the cradle of creation a cluster of islands between equestria and zebrekia on its west side inhabited by all species some claim its the origin of life and that when threatened the island will find heroes to save the world but its all a myth right
Disclaimer: This is told in an odd way, from multiple perspectives and in third person mostly, minor gore at one point in chapter 1, almost rape in chapter 2
Description: Myths are they real or fake who can say for sure, but some myths sure are interesting. One such myth is the Cry of The Cradle of Creation, a tale that states when The Cradle of Creation is threatened as well as when life itself is put in harm's way it will call five heroes who represent its 5 islands. Freedom, Time, healing, innocents, and hope. they's heroes as the tale calls them, will save the world but that's just a myth right? like the ghost of the big 52 or living pony mega spells or that legend about immortality box things their all myths right?
The sea, a very seldom explored part of the world even in prewar times no pony knows what lies beneath it, it was a dark tangled mess of hearsay and folktale mostly but of course, some tales are true as are heroes if you can call them that, would soon discover.
~~~~~
Life as a slave is hard, certainly the hardest thing I've ever faced in all my time roaming this vast world. My people, the Achu one of the 12 tribes were taken, enslaved to work for racist fools, who don't know their place in the world. I'd wanted to beat their heads into the ground since the first day we were brought to their camp, they called it Sanctuary but that has little importance.
If you the lucky soul who found this it's my journal the journal of Chane in ponish it's pronounced chain something I quickly discovered after my captors beat me for not responding to it.
But I will always be, Chane fearsome warrior of the Achu however thing's changed today and I stead have been called from my duties to board a wagon out of sanctuary not that I'm complaining yet I don't know where I'm going, probably death or a different encampment if I had to guess.
Some slaves think they are being let free but that's the wish of a blind stallion expecting to wipe their eyes and be able to see.
~~~~~
It's been a few weeks now, maybe a month and I'm starting to get worried. After the crash I expected somepony to come looking for me but mom and dad seemed content to let me stay down here with the dirt ponies. They're not as bad as the stories say you know I mean sure they glare and it makes things pretty awkward but at least they haven't tried to kill me.
Writing and walking is difficult. You know that I mean seriously I'm surprised dad could do it. I'm hungry, no wait, miss Ponish teacher mare said I should introduce myself in writing and I haven't done that yet. Oh well now is as good a time as any.
Hey I'm Silver and I'm 11 years old my mommy's name is, wait mommy told me not to just give names and numbers out to strangers but Mrs teacher said names add to writing *groans* why is this stuff so confusing, oh to fish sticks with it. Oh yeah I'm hungry and that's a bunch of ponies down the road, today's my lucky day.
~~~~~
“As of today I'm six years old and sixteen mounts,” thought Mysty despite her birthday being a few mounts away but hell I'm not gonna kill a six-year-olds imagination.
“Time for bed sweetie.” said Mysty’s mother in all her glory even if her face was starting to do that flappy thing Mysty’s scene other old ponies faces do.
But mommy wasn't an old pony, she and daddy we're perfect.
So perfect that when having woken up to the cold touch of steel all around her she was dumbfounded, there were other cages all around her but the ponies in them wouldn't speak to the nuisance of a filly.
“Hey, hey, hey who are your hey hey!” her barrage of the same word persisted several minutes till one slaver smacked the top of the cage as he sat another one down next to Mystys pet fox Pixi.
Pixi was blue and this grew a glare from the new visitor, a small Pegasus named Silver.
~~~~~
Mud, the name of my town here in the wasteland northwest of the Caldonian border and west of the sea.
I'm not sure what the name of the sea was, you see I was never a major history buff even back before I went into cryo sleep.
My name is Still Life former royal guard of princess luna, now a meager guard of Mud.
My days are pretty simple, boring honestly, shooting the occasional mole rat or radroach, one time there was a yao-guai fairly large one too but we ended up scaring it off pretty easily however today this calm serenity I've settled into was dashed in favor of something more… worrisome.
I was the only one guarding the main gate today, Mud was surrounded by walls with gates in them but the main one saw most frequent travel and that was no different today.
From my post id scene, what I believed to be a caravan but upon closer inspection via binoculars, I saw the cages, these we're slavers coming to get somepony a pony who’d stumbled into town a few days back.
He was sickly and was suffering from malnutrition. According to the doctor, I knew the slavers we're gonna try and cause some problems so I did an old trick from back in my royal guard days.
My power armor though rusted, scratched, and beaten with the royal black and blue paint chipping off, it was still tall, proud and mighty enough to make a raider shit themselves. The helmet had been scavenged while I was frozen but still I figured putting it on would give me a more intimidating stance despite my age.
Was I already 65, Celestia how the years have gone by, I might need to learn a spell to better my complexion *chuckle*.
I told the town about the oncoming wagon and a few ponies prepped the slave to leave her name was Rose no last name was given.
I met the slavers at the gate, they were mostly ponies but there was one that worried me a bit, a griffon that was loaded down with explosives.
“Can we help you?” I said as sternly as I could, however, the one leading the cart a unicorn mare wasn't budging.
“Well, mister high and mighty power armor, a benefactor type of our cause had some of his property run off this way and we were wondering if your folk had seen anything.”
Property they call him, slavers are one of the many stains that popped up after the mega spells dropped and well, I'd revel in the day they washed away.
“I'm sorry but we haven't seen any slaves coming this way so I'd suggest you move on.” I puffed myself up a little bit more to increase my intimidating stance making some of the slavers back a bit but not the unicorn or griffon.
“Now I'm afraid thing's just don't work like that so you'd better move aside and let us search less my friend here Catrina will force the slave out in a more shall we say, destructive manner."
This didn't scare me. I mean I knew if I got hold of the griffon I could crush her skull pretty easily but I didn't want to risk not complying and end up getting civilians killed.
Stepping aside the wagon rolled into town passing me, and letting me get a good look at the slaves most of them we're adults but there we're children on board too, pegasi but still a grey one and a white one chatting as if nothing around them mattered.
It took most of my resolve to not just kill the slavers right then instead I let them search the town ransacking buildings a fellow guard almost stepped in but was stopped by a silent hoof on their shoulder.
This went on for about 10 minutes but it felt like 10 years until the leader once again approached me.
“Well tin can it seems you were right he isn't here, however, I'm not living empty hoofed.” I knew what the fiend was getting at as she twirled a revolver around in her magic, she wanted me.
“And how do you expect to enslave me?” honestly it was a bold thing for her to suggest but I had a feeling I knew her plan.
"Well you stepped aside when I threatened the town before so I'm gonna play that card again, you come with us willingly or we burn this dump to the ground." I complied
“I won't remove this armor.” If I was going into what was likely gonna end up being a combat area I was gonna be prepared.
“Not a problem, we have ways to deal with that issue.“ and so with that line she motions for the leave and I silently left chains over my armored hooves.
~~~~~
Root found a note a few weeks back over in Hoofington just before I was about to leave, all that war stuffs going on and I despite wanting to help needed to move on, but hey at least Security made a nice speech kinda wish I was there in person to see it but instead I was stuck listing to it over the radio while scavenging thank stable tech for pit bugs i don't care if its pony tech its still really useful.
That's when Root found the note it said something about a company in Caldonia, Cerberus, a cybernetics company, and so that's where I'm heading. I'm a few miles from the equestrian Caledonia border, and should reach it by nightfall if I'm correct.
*distant gunfire*
I took cover behind a nearby piece of ruins, it appeared to be a destroyed house on the outskirts of some prewar pony town.
Looking out towards where the muzzle flashes and gunshots were ringing out from.
“Raiders perhaps but who's the one getting beaten in their chaps?” peering around the rubble to get a better look I saw just what was happening.
Slavers and NCR battling it out most likely over the slaves, the NCR we're wounded three down and two injured but holding their ground.
I went to try and help their wounded getting a brief look from the one NCR to my left before he asked me a question and went back to shooting living me to my work.
"What's your name?" the question briefly caught me off guard but I answered through my work on the groaning pony in front of me.
"Berri." I said quickly without getting an answer back. I went to work.
I'd stabilized the two ponies closest to me, one an earth pony mare with a white coat and blue mane and the other a red-coated earth pony like the former.
I went to take care of the third pony but I was too slow the shot rang outgoing past me into their head, we were surrounded and while the others were too weak to keep fighting I gave it a shot.
Root bit the hoof of one slaver as I smacked his face in with the butt end of my rifle and left him to Root who started clawing on his face, he was a good dog.
I was gonna take a shot at another slaver but getting tackled by the rest prevented that thought from becoming a reality.
They muzzled Root and put him in a cage. I was instead shackled and escorted to my cage.
After a few hours of travel, we finally stopped at the water's edge to see another two wagons of slaves and… was that a slave in power armor.
If I'd been given time I would have pondered the sight for longer but I was forced forward towards the even more perplexing and aw commanding sight of a ship.
We were going across the ocean.
~~~~~
And that's how this merry band of fuckers ended up together, in the same place, on a ship. Welcome to Fallout Equestria distant lands.
Wood. It's what Chane found himself lying on when he woke up this morning. The morning after his transportation from Sanctuary to this boat.
they'd been sailing for a while now with no real end in sight.
The room Chane was in was less than appealing but at least it was more walled of than the usual accommodations. Light peered through the cloudy stained windows of the room he inhabited along with two others, another zebra and a pony.
It was cramped and frankly, with Brief consideration, Chane concluded that a breath of fresh air was in order and it seems the other zebra agreed.
“Madam pony would you mind proving these locks phony? “
A rhyming zebra she was augmented cybernetically in nature and though it defiled tradition Chane didn't complain seeing as he too had broken tradition.
He failed to protect his people, a warrior bad at war.
“You lot might want to stand back.” Chane ran in front of the pony before they started on the door instead, taking a more direct approach to opening it.
“1 2 3 and smack!” With one quick solid buck, the door came flying from its hinges just as another door across the hall was torn from its hinges to reveal a strong tall pony, unicorn variety he was in the ruins of a suit of power armor that looked more like a piece of river trash.
It was helmetless revealing his face white with mane going from black to grey with his age.
~~~~~
From Mud to wood. Figuratively and Literally Still Life's surroundings had changed, his room was shabby, dark and grimy.
There were two ponies besides Still, both were glaring at him, of course, his power-armor being so grand and abstract in this setting probably helped matters in that sense. it was a blueish black suit that had certainly chipped and faded with time revealing its steel exterior but the symbol of the crescent Moon on his chest was almost untouched by the elements of the wasteland as if preserved.
Besides them, there was a cabinet of sorts in the cell and of course, it was empty but not useless.
Lowering his head down low like he'd done many times for Luna Still instead did something more practical, using his mouth he with some fiddling broke loose a leg from the wardrobe with the assistance of his large frame to help stabilize the wardrobe proper.
And in one instant Still went from weaponless to a club in hoof mostly wedged on the armor between one of his crescent-shaped joints in a way that allowed optimal hitting.
“Well, I suggest if you want to get off this ship you should follow me.” The slaves stationed with Still we're less than adamant to jump on the rebellion wagon well at least compared to him.
The door was relatively sturdy, something Still discovered after pressing his armored hoof on it with force.
he could in theory just bash it down but that would be a waste of his new weapon.
He got to work prying on the hinges of the door with the club telling each hinge was removed making the next step much easier as the others stood back and watched.
Still pressed ever so lightly getting stronger each second until the door opened in reverse snapping the outside lock well that or the door itself, the door opened with a crack showing Still face to face with Chane who unlike Still bore no armor nor weapons.
“I see at least one other creature has some level of competence.” Said Still.
“Escaping I presume?” Chane gave a simple nod as the other zebra in his quarters came out.
~~~~~
After Berri woke up to a zebra and pony on either side of her and no Root insight she knew thing's we're going to a fight.
Berri attempted to get the aid of the pony but the Chane cut them off choosing to think more with his hooves on the locked door issue.
After he bucked it open with the simple command to "Stay back".
After said event, he went out into the hall where another door was laying on the ground knocked over by a power-armored pony though he was missing a helmet.
Coming out to the hall Berri addressed both door breakers.
“Shall we take leave of this place with glee?”
And with that, She got a unanimous comment of "yes" from the two as they headed forward down a flight of stairs to face a filly.
She was small like most but certainly not the smallest Berri had seen, she was also a pegasus something that's rare even as adults let alone a child it was no wonder the slavers took her.
~~~~~
"I hate griffons!" after a few weeks in the wasteland and only having one bath per town, Silver was already losing her mind but when she asked for a simple bath here they went all-in on it.
Silver Pick had been picked up from my room and held under the water for at least five minutes or at least it felt that long I mean she started choking, heck she could have died!
Thankfully her mane didn't shed her gun. It was dad's revolver and he'd kill her if it got taken, well if he even cared that Silver was gone, the only thing she lost was a few bobby pins.
However, they did take her helmet. Admittedly it was a pot but still, it's better than nothing.
Silver's room was dark and had another pony in it who brought her back via CPR and Silver really and truly thanked her for it. Her name was Snowdrop.
“Thank you *cough* what's your name?” Said Silver through restored breath.
“Snowdrop and you are?” She was sweet and had a voice that sounded like a pony Silver occasionally saw selling shampoo up in the clouds.
“Silver Pick.” she didn't see too much harm in telling Snowdrop her name especially given their circumstances.
After a brief attempt to open the door with a combination of pulling, pushing and pouting Silver had one last idea.
She'd never tried too hard to pick a lock. It was on her list of things to do to try and get her cutie mark so she figured why not try here.
After a good bit of fiddling, Silver broke a bobby pin and then another one and if she'd done it again she would have broken another so Silver had a better idea.
“Hey Snowdrop, do you think you could try to pick this lock?” Was it smart to ask someone who's probably never picked a lock, to pick a lock, who knows?
“Well, I guess I can try.” Said the unicorn, she had a light blue coat and pink mane.
Silver offered her a screwdriver and two bobby pins which she promptly grabbed in her magic and began using on the door.
After some clicks passed and Silver heard her say something under her breath the door finally gave the telltale sound of a lock popping open.
“Hey, I did it guess I haven't lost my edge!” She opened the door and left for Silver to follow, coming out she was met to face three other creatures, a pony like herself and two zebras.
Before Silver let her mind jump to conclusions on them she let herself have time to think about them besides they seemed to be aiding in her escape.
Across the hall was a door like her own, running up to it Silver began working her magic and picked the lock, why didn't it just work for her door? She wondered.
After the slight click, she opened the door to a filly running past her, something Silver only noticed because of the pipsqueaks cape brushing against her.
Now not to sound rude but she was short even by Silvers standards and she's a filly which makes me wonder just how old she was?
~~~~~
“I'm a sneaky ninja spy pony and I'm gonna jump on them when they come through the door.” Explained Mysty to the other two slaves sharing the room they admittedly weren't taking her seriously but hey what can you do.
Mysty was hidden in the room's cupboard well, she was until the door opened and she ran out the door completely forgetting her surprise jump attack and instead weaved around a Silver who opened the door.
Mysty was a filly on a mission to find her Pixie, the single most bestest cutest blue fox ever, I mean sure she was poisonous and once made a trade pony’s eyes cry red for a few hours but she was still Mysty’s little Pixie.
The main room of the room that everyone had entered was a far cry better than their previous accommodations however this room had a few less than friendly folk in it on the ready.
Inside cannons lined the walls poking their heads out of the hatches in the side of the ship all pirate-like but most importantly there was a meany with Pixie in a cage.
These details did not stop the onslaught that was about to ensue, some just encouraged it.
~~~~~
“I'll take the griffon!” It could fly and Still wanted to make sure that wasn't a possibility so with a quick charge through his fellow escapees he brought down a flurry of power-armored hooves upon the griffin certainly breaking a few bones.
Of course, the griffon retaliated slashing at his face a few times and got a pretty good hit off too but certainly not good enough and after its barrage, the griffon dashed off to a corner making Still take chase as Silver joined up with him in his pursuit.
“I told you this one's mine.” Still didn't bark it per se but he was fairly assertive.
“Yeah well they tried to drown me and I feel that deserves a little revenge.”
Still couldn't argue with the filly almost being drowned was good grounds for revenge.
~~~~~
After Still Life had begun his charge Chane followed suit but instead of going at the griffon like him Chane chose to deal with a race traitor, a zebra he seemed to not fully grasp the situation and after getting a good look at him Chane could see why.
He was blinded, his eyes had been slashed seemingly in one move.
“Blinded he became after he bounded me.” Said the cyber zebra and although she equally was betraying our race and traditions she at least was on Chane's side
“I see what would you say to completing the job?”
"Well healing is what I'm meant to be dealing, but harm is what I'm feeling.” With that, the zebras finished their approach and got him by both sides laying into him.
Chane's repeated punches connected while Berri’s attacks we're less than satisfactory.
She attempted hitting him which failed so she tried to bite him but that also resulted in failure and ultimately she went to grapple his moving figure as he went to move away causing chase making her trip towards him turning her grapple into a headbutt knocking him out cold.
~~~~~
Now, what is the little alicorn murder machine doing?
“*wheeze* *grunt* *strain* Why is this steel ball so heavy?”
Mysty was attempting to lift a 10-pound cannonball and with this ring on her horn she couldn't use magic leaving her equivalent to a pegasus filly who couldn't lift heavy things and this was a heavy ball but the heavier something is the easier it is to knock out a pony with it.
“1, 2 uh oh!” Mysty comically fails to hit him a few times before eventually lifting it and having it fall just onto the side of his head which wasn't even her intention she was trying to bust open Pixie's Cage which she did because she's awesome.
“What in Tartarus was that!” The pony went to turn around and got smacked yet again this time giving him a black eye. Instant karma for saying Tartarus in front of a little filly.
“Go to sleep, please this thing is heavy!” Mysty was rearing up for another attempt but the teal green earth pony was faster, grabbing the repeater rifle he attempted to un-alive the filly with it.
And no I'm not gonna say die in front of a filly even if I'm just the unseen unheard narrator.
He let out a good few shots from the repeating rifle however Mysty was too good at running around the metal sleepy time darts and they didn't hit her, good thing too she didn't want to go to bed last time she did, she woke up in a cage.
~~~~~
*bang* *bang* Silver let off shots on the griffon who'd almost drowned her while her newfound friend Still Life pumped the griffon's beak into its skull.
Silver wasn't per se trying to kill the griffon, more of either immobilize them or do a sort of hostage situation with them but when they fled the scene for the stairs that became much more difficult.
“Dang it, there goes our leverage!”
“You know you're a bit more blood happy than you seem to let on?”
Still’s comment briefly perplexed the filly before she caught his meaning.
“Well now it's more just that I wanted payback I mean I wasn't gonna kill him or anything, I suspect that's a difference between us.”
“He was a threat and he stood in the way of our freedom and thus he needed and still needs to die!”
Silver grimaced at what he said, I mean sure they captured her but they didn't need to kill them but if they must...
Silver couldn't finish that thought instead, choosing to push it to the back of her mind and deal with it when it hit her, something she did a lot.
~~~~~
After Berri accidentally incapacitated Chane's punching bag she started toward the last opponent in the room an earth pony who was trying and notably failing to fight Mysty.
“Do you mind finishing the fight for in my sight there is another battle to fight?”
With Berri’s focus drawn away, Chane did as she asked, crushing the traitor's skull beneath his hoof and taking follow.
~~~~~
After Berri's fumble that inadvertently knocked out that zebra, she moved onto the next task at hoof.
The smallest of their misfit heard was fighting a much bigger yet admittedly weaker seaming foe, an earth pony with a repeater in hoof.
Upon the zebras' approach, they were joined by Still Life and Silver Pick from the south said child dashed ahead of Berri to see the sight of the earth pony bloodied and bleeding on the floor. they had him cornered.
He took one quick look around and chose a more unsavory death in the form of a cannonball meet face method. and after two sudden slam's Silver spoke up.
“Stop! Or I'll uh I'll shoot?” Berri couldn't fault the child's attempt at making the scene end as blood was launched off of the ball and the sickening crunch was heard and amplified by her enhanced cybernetic scenes.
“‘Fucking do it! Shoot me. Shoot me!” I'll admit even Berri, a grown mare was taken aback by the display, this pony knew he was going to die either way so he chose to do it on his own terms and although that's admirable Berri doubted a filly could see it in such light.
He went to smack his face against the cannonball once more before the shot rang out, and silence followed as the pool of blood slowly grew as everyone else stood around however the other filly Mysty who falsely appeared as a pegasus had run off, not that anypony could blame them.
They didn't appreciate the sight either.
~~~~~
“I… I killed him.“ The words got caught in Silver throat as she went to speak again but they were forced out of her, not as speech but as vomit and tears.
she’d practiced with dad's gun before, Tartarus. she still had it but… she killed somepony.
“I just wanted him to stop and I didn't know what to do and I…” she was panicking that much and it was obvious her tears we're flinging just like his... blood, oh there was so much blood.
It was worse than a carriage wreck, at least in terms of impact, it was like she'd been… shot and time slowed. Silver couldn't peel her eyes away from the ever-growing pool as the ships rocking sent it down a crease in the wood and it began curving around her hooves.
She almost screamed but a hoof on her shoulder prevented it making Silver look to Berri.
“Come now child let us come down from this feeling of drowning sorrow” With that Berri and Silver went off to a clearer part of the room between two cannons and away from all the death.
~~~~~
What has this world come to, thought Still, I can deal with the beast, the terrible living conditions, and the radiation but foals and fillies having to kill just to stay alive. Still remember when he first made his way to Mud there was a carcass of a foal no more than 10 years old.
Lying there in the mud left to rot.
He had been raped and all his limbs ripped off and stuck on spikes all around his body like he was drawn and quartered but the limbs were placed near where they should have been. The smell of blood and sperm still defiled the air making the anger Still felt boile far more than if it had faded.
Suffice to say the raider camp west of the newly dug grave did not stand a chance against his anger-filled hooves.
I hope these young ones meet no similar fate.
On the earth pony's body was a 9mm repeater Still had no use for the weapon but figured it was a far cry better than the pistol Silver was using.
“Here take this you're gonna need it soon.” Did Still want her to have to kill again, Luna no but she needed to survive.
“Here's the ammo too and make sure when you shoot em, you make it quick, painless it will make you feel better.”
That was the best advice Still could give to her as Berri stroked her mane.
Turning towards the stairs Still saw as the little white pegasus ran down them and past him and to Silver, she must have taken tare of the griffon escape from earlier.
~~~~~
After her brief excursion up the stairs where she smacked a griffon in the skull with a cannonball and alerted the other three creatures in the room the sheer weight of the ball pulled her fluttering down the stairs mostly pulled by the ball's weight.
“Ok I can't carry this thing, I need my magic.”
Dropping the ball with a thud it started rolling along the ship in loud fashion but she didn't care she needed someone to take off this horn ring.
After looking at Still she saw that he had a ring too so they couldn't help next she looked to Silver who she deemed could help.
~~~~~
“Hey, hey, hey can you take this off?” After repeated poking, Silver acknowledged the pegasus? She had a horn! but she was a pegasus, I mean there we're the princess but that was forever ago.
“Uh sure?” Silver slipped off the ring and she took it with her magic, something that just isn't right.
Then she ran up and jumped up onto Still Life's back where she removed his ring.
“Thank you, now it's time to get off this boat can we all agree on that.”
Everyone pretty much gave a nod of approval and Still started speaking again.
“Alright the rest of you lot be ready for anything, find a weapon and get into some cover, we're going up top to take care of anything up there then will come and get you.”
The other slaves were weary but didn't outright say no.
~~~~~
Silver wasn't sure if she was ready to go right back into combat but if everyone else was going up into who knows what she needed to be ready to… kill.
The thought still churned her stomach as they crept up the stairs where they were met with a hatch.
Still was first in line followed by her and Mysty and behind them, was Berri and Chane.
“On three we throw it open and you use the loud noise as a distraction to get yourself out of sight.”
Silver was glad that Still had some sort of plan and that it involved her hiding.
“Chane you charge the enemies further in. I'll handle anything in the way of our entrance and Berri make sure we don't die, now on three... one, two, three!”
Still threw the hatch open and the plan went into action with Silver slipping out of the party and finding a spot by the bar further into the room where she found her pot helmet.
It was full of a lukewarm stew and after emptying its contents stealthily onto the floor she put it on and took a glance around behind the bar there was another zebra with a caged, uh you know she doesn't know the word for it but it's got a long snout and pointy ears.
In the center of the room was a table barricade with a big blue pony that gave Still a run for his bits, he looked like his left hoof was a bear trap and the other a mace.
But most notably he had a pirate hat on.
Then out of nowhere Chane leaped over the tables and began attacking, making Silver look back at the rest of the party Still had his hooves over the seemingly dead body of a second griffon making a total of two by the stairs.
Berri was kind of just standing there looking at the caged creature and Mysty was being a child and thus hitting one of the griffon's dead bodies with her Cannonball.
~~~~~
Chane began running at him, he looked to be the one in charge so it made the most sense however as he unleashed a flurry of blows he was yet again reminded of his status as a failure for not a single hit connected but, the Captain's certainly did.
With one move he grabbed Chane's left foreleg with his beartrap and flung Chane behind him like a ragdoll. he was held in place by the trap as the Captain brought him forward with full force letting him go flying but not before getting in a good smack in with his mace.
The leather Chane wore on his coat was one of the few things that kept the Captain's few attacks from incapacitating him immediately then out of the side of the room a shot”s rang out as they had below one ripping into one end of the captains left leg out the other and then embedding itself into his right shoulder while the others provided another light source in the form of a now shattered window.
“Leave him alone!” Cried Silver, Chane could tell from the tears forming and the grimace on her face it was painful to have pulled the trigger but she did it.
~~~~~
“Halt!” The Captain's voice boomed out making us draw attention to him and his brief stumble to the right, the shot had done more damage than he was letting on that much was evident.
“Does anypony mind explaining exactly what the fuck your think you doing?” Diplomacy? Great, we might not have to fight and from the looks of it, that's a good thing for Chane’s sake.
“Would you believe we're staging a jailbreak?” Said Still raising himself from the dead griffon under his hooves.
“Well from the looks of things I’d be inclined to believe you, so is it gonna be two against five or what?"
“I'd prefer a one on one game of words you concur?” Let's hope diplomacy works.
“I believe I do, you wish to settle this without bloodshed and instead be more diplomatic, am I correct?”
“Precisely, forgive my rather brash friend he rather rashly prefers to give way to hooves rather than to his mind.” said Berri
That comment got a glare from Chane but she wasn't wrong.
“He is rather rash isn't he, well if we shall settle this like the civilized then I must ask if I can finish my food before our chat.”
“Of course, but if I may be so bold may I lend, to tend to my friend?” Before responding he said something else towards the direction of the bar where Berri noticed the zebra that had been there was now walking back from our vicinity
"Yes, you may tend to your ally." as he went to sit down Berri spoke again
"Yet again captain I ask in bold can my canine be unhold from his cage" she gestured to Root caged behind the bar with the zebra.
“I will be on the lookout in case anyone tries to pull anything.” And with that Still left us to ourselves and Silver ran off to go find her stuff.
"No, we talk first you tend to your friend, for now, your gear is in the back rooms behind me."
With that Berri went into the back, grabbed her gear and began work on Chane, it took a good lot of bandages to patch him up and altho he wasn't in the best shape she expected he'd be able to walk, talk, and punch as he healed.
“So let us talk and try not to squawk.”
If Berri could talk calmly she was sure this would go smoothly.
“Indeed there are many places this conversation could go and we should refrain from yelling it would accomplish nothing.”
“Are you a slaver as well or just a traveler?”
That was the first question on her mind.
“I am a traveler never really approved of the whole slave trade business but I'll transport them like any cargo.”
A supply ship? Berri thought.
“I see a traveling trader roaming the sea.”
That made the most sense to Berri.
“Something like that I have a main employer I've been working for these past few years, and before you ask yes he's the one who asked me to get you lot"
“I see, he would be...”
Berri was cut off.
"I don't have a clue, he’s my mysterious benefactor. He pays me for the slaves usually through messenger so I've never even really met him. I kinda hope I never do."
At this point, the captain started smoking a cigarette, and as a doctor, Berri was going to protest but figured it would be unwise.
“A nameless employer employing a Captain with information that is less than, sustain.”
That should get some more out of him. Berri thought.
“Yeah that describes thing's pretty accurately but I'm not as clueless as that implies.”
“Oh?”
"We're heading on a due course west to the Cradle of Creation a little cluster of five islands out here in the middle of nowheresville, my benefactor is either worshipped like a god or feared and I've yet to hear someone on the fence between those two options."
“Interesting, that kills the plan of running.”
“Oh yeah why's that?”
“They sound like the type who will ground out all their resources to pound us back to these isles.”
“Well I can't argue that but ultimately there's still an issue we need to discuss you've killed four of my crew and as the most priceless part of this cargo if you go missing I don't like my chances.”
“Yes, a plan is one of many things that we need to put into the pan."
“Right, and with that being said, what is your plan?”
“I plan to steal a deal from you.”
“Alright what sort of things does this deal intake?”
“We take a vacancy where we see, and freedom that will eventually be.”
He nodded along to my plan hopefully he saw what I was getting at.
“We work on the island’s, take the benefactor away and give you the spoils of the land he's claimed over his time.”
“Just you lot.” he seemed to ponder on it looking away from me as he drank and after he set his cup down he finally turned to answer the deal
"You replace my former crew technically give me an extra hoof on deck and in exchange for this “Freedom/” he did literal air quotes with his hoof.
"You kill the Benefactor and give me his wealth. It's an interesting offer you've proposed and under other circumstances, I would agree no questions asked but…”
“He's the sorts that will call all the courts to the ports just for one execution.”
“Yeah and I don't like the prospects of trying to lie to a god even if it's just a pony.”
He stared down a bit before looking up just trying to decide Berri figured.
“I'll do it, you lot take care of him I'll give him what slaves remain and after the fact, we never have to meet again, right.”
“Indeed now may I have my loyal breed.” Not having Root with her but instead caged across the room was getting to Berri.
“Oh uh yeah sure.”
And at that he clapped his Hooves and Root’s cage was opened, after repeated petting and getting her face licked, they shook hooves Silver came back stuff in hoof and Berri explained everything to the rest of the group.
“No, I don't like that deal!”
Silver was less than receptive but she wasn't the only one.
“Why can't we all just hit him?” Mysty wasn't either, time to try and explain things to a filly.
“Smallest one this is not a simple task, certainly not the simplest which you've described.”
“No, it's simple we just gotta hit him.”
“If you truly believe that I pray for you to stay pure in soul and belief.”
“She’s right this is a much more dangerous game then any of us thought.” Glad to see Still was on my side.
“I don't care about that I mean sure it makes sense but what about them, the rest of the slaves, we're basically dooming them for helping us.”
Berri could not argue her point but she was gonna make her see it wasn't that black and white.
“Little one have you ever tried the game of shogi, in shogi, you can kind of play your ponies game of chess but a fun little twist on the capture the ruler philosophy is that sometimes you can bring eliminated pieces back to the board.”
Berri would have said capture the princess but she took it that might cause offense. Ruler is much more unanimous, Berri had her attention now and it was time to explain her thought.
“I plan to talk to the mare who freed you and make her our inside mare a piece in the shadows of our enemies.”
“Only if she's on board and even then I'm still not liking this.”
“Welcome to the wasteland kid, it's full of many things you'll grow to downright hate,” said Chane before glaring at the Captain who was glaring at Silver who was glaring at Berri it was just a big glare fest.
“Well I'll be off in my quarters, all of your belongings are in your respective rooms, Blood, would you be so kind as to escort them when ready.”
The zebra mare didn't say anything just nodded in approval as the Captain began taking his leave.
“Captain if I may be ever so bold, in rolled out word’s?”
He stopped not regarding her with words, instead with actions.
“There was another who aided us in our leave, a unicorn of the NCR with a blue coat and pink mane.”
“Snowdrop I ken her and believe I ken what you asking and the answers no.”
Before she could even ask for her inclusion in the deal Berri was shot down.
“If I were to give one such luxury to another such of the cargo which if you forgot you were formerly part of, I would add another risk making my chances of getting out of this situation, alive even more difficult so no I must humbly decline the thought.”
She hated it but Berri saw a great deal of wisdom in his words not to mention what other possible aftershocks will happen because of their deal alone.
“I shall go speak with her and return when done.”
She calmly stormed, disappointed by her failing.
~~~~~
With Berr’s leave and the conflict avoided, Still decided to sit back and rest.
There was an odd room off to our side no pony had looked in yet and he figured it would be perfect.
“If anyone needs me I'll be in here.”
The room was relatively barren with a table and lantern but nothing else he sat in the corner and began my rest followed by Mysty and her fox
It was a blue fox and she said it was magic which brought a smile to Still's face, magic foxes only something a child could think up.
~~~~~
Berri was becoming a mixed topic among Chane's feelings. They had the traditional rhyming speak of a zebra but had betrayed tradition with tech of the ponies bound into her flesh.
She had sacrificed the lives of the slaves beneath him as if they were mere pawns in a game Tartarus she even said so herself with the comparison she made to shogi.
I have yet to put my hoof on where our standing lyes.
For now, he'll sleep on the thought but first he must follow Blood something Berri is already on track doing so.
Their rooms were much better than the former accommodations but Chane still shared a room with a pony, white coat and mostly blue mane and tail.
He was asleep when Chane entered so he let it stay that way as he slept.
~~~~~
Betrayal, that's what Berri’s plan felt like to the pony who saved Silver's life and broke her out, she hated it!
In her pack was the rest of her formerly stolen items, a sweet roll, a bag of popcorn, a box of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Apple Bombs, some scrap metal and a silencer.
Silver wanted to put the silencer on her new repeater rifle but she didn't have a clue how any of this works so she did the next best thing.
“Does anyone know how guns work!” It was a simple question that was ignored due to nopony being around so Silver went and found Still and asked again thankfully Still did understand this stuff and gave her the beginnings of a crash course on the subject.
~~~~~
Berri began her descent, it was time to see if she could win Snowdrop over on her plan.
"You are with the NCR if my memory serves me right; I tended to your wounds, in an earlier fight.”
“Yes, I remember you, I was one of the ones laying on the ground if it wasn't for you then…”
“Indeed but, there is no need to thank the deed.”
"I was able to strike a deal through the Captain’s wall of steel and get some more information."
“And what would this information be if I may ask?”
Berri began the explanation, the Benefactor, the Islands, all of it and when she was done Snowdrop was silent giving her more time to speak.
"I suspect a character like this wouldn't rest until we are subject or dead if we were to escape. So I struck a deal with the Captain. The five who fought will lay plain as the slain we fought.”
The silence again, it was unsettling but this time as Silver opened her mouth Snow cut her off with words of her own.
“So we stay enslaved and you work for him doesn't sound like a very appealing turn of play to me.”
"I tried to get you included, but the Captain wouldn't settle less you were excluded."
“I see.”
She was growing more distant and so Berri figured it was time for her grand plan to come to light.
"I wouldn't blame you for seeing me a traitor, but I beg you to settle for hearing me out, I'll make you lose doubt."
She stayed quiet a moment before speaking.
“Well, whomever this ‘Benefactor’ is I’d say they can't handle the might of the NCR but, under tight circumstances, I'd say you made the right choice, wish that filly would understand that but what can you do.”
"I still need your skill. I suspect that this benefactor likely has many more slaves to factor in their employ."
"I aim to find out who this mind is and bring them down. Long story short I need somepony on the inside if we are to free not only you but all the slaves inside, we need to play this carefully."
"Can you act as a leader on the inside? That way we can find a way to let you be a feeder of information, as well as try to steer the slaves down a safer pathway."
"You'll still be a slave, but we will slave with you to bring this Benefactor down and free you, all of you."
"This certainly is a high stakes game we’re playing, only we don't know how high the stakes are and or what kind of board we're playing on but I will see what must be done in order to establish myself. Hopefully, we can get this done quickly and find a way to contact the NCR."
"I'll try to cry a message out to your superiors."
"Oh and who are you planning on that, I mean for fuck sake were going to some islands out in the middle of nowheresville, may Celestia help us all!"
"I'll have to see what awaits us at landfall, I'll try my best to get that message out, I put my faith in y’all. Together we can hopefully free these slaves and bring a positive change to this land may it not see a fall. Thank you. I'm counting on y’all not to fall. Please see the other slaves not stall... We have a lot of work ahead of us all if we are to prevent us from a fall.”
“Indeed.”
Their conversation ended there with arrangements having been made and her going off with the rest of the slaves and remnants of her unit.
Thing's we're certainly heating up and Berri had one last conversation that needed closing before she took leave of this vessel.
Silver was in the room with everyone but Chane who was in his quarters sleeping she assumed.
“Silver we need to finish our discussion” She ignored voluntarily or not and so I employed a Root alarm having my loyal canine companion bark in her ear.
This disruption of her focus took her full attention as she stared at Root before he promptly licked her face.
“Ahhh. it licked me!” This sent her freaking out and ending up dived behind mysty as she pushed her forward.
“Take her not me.”
“Hey hey.” Mysty than lifted her fox, Pixie who licked Silver's face
Which yet again sent her freaking out and running out of the room down the stairs and into the lower deck.
~~~~~
“Ahhh poison joke, I have, poison joke, ahh!”
Mysty’s fox was poisonous. Silver remembers her saying as much on their way to the boat originally and now it's licked her and she doesn't know what to, well besides running around screaming.
After being glared at for a bit by the slaves Berri and Root came down the stairs and Root kept blocking her path as he got Silver in a corner, she was dead.
“Silver calm down, Root won't make you frown”
Silver wasn't really worried about the dog but...
“I don't care that fox is, poison joke. I'm poisoned, ahhh!”
She probably thought Silver was overreacting but she remembered hearing about, poison joke. It shrunk an adult pony and Silver is a kid.
“Hmm interesting I'll have to see if I can whip up a puree of sorts when we get to town but for now we must be finishing our conversation”
Oh, hear this goes again. thought Silver.
“What's there to talk about you plan to just leave Snowdrop here, a slave.”
She was really starting to get angry. Berri was betraying our friend, someone who had saved Silver’s life, it made her want to just shoot her outright.
“No.”
It caught Silver off guard, to say the least.
“The zebra is, correct little one while I'm not entirely pleased with how things have wound up coming out. I am certainly not being betrayed.”
“Ah Snowdrop glad you're here now we can better alleviate Silver’s fear.”
To say Silver was surprised and thankful would be an understatement.
They began explaining the whole deal and she was glad to finally know the plan and that they'd be staying in touch even if it would be through steel bars.
“Ok, thank you, Berri.”
“I'll try.”
After a brief hug, silver started on my way back up to start listening to Still again and based on the pace of his teaching lecture she won't be done for a good lot of hours.
Later…
To say she was right is another understatement after what can only be described as an eternity she was tired and going to her room.
Berri informed her she'd be sleeping with Mysty and her fox which was an unpleasant thought so Silver locked the door.
That will teach her for making that fox lick me. Thought Silver.
The unknowing thought of what could happen to her because of that fox still had her on the edge, she was almost afraid to go to sleep.
~~~~~
“Alright everycreature get your shit together will be hitting land in about an hour”
After the captain's notification and the awakening of the rest of the sleeping party, he began a crew meeting of sorts on the top deck. The reason Still know this is because he was directly above him yelling incoherent babbling to the crew.
Upon arrival, Still's steel hooves certainly appreciated the feeling of solid ground beneath them.
The pirates or at least that's what Still believed they were, had begun unloading the gear off the ship as well as giving back the party's belongings well the ones that they hadn't already acquired, for some of them.
After the eventual unloading of supplies was finished it seemed like a small amount for the ship to be carrying.
The party was all crowding together trying to not get in the way of their work, however their efforts to stay out of business we're for not.
“Guy's and madam Berri, we have an issue.”
Well isn't this, is off to a great start? Thought Still
“Yes,” Still said, taking charge of the conversation.
“He's coming here, the Benefactor.”
Well, that throws a wrench in Berri’s plan.
“I see, does anyone know a spell to alter what they see?”
Well, that's an idea if it works that is.
“Well, I could do the Nihtmare Nigt custume spell.”
That line got a glare from Everypony as they stared at Mysty.
It took Still a moment to figure out what the little alicorn meant and it wasn't aided by her mispronunciation of Nightmare Night but once he figured out what she meant it became obviously apparent.
“She means alter physiology, as the name suggests it changes your appearance or body in general however I doubt she can do much more than provide facial hair and change our coats.”
And so that's what they did and it was just in time cause a neigh a few minutes later he showed up.
~~~~~
It was him the one who had ordered them all to be captured and brought to this cursed place I swear the longer I stay here the worse it feels, there's some seriously bad shit here, and I don't need cybernetics to tell me that. thought Berri.
~~~~~
Finally, I get to meet this Benefactor face to face. He seems to be a zebra, like me, he has 4 armed and armored guards cutlasses in hoof as best I can tell under their hoods. Thought Chane.
Their hoods blackish-blue almost purple in some spots they bore the mark of the night princess Luna.
~~~~~
“There's the meany who put me in a cage, I'm gonna hit him with ma steel ball.” Thought the little white alicorn filly if only she knew how bad a thought that was.
~~~~~
Another ziger oh come on, I mean zebra, he was as stated a zebra and like everypony else, he was taller than me.
It makes me wonder how Mysty feels being the literal shortest and dumbest of the group. Thought Silver.
~~~~~
Here he was weak and unarmed. If I wanted to I could charge him and crush his head for causing me and the rest of us to have to go through this whole ordeal.
But I won't, I will wait for a more adept time to strike preferably when he isn't guarded by four ponies. Thought Still.
“Hey Captain, I bet you're surprised to see me.”
His voice was beyond fake with an accent trying and partially succeeding in mimicking a Prench speaking pony but it was all over toned and masked by a shit-eating smile and the sound of a pure slimeball of a pony.
“I'll admit seeing you in person is quite an interesting surprise.”
“Interesting indeed, what's it been 5 years we've worked together and never formally met, it's a shame we had to meet on one of your worst ever runs.”
His tone turned from joke'ish and chatty to a cold steel while keeping his general vibe going on, as he cut off the Captain before he could even say “I”.
“You short on material by a factor of 50 crates. I can't feed an empire with a box of apples!, I can't wage wars with a crate of ammunition!!, I can't build the future with a measly few slaves!!!”
He was getting louder with each thing the benefactor listed.
“I understand we're short but…”
“No it doesn't matter as long as you got my special order in for this trip I'll be fine and happy, however, if you didn't I'll have you meet a personal friend of mine.”
“Well about that...”
He looked back at us, a look of desperation crying out what in Tartarus do I tell him and when none of us answered he turned back around and.
“I couldn't find any...”
“Oh, can it!”
The benefactor shoved past the Captain with ease pushing the hulk of muscular feat away like a child and then as the Captain tried to grab at the Benefactor but two of the hooded figures appeared in front of him at an angle touching their freshly drawn rapiers at the tips.
“Hum you lot aren't exactly what I'd say it calls for but cybernetics check, blueish purple power armor check, pegasi filly check and as for your little one...”
He grabbed at Mysty’s hat and of course, Mysty being a small simple filly dogged it but then a third of the four guards appeared on Mysty’s tail.
It was instantaneous a blink, no a look and you'll still miss it moment.
Mysty’s hat went flying as she jerked forward but didn't move.
“Pesky one aren't you.” *smack*
The benefactor slapped her right across the face and Still had about had it, I’d seen too many children harmed by this wasteland and he could tell the zebras we're feeling the same for one reason or another.
“An alicorn filly that confirms it but for conclusion's sake you pony crush a rock.”
He was addressing Chane who had been turned red and given a mustache by the Alter physiology spell. A spell Still was really glad did not require focus to stay active.
But he wasn't sure just how much time was left to burn on it.
Chane complied with the rock crushing request crushing a rock here on the beach. If Still hadn't been paying attention he would have thought it was just more sand.
The benefactor started taking his leave of us going back to the Captain.
“Well captain I have but one thing to say, I can tell when a bit of alteration magic is being used, especially something as simple as alter physiology.”
The Captain went to speak again but it was too late.
“Well, I guess given everything that's happened with this trip the appropriate response would be to kill you and enslave the crew how does that sound?”
“Wait I can!…” he didn't finish the panicked sentence as the air left his throat and he lifted up he was being choked by an unseen force.
“Well now that that's taken care of, Yellow take the crew, Orange the slaves, Red the escapees and Blue your with me.”
At his command despite attempts to leave being made by the crew, then we were all corralled into walking west led by one hooded figure each.
We left into the unknown, our only aid dead face first on the sand.
"Welcome to the Isles." the last thing The Benefactor said before we started walking.
Footnote-
Berri-Traits, cyborg, shaman, pinky sense, doctor, Mendi Tribe.Skills, MEW, Hacking & Matrix Tech, Medicine
Silver Pick-Traits, Blank Flank, Small Frame, Discord’s Luck, Tech Wizard, Trauma, City Slicker, Wild Wasteland, Enclave Pilot. Skills, Firearms, Sneak
Still Life-Traits, Bat Eyes, Traitor to Your Race, Touched by The Moon, Steel Ranger Knight, Elderly. Skills Melee, Academics & Lore, Repair & Mechanics
So far my week’s been going pretty well: got thrown on a ship, beat up some pirates, almost escaped slavery, saw it all come crumbling down around me, and now I'm having to walk along a dirty road in nowheresville with sand and water on one side while the other is dense forest, Chane thought to himself.
The Benefactor, as he had started being called, was walking a few paces ahead of the rest of the group, all of which were led by one guard each while one stayed with the Benefactor.
The majority of our trip was uneventful but at one point Chane was convinced Mysty wished death upon herself because she vaguely tried to insult the Benefactor. While it was amusing and somewhat pride-inducing, it was also the dumbest and ballsiest thing Chane had ever seen. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get the point.
~~~~~
Mysty was a rambunctious arrogant child according to most ponies her parents would speak to after she, or Pixie, vandalized something. Don't even get me started on the marker incident. *shudders* This was no different than her actions now.
"I can cast magic for a year now. I bet you couldn't do that when you were 5 years and 16 months," said Mysty in a manner of flaunting her skills.
"Why, little one I bet you feel all accomplished; however, I could do magic at four, but that was near a millennia ago so I doubt it matters." This both stung Mysty's pride and confused the filly, but that's about it. I mean, there's only so far you can go when insulting a filly and the same goes with blowing their minds, but that second one is much easier.
~~~~~
Walking was less than appealing, especially for Still in his old age. Thankfully, the power armor mitigated it. The group had been walking for a few hours now. Give it another five or six, and night would be on them.
Still Life didn't have much in the way of contribution as he walked, only taking observations of their surroundings; such as a group of radroaches in the distance. Or later on in the roof of a particularly viny part of the overgrowth there was a really high tech fancy car broken in half over time/ At the base was a rainbow-like substance with a license plate sticking out of it. "Caledonia" was at the top and under it in black lettering was "OUTATIME".
The slavers made everypony avoid contact with it, probably for good reason too.
~~~~~
The walk had been uneventful besides the Mysty incident and so Berri decided to throw her two cents in and get some answers. After a deal of convincing, the guard approached the Benefactor and sent him back to talk.
"I understand my presence is requested."
"Indeed it has as I have questions to ask."
"Ask away, deary!"
That comment made Berri recoil, but she persisted onward with her questioning.
"May I know your name before we begin? It is rather rude and some would say a sin."
"Well, dear, I'm afraid that's a difficult request to ask. Simply put, no. More in-depth: I've had too many names over my lifetimes and have changed more times than I care to remember. But hey, I'm sure if you look hard enough in some old ruins you'll find my name on some files or in a terminal, but for now I'll continue going by the benefactor; it adds an air of mystery and mystique to me as an ominous overhead figure."
"Very well. Then while we walk, shall we talk?."
"Of course ask away."
And at that, they all began moving again as Berri began.
"What of us makes us unique? Surely there are others that your interest piques."
"Why are you so damn special is the exact reason for why I came out here to get you, just to see for myself what was so damn jaw-dropping about a bunch of backward nobodies! So why don't you tell me why you’re so damn special?!"
This caught Berri off guard a tad as she stumbled back a bit before composing herself. Then he took his leave, but not without his foulness doing something else.
Berri felt something. She wasn't exactly sure what but there was a presence. It went through her, leaving with a little boop on her nose before it dissipated.
~~~~~
Chane also felt this presence as it went through his upper torso and out his head. The ensuing migraine was less than pleasant but wouldn't cause too many issues for the remaining trek along the beachside road. After much walking, both Silver and Mysty eventually settling on Still Life’s back as they had grown tired of walking and eventually of flying.
They arrived at a turn in the road that led right up to a gate. Said gate had two armed figures outside as well as another in some admittedly ragged combat armor.
Upon approach, the Benefactor waved a hoof in the air. The left-most hooded pony went into a small building and, after a momentary pause, the gate screeched and opened inwards.
Behind the gate was a town modest in size with intact buildings like concrete structures not little wooden shacks.
Down the main road was a unicorn mare approaching as the gate opened.
"What are you doing here?"
It was obvious that she was talking to the Benefactor and so he responded almost immediately as he came up to her. "Forget that easily, do you? Don't you remember I own this town now?"
That got a grimace from her. "Fat chance asshat what the fuck do you want?"
"Well as you can see I have a bit of cargo that needs some housing for the night," said the zebra leader as he gestured back to the crew, slavers and our ragtag bunch.
"I can see that."
"Indeed and I need them to stay in town so I hope you lot can keep them in town lest you want to have an early reunion with your dear old mommy."
With a pat to her back as he walked past into town, the Mare stayed head down, choosing not to look directly at the new arrivals.
"Welcome to whatever this place is called now. I'm not the mayor anymore so I don't care. Don't leave, please, I'd rather not give that ass reason to kill the entire town."
And with that, she pulled out a bottle of alcohol and began trotting away as she drank.
~~~~~
I did not expect the town’s greeting would be a rather rude meeting, thought Berri as the lot of them was escorted into town. The majority of the slaves and crew went into a large building to the left of the inner gate. It was a sort of communal slum, if anything, but the group of nutcases didn't go there. Instead, they chose to explore as any good sensible group would.
After half an hour and something, Berri eventually rounded a corner and found a message board. Something that in this small town should have been easy to find but the other four had repeatedly looked over it.
"I fear that this group must be led by the hoof," said Berri, making the rest of the group collect on the Motel wall Berri was looking at; it was a message board that they had been looking for.
After careful examination, it was apparent that there weren't very many jobs that the group could do either because of experience limitations, or the fact that they weren't allowed to leave the town. However, there were two available tasks in town: make crazy joe stop terrorizing the town; evidently, he had been ransacking things and just causing general chaos but they didn't really pay much attention to that one.
Instead, they focused on a different flyer.
‘Outsiders Wanted: Come to the second building over on your left side’, and under that there was an arrow pointing left ensuring that whoever was reading the flyer knew what they were doing.
Of course, the group went with the mystery flyer job that, to Still's admission, seemed pretty shady. But at least they could just refuse if they didn't like it.
Mysty, on the other hoof, was just staring intensely at the job board. One downside of being a young adorable filly is that you can’t read really well and, in Mysty’s case, not at all
Chane noticed this but didn't really give much comment on it, instead just nudging her on with the rest of the group as they went to the building.
It was small and filthy, notably more so than all the wasteland around it, with some dead trees outside.
"If this wasn't the wasteland, you could probably convince me these trees died because of that house," Said Still as he pressed his hoof up to one of the brittle trees.
"Given that they are the first majorly dead trees we've seen since getting here, I'd be inclined to believe you," said Chane as Berri went up and knocked on the door to the building.
It was wooden, like most doors. After the brief knock, Berri realized just how filthy it was. It felt almost slimy; good thing Chane was nearby to wipe her hoof on.
This action got a glare from Chane as Still pushed past them and violently knocked, even if it was un-intently violently.
The door was eventually answered after the inner locks were undone, and the door opened a crack. The dark blue pony inside came face-to-face with Silver, who had run upfront at the realization the door was opening.
"Here for the flyer, I presume?" Immediately Silver caught a good whiff of the pony’s breath and, sweet Celestia, it was ba. She could barely get out her response.
"Yep." Of course this got a skeptical look from the pony until Chane poked his head around.
"She's with us." And Chane gestured to the remaining members of the party.
"Alright. Come in, quickly."
The house interior was even worse than the outside, smelling of piss and long spoiled alcohol if that made any sense.
The admittedly small household was split into two rooms: the main one that everypony was in and another in the back that was clearly meant as a kitchen. Each room had a table and chair in it, but the one they were in had the table under a window and covered in absolutely every piece of shit imaginable.
But that wasn't the worst of it. No, there was a bed in the room, using a fridge as the mattress face-down with the door removed. Then there was an actual mattress attached to the top. It smelled viler than the rest of the room but only marginally.
As observations finished, the fat, dark blue pony pulled up a chair thats back was the former fridge door.
"Alright, I wantcha to kill somepony."
~~~~~
The start of the group's conversation with this new employer started off very strong. "What!" Obviously silver as opposed to the concept.
"Nothing, it's simple I want you to kill them."
"Why?" asked Berri, catching the pony of guard.
"Because I want you too. You guys read the flyer. Obviously, you want work. So why are you asking?"
"Well the flyer didn't specify we couldn't and so there's your answer," said Still as he walked to the forefront of the group.
"Uh ok. I guess I'll have to add no questions asked to my remaining flyers. Uh will you do it?"
"What are we being paid," asked Chane as Berri went to speak but instead got a glare from Chane, one that she returned before staying silent.
"Well if my gut’s right, you’re slaves aren't ya." Of course, he was right but nopony was proud of the fact and thus wouldn't say so.
"Well, that confirms it. You lot must be the new bunch mister Benefactor brought in, fucking ass. Long story short, I can get you lot outta town if you do this job."
That caught the ears of most of the group, though Mysty had already tuned out and was on her own little excursion to get to the neighbor's house.
“I suspect he said something like blah blah blah threat to destroy town if you guys left, stereotype bad guy shit. Am I right?"
"Uh yes," said Silver, unsure of what to make of all this.
"Well, in that case, I'll get you outta town but I'm coming with you, so what do you say do we have a deal."
~~~~~
Before we finish that little discussion let's see what Mysty’s up to.
Mysty had decided after all the big ponies started talking boring stuff that she'd solve the issue by going next door and knocking on the door.
"Hey, Mrs. Preet pony could you stop buying all the boose? The uh neig- nabo- the pony over there is getting mad."
Her attempt to reason with the neighbor proved less than fruitful as she was promptly told to piss off and had the door slammed in her face.
She sighed. "Why is every pony such a meenee?" And with her low-hanging bored head, Mysty returned to the rest of the group as Still came outside.
~~~~~
"Fuck this. Come get me when you realize how stupid this shit is!" And with that Still turned around and left to become face first with Mysty who promptly stated. "I'm bored, can we go now?" And at that, the rest of the group started coming out.
"When you do the job, I’ll be waiting at the south-west corner of town." And with that Silver walked out and Chane slammed the Door.
"Ugh, why must everything we do in this town of dust be met with opposing rust?" Berri who had spent time and effort before with getting everypony out of the boat situation was created with the Captain's death and now she's having to do another morally challenging balancing act. One where freedom to fight another day is being weighed against survivability of a town, but then those scales are divided ever smaller with freedom for committing murder or doing nothing and being taken away.
~~~~~
Silver had an idea that, in her mind, would solve this entire situation. She went around to the next building over. It was a long building with an outstretching section on the side next to the employer's house. Silver was in the middle of the two buildings and she had a plan. She flew up to a stained dirty window that paralleled the even more filthy window of the employer.
"Come on, why won't you just open!" Silver's attempt to pry open the neighbor's window was less than fruitful as she was blown backward and tumbled through the open window of the employer.
Silver just barely avoided knocking over all of the bottles that had been stacked and piled high on the table. Carefully, she fluttered down to the table silently and took her time to not knock over the bottles.
The employer had taken his chair back into the kitchen where he was drinking a new bottle of booze; his old one was in the growing pile on the floor. Well, the term pile was generous; it was more like a sea.
Hopping down from her spot on the table, Silver began thinking. Well, I was going to knock out the neighbor so they could talk but... I guess I’ll just take him to them, the winged filly thought.
Next came how she was going to do her plan. The room, after close inspection, wasn't much different than the party had assumed, just more or less of some things…...and there was a dead cat in the corner. Upon seeing it, Silver turned around and effed off, an appropriate response if you ask me.
Silver wound up throwing a concoction together, after holding her breath long enough to put some rotten food in one of the bottles as well as some lamp oil and a breath mint for good measure.
Rolling the bottle into the kitchen, some of its contents leaked out but evidently it looked full enough to drink because the drunkard fell for the bait. After his first good swallow, however, he stood up and went running to throw up.
Getting to the door, he spent a minute unlocking things in a frantic manner before going full sprint out the door and into a tree.
He was unconscious there in front of the rest of the party as they looked at the now strewn out body.
"Ok, now what?" said Silver through tear-filled eyes, probably a side effect of being in that foul room for so long.
~~~~~
"Well, I'm not going to kill nopony so I say we turn him in to..." Looking around Still saw a sign on a building at the end opposite of the street from the direction they entered the town from. On the wall of the building was the shoot up remains of a sign that read the sheriff.
"There." Still went to pick him up as Silver began in protest.
"Wait what about getting them to talk?" Silver’s impression of the plan was to get them to talk things over.
"That's boring, let's just go." Mysty’s opinion was clear she was over this whole ordeal and was starting back on her way over to try to read the job board, despite mommy and daddy not being there to tell her what it means.
"Well, I mean, I guess that works?" Silver was a bit annoyed they weren't going with her plan, but saw the logic behind just turning him in so she didn't complain.
"I will keep an eye on the little one while you take care of this." And with that Chane took his leave to follow after Silver.
"I guess I’ll go with you, Still." said Mysty as she realized she would not be able to understand what the messages said.
"Alright let's go take care of this jerk." Still wasn't going to say asshole even if this was the wasteland and Silver had already heard curse words, he wasn't going to contribute.
And with that everyone went off in their own directions leaving Berri to herself with Root.
Berri sighed. "What am I to do, Root? I solve one problem but have three to boot."
The fox whined in response.
"I am aware of our situation, but we must help them leave this unfortunate station."
~~~~~
"Mysty, would you do the honors?" Still had heard somewhere it was better to let fillies and colts do stuff to make them feel helpful and so that's what he was doing. "Oh, uh, yeah, sure." After two knocks Mysty knew she shouldn't be impatient but she couldn't help herself "Hello is anybody in there?" She followed this callout with another bout of knocks.
"Yeah, yeah I'm coming."
Answering the door was the same light blue mare who had "welcomed" the group when they came into town. Evidently, she was the former mayor.
After taking a quick look at the pair, and the body on Still’s back, she met Still’s face.
"Oh... what do ya want?"
The Mayor Mare was clearly intoxicated and even Mysty could tell that much.
"Well, I figured that the sheriff might know what to do with this guy. He was trying to get ponies to kill his neighbor."
At that, the half-asleep fatass on Still's back spoke up. "Don't forget about robbing her?"
"That too," said Still all matter-of-fact like.
"Well, I'm afraid this isn't the sheriffs anymore." With that, the former Mayor gestured to three signs on the wall. On the bottom were the marked out words “Sheriff’s Office”. Above that was an area marked out with red paint. And finally, the words lost and found topped it off.
"This used to be my office and now it's, well, see for yourself."
A quick look around from Mysty and Still revealed that the entire room was filled with tables covered in junk and clothes of a poor quality.
"We haven't had a sheriff in a long time. We kinda just didn't have crime under my mom's lead."
She kinda choked up near the end. Clearly, her mom was a sore subject.
"I apologize for your loss; I understand the pain." Still knew loss and the pain it brought.
"Yeah, well, when your ponies are brutally murdered in front of you and the culprit proclaims themselves leader, you just go numb to it, but the booze does help."
"I assume you'll take care of him?"
"Oh yes, just throw him down and some guards will come and deal with him soon,” she sighed. “I'm sorry about all of this, I hope you..."
Still cut her off "Don't worry he'll be dead by day’s end." And with that, Still took his leave as the mayor watched him leave. Mysty looked at them both before sulkingly following Still.
She, despite her bombastic nature, hadn't felt it appropriate to butt in on that conversation given its contents
~~~~~
Silver was attempting to read the job board until Chane came along and put his hoof on the little one's shoulder. "Come, we will make ourselves useful and buy some supplies." After brief contemplation, she nodded and hopped up on Chane’s back to begin their movement.
~~~~~
Berri hadn't done much, instead choosing to just settle and meditate as she self-checked her cybernetics and medical supplies. Her left eye was imbued with three different types of vision sensors: night, infrared, and electronic. The first two were fairly self-explanatory: one produced night vision, the other showed heat signatures, but her third was special. Any time she looked at a piece of electrical equipment, it was immediately labeled and all of its functions were displayed in her vision.
This cybernetic augmentation had turned her eye into an unnatural dark, terminated by a bright yellow iris that was surrounded on all sides by a black border and silver section truly making the yellow pop even more than it already had in its glowing status. On top of this, it gave the impression of a pre-war television with its constant grey tint.
Thankfully, this didn't draw too many stares thanks to her shades that extended from her forehead and the space behind her ears. The lenses came out of two very small slits in her head and lowered by pieces of cybernetic that looked like a coat and skin from a distance. The arms of the glasses pushed out from her head and extended outwards toward her face, connecting with the now-lowered shades to conceal the bright glowing eyes and make her look like a badass.
Aside from that, there were no more augmentations aside from the bases that let her take the prior two on her head, but she did intend to further the set-up to perform magic, if she got the chance. Her last cybernetic was by far the most useful: a pipbuck.
I’ll assume most of you know what this fancy little gadget is but for the uncultured wastelanders listening to this tale, a pipbuck is a hoof-mounted portable computer.
It keeps track of storage; sorts your crap; provides health statistics; monitors radiation, food, and water loss. Despite all the useful things it provides, there are the two most notable, and in my opinion best, bits.
S.A.T.S: Stable tech Automated Targeting Spell or at least that's what most ponies believe it means but Tartarrus, we might all be wrong.
The second really useful tool at Berri's disposal E.F.S: Eyes Forward Sparkle. A sort of danger detection system red bars on the HUD compass are hostile, green friendly, and yellow in between they were usually yellow when retreating.
But on top of all of Berri's amazing abilities, there's more. I know, I can't believe it either. She has a robotic arm in her side that is unsealed behind two sliding parts of her cybernetic skin; these parts aplit and it slides out, anchored into the top one by a swivel piece that locks in place, letting the space close while it’s out. Too bad it can't wield any weapons.
She also has a peripheral port on her back at the base of her neck to use broadcasters, stealth bucks, and similar items.
"This feeling is rather nice as my limbs felt of ice."
Berri and Root had moved inside the old house so Berri could clean her cybernetics in peace without locking eyes. Believe me, a robotic mini arm makes ponies rock. Then the door flew open and Berri almost drew her pulse pistol before realizing it was just Still and Mysty.
"Frighten me, and you'll end up fighting me."
"Hello, Berri, sorry to startle you. I came to sell this jackass’ stuff. Do you mind helping?"
"Mine strength comes from my mind, but I shall help to unwind." And with that, the merry band of ponies started transporting stuff to the general store. After a table and chair had come in, the store clerk finally decided to ask a question that had bugged her since Still first came in.
"Hey what the fuck are ya doing?"
"Selling. How much will you give me for that table?"
Still had stopped and let Berri, Silver, and Root continue the work.
"20 caps."
"60."
"30."
"50." The clerk knew she wouldn't be able to make Still drop any further so she let him have it
"And what about the chair?"
"20." Still went to speak but she cut him off with a flare of her horn.
"Don't push your luck."
After that, and the ensuing absurdities, it all climaxed with Still carrying in the fridge that was stabilized by Mysty and Berri as it shed its foul odors and leaked booze trails from the house to the store suffice to say all of the few customers that had been their left. The store clerk was getting tired of hearing the doorbell ring and seeing these mother fucking idiots.
So when the fridge showed up, the shopkeeper was truly exasperated..
"Oh for Tartarus’ sake! Here, take it too! Take all my fucking caps and get the fuck out!"
"Gladly. This place smells awful anyways."
She looked like she was going to pop a blood vessel as Mysty laid a bunch of empty bottles that she’d cleaned on the counter.
"Money please?"
This got a small smile out of the cashier.
"How about you take one free thing? Whatever you wan.?"
After much hard-fought consideration on Mysty’s part, she decided to forgo the headless dinosaur and instead take a coloring book. I mean, the corner was literally chewed up and a few pages were dirty and drawn on, but hey, it's a free storybook to put pictures of mommy and daddy in.
It had only been a few days, two technically, but it felt like weeks to Mysty. She'd been away from home before but not from mommy or daddy; not until now at least.
Mysty started a soft cry as she left the store after the rest of the group. Berri was going off to the slums, but Still was going off to the weapon shop following close behind Chane and Silver. She chose to go with him.
~~~~~
Chane and Silver started off towards the weapon store because Silver wanted a new gun and to trade in one of the rifles she'd gotten. It was evidently too heavy for her to reliably shoot, but given her age and stature, it is pretty believable. Heading south along the road and around the motel house's corner, the group ran face-first into the WEAPONS BE HERE EMPORIUM! The letters were emboldened above the door.
Still was the first to go in, followed by Silver and Mysty. Chane didn't see a use in buying a weapon despite almost dying the last time he fought someone.
Inside the store was pretty standard with shelving racks lining the mid part of the room and weapons lining the walls up until you got to the counter which spanned the entirety of the room aside from the gate style door that let you in and out.
It was made of what looked like a door that had been sawed into, or broken maybe?
Still wasn't much for guns and the like, something he was initially criticized for back in his days guarding Luna but ponies on the force soon stopped criticizing after a certain incident where he stabbed a zebra spy through the gut after it was discovered invisible in the castle.
Of course with few ponies seeing the event take place and the belittling image it proposed, the M.O.I. decided it was of importance that the body was hidden amongst the dead on one of their most recent battlefields of the war.
This, though, did make Still Life stop receiving criticism for his weapon of choice. Some of his former peers took up his style opting for various melee weapons opposed to their standard guns.
With all of this to consider, it was obvious why he liked the look of a particularly serrated sword. It was covered in rust and had obviously seen it's fair share of battles and weathering storms, but compared to the pipes and mediocrities around it, it was like gold.
Taking up the sword in his magic he took it with him up to the desk and slapped down 30 caps before going to take his leave, but of course, things aren't just that simple.
"What the fuck do ya think yer doing?" The weapon sales pony spoke with a very thick accent. He clearly was born and raised a member of this island.
Most ponies the group ran across had a faint accent that is hard to describe. Thick, exotic, has been drinking pineapple juice all their life, and then with a pinch of the stereotype surfer accent.
Still turned around and spoke plainly, telling him, "I'm buying this blade."
"Not with 30 caps ya aren't. 200?" Still wasn't about to pay 200 caps for a weapon, so he devised a better plan.
"This? 200 caps? Are you sure? I mean this thing is nothing but a piece of junk."
"Then why the fuck ar yaa buying it?!"
"Because I want it," Still said plainly as he looked at the sword and began explaining in great detail how shitty of a weapon it was.
"Rust, bent blade, dull teeth, lost handle." This continued for a bit until he was finally shut up.
"Ok, ok, it’s trash. 50 caps."
And with that, Still handed the cashier another 20 caps as mysty approached.
She had been in the unarmed weapons section and the best she could find was a horseshoe.
"Give." She was determined at least.
"30 caps." Determination only gets you so far, though.
"Give for less!" The filly successfully got a chuckle out of the old pony.
"Give me a sec." Pulling a box up onto his table, the shop owner started throwing shit out.
Half a blade, a broken horseshoe, and a pistol missing its grip.
"Well here's something.” The pony had found a power hoof clearly too big for the filly, but Mysty didn't care. She was flinging a sword blade around with her mouth. Of course, it was actually held by magic but it didn't look like it.
"Ok, take that." And with that, she left out where Still was attempting to repair the blade just as Silver brought forth the Scatterer.
A double-barrel shotgun with the words ‘The Scatterer’ carved into its leftmost barrel.
"How much is this?" asked Silver as she plopped the shotgun on the counter.
"Another pegasi? Today sure is interesting. 360 caps."
"360?! I don't have that kind of cash. Uh, can I just give you an IOU?"
"Ha, ha. Tell ya what, I’ll let you work off the price. 360 days; just shy of a year."
Working for a year, Silver couldn't do that. She needed to get back home asap, but...
"Deal" Silver had a plan.
"Ya start tomorrow. Yer gonna sleep in the back across from my rum."
Silver was pretty sure he meant room but didn't see fit to complain.
~~~~~
When Berri had entered the communal slums, she found it smelled nicer than she had expected. Mind you, it was still sweaty and shitty ,but not too bad. Snowdrop was in the back waiting.
"Despite the commotion, our plan is still in motion."
"I’ll take that means we're still going with it, figured as much, what are you going to do."
"A friendly fat birdie informed me that a gate is not so sturdy."
"Break out I see. What about the town?"
"Though the town may not stay, we will fight another day."
"Seems cold."
"We must leave with great speed. Come nightfall, we will be freed."
"I hope you're right."
With that, Berri started taking her leave before a little birdie flew through the door.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear, though he seems to lack any fear."
"Oh, really."
After being thrown in by the guards adorned in dark cloaks, the pony was met face-first with Berri, Snowdrop, and the remaining pirate crew, though Blood was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, it seems we meet aga..."
"I believe you told us where we could leave." Berri was tired of this asshole.
"What's it matter, you didn't do my job?"
"I would say you are free to break bones as need be." With that, the crew grabbed the unfortunate stallion, and the griffon…..well, she was happy with the new information.
"Before you go, Berri, you can't go out there without a guide. Surely you know that." It was true. Berri, the party, the slaves, none of them knew anything about these islands but he did.
"It would be a shame if you withheld your name."
"Red Reed."
"Reed you will guide us when we’re freed."
"Thanks for letting me aboard."
Finally, Berri got out of the slums to the armed guards outside.
The two on the gate and two by the slums sure made an unwanted escape seem impossible. Good thing she had a way out.
Looking down the street, the rest of the party was all together walking back towards Reed's house. So, she decided to join them and finally make a plan.
~~~~~
The plan-making wasn't going so well. "We need to hit him now when we have the best chance!"
"If today we flee, we can stop him another day with glee."
Still and Berri were both arguing about the plan and what to do, and the children stood divided on both sides. Silver with Berri and Mysty with Still. Chane had left when the argument started so that he could try and find some clues.
~~~~~
"If only you knew of what such bad juju." "Whatever you felt doesn't matter. We have the upper hoof on him. If we strike tonight, we can beat him easier than if we wait. Out there is his turf; this is our best chance."
Still was talking a lot of sense but at the same time Berri knew just how powerful spirits could be and the Benefactor certainly had a spirit of some sort.
~~~~~
Chane had left Reed's shack to go get some answers or clues, and seeing as the motel reception was smack dab in the middle of town, he reasoned it would be a good place to look. He was right but he wished he wasn't. The Benefactor had reached the door just as Chane entered. Chane at first didn't notice him as he shut the door but when he looked up he found himself face to face with him.
"Hello, Chane."
"Benefactor." There was a light growl in Chane's voice.
"I see I got your name right. Pretty ironic given your position."
Chane's name was pronounced ‘chain’ by most ponies. Only those who knew he didn't like it said ‘Chane’.
"Yes, it is."
"Well I see you have business to attend to before you try to pull something so I'll get out of your hair. But first let me ask you something. How does it feel to be a failure? To let down your friends, family, and tribe?"
Chane was confused as to how he knew about his failure to protect the tribe but even more so he was mad.
"There are two types of slaves, Chane: those who mope and cower along with the herd or those who run and fight the current of fate. I can't wait to see which you are." Chane was about to punch the fucker, but he knew to keep in check. That wasn't a fight he could win, not yet anyway. "Well, I must be off. Time to find a fine mare to spend my evening with."
With that, the benefactor left.
Chane came up to the desk, looking back as the door shut.
The Benefactor had clearly made the receptionist uncomfortable. Who wouldn't be uneasy around him?
"Are you happy under his rule?" The question had caught the mare off guard but she answered with haste.
"Well, we have more food and water now. I just wish I had someone to share it with." She choked at the end and the tears came.
Chane was many things: a decent fighter, a zebra and a pretty good survivalist, but emotions...he lacked expertise in them. He reached over the desk and somewhat awkwardly patted the mare on the back.
"There, there. Let it all out." Chane tried to speak with conviction, but he honestly was afraid he'd just make things worse so when she ran off telling him to sign himself in, he let out a heavy breath and hadn't realized he was holding. "That went better than I expected."
Chane got to work behind the register, looking through papers and notes but he couldn't find anything of particular note. Leaving the establishment, Chane noticed that the group had at some point migrated outside. Chane figured that they probably decided what to do but the Benefactor was far more drawing.
The benefactor had approached Berri.
~~~~~
"Hello Berri, I see you’re alive and well." "Yes."
"Glad to hear it, deary. I suspect you're not the sort for foreplay so I’ll cut to the nitty-gritty." That got an eyebrow raise from Berri. "I prefer the finer indulges of intercourse and wish to have it tonight; however, these pony mares are less than appealing, at least not compared to this beauty."
He was...he was serious.
Berri was disgusted. The thought was vile, bedding with your most hated enemy. It made her want to skull fuck him with a minigun. On second thought she should rephrase that.
"I suppose I am in no position to oppose."
"Oh you take all the fun out of it. You were supposed to say no and I would claim you here in the street, but I guess it isn't meant to be. I’ll meet you in my bed tonight. I’ll be in the motel closest to the gate."
The thought of his... stallionhood anywhere near her was enough to send shivers down her spine, making her want to reach back into the house and find a place to puke.
"Well, fuck me." Berri almost always spoke in rhyme so the special instances where she didn't even try made ponies know shit was up. "To avoid such a vile ride, I am back on the leaving side!"
The party had moved into the slums as to not be overheard by the guards, but even then they were pushing their luck.
"I've been over this already, this is our best chance!"
"I do not recall rape being in the plan to escape."
Suffice to say, this back and forth went on far too long for anyone's care with Mysty, Silver, and Chane all sidelined by the two bickering equines until….
"Just fucking decide!! I'm tired of it! I'm tired of all this!" Silver broke after outbursting at the top of her lungs and descending downwards.
She was crying and Mysty, she looked to her even in her young age knowing that things were really bad all over.
Chane caressed the foal's mane trying to comfort the filly as she softly cried. Still was looking to her, another filly who had been dragged through this nightmare of a world. Nopony or zebra had even bothered to ask her about her parents or her home. For fuck’s sake, she's a pegasus. She was probably from one of the cloud cities. She had to have seen slaughters as the cities fell and burned.
Berri too looked at the filly, She was broken, and innocence was leaving the poor filly's mind. She had been forced to roam alone for who knows how long before being taken into slavery, and she’d killed a pony as they took their own lives in front of her as a result. She had been dragged with a bunch of strangers to a strange land who knows how far away from Equestria and then told she was part of some... something. The fact she has lasted this long without just breaking down is honestly astonishing.
Through a muffled voice and tears, she begged. "Please just stop. We’re supposed to be friends, heroes. We’re supposed to be special so just stop and…."
Still cut her off "....and let us be heroes. That Benefactor said we were some special group meant to come and do something. I say we do something."
Berri contemplated in her mind the cost, the rewards, and the emotions she felt.
"Let us be heroes, not sparrows!"
The plan soon came together: Mysty would take some fire-starting materials and start a fire outside the main gate by the barracks/guardhouse they saw when they entered town. Then, when the Benefactor eventually got drawn out by the commotion of the fire, Still would charge him and Chane would be close behind as Berri aided in the firefight with her pulse pistol.
Silver, Silver was in no condition to fight let alone kill.
Other ideas were tossed about one such as for Berri to shove a tear gas grenade down the Benefactor's gulet. But of the three the griffon crew member provided, they thought they'd be better put to use at a later date. Before Berri got to work on preparation ~shudder~ she was approached by Reed again.
"I hear you plan on burning down a building, killing the benefactor, and leaving town."
"Indeed" Berri wasn't fond of committing arson, but it would have to do.
"So you're playing chess and sacrificing a pawn to kill the king. I've played my fair share; perhaps I’ll play against you one day."
Berri indeed was playing a high stakes game of chess and Reed's assessment was correct but the way he put it made it sound cold, hollow and, dare I say, evil.
"I will see you later, Still." and with that Berri left the slums to begin gathering supplies to set a building ablaze.
~~~~~
Still Life, unlike the rest of the party, wasn't gathering fire supplies. Instead, he had grabbed a few bottles of booze and was doing his best-drunk impression to stake out the Benefactors motel. "Hello there, fine sir. Could I have a word with you?"
Still looked to the pony who had been trying to get his attention, an earth pony. He had a dirt-brown coat and a greasy blond mane and tail.
"Yes, what do you need?"
"Well, I couldn't help but notice your indulgence, and figured I'd like to sell you a piece of useful wares."
"Oh really? And what do you have to offer?"
That got the shop pony's face to smile.
"Well, I'm glad you asked. " And with that, the shop pony pulled out a bottle of abraxo cleaner. The finest detergent in the wasteland. "This fair bottle of beauty is the best cleaner pre and post-war, perfect for cleaning your fine armor after a night of indulgence."
"I see." Still was less than interested in the detergent's possible cleaning effects. He wanted to know if it was flammable.
"Question: what's your name?"
"Tater Tot, wasteland trader.”
"Alright, is that cleaner flammable?"
"But it is and you'll find out just how flammable it is."
"Ok, the better question is could I use it to create a large bonfire?"
"I'd say if you threw a bit of that beer on, it probably would burn high into the sky."
Still was liking the sounds of that but knew he'd be able to get a bit more from Tater Tot”
"Say do you mind doing a job for me?”
"A paying one, I presume?"
"Of course."
"Lay it on me."
"I need you to get some stuff for a fire. Here’s 50 caps for it and when I give you the signal, you need to cause a big distraction."
"How big?"
“I’d say it would be best if all the guards could hear you."
"Alright I'll take the 50 caps: 10 for the cleaner and 40 for purchase of flammables, is that right?"
Still took the cleaner and nodded letting Tater Tot go on.
"Uh, before I go what's the signal?"
"You'll know it when you see it."
And with that, the plan was coming together.
~~~~~
The rest of the party was exploring, gathering supplies, and readying for what was to come. Mysty was spending a good lot of 20 minutes trying to break a tree limb with her cannonball. The problem was that she wasn't all that good at hitting things with a cannonball in her telekinesis. Berri was uneasy as she gathered sticks and went through her medical supplies again, double- and triple-checking everything.
Silver was also doing her fair share of gathering with Chane and ultimately between all of their combined efforts and Mysty taking a bunch of random boxes out of somepony’s yard.
The group had a really sizable pile to burn. Now, it was on to the last part of the plan. The time outside was dark and Berri was expected soon...
Oh and also Tater Tot was there, gasoline and matches in hoof. Arguably the most important supplies.
"Ok Mysty you know the plan?"
"Yep, put the stuff next to the guardhouse and throw a small stick at it," said Mysty proudly.
"Still are you sure we should send the filly out to try and start a fire. Does she even know how to start a match?" said Chane warily.
"Of course she does, right, Mysty?"
At that, Mysty took one of their 30 some stick matches and smashed it on her hoof with her magic before giving a warm soothing smile from ear to ear.
"I did it!"
"Yes, you did Mysty but try this instead." Berri was the one thing that gave the group hope for the child to learn.
After much trial and error, Mysty finally understood that she was supposed to strike it against her Hoof.
Notable failures were the one time she was being taught and tried to eat one followed by Pixie doing the same before Berri performed the Heimlich maneuver on the two of them.
"Ok let's get this show on the road." Berri was looking at Still uneasy as she went off to bed with the Benefactor.
~~~~~
"Hello, Berri, how nice of you to join me." The room was lit with candles in a state of trying to be romantic but the sent of Stallion extract permeated through the scented candles.
"I'm glad to keep you glad."
To say Berri was beyond disgusted by the interaction she was going through was an understatement.
"You don't have to keep such a facade, you despise me, want me dead."
The air was silent, still, it was like trying to breathe concrete as Berri's eyes darted through the room trying, praying for a way out of this.
The room was small, cramped, there was a door in the corner Shower written on a plack on its face.
"*sigh* Come I wish to see you in your beauty, cybernetics and all."
"May I be refreshed before committing this transgression?"
"Of course, it will only serve to heighten your mane."
And with that Berri went into the restroom.
Staring at the water it was less than clean but in the wasteland that's like liquid gold.
Berri being a Cyborg by all definition had to take specific measures before she could get in the shower.
Any exposed slits or electronics need to be covered by tape hence why Berri always carries a roll, the only exceptions to this are her eye and pitbuck, both naturally waterproof.
~~~~~
Mysty is a sneaky filly, just listen as she flys past the guards and over the fence. "I'm beste's snekeye's mostest amasinist filly in the world!"
There were four guards at the gate alone but it's more like six due to the two on the door to the slums.
Truly impressive that the filly can be so sneaky especially when she is being forced to carry a box full of so much stuff. Mysty couldn't carry the gas can without her magic.
Pixie was helping though, she had the matches.
"Ok, fire, I don't remember how to make a fire." After a few tries, she got it but the excitement of her success made her drop it, thankfully it landed in the box.
"Pixie I did it, give me the gas cai - canasastur - canistur" it took a few tries but she eventually got some semblance of the word canister out.
Most of the gas got on the grass and wall around the flaming boxes but when it caught and Pixie pulled the little arcanist back she knew it was time to go.
She had done her job.
~~~~~
Tater Tot was told he would know the signal when he saw it and he figured it was reasonable to assume a giant raging fire growing up the side of a building was the signal so... he started his distraction. "Cannibals! cannibals ghouls!!! Their riding timberwolves! They're that way west! ahhh!”
After getting a few looks from the guards they eventually started to go west towards the weaker part of the wall.
It was made of scrap and debris and beyond it was the forest so what the pony was saying was possible, farfetched but plausible.
Eventually one of the guards came up to him.
"What in the bloody hell are you hollering about?"
Immediately Tater Tot went from jumping around in a panic to standing still and normally in front of the mare before he started speaking.
"Cannibal ghouls riding timberwolves."
The guard was already tired of this weird pony.
They had let him in under the interpretation that he was a trader which was already fishy seeing as he only had a battle saddle with recharger rifles and nothing else when he entered.
Now he was causing a ruckus for some reason.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I was paid to be a distraction while that fire behind you grows."
Immediately the guard's attention was drawn away to see the fire which had already reached the rough and was burning through it.
"Holy!"
"Well, I best be off I did my job."
And with that Tater Tot walked around the mare as her eyes twitched in disbelief and.
~bang~
She started shooting at him.
Now where some ponies would turn and shoot back at this point especially ponies with linked recharger rifles fighting a pony in a hood.
Of course, Tater Tot is not most ponies, not by a long shot he started bolting down the street as the Benefactor poked his head out and saw just what hell-storm was going on outside.
It was at this moment Still life charged through the door flinging the benefactor back against the wall between the bed and the wall.
This entry was followed up by Chane as Berri leaped from the shower put her gear halfway on and lept over to him before letting out pulse rounds into his skull.
It wasn't a minigun but it was satisfying
Despite Berri's dis-appreciation, this did not stop the zebra from getting back on his hooves.
"I see you, lot are going with the attack option." He wasn't bleeding but nor was he in good shape.
"Yeah I didn't feel like running or cowering." Chane was just glad to be getting a chance at putting this fucker in his place even if he has some greater power helping him.
"Well let's get this shit underway." It was instantaneous but Berri felt her right foreleg get hit and then her left but the damage of each echoed through her entire body.
Berri wasn't the only one who got this treatment as Chane felt it to some extent but Still Life had to deal with a kick to the face.
Not having that helmet was really proving to be a liability for the poor stallion in his old age.
The three party members proceeded to beat the Benefactor in their own burst, sadly Berri is not a great shot only getting one of her five shots and reverting to just smacking his face into the ground.
Still smacked him against the floor with his tk and Chane used his training as a user of Fallen Caesar style to make his back make a few unnatural sounds.
"You lot sure know how to fuck a zebra up."
He was still looking as he did when the combat started but more battered but Berri wasn't paying attention to that.
She was preoccupied with the presence she felt after first getting on this island and talking to the Benefactor.
A haze that's the best way she could describe it is a dark pony shaped haze directly connected to the Benefactor.
It danced through the room until he booked it smacking Still into the wall and out of his way as he went out the door and the haze followed him but not before getting another few shots off for him
targeting the same points the Benefactor had earlier but with marginally less success only hitting Still and Chane.
"I'm after him Berri you take care of Still."
Chane bolted after him as Berri helped Still back to his hooves.
The Benefactor got to the other side of the street before turning to face Chane.
The fire illuminating them both in the darkness of night with the moon above them and the sounds of gunfire and plasma flying around them.
"It's over you aren't getting away from this."
"That's what you think, but this is much bigger than you can imagine, much much bigger and I won't have you fucks messing it up!"
He went for a punch before ~bam~ the rattling shots of two shells came flying from beside both of them.
Silver was there curled up double barrel in her hooves she had shot both shells.
One into the Benefactors side a buckshot one and a second into his face a slug.
"Well shit, you got me."
Chane looked from the little tear stricken filly to the zebra before him he was burning turning to ash and dust.
"Well that's a pity I really like this body, had a pretty big dick this time around."
This time around?
"What... What are you talking about?" Chane was starting to show a face of contemporary disgust, fear. The zebra had already lost half of his face the fur and skin rotting at an accelerated pace to see the bones black and melting like molten steel they were falling through him melting what wasn't already turned to ash as he reached a hoof out to Chane.
The hoof was disintegrating as well as the places where his body and face were shot.
"Oh you poor, poor zebra, enslaved for so long you forgot just what magics were out there, I'm immortal you fool and I’ll be back!" Finally the legs gave out beneath the form as it crashed into the ground becoming a cloud of ash smoke and molten bone.
He was carried off with the rising cloud of ash as the fire raged on.
Chane looked back to Berri and Still coming out of the motel. The slums they were in had fire ponies pouring from the buildings burnt and bruised.
Footnote level up your all level two
Berri - perks: quest perks Cyberpony Engionier Suite 1 and 2, pipbuck training
Level One: Healing of Mother Earth rank 1
Level Two: Matter Natter
Silver Pick - Perks quest perk Foal at Heart
Level One: Flight rank 1
Level Two: Intense training rank 1
Still Life - Perks: quest perks power Armor Training
“Roawr!!!” The beast and its entourage...they came from nowhere. The group thought they’d sent the ugly bastard running and though they did, it had come back and with company.
------
The hours following the Benefactor’s “demise” were tense, hectic, and dreary. Most of the folks in town were fine, but one of the pirate-slaver crew….she was far from fine.
Berri spent hours tending to them. From what the former zebra slave saw on passing, the griffon’s entire left side was scorched partially enough to boil some skin. She looked more ghoul than griff, and Berri...well whenever she tended to the wounds Chane had from battling the Benefactor, he could tell it all had taken its toll on her.
Now Chane may not have been the smartest zebra in the tribe, but stumbling around from your own injuries and being so tired that you fall asleep mid-bandage-wrap in his mind meant Berri needed to rest. So he sat her down up against the weapon store with Silver. Spirits please let that child get over all of this, he thought
“Eh, mind giving me one of those,” Chane asked as he limped over to where the others were putting out the fire. A quick whistle and shout over to the water barrel got him a bucket of water and Chane assisted the rest of the party and town in putting out the fire. Well, all the party but the foals and Berri.
------------
“Hey, you big lazy butts, get in here and help put out the fire,” the little filly shouted at the guards. One quick snowball and the first of the Benefactor’s five remaining guards were killed instantly, skull shattered and stabbed into the back of his brain. If it wasn't for the blood crawling up through the collapsed snow nopony’d ever know, certainly not the likes of Mysty.
The remaining guards ran, two of which didn't make it far before the cold touch of death reached them. The others holed themselves up in the gate control room and swayed the white devil off them. It took almost all night for the fire to completely die down and, come morning, it was high time for some relaxation and good jokes amongst friends, however short-lived it may be.
“I bet I can eat more pancakes than you,” the grey pegasus filly boasted. This comment by Silver ended up leading both her and Mysty into choking fits. Thankfully, they had a Berri nearby to provide the Heimlich.
Berri, the zebra that seemed to be becoming a sort of mother figure sighed. “That you two can survive for this long without me, it is one life's truly great mysteries.”
Berri’s comment was quickly followed up by a shrug from both the foals and Tatertot as he quite literally inhaled all of his hashbrowns that he had been making into a pony statue.
“But, huh how did you...?” asked Berri as she raised an inquisitory hoof to Tatertots
The earth pony shrugged as he asked, “Can I get another plate” Tatertot in proper pony toons style stretched his arm out to wave it fanatically till a waitress came over
“Bloody earth ponies,” she muttered. Evidently, Tatertot didn't hear the unicorn waitress’ comment or was too excited about the vertabuck shaped hashbrown on his plate.
The rhyming zebra groaned. What did I do? Spirits, to pair me with these ponies, did I somehow offend you?
“Could be worse,” her zebra companion said simply. Great, Chane can read faces.
“No, you’re just an open book,” he said in response to her unspoken thoughts. Seriously?
“Yes,” the unicorn stallion smirked. You too, Still? I kinda feel betrayed.
“Wonder why,” the pair said in unison. Seriously?
The zebra mare groaned as she rubbed her temples.
“What?” the winged filly asked.
“These acts that are silly should concern you, little filly.”
“Grown-up stuff, come on I want a rematch. Best outta tree,” the alicorn filly challenged.
“Oh, you’re on, Squirt,” the pegasus responded. And so Silver and Mysty started choking again as Tatertot finished his dinner plate armor and castle outside.
The sound of a clearing throat drew the zebra mare’s attention. “Berri,” the voice intoned.
“Huh,” was her clever response. Looking up from her plate of barely-touched greens, she came face to face with Still Life who was mid swallow of his salad gesturing behind her.
Upon turning around, Berri saw what was up: the mayor had come in the diner and was approaching the chaos that was the group of misfits.
“Good morning, “heroes”,” the leader groused. Berri wasn't sure about that term and neither was the mayor. “I never personally thanked you for everything your group’s done, and you seem most like a leader so thank you. Now, please get out and never come back.”
That last bit caught Berri a tad off guard, to say the least, but after thinking a bit it wasn't that hard to understand.
“You gave me back leadership and freed us from slavery and I truly thank you for that, but you also burned down our main housing, exhausted most of our water supply, and killed the one supplying us with food.” well shit, now what. thought the cyber zebra.
“Yeah, that captain you guys got killed. Without him supplying us with fresh supplies, we're so fucked,” she said bluntly. The mayor was mad to a degree but something told Berri it could be much worse so she didn't say anything.
The mayor sighed and shook her head. “Just please stay out of my town unless your plan on rebuilding a burnt down house and section of the wall.”
Berri was about to say yes to the arrangement due to how they had even despite protest went along with the plan that burnt down the housing slums, but the mayor wasn't done.
“Oh on your way out there are some of the benefactor’s guards held up in the gate control room, that's what he's being called now right” right he has multiple names, and is fucking immortal.
“The Benefactor is the name he gave to me, though I would call him something worse now that I'm free.” said the cyber zebra medic.
“Nice, well anyways id say your lot owe it to the town that your get rid of them, and who knows maybe I’ll throw in a reward or something.” Well, at least it's something thought Berri.
------------
“So why are we clearing out the gate room?” the horned filly asked. Frankly, Mysty just didn't understand it. The kind pegasi that flew the rest of every ponies and zebras could have done it.
“For the part, we played, a debt must be repaid,” the zebra mare intoned.
“Uh….no we don't. You healed everypony and, uh, where’s Silver?” After glancing around and not seeing the annoying light grey pegasus Mysty was confused.
“The shotgun she bought was worth more than she could pay. Until she works it off, it is here she will stay.” Berri explained. She knew that leaving Silver here was by far the better choice over dragging her around the waist. If she knew she’d be able to do the same with Mysty, she would.
A quick glance at Chane, and Berri knew he thought the same. That, or he was reading her face again. Either way, he chose to focus on the building along with the begrudging aid of a confused Mysty.
Tatertot and Berri readied their respective recharger rifles. Still was stuck on the other side trying to replicate the thing Tatertot was trying to do before he got carried over. The blond earthpony had been trying to pick the gate lock with his tongue and a bobby pin.
It wasn't going well…. For Still or Tater.
Mysty took a quick flutter to the roof of the building and, after a few telekinetic knocks on the door with her cannonball, the little filly drew the attention and fire of the ponies inside.
According to Berri’s heat vision, there were three and they’d apparently flipped a table or something up as a barricade. One must have been inside last night when Mysty was snowballing them. This was nothing a little tear gas couldn’t handle.
Thank you, Catrina, thought Berri while she imagined the scorched griffon lying comatose in bed “Mysty, use this one you pull out the pin. Let's make them come out, since we can't get in.” the zebra mare said, tossing a metallic apple up to the filly on the roof.
With a quick telekinetic catch, the grenade went to Mysty and then to the poor souls inside.
For the next few seconds, the only sounds heard were the trotting and banging of ponies against walls and furniture inside the small building and subtle swears of Still trying to open the door himself. The dark blue pegasi that brought the others over was holding back laughter at his failings.
The near-silence persisted for only a minute but everypony and zebra was staying ready and trained, all prepared to strict the first hostile they saw, well except Mysty obviously.
This continued for what felt like forever in a second until it all halted with the door slamming open letting gas and ponies come out choking, coughing, and crying uncontrollably.
The first went down easy as he was tackled by Chane, then the other two in their already weakened state were fried by recharger rifle fire beams.
“You know, I'm the guy that killed your boss?” Chane asked with a dangerous grin that was seen for miles after that line.
“He will… he can never die, not by the likes of your not by anyone.“ The pony’s voice was shaky and he was afraid. The kid was probably no older than 18.
“Yeah, yeah, can it, kid, and get outta here,” the former zebra slave groused. The kid took a few steps before whipping back around and drawing out a pistol, and….well, he didn't survive the following conflict with Chane, let alone the rest of the group.
“I can't find it!!” Mysty had at some time or another dove into the tear gas-filled room and was trying to find the button for the gate, it wasn't going well.
Inside the room was damn near impossible to see, not to mention the fact it was making Mysty’s eyes tear up like fountains, she hadn't cried anywhere near this much since she met and or lost Pixi for the first times.
Ironically the fox had been lost in the smoke and it too was balling as it ran around and eventually stepped on the door controls by accident. Bye, this point Mysty could see enough because the gas had finally dispersed outside and after flipping on a light switch she knew she did’s it.
Outside the group was debating sending in Chane who wasn't keen on experiencing tea gas for the fifth time in his life, thankfully Mysty came out before he was forced in.
She had come out tailing very agitated Pixi.
“I did’s it!” Mysty proudly proclaimed as Berri rushed up to get her out of the gas and tend to her as well as Pixi on behalf of Mysty.
After every bit of a half an hour, everyone was standing facing into town after having tied up all the loose ends and getting their reward for the job: a lot of crim, caps, and a map. Honestly, not too bad for how easy the job was.
Of course, Tatertot immediately just sold the crim. Honestly, if he didn't need it, he might sell the map.….actually, he still might.
Other loose ends were resolved as best as they could be. The griffon, Catrina, was comatose and held up in a hotel room turned makeshift hospital room, Silver was said goodbye to, and Red Reed…
After the ass faked an injury in the previous night’s fire fiasco and got a suppository for it, he wasn't keen on getting another. So when the mayor forced him onto the party, he tried to stay as quiet as possible. This didn't last long before his next suppository, an even bumpier rock. But he wasn't the only one forced on the party, all the houseless slaves and homeless individuals we're put on them as well.
But even after all there was one last pressing matter to deal with.
“So much for staying undercover, Berri,” the NCR soldier named Snowdrop said with a light chuckle.
“I would have preferred a more subtle plan than fire. I had no choice though, in the wake of my friends' ire.” the rhyming zebra responded.
“I see, is the rest of the plan still on?” asked the light blue coated N.C.R mare with a pink mane.
“Contact with the N.C.R. will fall to you and the pirates to solve. Dealing with the Benefactor now falls on us to try and resolve.” said the seemingly always rhyming zebra.
“Well that should be simple enuff, kinda wish there was anything else to talk about, hell time to talk about anything wouldn't hurt either, tho I suspect you strained for time.
“Time now may no longer have a constraint, but the fire may leave us with a complaint. The time is right for us to go, before there's another fire show.” said the rhyming cyber-medic.
“I can see why you might worry, also do your mind if I ask a question?” asked the N.C.R mare.
After a brief questioning look from Berri, she gestured for Snowdrop to ask away.
“Sorry if that was a tad random but I’ve been wondering more about something since I meet you” please don't be anything stupid. chanted Berri in her mind.
Why do some zebras rhyme, I mean I've meet a few zebras, like five I think and only one of them rhymed well two out of six since meeting you.
Why do some zebras rhyme and others don't, it's a simple question with an admittedly simple question but as Berri well knows from the many terminals she's read in her time even ponies before the war had limited knowledge on the subject, I mean why didn't anyone just ask and write it down.
“Time seems to have that answer locked away, but I can share before I end my stay.” she probably thinks it's some crazy convoluted thing.
“Wait let me take a guess first, umm, is it, no, oh I have an idea, is it just like an easier translation to equestrian for some zebras.” Spirits above how’d does she get it right on the first guess.
“It seems the answer, you already knew. Your instincts are sharp. I'm surprised in you.” asked the zebra honestly thinking that Snowdrop had already known the answer
“wait, what, I actually got it, luna’s ass I actually got” Berri was silently nodding along and the two talk for a bit longer. Meanwhile, Mysty found the matches again, thankfully Chane was nearby to stop the filly causing any damage until she lost interest and started looking at sticks.
“ Alright well Best of luck with the benefactor, it was nice talking and may Celestia be with-- no, uh, what was it. ‘May the spirits be with you?” Said the pink maned soldier.
“And with you too, my little pony friend, may our paths cross before this journey's end,” responded Berri.
“Preferably under better circumstances, and with an army backing me.” said snowdrop in a semi-joking manner.
“A sentiment I too share, may your travels treat you fair,” said Berri before finally taking her leave of the bench they had been setting on.
Upon living the still yet to be named town, the group had both lost a member and, had gained a great many things: knowledge, a big group of ponies, a new member, and…
“THE! MIGHTY!! ZEPHER!!! BLADE!!!!” Mysty had taken one of the sticks she was looking at in town and almost immediately after the group left town she had been yelling out its “name” when she did stuff while flailing it around.
She also brushed Pixie off a lot, collecting some poison joke, the knowledge that a small filly faster than anyone else in the group had an unknown amount of poison joke did not sit well with Chane. At least it's not killing joke, tho if someone gets poisoned will need to spend some caps to get stuff to cure them.
Honestly, Chane wasn't sure what was more disturbing the filly and her pet, Still’s armor with luna’s cutie mark and rust all over its dark blue paint, the cyber zebra who plans on becoming a cyber zebra-alicorn or above all the supernatural level of weirdness about Tatertot.
After many hours of walking, Chane was beginning to run out of steam and was about to suggest the group take a break from the map.
Evidently there was a city labeled on the map north of the party along the beach and just a bit more inland.
There were talks of going south but due to raider dens being right in the path everyone except Still decided against it for a bit longer travel.
As Chane was about to suggest the break there was a small hiccup, Chane was going to bring it up until we rounded over a hilltop and low in behold what we saw, our hiccup.
It took me a minute but based on Still’s expression I figured suspicion was confirmed, steel rangers, or at least ponies in power armor. Good thing Still doesn't wear a helmet, else I’m not sure if anyone could connect with him at all. Thought Chane.
Mysty had darted ahead to investigate what she called shinny ponies making the rest of the party give chase which is always fun when going down a moderately sized hill.
She was above circling slowly descending, it was like a vulture going around and around, letting the world know it killed something.
It was…. Disturbing oddly only in this blasted world can a filly be scene as a vulture reaping off the dead thought Chane as he approached.
Soon they all caught up and we're hit with the stench of choked flesh, burnt paint, metal, and not to mention the blood.
“There fresh, keep you guard up and help me get them out of these suits” Chane wasn't sure whether or not he was helping Still out of respect, fear, maybe friendship or at least a sense of paying him back for being the one who officially freed him from his seemingly endless life as a slave?
Chane’s childhood was that of most tribes with its differences but like most, it taught him to be wary of those who hold to strongly to the old world, that they couldn't see thing's as anything but colored and striped, a pretty black and white mentality if you ask him, tho Still hasn't done anything regarding the usual hatred of his stripes so who knows.
“Come on shinny ponies, this ain't no place for taking nappies” looking at Mysty Chane had a thought. I wish I was able to just ignore all this… everything, like her even if it is ignoring through ignorance.
Still and Tater we're bussy pealing the power armor off of the desecrated and mutilated corpses while Berri identified them and Chane helped her sit them off to the side.
Two we're burnt one to a crisp and the other was ripped to shreds by bullet fire.
“Machine Gun and flamer, at least, we should keep moving this place isn't safe.” With a quick gesture around Still showed what he was talking about, on either side of the road we're rocks and rubble, they were certainly large enough to conceal a few ponies hell maybe a dragon.
A young one, of course, it was the perfect spot for an ambush “That does explain quite a lot, on how these ponies were shot..” Said Berri observing the rocks.
“Yes, steel rangers are often much more observant, than these fools were,” said the heavenly armored unicorn.
“They’re also pretty cocky most of the time.” At that comment, Chane got a glare from Still before he started walking.
“What used to be one or something,” asked the zebra fighter.
“Something” Still plainly stated.
“It may be bad taste but I wonder how much this armor could sell for, Nah it’d probably be better to scrap em to help reinforce our armor.” blurted out Tatertot.
Before Chane or Still could get in a response they were both stopped by Berri saying something.
“Something is coming, we should be on the ready,” said Berri.
oh great, now what thought Chane.
“Is it hostile” as usual Still is straight to the point, I’ll need to sit him down and talk to him at some point thought Chane.
“It shows hostility, although its pace is steady,” responded Berri
“I say we get going then, what I don't want to become a lying corpse if I can help it, I've got stuff I still need to do,” said Tatertot already farther along the road then anyone else.
“No, whatever it is might follow us to town, what directions it in Berri,” said Still.
I swear am I the only one who thinks this guy is really jumpy, that or he just likes a fight, thought Chane.
“If you seek a place you can aim, it is south, back the way we came,” said Berri with her eyes trained on her left foreleg risen up to better read the pitbuck as basically all ponies or zebras have to do.
with a quick nod Still started issuing out orders, yes orders like a fucking drill sergeant or something like it.
------
When Still started issuing out orders instead of letting Tatertot leave he was less than agreeable with the plans.
Everyone dove behind some rocks but Tatertot, Tatertot did something far better.
“I'm invisible!” yelled out Tatertot and he was pretty sure everyone adopted Berri’s face hoof response, Mysty was just laughing from up in the cloud she had found to rid on during the trip, she called him Mr. fluffy.
After a few minutes of silence and light tension, Mysty had finally stopped laughing and called out.
“Here it comes!” Tatertot could swear there was a light chuckle behind her voice.
After a quick review of his battle saddle and prep of the recharger rifles, it came over the hill
“Fire!!” yelled out Still With a quick gesture of drawling out his sword, everyone unloaded on the…. Radroatch?
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha” Mysty could be heard laughing half to death from a mile away.
“I can’t believe you didn't ask what it was, a silly radroach ha” the little filly was left laughing about how easily she tricked the party while Tater briefly adopted Berri’s behavior of damn near constant face hooves, usually at his actions.
“Come on let's go, we've been here long enough as is,” Said Still in his usual stern manner. Now that's something I can get behind, thought Tatertot.
the walking continued for a good few hours, it was starting to get dark.
“There's some ruins or something ahead a little ways, we can rest there.” Said Still Life pointing from the map of to the north slightly inland from the path.
“Hey, Berri what are we actually doing” Tatertot while being a sort of tagalong it was unclear why he joined the party but everyone had enuff sense to not ask but being a sudo member Berri felt he should at least now the plan.
“We are following a map out to our next location, though I hope to see a military installation,” said Berri in response.
“Where's it at,” asked Tatertot, and with a quick trot up beside the zebra medic she pointed out a base up north-west of the group, a ten to twelve days walk if that's all they did day and night along the roads.
“I see, what about you Still what’s your plan,” said the blond earth pony merchant, a simple shrug latter and Tater knew his answer.
“I don't have a fucking clue.” Thought Tater.
“Alright how about you Chane,” asked Tatertot swerving his head around a physically impossible amount, well impossible for most ponies anyway.
“to not get enslaved again,” said Chane, simply. well, I can't fault that goal thought Tatertot.
“And what about you Ber-” Tatertot got caught off mid-sentence.
“I seek out tools to improve my trade. Cybernetics shall provide this aid.” quickly responded Berri. she cut me off. thought Tatertot.
“Enough chit chat, we're here” Still was right, in Tatertot’s talking and walking they had arrived at the ruins.
They were in ruin, obviously but something was off about them though.
“This place seems to be incredibly old, Pre-Equestrian we may now behold.” after an inquisitory look from the rest of the group Berri blushed and rubbed the back of her neck.
“Tales of history I do so enjoy. You should hear tales from spirits I employ,” said Berri, addressing the questioning gazes of her colleges.
Nice thought Tatertot, after Berri finished talking Tatertot began his usual routine, loot, loot, sell, and loot. Sadly he could only do the first two at the moment.
The place was set up with the main building they entered through, there was a large hole in the front-most wall that the party came through, there were two holes on there respective sides of the back wall and two buildings outside, one for each hole.
The left-most one was collapse and the right was like a square igloo, besides those, there was another skinny building that was mostly intact with a door on the end near the collapsed building.
Walking around to the door Tater noticed there was also a circular courtyard past the building it had walls placed in dotted line fashion in a sort of spiral pattern.
Opening the door he figured it would be funny to say, “hey anypony home.”
And wouldn't you know it somepony was home. “Tatertot, beware! Hostiles are in there!” Berri cried out but it was already too late.
“Huh,” only seconds after Tater turned to the shouting Berri the oily blazing flames of a flamer shot through the hall to try and scorch the merchant earthpony.
Thankfully it didn't as Tatertot dogged back to the main building as the shots of a minigun followed along through the inside of the building and it became ever apparent how many enemies we're here.
Tater chose to spend his shots on a griffon to his left, it’d been hiding in the bushes but once Tater knew he was there he made sure to blast him but he shot back and with some sort of rifle grazing against Taters right foreleg
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“Damn it Tatertot, leave the looting until after the fighting,” said still drawing his serrated blade
“Yeah that might be a good idea” responded Tater before aiming in and making sure the griffon firing on him couldn't leave I love twin-linked battle saddles thought Tatertot
“find some cover these are the raiders that jumped those steel ranger’s, they have a machine gun and flamer in the least” fucking damn it, I was really hoping we wouldn't have to run into this thought Still Life
It's a deadly combo if you’re in the open the machine gun will get you but if your stay in cover too long the flamer will bake your alive thought Still
“I'll get the machine gun” at his announcement Still went running around to the back end of the building Tatertot had previously gone to and he slammed the door open.
In response to Still barging in he got a face full of hoof as he thrust in and stabbed at a zebra, it dogged the blade putting its hoof on the forward trusted blade they slammed it down and away from the armored machine gun user inside.
He like Still was wearing power armor, very raider-esk in look with blood guts skulls and feces both on it in paint and really on it, the helmet was a brahmin skull forced over the metal power armors frame but it ultimately was a weeker less advance version of power armor than the Still life wore.
The blink and your miss it analysis of his opponent’s gear was just that a blink and your miss it instance as the raider unloaded on Still in full auto as he desperately tried to turn and let it hit his second strongest side, he wouldn't let him hit luna’s cutie mark that's for sure.
Along with realigning himself, he was desperately tried to hit the nimble zebra that was beating the shit out of him.
Even though his armor he could feel his kicks as the zebra brought Still’s legs out from under him and bullets ripped and rended his armor and flesh more so the armor but through all of it Still knew he was blacking out.
Still was on the edge he was going to die, out the corner of his eye he saw both Berri and Chane being forced bach into the small box-like building, sort of a square igloo if that makes sense.
The flamer raider was cackling maniacally as he slung flame from side to side only stoping when Mysty darted over his head and he sprayed flam almost straight up letting Tater and Berri rend him with laser and pulse fire than it finally hit Still it being the zebra hoof knocking his bloodied and beaten face into the ground and out of conciseness, he was going to bleed out.
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“Leave him alone you meanie’s” yelled Mysty and with a quick light up of her horn her wizard cap began to glow lightly and both the power armor pony, zebra, and another one with an assault rifle started focusing on her solely as everything else grew weary of what was happening.
A quick snowball and the wide grinning zebra was put into its eternal rest as Mysty came diving into the poorly light building, she charged the raider and uppercut the Shiny pony with her cannonball stumbling him back into the dimly lit building as she drew the mighty zepher blade and Pixi leaped out onto her head.
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Rain hoof had been having a pretty good week, he got a minigun and suit of fucking power armor, but neither can compare to the full belly he and his buck finally had since joining this gang.
He didn't much mind the allegations or prejudice of ponies calling him a raider, and for what holding up a caravan to get medicine and food for his fucking foal, fuck he was only four, five soon, fuck was his birthday really just 3 days away.
Rain had planned on getting a pet cat for Cage but good old fire for brains had to burn down that traders entire operation and for what, show him a lesson because he wouldn't share his bloody cigarette, not to mention the thing's he roped him into involving that poor bastard’s family.
I wasn't supposed to have more than one foal to worry about especially, not on my own, Celestia above why did I take all those drugs why'd I drink enough to let him convince me of that...I cut off her head and…. Fuck! I'm sorry luna forgive me. Please just forgive me.
I don't know why I’m telling you this, you know my crimes the innocents I’ve killed for her and for him after her, the once I did for myself and the one’s I just did, I didn't have a reason to cut her head off and keep it, nor did I have a reason for any of the things I did to that poor teen’s head.
I fucking complained about the horn being cut off and there being no gag reflex, I’m a fucking monster, that much is obvious but….. he isn't and if this little filly kills me, makes me pay for the thing's I’ve done over these past twenty years. Please luna don't let cage to grow up to be anything like me.
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“Leave *smack* my *Snowball* friends *Pixi bite* alone.” With Mysty finished yelling at the foul meanie steel pony she telekinetically lifted the battered near-dead pony and slammed him out the door and into the outer wall, it crumbled instantly as all but one raider ran for there lives, pursued by Mysty as she put them to sleep.
I don't think any escaped.
Upon Mystys return she was meet with everypony tending to there wounds and Chane helping to in Mystys mind wake up Still.
Tatertot was doing his usual scrounging throwing crates of advance restoration potions into nothingness also somehow finding them in the first place.
“Damn it I want snack cakes” yelled Tatertot and Mysty thought she was childish, though snack cakes are really yummy.
After a bit of time Mysty cast heal on Still seeing as that usually makes ponies feel better especially when mom did it for her scratches and boo boo’s.
Sure enough, Still got up a little bit after the spell was cast and after a good bit of looting and Mysty finding a pretty shiny book with princess lunas cutie mark on it, didn't have any pictures in it tho just useless squiggles.
“Next time let me check for hostiles and practice your force of will. Or are you purposefully trying to go out and kill Still?” said Berri in the sternest way she could.
“Hey now wait a minute I almost got him killed, he's the one that stood still and got blasted by a machine gun.” I almost got him killed that's fucking brahmin shit,thought tater.
“Oh for the love of, you unmitigated fool! Check for hostiles before you loot, that's the first rule!” yelled back Berri, she had been through hell these past few days and didn't need this shit from some fucking nobody they picked up in town.
The bickering would probably continue for hours and Still saw the rest of the party and ponies forced on them picking sides so he took action.
“Enough! We're all to blame but if that little filly hadn't been here it's likely we’d all be dead, so shut the fuck up!” while Mysty didn't understand all of the fuss she knew stuff had gone bad and according to Still putting the other shiny pony to sleep helped there shiny pony better known as grandpa silly which is what she started calling Still Life, oh and she pranced around in the air saying “I fixded it, I fiexd it, hooray for me.”
After the group tended their wounds and rested a bit it was pretty unanimously assumed that there must be something worthwhile down a hatch Tater had foud in the center of the courtyard while looting. It was dark and Tatertot didn't have a light so he figured he should wait for Berri or Still seeing as they both have there own light sources.
“Your guy's sure it's pretty dark” Mysty wasn't afraid of the dark but… it was dark.
“If those raiders thought there was something worthwhile down hear then we need to check this place out.” Still didn't really think much would be down here but there was never harm in checking, oh wait it slows them down.
“*sigh* what about the rest of the ponies someone needs to look after them” please! Begged Mysty silently with big ol puppy eyes and a kind innocently charming smile, if you put her in a rad suit and died her mane yellow and coat pink id probably believe it was the ghost of the big 52
“They handled themselves alright when we were fighting I think they'll be alright” darn it, grandpa, silly, let me have this, thought Mysty the magical Philly exstrodanre plus a few more titles.
With a quick and slight sigh, the small alicorn responded “fine” if you can imagen a teenager being sarcastic but in the tone and cuteness of a small foal.
Starting down the stairs of the crypt-like ruin’s the walls had caskets lining them, they had been built into the walls along the stairs and the rest of the tomb.
Still was first down followed by Chane, Mysty, Tater, and Berri with every other turning on what light they could.
Stills helmet light to Berris pipbug and Mystys horn.
The three together illuminated any hall they entered.
------
When everypony hit the end of the stairs Tatertot noticed a torch on the wall and with a handy dandy lighter and a bit of hair gell we had a torch to light others with.
A bit of Tater ingenuity if you will.
The inner chamber of the crypt was the equivalent of a maze with several corners, ok maybe one corner isn't a maze but it sounds more dramatic.
There was some stuff on the walls in zebrikian evidently it was something bout how there was an ancient war and this place was where they sealed the evil away guarded by the spirits of the heroes who stopped the evil, at least that what Berri told Tater when he looked at the walls inquisitorially.
Personally, Tatertot didn’t believe in all that spirt mumble jumbo but with a hole in the casket submerged in 15 feet of water, the one supposed to house the evil talked about on the walls.
The casket was in a pool of water beside him and the thing Chane told us about the Benefactor being immortal, so tater was uneasy on some of his beliefs mostly in regards to zebra mythology, obviously.
Mysty flew over the casket in the water and told Berri what was written on it, not that Mysty actually knew what she was copying, as suspected it used to house the evil and according to Berri’s face it was pretty obvious that she thought the same thing Tatertot did.
This was the Benefactor’s planned final resting place, too bad the bastard didn't stay asleep.
Further exploration of the tomb lead to Tatertot venturing off from the rest of the group as they went down a more rough and dirty tunnel, it had a sort of unfinished vibe.
Instead, he went through the rest of the crypt down some not nearly as long stairs and into a final burial chamber to come face to face with a door.
“Alrighty let's see what's back here,” said Tater, despite being alone, he was talking to himself and two quick bobbins later and,” just a second ah vaulah,” the door fell open halfway before just falling over.
That was weird, looking into the chamber Tater saw two baleful glowing pink eyes filed with the fire and hate of the bombs and the sadness and love of the old world starting right back into his own.
And as a reasonable, respectable, wise individual he quickly picked up the door and noped the fuck out of that situation.
“Guy's! there's a creepy ghoul in there” cried Tatertot exasperated from the run back up the stairs and into the cave-like tunnel hall, upon turning around to point towards where the ghoul had been Tatertot accidentally touched it on the nose.
“Ahhh! It followed me,” am I overreacting, probably. thought Tatertot.
“Tatertot, please try to be at ease. Could I get your name miss, if you please?” Berri got a simple shrug and showing of there not being a tongue in the ghoul’s mouth.
“She's not hostile, and she cannot speak. Something to write with is what I seek,” asked Berri looking around.
“I've got a book” with a quick hold up of the luna cutie mark book the ghoul pushed Mysty out of the way as she picked it up from the small filly.
“Hey that was rude,” said Mysty but it didn't take long for her to get preoccupied.
------
While the grown-ups talked with the wrinkly pony Mysty complained about the book and went to investigate a chest that she could see off in the corner of the room over a pool of water.
“Dumie ponies if you put the shiny’s over here how’s not wing having ponies supposed to get it” With a quick flutter over the water, Mysty had chest in hoof and she slammed the old boring box down and waited for Tatertot to pick it open.
Inside was, boring, papers, notes, and list though there were a few bits.
“Ohh shiny’s” safe to say when Tatertot went to grab the bits Mysty beat him to it.
“Mine” Mysty proudly proclaimed.
------
Having been cheated out of the bits Tater turned back to the ghoul and Berri talking about the book, well Berri was talking the ghoul was writing and Still was tending to his sword.
“So what's so special about this book” if ghouls gonna fuss about it so much it has something to it, or at least that’s what Tatertot figured.
“From what we can tell, this is an old zebrician tome, a tale of great war from those who called this place their home. Zebras and Ponies fought against a foe most bizarre. The description seems off, but they say they fought a star.” said Berri.
“A star?” also that ghoul can read zebrekian? Thought Tatertot.
“You may think it a tale that zebras weave, but my people to this day still believe. Stars are malicious evils and destruction is what they wreak. The death of all they perceive is what the stars ultimately seek. ” said Berri.
“How wonderful,” living stars, I’ve heard it all, thought Tatertot.
“For now, our ghoul friend here can read through this as we walk. Some insight on the benefactor we might unlock,” said Berri.
------
After finishing with the tuning up of his sword the rest of the group and Still searched what was left of the crypt, tho as expected there wasn't anything else to find.
There was at one point a tunnel further through the crypt, however, the tunnel was caved in, honestly, Still wasn’t even sure it was meant to be there in the first place but ultimately it doesn't matter.
Living the crypt took a bit of time, not as much time as it took searching the crypt unlike how the filly would have you believe.
The main factor holding them back was Tatertots need to loot everything off of the dead raiders, well in Still’s mind, and also all the junk on them would only slow us down but Tater was adamant that he could keep up despite carrying a flamer and half there barding.
Chane ended up carrying the other half as well as the minigun.
It took us approximately fourteen hours between leaving the ruins and finally seeing the city labeled on the map in the distance.
Not including brief rest and refreshment breaks along the way.
“We should have eaten at the ruins” simply stated Still life, Tatertot had decided that for the third time in their traveling it was time for a snack.
“I did but I want to eat my sugar apple bombs” to say Tatertots comment was infuriating would be a mild understatement on Still’s part.
“Eat it as you walk“ ordered Still.
“No” responded Tatertot Still may be a soldier but it would be a lie if he said she didn't want to crush those snacks of his and yell at him to “run like I’m gonna kill you because I am” like in the good old days.
“Luna please give me strength” begged Still in almost whisper fashion.
“Can you repeat that, this time without a stick up your ass” smirky responded Tatertot. deep breaths, don't beat him into the pavement. Thought Still.
“Tatertot! Your attitude you should stay. Traveling companions don't act this way. We don't need this to rise to pain. Do you agree on this thought, Chane?” said Berri, Chane who was pleasantly minding his own business drinking from a cup over a small campfire just nodded and drank his tea.
“Berri is right, I may not like you but you a good shot and seem hoofty with a lock pick, so for however long your sticking with us will just need to put up with each other” I can't believe I almost lost my temper over some Celestia damn sugerbombs. Thought Still Life.
While Tater was about to leave it there an unexpected flying magic wrench prolonged the interaction.
“Well aren't you gonna shake on it?” anxiously the filly was wanting the two ponies to shake hoof.
“Excuse me” responded Still, dully.
“Yeah I’m with Still, why?” said Tatertot.
“Why, why your always gotta shake on it when you solve the fight, my Mommie taught me that,” said the always happy Mysty.
Please luna don't let this wasteland take this filly’s hope.
“Well Still, we gotta shake on it,” said Tatertot.
“I suppose we do, can't argue with Mysty on this one,” said Still, somehow one way or another Mysty just seems to have a charmful yet sometimes downright terrifying personality that can make all the I’ll feelings in your melt away or send raiders running in fear.
A quick hoof shake later and each equine involved knew this promise wouldn't last but it felt good to do.
“Now that this fight is done and put down, are you two ready to enter town?” said Berri.
A quick glance over at a smiling Mysty waving around her stick and Pixi running around her with root Still decided this little break could last a little longer.
“Let’s let Mysty and the animals have their fun first, mind giving me a cup of tea Chane,” said Still life.
“On this, I can agree, some tea is fine by me,” said Berri thing's having finally cooled down.
“And you Tater?” said Chane shoving tea in the general direction of Tatertot.
“I prefer sparkle cola,” said Tatertot as he pulled on of the testicular cola’s.
At that we all sat down there around the makeshift campfire and set up our bedrolls and tents to prepare for the coming night, the city could wait till morning.
Oh wait we're doing this again, I thought this thing was dead.
Uh... footnote level up to 3
Berri: intense training of the charism kind( don't ask I’m not sure how you train charismatic-nis)
Still: level 2 black stallion your del damage to the ladies and there a bit more negotiable Level 3 heroic visage imagine always having a helmet with all the benefits but none of the downsides least of all the helmet hair Mysty: level 3 child of two means you get to cast an entire other type of spell school
Chane: level 3 and you're still sneaky just a bit more with a harder punch thanks to spec-ops rank 1
Tatertot: level 1&3 your raising this barn and doing it at a quarter of the time but don't forget the +5 barter from trader at level two