile on his face. Soon as the elevator reached the top floor, we separated, and moved to the hallway, following Master Cross to the atrium.
As we moved to the atrium, I saw several Guardians also making their way to the atrium, two of which caught my interest and I raced ahead to talk to them before the meeting.
“Master Gutshot, Master Zala!” I shouted to get their attention. They both looked back to me and waited for me to catch up to them. As soon as I got to them, I gave a respectful bow which they returned.
Master Zala was the first to speak, “Shadow, it is good to see you up and about, I was worried for you when I heard of what happened in R&D.”
Master Zala, she had to be my second favorite master. She was always kind to me, and told me I had a talent for stealth. I wasn’t as confident about my stealth skills, compared to my sword skills. But she always took the time to help me improve.
Master Gutshot spoke next, “Yeah, from what we heard from Cross, that mare was something else. She made her way through the atrium through all the gunfire like she owned the place.”
Master Gutshot and I weren’t as close as my other instructors, but he and I respected each other. I wasn’t the best marksmen in the stable, but I knew enough about firearms that I could be effective.
“Yeah, there was something off about her, I stabbed her through the heart, and she seemed to enjoy it. But back to the atrium battle, Master Gutshot, what happened to Saber?” I asked Master Gutshot. He looked to me with an expression that told me it wasn’t easy for him to admit.
“That traitor, he rallied the invaders and held us off, the rat even lead them to our security vaults and stole a bunch of our weapons. The battle was a stalemate for a while until Zala and Rune came with reinforcements after they secured the Overmares,” Gutshot said looking to Zala with a look of gratitude. Master Zala just smiled and gestured for him to continue.
“Anyway, after the reinforcements came, the invaders fell back, and tried to get to the stable door, but the security team led by Chief Onyx were there to meet them. As we cornered them, that mare came through the atrium through all the gunfire like I said earlier, and made her way to the invaders by the stable door. Then she punched Saber in the face, and this dark hole popped out from the floor after she crushed some kind of crystal. Then they all just disappeared through the hole,” Master Gutshot said as he finished his story. As much as I enjoyed hearing Saber getting punched, I wondered what relation this mare really had with these invaders.
Master Zala stepped forward to speak, “Rune and I did not have a difficult time getting to the Overmares. I believe the attacks on them were just to divide our forces and buy time for this mare to get to R&D. The forces guarding them were not armed well at all, only machetes and pistols.”
I noticed that when the two ponies attacked Mom and I in our quarters. If they knew what they were going up against, wouldn’t they had been equipped with better weapons from the start. I get why they would raid the security vaults, but why not bring their own, in case they could not get to the weapons in the stable? It did not make any sense.
“Still, we managed to secure the Overmares without much problem. Overmare Zira had a few bruises and cuts, most likely to soften her up for some “fun” as they would put it. After that, I had a team move them to Level 10 with the civilians while our main force moved to assist Gutshot in the atrium,” Master Zala continued with her story of what had happened. After what nearly happened to Silver, I actually felt sympathy for Zira, which for me was saying a lot. As much as I hated Overmare Zira, no mare deserved to be treated like that.
Master Zala then moved closer to me and put her hoof on my shoulder, “Shadow, I would like to hear about your encounter with this mare. Keira told us her part already, but I would like to hear yours.”
I looked to her and nodded, “I found her hacking into the Stable-Tec mainframe. When I entered the room, she turned and saw me. And what has been bugging me this whole time is that she acted like she knew me or knew of me at least. She even knew my name, and I never gave it to her,” I paused when I saw the look of confusion in both masters faces. Master Zala then motioned for me to continue.
“I fought her to the best of my ability, but all my attacks didn’t seem to hurt her at all. I even stabbed her in the heart, and it just seemed to be pleasurable for her. Then her download finished, and she looked like she was gonna knock me out, then Keira showed up. The rest you probably know,” I finished, and Master Zala took her hoof off of my shoulder.
Both masters looked to each other and shared worried looks. As they turned back to me, Master Cross and Keira had caught up to join us.
“I take it you two filled Shadow in on what happened in the atrium?” Master Cross said as he came up to Master Zala.
“Yes, and he informed us about his encounter with this mare. This information is concerning, Cross, whoever she was, she knew more about us than we originally thought. Though, why she seemed to know Shadow so well is odd,” Master Zala said to Master Cross as we all started back towards the atrium.
“I agree with Zala, all this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I understand Saber must have been leaking information to them for a while, but he wasn’t all too bright when it came to all that goes on in the stable. And as much as he hated Shadow, I don’t think he would give specific information about him or any of the guardians. This mare got her information about him from another source, and that is more concerning,” Master Gutshot said as we continued.
We all moved to the door of the atrium, stopping just inside. The three masters said that they needed to go to the Overmares, so Keira and I moved to the crowd of guardians in the center of the atrium. After a few minutes of small talk, both Overmares appeared at the front of the atrium. Surrounding them were all the Master Guardians and Chief Onyx. It made me think back to Master Broadsword, how he was mercilessly killed by Saber. I would make him pay for that.
Overmare Cherry spoke first, “Guardians of Stable 100, we come together after the disaster that occurred just days ago. I apologize for the long wait, but we needed to be sure of our information before we addressed you all. Now let this meeting begin.”
Overmare Zira then stepped forward, “As you all are aware, the attack on our stable was made possible by one of our own, Swift Saber, who had been in contact with the invaders for weeks according to the information our scientists were able to gain from his equipment.”
Cherry took her turn again, “After consulting with Chief Onyx and the Masters, we now know that Saber was not the leader of this attack, he was only an accomplice. The real leader was a cloaked mare who we could not identify. She used the confusion of the attack to make her way to the Research and Development Level of the stable,” As she spoke, the other guardians all became restless. But one motion from the masters calmed them down again.
Overmare Zira then stepped in, “She made her way to the Stable-Tec database and stole valuable information from the mainframe. We now know exactly what she was after. The data she stole was the recipes and procedures of the Trial of the Stars, the process of making Guardians.”
It was at this moment that the atrium erupted into chatter as the guardians all grew concerned about the new information. I didn’t fare much better when I first heard it. There was no limit to how much damage that information could do in the wrong hooves.
The Overmares tried to calm the crowd, but they could not get through to them. Master Gutshot then stepped forward and took in a deep breath.
“SILENCE!” Master Gutshot shouted in a voice that sounded like it was magically enhanced but it was all natural. It worked as the atrium drew quiet as a graveyard.
Overmare Cherry then stepped forward, “Thank you Master Gutshot. Now as we were saying, this mare stole valuable information from this stable that could have a disastrous effect on the surface. We cannot sit idly by and let this happen. The Guardians were created to protect the land and its inhabitants. Ponies, zebras, griffins, it does not matter, all are under our protection,” The crowd then roared into cheers at this statement.
Overmare Zira stepped forward yet again, “At first we were planning to launch a full strike team to the surface to reclaim this information. But after days of discussion and consideration, we have come to the conclusion that sending a large strike team would not be the best course of action,” The crowd grew restless again but were silenced after a minute as they wanted her to continue.
“The forces that attacked us could very well be out there and waiting for us to send a large force and leave ourselves more vulnerable to a larger attack. With the losses of weapons, and population, we suffered in the attack, sending out a group would not be wise,” Overmare Zira continued.
Overmare Cherry again spoke, “After discussing the matter for these several days, we have come up with a solution to the problem. We must send not a group, but a single guardian to the surface. They will then track down the invaders, find the stolen data, and either retrieve it or destroy it. That is the mission that we have decided,” The crowd then drew quiet with only faint whispers. I was stunned at this information, one guardian sent out alone to the surface. No one had left the stable in over two hundred years.
“I understand that many of you are hesitant to go to the surface, and I cannot blame you. We have no idea what the surface is like now, and the dangers are just as unknown. We wish this mission could be purely voluntary, but the importance of the mission is too great. We need someone to volunteer, or we will be forced to choose,” Overmare Cherry said with a grim expression.
This mission was dangerous and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. No one knew what was beyond the stable door and the mission would be extremely difficult. The chances of success depended on the skill of the guardian. It took only a moment for me to make a decision.
I raced to the front of the crowd, Keira was shocked and was blocked off by the others. As I made it to the front, I raised my hoof and shouted, “Overmares, I volunteer for the mission!”
The entire atrium was filled with gasps and whispers. The Overmares and the Masters all looked at me with shock.
“Shadow, you just got out of the infirmary, you are in no shape to be going on this mission!” Master Cross shouted at me in the Overmare’s Office.
The two Overmares were sitting at their desks as they looked at us arguing. Master Rune, Master Gutshot, and Master Ivy were sitting in a circle around us. Master Cross and Master Zala were arguing with me in the middle.
“I’m fine and you know I’m one of the best candidates for this mission. Master Zala knows that my stealth and information gathering skills will be exactly what this mission needs. And my combat training is top notch. I feel fine, and I’m ready for this,” I shouted back at Master Cross.
Master Zala spoke then, “I agree that your skills would be best suited for this mission, but the fact that you just got released from the infirmary is a factor in this decision. You must not be reckless in your decisions Shadow, you must think about this first.”
“I have thought about it. Please Masters, with all due respect, you all know I can do this,” I said looking to all the Masters with a hopeful expression.
They all looked to me and to each other several times before Master Ivy spoke up, “Shadow has some good points, and he has the skill set for this mission. He is also one of the best students we have had in many years. Do you all agree on that?”
Master Gutshot spoke next, “He has always been a hard worker, and he never skipped class. While he isn’t a crack shot, he has my approval.”
Master Rune stepped up, “While he may be part unicorn, his condition makes it risky to overuse his magic. Plus the fact he has the lowest spell arsenal of all my students despite my instruction makes me hesitant to send him. He is a wonderful student, but I cannot give him my approval.”
I didn’t like her decision, but I could understand it. She was right, I was probably the most pathetic unicorn in the stable. With only a few spells in my possession and a handicap with my magic, I wasn’t her best student. She didn’t hate me but we never connected.
Master Zala sighed and spoke next, “I agree that Shadow does have the skills for this mission. He is one of my best students, and his ability to gather intelligence will be most effective. As much as I agree he would be best for this mission, I still say that he is not in peak condition for this mission. I’m sorry my student, but I cannot approve of this.”
I looked to the last master, Cross had a conflicted expression on his face as he looked at me. Then he sighed and spoke, “Shadow, you are the best student I have. There is no other guardian that I would trust with this mission. Well other than Keira maybe,” He chuckled at that last bit. I grew pale thinking about Keira leaving in my place.
“But one thing you have over Keira, is a unique goal. I know why you want to go. It’s because of that mare, isn’t it?” Cross said as he looked me straight in the eyes. He hit the nail on the head.
I looked away only for a second, then I spoke, “Master Cross, I admit that you are right. I need to find that mare and get answers. But that does not mean that I do not see the severity of the situation. I will do what is best for the stable and for the surface. I will personally see to it that the Trial of the Stars will not be used for evil intents. I swear to the Goddess Luna that I will complete my mission to the best of my ability. Just give me a chance.”
After I finished Cross smiled even wider and came up to me. He put both hooves on my shoulders and spoke, “Then you damn sure have my approval. You just make sure you make it back, cause I don’t want to be the one to tell your mom you fucked up and got yourself killed.”
I teared up a bit and hugged him tightly. I pulled away and looked to Master Zala. She walked up to me and spoke, “I understand why you must do this, but you must also promise me that you will take care of yourself out there my student.” She finished, and I hugged her too. She returned it, and I looked to the other masters. Those who spoke against me going before just looked to each other and nodded. Master Ivy smiled and looked to the Overmares.
Overmare Cherry looked to me, “You are sure you want to do this Shadow, this is your last chance to back out. We will not think less of you.”
I stood straight and bowed in respect, “I am ready for my mission Overmares, you can count on me to get the job done.”
Overmare Zira chuckled and looked to me, “I say let the half breed go, he does have the necessary skills, and if this mare did know of him, it could lead us to how they found the stable in the first place,” Everyone in the room glared at her, but she simply took it and shrugged.
Overmare Cherry Cobbler then spoke firmly, “Shadow Strike, you are hereby given orders to venture to the surface. Your mission, find the invaders and retrieve the data that was stolen. You may also destroy the data if it comes to that point. Also, I ask that you try to keep a low profile out there, we do not want any more attention drawn to our stable,” I nodded in affirmation.
But then a question popped into my head, “Overmare Cherry, if I may ask, what about Saber?”
She looked at me and thought for a moment, “You are right, he is too dangerous for us to let him go. Your mission will also to be to find Swift Saber and execute him.” Those words were music to my ears.
Master Cross stood before the Overmares and spoke, “Overmares, I ask that you allow Shadow one night to prepare and rest for this voyage. We can supply him with what we can spare, and he can recover his lost strength. He will be ready to leave tomorrow morning.”
Both Overmares looked to each other and nodded after a minute of silence, “Very well then. Shadow, you are to rest and prepare for your mission and will leave the stable tomorrow morning.”
Chief Onyx then spoke for the first time since this meeting started, “Overmares, I would like to bring up the fact that a good portion of our weapons were taken by the invaders. We cannot spare even a pistol for Shadow’s journey,” I had a feeling he was just holding out to make my journey more difficult for me, but I did not care. As long as I had Venta and Umbra, I would be fine.
“Very well then, the hybrid will just have to live without a gun, though judging by his test scores on the firing range, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Overmare Zira chuckled, and I gave her a dark look. I wasn’t a terrible shot, I just wasn’t a sniper, but give me a shotgun, and I can kill anything. I prefer close-quarters combat anyway.
Overmare Cherry then dismissed us from the office and Master Cross, and I moved together towards my quarters. He then looked at me and said quickly, “Not telling Zephira about this.”
I sighed and cursed him under my breath, “I figured as much, still, can ya be there, so she doesn’t break my leg just to make me stay.”
“You are not going!” Mother screamed at me so loud my ears rang a little.
Master Cross and I had made it to our quarters, Mother was waiting there for us. On the way there we picked up Keira who had been waiting outside the atrium for us. I had told Mother of the mission I had volunteered for, and she wasn’t too thrilled about it.
After the ringing in my ears went away, I spoke, “Mom please, I know you are worried about me, but I need to do this.”
She huffed and started to pace around the room, she then looked to Cross and glared, “You approved of this Cross? He just got out of the infirmary, and now you expect him to go to the surface to face Luna knows what?”
Master Cross spoke as calmly as possible, “Zeph please, I didn’t approve this at first, hell I reacted no different than you are now. But Shadow made his points at the meeting. He wants this mission, not just for the stable but for answers. You know as well as I do that there was something more to that mare.”
Mother huffed again and continued her pacing, she got like this when she was upset. I honestly hated doing this to her, but this was something I needed to do. She then rounded on me and moved right into my face. The hardest part was seeing the tears starting to form. I did what any good son would do in this situation, I hugged her tightly around her neck, nuzzling into her cheek.
She tensed only for a moment, but quickly returned the embrace, the tears finally letting go as she sobbed into my shoulder. I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes as well, I hated seeing my mother cry. I just held her for as long as she wanted, and after what felt like an hour, but was only a few minutes, she let me go.
After a round of sniffling she finally was able to speak, “I can’t convince you to stay, can I?”
I shook my head and looked at her, “I need to do this Mom, I need answers, and the surface will suffer if that data is used with evil intentions.”
She smiled at me and brushed my cheek, “As much as I don’t want you to go, I could not be more proud of you as I am now. My son, promise me you will come home, in one piece, promise me.”
I nuzzled her cheek once more and spoke softly, “I swear by the Goddess Luna that nothing will stop me from coming home to my family,” She wrapped me in another hug the moment I finished and I returned it. After she let me go, I looked to the next mare who was due to give me an earful.
Keira walked up to me and punched me on the shoulder, “I want to kick your ass so bad right now for making us go through this, your mom especially. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel so honored to call you my best friend. I wanted so badly to beg the Masters and the Overmares to let me go with you.”
I stopped her at that sentence, “Keira, I know you’ll be worried, and part of me wishes you could come with me. But here is where you are needed. I need someone I can trust to take care of my family in my absence. I know Silver will need someone to comfort her while I’m gone, this will probably break her heart.”
Keira looked at me with a smile, “I know, don’t you worry Shadow, I’ll take care of everyone until you get back. You better come back, or I’ll never forgive you.”
I smiled, and wrapped her in a vice-like hug. She wasn’t startled at all and returned it immediately. I could feel her nuzzling my cheek, and I grew a little warm. I pulled away, and we both had a slight blush. I’m sure it was nothing.
As I turned to Master Cross, the door to our quarters burst open and two mares came in flanked by two stallions. The mares both took a chance to slap me, and before I could recover, the younger mare grabbed me.
“Shadow, you are such an idiot!” Silver cried, beating her hooves into my chest. It didn’t hurt, but I could tell she was upset.
Auntie Text looked at me with tears in her eyes as well. She took a minute to compose herself and spoke, “We heard that you volunteered for the mission to the surface, Shadow, please tell me you are not thinking about going out there.”
I sighed and stroked Silver’s mane as she stopped beating her hooves into my chest. I spoke softly, “I know you all don’t want me to go, and a part of me doesn’t want to go either. But, that data could do so much damage, and I need to know who that mare was.”
Uncle Forge came forward and wrapped his hoof around his wife’s shoulders. He spoke in that gravelly tone I’d come to expect from him, “Shadow, I’m not too thrilled about this myself, but I can understand your reasons to go. You are a grown stallion, and you have been trained by the best Stable 100 has to offer. If anyone can survive up on the surface, it’s you.”
Grindstone came by and padded his sister on the back, “I know we can’t convince you to stay, but we can give you our support. You are one of the toughest guardians in the stable, and with the weapons my dad made, you can make it through anything. I’ll be here to watch over Silver and our family. You can count on me,” He said with a smile.
I smiled back at him and felt Silver calm down enough to lift herself off me to look me in the eyes. She hiccupped a bit, but she finally got enough control of herself to talk. “Shadow, I don’t want you to go, but I know Dad is right. You can make it out there, but I want you to make me a promise, that you will come back alive, ok?”
I nuzzled Silver’s cheek and spoke, “I swear by the Goddess Luna that I will return alive and well,” Silver smiled at me as she rubbed her eyes. Auntie Text then grabbed her in her magic to hold her against her chest.
Master Cross finally came up to me, “Shadow, all the advice I can give you is to use your training to the full extent of your ability. Make sure to be discreet and thorough, and always remember that the Goddess Luna will be smiling down on you.”
I stood proudly in front of all of them, “I will Master, and I’ll make you all proud of me.”
Uncle Forge then came up to me, “Shadow, I would like to take Venta and Umbra with me to my workshop tonight. I’ll clean them and do all the repairs they need to be better than new for your journey.”
I smiled and was about to thank him before I realized that I had no idea where my equipment was. Mom chuckled at my worried glance, and I turned to her.
“I have your weapons in my room, I kept them safe for you while you were in the infirmary. After I give them to Forge, I will help you prepare all the battle brews and potions you will need for your journey my son,” Mom said before turning to walk into her room.
Auntie Text spoke next, “I afraid we cannot be of much help with your preparations Shadow, our maps of the surface would probably be too out of date to be helpful.”
I smiled at her and shook my head, “Having you all supporting me, and showing how much you care is more than enough Auntie,” She smiled back at me and so did Silver.
Grindstone suddenly perked and shouted, “Oh wait, I almost forgot about something. Silver, Keira, you remember that project you two were helping me with?”
Keira and Silver both looked at each other in shock and immediately nodded. Keira spoke first, “Did you finish it?”
Grind shook his head, “No, but I can have it done by tomorrow morning before Shadow leaves. I’ll work all night if I have to.”
I was rather confused at this point, “Ok, I’m lost, what is going on?”
Silver looked to me and giggled, “It was supposed to be a surprise for your birthday, but I think we can make an exception.”
Grind looked to me again, “Don’t worry Shadow, you’ll like it. I’ll have it to you before you leave on your mission,” Grind then immediately ran out of our room followed by Silver and Keira. I just blinked and didn’t ask.
Mom soon came back with my weapons and Uncle Forge took them to be prepared. Auntie Text gave me one last hug before she departed as well.
That whole ordeal had worn me out, and I collapsed on our couch. Mom chuckled at this, and moved to sit next to me. I laid there on my back, my head resting by her. She took her hoof and moved it through my mane; it was so relaxing. Mom always had this special talent of making me feel safe and warm. I was going to miss her the most during my mission.
I nuzzled into her side as she kept stroking my mane. We stayed like this for a while, and soon I felt all the tension from the last few hours slip away. I got up and nuzzled her cheek before getting off the couch.
“I’m going to take a little walk through the stable. It’ll be a while before I see home again, and it’ll give me some time to think about my mission,” I said looking to Mom, who smiled warmly at me and got off the couch as well. I left out the door, into the stable that I would leave behind.
As I moved through the stable, I could see Guardians and security ponies moving from place to place, cleaning up the mess the invaders left. The ponies really weren’t prepared for our defenses, makes you wonder if they were supposed to escape at all. I’d have felt sorry for them if that one group didn’t try to rape Auntie and Silver. They dug their own grave when they agreed to this strike, and they paid for it with their lives.
“Hey, freak!” A gruff voice shouted from behind me, one that was all too familiar. I groaned and turned to see Granite moving towards me, no pose for once.
“I’m not in the mood for your shit right now, Granite. Don’t you have some clean up to do?” I said with as much of a neutral face as I could make, trying to contain my hatred for this guy.
“Dad told me you’re leaving the stable, I just wanted to be the one to tell you good riddance. Hope the surface chews you up and spits you out,” Granite said mockingly.
I simply turned and started walking away even as he yelled at me saying he wasn’t done with me yet. I didn’t care, he wasn’t worth the breath it would take to tell him to fuck off.
I just continued walking through the halls of the stable, thinking about that mare in the cloak and why she seemed to know me. And how I would deal with her if I found her. She seemed to enjoy pain and wasn’t affected by normal attacks. Keira cut off her head, and she just grew another one. I had never heard of magic like this, perhaps I could spend some time in the library. But first I had something else to deal with.
“You can stop following me. I know you’ve been following me for a while now, so just come out,” I said while turning around to see who was following me. I knew it wasn’t Granite, he couldn’t be stealthy if his life depended on it. And it wasn’t Keira, she wasn’t this sloppy.
“Aww, you found me out, and I had this spectacular plan to get your attention,” a familiar mare’s voice said from around the corner that I had just walked around. Ugh, I was not in the mood for her right now.
Ivory sauntered over to me, putting emphasis on her hips as she moved down the hall towards me. When she caught up to me, she was right next to me with that same smile that made me sick to my stomach.
“Ivory, I’m not in the mood, why don’t you go hit up Granite? I’m sure he’d love to play with you,” I said as I turned to move down the hall again, but I was cut off by Ivory who ran in front of me to cut me off.
“Come on Shadow, you know I only have eyes for you. Besides, that blockhead couldn’t handle a mare like me,” Ivory said as she did a little twirl in front of me to show off her body.
“Ivory, I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. Now go find another stallion to bother, I’m sure you’ll find one who is shallow enough to give you a second glance,” I said trying to move past her.
To my surprise, I found myself pinned to the wall, with Ivory leaning into me. She sighed and moved her snout into the crook of my neck. Ok, now she was going too far. I tried to push her off, but she wouldn’t move. She had wrapped her hooves around me, and pinned my hooves to my sides. But that wasn’t it, there was something else. My body felt weird, and I was losing strength, my mind was getting cloudy.
“Ivory, get off, this is harassment,” I said feeling really uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure what would be worse, being violated by Ivory like this, or facing Zira and the whole security team.
“Mmmm, you smell so good. Come on handsome, one night before you leave, what do you say?” Ivory said while moving her muzzle closer to mine. Oh, fuck no, not on her life.
“GET OFF OF HIM YOU WHORE!” A female voice said as Ivory was pulled off of me.
I collapsed back to my hooves and tried to steady my breathing and clear my head. I looked up to see Keira in between me and Ivory, who had been slammed against the opposite wall.
Ivory got back to her hooves holding her head, “How dare you, I am the daughter of an Overmare, I can have you arrested for that.”
Keira stood her ground and responded, “Yes and I’m sure Overmare Cherry will love to hear about you sexually assaulting Shadow using pheromone infused perfume.”
So that’s why I was feeling strange! She must have hired an alchemist to make her that perfume so I couldn’t fight back.
Ivory huffed, “I always get what I want, and sooner or later, Shadow will be all mine,” she said with a confident grin.
In a flash, Keira was in front of her, staring straight into her eyes with what I could assume to be a look of pure rage, judging by Ivory’s pale expression.
“Listen to me, whore, if I catch you pulling another stunt like that again, I don’t care who your mother is. You will be in pain, more pain than you have ever experienced. The pits of Tartarus will look like a trip to the stable spa in comparison,” Keira said with a dark tone.
Ivory had a pale expression on her face as she backed away from the enraged zebra, making it to the corner before having the courage to look back and speak. “One day you won’t be around to get in my way bitch, and when that day comes, Shadow will be all mine,” Ivory said with a somewhat confident grin.
Keira just took a step forward, and Ivory yelped before running around the corner and down the hallway. Keira then turned to me and tried to calm herself. I took that moment to run towards her and wrap her in the tightest hug I could muster.
“Keira, you are the best friend I could have ever asked for,” I said as I felt her go stiff only for a moment.
Keira recovered and returned my hug, and we both just stood there in the hallway for a few minutes.
I eventually let her go, and I spoke, “I can’t believe she would stoop to something like that. I couldn’t think, I could barely move.”
Keira just put her hoof to my muzzle to shut me up, “It’s ok Shadow, you couldn’t help it. Those pheromones would have turned a normal stallion’s brain into a drunken haze in seconds,” she said with her usual smile.
I took a minute to compose myself, “Well that was unpleasant, I guess I can just continue my walk, care to join me?”
“I’d love to,” Keira said as she moved to my side. We both then started down the hallway of the Stable.
We just walked and talked about my mission for about an hour or two. Nothing exciting happened, and we eventually made it back to our quarters. I told Keira good night, and she said that she would be there in the morning to see me off. I was glad for that. Having Keira there will give me the courage I need for this mission.
I walked into my living quarters to find Mom asleep on the couch, a book resting on the floor below her hoof. Mom was probably reading and dozed off, dropping it in the process. I just smiled and shook my head, she always pushed herself.
I picked her up gently in my magic and moved her into her bedroom, placing her on her bed. I pulled the covers over her and gave her a quick nuzzle, making sure to not wake her up.
I then left to go to my bedroom, practically collapsing on the bed. I was so tired, and I knew that this would most likely be my last night in a comfortable bed. I drifted off to sleep, hoping that tomorrow would go well.
I was shaken awake by a striped hoof on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find Mom staring at me with a look that had a mix of sadness and understanding.
“Shadow, it’s time to prepare. The Overmares have given you one hour before you are to report to the Stable door,” Mom said with a solemn tone in her voice.
I wrapped my hooves around her neck, “I know you don’t want me to go, but I have to. The Trials are too dangerous to be left in the hooves of those invaders. Plus, I need answers about that mare,” I said with confidence.
Mom hugged me back tightly before letting me go and allowing me to gather my saddlebags. Mom then gave me a potion box, which was filled with special brews that she had made while I was out on my walk. I felt a little bad considering I had agreed to help her with them, but she just shrugged it off.
We moved through the Stable with a quick pace, Guardians and civilians all forming a barrier on both sides of us. They looked at me with different expressions, some with admiration, and others with disgust. I didn’t pay them much mind, I just moved through the crowds and eventually, we made it to the Stable door.
There were several ponies and zebra in the door chamber. The Overmares, standing alongside the Master Guardians. Keira was standing with Silver and her family, all of them moving forward to meet me.
Uncle Forge moved up to me first, “Now what kind of Guardian is complete without his weapons,” he said with a chuckle.
Silver then levitated Venta and Umbra over to me, both looking brand new. I unsheathed both of them, and as always, Uncle Forge had outdone himself.
After I sheathed my weapons and strapped them to my back, Grindstone moved in front of me with a box. Now I was curious. He had said that he would have something for me when he left last night.
He opened the box and inside was something beautiful. A necklace with the symbol of our tribe in the center of the chain. I took it out and looked at it with amazement. The gem was perfectly cut and had almost no weight to it at all.
“Grind, I don’t know what to say,” I said with a look of amazement still on my face.
“It gets better, turn it over,” Grindstone said with a smile on his face.
I did as he instructed and was awestruck once again. On the other side of the gem, three symbols were carved into it. The cutie marks and glyph mark of Grind, Silver, and Keira. I was speechless, the time it would have taken to carve these into the gem must have been insane.
I looked up to see all three of my closest friends looking at me, waiting to hear my response to this wonderful gift. I felt a tear in my eye and wiped it away.
“Guys, this is so beautiful, I don’t know if I could bear to lose this on the surface,” I said with a hint of sadness.
Grindstone just chuckled and said, “No need to worry about that Shadow, I had Silver help me enchant the chain of the necklace. The only one who can take it off and on, is you.”
I pulled all three of them into a big group hug, tears flowing down my cheeks. As we separated, I took the necklace in my magic and placed it around my neck, stuffing the gem into my barding.
“Ahem. As touching as this little display is, it is time for you to begin your mission, Shadow Strike,” Overmare Zira said with a clear hint of disgust in her voice.
We all glared at her, but I knew she was right. I quickly gave all of my family hugs one last time before moving up to face the Masters and the Overmares.
Master Cross came up to me and hugged me tightly, “Be careful out there kiddo, remember your training, and keep a low profile.”
I then felt something being placed in my hoof. I looked to see a black flask with Master Cross’ glyph mark on it. I looked back up to him and he just smiled.
“Figured you could use a pick me up when you’re out in the field. That’s my best brew yet, so enjoy it kiddo,” Master Cross said, looking at me with his trademark smile that told me this stuff would make my day.
“Alright Cross, it is time for him to leave,” Overmare Zira said once again.
I moved to the door of the Stable as Overmare Cherry entered the override code to open it. The giant cog-like door moved off its place in the wall, and a tunnel was revealed on the other side. I cautiously walked out in the tunnel, moving away from the stable. As I got about twenty feet from it, I turned back to see my family, including Cross, waving their last goodbyes to me, which I returned before the door moved back into place.
I turned back towards the tunnel leading away from my home, and started forward, “Alright, let’s see what the surface is like?”
As I walked through the tunnel away from my home, thoughts were spiraling through my head. I had just left my family behind and it hurt so badly, I had to hold back tears. Crying wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I took a deep breath and moved to start my mission. First things first, I needed to get the lay of the land.
The maps we had in the stable were useless, as the surface had probably changed a great deal in 200 years. So I would have to rely on my pipbucks map and navigation functions in order to get an idea of where to go.
Also, once I got out of the tunnel, I needed to look for any clues as to where the invaders had come from. I had a feeling they would be a lot easier to find than Saber or the cloaked mare. So my first objective is to track them down and get some information about that mare.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, I found the exit to the tunnel, a wooden door with some broken chains on the ground near it. I guess the invaders broke them when they found the tunnel. Judging by the rock formations around the door, I assumed the stable was built into a cliff or mountainside.
As I approached the door, I took a second to ready myself. No one from my stable had seen the surface in 200 years, and I only had pictures from the war to give me an idea of what to expect. So with a steady breath, I pushed the door open, and was shocked to find a dim light coming from the other side. I had expected to be blinded by my first ray of sunshine.
I walked out the door, into the dimly lit area outside the tunnel and was shocked at what I saw. The land looked dead, dirt and sand everywhere, and no sunlight. I looked up, and lost my balance to the point that I had to look back down or risk puking. I did not expect the sky to look so… big.
After the initial shock of the endless sky, I looked again to get a better view. The sky was nothing like the pictures I had seen. It was grey, cloudy, and almost no sunlight peeking through the blanket in the sky. Perhaps it was just getting ready to rain or it was just cloudy today. Maybe the pegasi were still alive and controlling the weather like they did before the war. I had never seen a pegasus before, outside of books of course.
“Alright, enough gawking. Gotta see if they left any tracks on the way up here,” I said to no one in particular. Great, not even an hour out of the stable and I’m talking to myself.
I searched around the door into the tunnel and found no tracks. I expanded my search to the area around the cliff side where the door to the tunnel was located. Again I found nothing. The ground wasn’t wet, so it had not rained in days. They must have taken precautions to find their tracks in case we sent someone out here. Most likely it was that mare’s idea.
The only other option I had was to pick a direction and start walking. Good thing the cliff side was on the high ground so I could get a view of which direction to go. After about a minute of thinking it over, I chose to head to the west, away from the cliff that housed Stable 100.
The land was rough, sand was everywhere, and I had not seen much vegetation at all except a few small cacti. It was definitely in a desert, so I was glad for the provisions Mother had stuffed into my saddlebags. I just needed to find my way around, and see if I could come across a group of those invaders, or somepony that could point me in the right direction.
Thankfully, no sunlight meant that the heat wasn’t as bad as the books had made the desert sound. I moved with a steady pace through the sand and rock formations, taking in the sights. The surface was unlike anything I had imagined it to be. I had thought it would be greener than this, or at least have some vegetation. But I guess when you are in a desert, sand is about all you get.
Suddenly I heard a noise coming from the rock formation ahead of me. I looked to see three creatures crawling over the formation, and then they ran towards me on two legs. I pulled out my sword, ready to defend myself. As they got closer, I saw that they were lizards of some sort, only they were much larger than the books had made them out to be.
The first one reached me and lunged to take a bite out of me, but it was too slow as I moved to the side of it and chopped its head off with a clean downward slash.
As its body hit the ground, I turned to see two more coming towards me, teeth bared and ready to strike. I ran at them, levitating my sword next to me as I came to the second one. Like its counterpart, it tried to take a bite out of my hide, I ducked under its bite, moving underneath it’s jaws to deliver a stab into its neck. It stopped and choked on its own blood before slumping down onto the sand.
The third one had another idea to try and tackle me in order to get the advantage over me. But unfortunately for it, I had training in this kind of situation. I rolled onto my back, kicking out my rear hooves and pushed the heavy monster over me and making it land on its belly.
Before it could recover, I pulled out my dagger and stabbed it in the eye, piercing its brain for a clean kill.
I took a few breaths to relax, trying to calm down after that attack. So the surface had creatures that were openly hostile. Great…
Getting a better look at the creatures, they were definitely some species of lizard. The size could possibly be from radiation, or perhaps just adaption to the environment.
I started back on the path that I had been walking before and was on the lookout for more of the lizard things. The last thing I needed was to be ambushed by a larger group of them.
I moved for what felt like hours, only stopping to rest and get some shade under the rock formations along the path. Again, it wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either. I only drank what I needed to keep myself hydrated, trying to ration out my water as much as possible. Luna only knew when I would find another source of water.
The day went on, and I just kept moving, thankfully not running into more of those lizards. Three may not have been a problem, but if a larger group found me, it would be a tougher fight. The hours went on, and I was starting to feel a bit tired. Guardians did have enhanced stamina compared to normal ponies and zebras, but I didn’t want to wear myself out in case I ran into something hostile.
I found a rock formation that was tall and had a flat top. So, I climbed up to the top and set my saddlebags down to have a bite to eat. Some cram and a fancy buck cake, that I’m sure Keira sneaked into my bag, was my dinner for the evening. Not much, but I didn’t need to eat that much.
I laid my head down on my saddlebags and started to drift off, an hour or so of sleep and I would be back on the path.
I woke up to voices just underneath the formation I was on. Damn, I must have overslept. I moved to the side as quietly as possible to see the source of the voices. Three ponies, two earth ponies, and one unicorn were settled around a campfire. They had weapons lying next to them, pistols and pool cues. The pool cues were a bit weird but the ends were sharpened, so I guess they could be weapons.
The unicorn was a mare, she wore bloody spiked armor and clutched a cigarette in her mouth. She looked to the two earth pony bucks and spoke, “Where the fuck is Skinner? He should have caught that little bitch by now.”
One of the stallions spoke up, “Eh he’s probably taken some frustration out of her. Little fillies are always the tightest. Hope he saves some for us.”
The mare jumped up, and got in the buck’s face, “We are supposed to deliver these fillies intact and pure. You know how much the price drops for spoiled goods?”
The buck pushed her away, “Ah don’t be such a bitch, as long as we get paid, the boss is happy.” He chuckled and turned to his friend, “But I guess one of us should go find the bastard and make sure he doesn’t go and bruise the little bitch.”
The third buck just grunted and tried to fall asleep, ignoring the other stallion.
Well, I found my first ponies. Or they found me I should say. They hadn’t noticed me, so I had the element of surprise. But what they said concerned me. They were talking about selling fillies, so they must have prisoners around here. I looked just outside the fire’s glow and saw a horrifying sight.
Four fillies were huddled into a group, most likely to keep warm as the fire was too far for them to feel any heat. They had chains on their ankles, and looked like they had been through hell.
Looking back at the ponies, I growled under my breath and knew what I had to do. But first, I needed to find the fourth stallion, Skinner I believe the mare called him. He was after another filly who probably tried to escape and was doing who knows what to her. As soon as she was safe, I promised myself I would get these fillies out of here.
I moved off the rock and stayed to the shadows. Here is where all my stealth training with Master Zala would come into play. I moved to follow the trail outside the camp and found hoof-prints leading into the desert. I followed these tracks for about five minutes before I heard a little filly scream.
“Let go of me you jerk!” A filly said, sounding extremely pissed.
My eyes had adjusted to the low light at this point, and both she and the stallion known as Skinner were visible to me. He was a unicorn stallion with no armor and a bloody combat knife floating in his magic.
“Just stay fucking still you little bitch, if you didn’t try and escape I wouldn’t be freezing my ass off out here,” Skinner said while moving closer to the filly, knife at the ready.
I was done watching this bullshit. I moved in the shadows, getting closer to the bastard, making sure to keep behind him so he wouldn’t detect me. As soon as I got within striking distance, he moved to grab the filly and hold her down. Not gonna happen you piece of shit. “Now just hold still, I need to make sure I don’t leave a mark,” Skinner said followed by a wicked chuckle.
“You don’t have to worry about that, asshole,” I said in a quiet, but dark tone. Before he could react to my voice, I grabbed him, and put my hoof over his mouth, taking Umbra and stabbing him in the neck. My hoof muffled his screams of pain, and he went limp moments later.
I pulled my dagger out of his neck and moved to help the filly. She looked scared out of her mind when her eyes adjusted to the low light and saw me.
“What are you!?” She said trying to crawl away from me, but her legs were tied up with rope.
I simply moved to put a hoof on her side to stop her, and she froze. I took out my dagger and she closed her eyes, probably thinking I was going to stab her. But she quickly opened them again when she felt her restraints fall to the ground.
“I’m sorry for scaring you, are you ok?” I asked in the gentlest tone I could. She seemed to calm down a bit, but she still kept her distance.
“Who are you? For that matter, what are you?” She asked in a calmer tone, but I could still hear the fear in her voice.
“No one really. Just someone who wants to help you and your friends back there,” I said, pointing my hoof in the direction of the campsite.
“Why would you want to help us?” She asked, moving a bit closer.
“Because it’s the right thing to do. I cannot stand by and watch as young ones are treated like this,” I said, thinking about how Guardians were created to help those in need. I know the Overmares said to keep a low profile, but I couldn’t walk away from this.
She then ran full speed into my chest, tears flowing down her face as she cried, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” She sniffled a bit before continuing, “Please don’t be a dream, let this be real,” she begged as she continued to cry into my chest.
I was shocked that she had such a change of heart so quickly, but I could feel the joy in her tears. I took a hoof and patted her back, trying to calm her. Luckily we were far enough away from the camp so the others wouldn’t hear her cries. “This is not a dream, the goddess would not be so cruel as to give you false hope. I am here, and I will help you and your friends,” I said stroking her mane.
It was during this time that I got a good look at her. She was a pink earth pony filly with a yellow mane that had a pink stripe going through it. She had no cutie mark, and I could see bruises on her ankles, most likely from chains.
“What’s your name?” I asked softly.
She sniffled, and actually smiled up at me, “Mommy always said it was impolite to ask a mare her name without giving your own first,” she said giving off a snarky attitude.
I chuckled at that, “your mommy is right, how rude of me. My name is Shadow Strike,” I said as she got off of my chest and stood across from me.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Shadow, my name is Lemon Swirl,” she said with this cute little curtsy.
I chuckled again, “It is nice to meet you Lemon, but please, just call me Shadow.”
Suddenly I heard hoofsteps behind me, I quickly grabbed Lemon and moved behind a nearby boulder. She clung to me and whimpered, but I stroked her mane to keep her calm.
It was the lazy buck who was told to find Skinner, he had a pool cue grasped firmly in his mouth as he moved down the path. I put Lemon down and told her to be quiet, which she obeyed after some convincing.
I then moved around the boulder, quietly as I could, and moved to take him out. He didn’t even see me coming as I got behind him and wrapped my hooves around his neck, causing him to drop the pool cue. He was stronger than Skinner and struggled against me. I kept one hoof around his neck and didn’t want to risk another stab, fearing he would slip out enough to scream for the others.
So I decided to take both hooves and twist his head around with all the strength I could give in my position. His neck broke, and he went limp. I moved back to Lemon who was trying her best to be as quiet and as small as possible on the ground.
She jumped a bit at my touch, but quickly relaxed when she saw me. She moved to my side as I led her away from the two dead bodies. We moved closer to the camp, trying to move as quietly as possible while staying low to the ground.
I took Lemon around to the rock that I had slept on and put her behind it.
“Alright here’s the plan, Lemon you get on top of this formation where they won’t see you. I’ll go into the camp and take them by surprise,” I said, trying to keep her calm and quiet.
Lemon shook her head and grabbed at my leg, “But you’ll get shot, and then they’ll find me again,” she said, tears starting to form in her eyes. I could tell she was scared, but she needed to hide so I could fight without worrying about her.
I stroked her mane in an attempt to calm her, “Lemon, I know you’re scared, but I need you to trust me. You’ll be safe up there, and these scumbags won’t know what hit them.”
Lemon looked into my eyes, and after a minute passed by, she reluctantly climbed the formation. After making sure she didn’t hurt herself, I turned towards the camp, peeking out from behind the formation.
The mare was still in her spot, looking pissed off. While the stallion was at the fire, putting on another log, shivering a bit.
He put his hooves over the fire, “Why is it so damn cold out here? I thought deserts were supposed to be hot?” he said to the mare, who rolled her eyes.
“Only during the day dumbass, at night it’s fucking cold, just be glad we have a fire and stop your bitching,” the mare said with an agitated tone in her voice.
The stallion grinned suddenly and moved closer to the mare, “You know, we would be warmer if we shared body heat. The other guys are still gone, and we have the campsite all to yourselves,” he said with a sultry tone in his voice.
The mare scoffed and looked away, “In your dreams, pencil dick,” she said with a grin of her own.
I took another step closer, and then heard dried grass crunch under my hoof. Shit!
The mare’s head turned towards me, “The fuck was that?”
She grabbed her pistol, and the stallion grabbed one as well. They both couldn’t see me but were moving in my direction. Well, here it goes.
I jumped out of the grass, Venta at the ready.
The stallion took a shot at me, but it missed me and hit the rock formation instead. I took the opportunity to close the distance between us a bit more. But the mare quickly fired at me and grazed my cheek.
The stallion then laughed and charged straight at me, pulling a combat knife from a holster in his spiked armor. Wow, he was an idiot.
I stopped and let him come to me, levitating Venta to the side as he continued to charge. He got about twenty feet from me before I quickly moved to the side and swung my sword horizontally. His head rolled on the ground, a clean cut, leading to a quick death.
As I recovered from my attack, a sharp pain lanced through my right shoulder, looking to the injury I saw that the bullet had passed through. I turned to see the mare pointing her pistol at me, levitating it with magic.
“Well looks like I got a pretty rare find, never seen anything like you before, you’ll fetch a nice price,” she said moving closer to me.
I stood my ground, “What kind of pony are you? Chaining up children and selling them like property?”
She glared at me, “The kind of pony that will blow your brains out if you don’t shut the fuck up.” While she was busy threatening me, she didn’t notice the rock I was levitating behind her head, which I used to bash her in the back of the head, effectively stunning her. She dropped the gun due to the loss of concentration, and I closed the distance between us before she could recover.
In seconds, I was right in front of her, taking out Umbra and stabbing her in the heart. She tensed, and screamed in pain before falling limp on the ground. I pulled out my dagger, and put both weapons back in their sheaths.
I called out to Lemon, telling her that it was safe to come out. She did so, and saw the bodies of the ponies. She then moved over to the mare’s body and pulled out a key. It was odd, watching a child have no reaction to dead bodies, like it was a common thing to see.
She ran over to the other fillies who had seen her coming, and they all cheered. I moved over to the fillies, and they all started cowering behind Lemon. She turned to them and smiled, “don’t be afraid girls, this is Shadow. He’s the one who saved us from these raiders.”
They all relaxed, slowly at first, but soon were on their hooves, moving to surround me. They were all staring, and it was unnerving to say the least. Then one poked me in the side, and I jumped.
“Ok, girls, that’s enough, don’t crowd him,” Lemon said, making them give me some space. I smiled, and then a sharp pain went through my shoulder, oh yeah forgot about that. I knelt down, and fished out a healing potion from my saddlebags. It helped a lot, fixing up the wound and making it sting a little less.
“You ok, Shadow?” Lemon asked, worry in her voice.
“I’m alright, one little bullet wound is nothing compared to what I’ve been through,” I said as the pain was fading away. I wasn’t exaggerating either, the training we went through in unarmed and melee is a lot worse than a bullet wound. Nearly broke my leg that one time, but let’s not get sidetracked.
One earth pony filly came up to me with a hopeful look in her eye, “Are you gonna save our mommies too?” she asked in a tone that no sane pony could say no to.
“What do you mean little one, where are your mothers?” I asked concerned for the fillies.
Lemon was the one who answered me, “Those raiders took us from our hometown, only the mares, and the fillies, they were gonna sell us as slaves,” she explained to me with a maturity I did not expect from somepony so young.
“Raiders?” I asked, curious about these ponies.
“You never heard of raiders before?” Lemon asked with a deadpan expression.
“I’m not exactly from around here Lemon,” I said to her, trying not to sound like an ass.
She looked at me and then her eyes locked onto my stable barding, which she apparently just noticed.
“You’re a Stable Dweller, I’ve never met one before,” Lemon said looking a little excited. I guess I was a rare sight out here.
She looked at the collar of my barding, “Stable 100, never heard of that one,” she said, curiosity present in her voice.
“Lemon, focus, where are your mothers?” I asked, trying to move the subject away from my stable.
“Right, so as I was saying, the raiders took all the mares and fillies from our home, leaving all the males for later. They took us to their compound, an old army outpost a couple miles from here,” Lemon said pointing in a direction, most likely where the compound was located.
I thought about this for a while, this had nothing to do with my mission. But I couldn’t just leave after hearing a tale like this. These raiders took innocent mares from their homes, their fillies along with them. And they planned to sell them as slaves. That was something I would never allow or tolerate. My choice was clear.
I turned back to Lemon, “So, where is this compound exactly?”
Lemon and the other fillies led me to the raider compound and honestly, calling it a compound was giving it too much credit. I spotted maybe one or two lookouts at most. The walls were in terrible condition and only one guard at the entrance.
“Not very organized are they?” I said to Lemon, who was the only filly who would come this close to the compound. The others stayed on top of a rock formation about half a mile away.
“Yeah but this is mostly the skeleton crew, the rest are inside sleeping,” Lemon said pointing to a large bunker at the south end of the compound, the sleeping quarters I guessed.
“Alright then, best to take out the guards on the outside then I can find out where the mares are being kept,” I said to Lemon looking out to spot any guard I could have missed.
Lemon looked at me with concern, “You sure you can take on that whole compound by yourself? I know you’re good, but that’s a lot of ponies down there.”
I smiled at her, “I know Lemon, but the idea is to free the mares, not to take out the whole compound, at least not yet. Once I get the mares free, then I can come up with an idea to get rid of these raiders.”
Lemon smiled at me, and hugged my leg again. It was an odd feeling, but it felt good. I was never that great with foals, as most in the stable were scared of the trials. That thought brought back images that I did not want to see.
I shook my head, and turned back to Lemon who had a concerned look on her face, “Go back to the others Lemon. Make sure to keep them quiet and safe. I’ll be back with your mothers, I promise.”
She let go of my leg finally, and ran off back to the rock that the other fillies were hiding on.
I crept quietly down the hill, towards the lone guard tower that housed one raider. The darkness of the night concealed my movements, the goddess Luna aiding me in my mission to liberate these ponies. I got to the stairs leading up to the tower and moved slowly up the stairs, as to not alert the guard at the top.
Lucky for me, when I got to the top, the buck was asleep. Wow, these raiders were not all that smart. I grabbed him and held him down, my hoof over his mouth as he woke up. I pulled out Umbra and held it to his throat.
“Try and scream for help, and you’ll find yourself without a windpipe,” I said letting the tip of the dagger barely touch the skin of his neck.
He went a little pale, “The fuck you want stripe?”
I ignored that jab at my species, “You are going to tell me where you have the mares that you abducted.”
He looked at me like I was stupid, “That’s what this is about? You just want a mare? You could have just waited till morning to buy one.”
I proceeded to knock him on the head with the hilt of Umbra for that comment. I quickly placed it back as he cursed and held his head with his hooves.
“I’m here to take them back home, and if you want to live to see tomorrow, you’ll tell me where they are being kept,” I said growing a bit impatient.
He was still holding his head as he spoke, “In the warehouse on the south side of the compound, but you won’t get inside. We got our best guys watching them.”
I held the dagger a bit closer, almost drawing blood, “I’ll keep it in mind. You better not be lying to me, or it won’t be your throat you need to worry about.”
I then proceeded to knock him out with a strike to the back of his head. He fell into a heap on the floor, and I put him on his make-shift bed in the tower, so if anypony came by, they would just think he was sleeping on the job.
As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I looked in the direction of the warehouse he spoke of. It was clear on the other side of the compound. That was actually smart of them for a change, having their prisoners as far away from the entrance as possible. I had a lot of ground to cover and I had no idea how many of them were inside.
I snuck around to the entrance and saw that there were three guards, all caring rifles. I couldn’t fight them without waking up the whole compound, so I had to find another way in.
I moved around the perimeter of the compound, checking for mines or traps. Thankfully these raiders weren’t all that smart, so I found no traps. After walking around to the south side of the compound, I saw an opportunity. A corner of the wall was out of sight of any watchtowers and had enough cracks in it that I could scale it with ease. Thank you Master Zala for all those climbing lessons.
I began my climb using Venta as a climbing pick, making sure not to make too much noise. After about ten minutes of climbing, I reached the top of the wall, finally getting a good look inside. It was not a pretty sight.
There were decapitated pony heads everywhere, all impaled on large poles or spikes. It was disgusting, how could ponies live like this? Weren’t they worried about disease?
I heard voices coming so I quickly jumped down, landing on the ground and rolling to avoid making too much noise. I hid in the shadows of the buildings, looking around the corner I saw two raiders walking across the alleyway.
“Man, the boss is so lucky, I wanted to sample the merchandise,” an earth pony buck said, kicking a tin can around like a pouting child.
“Quit your bitching, the boss said that any mare that doesn’t sell, we can have for ourselves,” another buck said, smirking to his companion.
Well looks like I found another source of information. These two raiders had to know where the mares were if they were complaining about them. And judging by how they described their boss, I needed to find them quickly.
I followed them quietly, making sure to keep my distance. They suddenly stopped at a pile of garbage and the first stallion that was complaining separated from his partner to go take a piss. A perfect opportunity to talk to his friend.
As soon as I was sure the stallion was out of earshot, I grabbed the second stallion from behind and drug him into a dark alley, pinning him to the wall with his face pressed against the wall.
“The fuck is going on?” The buck said, trying to turn his head towards me. But my dagger at the side of his neck stopped his turning.
“Look bro, if this is about that poker game, I told the boss I would have the caps later this week,” He said, clearly terrified, his legs shaking as I held him.
“I’m afraid you got worse things than your gambling debt to worry about,” I said, holding Umbra with my hoof against his neck. Couldn’t risk the other stallion seeing my magic down the dark alleyway.
“Who the fuck are you? Do you have any idea where you are? You’re fucking dead,” he said, still squirming around in my hold.
“You’re not in the best position to be making threats, are you? Just tell me where the mares are,” I said, putting pressure on my dagger.
He tensed and chuckled nervously, “Hey pal, no need for that, I’ll tell ya what you want to know,” he said, apparently trying to weasel his way out of this situation.
“Good, now remember to tell the truth, or I’ll lose my patience,” I said, moving the dagger away just an inch so he could talk properly.
“The boss has the mares in the south warehouse, he’s there right now, sampling the merchandise, lucky bastard,” the raider said, earning him a slam against the wall.
“Good, seems your story matches with the guard in the tower. Unfortunately, your friend will most likely come looking for you,” I said, moving my blade against his neck again.
He was about to cry out before I slit his throat, he dropped to the ground, drowning in his own blood. As soon as he stopped moving, I dragged him into a corner behind a dumpster. I moved back to the opening of the alleyway, just in time to find his friend coming back from his piss break.
“Hey, Copper, where’d you go?” The stallion asked, looking around for the friend that I had just killed.
“Sorry but Copper won’t be coming back,” I said before moving to tackle the stallion to the ground, driving Umbra into his neck for a clean kill.
I had the information I needed, and after hiding the other body, I made my way to the warehouse that was just a few blocks down the road. So far so good, now came the hard part.
I made it to the door, spotting two guards standing outside. Both were unicorns, levitating assault rifles next to each other, keeping an eye out for trouble. Well, they said they had their best guards here. I moved in the shadows to the side of the building, avoiding all the tin cans that were laid out on the ground.
When I got to the corner of the building, all the tin cans gave me an idea, I grabbed one and moved behind a dumpster. Then I threw it against the wall of the building, resulting in a loud clang noise, catching the guard’s attention.
“Go check that out,” a mare’s voice said, followed by a sigh and hoof-steps coming my way. I saw the stallion, his rifle floating next to him as he walked to where I threw the can. I quickly moved behind him, stabbing him in the neck while grabbing the rifle in my magic, so it didn’t drop to the ground. He fell limp, and I dragged his body behind the dumpster.
“Hey, the fuck is taking so long?” The mare said, sounding like she was coming this way. I quickly got into position again as she came into view. The mare also had her rifle floating next to her, but she seemed pretty skeptical about walking down the alley. She kept looking from side to side, most likely looking for the other guard.
She finally started moving after another minute of silence, walking towards my dumpster, shit had she seen something?
“Are you doing dash again? I told you to fucking wait until your shift was over,” the mare said, sounding agitated.
The moment she saw me, she was about to point her gun at me, before I tackled her to the ground. She fought back, flailing her legs and tried to knock me off. But I was too strong, so she resorted to biting my shoulder. I gritted my teeth from the pain, but I still managed to grab at her mane with my magic, throwing her against the wall behind me. I then grabbed her head, and twisted it, breaking her neck in the process.
My shoulder was sore from the bite, but nothing serious. I hid the mare’s body next to her fellow guard, and moved to enter the building. I checked the windows to see if anypony was around, but saw nopony. I opened the door as quietly as I could and moved inside. The place was cleaner than the rest of the compound so far. The boss must live up well, or the customers want a better place to do business. It made me sick thinking of ponies as merchandise.
“AAAAHH!” A mare’s voice screamed from the hallway, clearly in distress. I heard the sound of struggles coming from the hallway and moved with purpose to find the source.
“Shut up bitch, you’re hurting my fucking ears,” a stallion’s voice said, a gruff stern voice that had authority behind it.
I found a door that was slightly opened and peeked inside. A pink earth pony mare with a red mane was on the ground, eyes full of tears. A gray unicorn stallion was standing over her, holding a security baton.
“Now, you’re gonna be a good bitch and let me have my fun, or I’ll break your fucking legs, got it?” The stallion said, waving the baton around, a sick smile on his face.
The mare just threw her head in her hooves and cried, not putting up a fight. It was clear from the bruises on her body that she had been tortured for a while. And it was about to end.
I pushed the door open and used my shoulder to knock the stallion away, causing him to land on his ass. The baton had fallen out of his magical grip, so I reared up and kicked it away, out of his sight.
The stallion groaned and opened his eyes to see me standing between him and the mare, “You got a death wish?”
I pulled out Venta, holding it sideways to his neck, pinning him to the wall behind him. He glared at me and tried to ignite his horn, but I quickly threw a punch, aiming right for his horn, causing the magic to fail.
“What kind of animal are you? Torturing innocent mares, selling them like pieces of meat, what kind of pony does things like that?” I yelled at him, not caring if others were in the building.
“The kind that makes a profit, do you have any idea what slavers pay for mares?” The stallion said, acting like it was just a fact of life.
I punched him in the nose this time, Venta moving dangerously close to his neck. He cursed at me, blood running down his now broken nose.
“I have never met a more disgusting group of ponies in the life, and I will not stand by and watch you torture these innocents,” I said, glaring at him with an intensity that could melt steel.
With blinding speed, Venta sliced his head clean off. It rolled under his bed, and the body just slumped against the wall. I put my sword away and looked to the mare.
She was cowering against a desk, looking at me like I was a demon from Tartarus. I moved slowly towards her and sat on my haunches about fifteen feet away from her.
“Please, don’t be afraid, I’m here to help you,” I said, trying to calm her down.
She shook her head, tears still flowing down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and turned away like she expected me to hit her.
“I can understand that you’d be afraid of me, but trust me when I say that I’m here to help. Lemon and the other fillies help me find you,” I said, trying to convince her.
She suddenly froze and moved her head slowly to look at me, “Lemon, you said you met Lemon?”
I nodded, and she seemed to calm a bit, “She and the other fillies were taken earlier today, did you free them?”
I nodded again, “I found them at a raider campsite, and killed the raiders keeping them prisoner. Lemon helped me find this place, and she asked me to free their mothers.”
She actually smiled at that, and then she moved over to me, tears of joy now flowing down her face.
“You saved my baby, thank you. I’m Raspberry Jam, Lemon’s mother,” Raspberry said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I’m glad I found you Ms. Jam, but we need to find the others, do you know where they are?” I said, still smiling.
“Please, just Raspberry or Jam is fine, and yes I can take you to the others. But there are two guards at the door,” Raspberry said, her expression turning concerned.
I gave her a confident smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the guards, you just stay behind me until it’s safe, ok?”
She nodded, and started to lead me out of the room and down the hallway. It didn’t take us long to reach the door to the holding area. Raspberry told me that the guards had shotguns, so I had to be careful. I moved to open the door, and peeked inside, seeing the guards looking away from the door, their attention on the mares in the cells.
“Why does the boss get to have all the fun? Can’t I just have one bitch?” The stallion guard said, grinning at the mares who were trembling.
The mare guard pointed her shotgun at him, “Boss said no sampling the merchandise, less damage means a better price.”
The stallion pouted and kicked the door of the cell, causing some of the mares to yelp in shock.
While they were arguing, I had moved under the desk that the mare was sitting at, coming from behind her. I then levitated Umbra behind her head and stabbed her in the neck. She gurgled out a noise that probably would have been a scream before she fell to the ground.
The stallion then turned around to see me, and readied his shotgun faster than I had anticipated. But before he could fire off a shot, a red earth pony mare grabbed him from behind and held him against the bars. I took the opportunity to use Venta to slit his throat. The mare let go of the dead stallion and moved to the door.
“I don’t know who you are, but you seem to be helping us,” the mare said, looking at me with a hint of suspicion.
Raspberry came through the door at that moment, and all the mares looked up to see their friend. The red mare who was addressing me saw her, and her eyes widened.
“Raspberry, are you alright, how did you escape that brute?” she said, the suspicion in her voice replaced with concern.
“Everypony, you don’t need to be afraid of this stallion. He saved me, and he saved our daughters,” Raspberry said, coming up to the cages. All the mares immediately jumped to their hooves and dashed over to her.
“Is it true, our daughters are safe, where are they?” one mare asked, looking to Raspberry for answers.
Raspberry turned to me, signaling me to answer the question. I smiled, “There is no need to worry about your fillies. They are hiding a good distance away from the facility.”
The mares all looked relieved and starting chatting amongst themselves. The red mare that addressed me earlier came up to the bars, “I apologize for not trusting you, thank you for saving us.”
I waved my hoof, “There is no need to apologize, after what you have been through I’d suspect trusting a stranger is hard to ask.”
The mare smiled at me, “I am Chili Pepper, wife to the mayor of Hydra Junction. What is your name good stallion?”
I bowed in respect, “I am Shadow Strike, nice to meet you, Mrs. Pepper.”
She chuckled, “A stallion with manners, now that is certainly rare.”
I smiled and moved over to the body of the mare I had killed, figuring she had the key. My hunch was correct, and I opened all the cells, mares rushing out to greet Raspberry and me.
After everypony was out of the cells, Chili moved forward, “Alright ladies, keep quiet, we’re not out of the woods yet. We need to follow Shadow’s instruction to get to our fillies.”
All the mares went silent and looked to me for instruction. I blushed at the sudden attention but cleared my throat.
“Alright, all of you need to stay close to me, no wandering off. I plan to sneak you out the front gate. When I looked at the gate on my way in, there were only three guards out front, now that I’ll be behind them I can take care of them quietly,” I said, laying out my plan to get them out. They all nodded in agreement, and I moved to the door, all the mares following me.
There were no more raiders in the warehouse, so we got to the door quickly. We all moved out as quietly as possible. But as we traversed through the compound, something made me slow my pace. We had not encountered any more raiders since the warehouse. Even if most were asleep, surely we’d see some patrols or something.
When we had the gate in sight, I found out why we hadn’t seen any raiders. At the entrance were about ten raiders, all armed with pistols, pool cues, machetes, and one had another of those miniature chainsaws like the one I saw in the stable. A mare was standing in front of all of them, holding a shotgun in her magic. I motioned for the mares to stop, and they did not hesitate.
Chili Pepper came up to me and whispered into my ear, “She’s the one in charge of raids, she was the one who led the attack on our town.”
All of the sudden a mare’s voice rang out, obviously enhanced by magic, “We know you’re there, you think we wouldn’t notice guards and patrols missing genius. Hand over the merchandise, and we’ll let you die quickly.”
I glared her direction, my odds in this fight were not looking good. Then I remembered my battle brews in my saddlebags. One ,in particular, could help me make it through this ordeal but at a price.
I removed my saddlebags, and reached inside, pulling out the container that had my brews inside. I opened it as well and levitated a red potion bottle out. The contents swirling around like a hurricane, giving off a vibe that it was not to be taken lightly. I had hoped I wouldn’t have to use it, but it looked like I had no choice.
I turned to Chili, “I’m going out there, no matter what happens, do not help me,” I said, giving her a look that did not warrant an argument. She nodded hesitantly and moved back into the shadows.
I sighed and moved out into the open, the mare seeing me instantly. All the raiders had their attention on me and pointed their weapons in my direction.
The mare spoke in her casual tone, “So you’re the one that’s been messing with our crew, I was expecting something more intimidating, but all I see is a hybrid freak.”
I growled at that name, as it reminded me of all the resentment I got back in the stable. But I took a deep breath and calmed myself.
“I give you this one chance, let us leave, and never threaten these ponies again. If you refuse, I will kill every last one of you,” I said, looking between the raiders and seeing some of them back up in fear.
The mare busted out into a fit of laughter, laughing for a good few minutes before she spoke again, “And how do you plan to take all of us on? Far as I can tell, you’ve got those weapons on your back and nothing else. You’ll be dead long before you get close enough to use them.”
I merely took the potion bottle and popped the cork off, drinking the whole thing in one go. As soon as all of it was gone, I threw my head back in pain. The potion was taking effect as all my senses were enhanced further and the pain I felt from the bullet wound, and the bite vanished. I could feel my blood boil, and my muscles tense as my senses skyrocketed. I could hear my heart beating in my chest, and I could hear the gasps of the mares behind me. My sword and dagger were at my sides in my magic within seconds, and I charged at the raiders like a mad stallion.
Some raiders tried to flee, while others took shots at me. One bullet managed to hit me in the shoulder again, but I felt nothing as the round passed through. The raiders that came at me with melee weapons soon learned that they should have run with their friends.
My weapons moved so fast they were like blurs, Venta cut off the head of one stallion with a pool cue. Another stallion with a machete came around to my right, looking to slash at my side. I dodge with unnatural speed and stabbed Umbra into the stallions neck. A third raider charged my front as I drew Umbra out of the dead raider’s neck, his mini-chainsaw spinning, ready to rip me to shreds. I blocked his weapon with Venta and our two weapons gave off sparks as we struggles against each other.
Unfortunately for the raider, I had enhanced strength and felt no pain, so I easily overpowered him and sent his weapon flying to the side. Before he could recover, I had taken my sword and removed his head from his shoulders, blood splattering on my face; three down. The raiders with pistols fired again, and I leaped at them, causing all the bullets to miss. I thrust Venta downwards into one stallion and stabbed another’s neck with Umbra. Five down, five to go.
Two more stallions shot at me, one managed to hit me in the leg, but like last time, I didn’t feel a thing. I closed the distance between us before they could reload and tackled them to the ground. The two stallions had fallen with their heads next to each other, so I grabbed one by the head and used all my strength to bash their skulls together, creating a sickening crack as their skulls shattered against each other, brain matter flying everywhere. Two mares with machetes came at me, and they attempted to stab me in the chest. I quickly jumped, and the two just ended up sticking each other before they realized what I had done.
The last mare, the one in charge, had dropped her shotgun and looked at me like she saw a demon. Her voice was shaky, “What in the hell are you?”
I looked at her and raised my sword, “I am a Guardian,” I said, before cutting off her head.
As she dropped to the ground, my breathing was becoming labored, and my vision was blurring. The potion was wearing off, and there wasn’t much time. I tried to walk back to the mares, but the pain had started. All the pain of the fight hit me at once as I tried to make it to my saddlebags.
But my vision went out, and I fell to the ground. The last thing I remembered was the sound of small hooves rushing towards me.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added: Friend of the Night Your eyes have adjusted to the low light of the wasteland. You can now see better in the low light conditions, whether outside at night, or in dark places like caves.
Dark, it was so dark that I felt like I was drowning. I saw nothing as I floated in pitch darkness, my thoughts blurred. Where am I? How did I get here? These questions repeated in my head, but everything felt so distant. Suddenly, memories floated to the surface of my mind, images appeared out of nowhere, filling my point of view. Images of my home, the halls, and corridors as gray and dull as ever. After a while, the images started to focus on some familiar faces.
Mom, I could see her in our quarters back in the stable. She had a worried look on her face, tears were in her eyes that she was trying to hold back. Seeing her like this made me want to hold her, comfort her as she had done for me. But the darkness was so heavy that I couldn’t move, only allowing me to watch my mother’s sadness. After some time passed, the image changed again, and another face appeared.
Silver was in the library, reading a book, or that’s what she would like you to believe. I had been around Silver since we were foals, and I knew her habits. She was only pretending to read to try and keep her mind off her troubles. Her eyes gave it all away, just skimming across the page, not truly enjoying the book. Reading was Silver’s favorite pastime, and when she read like this, it was obvious that she had other things on her mind. I had seen her do this plenty of times, and I would always be there to cheer her up and listen to her problems. But yet again, the crushing void prevented me from reaching her. And just like before, the image faded, revealing another of my loved ones.
Keira, my best friend, was in the melee training hall practicing on some dummies. Her whip lashed out wildly at the figures, slicing them to ribbons, but her technique was sloppy and sporadic. She could fight better, and the only reason that she would be like this, was if she was really upset. Keira had a habit of blowing off steam with training, despite Master Broadsword’s advice against it. This kind of training would create bad habits, and these habits could be detrimental to one’s fighting style. Keira knew better, but emotions would often cloud her judgment.
She finished off the last of the dummies, and as the pieces flew across the room, Keira stood there, unmoving. Suddenly she collapsed in the middle of the room, tears visible on the floor beneath her. She was crying, I had only ever seen Keira cry a couples times. And when she did, it was painful to watch. Keira always kept a cheerful and playful attitude, especially around me. She always made it her goal to brighten my day when we were younger. But this was a rare moment where she let it all out, but unlike every other time, I was not there to comfort her. The darkness tightened its grip around me as I tried to reach out for my best friend. And just when I thought I could reach the image, it shattered like glass. As the shards flew across my vision, I began to fall again, belly up into the abyss.
The decent felt longer and faster than before like I had broken the last of the restraints holding me in place. I fell for what felt like hours, but could have been only moments, the darkness made my perception of time dilate. I continued falling, and after a while, I grew the courage to look over my shoulder to see a light, moving closer with each second. When I reached it, the light blinded me, and the darkness faded around me.
I bolted awake, panting and sweating profusely, the images going through my mind as I tried to calm down. My necklace flailed a bit due to my sudden movement, making it land on my chest. I placed a hoof on it as the memories of the images came flooding back to me. My surroundings were still blurred, and I couldn’t focus on anything.
“Oh thank the goddesses you’re awake, you’ve been thrashing in your sleep for the past hour,” a mare’s voice said from my side.
I looked to my right to see an earth pony mare in a white nurse’s hat looking at me with concern in her eyes. She had a pink coat, with a candy cane striped mane. My vision had returned, and I finally got a look at my surroundings, and I could tell that I was in some kind of clinic. Surgical equipment laid scattered around the tables and countertops, while an IV was in the corner. Monitors and other equipment were around my bed. I never liked clinics, they always made me feel on edge.
I turned back to the nurse and tried to clear my mind of what had happened in my dream, although it didn’t feel like a dream.
“Where am I?” I asked her, trying to piece together what had happened.
She smiled at me, “This is the Hydra Junction clinic. You were brought in here two days ago by Chili Pepper.”
Two days! Was I really out for that long? And she said Chili brought me here, so does that mean the mares were ok? And what about Lemon and the fillies?
“What happened to the mares I saved? And the fillies, where is everypony?” I asked, growing more worried and confused by the second.
The nurse put her hoof on my shoulder, “You saved them. Everypony made it here in one piece, the fillies too. Lemon was especially worried about you.”
I sighed in relief and smiled at the nurse, “Thank the goddesses, I’m so relieved to hear that. Thank you for taking care of me, who are you?”
She blushed a bit, “you’re quite welcome, my name is Lotus Blossom, and I’m the nurse here.”
“It’s very nice to meet you Nurse Lotus, My name is Shadow Strike,” I said, holding out my hoof to shake hers. She accepted the hoof shake, and I tried to get up from the bed.
“Oh no Shadow please you need to stay in bed,” Nurse Lotus said, putting a hoof on my chest to try and keep me in bed. I looked into her eyes and saw genuine concern, so I complied and laid back onto the bed.
“Just stay here and let me get Doctor Cactus, he’ll want to give you another examination before you go,” Nurse Lotus said, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
After Nurse Lotus left, I just laid my head down on the pillow and tried to collect my thoughts. I remembered the fight at the gate, the potion that I had used being the cause of my condition. I hated using it, but it was the only way to survive that encounter. It was my fault, I should have known that the raiders I killed would be noticed.
The door opened again, and a green earth pony stallion with a dirt brown mane came in wearing a doctor’s coat. He looked at me with a look that had a hint of distrust. A look I was used to seeing on a daily basis.
“So, you’re the hero that saved our ponies from those raiders?” He said, picking up a chart from a nearby table. Nurse Lotus came in behind him, giving him a disappointed look.
“I guess I am, Doctor Cactus I presume?” I said, keeping my voice level. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he didn’t trust me.
He nodded without looking at me, reading my chart. Nurse Lotus walked up to me with a bottle of water. She said that it was purified, so I took it with a look of gratitude.
“I’ll say this, you are an odd one. I’ve never seen a zony before, but I know that their anatomy shouldn’t be this different from a normal pony,” Doctor Cactus said, looking confused about my charts. Not surprising, considering my mutations.
“Care to explain?” Doctor Cactus asked, putting the chart down on the table again.
“Sorry Doctor, but I’m not at liberty to share that information,” I said, trying to be as polite about it as possible.
“What’s that supposed to mean? We helped you, you owe us,” he said, looking quite annoyed with me.
Nurse Lotus got in front of him, and glared. “Cactus that is enough. He doesn’t owe us any kind of explanation considering what he risked to bring our ponies back. Or did you forget your daughter was among those fillies he saved?”
Doctor Cactus looked shocked before he glared back, “he’s a stripe Lotus, even a half stripe is still a stripe. Have you forgotten what zebras have done to our kind?”
Nurse Lotus got right in his face, making him backpedal, “that was over two hundred years ago, he had nothing to do with it. Stop being so pig-headed.”
Doctor Cactus snorted in frustration, “alright Lotus, that’s enough. Let’s just finish his examination so I can get him out of my clinic.”
He shook his head and cleared his throat, “Right then, you should be clear to leave the clinic. I recommend some sleep and a good meal to help you recover. I don’t know what the potion Chili spoke about was, but I am guessing it was the cause of the internal damage we found while working on you.”
I nodded and got up from the bed, “Yes, it was dangerous to use, but necessary in defeating those raiders. I don’t use it unless I absolutely have to.”
I looked around the room and noticed that my belongings weren’t here. My barding was also gone, leaving me with just my pipbuck and my necklace.
“Nurse Lotus, where’re all my belongings? My barding, weapons, and my saddlebags?” I asked the nurse who smiled at me reassuringly.
“Don’t worry Shadow, Lemon has your saddlebags and weapons. She also took your barding, I believe Lemon took it to her father’s shop. She said that she and her family would have a surprise for you when you woke up,” Nurse Lotus said, as she and Doctor Cactus led me out of the room.
The doctor and nurse showed me out of the clinic, and upon exiting the slightly run-down building, I was intercepted by Chili Pepper and a blue earth pony stallion in a cowpony hat.
“Shadow, it’s good to see you back on your hooves, you had us worried sick,” Chili said, giving me a warm smile.
“Sorry to worry you, I miscalculated on when the potion would wear off. ---I glanced over to the blue stallion--- And I’m guessing this is your husband?” I said, pointing to the stallion.
“Guilty as charged, name’s Wrangler, and as the mayor around these here parts. Let me be the first to welcome you to Hydra Junction,” Wrangler said, shaking my hoof vigorously.
I chuckled and returned the hoof-shake as much as I could. He stopped eventually, and I took a moment to get a look at the town. It was a decent sized settlement with a long path in the middle leading to a large shack. Smaller shacks lined both sides of the street, with vendors outside selling their goods. Ponies were moving everywhere, reminding me a bit of the atrium back in the stable. Sand blew through the streets, and it didn’t seem to bother anypony, considering they lived in this desert, they were probably used to it by now.
“Quite the sight isn’t it? My grandfather founded this place over a hundred years ago, and gathered ponies from all across the Badlands to make it a crossroad for this part of the wasteland. You’ll find ponies from all across the north section of the Badlands, trading and resupplying here,” Wrangler said, a hint of pride in his voice.
“It certainly is impressive Wrangler, I had no idea that there were still places like this in the Wasteland,” I said, genuinely impressed with the town. I was lead to believe the surface was hostile and tainted by radiation.
“Yeah, I’m sure this is a bit of a change from your stable,” Wrangler said, shocking me a bit.
Chili saw my shock and quickly spoke, “We saw your stable barding and figured it out on our own. Don’t worry Shadow, we won’t ask about your home.”
I sighed in relief, “Thank you Chili, I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’d like to keep my stable a secret as much as possible.”
Wrangler chuckled, “no worries partner, where you came from doesn’t matter. All that matters to me is the fact you saved my wife and daughter. In fact, a lot of stallions here are grateful for what you did. Most of them promising you a drink at the saloon.”
Chili chuckled, “And all the mares are grateful as well, if there is anything we can do to repay our debt, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
I blushed at the praise, “I didn’t do it for a reward, but I appreciate the gratitude.”
I suddenly had a thought, “But if I may, there are a few questions I would like to ask you if that’s alright.”
Wrangler chuckled, “Shoot partner, you are a rare one if that’s all the reward you’re after. Ask away, if we can help ya in any way, we will.”
Chili interrupted before I could talk, “How about we talk over some lunch, I’m sure being in a coma for a few days has made you a bit peckish?”
Almost on cue, my stomach growled at the mention of food. I hadn’t had anything substantial since I got out of the stable. I blushed in embarrassment and chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my head.
Chili giggled at my embarrassment, “I thought so. Shall we show him the saloon dear?” Chili said looking over to Wrangler with a smirk.
“Shoot, you know I can always go for a bite Chili, come on then Shadow, we’ll treat ya to the best food Hydra Junction can offer,” Wrangler said, wrapping his hoof around my shoulder and practically dragging me along the road. Chili following beside us, with a look of amusement on her face.
The saloon was down the road a bit on the left, ponies moved in and out of its wooden doors like the atrium back in the stable. When they saw us approaching, they stopped and made a path for us, which made me a bit uncomfortable.
“Something wrong there partner?” Wrangler asked, having noticed my discomfort.
“Not exactly, I’m just not used to this kind of treatment is all,” I said, trying to put on a smile.
Chili came up to me and smiled brightly, “Well you’re kind of a hero after what you did Shadow. How did you expect to be treated?”
“Honestly, I’m used to getting dirty looks or being spat on,” I said, my mood growing a bit morbid with memories of my stable flooding back.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that here. Anyone gives you a hard time ‘cause of your stripes, you let me know. I’ll straighten them out,” Wrangler said, smirking back at me.
The saloon was a decent sized establishment, having around fifteen tables with four chairs each around the center of the room. To the side, I could see a staircase leading up to an upper floor with rooms along the wall. This place must also act of the town’s hotel, I should ask about a place to stay for the night. Looking over to the other side of the building, I saw a bar with a shelf full of all kinds of drinks. Wonder what kind of brew they got out here? Doubt it’s as good as Master Cross’.
We made our way to a table in the center of the saloon and took our seats. Sitting on a wooden stool felt different from the metal ones we had in the stable. It honestly felt more comfortable. A waitress came by and smiled at us, a notepad floating in her magic next to her.
“Always a pleasure to see our Mayor in our establishment, and you too, of course, Chili,” the mare said, a friendly grin on her face.
“Always a pleasure being here dearie, you seem to be back to your chipper self,” Chili said, taking the menu on the table in her magic.
The mare brightened even more when she saw me, “Oh yes, and thank you so much for rescuing us. My husband is busy in the kitchen, but he said if you ever came in here, the first drink and meal is on the house.”
My eyes widened when I realized that I had no idea what kind of currency they used in the wasteland. In the stable, we never had to worry about money, most of the time we wanted something, we’d either trade or work for it. I need to ask about currency when I get the chance.
“You are very welcome miss, and your gesture is very kind,” I said with a smile towards the mare, who beamed at me.
“Well that’s a few less caps we have to worry about with this meal,” Wrangler said, chuckling at my slight blush from the gratitude.
The mare took our orders, some purified water to start us off. She left to get our drinks and gave us a chance to look over the menu. Honestly, there wasn’t much variety in the food, but given the environment, I doubt they would have the means of keeping a stock of different items for meals. There were two major sections, one in particular made me uneasy.
“Hey Wrangler, do you get carnivores out here often? I noticed the meat section, and I’m pretty sure we are herbivores,” I said the mayor who gave me an odd look at first, then it changed to one of understanding.
“I keep forgetting you’re from a stable. Yeah, we get griffons through here every now and then, but ponies sometimes get a taste for meat,” Wrangler said, making my stomach turn.
“We can digest meat, but it isn’t exactly healthy for us. But you can’t be picky with food in the wasteland,” Chili said, seeing my discomfort. I could understand her reasoning, but I think I’ll pass on that.
I looked through the menu, and could feel the eyes of just about every pony in the saloon. It made me nervous, but I managed to tune it out and focus on food. I was starving, and I would need to nutrition after using that potion.
“So Shadow, before we get into your questions, that potion you took has been bothering me for a while. What was that potion, and what did it do to you exactly?” Chili said, her voice slightly worried and hushed, like she was afraid I would be offended.
“I’m sorry you girls had to see that, but it was necessary for the situation. The potion is something my tribe created a long time ago. It’s called Nightmare’s Rage, it nulls the pain receptors in the body, basically taking away my ability to feel pain,” I said casually, earning a horrified look from the two ponies.
“But that’s dangerous! Pain is how the body restricts you from damaging yourself. If you take that away, you wouldn’t know if the injury is serious, like a broken bone,” Chili said, scared out of her mind.
“I’m well aware that it is dangerous, that is why we are taught to only use it when the need is great. The internal damage it does can be worse than the initial injuries that come from the battle itself, but we have other potions to compensate for that. That was what I was going for after I killed the leader, but I miscalculated the duration of the potion and couldn’t make it,” I said, trying to calm her down.
Chili was about to say something else, but Wrangler put a hoof on her shoulder. “Calm down hon, I’m sure Shadow knows how dangerous it is. Besides, Doc Cactus fixed him up good, no need to give him a hard time about it.”
Chili glared at her husband, but relented at his bright smile. “You’re right. I’m sorry Shadow, you know what you’re doing, and I should trust you,” she said looking to me with an apologetic smile.
“No need to apologize Chili, thank you for your concern, it’s nice to see such kindness out here in the wastes,” I said, smiling back at her.
The waitress came back with our water, and we gave her our orders. A salad for Chili, radhog bacon for Wrangler, which made my stomach churn thinking about it. I went with the fruit platter to stay away from any meat on the menu.
“So Shadow, you wanted to ask us some questions?” Chili said, taking a sip from her water.
“Oh yes, I was hoping to get some information about how things work on the surface. For example, you said something about caps earlier?” I asked, taking a sip from my own water.
“Bottle caps is what the wasteland uses for money nowadays. Pre-war bits are worth something in bulk but not too much. Most merchants will want to be paid in caps,” Wrangler said, putting his hat down on the table.
Using bottle caps as currency, well I guess the surface had to work with something. I wondered for a minute how that practice started, but quickly got back on topic.
“Thank you, Wrangler. Next question, were those raiders the only ones working in this area?” I asked.
“Oh goodness no dear, raiders are all over the wasteland. That particular group was the largest group that bothered us, but there are smaller groups that try to mess with our caravans every now and then,” Chili said, rolling her eyes for a second, making me think she wished I was right.
“Why are you so interested in raiders? One gang ain’t enough for ya?” Wrangler said, chuckling a bit.
My face grew morbid after he said that, and both noticed the change in my demeanor. “My stable was attacked by a group of ponies that might have been raiders. They had similar armor and weapons, led by a cloaked mare.”
Wrangler’s ears drooped behind his head, “I’m sorry Shadow. I shouldn’t have joked about it.”
Chili turned her eyes to her drink, a look of deep thought of her face. A few minutes passed before she looked up at me, “This cloaked mare doesn’t sound familiar, but raiders are pretty common in the wasteland. It’s not uncommon for raiders to take contracts from slavers and other unsavory characters.”
I looked up after hearing the word slavers, “Slavers? What do you mean slavers?”
Wrangler sighed, “Yeah, we got slavers out here. Those raiders were most likely gonna sell off Chili and the rest to the slavers down south. They got a huge business down there.”
My stomach turned, and my expression became one of disgust, “Enslaving ponies for profit, even foals. That is vile and despicable, how can ponies justify something like that?”
Chili sighed, “Caps will make ponies do just about anything nowadays. Killing, enslaving, and pillaging settlements all in the name of profit. Hell, some raiders just do it for fun.”
If I ever run into these slavers, I will be sure to give my personal opinion on their lifestyle choice. But back to the matter at hoof.
“So, you never heard anything about a mare in a cloak wandering around, tougher than the average pony?” I asked, both ponies giving me odd looks.
“Shadow, lots of ponies, especially ones with not so friendly intentions walk around in cloaks and in the shadows. Sorry, but we can’t help ya there,” Wrangler said, before finishing his bacon.
“That’s alright Wrangler, at least I have some more understanding of who could have attacked my stable. Raiders, and possible slavers if they wanted to take us,” I said, pondering over the ponies that assaulted my home.
They seemed poorly equipped, and these slavers sounded like they had a business out here. So I doubt they were slavers, most likely just a raider gang looking for caps and a good time. Too bad for them, but they weren’t prepared for our strength.
“Well Shadow, if you have any more questions, I’m sure we’d be able to help…” Chili said, before a loud noise came from outside.
“AAAHHH!!” A mare’s scream was heard from outside, drawing all of our attention. I immediately got out of my seat and ran outside. Chili and Wrangler not far behind me, we ran towards the crowd that was growing near the center of town. Ponies let us pass after seeing their mayor, and the sight that greeted us was horrifying, to say the least.
A green earth pony mare was cradling a young colt’s body, or what I assumed was a young colt. The body looked drained, and dried out, like it had dried out in the intense heat. A red-coated stallion was standing across from her, looking as if he had lost the will to live, head hung low and eyes so dull.
Wrangler walked up to both of them, “Lettuce, what happened here?”
The mare just shook her head and cradled the body tighter. The stallion lifted his head to look at the mayor with a defeated look.
“I tucked him in last night, Mayor, and he was fine. He must have left the house to explore around the gate. He had always said he wanted to be a guard, and they must have got him,” The stallion said, hanging his head yet again.
Chili walked beside the mare and wrapped a hoof around her. The mare stiffened, but after looking to see who it was, she leaned into Chili and sobbed in her shoulder. It was then that I walked up and looked closely at the body.
The stallion had finally seen me and rushed to grab me by the shoulders, “You’re the stripe that saved Lettuce and the others from those raiders aren’t you?”
Wrangler glared at him, “Brussels sprout, call him that again, and I’ll break your jaw.”
I gestured for Wrangler to calm down and put a hoof on his shoulder, “I’m so sorry for your loss, tell me what happened.”
Brussels sprout’s eyes suddenly grew, “I know! You can get rid of these monsters for us. If you can take out a whole gang of raiders, then you can take these varmints down no problem.”
I tilted my head at him in confusion, “Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about? What did this to your son?”
Wrangler stepped in and removed the stallion from my shoulders, “Bloodwings. That’s what did this, Shadow.”
I was even more confused, “I apologize for my ignorance, but what’s a bloodwing?”
Wrangler looked at me with a dark expression, “bloodwings are nasty creatures, large mutated bats that’ll suck a pony dry in seconds. We’ve been having trouble with them for about a year now, but nopony has been brave enough to flush them out of their caves.”
I blinked in surprise, “a species of bat that mutated from the radiation no doubt. Possibly from the vampire fruit bat I read about in the stable.” “Shadow please, you got to help us. I’m sorry for calling you a stripe. Our son wasn’t the only pony those monsters have taken. And now they’ve gotten bold enough to hunt this close to the town. You’ve got to help us, please?” Brussels sprout said, begging on his knees in front of me. I was shocked, to say the least. But I could understand his desperation. He just lost his son, and I had no idea how many others had lost their lives to these creatures.
I don’t know what to do. The Overmare said not to make a name for myself, and to be discreet. Killing these bloodwings won’t get me any closer to completing my mission. I was about to tell them that I just couldn’t stay and help when another thought ran through my head.
But helping ponies is what Guardians were created to do. Under the guidance of the Goddess of the Moon they would protect all life from monsters and villains. If I walked away from ponies in need, I would be spitting in the faces of my ancestors. I knew what I needed to do right then.
I walked up to the mare known as Lettuce, and she looked up at me. I placed my hoof on hers, “I swear by the Goddess of the Moon that I will avenge your child, and make certain that he is the last victim these foul creatures take from this town.”
The mare smiled at me through her tears and squeezed my hoof, “You are a blessing from the Goddesses.”
Wrangler came up behind me, “You sure you’re up for this Shadow? You just got out of the clinic.”
I looked at Wrangler with the most confident smile I could muster, “I’m sure Wrangler, after seeing something like this, I can’t simply do nothing.”
Wrangler and Chili both looked at me with the brightest smiles I had seen since I left the Stable. I would help in any way I could, taking down as many of these “bloodwings” as possible.
Chili walked up to me, “alright Shadow, we’ll tell you all about these creatures, but I would recommend one of the guards go with…”
BOOM! An explosion rang out, coming from the other edge of town.
“What was that? Another raider attack?” I said, as I jumped into a defensive stance.
“Doggone it, not again!” Wrangler said, stomping off in the direction of the smoke from the explosion.
I was confused, he didn’t look concerned like it was an attack. He seemed pissed and annoyed. I turned to Chili for an explanation.
“It’s not an attack Shadow, more of a town annoyance, follow me please,” Chili said, then she started towards the smoke. I decided just to trust her and follow.
By the time we caught up with Wrangler, he had made it to a small shack on the outskirts of Hydra Junction. It was in some bad repair, probably from that explosion. A large hole was in the roof, where the smoke was escaping. The windows were shattered, planks of wood could be seen all around the exterior, clearly from some rough patch jobs.
Wrangler marched to the front door, which was surprisingly still standing, “Ratchet, get your flank out here! This is the last straw!”
I could hear coughing from inside the cabin, and soon after a yellowish tan coated earth pony, wearing a gray vest, emerged from the smoke. He had a ginger mane, and a pair of goggles resting on his forehead. He had green eyes that seemed irritated due to the smoke, and a toolbox for a cutie mark.
“Cough, cough, howdy Mayor Wrangler, nice to see you again,” Ratchet said, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
“Ratchet, this is the fifth time in two weeks, I’ve had just about enough of this,” Wrangler said, looking very pissed.
“Hey, hey, easy there partner, it was just a little miscalculation on my part. Besides, you know I’m good to fix this shack up,” Ratchet said, trying to keep a confident smile.
Right after he said that, the rest of the roof collapsed into the shack, making more dust and debris fly into the air. Wrangler glared even harder at the stallion, with a look that could melt steel.
I walked up, “What exactly happened here? What caused that explosion?”
Ratchet noticed me and his eyes widened, “Wow, you must be that zony that all the girls came back with. By golly, it was quite a sight, all the mares and fillies running back through the gate, the stallions all getting teary eyed. You made quite the spectacle for somepony who was out like a light.”
Wrangler rounded on him, “Don’t try to derail the subject Ratchet, I’ve had enough of your experiments. You’re gonna pay me back all the caps you owe, plus the caps for that shack’s repair.”
Ratchet’s face paled, “Well, uh, Mayor, about that…”
Wrangler sighed, “Let me guess, you don’t have the caps to pay, do you?”
Ratchet rubbed the back of his head again, “Eh… no. But I can pay ya back, just give me some time.”
Wrangler shook his head, “Not this time Ratchet, you’ve had plenty of chances. You better come up with the caps, or find something to trade.”
Chili’s eyes widened a bit, “honey, I might have an idea that will clear his debt and help the town all in one.”
Wrangler looked back to his wife, “really, well let’s hear it darlin’.”
Chili looked to me, “Shadow, you want to help us with those bloodwings, and I was going to assign a town guard to help you, and act as your guide.”
She then looked to Ratchet with a sinister smile, “But since Ratchet here has such a steep debt now, and a natural talent for explosives. I bet he’ll be the perfect guide to help you take out their nest.”
Ratchet’s face paled even further, “You want me to go to Bloodwing Caverns?”
Chili nodded, “Yes Ratchet, you will guide Shadow here to Bloodwing Caverns and help him destroy the nest. It’s either that, or we confiscate all your valuables to pay off your debt. Which will it be?”
The smile Chili had on her face made a shiver run down my spine, and poor Ratchet had it worse than me. He gulped and looked around nervously before he eventually gave in and slumped.
“You win Chili, I’ll take him to Bloodwing Caverns,” Ratchet said in a defeated tone.
Chili smiled and clapped her hooves together, “Excellent, I’m sure you’ll be a great help to our new friend Shadow. We’ll let you two get more acquainted.”
Chili walked by her husband and grabbed his hoof, “Come, dear, we have to get back to the office.”
Chili then suddenly stopped in her tracks, “Oh and Shadow, your gear is at the town shop near the gate. Look for a building called Jelly and Jam’s.”
I nodded, and she then dragged her husband away, Wrangler still looking pissed, but he eventually turned and walked with his wife. I finally turned to the tan earth pony, “So, Ratchet, is it?”
Despite what just happened, he managed a smile as he reached out with a hoof, “Sure is partner, Ratchet Set, at your service.”
I smiled back and shook his hoof, “Shadow Strike, nice to meet you Ratchet.”
“Likewise partner, now let me just go grab my things, and we can head out to Jelly and Jam’s,” Ratchet said before he turned back to enter the shack. I could hear him digging around, metal clanging, and objects shuffling. He eventually came out of the shack, wearing saddlebags and an odd device with a strange weapon attached.
“Ratchet, what is that thing you’re wearing?” I asked, pointing a hoof to the device.
He looked at me with a smirk, “It’s my custom made battle saddle, made it myself from scratch, and hooked it up with my baby here,” he said pointing to the odd looking gun connected to his side. It had a large cylinder near the base of the weapon, just in front of the stock, which was wooded. The cylinder connected to a barrel that had a tube running from the cylinder to the tip of the weapon. Underneath the front part of the barrel was a comfort grip fit for a hoof. A sight was placed on the tip of the gun, used for aiming down the barrel.
I looked at the weapon curiously, “I’ve never seen a gun like this, what type of ammo does it shoot? Shotgun shells?”
Ratchet laughed at my question, “Nah, Shadow, this here is called a railway rifle, it shoots railway spikes at high velocity.”
My eyes widened at his words, “railway spikes? That’s a bit extreme isn’t it?”
Ratchet burst out laughing, “maybe, but it packs enough kick to go clean through helmets.”
I was impressed with this weapon, “did you design this thing?”
Ratchet chuckled, “I wish I could take credit for this beauty, but I can’t. She was developed after the war, you can find schematics out in the wastes if you’re lucky.”
He then stepped past me towards town, “Well come on, let’s get your gear from Jelly and Jam’s, then we can talk about tackling Bloodwing Caverns.”
I smiled and followed the earth pony. I liked him so far, despite an odd first impression.
Jelly and Jam’s was quite the sight when we found it, a building a little larger than the saloon that Wrangler and Chili took me to. A sign hung above our heads which read “Welcome to Jelly and Jam’s, here with all your need and repairs.”
“Quite the sight ain’t it, Lemon was the one who designed that sign. That filly is a chip off the old block I’ll tell ya,” Ratchet said, laughing as we approached the front door to the shop.
I chuckled and opened the door, receiving a flying tackle hug from a familiar filly, who buried her face in my shoulder.
“Shadow, you’re ok, you scared me, when I saw you lying on the ground I thought that the raiders got you, and… and…” Lemon said, struggling near the end.
I wrapped the filly in a hug, “Lemon its ok, I’m fine. No raider could take me down. Don’t cry, ok?”
Lemon sniffled and looked up at me with tears in her eyes, which I wiped away with a hoof. I set her back on her hooves, and she grabbed my hoof and dragged me further into the store.
“Mom, Dad, Shadow is here!” Lemon yelled across the store.
From the backroom emerged Raspberry Jam, and she smiled brightly at seeing me. Behind her came a dark purple earth pony stallion with a navy blue mane. He beamed at me, and rushed to shake my hoof with his.
“Thank you so much for bringing my family back to me, words cannot describe how indebted I am to you,” the stallion said, shaking my hoof vigorously.
Raspberry came to my rescue, “Honey, don’t shake his hoof off.”
He stopped and rubbed the back of his head, “Sorry hon, guess I got carried away.”
Raspberry just giggled and nuzzled her husband, “Shadow, this lug is Blackberry Jam, my husband.”
I smiled at both of them, “pleasure to meet you sir, and no debt is needed. I only did what was right.”
Ratchet came in at this point, “hey, what am I, chopped liver?”
Lemon laughed and hugged his leg, “hi Ratchet, did you blow something up again?”
Ratchet chuckled nervously, “Maybe, but only a little bit.”
Blackberry chuckled at his response, “I’m sure Ratchet. So Shadow, I bet you’re here for your gear, am I right?”
I nodded, and he went into the backroom again, coming out with my weapons and saddlebags. I quickly took Venta and Umbra in my magic, and hugged them close. I then put my saddlebags back on, and was about to strap my weapons to my back when I realized something.
Raspberry chuckled when she saw my hesitation, “looking for this Shadow?” She held up my barding in her hooves, but it looked different.
I picked it up in my magic and looked closely at it. All the damage from the raiders was gone, and it looked like metal plating had been added to it. I looked to the three ponies in confusion.
Lemon giggled at my expression, “we wanted to say thanks for saving us, so we fixed up your barding and made it better.”
I was genuinely touched by this, I had not expected such kindness. “Thank you so much, all of you. I don’t know what to say.”
Raspberry smiled and hugged her daughter, “you’re very welcome Shadow, and it was Lemon who came up with the idea.”
“Well thank you very much Lemon, this will make my job a lot easier,” I said, smiling to the filly whose smile widened even more than before.
Ratchet whistled at the sight of my new barding, “shoot partner, that is some nice looking gear you got there. I’d pay a pretty cap for that kind of protection.”
Blackberry looked at me, “So, what was that about a job Shadow?”
“Oh right, Ratchet and I are going to clear out Bloodwing Caverns,” I said, slipping my saddlebags off to get my barding on.
All three of them looked shocked, eyes wide and filled with worry. Lemon jumped at me, “But Shadow, you can’t go there. The monsters will get you.”
“Lemon, I know you’re worried, but don’t be. I was trained to fight all kinds of monsters,” I said, trying to calm her fears.
Raspberry spoke up, “you don’t need to take another risk for us Shadow. Raiders are one thing, but Bloodwings are much worse.”
Ratchet came to my rescue, “now calm down you lot, no need to worry. I’ll be right by his side the whole way. No bat is gonna eat our new friend with Ratchet Set around.”
Lemon calmed down a bit, and Raspberry picked her up in her hooves. “You sure you want to do this Shadow?” Raspberry asked with anxious expression on her face.
“I’m sure. I won’t let them take another victim. I am a Guardian, and I won’t stand by and let ponies fall victim to these foul beasts,” I said, having finished putting on my barding. I then strapped my weapons to my back and faced Ratchet with a look of pure determination.
“Well, this certainly looks inviting,” I said, looking at the entrance to the cave.
Ratchet had taken me to Bloodwing Caverns after we left Hydra Junction, just as he promised. The journey took about an hour, with the sun high in the sky, it cast a shadow into the cavern, making it look darker than normal. If these creatures were really a mutated form of bat, then they would be sleeping in the cave until nightfall.
“So… what’s the plan Shadow? You’re the expert here,” Ratchet said, a nervous look on his face as we faced the entrance of the cave.
“Expert? I’ve never seen one of these things,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“No, but you told us that it’s what you were trained for. Whatever y’all did in your stable, you said it’s your duty to help,” Ratchet said, growing a smirk while also moving between me and the entrance.
I gave him a flat look over my shoulder. Part of me wanted to retaliate, but I decided against it. I knew he was scared, whatever these things were, they had the entire town scared. Ratchet was basically forced into coming with me.
I sighed and turned to him, “look Ratchet, I know you’re scared. If you want, you can stay out here. You were told to help me get here, not to fight these creatures. I’ll vouch for you when we get back. No need to put yourself in danger.”
His eyes grew immediately after I finished, surprise evident on his face. He looked down at his hooves for a few minutes, probably debating in his head. After about a minute or two, he brought his head back up with a determined look on his face.
“I am scared, I’m not afraid to admit that. But I’m not about to let you go into that monster den all by yourself. I’m going in with ya, and we can blow these Celestia-damned abominations straight to Tartarus,” Ratchet said, moving to stand right next to me.
I smiled and put a hoof on his shoulder, “fear is not something to be ashamed of. Fear is a natural part of life, what matters is that you learn how to use it to your advantage.”
He smiled back at me, nodding in agreement. We then turned our attention back to the cave, ready to face what was waiting inside. We entered the cave, the air temperature immediately feeling different than outside. The moisture in the air was a refreshing change from the dry, dusty air of the desert.
“A bit chilly in here ain’t it?” Ratchet said, obviously not use to the sudden temperature change.
“The moisture here is causing the air to cool. It’d be quite a refreshing stopping point for travelers if it weren’t for the monsters in here,” I said, examining the cave’s interior.
That got a chuckle out of my companion, but only a short one. We ventured further into the cave, and we saw no sign of the creatures we were hunting. They were probably hiding further into the cave to avoid the sunlight. But I thought that we would see something, like guano or something.
“Ratchet? Any idea how many of these things are in here? Or just a rough estimate?” I asked, looking for any sign of the creatures.
“Can’t say, usually when they attack there’s only four or five. But I bet there are a lot more in these caves,” Ratchet said, looking around nervously. His railway rifle at the ready.
I looked into the next tunnel, “We’re gonna lose the daylight as we get deeper. You ok with being in the dark?”
Ratchet suddenly turned to me with a smirk, “no need to worry about me. These goggles of mine have a night vision option, my own design.”
I nodded and used my magic to open my saddlebags. I brought out my potion case and opened it up. Bottles of concoctions were set inside in a neat order. I grabbed one with my magic and pulled it out. It was transparent, with a bit of a glow to it.
Ratchet saw me taking them out and come over to look, “whatcha got there Shadow?”
I pulled out a black potion as well, the contents looking like oil, and put it away in a pocket on my barding keeping the white potion in front of me in my magic. I looked into the glowing bottle, knowing the effects of the concoction. Mom did a perfect job, as always. She and Master Ivy spent hours drilling their teachings into my skull almost every day. I owed my skill in alchemy all to them.
“This will help me see in this darkness, my tribe calls it Night Eye. It will alter my vision to better adjust to low light, similar to how a cat sees in the dark,” I said, showing him the potion.
“Well now that’s handy, if I didn’t have my goggles, I could use some of that,” Ratchet said, seeming impressed with my concoction.
I floated the bottle away from him a bit, “I wouldn’t recommend it, most of my potions are designed for my metabolism. A normal pony wouldn’t be able to handle it, their bodies most likely suffering permanent damage.”
Ratchet immediately backed away from me, eyes wide in shock, “ok… I’ll just stick with my goggles then, partner.”
I pulled the cork from the bottle and quickly chugged down the potion, which tasted horrible I might add. The mixture took effect after a few seconds, my eyes burning for a moment. After the pain subsided, I could see clearly through the darkness of the caves. With my enhanced vision, I could see the walls of the cave and the moisture on them. Still no sign of the creatures we were hunting.
“Let’s continue further into the cave. Keep quiet and stick together, we don’t want to get separated in here,” I said, pointing down the pathway.
Ratchet nodded, and we both started down the path, moving deeper into the cave. The air temperature continued to plummet as we got deeper. After about fifteen minutes of walking, a smell met my nose, one I recognized all too well.
I gestured Ratchet to stop, “I smell blood, be careful where you step.”
He nodded and looked around at the ground before we continued. As we rounded a corner, the source of the smell came into view. A camp, or at least what remained of one, spread out in the next cavern. Tents were set up along the wall of the cavern, the cloth torn and ragged, but still standing. I saw three bodies, all bloody and torn to pieces around the campfire, which was long put out. Scraps of barding covered the floor around the bodies, the creatures having ripped right through it with little effort it seemed. The blood had dried, and but the state of decay seemed only a few days old at most.
“Any idea who they were Ratchet?” I asked, looking over my shoulder, only to find that Ratchet was not behind me. I quickly turned my head back around to find him scavenging the camp.
“Can’t say for sure, the barding is too torn up to tell. I’m guessing traders that came from the north, thinking it would be safe to camp in here. Boy, were they wrong,” Ratchet said, digging through the saddlebags by the destroyed tents. He pulled out what looked like bottle caps and stuffed them in his saddlebags.
“Hey, what were those things?” I asked as he moved to the next set of bags.
He stopped and looked at me for a second before he realized that I had no clue what he found.
“Oh right, stable pony, or zony in your case I guess,” He said, pulling the items in question back out of his saddlebag. They were indeed bottle caps, sparkle cola ones if I remembered correctly from our history books.
“Caps is what we use for money out here in the wastes, pre-war bits are worth something, but most ponies will want caps. Here, you take half of these, get ya started out,” Ratchet said, passing me twenty caps. I took them and placed them in my saddlebags for my pipbuck to sort out.
“Thanks, now back to the matter at hoof. These ponies were torn apart, even with barding. So these Bloodwings are pretty fierce. And judging by the lack of spent ammunition, I’m guessing they caught them sleeping or off guard,” I said, examining the area one more time.
“Sounds about right, Bloodwings are smart, normally they wait in ambush or attack in a swarm,” Ratchet said, pulling out a few bobby pins from the last set of saddlebags.
“Hmm, so they use numbers to their advantage. Curious as we haven’t seen any sign of them since we entered the cave,” I said, rubbing my chin in thought.
“Anyway, we best continue onwards. If ponies made it this far in the cave, there might be more camps. Let’s keep our eyes open, maybe they left some valuables behind,” Ratchet said, smirking a little.
I was a little shocked that he was so casual about looting the dead, but I remembered that in the wasteland, supplies would be harder to come by. I guess that makes me pretty spoiled coming from a stable.
“You’re right, let’s keep going. But keep the talking to a minimum, we never know if these things are just waiting for us,” I said, heading in the direction of the next corridor.
We continued down the corridor and saw blood stains on the floor of the cave, the bloodwings must have dragged some of the bodies to their nest. Perhaps to feed children or wounded members of the colony. Whichever was the case, the blood trail would most likely lead us to the nest.
We came to an open chamber, rocks and stalagmites lined the floor, making it awkward to traverse the room. The floor was wet with the condensation from the ceiling, making Ratchet slip a few times. Looking around the chamber, I saw several openings, making it clear that the chamber must have been a crossroad of traffic in the cave. The bloodwings might have used it frequently, possibly even as a source of water.
“So, which way are you thinking Shadow?” Ratchet asked, walking up behind me.
I thought about it for a minute, each corridor led to a different part of the cave, but all connected to this room, if my hypothesis about the chamber was correct. Looking at the tunnels individually, none seemed to stand out from the others. So I simply picked one out of random and headed towards it. Ratchet following behind me, looking unsure. As we went into the tunnel, I got a sense that something wasn’t right, a strange feeling that we shouldn’t be in here.
All the sudden, a pebble fell on my nose from the ceiling, quickly looking up I saw that the roof had a series of cracks in it, and more cracks were forming. I realized what was about to happen and quickly pushed Ratchet back out of the tunnel, into the open room we were in before. As soon as I did, the roof of the cave began to crumble, I barely got out of the way before rocks starting blocking the tunnel.
The rocks stopped falling after a minute or two, creating a wall of rubble, blocking me from Ratchet on the other side.
“Shadow! Shadow, you alright partner!?” I heard him yell from the other side of the rubble.
“I’m fine Ratchet, that was close. Are you hurt?” I asked.
“I’m alright, a little scrape from that push but it’s better than the alternative. I don’t think I can get through though, and ain’t no way am I using explosives after that cave in,” Ratchet said, sounding closer, making me think he was right on the other side of the wall.
“Yeah, no explosives. You’ll bring the whole cave down on our heads. That chamber must connect to other parts of the cave, I’ll find my way back to you. Be careful, that noise will most likely have woken the beasts up. Stay quiet and hide, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said, not wanting to leave him alone, but I knew I had no choice.
“I don’t like the idea of splitting up, but don’t look like we got much choice. I’ll keep outta sight, but you be careful too. Chili Pepper would never let me hear the end of it if I got the town hero killed,” Ratchet said, chuckling as he finished.
I flinched at the word hero, not expecting it. I wasn’t a hero, nor did I want to be. All I wanted was to help these ponies and continue on my mission. We Guardians are not heroes, only servants of our goddess.
“I’ll be there soon, stay safe,” I said before moving turning to walk down the passageway. My potion was still working, and would not wear off for another hour or so.
The cavern was still wet, the moisture continuing to increase. Perhaps there was an underwater spring deeper in the cave. I continued down the path hoping to find an alternate route back to Ratchet. That cave-in must have given away our position to the swarm, and I didn’t want to leave Ratchet to fight alone. Strange, in the short time I’ve known him, he really grew on me. Loyal, kind, a bit odd with a good sense of humor. I would almost say a friend if I were anypony else. But I’m not a pony, not really.
I knew that I would have to be on my own, no more distractions from my mission. But Ratchet was here because of me, I needed to make sure he survived this ordeal.
With my determination reignited, I moved down the passage careful but swiftly. Even with my enhanced vision, it was difficult to make stuff out, especially with all the large boulders that were spread out across the floor.
Suddenly, the hairs on my neck stood on end, my nerves immediately on edge. The feeling of being watched fell upon me like a large blanket. Something was in this tunnel with me. I started looking around frantically, looking for any sign of movement or anything out of place. Nothing, no movement, no signs of life. But my instincts told me that something was here, and it was watching my every move.
I slowly started moving again, my nerves still on edge, sweat running down my brow. My eyes were checking for any sign of movement, even the slightest difference in my surroundings.
Suddenly, I heard a noise, what sounded like the flutter of wings. I turned quickly to the source but found nothing in the dark. Only the sight of a large boulder greeted me, and I grew more nervous as time went on. What was stalking me? A bloodwing? Was there more than one?
I decided it would be best to continue and wait for it to make its move, or a mistake. I hoped that it would attack before we reached another corridor, where it would have more room to move and fly. This tight space served my fighting style well, allowing me to quickly maneuver on the walls to match its flight.
As I moved down the tunnel, more noises followed. It was strange, they almost sounded like hoofsteps at times. Perhaps they developed a way to mimic noises they hear. Evolution from radiation, and this type of environment could lead to many different changes in their behavior. I looked over my shoulder periodically but still saw nothing other than the rocks and boulders along the path.
Among the hoofsteps, I could also hear those same wing flaps, and they didn’t sound like a pegasus or griffin. I personally have never seen a pegasus, as Stable 100 didn’t house any. Something I was curious about for the longest time. Auntie told me that according to historical records, all the pegasi that were assigned to Stable 100 did not show up when the door was closed. Nopony knew where they had gone, but life went on. Despite my lack of experience with pegasi, I could tell that this creature had no feathers on their wings. The distinct ruffling noise was absent.
My nerves had finally had enough, and I turned around suddenly. As soon as I turned, a squeak came from my left as well as some quick shuffling of rocks on the floor. That was its last mistake. I quickly ran in the direction of the squeak, which was behind a large boulder on the side of the path. I drew my sword as I leapt into the air, vaulting over the boulder to catch the creature off guard. Another squeak came as I could not see what I was attacking.
I collided with something but with my nerves as wound up as they were, I could not focus on what I was tackling. I quickly moved my sword to what I believed to be its neck and was ready to kill the beast. But as my sword met flesh, another noise came to my ears. Crying.
I was stunned, and immediately focused on what I was standing over. And as our eyes met, my heart froze.
A pony, a mare judging by the eyes and the build. Her eyes shined in the darkness, her pupils, slitted like a cat. They were full of tears, running down her face as she looked up at me with fear. I noticed movement at her sides, and saw something unexpected. Batwings, she was a thestral. I had read about them in the stable, a race that was as dedicated to Princess Luna as we were.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by even more crying, growing in volume. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack and I noticed a small trickle of blood falling from where my sword was still pressed against her neck. I immediately pulled it away and got off of her. She did not move, seeming to be too stunned.
I dropped my sword in shock as I realized what I had just done. I attacked an innocent, nearly cut her head off. I violated a sacred rule amongst the Guardians, never raise your blade against an innocent.
As I gathered the courage to look at her, I saw that she had recovered enough to move to her side and lift her head to look at me. As our eyes met again, she buried her head in her hooves and cried again. She was terrified, of me, and I couldn’t blame her. I tried to move closer to help her, but as I got closer, her cries and whimpers became louder.
I stopped, “Please, don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help.”
She either couldn’t hear me over her whimpers, or she didn’t believe me. Given what I had read about thestrals hearing, I would bet on the latter.
“Words cannot describe how sorry I am for attacking you. I thought you were one of the creatures that roam these caves. Please let me help you, you’ll lose too much blood if we don’t treat that neck wound,” I said, moving slowly closer to the terrified mare.
She looked up at me with one eye, and immediately tried to drag herself away from me. I knew that if she tried to run, she could make her wound even worse. I lowered my head and stopped my advance. She wouldn’t trust me to help her, not after what I had done.
I used my magic to levitate two healing potions out of my saddlebags. While most of the potions I made were only meant for beings like me, healing potions were safe for normal ponies. I gently placed them in between us and stepped away from them.
“I understand why you don’t trust me. If I were in your position, I would react the same. I am so sorry for scaring you, please take these potions for your wound, and get out of here. I have a friend in the chamber down this passageway. The other way is blocked, and I’m trying to make my way back to him. His name is Ratchet, you can find him, and he can keep you safe. I must find the nest of these bloodwings, so my friend and I can destroy them,” I said, giving the mare more space.
She looked between me and the potions, again and again, not seeming to believe that I was trying to help her. It hurt, but I could understand why. She didn’t trust me, nor would she ever if the frightened look in her eye was anything to go by.
I picked up my sword, and turned away, “May the Goddess Luna guide you to safety. I only wish I could make it up to you. Farewell.”
I started back on the path, leaving the mare to tend to her wounds and find her own way out. The shock of the encounter was slowly fading away, but the sense of dread and guilt remained. I was disgusted with myself, letting my nerves and fear of the unknown get the best of me. I should have noticed her before I tackled her, but my vision was clouded by fear. Shame and guilt were all I could feel.
After a few minutes of walking, I came across another open chamber. This one more clear and spacious compared to jagged rock filled one that I left Ratchet in. Looking around I saw a small pool of water, created from the moisture dripping from the ceiling no doubt. My theory of an underground spring was becoming more likely with every new observation of my surroundings.
Across the room, I could see what looked like another camp. As I got closer, the smell of blood filled the air once again, only this time, it was fresher than before. Bodies lay on the floor of the cavern, but not ripped apart. The bodies looked like drained husks of what used to be ponies, as if they were drained of life. Bite marks visible on several parts of the body, making it obvious how these creatures fed. They were bloodsuckers, most likely mutated from vampire fruit bats, only hungry for blood instead of apple juice.
I stood by their deformed corpses and said a prayer, “May the Goddess Luna embrace you in her light and guide you to paradise.”
I then moved to the tents to see if they had anything of value, having learned the importance of scavenging from Ratchet. Caps, empty whiskey bottles, and some canned food were abundant in this camp. But while I was searching some saddlebags, something fell out of one of them. A clank rang out in the cavern as the object bounced off the floor and landed a few feet away from me.
Looking to see what it was, I was shocked to see what I found. A double barrel sawed-off shotgun, in some lousy repair but still functional. I found a good number of shotgun shells in one of the saddlebags as well. Shotguns were one of the only firearms I excelled at in the stable. I preferred to keep my enemies close, so blasting them at close range sounded like a good plan if they get past my sword.
I put the gun away in the holster that Lemon and her family added to my barding, and looked for any more stuff I could scavenge. Some bobby pins, pre-war bits, and other junk were all I could find. Not much, but perhaps the bits could get me some caps back in town. I needed to pay for supplies for my journey.
Suddenly, a noise made me jump, a pebble fell from behind me. Turning myself around slowly, I scanned the area, looking for any kind of movement. At first, I thought it was the mare again, but I could hear breathing nearby, too loud for anypony. I picked up an empty whiskey bottle with my hoof, saving my magic. Silence rang out in the cavern, shattered by my next move.
Following the sound of the breathing, I threw the bottle at the creature hanging from the roof of the cave. The bottle struck home as it hit the monster right in the face, the glass shards digging into its face and causing it to shriek. The beast dove at me, but I dodged easily.
As it landed and turned to face me, I got my first look at this thing. It was a large bat creature with bright red eyes and long fangs. Its large leathery wings spanned a good distance, making it look larger than it really was. It was a good head taller than I was, and it seemed pretty pissed off.
I drew Venta and Umbra from my back and stood ready for its next attack. But it simply stood there, on its hind legs, wings expanded. Was it trying to intimidate me?
Suddenly I felt something collide with me from behind, knocking my weapons out of my magical grasp. I flipped over onto my back to find another bloodwing trying to bite me. I drew my hind legs back and bucked it off of me. It landed near the other one. How did I not hear the other one coming?
I quickly found my weapons and waited for them to attack. The first one leaped at me, fangs aiming for my neck. I sidestepped and drew my dagger to stab at its neck, only to be knocked away again by the other one. I recovered and threw Umbra at the second one’s head, piercing through its eye socket, making it give out a blood-curdling screech.
It fell to the floor in a heap, just in time for its partner to jump at me. It latched its hind claws to my shoulders and tried to bite at my neck. I stopped it by placing my sword between myself and its fangs. It pushed against my sword, its fangs trying to eat through it, but the metal was too strong for it. Thank you, Uncle Forge.
As we struggled, I heard a feminine shriek from the entrance I came out of. My head snapped to the direction of the scream, seeing the mare from before cornered by another bloodwing. A sense of panic grew in me, and I put more strength into pushing off the bloodwing on top of me. I managed to get it off balance and twisted my sword, making it fall sideways. I quickly jumped on top of it and drove my sword through its skull. It thrashed wildly, its claws scratching me repeatedly, before it stopped moving entirely.
I quickly pulled my sword out and ran towards the mare, seeing that the bloodwing was trying to pin her. She wasn’t flying, which seemed odd to me. I yelled to get the creature’s attention, and luck was on my side, because it turned away from the mare to face me. It screeched with a pitch that hurt my ears, but I pushed through and telekinetically threw a rock at it. It was stunned, and stopped its screech, giving me the opening I needed. I jumped and drove my sword downwards, but I was too late to realize my mistake.
It flew into the air and grabbed me by the shoulders with its hind legs. I grunted in pain as it pushed me against the wall. It lowered its head and growled in my face. My sword had fallen from my telekinetic grip, I was helpless against this thing. It was too heavy to push off, I could do nothing as it lowered its head to bite into my neck. I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. It was over, I was gonna die…
But to my surprise, the bloodwing’s grip gave out, and it let go. It howled in pain and stood at its full height, a large gash on its side. It stood there crying in pain. Then, remembered the shotgun I found, pulling it out from its holster. I prayed to Luna that it was loaded.
BOOM!
The shot was loud as it reverberated on the walls of the cavern. With the distance being only about a pony length or two away from each other, the shot hit square into the chest of the large bat. Chunks of flesh flew off, and blood sprayed from the wound. It screamed in pain once more and fell to the floor in a heap. As I sat there slumped against the wall, a hoofstep caught my attention, and I found out how that gash came to be.
I looked to my right to see my savior. The thestral mare from before was staring at me like she was having a panic attack. She had my sword in her mouth, gripping the handle with her teeth. Both of us were silent, seeming to be too shocked to move. As I regained my composure, I started to get back to my hooves. My motion seemed to spook her out of her stupor, and she ran behind a large stalagmite, dropping my sword in the process. I should have seen that coming, one doesn’t forgive somepony trying to kill you.
As I got to my hooves, I looked in her direction, “thank you for that. I would be dead if it wasn’t for you.”
Her head poked out, showing one of her blue eyes. She seemed to calm down a little, but hid herself again as soon as I took a step. Ugh, mares.
“I would suggest you vacate the area, as more of those creatures could have heard that shot,” I said, bowing in respect to the mare, only for her to stare at me with one eye from her hiding spot.
I picked up Venta, placing it back in its sheath, and then moved to retrieve Umbra from the other bloodwing. With both weapons recovered, I looked to see that the mare was gone again. Hopefully, she followed my advice and left the area.
Looking at the different tunnels leading out of the chamber, I found one that seemed to have the signs of a lot of traffic. Claw marks and guano were more present than in other tunnels, so I’m guessing that this tunnel would lead me back to Ratchet.
After what felt like an hour of walking, I still hadn’t found my way back to Ratchet. The tunnels were difficult to navigate as everything looked the same. Master Zala taught me to get a feel for my surroundings and study every detail. With this training, I eventually found a path that seemed used frequently by the bloodwings, from the guano and claw marks everywhere.
Still, I had not encountered more bloodwings, meaning that the ones that attacked me earlier must have been sentries. Thank goodness the entire swarm didn’t attack after all the noise we made. Which again was odd to me, all that noise from the fight and no others came. Perhaps the rest of the swarm was sleeping or too far into the cave. Likely the former, bats had excellent hearing, so they would have heard if they were awake.
And then there was the thestral mare I met. I couldn’t get her out of my head, and I had a good hunch way. Guilt, I had attacked her with the intent to kill. A Guardian must never raise their blade against the innocent, the Goddess Luna punishes those who violate this rule. Perhaps it was her divine judgment that nearly cost me my life. Ironic that the mare I had threatened was the one who saved me. But why did she save me? She was clearly afraid of me, so why risk her life for me?
“AAAAHHHHH!” A stallion’s voice came from down the tunnel. An all too familiar stallion.
“Ratchet!” I yelled, going into a full sprint, using all my enhanced speed to clear the tunnel and enter the cavern that I left him in.
A bloodwing was circling him from above, dodging the spikes from his railway rifle. His shots were panicked and unfocused, making them miss the monster and ping against the cavern ceiling.
I ran to help him, pulling out Venta in preparation. The creature heard my approach and turned its attention to me. It lunged, fangs ready to pierce my neck. But I learned from my last encounter, waiting for my chance. Seconds before it reached me I sidestepped and slashed at its face, leaving a gash going downwards from its eye to its chin. It screamed and landed on the floor in a heap.
As it fought to regain its balance, I heard what sounded like a train whistle, and the next thing I see is its head impaled into the ground. I looked to see that Ratchet’s rifle was smoking. Damn, I’d hate to get hit by that thing.
I walked over to him, “Ratchet, you ok?”
He was short of breath, and a little shaken, “Let me get my heart to stop trying to jump out of my chest and I’ll be able to tell ya.”
“Sorry I took so long. These things sure love their ambushes,” I said, hoofing him over some water from my canteen.
He accepted it with a smile, and it seemed to help him calm down, “thanks Shadow, and I know it’s not really fair to say, but I told you so.”
“That you did. So that would probably be the last of their sentries. The swarm can’t be too much farther,” I said, only slightly annoyed by his smartass comment.
“Yeah, it came from that tunnel over there, maybe we can find the nest,” Ratchet said, pointing over to another tunnel that we hadn’t gone down before.
I nodded, and he passed my canteen back. We then made our way to the tunnel and indeed, the signs were there. So into the tunnel we went, off to face a whole swarm of these things. Luna have mercy on us.
We moved down the tunnel for what seemed like an hour, keeping quiet as to not alert the swarm of our presence. The smell of guano was getting worse, making us cringe. As we continued down the corridor, that mare once again invaded my thoughts. I had forgotten to ask Ratchet if he had seen her. I prayed to Luna she got out of the cave safely.
Finally, the end of the tunnel came into view, and as we moved silently into the cavern, my jaw dropped. Covering the ceiling of the cave were hundreds of bloodwings, all sleeping. Some were even bigger than the ones I fought. This was concerning, if they attacked, a swarm this big could drain us in seconds.
I looked to Ratchet and whispered, “please tell me you have enough explosives.”
He was as freaked out as I was, but tried to put on a smile, “yeah, no problem. Just need to set up without waking any of them.”
I nodded and let him get to work. He crept around the chamber, placing what looked like plastic explosives on support pillars and even asked me to help him put some on the roofs, away from the swarm of course. His knowledge of explosives was certainly impressive, setting the charges in strategic places to make sure that the swarm was buried in the cave.
After he set all the charges, he wired them to a detonator. As we moved back towards the entrance, I sensed that something was wrong. Like a bad omen of things to come.
Suddenly, a scream came from the path that we had come from, causing us to quickly turn towards it. Once again, the thestral mare appeared, followed this time by the largest bloodwing we had seen yet. Nearly twice as large as the ones that attacked me, covered in scars. It was chasing the mare, meaning it was heading right towards us.
The mare saw us and skidded to a halt, looking between me and the bloodwing behind her. Ratchet looked to her with confusion, and then saw the monster flying right for us, aiming his rifle at it, and biting down on the trigger bit. The spike flew through the air, but the creature saw this and reacted with impressive reflexes. It rolled in the air, dodging the spike and making it clang against the cave wall. How could it maneuver in such an enclosed space?
I leaped into action, jumping in front of the mare and Ratchet, “Ratchet, get her through the tunnel, I’ll hold this thing off. Once you get through to the room, blow the charges.”
Ratchet spoke up immediately, “No way Shadow, you can’t take that thing by yourself, and there’s a whole swarm behind us, probably already waking up from the noise.”
I turned to look at him over my shoulder, “Which is why we have no time to argue, get going!”
He had a torn expression, like he wanted to argue but knew I was right. In the end, he obeyed and gestured for the mare to stay close to him. She was hesitant at first, but oddly enough looked to me. She didn’t have that same fearful expression like before; instead, she looked worried, whether about her situation or me was unclear. I could still see a shimmer of fear in her eyes, but she followed Ratchet anyway.
I charged at the beast, grabbing its attention away from the others. It shrieked and flew directly at me, its fangs dripping. I waited until the last second, and dove under it, slashing upwards with Venta. It anticipated my attack and flew upwards to avoid my blade, and tried to scratch at me with its claws. I ducked under its claws, but one got me right on the cheek, drawing blood. The blood got into my eye, forcing me to close it.
I rolled onto my hooves, my eye still closed due to the blood. I dare not try to wipe it away, giving the beast a perfect opportunity to attack. I could hear Master Cross yelling at me about not being a foal and focus on the enemy.
The bloodwing stood there in the tunnel with me, wings folded at its sides, sizing me up like a true predator. It knew I was a threat, so it was keeping its distance. This one was experienced, the scars indicating that it was old, having been in many fights. It was probably the leader of the swarm.
Speaking of the swarm, I could hear them starting to stir, wings flapping as they landed on the floor of the cave. Ratchet needed to blow the charges quickly, before we got overrun.
I stood there, Venta and Umbra at the ready. The bloodwing finally had enough of waiting and charged at me, but to my surprise, it flew over me and went in the direction Ratchet had gone. I panicked and turned to face it, leaping into the air to catch up to it. And that is what it wanted.
My eyes widened as it turned in mid-air, almost seeming to smile at me. I could do nothing as it knocked me out of the air, causing me to land on my side, hard. Before I could even register what had happened, the beast was on me. It lifted its head, ready to sink its fangs into me. I saw no way out of this, and only hoped that Ratchet would blow the charges before it drained me dry.
But then, a voice screamed in my head, “What are you doing? Do you truly wish to die here?”
My eyes widened again, as the fangs of the bloodwing sank into my shoulder. The pain was excruciating, like two spikes driving deep into flesh. My mind flew into a panic, my thoughts unfocused as the pain only increased. Suddenly, in my panic, something in my mind clicked, and time slowed to a still.
I was so confused, how did this happen? I was terrible at magic, so there was no way I caused this. Then a memory came to the mind, a lesson in firearms training when Master Gutshot showed us how pipbucks are more than just maps and inventory management. S.A.T.S., Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting System. I must have triggered it by accident in my panicked state.
This was exactly what I needed, time to think up a plan. I looked around and saw my sword sitting a few feet away. I could grab it with magic, but when thinking about how to free myself, I was stumped. Most animals won’t let go when they have a hold like this, and getting them to let go while not losing your limb in the process is hard. My only chance was to stab it in the head, but SATS wasn’t a guaranteed hit.
I picked up my sword in my magic and targeted the creatures head, showing a 55% chance of success. Well, it was either that, or die. Luna, please guide my blade.
I initiated the attack, and time resumed, the pain returning but Venta flew towards the monster. The beast had no time to react, as my sword pierced between its eyes and into its brain. It shrieked at such a high pitch it hurt my ears, and finally, its fangs let go of my shoulder. I yelled in pain as I landed back on my side. The beast stood for a bit longer, continuing to howl in pain and then suddenly stopped. It fell over with a thud, blood seeping from its mouth and head.
I retrieved both my weapons and tried to get up, but soon learned that my legs could no longer support me. I had lost too much blood, and my body was failing. I needed to get a healing potion, but as soon as I tried to reach into my saddlebags, several screeches came from behind me. I turned to see more bloodwings coming towards me, and I knew that I could not outrun them.
I turned forward and yelled at the top of my lungs, “Ratchet! Blow the charges, do it now!”
A few seconds later, explosions went off in the nest chamber. The explosions caught the attention of the bloodwings in the tunnel. Some of them tried to fly back to the nest, and some were too stunned to move. I took this chance to try and drag myself to the exit. It was such a long way, and I could barely walk. My legs felt so heavy, and my vision was so blurry the walls of the tunnel seemed to warp and move.
It was like walking through deep mud, my legs refused to speed up. The sound of rubble collapsing and the little pebbles falling on my head indicated that the tunnel was unstable after that explosion. I needed to move, but my body refused to run like I wanted. I had no time to dig out a potion, especially not with the tunnel getting ready to collapse. If I could just get a healing potion and some rest, my metabolism would help me recover faster, but fate was not kind today.
I saw a light, leading to the room where Ratchet and the mare had gone. But as I got closer, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. I could not push myself up, lightheadedness adding to the problem. I could hear the tunnel starting to collapse behind me, and knew that this time, I could not escape it. Death had come for me.
“I’m sorry Mom, Keira, Auntie, Silver, I failed you all. I guess they were right, I’m wasn’t ready. Forgive me Luna, for I have failed you as a Guardian,” I said to myself as the tunnel continued to collapse around me.
The last thing I heard before passing out was the familiar sound of leathery wing flaps. Then darkness.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added: Hunter.
You have experienced your first real hunt in the wasteland. You now do 75% more critical damage in combat to animals and mutated animals.
Funny, I thought the afterlife would feel calm and serene. All I felt at the moment was exhaustion, with a hint of nausea. I was hoping to see the goddess Luna when I opened my eyes, but unfortunately, I was met with the face of Doctor Cactus, who had a look of disappointment. I groaned and tried to get up, but found that I was strapped to the bed. I struggled to free myself only to hear the doctor clear his throat.
“Afraid I can’t let you move Shadow, not until we’ve finished our examination,” Doctor Cactus said, walking to the other side of the room and picking up a clipboard.
I thought about struggling more, but my body felt heavy. So I chose to just fall onto my back, my head on a rather comfortable pillow. Memories of what had happened flooded back into my mind, the bloodwings, the cavern collapsing.
“Where is Ratchet? And that thestral mare? Did they make it out?” I asked, looking to the doctor for answers.
He glanced over at me for a second, then went back to his clipboard, scribbling away. “They are fine, now be quiet.”
My head shot up from the pillow, “I need more than that! Where are they? How did I make it out of that cavern? I should have bled out!”
Right after I said that, Nurse Lotus Blossom stepped in. She immediately looked to the doctor and nudged him outside the room, rather forcibly. Once he was gone, she walked up to the side of my head and smiled.
“Glad to see you back in the realm of the living Shadow. We’ve been worried,” Nurse Lotus said, feeling my forehead with a hoof.
“Thanks, but I still don’t understand why I’m still alive. The cavern was collapsing, I lost so much blood,” I said, trying to relax as she pulled her hoof away.
“Oh you were in bad shape, that’s for sure. But thanks to your friends, you got here safe and sound,” Nurse Lotus said, putting a comforting hoof on my shoulder.
I nodded, starting to relax again, but snapped my head back to her, “Wait, friends?”
Just then, the door opened again and I thought Doctor Cactus had returned, but as I turned to see who it was, I was shocked. Standing in the door frame, wide-eyed and petrified, was the thestral mare I nearly killed in the caverns. She quickly hid behind the door and after a few seconds poked her head out, looking at me with one eye.
Nurse Lotus giggled, and got up, “Well, I’ll let you two talk it over. I’ll go tell Ratchet and the Mayor that you’re awake, Shadow.”
Nurse Lotus walked out the door, and as she moved past the thestral, she bumped her flank, causing her to jump into the room.
For the first time since we met, I could get a good look at her. She had a charcoal coat with a black and white mane, done in a braid. Her tail, shorter than most mares I’d seen, only came down past her flank to her knees. Her gray leathery wings folded at her side. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of ocean blue.
We locked eyes for what felt like a long time, not knowing what to say. I finally caved and sighed.
“Look, I know I really scared you back in the caverns, I feel terrible about it. But I promise, if I had known what you were, I wouldn’t have attacked you like that.” I said, not able meet her gaze.
She was quiet for a while, but after a minute she finally spoke, “I know you meant no harm. I should have revealed myself, but I couldn’t tell if you were hostile or not.”
Her voice was soft and comforting in a way, with a hint of a foreign accent that I couldn’t place. Thestrals used to have many colonies throughout the region, no telling where she came from.
Another question came to mind, “Why did you save me from that bloodwing?”
She tensed and looked away, visibly shaking.
“You could have been hurt or killed, I nearly killed you, you owed me nothing. So why?” I asked, looking at her with confusion.
“I… I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. When you apologized for the first time, and gave me those healing potions, I could sense your kind spirit. I had to do something,” She said, slowly gaining the confidence to look me in the eye, but she was still shaking slightly.
“You saved my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Perhaps we can start over?” I said holding out a hoof towards her.
“My name is Shadow Strike, may I ask for your name, Miss?”
She seemed to loosen up and slowly walked towards the bed, gathering the courage to shake my hoof. “Moonlight Song, it is an honor and a pleasure, Sir Shadow.”
“That’s a beautiful name, and the honor is all mine. But please, Shadow is fine.” I said, earning a blush from her.
I openly winced as a stab of pain lanced through my hoof and down my side. She immediately lost all timidity and held my hoof.
“Seems your muscles are still stiff, you shouldn’t move around very much. You are still recovering from the trauma and blood loss. Possibly a concussion as well.” Moonlight said, looking me over with a careful glance.
“You seem quite knowledgeable, do I detect some medical training?” I said, smiling as her face flushed red in embarrassment.
“A bit, I’m not a licensed doctor, at least in a broad sense. I do know a thing or two about herbs and natural remedies,” Moonlight said, still trying to hide her blush.
That was surprising news, not many still believed in natural remedies, most tended to focus more on modern medicines these days.
I then smelled something faint coming from my bandages, something so faded that most ponies wouldn’t smell it. But with my heightened sense of smell, I could still make out the herb.
“Did you perhaps use yarrow to stop the bleeding in my wounds?” I said, still looking at my bandages.
She looked shocked at my question, “Why yes, I did. But how could you know that?”
“I recognize the smell, it has quite a few uses if one knows what they are doing. A very useful herb,” I said, looking back to her.
She looked confused, “That’s quite the nose you have, it’s been days since I’ve applied it.”
“You’ll find there are many things about me that don’t make sense,” I said, leaning back into my pillow. “I am curious where you found yarrow in a desert?”
Moonlight looked away again, “I didn’t. I’m not exactly from around here.”
“I guessed as much. From what I’ve read, your kind kept to the north and spread out across Equestria after the fall of Nightmare Moon. Only a few tribes returned when Princess Luna was freed from her banishment,” I said, surprising her yet again.
“You know of my kind?” She asked, looking nervous again.
“Only what I’ve read, the thestrals were loyal to Princess Luna, acting as her personal guard,” I said, trying to keep a friendly smile.
She looked at me again, “You are probably the only pony I’ve met in this land that doesn’t call us bat ponies.”
“I’ve read enough to know that your kind hated that term,” I said, giving her a grin.
She smiled at me, and wow did she have a cute smile.
I rubbed the back of my head nervously, “So, you got me out of the caverns, then?”
She fidgeted with her braid, “I did. Your earth pony friend couldn’t get past the falling rocks, so I flew in and grabbed you. By the time we got you outside, you’d lost a lot of blood. I needed to act fast.”
“That was dangerous, but very brave Moonlight,” I said, smiling gratefully at her.
“Yes, though your friend was skeptical of me at first. He thought I wanted to suck your blood,” she said in disgust, sticking her tongue to emphasize her point.
I laughed a little at that, “That is a common mistake ponies made. Most thestral tribes have more in common with fruit bats rather than vampire bats.”
“Bloody hell, it’s about time somepony figured that out!” Moonlight said, her accent thickening a little.
She realized what she said and blushed profusely, “Terribly sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
I laughed at her embarrassment, but only a little. “It’s ok Moonlight, I’m sure it's frustrating having ponies call you a vampire when you would rather eat a mango than a pony.”
“Well personally I prefer tangerines,” Moonlight said, licking her lips.
We both laughed, and it seemed so odd to me. Not long ago she was terrified of me, now we were laughing together.
As we were laughing, the door to the room opened again, revealing Ratchet.
“Well looks like you two patched things up. Reckoned it would take a bit longer, you must have quite a way with mares Shadow,” Ratchet said as he sat down on the opposite side of my bed.
We both blushed at the comment and Moonlight looked away, fidgeting with her braid again. I gave Ratchet a deadpan look.
“Haha, very funny. I’m guessing you’re no worse for wear,” I said, still giving him a disappointed look.
“Nah, just a few cuts and bruises. Had to drag your flank back to town. Can’t have the town hero dying on his first big quest,” Ratchet said, puffing out his chest.
“As I recall, you were complaining about carrying him until I flashed my fangs at you,” Moonlight said, giving him a smug grin, showing her fangs.
Ratchet deflated, “Now that ain’t fair. Not my fault he’s so heavy.”
I glared at him and hit him in the face with a pillow. He looked ready to retaliate, only to receive another pillow to the back of the head, courtesy of the filly in the doorway.
“Be nice Ratchet, or I’m gonna fine you,” Lemon Swirl said, strutting over to the bed, jumping on it and sitting next to me.
Ratchet rolled his eyes, “Darn cap grubbing filly.”
Lemon hugged my leg, “Glad your awake Shadow, I told Miss Moonlight that you would be ok. You’re too tough to let a silly old cave-in beat you.”
I stroked the filly’s mane, “Sorry I worried you. How long was I out away?”
“Two days. It took us a while to get you back to town. Your wounds kept opening up,” Moonlight said, sounding more confident than she was earlier.
“She kept fussing over you like a mother with her filly. Made us stop and change your bandages, twice,” Ratchet said, looking to Moonlight with a smirk. She blushed a bright red.
One look from Lemon and Ratchet kept his mouth shut. More ponies walked into the room, Mayor Wrangler and his wife Chili Pepper.
“Glad to see you up and about Shadow, had us worried there,” Wrangler said, sitting down in front of my bed.
“You promised you’d come back in one piece, and here you are, right back in the hospital,” Chili said, smacking me on the back of the head.
“Ow! Jeez, Chili that hurt,” I said, rubbing my head.
“Miss Pepper please, I ask you don’t hit his head. He might still have a concussion,” Moonlight said, holding a hoof in front of me.
“Right, sorry. But you scared us half to death. Thank goodness this deary was there to help you,” Chili said, looking to Moonlight with a smile, causing the thestral to blush yet again.
Doctor Cactus came in again, looking annoyed that so many ponies were crowding his clinic. “Alright, alright, this is a clinic, not a clubhouse. Everypony but myself and Lotus, get out so I can get this examination over with.”
Nurse Lotus came in after him, scowling at his behavior. Everypony shared in her scowl but relented and did as they were told. Moonlight was the last one out, and she hesitated, looking back at me over her shoulder. We shared a brief glance before Cactus closed the door on her.
“Alright then, your vitals are back to normal. You sustained a small concussion, but nothing too serious. I suggest you take it easy for the rest of the day, but seeing your track record, I doubt you’ll heed that advice” The doctor said, looking at me in disappointment. Guess saving his daughter still didn’t earn many points with him.
“We can give you some medication for the pain if you want?” Nurse Lotus said, smiling at me.
“I appreciate the offer Nurse Lotus, but I prefer my own brews. Plus I don’t have enough caps to pay,” I said, slowly getting up from the bed.
She nodded and helped me to the door. I slowly got the feeling in my legs back and waved goodbye to her as I left the clinic. Outside I found everypony waiting for me.
“That was quick, now how about some grub everyone?” Wrangler said, pointing his hoof towards the saloon. We all nodded and moved in a group towards it. I could see more ponies looking our way, but strangely not all were looking at me.
I soon learned who they were looking at as Moonlight moved closer to me, seeming really nervous about all the attention. She had warmed up to me in such a short amount of time, despite our initial meeting. It actually made me relieved.
“Don’t let all the attention get to you Moonlight. They just haven’t seen a thestral before,” I said, giving her a comforting smile.
She smiled back at me but stayed close.
Ratchet looked over to us, “What’s a thestral?”
I looked at him with a deadpan expression, “It’s what Moonlight is. Most others would prefer the term bat pony, but the proper term is thestral.”
“Oh ok, first time I’ve heard it, but if you say so partner,” Ratchet said, shrugging his shoulders.
The rest of the trip to the saloon went pretty uneventfully, ponies still staring at us. As we walked inside, we were brought to a large table which could seat all of us. We all sat down and the waitress left to bring us all some water. Moonlight seemed to stick close to me even as we sat in the saloon. She was still nervous around other ponies it seemed, making me wonder how long she had been in the wasteland.
“So Shadow, how did Bloodwing Caverns go?” Chili asked with a smirk.
I groaned, “Ok, it was a bit more difficult than I anticipated. The creatures used their environment to their advantage. If I had encountered them outside their cave, It would have been easier.”
Ratchet chuckled, “Yeah, like having them fly several feet in the air makes them easier to kill.”
I glared at him, “They have to attack directly and up close, so with my reflexes I could dodge their attacks and counter them before they can get any distance.”
Lemon giggled, “I bet you could. Don’t listen to Ratchet, it took him a whole clip of his rifle to hit one of them on the ground last time they attacked.”
Ratchet turned on her, “Hey, there was sand in my eyes, that’s all.”
Moonlight chimed in, “Why didn’t you use those goggles of yours?”
Ratchet blushed and turned his head away.
“He was so scared that he forgot they were on his head,” Lemon said, giggling even more.
Wrangler jumped in, “Alright y’all, that’s enough. Poor Ratchet here is outnumbered, and that ain’t fair.”
We all laughed, even Ratchet joined in after a while. The waitress came back with our water, and took our orders. I again avoided the meat selection, Moonlight also growing a bit pale at the thought of eating meat.
Ratchet, however, had no issues getting a radhog pork chop, making us question his palette.
As we waited for our food, we had some small talk, nothing truly important. Our food arrived and we enjoyed a nice meal. The door to the saloon opened and Blackberry and Raspberry walked in, moving up to join us at the table.
“Mommy, Daddy! Did you finish up?” Lemon asked her parents with a smile.
Blackberry chuckled, “Sure did. And boy did they come up great.”
Raspberry walked towards me and hoofed over my weapons and barding. The tears and dings in my barding were completely repaired, and looked even better than last time. Venta and Umbra in pristine condition, cleaned and polished. I put on my barding, it fit perfectly as usual.
What I did not expect was the sawed-off shotgun that I picked up in the caverns. The weapon almost unrecognizable, due to the fact that had been repaired and restored to pretty decent condition. Picking it up in my magic, I turned it over and saw again that nearly every part was replaced and restored.
“What is this?” I asked, looking to the family in confusion.
“We found it in your holster, and it was in pretty bad condition. We had a lot of spare parts lying around and figured you needed a decent gun for your adventures.” Blackberry said, wrapping a hoof around his wife.
I looked at them and Lemon and I couldn’t help but smile, “You three are too kind. I don’t deserve this much kindness, honestly.”
Lemon jumped on my lap, “No way, you saved us and took out the Bloodwings. You’re a hero, Shadow.”
I flinched at the word “hero,” but I still brushed the filly’s mane.
“Thanks, Lemon, but I’m no hero,” I said, looking away slightly.
Before anypony could say anything about my statement, the door to the saloon opened again with a loud swing, an earth pony with spiked armor walked in and moved to stand on one of the tables.
“Hey you fuckers, I hope you’ve been having a nice day. My boss sent me to tell you that we will be your new neighbors.” The earth pony said, a crazed look on his face.
Wrangler got up and made himself known, “Neighbors? And who might you lot be?”
“Just the toughest gang in the west. Don’t worry though, we ain’t looking for trouble. In fact, we would like to offer our protection for your town. Let’s say 1000 caps a week.” He said, smiling at Wrangler.
Wrangler snorted, “And what if we ain’t interested in your protection?”
The raider smirked, “Well, you never know what could happen in the middle of the night.”
Wrangler growled and the raider was about to pull out a 9mm pistol, but I quickly grabbed Umbra and threw it at him. It hit his weapon, and knocked it from his mouth. My dagger landing in front of him, digging into the table. He glared and looked over to me, following where the dagger came from.
What was odd was that as soon as he saw me, his face went pale. His superior smirk from earlier was gone, replaced with an open maw. He shook as he kept his eyes on me.
I moved to get closer to him, but he broke out into a sprint, running for the exit. I quickly moved to pursue him, barely hearing the others yelling after me. He burst through the door of the saloon, me not to far behind. He ran like a manticore was right on his tail, and in his situation, he had a better chance if it was a manticore.
He turned down an alleyway, knocking over boxes and other objects in an attempt to escape me. Unfortunately for him, I did not give up that easily. I jumped over the obstacles and kicked off the wall, propelling me enough to tackle the raider. I pinned him down, my full weight on his back, a hoof holding down his head.
“Nice try dirtbag, now you and I are gonna have a little chat,” I said, putting pressure on his head.
“I don’t know anything, nothing.” He said, trembling under me.
“You ran after you saw me, care to explain that?” I said, giving him some slack so he could talk.
“Shadow!” I heard behind me.
I turned around and saw Ratchet, Moonlight, and Wrangler running towards me. I didn’t let up on the raider, pressing him harder into the ground.
“Talk! Why did you react that way to me?” I shouted at him.
“Ok ok! I saw your barding, it’s got the same stable number as the one we hit a few days ago.” The raider shouted back at me, clearly scared.
That sentence made my blood boil, “So you’re part of the scum that attacked my home?”
He nodded his head violently, and with that confirmation, I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with my magic and threw him against the wall, pinning him to it.
“Where is the rest of your crew?” I yelled in his face.
“They’re a few days west of here. They sent me here to give the town that message.” He said, visibly shaking as I held him by his neck.
“Is that cloaked mare there? Or a red unicorn with dual sabers?” I said, pressing him harder into the wall.
“Ow, ow, I don’t know. They disappeared after they got us out of the stable. Boss said to not worry about them.” He said.
I heard somepony run up to me, “Shadow, please. Put him down. You’re gonna break his neck.”
I turned my head to see Moonlight looking worriedly at me. I relaxed slightly, but did not let him go. I turned back to the raider and glared.
“How many of my people did you kill?” I asked in a low tone.
“I… I didn’t kill anypony. I was just doing what the boss told me.” The raider said, but I could tell he was lying.
I slammed him into the wall again, “Lie to me again, and I’ll cut out your tongue!”
“Ok ok! Just a few, I can’t remember how many. I was just doing what they paid me!” He screamed.
I was just about to break him in two, but not in front of everypony. So instead, I dropped him to the ground. He coughed and sputtered to breathe and looked up at me with fear.
“As much as I would love to put you in the ground for what your gang did to my home, I have a use for you after all.” I said, lowering my head to look him in the eye.
“You are going to take a message back to your boss. Tell him this town is off-limits, and that I’ll be paying him a visit very soon. And when I find you all, every single one of you who spilled blood in my stable will pay for it with your own.” I said, my voice dark and stern.
His eyes grew wide and I could see a puddle forming under him, he had pissed himself. He then got to his hooves and ran outside the alleyway as fast he could. I followed him out and watched him run out the town gate and into the wastes.
Satisfied with his departure, I turned to see everypony looking at me warily. I didn’t want them to see me like that, but it needed to be done.
Wrangler walked up to me, “Shadow, you doing alright there partner?”
I tried to give a friendly smile, “Yeah, sorry about that. I hope I didn’t scare you all too bad.”
“I am sorry you had to see that. But that pony does not deserve your pity. He wanted to take control of your lives here, and he and his gang attacked my home.” I said, not able to look them in the eye.
I could hear hoofsteps moving towards me. Looking up, I saw Moonlight staring at me with worry in her eyes. She had already been scared of me, now I just made it worse. But she put a hoof on my shoulder.
“It was a bit scary, but now that we know why you acted like that. It’s ok, Shadow.” Moonlight said, her voice so gentle. She truly was too nice for the Wasteland.
Wrangler jumped back into the conversation, “Alright. Enough being all mopey, let’s get back to the saloon.”
I nodded and we all made our way back to our table, our food waiting for us along with everypony else. Lemon had asked what happened, but Wrangler saved me from that discussion by telling the filly that it was grown-up stuff, to which she pouted adorably.
Once we were all done eating, Chili looked to us.
“So Shadow, I’m guessing you need a place to stay for the night. We’ve arranged for a room at the local inn for you.” She said, finishing her water.
“Oh Chili, you didn’t have to.” I said, her generosity surprising me yet again.
“But I wanted to. After dealing with those raiders and the bloodwings, how could we possibly make you pay for lodgings?” Chili said, smiling at me.
“Well thank you for your hospitality. I’m afraid I can only stay one night. I need to head west to that compound and deal with the raiders that invaded my home.” I said, finishing my own water.
Ratchet looked at me, “Partner, I’ve heard of that compound. It’s twice the size of the one you busted the mares out of. You can’t go in by yourself.”
“Don’t have a choice in the matter Ratchet. They took something from my stable, and I’ve been tasked with getting it back.” I said, getting up from my seat.
Moonlight moved to my side, “Um, Shadow, would you mind if I stayed with you tonight? I don’t have any caps to pay for a room.”
Ratchet rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah I kinda need a place to sleep tonight too. My shack is still in pieces.”
“I don’t mind. It’ll be nice to have some company tonight.” I said, smiling at them both.
Lemon then latched onto my foreleg, “Do you really have to go so soon Shadow?”
I picked her up and held her, “I’m afraid so Lemon. But don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
She nuzzled into my chest, “Promise?”
I stroked her mane, “I swear by the light of the moon that I will return, one day.”
She giggled and nuzzled me again. Then her mother took her in her hooves and she and her husband stood before me. I nodded to both of them in thanks.
As I prepared to leave the saloon, the radio was suddenly turned up.
“Everypony! Athena is on!” The bar pony said as he turned to the radio.
A feminine voice came onto the radio, carrying both an energetic, motherly one. “Good afternoon my darlings, it’s Athena coming at you live from Olympia! I hope all of you are having a lovely day in our beloved Badlands.
Now strap in my listeners, cause have I got some news for you today. Reports are coming at me like bullets from a minigun up north. Seems there’s some excitement going on near the quiet town of Hydra Junction. Raiders had apparently kidnapped the entire female population of the town and were ready to be sold to the slavers.
But little did they know that a mysterious stallion would appear out of nowhere and not only save the mares and fillies, but also wipe out the raiders at the old military outpost to the east of Hydra Junction. I’m not kidding my dears, one stallion went in, killed all of them and none of the mares were killed. Unbelievable I know, but it’s true. And here’s the icing on the cake, the stallion had stripes and a horn. That’s right listeners, a zony. Quite the rare sight here considering ponies and zebras shoot each other on sight.
And he didn’t stop there, oh no my lovelies. He went to Bloodwing Caverns, you know that place infested with blood-sucking bat monsters. And he once again proved his badassery as he blew up their nest and destroyed the whole flock. That’s right people, no more Bloodwings in the north, for the most part.
So you all have heard of the heroes up in Equestria. The Stabledweller around Manehatten, and Security around Hoofington. So I thought, if DJ-PON3 can give these ponies cool names for their deeds, why can’t I join the trend. I thought long and hard about this, a stallion that appeared like a guardian angel for these ponies, so why not call him The Badlands Guardian!
Now, that’s all I got on our new guardian. Other reports are pretty much the same as they always are. Negotiations with the other major cities in the Badlands have been met with the door slammed in their faces. Neighcropolis refuses to associate with Olympia, and Aquatica seems to be uninterested in any trade routes or cooperation.
You all know it is my hope to see us unite one day, and that is one reason why I speak out to all of you. My children across the Badlands, we must stop these petty squabbles and work together.
Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have my lovelies. Be safe, and remember that you have a voice of wisdom in these trying times. Until next time, this has been Athena, your guiding light in this bleak Wasteland.
The broadcast ended and was replaced with music. I stood there with my mouth gaping, unable to process what I just heard. Then I promptly slammed my head into the table.
The room I was given was pretty decent, two beds and a chair off to the side. Pretty comfortable despite the cracks in the walls and ceiling. The place wasn’t in the best of shape, but it’s the Wasteland. I laid back on one of the beds, groaning from the pain in my head.
“Come on partner, what’s so bad about being on the radio?” Ratchet asked, sitting in the chair.
“I was supposed to keep a low profile. Now everyone in this wasteland is gonna wonder where this “Badlands Guardian” came from. They might find my stable, and who knows what might happen.” I said, sitting up to look at him.
“Shadow, please calm down. It’ll be alright. No one knows you came from a stable. Athena never mentioned it.” Moonlight said, lying down on the other bed.
I sighed at her words and relaxed a little.
“You’ve got a point there Moonlight. But what I don’t understand is how she can know so much about me.”
“Well, no one knows quite sure how Athena gets her information. Some say she’s got little micro cameras all over the place. Others say she’s got spies that keep track of every part of the Badlands.” Ratchet said, a hoof on his chin in thought.
I thought for a minute, and realized something. If Athena had eyes and ears all over the wasteland, she might know where to find Saber and that cloaked mare, or at least reports of where they had been sighted.
I turned to Ratchet, “Hey Ratchet, where is Olympia?”
He looked at me with a confused expression, “It’s way down south. Near the center of the Badlands. Quite the journey from here. Why you ask?”
“If these raiders don’t have the information I need. I’ll need an alternate plan of finding the ponies I’m looking for. Athena seems to be the pony to go to for information about anyone in these lands.” I said, looking to him with a serious expression.
Moonlight chimed in after I said that, “Who are you looking for exactly?”
I hesitated at the question, but I relented after some thought. Moonlight and Ratchet were trustworthy, even if It hadn't known them too long.
“Raiders attacked my stable, killed a lot of innocents there. One of our own betrayed us and let them inside. His name is Swift Saber, a red unicorn with dual scimitars.”
Both of them looked shocked at my words. Ratchet spoke first, “A traitor huh? Well I’m guessing you were sent out to bring him back then.”
I shook my head, “No. My orders are to eliminate him, he knows too much about the stable and has caused too much suffering.”
Ratchet looked a little pale at my cold words but nodded.
“And who else were you looking for? I heard you ask that raider about a cloaked mare.” Moonlight asked, shocking me a little.
I nodded, “The one leading those raiders was a cloaked mare. She stole some important data from our mainframe. My orders are to retrieve the data or destroy it if necessary.”
Ratchet looked sideways for a minute and muttered something under his breath. Before I could ask him about it, he shook his head and acted like nothing happened.
“So you are to find these two ponies, steal back the data and eliminate them?” Moonlight asked, looking me in the eye.
“Yes, those are my orders. I wasn’t supposed to draw attention to myself, but no turning back now.” I said, getting off the bed to stretch my legs.
“Well, no worries. I’ll help ya get back what was stolen from your home. No bunch of dumb raiders is gonna keep us out.” Ratchet said, his confidence returning.
I blinked and turned to him, “What do you mean, “us”?''
He smirked, “Well I’m coming with ya o’course. We made a pretty good team in Bloodwing Caverns and you’ll need a guide to help you through the wasteland.”
I looked sternly at him, “Ratchet, I appreciate your help in the caverns, but this isn’t your concern. The debt you owe the mayor was resolved. There’s no reason for you to follow me.”
Ratchet looked at me with a smile, “Come on partner, nothing wrong with getting a little help. Besides, there’s nothing really keeping me here.”
“This is my mission, and I can’t guarantee your safety. Saber is almost as strong as me, and this cloaked mare is something else entirely. My friend cut off her head and she grew a new one.” I said, trying to convince him.
He rounded on me, “Then you definitely need backup. If they got ponies like that with them, you can’t take them all on alone.”
I groaned and held my head in my hooves in frustration. Why couldn’t he understand?
It was then that I felt a hoof on my shoulder. Looking up I saw a pair of blue eyes looking into mine. Moonlight had come to my side, she smiled at me.
“Shadow, you don’t need to do things alone. Let us help you.” She said, her voice still so soothing.
I looked to her and shook my head, “Absolutely not. You are most certainly not coming. This is much more dangerous than a cave full of bloodwings. You need to stay here, Moonlight.”
Her ears folded and my heart pained at the look she gave me, both worried and hurt at the same time.
“But, you are the only pony I know out here. I won’t be a burden, I’m knowledgeable in medicine. I can keep you healed and healthy.” She pleaded.
“Moonlight, you can make a life here. Nurse Lotus will surely love your help at the clinic, or you can open your own business. You don’t need to follow me into danger.” I said, hoping she would understand.
Her eyes started to water, and then Ratchet spoke up again, “Shadow, you need us. You can’t fight all the evil in the wasteland on your own. Even the Stable Dweller has friends. Heroes need back up, it’s common sense.”
I rounded on him in a second, “I am not a hero!”
My outburst made both of them jump in shock. I realized what I had done, and my head drooped, hiding my face from them.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled. I just… I’m no hero” I said, voice loud enough to be heard but still low.
Moonlight put a hoof on mine, and I immediately looked to her. She was smiling again, curse that smile. It made me feel warm in this cold wasteland.
“Shadow, why do you think that? You saved so many ponies here. Chili Pepper and Lemon told me what you did for them.” She said, trying to, me feel better. And damn it, it was working.
“I did that because it was the right thing to do. I’m not a hero, I’m a guardian. It’s my duty to protect the innocent from creatures of evil intent.” I said, closing my eyes.
“Hero or not, it doesn’t matter. You saved so many in this short amount of time. Heck, even the Desert Rangers don’t work that fast. You need to give yourself more credit.” Ratchet said, cheerfully as always.
I sighed, and smiled at them both. I had not known them for very long, but they were growing on me. Ratchet and his cheerful humor, and Moonlight with her kind and gentle nature. Both were such good ponies.
“Ok ok. I give up, you two can come with me.” I said, relenting.
Both cheered in their own way.
“But, I want to make something perfectly clear. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to leave me to die to save yourselves, you better do it. Understand?” I said, pointing a hoof to both of them.
Both looked at me and to each other for a second, but nodded shortly afterward.
I nodded to them, “Alright, let’s get some rest tonight. We leave first thing in the morning. I’ll give you both time to gather whatever you need.”
Both nodded to me and I got comfortable on my bed once again. Moonlight took the other bed while Ratchet had agreed to take the chair. We all slowly drifted off to sleep.
The night was coming to a close, the guards at the gate close to changing shifts. Most were either asleep or getting close. With the cloud cover, there was no sun to mark the coming of the dawn.
Unknown to the guards and the town, a shadow moved through the gates and out into the desert, silent as the night itself.
I moved to the hills outside the town, and looked back one more time at the town where I had spent so much time, and met so many wonderful ponies.
“I’m sorry my friends. But I can’t let you risk your lives for someone like me. I don’t deserve you. Please be safe, and I hope that you’ll forgive me one day.” I said, before disappearing into the desert.
The sand was everywhere, like a never-ending sea. Rock formations and the occasional cacti were the only things I found other than sand. The desert was vast, and the winds would occasionally kick up the grit, blurring my vision. Despite all these hardships, I persevered and continued in the direction of my goal.
It had been several hours since I left Hydra Junction. Since then, I encountered no life in the desert. None of the lizards like the ones I ran into on the way to Hydra Junction, or any other ponies. I should have expected as much; from what I had seen, most ponies stayed inside their settlements and fortifications to avoid the harsh sand and the creatures of the Wasteland.
As I moved across the dunes that made up my path, I noticed that the wind had changed direction. I looked around, seeing the sand shift, I had a bad feeling in the back of my mind.
The feeling had made me turn to look to my right, and in that moment, my eyes grew wide with fear. Though I had not seen one with my own eyes, the large cloud of sand that was barreling towards me from the distance was unmistakable.
A sandstorm. Shit!
I bolted in the opposite direction, my eyes darting from left to right, looking for some form of shelter. I was panicking as the storm chased after me. I was in trouble, and I was praying to the Goddess Luna that some miracle would save me.
She must have been listening to my inner pleas, because as I moved over a rather large dune, I saw a building not too far off, half-buried in the sand. I had to get there, or this storm would tear me apart.
As I ran down the dune and towards the building, I dared to look behind me. The storm was gaining on me. I pushed my body harder, running with all my enhanced strength and speed. By the time I got to the building, I was breathing heavily, but I pushed further and bashed my shoulder through the glass window of the building, and quickly ducked behind a nearby desk.
The storm hit, and the wind screamed as if it was a mad animal. The sand blew through the building, some hitting my back. I stayed down and waited. After several minutes had passed, the wind slowly began to calm. I waited until the sand stopped landing on my back before lifting my head and peering over the desk. The sand had piled everywhere, almost as if the desert was trying to reach in after me.
I jumped back over my barricade and looked around. The hallway I landed in was almost bare, other than the desk I had hidden behind. Most of the doors were blocked by debris or had piles of sand in front of them.
I remembered that Ratchet had told me that ruined buildings could house supplies and other goods for wastelanders. Strange, thinking about him after I ditched him and Moonlight back in Hydra Junction. I felt guilty for my actions but did not regret them. It was better this way. I shook my head and moved towards the end of the hallway, and the only door still intact.
As I opened the door, I found myself in a large room, the middle opening into a floor made of sand obviously built up from the bottom floor, as this building was buried in the sand. I moved to the side rail and looked up, seeing multiple stories leading up to the roof. Some floors had parts of their walkways collapsed, the rubble nowhere to be found. Most likely buried under the sand below.
Seeing the rest of my current floor collapsed and empty, I moved to find a staircase. Quickly finding one in the corner, it led up to the next level.
“Well, I guess I better get started,” I said to myself to break this silence. This place was abandoned, with no life or sound at all.
The first two floors were mostly collapsed, only a few rooms were accessible. I found some bottle caps in the desks and a bottle of Sparkle-Cola in one of the refrigerators. I had read about the soda in the stable, but we didn’t have the means of making it ourselves. I put it in my saddlebags to sample later.
Going up another floor, the hairs on my neck stood up as something moved down one of the hallways. The figure moved out into the light, and I soon found myself staring at something mechanical, no clue of what it was. It had a dome head with several arms extending from each side of it. A burst of flame underneath it was keeping it afloat as it moved out of the hallway.
It turned its head to me, “Unauthorized personnel detected. Die Zebra Scum!”
It moved one of its arms to point at me, a bolt of green energy flying from its tip straight for me. I quickly jumped out of the way, moving to the side. I drew Venta from its sheath and ran towards the thing. It fired at me again, but I dodged it again, the bolt barely grazing my shoulder. The burn stung a bit, but I powered through and took a swipe at its arm. My sword cut through the thin appendage, and it fell to the ground.
I thought I was safe, but the stream of fire that barely missed me proved me wrong. I knew my sword would most likely not be able to cut clean through its dome, but I could disable its weapons. Dodging the flames, I cut its other arm off. Yet again, it had another weapon, a buzzsaw moved towards me. I blocked it with Venta, sparks flying as I held it. I took the opportunity to call on my magic and pull out the sawed-off shotgun I had gotten from Bloodwing Caverns. Pointing it right in the center of its dome-shaped head, I fired. The impact sent it flying backward, metal and screws cascading everywhere.
It laid there unmoving, its thruster no longer burning. The blast had made a sizable hole in the dome, parts exposed for all to see. I was not an expert on pre-war robotics, it was always more of Silver's interest, rather than mine.
I did not put my weapons away. If there was one of these things, there might be more. Reloading my shotgun, I moved with greater care. More rooms were accessible on this floor, giving me more room to explore. I found more shotgun shells in a filing cabinet, no idea why somepony would put ammunition there.
I moved to the next floor, and for my efforts, a blast of green energy struck me in the chest. The pain was excruciating, if it weren’t for my improved barding, it could have been a lot worse. I jumped back, avoiding another blast. Two of those things were attacking me now, firing green bolts of energy.
I quickly tried to clear the distance to them but had difficulty dodging the shots. I was thankful for my enhanced reflexes, as they were keeping me alive in this situation.
I found myself in front of the first one and moved to put it between me and the other robot. It tried to spew fire at me, but a blast from my shotgun stopped its attack. It crashed into its partner, knocking both to the ground. I took the opportunity to strike at the other one, stabbing my blade into the center of its head, causing sparks to fly. It moved its arms for a few seconds before it went limp.
Pulling my sword out, I was thankful that there wasn’t much damage. I couldn’t cut clean through these things, but my sword was strong enough to pierce the metal enough to be effective. Probably shouldn’t do it too much and risk damaging my blade. I had no means of repairing it, and I couldn’t risk losing it.
The burn on my chest hurt, but nothing too serious. I decided to move onward. The floor had offered no supplies, as did the next few. After a few more robot encounters, I reached the second floor from the top. It was there that I noticed something, I foul stench in the air, one I knew too well. Blood.
I saw a trail leading to the next staircase. Looking closely at it, I determined that it was at least a day old. The blood had dried but was still visible. The stench of decay was coming from the top floor. I carefully made my way up the stairs. The floor had one hallway, leading to a large set of double doors. The doors were slightly open, with the blood trail leading inside.
Opening the doors as quietly as possible, I looked inside to find quite the scene. Dried blood caked the floor, making a line straight to the desk on the other side of the room.
Slumped against the desk was a corpse, the stench was foul and burned my nose. Reaching into my saddlebags, I found a cloth and wrapped it around my muzzle. Moving closer to inspect the corpse, I discovered it to be that of a unicorn stallion. His leg was twisted in an awkward angle, leading me to believe he was attacked by something. No accident could cause an injury like that.
The corpse appeared to be a few days old from the state of decay. I noticed something lying at his hooves, two items in pristine condition. One was a revolver, a .357 magnum with an ivory grip. Picking up the weapon in my magic, I noticed it had a rose engraved on the handle, and under it was a message, it read...“My Desert Rose.”
Putting the revolver down where I found it, I picked up the other object, an audio recording. Thinking it could give me an idea of who this was, I popped it into my pipbuck and hit play. The voice sounded like a middle-aged stallion, rasping like he was struggling to talk.
Come on, Sage, you can do this. You have to.
Hello, my name is Sage Brush, Sergeant Sage Brush of the Badlands Desert Rangers. If you are listening to this, I am probably already dead. My leg is severely broken, and I’ve lost a lot of blood. There’s no getting out of this for me.
To whoever is listening to this, I hope you will accept this favor I am about to ask. Please take this recording and my revolver to my brethren at Ranger HQ near Lake Trough. Find General Marble Stone, Leader of the Rangers. She will handle the rest and ensure you are rewarded for your efforts.
Now, if you do not wish to hear a dying stallion’s last words to his family, you can go ahead and turn this off.
To my son, Tumbleweed. My dear boy, I am so sorry to leave you without a father. I failed you, and I hope you can forgive me. Please take care of your mother, she is my treasure, and help her raise your new baby sibling to be strong and kind. You are my legacy, and I have always been proud of you.
To my beautiful Desert Rose, I am so sorry. I wish I could be in your embrace right now, for it is so cold here. You were always my warmth at night, my light in the dark. My heart will always belong to you. Please take care of our boy, I know this will be hard for him. And give all my love to our new foal. I am so ashamed that I will never see her beautiful face as she opens her eyes to see the world we brought her into. I know you didn’t want to check the gender, but I just have a feeling it’ll be a filly, and I know she will be as beautiful as her mother.
It hurts to talk now, and I’ve lost all feeling in most of my body. This is goodbye.
To the General, I am sorry I failed you.
To my family, be safe and healthy in this Celestia damned Wasteland.
This is Sergeant Sage Brush, of the Badlands Desert Rangers signing off.
The recording ended, and I couldn’t help but shed a tear. This stallion had a family, and he died alone and afraid. I picked up the revolver once more, seeing the engravings and the detail this stallion put into them. I put the gun in my saddlebag for safekeeping as well as the recording. I knew my mission, but I couldn’t leave this behind. He deserved closure, and I would give it to him.
Suddenly I felt something wrap around my hind leg, and before I could turn to look behind me, I was pulling forcefully backward. I grabbed at the frame of the door as I was dragged across the room and nearly outside. I looked to see a chain was wrapped around my leg, digging into my coat, and it hurt like hell. Where did this thing come from?
The frame cracked from the pressure, and I lost my grip on it. I was pulled across the ground and into the opening at the center of the building that led all the way down to the ground floor. I screamed as I fell, but as the last few floors came into view, I suddenly stopped. The inertia nearly pulling my leg out of its socket, the pain was excruciating.
“Haha! Look at you! You look like a piñata, how exciting. And it isn’t even my cute-ceañera!” A voice said from above me.
I struggled to free myself despite the pain and shouted, “Who are you? What do you want?”
The voice gave a feminine giggle, “Oh, Shadow, come on. Why do you have to ask such boring questions? I thought you would be more fun than that.”
I froze, how did she know my name? This feeling I had, I had felt it before. In my stable, during the attack.
Before I could speak again, the chain released my leg and I fell to the ground floor, impacting with a thud, thankfully the sand cushioned my fall or it could have been a lot worse. My leg was burning with pain, but I got to my hooves and looked up to my attacker.
A pony sat on one of the old beams that had been used for the light fixtures of this floor, judging from her figure and the voice, I guessed a mare. She wore a black cloak like the one the mare wore in my stable. The mare had a weapon dangling from her hooves. A chain with a kama at the end in her hoof, the chain was long and swung slightly underneath her.
“Interesting weapon you’ve got there. Didn’t think I’d see one like it outside my stable.” I said, standing my ground.
“You like it? It’s my favorite, custom made just for me. I call her Torment, cause she’s so much fun.” The mare giggled, swinging the chain around like a toy.
“I ask again, what do you want from me?” I asked.
“Oh fine, spoilsport. I wanted to see you. Algea told us about you and the fun you two had in the stable. So I decided to come play with you myself. Wastelanders are just no fun anymore.” She said, sitting on her haunches on the beam, swinging her legs back and forth.
I looked up at her in confusion, “Who is Algea? And for that matter, who are you?”
She gasped, “She didn’t introduce herself. How rude. But I suppose we can forgive her, she must have been too excited.”
She then took to the air, doing a backflip, “As for me, I am Achlys. Goddess of misery and sadness. I will be your tormentor today.”
She then dove at me, chain spinning as she closed in. I jumped to the side at the last minute, dodging the chain and rolling across the sand.
As I picked myself up, I pulled out Venta and Umbra, both weapons pointed right at her as she turned in the air and hovered.
“You are pretty quick, but let’s see how you do in close combat.” Achlys said, wrapping the chain around her hoof. She took the kama end, and swung it into her mouth, grinning around the grip.
She charged me with great speed, swinging her head to try and cleave off my own. I ducked under her and was about to jab at her neck with my horn, but I saw the chain at the last second and jumped away from her.
I jumped back at her, Venta positioned to slash at her. But she just smiled and threw the chain around my sword, pulling it out of my magical grip. I cursed under my breath, and she took the blade in her own hooves.
“Nice blade. Good craftsmanship, not really my style, though.” Achlys said, a slightly bored expression on her face.
She threw Venta behind her, causing it to stick itself into the sand. Taking her kama back in her mouth, she leaped at me again. She was much faster this time, and I only had time to block her kama with Umbra, knocking it out of her mouth. Both our weapons slid across the sand, and she took the opportunity to tackle me.
The landing knocked the breath out of me, dazing me for a moment before I noticed the mare pinning me to the ground.
“Come on, Shadow, I’m sure you can do better than that. It’s no fun if the fight is over this quickly.” She said, grinning down at me.
I struggled to shake her off me, but she was strong. Strong enough to keep herself planted firm even with my enhanced strength. I couldn’t see a way out, both my weapons too far to reach. Then I remembered my shotgun. I quickly pulled it from my holster, and before she could react to it, I blasted her right under the chin. The shot sent her flying off me, her head hitting the beams above. After hearing a sickening crack, she fell to the sand, her body unmoving.
I got up, my leg burning with pain from the tumble I took. I limped on it a bit as I went to pick up Umbra. But as I picked up my dagger, I heard movement.
I turned back to see Achlys look back at me with an annoyed look on her face, her jaw stitching itself back together.
“Did I say you could use guns in our playtime Shadow? That really hurt.” She said, rubbing her newly reformed jaw.
My eyes grew wide as I saw her heal, just like that other mare. Shit.
I took my fighting stance, ready for her next attack. Without my sword, I had no choice but to go to unarmed combat.
She grinned maniacally at me, “Oh ho, so it’s hoof to hoof combat this time. I can get behind that idea.”
Her weapon disappeared under her cloak as she got into her own stance. She lunged at me, causing me to go on the defensive. As she drew her hoof back to strike at me, I went to block it. The force of her attack made it difficult to keep my footing, especially in the sand. She was strong, even without her weapon.
We traded blows, moving side to side, not landing any significant hits. I took to putting momentum behind my strikes, flipping over the mare to land behind her and strike at her back. What happened next shocked me, as the mare anticipated my attack and jumped upwards. What I did not see coming was when she twisted her body and hit the side of my head, using the momentum of her spin. The blow sent me flying across the room, landing on the floor and rolling into a stack of debris.
My head was spinning, I was seeing double as Achlys was walking towards me with the same sadistic glee.
“Aww, what’s wrong, Shadow? Got a headache?” Achlys said, giggling as she started hovering in the air.
The spinning was slowly subsiding, and my vision was getting back to normal. It was then that a thought occurred to me. That technique she used, no pony discipline would teach that. The flexibility, the flow of movement, the anticipation required.
I glared up at her, “That move you pulled. That’s zebra style, Fallen Caesar, to be precise. Where does a pony learn something like that?”
She just giggled again, “You recognized it. Algea said you were smart, and she wasn’t wrong. It’s just one of my many talents.”
This was bad, she had me beat in speed as a pegasus, and we were too even in strength. I had this feeling that she was not being serious about this fight either. I was running out of options. Sweat went down my brow as I tried to think of a way out of this. I saw my sword still stuck in the sand, too far to reach with magic, but I could leap towards it.
I jumped to run for my sword, but Achlys was faster than me. She wrapped her chain around my barrel, and I fell to the sand. I couldn’t move, and I tried to reach for my sword with my magic.
As my horn glowed, a sharp pain went straight through it as my magic sparked like electricity. The pain was excruciating, and went straight into my skull.
Shit. Not now!
“Aww, what’s wrong? Magic failing you? Typical unicorns, so reliant on such a fickle power.” Achlys said as I was lifted into the air, upside down. She flew me over the beams of the ceiling and wrapped the chain around the beam, causing me to dangle from it in my upside-down position.
“See, now you’re a proper piñata. Too bad I didn’t bring a cake.” Achlys said, flipping upside down to look at me face-to-face. Her smile had an innocent guise but had a clear wicked intent behind it.
“What do you want, Achlys?” I asked, not able to move due to the chains.
She tapped her chin in thought for a second, “Well, you kinda gave me a decent fight, even though you cheated. And I’m not supposed to really kill you.”
That statement caught my attention, and it got me thinking. That Algea mare in the stable, she could have easily killed Keira and me. But she just knocked us out. And here was Achlys, me at her mercy, and she was not killing me.
“Who said not to kill me? Who are you working for?” I asked.
She waved her hoof in my face, “Now now Shadow, that would be telling.”
She hovered back a bit, and struck me in the face. Pain went through my skull as her hoof made contact. And as soon as the first came, a second one followed soon after. After the fourth hit, my left eye started swelling.
“Having fun, Shadow? I sure am. Your eye looks so funny, all black and swollen like that. Tell me, how does it feel?” She said with the demeanor of a child playing with her new toy.
I simply spat in her face, not seeing anything else I could do.
That did not seem to sit well with her, as she slowly wiped the spit off her face. The smile she had was now gone, replaced by a frown that sent a shiver down my spine. She hovered there, staring at me for a minute or two. Then she slowly pulled her hoof back, and I could feel her intent change, and knew this punch would hurt a lot more than the others.
I closed my eye as her hoof flew forward, and waited for the pain. But the only thing that came was the sound of some kind of whistle.
I opened my eyes to see Achlys fly backward, pinned to the wall with a spike. She screamed in pain as the spike went into her left shoulder. More whistling noises came as more spikes pinned her limbs to the wall, causing her to scream more. As she glared my direction, her eyes widened right before a spike went through her head.
“What in Luna’s holy moon?” I said, trying to see what was happening.
Then something came into my field of vision, opposite my swollen eye. A gray coat and a leathery wing, flapping up and down.
“Merciful Luna, what did she do to you?” Moonlight said, obviously seeing my injured eye and the bruises I most likely had.
“Get him down from there, Moonlight!” A male voice yelled out from above us. I knew that voice.
“Ratchet! Moonlight! What are you two doing here?” I yelled at them, irritation clear in my voice.
“Rescuing you, now hold still.” Moonlight said, flying upwards with the other end of the chain in her hooves.
I could hear her untangling the chain from the beam, and after a while, I could feel the chain lowering. When she finally got it loose, she struggled to slowly descend with me to the sand. I landed on the ground with a soft thud, Moonlight quickly moved to help me untangle myself from the chain.
Finally, after some struggling, I was free of the chain. Ratchet had come down the stairs to meet us, and I stood across from them, a look of frustration on my face.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked them again.
“Looks like we’re saving your hide from where I’m standing.” Ratchet said, patting his railway rifle.
“Shadow, please. We can talk about this later, we need to look at those injuries.” Moonlight said, holding out a hoof in worry.
“Get out of here while you still have a chance!” I yelled at them, trying to get them to leave.
“Yes, little ponies, you should listen to him.” A voice said above us.
We all looked up to see Achlys still talking even while her head as impaled. She was frowning down at us, obviously not happy. Then she pulled at her limbs, rather than pulling the spikes out, she pulled to where the spikes passed through her flesh, blood pouring as they disappeared from sight.
Her limbs came free as large holes formed where her flesh had been pierced, her front hooves first. Then came here hind legs, leaving only the one in her shoulder and her head. She then took her hind legs and swung them up to catch the spike in her shoulder. After pulling that one out, she simply used her limbs to push off the wall, arching her back at the right angle to pull herself off the wall, the spike going through her head. The spike went out the back of her skull, but in the process of removing herself from the wall, she lost her cloak.
When she was finally freed from the spikes, she hovered down to the ground floor, her wounds already starting to heal. Without her cloak, I finally got a good look at her. Her coat was pitch black, more than any pony I had ever seen. It looked unnatural, like she was tainted. Her mane was a sickly green, tied back into a short ponytail in the back. I couldn’t see her cutie mark as she stood across from us.
“That was my favorite cloak. Now I’m gonna get sand all over me. Ugh, it’s so annoying to wash it out of my mane.” Achlys said, dusting herself off.
I stood my ground, putting myself between her and my friends. She noticed my movement and gave me an uninterested glance.
“You know what, this isn’t fun anymore. I’m going home for a nice bath.” Achlys said, taking to the air and picking up her weapon Torment.
She flew up to one of the broken windows, but looked back at me before leaving.
“Bye Shadow, it was fun for a while. Hope to play with you again soon.” She said, gaining a bit of her cheery attitude from before.
She waved goodbye to me before disappearing out the window. I stood there staring at the window, making sure she left before I let my guard down. When I was sure, I collapsed onto the ground.
“Shadow!” Moonlight yelled, running towards me.
I was so exhausted, the adrenaline wearing off, and all the pain I felt came at once. My leg, my chest, my face, all of it hurt. Moonlight gently ran her hooves across my injuries. It was actually comforting, the feeling of her soft fur made the pain a little more tolerable.
Ratchet walked over, “Well, we sure scared her off, huh?”
I immediately turned my head towards him, making Moonlight jump. My glare was hard, making him recoil a bit.
“Do you honestly believe she left because she was scared of us? You just watched her rip herself off the wall!” I yelled at him.
Ratchet chuckled nervously, “Hey now Shadow, come on. We’re alright now and that’s what counts.”
“Why did you come? Better yet, how did you find me?” I asked.
Moonlight answered my question this time, “One of the guards saw you leave town, we followed the direction he gave us and eventually saw this building after a sandstorm blew through here.”
“I had a good idea what route you would take, plus this is one of the only shelters for several miles. Figured you would come here to hide or scavenge.” Ratchet said, coming up to sit with us.
I turned away from both of them, “You should have just moved on with your lives.”
“But why? You lied to us, and left us. Tell us why Shadow.” Moonlight pleaded.
“Because being around me is dangerous! You saw what Achlys was capable of.” I shouted at them.
“Achlys? That mare who was here earlier? What is she?” Ratchet asked curiously.
“I don’t know. She’s not a normal pony, that much I know. Magic like this is unheard of, to heal from injuries like that.” I said, looking away in thought.
“The amount of power to repair her body from all those injuries, replace the blood she lost, and keep her from going into shock from the pain is terrifying.” Moonlight said, fiddling with her braid.
“That’s why I left you both at Hydra Junction. There was a mare in my stable with the same healing ability. My friend Keira cut off her head, and she grew another one in less than a minute.” I said, trying to make them understand.
Ratchet paled slightly at my words, “There are more ponies like her?”
I nodded, “If my guess is correct, there are still more out there. Achlys called herself a Goddess. Boast or not, she certainly has power behind her words.”
“If this is true, then you most certainly can’t face them by yourself. One was tough enough, but a group of them would be a nightmare.” Moonlight said worriedly.
“Why can’t you two see that being around me is going to get you killed!” I shouted.
They both stayed quiet for a minute, but eventually Moonlight spoke up, “Why do you think you need to be alone?”
“Because it’s better for all of us. You’d be better off in Hydra Junction.” I said.
“This is the Wasteland partner. Nowhere is truly safe. Raiders, slavers, monsters of all kinds rule this land. The best way to survive is to stick together.” Ratchet said, placing a hoof on my shoulder.
I hesitated, hearing his words repeat in my head before speaking, “You two barely know me. I even tried to kill you, Moonlight. Why do you trust me?”
She put her hoof on my other shoulder, “Because you’re a good stallion. You saved the ponies of Hydra Junction twice in less than a week.”
“I did that because it was right, not to get any recognition for it,” I said.
“And that right there is another example of your character. Most stallions would be puffing out their chests and letting it go to their heads. Modesty is certainly a rare trait nowadays.” Moonlight said, smiling at me.
I sighed and shook my head, “Nothing I say will change your minds then?”
Ratchet chuckled, “‘Fraid not partner. You’re stuck with us now.”
I looked at both of them, and a smile crept onto my face, “Well, I guess I have no choice. I can’t promise your safety, but truth be told, I’d enjoy your company.”
Moonlight smiled brightly at me, and Ratchet just puffed out his chest. I got up with Moonlight’s help and moved to pick up my weapons. With all my gear tucked away, I moved to the stairs.
“Shadow, where are you going?” Moonlight asked.
“There’s something I need to do before we leave,” I said, motioning to the stairs.
Moonlight and Ratchet followed me up to the stairs, all the way to the top floor. As they followed me into the office, I heard Moonlight gasp at the body. They moved beside as I looked at Sergeant Sage Brush’s corpse.
“Did that mare do this?” Ratchet asked.
“I’m not sure, but judging by her demeanor, I wouldn’t put it past her,” I said.
“To treat a Desert Ranger like this, it’s sickening.” Ratchet said.
I turned to him, “Who are these Desert Rangers?”
He smiled, “The finest group of ponies you’ll ever find in this part of the Badlands. They patrol the Northern Badlands, taking out raiders, monsters, and other dangers in the Wasteland.”
“They sound like a fine group of ponies, I thought everyone was out for themselves in the Wasteland.” Moonlight said, covering her face with her wing a bit. The smell was probably worse for her due to her heightened sense of smell. I just got used to it after a while.
“Most are, but the Desert Rangers are different. The mare in charge is quite the leader, and she doesn’t tolerate any corruption or wrongdoing among her ponies. And she’s perfectly fine with taking in outsiders.” Ratchet said, grinning widely.
“This mare in charge, is her name General Marble Stone?” I asked curiously.
“Sure is. How’d you know that, Shadow?” He asked me.
I pulled out the recording I had found, along with the revolver. I played it in my pipbuck for them to hear, and the look of dread and sadness on their faces were the same as mine.
“He was expecting another child, and now they will have to go without their father. It’s not right.” Moonlight said, tears forming in her eyes.
“I know it’s not, Moonlight, but that’s how the Wasteland is at times. Shoot, I never even knew my pop.” Ratchet said, hanging his head.
I looked at the body and felt sadness in my chest. I couldn’t just leave him here to rot.
“Ratchet, you got anything for starting a fire?” I asked him.
He looked to me curiously, “I got some oil I use for my rifle, why?”
“I can’t bury him in the sand, but I refuse to let him rot in this place. He deserves a proper sendoff.” I said, looking to him and then back to the Sergeant.
Ratchet and Moonlight looked to me and smiled, and all soon found ourselves making preparations. I levitated the body down to the bottom floor, Moonlight gathered wood for the fire, and Ratchet took oil from his saddlebag.
The fire was set, Sergeant Sage Brush’s body was set and ready. We three stood to the side, my friends were waiting for me to strike the fire. While I was not great with magic, I could make a decent enough spark for something like this. My horn glowed as a blast of embers waved over the oily cloth Ratchet had placed on the wood. The fire began to spread.
“Sergeant Sage Brush, while I never truly met you, I say these words in the hope you will pass in peace. I will find your family and deliver your message. May the Goddess Luna embrace you in her night sky, and cradle you in her glorious moonlight. May she guide your soul to the everafter, and roam the fields of paradise alongside the ancestors.” I said, lowering my head in respect and prayer.
The fire had engulfed the body, and the smoke rose up to the top of the building, flowing out of holes in the ceiling and the large broken windows.
Moonlight and Ratchet were at my sides, the thestral mare had tears in her eyes, while the stallion had a weak smile. As we stood there, seeing the Sergeant burn in the flames, I stood up and looked to them. “We shouldn’t stay here, we should try and make some more ground before nightfall,” I said, both of them nodding in agreement. As we moved to the exit, I couldn’t help but feel like we were being watched, but it didn’t put me on edge.
I turned to look at our surroundings, seeing nothing but the fire, yet I could sense something. As I turned back to the door, at the corners of my vision, I could swear I saw something shimmer in the light.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added: Shotgun Surgeon You have gained more experience using shotguns. Regardless of ammo type, you ignore +10 of a target’s Damage threshold.
New Weapon: Desert Rose, unique .357 magnum revolver.
The desert sands were just as rough and unforgiving as ever. My new companions and I had made good time after we left the ruined building. Ratchet gave me some more detailed directions to our destination. It was actually nice to have his expertise on the area. Moonlight kept hovering over me like a mother hen, looking over my injuries from my fight with Achlys.
I had taken a healing potion and fixed most of the damage, my eye was no longer swollen, and most of the pain was gone. My leg was still sore from the fall I took when Achlys dragged me out of the office. Moonlight said I definitely pulled some muscles, and I was lucky my leg didn’t pop out of its socket. But I could manage, especially with the Med-X she gave me.
“So Ratchet, any other settlements out here? We’ve got a long way to the raider base.” I asked, looking over to him.
“Oh yeah, there’s a town about a day’s walk from here. It’s called Sandpit, it’s a trade hub for caravans in the northern part of the Badlands.” Ratchet said, pointing in the direction we were heading.
Moonlight’s ears perked at that, “So they have a lot of supplies for sale? Medical supplies, perhaps?”
Ratchet turned back to smile at her, “You bet Moonlight. They got just about everything for sale. They also got lots of stuff to do in town. A casino, a brothel, and other attractions to entertain travelers.”
“Sounds like a pretty successful settlement. We can rest there and prepare for the raider base.” I said, looking forward to seeing this place.
“Sounds like a plan partner, but we got a lot of walking before we get there. And it’s gonna be dark soon.” Ratchet said, looking to the sky.
I looked up at the grey clouds, seeing no sunlight or any indication of the time of day.
“How can you tell? The sky looks the same as it always does.” I asked him.
“It’s hard to tell if you haven’t lived out here all your life, I guess. You get a sense of the time of day. Best way to tell is the temperature. It’ll start to cool down more in the next hour or so, so we should look for some shelter and get a fire going.” Ratchet said, looking back to me.
Moonlight moved to catch up with us, having tripped a little in the sand.
“I’ve heard that the desert gets more dangerous at night. A lot of the animals prefer hunting when it’s dark, right?” Moonlight said, looking nervous.
“You heard right, Moonlight. Geckos tend to hunt at any time of the day, but the real predators come out at night, and they are much worse.” Ratchet said, keeping his gaze ahead of us.
“What other creatures can you run into out here, Ratchet?” I asked.
“Oh, you got radscorpions, radsnakes, mountain lions, giant ant lions, coyotes. The usual critters you’d find in a desert.” Ratchet said.
Moonlight tensed up, “Did… did you say mountain lions?”
Ratchet and I turned to see Moonlight shaking, her eyes darting in every direction. I moved to put a hoof on her shoulder. Her head snapped to meet my eyes, and she seemed to calm down a little.
“It’s alright, Moonlight. Nothing out here is going to hurt you. If I can take on a couple of bloodwings in a cave, then a big cat won’t be much of a problem.” I said, trying to comfort her.
It seemed to work as she smiled back at me and stopped shaking. We started walking again; though, something else Ratchet said had caught my attention.
“Ratchet, you said something about giant ant lions? What are those?” I asked.
“They’re one of the worst things to run into out here; worse than any mountain lion. The larvae bury themselves in the sand, and ambush anything that comes too close. The sand around them pulls you in, and is near impossible to escape from. Then they start throwing sand at you till they snatch ya in their huge jaws. They can get around the size of a brahmin.” Ratchet said, making my spine tingle with anxiety.
Moonlight was shaking again, “And… what about the adults?”
“Well, thankfully, they take a long time to mature. Some say it takes 20 years or so cause they’re so big. The adults are a lot worse, since they can fly. They are like giant flying kites of death that float along the sky and dive down on anything that moves. Seen one take out a hellhound once.” Ratchet said, waving his hooves in the air.
Moonlight was visibly paling now, and I wasn’t doing much better. I coughed into my mouth to get his attention. It worked, and when he saw Moonlight, he quickly stopped his rant.
“Right, sorry about that. But now don’t y’all worry. Like I said, they are quite rare. Most larvae don’t survive the first decade, whether by starvation or a well-placed grenade. Plus, you usually see the adults before they see you.” Ratchet said, trying to calm our thestral friend.
“Anyway, let’s find some shelter and get some rest. Moonlight, could you fly up and see if there is any shelter around?” I asked her.
She was hesitant, but nodded as she took to the air. She flew up a good distance and looked around. After about a minute or so, she came back down.
She pointed in a direction slightly off our course, “There’s an old ruined building that way. Looks abandoned, and the roof is intact.”
“Sounds like a good place to hunker down for the night. Come on, let’s see what we got.” Ratchet said, leading the way.
We moved over the dunes, and across the ocean of sand as we soon caught sight of the building in question. It was only a two-story building, the roof intact like Moonlight said. Several windows were shattered, and the front doors looked like they were still intact. There was some writing on the building, but it was too faded to make anything out.
“Well, no point in just staring at it. Come on, partners.” Ratchet said, leading the way yet again.
We made it to the front doors, and I pulled out my sword just in case. Ratchet’s battle saddle clicked as the safety was disengaged. He and I moved to the sides of the door, Moonlight moving behind me.
I nodded to Ratchet, and he nodded back. I kicked the door open and looked inside. The place looked abandoned, no sign of movement whatsoever. The room was a large lobby area, an empty space taking the majority of the room where I assumed furniture had been at one point. There was a large desk in the back with a hallway entrance behind it. After a minute of looking around the room, we relaxed. My EFS wasn’t picking up anything, so we began to set up camp. Moonlight gathered a bunch of old chairs and some rotten wood for the fire, allowing me to light it. With all the windows opened on this floor, we didn’t have to worry about the smoke.
Ratchet had laid down and taken off his battle saddle. He took out a bunch of tools from his saddlebags and began to work on his railway rifle. I sat down by the fire, Moonlight lying next to me.
“Hey Shadow, toss me your guns. I’ll give em a once over for ya.” Ratchet said, still tinkering with his own rifle.
“Sure thing. Thanks, Ratchet,” I said, levitating my shotgun and Desert Rose over to him.
He took my shotgun in his hooves first, looking it over and eyeing it with detail. Taking out some more tools from his saddlebags, he started taking it apart.
“Blackberry sure did a good job on this thing. I remember seeing it when we were dragging you out of the caverns. It was a beat-up piece of junk.” Ratchet said before taking a screwdriver in his mouth.
“It came in pretty handy when I fought some robots back in that last building. Even gave Achlys a good hit, though it didn’t kill her.” I said.
After taking out some screws, he spat out the screwdriver, “Yeah, these things pack quite the kick at close range, but aren’t that great at longer ranges.”
He looked up at me while he was oiling some parts, “So you didn’t bring any guns from your stable? Not a smart idea, Shadow.”
I rubbed the back of my head, “Well, we were raided before I came out, and they made off with a lot of our guns. Plus, I wasn’t really the best shot in the stable.”
“Well, that stinks. Shotguns are nice, but won’t help you much against enemies with rifles.” Ratchet said, finishing the cleanup.
He put the gun back together, it looked almost as good as new. He passed it back to me and took the revolver in his hooves next.
“Now, this is a thing of beauty. A .357 magnum with a nice ivory grip in great condition.” Ratchet said, looking over the gun.
He stopped around the base of the hammer, just above the grip. He took out a magnifying glass, and was quiet for a few seconds.
“Oh ho ho, I knew I recognized this craftsmanship. Shadow, come over here and take a look at this.” Ratchet said excitedly.
I walked over to him, and he passed me the magnifying glass. Taking it in my magical grip, I looked to where he pointed and found something. It looked like a brand, in the form of a hammer striking an anvil.
“That brand right there belongs to the finest blacksmith in all the Badlands, Hephaestus.” Ratchet said, sounding like a fanboy.
“Guess he’s pretty famous around here, huh?” I asked, smirking at him as he got a dreamy look in his eye.
“Of course he’s famous! He lives in Olympia, and makes the best weapons and armor in the world. Guns, armor, swords, he can make anything.” Ratchet said, beaming with admiration.
“Sounds like you really admire him?” I said, still smirking.
He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head, “Well, yeah. I’ve always wanted to meet him. I know I’ll never be as good as he is, but I’ve always dreamed of learning under his teachings.”
His shoulders slumped, “But it’ll never happen. I’ll never get to Olympia, let alone get a chance to meet him.”
I smiled at him, “Never say never, Ratchet. I’m sure you’ll get there one day. I have to say, this Hephaestus sounds a lot like my Uncle Forge in the stable. He made my sword and dagger.”
Ratchet’s ears perked up at that, “Is that so? I don’t have much experience in forging swords yet, but they do look impressive.”
We talked for a bit longer as he finished cleaning Desert Rose. He eventually finished, and I took my seat back over by Moonlight. She hadn’t noticed me yet, as she had her nose stuck in a book. So I did what I used to do to Silver back in the stable, I leaned over her shoulder.
“So whatcha reading there?” I said, right next to her.
She jumped a little, and turned to me with a pout, “Shadow, you scared me.”
I chuckled and pulled away, “Alright, I'm sorry. I used to do that to my cousin back home, she reacted a lot like you just did. Only it usually resulted in me getting my head smacked with a book.”
She giggled a little and went back to reading. I peeked at the cover, and saw the title “Herbs of the Desert, Survivor’s Guide.”
“Reading up on the local flora?” I asked.
She nodded but didn’t look away from the book, “There are a lot of interesting plants in the desert, despite what ponies might think. Some soothe pain, some help with coughing, and some even help with snake bites.”
My ears perked up, “Fascinating. I wonder what kind of potions I can make out of them?”
She turned to me, “You’re an alchemist?”
I smiled proudly, “Sure. Taught by two of the best masters in Stable 100, my mother being one of them.”
She smiled and bookmarked her spot before putting her book down, “I guess I should have expected as much. Zebras were always well-known for their alchemy skills.”
I nodded, “that’s true, but not all tribes were experts in it. The Mendi tribe were most famous for their healing brews. Others, like the Roamani and the Achu, were more focused on developing their fighting capabilities.”
Moonlight looked to me curiously, “I had no idea the zebras had such a diverse culture between the different tribes.”
“Not many ponies know about the different tribes. Most just remember the ones that fought on the front lines for the Caesar.” I said solemnly.
Moonlight sighed but then looked to me again, “So what tribe are you from?”
I smiled at her, “Well, my tribe is a bit complicated. We weren’t technically a part of Zebrica, and weren’t all zebras either.”
Both she and Ratchet looked at me with confusion.
I started to grow uncomfortable, “Please don’t take this the wrong way, you two, but I’m really not supposed to talk about my tribe or my stable with outsiders.”
“Well, I guess since you got attacked, y’all wouldn’t be very trusting. I’ll let it slide for now.” Ratchet said, shrugging it off.
“I understand Shadow, but I’d love to hear more of the other tribes if you can tell us about them. Maybe more about this Mendi tribe?” Moonlight said, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
I chuckled and nodded, going into more detail on the Mendi and how they grew to be so famous with their healing brews and medicine.
As we kept talking into the night, we started to feel drowsy. We all agreed to get some sleep and trade watch every few hours. I took the first watch, and the others soon fell asleep.
The night was peaceful in the light and warmth of the fire. I only wished that I could see the light of the moon. I had only read about it in books, and I longed to feel the light of our goddess Luna on my fur.
Suddenly, I heard something behind me. Further inside the building, a pile of rocks had moved, not enough to wake the others, but my trained hearing picked it up. I got up slowly, picking up my equipment quietly and made my way towards the source of the noise. It was past a doorway leading back into a long hallway in the back of the building.
Moving through the hallway, another noise caught my ear. Movement in one of the side rooms, and sounds of shuffling. I walked quietly but quickly to the door leading to the room in question, hugging the wall and peeking inside. The light was faint in the room, so I could not see clearly, but what I could see was a figure in the back.
It seemed to be a pony, hunched over and looking away from me. The light still wasn’t great, so I couldn’t make out anything. They didn’t seem hostile, so I decided to get closer.
“Hello, are you alright?” I asked, reaching out cautiously to the figure.
To my horror, the figure turned to reveal empty white eyes, void of intelligence, and life. The creature looked like a pony, but as my eyes adjusted, I could see it wasn’t right. The fur was nearly gone, the skin was brown like it had been dried out in the sun, flaking in places. When it opened its maw to growl at me, its teeth were jagged and pointed.
The beast lunged at me, but I was quick enough to sidestep it, and it fell to the ground. It quickly recovered and jumped at me again. I drew Venta, and with a fast slash, its head rolled to the ground, its body falling limply to the floor.
“What the hell?” I asked, looking at the decapitated creature.
A scream filled the air, one quite high in volume.
“Moonlight!” I yelled, running back down the hall towards our camp.
As I turned into the doorway leading to the open room, I saw chaos. Three of the creatures had Ratchet with his back to the wall. His railway rifle whistled, and one flew across the room as a spike dug into its chest. The others didn’t seem to mind that one of their own had been killed, and steadily kept advancing.
Another scream came as one of the creatures had pounced on Moonlight, trying to bite into her shoulder. She thrashed around, her wings fluttering as she tried to fly away. It kept trying to bite into her flesh as she attempted to escape.
Not on my watch, you son of a bitch!
I charged for them, sword glimmering in the faint light as it lunged forward, piercing its head and causing it to scream before going limp.
I threw it off of Moonlight, and she immediately clung to me. I tried to calm her down, but another shot from Ratchet reminded me it wasn’t over. I grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Moonlight, we need to help Ratchet. Here take this.” I said, handing her my new revolver.
She looked terrified and took the gun with shaky hooves. I turned and quickly reached into my pack with magic, taking out my potion case and picking out a light gray potion. Uncorking the bottle, I promptly chugged it down. The draft took effect, and my body felt like lightning had run through it.
I screamed and ran at the creatures attacking Ratchet. My sword and dagger floating by my sides, the former cleaving off the head of one of the creatures as I made it across the room. The others took notice of me and began to circle me like predators. I stood my ground, returning their growls as we sized each other up.
The first struck, charging at my right side, earning it a dagger in its eye. Two more rushed to attack, I spun my blade and cut a leg off one of them, but missed the other, my sword grazing it’s chest as it ducked back the last second. The one I missed managed to bite into my shoulder, causing me to shout in pain. It bit down hard, and I couldn’t pry it off with my weak telekinesis.
So I did the next best thing, I slammed it to the ground with my shoulder, using my weight to break its jaw, making it let go. After it let go, I stabbed it in the eye with Umbra. The next one jumped on top of me, but a quick whistle and the thing flew off me. Getting up, I saw Ratchet grinning as his gun smoked.
His face grew a look of worry as he looked behind me, “Shadow, we got more of ‘em coming from the hallway!”
I turned in the direction of the corridor, and sure enough, at least six of them were coming. Another scream pierced the air, and I turned once again to Moonlight, who had another one closing in on her.
“Ratchet, hold them off, I’ll get Moonlight!” I shouted to my friend, who nodded in response.
I quickly ran towards the thestral mare, who was fumbling with the revolver in her mouth. All she needed to do was pull the trigger.
But the shot never came as she stood there frozen.
“Moonlight, take the shot!” I shouted as I tried to move faster. My shout broke her out of her stupor, and she dropped the gun, flying upward onto an old ceiling light. The creature tried to jump after her, but it couldn’t jump high enough.
I closed the distance and picked up the revolver in my magical grip, aiming for the creature. Not wanting to trust my rusty skills, I went into SATS and lined up two shots to the head. I released the spell, my shots hitting home. The first bullet penetrating its eye while the other hit its muzzle, shattering it with a gory splatter of guts.
The creature hit the ground dead, and I turned to find more of the creatures coming. SATS had not recharged, so I had to shoot the old fashioned way. The revolver floating in my magical grip, I recalled the lessons with Master Gutshot.
I fired off four more shots, three of them hit their targets, killing two of the creatures and crippling another. As I went to reload, though, another got close and tried to bite at me. He got my sword through his skull for the effort.
Ratchet then appeared beside me and pulled out a grenade. “Fire in the hole!”
He threw the grenade at the doorway where more were coming in. I covered my ears just in time for the explosion that rang out. Blood and body parts flew everywhere as everything went quiet.
I looked at the doorway, and there were no more creatures trying to push through. No more signs of movement, no more growls and snarls. It was over.
I breathed a sigh of relief and put my weapons away. Ratchet collapsed to the floor in exhaustion.
“I hate ferals. Should have known better than to trust an abandoned building.” Ratchet said, relaxing on the floor.
“Ferals? What were those things, Ratchet?” I asked.
He turned to me with curiosity, which turned to understanding after a few seconds, “oh right, Stable pony. Probably never seen a ghoul before.”
Moonlight then came down from the ceiling light, “Ghoul?”
“Yeah, Ghouls. Ponies who were exposed to a lot of radiation, turning them into these things. Most of their fur falls off, skin starts to flake, etc.” Ratchet said.
“Now don’t get me wrong, most ghouls are still ponies inside, not much different than us. But eventually, they lose their minds and go feral. Attacking anything that moves. They also don’t age—some of them have been around since the Great War.”
“Really? That’s interesting. What else changes? Their diet?” Moonlight asked, her voice having a hint of curiosity and interest.
“Well, ghouls technically don’t need to eat or drink; or sleep for that matter. They’re like a walking corpse, and ferals are basically zombies.” Ratchet answered.
“So these ghouls were ponies once. It’s tragic. At least they can rest in peace now.” I said, holding my shoulder where I got bit.
“Shadow! You’re hurt!” Moonlight yelled, immediately moving to look at my injury.
“It’s not too bad. I’ll be fine.” I said, trying to calm her.
She dug into her saddlebags and pulled out a vial. Smearing some salve on her hoof, she spread it along my wound, making it sting a bit. But soon, the pain ebbed away. She then wrapped it in bandages and smiled at me.
“Better?” She asked.
“Yeah, much better. Where did you get that?” I asked, looking at the vial.
“Oh, I made it. Back in Hydra Junction while you were unconscious. Healing potions are expensive and don’t really help with pain or fighting infections. This is an herbal remedy my mom taught me. It soothes pain and kills any infection.” Moonlight said, putting the vial away.
“So that’s what you were doing in the doc’s office. That’s pretty handy there, Moonlight.” Ratchet said, walking up to her and giving her a light tap on the shoulder.
She blushed and fidgeted with her braid. “It’s not that impressive. A pretty simple mixture, really.”
I chuckled at her embarrassment, “don’t sell yourself short, Moonlight. That’s a pretty useful talent you have.”
Her blush brightened, and she hid her face behind a wing, making both me and Ratchet laugh.
After a while, we decided to check the rest of the building, just to make absolutely sure there were no more ghouls. Walking down the same hallway I had checked before, we looked in room after room, and found nothing. We moved to the farthest place in the building, the back rooms.
“Hey Shadow, what was that potion you took back there?” Moonlight asked as we moved down the hallway.
“It’s called White Wood Sap, it helps my body maintain my heart rate and stamina by regulating the oxygen in my blood,” I answered her.
“No wonder you weren’t out of breath after all that fighting. But isn’t that dangerous?” Moonlight said, walking beside me.
“Only in large doses and extensive usage. My metabolism allows my body to handle changes like these, but it can still be dangerous if used lightly.” I said.
“Can I see the vial, please?” She asked me.
I nodded and passed her the vial. She took it and flapped her wings, hovering in the air so she could hold it and move. She sniffed the vial a few times, putting her hoof on her chin in thought.
“Hmm, vermilion, ribleaf, crow’s eye. And… berbercane fruit!” Moonlight said gleefully as she guessed the contents.
“That’s right. You could tell all that from the scent? I’m impressed.” I said.
“Well, my mom taught me everything she knows about herbs and medicine. Plus, we grow a bunch of these back home. I didn’t think that other places would have a wide variety of plants.” She said, passing the vial back to me and landing.
“I don’t get a single thing you two are on about. Plants are just plants to me.” Ratchet said, shaking his head at us.
We all laughed for a while, making it to the last few rooms in the back. We each took a door—Moonlight and Ratchet leaving the farthest room for me. But as I got to the door and was ready to open it, something caught my eye.
The door had some kind of plaque on it, but I couldn’t make it out because of the dust covering it. I took my hoof and rubbed out the soot from the shiny surface, and my eyes grew as wide as dinner plates.
The symbol of the door was a full moon, decorated with magic runes and glyphs. I took out my necklace from under my barding and looked back and forth between the two. A perfect match.
Why is this here?
I attempted to push the door open, but it was locked. I bashed it with my shoulder in desperation, I needed to get in.
“Whoa Shadow, easy there partner. Where’s the fire?” Ratchet said as he came up behind me with Moonlight.
“Ratchet, I need to get in this room. Got any bobby pins?” I asked him with a bit of urgency.
“Sure do partner. Need me to pick that lock?” He said, pulling out a few bobby pins.
“I can get it, just didn’t have any bobby pins, thanks,” I said, grabbing a few pins in my magic.
Pulling a screwdriver out of my saddlebags, I worked the lock. Master Zala taught us how to infiltrate restricted areas to retrieve intel, so this was all too familiar to me. The tumblers fell into place, and a click told of my success. Didn’t break a single pin.
Opening the door—an office space greeted me. Ruined bookshelves lined the walls, and a desk sat to the far side of the room. On the desk was a glowing terminal. I immediately ran to the terminal, the login display was the same as in the stable.
“Shadow, what’s gotten into you?” Moonlight said, flying across the room to my side.
“The symbol on that door, it belongs to my tribe,” I said, typing at the keys to find the password.
“What’s it doing in a place like this then?” Ratchet said as he joined us.
I didn’t answer as the computer made a noise, showing me that I had picked the right password. I wasn’t as skilled with terminals as I was with locks, but this one wasn’t all that hard. The password turned out to be “Shelter.”
The files came into view, most of it was corrupted and inaccessible. But one file, in particular, was available. I clicked on it, and a journal entry came into view.
EREC Relief Center #12-101
Badlands, South of the Equestrian Border
Another day, and more victims of the war are piling in. But we are prepared to help them as is our duty. The directors came by today for an inspection. Everything is going great, of course. Their presence seemed to bring a sense of calm to the residents here. Zebras and ponies alike feel safe when they are with the EREC.
But not everything has been going well this week. Another representative of the Ministry of Peace came today. I told them that we had everything under control, and their assistance was not needed. I know Ministry Mare Fluttershy can be trusted, but we cannot allow the Ministries to get their hooves on our company.
I admire Fluttershy like any other doctor, but I’ve seen myself what the ministries are truly capable of. More news has come out of another attempt by the Ministry of Image to offer its partnership. The directors refused, of course. Have you seen what they publish in those textbooks? Zebras, with red eyes, portrayed as savages. I’ve met plenty of zebras, and they can be so sweet and helpful to others.
Honestly, I don’t trust any other ministry other than the MOP. The MOW hates zebras more than anything, and Ministry Mare Applejack wants nothing to do with the EREC. As if we need their help. As long as we have the directors, we will see this war through and help everyone we can.
Well, time to get back to it. The little ones need their bandages changed, and after Nurse Petalbrush got the flu, we have been a little overwhelmed. Poor dear.
Doctor Gingko
After reading the entry, I felt strange. Like Doctor Gingko was hiding something in her words. I wondered what had happened to her after the bombs dropped. Was she one of the ghouls we had slain?
Suddenly another option appeared on the screen. “Open safe.”
I clicked it, and a safe door opened at the bottom of the desk. I leaned down to look inside, and something I had only seen in storage at Research and Development met my gaze.
I reached inside with my hoof and pulled out a pink memory orb. Holding it in my hooves, I felt drawn to it.
“What’s that, Shadow?” Moonlight asked, looking at the orb in my hooves.
“Well hot dog, that’s a memory orb. Pretty rare around these parts.” Ratchet said, leaning against me.
“Memory orb?” Moonlight asked curiously.
“They’re magical items that store the memory of a living being. Unicorns can extract a person’s memory and make orbs like this for others to watch and experience the memory themselves.” I answered her, still looking at the orb.
“Yeah, only unicorns can watch them without some fancy tech device or something.” Ratchet said, looking through the rest of the office.
After obtaining more caps and junk, we went back to camp to get some sleep. It was difficult to sleep after both the ghoul attack and finding that office.
So the EREC still had buildings in the wasteland. Perhaps I could find more of our history. Auntie and Silver would like that.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added, Gunslinger.
Your experience with one-handed weapons has improved. You now gain 25% accuracy in SATS when using one-handed weapons.
Another day of walking in the sand went rather boringly, with no encounters or problems whatsoever. With how my last few days had gone I thought I’d run into another monster or at least another sandstorm. It felt odd, like a calm before the storm. Something was on the horizon, and it wasn’t good.
“Hey Shadow, you doing ok there partner?” Ratchet asked, breaking me out of my trance.
“Oh sorry Ratchet. Guess I got lost in thought again.” I said chuckling as I rubbed the back of my head.
He laughed a little, and I could swear I heard a giggle from behind us. I peeked behind my shoulder and Moonlight squeaked as soon as she noticed me. She took to the air a little, getting a view of the path ahead.
“So how much farther to this Sandpit Ratchet? I could kill for a decent meal and less sand in my ears.” I said, shaking my head to get the sand off me.
“Not much further if I’m not mistaken. Don’t that pipbuck of yours have a map?” Ratchet said, smirking as he pointed to the device on my foreleg.
I facehooved as I realized he was right, I could have just checked the map function. I brought my hoof up and activated the map, seeing the icon for Sandpit really close to the west of our position.
“Shadow! Ratchet! I see a town in the distance!” Moonlight said, confirming how close we were to our destination.
As Ratchet and I made over another dune, we saw it too. I was rather impressed to say the least. The town looked more like a city compared to Hydra Junction. Large buildings lining side by side, some ruined more than others. A large square in the center of town leading to a three story structure. A fountain was placed in the center of the square, with what looked like a statue.
“Yep, that’s Sandpit alright. Largest settlement in the Northern Badlands, well if you don’t count Fort Trough down near Tantabus Pass.” Ratchet said.
I turned to him with a curiosity, “Fort Trough? That’s where the Desert Rangers are based isn’t it? And what’s Tantabus Pass?
“Right you are there Shadow. The Desert Rangers turned the old pre-war fort into their base of operation, and a nice sized settlement for their families. With Lake Trough right next to it being the largest source of freshwater for miles around, they made a caravan route for all the Northern Badlands.” Ratchet said.
Moonlight landed next to us, “I wondered where ponies get their water in a desert. Is that the only source in this part of the wasteland?”
“There are occasional oasis and old aquifers that ponies use, but a good majority comes from either the mountains, or Lake Trough.” Ratchet answered.
“And this Tantabus Pass?” Moonlight asked.
“It’s one of the only ways into the Southern Badlands, other than going over the mountains or into the forbidden jungle.” Ratchet said.
“Fascinating, but we better save the questions for later. Let’s get down to the town before the wind stirs up again. One sandstorm is enough for me for a while.” I said, pressing forward.
They both followed me and the town gate was within our sight in no time. As we approached, two guards were standing on either side of the gate, seeing our approach they readied their battlesaddles.
“Halt, state your business in Sandpit.” One of the guards, an earth pony with a tan coat and gray mane.
“Hey there partner, we’re just passing through. Wanted to get out of the sand for a few days.” Ratchet said, pulling ahead of me and Moonlight.
“Hey, aren’t you the pony that fixed our fountain a few months ago?” The other guard, a unicorn with a light blue coat and navy blue mane said.
“The very same partner. Now how about letting me and my friends on inside?” Ratchet said, putting a hoof to his chest in pride.
The guards looked to him and then to us, their eyes growing wide at the sight of me and my thestral friend.
“What’s that stripe doing here? And the hell kind of pony is that? She’s got fangs!” The earth pony guard yelled as he and his friend pointed their weapons at us.
Moonlight yelped and hid behind me as I pushed forward, not showing them fear.
“I would appreciate it if you stopped threatening me and my friend. We aren’t here to cause trouble. Like my friend said, we’re just passing through.” I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could with two guns aimed at me.
“Woah woah there guys, they’re alright. The mare wouldn’t hurt a fly, and the zony is the Badlands Guardian from Athena’s broadcast.” Ratchet said, putting himself between us.
“The Badlands Guardian? Yeah I remember Athena talking about that. She said he took out a nest of Bloodwings, and a whole raider camp by himself.” The unicorn guard said.
I groaned at the mention of that title given to me by this Athena. I didn’t want to be seen as some kind of legend or messiah, but if it got us out of this situation, so be it.
“What’s going on here?” A voice rang out behind the two guards as another pony came out from the town gate.
He stood a bit taller than me, an earth pony with a dark grey coat with an ash white mane. He wore a uniform with several medals on it, and a battlesaddle with an impressive looking rifle on it. He had a scar across his left eye, giving me the impression that he had seen a lot of combat.
“Captain Slate sir, we got three newcomers. One’s a stripe and I don’t know what the other one is.” The earth pony guard said as he and his companion saluted the new pony.
He turned to us, “So I see. Well well, Ratchet, come back for more work?”
“Not this time Captain, just passing through like I tried telling these bucks. Please let me introduce my friends, this is Moonlight Song.” Ratchet said, gesturing to Moonlight who was starting to come out from her hiding spot behind me.
“Greetings Miss, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony like you before.” Captain Slate said.
“I’m… I’m a thestral sir.” She said meekly.
“A thestral? Yes I believe I’ve come across that term, but only in old pony tales.” The captain said.
He then turned to me, “And judging by your appearance, I’d wager you’re that zony that Athena keeps ranting about on the radio.”
I bowed to him, “Shadow Strike, an honor to make your acquaintance Captain.”
“Well it seems you have manners, that’s a nice change from the usual riff raff we get from the desert. I am Captain Slate, head of security here in Sandpit. I trust you’ll not cause trouble in my town?” He said, giving us all a stern look.
“No sir. We just wanted some rest and to resupply.” I said calmly.
He smiled, “Then let me officially welcome to Sandpit. You two, back to your post. I will escort our guests inside.”
“Yes sir!” The two guards said in unison as they quickly went back to their post.
As we began walking through the gate, I noticed at least three snipers along the wall, giving us a wary look. This place certainly felt different from Hydra Junction. Though the ponies there were more open to me due to me saving a majority of their citizens from raiders. I was a complete stranger here, other than the stories Athena told. Personally I preferred not to be noticed.
“Sorry about my guards at the gate, they were only doing what they thought was necessary. We’ve been having some raider trouble, and you can’t be too careful out here.” Slate said.
“No need to apologize. I’d do the same if our roles were reversed. I take it we can move about as we please then?” I asked.
He turned to me, “Yes, as long as you don’t cause trouble. Also, I feel I should warn you. Despite Athena’s broadcast, ponies here won’t hesitate to harass you for being a zebra, even if you’re only half.”
“Not the first time I’ve been discriminated against sir. But thank you for the warning. Good day.” I said, walking past him and into the city proper.
My friends following at my side, I looked to the vast sea of ponies walking through the streets of Sandpit. True to its name, sand still blew through the air as the wind blew. Shops and other establishments lined the streets leading to the center plaza.
Ratchet moved to the front of our group, “Well my friends, what do you think of Sandpit?”
“It’s so big, so many ponies in one place. I didn’t think places like this still existed.” Moonlight said as she took in the sights.
Some ponies took notice of us, giving us looks ranging from disgust to curiosity. Most kept their distance, not wanting to take a chance with strangers like us. Honestly it didn’t bother me much, but looking at Moonlight, every time she tried to smile, ponies fleed. Most likely due to her fangs. Her ears flattened against her head, her eyes drifting down to the dirt in despair.
I put a hoof on her shoulder, “Don’t let them get to you Moonlight. They aren’t used to seeing your kind out here. They just need to get to know you.”
She looked to me, eyes seeming to gain a little life back to them, her smile bright and cheerful again.
“Alright, ‘nough of this sadness and horseapples, let’s eat. I know just the place too. My friend runs it.” Ratchet said, gesturing to a building just across the street.
Following my friend, Moonlight and I soon found ourselves in a saloon, similar to the one we saw in Hydra Junction, but much bigger. Nearly twice as many tables, and a bar that stretched around the corner into another room. Ponies were seated everywhere, even a few non-ponies. A minotaur, a griffin, even a donkey way in the back.
As we came close to a table, “Well well well, look what the desert blew in.”
We all turned to see a unicorn mare with a red coat and green mane, her eyes were also green and she was wearing a cowpony hat. She smirked in Ratchet’s direction and moved her foreleg for a hoofbump, which Ratchet accepted.
“Red Delicious Apple, been a long time. How goes the business?” Ratchet asked.
Red smiled and puffed out her chest, “Booming. Ponies have been coming in like crazy. Apparently something big going on between the caravan companies.”
“That so? Typhon Company trying to buy out the competition again? Cause I sure as Celestia hope not. Bunch of bloodsuckers.” Ratchet said, spitting at his last words.
“Yeah, but we all know it ain’t gonna happen. The Water Merchants sure as hell ain’t gonna sell when they got the Desert Rangers backing them. And I heard the Storm Riders tried to partner with the Sand Talons.” Red said, keeping her voice down for the last bit.
“Shut your mouth. Sand Talons working with them? Not a chance.” Ratchet laughed.
“Uh, Ratchet? Little left out back here.” I said, getting their attention.
“Oh yeah, sorry about that partner. Red, these are my new friends. Shadow Strike and Moonlight Song.” Ratchet said as he introduced us.
“It’s nice to meet you ma’am” Moonlight said, smiling for a bit, but soon covered her mouth with her wing.
Red chuckled and moved the wing away, “Honey, don’t ever feel like you need to hide anything about yourself. Some fangs in a pretty smile ain’t gonna scare little ol’ me.”
Red gave her a wink and Moonlight seemed to brighten from the mare’s words. She then looked at me.
“I bet my apples that you’re that Badlands Guardian that Athena’s been on about. That right hon?” Red asked.
I groaned and shook my head, “Yes. Though please don’t call me that. Just Shadow will do.”
She laughed at my reaction, “Alright then. Now get your rumps in some seats. Bet y’all are starvin’ after traveling through the desert.”
We all nodded and sat down at a table off to the side, as to not be bothered by the many patrons that were staring at us. One gave us a particularly foul look, but one glance from Red and he quickly found his glass of water more interesting.
“‘So, what can I get ya sugarcubes?” Red asked, getting out a notepad and pencil.
Looking at the menu, I noticed it was similar to Hydra Junction, but much more variety. It still had a meat section that I steered clear of. They actually had fresh fruit and vegetables.
“Carrot soup and water for me please.” I said, passing her my menu.
“The usual for me Red.” Ratchet said, passing his menu as well.
Moonlight took a while to look at the menu, but eventually looked up from it.
“Do you have any tangerines by any chance Miss Apple?” She asked.
“First off hon, just Red is fine. Second, sure as sugar do. It’ll be a bit more expensive seeing as the only orchard is in Olympia.” Red said, giving Moonlight a friendly smile.
“Then I’ll take a couple tangerines and some tea please.” Moonlight said brightfully as she passed her menu.
“Alrighty then. I’ll have those out for y’all in a jiffy.” Red said, moving through the crowd as she left us.
Looking back to Ratchet, “So, what were you guys talking about? Caravan companies?”
“Yeah, caravans tend to band together to run trade routes across the Badlands. The Water Merchants for example come from Fort Trough and trade water from the lake.” Ratchet said.
“That sounds interesting. Though from the way you spoke, I take it this Typhon Company aren’t the most delightful ponies to work with?” Moonlight asked.
“That’s an understatement. Typhon Company runs the largest caravan company in the Badlands, with branches running all the way from here to Olympia down south. But they ain’t exactly kind about it.” Ratchet said, spitting again.
“What do you mean Ratchet?” I asked.
“I mean that if you don’t pay, you’re dead. And if you try to move in on their territory, they either buy you out, or you go missing.” He said.
“They sound dreadful.” Moonlight said.
“Yeah, they are. Thankly they’re based in Scrap Town down south. So hopefully we won’t run into them.” Ratchet said.
Red arrived with our food and drinks, all of it looking delicious as we dug in. Ratchet’s usual turned out to be a radhog kebab, making my stomach turn. My soup was hot and tasted better than the stuff we got in the stable.
Looking over to Moonlight, me and Ratchet looked kinda horrified as she bit into the tangerine with her fangs and started sucking out the juice. She got a look of bliss on her face before seeing us stare at her.
“What?” She asked.
“Nothing” We both said.
As we were still eating, some noise came to my ears as I looked up from my food.
“Hey you striped whore, come back for seconds? Can’t blame ya.” A stallion’s voice rang over the saloon.
A dirty brown earth pony stallion with rotten teeth and a wispy mane was grabbing a zebra mare by the shoulder and licking her neck. The mare was pressing against him trying to get away.
“Get away from my mother, asshole!” Another mare’s voice yelled out getting my attention. What I saw was something I only read about in books.
The mare had a grayish brown coat on most of her upper body, but what really got my attention was the stripes running around her legs. All four legs had zebra colors, with stripes moving across them. A long tail with a black bush of hair on the end, much shorter than a zebra. And the most distinguishing feature were two long ears on the top of her head. Her eyes were brown, just like her mothers.
Shaking myself out of my curious stupor, I got up from my seat and moved towards them. I could hear Ratchet and Moonlight shouting at me to wait.
“Hey! Get your hooves off of her!” I yelled at the stallion as I made it to their table.
He turned to me with a look of disgust, “The fuck you want? I’m busy.”
“I said get your hooves off of her, you waste of skin!” I said.
He was distracted enough by my words for the mare to push him off of her and move to her daughter’s side. She desperately wiped his spit off her face.
Having lost the mare in his hooves, he got up and stood in front of me. “You got a death wish Stripe?”
“You couldn’t hurt a fly, let alone me. So how about you get out of here?” I said, my voice still stern and dark.
“You wanna bet?” He said, moving his hoof to strike at me.
I simply moved to the side of his sloppy strike and pulled him into a headlock. I held him there for a minute or so, him struggling in my grasp.
“Now here are your options. You can leave and promise never to bother these two again. Or I can break your neck right here. Just one little twist and SNAP!” I said, giving his head a little jerk.
He stopped struggling at my words and nodded his head the best he could, “Ok ok. I get it. I promise. Just let me go.”
He sounded so vulnerable, completely different from before. Typical. I looked down to see that he had pissed himself. Maybe I put on a little too much.
I let him go, and he quickly ran out the door. Everyone was staring at me, some with fear, others with interest.
“All right, parties over. Nothing to see here ya bunch of scavengers. Back to your own business!” Red yelled out across the room as she approached me.
She looked at me with a glare, “Now I ain’t gonna kick you out for standing up for others. But there is no fighting in my bar. Is that clear Shadow?”
I nodded solemnly, “Yes Red. I’m sorry for causing trouble, but I couldn’t stand still and watch that.”
Her glare turned into a smile, then she turned to the two striped mares. “What about you two? Y’all ok?”
The zebra mare looked timidly at Red and I, moving her head to whisper into her daughter’s ear.
The daughter nodded, “Mother says thank you for helping her with that jerk. But I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of caps for a reward.”
“I don’t need your caps. I didn’t do it for a reward. There is some room at our table if you’d like to join me and my friends.” I offered, pointing back to our table.
Both mares looked at me and to each other, and after a while both nodded and followed me to our table. My friends both gave me looks of concern.
“Wow Shadow, that was… scary to say the least.” Ratchet said nervously.
Moonlight didn’t say anything at first, but eventually she spoke up, “You didn’t have to threaten his life Shadow.”
My ears folded back as I could hear the disappointment in her voice. I didn’t really think about how they'd react. I just did what felt natural in a situation like that. Dealing with Granite for so long, I didn’t see the wrong in it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare either of you.” I said quietly.
“Please do not blame him. He was protecting us, and that stallion was the one who struck first.” The younger mare said.
Moonlight looked surprised at the mare’s sudden rush to defend me, but sighed and nodded to me.
I turned to them, “Thank you. I don’t think I caught your names. I am Shadow Strike.”
“It is an honor and a pleasure Shadow Strike. I’m Sasha, and this is my mother Zaheera.” Sasha said, gesturing to her mother who bowed her head.
“The honor is mine. These are my friends Ratchet and Moonlight.” I said, gesturing to my friends.
They both waved at our guests, and Moonlight spoke up, “Forgive me for asking but what are you? I don’t think I’ve seen anypony like you.”
“No worries, I doubt any of you have seen a zonkey before.” Sasha said.
“Zonkey? Like a donkey and a zebra?” Ratchet asked.
“Yep. The ears are usually a dead giveaway.” Sasha said, putting her hooves to her ears.
“I thought so. It’s nice to see I’m not the only hybrid in the wasteland now.” I said chuckling.
She turned to me, “I agree. Judging by the horn, I figured you had some pony in you. Though the color scheme is something I didn’t expect.”
“Neither did my mother. The scientist back home said it was a recessive trait in my genetics. I like to think it makes me unique.” I said, smirking.
“Yeah, cause a zebra with a horn on his head isn’t unique enough there, eh Shadow?” Ratchet said laughing.
Moonlight giggled at his joke and we all ended up laughing. Red brought Sasha and Zaheera some fresh veggies and some water to eat as we talked.
“So Zaheera, are you from Equestria? Or did you come here from Zebrica?” Moonlight asked.
The zebra mare looked up from her meal and got a look of sadness on her face. She turned to her daughter, speaking in a thick accent. Moonlight got a look of confusion as she couldn’t understand what the mare was saying.
“Mother says she wishes not to talk about the homeland. But yes she did come from there. She hopes you’ll understand.” Sasha said.
“Why can’t she talk to us? We ain’t gonna bite.” Ratchet asked.
“Mother doesn’t speak Equestrian very well. I know it because of my father and books. She has had difficulty learning since we came here.” Sasha said, her mother looking away in embarrassment.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m half zebra and even I’m not fluent in all their dialects. I can tell from her accent and stripe pattern that she’s Carnilia. Am I correct?” I said.
Zaheera looked up to me with shock and smiled a little, nodding her head.
Moonlight looked to me with curious eyes, “What are the Carnilias known for Shadow?”
“They were some of the first zebras to develop agriculture in Zebrica. Not too different from earth ponies, but without the latent magic that ponies tend to have.” I answered.
Zaheera nodded again, her smile widening. She turned back to her daughter and spoke to her again.
“Mother thanks you for your kind words, Shadow. It’s nice to know that others still know the history of our tribe here in Equestria. She also wishes to ask about your tribe.” Sasha asked for her mother.
My ears drooped and I couldn’t bring myself to look at them, “I’m sorry but I’m really not supposed to discuss my tribe with outsiders.”
They looked disappointed but nodded. Zaheera whispered to her daughter again.
“Mother and I understand. But she does wish to say she doesn’t recognize your stripe pattern. Even for a zony, you are an oddity. Mother knows most of the tribes, from the swamp dwelling Orah to the nomadic Eschatik.” Sasha said.
I rubbed the back of my head nervously and tried to give them a convincing smile. We all ended up laughing and enjoying our meal. After we paid Red for the meal, we headed out of the saloon. Sasha and Zaheera stopped on the streets to turn to us.
“I’m afraid we must take our leave. Mother needs to rest and I need to do some shopping. We hope to see you all again.” Sasha said, waving to us as they made their way down the street.
We said our goodbyes and paid our bill. We started walking in the opposite direction that Sasha had taken.
I turned to Ratchet, “So what should we do next?”
“I reckon we go to a junk dealer and get some caps for all the scrap we’ve picked up in the wastes.” Ratchet said, gesturing down the road.
“That sounds like a excellent idea. We don’t have many bottlecaps. And we will need them for supplies.” Moonlight said.
“True. Alright Ratchet, lead the way.” I said.
Ratchet took us a few blocks down the road to a building that had a large hole in the side of it, leaving a room exposed to the elements. The roof didn’t have any holes but plenty of wear and tear. We entered the door, only to dodge a flying pony. The pony was an earth pony who looked like he desperately needed a bath. We looked back to the door to find a minotaur coming out holding a large axe. His coat was a light red, except at his bottom half, which was a darker red. Two large horns on his head, with a nose ring. He wore no barding except for a strap that reached around his torso and shoulders. Most likely it had a ring or clamp to hold his axe in the back when not in use.
“If Mercer catches you stealing from here again, you’ll lose a leg next time!” The minotaur bellowed at the pony, who got up and ran in fear.
Ratchet looked up to the minotaur, “You know Mercer, if ya keep throwing ponies out, you’ll scare off your customers.”
Mercer looked down at my friend and his eyes grew wide. He quickly moved to pick up Ratchet in his large arms after putting down his axe.
“Ratchet! Greetings my dear friend! Mercer is overjoyed to see you again!” Mercer exclaimed, squeezing the life out of Ratchet.
I chuckled at the sight, and I could hear an adorable giggle from Moonlight as well.
“Mercer… Can’t breathe pal.” Ratchet said, struggling to breathe.
Mercer released our friend and put him down, “Apologies my friend. What brings you to Mercer’s shop? Mercer thought you found a place in Hydra Junction.”
After recovering, Ratchet answered, “Yeah I kinda got into a bit of debt and the shack may have exploded a little.”
Mercer laughed loudly, “You have not changed my friend.”
Ratchet rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and then gestured to us, “Anyway, Mercer these are my new friends. This is Shadow Strike and Moonlight Song.”
Mercer turned to us and I gave a little wave with my hoof, a little intimidated by his size. I had read about minotaurs, even seen photos, but never in the flesh. I barely came up to his waist. Moonlight seemed just as nervous, but still gave a small wave of her own.
“New friends!? What a glorious day! Any friend of Ratchet is most certainly a friend of Mercers!” He proclaimed.
“It’s nice to meet you Mercer. We were hoping to sell some scavenge for some caps?” I said.
He beat his chest in pride, “You have come to the right place, new friends. Mercer is the best dealer in Sandpit. No cheating or rip offs in my store. Come come.”
He gestured for us to follow him, picking up his axe and heading inside. We all followed and found an arrangement of shelves and boxes waiting for us. It seemed Mercer had just about everything. Guns, ammo, scraps, barding, etc.
“This is quite the assortment you have Mr. Mercer.” Moonlight said, looking at all the shelves.
“Please, Mercer is fine. Mister makes me sound old. Now let us see what you have.” Mercer said as we came up to a table.
“So Ratchet, how do you know Mercer?” Moonlight asked.
Ratchet turned to her, “Oh we go way back. I got into a bit of trouble and Mercer let me work here in the shop for a while. Let me tell you, he takes vending very seriously.”
Mercer laughed and put a hand on his shoulder, “Ah those were the days. Mercer remembers meeting his old friend so long ago. A little pony with nowhere to go and no caps to his name. Got into trouble with slavers and Mercer had to bail him out. We had many great years in this very store.”
“Slavers? Who’d you get into trouble with them?” I asked.
Ratchet suddenly frowned and looked away, “Sorry Shadow. I don’t like to talk about that. Sorry.”
“No no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” I said.
Mercer steppen in, “Enough about slavers and the past, let’s do business.”
We set out all the scrap we had managed to salvage. Spark batteries, sensor modules, and other junk that I only knew because Ratchet and Mercer had named them off as we put them on the table.
“Hmm, a good haul my friend. Mercer likes what he sees. Got a buyer who cleans Mercer out of spark batteries every week. So 10 spark batteries, 10 sensor modules, some scrap iron and wonderglue. How does 600 caps sound?” Mercer said.
“Shoot Mercer, that sounds like a good deal.” Ratchet said.
Mercer handed him a bag of caps, taking the stuff off the table and into a box nearby. That seemed like a good deal, enough for some supplies and a place to stay.
Moonlight then walked up to the minotaur, “Umm, Mercer? I have some pre-war bits. I know no pony out here uses them, but back home we did. Are they worth anything?”
He looked to the thestral mare with a grin, “Sure they are. Ponies use them for old vending machines and other machines. How many do you have?”
Moonlight reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a hefty sack of bits, making all our eyes go wide.
She looked at all of us with confusion, “What?”
“That is quite a few bits there Moonlight. Were you some kind of royalty back home? Ponies usually take days to find that many.” Ratchet said.
Moonlight eye’s grew a look of worry, but only for a moment. She quickly composed herself and cleared her throat, “No, like I said, we still used bits back home. I just happened to save a lot of them when I left. I had no idea they weren’t still in use out here.”
Mercer opened the bag to find 1500 bits, “Normally pre-war bits go for about 10 bits per cap, but since there are so many and you are new friend, Mercer will give a better deal. How does 300 caps sound?”
Moonlight nodded her head and Mercer handed her a bag of caps.
“Thank you Mercer. Mind if we look around the store?” I asked.
“Of course my new friend Shadow. Look around.” Mercer said, putting Moonlight’s bits in another box.
Looking around the store, we found some water and canned food we could take for the trip to the Raider base. I also found some ammo for Desert Rose and my shotgun. Ratchet found some new tools to replace some old ones of his, as well as some more spikes for his railway rifle. Mercer came by me and had his axe in it’s strap, reminding me of a question I wanted to ask.
“Mercer, that is a fine blade you have there. Where did you get it?” I asked.
He looked at me and removed his axe from his back, holding it in front of him.
“Yes, Mercer’s axe is the finest axe you will ever see. It was made by Hephaestus himself back when I lived in Olympia.” Mercer said proudly.
“Really? What brought you up here to Sandpit then?” I asked.
“Too crowded down there for Mercer, and too many politics. Mercer prefers the simple life.” He said.
After a while, I decided to check on Moonlight, and see what she had found.
When I found Moonlight, she seemed to be disappointed, “What’s wrong Moonlight?”
“I don’t see any medical supplies, have you seen any?” She asked me.
Mercer came up from behind us, “Ah yes. Forgive Mercer, but all medical supplies in Sandpit go to Doctor Lovegood. He is in charge of the clinic, but Mercer is sure he would be willing to sell some supplies.”
“Alright, we can make a stop there on the way to find a room for the night.” I said, giving Moonlight a smile.
She smiled back and was about to say something when Ratchet shouted from across the room, “Hey Moonlight! Come here a sec.”
We both looked confused and moved to the back shelf of the store. We found him looking through a bunch of guns. Pistols, shotguns, and a few laser weapons. I hadn’t seen one since the stable.
“Got some decent weapons for ya. We can probably start you off with a 9 mm. Or if you prefer laser weapons, I can probably talk Mercer into giving us that laser pistol for a better price.” Ratchet said.
Moonlight looked shocked and then paled a little as she looked at the weapons, “Thank you Ratchet but I don’t think that’s necessary.”
I turned to her, remembering the fight with the ghouls, “Moonlight, you need a weapon to protect yourself.”
She shook her head, “No, I’ll be alright. I can fly, and you two are pretty strong.”
“Flying is good and all, but it ain’t gonna save you from a sniper or a machine gun. Moonlight, just pick a gun and I’ll teach ya how to use it.” Ratchet said.
She shook her head even more and backed away from us, shaking a little. I could see the start of tears in the corners of her eyes.
“Ratchet that’s enough.” I said, moving towards the thestral.
She trembled even more as she heard me come towards her, but froze when I put a hoof on her shoulder, “Moonlight, why didn’t you defend yourself back with the ferals?”
She looked away from me, her head low, “I just… can’t.”
“Moonlight, you will need to fight in order to survive out here. So far I’m guessing you just hid and relied on others. Friends are good, but eventually you will need to fight for yourself.” I said, my voice soothing and calm.
She looked at me, tears streaming now, “I just can’t take a life.”
“You saved me from that Bloodwing back in the caverns.” I said.
She shook her head again, “Monsters are one thing, but those ghouls were ponies once. I just can’t take a pony’s life. Or any sentient creature. I trained to be a healer. I save lives, not take them away.”
She finally broke down, collapsing on the floor crying. I leaned down to hold her, and she immediately buried her head in my chest.
“I understand Moonlight. You are a gentle soul, one that shouldn’t have to live in this wasteland. Your talents are a blessing from the Goddesses, for saving lives is far more important than taking them.” I said, stroking her mane to try and calm her down.
“But you are here in this wasteland, and the ponies around you need you. I won’t force you to take a life, or hold a gun. But eventually, you will need to overcome this fear. Ratchet and I cannot always be there to protect you. Someday, you will need to fight. Killing is not something to be proud of, but is necessary to protect others. I learned that a long time ago.” I said.
She eventually calmed down and got back to her hooves, “I’ll… try Shadow.”
I hugged her one last time, which she returned quickly.
A cough behind us made us both turn. Ratchet and Mercer stood a few feet away.
“I guess I can understand ya Moonlight. But that kinda thinking won’t keep ya safe out here. But I won’t force ya either.” Ratchet said.
“Well I guess that’s the last of what we need here. Mercer, thanks again.” I said, smiling to the minotaur.
“Thank you Shadow. You and your marefriend are always welcome in Mercer’s store.” Mercer said.
My mind blanked for a second, then my face immediately went red with embarrassment. And from the “eep” to my side, Moonlight was also caught off guard by that comment.
“She’s not my marefriend! She’s just a friend!” I yelled.
I turned to see Moonlight had hidden herself behind her wings again, probably to hide her blushing face. Ratchet was rolling on the ground laughing.
“Oh sorry, it’s just you two had that cute hugging moment, and the comforting.” Mercer said.
“Alright thank you again Mercer, we’re going now!” I yelled out, making my way to the door.
Ratchet and Moonlight quickly caught up to me, and we made our way back out onto the street. Taking a deep breath, my face had returned to its normal color. That was unexpected.
Ratchet, still chuckling a little was on my right side, “You know, you two did look pretty cute back there.”
I groaned, “Shut up Ratchet and take us to this Doctor Lovegood.”
“How can you call this Luna forsaken place a clinic!?” Moonlight yelled louder than I have ever heard her speak before.
I couldn’t blame her. When we found Dr. Lovegood’s clinic on the other side of town after leaving Mercer’s store, I had a hard time believing Ratchet. The place was a mess, looking more like the cafeteria after a big food fight. Wrappers everywhere, spit, vomit, piss, even some shit on the wall.
“If you have a problem with my clinic, you can take your business to another doctor in town. Oh wait, there isn’t one.” A unicorn stallion in a white lab coat said smugly.
This was Doctor Lovegood, a sickly green stallion with a lighter green mane. He was arrogant and smug, making my skin crawl the moment he introduced himself. How somepony could call themselves a doctor and not keep their workplace clean and sterile was beyond me.
“This is a crime to the profession! Just walking in here could get ponies sick. And the amount you charge for your services is outrageous! 2000 caps for a rad purge, 5000 for a broken limb, it’s robbery!” Moonlight shouted at him again.
“Ponies in the wasteland need doctors all the time, and I need to pay for supplies. Medicine and equipment is not cheap, bat freak. Now if you are done barring your fangs at me, get out of my clinic. You are scaring away my customers.” Dr. Lovegood said as he made a shooing motion with his hoof.
That was where I drew the line and stepped in, “What did you call her?”
“You heard me. Now as I said when you barged in here, I don’t treat stripes. Or whatever creature this bitch is, now leave or I shall call the guards.” He said as he turned to me and spat at my hooves.
I was about to bash his skull in when Ratchet grabbed me and Moonlight, dragging us out of the clinic. I resisted a little, but the look he gave me made me stop and comply.
When we got back onto the street, I was fuming and turned to Ratchet, “Why did you do that? All those horrible things he said about Moonlight, and you just leave.”
“Believe me Shadow, I wanted nothing more than to nail him to the wall. But we can’t cause trouble around here. Red let you off with a warning back at the saloon, but not everypony is that forgiving. The guards would have thrown you out into the desert.” He said grimly.
I growled for a second, but a hoof on my shoulder made me turn my head to the source. Moonlight looked at me with a smile, something I did not expect.
“Shadow I’m grateful for you defending me, but that disgusting twit is not worth getting kicked out of town. We’ll manage without supplies. Perhaps we can find some on the way.” Moonlight said, trying to calm me down.
I sighed and nodded, “Alright. But if we run into him again, you and Ratchet will have to hold me back. Honestly, that’s what counts as a Doctor’s Clinic in this town? Hydra Junction was less than half the size of this place and it had a better clinic.” I said.
“I know. The last owner of that clinic was a lot more professional, and kept the place clean for starters. Guess he must have died or moved on.” Ratchet said.
“Well where to now? There a decent inn around here?” I asked.
Ratchet nodded, “Yeah, over by the mayor’s office. Decent beds, and somewhat clean.”
Ratchet led us through the streets of Sandpit once again, walking past shops and other establishments. The more I saw of the city, the less I liked about it. Ponies fight over supplies, merchants wanting more caps for their wares. I figured a large settlement would have problems, but this was beyond my expectations.
Another thing that stood out was the level of prostitution in town. On nearly every street corner were mares in skimpy clothing, waving a sign telling ponies to head to the “Lotus Garden”. Ratchet said there was a brothel in town, so I guessed that was the name. Interesting name for a brothel, I expected something more perverse.
As we made it to the center of the city, a much larger marketplace came into view. Ponies in every direction, all heading to different destinations. Stands and carts were everywhere, selling everything from junk to food. Moonlight found a fruit stand with tangerines, but sadly they were too expensive and we had to push her away before temptation got to her. It was a shame too, as they looked delicious and I had yet to try one.
“These prices are ridiculous! I just watched you sell the same product to another mare for a third of this price!” A familiar voice rang out from the crowd.
We made our way over to the commotion, and sure enough, we found a familiar sight.
Sasha was wearing a pair of saddlebags now, both looking like she had been quite busy in the market. She was currently in a confrontation with an earth pony merchant who looked as unhappy as she did. Zaheera was nowhere to be seen, thankfully not getting caught in this scenario. The zonkey seemed to be arguing over a bag of apples, some red and some golden.
“Well that was then, this is now. And that is the price for my product is 500 caps. You don’t like it, then beat it half-breed.” The merchant said.
“What kind of a bullshit reason is that? What, not getting enough business? You could try being less of an asshole and maybe you’d have more customers.” Sasha said.
“I get plenty of business, thank you very much. But if you got stripes, then you gotta pay the stripe tax. You should be grateful that I do business with you at all.” The merchant said.
“Stripe tax! You racist piece of brahmin dung!” Sasha yelled out.
I was about to walk up and try to help her out, when Moonlight held me back. I looked back at her with disbelief.
“Oh come on, she’s our friend. And that asshole is clearly trying to cheat her.” I said.
“You can’t just go flexing your muscles everywhere Shadow. Making ponies scared of you isn’t a great first impression.” Moonlight explained.
“She’s right Shadow. Keep throwing your weight around and you’ll soon find yourself in a world of…” Ratchet said, stopping before he could finish as his eyes widened.
I looked at him confused, “Uh Ratchet? You ok?”
He said nothing as his mouth hung open, looking in one direction, not seeming to blink. Curiosity got the better of me, so I turned to look in the direction he did, soon finding the reason for my friend’s behavior.
A unicorn mare was walking towards the stall that Sasha was at. There was something odd about this mare, mostly the fact that she was so brightly colored and clean. Her pale peach coat seemed to shine, despite the sand blowing through the streets. Her mane was a mix of pink and green, a flower pinned above her ear, something I didn’t expect to see in a desert wasteland. Her eyes were a sky blue color, and had a cutiemark of a present with a heart coming out of it. She seemed out of place, her appearance too perfect. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but there was something else about her.
As she stepped up to the stall, the merchant saw her and turned back to Sasha, “I got another customer. Now pay up or beat it!”
Sasha huffed and stormed off, seeing us as she did and making her way to us. The unicorn mare made it to the stand and smiled.
The merchant combed back his messy mane and grinned at her, “What can I get ya gorgeous?”
The mare giggled, “Oh thank you kind sir. I was actually looking to buy some apples.”
She tapped her hoof on the bag Sasha was trying to buy, “Are these still for sale?”
“Sure are missy. That’ll be 100 caps.” The merchant said smiling at her with his rotten teeth.
“Oh dear, I’m afraid I’m a little short. My mother needed a rad purge and you know that stingy doctor charges a fortune. Could you maybe give me a little discount? Please?” The mare said, batting her eyelashes at him.
The stallion blushed, “Oh well, I guess for a pretty mare like you, 50 caps.”
The mare beamed and clapped her hooves, “Oh thank you! You’re so kind.”
She laid down the caps and took the basket, waving goodbye to the stallion as she left the stand. As we all watched this occur, Sasha had stopped next to us and witnessed the event as well. She had grown irritated as she watched the back sell the same product she was wanting for a fraction of the price she was offered.
What we did not expect was the mare turning to walk over in our direction, and sit the basket of apples down at Sasha’s hooves. Sasha was shocked as she looked between the mare and the basket.
“There you are dear. I believe these are yours.” The mare said, smiling at our zonkey friend.
The merchant looked over our way and saw the exchange, “Hey! What gives? You said those were for you and your mother!”
She looked back at him, “I lied.”
He growled and gritted his teeth, “Don’t expect any business with me again, you fucking bitch!”
The mare simply winked at him and turned back to Sasha.
“But… but why?” Sasha said, at a loss for words.
“Because that brute was cheating you for a stupid reason. Never be ashamed of what you are. You are beautiful and no pony can tell you otherwise.” She said.
Sasha was speechless, trying to come up with something to say. After a minute, she just smiled, “Thank you so much Miss.”
“Think nothing of it dear. Times are hard enough without jerkbags like him making it worse.” The mare said.
“Thank you again, please let me pay you back.” Sasha said, digging out a bag of caps.
The mare lit up her horn, glowing a light green as she put the caps back in Sasha’s bag, “That won’t be necessary dearie. It was my pleasure.”
Seeing her kindness, I had to join in, “Thank you for that. I didn’t know such kindness existed in this city.”
She looked to me with a bright smile, “Kindness is always there, as long as you know where to look. Forgive me for stealing your spotlight, I could tell you were about to step in.”
I was shocked, “How did you know that?”
She grinned, “No offense sir but I could have felt your anger from two block away. I applaud you wanting to help your friend, but as your friend said, flexing your muscles isn’t the best way to deal with a situation like that.”
“How did you know what we were talking about? And what did you mean “feel” my anger?” I asked.
“I have pretty good ears. As for your feelings, let’s just say I have a special talent for sensing other people’s emotions.” She said.
Sasha stepped in, “Forgive me for interrupting, but I must ask for your name so I can thank you properly.”
“Of course, how rude of me. I am Saskia, pleased to make your acquaintance.” Saskia said, with a bow.
Ratchet walked up and finally got his voice back, “That’s a real fine name Miss Saskia.”
“Just Saskia dear, and thank you.” Saskia said, giving Ratchet a wink, making him blush.
Moonlight joined us as she giggled, “You certainly worked him splendidly. You had him captivated like a colt with his first crush.”
Saskia brushed her mane out of her eyes and over her ear, “Well if you have looks, you might as well use them. I bet you’ve had plenty of stallions swooning over you dear.”
Moonlight blushed and began to fidget with her braid, “No, not really. I’m not that pretty.”
“Nonsense. Your mane is lovely, and that braid is so cute. Take pride in your looks.” Saskia said, moving to Moonlight’s side.
Moonlight blushed more and hid behind a wing, making Saskia giggle. Then she turned to Sasha, wrapping a hoof around her shoulders.
“And you dear, you have such a unique look. I bet with a little style in your mane, you’d have stallions eating out of your hoof.” Saskia said, brushing a hoof through Sasha’s mane.
Sasha blushed a bright red, “Thank you for your kind words, but I am not looking for a stallion right now. Thank you again for your help Saskia, now please excuse me. Mother will be worried if I am not back soon.”
“Of course. Be safe dear.” Saskia said, letting her go.
“I will. And my friends, it was nice seeing you again. I hope next time, we can meet when I am not fighting with somepony.” Sasha said, waving at us as she left.
Ratchet cleared his throat, “So uh, what’s a nice mare like you doing in this city?”
Saskia turned to look his way, “I get around. And what about you guys? A thestral, an earth pony, and a zony of all things. You’re a bit of a rare sight.”
“We’re just passing through. We’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.” I said.
“Oh, what’s the big hurry?” Saskia asked, looking curious.
“We're gonna hit the raider base up north from here.” Ratchet said.
“Ratchet!” I said, covering his muzzle as I tried to keep him quiet.
I looked around and no pony seemed to look our way or notice us in the crowd. I let him go and got in his face.
“You can’t just say things like that in public. They could have spies here.” I said in a hushed tone.
“Spies? Come on Shadow, that’s being a bit paranoid isn’t it?” Ratchet said.
“They sent a messenger to Hydra Junction, and this city is closer to their base. We can’t be too careful.” I said.
“You three plan to take on the raiders up north? That’s quite bold. Any reason why?” Saskia asked.
“They attacked my home, and they have information I need.” I answered.
“Ah I see. So it’s personal. Sounds like fun, need another gun?” Saskia asked.
I was shocked, my eyes wide for a second, “Why would you want to get involved?”
She shrugged, “Boredom mostly, but those raiders have been a scourge around here for a while. Ponies will be pretty happy to see them gone.”
“Boredom? There are safer ways to pass the time than following strangers into a hornet’s nest.” I said.
“Maybe, but it certainly adds some excitement. Come on, you can’t deny that you could use the help.” She said, giving a cocky smile.
“Look Saskia, I appreciate the offer and you helping Sasha. But we don’t know anything about you.” I said, my expression turning a bit more serious.
I looked her over again, seeing no barding, no weapons. She didn’t strike me as a fighter. But she did seem to be in great shape, so I guess she kept herself fit for combat. It still struck me as strange that she had no flaws in her coat, no scars. Yet she was excited to help wipe out a raider base. What was this mare?
“And pardon me Saskia, but you don’t really strike me as a fighter.” Ratchet said.
Saskia simply smiled and ignited her horn, disappearing in a flash of light. We all were shocked at this, looking around to find her. Then I suddenly felt the cold barrel of a gun on the back of my head, my instincts kicking in as I ducked and turned around, drawing Venta.
Behind me stood Saskia with a grin on her face. In her green magical aura was a submachine gun, pink and green like her mane. Her cutiemark was engraved on the side.
She turned to Ratchet, “You were saying?”
He was once again speechless. We all were. I didn’t hear her pop in behind me, even with my enhanced senses. What kind of pony was she?
I put my sword away, “How in Tartarus did you do that?”
She smirked, “Silencing spell on top of a teleport. If you were a raider, you’d be full of holes before you heard my gun go off.”
“And what a gun it is. Mighty fine craftsmanship. Where’d ya get it?” Ratchet asked, almost drooling. Whether it was over the gun, or the mare holding it I couldn’t tell.
“Back home. We have a pretty good gunsmith.” Saskia said, pulling out a second submachine gun from her saddlebags.
“Meet my boys, Bane and Blight.” Saskia said, gesturing to the guns.
“Very impressive. I always found automatic weapons to be a bit inaccurate and take too much ammo. But to each their own.” I said.
“Thank you. By the way, I don’t think I ever got your names.” Saskia said, putting her guns away.
“My name is Shadow Strike, these are my friends Moonlight Song and Ratchet.” I said as I introduced me and my group.
“It’s nice to meet you Saskia, it’s nice to see a pony that’s so kind in the wasteland.” Moonlight said.
“I know what you mean. Ponies have forgotten what Equestria was founded on. We must help them remember.” Saskia said.
Ratchet stepped closer, rubbing the back of his head, “So, where ya from Saskia?”
Her smile waned a little as she looked at him, “South. And that’s all I wish to say about my home. Sorry.”
He nodded, “I get ya. I don’t like talking about my home either.”
I looked over to him, “I never asked where you came from Ratchet. The way Mercer talked, you’re not from here.”
His ears lowered a bit, “No I’m not. And I don’t wanna talk about it either.”
Ratchet chuckled after a second, “Look at us. A group of misfits who don’t like talking about where we came from.”
“Yes, we are an odd bunch indeed.” Moonlight giggled.
Saskia looked over to me, “Judging by the barding, you are from a Stable. Stable 100 from the number on your collar. Never heard of that stable. I’ve been to a few stables out here and none are still active.”
My eyes widened, “There are other stables out here?”
She giggled, “Of course silly. Stables are everywhere. Though I couldn’t get into any of them. Need a pipbuck. Hard to come by in the Badlands.”
I looked towards mine on my foreleg, “Great, so I’m a scavengers dream come true. They could open any stable with this thing.”
Ratchet laughed, “I’d love to see a scavenger take that thing off ya. They’d lose their head before even touching it.”
“Anyway, we should try and find a place to stay for the night. Then we can make our way north in the morning.” I said.
“So, that offer is still up. Can I tag along?” Saskia said, smiling at me.
I thought about it for a bit. She did seem to be talented in magic, unlike me. And she could be a great help at the base. Three guns is better than two, especially with Moonlight still unwilling to use one. And there was something about her that seemed to make me trust her. But at the same time, she was hiding something. Something I couldn’t put my hoof on.
After a minute or so of thought, I answered, “Alright. You can come. But if you get killed, don’t blame me.”
Saskia squealed and hopped in one place for a second, “Yes! You won’t regret it. Those bastards won’t know what hit them.”
We all laughed at her excitement, giving me a warm feeling inside all the sudden. I just realized that I had another member on my team now. At first I was against it, but now, it made me feel more at ease. Part of me still didn’t trust her, or want to put her in harm's way when she had nothing to do with this.
But as I learned with Ratchet and Moonlight, having friends in the wasteland was necessary to survive. Especially if Achlys or Algea were at this base. Algea was still in my mind, the mare that was responsible for the attack on my home. She and Achlys were powerful, and as far as I knew at this moment, unkillable. Perhaps I can trap them, or maybe they have a limit to their healing.
“Shadow, you ok?” I heard Moonlight ask me.
I refocused on the world around me to find my friends all staring at me. I chuckled nervously and they all laughed at me.
“Y’all need to stop spacing out Shadow. A raider could blow your head off if we weren’t here to snap you out of it.” Ratchet said after he was done laughing.
I frowned and bopped him on the nose with my hoof, making him recoil to hold his snout. That got the girls laughing again.
“Alright, for real, let’s get going and find a place.” I said.
“I’m afraid that’ll have to wait, Badlands Guardian.” I heard from behind us.
Turning around I found Captain Slate, the pony we met at the town gate standing there with two more guards. Moonlight quickly moved behind me as Ratchet and Saskia stood to my sides, their bodies tensing for whatever may happen.
“How can we help you Captain?” I said calmly.
“I need you and your friends to come with me. The mayor has requested to meet with you.” Captain Slate said.
“The mayor? What does he want with us? We’ve never even seen the guy.” Ratchet said, confused.
“I cannot say why he wishes to meet, but I have my orders. Please follow me.” The captain said.
“I take it this is an offer we can’t refuse?” I asked.
He looked at me sternly, “No.”
I sighed as we were escorted to the large mansion-like building in the center of town. The building was three stories high, most of the windows were in decent shape, with the occasional shattered one on the ground floor. Compared to most of the buildings I had seen since leaving my stable, it was the least damaged. On the front door, a plaque that read “Mayor’s Office” was plain for all to see.
Captain Slate walked up to the door and opened it, “This way. You bucks stay out here and keep an eye out for trouble.”
The two stallions nodded, “Yes Captain.”
We followed the captain inside, and were surprised to find clean carpet and working lights. A large chandelier hung on the ceiling as the building seemed to have working electricity, unlike the rest of the town. The place looked as clean as my stable back home, and that certainly made my fur stand on end. The town was still in shambles and this Mayor was living like a king.
We went up to the receptionist desk, seeing a mare behind it. She looked up and smiled, “Ah I see you found them. Good work Captain.”
She moved her hoof to an intercom, “Sir, The Guardian is here. Shall I send him up?”
A voice rang over the speaker, “Yes Taffy, send them up.”
The captain motioned for us to follow him again, leading us down a hallway to the right of the receptionist. The hallway was just as clean as the main entrance. Pictures of all the ministry mares lined the wall, starting with Rainbow dash and ending with Twilight Sparkle. Seeing all these important figures of Equestrian history made me remember all the late study sessions with Silver and Keira.
As I saw Fluttershy and Rarity, I remembered the file I found in the old EREC building. Doctor Gingko mentioned both Ministry mares, and how they wanted to partner with the EREC. As far as I knew, the other ministries didn’t want any part of the EREC. Our records back home made little mention of the other ministries.
I also remembered that memory orb I found in the safe. I needed to watch that later. It could contain more history about my tribe.
We came to an elevator, Captain Slate pushing the button to call it.
“The Mayor’s office is on the second floor.” Captain Slate said as he gestured for us to get into the elevator.
As we entered the elevator, Slate pushed the button for the second floor. The doors closed and it started moving. It felt like being in the stable again. I wish the building I met Achlys in had an elevator. All those stairs were a pain.
“So Captain, I don’t appreciate being dragged here in less than a day. How did this Mayor know I was here?” I asked.
He didn’t turn his head to me, “He has eyes and ears everywhere in this city. To keep an eye out for trouble in the city.”
That put me on edge. This mayor could see everything in the city, meaning he had known about me and my friends since we arrived. But this also gave me an opportunity. If he knew about everyone that passed through this city, maybe he could have some information that could help in my mission.
The elevator dinged and opened, revealing another hallway. On the other side of the hallway was a door, with gold embedded in the wood.On a plaque it said, “Mayor’s Office”.
Wow, could he be anymore vain?
The captain opened the door for us, allowing us to go first. Once all of us were inside, he shut the door behind us. No doubt to keep us from leaving. This whole situation was making my fur stand on end.
“Ah there you all are. Welcome, welcome. Please come have a seat.” Said a voice from the other side of the room.
Looking at the large fancy desk, I saw a unicorn with a cyan coat and light blue mane. He wore the most clean and trimmed suit I had ever seen. A bowtie on his neck and a flower on his chest, telling me that he took a lot of pride in his appearance. Where does a pony get clothes like that in the wasteland?
Sitting in front of his desk sat several bean bag chairs, all in pretty decent condition. We moved to sit in them, facing the mayor as he looked at us with his green eyes.
“I’m so glad you could make it Guardian. I am Mayor Rich, leader of Sand Pit.” Mayor Rich said.
“Greetings sir. I am Shadow Strike, and these are my companions, Moonlight Song, Ratchet Set, and Saskia.” I said, gesturing to my friends.
“Yes yes, hello to you all. Now that we have the introductions out of the way. I am in desperate need of your help, Guardian.” Mayor Rich said.
“Shadow, please sir. And what do you need of me?” I asked.
“There are dangerous fugitives lurking in the shadows of my fair city. They attacked my son on the way to his brothel. They must be apprehended, and I want you to do it.” He said, pointing at me.
“I understand how you must feel. But this sounds like something your guard can handle.” I said. “From what Athena has said, you are all about helping ponies in need. Is that not true?” He asked.
“I help when I can, but I am not a mercenary or one of your guards. I have no reason to get involved with small time crooks.” I said calmly but sternly.
The door suddenly opened behind us, and in came a much younger stallion, looking almost identical to the Mayor, only his eyes were blue instead of green.
“Father, have you found somepony to go after those ruffians yet? And where are my escorts? I am not walking those dreadful streets all by myself again.” The stallion said as he marched towards the desk.
“Yes son. This is the Guardian from Athena’s broadcast. He has agreed to go after those ponies who attacked you. Shadow, this is my son, Silver Platter.” Mayor Rich said.
“I haven’t agreed to anything Mayor. As I said, I have no reason to get involved. Captain Slate and his guards should be more than capable of dealing with this.” I corrected him.
“If it’s caps you require, I am perfectly capable of paying more than any caravan company will offer in terms of bounties.” Mayor Rich said.
“Mayor Rich, caps are not my priority. I have a more pressing and important goal to pursue. My friends and I will be leaving tomorrow morning.” I said, getting up from my seat.
“Shadow wait.” Moonlight said, getting up to stand next to me.
“I’m no fan of hurting ponies, but if these ponies attacked his stallion, they should be brought to justice.” She said, giving me a concerned look.
“I agree with Shadow actually. The guards are paid to deal with this kind of stuff. Why do they need us when they got dozens of ponies to hunt these scumbags down?” Ratchet said, not getting up from his seat.
“Yes, it does seem a little odd to send a stranger to deal with a group of fugitives when you have your trusted captain and his guards.” Saskia said.
The mayor cleared his throat, “I understand that this may seem odd. But I have a good reason.”
He took a second, seeming to come to an internal decision, “I believe they may have a pony inside the guard feeding them intel.”
“What makes you believe that?” I asked.
“They attacked me while I was out in broad daylight. They knew exactly when I would be leaving and knocked out my escorts with little effort. That would take inside knowledge on who was escorting me, my schedule, and the route I would be taking.” Silver Platter said.
This was getting more complicated by the minute. It seemed like they truly had a problem on their hands if they had spies in their ranks.
I sighed, “What would you have me do if I took this job?”
The mayor grinned, “I would have you find these vermin and bring them to my guards. Alive or dead, I leave the decision to you.”
I paused and thought it over. I really had no place getting involved in internal conflicts like this. Monster and raiders were one thing, but this was more complicated and less dire. Bandits should be easy for Captain Slate to deal with, unless he was the mole.
“Shadow. Please. We can help these ponies. Like Hydra Junction.” Moonlight pleaded.
I looked into her blue eyes, filled with innocence and kindness. They seemed almost hypnotic as I just stared into them.
After a while, I sighed again, “Do you have any idea where to find these fugitives?”
The mayor clapped his hooves, “Splendid! Yes, my sources tell me what they frequent the back alleys on the other side of town. There is an old bunker there that squatters use as a shelter.”
“Very well. My team and I shall investigate.” I said.
“Oh joyous day Father. We will finally be rid of those barbarians once and for all.” Silver Platter shouted in glee and he stepped towards me and Moonlight.
Once he reached us, he held Moonlight’s hoof, “Thank you for your compassion. A beautiful mare with a heart just as beautiful.”
Moonlight blushed hotly as she pulled her hoof away, “Oh. Thank you kind sir.”
Platter looked towards his father and the two seemed to share a look. I didn’t like this look, as it made my skin crawl but I couldn’t tell why.
“Very good Shadow. Now I believe it would be wise to not take all of your team with you. A group of armed ponies are sure to draw suspicion.” Mayor Rich said.
“Agreed. Stealth will be more preferable. I could probably do this on my own.” I said. Moonlight reached for me, “Shadow, you can’t go alone. I can come with you.”
I shook my head, “Moonlight, these ponies may be armed and dangerous. As you are not willing to hurt other ponies, I cannot risk taking you.”
She was about to protest when Saskia stepped by and put a hoof on her shoulder.
“No need to worry Moonlight. I’ll go with Shadow and make sure he comes back in one piece.” Saskia said, smiling to the thestral as she stood by me.
“You sure about that Saskia? You’ll be walking into a hornet’s nest. No telling what you’ll find.” Ratchet said, sounding unsure.
“I can use magic to keep us silent. Plus it’ll be a good way to show Shadow here how much of an asset I can be for your group.” Saskia said confidently.
I thought about it for a minute. Her magic would be useful, and it would give me time to get to know her and her capabilities. Though going alone with a pony I had just met seemed a little hasty. She could turn on me and I wouldn’t hear her coming.
But seeing all that she had done so far, and her kindhearted attitude, I felt like I could give her this chance.
“Alright Saskia. You can come. But I’m in charge. What I say goes. That ok with you?” I asked.
“Perfectly fine.” Saskia answered without hesitation.
“Wonderful. Your other friends are more than welcome to stay at The Lotus Garden with me, free of charge of course until you return.” Platter said.
“Excellent idea son. Your friends will be in good care Shadow. Thank you again for this service.” Mayor Rich said.
“Very well then. We’ll meet you all at this “Lotus Garden” after this is resolved.” I said.
As Saskia and I made our way out of the office, Captain Slate pulled us aside.
“I heard it all through the door Shadow. And I must add my own personal request in this.” He said.
“I’m listening.” I said.
“My daughter disappeared a week ago. She worked at The Lotus Garden, but didn’t show up for work one day. I think these fugitives had something to do with it. When you find them, press them for information about a unicorn mare with a crimson red coat and mane. She was wearing her mother’s broach, gold with a large emerald in the middle.” Captain Slate said.
“I’ll see what I can do. You have my word.” I answered him.
“Guess we have our work cut out for us my new friend.” Saskia said.
Before me stood the old bunker that the Mayor had told me of. At the edge of town, hidden in the back alleys, just as he said. No guards, no sentries, no traps that were to be seen. Not exactly striking me as a place of bandits and criminals. But it was all I had to go on.
Saskia and I had found the bunker in less than an hour. The wind had picked up a little, the sand blasting us in the face. We stood at the entrance, preparing to head down into the depths.
“I have a bad feeling about this Shadow. I feel no ill intent coming from this place.” Saskia said, referencing her apparent ability to sense emotions.
“I feel it too. Something stinks about this whole mess. But we won’t learn anything out here. Let us venture forth.” I said.
“Agreed.” She answered.
Walking through the door, we found a staircase leading underground. Torches lined the walls as we descended, which was odd to me. But I suppose when one does not have a reactor creating constant electricity like in the stable, you have to make do with what you have.
Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, we found ourselves in a tunnel. Bare of almost anything except the torches lining the wall, some boxes filled with nothing in particular, and broken wood. No sign of life, nothing.
“For a lair of criminals, this place is underwhelming. I would have expected to see a trap, or a lookout.” I said.
“It is odd. You would think that the town guards could have gotten this far and seen there was nothing. Perhaps further down the tunnel?” Saskia said, pointing down the dark corridor.
I nodded, digging into my saddlebags for another vial of Night Eye, chugging it down and allowing my eyes to adjust to the mixture. My view of the tunnel changed as the potion worked its way through my system. Everything became more clear, seeing all the rats and vermin scurrying about.
Saskia eyed me curiously but did not ask. Then she proceeded to walk forward, not seeming to have any trouble seeing in the dark of the tunnel. Perhaps she was just used to this kind of thing. Another odd thing about her to add to the list.
“So what should we be looking for?” She asked.
“Something out of the ordinary. If ponies are hiding down here, they might have markers, or some kind of structure. Easy to get lost in the dark.” I answered.
A noise suddenly came to my ears. I stopped Saskia with a hoof as I scanned the room. It sounded like squeaking, and sure enough, a swarm of rats came running out of a corresponding tunnel. They ran past us, going between our legs. Saskia squealed a little, raising her legs away from the rodents and making swooing gestures.
I chuckled, “Eager to face bandits and raiders, but you get scared by a bunch of rats.”
“I am not scared! I just don’t like the vermin. Foul disease spreading meatsacks.” Saskia said, giving me a glare.
I laughed a little, but looked to the tunnel they came from.
“They might have been spooked by something. Let’s check out that tunnel.” I said.
“Oh yes, go towards whatever spooked the vermin. That always ends well.” Saskia said sarcastically.
Ignoring her comment, I peeked into the tunnel, seeing nothing in particular. As we made our way through, I was getting the feeling we were getting closer to something. A presence filled the air, like we were invading on someone’s territory. The hairs on my neck stood on end.
“Shadow stop!” Saskia yelled.
I immediately froze, my left foreleg in midstep. Saskia moved to me, pointing down at the ground. I looked down and found a mine, hidden under some paper. I had almost stepped on it.
“Damn it. Thanks Saskia, I almost lost my leg there.” I thanked her.
“Looks like your judgement was correct. We appear to be on the right track.” She said, disarming the mine and putting it in her saddlebags.
We combed through the area, finding two more frag mines, a bear trap, and a rigged shotgun at the end of the tunnel, leading out into another longer corridor. I was thankful for Saskia’s help in disarming them, as my magic wasn’t very reliable for these delicate tasks.
The next tunnel had no torches, which was odd as I would imagine more torches would be needed for those ponies that were hiding down here. Things were not adding up.
Saskia and I continued down the corridor, the feeling of us being watched lingering over my shoulder. My senses were all on high alert. My eyes were looking for any kind of movement. And just as I was about to relax, something moved. A small pile of broken wood boxes shifted, ever so slightly. I picked up a rock, signaling Saskia with a silent hoof towards the pile. I threw the rock, angling it just right to land behind the pile.
“Ow!” A voice yelled out.
Just as we heard that noise, a figure jumped out from the pile, firing what looked like a 9 mm pistol in it’s mouth and ran away from us. The bullet missed us by a mile and we ran to pursue the figure.
“Stop!” I yelled out.
The figure ignored my warning, banking left into another corridor. I picked up my speed and raced inside after them. The figure was in my sight, a female earth pony by the look of her. I was right on her tail in minutes.
“Somepony help!” She yelled.
Before I could answer, something tackled me from another tunnel entrance as I passed. We tumbled, fighting to stand our ground. Whatever had tackled me had managed to pin me to the wall with their momentum.
“You stay away from her!” A male’s voice yelled.
He struck me in the head a few times before I could recover. Once I had, I kicked him away. Getting up to face my attacker, I saw he was an earth pony, a decent size and muscle tone. He charged at me again. But I kicked off the wall and jumped over him.
Before he could turn around, I grabbed him in a headlock. Holding him there as he struggled against my strength, Saskia caught up to us.
“Give up. I don’t want to hurt you.” I told him.
“Fuck you! You work for that slimeball mayor. He sent you here to kill us didn’t he?” He yelled at me.
I was about to ask him more questions when Saskia yelled out, “Shadow look out!”
I failed to get out of the way as something picked me up by the mane and threw me off the pony. Saskia caught me in her magic, lowering me to the ground. I drew Venta and readied for their next attack. I didn’t get a chance to look at the newcomer, but they were large and obviously not a pony.
They were on us in seconds, a large axe coming down at us with force. I pushed Saskia aside and blocked the strike with my sword. Our blades clashed with sparks flying, the strength of this fighter was insane. I was thankful my blade was so well made or it would have shattered. Thank you Uncle Forge.
But as we pushed against each other, something about the axe started to look familiar. Then I finally got a good look at the creature. A minotaur.
“Mercer?” I asked.
Suddenly the pressure from the axe stopped, and he drew it back. Saskia came up and shined her horn to illuminate the tunnel. Sure enough, there stood the red minotaur I met earlier that day.
“New friend Shadow? Is that truly you?” Mercer asked.
“Yeah it’s me. What are you doing down here?” I said.
“Mercer is protecting friends. Guards not welcome down here. Why is new friend Shadow here?” Mercer said, lifting his axe and resting it on his shoulder.
“The mayor sent me down here to apprehend criminals that attacked his son.” I said.
“That’s a lie! We are not criminals! If anyone is a criminal, it’s Silver Platter!” The earth pony who attacked me earlier said.
I looked his way and found not only the mare who I had chased, but other ponies as well. Most of them were mares that had several minor injuries. Cuts, bruises and other injuries. I walked towards them, making a few back up in fear.
“What happened to all of you? And what did you mean Silver Platter is the criminal?” I asked.
The mare I had chased came forward, “Silver Platter is a monster. He tortures mares and uses them for his sick pleasure. His brothel is more like a prison where he and his friends can operate with questions.”
My eyes widened at the words and slowly grew to anger, my frown intensifying as the meaning of their words sank in.
Turning to the stallion once again, “Why did you attack Silver Platter?”
“Because he needs to die. My wife disappeared while working at his brothel. When I came to ask about her, he told me she had run off with another stallion to Olympia. But I know she would never leave me.” He said.
The mare came to his side, “I was Jade’s best friend. She was told she got a promotion and was taken upstairs to Silver Platter’s room. No pony but him and his guards are allowed up there unless invited.”
Mercer stepped in, “Mercer believes we should get to the safehouse before talking more. Guards may have followed friend Shadow.”
I nodded. As Saskia moved beside me, Mercer asked, “Who is new pony?”
Saskia smiled at him, “I’m Saskia. I came to help Shadow.”
Mercer smiled back, “Any friend of Shadow is friend to Mercer. Come.”
Mercer led all of us to another tunnel. There he pushed against one of the walls, revealing a secret passageway. All of us made our way inside, walking to a large room that seemed to be a basement. Several other ponies were there, mostly mares with the occasional stallion.
“What is this place Mercer? And why are there so many ponies here?” I asked.
“This is Mercer’s cellar, underneath Mercer’s store. Mercer lets ponies hide here from guards.” Mercer said.
The stallion and mare from before sat between us and the others, both of them were still tense, like they still didn’t trust me. I couldn’t blame them.
“Let us start over, I am Cobalt and this is my friend Tulip. We are working to rescue ponies from the Lotus Garden and help them leave town.” Cobalt said.
I nodded and looked to Tulip, “I am sorry I chased you. I knew something was fishy about this job, but I took it anyway. I hope you can forgive me.”
Tulip looked surprised at my words, and after getting a better look at me in the light of the cellar, her eyes widened.
“Are you the Guardian from Athena’s broadcasts?” Tulip asked.
I hesitated, but eventually nodded my head, not looking them in the eye. Several ponies including Tulip started to get excited, smiles growing on their sad faces.
“With you at our side, we can rescue everyone and leave this terrible place!” Tulip cheered, followed by cheers from the others.
“Slow down, I need to know everything before agreeing to anything.” I said, holding my hoof up.
“Of course, what do you want to know Guardian?” Cobalt asked.
“Just Shadow please. Let’s start with Silver Platter as he seems to be at the center of all this. I met him at the Mayor’s office and I got an odd feeling around him.” I said.
“He is a snake, one who puts on an act for the public to make him look like a gentlecolt. But underneath, he is heartless and foul.” Cobalt said, venom dripping from his words.
“He treats mares like playthings. The bottom floor of the Lotus Garden is for everypony, but the second floor is reserved only for him. Mares who are given a promotion are allowed up there, for more pay and better benefits they are told. But after a while, you notice that those mares are never seen again.” Tulip explained.
“He takes in any mare who comes looking for work. Either as a waitress for the bar, or as a prostitute. No rules except no killing. Mares have no say as to what the customers do to them.” Cobalt said.
The more I heard, the more my blood started to boil. This place sounded like Tartarus for a desperate mare who just needed to make enough caps to live.
“One day, Jade was selected for promotion. I had come to pick her up and take her home, but the guards stopped me at the door and told me to come back later. This went on for two days, and they would not tell me where my wife was. Then Silver Platter came to me, and told me she had run off with another stallion to Olympia.” Cobalt said.
“I found him after work and he asked me about Jade. I told him I hadn't seen her since her promotion. So I asked around the brothel, and the mares told me anypony who went up to the second floor was never heard from again. They say Silver Platter gets them a free pass into Olympia for a better life.” Tulip said.
“But I know that’s a filthy lie. Jade would never leave without me, and she would never abandon me for another stallion. We planned to raise a family once we had the caps to get somewhere safer, like Olympia or Fort Trough.” Cobalt said, tearing starting to form.
Tulip hugged Cobalt to try and calm him down, and I took the break to analyze the information. So mares disappear after their promotion, and supposedly get a free pass to Olympia. But surely somepony would have seen them leave town. And with how far away Olympia was from Sandpit, according to my pipbuck map, the journey would require quite the large escort.
“Any large caravans that come through here often? Enough to reach Olympia?” I asked.
“Not very often. Olympia is about two weeks' travel due to the sandstorms, the wildlife, and getting through Tantabus Pass.” Cobalt answered.
“It’s true. I came from down south, and the journey through the pass is not easy. I doubt Silver Platter as the resources to just give out free trips to Olympia.” Saskia said.
“Knowing that, I agree with you that the Olympia free pass is bullshit. Something else is going on, and the only one who can tell us for sure is Silver Platter.” I said.
“He almost never leaves the Lotus Garden. And he’s got over two dozen guards in there at all times.” Cobalt said.
“Be that as it may, we need to get answers.” I said.
Saskia, who had been silent during this interaction suddenly moved to my side, getting my attention.
“Shadow, what are you planning to do?” She asked.
“We’re going to the Lotus Garden, and confronting Silver Platter.” I answered.
“By yourselves!? That’s suicide!” Tulip yelled.
“He thinks we are working for his father right now. So I doubt the guards will stop us.” I said.
“It shouldn’t be too hard to get past a few guards.” Saskia said, smirking.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and a mare’s scream shortly afterwards. This made all of us turn to the door, Mercer moving towards a terminal on the wall. He pressed some buttons and the screen lit up to show us a night vision image of the tunnel. A mare was on the ground, surrounded by four guard ponies holding assault rifles. She was crying, and I could see a bullet wound in her leg.
“Magnolia!” Tulip screamed.
I glared at the screen, then moved towards the door. Pushing it with all my strength, ponies gasped as the heavy stone door moved just enough to let me slip out. I ran out and saw the ponies not too far away. Pulling out Venta and Umbra, I charged at the guards.
They heard me coming, turning towards me as I appeared in their line of sight. They raised their weapons, watching me with tension.
“Guardian, have you completed your task?” One of the guards asked.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” I yelled, pointing to the bleeding mare.
Saskia had caught up to me and was at my side, both Bane and Blight floating in her green magical aura. The guards aimed at her as well.
“We are here under Silver Platter’s orders to retrieve his property.” The guard in front said.
That one sentence made me freeze in place. My body unmoving as my blades hung in the air in my magical aura.
“What did you say?” I said, just loud enough to be heard.
“You deaf? I said we are retrieving Silver Platter’s propert...” He said.
Before he could finish his statement, Umbra had flown through the air, and was lodged in his eye socket. He fell silently to the ground as the blade pierced his brain. The other guards stepped back in fear, but it was too late for them.
I closed the distance in less than a minute, my sword cleaving through the next guard like a hot knife through butter. His combat armor was no match for my steel. I turned to the next one, who had his gun up, but I quickly drew out Desert Rose and put a bullet in his head.
The last one didn’t have time to get his gun up as a spray of bullets from Saskia’s guns ripped through his body. He dropped to the floor dead alongside his fellow guard ponies.
As the last of the guards fell, Tulip and Cobalt had caught up. Tulip cradled Magnolia in her hooves, with Cobalt applying bandages to her leg.
I stood there, above the corpses of the guards. My breath heavy as my anger flowed through me. That bastard had truly lied to me. And he would pay dearly for it.
I turned towards the exit, Saskia calling out to me, “Shadow, where are you going?”
I stopped, but did not turn around.
“The Lotus Garden.” I said.
I started walking again, hearing Saskia behind me. I did not look back. I only moved forward, towards the bastard that had turned me into his errand boy.
“Shadow!” Cobalt yelled.
I didn’t turn my head to look at him, but I waited for what he had to say.
“When you find that rat, find out what happened to my wife Jade, and the other mares who have disappeared.” Cobalt said.
I nodded and continued my silent walk.
As we made it to the exit, one guard was standing watch. When he saw us, he smiled, “Ah Guardian, how does the hunt? You see my buddies down there?”
I said nothing, only moving forward. When I made it to him, a flash could be seen as my sword removed his head from his shoulders. He didn’t even have time to scream.
The Lotus Garden was everything I had expected it to be, a worn out two story building with several posters of ponies in lewd outfits. A large pole was standing in front of the building, an old flag pole by the look of it, but no flag in sight. A second story window right above it, the curtains hiding the inside. The front door was large and made of glass. Two mares stood outside the doors along with two guards.
I walked towards them, the guards recognizing me, “Ah Guardian. Have you completed your task?”
I held my head low as I spoke, “Yes. I am here to speak to Silver Platter, and retrieve my companions.”
“Excellent, go right in.” The guard said.
They allowed Saskia and I through the door, not knowing my true intentions. The inside of the building was nicer than the outside made it out to be. A fine red carpet leading to a front desk. Mares dancing on poles in skimpy outfits, blowing kisses at me and Saskia. I walked to the receptionist desk, a stallion’s face greeting me.
“Ah, you must be the Guardian. Silver Platter has been expecting you. I’m afraid you will have to wait though. He is busy in his office at the moment.” He said.
“Where are my friends?” I asked.
“All in good time. Please have a seat and wait.” He said, pointing to the chairs behind us.
I got up in his face, “I’ll say again. Where are Ratchet and Moonlight?”
“They are being well cared for.” He said.
Clearly he was going to give me an answer, so I decided to move past him and into the main lobby of the brothel.
“Hey, you cannot go in there! Guards!” He yelled out.
I ignored him and kicked down the door. This startled several of the mares, making them look my way. Saskia moved inside, turning to me as I slammed the doors shut, pushing a heavy desk in front of it. I could hear the guards cursing outside, bashing the door in an attempt to follow us.
I turned back towards the room, “Ratchet! Moonlight! Where are you?”
The mares all looked at me warily, none daring to speak up. But over their whispers, I could hear something. The bashing of a door, and it wasn’t coming from behind me. I ran forward, the mares moving out of my way as I found myself in a hallway. The bashing was coming from the end of the corridor. Two guards came out of some adjacent rooms, holding batons. As I moved towards them, they grew nervous, their batons shaking in their telekinetic grips.
I leaped and grabbed both their heads with my hooves, bashing their skulls against each other. Not enough to kill them, but knock them out. They slumped to the floor groaning as I moved past them. I found the door where the knocking was coming from.
“Shadow! That you partner?” Ratchet yelled from the other side of the door.
“Ratchet! Stand back!” I yelled out as I reared back for another buck.
My buck turned the door to splinters, revealing my friend. He looked fine, but he was missing his battle saddle and saddlebags. Saskia had caught up at this point.
“Shadow! Saskia! Boy howdy am I glad to see the two of ya.” Ratchet said.
“Ratchet, what is going on? What happened?” Saskia asked.
“Things were fine when we got here. Then Silver Platter said he needed Moonlight to check on an injury from his attack. She agreed, but when I tried to follow them upstairs, the guards grabbed me and threw me in here.” Ratchet said.
That statement made my blood run cold. Moonlight was taken to the second floor. Memories of what Tulip and Cobalt said about Silver Platter rushed through my head. This was bad.
“How long has it been since she was taken?” I asked urgently.
“Maybe an hour or so.” Ratchet said.
I turned to Saskia, “Saskia, stay with Ratchet and help him find his stuff. I’m going to get Moonlight.”
“Shadow, are you sure? We can go together.” Saskia said.
“I’ll be fine. Now do as I say!” I yelled out, walking back into the hallway.
I made my way back into the lobby area, where I found yet another familiar face coming from another hallway.
“Shadow! What are you doing here?” Sasha asked.
The zonkey looked stressed, her mane was a mess and she was breathing heavily. I moved to her side.
“Sasha, what’s wrong? Why are you here?” I asked.
“I cannot find my mother. I’ve been here for over an hour, but the guards just kept telling me to wait. I asked the other mares, but they won’t tell me anything.” She said, panic in her voice.
I glared to the other mares in the room, most of them staring at me in fear.
“Where is the zebra known as Zaheera!?” I yelled out.
They flinched, but after a while, one finally spoke up, “She… was taken up to the second floor earlier today.”
My blood boiled as I gritted my teeth, my anger increasing with every second. Ratchet and Saskia had returned, having found Ratchet’s weapons and belongings.
“Ratchet, Saskia, take care of Sasha and wait for me here. Sasha, I will find your mother. I swear it.” I said, looking to Sasha with determination.
She nodded and immediately went to Saskia for comfort. Saskia wrapped her hooves around her in a hug and nodded to me.
I soon found the stairs leading to the second floor, seeing as there were two guards in front of it. I walked towards them and they immediately pointed their batons at me.
“Hold on there bucko. No one goes up here except Silver Platter and his mares.” He said.
Ignoring his warnings, I continued forward. When he moved to stop me, I grabbed his head and bashed it against the wall. He fell in a heap as his buddy moved to whack me with his baton. I ducked under the weapon and knocked the pony down. He laid on his back dazed as I struck him in the head, knocking him out.
The door to the second floor laid before me. I moved to open it, finding it locked. Normally I would have just kicked the door down, but thought it would be better to go in silently from now on. Searching the two guards, one of them had a key. Unlocking the door, I moved to the staircase. Each step felt heavy as I moved up, like something was telling me not to go.
When I reached the door out of the stairway, I turned it slowly, stopping for a moment as something caught my attention. A scent. A scent that I was familiar with.
Rotting flesh and blood.
I swung the door open, and the sight that greeted me shook me to my core. I can never unsee what I saw. The image burned into my memory.
Mares. The hallway was filled with dead mares, hung up like slabs of meat on a rack. Each one with cuts, bruises, and some missing horns and wings. Judging by the state of decay, some of these bodies were a least a week old. It was sickening. I would have thrown up if I was a normal pony. But I wasn’t.
What kind of pony was this guy? What kind of monster would do this kind of thing?
“AAAAHHHH!” A mare’s voice yelled out. A very familiar voice.
Stealth was no longer my concern at this point. I ran with all the speed I could muster. There was only one door. And I was not stopping.
The door was no match for my strength as I bashed right through it, sending splinters everywhere.
“What in Tartatus!?” Silver Platter yelled.
I saw him, standing over Moonlight, putting a muzzle on her. Her limbs were all tied with rope to the bed posts, preventing her from struggling. When she saw me, her eyes were wet with tears, puffy and red. With that image, all my restraint and mercy was gone.
I quickly bit down on his mane, throwing him over my shoulder onto the ground at the foot of the bed he had Moonlight on. She tried to scream, but the muzzle kept her from doing so. I quickly cut all the ropes keeping her bound and removed the muzzle, earning a crushing hug for my efforts.
“Shadow! You’re here!” Moonlight cried out into my chest.
She couldn’t get another word out as sobs racked her body. Her tears soaking my chest fur as I held her close. She had rope burns on her legs, and her braid was in shambles. Pulling her back, I examined her closer. She had bruises on her face, and a cut on her cheek. A shallow wound, but still bleeding slightly. She had more bruises and cuts along her body, down her back to her flank, one cut just above her cutiemark. I took the bedsheet and wiped away the blood.
“Moonlight, I”m so sorry. I never should have left you two.” I said.
She didn’t answer, only buried her face back in my chest. She was traumatized, and I had let it happen.
A groan came from behind as Silver Platter got back to his hooves, holding his head. When he saw me glaring daggers at him, he immediately reached for a gun he had on a dresser. I immediately threw Venta, my sword piercing his shoulder, pinning him to the wall.
He screamed in pain, trying to pull the sword out, but the pain was too much for him. He looked back at me, eyes filled with fear.
As I moved to get off the bed, something else caught my attention in the room. Dread creeping into my being at the sight.
There, hanging by her forelegs on the opposite side of the room, was Zaheera. She was unmoving, with cuts and bruises all across her body. Her nethers told me that this bastard had his way with her multiple times. One of her hind legs was twisted at an unnatural angle.
I got off the bed, moving towards her without a word. My hoof pressed against her neck to check for a pulse. Nothing. I stood there, tears flowing down my face now. Hot angry tears.
Suddenly, Ratchet and Saskia came through the door. Both of them saw Moonlight immediately. Saskia immediately went to Moonlight, holding her close.
“Shadow, what in tarnation is going on?” Ratchet said, before looking my way and seeing Zaheera.
Saskia noticed his reaction and looked as well, “By the Goddesses…”
I took Umbra and cut the ropes that held her up, catching her limp body in my magic before setting her down. Her eyes were still open, so I closed them gently.
“I’m sorry this happened Zaheera. May the Goddess Luna embrace you in her light. And know that I will see your daughter to safety.” I prayed for her.
Turning to glare once more at Silver Platter, I saw he had pissed himself in fear from my gaze. My sword still in his shoulder as blood flowed down.
I stood up and addressed my friends without turning away from the bastard, “Where is Sasha?”
“We told her to wait outside. Why?” Ratchet said.
“You two take Moonlight out of here and find Sasha. I’ll bring Zaheera’s body once I’m done here.” I said, my voice dark.
“Shadow, what do you mean by…” Ratchet asked before I cut him off.
“Do as I say Ratchet! Get Moonlight out of here!” I yelled, my expression nothing but anger and rage.
He flinched back at the volume of my words and nodded. He and Saskia gently coaxed Moonlight out of the room. When I could no longer hear their hoofsteps, I moved closer to the little shit that was still impaled on my sword.
I pulled out the sword and he slumped to the floor. Desperately, he tried to get to his hooves and run. I took out Desert Rose and gave a silent warning to him as I cocked the hammer back. He tried to run anyway, and earned a bullet in his hindleg.
He screams in pain, dropping to the floor and trying to crawl away. I fired another shot, hitting one of his forelegs, making him stop crawling and look up at me.
“You think you’ll get away with this!? My father will have your head on a pike!” Silver Platter yelled.
I kick him in the face, “What kind of pony are you? How could you do this to all these mares? How many have suffered because of you?
He spat blood at me, “What do you care? Mares are just playthings. Made for stallions to enjoy.”
I kicked him in the gut, “Keep talking like that and I might take your tongue.”
I dragged him to the wall again and held him up, “Tell me, did you kill a mare named Jade? And where are the other mares you’ve taken up here? I saw the bodies in the hall and I know there are surely a lot more.”
“If I tell you, I’m dead.” He whimpered.
“Do you really wanna try your luck with me?” I said, pressing him harder against the wall.
“AH! Alright I’ll talk, I’ll talk. A mare comes through here every month. She pays me a lot of caps for healthy mares. I don't know what she uses them for, probably breeding.” He said.
“What’s this mare’s name? What does she look like?” I demanded.
“I don’t know her name, and she always wore a cloak. All I could see was a horn and red eyes. Those blood red eyes.” He said, tears flowing at this point.
Blood red eyes and a cloak. That sounded like Achyls and Algea, but neither of them was a unicorn far as I knew. Were there more of these mares than just the two I had encountered so far? Did this mare have the same abilities as the others?
“Where can I find this mare?” I asked him.
“I don’t know, she comes to me. I think she’s from down south, she always talks about the brothel in Olympia.” Silver Platter answered.
So little to go on, but it was something. Olympia seemed to be the place for a lot of the answers I seeked. I glared back at the stallion, putting a hoof to his shoulder wound, applying pressure. He screamed in pain as I held him there.
“So you test mares to see how well they are in bed and those who you think qualify, they get sold off to this mare. That sound about right?” I asked.
He nodded vigorously as I held him there. I leaned in to glare at him.
“Zaheera… She had a daughter. She wanted a new life here, free from her past in Zebrica. And you took that away from her.” I said, my voice returning to it’s low dark tone.
“And what’s worse, you tried to defile my friend Moonlight.” I said, applying more pressure.
I threw him into the bed, causing it to collapse from the force of the impact. Walking back towards him as he laid there, I began to strike him repeatedly. I didn’t stop, not even when I heard bones cracking and blood splattered against my face.
“Please stop! Please! Let me go, I’ll do anything! Please!” Silver Platter begged.
I did stop after another minute of pummeling him, taking a step back. His body was now covered in black bruises and blood dripped from his many wounds, including a broken nose and shattered jaw.
“There are many things in this life that I hate Silver Platter. Monsters who pray on the innocent, beings who kill for fun or sport. Slavers who take away someone’s freedom. But do you know the one thing I hate most of all?” I said, looking directly into his frightened eyes.
He didn’t answer, not that he could. He laid there, whimpering in fear.
After a minute of silence, I grabbed him in my magic, lifting him to put him right in my face, giving him the answer to my last question.
“Rapists.”
With that last word, I threw him with all my might towards the window. The glass shattered immediately upon impact. Silver Platter began to descend as gravity took hold. Falling as he screamed to the best of his ability through a shattered jaw. As he fell, his body came into contact with something. The flagpole.
A sickening wet noise rang out as Silver Platter’s body was impaled on the flagpole, straight through the gut. Blood pouring from his body and running down the sides of the pole. The grisly sight caused several screams to erupt from outside. But I didn’t care.
I picked up Zaheera’s body, cradling it in my magic as I gave another silent prayer and apology. I walked out the door and into the hallway. But as I made my way down the corridor, another body caught my eye.
A red unicorn mare with a red mane, wearing a large broach, gold with an emerald in the middle. I remembered the words of Captain Slate from earlier that day.
“My daughter disappeared a week ago. She worked at The Lotus Garden, but didn’t show up for work one day. I think these fugitives had something to do with it. When you find them, press them for information about a unicorn mare with a crimson red coat and mane. She was wearing her mother’s broach, gold with a large emerald in the middle”
This was her, his daughter. I took her body too, cutting it down from the ropes that held her up. This poor mare was yet another victim of a deranged stallion. She deserved to be buried by her father.
I stood at the front door of the building, holding both corpses in my magic. As I opened the door, I found several ponies had gathered. Mayor Rich stood with Captain Slate and several guards. Ratchet, Saskia, Moonlight and Sasha were standing alongside Mercer, Tulip and Cobalt. And several citizens, including Red Delicious had gathered as well.
Mayor Rich had tears on his face, his expression rage and pain, “Guardian! You killed my baby boy!”
I didn’t answer, only glaring back at him, then looking at the impaled corpse of Silver Platter.
“Yes I did. He deserved far worse.” I said.
Gasps came from the crowd, ponies and other creatures looking at me with mixed expressions of fear and shock.
“Ponies of Sandpit, you have been lied to for far too long. The time has come for you to know the truth, no matter how bad it hurts.” I said, loudly so everyone could hear me.
Sasha stepped up from her place at Saskia’s side, slowly coming to stand in front of me. Her eyes looked on the corpse of her mother.
“Shadow, is… is that my? She said, not able to finish the sentence.
I nodded and set Zaheera down in front of her, “I’m so sorry Sasha. She was already gone by the time I arrived.”
Sasha didn’t look at me, she fell to her knees, leaning closer to her mother. She nuzzled her, getting no response. After a second, she screamed in grief and pain. Burying her face in her mother’s mane, crying tears of deep sorrow.
“Shadow, explain yourself! What is the meaning of this?” Captain Slate demanded.
I turned my head to look at him, my expression blank as all the anger slipped away. I moved the other corpse I had brought into his view. He looked confused at first, but after getting a good look at the body, his eyes widened.
“That can’t be… my Valentina?” He said.
I took the broach from her, and showed it to him. He immediately ran towards me and cradled her. Taking the broach from me, he simply sat there and held her. After a while, his head snapped to look at me.
“Who did this!?” Slate screamed at me.
I pointed to the impaled corpse of Silver Platter, “He did. He has killed several mares in this brothel.”
“You lie. No way it can be true. I was working with the pony who took my baby girl from me?” He said.
“You don’t have to believe my words. Check the second floor of the brothel.” I said.
Looking back to Sasha, she had stopped her mournful crying to look up at me.
“Sasha, let’s get out of here.” I said.
She hesitated but nodded. I picked up Zaheera in my magic once again, walking in the direction of my friends.
“Hold it right there!” Mayor Rich yelled out.
I stopped to look his way, my expression dull and uninterested.
“You think you can come into my town, kill my son and just walk away?” He said.
“Yes I do. You will never see me in this town again. And I suggest you don’t try and stop us. Or I will kill you as well.” I said emotionlessly.
He took a step back, but did not say anything. After a while, he gestured for his guards to stand down.
“This isn’t over Guardian. You will pay dearly for what you have done.” Mayor Rich said.
Captain Slate took his daughter into the Lotus Garden, most likely to look for the evidence I told him about. Several other ponies went into the building, following the captain.
I paid them no mind. Sasha and I had rejoined Mercer and my friends, all of them looking at me with worry.
“Friend Shadow, Mercer thinks it would be best for you and friends to leave.” Mercer said solemnly.
I nodded, “I agree. May I ask one thing of you Mercer?”
“What do you ask of Mercer?” He asked.
“Take Sasha somewhere safe, and help her bury her mother. Then take her, Cobalt, Tulip and the other ponies away from here. Take them to Hydra Junction. Tell Mayor Wrangler that I sent you. He will take them in.” I said.
He looked surprised, but nodded, “Mercer will do this. Mercer cannot stay here either. Farewell Friend Shadow.”
Sasha looked back at me, but only for a moment. I gave Zaheera’s body to Mercer, and he carried her away as he led Sasha and others away.
Cobalt stayed behind along with Tulip, standing in front of me, “Shadow, what about Jade? Did you find her?”
I looked to him with sad eyes, “There are several corpses in that building. Check them for her. But if she is not there, then she may be alive still.
Cobalt’s eyes widened, “What do you mean?”
“I got some information out of Silver Platter before he died, apparently he was selling mares to somepony for breeding. He didn’t know who she was, she wore a cloak and had red eyes. Your Jade might have been taken south.” I told him.
Cobalt looked away with tears, “Thank you Shadow. Be safe my friend.”
I didn’t answer, and Tulip did not speak to me. She led him back to the group following Mercer.
Ratchet came up to me, “Shadow? What now?”
I didn’t answer. I just started walking. I could hear my friends hoofsteps as they followed behind me. We walked until we reached the gate, the two guard ponies we met when we arrived in the city let us through without trouble. They hid behind the large doors as we passed by.
Into the night we walked, no words spoken. I had none left.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added: Guardian’s Wrath Rank 1 You have shown the wasteland your darker side. When enraged by your enemies horrendous actions, you have a chance of this perk activating. Once activated, Guardian’s wrath increases your strength by 1, but you suffer a -2 penalty to your Charisma. This perk can also affect the relationship between you and your companions.
New companion: Saskia
Sandpit: Unpredictable The ponies of Sandpit do not know what to make of you now. But your actions have made a strong impression on the town. Whether that impression was good or not is yet to be seen.
How did things get so out of hoof? Sandpit was supposed to be a simple stop on the way to our main goal. Just get some rest and supplies and we would be gone the next morning. Instead, everything that could have gone wrong went terribly wrong.
It had been about several hours since we left Sandpit, giving us plenty of time and distance from the settlement. The sand slowly turned more to hard dirt as we made our way north. Rock formations and dead trees now made up the landscape, similar to when I left Stable 100. The cool night air began to nip at our coats as the night went on. We would have to make camp soon. None of us were fit to travel all night.
Moonlight got the worst out of it, her near encounter with the raping bastard Silver Platter left her extremely quiet. She hadn’t said a word since we left town. She simply walked with us as we made our way north.
Ratchet wasn’t much better, silent as the night that hung over us. Though I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head as we walked. No doubt he was still in shock about what I did to Silver Platter. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I had no regret for what I did. But then why did his disapproving eyes make a shiver go down my spine?
Then there was the newest member of our merry band. Saskia was also quiet, but I believe more so out of respect for our thoughts rather than anything else. I did not feel any resentment or disappointment from her. Then again, I hardly knew anything about her. Yet here she was, following us to another place where I would kill other ponies.
Suddenly a raindrop hits the top of my head, making me look to the sky. The clouds had gotten darker, and more rain soon followed. Scanning the area, I looked for any form of shelter. Seeing no ruined buildings or caves, I thought we would just have to tough it out. But as I continued my search, a large rock formation with a large alcove came into view. It appeared to be big enough to house us and keep us dry.
“Everyone, this way!” I yelled as I began sprinting.
I ran towards the shelter, turning to look over my shoulder, seeing all my companions running to keep up. Moonlight wasn’t flying, which worried me as that would have been easier for her. We made it to the alcove, with our coats only slightly wet.
We eventually dried off as much as we could and relaxed in our shelter. The rain was now pouring outside, like a curtain of water. It was soothing in a way, like the sky was trying to bring life back to the wasteland. If only the clouds would allow me just a glimpse of the Goddess’ Moon.
Silence filled the air, no pony speaking a word. It was nerve racking, the tension could be cut with a knife.
I decided to drown out this silence by turning on the radio on my pickbuck. I never used it back in the stable as we got no signal. But I had heard about some stations playing music. Perhaps that would lighten the mood.
As I turned on the radio, the sound of a familiar pony blared from the speakers.
Good Evening my lovelies, this is your voice in the darkness, Athena. I hope your day was somewhat pleasant, for this night is not one filled with happy news.
I have received a report from the town of Sandpit up north. And what a troubling one it is.
It seems that the Lotus Garden Brothel that was such a popular attraction in the little town was hiding a deep dark secret. The owner of the establishment, Silver Platter, son of Mayor Rich, had apparently had dealing with slavers. Now as shocking as that might be my beloved children, it gets much worse.
When Captain Slate was given evidence of wrongdoing, which he has asked me to keep confidential, he went to the second floor to investigate. And what he found made me lose my lunch when I read it. Several corpses of mares that had allegedly been given promotions were found hung up on meathooks like slabs of beef.
More information came from an anonymous source saying that Silver Platter also sold mares he deemed “fit” to an unknown client. Sickening I know.
Now you may ask, what happened to this horrible pony? Well children, that is also a dark topic.
Silver Platter was murdered, and not in a pleasant and quick way. His body was impaled on a flagpole, and later examination found multiple gunshot wounds, lacerations, stab wounds, and other injuries such a broken jaw. Now children, he was a detestable pony and deserved to die. But not like that.
As for who was responsible for this murder, my sources are clear, but I truly wish they weren’t. The one responsible, my children, was our own Badlands Guardian.
Yes you heard me right. Our new savior and hero. Who only days earlier had wiped out raiders and bloodwings.
My sources were not clear as to why our Guardian was involved. But this action has opened up some questions about our savior. Just who is he? Where did he come from? Why did he kill this pony in such a gruesome way?
The Wasteland is filled with violence and death, but if our heroes stoop to this level of torture, what type of example does that set for ourselves and our children?
Guardian, if you are listening, I do not agree with how you killed him, but you did rid the Wasteland of a terrible pony. But please, do not let it taint you. Do not let the Wasteland win.
As for Mayor Rich himself, he has escaped the town and headed south, to where we do not know. The town is currently in chaos as a result, with some ponies voicing their disdain towards the Guardian. Apparently he had also killed several of the town guards, and their families mourn in the ensuing chaos.
“Sigh” This night will be a long one my children. But that is all for now. This is Athena, signing off. May you sleep well tonight, despite this tragedy.
The broadcast ended and I turned off the radio. It’s funny. I hadn’t really approved of Athena labeling me as a savior back in Hydra Junction. But hearing the way she talked about me just now, just made my stomach turn.
Ratchet suddenly jumped up and shouted.
“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!”
Turning to glare at me, I returned his gaze, keeping my expression calm. He had been holding this back since we left, and I wasn’t gonna stop him.
“What the fuck was that in town? When we left, I figured you’d kill him, but not like that!” Ratchet yelled.
“What does it matter how he died? He got what he deserved.” I said.
“What does it matter? Of course it matters! What you did is no different than what raiders do to prisoners!” Ratchet yelled.
That made me glare and stand out to meet him eye to eye.
“Don’t you dare compare me to raiders!” I yelled.
“You impaled him on a flagpole Shadow! And from what Athena said, you did a lot more than that!”
Ratchet did not back down from my threatening posture, as we both stood tall and stared each other down. I was larger than he was, and stronger. But that didn’t seem to worry him one bit.
“You saw the bodies! You saw what he did to Moonlight and Zaheera! He deserved to die! And let the maggots feed on what’s left!” I screamed at him.
He winced at that, “Are you serious? What good comes from torturing a pony like that? Sure, he was a bastard and he deserved to die. But making him suffer makes you no better than him!”
WIth that sentence, I saw red, and rushed him. Grabbing him by the shoulders and pinning him to the rock wall behind us. Holding him in my grasp as I glared at him.
“Don’t you ever compare me to that raping piece of shit! I did as I was trained to do! I killed a monster!” I screamed in his face.
“STOP IT!” A mare’s voice shrieked from behind me.
I turned to the voice, and saw Moonlight standing there, her eyes wet with tears. She was shaking, just like when we first met. She was afraid… of me.
I turned back to Ratchet as the heat of my anger began to fade. His eyes were wide with fear as I held him there. I slowly put him down, and backed up a few steps.
“Ratchet… I’m sorry.” I said quietly.
He didn’t answer, just looked away and walked over towards Saskia, who had been sitting down watching our little argument.
I then turned to Moonlight, offering a hoof, “Moonlight, I’m…”
I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before she flinched back from my hoof, looking away from me with tears in her eyes.
“Who are you?” I heard Ratchet ask from behind me.
Turning back to him, I saw he was looking at the ground.
“You said you were trained to kill monsters? And you are more combat experienced than any stable pony should be, especially right out of the stable. So just who are you Shadow?” He asked.
Another tense silence filled the air as no pony looked at me, other than Saskia, whose expression I couldn’t read.
I sighed, “I’m no one.”
“Bullshit. Why won’t you tell us? I know your stable was attacked, but what harm would it be to tell us?” Ratchet demanded.
“Ratchet I can’t. My people need to stay a secret.” I said, hoping he’d drop it.
He scoffed at that, “What, you some secret group of super soldiers that’s gonna take over the Wasteland or something?”
“Don’t be dramatic. We just want to be left alone.” I answered.
“I’m confused, if you’re people want to be left alone, why did they send you out here?” Saskia finally entered the conversation.
“Raiders came and stole something from my stable that could be potentially dangerous in the wrong hooves. My mission is to find them, recover what they stole and kill the traitor that helped them get in” I said.
“And just what did they steal?” Ratchet asked.
“That’s classified.” I said quickly.
“Horseapples! Shadow, if we’re gonna be traveling together, you need to trust us!” He countered.
“It’s not a matter of trust Ratchet! It’s about keeping my stable a secret, at all costs!” I shot back.
“But think about all the good you did in Hydra Junction! Saving the mares from raiders, clearing out Bloodwing caverns! You can do so much for the Wasteland! You can be a hero!” He said.
“I am not a hero!” I yelled, a bit louder.
He went quiet, as my anger seethed again.
“You’ve known me for less than a week and you think you understand me? I kill a bunch of raiders and big bat monsters, and you and Athena paint me as some kind of messiah?”
“You don’t know anything about me. What I’ve done. What I’ve been through. I’ve seen things that you couldn’t imagine in your darkest nightmares.”
The silence came again, Ratchet didn’t respond to my outburst. He just sat there, dumbfounded at my words. His mouth slightly opened like he wanted to say something.
“But… but you’re a good pony.” Moonlight said as she stepped closer to me.
I turned to look at her, my expression softening a little.
“You saved me, from the bloodwings back in the cavern. The ghouls in the relief center. And from that horrible stallion. You’re a good pony.” Moonlight said, her tearing flowing freely now.
“I am not a pony.” I said grimly.
Saskia chimed in, “Zony. What difference does it make?”
I turned to her, “You saw how Zaheera and Sasha were treated back in Sandpit. Even in my stable, I was shunned by ponies and zebras alike.”
“But your parents were a pony and a zebra, so that should show that both races can love each other and put aside their differences.” Saskia stated.
My ears burned with rage again. My eyes glowed as I stared daggers at her.
“My parents didn’t love each other! And my existence means nothing! Ponies and zebras have hated each other for centuries! Are you truly so naive that you believe one foal between the two will stop all the hate and distrust!?” I screamed.
Saskia flinched back, just a little.
I was breathing heavily as my rage burned. Seeing all their faces looking at me with mixes of fear, doubt, and pity, it was just too much.
So I did what I always did when things got too hard. I ran.
I ran through the rain, not caring how soaked my coat was getting. I thought I heard Moonlight calling after me, but I just couldn’t. I had said too much.
Several minutes of running left my fur soaked, and my mane matted over my eyes. I pushed it aside with a hoof and ended up tripping over something. Probably a rock.
I laid there, in the downpour, feeling pathetic. Thunder boomed from above, making me look up. Lightning struck across the sky, the flash illuminating the ever present cloud layer.
I started to choke up, my breath catching in my throat. I wasn’t crying, but it was as close as I could get.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Turning my head, I looked at the figure standing a ways behind me. It was hard to see through the rain and mist. I must have been imagining it, cause it was impossible.
I could swear, through the mist and rain, that the Goddess Luna was staring at me. Wings and a horn adorned her body, and that was about all I could see. But I just knew it had to be her. Her eyes were sad and pitiful. My Goddess, who my tribe had worshipped and adored for millenia, was looking at me through the rain.
I bowed my head, not feeling worthy to meet her gaze, “Am I being punished? Have I committed a sin in your name?”
She did not answer, only continued to look at me with her sad eyes. Those eyes hurt more than any wound I had ever received.
“Have I not been following the creed that you had given us? Protect the people, no need for gratitude or reward.” I asked.
Again, no answer. And as another bolt of lightning flashed overhead, she faded from sight.
I reached out with a hoof, “Wait please! My Goddess, please. I am lost.”
I laid there, tears flowing now as I cried. Even the Goddess had disapproved of my actions. I had failed her, and that pained my very being.
Another loud crack of thunder came from above, making me look up once again. But this time, something else streaked across the sky. It was small, but I could barely make out figures moving across the sky. These figures danced around, seeming to fly in circles.
Soon I could see green bolts flying across the sky, much smaller than the lightning I had seen before. I watched these figures dance around each other before one broke off from the others, seeming to disappear from sight. After about five minutes, only two figures were left.
They had gotten lower to the ground and I could swear I saw flapping, like a bird in flight. Another bolt of lightning struck sending both figures into a dive. I followed them as they landed not too far away.
Curiosity got the better of me and I ran to investigate. The rain had let up a little, but was still annoying to navigate through. I eventually climbed the last hill and looked down at the scene. Two figures, laying in the small valley below.
I cautiously made my way to them, making my way to the closest one. What I found looked like a pony, but clad in black metal armor. The tail looked more like a scorpion, and the helmet had bug-like eyes that were cracked. I didn’t bother to check for a pulse, as the crash had mangled its limbs and broken its neck.
Looking at the other figure, I moved to investigate. This one was still breathing, I could see their chest rising slightly. I moved to remove the helmet from the being, to help them breathe and check for injuries.
Behind the helmet was a pony, a mare from the facial features. She had a dark blue coat with a purple mane. Her mane was a little unkempt, tied in the back with a scruffy ponytail.
“Miss? Can you hear me?” I asked.
Her eyes slowly opened to look at me, just barely enough to see me. She didn’t say anything and her eyes shut again. I guessed she passed out. Seeing as she just fell from the sky, that seemed likely.
I looked at her, lying there. I couldn’t leave her here could I?
I looked up, feeling that presence again, and there she was. The Alicorn figure standing in the rain, her eyes still sad, but now had a glimmer of something else.
“Guardians help people. Right?” I asked.
She gave the slightest smile before vanishing again.
I picked up the mare, and placed her on my back. With one last glance to where The Goddess had stood, I ran back towards my friends.
The alcove came in sight, my breath was ragged as I carried the unconscious mare. As I drew closer, I could see a fire burning. Somepony must have braved the weather to find something burnable.
I burst through the rain and immediately my friends looked at me.
“Shadow! There you are!” Moonlight exclaimed as she made her way towards me.
“What were you thinking? Running off into a thunderstorm? You could have been hurt! You could catch a cold!” Moonlight continued as she drew closer.
“Moonlight, there’s no time! This pony needs help!” I said, levitating the mare on my back down to the ground.
Moonlight gasped and went back to get her saddlebags. She came to the pony, medical supplies out in a flash and looked to her.
“We need to get this armor off. I’ve never seen one like it.” She said.
“I have. It’s Enclave power armor.” Ratchet said, having come over to see the pony.
“Enclave?” I asked.
“The Grand Pegasus Enclave. From what I was told, the Pegasi abandoned the surface when the bombs dropped. They made the cloud layer and stayed up in the clouds. They usually don’t come down unless they start trouble. Where did you find this mare?” He asked.
“She fell from the sky. From what I could see, she was fighting some other pegasi. One fell with her but they were dead. She was still breathing and I couldn’t leave her out to die.” I said.
Ratchet looked unsure, but eventually went to get his tools, “Well, let’s get the armor off and see if Moonlight can help. A warning though, Enclave aren’t exactly friendly to us “dirt ponies” as they call us.”
“We’ll worry about that later. Now hurry!” Moonlight begged.
Ratchet sighed and went to remove the armor. After all of it was off, the mare was in full view. She had a build that told me she was an athlete, trim but with some muscle tone. Her cutiemark was a storm cloud with two lightning bolts crossing underneath the cloud. Fitting I suppose, considering I found her in a storm.
Moonlight immediately got to work, “I mean no offense boys, but could you give us some space? I can’t work with you lot hovering my shoulders.”
We nodded and gave her some space. Ratchet still wouldn't look at me, and moved back to sit with Saskia. The unicorn was looking out to the wastes, either watching the rain or looking for trouble. She didn’t seem phased by what just occurred.
I sat on my own, my mind going back to that vision I had. Did I truly see the Goddess Luna? Or was my mind playing tricks on me?
I needed a distraction, and the radio was out of the question. Not unless I wanted another reminder of my deeds in Sandpit.
Then I remembered something I got back at the EREC facility. I took a hoof in my saddlebag and fished out the memory orb. I had never used one, but from what I had read back in the stable, unicorns simply needed to establish a connection with magic.
So I lit up my horn and pressed it to the orb. My world faded to black as the memory took hold.
It was an odd feeling, being in a body that wasn’t mine. I knew it wasn’t mine cause I had no horn and a frame that was clearly a mare. I felt a coat around my new body, light and comfortable, possibly a lab coat.
When I passed by a mirror, I saw my host. A mare with a pink coat and a yellow mane done in a bun. A lab coat was indeed hugging her body, a clipboard with a list handing from her side. Her hazel eyes stared back at her reflection, and I felt my chest puff up in pride. My hoof went back to straighten some stray strands of hair in my mane.
“Doctor Gingko?” A mare’s voice asked from outside the room I was in.
The mare turned and opened the door, seeing a zebra mare with bandages around her right eye.
“Zoey, what’s wrong dear? Is your eye throbbing again?” I asked.
“Yes Doctor. Could I please have some more medicine?” Zoey asked.
“Of course dear. Now keep in mind, you won’t get anymore today. We can’t risk overdose. After this, I want you to go back to bed and rest. Can you do that for me dear?” I said, my voice gentle but stern.
“Yes Doctor Gingko.” Zoey said, smiling at me.
I reached into a pocket in my lab coat, pulling out a syringe of Med-X. I gently inject it into the mare’s shoulder, her face showing relief.
“Better?” I asked.
“Much better, thank you Doctor.” She answered, hugging me.
I hugged back and gave her a pat on the back. The mare then let go and walked back down the hallway. I followed and saw her go into her room. I continued down the hall and into the main lobby. My eyes then went wide at who I saw sitting in the waiting area.
A mare with a yellow coat and pink mane was sitting quietly. A cutiemark of three butterflies on her flank. A bit of gray was visible in her mane, but she still had this serene grace about her.
“Ministry Mare Fluttershy?” I asked when I got in earshot.
She immediately turned at my voice, a smile on her face as she approached.
“Hello, are you Doctor Gingko?” She asked me.
“Y...Yes I am. May I ask why you are here ma’am?” I asked, a little shocked that the Ministry mare of Peace was in my clinic.
“I wanted to see one of your facilities for myself. It’s wonderful what you are doing. I’ve seen some of your patients. Wonderful.” She answered.
“You came all the way out here to the Badlands, to see this facility? We have several in Equestria.” I asked.
She looked away for just a second, “Well, yes. I’ve seen them as well. They are lovely as well.”
I sighed, “Ministry Mare Fluttershy, as a doctor, I have the utmost respect for you. But I need to know why you are here. The truth.”
Her ears flattened behind her head and she sighed, “I came here in hopes to speak with one of the EREC doctors. In hopes that we can come to an agreement of cooperation.”
“The EREC has made it clear that we do not want to be part of any ministry.” I said.
“But why? My ministry was built to help all creatures in need. We can help so many if we work together.” She pleaded.
“I agree that you made your ministry to help everyone. But the other ministries have too much hate, and we just don’t trust them.” I said, my voice becoming saddened.
She hung her head, “You heard about the board meeting then?”
“You were hoping to find someone who had not heard about what occurred in Canterlot I’m guessing? Sorry, but word in this company travels fast. The things that were said cannot be forgotten or forgiven easily.” I said.
She sniffled, “No. I know my friends did wrong that day. I’ve tried so hard to make up for it. I even sent extra medical supplies to your research facility as a gesture of goodwill.”
“You did? That’s wonderful. We have been experiencing shortages lately.” I said.
“I just wanted to help. This war has tainted everything we were trying to do.” Fluttershy said, her eyes beginning to tear up.
“This war hurts us all Miss Fluttershy.” I said, offering her a tissue.
She took it and rubbed at her eyes. Thanking me for the tissue, she turned to leave.
“Miss Fluttershy?” I called out to her.
She turned and looked at me.
“Maybe I can talk to the directors and see if we can’t come up with some solution. I say again, I do admire you. You are an inspiration to doctors everywhere.” I said, my heart beating a little faster.
She smiled at me, “Thank you Doctor Gingko.”
She left out the door and into the sky wagon out front. I sighed and finished my rounds. Walking from room to room, changing bandages and checking on sleeping patients.
Making it back to my office, I sat down in front of my terminal, ready to send a letter to the Directors. Maybe we can open a volunteer program with the MOP.
Suddenly, an email appeared on my screen. I opened it, curious as to who it could be from. Surprisingly it was from Director Zia. Just the mare I had hoped to contact.
Dear Doctor Gingko,
I have received word that Ministry Mare Fluttershy was planning a trip to the Badlands. I have a feeling that she will be stopping by one of our facilities, most likely yours as it is the closest one to the Equestrian Border. I understand your admiration for the Ministry Mare Fluttershy, but under no circumstances can we allow any Ministry to get a hoofhold in our company.
If she shows up, please ask her politely to leave.
On another note, I will be sending a temporary replacement for you tomorrow morning. You are required to go to the Northern Medical Research Center. I require you to examine the supplies recently sent by the MOP. We must be sure they have not been sabotaged or laced with anything harmful to our patients.
The new security system has been installed. The code to get through the door is Silver Moon. Thank you for all you have done for this company. You are truly a valued member of this family.
Director Zia.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How could Director Zia accuse Fluttershy of tampering with our supplies. But I could see the concern, considering how other Ministries like the MOM and MOW could easily intercept the shipment.
Copying the new password, I got to packing my things.
And with that, the memory began to fade.
I woke up with a start, the feeling of returning to my actual body felt odd. It was like a dream, but also like a simulation. Not really so different from what I had gone through in trainin…
“Shadow, you finally out of that thing?” Ratchet said, making me jump.
I turned to see my friends all staring at me. Moonlight was still sitting next to the mare, while Ratchet and Saskia sat in the same spot they had been.
“How long was I in there? I asked.
“About an hour. You should be more cautious with those orbs. They tend to take longer than they appear. Never go into one without someone to watch over you.” Saskia said.
I nodded and walked over to Moonlight, “How is she?”
She sighed, “I’ve done all I can with what I have. Her wing is broken and she has a few broken ribs. I cannot risk a healing potion or they will not heal properly. If only I had proper medical equipment.”
Ratchet chimed in, “Sandpit won’t help us. And it’s too risky to try and get her back to Hydra Junction.”
I tried to think of a way to help, then I heard a ping from my pipbuck. Looking at the device, my map function showed a new marker. To the north of us, about a few hours away. I read “EREC Medical Research Facility.”
My eyes widened. The facility Doctor Gingko talked about. It would have just what we needed!
“I’ve got an idea!” I said excitedly. Everyone looked to me, and I held up my pipbuck to show the map.
“Soon as the rain clears up, we’re moving out!” I shouted.
It was about a day's travel north to reach the research facility. I carried the unconscious pegasus on my back the whole way, determined to get her the help she needed. I didn’t know what compelled me to help this random mare who fell from the sky. Maybe it was to make up for my actions in Sandpit. But I still did not feel remorse for those actions. At least, I didn’t think I did.
Perhaps it was my duty as a Guardian. To help those who need it, without thanks or reward. My thoughts went back to the figure I saw in the rain. Was it only my imagination? Or did the Goddess truly grace me with her presence?
“Shadow, there it is!” Moonlight yelled out.
I looked to where she was flying above us, seeing her hoof pointing in the direction ahead of us. I was glad to see her flying again. She seemed to be in slightly better spirits. Perhaps the urge to help this mare took her mind off her ordeal in Sandpit.
Looking ahead, the facility finally came into view. It was a large rectangular building, Bigger than any single building I had seen in the wasteland. While it only had one story, it covered much more land than the mansion back in Sandpit. Though I felt like it was small for a research facility. I had imagined it would have multiple levels for different research.
“So this is what you were on about? Well I’m afraid I’m gonna have to burst y’all bubbles. This place is locked up tight. No scavenger has been able to get in.” Ratchet said.
“Why is that?” Saskia asked.
“The terminal is different from most others in the wasteland. Can’t hack it. You need to know the password to get in, and it doesn’t give you a list of them either.” Ratchet answered.
That didn’t stop me, as I continued to the facility. Maybe finding that memory orb was the will of the Goddess as well. I wondered what we would find in this facility. Medical equipment and supplies obviously. But what else could EREC have been cooking up in there?
As we made it over the last hill, a loud explosion rang out over the desert. I quickly motioned to the others for us to hide behind a large rock formation. As we got out of sight, I put the mare down next to Moonlight and made my way to the corner of the formation to get a look at what caused the explosion. It was too far to see anything particular.
“Here try these Shadow.” Saskia said from behind me.
I turned to see her levitating a pair of binoculars over to me.
“Excellent. Thank you Saskia.” I thanked her as I took the binoculars in my own magic.
Looking through the binoculars, I saw several ponies near the entrance to the facility. The door had a large black mark on it, probably from the explosion. I could see five ponies, all wearing spiked barding and helmets.
“Raiders.” I said.
“What in Celestia’s name are they doing here?” Ratchet asked.
“Looks like they are trying to blast the door off the facility.” I said, passing him the binoculars.
He took them and got a look for himself. He scoffed, “Idiots. They could put a hundred sticks of dynamite on that thing and it wouldn’t do more than dent it.”
“Others have tried, I presume?” Saskia asked.
“Yeah. Hell even I tried to put some C4 Plastic explosives on that thing. Biggest waste of caps.” Ratchet said.
“Well, if we are gonna get in there, we need to clear them out.” I said.
Turning to Moonlight, “Moonlight, I need you to stay here and look after our patient. Ratchet, you stay here with her just in case there are more of these assholes around. I don’t want her getting jumped.”
“I hear ya partner. I’m on it.” He said.
“Alright. Please be careful Shadow.” Moonlight pleaded.
“I will. Saskia, think you can teleport behind them so we can come at them from both sides?” I asked.
“Absolutely. They won’t see me coming.” She grinned.
“Alright. Just make sure they don’t see the flash from your teleport. I’ll approach and make the first move. Once the shooting starts, let ‘em have it.” I said.
“Understood.” Saskia said before disappearing in a flash of light.
Damn, I wish I could teleport. Stupid horn. I moved out from our hiding place and made my way silently up to the facility. I moved behind the closest rock to the facility and could hear them now.
“Damn it all! That was the last of the dynamite! Why won’t this stupid thing budge?” A mare yelled.
“Why does the boss want in here so bad anyway? That stupid red unicorn isn’t so tough. Why do we need to do what he says anyway?” A stallion said.
Red unicorn? If these raiders are with the same group that attacked my stable, they could be talking about Saber!
That name set a fire in my veins, making me jump from my cover, Desert Rose up and ready. I fired at the closest raider, the mare that spoke earlier. The shot rang out and hit her in the leg, making her fall to the ground.
“The fuck was that!?” A raider shouted.
Saskia then took her opportunity to attack them from behind as we planned. Bane and Blight unleashed a torrent of bullets, riddling two raiders full of holes. They dropped to the ground dead as the rest finally got to their weapons.
I entered SATS, taking aim at the one I injured before. Two shots to the head. I released the spell, my first shot missing. But the second shot tore into the back of her head. She didn’t even have time to scream before she hit the ground dead.
Two more left.
“Saskia! I want one of these bucks alive!” I yelled out.
I ran towards the last raiders, Venta hovering on one side of me, while my shotgun floated on my other. As I closed the distance, one of the raiders took out a mini chainsaw, like the ones in the stable. I moved to block it with my sword, showering both of us with sparks.
He struggled, but I was stronger. I floated the shotgun right into his face, making his face go pale as he stared down the two barrels.
BOOM!
His head exploded like a melon, showering me with his brains. His chainsaw dropped to the ground, whirling slowly as it stopped.
I turned to see that Saskia had the last buck on the ground, both SMGs pointed at his head. Walking over to them, I looked down at the raider buck.
“Do you come from the raider group north of here?” I asked.
“Fuck you stripe!” He spat at me.
Saskia hit him on the head with one of her guns, making him yell out another obscenity.
“Where do you come from?” I asked slowly but sternly.
“Alright alright. Yeah we’re from the group up north. Boss sent us here to loot the place for medical supplies.” He finally answered.
“Why?” I asked.
“Cause we needed them. Lots of our boys barely escaped our last job.” He said.
That sentence made my blood boil, “You mean your attack on my stable?”
He looked up at me in confusion, but it soon turned to shock after he got a good look at my barding.
“You… you’re one of them.” He said, his voice shaking.
I glared down at him, and struck him in the face with my hoof. He spat blood on the ground before glaring back up at me.
“Your friend mentioned a red unicorn. Was he carrying twin swords?” I asked.
“Yeah. That bastard has been bossing us around ever since we left that stupid stable of yours. I’ve wanted to put a bullet in him since day 1.” He replied.
“Of that we can actually relate. Saber will die, and meet you in Tartarus.” I said, pulling my sword over his head.
Before he could get another word out, my sword pierced the top of his skull, silencing him forever. Pulling it out, I turned to where Ratchet and Moonlight had been hiding. Calling down to them, they soon joined me and Saskia in front of the large door. The pegasus mare was still unconscious on Ratchet’s back.
“So, they give ya any trouble?” Ratchet asked.
“No, but they did give me some useful information. I now know where the traitor Swift Saber is.” I said.
“That traitor you were looking for? That’s great Shadow. Where is he?” Moonlight asked.
“At the raider base, or at least he was there. No clue if he still is.” I said.
“You are on his trail, that is for certain.” Saskia said before turning to the door.
“But to the matter at hand, how do we intend to open this door?” She asked.
“Not sure of that myself. Explosives don’t work, and as I said, can’t hack the terminal.” He answered.
I started walking up to the door, placing my hoof onto the blackened surface. This was part of the EREC, the very company that was responsible for Stable 100. My ancestors.
“So how ya plan to get in there partner? Wait, your swords can’t cut through solid steel can they?” Ratchet asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.
I laughed, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Looking around, I found the terminal Ratchet was talking about. Moving up to it, I started it up. Like Ratchet told us, it didn’t give the optional passwords like others had done. It simply asked for a password, nothing else.
Ratchet was now looking over my shoulder, “Yep. Just like before. Ain’t no getting in there partner. Not unless you can magically guess the password.”
I grinned back at him and entered “Silver Moon” into the terminal. After a few seconds, the terminal gave a ping noise and a message appeared on the screen.
Welcome Dr. Gingko.
The door to the facility opened with a look screeching noise that made me and my companions cover our ears. After the door was opened, I turned to my friends who were staring at me with shock. Well, all except Saskia, who simply had the same smile she always had.
“Alright, how is Celestia’s name did ya do that?” Ratchet said, clearly confused.
“Remember that memory orb I found. Right at the end of it, it gave me the password for this facility.” I answered.
He blinked for a second, “Wow, talk about lucky. Well shoot, come on. Let’s see if this place was worth the walk.”
I nodded and we soon found ourselves in what looked like a lobby. A large desk was in pretty rough shape, looking like something had crashed into it. Split in half and caved in. The chairs were all rotted and torn up as well.
The floor however seemed to be made of porcelain tile, which was cracked in several places. Above on the ceiling were lights that had long since gone dark. Either the bulbs had gone bad, or the power was not working. I was hoping the former, considering we needed the equipment in here.
Another terminal was resting on the broken desk, so I moved towards it in hope I could find a map to the facility. Unfortunately, the screen was smashed. No luck.
“Well the place is in pretty rough shape. ‘Bout what I expected honestly.” Ratchet said, walking up behind me.
“Yeah. Terminal is busted. Any ideas?” I asked the others.
“Well let us continue to search around. We may find a map. Or some directions to something useful.” Moonlight said.
“Agreed. But we stick together. This place was a research base, so it probably had a security system. We may find robots, or perhaps turrets.” I said.
Everypony nodded and we started for the first hallway to our left. As we walked through, I didn’t see any signs of automated turrets. But I kept an eye out for any movement. The hallway was pretty bare, with only a few chairs hugging the walls. Several doors lined the sides, so we started to look through them.
The first door on our left led into what looked like an office space. It seemed pretty well intact. The desk was in one piece, with a glowing terminal sitting on it. A bookshelf lined the back wall, with a few books still sitting on it’s shelves.
“Ratchet, check out that terminal. Moonlight, help me search this bookshelf. Saskia, watch the hallway for any surprises.” I said.
Everypony nodded and went to their tasks. Saskia brought out Bane and Blight and stood in the doorway. Ratchet gently put our pegasus friend down on a mostly intact couch, then went to the terminal. Moonlight and I moved to the bookshelf, seeing most of the books in pretty bad shape.
“Find anything in tact Moonlight?” I asked.
“Not yet. It’s such a shame. Books are so rare back home. I would love to see what this facility could offer in terms of medical knowledge.” Moonlight said sadly.
“Where did you pick up your medical skills if I may ask Moonlight?” I asked, curiosity in my voice.
“My mother. She was the finest doctor my people had ever seen. She taught me everything I know. About medicine, and herbs.” Moonlight said.
“She sounds like quite the amazing mare.” I said.
“She was.” She said.
I turned to her, “Was?”
Moonlight looked down and fidgeted with her braid, “She disappeared five years ago. She and my uncle left the colony. I don’t know if they are still alive.”
“Why did they leave?” I asked.
She turned away, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I saw her eyes start to water, and I relented.
“I’m sorry Moonlight. I didn’t mean to pick at old wounds.” I said.
“It’s ok. It’s just so hard. Mother was my idol. I wanted to be just like her. And when she left, she never told me why.” She said softly.
We both went back to the bookshelf, and after a bit of searching, something caught my eye. I pulled out a book that was mostly intact. The cover read “Canterlot Journal of Internal Medicine”.
I passed Moonlight the book, “Here you go Moonlight.”
She looked at the cover and her eyes lit up. She took the book into her saddlebags and continued her search. I continued as well, finding only one more book that was in some kind of decent condition. This one read “Duck and Cover”.
I opened it and skimmed through the pages, seeing information about all kinds of explosives. Mines, grenades, and even some methods of making explosives charges. We didn’t have much training in explosives back in the stable. Only basic knowledge of how to avoid them.
“Hey Ratchet. You should check this book out.” I said, showing him the cover.
He looked away from the terminal and shrugged, “I already have a copy of that. Well I did, before my shack blew up.”
I put the book in my saddlebags and walked over to him. Looking over his shoulder, I saw he was still hacking into the terminal.
“No luck?” I asked.
“Almost got it. It’s being stubborn is all.” He answered.
The terminal then gave off a “ping” noise, signaling that Ratchet had found the correct password. The screen changed to a main page of options.
“Alright, now let’s find us a map.” Ratchet said.
After skimming through the options, we eventually found a map. I downloaded it to my pipbuck and Ratchet stood up, letting me go through the log files we found. Most of them were just daily logs from the doctor who owned this office. Apparently he had a thing for one of his colleagues.
But as I got to one of the last few entries, the date was a week before the bombs dropped. I clicked on it and began to read.
Entry #251
Dr. Gingko has come back to join in our research. I’m glad to have her back. She has this way about her that gets everypony motivated. Shame she isn’t interested in stallions or I’d ask her out sometime.
Back on task, we have a new project coming in. Don’t have too many of the details yet, but the director seems to be adamant about it. Samples of some kind are coming in from the jungle to the east. The directors want us to run some tests and experiments on some kind of plant. Not my field of expertise, but I do love a challenge.
That’s all for today. This is Dr. Celery signing off.
I downloaded the other files to my pipbuck. We had spent too much time going through these and we needed to find some equipment.
“Alright, let’s see what we can find on the map Shadow” Ratchet said.
I pulled up the map on my pipbuck and moved to where Ratchet could see it as well. It seemed this facility was larger than I originally thought. It had two sublevels underneath us. The first floor seemed to be office space and administration. Sublevel 2 was the main research lab, and Sublevel 3 was the reactor and extra lab space.
“Well, if I was looking for surgical equipment, I’d check the main research lab. It’s bound to have the best equipment. What do you think Moonlight?” I asked.
Moonlight came over and looked at the map, “I agree. If we make our way downstairs, we are bound to find equipment, hopefully in good condition.”
“Agreed. Let’s get going.” I said.
“Hold on guys!” Saskia shouted from the doorway.
I moved to her side, “What’s wrong Saskia?”
“Do you hear that?” She asked.
Moonlight’s ear perked up as well, “I hear it too. What is that?”
At first I didn’t hear anything, but then something reached my ears. I focused on the sound, figuring it was coming from down the hallway. It was an odd sound. Almost like, buzzing?
I looked out of the door, turning my head to the left just in time to see something unusual. A large cloud of blue was swarming it’s way down the hallway. It was fast, getting closer by the second. My fur started to stand up and I felt my instincts kick in.
I slammed the door to the office, pulling Saskia away just in time for a surge of electricity to hit the door, sparks flying as the lights in the room flickered. The door stayed electrified for a good minute before it quit.
“What in tarnation was that?” Ratchet asked.
“I don’t know. You don’t see anything like that in the wasteland?” I asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like that. And I’ve been plenty of places.” Ratchet answered.
“Did you get a good look Shadow?” Saskia asked.
“Not really. It was moving too fast. But that buzzing noise, could it have come from that?” I asked.
“Not sure. But we better be more careful now.” Saskia said.
“Indeed. We don’t want to be hit with a surge like that. That much voltage could do major internal damage.” Moonlight warned us.
I carefully opened the door, peeking out to find the hallway empty now. Whatever had come through must have moved on.
“Weapons out everypony. Stay alert. The stairway to the labs is at the end of this hallway.” I said, taking out my shotgun and Venta.
My friends followed me from behind, Moonlight staying close to me while Ratchet and Saskia panned out to cover each door in case anything else was hiding around. Ratchet carried the pegasus mare on his back still, fitting her in place as to not interfere with his battlesaddle.
As we reached the end of the hallway, we turned the corner where the stairs used to be, only to find a pile of rubble blocking the way.
“Damn it! It’s blocked.” I cursed.
Saskia turned to Ratchet, “Maybe we could blast our way through?”
“Yeah and collapse the stairwell while we’re at it. Not to mention that kind of noise will attract whatever is lurking around here.” He answered.
Looking at the map, I scanned around the first floor for another path, and eventually I was successful.
“According to the map, there is another stairwell on the other side of the building.” I said.
“What about that electric cloud thing? Can we get past it?” Moonlight asked.
“We have to try.” I said.
And so we started to head back to the main lobby to make our way to the other side of the facility. The lobby was as we left it, but still I was cautious. This creature or whatever it was could appear anywhere and if it caught us, the consequences could be dire.
We made it to the other hallway no problem, only getting spooked by a rat once. We followed the hallway, until my senses came into full attention once more. My fur stood on end and the buzzing noise returned.
“Inside a room now!” I yelled.
The blue cloud appeared once more on the other side of the hallway, barreling towards us. I went for the nearest door, finding it locked. The cloud was getting closer as I went for the next door, unlocked but the door was jammed.
“Moonlight help me pull it open!” I yelled.
She was at my side in an instant, pulling along with me, the door beginning to budge. Gunshots could be heard, coming from Bane and Blight as Saskia tried to buy us some time. I watched as the cloud seemed to hesitate for a second from the barrage of bullets. But only for a moment.
Soon the door gave way and I pushed Moonlight inside.
“Both of you get inside!” I shouted at Ratchet and Saskia.
I drew my shotgun and unloaded a shot as the cloud came closer. It stopped in the air, looking almost agitated at my attack. Suddenly it gained speed as it closed the distance. Quickly I tried to jump inside the door and slam the door. But I was too slow.
The door shut, but before I could move my hoof off of it, the electric shock from the cloud hit me, sending me flying backwards and onto my back. Back in the stable, we were trained against taser-like weapons. With the right training and fortification of the mind, you could lessen the effect.
I laid there on the floor, writhing from the shock. My limbs locked up and I could not move.
Ratchet came over to me, but Moonlight shouted, “No don’t touch him!”
That made him stop as my friends watched me on the floor, spasming. I focused my mind and tried to filter out the pain and the numb feeling I was experiencing. And after a while, I begin to gain some movement back. I took a breath to try and calm myself down, letting the feeling subside. Five seconds may seem like a short time, but in this state, it can feel like an hour.
I finally got feeling in my legs back and rolled over, trying to catch my breath. Moonlight was immediately at my side, listening to my heart and checking my pulse.
“Pulse is stabilizing. Take deep breaths Shadow, don’t try and get up yet.” She told me.
“Not the first time I’ve been shocked like this. Although, I admit. The tasers back home were nothing compared to that.” I said, still on the ground.
“You sure you’re ok partner?” Ratchet asked.
“I’ll be fine. Just need some time to recover. Whatever that thing is, a direct hit from it will most certainly kill us.” I said.
Moonlight gave me a healing potion despite my insistence I didn’t need one. She was quite persuasive when it came to being a healer. She also insisted I lay there on the floor for another fifteen minutes, just in case.
The office we ducked inside was no different than the other one we found, only the terminal was smashed and the bookshelves were empty. Papers were scattered all over the place. We looked through the broken desk and found a few bobby pins, but that was all. There was nothing for us here.
“We need to move. Sooner we get downstairs, the sooner we can find what we’re here for.” I said, standing up.
The shock hurt, but after what I went through in training, I recovered pretty quickly. I couldn’t sit here any longer. We needed to get this done. Those things were dangerous, and we needed to seal this place up again so they wouldn't escape. If they hadn’t already.
I peeked out into the hallway once again, and once more found it clear. All of us made our way to the end of the hallway, and to our relief, the stairwell was intact and clear. We stayed close to one another as we descended the stairs, and as we did, I was getting this strange feeling like we were walking into something much worse than those electric clouds.
We reached the bottom of the stairs without much trouble, other than me taking the mare on my back to give Ratchet a break. She wasn’t that heavy, and I could hear her breathing peacefully.
The door to Sublevel 2 was locked, but some time with a bobby pin and screwdriver gave us access. Opening the door, I was greeted with a large hallway once more. Only this one was more metallic and had windows lining the walls. I didn’t see anything hostile, whether it be a turret or one of those cloud things.
“Ok, let’s look into these labs and see if we can find any working equipment.” I said.
Getting nods from my group, we made our way through the hall. Peeking into the first room, I saw nothing but a bed and what looked like blast marks. As if something had exploded in there. Possibly an experiment gone bad. This place was supposed to be a medical research facility, yet it didn’t feel quite like one. While there were signs of medical equipment and such, something else had taken place here. Something bad.
I looked into the next room and found something interesting. It looked different than the other rooms, having some display cases in the very back. I opened the door, walking inside and got a closer look. “Shadow? Find something?” Moonlight asked as she followed me inside.
“Not sure.” I said.
I walked over to the display case in the back, taking a peek inside, I found the weirdest looking rifle I had ever seen. It looked like it was made from random parts. Pipes, an air pump, springs, etc. It certainly didn’t look like much.
Moonlight came up behind me and saw the gun herself, “Why would a medical research facility make a gun?”
“I don’t know. It certainly doesn’t look like much of a weapon.” I said.
Looking over to the desk next to the display case, I found a terminal that was still active. Moving over to it I found a few files that weren’t corrupted.
Opening the first one, it read “Medical Weaponry”.
This is Doctor Xaviera, Log #1
The director finally approved of my project. Finally I can start working on my design. The perfect weapon for a medical trooper. This weapon will grant the medic of any squad the ability to not only defend themselves, but also keep their oath of not taking a life. Most medics prefer to stay in their hospitals and avoid combat. But this must change.
If we are to end this war and save lives, we must be there to help in the field. This weapon will revolutionize the art of alchemy.
As I finished the first log, I moved on to the next one.
Doctor Xaviera, Log #2
The first few prototypes of my creation did not work out so well. At first, I took parts from scrapped rifles that had been brought in, but I soon learned that they would not do. Fresh rifle parts are too hard to come by here, so I had to improvise. Using leftover equipment I “borrowed” from my colleagues labs, I think I have a design that should suit my needs.
Doctor Gingko returned today for another project. Everyone seems excited about it, but I have no time for that. I must complete my work.
Doctor Gingko again, what was this project they brought in? Maybe Xaviera will mention it. I opened the last log.
Doctor Xaviera, Log #3
This is complete! My masterpiece! To Tartarus with those who laughed at it at the board meeting today. Doctor Gingko supported me and that is all I needed.
The Syringer Rifle, a non-lethal weapon that takes the alchemy of our zebra culture and turns it into a weapon. While zebras have used blow darts for centuries, that always had a limited range. With my creation, a medic can hit the enemy from a distance, paralyzing them or even putting them to sleep with a concoction of their own making.
Furthermore, the rifle is silent, no gunpowder or bullets required. Syringes are abundant after they are used for surgery and other operations, and no need to worry about sterilizing if you are hitting an enemy.
At long last, my masterpiece is complete. Doctor Gingko wanted me to assist with the new project on Lv. 3, and now that my duty is done, I care not. This is my last entry on Project Syringer.
After I read the last entry, an option at the bottom of the list of commands appeared. It was to open the display case. I clicked it and the case opened, revealing the pristine rifle, a battle saddle, and a book. I lifted them in my magic, placing them between me and Moonlight.
“A rifle that uses syringes as ammo, filling them with different drugs as a non-lethal means of incapacitating enemies. Fascinating.” Moonlight said.
“It is certainly unique.” I said.
An idea popped in my head and I looked to my thestral friend, “Moonlight, I know you don’t like guns, but I think something like this would suit you.”
Her eyes went wide for a moment before falling back to the rifle, “I… I don’t know.”
“Moonlight, you need to learn to defend yourself. And this rifle was made for ponies like you. Those who do not wish to kill but defend themselves and others.” I said.
She looked to me again, and to the rifle. After a minute of silence, she nodded, “You are right Shadow. I refuse to be useless again.”
Ratchet then found his way into the room, “Hey you two, find anything useful?”
That was when he saw the rifle, “Well now, that is certainly an interesting rifle. Looks like it was hoofmade from bits and parts.”
“One of the doctors here created it. It shoots syringes instead of bullets. Non-lethal.” I said.
“That’s weird. So what we gonna do with it?” He asked.
“I’m taking it.” Moonlight said.
Ratchet looked shocked, “You sure? I thought you hated guns?”
“I do, but this isn’t really a gun per say. And it would be perfect for me, with my background in medicine and such.” She said confidently.
“Gotta point there. Well good for you Moonlight. Want some help setting up that battlesaddle? Looks about your size.” Ratchet offered.
“That would be appreciated. Thank you Ratchet.” Moonlight said, smiling at him.
While Ratchet looked into getting Moonlight strapped into the battlesaddle, I explored more of the room. I found a cabinet and opened it, finding an ammo box full of syringes, all labeled “Joint Lock”.
“Moonlight, I think I found you ammo for that rifle.” I said.
I turned around and saw that she had the rifle placed at her right side, the battlesaddle fitting her quite nicely. She blushed and came over.
“How do I look?” She asked.
“I think it suits you. Here you go.” I said, passing her the ammo.
She took it and Ratchet helped her figure out how to load it as well as the ammo changing mechanism that was built it.
“So what’s in the book?” I asked.
She opened it and smiled, “It’s Dr. Xaviera’s notes on different concoctions for the ammo. These are some fascinating brews. I will have to read this more when we are done here.”
As we three were leaving the room, we heard Saskia shout out, “Hey guys! I think I found something.”
We all saw that she had made her way down to the last door on the right of the hallway. Making our way over there, we all looked inside. The room had a large operation table with monitors and other medical equipment.
“Yes! This is exactly what I need!” Moonlight exclaimed as she tried to open the door.
She pressed the button on the panel, but the door did not budge. Looking back at Ratchet with pleading eyes, he got the idea. He took out a few tools and started to take the panel apart. How earth ponies managed to use tools and work with things like wires at the same time was beyond me. My horn may not work all the time, but I prefer it to using my mouth.
Suddenly, a noise came from behind us. It was a ways off, but enough to make me and Saskia tense and immediately turn to the source. Venta and Desert Rose were out in an instant as my hair on my neck stood up. Something was coming, and it wasn’t one of those clouds.
“Ratchet, keep working. Moonlight, take our patient and stay with Ratchet.” I said.
Moonlight took the mare off my back and moved next to Ratchet, who had started working a little faster.
Then came the screech, a sound that I had heard before. Ghouls.
The feral ghoul came around a corner, staggering and twitching as if it was having a fit. The creature lumbered in our direction, not showing any immediate interest in us. I had thought it would charge at us and alert the rest of the horde, but it just kept walking.
As it got closer, I noticed something different about it. While the ghouls I had seen back at the EREC center had broken skin and bits of fur still clinging to their forms, this ghoul seemed to have twigs growing out of it. Small tree limbs like those you would find on a young tree were protruding from several parts of its body, including the sides, head and legs.
“Umm… is that normal for ghouls?” I asked Saskia.
“No. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” She answered.
The ghoul stopped at the sound of our voices, and let out another screech. Then it lumbered at us faster than before. I took aim with my revolver and fired, caution thrown to the wind as the others no doubt heard that scream. The bullet ripped into the skull of the ghoul, making it scream again as it fell to the ground. It twitched a little before going limp.
Sure enough, five more came from the same hallway, all with the same condition. That could cause something like that?
A question that would have to come later as I fired again, missing. Damn my poor aim. Saskia’s SMGs rang out and unleashed a torrent of bullets at the horde, ripping them to shreds. Three of them dropped while the other two still came at us. Going into SATS, I cued up my last 4 shots to their heads, two for each one. Releasing the spell, my shots rang out. Three of the four shots hit their mark. The two ghouls fell and I needed to reload.
“Shadow, Saskia! More comin from the other hallway!” Ratchet yelled from behind us.
I turned to see another six heading our way. I quickly went to reload Desert Rose as Saskia reloaded Bane and Blight much quicker. She rained down more bullets against the horde and I moved closer to get a better shot as SATS was still recharging. I fired shot after shot, managing to hit a few more. As my gun ran out again, I went to move into melee range. Venta gleamed in the light of the hallway’s dim ceiling lamps as my blade cleaved off the head of one ghoul.
The others came at me and tried to bite me, but my sword kept them at a distance. I then put my revolver away and got out my shotgun, blasting two ghouls in the chest, sending them crashing into the wall and sliding down it with gaping holes in their chests. My shotgun was much easier to reload, but only held two shots. But Venta and Umbra ripped through the horde with little effort.
Suddenly a scream from behind alerted me and Saskia that another horde had sneaked up on Moonlight and Ratchet. I quickly ran in their direction, but the horde beat me to them.
A ping and the sound of a mechanical door opening told me Ratchet had gotten the door to work.
“Moonlight, get inside!” Ratchet yelled.
Moonlight was about to scream and run inside the room, but she instead bit down on the bridle of the saddle. A small “whoosh” sound came from her new rifle. A second later, we say a syringe in the ghoul’s neck. It stopped for a moment, seeming confused before it tried moving again. Only it’s legs seemed to not want to move, as if they were stuck. Then I remembered the label on the ammo box, “Joint Lock”. It temporarily parayzed the target!
Suddenly as the creature fell over in front of Ratchet, instead of growling as the ghouls at the EREC center had done, it hiccupped, yes hiccupped. A bubble coming from its mouth.
Ratchet looked just as confused as I was, not knowing what to do. Then the bubble popped and a cloud of brownish haze came out of it. It hit Ratchet in the face and he started to cough. In his coughing fit, he couldn’t bite down on the bit of his bridle to fire his weapon.
I had reached them by this time and cut off the ghouls head. I took my shotgun and blasted the other two. They crumpled to the floor as I turned to Ratchet. He kept coughing and sat down on his rump.
“Ratchet! You ok?” I asked him.
His coughing started to calm down after a while, “I don’t know. What was that stuff? Never seen a feral do that.”
“Not sure. These ghouls obviously are different than the others we’ve encountered.” I said.
Suddenly, Ratchet froze in place. He looked at me, and orange spots started to pop into place all over his body. He looked at his foreleg and then back to me.
“Shadow, what in tarnation is going on? I feel weird.” Ratchet said.
He tried to get up, but his legs wobbled and he fell. I caught him with magic before he hit the ground.
Saskia came up to us, “Let us discuss more inside. No telling how many more ghouls are lurking around.”
I nodded and lifted Ratchet in magic, taking him inside the room. Closing the door behind us, I moved him to a chair that was still intact. Making sure he was comfortable, I turned to find Moonlight.
She was at the operation table, positioning the pegasus mare comfortably and inspecting the equipment. Her battlesaddle was off now, her new rifle laying not far away against a wall.
“How do things look?” I asked her.
“The equipment has some wear on it, but I think I can work with this. Shadow, do you have any alcohol?” Moonlight asked.
“Yes I do. I take it you wish to use it for sterilizing tools?” I said.
“Yes. If you could please sterilize the tools on the table over there, I can hook her up to the monitor.” Moonlight said.
I nodded and began my task. Taking out the flask that Master Cross gave me, I was a little hesitant to use his famous brew in such a way. But only for a moment. A mare’s life was at stake and I couldn’t afford to be selfish.
With the tools sterilized, Moonlight had hooked up the mare to the monitor, the device indicating a steady pulse. Good.
“Moonlight, before we start with the mare, we need to have a look at Ratchet.” I said.
She nodded and came over with me to where Ratchet sat. He looked worse than before, his mane wet with sweat and his breathing ragged.
“What happened?” Moonlight asked, placing a hoof on his forehead.
“I breathed in some kind of gas from a bubble one of the ghouls spat at me. My head is pounding and I feel so weak all the sudden.” Ratchet explained.
Moonlight’s expression became more concerned, she took a stethoscope she most likely found in this room and listened to his heartbeat.
“His heart is beating irregularly, and his breathing is definitely off. Some kind of pathogen was in that gas. These ghouls might be carriers of something.” Moonlight said.
“So what have I got?” Ratchet asked, his voice growing more worried.
“I have no idea. I’ve never heard of something like this.” Moonlight said.
“Damn. I knew something was up with those ghouls. I shouldn’t have left you two alone.” I cursed.
“Shadow, you cannot be everywhere at once. None of us could have known about this.” Saskia said.
I sighed, “What do we do now?”
“This place was a medical research facility. It must have supplies and records around. I’ll need Med-X, healing potions, tweezers, forceps, and a wing brace if you can find one.” Moonlight said.
I nodded, “Alright. I’ll head out.”
I turned to Saskia, “Saskia, stay here and keep an eye on everypony. I don’t want to leave Moonlight alone when Ratchet can’t fight.”
“Of course.” Saskia agreed.
“I don’t like you going on your own Shadow. But I cannot deny that having Saskia here will make me feel more at ease while I work on my patients. Just please be careful.” Moonlight said.
“I will. I won’t venture far. But I’ll get what you need, and hopefully find out more about this sickness.” I said.
I opened the door to find no ghouls waiting for me, other than the dead ones. I closed the door behind me and went down the direction the first ghoul had come from. Venta and Desert Rose were out and ready, in case anymore of those things were sneaking around.
Strangely, I didn’t find any ghouls. The place seemed empty, silent as a graveyard. But I knew better than to let my guard down. I could feel something watching me, I wasn’t alone.
I found more laboratories, each one holding very few supplies. I did manage to find three syringes of Med-X. That was one thing off my grocery list at least.
What was truly odd was these strange black marks on the walls of some rooms, almost looking like scorch marks. Perhaps a fire broke out during an experiment?
As I continued down the hallway, I came to a fork in the road.
A sign on the wall read, “Security” to the left, and “Stairwell” to the right. The stairs would lead to Level 3, which was not my concern right now. Security on the other hand might allow me to get some information, or at least a more detailed map of the facility.
As I moved down the left hallway, growls came from the darkness. Remembering what happened to Ratchet, I took out a cloth I had found in one of the labs. Wrapping it around my muzzle, I hoped it would protect me from the gas these things spit out.
The first ghoul came charging at me, earning it a bullet from Desert Rose. Two more came through and I fired two more shots. Both shots missed their mark. Damn.
I drew Venta forward, decapitating one ghoul as the other one headbutted me in the side. I was pushed back by the force but the armor in my barding protected me from some of the damage. Desert Rose came up again and fired a shot point blank into its eye socket.
More growls came as more ghouls piled in from the rooms, six in total. I had two shots left in Desert Rose before I needed to reload. So I activated SATS once more, lining up two shots to the heads of two ghouls. Releasing the spell, one shot hit while the other did not. I cursed under my breath and put the revolver away, bringing out Umbra instead.
My sword and dagger made quick work of three of them, but the other true managed to push me back against the wall. I stood there, ready for them to attack, but as the first came at me, my magic sparked and the pain made me drop my weapons.
The pain in my horn distracted me as the ghouls tried to bite at me. One tried for my foreleg, and ended up biting down on my pipbuck instead. Pipbucks were indestructible as far as I was told. The technician said nothing sort of a lightning strike would destroy it.
The second one came around and I was sure I was in trouble, but it didn’t get the chance.
A burst of flame came from the hallway the ghouls came from, the heat intense even at the distance it was. The ghouls turned away from me and to the source of the flames. Out of the darkness of the hallway came a pony in what looked like an environment suit. Thick leather with a mask that had an air filter by the looks of it. Strapped to its side was a flamer.
The ghouls growled and charged, seeming to forget all about me. The figure simply stood there and unleashed another burst of flame at the ghouls. The creatures were engulfed in the fire, screaming as their rotted flesh burned. They fell to the floor in burnt husks.
As the ghouls laid dead, the figure drew closer to me. I collected myself and my weapons, prepared in case this being was hostile.
It stopped about 20 feet away from me, “What are you doing here?”
The voice was muffled by the mask, but not to where I couldn’t understand.
“My friends and I needed medical supplies. Who are you? Why are you here?” I asked.
The figure hit a button on it’s mask, a hissing sound following. They reached for the mask and took it off, revealing something I could not believe.
Though the features had been dulled by time and decay, and the mane on her head had thinned to an extent, the yellow was still visible, as was the pink coat on her face. A face that I had seen not long ago in a memory orb.
“This is my facility. You should not have come here.” Doctor Gingko said, her voice gravelly.
To say I was shocked was an understatement. But there stood a figure out of time, alive after 200 years. Ratchet told me that ghouls can live for a long time, but I didn’t truly believe him until now.
“Doctor Gingko?” I asked.
Her eyes seemed to widen at my question, her posture changing slightly as she had her guard up.
“How do you know my name? Who are you?” She asked me rather sternly.
“My name is Shadow Strike. My friends and I came here for medical equipment. We have an injured pegasus. And now my friend Ratchet seems to have been affected by something a ghoul spat at him.” I said.
Her eyes softened and her posture relaxed, “I see. That is unfortunate. Where are your friends?”
“In a lab near the stairwell to Level 1. My friend Moonlight sent me to find supplies for the surgery.” I said.
“Alright then, come. I shall gather my bag and have a look at your friends.” Doctor Ginkgo said.
She then turned and lifted her leg, speaking into a device attached to it not unlike a pipbuck, “Sweetie, I’m heading back to you. Have my bag ready. The intruders are not a threat.”
A voice rang out from the device, “Roger that mommy.”
“Someone else is here with you?” I asked.
“Yes. My daughter. We’ve been held up in the security office for a long time. She saw you all on the surveillance cameras when you stepped into the facility.” She said.
“I see.” I said.
We started walking down the hallway towards security. I then noticed the cameras near the ceiling. I never gave them much thought before, thinking they were nonfunctional. That was a mistake. Master Zala would have smacked me in the back of the head by now.
“Now tell me, how did you get in here anyway?” Doctor Gingko asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I found your memory orb at the EREC Center to the east of here.” I answered.
She turned to look at me over her shoulder, “Oh? Which one?”
“The day you met Ministry Mare Fluttershy.” I said.
“Ah yes. I remember that day. That explains everything. Perhaps I recorded too much of that memory.” She said.
“Thank Luna that you did. Our pegasus patient wouldn’t have made it to another settlement.” I said.
She looked at me again, something off in her eye before she turned forward again, “Be that as it may, you still should not have come here.”
“I assume it has something to do with these ghouls? My friends say that they’ve never seen anything like them.” I said.
“Ghouls. So that’s what ponies nowadays are calling them. So it’s not just here.” Doctor Gingko said, her voice wavering a little.
“Yeah. Apparently they are all over the wasteland. We ran into some at the relief center.” I said.
She stopped, “I take it you killed them?”
I froze and gently said, “Yes.”
She took a deep breath, “It is for the best. Luna please heal them of their pain and suffering.”
“May she embrace them in her moonlight and guide them to her side.” I said.
She sharply turned to me, “Where did you learn that prayer?”
I was about to answer when her radio came on, “Mommy! Bugs heading your way!”
She immediately gasped and grabbed me, pulling me into the nearest lab. Closing the door, I could hear the familiar sound of one of those clouds passing by. The door electrified and we sat there in silence. A minute passed and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is the coast clear sweetie?” Doctor Gingko asked into her radio.
“Yep. Bugs are gone. No infected either. You got a clear path home.” The voice on the radio said.
“Alright, let’s move.” She said.
“What was that?” I asked.
“I’ll explain later. We must hurry.” She said.
We moved with a faster pace down the hallway, eventually making it to the end, where a door with a sign said “Security”, turrets were mounted on the ceiling and thick glass windows along the sides of the wall. The turrets were not pointing at us, thank Luna.
Doctor Gingko moved to the door, and it opened without her even touching it. She motioned for me to follow her inside, and so I did.
The inside of the security office was well fortified as well, turrets on both sides of the ceiling and large desks that served as barricades. A side panel to our left opened as soon as the door shut behind us, revealing another ghoul. Only this one was much smaller, and had a distinct striped pattern to what little fur was left on it.
“Mommy!” The ghoul filly squealed.
Doctor Gingko hugged the filly as she approached, “Zoey, good work on the cameras sweetie.”
The filly giggled and returned the hug.
Then a memory surfaced in my head, “Wait, Zoey? The little zebra filly from that memory orb?”
Gingko turned to me, “Ah yes, she was in that memory. Yes, this is the same filly.”
“Why is she here?” I asked.
Gingko went still for a moment but never let go of the filly, then she spoke.
“A week or so before the bombs dropped, the relief center was running out of money. Things had taken a turn for the worst with the company. They were going to shut down the center. I heard they planned to take the children away, and I couldn’t let them. I had grown so fond of Zoey, and she had nopony else to turn to. She lost her family to the war.”
Doctor Gingko stroked the filly’s mane as Zoey’s ears flattened against her head.
“So I took her here, to wait out the storm until I could get us into the company stable. But we were never told where it was. They abandoned us here. Then everything was engulfed in balefire. We watched it all from the exterior cameras.”
My heart felt cold as her words came. They had been trapped here for 200 years, abandoned by the EREC. I looked at my stable barding, and brushed the 100 on the collar. My stable, they were supposed to be taken to my stable. All employees were. I don’t understand.
“Uh Mister Zony sir?” Zoey said, snapping me out of my stupor.
“Oh sorry, what was that?” I asked.
“Mommy said we should go and take care of your friends. I’m going too. So hurry up slowpoke.” Zoey giggled and ran past me.
“Now Zoey, that is no way to talk to somepony you just met.” Gingko said.
But her words fell on deaf ears as the filly was already out of ear shot.
“I swear, that filly is impossible.” She said.
“Most children tend to be like that sometimes. Mother used to embarrass me with tales of my youth.” I said.
“I dread to think what stories my mother would tell. Well, come then. Let us be off.” She said.
Walking through the hallways, we didn’t run into any more ghouls, which I was thankful for. I did not want little Zoey to have to be in the middle of a firefight. We walked around corner after corner until the room my friends were in came into view. I moved ahead and knocked on the door.
It opened, revealing Saskia on the other side, looking relieved.
“Shadow, thank goodness. Did you find everything?” She asked.
“Yes, and some help as well.” I said.
I stepped aside, revealing Gingko and Zoey. Saskia did not show caution or fear as I thought she would. Only the same sweet smile she gave to all ponies.
The doctor gave her a nod and moved past towards the table, Moonlight having already set up some equipment. She turned when she heard Gingko approach and gasped a little.
“Are you the medic of this team?” Gingko said.
“Ye… yes. My name is Moonlight. Who are you?” Moonlight asked.
“Doctor Gingko. Shadow said you have a pegasus in bad shape?” Gingko replied.
“Yes. Her wing is broken, and she has a few broken ribs.” Moonlight said.
Doctor Gingko stepped closer, examining the unconscious mare on the table. Running her hoof gently along her barrel and looking at her broken wing.
“What happened?” She asked.
“She fell from the sky. She was fighting something, and she fell along with her attacker. She was in power armor, which is probably the reason she survived the fall at all.” I said.
“Yes, I agree. Power armor would have saved her from most of the damage, but these injuries are serious. Her life isn’t in immediate danger but these ribs will need to be reset and mended.” Doctor Gingko said.
She then started to get her tools out and set up other equipment as well. Moonlight assisted her and as they finished the setup, Gingko moved to where Ratchet was laying.
Ratchet didn’t look any better than when I left. HIs breathing seemed more ragged, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Gingko came and shined a light in his eye, then pulled out his tongue.
“Yep. He’s been infected. I’m sorry dear.” Gingko said.
“Infected? With what?” Saskia said.
“Swamp Fever.” Gingko answered plainly.
“Swamp Fever? I thought that was a myth?” Moonlight asked, confusion in her voice.
“It is very real. And unfortunately, this entire facility has been overrun with it.” Gingko said.
“Overrun? Do you mean the ghouls? Is that why they look different than others we’ve encountered?” I asked.
“Indeed. I should explain.” Ginkgo said, turning to address all of us.
“This facility was originally designed to study medical procedures and develop new types of medicine to aid the wounded during the war. In the final years of the war, Director Zia gave us a new task. Discover the mystery that was Swamp Fever.” Gingko explained.
“The plants that Dr. Celery talked about in his log entry.” I said.
“Ah, you found his office. He kept hitting on me for years until he finally got the hint. Sadly he died shortly after the bombs dropped.” Gingko said, her voice solemn.
She then shook her head for a moment and spoke again, “But yes. Plants were brought in from the Hayseed Swamp to the east. Any reports of Swamp Fever also mentioned these plants in the vicinity.”
“”And what were you able to discover, Doctor?” Moonlight asked.
“We studied the pollen of the plants, and concluded that they release this pollen to spread the allergen that causes the illness. But soon we discovered something else about the plant.” Gingko said.
“And what was that?” Saskia asked.
“They weren’t just plants. They were a form of symbiotic species that came from another, spreading the pollen that contained not just the fever, but the seeds to the mother plant.” Gingko said.
We all were growing anxious. The way she was talking about this made it seem like this was leading to something dark.
“Shortly after we discovered this, there was an accident in the lab. One of our doctors was exposed to the pollen, and came down with Swamp Fever. We panicked and tried to come up with a solution. But when Director Zia got word of the accident, she ordered us to focus on studying the effects on her, rather than try to save her.” Gingko said, sadness growing in her voice now.
Moonlight bolted in front of her, “You let a fellow doctor suffer from a disease just for study!?”
Gingko was shocked, and flinched back from the sudden outburst. Zoey “eeped” and hid behind her mother. Seeing the filly, Moonlight calmed down a little, but still gave the doctor a stern look.
Gingko looked away, “We weren’t given a choice. If we hadn’t, Zia would have brought in new doctors. Better to have those you know in your last few days, rather than strangers.”
Moonlight huffed, but relented. She moved back towards the table and looked at the equipment.
“So what happened to this doctor?” I asked.
“She grew worse as the days went on. Twigs started growing out of her. She hiccupped those bubbles that you’ve seen coming from the ghouls as well. Though when she did it, it didn’t release pollen like the ghouls.” Gingko said.
That was interesting. Something must have changed with the ghouls for it to change like that.
“After five days, she seemed to pass in her sleep. We couldn’t bear the thought of cremating her, nor could we send her remains back to her family, so we took her to the lower level and gave her a proper burial. And that is when we learned the truth.” Gingko said.
“The truth?” I asked.
“The truth of where the plants came from. A day after we buried her, a tree started to grow out of her grave. And it quickly grew in the span of just a few days. And when the tree reached the ceiling, it began to produce the very plants that we had been studying.” Gingko said.
“That’s insane. A tree growing out of the flesh of a pony? And in such a short amount of time?” Moonlight said, finally looking away from the machinery in the room.
Saskia hummed for a moment, making all of us look her way. She met our gaze with a puzzled look, “If what you say is true Doctor, then why haven’t these ghouls become trees if they’ve been here for so long?”
“That’s a good question. For what you said, the fever takes less than two weeks to run its course from infection to the tree growing out of the host. But these ghouls have clearly been here for centuries from what you’ve told me.” I said.
“I have no idea. I’ve been more concerned about keeping Zoey and myself safe and making sure these infected do not escape the facility.” Gingko said.
“I have a theory.” Moonlight said, making all of us look her way.
She blushed from the sudden attention, but cleared her throat, “The disease clearly uses nutrients from the host body to nurture the tree inside. But from what Ratchet has told me about ghouls, their bodies are in a state borderlining death and life. They don’t require food, water, or sleep. So perhaps the plant can’t obtain the nutrients it needs from these hosts because they don’t have the nutrients it needs anymore.”
Ginkgo put a hoof on her chin, “Yes, that does make some sense of this. Zoey and I have gone for months without food or water, and never truly felt any repercussions from it.”
“But then why are the ghouls spreading the pollen instead of the plants from the tree?” I asked.
“I believe I may have something about that.” Saskia said.
“The wasteland has several creatures and species of plant that have evolved and adapted to the radiation from the war that covers most of the environment. Perhaps the radiation that leaked into this facility altered the original tree and plant, making it adapt to try and survive. Using the ghouls that cannot properly nurture the plant to full maturity to instead spread the pollen.”
Gingko’s eyes widened, “Yes of course! That’s brilliant!”
“It certainly makes some sense in this bloody mess. But it doesn’t help us come any closer to a cure for Ratchet.” Moonlight said.
We all looked over to Ratchet, whose breathing was ragged as ever. He seemed to be sleeping, but pain was clear in his expression.
This facility was a death trap, and I led us here. I led my friends into this Tartarus pit, trying to be a hero. And look where it got us. Surrounded by deadly disease spreading ghouls and some kind of electric cloud.
Wait! The cloud!
“Dr. Gingko, what is that electric cloud that roams this facility?” I asked.
She looked at me funny for a moment before realization hit her face, “Oh right. I never explained them to you.”
She cleared her throat, “That cloud you’ve been seeing is not actually a cloud. They’re flash bees.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Bees?”
“Yes, Flash Bees. They are native to the swamp where we harvested the plants. So we also took them for study, as they seemed to usually nest close to the plants.” She said.
“How can bees generate electricity?” I asked.
“It’s a defense mechanism. Some animals have organs that generate electricity for small bursts to use against predators, or to stun prey.” Moonlight explained.
“Very good Moonlight. You have quite the education.” Gingko said, smiling at the mare.
Moonlight blushed, “I just spent a lot of time in my family library.”
“Such books are a rarity in the wasteland. Most doctors you will find are self taught, unless they hail from one of the major cities down south.” Saskia said.
Moonlight looked away, not meeting any of our gazes.
I quickly changed the subject, “Back on the matter at hand. These flash bees, they nest around the plant?”
“Yes, they have a rather large nest in the lower level of the facility. I’ve seen it.” Gingko said.
“Bees tend to gather pollen from plants and flowers to make honey from what I’ve read back home. So these bees use the pollen from the Swamp Fever plants?” I asked,
“It’s certainly possible. I’ve never witnessed myself but they must have honey in their nest.” Gingko said.
“Then how are they unaffected by the disease?” I asked.
Suddenly, both Gingko and Moonlight gasped.
“That’s it!” Both of them exclaimed.
“The honey!” Moonlight yelled.
“If they use pollen from the plants, they must have natural ways to neutralize the disease!” Gingko shouted.
It started to click for the rest of us as well.
“So if we can get some of that honey.” I said.
“Then we can save Ratchet!” Saskia finished for me.
It was all coming together now. We could save him!
But as we all were lost in our excitement, suddenly Gingko’s smile faded. I noticed this and turned to her with concern.
“Doctor, what’s wrong?” I asked.
She looked at all of us with a look of deep concern, “While we may have a good theory on the properties of the honey. I’m afraid getting to it will be extremely dangerous.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” I said.
Saskia and Moonlight both looked at me with worry. I looked back at them, my expression unyielding.
“I brought you all here. And I need to take responsibility for that.” I said.
“Shadow, you mustn’t blame yourself. You did not force us to follow you.” Saskia said.
“Saskia is right. You can’t shoulder all the blame for this.” Moonlight said, her eyes filled with sadness.
I sighed, “I know how you both feel. But Ratchet needs that honey, and this mare needs your help Moonlight.” I said, pointing to the mare on the table.
Moonlight looked to her, and then back to me. She bit her bottom lip, but nodded.
Doctor Gingko walked up to her, giving her a book from her saddlebags.
“This is a detailed guide on this type of surgery as well as pegasi anatomy. Study it and wait for me to get back. We will perform the surgery together.”
“Get back? From where Doctor?” I asked.
She turned to me, “You didn’t think I’d send you alone down there did you?”
“There is no need for you to risk your life as well. Just draw me a map, I’ll find the nest.” I said.
“You will need more than a map. This is my responsibility as well. I was a part of this project and I refuse to sit by and let another pony die from this disease. Not again.” Doctor Gingko rounded on me, grief in her eyes.
At first I wanted to object, but the look in her eye told me that it was futile. I understand her pain, and I wasn’t going to stand in her way.
“What else do we need?” I asked.
She went to the terminal inside the room and unlocked it, “Zoey, I opened a channel to security, you should be able to monitor us until we get to the stairwell to Level 3.”
“On it momma.” Zoey said, walking over to the terminal.
“Now, we need to head to the armory on the other side of the facility. It has another environment suit, like the one I’m wearing. You’ll need it for protection against the pollen in Level 3.” Gingko said.
“Understood. Saskia, I leave Moonlight and Ratchet with you. Keep everypony safe.” I said.
“Don’t worry about us. You just come back in one piece.” Saskia said, reloading Bane and Blight.
Moonlight suddenly hugged me from the side, “Please be careful Shadow.”
I was shocked by the sudden contact, but returned the hug, “I will. It’s not the first time I’ve gone into a monster den, remember?” I said, trying to get a smile out of her.
She didn’t smile, only laid her head on my chest for a few more seconds before letting go and sitting in a corner with her book. I reached out to her, but she didn’t turn her head. She didn’t seem to trust me fully yet, not that I blame her after Sandpit.
“Let’s get going Doctor Gingko.” I said, walking to the door.
She led me out of the door and out into the hall again. As we walked on, I said nothing, my head low. She occasionally looked back at me, whether to make sure I was following, or in concern for my well being, I couldn’t tell. The halls were clear of flashbees and ghouls, giving us no obstacles to the armory.
As the armory came into view though, three ghouls moved down the hallway, blocking us from our goal. Gingko warmed up her flamethrower and looked at me. I nodded, pulling out Desert Rose and Venta.
I activated SATS, aiming two shots at the first ghoul, one to the head, one to the chest. Both shots hit, making the first ghoul fall in a slump. The other two ghouls growled and charged at us. They marched straight into a stream of fire, curiosity of Doctor Gingko. The ghouls screamed and flailed backwards as they burned before falling to the floor as charred husks.
“That weapon is terrifying. Why is that in a medical facility?” I asked.
“It was used to keep the plants from spreading past it’s designated area. Too dangerous to use cutting tools or your standard gardening.” Gingko said.
“A tad overkill isn’t it?” I said.
“I may have made some adjustments to the original design.” Gingko said, looking away slightly.
I chuckled, and moved past the burnt corpses and into the armory. Gingko moved past me towards the lockers. She tapped in a code to one of the panels, the locker opening shortly after. She reached in and took out a suit similar to hers but seeming to be fitted more to a stallion’s frame.
“Try it on.” She said,
I took it in my magic, getting a better look at it. It was thick, but not as heavy as it looked. It seemed to cover most of the body, except the head of course, as that was what the helmet was for. I started to put it over my stable barding, but a hoof stopped me, making me look to the source.
Doctor Gingko looked at the collar of my barding, seeming to focus on the number specifically. Her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.
“Where did you get this?” She asked me.
I hesitated, not sure what to say. But I couldn’t lie to her, not after she agreed to help us.
“I got it in Stable 100, my home.” I answered.
She took a step back, her expression now one of anger.
“I knew something was different about you when I heard you say that prayer. I didn’t think it was possible. So the stable was completed.” Gingko said.
“Yes it was. I don’t understand. Our history says that all employees of EREC were brought into the stable when it was sealed.” I said.
She scuffed at that, “They would spread lies like that.”
“Are you telling me that our founders left you all here to die in balefire?” I asked, my eyes horrified.
“That is exactly what I am telling you. My colleagues and I, Zoey, and those at the very facility you visited. They left us all.” Gingko said, still not turning to face me.
“But why!? Why would they do that? And why lie to all of us?” I asked, screaming at this point.
She finally turned to me, “Because you cannot save everyone. It is not kind, and may not be right, but sacrifices were made.”
I looked away, shame washing over me. All these ghouls, the doctor, Zoey, and those who I killed at the relief center. All of them were members of the very company that my tribe created. And they were left to die. Guardians save people, so why didn’t the directors save them?
“That’s enough about the past for now. Your friend’s condition will only get worse if we keep wasting time like this. Put on the suit and meet me outside.” Gingko said, moving past me to the door.
She stopped before exiting, “But this conversation is not over. You will tell me all about the stable, after we help your friends.”
And then she left.
I quietly put on the suit, it was a little tight but I didn’t care. My mind was still spinning from the conversation I just had. She knew about my origins now, and I could tell her trust in me had taken a hit because of it. I was from the stable that left her behind.
Putting on the helmet, the air filtering talisman activated. It would clean the air and provide me oxygen even in the most hostile environments. I had heard about them from the medical team in the stable but never imagined I would ever use one.
I walked out into the hallway, Gingko sitting on her haunches waiting for me.
She lifted her radio, “We have the suit. Heading for Level 3 now. Any bad guys between us and the stairs sweetie?”
“Two infected are walking by the stairs. Just the two.” Zoey said over the radio.
“Thank you dear.” Gingko said, putting her hoof down and giving me a motion to follow her.
“Doctor.” I called after her.
She ignored me, walking forward.
“Doctor Gingko please!” I called again.
She stopped in her tracks, turning to me.
“I know the directors left you. But there must be a reason. I won’t ask you to forgive anyone, but we can’t continue into a dangerous area like this with us not even willing to talk to each other.” I said.
She sighed and looked away again, but after a few seconds turned back, “I will admit. I overreacted a little. You are not to blame for my misfortunes. It was long before you were born. So make me a promise. Tell me all I want to know when this is done. Swear to Luna that you will keep your word, and I will put it behind me.”
I placed my hoof over my heart, “I swear to the Goddess Luna that I shall answer your every question when we have secured my friend’s safety.”
She smiled, “Very well. Come Shadow, let us find this honey.”
We walked together now, our spirits higher now that we had come to an understanding. Since she had connections to the EREC, I would not technically be going against my oath of silence. She was technically part of the tribe, according to our scriptures. Though how much of those scriptures I could trust now was in question.
We arrived at the staircase to Level 3, guarded by two wandering ghouls as Zoey had told us. No more had appeared and I was thankful for that. Gingko readied her flamer, but I held up a hoof.
“Save your fuel. I’ll handle this.” I whispered to her, as quietly as I could through my mask.
I took out Desert Rose, and lined up two shots, one to each of their heads. As I released the spell, my shots rang out. One hit home, dropping the ghoul before it had time to turn.
My other shot unfortunately was off and hit the wall to the side of the ghoul. It hissed as it turned to see me. It charged and came at me down the hallway. I took out Umbra, and with practiced precision, I threw it at the ghoul. My dagger hit home, lodging into the ghoul’s eye socket. It screamed and fell dead.
As I walked over to retrieve Umbra, Doctor Ginkgo came up behind me, “Tell me how one is such a horrible shot with a gun, yet quite accurate with a dagger?”
I blushed in embarrassment as I turned to look at her over my shoulder, “Master Gutshot used to tell me that. Said I didn’t make a lick of sense to him.”
She laughed, which sounded like a wet choking noise as she was a ghoul.
“I share this Gutshot’s evaluation, it doesn’t make sense to me.” She said.
I groaned and moved toward the stairs, “So, anything I should know before we descend?”
“Don’t breathe the air, watch for flash bees, and be ready for a lot more ghouls. It will be a difficult task.” Gingko explained.
“Any idea where the nest is?” I asked.
“It is on the other side of the level from the stairwell. We will have to fight our way through most of the floor to get to it.” Gingko said.
“It is never easy. Best we get a move on.” I said.
She nodded and we began the descent into the lowest level of the research facility. Even in the stairwell, I could see the dust in the air, which I now knew to be pollen from the plants. The further we went down, the thicker the pollen got. It blurred my field of vision slightly, but the mask would protect my eyes.
As we reached the bottom, Gingko told me to hold at the door. I did as she asked, watching her pull out an ID card and held it up to a scanner. A green light appeared and the door unlocked. She pushed it open slowly, kicking up more pollen. Poking her head out, she looked around and signaled for me to follow her.
We exited the stairwell, and immediately the facility looked a lot different than what I saw on the other levels. Vines and plants covered the walls, some spewing out the very pollen in the air. The vines grew along the ground as well, some large enough to trip a pony if they were not careful. Doors had long lost their doors to the vines, the large slabs of metal laying across the floor, also covered in vines.
“This is incredible. The plants have completely taken over this floor. How have they not spread to the other floors?” I asked.
“My theory is that each plant can only extend its roots on the surface to a certain extent. They cannot dig through the metal floor to get nutrients from the ground, so they all must connect to the mother plant, being the tree at the center of this floor.” Gingko explained.
“That makes sense. That’s why they send ghouls upstairs. Instinct tells them to try and expand with their hosts, but the plants can’t take root from the ghoul’s flesh.” I said.
“Correct. Which is why I have worked to keep them from escaping the facility. It would be a disaster if these plants got outside.” She said.
“Agreed. Let’s find the hive and get out of here as fast as we can.” I said.
And as luck would have it, the moment I said that, five ghouls came out of the nearby room, growling in our direction and charged.
Doctor Gingko let loose a stream of flames as the group got close, burning three of them to cinder. But one had worked towards her side and tackled her. She stood her ground as the creature tried to bite through her suit, to no avail. I quickly came to Gingko’s aid and cut off the ghouls head with Venta.
Another ghoul came up behind me, trying to jump on my back. I quickly gave it a swift buck before it could reach me, knocking it away. By the time it got itself back up, it could only stare down the barrel of my shotgun, receiving a blast of buckshot for its efforts.
I helped Gingko up, “You ok?”
“Yes thank you. That was close.” Gingko said, getting back to her hooves.
“You weren’t kidding about there being more of them down here. Five at once is a bit much.” I said. “And this is only the beginning. Come, we should keep moving.” Gingko said, pointing forward into the hallway.
I nodded and followed her.
The labs were all but taken over by the plants, more pods releasing the pollen the further we went. Knowing that without my mask, I would be in the same condition as Ratchet in seconds made me nervous, but I steeled myself. I had to stay focused.
I was thankful for Gingko’s knowledge of the facility. Without her guidance, I would have gotten seriously lost down here. So many doors, twists and turns. It was like a maze of death.
Another noise came to my ears this time, not growls, not buzzing.
“Shadow, flashbees! Get behind me!” Gingko shouted.
Just as she shouted that, a familiar electric blue cloud came barreling toward us. Sparks of electricity flew around the cloud of bees as it raced toward us. I jumped behind the doctor, moments before she let loose another burst of flames.
When the heat of the flames died down, I dared to poke my head around her body.
On the ground in front of us was a pile of burnt insects, larger than any bee I had ever seen. Of course I’d never actually seen a bee, but you get the idea. I’d say about the size of a bumblebee from the pictures I had seen in the library. One was still buzzing, but wasn’t moving all that much. I took Venta, crushing the bee with the hilt of my sword. Electric sparks danced across my blade, making me thankful I didn’t have to use my mouth.
“Are flash bees usually this big?” I asked.
“No. They must have mutated, like the plants. Possibly as a side effect of the plants adaptation to this environment.” Gingko answered.
“How much fuel do you have left?” I asked.
“Half a tank, enough to last us a while, but not if we keep getting swarmed by ghouls. They take a lot more fuel than the bees.” She said.
“Then reserve as much as you can for the bees. I can handle the ghouls, but your flamer is more effective on the bees.” I said.
“Very well then. Onward.” Gingko agreed.
Further we ventured, running into the occasional ghoul, nothing I couldn’t handle. But something was eating at the back of my mind. Gingko said there were more ghouls down here, and other than the big group at the stairwell, we hadn’t encountered more than one or two at a time.
As we moved down the next hallway, several side rooms were missing their doors. All except one, the third one to the right. As we reached the door, I moved towards it. The door was locked, and I turned to Gingko.
“Doctor, any idea what this lab was for?” I asked.
She looked at the door panel, looking at it for a moment before answering me.
“It’s not a lab. It’s a storage unit.” Gingko said.
“Storing what?” I asked.
“Equipment, chemicals, gas canisters. Just a secure area to keep things safe.” She said.
“Hmm. So nothing that will be of any help to us.” I said.
As I stepped back away from the door, a flash of moment caught my attention. But by the time I turned my head, it was too late.
A ghoul appeared from another lab, jumping on my back and trying to bite through the shoulder of my suit. I quickly moved to try and buck it off, but it was determined. Thankfully it couldn’t get through the leather, but I could feel the pressure.
As I struggled with the ghoul on my back, I looked to see that Dr. Gingko was dealing with four others coming from the labs that we had passed. They had been waiting for us. I walked us right into an ambush.
In my frustration, I bashed the ghoul on my back into the wall, causing it to let go finally. Not even bothering to get my weapons out, I stomped on the creature's head, crushing its skull with ease. Not wasting any time, I rushed to help Doctor Gingko, who had taken out three ghouls already. I took out my revolver and went into SATS, lining up three shots, each to the head of a ghoul. Releasing the spell, two shots hit, dropping the ghouls instantly. The third rushed in, right into Gingko’s stream of fire.
As the charred ghoul fell to the ground, four more came from another room, growling as they rushed us. I fired three more shots from my revolver, hitting one in the shoulder and missing my other shots.
“Dammit, I knew I should have taken those extra lessons with Master Gutshot.”
I jumped back to reload my gun, barely in time for the next ghoul to make it to me. I took Umbra and stabbed it in the eye, making it scream and thrash around before going limp.
“Fuck!” Gingko yelled out.
I looked to see that Gingko was on her side. Two ghouls had tackled her and were pinning her, trying to bite through her suit. The last ghoul putting itself between them and me. Venta and Umbra floating at my sides, I lunged forward.
As I swung my sword horizontally at its face, it bit down my blade. I looked like it was trying to break my sword, but it had no idea how reliable Venta was. I put more force on my sword, making it slice through, cutting its jaw clean in half. The top part of the head gushing blood as it fell.
I jumped over it and quickly took out my shotgun, making it to GIngko and kicking one of the ghouls off her. It tumbled and I pressed the barrel of the gun to the side of its face. Pulling the trigger, its head exploded in a spray of gore.
Hearing a grunt, I turned to see GIngko had pushed the other ghoul off of herself and held it down with her hoof. I walked up to her and stabbed Umbra through its neck, silencing the beast.
Panting heavily, Gingko turned to me, “Thank you Shadow. These things are getting more bold. We must be getting close.”
“These creatures are more intelligent than I gave them credit for. They waited to ambush us, like predators.” I said.
“I do find that strange. I would say it's a natural hunting instinct, but these used to be ponies.” Gingko pondered.
“Perhaps they adapted after living down here for so long. Hard to tell. Either way, we should continue.” I said.
“I know. The center of the level is just up ahead, we should hurry.” She said.
As we walked onwards, I noticed that Gingko was moving slower than before, and that she was favoring a leg.
“Gingko, are you hurt?” I asked.
She sighed, “I figured you would notice. Yes, one of the ghouls was standing on my leg while they had me pinned. It’s not too bad.”
“Are you sure?” I pressed.
“Shadow, we don’t have time to sit and nurse a sore leg. The more time we waste down here, the worse your friend will get.” She said.
As much as I hated seeing her in pain, she was right. If she could walk, she could continue. Time was not on our side. The quicker we find the honey, the better.
And soon, we came to our final destination. A set of huge metal doors stood in front of us. Roots and vines had opened the doors just enough for them to spread to the outside hallway. But not enough to allow us entrance without opening the door completely. The label on the door read “Specimen Room”. This is where all of this was going to get much more difficult.
“Ready?” Ginkgo asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I jumped and looked at her, “Yeah. Any advice?”
“Yes. Don’t touch any of the pods. And we need to get this done as soon as possible. The pollen is most likely thicker in here. Our air filters might not last long in a highly concentrated environment.” She said.
“Good point. Well, let’s see what we’re dealing with. Open her up.” I said.
She took her hoof and started to type in a code into the panel next to the door. It was truly a good thing she came along. I never could have hacked into that thing. The door started to open as the screen of the panel went green. The roots shifted for a moment but were clung to the wall above the door enough to avoid collapse. And as the dust cleared, I saw just how bad things had gotten down here.
The specimen room was completely taken over by the plants. I couldn’t see any metal in the room, not even on the ceiling. Vines, leaves, pods, even some trees had grown everywhere. And Gingko was right, the pollen was so thick it made it hard to see inside. How could they maintain themselves? They couldn’t get through the metal floor.
Then something else caught my eye, several things actually.
Flashbees. The ceiling and most of the upper part of the room was covered in them, like a blanket of electricity bouncing all over the place. I watched them fly around the ceiling for several minutes, hoping that they hadn’t noticed us in the doorway.
“Look there, the large tree in the center of the room.” Gingko whispered to me.
Looking in the direction she was, I found what we were looking for. A large beehive, bigger than any I had seen in pictures, hung from a large branch on the center tree. This tree was a great deal larger than the rest in the room. It went all the way to the ceiling and stretched out across. Vines and roots reaching out across the floor, connecting to all the other trees and plants in the room. Near the roots were more pods spewing out more pollen.
“I take it that tree is the source of all of this?” I asked.
“Yes, that is where we buried her. Felina was her name. She was such a kind soul.” Gingko said, her voice growing sad and remorseful.
“I wish there was something I could do to make up for all this…” She said, her voice distant.
And as she said that, a lightbulb lit up in my head.
“Maybe there is.” I said, getting her attention.
She looked at me, confusion showing through her eyes visible from the holes in her mask.
“Remember that storage unit we found on the way here?” I asked.
“Yes, but I fail to see what that has to do with our current situation.” Gingko said.
“You said gas canisters were stored there. Perhaps highly flammable gas?” I said, grinning though she couldn’t see it.
Then it clicked for her, “Do you mean to flood this level with gas and ignite it?”
I nodded, “If we can fill the level with enough gas, we can ignite it on our way out and burn all these plants to Tartarus. Stopping the spread of this disease and putting all the ghouls here to rest, as well as your friend Felina.”
She was taken aback by my plan, resting against the wall for a moment as she pondered my plan. After a minute or so, she turned back to me.
“How do you plan to release enough gas?” She asked.
“You know this layout better than me. Where would someone go if they wanted to release something into the ventilation system on this floor only?” I asked.
“You would need to go back the way we came and take another hallway. It leads to the main ventilation shaft that lets out into all the vents on this floor.” Gingko said, pointing back the way we came.
“Good. You grab a few canisters of something flammable and release it into the vents. Our masks should protect us long enough for us to escape. I’ll get the honey.” I said.
“By yourself?” She asked, clearly worried.
“I can move a lot faster than you can with that flamer, and we will need your fuel to ignite the gas. I’m pretty good at stealth, don’t worry. Not my first time in a monster den.” I said smugly.
She didn’t seem convinced but relented, “I don’t like leaving you here alone, but I think this plan might work. I’ll need some time to get the gas to the main vent. Give me a 10 minute head start before you go in for the honey.”
I nodded.
Doctor Gingko then took off back down the hallway, leaving me here alone. I kept an eye on the clock my pipbuck came with. 5 minutes had already passed. The tension was thick in the air. Several times ghouls came to the door and looked out in the hallway. I kept to one of the side rooms, out of sight and downwind, just in case these things still had their sense of smell.
This was not going to be easy. Not only were the ghouls a problem, but the bees were a much bigger threat. I didn’t fancy getting electrocuted again. And without Gingko’s flamer, fighting them will be all but impossible.
My best chance to get to the nest and try to create some kind of distraction. And it was then that I remembered a trick Master Gutshot taught me. I took out a revolver cartridge and nodded to myself.
Looking at my clock again, it had been twelve minutes. Time to begin.
I made my way silently towards the door, no ghouls or bees in sight. Looking into the room, I saw the ghouls had accumulated on one side of the room, near one of the pollen pods. The bees were still mostly on the ceiling, with some buzzing around the nest.
Moving to the opposite side of the room to the ghouls, I began my little trick. Taking Umbra, I cut the cartridge open and began to pour the gunpowder in a straight line along one the roots. After I was satisfied with the length of powder, I stepped back, hiding behind one of the trees. Giving one last look to all the creatures in the room, and taking a deep breath, I set it off.
My horn sparked with one of the few spells I knew, a tiny flicker of flame appearing near the gunpowder. Not enough to set the root on fire itself, but just enough to ignite the gunpowder. A small explosive wave of flame danced across the root, making just enough noise to catch the attention of the ghouls. They began to run over to my side of the room to investigate, along with some of the bees above.
Sticking to the shadows, I moved with haste towards the hive. That stunt wouldn’t fool them for long, I had to act quickly. Luckily for me, the bees near the hive had joined in on the search and left the hive vulnerable. I reached the hive and took out two jars that I used for my alchemy, as well as Umbra. I took my dagger and cut enough of the hive to give me room to work. But as I reached in with my magic to fill the jars, something caught my eye. And I captured its attention as well.
A bee slightly larger than my hoof sat inside the nest. A crown like object on her head, signifying to me who I was looking at. The Queen.
She glared at me and let out a loud buzzing noise, and it made my heart go cold as I figured out what she was doing. She was calling the others.
Wasting no more time, I quickly scooped up the honey into the jars, the queen sounding even more irritated with me. She let out a flash of electricity, but thankfully it couldn’t reach my body. Thank you telekinesis.
As I put the jars away, I turned to see the ghouls and the bees all coming towards me. But what terrified me even more was when the bees started to electrocute the ghouls that got in their way. Soon it was more bees than ghouls coming towards me.
I panicked and started running, jumping over vines and roots to get to the door. I made it there, jumping over a ghoul that tried to jump at me. I paid the ghoul no mind as I ran with all my enhanced speed out the door and down into the hallway.
I dared to look back as I ran, and the largest cloud of bees I had seen yet was coming right towards me. The few ghouls that came out before them were electrocuted and fell limp. These things were pissed, and coming right for me. And with the risk of igniting the gas too early, I couldn’t take the chance of firing any of my guns. Not that they would be of much help with this swarm.
I rounded the corner and saw Gingko at the far end of the hallway.
“Run! Head for the stairwell!” I yelled as loud as I could through my mask, trying to motion with my hoof as well while still running.
She didn’t seem to hear me, but must have seen the horde of bees chasing me, because she immediately turned towards the stairwell. With my speed, I caught up to her while getting some distance from the bees.
“Did you get the honey!?” She yelled as she ran.
“Yes! Did you release the gas?” I asked.
“I did. I set the gas into the vents, two canisters full. Then I turned up the ventilation to max. It should have spread it all across the level by now.” Gingko explained.
“Good work. We need something to ignite the gas. Got any fuel left?” I asked.
“Yes, but I’m not going to shoot out flames only for it to blow up in my face.” She said.
“We don’t need to use the flamer itself.” I said.
My horn glowed and I removed the fuel tank from her flamer, some of the fuel spilling onto the floor. Gingko was about to ask what I was planning to do, but I just pressed her on. The swarm was gaining on us.
Finally, the stairwell came into view.
“Gingko, when I give the word, close the door to the stairwell!” I said.
She nodded and ran inside the door. I turned the last second before the door and threw the fuel tank towards the swarm. It landed on the floor of the hallway, spilling its contents a little.
As I turned to move into the doorway, a shock hit me, making me stumble forward and into the doorway. I barely made it past the door as I laid there, my body not responding after the electric shock.
“NOW!” I screamed through the pain.
She pressed the button, and the door began to close.
With the last of my strength, I brought out my revolver and went into SATS, lining up a shot to the flamer fuel canister.
Goddess Luna, please guide my shot
I fired right as the door was almost closed, and the goddess answered my prayer, as flames danced across the bottom of the door before it was sealed shut. The heat from the door was so intense I could feel it from where I was sitting.
My body felt so heavy, and my legs were still numb from the shock.
“Shadow, you alright?” Gingko asked me, looking over me.
I looked up at her, and only had the strength for three words before I passed out from the pain.
“I hate bees.”
Footnote: Level Up
New Trait Added: Apiphobia Your recent encounter with Flashbees has left an impression on you. And not a good one.
You gain +1 Agility when you encounter any species reassembling bees. But suffer a -2 to Perception.
Waking up in pain is something I had experienced more in the week or so I had left the stable than I had ever experienced in my life. And I was not fond of it. My vision was blurry as I tried to open my eyes and regain consciousness. My head throbbed as did my everything.
But after a minute of trying, I managed to get a view of my surroundings. I was on the operating table that Moonlight had used for our pegasus patient. My body felt so heavy, but I managed to sit up. Just in time for the door leading to the hallway to open, revealing Doctor Gingko.
“Ah, awake at last.” Gingko said, walking towards me.
“Doctor, what happened?” I asked.
“You got quite the shock my friend.” Gingko chuckled.
I gave her a deadpanned look.
She laughed at my expression, “Oh come on Shadow. Did your little nap sap you of your sense of humor?”
I groaned, “How long was I out?”
“Two days. Honestly if you were an ordinary pony you’d have been out much longer. Or dead.” She replied.
I groaned again and fell back onto the table. I really needed to stop passing out for days at a time.
Then it hit me, a thought that made me jump back on and nearly made me fall off the table. I turned to Gingko.
“Where are my friends? What happened with Ratchet!?” I asked frantically.
She simply smiled and pushed me back down onto the table, “They are all fine. The honey worked, Ratchet has recovered.”
I sighed in relief, thank Luna he was alright.
“So where is everypony?” I asked.
“Moonlight is in my office reading, Saskia and Ratchet are in the hangar bay working on my surprise for you.” She answered.
“Surprise? What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it?” Gingko chuckled.
I laughed a little at that, 200 years hadn’t taken her sense of humor it seemed.
“So did it work? Were we successful in destroying the plants?” I asked.
“Indeed we were. The bottom level is cleared of all plants, and the pollen along with it. Saskia cleared out all the ghouls yesterday. I destroyed the flashbee nests.” Gingko explained.
I shivered at the thought of the bees, visions of blue clouds of electric death chasing me still fresh in my memory.
Then another thought came to me, someone the doctor didn’t mention.
“What about that pegasus we brought in? Did the surgery go well?” I asked.
Gingko looked away for a moment before speaking, “Moonlight and I fixed her broken wing, the autodoc in the main operating room helped out a lot. But when we woke this morning, she was gone. My guess is she regained consciousness and ran off last night.”
That was odd, but I guess if I woke up in an abandoned building with a bunch of strangers around me, I would want to get out of there too. I could only hope she found her way back to her people. Ratchet said this Enclave couldn’t be trusted. Did the pegasi really abandon everyone? And why the cloud layer?
Shaking my head of these thoughts, I looked back to Gingko, “Thank you for all your help Doctor.”
As I started to get off the table, she stopped me once again, “Now hold on Shadow. You made me a promise, remember?”
I thought for a moment, and then it hit me, “Oh yes of course. You had questions about Stable 100.”
“Indeed I do. And from what your friends have told me, you have told them precious little about your home. So I doubt you will tell me much with them around. So, start talking.” Gingko said, sitting down beside the table.
“Alright, where should I start?” I asked. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Did they finish the Trial of the Stars?”
My eyes widened, “You know about that?”
“I was one of the researchers that helped modify the potions used in the trial. The original formula had ingredients that were not available to us anymore. Plants that had died out, etc. So we had to come up with replacements. The last draft we gave to the directors wasn’t perfect, but it was as close as we could get.” Gingko explained, her voice had a sense of regret to it.
Then she turned back to me, “And judging by your anatomy, plus what I’ve seen during your time here, I know you’ve undergone the trial.”
I nodded, “Yes. The trial was complete. Every ten years, ten foals were made to take the trial. That is the way it has been for 200 years.”
“I’m so sorry.” Gingko said.
“Did you know about the survival rate? The pain it forces onto the subject?” I asked, my voice slightly darker.
“...Yes. I wanted more time to find ways to improve it. But the directors forced me onto other projects and took all our research on the trial.” She said.
I sighed, “I don’t blame you Doctor. And though as children we find it cruel, we learn that we are chosen by the Goddess Luna to be her instruments, her warriors, her Guardians.”
“That is no excuse to murder children! Just to make super soldiers for a pointless war!” Gingko screamed, her voice cracking.
Her words stung me, more than I let show. The memory of the second worst day in my life came to me, and I tried so desperately to force it back into the dark reaches of my mind. I couldn’t relive that day.
I got up out of the bed, my legs shaking.
“Shadow?” Ginkgo said to me.
“No, it is not an excuse. But we had no choice. It was written into our society and that is how we have lived for 200 years. One day our Goddess would return to us and we will follow in her starlight to heal this broken world. That is the one belief that every Guardian holds onto. To hope that someday, our suffering is worth something.” I said.
“It’s been 200 years Shadow.” Gingko said.
“And we will wait 200 more if that is what it takes.” I answered.
Gingko was quiet for the longest time, but she eventually asked another question, “Did the Directors make it to the stable?”
“We only have records of Director Zia making it to the stable. Director Apollo isn’t in the original stable census. His daughter Kephiso is the one who came Overmare with Zia.” I said.
“What could have happened to him?” Gingko asked herself.
It was silent for a minute while Gingko was lost in her thoughts. I was curious about that myself. Director Apollo just disappeared, with no records showing what became of him.
“So Zia and little Keph became the leaders. She was so much like her father. And I take it their descendants are still in charge?” She asked.
“Indeed. The current Overmares are Cherry Cobbler and Zira.” I replied.
“Well I guess I should have expected. How is the population? I imagine there are plenty of zonies like you in there.” Gingko laughed.
I looked at her in disbelief, “What are you talking about? It’s forbidden for ponies and zebras to have children together.”
She then looked to me with an odd expression, “What? Why? Sure zonies can’t have children but that shouldn’t hurt the population that much.”
“Our founders made that law when the stable was sealed.” I said.
“Then what about you?” She asked.
“I was… an accident.” I lied.
“But what about the zonies from the tribe? Surely they got into the stable.” Gingko said.
“We don’t have any record of zonies in the stable.” I said.
She looked horrified, “They left them!? Like they left us!”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Not only did the directors leave Gingko and other EREC employees to die, they also left any zony of the tribe to die as well.
“I… don’t understand.” I said quietly.
“I don’t either. There were plenty of zonies working with EREC, most from the tribe. The directors always accepted zonies and protected them. How could they just leave them?” Gingko grumbled.
Once again, she was quiet for some time before she turned to me again.
“What about the rest of the stable? I can tell you had some kind of education. And what about the non-Guardian citizens?” She asked.
I perked up at that, “Oh we for sure had an education. My aunt was a teacher, and record keeper for the stable. We also have scientists for research, alchemists like my mother, cooks, healers, security, agriculture.”
“At least they weren’t lying about the diversity they promised. I only saw the science lab once, and it wasn’t even complete yet. Quite the cutting edge equipment.” Gingko smiled.
“And of course, state of the art training facilities and teachers.” I said.
“Yes, I remember the training hall. Did they get the dream simulators installed?” Gingko asked.
“Yes, yes they did. How did you ever come up with those things? The dreams were so real, I swear I could still feel the bruises after they let me out.” I said, shivering a little.
She laughed, “A mix of Princess Luna’s magic and science goes a long way.”
We both laughed for a moment before things got a little quiet. We stood there, not really knowing what to say.
But Gingko eventually spoke up, “Sound like a nice home, despite the questionable practices.”
“Yes. It’s nice to talk about it with someone.” I said.
Gingko looked down and sighed, “Well, that’s all the questions I had. Come, let’s find your friends.”
Before I could press her for more information, she left the room. I followed her down the hall, turning corner after corner until we came to an office. She opened the door to reveal a thestral mare sitting at a desk with her snout buried in a book.
I chuckled, “Found you a good book Moonlight?”
She immediately put the book down and before I could say anything more, she flew over and hit me on the head.
“Ow! What was that for?” I asked.
“I told you to be careful and you come back unconscious on Doctor Gingko’s back!” She yelled at me.
“I didn’t mean to. We had electric bees of death chasing us!” I yelled back.
She looked down, her ears flattened, “How many times do I have to patch you up before you stop biting off more than you can chew Shadow?”
I looked at her, and my ears dropped too. I moved to hug her and she accepted.
“I’m sorry Moonlight. I don’t mean to make you worry.” I said.
“I know you don’t. I only wish you would be more careful. You’re not invincible Shadow. And you don’t need to do everything alone.” She said.
“You’re right. I have good friends to help me out.” I said, pulling away from the hug.
She smiled at that.
“You two are adorable.” Gingko said.
We both blushed and moved away from each other.
I cleared my throat, “Right. So where is Ratchet and Saskia again?”
Moonlight perked up at this, “You haven’t told him yet?”
“I wanted to see his face when he saw it.” Gingko smirked.
I looked at them confused, “What are you girls talking about?”
“Oh just a little surprise. You’re gonna love it!” Moonlight said.
Both mares urged me down the hallway and to the other side of the facility. We went up the stairs to Level 1, but not the same section we explored. There were less rooms on this side of the research center, but those I could see had strange machines inside. We kept going and didn’t stop, Moonlight even pushing me forward when I got curious about the rooms.
Soon we were standing in front of a large door. The words “Hangar Bay” were displayed in bright white letters on the door. What a hangar bay was, I had no idea.
Moonlight went to the intercom on the wall, “Ratchet, is it ready yet?”
Ratchet’s voice came out of it, “Darn tootin’ it is! Has our sleeping striped beauty woken up yet?”
“Ha ha, very funny Ratchet.” I said.
“There he is! Come on in, and be prepared to see this marvel of machinery!” Ratchet said.
The door slowly started to open, revealing Ratchet and Saskia on the other side. And something large behind them, but it was covered under a tarp.
“Alright, what is going on? Come on guys.” I asked.
“First things first.” Ratchet said before walking up to me.
He then shook my hoof vigorously, “Thanks for saving my bacon there partner. The girls told me what you did. Risking life and death for little old me. Especially after the way I treated you the other day.”
He looked regretful and I stopped him there, “You don’t need to apologize Ratchet. I was out of line at Sandpit. I admit that.”
“You were. But I think we can leave that behind us.” Ratchet said, patting me on the shoulder.
“Now! Enough doom and bloom, check this out!” He said, running over to the tarp.
He and Saskia lifted the tarp and revealed to me what looked like a ship from my books. But it was outfitted with all kinds of metal and technology. It was sitting in some kind of dock, holding it above the ground, showing me the bottom of it. Four circular pod looking devices were spread along the bottom, two on each side.
The ship itself was a decent size, seeming to fit 5 ponies comfortably. A cabin was at the rear of the ship, like a small square room that held the helm of the ship. The sail was tucked in right now, but the mast stood proud in the center. The ship was made out of wood from the look of the hull, other than the metal devices that dotted across its side. On the rear of the ship was what looked like a booster from a skyship that pegasi would use. Of course, I’ve only seen pictures from our records.
“What in Luna’s name is this thing?” I asked.
“This is something given to us by the Ministry of Awesome. Partly as a thank you for helping them in a time of crisis back before everything went under. And also to try and bribe us to get a hoof in the company. Never happened, and this baby has been sitting in here ever since.” Gingko said.
“Lucky for us, this place kept her out of the elements and in pretty decent condition. She needed a little TLC, but I got her all nice and pretty again.” Ratchet said proudly.
He then started walking around it, “The good doc gave me the schematics and papers that came with this thing. She was a prototype made for ground troops to traverse the desert and other desolate environments. She uses wind to propel her most of the time, but she also comes equipped with a magical energy engine. It uses a lot of spark batteries, but can last up to 24 hours before running out of power.”
“It also uses magic levitation talismans to hover in the air. While it normally glides through sand and snow, it can be used to traverse any kind of surface.” Gingko said.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. I had no idea such a machine existed. This will make our journey much faster, and safer.” Moonlight said excitedly.
“I’ll say. And you’re just giving this incredible machine to us?” I asked the Doctor.
“You will have more use for it then I will. Consider it a thank you for helping me put my colleagues to rest.” Gingko said.
“Mommy!” Zoey yelled from behind us.
We turned to see her coming to a stop in front of Gingko.
“Is everything packed dear?” Gingko asked.
“Yes! Everything is ready to go.” Zoey saluted.
“Go? Where are you going?” I asked.
“We knew we can’t stay here any longer. But then Ratchet told us of a city of ghouls like us. Said they welcome all ghouls, and they would be glad for my knowledge and talents.” She said.
“A city of ghouls?” I asked, turning to Ratchet.
“Neighcropolis. It’s down in the Southern Badlands. In the Glowing Sands. Ghouls from all over head there to live out their lives. Ghouls make up around 90% of the population in that city.” Ratchet explained.
“But how are they gonna get there?” I asked.
Ratchet walked up to Gingko and Zoey, passing them a letter, “Take this to Hydra Junction to the east. Find a minotaur named Mercer and give him this. He’ll help you get in contact with the Sand Talons. And then the Talons will take you to the city.” “Sand Talons? You mentioned them in Sandpit. What kind of ponies are they?” Moonlight asked.
“Oh they’re not ponies Moonlight. They’re a griffin mercenary group.” Saskia chimed in.
I kinda jumped a little, forgot she was here for a moment. She had been quiet for a while. Almost like she disappeared.
“Griffins? I saw some in Sandpit but I don’t know much about them.” Moonlight said.
“They’re tough, and can be a bit scary. But they always stick to the contract. They always keep their word. Especially the Sand Talons.” Ratchet said.
“They have a contract with Neighcropolis. They transport any ghoul that wants to get to the city and are paid per passenger.” Saskia said.
“So these griffins will take us south?” Gingko asked.
“Yes. When you find them, ask for Tala or Garuda. Tell them Ratchet is your friend and they won’t give you any trouble.” Ratchet said.
“You know Garuda?” Saskia asked.
Ratchet turned to her, “Sure do. Worked with the Talons on a few jobs. Fixed up some old weapons in their base too.”
“Who is this Garuda?” I asked.
“Garuda, Leader of the Sand Talons. Toughest bird you’ll ever meet. Don’t get on her bad side, trust me.” Ratchet chuckled.
“I’ve only met her once when I made it past Tantabus Pass. She was quite intimidating.” Saskia said.
“Anyway, you sure you’re gonna be ok making it to Hydra Junction?” Ratchet asked Gingko.
“I believe we will be fine. The map you gave us should suffice. And I have more than enough firepower to protect us.” Gingko said.
“Alrighty then. Let’s go get y’all’s cart down here and we can open up the hangar. We need to get a move on.” Ratchet said, moving towards the door.
I followed him, offering to help with the cart. Saskia also came to offer assistance while Moonlight stayed behind to pack our belongings into our new ship. It was difficult getting the cart around the corners of the hallway, but we managed to get it into the hangar bay. It was filled with food, water, books and other personal belongings. I wondered if these Sand Talons would let them take all this stuff with them to Neighcropolis.
“Hey Ratchet, what’s Neighcropolis like?” I asked as we pulled the cart up to the hangar bay door leading to the outside.
“Don’t know for sure. Never been down in the Southern Badlands. And normal ponies aren’t exactly as welcome there as ghouls are. I hear the city is heavily irradiated except for a dome in the center.” Ratchet said.
“I admit that even I have never been there. It is quite the dangerous journey through the Glowing Sands. Radiation and other dangers await those who dare to journey there.” Saskia said.
“Ok. Not going there, that’s for sure.” I said.
I had no business in a dangerous place like that, so why bother.
“But it’ll be great for the doc and Zoey.” Ratchet said, looking to the ghouls as they approached.
Gingko and Zoey both smiled at him, which was a little unsettling with them missing teeth, and what remained was rotted. Ratchet helped Gingko get hooked up to the cart while Saskia and I made our way to the ship. Standing on the deck was odd, I’ve never been on a ship before. The wood decking beneath my hooves was sturdy and strong. I went over to the helm, looking into the cabin. The wheel was in the center of the room, with all kinds of levers, buttons and other gadgets on each side of it. The view from the window behind the wheel was crystal clear.
“Impressive isn’t she?” Ratchet said, coming up from behind me.
“I never believed something like this would survive the war.” I said, still in awe.
“Yeah, this baby is probably worth more caps than I could ever hope to get in my lifetime. Not to mention all the spark batteries we’re gonna need to power this baby.” He said.
“How many do we need?” I asked.
“Ten batteries are needed for the engine. And like I said, it’ll last a while if we don't use the propulsion system. Without that, it can last for several days. Good thing wind power isn’t in short supply out here.” Ratchet said, chuckling near the end.
I let out a chuckle as well, though I did not want to get this ship caught in a sandstorm.
“Now, come check out the crew quarters downstairs.” Ratchet said.
He led me to a hatch near the center of the deck. I opened it with my magic and walked down into the bowels of the vessel. It wasn’t large, but it was big enough where I didn’t have to worry about hitting my head on the ceiling. Hammocks lined the walls, five in total. A door in the very back led to the engine room, where Ratchet showed me how things worked. A box of spark batteries lay in the corner, with the machine at the end of the room.
I was no mechanic, but it was an impressive sight. The machine whirled with energy, the ten spark batteries that were in use connected to various parts of the device. Several tools lay about the room, no doubt belonging to my earth pony friend.
“This is pretty cool Ratchet. You sure you can handle this thing?” I asked.
“Well it’s not my specialty, but I’ve been reading the manual. I look forward to the challenge.” He grinned.
I nodded and we went back to the main deck. I nearly bumped into Moonlight, who was coming down the hatch with more supplies. She smiled as she set them down and looked at us.
“This is so incredible Shadow. We won’t have to walk across the desert anymore. We’ll be at the base in no time at all.” She said.
“I agree. It’ll be nice not to worry about the sand and rocks under my hooves. How lucky are we?” I said.
“Pretty lucky I’d say. Now come on you two. Let’s go say goodbye to the doc.” Ratchet said, moving up the ladder to the main deck.
As we stepped out onto the top deck, we saw the door to the outside of the facility open up slowly. The sand blew in, making us shield our eyes for a moment. When the dust cleared, the bleak wasteland greeted us once again. Stepping off the ship, we soon found the doctor and her daughter packed up and ready to head out into the wastes.
“Doctor Gingko, thank you. For everything you’ve done for us.” I said to her.
“No, thank you children. For helping me cleanse this place, and putting my colleagues to rest.” She said.
“Please be safe. And do say hello to Mercer for us.” Moonlight said, offering them a smile.
“We shall dear. Keep studying and you will make a fine doctor.” She said, giving Moonlight the softest smile a ghoul could give.
Moonlight giggled in response.
“What about the facility Doctor Gingko? Are you going to just leave it open?” Saskia asked.
“No dear. I plan on sealing this place once your team leaves. I will reset the password and seal all entrances. This place will be a final resting place for my colleagues. And I do not want anyone getting their hands on our research.” Ginkgo said.
Saskia nodded.
“Well then. We should get moving. We have a long walk ahead of us. But If you don’t mind, we would love to watch you launch. I have not seen that beauty fly, and I would very much like to.” Ginkgo said.
“Me too! Me too!” Zoey cheered.
I nodded, “You heard the mare everyone. Let’s get flying!”
Everyone nodded and ran back to the ship. Ratchet immediately went for the helm, pressing buttons and pulling levers. The rest of us stayed on the upper deck, looking to the outside in anticipation. Soon, I could hear it. The whirling of the engines and the levitation talismans were the first sign of the ship coming to life.
Soon, the ship started to rise above the drydock that it had sat in for over two centuries. Then, it started to move forward, slowing towards the opening. Once we were outside in the wind, Ratchet opened up the sails, moving slowly away from the facility.
We got one last chance to wave goodbye to the pair of ghouls before the sails caught the wind, sending us sprawling to the deck as the ship suddenly accelerated. The speed was impressive, and after helping the girls to steady themselves again, we looked back to see the research facility shrink away in the distance.
We had been traveling with our new ship for a few hours. Getting used to being on a ship took some time, the occasional rocking and jerks caused by the changing of the winds were odd to me. Saskia took to it better than me and Moonlight. Nothing seemed to phase that mare. It made me think about how little I knew about her. She just joined us without a real reason, and had been a big help since then.
Moonlight spent most of her time below deck studying all the medical journals and books that Doctor Gingko had given her. I was happy to see her so cheerful after the last few days. Part of me was still upset about how I scared her after the flashbees. I had to make it up to her somehow.
As for myself, I spent time with Ratchet, learning the controls of our new vessel in case anything happened to Ratchet, or if he needed a break. He seemed to enjoy being at the helm. The many gauges and levers seemed like a lot to keep track of to me, but Ratchet claimed that he had some experience with pegasi vehicles. When I pressed about it, he went quiet and told me it was something he didn’t want to elaborate on.
Many of my friends had pasts shrouded in mystery. Then again, so did I as far as they were concerned. After talking to Doctor Gingko, maybe I should consider talking to them about my home. It would probably break this lingering tension from that fight we had several days ago.
And then, after a whole day of flying, Ratchet set the ship down on a cliff face. Hiding it behind a rock formation, I stepped down off the ship and moved slowly to the edge of the cliff. Peering down with my new binoculars, I saw what I had been searching for.
The raider base was as large as I had thought it would be. An old fortress rusted and ruined, with recent additions added on to the outside. Spiked walls, pony heads on pikes, and wagons moving in and out of the base. I could see raiders of all shapes and sizes moving in and out. Guard towers lined every corner of the base, housing at least two snipers at all times.
My friends walked up behind me, keeping their head low as they approached the edge.
“Is this the place Shadow?” Moonlight asked.
“Yes, this is it. Swift Saber is in there. And tonight, he will pay for his crimes. In blood.” I said darkly.
My friends and I had camped on the cliff face, waiting for night to come to give us a better chance of sneaking into the base without being seen. Saskia and I took turns surveying the area to determine the best approach, the terrain seemed to favor the raiders as very little stood in between us and the base. Few rock formations dotted the area, leaving little to no cover.
This is why we were determined to wait until nightfall, as raiders were not too keen of sight to see in the dark all too well. The guard towers did have lights, but they did not cover much area other than a few meters from the wall of the fortress. It was possible the snipers were armed with night vision scopes, especially if they still had the weapons from my stable. But we could not be sure. What we did know is that those snipers would need to be dealt with somehow.
“So how do we get inside? Can’t just waltz into the front door of a compound like that.” Ratchet said, finishing his last inspections of our weapons.
“From what we can see, the only entrance is the front gate. But yes, it’s too risky.” Saskia said.
“I can try to find a spot on the wall to climb over.” I said.
“Not too keen on that idea neither. No offense to your climbing skills Shadow, but one mistake and one of those snipers might notice something.” Ratchet said.
“I could try and fly you up to the tower.” Moonlight said hopefully.
I looked to her with concern, “I appreciate the offer Moonlight, but can you carry me?”
Her expression deflated, her ears flattening, “I’m not sure. I’ve never carried somepony, and those towers are pretty high.”
“Not to mention you’d need to be quiet about the flight, and avoid the searchlights.” Saskia explained.
“Don’t let it get you down Moonlight. You’ll be a great help inside, I know it.” I said, trying to console the thestral mare.
She gave me a little smile and seemed to cheer up. I wasn’t lying to her either. She had been practicing with the syringer rifle she found back at the facility. Dr. Gingko apparently taught her how most of it worked, and gave her recipes for other ammo. She can incapacitate enemies from afar, and non-lethal too. She eventually needed to learn that non-lethal weapons won’t always get the job done, but she is making progress.
“So, we can’t go in the front door, and we can’t scale the wall. So the only option I can see is to make some kind of distraction and slip inside the gate in the confusion.” I said.
Everyone thought for a moment, pondering my idea.
“It seems like a logical idea. Pray tell, what kind of a distraction do you have in mind?” Saskia asked.
“Ratchet, do you have any remote detonated explosives?” I asked.
“I’m afraid not. Those are expensive, and a little hard to come by in these parts.” Ratchet said, shaking his head.
I cursed under my breath. Well there went that idea.
“What were you planning to do with explosives?” Moonlight asked.
“I’ve been examining the towers, and one seems to have a deteriorated support column. Some explosives could cause it to collapse, at least partially.” I said.
“That was an interesting idea. It could have worked, if we had the equipment.” Saskia said.
“Yeah, none of the stuff I got now would make a dent in that thing.” Ratchet said.
“So we have no way of sneaking into the tower, nor is there a way to collapse the tower for a distraction. What will we do now?” Moonlight asked, her voice lowering.
That was a good question. We came all this way and now we were stuck on the outside of the fortress, no way of getting in without storming the place. And that was certainly off the table. We were extremely outnumbered and they would have home field advantage. And the commotion would alert Saber, who would take the opportunity to run like a coward.
Suddenly, a chill went up my spine and I spun around quickly. The wind blew across our camp, the hairs on my neck were standing on end. I saw nothing, but my instincts told me that there was something, hiding in the dark. I just couldn’t tell where it was.
“Something is out there. I can feel it.” I said, my eyes scanning the area.
Saskia got up and stood next to me, looking around the camp with me.
“I don’t see anything. But I do feel like something was here. But it’s gone now.” She said.
“A spy?” Moonlight asked.
“No raider is that sneaky. And I don't think they would have someone patrolling this far away from the base.” Ratchet said.
My nerves were at their peak, something had been watching us, I just knew it. If it was a raider, they would have tried to ambush us. And how did they sneak off so quickly, or sneak up on us for that matter?
Thunder boomed up in the clouds, making us jump and look up. The sky seemed normal, well as normal as it usually was. And there was no rain, which was strange.
“That’s weird. Never had thunder with no rain.” Ratchet said.
I looked at him, “What do you think it means? Is a storm coming?”
“Might be. Can never tell with the cloud layer. Pegasi don’t regulate the weather, so it’s random. Something just doesn't feel right though.” Ratchet said.
Thunder boomed again, this time behind us. I turned along with my friends in time to see a bolt of lightning strike the same support tower we had been planning on blowing up. The structure immediately caught fire. And I could see ponies running from the blaze, and falling over the wall, burning to their deaths. It was a gruesome sight.
“By Celestia, what’s the odds of that happening?” Ratchet asked.
“Very low. I know they’re raiders but goodness.” Moonlight said, still shocked.
“Agreed. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” Saskia said.
I said a prayer to Luna, even though they were raiders. Burning to death is a horrible way to go. But there was no time for that. This was our chance.
“However this came to be, it’s given us the opportunity we desired. The whole gang will be going to try and put out the flames. And Saber won’t suspect a thing with such a random event.” I said.
“Indeed. What’s the plan, Shadow?” Saskia asked.
I already had it planned out, “I’ll head inside first, I can move silently and quickly. I’ll find Saber and put an end to this. Ratchet, you and Moonlight find the armory. We might need more weapons and other equipment they took from my stable, if they haven’t sold it.”
Saskia moved up next to me, “I believe it would be best if we had two ponies sneak in quietly. I can be quite stealthy myself when I want to.”
I looked at her in confusion, “No offense Saskia, but your bright colors kinda make you stand out.”
“I have ways around that. Don’t underestimate my abilities, Shadow.” She smirked.
“Well, if you insist. I’ll take the west side of the facility, you take the east.” I said.
“Done.” Saskia smiled.
“Ratchet, Moonlight, you two stick together and make your way to the armory. Find where they keep their weapons and take as much as you can. Destroy what’s left. No weapons means these guys won’t fight back.” I explained.
“Sounds like a plan partner. Leave it to us.” Ratchet said confidently.
“I’ll do my best. But please be careful Shadow.” Moonlight said, worry in her voice.
“I’ll be fine, Moonlight. No worries. Let’s all meet in the center courtyard when we’ve completed our tasks.” I said.
All of them nodded and we all started down the slope of the cliff and towards the base. Things were about to get busy.
The facility was still burning, ponies were running all over trying to put out the fire. No pony was guarding the door as a result. Perfect for me to sneak inside. The door opened all too easily as I made my way inside. The base was in terrible repair and shape, walls crumbling, blood and other bodily fluids everywhere. These ponies lived like pigs in a ruined barn, disgusting.
A double door led into a large hallway, electrical lights hanging from the ceiling lit up the area perfectly. The raiders must have had a generator here somewhere. Another thing to look out for.
Again, no pony was in sight. Morons, clearly the leadership wasn’t expecting any trouble. Guess that messenger I threatened back in Hydra Junction didn’t make it back. Or this boss of theirs was an idiot.
“That fire still going buddy?” A voice said from around the corner.
Welp, nevermind. I moved to the corner and peeked around. Two earth pony bucks with no barding and pool cues were standing by a door.
“Yeah, totally weird. That lightning came out of nowhere. And what are the chances it hit the weakest tower?” The second buck said.
“No clue. We keep having strokes of bad luck. I think it’s that damn red unicorn. Ever since he showed up, things have been getting worse.”
“Totally, but he’s too tough bro. You saw what he did to the boss. Nearly cut his leg off. I would totally take those swords of his.”
“Eh, I prefer a gun. But hey, you kill that guy, bet the boss will let ya have ‘em.”
“Think so? Or maybe we should just wait for this guy he’s so scared of? Remember when Tweedle came back pissing himself?”
“Yeah that was hilarious. One buck is gonna come here and kill all of us. What a wimp. Sure glad the boss killed him. One less mouth to feed.”
Hearing enough of this conversation, I pulled out Umbra and threw it at one buck who had his back to me. My trusty dagger landed right where the neck met the head, piercing through his spine and windpipe. The stallion collapsed and before the other could react, I jumped out with Desert Rose at the ready.
“Make a sound and you’re dead.” I said sternly.
He did not make a sound, looking at me with wide eyes and fear. He backed up into the door he and his buddy were guarding. I rounded on him and held the barrel of my gun to his temple.
“Where is the red unicorn with twin swords?” I asked.
“I… I don’t know.” He whimpered.
I cocked the hammer back on my revolver, making him jump. “Try again.” I said.
“I… I think he has a room on the other side of the base. He might be there.” He said, still whimpering.
“How do I get there?” I asked.
“This hall will take you to the courtyard. On the other side of it will be a large double door. Go through there and it should be around there somewhere. That’s all I know, I swear.”
“Thank you.” I said.
Not wanting to waste ammo or make noise, I pulled Umbra from the corpse of his friend and it flew across his neck in my magical grip. His throat was slit, and he slumped down against the wall.
Now I had some idea of where to go. But first, let us see what they were guarding.
I opened the door to see what looked like a storage room. Several boxes of food and ammunition were scattered across the floor. Why keep the ammo away from the guns? Didn’t make any sense to me. But finders keepers I guess. I picked my way from the ammo, finding some shotgun shells, 10 mm, and .357 magnum rounds for Desert Rose. Saskia will definitely need the 10mm, as her guns went through a lot of ammo.
I also found a few frag grenades, putting them away in my saddlebags. A good find.
Leaving the room, I walked down the hall towards what should have been the courtyard. I didn’t run into anypony else as I found myself at the door leading to the courtyard. Poking my head out as I slowly opened the door, I saw a large open area, metal barrels lining the middle of the place. On the second floor I could see old racks of what looked like rebar. Perhaps the base was still under construction when the bombs dropped.
I moved out into the courtyard, keeping to the sides to avoid any guards that might be on the second floor. I didn’t hear anypony, but you can’t be too careful. Strange how such a large area had no guards at all.
The door on the opposite side was only a few feet away now. I was just about to move to it when it suddenly opened. I ducked behind a statue as two more earth ponies in spiked armor moved out of the door.
“Man, this is just great. That fire is gonna take up most of our water supply. Boss is probably gonna have us go collect more from that aquifer. I hate going there.” One buck said.
“I hear ya pal. Those damn lizards always nest there. No matter how many times we kill them off. Dumb animals.” The second one grumbled.
So they didn’t have a means of producing water here. A local aquifer was their source. That must suck. But I guess water talismans aren’t easy to come by.
A third pony came out of the doorway, this one a mare. She moved past the two as they noticed her.
“Fable, the hell you doing here?” One buck asked.
The mare who must have been Fable turned to them, “I live here.”
“But we just saw you heading towards the security wing. You said the boss wanted you to relieve Spit Stain.”
“The fuck you two on about? I just woke up 5 minutes ago.”
Both stallions looked at her with confusion, making her huff and groan, rolling her eyes at them.
“Lay off the dash you two.” Fable said, leaving the two.
Using the distraction of them watching the mare leave, most likely looking at her flank, I moved into the doorway, making it inside. The hallway was much like the last one I was in. Only this one went left and right instead of straight. The sign on the wall said that security was to the right. That might be where they had their armory.
I started walking towards the security wing, tense as I expected to run into another raider. But I did not. No signs of life as I moved through the halls, making me feel uneasy. Even with all the raiders tending to the fire, you’d think that I’d run into somepony.
As I rounded the corner that would lead me to the security wing, I spotted something on the wall. It was small, barely noticeable. A tiny splatter of green, looking like somepony took a small bottle of goop and threw it at the wall. I’d never seen anything like it.
I looked away from the green splatter and continued onwards until I saw blood on the floor, fresh blood. I followed it to the room labeled “Security Office”, with large windows showing monitors inside the room.
The door was open so I peeked inside, finding somepony familiar.
“Saskia!” I exclaimed.
My friend turned to smile at me, “Ah there you are Shadow. Run into any trouble?”
I then saw the bandage on her leg, “I should be asking you. Are you ok?”
I moved to look at her leg more closely. The bandage was red with blood, covering just below the bend.
“One of the raiders saw me coming down the hallway and I got careless. Didn’t want to risk using my guns. I guess I’m not as good at close range as you.” Saskia said.
“You sure you don’t want me to look at that?” I asked, digging into my saddlebags.
She flinched away, “No, no I’m fine. I don’t really like the sight of my own blood. It doesn’t hurt that much. I’ll take a healing potion later.” “Alright, if you’re sure. Have you seen Moonlight and Ratchet?” I asked.
“No. I was hoping the cameras worked. No such luck.”
“Perhaps these guys have a map lying around.”
Looking around the office, I saw a stack of papers. Using my magic, I levitated the papers around me to look them over. Most looked like they were pre-war, but one soon stood out. The writing was sloppy, almost unreadable, but I got the gist of it.
“Here, this seems to be a map of sorts. Kinda sloppy, but we are dealing with raiders.” I said, passing the map over to Saskia.
She took it in her own magic, looking it over herself.
“Yes. It seems the armory is on this side of the facility. The Boss’ room as well.”
“You make your way towards the armory and help Moonlight and Ratchet. I’ll head for the Boss’ room.”
“Very well then. I shall do so. Be careful my friend.” Saskia said, moving towards the door.
I nodded to her, and we separated yet again. I was a bit concerned about her injury, but I also didn’t want to invade her privacy. Maybe she would be more comfortable with Moonlight looking at her leg.
I moved down another hallway, the Boss’ room was apparently on the far side of the compound. Probably so any invader would have to go through all his cronies to get to him. But unfortunately for him, I was closing in.
The last corner came into view, and as I poked my head around, I saw two ponies guarding a door. The door was large, looking to be made of steel instead of wood. A star on the door made it clear that it belonged to somepony important. The guards had assault rifles, so going in close probably wouldn’t be a great idea. Long range it is.
I took out Desert Rose and made sure it was loaded. Six shots, I needed to take these two out in six shots. Going quiet wouldn’t work since there was no cover. And with the commotion outside and lack of other ponies around, no point in worrying about it.
I activated SATS and lined up four shots, one to each one of their heads and one to their chests. Releasing the spell, my shots rang out. The shots to their chests hit, while only one headshot landed. One guard fell dead while the other clenched his chest. He fired his rifle blindly as he tried to keep standing. I dodged the shots and moved a bit closer to get a better shot on him. Firing again, I hit his chest once more, making him slump against the wall.
Both guards laid dead and nopony else seemed to be coming down the hallway behind me. I moved to gather their weapons and moved to the door. It wasn’t locked, so I kicked it down. The pony on the other side was large, larger than me. But he held no weapon, and didn’t really look like he was going to fight back. He had his back against the wall, eyes wide as he looked at me with fear.
“So, you are the boss of these raiders?” I asked.
“Who the fuck are you? What’d we do to piss you off?” He whimpered.
I raised an eyebrow at him, “Wow, never figured a wimp like you to be the boss of a gang.”
“That’s because he ain’t.” A voice came from my side.
I narrowly dodged a lead pipe, grabbing it with my magic and pulling a small earth pony stallion with it. He was smaller than Ratchet, dangling in front of me with the pipe in his mouth. I shook it and he landed on his rump in front of me.
“So, I take it you’re the real boss?” I asked.
“Got a problem with that fucker?” He growled at me.
“So who is he?” I asked, pointing to the large stallion against the wall.
“He’s supposed to be my enforcer. Look big and tough and scare ponies into listening to me. But as soon as we heard you were coming, he’s been pissing himself.” The little boss said.
“He has good instincts.” I said darkly, kicking him in the face, making him hit the big guy.
As the two crumpled to the floor, the boss looked up at me with a scowl.
“So, you here to kill us for what we did to your stable?”
“See, now you’re getting it.” I said.
“Well go ahead and get it over with. That job was the biggest mistake of my life. That bitch and her pet unicorn have torn my gang apart. Killed off half of us as soon as we got back here. Said that if we told you anything when you got here, they’d finish the job.”
“If you’re looking for pity, you won’t find any with me.” I said, pulling out my revolver.
“Don’t want your pity you stupid stripe.” He growled.
I fired a shot near his head, he didn’t even jump. Just continued to growl and glare at me. Reloading my revolver slowly, I looked at the little stallion.
“Where is Saber?” I asked plainly.
“Fuck if I know. Using my bucks as punching bags most likely. Fucker walks around like he owns the place.” He spat at me.
“Give me a location, and I’ll make it quick and somewhat painless.” I said, finishing my reload.
“Fuck you. Either way I’m dead. And as much as I hate that red fucker, I hate you just as much. You and that stupid stable ruined me!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.
A single shot could be heard from inside the room, the enforcer who was cowering against the wall fell in a heap. One hole between his eyes. Quick and painless.
The boss glared at me again, “The fuck you do that for?”
“To make a point. Now you’re coming with me.” I said, grabbing him by his tail with my magic.
He started swearing at me again, the word “fuck” leaving his mouth every other sentence. Jeez these raiders had some foul mouths.
As I carried the little shit through the hallway, I stopped at the first crossroad.
“Which way is your armory?” I asked.
“Fuck you!” He spat.
I smacked him in the head, making him curse at me again.
“How about now?” I asked.
“Alright alright. Take a right here and go all the way down the hall. Big blast door, can’t miss it.” He grumbled.
Looking down the way he mentioned, I started to walk again. No raiders were in the hallway, making me wonder where they all were. How many raiders does it take to put out a fire? Apparently all of them..
But as I made it down the long hallway, carrying the little shit boss, I soon heard a firefight going on. Racing faster down the corridor, I found the source of the commotion. Moonlight and Ratchet were hiding in one of the adjacent rooms to the large blast door that I guessed was the armory. Three stallions had made barricades out of old desks and filing cabinets, firing pistols in their mouths but thankfully were terrible shots.
I whistled to get their attention and everypony stopped firing to look at me, holding the little pony.
“Boss!” One of the raiders yelled out.
“Put down your weapons and surrender.” I said, loud and stern.
They looked at each other with uncertain looks, not knowing what to do. I pulled out my revolver and pointed at the little boss’ head. They quickly put their weapons down and put their hooves up.
“Better. Now get out from over there. Ratchet, Moonlight, you can come out now.” I said.
Ratchet and Moonlight moved quickly out from the room, both smiling and panting a little.
“Boy, am I glad to see you, partner.” Ratchet exclaimed.
“Good to see you two safe. How are you holding up Moonlight?” I said, looking at my thestral friend.
“I’m alright. Sorry we couldn’t secure the armory like you asked. These guys just wouldn’t quit. Ratchet couldn’t hit them past all the barricades and I wasn’t fast enough to get a shot in.” Moonlight explained, her ears folding a little.
I smiled at her warmly, “Moonlight, what matters is that you two are ok. No need to worry about that. Have you two seen Saskia? I sent her your way.”
“I’m afraid we haven’t. I hope she’s alright.” Moonlight said softly.
“She can take care of herself. Now what are we gonna do with these guys?” Ratchet asked.
I looked to the raiders, who were now cowering against the wall. Then to the boss who was still hovering in my magical aura. I threw the boss at his raiders, making him land against one of them. He and his bucks looked at me with mixes of anger and fear.
“Ratchet, keep an eye on them. Moonlight and I will go check the armory. Keep an eye out for Saskia as well.” I said.
Ratchet nodded and pointed his rifle at them. Moonlight and I went inside the large blast door, which was open, looking like it was rusted open at the hinges. No way this door was ever gonna close again. The room was small but had several boxes lined along the walls. Ammo boxes and wooden crates everywhere.
Moonlight decided to take the left side of the room while I took the other. Looking through the boxes of ammo, I found plenty for my weapons. I also found quite a bit of 10m for Saskia. I wondered where she was. She said she was heading this way. Maybe she got lost.
“Boss!” A new voice shouted from the hallway.
A train whistle came shortly after, signaling that Ratchet had fired. Moonlight and I ran for the door, only to find Ratchet behind the barricades that the raiders had made. I peeked around the corner to find that three more raiders had showed up. The boss was now holding a rifle and firing at us. The other raiders that were with him were trying to move closer with knives, but soon got a railway spike through one of their chests.
I moved next to Ratchet and took out Desert Rose, lining up a shot to another knife pony. It hit their shoulder, but it wasn’t a kill shot. My revolver wouldn’t be much help here. And my shotgun wouldn’t do any better.
“Shadow, try this!” Moonlight yelled from inside the armory.
I looked to see her throwing a rifle. I caught it in my magic, recognizing it as a 5.56mm assault rifle, with a 20 round magazine. She also brought me an ammo box full of 5.56, which I quickly loaded into the magazine. Turning around to the group of raiders I returned fire. It was a semi automatic rifle, so I could be more precise with my shots. Again, I wasn’t a crackshot, so a few shots missed. But I did manage to hit two raiders in the chest, bringing them down.
Suddenly I heard hoofsteps coming from the other hallway. Turning around, I was just in time to see a raider running at us with one of those miniature chainsaws. I didn’t have time to turn my rifle, I didn’t know what to do.
And then a syringe lodged its way into his neck, making him fall and drop the chainsaw. I turned to see Moonlight with her rifle still pointed at the buck. I then took the opportunity to turn my rifle around to put a shot in his head as he laid there paralzed.
Moonlight looked a little shaken by her actions but not as bad as before. She looked at me with a bit of determination as she kept her eye behind me and Ratchet. I turned back to the fire fight in front of us and saw that Ratchet had pinned another stallion to the wall. A mare tried to throw a hatchet at us, but I quickly caught it in my magic and threw it back, splitting her head.
The last two raiders other than the boss jumped up with assault rifles, firing what I guessed were their last magazines as they had no saddlebags to hold more. Ratchet and I ducked behind our cover, the bullets flying over our heads.
“Where the fuck did she come from?” One raider said before we heard another gun fire, two to be precise.
Ratchet and I looked up to see Saskia had found us, unloading Bane and Blight into the last raider before bringing them to bear against the boss.
“Saskia, hold your fire! We need him!” I yelled out, jumping over the barricade.
She did as I asked, only pointing her guns instead of firing them. The raider boss sat there with his hooves up, looking even more pissed than the last time I took him prisoner. He turned to glare at me as I came up and hit him again.
“I suggest you don’t try that again. Saskia here is much better with her magic than I am.” I said, grinning to my friend.
She simply fixed her hair, casually pointing her guns at the raider while doing so.
“Where are the rest of my ponies?” He snapped at her.
“Oh, they are busy at the moment. I decided to lock them all in the courtyard as they went to put out the fire.” Saskia smirked.
“So that’s where you’ve been. Good work Saskia.” I said.
“Always happy to help. Everypony alright?” She replied, turning to see Ratchet and Moonlight.
Both of them had walked up to us, the former glaring at the boss while the former moved to Saskia.
“Saskia, you’re hurt!” Moonlight exclaimed.
“Oh it’s just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about dear.” Saskia said, giving a reassuring smile.
“I could take a look at it for you. You don’t want to get an infection.” Moonlight said, moving her hoof to the bandage.
Saskia flinched back a little, “I appreciate the offer dear, but please, I’ll be fine. I took a healing potion already. It wasn’t that dirty of a wound.”
Moonlight was a little taken aback by this, but relented, respecting Saskia’s privacy. We all moved back into the armory, looking for more ammo and weapons. Most of the other weapons were just 9mm and 10mm pistols in horrible repair. The other rifles in the room weren’t all that much better.
“This can’t be right.” I said.
“What’s wrong partner?” Ratchet asked.
“All these weapons are junk. Where is all the stuff they stole from my stable?” I asked.
I turned to the boss pony, who was slumped against the wall, hooves bound with rope.
“Where are the weapons you stole from my stable?” I asked.
“Pfft, sold them off to pay off debts to other gangs. Got more caps than we ever dreamed of. Then that stupid red unicorn of yours came back and started bossing us around. We tried to fight back but the bastard was too tough. Lost ten ponies trying to take that asshole out.” He replied bitterly.
I groaned and went back to the others, who had already started going through the last of the ammo crates.
“Alright, the weapons are gone. All that’s left for us here is Saber.” I said.
“So what is the plan? Attack him together?” Saskia asked.
“Absolutely not. You three are to keep out of the fight.” I replied quickly.
“Why not?” Ratchet asked.
“He is almost as strong as I am. And he won’t fight fairly. Not to mention he is a much better spell caster than I am.” I said.
“Surely we can be of some assistance. I can provide long range support.” Moonlight offered.
“No Moonlight. He can’t find out about any of you. If he does..”
“He might just use you against me.” A voice came from the door of the armory.
My expression turned into one of shock. Slowly I turned to the source of the voice. In the door of the armory, I saw him. A red unicorn, still wearing his Stable 100 barding, twin sabers strapped to his sides.
“That is what you were going to say, right Shadow?” Saber said.
I screamed in rage and took out my revolver and shot directly at him. The bullet didn’t hit its mark however, as Saber teleported out of the way. He reappeared next to the boss pony, and picked him up. As I turned to fire at him again, he bolted out the door with the little pony on his back. I growled and ran after him.
“Shadow wait!” Moonlight yelled out to me.
I barely heard her, all my senses were focused on the target in front of me. Today, I would avenge every pony and zebra that died because of his treachery. Master Broadsword especially.
He rounded corner after corner, trying to lead me somewhere no doubt. I didn’t care. As we continued, I recognized where we were heading. The courtyard. As the door came into view, Saber stood there, smirking at me with that same expression he had in the stable. Before I could lift my gun, he bolted through the door. The coward!
I burst through the door, skidding to a halt as I stared at him. He had dropped the boss pony off his back and tied him up, laying in front of the traitor's hooves.
“Long time no see Shadow. How ya been?” Saber said smugly.
“Shut your mouth traitor!” I yelled at him.
My revolver came up in an instant and took aim at him. I fired and he put up a shield spell, blocking the bullet, causing it to ricochet harmlessly off it.
“Man, you must really want to kill me. You dropped the whole honorable fight bullshit they fed us in the stable.”
“You killed Master Broadsword, and are responsible for the attack on the stable. The Overmares have given me clear orders! You will die today, Swift Saber!”
He laughed at that, “Wow. Never thought you would take orders from those that hate you. Overmare Zira would have your head on a pike if she could. Overmare Cobbler is probably one of the only reasons you’re still alive.”
“I’m not doing this just because they ordered me to. You need to pay for all the lives you have destroyed.” I spat at him.
Again, he laughed, “You have all this skill. Enough to traverse the Wasteland and find me here. You could rule this area if you wanted to. But no, you had to be the “Badlands Guardian”.
He said that last bit mockingly, using his hooves for air quotes.
“But we know what Guardians are really like, don’t we Shadow? The training we go through, and I don’t mean in the Training Hall.” Saber smirked.
My eyes narrowed, “Those weren’t real.”
“But they sure felt real didn’t they? Real or not, you had to make choices in there. Some good, some bad.” Saber kept talking.
Then his smirk grew even more, “But you did make a real decision didn’t you Shadow? Athena was sure taken aback.”
My eyes widened again, only this time in shock. My ears folded, my gaze lowered. Sandpit.
“How did it feel? Killing such a despicable pony? It’s what we were trained for. What we live for. Tell me Shadow, how did it feel?” Saber kept pushing me.
“Shut up.” I said, my voice low this time.
“Tell me half breed, how did it feel to ruthlessly throw a stallion on a flagpole?” He yelled at me mockingly.
“I SAID SHUT UP!” I screamed.
I saw nothing but red as I charged at the bastard unicorn, Venta and Umbra ready to cleave him in two. He responded with his own swords, Fame and Fortune. He blocked my strikes even as the force of it pushed him back a few feet. We stood there, blades crossed as I glared daggers at him. Rage was all I knew, and all I wanted was to see him dead.
“Oooh, struck a nerve did I?” He laughed.
He then pushed me away from him and fired a magical bolt at me. I dodged and quickly tried to close the distance again. Suddenly he took a swing at my legs with one sword, making me jump up to avoid it. But this is what he wanted. His second sword was waiting for me, and I fell for it. I tried to block it with Umbra, but the angle was wrong and caused the blade to cut my shoulder.
I jumped away from him, my shoulder burning with pain as blood dripped from it. I cursed under my breath. How could I have been so careless?
“You’ve gotten sloppy Shadow. You saw through that attack back in the stable. Maybe fighting all these weaklings has rusted your skill?”
I moved again to strike at him, which he blocked with one of his swords. What he didn’t expect was my hoof to strike at him as he was so focused on Venta. My strike hit home, right against his chin. The blow made him jump back this time and hold his jaw.
“How’s that for rusty?” I grinned at him.
It was his turn to glare as he charged at me with both blades. Venta and Umbra danced as we traded blow after blow. Parry, block, strike, dodge. This continued for a good few minutes before we broke apart again. I was a little out of breath at this point, some sweat running down my brow.
“Tired already half breed?” He mocked.
“Fighting through a whole compound will do that to you. A coward like you probably just scared them into submission.” I said back to him.
“You call me a coward when you had to have help from a bunch of weakling surface dwellers?” He spat.
“They are not weak. They can be as strong as us, with guidance from the Goddess Luna.” I said.
“You still believe all that crap about the princess? You need to grow up, Shadow.” He said mockingly.
“Quiet! You can insult me all you want, but I will not hear a foul word about our Goddess from traitorous lips like yours.” I yelled at him angrily.
“You talk about your precious Goddess and how she will come down and give you all pats on the head for sending children to their deaths in that tiny hope they will become her warriors. Tell me Shadow, was it any better the second time?” He grinned.
This time my attack was so sudden he didn’t have time to react. My blade struck him across the chest, getting through his barding and causing a spray of blood to seep out from the wound. He screamed and swung his swords sporadically to get me to back away. He quickly dug into a pocket on his sides and pulled out a healing potion. Drinking it down, his wound stitched itself up. He was panting as pain still was present on his face as he glared at me.
“I told you that if you ever brought up that day again, I would kill you. Now, nothing is stopping me from carrying out that threat.” I said darkly.
He growled at me as his swords were now positioned defensively in front of himself. He knew I was beyond angry at this point. I was done playing around.
We both lunged at each other again, the speed of our attacks increasing as the adrenaline flowed. I was focused, no longer running on anger and impulse. I was fighting at my peak, and that meant Saber didn’t stand a chance.
And as the sparks from our blades danced across my vision, I saw it. The opportunity I needed. Saber had landed his block poorly and pushed Venta in an upward angle. Which allowed me to bring it down onto his shoulder, driving it deep. He howled in pain as my sword dug into his shoulder, blood seeping from the wound as I held it there. He tried to fight through the pain and counter with one of his swords. But one strike to the horn from Umbra caused his magic to fizzle out.
Fame and Fortune fell to the ground as I glared at the traitor. Venta was still lodged in his shoulder, the wound still bleeding a good amount. Saber grit his teeth, most likely to avoid biting his tongue. He was done.
I brought up my shotgun, leveling it at his face. His eyes widened in horror as he stared down the twin barrels. All that was left was to pull the trigger. At this range, the shot would turn his head into mush. Just pull the trigger, and end this traitor’s life.
Just as I started to put pressure on the trigger with my magic, something wrapped around my gun. It was yanked out of my telekinetic grip, pulled to my left forcefully.
I turned to see who had the nerve to interfere in our battle, and my eyes once again grew wide.
“Well well. Guess you aren’t as good as you lead others to believe Saber. Shadow can still kick your butt.” A familiar voice laughed, holding my gun in a chain in front of her as she hovered a few feet off the ground.
Even with her cloak back on, I could see the wings and the hints of green mane behind her hood. And those blood red eyes, still so unnatural.
“Achlys.” I said.
“You remember my name! So glad our time together left an impression, Shadow. Though it looks like your eye got better. Shame, you looked funny with it.” The mare said, landing about ten feet away from me.
Even with my gun gone, I didn’t let Saber move an inch, digging my blade harder into his shoulder when he tried to move. I needed to think carefully about my next move.
“So yeah, as fun as this fight has been. I’m afraid I can’t let you kill him just yet. We still need him.” Achyls said, twirling Torment around like a toy.
“For what may I ask?” I asked.
“Beats me. Honestly he’s no fun. But orders are orders.” Achlys sighed.
“Hey, you’re not the same one from before. Dealing with one of you freaks is enough, so tell your sister or whatever that I want out of whatever is going on with the stripe. And I want my caps that I was promised!” The boss pony yelled, still tied up.
Achlys looked his way and laughed, “Wow, Algea is right, you are a little shrimp. Don’t worry little pony, you won’t have to worry about us anymore. You and your boys have been very helpful to us, and you will get what you deserve.”
“Great, so get me out of this!” He yelled.
She laughed again, “For such a little pony, you have a lot of balls to try and order me around. Just stay there like a good boy.”
“Why are you here Achlys?” I asked.
She turned back to me and smiled with that same childish expression, “Oh Shadow, you know I can’t tell you that. It would ruin the surprise.”
I growled, she wasn’t going to stop me. I brought up Umbra to stab Saber in the eye, but as soon as I thrust it forward, Achlys delivered a kick to my side, sending my flying a few feet away. It knocked the wind out of me but nothing too serious. As I recovered and got back to my hooves, I saw Achlys helping Saber by pulling Venta out of his shoulder.
Saber gasped at the pain and grit his teeth.
“Oh don’t be a big baby. He didn’t even cut all the way through.” She scoffed at him.
“Says the one who can just heal from anything. Where have you been?” He growled.
“None of your beeswax. Just because I can’t kill you, don’t think that means we’re a team or something.” She said, sticking her tongue out at him.
She then looked down to Venta, picking it up in her mouth and turning to me. She smiled with the sword still in her mouth and threw into the air towards me. It landed just in front of me, burying itself into the floor.
“There you go Shadow. Great seeing you again, but I’m afraid our work here is almost done.” Achlys said, turning her back to me.
I took the opportunity to grab Venta in my magic and charge for Saber again. I couldn’t kill Achyls but I could kill him.
He was still picking up his swords and trying to nurse his shoulder wound, not noticing me until I was only a few feet away. Unfortunately for me, as soon as I was in striking distance, Achlys blocked me with Torment. We stood our ground, grinding our blades together as I tried to push her out of my way. She simply took the chain end of her weapon and swung it to wrap around my legs.
Before I could dodge, she knocked my hind legs out from under me, making me fall backwards and roll onto my back.
I recovered quickly but Saber had already put distance between us, Achlys standing in front of me.
“Now Shadow, I told you that you can’t kill him. Trust me, I feel you. Maybe next time. But if you want to play some more, I have some time to kill.” She said, grinning at me.
I growled and readied my weapons in case she tried something. I couldn’t win this fight, but if I ran, Saber would get away. What should I do?
With a flap of her wings, Achlys flew towards me like a bullet, her chain whipping around towards me. I jumped over it, moving to strike at her with Venta. She dodged it easily and swung at me with her kama. I blocked it with Umbra, jumping up again to deliver a kick to her face. She avoided it for the most part, my hoof only grazing her jaw.
We stood only a few feet apart as we sized each other up. She twirled her chain around, whistling a little tune. This truly was a game to her.
Then I saw something on the ground behind her. My shotgun that she had taken from me was lying on the ground. I could use it to catch her off guard. My horn was still glowing as I levitated Venta and Umbra in front of me. She wouldn’t suspect anything.
As the gun glowed and started to lift up towards the back of her head, trying to make it subtle. As it reached the correct height, I took a moment to think about my attack. That was a mistake.
She immediately took to the air and turned around, knocking my weapon out of the air. It fell to the ground and she put her hoof on top of it as she landed.
“Shadow, I told you. No guns during our playtime.” Achlys said.
Before I could say anything else, she took her hoof and smashed my shotgun. The force of her blow dented the barrels inward, almost flattening them. I looked with sadness as the hard work of Lemon and her family was ruined.
“There, now where were we?” She said, grinning at me.
As I readied myself for another attack, a whistle sound came to my ears and a railway spike was lodged into Achlys’ shoulder. She screamed in pain and pulled the spike out, glaring behind me.
I turned to see my friends had found us, Ratchet pointing his rifle in Achlys’ direction. He fired again, only this time she was ready. She dodged it and the spike flew across the courtyard. She then took to the air, flying directly towards my friends.
“Leave them out of this!” I yelled as I took aim with Desert Rose.
She ignored me and barreled towards Ratchet, dodging another spike. But before she could make contact, Ratchet disappeared in a flash of light. She impacted the ground and turned to her left to find Ratchet and Saskia standing a safe distance away.
Saskia then ran forward with Bane and Blight unleashing a torrent of bullets. Achlys leaped into the air and moved across the courtyard, Saskia in hot pursuit. The two mares circled around each other, Saskia firing streams of bullets, tearing into the pegasus. Her cloak was shredded at this point, her black coat and green mane visibly for all to see now. Bullet wounds riddled her coat.
She landed and swung Torment at Saskia, only for the unicorn to teleport and fire at her again from behind. Achlys looked like she was getting frustrated from the looks of it. Her teeth were gritted and she swung her weapon more violently.
Saskia’s attacks kept going, teleporting around the mare to avoid her weapon. For a moment, Achlys didn’t fight back, only looking around at where Saskia appeared from. I wondered why she stopped her assault and took all those bullets. Even with her healing, that had to hurt.
I realized too late what she was actually doing. She was figuring out Saskia’s pattern. Torment flew in front of the mare, seconds before Saskia appeared and the chain wrapped around her barrel. She then flipped Saskia over herself, slamming her into the ground behind her.
Saskia screamed in pain as she landed, bound by the chain and unable to move.
“I hate unicorns. Especially ones that rely on magic so much. So much teleporting leaves a pattern. Just takes somepony with a brain to figure it out.” Achlys said, grunting as her wounds stitched themselves together.
Ratchet was at Saskia’s side quickly, trying to free her from the chains. Achlys then started to slowly walk towards them. Not on my watch.
I rammed my shoulder into Achlys, knocking her into a wall. Taking the opportunity while she was stunned, I grabbed her head and bashed it against the wall. I could hear her skull crack, but she still got up and pushed me away.
“Your friends interrupted, and now they have to be punished. Wait your turn Shadow.” She said in frustration.
“I won’t let you hurt them.” I shot back.
“Uuugh. You hero types are so annoying. I thought you would be better than that Shadow. These ponies are just dead weight that will slow you down. You’re so much stronger than them.” She spat back.
“They helped me get this far! Don’t you dare insult them!” I said, shoving her onto her back.
I proceeded to punch her in the face, getting three strikes in before she kicked me off. She swung Torment at me again, making me back out into the center yard again. She followed me and stood just under the ledge on the second floor.
“Hey bitch!” Ratchet yelled from above us.
We both looked up to see Ratchet on the second floor, right next to one of the racks of rebar. He then kicked at the rack with all his might, making the rebar fall out and over the ledge. Achlys didn’t have time to move before rebar rained down around her, two of them impaling her through the chest. She screamed in pain and frustration, not able to move it seemed.
I quickly ran over and grabbed another of the fallen rebar, stabbing into her flesh from another angle and into the ground, making her curse at me. Saskia ran over and thrusted another into her, once more digging the other end into the ground. We both continued this until she had about six of them in her, including through her wings.
She wiggled in frustration, grunting in pain as blood seeped from her wounds. The amount of metal that penetrated her body from so many angles made it near impossible to move. She was trapped.
“You are so dead when I get out of this earth pony!” Achlys screamed, still trying to free herself.
Ratchet had come down to join us on the bottom floor, Moonlight coming with him. Saskia was panting from the excursion of helping me trap Achlys.
“Think that will hold her?” Saskia asked.
“For a while at least. We better get out of here before she figures out a way.” I said.
“I agree. But where did Saber run off to?” Moonlight asked.
I turned to see that Saber had disappeared. The coward must have run off while I was fighting Achlys.
“Doesn’t matter. We can’t do anymore here. Let’s get back to the ship and get to safety.” I said.
“Leaving so soon, Shadow? But we haven’t seen each other in so long.” Another voice rang out over the courtyard. One that I haven’t heard since the stable.
I turned to see that Saber had returned, but he wasn’t my focus. Another cloaked mare stood with him, no wings this time. Her blood red eyes were slightly different from Achlys’.
She smiled at me under her hood, “Hello Shadow. Did you miss me?”
“Algea.” I said in shock.
“So Achlys did give you my name. So sorry it slipped my mind back in the stable. I was just so excited to finally meet you.” Algea said, walking forward.
She then turned to Achlys, before breaking out in a giggle.
“Sister, you seem to be in quite the predicament.” Algea said, coming up to Achlys.
“That stupid earth pony cheated. He is so dead. Get me out of this big sis?” Achlys asked.
Algea giggled and started to remove one of the bars with just her teeth. Blood poured out of Achlys gave a loud grunt of pain as the bar was removed. Then another, and another. She removed them with the effort it would take to remove a splinter. No magic, just her mouth.
“Oh tell me little sister, what is the pain like? Is it delicious? I am loving your pained expressions. You so have to do this to me sometime.” Algea giggled as she pulled out the last one.
Achlys fell to the ground groaning as she laid there, her wounds starting to close. She gave her sister a deadpan expression.
“You are such a freak Sis.” She laughed.
Both of them were laughing as Saber stood a few feet behind them, trying to keep them between him and myself. I didn’t even focus on him really, too stunned by what just happened. She freed Achlys with little effort and the pegasus seemed to have already recovered for the most part.
“What the hell are you two?” I asked.
They turned to me almost immediately, still grinning after their laughing fit.
“Oh Shadow, where’s the fun in telling you?” Algea giggled.
“She’s right Shadow. You’ll learn soon enough. Now, before we go, I have a present for that stupid earth pony.” Achlys said, pulling out a blowpipe.
As she quickly got ready to shoot, I stood in front of Ratchet, not wanting to give her the chance to do anything to my friend. She slumped a little at first, but quickly grew that mischievous smile she had most of the time.
Before I could react, she turned her blowpipe and shot a small dart out of the end of the pipe. But as it flew, it went past me and Ratchet. I turned to look over my shoulder, and to my horror, it hit Moonlight in the shoulder.
She yelped and pulled the dart out quickly, looking a little panicked as we all stood there waiting to see if she was ok. At first nothing seemed to have happened. Maybe it was just a dud, a childish prank to scare us.
But that was wishful thinking. For when we all started to relax, Moonlight suddenly went still, falling to her side, twitching a little. I quickly ran over to her, seeing her eyes wide and fearful. I checked her pulse, it was rapid and uneven.
I turned over my shoulder and screamed at Achlys, “What did you do!?”
“I figured if I couldn’t get the earth pony, I could at least have some fun with you Shadow. And this is my favorite kind of fun.” She giggled.
“ANSWER MY QUESTION!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
She wiggled her hoof at me, “Inside voice Shadow. No need to be rude. And don’t worry, she won’t die… immediately.”
I turned away from her and picked up the dart she had shot at Moonlight. Looking at the tip, my fears were confirmed. Poison.
“You noticed the poison I take? It’s my favorite type. Slow working, very painful.” Achlys said, her voice dripping with wicked pleasure.
“What kind is it? Tell me!” I demanded.
She tapped her chin for a moment and turned to Algea, “I don’t know. Should I tell him sister?”
Algea did the same motion and shrugged, “Eh, why not. His face will be priceless.”
Achlys turned back to me and spoke the words, “Basilisk venom.”
My eyes widened as a chill ran down my spine. Basilisk venom. Of all the poisonous substances in the world, why that? Dread seeped into my very soul.
Moonlight was starting to sweat, the venom attacking her body and causing her pain. Her blue eyes shut tight as she let out silent screams of agony. Saskia immediately tried to soothe her by stroking her mane.
“Tell me Shadow, how does she look? I’ve seen my sister use this poison before. The painful expression always looks like pure bliss to me.” Algea said.
That drew my attention immediately back to the two mares. And the dread I felt quickly turned to anger. With Venta at my side, I charged them in blind rage. Achlys took to the air as Algea stood there, unmoving.
My blade moved with a flash as I went for a strike, but unlike back in the stable, she blocked my attack instead of taking it. When I could see clearly through the haze of anger, I saw her weapon.
It was large, the blade long and curved. I jumped back to get a better look at it, and my jaw dropped. She held a scythe in her foreleg, a handle built into the shaft. It was almost as long as her body. The blade was black as night, looking as if it had blood stains. It also gave off this dark energy, making my skin crawl.
She noticed me staring and giggled, “You like it? She’s my pride and joy. This is Hate.”
She stroked the blade of her weapon, a look of delight on her face. It was truly impressive. But where the hell was she keeping it all this time? She didn’t have a horn, and there was no way to hide that under her cloak.
I shook my head and turned to Achlys instead, “Give me an antidote for that venom! I know you must have one on you!”
She shook her head, “Sorry Shadow. But I don’t carry it with me. Don’t even know how to make one. Alchemy was never my thing.”
Algea brought her scythe around and let the blade rest on her shoulder, the motion actually causing her hood to fall over. I finally got a look at her face. I didn’t really get a look at it in the stable.
Her eyes were the same as Achlys, blood red. Her mane was a dull grey, like the walls of my stable. Lifeless and dull. It was long too, free flowing down the back of her neck and slightly over her shoulder.
She saw me staring, “I know. I am sorry I had to hide my face from you before, but I had my orders. Perception filters are such a pain sometimes. It was hard to maintain after your zebra friend cut my head off.”
A perception filter? That was highly advanced magic. Only top level students back home could even attempt it. And this mare wasn’t a unicorn. Did she have somepony else do the enchantment?
“Now I am sorry to leave you without playing Shadow, but we have new orders. We must be going.” She turned away from me.
“Wait! You’re just gonna leave? What about my caps?” The little boss pony yelled at her.
Algea turned to look at him, her expression dull.
“Oh right, you’re still alive. Honestly, a little shrimp like you being the boss of these losers makes total sense. They didn’t even put up much of a fight.” She said, clearly bored.
“That striped bastard is tougher than we thought. Once my boys get out of the other courtyard, we’ll overwhelm them!” He yelled.
Suddenly Algea’s smirk came back, darker than ever.
“I’m afraid that won’t happen.” She said.
“Why not?” He asked.
She laughed, with that same laugh that made my skin crawl.
“Because they’re already dead.” She said manically.
His eyes widened and he looked like he pissed himself, “What?”
“I got bored waiting for Shadow to find Saber. So I watched your boys burn for a bit. But even that got boring after a while. Such a shame, a random lightning strike and a burning collapsed tower still didn’t make things interesting. So I went down there and started picking off the stragglers. Most didn’t even fight back, just screamed like little foals.” Algea explained, her expression growing uninterested.
The boss pony’s expression changed to anger as he raised his head, glaring at her, “You fucking bitch!”
And with those words, her scythe came around and cleaved his head clean from his shoulders.
“And that’s done. Come sister, Saber. Let us go home.” Algea said, starting to walk towards the other exit of the courtyard.
I pulled out my new assault rifle and pointed it at the two mares, “Neither of you are leaving until you tell me what you want with me!”
Suddenly, Algea disappeared. I blinked and she was just gone. I looked around frantically, but saw no sign of her. And then, my rifle was cleaved in two by her scythe. I turned quickly to my right and saw Algea there smiling as her scythe then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Like I said Shadow, you’ll know soon enough. It was nice seeing you again.” Algea said, smiling at me.
Then she did something that really made my skin crawl. She kissed my cheek. Just a peck, but it still made me jump back. She then disappeared in a puff of black smoke, much like her weapon did.
She reappeared next to Achlys and Saber, taking out a crystal like the one Master Gutshot told me about when she left the stable. She crushed it underneath her hoof and a portal appeared. Saber jumped inside immediately, Achlys turning to wave at me before jumping in herself.
And Algea gave me one last smile before she disappeared as well. The portal closed behind them.
I stood there stunned at what had just happened. How was Algea doing all that without a horn?
“Shadow!” Ratchet yelled at me from behind.
His voice broke me out of my stupor and I ran back to see him and Saskia comforting Moonlight. Her face was wet with sweat and her breathing had grown ragged. Her eyes were still shut as her expression was pure pain.
“We gotta do something! Shadow you know potions and stuff. Can’t you help her?” Ratchet asked.
“It’s Basilisk Venom! Extremely deadly, and hard to neutralize. It’s also magic resistant. I don’t know what to do!” I said in a panic.
Ratchet and I looked down at our thestral friend, worry creeping into our hearts. I truly didn’t know what to do.
“How long does she have?” Saskia asked.
I couldn’t look at her, “A week. Even less if her immune system isn’t strong enough.”
“Then we do have one hope.” She said.
Me and Ratchet looked at her immediately.
“I know of a special healer. She will be hard to find, but I know where she lives. If anyone can save Moonlight, it’s her.” Saskia said, determination in her eyes.
“Where is she!?” I asked frantically.
“The Hayseed Swamps, at the eastern border of the Badlands.” She said.
Ratchet’s eyes widened, “Are you serious? No pony could live there. It’s full of dangerous creatures, quicksand, and tar pits.”
“She’s the only one in our reach right now. It’s a five day travel with our airship. We have to try.” Saskia said, standing up.
I looked at Moonlight again, stroking her mane gently to try and soothe her. If this healer could save her life, then I don’t care where it takes me.
“Let’s get back to the ship and move out quickly.” I said.
Lifting Moonlight onto my back, we all ran through the facility, not stopping for anything.
As we made it back to the ship, I quickly got Moonlight down below deck, making her as comfortable as possible. Saskia agreed to stand by and watch her as I went up to help Ratchet prepare to take off. After preparations were complete, Ratchet started up the engines and made haste for the Hayseed Swamps.
I looked one last time to the now burning raider base. How could things have gone so wrong?
How could it have gotten this bad? How could I let this happen? I was supposed to keep her safe, to keep all of them safe. I was a Guardian, a protector. But I couldn’t protect Moonlight, not in Sandpit, and not in the Raider Base. She was dying, and I wasn’t going to fail her again. I would find a cure, even if it cost me my life.
“Shadow, you shouldn’t blame yourself.” A mare’s voice said from behind me.
My eyes snapped open and I saw myself standing over Moonlight’s bed, her eyes shut and her breathing ragged. She had a wet cloth on her head to try and help with the fever, but it only soothed her pain a little. She was drenched in sweat and her mane was a mess. I hated seeing her like this.
I turned to the source of the voice, seeing Saskia with a worried expression on her face.
“I brought her into that place. Those ponies were after me, not her.” I said softly.
“And you fought them to the best of your ability. Even our combined efforts couldn’t stop them.” Saskia said calmly.
“But I brought her there! I should have taken that dart, not her!” I said, eyes beginning to water.
Nothing was said for a moment, I didn’t have any words. After a minute, I felt a hoof on my shoulder.
“She wanted to come with you. No one forced her.” Saskia said, before removing her hoof and sitting next to me.
“You know, she and I had a lot of time to talk while you were unconscious. She had quite a lot to say about you. How you two met, how you ditch her and Ratchet at Hydra Junction.”
I flinched at the mention of my disappearing act on them. I still wasn’t proud about that, I just wanted them to stay safe.
“She admires you a great deal Shadow. Ratchet as well. Both of them told me stories of your deeds. You are quite the rarity in the Wasteland Shadow, and I’m not talking about your species.” Saskia said.
“I only do what I think is right. And what is best for my people. Saber is my responsibility, but I don’t want to risk all of your lives too.” I said.
“You can’t choose their paths for them Shadow. Only they can decide what to do with their lives. All of you have suffered great amounts of pain.”
I turned to her in confusion, “What do you mean?”
“Remember, I can feel emotions. Even those buried deep within. Your pain, Ratchet’s, Moonlight’s. It’s all buried so deep in your hearts that it’s taken root.”
I didn’t understand what she meant. I know my pain, but Ratchet always seemed so carefree and happy all the time. Sure Moonlight was shy and timid, but other than what she’s been through with me, I couldn’t see her having that much pain.
“I can sense your confusion. There is much you and your friends do not know about each other. Perhaps as you get closer to them, they will share their pain with you.” Saskia said, smiling warmly.
“Saskia, why are you still with us? You wanted to take on the raiders with us, yet you’ve done more than that. Protecting everyone at the research facility, and standing up to Achyls at the base.” I asked.
She looked away for a moment, seeming to ponder her answer. She then turned back to me.
“I admit, at first I thought it would simply be fun. You and your friends are quite cute together and I wanted to see what you were truly like.”
Her expression turned to a warm smile again.
“And then I grew to know you. How protective you are, how brave, how selfless. Honestly it’s so rare in the Wasteland, I would consider it a treasure. A treasure I would love to be a part of. I would like to call all of you my friend, if you would have me.”
I smiled at her, “Saskia, you are my friend. And Moonlight’s, and Ratchet’s. You’ve been such a great help, and you are just as kind and good hearted as you make us out to be.”
Her expression dimmed a little, but only for a moment.
“That is sweet of you to say. I try to be kind to everyone. The Wasteland is so full of hate, it’s sickening.” Saskia said.
I was about to put my hoof on her shoulder and reassure her when suddenly the ship rocked violently. Saskia and I grabbed onto Moonlight’s bed to keep her steady until the ship stopped shaking.
“What in Tartarus was that!?” I yelled.
“I don’t know. Did something hit us!?” Saskia yelled back.
“Stay here and keep Moonlight safe! I’m going up top!” I shouted before heading up the hatch to the top deck.
I immediately went to the helm, looking inside to see Ratchet looking scared out of his mind.
“Ratchet, what the hell happened? You hit something?” I asked.
“More like something hit us partner! Rocket launcher!” He yelled back over his shoulder.
A rocket launcher, who had weaponry like that out here? We didn’t even have them back in the stable.
“Shoot! Another one incoming!” Ratchet said, looking behind us.
I turned to see a rocket flying really fast towards us, no way I could hit it with Desert Rose.
“Brace yourself!” I yelled out.
BOOM!
The rocket impacted the back of the ship, knocking us off balance. The ship was in danger, and we needed to do something.
“Ratchet, find some cover behind a rock! We can’t lose this ship!” I shouted.
He nodded and brought the ship around a large rock formation, hiding it from sight from whoever was shooting at us. Another explosion rang out as a rocket hit the formation we were hiding behind. Thankfully it was sturdy and nothing but a few pebbles fell onto the ship. When no more explosions could be heard, I dared to venture out onto the deck.
Ratchet was right behind me as I went towards the hatch that led below deck. I opened it and stuck my head inside.
“Saskia, are you alright? And what about Moonlight?” I yelled.
“We’re both alright. A little rattled, but alright. What is going on?” She yelled back.
Ratchet stuck his head in to reply, “Someone is shooting at us! Don’t know who or what for!”
“Well then, why don’t ya ask us mate?” A voice rang out from above us.
Ratchet and I looked up immediately and saw two figures on top of the rock formation. One was small, looking pony shaped, but the other was much bigger, looking rather bulky.
“Good day mates, we were just in the neighborhood and wanted to admire that ship of yours. Mind if we have a closer look?” The voice rang out again, seeming to come from the smaller figure.
“Wait a minute, Ratbag?” Ratchet asked.
The figure seemed to turn its head towards Ratchet and let out a laugh.
“Ratchet Set! Oh this is getting even better! I still owe you for me leg!” Ratbag shouted down.
“As I recall, you were the one dumb enough to step on a landmine!” Ratchet shouted back up to him.
“You know this clown Ratchet?” I asked.
“Sure do. Ratbag, a sniveling little weasel of a pony. We did a job together a year ago, agreed we’d split the pay 50/50, then when the job was done, he tried to kill me.” He replied.
“O’ye, you make me sound like a scoundrel. It was just business, mate.” Ratbag said.
Ratchet looked at the other figure, “And I guess that tub of lard with you is Mako?”
The larger figure pointed a large object at us, most likely the rocket launcher that damaged the ship.
“Thought so. Where did you two idiots get that kind of equipment, and for that matter, what in Celestia’s name are you doing way out here?” Ratchet said.
“First, none of your business.” Ratbag said, blowing us a raspberry.
“Second, we were out here looking for our next take. And lucky us, we get you and a brand new ship.” Ratbag squealed and jumped in place.
Mako grunted and picked up the little guy and flew down to us. It was then I noticed he had wings, as I couldn’t see them from up top. He landed on the deck of the ship, making it rock a little from his weight.
I finally got a good look at them. Ratbag was a scrawny little earth pony with patches of fur missing on his hide, as well as a peg leg where his right foreleg should have been. His mane was strings just going in all sorts of directions. Dirt and other disgusting things were caked into what fur he did have, like he hadn’t bathed in years.
Mako was a griffin, and the largest one I had ever seen, even in our records back home. His gut hung down and almost touched the deck of the ship. Arms thick and flabby, barding that looked like it was ready to snap apart at any movement. His face was half charred off and the other side had scars all across. The rocket launcher sat on his right shoulder, while Ratbag stood on his left side, looking over Mako’s left shoulder.
“So, how’s about a deal? Ratchet gets dead, you give us this ship and we take you to Scrap Town and find you a new line of work?” Ratbag asked.
Ratchet huffed in rage, “You mean sell them to the slavers!”
“Oh sorry Ratchet, did I touch a nerve?” The scrawny earth pony chuckled.
“Enough! I’ll make you a better deal. Get off our ship or you’ll be the ones who “get dead”” I said angrily.
Ratbag was about to say something when he looked in my direction. But he stopped and gave me a closer look, rubbing his chin. After a minute, he jumped back in surprise with a big grin on his face.
“Mako! This is the Badlands Guardian! We’re rich!” Ratbag exclaimed, doing a little dance on the griffin’s back.
“No way.” Mako said, his voice deep and gruff.
“You know any other zony around these parts? Fits the description. Stable barding, sword and dagger on his back. Reverse color scheme for a zebra.” Ratbag explained.
The griffin looked at me and then grinned as he moved the rocket launcher off his shoulder. He sat it down on the deck and pulled out some rope.
“Right then. We tie you up, kill Ratchet and take you to get our payday. Sounds like a fair deal to me.” Ratbag said, jumping off Mako’s back.
I responded in the only way I knew how. I moved like lightning and gave a swift kick to the griffin’s chin, sending him tumbling backwards cursing at me. Ratbag jumped on my back and hit me repeatedly in the head, but I bucked him off, sending him off the ship.
“Ratchet, get below! I’ll handle these clowns!” I yelled.
I then charged towards Mako as he recovered and rubbed at his jaw. My shoulder hit his chest and with him not expecting the hit, I pushed him back and off the ship. I fell with him but landed gracefully on the rocky terrain. Ratbag had recovered and stood up looking pissed. Mako recovered quickly as well, pulling out a pistol from his side.
I dodge a bullet as it bounced off the armor plating of the ship and dove towards the griffin, kicking upwards and knocking the pistol out of his claw. He cursed and tried to grab at my leg, but I spinned in place on my back and used the momentum to pull myself off my back and into a fighting stance.
Venta and Umbra were out now, I was not going to let these scavengers touch my friends. Mako screeched at me as he took flight. Not the most graceful flier, but I guess when you are that fat, it was a miracle if you could fly. He dove at me from the air, claws out to tear me apart.
I swiftly sidestepped his attack and drew Venta across his talon, drawing a little blood as he grunted from the pain. He turned very slowly and went for another attack. This time he went more for a side swipe to throw me off. I blocked it with Venta and let Umbra fly and cut into his wing a little. He lost some feathers but managed to avoid a full on cut.
Suddenly I heard a thump and saw something bounce towards us. I noticed just in time to magically redirect the grenade away from me and the ship. It cleared enough distance to explode harmlessly against the desert floor.
“You idiot! Are you trying to blow me up as well!? Besides, we need him intact if we want a full bounty!” Mako shouted at Ratbag.
Ratbag was holding a gun with a long barrel, a grenade launcher if I recall. We had a few of those in the stable, but Master Gutshot didn’t really like them all that much. Never really knew why.
Either way, Ratbag grinned sheepishly, “Sorry mate, got a bit too carried away there.”
Mako grumbled, “Look, go get Ratchet and see what kind of loot these guys are carrying. I can handle this.”
“Good idea mate! I love me some lootin’.” Ratbag said, looking to climb up the ship.
“You’re not going anywhere!” I said, running towards the little pony.
He saw me and panicked as he tried to climb faster. How he could do that with a pegleg I’d never know.
Before I could reach him, I was hit from behind as a weight fell upon me. A claw was placed on the back of my neck, pinning me to the ground. Merciful Luna, this guy was even heavier than he looked.
“Just give up. I’ve never lost to a pony. Or half of one in your case I guess.” Mako chuckled.
And now I was really pissed. I looked up at him and growled, my horn lighting up before he could do anything else. I unleashed the spell and small embers blew right into his face. He screamed in pain and let go of me, letting me jump back and gather my weapons.
When he tore his claws away from his face, he had new burns to go along with the rest of the scars he had. He growled at me with ferocity and pulled out something from his bag. It was round and almost as big as his claw. It looked like it had some kind of hole in the middle but I couldn’t tell what it was.
He then grinned madly and put the device to his lips, pressing a button on it and breathing in deeply. He threw the object down and his whole body seemed to twitch. His eyes went bloodshot and he screeched again, louder than ever before.
And then, faster than any creature his size should be able to, he closed the distance between us and punched me. The blow hit my chest and sent me flying into the ship with a loud clang. I groaned as I landed on the ground, my head and chest burning with pain. But before I was able to recover from the blow, he was on me again.
He grabbed my head and threw me towards the rock formation. I managed to right myself and bounce off the structure and back onto my hooves. Venta and Umbra were too far away, so it was down to my revolver. Desert Rose was out and I went into SATS, targeting his head and wings.
It was odd though. The chances of hitting him were only under 40%. Even with the distance, the chances of hitting a target as big as him shouldn’t be that unlikely. Something wasn’t quite right here. I released the spell and as I thought, two shots missed, and the last missed his wing and hit him in the shoulder instead.
Mako was tough though as he didn’t even flinch from the pain. He flew right at me again, making me fire three more shots. All of them missed. He shoulder tackled me into the formation and I felt like a wagon had hit me.
I wheezed as the blow knocked the wind out of me. As I tried to breathe, claws grabbed my head again, turning me away so I couldn’t see him. He held me up against the formation, pressing my body into the stone.
“Easy money. Don’t know why ponies are so scared of you.” Mako chuckled, his voice sounding more crazed than before.
“Let me show you then!” I said, forcing my elbow into his beak.
He yelled out in frustration but didn’t let me go. I hit him a second time, this time in the throat. That made him drop me, letting me dive between his legs and hitting a rather tender spot. Sure, it was fighting dirty, but who cares.
He wheezed as he collapsed, groaning and holding his bruised pride. I got up and found Desert Rose, Venta and Umbra. He recovered enough to look back at me with hate in his eyes. He turned and fanned out his wings, screeching furiously.
“O’ye Mako! Ratchet’s got a pair of bitches for us!” Ratbag said from the top of the ship.
I looked up in shock as he grinned down at us.
“One’s a totally hot unicorn that looks clean as can be. And there’s one with bat wings too! Never had one of those before! Avarice will totally pay double!” He exclaimed excitedly.
I growled and aimed Desert Rose at him. I pulled the trigger only to realize too late that I hadn’t reloaded yet. As I went for my ammo, Mako was back on me. I barely dodged another grapple as I bounced off the ship and reloaded my gun. I fired two shots, both hitting him in the back. He didn’t seem to care all that much as he flew at me again.
As I moved Venta to block another strike, my horn sparked painfully as my magic backfired on me.
No! Not now!
My weapons dropped and his claws raked across my shoulder. The wound felt deep as blood poured from it. I tried to fight through the pain and bring my revolver around, but my magic was still sparking. The pain grew as I struggled and I fell to my knees.
Mako took the opportunity to slowly walk up to me and look down at my prone form. He smiled and punched me right on the base of my horn. It felt like a spike had gone through my head. He did it again, laughing as he stood over me.
“Not so tough now are you little pony!?” Mako said gleefully.
More hits came and my head was killing me. What was wrong with me? I had been through worse than this.
“Magic can be a pain when dealing with slaves. I’d be doing Avarice a favor by just getting rid of that stupid horn right now.” Mako said, raising his claw up higher.
“This is for burning my face!” He yelled, ready to crush my horn.
Come on Shadow! You’ve got to move!
My thoughts were running through my head as time seemed to slow to a crawl. I couldn’t move a muscle, the pain was too much. I couldn’t think straight. But I needed to move!
Suddenly, two sounds came to my ears. Ripping flesh and gurgling, like someone was drowning.
I looked up to a gruesome sight. Mako had a long spear pierced into his neck, his eyes wide as he choked on his own blood. The blood fell onto me a bit, making me close one of my eyes. Mako tried to turn his head but only succeeded in moving it a few inches.
His eyes went wide with what looked like fear before the light inside them faded. His body went limp, with the only thing keeping it up being the spear in his neck.
Shock was prevalent on my face. What just happened? Where did this spear come from?
“By Torch I’ve wanted to do that for a while.” A feminine voice came from my right, Mako’s left.
I turned my head to see a creature I had only read about in textbooks. Black scales adorned her body, with a red underbelly. Her horns with a bright silver color, protruding from both sides of her head. Smaller spikes ran down the sides of her head, all the same shade of silver. Her eyes were a deep navy blue, fierce and strong. The leather part of her wings were the same shade of red as her underbelly, with what looked like metal blade attachments on the tips. Her tail was long and slender, but still looked strong enough to break a pony.
A dragon. A real dragon.
She landed next to me and didn’t seem to pay me much attention. She walked over to her spear, still lodged in Mako’s neck and pulled it out, knocking the body away.
“You picked the wrong bounty Mako. I’d feel sorry but I remember you hitting on me that one time. Gross.” The she-dragon said.
My body chose that moment to respond to me again, allowing me to jump away from her and stand up.
“Who are you?” I asked.
She turned to me and shrugged, “Not important right now. Wait here a second, I’ve got one more.”
She took to the air and moved towards the ship. I heard Ratbag scream and before long, the she-dragon flew up and dropped him in front of Mako’s corpse.
“Ow! Hey, what’s the big idea?” Ratbag asked.
He looked over and saw the body of his friend and he paled.
“Mako…” Ratbag said quietly.
He then looked up and saw the she-dragon.
“Ruby, what the hell are you doing here!?” Ratbag yelled.
“I was out here looking for the Badlands Guardian. Thanks for making so much noise or I might have never found him.” Ruby said.
“Come on Ruby, we would have split the bounty with ‘ya. We wouldn’t dare to think we could pull the wool over your eyes.” Ratbag said sheepishly.
“Sure you wouldn’t. But even if I was after the bounty, I don’t work with filth like you. You know that.” Ruby said, piercing her spear into the ground and leaning on it.
“Not after the bounty? How could you turn down a payday like that!?” Ratbag exclaimed.
“Easy, my boss said so.” Ruby said nonchalantly.
“The Commander? Why? She’s never turned down bounties before.” Ratbag said.
“The Commander has declared that until further notice, The Badlands Guardian will be under the protection of the Storm Riders. The bounty placed on him will not be recognized by any operative of ours, and anyone caught trying to capture him for this bounty will be dealt with swiftly.” Ruby explained.
“You… you can’t do that!” Ratbag exclaimed angrily.
“Can and did. Now, since you found him for me and I’m in a relatively good mood right now. I’ll let you go. Get lost and make sure I don’t see your scrawny little flank again.” Ruby threatened.
Ratbag smiled sheepishly and quietly reached back into his saddlebags. I saw the grenades and quickly went into SATS, aiming for his head with Desert Rose. My bullet tore through his skull before he pulled the pins. His body fell limp atop his comrade. Damn fool.
“Nice reflexes.” Ruby said, looking at me.
“Thanks. Ruby is it?” I asked.
“Yep. Ruby, Captain of the Storm Riders, and overall badass. I take it you're the Badlands Guardian I’ve heard so much about?” Ruby said, leaning on her spear again.
“Apparently so. What do you want with me?” I asked cautiously.
“Like I said to those idiots, you are now under the protection of the Storm Riders. Plus, I have a message from our Commander.” Ruby said, chuckling.
I was about to ask what it was when a thought popped into my head.
“My friends!” I said, running past the dragon and jumping onto the ship.
I ran to the hatch and opened it up, revealing Ratchet pointing his rifle at me. He saw me and lowered the gun, sighing in relief.
“Boy, am I glad to see you partner. You take care of them?” He asked.
“No. I didn’t. She did.” I said, turning to the she-dragon who landed behind me.
Ratchet’s eyes widened, “Ruby!? What in tarnation are you doing way out here?”
“Nice to see you too half-pint. Didn’t know you were with the Guardian.” Ruby said nonchalantly.
Ratchet grumbled, getting out of the hatch but not moving away from it.
“Alright, what’s the catch?” He asked.
“What catch?” Ruby asked back.
“Don’t give me that shit. Storm Riders don’t just help ponies out of the goodness of their hearts.” Ratchet spat at the dragon.
Ruby raised an eyebrow at my friend, then she shrugged.
“Don’t really know why. Not my place to question the Commander. Just following orders.”
I stood by Ratchet, “She said I’m under their protection now.”
“Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it. They want something from ya. No clue what it is, but I’m sure we’ll find out.” Ratchet said.
“Yeah about that. The Commander had a message for you Guardian. She’d like to meet you at The King’s Fortress.” Ruby said.
“Yeah, this stinks all right. No one just waltzes into that fortress. Unless they got a death wish.” Ratchet grumbled.
“Think what you want pal. I’ve delivered the message. Bounty hunters will still try to come for you, but we will do our best. Just try not to keep the Commander waiting too long. She hates waiting.” Ruby said.
She walked to the side of the ship, looking out to the desert before turning back to us. She grinned and looked directly at me.
“I hope this was just a fluke. If you can’t handle those two idiots, I don’t see what the Commander would want with a weakling like you.” She said, grinning at me.
Before I could respond to her insult, she fanned out her leathery wings and took to the air, spear in hand. She soon vanished from sight, flying south.
“Don’t let her get to you pal. She’s always been like that. Arrogant lizard.” Ratchet said.
“How do you know her?” I asked.
“Let’s check on the girls first. I’ll tell you then.” He said, moving towards the hatch.
I followed him and we found Saskia standing over Moonlight’s bed. Walking up next to her, I saw Moonlight was just as bad as I had left her. But thankfully she didn’t look any worse either. I brushed some of her mane out of her eyes and sighed.
“What happened up there?” Saskia asked.
“Ruby, Captain of the Storm Riders, showed up.” Ratchet grumbled.
“Ruby was here? That can’t be good.” Saskia said.
“Yeah, I bet it ain’t. Apparently the old Commander wants Shadow to meet her for something. Promising to keep the bounty hunters off our backs for a while.” He explained.
“Who are these Storm Riders? Who is Ruby? And who is this Commander?” I asked.
“The Storm Riders are a mercenary band. Not the worst ones, but not the most honest ones neither. They take just about any job, and they do it with extreme precision. Each member follows every order to the letter. You disobey, you die.” Ratchet explained.
“Ruby is one of three captains. Definitely the strongest out of them. After all, not many ponies can take on a dragon.” Saskia said.
“And this Commander?” I asked.
“She’s a tough old mare. Extremely ruthless with a heart of stone. What she says goes, and when she says it, it happens. No questions asked.” Ratchet said.
“So, what does she want with me?” I asked.
“I got no clue. She ain’t no fan of heroes.” He replied.
I sighed and slumped against the wall of the ship. This just kept getting worse. Now I had a leader of a faction wanting my attention. So much for keeping a low profile. What did this mean? What was I supposed to do?
“We can worry about The Storm Riders after we get Moonlight to Artemis. Ratchet, can you get the ship flying again?” Saskia asked.
Ratchet perked right back up, “Sure I can! Just need to see the damage.”
Ratchet went into the back room, sounds of metal clanging and tools could be heard.
Ratchet came out of the engine room about fifteen minutes later.
“I think that should do it. The hull damage we don’t have much time to repair. We can worry about it later. Right now, we need to get moving. The engines will need to be primed, so it’ll be another half hour before she’s ready to fly again.” Ratchet explained.
“Good work Ratchet.” I said, standing next to Moonlight’s bed.
Saskia had gone up top for some fresh air, so I took my turn watching her. Her breathing was still ragged, but there was no immediate sign of her symptoms worsening. All I could do was try to soothe her pain and keep her hydrated. The poison was slow working but painful. She needed help soon.
I looked at my pipbuck and wondered what Athena thought about the bounty on my head. Did she think I deserved it after Sandpit?
My curiosity finally got to me and I pressed the button to turn the radio on.
Good Afternoon My Children, this is Athena speaking to you all from Olympia! The weather is crap, but hey, we’re used to it by now!
Now for some news fillies and gentlecolts. A riot broke out at the eastern wall of the city here in Olympia. Emissaries from Scrap Town up in the north came to Olympia to offer a new trade route. They didn’t even make it to the palace because our citizens had the answer. NO BUCKING WAY!
Sorry for the foul language children, but that is the only answer you give those slaving bastards. Scrap Town is a place of filth and decadents, where only the scum of the wastes go to trade. Slaves, drugs, you name it, they got it. Rumor has it they have upped their expansion, trying to muscle their way into other settlements. I personally hope they get blown to smithereens by the Steel Rangers.
In other news, I know you all remember our new Guardian up north. He hit a major bump in the road at Sandpit. Now I still don’t agree with how he did it, but he did free the town of a monster. And for that, I believe I can forgive him.
I have actually gotten reports from my personal sources that this Guardian is not the monster some of the ponies in Sandpit claim him to be. Here are a few bits of their interviews.
“Shadow saved us from a terrible stallion. It was gruesome sure, but that bastard deserved worse. He is a hero. Nothing less.” Tulip’s voice said.
“He was brutal yes, but he was only there to help us. He could have left, it was none of his business. But he did more for us than our own town guard. And he gave us a new chance in Hydra Junction.” Cobalt’s voice said.
“Shadow did a lot for my town. I owe him a great debt for bringing me back my family and my citizens. Shadow, if you’re listening partner, I don’t care what anypony says, you are always welcome in Hydra Junction.” Wrangler’s voice said.
“Shadow is the best zony ever! No way he’s a bad guy. He saved me, my mommy and everyone from the raiders!” Lemon’s voice said.
And there you have it my darlings. The people have spoken. Our Guardian is a true Wasteland Hero. But others do not agree.
Guardian, if you are listening, be careful. The Former Mayor Rich of Sandpit has partnered with the Mayor of Scrap Town, Lucky Straight. These two have pooled their resources for a hefty bounty, 30,000 caps.
Now to those crooks who want to try and collect, know this. Do you really want to mess with our Guardian? Who according to my sources, just took out the raider fortress in the northwest? That’s right, that big fortress that even the Enclave and Desert Rangers didn’t want to go near. Gone. Burnt to the ground. Think on that before you go thinking about easy caps.
And that’s all for today. I’ll talk to you all again soon. In the meantime, enjoy the sweet sounds of our very own Aphrodite.
The radio went to the sound of a mare singing, and she did sound lovely. But I still turned it off after hearing that broadcast. She forgave me that easily? Was it because I took out another raider base? Or was it something else?
“Are you alright Shadow?” Saskia asked.
I jumped, not realizing she had come back down the hatch.
“I… I don’t know. I honestly don't know how to feel.” I said.
“Perhaps you should feel relieved that so many are still on your side.” She said smiling.
“I’m grateful for all of them. I truly am. But am I truly deserving of such praise after Sandpit?” I asked.
“I think you’ve had plenty of time to make up for that Shadow. Your actions at the facility and the raider base prove that.” Saskia answered.
I smiled at her and looked to my left, seeing Ratchet looking a bit pale.
“Ratchet?” I asked.
He jumped a little but regained his composure, “Oh sorry there partner, I didn’t hear ya. What’s up?” He asked.
He was acting strange, like he was hiding something.
“Are you ok? You looked like you’d seen a ghost.” I said.
“I’m fine really. 30,000 caps. Shoot no wonder Ratbag and Mako were so giddy to find you.” Ratchet said, changing the subject.
Before I could ask him more, he stepped past me and went to get the ship moving again. I called out to him but he didn’t stop. That was strange. Ratchet had never acted that way before.
“I sense something from that broadcast stirred something inside him. He’s afraid.” Saskia said.
“Afraid of what?” I asked.
“I do not know.” She answered.
Another day of flying flew by without incident. No attacks, no obstacles, no worries.
We went through another pack of spark batteries trying to use the engine to speed things along when the wind died down. Time was against us. Moonlight was starting to get worse, sweat matted her coat and her temperature was rising. She needed help soon. I hoped this Artemis could truly help her.
“There it is everypony! The Hayseed Swamp, dead ahead!” Ratchet said from the wheel.
I moved quickly to the front of the airship, looking out to the horizon ahead. There stood a tall mass of trees and vines, spreading as far across as my eyes could see. The trees were thick as buildings, reaching high above, like mountains of timber and foliage. Past the trees was a mystery, for the canopy dimmed that little light the Wasteland had to offer. I didn’t care. The only thing I wanted to find in that place was this famed healer.
I looked back to the hatch leading down below, “Hang on Moonlight. Just a little longer.”
Footnote: Level up
New Perk added:
Spark Spell, Rank 1:
Your spells are pretty wimpy compared to other unicorns. But with practice, they can become better. You can create fire sparks from your horn, hot enough to cause discomfort and maybe some slight burns. But this could cause your magic to backfire against you more often. So keep practicing.
Ratchet landed our airship on the edge of the swamp, between two large rock formations. We wanted to keep the ship out of sight just in case someone tried to sneak off with it or scavenge it while we were gone. Ratchet took out a small device from the mechanism that held the steering wheel of the ship. He said it was a key of sorts, and that the ship couldn’t move without it.
Saskia and I fashioned a makeshift stretcher out of some extra bedding and wood from the storage of the ship. We lifted Moonlight in our magic ever so carefully onto the stretcher and wrapped her in blankets. It took a while to get Moonlight out onto the deck of the ship, due to my magic still being a little unstable. That last fight still had it on the fritz.
When we finally got Moonlight off the ship, Ratchet took the front of the stretcher on his shoulders while Saskia took the back. I volunteered to be the guard of this little troop, as I was the most skilled in combat. And while they couldn’t move very much, Ratchet could still fire his railway rifle, and Saskia still had magic.
“Alright, have we got everything?” I asked.
Saskia secured the stretcher onto herself and Ratchet, “Ready to go when you are.”
“Anything we need to be aware of before we head into the swamp?” I asked.
“Watch for tar pits and quicksand. Don’t go in the water, it’s radioactive.” Saskia said plainly.
“Understood. Any clue where we can find this Artemis?” I said.
“I’m afraid not. I know she’s in the swamp. But I’ve never been here myself.” Saskia said.
“So if you’ve never been here, how come you know her?” Ratchet said, looking back at the mare.
“I met Artemis when she was living in Olympia years ago. She left the city and told me she was coming here with her daughter.” Saskia explained.
“Alright, talking about this won’t find her. Moonlight doesn’t have much time left. We have to find her as soon as possible.” I said, rushing out of the conversation.
They both nodded and we left towards the edge of the swamp. The trees were even larger up close, and the closer we got, the smell of the bog became more apparent. My senses were going crazy with all the new smells. The moisture and humidity was like nothing I had experienced before. And we hadn’t even gotten inside yet.
“How could a swamp be right next to a desert?” Ratchet asked.
“The rain accumulates mostly in this area of the Badlands. Other than the Forbidden Jungle and the high mountains to the south.” Saskia said.
“So the humidity will be higher than you are used to. Be prepared to sweat.” I said.
We soon moved into the swamp, past the trees and into the darkened wetlands. The ground certainly felt softer than the desert. Strange how all this vegetation and moisture just stops at the treeline. We continued making our way through the bog, going around pits of tar, mud holes and other disgusting sights. Why did this Artemis want to live here?
Moonlight started coughing and I immediately halted our group. I took out my canteen and was at her side in an instant. I gently turned her head to me and helped her take a sip of water. She coughed a little more, but I tried again and she was able to keep some of it down. This environment would not help her condition. She needed help, and soon.
“How is she, partner?” Ratchet asked looking back at me.
“Getting worse. I don’t know if the humidity here is making it worse or not. We have to keep moving.” I said.
A nod from my team and we were off again. The terrain was difficult to navigate. Without my pipbuck map function, we would surely get lost. The ground was uneven in a lot of places. Some spots were so slick I had to help Saskia keep Moonlight at level so she didn’t slip out of the stretcher.
We kept moving further and further into the swamp, hearing all kinds of insects and amphibians along the way. I wondered if the radiation had mutated some of these creatures as well. On second thought, I didn’t want to know. With my luck, a giant toad would appear and try to eat us.
Croak
You have got to be kidding me…
The ground shook a little as a large beast jumped out of the foliage in front of us. The creature was large, bigger than Mercer was. Bigger than anything I had ever seen. Warts covered its body, brown skin so dark it looked almost black. Large eyes that stared directly at us as it let out another croak, bloating it’s throat wide.
“Get back!” I yelled to my friends.
The toad hopped again, closer to us as my friends backtracked and hid behind a large tree, out of sight of the creature. The beast turned its attention to me, croaking at me and opening its mouth, revealing blackened flesh inside.
Suddenly, a tongue rocketed out of its mouth, making me jump quickly to the side, avoiding it just in time. It impacted the ground and dug up some dirt before retreating back to its owner. Yeah, gotta avoid that. It croaked again and I dodged yet another strike from its tongue.
I drew Venta and lunged for the beast, attempting to slash at its large throat. But the creature was faster than I gave it credit for. It leaped away from my blade and croaked again. No tongue this time, it simply jumped at me, attempting to crush me under its weight. I dodged it just in time, the impact leaving a dent in the wet ground.
Getting in close was dangerous, but the only gun I had left was Desert Rose. I cursed Achlys and Algea for destroying my other weapons. Six shots, that was all I had. No way this thing would give me the time to reload. I lifted the gun up and fired, aiming for one of its eyes.
Remarkably my bullet hit its mark, the eye of the beast exploding in a torrent of messy gore. It groaned in pain and made a gurgling noise as it reared back. But after only a minute of pain, it was back to attacking me. It was more furious in its attacks now, barely giving me any time to dodge or counterattack. I think I made it mad..
I entered SATS and lined up two more shots on its other eye. I released the spell and one bullet found its mark, ripping its other eye clean out. It thrashed about violently, hopping everywhere. I kept moving away from it, hoping that it wouldn’t go in the direction of my friends.
After a rather big leap, we both landed in the water of the swamp. My pipbuck began to tick, this water had medium levels of radiation in it. I quickly got out of the water, to avoid any more radiation. But the toad seemed to enjoy the water. And then something unbelievable happened before my eyes.
Its eyes grew back..
The eyes that I had shot only moments ago regrew in less than a minute of it being in the water. All the damage I had done, gone in a minute. What was this creature?
“Shadow, get it out of the water! It’s a ghoul!” Ratchet yelled out over the swamp.
I turned to where he was with Saskia and Moonlight.
“Ghouls heal from radiation! Get it away from the water or you’ll never kill it!” He yelled at me.
Ghouls heal from radiation, now that is fascinating. But there was no time to be interested in a new revelation of the wasteland that I just discovered. The toad was coming at me again. Bullets wouldn’t do the trick. I had to give it a killing blow. Strike at its heart or something more vital. But that would not be easy. Especially while it’s in this little pool of healing radiation. I fired another shot into its side to get its attention. Perhaps I could piss it off again and make it follow me out of the pool.
But no luck as it just shot its tongue out at me again. In fact, it seemed to be getting faster with its attacks. The radiation must be enhancing its other abilities besides healing. I fired my last shot and it missed. I tried to take out more bullets but the beast did not let up. Tongue strike after tongue strike, it didn’t slow down. But I sure was.
Fatigue was starting to get to me, and the humidity of the swamp wasn’t helping. My breathing was getting ragged, and I was sweating profusely. The sweat was causing my mane to get in my eyes. I couldn’t keep this up for long. Why won’t this thing just die?
I dodged yet another tongue strike from the creature, and sure enough, my luck ran out. I slipped on the mud of the swamp and fell to my side. I tried to get up, but the beast was already jumping towards me. I tried to get up and made it on my hooves sword at the ready, but I had no time to dodge. This was gonna hurt.
But the pain never came, as the beast howled in pain from something. I didn’t see what it was, only a bright flash of light. I took the opportunity to move away from the toad, moving to the right side to see what had happened to it.
What I saw made no sense, as its back was bleeding profusely. What could have caused that?
My answer came with another flash of flight, striking the toad once again. This time, I saw a shape with the light. Almost like an arrow?
I ran to my friends as the toad turned towards the direction of the arrow. Another arrow of light flew through the air, striking the toad in the eye as I had. It looked like it came from the trees. What was going on? Was someone helping us?
The toad hopped towards the source of the attacks, giving me time to get my friends and Moonlight to a safer place. As I led them away from the water, I kept an eye on where the arrows were coming from. All I could see from this distance was a shadow in the trees. The toad struck the tree with its tongue, but the figure leaped to another tree and fired another arrow into its eye. The beast was now out of the water, chasing after the being.
“Come on!” I said, helping the others through the muck.
We moved through the swamp, not far from the toad and its opponent. I still couldn’t see who was fighting it, but they were helping us, so I guess they were friendly. As we reached a clearing in the swamp, with no water, only grass and tree roots, the toad stopped and looked like it was tired. One more arrow struck it in the face before it seemed to lose its patience and leaped all around, firing its tongue in multiple directions in a desperate attempt to grab whatever was attacking it. The flailing was making the ground shake due to the immense size of the beast, but it was for not.
One last arrow struck right as it stopped hopping, and this time it landed right between the eyes of the beast before piercing outside the back of its head. It stopped moving after that, and fell over, the arrow having pierced its brain. Blood dampened the ground as the creature lay defeated.
The figure in the trees was visible, but still only as a shadow. It looked in our direction, seeming to observe us. I held up my hoof to tell Ratchet and Saskia to stay put while I investigated the being who saved our lives.
As I moved forward, I said, “Hello there.”
All I heard was an “eep” and the figure soon fell over out of the tree, making me panic and run towards it. Fearing that I had frightened them, I quickly made my way to the tree, looking up to see if they had caught themselves on a branch. But that is not what greeted me soon after looking up.
The figure fell down right in front of me, tangled in vines and upside down. And right then, I could see who our savior was. Or rather, what they were.
The figure was equine in basic shape, but it was clear this was not a pony I was looking at. Her auburn mane was thick, wrapping all around her head and some of her neck. Her eyes were a golden brown, not much different than my own. Her coat was green as fresh grass on a plain. Then I started noticing some differences, like how her tail was longer, like a zebra but a lot more hair at the end. Her hooves were also different, more like a deer than a pony. Then there was her horn, nothing like mine, looking more like a tree branch, brown with white patterns near the base. And she had scales, golden yellow scales running along her muzzle and her back.
This was not a pony. This was something I had only read about in legends back home.
“Are you… a kirin?” I asked.
She squealed and tried to escape from her vine prison, only succeeding in flailing her hooves around and spinning in place. She almost hit me with her flailing, almost.
“Here let me help you out of that.” I said.
I lit my horn and she froze as the vines were pulled away, leaving her in my magical grip. I levitated her down gently. As I did, something fell from the tree and hit me in the head. I rubbed at my aching head and looked to find a bow laying between me and the mare. It had her color scheme, painted and well maintained. The wood looked high quality, seemingly having no flaws at all. The bow string looked like it shined in the light of the trees. I went to pick it up with my magic, but a golden aura grabbed it before me, making me look up. The mare was holding it in her magical grip, keeping her distance from me.
She didn’t look scared, but nervous.
“Please, I won’t hurt you. I just wanted to thank you for saving…” I said, before I jumped back, barely dodging a magical arrow.
But the mare didn’t fire it. I looked to the source and saw another being running towards me. She stopped next to the other mare, glaring at me with her bow raised.
This mare was taller than the other, looking older and more mature. Her coat was teal blue, her mane was a fiery orange, her eyes were the same as the other mares. Her horn had more of a red hue to it, a bit longer than the other mares too. Her scales were a turquoise color, the ones of her back seeming thicker.
“What are you doing here?” The taller kirin asked me.
“Please, I mean you no harm.” I said, raising my hooves.
“Yes, because those who come into this swamp always come with good intentions. And I ask again, why are you here?” She asked.
“Lady Artemis, wait!” Saskia shouted from behind us.
The mare looked towards my friends immediately after hearing that. Was this the Artemis we were looking for?
Saskia and Ratchet stopped right next to me, panting as they tried to catch their breath.
“Lady Artemis, thank Celestia we found you.” Saskia said, wiping the sweat off her brow.
Artemis put her bow down, but not away.
“Saskia, it has been a long time. Why have you brought ponies into my home?” Artemis asked.
Saskia bowed, as much as she could with the stretcher hooked up to her, “We have journeyed here to seek your aid Lady Artemis.”
“I do not aid ponies. You know this. I told you never to speak of my whereabouts to anyone.” She said, anger seeping into her voice.
“I understand that, and I do apologize. If there was anyone else, I would have never come here.” Saskia said.
Artemis put her bow on her back and turned to the younger mare, “Meadow, why are you out here? I sent you home.”
The mare, now identified as Meadow, looked away sheepishly, “I’m sorry Mother. They were attacked by a swamp toad and I couldn’t just leave them.”
Artemis sighed, “Your heart was in the right place my child, but your head was not. What if they were slavers, or worse?”
Meadow’s ears drooped, “I’m sorry Mother.”
Artemis simply sighed again, “No matter. Come, we are leaving. Saskia, take these ponies out of my swamp.”
She started to walk away with Meadow before I stepped forward, “Wait!”
She didn’t stop.
“Wait! Please!” I said, sounding desperate.
She again, did not stop. She simply kept walking. I moved to follow her, trotting to keep up with them.
“I said wait! We need your help!” I shouted.
She did not acknowledge my words as she turned a corner on the path. My anger grew as she continued to ignore us. Moonlight’s life was in the balance and the one person who could help her was giving us the cold shoulder.
“I SAID WAIT!” I shouted louder.
Umbra flew through the air and landed in the tree in front of her, making her finally stop. She slowly turned to look at me, pulling my knife out of the tree with her blue magical aura.
“You dare throw a weapon at me?” Artemis said.
“We need your help. We didn’t come all this way so that you could ignore us!” I shouted in rage.
“I do not help ponies! Nor do I appreciate your tone!” Artemis said, walking back towards me.
We both walked towards one another until we were right in front of each other. She was a head taller than I was. But I didn’t back down.
“We need your help. Why won’t you help us?” I asked.
“Because I don’t trust ponies. I live here in solitude so my daughter and I can have peace. Ponies bring ruin and death wherever they go!” Artemis yelled in my face.
I looked shocked at her statement, and the look in her eyes. Somepony must have really hurt her.
“Mom!” Meadow shouted from behind me.
Artemis and I turned to see Meadow with Saskia and Ratchet, looking over the stretcher.
“Meadow, get away from them!” Artemis said, running past me and towards the others.
When she reached them, she grabbed Meadow by the foreleg, “I said we are going home. What on earth made you come over here?”
Meadow pulled away from her mother’s grip, “Mom, look at this!”
Meadow pulled Artemis’ attention to Moonlight, who was panting on the stretcher. I arrived next to everyone just as she saw the state our thestral friend was in. Her expression softened a little, reaching out with a hoof to Moonlight’s forehead.
“Fever, cold sweat, respiratory difficulty. This is Basilisk venom.” Artemis said calmly.
I was shocked, “You can tell that from one look?”
She didn’t turn to me, “I’ve seen this many times in my lifetime. Where did you encounter the beast?”
“We didn’t. A mare shot her with a dart covered in venom.” I explained.
Her head then turned to me, “A mare who weaponized this type of venom?”
“Yes. She seems to revel in making ponies suffer.” I said.
Her head slowly looked back to Moonlight, and just under her breath, I swear I heard “Achlys.”
“What did you say?” I asked, with shock on my face.
“Nothing. Now how long has she had the venom in her system?” Artemis asked sternly.
“About five days.” I answered.
“Then there is still time. Meadow, scout ahead and make sure nothing is in our path. When you get home, get a fire going.” Artemis said to her daughter.
“On it!” Meadow said, running ahead.
“You three, we must get her to the house as fast as possible.” Artemis said, walking out in front of us.
I nodded and helped Ratchet and Saskia move quickly through the swamp, dodging any obstacles that got in our way. This was it. We could finally get Moonlight help.
After about an hour of walking through the swamp, we were starting to wear down. I had switched with Ratchet, helping to carry Moonlight and give his shoulders a break. Saskia seemed to be doing better but still had a layer of sweat about her. She never complained and kept going.
“Here we are.” Artemis said as we came into a clearing.
The land was flat and without any tar pits or ponds. The grass was green and seemed to be teeming with life. And at the center of the clearing was a tree that was larger than any we had seen so far. The roots stretched out from left to right, thick as a canyon wall. The tree looked tall enough to almost touch the cloud layer. And right in front of the base was a two story cottage, smoke coming out of the chimney.
“What is this place?” I asked in awe.
“This is my home. The heart of the swamp. That tree is the oldest of all the trees here. Its roots span the entire swamp.” Artemis said as we walked towards the house.
The door opened as we approached, Meadow poking her head out, “Hot water is ready and all your tools are sterilized Mom.”
“Excellent. Now get her inside on the bed.” Artemis said, moving into the home.
The interior of the house was full of plants, herbs, potions, and chemistry equipment. An alchemist’s dream home. The living room had a large bed in the middle where we could set Moonlight. Not too far away was a fireplace, burning hot with a hanging pot of hot water I’d imagine. Stairs in the back led to the second floor of the house.
We set Moonlight down gently on the bed, making sure she was comfortable. Artemis came up to the bed and set her tools aside.
“Wait outside. I need to concentrate.” She said, not looking away from her tools.
“I understand. Please help her.” I pleaded.
She nodded, but did not say anything.
Saskia put a hoof on my shoulder and guided me, Ratchet and Meadow out of the cottage. When we were outside, we all collapsed, the strain and tension of our journey finally catching up to us.
“You all look exhausted.” Meadow said next to me.
“It’s been hell trying to get here.” I said.
“Tell me about it. Of all the places to live, why all the way out here?” Ratchet asked.
“It’s really not that bad once you get used to it. It’s actually pretty cool.” Meadow said, smiling.
“Cool? Living in this place? With giant ghoul toads!?” Ratchet exclaimed.
“Swamp toads usually live further inside the swamp. Not sure why that one was so close to the outer edge. Just bad luck that you guys ran into one.” She said.
I reached out a hoof to her, “We got off on the wrong hoof back there. Thank you for saving us. My name is Shadow Strike.”
She was surprised but accepted my hoofshake, “Meadow Glade, and you’re welcome. You were doing pretty good yourself against it.”
“I wouldn’t really say that. My gun was useless and it just kept healing. No way was I going to get closer to that thing.” I said.
“Yeah, not the best idea to hit it close up. They weigh a ton, and that tongue is pretty quick. Best chance is to go for the eyes and try to hit their brain. The rest of the body is too thick to get to any other vital organs.” Meadow explained.
“Probably helps to keep them out of the water as well.” Saskia said, her horn lighting up.
Saskia’s body glistened and all the mud and gunk was out of her coat and mane, making her look like she’d taken a bath. Guess that explains how she looked so clean.
“That’s a handy spell. If I wasn’t so useless at magic, I’d bet you could teach me a lot.” I said.
Saskia blushed, “I’m not a great teacher. But yes, the spell does come in handy. A lady has to look her best after all.”
“I’ll say. That’s pretty handy. You unicorns are lucky.” Ratchet said.
He then looked over to Meadow, “Speaking of unicorns, what kind of pony are you?”
“She’s not a pony Ratchet, she’s a kirin.” I said.
Meadow was surprised and looked at me, “You know about the kirin?”
“Well you’re the first one I’ve ever seen outside of books. Back home, we had a few books about your kind. Though it said you come from a place called The Peaks of Peril. Though I imagine that was a long time ago.” I said.
“First I’ve heard of it. I was born in Olympia. Mom and Dad worked there for Lord Zeus.” Meadow said.
“Working under the big man himself? Now that is something.” Ratchet exclaimed.
“Lord Zeus? Who is he?” I asked.
“King of Olympia of course. I’ve never seen him, but he rules the biggest city in the Badlands. One of the three brothers who settled the Southern Badlands.” Ratchet explained.
“The three brothers?” I asked.
Saskia stepped in this time, “Several decades ago, the Southern Badlands were just as desolate as the Northern. But the three brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades brought their tribes together and created Olympia. But some time after, the brothers fought over leadership. Eventually, Poseidon and Hades left to form their own cities, which became Aquatica and Neighcropolis.”
“Wow, I never imagined something like that could happen in the Wasteland.” I said.
Meadow looked at me, “This should be well known to everypony in the Badlands. How do you not know anything about this?”
I rubbed the back of my head, “I’m from a stable. I don’t know much about the politics or society out here.”
Her eyes widened, “I’ve never met a stable dweller before. Mother said our family came from a stable way up north, but I’ve never been there.”
“Oh? Perhaps that’s how the kirin survived the war. Are there more of you in the Badlands?” I asked.
“Never seen another kirin other than Mom and my Dad.” Meadow said.
“Oh? Where’s your dad?” I asked.
Meadow’s ears drooped, “He… died. It’s why we left Olympia.”
My ears flattened against my head, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. What happened?”
“Riots broke out in Olympia fifteen years ago. No one knows how it started or why, but many people died. Ponies and non-ponies. My dad was right behind us when a stray bullet hit him.” Meadow said.
“I remember that day. Lady Artemis helped me escape the chaos. We couldn’t carry his body. She was devastated.” Saskia said.
“She’s been so cold since that day. She rarely smiles. She’s just not the same.” Meadow said, looking in the direction of the hut.
“So that’s why she doesn’t trust ponies.” I said solemnly.
“Yes. We haven’t left this swamp ever since we came here. She wants nothing to do with the outside world.” Meadow said.
“I can understand that. I heard about those riots. Awful thing.” Ratchet said, his head low.
“I suppose even in the most established cities, chaos runs rampant.” I said.
I turned to look at Meadow, “How old were you when you lost your father?”
“Five years old. I can still remember him. But I can’t remember much before we got to this swamp. I’ve lived here most of my life. Mother never let me leave Olympia either when I was little.” Meadow explained.
“So you’ve never seen the outside world?” I asked.
“Not really. I’m pretty happy with our life here. Besides, the outside world is too dangerous for someone like me.” Meadow said.
I could hear her words, but something was off. Like she wasn’t telling the whole truth. I could sense the fear in her voice, but there was something else. Something buried beneath the fear. I couldn’t quite place it.
“All of you! Come!” Artemis yelled from the house.
We all ran back towards the house and entered quickly. Artemis stood by the bed that Moonlight laid upon. As we moved closer, I could see Moonlight had an IV in her foreleg. She was breathing a little better, but she still had a sweat.
“How is she?” I asked.
“I’ve stabilized her, lessened the pain. But the venom is still killing her. She needs an antidote within three days for her to survive.” Artemis answered.
“Can we make it here?” I asked.
“It is possible. But it will be very dangerous.” She said, checking the IV.
“I don’t care about the danger. Just tell me what you need.” I demanded.
She looked at me with that same expression, but with a hint of something else. Something I couldn't place. Then she levitated a book over to me, flipping the pages to a certain page, depicting a plant. It had a long stem and a long end, looking almost like a cattail.
“This herb is called Leviathan’s tongue, it is very rare. I only know of one place with a chance of finding it.” Artemis explained.
“I’ve never heard of this herb. Can one herb truly cure this venom?” I asked.
“It can, because it only grows from soil where a Basilisk died and decayed.” Artemis answered.
I was stunned, the conditions for such an herb would explain why I have never heard of it. But where in Tartarus would you find that kind of environment?
“You said you knew where there was a chance of finding it? Not guaranteed, I assume?” I asked.
“No. I cannot be certain. But it is the best chance for you to find one. We must take it.” She said.
“Where then?” I asked.
She looked straight into my eyes, “Stable 59.”
My eyes widened, “A stable? Out here? Why there?”
“I came across it not long after we settled here. Curiosity got the better of me, so I explored the entrance. I never went past the first room. But I found a terminal there, and it told me some of the details of the stable. Apparently it was designed to house different creatures and plant life, trying to preserve some of the fauna of Equestria from the radiation of the balefire bombs. On the list of creatures was a basilisk. It most likely died long ago from starvation, and the Leviathan’s tongue can survive on no nutrients for at least 250 years.” She explained.
“So if the beast truly was there, the corpse could have produced the herb.” I said.
“Correct. It is your only chance.” Artemis said, looking back at Moonlight.
“Then we have to go there and find it. How far is the stable from here?” I asked.
“About four hours to the north of here. I haven’t been there since my first exploration. There is no telling what awaits you. The creatures of the swamp tend to avoid that area. Which means they fear what lives there.” Artemis said ominously.
“Then I have no time to waste. I’ll go get the herb.” I said.
“Hold it partner. I'm coming with you. No way am I letting you go into an old stable without some backup.” Ratchet said.
“I’m afraid I require both you and Saskia to stay here.” Artemis said.
We all looked at her in confusion.
“The killing of that swamp toad will rouse the predators of this swamp to expand their hunting grounds. Beasts might come here, so I will need capable warriors to fend them off while I tend to my patient. I will also require Saskia’s magical expertise.” She said.
“You can’t expect Shadow to go alone through the swamp into an old stable without any backup!” Ratchet said, raising his voice.
Meadow stepped forward, “I will go with him to the stable.”
Artemis looked at her daughter in shock, “Out of the question!”
“Mom, I can lead Shadow through the swamp easily. And I can fight just as well as anyone here. I can do this.” Meadow said, determination in her eyes as she stared down her mother.
Artemis hesitated for several seconds before she sighed and closed her eyes. She walked to her daughter and nuzzled the top of her head.
“If you must go, I will not stop you dear. But come back to me in one piece.” Artemis said quietly.
Meadow nuzzled under her mother’s chin, “I will Mom. I promise.”
Artemis then looked over at me and came up right to my face, “You see to it that she returns to me. Or there will be Tartarus to pay.”
I flinched back a little, but stood my ground, “I swear I will do my best to keep her safe.”
She looked me in the eye for a few seconds before pulling back with a nod. She brought over a map from one of her tables and explained to Meadow and I where the stable was located. My pipbuck beeped, the map function indicating that Stable 59 was added to the icons.
“Now, hurry. The longer it takes, the less of a chance your friend has to recover from this.” Artemis said, moving back to Moonlight.
I walked over to Moonlight as well, running a hoof across her sweat soaked mane, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I will save you Moonlight. Just hold on.”
As I turned back to my friends, Ratchet came up to me.
“I don’t like this. But if I’m really needed here, then I’ll stay. I won’t let no varmint touch her.” He said with a confident smile.
“I know you will Ratchet. Keep everyone safe.” I said.
I turned to Saskia next, “That goes for you too Saskia. Keep all of them safe, and watch over Moonlight until I get back.”
“I will. But keep yourself safe. Meadow as well.” Saskia said.
Then they both hugged me, something neither had done since I had met them. It felt… warm. Like back home with Grindstone and Silver. I closed my eyes and returned the embrace.
When we separated, Meadow was looking at all of us with a warm smile. Her bow was tied to her side with a hook on her saddlebags. A quiver was also attached to her other side, feathered arrows visible.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
She nodded and we headed out the door and into the swamp.
The journey through the swamp was exhausting, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The terrain was much easier to navigate now that I had an expert with me. Meadow was very knowledgeable in every aspect of the swamp. Signs of creatures that even I couldn’t see were completely visible to her. We had encountered no creatures since we left her house around two hours ago.
“You really know your stuff Meadow.” I said.
“Well, when you’ve lived here for most of your life, you tend to pick up a few things.” Meadow said, jumping between large tree roots like a filly.
“I must say, living in this environment must be challenging.” I said.
“Oh, not really. Mom and I grow most of our own food, we get pure water from the underground springs, and there is lots to do around here. Exploring, helping Mom with her research, seeing so many different types of creatures.” Meadow said.
“I was wondering where you got clean water. All this water is full of radiation.” I said, looking around at the hazardous pools around us.
“Yeah, you definitely don’t want to drink that stuff. Unless you’re a ghoul or something.” Meadow said.
Suddenly, her mane started to stand on end and she held out a hoof in front of me. I stopped and started to notice something was wrong as well. The sounds of the swamp were quiet, no frogs, no crickets. Nothing. Something was stalking us.
Meadow then grabbed me with her magic and pulled me up one of the large trees, sitting us down on a high branch. When I was finally able to breathe after being pulled up the tree, I looked down to see something in the mud of the swamp. Three figures crawled out of the mud, looking kinda like feral ghouls. The mud had blackened their hides, no fur remaining. They didn’t seem to move very fast, only crawling on their bellies, their forelegs dragging them forward.
“Ferals?” I asked, looking at Meadow.
“Yep. Swamp Ferals, that’s what I call them. The mud is so thick on them they can’t walk very well. Some not at all. But that mud is also like thick armor. Tough to get through, even with my arrows.” Meadow explained.
“Best to avoid them then.” I said, looking in the direction my pipbuck was indicating.
I leaped to the next branch, enjoying the feeling of the wind in my mane. Meadow was right behind me as we continued from branch to branch.
“I didn’t expect you to be this good.” Meadow said, jumping past me.
“I’ve had my share of physical training.” I said, making a longer jump than others before.
“You’re a natural. Are you sure you’ve never been to a swamp?” Meadow laughed.
“Not in this lifetime. Maybe I have some Orah in me!” I said, jumping one last time before we stopped.
“I have no idea what that means, but we should be ok to get down to ground level now.” Meadow said, pointing down.
I nodded and she helped me down from the tree. A normal sized tree would have been easy for me to get down, but these trees were enormous. Meadow’s golden aura carried me from the last branch to the ground, leaving her to jump from the branch to land next to me.
“Show off.” I said grinning.
“Hey, when you have skills, you get to show off.” Meadow giggled.
We both laughed and continued onward, tracking through the mud and trees. Meadow truly was a joy to be around. She seemed to have this aura that just made me happy and carefree. I almost forgot about the worry and panic I had when we left her home. It was still there, but this was a nice distraction.
As we made it through a line of trees, we came into a clearing with a large mound of rock and stone. And as we got closer, something came to my attention. Plants that seemed out of place among the foliage of the swamp came into view. And the closer we got to one side of the mound, the thicker the plants got. Soon, we were staring at an alcove in the rock, the plants having grown thick and very green around it.
But what truly got my attention was a large familiar circular door, seemingly pushed open by the plants. But the number was clear as day… 59.
We had found it. We were one step closer to saving Moonlight.
Stable 59, overgrown and overrun with plant life to the point the door would never close again. I didn’t know what to expect from a different stable, much less an abandoned one. What could be waiting for us in those halls?
“Hey Shadow, you ok?” Meadow asked.
I shook my head, “Sorry Meadow. Yeah I’m alright. Just nervous I guess.”
“Nervous about going into a stable that’s not yours?” Meadow asked.
“Yeah. Just feels weird, seeing a stable reduced to this.” I said.
“I understand. But don’t worry, I’ll be right by your side. All the way.” Meadow said, smiling at me.
“Thanks Meadow. Now come on, Moonlight needs us.” I said, giving her a smile back before moving forward.
We both moved towards the door, the vines and plants making it a bit awkward to walk around. I almost tripped on a smaller vine that was obscured from view by the grass. I could hear Meadow giggling beside me.
Looking over at her, I saw her walking through the foliage unburdened by the terrain. She just moved as if nothing could stop her.
“How are you moving so freely?” I asked.
“Oh, this is nothing. Mom told me we Kirins can walk anywhere. I can move so silently and smoothly that I wouldn’t even disturb a single blade of grass.” Meadow said proudly.
“Wow. The books back home didn’t have that much detail on the Kirin. I’d love to know more.” I said.
“Well, let’s make it through the scary stable and I might tell you more.” Meadow said, walking past me towards the door.
I caught up with her right at the door. I peeked into the opening very carefully, looking for any sign of movement or life. As I scanned the area around the entrance, nothing seemed to strike me as odd. I could see no movement. But the place was a mess. The plants had covered the walls and desks. Equipment laid broken and destroyed on the floor. Even the panel for opening the stable was completely taken over by the vines.
“See anything?” Meadow asked behind me.
“No. If there are any creatures still alive in this place, they would be further inside I imagine. Come on, let’s find that terminal Artemis talked about.” I said.
We moved inside through the opening, the terrain feeling just as awkward for me, stepping around vines and other stuff. But the metal underneath gave a more familiar sensation. Like back home. It made me feel nostalgic. I’d left the stable weeks ago, and yet, it didn’t feel like that long ago.
Getting my head back into the present, I soon found a room off to the side of the door. Inside was a glowing terminal, just as Artemis had told me. Moving to the device, I sat down in front of it and pressed a button. The machine came to life and lit up, the familiar green glow of the screen got brighter and displayed several options for information.
“Think this thing can tell us where our snake is?” Meadow asked.
“I believe so. Let’s take a look.” I said.
I started to look through all of the information on the computer. It had several sections, including supply lists, personnel files, and a reminder for a bake sale going on for Hearth’s Warming. And on the next line of text was just what I was looking for, a list of specimens for preservation. I pressed the option and got a long list of creatures that were brought to the stable. Some creatures I recognized, such as manticore, timberwolves, and cockatrices. Others I did not recognize, what in Tartarus was a parasprite?
And near the bottom of the list, I found what I needed. One basilisk, Level 4.
“Got it. It was on Level 4. Surely the corpse is down there.” I said.
Meadow looked over my shoulder at the screen, “Looks correct. Let’s hope the elevator works.”
I nodded and was about to get up before a thought occurred to me, “Hang on.”
I browsed through the files looking for a map of the stable. But when I clicked on the map option, all I got was “File corrupted”.
“Damn. Guess we will have to hope this place is similar in design to my stable.” I said.
“It was a good idea. This place must be a labrinth.” Meadow said.
We both left the room and went towards the only exit, towards the back of the room just across from the stable door. The door opened without issue and we stepped inside. But just as we did, something made me turn around and freeze. The hairs on my neck were standing on end, my muscles tensed in anticipation.
“Shadow what’s wrong?” Meadow asked.
“I thought I sensed something nearby. Like we were being watched.” I said.
Meadow took a step back into the door room and looked around, ears folded up listening for any sign of life. After about a minute, she lowered her ears and turned back to me.
“I don’t sense anything Shadow.” She said.
I took a deep breath and started to calm down, “I guess I’m being paranoid. This stable is giving me the creeps.”
“Same. So let’s keep going. Sooner we find the Leviathan Tongue, the sooner we can get out of here.” Meadow said.
We both nodded in agreement and continued on our way.
The stable was in rough shape, vines and plants growing all over the walls. I wonder what kind of plants they were growing in here to make this place become so overwhelmed. What happened to all the ponies that lived here? Where are all the creatures that were supposed to inhabit this place? Are some of the creatures out in the swamp from this stable?
So many questions, but no answers so far.
The hallway had some rooms that were closed off by the vines, but a few rooms were accessible. Taking Ratchet’s teaching to heart, I ventured into the first room that I could access through the foliage. It looked to be a storage unit. Boxes and lockers adorned the walls of the space. Meadow and I took a side to scavenge through, but came back with very little. Whoever was here last must have picked through a lot of this stuff. Some bobby pins, a few pre war bits and a clipboard were the highlights of this room. Honestly, I wondered if Ratchet truly knew what he was talking about?
The next room wasn’t much better. All it contained was another glowing terminal. Having nothing better to do while Meadow searched through the filing cabinet, I sat in front of the terminal to see what I could find.
Most of the files were corrupted, no clue why. I had very little understanding of pre-war technology. What little I knew came from Master Zala’s lessons on information gathering. And that wasn’t more than hacking into terminals more or less.
But there was a journal entry, and according to the date, was shortly after the bombs fell. Curiosity got the better of me, so I clicked on it.
Journal Entry #1 Dr. Fauna
So, the door has been closed for three days now. Contact with the outside has ceased and the animals are all ours. It’s gonna be a lot of work, but I’m sure our ponies can handle them. I’ve been a veterinarian for several decades now. Fluttershy herself chose me for this honor. I’m glad she didn’t make me the Overmare, but I also wish she could have chosen somepony better. That Proper Sentiment is so jaded.
But she doesn’t bother me all that much, so I can take care of my animals without her nagging. So many wonderful creatures down here. So many that I haven’t even had the time to count them all. I can’t wait to spend all my time with them. No more bills, no more war.
Well then, this Fauna sure sounded like she was excited for her time down here. Maybe this stable wasn’t so bad.
“Find anything Shadow?” Meadow asked, having finished her search.
“Just a journal entry from some doctor. Nothing useful.” I said.
“Let’s continue down the hall and find an elevator.” Meadow said.
I nodded and we both continued down the hallway. No more rooms to explore, so we just kept going. As we turned the corner, I smiled at the familiar sight of an elevator door. I ran towards it and pressed the button to open the door. It opened and I heard Meadow utter a little, “yes.”
We stepped inside and as I pressed the button for the 4th Level, nothing happened. I pressed it again and still nothing.
“Oh come on.” I said.
“What’s wrong with this thing?” Meadow said, pressing her hoof to every button.
“Must be a blown fuse or something. Looks like we’re gonna have to take the stairs.” I said.
“Ugh, I hate stairs.” Meadow said, groaning.
Suddenly a low growl came from outside the elevator, the door never closed so we were basically trapped in a small room. We slowly turned to see a large black cat had put itself right in front of the door. The cat was bigger than I was, with large paws and yellow eyes that stared at us with hunger.
We made no moves, trying to think of a way to deal with this new threat. We had very little room and if this thing pounced, we would have maybe a second to respond. I thought about it, and I knew what I should do.
I lit up my horn, and that caused it to pounce.
My sword flew out of its sheath and stopped the beast’s jaws as it pinned me against the wall of the elevator. Its strength was great, but I held it there as it tried to swipe at me with its paws. I looked to see that Meadow had gotten out of the elevator and was currently pointing her bow at the creature.
I pushed at the beast with all my strength and managed to get it off me enough to grab Umbra from its sheath and stab it in the heart. The beast roared in pain as I stabbed it, flailing its paws sporadically to try and hit me. One claw managed to scrape off the armor plating on my barding before another stab of my blade made it go limp.
I pushed it off me and tried to catch my breath. That thing came out of nowhere.
“What is this thing?” I asked.
“Looks like a panther, but a lot larger than it normally is.” Meadow asked.
“Must be one of the creatures they kept here. Radiation must have leaked in here at some point and changed their anatomy.” I said.
“I don’t think so. It doesn’t look like it’s mutated.” Meadow said.
“So, what do you think happened to it?” I asked.
“No clue. Maybe we’ll find some answers further inside.” Meadow said, looking to the hallway.
I nodded and we continued down the hallway once again. There had to be a stairwell close by. If this stable was anything like mine, it should be around the next corner.
Sure enough, as we rounded the corner, there it was. The door to the stairwell was laying on the ground, most likely knocked over by an animal. Maybe even that panther I killed. I really hope not everything in this stable was that big. Or worse, bigger.
I stepped into the stairwell, looking down over the rail to see the state of the lower levels. Most of the stairs were intact, with some vegetation growing on them. Not thick enough where it impeded our progress, but enough to trip you if you weren’t careful. I walked ahead, taking point as Meadow watched our rears in case another beast was sneaking up on us. Level 4 is where we needed to go, and these stairs should go down all the way.
As we reached Level 2, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end again, but I couldn’t tell why. I didn’t see or hear anything, but the feeling persisted. And as I took the next step, my hoof fell on something that wasn’t a vine or metal. Rather, it was sticky.
I looked at my hoof and found that it was stuck on some kind of substance. It was sticky and as I pulled my hoof back, the substance pulled back with it. My hoof was stuck to this stuff, and I couldn’t get it out. As I pulled at my hoof trying to free myself, I looked around and found that substance was covering everything. The stairs, the door, and the walls. It was then I realized what this stuff was.
“Meadow! Get me out of here quick!” I shouted.
She ran to me, “What? What’s wrong?”
“We need to move! Help me get my hoof out quick!” I yelled.
As she got out a hunting knife from her saddlebags, a chittering noise came from below us. As she cut my hoof free, we saw large legs coming from the railings. We both froze as multiple eyes stared at us as the creature emerged from the lower level of the stairwell. Black and red adorned its body as it stared at us, a huge abdomen that took up a lot of room towered over us. Mandibles and fangs glistened with venom snapped at us and the beast let out a roar.
“Spider!” Meadow screamed.
The beast lunged at us, making us jump back from its fangs. I pulled out Venta and stood my ground against the creature. How in Tartarus does a spider get this big!?
I slashed at the beast’s mandibles as it lunged again and my blade bounced off. This thing had a tough exoskeleton, I needed to think more carefully about my strikes. But at least my blade could deflect its attacks. The worst part of this was the fact we were in such an enclosed space. A perfect lair for a spider of this size, as its prey would have little room to fight back or escape.
An arrow of magic flew at the beast, getting one of its eyes as it reared back in pain. I looked back to see Meadow looking scared but her bow at the ready. Close quarters would be a bad idea, so I took out Desert Rose instead. Going into SATS, I lined up two shots to its head and released the spell. Both bullets hit home and the beast reared back and crawled further away. The door to Level 2 was now clear of the spider. We couldn’t stay in this stairwell and fight it. We needed to have room to maneuver.
“Come on! This way!” I shouted.
Meadow followed me towards the door to Level 2, but it was covered in webs. I could hear the spider chittering as it climbed back up the stairs to us. I lit my horn and used my fire spark spell to catch the webs on fire, trying to burn them away enough to open the door. It worked well enough and with a tug of my magic, the door flew open.
“Meadow, this way!” I yelled.
I jumped through the door, feeling the heat of the flames that were still burning the webs. I landed on my hooves and turned to see Meadow still in the doorway. She had a look of terror on her face, but she wasn’t looking at the spider. She was staring at the flames around the door.
“Meadow!” I yelled.
She didn’t seem to hear me, she just stood there in a daze. The spider was right behind her now. She didn’t even seem to hear it as it clattered towards her.
I grabbed Meadow in my magic and pulled her through the doorway, throwing her behind me as I fired another bullet into the spider as it stood in front of the doorway. It was too large to fit through the door, but I didn’t want to take any chances. My bullet hit another eye and it fled back into the stairway. I slammed the door shut as the flames started to die down and took several breaths. That was close.
I looked back to Meadow, who was on the ground in the fetal position. She had sweat running down her brow, like she was having a panic attack.
I walked over to her slowly, “Meadow, are you ok?”
She didn’t answer, she just shook like a leaf in the wind.
“Meadow.” I said a little louder.
That seemed enough to snap her eyes to me, and for a moment, I thought they looked pure white, like she had no pupils.
But they quickly returned to their original amber golden color.
“What happened back there?” I asked.
Meadow slowly got to her hooves, “Sorry. The spider just freaked me out.”
Her voice was distant, like she wasn’t fully over the feeling that just washed over her.
“You weren’t even looking at the spider. What’s going on Meadow?” I asked.
“None of your business!” Her voice said, but something else too. Like there was a distortion.
I backed up, not knowing what had set her off but I could tell she needed some space.
She seemed to realize that she had snapped and quickly took several deep breaths. When she seemed to regain her composure, she looked back at me.
“I’m sorry Shadow, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Thanks for saving me.” Meadow said, trying to smile at me.
Her smile may have looked genuine, but I knew enough about hiding emotions that I could see something beneath the surface. She truly was scared about something. But what could it have been?
“Anyway. We’ll need to find another way to the lower floors. I’d rather not deal with that spider again.” Meadow said, turning towards the hallway.
“Right. My stable had two stairwells on each side of the levels, so there might be another one on the other side of this level.” I said.
Meadow nodded and we started down the hallway. Hopefully the next set of stairs will be spider free.
This level was larger than I originally thought. The vegetation had grown over things here too, seeming to spread upwards and outwards from the floor. Where were they coming from?
We had been walking for a good half hour and still it seemed like we weren’t getting any closer to the other side. We had looked in some offices, but they had nothing to share. Not even any terminals.
There weren't a whole lot of rooms. More just long hallways with the occasional room full of cages. Judging by the size of the cages, these were the smaller animals. They probably wanted to keep the larger beasts on the lower levels in case they got out. Though judging by that panther we saw near the entrance, they must have found a way up.
“This place is huge. How many creatures did they have down here?” Meadow asked.
“Not sure. I didn’t look at all the terminal entries. I’d say a whole lot. I’ve read that Ministry Mare Fluttershy was a big animal lover. I wonder if she funded this stable with her ministry?” I asked.
“Who knows? But something else is bothering me.” Meadow said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Where are all the staff? Shouldn’t there be some pony skeletons or something?” Meadow asked.
That was a fair point. We hadn’t seen a single pony corpse or any sign of the staff since we got inside. Where did they all go? The beast didn’t eat their bones did they?
“Maybe they all left?” I questioned.
“Maybe. But why?” She asked in return.
We both looked at each other and shrugged before carrying on. I eventually saw another wall on the far side of the hallway, with a sign saying “Stairs” in faded red letters. Meadow and I were relieved to have found it, but as we started towards it, a noise rang out. A scream.
I pulled Meadow into one of the rooms and peeked my head around the edge of the door to see what was happening. A dirty brown unicorn was running in a panic, hitting the wall as he didn’t bother to turn the corner. He turned back towards the direction he came from and blasted a bolt of magic. Meadow tried to come around me but I pinned her to the wall with my foreleg.
I shushed her and looked back at the pony. He was going pale and fired another bolt of magic down the hallway. This time it hit the floor where I could see it. What was he doing?
Suddenly, I could hear something. It sounded like… footsteps? Really heavy footsteps.
The pony fired again, but this time it hit the wall. Then he started firing blindly, one bolt veering off so much it nearly hit me down the hallway. I ducked into the room to avoid getting hit. And after a few seconds, the bolts stopped. I peeked out the door again and what I saw made no sense.
The unicorn stallion was hovering in the air, but he wasn’t using magic. His horn wasn’t lit, but there he was, hovering with his body straight up and down and pinned to the wall. He looked like he was choking, was there somepony else there? I couldn’t see anything.
And then, out of the blue, his throat spewed blood all over the walls, seemingly from a slash to his throat. But there wasn’t anything there. He gurgled as he drowned in his own blood before going limp and dropping to the floor. This sight spooked me so much that I jumped back into the room and grabbed Meadow, holding my hoof to her mouth. She could still breathe through her nose but she couldn’t make a sound. She struggled at first until she saw my terrified expression, and then heard the footsteps.
Thump, Thump, Thump
Something was coming down the hallway, and I had no idea what it could be. I was too petrified to move. I felt such shame. Guardians weren’t supposed to be afraid, but something about this situation demanded fear. The footsteps kept going until they sounded like they were right outside the door. Then they stopped.
My heart was beating faster and faster in my chest as the silence went on. Whatever killed that pony was right outside. Did it know we were here? I could feel Meadow trembling in my hooves. What should we do?
Then, the footsteps started again. They moved faster than before and the presence of whatever that was just vanished. I let Meadow go and we both had to take deep breaths to calm ourselves.
“What was that?” Meadow asked.
“I don’t know, but it’s dangerous.” I answered.
“But what was it? Is this stable haunted or something?” Meadow asked.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that we need to keep moving. Sooner we find the herb, the sooner we can get out of here.” I said.
“I’m all for that. Between the spider and whatever that thing is, I’ve seen enough of this place.” Meadow said.
“Agreed. That stallion might have come from a stairwell. Let’s try looking down the hallway.” I said.
We moved out into the hall and towards that poor stallion. His body was laying limply against the wall, throat torn clean. I looked closer and noticed something strange. His horn was missing. It looked like it was cut off with a very sharp object, clean and perfect. As if perfected with practice.
Why would this thing take a pony’s horn?
“Shadow, I think I found the next stairway!” Meadow shouted from down the hall.
I closed the poor pony’s eyes and said a prayer to The Goddess Luna to guide his soul to paradise. I didn’t know him, but he couldn’t have deserved to die like that. I moved towards Meadow’s voice and indeed found a staircase to the next level. We walked inside carefully, not taking any chances after the spider encounter.
I sensed no presence inside, and after a quick look around, I found nothing. Meadow didn’t seem to be on edge anymore, so the danger was gone. For now.
“Let’s head down. See how far these stairs go.” I said.
“You don’t think they’ll go all the way down?” Meadow asked.
“Doubtful. My stable had several stairwells, and not all reached the bottom levels. This stable has less levels, but could still have that same idea.” I said.
“Damn. So much for a straight shot.” Meadow said, her shoulders slumping.
“Don’t let it worry you too much. That thing is upstairs, so if we can get what we need and find another way back to the top floor, we can avoid a fight.” I said.
“Good idea. Now let’s find that herb.” Meadow said.
We continued down the stairs towards Level 3, not knowing what would come.
As the door to Level 3 came into sight, my fears were realized. The stairs stopped and did not continue onto Level 4. We would have to find another set of stairs.
Meadow moved towards the door and gently opened it with her magic. As the door opened, the lighting of the level seemed brighter than normal. And I could swear I felt warmth, like the heat of the sun. We stepped out into a large open room that looked like a forest. Trees stood tall all the way up to the ceiling, with large shrubs and bushes big enough to hide a pony easily.
A closer look at the walls and ceiling revealed that the roots had penetrated the metal after all these years and spread upwards. This might be the source of all the plants on the upper levels and the entrance. How were these plants getting nutrients way down here?
“This place is amazing. It’s almost like we’re back outside. How did they do this?” Meadow asked.
“Not sure. Perhaps they have an irrigation system down here. Pumping water from underground reservoirs or water talismans maybe.” I said.
“And that light, it feels like sunlight. I haven’t felt anything like it since I was in Olympia.” Meadow said, closing her eyes and basking in the glow of the lights.
“Oh? What do you mean? Doesn’t the cloud cover block out the sun 24/7?” I asked.
“Not in Olympia. Lord Zeus and his family kicked out the Enclave and tore up the cloud layer over the city. It’s one of the only places in the Wasteland you can actually see the sun.” Meadow explained.
This Zeus was sounding more and more impressive with every detail I learned. He seemed like a strong leader. I wouldn’t mind meeting him one day.
“Anyway. How are they making sunlight down here?” I asked.
“No clue. Magic I guess.” Meadow said, shrugging.
I shook my head, “No matter. We need to find the stairway down.
She nodded and we were both off again. The forest was much easier to navigate than the jungle outside. No huge tree roots to jump over, no bogs, no quicksand, and no giant toads. Thank the Goddess.
As we came to a fork in the road, we found a sign with two arrows. Written on these arrows were two locations. “Security Station” and “Observation Platform”.
“Hmm, which way do you think the next stairwell is, Shadow?” Meadow asked.
“No clue. The security station should have a map of the area though. If we’re lucky, maybe the cameras still work.” I said.
“Good idea.” Meadow said.
So we went left, towards the security station. If it was anything like ours back home, we should find something useful.
After about 10 minutes of walking, we found the door to Security, and it was locked. Of course it was. Looking at the door, the lock seemed pretty standard. Master Zala had us pick these door locks all the time back home for training. This should be easy.
“Hang on. I can pick the lock.” I said.
Floating out my bobby pins and screwdriver, I began to work on the lock. It was tough, as should be expected from security. You didn’t want to make it easy for just anyone to pick it. That would be a disaster waiting to happen. As I started chuckling at the memory of myself once picking the lock of Chief Onyx’s office, I broke a bobby pin. Dammit.
I nearly flinched and looked over my shoulder, looking for a clipboard to whack me in the back of the head, but Master Zala was not behind me, only Meadow. You know, maybe I had some issues.
But after a bit of time with my second bobby pin, the lock clicked and the door opened. Take that Chief Onyx!
“Wow. I’m impressed, Shadow. You’re not some master thief are you?” Meadow chuckled.
“Of course not. I’m a spy.” I said jokingly.
That made her break out into laughter. I soon joined her as we walked into the room. When we could see clearly past the tears in our eyes, we saw that the place looked pretty well intact. The clutter of junk and broken stuff was significantly less than in other parts of the stable we had seen. A door rested on the back wall, “Storage” written on it.
“I’ll check in back. Are you good with checking the cameras?” I asked.
“No problem. I’ll look through the desks too and see if I can find anything useful.” Meadow said, walking up to the monitors on the far wall.
I walked to the Storage door and opened it with ease. I honestly expected it to be locked. Looking inside, I saw storage lockers lining the back wall. Jackpot.
Moving swiftly over to them, I opened the first one and found a sparkle cola. Unopened and seemingly still good. I put it away in my saddlebags and moved to the next locker. I immediately closed it with a bright blush on my face. What kind of pony keeps photos like that in their locker? Have they no shame?
Moving quickly over to the next one, I opened it much more slowly and looked inside. A small book greeted me, sitting comfortably on the metal rack inside. I picked it up in my magic and looked it over. It had a lock on it, so I could not open it. The lock was the kind you couldn’t pick. I needed the key, and I couldn’t see it inside the locker. Well maybe I will find the key later. I put it in my saddlebag.
And the final locker stood before me, I reached out with my magic and tried to open it, only to find it locked. Damn. I took out my bobby pins and screwdriver and got to work on the lock. This one was even more stubborn than the door was. Snap!
“Dammit…” I muttered to myself.
I continued to work on that lock and after about 10 minutes of effort, I had lost 5 pins to this damn thing!
“I will get you open, you hunk of junk!” I exclaimed.
Another 5 minutes passed and I was getting really annoyed. I had gone through 7 more pins, and I was down to my last one. Part of me was saying to stop and save it for another time, but that part was swiftly drowned out by my frustration, constantly yelling in my ear, “I WILL NOT LOSE TO A LOCKER!”
And with that inner rant, the lock finally gave way to my strength and determination. I thanked the Goddess Luna for her grace and opened the door to reveal my prize for my efforts. A large case was sitting comfortably inside the locker, made of fine wood and plastic. I gently levitated it out and sat it on the bench inside the room. Opening the latches with my magic, I nearly jumped for joy at what I saw.
A lever action 20 gauge shotgun, looking brand new sat inside the case. It looked undisturbed from the many years it must have sat inside the locker. I lifted it out with my magic and held it in front of me. It was beautifully crafted. The stock looked smooth and bright in the light of the room, the metal of the gun black as night. This beauty looked like it hadn’t been fired at all.
I looked over to the locker and found some 20 gauge shells sitting inside. I took several and began to load my new gun. It held 5 shells and one in the chamber. After loading it, I pulled the lever and heard that sweet sound. This was one of my favorite weapons back during my firearm training. Sure pumps were also great, but something about these weapons always made me feel more comfortable.
I held up my new shotgun and saw it had sights. Though you normally don’t need to aim with a shotgun, it was a welcome feature.
I walked into the front room of the Security station, levitating my new weapon for all to see. Meadow looked back at me with a grin.
“I could hear you back there. All that work for a gun?” Meadow said, raising an eyebrow.
“Hey! A very good looking gun, thank you very much.” I said jokingly.
Meadow rolled her eyes, “Colts and their guns…”
I stuck my tongue out at her and walked over to the monitors with her, “Anything working?”
“Unfortunately no, and no map that I can see either.” Meadow said.
“Damn. Well I guess we’ll have to just keep goin-”
CRASH!
We were thrown from our seats in front of the monitors by a huge force that hit the wall beside it. The dent in the metal told me of the strength we felt. I quickly got up and floated my shotgun in front of me, ready for whatever was coming. Claws ripped through the metal, scraping down and making our ears hurt with the screech.
A roar came from the other side of the wall and with another slash, a hole formed in the wall big enough to reveal an eye, looking right at us. An arrow flew over my shoulder and landed right square in that very same eye. The creature roared in pain and hit the wall again, denting the metal again and knocking the monitors off the other wall.
“Meadow, we need to get outside! We’ll get cornered in here!” I yelled out.
She ran with me towards the door of the Security station and we dashed right through as it opened, out into the forest once again.
As we turned to see the beast that had scared us so bad, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It looked like a bear, kind of.
It was large, bigger than Mercer was. Merciful Luna it looked almost as big as our ship! Four arms were connected to a large torso of muscle and strength, with a large stinger at it’s abdomen. Two wings that looked too small to support the beast dotted its back and looked much like that of a bug. The head looked very much like a bear, only with antennae instead of ears. This thing looked like something straight out of Tartarus!
As the beast’s wings buzzed and it turned to look at us, the sound made my skin crawl and I took a wild shot with my new shotgun. The range I was at did nothing to help my shot as it bounced harmlessly off the wall next to it. Cursing under my breath, I pulled the lever back and loaded in the next shot.
This time I used SATS, aiming two shots at the creature's head. The spell released and my shots fired, missing the head and instead impacting the beast’s chest. The shots tore flesh from the chest, but not enough to kill. It honestly just pissed the thing off. It flew at me with a roar, making me dodge underneath its claws. I turned to see that the tree it hit instead of me had large claw marks on it, running deep.
Man, this thing has sharp claws..
Two magical arrows came flying into its side as Meadow got the creature’s attention. The beast roared again and flew at her. This gave me a perfect shot at its back and its wings. I went once again into SATS and had enough charge for one shot. I aimed for its wings in hopes that I would ground the thing. My shot fired and I missed its wings, landing my shot right into its lower back. The beast howled in pain and stumbled to the ground. Its wings still buzzed and it hovered there for a moment.
Meadow took the opportunity to fire more arrows, two of which landed in its shoulders. The beast was getting irritated at this point, being shot at from two directions. It grabbed a small tree nearby, and proceeded to swing it at Meadow. She nimbly dodged the first strike, but was grazed by the second, catching her on her hind leg. She flew a few feet and landed in the dirt groaning.
“Meadow!” I yelled.
The beast grew closer to Meadow, not noticing that I was closing in behind it. I pulled out Venta and leaped onto its back as it hovered just above where Meadow was stunned. It wiggled and tried to get me off its back, but I held my footing as best I could. Soon Venta was lifted into the air and with a downward thrust, I dug my previous blade into its wing joint.
It screamed and howled as it lost its balance in the air and fell over to the side, hitting a tree and knocking me off. My blade was still lodged in its wing joint when it got on its legs and glared hatefully at me.
My shotgun came out as the beast began to lumber over to me. I fired a shot and it hit its chest again, not seeming to do that much to stop it from coming towards me. I pulled the trigger again, hitting its arm with a spray of blood. It staggered at the pain, but recovered quickly as it began running at me again.
I pulled the trigger again, only to hear that “click” sound of an empty gun. I forgot to reload!
I struggled to get out more shells from my saddlebags before the beast caught up to me, hitting me with its paw and knocking me into a tree. My head was spinning from the blow, and the creature was looming over me like a predator that just cornered its prey.
My sword was still in its back, out of sight so I couldn’t telekinetically pull it out. My shotgun was empty and my dagger wasn't’ going to help a whole lot in this situation. I got Umbra out anyway and tried to look threatening.
It didn’t seem to work as the beast roared and pulled up its arm to swipe at me again, this time to kill.
Move Shadow, you need to move!
I closed my eyes and awaited the blow. But to my confusion, it never came.
I opened my eyes to see the beast was struggling with something behind it, like something was on its back. Was Venta causing it that much pain that it ignored me?
“Not this time, you stupid bugbear!” A female voice shouted from behind the beast.
And then I saw somepony I thought I’d never see again, and this time, she was conscious.
It was her. The pegasus that fell from the sky and that Moonlight and Dr. Gingko fixed her wing! She was here, she was kicking at the back of the bugbear!
Why was she here of all places?
The beast struggled to get the pegasus off its back, turning and swiping at her like a mosquito, but it had no chance, as this pegasus flew around it with ease. As it had its back to me now, I saw Venta in its back. I lit my horn and telekinetically pulled at my blade. Venta flew back to me with a spray of blood from the bear. I then slashed at its wings, cleaving one of them off.
The beast howled in pain and fell to the ground, writhing as it lost its ability to fly.
The pegasus then flew over to me, landing next to me and holding out a hoof, “Off your flank! Let’s go!”
I took the hoof and looked at her in confusion. Before I could ask why she was here, the beast got up again. The pegasus then pushed me out of its way as it rammed its head into the tree that was behind us. We ran over to Meadow, who was still lying right where she fell.
“Meadow, get up. We gotta go!” I yelled out.
“My hind leg is injured. I can’t walk!” Meadow said.
Then the pegasus just ran over to Meadow, brought her head under her belly and scooped Meadow onto her back like it was nothing. Meadow was blushing heavily at this, but did not have time to voice a complaint as the beast was coming towards us.
“This way!” The pegasus mare shouted as she ran towards a doorway near the wall.
I didn’t argue, moving to keep up with her and when we reached the metal door, the pegasus slammed her hoof on the button and the door slammed shut behind us. The impact of the beast made us jump back as it beat on the door to get at us. This was a reinforced metal Stable door. It dented, but it did not budge. Eventually the creature seemed to give up and everything went silent.
I breathed heavily and put my weapons away before looking at the mare.
She looked at me too, not saying anything.
“Um… Hello.” I said awkwardly.
“Hey. Do you come here often?” She said with a smile.
I didn’t know what else to say. What was I supposed to say? I never thought I’d see this mare again, let alone talk to her. The silence went on for a few minutes.
“Umm, excuse me. Could you let me down please?” Meadow said, her face still red with embarrassment.
“Whoops. Sorry about that. Here.” The pegasus said, letting Meadow down gently.
I helped Meadow lay against the wall and turned back to the mare, seeing her just sitting on her rump smiling at us.
“Long time no talk hero.” She said.
I was so confused, “Hero? Wait no. Sorry. What is going on here?”
“Well I just saved you both from a really big bugbear. Kinda badass really.” She said.
“No. I mean, why are you here? You disappeared back at the research facility and now I find you here?” I said.
“Yeah… sorry about disappearing on you all like that. I didn’t know where I was, and there were a whole bunch of strange ponies around me. So I kinda panicked but only a little bit.” She said, gesturing with her hoof when she said “a little”.
She then walked up to me, “So let’s start off right this time. Name’s Stormy Night, but please, call me Stormy.”
She extended a hoof out to me and smiled that same friendly smile.
I smiled and accepted it, “Shadow Strike. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you properly Stormy.”
“Yeah, again. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier, but I just fell from the sky and may have blacked out for a bit.” Stormy said.
“I’m just glad you’re ok. We were all wondering what happened to you after you disappeared. I guess Moonlight and Dr. Gingko fixed your wing pretty well.” I said.
“Yep. Was a little stiff for a few days, but nothing I couldn’t handle. So, what brings a big shot hero like you into this shithole?” Stormy asked, leaning against the wall now.
“Big shot hero?” I asked.
“Yeah. I found a radio while I was out in the wastes that talked about you doing all kinds of heroic deeds.” Stormy said.
I sighed, “I’m no hero. Just a stallion trying to do some good.”
I turned to Meadow, “Meadow, let’s have a look at that leg.”
Meadow showed me her right hindleg, the one that was struck by the bugbear no doubt. After a bit of an examination, “Doesn’t look like anything is broken. MIght be bruised.”
I dug into my saddlebags and pulled out a healing potion and a syringe of Med-X.
“Here, take the potion. That should get you well enough to walk. Just don’t do anything too crazy for a few hours. Here’s some Med-X for the pain.” I said.
She nodded and drank the potion gratefully while I pushed the needle into her shoulder, making her wince a little but the relief of the medicine soon followed after.
When Meadow opened her eyes, they widened when she saw Stormy sitting across from her.
“Meadow huh? That’s a fitting name for a cutie like you.” She said with a grin.
Meadow’s blush returned and she sputtered with her words to find a response. This made Stormy laugh a little.
I cleared my throat to get their attention, “So Stormy, you never told us why you’re here?”
She was about to answer when we started hearing something, something familiar. It was heavy footsteps, like the ones before. A chill went down my spine as Stormy jumped up.
“Hurry! We need to get out of here!” She yelled.
We helped Meadow to her hooves and we ran down the hallway. The footsteps continued towards us as we passed through the hall. Where was Stormy taking us? Shouldn’t we hide?
As we rounded a corner, I saw a room to the far end of the hallway with some strange writing on it. I had read several languages back into the stable, but this one was unknown to me. But I didn’t have time to wonder about it too much before Stormy opened the door and pulled us inside before slamming it shut.
I waited for this thing to beat the door just like the bugbear had, but after several seconds, nothing came. I couldn’t even hear the footsteps anymore.
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“Don’t worry. It won’t come in here. Don’t ask me why, it just won’t.” Stormy said, slumping against the wall.
“What is that thing?” Meadow said.
“Not a clue. All I know is that it’s big, it’s fast and it loves killing.” Stormy said.
“Is it another beast from this stable?” I asked.
“Oh no. It’s no beast. This thing is smart. It leaves traps. It tracks, and herds its victims. No animal does that.” Stormy explained.
“Then where did it come from?” I asked.
“Stormy, who’s out there?” I heard another voice call from the back of the room.
Meadow and I turned to see who it was, but they must have been hiding.
“Rose, it’s alright. I found some newcomers.” Stormy said.
After Stormy said that, two ponies came out from behind a bunch of boxes on the far side of the room. One was a young unicorn colt, looking just a little younger than Ratchet. He had a light brown coat and a darker brown mane. The other was a unicorn mare, she was light green with a rose red mane. Her eyes were also green as were the colts. And the most shocking thing to notice was that the mare was pregnant, heavily so. She looked like she was already several months into it.
The colt stood in front of her, “Did you get dragged in here by the Hunter too?”
“Hunter?” I asked.
“That big invisible thing that kills everything in sight. Loud footsteps, moves fast, really hard to hit.” He explained.
“No. We came here by our own power.” I said.
“What are you stupid or something!?” He said.
“Tumbleweed, now don’t be rude.” Rose said.
Tumbleweed, why does that sound familiar?
“Ok. Sorry. So why did you come here?” Tumbleweed asked.
“We came here to find something.” I said.
“A scavenger hunt? In a place like this? What could be here and only here?” Stormy asked.
“Leviathan's Tongue. It’s an herb that grows from a basilisk’s corpse.” I said.
“Oh ya mean that tall wispy stuff growing around that big snake skeleton downstairs?” Stormy asked.
I turned to her quickly, “You’ve seen it!?”
I turned so quickly and sharp that my saddlebags jumped and something fell out of it. I must have forgotten to close them up when we ran.
“Yeah. Once when that thing brought me here. It takes you to the lower level first.” Stormy said.
“Tell me where -” I started to say before I heard the clip of a hammer being pulled back behind me.
I turned to see that Tumbleweed was holding Desert Rose and was pointing it at me with eyes filled with rage. Tears started to form in them as he looked ready to shoot me.
Tumbleweed held the revolver in his magic, the gun shaking inside his magical glow. It wasn’t due to fear, but rage. I could see in his eyes that something had set him off.
“Tumbleweed, the hell are you doing?” Stormy asked.
“Answer my question! Where did you get this revolver!?” Tumbleweed demanded.
“Sweetheart, what has gotten into you?” Rose asked.
“Mama, look at this gun!” Tumbleweed yelled.
His mother did as he asked, and when she did, her eyes grew wide and she turned to look at me.
“What is going on?” Meadow asked.
This was all moving so fast, I didn’t know what to think. I tried to make sense of the situation but the gun pointed at me was commanding most of my attention. Desert Rose, a weapon that had seen a lot in the week or so I had owned it.
At that moment, it clicked in my mind. Tumbleweed, Rose, Desert Rose, those names repeated in my mind.
I looked at the mare, “Are you… Desert Rose?”
She gasped, “No one said my full name. How do you know it?”
There it was, now I understood what was going on. Of all the ponies I could have found in this place, I never would have imagined it could be these two. The memories of the ruined building where I fought Achlys came flooding back to me. Not the fight itself, but what I found just before she found me.
“Sergeant Sage Brush. You’re his wife and child, aren’t you?” I asked.
Tumbleweed grew more angry at the mention of the name, “So you admit it! Where’s my daddy!?”
“Where is my husband!?” Desert Rose demanded.
I looked down for a moment, but quickly gathered the courage for what I needed to do, what I needed to say.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I said, my ears flattening on my head.
Tumbleweed started shaking harder, dropping the gun onto the floor and pounding his hoof into the metal. Rose screamed at the realization of my words and fell over, crying her eyes out. Stormy immediately ran up to catch her and hold her as she sobbed.
I didn’t move, I couldn’t comfort them. Not when I was the one who broke their hearts.
“Can somepony explain what is going on?” Meadow asked.
“Sergeant Sage Brush was a member of the Desert Rangers. I found his body when I left Hydra Junction. He had been killed, and he left his belongings to anyone who would take them to his family.” I said.
I then remembered the holotape that I had found with him. I took it out of my saddlebags and showed it to the family.
“I have his final words. I could play them if you want.” I offered.
They both took a minute to respond, but they eventually nodded. I played the tape in my pipbuck and as the words washed over the room, the crying started again. I just let the words sink in and let them have their moment to mourn.
Tumbleweed was the first to say something, “What happened to him?”
“I didn’t see how he died. But there was a mare in the same building that could have been responsible.” I said.
“A mare?” Rose asked.
“She wore a cloak and had a chain kama for a weapon. She wasn’t normal. My friend Ratchet nailed her to the wall with railway spikes and she pulled herself off like it was nothing.” I explained.
“Was she a pegasus?” Tumbleweed asked.
I looked up at him, “Yes, she was. How did you know?”
“Achlys.” Rose said darkly.
They knew her name! “What do you know about Achlys?” I asked.
“She’s a Fury. Why would a Fury be all the way up north?” Tumbleweed asked.
“Fury?” I asked.
“Not surprised you haven’t heard about them. They tend to keep to the Southern Badlands. And even down there, only a few ponies have ever seen one and lived to tell about it.” Tumbleweed explained.
“What are these Furies?” I asked.
“No one knows. They are tough mares that won’t die. Bulllets, explosions, radiation, nothing seems to bother them much. And they can fight like no pony else.” Tumbleweed said.
Meadow walked up, “I used to live in the South when I was little. I’ve never heard of these Furies.”
“They’ve only been around about fifteen years or so. And again, they are still a big mystery to most ponies. I only know about them because of rumors from down south that the rangers hear.” Tumbleweed said.
Finally, I knew something about these mares. Achlys, Algea, they were Furies, and they came from the Southern Badlands.
“Did you also know about a mare named Algea?” I asked.
Tumbleweed went pale a little, “You know about Algea? Yeah, that one is especially dangerous. Not much is known about her other than she’s crazy.”
“Why are you so interested in the Furies?” Rose asked.
“Because they are responsible for the attack on my stable. And they’ve attacked me several times in the past weeks.” I answered.
“You fought not only Achlys, but Algea as well? Horseapples.” Tumbleweed said.
“I survived, but they could have killed me if they wanted to.” I said.
“Probably just playing with you. Why you anyway? Who are you?” Tumbleweed asked.
“My name is Shadow Strike.” I said.
Rose’s eyes widened and she pointed a hoof at me, “The Badlands Guardian. The one who helped Hydra Junction and kicked Mayor Rich out of Sandpit.”
The mention of Sandpit made me flinch a little, “Yes, I guess that’s me.”
Tumbleweed’s eyes widened too.
“So you’re the Guardian. Now I really feel bad about pointing a gun at you. I’m sorry.” Tumbleweed said apologetically.
“No. I’m the one who should be sorry. If I had found the Sergeant sooner, maybe I could have saved him.” I said.
“If Achlys got a hold of him, I doubt you could have done anything Shadow. Damn those freaks.” Tumbleweed said, hitting the metal floor again.
“So, why are you two here? I thought the Desert Rangers lived in Fort Trough? I asked.
“We do. But when my husband went missing, we left to find him.” Rose said.
“But why? It’s dangerous out here. You’re pregnant ma’am, you shouldn’t be out here.” I said.
“What do you want me to do then!? Wait at the fort and watch my son go missing looking for his father? I couldn’t bear to lose him too.” Rose sobbed.
“Mama.” Tumbleweed said softly.
I looked down, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my place. I apologize.” I said.
Rose didn’t answer, only sobbed as her son embraced her.
“How did you two get here?” I asked.
“The Hunter. That thing that prowls the stable. It grabs ponies out in the wasteland and brings them here. Tosses you in the lower parts of the stable and hunts you like an animal.” Tumbleweed explained.
“So this thing takes ponies and hunts them for sport?” I said.
“Looks like it. It grabbed me in my sleep, and I was on top of a building.” Stormy said.
“So this thing gets around pretty easily. And it’s invisible. An interesting opponent.” I said, putting my hoof to my chin in thought.
“So, any ideas for getting rid of that thing?” Meadow asked.
“I need more information about it. That writing that was on the wall outside the door. It was a language I didn't recognize. Perhaps this is a safe zone it allows its prey to use?” I said.
“Why would it give its prey a safe room?” Stormy asked.
“To give them time to rest and plan. More of a challenge.” I answered.
“So we are just animals to that thing?” Rose asked.
“Appears so. Meadow and I saw a unicorn get killed by that thing upstairs. Did you know him?” I asked.
“Oh that guy. Yeah, he kept hitting on Mom. Last time we saw him, he just ran up the stairs like an idiot.” Tumbleweed said.
“How long have you all been in this stable?” I asked.
“Mom and I have been here for about five days. Stormy only got here two days ago.” Tumbleweed said.
“Five days? How have you survived that long?” I questioned.
“Luck and ranger training mostly. Mom gets food from the forest area, and I keep the monsters busy. Ran out of ammo this morning. Stormy was out looking for some when she met you.” Tumbleweed said.
“And this thing doesn’t go for Rose? When she’s all alone picking from the forest?” I asked.
“That’s the weirdest part about the hunter. It won’t bother with Mom. I swear I’ve heard it walk right past her.” Tumbleweed said.
I thought about that information for a moment. Why would it ignore Rose? What reason could it have for not hunting her? And then it hit me.
“She’s pregnant. A hunter doesn’t kill females, especially if they’re already with a child.” I said.
“So as soon as Mom has the baby, she’s not safe anymore?” Tumbleweed asked.
“I would assume so. This thing truly acts like a hunter. But why here? And where did it come from? Have you heard any rumors about this hunter?” I asked.
“We heard some hearsay about disappearances, but most chalk that up to slavers and raiders.” Tumbleweed said.
Meadow stepped in, “Well we won’t learn anything here. We need to get to the Leviathan’s tongue. Moonlight doesn’t have much time left.”
I felt a chill run down my spine at her words, “You’re right Meadow. We need to get to the herb.”
“What do you need that stuff for anyway?” Stormy asked.
“My friend Moonlight was poisoned by basilisk venom. We need that herb to cure her.” I said.
“Oh, why didn’t you say so? Count me in.” Stormy said.
“What, why?” I asked.
“Because you and your friends saved my life. Least I can do is help you save another.” Stormy said.
I smiled and nodded to the pegasus, who grinned back at me.
“But what about us? And the Hunter?” Rose asked.
“Don’t worry. As soon as I have the herb, I’m getting all of you out of this place. This Hunter has killed for the last time.” I said.
Rose and Tumbleweed smiled at me, both seemed calmer than when we originally met. I floated out my ammo for Desert Rose and left it with Tumbleweed.
“Take this ammo. Desert Rose is rightfully yours after all.” I said.
Tumbleweed took the ammo and picked up the revolver from the floor. He looked it over and looked back at me. He looked like he wanted to say something but was silent.
I turned to the door, “So Stormy, do you know where the staircase to the next level is?”
“Hell yeah I do. It’s further down the hall and past some old barricades.” She answered.
“Good. Let’s get to the lower level before that Hunter shows up again.” I said.
Stormy led us through the hallway, claw marks and burns lining the walls. This place was much more damaged than the upper floors. I wonder how many ponies had made it up there? Or if any had managed to escape?
Though perhaps they would have spread the word about this creature and this stable if they had. No, this thing was good, and it was smart.
“Stormy, can you tell me anything about this Hunter, anything at all?” I asked.
“Well, it’s smart, that’s for sure. The bottom level is huge, so it sometimes lays traps. Not to mention this thing is near impossible to track. Can’t see it, except for a subtle glimmer in the light.” Stormy answered.
“So it’s probably using some kind of invisibility spell.” I said.
“Or it could be using a stealthbuck.” Stormy said.
“Stealthbuck? What’s that?” I asked.
“Never heard of one? Well, it’s like a portable invisibility spell. Made for non-unicorns.” Stormy said.
“Stealthbucks are only supposed to last a few minutes aren’t they?” Meadow asked.
“That’s true. Perhaps this thing has a way to recharge a stealthbuck.” Stormy said.
“Either way, this thing can’t be invisible all the time. Even the best invisibility spell has flaws. We’ll find this one.” I said.
Both mares nodded as we continued down the hallway and closer to our goal. After a few more twists and turns, we eventually found a large barricade, just as Stormy said. Desks, filing cabinets, and more furniture were stacked on top of each other all the way to the ceiling. The only hole in it was big enough for a pony to squeeze through.
“That hole is small. How does the Hunter get between this floor and the bottom level?” I asked.
“No clue. It seems to get around wherever it wants. Nearly got me and Tumbleweed a day ago when it found a way around a locked door on us.” Stormy said.
“So this thing is well aware of the layout of this place. Though I get the feeling it might be more than that. Let’s continue to the next level.” I said.
Meadow went first, her horn nearly getting caught on a desk leg, Stormy went in afterwards with no problems at all. I soon followed, the cramped space reminding me of those obstacle courses Master Zala had us sneak through for training.
When we made it to the other side, we soon found the entrance to the stairwell. I slowly opened the door and looked inside, not seeing any movement nor feeling the presence of anything.
“Please tell me there are no spiders in this one.” Meadow said.
“Oh, I wondered where that thing went. It used to be in the forest area. Guess the Bugbear must have kicked it out.” Stormy said.
“Yeah, it’s in the main stairwell. Something we might have to deal with as we get out of here.” I said.
“Actually, Tumbleweed and I were working on getting the elevator working. The kid is really good with tools. Unfortunately, the main breaker is on the bottom level. If we can get that elevator working, we can take it right to the first floor.” Stormy explained.
“Excellent. We’ll keep an eye out for it once we get down there. Come on.” I said.
Meadow and Stormy followed close behind me as we descended down the stairs. I admit, I was nervous. This Hunter was intelligent, so it would be a difficult opponent. I doubted it would let us leave without a fight. Just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean it’s invincible.
The door to the bottom level came into view and as my eyes searched the area around the bottom of the stairs, I immediately stopped. The girls stopped immediately as well.
“Shadow, what’s wrong?” Meadow asked.
“Look there.” I said, pointing my hoof to the bottom of the stairs.
Both mares looked at the direction of my hoof and saw a thin wire. We traced the wire towards the wall and up over the area at the bottom of the stairs. A bunch of tin cans were tied up in a bundle.
“It’s an alarm. Tripwire pulls at the cans and they rattle, alerting our Hunter.” I said.
“Good eye. That sure wasn’t there when I got through here.” Stormy said.
“The Hunter must have put this here recently then. Perhaps it was preparing for its next victim.” I said.
“Let’s step over it and keep quiet.” Meadow said.
I nodded and we all stepped very carefully over the tripwire. The door was right in front of us, no trap in sight. I carefully opened the door with my magic and looked out into the huge area that was Level 5.
The place was massive, like nothing I had ever seen in my stable. It was like an underground jungle, with large trees and huge foliage all around. We came out of the stairwell on a cliff face, overlooking the vast area. The canopy made it near impossible for us to see everything below, but the outer borders of the jungle told us that the plants had basically taken over. I could see most of the old doors around the walls of the level. Some were open, some were closed.
“This is… this is impossible.” Meadow said.
“Yeah, I pretty much had the same thought when I got here. Thought this thing had taken me to some other world or something. That theory got blown away as soon as I saw the metal walls.” Stormy said.
“This technology is incredible. To make an environment like this underground, it’s simply astounding.” I said.
“Yeah, it’s something I guess. So, are you ready to do this?” Stormy said.
“Yes. First thing’s first, where’s the basilisk?” I asked.
Stormy pointed off to the left side of the floor, “Right around the back left corner of this place. It’s by the mouth of a cave.”
“It would be far away.” Meadow sighed.
“Well, better get started. Stay close and keep an eye out for anything.” I said.
Both girls nodded and we were off down the cliff and into the jungle. The floor of the jungle was soft and warm, like it was a real jungle. StableTech really outdid themselves with this kind of work. Did the Ministry of Peace fund this thing? And where did they get the technology?
“Oh, by the way, watch out for poison ivy. Stuff is everywhere.” Stormy said, hovering in the air.
“Says the pegasus that can fly over it.” I said jokingly.
“No need to be jealous.” Stormy said, hovering in front of us and giving us a wink.
I rolled my eyes, but I could swear I heard Meadow’s breathing get a little more noticeable. I looked back at her and she seemed fine, other than the nervous whistling.
We continued through the jungle, eventually finding a river running through it. For Luna’s sake, what kind of place was this?
Stormy landed at the water’s edge and took a drink, “Ah, now that’s the stuff. Come on guys, have a drink. It’s really refreshing.”
Meadow and I took a drink ourselves and she was right. It truly was pure and refreshing. I took out my canteen and filled it up. They must have had a water purifying talisman somewhere on this floor. “This place cannot be real. Even the well water Mother and I use isn’t this pure.” Meadow said.
“I agree. Something about this place seems off.” I said.
“Well, I have no idea. Magic’s never been my thing. You know, kinda need a horn.” Stormy said, pointing at her forehead.
“Pegasi still have magic. Without it, you couldn’t even fly from what I read.” I said.
“Yeah, and getting to sleep on a cloud is a nice bonus. Also we don’t run out unlike you horn heads.” Stormy said jokingly.
Then she flew right in front of Meadow, “Speaking of horns, yours is huge. Never seen a unicorn with something like this.”
Stormy tapped on Meadow’s horn, making her reel back a little.
“I’m.. I’m not a unicorn. I’m a Kirin.” Meadow said flustered.
“Kirin? Never heard of ‘em.” Stormy said, shrugging her shoulders.
“They were a very isolated race. They avoided contact with everyone and kept mostly to themselves.” I said.
“Oh ok. Can you do magic, or is that thing just for show?” Stormy asked.
Meadow blushed a little and the markings on her horn lit up, making her bow float in the air in front of her.
“Oh, so the whole thing doesn’t light up like a unicorn? That’s cool. Is it made from the same stuff? Kinda looks like you got a tree branch growing out of your head.” Stormy said.
Meadow pouted at that comment and turned to walk away.
I looked over at Stormy and she looked confused, “Was it something I said?”
I rolled my eyes and moved to catch up to Meadow, “You know she wasn’t making fun of you.”
“Leave me alone.” Meadow said quietly.
“Meadow.” I said.
She then turned to glare at me, “I said leave me alone!”
I stepped back, and she huffed and started walking again. It was strange, I thought her eyes went all white again, like that other time.
“I think I pissed her off.” Stormy said, landing next to me.
“Yeah, looks like you did. Nice move.” I said.
“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. I think her horn looks cool.” Stormy said defensively.
“Well apparently, she took offense. Let’s just give her some space for a bit.” I said.
Stormy and I followed behind Meadow, giving her some time to cool off. I was trying to understand what set her off. Maybe she was bullied back in Olympia? She must have been the only Kirin in her age group. Maybe the other foals picked on her because she was different. I knew that feeling. Maybe I could talk to her about it later.
Suddenly, my fur stood on end and my legs locked up. Something was here.
“Something is watching us.” I whispered to Stormy.
“Wait what?” Stormy said, looking around.
“Act normal. Don’t make any sudden moves.” I said.
“Think it’s the Hunter?” Stormy asked.
“Maybe. Keep walking, we don’t know what we’re dealing with. Let it make a move first.” I said.
We continued walking and nothing happened. Whatever was watching us didn’t make a move. It was either testing our nerves, or playing with us. Neither scenario was appreciated.
“Shadow, Stormy! Over here!” Meadow shouted from up ahead.
We rushed through the foliage to find Meadow standing on a large boulder, looking back at us. When we stood next to her, she pointed straight ahead. What I saw in that moment made all our progress worth the effort.
There it was. A large skeleton, longer than any creature I had ever seen before. The body seemed to stretch on across the basin and into the trees farther inside the complex. The skull was enormous, larger than the boulder we were currently standing on. Fangs as large as stalactites, and more sharp teeth lining the jaw.
“That’s it alright. So, where’s the plant we’re looking for?” Stormy asked.
That made the blood in my heart go cold. I looked across the skeleton and didn’t see any Leviathan’s tongue from where we stood. I jumped down off the boulder and ran in a panic. There had to be some here, there just had to be!
“Shadow, wait!” Meadow called after me.
I did not stop, I reached the skull of the beast and searched around frantically for any sign of the herb. All around the head of the snake was nothing but moss and rocks. There was nothing. I traveled down the length of the body, my keen eyes desperately looking for anything. The longer I looked, the more my heartbeat increased as panic dung its way into my soul. This was our only chance to save Moonlight. It had to be here!
“Shadow, stop.” Meadow said behind me.
“Keep looking, it was to be here.” I said.
“Shadow, you need to calm down. You’re sweating and your breathing is irregular. You’re dangerously close to having a panic attack. You need to relax.” Meadow said.
“How can I relax when I failed!?” I said, hitting the ground with my hoof.
She moved up to my side, “You didn’t fail. We still have more of the body to search. We’ll find it, don’t worry Shadow.”
Stormy landed on my other side, “Hey come on, don’t get all emotional on us yet. I’ll do a fly by across the whole beast. Back in a flash!”
Stormy launched up into the air, barreling into the treeline and following the path of bones. I sat there, unmoving as I tried to regain control of myself. Meadow was right, I can’t have a panic attack now. I needed to focus. That Hunter could be anywhere out here.
Then, a feminine scream filled the jungle.
“Stormy!” I yelled, jumping back to my hooves.
Meadow and I raced into the jungle, looking for the pegasus. We followed down the length of the skeleton, dodging bushes and large tree roots. After about five minutes of running, we stopped as we saw her.
Stormy was trapped on the ground, in a net. She struggled as the net had wrapped around her torso, trapping her wings and her legs. She couldn't move.
“Stormy!” Meadow shouted as she ran towards her, pulling out her hunting knife.
As I stepped to follow her, something caught my eye. Something in the tree above Stormy. A shimmer in the light, like sunlight reflecting in the water.
“Stop! It’s the Hunter!” Stormy shouted.
As Meadow reached Stormy, the shimmer moved like lightning, jumping down and towards her.
“Meadow, above you!” I said, running towards her with all my speed.
She didn’t have time to stop before the being had landed in front of her. A thump was the only indication she had that something was in front of her. She tried to turn and run away but she stopped, being lifted into the air by the Hunter grabbing her by the mane. She screamed and tried to kick at the invisible assailant.
“Let go of her!” I said, jumping up and directing a kick at whatever I could behind her.
My leg connected with something hard and it seemed to backpedal a little. It didn’t drop Meadow, but almost. I drew Venta as I turned to land on my hind legs and push off the ground for another attack. My blade slashed at the invisible force holding her and sparks flew off as my blade connected with the Hunter. Whatever this was, it was tough.
I felt it try to grab at my leg, but quickly drew Umbra, using the hilt to knock it away. Meadow screamed as the fighting caused the Hunter to pull at her mane, still holding her above the ground. I landed on the ground once again, Venta flying beside me. I couldn’t cut this thing, so I took the only other option I could think of.
Venta slashed again, but this time, I cut through just the back bits of Meadow’s mane, cutting just the ends of her mane, enough to free her from the thing’s grip. She fell to the ground and quickly got back to her hooves. We both saw her hair being held by something, like it was floating in midair. Then it dropped the hair and we heard it leap away.
“Meadow, free Stormy!” I shouted, Venta and Umbra at the ready as I searched for any sign of movement.
Meadow nodded and shakily took her hunting knife and started cutting Stormy free. Another thud came as the Hunter landed behind Stormy. Meadow flinched and was parazled, unable to move. Stormy struggled against the torn net now, trying to get free.
Meadow could not see the Hunter, but in her mind, she saw an invisible hand reach out to grab her again.
“Not this time asshole!” Stormy shouted, having gotten her legs free.
She kicked at the shimmer in front of her, making contact and drawing out a screech from the Hunter. The first noise I had heard from this thing since coming here. Stormy then spun on the ground, freeing her wings from the net as well. She launched off the ground and kicked with all her might at whatever was above her. Making contact, another thud was heard as it seemed she knocked the Hunter down.
“Let’s go! We need to get it out in the open, away from the trees!” I shouted.
Stormy nodded and helped Meadow back to her shaky hooves. She held onto the Kirin and helped her run in her dazed state. We ran through the path of bones and back out into the clearing where the skull was. As we landed in the clearing, I spun around and readied my weapons for whatever came out of the treeline.
But nothing came. We waited for several minutes as tensions rose all around us. Our eyes darted in every direction, looking for any possible sign. But as more minutes went on with no indication of movement, the tension started to dissipate.
“Is it gone?” Stormy asked.
“I think so. I don’t sense anything.” Meadow answered.
“It probably fell back to regroup and think of another tactic to use on us. We probably caught it by surprise when we fought back.” I said.
Putting my weapons away, I turned back to the skeleton.
“Either way, we still need the Leviathan’s Tongue. Stormy, did you see any sign of it before you were captured?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, I saw it right before the Hunter caught me!” Stormy said.
“Why didn’t you say anything!? You know what nevermind. Take us there!” I said.
“What if the Hunter attacks us again?” Meadow asked.
“He’s lost the element of surprise now. We’ll be on high alert, so it’ll be more difficult for him to sneak up on us.” I said.
Meadow nodded and Stormy took off again, slower than last time so as not to lose us. After some time following our pegasus friend, she landed next to the skeleton and stopped. We arrived next to her and she looked confused and distraught.
“Stormy, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“They were here, right there! I know this is the spot. They were right there, nestled into the bones!” Stormy shouted, pointing at the bones.
But the herb was not there, little stubs left in the dirt but no herb.
“Could you be mistaken?” I asked.
“No! I know this is the spot. They were right here!” Stormy shouted at me.
“But where did they go?” Meadow asked.
I stopped and pondered the situation we found ourselves in. If Stormy was truly so confident that the herb was here, then where did it go? Then a thought occurred to me, and it made me furious to think about it.
“The Hunter. I think he stopped following us to-” I said.
My explanation was interrupted by the snapping of a twig behind us. We all turned to see that a small bag had been dropped and broke a small twig on the ground. It must have been dropped from high up to make enough force for that. I looked into the trees, looking for the shimmer.
“Shadow, I think it’s baiting us.” Meadow said.
“I believe you’re right. Somehow it knows why we’re here.It's using that to taunt us.” I said.
“How can this thing know why you’re here?” Stormy asked.
“Maybe it heard us talk about it. Who knows how good it’s hearing is.” I suggested.
“So, what do we do?” Meadow asked.
I said nothing and started walking toward the bag. Nothing happened as I was approaching it, but I was on high alert for anything out of the ordinary. As I reached the bag, I quickly picked it up and opened it.
Sure enough, the bag was full of Leviathan’s tongue, more than a dozen pieces of the stuff. It looked like it was good quality.
Then, the bag flew out of my hoof, by some kind of little string attached to it. It went into the trees, going higher and higher.
“No you don’t!” I said.
Umbra flew through the air and cut the string before embedding itself into a tree. The bag fell once again, before something snatched it out of the air and landed with a thump on the jungle floor.
I took out my new shotgun and fired a blast in the direction of the thump, not seeming to hit anything. Pulling the lever to load in another shell, I soon found myself struck by something from the side. It knocked me over, but I spun on the ground and regained my footing, firing another shot in the direction of the strike. This time my shot hit something and made sparks fly off.
A piece of black armor-like material fell to the ground, spraying green goo alongside it. More of the green substance began to drip off something as it stood there.
After a minute, another shimmer came and the invisibility that had hidden the Hunter from us wore off, and we finally got a look at what we were up against.
It was huge, bigger than me, about as tall as Artemis was. It had thick black armor all around it. At least I thought it was armor. The substance was cracked on the foreleg where my shotgun hit it. It didn’t look like any metal that I knew. It had large broad shoulders, strong legs, all supporting its large frame. Blades were attached to its forelegs with gauntlets. It wore a helmet, showing a horn and large green eyes staring at us with interest. No pupils, but I could tell there was intelligence behind those eyes as it just stood there, watching us.
“So, done hiding?” I asked, trying to sound confident.
It didn’t talk, only making this hissing sound as it stood up on its hind legs. It stood tall and on the ends of its forelegs were claws. It attempted to slash at me, but I jumped away. An arrow of light flew over my shoulder and towards the Hunter. Amazingly, the arrow simply bounced off its chest. Not even a scratch.
“This thing is magic resistant!” I yelled back to Meadow.
Stormy flew in behind the Hunter and spun her body around, using the momentum to strike at the Hunter’s side. She connected and while she did wence upon impact, the Hunter was pushed back a few feet.
Stormy landed by me and rubbed at her hind leg, “It’s like kicking somepony in power armor.”
I had no idea what power armor was, but I didn’t have the time for questions. The Hunter recovered and the horn on its head glowed green, firing a bolt of green magic at me and Stormy. I pulled Stormy back as we jumped away, the bolt missing us and impacting the ground. The ground glowed for a moment before turning into a puddle of goo.
“Ok, it’s shooting plasma at us. That’s not fair.” Stormy said.
“Keep moving, don’t let that stuff even graze you!” I shouted.
I pulled out my shotgun, loading another shell in and firing at the Hunter again. However, It jumped a good several feet in the air and dodged it. It landed behind me and went after Stormy. The pegasus took to the air, dodging a slash from the Hunter. It jumped again, landing in a tree high above us. Meadow appeared at my side and took a physical arrow from her quiver, firing at the Hunter again. It simply deflected the arrow with its blade gauntlet.
Meadow groaned in frustration, “I’m really starting to hate this thing.”
“I’ll get its attention, see if you can hit it while its back is turned.” I said.
I rushed forward, to the base of the tree. Umbra was stuck in the base so I pulled it out and looked up to see the Hunter staring down at me. I could feel as if our eyes met.
Stormy came barreling towards our assailant with a loud yell, trying to deliver a spin kick to its head. But it ducked and jumped down from the tree, heading right towards me. I jumped back and avoided another slash as it impacted at the base of the tree.
As it landed, I jumped at it with Venta, slashing at its chest. My blade dug into the armor like substance, not deep but enough to sting a little. The Hunter didn’t even flinch, using our close proximity to slash at me again. It got me right across my cheek, drawing blood and making me jump back again. It followed me, more slashes came my way as it didn’t let up.
As I turned to move away from it, it roared in pain as an arrow dug into its shoulder. It ripped the arrow out and turned towards Meadow. It must have been glaring at her, though I couldn’t see it through the helmet. It fired another bolt of plasma, missing Meadow just barely as Stormy pushed her out of the way.
While its back was turned to me, I saw the pouch of Leviathan’s Tongue dangling off its hip. I quickly tried to grab at it, but the moment my hoof made contact, I was grabbed by a clawed arm. It threw me in the direction of my friends, and Meadow thankfully caught me in her magic before setting me down.
We didn’t get any time to rest before it came at us again. We all scattered and it seemed to go after Meadow. Venta flashed through the air as I closed the distance, slashing across its back and making it hiss loudly. Stormy then came from above, drop-kicking the Hunter in the head. The kick staggered it for a moment, and that was all the time I needed.
I jumped at its waist again, and this time, I was able to grab the small bag from it. I jumped back with the bag, Stormy and Meadow coming to my side. The Hunter recovered and saw the bag in my hoof. It rushed at us.
Meadow’s horn then glowed brighter than I had ever seen it before. I didn’t know what she was doing until I looked back towards the Hunter. Vines grew from the ground, catching its legs and making it fall to the ground. More vines appeared and held it against the ground. It struggled with the vines, making some snap. It couldn’t keep up with the vines though, ending up stuck to the jungle floor.
Meadow staggered on her hooves as the glow from her horn faded. I could tell this was draining her.
“That won’t hold it for long. Stormy, help Meadow. We need to find somewhere to hide!” I shouted.
Stormy nodded and picked up Meadow by her forelegs, making the Kirin squirm as she was lifted into the air. I ran as fast as I could, Stormy flying right above me. I didn’t know how much time those vines would give us, but I was determined to make every second count. I had what I needed, now I just needed to get out of this place.
“Shadow, I see a door up ahead!” Stormy shouted from above.
I looked ahead and indeed there was a door. A typical sliding stable door, at the edge of the jungle. Maybe it was an office for scientists.
Stormy made it to the door first, dropping Meadow and opening it with a push of a button. I caught up and ran inside with the girls, immediately closing the door behind us. The door had an emergency lock on it, so I pulled it. A red light appeared on the door controls, indicating that the door could not be opened from the outside.
“Think it can get in?” Stormy asked.
“Maybe, so let’s not waste time. We need to think of a way out of here.” I said.
Meadow collapsed onto the floor, panting for breath. Stormy and I were immediately at her side.
“Meadow, you ok?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. That spell just takes a lot out of me. I might have overdid it.” Meadow said, laying her head on her foreleg.
“Shit. How long till you can walk?” Stormy asked.
“A couple minutes. A drink of water and some rest and I’ll be ok.” Meadow said, pulling out her canteen.
“Alright, five minutes.” I said. I looked around the room, looking for anything that could be useful. The office was larger than I originally thought. Monitors lined the walls and several computers sat on desks that were mostly intact. However, only one was still glowing that familiar green. I walked over to it and typed at the keyboard.
The computer came to life and asked for a password. I started my usual routine of hacking, but this computer was a lot harder to crack than others I had encountered. I stopped before the last attempt, not wanting to get locked out. I sat back in the chair and decided to look through the drawers of the desk to get my mind off the computer.
When I opened the last drawer, I was met with the sight of two items. One was a pink memory orb, and the other was a small key. What could have a lock that small?
Then I remembered the small book I had found in the locker room on the previous floor. I dug it out of my saddlebags and picked up the key in my magic. Taking the memory orb and placing it in my bag, I floated out the diary and placed the key to the lock and amazingly, it fit. The lock was released, and the book fell open.
The first page read, “Diary of Dr. Fauna.”
Dr. Fauna, that was the name of the scientist from that other journal entry back on the first floor. Was that locker I found hers? And was this her desk, seeing as the key was hidden here?
I turned the page to the first entry and began to read.
Day 35
They deleted most of my journal entries from my computer, but as long as I’m careful, they can’t stop me from writing this down. This stable wasn’t what we were told it would be. Sure there are a lot of animals and creatures down here, but that was just a front for something else. I don’t have all the details yet, but I will find them. I doubt Fluttershy was fully aware of what Stable-Tec had planned for us.
So the computer I found earlier was hers. All those corrupt files were some kind of cover up. What was really going on in this stable?
Day 45
I finally managed to hack into the mainframe. And what I found confirmed all my fears. The animals are not the main priority for the Overmare, it's the jungle on the lowest level. It’s so small right now, but still larger than it was when the stable was closed. The rate it is growing, it’ll cover not only the bottom floor but also could spread throughout the stable. I’m still reading the research notes. How are they making them grow like that?
The jungle? Well it has grown a lot from what I can tell of her description. She was correct and it did spread. But what made it grow for so long? I continued on to the next entry.
Day 66
Proper Sentiment nearly caught me in the mainframe today. She sent the Chief of Security to search my office. The nerve of her!
But that won’t stop me. I am determined to find out what secrets this stable holds. I have been sending reports to Fluttershy through our old communication channel. She hasn’t responded, but I pray to Luna that she is ok. I have no idea what the outside is like.
Anyway, I have found something new. It is encrypted, but I have a friend on the research team who can break the code for me. Don’t worry Fluttershy, I won’t let them get away with lying to you.
MInistry Mare Fluttershy, there she was again. Just like at the EREC facility. What was she doing operating in the Badlands? Why did she help build a stable in a swamp? What was going on?
Day 92
It took forever, but my friend finally cracked through the encryption, and what I found made no sense. This stable wasn’t meant to protect animals at all. They were only a front to the public. The true goal of this stable is, terraforming.
I had heard theories about it, but never truly thought it would exist. I had heard of unicorns using magic to breathe life back into gardens and crops, but never an entire ecosystem. The amount of magic it would take to make the parameters in their simulations would be on level with the Princesses and more.
We have a reactor in the stable, but nothing that could ever make something like this possible. Where were they getting the energy from? I haven’t finished going through the information, so perhaps I will find my answers.
Terraforming? The act of giving life back to a barren land? That was impossible. No magic like that exists. It’s just science fiction. But it did kinda explain the jungle in this stable.
Day 96
I feel sick. This can’t be real. I know where they are getting the energy for terraforming.
Life.
It’s slowly draining the life out of every creature in the stable. The reactor was developed by the Ministry of Arcane Science. It slowly drains life at a pace where the subject barely notices. As long as the environment is not lacking in material and nutrients, it doesn’t spread beyond large animals and other fauna. The basilisk we have here in the stable is showing signs of age far beyond what it should. Manticores and other animals are sick too. The steroids we were told to give them weren’t for their health at all. It was to help them grow to feed the machine.
However, that’s not the worst part. We had somepony admitted to the infirmary today. It was poor Notebook, my friend who helped me decrypt this very information. He had been taken by the Overmare two days ago and seemed to vanish before showing up again in the infirmary. Proper Sentiment said he had spent too much time near the reactor and was suffering from radiation poisoning. I know now what is really happening to him.
The reactor was draining him. It wasn’t designed to take from ponies, but it did. We have been living down here with a machine that has been draining our very lives away. All to see if they could make terraforming real. I have to get this information to Fluttershy. She will save me. We’re friends, she can’t leave me to die in her-
The writing cut off there, most likely when she was caught and had her diary confiscated by security. That’s why I found it in the locker.
So that’s what was up with this place. Why we didn’t find any bodies, or other animals other than the large ones we had encountered in the upper levels. The reactor in this stable was draining everything of life. The panther and the bugbear were so large because of the steroids they were given. Or maybe they just adapted to grow bigger to survive the machine draining them.
One thing was for sure, we needed to get out of this stable. Or it would drain our life away.
“We need to leave,” I said.
Meadow and Stormy looked at me with curious eyes.
“Well yeah, that’s kinda obvious. We got a Hunter trying to kill us.” Stormy said plainly.
“He’s the least of our worries now. The reactor of this stable is sapping life from every creature here. Including us.” I said.
Both mares' eyes grew wide from that statement.
“You can’t be serious, Shadow.” Meadow said quietly.
I showed them Dr. Fauna’s diary, all the details. The more they read, the more scared they looked. Stormy especially.
“So this thing has been draining us ever since we got here?” Meadow asked.
“Yes, and it’ll keep going as long as we’re near it.” I said.
“I’ve been here for days, and Rose and Tumbleweed have been here longer..” Stormy said.
Her eyes went wide, “Rose is pregnant! What about her baby!?”
I didn’t even think about that. Shit! We needed to hurry.
“We have to get them out of here! Now!” I said, moving to the door.
“But what about the Hunter? How are we gonna get past it?” Meadow asked, sounding scared.
I stood there, trying to think of something that could work. It was too fast for us to just outrun it. Not to mention it knew the terrain better than us. It would catch us if we tried to run.
However, there was one way that could work..
I looked at them with serious eyes, “When I open this door, Stormy, you fly Meadow up to the door and get out of here. Find Tumbleweed and Rose and take them out of the stable. Don’t look back and don’t slow down.”
“But what about you?” Meadow asked.
I looked out the window of the office, “I’m gonna buy you girls the time you need. I’ll keep his attention while you go. I’ll catch up as soon as I can.”
“What!? That’s suicide Shadow. You can’t fight that thing on your own!” Meadow shouted.
“No way am I leaving you behind. You saved my life!” Stormy shouted at me too.
“I know this is hard. But it’s the only way. You need to get out of this stable. Rose especially. Her baby might be in danger.” I said.
Meadow had tears in her eyes while Stormy growled and kicked one of the desks over, smashing the already broken computer.
That set off another thought in my head and had me pull out the diary again. Searching through the pages again, I got to the last page and found what I figured would be there. The password to Dr. Fauna’s computer, Fluttershy.
I moved quickly over to the computer and typed in the password, unlocking the computer. The display showed me all her files that were still intact. And a map of the stable! I quickly downloaded it to my pipbuck and found that the reactor room was here on this level. On the other side of the jungle.
Another entry on the computer was a file labeled “Reactor”. I clicked it and it gave me a code. When it displayed the code, a voice came out of the speaker.
“If you are hearing this message, then I am dead. But I can still make things right with your help.
My name is Dr. Fauna, and I implore you to destroy the reactor in this stable. The code given to you in this file was created by my late friend Notebook, the last act of his life. Enter it into the console of the reactor room and it will cause the reactor to melt down. You will have 30 mins before it blows.
I know that whoever finds this message will make the right choice. At least, I hope you will. Let this evil place die and be buried.
This is Dr. Fauna, giving her last farewell. I’m sorry, Fluttershy.
The code to overload the reactor. Even if I couldn’t kill the Hunter, I could bury it with the stable. This reactor needed to go, before it hurts anyone else. Two birds, with one code.
“Shadow?” Meadow called to me.
“The reactor. I can destroy it along with the stable.” I said.
“That’s insane!” Stormy said.
“I can lead the Hunter into the reactor room and trap him. Then use the code to overload the reactor, destroying the Hunter and the stable.” I said.
Stormy looked away for a moment, “It could work. But what if you get stuck? What if the Hunter kills you? I can’t let you die here!”
I moved up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder, “Stormy, you don’t owe me anything. I need you to get everyone out of here. Please.”
Stormy looked at me hard, but eventually just smiled.
“You better get out alive. Or I’ll come drag you out myself.” Stormy said.
“I will.” I said.
I looked to Meadow who was still upset about this plan. She was crying now, and when I approached her, she looked at me in rage.
“What about your friends!? What am I supposed to tell them? That I left you here to die?” Meadow shouted at me.
“Meadow, Moonlight needs that herb. Ratchet and Saskia will understand. I’ll be ok. I’ll make it back to your house. I promise.” I said.
She choked a little as she sobbed, and then she hugged me. Something I wasn’t expecting but I didn’t stop her.
“You better come back. I don’t want to lose my first real friend.” Meadow said.
I was shocked once again. We hadn’t known each for very long yet she called me her friend.
“Meadow..” I said quietly.
A loud crashing noise came from outside, like a tree had fallen down. Stormy went to the window of the office and got a worried look on her face.
“It found us. And it looks really pissed off.” She said, looking back at us.
“Then you two need to get out of here!” I said.
I passed Meadow the bag with the Leviathan’s Tongue in it and she put it away in her saddlebag. Stormy opened the door and we ran outside to confront the beast. It screeched at us with a loud hissing noise. I took out my shotgun and loaded as many shells as it could hold.
“Stormy! Go!” I shouted before firing.
The shot hit the Hunter square in the chest and pushed it back into the tree that it had knocked down. Stormy gave me one last look before lifting off. She grabbed Meadow by her barrel and flew up towards the door. When the Hunter recovered and saw the two flying off, it looked like it was about to jump and pursue them. But another blast from my shotgun stopped it again. It turned to me.
“Your fight is with me now. They are no longer your concern.” I said, cocking my shotgun.
The Hunter stood its ground and we began to circle each other, waiting for the other to make a move. I was more patient than it as it lunged at me. I dodged and fired again, hitting it in the shoulder, causing another spray of that green goo. It must have been blood.
If this thing bleeds, I can kill it.
I had to get to the reactor. But first I had to get some distance from this thing. I began to move across the field and into the treeline. I could hear the Hunter chasing after me, so that was good. I took a moment to stop and take a quick look at my map. The reactor was definitely on the other side of the jungle. Surprisingly I was going in the right direction.
The Hunter landed in front of me and tried to slash at me. I dodged it and fired another shot from my shotgun, impacting its chest. It seemed to be less effective than it was earlier. Perhaps it’s getting used to the pain.
I blocked another slash with Venta and made another attempt to run for the reactor. I made it a few meters before something caught one of my legs. I fell to the ground as some kind of bola tied my legs up. I took out Umbra to cut through them, but the Hunter was right on top of me by the time I got to my hooves.
I didn’t have time to dodge as it struck me with enough force to slam me against a nearby tree. The blow knocked the wind out of me and my shoulder felt like someone used it to break a rock. When I recovered, the Hunter was on me again, slashing at me. I ducked and its blade got stuck in the thick tree. I took this opportunity to slash at it with Venta, cutting through its armor plating and causing more green blood to splatter the tree.
It hissed in pain and turned to try and knock me away with its forearm. I jumped away and ran again towards the direction of the reactor. I made quite a bit of progress as the Hunter took its time to free itself. And as I burst through the trees, I found my destination.
Dead animals and skeletons of all kinds of creatures littered the floor of the jungle. Several of the skeletons I could tell were ponies. So this is where all the staff and residents ended up. They must have tried to kill the reactor and died for their efforts. I needed to end this quickly. The closer I was to this thing, the more life it would drain from me.
The Hunter burst through the treeline and crushed the skeleton of a manticore under its weight. I turned back to see the door to the reactor, closed. Of course it had to be closed.
The Hunter just stood there, unmoving for a moment. And then it did something I did not expect. It reached up and started to remove the helmet it had been wearing. When the helmet hissed and fell from its head, I nearly lost my lunch.
The head’s shape looked kinda like a pony, the face was anything but. Large mandibles decorated its mouth, chittering and revealing the green insides of its maw. Large blue eyes with no pupils stared at me with silent hate. The rest of its head seemed to have that same black armor like skin. As I looked more at this thing, it reminded me more of an insect than a mammal. The horn on its head was crooked, almost unnatural and nothing like a unicorn.
“You are one ugly motherfucker.” I said with disgusted fascination.
It let out a great loud hiss and its horn lit up, firing a bolt of green magic at me. I dodged, only to realize that it moved swiftly in front of me and grabbed at my throat, pushing me back until I impacted the wall. It knocked the breath out of me and breathing became near impossible as it had a firm grip on my neck. It leaned in and chittered at me, the mandibles almost touching me as it stared at me.
I did the only thing I could do, fire a blast of sparks right into its face, slightly singeing my own mane. Thankfully I closed my eyes to avoid any major damage. It was enough to make the Hunter let go and recoil. That gave me time to catch my breath and fish out a potion from my bag. I pulled out an ice blue potion bottle, the label read, “Whiteout”. I drank the potion and felt the icy chill go up my spine as the potion took effect. When I opened my eyes, the Hunter was already recovered and ready to attack once more.
It charged at me again, blades ready to cleave off my head. It seemed slower than before, due to the effect of the Whiteout. I dodged the attack with ease, sliding my way closer to the door of the reactor and turning to face my opponent once more. My reflexes and reaction speed were increased for a short period of time. I had to get this thing into the reactor core before it wears off.
The Hunter charged at me again, only this time I waited until the last second. The blades came down and barely missed me, cutting clean through the door. The door was cut in a diagonal line, making part of the door fall over due to its weight. I took the opportunity to jump through the hole in the door and into the reactor room. The Hunter was too large to fit in the hole and tried to reach for me, failing miserably.
I had about a minute before it cut completely through the door. I had to move fast. I went to the control console and typed in the code that I had gotten from Dr. Fauna’s terminal. I didn’t initiate the command, only leaving it ready. One push of a button, and the command would overload the reactor. Now came the hard part.
The door fell over, having been torn to shreds by the Hunter. It glared at me and slowly advanced, caution now apparent in its movement. It must know I’m up to something. I slowly moved towards the door of the reactor. Even with the door closed, I could feel something tingle on the back of my neck. It was like I was being drawn towards the door. The reactor was still very active, and the closer I was to it, the worst the effect would be. I needed to get out of here.
The Hunter screeched and charged again, making me jump back. My back hit the door leading to the reactor. I looked over and saw the control panel. I pushed the button and the door lifted up. I turned my head to see the life sucking machine. More skeletons lined the floor, several wearing radiation suits. These ponies died either trying to turn this thing off, or protect it. I could not tell.
The Hunter came at me again, making me jump inside the room and dodge multiple slashes. I only had about another three minutes before the potion wore off. The Hunter then tried firing bolts of magic at me, not seeming to care about the reactor in the room. Did this thing not realize where we were, or what this machine was? Had the reactor been draining its life force as well?
The Hunter flew at me again, only this time, it changed tactics. I dodged the slash of its blade, but did not react in time to dodge the bolt of magic that it fired at me point blank. The blast impacted my shoulder, burning clean through my barding and burning my flesh. I screamed in pain and hit the floor, trying to fight through the pain. I dodged another bolt by scooting across the floor. Venta came out and collided with its blade as we struggled with each other. My magical strength was failing me. But with one last push, Venta cut clean through the blade and cut across its face. Green blood splattered the wall and my face, but I did not look away from my opponent. It reared back in pain and held its face, screeching loudly. Now was my chance!
I pulled back and moved towards the door of the reactor. The Hunter recovered and saw where I was heading, moving to intercept me. My shotgun came out, along with five more shells. Loading them quickly, I fired a shot at the Hunter. My shot hit its torso, knocking it back but not enough to stop it. I fired again, another hit to the torso, again it did not stop. Another shot, this time making it fall to its knees. I was in the doorway, almost to the button. Once again, I fired, and hit it in the head. This made it stagger back and hit its back against the reactor itself. It slowly fell to its rear, sitting with its back against the machine. It seemed to not be able to move anymore. I looked away from the creature and hit the button to close the door. I then turned towards the control panel, and that was a big mistake.
A great pain tore through my burnt shoulder as something pierced clean through it. I looked through the tears and saw that the other blade was lodged into my shoulder. I looked back at the door and saw that the blade had pierced through the door and was connected by a cable leading back into the room. It had a harpoon gun in its wrist blade!
The cable then began to retract back into the room, pulling me towards the door. I screamed in pain and rage, trying to get the harpoon out of my shoulder. It wasn’t budging. My magic sparked painfully, causing me to fall over as the harpoon still pulled at me. I couldn’t see straight, the pain making my vision blurry. I needed to do something!
My magic wasn’t working anymore, the Whiteout had worn off and I could not reach any of my other potions. The situation was dire, and I could not see a way out.
“I am not dying here! I can’t!” I screamed as I tried with the last of my strength to pull the harpoon out.
It was in vain. I was helpless. I failed…
And then suddenly, the force pulling me back stopped. I turned to see the cable connecting the harpoon had been cut. What could have done that?
I then heard the control console for the reactor beep, indicating that somepony had pushed the activation button for the code.
“Warning. Warning. Reactor set to overload. Please evacuate the immediate area. Repeat, evacuate the immediate area. Estimated time to overload, 30 minutes.”
What was going on? Who pushed the button, who cut me free?
I spun around as best I could, “Who’s there!?”
Run.
I heard a voice in my head say. Then the warning came again. I couldn’t stay and ponder who or what was helping me. I needed to get out of here. I took out a healing potion and a bottle of White Wood Sap, to help me move faster and stay moving. The potions worked their magic and I was already moving up the stairs back to Level 3 in ten minutes. I kept moving, noticing the dead Bugbear as I moved through the forest area. The others must have killed it in their escape.
When I reached the stairwell on Level 2, I could tell there had been another fight. The spider was dead, and its guts were everywhere. I thanked the Goddess Luna that my friends had cleared the way for me. As I reached the ground level, I was starting to run out of breath. But I couldn’t stop until I was far enough away from this place.
As the door to the stable came into view, a noise caught my attention and made me look back. To my horror, the Hunter was running down the hallway. Running may not have been the right word, more like it was moving quickly on a broken leg and half torn face. It screeched at me and fired another harpoon at me. I dodged it barely.
“Why won’t you just die!” I yelled.
One last shell left in my shotgun, and my magic was failing. I took it out and jumped, turning in the air, holding the gun to my non injured shoulder. I pulled the trigger with my hoof and it miraculously hit the creature in the head. It fell over again, and this time it didn’t try to get back up. It laid there, looking at me. It moved its claw to a device on its wrist and when it pushed a button, explosions went off blocking the entrance to the stable.
“NO!” I screamed as I tried to get through the rubble.
And then the Hunter did something that scared me to my core, it laughed. And what made it worse was, it sounded like me. This thing was mimicking my laugh.
I had no more time. This thing had won. I simply fell to the floor, crying as the realization of my situation fell upon me. I was going to die. There was no time to find another way around. The Hunter had most likely collapsed the whole front room. I couldn’t escape. The reactor would blow, and I would be caught in the destruction of this stable. This was the end…
As I laid there, ready to meet my Goddess and accept my fate, I swear I saw a purplish blue hoof appear from nowhere, and then a loud explosion rang out before everything went black.
I felt… calm. Something I hadn’t felt since I left the stable. I slowly began to open my eyes and saw the swamp surrounding me. What happened to me? Where was I, and how did I escape the stable? So many questions ran through my head, eventually giving me a slight headache. I tried to lift my hoof up to my head, but I found that I couldn’t move my leg.
I slowly looked down at my leg and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Except the purplish blue leg that laid next to mine. A much larger leg at that.
I slowly turned my head to see who the leg belonged to, and what I saw made me pause for several moments.
I was currently laying against what I could only describe as an alicorn. She had a purplish blue coat, with a white and purple striped mane. Her horn was much longer than mine, and her eyes were lavender purple. She wore a crescent moon necklace with the crescent pointing downward. She also wore a pipbuck. Her wings were tucked against her side. She truly was an alicorn. How was this possible?
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice raspy and dry.
“In due time Shadow. I’m glad you are awake. You never change.” The alicorn said softly.
I looked at her in confusion, “Never change? Do I know you?”
“Yes, and no. As I said, in due time. Do you feel any pain?” She asked.
“Not really. Why won’t you answer my questions? Was it you who started the countdown? Were you the one who got me out of the stable?” I asked.
She looked up from me and to the sky, her ears straight up as she listened.
“Your friends will be here soon. I must leave you now Shadow.” She said, looking down at me once more.
She then teleported, making me fall to my side with her support suddenly gone. I steadied myself, looking around for her.
“Wait! Who are you?” I asked.
“Find her Shadow, you must find her.” Her voice spoke in my head as my vision started to blur.
I felt like I was exhausted all of a sudden, and soon, sleep took hold of me.
The smell of potions and alchemy stirred me from my sleep, reminding me of the times I fell asleep as Mom was preparing potions for her class. I was now on a bed, how did I get here?
I looked around the room I was in, and saw several different types of laboratory equipment sitting on shelves and desks. Potion bottles lined all the shelves on the walls, some of which were concoctions that I didn’t recognize.
The door on the far side of the room opened, revealing Lady Artemis. She walked over to one of the desks and examined the brews and equipment, making me think she hadn’t noticed I was awake.
“Do you plan to lay in my daughter’s bed all morning Guardian?” Artemis said without looking my way.
I quickly got out of the bed and regained my composure, “My apologies Lady Artemis. I thank you for allowing me to recover.”
“Thanks are not necessary. Your friends were insistent that you were given the time to rest, Meadow offered her bed and I allowed it.” She said plainly.
My friends… MY FRIENDS!
“What happened with Moonlight!? Please tell me the others made it back here in time! Please, is she ok!?” I cried out to her.
“Calm yourself. Your thestral friend is quite well. The antidote worked, she is a strong one. She only required a day of rest before she was back on her hooves. Quite the mind for medicine that one.” Artemis said, still not fully acknowledging me.
“Thank Luna. Wait, a day? How long have I been asleep?” I asked.
“Your pegasus friend brought you in two days ago. I was surprised when you weren’t with them when they returned. The moment I gave Moonlight the medicine, Stormy flew off into the swamp to find you. Came back with you on her back, without a scratch on you. I was impressed.” Artemis said, finally looking at me.
“Not a scratch on me? What about the-?” I said, pausing when I looked at the shoulder wound I got from the Hunter.
Or should I say, where I supposed to have a shoulder wound.
The wound was gone, not even a scar remained. And all the other wounds I have sustained in the stable were gone as well. How was this possible?
Then memories of the Alicorn came back, did she heal me?
“What about Desert Rose and Tumbleweed? How are they?” I asked.
“They are fine. Now if you want to keep asking questions, go ask your friends. I am busy.” She said, lighting up her horn and throwing me out of the room.
I landed with a grunt as I slid on the floor, scuffing my chin. She really didn’t like ponies.
Before I could stand up, I looked forward and found a gray mare standing in front of me. Moonlight looked down at me with an expression I couldn’t read. It was like a mix of relief and something I couldn’t place.
She then struck me across my face, making me roll onto my back.
“OW! Moonlight, what was that for?” I yelled as I rubbed my sore cheek.
“How many times are you going to come back unconscious before you get it through your thick skull!?” Moonlight shouted at me.
I rolled over and got back on my hooves, looking at her to reply, my words got caught in my throat. She was crying, tears flowing down her cheeks as she stood there, still looking pissed.
“You’re not invincible Shadow. Why do you keep doing this to us?” Moonlight asked gently as her expression softened.
“Moonlight… I…” I started to say.
“You better think your words through, partner.” Ratchet said, coming up next to Moonlight.
“You done gave all of us heartattacks when that pegasus brought you back. She and Meadow told us what you did in the stable. FIghting some invisible hunter thing to give them time to get out? What in tarnation were you thinking?” Ratchet asked.
“I had to give them time to get everypony out. The reactor was draining our life force, Rose’s baby was in danger.” I said.
“And you could have all fought the creature together! Why do you think you need to do everything on your own!? Don’t you trust us?” Moonlight shouted.
“I do trust you. Every single one of you, but I’m the one trained to fight. You all shouldn’t have to risk your lives when I can handle it!” I shouted back.
“THAT’S OUR DECISION!” Moonlight shouted louder as she came closer to glare at me straight in the eyes.
“But look what’s happened since you guys followed me! Ratchet caught a deadly disease, and you almost died from basilisk venom! And it’s all my fault!” I shouted back.
She slapped me again, “No. It’s their fault. Achlys and Algea. Stop blaming yourself for all the bad things in the world, Shadow.”
Those words finally made me stop, blaming myself, it broke the dam. I started crying now, sobs shook my body as I laid there on the floor. But I wasn’t alone as I laid there, a warm body pressed against my side and a leathery wing pulled me closer. Moonlight’s embrace made me feel safe, warm and comfortable. I cried into her neck as she laid there with me.
“I’m sorry…” I said as the sobs started to slow.
“You have nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault Shadow. You’ve saved us so many times now. So let us take some of your burden. That’s what friends are for.” She said softly.
“But what if you get hurt again?” I asked.
“The Wasteland is an unforgiving place. We all need to be stronger if we’re going to survive out here.” Moonlight said.
“She’s right, partner. You can’t protect us from everything the Wasteland can throw at us. We need to adapt and survive.” Ratchet said.
I smiled at both of them, resting my head against Moonlight, just enjoying the feeling. I truly had wonderful friends.
“Aww.” Another feminine voice said, getting my attention.
I looked up and saw that it was Stormy, laying in the rafters of the hut.
“You two are so adorable. Have to be the cutest couple I’ve ever met.” Stormy said, grinning at us.
I blushed, and judging by the fact Moonlight felt even warmer, I’m guessing she was too. We quickly separated and stood up, regaining our composure. Stormy was laughing now, rolling on her side in the rafters.
“We’re not a couple.” Moonlight and I said in unison.
We both blushed again as we looked at each other.
“Oh, in that case.” Stormy said, flying down to hover right in front of Moonlight.
“Might I say you are a cutie. That little fanged smile of yours must have made you really popular around the Wastes.” Stormy said, looking directly into Moonlight’s eyes.
“I… what?” Moonlight said, very flustered from being this close to Stormy.
Stormy laughed, “You are too cute. Wanna go for a flight?”
Moonlight was saved from the question by the door opening, revealing Saskia and Meadow. Both were carrying saddlebags filled with herbs and fruits.
Stormy then flew over to them, “Hey ladies, knew you couldn’t stay away for long.”
Saskia gave her a coy smile while Meadow blushed furiously.
“Do you flirt with every mare you come across, or did the Enclave not have a good crop this year?” Ratchet said.
Stormy flipped upside down to glare at him, “None of your business. Obviously nopony taught you how to properly address a lady.”
“Sure they did. Saskia, MIss Meadow, good to see y’all back safe and sound.” Ratchet said, giving the two mares a respectful bow.
Saskia giggled at this, “Such a gentlestallion. You could actually learn some manners from him, Stormy.”
Saskia brushed past Stormy and came over to us, “Glad to see back with us Shadow. You brought some interesting company back with you this time.”
Stormy flew over us, “Hey, interesting is better than boring. And yeah, nice to see back in the land of the living, hero. Get enough beauty sleep?”
I flinched a little at the word hero, but I held it back as best I could, “Yeah, sorry about worrying you guys. So where’s Tumbleweed and Rose?”
“Right over here sir.” Tumbleweed said, coming out of another room with Rose following suit.
Stormy quickly flew across the room and laid a large pillow down in front of Rose.
“Oh, thank you Stormy.” Rose said, laying down against the soft pillow.
“Hey, can’t let ya lay on the cold floor. What kind of mare would I be?” Stormy said.
“One that likes kissing up to every mare she sees and flying around like a bee looking for a flower field.” Ratchet said, smirking.
“Watch it.” Stormy said, pointing her hoof at Ratchet.
We all started laughing, and Meadow came up to my side.
“Are you sure you’re ok Shadow? What happened to you after we left?” Meadow asked.
“I fought the Hunter and trapped him in the reactor room. He got me pretty good and I didn’t think I’d make it. But thanks to this-” I said, before my words stopped coming out.
This weird feeling came over my mouth, like something was gripping the words in my throat and refusing to let them out. The thoughts of the Alicorn and how she saved me came into my head but were quickly removed. It was like my body wouldn’t allow me to talk about her or think about her for very long.
“Thanks to what?” Moonlight asked me, looking confused.
“Thanks to… this spell that I knew from my stable, I got the code working and made it out of the stable before it blew. But the spell drained me so much I must have passed out in the swamp.” I said.
Moonlight looked at me curiously, like she didn’t quite believe me. But after a while, she relented.
“Well, just try to go easy on the magic next time. You’re lucky Stormy could move through the swamp so quickly, or one of the swamp ferals could have found you.” Moonlight said.
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome. Just wish this place wasn’t so humid.” Stormy said, fanning herself with her wing.
“So the reactor blew? We all felt an earthquake when we got back here.” Tumbleweed asked.
“Yes. The stable is destroyed. The Hunter along with it.” I said.
“Thank the Goddesses. I never want to see that horrible creature again.” Rose said, resting against her son.
“So now that Moonlight is well again. What do we do now, partner?” Ratchet asked.
I took a moment to think about that question. I had been so worried about Moonlight that I didn’t really think about our next action. Algea and Achlys were in the wind, and with the raider base gone, I had no leads on Saber. I needed more information.
“Shadow, I’m so sorry for being so selfish, but may I ask you a favor?” Rose asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Yes?” I asked in return.
“Ratchet told us you have an airship. Could you and your friends take us home? We can pay you once we get back to Fort Trough, and the General will reward you for Sage’s last request. I don’t think I can make it all the way home by foot.” Rose said, hanging her head at the end.
I looked at her round belly, and thought about Sergeant Sage Brush. He would want them home safe and sound when the baby came. I couldn’t leave them out here.
I smiled at her, “Of course. We’ll take you to Fort Trough. I would actually love to see the Desert Rangers.”
“I would too! They sound like a noble group of ponies.” Moonlight said cheerfully.
“A finer group you’ll never find in the Wasteland. It’d be nice to see the old Fort again. I’ve got some friends there too.” Ratchet said.
“I have no objection. A nice bath in pure water sounds divine.” Saskia said, brushing her mane.
“Hey, sounds like fun. Can’t wait to see this airship of yours.” Stormy said.
That made us all look at her, confusion on our faces.
Stormy looked at all of us nervously, “What?”
“Who said you're coming?” Ratchet said.
“Hey come on, I saved Shadow. And I’d be a great addition to your team. I can fly, punch ponies, and do all sorts of things. Plus, I’ve got charm for days. Come on, can I join you guys?” Stormy said, doing flips in the air.
“Why come with us? Don’t you have a family to go home to? What about this Enclave I keep hearing about?” I asked.
“I’m not Enclave. Not anymore. And I don’t have any family.” Stormy said, looking away with disgust on her face.
“Yeah, I ain’t buying it. No one just leaves the Enclave. Especially with their cutiemark intact.” Ratchet said, pointing a hoof at Stormy.
“What’s her cutiemark have to do with anything?” Moonlight asked.
“Cause that means she ain’t no dashite. Any pegasus that leaves or is banished gets their cutiemark burned off and replaced with another. Since she still has hers, I don’t trust her. She could be a spy.” Ratchet said, glaring at Stormy.
“A spy? Really? If I was a spy, why would I save Shadow?” Stormy said, rolling her eyes.
“To try and earn our trust maybe? What’s your game?” Ratchet said.
“I don’t have a game. I left the Enclave and killed the team that was following me. Shadow must have seen the battle when he found me. If it wasn’t for him and the rest of you guys healing me afterwards, I’d be dead right now.” Stormy pressed.
“That is true. There were more pegasi in the sky with her. One fell with her, but they were dead on impact. I don’t think she’s a spy, Ratchet. And why would the Enclave want to spy on me?” I said.
Ratchet put a hoof on his chin, “Yeah I guess that’s true. The Enclave shouldn't even know about you. Unless they listen to Athena’s broadcast.”
“Nah, it’s against regulation to listen to dirtpony propaganda. Their words, not mine.” Stormy said, putting her hooves out in defense when we all glared at her.
“So she’s not a spy. Still don’t make sense why you want to travel with us.” Ratchet said.
“Cause I don’t wanna be alone out here. Cause I don’t have anywhere to go. Cause you lot are pretty cool ponies. Plus there’s a lot of really cute mares in this group.” Stormy said, the last bit she whispered softly.
“What was that last part?” Ratchet asked.
“Nothing!” Stormy said quickly.
“Ratchet, it’s ok. She can come with us.” I said, smiling at them both.
“You sure, partner?” Ratchet asked, raising an eyebrow.
“She showed that she’s a capable fighter, and that she cares for others. She protected Rose and Tumbleweed while they were in the stable. And she saved my hide, twice. I say she earned my trust and respect.” I said.
Stormy smiled and pumped her hoof in the air with a “Yes!”
“It’ll be nice having another flier. I’m not that great at flying.” Moonlight said, blushing a little in embarrassment.
“I can always give you pointers.” Stormy said, moving to Moonlight's side.
Moonlight moved away, “No no. I’m ok. Just not the athletic type.”
“I guess you’re right, Shadow. But I’m gonna be keeping an eye on you.” Ratchet said, pointing a hoof at Stormy again.
“Just keep your eyes off my flank and we’ll be peachy.” Stormy spat at him.
Ratchet and Stormy had a short glaring contest before Saskia stepped in between them.
“Honestly you two, this is not a great start. You will be teammates from this day forward. You must put your differences aside if you are to work together.” Saskia said, looking at both of them.
Both huffed and looked away from each other, making Saskia sigh.
I also let out a sigh, I don’t know why Ratchet was so suspicious of Stormy, but I didn’t know much about the pegasi or the Enclave.
“Um, Shadow?” Meadow said, getting my attention.
“What’s up Meadow?” I asked.
“I… I wanted to… to ask…” Meadow said, stumbling on her words.
I gave her a minute, and when she took a deep breath, she finally got her words out.
“I wanna come with you guys too!” She said, a little louder than I expected.
I was stunned by her request, “Wait what?”
Before anything else could be said, the door to the bedroom burst open and Artemis came out, looking furious.
“Out of the question! What has gotten into your head young lady?” Artemis said, fuming.
“I want to see the world outside this swamp, Mother! I want to help ponies, like Shadow!” Meadow shouted back at her mother.
“You belong here, with me! We are safe here, as long as no more ponies find their way here again!” Artemis shouted, glaring over at Saskia, whose ears flattened.
“Not all ponies are our enemies Mother! You can’t keep hating all of them because a few ponies in the past did something horrible to us!” Meadow screamed.
“THEY TOOK MY HUSBAND FROM ME!” Artemis shouted, her eyes glowing white and her horn glowing bright.
I swear I thought I saw flames in her mane, but they vanished as soon as they appeared. Artemis was taking deep breaths despite her expression not changing much.
“I loved Dad too, but he wouldn’t have wanted us to hide here for the rest of our lives! You were the best healer Olympia had. Everyone in the city loved you, and Dad. I can’t stay here all my life Mom. I need to see the world. I need to help people, like you did.” Meadow said, her voice starting to waver as tears began to form.
Artemis’ anger started to waver as well, her eyes widening at her daughter’s words. The anger drained from her expression and her eyes returned to normal after a while. She moved closer to her daughter, standing in front of her and rubbing her hoof along her face.
“I can’t lose you too. My heart couldn’t bear it.” Artemis said softly.
Meadow grabbed her Mom’s foreleg, “Mom. I know you’re scared to let me go. But I’m not a filly anymore. I have my own life that I need to make for myself. You and Dad made a life in Olympia, even when no pony had ever seen a kirin before. I want to see where my life takes me, and going with Shadow seems to be the safest way.”
Artemis didn’t say anything for a minute, tears flowed down her cheeks and she nuzzled Meadow. When it seemed that she had calmed down enough, she released Meadow and walked over to me.
The look she gave me made my hair stand on end.
“Keep her alive, and bring her back to me one day. If she is lost, I will hunt you down and nothing will remain of your existence when I’m through. Do I make myself clear?” Artemis said, her words as cold as ice.
I tried to regain my composure as I stood up, “If she travels with us, I will do everything in my power to keep her well.”
Artemis stared at me for several moments before she relented and sat down in a chair that was near the fireplace.
“Then you may go, my daughter. You are right, you must find your own path. But please, take care of yourself, as well as your new friends.” Artemis said, smiling for the first time since I’ve met her.
Meadow ran over to hug her mother and then as Artemis held her close, she looked like she was whispering something into Meadow’s ear. Meadow’s expression paled for a moment but she quickly recovered as her Mother released her.
Meadow moved over to me, looking desperate, “So, can I come with you?”
“You’re a skilled fighter. We could use a long range specialist. That vine trick you did in the stable will also be pretty handy. Plus, you helped us cure Moonlight. Welcome to the team Meadow Glade.” I said, smiling at her while presenting my hoof for a shake.
She grinned and shook my hoof.
“Alright team. Let’s get our guests back to the ship and make for Fort Trough.” I said, pointing to the door.
Stormy whooped in the air as everyone started for the door, and as I was the last one out, I looked back at Artemis one last time, giving her a silent nod. I would bring her daughter home someday.
She nodded back and turned back towards the fireplace as I closed the door.
“Wow. This ship is so cool!” Stormy said, hovering around our ship with excitement.
“Yeah, it’s been good to us. Maybe the Rangers will have the means to fix the damage those two bounty hunters did.” I said, looking at the rough patches Ratchet made.
“They sure will. I got a friend who would jump at the chance to work on a ship like this. She’ll be so jealous.” Ratchet said, grinning maniacally.
Moonlight was helping Rose up the plank and towards the hatch that led into the ship.
“We can set you up in one of the beds, Miss Rose. I want to give up a check up as well. Any idea when the baby is due?” Moonlight asked.
“I honestly had lost track when Sage disappeared. I hope we can make it back to the fort before that happens.” Rose said with concern in her voice.
Moonlight smiled, “Don’t worry. We’ll make it. This ship is pretty fast. And with it we can avoid most of the dangers of the Wasteland.”
“So how fast can this ship go?” Tumbleweed said, moving to the wheelhouse.
“80 on a good windy day. 100 if I use the engines, but that takes spark batteries. Speaking of which, we're probably gonna need more soon.” Ratchet said, moving up the plank.
“I know the perfect place to resupply.” Saskia said, teleporting onboard.
“Oh, where’s that?” I asked.
“Orphanage. It’s a settlement to the southwest of here.” She said, pointing southwest.
“Orphanage? Like a place where children with no parents live?” I asked.
“Yes, the town was established by the Responders. They take children who have nowhere to go and teach them the skills they need to survive. Then they can either leave on their own, or join the Responders.” Saskia explained.
“Responders? I’ve never heard of them before.” Moonlight said curiously.
“They are like the Desert Rangers, only they specialize in healing and teaching. They go from town to town helping ponies heal from raider attacks, Steel ranger raids, etc. They are based in the Southern Badlands not far from Olympia. Orphanage is their first attempt to have a presence this far north.” Saskia explained.
“They sound wonderful.” Moonlight said cheerfully.
“Sounds like a good group. Can’t wait to see this orphanage.” I said.
“Then let’s get going!” Stormy said, doing flips in the air.
I chuckled, “Alright alright. Ratchet, let’s get moving. Time to hit the sands.”
Ratchet saluted and as everyone was settling into the ship, the engines roared to life and lifted the vessel into the air. Turning towards the southwest, Ratchet hit the accelerator and we were off across the sands.
Orphanage, here we come.
Footnote: Level Up
New Perk added: Team Player, when you have four or more companions with you, you gain +15 DR and do 5% more Damage.
“Woooooo! This baby is so cool!” Stormy shouted as she stood at the front of the ship.
We were speeding along the sands, the wind had picked up so we could give the engines a break. We only had a few spark batteries left so we needed to be smart. Thankfully Saskia said that Orphanage wasn’t too far away and they should have plenty of supplies.
I stepped down into the lower decks of the ship, finding Moonlight with a stethoscope against Rose’s large belly. She smiled as she pulled it away.
“Sounds like a perfectly healthy baby to me.” Moonlight said, putting her tool away in her bag.
“Wonderful. Thank you so much Moonlight.” Rose said, rubbing at her belly.
“Always happy to help. You’ve been through so much lately. Just relax and we’ll get you home.” Moonlight said, smiling at the mare.
“You two seem to be getting along well.” I said, walking beside Moonlight.
“She is an absolute delight. You all are so lucky to have a skilled medic on your team.” Rose said, gesturing at Moonlight.
Moonlight blushed, “I wouldn’t say skilled. I just know a thing or two.”
“Give yourself a bit more credit, Moonlight. You saved me in Bloodwing Caverns, not to mention fixing Stormy’s broken wing.” I said, patting her on the shoulder.
She blushed harder, “That was mostly Dr. Gingko. I just helped a little.”
“So modest. I know you’ll be a fine doctor someday dear.” Rose said encouragingly.
I heard movement at the hatch and saw Tumbleweed coming down the stairs. He moved up to Rose and put a hoof on her shoulder.
“How are you doing Mom?” He asked.
“I’m fine sweetheart. Moonlight is taking good care of me.” Rose responded.
The mother and son pair shared a loving nuzzle and I decided that I was not needed anymore. I made my way up the hatch and was soon followed by Moonlight.
“What’s up Shadow?” She asked.
“Just wanted to give them some family privacy.” I said.
“I know what you mean. I look at them and can’t help but think about my mother.” Moonlight said, looking off to the horizon.
“What was she like?” I asked.
“The most wonderful mare in existence. She always smiled around us, always made sure we felt loved. My big sister Nebula always tried to prank her when we were little. Mother never got mad though, even when she had a bucket of flour dropped on her.” Moonlight explained.
“You have a sister?” I asked.
“Nebula. She’s five years older than me. She was my protector. Kept all the bullies away from me. Let me sleep in her bed when the storms came. She was the best big sister.” She said.
“Where is Nebula now?” I asked.
“Back home.” Moonlight said, looking down.
“You miss her?” I asked.
“Of course I do. Her and Mother.” Moonlight said, her voice getting shaky.
I leaned in and gave her a nudge, “I bet she misses you too.”
Moonlight smiled and nudged me back, “So what about you Shadow? Any siblings?”
“Not by blood. I had cousins who were practically siblings. Silver Scroll and Grindstone. Silver is the biggest bookworm you will ever meet. And Grindstone, all brawn and absolutely no brains, but we love him.” I said, grinning at that last bit.
Moonlight giggled, “They sound like quite the pair. And your mother?”
“She is the best mother in the world. She taught me all about alchemy, understanding most zebra dialects, and tried to teach me good manners, but you can probably tell that didn’t pan out well.” I said.
She giggled more, “I wouldn’t say that. You can be quite the gentle stallion when you want to be.”
I blushed at that and we both just smiled at each other. It was so nice to have her back to good health. They group felt so much colder without her. Before I could voice these thoughts, Saskia appeared beside us.
“What are you two giggling about?” She asked.
“Oh, just talking about family. What are you up to, Saskia?” I asked.
“Enjoying the view. It’s been so long since I’ve been to this region. Seeing the mountain range this close is refreshing.” Saskia said, looking off to the east.
“Yes, they are quite stunning. We didn’t have mountains back home.” Moonlight said.
“I’ve never seen mountains before either. I wonder how cold the peaks can get.” I said.
“Quite cold. But still beautiful.” Saskia said.
I turned to her, “You’ve been to several places haven’t you?”
“More than you could ever know.” Saskia said quietly.
“So how much farther to Orphanage?” Moonlight asked.
Saskia turned to the southwest, “Just over those last dunes.”
We all were excited to finally see the town, Moonlight was giggling about playing with the children. I loved seeing her so excited. She needed something nice after the hell she went through. Maybe we could stay for a few days and get some relaxation in.
As we moved over the dune, Saskia moved in front of us so everyone could see her as she gestured out into the wastes.
“Mares and Gentlecolts, I give you the town of Orphana-” Saskia started to say before she looked over her shoulder towards the town.
“No…” She said more softly.
Me and Moonlight were confused until we took a good long look in the direction she was gesturing. And both our eyes grew wide with shock and horror.
The town was nestled in a low spot on the sand, almost like they had dug it out of the desert. But the buildings that had once stood tall were now on fire, everything was burning. Smoke rose into the sky, the cloud layer blending into it. No wonder we hadn’t noticed it from afar.
“Ratchet! Full speed ahead!” I shouted towards the wheelhouse. The ship suddenly jerked and made us all stumble as Ratchet fired up the engines and flew across the sands and breakneck speeds. As the town grew closer, I moved into the wheelhouse.
“Ratchet, bring us just outside the town. We don’t know what’s happening and I don’t want to risk the ship getting damaged in the flames.” I said.
“Roger that partner.” Ratchet said.
Stormy emerged from the bottom level along with Meadow, the pegasus was rubbing the back of her head.
“Hey, what’s with the sudden turbulence? You made me bump my…” Stormy started to say before she saw the flames.
Ratchet stopped the ship several meters from the town, avoiding any embers that could threaten the ship.
We all stood on the deck of the ship, looking at the burning town.
“What in Luna’s name happened here?” I asked no one in particular.
“THE CHILDREN!” Saskia shouted, jumping off the ship before Ratchet even had a chance to put the ramp down.
“Saskia! Wait! Don’t go in there alone!” I shouted at her, but she was already out of sight.
“Dammit! Moonlight, Stormy, to the sky! Search for survivors!” I shouted back at our two fliers.
Stormy nodded and flew straight into the air.
Before Moonlight took off, I grabbed her hoof, “Please be careful.”
Moonlight nodded, “I will. Please be safe, Shadow.”
“I will. Hurry.” I said.
She nodded and took off to join Stormy in the air. Stormy waited for her and when they reached each other, they flew towards the town.
“Ratchet, Tumbleweed, stay on the ship with Rose! Don’t let anything on this ship!” I said. Both stallions gave me a nod of confirmation.
“Alright, Meadow let’s…” I started to say before looking at the kirin.
She was sitting on the deck, her eyes were filled with fear and horror. She wasn’t blinking and her body trembled. I remember her doing this in the stable. What is wrong with her?
“Meadow!” I shouted at her.
She didn’t respond.
“Meadow, snap out of it!” I shouted again, moving closer to pull at her shoulder.
She screamed and shoved me off so hard I fell off the ship. I quickly recovered and got back onto the ship in time to see her running down the hatch to the bottom level of the ship. What in Tartarus was that about?
I groaned, “Ratchet, keep an eye on her. Kill anything that comes near this ship that isn’t us.”
“Roger that, partner.” Ratchet said, looking back towards the hatch with a raised eyebrow.
I ran down the gangplank and moved into the burning town. The roads were large enough that I could move through them while keeping my distance from the buildings. What could have caused this fire? Sabotage? Were they attacked by raiders?
I heard a feminine scream from ahead of me. Doubling my speed, I turned the corner towards the center of town and saw Saskia huddled over something. As I skidded to a halt next to her, I almost slipped. When I looked down at what was the cause, my stomach churned.
Blood. The ground was saturated with blood. The sands turned red and black.
Saskia was cradling something, I moved to her side and saw that it was a foal. A little earth pony filly by the looks of it. It was horrifying. The body looked like it had been drained and dried out. Similar to the foal back in Hydra Junction that was attacked by bloodwings. No bloodwing could cause this much damage and they would have been swarming the sky if they were here.
As I looked more closely around the area, I saw more corpses. Colts, fillies, even some adult ponies. All in the same condition.
“Saskia…” I said softly as I turned back to her.
“Dead. They’re all dead. Who could do this to these sweet innocent angels?” Saskia cried.
I heard the flapping of wings and saw that Stormy and Moonlight had found us. They landed next to us and looked at the blood soaked area.
Moonlight looked horrified at all the dead bodies. It was too much for her as moved a bit away and emptied the contents of her stomach. Stormy looked horrified as well, getting dizzy as her legs wobbled.
“The hell happened here?” Stormy asked.
“I have no idea. Raiders can’t do this. So many children…” I said, my voice getting low.
Images from the past soon flooded my vision as I looked at the corpses of the foals. Children screaming as they were strapped to a medical table. The pleading looks of desperation as the tubes were placed in their legs. The screaming as I…
NO!
I shook my head to make those memories go away. I can’t think about that right now. I have to keep my friends safe.
“Stormy, did you two see any survivors?” I asked the pegasus.
She shook her head, “No, we did a full grid search around the town. We could barely see anything with all the smoke, so we didn’t see anypony.”
Moonlight came back on shaky legs, “What do we do Shadow?”
As I opened my mouth to speak, a scream filled the air. A filly’s scream.
Before any of us had a chance to react, Saskia was on her hooves again and off like a bullet, running towards the source of the scream.
“Saskia, wait dammit! Ugh, come on you two!” I groaned in frustration as I gestured for the two fliers to give chase with me.
We followed Saskia as she rounded a corner, and almost bumped into her as she took there, unmoving.
I walked next to her, “Saskia, you can’t keep running off…”
As I was scolding her, I turned to look at what had made her stop and even my stomach felt like I was going to lose my lunch.
Sitting on the street of the town was a figure, hunched over something. A sickly slurping sound came from it, but it was hard to tell what it was as the wings hid most of its body. These wings looked wrong, they were different colors. One had a grey bone structure while the other had a red one. They looked unnatural. As we all stared at this thing, its ears perked up and it slowly turned its head in our direction. As we got a better look at this thing, my heart grew cold. It wasn’t right. This thing wasn’t natural.
It looked like a thestral, with the body structure of a pony. Its coat was black as night, but the ears looked more like a bats, however. It had spikes coming out of its cheeks as well. But what truly caught my attention was its eyes. They were red with some kind of pink pupils that seemed to have veins stretching out from the iris. What kind of creature had eyes like that?
Then I finally noticed what was in its mouth. Its fangs were currently sunk into the neck of a unicorn filly. The body was drained like all the others but more fresh. She must have been the one who screamed earlier.
The creature dropped the filly and smiled at us. The moment it took a step towards us, Saskia roared with rage and in a flash, Bane and Blight appeared in front of her, firing a barrage of bullets at the creature. The beast didn’t have time to move before the bullets hit home again and again.
The storm of lead tore the beast apart as it fell to the ground with its face and torso shredded. Blood poured from it as it laid there.
Saskia was still pulling the trigger, even after I could hear the clicking of empty guns. She just kept trying to put more bullets into the monster.
I put my hoof on her shoulder, “Saskia, it’s alright. You got it.”
Saskia jerked her head towards me, and when her eyes met mine, I could swear for a second they seemed to turn green.
Before I could contemplate what was up with her eyes, Moonlight tapped me on the shoulder.
“Shadow…” She said with a shaky voice.
“What?” I asked.
She pointed to the street where the creature had been, and when I looked, my blood ran cold in my veins.
The creature was getting back on its hooves, getting us a full view of its body. It seemed to have some sort of scales around its neck, looking almost like a necklace. One large spike sticking out of its chest. And on its legs were not hooves, not really. They were claws, sticking out where the hoof should be. Spikes were also visible from behind its knee. Its mane and tail were white as snow, stained at the ends with blood as the red faded moving up. And it had a cutiemark, depicting a leech draining blood from a heart.
As it stood up, it spoke, “Not nice.”
Its voice was feminine but with a bit of a bestial growl. She stared at us for several seconds before smiling with her blood stained teeth. She took another step forwards us with her reformed leg.
Saskia ran forward and unleashed more bullets against the creature. This time, the beast flew into the air and tried to dodge the attack, only to get her wings filled with holes and forcing her to crash into a large building nearby. Saskia ran in after it, the fire spreading and blocking the entrance where they disappeared.
“Saskia!” I shouted, moving to look for another way inside.
“What was that thing?” Stormy asked.
“You don’t think it’s another fury do you?” Moonlight asked, her voice still shaky.
“I think it is. It healed so fast, there’s no other explanation.” I said.
“Fury? Like those freaky mares that Tumbleweed talked about in the stable?” Stormy asked.
“That’s them. And if this is a fury, we can’t kill her. Moonlight, go tell Ratchet what we’re dealing with. Stormy, keep an eye out here. I’m going in after Saskia.” I said, taking out my sword.
Moonlight nodded and flew off into the air. I found another opening in the building, cutting through a flaming ceiling beam and unblocking my path. I pulled out a cloth from my saddlebags and placed it over my mouth to block out the smoke. My eyes burned as I moved through the building, the flames getting less intense the further I went in. Perhaps this building hadn’t been burning as long, the fires hadn’t reached the center of the structure.
I needed to get Saskia to see reason, we can’t beat this thing. If it’s anything like Algea and Achlys, then it won’t stay down. And judging by the state of the town, it was powerful enough to wipe out every pony here.
The structure shook and almost dropped another flaming beam on top of me. I dodged it just in time, landing in the open area that looked like it used to be a library. The large door that led to the next room was barely open, only a small opening giving me a glance to what was happening on the other side.
I saw Saskia, reloading Bane and Blight before being struck by a black and white streak. Her guns dropped from her green magical glow as she stumbled, barely keeping herself on her hooves. But before she could retrieve her guns, the bat creature jumped onto her back. Saskia tried to buck her off, but it was too late. The beast sank its fangs into her neck, causing my friend to scream out in pain.
This made me furious and I started to push against the large door that barred my way. The wood had been ruined and some parts of the wall had collapsed by the door. Pushing with all my might only got me so far. I slipped and hit the ground, catching some embers on the side of my neck. I quickly padded myself before looking back to Saskia.
The creature had jumped off of Saskia, but something wasn’t right. Her fangs were not covered in blood as I thought they would be. The substance on her teeth was sickly green, and judging by the look on her face, it didn’t taste all that great.
“What are you? I know pony blood, and that is not it.” The bat thing said.
Saskia grunted and held her neck where she was bitten. Her horn glowed bright as the green leaking from her turned red.
The bat chuckled, “What’s the point in illusions?”
Then her eyes widened with realization, “Oh ho. Your little friends out there don’t know, do they?”
“SHUT UP!” Saskia shouted, blasting a bolt of magic at her foe.
The bat creature just jumped out of the way, “Temper temper. Now, since you taste like rancid asparagus, I don’t see a need for you to be alive. So you can take your secret to your grave, if you get one that is.”
The bat lunged forward, but Saskia teleported out of the way. This gave me just enough time to push the door over, causing it to slam against the floor. This got both mares' attention as I rushed forward, Venta drawn as I stood between them.
As the bat creature got a good look at me, she smiled with glee, “You must be Shadow! My sisters told me about you.”
“So you are a fury. Who are you?” I asked.
“Oh, where are my manners? I am Limos, Goddess of Hunger and Starvation.” She bowed respectfully at me.
“Limos. Was it you that destroyed this town?” I demanded.
“Well, I can’t take all the credit. They attacked me too. All I wanted was a drink.” Limos said.
“You killed children!!” Saskia yelled at the fury.
She gave Saskia a sly grin, “Oh yes. The little ones are so sweet. Fresh, unspoiled by the hardships of the wastes.”
Saskia pushed forward, but I stuck out my foreleg to stop her.
“Why this town? Why all this destruction?” I asked.
“Hmm, what answer would you like? Fun? Boredom? Thirst? Cause they kept all these little treats to themselves?” Limos said, waving her hoof aside.
Saskia pushed my leg, but I held my ground. I saw Bane and Blight on the ground to the side of us. My magic still focused on my sword, no one noticed that a few things were floating out of my saddlebags.
“You are just as twisted as your sisters.” I said, trying to keep her attention.
Limos giggled, “Guilty as charged. Now, wanna have some fun Shadow?”
She leaned down to ready herself for a pounce.
“Not really.” I said.
It was right at that moment that I set my plan into motion. I quickly grabbed Saskia’s guns in my magical grip, while also throwing the grenades I had gotten out of my saddlebags towards the wall behind us. As the explosion tore a hole in the wall, the roof started to collapse. I pushed Saskia towards the hole, struggling as she was blind with rage. But with enough pushing, I got her through the hole before it collapsed on itself.
We stood outside in the streets again, Stormy seeing us, making her fly towards us.
“You two alright?” She asked.
“Saskia is hurt. We need to get back to the ship and get out of here.” I said.
The roof of the building burst open and Limos flew towards us with bloodlust in her eyes. I pushed the girls out of the way and blocked her charge with my sword. She pushed me back several feet before I was able to dig my hooves into the ground and gain my footing. She had her mouth on my sword, trying to bite through it. Thankfully, the metal was too strong for her jaw. I pushed her back and slashed at her.
The slash cut her ear off, but as she landed a few feet away, it grew back quickly.
She scratched at her new ear, “Nice blade. Wanna see mine?”
She screeched into the air, making me look at her with confusion. After a few seconds, a pair of round objects flew towards her from behind. She flexed out her wings and caught the two projectiles, spinning them on the spikes of her wings. After they stopped spinning, I got a good look at them. They were twin chakrams, the metal gleaming in the light of the fire. The insides of the blade had a bat wing shape, stretching out between the gap of the blades.
“Aren’t they lovely? This is Hemorrhage. Made just for me.” She said, spinning them on her wing claws.
“Fascinating weapons. How did they come back to you like that?” I asked.
“Special enchantment. They respond only to a specific frequency, which only I can produce.” She boasted.
I stood ready, she was going to throw those things at me. I had to be ready, or I’d be cut to ribbons.
She grinned at me and did exactly as I said she would, throwing both chakrams at me. The deadly discs soared through the air, spinning as they closed in on me. I took my sword to the side and waited, focusing on just the blades. At just the right moment, I took my sword and batted the spinning blades aside, making them dig into the building to my sides.
But as I reveled in my accomplishment of blocking the attack, Limos suddenly appeared above me. I had focused so much on the blades, I hadn’t kept an eye on her movements. She dove and struck at my side, forcing me to topple over. Before I could recover, Limos was on top of me, biting into my neck. I grunted but did not scream, gritting my teeth to avoid biting my tongue. I focused all my mental capacity on my horn, pulling Umbra from its sheath. I stabbed my dagger into her neck, digging it in as far as I could. This caused her to recoil away from me, making me pull my dagger back as I held my neck.
Her neck healed as she licked her lips, “Now that is delicious! What do you do to make your blood taste so divine?”
“Piss off.” I spat back, still holding my wound.
She gave me a deadpanned look, “Really Shadow? That’s the best you can come up with. What are you, a colt?”
She flew at me again, causing me to dodge to the left, avoiding her wing claw. She twisted herself as slashed at me with her claws. My barding took the brunt of the attack, but it left claw marks that barely missed my hide. I fell again, my vision starting to waver from the bloodloss.
“You know, I was told you were a fun opponent. This is way too easy. Algea and Achlys must have been pulling my leg.” Limos said, looking disappointed.
I took out my shotgun and pointed at her, my magic faltering and making me drop the gun. Limos stood over me and gave me a disappointed look.
“I know I’m not supposed to kill you. But you look so pitiful right now. Kinda spoiling my appetite.” Limos said.
“Then how about a taste of the next course!” A mare’s voice said as a purple leg swung around and kicked Limos right in the face.
Limos flew and crashed into a building, Stormy landing gracefully in front of me. Holy Luna, she was strong.
Limos dug her way out of the rubble and glared at the pegasus. She took to the air, Stormy flapping her wings to lift herself up, looking back at me.
“Get back to the ship! I got this!” Stormy said, flew straight for Limos.
The two fliers collided in mid-air, Stormy delivering another swift kick, which was blocked by Limos. Limos attempted to grab Stormy, most likely to get a bite in, but Stormy did a flip in the air and kicked her down into the dirt. Limos roared in rage and flew up at the pegasus again, this time connecting with her in a mid-air grapple. Stormy flipped and maneuvered, trying to avoid the fury’s fangs. With one last spin, Limos lost her grip on her prey, making her turn back around, only to receive another kick to the face.
Limos landed on the streets, Stormy landing not far from her. The bat fury rubbed at her cheek.
“You are so annoying. You might be a better flier than Achlys.” Limos spat.
“Normally I’d be grateful for that comment, but considering you’re a child killing psychopath that looks like something out of a horror book, you can shove it up your ass.” Stormy spat back.
“Careful, watch that tongue or I might bite it off.” Limos grinned wickedly.
She lunged and Stormy dodged yet again. She was incredible. I had heard pegasi were agile but she’s almost as skilled in the air as I am on the ground.
“What are you still doing here, Shadow?” Stormy shouted at me.
I shook my head, picking up my weapons as I started moving down the street in the direction of the ship. I had to dodge Limos a few times when Stormy would knock her into a building. Limos eventually noticed me trying to escape.
“Oh no you don’t! I’m still thirsty!” Limos said, diving at me from up high.
I looked behind me and saw her coming straight at me, fangs bared and eyes glowing with evil intent. Stormy once again intervened and kicked her across the street, leaving a cloud of dust amidst the smoke.
I moved quickly, hearing Stormy covering me from above. The ship was in sight, Moonlight waiting for us by the gangplank.
“Are you two ok? Saskia had a nasty bite. She’s with Ratchet.” Moonlight said, worry in her voice.
“I got bit too. But we can worry about that when we’re safe.” I said.
“You are not safe..” A low feminine growl came from behind us.
Limos was back again, eyes glowing a reddish-pink, “NONE OF YOU ARE SAFE!”
Stormy flew into action again, only this time Limos was prepared. She threw Hemorrhage at my pegasus friend, managing to graze Stormy’s side as she tried to dodge. A screech came from Limos as the blade came back around. I moved forward and blocked the return strike with Venta. The chakrams returned to their master and she slowly licked the blood off the blade. Limos shook a little, like a chill went down her spine, her eyes went wide.
“More! I want more!” Limos shouted, baring her fangs.
I stood in front of Stormy, catching Limos’ teeth with my sword. She struggled against me, her eyes seeming more animalistic than they were before.
“How can we stop her!?” Stormy shouted at me.
“I don’t know! Nothing we’ve tried has kept them down for more than a few seconds. Decapitation, guns, impalement, nothing works!” I shouted back, holding the fury back with all my strength.
A crack of lightning struck the sky, making us all look up. It wasn’t raining yet, but I could feel it coming. A storm was brewing in the clouds above.
I managed to push Limos back. She glared at us with those unnatural eyes, sizing us up like a cat ready to pounce at the slightest movement.
I looked back and saw that Stormy was looking up at the sky, an unreadable expression on her face as the lightning flashed again.
She looked at me, “Lead her away from the ship and keep her from moving for a minute.”
“What?” I asked.
Stormy didn’t answer my question and took off into the air.
Was she insane!? She’ll get hit by lightning and fried to a crisp!
Limos interrupted my inner panic for my friend as she leaped at me again. All I could do at this time was trust Stormy. I maneuvered around the fury and ran off towards the side of the ship. I knew one thing that could possibly hold her in place long enough.
“Ratchet! Throw me your rifle!” I shouted towards the top deck.
A few seconds later, Ratchet’s Railway Rifle flew over the side and I quickly caught it in my magical grip. Running back towards the burning town, with the sound of wings following close behind me, I found an old dead tree still standing.
As I reached the tree, I turned and skidded to face my pursuer. Limos landed in front of me, smiling wickedly.
“You are very good at running away, Shadow. But that’s ok, I love hunting little ponies. I can hear your little hearts beating. Delicious blood flowing through your veins.” Limos said, licking her fangs as her eyes shined with bloodlust.
I pointed Ratchet’s rifle at her, “Yeah, come and get it.”
She charged and I threw the rifle above me, skidding onto my back as she came above me. I quickly moved my hindlegs against her belly, pushing her back over me and into the tree. When I returned to my hooves, I caught the rifle in my magic and fired it. My cool stunt was ruined by the fact that the rifle had more recoil than I was expecting. I guess that’s why Ratchet had it on a battle saddle. I nearly lost my grip on the weapon but held firm as the spike pinned Limos to the tree.
She screeched in pain, the spike having hit her in the shoulder. I fired more spikes at her, impaling her into the tree. Blood leaked from her wounds, more than I really thought was possible. The ground was already soaked.
“I AM GOING TO GUT YOU!” Limos screamed at me.
She tried to pull herself off the tree, but another spike from Ratchet’s rifle stopped her for just a bit longer. What was Stormy up to?
As that thought left my mind, thunder rumbled above me. I looked up and saw something heading towards us. A purplish-blue streak flying across the sky and barrelling right in our direction. Seeing it get closer and closer, I ran for cover behind a large boulder, sliding onto my side with my hooves over my head.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” Limos said with confusion.
She had a few seconds to look up, the thunder booming as the streak struck home. An explosion of heat and sand flew across the area, some hitting me and making me pat myself down to avoid a burn. When the dust cleared, the tree that Limos had been pinned to was gone. Barely a stump remained, and from where I stood, no clear sign of Limos.
As I surveyed the area, I wondered what had caused that. Lightning striking at that precise moment, in that particular spot was near impossible. Stormy’s words rang through my head, but no pegasus could control a bolt of lightning that precisely.
But as I spotted something on the ground, my heart sank. There, lying in the burnt sand, was Stormy, on her side, unmoving.
“Stormy!” I shouted, running to her side.
I moved her onto her back and shook her, “Stormy!”
She didn’t respond.
I moved my head to her mouth, and felt no breath. I checked her heart…nothing.
I immediately remembered my CPR training that Master Zala drilled into our heads. I started compressions and counted to three.
“Shadow!” Moonlight shouted, landing next to me.
“Moonlight! She’s not breathing!” I shouted, panic in my voice.
Her face grew pale and she too went to a CPR trained position.
She held her muzzle against Stormy’s, breathing into her mouth before pulling back, “Compressions!”
One, two, three, I pushed on her chest. Another breath, one two three.
“Stormy! Come on!” I screamed, tears forming in my eyes.
One, two, three. One, two, three.
Suddenly, a gasp came from our friend, finally. She was conscious, but still could not seem to pick herself up. She struggled to even look at us.
As the relief of seeing Stormy alive washed over me, a sense of dread went down my spine. I sensed something nearby. Something bad.
I looked away from my friends and saw a black burnt husk, with what looked like tattered wings, or what was left of wings. The body was almost unrecognizable, but I knew what it was. I got up from my spot at Stormy’s side and slowly walked over to it. Was she dead? Surely she couldn’t recover from this much damage.
The remnants of her head were more intact than I thought they would be. I could make out her eye sockets, with one of her eyes still intact, while the other was burnt to a crisp. As I stood over her charred corpse, something caught my attention almost immediately.
The remaining eye had suddenly moved and stared straight at me.
I jumped back, my heart beating so fast in my ears it was deafening. She was alive!
And while I stood there frightened, her other eye very slowly began to reform.
And with that, I was running. I picked up Stormy in my magical grip and looked to Moonlight, “WE NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!”
Moonlight looked terrified, seeing me actually scared must have been worse than I thought it would be. We both ran at full speed back to the ship. I jumped on deck, quickly pulling the gangplank back up with me.
“Shadow, what in tarnation happened?” Ratchet asked.
“NO TIME! GET US OUT OF HERE!” I shouted at him.
He could tell that there was no arguing with me. He ran to the wheelhouse and started up the engines. I helped Moonlight take Stormy below deck, where we saw Rose and Tumbleweed tending to Meadow, who was still wide eyed and unmoving.
The ship rocked violently as we took off. Saskia was sitting in a corner far away from the rest of us. A bandage covering her bite wound, probably from Moonlight.
My heart slowly started to go back to normal. My friends were safe. I could relax… for now.
