> Queen Of The Wasteland
>  by Jest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> An Eighteen Karat Run Of Bad Luck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reality was a slippery, tumultuous thing, and for a long time Twilight Sparkle could do nothing but fall endlessly, unable to grab hold of anything solid. Sound blurred around her, the beeps and whirrs of unseen machines turning into an auditory mess that made it difficult to locate where these phantom devices were located. Her vision faded in and out, sometimes giving her a glimpse of a pale white room, other times she saw only darkness. Throughout it all the only constant was the numbness that surrounded and encapsulated her entire body. Even her limbs had become little more than dead weight, the pony unable to even feel them or be certain they were still attached.

Panic was constant, but her own distant consciousness stopped her from being able to truly succumb to that fear. The few moments of awareness she did have were filled with little more than screaming, and the endless sensation of falling without ever hitting the ground. It was in these moments of partial awareness that she caught a glimpse of her friends, suspended in tubes all around her, only for her vision to swim almost immediately and the world to fade away.

Throughout it all, Twilight kicked, screamed, and clawed desperately at reality, trying to get a grip on the fleeting thing and give her the strength to reenter the world. Thoughts of her friends, and what they must be going through gave her the clarity of focus amidst a world of blurred colors, and altered perception. Friendship had guided her through so much in recent years, and it was that hope, that dream, that friendship would guide her through even this, that gave her the strength to push through and continue fighting.

Then, after what felt like a small eternity, Twilight’s eyes flicked open and her mind instantly latched on to that realization, forcing her eyelids to remain open. Weariness clawed at the edge of her mind, trying to return her to her slumber, but she refused to allow it any grip. Her friends needed her, and though she couldn't think of the exact reason why she knew that, she felt, deep in her heart, that it was true. She had to get up, she had to fight this, she had to save them, and with a groan and a lurch, she stumbled forward.

Only for her limbs to not cooperate with her demands and end up flailing in all directions and being rendered completely useless. She could feel small tube like objects tear from her sides and back when she lurched forward, but that pain was small in comparison to the agony that came immediately after, when she landed face first on the cold floor. Twilight was vaguely aware of something clattering across the ground, as the sound of metal bouncing near her head was unmistakable, yet her eyes refused to function as she demanded of them.

Every color and shape seemed to blur together, creating a collage of blues, whites, and greys that did little to help her figure out where she was. Her sense of smell was also of little help, as everything smelled vaguely of raspberries for some reason. She could at least feel everything, but even that sense seemed to have failed her, as Twilight quickly realized she had neither hooves, horn, or wings, which was clearly impossible. She was an alicorn last she checked, yet when she went to extend the feathery appendages that grew from her back there were no limbs to answer her command.

She could feel the familiar well of magic deep inside her, but it was muted, distant and despite her focus on it, she could not summon so much as a spark of power. Which made sense as her horn was completely gone, and in it's place was a flat expanse of forehead. A twist of her cranium brought forth new sensations that only challenged the idea that she was hornless, as she felt two long objects attached to her skull bump against the ground as well as something else.

Brushing aside that feeling, Twilight focused on just putting whatever manner of limb she had under her command, beneath her. With a groan, the mare lifted said limb and used it to push against the ground in an attempt to raise her body upwards. And though she was successful, it was only for a moment, as she landed back on the ground with another groan a second later.

The action wasn't completely useless though, as she found that blood now filled her body, and her heart was no longer lazily beating in her chest but was instead pounding for all it's worth. Her vision slowly came together, the blurred lines and sporadic bits of color aligning to create solid objects for the first time in what felt like forever. A second later and the collage of sound that came from a variety of machines coalesced into their own distinct noises.

All of this combined to give Twilight the power to finally stand up and observe her surroundings clearly for the first time. The room she was in immediately reminded her of a laboratory of some kind as various machines clicked and whirred all around her. What stood out the most however were the six large tubes against two of the main walls, three on each side. Every one large enough to contain a manticore and strangely reminiscent of the tubes she saw in her brief snippet of consciousness. Next to her was an equally large table, stained red in some places and green in others, adding a foreboding feeling to the room.

It was obvious at that moment that this was indeed some manner of lab, and that it was also doubled as an operating room of some kind. She tried to cry out, to ask if anyone was nearby, but her voice wasn't there, and all that came out was a strange croaking noise that unnerved her immensely. It was at that point, with fear rising in her chest that she looked down and truly took stock of her strange body.

What she saw immediately unsettled her, as the familiar purple fur and soft skin was replaced by a tough, leathery hide of black with only the occasional splash of lavender here and there. More disturbing than her clearly reptilian flesh were the massive claws that grew from the ends of her fingers. The fact that she had hands was almost reassuring, as it meant that she wasn't in the body of something completely alien, as the mare had experience being a bipedal human in the past. That reassurance was dashed when she looked upon the long black talons sprouting from the end of each finger, noting how they appeared sharp enough to tear through leather or maybe even wood and thin metal with relative ease.

That sense of terror and dysphoria only grew as she gazed down her body in all it's alien horror. Her thick, leathery hide covered every inch of her body, including her torso, which had two small mounds where she assumed her breasts would be. Though overall her body appeared vaguely humanoid, her hips were too wide and helped to support a pair of powerful legs that ended with clawed feet. The toes on the end of each resembled the clawed appendages of dinosaurs, and sporting long claws not unlike the ones attached to her hands. Stranger still was the long tail that sprouted from her butt, a tail which swished nervously behind her, the scaled limb nearly as long as she was tall and ending in a nearly whip-like thinness. 

Mirror, I need a mirror! Twilight thought to herself, the former pony unable to breathe amidst the wave of panic rising in her breast. 

Looking around, Twilight found a small metal plate of some kind, one that had been obviously designed to hold various surgical tools. Noting it's shine, Twilight reached out and grabbed it, hoping to use it's reflective surface to see herself in, only for her claws to pierce straight through the thin metal like it was mere tissue paper. Putting aside the terror that came from that small realization, Twilight gently gripped the edge of the thing and slowly turned it, unsure if she even wanted to see what her reflection held. Between grim fascination, and cold logic, Twilight found herself twisting the metal pan and gazing at what it contained.

The face staring back at her could not be more alien, while also still remaining at least vaguely humanoid. Two small, beady violet eyes were stood out on either side of her head, the placement of which confirming that she was some manner of reptile. Thin slit like nostrils at the end of her sloped muzzle like snout helped to cement this assumption almost as much as the dagger sharp teeth within said mouth did. Clamping her jaw shut, Twilight tried to look away, only to notice the two massive horns growing out of either side of her head.

If Twilight had been thinking clearly she would have realized that she had already noticed the horns earlier, but had blocked their existence from her mind, but right now she was not aware of that fact. Her mind was busy reeling as she stared at the huge, boney growths that extended from her head, each one nearly two and a half feet long. The base of each horn nearly covered one half of her skull and grew up, and forward before bending back down slightly only to turn sharply at the ends. 

The word demon echoed in her mind, and looking back at her reflection Twilight couldn't deny that such a description was apt for her new body. A small part of her was silently glad that she had no obvious sexual organs that needed to be covered, but that thought was drowned out by sheer terror. Alien urges, thoughts, and instincts flooded her system, all of which was brushed aside by panic, and turning into a flailing cry of pain and confusion.

Her large, taloned hands tore through the operating table, rending metal with ease and reducing it to little more than a pile of scrap in only a few swipes. Her breath came in hard and labored, and Twilight noticed that she had fallen to the ground sometime during her panic attack. Laying there, Twilight tried to think of a solution, or at least a reason for her predicament, only to come up with nothing. The last thing she remembered was laughter, though whose laughter that was, and why that creature was laughing was beyond her.

She wanted to curl up into a ball and cry herself to sleep, but her vision strayed towards the other tubes, realization slowly dawning on her. If I’m a monster, does that mean my friends are too? Jolting upwards, Twilight looked around, eyeing the room closer than before, senses keen to the sound of her friends’ voices. 

Only for their to be nothing as the room was still and quiet, save for the sounds of the machines all around her. Her second visual inspection was much more successful however, and Twilight realized that the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of metal panels which covered everything. I’m underground. She thought to herself, jaw hanging open as she looked around in wonder.

Evidently they were fairly deep underground as well, if even her keen hearing couldn't detect a single sound save for the machines behind her. Looking away from the destruction she had rained down upon the table, she noticed there were two exits to the room, each one appearing as a metal door devoid of handle. The one to her right was small, and seemed to be built for a creature three feet shorter than whatever Twilight was while the other was large, but also warped and scorched.

Nearing the second door, Twilight recognized the signs of fire closely, as burn marks were everywhere, and a small control panel near the rightmost side sparked occasionally. Not wanting to push her luck with the larger, and clearly broken door, Twilight took a step towards the smaller one. Only to almost immediately stumble and nearly fall right back onto her face.

Growling to herself, Twilight slowly trod her way over to the metal portal, each step ponderous, and carefully placed. Though experienced with walking bipedally due to her time in an alternate reality, these legs bent backwards just below the knee. This made every movement difficult and that was without mentioning the long reptilian tail that followed behind her. By the time she reached the door however, her brain seemed to make the connections necessary to walk without issue. Though Twilight realized her facial muscles were not complex enough to smile, she imagined herself grinning at least, silently thankful that her new instincts allowed her to walk slowly at least.

With that small hurdle bypassed, Twilight made her way over to the door and looked it over, finding that although there was no handle, the small pad to the right of the door seemed like the obvious method of opening it. Extending a claw, Twilight quickly retracted her hand, not wanting to accidentally slice straight through the button and possibly electrocute herself. Instead of doing that, she merely used the edge of her hand to brush against the large green button at the top of the pad.

Immediately the door opened, splitting into two sections near the middle and receding into the top and bottom of the doorway. Confused, and not wanting to get caught in the closing door, Twilight ducked down and quickly rushed through without looking first. Looking around once through, Twilight found the next area was a small, cramped hallway that bent to her left, and had two doors directly in front of her, and another to her left. Noting that the one to the left likely went to the burnt room, Twilight chose to try the door that lay directly before her. This one opened swiftly, and in the same manner as the first, prompting Twilight to awkwardly durdle her way through the door, fearful of getting caught in it while it closed.

This area was relatively small, but appeared more normal, at least at first glance anyway. The small space she stood in felt like an entryway into someone’s home, complete with welcome mat, a small table wherein one could place their keys and a shoe rack devoid of foot wear. The entire area resembled a bent L and opened up into an apartment devoid of the usual things you would assume an apartment would have.

There was no bed, couch, fridge, or dresser left, and only the distinct different kinds of tiling and cabinets allowed Twilight to figure out what each area used to be before it had been altered. Changed to allow the room to be stuffed with various metal crates piled as high as the ceiling in some places. A sudden clank, hiss from a particularly deep row of boxes drew Twilight’s attention, making her realize she was no longer alone.

Twilight tried to say hello, or utter any word at all really, but all that came out was a garbled, and nonsensical growl of some kind. The former pony didn't have long to think of why that was before the clank hiss happened again, and a large metal creature stepped out from the row of boxes, looking up at the towering creature that was Twilight Sparkle. The former unicorn immediately thought of a toaster on legs, as the creature’s body was strangely boxy, but all such levity vanished the instant the thing spoke. 

“Experiment one three three nine, please go back to your pod. Head researcher CORRUPTED, has not authorized your removal.” droned the vaguely masculine sounding robotic voice.

Experiment? I have a name you know, and what kind of name is corrupted anyway? Twilight thought to herself.

The creature Twilight had become, tried to speak again, but only more growling noises came out of her mouth, irritating her to no end. Come on voice, work darnit! 

“Experiment has grown agitated, elevated heart rate detected. Subject containment protocol enacted,” Announced the metal creature who lifted it's arms and pointed it's hands at her.

Twilight took an awkward step back, only for her horns to catch on the ceiling and make her wince. She wasn't sure what the strangely ovoid creature wanted, or why it was raising it's three clawed hands at her, but from the way it spoke it sounded hostile. Raising her own hands, Twilight tried to get it to calm down, only to forget that she could only growl, and was no longer capable of speech. 

Without a word, the metal creature’s left hand lit up with a bright blue light which shot from the end and hit Twilight square in the chest. Pain rippled across the former pony’s body and her knees suddenly became weak, threatening to give out and drop her to the floor. Her reaction time was slowed even more, owing not only from the bolt of blue energy, but also by her own poor understanding of her new body. Resulting in the boxy creature nearly scoring a second hit on Twilight before she managed to duck out of the room.

For a moment rage nearly consumed her, alien instincts threatening to dominate the former pony’s mind and send her into a second psychotic fury. That feeling was buried in an instant however, as Twilight knew that despite this creature’s hostility it did not seem to intend true harm. It's only goal seemed to be knocking Twilight out and dragging her back into the tube, something Twilight wasn't sure she wanted to happen.

Confused and staggered from her brief mental bout with her new instincts, and the blue bolt that had struck her, Twilight’s hand shot out in an attempt to close the door. Only to forget about how sharp her claws were and causing her to slice straight through it and get a nasty zap while also locking the door open. Retracting her claw, Twilight let out a painful cry as she staggered backwards, followed closely by the hiss clank of the strange metallic creature.

“Wait, stop, I’m going! Just don't shoot me with that thing anymore!” Twilight tried to plead only for her voice to remain little more than an incomprehensible noise.

“Do not resist,” droned the metal creature as it rounded the bend and fired another shot.

This time Twilight wasn't quite fast enough and her whole left arm went numb after getting hit by the blue beam of light. Confused, and panicked, Twilight lashed out with the one hand she could feel, attempting to shove the much shorter creature over. Claws connected, and while it was indeed knocked over, four long gash marks were also carved out of the space Twilight assumed it's face was. Retracting her clawed hand in horror, Twilight watched as the brightly lit bulb at the top of the metal thing’s head flickered.

“Do not resissssst...” It exclaimed before falling silent and then over, landing on it's back.

The light atop it's head went out, and the exposed wiring and circuitry stopped sparking a second later . “Oh no, I killed it!” Twilight yelled, the former pony dashing over to the thing and crouching down next to it.

Looking down, Twilight tried to figure out a way to heal the metal creature, only to realize it was indeed just a machine, albeit one far more advanced then she had ever seen before. Remembering the movie she had seen while in that other dimension, Twilight recalled that robots werent truly alive, and thus she had not actually killed anyone. Sighing, Twilight gently pushed the robot aside, still feeling a hint of guilt in the bottom of her soul despite knowing it wasn't a living thing like her.

She considered trying to fix it, as there was still a chance the robot was sentient, but decided against it, as she knew nothing of robotics, and even if she did she was fairly certain she'd do more harm than good. Standing up once more, Twilight slipped into the room she had just backed out of, making sure not to bang her horns on the doorway this time. Once inside she gave the place a better look, inspecting the rows of enormous metal crates and finding a strange tube-like object near the back. A tube that had the same general coloration of the robot she had just accidentally destroyed.

This must be where it charges itself. Twilight reasoned before turning back around and walking away.

Pulling at some the crates revealed that although Twilight could open them, they all contained scrap metal and busted electronics, or food that reaked of chemicals. Sticking out her tongue in disgust, Twilight walked away from the room and made her way to the second door along that same wall. Pressing the button carefully, Twilight was greeted with what looked like a completely normal bathroom, save for the fact that everything was covered in dust, and hadn't appeared to have ever been used.

With a shrug, Twilight popped her head back into the hallway and turned to the final door. After a moment’s hesitation, she gently pressed the open button, revealing a large, and utterly destroyed room. Machines lined the wall across from her, each one different, and each one broken in some manner, either due to the explosion that seemed to have gone off in the center of the room, or the ensuing fires it had no doubt spawned. Though the damage was contained to a single room, it was still quite extensive, and there was a small crater in the very middle of the area.

Other than that there was a door to her right, with a small, mostly undamaged boxy display sitting on a table next to it. Attached to the ancient looking machine was a keyboard of some kind, in addition to a large battery that was connected via a series of thick wires. Everything else in the room was unusable, and even the large window that connected this room to the next was almost completely scorched black, leaving only a small area she could actually see out of.

Peering through the glass, Twilight was able to see that there was a lift of some kind beyond, one that went up into the ceiling, though at the moment it was not on her floor. The rest of the room was too blurry to see, but from what Twilight could make out she was left with the impression that it was another storage area of some kind, with bunches of crates littered everywhere.

Brushing that aside for now, Twilight walked over to the button and gently pressed it, expecting the door to open and receiving only a harsh beep in response. Cocking her head, she hit the button again, and received the same harsh beep of denial. Frowning to herself, Twilight pressed it a little harder, and after getting no change she stepped away. With a sigh, Twilight turned to the blocky machine just beside it, figuring that it would help in some manner.

Leaning down, Twilight looked around for a chair, and after finding none, merely kneeled before the electronic device. She was about to tap a key with a claw only to remember how sharp they were, at which point she dug through the various piles of ash nearby until she was able to locate a pencil. Which she then used to tap at the keyboard, prompting the machine to light up and reveal a greenish screen where deeper emerald green letters appeared. 

Welcome to Robco Industries (TM) Termlink

Was displayed across the top, and after that, nothing. Leaving Twilight confused, and slightly disappointed, as her knowledge of computers was sparse, but what she did know told her that this was not how they were supposed to work. She tried to find the launch key only to find nothing, and with no mouse of any kind, Twilight was left without any idea on how to activate it.

I have to find a way out of here, the girls need me. Twilight thought to herself, before turning away from the machine and peering back through the glass, instantly noticing that the lift was now down, meaning someone had activated it, and may be outside the room.

Not trusting her damaged vocal cords, Twilight gently pounded her hand on the thick glass. After several hard thumps, Twilight retracted her hand and continued to peer through, her eyes wide, and filled with hope.

Hope that was renewed when she saw a human face poke out from the side and gaze up at her. The human was evidently female, and had sharp blue eyes hidden behind a pair of aged glasses, with her long black hair tucked into a tight ponytail. She wore a long leather coat that went all the way down to her knees, while also coming up to her ears in the form of a high collar. Beneath that coat she wore a black shirt of some kind as well as a pair of black jeans, and large leather boots. In one hand she wielded what looked like a small caliber pistol, while in the other she had a knife. On her wrist was a bulky display of some kind that took up a good chunk of her arm and glowed with a faint green light.

Before Twilight had a chance to do anything, the human’s face vanished, a terrified expression flashing across her face. Twilight could hear the scramble of boots on the ground beyond, and she watched in confusion as the creature ran over to the lift and began hammering on a control panel near the bottom. Seeing her chance of freedom vanishing before her eyes, Twilight pounded harder on the glass, yelling to be let out. 

When that action only made the human more panicked, Twilight quickly put a stop to that, mentally reprimanding herself for scaring the young girl. Thinking quickly, Twilight tried to write hello on the window, but her claws, for once, didn't leave a scratch. In front of her, the human was busy typing away at the machine next to the lift, evidently frustrated, and casting nervous glances in Twilight’s direction.

Think Twilight, think! If she leaves, you might starve down here! Twilight closed her eyes, focusing inward and after a few seconds opened her eyes once more, an idea popping into her head.

Placing a single claw against the window, Twilight began to tap in morse code, silently glad that her dad had entertained her younger self’s brief dream of being a train conductor all those years ago. “Stop, please help me, I’m trapped.” Twilight tapped out.

Yet despite her best efforts, the human didn't seem to catch on, and when the lift shuddered to life once more, and she stepped on, Twilight sped up her tapping. “S.O.S” She tapped out, over and over, hoping against hope that the human would at least know that much.

The human’s finger hovered over the lift controls, stopping just before touching them and staring down at Twilight in confusion. For a moment it looked like she may very well leave anyway, but as Twilight continued to tap, the human let her finger fall away, understanding slowly spreading across her face. Though the former pony wanted to raise her fist in excitement, she continued to tap away, this time trying something more in depth.

“Door is locked, can you help?” She asked.

The creature raised a finger and turned to her arm mounted machine, quickly turning the various knobs and buttons on it for almost a minute. The human’s eyes went wide, and she pumped her arm in the air, as if in victory. “There we go, can you understand me?” She asked, turning to Twilight.

The mare nodded, but also tapped out her response, just in case the human didn't understand her. “Yes.”

The already shocked human’s eyes went wider still, to the point that Twilight was fairly certain there was a chance they may roll right out of her head completely. “This is amazing,” she whispered faintly.

“The door is locked, can you get me out?” Twilight asked again.

“I might be able to, but I want to ask you a few questions before I do that.” Replied the human, who became strangely calm.

Twilight nodded, having realized how scary she no doubt looked to the smaller creature. “Go ahead,” she tapped.

The human looked down, and after a few seconds of translating, nodded. “Okay, first things first, how did you get down here?”

Twilight shrugged.

“Well that answer doesn't need translation,” muttered the woman. “Uh, now then, what are you?”

Again, Twilight shrugged, only this time she had to stop herself before she replied ‘a pony’ as something told her she didn't count as an alicorn any longer.

“How do you not know?” Asked the human.

“I have not been in this world for long. I do not know what type of creature I now am,” Twilight explained.

“Wait, repeat that again and slower this time,” replied the human, who was hastily scrolling with her wrist computer.

Twilight did just that, prompting the human to stare off into space for a few seconds before looking at Twilight in a new, and strange light. “Are you an alien?”

Twilight chuckled, only to find that such an action came out more like a series of raspy gasps rather than laughter. “Technically yes, but I am from another dimension, probably, not space.”

“Another dimension? Now that's just silly,” deadpanned the human.

Twilight shrugged. “This isn't the first time this has happened,” she tapped.

“Wow… I don't suppose your going to eat me if I let you out, are you?” Inquired the human with a hint of nervousness. 

Twilight shook her head. “I was a herbivore before this and though I haven't figured out if this body requires meat, I have no intention of eating you,” she explained.

“Well then, this must be quite a shock to you then.”

Twilight nodded her large, horned head.

“Step back, I’ll try and get the door open, just keep your distance for now, okay?” Pressed the human, who pointed at the former pony.

Twilight nodded, and did as she was told, the creature stepping back and watching the door closely.

After a few moments of silence punctuated only by the tinkling of metal on metal, the door opened, revealing the human girl who pointed the small snub nosed revolver at her. “Come out here when I can see you better.” She commanded in a shaky tone.

Twilight raised her hands and did just that, only to get nearly blinded by the bright floursenct lights that filled this room with artificial illumination. “Sorry about that, it must be quite a change compared to the dark,” apologized the girl.

Twilight had been about to agree with her before the ex pony realized that she had seen just fine despite the fact that the other room had been pitch black. Putting that thought aside for now, Twilight realized she was being inspected by a still nervous human, who kept one finger firmly on the trigger of her weapon while the other was now behind her back. 

“Strange, you have no marks of any kind, and though slightly irradiated you don't seem to be a mutant,” murmured the human, who was looking down at her arm mounted computer.

Raising a non-existent eyebrow, Twilight began to tap on the floor. “I assume you are human?” she asked.

“That I am, though I’m surprised you know what that is. Regardless, the name’s Janey Booth, courier. Or at least I was anyway,” muttered the human. “And what’s your name? If you have a name that is.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” replied Twilight.

“Well, that's certainly the last thing I would have guessed,” Murmured the human.

“So is yours,” Twilight replied with a smirk.

Janey chuckled and put her weapon. “Well it's nice to meetcha Twilight, don't suppose you have any plans once your out of here, eh?”

Twilight began to nod her head only to stop and shake her hand from side to side. “I need to find my friends, but I don't know where they could be,” Twilight tapped out.

“Well, ain't that a kick in the head?” Chuckled Janey. “I’m going on a bit of an adventure myself, why don't you join me? If you watch my back, I’ll promise to help you try and find your friends.”

Twilight began to nod her excitedly, glad she was lucky enough to wander into someone capable of helping her out. “Yes, yes, yes!” She tapped.

“Slow down there partner, we haven't found 'em yet. Plus we haven't even shaken hands yet,” pointed out Janey, who extended her right hand. “Put her there.”

Eyeing the offered limb closely, Twilight did her best to keep her claws out of the way while gently shaking the human’s hand.

“I can already tell you this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship,” declared Janey, as she silently released the grip her left hand had on a grenade and slipped it back into a coat pocket. “Just beautiful.”
> Ain't That A Kick In The Head?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So what can you tell me about this world?” Twilight tapped, after taking a step back.

“It used to be a lot better then it is, that's for sure, I’ll spare ya the details but humanity tried to nuke itself back into the stone age and just about succeeded,” Janey explained with a shrug. “Hey can you open these boxes?”

Twilight nodded and started prying open a few of the boxes as warring thoughts rolled around in her head. She had remembered what a nuke was from the other human world, but they had completely disarmed themselves voluntarily after the end of the second world war. To hear that there existed a planet that had been bombarded by enough of them to nearly wipe out the population was disconcerting to say the least.

“How did this happen?” Twilight asked after she opened up most of the boxes in the room.

Janey looked through each box individually, grabbing choice bits and stuffing them into a backpack Twilight hadn't noticed she was wearing. “There were two major superpowers left, from what I’ve been able to gather. The United States, and China, and they were both fighting over what little resources that hadn't already been burned or otherwise used. Ooh that's a good one.”

Janey pulled out a particularly strange looking series of wires, and tubes which made little sense to Twilight. “So your saying the people decided to kill pretty much everyone all for some resources?” Twilight exclaimed in disgust, tapping her response out on a clipboard she located in one of the now open crates.

Janey stopped, glanced down at her wrist computer, and after a few seconds of translation, shrugged. “Pretty much,” she exclaimed. “Oh and the United States wasn't much of a democracy at that point either as corporations held most of the power and China never pretended to be. Or at least that's what uncle Istvan always said.”

“Uncle Istvan?” Twilight pressed.

“He was a ghoul that worked for my parents.” Janey murmured, her head inside one of the bins and hiding her expression.

“Where are your-” Twilight tapped, only to be interrupted by Janey giving her a glare.

“Don't ask,” she commanded, before turning and rooting around in another box as if she hadn't just unnerved the former pony with how powerful her look had been.

I should ask about that after I get to know her better, maybe she’ll open up to me then. Twilight thought to herself as she watched Janey dig through box after box, amassing a significant pile of loot in the process. Only now realizing what was going on Twilight stumbled back a step. “Do you own this place?” Twilight tapped out.

Janey looked at the former pony like she had grown a second head. “Noone really owns anything nowadays. Sure a couple folks set up shop in these old buildings or a gang claims turf, but the people who owned places like this died a long time ago, and most people in em are squatters anyway.”

Twilight frowned, or at least she tried to, as her face lacked the complicated muscles necessary to display most emotions. “I still think this is wrong. Obviously someone put these crates here,” she tapped, gesturing to said containers.

“And you think we should let the person who probably kidnapped and experimented on you be allowed to keep all this stuff they obviously aren't using and ain't coming back for?” Janey deadpanned.

Twilight blinked. On the one hand, stealing is stealing, but on the other, they did kidnap me and my friends for some, probably nefarious reason. It's fine if we are taking from bad guys right? Twilight sighed, and ran a hand down her face, the former pony unused to the grey moraly ground she now trod.

“Look, if it makes you feel any better I found a diary on the terminal back there while you were staring off into space. It describes how the original owner forgot he changed the locks on the bunker and ended up dying right here on the ground. Whoever is using this place stuffed all the spare parts the owner had kicking around in this room, meaning we ain't stealing from anyone that's alive,” Janey explained as she moved to the last box in the line.

Great, were robbing the dead, because that makes me feel so much better. Twilight thought to herself. Why couldn't I have ended up in a world that makes sense rather than this waking nightmare. 

“How do you use these computers?” Twilight tapped, gesturing to the terminal at the base of the lift.

“Huh? Oh easy, just type here.” Janey began, pointing to the keyboard. “And after that you have to input a few lines of text until you can get into it. I already cracked this bad boy, but normally it would take a little bit to figure out the password.”

Twilight nodded as she watched Janey input a few lines of text before opening up into a screen containing several sub folders. “Do you mind?” She asked, tapping out her question on the table.

“Go ahead, I’m gonna go loot the rest of this place, how big is it anyway?” Janey inquired.

“Not big, a couple of rooms, no dangers, now.” Twilight replied hastily.

“Now?” 

“Was a robot, not anymore,” Twilight explained, no longer paying attention to the human at all, as she was focused completely on the screen.

“Okay then, have fun. I’ll be back in a bit,” Janey exclaimed before turning and leaving into the scorched room behind.

Twilight didn't even notice her go as she gripped a pencil between two fingers and was using it to maneuver through the files, searching for something of interest. The purpose of the first three were obvious as one was labeled games, another had the words work documents written on it and the last was simply titled diary. Opening the diary folder Twilight was greeted with an enormously long list of dates that abruptly jumped ahead ten years at the mid way point.

With little else to do, and her curiosity piqued, Twilight dove into the first diary entry.

It was cold today, and I don't mean a little nippy, or sweatshirt weather, I mean cold. Damn cold. Those assholes up in DC musta been more wrong then even the crazies could have anticipated if China has their weather control machines up and ready before we could do the same. Which brings me to the reason for this first entry. I’ve done it. The plan is in motion, and the company is none the wiser. The ass hats in legal never even suspected me for even a second. They thought I was just a crackpot that deserved to stay in the mail room forever, but I’ll show them. When they are dead and gone, and the world is wiped clean, I’ll be alive, and they will be dust on the wind! Day one of the bunker build is a go!

-Jimmy Carr

Twilight felt conflicted after reading the first entry, as she both felt for the obviously distraught human, even though he was obviously syphoning off money from the company he worked for. With a shrug, she decided to keep reading, determined to see the diary through to the end and to discover what went wrong for the unfortunate office worker.

The next few months were fairly plain, with the mysterious Jim Carr commenting on his personal life only rarely and mainly focusing on simple descriptions of the new equipment he was able to purchase. He went on to explain that he knew the guy that owned the land, and that he had been allowed to park his trailer nearby and to build his bunker under it. He only briefly touched on the owner himself, describing him only as a like minded person who was one of ‘the good ones’. Whatever that meant.

Then, upon it's completion, Jimmy wrote a celebratory post, and declared that he would write the next entry when he would need it, whenever that was. Jumping ahead, Twilight hesitated to open the first entry, unsure if she wanted to know what Jimmy’s fate had been. The former pony’s natural curiosity pushed past her hesitation though, and she quickly opened the next entry and began to read it.

That MOTHERFUCKER! He said he just wanted to check it out, to see my handiwork, yet here I find a fucking note on the door letting me know that he changed the locks, and that he's always hated me. Why the hell would he do this to me? I haven't done shit to him! I ain't the reason his wife left him, and his kids hate his guts. All I’ve ever been is nice to him! I have some of my supplies in here at least, though it's nothing compared to the nearly fifty years of food I have saved up in the actual bunker. I’m going to see if I can't jury rig something to blow the door. I’ll show you Weng, you son of a bitch.

-Jimmy Carr

Twilight paused, and read the last entry again, confused, but oddly put off by his strong language. Twilight stopped and pondered this most recent turn of events, thinking how it correlated to Jim’s fate as it was obvious things between him and his landlord werent quite as clear cut as they seemed at first glance. Clicking through the next few entries, Twilight breezed through them, captivated by the tale of survival and betrayal.

For the most part they were generally hopeful, as he had over a month's supplies left, but had nowhere he could relieve himself, resulting in the man using a box for that purpose. Something Twilight was glad had not survived the test of time, as she did not want to imagine how gross that would have been. Other than that, the entries seemed to frequently devolve into mindless insults, and long winded rants about his ex friend, revealing a startling amount of racism, sexism, and a bizarre fascination with his landlord's wife.

As time went on a picture began to form in Twilight’s mind, the former pony was able to peice together the rambling rants into a somewhat organized summary of events. Twilight pressed the key one more time, opening the last, and most despondent entry of the bunch. The rest had been angry, or at least determined, but the tone of the last suddenly changed, making Twilight stop and really focus on his words.

I get it now. I figured it out. He's not inside the bunker, he hasn't been watching me sleep in my own filth. He's dead, probably sitting in his living room drinking that whiskey he was always saving. I was at fault. This was supposed to be a prank, or payback, or something, he probably thought I came down here every other week to check on things. But I didn't think about it, just like I didn't think about how my attitude had affected him. Supplies are just about out, gonna call it quits though, don't want to die hungry and alone, besides, being by myself this long has been bad enough.

-I’m sorry.

Twilight sniffed, the former pony fighting back the urge to cry upon reading the final words, knowing full well that the human had likely killed himself shortly thereafter. 

“You alright?” Janey asked as she walked through the door, arms loaded with random bits of electronics. 

Twilight nodded, her mind at war with itself over what to think of Jimmy, and his unfortunate end. She had learned a lot from him, about the world, it's people, and even a little about the maintenance and construction of a proper vault. However, he had obviously not been a very good person in life, though Twilight thought he didn't deserve the end that he had received.

She didn't think anyone deserved to die hungry and alone at the bottom of some hole in the ground.

Janey dumped her latest pile next to the rest, and wiped her hands of the grease that stained them. “Was there something in those other entries? All I read was the first and the last one,” Janey remarked. 

Twilight wanted to tell the dead man’s tale, but due to the limitations of her communication, she merely tapped. “Yes, it was tragic.”

Shrugging, Janey produced a tarp from her bag and laid in the ground. “Sorry to hear that, now would you mind giving me a hand, there is a lot of good stuff here, and we gotta haul it a fair distance.”

Twilight nodded mutely, following the instructions of the younger woman and placing the pile of loot in the center of the tarp before wrapping it up and slinging it over her shoulder. “Careful with that,” Janey warned. “Most of it's scrap, but there is some good stuff in there.”

Again, Twilight nodded, surprised to feel just how light the great pile of scrap was in her large hands. She was strong, that much she already knew, but to heft such mass with ease made Twilight realize that she had not even begun to test the limits of her new found strength. Making a note to do that sometime soon, Twilight turned to where Janey stood at the bottom of the lift, her fingers flying across the pad near the screen.

“Alright, it should be good for one last lift, but after that it will probably run out of power,” remarked the woman. “If we want to get back down here we will need to get a replacement generator, or find one helluva ladder.”

Twilight chuckled as she took her spot next to the woman, the lift trembling briefly under their combined weight.

Janey waited until she was sure it wasn't about to break before hitting the up button and prompting the entire machine to begin chugging away. A small fence rose several feet out of the side of the elevator, ensuring no one could accidentally fall off the lift as it rose. Which began to ascend a few seconds later, the entire machine squeaking horribly as it began to rise slowly into the air.

“That doesn't sound good,” Twilight tapped out on the floor.

Janey frowned. “I don't even need to morse code to figure out that you trust this thing about as much as I do.”

Twilight watched the various machinery closely as the entire elevator began to ascend, leaving behind the strange ad hoc laboratory that Twilight had woken up in. Now with only dull service lights to illuminate their trip, Twilight found herself lost in thought, her mind instantly going to her friends. She hoped they hadn't been put into strange bodies, though Twilight had a feeling that she wasn't the only one to wake up and find that they werent in their own skin.

“Your probably pretty curious about what you are, huh?” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded her horned head.

“They call your new species a death claw, and they are some of the most terrifying creatures in the entire wasteland,” Janey began, her tone becoming distant, as if she was reciting something she had been told. “Born from some pre war experiment gone wrong, deathclaws were supposedly created from some manner of lizard they had back before the war. After everything went tits up they got out, only to get nabbed and experimented on by the master.”

“The master?” Twilight asked, tapping her response out on the ground.

“I’ll tell you about him later,” Janey retorted as they passed the halfway point and the ceiling began to open to reveal a darkened sky. “All you need to know is that he used some kinda crazy virus to make deathclaws even tougher for some reason. Now they are the undisputed apex predators of wherever the hell they want to go.”

Janey paused. “Though I have a feeling that your a bit different from the usual breed as your horns are longer, your skin is darker, plus it's got those purple patches. Nevermind your eyes which are the strangest shade of violet I’ve ever seen.”

“Am I really that different?” Twilight asked back.

The human nodded. “Deathclaws don't usually have visible sex characteristics, yet you have what look like mammary glands. That and your face is more narrow, your gait less loping and your overall physique is slimmer, more human looking.”

Twilight’s mind brimmed with questions, but she held them at bay for the moment as her attention had been drawn upwards, to the stars which poked out from the clouds above her. As the sky grew, and the groaning machinery vanished into the sides of the elevator shaft, Twilight found herself transfixed. Even a single glance up at the sky was enough for the former unicorn to know that this was a truly alien world, and not some cruel joke.

She knew this because the stars were wrong, the sky looked weird, and Twilight could tell that the very air was different. Though she had known before that the lands above her were dry and irradiated, a single sniff assured her that was true. Not only that but she could almost taste something strange in the wind, it was clearly unnatural but also something Twilight instinctively knew could not harm her.

When the lift finally reached its destination, and Twilight stood fully in this new, strange world, the former pony found herself once more transfixed by her surroundings. Behind her and to the sides stood tall, ancient mountains, though they didn't look like any she had seen before in Equestria. These great pillars of rock almost looked like they had been blasted by some great force, tearing off the top most layer of dirt and exposing the jagged rock beneath.

It reminded the former unicorn of when she had studied field medicine after her first adventure and had seen what a third degree burn did to someone’s knee. This feeling of injury didn't end at the mountains around her though, as everywhere she looked there was no vegetation to see, only dust and the scars left over from the nuclear blasts which had devastated this land. The only man-made object she could see from where she stood was a strange elongated box that appeared to have at one point been Jimmy Car’s mobile home.

Remembering how the dead man had spoken at length on his former house on wheels, Twilight frowned when she noticed what had happened to it. The windows were blown out and all traces of the glass were gone, as was the door, paint, and anything that may have been inside. Now all that was left was a bunch of radio equipment, a mattress, and a pile of cans which was spilling out of where the entrance.

Twilight stepped aside, and began tapping at her clipboard. “Tell me everything you know about the wasteland.”

Janey chuckled as she walked over to the trailer and pulled a hidden lever, prompting a grimey facade to slide over the top of the lift, hiding it from sight. “That will take some time. I’ve been walking the wastes for as far back as I can remember,” Janey replied.

“How long do we have until we reach town?” Twilight replied.

The human shrugged. “A half hour to an hour, depending on if any wildlife bother us. We should be able to get there before dark but it will be close.”

Twilight nodded. “Could you start with describing the wild life please?”

“Sure thing, just stick close. Oh and if you see a gecko, don't let its short stature fool ya. Those little buggers will bite your fingers off if you let them,” Janey remarked, the human walking over to a small trail which wound its way out of the mountains and into the hills below them.

“If I am in the body of an apex predator, wouldn't they leave us alone?” Twilight questioned.

“If we are lucky they’ll give us a wide berth, but it's a dog eat dog world out there nowadays and if something’s hungry enough it doesn't matter how big you are,” Janey replied.

Twilight sighed, the former unicorn silently hoping that she wouldn't have to resort to violence anytime soon. Though the longer she was here the more the deathclaw realized that such a thing seemed all but inevitable. To make matters worse, violence seemed to be something her terrifying new body was all too adept at.

That fact that her claws could slice through steel like it was paper bothered Twilight more then she would have liked. The dull grumble which emanated from deep in her gut only made her worry grow ever greater, threatening to overwhelm the ex pony. Not only that but her new instincts suddenly came roaring back, reminding Twilight that she had not eaten anything in as far back as she could remember. 

“Am I a carnivore?” Twilight asked hesitantly.

Janey shrugged. “Noone knows for certain if deathclaws are omnivores or not as most folk who get close enough to study them end up in their belly.”

Twilight winced. “Do you have any fruit or vegetables on you?”

Janey nodded, and reached into her bag in order to produce a lumpy looking apple. “Here, this is the best I got on me I’m afraid.”

Twilight tucked her clipboard under her other arm and caught the food in her free hand, eying it closely. Though slightly discolored, the apple didn't seem too off, even if it had a couple more bumps than a normal one. Pushing down a bit of revulsion which welled from her belly, Twilight tossed the entire thing into her mouth and began to chew.

This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten. Twilight thought to herself as her pointed teeth easily tore through the peice of fruit.

Yet she swallowed anyway, doing her best to stomach the acidic taste of the weird lumpy apple. As soon as her mouth was empty, the deathclaw turned and spat out whatever remained, and inadvertently discovered that her tongue was surprisingly long. She put that small realization out of her mind however, and tried to focus on how she felt, and if the food would stay down.

“Yeah they don't taste the best, but it's better than most of the stuff you could scrounge up in the wild,” remarked Janey absently. “So, where should I start with my description of the wastes? Factions, weapons, or do you want to stick with animals like you-”

Whatever she had been about to say was stopped dead in its tracks as Twilight unexpectedly vomited all over the ground. The deathclaw hardly even had a chance to open her mouth before bits of chewed apple erupted past her non existent lips, spraying all over the ground. Worse still, Twilight’s entire stomach flip flopped violently as it expelled not only the apple but some strange greyish goop.

Groaning, Twilight stood there awkwardly, trying her best to get her stomach to stop angrily expelling its contents. Something she only managed to achieve after dry heaving for almost five consecutive minutes. Standing on wobbly legs, Twilight breathed heavily, hands on her knees and head lowered, ready for more.

When none came, she wiped her lipless mouth with the back of her clawed hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are you alright?” Asked Janey, the human nervously glancing at the deathclaw over the rim of her aged glasses.

Twilight raised a hand placatingly, before locating her fallen clip board and tapping out her response. “Yes, though I’m suddenly very hungry despite the fact that I am also super grossed out,” Twilight replied.

Janey nodded, and unslung her backpack, digging through its contents until she managed to locate a clear container which contained what looked like a steak. “Here, eat this,” Janey exclaimed, popping the top off and offering it to the deathclaw.

Twilight didn't question it, and just grabbed the entire container and tossed it back, chewing it twice before swallowing. Her taste buds hardly had a chance to realize what had crossed them before the thick slab of meat was already on its way to her belly. Once they did though, Twilight’s eyes went wide, and she looked down at the container in horror.

“Was that what I thought it was?” Twilight hesitantly asked.

Janey nodded. “Brahmin steak. Relatively fresh too, and bought only a few hours ago at the prospector saloon.”

Twilight breathed deeply several times, steadying her nerves and doing her best not to throw up again. She didn't know what a brahmin was, but Twilight liked to think that it was some sort of horrible monster. One that she shouldn't feel bad about eating, even if it was a living thing and likely had a life, feelings and parents.

Then the vomiting started all over again.
> Back In The Saddle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you’re alright? Because this is the last of my food and if you’re just going to throw it up then I’ll keep it for myself,” Janey exclaimed, a red box gripped in her right hand.

Twilight nodded slowly. “I’m sorry about that. Trust me, it won't happen again,” she tapped out on a nearby rock.

“Alright, but I expect you to pay me back. This is one of my favorites,” Janey remarked, offering the deathclaw the Salisbury steak box.

Twilight placed her sack of looted electronic components on the ground next to her and eyed the box carefully. The first thing she noticed was just how old the box was, as the letters were faded, and the exterior looked like it had been bumped more than a few times. The words Salisbury Steak were written across the top, right next to a blue star with the letter A in it which itself was next to a plus sign. It also helpfully advertised that it now came with gravy, though Twilight didn't know how that would work given its age.

Putting it down, Twilight grabbed her clipboard. “How do I eat this? Do you need to microwave it first?”

“No, and thank goodness for that because those things are really rare,” Janey replied. “All you gotta do is open it and remove the plastic cover. I like to put it in a pot and heat it up over a fire with some chopped vegetables and a little added water but obviously we can't do that right this instant.”

Twilight frowned, and looked down at the two hundred year old box, contemplating if she should even eat something so ancient. Clearly it was fine for consumption as Twilight doubted Janey would speak so animatedly about eating poison. In the end the deathclaw’s curiosity, and hunger, won out and the former pony deftly sliced through the top of the box with a claw.

Carefully removing the small black bowl, Twilight inspected its brownish contents closely. Several round steaks could be seen through the aged plastic cover, and they were indeed covered in what looked like gravy. Which happened to be a deeper shade of brown the same consistency of the sludge like coffee that princess Luna frequently enjoyed.

After peeling back the plastic, Twilight sniffed the strange round blobs of meat only for her eyes to immediately double in size. Despite the overabundance of preservatives, the actual steak itself smelt amazing, and the gravy really did smell like gravy. It even reminded Twilight a bit of the consommé she had one time when a gryphon ambassador had invited her out to dinner.

Though the clear soup was made from meat, it had been good, despite Twilight’s initial misgivings. She just hoped that would end up being true of the antique food that would soon become her first true meal. Cupping the bowl in a massive, clawed hand, Twilight brought it up to her lips, and carefully tipped it back, letting the pieces of meat fall into her open mouth.

The second the gravy laden meal hit her tongue, Twilight immediately fell in love with the strange foriegn food. Tossing back the rest of the steaks, Twilight eagerly chewed on the meat pucks, ignoring the oppressive chemical aftertaste. After swallowing it all, the deathclaw eagerly lapped up the rest of the gravy and gulped that down as well.

“I guess I’m going to have some competition from here on out,” Janey remarked with a chuckle.

“Do you have any more?” Twilight demanded, the deathclaw tapping out her response so quickly and so insistantly that her claw nearly went right through the small clipboard.

“That's all remember? Oh and don't worry about the whole paying me back thing, I’ll just deduct it from your half of the loot,” exclaimed the human, who gestured to the pile of stuff sitting nearby.

“Oh, right,” Twilight replied, wrapping up the mountain of components and slinging it back over her shoulder once more.

“Ready?” Janey asked.

The deathclaw nodded.

Turning once more towards the winding path before them, the dou set off again.

“Alright so animals, that's where you wanted to start,” Janey began, humming thoughtfully to herself. “I’ll give ya the brief rundown on what I know and later I’ll let you borrow my wasteland survival guide to read.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up, the former unicorn only now realizing that she had an entire world’s worth of new books to pursue at her leisure. Already her mind was swimming with thoughts of all the knowledge that could be out there, just waiting for her. It was clear that despite their moral character being less than excellent, these humans were quite advanced, and they had to have written about it.

“Are you listening to me?” Janey questioned, glancing curiously back at the deathclaw.

Twilight nodded, and grabbed the clipboard awkwardly in her hauling hand in order to tap out her response. “I just realized how many new books there are to read.”

Janey chuckled. “Well I was just mentionin that I thought we should camp out in the school so you can hide somewhere nearby. There should be at least a few books still intact there, though I don't remember what grades were taught there.”

“Is it going to be dangerous?” Twilight replied.

The human shrugged. “I don't think so. They mentioned that it was recently infested with mantis’ but I left so quickly that I never actually checked.”

“Like, praying mantis’?” Twilight questioned.

“You have them back in your dimension?” Questioned Janey.

Twilight nodded. “And before you ask there are many constants between realities, and the other human world I visited had many of the same plants and animals as back home.”

The human glanced curiously at her traveling companion. “You know I remember you saying that this wasn't the first time this happened, but it's still weird to hear that you aparently hop dimensions on the regular. Not sure if I believe you to be honest.”

“I don't expect you to if we are both be honest with one another,” Twilight replied. “I’m assuming that your mantis is different though.”

“That depends. Are they about the size of a small dog and could chop your toes off if your not paying attention?” Janey asked.

Twilight shook her head. “They are about the size of a quarter back home, and on the other human world.”

“Well just remember that they are surprisingly tough little critters, and are definitely non sentient so don't feel too bad about squishing em,” Janey remarked.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully to herself, the deathclaw a little irritated at her friend’s calous dismissal. Even then, Twilight couldn't help but realize that violent urge likely came from a good place, as hesitation would likely end in death out here. The deathclaw silently hoped that she never became so numb to killing and violence in general that she could end someone without a second thought.

“Alright, well that covers Giant Mantis’. Guess we may as well go over the other bugs of the wasteland,” Janey remarked. “Let's start with scorpions, as they are the bugs you’re most likely to run into. The bluish green ones are called rad scorpions and they are anywhere from the size of a cat to as big as a small car.”

Twilight shuddered as she imagined such a thing, the former pony bracing herself for even more horrible news.

“Their tails are really strong and not only could a sting break your arm, but the poison they deliver is no laughing matter either,” Janey continued, her voice falling into the same monotone that she seemed to use whenever she was explaining something. “Though tame compared to most other stinging insects, you still shouldn't take them lightly.”

Twilight nodded.

“The other kind of scorpion you need to watch out for is a bark scorpion,” Janey remarked. “They tend to be a lot smaller, pack a lot more venom in their stings and are generally a little smarter, preferring to ambush their targets or at least flank them before striking.”

Well that is better, sort of. Twilight thought to herself. 

“Next are bloatflies, which are generally pretty harmless giant flies, but that doesn't mean you should ignore them, plus they are creepy as heck,” Janey shuddered. “They shoot a stinger that delivers a neurotoxin capable of incapacitating small prey, and is attached to a semi mature larva.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“But like I said, mostly harmless. Especially for you considering they couldn't even peirce that thick hide of yours,” Janey exclaimed.

“Cazadors on the other hand are incredibly dangerous, the size of a person and somehow capable of flight. These nasty things carry an incredibly powerful venom capable of bringing down even adult deathclaws,” Janey remarked, the human shuddering at the mere memory. “You’ll know one when you see it because of its orange wings and red eyes while on the whole I’ve been told they look like giant wasps.”

I already don't like where this is going. Twilight thought to herself.





Giant ants, giant wasps, giant spiders, giant mutant humans, giant bears, giant geckos, giant humanoid snapping turtles, giant rats, giant moles rats, giant sheep. What isn't giant out here? Twilight thought to herself, the deathclaw trodding quietly behind Janey as they weaved their way through the rocky terrain south of goodsprings. I sure hope we never have to fight any ghouls, or raiders though. Killing an animal is one thing but I don't think I could ever bring myself to fight a thinking, feeling creature.

Twilight released a low sigh. Though I suppose those legion people aren't much better than animals if even half of what Janey has mentioned is true.

The unicorn turned deathclaw’s train of thought was derailed when her campanoin suddenly crouched down, stopping in the middle of a narrow gap between two cliffs. Following her example, Twilight did her best to hide, staying close to the rock wall and trying to search for whatever had spooked the woman.

“Gun wielding person up on the hill,” Janey whispered, pointing towards a distant rise where someone indeed stood, a rifle in her grip, though she was little more then a silhoute due to how dark it was. “It's a bit hard to see, though I think it might be one of the towns people.”

Twilight grunted, trying to get the human to voice what she intended to do, her own superior vision revealing little more then it was a person. Twilight made a quick mental note that her darkvision didn't go for more then about sixty or so feet.

“I’ll talk to her, you stay here,” Janey whispered.

The deathclaw didn't like the idea, but had to admit that it sounded like the best course of action.

Holstering her revolver, Janey stood up before raising her hands and stepping forward. “Hello! You wouldn't happen to be from goodsprings by chance, would you?” Janey shouted.

The stranger jerked upwards, her free hand gripping her rifle but not raising it. “That I am, and you are?” Asked the person.

“Janey Booth,” shouted the ex courier.

Immediately the gun lowered, and the other person stepped forward, allowing Twilight to make out more details of the individual. Like how she had dark auburn hair which was tied into a ponytail, and how she wore an odd pathwork of what appeared to be leather armor of some kind. She was also quite young, though she had a look about her that made Twilight think that she was more experienced then she appeared to be.

“Ahh you’re the courier Doc Mitchell patched up,” remarked the other human.

A strange smell wafted past Twilight’s nose and the deathclaw glanced over to where a large dog was sniffing around nearby. Though a good thirty feet away, and upwind of the apex predator, Twilight didn't like how close the creature was. The former pony quickly ruled out walking away as her heavy footsteps would probably alert the beast, leaving her with no other option than to sit there awkwardly and hope.

Janey nodded, coming to a stop at the bottom of the hill. “Sorry about leavin town so quickly. I just really wanted to hit the road before the trail went cold.”

The other girl shouldered her weapon. “Well it's a good thing you came back. Otherwise Trudy woulda given me an earful for not findin ya and pointing you her way.”

“She owns the bar right? The doc mentioned her briefly when I was there,” Janey explained.

“That she does, I assume you’ll be heading over there soon huh?” Remarked the person.

Janey nodded. “Just as soon as I offload some salvage I found up the way as well as drop by the school.”

The dog’s white nose lifted into the air, the black fur on its back rising as a deep growl emanated from it. Twilight had to stop herself from telling the thing to shoo as that would probably not help, especially considering she couldn't actually talk. The dog continued to close in despite Twilight’s desperate hoping that it would simply turn and walk away.

“Well I’d hurry if I were you. Chet doesn't like to stay open late. Oh and the name’s Sunny, Sunny Smiles. The mutt sniffing about your heels is Cheyane, and don't worry, she won't bite unless I tell her to.” exclaimed the woman who extended a hand.

Janey scampered up the hill and shook the offered limb. “A pleasure. I’ll make sure to split a bottle with ya later.”

Sunny Smiles grinned. “That's what I like to hear. Best of luck with those mantis critters, there were only a few of them but they damn near ripped off Easy Pete’s foot the last time he tried to crack the safe in there.”

“I’ll remember that, thanks,” Janey replied, stepping back.

And with that, the gun toting woman turned and began to walk away just as her dog began to close in on Twilight’s hiding spot. “Cheyenne come!” called the human, who glanced over her shoulder.

The hound seems to hesitate a moment, giving one last glance in Twilight’s direction before scampering off after its owner. The second it was gone Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, watching closely as both dog and owner began to walk away. With the return of Janey, the deathclaw slowly rose from the small nook that had served as her hiding spot for the last few minutes.

“Well that was lucky. If I had come out empty handed to some raider or ganger my brains would be all over the ground right now,” Janey remarked.

“That was close too. I think her dog almost saw me,” Twilight tapped out on a nearby rock.

After a short pause, Janey grimaced. “It's a good thing that didn't happen, cus people tend to shoot first ask questions later when it comes to deathclaws.”

Twilight sighed.

“Well we better get moving, its getting late and unlike you I can't see in the dark,” Janey exclaimed, turning and walking westward along the top of the short cliff. “We’ll circle around town to make sure no one sees us. Make sure to stay a good distance away from me so I can make sure the coast is clear.”

The deathclaw did as she was told, following behind the human as they made their way around the small town. Twilight’s gaze was inevitably drawn to the cluster of builds that became visible after cresting the final rise. Despite the fact that the sun had set a few minutes ago, Twilight remained able to see the majority of the structures. Though the finer details were much harder to make out and most things were little more then sillhoutes.

Allowing her to gaze down on the first human settlement she had seen in this dimension. To say that it was a sorry sight would be an understatement, as the good majority of the buildings were either dilapidated or were clearly very old. Though some were patched in a few places, most structures were obviously built over two hundred years ago.

Only a small ramshackle home near the edge of town seemed new, though the rusty metal it was made out of certainly wasn't. Many of the other houses were also little more than rubble, or appeared to be boarded up completely, and the roads which ran through the town were also almost completely destroyed. Dirt paths replaced the concrete ones that had once been there, and it was clear that this settlement wasn't exactly the richest around.

Darting in behind a rock, Twilight emerged next to a large schoolhouse, her attention shifting to the red building which was surrounded by a short, mostly broken fence. Ahead of her stood Janey who was looking around, clearly searching for anyone who may linger near the edges of town at such a late hour. After a few seconds she nodded, and jogged over to the schoolhouse door, which she opened after briefly checking if it was locked.

Twilight waited as patiently as she could, but after a few seconds of silence, the deathclaw looked around and then booked it towards the entrance. Emerging into the schoolhouse, Twilight expected to find her friend injured or at least busy fighting the mantises but that didn't turn out to be the case. The insects were dead, and Janey was simply busy cleaning the greenish blood from the grip of her revolver.

“Worried about me?” Asked the human without looking up.

Twilight nodded, slowly closing the door and placing the pile of electronics nearby. “Sorry, I probably should have trusted you,” tapped the deathclaw.

Janey shrugged. “It's no big deal and hey, I got you a snack.”

Looking down at the half destroyed insects didn't exactly make Twilight hungry, though there was a small part of her that wanted nothing more than to chow down. “Can't we at least cook them first?” Twilight replied.

The human chuckled. “I’ll grill them up in a bit, right now I gotta get this stuff over to Chet’s before he closes.”

Twilight hummed thoughtfully as she looked out over the destroyed interior of the school house. “Would you mind leaving that book you mentioned with me?” Twilight inquired.

Janey nodded, and quickly did just that, depositing the tome on the lone desk that had not been destroyed or toppled. “Sure thing, and feel free to clean up in here as it's where we’ll be staying the night.”

Twilight sighed as she looked over the cracked and broken interior of the small school house. The windows had been boarded over at some point, the floor was covered with a thin layer of dirt, and random bits of paper. Worse yet the roof was sagging in one place, and there were a few worrying floor boards which had somehow come loose.

“At least it's free,” Twilight tapped out.

Janey chuckled. “It's not like this place is big enough to have a motel or anything,” remarked the human, who hefted the bag of loot over her shoulder only to almost fall over when the weight settled.

“Do you need help?” Twilight asked.

The human grunted. “No it's fine, just get the door.”

The deathclaw did just that, pushing open the wooden portal and watching as her companion struggled to walk through it. For a moment it seemed like Janey was going to try to say something, only for her legs to begin to shake. Refocusing on her task, the human began to stumble her way towards where Twilight assumed this Chet person had his store.

Wary of anyone potentially seeing her, Twilight closed the door and ducked quickly back inside. The second she was alone the deathclaw decided to check out the other entrances and finding that one was boarded over while the other was unlocked, chose to fix that. Picking up a heavy set of lockers, Twilight placed it in front of the other opening that had yet to be used.

After that she wedged a chair under the door handle of the first door, completing her primitive defences and freeing her up to look around the rest of the place without worrying. She started in the small back room near where a long bench rested, a terminal sitting atop and a safe sat beside. This second room was cramped, and several racks had fallen over at one point, making a mess of the place.

Remedying that took only a few seconds, after which Twilight carefully gathered everything that seemed to be of value. Though that happened to only be a couple of old magazines, some two hundred year old food and a bottle of grimy looking water. The former pony was glad she wasn't thirsty, as it certainly didn't look appetizing, though something told her that it was about as good as things were going to get out in the wasteland.

Rummaging through the desks and lockers netted her a handful of cherry bombs, a rather unpleasant, expletive filled letter and a few burned, useless books. As well as a bunch of caps, though she threw them in the garbage, along with the books, her heart aching all the while. With all that done, she then turned to the safe, as well as the terminal, silently contemplating what to do with them.

Though she was fairly certain she could simply tear open the safe with her bare claws, Twilight didn't want to potentially ruin anything inside. That and she knew nothing of the machines in this world, which ruled out the terminal entirely, leaving only the guide, and the mantises. Turning to the dead insects, Twilight piled them along with the egg sacks near the door, only to be surprised when two smaller ones emerged from the sac.

Startled by their sudden appearance, Twilight backed away, raising her hands defensively in response. The two insects looked around before locking onto Twilight at the exact same time and throwing themselves at the deathclaw. More than a little confused as to what the nymphs thought they were going to acomplish against an apex predator, Twilight watched as they swung their tiny limbs at her legs.

Though it was clear that they were striking her with killing intent, the deathclaw herself felt only the slightest of impact from it. In fact it looked kind of cute how they had split up and were attacking a leg each, swinging their tiny forelimbs viciously. Twilight chuckled, merely watching as they swung over and over until finally they stopped, and seemed to contemplate their predicament.

“Maybe you should just give up and go back to your nest,” Twilight offered.

The mantises seemed to take exception to this, and decided to attack the towering deathclaw with renewed vigor. This lasted about as long as the first time, and a minute later one of the mantises stopped, began to sway and then fell over. His friend lasted only a few seconds longer before succumbing to fatigue as well and joining him on the floor, too tired to move.

“Daww your kinda cute when you aren't trying to chop my legs off,” Twilight mused. “I better get you two out of here though, otherwise Janey is going to hurt you.”

Picking up the two insects, Twilight placed them in her open palm and then trotted to the small backroom. Prying off the boards was surprisingly easy, even with only using a single claw, her long black nail making short work of the pieces of wood. After pulling open the door, Twilight deposited the two mantises on the ground outside the school house.

“There you are. Maybe now you’ll have learned a thing or two about attacking something dozens of times bigger than you,” Twilight whispered before slipping back inside and wedging one of the racks between the door and the wall, securing it about as well as she could manage.

With all that done and out of the way, Twilight walked back over to the manual that had been left behind for her. The deathclaw paused just as she was about to open it, reminding herself of just how sharp her new claws were. After finding a pencil to open the book and turn the pages as well as a paperweight to keep it open, Twilight began to read.

Chapter one. Radiation and you. Twilight read. Hmm, well this should be interesting, lets start there.





A sudden twisting of a handle jerked Twilight out of the reading induced haze she had fallen into. When the chair held firm, a knock came a second later, followed by a familiar voice.

“Open up, it's just me!” Whispered Janey as loud as she dared.

Walking over to the door, Twilight removed the wedge she had made, and took a step back. Allowing the human to swiftly duck inside, her bag of electronics now gone, and her backpack no longer bulging with scavenged loot.

Twilight opened her palm face up, asking in the universal sign language, so, how did it go?

“Not bad. I managed to get a really good deal one some of those components. Turns out there was some really good stuff in there which is why it took so long,” Janey began.

Twilight blinked, and glanced over to the windows which showed a pitch black town. “Oh, I didn't notice,” Twilight remarked, tapping out her response on the floor.

“You werent kidding when you said you loved books,” Janey waved a hand in the air. “Either way I have some more news to mention. Namely that I acquired a cloak for you so you don't have to do quite as much sneaking around.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, because I wasn't much for stealth before I gained a few hundred extra pounds.”

The human raised a finger, a small smile on her face. “That's not all. I also managed to find a line on an auto translator. Apparently some lucky scav managed to find it in one of the old vaults. The only problem is that he was promptly murdered by the brotherhood of steel, who stole it.”

“Murdered?” Twilight hastily asked, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Janey nodded grimly. “I didn't have time to go over the brotherhood of steel before, but if you got some good tech on you, and they know about this fact then they will take it from you through force if necessary. Apparently they aren't all bad, though evidently the group hiding out in the mojave are not nice people.”

“You can say that again,” Twilight added.

“Anyway. We just need to either find the brotherhood guys who stole it, or figure out what vault the scav dug it out of and there is a chance we can get it back or find another one,” Janey continued.

“I vote for the second option,” Twilight hastily tapped out.

“I thought you might say that,” replied Janey with a grin. “Either way in the meantime the town is having some troubles we can help with but we’ll talk about that later. Right now all you need to know is that Chet is talking to a buddy who will sew you up that cloak I mentioned and that we need to grill ourselves up some mantis and celebrate a good haul.”

The human produced a large bag from one of her pockets, opening it to reveal what looked like a few hundred caps which she displayed proudly.

“Why are you showing me bottle caps?” Twilight asked, cocking her head.

Janey nearly fell over she facepalmed so hard. “Of course you wouldn't know that's our currency. God dammit Janey, why didn't you start with that?”

“Thats stupid, why use bottle caps? Anyone can make them.” Twilight questioned.

The human sighed. “So in the early days we used the old world money but then-”
> They Went Thata Way
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“-and that's why bottle caps are our preferred currency. Though some places accept NCR dollars, or legion coins,” Janey finished, while slowly turning the partially cooked mantis leg which was speared on the end of a sharp stick.

Twilight sat awkwardly inside the back exit of the school house, listening to her friend’s explanation while also hiding from any passerbys. In her massive claws was one such peice of mantis, thoroughly grilled, and with some added salt and pepper that Janey had traded for. The scent of the cooked insect meat was incredible to the deathclaw though she resisted chowing down quite yet.

For despite her new instincts, she still struggled with eating meat, although after a few minutes of sitting there she could take it no longer. Biting into the thicker end, Twilight found herself perplexed by the veritable explosion of flavor that came after her fangs had pierced the insect’s exoskeleton. It was almost like a danish in that way, only the exterior was hard and the inside was far from sweet, though no less good.

Janey chuckled as she watched her friend quickly consume the rest of the mantis leg. “Pretty good huh? I wasn't always the best cook but out in the wastes you kind of have to get good if you wanna eat well as you can only rely on two hundred year old food for so long.”

Twilight nodded her head in agreement, and couldn't help but eye the leg Janey was currently rotating over the fire. “Are you going to eat that?” Twilight asked, tapping her response on her handy dandy clipboard.

“I know deathclaws have to eat a lot, but this one is mine,” Janey exclaimed before gesturing to the small pile of corpses lying nearby. “If you’re still hungry feel free to eat the leftovers. They aren't as good as the forelegs, but there are worse things to eat.”

Twilight frowned as she looked over the mantis bodies, her new instincts urging her to consume them both with wild abandon. “Can I at least cook them first?” Twilight asked.

Janey shrugged. “You can try, but I doubt  this puny stick ain't about to be able to hold up a whole mantis. If I were you I’d just eat ‘em as they are. Something tells me your aversion to eating meat is just going to be something you have to get over anyway.”

Twilight sighed, her stomach rumbling, while her eyes were unable to leave the sightless gaze of the dead insects. “Maybe later…” she tapped out slowly.

“Now or never. Any longer and they will start to rot, or attract other predators,” Janey replied as she tore the foreleg off her stick before jabbing it at Twilight. “Best to just do it now and get it over with.”

“Like ripping off a bandage,” Twilight glumly replied.

“Exactly,” Janey replied before biting into her meal.

Twilight grumbled under her breath but reluctantly picked up the closest mantis in her large claws. For a moment she merely sat there, mouth half open and gaze stuck on the dull, sightless eyes of the dead creature. A fresh rumble emanating from her belly forced Twilight’s hand, and with a flick, she removed its head with a clawed finger.

Janey nodded slowly as her deathclaw friend began to bite into the mantis’ main body. “There ya go. These guys ain't the biggest so it's not like you’d be able to survive on just their forelegs anyway. Hell I wouldn't even be able to do that had I not grabbed a bite and a drink at the saloon a few hours ago.”

Twilight nodded as she chewed and swallowed the mouthful of meat, the deathclaw quickly consuming the entire thing and moving onto the other body. After flicking the head off the second creature, Twilight found that she couldn't even bring herself to be disgusted with the situation she was stuck in. It was just barely enough to calm her stomach, and the fact that it was both necessary as well as not half bad helped to keep her mind from rebelling.

“So, now onto the problem I mentioned earlier,” Janey began, her voice lowering and becoming far more serious. “I told you about the prison up the road right?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well some of the escaped cons decided to start their own gang and were harassing travelers as well as caravans for protection money. Long story short, a fella by the name of Ringo and his buddies tried to fight back, but they were little more than traders and a light escort while the cons were hardened killers,” Janey shook her head. “It wasn't even a close fight and most of the traders died.”

“That's terrible,” Twilight replied.

“It's not all bad though, one of them managed to get away and is held up in the gas station on the other side of town,” Janey continued. “Sunny Smiles wants to help him while Judy, the bar owner, just wants the powder gangers out of town.”

“We are going to help him, right?” Twilight inquired. “I’m sure we can talk these gang members out of attacking this poor man.”

Janey sighed, the woman massaging her temples. “You don't get it Twilight. It's no longer just about Ringo. This gang wants the whole damn town to themselves. They know how lightly defended it is and plan on taking the entire place and doing terrible things to its inhabitants.”

Twilight blinked. “That doesn't make any sense. They are just gang members and besides, this town isn't exactly very big or wealthy.”

“This town is bigger than most in the mojave and despite recent disruptions to traders, it's one of the more well off of the bunch due its supply of fresh water,” Janey explained.

“Okay so they want to run the town? That doesn't sound that bad,” Twilight replied.

“They are powder gangers Twilight!” Janey exclaimed, standing up in front of the fire. “They want steal everything that isn't nailed down, rape any women that catches their eye and force everyone else into slavery!”

Twilight blinked. “I know this is the wasteland but surely even they wouldn't do something like that.”

The human stomped over to Twilight, seemingly growing an inch with each step she took until she loomed tall over the deathclaw. “I don't know where you are from, but you are going to have to forget everything you believe if you are going to have a hope of surviving around here. Got it?”

Twilight nodded meekly.

Janey sighed and sat back down across the fire. “Things are different here, and the sooner you realize that the better and to prove this point I’ll bring Ringo by tomorrow so he can tell you himself.”

Twilight gulped, and pulled out her clipboard. “Won't he be scared of me?”

“You’ll stay in the back area and not move an inch while I get him to explain exactly what will happen if they win this coming fight,” Janey declared, her gaze slipping from Twilight to the fire.

The deathclaw slowly relaxed, peering down at the dwindling flames and the burnt books they had used as kindling. The sight was a sorry one, and it reminded Twilight once again that she was in a much different, and much darker world than what she was used to. In the silence that followed, the former pony couldn't help but wonder if what her new friend had said was true, only to dismiss that idea with a shake of her head as it simply didn't seem feasible to her.

“So,” Twilight tapped out. “Would you like to hear about where I come from?”

Janey smiled. “I suppose it's only fair since I’ve been rambling for hours about the mojave.”

“I was born in a city called Canterlot, in a country called Equestria-” Twilight tapped, only to be interrupted.

“On a planet called Equis or something, right?” Janey remarked with a smirk.

Twilight frowned. “We call it Equis but there are other species that call our world home. Such as the minotaurs who call our world Terra, the yaks who call it Gaea, the gryphons who call it Zemlya or the saddle arabians who call it Al-Ard just to name a few. Though I like Solis one, as we are the only planet that orbits our star which is named Solis as you likely already guessed.”

“Wait a second, you have multiple sentient species on your planet and they are all named after mythical creatures?” Janey replied, her tone incredulous. “Because that sounds well… a little hard to believe I admit.”

Twilight smirked as best as her new face could allow. “And I haven't even started about how I used to be able to do magic, or that we are ruled by immortal alicorns that are thousands of years old.”

Janey sat there staring at Twilight for several seconds. “Bullshit,” she spat.

The deathclaw let out a raspy chuckle. “That's exactly what they said when I visited that other planet filled with humans.”

“Okay now you’re just pulling my leg. There is no way there is a whole other planet of humans out there. We werent even close to developing long range space flight before we bombed ourselves back into the stone age,” Janey retorted.

“Remember, this other world isn't even in your dimension, but is in one that runs parallel to all others,” Twilight explained, her claw clicks growing so rapid that Janey struggled to translate them. “In fact, if Starswirl’s theory of dimensional multiplicity is correct than there may be an infinite number of universes and-”

With a crack, the deathclaws finger went straight through the clipboard, splitting it in two.

“Thank god for small miracles,” Janey muttered, the woman standing up and dusting herself off. “I’m going to take this as a sign and head to bed.”

Twilight sighed, and began to tap on the door frame of the schoolhouse’s back door. “That's too bad. I really wanted to tell you a little more about my home.”

The human sighed, and sat back down, prodding the dying embers. “Fine, just a few stories, and hey. Maybe I’ll even tell you the story of how I survived getting shot in the head and dug myself out of a shallow grave.”

The deathclaw blinked slowly. “Why don't you go first?”

Janey chuckled. “So it all started with this weird platinum chip-”





Twilight shifted uncomfortably in the narrow space that was the backroom of the schoolhouse. Her large frame made it necessary to crouch low to the ground, and every shift in her body weight made another board creak. Once she found a comfortable spot however, the deathclaw leaned down, and put her ear over a small hole they had created in the wall which would allow her to hear everything that was said in the next room.

Once in position Twilight was left with little to do other than wonder if her friend’s words were true. After all, hearing about Caesar's legion had been enough to shake Twilight’s beliefs in the inherent good within all thinking beings. Not being able to question anyone herself, the former pony was left with little she could do other than trust that she wasn't being led astray.

A possibility that was becoming less and less likely with each bit of evidence that Janey gave her about both this legion and the other various gangs that roamed the wastes. Still, a small part of Twilight wanted to believe that not even these supposed raiders would do something quite so heinous as Janey had suggested. So Twilight stood there awkwardly, hoping that this Ringo fellow would put some of her worries to rest.

A few minutes later and the door creaked open and two pairs of footsteps could be heard entering the schoolhouse. The first set were confident, and strode into the center of the room, no doubt belonging to Twilight’s companion Janey. The second pair were a little hesitant, and Twilight imagined that the person was scanning the room before following after the ex courier.

“So this is the place you wanted to talk?” Questioned a male voice Twilight assumed belonged to Ringo.

“I saw someone who didn't look like a townie lingering near that gas station and figured this would be a good way to throw them off the trail while having a more secure place to speak,” Janey explained, a long creek indicating the woman was now reclining in one of the chairs.

A second creek, this one much shorter followed a second later, the man obviously still a little nervous. “Fair enough. What did you want to talk about? I thought I mentioned all the pertinent details back at the station,” Ringo remarked.

“I just had a few questions, besides. I thought we could play a game of caravan while we chat,” Janey replied.

Twilight heard the man’s chair creek once again. “Well than, now you have my attention. I assume you know how to play?”

“Of course,” Janey replied, the woman shuffling what sounded like cards. “And to start things off I just wanna go over what we already know.”

Ringo shuffled his own cards, and began to slap a few down on the table. “Splinter group of powder gangers took out my caravan and nearly killed me as well but the town was nice enough to hide me. After that they seem to have been putting pressure on Trudy to sell me out, but she hasn't given into their demands, well not yet anyway.”

“I don't think she would ever do that,” Janey replied, slapping a card on the table. “Sunny wouldn't forgive her if she did.”

Ringo chuckled. “That girl sure is something, eh? Didn't even flinch when I came to her asking for help.”

“She sure is. Most folk around here are like that though,” Janey replied.

“A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one,” Ringo pointed out.

“Which leads us to what I’ve been able to find out on my own. Namely that they intend on attacking the town at nightfall,” Janey remarked in a solemn tone.

“Are you sure about that?” Ringo asked, slapping another card down. “I thought they’d go after me but well, now that were talking about it I guess it makes sense.”

“Trust me when I say they’ve realized how much of a push over this town is and are prepared to knock the whole damn place over,” Janey assured her, adding another card to the table.

Ringo cursed under his breath. “And how do you know all this anyway? Not that I’m doubting ya or anything.”

Janey snorted. “They basically spilled their entire plan the second I showed any interest in helping them. Not that I do, but it was useful to figure out how many of them there are, and where they are held up.”

“That is good to know,” Ringo admitted. “And where are they now anyway?”

“Down by that shack sitting on the intersection of route one sixty and interstate fifteen. Jean Sky diving I think it's called, it's the one with the busted plane out back,” Janey explained.

“Makes sense. It's about the only location around with an actual roof. How many of them are there now? Only six of the bastards attacked my caravan, so it can't be more than that,” Ringo assured.

“It's an even dozen now. Their boss Joe Cobb managed to recruit some more cons after they cooked up this plan of theirs to take the town and they came armed,” Janey remarked.

Ringo let out a long sigh. “Well I hope your ace in the hole is a good one, cus this town won't stand a chance against even twelve of the pricks. Those blasting sticks of theirs are no joke, and hardly anyone around here is even armed with anything more than a rusty varmint rifle.”

“And that's assuming they would even help out in the first place,” Janey pointed out.

Ringo sighed, slapping down another card. “I still think we coulda rounded up a few of em if we tried.”

“These backwater townies are more likely to shoot each other than the damn powder gangers and you know it,” Janey spat.

“I guess your right. Plus even if we got Trudy and Sunny on our side it would still be what, five to twelve? Fuck,” the man stood suddenly. “You got me good Janey, here's your caps.”

“Thanks, I’ll put 'em towards buying bullets to put in con asses,” Janey replied, the pair exchanging a handful of jingling metal objects.

“So is that all you wanted to know? Cus I have a feeling that if I hang out here any longer I’ll end up losing the last bit of money I got left,” Ringo remarked in a slightly bitter tone.

“Just one last question,” Janey replied.

“Shoot.”

“What do you think would happen if they won?” Janey inquired.

Ringo let out a long sigh. “Couldn't tell ya to be honest, but if I had to guess than they’d probably sell as many men and boys as they could to the legion than probably keep the rest. I don't even want to imagine what would happen after that but suffice it to say this town would be a hell of alot different if they beat ya.”

“Do you really think the legion would come so far west?” Janey continued.

“You wouldn't believe how far those legion fuckers have come,” Ringo remarked in a low tone. “I’ve heard plenty of stories over my time caravaning and every goddamn one of them say that Caesar's boys are as cunning as they are brutal.”

“That's all I wanted to talk about. Sorry to dredge up bad memories, but I needed to know,” Janey apologized.

“Thats fair, and try not to feel too bad about killin those assholes. They made their choice before they ended up in prison, and even after getting a second chance they went right back to the same shit,” Ringo pointed out.

“Don't worry, they won't find any mercy from me,” Janey assured him.

“Well if you change your mind and need my gun, you know where I’ll be,” Ringo declared.

“Stay safe,” Janey replied.

“You too,”

The door opened, and then closed, a set of footsteps vanishing.

Twilight stood there awkwardly, more than a little shocked by what she had heard through the wall. The man had spoken with such conviction, that it had to have come from experience right? The small nugget of doubt was slowly shrinking in Twilight’s mind, and the deathclaw was beginning to consider the very real possibility that she may have to fight these men.

“You can come out now,” Janey shouted. “He's gone.”

Taking a step back, Twilight gently twisted the handle and walked out of the cramped back room, quickly going for her replacement clip board. “Was all of that true?” She hastily inquired.

“Every word,” Janey assured her.

Twilight shifted her jaw before reluctantly letting out a sigh. “I’ll help you.”

“Even if we have to resort to violence?” Janey pressured.

Twilight nodded slowly. “If it is to protect an innocent village from being sacked, and its people sold into slavery then yes. I will fight but I don't want to kill them.”

“It may very well come to that,” Janey warned.

“Let us pray it doesn't,” Twilight replied.

“Than we’ll move right away, and hit them before they have a chance to even get lunch in their bellies,” Janey announced.

Twilight caught the human by the shoulder just as she was about to turn away. “Wait,” she tapped. “What is our plan?”

“We’ll try to intimidate them as most folk would shit their drawers the second they are up close with a deathclaw,” Janey replied after a short pause. “To that end I’ll talk them into all sitting down and chatting with me in that shack of theirs. After you see them all come inside, wait for the signal, unless you hear a gunshot, at which point you better be ready to back me up.”

Twilight gulped, and nodded. “Okay Janey, I’m in.”
> Ghost Town Gun Fight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trip out of town was a relatively simple one, with Twilight merely following behind Janey at a good distance down the road. This ensured the powder gangers didn't see the alicorn turned deathclaw, while Janey could still lead Twilight to where they needed to go. It also meant that the two could not converse, something Twilight desperately wished to do at that exact moment.

Things were still too strange for the girl despite what she had heard about these gang members and their plans for the town. Twilight wondered if she had been a bit too trusting with her first companion, and that doubt only grew as she walked down the edge of the highway. Now that she thought about it, Twilight found the entire conversation she had heard rather forced, the man’s answers coming off coached.

Was it all a show to convince me of the necessity of violence? Twilight thought, only to shake her head. No I should reserve judgement for later, after all, we will find out for sure soon enough.

Spotting movement out of the corner of her eye, Twilight knelt down behind a burnt out truck and continued to watch closely as Janey strode across the intersection of three roads. With wide confident steps the human approached the small office building and walked through the mostly empty parking lot. A figure emerged from the second story of a burnt out building which stood next to what was supposedly the pre war skydiving school which was their destination.

The individual themselves wore only a bandolier of dynamite over his chest, a pair of goggles on his head, and black shorts on his upper thighs. Twilight couldn't make out what he said, or any defining features of the man, but it was clear that he wasn't hostile. At least not yet anyway, as his weapon, which appeared to be a strange crossbow loaded with a syringe, was not pointed at the ex-courier.

From her spot down the road Twilight could see that other members of this gang were in the area, and were watching Janey even now. A small group stood just out of sight of the ex-courier around the back of the small office, while two were looking on from a hill on the other side of the road. Each gang member was armed in some manner, and wore either a simple blue jacket, or a bullet proof vest as well as a pair of grey jeans.

Though their armarents varied, they mostly featured the same kind of explosives the first guy had strapped to his chest. A few had rifles, but most wielded small calibre pistols or knives as their primary weapons, presumably reserving the dynamite for an emergency. Their hairstyles and overall appearances were also quite different, but they all seemed to be men that were at least in their twenties.

Suddenly Twilight didn't feel quite so confident about her cover, and she considered trying to sneak away into the nearby ditch. That was until she remembered just how big her new body was, and the fact that it was early evening, meaning she was still very visible. Focusing simply on remaining motionless, Twilight observed as her companion had a brief, yet heated discussion with the lookout.

After nearly a full minute, the man disappeared, and returned a moment later on the ground floor, right hand extended. Janey took the offered appendage, shook it, and proceeded towards the small office building which rested next to the road. The man then yelled something that got the attention of his semi hidden companions, causing them to begin to make their way into the structure as well.

In total, eight men came out of hiding in order to join Janey inside, leading Twilight to wonder if it was time for her to get into position. After a moment of indecision the unicorn turned deathclaw decided to do just that, as she saw no one else in the area. Doing her best to move as quietly as possible, Twilight walked over to the entrance, her gaze flicking back and forth, searching for any stragglers.

When none came, and she stood next to the double doors, Twilight looked left and right, searching for a window of some kind. The entire structure was short, and had clearly seen better days, as there was hardly any paint left on its walls. Numerous holes could also be seen peppering the exterior of the building, though none were large enough or pierced deep enough for Twilight to see the interior.

There were a few windows, but they were all either boarded up or so covered in grime that they could no longer be seen through. Making her way back over to the entrance, Twilight leaned the side of her head against the door, trying her best not to accidentally put a horn through the barrier. Her efforts were rewarded with the distant buzz of a conversation, though she couldn't make out any of what was being said.

What she could decipher was that things were relatively cordial, and no voices had been raised quite yet. It also seemed as though only two people were talking, one masculine, one feminine, with the occasional tertiary masculine voice butting in every once and awhile. Twilight wasn't sure if that was good, but at least no one was shouting, firing a gun, or setting off any explosives yet.

Remaining low to the ground, Twilight tried her best to remain silent, a hand pressed against the entrance. Cursing her lack of magic, Twilight imagined how easy this would have been if she could turn invisible, or simply scry into the building. All she had were giant claws, horrifying dagger teeth and horns that were massive, but were completely incapable of casting anything at all.

The deathclaw’s doar thoughts vanished when she heard a dull thump from inside followed by the bang of a gun. Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and the deathclaw quickly stood up before shouldering her way straight through the door. The metal entrance proved an inconsequential barrier to the deathclaw, who almost managed to tear it right off its hinges.

The second she made her appearance, everything stopped, and Twilight had a split second to look around. To her right, near the door was Janey, who was bleeding from a wound on her shoulder, the human crouched behind a flipped table, revolver raised. Across from her were six powder gangers who were either attempting to flank the woman or had their guns raised and had been in the middle of trying to kill her.

On the left stood four other men, one of whom was stepping out of the bathroom, while another two were midway out of the attached office. For a moment no one moved, a hush falling over the entire building as everyone collectively processed the fact that an enormous deathclaw had just barged in. Suddenly the former courier wasn't the toughest enemy in the room, and as one, the powder ganger’s aim shifted towards the enormous death lizard in their midst.

Twilight raised her hands. “Wait, now just hold on a second. Lets not do anything hasty,” she growled.

“What do we do boss?” One of the powder gangers asked a darker skinned powder ganger near the back of the room.

“Well it ain't killing us, so maybe it will just wander off?” Replied the man in a low tone.

“Cover me,” Janey whispered.

“Wait hold on-” Twilight began, only to be cut off when the ex courier dashed behind her legs.

“She's getting away!” The shirtless powder ganger yelled, releasing his syringe.

Twilight felt two pinches and looked down to where a needle stuck out of her chest, the pointed tip having somehow made it through her leathery exterior. Though it stung, it didn't exactly feel fatal, and Twilight wondered what the purpose of such an attack even was. Then she saw the orange liquid disappear into her body, prompting a terrified cry from the deathclaw.

Tearing out the offending needle, Twilight spun on her heel and tried to get away only to feel a sudden heat bloom from somewhere in her midsection. She wasn't certain if it was the needle, or the panic, but whatever was the cause, Twilight felt as though her blood was on fire. Not only that but the gnawing sensation of her new instincts suddenly became ten times as strong as they had been a moment earlier.

Rage unlike anything the former alicorn had ever felt poured through her body, making her vision blur and her mind fall away. Her muscles bulged, her thoughts became distant, and all at once her aversion to violence vanished into the aether. No longer was she surrounded by thinking, sentient beings, but rather piles of walking meat destined to end up in her belly.

Twilight threw her head back and let loose a roar so bone rattlingly powerful that even the walls which bore witness to such power trembled in terror. A second yell came from her human enemies, followed by a storm of gun fire, panicked screaming, and general chaos. Bullets slammed into Twilight’s back, her hide managing to deflect the worst of the damage, though it didn't stop the pain.

Spinning around, Twilight leapt towards the nearest enemy, her claws extended and a mad look in her eye. The man’s bullet proof vest proved to be little help against a deathclaw, its razor sharp nails shearing through the weak defences with ease. Blood and organs splashed against the ground, their scent driving the great lizard into an even greater frenzy.

Leaping over her fallen foe, the deathclaw drove her claws through the midsection of powder ganger who held a pistol in each hand. Blood now soaking her one arm and the beast threw her disemboweled foe at one of his former comrades, knocking the dynamite wielding man to the ground. A second later and the room was practically filled with gore when the explosive went off, killing both of the gang members and pulping their organs. 

Though most of the remaining enemies were dazed and clutching their ears, two of them had enough sense to continue shooting. Bullets impacted the deathclaw’s tough leathery hide, only to find themselves unable to pierce the beast’s exterior. Already blinded with rage, the monster tore its way across the reception area, throwing desks and terrified powder gangers out of the way.

One unfortunate fool found himself in the enraged lizard’s path and had his torso crushed beneath a foot. By the time the monster reached the two men, they had emptied their weapons into it, and were now frantically attempting to reload. A sweep of her claws removed one man’s face as well as the top of his head, briefly exposing his brain before he toppled to the ground.

His dark skinned ally fell back and drew a green orb from his pocket, pulled the pin and tossed it at the deathclaw bearing down at him. There existed some manner of intelligence deep within the beast, and it rose to the surface the second she laid eyes on the grenade. With a swat, the deathclaw knocked it across the room, directly into the lap of a powder ganger who had only now gotten his ears to stop ringing.

More blood, more guts, another dead man, and the number of powder gangers had been halved since the beginning of the fight. The deathclaw had not forgotten its foe however, and it knocked aside the fallen table before reaching forward. Grabbing the man by his head, the beast hefted the flailing human into the air before squeezing down so hard that his brains erupted out of his ears in twin fountains of gore. 

A sudden pain in its back made the beast roar in agony before spinning towards a terrified man wielding a long kitchen knife. He managed to stab the beast in the chest before it back handed him so hard his neck snapped and his body bounced against the floor. The sudden slam of a door alerted the beast to the fact that two of her enemies had fled into the next room.

The remaining two gang members were busy tugging on the handle to the exit and getting nowhere. Upon noticing that the deathclaw faced them once more, they turned and fired their weapons too terrified to even aim. Bullets flew in every direction as the death lizard thundered forward, a roar on its lips and hate in its eyes.

One of the men managed to swing a rusty cleaver at the beast before he had his arm severed, followed closely by the entire lower half of his body. Ignoring the terrified and increasingly gurgled screams of the dying man, the deathclaw lunged forward, mouth open wide. Two hundred year old denim met the razor sharp teeth of a creature bred for war and were found wanting, easily being pierced by the dagger length pearly whites.

A jerk tore the throat out of the male, and though the monster wanted to continue eating its prey, it spat out the ragged flesh. Turning towards the only bags of meat still standing, the deathclaw let out another roar before charging the door. Only for the barrier to not give an inch even after the beast threw itself against the entrance a second time.

Peering through the square of broken glass halfway up, the monster noticed that nearly everything in the room was now piled against the entrance. Which amounted to several filing cabinets, a desk, a blocky computer and even the garbage bin that now stood in its way. A second flicker of intelligence made the beast’s attention turn to the two hundred plus year old wall next to the door.

Taking a few steps back, the beast lowered its shoulder and charged, sprinting as fast as it could into the rotten wall. Drywall, wooden supports, and long dead wires gave way under the monster’s assault, hardly slowing it in the slightest. Emerging out into the otherside, the deathclaw bowled right into one of the scared humans, crushing him beneath it and the opposite wall.

His comrade managed to fire three shots of his revolver before the deathclaw spun on him, raking the man across the chest with its claws. This time the human didn't go down in a single hit, his vest having somehow managed to take some of the blow. Pointing his revolver at the deathclaw’s face, he unleashed the last three rounds he had, his aim proving only partially true.

One shot went wide, a second hit the beast’s right horn while the third pierced through the inside of her cheek and tore a chunk of flesh clean off. With agony pouring through the monster’s body, and confusion dulling its senses, the great lizard swung blindly. One swing sheared the desk in half, the second nicked the male’s left arm, and the last caught him in the neck.

Now bleeding badly from a gaping wound in his neck and four across his chest, the dying man slumped to the ground, clutched bullets clattering across the floor. The deathclaw grunted angrily, wiping the blood out of its right eye and looking down to where her enemy was holding a lit stick of dynamite. The creature’s first instinct was to drive its claws through his chest and lift him triumphantly into the air, but that urge was driven down.

Instead, Twilight reached forward, and snuffed out the explosive, using her bloodsoaked thumb and forefinger to do so. With his last chance at some kind of revenge gone, the powder spat a wad of blood into the creature’s face. Reacting on instinct, the deathclaw recoiled out of the way before driving its claws through his chest with enough force to go straight through not only him, but the computer behind him.

Retrieving her blood soaked appendage, the beast took a step back and looked around, admiring its grim handiwork. Organs spilled out over the ground, floating in pools of blood which gathered at the lowest points in the floor. Body parts lay strewn in nearly every direction and a light dripping sound could be heard from the other room.

Glancing through the deathclaw sized hole in the wall, the creature was surprised to find that the upper torso of a man was now stuck into the ceiling. It had not even noticed what had come of the poor bastard who had caught the grenade thrown by the darker human. With no danger in the immediate area, the deathclaw searched for a suitable place to begin its grim feast.

Spying a limb it had hacked from one of the unfortunate gang members, the beast picked it up, quickly shedding the remnants of its shirt. With that out of the way, the creature opened its mouth wide, nostrils filling with the potent scent of fresh meat. Stomach rumbling, and mouth watering, the beast was ready to dive into a well earned meal when that remnant of intelligence returned.

Without the presence of danger, and with its veins no longer burning, the beast felt the world begin to shift. Gritting its teeth, the creature let out a deep growl, trying to hold the voice at bay long enough for it to eat. Twilight wouldn't have that however, and with a shove, she pushed her way to the forefront of her mind once more.

She emerged with all the grace of a drowning woman emerging from the surf which had dragged her under. Chest heaving, and eyes wide, the former alicorn took stock of her situation only to feel her mind almost immediately begin to recoil. There was just so much blood, it was everywhere, soaking the walls, floors and everything between in a bright red sheen.

Twilight felt her lunch churn in her stomach, threatening to come back up at any moment, but some alien instinct kept it down. She wasn't sure where that feeling came from, but if it kept her from painting her feet with what little food she had, so Twilight was thankful for it. That didn't stop her from feeling the immense wave of revulsion bubble from deep within her chest.

Panic, fear, and self loathing mixed into a potent cocktail dominated by regret and nearly all consuming horror that threatened to once more bring down the walls of her mind. Spinning towards the door, Twilight tried to turn the handle only to find that her blood slick claws couldn't find purchase on the knob. Putting her shoulder through the entrance turned out to be much more effective, and the deathclaw burst out of the charnel house.

With eyes wide and filled with fear, the former alicorn desperately looked around for a place to hide. She couldn't let anyone find her like this, what would Janey, or worse, her friends say? Who would want to be associated with an animal like her? They would put her down, she could already see it now.

Twilight hardly noticed the terrified face of her friend, or her frantic attempts to get Twilight to calm down. All the deathclaw could think about was getting as far away from this place as she possibly could. With that thought firmly in mind, her eyes latched onto the familiar shape of the hilly terrain east of Goodsprings.

Though not quite a mountain, it had steep cliffs, a prominent ridge, and more importantly, plenty of deep holes. Holes that were so deep they could hide even a horrifying monster like herself. Turning in that direction, Twilight didn't even hear the continued yelling of her friend, as the former alicorn was already sprinting as fast as her new legs could manage.

The landscape blurred around her, the sound of frenzied footsteps quickly fading into the background. Soon enough there was only her, the distant prodding of her new instincts, and the all consuming desire to bury her head in the dirt. Twilight leapt over destroyed cars, barrelled through ditches, and weaved her way through the low hills until she found exactly what she was looking for.

A cave big enough to house the shame she now felt.
> By A Campfire On The Trail
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight huddled tight into a narrow corner of the cave, her head in her monstrous hands, horns brushing against the stone walls. It made her feel small, more pony like, and less like the monster she had become after arriving in this terrible place. She wasn't sure how long she had remained like that, but it had to have been quite a while, as the former alicorn was certain that she had dozed off at least once.

Wave after wave of guilt, and sadness had washed over her, leaving the deathclaw feeling cold and empty for a long while. Despite it being pitch black Twilight could see perfectly, and not only that but she could also hear the padding of pawed feet from behind her. The former pony didn't bother even looking at the coyotes she knew were waiting only a few feet away from her, at least not initially.

One got a little too close, and Twilight felt her instincts rise within her once more, forcing her to move. Lurching upward, the deathclaw turned, eying the coyote which glared up at her, teeth exposed and hackles raised. Twilight barely even recognized the small animal as a threat to her, though her moreo bestial side certainly did.

The first thing the former pony felt was an intense murderous urge, one that was hard to hold back. She very nearly gave into that desire before she caught a glimpse of the coyote pups peering up at her from between their mother’s legs. Funneling all that anger into her voice Twilight took a deep breathe before roaring as loud as she possibly could.

The coyote didn't even wait for the deathclaw to finish bellowing, and ran after only a second of hesitation, her pups following close behind. With the small canines gone, Twilight stood there panting, her instincts clashing with her more logical side over what to do next. One part of her wanted to search the cave for a quick meal and anything which she could construct a nest out of.

Ignoring that more primal part of her being, Twilight merely fell to the ground with a dull thump. Looking down, Twilight realized that her claws were still covered with now dried blood, making the deathclaw wince. Looking around, Twilight found a small puddle of water that had likely served as the coyote’s drinking source.

Crawling awkwardly over to the pool, Twilight was about to dip her hands into it when she caught a glimpse of herself in the water’s calm surface. Some stray strand of light illuminated the pool just enough for Twilight to see her twisted features, making her shirk away from the sight. The blood didn't end at her claws, she realized as the deathclaw could see that it also covered her face in splotches as well as her upper body.

Memories of the slaughter she had run from quickly surged back into the forefront of her mind, prompting adrenline to start pumping through her veins. Yet despite how horrifying the memories and how awful peering into the water made her feel, Twilight couldn't look away. This was her, no longer an alicorn, nor even a pony, she was this creature, this animal, this blood thirsty monster.

“N-no this isn't me. I’m not this thing,” Twilight murmured, yet her growling voice told her otherwise, reminding the former pony that she was indeed the beast looking back at her.

Her hands trembled, sweat began to drip from the deathclaw’s forehead, and the former alicorn felt her breathe draw short. Her heart pounded in her chest, and for a moment it felt like the whole world was spinning around her while her stomach flip flopped inside of her. All at once it felt not like she was looking down into her own reflection, but rather that of a stranger, only somehow even worse than just a stranger.

This creature wasn't another pony, or even a human, it was a terrifying monster, one that had killed before, and would likely kill again. Her blood turned to ice in her veins, and the ex pony suddenly felt like she was standing atop the edge of an incredibly tall tower. In a panic she slammed her massive fist into the water, causing it to splash all over herself, dismissing the image.

Closing her eyes, Twilight recalled what she had used to look like. “This is me, that thing is not me,” Twilight murmured to herself, the pony imagining that she was speaking normally, and not like the monster did.

“That thing is not me. I am a pony, an alicorn, and a princess,” she continued. “I saved Equestria a dozen times and always managed to find a way to do so without needing to kill anyone.”

Her lips curled into a snarl while her eyes remained closed tightly. “That thing is not me. It is a monster, I am a pony. It is a monster, I am a pony.”

Over and over she repeated this mantra for what felt like hours, slowly pushing away the memory of what she had done. Until finally it felt like the actions of someone else, some darker part of herself that she had to keep tight control over. Thus she didn't have to feel bad about what she had done, because that was just her id so to speak and that wasn't truly her.

After repeating a familiar breathing exercise several times, Twilight felt better, lighter even, and when she opened her eyes she did not panic. Her heart rate rose slightly, and the chills returned, but she managed to resist the urge to hit the pond again. Dipping her clawed hands into the pool, Twilight did her best to clean herself of the blood, an action that was quite difficult given her new biology.

She was patient, and kind, and would never give up just because she met a small boundary though. She was Twilight Sparkle after all, not some evil monster willing to use violence on anything that opposed her. That was someone else entirely and definitely not something Twilight Sparkle, hero of equestria, would do.

Cleaning herself up, the deathclaw wondered what possible course of action she should take at this point. Returning to Janey was right out, and though Twilight wished to go to the town she had seen earlier, she pushed that notion away. Without an interpreter there was a distinct possibility that no one in the area understood morse code.

Not only that but Twilight worried that the beast may emerge in the sight of humans though the pony put that thought away. She wouldn't let herself be ruled by her instincts, not unless she absolutely needed to use that part of her in order to survive. The possibility of loosing the beast when needed, were considerations for the future and now cleansed of blood, Twilight looked down at the murky pool.

Cupping her hands she tossed the crimson tinged water across the room until the pool was empty, destroying all evidence of what had happened. Once all traces of the terrible deed were gone, Twilight rose, her joints creaking audibly as she did so. Looking down at herself, Twilight almost felt whole, as if this were all some horrible dream that she would soon wake from.

The sound of boots hitting stone shattered that illusion, and Twilight turned towards the source of the sound, half expecting to see more gang members. What she saw instead was the familiar sight of Janey, her clothes now sporting a thin layer of what looked like soot. Her pipboy light had been activated, revealing the area in a green light and in her right hand she held her revolver tightly.

The second their eyes met, Twilight saw a primal bolt of fear course through the human and for a single terrible moment the alicorn thought she was about to be shot. Then Janey breathed out, and lowered her weapon slightly, but not completely, pointing the weapon away from Twilight.

“There you are. How are you feeling?” Janey hesitantly asked, the girl standing a good twenty feet away near the entrance of this section of cave.

Twilight blinked several times before kneeling down. “Good, I think,” she tapped.

The alicorn was surprised when she heard a computerized voice repeat what she had just ‘said’. “Well that's good, and before you ask I had a little program whipped up to help us communicate a little better. Oh and don't worry, I invested your half of the loot in essentials as well as someone to come by to fix up the school a little bit.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Loot?”

“Stuff those guys had on them,” Janey replied, lifting a hand placatingly. “Don't worry though. I burnt that place down after I brought all the good stuff back to town and bought some gas.”

Twilight wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, though a small part of her was happy that all evidence truly was gone now. “How did you know where I was?” Twilight inquired.

Janey chuckled, holstering her weapon. “I just followed the piss scared coyotes. Plus lets be honest, your tracks werent exactly difficult to find.”

Twilight nodded slowly, her gaze falling to the floor as regret coursed through her. “So. Why are you here?”

“What do you mean, why am I here? We hardly even started our adventure!” Janey replied with a chuckle. “I can't rightly get back on the trail without my partner now can I?”

Twilight smiled, or at least, she assumed she was smiling. “That's a nice sentiment, but how can you even think of doing something like that given what I-it did?” Twilight tapped out, hesitating briefly near the end.

Janey sighed, and strode forward. “Look. I don't know how it is where you come from, but if you had narrowly survived being attacked by a bunch of crazy gang members you’d be a hero.”

“Not if I killed them all,” Twilight added pointedly.

“Here you would,” Janey corrected, shrugging. “When it's you or them, it's not wrong to choose yourself.”

“Where I come from you would be one of the worst mass murderers in our entire history,” Twilight replied, her response coming after a long pause.

Janey blinked, and fixed the former pony with an odd look. “What are you talking about? I know there were a bunch of powder gangers there but the worst in history? Now that's a long shot.”

Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “It's true. There hasn't been a murder in two hundred years, and the worst killer in our history only had seven victims.”

Janey’s eyes narrowed. “Bull,” spat the human. “Either you lot are fresh out of the stone age, or you are being fed a heaping helping of lies.”

Twilight shook her head and quickly tapped out her response. “Its true. Death is reserved almost exclusively for old age, or happenstance, though that's rare due to how proficient most unicorns are with healing magic.”

“Thats… crazy,” Janey muttered, clearly not convinced.

The deathclaw shrugged. “Believe it or not that's just how it is. I should know, I’m a princess.”

“Well here things are a might bit different, if you haven't noticed,” Janey waved a hand in the general direction of the previous fight. “If you hadn't killed those men, many more people would have died or suffered a fate worse than death. In my opinion if you aren't willing to get a little bloody and stop fuckers like that, then you might as well be the one doing that evil shit.”

Twilight was taken aback by the force in her friend’s voice, and after a moment of consideration Twilight couldn't help but agree, if only slightly. “You are quite passionate about this,” Twilight tapped out.

“Choosing to do nothing is a choice, and leaves you complacent in whatever act you’ve chosen to ignore,” Janey declared. “That's just how life is out here. It's tough, and if you aren't strong enough to make it better then your working against those who are. That's all there is to it.”

Twilight nodded. “I suppose there is some truth to that,” Twilight paused, letting out a long breath. “Does it ever get easier?”

Janey raised an eyebrow after her pip boy had finished translating. “What? The killing?”

Twilight nodded.

The human snorted. “Oh I could tell you that it doesn't and that the first is as hard as the thirty first but to be honest it gets right easy. The first time I killed someone I was thirteen years old, and it hasn't even been seven years since then and already I’ve forgotten everything about him.”

Twilight’s jaw hung open. “Thirteen?” She tapped out, her finger carving out a chunk of stone.

“Yup. Can't even recall what he looks like or even his name to be honest. The mind just kinda goes numb to it after a while,” Janey chuckled darkly. “Sure some folk might give ya some hogwash about seeing the faces of who they killed in their dreams but that only happens if you kill good people. If the only people you do away with were bloodthirsty monsters then the guilt just kinda rolls off ya.”

I wonder. If you had killed me when we first met or back at that office, would it even bother you? Twilight thought to herself, remembering the bloodthirsty monster she had become only a few hours earlier.

Janey hummed thoughtfully. “Its like this, just make sure the folk your killin are the worst of the worst and it wont come back to haunt ya. Hell, I couldn't even tell you a lick about the people I killed other than the awful shit they did in life and that's the way you gotta think about it.”

Twilight stared long and hard at the woman standing across from her, mind churning with this new information. Everything Twilight had assumed about the young woman was being mentally tossed aside, and within a few moments Twilight saw her friend in a different light. This human was not some babe that had stumbled through life, barely managing to hold onto their innocence in a cruel world.

Rather she was a cold, and calculating individual who seemed perfectly alright with killing when she needed to. Sure she dressed up the act, and only killed terrible people but Twilight had known terrible people in her life. Discord had been horrible to her, even going so far as to invade their minds and pervert her and her friends' very nature.

And that was without thinking about all the down right horrific things Starlight Glimmer had done.

Yet, both had become some of the best friends Twilight had ever had, and now their loyalty was beyond reproach. If Twilight and Janey’s positions were reversed would Discord and Starlight still be alive? Would Twilight have been able to do what supposedly needed to be done? Twilight couldn't think of an answer, nor did she really want to imagine one anyway.

All she knew was that this young woman had gone through things Twilight wouldn't wish on anyone. Not only that, but something had changed within Twilight herself, as her opinion on Janey had changed as well.

“So, you just gonna stare at me all day or are you joining back up?” Janey inquired.

Twilight nodded slowly. “Just one question. Why do you feel so strongly about your stance on inaction?”

Janey breathed out slowly, turning away from the deathclaw. “Lets just say that someone important to me got hurt while the powers that be watched and did nothing. I will never be that person, will you?”

“No,” Twilight replied instantly.

The human flashed her friend a knowing smile. “That's what I like to hear. Now just sit tight a sec, I’m gonna go make sure the coast is clear.”

Twilight knelt down, watching as her friend slipped away into the dark, the glow of her pipboy vanishing around the corner.

In the darkness Twilight was left to ponder Janey’s words for herself and consider what they meant for her future in this world. Clearly this was a dark place, that much Twilight knew before, but what she had not considered was just how truly dark it was. For example, she had also never thought that murder would be a neccessity, or required so often either.

Glancing down, Twilight noticed that there was a tiny bit of crimson water left in the pool, reflecting her strange features back at her in an uncomfortable light. Frowning, Twilight was about to throw aside the last of the liquid, but was interrupted when she heard a shout.

“Twilight! It's all clear, we are ready to go!” Janey yelled.

Twilight stood and was about to turn when she noticed something move in the pool. Quickly turning back to it, Twilight found that it looked normal. Shrugging off the strange occurrence, Twilight made her best affirmation sounding growl before padding away. Silently doing her best to pretend like she had not been on the verge of a mental breakdown only a few minutes ago.
> Halloween 2020 Crossover Special
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sudden flash of a powerful light woke the theatre's inhabitants, shocking them out of their strangely deep slumber. Each one found themselves unable to move, or look away from the spotlight which shone down on the center of the stage, to where a small pony sized hole could be seen. Though the inhabitants of the theatre could see the stage, they could not seem to turn their heads, or look away from the single point of light.

Even still, they could sense that others were nearby, a fact that none of them could confirm as a heavy aura suppressed their magic. This would normally make most of them feel rather terrified, but there was something about the theatre that made them feel strangely at ease. Maybe it was the surprisingly comfortable chairs which seemed to have been custom molded to their unique bodies, or perhaps it was the smell of aged paper and popcorn that lingered in the air.

Either way, the assembled creatures could only watch and wait, which fortunately for them was something they didn't have to do for very long. A faint clunk signalled the activation of an unseen mechanism, and a second later a distant rhythmic thumping could be heard emanating from beneath the stage. After several seconds of near silence the head of a pony could be seen poking out from the hole, followed closely by the rest of their body shortly after.

The pony themself was missing most of the normal attributes of an equestrian citizen, lacking wings, horn, and the larger build most earth ponies sported. Standing only as tall as the average eighteen year old mare, they had a lithe frame, and a smile that lit up the room. Their eyes were a bright green, their fur a resplendent orange, and their mane was a combination of their fur color and a bright red. Done up in a wild looking mohawk, the pony oozed excitement, and reminded most viewers of Pinky Pie. A comparison that only became more apt when they saw that the pony had a multi colored jester’s stick for a cutie mark.

“Welcome, welcome!” shouted the pony, leaping onto the stage the second the floor was complete once more. “To the greatest game of Twilight’s outside of a certain natural born Derpy story.”

The pony all but bounced to the front of the stage, their grin as wide as ever. “I am Jest, and I will serve as your referee and game master for this evening. But before we get into the nitty and or gritty of all that, let's have a joke shall we?”

They cleared their throat. “Did you guys hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them!”

A few creatures laughed, though it was awkward, and came out a little forced.

“I see math jokes do well with you, so here's another,” Jest remarked, straightening an invisible tie. “How many times can you subtract ten from one hundred?”

After a brief moment of silence, the pony grinned and threw up their hooves. “Once! The next time you would be subtracting ten from ninety!”

Their joke was met with a few more laughs, though not many, they were at least a little less forced.

“I guess I’ll save the jokes for when you aren't trapped in your seat. So without further ado, let's get into it,” Jest declared, clopping their hoof twice against the stage and causing the spotlight to vanish. “You are here to play a game, and don't worry its not some sort of stupid cliche death game where if you lose here you die. In fact you wont even remember being here when you are returned to your lives.”

Jest raised a hoof in the air. “But that doesn't mean this can't be both fun, and illuminating. For you see, I will be able to answer any one question the winner of our little game desires.”

“And to answer your next question, yes it will be one hundred percent truthful, and I have complete knowledge on all possible subjects you may ask,” Jest concluded. “So without further ado let's get this game started!”

The pony clopped their hoof twice against the ground, causing the ground to fall away only to emerge again a second later. The stage now had a large poker table as well as several chairs of various sizes, each seemingly designed for a different kind of creature. The second the stage had been set the various audience members felt their bodies start to respond to their commands once more.

Looking around the room, the creatures found that they were surrounded by what could only be described as themselves. Twilights of various shapes and sizes jumped or otherwise hopped out of their seats and began to look around in wonder. Though they were busy looking at one another, they also noticed that there were no exits to the theatre, nor any windows of any kind. The anti magic field remained as oppressive as ever, though the Twilights who were capable of magic found that they could at least use telekinesis.

Only one of the audience members seemed truly alien, and shared only purplish scales with the others. She stood taller than the rest, with great horns which covered the sides of her head and bent up, then down before curving upwards once more. She also had enormous clawed hands, legs which bent backwards after the knee, and a tail that was as long as a normal pony.

She also had keen purple eyes, a thick hide of dark purple scales with two small bumps on her chest serving as the only clue as to her gender. Overall she appeared to be some form of enormous reptile that was clearly out of place amongst the other Twilight’s who appeared mostly normal. Two of whom were alicorns, though one looked visibly stronger, while the other had a strangely empty gaze.

“Great, I bet none of them know morse code either,” muttered the towering lizard who blinked. “Wait, did I just speak normally?”

“Technically you all have different languages since you originate from wholly different realities or time lines, so I figured I’d translate for you,” Jest shouted from the stage. “I’m also ready whenever you are by the way.”

The various Twilights moved slowly, eying one another up carefully, and curiously, with most watching the Twilight in their midst who appeared to have been turned into a demon of some kind. A large black book was bound in silver chains about her neck, and her ethereal mane flickered behind her, shifting from black at her scalp to a light purple at the tips. Stars could be seen within the demon’s hair, though most were too busy staring at the large sword-like horn which protruded from her head.

A horn which was in the shape of a curved blade not unlike a khopesh, an appendage which she was evidently quite adept at carrying if her smooth confident steps were anything to go by. She too looked back at the other creatures, her piercing gaze looking down on them, scouring their very souls and weighing them each individually. Something she didn't have much trouble doing considering she was one of the tallest in the room, her svelte figure allowing her to tower over most other Twilights.

As one they collectively turned away from the demonic Twilight and her shimmering, deep purple fur to a rather strangely gaunt Twilight who towered over all save for the horned lizard among them. Her body was thin, almost skeletal in its appearance, the mare giving off the impression that she wasn't truly alive given just how unnaturally empty her torso appeared to be. She at least had the same cutie mark as the others, though hers shimmered slightly, and the six smaller stars that adorned it were each different colors.

That wasn't what grabbed the eye however, as it was her shattered horn which did just that, making each visitor wince at the sight. Her fur and mane were also significantly darker then the other two more normal looking Twilights who had a much lighter coloration in comparison. She also had an unnaturally deep shadow, and her eyes glowed a menacing purple, from which wisps of purple magic emanated.

The last Twilight among them was perhaps the strangest among them, though it wasn't quite as readily apparent as to why. She was one of the few unicorns among them who at first glance was not either crippled, or had been turned into a different species. That was until they noticed just how strangely well muscled she was, and the way her eyes glowed a bright yellow color.

This Twilight sported an unnaturally long horn and glowing yellow lines which traveled down her body, though most could be seen on her left foreleg. Which was slightly thicker, and wider than the rest of her tree trunk like limbs which clopped audibly against the wooden floor. All who met her gaze felt unnerved by the experience, the pony’s eyes containing a strange alien quality to them that made each creature realize that she was no normal unicorn.

“Done eying one another up like a pack of jackals?” Jest teased as they riffled and shuffled a deck of cards.

“Yes well, pardon me for taking stock of my strange companions,” remarked the demonic Twilight who was the first to climb the stage and take her seat next to Jest.

“You are all quite strange,” remarked the dead eyed Twilight. “Save for you, that is. In your reality did I get a gym membership?”

“Not quite,” remarked the slightly buffer alicorn Twilight. “I did spend the last twenty odd years adventuring and saving the world though.”

“Were you always an alicorn?” questioned the demonic Twilight.

“No. I was a unicorn at one point but after defeating Tirek I was ‘ascended’ if you could call it that,” remarked the alicorn, who found and sat at the seat which seemed to have been designed for her.

“I feel like we should probably go around the table and introduce ourselves, lest we end up wasting time asking one another an endless stream of questions,” declared the alien Twilight who sat on a wider, more reinforced chair.

“Ahh, that does seem like the best idea, though I have more than a few questions about this place that I would like answered first,” stated the undead Twilight.

“Ahh yes. The theatre,” Jest began, raising a hoof. “It is a pocket dimension gifted to me by a close friend. Here I control all facets of reality, all the way down to the subatomic level.”

“Curious,” murmured the demonic Twilight, who placed her chin in her hoof and leaned forward. “Just what are you then?”

“Just a humble entertainer. It is my creator who happens to have the real power here, but we shan't get into that,” Jest assured. “All you need to know is that violence is not allowed, you can leave at any time, though doing so would forfeit your chance at the knowledge I promised.”

“But if we will forget then why should we bother playing?” questioned the dead eyed Twilight.

“If you will forget anyway, why not enjoy yourself, and relish acquiring the answers you seek, if only for a moment?” Jest countered. “Yes it may be fleeting, but that just means there is no reason not to enjoy it while you can.”

“Sounds like a metaphor for life,” murmured the enormous lizard.

“Quite right my friend,” Jest proclaimed. “Now then, why don't you each introduce yourself, starting with the Twilight who suggested you do so in the first place?”

The undead Twilight shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “My name as you likely already guessed is Twilight and in my world, universe, timeline or whatever, Celestia rules Equestria with an iron hoof.”

“Did she experiment on you as well?” questioned the buff alicorn.

“No, though she did have my mother, and technically me killed,” replied the undead.

“I am so sorry,” whispered the great lizard, who tentatively touched the undead pony’s shoulder.

“It's fine,” muttered the other Twilight. “After that I fled into the Everfree, learned necromancy and have been steadily helping my friends all while I uncover many of the world’s secrets.”

“Fascinating. I assume necromancy can do more than simply make zombies in your world,” inquired the dead eyed Twilight.

The undead Twilight nodded. “It is also called soul magic and can be used for a great many things.”

“Which we don't have time to get into,” Jest added pointedly.

“Yes well, I suppose I should go next then,” stated the dead eyed Twilight. “My given name is Twilight, though if I am being honest I am not sure why I am here.”

“Why do you say that?” asked the lizard.

“Because I am spell, and am not truly alive, nor was I born in the traditional sense,” stated the Twilight. “If I had my magic I could show you what I mean, but in my reality I was created by Celestia as a stand in for Sunset Shimmer. The princess needed someone who could wield the element of magic after her former student ran away and to that end she implanted within me a spark of her magic in order to give me life, as well as control my actions.”

“Yeesh, and I thought it was bad that my Celestia created me in a more metaphysical sense,” remarked the muscled alicorn.

“That’s horrible,” muttered the undead Twilight.

The spell shook her head. “It is not as bad as it may seem. I can still enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Though for reasons which should be obvious I cannot get pregnant. I am also immortal, incredibly powerful and I can freely alter my being if I desire.”

“But do you have free will?” questioned the demonic Twilight.

“Celestia told me that I didn't, though I was hoping to get a second opinion,” stated the spell, who glanced at the dealer.

Jest smiled. “And if you win, I will gladly give you such information.”

“I suppose I’m next,” offered the other alicorn. “Like I mentioned earlier, my friends and I are adventurers. The six of us became slightly isolated, considering we were constantly traveling and fighting various monsters. As such we sort of fell into relationships with one another. The last adventure saw us nearly losing to an incredibly powerful minotaur chieftain, and we only just barely survived because the nightmare within me saved us.”

“Strange, I had always assumed that an alicorn’s darker half only emerged after the pony experienced an extended period plagued by negative emotions,” the undead Twilight remarked.

“In my reality each alicorn has a second mind of sorts, which lies dormant until some event causes it to emerge,” explained the muscled alicorn. “Celestia attempted to remove my darker half after she ascended me, and only managed to make it revert to a more childlike state.”

“Fascinating,” whispered the demonic Twilight.

“Though I have questions of my own, perhaps we should continue,” pressed the alien Twilight.

The great lizard nodded. “I was perhaps most like the last Twilight before I was dropped into a different dimension by some unseen force. Before that point I had defeated Nightmare Moon along with my friends using the elements of harmony much like how the other alicorns both did by the sounds of it.”

Said alicorns nodded.

“Yes well, after that things were going well until I unexpectedly found myself in the body you see before you,” explained the lizard, who swept a hand down towards itself. “Which is apparently called a deathclaw. After that I was found by my companion Janey and we have since set out into the wasteland in search of my friends.”

“Wasteland?” questioned the alien Twilight.

“Yes apparently the mirror world, which some of you may know about, has a dark reflection of its own where the humans nearly wiped themselves out using nuclear weapons,” the great lizard answered.

Several Twilight’s nodded knowingly, while the rest merely blinked in confusion.

“These nuclear weapons you spoke of, how do they function?” pressed the alien Twilight.

“I don't know,” admitted the lizard.

“And it wouldn't matter if you did as none of you will remember what happens here,” added Jest pointedly.

The yellow eyed Twilight sighed, and leaned back in her chair. “It was worth a shot.”

“Unlike the rest of you, my name is Kanathara, and I am a keeper of secrets. Though at one point I was a unicorn like you all I was abducted by Tirek at a young age, and have since become a demon,” remarked the demonic mare. “Before you ask, yes I have met a few of these friends I think we have in common, and no I am not evil.”

“You sure appear evil,” remarked the buff Twilight. “In fact I think I defeated one of your kind a decade ago in the badlands. She was trying to resurrect some dead god to bring about the end times, though her plan was rather convoluted.”

“Aren't they all?” deadpanned the spell.

“Yes well, appearances aside I don't desire the death of the world or anything of the sort,” explained the demon. “In fact if I was not contracted to acquire the elements of harmony I’d likely spend the next century studying in relative isolation.”

“Now that sounds nice…” murmured the undead Twilight, who rubbed her chin. “Maybe after my friends pass on I’ll take a century off from public life.”

“As much as I’d like to hear your exhaustive reading lists you all have prepared, I must insist that we keep things going,” Jest interrupted, the pony glancing expectantly at the final Twilight at the table.

Who snorted. “I’m Twilight and like a few of you I was taken on as Celestia’s protege. In my world she is kind to a fault, and though I was infected by some form of alien parasite at a young age, she took me in. Since then I’ve trained nearly every day in order to defeat Nightmare Moon, something I turned out to be ill prepared to do.”

“She didn't really bring about eternal night did she?” the more muscled Twilight inquired. “In my world Luna claimed the whole night forever thing was a metaphor for people appreciating it more than the day.”

The infested mare snorted bitterly. “It hasn't been long, but since her return she has not allowed the sun to rise for even a moment. I’m starting to believe that she's trying to freeze the entire planet out of spite.”

“That seems slightly… unwarranted,” undead Twilight remarked.

Kanathara raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure she's not a prime evil? My nightmare Moon is likely a demon borne from the first act of planetary genocide, which fits the bill of yours quite nicely.”

The infested hummed thoughtfully and rubbed her chin. “That is a possibility, though to be honest I’m not wholly certain that demons are even a thing in my reality. Sure they are referenced in literature and stuff, but I’m fairly certain they are fictitious.”

“See? They are two very different things that are totally not the creator being lazy,” Jest proclaimed, riffle shuffling the cards in a dramatic fashion.

“The creator? You’re not religious are you?” questioned the spell.

“Not exactly,” Jest replied mysteriously or hamfistedly, depending on your perspective.

“Before we start, I presume that time doesn't flow normally here and that I won't come back five years later or something, right?” prodded the buff Twilight curiously.

“You will return to the exact moment I plucked you from your story and no one will be the wiser. Trust me,” Jest proclaimed, flashing the table a knowing wink.

“Right then. As curious as I am about you guys I would rather like my answer sooner rather than later,” infested Twilight proclaimed.

“Quite,” agreed the lizard.

“So, let us begin,” Jest proclaimed, the pony dealing the first hand in mere moments, his movements precise and lightning fast. “The game is Texas hold 'em, which I assume everyone knows how to play, yes?”

The assembled Twilights all nodded.

“Excellent, you will each find a set of chips with numbers on them before you, and the starting bet is one hundred points,” Jest finished. “Now then, Kanathara, you will be starting us off, and no I’m not just starting with you because everyone else answers to Twilight.”

“Uh alright, I’m in,” declared the demon, who tossed a hundred point chip into the middle.

And with that, the game had begun.





“Just call it or don't, but either way make up your mind already,” implored the infested Twilight. 

The spell Twilight leaned forward. “I for one believe she is bluffing.”

The more well muscled Twilight grit her teeth and stared at the only other opponent left in this hand. Who sat behind a small mountain of chips, her cards laid against the table and a smile on her demonic face. Though no one was out yet several hours had passed and the more athletic Twilight was down to her final points.

In her hand she had a pair of threes, and combined with the pair of aces on the table it meant that she had at least something, though it wasn't much. Certainly not enough to bet what little she had left, though at this point if she didn't win something here she was going to end up out the next hand. Add to that the fact that their demonic counterpart seemed to bluff near constantly, plus was an absolute master at it and the more athletic Twilight found herself leaning on going in.

“I’m all in,” she declared, flicking her final chip into the middle.

Jest nodded knowingly. “Alright ladies, lets see what you got.”

“Two pair,” declared the first Twilight, who flipped her hand.

The demonic Twilight chuckled. “Not a bad hand but it's got nothing on my full house.”

Sure enough, when she flipped her cards over, the demon had exactly that, trouncing the other Twilight’s hand quite well… handedly.

“Dammit,” cursed the alicorn. “I don't suppose I can mulligan that hand eh?”

Jest shook their head. “I’m afraid not. It looks like this is where you get off.”

The pony sighed. “Well it was nice meeting you all.”

“It was nice meeting you as well,” offered the lizard, a sentiment which the rest of the Twilight’s shared immediately after, all save for one.

“Don't let the metaphysical door hit you on the way out,” teased the demon.

“Yeah whatever. I hope you choke on it,” spat the athletic Twilight.

“Before you go, what were you going to ask?” inquired the undead Twilight.

“I was going to ask if my story was ever going to get updated again,” replied the other Twilight who glanced expectantly at Jest.

Who chuckled, and tapped the table, causing a button to merge from the wood. “Totally!”

“Wait, really?” she questioned.

“Pfft no, this is all you’re ever going to get,” retorted Jest who slammed their hoof on the bottom, causing the floor to fall out from beneath the alicorn Twilight.

“I just wanted to be relevant again!” She cried while plunging into the darkness.

A second later and the hole vanished having been obscured by two pieces of wood which swiftly covered it and Jest’s button vanishing along with it.

“Alright then, with that done let's start the next hand,” Jest happily proclaimed.

“Oof, that was kinda dark don't you think?” pressed the undead who glanced at the spot their counterpart had been sitting a second earlier.

“Who cares?” remarked the demonic Twilight flippantly.

The other Twilight’s exchanged a knowing look with one another, a silent pact being formed between them as cards flicked across the table.

“Alright then, the buy in has been doubled, and with that let us start with Kanathara once more,” Jest offered, gesturing to the demon, who tossed the necessary chips into the middle.

“Lets see where this goes,” she remarked offhandedly, leaning back in her chair. “Say, I don't suppose you have a kitchen back there by chance do you?”

Jest chuckled. “Don't need one, here. Take a look at the menu and lemme know if you need anything. Something tells me we’ll be here a while.”

The strange pony clapped their hooves together and a set of menus appeared before the gathered Twilight’s.

“Finally, now things can really get going,” remarked the infested hungrily.





“This is ridiculous,” stated Kanathara bitterly, the demon leaning forward in her chair, her whiskey sour nearly toppling over onto the table. “How did things end up this way?”

The lizard shrugged. “I don't know how but at least it's over. It feels like we’ve been here for days.”

“Three days to be exact, but don't worry I got rid of the need to use the bathroom or sleep after it became apparent that this was going to take a while,” Jest replied.

“No wonder I haven't had to use the little girl’s room after I drank all those dacquires,” muttered the undead.

“Well, everything else aside it was rather nice to enjoy a caesar salad done exactly as I like it, among pleasant company” remarked the dead eyed Twilight, who tapped her lips with a napkin. “Noone seems to get the intricacies of making a good salad these days.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” replied Jest with a smile.

“Curiosity over this whole pocket reality aside, I’m more than a little baffled how things ended up like they did,” remarked the infested, who gestured to the table, wherein a great mountain of chips sat at the center. “How did this even happen exactly?”

“You girls were so bent on getting Kanathara out of the game that things got a little out of hand,” Jest replied, chuckling to themself. “Or should I say in hand?”

The deathclaw snorted. “At least it's over after this. I think my tail is about to fall asleep again.”

“Yes well, I suppose I’m glad that it will be finally done with,” agreed the undead.

“We are ready when you are, Jest,” declared the spell.

“Alright, let's make this as dramatic as possible, on three I want you all to flip your cards,” Jest offered, glancing around the room.

“Sounds fair,”

“Fine by me,”

“Acceptable,”

“If I have to,”

“We might as well,”

“Excellent, now before we get into the end game I would just like to say how much I appreciated your cooperation here. The porn Twilight’s were much more difficult,” Jest proclaimed, the pony shuddering briefly.

“Wait, porn Twilight’s what are you-”

Jest cleared their throat. “But enough about that. Three, two, one, and flip em!”





“Huh, I won,” muttered the giant death lizard, every Twilight looking down to find that she had indeed managed such a feat, with only a three of a kind at that. “I just assumed you girls had better.”

The spell sighed. “I knew this was a bad idea. Why did I stick with such a poor hand?”

“I don't know, but either way I’m glad I at least got a single pair,” remarked the infested.

The undead Twilight shrugged. “I may have only had one pair as well but I never really cared about winning anyway.”

“Well I sure planned on it,” muttered Kanathara bitterly.

“Oh don't be so mad, at least now you all get to go back to your own worlds,” Jest offered. “Oh and if you ever find yourself back here you’ll have the memories of this place restored.”

“Well it was nice knowing you all,” offered the undead.

“Likewise,” replied the lizard.

“Too bad, I would have liked to know if we were going to be able to save the world,” stated the infested mare.

“And I would have liked to know how to defeat that wretched hag,” muttered the demon.

“Yes well, better luck next time,” Jest exclaimed before slamming his hoof against a button and causing all but one Twilight to vanish into the floor.

Once gone, the earth pony hopped off his chair, and clopped his hoof twice against the stage, making the table, and the last chair to slip beneath the ground. A second tap of Jest’s hoof later and a set of lights settled on them, a microphone popping into the strange pony’s grip.

“Alright then, this is it ladies and gentlemen. Twilight has won, and now it's time to get an answer to a burning question,” Jest began. “A question which has likely bothered you since the very moment you awoke and smelled the ashes. Go ahead Twilight, fire away as they say.”

“What is the status of my friends?” Twilight inquired slightly nervously. “As in, where and how are they?”

“Ah ah, that's two questions, and since I promised you one answer, I will instead give you two half answers,” Jest replied.

The lizard sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I suppose that's fair.”

“To your questions I will simply say this,” Jest cleared their throat. “They are all more or less in the wasteland with you, and are alive. At the moment anyway.”

“At the moment?” Twilight pressed.

“Noone lives forever you know,” Jest countered, smirking up at the enormous killer lizard.

“I suppose that's the best I’m going to get out of this, isn't it?” Twilight inquired tiredly.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Jest, who shrugged their shoulders.

“Well, that's at least a small load off my shoulders. Do you mind if I enjoyed being able to talk for a bit longer?” Twilight asked slightly nervously, tapping her claws together.

“Sure thing, and while we are at it why don't order some more food or drink. I’d be glad to give you a chance to really unwind,” Jest offered. “Especially considering what's coming.”

“Wait, what was that last part?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing,” Jest replied innocently.
> Claws Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the alicorn turned deathclaw strode out of the cave, she noticed that her companion was sporting a new, larger backpack. One which had several brown circular objects poking out the top, each one with a thin metal handle on the top. Twilight wasn't sure that they were, or what the button in the middle of them did, but clearly the human had acquired more then a few of the things.

As if sensing that her companion’s gaze was upon her back, Janey adjusted the load subtly, hiding the round things. Putting that thought out of her mind, Twilight let her gaze wander over the immediate area, the deathclaw realizing she didn't know where she was. Upon looking around, Twilight found that they werent far from the road which would lead to Goodsprings.

Before her the hills and mountains were lit up by the rising sun which was emerging from a cloudbank behind them. Twilight idly noted that the solar body was about the same size and rose in the same direction as the one on Equestria did. Not only that but a good amount of time had passed since her little episode given that it was likely early morning now. Twilight wondered just how long she had crouched there in the dark, trying to suppress her new urges but quickly put that thought out of mind.

There was no point in ruminating on such terrible things Twilight told herself. Instead, Twilight considered the circumstances she now found herself in, letting her mind wander. Plans and ideas were considered and discarded one after another in rapid succession, the former alicorn’s mind whirling with possibilities.

As they neared the edge of town Twilight realized something important and gave her foot a stomp in order to grab her companion’s attention. Turning around, Janey raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“What is it?” asked the human.

“I want to be able to go into town and speak with the humans there. Can you help make this possible?” Twilight tapped out on the broken asphalt.

Janey winced and ran a hand down the back of her neck. “I don't know if that's the best idea. The folks in town are mighty jumpy especially considering what just about happened to ‘em.”

“If we are going to travel together we will need to be able to go into human settlements together. Plus maybe if we spread word that I’m friendly that it will reduce the chance that we will get shot at by scared humans while travelling,” Twilight explained.

“That would be mighty helpful,” Janey admitted. “I don't wanna stumble across a prospector who panicks and starts hucking grenades.”

“So, you’ll do it?” Twilight pressed.

The human sighed. “I suppose it would be for the best. Sneaking isn't really my strong suit, nor is it yours given how big you are. Plus the mojave is fairly populous and it's only a matter of time until someone sees you and that could lead to some unpleasant misunderstandings.”

Twilight nodded, the deathclaw having already considered everything her companion had just mentioned.

Janey let out a long breath. “I can't say for certain if it will work but I’ll try talking to them.”

“Thank you so much!” Twilight replied, the deathclaw doing her best to smile.

“Just stay in the schoolhouse for a bit. I’ll discuss things with the town and try to prepare them for your arrival,” Janey declared before walking away only to pause. “Oh and don't worry about breaking anything. I formalized everything with easy Pete so we own the place outright. This way we can have a sort of safe house when needed.”

Twilight hummed to herself, silently quite happy with the turn of events as the thought of being some kind of murder hobo made her feel unpleasant. Focusing on the task at hand, the deathclaw slipped away from her human companion after they neared the town proper. Which seemed relatively empty save for the big horners grazing lazily in their pastures and the few ranch hands who tended to them.

Not wanting to risk her chance of getting a good first impression, Twilight slipped further away from her companion, circling around the town. Following the now familiar path, Twilight rounded the oddly shaped shack at the end of the road and was about to slip inside the school when she noticed something. The strange and apparently helpful robot Janey had mentioned earlier was standing in the middle of the road and seemed to be watching Janey as she strode towards the bar.

The entity's bulky body faced north until Janey disappeared indoors, its bulky monitor displaying the face of a grinning cowboy the entire time. It then turned and began to trundle away on its solitary wheel, bouncing along the rough, uneven terrain with surprising ease. Its long tubelike arms hung loose at its side, the robot seemingly secure in the knowledge that it wouldn't be attacked.

Twilight watched it disappear around the south side of a house.

With it gone, Twilight slipped inside the schoolhouse, silently hoping that no one had seen her lollygagging outside. Once the door was shut securely behind her, Twilight looked around to find that most of the junk had been cleared out. The broken desks were in a neater pile in the corner, and by the looks of things someone had given the entire area a once over with a broom.

The air was still stale, the ground still dirty and the entire place was still not in the best shape, but it was a vast improvement over what it had once been. Standing in the center of the room, Twilight was even able to stretch a little before plunking down on the ground. Quickly growing bored, and not wanting to be alone with her thoughts for too long, Twilight looked for anything to hold her attention.

Her gaze quickly settled on a box she recognized as a radio, though it was much smaller than the ones she had seen in Equestria. Plucking it from the counter it sat atop, Twilight began to fiddle with the dials as gently as she could, the deathclaw now quite aware of just how sharp her claws truly were. After a few minutes of struggling she was met with the sound of static, and only a few seconds after that, was able to find a station.

The music which belted out of the radio made Twilight wince, and she quickly turned the volume down to a more bearable level. Once her ears were no longer in pain the deathclaw was able to make out the sound of singing, as well as the soft strumming of a guitar. Unfortunately for her the song didn't last much longer before it ended, leaving the former alicorn disappointed at having missed it.

That feeling didn't last long however, as a smooth male voice suddenly came over the radio.

“I’ve got some news for you. A package courier found shot in the head near Goodsprings has reportedly regained consciousness, and has made a full recovery. Now that is a delivery service you can count on,” exclaimed the voice on the radio. “Troubling news from Primm, as merchants report a large presence of armed and unsavoury figures patrolling the town. Residents are nowhere to be found.”

Twilight wasn't exactly sure where Primm was but she hoped that Janey would make a stop there as she didn't like the sound of the broadcast.

“There will be more news at the top of the hour. Now I’ve got a song for you right now that's about a man that's cold on the exterior, but deep down ya know he's a good man and his name is Johnny Guitar,” continued the voice which was replaced by the almost melancholic strumming of a guitar a second later.

As the song began Twilight couldn't help but feel strangely calm given everything that had happened. Partly because the smooth dulcet tones of the man on the radio, partly because the slow strumming set her mind at ease. As the seconds ticked by Twilight found herself drawn into the song, which she hoped had a happy ending.





As the bouncy tune faded into silence, and the man ceased singing about someone named Blue Moon, Twilight found that the spell which had kept her captivated had faded. She briefly wondered if there were some humans who shared similar naming conventions as ponies before her thoughts were interrupted.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our program. This is Mr. New Vegas, and each and every one of you is wonderful in your own special way,” announced the increasingly familiar voice. “Whoops, I better put on my newsman fedora, here.”

Twilight couldn't help but lean a little closer to the radio, curious as to what else was happening in this strange world she found herself in.

“Citizens of Outer Vegas are flocking to the Strip in droves amid a wave of terror caused by a band of raiders known as the Fiends. Those who can afford passports say that the added security is well worth the price of admission,” announced Mr New Vegas. “This program was brought to you by Gomorrah. Gomorrah: It'll be our secret.”

And with that the music returned, this time the guitar was quicker, and after a few seconds a man began to sing about the town of Agua Fria. The deathclaw quickly tuned that out however, as she just then realized how much time had passed without word from Janey. Standing up, Twilight worked the kinks out of her legs before striding over to one of the windows and peering out onto the town.

Only to be met with empty streets and seemingly empty homes, without a single face visible from Twilight’s poor vantage point. Pushing down the bit of panic that threatened to overwhelm her, Twilight reminded herself to trust Janey. With that thought in mind, Twilight trundled back over to the radio and sat back down, a hand scratching a pained spot on her back.

Her new instincts told her to move, to get out of there but Twilight ignored them and tried to calm down only to nearly jump out of her skin the second she heard a knock at the door. Pulling her horns out of the ceiling, Twilight strode over to the nearest window and after realizing it was Janey, turned the lock. With the door now open the human strode inside, a worried look appearing briefly on her face before it quickly vanished.

“Well I have good news and bad news,” she announced.

Twilight rolled her hand, telling her companion to continue.

“They have agreed to hear you out, but they are both armed to the teeth and have a reporter with them. Apparently he was here to get the account on what happened with the powder gangers and was about to leave when I showed up,” Janey finished.

Twilight blinked. “Okay the first one is bad, but why would the presence of the press be bad.”

“Because the news is controlled by Mr. House who is many things, but the one thing he is not is a good person,” Janey declared.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully before tapping out her response.

“Do you worry he may lie about me?” Twilight asked.

“Not outright,” Janey replied. “Though he may skew things in his favour or attempt to use you in some way.”

After a moment of silence Twilight gestured to the door, indicating that she was ready.

Janey meanwhile, seemed deep in thought for several seconds, her finger caressing the handle of her revolver. Twilight clearing her throat seemed to startle the human out of her bout of introspection however.

“Sorry about that. Let's go,” Janey declared, turning and walking back out the door.

Twilight followed a moment later, being careful not to put another dent in the door frame due to her towering height. Once outside, the deathclaw turned to Janey, and found that on the other end of the dirt path was a large group of humans. Most were openly carrying weapons while others had them within easy reach and a select few didn't seem to bear any obvious weapons at all.

The deathclaw recognized a few from what she had heard from Janey like Doc Mitchell who was standing nervously off to the side. Sunny Smiles and her dog Cheyanne stood at the forefront of the group, a long gun cradled in the young woman’s grip. Beside her the white and black dog laid on the ground, seemingly unbothered by the deathclaw approaching it.

Easy Pete and Ringo were also easily noticeable, with the younger man standing near the center while the bearded human stood off to one side. The rest were unknowns, but seemed to be residents given that Twilight had seen a few of them tending to the big horners. The only person that stood out from the rest was likely the reporter given that they were speaking animatedly into a small device in their hand, eyes sparkling with barely contained excitement.

Gulping down her growing concerns, Twilight walked as confidently as she could manage, though the deathclaw couldn't help but try to make herself a little smaller. She didn't want to startle anyone, but it was hard to keep her nerves under control when the former alicorn felt like she was walking herself to the chopping block. Upon getting within twenty feet of the crowd, the human she recognized as Sunny Smiles raised a hand.

“That's close enough,” she declared.

Twilight stopped in place, shrinking down even more until she was nearly crouching.

Janey meanwhile took position between the two groups, a weary smile on her face. “See? She's intelligent.”

“Or well trained,” muttered an overall wearing male.

“Here, let me show you,” Janey offered, pulling a thin section of metal from her backpack and tossed it at Twilight.

Who caught it delfly. 

“So it can catch, what does that prove?” asked a voice.

“It's not that. She knows english and morse code. Which means that although she can't speak the language she can still communicate,” Janey explained.

“I always thought a deathclaw could talk given their mimicry,” Ringo remarked.

“Her eyes do seem to contain the spark of intelligence,” Doc Mitchell added, rubbing his chin. “She would not follow our conversation if she did not understand it.”

“Wait, are y'all really thinking about not killin this thing?” asked a disgruntled voice. “A giant hyper intelligent apex predator is standing in front of us and we have the chance to end this threat right here!”

“Quit yer yammerin! You heard what Janey said. This one saved our whole damn town from powder gangers,” exclaimed a female who smacked the previous speaker across the back of the head. “Least we can do is hear her out.”

The male muttered something under his breath but ultimately stayed silent.

Janey cleared her throat. “Now then. Does anyone else know morse code?”

Most people shook their heads while Ringo and Doc Mitchell both nodded.

“Good. That means you can independently verify her response. For everyone else, my pipboy will translate what's being said,” Janey continued before turning to the reporter. “Now then, what would you like to ask her?”

The scrawny man in a well worn suit pressed a button on his recording device before clearing his throat. “This is Alan Stock reporting for radio New Vegas. It is may the third, and I am standing before the first reported intelligent deathclaw in almost a decade. Before we get into the meat of the interview could you state your name and age for the record?”

Twilight nodded, and quickly tapped out her answer. “Twilight Sparkle. Age twenty three.”

Janey’s pipboy translated her response to english.

“Janey’s right. She knows english,” Doc Mitchell declared in a shocked tone.

Ringo nodded. “Sure is. Though I’m more concerned as to what she's doing here.”

“I am not here by choice,” Twilight quickly replied. “It is a long story.”

“Fascinating,” muttered the reporter. “Considering you haven't butchered the town yet. I presume you are peaceful?”

Twilight stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Stars above. Why would you even say something like that? Yes, of course I come in peace.”

“That's a strange turn of phrase,” Doc Mitchell muttered.

“Glad I’m not the only one who thought so,” Ringo added.

And with that, the damn seemed to have broken, with most individuals lowering their weapons and relaxing. Some still clutched their guns to their chests but they were in the minority. For the majority simply seeing such disgust on the deathclaw’s face and hearing her affirmation was enough. 

Though it would be a long time for trust to be built, at least for a moment curiosity beat out fear.

“Where did you come from?” shouted someone.

“Why is its horns so big?” asked another.

“What do you want with us?” whispered another.

“What kind of deathclaw are you?” yelled someone else.

“One at a time people,” Janey interrupted, raising her hand.

“In order. A different dimension. I don't know. Nothing, and I have no idea,” Twilight replied.

“A different dimension? Isn't that a little out there? How do you expect people to believe that?” asked the reporter.

“It wouldn't be the first time,” Twilight pointed out. “I don't expect you to believe me.”

“Look, we’ve clearly established that Twilight is friendly. So can we all just put away our guns and relax a little?” Janey encouraged, flashing the crowd a winning smile.

A few voices grumbled, but the remaining nervous hold outs did as the courier asked.

Sunny Smiles unexpectedly broke from the pack, and approached the deathclaw, who flinched from the intensity in the young woman’s eye. Upon getting a few feet away from the towering death lizard, dog in tow, Sunny Smiles glanced up at Twilight before down at Cheyanne. Who walked up to Twilight, sniffed her leg a few times and then sat down next to the deathclaw, her tail wagging slowly.

“Whelp, that's all I needed to see,” Sunny Smiles declared. “Cheyanne’s a better judge of character than most and if she thinks your good people then I’m inclined to agree.”

Twilight smiled, and as gently as she could manage, pet the dog’s furry head.

This seemed to ease the townsfolk more than even the confirmation of her intelligence, and the crowd began to spread out. Some approached Twilight with curiosity in their eyes while others hung back, appraising the situation from further away. The good majority simply stood there in mixed expressions of shock, fear and curiosity, though Twilight noted that it was mostly the last variety.

“Whew that was close,” Janey muttered.

Twilight’s companion stood next to the deathclaw and reached down to pet Cheyanne as well. Only for the creature to growl at her, prompting Janey to recoil her hand quickly.

“Cheyanne, stay. Don't worry, she won't bite unless I tell her to,” Sunny Smiles offered with a chuckle. “Strange that she would react this way though.”

“I never was a fan of animals,” Janey murmured.

The reporter muscled his way to the front of the deathclaw before sticking the recorder up to Twilight’s face. “What did you mean by it's a long story?” he demanded.

Twilight spared a glance at Janey who sighed. “I suppose I could tell it. Well you better have an open mind for this one folks cus its a doozy.”





“That is the single most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Easy Pete remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. “Though with that being said I’ve seen plenty of ridiculous things in my time.”

“Whether or not you are some sort of mystical princess from some medieval nation you seem to be here to stay,” added the reporter. “What do you plan to do now that you can't return home?”

Twilight thought long and hard on the subject, her gaze passing over the many faces staring curiously up at her. Some were still fearful, others clearly distrustful, but none contained the hate Twilight had expected to see. It was a surprise to be certain, but quite welcome given the welcome Twilight had imagined herself getting given her monstrous appearance.

It also spoke to the character of the town that they would at least tolerate her so readily. She briefly wondered if accepting Victor into their midst had helped paved the way for Twilight’s own favorable reception. Either way Twilight was happy that they viewed her so positively, even if that was due to her having killed their enemies for them.

No, not her, it killed them.

“I need to find my friends. I know not what bodies they may find themselves in, but in the end I know we’ll be reunited,” Twilight replied, Janey’s pipboy replaying the message in english a second later.

“Very noble. If you could say one thing to the people of the Mojave, what would it be?” asked the reporter.

Twilight briefly considered reemphasizing the point about her friends, but quickly thought better of it. Instead, she leaned down, and gripped the small metal plate tightly in one clawed hand.

“I would tell every raider, gang member, and evil doer out there that your days are numbered. If you would steal from the weak, or hurt the innocent, know that I am coming for you,” Twilight tapped out before rising back to a stand.

The reporter gulped dramatically. “If any of you nutjobs out there are listening to this broadcast you had best reconsider your life choices. The princess is on your trail now and if that ain't enough to scare the pants off you, why don't you ask your dumb ass buddies what happened to Joe Cobb’s gang.”

“Woah that was harsh Twilight,” Janey remarked.

“I liked it,” Sunny Smiles declared with a grin. “If I didn't have to look after Goodsprings I’d join you two on the road.”

“If you do what you’ve told us you will then you’ll have earned my trust,” remarked Easy Pete before spitting out a wad of chewing tobacco.

“I didn't mean to be that rude. I just wanted to scare them a little,” Twilight hastily responded. “Could I get a do over?”

Janey laughed. “I think it was good. The bad guys should hopefully fear us while the decent folk of the Mojave know not to shoot us on sight.”

“I don't know about that,” remarked the reporter who put his recorder into a jacket pocket, his voice having lost the slight dramatic flair it had a second earlier. “You’d be real dumb not to shoot a deathclaw on sight.”

“You didn't,” Twilight pointed out.

Alan Stock chuckled as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. “That they didn't. But not everyone is as kind as the people of Goodsprings. Nor are they as open minded.”

“Did you just say something nice about someone?” remarked trudy in an incredulous tone. “Cus the last time I read an article written by you which said something kind was probably ten years ago.”

“Now that you mention it you have been more even handed then I remember,” Janey pointed out. “Though that doesn't rule out you going back to the studio and editing this in a manner to make us all look like assholes.”

The reporter exhaled slowly. “We are in strange times. A war is brewing and people are going to need something to look up to. Something larger than life and maybe that thing is you. We’ll just have to see.”

“When are you going to air this?” Janey asked.

Alan shrugged and started digging around in one of his pockets. “Don't know, probably pretty soon though. That being said, it depends if the boss man reinterprets what I’ve said and cut all the recording I’ve done. Either way I owe you one. Here.”

Janey watched curiously as the reporter produced a gambling chip, one marked with the words ‘Lucky 38’ in the center.

“What is this?” Janey asked. 

“Show it to the guys at the entrance to the station and they’ll let you in. If this story ends up being as big as I think it is then I’ll owe ya one and will pay ya back however I can,” Alan explained before turning to the deathclaw. “That is if you turn out to be the force for good that we all hope you are.

“I swear to do the best I can for the good people of the Mojave,” Twilight replied, giving the reporter a confident nod.

“I sure hope you’re everything you say you are because it seems like just about everything is sitting on the edge of a needle, just waiting for someone to push it one way or the other,” Alan Stock remarked, crushing his cigarette beneath his boot.

Janey grinned. “Don't you worry. I’ll make sure of that.”
> A Valuable Lesson Pt1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janey strode confidently down the shattered highway, her gaze staying focused on the path ahead while also occasionally flicking over to Twilight. Who was exploring the pockets of the large cloak she wore, her claws delicately tugging at the interior pouches sewn within. The heavy clothing had been made primarily from big horner leather and had retained the rust-like coloration that the beast had in life.

It also had a hood which could be drawn over the deathclaw’s head, one which was large enough that it covered up to the bump in Twilight’s horns. It was imperfect, but the best they could come up with given such short notice, though it at least covered the rest of the deathclaw completely. Provided it was clasped properly on the front, and the former pony lowered her arms, allowing the cloak to fall into place.

After walking for a while Twilight noticed that if she crouched slightly she could even hide her clawed feet, though doing so would make it difficult to walk properly.

“Like it?” Janey asked.

Twilight nodded, opening her cloak and pointing to the many pockets sewn into the inside with a questioning look on her face.

“I hope you don't mind carrying some of the stuff we find while we're out adventuring,” Janey half asked, half stated. “Deathclaws are one of the strongest creatures in the wasteland save for maybe a super mutant behemoth.”

Twilight cocked her head curiously.

“You remember what I told you about super mutants right?” Janey asked, to which Twilight nodded. “Right, well a behemoth is basically a dumber, bigger version of the standard mutant. They can't even talk but can grow up to twenty feet tall. Or so they say anyway.”

Twilight trembled at the mere thought of such an enormous creature and the horrific strength it must wield.

“Yeah that was my reaction too,” Janey remarked with a chuckle.

Twilight retrieved her metal board from a pocket and tapped out a response. “Why didn't we stay in Goodsprings longer?”

“No reason to,” Janey replied, the woman stuffing her hands in her pockets. “We were fed, watered, and rested up. We also blew most of the caps we’d gotten from that first job as well as the salvage we brought in.”

“I suppose. Why south though?” Twilight questioned.

Janey sighed and lifted her bangs to reveal a grizzly scar hidden by her dark hair. “The man who gave me this is still out there. More than that he was after something special. Something which I think is linked to the master of New Vegas, mister House.”

“How do you know that?” Twilight questioned.

The human settled one hand loosely atop her gun while tucking the other into a pocket. “Call it a hunch, but the entire thing felt weird from the get-go.”

Twilight hummed thoughtfully to herself, walking alongside Janey in silence for several seconds. “Are you going to kill them?”

Janey lifted an eyebrow and glanced at her companion. “Who?”

“The man who shot you?” Twilight pressed.

Janey nodded. “As soon as I walk in the door of the tops casino. Provided he is actually who I think he is”

“The tops?” Twilight questioned.

“It's where that bastard hangs his hat when he isn't out trying and failing to kill people,” Janey remarked.

“How do you know it's the same guy?” Twilight continued.

“I’d recognize that garish suit and irritating slang anywhere,” Janey explained before scratching the back of her neck. “Plus I may have seen him at the casino bar one time I was there.”

Twilight grinned. “Was he a special friend?”

Janey laughed and shook her head. “Nah. I don't know if he's playing for the other team or just stuck up but he wasn't interested in little old me.”

“Though all the whiskey may have been a problem too,” the human added in a low tone.

“Can you tell me more about the surrounding area? Perhaps even show me a map?” Twilight inquired.

“Sure thing. If we head straight down this road we should reach Primm before nightfall. Once there I’ll show you the map and in the meantime, I’ll tell you what I know about the immediate vicinity,” Janey replied.

Twilight nodded and was about to ask her first question when she noticed a familiar structure rise in the distance. Or at least where it should have been, as there was only the partially burnt remnants of what had once been. The sight irritated the deathclaw, and made a growl build at the back of her throat, her claws emerging from her cloak.

“Hey now, don't you worry about those guys,” Janey quickly exclaimed. “Like I said they won't be bothering us. Plus there ain't any evidence of what you did so it ain't likely that they’ll be out for revenge.”

Twilight’s shoulders fell slack, and she turned away from the uncomfortable sight. “Can we go around?” she asked, the deathclaw tapping out her response on the metal sheet she carried in a pocket.

Janey’s brow furrowed. “Just hold on a second.”

Twilight watched as her friend walked over to where the entrance to the building used to be. Once there she looked around, gave a clump of ash a kick, and jogged back to where she came from.

“Sorry about that. Thought I saw something,” Janey quickly exclaimed. “We can go around but be aware that there might be some geckos as well as a few other beasties in those hills.”

“It's fine,” Twilight replied. “At least we wouldn't have to worry about running into any powder gangers over there. Right?”

“Nope,” Janey answered. “Too bad too. I would have enjoyed taking out a few more of those punks.”

“Janey,” Twilight tapped out while giving the human a glare.

The woman raised her hands defensively. “I’m kidding. Well, mostly anyway. They do have some decent gear and their explosives are pretty handy to have around.”

The deathclaw’s eyes narrowed.

Janey sighed. “Just be ready to kill some geckos. Only the starving ones come down from their normal hunting grounds and they are tough little buggers when they're desperate.”

Twilight frowned as much as her new features allowed. The thought of having to kill a bunch of poor, starving animals that didn't know better left a bad taste in her mouth. Even while her new instincts made her wonder how they might actually taste, and if they were better then the mantis legs.

Shaking her head, Twilight and Janey began to walk towards the hilly lowlands which lay to the west. Progress was slow once they left the main road, but there were few signs of human habitation, allowing Twilight to look around. The surrounding landscape reminded Twilight of what little she had seen of the badlands, her mind once more going back to an expedition she had been a part of years ago.

The faint sound of buzzing quickly drew the deathclaw from her thoughts, her nonexistent ears perking up.

“Bloatflies. Two of em by the sound of their wings,” Janey remarked, drawing her pistol. “Likely hanging around that puddle of muck we saw to our south.”

Twilight nodded, silently quite glad that their enemies were both weak, and unintelligent. It also helped that the bugs were so repugnant that even Twilight didn't mind killing them.

Janey scrambled up the side of a short hill and aimed down the sight of her weapon, the human zeroing in on her targets. A second later and a pair of shots rang out, only for Janey to curse bitterly to herself despite the fleshy splat Twilight heard.

“Got one, and clipped the other,” Janey holstered her weapon. “It can't fly though, so it's no longer an issue.”

Twilight leaped atop the small burm and gazed out to where she could see a pair of bloatflies lying in a puddle of radioactive water. One was obviously dead, with a clear hole visible through its middle while the other was trying to get airborne but could only spin slowly in circles. It's one wing hung uselessly at its side while the other caused a flurry of water to shoot in the air with each flap.

With a sigh, the deathclaw began to trudge towards the distant form of the clearly injured bug.

“Really? It's a bloatfly Twilight,” Janey exclaimed with a sigh. “Whatever, I’ll wait here. Need to check something real quick anyway.”

Twilight ignored her, and hopped down from the ridge, making her way towards the injured insect. It didn't take long to find the poor thing, which Twilight noted was so turned around that it couldn't even muster an attack against her. A quick stomp of Twilight’s huge foot crushed the creature flat, swiftly ending its miserable existence.

After wiping her foot clean of bug guts, Twilight briefly considered bringing the other body back to Janey. Apparently, the thing was edible but was so unappetizing that the increasingly hungry deathclaw didn't even feel tempted by it. Instead, she merely gave a look around, and after finding that the area was clear, began the short trek back to her companion.

She managed to get most of the way back before catching the distinct sound of conversation upon nearing the ridge next to where Twilight had left the human.

“She's just up the ridge over there,” claimed a male voice. “I would go myself but I don't have a weapon.”

Janey sighed. “I don't have time to do charity work.”

Twilight poked her head up over the lip and peered down at the human male her companion was talking to. He seemed twitchy and wore only the tattered remnants of what had already been a rather grungy pair of clothes before they had received a tear down the front. He didn't seem to notice the deathclaw’s presence immediately, though the second their eyes met, his hand shot to his waist.

“Holy fuck it's a deahclaw!” He shouted, hastily attempting to draw a pistol from the waistband of his pants only to be stopped by Janey.

“She's with me,” stated the woman whose hand gripped the other human’s wrist. “Wait, I thought you didn't have a weapon.”

“I err…” The man gulped, glancing to the curious deathclaw and then to the courier who now had a weapon in her free hand. “Was going to trick you.”

Twilight snorted.

“It wasn't anything serious!” The man claimed. “There is a stash up there, but I couldn't get it because there are a bunch of geckos between me and it.”

“What's in this stash?” Janey demanded.

The man shrugged. “I’m not sure. There was a fridge up there so I was hoping there would be something to eat.”

Twilight couldn't help but lick her lips, and the deathclaw glanced expectantly down at the woman.

Who sighed. “No tricks. We’ll clear it for you but were splitting the loot seventy five twenty five, got it?”

“Sure, sure,” the man hastily replied, tucking his pistol back into his pants. “The name’s Barton Thorn by the way.”

“Janey,” replied the courier, sticking out her hand.

Barton shook the offered limb hesitantly, glancing to the deathclaw nervously. “And what's its name?”

“She, and it's Twilight,” Jainey replied, cocking a thumb over her shoulder. “I shouldn't have to say this but I better not catch you trying to fuck with us again.”

“I may be stupid but I don't have a deathwish,” Barton replied, hastily taking a step back. “Rule one of the wasteland, don't get in between a deathclaw and its meal.”

“Or else you become the meal,” Janey finished.

Twilight tapped a claw on a rock, getting the human’s attention before pointing at the cliff next to them.

“Yeah yeah. Were going,” Janey replied, holstering her own weapon. “Lead the way Barton.”

The man gave the pair one last nervous look before awkwardly stepping forward. “Err sure thing. Follow me I guess,” he murmured.

Twilight eagerly followed behind the pair, her mind already conjuring up images of what delectable goods may be waiting for her. She knew it was unlikely that she was going to find a nice juicy apple, or even a rather appetizing bundle of hay. Still, the deathclaw couldn't help imagine just that, ignoring the more primal part of her being that rebelled at the mere thought of food which wasn't meat.

In front of the deathclaw, Janey was busy smirking as she watched her new companion steal the occasional glance at the cloaked creature trodding behind them. “You know she isn't going to attack you unless you give her a good reason to,” Janey pointed out.

“Yeah, right. I’ll just relax while some enormous drooling deathclaw is close enough to take my head off before I could blink,” Barton murmured nervously.

Janey rolled her eyes. “So where is this place anyway?”

“Just past the broken radio tower,” Barton replied, pointing towards a pillar of broken steal standing a dozen feet away. “Then it's up around that bluff and around the back. From there it's a straight shot to the top of this rise.”

The woman nodded. “So do you live around here?”

“I’m uh, squatting in the trailer you probably saw back there,” Barton replied as the pair walked around the broken antenna. “It ain't much but it sure beats the last place I stayed .”

“Which was?” Janey pointedly asked.

“Just a little town to the east of here,” his face contorted briefly. “Novac?”

“Are you asking me where you lived?” Janey retorted as they walked around a corner.

The hiss of a charging gecko stopped the conversation dead in its tracks and all eyes turned to where three of the things were already sprinting towards them. Just as Janey predicted they were little more than skin and bones, with one of them not even reaching the human’s knees. Though clearly outmatched, the creatures ran at them, rising up onto their back legs, mouths open wide and jaws dripping with drool.

Janey took a step to the side. “They are all yours.”

Twilight could take it no longer and after throwing back her hood, charged the animals with claws extended. Upon laying eyes on the diminutive creatures, the hunger which had been clawing at the back of Twilight’s mind had suddenly become ravenous. Relinquishing herself to her more bestial urges, the former pony felt her sense of self fall away, replaced by a burning need to kill.

It took mere moments for them to meet, with Twilight utilizing her impressive reach to strike first. Claws parted muscle and bone alike with relative ease, nearly cutting the tallest of the three geckos in half. The smallest of the bunch also got nicked in the process, a deep cut opening on its face and causing it to recoil in pain.

The final gecko managed to dodge Twilight’s follow up swipe and leap at the deathclaw’s midsection, jaws extended. Luck was not on the diminutive beast’s side, however, as its fanged maw met only a tanned hide, its teeth becoming embedded in the heavy material. Lifting her cloak, Twilight struck again, cutting off the beast’s head, its body landing on the ground with a thump while its jaws continued to hold on.

Two seconds later and the creature seemed to realize it was dead, its hold loosening completely. Twilight didn't even notice this, however, as she was busy driving her clawed hand into the gurgling body of the first gecko. The slash across its midsection had disemboweled the poor thing but had not killed it, a mistake the former pony was quick to remedy.

When it slumped to the ground Twilight retrieved her hand and turned towards the smallest gecko. Which was crying in agony as it grabbed at its face, the tiny creature rolling around on the ground. The bestial urge to kill and devour the poor thing immediately faded to nothing and Twilight found herself frowning down at the poor thing.

“That was… quick,” remarked Barton.

“It's not over yet,” added Janey, who pulled a knife from her boot.

Twilight held up a bloody hand to stop the woman.

“What? It's a gecko Twilight,” Janey exclaimed, gesturing to the hissing, sputtering animal. “It would be gnawing on your ankles right now if you didn't knick it earlier.”

Twilight shook her head and gently grabbed the gecko before walking away, ignoring the rude remark uttered by Janey under her breath. Though she no longer had magic with which she could heal the creature, Twilight was fairly certain she wouldn't have needed to. The damage wasn't extensive though it was clear the creature would likely be blind in one eye.

Hopping up over a ledge Twilight quickly reached the spot she had killed the bloatflies, her passenger just now realizing the spot it was in. Rather than bite Twilight the gecko curled up into a ball, blood continuing to pour from the wound on its face. With a deep sigh, Twilight placed the relatively intact corpses on a dry spot of ground beside which she gently deposited the gecko.

Taking a few steps away, Twilight watched as the tiny creature uncurled itself and looked around. Though it was still clearly terrified, and hurting, it immediately turned to the dead fly sitting next to it. Its remaining eye glanced at Twilight and after determining the deathclaw wasn't about to attack it, the animal began to dig in.

Jainey wasn't kidding. This little guy must have been really hungry. Twilight thought to herself. I kind of wish I could take him with me but something tells me that wouldn't be a good idea.

After giving the creature one last glance Twilight turned away from it. Good luck little one.
> A Valuable Lesson Pt2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peeking around the bottom of the bluff, Twilight peered up at the long wide slope which led up to a sharp point. The area to the right rose significantly, while to the left it was much more gradual and would be easy to walk up. There Twilight witnessed a rather grisly scene, as an entire pack of the short purpleish skinned reptiles were feasting on the remains of a dead brahmin.

Not only that but they were also eating their own dead, as well as the corpses of two humans who had likely been driving the pack animal in question. It was evident from the position of the dead geckos and brahmin that the traders had hoped to use the narrow rise to funnel in the geckos. There they deployed several bear traps to stop the creatures, only to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, dying in the process.

Janey poked her head in next to Twilight, along with a nervous Barton Thorn who also gazed up at the rather unpleasant sight. A gecko turning towards the trio made all three of them duck back around the corner and breathe a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

“Did you know there were that many up there?” Janey asked, putting her hand on her gun.

Barton quickly shook his head and raised his hands. “No I swear. I left for a few hours to grab some water from Goodsprings. I didn't know about any of this.”

Twilight snorted derisively, shooting Janey a glare.

The other female frowned, but lifted her hand from her weapon. “Fine. I believe you but this is a little above and beyond our agreement. There must be at least twenty of the things up there.”

“Oh come on, Seventy five was more than a generous split,” Barton whined.

Twilight held up a hand, silencing them both while she pulled out her peice of metal. “Why don't you leave any remaining gear on the traders to us while you get the rights to all the meat, and skins of the geckos. Surely they must be worth something, and we couldn't bring all of them with us anyway.”

Barton breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head. “That sounds more than fine with me. Maybe I can even swing a deal with a townie to store some food in an open freezer.”

“Thats fair, but I want at least one or two for us. We have to eat too and Gecko meat ain't bad as far as wasteland critters go,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight nodded, pulled back her hood and extended her claws, making it obvious that she was ready to move.

Janey held up a hand though, stopping the deathclaw before she could move. “Wait. We should discuss a plan. Twilight I want you to take point and run right into the middle of them. Barton and I will remain back and pick off the stragglers while also supporting you as best as we can.”

“I only got eight bullets left, but I’ll do what I can,” Barton remarked.

Twilight frowned, and pointed to Janey’s weapon and then to herself before shaking her horned head.

“I won't shoot you,” Janey stated irritably. “Don't worry.”

Twilight snorted, but nodded despite her disbelief, readying herself for the conflict she knew was coming. Internally she didn't like having to fight, but these creatures had taken down some innocent traders. If allowed to live they may strike again now that they no longer feared what the humans may do to them.

“Alright on three, ready?” Janey began, receiving a nod from both of her companions. “Three, two, one, go!”

Twilight leapt out from behind her cover and immediately began to sprint towards the main group of geckos clustered around the dead two headed cow. Her pounding feat quickly alerted the gathered horde, and when her reptilian prey rose up to defend themselves Twilight immediately realized her mistake. These ones werent like the tiny starving runts they had likely kicked out, and instead stood tall enough to nearly rival Twilight herself.

These larger beasts had spines lining their back while their smaller cousins lacked this feature as well as their brighter coloration. Thankfully there were only two of the larger kind, while the rest were much smaller and kept their distance from the pair. That was until they let out a shrill cry of rage and launched themselves at Twilight, then the horde closed ranks before attacking her in earnest.

Knowing full well that her companions would be unlikely to hold their own against the spined beasts, Twilight chose to focus on them and ignore the others. As she pounded up the slope the deathclaw released a ferocious roar that came from deep in her diaphragm. Immediately the lesser geckos began to scatter, some running away while others plowed through their cowardly allies.

With the majority of the horde now confused at least temporarily Twilight made a beeline straight for the two who werent. As she ran she lashed out with her claws, cutting down one gecko after another before slamming shoulder first into one of the larger variants. For a moment she couldn't help but focus on the fresh blood coating her claws, bloodlust nearly overwhelming her.

Twilight refused to let that happen, and instead chose to keep her mind focused on the battle happening around her. The former pony didn't exactly know a lot about fighting in such a body, but years of adventuring and world saving had given her at least a small grasp on the subject in general. For starters she knew that despite her size she would be overwhelmed by the small horde if she didn't bring down the two larger creatures holding the group together.

To that end Twilight focused on the opponent she had already knocked to the ground, swiping her claws across its face and chest. The attacks were slightly mitigated by the creature’s arms it raised in its defence, though even then it lost a hand and several fingers in the process. Unfortunately Twilight couldn't keep pressing her attack as the second larger one had clamped down on her right arm.

The creature’s razor sharp teeth easily pierced the leather coat Twilight wore, and dug deep into the deathclaw’s flesh. Rage poured through Twilight’s mind, and for a moment she almost felt like she was back in that room, fighting those gang members. It took effort but she kept those dark thoughts at bay, swinging her arm with all the strength she could muster and sending the beast flying.

By the time she had freed her limb a dozen more of the beasts were already clawing away at her however, giving time for the first to rise back up. Most of the diminutive lizards couldn't even pierce her leather coat, but a few enterprising Geckos had managed to slip through and were scratching away at her legs. A firm stomp crushed the head of one, and a gunshot suddenly dropped another which had been chewing on Twilight’s long tail.

A few more swipes and she had either killed or driven back the majority of her reptilian attackers, leaving her facing off against the two from before. This time they eyed Twilight more carefully, though they quickly proved how limited their intelligence was by leaping directly at her anyway. Jaws extended and both tried to bite the deathclaw in the midsection only to miss completely when Twilight stepped out of the way.

The gecko that had lost a hand tumbled forward, unable to stop his momentum and leaving him in a crumpled heap. Twilight wasted no time in stomping his head into the dirt, crushing it like an oversized grape and causing brains to shoot out over the dry desert ground. His ally was a little faster, and more well coordinated, leaping up at Twilight and attempting to bite her in the throat.

Twilight was quicker still though, and with a jerk of her head, swatted the beast aside using a single massive horn. The deathclaw followed this up with an attack of her own, burying one of her clawed hands into the beast’s midsection. It didn't give up even after such a grizzly blow, and even while its guts spilled out in front of it the gecko continued to attempt to bite her.

Powerful jaws clamped down hard on Twilight’s wrist, piercing leather and scales alike before Twilight quickly withdrew the limb. Teeth and blood went flying as Twilight stumbled back, only now becoming aware of the several other small creatures that were still attacking her. Bullets flew, and one of them fell, but still more of the annoying creatures viciously clawed at the deathclaw.

One had grabbed hold of her tail and was biting repeatedly on the large limb before being dislodged when Twilight whipped it into the air. A backhand sent another gecko flying, while a swipe cut one of the beasts in twain. By then the sound of gunfire had slowed, and Twilight’s bloodlust had begun to fade, though it didn't leave her completely.

Not while there were still enemies left to kill.

Looking down, Twilight noticed one of the geckos had climbed its way up her coat and was trying to gnaw through the midsection. She was about to shake the beast off of her when a human form lurched into view, weapon held high over his head. The impact of a pistol butt hitting the gecko’s head caused the creature to let go and fall to the ground, dazed.

Barton wasted no time in delivering a flurry of pistol whips to the top of the beast’s head, only stopping when the beast went limp. Breathing heavily, Twilight noticed the human had several open wounds, though none of which seemed like they would be fatal. The deathclaw was about to turn to the final smaller gecko that had been attacking her only to see the creature sprinting away into the hills.

It didn't make it far before Janey shot it in the back, dropping the animal instantly.

“Damn those things can take a beating,” Janey muttered as she wiped clean the blood from her knife.

The courier seemed a little better off then Twilight and Barton, sporting only a single open cut on her hand. Reloading her weapon, Janey put her revolver back into her holster before stepping up the deathclaw and looking her up and down.

“Ya hurt?” She asked simply.

Twilight lifted her arm, and revealed the bloody holes left by the gecko’s attack. Though rather deep, and quite painful it didn't feel nearly as bad as it looked. The deathclaw wondered if her new nervous system was slightly dulled, or if her sense of pain was simply different.

Either way she didn't feel as though the injury was too bad, and after inspecting the rest of her body she found that they too were insignificant. Only a few scratches could be seen, as well as a couple bite marks on her tail were visible and most hurt about as much as a papercut. The sight of her blood made Twilight stop though, as it had a slightly bluish sheen to it that seemed wrong to her for some reason.

“Ya don't look half bad, does it hurt?” Barton asked, wiping the sweat from his brow before pointing to Twilight’s arm.

The deathclaw shook her head and let her sleeve back into place. She was about to draw her metal sheet when her stomach rumbled noisily.

“Help yourself. To the victor, the spoils,” Bartan exclaimed, gesturing to the small graveyard of geckos that surrounded them.

Twilight’s mind rebelled at the notion of eating something that was still bloody, but the clawing sensation in her belly was growing stronger. As it grew Twilight increasingly felt her gaze drawn to Barton Thorn, and the open gash on his arm. She briefly wondered what he would taste like before Twilight shook her head hard and turned towards one of the geckos.

The first one which caught her gaze was the other larger gecko that had evidently succumbed to its wounds shortly after she had turned away from it. Though a grim, bloody sight, Twilight quickly pushed down the bile which rose in her belly and grabbed one of its arms. A sharp tug tore the thing out of its socket, and even while a small part of her rebelled at her actions, the deathclaw bit into the soft flesh.

Scaly skin and dense muscle parted easily, causing a tidal wave of blood to flow into Twilight’s mouth, nearly making her wretch. This time when she was tempted to give into her more bestial urges, Twilight relinquished herself fully to her more animalistic side. Immediately all sense of decorum vanished as the deathclaw tore into her prey with ruthless efficiency.

Mouthful after mouthful of still warm flesh made its descent into her belly, the former pony mentally recoiling in horror. Her sense of self had been dulled however, her instincts allowing her to keep the food down without throwing up the instant it hit her stomach. In seconds there was nothing left on the arm but bones, which she tossed aside without a second thought before ripping into the gecko’s midsection.

Organs were pulped, intestines removed, and great hunks of meat were swallowed with little chewing happening beforehand. In a minute there was barely anything left of the gecko, and with her belly now full, Twilight felt her senses slowly return to her. As it happened she struggled to stop herself from throwing up, the pony having to remind herself what would happen if she did so.

I don't want to have to do that all over again. Twilight thought to herself, the deathclaw wiping her hands in the dirt and cleaning them as best as she could. That should hopefully tide me over for a while. Though due to my size it will probably be only a day or two before I will need to eat again.

The thought was a grim one, and Twilight didn't look forward to submitting herself to her animal side any time soon. Though the alternative was getting used to consuming the warm, bloody flesh of her victims which was equally as unpleasant.

The deathclaw’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard the click of a gun, and looked up to find Janey was pointing her weapon at Barton. Twilight immediately reared up to her full height and walked over to the pair, eying them closely. Both seemed on edge, with Barton holding his pistol like a club while Janey’s eyes burned with hatred.

“Don't shoot him,” Twilight tapped out.

“And why shouldn't I?” Janey demanded, jabbing her gun at the man. “This fucker is a powder ganger. I bet he’ll try to blow us up the second we turn our backs on him.”

Twilight glanced down at Barton expectantly.

The man winced, and raised his hands. “I may have been at one point but that's behind me now.”

“You don't get to just walk away from a life of crime,” Janey spat.

“I hardly even did anything in the first place!” Barton shouted. “Those NCR fucks gave me life just for having the wrong kind of friends.”

“The NCR might be messed up in a lot of ways, but they ain't in the business of locking up innocent people,” Janey retorted.

Twilight leaned forward and gently forced Janey’s gun down before tapping out a quick response. “Let him tell us the whole story so we can understand the situation.”

Janey scowled, but reluctantly pointed her weapon away from the man. “Fine. But if there is even a one percent chance this fuck is lying to us I’m going to blow his godamn head off.”

The deathclaw frowned, and motioned with an open palm to the other human, inviting him to speak.

Barton grunted, and put away his empty gun. “Like I was trying to tell you. My friends started a gang back west in order to stay alive. We never did anything serious, just protected a few caravans, and popped a couple of raiders. Between the bounties and the loot the psychos had on them we were able to carve out a nice little place in this rundown old factory.”

“Then someone got greedy,” Janey remarked.

The man’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah. The head honcho was an old pal of mine from way back in the day. Pretty soon we ate up all the good, honest paying jobs around. So he started doing some less than legal stuff like opening a bar without a license, handing out loans and charging crazy interest on them, that kinda thing.”

Twilight snorted at the man.

Barton winced. “I’m getting there okay? Look, the point is he wanted to do stuff I wasn't willing to be a part of and so I left. It wasn't long before I found out the guy had a bounty of his own at this point and so I sold him out to the NCR for a nice chunk of change.”

“Or so you thought,” Janey interpreted. “Lemme guess, they went back on their deal?”

“Coupla troopers ended up biting it when they attacked the hide out. They convinced the judge I must have warned them the cops were coming,” Barton snorted, and kicked a chunk of dirt. “So there I was stuck in jail with whoever was smart enough to give themselves up without a fight.”

“That must have been quite unpleasant,” Twilight remarked.

“You’re telling me,” Barton bitterly replied. “I’m not sure who hated me more. The guards or the other prisoners.”

Janey sighed, and holstered her weapon. “That was quite the story.”

“It's the truth,” Barton stated earnestly.

“I believe him,” Twilight added.

“And as much as I hate to say it I do too,” Janey muttered, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “So what do ya plan on doing now?”

Barton shrugged. “Try to survive as long as I can out here. It ain't like any town is going to take me in.”

Twilight held up a finger before hastily tapping out her response. “Why don't you offer to give the town the lion’s share of the meat haul in return for accepting you.”

“Then I won't have anything to eat,” complained the man, only to sigh. “Though I guess it's not like I can eat all this before it goes bad anyway.”

“Goodsprings will take care of ya,” Janey exclaimed, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “But you better move that stuff quickly before the bloatflies catch wind of it.”

“R-right,” Barton murmured. “Thanks Twilight.”

The deathclaw nodded as the human scurried away and began to grab as many dead geckos as he could carry.

Janey frowned as she watched Barton scurry about. “You know that might be a load of hogwash he just sold us, right?”

Twilight raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the woman.

“I know I said I believed him but I still ain't a hundred percent sure he was tellin the truth,” Janey replied.

“I believed it,” Twilight stated.

Janey shook her head one last time before turning around. “Come on. Let's finish looting this place.”

Twilight pointed to the fridge and then to herself before pointing from Janey to the mostly eaten brahmin.

“Fine, fine. Just watch out for traps. I’m pretty sure there are more up there,” Janey muttered before turning around and walking away.

Free to walk around on her own, Twilight trotted up to the fridge though not before stopping to check for more obstacles. Sure enough a couple of rusty bear traps were waiting for her, which she quickly disarmed by tossing a rock into. With those out of the way Twilight opened the fridge to find a small pouch of caps, several playing cards, and a loose selection of ammo.

Tucking all of that into her pouches, she was about to close the door only to notice that one of the fridge’s drawers were occupied. After pulling it open Twilight found several small boxes with images of food printed on them. Sniffing them revealed that they smelled like cardboard, and more preservatives than a thousand year old mummy.

“Dandy boy apples,” Twilight muttered to herself. “Produce of U.S.A. I wonder what they taste like.”

Opening up the container Twilight found herself looking down on two individually wrapped candied apples. Plucking one from its plastic contents, Twilight tentatively bit into it, savoring the odd mix of tastes which danced across her tongue. Which were basically just caramel and cardboard, as all flavor from the apple had been completely removed by all the chemicals pumped into it.

Twilight finished the first apple before putting the box away, deciding to only finish them when she was really hungry. Turning towards the rest of her find, Twilight noticed that they had pictures of meat on them though one was red while the other was a blue color. Her curiosity already stifled by the unpleasant apple Twilight was about to turn away when she noticed something odd.

Slightly further up, on the very edge of the cliff was a table, chair, box of ammo, and a corpse. Walking up to the body Twilight also noticed that four orange balls were laid in a line pointing off the edge. There was also a half smoked cigarette still smoldering in an ashtray, a camera, and a cup sitting on the ground.

Checking the body revealed that the man was long dead, though for some reason he gave off no smell whatsoever. Looking a little closer Twilight found an ace in his hand, four others of which were sitting on the table next to him. Frowning to herself, Twilight wondered what had happened to him before reluctantly choosing to ignore it.

Whatever had killed the man was likely long gone, and for some reason the corpse gave off such bad vibes that she even her animal side didn't find him appetizing. Shaking her head, Twilight grabbed everything of value including the cup and camera before walking away.

This is one weird place. She thought.
> A Valuable Lesson Pt3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What did you find?” Asked Janey who stood up and wiped her bloody hands off on her coat.

Twilight opened her jacket to reveal the box of ammo, playing cards, caps, camera, cup as well as the ancient boxes of food she had found. It wasn't a lot but Twilight felt rather proud of what she had managed to locate, even if robbing the dead still didn't sit well with her.

“Not bad,” Janey remarked, pointing to the ground next to her. “Drop the ammo here and I’ll see if there is anything good in there.”

Twilight nodded and did just that, pulling her talking plate out after it was done.

“What are you going to trade me for the ammo?” Twilight inquired.

Janey chuckled after her pipboy translated the series of sharp taps. “We only divy up the goods after we are completely done looting. Don't worry, I’ll make sure everything is fair.”

Twilight wasn't sure if she believed her companion, but her words made sense if nothing else. “Fine. What did you find?” Inquired the deathclaw.

“A big bag full of caps,” Janey began, patting a bloody bag sitting next to her. “A couple guns, a loose assortment of mostly destroyed clothing, and a grenade that one of the geckos chewed on.”

The deathclaw gently pulled open the top of the bag to find that it did indeed have all the things Janey mentioned. There were also a few random items like a toaster, some electronic components, and a small bundle of scrap as well. They didn't look terribly important, and from what Twilight had been able to gather they werent worth much either.

“Where to next?” Twilight inquired.

Janey stood up, fished her water flask out of her pocket and quickly cleaned her hands before digging into Twilight’s cache of ammo. It didn't take long to sort, but once it was done Janey quickly tucked them away in secure pockets of her backpack.

“We keep moving south as planned. Though if we stay on this side of the road we may run into more geckos or a few feral ghouls,” Janey warned.

“Those are the things that were once people right?” Twilight asked.

Janey nodded, and carefully went about cleaning her new gear before packing it into her bag. “Yup. They got a bit too much radiation and are little more than walking corpses at this point.”

Twilight frowned. “Is there nothing we can do to help them?”

“Other than by giving them a quick death? Nope,” Janey stated quite matter of factly before tossing her bag over her shoulder. “The ghoulification process leaves little left of the brain save for the more base instincts to feed on anything they can find.”

“Anything?” Twilight asked somewhat hesitantly.

“Unfortunately,” Janey answered with a solemn nod. “The only thing they won't try to kill and eat are each other.”

Twilight gazed down at the distant expanse of small bumps and indents in the land to the south. She could make out the forms of a few geckos, as well as the odd buzzing bloatfly hovering over some fetid pool. She could also see a few more bipedal creatures in the distance though her eyesight wasn't good enough to make out any details. They appeared human however, wearing scraps of clothing and congregating in small groups.

“Come on. We better get moving if we want to get to Primm before nightfall,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight nodded, and followed after the human as she began to trot down the long slope. They didn't get moving right away however, as they made the short trek back to the Goodsprings source. Once Twilight had cleansed herself of as much blood as possible, and drank her fill, the pair turned south once more.

Though Twilight had been tempted to tell her companion to ditch their latest haul in Goodsprings, she resisted the urge to do so. Janey seemed intent on reaching their destination quickly, and Twilight didn't want to get in the way of that. Plus the deathclaw didn't want to imagine what kind of beasts would emerge after the sun had set.

Together they maneuvered through the tight dry riverbeds and craters that covered the area west of the highway. As they walked the pair were forced to face off against a couple bloatflies as well as the odd gecko. The flying irritants were dealt with easily enough, with Janey taking them out well before the creatures could launch an attack of their own.

The geckos were slightly more difficult, but were usually by themselves or in only small groups. Meaning Twilight had a relatively easy time cutting them down by herself with only little help from Janey. The majority of the critters not starving and desperate gave Twilight a wide berth, avoiding the deathclaw as best as they could manage.

The exception to that rule were ghouls who seemed to have little regard for their personal well being. With a gutteral snarl a trio of the things charged over a burm towards the pair, arms extended and teeth bared. Twilight couldn't help but wince upon laying eyes on the creatures, as they were far uglier than what Janey had described them to be.

Sure the human had mentioned that ghouls had rather unpleasant visages but her description of them wasn't even close. These unfortunate former humans had little skin left on their faces, and their blank, empty eyes contained no spark of intelligence. All three were missing their noses, bearing only two tear drop shaped holes where the appendage should be.

They also lacked lips, while one was missing an entire arm which didn't seem to bother him one bit. Barefoot and wearing only tattered rags, the three ghouls had discolored red skin which bore many half healed injuries. Only one of them even had any hair left on their head, though that was being generous as it was little more than a small tuft of brown attached to his brow.

Twilight wanted to feel pity for these creatures, to experience some kind of hesitation when the urge to cut them down arose, but there was nothing. They were simply too far gone, as even their body language spoke of an animal desperate for its next meal. Rather then a thinking human being that was struggling with its more bestial nature, the feral ghouls were simply beasts.

A swipe of Twilight’s right claw struck one of the feral ghouls across the face, making it recoil in pain as it clutched it's even more ruined features. Half coagulated blood pumped out of its open wounds, worsening the already unpleasant stench of decay which hung heavy in the air.

Beside her, Twilight heard Janey unload three shots into the chest of another ghoul, dropping it to the ground in a heap. Slightly distracted by the deep revulsion Twilight felt welling in her belly, the deathclaw didn't initially finish her enemy off. Giving it and its final remaining ally time to attack her at the same time.

The injured one swung its limbs like blunted clubs, hitting Twilight in the arm and doing little to the deathclaw. Its companion was a little smarter and tried to scratch at Twilight’s face, but hit nothing after Twilight took a step back.

There is nothing I can do save for granting them a quick death. Twilight thought to herself.

Ignoring her instincts to lash out with her claws, Twilight reached out and grabbed the two feral ghoul’s heads. She then brought them sharply together before either had a chance to even struggle against her grip. The eruption of half rotten brains, and foul blackened blood nearly made Twilight throw up.

The deathclaw quickly stepped back and wiped her hands on the ground, swiftly cleansing them of all remnants of her former opponents. A little water helped get rid of the worst of it, though Janey seemed reluctant to use much of the precious liquid. Not like Twilight could really blame her, and it was only after Twilight’s claws were clean that she was able to breathe a little easier.

“Better?” Janey inquired.

Twilight nodded and pulled out her plate. “Is there really nothing you can do for them?”

“Plenty of people have tried, and all have failed,” Janey stated, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “Once feral there really isn't anything you could do for them. Unless you were somehow able to regrow parts of their brain.”

Twilight sighed as she looked down on the three dead ghouls. “What a terrible end.”

“What was that?” Janey inquired.

“Nothing,” Twilight tapped out on the pad.

“I’m proud of you for taking them out by the way,” Janey exclaimed. “Too many would be prospectors let pity cloud their vision and end up in the belly of a feral.”

Twilight grumbled to herself. “They werent there anymore.”

“Very true, now come on. Let's keep it moving. I think I can see Primm coming up,” Janey remarked before turning and walking away.

Twilight hesitated, her gaze lingering on the corpses for a few more seconds. 

How have I changed so much in so little time? Thought the former pony. Just a few days ago I had never dreamed of killing another living thing and now look at me. 

Twilight glanced down at her great clawed hands. Now I don't feel anything even after killing creatures which had once been sentient. How much will I change before I find my friends?

The deathclaw sighed, and let her arms fall to her sides as her thoughts went out to her family. Even if I somehow get my body back would I even be the same Twilight? What would Celestia say if she saw me? Would they even accept me if they knew what I had done.

Twilight shook her head vigorously. I haven't done anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. I’m sure if I just explained everything they would understand what I’ve gone through.

“Are you coming or what?” Janey shouted from up ahead.

Twilight sighed and grunted in response. Have a mental breakdown later. Right now we have more pressing concerns like finding our friends and surviving long enough to do so.

Finding the human was easy enough, as all Twilight had to do was follow the sound of old timey music. Once Twilight located the courier, the deathclaw quickly took position to her companion’s right. 

“Y'all right?” Janey inquired.

Twilight nodded slowly. “Just thinking.”

“You know I can't understand you right?” Janey replied.

Twilight grunted. “I know.”

“Well at least that one was obvious,” Janey remarked with a chuckle.

“And now it's time for some news, and this one's doozy,” stated the familiar voice of mister New Vegas. “Now what I’m about to tell you all may sound like the ravings of a psycho addict but I swear on a stack of caps that it's all true.”

Twilight perked up, and glanced expectantly at Janey whose own curiosity seemed to have been piqued as well, the human turning up the volume.

“By now you’ve heard about how Goodsprings fended off a mob of escaped convicts after receiving some assistance from a courier,” continued the man in a somber tone. “What you didn't know was that a deathclaw with the brain of a princess from another world was the one that did most of the saving.”

“Yes you heard that right folks I just said a deathclaw princess saved a town of humans of its own volition and not only that but it hung around to do an interview,” stated the man. “We’ll be airing the entire thing tomorrow but for now I’ll give you the most pertinent information right now.”

I wish they wouldn't call me an it. Twilight thought bitterly.

“This deathclaw is smart, knows english, and seems to have a conscience to boot,” exclaimed Mr New Vegas. “Her name is about as intimidating as a basket of puppies so I’m just gonna call her princess. Sorry Twilight Sparkle, but that name just ain't suited for the wasteland.”

My name is just fine! Twilight wanted to yell, only to grumble to herself.

“Right, the second thing you need to know is that she's here looking for her friends. So if you see any walking talking ponies you either need to put down the jet or give your nearest New Vegas reporter a ring,” Mr New Vegas explained. “If you’re a good, honest sort then that's about as much as you need to know, cus the princess ain't here to start a fight.”

“If you’re some raider or psycho looking to prey on the innocent though, well then you got another thing coming. And that thing is six hundred pounds of corded muscle with claws that can rip through steel. Yes that's right folks, our resident princess ain't a fan of the wasteland’s meanest inhabitants, but don't take my word for it. She said so herself,” Mr New Vegas announced.

“I would tell every raider, gang member, and evil doer out there that your days are numbered. If you would steal from the weak, or hurt the innocent, know that I am coming for you,” announced a computerized voice Twilight immediately recognized.

“That was the scoop straight from the horse’s mouth,” Mr New Vegas remarked. “Now I won't blame you if you think I lost my marbles, but I assure you what you’ve heard here is the truth. Go ask the people of Goodsprings if you really don't believe me.”

“Remember folks, the whole interview will be on the air tomorrow at noon so don't touch that dial and in the meantime, remember. If you see a deathclaw traveling with some courier, keep your gun in your holster, or else,” Mr New Vegas exclaimed in a slightly threatening tone. “That's all for now folks. I’ll have more news at the top of the hour, but in the meantime I’ve got some Dean Martin for you all.”

As the dulcet tones of some long dead singer emerged from Janey’s wrist, Twilight let out a soft sigh. “I really should have asked to redo that part,” Twilight muttered.

“I can't believe they barely even mentioned me,” Janey grumpily remarked. “Some courier? I mean come on. First I save you from that basement thing, and then I convince the town to give you a chance. I feel like they are underplaying my part in this.”

Twilight chuckled. “I’m sure they’ll include you the next time we do something noteworthy.”

Janey frowned after her pipboy had finished translating Twilight’s clicks and clacks. “Well hopefully the next time they talk about us it's too congratulate me on killing that checkered asshole.”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, trying to ignore the venom in her companion’s tone. “Which side of Primm are we supposed to enter again?”

“We are supposed to go to the right there but I’m pretty sure you could bend the bars and get us in the left…” Janey remarked, the girl pausing atop a hill overlooking the aforementioned town. “We are still a minute or two away, but we could sneak in the back.”

Twilight raised a non-existent eyebrow and gestured to herself. 

“Right. Stealth is kind of out of the realm of possibilities,” Janey shrugged. “It's fine. Some folk back in goodsprings were talking about escaped convicts so we should probably talk to those ncr losers stationed nearby before we head in.”

Twilight opened a hand palm up, asking the human to elaborate.

Janey sighed and hopped down, walking towards the western entrance to Primm. “Like I mentioned before the NCR is just three companies pretending to be a country. They are especially bad for small towns like this because they tax them to death, leaving few caps for the population.”

“Wouldn't the added security increase trade?” Twilight inquired.

“Theoretically, but Primm especially needs to be able to offer more competitive pricing compared to New Vegas. After all, Mr House would probably rather die than let the NCR gain a hold on his city and he doesn't have to worry about that kinda overhead,” Janey explained.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully as they trotted towards the entrance to Primm, her gaze focusing on the enormous rollercoaster to the left. Though dilapidated, and partially collapsed it was still an impressive sight, one that made Twilight imagine what it would have been like back in the day. It certainly would have been an interesting ride given that it wound around the hotel itself, though it might not be as fun if you were trying to enjoy a midday nap.

Rainbow Dash would probably love and hate that place. Twilight thought to herself.

Not much else was viewable from the current angle, as the entire town was built on a slightly raised section. Though only a few meters tall the edge of this area also had towering metal fences that would make entrance difficult for the average human. Brown and rusted from decades of little maintenance, these barriers would likely be easily toppled, if Twilight put her mind to it.

The deathclaw could also see a smaller blocky looking casino across from the much larger one topped by the bison sign that stood tall on the first one. This one had no grand gimmick like a roller coaster built atop the other hotel, or at least not one that was readily apparent anyway. Other than that there was what looked like a few shacks as well as several prewar structures that were mostly rubble.

The main highway lay on the right of the town, but between it and the main entrance. Which was a half collapsed bridge that connected the town to the on ramp to the right. This area was much smaller and was mostly rubble save for two intact prewar buildings and some distant tents. There was also a small sandbag fortification at the forefront that happened to be manned by a lone soldier wielding a long rifle.

Twilight couldn't tell much about the individual due to how far away they were, but the deathclaw could tell the human was wearing a brown shirt. They also had an equally dull, dirt colored helmet, pants, and what looked like a breastplate bearing the NCR logo which completed the uniform.

By then Twilight had followed Janey nearly up to the entrance, though the human stopped next to a large boulder just beside the road.

“Hold up. Wait here a moment so I can warn the guy about you,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight nodded, and stepped off to the side, content to let her gaze wander over the landscape. To the tall mountains to her right, and the smaller ones to her left, Twilight ruminated over the information Janey had given her. Though Twilight had little doubt that the human’s words were true, the former pony could also tell that they were slanted somewhat.

Equestria had a few plutocracies in its history, though most were short lived at best. The other human world, by contrast, had quite a number of countries ruled by the rich and powerful. Throughout their history more than a few nations had been covertly, or overtly controlled by a select few.

There was even that one country, the united something or other that was supposedly controlled by rich people and that was also a modern nation state. Twilight thought to herself. I wonder if I’m being told the whole truth here or if-

Twilight’s musings were cut off when she heard a yell.

“Alright you can come out now!” Janey shouted from further down the road.

Twilight perked up and peeked out from around the corner.

The soldier standing next to Janey jumped, and his weapon rose an inch or two before he lowered it once more. Twilight noticed he was breathing faster, and the deathclaw could even smell something strange wafting from the human. The scent was acrid, bitter and almost metallic in a way. It was almost akin to blood but not quite the same.

“Well hollee shit,” muttered the soldier. “You werent kidding. I owe the sarge twenty caps.”

“He heard the broadcast,” Janey exclaimed, noticing Twilight had hardly moved. “Come on he ain't gonna shoot ya. Right private?”

The soldier nodded. “Err right. Sorry.”

The human slung his weapon over his shoulder, letting it fall slack.

Twilight stepped out fully, and trod up to the man, who did his best to appear brave all while smelling more and more unpleasant by the second.

I wonder if I can smell his fear? Twilight thought before crouching down before the man and giving him a polite bow before retrieving her plate. “How are you this fine evening?”

After Janey’s pipboy translated, the soldier relaxed slightly. “Uh, not bad and yourself?”

Twilight went to tap out a response only to grunt and shrug instead.

“Heh. I don't need a translator to know what that means,” remarked the male.

“So can you let us in?” Janey inquired, gesturing to the road behind him.

“Right. I need to warn the sarge, stay right here,” stated the soldier before hastily jogging back to the camp in the distance.

As soon as the man disappeared into a tent Twilight noticed Janey move into the small sandbag embankment behind her. Twilight paid little mind to her companion, and merely watched as a small group of soldiers emerged from the tent. Their eyes lit up upon seeing Twilight and though none reached for their weapons, they were all visibly on edge.

A few seconds later and Janey returned not long before the man from earlier ran back up to them.

“Lieutenant Hayes wants to have a word with you,” exclaimed the soldier.

“Are we in trouble?” Janey inquired.

The soldier shook his head. “Nah nothing like that. He’s just curious.”

Twilight grunted, and extended a hand invitingly.

“Yeah, yeah lets get this over with,” Janey bitterly mumbled.

Together the pair approached the small gathering of soldiers, each one of whom kept their guns holstered or slung over their back. From left to right there was a male with nearly the same uniform as the man Twilight had just passed, save for the addition of shoulder pads. He also had a slim goate, a tanned face, and a pair of goggles over his helmet, as well as a rather bitter looking expression.

Beside him stood a slightly taller, calmer looking individual wearing a green beret, his right hand resting on a large pistol at his hip. Three other soldiers were standing next to him, though they stood a few feet back and seemed deferential to the other two.

Upon approach Twilight nodded to one with a hat and quickly tapped out a greeting. “Good afternoon lieutenant. How are you?”

A second later Janey’s pipboy translated and the man’s eyebrow rose. “Huh, would ya look at that. Old man Vegas wasn't lying after all.”

“Either that or it's bloody well trained,” remarked the soldier with the goatee.

“Nah. I know morse code after some time spent in the radio corps. She understands us,” replied the lieutenant.

“Well now that's out of the way, what did you want to discuss with us?” Janey interrupted.

“Just wanted to sit down and have a friendly chat, if that's alright with you two,” offered the soldier.

Twilight nodded and glanced to Janey, who was more reluctant in her response.

“Fine, but it better be quick. We have a lot to do before nightfall,” stated the courier.

The soldier smiled. “Excellent. Now then, back to your stations, all of you.”

The other soldiers minus mister goatee dispersed quickly, leaving the four of them alone in the small central area of the camp.

“Now then, shall we?”
> My Kind Of Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both soldiers seated themselves at a picnic table, with the higher ranking of the two gesturing to the spot across from him. “Please, rest a moment while we discuss things,” he offered.

“I’ll stand,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight grunted and plopped down next to the table, causing the ground to shake for a moment.

“Alright then as you may know Primm isn't exactly in a good place right now,” began the beret wearing soldier. “Before we get into that, this is Sergeant MCGee, and my name is Lieutenant Hayes. I am in charge of containing these fugitives but with logistics being what it is I cannot fulfill this duty.”

“Obviously,” muttered Janey as she continued to pace.

“Don't waste your time lieutenant. They obviously won't help,” exclaimed the goateed soldier who crossed his arms over his chest.

Twilight grunted and raised a hand, encouraging Hayes to continue.

“Er thank you,” he muttered before clearing his throat. “Without additional manpower I can't do anything for the people of Primm who are currently under threat by a splinter gang of convicts.’

“Splinter gang?” Janey questioned. “How can you know for sure?”

“We saw them fighting with a bunch of powder gangers shortly after they took over the Bison Steve hotel,” the sergeant offered. “Left one dead and another limping away with a half dozen stab wounds. That kinda scuffle doesn't exactly happen between friends.”

Twilight grunted.

“So this pack of convicts isn't supported by the larger powder ganger organization then?” Janey pressed.

“We don't believe so, no,” Hayes replied.

“Then why haven't you started picking them off?” Janey exclaimed, throwing open her arms. “You have the training, the better equipment. You don't have to take them all at once, just drive a little fear in their heart and they’ll turn tail.”

“Its not that simple,” growled the other soldier. “We don't have proper long guns, nor do we have jurisdiction over Primm in the first place.”

“Beyond that our orders are to stay here and remain in position until such time that our logistical issues have been resolved,” added the lieutenant in a calmer tone.

“Typical NCR,” Janey muttered. “Do you at least have any actionable intel on these convicts?”

“As a matter of fact we do,” grumbled the sergeant. “I was observing the Bison Steve hotel when I noticed that the convicts had taken the town’s deputy hostage. If you freed him it would make retaking the town that much easier.”

“Woah woah woah. We haven't agreed to anything. Especially not taking on a small army of gangsters with just the two of us,” Janey cautioned.

Twilight grunted, and tapped out her response. “What assistance, if any could you give us?”

“We don't have much though I’d be in your debt,” Hayes exclaimed.

Janey slammed her hands against the table. “Not good enough.”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Mc Gee remarked, standing quickly. “We should kick these freaks out of the camp and wait for backup.”

“Now hold on sergeant, I-” Hayes tried to exclaim only to be interrupted.

“Don't worry we were just leaving. Come on princess,” Janey exclaimed, reaching for Twilight’s shoulder.

The deathclaw pounded a fist against the ground, causing the ground to shake and the table to rattle. Immediately everyone went on edge, and even Janey pulled back, a hand going to her weapon. Twilight didn't care though, as at least everyone had stopped talking over one another, leaving her enough time to respond.

“Janey. Do you know for certain who shot you, and who wants the platinum chip?” Twilight tapped out.

“I…” Janey frowned. “I’m not one hundred percent on either of those things. Taking one to the brain pan tends to muddle the memories.”

“And Lieutenant, would you repay us if given time?” Twilight continued.

The soldier nodded slowly. “I would. Even if it had to come out of my own pay.”

“Lieutenant, I-” McGee began only to be interrupted by a glare.

“Remain silent Sergeant,”

The goateed soldier grumbled, but did as he was told, crossing his arms over his chest and staying off to the side.

“Then we have reached an accord,” Twilight stated, gesturing from Janey to the lieutenant.

The courier sighed, and extended a hand. “I suppose we have.”

“Before we go I have two questions,” Twilight continued, holding up a claw. “Have you heard anything about ponies, strange creatures with intelligence not normally seen in their species or someone claiming to be from another world?”

The pair of soldiers exchanged a confused look before Hayes turned back to Twilight.

“Your looking for your friends right? That's what the radio said,” Hayes offered.

Twilight nodded.

“I haven't. Honestly the only rumours we hear are from the radio,” Hayes admitted.

“I heard one of the convicts mention something about the thorn’s business picking up due to a new attraction but other than that I haven't left camp for weeks,” Sergeant McGee exclaimed.

Twilight sighed. “What is this thorn place?”

“It's an arena where the foulest bloodsport plays out for the jeering masses of westside,” Hayes explained in a clearly disgusted tone.

“It's not exactly the most reputable of places,” Janey offered. “Though Red Lucy tends to keep the worst of the riff raff at bay.”

Twilight mulled it over for a few seconds before reluctantly sighing and asking her next question. “Were you intending on taking the convicts alive?”

The lieutenant chuckled. “Ideally yes but I doubt that will happen. They’ve had time to dig in and fortify their position. They won't walk out of that place willingly.”

“Then you have restraints then?” Twilight pressed.

“We have handcuffs yes… why?” McGee inquired.

“May we have them?” Twilight asked.

“You can't be serious,” Janey deadpanned.

Twilight stared into the courier’s eyes for several seconds.

“Oh my god you are,” Janey muttered.

“Am I missing something here?” McGee muttered while scratching his head.

“I do believe princess here wants to bring them in alive,” Hayes exclaimed in a slightly shocked tone.

Twilight nodded. “But we’ll need your handcuffs for that.”

Hayes nodded, and pointed to a soldier lingering nearby. “You, get the cuffs from my tent.”

The man nodded before moving to fulfill his superior’s order.

“Great, just great,” Janey muttered, arms crossed over her chest. “Got any other bright ideas to make this harder than it needs to be? Perhaps I should leave all my guns behind and go in with just my fists?”

Twilight snorted. “This is the right thing to do and you know it.”

“Whatever, lets just get moving,” Janey remarked before walking away.

Hayes chuckled after Janey was gone. “This was not how I saw my day going.”

“What? Was it the talking deathclaw or the fact that said deathclaw is the compassionate one of the two?” McGee remarked.

“Both,” Hayes replied.

Twilight sighed. “She means well but is blinded by her desire for revenge.”

Hayes nodded. “I’ve seen men and women like her before. None of them met a pleasant end.”

Twilight stood up slowly and extended a clawed hand, only to remember how sharp they were and merely saluted the two soldiers instead.

Lieutenant Hayes returned the gesture with a smile while Sergeant McGee merely stood there with a sour look on his face.

“I don't think you’ll need luck but I’ll wish you the best regardless,” Hayes exclaimed.

“Give em hell princess,” McGee added.

Twilight nodded and began to walk away, the deathclaw noting the way the two men relaxed once she had left the central camp area. The scent of fear that had remained distant during the entire encounter returned when a rather nervous young soldier approached her. His arms were laden with more than a dozen pairs of handcuffs, and he shook so hard Twilight was certain he was about to drop them.

“H-here,” he muttered, extending his arms.

Twilight grunted, and opened a large hand, claws pointed away from the human.

He immediately dropped his load into her hand before quickly turning and all but sprinting away. Which was perfectly fine in Twilight’s book as the stink of fear had left her irritable and slightly queasy. Loading the restrainment devices into her pockets took a little doing because of her sharp claws but in the end they were all safely tucked away.

Leaving her little to do but follow Janey’s scent over to the half destroyed bridge leading into Primm proper. There the courier stood a few feet away from another soldier, both of whom were enjoying a cigarette and staring out at the town. Neither uttered a word until Twilight stood behind them, the deathclaw silently observing along with them.

“It's been quiet,” the soldier exclaimed.

“Probably headed in once the sun started to set,” Janey added.

Twilight turned and glanced towards the setting sun and the long rays of light it cast on the mojave. It almost made the blasted, irradiated hellscape pretty, though that sentiment was marred by the distant pop of gunfire. Thankfully it died down just as quickly as it began, with only a half dozen shots being let off before the town fell silent once more.

The soldier grunted. “Would you two do something for me?”

“That depends. You gonna pay us or just guilt trip us?” Janey exclaimed.

“I got a few stim packs I’ve saved up which I can give you. All you gotta do is make sure to rough up a psycho who shot me in the leg a couple days ago,” the soldier replied, handing over a handful of the meds. “Wears a welding mask and is a total psycho.”

Janey nodded, and accepted the drugs before stuffing them into a pocket. “Anything else we should know?”

The soldier shrugged. “He's got damn good aim despite the whole welding mask thing.”

Twilight growled.

“Come on we aren't going to kill him unless he fires first,” Janey retorted.

Twilight sighed, silently conceding the point when she realized she wasn't about to win this one.

“If it makes you feel any better I don't want him dead or anything just rough him up a little,” the soldier added, stomping out his smoke. “Oh and watch out for the landmines on the bridge. If you stay to the right you should be fine.”

“Thanks,” Janey replied, the courier putting out her own cigarette in a similar manner. “Come on. Let's work our way around the left side of town.”

Twilight nodded and watched as her companion walked out onto the bridge, where she pointed out the partially hidden traps waiting for them. She then did as the soldier recommended and walked along the edge, maneuvering around the small devices. Twilight followed her friend somewhat hesitantly, more than aware of the damage such weapons were capable of.

Keeping her tail in check and her large feet on a narrow path was difficult, but the deathclaw managed it without incident. Now standing on the other side, Twilight released a sigh, her shoulders falling slack now that she had solid ground under her once more. Glancing back to Janey, she noticed the human was crouched low next to a destroyed car, her revolver out.

Doing her best to remain quiet, Twilight knelt down behind her human companion and peeked out from behind cover. There she followed her friend’s gaze and noticed a lone convict smoking something by the nearby gas station. Beyond that there was also a group standing outside of one of the shacks on the left hand side of town.

This group seemed to be arguing rather loudly with one another, and were frequently pointing towards one of the run down shacks. None had noticed the deathclaw nor the courier, and Twilight hoped it stayed that way for a while at least.

“I’ll sneak up on the first guy and knock him out, you stay here and watch my back,” Janey whispered.

Twilight sighed, and reluctantly bit back the urge to tap out a response due to the high chance of getting caught.

“Just tap the car three times if someone noticed me,” Janey replied before ducking behind the car and slipping around the side.

Twilight watched her friend slink into the shadows, using the many craters left in the ruined street as cover. Meanwhile the lone convict was busy shaking a strange tube-like object and cursing under his breath. His hair was mostly gone, and for some reason he wore a tire on his shoulder along with way too many belts around his waist.

To Twilight his armor looked to be more of a determinant then anything, but evidently the raider didn't believe so. As for weapons the male had only a pistol and a crowbar, both of which dangled from his hip. The man didn't reach for either however, as he was too busy cursing and shaking the tube thing angrily.

He was about to try and take a pull from it again only for Janey to emerge from the shadows and wrap an arm around his neck. The convict barely had a second before his legs were swept out from under him and together the pair landed in a heap on the ground. Janey remained firmly on top, using her better position to continue choking the man into unconsciousness.

Though the man resisted, and tried to squirm away, his arms were pinned under them, leaving him little opportunity but to thrash wildly. This did little and in the end he fell still a minute later, his arms hanging slack at his sides. Janey remained on top of him for several more seconds before withdrawing her arm and dragging him over to the gas station. Where she propped him up against a wall, placed the tube thing back into his hand and began rummaging through his pockets.

She swiftly stowed the man’s weapons, as well as what little caps he had on him and two more of those tube things. With that done, she dusted herself off, and waved Twilight over with a hand. The deathclaw approached slowly and patiently, well aware of just how loud her footsteps were.

Crouching in the garage next to the gas station, Twilight motioned towards the shack and the arguing men outside of it.

“Wait a second. I’m going to check out the shack next to it. Remain here for a minute,” Janey whispered.

Twilight held out a hand and grunted, pointing at the men again.

“They won't go anywhere and besides, I don't want a bunch of guys sneaking up on us,” Janey exclaimed before slipping away.

Leaving Twilight to nervously sit in the garage, shifting from foot to foot as she waited for her friend’s return. As time passed Twilight couldn't help but imagine what Janey might be getting up to and the danger she might be in. Peeking out from around the corner, Twilight watched as the door to the other shack opened, and Janey slipped away.

Something about her movements was off, but Twilight wasn't exactly what sure that was different. Either way the human quickly skirted around the gas station and returned to the garage, uninjured from the brief excursion.

Twilight held out a hand and grunted, inviting an explanation.

“Nothing,” Janey quickly replied. “They ransacked someone’s home likely after looting the rest of the town.”

Twilight grunted, and motioned towards the men.

“We’ll approach from the left, skirting around the fence until we reach the back of whats probably the sheriff's house. Then I’ll come out one side, grab their attention and allow you to sneak up on the other side,” Janey explained.

A low growl built at the back of Twilight’s throat as she glanced back over to the three men standing outside the shack. Though largely oblivious to their presence, they were armed, armored, and ready for a fight. Fortunately for Twilight and Janey, the raider’s equipment looked as poor as the first guy’s, with only one of them wielding a rifle while the other two had pistols.

After a moment longer of consideration, Twilight nodded, and gestured invitingly for Janey to lead the way.

The courier nodded and did just that, creeping out from behind cover and taking the long way around the leftmost shack. Once behind it they moved along the fence’s edge up until they were behind the second home. There they could hear the conversation in full, as well as see two more convicts walking down the poorly lit main road between the two main buildings.

The pair strode confidently in front of the Vikki and Vance casino, their gazes fixed on the aforementioned structure. Neither seemed to be in a rush and seemed intent on watching the other casino rather than patrolling the area. Noone else walked the quiet poorly lit streets, and save for the trio nearby, hardly a sound was uttered.

Twilight pointed to the dou walking away.

Janey nodded and motioned for the deathclaw to remain low while they waited for the others to leave earshot. Sure enough after the men passed the casino, they turned down the short road leading back to the NCR outpost. With them out of the way, Janey pointed Twilight in the other direction before slipping around the shack.

Leaving the deathclaw to slowly creep back around the other side, paying close attention to any sounds of danger.

“Hello boys,” greeted Janey’s familiar voice. “Fancy seeing you out so late.”

“What the fuck? Who are you!” demanded one of the men.

“Who gives a shit. It's another chick just grab her!” yelled another.

“Hold on. Don't you want to know where my sister is?” Janey replied.

Twilight rounded the corner and noticed that the three men had their hands on their weapons though they hadn't drawn them yet. Standing in front of them was Janey who had her hands up and a wide smile on her face. The second their eyes met, the courier flashed Twilight a wink and glanced to the two men on the right, a motion none of them seemed to notice.

“Sister?” asked the darker skinned of the bunch. “What sister?”

“Oh come on lets just grab her already. I didn't even get a turn with the Sherrif’s bitch before that dip shit offed her,” exclaimed the center most raider who had grabbed a nail filled bat from nearby.

“Shut up you idiot,” muttered the man to the left, smacking his friend across the back of his head. “Excuse this dope’s outburst. Why don't you tell us where your sister is so we can all relax and enjoy a nice drink together. The sheriff of this place had a bottle of whiskey that he won't be needing anymore.”

“Well then your in luck because she’s right behind you,” Janey replied, pointing to Twilight.

Who had managed to sneak up within several feet of the men without them noticing.

All three turned to the deathclaw at the same time, their eyes going wide while their hands scrambled for a weapon. Janey and Twilight were far faster though, and by the time they had managed to overcome their fear the fight was already over. A gun was at the back of one convict’s heads while Twilight had her clawed hands wrapped around the skulls of the two others.

“Don't say a word or my sister and I will waste the whole lot of you,” Janey hissed.

“W-what?” muttered the terrified convict.

“You heard me. Don't move, don't speak, and definitely don't do anything stupid. Got it?” Janey replied.

Twilight let out a low rumbling growl just to add an extra layer of intimidation to the statement.

The one human not currently wetting themselves metaphorically or literally nodded his head. “Y-yes. We’ll do whatever you say just don't let that thing eat me,” he whispered.

“That's the sheriff’s house right?” Janey inquired, gesturing to her right.

The man nodded.

“Is there a jail cell in there?” the courier continued.

The convict bobbed his head again.

“Good. Princess, why don't you go in first. If they utter a sound, you have my permission to eat one of them,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight snorted, the former pony more then a little disgusted, but also quite aware that she needed to keep up the act.

The deathclaw pointed one of her captives towards the door, and after a snort of encouragement, he opened it. Together he and the other man were forcibly walked inside, their steps short and hesitant, with the pair nearly tripping over one another in the process. The entrance was only just barely big enough for Twilight to squeeze through provided she bent down and made herself as small as possible.

Once inside however, the deathclaw’s nostrils quickly filled with a familiar, and disturbing smell. Rot, blood, and death hung heavy in the air, causing a whole host of feelings to well in Twilight’s chest. It took a bit to stow those urges, but Twilight managed it before roughly shoving the pair into the lone open jail cell on the right side of the structure.

His friend followed not long after, the trio landing in a tangled heap a second before the door slammed shut behind them. Thankfully it didn't need a key to be secured, allowing Twilight to relax and try to get a handle on the urges that filled her. Janey didn't seem to notice this and stood outside the slightly cramped cell, her gun leveled at one of the men.

“Now I don't need to repeat myself, but if you utter a sound, then princess here is going to get an early breakfast,” Janey explained.

“Yeah whatever. Just don't feed us to that thing and we’ll do whatever you want lady,” muttered the first man.

“Holy fuck I thought I was a goner,” murmured another.

“Damn that jet must have been good. Are you all seeing this shit?” the last one asked only to receive a double slap upside the back of his head.

“Hey Twi are you- jesus are you okay?” Janey asked, taking a nervous step back.

The deathclaw covered her mouth with a hand and pointed at the other area of the building.

Janey raised an eyebrow and peeked inside to find that a pair of nude humans were laying face down on a bed. The female had been handcuffed to the post and had numerous bruises across her body while the male had a single bullet wound in the back of the skull. Meanwhile the girl’s head was turned to the right revealing an agonized expression frozen on her face as well as her slit throat.

“What the fuck?” Janey muttered in shock.

Twilight grunted, and pointed to the trio locked in the cell.

“You! What the fuck happened here?” Janey demanded, pointing to the leader of the bunch.

“Spinny got some bad jet and went a little crazy,” remarked the human, his hands raised. “We didn't wanna kill her, honest.”

Janey scowled. “So you could just keep raping her?”

“I uh…” the man glanced at the deathclaw looming over them and the courier who had a gun pointed at him. “Yes?”

Janey grit her teeth and spun on Twilight. “Do you still believe this kinda scum deserves to live?”

Twilight sighed, her blood lust slowly falling away and tapped out her response on the bars of the cell. “They may not have all done so. We cannot judge all by the actions of a few.”

The courier spat on the ground, bitterly holstering her weapon. “That's rich coming from someone who doesn't have to worry about ending up like her.”

Twilight sighed and was about to reply when Janey made her way to the exit. 

“I’ll be outside,” declared the human.
> Pistol Packing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight stood there quietly, merely staring at the door her companion had disappeared through a moment earlier. The deathclaw wondered if she had been wrong after all, and that it may have been for the best to simply kill them. She brushed that thought aside quickly however, the former pony reminding herself that to do so would put herself at their level.

“Uh sorry about that by the way,” whispered a voice.

Twilight turned to the second least violent male, who visibly shrunk the second Twilight’s gaze fell upon him.

The deathclaw grunted, hoping to urge the man to continue.

“Sorry about… them,” he muttered, gesturing to the room across from them. “I didn't ya know… do that, and it was mostly the boss.”

“And that twitchy idiot, Spinny,” added the other male, who only a few minutes earlier had been the one to suggest grabbing Janey.

Twilight growled at the man, barely resisting the urge to gut him.

“Well I didn't do any of that shit!” proclaimed the last male. “I was promised jet if I cooked and guarded the camp while the others were out raiding.”

“Don't pretend like you werent excited when the boss proposed taking over the town,” growled the man Twilight had mentally named Rapey.

“Well I don't know about you, but I just wanted a nicer place to sleep,” muttered the other.

The jet user bobbed his head eagerly. “I just wanted a warm place to rest my head where I could do some drugs. Is that so bad?”

Twilight growled deeper, and jabbed a finger at the man. “You shouldn't be okay with murdering random people to get either of those things,” she spat, knowing full well that no one could understand her.

The addled man shrunk visibly and raised his hands. “I know it was wrong. I just didn't wanna go hungry again. I swear I’ll give it all up!”

“Can you understand me?” Twilight asked, a little puzzled.

“I’ll even tell the others about your benevolence, and get them to repent too!” He continued.

“Well I guess that answered that,” Twilight muttered bitterly.

“I’ll make sure they all give up their life of sin and thank you for the second chance you’ve given us!” shouted the increasingly wild eyed young man.

“Dude shut up,” whispered Rapey, who slapped him across the back of the head. “Can't you see your antagonizing it?”

“Don't call it an it. Can't you see it understands us?” whispered the second man.

Twilight rolled her eyes and walked away, doing her best to put the entire moral quandary behind her.

Outside, she found that Janey was standing with her back against the Vikki and Vance casino. Upon their eyes meeting, the human gestured to the spot next to her and placed a finger over her lips. Twilight quickly noticed that the two other humans were walking in their direction once more and swiftly slipped into the shadows.

Falling in next to the courier, Twilight waited patiently, assuming that the other female had a plan of some kind. Sure enough when the pair of raiders emerged, Janey dropped one with a shot to the head a second before putting a bullet into the midsection of the other. Seeing the spray of blood made Twilight see red, though she reigned in her urges when she noticed that the second raider hadn't gone down quite so easily.

“What the fuck,” he muttered before spinning towards them, gun drawn.

Twilight was faster still however, and in an instant the human found himself hoisted off the ground by his neck. With a snarling deathclaw in his face, the slightly overweight male seemed to contemplate his fate before going limp all at once. With her foe no longer resisting, Twilight dropped him and quickly began to inspect the bloody body on the ground.

Pulling aside the now ruined and ratty top hat revealed a gaping hole in the former raider’s skull from which blood pumped steadily. The sight made Twilight’s stomach churn at the same time as her mouth filled with saliva. Pushing past her new instincts, Twilight inspected the man closer only to predictably find that he was already dead.

Stepping back on unsteady feet, Twilight turned and glared at Janey.

“Two less scumbags in the world,” she declared. “Good work snapping that one’s neck.”

“I didn't-” Twilight began, only for the sharp crack of a rifle to make her flinch.

Janey dove towards the wreckage of a burnt out car while Twilight merely looked around, trying to find the location of the shooter. Thankfully for the deathclaw, their assailant had assumed it would be a good idea to focus on the one target that wasn't borderline bullet proof. Even still, his shots went wide, the dexterous courier easily managing to stay one step ahead of him until she had her back against the car.

By now Twilight realized what was going on, and had ducked behind one of the beams which supported the front of the closest casino. Surprisingly wide, the support was able to keep Twilight safe from the sporadic gunfire peppering her surroundings. Confused, and a little unsure of what to do, Twilight looked to Janey, who was now crouched behind the burnt wreck nearby.

Clearly waiting for something, Twilight was about to ask for what that was, when she heard a click from somewhere nearby. Janey immediately peeked out from behind her cover and scanned the area, only to be forced back down when several rounds impacted the metal vehicle. From the sound this second attack was from someone with a larger gun, though Twilight knew so little on the topic that she couldn't be certain of that fact.

Either way they were stuck in the same spot they had been a second earlier, with someone firing whenever Twilight or Janey made a move.

“What's the hold up man? Get that gun loaded!” shouted a young voice from somewhere nearby.

“I’m trying but the damn thing is jammed!” yelled a second voice from higher up. “Just keep shooting while I get this shit fixed.”

“Well hurry the fuck up. I don't have all day!” bellowed the first voice.

Twilight glanced to Janey, who pointed from the deathclaw to the ground, and then from herself, to the sky. The message was clear, Twilight would take the person slowly walking toward them, while Janey took care of the enemy that was higher up. They didn't have to wait long to execute their plan either, as Twilight heard the now familiar click of a gun attempting to fire without having any bullets.

“Fuck,” cursed the man as he franticly began to dig through his pockets.

Twilight didn't wait a second longer, and leaped out of cover, making a beeline for a tire wearing male standing a dozen feet away. Seeing the giant form of an angry deathclaw barrelling towards him, the raider scrambled even faster. Unfortunately for him, he was so terrified that he ended up dropping the entire magazine after he failed to insert it into his rifle.

As Twilight was crossing the distance between her and her foe, she heard the distinct pop of Janey’s pistol going off several times. Noting the clear lack of return fire, Twilight hoped that was the end of the other target, and moved to finish her own. A second later and her hands closed around the human’s torso, pinning his arms to his sides, quite securely. The man struggled valiantly, though the effort was wasted as Twilight was far stronger than any mere human.

It took only a few seconds for the raider to realize the position he was in, and give up his attempts at escape. Closing his eyes, the human’s features scrunched up as he presumably waited for the end. Twilight wasn't about to kill the poor sap though, and she merely trotted over to where Janey stood nearby, the courier reloading her pistol.

“Ahh good, you got him. Kill him or toss him in with the others. I don't rightly care at this point,” Janey remarked.

The man opened a single eye. “Wait a second. Whats going on here?” he asked.

“Oh hey. This one didn't pass out,” Janey exclaimed. “You should count your lucky stars, raider scum. Cus unlike princess here, I don't take prisoners.”

Twilight glanced up to where a dead reader hung half over the roof above the Bison Steve entrance. Blood trickled down the cracked exterior of the casino, a thin red line traversing the brown dust blasted wall. Shaking her head, Twilight turned to Janey and gave her a disappointed look, which the human didn't seem to notice.

“So uh… do I get to live?” asked the male in a hesitant tone.

“That depends. Are you going to drop that weapon?” Janey asked.

A second later and the small semi automatic rifle he had been holding clattered to the ground.

“Then congratulations, you get to live. For now at least,” Janey muttered.

Twilight grunted, and gestured towards the door of the former sheriff’s home.

“Yeah I’ll get the door just give me a second,” Janey remarked, the courier holstering her weapon and stuffing the dropped rifle before walking towards their destination.

“So is it tame or something?” asked the surprisingly calm and curious raider.

Twilight grunted.

“She's not an it,” Janey pointed out. “Her name is princess, and she's smarter than you probably are.”

“I dunno about that,” murmured the male. “I once read a whole science book.”

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle as she walked inside.

“Oh shit, you guys are alive too,” pointed out the man a second after he was tossed into the same cell as his fellows.

“Apparently,” muttered one of them.

“I wish I wasn't,” murmured Rapey.

“Our queen has saved another!” shouted the wide eyed drug user. “Repent brother, and be forgiven for your past deeds!”

Janey made a disgusted noise before turning back around. “Come on Twilight let's get going before the junkie makes an entire religion around you.”

Twilight merely cocked her head, confused by the entire interaction while still maintaining the presence of mind to lock the cell behind her. She then followed her friend outside just as the Jet user launched into what was no doubt a rousing sermon which his fellows did not want to hear.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, tapping out her question on the road.

Janey grunted. “Seems like a mix of jet, and adrenaline has turned one of your pet raiders into an evangelical.”

Twilight blinked several times before tapping out her response. “What is that?”

Janey stopped and looked at the deathclaw with a confused expression. “How do you not know what that is? Do you not have religion where you come from?”

“We have some cults dedicated to Discord and Grogar, but there hasn't been a major religion in nearly a thousand years,” Twilight explained.

“That is…” Janey shook her head. “A topic for another time. Come on, we should check out the Vicky and Vance before we move on to the Bison Steve.”

Twilight nodded, following after Janey as she made her way over to the closest of the two casinos.

Once there, Janey stopped and held up a hand, signalling for Twilight to be quiet as well. Together the pair stood perfectly still, allowing them to hear as a nearly silent conversation occurred close by.

“Do you think they’re gone?” whispered a voice.

“There was a bunch of shooting,” added another person.

“Probably wasted some poor trader who wandered in,” declared a third individual.

“Would you three shut up and get back into position? I don't want to get run up on by a bunch of adrenaline hyped raiders,” shouted a stern, and somewhat elderly fourth human.

“Sorry mister Nash,” muttered the first defender.

A flurry of motion came from within though it quickly became quiet once more a few seconds later.

Twilight gestured questioningly to the door.

Janey nodded. “Stand further that way would ya? I don't wanna scare our guests.”

Twilight did as she was asked, even though doing so still bothered the unicorn. Becoming an object that elicited intense terror in ninety nine percent of the population made her uncomfortable in a way she couldn't quite explain. She silently hoped that she never got used to that feeling, nor the horror she felt when she saw a dead body.

While her mood continued to fall, and her mind churned with bitter thoughts, Twilight watched closely as Janey knocked twice upon the aged doors.

“Who is it?”

“Should we shoot them?”

“Raiders don't knock,” remarked the stern voice. “Who is it?”

“Janey,” called the woman. “I’ve cleared out some of the raiders and was hoping to talk to you.”

“Well holee shit,” muttered the same voice from before. “I can hardly believe my ears.”

“Are you sure it ain't a trick?” whispered someone. “What if they are making her say that so we open the door?”

“Well in that case we got a pretty young girl in need of rescue and you boys wouldn't abandon her would ya?” coaxed the voice.

A small chorus of agreement came from within, prompting Janey to roll her eyes.

“I’m not under duress. I’ve either killed or incapacitated the seven or so we’ve seen so far,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight perked up, only now realizing she had forgotten about the male they had left near the gas station. Knowing full well that it would take some time to calm the civilians down and ensure the deathclaw didn't get shot on sight, Twilight walked away. The former pony lumbered around the casino at a slow, loping pace until she got to where they had left the first raider.

Sure enough he was still laying face down in the exact same spot Twilight had last seen him and a quick inspection told the deathclaw that he was still alive. Scooping the human up, Twilight trotted back around the front of the casino just in time to see Janey emerge with a grim look on her face. The doors shut firmly behind her, a dull thud from within indicated that they had been barricaded once more.

Twilight gestured to the entrance expectantly while she picked up the other unconscious man.

Janey grunted. “The person we need to find is in the Bison Steve and getting him out won't be easy. Old man Nash spotted at least two dozen of these fucks and they’ve probably already acquired new recruits since word got out about their success in taking the town.”

Twilight frowned, and hefted her human loads into slightly better positions upon her shoulders.

“Right. Might as well toss this one in with the rest,” Janey muttered somewhat bitterly.

Twilight rolled her eyes and did her best to ignore the woman’s increasingly irritated tone.

Together they walked back to the impromptu jail, with Janey leading the way, a grimace remaining firmly plastered on her face.

“Alright you dirtbags back up. We got another friend for ya,” Janey exclaimed.

“Oh shit you managed to take crazy old Spinny alive. I thought for sure you had killed the dumb bastard,” Rapey remarked.

“Praise our queen!” shouted the wild eyed man. “For she has saved another lost soul!”

“Dude would you shut up for two seconds? When are you going to come down from that high anyway?” muttered another of the men.

“Never!” he shouted back.

“Wait. Isn't this the guy that killed that poor girl?” Janey demanded, pointing to the man currently dangling over Twilight’s shoulder.

“Yeah thats him. Everyone knows his ugly face,” muttered Rapey.

“It's why he got stuck with the shit detail of staring down those NCR fucks at that gas station,” added another of the men.

“Shoulda done us all a favor and offed him,” murmured another as Twilight fumbled briefly with the door before managing to open it.

Janey turned to her companion and pointed to the man in question. “Dump him outside. This one doesn't deserve to live.”

Twilight tensed, the deathclaw stopping herself just after she had tossed the larger of the two men into the cell. With the door hanging partially open, Twilight eyed her companion closely, glancing between her and the last male to be caged.

Twilight tapped out her response on one of the bars of the cell. “Are we really taking the word of these convicts now? I thought you didn't trust them.”

“Hey I was never convicted of nothing!” exclaimed the youngest and apparently smartest of the bunch. “I just couldn't pay back a small loan I took out.”

Twilight groaned. They force people into debt slavery? How barbaric can you get? This is only a single modicum of decency away from what the legion apparently does.

“Why would they lie about this?” Janey exclaimed, pointing her gun at the man. “Now drop the fucker so we can get this over with.”

Twilight was about to respond when the man in question began to move.

“Great. He's waking up. Now we can ask him ourselves,” Janey exclaimed. 

Twilight hesitantly closed the cell door, and placed the man onto a nearby chair, watching as he slowly woke up. The second the man’s eyes opened Janey put the cold metal barrel of her gun against his head.

“Did you kill the sheriff's wife?” demanded the courier.

“I er.. What- who…” he glanced at the deathclaw out of the corner of his eye and nearly fell out of his chair. “What the fuck?”

Janey grabbed the raider by the scruff and forced him back into his seat. “Don't look at her. Look at me,” Janey demanded.

Though still clearly terrified, the raider tore his eyes away from the giant death lizard towering over him and toward the woman with a gun placed firmly against his forehead. 

“W-what was the question?” he stuttered.

“Did you kill that woman?” Janey demanded, pointing to the corpse only a few metres away.

The raider followed Janey’s finger only to immediately wince. “I uh, might have,” he admitted.

“What did I tell you?” Janey exclaimed, glancing to Twilight. “Still think this murdering rapist deserves to live?”

Twilight frowned, and tapped out a simple question while looking the man in the eye. “Why?”

“I didn't mean to,” muttered the man, tears coming to his eyes. “I just like using the knife cus it makes me feel tough ya know?”

“Stupid fuck,” muttered one of the other raiders.

“So you got a little too excited and sliced her up?” Janey demanded, pressing her weapon against the man’s head. “Is that what happened?”

“N-no,” the man quickly replied. “I was paying real close attention but the crazy broad threw herself on the blade like she was trying to get herself killed. I pulled it away on reflex ya know and accidentally cut her real bad.”

Janey hesitated a moment before her grim expression returned. “Then in the end you still killed her.”

“Yes…” he reluctantly admitted.

Twilight met her companion’s gaze for only a moment before quickly looking away. Though the former unicorn knew the man deserved to be punished for his actions, Equestria didn't have the death penalty. She wanted the man to serve time for his actions, and to remain in prison for the rest of his natural life but it was clear there were no proper jails in the area. Left with no other real options, Twilight struggled to imagine what could be done in this situation.

Janey however, did, and with a pull of her trigger, painted the shack walls with the sobbing raider’s brains. The noise which the contents of his skull made as they splattered across the rusted interior of the home reverberated in Twilight’s ears for several seconds. The smell was the next thing to hit the deathclaw, and this time not even her new instincts could make her feel anything but revulsion.

“I’ll be outside when your ready to work out the next phase of the plan,” Janey exclaimed, the woman walking away from the murder scene as if nothing had happened.

Leaving Twilight to sit there and stare at the bloody body in disbelief of what had just happened right before her eyes.
> All Fired Up! Pt1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, remember the plan?” Janey inquired.

“Are we going to talk about what you did back there?” Twilight replied, tapping out her response on a board.

“What is there to talk about? It's not like you can help the fucker at this point,” Janey retorted.

Twilight sighed, and tried to come up with some avenue of argument only to swiftly give up on the entire thing. Now simply wasn't the time for such a concern, Twilight told herself. She was about to risk her life again, and just to complicate matters there was a potential hostage in the mix.

“Can you tell me again?” Twilight asked.

Janey bent down and used her finger to draw out a quick sketch of the bison steve’s interior before pointing at the entrance.

“From what I’ve been able to gather they’ve fortified the entrance here. This would be a problem, but they are also lazy and arrogant,” Janey began. “Which is why we haven't seen anyone coming out to check on their buddies and also why we likely won't initially run into much resistance.”

Twilight nodded slowly.

“Still. There should at least be one or two watching the entrance, which will need to be dealt with,” Janey continued.

“Non lethally, if possible,” Twilight interjected.

“You go ahead and do that. I’ll be busy making sure I don't get a switchblade buried in my liver,” Janey shot back.

Twilight merely sighed.

“Anyway. After they are dealt with we’ll check these two side rooms, then I’ll work my way around back where I assume they are keeping our man,” Janey explained, drawing out her root in the dirt. “After I secure him, I’ll hit the main bulk of their forces from the side while you go in the front.”

“Can we please try and reason with them?” Twilight asked, tapping out a response with one hand while jabbing a finger at the girl. “You must realize that is at least an option right?”

“I guess,” Janey muttered, rising back to her feet and stuffing her hands in her pockets. “But be ready to burst in the front door if you hear gunfire okay?”

Twilight frowned, already getting a feeling of deja vu from the last time Janey had made such an assertion. Eventually, the deathclaw realized that was about as good a promise as she was going to get, and nodded.

“Good. Now remember to be big and intimidating in order to draw fire away from me because unlike you, my skin isn't bulletproof,” Janey added.

Twilight grumbled, but ultimately said nothing, her logical side assuring her that this was the optimal solution. “Fine,” Twilight replied, each tap leaving a gouge on the board.

“Good,” Janey muttered, rising back up and dusting off her knees. “Now let's get moving. I still want to get a decent sleep tonight.”

“I agree,” Twilight added somewhat reluctantly, the deathclaw more than aware of how long it had been since she had slept in a real bed.

Janey said nothing as she pulled out her weapon, checked her ammo, and began to slowly walk towards the entrance. Behind her, Twilight stayed as quiet as she could manage, though her sheer bulk and unfamiliarity with her body made that difficult. Thankfully no one noticed their approach and together they slipped past the first set of grime encrusted glass doors.

Once Janey was inside, she held out a hand, prompting Twilight to awkwardly crouch there while her companion peered inside. The second layer of glass doors wasn't quite as encrusted with dirt and detritus, but it still wasn't clear either. This obscured Janey and Twilight, but also made it difficult to see inside without first cleaning a small patch to look through.

Which was exactly what Janey did.

The human held out her hand, made a fist, and then extended two fingers before retracting one, and then making a jabbing motion.

Two individuals, both with knives or other melee weapons. Twilight interpreted. She’ll probably want to take them quietly then. 

Sure enough, Janey made a lowering motion with her hand, and then pointed from Twilight to somewhere to her right. The indication was obvious, Janey would take the one on the left while Twilight handled the other. Twilight nodded, and remained low, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

Janey grinned to herself, and flipped her gun around so she could use the butt like a club. A second later and she held up her hand once more, counting down from five.

Twilight steadied herself, doing her level best to push down the building wave of adrenaline that threatened to dull her senses. When all of the human’s fingers were withdrawn, Twilight had managed to calm her newest instincts and was as ready as she was going to get.

When the door opened Twilight had little time to study her surroundings, as the only thing she saw was a pair of raiders. One sat on a desk to Twilight’s right, a tire iron within easy reach. The other was pacing in front of a group of tables that had been piled into a makeshift barricade.

Two sets of heavy flood lamps illuminated the large room, casting the raiders in a harsh light. There were other details, but Twilight didn't pay attention to them at the moment, as her gaze was set firmly on her opponent.

Who was a slightly skinny, scarred female raider who was missing an ear, in addition to sporting a long jagged scar across her face. Her armor was minimal, and seemed to be primarily leather that had been reinforced with bits of tire she had likely scavenged. Her weapon didn't look much better either as the tire iron was coated in rust, and flecked with what looked like dried blood.

The human didn't look very old, but clearly they had experienced more than a few hardships. Even still, Twilight couldn't find her that intimidating, especially given the fact that the raider was reading what looked like a cheap paperback.

Janey had no such reservations, and was already charging at her foe, weapon raised above her head. Upon seeing her companion sprint past her, Twilight reminded herself that they were still raiders, and still needed to be dealt with.

Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to take advantage of the surprise quite as much as Janey, who had sprinted across the room in the time it took for her enemy to turn around. Twilight ignored her and ran at the female raider, claws outstretched in as menacing a fashion as she could muster.

“What the fuck?” muttered the raider before tossing aside her book and grabbing her weapon.

For a split second Twilight could tell that her opponent considered running, only to quickly realize that was impossible. She then turned on Twilight and with a frantic cry on her lips, leapt forward with her tire iron raised high.

Twilight appreciated the raider’s bravery, and decided to end the fight as gently as she could manage given the situation. She didn't appreciate getting hit in the face with a hunk of metal though, even if it barely felt like a slap to the deathclaw. 

The raider raised her arm in order to strike again, but Twilight was faster still, and grabbed the girl’s wrist. She then used her other hand to swiftly grab the human’s neck, taking care not to accidentally hurt her in the process. Something made more difficult when the raider used all her strength to kick Twilight between the legs.

Resisting the urge to bite the human’s head off, Twilight refocused her grip, and threw the girl into the ground. The blow rattled her opponent, and gave Twilight more than enough time to place a firm hand against the girl’s back. Any attempt to rise was quickly quashed and it wasn't long before the human lay still, letting out a small sigh.

“Well fuck me,” she muttered.

Twilight snorted, and turned towards Janey, ready to jump in and help if needed.

Only to quickly realize that wasn't needed, as Janey had knocked her opponent to the ground and was about to stomp his head into the ground. Twilight winced, and closed her eyes, though she still heard the raider’s crunch under Janey’s boot heel.

Opening her eyes, Twilight looked over to her companion, who was now walking toward her and wiping the blood from her weapon. Twilight searched the human’s eyes for some sign of remorse, or guilt, but found only the grim satisfaction of a job well done.

“Did you have to do that?” Twilight asked, tapping out her response on the ground.

“He tried to stab me in the face,” Janey retorted, running a finger against the small cut that now adorned her cheek.

Twilight sighed and gestured towards her captured raider. “Would you mind telling this one the deal?”

“Fine, but their food is coming out of your share of the loot,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

Janey cleared her throat, and kicked the downed raider in the side. “You can stop trying to play dead. We know your alive.”

When no response came, Janey wound up and kicked the girl harder, drawing out a sharp groan of pain.

“Fuck what the hell you crazy bitch?” muttered the raider.

“Good. Now here is what's going to happen. Your going to stay quiet, and do everything I tell ya,” Janey exclaimed.

“I’d normally say or what? But I don't even wanna know,” murmured the captured girl.

“All you do need to know is that the one that spared ya is named princess, and she doesn't like killing people. I however, have no such qualms and will put a bullet between your eyes the second you look at me funny,” Janey continued.

“What, really? You tamed a deathclaw?” asked the raider.

“It's a long story. Now here's what's going to happen next. Princess here is going to toss you in a cell with the rest of your buddies, and after we’ve slaughtered the rest of your gang we’ll come back to deal with you,” Janey exclaimed.

“That's not-” Twilight tried to interrupted, only for janey to stomp her foot and glare at the deathclaw, silencing the former pony’s response.

“Got it?” Janey added.

For several seconds the girl was quiet, silently contemplating what to say before reluctantly nodding her head. “Yeah sure. It ain't like those assholes would come running to save my ass anyway,” she exclaimed somewhat bitterly.

Janey nodded to Twilight. “Dump her with the rest. I’ll check this place out while your gone.”

Twilight nodded back, and roughly lifted the raider back to her feet before pointing to the tire iron she was still holding.

“Oh right,” murmured the scarred girl, who dropped the weapon. “Guess it slipped my mind.”

Twilight snorted, and then pointed to the door, silently commanding her former opponent to start walking.

“Damn you are one smart animal,” murmured the raider.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed, and though she wanted desperately to point out that she knew morse code, thus proving she was more than an animal, the deathclaw resisted. Instead she pointed a second time, prompting the raider to begin walking away with Twilight right behind her.

Together the pair walked outside, making their way through the two sets of grimy glass doors and out into the wasteland once more. Upon slipping through the narrow opening again, Twilight noticed the moon was rather bright tonight. That and her captive was trying to run away, and was sprinting towards to the left with all the speed she could muster.

Twilight sighed before breaking out into a run and catching the girl within only a few enormous bounding steps. Using her newfound strength Twilight hoisted the girl off the ground with a single hand clutched around her midsection, stopping her dead in her tracks.

“Fuck,” she muttered.

Twilight snorted into the human’s face and rustled the tattered remnants of the girl’s hair.

“I guess you are smart,” the human exclaimed.

Twilight gave her captive a look she hoped would convey the disappointment and irritation she felt.

“Please don't eat me?” the raider asked meekly.

Twilight made a show of considering it for a few seconds before releasing a sigh and walking back towards the sheriff's house.

“So uh can you let me down now?” asked the human.

Twilight snorted again, this time more forcefully.

“I’ll take that as a no,” muttered Twilight’s captive.

Twilight rolled her eyes once more.

Arriving at the small shack, Twilight roughly entered the building before realizing a problem, namely that there was still a dead raider in here. Inhaling the scent of death and blood made Twilight’s mouth water, though through force of will she stowed her instincts.

“Aha our queen has saved another!” Shouted the evangelical raider.

“Godamnit. He just shut up too!” whined one of his cohorts.

“Queen? I thought her name was princess?” muttered the new arrival.

“Who cares what she calls herself,” remarked another.

Twilight ignored them, and reached for the jail cell door, key in hand.

“Wait a second. I got a deal for you,” exclaimed the smarter of the bunch.

Twilight snorted and raised an open palmed hand at him.

“Why don't you take us back to the correctional facility up north? It's where we escaped from anyway,” he continued.

Twilight cocked her head, asking him to elaborate without speaking a word.

“Wait isn't it…” the female raider smiled. “Oh uh yeah. That sounds like a really good idea. Way better than hoping that psycho friend of yours doesn't change her mind and ice us.”

“Don't believe them my que-mf,” The preacher was quickly tackled by another raider who covered his mouth.

Twilight growled, and jabbed a claw at the offending raider.

“Don't worry about them. Worry about that crazy friend of yours,” encouraged the smooth talking raider. “She seems like she's liable to shoot us like fish in a barrel if given the opportunity.”

The deathclaw reluctantly agreed with the assertion, but not his proposed solution. Something about his tone was off, and though he didn't sound like he was lying, he also wasn't telling the whole truth either. Looking at the other raiders revealed that they were all behind it as well, which only made Twilight even more suspicious.

Twilight shook her head, resisting the urge to growl irritably while she pointed to the back of the small cell.

“No deal? Oh come on man don't be so cruel. We may have been raiders but even we deserve to live,” he complained.

“Yeah I don't want to get my head blown off for looking at your crazy friend the wrong way,” added another.

Now more than a little annoyed, Twilight roared so powerfully that the sound shook the very foundations of the shack. A coffee maker rumbled off a desk and raiders clamped their hands over their ears as Twilight continued to release all of her anger. Until the gathered raiders were either cowering in terror, had passed out, or were busy trying to get as far away as possible.

Thankfully for her, the female raider had curled into a ball, allowing the deathclaw to open the gate and toss her in without a fight. Slamming the cell shut behind them, Twilight took a brief look at the humans before nodding once and departing.

Once outside Twilight let out a long sigh and stuck her tongue out in disgust. The smell of fear was rank, and she was quickly growing to hate the scent with a passion. Shaking off the unpleasant aroma, Twilight breathed deep of the strange wasteland air and began the short walk back to the Bison Steve.

Twilight expected to find some more raiders at the door, but was surprised when she found none, nor were there additional corpses either. Only a smiling Janey who was walking out of a small side room Twilight hadn't initially noticed earlier. Before she questioned her companion, the deathclaw looked around, taking her time to inspect her surroundings now that there wasn't someone trying to bash her skull in.

The first thing Twilight noted was just how unpleasant the smell was inside the ancient hotel. It was clearly falling apart at the seams, with rotten plaster hanging from the ceiling and broken drywall littering the ground. Dust and grime covered nearly every surface, adding to the nasty feeling Twilight got from just being in the place.

Sticking out her tongue in disgust, Twilight did her best to ignore her surroundings and instead focus on Janey. Who had just wiped the grin off her face, and was now standing next to Twilight.

“Did ya kill her?” Janey asked.

Twilight shook her head.

“Shame. She looked like a real psycho too,” Janey remarked.

Twilight sighed irritably and gestured to the security door behind the right desk.

“There wasn't much back there. A couple caps, some ammo, and a few drugs,” Janey shrugged. “I’ll give you your cut once were done here.”

Twilight wanted to argue because she felt like Janey was underselling her find, but the deathclaw simply didn't have the desire to push. In the end it was probably for the best anyway as Twilight had no idea what anything was worth, and wouldn't know where to begin. So with a sigh, Twilight settled back into a slight crouch so she wouldn't bang her horns on the ceiling and pointed to the hallway behind the barricade.

“Ready to go I assume?” Janey inquired.

Twilight nodded.

“Good. Now I took a peek down the hall while you were gone and found out why they hadn't noticed us,” Janey began with a smirk. “Turns out those dip shits are partying and don't even have a guard rotation or anything set up.”

Twilight couldn't help but smile. “That's good,” she tapped out on the nearby desk.

“That's more than good, that's great,” Janey exclaimed. “There is also a small former gift shop on the way over that I want to check out but other than that there isn't much. Only a busted elevator and some stairs which are to our right.”

Nodding slowly, Twilight hoped that Janey’s assumption would prove correct as she really didn't want to get attacked from behind.

“Remember. Lets try and stay quiet until I grab our man. I don't want my one shot at tracking down that checkered asshole’s associates to slip through my grasp,” Janey muttered.

Twilight blinked. “I thought you wanted to save the town and the innocent deputy.”

“That too. Now are you ready to go or what?” Janey barked.

Twilight reluctantly nodded. 

“Good, then let's go,” Janey exclaimed before setting out.
> All Fired Up! Pt2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plodding silently through the old casino, Twilight wondered what it would have looked like in its heyday. The rotten, and mostly destroyed carpet likely would have looked nice, though in Twilight’s opinion was still probably pretty garish. The general palate of the place was a bit dark as well, and what few minor decorations she saw screamed fake at the top of their non-existent lungs.

The entire thing felt like a tourist trap more than anything, which made sense given what she had gathered about Vegas and its relation to Primm.

Janey peeked into the small gift shop, leveling her weapon briefly before quickly relaxing once more. A nod was exchanged between the pair and Twilight quickly followed after her human companion had entered the room. Upon passing through the small door, Twilight looked around and couldn't help but smile at all the nick nacks that were still there.

Given the life or death nature of the wasteland it made sense that no one had touched the silly things, but had cleaned out the food. Sifting through the mess revealed a small cache of caps hidden behind a wall of seemingly normal nick nacks. Twilight tucked the bag into her coat, and continued to look around, pocketing a few more items she found curious.

Janey meanwhile, had gone straight for the cash register, clearing it out of old world money before rooting around in the cabinets beneath. She then picked the lock on a floor safe, and retreived several items before hastily shutting it and approaching Twilight.

“That's everything here,” Janey whispered.

Twilight blinked, and put the stuffed bear back on the shelf before gesturing to the register curiously.

“Old money. Worthless in most places but some folk still take it,” Janey replied simply.

Twilight nodded.

“Just wait by the entrance. I’ll see about finding our man,” Janey whispered.

Together they set off once more, this time with Janey taking a larger lead so as to make sure Twilight didn't accidentally alert anyone to their presence. Thankfully there was no one around, leaving Twilight with little to do but listen for any sound of this party supposedly happening nearby. It wasn't long before Twilight found the evidence she was searching for, as the wide hallway she had just entered was filled with the sound of music and animated discussion.

Ignoring the obviously locked door to her left, and the small secondary hallway to her right, Twilight focused on the noise. The deathclaw picked out the sound of laughter easily enough, as well as the clank of an occasional bottle. There were also a few more prominent voices she could hear, but there were few words she could actually pick out.

Janey stopped at the door, and quickly picked it using a bobby pin and screwdriver. Upon the entrance clicking open, the human gave Twilight one last look before slipping away. Twilight watched her friend depart through the small window on the top half of the door before quickly losing sight of her.

Now left with little to do but sit and wait, Twilight began to wonder if this had all been a good idea. Janey wasn't the most trustworthy individual ever, and she had a violent streak a mile wide. Neither were personality traits Twilight liked to see in her friends, but compared to the other people the deathclaw had met, werent even that bad, all things considered.

As she wondered about her companion Twilight inspected the area directly in front of her. The entrance was narrow for her, though a human would be fine, and thankfully it quickly opened up. Into a much wider hallway coated in aged advertisements which split off both left and right. At either end of this second hallway were two ancient, and mostly rotten doors that led to the casino floor where the raiders presumably were.

There Twilight remained, waiting patiently between the two entrances as she ruminated on her situation.

I’ll stick with her for now. But if push comes to shove I’ll return to Goodsprings and see if I can't get that nice lady with the dog to help me out. At least until I figure out a better method of conversation anyway. Twilight reasoned.

Her train of thought was interrupted when the music unexpectedly turned off, and the overall hubbub died down. Twilight still couldn't quite hear what was being said, but she could tell that two people were talking. A quick listen revealed that one was Janey, while the other was a raider, presumably.

Twilight slowly inched forward while cursing the weirdly insulated walls and the way they seemed to muffle all sound. With claws extended, and her muscles tense, Twilight was ready to jump at a moment’s notice. Yet even she wasn't ready for the sudden explosion of violence that erupted a second later.

The pop of gunfire was punctuated by the clatter of bottles, and a strange thwomp woosh sound. Either way it was loud, startling Twilight out of her confusion and into action.

“Alright Twilight. You can do this,” Twilight muttered to herself.

Running forward, Twilight put her shoulder down, barreling right through the door and into the space beyond. Twilight had a split second to look around the area, and quickly noted that there were nearly a dozen raiders in the room with her. To the left there was a small kitchen area that had likely served as a bar at one point, but was now Janey and another human’s only saving grace.

Twilight glanced in their direction just long enough to note that they seemed fine, at least for the moment anyway. She then glanced back to her attackers and looked over their various weapons curiously, trying to recall what she knew of them. Most had low caliber pistols, knives, or makeshift weaponry of some kind, that would likely do little to the deathclaw. All save for a man and a woman who had a shotgun, and what looked like a black box of some kind.

This box had a long tube jutting from the front, attached to which was an odd nozzle of some kind. The sides of which sported several long tubes, and the entire thing was held at the user’s waist, with one hand holding as well as aiming while the other fired the thing. Or at least that's what Twilight assumed, for the second she burst into the room everyone stopped and turned to her.

“Holy fuck its a deathclaw!” shouted one of the raiders.

“Shoot the fucking thing!” someone else yelled.

Just like that all attention turned to her, and before Twilight could even reach for a board to tap out a question, she was pelted with bullets. Each hit stung, and irritated the deathclaw, but did next to no actual harm, with even the shotgun’s pellets doing little but annoy her. Twilight raised a hand to defend her face, the former pony overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught launched her way.

“Wait, I wanted to-” Twilight began, only for something white hot to slam into the side of her face.

Fire briefly covered her vision, and she released a startled yelp of surprise as several more of the flaming orbs followed the first one. In mere milliseconds her coat was on fire, and her entire body stung as the flames bit into her leathery hide with more efficiency then any bullet.

Her instincts immediately came flaring back, urging Twilight to not stumble away and leave herself open but instead attack. Her mind demanded that they go on the offence, but Twilight was too confused and scared to do anything but frantically backpedal. That was until she felt something crash against her shoulder, the glass bottle fracturing and spilling burning liquid across her body.

Then the walls came tumbling down, and Twilight left this world.





“Come on fight!” Janey shouted as she popped a raider in the knee before putting a bullet in his brain.

“I thought you said that thing was supposed to help us!” shouted Beagle.

“She is, but I think she's overwhelmed!” Janey replied, ducking behind cover when one of the raiders unloaded several shots in her direction. “We need to get the attention away from her long enough to-”

The courier never finished the response, as a guttural roar filled the room and buried all other sound. The cry was punctuated by a very human scream, as well as the sound of pounding, angry feet. 

Figuring that the heat was now off her, Janey peeked over the side to find her deathclaw ally was nearly completely covered in fire. Not only that but she was also swinging wildly while sprinting blindly through the middle of the room. 

One unfortunate raider caught a clawed hand to the face and went down in a screaming heap while a second couldn't get out of the way fast enough. He was crushed beneath the deathclaw’s feet, while a third was batted aside by her tail, the human’s femur snapping audibly.

Janey quickly lined up a shot on the incinerator wielding raider, only for her shots to glance harmlessly off his metal armor. The click of her weapon prompted Janey to duck back down and frantically begin reloading while Beagle took down another raider with several well aimed shots from his own pistol. When Janey next peeked over the counter she noticed that her friend had lost her coat, the material having burnt away to cinders.

Her already dark skin had been made even darker still by the flames, though thankfully the damage seemed mostly superficial. What did worry Janey was the wild, bestial look in Twilight’s eyes and the feral growl that continued to spill from her lipless mouth.

The deathclaw spun towards the closest enemy and raked its claws down the knife-wielding raider’s chest. Flesh parted and blood gushed, joining the small ocean of red which was quickly covering the ground. The damage was massive, and the human quickly toppled to the ground, likely already dead before his head bounced off the ground.

The great beast wasn't done though, and charged the raider's ally while weathering a small hail of bullets. One slash took off the man’s pistol wielding arm at the shoulder, and the second removed his head from his body. A head which landed several feet from Janey, giving her a clear view as it looked around in confusion, its mouth moving as if trying to speak. 

Tearing her eyes away from the gruesome sight, Janey watched as the deathclaw rapidly cleared the room. Throughout it all, the creature seemed oblivious to the damage done to it, accepting knife blows, and pistol rounds without complaint. Even the pounding orbs of fire launched from the raider’s incinerator didn't seem to slow it down.

In fact it only made things worse, as the deathclaw sped its way across the room towards the metal armored man. Ignoring the other enemies, the beast focused completely on the raider launching fireballs at her, and accepting several more hits in the process.

“Why won't you die?” bellowed the raider.

The deathclaw didn't answer, at least verbally anyway, as its response came in a powerful backhand that knocked the fire weapon from its owner’s hands. The human hadn't lost all of his wits though, and he swiftly moved to pull out a pistol, only to get kicked clear across the room. Where he slammed into the wall with enough force to leave a small indent, and cause an eruption of blood to shoot from his mouth.

Janey watched as the raiders not already dead or seconds from death, took flight, sprinting out the exit like their lives depended on it. The courier was tempted to shoot them while they ran, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the unfortunate soul who had awakened the beast in the first place.

Lying broken on the floor, he reached towards his fallen weapon, only to have his hand stomped flat by a scaly foot.

“Aaaagh,” cried the raider, who clutched at his shattered appendage, cradling it against his chest.

The deathclaw snorted, and leaned down until it could glare into its opponent’s eyes.

“W-what the fuck do you want?” he muttered.

The deathclaw spoke what sounded like a single word before lurching forward and biting the head clean off the raider’s neck. It then rose back its full enormous height and chomped several times, shattering the man’s skull and pulping his brain. The sight was grim, and Janey was dully aware of the former deputy emptying his lunch into a nearby garbage bin.

Janey however, merely watched, one hand clutching her revolver close while the other held tight a grenade.

“Hey Twilight, are you in there?” Janey shouted, her voice wavering slightly.

The deathclaw didn't seem to hear here however, and continued to chew its meal before swallowing it all in a single large gulp. With that done, it looked around, and upon noticing that none of its enemies were alive, jerked its head back to Janey. Upon locking eyes with the deathclaw, the courier felt her heart leap into her chest, and she nearly pulled the trigger.

But the fear didn't last, as a flicker of recognition could be seen behind its gaze and a second later its stance relaxed. It then blinked several times before looking around in confusion, seemingly unaware of what had just happened.

“What in the hell?” Janey murmured.





Twilight grit her teeth as pain washed over her body, the dozens of burns she had suffered as well as the many many bullet wounds nearly overwhelming her. That didn't last long, as the agony slowly slipped out of focus, remaining present but not distracting her. Though one thing that did distract her was the taste of blood that clung to her tongue as well as the inside of her mouth.

Spitting and hacking, Twilight tried to get rid of it, but was largely unsuccessful in the effort. That was until she was handed a brownish bottle by Janey, who looked at her with a mix of fear and awe.

Twilight didn't care, and quickly took it before pounding back the foul tasting liquid. Which did the trick, only to replace the unpleasant taste with something that was almost as bad.

She was distracted from the weirdly oaky flavor when a needle was produced and jabbed into her side. The deathclaw’s first reaction was to demand an explanation, though the soothing sensation that spread out through her body quickly answered her question. Only for more questions to arise when her wounds began to rapidly close one by one, leaving only a few scars, and several lingering burns.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, tapping out her question on the casino floor.

“Stimpack,” Janey replied. “It should fix you up.”

Twilight nodded meekly as she looked around, only now realizing just how much blood and gore surrounded her. The sight was grisly, and made her stomach churn, though it didn't elicit quite the same level of visceral horror Twilight would have expected.

“We should go,” Janey remarked.

Twilight nodded, and looked over to the cowering human who quickly ducked out of sight. “And what about him?”

Janey glanced over to where the town deputy was silently shitting his drawers and muttering some kind of prayer. “Give me a second to talk to him. You just go wait outside and try to clean yourself up a little,” Janey encouraged.

Twilight frowned as she gazed down on her body with disgust, a raw feeling of wrongness shooting up her spine. The sight of something so unponylike bothered her immensely, though thankfully that feeling was growing duller by the second. Twilight wondered if that was truly a good thing before shaking her head and moving towards the exit.

She would consider that all later. Right now she had more pressing concerns. Namely cleaning herself up, and trying to recall what had happened to her after she had entered the room.

She remembered pain, heat, rage, and then finally darkness, but that was it.

Trudging through the now silent casino, Twilight mentally began to file away the events of the last few minutes. The carnage she had witnessed couldn't have been caused by her after all. She was a pony, and ponies didn't do that kind of thing.

Monsters on the other hand, they could do things like that when pushed, but she wasn't a monster.

“I’m not a monster,” Twilight softly declared.
> Bleed Me Dry
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight glanced over when she heard the sound of a door opening, followed by booted feet approaching her. Janey seemed a little less shaken up, and a backpack stuffed to the absolute gills with weapons as well as supplies. Following close behind her, and keeping his pistol close was the man from earlier, though Twilight could tell he was still quite disturbed.

“Twilight, this is deputy Beagle. He helped defeat those raiders and as the title implies, helped the former sheriff of Primm,” Janey greeted, gesturing to the man behind her.

Who gave Twilight a polite nod. “Beggin your pardon miss. That was a bit of messy business back there and I lost my cool for a bit.”

Twilight nodded slowly, tapping out her response on a pane of glass. “That's quite understandable mister Beagle. I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

The man seemed surprised when he heard the translation come through Janey’s pipboy. “Well that's mighty kind of you. I hope we can start again on the right foot,” he offered.

Twilight did her best to smile, though it only seemed to unnerve the male even more. “That would be nice. Now, Janey, what do you think we should do next?”

“Well I figured with this whole mess out of the way we can fix up that old robot I saw at the mojave express office, and then mosey on out of here,” Janey replied.

“Well hold on there. Primm doesn't have a sheriff anymore, and if you two just up and leave before we get a new one it won't be long before this whole song and dance happens all over again,” Beagle declared.

Twilight nodded solemnly. “That makes sense.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the sheriff now!” Janey exclaimed.

“Oh no I’m just the deputy. And I can't be a deputy without a sheriff, it's called the chain of command ya know,” Beagle exclaimed.

“Shouldn't we discuss what to do with the raiders that remain within the upper levels of the Bison Steve?” Twilight interrupted.

Janey waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Without a leader or any hope of getting anything out of Primm they will fuck off in a matter of days. The residents just gotta hunker down for a bit and they’ll leave in no time.”

“I don't like that plan at all,” Twilight replied.

“Stole the words right out of my mouth,” Beagle added.

Janey sighed. “I don't like it much either, and frankly if it was up to me I’d board up the exits and burn the whole thing to the ground, but it ain't up to me.”

“And a right good thing it is too,” Beagle muttered.

“What was that?” Janey accused, glaring at the male.

Who raised his hands defensively. “It was nothing. Just remarkin that a sheriff would speed the whole thing up a bit ya know? Why I heard the powder gangers talking about someone in the prison named Meyers who has plenty of experience as a sheriff. He may be a good choice, but with the NCR so close by you may be able to get them to take over the town. Not sure why they haven't helped out already to be honest.”

Twilight caressed her scaly chin with two claws while tapping out a response with the other hand. “That does sound like a bit of a conundrum. Though perhaps we should continue this discussion inside.”

“Right, I don't much like the chance of getting popped in the back of the head while I’m not paying attention,” Janey remarked, glancing over her shoulder. “Oh and I grabbed your stuff Twilight.”

Twilight nodded in appreciation. 

“Let's head on over to the Vicky and Vance before you turn out to be a prophet,” Beagle offered.

Together the trio did just that, though Beagle held up a hand before they were able to enter.

“Maybe I should go warn everybody about the giant murder lizard. No offence,” Beagle quickly added.

“I already did, though we can do so again,” Janey replied, rapping her knuckle three times on the door before pulling it open. 

Twilight made sure to stand off to the side while the courier and former deputy slipped inside, the door closing shut behind them. Left with nothing to do, Twilight glanced behind her, studying the Bison Steve hotel and casino a little closer. She could see no signs of movement however, though for a moment she thought she saw a shape retreating into the mountains.

Then it was gone, and Twilight turned back to the entrance, which had just opened to reveal a grimacing Janey. 

“Come on in. But just try not to make any sudden movements. They don't quite believe me yet,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight sighed, and nodded solemnly.

Together the pair entered the casino, with Janey taking up the lead, and making a point to stand in front of Twilight. Who upon ducking through the door, was greeted with a half dozen weapons pointed her way. Most were little more than pistols, or rather grungy looking rifles, though at least one of them wielded a well maintained shotgun.

“Holee shit,” exclaimed a bandana wearing Primm citizen. “You werent kiddin Janey.”

“Can it talk?” whispered a nervous woman wearing the garb of a merchant.

Twilight shook her head sadly.

“Oh damn. It can understand us?” whispered a third individual.

“Yes. I told you all this before!” Janey exclaimed in an exasperated tone. “Now would you please back up and find Johnson Nash. I got some questions for the old fart.”

The still slightly twitchy citizens of Primm exchanged a look before taking a large, collective step back. Giving Twilight room to breathe, and actually look around, inspecting her surroundings a little closer. 

The first thing she noticed were the old slot machines on either side of the entrance and the aged stools sitting before them. Most seemed to be out of order or damaged, though a few appeared to be brand new, and were even polished. A dozen feet beyond the two small rows of slot machines was the casino floor which you had to take a few steps down to reach.

In the center, bathed in lights from a ceiling high above it was an old blue car which was riddled with holes. There were also a table for craps, roulette, poker, and even one designed to accommodate a game of bingo. There were also a few more rows of slot machines, as well as a good number of the citizens who were almost all looking at Twilight.

Suddenly feeling quite out of place, Twilight awkwardly waved at the gathering crowd of humans. Who appeared quite shocked for several seconds before someone jumped up and shouted ‘aha’ at the top of their lungs.

“I knew that report wasn't bullshit!” he shouted. “Pay up Steve!”

Another man grumbled, and dug out a handful of caps which he threw at the other human. “Here, take it, you sore winner.”

Twilight shook her head, and went back to inspecting the rest of the area, noting that it was in better shape than most buildings. There was still some crumbling paint, and the odd hole, but at least all the lights seemed to work in the place. Including the ones which illuminated the bank where chips would have been exchanged which was a caged off area on the back left of the room. In addition there was also a bar, and two other small areas which extended from the main area, though they werent very large.

There was also another boxy robot milling about the area, though unlike the one Twilight had destroyed not long ago, this one wore a cowboy hat. It also didn't seem hostile, and simply ambled around the car in what looked like a preprogrammed routine of some kind. 

A rustle amongst the crowd of humans drew Twilight’s attention towards where a dark skinned man was approaching them. Disheveled, and clearly recently woken from a deep sleep, the man was older then most, likely nearing Easy Pete in age. He wore a pair of blue jean overalls, under which was a slightly ratty long sleeve white shirt that was likely from before the war.

“Now what is this about a deathclaw and a dead courier walking in…” he began, only for his eyes to narrow on the trio standing in the entrance of the casino. “Well I’ll be damned. Bob was right.”

“Damn right I was!” shouted the same voice from earlier.

Janey cleared her throat and stepped forward. “There will be time for twenty questions and a press release soon. Right now I got some business to attend to, so the rest of ya can git.”

The crowd grumbled, but largely broke up, though it was clear that most if not all were still paying attention to the continued discussion. Twilight paid them no mind however, merely kneeling down as the human referred to as Johnson Nash approached. The old timer looked wide awake now, and he viewed Twilight with a mixture of curiosity and more than a bit of fear.

“Greetings Johnson Nash. I am Twilight,” Twilight tapped out on the floor.

The dark skinned man shook his head. “That is the last time I doubt Mr New Vegas. Anyway, it's uh nice to meetcha Twilight. What can I do for you two?”

“Well we saved your deputy and took care of most of the raiders giving you trouble so a reward, including a hot meal would be appreciated,” Janey began.

“Right of course,” Johnson motioned towards one of the citizens nearby. “I didn't expect you to take care of this all so soon. Thought for sure you’d hunker down somewhere and wait for morning.”

“I figured it was best to hit them before they knew we were coming,” Janey replied.

“Evidently it worked since you don't look much worse for wear,” remarked the man.

“We even managed to take many of them prisoner in addition to saving Beagle, though unfortunately we were too late to help your former sheriff,” Twilight sadly exclaimed.

The older man sighed, and ran a hand over the short black stubble which covered the top of his head. “A damn shame, but I assumed he didn't make it since these bastards were still around and he wasn't. What about his wife?” Johnson inquired.

Beagle shook his head.

“Damn,” Johnson cursed. “Well ain't that just a cry in shame.”

The citizen from earlier returned with food and in the company of another dark skinned human that was about the same age as Johnson.

“Well would you look at that. You werent lying after all,” remarked the woman, who extended a wrinkled hand. “Name’s Ruby Nash, and it's a pleasure to meet you.”

Twilight blinked in surprise, awkwardly shaking the human’s hand while doing her best to keep her claws out of the way. The deathclaw immediately looked the woman up and down, noting that she wore similarly aged clothes. Around her neck hung a bottle from a rope, as well as a dark grey scarf, under which was a white dress that was older then her.

“It's nice to meet you as well,” Twilight awkwardly replied on the ground.

“Sakes alive woman. You could have at least warned me that you were going to be so friendly,” Johnson muttered.

Ruby merely waved a hand at the man. “Oh don't worry so much you old fart, this one’s kind. You can see it in her eyes.”

Twilight smiled, making sure to keep her teeth hidden within her mouth. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“Yeah that's great, but I could really use some food. So if you don't mind,” Janey interrupted, grabbing the bowl of noodles the citizen from earlier had returned with.

Twilight shook her head slowly before replying. “I’m sorry for my friend. Her table manners could use some work.”

Ruby Nash chuckled. “Oh it's no problem at all. She’d fit right in with my husband here.”

Johnson coughed into his hand. “I was hoping to have a more private conversation. If you don't mind.”

“Just one last thing before I go,” Ruby retorted, glancing expectantly at Twilight. “I got an old recipe for a delicious casserole that makes use of a radscorpion gland. If you find any out there in the wasteland I’d appreciate it if you brought some back to me. I’d even give you some free food if you do.”

Twilight nodded. “It would be my pleasure ma’am.”

“And she has manners too,” Ruby remarked, slapping her husband on the shoulder. “You could learn something from this deathclaw here.”

Johnson shook his head as his wife departed, turning to face Janey once she was gone. “Well then where were we?”

“I think we were discussin what to do about the whole not havin a sheriff situation,” Beagle interrupted.

Janey grunted, and swallowed the noodles she had been eating. “That ain't our business, that's your business. We just need our reward and we’ll get out of your hair.”

“We’ll handle it,” Twilight interrupted, turning to Beagle and jabbing a claw at him. “But first we are going to take care of the remaining raiders still hiding out in the Bison Steve.”

“Like hell we are,” Janey spat, the woman clearing her lips of the noodle residue. “We are done, and now I’m going to take the scrap we agreed on and fix that eyebot before skedaddling.”

Twilight glared down at her companion, her claw rapidly tapping out her response on a floor board. “These people have suffered enough, and the sooner we can reopen the town the sooner their lives can go back to normal.”

“We’ve broken the raider’s backs, all we have to do is wait. Don't you want less blood shed?” Janey retorted.

Twilight snorted in her friend’s face. “I want them all to give themselves up so they may be handed over to the law. That shouldn't be too hard. I’m fairly certain they are already terrified of us.”

Janey scowled for several more seconds before finally releasing a sigh. “I suppose you have a point, but you’re doing the heavy lifting. I’ll announce our presence and back you up but that's it.”

“Fine,” Twilight replied, her claw piercing the floorboard on the last word.

Beagle cleared his throat. “So uh it's done then?”

“No Beagle. I guess our job has only just begun,” Janey muttered as she angrily stomped out of the casino.

Twilight sighed, and offered the man an apologetic shrug before following after her companion.

“Never thought I’d see a deathclaw argue that killing people is wrong,” murmured Beagle.

Twilight shook her head. You don't know the half of it, Beagle.

The pair caught up just inside the Bison Steve interior, with Janey standing there expectantly, her hands on her hips. 

“So how do you want to do this?” she demanded.

“Like we talked about. You announce our presence once we get to the second floor and tell them that if they surrender they will be treated with dignity,” Twilight explained.

“Yeah like that is going to go over well,” Janey exclaimed.

“It will,” Twilight insisted.

“Alright fine, but when they rush you in a wave of grenades and gunfire it will be your ass that's on the frontline,” Janey declared.

Twilight released a tired sigh and nodded. “Fine, if that's what it takes.”

Janey nodded and walked off, with Twilight following relatively close behind her. Together they made their way towards the second floor, stopping only briefly to check out a vending machine. Upon finding that it was empty save for some rotten food, they continued on, with Twilight taking point.

Within the staircase Twilight was greeted with more flaking drywall, rotten plaster and garbage that littered the floor. It was unpleasant, though sadly expected by the deathclaw at this point. Thankfully it wasn't long before they reached the next floor and walked out into a hallway.

Which branched off straight and to the left, though the ceiling had long since collapsed, leaving them with little choice but to turn. Where they saw another set of vending machines, a trash can and the usual garbage that littered the area. It was also completely devoid of human activity, though Twilight could hear someone moving about further inside.

Past what looked like a maintenance closet was a larger room, and another set of hallways that branched off from the first. There Twilight stood for several long seconds, claws out and expecting a fight that never came. With a shrug she turned back to Janey and nodded, signalling that she was ready.

“I still can't believe I’m doing this,” Janey muttered to herself.

Twilight snorted, and jabbed a claw down the hallway.

“Just remember that I warned you,” Janey remarked before stepping forward and clearing her throat. “Attention raider fucks! This is the badass who fucked up your boss, wiped out half your fucking gang and is prepared to slaughter the rest of you. So unless you want to join those worthless shits in hell then I suggest you come out and give yourselves up!”

Twilight sighed, and shook her head. “Did you have to be so mean?”

Janey shrugged as she walked over to the doorway they had just passed through, drawing her weapon as she did so. “Raiders understand one thing, and that is violence.”

Twilight turned back to the entrance and readied herself, crouching low and extending her claws once again. The thought of being privy to more senseless violence didn't sit well with the former pony, but she had hope that it wouldn't turn out that way. Even still, she had lost a significant amount of faith when it came to raiders, and humans in general if she was being honest.

A stirring from the hallway ahead drew Twilight from her musings, and towards where a skinny, skittish looking raider stood. Alone, and armed only with a baseball bat, the man awkwardly shuffled into the room, only to freeze when he saw Twilight. Who upon realizing that the man wasn't about to get any backup, relaxed and rose to her full height once more.

Pointing back towards Janey, Twilight grunted.

“What, just one?” Janey murmured. “Well I suppose that's one less bullet I have to waste.”

“I uh…” the man cleared his throat and forced himself to look directly at Janey. “I’m here to negotiate our surrender.”

“Well shit,” Janey muttered, holstering her pistol. “That's a hell of a surprise.”

Twilight smiled faintly, and began tapping on the floor. “And what exactly are your terms?”

“Terms? Oh yeah, right,” the man straightened his back. “We want you to let us leave Primm, and we swear to never come back.”

Janey laughed. “Well ain't this just perfect. At this rate I bet we can be back at Vicky’s in time to catch some shut eye before sun up.”

“Not good enough,” Twilight replied. “You need to forfeit your weapons, and be taken into our custody.”

“Hold on a second princess,” Janey interrupted. “Think about what your saying. Now I’d usually be all for slaughtering these psychos like dogs, but they ain't our problem anymore.”

“We will not be slaughtering anyone,” Twilight retorted.

“That's good. Less slaughter is good,” the man muttered, clutching his baseball bat tight against his leather clad chest.

“If we just let them go they will only make problems elsewhere. They need to be reformed, so they may become functional members of society,” Twilight implored.

Janey gawked at the deathclaw, jaw hanging open. “That is the dumbest crock of shit I’ve ever fuckin heard. These assholes are raiders princess! They rape, murder and steal for fun! These kinds of people deserve one thing, a quick fucking death.”

“Hey I’ve never done any of that. Well except the stealing part, but that was just some food,” retorted the emaciated man.

Twilight gestured toward the male. “See? They aren't all like that. They deserve a second chance and to be judged for their crimes in a court of law.”

“Godamnit princess, there ain't law out here to speak of!” Janey shouted. “Not the NCR, not Mr House, and sure as shit not the fuckin legion!”

Twilight stomped her foot, causing a brief rain of plaster to fall from the ceiling. “We are taking these men into our custody and that is final. If you want my help reaching New Vegas then this is my one and only demand. Mercy.”

For several long seconds the deathclaw stared down the human, with neither backing down. Then Janey sighed, and shook her head.

“Fine. If that's the line, then I’m keeping seventy five percent of the loot from here on out,” Janey replied.

Twilight scowled, but reluctantly nodded. “That's acceptable.”

“So uh I don't know if the guys will go for that. They were kinda set on walking out of here,” remarked the man.

Twilight turned and glared at him.

The human quickly raised his hands. “I’ll go check, just please don't kill me.”

The deathclaw waved a hand back the way the raider had come, shooing him away.

The man hastily scurried away, leaving Twilight and Janey alone in the hallway, a tense silence hovering over them. Neither said a word as they waited, with Twilight watching the entrance while Janey ran her thumb in slow circles over the butt of her weapon. The human female’s expression was unreadable, though it was clear she was deep in thought.

Seconds turned into minutes, and Twilight could pick out the sounds of a distant conversation that was growing more heated by the second. It didn't exactly fill the former pony with hope for the future, and she wondered if the raiders were going to make a break for it. There had to be a second exit somewhere, though it would mean treading the partially collapsed roller coaster until they reached the ground. A dangerous prospect to be sure, and one that Twilight wasn't sure was even possible given the age of the train, and the scarcity of replacement parts.

“They won't be coming in peace you know,” Janey whispered, gesturing towards the distant door. “They’ll start by throwing grenades, and molotovs before firing everything they have at us. Then after we've been pinned they’ll charge with knives, bats and whatever primitive weapon they’ve managed to get their hands on.”

Twilight snorted, and turned back to the entrance, ignoring Janey’s pessimism as best as she could. Which wasn't an easy prospect given how much her words had stung Twilight and already doubt festered at the back of the deathclaw’s mind. These humans were indeed foul, but Twilight had seen brief glimpses of goodness in them, no matter how twisted they had become.

Twilight didn't have to wait long however, as the skinny, leather armored man from before reappeared. For a moment he merely stood in the doorway, he then stepped forward and threw his baseball bat against the wall.

“We give up,” he exclaimed, raising his hands above his head.
> I Fought The Law
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight shot her companion a smug look as the pile of weapons slowly grew, and the hallway filled with terrified raiders. Janey merely looked on in confusion, a baffled expression fixing itself to her face so firmly that Twilight thought it may become permanent. All while the raiders continued to silently file in one at a time until all twenty of them were disarmed and accounted for.

“There. Now get on with it already,” a slightly older, more grizzled raider announced.

Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“I said get on with it,” the man growled. “Kill us already.”

“Why would we do that?” Twilight questioned, tapping out her question on the floor.

“The punishment for getting caught raiding a second time is death. I don't care where you do me, just get it over with. I ain't a patient man,” the raider continued.

“If you insist,” Janey remarked, her hand going to her holster.

Twilight’s growl cut her off, and the courier raised her hands.

“Only joking. Bullets cost money and I ain't wasting a cap on these losers,” Janey announced.

Twilight turned to the man, jabbing a claw at his chest. “The fact that you turned yourselves in will do much to sway the judge, I’m sure.”

The raider blinked, and exchanged a glance with several of his fellows before erupting with laughter. “Is this thing for real? I mean how naive do you gotta be to actually believe that crock of shit?” he exclaimed.

Janey chuckled. “Hey there, you can't insult her. She's royalty ya know. A true blue princess at that.”

“For real?” a disfigured female raider whispered.

“Straight from Equestria. I bet her word would carry a whole ton of weight in the courts,” Janey added.

Twilight snorted, and stomped her foot, a light blush crossing her cheeks. “Escort them to the sheriff's house. We need to get them sorted quickly.”

“Yeah sure. Whatever you say princess,” Janey muttered, pulling her pistol from its holster. “Alright scum. This is what's going to happen. I’ll lead you to the holding cell while princess here brings up the rear.”

“Then what?” asked one of the raiders.

“Then, probably tomorrow, we will get in contact with the NCR and see if they’ll take ya. If not we’ll find a nice shallow ditch for y'all to take a nice long dirt nap in. Got it?” Janey barked.

People nodded, some muttered agreement while most merely remained silent, observing their captors closely.

“Good, now princess here likely won't eatcha if you step out of line, but I sure as shit wont hesitate to put a new hole in your head,” Janey finished, the courier turning and walking towards the exit.

The raiders dutifully assembled into a long line, with their leader being the first to follow after the departing courier. As they passed Twilight by, the deathclaw noted that most didn't look at her fearfully anymore, or at least not quite as much fear anyway. It was a nice change, though that feeling of joy was slightly marred by the realization that those negative emotions werent gone completely.

Rather they were largely moved from her, to Janey, who seemed to be the object of their ire given the glares leveled the courier’s way. Thankfully no one tried to run, and soon Twilight fell in behind the line, plodding slowly after the skinny raider from earlier. Twilight did her best to give the human a bit of space, but quickly thought better of it when she realized doing so may grant his friends a chance to escape.

Together they made their way down the stairs, and back out onto the streets of Primm, where several confused residents were waiting. All of whom were armed, and were watching as the strange procession made their way to the sheriff's shack.

“There ain't enough room for y'all in that tiny jail so this is what's going to happen next. I’ll go inside and clear the place out. Then that whole damn house is going to be your cell,” Janey shouted, pointing to one of the residents. “Get over here and lend me a hand wouldja?”

The man blinked once before nodding, and hastily ran after the courier, leaving Twilight and a few of Primm’s residents alone with the small army of unarmed raiders.

“So uh. You got them to surrender did ya?” muttered a baffled, and slightly irritated woman. “Don't suppose your leaving town with them tonight, eh?”

Twilight thought about it for a second before shaking her head.

“Damn. I’d sure sleep better knowing this lot was either dead or gone,” remarked the resident in a low tone.

Twilight rolled her eyes and continued to observe the raiders as they stood in a small awkward group. The deathclaw could tell that more than a few of them were tempted to run, but with Twilight’s presence they dared not move. Thankfully they didn't have to wait long, as Janey emerged from the shack only a few minutes later, hauling a heavy backpack along with her.

“There,” Janey declared, stopping next to Twilight. “Now there ain't nothin that can be used as a weapon, or nothin. Go ahead and toss' em in there.”

“Hold a minute,” interrupted the raider leader. “How long do you plan on keeping up us cooped up in this tiny thing?”

“Not long,” Janey replied. “I just need a bit of shut eye before I can drag yer sorry carcasses to the NCR.”

Twilight touched the courier’s shoulder, and snorted, hoping to get her companion to elaborate.

“I don't know about you but I need to sleep somethin fierce,” Janey explained. “Before we can do that I gotta let the old man know what's happening.”

Twilight grunted, merely accepting the fact that she was once more being left in charge of the situation. She glanced at her prisoners, and then pointed to the door, punctuated her command with a low growl. Sure enough, the raiders all swiftly made their way into the shack, though none looked happy about this development.

When Twilight turned around she was surprised to find that there were even more Primm residents standing nearby. All of whom were armed with some kind of weapon, though most brandished bats or other simple implements of violence. Twilight glanced to the door, and then back to the humans, who seemed to be waiting for something.

Watch all sides of the shack. Keep them contained, and safe while I figure this out. Twilight scratched out on the dirt.

“What does… huh. Well uh… you heard her boys,” muttered a rather surprised middle aged male.

Twilight nodded, and watched as the group quickly organized themselves before three of them moved to surround the shack. The others remained near the entrance, though they seemed more intent on watching Twilight than their captives. The deathclaw snorted, and pointed from her eyes, to them and back before walking away.

A gentle push allowed the deathclaw to enter the Vicky and Vance, where she quickly noticed Janey speaking to the older dark skinned human Twilight saw earlier.

“So you really don't know who set up that whole crooked job then?” Janey whispered.

Nash sighed, and stood a little straighter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Its like I told ya. The whole thing didn't make a lick of sense, and it was all done through proxies. I didn't see noone’s face, nor did they mention anything that didn't have to do with the job. Now would you quit badgering me about it? I told you all I know.”

“Sorry,” Janey muttered. “This whole thing has been…”

She trailed off, her gaze settling on Twilight, who slowly tromped up to the pair and offered Nash a nod in greeting.

“I hear ya did us all a favor,” Nash began. “Not sure if I’d have the strength to do what you did, but either way I’ll be pleased as punch when they’re gone.”

“Do you have a space where we could rest?” Twilight asked, tapping out her response on the ground.

“Err right, about that…” Nash muttered.

“He cleaned out one of the back rooms for us. It ain't pretty. Used to be a bathroom, but it will do,” Janey offered.

Nash sighed, and ran a hand over his sunburnt head. “Sorry we can't do much better, but everyone is hunkered down in what few rooms that haven't collapsed.”

Twilight sighed, and shrugged her shoulders.

“See? She don't mind, and neither do I frankly. At this point I’m about ready to pass out in the Bison Steve,” Janey exclaimed.

The man chuckled. “Well you can at least lay your head somewhere safe. Though we can't offer you much more than that.”

“Scuse me,” Beagle interrupted, the ex deputy walking up to them. “I couldn't help but remember that we didn't quite finish our conversation before.”

“I thought I was pretty clear that it ain't our business,” Janey retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And I distinctly remember princess here saying that she would handle it,” Beagle retorted.

“My name is not…” Twilight sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It doesn't matter. Yes we’ll handle it, and before you interrupt me again, Janey give me two minutes here.”

“Fine,” Janey muttered bitterly.

Twilight turned to Beagle, and placed a clawed hand on his shoulder. “Like it or not Beagle, you are in charge of this town. Without any other decent candidate you must take up the mantle of leadership.”

“I err…” Beagle trailed off, unable to find the proper words.

Whether that was due to the misplaced fear that Twilight would crush his head like a grape, or inspiration, the deathclaw wasn't sure. Either way she pressed on, tapping out her short speech on a nearby slot machine.

“I know you said that it had to be the NCR or that convict but that just isn't possible,” Twilight continued. “The NCR have orders not to bother themselves with Primm, and you should know by now that the convicts are bad news.”

“I suppose at least one of those things is true,” Beagle muttered.

Twilight nodded. “You know, deep in your heart that what I’m saying is right, and that now you must step up in order to defend your home and the homes of your fellow residents.”

“But I still need a deputy, and there ain't nobody around here who would volunteer, not after what happened,” Beagle retorted.

Twilight smiled, and turned to Janey.

“Oh no. There is no way I’m being this weiner’s deputy,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight sighed. “That was not what I was going to say. Rather I was going to suggest that we use your scrap, and knowledge of robotics to turn this one into an adept helper.”

Janey followed Twilight’s claw to the cowboy hatted protectron standing idly nearby. 

“Howdy pardners! Welcome to the Vikki and Vance casino, and-” the robot began, only to be quickly ignored.

“Why would I do that? I need that scrap. Besides, I don't even know if it has those kinds of subroutines already programmed and I sure as shit ain't sitting around here for the next week writing them,” Janey retorted.

“Can you at least look?” Twilight pressed.

Janey sighed. “Fine, but this is coming out of your portion of the loot.”

Twilight merely shook her head as she took a step back from Beagle, her gaze falling back on the former deputy. “With this metal creature as your loyal assistant. You would make for a fine protector of this town,” Twilight continued.

“I uh, suppose if old Primm Slim here could help me out then it wouldn't be so bad. What do you think, mister Nash?” Beagle asked.

The older human merely shrugged. “I don't rightly care what you do with that thing. Most folk consider it more of an annoyance so you’d probably be doing me a bit of good by getting it out of the casino.”

“It’s not like it wouldn't be put to better use,” Twilight offered.

“True,” Nash admitted.

“Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. It does have a set of law enforcement protocols,” Janey exclaimed, the human peering intently at the inner workings of the protectron. “It will need to be rewired though, and a few systems will need to be reinforced.”

“So will you do it?” Twilight asked, peering intently down on the former deputy.

Beagle sighed. “Look I appreciate yall putting such faith in me, but I just don't think it's a good idea. I only got a few months experience, and I ain't the type to bark orders ya know?”

“I know exactly how you feel right now. The butterflies in your stomach, the heavy beat of your heart and the slight queasiness that makes you wanna throw up. I’ve been there before, and I know that you just have to push past it. Soon it will fade, and you will realize that this was what you were meant to do. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but eventually you’ll come to this realization. Trust me,” Twilight exclaimed.

Beagle nodded slowly. “You know what? Ya, I think your right, miss Sparkle.”

“That isn't my last… it doesn't matter,” Twilight tried to reply, but quickly gave up.

“Great well it's mostly done. Just gotta power him back up and then sometime in the next week you’ll have to finish rewiring the rest of it,” Janey remarked, slamming the access panel shut on the protectron.

“Alright let's see what he can do,” Johnson Nash proclaimed.

With the flick of a lever, Primm Slim shuddered to life, his electronic head lighting up as various components began to whir softly.

“Bzzzt... Law enforcement protocols reinstated. Deputy subroutines running, pardner. Initializing use of force authorization... authorization found. Yee-haw!” shouted the robot in its usual mechanical tone. “Please designate a sheriff.”

“That would be me,” Beagle declared.

The protectron trundled up to the man and looked him up and down. “Biometrics catalogued. What is your name, sir?”

“Beagle,” replied the man, who stood a little straighter.

“Registration complete. What are your orders, pardner?” asked the robot.

“Patrol the streets of Primm, but don't go too far from the casino,” Beagle exclaimed. “I gotta catch a few winks if I’m going to be of much use to anyone.”

“Yes sir. Patrol route set,” Primm Slim announced before turning and trundling away.

Beagle cleared his throat and turned to Johnson Nash. “Don't you worry. I may have messed up once before but I swear on my very life that it won't happen again.”

“That's good son, now you better get some rest. You look like your ready to fall over at a moment’s notice,” Nash awkwardly replied, patting the other man on the shoulder.

“You’re probably right. Those damn raiders didn't let me get a wink of shut eye the whole damn time they had me tied up,” Beagle replied before slipping away.

Janey sighed. “And I really wanted to get that eyebot up and running too.”

“I’m sure you can come back for it,” Twilight replied.

“I guess,” Janey admitted. “Now if that's all the catastrophes for the moment. I need to gather some loot before I hit the hay.”

“I was gonna mention that we can't feed all those raiders you captured but if you’re bringing them away in the morning it don't matter much,” Johnson Nash exclaimed. “Come on princess. I’ll show you to your accommodations.”

Twilight nodded, and extended a hand invitingly.

The male quickly took the lead, maneuvering his way around the central area and towards the back of the casino. A few of the other residents glanced Twilight’s way though most didn't even bother to look. Evidently they had gotten used to her presence enough to no longer be bothered by the towering death lizard passing them by.

As they walked, Twilight couldn't help but yawn, the former pony quickly realizing just how exhausted she truly was. The entire debacle hadn't taken very long, but between her little episode, and all the fighting that had happened, Twilight’s strength was sapped. She could barely even keep her eyes open as she trudged after the human at a slow, sedentary pace.

“Here we are,” Nash offered, pushing open a door that branched off of the backroom of the casino. “I know it ain't much but we piled a few mattresses together in case ya decided to stay the night.”

Twilight smiled faintly as she observed the rather unpleasant room before her. Sure enough, it had indeed once served as a bathroom, though the majority of the stalls had been altered to create two separate spaces. One within the stalls which had their dividers removed, and a larger area near the sinks where Twilight’s mattresses had been piled.

Twilight gave the male a quick thumbs up.

“If ya need anything just holler. Err…” the man scratched his head. “Just find me and I’ll get ya some water or something.”

The deathclaw made a shooing motion with her hands.

“Right. I’ll give ya some privacy. The one on the end still works in case ya need to, well… you know,” Nash exclaimed before walking awkwardly away.

Twilight wished she could thank the man for his hospitality, but merely made a note to do so when she woke up. In the meantime she desperately needed to collapse into bed, lest she fall asleep standing in the doorway.

Collapsing into the small mound of musty mattresses, Twilight wished she had a blanket or something, before quickly pushing that thought aside. She was plenty warm, and plenty tired, she just missed the comfortable feeling of something cozy wrapped around her shoulders. Her old covers from back home had a small weighted enchantment on them that always helped to ease her anxiety.

Without such a luxury Twilight was left to consider her problems, as she lay there on her side. She wondered if she had been too quick to trust Janey, and if she should even remain at the courier’s side. She brushed aside those thoughts rather quickly though, reasoning that it was only through her that Twilight could even communicate.

I just need to find some other way to talk to people. Then maybe I can consider parting ways. Twilight thought to herself, the deathclaw’s body relaxing now that she had a plan in mind.

With such concerns no longer plaguing her, Twilight quickly fell asleep, unaware of the nightmares that were awaiting her.
> Pressing Matters Pt1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight rolled over, the deathclaw desperately fighting the urge to rise from the mess of unpleasant smelling mattresses. It may not have been the most restful sleep of her life, but her dreams were of home, so it was a great comfort that she wished to return to. Pressing her snout against the lone pillow she had been left, Twilight attempted to bring back those pleasant images she had just left.

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and all the rest of her friends were waiting for her in that realm which lies just beyond the waking world. Yet she couldn't return to it, not with the unpleasant aroma of rotten wood, and dust which now filled her nostrils. The deathclaw tried to ignore the smell but it was simply impossible to pretend as though it wasn't there.

Especially now that she was becoming acutely aware of her surroundings, including all the dirt, grime, and debris which clung to her scaly body. Her clawed hands were ineffective at cleaning herself, and Twilight doubted that there was a body of water she could use. At least not one hopelessly irradiated and quite possibly filled with some manner of mutated monster.

Twilight sighed, and rolled onto her back, eyes opening to stare up at the only partially intact ceiling. Most of it was damaged by water, time, and simple disuse, but someone had made an attempt to clean it semi recently. It made Twilight realize that like every other settlement this one was built on the decaying bones of the one that had stood there previously

It was a dark thought, and one that Twilight quickly banished by shaking her head and sitting up.

Glancing to her right, Twilight tried to listen for the distinct sound of breathing, but heard nothing. Picking herself up off the ground, Twilight trundled over to the bathroom suite, and peaked between the cracks. Though the bed had obviously been slept in recently, there was no one currently in it, meaning Janey had already left.

A sudden spike of panic shot through the deathclaw, and she worried that the human had ditched her in the middle of the night. An idea which wasn't actually that panic inducing now that Twilight really thought about it. Regardless, it wasn't a productive train of thought, and Twilight quickly put her mind back to the task at hand.

Walking over to the exit, Twilight pushed her way into the hall and wandered back towards the casino floor. Twilight rounded the corner and was about to sweep her gaze across the crowd of people that had gathered in the structure. Only to be stopped when a terrified looking settler suddenly screamed.

“Holy shit its a fucking deathclaw! Someone shoot it!” the man shouted.

Twilight sighed heavily, and started trying to work out the necessary charades she would need to enact to apologize when she was once more interrupted.

“That's the princess you idiot,” replied a passing casino worker, who slapped the first male across the back of the head. “You know, the one that was mentioned in that big talk Nash had with the whole town this morning?”

The first man winced, and pushed his motorcycle helmet back up his head. “You mean that's what that whole thing was about? I didn't catch a word of what he said. I mean who holds a big meeting at five a.m anyway?”

“That's when the reporter showed up ya dummy. Or did you not notice the big metal man in the crowd?” asked the second man.

The other settler shrugged. “I was tired, okay?”

Twilight nodded politely to the second man, who repeated the gesture.

“Sorry bout that. Say do you want somethin to eat? I just got this but my appetite is suddenly gone,” murmured the man in the motorcycle helmet.

Twilight looked down to the rat on a stick he was holding, and though her stomach turned at the sight, she couldn't deny her hunger. Extending her hand, Twilight allowed the male to place it in her grip before he quickly fled the scene, heading straight to the bathroom.

Now no longer distracted by a terrified human, Twilight idly munched on her breakfast as she observed her surroundings. From the level of natural light that flowed in through the doors to the casino, Twilight assumed it was nearly noon. A surprise given that the deathclaw had always been a bit of an early riser, though she had been through quite the ordeal.

Pausing her inspection, Twilight turned her attention down to her own body, running a clawed hand across her form. Though there were a few new scars, and several spots that still felt sore, all of her open wounds had closed. The burns had healed, and the odd scale that had been damaged now had a new, slightly brighter one sitting in its place. Twilight prodded the recently replaced scale curiously, noting that it was quite a bit more purple then the others.

Twilight shrugged off that bit of strangeness relatively quickly, and took another bite of rat as she looked back at the room.

The first thing she noticed was that there were few people around, and most were either eating, or were cleaning. The sight reminded Twilight of a potluck supper she had attended at the Ponyville community center. Both places had a sense of community, and comradery that made Twilight’s heart swell with pride.

Sure things might not have gone perfectly, but she had helped save these good, and honest people. An achievement that she could be proud of, and one that she hoped would have a difference on this out of the way town.

“Fuck,” cursed a familiar voice. “Why has noone cleaned this goddamn thing out?”

Twilight turned to find that behind one of the slot machines knelt Janey, her head stuck in the midsection of a certain inactive protectron. Chewing the last of her meal, Twilight discarded the stick in a nearby garbage can before walking over to the occupied human.

“Just a second,” barked Janey. “I’m almost done upgrading this stupid thing.”

Twilight waited patiently as her companion continued to dig around in the robot until she had accomplished all she hoped to. At which point she pulled back her head, scowled, and slammed the access hatch closed with a violent slap of her hand.

“That is the last time I work on one of these goddamn walking antiques,” Janey muttered as she cleaned her grease-covered hands. “I hope you had a better morning than I.”

Twilight nodded slowly, and gestured questioningly at the machine.

Janey snorted. “The law enforcement sub routines require additional power to function properly for an extended period. Which is why I needed to wake up early in order to rewire a good section of this stupid thing. Using up all the good scrap I’d collected.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Janey continued to complain.

“It didn't help matters that half of the goddamn parts on this thing were fused together by rust, or dust,” Janey muttered. “At least I didn't have to replace the fusion battery. I probably would have demanded a maintenance fee for that.”

Twilight snorted, and shot Janey a glare that said ‘are you quite done’.

“Yeah yeah,” Janey replied, flicking a switch on the protectron and causing it to slowly turn back on. “I’ll stop bitchin 'once we hit the road again. We’ve spent way too long at this place and I’m eager to get back on the right track.”

For once Twilight agreed, and she extended a hand invitingly towards the exit.

Together the pair wound their way around the small crowd and towards where Johnson Nash and Beagle stood waiting for them. Both seemed well rested, and on Beagle’s chest sat a finely polished star with the word sheriff scratched onto it. As they approached the others, Twilight could hear the distinct metallic thunk as the robot followed after them.

“So you’re off then are ya?” Johnson offered, arms crossed over his chest.

Twilight nodded.

“Eeyup,” Janey added. “We got a long, and winding road ahead of us. One that is made even longer by having to deal with a bunch of dead weight, but what's done is done.”

“It shouldn't take long to deal with the ex-raiders,” Twilight tapped out.

“I’d offer you a hand watching the prisoners, but I’m gonna have my hands full around here for a while,” Beagle exclaimed with a shrug.

“It's fine,” Janey bitterly muttered. “I’m sure we won't have to deal with more wildlife, or an attack by raiders while on the way.”

Twilight sighed, and ran a hand down her face. It's one thing to be angry, it's another to jinx the entire thing on purpose!

“Well if ya find yourself in a spot of trouble don't hesitate to come on back this way,” Nash exclaimed in an obvious attempt to change the mood of the room. “We should have the rest of the town up and running in a day’s time. Hopefully, anyway.”

“I’m sure the traders will roll through right quick once they hear that were open for business,” Beagle confidently declared.

“Let's hope so. This place could sure use the caps,” Janey remarked, glancing back at the room.

“Right, well. We’ve taken enough of your time already. Best of luck out there,” Johnson Nash exclaimed.

“Thanks Nash. For the help, and explainin the whole debacle with the chip,” Janey offered.

The older man nodded. “You got it, and hey. If you ever want your old job back just say so. I’m sure business will be boomin once they hear my runners can survive a bullet to the skull.”

“Ha. Well at least this one anyway,” Janey replied, rapping a knuckle against the side of her head.

“Oh and before ya go, I wanna say thank you as well,” Beagle added, staring up at Twilight. “Yer little talk there really stirred somethin in me and I pray to god that I can live up to the expectation y'all have set out for me.”

Twilight nodded, and leaned down, tapping out her response on the ground. “Don't worry about it too much. Just follow your heart, and I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

Beagle stepped to the side. “Well said, best of luck on your trav-”

The man was interrupted when the door to the casino was kicked open, and a woman wearing the ratty fatigues of an ncr soldier strode inside, pistol drawn. She wasn't alone however, as a pair of men wielding rifles walked in a moment later, flanking the woman.

“Now listen up. This is our casino…. Now?” she muttered, her voice falling as soon as she noticed the deathclaw standing a few feet away.

Her gaze then swung over the half dozen other armed humans who stood next to the towering death lizard. All bravado immediately fled her features, and her pistol fell limp in her grip, jaw hanging open in shock.

“Now I may not be able to hear as good as I used to, but did you just say this was your casino?” Johnson Nash exclaimed.

“Cus its actually a community coop owned by the town of Primm,” Beagle added, his hand resting on the butt of his revolver. “And I don't think the folk around here would much appreciate a sudden change in leadership.”

“Trespassers detected. Orders, pardner?” beeped Primm Slim.

“Just hold on a sec there Slim,” Beagle cautioned.

“You chose a real bad time to show up around here,” Janey exclaimed. “Say, princess. Are you feelin hungry by chance?”

Twilight took one look at the clearly shit scared soldiers and then her fellows before shaking her head.

Janey chuckled. “Strike that. You showed up at a real good time. Otherwise you’d be deathclaw food by now.”

“We didn't… there were raiders…” the soldier muttered, her barret falling down her forehead. “This place was supposed to be undefended.”

“Primm’s got a sheriff, and a princess,” Beagle replied, nodding to Twilight.

“Shit. Look, we ain't lookin for trouble, honest,” the woman continued, raising her hands over her head. “We’re just real hungry is all.”

“Yeah sure. So do you wanna line em up outside and put em down one by one or what?” Janey offered.

Twilight sighed, and was ready to reprimand her companion, only for Beagle to beat her to the punch.

“Well it seems like the only crime this bunch is guilty of is tresspassin, and that ain't enough to earn a shallow grave. At least not around here,” declared the sheriff. “What do you think princess?”

“Hold on. Why is the NCR trying to take over the casino?” Twilight inquired.

“We aren't NCR. Not anymore at least,” muttered the woman, who stuffed her pistol into the front of her pants. “Put 'em away boys. We ain't shootin our way out of this one.”

Her companions hastily followed her order, slinging their rifles over their back and remaining silent.

“Their deserters,” Janey whispered. “Probably took off the second they heard the legion comin.”

“It ain't that simple, civ,” barked the woman. “The legion ain't just another bunch of raiders. They are fucked up psychos who’ve got twice our number and three times the sadism. Ain't no point in throwing our lives away fightin a foe who would crucify most of us, and rape the rest.”

“So you’d just turn into raiders yourself then?” Janey retorted, sneering at the three former soldiers.

“Were just tryin to put as many miles between us and New Vegas as possible. Not one of us wants to be here, wearin an NCR uniform when the legion crosses the river,” retorted the woman.

Twilight extended a hand, cutting off Janey’s angry retort before it could be uttered. “When did you dessert?”

The woman wilted visibly. “Bout three days ago. Why?”

Janey snorted. “You lost all your money in Vegas didn't you?”

“Not all of it!” shouted the balding, slightly portly male that stood to the woman’s right.

“Shut up Steve. You aren't helping,” whispered the other ex soldier.

“So we lost most of our caps at the tables. So what?” exclaimed the leader of the small group. “Our point still stands.”

Twilight turned to Johnson Nash. “How long does it take for the NCR to declare their soldiers missing in action?”

“Few hours, I’d think. Why?” Nash replied.

Twilight nodded, and glanced back at the trio. “No matter how long you think you’re going to live with the NCR, your life expectancy drops considerably the second you become raiders. Do you still think that going awol is a good idea?”

The woman frowned, her hands balling into fists. “Dammit you’re right. But what the hell are we going to do now?”

“Pfft, not this again. I’m going to go grab a road beer. Call me when the princess has finished wasting her time on another group of losers,” Janey barked, the woman unlatching her pip boy and tossing it at Twilight before walking away.

Twilight ignored the comment, her attention once more turning back on Johnson Nash. “With the problems the NCR has been having. Do you really think they’d turn away three healthy recruits that were only missing for a few days?”

“You don't mean to send these three back, do ya?” Beagle asked.

“I don't know if I wanna go back,” muttered the woman. “But it sure would beat going back to sleeping in that burnt out car on the side of the highway.”

“At least you got a seat,” muttered one of the men.

“Shut it Steve,” retorted the taller of the two.

“They have to be suffering from a shortage on personnel, right?” Twilight pressed.

“Probably. Plus if you tell em they just got drunk and wandered off the strip I bet they wouldn't even look into any potential reports of raiding on their part,” Nash offered.

“Well shit. This wasn't how I thought today would turn out,” muttered the woman.

“It's a good thing though right?” Twilight asked.

The ex soldier nodded, scratching her cheek. “I guess so. What do you boys think?”

“So long as I don't end up shot for deserting, or locked up for the rest of my days I don't really care,” remarked the taller male.

“And I wouldn't mind that second one. At least then we’d get three square meals a day,” added the other.

“Well I guess that settles it,” exclaimed the woman, extending a hand. “The name’s Layla by the way. Sorry for causing you folks any trouble.”

“Not a problem,” Beagle replied, accepting the handshake. “And it was no trouble at all.”

“If Steve told me I’d get talked back into joining the army by a deathclaw I probably would have searched him for jet. Yet here I am. Ain't the wasteland wild?” she continued, shaking her head.

“I mean. I got some if you want,” Steve muttered.

Only to receive a hand upside the back of his head. “Shut it. They don't need to know that.”

“Right, well. I suppose we should get moving then,” Layla remarked.

Twilight quickly extended a hand, stopping the three before they could leave. “Why don't you join us? We were about to head over to the outpost anyway.”

Layla glanced at her fellows before shrugging. “I guess so. Not sure why you want our company though. It's not like you need directions.”

Janey returned with an open beer in her right hand, the courier swiftly retrieving her pipboy. “Thats cus we got a whole bunch a prisoners to escort.”

“Prisoners? Wait. You guys dealt with that big gang that was around here?” Layla exclaimed in shock. “I figured they fucked off after gettin bored.”

“Nope,” Janey exclaimed, pausing to belch. “Princess here saved their souls, now were off to sell em to the NCR.”

“Helpin out would probably seal the deal on us joining back up,” Steve remarked.

“That it would,” exclaimed the nameless ex soldier. “Count us in.”

“We’ll be right behind you,” Layla declared.

“Great. Just who I wanted to watch my back. A bunch of cowards,” Janey groaned, and brushed past the trio. “Just try not to piss yourself the second we see a rad scorprian.”

Twilight winced, and shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

“What a bitch,” Steve muttered.

“No kiddin,” added the other male.

“Well it seems as though you got this situation in hand. Best of luck to ya princess. Come on Slim, let's get back to patrolling. I don't want another surprise like this,” Beagle declared.

“Acknowledged, pardner,” replied the robot.

Twilight extended a hand towards the door.

Layla sighed. “Let's get this over with.”
> Pressing Matters Pt 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight plodded over to the former sheriff’s shack, her new companions walking alongside her the entire way. Though they said nothing, Twilight could tell that all three of them were eying Janey carefully, silently sizing the courier up. Not like Twilight could blame them, as the other woman had been nothing but rude, or even outright hostile to them.

I wonder what happened to make her so jaded? Twilight thought to herself. We are going to have to have another very personal conversation about her past if we are going to keep traveling together.

Pushing that thought aside for now, Twilight noted that the person that was supposed to be guarding the impromptu jail was missing. Before Twilight could worry about the individual who had vanished, he appeared from around the corner a yawn spreading across his lips. Wearing the heavy leathers of a trader, the male plunked a dented combat helmet on his head, and moved towards the door.

“What were you doing over there?” Janey demanded.

“Me? Oh I was uh… just…” the male’s features twisted as he scrambled to come up with an excuse, only to shrug. “I took a nap. Noone came to relieve me this morning.”

Janey ran a hand down her face. “Whatever. At least they didn't break out or nothing.”

“So you’re taking them all away now right?” asked the man, a hand resting on the sawed off shotgun hanging from his hip.

Twilight nodded.

“Well that's a relief. I can't say I like having a bunch of psychos locked up a block away from my house,” he added.

“Alright you three. Get yer guns out and watch the door while the princess here opens ‘er up,” Janey barked, withdrawing her revolver.

Layla glanced from the barricaded entrance to Janey and back again. “Wait, what's going on?”

“I think the shack is fulla raiders,” exclaimed the taller of the two males. “And we gotta make sure they don't bum rush us.”

Twilight nodded eagerly.

“Alright then. Were ready when you lot are,” Layla replied.

“Then go on, princess. Oh and don't worry. I still got those handcuffs,” Janey replied, patting a pocket on her jacket.

Trundling over to the entrance, Twilight gently pushed aside the barricade, and pulled open the door. With a claw ready to cut down any who attacked them, Twilight peered into the dimly lit shack. There she saw that the former raiders were standing silently, with little having changed save for the fact that a few sported several more bruises than they had the night before.

“It's about time you showed up,” barked one of the men. “It reeks in here.”

“I’m fucking starving,” added another.

“Please tell me you brought some water,” pleaded a third.

“Alright shut up already,” Janey interrupted, raising her revolver. “I don't wanna hear any whining from you. Not now, and certainly not during the walk over to the NCR outpost.”

“And how exactly do you plan on transporting us all?” sneered a short, greasy male.

“Simple,” Janey replied. “I’ll handcuff you, then tie the cuffs together in a line.”

Twilight stomped her foot, gaining everyone’s attention. “Before that happens we will allow you to relieve yourselves and get a bit of water,” Twilight tapped out on the discarded stack of filing cabinets.

“Here,” Janey declared, tossing a bottle of dirty water at the closest former raider. “Ration it out between the lot of you. Or don't, and kill each other over it. See if I care.”

The man who caught the bottle hastily opened the lid only to slow down the second he realized everyone was looking at him. After taking a small, tentative sip, he passed the container to the next man, who repeated the action before stepping out into the open air. Within a few minutes they had assembled into a long line, allowing Janey to enter and unlock the cell.

“Damn. You really did a number on this guy,” Janey muttered.

Twilight peeked her head inside to find that the rather evangelical raider had been tied up in a corner. He also had a split lip and a gash on his forehead, though his eyes were every bit as fiery as they were the last time she had seen them.

“Yeah well. It's hard enough to sleep when were packed in here like sardines and he wasn't making it any easier,” remarked the closest prisoner.

“Untie him. We got placed to be,” Janey barked.

“But he’s so loud,” whined one of the few female raiders.

“Don't worry. I’ll make sure he's quiet,” Janey replied.

Twilight sighed and shook her head, backing out of the shack once more.

“So do we let them go in privacy or what?” Layla asked the second Twilight had returned.

The deathclaw turned to the prisoners, and pointed from Steve, to the first in the line, and then towards the edge of the shack.

“Right. You heard the princess. Take whoever needs to go around the corner one at a time,” Layla commanded.

“Augh fine. Just hurry up already. Were burning daylight here,” remarked the short, balding ex soldier.

“I don't like this much more than you do,” muttered the former raider.

Twilight stood watching over the convicts, her attention occasionally drifting to the shack as the new arrivals joined the line. Janey was quick to follow after them, a pair of cuffs already retreived from some unseen pocket in her jacket. As time passed the various raiders were cuffed, and then tied together with a long section of rope.

Throughout it all, the preacher of the bunch remained hesitantly silent, waiting patiently as he was tied to the end of the line. With their chain gang now created, and everyone having relieved themselves after getting a bit of water, they were ready.

“Steve and whatever your name is on the right side. Layla, and I on the left, and Twilight, you take up the rear,” Janey exclaimed.

“You got it,” Layla replied.

“The name’s Matt Walsh by the way,” remarked the taller of the two males.

“I don't care. Just get into position,” Janey retorted.

“Wow, rude,” Steve muttered.

“Alright, everyone ready?” Janey exclaimed, ignoring the hushed conversation about her happening only a few feet away. “Let's head towards the outpost then.”

As one, the column began to move towards their distant destination, their pace slow until they got used to being tied together. After speeding up to a brisk walking speed, the group swiftly crossed the cratered parking lot and around the destroyed gas station. At that time Twilight’s initial sharp vigilance over the group began to wane as no new problems cropped up.

“I knew you wouldn't let her just kill us,” whispered a male voice.

Twilight perked up and glanced over to where the man at the back of the line had turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the deathclaw.

“Are you really going to send us back to the NCR?” he asked in a low tone.

Twilight nodded.

The male seemed disappointed by this statement, as a deep frown crossed his face. “That's unfortunate. I had hope that you were starting some kind of gang of your own.”

Twilight snorted, her eyes narrowing.

The man winced. “Sorry. Poor choice of words. I was thinking of more like a militia or something along those lines.”

That could be… interesting. Twilight thought to herself, only to shake her head. Hes also a lot more… cognizant now.

“Just think about it. You can't be everywhere, and the wasteland is a big place. If you had a whole bunch of us guys following your orders we could guard multiple towns, or even take on the fiends,” he whispered. “Something I doubt even you could do alone.”

Twilight couldn't help but contemplate that possibility as the group grew close to the bridge separating the two sides of Primm. 

“You don't have to make a decision right away,” he hastily added. “Just keep it at the back of your mind and in the meantime I’ll get everyone else on board with my plan.”

Twilight chuckled. Good luck with that. She thought.

“You laugh, but I’ve already begun the work. I’ll have the rest of them singing your praises by the time you need us,” he finished.

“Stop!” shouted a voice.

Twilight looked up to find that the same ncr soldier that had let them across the night before was still guarding the same entrance to the town. Though clearly surprised, he wore a wide smile on his face and his weapon had yet to be raised towards them.

“Well I’ll be damned. You really captured them all,” he remarked.

“Well not quite all of them,” Janey exclaimed, snickering to herself.

“Really? Damn. It's a good thing they didn't have us go in there then. We would've gotten slaughtered. Wait a second, whose that?” he asked, pointing towards Layla.

“It's a long story,” replied the woman. “I’ll fill your commanding officer in once we get across this bridge.”

“Err right. Just a sec while I disarm the mines,” he replied.

“Don't bother. I already got them,” Janey interrupted, gesturing towards the lead convict. “Just keep it moving. Once were all inside, you can stop.”

The train began to move a few seconds later, with the group weaving across the bombed out bridge and into the ncr camp. Shocked looks, and confused expressions greeted their entrance, and though there was a good amount of fear in the air, no one was hostile. That was until Twilight noticed the bridge guard suddenly smash the butt of his rifle into the gut of a man wearing a welding mask.

Doubling over, the guard then delivered several brutal kicks to the masked individual’s midsection. “Thats for shooting me in the fucking leg you goddamn pyschopath,” he spat.

“Hey hey, what's going on here?” Layla demanded.

“Nothing. Just a little payback is all,” replied the guard, who gave the convict one last boot to the gut. “Carry on.”

Twilight couldn't help but growl irritably as she watched the show of violence, and though she said nothing, she sure wanted to. The most she did was shoot the ncr soldier a glare as they passed him by, though he barely seemed to care. Fuming silently to herself, Twilight merely fell into line at the back of the train as they wound into the small camp.

A minute later and the motley assortment of convicts, raiders and desperate wasteland survivors had assembled outside the command tent. Where Sergeant Mc Gee and Lieutenant Hayes waited, their weapons hanging slack in their grip as they observed the new arrivals. Without a word having to be spoken, Layla and her men rounded up the group while Janey and Twilight walked over to the waiting soldiers.

“Well would ya look at that,” Hayes exclaimed. “You really did it.”

Janey snorted. “Of course we did. We said we would, didn't we?”

“Still,” Mc Gee murmured. “I didn't think this bunch would give up without one helluva fight.”

Twilight snorted, and tapped out her response on the picnic table. “Oh there was a big fight alright. But thankfully we werent hurt too badly.”

“That's good to hear,” Hayes remarked, holstering his pistol and crossing his arms over his chest. “Now I suppose you want us to take them back huh?”

“Either that or dig them a mass grave,” Janey replied with a shrug. “I don't rightly care which at this point.”

The covincts began muttering amongst themselves, eying the courier, and the NCR nervously. Twilight put a stop to this by stomping her foot, and after getting everyone’s attention, tapping out her response on the table.

“We won't be doing that. If you won't take them then I will think of something else,” Twilight replied.

“Oh we’ll take them alright. It's just the logistics of it all that has me worried,” Hayes quickly replied.

“What do you mean?” Janey demanded.

“We don't have the manpower to keep the traders safe between here and the Mojave outpost further south. As such, a bunch of ants moved in, along with a few vipers we spotted taking refuge in an old police station down the road,” Mc Gee explained, using his rifle to point to where he was talking about.

“So unless you wanna clear them out yourself, you’ll have to wait until we get some back up,” Hayes continued.

“How long would that take?” Janey inquired.

The lieutenant shrugged. “No idea. We were supposed to have gotten relieved three days ago, but obviously that hasn't happened.”

Janey sighed, and ran a hand down her face. “Great, just fuckin great.”

“And if we helped you out then there would be a reward, right?” Twilight asked.

Hayes nodded immediately. “The boys at the Mojave outpost already got a pool going for whoever clears the place out and makes our jobs easier.”

“What about all these guys? Surely getting a whole new chain gang is worth something to the NCR, right?” Janey pressed.

“I don't know if I have the authority to make such a call,” Hayes replied.

“Oh come on. There has to be a bounty on at least a few of those psychos, right?” Janey exclaimed, gesturing back to the line of convicts.

“What do you think, Sergeant, do any of these guys match the posters?” Hayes offered.

Sergeant Mc Gee hummed as he eyed the row of prisoners carefully. “Yeah, there might be a few, but the guys up at the outpost would know for sure.”

“I suppose that will have to do. You better wish some of you are worth something,” Janey muttered.

“Now, how much exactly is this reward for clearing out the highway?” Janey pressed.

Twilight sighed, and silently ignored the continued conversation playing out before her. The deathclaw didn't care about the fine details, or the long winded arguments over a handful of caps that she had little use for. Even just sitting there and listening was enough to make Twilight’s stomach turn a little.

It was like she was a part of a slave trade, and not for the first time Twilight wondered what other options she really had. Just letting them go clearly wasn't the correct action, yet the NCR werent exactly turning out to be the beacon of civilization Twilight had hoped they were. She couldn't just start her own gang either, though that option certainly was becoming more and more appealing by the second.

At least the legion didn't get them. Twilight thought to herself. That certainly wouldn't have ended well for any party involved. 

With such bitter thoughts rolling around in her mind, Twilight barely even noticed Janey talking until the courier spoke up.

“Hey princess, ya with us?” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight shook her head and looked down to the woman expectantly.

“We’re all set here,” Janey replied, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “The three cowards are just chatting with the commander at the moment.”

Twilight looked over to find that Layla and her men were missing, and that the convicts had yet to move. The mood had clearly soured, and a few of their prisoners eyed both Janey and the NCR soldiers with naked contempt. That wasn't Twilight’s concern however, at least not at the moment, as she couldn't help but worry about their three newest companions.

The deathclaw strained, yet couldn't hear anything from inside the tent no matter how hard she tried. Thankfully she wasn't left without answers for long, as Layla’s men, followed by Layla herself emerged several minutes later. Though they wore smiles, Twilight could tell that they were slightly strained, and an air of nervousness hung over them.

“Good luck,” was all Hayes said before closing the flap on his tent behind them.

Twilight lifted her hand, palm up.

Layla cleared her throat, and pushed her barrett back up her head. “We’ve been given a second chance. Provided we help you guys clear out the highway, and safely get the prisoners to the outpost.”

“After that we’ll be on shit detail for a whole goddamn month,” Matt muttered.

“At least we’ll be sleeping inside tonight,” added Steve.

“Speaking of which. We better get moving if we don't want to spend all day out in this sun,” Layla remarked.

Twilight blinked, and glanced up at the sun, only now aware of just how bright it was. The deathclaw hadn't noticed earlier, as it felt rather pleasant, its powerful rays warming the former pony’s now cold cold blood. She also felt something strange at the back of her head, like the beginning of a spell, though it was so distant that it may have been a headache.

“Good thinking. We got everything we need anyway so let's get moving,” Janey barked. “Same positions as last time, but now we’ll be going out of town, under the bridge and taking the highway to the outpost.”

Their prisoners grumbled, but said nothing loud enough for them to hear.

I just hope we can keep it together until we reach this outpost place. I don't know how much more abuse these poor ex cons can take. Twilight thought to herself.
> A Pair Of Dead Desperados
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight plodded along at the back of their small chain gang, her gaze distant as she ruminated on recent events. She didn't have long to consider things however, as she heard the familiar sound of Mr. New Vegas coming over the radio. With her attention piqued, Twilight listened intently to Janey’s pip boy.

“Primm formally swore in a new sheriff today. RNV reporters were on hand to hear the new sheriff address the crowd,” Mr New Vegas announced before there was a moment of static and what sounded like a recording activated.

“Hey folks, I’m Sheriff Beagle, and this is my deputy, Primm Slim,” the familiar voice of Beagle announced.

“Howdy partners,” the robot, Primm Slim, greeted.

“Right. Were the law here in Primm, and I just wanna take a moment to tell the wasteland that were back in business. Oh and it's all thanks to the princess. Godspeed out there,” Beagle exclaimed.

Mr. New Vegas quickly interjected. “Well folks it looks like the world’s only sentient deathclaw is already out making waves in the wasteland. Make sure to stay tuned to hear all about her adventures, but in the meantime here’s Nat King Cole with you’re nobody till somebody loves you. And that somebody is me. I love you.”

Music began to emanate from the pipboy once more, and though the song was intriguing to Twilight, it was difficult to hear over Janey’s cursing.

“Godamnit. I can't believe Beagle didn't even mention me,” Janey cursed.

A couple convicts snickered and the preacher of the group beamed, shooting Twilight a proud sidelong glance.

Twilight wanted to remind her friend that it wasn't all about glory, or recognition but decided against it.

“That was pretty darn fast,” Layla remarked, shouldering her rifle. “We couldn't have been out of town for more than a half hour or so at this point.”

“That damn robot has a better nose for gossip than a retiree with a gambling problem,” Janey muttered.

Twilight ignored her companion’s continued grumbling and looked around at her surroundings. On her left was more scrubland, beyond which lay what looked like an old race track of some kind though it had long since been over with sand and weeds. In front of her laid the double lane highway which went far into the distance before turning to the right and ending at a mountain pass. 

On her immediate right was a large parking lot, only it was contained within a fence, and had a large billboard at one end. On the other was the demolished remains of a small structure, though Twilight didn't know what it’s purpose had been.

Twilight padded over to the preacher, and poked his side before pointing at the lot curiously.

“What do you… oh, your wondering what that is,” the man hummed. “If I remember correctly that's called a drive in. Apparently people drove there to watch paint dry on that big wall thingy.”

Janey sighed. “They did not go there to watch paint dry. They watched movies that were projected onto that big flat surface. Also-”

“Contact!” shouted Steve, who leveled his weapon at something humanoid which had risen out of the drive in, attracted by the sound of conversation.

Confused, Twilight put herself between whatever was coming at them and their prisoners. Her confusion only grew when a group of emaciated humans who growled like animals sprinted out through a cloud of dust. The creatures sprinted at their group with arms raised, screaming and baying for blood.

A well placed shot from Janey blew the top half of one’s skull off while concentrated fire from Layla’s squad killed two more. With their numbers already halved, Twilight expected that the pack of desperate people would give up, yet they kept coming. They didn't even glance at their fallen friends as they were cut down in a hail of gunfire, nor did their expressions change.

Twilight barely even had the time to gather her wits before they were all dead, and Janey stood proudly at the head of the group.

“I hate these things. Barely even worth the ammo,” Janey muttered before immediately leaning down and rummaging through the loin cloth one of her victims had been wearing.

Stomping up to her, Twilight glared at the courier and grabbed a loose board from the fence. “Why did you kill those poor people?”

Janey blinked, cocked her head and erupted with laughter. “Those werent people!”

“Yeah they were ghouls,” Steve pointed out.

“Exactly. We fought them before, remember?” Janey replied.

Twilight’s anger dissipated somewhat, and she glanced down at the dead human laying on the ground in front of her. The creature had been male though other than that most other details had been burned away from exposure to the elements. Even the majority of its skin was gone, including its lips, eyelids, and nose, exposing its brown muddy teeth.

“See? It's a feral. Like the others,” Janey offered, kicking the creature in the side. “Poor sucker got dosed with too many rads and lost their damn mind. Don't feel bad about killing them. There’s nothing left in there anyway.”

Twilight wanted to offer some kind of rebuttal but found herself agreeing with Janey for once. The ferals didn't care about the lives of their friends, or seemingly even their own lives for that matter. All they were capable of experiencing was hunger, and a violent desire to tear every living creature limb from bloody limb. 

At least that’s what it seemed like anyway.

“Let's go,” Janey barked, turning back to the road.

Twilight reluctantly fell back into line, her gaze never leaving the dead ghouls lying on the side of the road. She remembered the talk she had with the courier, and the warnings Janey had given about the many creatures they would face. Even with the connection that these things were the monsters Janey had mentioned, it still felt a bit unreal to Twilight.

Despite the danger she had apparently just been in, Twilight couldn't bring herself to feel angry. The only emotions rolling around inside of her were sadness, and pity for the poor humans who had been turned into zombies.

Twilight hoped what Janey had said was true, and that they hadn't been made prisoners in their own bodies.

With her mood now soured, Twilight plodded along at the back of the group, glumly staring at the ground. The deathclaw was vaguely aware of the fact that the preacher was once more whispering about her impeccable moral character. The grand declarations the man made would normally irk the former pony, though Twilight was too distracted to care.

Her mind was occupied with wondering what other horrors they would face in their journey. Animals were one thing, but if they were going to face a near constant stream of human enemies then Twilight wasn't sure how far she would get. It had only been a few days yet she already felt… strained, her mind struggling to compartmentalize the awful things she's seen and done.

Twilight sighed. “I sure hope I find my friends soon.”

“Hold up. We’ve got something up ahead,” Steve whispered, walking a bit closer to Twilight.

The deathclaw paused and looked up to find that the rest of the chain gang had crouched low, with Janey at the front. Visibility had decreased as dust filled the air, pulled from the ground by a steadily growing wind coming down from the mountains. Wind whipped about them, and Twilight knew it wouldn't be long before it would become hard to see much of anything.

Twilight followed the courier’s gaze towards a boxy structure sitting on the right of the highway. A pair of humans stood outside of it, busy fighting what looked like a radscorpion with nothing but knives. Despite the insect’s incredible size, the pair of gang members were winning, and somehow managed to dodge every swipe the creature made.

Janey motioned for the deathclaw to join her as she watched the pair, and Twilight reluctantly did just that.

“We got Jackals up ahead. Were going to have to take them out if we want to continue. Probably clear out the station as well,” Janey remarked.

“I thought they were people. Not dogs,” Twilight declared, tapping out her response on one of those strange broken devices implanted in the road.

“That's their gang, the jackals,” Janey explained. “Drugged up psychos who rob people to fill their need for chems.”

Twilight frowned. “Can we not go around them?”

Janey shook her head. “They might hit us from behind if we do that. Furthermore they are causing problems for the NCR so we have to get rid of them.”

“Fine,” Twilight agreed.

“Good. Now we’ll help you clear out these two fools, then you go inside and take out the rest,” Janey exclaimed.

“You’re just doing that so I can't talk anymore of them into giving up,” Twilight accused.

Janey raised an eyebrow. “I’m disappointed you think so low of me. I am trying to keep our prisoners alive Twilight. If you haven't noticed there are a lot of dangerous creatures out here and with the storm picking up we’ll need to close ranks.”

Twilight winced. “I’m sorry. That is acceptable.”

Janey pulled her weapon from her holster and nodded to Layla who leveled her rifle at the pair of gang members. Who had just finished killing the rad scorpion and were busy trying to drag the dead insect towards the police station entrance. They didn't make it far before a trio of shots cut through the whirl of dust and sand that surrounded them.

One went wide while the other two slammed into a gang member’s belly, dropping him to the ground. The other immediately charged directly at the large group, his eyes wild and his rusty cleaver raised high above his head. He didn't make it far though, as Twilight bum rushed him, knocking the human to the ground with a backhand.

The human had seemingly been oblivious to the reptile’s proximity as it didn't react to Twilight’s presence before being knocked to the ground. His knife went flying, and he groaned in pain as he lay sprawled out on the asphalt. Twilight was quick to pin the human under a hand before pointing to another of the handcuffs, cutting off any argument before it could be uttered.

“Alright, add him to the line,” Janey replied without missing a beat, tossing Layla a pair of cuffs.

“What about this poor bastard?” Matt asked, the man gesturing to the gang member lying on the ground, arms crossed over his stomach and groaning in pain as blood began to pool around him.

Twilight grunted, and pointed to the pocket that contained Janey’s stimpacks.

“He’ll need proper medical care if he's going to survive that. A stimpack will only prolong his suffering,” Janey retorted.

The deathclaw grunted even louder.

“Fine, but that's coming out of your cut,” janey replied, fishing out a stimpack and jamming it into the gang member’s side.

The poorly armed man barely even seemed to realize what was going on, his leather clad arms remaining latched over his bloody midsection.

“Wha… what’s going on,” he muttered, the pain having lifted just enough for him to look around.

“Get him up and put him in the line,” Janey barked, tossing another pair of cuffs at Layla who swiftly worked to do as the courier asked.

Twilight didn't pay attention to him however, as she heard what sounded like footsteps approaching from within the station. The deathclaw immediately began to sprint towards the entrance, trusting that her companions could handle the injured gang member. Her assumption was proven true a second later when a curious human armed with a varmint rifle and outfitted with metal armor stood in the doorway.

The scarred, and emaciated woman barely managed to fire a shot before Twilight shoulder checked her back into the station. The deathclaw’s enormous weight carried them through the door and inside, knocking the wind out of the girl and laying her low.

A pistol wielding male looked down at his fallen comrade. “What the fuck how did-” 

“Just shoot it!” shouted a voice.

Twilight was faster still, lashing out with her fist at the closest gang member standing to her right. The male’s patchwork metal armor did nothing to soften the blow, sending him flying into the wall where he hung limply, embedded into the rotten drywall. The next foe was a little quicker and fired off several shots at Twilight before she managed to strike him.

The attack was a weak one however, as Twilight was too busy worrying about the low calibre rounds that had hit her. They had bruised her, but little else, as her scales had taken the majority of the blow and left only small scratches. Still, it had been enough of a distraction that she merely brushed him with enough force to make him stumble back.

He raised his pistol arm again, but Twilight batted it aside with enough force to make several of his fingers bend in a way they shouldn't. Twilight didn't have time to feel bad about that however, as someone had just tried to jab her in the back with a sharpened kitchen knife. The blade had predictably been unable to pierce her natural armor and now the gang member was trying to remedy this by stabbing Twilight repeatedly.

Twilight used her tail to grab the woman’s leg and pull it to the side with all the strength she dared use. Sure enough the woman fell hard, though her leg didn't snap in the process, allowing Twilight to turn back towards her other opponent. Who had left his weapon on the ground and sprinted towards the back of the station, screaming for backup all the while.

Looking around, Twilight quickly took stock of her situation, starting with the other gang members.

One was still stuck in the drywall, and was groaning in pain, no longer a threat to anyone. In fact the only one who was a threat was the gang member who had tried to stab her, though calling her a threat may be pushing it a little. She had crawled around one of the many desks which littered the entrance to the building and was trying to be quiet.

Twilight tromped over to her and placed a great hand over the human’s head. The deathclaw then turned the woman so their eyes met, revealing that tears were pouring down her face. The sight nearly made Twilight’s resolve melt, though the stinging in her back helped to keep her focused.

Placing a finger over her lips, Twilight shushed the human and then pointed down before standing back up. Whether the jackal had been scared into submission or was currently so frozen in fear that she couldn't move Twilight wasn't sure. Either way the gang member wasn't stabbing anyone anymore, so Twilight took that as a win.

With a snort, Twilight turned towards the hallway where her other foe had disappeared down, inspecting it a little closer. On the left side there were three doors, two that went to bathrooms and the last which likely went to a storage room of some kind. Either way Twilight didn't care, and she only looked at it long enough to read the line of text written on it.

I wish I was at the Sierra Madre. Had been inscribed on the metal panel along with a cartoon frowny face.

Twilight put that out of her mind, finishing her inspection with the large holding area at the end of the hall. Which had been split in half between a waiting area that had been converted into a makeshift barracks, and a single large cell. A cell which now contained the final three gang members, one of whom was cradling his hand as he glared at the deathclaw.

“Ha, you can't get us in here you big stupid animal,” declared the jackal leader.

“Shut up dude. Don't antagonize it,” whispered his short friend.

“That thing broke my fucking fingers and killed the others. Why shouldn't we fuck with it?” retorted the leader.

“We should kill it,” whispered the third jackal.

Twilight snorted as she slowly walked into the room, searching for a flat surface which she could tap out her response on. She doubted that they understood morse code, but the deathclaw had to at least try. While this was happening the other three were still arguing amongst themselves, though a consensus was quickly being reached.

“-I already used all the dynamite we got from that dipshit convict,” muttered one of them.

“I got a couple bullets left but I don't think it will do much,” offered the other.

“It's fine. I still got a molotov,” declared the leader.

“Don't throw it in here, you'll hit the bars!” hissed the shortest of the trio.

Twilight found what she was looking for and picked up a small ammo box before dumping out its contents. She then tapped out a greeting, followed by a request for the three of them to give up and submit themselves to her.

“Is it trying to talk to us?” whispered the tallest jackal.

“Of course not. Its just a dumb animal,” retorted one of his fellows.

“Back up, here goes,” declared the leader.

Twilight was about to reply, only for her gaze to settle on the burning end of the molotov cocktail held in the leader’s hand. In an instant the deathclaw’s thinking self was utterly gone, submerged amidst a growing tide of rage. One so powerful that when it spilled from the deathclaw’s lipless maw that it shook the very foundation of the small building.

The leader flinched, nearly dropping his projectile in the process and giving the beast the chance it was hoping for. With its shoulder lowered, the beast sprinted directly at the jail cell, not slowing until it had torn the entrance clear from its moorings.

“What the fuck-

“How did it-

“I fucking told you!’

The beast didn't pay any attention to the words coming out of the prey’s mouth, as it was already attacking the closest foe. This unfortunate human had gotten in the way of her mad dash and had his leg snapped beneath one of the beast’s mighty feet. The deathclaw finished him off with a powerful stomp to his midsection, shattering every single one of his ribs as well as his spine.

Organs shot out of him like the human had been replaced with a balloon filled with offal. The beast didn't care to watch the human die, as she was already turning towards the second foe in her way.

This one didn't fare much better, though he managed to fire off several shots from his revolver before he died. Those shots mostly went wide, though one hit the beast with enough force to leave another bruise. This only infuriated it even more, and with a single powerful swipe of its claws it cut the human to ribbons. 

The beast then turned towards the final foe and snapped out a hand, catching the molotov before it could hit it’s target. The deathclaw then proceeded to pluck the burning rag from the top and drop it on the ground. It then ground a foot against the fabric until it was completely out.

“Noone hurts her,” rumbled the beast.

“What the fuck,” was all the human could mutter before a clawed hand shot straight through his torso.

A second quickly joined the first, and with a mighty tug the beast pulled the jackal apart, sending blood and guts flying everywhere. Bones were made visible, and organs spilled out onto the ground, the human living just long enough to look down at its ruined form before perishing.

In the silence that followed the deathclaw looked around, and after finding that there were no more threats, reached down and grabbed an arm. With a crunch, it snapped several bones, and began to consume the hunk of meat as it walked down the hall. By the time it reached the end it had eaten everything including the already broken fingers, and belched loudly.

With its hunger sated and threats dealt with, the beast willingly fell away, allowing Twilight to return once more.

“What did… Why do I taste blood?” Twilight muttered to herself.

The deathclaw quickly spat the awful taste from her mouth before realizing that her claws were now red.

“How did that happen?” Twilight asked the empty room.

Something told her she didn't want to know, so Twilight left that stone unturned and merely cleaned her claws off on a discarded set of pants. Confident that her appearance was slightly less intimidating, Twilight walked back over to where the human female had been hiding. There she found the gang member still sitting, staring wide eyed up at the deathclaw, her tears now dry.

Twilight grunted, and pointed towards the door.

When she didn't get a response Twilight picked the human up and gently shoved her towards the exit. This seemed to shock the jackal from her stupor and she hesitantly walked over to the exit. Twilight then gathered up the other unconscious or otherwise injured jackals, tucking them under an arm.

With all that done she was tempted to look down the hallway, only for that urge to vanish a moment later.

The deathclaw shrugged to herself and proceeded back out into the wasteland.
> Papers Please
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The proud proclamation of her victory died before Twilight could even think of uttering it, her gaze falling on the pair of corpses lying only a few feet away. Unlike the dead bodies from earlier, which had been stripped of valuables and tossed aside, these new ones had yet to be looted. So fresh were they that Twilight could still smell the gun smoke, and fresh blood which was beginning to pool on the dirty highway.

The deathclaw wanted to shout, to demand an explanation, but quickly realized that this was likely self defence. The way the bodies were laying face down on the ground, sporting a few new holes seemed to back up this assumption. There was also the fact that they had been armed when Janey had killed them, and as if answering the unspoken question, Janey herself approached right after.

“We had a couple who didn't feel like surrendering!” shouted the courier over the rage of the dust storm.

Twilight grunted, and gently dropped the unconscious jackals on the ground before pointing at the one she had intimidated already. Thankfully her command could be understood easily through the howling wind which whipped at everyone present.

Janey didn't seem pleased, though she also didn't seem surprised and simply turned towards their ‘help’. “Round these ones up and add them to the line! Twilight and I will be on overwatch!” barked the courier.

The three NCR soldiers swiftly got to work, handcuffing those who were awake, and swiftly waking those who were not. While they worked to bind them all together Twilight tried to ask Janey about what had happened but discovered that was impossible to do. The dull tink of her claw hitting a peice of discarded metal was washed away by the ocean of noise that was the dust storm.

“Sorry, but it seems like we won't be able to talk until we get back inside!” Janey shouted, gesturing forward and to the right. “Just remember to stay at the back and keep an eye out for wildlife! There is a giant ant colony to the left, and apparently some roaming radscorpions on the right!”

Twilight nodded, and gave the courier a thumbs up before turning back around and making her towards the back of the group once more. All of whom were miserable, especially the newest additions, who were stumbling slightly, still a little rattled from their recent fight. Thankfully none attempted to escape, and after a few seconds to orient everyone, they set off once more.

With Janey at the front, and their escort on the sides, Twilight was confident they would be safe from any creatures they may cross paths with. That confidence wavered somewhat when the wind grew so loud that the deathclaw could barely even hear her own thoughts. Not only that but the sand and dirt stung the few spots on Twilight’s body which were not covered by thick scales. She could also hear the occasional click of Janey’s geiger counter, indicating that the storm was not only irritating but also potentially dangerous.

Thankfully they were moving sooner after, and in no time at all they had established a decent pace. It wasn't quite as fast as Twilight would have liked, but it was at least faster than a casual walk. Twilight however, had much longer legs so to her it was barely faster than a crawl, giving the deathclaw ample time to inspect her surroundings.

Not like there was much to see, as the visibility had fallen to the point that Twilight couldn't even make out the sillhiote of Janey anymore. The former unicorn could at least keep an eye on most of the prisoners, as well as two of the three NCR soldiers traveling with them. Those mostly obscured forms, and the ground beneath her feet were really the only things Twilight could detect with any degree of clarity.

This continued to be the case for several minutes, until she heard a yelp of surprise followed by the sharp pop of a gun. Recognizing it as Janey’s weapon of choice, Twilight quickly sprinted up towards the front of the chain gang. Running past the shorter of the three ex raiders, Twilight stopped him with a claw and pointed to the prisoners.

The man nodded, keeping his weapon up while also stopping himself from helping Janey before resuming his duties. Twilight didn't slow down to make sure her command was heeded however, and had continued on to the front of the pack. Where she saw Janey wrestling with a giant ant who had gripped her leg and was attempting to drag the woman to the ground.

Twilight released a roar, and stomped on the creature, shattering its exoskeleton and pulping the majority of its organs. She didn't get a chance to relish her victory however, as something large and heavy had slammed against her upper thihg. This was followed up by a pair of pincers jabbing into the deathclaw’s midsection, bruising, but not piercing Twilight’s scales.

With a fresh wave of pain rolling through Twilight’s mind, the former pony only just barely resisted the urge to give in to her instincts. Instead she focused on fighting her newest foes to the best of her abilities, starting with the one that had jabbed her in the stomach.

Dodging out of the way of the next strike, Twilight reached down and grabbed the creature's head. Her powerful muscles clenched, and the ant had mere moments to resist before its brain was turned to mush. The ant battering itself against Twilight’s side was dealt with shortly after, though it at least got the chance to give the former pony a few more bruises before then.

Twilight stopped its assault from continuing any further by punting it with enough force to send it flying onto its back. Dazed, and confused, the ant struggled to right itself, legs flailing in all directions. The deathclaw didn't get the chance to finish it however, as a male scream alerted her to the fact that there were prisoners in trouble.

Spinning on her heel, Twilight ran towards the source of the noise and found that an ant had managed to grab a jackal’s foot. The guard she had passed earlier was standing nearby, but seemed to be struggling to deal with a jammed rifle and wasn't much help. Twilight didn't require such maintenance on her weapons however, and ran over, slashing the ant with her claws.

For once the deathclaw’s sharp appendages did not immediately eviscerate her target, though the wounds were deep enough to make the ant drop its prey. Turning towards Twilight, the deathclaw noticed that this insect was even larger than the others, who had been about the size of the average full grown wolf. This one was different, and came up to Twilight’s waist, while also sporting a thicker exoskeleton as well as a mean look in its eye.

The ant reacted before Twilight could, swinging its head like a club and actually managing to make Twilight stumble back. The deathclaw wasn't about to let her foe get another chance to strike her however, and Twilight slashed not at the ant’s torso but instead at its foremost legs. Two quick swipes was all it took to sever the ant’s closest limbs, though it did leave her open to a counter attack.

Seemingly unfazed by the loss of two of its legs, the ants clamped down on Twilight’s wrist with its two gigantic mandibles. The deathclaw roared in pain, her flesh crushed by a surprisingly powerful grip. When next Twilight felt the call of her instincts, she allowed them briefly to overtake her, giving her the edge she yearned for.

In an instant the pain was gone, and Twilight felt her body move as if being controlled by someone else entirely. Her one hand shot down to the ant’s neck, grabbing it tightly and lifting the entire creature into the air. Once aloft, she then opened her jaws wide and bit the side of the ant’s face with all the force she could muster.

The ant released its own hold, and immediately tried to free itself, though without its two foremost limbs it struggled to do so. Even still, the powerful creature almost managed to escape, but Twilight stopped this plan dead in its tracks. A crunch followed by a squelch signalled that her jaw had finally beaten the ant’s exoskeleton, and a second later her mouth was filled with bug brains.

Twilight dropped the ant, and spat out its insides before spinning back around, already looking for new foes to fell. Her wariness was not needed though, as the rest of the ants were laying dead all around them. Varying from the size of a small dog, to a full grown wolf, none came close to the one that Twilight had fought and killed.

Janey appeared out of the roaring storm, and upon seeing Twilight, sprinted up to her, a stimpack in hand.

“Were going to move up to the right!” She shouted, jabbing the needle between two scales on Twilight’s lower arm. “If we stumble on a whole swarm of these guys we’ll lose at least a few prisoners!”

Twilight nodded, her counter arguments dying the second she realized the truth to her companion’s statement.

“There might be a few radscorpions though so I want you on the right flank while the other three take up the rear and the left!” Janey continued.

Again, Twilight nodded.

The group set out almost immediately, with Janey striding into the storm, one hand gripping her pistol while the other shaded her eyes in an effort to keep out the dust. An effort that was only mostly in vain, as the swirling mass of debris seemed to sneak its way into every nook and cranny. Even Twilight wasn't immune from this, as the deathclaw swore she could feel the fine particles slip under her scales.

Brushing such an uncomfortable thought aside, Twilight focused on maintaining a careful vigil, taking up a spot to the right of the chain gang. Her presence seemed to bring relief to most of the convicts, who were happy to have a deathclaw between them and any radscorpions they may stumble upon. Twilight herself was more than happy to do this, though part of her was worried that these scorpions would prove difficult foes.

It wouldn't be long before Twilight would find out for sure, though before that could happen they first had to ascend a steep slope. From there they continued further right, giving the ants a wide, careful berth in the process. It was at this point that Twilight heard the distinct scuttle of insectoid feet which had somehow managed to pierce the howling gale of the storm.

Spinning toward the source of the sound Twilight found herself face to face with the largest scorpion she had ever seen. The creature seemed as surprised as Twilight and for a moment it did nothing, before lurching forward in an effort to sting the deathclaw. Twilight however, was not so easily startled, and dodged to the left before swiping at the tail, intent on removing the potential danger early.

The radscorpion, having recovered from its shock, recoiled the limb, and swung one of its large, grey claws at Twilight. The blow was surprisingly powerful, making Twilight wince in pain, and clutch her midsection while swiping with her other claw. Pushed back, the scorpion and lizard began to slowly eye one another up, each seeking to find a weakness in the other.

The scorpion was large, easily as long as a man was tall and with claws bigger than a human’s head. Its hide was a dark bluish grey, and its twin claws sported sharp points that it likely used to grab its food. Its stinger hung back, bobbing gently as the radscoprion attempted to find some manner of opening.

Which it located only a few seconds later, jabbing the deathclaw square in the chest and nearly knocking the wind out of her. The sting of poison was immediate, as was the remarkable weight carried behind the insect’s attack. Twilight wasn't about to give it the chance to follow up however, and attempted to stomp on the creature’s midsection.

Once again the insect moved to dodge, but was slightly too slow, inadvertently putting its left claw in Twilight’s path. The deathclaw’s attack cracked the chitinous exterior of the scorpion’s appendage, causing the insect to screech in pain and try to pull away. It didn't get far before Twilight raked her claws across the top of its body, scoring a lucky strike on its eyes.

Now blinded and clearly in pain, the radscorpion swung wildly, clipping Twilight with its claws in the process. With its ability to see now gone, the creature couldn't dodge, giving Twiligh the opening she had been looking for. Accepting two more glancing blows, Twilight leaned forward and stomped with all of her might once more.

This time her attack struck  true, and the radscorpion was crushed, though it got one last sting in before it perished. Hurt, and now slightly woozy, Twilight yanked out the tail which had been stuck in her chest before tossing it aside. She stumbled briefly before shaking her head, removing the cobwebs clinging to the inside of her skull before turning around.

Looking over her companions, Twilight realized that they were no longer right behind her. A yell of shock alerted the deathclaw to the proximity of her friends, and she ran to its source only to nearly run over a prone human. Dodging out of the way at the last second, Twilight chose to ignore the bleeding male as he was at least alive and conscious.

Preceding on, Twilight found that the chain gang was in shambles, with everyone pulling each other in a different direction. Smaller scorpions nipped and stung at any who neared them while the remaining guards attempted to restore order. A sudden urge filled Twilight, one so strong that she had no choice but to allow it to take command of her body.

Claws extended, Twilight roared with all her might, pouring her pain and irration into a single mighty yell. The lesser scorpions fled immediately, while the majority of the chain gang stopped dead in their tracks. A few were still trying to escape, but their number could be counted on one hand, and were soon cowed into obedience by a fierce glare from Twilight.

Without having to worry about accidentally shooting a captive, Janey and the others were able to mop up what little resistance was left. Twilight merely stood there silently, glaring at each one of the convicts in turn, keeping them in line until Janey and the others had taken up their positions. The downed human from earlier returned, revealing that he had been stung and had taken a break in order to use an anti venom and apply a bandage.

Without a word being spoken, the group set out once more, with Twilight running along next to the group. Keeping a close eye on those few who had not heeded her shout, Twilight watched the convicts almost as much as the storm. Her diligence was ultimately unneeded, as their path did not cross another dangerous creature, only more dust, debris and the burnt out remains of a car.

Blinking in surprise, Twilight found that she was standing at the bottom of a long ramp occupied by a dozen or more vehicles. Each one had succumbed to time and were clearly non functional, though their presence did at least give some manner of cover from the storm. Without the constant assault of sand, Twilight breathed a small sigh of relief, and made her way to the front of the line.

Looking up, Twilight noticed that a pair of shadows now loomed over them, immediately setting the deathclaw on edge. Thankfully she was able to restrain her panic long enough to reach Janey. Now standing next to the courier, Twilight grunted, and gestured up, towards the end of the ramp.

“Just some big ugly statues!” Janey shouted. “I’ll tell you more once were out of the storm!”

Twilight nodded and fell back to the end of the line once more, allowing her human companions to take the lead. A move which turned out to be a good one, as Twilight oculd hear the startled sound of a surprised conversation. Thankfully whomever Janey had run into was not a trigger happy fool, and soon they began to move once more.

Passing by the burnt out husks of vehicles, and their more intact neighbors, Twilight silently marveled at the strange objects. Like carts, only without any way for them to be pulled, Twilight remembered the explanation she had gotten from Janey. Sure she may have seen cars since her arrival, but here there were just so many, and in a number of different styles as well as sizes.

Trucks rusted next to cars, and busses, tempting Twilight to stop and inspect the strange vehicles. Her duty to the convicts, and for Janey stopped Twilight from being too distracted by the wondrous machinery all around her. Focusing on the road ahead, Twilight was thankful to see that the storm dissipated somewhat near the top, giving way to a grey sky.

“She should be coming along any second now,” Twilight heard someone say.

Cautiously stepping out from between a pair of rusted cars, Twilight saw that Janey as well as a pair of NCR soldiers were waiting for her. Though startled by her appearance, the guards did not raise their rifles at Twilight. That didn't stop them from gripping the weapons a little tighter, their fear clearly evident on their faces.

“Don't shoot. Remember, she's the one from the radio,” Janey repeated, the courier speaking slowly and calmly.

“R-right,” one of the guards muttered, clearing his throat. “Wilkins. Go inform the rest of the base that we’ll be having a… unique visitor.”

The other soldier nodded and sprinted off.

“Well that was rather hair raising, wasn't it?” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded, though she barely gave the woman’s words any thought as she was busy looking around. She noticed that the convicts, and other raiders they had captured were being assembled into a group outside the larger of the two structures sitting atop the hill. With her charges now taken care of, Twilight released a long sigh of relief and continued the inspection of her surroundings.

Starting with the enormous pair of metal humans looming over the entire highway, casting the ramp in shadow. One wore a long metal duster and what looked like a helmet, though Twilight couldn't see that far due to the lingering presence of the storm. The other was a bit more visible, and that statue looked the part of a cowboy, complete with wide brimmed hat. The pair were shaking hands, giving Twilight the impression that this was to commemorate some cooperative achievement.

Behind it were a pair of squat, sandblasted pre war buildings surrounded by chain link fences, at the head of which stood a bright red sign. Marking this location as NCR ranger outpost mojave, Twilight quickly summarized that was their true final destination. On the other side of the four lane highway were numerous rusted out vehicles, and a few chain link cages. 

There were also several booths likely used to collect tolls at one point, though they had long since been boarded up. The final structure Twilight could see was a building made of scrap which lay at the far end, its purpose obscured by the haze of sand. The odd gnarled tree, and dark brown bush could also be seen dotting the area, though most greenery had been cut away.

There were also very few people left outside, with only a trio of ncr soldiers directly observing the ramp up to the outpost. Not like they needed a lot of them given the fact that it was a natural choke point, and had towering walls of rock on either side of the road. The nature of the naturally defensible position was likely why there was little in the way of fortifications, with the only major one being a sniper nest on the closest building. 

Twilight snorted, and pointed up at the statues curiously.

“There was a group called the desert rangers who protected New vegas, that was until Caesar’s legion came for the first time. Realizing they were no match for the barbarian hordes, the rangers chose to make a deal with the NCR. Folding their forces into the new california republic rangers, they became a single organization under the control of the NCR,” Janey explained. “I can't say I blame them for not trying to stick it out alone, but that doesn't mean I’m happy about it.”

“Watch it, lady. The NCR is the only thing keeping New Vegas from the wrath of Caesar,” retorted the guard.

“And what a wonderful job of that you’ve done,” Janey muttered, turning to Twilight. “Come on, we gotta check in with the brass before we find a drink and wait out this storm.”

Twilight gave the soldier an apologetic shrug and followed after her companion.

Together they marched down the shattered highway, stopping next to the group of convicts, and the NCR sergeant standing pensively nearby. Upon noticing Twilight’s presence the NCR soldiers noticeably stiffened, while the captured raiders relaxed. The higher ranking trooper waved to the deathclaw, his facial expression conveying a desire to speak with the former pony.

Which Twilight obliged, stopping next to the convicts, and glancing down expectantly at the sergeant.

“I uh… wow Mr New Vegas was right,” muttered the dark skinned, middle aged man. “Fuck me, thats ten caps I’ll never see again.”

“Is there a reason these men are standing outside in the storm?” Twilight asked, tapping out her question on a hunk of metal she found lying on the ground.

“What, you want us to bring them inside?” exclaimed the soldier in shock.

“They probably don't even have room for them all,” Janey remarked.

Twilight snorted, and pointed to the shack at the back of the outpost.

“I mean, I guess we could renovate the old barracks into a jail, but our resources are going to be spread thin with just feeding them all,” replied the soldier.

Twilight turned to Janey and opened her hand. “May I have my cut from the job?”

“Hold your horses. I haven't even had a chance to get paid yet,” Janey exclaimed, waving a hand in the air. “Just stay right here for a minute, I’ll be right back.”

Twilight nodded slowly, slightly confused by the expression, and unsure of its meaning.

Without the ability to translate Twilight’s tapping into english, the deathclaw could do little but sit there and wait for her companion’s return. The NCR soldiers seemed just fine with this arrangement, standing quietly nearby, gripping their weapons tightly. The convincts were also mostly silent, though with one familiar exception.

“You intend on paying for the renovations yourself,” exclaimed the self declared preacher.

Twilight nodded.

“You don't have to do that. We are unworthy of such kindness,” he continued.

“Shut it,” hissed his closest neighbor, who elbowed him in the gut. “If the broad wants to make sure we got food and a roof over our heads then I say let her.”

“But we have already been graced by her mercy. We do not deserve such comforts,” pressed the preacher.

“I said shut it old man,” whispered the other convict, who readied himself to strike the man again.

A harsh snort, and a firm glare from Twilight stopped the male before he had a chance though.

“R-right. Sorry,” he whispered weakly.

“Don't worry my queen. I shall make sure that everyone respects your authority soon enough!” proclaimed Twilight’s lone preacher.

The deathclaw merely sighed, and shook her head, silently thankful that she could hear Janey returning.

“Here,” Janey exclaimed, dumping a small mound of caps into Twilight’s open hand. “A few of these guys had bounties on their heads so the haul was a bit bigger than anticipated.”

Twilight nodded, turned to the sergeant and gestured to his own hand.

The man dumbly did as he was told, allowing Twilight to dump nearly every last cap into his waiting grasp.

“Make sure they are comfortable, and well fed,” Twilight declared, gesturing to the prisoners.

“I err…” The sergeant shrugged. “I guess we do need another holding area, what with all the escaped convicts on the loose. Private, make sure these funds make it back to Williams, and inform her of what they are intended for.”

One of the few soldiers standing outside quickly sprinted over to the sergeant, took the caps and jogged back inside.

“I will be returning soon in order to ensure that my money has been spent appropriately,” Twilight declared.

“Don't you worry. I’m certain no one will oppose your proposition,” replied the sergeant.

“Is your heart done bleeding?” Janey deadpanned. “Cus we got a bottle with our names on it back at the barracks.”

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “Yes. We may go,” Twilight replied, discarding her peice of metal now that it was no longer useful.

“Thanks for saving me by the way,” exclaimed the rather short ex raider who Twilight had rescued from the grip of an ant less than an hour ago.

“Please reconsider your career,” Twilight tapped out before turning and walking away, too tired to even try to locate the soldiers who had been accompanying them on the trek to the outpost.

Following Janey towards the smaller of the two prewar structures, Twilight did her best to ignore the stares of the soldiers. Some were inquisitive, others guarded, while a few seemed outright hostile, and were merely waiting for a chance to attack her. Twilight hadn't noticed how many of them had hate in their eyes, though Twilight did her best to ignore them and focus on Janey.

Who had just walked inside, and was wearing a smile for the first time in a long time. Twilight followed after her human companion after giving her a minute to warn the barrack’s occupants of the deathclaw’s arrival. Once enough time had passed, Twilight cautiously pulled open the door and peered inside at all the faces she saw within.

“Well holee shit,” muttered a younger NCR trooper. “You were right.”

“Now where are my caps?” Janey exclaimed, hand already extended.

Twilight sighed, and slowly walked inside, making sure to bend her knees slightly so her horns didn't pierce the ceiling tiles. While not much to look at, given all the boarded up windows, broken overhead lights, and general grungy appearance, the prewar building was at least well cared for. There were no piles of dirt or debris kicking around, and at the center of it all stood an at least partially stocked bar.

A few soldiers milled about, though their body language was relaxed, indicating that they were off duty. Most crowded around the far side of the bar, leaning to one side in order to get a better look of Twilight and Janey. The sole individual who did not appear to be enlisted with the NCR was a woman wearing a straw cowboy hat.

She sat alone with a glass of some dark brown liquid clutched tight in her grip, despite the fact that it was nowhere near nine o clock. Twilight wanted to continue her inspection of the various bar’s inhabitants, but her gaze lingered on the lone hallway extending from the main area. There she saw an open area which had been converted into storage as well as a pair of seemingly functional bathrooms.

“Well I’ll be damned,” muttered the woman. “A deathclaw that doesn't immediately want to bite my head off. This day could not get any weirder.”

Twilight sighed, getting the distinct sense of deja vu from the short interaction.
> Can you Find it in Your Heart? Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brushing aside the odd sense of deja vu lingering at the back of her mind, Twilight trod slowly over to the far side of the bar and sat down on the ground. With legs crossed awkwardly, the deathclaw watched as her companion plunked down to Twilight’s left, stool squeaking loudly under her weight. The straw hatted woman Twilight had just seated herself next to shifted awkwardly, but made no effort to leave.

“Vodka for me, and something fruity for the princess,” Janey exclaimed, cutting through Twilight’s thoughts.

“Err right,” muttered the bartender who struggled to look away from the deathclaw sitting in front of him. 

“So… I assume everything you said on that broadcast is true then, eh?” offered the only non NCR soldier currently drinking.

Twilight nodded slowly, her gaze running up and down the human curiously. The first impression Twilight received was that this woman had experienced quite a bit in her relatively short life. Not only that, but she seemed miserable, yet her curiosity had gotten the better of her at least for the moment. 

Her appearance was also rather intriguing to Twilight as the human wore clothing which could only be described as weather beaten. A loose brown leather jacket covered her arms, and hung down around her waist, the buttons undone. Underneath she had on a pink and white striped button up that revealed an inch of cleavage and a small medalion dangling from her neck.

This pendant was a simple square that contained a fairly plain design, though it was clearly well loved. Much like her straw hat which had a peice missing out of the front, and had faded due to constant exposure to the harsh dessert sun. The shotgun slung over her back was in a similar state, with the plastic butte hanging on by a mass of dark grey tape and little else.

It was clear from the way Janey and some of the NCR soldiers veiwed her, that this straw hatted woman was attractive. Twilight could recognize those same hallmarks, such as the smooth features, and lithe yet still solid frame. The deathclaw simply felt no such magnetism to the woman, though Twilight could sense that this stranger had recently experienced something terrible.

Twilight gently tapped out her response on the table. “Yes, it is true. I have been dragged to your world for reasons unknown. I am also looking for my friends, who may or may not be similarly transformed, such as myself.”

“Well I don't know about the whole magic thing, but someone’s brain ending up in a giant killer lizard seems about the only way a deathclaw would suddenly learn how to talk,” remarked the stranger. “Or grapple with the ethics of murder for that matter.”

“You heard about our little chain gang did ya?” inquired Janey.

“Some private came running through here to inform everyone about your arrival. Didn't believe him myself. That was until I popped out to take a look atcha,” replied the odd woman.

“I’m sorry. You know who we are, but who exactly are you?” Twilight inquired.

“Just call me Cass,” replied the woman, her smile falling away and her expression becoming more serious. “Hey princess. You got a spell to bring back the dead?”

Twilight shook her head sadly.

“Worth a shot,” muttered Cass before throwing back the contents of her drink and swallowing hard.

“Sorry about that. Had a hard time finding some mutfruit which hadn't gone bad,” remarked the bar tender before placing a cup half full of a clear liquid in front of Janey, and a purplish blue one in front of Twilight.

Twilight sniffed the beverage cautiously, and though she detected a faint twinge of alcohol, it was far outweighed by a unique fruity scent. With some trepidation, Twilight carefully clutched the slim glass container between her claws and brought it up to her mouth. What she soon tasted was an odd mix of a blueberry, a plumb, and a slightly sour grape. Though unique, it was still good, and Twilight took a second, longer sip before placing the glass back down on the table.

“Ya like it?” inquired the bartender nervously.

Twilight nodded.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god. When you need another, you just give me a wave, alright?”

“I’ll take another,” Janey exclaimed, tapping her empty cup against the counter.

“Well alright then,” murmured the bartender who swiftly got to work.

“You shouldn't rush. You’ll get sick,” Twilight exclaimed, wagging a finger in front of the woman’s face.

“I’ve had a long couple of days so please forgive me if I tie a few on,” Janey retorted, scooping up her drink the second it was refilled and downing half of it in one go.

“So, who are your friends, anyway?” inquired the bartender, who glanced at Twilight. “Are they… like you?”

“I don't know,” Twilight replied after a short pause. “I don't even know how I ended up as a deathclaw in the first place so it seems plausible that they have ended up in similar bodies.”

“A whole bunch of sentient deathclaws. Now that's a terrifying thought,” murmured an NCR trooper sitting across from them.

Now rather ticked at the fact that people were listening in on her conversation, Twilight turned and glared at the private. 

“My friends are every bit as kind, generous, honest, jovial, and loyal as I am,” Twilight stated firmly, each tap of her claw removing a small peice of the counter. “If they are here then the only thing you have to fear is receiving a surprise party. Unless of course you are one of those raiders, or support Caesar in some way.”

The soldier had the good sense to appear embarrassed, and turned his body away from the deathclaw.

“They seem like good people. Let me guess, they all had crazy names like yours,” Cass remarked with a snicker.

Twilight snorted. “It is you who have the crazy names. I mean what does Peter mean anyway? How does that relate to his skills?”

“Wait hold on,” interrupted Janey. “How does Twilight Sparkle relate to one’s skills?”

Twilight smiled. “I’m glad you asked. The stars are closely linked with concepts of magic, as there is an old unicorn legend that the first spell was taught by them.”

“The stars?” Cass deadpanned.

“Yes,” Twilight replied. “And before you ask, the stars themselves are not alive. Rather the first wizards were cartographers, who spent their daylight hours practicing early forms of magic.”

“I think were getting sidetracked. What does that have to do with Twilight and Sparkle?” Cass exclaimed.

“My special talent is magic, and my cutie mark is that of a star surrounded by five other smaller stars. Thus Sparkle harkens back to my affinity for magic while the first star of twilight is a symbol of my house and has been passed down for centuries,” Twilight explained.

“You know I’m tempted to call bullshit, but that is the most well put together story I’ve ever heard,” Cass muttered before sipping her drink.

“It's best just to go along with it,” whispered Janey.

Twilight sighed, gulped down the rest of her fruity beverage and turned to Cass. “So,” she began. “Tell us about yourself.”

“Ain't much to tell really,” Cass began. “Lost my caravan to some raiders or bandits, and now I’m stuck here because of the trouble on the road up north.”

“Trouble, what trouble?” Twilight inquired.

“Lemme guess, the ants?” Janey intruded.

Cass nodded. “Ever since the caravan trade slowed down due to the war, the ants have grown more brazen and they’ve since moved into the area.”

“Pardon me for asking, but why does that matter to you since you are just an individual?” Twilight gently asked.

Cass grunted. “It doesn't matter if I got a caravan or not. I’m a registered trader, and have to sit still till the road is clear. Even if that were to happen tommorrow I’m not sure what I’d do. I don't have the money to start back at square one, and it's not like I can sell a business that only exists on paper.”

“So you’re saying this entire debacle has come about because some pencil pusher has you classified as a caravan?” Janey deadpanned, eyebrows raised.

“Unfortunately. Not like it matters though, I ain't going anywhere regardless,” Cass muttered before taking another sip and signalling to the bartender to refill her glass.

Janey stood up, finished her drink and slammed the cup against the table. “I’ll be right back.”

“I really should tell her to slow down,” murmured Twilight sadly.

Now without the ability to translate, Twilight sighed, silently rather irritated that she could no longer talk to anyone.

“Want another?” asked the bartender.

Twilight looked over to the man who was pointing to Twilight’s empty drink. Thankfully the deathclaw didn't need to speak to respond and simply nodded her head. Prompting the man to turn back around and grab several lumpy blue fruits from the top shelf along with an open bottle of vodka.

“So, is that morse code?” Cass asked curiously.

Twilight nodded again.

“Ahh, can't talk, eh?” Cass pressed.

Twilight shook her head.

“You ever tried? I’ve never witnessed it myself, but a friend of mine used to say that deathclaws could mimic human speech and even lure folk into ambushes,” Cass continued.

Twilight paused, and thought it over briefly before trying to speak her own name. Unfortunately for her, the effort was utterly wasted, as every attempt just sounded like a different kind of growl. She couldn't even manage to make the T noise and after a minute of trying, the bartender awkwardly tapped the counter, making Twilight pause.

“Could you… do that another time? You’re freaking everyone out,” offered the bartender.

Twilight blushed and nodded awkwardly, taking her drink and busying herself by sipping slowly at the warm fruity beverage.

Janey returned not long after, a prideful smirk on her face as she sat back down to Twilight’s left. “Well, I did it. The NCR no longer considers Cass a caravan, so you’re free to go about your business,” Janey stated, leaning forward and glancing past Twilight to Cass.

“Really? Well alright then. Drinks are on me I guess,” she replied. “Still not sure what I’m going to do with my newfound freedom, but I ain't about to look a gift brahmin in the mouths.”

Twilight was about to ask what such a euphemism meant, but was cut off by Janey.

“You know you could come with us,” offered the courier. “Were headed up to New Vegas and I bet you could either find out what happened to your caravan, or sell what's left of it.”

“I’m going to be real with you. I ain't travelling with a deathclaw, no matter how well mannered she is. Furthermore, there ain't nothing left to sell,” Cass retorted.

Twilight sighed, but ‘said’ nothing, as she silently appreciated the woman’s straightforward honesty. Even if it was a little disappointing.

Janey just gave Twilight a sidelong glance as if she were considering abandoning the deathclaw, only to think better of it and shrug.

“Well, they don't need to know that,” Janey replied after a short pause. “Just promise them everything that's left.”

Cass blinked. “Heh. That's one way of looking at it. Plus I did get an offer right after it all went down so it's not like I’d be lying when I hand over all I got. Still, it's my family name and I ain't sure if I want to give that up.”

Twilight leaned forward, blocking Janey before she could offer another dubious scheme to the other woman. “I have a few caps if that would help?” offered the deathclaw.

Twilight opened her clawed hand and displayed the fist full of caps she had been holding onto for the last few minutes.

“You'd just… give them to me?” Cass muttered.

Twilight nodded.

“Well shoot. I don't know what to say,” Cass murmured to herself.

“I’d say take it,” Janey shouted over Twilight.

Cass however, shook her head. “Nah. I never did do well with charity. Besides, it ain't like there is a shortage of things to do around here. Between the bounties, the ants, and the nightstalkers that harass traders heading to Nipton there are a good number of opportunities to make a few caps.”

“Please, take at least a little and get yourself some armor, or a weapon not held together by tape,” Twilight implored, pushing her hand towards Cass.

The woman seemed ready to shoot down the offer, but after glancing down at her ripped jeans, and ratty jacket, thought better of it.

“I’m only taking enough for some better leathers,” Cass exclaimed.

Twilight bobbed her head and watched as the woman counted out a hundred and twenty caps, leaving Twilight with less than thirty. Cass seemed reluctant to even take that much, though she quickly stuffed the pieces of metal in a pocket and turned away.

“Food and drinks on me,” she muttered. “It's the least I could do.”

“Will that leave you with enough?” Twilight asked.

Cass grunted. “Even if it doesn't, some folk around here owe me a few favours anyway.”

“Don't suppose you guys serve any grub around here do ya?” Janey inquired.

Twilight nodded eagerly, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

“I got some spare rations, and some beans but that's about it,” replied the bartender.

“I’ll have some beens if that's alright with you,” Twilight replied.

“Are you sure that will sit in your stomach?” Janey retorted.

Twilight winced. “I guess I’ll have whatever meat that is available.”

“Coming right up,” declared the bartender before hastily excusing himself.

“But I didn't think we had any steaks left,” murmured a trooper.

“Are you going to be the one to tell that to the deathclaw sitting at my bar?” whispered the other man in a hushed tone.

“Point taken,” muttered the soldier.

“While we wait,” Twilight began. “I was hoping if anyone might have seen or heard of my friends.”

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that we can't promise much. Though it couldn't hurt to tell us what they look like,” Cass offered.

“Pinkie Pie was an earth pony, which I think was a lot like the horses which used to roam America before the war,” Twilight explained. “Rainbow Dash was a pegasus which is a lot like a winged horse I suppose. Rarity was a unicorn which means she had a horn. Applejack was another earth pony and had a penchant for wearing stetsons while Fluttershy was a pegasus.”

“Those names are fruitier than that drink of yours,” Janey muttered.

Twilight snorted bitterly, but offered no verbal retort to the courier.

“Well you’re about the only smart critter we’ve found if that's what you’re asking,” offered a trooper who leaned across the counter.

“Plus I think I would have recalled someone with a name like that,” added the bartender.

Twilight frowned. “I understand. Please, if you hear about any strange creatures or people with weird names I’d appreciate it if you told me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” exclaimed a voice from behind Twilight.

Twilight nearly jumped up, but a firm hand on the deathclaw’s shoulder kept her down.

“Relax. I’m just here to talk to you about a potential job,” remarked the female before stepping to Twilight’s right and taking a spot between her and Cass.

“How did you sneak up on us?” Janey demanded in a rather accusatory tone.

“She does that,” Cass muttered bitterly.

The new arrival offered no comment on her sudden appearance, and simply continued to address Twilight. Who couldn't help but peer curiously at the human’s pale face which was mostly hidden behind a pair of large sunglasses or the dark brown cowboy hat on her head. With most of her features obscured, the only obvious physical attribute the woman possessed was her white skin and slim build. That was itself mostly hidden beneath the outfit of a desert ranger, a long barreled rifle poking up over one shoulder.

“I need you to check out the town of Nipton for me,” stated the new arrival.

“Hold on a minute. How much are we talking about here, and who said we are even heading out that way?” Janey interrupted.

“We are,” Twilight stated.

Before Janey’s pipboy even had a chance to translate her tapping, the new arrival nodded.

“Good. With smoke rising over the town and the foot traffic dropping off a cliff, it seems obvious that Nipton suffered an attack. One that either wasn't that bad, or one that was very, very bad,” stated the sniper in a grim tone.

“We’ll get it done,” Twilight stated.

“Thank you. I’d do it myself but my orders are to remain here. Can't really argue much either given how few of us are even guarding such an important choke point,” she pressed.

Janey grumbled, and went back to her drink, ignoring the conversation entirely.

“Is there anything else we need to know?” Twilight inquired.

“We’d also appreciate it if you wiped out the ants clogging up the road north to Primm. This shouldn't be too hard for one of your unique… stature,” she muttered.

“We can handle that,” Twilight asserted.

“Hoepfully your confidence isn't misplaced. Oh and the name’s Ghost,” offered the sniper.

“Twilight Sparkle, and this is Janey,” Twilight replied, gesturing from herself to the courier only to turn back to the soldier and find that she was gone.

“Where did she go?” Twilight asked, looking around the room.

Cass snorted. “Try not to think about it. It ain't worth the time.”
> Can you Find it in Your Heart Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight sipped her drink slowly and deliberately, doing her best not to accidentally crush the glass she was using. When her water was gone, and she was left with an empty cup, the deathclaw gently placed it back on the table. She then looked around, noting that the bar was relatively empty despite the number of soldiers who had visited.

Gawkers, talkers, and just about everyone stationed at the base had made their way through over the last few hours. A couple spoke to Twilight, most simply stared from a respectable distance, a hand hovering over their side arm. Twilight did her best to remain polite, and amicable, but even her patience had begun to wear.

Thankfully the soldier’s curisiosity died before that could happen, leaving Twilight alone with Janey and the bartender. Who had traded shifts with a young woman that had swiftly grown used to Twilight’s presence. Without Cass to talk to there was very little for Twilight to do save for sit on the floor and occasionally distract herself with a beverage.

The water wasn't pleasant however, and the booze hadn't been strong enough to give her more than a short buzz. Even that feeling had faded rapidly however, giving Twilight the impression it would take a significant effort to get her drunk. Not like she cared much about drinking, though it did feel oddly disappointing for some reason.

“I think the storm’s passed,” Janey remarked.

Twilight glanced at the woman and frowned. The courier had gotten a little tipsy, and though she had since mostly recovered, she still hadn't quite done so completely. Turning her attention to the window, Twilight peered out into the wasteland, scanning the horizon.

No storm, no wind, nor even a speck of airborne dust could be spotted for some distance. As Twilight watched, this fact didn't change, prompting the deathclaw to turn expectantly to her companion.

“Do you wish to clear out the ants tonight?” Twilight asked, gently tapping her question out on the bar.

“That would be nice. I’d also like to go check in with Nipton as well so we can head straight through to novac in the morning,” Janey replied, tossing back the last of her water and grimacing. “That’s foul. Do you have any clean stuff left?”

The bartender blinked. “Err no. I’m afraid your friend here drank the last of it.”

“Sorry about that,” Twilight replied.

“Its fine. Let's just go get this done so we can move on,” Janey exclaimed, rising from her seat.

Twilight hastily followed after her companion, clambering from the ground and walking over to the door. What few patrons still left gave her a wide, respectful berth, their hands remaining on the table and not straying to their weapons. Though there were still a few guarded expressions they were in the minority, bringing a smile to Twilight’s face.

I knew that just getting to talk to me would help. Twilight triumphantly thought to herself.

Together the deathclaw and the courier strode out into the wasteland once more, with Janey taking the lead. With her right hand resting on the butt of her pistol, Janey all but sprinted out of the outpost and back onto the road. Her pace remained quick until at long last she stood amidst the rusted cars which rested upon the broken highway.

“Ahh. You smell that princess? That's what freedom smells like,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight merely rolled her eyes, and pointed towards the pass further up the road.

“Yeah yeah, I haven't forgotten why we were here,” Janey replied, waving a hand in the air. “Just let me enjoy this okay.”

Twilight ignored her companion and continued to walk in the direction of their objective. Following along just west of the road, Twilight was joined a moment later by Janey. With the butt of her pistol held tight in her grip, Janey took position to Twilight's left.

“Looks like we got a bit of a feeding frenzy,” Janey remarked, gesturing to a spot further to the west.

Following Janey’s gesture, Twilight narrowed her eyes, and found that Janey was correct. A small horde of rad scorpions had descended upon their fallen friends and were devouring them. With pincer and jaws alike they tore through their deceased allies, consuming nearly every last part of them.

Twilight stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“Hey, at least that means we won't have to deal with too many of the things. The ants are going to be bad enough after all,” Janey exclaimed.

The deathclaw frowned, but said nothing, merely continuing to walk on as she watched the horde. Sure enough, the creatures didn't even flinch as the dou passed within a dozen feet of their position. A few of the smaller ones too weak to earn a peice of the prize did turn to them, but the sight of a deathclaw was enough to make them rethink a potential attack. Without the support of their larger allies they were no match for the towering death lizard, a fact so obvious even the overgrown insect knew it.

Neither human nor deathclaw dropped their guard completely however, maintaining a steady vigil on the radscoprions. Until they were far enough away that the insects were little more than a discolored smear on the otherwise brown landscape.

By then they could see the underpass they had been told about, as well as the ants which had moved into the area. Numbering about twenty or so, most of the group seemed to be patrolling their new territory. The others were clustered around a central point just behind a burned out semi on the right side of the road.

Vehicles were thankfully few and far between, with all of them having rusted out to the point that they werent likely to explode. A danger Twilight had only just barely been informed about from Janey only a few hours earlier.

It was a fairly simple mission in Twilight’s mind, as the road was fairly narrow, with the only obstacles being the destroyed cars. Other than that there were the walls of the overpass themselves as well as the collapsed bridge which used to go over the highway. Thankfully there was very little debris left from the collapse, with the majority having been deposited on one side.

“I’ll take position on top of the right overpass and fire down on the ants,” Janey remarked, pointing to the spot. “Once I start shooting I want you to hit them from the side and grab their attention.”

Twilight snorted. Another plan where I am the one in danger and Janey is completely safe.

“I’ll put a few mines on my six in order to keep any other reinforcements off of me,” Janey continued, ignoring Twilight’s annoyed expression. “So if you hear any explosions then know that your support will likely be cut off for a bit while I deal with them.”

Twilight grunted her consent to the plan.

“Great. Just hold on a minute while I get set up,” Janey replied.

The woman immediately crouched down low and began to sneak off to the right, giving the ants a wide berth.

Leaving Twilight to sit there quietly, and watch as the ants moved around the underpass. Left with little else to do but think, Twilight tried to come up with some kind of plan to help her in the attack. Which was difficult to do as she barely knew how to fight to begin with and had merely relied on the fact that she was way stronger then her foes.

The former pony’s musings fell away the second she heard the distinct pop of Janey’s weapon. A sound which was followed an instant later by an ant’s head exploding into a fountain of gore.

“Here we go,” Twilight muttered to herself.

Sure enough, the mass of ants immediately began to surge towards the target, making their way around the sides of the ramp. They didn't make it far before Twilight entered the fray, with the deathclaw bellowing a challenge to the insects. After confirming that she had their attention, Twilight charged forward, arms spread wide, claws extended.

The ants took note of their newest foe and quickly arrayed themselves in front of the deathclaw. Their primitive formation didn't survive for long, as a trio of shots took down the central most ant. The insects didn't pause to grieve their former friend though, and continued to skitter at Twilight with all the speed they could muster.

Upon meeting her foes, Twilight slashed wildly with her claws, accidentally blinding the first enemy and removing one of its legs. The wolf sized ant recoiled, releasing a screech of pain as foul blood poured from its open wounds. Its fellows wasted no time in attacking, clubbing Twilight’s arm, side, and right leg in a flurry of blows.

The pain was significant but not debilitating, due in large part to Twilight’s thick hide which absorbed the majority of the attacks. Turning towards her next enemy, Twilight did her best to aim at its head in order to end it quickly, but her strike went wide. A sudden headbutt to her midsection had sent her off course, causing her to slice off another limb rather than a head.

A growl spilled from Twilight’s lipless maw, and she had to resist the urge to give in to her new instincts. Instead, she focused herself on simply defeating the small horde which had surrounded her. Another swipe removed the top half of an ant’s skull, and the follow up lopped off a pair of legs.

The ants never let up though, continuing to batter Twilight from all sides while the deathclaw lashed out at them. This continued until a strange sense of organization overcame the mass of insects, and they shifted suddenly. A moment later and a pair of pincers clamped down on Twilight’s leg just as two of the ants battered their thick heads against the deathclaw’s torso.

Twilight knew immediately that they were trying to bowl her over, and flicked her tail at the enemy grabbing her. The whiplike appendage carved a deep wound in the ant’s face, driving it back but not killing it outright. Its friends were not quite so lucky, as Twilight grabbed the first one and threw it into the second with a twist of her body.

The scrabbling pile of tangled limbs never managed to untangle themselves however, as they both exploded a second later. Twilight had barely even seen the grenade fly from Janey’s position, and the deathclaw made a note to thank the courier later. Right at that moment she had more ants to kill, and soon too, as they had suroudned her once again.

A stomp crushed the head of one ant who had gotten a bit too close, and a slash bisected a larger one. Their numbers never seemed to decrease however, with the ones behind pulling away their dead allies before piling on. By then Twilight had started to get the hang of things however, and was able to dodge the majority of attacks.

The smaller creatures barely even hurt her, so she ignored them for the most part, leaivng only the larger ants to worry about. These were few and far between, giving Twilight plenty of space to out maneuver them using her superior intellect. Stepping atop one of the dog sized ants, Twilight put two of the bear sized insects in each other’s way, leading to a short scuffle.

While they were distracted Twilight leapt forward, and brought her claws down on the first one’s torso. Her strikes hit true, and the ant’s midsection was torn apart, splitting it in half. The ant gurgled, and twitched a few times before being swarmed over by his former allies.

Twilight didn't bat an eye at this however, and continued to chop away while staying in constant motion. This last part, Twilight realized, was the most important aspect of her fight as it meant that they couldn't organize as well. It also meant that Twilight was able to stay ahead of the insect’s attempt at encirclement.

That was until Twilight heard the sound of an explosion, and the support fire she had been expecting, stopped. In that instant Twilight realized just how much Janey had been assisting her, as the crush of ants closed in almost immediately. All of Twilight’s agility meant little when compared to the sheer number of foes pressing in around her.

She didn't give in to fear or rage though, merely continuing to slice, chop, stomp and punch at her foes. Her confidence wavered only briefly when a few of the smaller ants had tried to tackle her but that was dealt with quickly. A mighty throw sent several of them running, and Twilight immediately leapt atop the final larger ant, ramming her claws through its face.

Now coated in a solid layer of ant viscera, and suroudned only by minor enemies, Twilight began to consider helping Janey. Only for a burst of fire to come from nowhere, and cause her psyche to be subsumed by a far darker entity. The moment fire crawled across the deathclaw’s skin a switch in their mind was flipped, and the entity backpedaled rapidly.

What few small ants remained were either crushed in its escape, or were ignored, their attacks too weak to make note of. Only after having put some distance between itself and the ants did the deathclaw try to search for the source of the fiery assault. Which was revelaed a moment later when a dark red ant emerged from the burning, screaming mass that had been its allies.

The creature was the largest Twilight had seen so far, and not only that but it was feircer too. It didn't even seem to care about the allies it had accidentally roasted, and crawled over their bodies without pause. The insect continued towards Twilight, mandibles clacking, and mouth raised towards the deathclaw.

Whose first instinct was to simply rush back in and crush its newest enemy, but something held it back. Some minor spark of intelligence, or perhaps remnant of Twilight’s psyche warned that such a course of action was not the most effective one. So the deathclaw continued to backpedal, its gaze searching for something to use in order to defeat its newest foe.

Spotting a large concrete divider, the deathclaw sprinted over to it, and wrapped its claws around both sides. The lizard’s numerous shallow wounds burned as the deathclaw pulled the divider from the ground and hefted it over its head. Despite the screaming agony of its muscles, and the blood she could feel oozing from several cuts or burns, the scaled beast pressed on.

With a mighty heave, it threw the triangle shaped hunk of concrete at the ant, aiming for its center of mass. The insect attempted to dodge, but was unable to avoid the attack completely, the hunk of stone crushing half of its legs and part of its body.

The creature shrieked, and spasmed, but still remained upright despite the massive injury it had just received. Worse still, it seemed ready to emit another blast of fire, and had yet to do so only because the deathclaw was still out of range.

Seeing this opening, the deathclaw allowed its instincts to consume it, blood pumping hard through its veins. Its vision swam red, its muscles bulged, and the scaled monster sprinted towards the target of its rage. Inadvertently putting it directly in the path of the eruption of fire which shot from the ant’s mouth. 

Flames crackled hungrily as they sought the deathclaw’s elusive flesh, leaping towards the charging creature.

The great lizard would not be burned again however, and it swerved suddenly to the right. The ant could not follow fast enough, nor could it turn its body in order to keep tracking its target. It tried anyway, though by then the deathclaw had already closed the distance and was ready to end the fight.

And it aimed to do just that, with a sweep of the deathclaw’s hands cutting numerous deep gouges in the ant’s midsection. It didn't stop at just one swipe however, and the lizard rained blows on its foe until it had rended the insect completely apart. It didn't stop there however, and it reached down, gripping the ant’s twitching head before pulling it from its body.

With a mighty roar, the deathclaw claimed victory over the foes which had arrayed themselves against it. The deatchlaw didn't celebrate for long however, its gaze sweeping over the battlefield after only a moment of jubilation. Finding that there were no more enemies left to kill, its mind fell away, and Twilight returned to find herself triumphant.

“What happened?” she muttered, looking around. 

Uncomfortable memories pressed against her mind, but the former pony was swift to dismiss them. She was not a monster, only monsters did such horrible things.

I am not a monster. Twilight repeatedly thought to herself, eyes shut tight.

Eventually, when her heart stopped thundering in her ears, and her instincts no longer yearned for blood, Twilight opened her eyes. She then looked over to find that Janey was walking down the ramp behind her, pistol held slack in her right hand.

“Is that all of them?” shouted the courier.

Twilight nodded.

“Good,” Janey muttered, only to pause. “Wait, why is there so much fire? I didn't use any molotovs.”

Twilight pointed to the red ant, and mimed the action of spitting fire from her mouth.

“It just spat fire…” Janey paused, and raised her weapon. “Let's put that on the back burner right now. I think we got bigger problems.”

Twilight followed her companion’s gaze over to the freshly dug hole in the ground that sat next to the rusted semi. 

So that's where their back up was coming from. Twilight reasoned.
> Can you Find it in Your Heart Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you’re alright? You look a little singed,” Janey remarked.

Twilight snorted, and looked around for something to respond with, settling on a car door that had come loose from a vehicle.

“I’d appreciate a stim pack. The burns werent too bad, but those ants really smacked me around,” Twilight replied.

Janey nodded, and produced one of the syringes before handign it to the deathclaw. “Here ya go. Try not to crush it.”

Twilight merely snorted and jabbed it into her leg, sighing contentedly as the healing chemicals coursed through her body.

“You know,” Janey began. “I’m a little surprised that those things even work on you. They were supposed to be designed for use on humans only.”

Twilight shrugged.

“Yeah I guess. Still, it's weird,” Janey replied.

The deathclaw snorted, and pointed to the hole.

“Oh right. Suppose we still gotta deal with that,” Janey murmured, scratching her head. “I got a few explosives left, but I’d have to go in a bit in order to collapse it properly.”

“Will you be okay?” asked Twilight tentatively.

“I should be fine. It looks like it's a straight shot for the first few meters before going down,” Janey replied.

“Yell if something goes wrong. I’ll be waiting right here,” Twilight assured her companion.

“Just be ready. I don't wanna get dragged into there and buried alive,” Janey remarked with a grunt.

Twilight nodded, and watched as her companion began to dig several grenades, and mines from her person. The courier was surprisingly adept at this, and in no time she had assembled a decent amount of explosives. With her ordinance organized, Janey used some tape to haphazardly combine three of the mines into a ball.

With that done she tucked the entire improvised explosive under an arm, and raised her pistol. She then gave Twilight one last look before descending into the tunnel at a slow, careful pace. Not tall enough for the human to stand upright, Janey was forced to crouch down slightly before proceeding further inside.

Twilight watched her companion closely, waiting for any indication that she was going to run into an ant. Thankfully that didn't happen, and after a few short minutes Janey reemerged with a confident smile on her face. Back at the entrance once more, Janey pulled the pin on a grenade, wound up, and whipped it straight down the hole.

The pair hastily stepped to the side, just barely dodging a sudden eruption of dust, dirt and debris that shot from the tunnel. The dull boom was followed by distant rumbling made Twilight worry that the ground beneath her feet was going to give out. That didn't happen however, and after several more seconds the vibrations began to dull before dying completely.

“Thank god there werent any more of them in there,” Janey murmured, dusting off her clothes. “I do not enjoy such tight spaces.”

“Oh, whysat?” Twilight inquired.

“Just… bad memories is all,” Janey muttered to herself before quickly clearing her throat. “Now then. Let's take a look to see if these critters happened upon any valuables.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and merely walked over to one of the burnt ants. Pulling off one of the legs, Twilight plunked down on a hunk of broken concrete and took a bite. The taste wasn't great, but it at least stopped the deathclaw’s stomach from rumbling quite so loudly.

After devouring a limb, Twilight decided to go back for seconds, and ended up consuming the entire thing. All while Janey rifled through the various busted vehicles, piles of corpses, and even the insides of a few of the larger ants.

Twilight swallowed hard and tapped a few times on a hunk of metal, grabbing Janey’s attention as she stabbed a knife into the stomach of an ant.

“Why are you doing that?” Twilight asked.

“These bigger guys sometimes swallow their prey whole. You’d be surprised at how many caps, guns, or other things survive their stomach acid. Oh a nuka cola!” Janey exclaimed, pulling a glass bottle from the creature’s insides.

Twilight stuck her tongue out in disgust, silently wondering who would drink something that came out of an insect’s stomach. She tried not to think about it, or the several pounds of ant meat now resting in her own stomach. An action she found remarkably easy, with all such qualms over her kills having faded rapidly.

Rising from her seat, Twilight watched as Janey piled the nuka cola bottle along with a small mound of other goods. They werent terribly numerous, but there were still a decent amount of them. Including several weapons, some caps, a bit of food, and a small mound of electronics as well as other junk.

“Where did you find all that?” Twilight asked, pointing to the loot.

“Some trader tried their luck and bit it,” Janey replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “Poor bastard probably got eaten by ants. At least most of his stock is still intact.”

Twilight sighed. “Did you find anything identifiable on him, or at least a body?”

Janey shrugged. “Nah. There wasn't more than a few bits of bloody cloth left of him.”

“What now?” Twilight asked, doing her best to ignore her impulse to try and track down the traders closest kin in order to return the trade goods.

“Well we still have a few hours before it gets real dark,” Janey began, glancing up at the bright moon hovering overhead. “And sitting in that bar all day has really made me wanna move.”

“So we continue to Nipton then?” Twilight inquired.

Janey nodded. “Provided they aren't still reeling from a raider attack, that should be a good place to rest and restock.”

Twilight nodded, and gestured toward the road. “Lead the way.”

“Sure,” Janey began, stuffing the loot into her bag. “But are you sure you don't want to grab another snack for the road?”

Twilight glanced down at the still warm ant corpses littering the ground and felt her stomach churn. Again she wanted nothing more than to devour all she laid eyes on, but there was still some revulsion left. It wasn't enough to make her stop completely however, and the deathclaw grabbed one of the headless smaller ants.

“There ya go, and don't worry, I’ll deal you in a percent when we get to Nipton,” Janey exclaimed, hiking her bag over her shoulder.

The faint tinkling of something metal bouncing off the ground drew Twilight’s eye down to a unique bottle cap. The thing was small, and seemed normal at first glance, all save for a blue star visible in the center.

Twilight grunted, and pointed down at the cap.

“Oh hey neat. It's one of those star caps,” Janey remarked.

Twilight grunted, and held out a hand, urging the woman to explain.

“Their is an old legend that if you find a whole bunch of them that you can claim some treasure somewhere,” Janey remarked, dropping the cap into her bag. “It's a bunch of nonsense, but sometimes a trader will take them off your hands for a decent price.”

Twilight nodded slowly, and was about to walk away when she felt a sudden urge to turn around. Her gaze scanned the darkened landscape slowly and methodically, searching for any sign of something amiss.

“What do you see?” Janey asked, her pistol hanging loose in her grip.

Twilight continued to look on for several more seconds before releasing a snort. “Thought I saw something,” she tapped out on a hunk of rusted metal.

“Must be more ants, or radscorpions attracted by the smell of blood. Either way we should get moving,” Janey urged. “I don't want to spend all night fighting those things.”

Twilight nodded her affirmation, and together the dou began to walk the highway once more. As they trod the broken path they looked around to find themselves more or less alone. There were a few ants in the distance to their left, and a few radscoprions moving among the hills to the right but that was it. 

Seeing any further was impossible due to the low light, but Janey didn't seem terribly concerned. The human even turned up the volume on her pip boy’s radio, and wrapped her hands around the back of her head, interlacing her fingers.

“So. Magic is real eh?” Janey remarked.

Twilight sighed, and gave a tired snort.

“I know we talked about it before, but what can you really do anyway?” Janey inquired.

Spotting a hunk of metal sticking out of Janey’s bag, Twilight grabbed it and began to respond.

“Magic is governed by the schools. Illusion is fairly self explanatory, it can disguise people, turn them invisible or create false images,” Twilight began.

“Interesting. And the others?” Janey pressed.

“Divination is primarily used for scrying, but some particularly powerful practitioners can even see the future,” Twilight continued. “Though I have not seen any evidence of such.”

“Really? I don't suppose you mastered that skill eh?” Janey inquired.

Twilight shook her head. “My abilities are primarily in abjuration, which shields and protects people as well as transmutation.”

“Which turns one thing into the other?” Janey asked.

Again, Twilight nodded. “I’ve also become quite adept at enchantment over the years, though my grasp on evocation is almost as minimal as my skill with conjuration.”

“Enchantment huh, what can that do?” Janey remarked.

“It is... a unique school,” Twilight hesitantly began. “It can hold people, modify their memories, or if you are particularly adept, even kill with a word. I have never delved too deep into that aspect however and primarily concerned myself with dispelling a coercive suggestion or returning lost memories.”

“Though you could alter someone’s memories, or use this power of suggestion to make them do whatever you want, right?” Janey continued, the courier eying Twilight carefully.

The deathclaw shifted uncomfortably as they walked, replying after a long pause. “Yes, it's possible, but I can't cast magic in this form, nor was I any good at it anyway, so you have no need to worry.”

“Well that's good. I’d hate to wake up and find myself enslaved to you,” Janey exclaimed with a snort.

“I would never!” Twilight quickly replied.

Janey chuckled. “I know you wouldn't. You don't have the stones.”

Twilight gnashed her teeth silently. “To alter someone’s will like that is the height of cruelty. I would sooner throw myself into the ocean.”

“I’m messing with you. Relax,” Janey stressed.

Twilight huffed bitterly to herself. “Besides. At best I could create a sort of binding contract that requires the two parties to enter into it willingly. I’ve very purposefully avoided studying or practicing the more… nefarious aspects of enchantment.”

“Still. It's too bad you can't use your magic. It would probably make things pretty easy for us,” Janey remarked.

“It would,” Twilight admitted.

“Hold up, were coming on a prime ambush spot and I don't want to be caught unaware,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight stopped immediately, and began to scan the area curiously, paying close attention to where the shadows deepened.

The road they had been walking had turned sometime over the last few minutes and was now heading east. It wasn't far before they found themselves wandering through the ruins of a small rest stop area. 

A billboard was visible to the left, though whatever had been painted upon it had long since faded away. Also to that side was the partially intact walls of a one story building, one that was partially filled in with dirt. The smoldering ashes of a campfire sat within only a dozen or so feet from this structure, a couple ratty bed rolls laid out around it.

There were also more peice of cover, a few bushes and some scrubby trees all around, though the majority of which was on the right side of the road. Where the ruins of another building and a pair of parked cars offered plenty of hiding spots for any would be ambushers. A possibility that felt more and more likely as Twilight gazed out over the area with a sharp, critical eye.

“Doesn't feel right,” Janey muttered, her pistol emerging from its holster. “Wanna go around?”

Twilight grunted, and dropped the last of the ant carcass she had occasionally been chewing on.

“South we might see some geckos or night stalkers, north we’ll run into some ant-” Janey began, only to be cut off by a male voice.

“I wouldn't worry about that right about now,” he exclaimed. “It seems to me like you’ve got bigger problems!”

Twilight tensed as she saw a dozen or so humans begin to emerge from cover, weapons drawn.

“Don't be stupid. Do you really think you can kill a deathclaw with a bunch of pipe pistols and a crowbar?” Janey shouted, ducking into cover behind the remains of a wall. “Don't throw your life away!”

“Throw our lives away? Are you kidding, once we bring this scaly corpse to the powder gangers we’ll be rolling in caps. We’d be stupid not to and besides, we came prepared,” declared a voice a second before he emerged from atop the lip of the more in tact structure, a rocket launcher on his shoulder.

“Is that bad?” Twilight whispered.

“Very, now leg it while you still got legs!” Janey shouted.
> Iron and Stealing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight panicked for a moment, unsure of which direction to go and running half heartedly off to the right. Her confusion cost her dearly, as a missile slammed into the road only a few metres from her left, knocking the deathclaw off her feet. Sent airborne by the explosion, Twilight hit the ground hard, though the actual damage was minimal due to her scaly hide absorbing the majority of the attack.

As the launcher wielding drug addict reloaded, Janey emerged from cover and fired several shots at him. One clipped his shoulder while the rest went wide, prompting the jackal to duck further behind cover as he stuffed another explosive into the tube. His allies quickly covered for him, peppering the courier’s location with shots while a particularly brave woman ran screaming at Janey with a knife held high over her head.

Cursing to herself, Janey fell back behind cover before awkwardly shuftling to the other side of the barrier. There she peeked out, and put a bullet into a gang banger’s head, dropping him to the ground like a wet sack of potatoes. She foresaw the ensuing hail of bullets and ducked back behind cover just as the psycho user sprinted around the corner.

“Bugger,” Janey cursed.

Twilight was blearily dragging herself into a stand, her ears ringing, and her vision spinning. She was dimly aware of the fact that she was being shot, repeatedly, so she tried to continue her dash. Only to end up akwwardly tumbling through a short brick wall and nearly crushing the man who had been using it as cover.

Yelping in surprise, he aimed down and unleashed the rest of the bullets he had into Twilight's midsection. Thankfully for the deathclaw, her attacker was using a very small calibre pistol which was primarily made out of rusty pipes. Even still, it wasn't a pleasant feeling and though none broke through her scales, Twilight knew she was going to have some new bruises.

She tried to get rid of the man by back handing him away, but her eyes had yet to stop rolling around in her skull and she hit thin air. By the time Twilight was able to see straight once more, the man had pulled out what looked like a sword, though it roared like an engine. He seemed intent on using it on Twilight, though he never managed to do so as a missile slammed into the nearby wall.

The sword wielding man was pulped by the ensuing spray of rust colored shrapnel which similarly pummeled Twilight. Her scaly hide protected her a little better then the ratty set of road leathers her opponent had been wearing. This time she could tell a few of the sharper bits had managed to pierce her scales, but she ignored that for a moment.

Janey didn't have the luxury of ignoring anything in that instant, as she was forced to use her revolver to deflect the sharpened kitchen knife. Still half crouched in the dirt, Janey tried to escape the psycho’s range but wasn't faster than the still screaming woman. Who swiped repeatedly, her attacks wild but quick, and carried a remarkable amount of weight given how thin she was.

“Damn druggies,” Janey muttered to herself.

Using her revolver’s barrel like a knife, Janey managed to deflect what she couldn't dodge but found herself unable to offer a counter attack. Growing desperate now that she was being pushed out of cover, Janey clumsily swung the butt of her weapon at her opponent. Though she nearly lost a finger due to the woman’s block, Janey was able to pull out her second pistol and unlead three rounds.

The drug addict stumbled forward, blood gurgling out of her mouth even as she leveled another swing at Janey’s face. The attack was much slower and Janey side stepped before putting another bullet into the other woman in the process. When the jackal dropped to the ground Janey leaped back behind cover just as a few of the psycho user’s freinds began to fire.

This time they had slightly better trigger discipline and immediately stopped firing the second Janey ducked. Unfortunately, they then turned their fire to the one enemy they could see, which at that moment was Twilight Sparkle. Seeing the deathclaw stumble away from another explosion, Janey cursed her luck and leapt over her cover.

As her companion was charging the distracted jackals, Twilight was busy trying to regain her bearings for a second time. It didn't help that someone hit her in the chin with a large pipe almost immediately however. Nor did the rain of bullets aid in Twilight's efforts to remain upright, and not receive a dozen new injuries every second.

It was at this point that her concentration cracked, and the angry instincts which had been roaring inside of her took over. Gone was all the logical thought, and careful planning that made Twilight, Twilight. Replaced instead by raw animalistic aggression and earth shattering rage. The change was signalled with a powerful roar so loud that nearby attackers clamped their hands over their ears. 

This gave the beast just enough time to disembowel her pipe wielding foe before they could hit it over the head. With that enemy down, the beast sprinted across the road, making a beeline for the missile launcher wielding jackal. Who, thinking themselves safe on the second story of the ruin, prepared to line up a shot on the deathclaw after it ran around them.

That didn't happen however, as the beast slammed into the sole remaining support with all the strength it could muster. The aged brick construction was no match for nearly one ton of angry deathclaw, and collapsed, having offered barely any resistance. The man atop reflexivily pulled the trigger on his weapon, sending a missile firing straight up into the sky.

Janey pulled the trigger, removing the head from a distracted jackal who had been following the deathclaw’s charge. The courier herself couldn't help but wonder what was happening just beyond the brick wall only a few meters away. The ensuing screaming did much to fill in her imagination however, and she soon moved onto the foes not currently being eaten.

Whatever her companion was doing had evidently shaken the remaining jackals who numbered only eight. Mostly gathered across the road, they seemed to be weighing their odds and were inspecting their remaining weapons. Three pistols, a rusty assault rifle, a pair of caravan shotguns, a man with a sledge hammer, and finally a jackal who had a laser pistol.

Not a bad arsenal if they were facing anything other than a deathclaw, and even the clearly drugged up raiders knew that. Janey decided to push her advantage and stepped out of cover, firing two rounds into the man holding the assault rifle. He managed a wheeze before crumpling to the ground, clutching his chest and trying to plug the hole in his lung.

“Give it up or I’ll let my friend here eat you alive!” Janey shouted.

Before the still living jackals could reply, the beast emerged from the ruins, a human arms in its jaws and blood covering its entire upper half. Though clearly injured, and currently sporting a thick layer of brick dust, the deathclaw was far from out of the fight. In fact it seemed ready to continue the slaughter, and started to charge the jackals, but didn't make it far.

After a few steps, it stopped, and the bloody limb fell from its mouth.

“What just happened?” Twilight muttered, looking around in confusion, her gaze landing on the terrified gangsters huddled before her. “Oh good. You’re not shooting me.”

“Relax,” Janey whispered in a low tone. “These guys are ready to surrender. Isn't that right?”

The jackals nodded like a pack of terrified bobble heads.

Twilight stood back up and breathed slowly, glancing over her shoulder to the ruin behind her. She couldn't remember what had happened there, but she quickly assumed that it had been a misfire of some kind given the chunks of raider splattered everywhere. She also didn't know why she tasted blood, and spat out as much of it as she could, choosing to ignore the nagging thought in the back of her mind.

“You alright?” Janey asked. “You got a bit crazy back there.”

Twilight raised her hands and shook her head, doing her best to assure the courier that she was okay.

“Okay then. Now I’m going to round these guys up. You keep an eye on them,” Janey exclaimed.

“W-wait. What are you going to do with us?” asked a terrified jackal with a deathgrip on his pistol.

“Princess here probably wants to take you back to the NCR, and honestly I’d prefer to take you back behind the woodshed, but at this point I’ve learned not to argue,” Janey continued.

Twilight snorted diresively, urging Janey to return to the topic at hand.

“Right,” Janey cleared her throat and lifted her revolver. “Here's what's going to happen. I’m going to handcuff you all. Then I’m going to tie you all together. After that I’ll lead you back to the NCR outpost while Princess here stands behind you and eats any who try to run.”

Twilight snorted a little more forcefully, and shook her head in an effort to tell the others that she wouldn't do that. An effort that was completely wasted, as nearly everyone had seen what happened to the explosives expert among their ranks.

“Any objections?” Janey asked.

The remaining jackals all looked from Twilight to Janey and then back again before shaking their heads.

“Good, now hold still and don't try anything funny. I doubt Princess has eaten her fill quite yet,” Janey added in a tone too quiet for Twilight to hear.

The deathclaw stood off to the side, and watched the prisoners get tied together in short order. None complained, nor did they even really speak, just standing there, too terrified to do anything but hold their hands in front of them. Once they were all tied together, Janey frisked them, scrounged up all the dropped valuables, and began to lead them away.

Twilight took her usual position at the back of the pack, observing the group as they began to walk towards the outpost. After a few minutes the injuries Twilight had sustained began to flare up, the adrenaline finally fading away. Pain stabbed at her sides, and a good section of her torso, along with one entire half of her body.

Though not severe, Twilight could tell that she was going to need a little more than just a stimpack this time. She’d require more dexterous hands to pick the shrapnel out of her hide, and to help clean her many wounds of debris. A realization that made her begin to dread the conversation she knew was coming.

I wonder how much asking for Janey’s help will cost me. Twilight ruminated.

She kept that thought to herself the entire walk back, merely watching the prisoners or occasionally glancing at the moon overhead. No enemies approached them, and no animals were spotted, though Twilight thought she saw a scaly dog for a second. It zipped out of sight before she could truly lay eyes on it however, so Twilight put it out of her mind.

Arriving back at the NCR outpost, there was a brief flurry of activity before everything settled down once more. A familiar clerk appeared with an annoyed set of guards who glanced expectantly at the prisoners.

“And here I thought I’d be able to go a day without handling more of them,” he muttered bitterly.

“You know the deal,” Janey remarked.

“I do, and don't worry, the princesses’ donations will be more than enough to cover these new additions,” exclaimed the NCR clerk.

Twilight nodded, and was about to ask Janey for a hand when a familiar face appeared.

“Well would ya look at that,” Cass exclaimed, pushing her hat up her head and scratching her scalp. “Ya’ll bagged a whole mess of them.”

Something about the word mess made Twilight feel a bit disgusted, and she shuddered.

“That bad eh?” Cass remarked.

Twilight nodded, and pantomimed someone shooting a rocket, and then it exploding nearby.

“Oof, yeah those things can really pack a wallop. Nearly lost my leg to a raider lugging around one of those things. Thank goodness he loaded the next shot backwards,” Cass replied.

Twilight chuckled to herself despite how morbid the entire situation was.

“Need a hand?” Cass offered.

Looking around, Twilight soon found that Janey was gone.

Twilight nodded slowly and knelt down, pointing at a particularly unpleasant shard of brick sticking out of her side.

“Don't worry. I’ve picked a fair share of shrapnel in my time,” Cass exclaimed.

Twilight crouched silently as Cass pulled the hunk of stone out of the deathclaw’s side.

Though she groaned miserably, Twilight remained motionless, her expression distant. Her mind lingered on her injuries for only a few seconds before they turned to darker things. Such as the growing number of holes in her memories, a topic which she was increasingly worried about.

“So did ya get ambushed?” Cass inquired.

Twilight put her thoughts aside and nodded down at the human woman.

“Damn. Well, you can't say I didn't warn you,” Cass muttered.

The ex merchant leaned in close, and ripped off a bent scale, causing Twilight to bite down, resisting the urge to scream. That temptation passed quickly, though in its absence, a growing curiosity remained. Searching around, Twilight tried to locate something to talk with but soon realized that it wouldn't help much without Janey around.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m so nice to ya all of a sudden,” Cass reasoned. “And frankly the answer’s simple. You’re good folk. Real good.”

Twilight sat quietly, merely watching as Cass pulled a bottle from somewhere and splashed a bit on one of the deathclaw’s open wounds. Though it burned, Twilight remembered the brief survival lesson Janey had given her around the campfire. Alcohol of that strength would clean things out well, even if it stung like an angry hornet.

“See I talked to some of them guys you took in,” Cass continued. “To be honest I had written them off but after speaking to you I struggled to feel justified. After getting to know them though… well things change I suppose.”

Twilight watched Cass clean or otherwise remedy nearly all of the deathclaw’s wounds.

“It's still a little hard to think of a deathclaw as people, but well. I’m working on it,” Cass muttered. “I’d even offer to join ya on the road, but that Janey girl… I don't know about her. She's got danger tattooed on every inch of skin she’s got.”

Twilight snorted, unable to contain her urge to chuckle at the comment.

Cass took a step back and put her hands on her hips. “Whelp, that's about all a washed up caravaner can manage. I’d suggest you sleep on it.”

Doctors orders? Twilight thought to herself with some amusement.

“Oh and hey. If you ever find yourself out this way again, don't hesitate to give me a holler. Maybe by then I’d be able to pay you back for what ya did,” Cass exclaimed as she walked away.

Twilight felt the urge to follow after her friend, but a wave of exhaustion nearly knocked her from her feet. Worse yet, the ground had suddenly started looking a lot more comfortable than it had a few seconds ago and Twilight turned to find a better spot. She found the perfect location not long after, the wide, but shallow divot making for a fairly decent bed.

Or at least Twilight hoped so.

Plunking down in the dirt, Twilight made sure to lay down on her less injured side. Then she tried to find a somewhat comfortable spot before settling in for the night.

Her wandering mind stopped her from falling into the blissful embrace of unconsciousness though. She couldn't help but wonder about those small, barely noticeable holes in her memories and what they might contain. They all seemed to be triggered by some manner of violence, though that didn't always seem to be the case.

Think in the morning. Twilight told herself. Night brain is stupid brain. 

With that reminding firmly in her thoughts, Twilight closed her eyes and released a long sigh.
> Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight awoke to find that the sun had risen, and was beating down on her scaly hide with incredible fervor. Despite just how blisteringly hot it was, the deathclaw didn't feel terribly uncomfortable, her cold blood relishing in the warmth. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Twilight yawned and smacked her lips, glancing around the mostly deserted base.

No, not deserted she realized, rather everyone was simply hiding in the shade, avoiding the sun. The only exception to this was a pair of rather miserable-looking guards standing on the approach up the highway. Twilight stumbled to a stand, wincing as her injuries flared up, prompting her to stop and inspect herself.

As usual, she had healed a surprising amount overnight, a mere rest doing what should take weeks or even months. Thick scar tissue covered the majority of the smaller scrapes, while the largest had scabbed over but were still tender. It was an odd realization, but the deathclaw stocked it up to her strange new physiology and put it out of her mind.

Making her way over to the canteen, Twilight made sure to be a little louder than necessary, alerting the guards. Sure enough, they were surprised for only a brief moment, quickly realizing that it was not just any deathclaw. As they returned to their routines, Twilight made her way into the structure, gently pushing the door open with a claw.

“Jesus Christ,” cursed a young soldier. “You fucking scared the shit out of me.”

Twilight smiled apologetically and gestured towards the back of the canteen to where Janey was supposedly staying.

“Right, yer that wastelander’s pet. I’ll get her,” he murmured, quickly backpedaling away.

Twilight huffed in annoyance, taking offense to the comment, but not saying anything. As she waited, the former pony couldn't help but ruminate on her situation, wondering what she should do. It was clear that despite her faults, Janey was well-traveled and incredibly resourceful, even if she was a bit unstable.

The deathclaw considered changing companions and asking Cass to join her on her quest. Though she ultimately discarded this notion, as she had an agreement with the irritable courier. They were stuck together, at least until now, though Twilight had a feeling that they wouldn't stay that way for a lot longer.

“Hey,” Janey called. “Ya sleep well?”

Twilight blinked and looked over to where a slightly irritated, but well-rested young woman stood nearby. Her armor was clean, her backpack lighter than the night before, a new pistol mostly hidden next to her boot. The pointed look Twilight was giving her companion seemed to be noticed, as Janey reached into her duster.

“Right, here's you’re cut,” Janey offered, extending a hand.

Her fingers uncurled to reveal that there were a good number of caps there, about fifty by Twilight's brief count. The first instinct Twilight had was to give it away as it was difficult for her to carry it on her person, but she thought better of it.

“Save it for me, please,” Twilight encouraged, tapping out her response on the floor.

“Sure,” Janey replied. “We’ll get some breakfast and then roll on out of here.”

Twilight nodded eagerly, the deathclaw licking her lips.





Twilight trod slowly down the beaten highway, chewing quietly on the meat-laden skewer in her grip. The tender yet crispy bits were surprisingly good, though Twilight had to ignore the fact that they came from a squirrel. One last final chomp finished off the last of the meat, leaving behind only a slightly charred piece of wood she threw over her shoulder.

“Full?” Janey asked.

Twilight nodded.

“Good, cus that smorgasbord of meat cost you a good twenty caps by the way,” Janey remarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and gestured to the road before them.

“We're almost back to the ambush spot,” Janey replied.

Twilight snorted, a deep frown crossing her face.

“Oh don't be so pissy. I made sure to scope it out better. There's nothing there,” Janey pointed down to where their battle had taken place the night before. “See? Nothing over there but… what is that.”

Twilight's eyes narrowed and she noticed that there were a pair of humans shooting at one another from across the road. One was a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties and wore road leathers under a set of metal armor. In his hand was a rust-covered pistol he used to fire at his opponent, a wild purple-haired woman with the bearing of a raider.

Though about the same age by the looks of it, she was clearly the better shot, even if her weapon was wildly inaccurate. The visibly damaged revolver sent slugs off in the general direction of the man, which shot off into the desert. This seemed to annoy the girl, as instead of reloading she threw the pistol at her foe and sprinted towards him, a knife in hand.

Twilight growled, ignoring the comment from Janey and sprinting forward.

The man continued to miss, clearly panicking as the woman closed the distance between them. She never managed to cut him though, as the sound of pounding feet distracted her. The pair glanced over at the charging deathclaw and immediately abandoned their fight, sprinting away.

They didn't make it more than a few feet before Twilight was upon them, her claws wrapping about their midsection. Arms pinned to their sides, the two humans screamed and thrashed, with the raider-looking one biting Twilight's finger. An attack so ineffective that Twilight couldn't help but find it a little amusing.

“Oh good. You aren't about to eat them,” Janey exclaimed, holstering her pistol.

Twilight snorted irritable, rolling her eyes at the human.

“Good now-” Janey paused as the man screamed. “Would you shut up?”

The male paused and looked down at the courier, then up at the deathclaw.

“Wait, I know you,” he muttered. “You’re princess and the courier.”

“What?” spat the purple-haired woman.

“Yeah, I heard about them on the radio!” the male exclaimed. “Oh am I glad to see you. Even if I shit myself.”

“Dude, gross,” muttered the other woman.

“Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck is going on here?” Janey spat.

“She tried to kill me!” Tomas shouted. “Oh, and my name’s Tomas.”

“My name is Jacklyn, and he tried to kill me after I turned down his sexual advances,” Jacklyn retorted.

“What?” Tomas screeched. “I didn't proposition nothing! I asked if you wanted to try hunting some geckos.”

“Wait, you were traveling together?” Janey demanded.

“We were, but then I woke up one day and he was all over me,” Jacklyn exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. “He said I owed him for being so nice.”

“I didn't, I swear- hurk,” Tomas’ reply was cut short by Twilight squeezing his midsection just enough to make his eyes pop.

“Hold up. Something doesn't seem right here,” Janey warned.

Twilight released her grip, allowing the male to fill his lungs with oxygen once more.

“Why do you keep looking at his neck?” Janey demanded, jabbing a finger at Jacklyn.

“Cus I want you to kill the attempted rapist!” Jacklyn spat.

“Wait, neck… she probably wants my lucky bottlecap necklace,” Tomas exclaimed.

Twilight sighed, shooting a withering glare at Jacklyn.

“Who shook her head. “I do not!”

Janey reached a hand into Tomas’s shirt and with a yank, pulled out a long piece of string on which dangled several caps. Unlike normal caps, these ones sported blue stars under them, marking them as unique.

“Stars,” Janey muttered bitterly.

Twilight snorted.

“They're rare. Supposedly they can open up some secret prewar treasure,” Janey explained.

“Wait, really? I thought they were just lucky,” Tomas muttered.

“That's just some old story though. More likely it's all bullshit or some stupid pre-war promotion for sasparilla,” Janey exclaimed.

“Huh,” Tomas muttered.

“So, you don't want these then?” Janey asked, glancing at Jacklyn.

“N-no,” murmured the other woman.

Twilight's eyes narrowed, and her grip slowly started to tighten once more.

“Wait!” Jacklyn shouted. “I’ll tell you the truth. Please just don't kill me.”

“Like you weren't about to kill Tomas here?” Janey shot back.

Jacklyn sighed. “I didn't plan on it. I just wanted to subdue him so I could take the stars without a fight.”

“Cus nothing quite says subdue, like screaming at them while charging with a knife,” Janey deadpanned.

“Okay so maybe I was a little annoyed,” Jacklyn admitted.

Twilight squeezed a little harder.

“But I didn't want to kill him honest,” Jacklyn squeaked.

Janey nodded, prompting Twilight to relax her grip. “Explain,” demanded the courier.

“A man named Allen Marks took my sister, said he wasn't going to give her back unless I found twenty of those star caps,” Jacklyn exclaimed.

“Why didn't you say that? I would have just given them to you,” Tomas remarked.

Jacklyn blinked. “What, really? Do you have any idea how much those things are worth?”

Tomas shrugged. “Money can't bring back people.”

“I… thank you,” Jacklyn muttered.

Seeing that the situation was more or less resolved, Twilight released them both, dropping them to the ground. Where they both checked themselves and breathed a shared sigh of relief at finding themselves unharmed. Twilight ignored them, the deathclaw searching for a board amongst the dirt, which she located near the side of the road.

“Here is what's going to happen,” Twilight began, Janey’s pipboy translating the series of rapid taps. “No more killing people. You will buy them off people fair and square, or scavenge for them.”

Jacklyn nodded meekly. “I hadn't actually killed anyone if that makes things any better.”

“It does,” Twilight replied. “You will direct us to the man who has your sister and we will deal with him for you.”

“Wait,” Janey interrupted, stepping forward. “We don't have time to deal with some petty bullshit like this. The man who killed me is still out there, and you’re friends might be in trouble.”

Twilight hissed and was about to offer some retort when Tomas stepped forward.

“How about I go with her?” he offered.

“You’d do that kid?” Janey muttered in shock.

Tomas shrugged. “I mean, no harm no foul, right?”

Twilight huffed and pointed to Janey’s cap pocket.

“Fine. It's your money,” Janey muttered, dropping a handful of caps into Twilight's hand.

“Take this, and use it to get better outfitted. Your weapons are terrible and you won't survive long if that's all you have,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Awesome. Maybe you can get something better than that piece of crap revolver,” Tomas offered, taking half the caps and stuffing them in a pocket.

“You’re just… giving them to me?” Jacklyn asked incredulously.

“I have a friend who is really good at picking out lies and I’ve learned a thing or two from her,” Twilight replied. “Plus every time you’ve lied before you’ve clenched your right fist.”

Jacklyn looked down at the small pile of caps and gently took it from the deathclaw, depositing them into a back pocket.

“Right. We better set off quick then. I remember seeing some of those caps in a gas station a few miles that way,” Tomas exclaimed.

Jacklyn merely nodded mutely, following after the excitable male as he began to march off into the desert.

Twilight watched them go for a few minutes before turning to Janey. “What, no snipe or quip about this being a waste?” Twilight asked.

Janey shrugged. “Why bother saying it when it's assumed?”

Twilight snorted.

“No, but for real. She’s absolutely going to stab him in the back the second they are out of sight,” Janey remarked.

“People are better than you give them credit,” Twilight stated.

Janey snorted. “Whatever. Let's just head up to Nipton. I want to get that job done for Ghost so we can get on our way.”

Twilight nodded.

Together they began to walk back down the road, making their way to Nipton at a steady pace. They didn't make it far before Twilight's instincts grabbed her attention, and this time she listened. Holding her finger to her lips, she pointed from Janey to the ground under her feet.

The courier nodded back, drawing her pistol and crouching down low.

Twilight meanwhile began to creep over to the lone remaining section of the wall where she paused. There she stood quietly for several seconds before lurching forward and wrapping her arms around the barrier. She then hoisted it, and the person behind it, off the ground, causing the partition to collapse.

“Hey what the fuck?” someone shouted.

Twilight twisted around, revealing that she had managed to catch a middle-aged man with dark skin. On his head were a pair of goggles over a hat, which mirrored a second pair that dangled down around his neck. The male was clearly well-traveled, wearing the normal road leathers of a caravaner, and the double stacked shotgun to match.

“Stop squirming or princess here might feel like giving you a little squeeze,” Janey shouted, holstering her weapon once more.

“Jesus fuck don't kill me, please. I was just-” the man began.

“-Spying on us,” Janey finished. “So start telling us why or I’m going to shoot your dick off.”

“I wasn't spying, honest. Or at least I wasn't trying to,” blubbered the man. “I noticed that kid had a bunch of those star bottle caps but he took off so fast I couldn't warn him about how dangerous flashing them can be.”

Janey raised an eyebrow and glanced at Twilight, who nodded and then shook her head.

“Alright, what's the whole truth? And don't waste my time again. I hate it when people do that,” Janey stated.

The older male blanched. “Okay, you got me. I wanted to buy them off him. I heard he wasn't the brightest and wanted to find the treasure for myself but I swear I wasn't going to hurt nobody!”

Twilight nodded confidently this time, dropping him to the ground, where he stumbled for a moment his trembling legs barely holding him up.

“Why do people keep trying to lie to us? Is it me?” Janey exclaimed, glancing at Twilight.

Who shrugged noncommittally.

“So, are you going to try anything like that again?” Janey demanded.

“Fuck no,” spat the man. “I’m going home and selling what stars I have.”

“Or you could give them to that man as an apology for planning on scamming him,” Twilight offered.

“Fine. I suppose that's the right thing to do,” murmured the male.

Twilight nodded, and gestured in the direction the pair had left, sending the man scurrying away in a hasty retreat.

“What a dumbass,” Janey deadpanned.

For once Twilight merely nodded her agreement.
> Cold, Cold Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m gettin pretty sick and tired of all these people gettin in our way,” Janey remarked, thumbs stuck securely in her belt loops.

Twilight growled irritably.

“I ain't complainin about yer bleedin heart this time,” Janey retorted. “We ended up gettin some caps from all your offers of help, which we needed, may I remind you.”

Twilight ignored her human companion and tromped up the cratered highway towards the town of Nipton. Though not very large, the settlement had at least a ramshackle wall surrounding it. A mix of nine-foot-tall chain link fences battered pre-war trailers, and tipped-over old cars would at least keep out the wildlife. Without a gate though Twilight doubted it would be able to repel any serious attack or even a particularly large band of raiders.

“I’m just gettin kinda irritated that it always seems like one thing after another and we ain't even halfway there yet,” Janey continued.

Twilight stopped and raised a hand.

“What is it?” Janey inquired, her hand immediately going to her gun.

Twilight sniffed several times, only for her nose to crinkle up in disgust when she smelled something vaguely familiar. The scent of something burning was easily recognizable, but it was accompanied by a far-fouler odor she couldn't quite describe. It was akin to the meet she had eaten that morning but different, and unsettling for a reason she couldn't quite place.

“Incoming,” Janey whispered.

Twilight looked up to where a madly grinning man dressed like a powder ganger was walking directly at them. Even when his gaze landed on Twilight the male didn't hesitate, and his enormous grin never wavered. In his eyes was a madness that Twilight had only ever seen glimpses of, and never in such a quantity as now.

The male appeared unarmed though, carrying nothing with him, and having only the striped prison shirt on his back. His pants were in a similar state of wear and disrepair which mirrored the half-broken glasses resting lopsided on his nose. Twilight could tell the guy’s white skin was on the verge of cracking under the intense heat but he evidently hadn't gotten the memo.

“Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!” he shouted, raising his arms above his head. “Smell that air! Couldn't ya just drink it like booze!”

“Woah, hold it there mister,” Janey retorted, a hand going to her revolver. “Not another step.”

The powder ganger didn't seem to hear her and just kept walking while laughing madly.

“Yer lookin at the luckiest man in the Mojave lady!” he declared.

Twilight held up a hand and made a calming gesture toward the courier.

Janey grunted, but reluctantly released the hold she had on her weapon. “Are you feeling alright there bud?” called the courier.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He scoffed. “I’ve never felt better in my life!”

Twilight pointed down to the strange paper stub sticking out of the man’s grip.

“You say you won a lottery, what kind of lottery?” Janey pressed.

“What lottery? THE lottery, that's what lottery! Are you stupid?” he scoffed as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Only lottery that matters! Oh my god, would you smell that air!”

Twilight and Janey exchanged a worried look.

“Uh, are you a powder ganger?” Janey pressed.

“Huh, what? Powder ganger? Oh yeah I mean, I used to be, sure!” replied the man. “But not no more! The powder gangers are small-time, man! I’m a winner! I won the motherfucking lott-er-y!”

“How much chems did you take, man?” Janey asked incredulously.

The man scoffed. “I’m high on life baby, and soon I’m gonna be rollin in it! With luck like mine man, I wouldn't be surprised if I’ve taken over the whole strip by next week. See you bitches later!”

He then walked directly between the courier and the deathclaw and just kept going, whistling loudly to himself. The pair watched him go for several seconds before turning to one another and exchanging an awkward shrug.

“Before you ask, no that's not common in the wasteland,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight chuckled, though her mirth only lasted until they reached the top of the hill and were able to gaze upon Nipton directly.

“What in the hell?” Janey muttered.

Twilight's gaze immediately latched onto the two large battle standards sitting on either side of the road. Bearing an image of a golden bull on a red background, they were also accompanied by burning tires and signs of conflict. The occasional splotch of blood could be seen scattered across the broken pavement, though there weren't any bodies visible.

“The legion, this far south? Impossible,” Janey whispered.

It was then that Twilight recognized that smell for what it was. A lot of people had just been killed, and nearby as well. That was the assumption at least until Twilight was able to pick up the distinct sound of someone in pain nearby.

“Ahh fuck, the NCR is gonna piss themselves when they hear about this,” Janey remarked. “Right, let’s uh scope the place out and get back to Ghost.”

Twilight didn't hear her friend’s words and was walking down the road which bisected the main town area from the trailer park. What old prewar buildings still stood had been maintained at least halfheartedly by the townspeople. Those that were no longer in one piece were in their current state due to time and neglect, or the cruel hand of an arsonist. 

Whoever had started the tire fires had also taken the torch to a few of the homes located in the settlement. The general store which stood on the crossroad between the town’s main street and the highway was perfectly preserved, however. Though Twilight heard what sounded like someone shifting around inside the structure, she ignored the noise for a moment.

“What are you doing? Hang back while I scout things out,” hissed Janey in a low tone.

Twilight once again ignored her and continued down to Nipton’s main road. There she beheld horrors that she had never once imagined even in her darkest of dreams. On the sides of that broken street, she located the source of the faint painful moaning and stench of death.

Dozens of people hung limply, lashed or nailed to crosses, and left to suffer in the cruel Mojave sun. Some bore bruises and signs of being beaten while others had been stabbed or even shot. Those were the lucky ones, however, as there were crosses that bore corpses, and even the half-skeletalized remains of a human being.

Between those who still lived stared the empty eyes of nearly thirty dead people. Their heads had been removed and placed upon pikes angled so that they gazed up at those who yet drew breath. Burning tires illuminated the land when a rare cloud passed overhead, casting the world in a brief shadow.

Twilight hadn't even been aware that she had kept walking until she suddenly found herself a dozen feet from the steps of the town hall. Tall, imperious, and nearly four stories, the building would have been impressive back in its day. Now though, now its windows were boarded up and the proud flag that had stood atop its peak had been replaced by the banner of the legion.

The creek of a door opening drew Twilight's attention down to where a grinning man wearing thick black goggles and a dog’s head atop his own emerged. Behind him strode over a dozen legion soldiers, each one outfitted in the ramshackle armor that their leader wore. Made from padded sections intended to protect an athlete during some contact sport, they had been painted in the legion’s colors of red and gold.

Their weapons weren't in much better condition either and mainly consisted of makeshift machetes or pistols. Despite the less then excellent state of their arms and armor, none of the legion soldiers flinched under Twilight's gaze. In fact, they seem to be emboldened by the deathclaw’s presence, none more so than the man wearing the head of a dog upon his brow.

“Don't worry, I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. I doubt I’d have a big enough cross anyway,” began the man, smiling a bit at his own comment. “No, It's useful that my scouts spotted you on the road.”

Twilight recalled the feeling of eyes on her earlier, and how it had never really gone away even after she had found the trader.

“You see I’ve heard of you, princess, and your pet courier,” exclaimed the man. “I’ve heard of your generous nature and apparent intelligence.”

He smiled and rested one hand over the butt of his machete while the other sat atop the grip of a pistol. “I had hoped that you specifically would be the one to bear witness to the fate of the town of Nipton. I want you to memorize every detail, and then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's legion taught the Mojave here.”

Twilight's breathing suddenly increased, each exhale causing a flood of hot lead to pour through her veins. Her muscles twitched, her vision narrowed, and she struggled to stop herself from lashing out at the man before her.

“I want you to teach them that they are weak, and we are strong. This much is known already, but the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution,” he continued. “Nipton serves as the perfect object less-”

Twilight couldn't resist it any longer, couldn't resist how her body screamed at her to kill. With even her blood howling for violence, the former pony felt her thinking mind begin to recede. Her animal instincts bayed for the destruction of her foes, and she could no longer resist those angry demands. Twilight could not bear such horrors, but some darker, less logical part of her had no such quarrels with slaughter.

“I’m going to wear your head like you wear that dog’s!” bellowed the beast before charging.

“Legionaries?! We have a problem!” shouted the dog-headed man as he fell back.

A single valiant legion soldier managed to get between the deathclaw and its target before it reached the man’s leader. He swung his blade at the towering lizard’s midsection but never actually managed to follow through with the strike. A backhanded swipe sent the human flying, where he slammed into a cross and struggled to rise.

With the only meaningful defense now removed from its target, the beast continued its charge, claws raised high. The legion leader ducked out of the way with one swipe but wasn't fast enough to completely avoid both of the lizard’s hands. The machete he raised to protect him managed to deflect it slightly, but a single clawed finger slipped past.

“Gah,” he cried, the man falling back and gripping his face.

The commander rapidly stumbled backward, his smile now permanently extended to a painful degree. His soldiers were quick to cover him, the men throwing themselves at the beast with abandon, weapons raised high. Beset on all sides, the deathclaw put aside its hunt of the dog-headed man and chose to slake its thirst for violence upon her target’s underlings.

Low caliber rounds and machete strikes peppered the deathclaw but rarely pierced its thick hide. It also made no attempt at defense, and attacked ruthlessly, swinging its clawed hands wildly. Two men fell almost immediately, with one losing an arm while the other had the majority of his face torn away.

A blast of buckshot fired directly into the beast’s back caused the source of its ire to turn on the new attacker. The moment the deathclaw’s gaze fell on him, the soldier flinched, dropping the shells he had been loading into his sawed-off shotgun. His allies tried to intervene and save him by renewing their assault but nothing would stop the creature’s rage.

The first swipe removed the shotgunner’s arms around the elbow. The second tore a trio of gouges deep in his midsection, leaving his guts to spill out of the new holes. As he fell to the ground screaming, his attacker, the beast, had already turned its attention to someone else.

A particularly strong legion soldier had actually managed to cut throguh the beast’s hide and needed to be dealt with. The deathclaw did this by grabbing his arm the next time he swung, yanking him closer, and biting two-thirds of his head off. As it chewed on the man’s skull, it swung down and removed the arm of another of the legion soldiers.

While their comrade stumbled backward and tried to staunch the flow of blood, the other men took a step away. They were on the brink of making a run for it when the beast made their decision for them by charging immediately. One of the more cowardly of the bunch tried to flee but only made it a few feet before getting bisected at about the midsection.

One of the six remaining men tried to resist and unloaded what bullets remained in his gun into the beast’s chest. A single shot out of the nine-round magazine managed to pierce the deathclaw’s hide while the others hurt but left only bruises. The pain caused by the gut shot was so distant to the giant lizard that it barely even felt the hunk of metal enter its midsection.

All it felt was rage, and it fed that rage by raking its claws down its foe's chest, leaving massive gaping wounds in its wake. The man was then brushed aside, and crushed underfoot as the deathclaw chased after the fleeing soldiers. Stomping up the stairs to the town hall, the beast grabbed one of the men by the leg and used him like a club to sweep three of his comrades from their feet. The soldier then had his midsection bitten out before being discarded without a second thought.

The next to die had a claw jammed straight through their torso, and into the stairs beneath him. His ally lived only a few seconds longer and managed to empty the contents of his pistol before he was decapitated. Though his bullets did nothing, one of the two remaining soldiers accomplished what his ally could not.

A rifle round hit, and went right through deathclaw’s hand, striking a lucky section that wasn't as hardened as the rest. His luck didn't keep up for long though, as the beast slammed its fists into his shoulders, crushing the majority of his torso. 

The final remaining soldier threw open the doors and yelled something the beast did not hear. It charged in any way and spotted several dogs that had been ready to charge it. The moment they laid eyes upon the fearsome visage of the deathclaw, the mutts turned tail and fled back inside. Leaving their master confused, and soon deceased, as the deathclaw rammed its hand straight through his belly. He was then hoisted into the air, where he had a large bite taken out of him before being tossed aside.

The thump of something heavy landing only a few feet away brought the deathclaw’s attention downward. Where it saw something round, and metallic sitting on the ground, baffling the creature. It knew, vaguely, what it was, but couldn't recall its name or why it was supposed to be afraid of the tiny thing.

Despite its confusion, the deathclaw reacted on impulse, attempting to fling away the grenade using a power it didn't have a name for. It felt a spark, a reaction somewhere deep inside of itself, and the bomb began to glow a faint red color. Then the aura vanished, and the explosive detonated with terrible force, throwing the deathclaw against a wall.

Shrapnel stuck into its hardened exterior and stung viciously. Pain bloomed all across its body, and it struggled to keep focused under the barrage of agony assaulting it.

“A simple monster, how disappointing,” spat a voice nearby.

The beast looked up from its spot half crumpled on the floor, to where a familiar man with a dog head sitting atop his skull stood at the entrance to the town hall.

“And here I thought you would serve my goals,” he muttered, each sound causing blood to gush from his mouth. “I suppose you will serve as a lesson if nothing else, while your erstwhile ally tells of what happened here.”

The deathclaw stumbled to a stand and tried to lurch forward, only for the floor to groan. A second later and it was falling into the basement, confusion turning to pain once again. A pain which was magnified when it heard something crash nearby a second before something hot splashed against its chest.

The burning liquid stung worse than the shrapnel and was enough to make a shriek of terror fling from its lips. Looking around, the beast found that the molotov cocktail had ignited the broken beams and dusty bits of wood in mere seconds. A second one landed nearby, causing a crate to go up in flames, nearly surrounding the deathclaw completely.

“Seal the beast in, and burn the place to the ground,” exclaimed a voice. “Let's see how this monster likes a little fire.”
> Booted Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The beast stumbled forwards, only to be pushed back when the flames reached a canister of strange liquid and erupted. Fire licked at the deathclaw’s entire right side, causing another shriek to escape its lips. It tried to escape in another direction but was met by a sudden flare-up that cut it off.

The creature struggled to breathe, its every exhale coming out as little more than a pained wheeze. It wanted to get out, to save itself and its mental passenger but every direction only yielded more pain. So with great reluctance, it submitted to its other half, giving over the mental controls to a being it knew was more intelligent than it.

Twilight Sparkle looked around in confusion at the wall of fire that surrounded her on all sides. She vaguely remembered getting incredibly angry out of nowhere, but between then and now she had nothing. Her first instinct was to panic, but that was an urge easily pushed down by years of adventuring with her friends. Even with the presence of fire, which shook the former pony more then would have liked, she remained focused.

The princess’s analytical mind immediately proved more effective than the barely focused rage of the beast. Twilight spotted artificial light emerging from the fire and concluded that there was a way out or at least a second room nearby. Putting her shoulder down, the deathclaw squeezed her eyes shut and charged forward, bowling straight through the wooden barrier as well as the wall of fire.

The immense relief she felt to be out of the fire faded somewhat as she heard the flames consume something explosive. The dull boom rocked the building and pushed Twilight to search for an exit with even more haste. A glance around the room told her that there was at least some luck, as there were stairs up. Unfortunately, the fire had already reached them, though it had yet to consume the supports entirely. 

Twilight grit her teeth and sprinted up the stairs, silently uttering a prayer that they would be able to hold her weight. Be it the muttered invocation or pure luck, they held long enough for her to reach the door at their top. Though locked, a swift punch removed the aged, and slightly rotted thing straight from its hinges. 

She stepped out onto the main floor once more just as the stairs behind her began to collapse. By then he fire had surged up the walls and was rapidly making its way from the entrance to her left, to the rest of the building to her right. Across from her were a pair of bathrooms, so Twilight began moving in the sole remaining direction that promised a chance of salvation. Hurriedly jogging into the hallway, Twilight found herself almost immediately at another crossroads.

Directly in front of her was a short hallway that ended in what seemed to be a storage room of some kind. To her left were a set of stairs going up, another hall, and two more rooms whose original purpose was not regularly apparent. To her right was another set of stairs going up, a longer hall, and two more rooms, one of which she couldn't see into it, while the one which lay at the end had been a meeting hall.

“Where do I…” Twilight trailed off.

The sudden harsh noise of what sounded like barking brought Twilight's attention toward the room directly before her. Taking off in that direction, Twilight hoped that her desire to save the semi-feral dogs would not come back to bite her either literally or figuratively. She was relieved to find the two hounds that had been sicked on her not long ago were barking at a door that presumably lead outside.

Though boarded up, it was at least a start, and a fair bit better a more enticing option than the windows or walls she would have to destroy to escape. Twilight was certain it wouldn't take much effort to knock her way through either of those options but a door was optimal. All she needed to was subdue the panicked-looking pups that were now barking at her.

Recalling some of the half-remembered lessons delivered by Fluttershy, Twilight held out her claws. Only to wince when the dogs took that as a sign of aggression and went to bite her. Twilight also remembered the danger that came with cornering a panic-strewn animal but decided to ignore that bit of useful info at the moment.

“Screw it,” Twilight muttered to herself.

As the first wild dog went to bite her, Twilight sidestepped and wrapped a clawed hand around its midsection. While hefting the first one clear off the ground, Twilight grabbed the tail of the second one which tried to flee further into the burning building. A firm yank caused the beast a bit of pain but allowed Twilight to grab it much like the first one. The pair continued their attempts to gnaw on Twilight's fingers, and escape her grasp but the deathclaw’s grip was secure.

“Right, how were you supposed to do this again?” Twilight muttered to herself, her mind going back to the fire rescue course she had taken a few years ago.

The sudden groan and subsequent collapse of a quarter of the building behind her somewhere spurred the deathclaw to action.

“Whatever,” she muttered.

The deathclaw took a half step forward and kicked with all her might a few inches from the door handle. For once her titanic strength didn't immediately pay off, though the door had noticeably weakened. Several boards had broken, as had one of the hinges, the entire thing bulging outward slightly.

Twilight's second kick was sent slightly off course when one of the dogs bit her finger, but the third struck true. The door split in two, and fell open, leaving just enough room for Twilight to shoulder-check her way through the wreckage. Her momentum carried her out into the blistering desert air and didn't stop until her feet began to grow wobbly.

Before she landed face-first on the ground, Twilight released her hold on the dogs, half-dropping them in the process. The beasts instantly took off, not once looking back to the scaled creature that had saved them from a fiery doom. Not like Twilight minded the lack of thanks, as she was too busy filling her lungs with as much oxygen as she could muster.

Her entire body felt heavy, abnormally so, and pain bloomed in her chest each time her heart beat. As she lay on her back, staring up at the sky the deathclaw tried to piece together the events of the last few minutes. She recalled the initial few sentences the dog-headed man spoke, but after that, it was just rage, and then confusion.

Shakily, Twilight lifted her claws from the ground and stared at her damaged limbs in horror. Blood caked them, only some of which was her own. Even now, just looking at them made a tiny shred of the anger she had felt begin to stir in her breast.

Quashing that sensation wasn't difficult, but it was far harder to eliminate the aggravation she felt toward Janey. The woman hadn't made an appearance at all, nor had the human seemingly made any effort to save the wounded deathclaw. It took nearly a minute, but Twilight was able to ignore those nagging thoughts through cold logic. Twilight had, after all, taken off against Janey’s wishes so it wasn't that big of a surprise that the courier hadn't shown up.

“I bet she’s still there, waiting,” Twilight muttered to herself.

It took a bit to get the deathclaw back up to her feet, but Twilight managed to do so with only a bit of pain. The agonizing sensations remained constant, but they had become a dull throb that only flared up when her heart beat. The heavy thumps in her chest felt unnatural for some reason, but Twilight dismissed the feeling due to her own poor knowledge of her physiology.

The deathclaw made her way around the town hall back to the front, where she saw a pair of legion soldiers standing. The duo stood far back from the burning building, bandanas pulled across their faces to ward against the billowing black smoke. Twilight had no such relief and simply avoided the building, giving the thing a wide berth so she could enjoy the crisp air. The deathclaw noticed that Janey was nowhere to be seen, as was the dog-headed man or the rest of his still-living underlings.  

“Hey, over there!” shouted one of the men.

The pair turned towards Twilight and raised their weapons, a pistol, and a lever action rifle. The ensuing shots mostly went wide, but Twilight was too exhausted and injured to make much of an effort to dodge. There wasn't much cover either, and Twilight took a bullet to the leg, and three to the chest, though only the lower one actually pierced her hide.

The sudden impact knocked Twilight down to one knee, leaving her open to the hail of gunfire launched her way. Twilight raised her hands in front of her face, and shielded herself as best as possible, but could do little else. Bullets continued to slam into her repeatedly before suddenly stopping after two rapid thuds unlike the others sounded.

A second later and a duo of thumps impacted the ground a distance away. When no more gunfire was sent her way for a few seconds, Twilight looked up to find that Janey was standing over the bodies of the legionnaires. The courier flicked open the receiver of her revolver, stuck two more rounds inside, and with a jerk of her hand, closed it once more.

“You better be able to stand, because I sure can't carry you,” Janey called.

Twilight winced, but rose, limping towards the woman at a slow, sedentary pace.

“Well, that's good to see,” Janey muttered. “And don't worry about the rest. Vulpes and his little cadre got away but the rest of the soldiers left behind to make sure your dead are lying in pools of their own blood.”

Twilight couldn't help but feel a little happy at the news, and a little guilty that she felt so happy after hearing that people had recently died.

“You look pretty banged up. Let's go back to the general store and lick our wounds,” Janey replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “I doubt life’s gonna throw any more curve balls at us but we’ll be safer in there even if it does.”

Twilight nodded, and followed after the human, limping weakly down the road. Head hung low in defeat, Twilight dared not meet the gaze of the powder gangers and citizens that remained lashed or nailed to crosses. Yet her guilt demanded her to look upon them, to inspect them, and to silently hope that there was someone who could be saved.

“Don't bother. Pulling them down would likely kill them,” Janey exclaimed as if reading Twilight's mind. “Best we can do for them is rustle up what meds we can, and find out if any are a bit less bad than the others.”

Twilight didn't like it, and her first instinct was to argue with the courier, but Twilight held back.

The pair traveled the rest of the way down to the corner store, only to stop when they reached the entrance. Twilight held up a hand and pointed inside, prompting Janey to stop and draw her weapon. The courier slowly pushed open the door and revealed the poorly maintained interior of the Nipton general store.

Shelves had tumbled over, their contents stripped clean, leaving behind only decades of dust and dirt. The long square room ended at a counter with a cash register on it and a busted display case behind it. The lights that hung overhead were mostly broken, but one near the back was lit, and hung down from a single chain, illuminating the place in an eerie light.

“Great, just fucking great,” called the voice of a man seated on a chair near the middle of the room. “First I get my legs smashed then in walks a fucking deathclaw. What the fuck is my luck?”

“Hey, she ain't gonna hurt anybody, not unless she needs to,” Janey retorted.

The man blinked. “The fuck?” he uttered. “How the fuck are you not getting mauled right now?”

“It's a long story, this is princess and I’m Janey,” Janey greeted, gesturing to the bleeding deathclaw standing next to her. “And we are here to help, I guess.”

“Great, then you can either sic your pet deathclaw on me or give me fifteen med x and I’ll fucking OD for ya, okay? Fuck!” he shouted.

Janey walked into the room and slipped her revolver back into its holster. She then took a moment to look the man up and down, noting that he wore the armor of a former prison guard. Dressed in the garb of a powder ganger, he seemed mostly okay, except for his pants which were covered in blood.

“Lemme guess, your gonna ask some stupid fucking question like, what happened?” shouted the dark-skinned man. “Well don't bother, I’ll answer it right now.”

“I got second place in the lottery see? I got to live but they beat my fucking legs with hammers. I’m fucking crippled get it? A lame duck, fucking dead weight, and now I’m going to die in this fucking shack whenever I end up pissing out the last of my fluids,” shouted the male.

Twilight sighed and sat down next to the seated human.

“I mean a bullet would be a lot faster,” Janey offered.

“Fine, then just blow my head off already. I ain't got all day,” shouted the man.

Twilight huffed and pointed at Janey in irritation.

“I wasn't gonna,” Janey muttered. “Well, I was thinkin about it anyway.”

“Fuck don't blue ball a guy,” exclaimed the man.

“Look. I’m gonna go wrangle up some med-x, and whatever other meds this place has and I’ll be back in a bit,” Janey exclaimed. “We can talk about what to do about you after I’ve had a chance to bind princesses’ wounds.”

“Don't think you need my fucking permission,” snapped the male.

Twilight tried to ask for some water before Janey had a chance to leave but only managed to get out the first word before the door shut. Left with no other options, and barely the strength to stand, twilight lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. The room was silent for nearly a minute before the man suddenly spoke up.

“Was that uh, morse code?” he inquired.

Twilight looked over at him and nodded slightly.

“Jesus fucking christ you are smart,” he muttered.

Twilight huffed irritably.

“Fuck I heard the radio same as everyone but didn't believe it. A fucking deathclaw that can think. We are so fucked as a species,” the man remarked. “I learned the tapping thing so I could help plan the escape without the guards getting wise, never thought I’d use it again.”

“I don't mean you, or anyone any harm,” Twilight declared, pausing briefly. “Except maybe the legion.”

The male chuckled darkly. “Fuck those guys. Crazy fucking wack jobs think they can just kill whoever they want and get away with it. Shit’s fucked.”

Twilight could only nod her head in agreement.

“So are you guys gonna kill me or what?” he demanded all of a sudden.

Twilight shook her head.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

“Why do you want to die? I know it hurts but with proper medical treatment and-” Twilight began only to be interrupted.

“That's a fucking good joke,” he spat. “I ain't gonna get no medical whatever. I’m a fucking powder ganger. I got nothing, and even if I managed to drag myself back to base the boss would just shoot my ass rather than waste the caps gettin me a doctor.”

“We could pay for it,” Twilight declared, only to pause. “I would pay for it.”

“Ha! You're a fucking comedian you know that. A grade A fucking joke teller,” he spat. “Ain't no one gonna shell out a few hundred caps on my account, and even if they did I’d probably never walk again anyway. Without my fucking legs I can't raid, I can't fucking do anything. I’d die eventually anyway.”

“Not if you had a job,” Twilight pointed out. “You could be a doorman, or a bouncer, or a-”

“Or a fucking fleshlight for some sick fuck up in Gommorah,” he retorted. “Noone’s gonna hire me knowing what I’ve done, ‘sept maybe the Omertas but I’d rather die than end up satisfying some weirdo’s cripple fetish.”

Twilight bit her lip, and held back her initial response.

“What if…” Twilight hesitated. “What if no one knew about your past?”

The man turned and looked at Twilight. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, did you grow up around here, is there anyone who would know your face?” Twilight asked.

“I mean, not really,” he replied. “Picked the wrong pocket back in New Reno, and was shipped here on account of how the NCR wanted the railroad built but didn't wanna pay nobody to do it.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue in disgust. “They use forced prison labor?”

“Why do you look so shocked? ‘Course they do. Everyone uses slaves. Just depends on how much bullshit they use to cover up this fact,” the man replied.

Twilight sighed. “Nevermind. So no one around here would know your name then, right?”

“I went by Boxcars for a while, but I never really cared for it,” he murmured, pausing to wince and grasp his right leg. “Suppose something more fitting is in order, like Bum legs, or Cripplo.”

“Choose something dignified, something respectful,” Twilight urged. “Then just come up with a story, and don't tell anyone the truth.”

“That's downright devious,” Boxcars exclaimed.

Twilight snorted, and jabbed a clawed finger at him.

“Right, right,” Boxcars replied, raising his hands. “I ain't gonna go back to raiding or anything. Especially considering where that bright idea landed me in the first place.”

“See, that's a start,” Twilight urged.

“Still need a job though,” Boxcars pointed out.

Twilight thought about it for a moment before responding. “I know someone in Primm. I bet they could take you on as a guard while you heal up.”

“I don't see how getting my shit beat by a drunk gambler will help me heal but it sure beats dyin in this shit hole,” Boxcars exclaimed.

“I mean you probably wouldn't have to worry about much. Just look over tables, and make sure no one cheats. That kind of thing,” Twilight replied.

Boxcars fell silent and stared off into space for several minutes.

“I guess… I guess if your gonna do all that for me then I should at least give it a shot,” Boxcars muttered half-heartedly. “I was a pretty good card shark back in the day so I know the tricks.”

“That's the spirit,” Twilight excitedly declared, tapping out a quick response. “But what name will you take?”

“Uh, I think I’ll take Rick,” Boxcars declared. “He was a good man, saved my ass during the riot. Took a damn bullet for me, the fucking idiot.”

Twilight winced, and leaned over, gently patting the man on the back.

Though he flinched away from the contact, Rick slowly relaxed.

Eventually, Twilight pulled her hand back and laid down on the floor once more, too exhausted and injured to move. She wondered if her injuries were severe and if they might kill her, only to brush aside that thought. She wasn't going to start panicking, not before she knew how bad it was at least.

An hour later Janey returned, the courier’s backpack overloaded with supplies and a pile of guns clasped against her chest. She dumped the weapons in a heap near the door, and walked over to Twilight and Rick, taking off her pack as she did so.

“Good news, I found a good amount of supplies, bad news, a fucking radroach nearly bit my tit off,” Janey exclaimed.

“Boo hoo, cry me a fucking river, bitch,” Rick spat.

“I’m sorry that happened,” Twilight tapped out.

“Whatever. I found enough med-x to get you to the outpost,” Janey exclaimed. “Should also have enough stimpacks, bandages, and meds to get Princess back to a hundred percent, but the others out there are beyond my help.”

“What if you just used some on me and the rest on them?” Twilight asked, gesturing to the crosses just outside.

“I mean, there's only one of ‘em that would even survive the journey but taking them down would likely kill her,” Janey winced. “Sick fucks nailed some of  their hands in place and I don't have enough meds to get everyone back to a hundred percent.”

“Wait, her? Don't tell me Angela survived,” Rick remarked.

“You know her?” Janey inquired.

“Yeah, but I ain't saying nothing till you stick me with some med-x,” Rick spat.

“Fine, whatever,” Janey muttered, pulling out a syringe and sticking it in the male’s upper arm. “Better?”

“Getting there,” Rick murmured. “And the chick, if she's got red hair then that's Angela. Ended up in correctional for gambling debts, and drunken disorderly if I remember correctly. Decked the wrong cop, and ended up with the rest of us.”

“We gotta save her,” Twilight implored, tapping out her response.

“Fine, fine. But its your ass on the line,” Janey replied. “I think I found a wheelchair for uh, who are you again?”

“Box-I mean, Rick,” the lone male answered.

“Whatever. Now hold still, I’m gonna doctor as best as I can but I am gonna tell you already that were going to have to get another look at ya before we head out on the road again,” Janey declared, walking over to Twilight.

“That's okay. We’ll find a doctor either at the outpost or at Primm, which is where we’ll be dropping off Rick,” Twilight replied, tapping out her response on a fallen shelving unit.

“Fine, I suppose we’d get the best deal for our loot there anyway,” Janey reluctantly agreed.

The courier then knelt down and began unfolding a good number of medical supplies and other drugs.

“Now, other than the obvious, is there anything other than pain that I should know about?” Janey asked.

“Not really,” Twilight paused. “Well actually I was feeling weirdly irritable, and I still have some lingering chest pain.”

“Anything else?” Janey asked, the girl looking down and avoiding the deathclaw’s gaze.

“Memory loss and I guess I was really angry for some reason but I don't know if that's related,” Twilight answered.

“That was justified,” Rick pointed out.

“I suppose, but it still felt like it came out of nowhere,” Twilight stated.

“Sounds almost like psycho withdrawal, but I don't know much about chems,” Janey answered. “Now hold onto something, cus I gotta dig all this shrapnel out of ya and I only got enough med-x for about a half hour so I’m gonna have to move quick.”

Twilight grit her teeth. “Do it.”
> Booted Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So,” Twilight tapped out on a piece of metal taken from a dilapidated shelf. “What happened to the others?”

“Are you sure you wanna fuckin know that?” Rick asked, shooting the deathclaw a sidelong glance.

Twilight hesitated a moment before nodding.

“Well the ones who aren't either strung up out there or on the end of a pointy stick are probably out east by now,” Rick replied.

Twilight was about to respond before things clicked with her, and she laid her hand back down.

“Almost there,” Janey remarked, giving the bandage a sharp tug.

Twilight winced and grabbed at her hand.

“Oh quit being a baby,” Janey retorted. “You didn't complain about getting a fresh hole punched in ya but your gonna whine about getting it bandaged?”

Twilight snorted in the courier’s face.

“You’re welcome,” Janey retorted.

Twilight looked over her body and noted that the good majority of her wounds had been dealt with to some capacity. The smaller ones had closed up after a liberal use of stimpacks, and the larger ones had begun to heal or had at least been bandaged. Only the hole in her hand and the wound in her leg still caused her significant pain though the fresh burns covering a good portion of her body continued to annoy the deathclaw.

“How ya feelin?” Rick inquired.

“Like swiss cheese,” Twilight replied.

The courier and the ex-powder ganger exchanged a dry chuckle.

“But I’m on the mend, not nearly as exhausted, and alert at least,” Twilight continued.

“Well that's good, cus we are gonna need it,” Janey replied.

“Fuck. Never thought I’d end up in one of these things,” Rick remarked, grabbing the handle of the wheelchair sitting next to him.

“Do you want a hand?” Twilight offered.

“Fuck no,” Rick retorted. “I’m pretty sure at this rate if you help me anymore my dick will fall off and I’ll turn into a chick.”

“You’ve got some weird, misogynist ideas about manhood,” Janey pointed out.

“Just me let me fucking have this,” Rick demanded.

Twilight shrugged, and watched as the ex-powder ganger hefted himself into the wheelchair with a thunk. He took a moment to get himself situated before giving a confident nod.

“Right, I’m about as good as I’ll get,” he exclaimed.

“I’ll help you over the lip,” Janey offered.

The man wanted to complain, to decline, but bit his tongue, and allowed the woman to push him over the threshold. Twilight followed them to one of the crosses which bore an unconscious woman with red hair. Though injured, and sporting large metal spikes driven through her hands, she didn't seem to be on the verge of death. While Twilight observed her, Janey dropped her backpack and a load of guns onto Rick’s lap.

“Right, before we get moving I figured we’d do something about these bodies,” Janey began, gesturing about the area.

“What exactly were you thinking?” Rick asked.

Twilight cocked her head, silently sharing Rick’s curiosity.

“We dump ‘em all in the wreckage of the town hall,” Janey answered, pointing to the still-burning heap at the end of the road. “Along with all the legion battle standards, and the dead soldiers.”

“Why the fuck do you want to do that?” Rick demanded.

“To spite the legion,” Janey retorted. “They want to scare people, to hit the NCR in the morale, but if we dump em all in there, and tell everyone it was a raid gone bad-”

“Those legion fucks will have done all that for nothing,” Rick finished. “Fuck that's funny.”

“Exactly,” Janey concluded. “We circulate the story that some powder gangers tried to take over, the NCR showed up, things went sideways and nearly everyone died in the crossfire. Literally.”

“That's basically what happened too,” Rick agreed. “Powder gangers tried to kidnap some NCR when the legion showed up and made everything worse.”

Twilight wanted to oppose the plan but couldn't help but find herself agreeing despite morally objecting to the lie. She also didn't like the idea of disrespecting the bodies, but even that wasn't enough to make her outright disagree.

“So, what do you say?” Janey pressed.

Twilight reluctantly nodded.

“Great, you dump the crosses in the pit while I drag the smaller ones over,” Janey exclaimed. “Rick here can keep watch.”

“Fine, but I get to keep the gun,” Rick demanded.

“So long as you don't use it to shoot me in the back I don't care if you use it to go fuck yourself,” Janey retorted.

Twilight rolled her eyes and got to work carrying one of the bodies over to the burning mound at the end of the road. As she got close, the deahtclaw took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes nearly all the way shut, and then flexed. With a heave, she threw the body into the pile, and turned back around, repeating that same motion several more times. Within an hour all trace of the legion was gone, as were the presence of nearly all of Nipton’s residents. They met back at the sole remaining cross, and the still living person bound to it.

As she stood there, Twilight tried not to think about how the majority of the people on the crosses had likely been killed by Janey. A clean round had been placed between the eyes of most, while others that had been alive over an hour ago had perished. Twilight wanted to raise an objection, but reluctantly withdrew it, and told herself that it was for the best, though the thought rung hallow.

“Right, so how are we going to do this exactly?” Janey inquired.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully, moved around the cross, and began to inspect the wood.

“I know you got a bleedin heart, but I don't think you can-” Rick began, only to be interrupted.

When Twilight grabbed the cross and hefted the entire thing out of the ground and onto her back. Though heavy, the deathclaw didn't seem to mind the weight and began walking away, leaving her companions to gawk.

“Well I’ll fuckin be,” Rick muttered.

“Godamnit Princess,” Janey added.

Twilight stopped at the crossroads and huffed loudly as if asking her associates if they were coming.

“Yeah yeah, keep yer pants on,” Janey retorted.

The next few hours were spent pushing Rick’s wheelchair down the broken road, dodging potholes and the occasional curious critter. Be it a giant ant, or a golden gecko, a loud bellow from Twilight scared the thing off without a shot needing to be fired. Throughout it all the woman bound to the cross remained unconscious, only groaning or grunting in pain every once and a while.

The entire process took far longer than it normally would have, but in the end, they ascended the hill by the time the sun reached its apex. With the angry red orb beating down on them, even Rick was happy to see the NCR outpost emerge from behind the hill. This time when they returned the guards stared in awe but didn't make any movement to their rifles. In fact, none moved to stop them, even when the trio reached the main NCR offices where two of them stopped to rest.

“I’ll be just a sec, gonna radio ahead,” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded and gently placed the cross against the wall in order to relax her muscles.

“I can't believe you really did that,” Rick remarked. “You’re bleeding heart really is gonna get ya killed out here.”

Twilight snorted, and looked away.

Her gaze immediately latched onto a group of powder gangers that were standing in a long line for one of the few existing outhouses. The preacher of the group had begun to rile them into a frenzy and was making repeated gestures in Twilight's direction. The deathclaw winced, and looked away, mentally making a note to talk to him about toning down the zealotry.

“You're mighty popular around here. If I didn't know any better I’d think you're some kinda wanna-be cult leader,” Rick stated before lowering his voice. “Lucky none of my former buddies survived, otherwise they mighta recognized me.”

Twilight groaned and shook her head.

“Alright,” Janey declared, stepping out of the NCR headquarters. “There was a wasteland doctor who was about to leave Primm when we called. They’ll stay there but we gotta move out immediately.”

“Yeah I’ll just go ahead and pick up the pace here,” Rick muttered bitterly.

“It's fine. So long as we go now we should make it before they leave,” Janey replied.

Twilight gestured towards the highway leading back towards Primm.

“I’ll meet ya at the top, just gotta tell Ghost the uh, news,” Janey muttered, adding air quotes to the last word.

Twilight nodded and hefted the cross to her back while Rick awkwardly pushed himself over to the shade given by the statues. There he sat in silence, staring up at the twin behemoths towering over him.

“Fucking ugly bastards,” he remarked.

Twilight agreed but decided to not let the man know that.

“Hey uh, don't worry about the girl. I’ll make sure to swear her to silence the moment she's up and at 'em,” Rick offered.

Twilight nodded, and smiled slightly, diligent to not show her sharp teeth.

A few minutes later Janey arrived and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Well it took a lot of talking to convince everyone that the legion had not, in fact, come out this far and that a particularly vindictive psycho did this to our friend here. But in the end they bought it hook line and sinker,” Janey exclaimed, gesturing to the groaning woman lashed to the cross.

“That's good, now let's go before people start asking too many fucking questions and we run right out of med-X,” Rick declared.

Janey grunted and began pushing the male down the hill at a slow, patient pace. Twilight followed behind, the deathclaw careful not to jostle her passenger too much during the journey. Which was itself uneventful, with neither man nor beast daring to cross paths with the deathclaw. Even one carrying a large cross, and accompanied by a crippled person.

They made it to Primm just as the sun was beginning to dip beneath the distant mountains. Twilight guessed that it was nearly six in the evening when they walked up the on-ramp and approached the town. They were greeted by the sight of the mechanical deputy as he awkwardly trundled into view from behind a house.

“Howdy partners,” it greeted after standing still and scanning the small group. “How are you doing today, Princess, Deadeye Janey, and guests.”

Twilight shot a glare at the courier out of the corner of her eye.

“What? I had to make sure it didn't see you as hostile, so I changed a few settings while I was in there,” Janey replied, answering the unspoken question from her traveling companion.

“Is the doc still in town?” Rick asked.

“Doctor Santonas is staying at the Vicky and Vance casino,” Primm Slim declared in an excited tone. “Come on down and enjoy our famous- ERROR, weekly promotion not found.”

“We still got time, let's hurry,” Janey encouraged.

Together they made their way to the casino, drawing the eye of nearly everyone they passed in the process. Without a word they were allowed inside, an awe-struck young wastelander holding the door for the strange troupe. Though the stares and whispers didn't bother Janey, Rick and Twilight both felt a bit uneasy under all the attention.

A hushed question answered drew Janey to the back of the casino where the doctor had laid out the contents of their packs. Supplies were sitting in neat rows, and a battered sign listed the prices for various services in caps. At the center of it all stood a grey-bearded man with glasses, and the garb of a doctor, alongside a young female who looked like a raider.

“When they said you were bringing in a crucifixion victim I didn't imagine all this,” exclaimed the doctor.

“Can ya help us, doc?” Janey inquired.

“Yes I can but you sure are lucky I stocked up on supplies, otherwise this may have been beyond even me,” declared the elderly man.

“And my legs?” Rick pressed.

“Heard all about what happened to ya over the radio, so I got everything ready,” he added.

“Before that,” interrupted the rough-looking bodyguard of Santonas. “We should talk about payment.”

“Yeah, yeah gimme a minute,” Janey retorted, turning to Twilight. “Hey, I know all this attention ain't your thing so feel free to step outside for a bit. I’ll let you know when everything is done.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

“Just put her down over there on that low table,” Santonas interrupted.

The deathclaw did as she was asked before hastily stepping outside and sitting down a few meters from the door. Exhaustion and pain nagged at her, threatening to sour her already dour mood. It was buoyed by the realization that she had saved two lives that day, which was enough to make her smile despite the sting.

As she waited several people came out to either gawk or talk at her. A few of them were even from Goodsprings and had made the trip after hearing about how the road had been cleared and that Primm was safe. It was a pleasant distraction in Twilight's opinion, though it was a bit annoying she could only nod or shake her head.

Still, the pleasant company outweighed the fearful stares of those she hadn't met before and all the talk helped to pass the time. One particularly friendly, and familiar face even gave her a home-cooked meal. She also delivered a reminder to find some more rad scorpion poison glands, after thanking the deathclaw for finding a few already.

Eventually, the crowd lost interest, the visitors returned inside, it began to grow cold, and the sun vanished behind the mountains. Left with nothing but her thoughts Twilight looked up at the sky and let her mind wander to her friends. She wondered if they were okay, where they were, and what had even happened for them to end up in the wasteland in the first place.

The laugh Twilight recalled was malicious in the extreme and reminded her of Chrysalis. Even the changeling queen didn't have the power to teleport someone to a different dimension however so that didn't seem right. Her magical musings were interrupted when a dark thought entered Twilight's mind.

Are they even still alive? She contemplated.

Shaking her head vigorously, Twilight refused to entertain the idea.

“Ya’llright over there?” Janey questioned.

Twilight sniffed and nodded hastily.

“Good, cus the news is in, and it's surprisingly good. All things considered,” explained the courier.

Twilight gestured to the empty spot next to her, which the woman took, plunking down on the ground.

“Right, so first things first. Rick’s gonna walk again. Probably won't ever run mind you but he’ll walk,” Janey declared.

Twilight gestured for Janey to hurry up.

“Yeah yeah. The girl will live. She’ll be in a coma for a while, but she’ll probably even regain the use of her hands after some physio and time,” Janey continued.

Twilight sighed.

“It was pricey, but the doctor’s a decent fellow, and I managed to get a good amount for our loot,” Janey began digging around in her pockets. “Even won a bit at the tables while I was eating my dinner.”

Twilight was about to reprimand Janey for gambling when the courier dumped a small mountain of caps into the deathclaw’s hand.

“Here,” Janey exclaimed. “Your half, minus chipping in for the medical fees.”

“Chipping in?” Twilight asked, tapping out her question on a large rock. “I didn't think Dead Eye Janey was such a bleeding heart.”

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up,” Janey muttered bitterly. “Just don't go spending all your caps immediately. It’ll be a while before we get a score this big again.”

Twilight nodded and gave her companion a wave while she departed. The deathclaw followed after taking a moment to count her caps and find that there were nearly three hundred of the things. After making a note to thank Janey for her excellent bartering skills, Twilight set off as well, pushing her way inside the casino.

It didn't take long for Twilight to locate the older dark-skinned woman working near the chip redemption counter.

“What can I do for you, princess?” Ruby Nash inquired.

Twilight paused, only now realizing that she had no idea how to communicate with the human woman. Thankfully there was a sign that displayed a list of prices, including lodgings, food, and every other service offered by the casino. Pointing at the first two of those things, Twilight then pointed at the two beds at the back of the place where Santonas’ patients were resting.

“You want to get those two some room and board do ya? We can do that,” Ruby declared.

Twilight placed a hundred and fifty caps on the table, and pushed them forward.

“That's a bit too much for just the night but from the look of ya you know that,” Ruby Nash gently inquired.

Twilight bobbed her head.

“Your fixing to pay it forward for them, ain'tcha?” Ruby Nash pressed.

Again, Twilight nodded.

The old woman chuckled. “Shoulda known you’d do something like that. That’ll be enough to keep a roof over their head and food in their bellies for two months or so.”

Twilight blinked, and cocked her head.

“You counted right. I’m just giving you the princess discount is all,” Ruby Nash exclaimed.

Twilight blushed slightly.

“Well, I’ll be. I’ve made a deathclaw blush. I think that husband of mine owes me a foot massage,” Ruby Nash declared before erupting with laughter.

Twilight blushed harder.

“Now you go on and enjoy yourself there youngun. Oh, and don't you worry about that Rick fella. Johnson was fixing to offer him a job keeping an eye on the place after hearing all about how good Rick was at spotting a cheater,” Ruby Nash pressed.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and was about to turn away when she noticed that among the items for sale behind the counter there was a mauve scarf. It reminded the former pony of her mane color and made a sharp sting of longing stab deep into her heart. Pointing to the scarf, Twilight grunted softly, catching Ruby Nash’s attention.

“Ya want the scarf do ya?” Ruby asked. “Good choice. To be honest I’m not sure what was going through my head when I was making it. A scarf, in the Mojave? Who would want that.”

Twilight chuckled.

“I’ll give it to ya for two caps,” Ruby offered. “It's just been gathering dust up there for months. I’ll be glad to be rid of it.”

Handing over the requisite two caps, Twilight retrieved her purchase, and as gently as her claws would allow, tied it around her neck.

“Well, would ya look at that? It suits ya,” Ruby Nash declared.

Twilight offered one last wave before walking away from the counter and over to where Rick lay resting on a dirty mattress. The man cracked open an eye and looked up at Twilight with a mix of dark amusement and utter bafflement.

“I can't believe you did that,” he muttered, opening his eyes fully. “Dragging us all the way back here, paying to have us patched up now this… I keep waiting for you to demand I start chopping off my own limbs to feed you or something.”

Twilight recoiled in disgust.

“You're too damn good for the Mojave, you know that, right?” Rick half asked, half stated.

Twilight shrugged.

“I’m not good at thanking people, but uh… thanks. I guess. I’ll pay ya back eventually, bet on it,” Rick muttered.

Twilight grinned and was about to hug the man, only to be stopped.

“Yeah that's not happening,” he interrupted. “I appreciate it, really I do, but if you hug me I will either die of crushed lungs or complete embarrassment.”

Sitting back down, Twilight chuckled to herself.

“Either way you better get moving as I’m about to pass out. These drugs are amazing, and if you wanna get patched up before hitting the road you better do it now,” Rick explained.

Twilight gave the former powder ganger an awkward wave, which he ignored before promptly closing his eyes. There Twilight lingered for a moment, the ex-pony allowing herself to feel a small amount of pride for her success.

I’m sure my friends would understand the delay. She thought to herself. I hope I find them soon though.
> High Times Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“How many caps do I have left?” Twilight asked, tapping out the question on a piece of metal dangling from around her neck.

Janey hummed thoughtfully as she continued to walk alongside the deathclaw, her head tilted back. For a moment Twilight wasn't quite sure if her companion was counting the stars that were slowly becoming visible in the sky above or the caps in her pocket.

“Eighty-nine,” Janey replied. “Patching you up didn't take much, but buying clothes for that wanderer took a bunch.”

“And that beggar,” Twilight added.

“That too,” Janey muttered.

Twilight nodded to herself, content with her friend’s math.

Without anything else to focus on, Twilight simply looked around, noting that it was almost night and that they were near Nipton again. The sight of the town made Twilight shudder in disgust, though that feeling was subdued by just how exhausted she was. The day had taken its toll on the deathclaw, and she could barely even keep walking despite how much she wanted to leave this place.

“We’ll stop at a house near the edge of town,” Janey offered, pointing down the road, past the general store, and near the train tracks. “I scoped it out earlier. It should be a good place to rest up for the night.”

“I’d like to leave this place,” Twilight began, grabbing her metal plate. “But I doubt I could even reach the next town without fainting.”

“Me too, I’m beat,” Janey exclaimed. “I haven't walked this far in a while. Tended to catch rides with traders, or caravans if I was goin this far for a delivery.”

Twilight nodded, following after the courier as she lead the way through town. It didn't take long for them to reach the house Janey had picked out. Sitting apart from the rest, it was in better shape than most, though it was still a prewar structure like the others.

“Hold up. I hid the key in case I ever needed to come back here,” Janey offered.

The courier ducked around the side of the home and emerged a moment later with a rusty house key held in her right hand.

“Right. Let's go inside, and don't worry. There aren't any bodies or anything in there,” Janey added.

Twilight was too tired to question why Janey had thought to say such a thing in the first place and simply walked in. The musty, plaster-ridden smell of all prewar homes all but punched Twilight square in the nose. Despite this unpleasant aroma, the interior had received at least some maintenance over the years. The floor had a new carpet thrown over the beaten hardwood, most of the grime was gone, and there weren't any visible blood stains.

They were standing in what had once been a dining room, complete with a round wooden table and four chairs. From there, three rooms split off from the main area, the closest of which was to the right and contained several bunk beds. Likely a children's room at one point there was also a desk in there, though all personal effects were gone.

Next was a master bedroom, then a bathroom, and finally a kitchen. All of which were neat, tidy, and lacked any kind of distinguishing characteristics. Save for the back door that had been nailed shut from the inside, which was where a generator sat idle, though Janey was quick to remedy that. As soon as the fusion battery was plugged in, and a bit of fiddling was done, the lights flicked on, temporarily blinding the deathclaw.

“Sorry about that,” remarked Janey, presumably. “Forgot I turned all the switches on before I left.”

“What's the story on this place?” Twilight inquired.

“Seems like the mayor owned it and was trying to sell it,” Janey began, pulling open the fridge and depositing a few things inside. “From what I’ve been able to gather he was the one that really made a mess of the whole deal. Though I’ve really only had random terminal entries and scraps of diaries to go on.”

Twilight grunted, urging the woman to continue.

“Saw the whole town as his piggy bank,” Janey elaborated, stepping back into the living room and sitting down at the table. “Had deals with the legion, the powder gangers, the NCR soldiers that were staying here. He was working all angles and planned on leaving before the going got rough.”

“Shoulda left sooner,” Twilight grimly remarked.

“No kidding,” Janey agreed.

The woman popped the top off a beer and took a long swig. She then turned on the radio and took out her guns. As the courier cleaned and oiled her weapons, Twilight sat down near the door. Too tired to try and entertain herself, or do anything productive, the deathclaw simply enjoyed the music before it was interrupted.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. This is Mr. New Vegas. Thank you very very much for listening," announced the distinct voice of Mr. New Vegas after the song had ended. “Its just about time to get you some news.”

“The mystery of Nipton has been solved, sort of,” he began.

Twilight perked up, and Janey put down her revolver.

“Word is there was a number of shady dealings going on behind the backs of the good people of Nipton,” Mr. New Vegas continued. “Blackmail, extortion, kidnapping, and bribery. It all came to a head during a rather heated meeting at town hall. If you’ll forgive the pun. Reports are sketchy after that, but apparently, our resident heroes, Princess, and the courier were next on the scene.”

“Now, as you expect, Princess saved the day, and the lives of the only two survivors along with the help of her trusty companion, the courier,” Mr. New Vegas explained. “We spoke with one of the aforementioned survivors mere hours ago.”

The quality of the report changed, and suddenly the sound of the ex-powder ganger, Rick came over the radio.

“It was a shitshow let me tell you,” he remarked bitterly. “A meeting with a local NCR patrol was interrupted by Powder Gangers expecting an easy score. During the chaos, someone threw a Molotov and within minutes everything went up. Shit was fuc-”

“And pardon the interruption but I’d hate to sully your ears with too much profanity,” Mr. New Vegas cut in. “As you could tell though things got a little crazy out there. Do try to stay safe everyone. Now, more classics coming right up for you, so stay tuned.”

The room was quiet for several seconds before Janey suddenly cursed.

“Princess and the courier,” Janey muttered. “I was barely more than a footnote.”

Twilight snickered.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up missy,” Janey groused.

Twilight pulled out the metal plate. “At least they bought it and there was no mention of the legion.”

“I’m surprised they bought it at all,” Janey admitted, going back to her cleaning. “It sure wasn't easy to sell them on all the details, or set things up so it looked the way I said it did.”

“I’m just glad that- what did you call him, Vulpes? Didn't get any credit,” Twilight pointed out.

“True,” Janey agreed. “Contrary to what you might believe. I don't actually like lying, but, that was downright enjoyable.”

Twilight nodded.

“Well,” Janey paused to tip back the rest of her beer. “Best be hitting the hay if we want to reach Novac by noon tomorrow.”

“What's the road like?” Twilight inquired.

“As you saw, just outside of town is a tight turn near some rather tall cliffs,” Janey began. “I’ve heard of ambushes around there, but there aren't any other great ways around.”

Janey stood up, putting her weapon and cleaning supplies away. “But if we do get surprised I’m sure we’ll handle it. After that, it should be more or less smooth sailing. The roads are wide and open, plus they are well traveled so we’ll likely see a caravan or two along the way.”

“That's good,” Twilight offered.

“Damn right it is. Good night,” Janey offered.

The human then walked into the back room and closed the door shut before locking it with a click.

Alone, Twilight considered asking Janey to leave behind the radio so that she could keep listening to more human music. Then a wave of exhaustion nearly knocked Twilight off her feet, and she laid down on the floor. For a moment the deathclaw considered flicking off the light, only to think better of it and decide to leave it on.

Just for tonight. She thought to herself.





Twilight brought a clawed hand to her forehead, shading her eyes and allowing her to look out over the terrain. Before her, only a few hundred meters away was the narrow turn that Janey had mentioned the night before. The already broken highway was in especially rough shape there, as a rockslide plus a tipped-over truck created a decent-sized roadblock.

Other broken-down cars were strewn around the area, or half buried under the dirt that had gathered. There were a few traffic cones sitting out, the bright red triangles spaced along the middle of the road. They stopped right before the highway took an abrupt left turn, disappearing out of sight of the deathclaw.

“I don't see any movement,” Janey whispered, putting down her binoculars. “But I still got a bad feeling about this.”

“Should we go around?” Twilight inquired.

“No,” Janey answered. “South would add another six or so hours to our time and would go through some big horner territory. North isn't much better. I don't even know of a way through that wouldn't force us to fight an entire pack of deathclaws.”

Twilight frowned.

“I know it sucks but so long as we keep our heads we should be fine,” Janey declared. “If things do go sideways we’ll just pull back and go around.”

Twilight didn't like it, but the plan didn't involve her getting shot a bunch so she liked it.

“I can see that glimmer in your eye. Let's go,” Janey encouraged. “I’ll take point.”

Twilight stepped aside and allowed the courier to take the lead. Following close behind, the deathclaw kept low, her gaze sweeping across the tall cliffs surrounding them. Impossible to climb, and completely sheer at points, they provided perfect cover for any would-be ambushers.

Despite the anxiety-inducing situation, Twilight kept her heart rate low, and her guard up.

Janey raised a hand suddenly and pointed down to one of the traffic cones. She then crept ahead by herself, only to lurch forward when a ticking sound could be heard from somewhere nearby. Janey’s right hand knocked the cone aside before the other lurched forward and pressed a button atop a small round device.

The human then stood, tucked the circle into her bag, and took a step back, wiping her brow.

“Watch out,” she muttered. “There are mines under those cones.”

Twilight was mid-nod when a shot rang out from somewhere above them. Striking Janey in the left shoulder, the bullet knocked the courier to the ground. It wasn't enough to take the girl out of the fight, however, and Janey hastily scrambled over to a nearby car before pulling out her revolver. 

Twilight followed a moment later, though she was only dimly aware of what was happening. Her heart was starting to pound hard enough that it felt like it might leap from her chest, and her fingers twitched with anticipation.

“Alright, I’ll lay down some covering fire while you fall back,” Janey shouted. “One three. One-”

Twilight was gone before she even heard the first number, the deathclaw charging out from behind the cover. The beast had seen four raiders outfitted in leather armor and wielding crude weapons just up the road. The quartet was held up behind one of two burnt-out cars sitting on either side of the area.

The only thing the deathclaw saw was the path that led between the front and back half of the turned-over semi and its trailer. Beyond there lay its prey, and so it sprinted that way, headless to the danger, as well as the bullets, hitting it. Most of these attacks merely bounced off its thick hide, but a couple was able to hit something non-vital.

Behind it, Janey cursed under her breath and took advantage of the sudden break from cover. The raiders were predictably focusing fire on the charging deathclaw, leaving Janey to put a bullet in the head of one of the snipers. The man tumbled down the cliff before coming to rest near the highway’s edge, dead before he even hit the ground. Janey then ducked back behind cover right before her foe’s ally turned their attention on her.

“One on the left, two on the right, four or so down the middle,” Janey exclaimed aloud, attempting to think of a plan.

A plan which was interrupted when a sudden explosion prompted her to peek out of cover. Janey watched as the dust cleared, revealing that the deathclaw had sprinted so fast that they had barely been affected by the blast. It was a strange sense of irony that princess had been saved by her own reckless disregard for her own life.

The beast didn't see it that way, the explosion didn't even register to it. There were only the targets before it, and the distant prey that was shooting down from somewhere out of reach. It would take care of such gnats later, after the more pressing concerns were dealt with, permanently.

Fear blossomed like the most vibrant flowers on the faces of her enemies as the beast approached them. They emptied their guns and were about to run when the deathclaw suddenly hit the car they were using as cover. Mighty clawed hands hefted the entire thing up, into the air, and over the two screaming raiders behind it. One of whom was crushed flat by the impact, while the other was pinned beneath the bulk, their legs stuck under the thing. 

With those foes dealt with, the beast turned its attention to the other two that were still alive. While it charged them, Janey put a bullet in the chest of the second sniper, dropping the man to his knees before slumping forward. The courier then turned and emptied the rest of her rounds at the two remaining snipers still camped over the pass. Most of the shots went wide due to the incredible distance, but at least one hit their target, though it didn't kill them outright.

The beast also saw none of this, as it was rapidly closing the distance between it and its prey. Both of whom were panicking and firing rapidly without taking much effort to aim. The pair dropped their weapons the moment they clicked empty before grabbing whatever sidearm or backup plan they had on hand.

The woman pulled out a machete and rushed to meet the deathclaw head-on. Desperation rather than bravery urged the raider onward, hoping against hope that she could land a killing blow quickly. With that thought firmly in mind, the girl swung the heavy improvised blade at the side of the deathclaw’s head.

The beast saw this coming, and leaned down toward the woman, hooking her horn around the raider’s limb. Before she even had a chance to figure out what was going on, the woman felt herself be pulled from the ground. Her arm was tangled in the bent horn of the deathclaw, the limb snapping due to the sudden weight placed upon it.

Helplessly pulled into the air, the girl with the bright green mohawk was almost immediately disemboweled. The deathclaw’s sharp talons punched through her midsection before ripping down and out from between her legs. Steaming entrails spilled across the shattered blacktop, the scent of viscera flooding the noses of everyone within a dozen meters.

Janey saw this all, but unlike the raiders, didn't bat an eye at the bout of sudden and intense brutality. Instead, she used the chaos to move up until she was as close as she dared from the cliff. She then pulled the pin on a grenade, and using all the strength she had, threw it up over the lip.

The resulting boom, followed by screaming signalled that it had likely done its job. An assumption further proven when no more gunfire came down from above. Another explosion followed mere moments later, however, this one was far closer than the previous detonation.

A few seconds earlier the beast had used a flick of its head to toss aside its latest kill. It then lurched towards its newest victim, claws raised and ready to cut him down. He, however, had readied his backup plan but not soon enough to save himself.

The male had managed to rip the pin out of a grenade and had gotten ready to toss it when the beast was upon him. A swipe cut his arm off, dropping the explosive straight down before a second sliced through a good majority of his neck. Unable to breathe, and barely aware of what was happening, the raider tried to clutch his throat with his now non-existent arm.

The beast was upon him instantly, swiping away, eager to end the man when a loud thud knocked it clear off its feet. Hot shrapnel ripped into its side, and the blast left one foot numb, and severely injured. Still, it wasn't enough to completely disable the deathclaw, and it rose unsteadily, eager to find another foe to slate its thirst for violence upon. A bigger, louder, and more powerful explosion ended that search and sent the creature flying down the road. 

Janey winced as she watched exploding car hit the ground a moment later, a miniature mushroom cloud forming overhead. As it faded, and debris stopped raining down across the pass, Janey took stock of the situation. The raiders, likely vipers in her opinion, had been dealt with, but Twilight had yet to rise from the spot she had fallen.

Janey leveled her weapon on the deathclaw and waited for several seconds. Until at least the creature groaned, and rolled onto its back, making no effort to rise. A little more confident that she wasn't about to be eaten, Janey slowly walked over to her companion.

“Twilight!” she shouted. “Are you okay?”

The deathclaw made a sound relatively close to the word no and continued laying there, sprawled out on the ground.

“Fuck,” Janey cursed.

Slipping her weapon into its holster, the human charged over to her downed comrade and pulled out her backpack. A quick search located what she was looking for and Janey pulled forth a stimpack attached to a leather belt. She then hooked the thing as best as she could around the deathclaw’s enormous bicep before activating the drug cocktail.

The bright red liquid held within the syringe vanished into the deathclaw while the pressure gauge went from red to green. Once done, Janey removed the barely secured belt and tossed the used chem aside. She then took a hesitant step back, and looked down at the deathclaw.

For a moment nothing happened, then all at once Twilight's wounds began to heal. Shrapnel all but shot out of her flesh a moment before the muscle and scaly skin knit itself back together. The burns that covered a good third of the deathclaw mostly healed up, though scars remained on her scaly hide. Bullets were pushed out of wounds that closed up all on their own before finally, the creature blinked rapidly.

“Augh,” Twilight groaned, a hand grabbing at her chest.

Where she found the dinged-up metal plate she had acquired at their last stop. Though it sported several new bullet holes, it was at least serviceable for the deathclaw’s needs.

“How bad is it?” Twilight asked.

After pausing to hear the translation, Janey winced and shook her head.

“Not good,” she declared. “But the super stimpack did its work, and you should be back up in a minute or two. Watch out though, you’ll feel weak and lethargic for a few minutes after the fact. What on account of a bunch of muscles growing back all of a sudden.”

Twilight grunted. “Makes sense. Is it supposed to make my chest hurt this bad though?”

“Well you did get shot in the… boob?” Janey remarked.

“That explains that, but not why it hurts every time my heart beats,” Twilight replied. “Or why I still feel really angry, confused, and unable to recall what happened the last minute or so.”

“That's… probably psycho withdrawal,” Janey admitted.

“What?” Twilight asked, looking up at the human in confusion.

Janey sighed and looked away. “Do you remember when we fought those powder gangers back in Goodsprings?”

Twilight nodded mutely.

“Well after negotiations turned sour I made a quick exit, and when I ducked out, I hit you with a dose of psycho,” Janey reluctantly admitted. “You were so naive that by the time you worked up the nerve to fight you’d already be dead so I figured I’d help things along, ya know?”

“Janey,” Twilight muttered.

“I didn't have a choice okay? It was to save your life, and the whole town!” Janey exclaimed. “I did the right thing, but I never expected any of this to happen. I didn't think it would affect you this badly, or get you hooked after only one dose!”

Twilight lay there in silence, unable to utter a word, all the while barely containing the urge to gut the courier.
> High Times Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a moment to relax, Twilight gripped her little metal sheet and began to tap.

“Janey. I am a magical alicorn from another dimension, placed in the body of a clearly mutated deathclaw. There is no way you could have known the drug would react as intended. It may have driven me mad, or outright killed me even after a single dose of the stuff,” Twilight began, never slowing. “What you’ve done is wrong, short-sighted, cruel, and single-handedly broke any manner of trust we may have been able to build up over the last however long its been.”

“I…” Janey grit her teeth. “I can't accept that. You would have died, the people of that town would have been killed, or worse, enslaved by those psychos.”

“You could have locked them inside, you could have armed the people of Goodsprings, you could have urged the gang members to leave,” Twilight retorted, her taps coming in faster and faster. “You could have cut a deal with the powder gangers. There were many possible alternative scenarios that you could have pursued but because you hate convicts you took the easy way out.”

“If you think for a second that those murdering psychos would have done anything but kill, rape, and loot then you’re even more naive than I took you for!” Janey shouted.

“Rick is an ex-con, and he is perfectly honorable, if a bit foul-mouthed,” Twilight retorted. “Furthermore we’ve taken dozens of prisoners in the past after a show of force. What's to say that it wouldn't have worked back there?”

Janey’s jaw clenched and unclenched several times. “You… you don't get it. Those people they weren't just going to give up alright? Those fuckers were ready to kill whoever they needed to in order to take control of that town.”

“As were the powder gangers in Primm,” Twilight pointed out.

“Not like that!” Janey yelled, throwing up her hands. “I talked to them, I tried to find an alternative solution and it didn't work. They weren't interested.”

“What exactly did you say? Did you try to bribe them, or-”

“I tried everything you fucking suggested!” Janey shouted. “I’ve seen what people like that do, I’ve seen villages and towns wiped off the map because of worthless bags of flesh like them!”

“You know I can't trust what you say anymore,” Twilight pointed out. “Even if you did all that. Even if you tried your absolute best I can't believe that. Not after what you’ve done to me.”

“Oh boo fucking hoo,” Janey spat. “I made you a little fucking angry once. Welcome to the wasteland. If that's the worst that happens then congradufuckinglations, because you’re one of the lucky ones.”

Twilight clenched her jaw so hard that it felt like she may injure herself. At the back of her mind, a beast roared, demanding to be let off the leash so it may devour the courier. Twilight held tight to whatever shred of control she had, keeping that instinct, that desire, from being let loose.

“Like I said, you could have killed me, but worse still you made me into a killer and nearly drove me to madness,” Twilight stated as calmly as she could muster. “Until that moment I had never even raised my hoof in anger before. I had never struck anyone with malicious intent never mind killed.”

Janey rolled her eyes. “Give me a break with this pony shit. I’ve seen a lot in my time out in the wastes but you are not a magical talking horse. You were some experiment that got loose and you likely hallucinated the entire horse land thing.”

Twilight breathed in and out at a rapid pace, not responding until her heartbeat slowed somewhat.

“I don't care if you don't believe me,” Twilight stated after a long pause. “I know it's too much for the average person to take in. However even if you believe that life was a fake one then you cannot avoid the fact that what you did was horrendous and I’m sorry to say, evil.”

Janey took a step back as if slapped, her gaze immediately narrowing on the deathclaw.

The pair stared at one another for several seconds before the courier unexpectedly looked away.

“Get up. We got a bit to go before we reach Novac,” Janey muttered.

Twilight rose, and for a moment, nearly gave in to the violent urges that tugged at her limbs. However, she was able to keep those demands in check through willpower, and cold cold reason. Though trust was broken, the courier was still the best guide Twilight could hope to acquire. More importantly, Novac was apparently a larger settlement, one where it may be possible to locate a new traveling partner.

“Lead the way,” Twilight offered.

“Perhaps we should walk beside one another for a while,” Janey countered.

Twilight silently agreed, taking position to Janey’s left, her off-hand side. Then, together, they continued down the road, neither saying a word as they slowly but the ambush site behind them. Throughout it all Twilight occasionally glanced to her right, and Janey, to her left, both cautious of one another.

This kind of soft paranoia continued even as the pair crested the hill and reached flatter ground. At the top of the rise, Twilight could see what looked like a ranch to the right and a distant cave to her left. Before her was what looked like a larger highway with more lanes than normal.

Coming from the south, the road twisted off to the east, into the horizon and out of view of the deathclaw. To the left, the two different roads merged, and went down into a valley, before turning out of view at the end. With the hilly lowlands to the east, mountains to the west, and civilization to the north, it was an interesting area. Twilight wanted to ask questions, point out landmarks, and get a better lay of the land but resisted that urge.

“Let's head up there,” Janey declared, pointing to the farm or ranch built near the top of a nearby cliff. “We’ll stop for food and water there. They should have a well.”

Twilight wanted to oppose the idea but again resisted that urge, as her stomach was beginning to demand sustenance. She also desperately wanted to wash the blood from her body, though she didn't tell Janey that was the reason she agreed. Either way, they made their way up to the sloping ranch built on the hill, both careful not to step in any of the many big horner patties.

The titular cattle were no longer in their pens but rather were grazing off in the distance further south. Leaving behind what had likely been a thriving little ranch given the large windmill and numerous defenses. Sandbag lookout points and bridges would have allowed a the owner to defend from the west with ease. Now, however, they were empty, as was the rest of the farm area, leaving behind only a few wind brahmin.

“There's the well,” Janey pointed out, gesturing to a circular concrete structure near the main ramshackle farmhouse. “You draw the water while I go see if anyone’s home.”

“And split any loot you find if it's been abandoned, right?” Twilight asked.

Janey snorted. “Course.”

Twilight watched the courier depart, only turning to the well after Janey disappeared into the shack. The thing was mechanical in nature and had only a spigot, a few levers, and a couple of metal buckets that sat nearby. Thankfully she had a time on her hand, and after gently poking around Twilight eventually managed to cause water to shoot out.

The sudden splash against her feet nearly made the deathclaw jump, but she reacted quickly. Putting one of the buckets under, she caught the surprisingly cold water. Over the course of a few minutes she filled nearly all of them, the stream only slowing down at bucket number three.

The mechanism clunked and vibrated loudly before abruptly turning itself off. Throughout it all the stream narrowed to a trickle and then stopped entirely. Twilight took this as a sign that the well was dry, and used the first bucket to clean herself, paying close attention to her wounds.

Once free of blood, and most of the dust, Twilight grabbed the second bucket and chugged the entire thing. She considered doing the same to the last one but reluctantly thought better of it, bringing it over to the door. Where she waited until Janey emerged a few seconds later, a confused look on her face.

“What did you find?” Twilight asked, pointing to the courier’s backpack.

“Not much,” Janey answered. “Just a magazine, a few caps, and a cleaver.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight pressed.

Janey’s jaw clenched and she swiftly dropped her pack before digging out the aforementioned items. “See? That was it. Whoever lived here took nearly everything of value when they left. They even pried the pilot light out of the stove if you can believe it,” Janey stated.

Twilight nodded. “There's a pail left for you.”

Janey drained as much of the cool water as possible into a large flask before tipping back the rest. Once done, the courier winced and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

“Augh, radiation always makes water taste so weird,” Janey muttered.

A faint whisper carried on the breeze made Twilight's metaphorical ears perk up. The deathclaw turned and looked up to the end of the ridge overlooking the bend in the road. There sat a small table with a radio on it, and a chair that had a shovel resting on it.

“What is it?” Janey asked.

“Nothing,” Twilight replied, repeating the word on her board. “Just the wind.”

“Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps,” Janey muttered.

The pair began to leave, making their way back down to the overpass at the crossroads of the closest highways.

“You found something,” Twilight pointed out.

“Nothing else of value,” Janey retorted.

“You found something worthless,” Twilight shot back.

“I… did,” Janey murmured. “A journal entry talking about a job, a job where seven couriers were hired. A job that this mystery person turned down.”

Twilight motioned for Janey to continue.

“That's it,” Janey replied. “There was just a snippet about the job, and a desire to quote, return to where the courier’s true journey began.”

“Spooky,” Twilight declared.

“No kidding,” Janey agreed.

The pair continued on in silence until they almost passed a nearly destroyed billboard advertising Fancy Lads Snack Cakes. There Janey stopped, held up a hand, and walked over to a well-hidden corpse nestled between two rocks. Turning it over, the courier winced in disgust as the half-rotted remains of a ghoul stared up at them.

“Poor bastard caught a stray bullet to the stomach,” Janey muttered. “Whoever got him took everything of value too.”

Twilight took a step forward and gazed down at the ghoulified face of the former human. She noted that his garb was certainly unique and much thicker than most would wear in the Mojave. A mix of mostly green and some browns, the heavy robes looked one part uniform, one part armor. Though likely thick enough to shrug off a stab, they had evidently not saved the ghoul from getting shot in the stomach.

“Let's keep moving,” Janey offered.

The pair did just that, though they again found themselves coming to a stop relatively quickly. This time it was the presence of a caravan emerging from under the overpass that prompted them to hold position.

“Hang back a bit. I’ll go talk to them. Maybe they are headed to Novac and we can offer our aid in protecting their caravan,” Janey offered.

Twilight bit her tongue and nodded her head, hanging back near the billboard while Janey took off. The deathclaw was ready to run away at a moment’s notice, but thankfully Janey did not in fact, turn the group of eight or so humans against her. They were initially startled upon seeing Twilight, but even at a good distance Twilight could see recognition in their eyes. A few more minutes of discussion occurred before Janey came jogging back over to the billboard.

“They offered us fifty caps each to guard them the rest of the way to Novac,” Janey explained.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

“They heard about legion activity up ahead though, so stay on your guard,” Janey encouraged.

“How likely do you think it is that we’ll see more trouble?” Twilight inquired.

“Normally I’d say almost nonexistent,” Janey answered. “We aren't far from a ranger station, Novac, and Camp Searchlight but after well, you know. I can't be certain of anything.”

Twilight nodded and walked over to where several of the two-headed cows Twilight knew as brahmin were laden with bags. The pack animals were accompanied by eight total humans, six guards, and two traders if their outfits were anything to go by. Though professionals all, the journey had not been a pleasant one, and several people had visible bloody bandages.

“I told you Mr. New Vegas wouldn't lie,” declared one of the younger, and only uninjured caravan guards. “You owe me five caps.”

An older, more grizzled female caravan guard grumbled, but reluctantly deposited a handful of caps into her fellow’s palm. “I should have known better than to bet against you and your freaky good luck,” she muttered.

“So is it true? Do you understand us?” asked one of the traders, the man slowing down each word as if speaking to a toddler.

Twilight pulled out the metal sheet and began tapping. “I can understand and speak your language to a certain degree. Also, you need not slow your speech on my account. I think you will find that I am quite capable of following a conversation.”

After Janey's pipboy had a chance to translate and spit out what Twilight had said, the man blushed.

“Aww, fuck. Sorry about that,” he muttered while slowly walking away.

“That's quite alright my friend. Now then. I believe you all wish to find safety in Novac, correct?” Twilight pressed.

“That we do,” offered a third guard. “We’re loaded to the gills, and nearly everyone is injured to some extent. Fucking vipers.”

Twilight smiled, and took her place along the right flank, listening as well as occasionally answering, the curious caravaner’s questions with a nod or a shake of the head. As they walked, Twilight noticed that the brahmin that had originally given her a wide berth soon grew accustomed to the deathclaw’s presence. The humans were also similarly unbothered by Twilight and even seemed more at ease with the towering lizard than Janey.

Who they mostly avoided.

Twilight resisted the urge to snicker and point out her companion’s chilly disposition. Instead, the deathclaw focused on the road ahead and the hill that rose on the right side of the road. Not too tall as to be overly steep, it could hide a sizable force on the other side with relative ease. 

If there was going to be another ambush, that would be where it came, Twilight thought to herself.
> Booted Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was only partially aware of the conversation that she was a part of. The younger, more excitable male of the group had started pressing her with questions that barely interested the former pony. She would have liked to give him her full attention, but something about the rise next to the road up ahead drew her focus. Janey silently agreed, the courier keeping her hand on her revolver while they slowly got closer to that point.

“Think we’ll run into trouble?” asked one of the more experienced caravan guards.

Twilight snorted, and nodded her head, gesturing with a claw to the hill up ahead.

“Aye, that would be the spot if ever there was one,” he agreed.

“Should we go around?” someone asked.

“No,” replied one of the traders. “We’ve lost enough time already and going any further west would attract the attention of raiders holding up near the pass. Or worse, deathclaws, ones who ain't quite so eloquent as Princess here.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, too annoyed to correct the man at the moment.

“Just keep alert, and most of our eyes up there. Myself and Jacob will keep an eye on our other side,” stated the caravaner.

With that command ordered, the group moved out. Twilight initially wanted to remain in her position at the forefront, but quickly thought better of it. In the chaos of combat, she was likely to get shot by her own side and decided that she would be more effective as a flanker. She was basically cavalry at his point, said a tiny voice at the back of her mind that sounded almost like Shining Armor.

Taking up a spot in the shade of the more heavily loaded brahmin, Twilight crouched low in the two-headed creature’s shadow. The beast was initially a bit skittish around the enormous lizard, but some pets and soft shushing did the trick. Twilight wished she had a treat for the beast, or Fluttershy’s talent for speaking to animals, but made do with what skills she did have.

“Up there,” whispered a voice.

Twilight peaked over the top of the brahmin, following the man’s finger to where a black splotch could be seen. Narrowing her vision, Twilight noticed that the black spot was actually the head of a legion soldier, if their red bandana and goggles were anything to go by. Upon being spotted, the scout fell back behind cover a second before a commotion could be heard in the distance.

“Get ready, you know the drill,” shouted one of the traders.

The caravan guards assembled in a staggered line, either taking cover as best as they could or kneeling down to become smaller targets. They just barely managed to get into position, and got their weapons raised when a distant battle cry was shouted.

“For caesar, kill the profligates and seize their goods!” bellowed a powerful, masculine voice from upon the hill.

Six wild-eyed men wielding machetes ran screaming down the hill while five more of their number leveled rifles at the caravan. As they ran, the six threw javelins, as well as curses, though most went wide due to the guards getting the first shot off. A volley of small arms fire killed one outright, and wounded two others, slowing them down considerably. The remaining three that had either avoided injury or had received only grazing hits and charged on, headless of danger.

Twilight knew that it wasn't anything Janey and the guards couldn't handle, however, it was the five others that would be a problem. From their position on the hill they had full cover and could rain down fire on anyone with almost complete impunity. Seeing where she needed to go, Twilight slipped out around the side and hastily ran around the hill.

Fast though she may have been, Twilight still needed time to reach her target, time Janey was intent on giving her. The moment she saw the deathclaw split off, and begin going around, Janey lit the fuse on a piece of dynamite. Tossing it directly into the path of the charging group, the legion soldiers were forced to either slow down, and go around, or die.

One rather foolish, or oblivious legionnaire simply kept running and had his legs blown off when the dynamite blew. His four remaining allies were wounded or slowed, giving the defenders a chance to pick another of them off. The ranged legion soldiers had not sat idle while their allies had charged, however, and had managed to bring down two of the caravan guards.

Whether dead or too injured to fight, Janey couldn't be certain, but the odds were rapidly swinging against them. The remaining guards were also beginning to lose morale and seemed ready to run before the machete wielders even reached them. So Janey decided to step up, tossing her revolver into her left hand and drawing a combat knife with her right.

“Come on then, if you think you’ve got big enough balls!” Janey shouted, stepping forward.

Only one of the legion soldiers was willing to meet Janey’s challenge and veered off to meet the courier head-on. The wild-eyed man weaved from left to right rapidly, throwing off Janey’s aim just enough for her shots to go wide. His confidence surged when the woman’s gun clicked empty and there were mere feet between them.

He died with confidence still burning hot in his breast, Janey having ditched her main weapon for a pistol from her boot. The low caliber rounds weren't especially powerful but they didn't need to be in order to punch through football padding. Two to the stomach and one to the neck dropped the legionnaire, and a fourth put him out of his misery.

Janey then turned to aid the caravaners but found that they didn't need it as much help as she assumed they did. The legion soldiers had injured one of the traders but had died before accomplishing more than that. A moment later, another of the guards went down from a shot on the ridge just as Janey took a stray round to the shoulder. Though her armor took the brunt of the blow, a second bullet tore through her bicep a moment later.

“Fuck, where is-” Janey’s curse was cut off by a sudden shout.

Twilight appeared as if from nowhere, and stomped the first legion soldier flat, crushing every organ not in the man’s head. His ally didn't fare much better, as the deathclaw sliced through his spine with a powerful slash. It was only the third soldier that managed to turn his weapon on the lizard though he only managed a single shot.

The sight of blood spraying from the man’s stump of an arm excited some primal part of Twilight's brain. That rage and thirst for violence was held on a tight leash, however, with Twilight remaining in full control. The beast, at least for now, was satisfied allowing the more analytical Twilight to take the reigns and do the killing.

Though not thrilled by the fact that she was once more slicing through thinking, and feeling people, Twilight didn't feel overly bad. Even as she stomped the man’s head flat beneath her foot, her sense of guilt was barely more than an afterthought.

“Kill it kill it, kill it!” screamed one of the two remaining legion soldiers.

Twilight ignored the cry, and raked her claws across his chest in an X, slicing deep into his flesh. As he fell over, blood gushing from his lips, the last soldier ran, tossing aside his rifle in the process. Though not so enraged that she wanted to kill the man, Twilight was curious as to where he was going.

Remaining only a few feet behind him in order to drive the male forward, Twilight was about to give up when she suddenly saw red. Coming around a rocky outcropping, she took note of the distinct crimson of Caesar's legion in the tents and battle standards erected nearby. The camp itself was a small two-level affair built around a single roaring fire in the middle.

Higher up there was a larger boxy brown tent that likely contained supplies while a further six red tents served as cover for the soldiers. Who came running the moment they heard the scream of the soldier Twilight had been halfheartedly chasing. Numbering only four, they didn't seem to be at all ready for a fight, with only one carrying a ranged weapon.

As she no longer needed the first man, Twilight leaped forward and swiped her claws across his legs. Cutting the limbs out from under him, he fell to the ground in a groaning heap and was forgotten about almost immediately. Twilight was already charging the next soldier, who barely managed to raise his machete before the deathclaw was upon him.

A backhand knocked aside the metal weapon before a punch cracked ribs, and sent him winded, sprawling to the ground. Twilight briefly considered killing him, but didn't bother doing so as he couldn't even breathe, nevermind fight. So she charged forward into a javelin, the projectile catching her in the shoulder and simply sliding right off.

Her thick hide deflected a second one before Twilight reached the thrower and snap-kicked him square in the chest. In an instant the legion soldier’s momentum was negated and reversed, the man flying backward into one of the tents. This inadvertently gave the rifle-wielding legion soldier a clear shot, which he used to relatively middling success.

Two bullets thudded into the deathclaw and simply hit the ground, unable to pierce her flesh. A third skimmed the side of Twilight's face, but by the time the fourth was shot, the deathclaw was in motion. Pain enraged her, but she focused that anger squarely on the rifleman that was so intent on killing her.

“For caesar!” shouted the sole remaining machete wielder.

Twilight didn't even look at him, merely backhanding the unfortunate male and knocking him onto his ass. The rifleman saw this and immediately began panicking, shooting wildly while backpedaling towards the fire. His shots went predictably wide and did absolutely nothing to slow Twilight down in the slightest.

A clawed hand ripped the weapon from his hands while also pulling him forward into a surprisingly strong head butt. The iron-hard skull of the deathclaw was more than enough to knock the man out cold. He tumbled to the ground like a sack of potatoes, eyes having already rolled back into his head.

The sound of clinking, and whispered cursing alerted Twilight to a pair of chained-up powder gangers attempting to escape. The two men were hastily attempting to crawl away while their hands and legs were bound together. They had barely managed to get a few feet before Twilight stepped in front of them and knelt down to their level.

“Fuck fuck fuck, what do we do,” one of the men whispered.

“I don't know man, play dead?” replied the other.

Twilight chuckled.

“Is it… laughing at us?” the first man muttered.

Twilight nodded.

There was a moment of silence before the men exchanged a glance.

“Uh, is it just me or is that thing responding to us?” the second man asked.

“I think so,” answered his ally.

Twilight stood back up, grabbing the men’s manacles in the process and hefting them to their feet. Once they both seemed to realize that they weren't about to die horribly and then get eaten, they relaxed slightly. Communication was about to be attempted when Twilight heard a shout from the distance.

“Princess! Princess where are you?” shouted Janey.

Twilight cupped her hands around her lips and shouted “here,” as loud as she dared.

One man winced, while the other stained his pants.

“She's over here,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight smiled and waited a few seconds for Janey to appear around the corner alongside one of the guards. 

“Holy shit,” Janey muttered. “You wiped them all out.”

Twilight twisted her hand from side to side, indicating that such an assessment wasn't wholly true.

“Get them tied up,” Janey commanded, pointing from the young caravan guard to the groaning legionnaires. “I’ll get the slaves free, and the camp looted.”

“What about the others, they need medical attention,” he replied.

“And they’ll get it. Noone’s about to die anytime soon,” Janey replied, approaching the two quaking powder gangers. “Alright then, here's the deal. You two are free, sorta. We’ll be dumping you and the legionnaires off at ranger station charlie just up the road.”

“I ain't going back to prison,” muttered one of them.

“Well right now your options are going back to the legion, or becoming princesses’ lunch,” Janey stated, pointing to Twilight.

Who sighed and rolled her eyes.

Despite Twilight's irritation, the attempt at intimidation was successful and the pair nodded.

“Great, now just hang here while I find the keys,” Janey stated.





Two hours later, and after handing off the powder gangers and legionnaires to a confused but appreciative group of rangers, the caravan neared Novac. Approaching from the south, the settlement wasn't very large, but it sure was noticeable, even at a significant distance. The large greenish-brown dinosaur was the most obvious landmark, though the hotel nearby was a close second.

Across from that was an abandoned gas station that sat next to a couple of tents on the other side of the road. Outside these semi-permanent structures were a few brahmin tied to posts, signaling that it was an area designated for merchants. Further to the left, and north were a scattering of houses, some of whom were even mostly intact.

“Uh you could probably let me down now,” muttered a voice.

Twilight glanced out of the corner of her eye at the man she had currently slung over her left shoulder. She turned to the other human on her right and with a look, asked if she wanted to join her companion.

“Yeah. That would be nice, we are both pretty banged up but we can walk the rest of the way. Just focus on Jim,” she offered.

Twilight knelt down, allowing the two wounded and limping guards to clamber off of her. She then rose slowly, careful to not jostle the semi-conscious trader she was carrying cradled in her claws. Once the humans were away, she joined the main group as they limped, hopped, or otherwise ambled their way into town.

By the time they neared Novac proper, a surprisingly large crowd had gathered to watch them approach. It looked like a good number of the town’s population was there, most notable of which was an aged ranger standing at the forefront. Though armored, he had no visible weapon on him, the dark-skinned older man simply staring in what looked like complete bafflement.

“Haven't you ever seen an eight-foot-tall sapient deathclaw before!” barked Janey. “Now get out of my way. We have wounded.”

That seemed to shatter the shocked stupor that had fallen over the crowd, causing them to quickly disperse. A few remained, like the ranger, a man in a red beret and a mustache, as well as a rather wild-eyed male with white hair and a white beard. Twilight paid them all no mind, however, as her companions had already moved on without her. Following after them, she came to where a pair of wasteland doctors had set up shop in the tent close to the town’s entrance. 

“Right, divide the wounded. I’ll take the worst of them,” declared a stout, older woman with broad shoulders. “Everyone not about to bleed out or suffering from a headwound can head over to nurse Straus.”

“I’m not a nurse, I’m a doctor. It's doctor Straus,” retorted a straw-hatted woman in a blood-stained tank top.

“Whatever,” replied the older woman.

Straus stuck out her tongue at the other doctor before quickly turning to Janey and smiling. “How can I help you today?” she inquired.

“I got a gunshot wound, and a few other bumps and bruises,” Janey replied.

Twilight quietly deposited her human burden by the other doctor, who gave the deathclaw a strained smile. Rejoining Janey a second later, Twilight looked this Straus individual up and down, inspecting her a little closer. Pale, and young, she certainly didn't seem like a doctor, though she did seem intent on people referring to her as such.

“Oh yeah, I can handle all that. Will your pet deathclaw need a check-up too?” offered the young female doctor. “You’re not wanting to breed her by chance because I have a jar of-”

Twilight gagged and hastily waved off the conversation before it could get any weirder.

“That uh,” Janey chuckled. “Won't be necessary. I just need you to heal our wounds.”

“Of course. I’m more than happy to help now that a CERTAIN SOMEONE ISN'T STEALING ALL MY BUSINESS,” shouted the woman.

The other doctor didn't bat an eye, merely raising her hand and extending her middle finger in Straus’ direction.

“Right that will be fifty caps for you, and thirty caps for your absolutely gorgeous friend here,” Ada Straus declared.

Twilight blinked.

“Are you talking to Princess?” Janey asked.

“Duh. There isn't anyone else here, silly,” Ada exclaimed.

“Uh okay then,” Janey muttered.

Twilight stuck her tongue out at the courier.

“Oh wow she's really smart,” Ada declared. “Alright go ahead and lay down over there. I’ll get to you after.”

Janey mumbled under her breath and laid down on the bed, clutching her shoulder all the while. Twilight meanwhile, crouched down as best as she could, allowing the doctor to begin inspecting her wounds.

“Couple lacerations, a bullet hole or two. Nothing I can't fix though,” Ada muttered. “You just stay right here while I get my tools.”

Twilight nodded and continued to crouch while the human walked away. She was almost immediately replaced by the wild-eyed middle-aged man Twilight had seen not long ago.

“It's you, it’s the horse girl!” he declared. “They thought ‘ol No Bark was talking nonsense when I told them that you were coming, but I knew better. I knew that pretty lady in my dreams wasn't lying to me.”

Twilight blinked, and went to grab the plate hanging from her neck in order to tap out a response but the man just kept talking.

“Now that you’re here I can finally complete my mission and help you on your journey,” No Bark continued. “I ain't much of a fighter though, but I do keep my sticking knife real sharp.”

“How did you know I was coming?” Twilight tapped out, the man pausing just long enough to hear the translated response come through Jainy’s pip-boy.

“Oh you can talk, but not real talk, not like humans, geckos and chupacabras can talk,” No Bark exclaimed. “I got it. That's how I’ll help ya.”

Twilight had so many questions in mind that she couldn't even utter a single one of them as they were creating a bottleneck in her mind.

“What you have to do is go down to one of those giant metal coffins where they keep all the cyclopses,” No Bark declared. “I think it's called vault eleven. Anyway, there's plenty of ghosts down there, I’m sure one of ‘em wouldn't mind lending you their voice.”

Twilight turned to Janey expectedly.

“We can check out the lunatic’s recommendation after we’ve had a chance to rest up and look around a bit,” Janey exclaimed.

“That's good, that's good. Because the dream lady was real insistent that I help you,” No Bark replied.

Twilight was about to ask for a description of the supposed woman before No Bark unexpectedly turned around.

“But that's all I can say here. They might be listening to us, even now,” he stated before walking hurriedly away.

“Uhh, huh,” Twilight muttered.

“Right,” declared Doctor Straus. “Let's get some anesthetic in ya.”

Twilight wanted to tell her to stop, to wait until she had a chance to question the strange man, but reluctantly let it go. She would get a chance later, she was sure of it.
> The Screams of Brahmin Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Ada Straus began her work on Twilight's relatively minor injuries, a thought occurred to the deathclaw.

“Does the name Twilight Sparkle ring any bells to you?” Twilight asked, pausing to wait for Janey’s pipboy to translate.

Ada blinked. “Hmm, thought I read a book with that title before, but that's about it.”

“What about Pinkie Pie?” Twilight pressed.

“Yes!” Ada declared, her eyes lighting up, and lifting Twilight's spirits. “That's the name of a prewar snack. They used to come in these bright pink boxes but I haven't found any in years. Think they might have finally gotten picked clean.”

Twilight sighed.

“She ain't your friend there, Princess,” Janey remarked, pausing to wince. “Wait, why am I the one waiting when I’ve got a bullet hole in me?”

“Because you aren't as interesting as Princess here,” Ada reported.

Twilight chuckled and looked away as the doctor went to work healing her wounds.

As she relaxed, and let the anesthesia do its work, Twilight noticed that the man with the red hat was approaching them. He had been talking to the other caravan guards, and the traders until that point, though his business with them had evidently concluded.

“Uh hi. I’ve been told you can talk,” greeted the man, who was barely able to look Twilight in the eye.

“In morse code, but yes,” Twilight replied.

“Well shit. When Ranger Andy came bursting out of his house and declared a talking deathclaw was headed our way I very nearly had him restrained,” he exclaimed. “Guess I owe the old fart an apology.”

“That would probably be the best idea,” Twilight offered.

“The name’s Janey by the way,” interrupted the courier.

“Yeah, I figured that was you considering your rather famous traveling companion here,” stated the man. “Oh and I’m Manny, Manny Vargas.”

“Are you a sheriff or something?” Twilight inquired.

“Something like that. I work the dayshift as the sniper up in the dinosaur,” Manny answered, gesturing to the fake dinosaur not far away. “After I heard the commotion I figured I’d come by to see for myself.”

“I don't suppose you’ve heard of someone calling themselves Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash by chance, have you?” Twilight inquired.

“We’ll I’d certainly remember someone who called themselves Rainbow Dash, that's for sure,” Manny muttered. “But no. My counterpart, Boone might know more, he works the night shift, but I doubt it as ain't many folks that walk the roads at night. Isn't exactly safe out there.”

Twilight sighed.

“Speaking of information,” Janey picked up. “You wouldn't happen to have seen a man in a checkered coat, have you?”

“Sure I know him. What do you want with him?” Manny replied.

“He killed me,” Janey retorted.

Manny blinked and raised an eyebrow.

“I got better,” Janey added.

“Right. He sure seemed like the type to cause problems for other people. Well see I got problems too,” Manny Vargas continued. “Problems you and your uh, towering friend may be able to help with. That's if you want to trade.”

“You’d really stand between a murder victim and their killer?” Janey retorted.

“Hey hey, it's not like that. We just both got something the other needs so why not trade?” Manny pressed.

Twilight shot Janey a glare.

“Fine,” Janey spat, crossing her arms over her chest only to stop and wince. “What do you want?”

“Ya see Novac, it's home for me now. I want that to be for good. I like it here, and I’ve left too many homes behind over the years,” Manny began. “But the only resource we got here is junk. Without that people wouldn't have anything to trade. They’d all have to leave.”

“We get most of it up the road from the old rocket test site. But a bunch of ghouls showed up one day and took it over. We can't get in there now,” Manny concluded.

“So you want them dead then,” Janey stated.

“It doesn't matter to me what you do. As long as the ghouls are out of there that's good enough for me,” Manny retorted.

“So long as they are sapient, I’m sure we could come to some arrangement with them,” Twilight declared.

“Like I said. So long as they are gone,” Manny repeated.

“Shouldn't be too hard either way,” Janey exclaimed.

“There we are, all done with you,” Ada Straus exclaimed.

Twilight blinked and looked down to find that she was more or less completely healed. Her fresh wounds had been bandaged, cleaned, and dealt with but that wasn't all. The older injuries had also been tended to, with the doctor having done a better job than expected given her unusual bearing.

“Look. I gotta get back to the dinosaur before some legion fuck decides now is a good time to come sneaking into town,” Manny declared before turning and walking away.

“Why the sudden interest in where Benny went? I thought you already knew that information,” Twilight inquired.

Janey winced and shot Ada a glare before looking back at Twilight. “I know where he is, but I don't know where his buddies ended up. Second, it's a big world out there. I got to thinking  and decided that it might be worth gathering a bit more intel before we hit the strip.”

“You want to kill the other people involved with your attempted murder,” Twilight intuited.

“I may want to have words with them at some point, but that's between me and th-yowch!” Janey yelped, turning her baleful gaze on the doctor treating her injury. “Watch where you stick that thing.”

“Sorry, pulling out bullet fragments ain't easy,” Ada Straus declared.

“At least wait for the anesthesia to kick in,” Janey retorted.

“Oh right. I probably should have done that. Can never quite get the dosage right for humans though, so if it feels like your heart is about to stop, scream or something,” Straus declared, stepping away from her patient and grabbing a syringe.

“Wait what. How were you so good with Twilight but terrible with me?” Janey demanded.

“I may have a real degree from a very accredited source, but we only learned on animals. Something about it being cheaper than finding some dumb wastelander willing to let a couple of trainees learn on them,” Ada retorted. “Right, this may sting a bit.”

“Are you even trying to hit a vein?” Janey shouted.

“Hey, I hit it on the first try, I think,” Ada muttered.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

Over the next hour, the deathclaw sat patiently at the edge of the tent, watching as people moved about the town. Some came to gawk at her, but they were few and didn't bother Twilight so the attention didn't bother her overmuch. The one thing that did strike Twilight was the strange man who she had spoken to not long ago. The male was chasing a tumbleweed down the road while shouting something about ‘wind brahmin’.

Twilight grunted, catching Ada’s attention while she was cleaning a scalpel with water from a dirty bottle.

“What can you tell me about that man?” Twilight inquired.

“Oh, No Bark?” Ada chuckled. “Guy’s taken one too many rad scorpion stings to the head. Plus if the rumor is true he supposedly crashed a car not far from here, but that would have been decades ago.”

“Did he grow up around here?” Twilight pressed.

“They say so, but when I first moved in and started asking around no one could tell me who his parents were or what house he lived in,” Ada explained. “Weirder still, I’ve never actually seen him do any trading or scavenging, yet he always has caps for caravan if you know how to play. Weirdly good at it too.”

“He wouldn't be the first wastelander I’ve met who's gotten by on gambling alone,” Janey remarked.

“Either way he's nuttier than I don't know, some kind of bar made out of almonds,” Ada dismissed. “Oh, and you’re done by the way. Should probably find a spot to rest for a few hours though. With a liberal application of stimpacks, you shouldn't need those stitches for long but if you wreck ‘em before you have a chance to heal, well that’ll be another fifty caps.”

“Mind if we just hang around here?” Janey asked. “It doesn't look like you have many other customers.”

Ada scowled. “That's because Bertha is here stealing all my business. Just because she trained with the followers she thinks she's too good for us wasteland doctors.”

“Yeah, that's great. Look, I’m gonna catch a bit of a shut of eye before the med X wears off,” Janey muttered before closing her eyes.

Twilight nodded and remained where she was crouched. Over the next few hours, the deathclaw would get up, and wander around the tent whenever her legs felt like they were about to fall asleep. Sure enough by the end of it, she felt just about back to a hundred percent, with even a few older aches having gone away.

“If only I could bring this technology back to Equestria,” Twilight thought aloud. “Imagine how many people we could save if we didn't have to rely on old remedies, or what few unicorns have the talent for healing magic.”

Making her way back around to her spot, Twilight crouched down into a strangely relaxing pose and waited. She didn't stay that way for long, as a sudden gasp from Ada grabbed the deathclaw’s attention.

“That is weird,” muttered the doctor.

Twilight snorted.

“Oh uh, it's nothing. Your blood just kinda tastes like psycho. Looks like it too, under the microscope that is,” Ada declared.

Twilight carefully pinched her brow with her claws.

“Whos your supplier anyhow? Cus this stuff looks better than regular psycho. Stronger too, it feels like my tongue is on fire,” Ada declared.

The deathclaw stood up and moved over to Janey, shaking the woman awake.

“What, what is it?” Janey muttered.

“I was wondering who was supplying you with this weirdly powerful, and organic-looking psycho. For medical curiosity reasons, of course,” Ada hastily added.

Twilight glared hard at the courier.

“I only used it on you once, I swear. Maybe it's just, lingered in your system or something,” Janey explained.

Twilight wanted to press the matter, but as opposed to the other times Janey had lied, now she was staring Twilight straight in the eye. The courier didn't flinch, look away, or ball her fists like when she said something untrue, or only partially true.

“Could you help clean my system?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, that's a bit beyond me. Whatever this is, it's lingering in your system for far longer than normal. I could remove the addiction but it would come back the moment it hits you again, ” Ada admitted, scratching her head. “As much as I hate to say it, the followers of the apocalypse medical clinic up near Vegas may be the only place that could help you.”

“We’ll head there on the way,” Janey dismissed, pulling out her pipboy. “See? It's past vault eleven but not quite to where we need to go.”

Twilight wanted to argue but couldn't deny that it was the most logical conclusion given their end goal.

“Well either way you two should be about healed up,” Ada declared, pulling the bandage free of Janey’s shoulder to reveal scarred, but uninjured flesh. “Sometimes I even impress myself.”

“Not me though,” Janey muttered, pulling herself out of the cot. “Come on. Let's ask around town for any other details about my killers, and your friends.”

Twilight bowed slightly to Ada.

“If you ever need help again, you know where to find me,” Ada Straus declared as the pair began to walk away.

Together they approached the motel and were surprised to find a familiar boxy robot waiting for them.

“Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, if it ain't my two friends from Goodsprings,” Victor declared.

“It's good to see you, Victor,” Twilight greeted.

“Likewise friend, likewise. Is there anything old Vic can do you for?” Victor replied, the robot not needing Janey’s pipboy to translate before replying.

“We might need some supplies and a bed, but that won't be for a while. That nap really gave me the energy I needed,” Janey declared.

“Well this ain't New Vegas, but I reckon you can find what you need here. Try the office out front,” Victor answered, gesturing to the office.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Twilight inquired.

“Don't rightly know. I just got the notion to make my way to New Vegas. Reckon I’ll find out when I get there,” Victor stated, somewhat halfheartedly.

“We’ll meet you there Victor. Until then, see ya round,” Janey declared.

“Be seeing you, partner,” Victor replied.

Twilight wanted to stay and chat with the robot some more, but Janey was already on the move again. Following after the courier, Twilight made her way into the office space of the Novac motel.

“Now that's plenty close enough,” declared a female voice the moment Twilight stepped inside. “They say yer pet deathclaw ain't likely to eat no one, but I don't want to take any chances. So unless you need a room or some supplies, kindly hit the trail, courier.”

“Look we just want to ask you a few questions, and we’ll get out of your hair,” Janey exclaimed.

“I don't have to answer anything, so beat it,” declared the woman.

Janey bit her tongue and hesitated, in the quiet moment Twilight inspected the room she was standing in and the woman before them. The quaint little office wasn't overly large but had evidently been as well maintained as possible for the wasteland. The woman had a similar feel to her as the room she occupied, her hair pulled neatly behind her head, her glasses sparkling clean, and her outfit sporting not a single spot of dirt.

“Fine,” Janey declared, having seemingly made up her mind. “We’re going.”

“And don't come back unless you need something,” declared the motel owner.

Twilight sniffed the air, having caught a whiff of something familiar. The scent reminded her of the legion raiding camp to the south, but she couldn't say why that was.

“Come on,” Janey declared, interrupting Twilight's train of thought. “We got other people to chat up. We don't need her.”

Twilight nodded and reluctantly stepped back outside.

“We will not be staying here tonight. Heck, I don't think we should even stay in town. I’ve got too much energy to bed down anytime soon,” Janey stated.

Twilight nodded again.

The next few hours were a blur of questions, answers, and a whole lot of shaken heads. No one seemed to have any information on Twilight's friends or Janey’s killer. There were rumors sure, theories, but that was about it.

The people that lived in the little town were unique, to say the least, one was a singer, another a former NCR sniper that worked alongside Manny. An old woman with an oddly intense look to her claimed to have never seen something interesting but Twilight knew otherwise. Then there was the gift shop owner, and the retired ranger, who both had a lot to say, none of which was useful. Beyond that, there were farmers, ranchers, scavengers, and drifters who had about as much information as the rest.

The only person they couldn't seem to locate was No Bark, the old man mysteriously absent during their search.

“Well that was a waste,” Janey muttered, turning on her pipboy light. “And it's nearly midnight no less.”

“Want to head towards that Repcon place they talked about?” Twilight inquired.

“Might as well. We could at least scout the place out before retiring for the night. Hopefully somewhere far from here. I’m already sick of this place,” Janey muttered.

For once Twilight couldn't help but agree, though she refused to let Janey get the satisfaction of knowing that.

The pair made their way towards the Repcon facility, neither overly concerned by the fact that it was pitch black out. Twilight could see relatively easily, and Janey’s pipboy functioned like a flashlight after a bit of tweaking from the courier. They were nearly out of town, having just past the Mc Bride house when they heard something strange.

The whirring click of a minigun spooling up, and close no less.
> The Screams of Brahmin Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spinning around, Twilight found herself facing a towering grey skinned creature as tall as her. The creature weilded a banged up minigun, and wore a patchwork of bent street signs, as well as primitive clothing draped over its body. Though intimidating, the towering entity seemed to be on the verge of tears even as they pointed the gun at the brahmin.

“Get out of my head!” it cried before squeezing the trigger.

Janey dove for cover behind a nearby boulder while Twilight simply stood there, temporarily confused by the entire debacle. The towering humanoid fired wildly in the direction of the brahmin pen, causing the animals to run around in a blind panic. Barely any bullets seemed to hit their targets, and if they did they merely grazed the creatures, with none of the beasts going down.

Twilight acted quickly, charging at the humanoid she recognized from Janey’s descriptions as a super mutant. Though her first impulse was to swipe at the minigun-wielding mutant, something made Twilight go for a tackle rather than something more lethal. Slamming into the side of the creature, Twilight wrestled it to the ground, using the shock of her attack to her advantage.

The mutant didn't even seem to know what was going on before all of a sudden its minigun was torn from its grip. Twilight wrapped her arms around the mutant’s body, silently marveling at how enormous the creature truly was. The disappearance of its weapon seemed to snap the thing out of its surprise though and with a heave it freed itself from Twilight's grip.

“Must kill screaming cow beast!” bellowed the mutant.

It shoved Twilight away, shocking the deathclaw by how easily it overpowered her reptilian form. The former pony barely managed to avoid being knocked down, her tail bracing her enough to gather her bearings. She was about to charge a second time, when several shots ran out in quick succession.

The first went wide, the second hit the mutant in the gut and caused it to stumble as it tried to grab its minigun. The third one hit it in the head, dropping the mutant like a puppet with its strings cut. Twilight wanted to admonish Janey for her quickness to kill her foes, but chose to rush over to the mutant in a vain hope of helping it.

Though the chances of it being alive were slim, in Twilight's mind, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it still drew breathe. Inspecting the head wound, Twilight found that the bullet hadn't managed to peirce the creature’s skull and had instead bounced off of it. There was a lot of blood, and a chunk of the mutant’s head was just hanging there but considering the possibilities it wasn't the worst result.

“Huh would you look at that. Give me a sec and I’ll put it out of its misery,” Janey remarked, hefting her revolver.

Twilight turned and shot the courier a glare that made even the hardened killer stop in her tracks. Janey stared back, and for a long moment the pair were locked in a contest of wills that ended with the courier sighing. The girl dropped her gun back into its holster and threw up her hands in exasperation.

“Fine, whatever! Its a schizophrenic super mutant that will kill anyone and everyone but what do I know?” Janey exclaimed. “Its not like dozens of these things have tried to kill me over the years or anything.”

Twilight snorted diresively before turning her attention back to the mutant just in time to see its eyes flicker open. Gazing into her foe’s beedy eyes, Twilight searched for any sign of rage, or anger and found nothing. In fact, they seemed… calm, and looked around in wonder.

“The voices,” it muttered. “There gone.”

Twilight grunted.

“Death claw help Jimmy?” asked the creature in confusion.

Twilight nodded.

That seemed to amuse the mutant, who laughed and rolled on the ground. “Oh this is funny. Jimmy can't wait until others hear about this. They will laugh and say…” the mutant stopped, and laid there on his back, a frown coming to his face. “They wont say anything cus they don't want Jimmy back. Jimmy too crazy they said.”

Twilight shook her head vigorously.

“Well Jimmy isn't crazy no more. The voices are gone, and its all thanks to scary deathclaw lady!” proclaimed the mutant.

Before Twilight knew what was happening she found herself being picked up off the ground and given a bone shattering hug. For the first time since her arrival in the mojave wasteland Twilight had been completely out muscled. She was also experiencing the most uncomfortably tight embrace since the time Applejack had a bit too much cider.

Twilight tried to roar, in a vain hope of saving her ribs, but it came out more like a pained wheeze.

“Oh, Jimmy is sorry,” apologized the mutant.

Dropped to the ground, Twilight crumpled into a heap, breathing heavily. She was then hoisted back to her feet by the powerful hands of her newest friend. There she stood somewhat shakily until she was able to get her balance and stop herself from falling back over again.

“Is deathclaw lady okay?” Jimmy asked, a frown coming to his face. “Jimmy didn't hurt you, did he?”

Twilight shook her head and waved off the mutant’s concern.

“How?” Asked the familiar voice of Janey.

Twilight turned to find that the courier had returned and was angrily puffing on a cigarette.

“I could tell that he was hurting and didn't want to injure the brahmin so I tackled him in hopes of-” Twilight began, her tapping being brought to a halt when Janey interrupted her.

“No. I mean, how did he go from crazy to sane?” Janey demanded, pointing to Jimmy.

“Must have been bullet,” Jimmy remarked, poking a sausage like finger into the crevase created by Janey’s shot.

“That doesn't make any sense!” Janey shouted.

“Like how you got shot in the brain and survived?” Twilight retorted.

Janey seemed ready to argue, and even raised a figner, only to stop before she did so. The courier then stomped away silently, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

“She sure is angry,” Jimmy muttered.

Twilight chuckled.

“I guess Jimmy should go back to his rock before the sun comes up,” Jimmy remarked.

Twilight stopped him and shot the strange creature a questioning look.

“Rock is over there if you want to visit,” Jimmy explained, pointing to a distant boulder on the other side of the train tracks. “It not much but it home. Here, see.”

Twilight followed mutely after the mutant as he led her to the rather large stone that was apparently where he lived. Upon rounding the other side Twilight found that there were a small collection of random bits of junk sitting on the ground. A few bottle caps, some food, a toy fire truck that had clearly been chewed on a great deal, and had lost most of its paint. Other then that there was a surprising amount of minigun ammo hidden in a crack of the rock which was nearly invisible on first glance.

“Jimmy sits here during the day when angry sun is out. Sometimes he sleeps, most of time he just cries,” Jimmy declared.

Twilight looked around in confusion, noting that this was relatively close to town yet noone had noticed him out here before.

“Jimmy is real good hider. See?” Jimmy offered.

The mutant then knelt down, his body shimmering briefly before he became almost completely invisible. His limited personal items had also vanished, the nightkin somehow managing to blend in perfectly with his surroundings. Jimmy then stood back up, repearing after another flicker of light that passed over his form.

“Told you,” Jimmy proclaimed, rather proudly.

Twilight pointed back towards Novac, and where Janey had disaepared a minute earlier. The deathclaw then motioned for Jimmy to follow her, though the mutant didn't seem to eager to do so.

“Jimmy can't go to tiny people town. They will shoot at him,” murmured the creature.

Twilight smiled as best as she could and motioned a second time.

“Okay, but you go first,” Jimmy proclaimed.

Twilight nodded, walking back towards town and stopping briefly at the small ranch where the mutant had forgotten his weapon. While Jimmy paused to pick it up, Twilight survived the damage done to the McBride family herd. None of the brahmin lay dead, but there was a considerable amount of blood splatters, and spent shell casings covering the ground.

The two headed animals had gathered on the other side of the pasture and were huddled in a tight group. The reason for the odd behavior became apparent a moment later when a man wearing a cowboy hat stepped aside and raised a rifle in Twilight's direction.

“Whose there? Come out or I’ll shoot!” Shouted the man. “You ain't getting another of my brahmin without a fight, ya hear!”

“Jimmy knew this was a bad idea,” Jimmy murmured.

Twilight raised her large hands and walked slowly into view, silently offering a prayer that the man wouldn't be intimidated. Sure enough there was a moment of absolute panic on his face before recognition settled in and he stopped himself from firing at her. The pair immediately recognized one another from Twilight's stay at the doctors near the edge of town.

“Well I’ll be damned. You wouldn't happen to have caught the rustler, have ya?” asked the man, who paused and narrowed his eyes. “Or did I catch ya in the act?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and pointed down to the spent shell casings littering the ground then raised her empty hands for the man to see.

“Spose its not like you got thumbs anyhow,” muttered the man.

Twilight raised a clawed finger, pointed to his gun and pointed to the ground. The rancher seemed to consider things before reluctantly lowering his rifle, a scowl coming to his face.

“You best be giving me some good news now,” stated the human in the cowboy hat.

Twilight turned around and gently urged Jimmy to join her in the low light given off by a nearby house. The mutant shook his head vigorously, but another careful smile, as well as a bit more coaxing, and he reluctantly stepped forward.

“What in the hell is going on here,” muttered the man. “First a deathclaw, now a mutant. What kinda game is being played on me.”

“Jimmy does not know what game this is called but it does not seem like a fun one,” remarked the mutant.

“Huh,” whispered the man. “If I didn't know better I’d think I had some bad brahmin and was laying loopy on the floor back inside.”

Twilight turned to Jimmy and pointed to the ground, she then wrote out the word sorry. That didn't seem to prompt any thought in the towering male’s head so she pointed from the word, to Jimmy, to the cowboy hatted man.

“Oh. Right,” Jimmy muttered somewhat mournfully.

“What was that?” asked the man.

“Um sorry,” Jimmy murmured.

“Fer what?” pressed the human.

“For shooting at your cow things. They were yelling in Jimmy’s head and driving him crazy,” Jimmy paused. “Crazier.”

“Uh… alright then,” muttered the rancher. “An apology doesn't exactly replace my herd but I guess if it stops then thats still good.”

“Oh yes Jimmy stopped. Bullet fixed Jimmy’s brain. See?” proclaimed the mutant, who pointed at his bloody scalp.

“If you say so,” exclaimed the man. “Now if you two don't mind moving along now I need to tend to my animals and your spooking them something fierce.”

Twilight gently took Jimmy by the shoulder and ushered him towards town, passing by a rather stowed Novac citizen who had stepped outside for a smoke. After a rather awkward pair of waves, Twilight continued onward until they found Janey sitting in the spot where they had met Victor. The courier was squatting on the ground, a small bottle of vodka clasped in one hand and a fresh cigarette in the other.

“You know,” Janey began. “I shouldn't be surprised. Yet, here I am.”

Twilight flashed the courier a wide, shit eating grin.

“Ya ya, laugh it up,” Janey muttered angrily. “Now lets go get this big doofus settled so we can be on our way.”

“We can leave him back at his erm, ‘house’ for now. I just wanted people to see that he wasn't a threat,” Twilight stated, pausing in order to figure out how to add air quotes around a morse code message.

“That is good,” Jimmy muttered.

“Well lets get going then,” Janey proclaimed.

Together the trio made their way out of town, pausing just on the other side of the train tracks. There they stopped, and turned to the super mutant, who now wore a deep frown, seemingly on the verge of tears again.

“Jimmy will see you soon. Right?” asked the mutant, expectantly.

Twilight nodded.

That seemed to make the mutant relax. “Good. Jimmy wants to go back to tiny people place but does not want to get shot… again.” Jimmy prodded the small hole in his midsection.

Twilight sighed, and extended a hand toward Janey.

“What?” Janey asked.

Twilight pointed from the courier, to the super mutant’s injury expectantly.

“Fine,” Janey spat.

With far more effort then required, Janey reached into her bag, plucked out a stimpack and slapped it into Twilight's open hand. The deathclaw then used it on the super mutant, who winced for a moment before releasing a shuddering sigh of relief. The bullet appeared in the wound and fell to the ground with a dull plink.

“That feels good,” he muttered.

“Stay out of trouble,” Twilight proclaimed.

Jimmy nodded. “Jimmy will do that.”

Twilight smiled and was about to leave when she paused.

“Does the name Fluttershy sound familiar to you?” Twilight asked.

“What is a flutter bye?” Jimmy asked, cocking his head to one side.

Twilight waved a hand. “Nevermind.”

Jimmy shrugged and left.

“I’d be real disappointed in you if that was one of your friends,” Janey remarked.

Twilight snorted, and pointed to the road ahead of them.

“I couldn't agree more. The sooner we get out of this town the sooner we get to New Vegas and some answers,” Janey replied.

“Music?” Twilight asked.

Janey reached down and with a few flicks, turned the radio back on.

“-and thats about all the news I have for you. Oh I almost forgot to remind you that this program was brought to you by the Thorn,” stated the smooth voice of Mister New Vegas. “New Vegas’ premier location for combat sports. See us this sunday to witness Hammer take on not one but two deathclaws at once!”

The charismatic voice over the radio paused for a moment. “Oh and they attached this audio log to accompany the advertisement, apparently its from the king of the ring himself, Hammer.”

There was another short pause before something clicked, and what sounded like a roaring crowd could be heard through the radio.

“Welcome puny ape things. It is I, the master of the pit, Hammer. Come see me fight this sunday, because if you don't you’ll be missing out on the most awesome fight ever!” shouted the a bellowing, masculine voice not unlike Jimmy’s.

Another click was preceded by Mister New Vegas returning.

“You heard it here first folks. Hammer himself will be gracing the ring, and if what I hear is correct there are some mighty big odds against him. I don't know about you though. But I sure wouldn't bet against the Hammer. Now, for something a bit more relaxed. Its Nat King Cole,” Mister New Vegas exclaimed.

“Huh. I thought Hammer retired after nearly losing to that drugged up yoigui they had him fight a few months back,” Janey thought aloud.

“Hammer? Thorn?” Twilight pressed.

“The Thorn is a gladiator pit in west vegas. A little brutal, but if your ever in the mood to see a couple of monsters kill each other in front of you then thats the palace,” Janey explained.

Twilight scowled.

“Heh. Figured as much,” Janey muttered, pausing to take a sip from her canteen. “As for Hammer. Hes some big super mutant that wandered in from the hills. Apparently hes one of those rare gen one muties from the master’s army. Not sure how he survived all these years but either way hes fighting in the thorn now.”

“How long ago did he arrive?” Twilight pressed.

“A year, maybe a year and a half?” Janey answered, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Its nothing. I thought it may have been a friend but the time lines don't match up,” Twilight replied.

“If you were friends with a gen one super mutant then I’d say the possibility of you being one of the master’s experiments is very likely,” Janey retorted.

“Thats not-” Twilight paused and sighed. “Nevermind. Lets just keep going.”
> Come Fly With Me Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Janey stewed in a mixture of irritation and anger, Twilight busied herself inspecting her surroundings. Though it was late at night, the moon was high and bright, giving Twilight's excellent night vision more than enough illumination. She was able to see that the road before them lead up and into a hilly area with cliffs on either side.

A sign with a boxy robot on it and two children lay off to the right while an overpass lay directly atop the road just ahead. Along the way, there were a few shapes moving amongst the darkness, ones that Twilight recognized immediately. They were ghouls, their reddish-pink flesh sticking out amidst the sea of brown, and grey that was the rest of the Mojave.

“I see them,” Janey muttered. “Two of them by the looks of it. Best put them down quickly before they attract more.”

Twilight wanted to argue but she could tell that these ghouls were completely feral. Their movements were jerky, and they made no effort to cover themselves despite the slightly cool midnight air. Stealing her nerves, Twilight stepped forward, signaling that she would handle these two herself.

Her intentions were twofold, with the primary concern being killing the creatures swiftly so they need not suffer. The deathclaw also wanted to test out the healing she had received and use her muscles a little. She wasn't sure if this was entirely wise, but feral ghouls posed little threat to the enormous lizard person.

Stepping forward, Twilight's steps grew in speed and strength until she was all but stomping up to the previously unaware creatures. Sure enough, they saw her and unleashed a feral cry of rage before launching themselves at the former pony. Any last hope that they were simply lost and not feral fled immediately and Twilight readied herself to cut them down.

A swipe cut one feral ghoul to ribbons but a follow-up merely grazed the creature’s chest. The ex-human then lurched forward and used his arm like a club, swinging it at Twilight. The attack was barely even felt and Twilight swiftly grabbed him by the shoulder before using one claw to slice through his throat.

Only to slice through almost his entire head, the body part dangling backward, hanging on by a bit of skin and muscle. The sight was gruesome, and Twilight gave the creature a shove so it couldn't bleed on her as it died. With that done, Twilight took a breath and pushed down the urge to consume the flesh of her deceased foes.

“Feel alright?” Janey asked.

Twilight nodded slowly.

She felt perfectly alright, despite all the damage she had received not long ago, causing the former pony to pause. Her opinion of her doctor rose steadily as Twilight extended her senses and found that there were no injuries that still hurt her. Sure she was a bit sore, but that was minimal, with the majority of the cramps having come from not sleeping on a proper bed since her arrival.

“There are more up ahead,” Janey whispered in a low tone.

Twilight followed her gaze up toward the overpass, and the defensive positions placed on and around it. The deathclaw hadn't noticed it before but now that she was closer she could see that there were several sandbag walls ahead. The overpass also sported a fortified area complete with ramshackle walls, and high metal fences on either side.

“Keep low until we spot them all,” Janey stated.

Twilight nodded, and crouched low, keeping her steps as quiet as possible while following Janey.

Together they made their way up the broken, cracked road to where they had seen the feral ghouls earlier. Here, Twilight could spot at least three of the pink, hairless creatures milling about in search of something. The deathclaw was about to attack when she saw that there was a fourth ghoul amongst the others, only this one was different. Where its fellows were pinkish red it was an orangey green color and glowed faintly in the low light. 

“Glowing one,” Janey muttered. “Kill it quickly before it releases a burst of radiation.”

Twilight raised a claw, and looked to Janey. 

“Stay to the right. I’ll try to bring down the glowing one,” Janey remarked.

Twilight flexed her muscles and readied herself for the fight ahead. The voice at the back of her mind that demanded she tear them all apart immediately was quieted. She did not need such wanton savagery at the moment, as these were foes she could handle easily enough.

Taking off in a sprint, Twilight heard Janey’s gun go off, and the closest feral ghoul gain a new hole in its midsection. The creature flinched, and clutched at the wound before catching a second shot in the side of the head, dropping it. By then the rest of the small pack had realized what was happening and were turning to face their attackers.

With a cry, they began sprinting at Twilight, who quickly met the first normal feral ghoul with a vicious, lightning-fast slash. The attack opened up gaping red gateways into the creature’s chest cavity, briefly exposing organs before blood began to gush out at Twilight. Who ignored the grisly scene and attacked the next in line with a quick swipe across the midsection.

Unfortunately for her, the creature was faster than anticipated and bludgeoned Twilight in the head with its arms. Though it barely even hurt, the sudden impact was enough to daze the deathclaw for a moment. In that moment, the ghoul hit her again, attempting to rake its claw-like nails down Twilight's chest, though this attack was even less impactful than the first.

Backhanding the ghoul away from her, Twilight was about to deliver the final blow when the glowing one hit her from the side. The bright green ghoul sported several oozing new bullet holes in its midsection, but this didn't slow it one bit. Hitting Twilight far harder than any other ghoul had, the glowing one actually managed to push the deathclaw back even if she was barely bruised by it.

Another bullet hit it in the shoulder, before a second whizzed past, missing the thing entirely. Twilight wasn't going to wait for Janey to get a bead on her foe though, and swiped her claws across the thing’s chest. Several long, deep wounds opened on its body, injuring it but not so much that it was ready to lay down and die.

Raising its arms above its head, the thing cried out, a strange energy pulsing inside it. Thinking quickly, Twilight readied herself to remove the ghoul’s head, only for a shot from Janey to catch the thing in the neck. The energy faded, and the glowing ghoul toppled to the side, its gurgled cry dying in its throat.

Twilight turned to the one living feral ghoul just in time to see it shake itself off and attack once more. She met this attack with one of her own, booting the thing back with all the strength she could muster. Foot met torso, shattering ribs, and collapsing the chest cavity completely. The feral creature released a single long wheeze before dying and becoming inert.

“We clear?” Janey shouted.

Twilight nodded, and turned back to the glowing one, inspecting the dead former human closely.

“Yeah, they’re pretty tough. Something to do with all the radiation they soak up,” Janey remarked flippantly, giving the thing a kick. “Don't hit a ton harder but will really mess you up if you let ‘em blast you with rads.”

Twilight frowned, ignoring Janey as the courier continued to kick the dead thing. Turning her attention towards the overpass, Twilight noticed that there was a second defensive point further up ahead, right near where the road turned sharply to the right. There weren't any more feral ghouls, but Twilight could hear the shuffling of feet somewhere nearby so they couldn't be far.

“Let's go,” Janey ordered.

Twilight huffed but followed despite her irritation.

Sure enough, up near the second set of sandbags, and burnt-out cars were a few more feral ghouls. Only two this time, and they both looked normal enough at least at first glance. Peering closely, Twilight could tell that one of them had what looked like rudimentary armor strapped to its chest. The strangeness did not stop there, as a ghoul corpse was lying slumped over the battlement, a gun laying on the ground just outside of its grasp.

“Reaver,” Janey muttered. “Give me a sec. I’ll deal with him.”

The courier knelt gripped her revolver in both hands, and lined up a shot on the unaware creature. The thing was wandering around near a burnt-out car about twenty feet from Twilight. It kept looking around right up until a single shot rang out and it gained a new hole right between its eyes. 

It fell immediately, alerting the second feral ghoul to their position though it didn't matter. The creature made it about two feet before a pair of shots blew apart its lungs and left it sputtering in the dirt. With her foes dead, Janey flipped out the chamber, ejected the spent cartridges, and began to load new rounds.

While this happened, Twilight inspected the small living area behind the sandbags, noting that there was a little cooking and eating spot. Grenades and clips were also strewn about the area, unused and forgotten.

“Huh, they got smashed, and bad too,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight turned to Janey, only to immediately regret it when she saw what the courier was holding. The dead gun-wielding ghoul had the majority of its chest smashed in, creating a gross amalgam of shattered bone and pulped organs. Its robes hadn't saved it evidently, and it made a wet splorch when Janey dropped it to the ground.

“I’ll grab the goods. Keep watch on the road leading further in,” Janey exclaimed, gesturing in the direction of the facility that was their destination.

Twilight nodded, and did just that, walking over past the corpses of the fallen feral ghouls. Behind her, she could hear Janey rummaging around, no doubt stuffing everything of value into one of her many pockets. Twilight didn't concern herself with that and just focused on the path ahead of them.

A path that went to the repconn test facility, or repcnn if the sign was accurate. Twilight ignored the missing letter and looked at where the road circled around an enormous red rocket. The metal tube was unlike anything Twilight had ever seen before, standing nearly three stories tall at its yellow tip. Though rusted, and clearly not a real rocket, as it was fastened to an immovable support at the base, it looked accurate.

Twilight's mind whirled with possibilities, right up until she noticed that there were a half dozen ghouls scattered around the rocket. Most were inactive, but a few moved slowly about the area as if searching for food or threats. Two of their number were reinforced with metal plates while the rest wore only tattered cloth.

Further up ahead to the left was the facility itself, accessible by a pair of ramps with stairs. The building was massive, nearly a dozen stories tall, and split up between three wings, two on either side and one in the center. Numerous metal spires and spheres sat atop the rooves, their purpose completely unknown to the former pony. 

In the hills around them were other facilities, such as the domes to her left which were accompanied by a great dish of some kind. A collapsed tunnel lay on one side of the repconn main building; on the other, several pipes led to spheres. None of it made sense to Twilight, and that fascinated the ex-librarian immensely, though she restrained that curiosity through great effort.

“Ton of good stuff was left behind,” Janey remarked, the courier stopping to Twilight's right. “Couple energy weapons, some grenades, caps. Whoever hit this place wasn't looking for easy loot.”

Twilight frowned.

“Either way we gotta clear out these losers before we can find out any more details,” Janey concluded. “And don't worry, I got an idea.”

Twilight wanted to ask what exactly Janey had in mind but decided to simply watch instead.

First, the human pulled forth several mines, and crouched down low, sneaking down the road toward the ghouls. She placed them in a line next to the burnt-out car, one after another until she had three in a row. With that done, she stood back up, aimed her revolver at the ghoul furthest to the right, and took the shot.

The ghoul dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, its body hitting the ground the same moment its fellows cried out in anger. Charging towards the source of the gunshot, two ghouls ran almost right beside each other, hitting the first mine at the same time. They exploded in an eruption of gore and debris, bits of concrete raining down.

The next one was one of the normal ghouls, and like its companions, was making its way directly at Janey, heedless of danger. It hit the mine and was torn in half, with its right side getting vaporized in the blast. The last one was a reaver, its arms, legs and chest covered in patchwork metal armor bound with harsh wire.

It hit the final mine and was brutally maimed, its legs flying off in either direction. The creature landed a few feet away from Janey, its gangly arms immediately reaching in her direction and pulling it toward her. The sight was a grim one, and Twilight ended its misery with a well-placed stomp, turning the feral creature into a mound of gore.

“Barely had to lift a finger,” Janey remarked, twirling her revolver and dropping it into its holster.

Twilight rolled her eyes, and took the lead, tromping around the blast sites towards the stairs leading to the facility. Once past the final set of sandbag emplacements, she noted that more robed ghouls were lying dead nearby. Each one had been the victim of intense blunt force trauma, missing limbs, or being bent in ways no creature should be bent.

“Probably super mutants,” Janey remarked. “They are about the only thing who use blunt weapons, and have the strength to do that.”

Janey leaned down and plucked the laser weapon laying nearby, stuffing it into one of her many pockets. The casual nature of her grave robbing was disarming, and Twilight could barely even muster the effort to be annoyed at the courier. She instead focused that irritation at whoever had hurt these creatures, her gaze turning to the repconn facility entrance.

A few long strides put her up to the entrance, and a gentle push opened the door. Though there was no movement immediately upon entry, Twilight could tell that ghouls were all around them. The space she stood in at the moment looked to be a reception area, with a large half-circle desk laying directly before her.

To her right and left were doors, while before her were three more entrances, with more visible on the second story that opened up above the reception desk area. More concerning than the shuffle of distant feet was the dead super mutant, lying next to a deceased ghoul in very similar robes. The ghoul was nearly identical to the nonferal bodies they’d seen so far, but they had yet to locate a mutant until now.

Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when an intercom crackled to life only a few feet away.

“Hey over here, are you listening? Wait, that's a deathclaw. Oh as if this day could get any worse,” muttered a gravely masculine voice before the intercom cut out.

Janey stepped in a moment later and went over to the small metal box on the wall, pressing her finger against the call button.

“Hello?” she whispered.

When there was no response she turned to Twilight and shrugged. “Whatever. Guess we’ll figure out what that was later,” Janey remarked.

Twilight gestured to the grey super mutant that lay at their feet, pointing at the strange rebar club nearby.

“Nightkin,” Janey whispered. “Stealthy super mutants that can turn pretty much invisible. Crazier than usual, which is saying something.”

Twilight frowned.

“Something to do with frequent stealth boy use. Messes with their heads, and makes them nuts,” Janey continued. “Watch your corners, and remember what I told you about stealth boys.”

This time Twilight nodded, the deathclaw looking around expectantly, unsure of where to start.

“Come on, looks like the mutant was trying to go this way,” Janey murmured, pointing to one of the doors on the main floor.

Twilight nodded and crouched down alongside the courier, joining her in walking slowly in that direction. Rounding the desk, they moved deeper into the facility and immediately stumbled upon another robe-wearing corpse. Like the others, he had an energy weapon, fewer limbs than he should have, and a look of terror on his cold face.

A little further and they found a side hallway marked by a long streak of blood along one wall. Further in a bit were a few stairs down before abruptly ending at a sturdier-looking door with an intercom nearby. Together they walked up to it, with Janey trying the handle only to curse.

“Locked. One sec,” she whispered.

Twilight glanced back the way they came, watching their backs while Janey fiddled with the door. After a few quiet moments, there was a click, and the door opened, revealing a mostly metal tunnel that went down. The change was stark, with the walls going from that of an office to that of a vault or underground facility of some kind.

For once Janey took the lead, walking slowly and cautiously downward until she reached a metal door. This one wasn't locked, and after a moment it slipped into the walls with a metallic clatter. Janey peered inside and after a moment, waved Twilight into the room, before going in herself.

Twilight looked around and found that there were two banks of computers as well as bits of debris and some barrels filled with burning garbage. The smell was unpleasant, and a fine layer of smoke gathered near the ceiling, prompting Twilight to crouch a little lower. The lone exit had no door, allowing Janey to peer into the hallway beyond.

She glanced left and then right before waving Twilight forward. Twilight obliged the request, and noted that here the lights were lower, and illumination came from small blue lights dotting the ground on either side of the hallway. Though it stretched both left and right, Twilight felt herself pulled left by some instinct she didn't totally understand.

Peering a little closer, she saw what looked like a long hallway with two exits to the right and one at the end. There was no sign of movement, and she couldn't hear anything save for the distant thrum of something mechanical. Then there was something else, something heavy rhythmic and coming directly towards her.

Yet no matter how hard she stared, there was nothing, only a dimly lit passageway devoid of features. Then a flicker, the light bending oddly around what was a towering figure as tall as the deathclaw. Twilight's instincts flared, and she ducked just in time to dodge the swing of a rebar club aimed at her head.

The attacker shimmered into existence a second later, revealing a grey-skinned super mutant who was pulling their weapon out of the wall and raising it for another strike.

Twilight sighed. Here we go again. She thought to herself.
> Come Fly With Me Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight ducked to the side, weaving out of the way of the rebar club that had nearly taken her head off. She tried to disarm her opponent by grasping the blunt instrument and pulling it away but for once found her strength was not enough. The nightkin simply ripped it out of her hold and delivered a kick to her gut, sending the deathclaw stumbling backward.

“Get out of the way, I can't get a clear shot,” Janey shouted. 

Despite being slightly winded and with her instincts screaming at her to unleash her rage, Twilight resisted. This mutant reminded her of Jimmy, the unfortunate soul she had saved only an hour or two earlier. She knew that these nightkin were afflicted with a regrettable mental illness and weren't really at fault for their actions. So no matter how much she wanted to let her anger consume her, or for Janey to take a shot, Twilight stood firm.

The nightkin continued swinging, left, right, then left again, always straying just shy of his target. He was fast, and strong too, with each whizz past Twilight's head promising a painful end, or a brutal injury if the deathclaw didn't keep up the pace. Thankfully his swings were clumsy, and inelegant, allowing the deathclaw to keep ahead of them until she finally saw her opening.

Her foe had grown angry so angry that the next sweeping swipe he launched didn't hit her but rather the wall. His large arms and enormous reach fought against him, with the club bouncing back and leaving him wide open. Though Twilight was tempted to disembowel him, she for once, made a fist and delivered it square into the nightkin’s bread basket.

The nightkin hit the ground with a sharp wheeze, his weapon falling from his grasp, forgotten as he clutched his stomach. Twilight followed this up by kicking him in the face, though she held back just enough to not kill him, or at least she hoped anyway. Sure enough, the nightkin lay sprawled out against the wall, his eyes rolling around in their socket and a long groan escaping his lips.

More clanging could be heard coming from in front of them, the charging shimmer nearly filling the hallway it was so large. The sight of something so massive coming at them nearly caused Twilight to panic, but thankfully her brain caught up with her before that could happen. Scooping up the nightkin from the ground, Twilight pressed a claw to his throat while the other hand gripped his midsection.

“Why in the hell are you taking him pris-oh,” Janey muttered, her voice falling away when a larger-than-average nightkin appeared before them.

Wielding a sword made from the sharpened bumper of a car, he stood a head higher than his fellows. He was also wider, with bulky shoulders barely covered by the set of pelts and cloth that made up his cobbled-together clothes. Though patchwork, it at least covered the majority of his body, though it did nothing to hide his enormous, bulging biceps.

“You hurt my kin!” bellowed the nightkin. “Why you threaten us, monster?”

“Ahh shit,” Janey muttered, stepping forward. “We didn't intend on-”

“Why are you talking tiny human I am asking the claw fiend!” shouted the nightkin.

“She can't talk without using her hands and those are occupied,” explained Janey.

The nightkin in Twilight's grasp stirred, but a claw pressed tight against his throat stopped him from moving very far.

The larger nightkin growled. “Let my kin go or I will cut you up and make stew.”

“We just want to talk, can we do that somewhere private?” Janey inquired, the woman glancing hesitantly over her shoulder.

There was a long moment of silence before the newly arrived nightkin reluctantly put his weapon on his back.

“Follow me,” he muttered before turning and walking away.

Twilight pushed her captive forward, following awkwardly after the departing form of the mutant’s leader.

After a short jaunt down the hall, they turned to the right, proceeded down some stairs, and entered what looked to be an office. Tons of filing cabinets lined the walls, their contents pulled out and scattered all over the floor as well as the table in the center of the room. There sat several grimy books, a broken coffee machine, and most peculiarly, what looked like the skull of an equine creature with antlers.

Though Janey couldn't sense it, Twilight sensed something strange in the room, some new presence. The former pony could feel as though she was being watched by some unseen force, though it was not like anything she had ever felt before. There was no opportunity to question this, however, as the moment the large nightkin settled in behind the desk he spoke once more.

“Let my kin go, then we talk,” he demanded.

Janey shook her head, but despite her objection, Twilight led the captive nightkin back to the door. There she released her hold and stepped back, leaving her former foe to stand there silently. It was clear he wanted to attack, but the fight left him the moment his gaze met his leader’s. With his metaphorical tail between his legs, the first nightkin departed, the metal door closing behind him.

“Antler is pleased you are not as bloodthirsty as we thought,” proclaimed the sole remaining nightkin. “Antler says you should talk.”

“She can't do-” Janey began.

“Not you human,” interrupted the nightkin.

Twilight sighed and began to tap out her response on the metal floor only to be cut off as well.

“Why are you touching floor, talk!” boomed the nightkin.

“I can't do that you jerk, my vocal cords are such that they can't create such complicated sounds,” Twilight growled bitterly despite knowing that the effort would be wasted.

“Antler says I am not a jerk and that he can understand you just fine,” retorted the nightkin.

Twilight stood there slack-jawed for several seconds, her gaze going to Janey for help.

The human merely shrugged, clearly just as confused as the deathclaw.

“Antler says your accent is weird,” added the nightkin.

“Apologies, I’m not from around here. Furthermore I am not used to being able to speak to others,” Twilight replied.

There was a short pause, with the nightkin staring at the skull as if waiting for a translation.

“Antler says that okay, but Antler also wants to know why you are here and how you are smart. Claw fiends are supposed to be animals. Smart animals but still animals,” the nightkin inquired.

“It's a long story, but we we are here on behalf of the people of Novac. They need to be able to salvage here in order to survive, and I believe that these ghouls as well as you and your nightkin are making that impossible,” Twilight explained.

There was another pause.

“Town people? We don't care about town people. All we want is for thing Antler brought us here for,” the nightkin glanced to the skull before grunting. “That's right. Shipping invoice said there was hundreds of stealth boys here in this building. We want them.”

“Don't those things hurt you after a while?” Twilight asked. “I think I recall Jimmy mentioning that they made his head hurt.”

“Wait… Jimmy? What you do to Jimmy?” demanded the nightkin, his hand going to the hilt of his  weapon.

“We helped him. He's okay, in fact he's doing so well that he is now living in Novac,” Twilight replied.

The nightkin seemed confused for a moment, his hand remaining poised over the grip of his blade. Only for the skull to grab his attention and hold it for several long seconds. After the brief and unheard conversation ended, the nightkin relaxed visibly and took a step back.

“That good news,” he proclaimed. “Jimmy not have heart to fight most of time so we feared he was dead.”

“He seems like quite the sweetheart,” Twilight remarked.

“What are you talking about?” Janey whispered.

Twilight held a claw to her lips and shushed the human.

“Yes, he is,” declared the nightkin. “Antler says that you are solution, says that you can get stealth boys from one room we have not searched.”

“The stealth boys are just a bandaid solution for a problem that won't be solved until you seek proper psychiatric care and medication,” Twilight pleaded.

“Sy, ky at Rick… I don't understand,” muttered the nightkin.

“You need help for your brain, and to help your kin who don't have good brains,” Twilight pressed.

“You sound like Doc Henry,” murmured the nightkin.

“That's good, so you’ve been seeing a doctor recently?” Twilight inquired.

“We did, but then we found note for stealth boys and we leave. Drugs not work, words not work, we lead our kin to one thing that helps,” he declared rather proudly.

“You sound like an excellent leader. Say you don't happen to have a name, do you? Mine is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight asked, placing a clawed hand on her chest.

“Long time ago I was a captain in the master’s army and they called me Davison, first name… Can't remember,” Davison exclaimed, the nightkin sounding slightly sad at the end.

“That's a wonderful name. Does Antler have a last name like you?” Twilight inquired.

Davison shook his head. “Antler just Antler, like I am just Davison.”

“Together you have one full name, isn't that nice,” Twilight offered.

“I never thought about it like that,” Davison murmured.

“Seriously what's going on?” Janey whispered a little harsher.

Twilight shushed her and pointed toward the back of the room.

Janey scowled and cursed under her breath but walked over to the spot next to the door that Twilight indicated.

“That is nice,” Davison muttered, mostly to himself.

“So Davison, I know you and your people came here to find these stealth boys but can't you see that this will only cause more problems in the long run?” Twilight inquired, her tone soft and diplomatic.

“What other option do we have?” he growled. “Doc can't do anything, and stealth boys only help.”

Twilight smiled faintly. “I can see how much you care about your kin, but you must see how much this chase hurts them. So many have died already and to acquire what? Something that will just make the cycle of addiction and withdrawal start all over again?”

“Their deaths are not in vain if we find stealth boys!” Davison declared.

“Would you really be okay with sacrificing anymore for this? You could just leave, go back to this doctor, and then you’d have a real chance to be cured of this addiction completely,” Twilight continued on.

Davison hesitated. “We still want to get stealth boys but… Antler says you are making sense.”

Twilight slowly stepped forward and took the nightkin’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently.

“Being a leader is hard, I know. And admitting that you were wrong is also hard, but you’re kin need you now more than ever. Lead them home where they can get the help they need,” Twilight implored.

Davison seemed ready to pull away, only for his gaze to snap onto the skull. Then he fell still and stood there in silence.

“Maybe,” he began, his voice so quiet it was barely a whisper. “Maybe we should go home. Antler says he was wrong to come here. Antler says stealth boys probably aren't here anyway.”

“It's going to be tough breaking it to your friends, but I know that if anyone is strong enough to tell them, it's you,” Twilight offered.

Davison sniffed, the nightkin seemingly on the verge of tears. “We will go, take kin back to Jacobstown, and get doctor’s help again.”

“Just be patient with the doctor,” Twilight added, releasing the nightkin’s hand. “Brains are silly things that require a lot of work, and a lot of kindness.”

“Maybe you right,” Davison muttered.

Twilight smiled and took a step back.

“Alright, we are going now. You wait while we gather kin,” Davison proclaimed, the nightkin plucking the skull from the coffee table and hooking it onto his belt. “Take key, not to get stealth boys but destroy them. So no more reason to come back here.”

“I’ll do that Davison, you can count on me,” Twilight stated.

“You are strangest claw fiend we have ever heard about. Good luck, Twilight Spackle,” Davison declared before opening the door and leaving the dou behind.

“It's Twilight Spar- oh never mind,” Twilight murmured.

Once the door closed, and the pair were alone, Janey stepped forward.

“How the hell did you do that? Nightkin are addicts who will do anything for stealth boys,” Janey remarked.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond only to frown and lean down. “Davison was a kind and altruistic leader of his kin. He just needed to be reminded of the harm those awful things do.”

“I…” Janey shook her head. “I really shouldn't be surprised at this point.”

“I know, it's almost like I’m the princess of friendship and have solved dozens of problems like this one over the years or something crazy like that,” Twilight snarkily replied.

“Every day you being a magical horse god gets more and more probable,” Janey remarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and motioned toward the door.

“Well, either way, good job. Fighting nightkin ain't usually worth the effort, and if we could make it out of here with a whole truckload of stealth boys this sure would be worth it,” Janey declared.

“We are not taking them, we are destroying them,” Twilight retorted, her furious tapping nearly drawing out the distant sounds of arguing from deeper inside the facility.

“Look, let's just find out if they are here first okay?” Janey replied.

Twilight reluctantly agreed and remained silent.

Several minutes of somewhat awkward silence followed before Janey opened the door once more and stepped back into the hallway. Twilight was quick on her heels, the deathclaw keeping a close eye out for any nightkin stragglers that may not have left. Yet there were no shimmers of light, no sounds of stomping feet, only the hum of distant machinery.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that room was the one he didn't search,” Janey exclaimed, pointing down a hallway.

At the end was a headless nightkin laying on its back, brains splattered everywhere. The smell was pungent, but no longer stirred the desire to vomit in the deathclaw. It was unpleasant, but she was able to ignore it while Janey struggled to unlock the door with the slightly bent key.

With a click, the entryway fell open, and a bullet nearly took Janey’s head clean off her shoulders. The human rolled to the side and drew her pistol in one clean motion.

“Get ready, we got hostiles,” Janey shouted.

Here we go again. Twilight thought glumly to herself.
> Come Fly With Me Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Stay back,” Janey ordered. “I’ll create some cover with a grenade.”

Twilight nodded, crouching low and waiting for the woman to make her move.

“Wait, you’re not mutants,” called a gravelly masculine voice. “Who are you?”

“Right now? Really pissed off prospectors, and if you don't apologize right quick, your executioners,” Janey shouted.

“Jesus, relax lady. I thought you were a nightkin,” exclaimed the voice.

“Do I fucking look like a nine-foot-tall super mutant to you?” Janey screamed.

“I don't know, didn't get a good look at ya,” replied the other person.

Twilight sighed, the deathclaw making a placating motion with her clawed hands.

Janey rolled her eyes. “Whatever, just promise me you won't shoot me or my deathclaw.”

“You have a deathclaw with you?” exclaimed the voice.

“She's tame so relax. She’ll wait outside since you’re jumped up like a fiend on ultra jet,” Janey retorted.

“I am not tame,” Twilight muttered bitterly.

“Okay just, come in all slow like, hands over your head,” called the voice.

Janey took a deep breath, holstered her weapon, dropped the grenade back into her bag, and raised her hands over her head. The human carefully walked in front of the door, allowing her to see the large open room waiting for her beyond. Most important was the ghoul standing on a catwalk overlooking the main floor, his hands gripping a hunting rifle.

“Now who the hell are you and what are you doing down here?” he asked.

“My name is Janey, the deathclaw’s name is Princess, and we are here to help the town of Novac,” Janey explained in a calm but clearly annoyed tone.

The ghoul paused and lowered his weapon. “Novac? They must want to get rid of Bright, and the demons.”

“Demons? Don't tell me you believe in that garbage,” Janey remarked with a chuckle.

“It's what Bright calls them,” muttered the ghoul angrily. “I know they are called nightkin.”

“Wait, so who's this Bright person and how do they fit into all this?” Janey questioned.

“You really don't know? How did you blunder past Bright’s little cult without being noticed?” asked the ghoul.

“They were a little intimidated by my traveling companion,” Janey replied.

Twilight waved a clawed hand into the door.

“Holy shit,” muttered, the ghoul, weapon snapping up to his shoulder. “You weren't kidding.”

“Why the hell would I lie about that, now put down the gun before I blow your head off,” Janey demanded.

The ghoul glanced back to the human, only now noticing that she had a rather nasty revolver pointed at his skull.

“Alright, relax. You just scared me is all,” he exclaimed, placing his weapon on a nearby table. “I’d invite you in but I wouldn't want ya to step on the traps.”

Janey looked around, noting the nightkin corpses lying in various states of dismemberment. Tripwires, bear traps, and grenade bundles were present every few feet, ensuring any intruder left with fewer limbs than they entered with.

“So I see. You have quite the arsenal down here,” Janey remarked, eying up a rather nasty shotgun trap sitting next to the only set of stairs leading up to the catwalk.

“Always pays to be prepared, though I never thought I’d need all this when I signed up with Bright,” remarked the ghoul.

“Why did you anyway? You don't exactly look like the cultist type. More of a wastelander, or merc,” Janey pointed out.

“It gets lonely out in the wastes, okay? And I don't have to tell you that Bright’s group has got some fine-looking ghoulettes in it!” Declared the ghoul.

“First of all, gross, second of all, we haven't met them or this Bright fellow,” Janey replied.

“Right, still a bit surprised about that if I’m being honest,” exclaimed the ghoul. “That smoothskin fool took any opportunity to yell at people through the intercom.”

“I don't care about any of that,” Janey dismissed. “Just tell me where the stealth boys are.”

“Stealth boys?” muttered the ghoul. “You’re working for the nightkin?”

“No, we got them to leave, or Princess did anyway. We're just here to claim the loot,” Janey declared.

Twilight grumbled irritably to herself.

“Well, you're going to go home just as disappointed as those giant bastards,” called the ghoul. “Because there ain't jack squat here.”

“What do you mean? There were supposed to be an entire shipment sent here,” Janey retorted.

“It ain't here. Terminal says it was an error, sent them back to wherever they came from,” exclaimed the ghoul.

“Dammit,” Janey muttered.

Twilight snickered to herself.

“Alright then, how do we get rid of Bright and his lot?” Janey asked. “The people of Novac need to scavenge this place and something tells me this cult of yours ain't exactly interested in bettering humanity.”

“Relax there girly,” the ghoul exclaimed. “As far as cults go they ain't so bad. Bright wants to use the leftover rockets to fly to some kind of promised land he thinks exists.”

“More than likely the side of the hoover damn or something,” Janey murmured.

“It ain't like that. The Bright followers are peaceful. Heck until the nightkin showed up we didn't have to do much more than fend off the occasional raider attack,” exclaimed the ghoul.

Janey took a long sigh. “Alright then, what's your name anyway?”

“Name’s Harland and I’d say it's a pleasure to meet ya if the circumstances were a little better,” declared the ghoul.

“Well, Harland how do we get you lot out of here then hmm? I’d prefer not to have to have to waste any more ammo,” Janey inquired.

“Bright needs help with the rockets, but I just want some help finding a friend of mine,” Harland remarked. “In the panic, she ran the wrong way, and ended up going deeper into the sub-basement.”

“And if we get her, you’ll leave and point us towards this Bright fellow?” Janey asked.

“Sure,” Harland agreed. “Heck if you find her I’ll even toss in whatever explosives I got tied up in these traps.”

“Deal,” Janey stated.

The woman then backed back out of the room, never once turning her back on the ghoul standing on the catwalk above.

“Get all that?” Janey asked.

Twilight nodded, then snorted.

“I am still not calling you Twilight Sparkle. That name is terrible,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight grumbled bitterly but said nothing.

“Come on, let's go find this special friend of his,” Janey declared, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

Twilight nodded.

“Basement should be furthest down, you take the lead this time,” Janey ordered.

Twilight cocked her head to one side.

“I know there probably won't be any nightkin left but I don't want to take that chance,” Janey retorted.

Twilight shrugged, and took point once more, plodding slowly but steadily down the hallway. Behind her, Janey trudged along, her footsteps silent when compared to the dull thump of Twilight's feet. Together the pair made their way deeper, their passage marked only by the whir of a distant air circulation unit as well as whatever was powering the place.

Though both were careful to listen out for signs of any lingering nightkin, they didn't hear anything to indicate they were around. No shimmering masses came at them, and no thumping footsteps could be heard, even after they proceeded down another set of stairs. At the bottom, there was a closed metal door that bore fresh red paint.

“Crazy,” Janey muttered. “What do you think it means?”

“Crazy nightkin most likely,” Twilight replied, tapping out her response on the metal wall.

“Most likely,” Janey admitted.

“Let me handle this,” Twilight offered.

Janey shook her head. “If this one is too crazy even for Davison to handle then we may have to kill him.”

“No, I can help them,” Twilight stated a bit more firmly.

“You get one chance,” Janey stated.

Twilight nodded.

Janey shook her head and stepped forward, quickly picking the primitive lock. With the tumblers aligned, the door fell into the ground and walls, opening the way forward for the duo. Twilight took the lead, gaze swinging back and forth, scanning for the familiar shimmer of an approaching nightkin.

When none rushed her, she continued on, winding her way through the tunnels toward what sounded like a generator. As the rattling tumble became louder, Twilight noted that so did the smell of smoke. Thick, acrid black smog floated against the ceiling, indicating that something foul had been burned recently.

Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight noted that Janey had her revolver in one hand, and a grenade in the other. With her companion as ready as she’ll ever be, Twilight stepped forward, walking through an opening. There she paused, looking around at the much wider room waiting for her at the deepest part of the sprawling facility.

Two stories tall, the lower story was split into two sections divided by a metal door in the center. Up where Twilight stood, there was a walkway that went around the entire area, with access to the bottom floor cut off by a chainlink fence going all the way to the ceiling. On the far side, Twilight saw that there were stairs going deeper, but to get over there she’d have to walk all the way around the upper level.

This was definitely the generator room, and it was definitely where the smell was coming from. Metal barrels stuffed full of burning material were littered about the bottom floor, thick black smoke trails billowing from their tops. Two circular almost round pyramid shapes could be spotted, one on either side, their interiors spinning slowly but steadily.

More important there were what looked to be several rooms that were offshoots of the main one. One of whom was open, revealing a small almost jail cell-like area containing broken office equipment. As well as what looked like a bed made out of a pile of rags, paper, and random items crushed into a heap. Sized for a super mutant, or slightly diminutive deathclaw, it was definitely not something a normal human would use to sleep.

Twilight began moving over to the stairs in the distance when she spotted a shimmer coming from the far side of the hall. With the chain link wall to her left and the wall to her right, there wasn't much room to move around in. Just enough for Twilight to brace herself, the deathclaw preparing for the nightkin to come swinging in with some heavy weapon.

They didn't come any closer however and appeared at the end of the hall holding a long-barrelled weapon low on their body. With what looked like a blast shield between the barrel, and the actual gun, it resembled the flamer Twilight had seen once before. It also had the tubes, and flickering tip that marked the other fire-based weapon she had faced.

Her instincts screamed at her to run, but Twilight was too shocked to do anything. That was until a flaming ball of scorching heat slammed into her chest with enough force to make her stumble back. While still reeling from the first strike, a second, and then a third followed in short order, striking her in the arm as well as the shoulder. The final hit blinded Twilight temporarily turning her instincts up to eleven, and causing the rational former pony to go mad.

Screaming in frustration and panic, the deathclaw threw herself against the wall, and then the fence. Her bulk crushed the aged, rusted metal, collapsing a section of the fencing and allowing the beast to fall to the floor below. There it writhed around in agony before half running half crawling through the open doorway, disappearing into the room.

Janey didn't watch her friend go, as the nightkin jailor had turned its attention to her the moment the deathclaw was gone. Though the majority of its shots went wide, it had surprisingly good aim, forcing Janey to hastily roll out of the way of a fireball that would have hit her square in the face. Once back up, the courier pulled the pin on her grenade and lobbed it in an arc, aiming square at the nightkin’s feet.

Whether the mutant didn't notice or didn't care, it didn't move even as the grenade rolled to a stop almost right beneath it. The jailor simply kept on going, firing shot after shot from his incinerator without concern for its safety. Its aim was surprisingly good, but the courier was fast on her feet and took only a few glancing blows.

The rain of fire ended when the grenade detonated, throwing the mutant forward onto the ground. There he lay for a moment before grabbing his incinerator and attempting to rise from his prone position. Janey was ready though, and before he even managed to get a hand under him, he took a bullet to the shoulder.

Grunting through the pain, he continued to try and get back up though Janey wasn't about to let that happen. Putting another round in his arm, then a third in his chest, the mutant barely even seemed to notice these strikes. As the specter of panic loomed over her, the courier noticed that her foe’s weapon was sporting several long fountains of fire shooting out of it.

Seeing this, she adjusted her aim and put a single shot into the barely held-together incinerator. The effect was immediate and violent, with the weapon erupting into a fireball strong enough to rip off the mutant’s right arm. Its charred form slammed against the wall, its backup bumper sword flying off down the hall, clattering across the ground.

Janey winced, the sound having deafened her due to the confined space containing the shockwave. Though her ears were ringing, and several small fires burned on her clothes, she ignored it all. Focusing solely on the mutant, she opened the cylinder, emptied the spent rounds, and slid new bullets into the empty spaces. She wondered briefly if she was being paranoid, but then the mutant stirred, its one remaining arm patting around for its blade.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Janey muttered to herself.

Leveling the revolver, she put one round into the mutant’s skull, then a second just for good measure. Janey stood over her foe for several long seconds before finally reloading once more and putting the gun away. With the jailor dead, she leaned down and did the rather uncomfortable deed of searching through his person.

Charred flesh and flash-boiled blood made for a foul combination though she stomached the revulsion that threatened to bring her lunch back to her lips. With a key, some caps, and a fission battery in hand, Janey decided that was more than enough, and gave up the looting. She then checked on the sword, and after noting that it was way bigger than her, she looked down.

“Hey Twilight he's dead,” Janey called.

When no response came, Janey let out a tired sigh and walked the rest of the way around the upper layer. After going down the stairs, and unlocking the door, the courier walked over to the room she had seen Twilight disappear into.

“Hey, you alright in there?” Janey whispered.

When no response came, Janey slowly began to lean into the doorway, her eyes catching the slowly rocking shape in the corner. Though clearly a deathclaw, it was hard to see the poor creature as anything but an injured child, even to the jaded courier.

“Are you alright?” Janey called out, slightly louder this time. “The bad guy is gone.”

The deathclaw spun around, its red eyes were wide with panic and fear. Then they blinked, and the purple orbs of Twilight Sparkle latched onto the courier. Realization overcame panic, though confusion remained, with the killer lizard looking around as if for the first time.

“You ran off after getting hit by that fireball,” Janey explained.

Twilight released a sigh of relief.

“Are you hurt? That was a pretty good fall,” Janey inquired.

Twilight winced, pointing down to her leg.

Though not broken, Janey assumed it was sprained or bruised as the deathclaw limped quite severely. The courier pulled out a stim pack and hesitantly walked over to her friend, hand outstretched with the medicine sitting atop her palm.

“Are you okay if I use this?” Janey asked.

Twilight nodded.

Janey nodded back.

The courier then stepped forward, and as gently as she could, stuck the needle into the deathclaw’s flesh. A squeeze of the stopper injected the liquid, and once done, the entire thing was tossed aside. Janey watched closely, observing as the many burns, cuts, and scrapes healed up, going straight to jagged scars.

Twilight stood up and stretched out, trying each of her limbs before nodding confidently. She smiled faintly and gestured for Janey to lead the way back into the impromptu jail. Which Janey was all too happy to do, her gaze immediately sweeping the area in search of anything of value.

After coming up empty, she made her way over to the closest room, a key already in hand. After a quick turn, the door split apart, falling into the wall and floor.

“Damn,” Janey muttered.

Twilight pushed past her friend and scooped up the inert ghoul woman lying on the floor. After laying the side of her head against the other creature’s chest, Twilight winced.

“Looks like she's been dead a while. Hard to tell on a ghoul though,” Janey muttered.

Twilight snorted.

“Take her back to Harland. I’ll gather up everything of value,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight shook her head firmly.

“Theres nothing left to threaten us down here. Go,” Janey repeated.

Twilight hesitated a moment before walking off, ghoul held gently in her grip. Making her way back up to Harland, Twilight couldn't help but wonder about the ghoul woman he had fancied. How close were they? Had they planned on leaving the cult together? If she had lived would there be an entire life waiting for them both here in Novac or somewhere in the wasteland?

Pushing those thoughts aside, Twilight stopped just outside the room they had found Harland in. She then knocked a knuckle against the open doorway.

“Who’s… what the fuck?” muttered the ghoul.

Twilight hesitantly stepped forward and laid the ghoul woman down on the ground a few feet inside. She then stepped back just out of the room. 

Inside, Harland had the butt of his rifle against his shoulder, though the barrel was pointed down at the floor. After a moment of silence, he slung the weapon over his shoulder and proceeded down from his vantage point on the second level. Throwing open the entrance, he fell next to the ghoul woman, his eyes wide with fear.

“Did you do this to her? Did you kill my…” his voice caught in his throat. “No, there aren't any noticeable injuries. She… she died of thirst most likely, if it had been starvation she would have gone feral.”

Harland cursed and punched the floor. “Godamnit I should have known. I’ve been lucky enough to find radroachs for protein and condensation from the pipes for water, but of course, they wouldn't feed her or give her anything to drink. Bastards.”

Twilight winced at the hurt and anger in his voice.

“Where is he? Where is the bastard that did this?” Harland demanded.

Twilight laid her head to the side, closed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue.

“Dead huh? Figures. I doubt even one of the master’s lieutenants would survive a run-in with you two,” Harland muttered.

The ghoul was quiet for several long seconds before rising suddenly and chucking a bag at Twilight's feet.

“There is the payment as promised. Now if you excuse me I’m going to bury my friend. After that, I’ll probably drown myself in whiskey. Bright can kiss my ass,” Harland muttered.

Twilight shook her head and waved her hands.

“Yeah yeah. I won't actually drown. Just gonna need a stiff drink or six,” Harland muttered.

Twilight ran a finger down from the inside her eye to the midway point of her cheek. She then put a hand over her heart and winced.

“Jesus Christ y'all got more emotion than most of the smoothskins I run into,” Harland muttered. “Don't you worry, I’ll be fine. You live as long as me you bury more than a fair few friends.”

Twilight winced.

“Well go on then, I need a moment,” Harland demanded, his voice weak from pain.

Twilight nodded and gave the ghoul one last small wave before departing.

As she made her way back in Janey’s direction, Twilight whispered a silent prayer that the next person they helped wouldn't end up like the last.
> Come Fly With Me Part 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Returning back to the main level of the repcon facility, Twilight fell into a sort of trance. Janey would quietly move from corner to corner, picking out or picking off feral ghouls with Twilight providing the backup for once. The deathclaw felt emotionally withdrawn and distant, her mind still repeating the recent events that had played out.

Even the punches and attempted tackles of the feral ghouls barely even registered to the former pony. It wasn't hard to think of them as little more than animals after a while. No, Twilight thought to herself, they were easier to kill than animals as these were once people. Ending their suffering was the only kindness she could give them at this point, thus she gave it earnestly, ensuring their torment was as brief as possible.

Her claw descended with such force that rended the arms from the ghoul, while also cutting a deep gash in its chest. Its closest fellow wore some primitive armor but that didn't save him, as Twilight's fist caved in his chest and left him wheezing on the ground. A stomp ended the poor creature’s existence, the deathclaw seeking out another target.

It was only when there were no foes left to smite that she realized that they were in what looked like a factory. They had left the office area behind only an eyeblink earlier from her point of view, yet Twilight was aware that it had likely been longer than that. Combat that would have been exhilarating was more of a chore after fighting nightkin, the ghouls unable to put up much of a fight.

They threw themselves at Twilight with the fury of a creature truly lost to reason but the worst she received were a few new bruises. Even then what few real injuries she gained were washed away with the application of a stimpack. Janey herself was busy reloading, the courier standing near a metal workbench in the middle of the boxy, steel room.

Twilight looked out over the factory floor below, noting that it didn't look much like a place that made rockets. She didn't have much of a mental image of what such a facility would look like but she imagined it would be bigger somehow. Her gaze caught sight of a small heap of dead feral ghouls, souring her mood somewhat.

“How ya feeling?” Janey asked.

Twilight shrugged noncommittally.

“You looked kinda out of it for a bit there,” Janey pointed out.

Twilight sighed.

“Yeah it's grim work killing ferals, but we cleared out the offices and pretty much everywhere else,” Janey exclaimed. “All that's left is to get rid of this Bright guy. Who should be right through that door, if Harland’s directions were correct.”

Twilight took a step back and glanced down the short metal hallway. On the right was an intercom next to a normal blue door with a single lonely lightbulb illuminating both. It wasn't much to look at so Twilight glanced back to Janey, noting that she had emptied her backpack and was counting their haul.

“Quite the loot so far,” Janey remarked. “You want something to eat? I found some grilled mantis in that last fridge we raided.”

Twilight wanted to say no, but her growling stomach wouldn't allow it so she stepped over the table. A clawed hand grabbed the mantis legs and bit into them, quickly devouring them and the two shish kebabs of squirrel meat. She downed it all with a small plastic container of slightly dirty water before releasing a loud belch.

“Excuse me,” Twilight apologized.

Janey chuckled. “You with me now?”

Twilight nodded.

“Good cus I’m starting to get tired. Once we convince this Bright fella to leave let's head back to town and catch some zzz’s,” Janey declared.

Twilight nodded again, this time with much more enthusiasm.

“Alright, just gotta pack up this stuff and we can get going,” Janey remarked.

The courier did just that, somehow managing to fit more guns, bullets, explosives, and other random junk into a backpack than what should be possible. Twilight glanced at the regular-looking leather pack, her magically minded brain trying to figure out what manner of spell had been placed upon it.

“Hah, don't think about it too much,” Janey declared. “I’m just a pack rat.”

Twilight snorted irritably.

“Alright, stand back. Don't want them gettin twitchy,” Janey stated.

Twilight stepped back, allowing Janey to walk over to the intercom and press the button.

“Hey is this Chris? My friend and I met your buddy, Harland,” Janey called out.

There was a momentary pause before a gravely sounding-voice came from the mechanical box on the wall.

“Who are you and what happened to Harland?” Demanded the other person.

“The name’s Janey and my companion here is called Princess,” Janey replied. “Harland’s alright but he's about the only one in one piece, unfortunately.”

“Damn,” muttered the voice. “We feared as much, but to hear that no one else survived…” 

“It's a cry of shame, now could you open up so we can chit-chat face to-face? I gotta bone to pick with your cult leader,” Janey retorted.

“How dare you! Jason Bright is a good man and a holy leader, not some demon-summoning cultist,” stated Chris.

“Yeah, I don't care what you call him. We got business that needs settlin and I intend on doing just that,” Janey exclaimed.

“I will not allow you to hurt our beloved leader,” Chris declared.

Janey sighed. “Look I don't intend on hurtin anyone. I just gotta get y'all out of here so the folks at Novac can go back to prospecting this place.”

“We will not leave until we have set out on the great journey,” Chris proclaimed.

“Great, then we’ll help ya with that. Now, let us in,” Janey demanded.

“All right, Smoothskin, I’m letting you in. You better watch yourself. I’ll sure as hell be watching you,” Chris replied.

The intercom clicked, the box going dead.

“Probably should have warned them about you. Oh well,” Janey muttered, the courier chuckling to herself.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

A moment later the door clicked.

“Well that's about as much of an invitation as we’re gonna get,” Janey remarked.

The courier stepped forward, a hand on the butt of her gun, while the other reached for the nob. With a quick twist, and pull the hallway beyond became visible, revealing a rather startled-looking human with a shiny bald head.

“Oh god! It's that deathclaw!” he shouted.

“She's tame, relax,” Janey retorted.

Twilight crossed her arms and snorted irritably.

“Wait, that response. Can… can it understand us?” Chris muttered.

“She, and yes she can understand us,” Janey replied.

Twilight nodded in emphasis.

“By god,” Chris half whispered. “This is amazing. How did you manage to tame a deathclaw?”

“I didn't. She a magical pony from another dimension,” Janey exclaimed, stepping past the still-stunned human. “Now where is this Bright guy?”

“Just up those stairs,” murmured the lab-coating-wearing man.

Janey brushed roughly past him, leaving Twilgith to awkwardly wave at him before just as awkwardly walking around him. Her bulk occupied nearly the entire office hallway, her horns scraping against a sagging bit of ceiling tile.

“So amazing,” Chris muttered to himself.

Twilight shuddered, quickly catching up to Janey just as she reached the bottom of a set of stairs. At the top, standing with arms raised was a ghoul, but not like any Twilight had seen so far at least not sane anyway. Though one of the glowing ones his eyes contained a burning intelligence, and a passion that was clearly evident in the milky orbs.

“And lo our salvation has arrived,” he called, his voice reverberating in a way that was strange even for a ghoul. “Please forgive us of our humble surroundings. Our true home awaits us in the Far Beyond.”

“Yeah that's great,” Janey interrupted. “What's it going to take for you guys to clear out of this place?”

“Once again the creator has sent a human, to help us across a seemingly insurmountable obstacle and they have come with powerful help,” Jason Bright exclaimed.

“Wait, you talk like you expected us,” Janey murmured.

“Ever since I heard of your adventures on the radio I knew you would come, I knew that you were sent by the creator and I knew that you would aid us,” Jason Bright explained. “Help has always come from strange places and there is no stranger place than in the company of a dead courier and a smart deathclaw.”

Twilight chuckled to herself.

“Yeah yeah, so what's this Great Journey and how do we help you along it? Do you need some rat poison, or are you more of a take turns shooting each other kind of cult,” Janey cruelly inquired.

“Neither. We wish to escape the barbarity of the wasteland, especially the violence and bigotry of its human inhabitants,” Jason Bright exclaimed, his voice rising as if he were launching into a sermon. “The creator has promised to my flock a new land: A place of safety and healing… A paradise in the Far Beyond.”

The glowing ghoul sighed dramatically. “Preparations for the Great Journey were nearly complete when the demons appeared. And though the means by which the Great Journey is to be accomplished are an article of faith and not to be discussed with outsiders, you are no mere outsider.”

“Yes yes we are the chosen ones or whatever, get on with it,” Janey complained.

Twilight glanced around, noticing that other robed ghouls had gathered a respectful distance away. They merely watched, looking on in stunned silence, seemingly enraptured by their leader’s impromptu speech.

“First you must defeat the demons that plague the basement, only then will-” Bright began.

“We’ve already convinced them to leave,” Janey interrupted. “They were just here looking for some stealth boys, but they weren't here.”

“A most fortuitous turn of events!” Jason Bright exclaimed. “Bless you, wanderer! The way is clear. I will now lead my flock through the basement to the sacred site. Praise the creator.”

“Praise the creator,” echoed the other ghouls.

Janey seemed ready to snap again, but Jason Bright was already in motion, moving down the stairs. He passed the courier by and headed back the way they had come, the rest of his flock falling dutifully in behind him. Some carried strange-looking suits with bubble-like helmets while others slugged large bags of tools or other needed supplies.

“Wow you guys were really ready,” Janey muttered.

Twilight looked on in amusement as the entire office was emptied of ghouls in short order. They numbered nearly three dozen in total, all wearing the same outfit and the same wide looks of wonder. None seemed to look on Twilight with fear, their natural terror replaced by religious fervor.

“Expedient,” Twilight tapped out on the floor.

“No kidding,” Janey murmured. “Well, best follow them.”

Twilight nodded, and together they were off, descending back into the bowels of the facility. Only a few minutes later and they had wound their way deeper than before, entering wider hallways made of concrete. After passing through several large metal doors big enough to drive a cart through, they came to a stop in what looked like the operation room of a launch facility.

Stacks of towering computers, rows of blinking lights, and whirring machines were everywhere. The room had only a single occupant, a triumphant-looking Jason Bright standing before the lone window. Through it were several rockets primed on launch pads, the wide open area they were waiting in marred by numerous barrels of glowing radioactive waste.

“I waited to speak with you one last time before I descended to the launch pad, wanderer,” Jason Bright commented. “I want you to know that we will remember for all eternity how you delivered us to the threshold of the Great Journey.”

“Yeah yeah eternal gratitude doesn't fill my belly with food or my gun with bullets,” Janey retorted.

“You will have far greater rewards when we depart, but for now you must be content with our undying appreciation,” Jason Bright declared.

“Okay, so what’s next?” Janey pressed.

“Our preparations are nearly complete, but the rockets that will carry us to salvation are yet missing vital components,” Jason Bright continued. “You must speak to Chris, he can tell you what is missing.”

Twilight held up a hand just as Jason Bright moved to leave. The deathclaw then leaned down and tapped out a response.

“Wait, you must tell Chris that he is not one of you,” Twilight emplored.

“He will be told when the time is right,” Jason Bright replied.

“He thinks he is going with you. If you leave and only tell him right before he will be left with no one,” Twilight pressed.

Jason Bright paused, his bravado faltering briefly. “His aid is paramount to the Great Journey, we cannot endanger his potential departure before the preparations are complete.”

“You are making him labor under false pretenses. Are you sure the creator would want you to dirty the Great Journey with lies and deceit?” Twilight stated.

“I…” Jason Bright frowned, his shoulders slagging. “Truly the creator speaks through the mouths of the least assuming. Very well, I will speak to Chris shortly. First I must consider my words. Farewell wanderer, and you, queen of the wasteland.”

Jason departed, walking past a smiling Twilight and a frowning Janey.

“You’re the queen of the wasteland and I am just a wanderer. Lame,” Janey muttered.

Twilight chuckled dryly.

A moment later and a concerned-looking Chris appeared in the doorway, a dour look on his face.

“I don't know what you have said to Jason to make him appear so shaken, but I don't appreciate it,” Chris remarked.

“Just tell us what we need to do next,” Janey replied dryly.

“I was close to completing the work on the rockets before we were driven into hiding on the top floor,” Chris began. “We are only missing two components: A quantity of Isotope-239 igniting agent and a set of thrust control modules.”

“Great, two unique pieces that likely only a single copy exists of,” Janey muttered bitterly.

“The igniting agent is highly radioactive and decays quickly. That's why we can't use the drums that leaked down on the launch pad,” Chris continued, ignoring Janey’s outburst. “It's no longer potent enough. I need you to find an intact, shielded container of the igniting agent.”

“How long does it last outside of its container?” Twilight inquired.

“Fifteen, twenty minutes tops,” Chris replied. “Let us hope it doesn't come to that, as it will release an immense burst of radiation. No doubt enough to kill your smooth skin friend here.”

“Augh, you're a human too idiot,” Janey shot.

“Your pranks won't work on me smooth skin and they won't work on Jason either,” Chris retorted.

“Whatever,” Janey muttered.

Twilight motioned for the man to continue.

“As for the thrust control modules, they were custom-built for these rockets. They won't even launch without them,” Chris explained.

“Great,” Janey whispered.

“We’ll do it. But just one question. Do you have any leads on where these items may be?” Twilight inquired.

“You may wish to check with the traders in the nearby smooth skin settlement of Novac,” Chris explained. “They likely don't understand that the random scrap they purchased is worth far more than whatever meager monetary amount they’ve paid for it.”

“Excellent,” Twilight proclaimed.

“Fantastic, now let's get outta hear. I’m beat,” Janey exclaimed. 

“Take the ladder to the left. It will lead directly outside,” Chris added.

“Thanks, ya ghoul-loving weirdo,” Janey replied, walking off.

Twilight shrugged apologetically before following her friend.

“I’ll take the long way. Meet you out front of the facility?” Twilight inquired.

“Right, you can't exactly climb this. Sure, but don't take too long. I wanna get back before the sun rises,” Janey remarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes and tromped away.

I wonder if we’ll be able to help these people or are they are as doomed as the last person we tried to save. Twilight thought to herself, only to shake her head. No, I can't think that way. We will succeed, we will help Novac, and we will help Bright’s followers.
> Come Fly With Me Part 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight went the long way, meeting Janey back at the rocket statue that sat in front of the entrance to the facility. Somehow more annoyed than before, Janey wore a scowl so deep Twilight dare not offer an opinion on their situation. Rather she simply fell in behind the human as she made her way back down the road towards Novac.

No feral ghouls harassed them, nor did any of the local wildlife make an appearance, allowing the duo to walk in peace. Without anything else to occupy herself, Twilight looked around, observing her surroundings without focusing on locating any potential danger. Flipping this mental switch between passive observation and threat assessment felt strange to the ex-pony but she didn't dwell on it too much.

The wasteland had its small, hidden beauties, namely how the sun was slowly peaking its way above the horizon. The distant flaming orb was at the moment only a quarter way over the lip of the world, its usually harsh rays muted somewhat. With the slight illumination came the banishment of the stars, and the revelation of how overcast the day had become.

Though cloudy, it didn't seem likely to rain, which made sense as such an event was probably quite unlikely. This was still a desert after all, or at least desert adjacent technically speaking. Either way it looked beautiful, and seemed to relax the former pony somewhat due to how familiar it felt.

Though it was not the same world as the one she called home, its sunrises were still beautiful and its night sky was still enchanting. The connection was small, but pleasant, with the deathclaw unable to stop herself from smiling. With a smile came a wave of exhaustion, her body finally relaxing fully after her stressful encounter with another flamer.

The rest of the walk was a blur, with Twilight becoming increasingly tired until her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. Thankfully by then, they had reached their suite, having passed by a few stunned, Novac citizens along the way. Though startled, none drew their weapons on either Twilight or the courier she walked alongside.

Once inside the motel proper, Twilight collapsed into a heap, lying sprawled out next to the bed while Janey unpacked her bags. The human then shucked off the majority of her clothes and placed her weapons aside. She was about to head for the bathroom when she stopped, facing Twilight.

“Want me to turn on the radio? I was gonna have a quick bath before hitting the hay,” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded.

The human unbuckled her pipboy, flipped over to the right channel, turned up the volume, and then departed.

The dulcet tones of a strange human immediately began lulling Twilight to sleep, though true rest would not come for some time. Though relaxed, her mind was still churning, going through the events of the night in detail. While Twilight wondered about Jason Bright’s true mission, and Janey bathed, the music came to an end.

“Well it's just about time to get you some news,” announced Mr. New Vegas. “It seems as though a mysterious broadcast was heard for only a few short minutes early this morning. Originating from somewhere south of Hopeville, the transmission was badly degraded, with only a few short words audible through the static. Normally I wouldn't bother telling you all about something like this, but we’ve all heard the rumors about those who ventured out past Hopeville’s borders. As for the broadcast’s purpose… Well I’ll play what little we could salvage, and you can be the judge of that.”

There was a short pause before Mr. New Vegas was replaced by what sounded like static, with a distant female voice barely coming through. Though Twilight could tell that someone was speaking, it was impossible to pick out any words. That was until the static unexpectedly vanished and a clearly synthesized, robotic voice came through.

“You must go south from-” declared the feminine tone before being swallowed by sound once more. This continued for several more seconds before it cleared for a second time. “-be safe darling.”

“And that's all there is to it folks,” Mr. New Vegas interrupted. “I’d say it's likely some kinda prewar broadcast that's only coming through now. Those kinds of voice modules are really only found on the Robco brand robobrains and we don't have many of them down here in New Vegas.”

“Just another wild wasteland moment folks, and now I’d like to play one of my very favorite songs for you,” Mr. New Vegas concluded, his voice melting away only to be replaced by the soft strum of a guitar.

“Darling? Does that mean Rarity may be here?” Twilight muttered to herself.

A few minutes later Janey repeated, the human immediately collapsing into the bed.

“Anything good on the radio?” asked the human.

“Do you know anything about Hopeville and what lies south of it?” Twilight asked.

The courier stiffened, her hands jamming themselves beneath the covers. “Not much,” Janey replied. “Did a few deliveries there back in the day, but no one ever went south from there.”

“Why is that?” Twilight pressed.

“It's nearly completely impassable. Deep pockets of radiation, mountains, and more cazadores than you can shake a stick at,” Janey answered. “It's hellish country, and if the rumors are to be believed something worse than cazadores make their home south of that place.”

“Like what?” Twilight pressed.

“I don't know,” Janey muttered, rolling onto her side. “Now quit bothering me, I need my sleep.”

Twilight snorted irritably, the deathclaw turning away from her friend and staring off into space. She wanted to believe it was Rarity, that the fashionista was out there, but the voice was all wrong, and worse still if Mr. New Vegas was correct it was created by a robot. That sealed it in Twilight's mind, whoever was on the radio wasn't Rarity, merely saying the word ‘darling’ was not enough to go on.

Despite declaring that to herself, Twilight couldn't help but wonder if it could be the fashionable pony, even as she drifted off to sleep.





“Come on wake up, it's nearly one in the afternoon,” demanded a familiar voice.

Twilight groaned and rose slowly, blearily rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Sorry to wake you sleeping beauty but we got places to be today,” Janey pressed.

“Slave driver,” Twilight muttered to herself.

“Save your irritated grumbles for when those religious nut jobs inevitably come up with some other bullshit errand to give us before they promise to leave,” Janey retorted.

Twilight pushed herself into a stand. Before her stood Janey, the human having donned her clothes, armor, weapons, and backpack.

“Come on. I gotta sell some stuff, and talk to the traders,” Janey declared. “And you’re going to be the leverage I need to get any information out of them.”

Twilight groaned, but reluctantly followed Janey outside, onto the second-story walkway of the motel. The floor groaned beneath her scaled feet, but held, as did the stairs leading down into the courtyard. There Twilight noticed that Novac had come alive, with traders, and citizens moving around in larger groups than they had earlier that day.

Once more Twilight's appearance drew eyes, as well as a bit of concern, but the humans had seemingly gotten used to her. However, this was likely due to the super mutant who was already present in the town’s square. Jimmy was standing slack-jawed looking up at the dinosaur statue, his expression one of awe bordering on reverence.

“You alright there Jimmy?” Asked Janey.

The super mutant nodded mutely.

“Well alright you stay out of trouble now and listen to what the nice people ask you to do,” Janey added.

Again the super mutant nodded.

Twilight wanted to talk to him a bit as well, but Janey was already moving on, and Twilight doubted it would do much good anyway.

So she continued to follow after the courier, though the deathclaw’s attention didn't remain fixed on her companion for long. The traders were out in force though there were spaces and stalls that were still empty. Clearly, the inability to prospect at the Repcon test site was hurting the local economy though it had yet to collapse completely. 

Standing mutely behind the courier, Twilight idly noted that although Janey was indeed seeking out the information they needed she was mostly selling the junk they had found. Janey also made vague references to Twilight in an effort to get a better deal but never strayed too close to outright intimidation. Twilight wanted to chew her out for even getting close to this line but decided to simply look as bored and unintimidating as possible.

That was until they crossed paths with a vendor selling food and drink, his table covered with freshly grilled meat.

Twilight pointed eagerly to the grilled mantis legs while shaking Janey’s shoulder like an excited child.

“And all the grilled mantis legs you have,” Janey added. “Would you quit shaking me? I ordered your food already.”

Twilight waited patiently for the transaction to complete, upon which she was handed a veritable armload of the cooked insect parts. The pile of food was stuffed rather unceremoniously into her maw, the deathclaw chewing noisily while Janey ignored her. Twilight didn't mind, and continued to munch while they moved to the last stall currently open.

She was about to keep following when she noticed Harland stumble out from an alley, the ghoul quickly schooling himself before going over to the stall Twilight had just left behind. There the former cult guard purchased a bottle of whiskey before walking off, taking a swig directly from the bottle. Though not a pleasant sight Twilight was happy to see that the ghoul had at least not suffered any visible injuries and still had money to spend.

“Come on, I got a lead,” Janey called.

Twilight perked up.

“Old Lady Gibson may have what we are looking for,” Janey remarked. “Apparently she had some big glowing jar she was using as a night light.”

Twilight looked puzzled.

“Yeah I know that doesn't sound smart but it's supposedly completely safe provided the containment isn't breached, remember?” Janey replied.

Twilight shrugged.

“Either way it's not far from town,” Janey encouraged.

Twilight nodded and gestured toward the road.

Janey obliged the motion and departed, the pair heading northward out of Novac. Along the way, they passed by a couple of houses, a rather run-down shack, and a few curious Novac citizens. Beyond that was a beaten road leading down into some hills, and continuing on all the way into the horizon.

Only the top of the Lucky Thirty-eight was even visible, though the outskirts of New Vegas could also be seen. Though intriguing, Twilight's gaze didn't linger on it for long, as she could see what was probably their destination up ahead. A junkyard sat just off the highway, its location marked by a pair of junked cars leaning against one another like a pair of cards.

The yard itself was surprisingly expansive and was marked by a single squat garage that likely served as the home of the person they were seeking out. Twilight had to piece all this information together herself, as Janey didn't stop long enough to tell her anything. Worse yet, Twilight had forgotten to find a hunk of metal to replace the one she used to talk with.

As they neared the place, Twilight detected the aroma of a coyote, only not quite the same. She saw the origin of this odd scent fairly soon, as several large guard dogs could be spotted near the garage. An older woman wearing the garb of a trader sat in their midst, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

Upon spotting Twilight, the human seemingly froze.

“Just wait here a sec,” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded, remaining behind while Janey walked the rest of the way up to the garage. While the courier explained Twilight's situation, the deathclaw waited patiently. The slow but steady approach of a dog caught her by surprise, and Twilight watched the curious creature walk right up to her.

Its hackles were raised, and its tail was sticking straight up but despite that, it didn't growl. Though its teeth were bared, the hound seemed more curious than anything.

“Aww aren't you adorable,” Twilight muttered.

Extending a hand, Twilight encouraged the dog to come closer, something the hound seemed reluctant to do.

“What did Applejack say to do that one time? Make yourself smaller, sit down, or if all else fails roll over onto your back?” Twilight murmured.

Noticing that the rest of the small pack was also approaching her, Twilight decided to put this advice to the test. First, she kneeled down, then with a thump she fell to her butt, legs splayed and tail extended. Though the dogs seemed confused at first, something clicked and they all ran up to her, barking excitedly.

With a grin on her face, Twilight petted them as gently as she could muster, making sure to use only her palms. It was a little unruly, but the dogs seemed to enjoy it, as they crowded around her, eager for more. One even plopped down between her legs, laying a head on her thigh and closing its eyes.

Twilight chuckled and continued petting them until two out of the three got bored and left. Those that departed went back to their spot on either side of Old Lady Gibson, their hackles raised once more, only not due to Twilight's presence but rather Janey’s. The sight was rather amusing, with Janey making no effort to assuage the worries of the dogs, and merely telling them to shut up every time they barked at her.

Though their conversation was no doubt important, Twilight paid them no mind and continued to slowly stroke the back of the remaining dog. Who in turn relaxed completely, turning over onto its side with a languid thump. 

“You are adorable,” Twilight muttered.

It wasn't long before Janey returned, though she did so with only a large boxy piece of metal and not also a glowing container of radioactive chemicals.

“Well we got one out of two, and have a bead on the other so it wasn't too bad,” Janey began. “Apparently the isotope was purchased by some nut job who seemed intent on proving that his new radiation suit was invulnerable or something.”

Twilight frowned.

“Old Lady Gibson convinced him to at least take some Rad-X though he refused any rad away,” Janey shrugged. “Either way this Mr. Radical fella probably didn't make it very far as he was headed towards Clark Field. A toxic waste dump, and home of an infamously aggressive pack of golden geckos.”

Twilight gently picked up the dog and set it down on its own four legs. At first, it seemed confused about its resting spot disappearing, but then it wandered off back the way it came.

“I don't know how you are so good with animals,” Janey muttered. “Seriously, you’re a bloody apex predator! They should be terrified of you.”

Twilight chuckled to herself.

“Whatever. Let's just get a move on before this dumbass either breaks the container, or winds up wandering off into the mountains in a radiation poisoning-induced haze,” Janey declared.

Twilight nodded and motioned for Janey to take the lead.

“Right, just follow me,” Janey stated.
> Come Fly With Me Part 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janey took a moment to orient herself, and after a bit of flipping through her pip-boy, she had found what she was looking for. With a direction in mind, the human set off, making her way through a bit of rough terrain before reaching a much larger road. Clearly a highway, it was only slightly less damaged the smaller one they had left behind though not by much. There was at least enough concrete left for caravans, as Twilight detected the unpleasant aroma of brahmin dung.

“You’re going to be wishing for more of that smell pretty soon,” Janey remarked with a dry chuckle.

Twilight doubted it but said nothing.

Together they proceeded on down the highway, their passage marked by the drifting clouds. Large enough to keep the worst of the desert heat at bay, they were a pleasant alternative to the usually empty sky that Twilight had gotten used to. That small joy vanished as they neared Novac, and a plethora of off-ramps connecting it to the main highway.

The sun beat down on them unopposed, prompting Janey to produce a hat from her bag. Twilight had no such luck, as her repeated brushes with fire had left her nude once more. She didn't mind though, as her new body rather enjoyed the sun's rays, even when they were rather intense.

“Over there, we’ll take a right at the toxic waste dump,” Janey remarked, pointing east.

Twilight nodded, and they set out into the hilly lowlands, with Janey out front, gun in hand. Though she had her weapon ready, it was clear that the courier wasn't expecting much in the way of trouble. Her assumption proved true as a band of fiends spotted them only to turn tail and run before Janey could even get them in range.

The ragtag group of raiders numbered only three strong, with only one of them even having a gun. This wouldn't be too difficult if their target was a caravan, but against a deathclaw, and a seasoned wastelander they were out of their element. So they ran, disappearing back into the hills so quickly that Janey could barely even level her revolver before they were gone.

“Cowards,” Janey remarked.

Smart. Twilight thought, the deathclaw silently commending the humans and hoping that this brush would death would help them change their life for the better.

She doubted it though.

After that there were no enemies to be crossed, no raiders to slay, or wildlife to scare off, only the empty wasteland. Then Twilight smelled it, the scent of chemicals fermenting in the open air, the slight breeze carrying it to her nostrils.

“Ha, there it is,” Janey exclaimed. “Don't worry, we won't be getting any closer.”

Twilight was thankful for that, as the distant pile of spilled barrels was pungent enough and it was only just barely visible. Sure enough, they turned right, going around the toxic waste site before reaching the road once more. Shortly after they saw what had likely been a fair-sized structure of some kind though it had been bombed to the point of being unrecognizable.

“Used to be a power plant and nuclear storage site,” Janey explained. “Thus all the rads.”

The courier then popped a rad-X and pulled a gas mask over her face.

“Let's make this quick. Keep an eye out for a bright yellow-looking corpse lying around,” Janey remarked.

Before they could begin their search in earnest, however, a shriek could be heard echoing from further up the road. Emerging from around a dead brahmin came a small horde of golden geckos, their size ranging from as big as a child to nearly reaching Twilight's chin. Evidently, these critters didn't mind the radiation, though Twilight had a feeling it may have done a number to their minds, given how suicidally aggressive they were.

“I’ll take down as many as I can then you charge while I reload,” Janey ordered.

Twilight readied herself, widening her stance and spreading her claws wide.

Beside her, Janey knelt down, aimed her revolver, and squeezed off three shots in rapid succession. A taller gecko took two slugs to the chest before dropping, followed by a smaller gecko taking another and dying instantly. The last three either went wide, or grazed another of the smaller geckos, leaving two big ones, and one small one left.

The sound of brass hitting the ground signaled the time to charge, and Twilight did just that. With her arms wide, she hit the largest gecko with a powerful double swipe that eviscerated the creature. The remaining two critters hit the deathclaw, but the smaller one barely left a mark while his larger brother only managed to leave behind bruises.

With a shove, Twilight created some distance between them and was about to deliver the killing swipe when she heard the bang of a gun. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that Janey had taken down one of the three new geckos that had been trying to flank them. The deathclaw earned herself a long scratch across her chest for being distracted, as well as a new set of bruises on her upper leg.

Trusting in her companion, Twilight scratched the larger gecko once, then again in rapid succession. The first swipe did little, though the second opened up a deep wound in its throat. Though it was bleeding everywhere the gecko mustered one final tackle, head-butting Twilight in the midsection.

The blow was surprisingly fierce but the animal had spent the last of its life in the attack and lay still on the ground. Its lone remaining ally was dealt with by a swift boot to the chest, the critter going flying and hitting a rock with a wet thump. Twilight then turned her attention back to her friend, the deathclaw ready to render what aid was required.

Janey had no need for such a thing though, the courier standing over the corpses of the animals while reloading her revolver. With the cylinder clicking back into place, the courier looked around, coming to the same realization Twilight had. She then gestured further down the road, encouraging Twilight to continue their search.

Which Twilight was all too happy to oblige, her thirst for violence utterly sated by the hyper-aggressive geckos. This moment of calm didn't last long though, as they only got a dozen metres before they heard the scamper of feet. Turning to the source revealed that another wave of the golden creatures was advancing from the west.

They numbered only two, however, and Janey dropped them both with three well-placed shots. With their bodies cooling on the road, the duo continued deeper into the site, with Twilight taking point. The deathclaw could smell that there were more geckos, but it seemed even the dumb beasts could tell that the courier and her companion meant business.

Twilight and Janey were about to head down the road dividing the area into two equal halves when Twilight detected a new smell. It was almost like a ghoul, but not quite, and more important it was coming from somewhere nearby. Holding up a hand, Twilight pointed in the direction, with Janey nodding and gesturing for the deathclaw to lead on.

Twilight did just that, stepping up and following her nose to the source of the strange aroma. It wasn't far from Clark Field site where she located a human clad in a bright yellow suit laying in a small sheltered crater. Away from the view of the geckos, he was undisturbed, the body lying inert in a shallow pool of water.

“Good, we found him,” Janey muttered, her voice muffled by the gas mask. “Grab the goop and let's get going.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and first laid down, resting her head against the body’s chest.

“Give it up. He's been out here for over twenty-four hours. No way hes-” Janey’s tirade was interrupted when Twilight raised a claw, silencing her.

There was a heartbeat, though faint it ignited hope in the deathclaw. So she scooped up the man, and cradled him in her arms, ignoring the jar, and other personal effects lying on the ground nearby. Janey grabbed those things, though Twilight didn't see this as she was already running back toward the dinosaur in the distance.

Using Dinky the Dinosaur as her landmark, Twilight took off at a sprint, quickly leaving Janey in the dust. Twilight didn't care, however, as she had someone to save and she knew just where to take him. Within a few short minutes, she was back in town, the confused citizens parting for the deathclaw’s hasty arrival.

In no time at all Twilight had reached Ada Straus’ tent.

“Woah, what's going on here?” Ada asked, the woman pushing her straw hat further up on her brow. “This that Mr. Radical guy that came through here not too long ago?” 

Twilight nodded vigorously.

“Considering you’re bringing him to me and not a ditch, this means he's alive and probably got radiation poisoning,” Ada muttered.

Again Twilight nodded.

“Well, let's check out what we’re dealing with,” Ada murmured.

Twilight watched as the doctor peeled the radiation helmet off the unconscious man only to wince. The smell was profound, with the poor guy’s flesh half melted from the extreme state of his radiation poisoning. Worse still, he seemed to be in pain, his lip curled as if he were biting back a wave of agony.

“Dammit. He’s turning into a ghoul,” Ada exclaimed.

The nearest guard immediately grabbed his gun, but Twilight growled dangerously, prompting him to put it back in its holster. Twilight pointed to the man, and then to Ada, ordering the doctor to get to work.

“Alright, it's your buck though and I can't promise anything,” Ada remarked. “I am not an expert on people, never mind ghouls.”

Twilight ignored her, and looked around, her gaze seeking out a familiar rough-skinned individual. Spotting him sitting at a stall, drink in hand, Twilight ran over to Harland.

“What, what do you want?” he barked, voice partially slurred.

Twilight pointed back towards Ada’s tent.

“What? Someone’s hurt well they’re in the right place then,” Harland muttered.

The ghoul then tried to turn back around, but Twilight picked him up and simply brought him over to the healer’s tent. Harland kicked and tried to wriggle free but few things could escape a deathclaw’s grasp and a tipsy ghoul was not one of them.

“What are you, oh goddamn,” Harland muttered after being roughly dropped in front of the unconscious man. “The poor bastard’s gonna turn into a ghoul.”

“I think Princess here is trying to get you to help ensure he survives the process,” Ada explained.

Twilight nodded.

“Well shit, that's not really my call,” Harland muttered.

Before Twilight could ask what he meant, the figure shook suddenly before his eyes shot open.

“Oh god it hurts, it hurts!” he screamed, voice cracked and broken. “It's like something’s eating my insides.”

“He ain't even gotten to the bad part yet,” Harland whispered.

“What happened where am I?” he asked, pausing to wince in pain.

“You’re getting treatment in Novac and it seems as though you are turning into a ghoul,” Ada explained.

Twilight noted that Janey had arrived, the out of breath courier standing at the edge of the small group. A quick search located a bent medical plate, which Twilight used to hastily tap out what she wanted to say.

“I’ll cover all the costs, just save this man,” Twilight declared.

“No, don't,” Mr. Radical interrupted. “I don't want to live if it means being in this much pain!”

“The pain won't last much longer. Though it never really goes away,” Harland added.

You are not helping. Twilight thought to herself.

“Best put a bullet in him now before he goes feral on us,” Janey added.

“He will not go feral, he will not kill himself, and you all will help him,” Twilight declared as forcibly as she could muster. “Think about your prospecting, won't being a ghoul help your career as Mr. Radical?”

“I guess, augh,” groaned the man.

“I’ll pay you both whatever it takes, just hold on, and don't give up. Think about it, your name would be way cooler if you were a ghoul,” Twilight encouraged.

“Jeese I must be more delirious than I thought,” muttered Mr. Radical. “Cus that talking deathclaw is making a lot of sense.”

“If he wants to stick it out I’ll give him a fighting chance, but there are no promises when it comes to ghoulization,” Haraland explained. “Everyone reacts differently, and it will take a few days before I know for sure his mind won't go.”

“You have a friend looking after you and loved ones waiting for you Mr. Radical. Please hold on,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Fine, just give me some goddamn pain meds or something,” muttered the man.

Twilight smiled and took a step back.

“Administering anesthesia,” Ada declared.

Twilight turned to Janey and extended a hand.

“Yeah yeah here's your half of the loot from the Repcon site,” Janey muttered, handing over a bundle of caps.

Twilight dumped them in a surprised Harland’s hands.

“What, you didn't have to do that,” Harland murmured.

Twilight gently pushed Harland’s hand away when he tried to give them back.

“Goddamnit fine. I’ll make sure he makes it out, and that Doc here gets paid,” Harland irritably exclaimed.

Twilight smiled and nodded.

“Alright everyone that isn't helping get out. I’ve never done this before and I need space,” Ada proclaimed.

Twilight and Janey took a good few steps back, leaving the doctor, and her new ghoul assistant to work. They were quickly obscured by the tent flap being pulled down, leaving one of the guards to stand wearily outside. Nearby, a rather curious and slightly irritated wasteland doctor looked on, jealousy clear on their face.

“I don't think I’ll ever understand you,” Jeny muttered.

Twilight chuckled. “I take that as a mark of honor.”

“One day that kindness of yours will come back to bite you in the ass you know,” Janey pointed out.

“Maybe, or maybe I will continue to bring out the best in people,” Twilight retorted.

“Look, you may be big, and you may be strong, but there is nothing the Mojave abhors more than kindness,” Janey explained tiredly. “It's antithetical to this damn place I tell ya.”

Twilight snorted.

“Whatever, let's just go get this stuff back to that moron cultist so we can end this chapter and move on to New Vegas proper,” Janey declared.

Twilight glanced back to the medical tent, though not for long. The words of Harland were still present in her mind. There wasn't anything for her to do, and in fact, her presence would likely only complicate matters.

So she left, following Janey as she walked back in the direction of the Repcon facility. They barely made it a few meters before there was a sudden bang followed by a scream and what sounded like the slamming of a door.

“That sounded like it was coming from Dinky,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight's eyes went wide. Jimmy!
> Come Fly With Me Part 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and Janey rushed over to the dinosaur, passing by a small group of worried-looking humans. A barret-wearing man was keeping them back, though he didn't make an effort to stop Twilight or Janey from approaching. Once the pair had passed through the small group they could see that a dark-skinned male wearing relatively clean prewar clothes was standing near the door to the dinosaur.

“You get out here this instant you big dumb bastard!” he shouted, wincing briefly and cradling his left hand.

“What the hell happened here?” Janey demanded.

“That monster you brought into town nearly killed me and is now holed up in my shop!” shouted the bald, aging man.

Twilight frowned.

“Not that one,” he remarked, gesturing towards the deathclaw.

“So Jimmy then, what exactly did he do?” Janey asked.

“He wanted to trade, and offered up his minigun and some ammo,” began the man. “But after I opened the back door to grab some spare caps to make the deal a little more even, he suddenly started freaking out. Then before I knew it he had thrown me out of my own shop and nearly broke my hand!”

Janey frowned. “Was anyone else present when this happened?”

“I was there,” declared the gruff-sounding man Twilight recognized from when he stood inside the mouth of the dinosaur. “And from what I heard that crazy mutant wanted to buy all the dino toys, to which Cliff here opposed.”

“He didn't have enough caps to buy them all,” Cliff retorted.

“Wait, those stupid dinosaur dolls? You charged him for that crap?” Janey asked.

“Those are legitimate limited edition merchandise! They are a collector's item,” Cliff declared.

“They’re a goddamn scam is what they are,” Janey yelled back, jabbing a finger at the shop keeper. “He gave you a minigun and a small mountain of ammo!”

“The quality of the weapon was not exceptional,” Cliff muttered.

Twilight looked around to find that the general atmosphere had dulled slightly, with more than a few citizens walking away. The low murmur of discontent that Twilight had felt initially was starting to fade as well, with a few of the townsfolk even turning on Cliff. One nearby man remarked that this was probably even the store owner’s fault and that the mutant may even be innocent. It was all a nice sign, but unless they pressed this advantage, Twilight knew they were still capable of becoming an angry mob.

“Still, it's a goddamn minigun!” Janey shouted.

Twilight raised her arms and released a powerful roar, immediately silencing everyone present. She then knelt down and slowly tapped out her response on a bit of rusty metal.

“Everyone stand back. Janey and I will talk to him,” Twilight declared.

“Yeah, I’m sure we can figure it out,” Janey remarked.

“I oppose this. We should be killing the mutant, not making a deal with it,” Cliff shot back.

“He is a person, and his name is Jimmy,” Twilight declared, the deathclaw leveling a glare Cliff’s way. “He may not be the brightest but he is still worthy of being given a chance.”

“Let them in Cliff,” exclaimed the beret-wearing man.

“Fine,” muttered the store owner. “But when this goes sideways please do not destroy my shop.”

“I’ll make the effort,” Janey murmured.

Twilight stepped forward and gently rapped a knuckle against the door. When no response came she repeated the gesture while also releasing a low roar.

“Is that other monster?” whispered the soft voice of the nightkin.

Twilight did her best to make an uh huh noise.

“You can come in, but just you and the angry lady. Noone else,” Jimmy demanded.

Twilight nodded and took a step back.

A moment later the door opened, and a dark hand ushered them inside. Twilight obliged, stepping into the cramped quarters of the store alongside Janey. Together they crammed themselves into the gift shop, the nightkin moving to the other side of the counter in order to give them a bit more space.

“Close the door,” he hissed.

Janey did just that, shutting it firmly and clicking the lock into place.

“Now, what happened?” Twilight asked, the deathclaw still carrying the piece of metal she had found earlier.

“Jimmy wanted to sell gun. Tiny people scared when Jimmy carry it and Jimmy didn't want tiny people to be scared of him,” the nightkin shuddered. “Their stares don't feel good but scared and angry stares feel even worse.”

Twilight nodded slowly in shared misery.

“But then Jimmy saw Dinosaurs, and Jimmy wanted to free them!” Jimmy declared.

The nightkin ran into the small attached storage room and produced an armload of dolls that were a perfect miniature version of the dinosaur they were all standing inside of.

“See? Jimmy wanted to free them, but human said no and that made Jimmy angry,” declared the mutant.

“I think I see where this is going,” Janey added.

“It not Jimmy fault that shop man want to keep poor dinosaurs locked up, but then hat man came and surprised Jimmy when sale person was trying to take away the dinosaurs. Thankfully Jimmy fast and he not shoot me,” Jimmy continued.

“Augh, what a mess,” Janey muttered. “We should just buy the rest of these things and give them to Jimmy. How many can there be anyway?”

Twilight pointed into the small storage room.

“Holy shit there's hundreds of the things,” Janey murmured.

“Hundreds that need to be free!” Jimmy proclaimed, throwing the arm load of plush critters in the air.

“Godamnit. That would bankrupt us even if we got him to come down in price,” Janey exclaimed.

“Wait, I have a better idea,” Twilight interrupted, turning to the mutant. “Jimmy, if they gave you one of these guys and food would you defend the town against other mean people that may want to hurt them?”

“Wait, you can't be serious. This guy’s not exactly all there,” Janey stated.

“Think about it though. The legion was just south of here, and no doubt could attack Novac at any time. Do you really want their only line of defense to be this watch tower thing?” Twilight replied. 

Janey grumbled bitterly to herself. “I suppose having a super mutant on the payroll would help deter any attackers.”

“Jimmy could defend town people. Especially if they give him food better then the dirt and bugs Jimmy has been eating,” exclaimed the super mutant.

“Though it pains me somewhat to suggest it, the labor would be pretty much free for the town, and they would have someone capable of defending more than just the bridge out front,” Twilight pressed.

“You’re right,” Janey admitted. “We just need to get them to agree with your idea.”

“I don't think it would be too hard,” Twilight added.

“Just let me do the talking okay?” Janey asked.

“What, not going to try to convince me out of it, or to suggest they kill Jimmy?” Twilight asked right back.

Janey chuckled. “No, even I can tell this would be best for everyone. Plus anything that sticks it to the legion is okay in my book.”

“Alright then. We’ll be right back Jimmy,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Jimmy stay right here and definetly not eat all the chewy candy,” declared the mutant before throwing a handful of gum, wrapper and all, into his mouth.

Twilight rolled her eyes, and gestured toward the door, encouraging Janey to take the lead. She did so, twisting the nob and being the first to step out before the even smaller crowd.

“Cliff, we’ve come to an agreement with Jimmy,” Janey announced. “Though I need to ask you all a question first.”

“And what would that be?” Cliff replied.

“Would you like a nightkin to help with night patrols of the town?” Janey asked.

There were several people amongst the crowd who immediately declared that they would though the majority seemed a bit more hesitant.

“All he wants in return is food, shelter, and a weekly dino toy,” Janey continued. “And for all that you’ll get minigun-toting super mutant watching your backs while you sleep.”

“If he can be trusted to do that job that would be great for the town,” remarked the beret wearing man.

“But can we really trust a crazy nightkin?” asked a female from amongst the crowd.

“Look everyone knows by now that he ain't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's as honest as they come and has promised to do his best to protect you all,” Janey continued.

“I still don't like it,” someone added.

“Yeah, I’m not sure it's worth the risk,” declared another.

“But think about it, people. Legion scouts are spotted moving east of town every day. What happens if they decide to raid Novac?” retorted a masculine-sounding voice from the crowd.

There was a short bout of murmuring before attention shifted expectantly back to Cliff the store owner.

“I can't believe you all are considering this,” Cliff exclaimed.

“Do you have a better idea to beef up security?” retorted a stranger.

“Fine,” Cliff muttered, crossing his arms bitterly in front of him.

“He’ll have to stay in the run-down bungalow,” declared a woman Janey recognized as the motel owner. “I can't afford to sacrifice another of the good suites for someone who can't pay the rent.”

“Thats alright. The guy was literally living under a rock until now, I’m sure whatever dump you put him in will be an upgrade,” Janey paused, and leaned back, peeking her head back into the gift shop. “We’re good out here.”

The courier then walked down the steps, her companion, Twilight Sparkle following shortly after her. Before them, the crowd began to dissipate, though a select few remained behind. Those that did, grouped up around Jimmy, the confused-looking super mutant standing awkwardly in their midst.

“Jimmy guard tiny humans?” he asked.

“Yes you will,” the beret man declared. “But first I’m gonna teach you a few things. You can get your key and first day’s wages from Cliff a little later.”

“Okay hat man,” Jimmy replied.

Twilight watched the pair leave, noting that the beret man was gently but sternly instructing the nightkin on how to do his new job. Though Jimmy seemed confused, Twilight could also see a faint flicker of understanding in his eyes. So with the knowledge that the most recent issue was resolved, she turned back around to Janey.

“Come on,” declared the courier. “Let's get the stuff to those crazy ghouls so we can blow this popsicle stand.”

“And then we’ll check out that vault?” Twilight asked.

“Augh yes. We’ll check out the vault that the crazy guy received a vision about,” Janey admitted.

Twilight smiled and chucked the piece of metal off to the side of the road.

Proceeding back out of the town heading west, they reached the edge of town only to notice they weren't the only travelers present. While they were heading towards the hilly area to the west, the other two figures were walking in the direction of town. One of whom was immediately obvious, that being a backpack-wearing Chris Haversam, though he was joined by what looked like a female ghoul.

“Guess he finally realized he wasn't a ghoul,” Janey remarked. “Though I wonder why he’s joined by one of those cultists.”

Twilight snorted.

As they neared, Chris raised a hand in an awkward wave. “Hey Courier, Princess,” he greeted.

“So this is them?” asked the ghoul with the combat shotgun strapped to her back. “You’re description certainly didn't do them justice.”

“And you are?” Janey retorted.

“My name is Justice, and once I was a sheriff and after that, one of Bright’s followers but now…” she glanced lovingly at Chris. “Now I’m just a wife.”

“Damn Chris you even married one. That's hilarious!” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight wasn't paying attention to the conversation, even if Justice herself seemed very upset by the remark. Rather Twilight was too busy inspecting the female ghoul a little closer to tell what what was being said about her. She looked younger than most other ghouls, with a full head of grey hair that was missing only a few small sections. Her nose was gone, but her lips were full, her green eyes still sporting the same vibrant color they likely had before their owner had become a ghoul. She was likely quite attractive before the radiation, and even still, the ravages of nuclear fallout hadn't marred her appearance that much.

At least in Twilight's observation anyway.

“Alright alright, sorry,” Janey muttered. “That was over the line.”

Chris sighed. “Look I admit maybe I may have been a bit paranoid and a bit stubborn.”

“A bit? I argued with you for literally weeks about you being a human,” Justice retorted, pulling her husband closer to her.

“Well, that's behind us now, like the majority of our lives,” Chris murmured.

Justice scoffed. “So long as we are together we still have our whole lives ahead of us.”

Twilight quickly looked around for a bit of scrap of metal, and after finding a hunt of rusted steel, returned.

“I’m glad to see you are well, Chris,” Twilight greeted.

“I’m glad you didn't end up getting injured doing Jason’s errands,” Chris replied.

“Speaking of which,” Janey picked up. “Is he going to be able to complete his task without you?”

Chris nodded slowly. “I taught everything they need to know to one of Jason’s assistants. I’m sure John will be able to handle it.”

“That's good,” Janey muttered.

Justice elbowed her husband. “Tell them about the reward.”

“Oh right,” Chris perked up, unslung his backpack, and offered it to Janey. “Here, the rest of Jason’s flock decided to give you what little earthly possessions they had. It ain't a lot, but there's a fair amount of caps in there.”

“He’d give this before we even delivered the goods?” Twilight asked.

“He said and I quote. You will find them on the road with the pieces necessary to complete the great journey, and when you do meet them, give them this,” Chris stated.

“I can't believe that prophet wannabe was correct,” Janey whined.

“You found them both, already?” Justice inquired.

Twilight nodded. “They weren't far, thankfully.”

“Despite Jason’s more cosmic predilections, he was always a good judge of character,” Chris remarked.

“That much we agree in,” Justice added.

“Um Janey, could I have my half from this last mission?” Twilight inquired.

“I can't believe you actually typed out the word um, but yes you can have it,” Janey replied, hastily counting out her companion’s half. “Oh shit there are a ton of energy weapon cells in here.”

Twilight cleared her throat.

“Right, here you go,” Janey stated, dropping a small mountain of caps into Twilight's open claw.

“Here. To help you start a new life,” Twilight declared.

“No we can't accept that,” Justice intruded. “I was a sheriff, and caravan guard, while my beloved Chris is a brilliant engineer. I’m sure we can find gainful employment relatively easily.”

“Oh I’m nothing special,” Chris murmured.

Janey swiped the caps from Twilight's hand, counted out a few, and then jammed her hand toward Chris.

“Here. This is enough for two nights at the motel, and a bit of food. By then you’ll be on your feet,” Janey declared.

“We can't-” Chris began.

“Princess here won't let you leave unless you take something so just accept it already,” Janey interrupted.

Twilight nodded.

Justice sighed. “Take the caps, hun. We’ll need them.”

“Fine,” Chris muttered, taking the offered money. “Oh and before you go, you should be aware that we saw some shapes moving in the hills near the Repcon launch site after we left.”

“Wildlife?” Janey asked.

“Possible. We didn't get a good look at them. More than likely it's just another pack of ferals that escaped from the basement,” Justice offered.

“We’ll handle them,” Twilight declared. “Best of luck you two.”

“Same to you,” Justice offered, giving Twilight and the courier a nod.

The couple then departed, as did the adventurous duo, the two groups heading in opposite directions from one another.

“Say,” Janey began after a few minutes. “Have you noticed that your horns have gotten longer?”

Twilight looked up. They do look a little longer, and a bit more like the horn I had as an alicorn. No, that can't be possible.

“I just noticed that you keep bumping against stuff with them so I figured they were getting longer, but it's not like I measured them when I met you,” Janey remarked.

Twilight shook her head and snorted. We have more important things to worry about right now.

“Right, let's get our heads in the game. There's probably another horde of ferals up ahead,” Janey exclaimed.
> Come Fly With Me Finale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The pair walked along in silence, neither overly concerned with the potential dangers of the wasteland. After all, the road was clear, and fairly well traveled so there wasn't much of a reason to be too on edge. Add to that the gentle twang of a guitar coming from Janey’s pipboy and Twilight was downright relaxed despite the circumstances.

“You know I always say that news whether good or bad brings us closer together, but I’m not sure what to think of this rash of strange happenings. Speaking of which, we are getting reports from all over the wasteland of people having weird dreams,” Mr New Vegas announced. “Normally I’d take such news with a grain of salt, and remind you all to boil your water but I’m seeing similar reports roll in from NCR soldiers and even a member of Caesar's legion.”

Twilight perked up and listened closer.

“From one corner of the Mojave to the next, nearly every settlement has relayed reports of a strange female voice speaking to their citizens in a language that no one can understand,” Mr. New Vegas continued. “We currently have no explanation on its source, though my money’s on someone dumping psychoactive chemicals in Lake Mead again. Stay safe out there folks, and now, Nat King Cole with you’re nobody until somebody loves ya, and that somebody, is me.”

With that, the music came back on.

“I haven't had any strange dreams, though I don't dream. Probably just something in the water,” Janey muttered.

I wonder if that’s Luna. Twilight thought. Though if it is how could that strange guy back in Novac understand her while everyone else can't?

The questions swirled around in Twilight's head, distracting her so much that she was barely even aware of her surroundings changing. The hills rose up around them, and the overpass leading into the Repcon test site drew close. Though Janey was a bit more aware of what was going on, she didn't notice anything amiss, nor did she spot anything out of the ordinary.

Together they passed under the bridge leading over the road, only for Twilight to stop, and suddenly sniff the air.

“That smells like-” Twilight muttered only to stop when she heard something move above her.

On pure instinct, she threw herself backward, ducking under the safety of the bridge. In front of her, where she had been standing a second earlier was hit by a molotov cocktail, the explosive detonating upon impact and scattering flaming liquid everywhere. Janey was just far enough away to avoid the majority of the splash, though a light spattering of fire clung to her coat.

“They are where Vulpes said they would be, attack! For Caesar!” Shouted a voice.

“For Caesar!” Echoed many more voices.

Twilight didn't even hear this, as she was busy backpedaling madly, her eyes wide with terror. Though she had escaped danger, her instincts were screaming at her to run, to abandon Janey and not look back. This instinctual response even had a voice, and it bellowed a demand for her to flee as fast as possible. She resisted that urge furiously, but the temptation remained, clouding her mind and leaving her confused.

That was until she stumbled out the other side of the bridge, and a pair of molotovs were thrown down at her from on high. The attacks were predictable, however, Twilight was conflicted, and unfocused, meaning the deathclaw didn't even see them coming. One hit her square atop the head while the other clipped her arm, with the second one thankfully not breaking and merely bouncing off. The other that hit her in the skull, however, shattered, spilling burning liquid all over her body.

With a horrified scream of panic, the deathclaw took off running, all conscious thought completely vanishing. Down the road it went, disappearing around a rock and presumably continuing on into the wasteland. Janey saw none of this, as she was busy fighting the remaining legion soldiers advancing on her from the small outpost at the end of the road.

Half had flamers while the other had incinerators, with one even wielding a heavy version of the projectile spitting fire weapon. He was the most dangerous of the bunch, though even still, he was armored only with leather, and old-world sports equipment. Meaning the large caliber slugs fired at him ripped through his midsection, tearing open his belly and spilling his guts on the warm pavement.

While he lay dying on the ground, Janey was already drawing a bead on the next guy while at the same time dodging fireballs. They had started their advance from some distance away, and though they were moving quickly, Janey was only just barely in range. Giving the courier the time she needed to fire the rest of her shots into the next incinerator-wielding Caesar's legion soldier.

While he fell, Janey’s gun clicked empty, and the courier quickly holstered it, switching tactics. Grabbing a grenade from her belt, she pulled the pin and tossed it in front of the oncoming wave of attackers. She then primed and tossed a second far past the first, the bomb landing amidst the group of flame weapon-wielding soldiers.

The ensuing detonations knocked back and confused the first three, before outright killing two and leaving behind only one. Though his allies were piles of meat, the third legion soldier pressed on, shrugging off the shrapnel that was now stuck in his side and face. Janey had created enough space and was about to reload her revolver when a bold legion member dropped down from the bridge above.

He rolled upon hitting the ground, but even that wasn't enough to save him completely as Janey heard something crack upon impact. She didn't have time to figure out which of his legs were broken as she pulled a long combat knife from her boot and buried it in his neck. A kick to the chest sent the gurgling soldier onto his back, the courier hastily reaching for her weapon, eager to reload the revolver.

She was interrupted when a molotov sailed past her, exploding on the ground only a foot or so away. Cursing under her breath, Janey pulled her coat up around her face, shielding herself from the fire. There simply wasn't enough time to reload, so Janey changed plans once more, her hand reaching around and grabbing something she hoped she’d never need.

Ripping one of the wires out of the strange can, she threw it at the three remaining legion soldiers advancing on her. One of them tried to grab it and throw it back, but only managed to find it a second before it exploded, his fingers closing around the metal object. The explosion was unlike any traditional bomb, with a powerful eruption of plasma ripping apart everyone unfortunate enough to stand too close. Which in this case, were all three of the remaining legion soldiers that had been opening up with their flamers.

Janey didn't make it out completely unscathed, however, as the other two had gotten close enough to unleash a torrent of fire. Though only just barely in range, they were still enough to scorch Janey’s jacket and singe her eyebrows. As she stumbled back from the scorching heat, and resulting explosion, Janey noted that several fires were now licking her duster.

While furiously patting them out, Janey heard the distinct tinkling sound of something metal bouncing off concrete from behind her. Trusting her instincts, Janey threw herself forward with as much force as she could muster, narrowly avoiding the explosion. Bits of rock, and metal went flying, with some burying themselves in Janey’s flesh though none struck anything vital.

“Fuck fuck, fuck,” Janey muttered under her breath.

Stumbling back under the cover of the bridge, she fumbled around for a stimpack and clumsily jabbed it into her leg. She thanked her lucky stars that although her clothes were in shambles, her backpack was still holding together, and her duster was mostly intact. Stepping further under the metal archway, Janey tossed the empty syringe aside and watched as more grenades were tossed down.

Having seen them well in advance, Janey was able to sprint out of their effective radius, making their detonations useless. Noticing that they were all tossed over one side, Janey backpedaled to the opposite end and pulled out her last two grenades. Pulling one pin than the other, she lobbed them both up and over the lip of the bridge, both clearing the distance but not by a lot.

There was a confused cry of panic before two detonations went off in rapid succession from one another. The closest legion soldier was turned into a fountain of blood, while the other was sent flying over the other end of the bridge. Janey didn't watch him reach the end of his flight, however, as she was already ducking back into cover once more.

While she waited for confirmation that they were all dead, she reloaded her revolver and looked around for any sign of Twilight. Thankfully the deathclaw’s senses had returned to her, and though she was sporting several new burns, the apex predator was limping back into view. Janey held a finger up and pointed to the bridge above her, catching Twilight's attention just in time.

Twilight nodded back, ripping an engine block out of a car and hefting it like a football. With her arm cocked, she slowly walked up to Janey, only to pause and whip the hunk of metal. The enormous hunk of rusted steel slammed into something with enough force to turn him into a fine red mist.

With that, Janey breathed a sigh of relief, as did the still-distant Twilight.

“See anyone?” Janey shouted.

Twilight shook her head.

“Then hurry over here,” Janey yelled.

Twilight hastily scampered over to her, receiving a stimpack the leg the moment she was in range. With her burns healing up, Twilight breathed a second sigh of relief, her wide eyes narrowing slightly. As panic dissipated, realization dawned, and she pointed urgently to Janey’s backpack.

“Shit that's right, the isotope,” Janey exclaimed.

Hastily unslinging the leather bag, she reached inside and pulled out the green jar.

“Shit that was close,” Janey muttered.

Twilight grabbed it, and stared at it a little closer, inspecting it for any small cracks or other damage it may have sustained. With the deathclaw distracted, and Janey busy hooking new explosives to her belt, a legion soldier leaped down from the bridge. He had a lit stick of dynamite in each hand and a wild, expression on his face.

“For Caesar!” he screamed, lurching forward.

Janey was the quickest to react, the woman sprinting as far and as fast as she could muster in what little time she had. Thankfully the legion soldier had shattered both of his ankles during the jump so he was really only able to awkwardly tumble forward. Unfortunately for Twilight, the deathclaw had far more bulk than her companion, so although she was able to flee the scene she didn't get far before the sticks exploded.

The twin detonations sent the deathclaw flying while sending shrapnel into her tough hide. Landing on her chest with a crunch, Twilight struggled to gather herself in the aftermath of the explosion. Her ears were ringing, her world spun, and she struggled to figure out which direction was up. 

“Twilight, get up! Twilight!” shouted Janey.

Reluctantly Twilight stood up, only to see Janey screech to a halt a dozen metres away from her. The courier then popped a pill and hastily pulled her gas mask over her head. The sight confused Twilight until she realized what was in her hands.

Looking down, Twilight noticed that the container was cracked, and a small amount of the glowing liquid had oozed out. Now aware of the true danger she was in, Twilight took off running, sprinting towards the Repcon facility. Janey tried to run after her, but the deathclaw had far longer legs and was easily able to outpace the human.

Acting on instinct, Twilight cradled the isotope jar with the crack facing up, so no more of the stuff was able to escape. She knew this ultimately wasn't very helpful, so she poured on the speed, slamming through the doors and knocking them off their hinges. Another doorway was shattered a second later, followed by a mad dash into the basement, package tucked securely under one arm. 

Through the halls of metal and concrete, she went, never slowing down, even as her destination came into view. The horrifying-looking ghoul waiting for her looked ready to flee in terror, only to spot the glowing football tucked under the deathclaw’s arm. Realization passed over him swiftly, and he extended a hand, ready to receive the pass.

“Give it to me, then head up to the launch controls in the office. We need to go right now!” he yelled.

Twilight skidded to a halt, shoving the glowing mass into the ghoul’s hands before pivoting and running back out. She barely made it a foot before she saw Janey descending down the ladder a few feet away.

“Did you get it in time?” Janey asked.

Twilight didn't respond, merely grabbing the courier around the midsection and tossing her over her shoulder.

“Hey, what the fuck? I can walk you know!” Janey shouted indignantly.

Twilight ignored her friend’s cries of irritation and kept on running. Heading back up to the first floor, she shoulder-checked several more doors before entering the production wing of the test facility. Here she quickly maneuvered up into the office area, and to a small open area open to the elements.

Facing an enormous dome, and overlooking the entire site, it had a surprisingly pleasant view though Twilight didn't take it in. She merely placed Janey back down, before looking around in search of some kind of big red button to push. The courier, after gathering her bearings, shoved Twilight away from the control panel.

“I’ll handle this, you just stand as far away from me as possible. You’re basically white hot with radiation,” Janey demanded.

Twilight reluctantly obliged, the deathclaw standing there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot as she watched Janey work. In the distance the dome began to part, revealing a trio of rockets arranged in a triangular shape atop the launch pad. Beside her, Janey bit her lip and looked about in confusion, the courier barely able to make heads or tails of what she was looking at.

“Fuck it,” Janey muttered under her breath.

With a few button presses and a pull of a lever, the destination was set. The rocket’s engines ignited, classical music flooded in from some unseen speaker, and the great journey was ready to begin.

“Wait, what is that?” Twilight muttered.

The deathclaw’s gaze narrowed on the one rocket leaning slightly to the right, a part of the launch cradle having snapped off. Immediately a bolt of guilt shot through the deathclaw, and she instinctively reached out with her magic in order to hold the rocket steady. She recoiled just as quickly, expecting nothing to happen, only for a familiar purple aura to appear around her horns.

“What the hell?” Janey muttered.

Twilight extended a hand and focused, calling upon her magic with newfound intensity. Her magic responded eagerly, the formerly distant energy suddenly right there, as if waiting for Twilight to use it. And use it she did, with the deathclaw summoning all the strength she could muster in order to hold the rattling rocket to the cradle.

The strain was immense, but for some reason, Twilight's store of energy felt almost limitless. Though the true depth of it would be tested soon, as the rockets launched, only for two of the three to swerve almost immediately off course. Pushing herself to the limit, Twilight grabbed the distant objects in her magic and corrected their flight in mid-air, using the lone correct rocket as her guide.

The expenditure was brief, but immense, with the rockets straining Twilight's magical power to its breaking point. Though the entire event took only seconds, to Twilight it felt like she had been locked in magical combat with a stubborn foe for several minutes. By the end of it all, they were flying true, with none having swerved off course, and all sailing out of sight towards some unseen destination.

Twilight collapsed in a heap, her magic spent, a migraine all but punching her in the skull the moment her knees hit metal. As she knelt there, groaning in pain and clutching at her head, Janey cautiously approached the deathclaw. With her arm outstretched, the courier waved her pip-boy around, only to be struck dumb by her findings.

“You should have more rads than a crater right now but… you're almost clean,” Janey remarked.

Twilight chuckled bitterly, though stopped herself when the sound made the pain in her skull double and a new jab of agony to come from her midsection. A hand went to her belly, clutching at where she felt like something was trying to burrow its way out of her insides. It dissipated quickly, however, though the pounding, brutal headache remained, redoubling in strength with each thump of her heart.

“Fuck,” Janey cursed. “You must actually be a goddamn magic pony. Holy shit.”

“Told you,” Twilight whispered.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess you just said I told you so,” Janey replied.

Twilight's ensuing laugh quickly morphed into a grunt of pain. Which then turned into a wheezing cough that left Twilight so winded that she passed out. So sudden was the rush of unconsciousness that Twilight didn't even feel her head bouncing off the guard rail and hitting the ground.

Janey looked down at the limp deathclaw and shook her head. 

“Well I’ll be damned,” muttered the courier. “She really was magic the whole time.”

Janey frowned. “I’m never going to hear the end of this.”
> One For My Baby Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight's unconscious mind roiled with strange shapes, flashes of memories, random sounds, and someone talking in the distance. Asleep, yet not dreaming, Twilight could feel herself tumbling through this strange kaleidoscope, bouncing from one thing to the next. For an instant she was back home, chatting with her mother, the next she was fighting for her life in the flaming basement of Novac’s community center. After that, she had returned to the moment she had become Celestia’s student, but the scene also featured Janey for some reason. The ever-dour, and distrusting wastelander scowled at the alicorn ruler of Equestria but said nothing.

Twilight opened her mouth to ask the human what she was doing there, only for the floor to give way and for Twilight to fall into a moment from her past. This time it was the time Trixie had come to town, the unicorn launching into her showboating routine while her friends watched. But it wasn't just her friends, for standing beside Spike, was a massive hulking lizard with enormous claws for hands.

Before Twilight had a chance to ask what was going on, Trixie mocked Twilight which seemed to set off the deathclaw. Frothing with rage, the enormous creature launched itself over the crowd, and landed on the stage, its arms extended. Twilight tried to use her magic but found that it didn't work, and worse yet it was like she was underwater as she could barely move. 

Before she knew it the deathclaw was tearing Trixie apart, noisily ripping the poor unicorn limb from bloody limb. Despite the carnage, the crowd simply turned to Twilight in unison and stared at her in disbelief. Even Spike had crossed his arms over his chest, and was glaring her way, disappointment spelled clearly across his face.

Twilight tried to tell him it wasn't her, that she wasn't responsible, but the moment her mouth opened blood poured out. With each word a fresh gush of crimson vitae shot from between her teeth, splashing noisily against the ground. Twilight tried to hold it back but found that her hooves had been replaced with claws and that she no longer had any lips. Trixie’s decapitated head splashed into the rising tide of red and turned to Twilight.

“Trixie always knew you were a monster,” remarked the showmare in a disappointed tone. “But even Trixie did not believe you would sink this low.”

Twilight tried to offer a retort but between the blood, and the growling noises her throat made, no one could understand her.

“I deserved to be raised by someone better,” Spike stated.

Twilight's eyes went wide and she spun around, eager to declare her love for the small dragon.

“And we deserved a better friend,” Rainbow Dash added.

“No kidding. You haven't even looked for us,” Applejack declared with a frown. “All you’ve done is run errands for that psychopath you’ve been following around while killing folk.”

“You’ve forgotten everything you learned about kindness,” Fluttershy stated.

Twilight turned back, growing increasingly panicked as her friends crowded closer, wading through the knee-high pool of blood and gore.

“Last I checked ‘senseless violence’ isn't an element of harmony, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie accused, jabbing a hoof into Twilight's chest.

“Nor is stealing everything that isn't nailed down,” Rarity proclaimed.

“No, no no!” Twilight yelled.

The deathclaw turned around, intent on running away but found that everyone was gone, everyone but herself anyway. The alicorn version of who she once was stood a few feet away, teeth and hooves stained red with Trixie’s blood.

“I don't understand,” Twilight remarked. “This is what you wanted. I’m only trying to help.”

“This isn't what I wanted. None of this is what I wanted,” Twilight pleaded, only for her gurgling grunts to come out utterly unintelligible.

“You wanted her dead though,” Twilight exclaimed. “Why do you push me away? I’m trying to protect you.”

“Not like that. Never like that,” Twilight tried to reply.

The conversation ended abruptly when a bright blue flash banished the strange vision. The moment it was gone, Twilight lurched upward blinking rapidly as her brain caught up with what she was seeing.

“Jesus fuck,” Janey cursed. “You damn near scared the piss out of me.”

Twilight ignored the courier’s comment for a moment and just looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Then the memories of what had just happened suddenly returned to her, and she realized she was still in the REPCONN facility. More specifically, she was in the large central room where she had first seen Jason Bright and his followers.

It was there that Janey had set up a small triage for the injured deathclaw. Laying on several bedrolls, Twilight had an I.V. in one arm, bandages on the other, and numerous other fresh scars where there had been open wounds. From the strange heat in her veins, Twilight guessed that she had been dosed with a few stim packs and the empty syringes nearby confirmed that assumption.

“A super stimpack, and two regular ones,” Janey answered. “Plus all the bandages and gauze I had and the stuff Bright and his people left behind.”

Twilight relaxed slightly.

“It's morning by the way,” Janey answered. “It's been a little while but after what you’ve been through I’m just impressed that you're alive.”

Twilight searched for a piece of metal or something hard to tap out a response on, but found none.

“Worry about talking later. Here, eat, and drink,” Janey encouraged.

Janey stood up and walked over to one of the workbenches nearby. There she took a large pot from atop a bunsen burner and returned to Twilight, placing it a foot from Twilight's nose.

“I threw together what I could. Eat up, and we’ll grab some better food in town,” Janey encouraged before disconnecting the I.V.

Twilight sniffed once and was immediately hit by several very distinct and very enticing aromas. Dog meat, gecko jerky, and grilled mantis all danced across Twilight's nose, exciting her tastebuds. The realization that they were all different kinds of meat gave Twilight only a moment of pause before she grabbed the pot. Then she sat up, lifted the pot to her lips, and tipped back its contents, gulping down one mouthful after another.

“You really needed that,” Janey remarked. “I’d offer you more, but that's all of our provisions for the moment. Most got burnt or lost during the scuffle.”

Twilight heard what her friend said, but ignored her completely, focusing utterly on the food she was swallowing at a rapid pace.

“So, magic eh? I bet that's going to come in handy,” Janey remarked.

Twilight swallowed twice more before nodding to her friend and placing the now empty pot back onto the floor. As the deathclaw gathered herself, Janey moved about the area, packing up various bits and bobs she had been inspecting. By the time Twilight was able to stand up, Janey had packed away everything she had planned on keeping.

“Here,” Janey offered, extending a bag toward the deathclaw. “You can carry these bags. They are too heavy for me.”

Twilight nodded slowly and grabbed hold of the pair of duffle bags being handed to her. After weighing them briefly, Twilight found that they were indeed heavy, but wouldn't over encumber her. So she slung them over her shoulder and glanced expectantly at Janey.

“Figured we should head back to town, eat, and sell this junk before telling everyone you’re magic,” Janey offered.

Twilight shook her head, and after a brief moment to find a piece of metal, tapped out her response. “We shouldn't tell anyone,” Twilight declared.

“What really? I thought you’d immediately want to show off. It would give your whole princess thing a bit more credence to most,” Janey replied.

“It would,” Twilight stated after a short pause. “But the wasteland is dangerous, and I want to keep the fact that I can still use magic a secret until the time is right.”

“I mean it would be pretty damn intimidating if Mr. New Vegas got on the radio and declared that you were indeed magic,” Janey retorted. “No one would step up to us then.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’m intimidating enough as is. If I was any more powerful I’d be swarmed by scared people with pitchforks and torches.”

“That's actually a fair assumption,” Janey admitted.

“Besides, that burned me out. I doubt I’ll be able to cast anything for another day or so,” Twilight added.

“Plus getting irradiated isn't exactly a fun time, even if you have some built-in way to get rid of it,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight nodded.

“Right, well that's settled. Come on, let's get this shit sold, and get my info from Mandy. Even if I don't really need it,” Janey declared.

Twilight waited until Janey set off before following in behind the courier.

Together they made their way through the Repconn facility, pausing several times as Janey disarmed a few traps she had set. Most seemed to be simple noise makers but Twilight noticed that at least one of them was rigged to a pair of mines. She didn't approve of such tactics, but with Janey being alone and having to guard Twilight's unconscious body, the deathclaw knew her companion hadn't had a lot of choices.

Either way, they made their way swiftly out of the building, and back into the wasteland once more. Throughout it all, neither said anything, the pair falling into the routine of staying alert while still listening to the radio. Which played a few songs while they were walking, but none were terribly interesting, as they were all ones Twilight had heard before. 

The deathclaw was about to ask her friend to just turn it off when the voice of Mr. New Vegas popped up.

“Well it's just about time to for some news,” he declared. “Several unidentified aircraft were spotted flying over the REPCONN test site by a local crackpot. He spoke to a toy bear near one of our microphones.”

The familiar voice of the sauve announcer was then replaced by one Twilight recognized though not one she had expected to hear.

“Religious ghouls were looking for a land to call their own, and with the guidance of the princess, they found it,” there was a short pause. “Don't you laugh at me! I know a spell that will make you show your true form! A four-legged bug taught it to me.”

“You heard it here first folks,” Mr. New Vegas concluded. “And now, Nat King Cole, with your nobody until somebody loves you, and that somebody, is me. I love you.”

“A four-legged bug,” Twilight muttered to herself.

“Yesterday I’d say that No Bark guy is crazier than a bag of angry weasels, but now I ain't so sure,” Janey remarked.

Twilight frowned and though she wanted to disagree, couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, the former pony distracted herself trying to think of the mechanics of how she was able to cast magic.

The most obvious part was her horns, which now resembled her old one a bit more, though how that came to be wasn't known to her. As for mana, she assumed it had at least a passing approximation in the form of radiation but again the hows eluded Twilight. Pretty soon the questions swirling around in her head were threatening to become a swarm of angry bees.

Twilight shook her head and focused on the road before her.

There were no ghouls, or other monsters to block their path, so it wasn't long before they reached Novac. There they saw that the town was fairly lively, with the market serving a caravan as well as a small number of other travelers. Those newcomers shirked away from Twilight in fear, while the locals seemed borderline unfazed by the deathclaw’s appearance.

Humans sure do adapt fast. Twilight thought to herself.

Walking over to the dinosaur that served as the town’s largest landmark, Twilight realized she hadn't seen her super mutant friend. Then she remembered he had probably just gone to sleep, which saddened the former pony slightly. Again she pushed such thoughts from her mind, and focused herself on the world around her, this time on Janey.

Who had stopped at the base of the great green giant.

“Wait here a sec. I’m going to see if Manny is at his post and do a bit of dealing with the shop owner,” Janey offered.

Twilight nodded, and plunked down near the base of the steps, leaning against the wooden supports. As the deathclaw got comfortable, Janey slipped inside, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. This time Twilight quite pointedly kept herself distracted by looking around, watching the humans come and go.

With her mind forcibly clear, she was able to enjoy the warm sun, the gentle breeze, and the relatively clear sky above. It was nice, and no one bothered her or did much gawking other than a single brave traveler that Twilight didn't recognize. Then a new shape appeared, one she recognized, though not one she could attach a name to.

“You’re super mutant friend is working out well so far,” remarked the beret-wearing male.

Twilight nodded.

“The name’s Boone, by the way,” he offered. “Don't think I mentioned that on our first meeting.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak but then shut it.

“I know Morse code by the way,” Boone added.

Twilight grabbed her small metal plate and frantically began tapping away.

“Tell me everything about Jimmy’s progress please,” Twilight asked.

Boone leaned against the staircase and lit a cigarette. After a long drag, he tucked the smoke into the side of his mouth and began to speak.

“Turns out they only used him for guard duty back in whatever group he used to be a part of,” Boone began. “Didn't take much for him to understand everything he needs to know to do the job well.”

Twilight relaxed, sitting back down on the ground.

“He ain't a bad shot either, surprisingly. Most mutants just spray wildly and pray they hit something,” Boone added, pausing to take another long drag.

“Has there been any issues?” Twilight inquired.

“Small ones, sure but once folk talk to that big oaf they change their opinion right quick,” Boone exclaimed. “Helps that he's weirdly good with animals, and saved Matilda’s dog from a rad scorpion the other morning.”

That sounds like Jimmy. Twilight thought to herself.

“It won't take much and the town won't even need me,” Boone declared, puffing one final time on the cigarette before flicking it into a pile of butts near the base of the dinosaur. “Speaking of which, I need to talk to you about something.”

Twilight perked up and glanced expectantly down at the human.

“Normally I wouldn't trust this with just anyone, never mind a sentient deathclaw,” Boone remarked.

Sapient. Twilight corrected.

“But you seem to have a deep a hate for the legion as me, and seem weirdly adept at getting to the bottom of things,” Boone continued, only to pause. “We best talk about this somewhere a little more private. Come with me.”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder to the door but shrugged, figuring that Janey would probably be another few minutes at least. Turning back to her guide, Twilight hastily walked after him, catching up just as he was ascending the steps of the motel. A short jaunt, and the turn of a key later, the duo were standing in the motel room of Craig Boone.

Twilight frowned, the former pony unable to not notice the blood stains on the floor, and the discarded kitchen knife sitting half-forgotten next to the wall. The rest of the room was fairly standard, with a bed, a couch, a chair, a television, and some other bits of furniture. The windows were boarded up, and though generally cluttered, the bed was perfectly in order.

“Alright,” Boone remarked, pausing in the center of the space. “I’ll be frank with you, princess. No one in town knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know. Or the legion will be after me next.”

Twilight raised a non-existent eyebrow.

“She was taken by legion soldiers, but that's not the important part. The important part is that she wouldn't be able to be taken unless they had someone working on the inside,” Boone continued, his already dour expression growing darker still. “Someone who lives here sold her, princess. And I want you to find out who it was.”

Twilight didn't hesitate and immediately nodded her head.

“I’m assuming you’re in, good,” Boone declared. “I don't- wait where are you going?”

Twilight had already turned around and had exited the motel room before Boone had even opened his mouth. Normally, doing something so rude would not be something Twilight considered, but she had been gripped by a powerful urge. Following that instinct, her nostrils flared, and she followed a strange, familiar aroma down towards the gate from the motel to Novac proper.

There she paused, rising to her full height and inhaling deeply, attempting to discern where to go next. There were so many different strange smells, and directions that she could go, but none of them felt quite right. Unseen by the distracted deathclaw, were Janey and Boone who were standing a few feet away, the pair sharing a confused expression.

“What's going on? What's got Princess all in a tizzy?” Janey asked.

“Don't know,” Boone muttered. “I asked her for a favor and she just took off.”

“What the hell did you ask her to do?” Janey asked, her tone accusatory.

“Nothing foul, I assure you,” Boone retorted.

Twilight's eyes went wide and she turned toward the Dino Dee-lite front desk area. The deathclaw then barreled inside, brushing past a confused traveler clutching a key to a motel room. The scream of terror that spilled from their mouth didn't even give Twilight pause, and she tromped right past the woman and toward the front desk.

“Watch it there princess,” Jeannie May Crawford exclaimed. “I know you’re a deathclaw but you can't go stepping on the guests now.”

“Yeah, what's gotten into you Twilight?” Janey called.

Again the former pony didn't hear her friend. Twilight simply walked over to Jeannie Crawford and began to sniff her all over, starting at her head and going lower.

“Please call your monster off,” Jeannie hissed. “I will not be intimidated in my own establishment.”

“Yeah Twilight maybe you should slow down and tell us what's going on first,” Janey offered.

Twilight brushed past the thin human, and knelt behind the counter, her gaze settling on the safe set into the floor. More complaints were had, and more threats were uttered, but Twilight was utterly focused on the task at hand. Something about the story she had been told by Boone had struck a sympathetic chord in her, only she didn't know why. It didn't even quite feel like her own sympathy, but that didn't make much sense to the former pony. She didn't give such strange feelings much thought though, and did as her instincts demanded.

“What are you-” Jeannie Crawford began.

Only to be cut off by the shriek of metal as Twilight tore the top of the safe clear off, and tossed it to the side.

“Call it off now! It's stealing from me, guards!” yelled the motel owner.

“Twilight what the fuck are you doing?” Janey shouted.

Twilight rummaged through the contents of the safe, her nostrils flaring until finally she found it. The thing which had so captured her attention, and so reeked of the legion that it was detectable, even now. A sniff confirmed that Jeannie Crawford smelled faintly of the same, making Twilight angry as well as disappointed.

“Twilight I am not going to tell you again, stop,” Janey shouted, her gun drawn but pointed at the floor. “I don't know what the hell’s gotten into you but I will shoot if I have to.”

Twilight snorted, and extended a hand, displaying a thin slip of paper.

“What is that, some kind of receipt?” Boone muttered.

Jeannie Crawford’s eyes went wide and she grabbed at the slip. “Stop! That's private property!” she shouted.

Twilight raised the paper out of the woman’s reach before she had a chance to snatch it from the deathclaw’s grip. Janey was taller than the middle-aged motel manager, and grabbed the slip from her friend.

“It’s a receipt alright,” Janey murmured, her expression darkening. “But not for a room.”

“What do you…” Boone muttered

The former NCR soldier’s sentence fell away the moment the receipt was turned around, allowing him to read it.

“That bitch,” he muttered. “You sold my fucking wife.”

“Now hold on a second, let's think about this,” Jeannie muttered.

The woman backed away, her hands raised over her head.

“There’s a logical explanation for all this, I swear,” Jeannie professed.

“And there's gonna be a logical fucking reason you’ve got a hole in your head,” Boone muttered, shouldering his rifle and aiming down the sights.

Jeannie shrieked. A bang briefly deafened everyone present. The room went quiet.
> One For My Baby Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight winced and recoiled her hand, the deathclaw sporting a new and unpleasant bruise but that was it. Before Boone had a chance to fire again, the ex-pony stood between him and the person he was attempting to murder.

“Get the fuck out of my way you overgrown lizard,” Boone spat angrily.

“Hey, hold on a second,” Janey interrupted. “I think Princess here is trying to settle things peacefully.”

Twilight grabbed a peice of scrap metal and was about to tap out her response when she saw Jeannie lurch toward the exit. Boone’s gun swung around, but Twilight was faster, grabbing the skinny middle-aged woman around the midsection and slamming her against the wall with bone-rattling force. Pinned against the crumbling drywall and several hundred pounds of angry deathclaw, the human could do little but stare up at her captor with wide, horrified eyes.

“Just hold her there for a second longer,” Boone muttered.

Twilight spun around and glared at the man, uttering a low, threatening growl. The human stared back at her, matching her intensity with a quiet hatred the likes of which Twilight had never seen before. They held their staring match for a few seconds longer before the man cursed and lowered his weapon.

“You better not be thinking about letting her go. Because if you do so help me god I will hunt you both to the ends of the earth,” Boone remarked, his lip curling into a snarl.

Twilight snorted, and wrapped her claws around Jeannie, carrying her like an oversized dog. The deathclaw walked over to the discarded hunk of metal that had covered the safe and extended a single digit.

“Someone grab the mayor, or whoever serves such a function in this settlement,” Twilight began.

“You-” Boone began again.

Twilight roared at him, stopping his comment before it could be uttered.

“We are not letting her go,” Twilight hastily tapped out. “She shall be questioned, publicly, tried, and if convicted, hung for her crimes.”

“I…” Boone breathed in, and out in a long, slow motion. “I’ll get things figured.”

The man slipped his gun into his back holster and stomped out of the room, leaving Twilight, Janey, and Jeannie alone.

“A public execution? I’d say that's harsh, but I’d do worse,” Janey remarked, kneeling in front of Jeannie and staring the other woman in the eye. “Lemme guess, short on caps and thought selling someone to the legion would help round out the budget?”

Jeannie seemed ready to talk, only to clamp her mouth shut and glare in silence at the courier.

“Augh figures. Only now does she get some sense,” Janey murmured. “What's the thought process on depriving the sniper, his vengeance? Doesn't seem very friendly of you.”

“Her death can serve a greater purpose,” Twilight replied. “Showing what happens to legion sympathizers will help create unity and stop anyone who may wish to follow in her footsteps.”

“A brutal way of creating unity,” Janey remarked in a low tone.

“She will die. Either at the hands of the mob, the wasteland, or Boone. This is the only way to gain some small benefit out of her end,” Twilight declared, her finger hesitating near the end.

“Well,” Janey began, holstering her weapon and standing back up. “Either way my part in this misbegotten saga is over. I’m going to go finish up our business dealings. See ya when I see ya.”

Twilight watched her human friend go. Once gone, the deathclaw’s gaze settled on the motel owner still trapped in her grasp, the woman’s mouth still clamped shut. Twilight wanted to demand an answer to the question of why, to ask if it had been worth it but without Janey, Twilight's questions would fall on deaf ears. While she waited, Twilight considered skipping to the end of this sordid affair and simply killing the woman but chose not to. Though indeed quite brutal, Twilight's chosen course of action was at least the most justice she could deliver.

Several minutes later the door to the motel office opened, and Boone alongside a pair of Novac residents appeared.

“Take her. I’ll make sure she don't run,” Boone ordered, pointing to the pinned motel manager.

Twilight could see the fear in the two men’s eyes but despite their trepidation, they approached her all the same. The moment they got close, Twilight released her grip on the woman, allowing her to be grabbed by the pair of humans that had just arrived. Jeannie tugged on her arm and muttered bitter curses under her breath but made no attempt to fight back.

“You should try to run,” Boone remarked, unholstering his rifle and pointing it at the woman. “I’d love nothing more than to gun you down.”

Jeannie snarled bitterly, but held to her silence, allowing herself to be hauled out of the room by the two men. Following behind was Boone, and finally Twilight, the deathclaw holding the door open for the former sniper. Giving the towering lizard a small nod, Boone stepped out into the open, his gun barrel pointed firmly at the back of Jeannie’s head.

Emerging out into the town once more, Twilight was a bit surprised to see that a makeshift stage built from a pair of carts had been erected, alongside a gallows. Little more than a noose hanging over some metal pipe jutting out from the dilapidated overhang that would have sheltered anyone filling their cars with fuel in a bygone era. Now, it served only as an anchor point for a length of rope dangling over a tall stool.

Just about the whole town was present with only a select few either staying home or remaining at their stands. Twilight could also see that Dusty McBride was standing on the small stage built from two carts pushed together. Jimmy stood far off to the side, the super mutant wearing an uncharacteristic frown on his wide face.

“Now I know technically its been a while since I’ve had to serve as mayor in any official capacity but unless there are any objections, I’ll be leading this little kangaroo court,” Dusty McBride declared, his voice wavering slightly but becoming more confident as he spoke.

There were murmurs of discontent, but no one dared speak above a whisper. After it became apparent that there was no true opposition to his statement, Dusty gestured to the stool, where Jeannie now stood, a noose around her neck, and her hands bound behind her back.

“We are gathered to judge a one Jeannie May Crawford for the crime of selling Carla Boone into slavery,” Dusty began, pacing back and forth on the stage. “Now I know normally there would be some kind of statements, examination, and whatever else they may do in the city but from what I’ve been told the evidence is rather damning.”

The crowd fell silent, and all eyes turned to the cowboy hat-wearing man standing atop the stage.

“Boone. What exactly is this evidence of yours anyhow?” Dusty asked.

Boone retrieved the scrap of paper from his pocket and shoved it into the mayor’s hands before gesturing towards Twilight.

“She found it in Jeannie’s safe. We saw it there with our own eyes,” Boone spat bitterly.

“Objection,” Jeannie shouted.

“This ain't no fancy NCR court, your objections don't mean more than a hill of brahmin dung,” Dusty retorted, glaring at Jeannie until he was certain she wouldn't speak again. “Now then, let's see this paper.”

The man cleared his throat, and extended his arm, holding the paper out from himself.

“We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps,” Dusty paused, his voice wavering slightly. When he spoke again, a deep disgust slipped into his tone and the veins on his neck bulged. “The receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said slave and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document. M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al.”

A hush fell over the crowd, and though a few people whispered, no one dared speak loud enough to be heard.

“I will now show the crowd the document so you may see for yourself the fancy legion seal present and the signature of this slaving bag of cow manure,” Dusty continued.

He then turned around the note, and slowly panned it from right to left, allowing the crowd to gaze at it for themselves. From her spot at the back of the crowd, Twilight could see that what little doubt remained was stamped out as they saw just how official the document appeared to be.

“I suppose that explains why she kept it instead of getting rid of the evidence. Probably wanted that last five hundred caps,” remarked a voice.

Twilight snorted bitterly. The deathclaw couldn't help but feel slightly amused by the fact that the accused had likely kept the bill of sale to receive the second half of her payment. Without it, there would have been very little evidence to go on. It was ironic and rather funny but Twilight couldn't laugh at something so grim.

“I’d say this case is about closed but I figured we should at least give Jeannie a chance to speak in her defense,” Dusty remarked, his voice falling. “Not that I think it will do her any good.”

All eyes turned to the motel owner.

Jeannie stood there, her eyes flicking back and forth and her mouth opening and closing. She struggled to find any words before her shoulders finally slumped.

“I just did what we were all thinking,” Jeannie muttered bitterly. “That Carla was a bitter, angry nuisance that did everything she could to make the good folk of Novac as miserable as she was.”

Twilight could sense Boone’s rising anger, but to the man’s credit, he kept his gun lowered.

“There wasn't a goddamn person who met her who didn't want to see her gone,” Jeannie continued. “And with the slump in customers, I had to do something to support the motel and the town. Without those caps we wouldn't have gotten that shipment of food, or that fool doctor!”

“What I did was necessary and we’re all better for it,” Jeannie concluded, stomping her foot in emphasis.

“Carla Boone may not have been the most pleasant of neighbors but I for one can refute the assertion that we wanted her done in,” Dusty shot back. “Not everyone is as cruel as you are.”

“Yeah!” Shouted another person.

Yells of agreement were had, and soon the crowd became a writhing mass of insults and thrown projectiles. Rocks or other random objects flew through the air, and though most missed, one struck the woman in the face, the beer bottle shattering on impact. The assault didn't seem as though it was going to end any time soon, and upon realizing this, Twilight stepped up. Releasing a titanic roar, she silenced the crowd, allowing a slightly shaken Dusty to take the lead once more.

“I think we’ve heard what we needed to. Boone?” Dusty remarked.

The former sniper raised his rifle, and shot out one of the legs of the stool, causing Jeanie to tip forward unexpectedly. The woman managed a cry of confused rage before the noose tightened around her neck, cutting off her response, permanently. 

Dangling from the rope, her legs kicked and her body twisted, eyes going wide as she looked around in a panic. Gurgled gasps could be heard and though they ended quickly, Jeannie continued to fight, to struggle. Swinging this way and that, she tried to find something, anything to stand on, but the stool was too far away and too damaged to help her.

Minutes ticked by as she swung, her eyes starting to bulge as her face turned an unpleasant shade of purple. Twilight's stomach began to turn, and though she wanted to look away, she refused to do so. She had condemned this woman to death, and though the deathclaw wasn't sure if she was still a princess, a princess wouldn't look away. She would take responsibility for her actions, she would take this moment as a lesson and she would never forget this day.

After nearly fifteen long minutes, Jeannie fell still, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. No one moved, the crowd staring as the body twitched and spasmed a few more times before mercifully it stopped moving. Only then, when everyone was certain that Jeannie was truly dead, did Boone step forward, rifle raised. A single shot cut the rope, allowing the corpse to hit the ground with a dull thud.

Twilight half expected to see the human get up, but that didn't happen. The body just lay there, as inert and as stiff as a board.

Quietly, a few of the men brought a burlap bag over and stuffed the corpse into it. Once out of sight, they dragged it away from the town square The moment the body was gone, the crowd started to disperse as if the removal of the body had broken some sort of spell. Though in the ensuing minutes after, the stage was dismantled, and the space cleared, Twilight remained until it was only her and Boone present.

“That wasn't how I woulda done it,” Boone muttered. “But, I suppose it's for the best. It's gonna be harder for the legion to find anyone willing to sell them slaves if they know what happens should they do.”

Twilight nodded.

“Still don't feel quite right,” Boone remarked. “I keep telling myself that at least this way her death hurts the legion but I felt like I shoulda done it.”

“You did,” replied Twilight, tapping out her response on a spare peice of metal.

“I suppose. Just ain't quite as visceral as putting a hole in her head,” Boone muttered absently.

The pair stood there in silence for a few more seconds, Boone puffing on a cigarette while Twilight stared off into the distance.

“I’ll get over it,” Boone declared suddenly, spitting out the stub of his smoke and stomping on it. “Maybe it won't be tomorrow, or the day after that but I’ll thank you for this. Eventually.”

Twilight smiled faintly.

“I’m gonna be leaving town shortly,” Boone proclaimed. “There ain't nothin' here for me anymore, not even spite.”

“What will you do?” Twilight inquired.

“Gonna check on a friend I saw briefly when she was passing through town a month or so ago,” Boone remarked. “Can't even remember her name, just that it sounded like something off one of them old world cereal boxes.”

The man chuckled darkly.

“It ain't much but I think she was gonna base at the one eighty-eight for a bit while she was looking for something,” Boone continued. “Figured I’d pass along the assistance along. Help her, since you helped me.”

“I’d like that,” Twilight declared.

“Don't suppose you’ll accept a reward for what you did,” Boone remarked.

Twilight snorted and shook her head.

“You’re an enigma you know,” Boone pointed out. “You got a big heart. Make sure you don't let anyone take advantage of that. Plenty of folk out there are probably already itching to do so.”

“I’ll be careful,” Twilight stated.

“I’m sure you will,” Boone concluded. “Meet me at the one eighty-eight, just up the road, we’ll talk again there. And good luck in vault eleven. Not many scavs are brave enough to try lootin the place so god knows what still lurks down there.”

“Good luck Boone. I’ll see you soon,” Twilight offered.

Boone nodded and walked towards the motel. Along the way, he passed by a grinning Janey who was no longer carrying around duffle bags full of scavenged loot. Her duster was patched, she had a new gun, and under the layer of cloth was a new shiny suit of reflective armor.

“Here,” Janey exclaimed, tossing a backpack at the deathclaw. “The guy mentioned a trader found this on a super mutant. Figured it would come in handy.”

Twilight took the offered pack and raised a non-existent eyebrow at her companion.

“Oh, that’s not everything. Just look inside,” Janey retorted.

Twilight gently pulled open the flap to find that the inside of her pack was stuffed full of food. Not only that but there were hundreds of caps sitting loosely inside.

“Better?” Janey retorted.

Twilight nodded.

“Good, now let's get rolling. This town ain't gonna be the same for a while, and if we move quick and hit vault eleven soon we may be able to reach the one eighty-eight trading spot for supper,” Janey offered.

“That would be a good idea. We’ll be meeting Boone there,” Twilight explained.

“You know what they say, three’s a crowd, but that's a bridge we’ll cross when we get to it. Come on,” Janey declared. “Unless you wanna stick around here for some reason.”

Twilight glanced over to the spot where Jeannie had hung only a few minutes earlier. The image of the dangling woman sat heavily on the deathclaw’s mind. It felt wrong to leave, to just go back on the road after everything that had happened.

Yet, what else could she do at this point?

Shouldering her large, deathclaw-sized bag, Twilight turned and nodded to her friend.

“Good. Let's get to it. I’m tired of being your translator,” Janey muttered.

Twilight rolled her eyes.
> Democracy Inaction Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight trod silently alongside her friend, neither in a hurry to break the quiet that had fallen over them. The deathclaw was deep in thought, while Janey puffed on a cigarette between taking swigs of some prewar beer that somehow managed to not go bad. Normally Twilight would remark about drinking this early in the day, but given recent events, the deathclaw was actually tempted to join in.

Stowing that thought for another time, Twilight ruminated on what lay ahead, pointedly steering her brain away from the past. She would come to grips with what she had done later, for now, she was just happy that things had ended somewhat peacefully. Sure it wasn't a perfect solution, but it could have certainly gone worse. If nothing else, the rule of law had been upheld, though it was far from the laws she was used to.

Giving her head a shake, she stopped herself from thinking too long on it and thought instead of the future.

If what the strange man had said was true, then they’d find a translation machine inside this vault place. Janey didn't think this was even a possibility, but for some reason, Twilight trusted the words of No Bark. She knew she probably shouldn't but there was something about him that made Twilight think that he both knew more than he let on, and what he did say was true, or at least mostly true.

“And now it's time for the news,” announced the voice of Mister New Vegas, causing Twilight to perk up slightly. “A local pair of daring do-gooders have raided the raiders and freed a young girl no older than six from their insidious clutches. The girl was unharmed and is now staying with the duo at the Atomic Wrangler though apparently, not for long. But, I’ll stop beating around the bush and let the plucky wastelanders speak for themselves.”

“Oh, I guess those two didn't die after all,” Janey murmured. “And they beat us to Vegas too.”

Twilight brushed off her friend's comment and focused on the radio.

“None of this would have happened if it weren't for Princess saving us from ourselves,” declared a familiar masculine voice. “To think I nearly shot you.”

“And I nearly stabbed you,” remarked another familiar voice, this one feminine.

“What will you do now?” Asked a flat, monotone voice Twilight assumed was coming from the proverbial mouth of a robot.

“We’re going to get to the bottom of the legend of the star together. Isn't that right honey?” Asked Tomas.

“It sure is, hot stuff,” Jackyln replied.

There was the muffled sound of something wet before abruptly shifting back to Mister New Vegas.

“Apologies for the abrupt cut but it seems as though our two love birds couldn't wait to be alone,” Mister Vegas remarked with a chuckle. “That's about all the news I have for you at the moment. The Mojave sure is a happening place these days eh folks? Now for a bit of music.”

“That’s… I almost don't believe it,” Janey muttered. “I had those two pegged as complete idiots.”

“They are surprisingly adaptable, and more to the point, we did spend a lot of time in Novac,” Twilight pointed out, tapping out her response on a peice of metal that hung from a chord around her neck.

“I know that, but still. They reached Vegas first, and even had enough time to go on a rescue mission of all things,” Janey exclaimed. “Honestly, I’d be a bit jealous if I didn't find their public displays of affection utterly revolting.”

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at her friend’s discomfort.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up,” Janey muttered.

Twilight smiled faintly.

Following the winding road, Twilight sensed that there were threats nearby but after she scanned the area she saw only a few geckos. These seemed to have more sense than the last they crossed, and gave Twilight a wide, fearful berth. There were no further sightings of potential enemies until after nearly thirty minutes, Janey stopped abruptly.

“Look, over there,” whispered the courier, gesturing westward.

Following Janey’s finger, Twilight saw a tall deathclaw standing atop a rise several hundred feet away from them. His back, straight and his head raised, the deathclaw could see everything for miles though he stared only at a single thing, Twilight. The strange deathclaw peered intently down at them, its eyes narrow and its body as still as the dead.

“What do you think it wants?” asked Janey.

Twilight shrugged, genuinely at a loss for words.

It looked like it was simply scouting or perhaps guarding its territory, but the intensity of its gaze made Twilight feel something strange. It was like she was being inspected, judged even, and that left the former pony unnerved for some reason.

“Oop, there it goes,” Janey whispered.

Sure enough, the distant deathclaw had lowered itself down into a more neutral walking hunch before setting off back down the other side of the hill. In only a few short seconds it vanished from sight, leaving Janey amused, and Twilight confused.

“That was odd. There must be a pack up there,” Janey thought aloud. “I heard there were deathclaws in those hills but had never seen any until now.”

“Well… better get a move on,” Janey encouraged.

Twilight nodded mutely, walking alongside her companion while still staring at the spot where the deathclaw had stood only a moment ago. It was only after they began to turn a corner that Twilight looked away, her thoughts leaving the other deathclaw behind. It was, after all, most likely a simple animal, and wasn't doing anything other than watching over its territory.

With nothing else to do but watch the landscape pass them by, Twilight let her mind wander. She thought back on Boone’s final talk, and how he was going to talk to someone with a strange name. She and her friends certainly stuck out in that regard, so there existed the possibility it may have been one of them. Only the timeline didn't match up, as she had apparently stopped by almost two months ago.

“Has it been that long?” Twilight thought aloud, only to shake her head. “No, it doesn't fit and I’ll see him soon anyway so it doesn't matter.”

“Ya say something?” Janey asked.

Twilight shook her head.

“Just thinkin' out loud eh?” Janey remarked.

Twilight would have blushed were she capable of such a thing.

“How's the horns feeling? Think you could muster any magic?” Janey inquired.

Twilight focused on her magic, and though her hopes were low, she could sense that the well of power that resided deep within her reacted to her call. It was sluggish and required a bit more focus than normal, but it wasn't anywhere near the levels she had anticipated. Burnout on that scale would have knocked her old self out for three, or perhaps even four days yet she could already sense that should she need it, she could likely muster a spell or two.

Clicking her claws together, Twilight summoned a small spray of sparks. The ensuing smattering of purple and green lights were small and left her with a mild headache, Twilight had been expecting to get hit with an immediate migraine. A quick mental calculation told the deathclaw that she could likely call upon more provided she gave it a bit of time and absorbed more radiation.

“Huh, neat trick,” Janey exclaimed, pulling her lighter from her pocket. “But I can do that one too.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Janey flicked the flint and steel of her lighter, sending a small spray of sparks to the ground. Janey just chuckled and stuffed it back into the pocket, a smirk resting firmly on her face. The display was far from amusing but it did spark a thought in Twilight's head, one she couldn't help but explore.

Casting another fan of sparks, Twilight confirmed that yes, her pool of magic was nearly empty but it was also wide. She could cast a considerable amount of magic without strain, even more so from when she was an alicorn but there had come a cost. The deeper reservoir which allowed a pony to cast more potent, and powerful spells was absent from her soul. The realization hit Twilight like a ton of bricks, and she stood there, too dazed to move or do anything.

She knew, logically, that she had made this connection before, that she had been able to tell this much already but she had shut that off. Now that she was away from danger, at least for the moment, she was all but forced to reckon with the fact that she would likely never be able to use the level of magic that she had before. It was like she had been thrust back into magic kindergarten, her talent limited to barely a fraction of what it had once been.

“Hey, you alright?” Janey called.

The courier walked up to the deathclaw and eyed Twilight carefully.

“You look like you're crying, but nothing’s coming out,” Janey added.

Twilight grabbed the small metal tick board as she had started to call it and tapped out her response with a shaky finger.

“My magic. It's limited for some reason,” Twilight began. “It's like a lake but it’s only two feet deep.”

“Isn't that good? There's a lot to it then, right?” Janey pressed.

“I’ll never be able to cast something more complicated than magic missile ever again,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Look this is gonna sound callus as all hell but, is that it?” Janey retorted dismissively. “You thought it was gone forever, and now that you got it back all you can say is that it's not as good as it used to be?”

“I…” Twilight began, only for her anger to falter.

She wanted to be furious, but there was a certain truth to what the human had said that stopped such a bitter retort from coming. Before her magic returned Twilight had started to lose hope of ever casting another spell again, but now she knew that at least the lower levels of magic were within her grasp. Yes, she had lost something dear to her, but she could at least indulge her talent in some small way.

“Plus can't you like, figure out a different way of doing things that requires less strength or is that not how it works?” Janey half asked, half stated.

“It's possible,” Twilight began, scratching her chin with a claw. “But I’d have to fundamentally rewrite the spell, and work backward from the matrix phase if I was going to have any hope of actually…”

Twilight let her finger fall away, her mind outpacing her ability to tap out a response.

“I’ll take that as a sign that you're ready to keep moving,” Janey muttered.

Twilight nodded absently.

The pair continued on, with Janey taking the lead and Twilight following in behind, the deathclaw barely even noticing the world around her change. In her mind she conjured new spells, only to discard them when she realized that it would be impossible to cast given her situation. Though initially she met failure, she could sense that she was onto something, had grasped some thread of truth and now she need only keep tugging until she made a discovery.

In front of her, Janey just chuckled, the courier making her way down the road at an unhurried but not slow pace.

A woman sprinted across the road and dashed out of sight, her headband flapping in the wind behind her. A raider, most likely, but one that had fled the moment she had seen Twilight coming, the towering deathclaw oblivious to what had just happened. Janey could tell that whatever ambush had been planned was called off, as several sets of feet could be heard running off into the wasteland.

It may have simply been the natural aura of intimidation that all deathclaws put out, but that alone didn't feel right. There was more to it. Animals fled from sight, and raiders cowered in dark places, awed by the presence of a thinking deathclaw and her ruthless companion.

Initially, Janey felt proud, but then she realized something. Though the small fries would likely leave them alone now, that meant that the bigger threats would seek them out. They had notoriety, and most likely, a bounty or two, if not from raiders then definitely from the legion.

Janey had never managed to end up hated by any faction of the Mojave, but neither had she been beloved. Yet here she was, having made enemies of one of the most powerful entities around, while also having a small but growing roster of friends. Sure most of them were friends of Twilight and not Janey, but so long as she kept the deathclaw around, the difference didn't matter.

Keeping to herself, Janey guided them further down the road for several more minutes. Then after nearly an hour of walking, they left the highway behind and ventured off the beaten path. That seemed to spark a realization for Twilight, who looked around as if only now realizing where they were.

“Almost there,” Janey remarked. “It's just around that rocky outcropping.”

Twilight nodded, and pushed her thoughts aside, focusing on what lay ahead. Following Janey, she soon found herself standing only a few yards from a rickety wooden door lying at the bottom of what was basically a pit. To call it unassuming would be an understatement, and Twilight could hardly believe that this was one of the fabled vaults Janey had spoken of.

“I can tell from the look on your face that you don't think much of it,” Janey exclaimed. “And that's okay. Most vault entrances were meant to be at least semi-secret.”

Twilight hummed to herself.

“Before we head inside, why don't you sit in that crater, and test out your magic? I wanna know what we’re working with here,” Janey instructed, gesturing to a small circular indent a few meters from the entrance.

Twilight wanted to argue, but she couldn't help the fact that she too was curious.

“Just let me know if you're doing something crazy like casting fireball or something,” Janey added.

Twilight nodded and made her way over to the indentation. The moment she stepped over the lip of the crater, Twilight felt her mana reserves slowly begin to refill. The realization that this meant she was being irradiated bothered her slightly but she reminded herself that she was highly resistant to its effects so it was fine.

Probably.

After refilling her reserves to nearly the halfway point, Twilight cast a quick shower of sparks and found that there was no discomfort. She had recovered quickly, and though curious about that little detail, Twilight brushed past it for the moment. Summoning her magic, Twilight ignited her twin horns and started casting what was likely the upper echelon of what she was now capable of.

Fireball, a devastating but relatively simple spell that required very little finesse was a good start but despite Twilight's confidence, her horns fizzled. Emerging into the world as little more than a fist sized flame that died almost immediately, Twilight's heart fell briefly but she recovered quickly. Running through more and more spells, the deathclaw found that her power was capped slightly lower than anticipated.

“I’m assuming you meant to do that?” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight ignored her friend’s comment and focused herself, choosing instead to go from the ground up. Starting with the most simple of spells, Twilight lit her horns and reached out, grabbing a small rock with her telekinetic field. Lifting it into the air, Twilight found that it was light, and she could easily move it around with little effort.

“Normally I’d be impressed, but I saw you move a goddamn rocket while it was in flight already,” Janey remarked.

Twilight snorted and ignored her friend.

Casting another spell, Twilight wreathed one hand in a cold, chilly aura which was released the moment she prodded the floating rock. The stone immediately became covered in ice, but was broken a moment later when a lightning-coated finger poked it. Casting the stone aside, Twilight felt a bit of pride worm its way into her heart.

“Could you make it so I could do that?” Janey asked.

Twilight shook her head. She initially wanted to explain why that was but quickly realized that doing so was pointless, given Janey’s non-existent understanding of magic.

Refocusing on her spellwork, Twilight sent a small flurry of streaking magical bolts from her horns. The projectiles were surprisingly numerous and spread out before all convening on the same hunk of rock. With each impact, the small stone was sent flying, bits splintering off until there was nothing left but shattered slivers.

“That looks like it would hurt,” Janey muttered.

Twilight ignored her friend and the small voice in her head that hated the fact that she had thought the same thing before Janey even opened her mouth. Casting another spell, Twilight conjured a small mote of glowing light on the tip of her finger. As usual, she could adjust the color, and brightness, as well as split it into several smaller fragments.

“That's useful,” Janey murmured. “I’m assuming you could make it last for a while without focusing on it?”

Twilight nodded. A light spell could last a few hours, or even a day without much effort but she didn't bother mentioning that to her friend.

“What else do you got?” Janey pressed.

Twilight thought about it for a moment before unslinging her bag, pulling out a tin can, and slicing it open with a claw. Dumping the contents of it into her mouth, Twilight chewed briefly before swallowing, barely even taking note of the vaguely meaty flavor.

“Pfft, I could do that,” Janey remarked.

Twilight smirked, and held out a clawed hand, displaying the slash mark present in the can. She then cast her spell and watched as Janey’s incredulous look turned into one of wonder as the tin knitted itself back together. In a few short seconds, the can was whole once more, with even the paper packaging having somehow been restored.

“Wow that is… incredible,” Janey muttered. “I’m assuming that only works on small, fairly uncomplicated items.”

Twilight nodded slowly, a little surprised at how quickly Janey had grasped the concept.

“Have a little faith in me,” Janey shot back.

Twilight snorted.

Summoning her magic, Twilight cast another spell. This one caused a small cube of dirt to lift itself from the ground and cast itself aside. Maintaining the spell, Twilight moved the earth back, and then willed it to take on different shapes, and even change color before finally becoming a smooth surface.

“Neat,” Janey remarked.

Twilight couldn't help but be a bit irritated by Janey’s continued nonplussed attitude, but let it slide for now. Using her magic, Twilight whispered into her hand and then gently wafted it towards the human.

“What is…” Janey’s face contorted in confusion. “You can whisper to me?” 

Twilight nodded.

“Huh, that is useful. Or at least it would be if you could speak,” Janey declared.

Twilight snorted, and narrowed her eyes, casting another spell. This time, when it was complete, nothing seemed to happen.

“What, that's it?” Janey muttered.

Twilight pointed behind the woman.

Janey raised an eyebrow but turned around to find that there was a perfect replica of herself standing behind her. The duplicate stuck her tongue out at Janey and flipped her the bird. It was about to make another rude gesture when Janey unexpectedly put a bullet through its chest. The copy looked down at its midsection before turning to smoke and vanishing a second later.

“Jesus jumping christ. You nearly scared the piss out of me,” Janey exclaimed, loading another round into her gun. “Point fucking taken.”

Twilight wanted to reprimand the woman for being so quick to violence, but the deathclaw had seen that reaction coming a mile away and had walked into it anyway.

“Got anything else?” Janey asked, the courier dropping her revolver into its holster.

Twilight cast one final spell, causing Janey’s right hand to glow faintly.

“What the heck is this?” Janey muttered in confusion.

“Try to shoot something really far away. Something you don't think you could hit,” Twilight replied.

Janey frowned but reluctantly did as was asked, raising the pistol and aiming at a small rocky outcropping lying at the very edge of her gun’s effective range. Squeezing off a shot, Janey gasped in shock as the bullet flew straight and true, though her hand had stopped glowing. A second attempt went wide, prompting Janey to reload and put her gun away once more.

“That's crazy,” Janey declared. “And that could last… a while right? Or do I have to use it right away?”

“The effects can't stack, but you can hold onto it for as long as you need to before you make another attack,” Twilight explained.

“Huh, that sure is something,” Janey murmured. “Is that all?”

Twilight focused and attempted to cast another spell, only to feel it fizzle before completion. Another failed attempt followed, with a third coming shortly after. Once Twilight was certain that was the extent of her abilities, she sighed and gave Janey a small, shallow nod.

“I mean that's nothing too crazy but wow. That is…” Janey murmured, glancing down at her hand. “Useful.”

Twilight gestured towards the rickety wooden door made out of half-rotten wood only a few meters away.

“Right, yeah. The vault,” Janey stated absently. “I almost forgot about it after all this excitement.”

“Do you think it will be difficult?” Twilight asked.

“With your magic and my skills?” Janey scoffed. “Not in the slightest.”
> Democracy Inaction Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Game plan is simple,” Janey began. “You’re up front. I’ll primarily watch our back, but if you see something that has a ranged attack duck to the side and I’ll take it out.”

Twilight thought about it for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

“We should see a fair amount of wildlife. Scorpians, mantises, rats, and roaches,” Janey continued. “You can handle those fairly easily, but further in we’ll probably come across some robots, or maybe something else. Either way, I’ve loaded armor-penetrating rounds so the bots should go down easy provided you give me space to hit my shots.”

“And I’ll give you a boost for that first shot,” Twilight offered, igniting her horns and casting guidance on the courier.

“Perfect,” Janey replied. The woman drew a second gun from one of her many pockets. “I’ve still got a backup in case you need help so don't think you need to take all the mutated critters by yourself.”

Twilight nodded.

“Alright. Go on, I’ll follow your lead this time,” Janey offered, gesturing to the door.

Twilight lit her horns, and used telekinesis to open the way for them. The bright, afternoon light shone into the opening, revealing several now temporarily blind, bark scorpions.

Charging forward, Twilight stomped one, slashed another, and kicked the last, killing the mutated insects before they even had a chance to react. With the enemies dealt with, Twilight looked around to find that she was in a short stone tunnel that ended with a half-open gear-shaped door. The entrance to the vault marked a stark point where stone turned to rusted, aged metal, though be it inside or out, foes remained.

Mantises, most barely taller than Twilight's knees came sprinting out of the opening, roused by the sounds of death. The deathclaw killed them with only a few swipes of her clawed hands, the attacking creatures barely offering any resistance. So weak and ineffectual were the mantises that Twilight expected to see more and to find greater enemies but there were none.

“Keep going,” whispered Janey.

Twilight did just that, stepping into the vault and looking around. Though a technical marvel, Twilight was unimpressed, but that may have been due to the disused state of the place. Rust, mold, and other signs of age or decay were present everywhere, and the ground was littered with random trash.

Walking up the stairs, Twilight noticed that a terminal sat on a dirty table next to the smaller metal door leading further in. Twilight stood aside and watched as Janey knelt down and began to type on the thing, only to stop nearly as quickly as she started.

“Locked, and it looks bugged. I think the insects have been chewing on the keyboard,” Janey remarked.

Twilight pointed to the door.

“Just turn that middle thing, and it should open,” Janey explained.

Twilight did as she was told, and found that the metal contraption did indeed swing inward after a moment spent with its gears turning. The deathclaw was about to step through the entrance when she noticed that four skeletal corpses sat off to the side. Forming a rough semi-circle, with a single revolver sitting between them, it was a grim sight, and one Twilight quickly pushed from her mind. Some part of her wondered why there was a space left in the circle, why they had done this, but she didn't have the stomach for such considerations at the moment.

Turning back to the door, Twilight stepped through the entrance and immediately noticed three things. One was the terminal and boiler-like object to her left, the second were the two doors, one in front one to the right and the last were the posters that adorned the walls. Vote Stone claimed one, and though more were plastered on the walls, they had become illegible due to time and a build-up of grime.

“Forward,” Janey whispered.

Twilight crept onward, and was about to ask Janey how she opened the next solid sheet of metal that she assumed was a door when the courier pointed to a panel on the wall next to where a handle would be. Pressing it gently, Twilight was slightly amazed to find that the barrier separated into two parts, with one receding into the roof while the other fell into the ground. Her amazement was short-lived as she found herself in what would have been at one point, a cramped clinic.

Now, however, there were only gournies bearing long-dead skeletal remains.

Stepping awkwardly into the room, Twilight pushed them out of her way, wincing as their rusted wheels ground loudly. The space was grim and hinted at some unspoken tragedy but Twilight pushed onward, heading through the door at the opposite end of the area. The moment she entered the hallway beyond, she was attacked by a pair of large rats that lunged at her ankles.

A kick followed by a swipe killed them both, with one body splattering against a wall while another was cut into several even-sized pieces. With the enemies dealt with, Twilight peered into the room the lumpy rodents had just exited and found that it was likely a bathroom. As with everywhere else so far, more posters were advising the reader to vote one way or another, though like before, most of the words were unreadable.

The hallway revealed an empty, dilapidated classroom on one side, and stairs down leading to what Twilight assumed was the next level. She paused there, and glanced back expectantly at Janey, only to find that the courier was gone. The woman repeated a moment later, a hand stuffing something into one of her pockets.

“What? There were medical supplies back there,” Janey whispered in a low tone.

Twilight rolled her eyes and pointed towards the stairs.

“Yeah, let's keep moving,” Janey murmured.

Heading down the steps, onto a landing, and then back down more of the identically sized stairs, Twilight found herself before another door. Pressing it, she was greeted by more rusted hallways, metal panels, and cramped, tunnel-like conditions. The roof was a little lower here, forcing Twilight to crouch slightly, lest her horns brush against the ceiling.

Glancing left and right down the hallway, Twilight saw a rat to the right, the tiny critter standing on its back legs and making a soft chirping noise. Twilight felt as though she should spare the creature, but knew it would attack her anyway, so ended it with a single magical bolt of force. Turning back around, she saw that there were more stairs to the left, as well as another door.

“Keep heading down. We can sweep this place later,” Janey encouraged. “What we’re looking for is probably in the overseer's office. Most of the high-tech stuff usually is.”

Another set of traversed stairs later, and another door after that, and Twilight entered a trashed living area. Here there were rats a plenty, the whiskered rodents attacking with a chittering battle cry. Not wanting to waste any more time, Twilight cast another flurry of magical bolts but separated one to each of her targets. The magical balls of force struck true, battering the small squad of rats to death and sending them flying.

With nothing else to block her way, Twilight stepped into the room and looked around. A chewed-on couch along with a few chairs sat nearby with some lockers further in, and a door lay both on the far side as well as to the right. A light above each of them indicated that a female dorm was on her left, while to the right was admin. Likely short for administration, Twilight assumed that was where the overseer's office lay.

“Right, but hold up a second. Gonna see if there's anything useful here. You stay on watch,” Janey ordered.

Twilight nodded, and though she still felt a bit of guilt at robbing the dead, it was easy to ignore that feeling. Especially since her mind was busy grappling with the fact that vaults were real, and not just a story Janey had told her. They were surprisingly sprawling, and afforded at least a few open areas indicating that they were indeed meant to support a genetically stable population.

Yet even though Twilight could see signs of habitation even after all this time, it was hard to imagine people living down here. These vault dwellers would have been without the light of the sun, or open spaces, or any of the small joys Twilight had taken for granted all her life. It sounded like a detestable, miserable situation but given their options, the best they could do, Twilight figured.

“Alright, let's head to admin,” Janey remarked, slinging her backpack back over her shoulder.

Twilight pointed to her bag expectantly.

“Nothing good yet. Some stuff we could trade though,” Janey replied with a shrug.

Twilight nodded, and headed towards the door, a claw clicking the button.

Yet more rats waited for them, and like the rest, they were killed quickly, this time with a powerful stomp that turned both of them into paste. The duo barely had a chance to squeak in surprise before they were killed, leaving behind only a red smear on the ground. Twilight looked up to find that a pair of indicators were present, one pointing left to ‘security’ while the right was labeled ‘overseer’s office’.

Twilight was about to head towards the office when Janey interrupted.

“Wait, go left. Security usually has decent stuff: weapons, ammo, and other contraband items. We could make a pretty penny,” Janey declared.

Twilight snorted, but reluctantly headed that way, trotting down the hall to where a door and a small terminal awaited. Pressing the button did nothing, as did a second press. Twilight was about to try a third time when Janey stepped forward, squeezing in front of the deathclaw.

“It's locked. Let me handle it,” Janey declared.

Twilight stood off to the side and watched as Janey unloaded a small box of pointed instruments. She then got to work on the door, prying off the small button off the wall and messing with the wires that lay behind it. After a few tries, and a couple of painful zaps, the door opened and Janey stood back up, shaking the aftershock from one of her hands.

“Someone really didn't want us getting in here,” Janey muttered. “There better be something good.”

Walking inside revealed a security office, complete with a pair of cells, a few desks, some chairs, terminals, and lockers. It was a small, slightly cramped space but was thankfully devoid of corpses, or more of the rats that had plagued the rest of the place.

“Watch the door. I’ll loot the place,” Janey ordered.

Twilight sighed, but sat at the door all the same, noting that it was likely stuck open due to whatever Janey had done to it. As she stood there silently, listening to Janey rustle through desks and lockers, Twilight wondered what had happened here. Other than the signs of age, and exposure, as well as the presence of rats, there wasn't anything visibly off about this place. Why would the looters and scavengers give it a wide berth? Were the rumors around it enough to ward them off or was there something more going on?

Twilight stopped herself before her imagination could run away on her, focusing instead on the hallway before her. Yet no matter how long she stood there, no giant rats, or horrifically mutated creatures appeared. Behind her, she could hear Janey tapping away at a keyboard before things fell silent. After nearly a minute of utter quiet, Twilight was about to ask what was wrong, but Janey beat her to it.

“I think I figured out what happened down here,” Janey muttered, her usually confident tone subdued. “You may want to see this.”

Twilight withdrew from her post and walked over to Janey, standing behind the woman and peering over her shoulder.

“This,” Janey began, scrolling up and down. “Is a retelling of a murderer who had been forced to perform sexual favors out of a fear of her husband being elected overseer.”

“Isn't overseer a good job?” Twilight asked, her nonexistent brow furrowing with confusion.

“It is, at least usually is, but not here apparently,” Janey replied, going back in the terminal settings before loading more messages. “Here are emails from the candidates, and the various voting blocs, each doing what they can to assert why they should not be elected.”

“Odd,” Twilight remarked.

“It gets weirder, the election was postponed to investigate the murders only for that same murder to get elected,” Janey continued.

“Huh,” Twilight tapped out.

“Then the murderer overseer sets in motion a rule where there were no elections anymore, and a number generator did all the choosing,” Janey concluded, signing out of the computer and standing up. “After that, there are no other messages.”

The courier began to pace back and forth in front of the desk.

“I think the vault went to shit shortly after,” Janey explained. “If things had become stable after that then why leave up the posters advertising the various candidates?”

“So they just… killed each other?” Twilight asked, her lip curling in disgust.

“It seems like it,” Janey agreed. “Becoming the overseer must be a death sentence or something because if it ain't none of this makes a lick of sense.”

“We should go to the office,” Twilight encouraged.

“Lead the way,” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight took point once more, her steps weighed down by a strange sense of purpose. The mystery of this place was as dark as it was intriguing but at least they had an idea as to what had happened. They just needed a few more pieces, and the puzzle would make sense, Twilight was sure of it.

Tromping down some more stairs, passing through more doors, and stomping a few more rats, they came to the office of the overseer. Present were numerous filing cabinets, a central, half-moon-shaped desk, and a round window overlooking the atrium below. As Twilight gazed down and out the window, Janey moved to the terminal, and after a few clicks, cursed under her breath.

“Needs a password,” Janey muttered. “Give me a minute. I know a few tricks.”

Twilight observed the battlefield-like space beyond the window for a few moments longer before wandering back out into the hall. Heading further in, the deathclaw found that the vault had experienced a tunnel collapse a long time ago as the hallway ended in a pile of dirt and rubble. Glancing further down the other hallway, Twilight saw more stairs, doors, and rats, but chose not to bother.

Trusting in her friend, she headed back inside the office to find that Janey had pulled the top off the terminal, revealing its metal insides. Twilight had no idea what the courier was doing but watched in silence as she worked. After a few minutes of fiddling, there was a mechanical click, and the screen displayed a simple message.

Welcome, Overseer.

“Alright, there we go. Let's find out what's going on,” Janey declared, tapping the keyboard. “Huh. There's not much here. Just, the order seven four five we already saw, and a command. Open sacrificial chamber.”

“Ominous,” Twilight remarked.

“Oh wait there is one more entry,” Janey muttered, activating the entry. “It's garbled, but it talks about how the vault had a higher than average number of non-english speakers.”

Twilight waited patiently as Janey scrolled through a jumbled-up mess of words and numbers.

“The author speculated that vault tec did this on purpose to inflame tensions and they made it worse by creating only a single bot capable of translating,” Janey continued. “One of the previous overseers had been trying to reverse engineer it when their quote, time came.”

Twilight frowned, and worry crept into her heart.

“I can see they mention a prototype though, as well as a blueprint for something they call a collar translator,” Janey added.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight placed a hand over her heart.

“It doesn't say where it is, but…” Janey murmured.

“I want to see the chamber,” Twilight stated.

“Yeah. Me too,” Janey agreed. “Normally I steer clever of anything bearing Vault Tec’s greasy fingerprints but I can't help but be curious about what lies at the end of this twisting path.”

“Hit it,” Twilight stated.

“On it,” Janey replied.

Punching the switch caused a single line to be displayed.

Opening…

Stepping back, the pair watched as the desk lifted into the air, revealing a tunnel lying just beneath the overseer’s office. The ground folded inward, and in only a few short seconds, a path leading down was waiting for them. Twilight could see that there was a door not far in, as well as a cup and some random junk lying on the ground.

“Well. Nowhere to go but down,” Janey remarked. “I’ll take the lead this time.”

Twilight stepped aside, allowing Janey to descend into the secret tunnel. Twilight followed not long after, the deathclaw forced to crouch lower than usual due to the cramped space. Ahead of her, Janey opened the door and stepped into another hallway, this one devoid of rust, or signs of age. In fact, it looked almost new, polished even, untouched by the ravages of time, and tall enough to let Twilight rise to her full height.

“What is-”

“Congratulations martyr,” announced an automated voice from everywhere and nowhere. “Your fantastic journey is only just beginning.”

Thats grim. Twilight thought to herself.

“Please proceed to the light. The light is calming and puts your mind at ease,” continued the voice.

“This is fucking weird,” Janey deadpanned.

Twilight was about to voice her agreement, and point out that far ahead of them, at the end of the hallway, there was indeed a light illuminating a doorway but was cut off.

“Go to the light,” ordered the detached, masculine-sounding voice.

“Well, might as well keep going,” Janey muttered.

The human drew her gun, and crept forward, shielding her eyes as she reached the doors. Twilight did the same, and together they emerged into a space illuminated by four sets of shop lights mounted on poles. After their vision cleared, Janey chuckled darkly to herself, pointing to one of the stands.

“For a second there I thought some kind of trap was going to kill us,” Janey remarked.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Come on. There's something up ahead,” Janey added.

Twilight walked in after her friend, but stopped abruptly, with Janey holding up a hand.

“Hold on. Something feels off here,” Janey murmured.

Twilight peered over her friend’s shoulder to the large open room ahead of them. Sitting in the middle was a single chair, with a table next to it. Behind the small setup was a projector sitting on a stand, though it had yet to be activated and the space was relatively unlit.

“Look at the walls,” Janey whispered, pointing to either side of the room. “See anything weird about them?”

“Welcome,” announced the voice. “Please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin.”

Twilight ignored the robotic voice and followed Janey’s finger to the walls on either side of the room. Unlike the stark clean metal of everything else, these barriers were white, and made up of large square panels.

“They are different,” Twilight replied after a long pause.

“Welcome,” repeated the voice. “Please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin.”

Janey ignored it as well and slipped into the room.

“I think they retract,” Janey murmured, running a hand over the wall and stopping in the middle. “See? There's a spot where they don't quite connect right here.”

“So, what do we do?” Twilight asked.

“I’m not sure. Just don't touch anything and let me figure this out,” Janey ordered.

Twilight rolled her eyes and crouched at the back of the room, reluctantly doing nothing while Janey got to work.

“Welcome,” repeated the voice. “Please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin.”
> Democracy Inaction Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight watched as Janey tapped all over the wall, muttering to herself as she inspected what mechanical workings she could see. It wasn't much, nor did she seem able to find anything that could make them part. Aside of course, from brute strength. Occasionally Janey would pull out her pip boy and tap on it a few times, taking readings for reasons beyond Twilight's comprehension.

“Welcome,” repeated the voice. “Please sit in the chair. The show is about to begin.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and frowned, getting more and more bored as time passed. The voice repeated, Janey continued to mutter and nothing seemed to change. After several minutes, Twilight got up, wandered over to the tiny chair, and as gently as she could, sat down in it.

“Greetings martyr, and welcome. If you are sitting here that means you have been offered up as a sacrifice to ensure your vault continues to thrive,” Continued the voice.

Janey spun around. “What did you do?” demanded the courier.

Twilight shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh, you sat on the chair! You’ve triggered whatever switch there is to kill us!” Janey exclaimed.

Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“-perhaps you never got the chance to have grandkids, or to enjoy the pleasures of a fresh cigar,” droned the voice.

“Is it just… what is it doing?” Janey muttered.

“But march with your chin held high soldier. And remember, each of us has an important role to play,” the voice exclaimed.

“It's just… rambling? Why?” Janey murmured, gesturing absently to the screen displaying a picture of a vault boy reclining on a beach with a drink raised as if in toast.

Again, Twilight shrugged.

“Maybe it's trying to bore us to death,” Janey remarked.

“-and for others, it might mean they will drive a race car, or fly a rocket ship,” the voice declared, the image changing to an adult character helping a child character to ride a bike.

“Okay so we got some time before it gasses us or however they are planning on killing us,” Janey stated. “Help me with these panels. Maybe we can stop that from happening.”

Twilight shrugged and did as she was asked, rising from her seat and walking over to the seemingly normal wall. Striking a wide stance, Twilight jammed her claws through the narrow gap, and after a bit of wiggling, began to pull them apart. The resistance was immense and no matter how much the deathclaw’s muscles bulged, her efforts seemed to have no visible effect. All that happened was the panels groaned, and two distant pieces of metal ground against one another but that was it.

“Come on put your back into it,” Janey encouraged. “If we end up getting nerve gassed it won't matter how big you are.”

Twilight growled under her breath. She tugged with renewed strength, anger rising from deep down inside of her. The feeling rose, becoming more powerful with each passing second before suddenly a flood of something white-hot shot through her veins.

In an instant, she felt stronger than ever, and with a titanic heave, threw open the two sides of the panels. The moment they had ripped loose from whatever was holding them, they flew into the walls, half collapsing in the process. With the panels out of the way, Twilight could see that several strange metal plates with spinning handles on them lay behind the false barrier, creating a second wall.

Twilight span around and glared at Janey, convinced that she had been hit with more psycho without her consent. Yet the courier was just standing there, a confused look on her face.

“Hey uh, you alright? I swear I would have helped if I thought that would have well you know, actually helped,” Janey offered.

“Did you psycho me?” Twilight demanded.

“What? No. I’ve been standing here the whole time,” Janey exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “That would have been a good idea though, but after we talked about… whatever, let's worry about that after we aren't going to get gassed.”

Janey walked up to the metal wall, and after a brief inspection, grabbed the wheel and gave it a harsh spin. Metal squealed and gears ground against gears but in the end, she managed to trigger some kind of hidden mechanism. The various levers, and sections of metal folded into one another and fell away until the barrier disappeared completely.

Janey’s gun leaped into her hand, and she seemed ready to fire, only for the courier to stop just short of doing so. Twilight looked in on the one-half of the wall that had fallen away and flinched when she saw several robots and turrets waiting for them. Despite them standing ready, the metal constructs didn't notice the duo’s presence, and continued to stare emptily forward as if waiting for something.

“They probably only activate after that weird presentation is over,” Janey thought aloud. “Smash those turrets while I deal with the robots. If I’m lucky we can handle these guys and move on to the other side before the slide show has a chance to finish.”

Twilight nodded and jogged over to the first turret before grabbing it with both claws. With the lingering remnants of whatever still flowing through her, she had more than enough power to tear it right off. Tossing the twisted mass of metal and sparking wires aside, Twilight wondered what had happened to her. She assumed the psycho was gone by now, but she had assumed that last time too.

Despite her curiosity, the former pony concluded that it was a complication she couldn't contemplate at the moment, not with their lives on the line.

Wrenching a second turret from the ceiling, Twilight glanced out of the corner of her eye to find that Janey was finishing up with the first robot. The trundling, pill-shaped thing beeped and booped a few times before raising its arms, but thankfully not firing. It seemed almost subservient to the courier, watching her as she moved to its other former companion and opened its back panel.

Twilight realized then that she was wasting time, and in a rush, tore the remaining two turrets from the ceiling. Tossing their shattered remains in a growing pile of scrap metal, sparking wires, and unspent bullets, Twilight looked around. Her gaze immediately settled on the other side of the room a part of her worried about what may emerge from it while another part desperately wanted to peek inside.

“-imagine what joys await you in the afterlife. Can you see them? Good,” concluded the voice, the flickering picture fading before shutting off completely.

“Shit. The slideshow’s over. I’m gonna have to just shut this one down,” Janey muttered. “Hold on a second more…”

Twilight glanced past her friend, to the other side of the room. The white panels slid cleanly into the wall, revealing an identical set of large metal doors the kind that they had gotten past a minute earlier. Only where one of theirs jammed and refused to open, both of the others slid cleanly apart, revealing a small horde of enemies.

“Fuck it,” Janey muttered, grabbing a handful of wires and ripping them all out.

The robot she was working on toppled forward, its back panel sparking. The courier managed to duck behind cover a second before the four turrets, one protectron, and a lone sentry bot opened fire. Bullets and lasers whizzed past, forcing Twilight to lurch to the side lest she be cut down by the hail of fire being directed her way.

Though a bit startled, Twilight was fairly certain she could tank the damage and simply push past it. That assertion vanished when a missile flew by her head and exploded at the back of the room, sending metal shards flying in all directions. Ducking fully behind the wall-to-ceiling cover, Twilight glanced expectantly at Janey, only to find the courier digging through her backpack.

“Use your magic to float these to the back of the room and take out the turrets!” Janey shouted over the roar of gunfire. “I’ll cover you!”

Twilight took the oddly shaped circular grenades into her magic, and nodded, awaiting the covering fire she would need. Janey didn't hesitate, the woman popping out from behind cover and emptying her weapon in the protectron’s direction. Somehow, despite not even trying to aim, the courier’s first shot pierced the targeting center of the robot and sent it into a frenzy.

Spraying lasers in all directions, it flung its arms around uselessly, and in the process seemingly triggered the defensive protocols of the sentry bot. As the larger, three-wheeled, vaguely humanoid robot moved to gun down its former companion, Twilight got to work. Twisting the top of the grenades, she then floated them across the room and between the two clumps of turrets.

Though Janey’s distraction had done relatively well, Twilight was still pelted with low-caliber bullets. Most of these ineffective projectiles simply bounced off but a few of the luckier ones either broke flesh or managed to graze her. When the grenades finally detonated, all of the turrets were out of the fight, and the sentry bot was shaken. Its frenzied companion was also down for the count, though it had been bisected by the sentry bot’s minigun arm.

The three-legged bot’s armored chassis was thicker than its fellows, however, and it turned around quickly, its minigun spooling up. Twilight was tempted to charge it, and her burning blood egged on this desire but she fought those instincts and fell back behind cover. And just in time too, as a hail of bullets rained down on the spot she had just been standing, the metal projectiles ricocheting off the ground and bouncing around the room.

Their allied protectron then stepped up, its large heavy torso having finally turned around so it could face the enemy bot. Fearlessly it engaged the larger robot, firing its weak, ineffectual lasers into the sentry’s midsection. Before Twilight decided what to do, she glanced down to find that Janey was dealing with a jam, something having gone wrong with the weapon after franticly emptying all the rounds it carried.

Her choice made, Twilight sprinted out from cover just as the sentry bot tore through their allied protectron. Its bulbous, rounded head ruptured, and a moment later, its now exposed, internal structure was completely annihilated. By then Twilight had cleared most of the distance and had cast a shocking grasp on her right hand, but unfortunately for her, the sentry bot was surprisingly quick.

Its gun arm swung back at her, peppering the deathclaw with a flurry of stinging lead. Though they served mostly to piss the deathclaw off, she could also feel that she was starting to sustain some serious injuries. Tough hide or not, getting hit with dozens of rounds per second was a painful, life-threatening matter. With each impact, Twilight felt that now familiar animalistic rage rise within her, but she refused to let it loose, at least not yet.

Swiping with her electrified claw, Twilight removed the sentry bot’s minigun arm completely, her spell unleashing an explosion of sparks at the moment of impact. With the release of energy, Twilight was vaguely aware of her mana pool finally emptying. That was a concern for later, for now, Twilight was busy trying to destroy the sentry bot before it could bring its missile arm to bear.

Three rapid swipes tore through metal and damaged internal systems but the reinforced exterior was strong enough to stop the attacks from doing anything more than just slowing it down. Its arm came up, and in a panic, Twilight punched it at the elbow, making the ensuing missile go wide. Across the room, Janey popped out from cover only to duck back the moment she saw the rocket-propelled explosive flying directly at her.

The ensuing explosion rent the metal barrier Janey had been using as cover asunder, sending hunks of shrapnel at the human. That wasn't the only thing that became airborne, as there had been enough kinetic energy to turn Janey into a ragdoll and toss her across the room. Impacting the bank of computers with a hard crunch, the courier immediately felt something was very wrong with her shooting arm.

Twilight didn't notice any of this, as she was busy slashing the front of the sentry bot open. Once enough of its armor had been sheared off, the deathclaw rammed its arm into the exposed torso region of the robot. Retracting the now oil-slick limb, Twilight took a step back, judging if the sentry bot was still operational.

Its remaining arm hung limply at its side, while its torso had pitched forward, indicating to the former pony that it was defeated.

With a smile on her face, Twilight started to walk back to her friend only to notice the unmoving bot was now loudly beeping. Not only that but the noise was getting faster, as if it were counting down to something. Twilight managed a curse as well as a single step before it detonated, sending the deathclaw into the closest wall with a loud crash.

The ex-pony groaned, and slumped to the ground, landing in a bruised, and bloody heap. Alarm bells were firing in her mind, telling her to get up and get back into the fight but pain dulled that urge. Even her animalistic side which usually would have been screaming at her by now, did nothing but weakly urge her to rise to her feet.

Janey sat up and reached for her bag only to hiss and stop herself. Using the other hand, she pulled out a super stimpack and started preparing it. While she did so, she shifted her broken forearm into position, lining up the snapped bone with its now separate counterpart. A moment later and a wave of healing chemicals flooded the woman’s body, accompanied by a fresh surge of pain.

While Janey gritted her teeth and fought through the agony, Twilight was trying to stand back up, but the fact that everything was spinning was putting a damper on that. Getting back up, she raised her claws and tried to find an enemy but everything was a swirling mass of unfocused color. When her eyes finally focused the deathclaw found that all the robots were destroyed and that Janey was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight called out in a questioning manner, hoping that her intention was understood by the courier.

“I’m here,” Janey muttered. “That last rocket broke my fucking arm.”

Twilight looked herself over and was surprised she didn't have any worse injuries. Sure she had bruises, cuts, and bumps galore but nothing important had been hit. The deathclaw was bleeding a bit more than usual, however, and limped over to where Janey sat on the floor, her jaw clenched tight.

“Good to see you’re still in one peice,” Janey murmured. “Your whole left side is burnt blacker then my boots though.”

Twilight winced and nodded.

“Shit, this is gonna take a while to heal properly,” Janey remarked lifting her right arm in emphasis. “How are you looking? Did they hit anything serious?”

Twilight shook her head.

“Good. At least one of us isn't completely fucked,” Janey murmured, gesturing towards the door to the sacrifice room. “Grab a stimpack for yourself. I tucked a few in there amongst all the food and if you need more rads, drink some of the water with the big X on it. I gathered it from a crater in case you needed a quick dose.”

Twilight muttered a bitter curse under her breath and went back to her discarded bag sitting on the ground beside the exit. A quick inspection told her that somehow, despite everything, nothing appeared broken. Sure a few of the cans were banged up, but other than a spilled bottle of water that was it.

A deeper look revealed a small bundle of stimpacks and a bottle of water that bore a green x on the front of it. Even just holding the irradiated thing was enough for Twilight to feel her mana reserves slowly filling back up. She wanted to toss it out or refuse to drink its contents but if they got attacked by even a few determined rats they would be in for a desperate struggle.

With that in mind, Twilight screwed her eyes shut tightly before unscrewing the top of the bottle. She tipped back the contents of the bottle, swallowing hard the moment it hit her tongue. Despite all her precautions, she was still hit with the taste of slightly greasy, muddy water that carried with it a slight acidic tang. Her stomach nearly revolted against her, but somehow Twilight managed to gulp it all down and not immediately throw it back up.

With her mana reserves refilling quicker now, Twilight gave herself a brief once over, pulling out any bits of metal stuck in her flesh. Bullets and bits of robot chassis were plucked from her skin and tossed into a bloody pile off to the side. Once she was certain there weren't any extra foreign materials stuck in her, Twilight stuck the stimpack into her leg and hit it. After she felt the last bit of the healing liquid enter her bloodstream, Twilight removed the used needle and put it with the rest.

Glancing over at Janey, Twilight was unsurprised to see that the courier was busy unlocking the mystery door she had seen earlier. Forced to use only one arm, the going seemed slow, but thankfully it wasn't a terribly difficult lock, as it opened a second later.

“Shouldn't we wait until you're healed?” Twilight asked.

“Gotta lift the lockdown first,” Janey replied. “The door we came through locked the moment you sat down and I have a feeling we are going to need to access a terminal to unseal it.”

Twilight watched as Janey twisted the metal handle before pushing open the door. Peeking over the human’s shoulder, Twilight saw that directly ahead of them lay a terminal but there were also numerous crates littering the area. A look inside revealed bullet-riddled clothing, as well as random personal effects like jewelry, caps, and other small items of a similar nature.

“Normally I’d wonder what they did with the bodies, but something tells me I don't want to know,” Janey remarked, lifting one of the pieces of cloth and revealing that it was almost completely encrusted in long-dried blood.

Twilight scowled in disgust, and was about to turn around when she noticed something glint in one of the open metal crates. Leaning inside, she plucked a small silver container out and lifted it to eye level.

“Ahh she's finally learning how to loot. It's about time,” Janey remarked.

Twilight snorted, ignoring the comment and focusing on the box.

Its smooth metal exterior resembled the kind of case that would contain jewelry and was adorned with only a small latch. Flipping it open, Twilight revealed two small slips of paper, and what looked like a modified dog collar with a large metal box at the back. The first peice of paper was blue and once unfolded, revealed itself to be a schematic for something called the translation collar.

Twilight's eyes widened and she hastily took in every detail before reverently placing it back in the box. She wanted to grab the collar next but instead chose the other slip of paper, noting that it was smaller, barely more than half a peice of loose leaf.

To whom it may concern.

I don't know what happens to our personal effects when we are ‘done’ here but I hope they are not destroyed. If you are reading this, then they are not and I can only hope that you are able to use my invention for good. With a consistent, easy way to translate between languages hopefully, some of the tension in our vault can be dismantled. I don't know if this will be possible however, or even if it will be necessary by the time you read this. Already they’ve voted almost all of the Spanish speakers to the overseer position out of some misbegotten sense of purity. 

Grandma, how I miss you. You didn't deserve what happened to you, but I guess I’ll be joining you soon.

Twilight sniffed and paused to dab her eyes though the effort was more psychological as she could not actually cry. With her will steeled, Twilight continued to read.

Please bring this back to the vault, make more, and tell everyone to stop this madness. I don't know if there is a way to stop our vault from being wiped out by those nutjobs holding us hostage but the sacrifices have to end. Please, if you are reading this, help my people and put a stop to the bloodshed.

There was a signature at the end but it had become so smeared by some unknown liquid that it was unreadable.

Twilight took a long deep breath, and glanced up, half expecting a snide remark from Janey. The courier was busy typing away at the terminal, a concerned expression visible on her face. From the look of things the password on it was more difficult than usual, but it may as well be Zebrican for all Twilight knew.

Turning back to the box, Twilight tucked the paper back inside and retrieved the device. It looked like a larger-than-average dog collar with a bulky box at the back which had a fusion battery attached to it from there sprouted several wires and two circular pads placed a few inches apart from each other. It took a bit of a struggle to adjust the thing so it fit around Twilight's massive neck but thankfully it wasn't too tight.

Twilight clicked the button to activate it and stood there patiently, waiting for the start-up sequence to complete. She didn't know what the beeping coming from the main compartment meant but after a few seconds, it stopped. Confident that it was done, Twilight was about to talk only to get mildly electrocuted when she did so.

“Owch,” Twilight muttered only to blink when her animalistic grunting was overlaid with a robotic masculine-sounding voice.

Janey spun around and looked up at the deathclaw in confusion. “What was that?” She asked.

Twilight reached back, and clicked the small lever at the base of the device, moving the voice mode from male to female before speaking again.

“I think it's working,” Twilight stated in a monotone, female voice.

“You think so?” Janey deadpanned.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Obviously it's working just fine,” Twilight stated. “I’m a bit worried about having a fusion cell so close to my neck though. I thought you said those things had a tendency to explode.”

“They don't. Well, not usually anyway,” Janey replied.

“That really puts my mind at ease,” Twilight muttered, the sarcasm not coming through at all due to the monotone voice she spoke with.

“Well it works, so let's be happy about that,” Janey exclaimed.

The courier turned on her heel and got back to work on the terminal. With nothing else to do, Twilight watched her friend type, fingers flicking across the keyboard at a breakneck pace. After another minute, Janey triumphantly hit the return key and the machine jolted to life, displaying three entries.

Override Lockdown.

System Recording: Vault 11 Solution.

Automated Response: Vault 11 Solution.

“Override the lockdown,” Twilight offered.

“Oh really? And here I was just going to not do that,” Janey snarkily shot back, hitting the return key a second time.

The door to the sacrificial chamber clunked loudly before receding into the ceiling and floor.

“Let's see this solution of theirs,” Janey murmured.

Hitting the key, Janey activated the recording, causing a masculine-sounding human voice to emanate from the terminal’s speakers.

“All right, I know you can hear me, so listen up,” it began. “There's five of us left. Five. Out of... I don't know how many. So... it's over. We've talked and it's over. We're not going to send anybody to die anymore. So shut off our water or gas us or do whatever it is you're programmed to do. But we're done listening to you.”

A small indicator popped up, telling them both that Janey had downloaded the recording.

“I guess they finally gave up and decided to see what would happen,” Janey remarked.

“These Vault-Tec people must have threatened the complete destruction of their home if they were willing to go this far,” Twilight offered.

“Gas probably. It's why the vents are so big in this place. But this place is built for a larger population so that might be a coincidence,” Janey replied.

Twilight blinked, having not even noticed that anything had been different about the vault. So many human buildings looked like a mess of boxes and metal that Twilight could barely tell what anything was.

“Let's see what Vault-Tec had to say about that,” Janey exclaimed.

The courier made two quick keystrokes and activated the final option on the terminal.

“Congratulations, citizens of Vault eleven!” Announced the familiar, clean masculine voice from the slide show. “You have made the decision not to sacrifice one of your own. You can walk with your head held high knowing that your commitment to human life is a shining example to us all. And to make that feeling of pride even sweeter, I have some exciting news. Despite what you were led to believe, the population of Vault eleven is not going to be exterminated for its disobedience. Instead, the mechanism to open the main vault door has now been enabled, and you can come and go at your leisure. But not so fast! Be sure to check with your overseer to find out if it's safe to leave. Here at Vault-Tec, your safety is our number one priority.”

Both Janey and Twilight sat there, in stunned silence for several long, quiet seconds.

“Those sick fucks,” Janey muttered bitterly, slamming her good hand down on the terminal.

“All that loss of life,” Twilight added, glancing back to the chamber behind them. “And they could have avoided it all if only they had refused earlier.”

“How could they have known that, huh? How could they have figured that out!” Janey shouted.

Twilight held up her hands. “I am not blaming them,” Twilight hastily replied. “I  just… wish it hadn't ended the way it did.”

Janey spat a bitter curse and kicked one of the boxes.

“Damn those Vault-Tec fucks,” Janey muttered. “I hope they survived the bombs somehow and are out there, waiting to get what's coming to them.”

For once Twilight couldn't help but agree with Janey’s declaration of violence.

“Come on. Let's get the fuck out of here,” Janey stated, walking back towards the exit. “I don't even care to loot the place. All I want is a drink.”

Twilight nodded and followed behind the woman as she walked back through the chamber and into the tunnel. Thankfully the recording didn't play a second time, as Twilight wasn't sure if she could take being reminded of what had happened here, at least so soon anyway. Silence reigned, and was broken only when Janey activated the exit door leading to the space beneath the Overseer’s desk.

The pair stepped up out of the pit and began to spread out only for the distant thump of booted feet to alert Twilight of trespassers. Seeing Twilight's suddenly bristling spines, Janey drew her gun with her offhand and motioned for the deathclaw to lay low. Twilight nodded back, falling into a crouch as the courier crept towards the open door to the office.

She peered outside for a few seconds before cursing and ducking back behind cover.

“They’re here!” shouted a distant voice. “Alert Vulpes Inculta, the profligates have been located!”
> Democracy Inaction Finale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What do we do?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Kill them, obviously,” Janey replied. “If we get stuck down here, they could easily trap us in the sacrificial chamber.”

Twilight nodded and stepped out into the hallway only to find that no legion soldiers were waiting for her. In fact, there was no one to be seen at all, confusing the deathclaw. Seeing Twilight stop, Janey peeked out of the doorway, her raised gun falling the moment she saw the complete lack of enemies.

“Back up the way we came. It's the only way back to the surface!” Janey exclaimed.

Charging back up the stairs, Twilight called upon her magic but didn't enact a spell quite yet. The effect was like laying a finger over the trigger, but not pulling it, at least not yet. For a moment her efforts seemed to be useless, as no one moved to block their way, that was until she reached the floor above them.

At the crossroads from which branched the security office, waited a duo of flamer wielding heavily armored enemies. Far from the football padding and machetes of the last legion soldiers Twilight had fought, these wore salvaged power armor like plate mail, treated leather, and several durable layers. They were also equipped with freshly polished, and seemingly new, flamers that had even been modified to have larger tanks.

Twilight tried to unleash a flurry of magical bolts, but the sudden rush of fire obscured her vision and made her lose focus. Her horns spat out only a spray of sparks that paled in comparison to the wall of flames that ate up the entire hallway. Seeing the onrushing torrent, some primal part of Twilight all but demanded that she run, and the deathclaw could do little to resist such an order.

“What are you, hey!” Janey shouted as Twilight pushed past her.

“Rear line, forward!” Someone shouted.

Janey turned around to find that two shotgun-wielding legion soldiers had stepped ahead of the flamers. The spray of pellets left nowhere for Janey to go, and no option but to retreat back down the stairs. Dodging buckshot while running down stairs was not an easy thing, and Janey could feel dozens of wounds open up all over her backside. Her armor did a great job at protecting her but against the storm unleashed upon her, even her moderate protection was not enough.

Landing hard at the bottom of the stairs she pivoted around the corner, and reached for her bag. Plucking a frag mine off she armed it and tossed it near the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight. Normally she would have been able to do more but using only her offhand left her slower than usual.

“S-sorry,” Twilight stuttered, the deathclaw standing awkwardly off to the side.

“Get your shit wired, or we’re dead meat!” Janey shouted.

Twilight winced.

“Stand further back, we’ll hold them here,” Janey ordered.

Twilight fell back to the entrance of the overseer’s office, her magic prepared and her spell ready to be fired.

Janey was only a few feet away, crouching in the hall, her gun pointed toward the bottom of the stairs. They didn't have to wait for long, as two small metal tubes with holes lining their midsection clattered to the ground before them.

“Flash bangs! Throw them back!” Janey yelled.

Twilight grabbed one with her magic and tossed it back while Janey reached for the other one. The courier nearly wrapped her fingers around it when something sharp bit into her calf. Glancing back around she saw a rat gnawing on her leg, its large front teeth digging deep into her muscle.

“Fu-” Was all Janey could muster before the flashbang exploded.

Blind, deaf, and in pain, Janey managed to kick the rat off of her and crawl back towards where she assumed the overseer’s office was. Twilight saw her confused and stary-eyed friend bump head-first into a wall and decided to intervene on her behalf. A clawed hand grabbed her by the back and hauled her into the room right before the shotgun duo appeared and peppered them with pellets.

Twilight was hit, but the weapon did little to her. Janey managed to escape relatively unscathed, landing in a heap a few feet from the door, still blind and confused.

Unsure of what to do, Twilight stepped inside, and clicked the door shut, then ripped off the button. She had no idea if that would help or hurt, so she started piling pieces of furniture near the entrance in the hope of adding an extra layer of protection. Twilight managed to pile just about everything that wasn't nailed down by the time Janey managed to regain the ability to hear and see.

“Get back!” Janey shouted, gesturing to the tunnel. “I’ll rig the door.”

There was a distant boom, indicating that the mine had gone off, though there was no scream of pain that accompanied it. Janey ignored it, and unloaded several mines, primed them, and placed them under the sections of fallen furniture. If anyone tried to lift them they would receive an unpleasant surprise.

Twilight fell back out of sight, in the tunnel under the desk with Janey following not long after, the human poking just her head out of the top, gun trained on the entrance.

“Here,” Twilight offered, her horns glowing faintly.

Janey’s gun hand began to glow, and the courier gave her friend a nod before turning back to the door.

The pair waited, listening as the sound of many feet approaching them. They stopped not far from the door, the pause punctuated by two dull bangs followed by the squeak of a dying rat. Janey took a small sick amount of joy from hearing that but pushed that thought aside quickly, focusing on the entrance.

The metal barrier twitched, the button on the other side no doubt having been pressed. It refused to open even when the legion soldier on the other side began to press it repeatedly. Then, they seemingly gave up, and nothing happened for several seconds.

“What's going on?” Twilight asked.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Janey spat back.

Twilight snorted irritably, and settled back in.

She was about to ask again when something heavy hit the door with a dull thunk. Twilight assumed it was some kind of battering ram, but it wasn't followed with another attack.

“Wait, that sounds like… Get down!” Janey demanded.

Twilight threw herself to the floor just as a massive explosion ripped through the room above her. Secondary booms accompanied the primary eruption a split second after it went off, temporarily deafening the duo. The blast wave rolled over the pair, Janey’s clothes becoming singed by the heat while Twilight's backpack nearly came alight.

Janey was first to rise, the human awkwardly stumbling past Twilight and opening the door to the tunnel. Twilight followed after her, the deathclaw shaken and shellshocked from the strength of the explosion. Once in the tunnel, Janey spun the door closed before dropping another mine by the door, just off to the side.

While awkwardly limping back towards the light, Janey pulled a handful of grenades from her bag and stuffed them into her pockets. Twilight barely seemed cognizant of what was going on but regained her bearings by the time they reached the midway point. The ringing had begun to fade, allowing the deathclaw to hear as the door behind them opened to reveal one of the shotgun-wielding legion soldiers.

He stopped short of the mine and was about to duck around the corner when Twilight grabbed the explosive with her magic and threw it at him. The man released a cry of confusion before his torso was blown apart, turning everything from his neck to his hips into a fine red mist. His sudden death barely even seemed to startle his friends, who stepped over his remains and advanced into the tunnel.

“Incinerator and rifle, forward, flamers behind!” shouted the familiar voice of Vulpes Inculta.

Twilight cast a flurry of magic missiles aimed at the incinerator-wielding soldier. Though they all struck true and the legionnaire did seem injured, his heavy armor saved him from the worst of it. Shrugging off the strange attack, he strode forward, unleashing a trio of fireballs all aimed at Twilight.

Beside him crouched a rifle-wielding legion scout, the man kneeling with his weapon pressed firmly against his shoulder. Janey glanced back just in time to see him aim squarely at her chest, giving the courier enough time to squeeze off a single wild shot. Thankfully Twilight's magic helped guide the bullet squarely between the eyes of the soldier, killing him before he even had a chance to pull the trigger.

Twilight wasn't faring any better, as two of the three fireballs struck her in the back while the third splashed against the ground next to her. Crying out in confused pain, Twilight sprinted towards the light, her efforts to cast some kind of spell to cover their retreat. Janey cursed, and ran as fast as she could after the deathclaw, though she was slowed significantly by her wounded leg.

“Rifle right, flame squad advance left! Double time!” Yelled the authoritative voice of Vulpes Inculta.

Janey cursed repeatedly under her breath as she heard a squad of soldiers begin sprinting at her. While they ran she heard the ping of rifle rounds bouncing off the walls and floor. She was nearing the exit and had started to think herself lucky when a round tore through her already injured leg causing her to stumble and fall through the lights.

Thankfully Twilight's panic had passed and she once more pulled Janey out of the line of fire. Laying on the ground, Janey grabbed all the grenades she had in her pockets and thrust them at Twilight. The deathclaw knew what to do, and took them all in her magic, pulled their pins, and threw them through the opening.

On the other side of the wall of light, the half-blind legion soldiers were startled to hear the tinkling of frag grenades bouncing near their feet. Most turned and ran on instinct, but one stopped and tried to kick the closest grenade away. The last thing that soldier thought before a peice of shrapnel tore through his throat was ‘How did the explosive move to avoid my foot?’

“Short fuse out! Wounded to the side! Reform!” Vulpes ordered.

Twilight dragged Janey towards the other side of the well-lit room, stopping when she saw several sticks of dynamite fly past the quartet of shining shop lights. Raising her hand and activating her magic, Twilight tried to throw the explosives back through the door. Unfortunately, they exploded before they could get far, fortunately, they only took out the lights.

“Stay here, hold the door. I’ll lock it down!” Janey shouted, rising into an awkward, one-legged hop.

Twilight wanted to argue, only for an idea to pop into her head.

The legion soldiers advanced into the light room only to stop when a sentry bot rolled through the entrance to the final room of the vault, firing a hail of bullets in their direction. Though the robot was oddly quiet, the soldiers fell back behind cover, stopping their advance at least temporarily.

“Launcher, forward!” shouted Vulpes.

A second later a rocket whizzed through the fake robot before slamming into the projector screen and exploding. The bot’s shape distorted before coming apart, the illusion dissipating into nothing.

“Ignore their tricks! Advance! For Caesar and the legion!” Vulpes bellowed.

A cry went up, and the soldiers charged out from behind cover. Twilight lit her horn, and prepared herself to cast another magic missile when the exit door suddenly slammed shut. A clunk was heard, and the barrier was sealed. Her horn’s glow fell away a moment later and Twilight turned to see Janey awkwardly hop back into the main area, a stimpack in one hand.

“Heal, and regroup,” Janey ordered.

Twilight dropped her bag behind cover and produced a stimpack of her own. Stabbing it into her leg, Twilight enjoyed the warm sensation for a moment before giving her head a shake and looking to Janey.

The courier had just finished using her own stimpack when the first explosion rocked the room. The door bulged inward but seemed to hold, smoke wafting through several small holes punched in the metal.

“What's the plan?” Twilight asked.

“I’m leaving a pile of explosives here,” Janey began, dumping an armload of grenades and mines near the exit. “You toss them at them the moment they break through. After that well… let's just hope that kills most of them.”

“These guys are way smarter than the last bunch,” Twilight pointed out.

“Vulpes may be a right bastard, but he isn't stupid,” Janey replied, slamming a fresh clip into her pistol and raising it. “He knew where we were going, and just how to counter us.”

Twilight frowned, her mind going back to Novac, and the many half-remembered faces that she had glimpsed amongst the crowd. Her recall was, as usual, almost perfect, with the deathclaw able to remember a man that had stood away from the group, partially hidden by shadow. It had been Vulpes, the man having had disguised himself as a traveller in order to walk boldly amongst the people of Novac. Twilight kicked herself for not recognizing him earlier, the deathclaw having been so focused on the trial that she had barely given any of the many faces so much as a second glance.

She was about to voice her realization to Janey only for another explosion to tear the door right off and send it flying. Legion soldiers surged through the opening, firing pistols, caravan shotguns, and rusty laser weapons wildly. 

“For Caesar, and the legion!” the shouted chaoticly.

Twilight reacted immediately, priming the pile and tossing it at the onrushing group, unleashing everything they had.

“Wait, stop!” Janey intruded.

The grenades and mines struck true, turning the first wave of soldiers into so much steaming piles of meat and gore. Confused, Twilight glanced over to Janey.

“They were cannon fodder!” Janey shouted. “They didn't even have armor!”

Twilight looked back in horror as the true soldiers strode through the opening, unleashing a wave of fire as they did so. The deathclaw tried to fire back with a flurry of magic missiles, but a surge of panic destroyed her focus and left her stumbling backward. Though she avoided getting burned, Twilight inadvertently got in the way of Janey’s shot, forcing the courier to recoil lest she shoot her ally in the back.

Together the pair fell back behind the cover of the still closed section of wall, both hunkered down out of sight. They gathered themselves and were prepared to charge back out of cover when they realized something. The legion soldiers had stopped moving.

“Give yourselves up,” Vulpes demanded. “You have no hope of success, nor of escape.”

“So? Better to die than surrender to the legion,” Janey shouted back.

“I promise I won't kill you,” Vulpes exclaimed, his tone low and snake-like. “In fact. I won't have either of you killed.”

“I…” Janey began, only to pause. “What are your demands?”

“Step out from behind that wall so that we may speak as equals first. We can discuss terms after,” Vulpes demanded.

Twilight lit her horns and nodded.

A silent duplicate of Janey stepped out from behind cover only to receive a bullet between the eyes almost immediately. The spell failed and the illusion vanished, the copy looking confused before turning into wisps of energy.

“Your tricks won't work on me,” Vulpes exclaimed. “Now come out, or I will burn you out.”

Twilight glanced nervously at Janey. The courier grit her teeth and glanced down at her gun then back over her shoulder.

“Four,” Vulpes began. “Three, two-”

“Alright,” Janey interrupted, limping back around the corner with her arms raised above her head. “You win.”

Twilight hesitantly followed after her friend, raising her own arms above her head.

“If either of them moves, or starts glowing, turn them to ash,” Vulpes ordered.

A pair of flamer-wielding soldiers stepped forward, aiming their weapons at either one of the duo. Now out of cover, Twilight could see that only eight of the soldiers remained, two flamers, two riflemen, the incinerator-wielding legionnaire, a pair of recruits, and Vulpes himself. Though their numbers weren't significant, they were all arrayed before them in a rough line, guns raised. Leaving little chance that anything the two wastelanders tried would be successful.

“What now?” Janey muttered bitterly.

“Now? I chain the monster up, give you a nice new collar, and after that haul you back to Caesar himself,” Vulpes replied with a smirk.

“Why not kill us right here and now?” Janey asked.

“Yes, that would seem more logical,” Twilight added.

“It- it talked!” stammered one of the recruits.

“Grow a spine, soldier. The voice is mechanical, it came from the collar,” Vulpes growled.

The younger man gripped his weapon with both hands, stopping the gun from shaking.

“Yes, that would be more logical, however, Caesar seems keenly interested in your pet abomination. He even seemed to indicate that he knows it from somewhere,” Vulpes replied cooly before turning to Janey. “You, however, are to become the personal property of Caesar himself.”

“I am no one’s property,” Janey retorted.

“Not yet you aren't,” Vulpes exclaimed, drawing a metal collar from a pocket and tossing it at the feet of the courier. “But you will be in a moment.”

“I am not putting that on,” Janey stated.

Twilight growled in support.

“Silence, beast,” Vulpes retorted.

Twilight bit her tongue but glared silently at the man.

“You will put it on, or I will shoot you in the gut, and while you are lying on the ground, bleeding and crying, I will put it on you,” Vulpes stated, quite matter-of-factly.

Janey and Vulpes stared at one another for several quiet moments before Janey bent down.

“Janey, no. You can't,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Getting shot in the gut is not a pleasant experience princess,” Janey replied simply.

The courier rose to a stand, collar in hand. She looked down at it and sighed in defeat.

“Hurry up,” Vulpes demanded. “I will not have my moment of glory forestalled for even a second longer!”

Janey took one final breath and raised the collar to her neck. Before she could clamp it in place, a loud bang ripped through the room. The flamer-wielding legionnaire standing before Twilight suddenly fell to the ground, the top half of his head having been torn clean off. A second round disemboweled one of the recruits, dropping him to his knees, and leaving him scrambling to stuff his intestines back into his midsection.

There was a cry of wordless, unholy rage from the door before all of a sudden a stetson-wearing human with dark skin and a sledgehammer in her hands came barrelling through the entrance. She wore combat armor under the tattered leather clothing of a ranch hand. A slave collar like the kind Janey had in her hands adorned the hammer-wielding woman’s neck. The only small visual flare to the woman’s apparel was three small red apples that had been painted on the side of the collar.

“Applejack?” Twilight muttered.
> Democracy Inaction: Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mystery woman hurtled into the room and slammed her weapon down on the flamer-wielding man’s right shoulder. His armor crumpled, bones shattered, and the man fell to the ground in a screaming heap. He wasn't in pain for much longer though as the woman drew her hammer back and crushed his skull against the ground in a single titanic slam.

Utilizing the moment of terror and confusion that had fallen over them, Twilight surged forward and bisected the incinerator-wielding soldier with a crackling, lightning-wreathed claw. She took a shot to the side from the sole remaining recruit before grabbing the human in her magic and dragging him over to her. The deathclaw met him halfway, and sliced him from shoulder to hip, cutting off his arms and digging deep bloody trenches in his torso.

The riflemen flanking Vulpes fell back alongside their commander, firing shots at Twilight and the new arrival. Both simply shrugged off the attacks, with Twilight ignoring the pain that bloomed in her side while the stranger got lucky and was only hit on her heavily armored chest. Seeing an opening, Janey dropped the collar, and drew her pistol, emptying it into the rifleman attacking Twilight.

Though almost every single shot was absorbed by the heavy armor he wore, one lucky round punched through his cheek and out the back of his throat. With blood pouring into his lungs, the rifleman dropped his weapon and clutched at his neck, desperately trying to stem the flow. Though he had lost almost all of his soldiers in a matter of seconds, Vulpes remained collected, firing his automatic ten millimeter pistol at Janey.

The courier threw herself to the side the moment she saw the gun aimed at her, though she was too late to avoid all of the incoming fire. Three rounds dug into her legs, a fourth into her gut and a fifth caught her in the shoulder though the rest went wide or bounced off her armor. Landing in a heap, Janey bit her lip and muffled the cry of agony that was so desperate to spill from her.

A loud bang dropped the final rifleman to his knees, the shot blowing through one of his kneecaps. The moment he hit the ground, the mystery woman struck him with a sideways two-handed strike, nearly taking his head clean from his shoulders. Dead before he even hit the ground, the legionnaire released one final gurgle before falling still.

Vulpes growled and turned his gun on the hammer-wielding woman only to have the weapon wrenched from his grip by a strange glowing field. Twilight took the submachine gun from her magic and crushed it in one mighty, clawed hand.

“Give up,” Twilight ordered. “There is no point in resisting.”

“Hmmm, I suppose there isn't,” Vulpes mused.

“What are you doin'?” demanded the new arrival. “Scum like him don't deserve to live.”

“But scum like her, do,” Twilight replied, gesturing to Janey. “Help her while I tie up our new prisoner.”

“And if I don't surrender?” Vulpes asked.

“I’ll rip off your arms and beat you to death with them,” Twilight growled back.

For once, the legion soldier lost his usual bravado, as well as his seemingly permanent cocky smile

“Fine,” he muttered, raising his hands. “I know when I am bested.”

Boone strolled into the room, rifle on his shoulder, and a frown on his face.

“I would be disappointed you took him prisoner if I wasn't unsurprised,” Boone remarked. “This one ain't like those other legion fucks though. He’s a real ideologue, not just some brainwashed kid with a machete.”

“We can lecture Princess here later. For now, help me staunch the bleeding,” interrupted the woman.

Boone threw his rifle over his back and crouched down next to Janey.

Seeing that her courier friend was in good hands. Twilight used her magic to retrieve the collar from the other side of the room. She then tossed it at the feet of Vulpes.

“Put it on,” Twilight ordered.

“You can't be serious,” Vulpes retorted.

“I am, but first now that I’m thinking about it. Hold still,” Twilight pressed.

Vulpes stood there, too confused to do anything.

A moment later everything he was wearing above his waist was removed, torn into a million pieces by a glowing aura.

“Now put it on,” Twilight ordered.

“How did you do that?” Vulpes muttered in confusion, glancing down at his now naked arms.

“Because I’m a princess, bitch,” Twilight retorted. “Now put it on!”

Vulpes reluctantly did as he was told, the man standing there, stripped to his waist with a slave collar fastened around his throat.

“Ha, good one Princess,” Janey muttered.

“Please don't talk. You have been shot. Repeatedly I might add,” Twilight pointed out.

“This might just be the med-ex talking but I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine,” Janey replied.

“She will be,” Boone stated. “The stim packs are doing their work, but she should still see a real doctor unless she wants to end up with a limp. Or worse.”

“That's good,” Twilight exclaimed, glancing expectantly at the dark-skinned woman.

“I can tell you wanna talk,” the sledgehammer wielder replied, gesturing to Vulpes. “But now ain't the time. ‘Specially if we’re gonna be takin that shit heap with us.”

“Right,” Twilight agreed.

Boone grabbed Janey by the shoulders and lifted her back up. Once on her own two feet, the courier swayed briefly before seemingly stabilizing herself. Giving them a thumbs up and a goofy smile, Janey stumbled back towards the exit.

“I’ll come back to loot these fuckers later. For now, let's just go get that drink I mentioned,” Janey exclaimed.

“So we’re doing this. We’re really bringing  Vulpes in, alive,” Boone half asked half stated.

“I don't like it any more than you do,” stated the dark-skinned woman. “But I know better than to argue when the princess gets a bee in her bonnet.”

Twilight grinned from ear to ear.

“How revolting,” Vulpes muttered bitterly.

“Don't mean we can't rough him up a little though,” added the mystery woman, punching Vulpes in the bread basket with enough force to briefly lift him into the air.

Twilight rolled her eyes, and though she wanted to admonish Applejack for her wanton act of violence, the deathclaw resisted. She also resisted her own urge to do worse to him, her mind already imagining what it would be like to tear him limb from bloody limb while he was still alive. The strange, animalistic part of Twilight reveled in this idea and pressed her to imagine how he may taste.

A firm shake of her head dismissed those thoughts from Twilight's mind and she glanced down at the dry heaving man lying face down on the ground.

“Alright, get up. We’re bringing you to…” Twilight paused. “Wait, where would we be bringing him to? We can't leave him in Novac.”

“Ranger Station Charlie is the closest and most secure location in the area,” Boone replied, stooping low and grabbing a small electronic device from the ground. “Good. He kept the detonator.”

“I’ll trust you not to accidentally sit on it,” Twilight remarked.

“I’ll try not to, but no promises,” Boone shot back with a smirk.

“Wonderful,” Vulpes muttered between gasps. “Now my executioner is some weakling profligate and not a sapient monster.”

“At least he got the sapient part right,” Twilight murmured to herself.

“Get moving ya varmint,” growled the strange woman.

“And keep in front of me where I can see you,” Boone ordered, gesturing towards the exit “One wrong step out of line and I will turn that neck of yours into a smoking crater.”

Vulpes grumbled but reluctantly did as he was ordered, leaving Twilight alone with who she assumed was a dear friend.

“You are Applejack, right?” Twilight asked somewhat hesitantly.

“I go by Jack these days, but yeah. I’m her,” Applejack replied, opening her arms. “Bring it in, princess.”

Twilight surged forward and picked the smaller female right off the ground and gave her a bone-crushing hug. Jack gave one right back, the pair nearly squeezing the life out of each other before Twilight finally relented and put the woman back down.

“Stars above am I happy to hear that. I was beginning to lose hope of finding any of the girls!” Twilight exclaimed.

“The feeling’s mutual, but how about we continue this conversation after we’re outta this blasted vault and on the road?” Jack asked. “I’d feel a might bit better if I could keep an eye on that snake in the grass Vulpes and I ain't a fan of enclosed spaces.”

“Agreed,” Twilight stated.

The pair set off, making their way back through the vault and to the entrance, where they found the other three waiting for them. Vulpes stood in front, the man sporting a shiny new black eye, and several broken fingers.

“He tried to grab a gun,” Boone remarked flatly.

“I still say we should just amputate his hands,” Janey added. “Let's see him do much of anything without any goddamn fingers.”

Vulpes glared bitterly at the pair but remained silent.

“That's a bit much much… well actually,” Twilight thought only to shake her head. “No. He's no threat now.”

“Get moving, scum,” Boone spat.

Vulpes trudged angrily out of the vault and towards the distant exit, Boone and Janey hot on his heels. Twilight and Jack took up the rear, following the other trio closely until they emerged out into the world once more, and began to make their way towards the road. By then the sun had begun its descent towards the west, passing over the highest point in the sky and marking the time as mid-afternoon.

“So,” Twilight eagerly began. “Tell me everything about what happened since you got here!”

“Everything? That's gonna take a while,” Jack muttered.

“Oh? I’m assuming you’ve been on a fair number of adventures as well then,” Twilight exclaimed.

“I wouldn't call what I went through a bloody adventure,” Jack spat, with a scowl.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to imply it was easy or anything it's just well, you know,” Twilight replied with a shrug.

“I get ya,” Jack murmured. “Before getting dropped here all we knew was adventure. Saving Equestria from Discord, Sombra, never mind the pony who started it all, Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight smiled.

“Weird to think it ended with us in a place like this,” Jack murmured.

Twilight nodded her agreement. 

The deathclaw was about to press her friend to continue the story, only for a thought to occur to her.

“Wait, why didn't you seek me out sooner? From what I understand our broadcast was sent across the wasteland,” Twilight asked somewhat hesitantly. “I know you don't have a pip boy but well…”

“To start with, yes I heard it,” Jack began.

Twilight had to physically bite her tongue to stop herself from pressing Applejack any harder. The strained expression on the dark-skinned woman’s face told of an inner conflict, one that Twilight didn't want to rush.

“It came over the radio once when I stopped in at Freeside,” Jack remarked. “I knew right then and there that it was you. Nobody else would challenge the whole damn Mojave to a fight and mean every last word.”

“Then why didn't you search for me? You must have known we’d be headed towards Novac,” Twilight pressed.

“I’ve had my own damn problems thank you very much,” Jack shot back, only to sigh. “It was just nice knowin' you were out there somewhere, rightin' wrongs, and beatin' the bad guys like the old days.”

“But-” 

“I’m getting there,” Jack shot back, holding up a hand. “I didn't seek you out cus yer a goddamn magic deathclaw Twilight. You may not be an alicorn anymore but you're still the toughest bastard this side of the colorado.”

“I’ll have you know I was born in wedlock,” Twilight stated. “Shining Armor though… not so much.”

“I.. really?” Jack stopped and chuckled. “Well, now you done knocked the wind right outa my sails.”

“If you want I can pretend I didn't say that,” Twilight offered.

“Nah,” Jack dismissed. “I’m just gonna cut right to the heart of the matter.”

The woman sighed deeply.

“Frankly, I was mad at you,” Jack admitted.

“What?” Twilight asked, confused.

“I don't see hide nor hair of you after all this time, and then you just pop up outta nowhere like nothing ever happened. I thought you were dead. I thought all the girls were dead and then I found out you were alive this whole time and you never sought me out?” Jack exclaimed, arms wrapping about her midsection. “It was devastating.”

“What are you talking about? I started looking for you the moment I got here,” Twilight shot back.

“What? How could you lie to my face like that? We both know that isn't true!” Jack yelled, stopping and facing the deathclaw.

“Appleja-”

“Just Jack,” Jack Interrupted.

“Jack,” Twilight exclaimed in a soft tone. “I know you don't have the element anymore but I also know you can see right through me when I try to lie.”

“Where ya going with this, pardner?” Jack demanded.

“Just trust me okay, trust me when I say that I started searching the second I escaped that bunker and found out where I was,” Twilight stated.

“I believe you, but what is this about a bunker?” Jack asked.

“I was trapped in some kind of underground facility, I woke up there,” Twilight explained. “I couldn't get out on my own at first but thankfully I was able to talk Janey into helping me escape.”

“The courier. She helped you of her own free will,” Jack asked, incredulously. 

“Yeah. She let me out and we’ve been traveling ever since,” Twilight pressed. “I know I haven't made the best time getting here from Goodsprings but I couldn't just, not help those folks. You know me, it isn't in my nature.”

“Wait wait wait,” Jack interrupted, waving her hands. “How long were you stuck down there?”

“I don't know. A few hours, I think. But I was in this big machine before that, so I’m not sure,” Twilight muttered.

“Twilight, I’ve been here for years,” Jack stated.

“What?” Twilight murmured, her shoulders falling slack.

“You’ve been in some kinda stasis thing or something,” Jack replied. “I’ve been fightin’ to survive out here for going on… shoot. Two, two and a half years?”

“N-no. That can't be true,” Twilight muttered. “We’ve only been here a month or two.”

Jack shook her head. 

“Think back to that machine, what did it look like?” Jack asked.

“There were six tubes, two against each of the three walls,” Twilight murmured, eyes closed. “They were big enough to hold a manticore and in the middle of them there was this operating table thing.”

“You were in some kind of cryo whatever,” Jack remarked with a shrug. “I don't know the specifics or whatever but it musta kept you asleep until something failed. If I’m gettin the jist of things, it seems like this Janey girlie drew power away from whatever was keepin' ya under.”

“Which would explain why I woke up right before she showed up,” Twilight reasoned.

“Eeyup, that's what I’m thinkin',” Jack declared.

“Two years,” Twilight muttered. “I can't believe it's been that long. The girls could be anywhere by now.”

“Hey, we survived, didn't we? I’m sure they’re out there, somewhere,” Jack exclaimed.

“Right, and now we can search for them together!” Twilight proclaimed excitedly.

“No can do pardner,” Jack replied. “I’m looking for somethin’ even more important.”

“More important than our friends?” Twilight pressed.

“I’m looking for my daughters Twilight,” Jack answered grimly. “They got taken from me after I escaped the legion. Sick fucks welded this thing on before I left.”

Jack tapped her collar twice in emphasis.

“But you didn't have a special somepony when we were in Equestria… oh no,” Twilight whispered.

“I didn't much have a choice in the matter of me having kids or not,” Jack retorted. “But I’ll be damned if I don't give those two girls a choice.”

“I’ll help you,” Twilight immediately offered. “I’m sure with Janey and I, we could find them in no time!”

“Look I appreciate seein' ya again. Really, I do. And I appreciate the offer to help but yer about as conspicuous as a pissed-off hydra,” Jack shot back. “I can't have you helpin’ me.”

“But I’ve got my magic back. Maybe I could figure out how to cast some kind of divination spell or something,” Twilight urged.

“Twi. Do you really think you could do that?” Jack pressed back.

“Well, maybe I could… I mean if I…” Twilight sighed. “No, I can't. I’m basically back to magic kindergarten. I can barely cast anything stronger than telekinesis.”

“It's sure as heck more than what most folk can muster,” Jack remarked. “And I don't mean to poke ya, I ain't mad. Not anymore, anyway. It's just that you’d spook ‘em and if they went to ground again I may not get a lead like this again.”

“I know,” Twilight murmured. “I just… I can't believe we’re splitting up so soon.”

“Oh come on. We ain't splittin' up that quick,” Jack replied, punching Twilight in the shoulder. “We got a few hours to kill. Plenty of time to catch up.”

“I suppose. I just wish it didn't have to be this way,” Twilight added with a soft huff.

“Hey, look at this way. We each got our missions. You’ve gotta find our friends, I gotta find my girls and when we get it done, we can start tryin' to figure out a way home,” Jack offered.

“True,” Twilight admitted. “Say, you don't happen to remember anything about right after we arrived do you?” Twilight asked, the deathclaw turning and starting to walk again.

Jack followed after her.

“There wasn't much. Just these weird machines, some kinda great big crater, and what looked like a floating TV with these long spindly arms,” Jack answered with a shrug. “Honestly I ain't so sure I didn't dream up the whole damn thing.”

“And after that?” Twilight inquired.

“After that, I woke up on the wrong side of the Colorado River. Ran for a bit, fought for a bit, and then… I lost,” Jack murmured. “But in the end, I got out. Lost all the friends I made along the way but me and the girls, we got outta that hell hole in one piece.”

“What happened to them, your girls that is, after that?” Twilight pressed.

“We trusted the wrong folk, and my girls and I nearly got sold back,” Jack murmured wistfully, her gaze distant and unfocused. “I didn't have much of a choice but to trust them snake in a grass assholes, but it still does irk me to know that they took advantage of me like that.”

“The legion… then me hanging that slaver may have ruined everything,” Twilight whispered in shock.

“Nah. If anything you helped. They’re gonna think twice before they try to contact the legion and they’ll be avoidin’ the major settlements,” Jack remarked. “You may not have helped much on that one, but you sure didn't hurt us none either.”

“Oh, okay,” Twilight muttered.

“Buck up Twi,” Jack declared, gently slapping Twilight on the shoulder. “This Boone fella seems like a real stand-up guy, and he hates the legion somethin' fierce. He’ll be good help.”

“I have no doubt he will. He’s quite the shot,” Twilight replied.

“No kidding. Took that legion fuck’s brain pan clear outta his head,” Jack added with a chuckle. “Better than that shit deserved, but at least he ain't out there making the world a worse place anymore.”

“Y-yeah,” Twilight murmured, only to perk up. “Wait, we could meet back up at Goodsprings when this is all over! I own the old school house there and you could stay for as long as you want. It's a great little community. It reminds me a bit of Ponyville, in a strange way.”

“Goodsprings eh?” Jack mused. “I only ever passed through that place. Didn't even stay long enough to see the inside of the local watering hole. I’ll make sure to stop a little longer this time.”

“Oh wait, how will you get in contact with me though?” Twilight asked.

“You’re a ten-foot tall talkin', magic usin deathclaw. It's hard not to know where yer at,” Jack retorted. “Now enough of all this serious talk. I want you to tell me all about this Janey girl. Something about her just don't sit quite right.”

“Well…” Twilight began.