> Fallout Equestria: Falling Ashes
>  by MH148
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Ranger (rewritten)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the gunmetal gray ceiling of her “cell.” The closet that was emptied out for her to stay in. As she lay on the floor and stared up she went over in her mind how she got to where she is, she went back to when she was a scribe and decided to change to a knight. She remembered how she towered over everyone else, she had always been a big mare. The scribes had to build a whole new Type 45 suit for her, then eventually Type 51 when she became Paladin. 

She then remembered how she became a Paladin. It had taken her years to finally get an above ground mission. She was tasked with helping a scribe and a paladin get to an old factory so they could get some above field experience. 


***


“How long till we get there?” Ash asked while looking along the ditch.
The Paladin beside her sighed
“You can see the building we are going to if you would look up.”

Ash looked up from the ditch to see an old, crumbling Ironshod Factory. As they got closer she could see the concrete crumbling away to reveal rusted metal rods which once held the concrete together. 

As they neared the front doors the Paladin told them to stop
“There will be security robots and turrets inside. Scribe stay behind the Knight, Knight you stay behind me. Got it?”
“Yes Paladin!” Ash replied excitedly.

The Paladin kicked open the doors and leveled his missile launcher and minigun forward for any resistance. When none came he lowered them and looked back.

“Must not have activated yet, careful with what you touch or you will activate them”

He turned back and started to walk inside. Ash followed while looking at every bit of the factory. The cracked tile floors were once a beautiful shiny grey, now nearly black from years of dust. Her eyes traveled up the walls following the many cracks in the drywall and paint. The paint was once a lively white, now turned yellow from age.

“So what are we looking for Paladin?” Ash asked while looking at the walls.

“We’re not looking for anything specifically. You two need more fieldwork before you can get promoted.”
 
They make their way into an assembly area where a 
Mister Handy floated over to them.

“Welcome, do you have your Employee ID?” The Handy asked with a claw stretched out and open.
The Paladin walked forward
“No we uh.. lost them. Yea lost them.” He said as he started spinning the barrels of his minigun, ready to fire.

“All employees have been warned to wear Employee IDs at all times or it could be fatal.” The Mister Handy stated as it raised an arm which carried a miniature flamethrower.

Alarms started to go off and sections of walls slid out of the way around then revealing Robronco Sentinels. The sentinels started to power on and roll forward out of the hidden sections of the walls as the Paladin’s minigun began to fire. Most of the lead just bounced harmlessly off their frontal armor and into the walls around them.

Ash shoved the scribe back through the door they came from. The Paladin started backing up while still firing his minigun. His minigun clicked and he slammed the door shut then started running alongside Ash and the scribe while reloading the minigun’s drum.

They ran up several flights of stairs and through the office section of the building, dodging more Robronco security robots as they went. They reached a door marked CEO and went inside then barricaded the door with whatever they could move.

“So much for not angering the bots.” Ash said between pants.
“Shut up. Scribe check the terminal on the desk, see if you can shut everything down.” The Paladin said while checking his ammo reserves.

The scribe walked over to the desk and moved a body off of the terminal using magic and set it on the ground. 

“Terminal is busted, might be one where the bots go to recharge.” The Scribe said while pulling out every drawer.
“That’s a good way to die.” Ash said as she went through some books on shelves which went along all sides of the room. 

The Paladin took off his helmet and rubbed his head.
“No other way out of here unless you want to jump out the window.”
Ash looked over at the Scribe.
“Doesn’t our armor protect us from falling? If the Scribe can levitate himself we can get out.”
The scribe looked down nervously and kicked at the worn and faded red carpet.
“I uh.. can’t levitate anything bigger than a terminal.”
The Paladin rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself.
“Goddesses damnit.”

The Paladin puts his helmet back on and checks his weapons.
“Then we have to fight our way out, make sure your weapons are loaded.”
Ash looked over her weapons before saying.
“I’m loaded, I don’t think the scribe should go with us out there.”
The Paladin looked at the scribe then back to ash before speaking.
“It’s the only way out. Before we do, what are your names, I am Paladin Fire Hoof.”
Ash looked to Fire before saying.
“Ash Blossom.”
She then looked to the scribe.
“I’m Shadow Mane.”

Paladin Fire went to the door and tried to look through a dirty window in it.
“Cant see anything but the alarms are still going.”
Scribe Shadow pulls an energy pistol from his flank and floats it close to his head while keeping the emitter towards the ground as he goes to the door.

Paladin Fire fully opened the door and went out, Fire and Ash could see a lot of red ticks on their EFS, the compass was almost completely red. 

The Paladin and Knight went down the hall, Scribe Shadow stayed behind them. They checked doors as they walked but the offices on that floor were strangely empty. They made their way back to the stairs, an orange light was rotating on the wall, a speaker was below it blaring the alarm.

Fire let off a short burst from his minigun until the speaker stopped emitting noise. Ash spoke up as they continued their way down the stairs.

“Are we just leaving or are we still trying to find the schematics?”

“We will look in the manufacturing floor, if nothing is there then we are leaving.” Paladin Fire replied as they got to a door.

He opened it and was greeted with a large robot who spun to look at him. He shouted and jumped back through the door as the robot fired a minigun mounted to it’s arm.

“Fucking Sentinels!”

He backed up enough for Ash to have a clear shot of the door for when it tried to come through. The giant robot rolled through the doorway, knocking the door off its hinges. Ash and Fire let loose with their miniguns before it had a chance to fire it’s own. It exploded in sparks after they hit it’s talismans somewhere inside it’s middle section. Scribe Shadow looked inside the robot's middle then it’s arms, pulling ammunition out, as well as a spark battery. He gives a missile to Fire and some 5mm to Ash before pocketing the battery.

Fire goes through the door and looks around, he signals it’s clear then Ash follows him though, Shadow following close behind.

“We should look for a security terminal and see if we can shut down the alarms.” Ash suggested while looking through a broken door into an office.

“Unless you have a map it’ll be easier to just grab what we came for and go.” Shadow said behind her

Ash went into an office and started to go through drawers looking for anything important. Shadow went in after her and sat in the chair and started trying to hack a terminal, fire stood by the door while looking out into the hallway.

“Is this really the time to be reading emails scribe?” Fire asked while making sure nothing snuck up behind them.

“There’s nothing around here and there could be something important since it’s a work terminal, besides I’m already in.”

Fire stayed quiet as he read, Ash moved onto another desk after only finding some old papers that were not important.

“Hey Fire, there’s a hidden file here.” Shadow said excitedly.

“Well what is it then?”

Shadow skimmed it before replying. “This place was selling shit to the zebras, the pony here was talking with someone else about reporting to the MoM about it.”

“Hmm could explain why there are sentinels here, usually it’s just Handies and Ponytrons, anything else?”

Ash came back to them with a folder on her back.
“Found a technical document, no clue what it is.”

Shadow took it with his magic and looked through it.
“Eh it’s one we have but we should take it anyway.”

Fire went back out into the hallway and looked down the row of doors. “We aren’t searching all these, we’ve already wasted enough time.”

“Yea yea but the email mentioned a managers office on floor two, said there could be zebra items there and they were going to try and sneak in.” Shadow said while he checked the energy cell in his laser pistol.

Fire made his way back to the stairway and went down, he skipped floor three and went straight down to level two. Ash stayed beside him while having her armor reload her weapons.

Alarms got louder as they got to the door for floor two, Fire went up to the door and as he reached for the handle it bursts open and a Handy smacked a buzz saw to his helmet, Fire ducked below it and shoved it up and into the ceiling as his minigun spun up.

The Handy hit the floor then floated back up to eye level and spun to point it’s flamer at him but was thrown against a wall by a shower of lead.

Fire and Ash went out into the hallway to find two Sentinels staring them down. Ash fired 40mm grenades at them while Fire let loose a missile, both fell and a third fired their missile launcher at Fire’s back, sending him across the hallway, ash spun and saw bolts of red laser flying at the giant robot.

The sentinel started to fire it’s minigun at Shadow who was hiding in the stairwell, while it was distracted she let loose with her 5mm minigun.

The robot turned to look at her and she finished it with a grenade, Shadow ran past her and to where Fire was thrown to. Ash turned to look at them, Fire was getting up despite the scribe’s protests.

“You need to stay still till your armor can fully heal you.” He said while he opened his rear panel and poured a healing potion into his medical unit.

“We don’t have the time for this shit, there’s going to be more of them and I can run off a Med-X.” He grunted through the pain.

“Do you know how much that can ruin your muscles and nerves?” Shadow said while trying to push Fire back to the ground but failing to.

He started to walk down the hallway again and around a corner, Ash noticed he was limping. She rounded the corner with him to see a door at the end of a hall, more doors lined the hall, probably more offices.

They made their way to the door and went inside. The room looked a lot like the office they first ran to get away from the bots. Ash wondered if every floor had one of these rooms. 

Shadow went to the desk and started going through a terminal that sat on it.

“More hidden files on this one, a few include how much they were getting from dealing with the stripes.” Shadow said as his magic went across the keyboard.

“I can shut down the lockdown but for some reason only on this level, nothing else important here.” He clicked a button and the alarms stopped blaring outside the room.

Fire went out into the hallway while talking. “The manufacturing floor likely is multiple stories, if it is connected to this floor maybe it also stopped in there.”

Ash followed him out of the room. “Doubt it, why are we going there? Wouldn’t anything important be in a higher up’s office?”

Fire made his way to the stairs while he replied. “There might be some ammunition there and spark batteries, both are important.”

Shadow ran up to them as they just left him in the office. “I think we should just leave, we haven’t found much so far other than a schematic we already have in our collection.”

Fire looked back, he sounded annoyed. “We are not going back with nothing, do you know how bad that would look for us?”

Shadow’s ears folded back and he looked towards the ground. “Y-yea sorry.”

All three made it back to level one, they could hear alarms again. Ash and Fire went into the hall looking for more bots, after seeing nothing signaled Shadow then  they made their way towards an industrial sliding door.

Fire went to the door and pressed the button to move it, with a hiss the door slid into the ceiling and floor. An explosive hit him in the chest sending him into a wall, the ceiling above him collapsed.

Ash started firing grenades into the doorway, they bounced off the frame before exploding. Shadow ran over to Fire and started pulling rubble off of him the best he could without armor. 

Ash went to the door and smacked the control panel to close it then went to Fire, she got under a large chunk that was pinning him and lifted up. Shadow pulled Fire out and pulled his helmet off.

Ash lowered the rubble slowly so more wouldn’t fall onto them. Shadow looked up at her.

“He’s gone, we need to go back.”

Ash went to him and crouched down so Shadow could get him onto her back, some of her servos whined from the extra weight.

The sliding door Ash sealed exploded out of it’s track and a Handy floated through the smoke and started firing it’s 10mm gun at them. Ash shoved Shadow towards the reception area and fired grenades at it then retreated.

They rounded a corner and a Ponytron smacked it’s hoof into Shadow's chest, Shadow flew back into Ash, she heard a loud crack and he let out a loud wheeze as air escaped his lungs.

Ash spooled up her minigun then fired it into the ponytron’s head as it walked to them, it’s head exploded and dorks went everywhere as it’s internals were destroyed.

Ash stood up and tossed the injured scribe onto her back and went out the door.
> Chapter 2: Betrayal (rewritten)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After she finished reminiscing about what made her Paladin her mind pulled her to what was going to make her lose it.

Paladin Ash walked along the cracked street, a Star Paladin, Knight, and a Scribe alongside her ahead was a young colt wearing a bright blue jumpsuit.

The Scribe started walking ahead of the patrol. “That Pipbuck needs to be secured.”

Ash started walking faster as well. “Are you saying we should rob a fucking foal?”

The Scribe magicked his laser rifle from its sheath. “It is not robbery, it is our duty to secure technology for Equestria.”

“It won’t even work if you force it off, we don't even have the damn key for it, you’ll just destroy it.” Ash took her helmet off and tried to grab the scribe by their tail but missed.

The scribe pulled the Stable colt to him with magic, his laser rifle shook as he tried to concentrate on both it and the colt. The colt dropped a revolver with a yelp. “What’s your name kid?”

“M-Magnum. Let me go.”

The scribe put his laser rifle’s emitter to his knee above the Pipbuck. “Close your eyes.”

The colt whimpered, Ash ran up to them and smacked her hoof across the side of the head of the Scribe, he fell to the ground and the rifle clattered to the ground. When he didn't get  up she looked at the blood on her hoof, she heard a minigun spin up behind her.


***


As Ash finished her reminiscing the “cell” door opened and she heard a male’s voice. “Get up, you’re going to the Elder.”

Ash was led down the halls to th eElder’s office, they stopped in front of the uniform gunmetal gray doors, they hissed and slid open, she saw him sitting at his elevated desk, she walked up to him and waited for him to talk.

He started to talk without looking away from a terminal. “Paladin Ash, I want you to explain your side of this report.”

“W-well I uh.. we were uh.. we was.”

The Elder his his hoof against his desktop. “I said explain, not make noises.”

Ash cleared her throat and tried again. “We were on patrol and found a stable pony who was new to the wasteland.”

The Elder interrupted. “Yes yes I got that part.”

Ash skipped ahead. “Well the scribe wanted his pipbuck, so they were trying to get it off, he didn’t have the tools to, so they were going to kill him or shoot off his leg to get it. I told them that it would ruin the pip so there was no point.”

“They ignored me and the scribe with us put his laser rifle to the stable pony’s leg, I hit him to try and get him to stop, and now here we are.”

The Elder leaned back in his chair. “Then we will hold a trial for your assault and murder of the scribe, until then you will not be allowed access to your T-51 suit and your rank of Paladin is stripped from you. Go wait in your quarters.”

Ash felt her eyes start to water as he spoke, she turned and ran out of the room and towards her barracks. She decided against it and wiped her eyes and went to look for her friend in the repair room.

When she got to the repair room she found Shadow trying to get a miniguns barrels to turn. She walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.

“Busy, go talk to one of the others.

She tapped again and he looked over his shoulder and got excited.

“Oh Ash! You should’ve said it was you! Did you hear?”

She tilted her head and he clarified. “I’m a Senior Scribe now!”

“Oh that’s great, hey listen do you know where my weapons are?” Ash asked while glancing around.

“Oh they’re in the armory somewhere, your armor I don’t know where it is, why?”

“Eh, my minigun hasn’t been oiled in a while.”

She heard him exhale through his nose. “Because of that I have to try and unlock this one.” He hit his hoof against the minigun behind him, which rolled off the table. He used his magic to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Well at least I remembered now, I’ll go do that.” She turned to leave but he pulled her tail with magic, she looked back and he held a bottle of gun oil up by her head.

She smiled and took it in her mouth before leaving. She went through the bunker to her weapons and noticed the armorer was not where he usually was, she looked around and noticed a note on his desk.

“Gone to get a weapon from repair, don’t touch shit.”

She thought to herself, wait I didn’t see him on my way here.. eh oh well. She climbed over the counter and looked for a box marked “Ash”, when she found it she dragged it back to the counter and set it on top.

After climbing back over she got it onto her back and made her way to where they trained initiates to use armor, it was empty as it was almost time for lights out.

After a short search she went into a room where they kept the old T-45 suits, she went through them all looking for her old suit she used before becoming a Paladin.

She spotted it near the end, it was a larger suit so it wasn’t used often, she dropped the box beside it and opened it. She started fitting her weapons to the armor before climbing inside. The armor felt sluggish compared to her old armor but oh well, she wasn’t seeing that again.

Ash went through the training room and into the hallway, while watching her EFS she made her way to the exit, she found the guard on duty was in combat armor, this would be easy. She loaded rubber rounds into her grenade launcher, she usually kept it for when dealing with bugs. 

She took a deep breath and looked around the bunker before deciding she should do it, it’s either this or stay in a cell. She started firing the rubber rounds into the guard pony, his head slammed against the wall and he slumped over, she figured he was fine since he had a helmet.

She ran out the door as alarms started going off, her grenade launcher reloaded normal rounds as she ran, hopefully she had a good enough head start. 

She ran out of the underground section of the bunker, it let out into an above ground building, some sort of Old World military base.

She ran through the building, some Rangers on guard duty tried to ask her to stop and say what’s happening but she ran past them and through the buildings main door, in front of the building were some ancient tents, they weren’t usable due to the amount of holes in all of them.

Ash ran towards the only gate out of the base, she went past more Rangers as she ran, most just ignored her, a couple waved at her.

As Ash neared the gate she heard shouting behind her, she went through the plastic thing that hasn’t moved since the bombs and started following a dirt road, dead and decaying trees went along either side of the road.

She darted off the dirt road and into the dead trees, she heard the alarms of the base slowly fading. After she stopped hearing the alarm she stopped and went through her suits map, she found Fillydelphia to the north of her, she had only gone there a couple times on missions but it’s probably better than just wandering through the forests for a while.

She activated the suit's mechanical release and jumped out, she pulled the metal saddlebags open to look through them, she found there were a couple MREs and purified water. She secured her provisions then jumped back in the armor, the armor closed around her.

After her suit heads up display lit back up she started walking north.

After what felt like hours she reached a city limits sign. She continued on, she started hearing gunshots off somewhere in the city.

“Probably raiders.” She said to herself, the suit's speaker was switched off so no one could hear her talking to herself unless they listened very closely.

Ash made her way through the destroyed city, old wagons were everywhere along the street, she noticed a Sparkle Cola transport wagon and trailer, after getting to it she climbed into the back and started going through a pile of old bottles.

She ended up only finding a couple caps and nothing she could drink. She kicked at the pile of bottles, most shattered as her metal covered hoof hit them.

After jumping out the back she continued along the road. She spotted a family wagon that was surrounded by a bunch of tools, she went up to it and saw the engine of it was torn apart.

She started sifting through it all looking for anything useful. She found a couple tools that weren’t completely rusted and a spark battery that was plugged into the wagon.

She continued on while looking around at all the windows, watching for the sun’s reflection. She heard something move in an alleyway, as she investigated a pony jumped on her back, with a loud rumble the pony started attacking her head with a ripper.

The ripper’s teeth sparked against her helmet, Ash bucked trying to get the pony off, after they wouldn’t get off she reared up and landed on her back, there was a loud snap.

She jumped up and looked around, after seeing nothing she looked down at the pony she just crushed.

His chest was caved in and it looked like her helmet crushed him. He wore what looked like armor made from old wagon scrap, the mark on his ass made her assume he used to be a raider. She grabbed his ripper and tossed it into her saddle box.

She looked around again before moving on, she had the feeling she was being watched. She looked up into the sky, it was starting to darken. 

“Oh greeeat night time, time to deal with rats an shit.” She said with a growl.

She looked around for an intact looking building, she spotted an old apartment building, seemed sturdy enough.  She went through the destroyed glass doors and into a reception area.

She wet behind the counter and checked a register finding it locked.

“Easy fix.” She said before smashing her hooves into it, the bit drawer popping open from the impact.

She took off her helmet and picked up the bits, she guessed there were 20 before tossing them into her bag then putting her helmet back on.

After a quick search behind the counter she found nothing except some rusty keys, she grabbed them all in case she found a room with an intact door, then went to the stairwell.

The stairs had collapsed, she looked up at it and rammed her hoof into the wall.

“Fucking of course the one hotel in this shithole.” She said as she threw the keys she collected at the wall.

She gave up on trying to find somewhere safe and just started blocking the doorway with rubble, the inside was open enough for her to stay in. After moving a slab of ruined building to cover the door she stayed inside her power armor.

It wasn’t good for the spark batteries but it’s better to sleep inside the armor than risk it being stolen. She started to drift to sleep still standing.


Quest Perk added: Runaway


After your miraculous escape you now have an increased chance of running into Steel Ranger Random Encounters. Both friendly and hostile.

> Chapter 3: The Burned Rose
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Rose stared up into the darkness of her room she ran her tongue over her sharp fangs, accidentally cutting her tongue, she had them since she was little. She believed it was from eating the rats that sometimes wandered around the old stable halls, oh hey there’s another one. Somepony knocked on her door, hard.

 “Wake the fuck up and get to work.”  Her father’s voice came through the door, he sounded annoyed, like every day. 
“I’m on it.”  She replied, trying to sound like she actually cared.

She stood up and felt her stable barding, making sure it was on right. Even though they were meant to fit everypony that wore them, her’s seemed to be too big. The door slid open, most going into the ceiling, some into the floor. She saw her mother still in bed, asleep, her father was putting his stained maintenance barding on. He pointed his hoof at the door which went out into the hall.

“Out.” He demanded without even looking at her.

She stepped out into the hallway and looked around, the hallway was barren, meaning she was late for her shift. She walked down the metal hall, the clopping of her hooves echoing around her, she could hear almost every sound that was made in the stable, her pipbuck had rated her “perception” to be 8, she didn’t actually know what it meant but she thought it had something to do with her hearing.

As she was thinking to herself she went muzzle first into the elevator door and fell over. She sat up and rubbed her muzzle before pressing the call button.

After a little bit it opened and she went in. Her stable had around 20 floors, she wasn’t exactly sure because she didn’t know what all the scribbles meant.

Rose pressed the only button she knew. The elevator lowered itself down, to the tropical level. The elevator’s door slid open and she stepped out and into another boring hallway, she followed it till getting to the underground orchard.

Rose pressed the button panel with her magic then went inside, the other fillies and colts that worked there were already working, the elder was there too, he wasn’t paying attention to anything, as usual.

The only filly that was nice to Rose waved at her when she noticed her, she had a bright pink coat with a green mane and tail, her tail has a little blue streak going through it. Rose went to her and started picking the apples they grew there.

“Heya Rose, you’re late again.” She said before pulling an apple off and dropping it into a basket.

“Yea whatever, I’d rather be asleep.” Rose replied as her horn lit up and some apples started falling.

The apples are as big as her head, she couldn’t actually lift them with her magic so she had to just let them fall after breaking the stem.

“You’re lucky the elder here doesn’t care.” The filly beside her said as she continued to work.

Rose glanced over at him, he got up and made his way out the door, probably out to smoke. How are there even some of those things left? Oh right they grow here.. wait we don’t make paper. 

She felt something tap her shoulder, she looked over.

“You alright?.” Her friend asked, looking concerned.

“Just lost in thought.” Rose replied, getting back to work.

“You do that a lot more often now lately.” She replied as she tried to shake the tree they were picking.

Rose grabbed the tip of the tree with magic and shook it around, in return they both got pelted with the giant apples.

After they stopped falling Rose looked up and rubbed her head, her head felt oddly heavy. She pulled an apple off of her horn and threw it at the tree, it split in half when it hit the bark.

Rose and her friend started gathering the apples that didn’t make it into the basket. While she was collecting them she got an idea.

She stood up and yelled at all of them. “Hey everypony.”

She waited for them all to look at her before continuing. “I have an idea, what if we left the stable, then the elders can’t be mean to us anymore!”

One of the colts yelled back to her. “You’re just trying to get us in trouble, you’re almost one of them!”

Some of the others whispered to each other in agreement. 

“Oh come ooon they still hit me too.” Rose said with a slight whine to her voice.

Her friend beside her spoke up next. “I think we should, it would be better than this.”

The same colt yelled at them again. “No she’s just trying to get them to like her!”

Rose’s horn lit up and she threw an apple at him. It hit him right in the nose and he teared up, he sat down and started to rub his nose.

“Pleeease if we all do then they won’t be able to hurt us anymore and we can go out into Equestria!” Rose started to beg.

One of the fillies started to talk. “But outside is full of radiation, we’ll die out there.”

“It would be better than this.” Rose replied.

All of their ears flicked towards the door as they heard the room’s door open and they all ran back to the trees they were supposed to be at.

Rose and her friend went back to gathering the apples as the door slid open and the elder who watches them work came back in and sat at his desk.

He started messing with his pipbuck and turned on the stable broadcast, music started to emit from his pipbuck, Rose recognized the voice of her mother. She was singing one of Sweetie Belle's songs from during the war.

While she did hate her, she did have a nice voice. She finished picking up the apples and picked up the basket in her magic and carried it to the storage room and set it inside, after doing so she went back to the tree and sat below it, her back resting against the bark.

Her friend did the same but moved so she wasn’t touching Rose. 

Quietly she said to her. “How would we even leave? Only the Overmare knows how to open the door.”

“I dunno, toss her around with magic?” Rose replied sarcastically.

“Actually we probably could, She's kinda skinny.” She said while looking over at the elder.

The stable PA system made a crackling sound before the Overmare’s voice came through. “Work time is over, go back to your rooms.”

All the colts and fillies got up and went to the elevator, the elder stayed at his desk.

The walk back to her room wasn’t very eventful, when she came in her father and mother weren’t back yet, she went to her room and looked at her pip and started going through her things.

She had just gotten to the radio tab after going through every other tab when she heard the door slide open.

She heard the bed springs creak as someone laid on it, she ignored it and went to bed.
> Chapter 4: Runaway
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose jumped awake to banging on her door, she then heard her father say “Get the fuck out here now bitch.” The banging continued. “Fucking wake up before I come in and push your fucking ribs in!”

She opened her door and looked up at him, she smelled Wild Pegasus, somehow the stable still had some even with how much he drank it.

Her nose wrinkled to the smell as she asked “What’s wrong?”

He wrapped a wing around her and tossed her towards the middle of their room. He followed her to where she landed. Rose looked up onto the bed to find her mother, she wasn’t paying attention and was reading a book. She looked back at her father who was standing over her now.


***


A young security mare was doing her rounds through the residential halls, honestly it’s boring.

As she walked, half asleep, she twirled a baton on her magic. Then she heard screaming, at first it was a young filly’s voice so she kept walking.

It soon started to sound like an older stallion’s voice, she started running towards the sound.

She found the room the sound was coming from and opened the door. She saw the stallion who had been screaming, he was that pegasus that worked in maintenance, he’s surrounded by blood, so much blood.

His wife was standing over him and looking towards a corner, the security mare followed her gaze to find a filly there, she was snarling and was showing off some fangs.

The fur around her mouth was soaked in crimson, a dark object was under her, one end was covered in it too. A shiver went up her spine when she realized it belonged to the stallion.

The filly jumped at her mother, the security mare swung her baton and connected with her ribs, sending her back to the corner. As she hit the metal wall the filly’s lungs let out all the air they held and she started gasping for breath.

She dropped the baton and pulled her 10mm service pistol from its holster, she wasn’t watching the filly when she was unholstering it.

Pain shot through her leg as four fangs sank into them, it felt like her security barding and skin offered no resistance to them.

She screamed and her magic failed, the gun dropping to the ground. The filly let go and tackled her mother, who was holding the dropped baton. She attempted to bat at the filly but missed.

The little filly had gone straight at her throat, and connected, a chunk of skin and fur being pulled with her as she went past the standing mare, who then joined her husband.


***


Rose looked up at the security mare who had tried to interfere, fear and shock on her face, she growled and ran at her.

The mare’s horn lit up but she wasn’t fast enough, the little white ball of anger bowled into the mare, sending them both out into the hallway.

The mare hit her head on the wall, hard, it didn’t look like she was moving for a while so Rose started running, she noticed a bunch of doors had opened and ponies were watching. A few yelled at their foals, who had started to follow Rose as they ran towards the Atrium of the stable.

When they all got to the Atrium she looked around at the other foals who had followed.

“Why are you all here? I thought you didn’t want to come with me?” Rose asked as she looked up at the Overmare window.

One of them replied, he sounded to be a year or two younger than Rose. “We heard the screaming so we thought you were going to try and leave now.”

Rose didn’t see the Overmare in the window so she looked down at who talked, the colt was bright blue, it was actually kinda blinding when he was in the light. “Let’s get to the door then and see if we can open it.”

Most of them nodded so Rose led them to the door. The giant yellow and grey cog was where it always was, the drill thingy that hung from the ceiling was as well, she went up to a terminal and started pressing things.

Most of it she didn’t understand, she had taught herself some of it so she could read her pip, but she couldn’t tell what the hell all this was.

She slammed her forehead on the desk out of frustration, her horn was too short to hit the desktop.

Behind her she heard hoofsteps, a lot of them. She jumped up and turned around just as the group of security flooded into the room, the Overmare was with them.

“Overmare Shining Horn, nice of ya to finally show up.” Rose said in a bitchy tone.

She looked pissed, a few of the older security elders did as well, was it for the tone? She was younger than them so they shouldn’t care, eh fuck it who cares.

“What do you think you’re doing? Attacking security and murdering your parents!? You and your followers should all be put to death for this.” Shining said, a growl coming from her throat.

“We are trying to leave this piece of rusty shit!” Rose yelled at her, some of the security ponies looked ready to start hitting her with their batons.

“You’ll die out there, actually you know what? Fine, go have fun with the radiation and all the other shit that will kill you out there.” The Overmare said as she went to the terminal Rose was messing with and typed on it.

Alarms filled the room as the drilly thingy came down and started to open the cog, it came out with a screech as it was pulled from where it sat for a hundred something years. The cog rolled off to the side and the alarms stopped. 

Rose looked up at the Overmare confused. “Wait what?”

“Leave my stable and never come back, or I’ll have security line you up and shoot you all.” Shining said, still growling.

Rose shrugged and joined the group of colts and fillies who were watching, all their eyes fixed on the now opened door, their eyes giant.

Rose pushed the flanks of them, pushing them forward to the door, after some force they started walking through the door, it went into darkness so they all lit their pip lights.

They all heard the creek of the cog being slid back into place behind them, a couple of them looked back.

Rose followed the cave passage, it went around a bend and then there was light. Rose stepped out first, she covered her eyes with a hoof to block the blinding light.

After her eyes adjusted she looked around at the other foals, they had done the same and now they were looking around, the cave entrance was part way up a mountain, down below them was a forest.

She heard all the foals whispering to each other so she looked over to see them all huddled up, she just watched them.

When they were done a colt walked over to her, she remembered his name is Berry.

“Uh.. Rose.” He said, his voice shaky from being nervous.

“Yes?” Rose asked with her head slightly cocked to the side.

“Well we all decided that since you’re almost Elder you shouldn’t travel with us.” He said, his voice got quieter as he said the last words.

Rose’s mouth hung open at that, a lump forming in her throat. “You.. you what?” She asked as her ears went flat against her head.

“We don’t want you with us because you’re almost Elder.” The little colt said while looking back at the group.

Rose sat down and looked at the ground by her hooves, she heard them starting to walk away but ignored them.

After a while of staring at her hooves, trying not to cry she heard screaming, her head snapped to where the sound came from.

There was another scream and a loud thud. She got up and ran down the trail they had gone down. She found them with trees around them, trees that are moving.

She watched as one slammed its branch down, hitting a filly and a colt, as it lifted its branch she saw who it was.

One of the colts and Rain Bloom. The only friend she had in the stable.

Rose felt anger as it raised its branch back up to strike again, she wrapped her magic around it and pulled it further back causing the tree thing to fall over.

When another one started to go towards her she made the fallen one trip it. After it fell she ran to the other foals and started pushing them down the trail.

The younger ones were all crying, the older ones were trying not to, they got to the end of the forest, it opened up to a clearing, they could see a road with old rusted wagons. Ones that they had seen before in picture books.


***


After getting to the old wagons on the giant road they stopped, the younger ones were already asleep, the older foals were looting the old wagons.

Rose had asked to stay with them for the night then leave in the morning, they agreed so she was helping them loot.

Rose opened the trunk of a four door wagon and found a pair of saddle bags, she opened them to find nothing useful.

She dumped out the junk then put them on, they were worn but wouldn’t fall apart anytime soon.

She climbed onto an old bus and started going through the old bags of the long dead travelers. She found some bobby pins and some Bits. Rest was just old clothes that would fall apart if you look at it wrong.

She hopped off and looked at the others, the young ones were awake again, they had some canned food.

Rose sat down and looked up, above her was a massive grey cloud that didn’t look like it ended. She sighed and prayed for it to not rain.


Quest Perk added: Cannibal


During your escape you have discovered the taste of pony flesh, and crave more

> Chapter 5: Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash woke up and looked around her, after seeing everything where it was before she slept she checked her battery, ten percent. 

She slid the slab of rock out of the way and went outside, the sun hadn’t fully risen so now was the perfect time to get moving.

Moving through the empty streets she noticed it was oddly quiet, the only sound was her hoof steps, although they were muffled by the rubber pads attached to the armor’s hooves.


***


A few hours had passed, and she had gotten to the main part of the city, where all the giant buildings were, as well as most of the ponies there. Mainly raiders but nothing she couldn’t handle.

Taking alleyways when possible she found a wandering merchant and decided to see what they had, could probably trade ammo for a battery.

“I don’t have anything more advanced than a laser gun.” The merchant said as she noticed Ash going to her.

“Whatever, have any spark batteries?” Ash said while waving her hoof dismissively.

“Sure, haven’t been used and aren’t leaking, forty caps each.” The merchant said while getting the batteries out of a box on the Brahmin she was leading.

Ash used her armor’s magic to pull some 5mm from her minigun and gave her forty caps worth, so the merchant gave her the battery.

The armor said the charge was one hundred so she started walking again, looking at the current one’s percentage she noted it was at five percent.

Ash was watching the buildings she passed, looking for something that hadn’t been looted yet, it wasn’t likely but might as well look.

She noticed an old corner store still had some things in the window, it was junk but she could still make a few caps off it so she went inside, she started gathering the old souvenirs that had gathered a layer of dust, she shoved them all into her armor’s containers and let the armor’s magic sort it all.

She noticed the cash register drawers were still shut so she went to it and tried to open it, locked.

“Well well well maybe I’ll be able to buy some stuff later.” She said as she pushed it onto the ground and got ready to break it open with her armor’s weight

She slammed her hoof down on the top portion of the register, mangaling it enough the locks holding the drawer closed broke.

Ash used the armor’s release to open the back of it and climb out. She gathered around ten bits from the register and dropped them into the armor’s container.

She climbed up the flanks of the armor and jumped in so her hooves slid into place and the back of the armor would be forced back closed.

She then started gathering all the forgotten things from the shelves and just tossing them into her armor.


***


She left the store almost a hundred pounds heavier, the armor estimated it was all worth about five hundred caps. She started walking back down the old sidewalk, looking for more stores to ransack. 

A red laser flew past her head, leaving behind the smell of burning ozone. The rangefinder for her grenade launcher dropped over her right eye as she spun around, the barrels of her minigun spinning up.

Behind her she saw an older grey mare in bright red senior scribe robes, a laser pistol in her magic. A pony in power armor beside her.

“Mom?” Ash asked as she stopped her minigun and raised the rangefinder back to her forehead. 

“Yes, no goodbye?” Her mother replied.

The power armor pony beside her spoke up. “Don’t forget me.” She pulled her helmet off, and Ash's eyes lit up when she realized who it was.

“C-Cinder?” Ash said as she pulled hers off and went to them.

When Ash got to Cinder she pulled her into a hug, their muzzles met together as they embraced each other. Ash’s mother rolled her eyes and waited for them to finish. 

Ash pulled back and looked to her mother. “How’d you know I was here?”

“We have your armor’s tag, I made sure to wipe it from the terminals before we left.” Ash’s mother replied.

“She wanted to come say goodbye before you left, and I’m going with you.” Cinder said as she let go of Ash and tossed her helmet onto her head.

“But I don’t even know where I’m going.” Ash replied as she turned to look at Cinder.

“Head Southwest, it’s safer than out here.” Her mother replied.

“Is anywhere out here safe?” Cinder asked while staring into Ash’s eyes.

“I said safer, not safe. There’s less taint and alicorns out there.” Ash’s mother said, an annoyed edge to her voice.

“Are you going to come with us mom?” Ash asked,looking back at her.

“I’m too old for that trip, besides I don’t have armor like you two. I’m going to head back to the base now, you two stay safe.” She replied before pulling Ash back into an embrace.

Ash nuzzled her neck before letting go. “I’ll come back someday to visit.” Ash said.

“Don’t, they’ll probably kill you, the Rangers out In the Neijave might let you join, they think like you do.

Ash nodded before putting her helmet on and turning to leave. “Love you mom.”


***


Ash and Cinder made their way towards a small settlement inside the city to buy supplies for the trip West, Cinder had stolen some supplies before leaving the Ranger base.

Ash walked through a door in a scrap wall to an apartment building, Cinder followed Ash in. they went through the apartment building looking for venders, a few drugged up ponies layed around the halls. 

They stop at an apartment that has an ‘open’ sign hanging outside the door. Ash looked in to see a white mare behind a makeshift counter.

“Hey Rangers, I got some stuff you’ll like.” The white mare said before going into a room behind the counter.

“Might as well see what she has.” Cinder said while going into the room.

Ash followed her into the room as the store mare came back to the counter carrying a couple boxes on her back. The mare dumped the boxes onto the counter, spark batteries and energy ammunition spilled out. 

“We’ll take those spark batteries, we don't need the energy rounds though.” Ash said while going through her armor’s inventory to grab the junk and what little caps she has.
“Have any missiles?” Cinder asked the store mare.

“Think I got two of those, I'll do fifty per battery and thirty a missile. Also got some 5mm for that minigun, ten a box, my name is Snow by the way.” Snow said while sorting the batteries out and putting the energy rounds back in the boxes.

Ash starts setting things she grabbed before meeting Cinder and her mother. “How much for all this?” 

“Uhh I’ll give you two fifty, also if you want all the stuff i got it’s about three ten for it all.” Snow replied. 

Ash and Cinder dropped their caps on the counter then took everything off the counter before leaving.

“Wait, should we see if she has food?” Cinder asked.

“Yea sure, you can, imma go look around this place, meet at the front door in a hour?” Ash replied looking back at her.

Cinder walked back into the makeshift store while Ash walked through the building. A couple ponies watched her as she walked. 

“Heeeyy armor pony” A stallion ahead of her said as she got near. 

Ash changed her helmet’s speaker to make her sound male. “What do you want?”

“Got any whisy on ya? Or mayeee sum voka?” The drunk stallion asked while stumbling towards her. 

“No but can you answer some things for me?” Ash replied.

“Depensh on what it is.” He replied before sitting down and leaning on the wall.

“Where can I get some food in this shithole?” Ash asked.

“Berry hash sum prewar foods.” The drunken pony replied.

“Who’s Berry and where are they?” Ash asked, starting to sound annoyed.

The drunk stallion started snoring so Ash pushed him out of the way and continued down the hall.

Ash continued down the hallway, peeking into rooms with open doors, eventually finding a purple mare with a berry cutie mark.

“Uh.. hello?” The mare Ash guessed was Berry said when Ash poked her head into the room. 

“You the one that drunk pony said was Berry?” Ash asked.

“Yea, why?” Berry asked.

“He said you had prewar food?” Ash asked the mare as she came into the room.

“Yea i have some, i uh don’t have a lot if you want some for your bunker or wherever you’re from Ranger.” Berry said before going to a rusty fridge.

Cinder came into the room before Ash replied. “Actually I just need enough for us two to head down south.”

She opened the fridge to show it’s full of boxed and canned food. “If you get stuff like Instamash it’s better when mixed with water.”

“How much for all of it?” Cinder asked before getting out of her armor to grab her caps.

“Uhhh five hundred good?” Berry asked.

“Sure, Cinder grab my caps, should be at the top if you don’t have enough.” Ash said after selecting her caps in her armor’s inventory.

Cinder grabbed Ash’s caps then counted them out, she threw them to the mare then jumped back into her armor. Ash went to the fridge, Cinder opened her saddle box then started pouring the old food in. 


***


 Ash and Cinder walked down the freeway out of the city, towards the west. 

“Hey Ash, you think the Rangers in the Neijave will really take us in?” Cinder asked while scanning the ditch along the side of the road.

“Dunno, but at least it’ll be safer than staying around here. Rangers here will probably shoot us on sight.” Ash replied, looking up at the massive cloud cover.

“How many spark batteries do we have? Im not sure we can make it the entire way and i'm not leaving my armor anywhere.” Cinder said, looking back to Ash.

“I got four extras, as long as we don't run we can make it to a refueling station or traveling merchant.” Ash replied after looking at her battery count next to her battery percentage. “My battery is at one though, suit will switch em itself.”

“Mine’s at eighty and i brough ten from the bunker’s supply room so we should be good then.” Cinder replied.

A shot rang out and Ash felt an impact on her right pauldron so she shoved Cinder into the ditch alongside the road.

“Sniper, stay down!” Ash yelled.

Cinder started crawling through the ditch, Ash following closely behind. More shots rang through the air, dirt from above them raining down onto them.

“I’ve got an idea, I'm going to cover my head with my hoof so they can't see me, then look for where they are.” Cinder said before starting to crawl up the bank of the ditch, her left hoof in front of her visor, a corner of it showing.

“Be careful please.” Ash said after stopping to watch her.


***


Cinder held her hoof so it covered her eye, and some of her other eye, making sure her visor couldn’t be shot through. She scanned the hills for glint or muzzle flash. She saw a shine in a dead tree up on a hill, then a bright light, she jumped down the  bank of the ditch, the shot hitting the dirt where she was before. 

“They’re in a tree up on the hill, should I try and hit them with a missile?” Cinder asked.

“They’d see the smoke and move, then just start shooting again after we start moving. I could try and lob a forty depending on how far they are.” Ash replied before dropping her rangefinder over her right eye. “If they’re under two thousand I can at least hit close enough to make em fuck off.”

“It can go twenty-two hundred, it was around five to six hundred out, there's some bushes off to the right some so you should be able to safely fire it at them.” Cinder replied before starting to crawl again. “Plus they’ll think we aren't moving since I popped my head up”.

Ash followed Cinder until she stopped and crawled back up, Ash followed her when she waved her hoof.

Ash poked her head up and through the bushes, her rangefinder telling her ‘562 meters’ to the tree, she angled her grenade launcher to hit the tree, then loaded a high explosive round.

She fired, the 40mm whistled through the air, Cinder stuck her head up to distract the sniper, a shot rang out and hit the side of her helmet, ricocheting off and into Ash’s flank, the tree exploded, chunks of bark and tree limbs going down the hill, Cinder could see the rifle flying with the tree limbs.

“Got the bitch, let’s get out of here before raiders or animals come see what the noise was.” Cinder said before going back onto the road.

Ash followed her back onto the road, her armor’s magic reloading the launcher with normal rounds. 
> Chapter 6: Endless Walking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose woke up to find the Stable ponies gone, she stood up and looked around, her heart sinking as she realized she was alone. Rose looked around the makeshift campsite to find someone had left a couple cans of food and bottles of water for her. She Put them into her saddlebag before starting down the old road, her Pipbuck’s compass thingy saying ‘S’, she also noticed three white bars, in her stable the ponies that liked her were always white, her parents were usually red.

As she drew near she noticed a couple wasteland ponies, and a two headed… thing. A mare in armored robes jumped up and pointed something with two metal tubes at her. 

“Dammit girl that’s a good way to get shot, and scare off ponies wantin to buy shit, put it away.” The stallion yelled at the mare, who put the thing away.

“Hello little mare, did you want something?” The stallion said after turning from the mare to Rose.

“Uhh sure? Who are you and what was that thing she pointed at me?” Rose asked.

“Oh right, stable pony. It’s a shotgun, it’s for killin things. Me an her are merchants, we can sell ya a pistol for a few caps. Oh right y’all don’t know about the currency out here.” The stallion said, part of it to himself.

“Caps? Is that what you call Bits out here?” Rose asked, confused.

“No girl, bottlecaps, Bits are still used though, they’re around five caps a Bit, but most ponies will just give you three.” The stallion replied before going to the two headed thing.

“What is that thing?” Rose asked as she went to the stallion.

“Brahmin, usually one of the heads can talk, mine doesn’t usually.” The stallion replied.

“Is all the stuff on it’s back stuff you sell?” Rose asked, looking at the pile of boxes tied to the brahmin’s back.

“Yea, it’s mostly guns, I'll give you a nine and some ammo for fifteen Bits.” The stallion said as he opened a box on the side of the brahmin.

Rose fished out her bits and counted them out, she learned how to count working in the farms. The stallion set a pistol, like the ones the security ponies sometimes had, that and a big silver one. Alongside it were two boxes.

“Know how to use it?” The stallion asked after taking her caps

“Nope!” Rose said, looking down at the gun.

“I’ll teach ya for free, be hard on me knowin I made ya pay to learn how to not die out here.” The stallion said before going beside Rose.

He picks up the gun then opens one of the boxes, inside was a bunch of sticks with rounded tips, he grabbed a few then made a box fall out of the bottom of the gun. He then pout the sticks he grabbed into the box before re-inserting the box into the gun.

He put it by her face. “Open your mouth.” He said to her.

She did what he said and he put a horseshoe shaped thing into her mouth.

“Bite it, keep your tongue off the circle part in the center.” He told her before leading her towards some of the trees.

Rose dropped it onto the ground after he stopped. “It hurts my teeth.”

“How? It’s made to fit everypony’s mouth.” he said, confused.

“I kinda got fangs from the stable.” She said nervously.

“Hmm, I can change the grip on it for another Bit.” He said as he turned back to the campsite and the brahmin.

“Wait, can’t I just do this?” She felt power flow into her horn, then an aura formed around the part that was in her mouth.

“Oh you’re a hornhead. Then keep your magic off the disk in the center or it’ll go off. Also your horn is really small” The stallion said before turning back to face the trees.

“Well I’m only seventeen, what now?” Rose asked.

“Wow you are small then, anyway, since you’re a hornhead this’ll be easier for you, float the gun in front of the head, keep the barrel pointed away from us.” The stallion said to her.

Rose did as he said, she noticed three green bars, one at the end of the gun, further from the two in the rear so she tried to line them up.

“Good, where those three sights are is where the bullet will go, squeeze hard on the handle, then push the disk forward for it to fire.” The stallion said, now leaning over her shoulder.

Rose did what he said and it exploded, the side of the tree she was pointing at exploded in splinters. Her ears started to ring, causing her to drop the gun.

“You’ll get used to it, bigger guns are worse. You should buy some food and water if you’re walking for a while.” He said before walking back to the brahmin.

Rose followed him, the gun floating by her side, pointed towards the air.

“Press the safety on so you don't shoot your ass when you put it away.” The stallion said as he got to the brahmin. “Also grab those boxes of rounds so you don't forget them.”

“Where is that at?” Rose asked, looking over the gun.

“It’s a little box near where the handle attaches to the rest of the gun.” He said before opening another box on the brahmin, who was now eating the brownish yellow grass.

She clicked it then tossed it and the boxes of ammo into her saddlebag, after closing it. The stallion brought out some bottles of water and boxes of food, and some cans like she found before in the wagons.

“I’ll give you ten things of food and five bottles of water for the rest of your Bits.” He said, looking back at her.

“Sure, here.” She said before giving him the Bits.


***


Walking down the road again after talking to the traders, she now had an icon in her Pipbuck map, they told her about New Pegasus and how it would be mostly safe there.

She then noticed an outline of a rocket on her compass thingy. She looked up from it to see a building, it was attached to the road and had a large overhang. Below the overhang is an old rusty wagon, a tube coming from it and going into a large, red metal box. She went to the wagon and opened the rear box, finding just some junk. She slammed it shut.

“Well fuck you to then” She yelled at it before storming into the building.

The shelves were mostly empty, with a few things like plates. Going to a counter she found a thing with a keyboard like the terminals like in the shithole stable. 

She just started pressing the button to see what happened, after a while it made a noise and the drawer popped open. 

“Hey Bits!” Rose yelled before tossing them all into her bag. She looked back down to her compass thingy and saw a couple red bars.

She pulled her gun out and did what the trader did, she put some rounds into the box till it was full then put it into the gun then pulled on the top of it.

She then heard a giant bug scuttling around, just like the stable.

“I still have to deal with you?” She said to herself as she climbed over the counter to look for it.

She found two of them in a corner, one part way up the wall and the other trying to climb up a shelf to get a can of chips that someone left behind. Rose sent a bullet through one of the bugs, the other fell off the wall and ran at Rose.

“Fuck fuck, get away from meeee!” She screamed  and started to run as the bug chased her.

She tripped and the bug bit her leg. She kicked at it but it clung to her leg. She shot it, then felt searing hot pain shoot through her hoof. She screamed and thrashed, the bug’s body flew off her leg, goo from the bug clung to her leg, she looked at her leg to see crimson.

She pulled the goo off her leg with magic then tried to stand, her leg giving out from under her, more pain shooting through her leg, causing her to scream again. 

She looked for a bathroom, the ones in her stable had a medicine box on their wall. She saw a sign that looked like the stable ones so she crawled to it. 


***


While fixing her leg in the bathroom she discovered the bullet went completely through her leg. She wrapped it up like she saw a medical pony do once in her stable. 

She left the building and continued down the road, now with a limp. She pulled a box of ‘Cheesy Poofs’ from her bag and pulled it open. The puffs tasted good, but had a horrible aftertaste. 

“Better than nothing I guess, hmm I should stop talking to myself.” Rose said as she finished off the box and tossed it.

She noticed a dirt pathway that went off the main road, which had now gotten smaller, from four paths to two. A sign was near the road, she had no clue what the hell it said.

She shrugged and followed it, it took her through a section of forest, eventually leading to a clearing where she could see buildings, another sign said something similar to the first one. She noticed a pony watching her from a building with a tall tower, inside a large metal thing hung from the ceiling, she noticed a rifle leaning on the large metal thing.

She waved up at the pony, who waved a wing at her and flew off the tower to her. She sat down and waited for him,

He landed in front of her, getting a better look at him she noted he was old, his black coat was starting to grey, it was most noticeable on his chin, which was very fluffy, and greyer than the rest of him. His mane was a light grey, streaks of white ran through it, when he went beside her, probably to walk with her, she noticed his cutie mark was a grey lightning bolt and clouds, surrounded by a circle.

“Heya there little mare, what brings ya out here?” He asked her, his voice was gravely, but it sounded nice.

“Wanted to see where the path went, what’s this place?” She asked and stood up.

“Appletree, don’t get many visitors, prefer it actually. Means less chance of raiders.” He started to walk back into town as he spoke. Rose started to follow him.

“What's a raider?” Rose said as she looked up to him, he towered over her.

“You don't know what a raider is? Actually you have a stable suit. Well a raider is a bad pony who will kill or kidnap you to steal your stuff, if they do kidnap you they’ll likely do stuff to ya that shouldn't be forced on no one. They’ll likely sell ya too.” He said, looking down at her.

“Oh.. well uh.. Something else uh, what's your cutie mark? Never seen one like it.” Rose asked him to get off the topic.

“It’s not a cutie mark, and i’d rather not talk about it, my name’s Lightning by the way, what’s yours?” Lightning asked Rose.

“Rose Charm, what’s with the clouds? The picture books in the stable always had clear blue skies, and the grey clouds mean rain, but it hasn't rained since I left the stable.” Rose said to him. 

“The Enclave made the clouds, they ain’t normal clouds like your books.” Lightning replied.

“What’s an Enclave?” Rose asked, tilting her head.

“Group of pegasi that live above the clouds, and no I'm not one of them.” He replied, an edge to his voice.

They got to the large white building he was on top of. He pointed to a blue house near where they came into the town at.

“That’s our only store, it's run by Candy, the building I was on is the Church of Celestia, no one worships there so a few ponies live inside. Rest of the buildings are homes, a few are abandoned, but not all are and most ponies will shoot you if you go in without knocking first.” Lightning said before looking back to Rose.

“Alright, I'm going to stop by Candy’s then walk around town.” Rose replied.

“I’ll be in the tower if you need me.” Lighting said before opening his wings and flying back up to the tower.

Going into the store it looked like the inside of the building with the bugs, except with wood floors instead of tile.

“Welcome little filly, need something?” An elderly mare behind a counter said to Rose, who assumed she was Candy.

“Just looking around to see what you’ve got.” Rose said while looking at all the shelves, it was mostly food and junk she didn’t care about.

“Nothing good at the moment, but that ghoul mare should be around to make a delivery soon.” Candy said while coming around the counter to talk to Rose. “Met a ghoul yet? Doubt you met a sane one yet if you’re fresh from the stable.”

“Never met one, and what do you mean by ‘sane’?” Rose asked, looking up at her.

“A ghoul is a pony that was blessed by radiation around two hundred years ago, and because of it they don’t age, most of them have gone crazy and will attack you no matter what you do.” Candy said, looking down at Rose, who’s head just met her chest.

“So I should just avoid them all so I don't have to worry about if they’re bad or not.” Rose replied.

“Now I didn’t say that, bunch of the ones you’ll meet are nice.” Candy replied, an edge to her voice.

Rose’s ears flicked back. “Right, sorry, imma leave and find Lightning.”


***


After climbing up the stairs of the church to find Lightning, Rose looked over the small village, the tower looked over all the rooftops. Most had some damage, one had actually collapsed. Hearing a thud behind her she looked back, Lightning looked down at Rose.

“Need something? Or just come up to hangout?” He asked her.

“Wanted to see what it was like up here, and talk to you some more. Maybe learn some more about out here.” Rose replied.

“Ain’t much to see other than houses and trees.” Lighting replied.

“It’s still so much better than the metal walls and floor of my stable.” Rose replied, sitting down to look out at the irradiated trees.

“Yea this probably looks like paradise compared to that, although all the trees over here look dead, the Everfree out East is actually alive.” Lighting replied, taking a seat next to her. “I’m actually from above the clouds.”

Rose looked up at the solid layer of cloud. “How? It looks like a ceiling, like the stable’s.” Rose asked, confused.

“We can go through, and stand on the clouds, earth pony or a unicorn like you would just fall through it, although you horn heads can use magic to walk on it like us.” He replied.

“Do you go back up there sometimes?” Rose asked, looking back to him.

He looked down at her. “Can’t because of this.” He taps his cutie mark. “Means im not allowed back up there or they’ll shoot me.” He replied

“kinda like me and the stable, if I go back Security would shoot me.” Rose replied, a sadness in her voice.

“Well maybe one day you’ll be able to go back, maybe I could go with you.” Lighting replied.
> Chapter 7: The Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she walked down the hallway she looked out the armored windows, her armor thudding against the floor. Clouds stretched for miles out the windows.

As she got to the end of the hallway it opened out to a large room, computer equipment sits around the room, pegasi sitting at most of them. A pegasus in white armor stood near the window in the front of the room, another in black armor like her own beside the white armored pegasus.

The white armored pegasus turned to look at her, a mare’s voice coming from the suit’s speaker. “Wing Commander Sky, you’re late. Get over here before I make you fly laps around the ship.”

Sky ran up to in front of the white armored mare and tapped her forehead with her wing. “Yes, General Bubblegum!”

“You and Raven have an assignment, there’s a Dashite that an informant found near New Pegasus, you two are to take him out.” Bubblegum said to her, the pony in black armor stepped forward,

“But I thought we weren’t supposed to hunt Dashites, just shoot them when they try to return?” Sky asked, confused.

“Normally yes, but this one killed all the pegasi in his squad before leaving, he was tracked down and branded but the higher ups changed their minds, he supposedly had access to some important information, he was last seen with a white, unicorn filly.” Bubblegum replied to Sky. “It’ll be easier to just shoot him from afar, he was an expert in close hoof fighting, so it’s your best bet.”

Sky and Raven saluted and said together. “Yes General!” They both left the room and went to one of the hangers and jumped off the massive airship.


***


Sky flew with her armor’s map open, a large circle was near the forest outside New Pegasus where the dashite was supposed to be. 

“Sky, what will we do if that filly is with him?” Raven asked over the helmet's radio.

“Dunno, follow till he’s alone maybe?” Sky replied. “Would’ve been nice if she had the Thunderhead closer to him.”

“He might’ve seen the shadow of it on the clouds.” Raven replied, flying out ahead of Sky.

“Whatever, anyway has your rifle been working fine or do you need me to look at it again?” Sky asked, watching the rifle slung over Raven’s back, it was mostly the same as her own.

“It’s been fine on the range after you looked at it, also we should drop below the clouds now and look for that town.” Raven replied before angling her wings to dive below the cloud layer.

Sky followed her down, below the clouds was a large road, two lanes on either side, old and rusted wagons lining either side. Sky spotted a road leading off the main road.

“I think I found it, land so we can look around.” Sky said before diving towards the ground.

Raven followed, Sky landed near a large green sign, Raven landing beside her shortly after.

“Appletree, is that a town? Or is that the road’s name?” Sky asked.

“Well there’s an arrow beside it pointing down the road, so I think it’s a town name.” Raven replied, looking up at the faded, green sign.

“Ready your casters in case we get ambushed, let’s stick to the ground and climb a tree when we can see buildings.” Sky said to Raven, the four green crystals on each of her casters started to glow and hum as she made her way down the road.

Raven’s glowed red and hummed as well as she followed Sky. Dead trees started to line the road as they followed it, darkness on either side. Ahead they could see some light. Raven kept her tail above her back so she could use the barb if something jumped at them.

Sky pointed her’s off the road, then went to where she pointed, Raven followed, her casters stopped glowing and she pulled her rifle off her back. Sky climbed up a tree, using her tail and wings to help her climb.

Raven waited till she was up, Sky pulled her up after. Sky pulled her rifle off her back as well, they both looked down the square scopes at the town. 

“It’s too close to sunrise, they’ll see us if we don’t hurry this up.” Sky whispered to Raven as she searched.

“In the tower, pegasus with a lever rifle.” Raven replied, keeping her voice low.

Sky pulled and held the trigger on her rifle, it started to hum as a charge built up, Raven did the same. Capacitors on the fronts started to glow blue.

The pegasus in the tower jumped up and grabbed his rifle and pointed it at them. Fire came from the tip of his rifle, Sky and Raven let go of their triggers, bright blue erupted from theirs, the shots going random directions as they dove from the tree. Sky hit the ground and heard metal on metal, then Raven screamed. 

“Raven!? Where are you?” Sky yelled into the trees.

She heard something crawling on the ground, more shots went off and branches fell out of the tree.Sky started to crawl to the sound.

“Raven? Raven, can you hear me?” Sky asked, her voice starting to shake.

“H-Help, im h-hit” Raven called out.

Sky got up and ran to where the sound came from, she found Raven on the ground, a hole in her chestplate, crimson around the bullethole. 

“Raven!” Sky said as she went to her, she tossed off her helmet and held her up. “Stay with me, your armor will take care of it, just stay awake, stay with me sis.”

“It hurtsss.” Raven said as she panted.

“Just stay with me, it’ll stop when your armor is done.” Sky said before setting Raven back down and grabbing her rifle.

“Wh-where are you going?” Raven asked.

“I’m going to finish this so I can take you back to the ship.” Sky said as she tossed her helmet back on.

“D-Don’t charge it.” Raven said before laying her head down.

Sky crouched down and crawled towards the town. When she got to where she could see the town she looked down the scope. A bunch of ponies were at the walls, a couple were on the tower, all armed. The white filly was near the wall’s entrance with a pistol.

She watched the crowd of ponies to look for the Dashite. Then she saw him, he was shoving the white filly towards one of the buildings, she put the reticle on him then tapped the trigger, blue erupted from the break on the end of the rifle, the round hit the Dashite in a blue explosion. It sent him into the wall of the building with a tower.

Sky tossed the strap onto her wing then tossed the rifle over her back. She ran back to Raven and tapped her face.

“Still with me sis?” Sky asked, feeling anxiety shoot through her chest.

“No.” Raven said, smiling up at her.

Sky laughed and booped her nose before grabbing her rifle and slinging it over her back with her own.

“Can you fly?” Sky asked, looking down at her.

“Yea I think I’m good enough to.” Raven said as she tried to get up.

After collapsing back to the ground Sky lifted Raven onto her back, Raven wrapped her hooves around her chest as Sky opened her wings and took off, shots rang off from the town below. Sky flew at the clouds as fast as her wings let her with Raven’s weight.

Sky broke through the clouds and collapsed onto them, Raven rolling off her back. Sky layed on her back and extended her helmet’s antenna then connected to the Enclave’s secure frequency.

“Wing Commander Sky Strike.. contactacting the Clear Skies.. Second Lieutenant Raven Strike’s been hit.. transmitting co-ords and setting to repeat.” Sky said before collapsing onto the cloud as her vision went black.


***


Sky opened her eyes and blinked a few times as her eyes focused on the metal ceiling. She shot up and looked around, a machine beside her started beeping, a pegasus in a medical uniform ran over to her.

“Miss, you've collapsed from overexertion. You need to stay in bed.” The nurse said as she attempted to push her back onto the bed

“Where's Raven? Is she okay?” Sky asked in a worried tone, fighting with the nurse to look around.

“Your sister is going to be fine, her suit saved her life, now lay down!” The nurse replied to Sky, still attempting to lay her down.

After hearing that Sky let herself go limp, the nurse fell over her then quickly got up and made the machine quiet. 

“Where is my armor, and where is the General? Also am I on the Clear Skies?” Sky asked the nurse who had started to walk away.

She looked back to Sky. “Armor is probably in the armory, you’re on the Clear Skies and the General is at the flight deck, would you like me to get her?

“No no it’s alright. How is Raven doing?” Sky asked.

“The forty five seventy went through her armor and pierced a lung, the armor took most of it and kept her alive, the bullet is being taken out now, and she’ll be fine after. Her lung will be fully functional as well.” The nurse said in a calming tone.

Sky felt her heart beat faster at the mention of her lung but managed to stay in the bed. “Th-thank you.”


***


After what felt like hours, Sky heard ponies approaching. She turned her head as the door opened and saw Raven, bandage wrappings covering her chest. She smiled at Sky and started walking to her bed.

“You should become a preacher, you’re holey now.” Sky said.

Raven started to laugh at that, quickly stopping with a wince. “Ahhh fuck you.”

“Can I leave now with her?” Sky asked a doctor and the nurse from before.

“I suppose, just take it easy, especially you Raven, come back immediately if something feels off.” The doctor replied before going to a corner of the room to talk to the nurse.

Sky got up and stretched, the nurse had turned off the machine when she had tried to get up before. She made her way to the door, Raven following closely behind.

Sky slowed down so Raven was beside her, then wrapped a wing around her and pulled her close, Raven winced but pressed herself against her bigger sister.

When they got to the flight deck they saw a bright pink pegasus in an officer’s uniform near the front window. When they got near she looked at them with worried eyes.

“Dammit you two had me worried.” General Bubble said before going to them and wrapping her wings around them both, Raven yelped but Bubble ignored her and held them in a hug.

When she eventually let go Sky asked. “Well we completed it at least!”

“I need to start going on missions with you two again.” Bubble responded.

“Two? What about Wind?” Raven asked.

“You know what the fuck I mean” Bubble said as she pat Raven’s head.
> Chapter 8: To the South
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several days later.

Ash glanced at her battery charge, just 20%. “What’s your battery at, we might have to try and find some.”

“30%, I have two reserves but we should find more or try and find a way to charge the spent ones.” Cinder replied.

Ash spotted a wagon refueling station. “Might be a generator inside there.”

“Doubt it would work but might as well see, you go in and I’ll search any wagons outside for batteries.” Cinder replied, she split off to where three wagons collided.

Ash watched her go before glancing at the accident, a skeleton was hanging out of the front window of one wagon, one behind it was still in their seat. The wagon they hit head on was mangled, having taken the force of two wagons.

Ash went into the old station, her EFS was clear so she started scavenging.

The shelves were barren, just a few plates and mugs, which somehow always looked brand new. The bit register only had a hoof full of bits.

A bell rang as the door opened, Ash snapped her head towards the sound, Cinder walked into the building.

“Got two more batteries, find anything in here?” She asked, coming over to Ash.

“Few bits, no food, generator is probably out back if there is one.” Ash replied, she ducked her head under the counter. “Found a safe.”

“I’ll see if I can crack it, head out back.” Cinder replied.

Ash got out from behind the counter, Cinder went behind after she was out of the way, Ash heard her armor open as she went outside.

Going behind the building she found a small junkyard, rusted to hell wagons sat around, even a few of the wooden ones ponies had to pull.

A small shack was up against the building, Ash made her way through the scrap metal, pieces on the ground were pushed into it by her armor’s hooves.

She opened the shack door, a generator sat against a wall in the corner, a bedroll near it, a body in it.

Ash spun up her minigun then kicked its leg, two glowing yellow eyes opened and looked up at her. A growl came from the feral on the ground.

Ash tapped her trigger and a burst of 5mm shot from her minigun and shredded the ghoul. When it stopped moving she went to the generator and took off her helmet.

She grabbed the generator’s cord and tugged it a few times before it actually turned on. The generator started to gurgle then growl as it’s inside started to spin. She noticed a fuel can sitting beside it so she took it and poured it into the generator’s fuel tank.

She returned to Cinder, her helmet hanging by the hoses, sitting against her chest.

“Found some bits, what was the shooting?” Cinder asked as she put things on the counter from the safe.

“Ghoul guarding the generator, anything good?” Ash replied, she sat across from Cinder.

“Around fifty bits, twelve 9mm and a 9mm pistol.” She replied before tossing everything into her armor’s container.

“Sleep here then continue in the morning?” Ash asked.

“Sure, let’s sleep out of our armor this time, behind the counter.” Cinder replied as she came out from behind the counter, the back of her Power Armor opened and she climbed out of it.

Ash did the same, then followed Cinder behind the counter, Cinder laid on her side and Ash joined her. Ash wrapped her forehooves around Cinder and pulled her close, her warm breath hit her neck, where her undersuit didn’t cover her fur.


***


Ash woke up to Cinder’s nose up against hers, she smiled before nuzzling against her. Cinder slowly opened her eyes to Ash’s nuzzles.

Cinder smiled and nuzzled her back. “Morniiing.”

Ash licked Cinder’s nose before sitting up. “We should head out, should be near the desert now.”

“I guess.” Cinder said as she got up, Ash was stretching beside her, she smacked her flank because she had it up.

After climbing into their armor and waking it up they left the old station. Ash looked up at the clouds, they were darker than last night.

“Might rain soon.” Ash said, still looking up.

“Oh well, just keep your helmet on, have a can opener?” Cinder replied as she opened her armor’s saddle box and pulled out a couple cans of food.

“No I thought you did?” Ash replied, confused.

“Well fuck, I don’t and only Cram has the tabs. Fucking hate Cram.” Cinder complained as she tossed the cans back into her saddle box.

“Just eat one of the box ones, like the Apple Bombs.” Ash replied as she pulled out a box of the old food.

Cinder shrugged before doing the same, they both ate as they walked, Cinder had her helmet sitting on top of her head, Ash’s hanging by the hoses.

“That’s probably not good for those.” Cinder said, looking at her helmet.

“What’s not good?” Ash asked

“Having your helmet hang like that, I doubt it’s good for the hoses.” Cinder replied

“Eh, it wasn't a problem when I had the T-51 suit, so I doubt it is on the T-45.” Ash replied dismissively.


***


Most of the day had passed and it was getting dark, Ash looked out at the desert sand that went on from miles as they walked, massive lines of rocks interrupted the field of sand, cacti dotted the sand as well.

She spotted a group of big brahmin looking things. “What are those? Desert brahmin?” She asked Cinder

“The guide I read a while ago said they’re bighorners.” Cinder replied.

“What guide?” Ash asked.

“Wasteland Survival Guide.” Cinder replied, she started going through her armor’s inventory.

“I read it and there wasn’t anything about these.” Ash replied, confused.

Cinder found the Neijave guide and tossed it to Ash. “Not this version.”

Ash read the title. “Wasteland Survival Guide: Neijave Edition.. there’s different versions?” 

“Yea, the major places have their own, took it off some drugged up pony in that apartment building.” Cinder replied. “You should read it, I already have.”

Ash noticed a fire ahead and tossed the book into her saddle box then tossed her helmet on and stopped walking. “Fire, at eleven.”

Cinder put her helmet on as well and stopped. “Might be traders, should we approach?”

“Sure, keep your weapons ready in case they aren’t.” Ash replied as she started to walk towards the light.

Getting closer they found three brahmin and a group of at least ten, a few had metal armor and various rifles. Ash flicked on her headlamp, Cinder doing the same.

A few of the ponies jumped up and pointed rifles at the lights.

“Who the fuck are you, answer or I’ll fire.” One of them yelled.

“Steel Rangers, identify yourself, or we will fire heavy explosives.” Cinder yelled back.

“We are a trade caravan headin to New Pegasus.” The same ponies replied.

Ash and Cinder flicked off their lights then went into the light of the fire, the group watched them, a few stared at Ash’s grenade launcher and Cinder’s missile launcher.

“Mind if we join you for the trip? We’re heading to New Pegasus as well.” Ash asked them, sitting by the fire and removing her helmet, Cinder stood near her but took her helmet off as well.

The ponies seemed to relax and an older buck who Ash guessed to be the leader spoke up. “Wouldn’t mind, might make the raiders not come near us, still would have to pay for anything you take or use.”

“Fair enough, I’m going to sleep.” Ash replied, she put her helmet on and got up, then backed away from the fire, then stopped moving.

“I think I’ll stay up a bit.” Cinder replied and took her place by the fire.

“You can sleep in those?” One of the ponies asked Cinder.

“Yea, uses up the batteries a lot but we always do it when outside the bunker.” Cinder replied. “Sometimes we just have one pony in Power Armor while the rest sleep on mats, usually they change every few hours though.”

“What’s your name?” The leader asked.

“Knight Cinder, she is Paladin Ash.” Cinder replied


***


Ash blinked a few times before looking around, most of the group was asleep, two were awake and watching the road.

She took her helmet off and went to Cinder, who had fallen asleep sitting down, she sat beside her at the burned out fire.

Ash waited as the other ponies started waking up, she noticed one using one of the super early models of Pip-Buck, the tablet ones. She went to him and sat beside him.

“Where’d you manage to find one of them?” She asked.

“Stable pony sold it to me, wasn’t working but I took it apart and got it working. Damn thing doesn’t even have a rad sensor like the ones you wear.” The mare she guessed was a merchant replied.

“Our armor’s systems are about as advanced as those ones you wear.” Ash replied. “What are you all planning to do in New Pegasus?”

“We plan on swinging past a canyon that has a bunch of zebras living in it, then heading north to go to Pegasus, probably just stay on the outskirts. Doubt we would all be able to afford going into the main area.” The mare replied, she set the tablet down and looked up at ash.

“You could probably find a Geiger counter to attach to it, should be a spot on it to.” Ash said, looking at her pip tablet.

“I know, but I haven’t been able to find one, everyone just has the newer ones and they don’t want this old one.” She replied, picking the tablet back up and looking over it.

“So what are you two heading there for?” She asked, looking back at Ash.

“Looking to meet up with the Neijave Rangers, we came from the Fillydelphia Chapter.” Ash replied, looking back at Cinder, she had woken up and started talking to the group’s leader.

“We came from Manehatten, went to Filly for a while then decided to visit Pegasus to see how much we could make there.” The mare replied. “I’m Cherry Horn by the way.”

“Ash Blossom, nice to meet you.” Ash replied.

The group’s leader came up to them. “We’re moving out, get ready Cherry.” 


***


Walking down the road again, the brahmin following behind the ponies, Ash and Cinder stayed near the brahmin, letting them lead. Ash checked her map, they were getting closer to the outlined marker for Las Pegasus. While looking in her map she felt an impact on her helmet, she exited everything and spun up her minigun’s barrels.

Ash looked around, the brahmin started running, the traders and Cinder had ran to the side of the road, Ash looked where she was shot from and started firing. She saw raiders hiding in the dead treeline and she started firing grenades at them.

The others started firing from the ditch they ran to, the raiders focused on Ash, rounds pinged off her chest plate and helmet.


***


Cinder looked up from the ditch, Ash was standing in the middle of the road firing her minigun and grenade launcher, she got out of the ditch and yelled “Backblast clear!” She waited a couple seconds before firing her missile launchers, eight missiles flew into the treeline, trees started falling, she saw raiders running away from the falling trees and explosions.

Cinder heard the traders behind her firing their weapons, which sounded like pistols. A bullet hit her forehead, hard enough to push her head back.

“FFFFUCK!” Cinder yelled and held her head.

Ash ran over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I think one of those fuckers has a .308.” Cinder replied, she could tell her helmet was dented.

“Can you tell where from?” Ash asked while scanning the tree line.

“I don't know, somewhere in the trees.” Cinder replied as she rubbed her head.

The trader ponies ran up to  them and took cover near them behind the concrete divider. They started peaking out to fire then dropping back down. 

Ash watched the trees as the traders stopped firing, it was quiet. “I think they’ve retreated.”

A couple of the ponies ran after the brahmin that had run. Cinder pulled off her helmet and rubbed where she was hit,

“Looks like it’ll bruise.” Ash said, looking at it.

“Probably, we need to start moving again in case they’ve run back to base to get more raiders.” Cinder replied as she put her helmet back on.

Ash turned around to see the ponies leading the brahmin back to the group. They gathered and the leader went to Ash with a small pouch.

“We want you to take this for helping us, I don't know if we would’ve survived that without you two.” He said as he offered it.

Ash took it and opened it, caps. “Thank you, wew need to start moving in case they come back though.

He nodded and told the traders to start moving again.
> Chapter 9: Into New Pegasus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose watched as the wooden box was covered in dirt, the other townsponies were quiet as they covered the coffin. Rose felt a mix of sadness and anger, even though she had just met the pegasus. She ignored the pain from the burns the explosive shot gave her, turning away from the group she started to walk back to the highway that had brought her to the town.

She watched the old dirt road as she followed it, only when it turned to asphalt she looked up. She started to follow the road, into the desert she heard called the Neijave. Rose looked at her Pipbuck, a new quest had appeared in her log.

The Road Again: 
Find a new home in the Neijave.

She activated it and looked at the little compass the Pipbuck always gave her, it had a marker that looked like it followed the road. Lowering her hoof she followed the marker, into the giant desert.


***


After days of traveling, Rose looked up at the gate her Pip’s marker was on, to her right was a couple mares, their manes were like that picture of the Stable Tec mare that made music, Sweetie Belle?

“What are you staring at lil filly?” One of them asked.

“Why do you look like Sweetie Belle?” Rose asked, looking up at them.

“Have you never been here before, girl? We are the Queens, we try to be like Sweetie Belle. There’s a school here that had holovids on how to dress, look, and talk like she did, a while ago a bunch of mares decided to try it out, and more mares eventually joined and now here we are. The Queen was the best at it so she leads us. Might want to talk to her if you need work.” The imitator said to her.

“Alright, where is she staying?” Rose asked.

“There is a corner building that says The Queens school of Interpretation on one of the corners. It has bright signs that you can't miss, usually she’s sitting by the stage in a big purple dress, just like Sweetie’s.” A different Queen said to her.

Rose nodded to them then pushed the big, red gate open then headed in, it swung back closed after her. She looked around for where the marker said to go, but it was gone, around her was boarded up and destroyed buildings.

“Hey! Little filly, if you have some caps I can escort you, this place is dangerous to go alone.” An armored unicorn at the side of the road yelled to her.

Rose ignored her and started walking. A couple ponies were sitting in the street, leaning against the ruined wagons and buildings, small plastic containers and glass bottles sat around them, she also saw some needles like she saw in the Stable’s Medical. 

She followed the main road, she saw a little foal on one of the street corners, an older mare on the corner across from him. They were both yelling about stores or whatever, she looked to her left and saw The Queen’s School. Outside it was another Sweetie Belle look alike, their fur was obviously dyed and fading.

She went up to the building and pulled on the glass door’s handle, it didn't budge. She kept trying and heard the mare beside the door start laughing.

“Push it girl, can’t you read?” She said while laughing at her.

Rose pushed the door and it opened, she felt her face get hot as she went in. The lobby area had a large desk, a few more of the imitators were standing around the room, to the left was a shut door, right was an open one. She went to the one that was closed and tried to push it, then pull it after it didn’t move.

“It’s locked, gotta pay to see the Queen, it’s so beggars don't bug her constantly.” A queen standing beside the door said.

“But one of the ponies outside the gate said to see her?” Rose said, confused.

“Then I guess I can let you in.” She said as she put the key into the door with her magic and opened it for her after unlocking it.

“Thank you.” Rose said as she went in.

Inside the room were a few tables and chairs, in the back was a large stage, on it was another mare that was dressed up to look like Sweetie Belle, the only other pony was a mare in a shiny, purple dress sitting in the center of the room.

Rose walked up to the Queen. “Uhh hi? One of your mares outside the big gate said you might have stuff I could do for you.” 

“Surprising they’d tell a little filly that, but I suppose I might have something. We've been planning to unboard some of these buildings around here and turn them into some makeshift homes, but the ones we opened had some bugs or rats inside. Think you’d be up to a few bugs and rodents girl?” The Queen asked, her voice sounded a lot more like the recordings of Sweetie than the rest of them, her mane, tail, and fur even looked naturally like her’s, or at least she was using better dye than the others.

“Yea, can't be as bad as those roaches were.” Rose replied.

“Girl if you think those roaches were bad you're going to have a real bad time.” She replied, turning to Rose.

“Well I shot myself when it crawled onto my leg sooo.” Rose said, looking into her bright green eyes.

“There’s some doctor ponies nearby if you need it looked at.” She said, looking down at her bandaged leg.

“Thanks but a doctor already looked at it and said I’d be fine.” Rose said, moving the leg around.

“Alright, well when you go back outside look for a group of my mares near some of those boarded up buildings, just tell them I sent you and they should let you help. If not, just tell them to come check with me. I’ll set ‘em straight.” She said, turning back to the stage.

“Alright!” Rose said before leaving.

Back outside she looked around and saw about five of the Queens standing around a door, a crowbar sitting beside them and the boards taken off the door. She went up to them.

“Might want to move on, there’s some big bugs in there, we’re waiting for some more ponies to come and help.” One of them said before lighting up a cigarette. 

“Well that’s what I’m here for, so let’s go.” Rose said as she pulled her gun out.

“She sent you? Well we’re fucked.” She said before taking a long drag of her cigarette.

“Yea yea whatever.” She said as she went into the building, holding her gun in front of her.

Two large, green bugs turned to look at her, they’re the size of her. “Helloooo.” she said before shooting it in the head.

As it’s head exploded the other ponies came in and shot the other one, three smaller ones came into the room and started coming towards them. The other mares started  shooting at them, and missing them, hitting the wall and ground near them.

“Are you all really this incopetent?” Rose asked before sending a bullet through one of the small ones, it’s entire body exploded.

“Shut up and shoot them!” One of them yelled, before the other two bugs exploded.

“At least I can actually hit them soooooo fuck you!” Rose yelled back.

“Know what? You can do this shit yourself.” One of them said before they both left the building, leaving Rose alone.

“Yea whatever.” Rose said before going through the doorway the other bugs came through.

It led into a hallway, right was an open door, Rose went through it and into a bathroom. Looking around she found a medical box on the wall. She tried to pull the door open but it didn’t move. 

“Fine then!” Rose yelled then smacked it, something inside it clicked. “Wait what?”

Rose pulled open the box to find a syringe filled with something and a bottle with some red liquid in it. Rose shrugged and tossed them both into her bag.

Back into the hallway she saw a couple more doors, one to the right, the other ahead. She tried the right door, but it didn’t open.

“Why is everything loooocked.” Rose said as she smacked the door a few times.

She smacked it a final time before looking back down the hall, the door had something on it that she didn’t know, “manager.” Rose went to the door and tried it, it opened to a small room with a few bookshelves and a desk, on the desk was a terminal.

Going to the other side of the desk she found it was destroyed.

“Oh.. ok then.” Rose said to herself before looking around, something shiny caught her eye, a key!

Rose grabbed it then galloped to the locked door, before reaching the door her legs slid out from under her, her face slammed into the ground and she continued sliding down the hallway. After coming to a stop she felt tears forming in her eyes,  she found a tiny bug staring into her eyes, it’s little arms folded in front of it’s chest.

She stood back up and looked at it. “At least you can’t laugh at me.”

It started to jab at her hoof, doing nothing to her Stable barding. “You’re kinda cute, sorry though little guy.” She stepped on it with a loud crunch.

She wiped her hoof on the rug she slid down the hallway on then went back to the door. After unlocking it and pushing it open she looked down a dark stairway, it went down a bit then turned off to the right.

She turned her pip’s light on then went down into the darkness, at the bottom of the steps was a barrel on a table, a little spout was stuck into it.

Rose looked around and saw three more of the big, green bugs. “Damnit more of you?” She whined and pulled her gun out.

She tapped a button on her Pipbuck and everything slowed down, the bugs she was looking at were moving very slowly, she targeted two rounds at the heads of two of them.

Pressing the button again she watched as the pistol went off, both bullets entering the head of the first bug, only one hitting the second. One of the bugs had gotten to Rose and jabbed it’s leg into her chest, pain shot through her body from where it stung her.

She pulled her gun around and unloaded into it, it’s head exploded, she turned it to the other that hadn’t died from before and shot its head, the slide of her pistol didn’t go forward after it fired. The bug dropped beside the other two.

Rose stepped over their bodies and went to the corner, where the light shining from her Pipbuck was making something shine, against the wall was a rifle, beside it was a wooden box, taking the rifle she realized it didn’t have a magazine.

Rose pulled on a strap connected to the rifle to see if it would break or not, when it didn’t she slung it over her back and looked inside the box. Inside was a couple magazines and a cardboard box of bullets, with a squee she tossed them into her bag.

She returned to the front door of the building, making sure not to run and slip again. Back outside she found those two Queen’s mares.

“Well shit looks like she survived, you owe me fifty caps.” One of them said to the other.

The other Queen tossed a bag of caps at her. “Yea yea whatever.”

“Damn only fifty? You bet too low.” Rose said to them.

The Queen that received the caps walked off and the other glared at her, Rose bleped at her then started walking back to the Queen’s School.

Along the way she spotted two ponies in rags, a stallion with a pool stick in his magic, and a mare holding a knife in her mouth, when they saw her they walked up to her.

“Give us all your caps, and we’ll let you leave.” The stallion said, pointing the stick at her. “If not I’ll break your legs.”

Rose used her magic to pull something out of her bag and toss it onto the ground. “Hey there’s some drugs on the ground!” The mare started to look around but the stallion stared at her.

“I ain’t falling for it, empty your bags.” He said before lifting the stick up.

“No, really there’s some on the ground.” Rose said.

He glanced at the ground and Rose hit the button on her Pipbuck again, she drew her pistol and marked the heads of both of them twice before accepting it. Both entered the mare’s head, only one into the stallions, the fourth round going off into a building far behind him but it was still enough to kill him.

Rose picked up what she found inside that medical box off the ground and tossed it back into her bag, as well as the knife.

“Idiots.” She said to herself as she continued to the school.


***


Inside the school again she went to the stage and found The Queen watching one of the mares sing still, she went up to her. “Bugs are dead.”

“Alright, I’ll send some Queens to set up inside, and here. I don’t believe we talked about a reward but here anyway.” She said before tossing a pouch onto the table, it sounded like caps were inside.

“So that Pipbuck on your leg is quite noticeable, what brings you outside the stable?” The Queen asked, turning to face her. “And you can take a seat if you’d like.”

“Take? Why would I carry one around with me?” Rose asked, puzzled.

The Queen took a deep breath before continuing. “Not literally take, it means you can sit down.” 

Rose sat down beside her. “Well I was abused my entire life so I made a revolt against the Elders with some of the other foals and we left, but because I was close to becoming Elder they left me alone.”

“Elder? You don’t look that old.” The Queen replied.

“Elder is everyone who’s able to have foals, and they don’t have to work anymore and make all the foals do it.” Rose said angrily.

“And because I wasn’t Elder yet before I left, I don’t even know how to read most of the stuff out here, I had to teach myself with stuff on my Pipbuck.” Rose said, looking down at it.

“One of my mares could teach you.” The Queen said, she sounded concerned. 

“That’s fine, I know enough to not die.” Rose replied dismissively. She looked back up at The Queen, her face was full of concern.

“You should still know how to read, they can teach you some other important things, like how to pick  locks.” The Queen replied.

“That’s fine, I’ll just kick the door till it opens or I find a key.” Rose said dismissively. 

“You can't open a safe by kicking it.” The Queen replied.

“Eh whatever. Anyway, have anything else that needs done?” Rose asked.

“Well I do need someone to fetch something from an old building, it's some recordings of Sweetie Belle’s songs, there are a few we don’t have yet, one was a lullaby, there’s also a Flutteryshy version of it as well. The others are about the old war. I’ll give you two hundred caps for each recording. The Queen replied, leaning back in her seat.

“Oh hey, I have two of those on my pip!” Rose said excitedly.

“Oh, what ones?” The Queen asked, Leaning forward in her seat.

“The two lullabies, they help me sleep.” Rose said while scrolling through her Pipbuck.

“Alright, I’ll have one of my mares grab a couple blank tapes.” The Queen replied.

“It won't get rid of them off my Pipbuck right?” Rose asked worriedly.

“No no, don’t worry it won't get rid of them, just make a new version on the tapes.” The Queen said comfortingly, she waved over one of the Queens and had her fetch the tapes.

Rose pulled up the two audio recordings and waited. After a few minutes she came back with two bright orange tapes, she dropped them onto the table and went back to another table to sit down.

The Queen picked up one of the tapes and opened the Pipbuck’s tape slot, she took her leg and started doing something on it. After a bit she ejects the tape and inserts the second and does it again with the second recording.

“Alright perfect, Let’s go get you your caps, I don't have them on me, it’s in my room.” The Queen replied.

“Alright, want me to follow? Or wait here?” Rose asked with her head tilted.

“Go ahead and follow me.” She said before leaving the room, Rose quickly followed.

They went up a few stairs, eventually entering a large room with a large, red heart shaped bed. In the corner were some chairs with a table, a desk near it. The Queen went to the desk and opened one of the drawers with a key and started counting the caps, Rose saqt down on the giant heart bed and waited.

After a while of counting she put four small bags beside her on the bed. “There’s your four hundred caps. Also you’re welcome to call this place home whenever you need to, I'll let all my mares know you’re close to us, some of them will probably give you things for it.”

“So I have a bed here then and the Queens will see me as a friend right?” Rose asked.

“Yep, if any ever give you trouble after this i’ll sort them out.” The Queen said, sitting down at the table.
> Chapter 10: Base Building
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash and Cinder followed the road that led into New Pegasus, ahead were the bright lights of the city.

“Hey Cinder, where are we actually going to stay, we can't afford a place inside New Pegasus. Maybe if we sell our armor but I’m not doing that.” Ash asked Cinder as they walked, scanning the ridge beside the road with her suit’s E.F.S.

“Could just set up a place outside the gates, we could set up a few turrets to protect it.” Cinder replied.

“Hey wait, I see red up there.” Ash said as she spun up her minigun and started to climb up the rocky hill.

“How many”? Cinder asked, trying to follow.

“I see at least six.” Ash replied, when she got to the top she dropped her rangefinder over her right eye and zoomed in on a group of military robots. “There's a bunch of floaties and some Sentinels.”

“Floaties? You mean the Gutsies?” Cinder asked.

“Yes, there’s some old Equestrian Military sky wagons down there too, might be able to sell what’s inside.” Ash replied. “We can’t use explosives though, we’ll destroy those wagons.”

“Maybe you could go down there and fire your mini at them, and when they’re away from it I’ll fire my missiles at them.” Cinder suggested.

“Yea that could work.” Ash said before sliding down the other side of the ridge.

As she slid down the markers turned red as the bots noticed her, she heard one shout at her. “Is that someone who needs me to kick their flanks!” After it shouted, Ash fired at it with her minigun, it’s front body panel fell off and its internals exploded as she continued firing.

The rest of the bots started to come towards her, as she fired she started backing up, when her minigun stopped firing she turned around and started to run, as she ran her suit’s magic reloaded her minigun. Behind her she started hearing explosions, she spun around to see missiles flying into one of the giant Sentinels, it started firing missiles back at Cinder.

Ash started firing her grenade launcher at the bot, one of its legs exploded and it fell over, the remaining missiles in its arm detonating and destroying the rest of its body.

The last Sentinel with a couple Gutsies came towards Ash, plasma and lasers firing at her. Ash jumped behind a boulder and looked up at the ridge, Cinder’s launchers were broken in half, her suit’s magic shoving missiles into the tubes.

When the bots started firing at Cinder, Ash jumped out from behind the rock and started firing her minigun and grenade launcher, the sentinel’s head exploded, the shrapnel destroying one of  the Gutsies. 

Cinder sent a missile into the orb of the remaining Gutsy, it’s arms being blown away from its body. Ash went to the wrecks of the robots, Cinder slid down the slope and joined Ash.

“I might be able to turn their weapons into turrets, I could use the Gutsy’s eyes to act as targeting systems.” Ash said.

“Won’t they just shoot at us then?” Cinder asked, concerned.

“Nope, I can reprogram their target inhibitors to not fire at us. Also whoever we bring to here, it won't shoot unless they shoot first or we shoot at them.” Ash replied after getting out of her armor and going through their destroyed bodies.

“Well that works, I’m going to search the destroyed wagons.” Cinder replied before going to the sky carriages.


***


The sun had started to set, Ash set up a workshop inside one of the wagons, Cinder used her armor to drag the wagons into a circle, Ash had built two laser turrets and set them up on the wagons before testing them.

“Hey Ash? I found something you might like in one of the wagons!” Cinder yelled from somewhere outside her workshop wagon.

Ash went outside, past her Power Armor, She went to where she heard Cinder’s voice from. Cinder was dragging another wagon to the circle. “Look in the back when I get it in the circle.”

Ash followed her as she moved it into the center of the circle. She exited her armor and went to the rear doors with Ash and threw them open. Inside was a Robobrain, its metal was painted in Stable Tec logos and colors, the brain inside the head of the bot looked perfectly preserved in the fluid inside the jar.

“Did you try and turn it on?” Ash asked, going up to it and looking at the brain encased in the glass dome.

“Yea but it didn’t turn on, thought maybe you could get it working.” Cinder replied.

“Maybe, find anything else interesting?” Ash asked.

“Couple pegasus bodies with power armor, Equestrian markings and I didn’t find a tracker on them. Cinder replied.

“Hey, those could get five thousand each if I fix them up.” Ash replied. “Where are they at?”

“One of the wagons near the one you set up in.” Cinder replied before leaving Ash alone with the Robobrain.


***


Ash was taking apart a laser rifle she found, her armor’s headlamp shining light on the makeshift workbench. Cinder had set up a campfire and went to sleep beside it, Ash decided to stay up and work on the laser rifle and Pegasus Power Armor. 

Ash pulled another rifle off the first armor and set it on the table, parts from the first rifle surrounded it. Ash disassembled it and grabbed the focusing crystal from the first rifle and placed it with the second rifle’s crystal then reassembled it before taking it outside.

Ash pointed it at the ridge they crossed to find the new camp and fired, two red beams flew at the rock. She heard something running behind her so she spun around while pointing the modified laser rifle, she saw Cinder in her Power Armor.

“I heard shooting?” Cinder asked.

“Yea I modified one of these laser rifles to fire two beams. Was just test firing, don't worry.” Ash replied, lowering the rifle.

“Working on the guns instead of the armor then?” Cinder asked.

“Yea, i don’t think we should actually sell that armor, might make ponies start looking for where we found it from.” Ash replied as she started to walk back to her workshop.

Cinder followed her back. “I’ll be heading back to sleep then, you really should as well Ash.”

“I suppose, but we don't even have sleeping bags, I’m not getting a bunch of sand in my fur, or rust from sleeping inside of the wagons.” Ash replied.

“Just sleep in your armor then.” Cinder replied.

“That makes my legs stiff in the morning when I do that.” Ash complained.

“Oh you suffered worse in training Paladin, I thought Paladins were tougher than Knights.” Cinder said before taking off her helmet and sticking her tongue out.

“Ahhhh fuck you.” Ash said.

“Not tonight Ashy.” Cinder said with a wink before tossing her helmet back on and walking away.

Ash ignored her and went back to the wagon with the workbench. She set the laser rifle back onto the bench and sat down beside it.

Ash got back up and set the rifle against the wall and bench then left the wagon. She went to the destroyed bots and started pulling their combat inhibitors, weapons, and sensors then dragged it all back to the workshop.

She dumped it all outside the wagon then went back to the bots and pulled their spark batteries out. Before she returned she checked the few turrets she had already made from the Sentinel missile arm and minigun arm.
> Chapter:11 Exploring the Neijave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose slowly opened her eyes to the light pouring in through the broken windows across the room, she draped her hoof over her eyes and groaned.

She heard springs somewhere beside her. “Sorry about the light, one of the girls was drunk and broke the curtains. And they aren’t exactly common anymore.” One of the Queen’s mares was in the bunk room with her, she guessed the rest of them were off clearing those ruins to set up in.

“Yeah and it’s annoying.” Rose sat up and looked around, all but one of the rusty beds were empty.

“If you want to complain you can go fetch us some new ones.” The Queen’s Mare beside her stuck her tongue out at Rose.

“Uhhh no. Fuck you.” Rose stuck her tongue out back at her,

“And that’s why it’s not fixed yet.” The Queen’s Mare laid back onto the bed.

“Because fuck you?” Rose tilted her head at the mare.

The Queen’s Mare rubbed her face with a hoof before responding. “Not what I meant dumbass. No one wants to go and find one. There’s addicts around here that’ll stab you for drugs but it’s a whole lot safer in here than out there in the Wasteland.”

Rose exhaled through her nostrils before grabbing her rifle and tossing it over her back and just leaving. In the hallway was another mare, smoking something that didn't smell like what the stallion in her stable smoked. She ignored her and went downstairs then left.

Looking down the street she could still see the bodies of the ponies that had tried to rob her. She shrugged and walked to the gate she had entered the walled off town and went through it. On the other side was more of the Queen Mares standing around doing nothing. Rose started walking down the road, her pistol in a holster on her chest that one of the mares had given her, the strap going around her chest and neck, her rifle slung over her back by the strap she had found it with.


***


After what felt like hours of walking Rose heard her Pipbuck making noise so she looked at it. The Stable Tec pony was in the middle of her screen with a thing in his mouth that was expanding and contracting, confetti was going down the screen as well. In bubble letters across the top was “Happy Birthday!” 
“Yaaaaay..” Rose closed the notification before continuing. “And that’s why they left me.. Happy eighteen..” Rose sighed and walked on with her head down.

Rose looked up when she heard hoofsteps ahead of her. A couple loaded down brahmin and some ponies  were following the road towards her. Rose continued walking while watching them, the guards were watching her as well.

The group stopped and a stallion walked towards her. “Hey! Need some guns? Could replace that old rifle with one of ours.”

Rose walked to the brahmin and saw a rifle strapped to one that caught her eye, a large rifle as long as the brahmin.

“I'm not sure you can afford that, or its ammunition. Doubt you could even carry it, it’s bigger than you.” The trader said as he started opening boxes and setting guns onto a tap a guard had laid out.

“How much is it?” Rose started going through her Pip to see what she could sell and how many caps she had.

“Five thousand, and the rounds are five each.” The trader stopped grabbing guns and sat down beside the mat.

“Could you do two and some stuff?” Rose asked, smiling up at the trader.

“Know what? I’ll do four if you can get enough things to sell.” He said, looking down at Rose.

Rose started pulling items from her bag using her magic and Pipbuck to bring them to the tops of her bags, it was mostly junk the Pip claimed was worth a cap or two. 

“Hmm.. I’ll give four hundred for all that.” He said as he started counting the caps out.

“Actually my Pip says it’s worth six.” Rose smirked at him while waving the Pipbuck at him.

“Fine. Six, now let me concentrate.” He went back to counting.


***


After Rose got her caps she bought binoculars, rounds for the rifle and pistol, and a suppressor for the pistol before continuing down the road.

When she left the group’s view she started following them, using her new binoculars to watch them, while waiting for him to count out the caps the sun had started to get low in the sky. The group left the road and started walking into the desert, Rose started to go around them instead of just following them to where they’re going.

The group stopped walking and setting up a fire, Rose looked back and could barely see the road. She sat down and continued watching them through the binoculars. The merchant and all but one of the guards laid out mats and laid down

Rose sat down and waited for the sun to fully go down. She opened her Pipbuck and started listening to Sweetie Belle songs that were downloaded onto it.


***


Rose’s eyes started to slowly close, as they closed she started leaning forward. She fell forward and went nose first into a rock, Rose jumped up and held her nose, her eyes filling with tears. A whine came from her throat, while holding her nose she looked at the group with her binoculars.

All but one of the guards were asleep, Rose tossed her binoculars into her bag and started crawling towards the brahmin. She felt something warm going down her nose as she crawled. Rose ignored it, as well as the sand going down her Stable Jumpsuit.

When she got to the brahmin she started opening the boxes, she grabbed some ammunition that fit her rifle and grabbed the large one in her magic and slowly slid it out from under the straps holding it against the brahmin. She removed the magazine and started going back through the boxes looking for its giant rounds, she found an entire box of rounds and started crawling back away. Behind her she heard the guard waking up another so he could sleep.

Rose stopped and looked back at the camp with her binoculars, when she saw the guard wasn't facing her she started running back the easy she came. The rifles on her back jumped around and started coming off, Rose pulled them off and held them in her magic, the large rifle’s barrel stayed on her back so she could actually lift it in her magic. 

After getting to where she could barely see the camp without her binoculars she started walking back to the road. While walking she unzipped her suit and shook the sand out. Rose placed the rifles over her back again.

Rose stopped and looked around with her binoculars until she saw a rooftop and started walking towards it.


***



Rose opened the door to the small house with her pistol out, she hit the bottom of the gun against the door and waited, when nothing happened she walked in and closed the door and started looking around. Inside were four rooms, a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Rose started pulling the nightstand to the door after searching it and put it in front of the door.

She went back to the bedroom and started pulling the bed to the door inside the kitchen and tossed it in front of it, as well as a shelf in the kitchen. 

Rose walked to the living room and set her things on the floor beside the couch then went into the bathroom and took her jumpsuit off and started shaking it around with her magic. She turned on the sink and plugged the drain, immediately her Pip started clicking from the radiation. 

Rose pulled a ball of water out with her magic and poured it onto her chest then started rubbing the sand out of her fur, she grabbed an old rag and started rubbing her chest furiously. 

When she got most of the sand off she tossed her suit into the sink and turned it off before flopping over onto the couch and going to sleep.



***



Rose sat up and looked around, when she didn't see anything different she got up and went to her jumpsuit and pulled it out of the sink then shook it around as hard as she could with her magic before going and putting her saddlebags on. She put the rifles on her back then draped her jumpsuit over her bags to dry. 

Rose pulled the dresser away from the door and opened it. She poked her head out and looked around before walking out and heading down the road again, she looked back as she followed the road and saw a few more houses around the one she slept in.

Rose checked the map on her Pip, north of her is Stable 100. South is New Pegasus, she could see a ton of small roads branching off the highway she was heading towards, on the road she was following was a split ahead of her, left going back to the highway and right going off to the east.

Rose stopped looking at her map and started following the road and when it split she started heading east. 

After a while of walking she saw a barn and a house, Rose pulled her binoculars out of her bag and looked at it through her binoculars. Near the barn she saw a fence surrounding the barn, inside the fenced area are some brahmin.

Rose tossed her binoculars into her bag and followed the road to the barn and farmhouse, as she got to the road connecting the farm the brahmin watched her. 

Rose ignored them and walked to the house and opened the door and walked inside. As she started looking around she felt something cold against the back of her head.

“The fuck are you doing in here?” A stallion behind her said with a growl, his voice was muffled behind a mouth bit of a gun.

“Didn’t think anyone would be here since all the houses near here are empty.” Rose kept her body still as she spoke.

“Leave my farm now and I won’t shoot your dumbass.” Rose felt the barrel move from her neck as he talked.

Rose turned around and saw an older buck, his blue mane had started to fade, his light grey coat was mostly covered by leather armor with rused strips of metal covering his chest..

Rose left the house and walked back to the road, behind her she heard the door shut. Rose kept walking past the road and up a hill. After a bit of walking she layed on top of a rock and pulled the stolen rifle off her back and loaded it, she then held it in front of her in her magic, she looked through the scope at the farm.

After what felt like hours the front door of the house opened and he walked out. Rose put the plus of the scope onto his head and pulled the trigger. 

The rifle jumped from her magic, the stock slammed into her chest, the rifle swung up and the scope slammed into her muzzle before falling onto the rock.

Rose flopped onto her back and held her face while kicking her rear legs into the air. She tried to scream but nothing came out, she struggled to breathe through her hooves as she held her nose and mouth.

Rose tried to pull a healing potion from her bag but her horn wouldn’t do anything, tears made everything blurry as she started digging through her bag for the bottle of pink fluid.

When she finally got one she bit the cork and dropped it onto the rock and downed the bottle.

The pain in her nose started to stop and she felt her chest move. She was finally able to breathe right. Rose screamed as she felt her sternum start moving. 

She looked down to see her chest indented where the stock had slammed into her chest. It popped fully back into place causing everything to go black from the pain.


***


Rose sat up and looked around, her chest was still sore from the stock hitting her. She looked for her rifle and found it partway down the hill. She pulled it to her with her magic and looked through the scope at the farm, the farmer she shot was laying in the doorway, it looked like she wasn’t out long.

Rose slid down the hill to the body, when she got to him she started pulling his leather armor off. When his chest was exposed she bit into him, the warm taste of iron coated her tongue.
> Chapter 12: To The Strip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash opened her eyes and looked around, a fire Cinder had lit the night before had burned out while they were asleep. Ash checked her battery to find it dead.

“Cinder? Can you hear me?” Ash’s voice echoed around her helmet.

Ash forced the helmet to move to see Cinder standing beside her, still asleep. Ash forced her front right leg servo to move forward, followed by her front left, her legs started to slide forward in the sand. As her chest got closer to the ground she felt the back of the armor opening, her rear legs stayed planted where they were, lifting her rear over her head.

When her armor opened enough Ash climbed out and tapped Cinder’s helmet.

“Yea? What is it?” She asked, sounding tired.

“Armor died, we really shouldn’t keep sleeping in these. We don't have that many spark batteries.” Ash pulled the armored saddle bag open and pulled a fresh battery out and replaced her dead one.

“Mine’s at one.” Cinder opened her armor and climbed out to replace hers.

“Think we should head into the city instead of hanging out in the desert?” Cinder asked Ash after replacing the battery.

Ash turned towards Cinder before replying “Where the hell are we going to get that kind of money? Those rifles I'm fixing will get us into the strip sure but we won't be able to afford anything inside. On top of that our butt marks clearly show we are Rangers if we go without armor.” 

“Simple, some abandoned home invasion. Just need to find some shitty leather armor or something, I could probably attach some street signs or something for extra protection.” Cinder replied with a smile.

“Well.. I guess that might work. But we need better armor than some signs.” Ash Climbed back into her armor and looked around.

Cinder did the same before continuing the conversation. “ Might be lucky and find some metal armor on a trader or something. Probably will be a thousand caps for two suits though.”

“Well we could buy them I guess, I’ll go finish those rifles.” Ash walked back to her makeshift workshop, Cinder went back to the destroyed bots to strip more parts from them.


***


Ash and Cinder followed the road south, towards the city. The laser rifles sat in Ash’s saddlebag, the stocks poking out. Cinder watched her S.A.T.S. as they followed the road. 

“Wouldn’t finding one of the towns be better, and easier than finding a roaming trader? We’re way more likely to find one in a town.” Cinder said with an annoyed tone.

“Ah walking won’t hurt ya, townsponies might though. A lot of them hate the Rangers and a roaming trader is less likely to attack us since they’ll be alone.” Ash said with a shrug.

“You just imply I'm fat? I’ll kick your ass Paladin.” Cinder said with a growl.

“I still outrank you Knight, also that isn’t what I implied.” Ash booped the nose of Cinder’s helmet.

Cinder pushed her flank against Ash, pushing her to the side some. “Couldn’t ya tell i was joking Ashy.” 

“It’s hard to tell with you, anyway, I see the makeshift walls of a town so I guess you get your wish.” Ash said, looking back to Cinder.

“Traders in an actual town will have more stock since they don't have to carry a limited amount of stuff with them.” Cinder looking over into Ash’s visor.

Ash flashed her headlamp at Cinder and looked back forward. Cinder smacked her flank and continued following her.

As they reached the town’s gates Ash took her helmet off, Cinder glanced at her before taking her’s off as well.

Ash tried to open the gate to find it locked. “Hello! Anyone in there?” Ash yelled at the gate. 

“Who is it and the fuck do you want?” A male’s voice came from somewhere above the gate.

“Couple of Rangers, we were hoping to trade?” Cinder yelled up at the voice.

“The fuck do Rangers want here? We already deal with normal raiders trying to fuck with us.” Ash could see a brown stallion wearing an old Equestrian Military combat helmet.

“We wanted to see if we could buy some armor for some old laser rifles.” Ash backed up to see him better.

“Fine, but if you cause shtt we’re putting one in both your heads, keep those helmets off. Hey Shadow, open up the gate!”  He walked away from on top of the gate.

The gate swung in to reveal a black stallion with combat armor, the brown stallion walked beside him. Old and rusty hunting rifles were slung over their backs.

“Hey the rifles I have could replace those things, they look like they’ll explode if you put too many rounds through them.” Ash said to the town’s guards.

“We can barely afford to feed these rifles, fuck off with your expensive as shit laser rifles.” The brown one said to Ash before walking off.

“Oookay then.” Ash walked into the town and started looking around, it was just a few houses with a tall, wooden fence around them with metal pieces nailed to it. The wall looked made from torn down buildings.

“Not sure anyone here could afford these, don't think they’d even have anything good to sell.” Cinder said,  sceptically.

“They might have some extra combat armor, it would be better than leather or rusted metal.” Ash replied hopefully.

“Don’t get your hopes up. Anyway, that one has a sign that says shop.” Cinder pointed to one of the houses, above the doorway is a sign labeled “shop”.

Ash heads into the house, Cinder waits out on the porch while Ash trades.

“Hel.. oh… you’re a Ranger. What do you want?” A white mare behind a counter looked up from what she was doing as she talked.

“Do you buy guns?” Ash asked, trying to look friendly.

The mare’s ears went back. “Sometimes…” She was hesitant to speak.

Ash pulled one of the rifles out and set it on the counter. “How much would you buy these for?”

The mare flinched when Ash pulled the rifle out, Ash heard someone get up behind her so she looked back, a blue guard pony had gotten up when she pulled the rifle out of her bag.

Ash’s ears went back. “I just want to sell them, not robbing her or whatever you think.”

The guard pony stayed standing and watched Ash so she shrugged and turned back around. “Aaanyway, how much would you buy these for? They fire two beams.”

“I-I uh.. I don’t have e-enough caps for something like th-that.” The white mare stammered out to Ash.

“Did.. something happen to you? You’re very nervous.” Ash tilted her head as she asked.

“R-raiders happ..” The mare started to talk before being interrupted by the guard. “And you Rangers are just more organized raiders, we came to the Neijave to get away from you Steel Rangers.”

Ash turned to face him. “Not all of us are like that, just some Chapters. Hell, we left our Chapter because they were like that.”

“Hmph, then I guess you’re fine.” He went back and sat down.

Ash turned back to the trader mare, her ears had pointed back up. “Do you have any extra combat armor? We could trade a rifle each and a few cells for them.”

“We only have one but there’s a metal suit our blacksmith made, would that work?” The mare sounded a lot more confident after Ash’s confrontation with the guard.

“How’s one rifle with five cells, also the one already in the rifle?” Ash suggested.

“That doesn’t sound like much.” She picked up the rifle and pointed it at the ceiling.

“Well the rifle fires two beams instead of the normal one. The cells are around thirty shots I think? Somewhere around that.”  Ash said while rubbing her chin.

“Uhh well I guess it’s fine then.” The mare crouched down and pulled the armor from a box under the counter while Ash exited her armor and pulled the cells out of the armor’s saddlebox and set them onto the counter.

Ash put the armor into the boxes before getting back into the suit and leaving.

“So what’d ya get?” Cinder asked as Ash left the store.

“Combat armor and metal armor, you can have the combat armor.” Ash continued to the middle of town.

“Sure you don't want the combat armor? I think you’d look good in it hehe.”  Cinder winked at Ash.

Ash just rolled her eyes and walked to the gate. As she got to the gate she put her helmet back on. The guards that had let them in opened the gate, Ash and Cinder left the town and started following the road again.

“Did you get any caps? Or just the armor?” Cinder asked as she followed ash.

“Just the armor, don't think they could actually afford to buy the guns or the rounds.” Ash looked back at Cinder as she talked.

“Well I guess look for another town or find a roaming trader. Although both I doubt will happen, surprised we even found this town, most have been hit by raiders.” Cinder looked at her map as they walked.

“Might be able to sell them in the shithole you have to go through to get to the Strip.” Ash looked back forward.

“Could probably do that, might be kinda dangerous. Also how do you know about this?” Cinder tilted her head at Ash.

“Found a book about it, it was kinda mangled so I don’t know what most of it said.” Ash started looking through her inventory for the book.

“Book? How the hell are books still being made?” Cinder asked, confused.

“Dunno, someone named Ditzy made it, probably a ghoul with how much is in it.” Ash selected the Neijave guide from her inventory, her saddlebox opened and the book rose to the top. 

Cinder pulled her helmet off and took the book. “Wasteland Survival Guide?”

“Yea, has some chapters about each part of Equestria, Manehatten wasn’t in there so I guess it’s one of the sections ripped out. Fillydelphia chapter says to avoid us, especially if you're a dweller. Neijave says the Rangers actually help ponies, maybe we should try to make contact?” Ash closed her saddlebox as she walked.

“Maybe we actually should, any idea where they are?” Cinder asked.

“Nope! Might meet a few if we keep walking around though.” Ash suggested.

“Do you know how long that would fucking take?” Cinder put the book into her saddlebox.

“Ahhh it’ll be fine. But seriously, if we check the major settlements or find anything technologically important we should be able to find them.” Ash looked back at Cinder again.

“I guess that would work. Maybe we’ll find them when we visit the Strip.” Cinder took her helmet off and blepped at Ash before putting it back on.

“Made yourself an easy target by doing that.” Ash shook her head disappointedly at her.

“We were just walking around that town with them off.” Cinder rolled her eyes at Ash.

“Only because we have to, out here we’re more likely to get shot at.” Ash complained.


***


After an entire day of walking they arrived back to their camp, they both exited their armor and Ash gave Cinder the old combat armor.

Cinder pulled off the rubber suit that was required for Power Armor and tossed it with her armor, Ash did the same and started putting the metal armor on. Ash snuck a few glances at Cinder’s flank as she put on the armor.

Cinder noticed and shook her cutie mark at Ash with a wink, a missile with a cartoony explosion behind it. Ash blushed and focused on putting her armor on.

When Ash was done she looked back at Cinder, who had finished before her and was watching. “Enjoy the view Ashy?” Cinder said with a wink.

Ash’s blush deepened. “Sh-shut up.” She went to her armor and grabbed her pistol, the remaining rifles, and the ammunition for all them. When Ash came back to Cinder she had her helmet off and blepped at Ash. 

“Do you even have a weapon other than the launchers? I have the pistol that I made with you, I could give you one of the rifles.” Ash put her pistol into the holster slung around her neck.

“I mean I could rig the launchers to me, I just won't be able to reload them.” Cinder replied to ash  while adjusting her armor.

“Just take the rifle, they’re the kind you have to stand up to fire, it’ll take too long to rig it to a saddle.” Ash tossed a rifle to Cinder.

Cinder took it and set it on her back, she then caught the cells that power it and tossed them into a pouch on the armor’s chest.

“Ready now?” Ash asked while checking her pistol’s magazine.

“Yea, hope I don’t have to use it, since I’ll expose my belly and chest to fire it.” Cinder started walking up the hill that protects their camp.

“Might also be able to lay down and fire it, that’d make you a smaller target than using a battle saddle.” Ash started following her.

“That’s true, also how many rifles were you able to fix?” Cinder started to climb up the hill with Ash following.

“Just three, and we already sold one, should sell for  two thousand each.” Ash replied while watching the ground as she climbed.

“Know what the fee to the Strip is?” Cinder reached the top and waited for Ash.

“Actually it’s not a fee, you just have to have two thousand caps on you and they’ll let you in, well the book said that at least.” Ash replied after getting to the top with her.

“Wait, they don't even take them?” Cinder tilted her head at Ash, the combat helmet slid to the side of her head because it was too big.

“Yep, it’s just to keep the poor ponies out. Supposedly keeps the Strip safer. Guess it works since the book only warns of muggings in the town outside the strip.” Ash started going down the other side of the hill, towards the road.

“Guess it works then, hopefully we’ll have enough for both of us then.” Cinder followed Ash down.

“Book also said we only have to do it once, the bots remember we had enough the first time.” Ash started sliding down the sandy lower half of the hill.

Cinder slid down beside her, when they reached the bottom they started following the road towards the Strip.

“The book also has some maps in here. I spent last night recording them onto my armor. It doesn't really help now, but when we get back home I know where all the towns are now.” Ash followed the road ahead of Cinder.

“Would’ve been helpful yesterday, could’ve found a town that isn’t poor that we could actually sell the rifles to.” Cinder replied, she started walking faster so she was walking beside Ash.

“I know I know.” Ash continued walking as she talked.


***


Ash and Cinder finally arrived at the gates to the town around the Strip. Ash opened the gates for Cinder, she entered the town after Cinder. Beside the gate were some ponies in armor, they ignored them and kept walking.

“See any stores that aren’t boarded up?” Cinder asked Ash as they walked.

“Book said there’s a bar here that sells guns on the side. Also said it had mare waitresses that wear maid outfits.” Ash said with a blep at Cinder.

“Oh? You want to join them don’t ya.” Cinder said, smiling at Ash.

“N-no, I was just saying. A-anyway they sell guns there, we could sell the rifles to get in the strip.” Ash said with a blush. 

“Oh you just want to go for the view.” Cinder said as she bumped Ash’s flank with her own.

“Nononono, that's not why.” Ash said as her blush deepened.

“Oh I’m just messing with ya. Let’s go so we can get to the strip. Actually, go to the gates and see if it is two thousand, I’ll go sell the rifles.” Cinder suggested.

“Why?” Ash asked with her head tilted.

“Remember your birthday is soon? I need to get you a gift.” Cinder said, smiling at Ash.

“Oh right. I completely forgot.” Ash said surprised.

Cinder licked Ash’s nose then took the rifle off Ash’s back. “I’ll be back soon Ashy, don't get into trouble while I'm gone.”

“You get into more trouble than me.” Ash said to Cinder as she walked to the gates to the Strip.


***


Cinder followed the voice of a mare yelling about the bar she was heading to. “Hey? Where’s that bar at?”

“Down the road behind me, it’s on the right side of the road.” The mare told Cinder before yelling to other ponies walking past. 

“Alright.” Cinder followed the road behind the mare and soon got to the bar. 

Cinder entered the bar and looked around, the floor near the door was filled with tables and chairs, mares in maid outfits walked around with drinks on a tray they carried on their backs, just like Ash said. Some ponies they delivered to groped them, Cinder shook her head when she saw that and started looking for the pony selling guns.

“Hey, looking to forget everything for a while?” A mare behind a counter to Cinder’s right asked.

“No, but I heard there's guns sold here as well as alcohol?” Cinder turned to look at the mare who spoke.

“Yea my brother sells them in the back, I just sell alcohol.” The mare said.

“Actually, how much for an unopened Wild Pegasus?” Cinder asked as she pulled a bag of caps from her chest pouches.

“Out of normal Pegasus, but I have some honey bottles for fifty.” The mare said before going in the back to grab a bottle.

“Hmm she might like that more.” Cinder said to herself as she counted out the fifty caps and set them onto the counter.

The mare came back and set a bottle of honey Wild Pegasus on the counter. “What was that?”

“Nothing, talking to myself.” Cinder said as she pocketed the bottle, the other mare took the caps off the counter.

Cinder headed to the back, following one of the waitress mares who was delivering a drink. She glanced down as she followed her and noticed there was nothing below the skirt.. Dress?
The waitress mare went to one of the bar’s patrons and Cinder went to a grey stallion who had a bunch of weapons, as well as a large sack, and boxes of ammunition inside a cage he was standing outside of. “Need somethin?”

“Caps, got a couple rifles and ammunition to offload.” Cinder set the rifles onto the floor in front of him, as well as their ammunition.

“I’ll give six thousand for all of it.” The gun pony unlocked the cage and started pulling caps out of a sack inside.

“Perfect, but how much for a 9mm pistol and a box or two of ammunition?” Cinder sat down and waited for the pony to get her caps.

After getting all the caps he set it all in front of her feet. “Eight hundred.”

“Alright I’ll take them.” Cinder started pocketing the caps except for the eight hundred.

The pony got her pistol and ammunition and set it in front of Cinder before taking the caps back and tossing it back into the sack, then re-locking the cage.

Cinder put the rounds and pistol in her chest pouches and walked back to the front counter. “Hey? Could you give me another bottle of honey?”

“Yea sure.” The mare walked to the back room again to get another bottle.

Cinder counted out the caps and set them onto the counter and waited till the mare came back with the bottle, when she set the bottle onto the counter Cinder took it and left the bar.

Cinder put the bottle into her pocket and walked to the gate where Ash should be. As she walked she noted two ponies in rags following her, one had a knife in his mouth, Cinder flashed her pistol’s handle at them and they ran away, Cinder shook her head at them and continued on.

Cinder walked onto the main street of the small town and saw Ash talking with a large robot on a single wheel. “Looks unstable.” Cinder started walking to Ash.

Ash looked over and saw Cinder and started walking to her.


***


“Hey Cinder, got the caps? Bot said we each had to have our own caps to enter.” Ash stopped when Cinder got to her, she turned around and started walking back to the bots with Cinder beside her.

Cinder gave her half of the caps she got. “Yea, I also bought a pistol for me, we have around five thousand left.”

“Well perfect, the bots said they don't take them so we have all that for the strip.” Ash went up to one of the bots and showed her caps, it told her to enter so Cinder showed it as well. When it told her to enter she followed Ash into the Strip.

“So there's some casinos here, it’s the main thing to do here, also there's actually a Stable in here, it for some reason is also a gift shop.” Ash talked as they walked down the Strip.

“Maybe we should rent a room here for a night or two, it’ll be nice to have an actual bed for once.” Cinder said as she looked up at the massive casinos that aligned each side of the road.

“Might be expensive, I want to see that Stable thing first, maybe they have cheaper rooms.” Ash continued down the road past the casinos.

“Yeah sure, it’ll probably be like five hundred a night.” Cinde replied as she followed Ash.

“Yea lets go.” Ash stopped when she saw the sign for the Stable 21 Hotel. “Is.. that it?”

“I guess so, let’s go in.” Cinder entered the small building and Ash followed her in.

“Hello?” Ash said while looking around, around the small room was random junk, in the middle of the room was a counter with a bit register.

They heard a metal door open and a mare came from a hallway that connected to the small room. “Oh hey, welcome to the Stable 21 Gift Shop, do you want to buy something or rent  a room?”

Ash looked over to the pink mare with a yellow mane. “Room, depending on how much it is.”

“It’s a hundred per night.” The pink mare replied as she went behind the counter.

Ash turned to Cinder. “Cinder, want to stay a week?” 

Cinder looked back at Ash.“Yea sure, it might be fun.”

Ash turned back to the stable mare. ”Seven days then.”

“Alright, seven hundred caps.” The pink mare opened the register.

Cinder pulled out seven hundred caps and dropped them onto the counter. The pink mare put it all into the register. “I can show you to your room if you want.” 

“Yeah, sure, lead the way.” Cinder replied to the mare.

The stable mare went back down the hallway that sloped down that she had come from, Ash and Cinder followed her down into the stable. The hallway went right into an atrium with a hallway going to the left and right.

The mare walked to the left, down the hallway and stopped beside a closed door. “This one's yours.”

Ash tilted her head at the mare. “Wait there's no cog door?” 

“Nope, only stable with no cog door.” The mare replied before walking back to the gift shop.

Ash opened the sliding door and entered the room, Cinder followed her in. Ash went to the bed and flopped onto it. Cinder closed the door and went beside the bed. “Already?”

“What? It’s the first bed we’ve seen in like a month.” Ash covered her eyes with  her hoof.

Cinder got on top of Ash and put her head on Ash’s chest. “I guess it has been a while, want to take our armor off and nap?”

“Yeah sure.” Cinder got off Ash and started taking her combat armor off, Ash started taking her leather armor off and they both tossed their armor onto the floor beside them. Ash laid back down and Cinder laid back on top of her, Cinder nuzzled into Ash’s chest.
> Chapter 13: The Strip Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash woke up to her flank being hit. “Whaaaat?”

“Wake uuup, it’s time to go do stuff. We’ve been asleep forever.” Cinder was standing beside the bed.

“But I wanna sleep.” Ash pushed her face under a pillow.

“We’ve been asleep for a few hours. Time to go to a casino.” Cinder smacked her flank again.

Ash rolled over and sat up. “Fiiiine, just stop slapping my ass.”

“Oh shush you enjoy it. Now get dressed.” Cinder tossed Ash’s armor onto the bed beside her.

Ash got up and started to put the armor on, she glanced at Cinder and saw she already had the combat armor on. “Do you even have what we’re doing planned out?” 

“Nope! But it’s dark out now and the casinos should be open all day and night. Also, just for fun, you’ll get your birthday gift early when we come back here.” Cinder blepped at Ash.

“Oh? Is it you?” Ash blepped back.

“Nope, but that may be a second gift Ashy.” Cinder left the room after talking so Ash hurried up with her armor.

After getting her armor on, Ash followed Cinder out of the stable hotel and onto the Strip. “So where do we go first?”

“Well there’s one that’s supposed to be all fancy that I want to go to.” Cinder started walking towards a large, curved building.

Ash followed Cinder to the casino ”So.. are we just here for gambling?” 

“Not entirely, this casino has good food.” Cinder looked back at Ash. “Another has hookers if you want something more fun.” 

Ash blushed at Cinder. “N-no.”

“Well, there’s also alcohol. But you probably shouldn’t drink a bunch till you know your limit.” Cinder walked up the steps to the casino while talking.

“I guess, they’ll probably take our guns. If I don’t get my custom one back I'm coming back in power armor.” Ash said with a growl.

“Oh calm down, they’ll give it back.” Cinder opened the door for Ash.

Ash walked in and a casino employee greeted them. “Hello, welcome. You’ll need to submit to a search and temporary weapon confiscation before you’re allowed into the rest of the casino.”

Ash looked at the casino employee, it was a blue stallion with  ablack face mask and a black tuxedo. “Fine, but I better get it back.”

The stallion nodded at a couple other casino employees who came over, one started to pat all around Ash’s armor and took her pistol. The second patted down Cinder and didn;t find anything.

“Alright, you may come into the rest of the casino, enjoy.” The stallion went back to watching the doors and the other two he called over went back to where they had been watching.

Ash walked down the steps to the main area, when away from everyone she whispered to Cinder. “Where’s your gun at?”

Cinder whispered back. “Uh let’s just say between two things that make great pillows.”

“Yea they’re soft and squishy.” Ash said to Cinder with a blush and a smile.

Cinder rolled her eyes at Ash. “Yea I bet you enjoy them. Anyway, want to see what they have to eat? Or maybe go to the tables.” 

Ash shrugged. “Hmm. let’s go get some chips and lose some caps first, why not.”

“Alrighty, let’s find the cashier, how's a hundred for each of us sound?” Cinder stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked around.

“Sounds good. I’ll just wander around and look at the tables or something.” Ash walked to the tables littered around the floor. Ash watched a couple ponies play cards till she felt her flank get booped.

Cinder put a bag of chips on Ash’s back. “Alright Ashy, here’s your chips. Have fun, imma go play cards while you do whatever.”

“Alright, I think I’ll play whatever this game is.” Ash took the bag off her back and sat at the table, the dealer started passing out cards.

Cinder wandered off somewhere as Ash started playing. “So how is this played?”

The dealer set a rulebook in front of Ash and waited for her to read, the other ponies left when she started reading. “So just getting to, or near twenty one without going over, sounds easy..”


***


An hour later Ash hit her forehead on the side of the table. “Miss, if that’s the last of your chips, please step away from the table so others can sit down.” The dealer said.

“Yea yea, whatever.” Ash got up and looked around for Cinder, she saw her at a table with a thing that was spinning.

Ash walked to Cinder and tapped her shoulder. “I lost all the chips, how’s it been going for you>”

“I’ve made like a thousand chips, this is fun.” Cinder pointed to a large stack of chips in front of her.

“Oh, nice. Guess we’re leaving with more than we started.” Ash sat down beside Cinder and watched her play.

Cinder had a stack of chips equalling two hundred on one of the numbers, Ash watched the ball in the spinning thing land in the number she picked. The dealer pushed more chips towards Cinder.

“Let’s leave before my luck turns bad, help me carry all this.” Cinder started putting the chips onto Ash’s and her own back before heading back to the cashier, Ash followed her over.

Cinder poured her chips onto the counter then took the rest off Ash’s back and poured them with the rest. The cashier started counting them.

Cinder turned to Ash. “So, have fun with Blackjack?” 

“Yea, so much fun I lost all the chips you gave me.” Ash said, annoyed.

“Ah, oh well, we still made more than we came with.” Cinder booped Ash and turned back to the cashier.

The cashier put all the chips away then set a large bag of caps onto the counter, Cinder took it and started walking to the door, Ash following closely behind her.

Cinder stopped by the door and waited, Ash went to the greeter. “We’re leaving, where’s my gun. Also it better not have a scratch on it.”

The greeter shook his head at her then their horn lit up, the pistol floated over and into Ash’s holster, Ash and Cinder left the casino, Cinder walked to where they couldn’t be seen by ponies walking by.

“Could ya grab my gun from where I hid it?” Cinder turned away from Ash.

“Dunno why you even hid it to begin with, why would shit happen in the casinos.” Ash pulled some of Cinder’s armor off and pulled her pistol out and set it on her back. Ash smirked then nuzzled where it had been hidden.

Cinder jumped at Ash’s nuzzle “H-hey, someone might see us.” 

“Ah, it’ll be fiiiine.” Ash put Cinder’s armor back on and picked her pistol back up, Cinder turned around and put it into it’s holster.

Cinder started at Ash with a blush, Ash started back with a blush as well. Cinder shook her head. “Let’s head back so I can give you your early gift.

“Alright Cinder.” Ash kissed her nose then turned around. 

Cinder walked past Ash, making sure to bump her flank with her own as she passed. Ash walked behind Cinder back to the Stable Hotel, Cinder looked back at Ash and started to swing her hips as she walked. Ash laughed at her and started walking beside her.

“I have a feeling tonight will be fun then?” Ash nuzzled Cinder’s neck as they walked.

“I’m sure it will be Ashy. Let’s go to the room and see.” Cinder took her combat helmet off and nuzzled her back.


***


Ash sat down onto the bed they shared in the hotel as Cinder opened a pouch on her chest. “Close your eyes and cover them. Also , if you peek you don’t get it till your birthday.”

Ash closed her eyes, covered them, then pointed her nose at the ceiling. “Alright, there.”

“Hold out your hoof.” Ash heard Cinder right in front of her. Ash held it out and she felt something glass touch her soft hoof pad. “You can look now.”

Ash looked down and moved the hoof that was covering her eyes, on her hoof was a bottle of Honey Wild Pegasus.”Wait, what?”

“Let’s get fucked up, it’ll be fun, I got my own bottle.” Cinder blepped at Ash, holding her own bottle.

Ash tilted her head at Cinder “Sure I guess, it might be fun. So like.. do I just drink it like water?” 

Cinder started laughing and Ash looked down at the bottle. “No, no. You take small sips, usually you pour it into a small glass, but we don't have any.”

“Oh.. ok.” Ash pulled the top off and took a sip. “Is.. that what honey tastes like? Did ponies actually eat this before the bombs?”

“I think so, why else would they make alcohol flavored like it.?” Cinder pulled the top off her’s and sipped.

“I mean, it’s actually kinda good.” Ash took another sip.

Cinder sat down beside Ash. “So Ashy, how much of that do you think you could handle?

“I mean, the full bottle can’t be that bad, it’s just one right?” Ash asked before taking another sip.

“Oh you’re about to have a fuuun time.” Cinder booped Ash and sipped again.


***


About an hour later.

Ash downed the last of her bottle and dropped it. “Cindeeeer, we need more.”

Cinder booped Ash “Naaaa.” 

Ash turned to look at Cinder, when Cinder turned to Ash, she pushed her mouth to Cinder’s. Ash pushed Cinder onto her back, onto the bed. Cinder’s head hit the pillow and she wrapped a hoof around Ash.

Ash started to pull her own leather armor off, Cinder started to pull her combat armor off. When Ash got her armor off and tossed it onto the floor she helped Cinder pull her’s off.

Ash started licking Cinder’s chest, then started slowly licking lower, Cinder giggled with each lick. When her tongue went between her legs Cinder put a hoof on Ash’s head and arched her back.

Cinder started to pant as she continued, Ash got up and crawled onto Cinder, she looked up at Ash, panting. Ash booped her nose with her own, then turned around. Cinder started to return  the action as Ash continued.


***


Cinder slowly opened her eyes and looked to her left to find Ash’s ear brushing her nose, she looked down to see Ash nuzzled up to her neck, Cinder smiled and licked her ear.

All four of Ash’s legs were wrapped around Cinder’s body, Cinder’s forelegs were wrapped around Ash’s chest.

Ash started to stir from Cinder’s movement, she waited as Ash woke up, Ash pulled a hoof from around Cinder and held it over her eyes. “It huuurts.”

Cinder whispered to Ash. “It will for a while, just stay in bed, light and noise will hurt for a while. Want me to get you some food.?”

“Sure I guess.” Ash pulled her hooved from around Cinder and rolled onto her other side.

Cinder put her armor on and walked to the door then turned back to Ash. “Cover your ears, the door is loud, also the hallway has light.” 

After Ash pulled the pillow over her ears Cinder pressed the button and the door hissed and slid out of the way. Ash groaned at the noise as Cinder left, Cinder walked to the giftshop to find the mare that rented them the room.

Cinder found her at the desk in the gift shop. “Hey?”

The mare jumped and looked over. “Oh hi. Didn’t see you.”

Cinder stopped beside the desk. “Sorry about that, I was wondering if there was breakfast served here like some hotels.” 

“No, sorry. Also you two are very loud. Got a few complaints about it. Think you two could keep the.. moans.. Down?” The mare said while rubbing the back of her head.

“Uh sorry about that, it was a birthday thing.” Cinder rubbed the back of her head as well.

She gets up and comes out from behind the counter. “Alright, just.. I don’t want to have to kick you two out for noise complaints. You two seem nice.” 

“Thank you, Ash is a bit hungover so I was hoping to bring her some food.” Cinder watched the mare as she walked around the room.

“Sorry, the fancy casino has food there but It’s cooked stuff. So it would be cold by the time you got it to her.” The hotel mare sat down at one of the chairs around the room.

Cinder sat down as well. “How much would it be for you to go get us some?” 

“Well they’re expensive soooo.. three hundred.” The mare stood back up.

“Fuck it, sure. I heard they have good brahmin steaks, get those.” Cinder pulled the caps out from her chest pockets and tossed them to the mare, the mare left the gift shop, Cinder went back to Ash.

Cinder tapped the door a few times before opening it, she heard Ash groan at the sound, but she had put the pillow over her ears before it opened, it closed behind Cinder as she went to the bed and booped Ash.

“Hey Ashy, how are you doing?” Cinder sat down beside her.

“It hurts, everything hurts.” Ash rolled back over to look up at Cinder.

“I got the owner to bring us some food, it’s meat but you liked brahmin last time you had it.” Cinder rubbed Ash’s belly as she talked.

Ash stretched out as Cinder rubbed her belly. “So, that was a fun gift, it’s painful though.”

“That’s because you’re not used to drinking yet. Also the owner said she got some noise complaints about us last night.” Cinder booped Ash’s nose.

“Your fault, not mine.” Ash blepped up at Cinder.

“I remember you pushing me over first, also you sat on me without much warning.” Cinder booped her nose again.

“Shhhhh, you’re the one that gave me the whiskey.” Ash reached up and booped Cinder.

The door to the room opened, Ash screamed and held her ears, Cinder held them as well when the door closed.

“Sorry sorry sorry I forgot about the hangover.” The stable mare set a couple of plastic plates onto a table, on each was a brahmin steak. “Should I stay here so I don't make as much noise?”

“It’s alright, next time knock so she can cover her ears.” Cinder said before giving the pillow to Ash.

Ash covered her ears and Cinder nodded at the mare, she opened the door and left, when it closed Ash threw the pillow at the door. “Fuck meeeeee.”

“Hey I might take you up on that after we eat.” Cinder went to the table and waited for Ash.

Ash rolled her eyes and went to Cinder. “Perhaps.”

“Could spice it up and do it outside on the Strip.” Cinder blepped at Ash.

“Oh you were really shy when I licked you after getting your gun.” Ash sat down beside Cinder and nuzzled her shoulder.
> Chapter 14: The New Maid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose opened her eyes and sat up, she looked around the room of the farmhouse and after seeing nothing different she got up and put her barding on. After getting herself dressed she walked to the door, after stepping over the cattle farmer’s mostly eaten body Rose followed the road again, back to the Queen’s school.

After walking for a while she saw the walls of a settlement. “Ah, perfect.” Rose went to the gates and tried to open them, when it didn’t open she started shaking it as hard as she could.

“Who the fuck is out there!?” Rose heard a male voice from above her shout.

“Uh, me?” Rose backed up to see who was yelling. A brown stallion with a faded green helmet was pointing a rifle at her.

“The fuck do you want?” The pony kept the rifle pointed at her.

“Can I buy shit here?” Rose asked with an eye roll.

“Fine. Shadow open it!” The brown pony yelled at someone else, that was probably by the gate.

Rose heard something metal move on the other side of the gate, followed by the gate opening, Rose walked past the pony that opened it and looked around for a shop, after finding it she walked into it and tossed her old rifle and it’s ammunition onto the counter then waited as the mare behind the counter just started at her, confused.

“Well how much for it all?” Rose said with an annoyed tone.

“Oh, uh.. Two thousand alright?” The mare asked anxiously.

“Make it three.” Rose countered with.

“I uh.. Don’t have that much.” The mare rubbed the back of her neck.

“Fine, what do you have back there?” Rose looked around some shelves behind the mare.

“I have some leather pieces you could wear over your stable suit.” The mare said as she pulled them from a box in the corner of the room.

“That works I guess, that and those caps.” Rose started tapping the counter.

The mare put the armor onto the counter, as well as a bag of caps. “That’s.. all of my caps.

Rose took it all and left the shop, before leaving the town she put the armor pieces on over her Stable barding.

After getting it all on she left the town, after leaving she followed the road again, back to the Queen’s school. Ash checked her map as she walked to make sure the road led back to it.


***


Rose opened the gate of the small town the Queens stayed in, she followed the road towards a  mare yelling. When she got to the mare she turned to Rose. “Hey miss, you should head to the bar just down the road, they’re even hiring mares. You might be able to afford better armor than that!”

“Sure I guess.” The mare pointed down the road behind her and Rose walked to it.

Rose looked up at the sign of what she guessed was the bar. “The Glowing Mare” was above the door, each letter looked to be from various signs, right below it was another sign “Guns & Ammo Inside” the sign was an intact one.

“Guess this is it then?” Rose said as she walked in, after entering she looked around to see a few tables and chairs to the left, when she looked to the right she saw a bar with a mare behind it.

“Here for alcohol or guns?” The mare behind the counter asked Rose when she looked over.

Rose tilted her head as she asked. “Actually, the  mare yelling said you were hiring?” 

“Yes we are, you might be perfect for it actually, come with me.” The mare walked out from behind the counter and up the stairs, Rose followed her up them.

“So we need another maid to bring drinks around to ponies, there are a few side things as well I can explain.” The mare said as she opened a door for Rose.

Rose entered the room and the mare followed, she closed the door behind her and Rose. “So what all would I do here?” Rose asked as she sat down.

“Well I don’t just serve drinks here, we also serve mares.” The mare sat down at a desk across from her.

“Like… slaves?” Rose tilted her head at the mare and got ready to draw her gun.

“No, that's not what I meant at all. Males come here and pay to fuck some of the mares here, they’re not all required to of course, the mares make their own prices, rules, and can say no whenever. We just get twenty percent of what they make per customer.” The mare replied.

“Oh, alright then. But what about drink delivering? What does that pay?” Rose asked as she relaxed.

“Ten caps a day, but you have to wear a uniform that you pay a two hundred cap deposit on in case it gets ruined while you’re working, those things are expensive and we are not paying for new ones.” The mare relaxed as well as Rose.

Rose tilted her head at the mare. “What’s a deposit?” 

“You give me two hundred caps now, I give you the dress. If it gets ruined or lost. I keep those caps, if you stop working here you get the caps back and I get the dress back.” The mare says as she gets up and heads to a dresser behind her.

“Oh, yeah that works.” Rose said then started getting her caps out.

The mare tossed a maid dress onto the desk and took Rose’s caps when she gave them to the mare.

“Take your armor and that suit off and put the dress on, if you don't have a permanent place you’re staying you can have a room for five per night. For non-employees it’s twenty so you have a good deal.” The mare said as she sat back down.

“I guess I’ll take a room, place I’m staying at isn’t very private.” Rose said as she held the dress up in her magic field.

The mare pulled a key out of the desk and tossed it to her. Rose let it hit her so she wouldn’t drop the dress, she leaned down and picked it up with her teeth.

“You can work any day you choose, but if you do it’s morning to night and you only get paid for full days, if you don't work full you don't get paid for the day, pay for the rooms is just taken from your pay so you don’t have to worry about it. You can start now and you’ll be paid for the full day. Only this time.” The mare got back up. ”Now go to the bar room and wait to deliver drinks.”

“Yea sure.” Rose said through the key before leaving.

Rose dropped the key and looked at the number as the mare walked past and down to the bar, “200.” Rose walked around and looked for the room. After a bit of wandering she found it, she unlocked the door and entered. Inside was a single bed, a dresser, a desk with a chair, and a door that was probably a bathroom. “Guess this works.”

Rose closed the door and started taking her leather pieces off and tossed them by the bead, she then took off her barding and tossed it with it. She put the dress on and put the key inside an inside pocket before locking the room and leaving.

Rose walked back to the bar and leaned against it. “So I just wait?”

“Yes, till now. Take this tray to the two stallions, one is grey and the other is brown. Keep your magic steady or you pay for the drinks. Get the caps they owe and bring it back as well as the tray. If they touch your ass they’re required to give you a tip, you keep all of it and if they don't tell me. Now go.” The mare set a couple small glass cups onto a plastic tray and slid it towards Rose.

Rose took the tray in her magic and held it up then looked around, when she spotted the two she walked to their table, glancing at the tray every couple steps. When Rose got to the table she set the try down and pulled the drinks off and set them in the middle of the table and walked away with the tray.

When she got back to the counter she set the tray down. “That wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.”

“Yeah there’s not much to it, just have to deal with drunks sometimes. Another order for a table with a red mare that’s alone.” The bar mare said as she set a beer bottle with the cap removed onto the tray.

Rose took it and looked around, when she didn’t see the mare she headed to the backroom the other owner stayed in. After entering she saw the mare sitting in a corner watching all the ponies around her, Rose walked up to her and set the bottle down, the mare nodded at her and took it. Rose turned away and walked back to the counter.

Before she could leave the room she jumped as a pony touched her rear, she looked back to see a couple stallions laughing at her, one tossed some caps onto her tray as they walked past her, Rose’s nose was filled with the smell of alcohol as they walked past. She pocketed the caps and continued to the counter.


***


Rose flopped onto her bed after the bar mare said she could go to sleep, she pulled the caps from her pocket and started counting it all in her magic.”Only fifty?”

Rose tossed them onto a table beside the bed and started taking the dress off, when it was off she tossed it onto the table with the caps and covered herself with the blanket and fell asleep.
> Chapter 15: The Bounty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One week later.

Rose woke up and rubbed her eyes, she slowly sat up and looked around the room, after seeing everything how it was before she went to sleep she stretched and pulled the uniform to her with magic.

After pulling it on she left the room and walked down the stairs to the bar. She sat down at the bar and waited. The bar mare set a tray in front of her. “Red mare from before again, in the backroom again.” She said before walking back to some other ponies waiting at the counter. 

Rose lit her horn and picked the tray up, she walked to the backroom. She held the tray near her chest and watched the glass cup as she walked. She glanced around the room as she entered and saw the mare sitting at the same table, beside her sat a rifle like her own.

Rose walked to her and set the drink onto the table while watching it, after setting it down she looked up and saw a logo on the chest of the red mare’s armor. It was a sword surrounded by an apple with gears inside the apple, strange looking stars were inside the gears, wings flanked the sword.

“What’s that mean?” Rose asked while pointing to the logo.

“Means I’m a Steel Ranger, why do you care?” She asked defensively.

“Never seen it before.” Rose replied obliviously.

“Oh.. Alright then.” The mare relaxed as she talked and took her drink.

Rose walked back to the bar with the tray, while walking back a stallion stopped her. “Hey there, why dontcha lead me to a room.”

Rose tilted her head at him. “Uh sure, why?” 

“Are you stupid or new?” He asked, annoyed.

“New?” Rose asked nervously, she took a step back as she said it.

“I want you to come to a room with me so we can fuck, I’ll give you a hundred caps if you shut up and hurry up.” He said, getting more annoyed.

“Oh, sure I guess.” Rose said nervously.

He went back to the front room, Rose followed and floated the tray back to the bar and followed him up the stairs to the rooms. After finding one empty he entered and waited for Rose.

Rose entered and stood near the bed. “So uh, what do I do?”

“I said to shut up, get on the bed.” He said while pointing at it.

“Don’t have to be so mean.” Rose said as she walked past him to get to the bed.

He smacked the back of her head. “Just shut the fuck up, goddess damnit you’re annoying.

Rose spun around and pushed him. “Fuck you, you fuckin fuck!”

Rose’s horn lit up as he tried to push her onto the bed, a shot rang out and Rose’s ears started to ring, the stallion fell onto the bed, then flopped onto the floor. Rose held her ears and dropped the pistol she had under her uniform.

The door opened and one of the bar’s guards came in holding a shotgun. After seeing the pony on the ground and Rose on the bed he went to the side of the room as the bar mare came in. She started saying something but Rose could barely hear her above the ringing.

The guard pony pulled Rose off the bed and to the office room she was hired in, he took her gun as he pulled her. The ringing started to stop as she sat down.

“Why the fuck did you kill him?” The mare asked as she sat down and glared at Rose, the guard pony stood beside Rose.

“He hit me.” Rose said, lowering her hooves from her ears.

“And you should’ve gotten a guard, that’s what they’re paid for. You don't kill the damn patrons, plus you got blood on the dress and fucking ruined it.” The mare said  while tapping the desk.

“So? It’ll come off.” Rose said as she looked around for where the blood was.

“Just go to your room, or leave. I don’t care but you’re done for the day.” The mare said before looking at the guard.

Rose got up and left after taking her pistol back. She entered her room and closed the door, she pulled the dress off and flopped onto the bed.


***


Rose heard a knock at the door, she opened it with her magic, the bar mare came in. “You’re somewhat lucky, he had a five hundred cap bounty, I’m taking half of it for having to clean the room, I’m also taking your deposit for the ruined uniform. You can stay but you’re done working here.

“Ok then, he attacked me but fine.” Rose said as she sat up.

The door closed as the mare left Rose alone.

Rose used magic to throw the closest thing to her at the door, her pillow bounced harmlessly off the door as Rose rolled over and pushed her face into the bed.

After a couple minutes Rose got up and gathered her things. She also shoved the dress into her bag, which somehow was bigger inside than it was on the outside… somehow. 

Rose put her Stable suit on then her saddlebags before leaving the room, after going down the stairs to the main bar area. As she opened the door she threw the room key at the bar mare with magic then walked through.

Rose followed the road back the way she came, after a bit of walking she saw a black unicorn mare wearing leather armor walking towards her, Rose got ready to pull her pistol out when she got close.

“Hey, you the one that killed the stallion with a bounty?” The mare asked Rose when she was close.

“Maybe, why?” Rose asked, still ready to pull her gun out.

“Because I posted the bounty for him.” The mare said before pulling a bag of caps from her bag and offering it to Rose.

“Oh, I thought you’d want revenge or something.” Rose said as she relaxed.

“Nope, I heard someone killed him and came here as fast as I could, I couldn’t teleport all the way to the bar.” The mare  said as she just tossed the caps onto Rose’s back.

“Bar owner said she is taking half to clean the room.” Rose said as she put it into her bag.

“Oh well, you can give it to her if you want, also you should try more bounty hunting, you might be good at it, especially with that massive gun you have.” The mare said as she turned away from Rose and started walking.

“Where do I even find bounties?” Rose asked the mare.

“Just look around for papers pinned to walls or poles.” The mare said as she continued to the gates.

Rose shrugged and followed her to the gates while looking around the town. More of the buildings were being reopened by the Queens, now they had a few ponies in metal armor, probably hired to help.

“Hey, white mare.” Rose heard the mare that gave her the caps talking to her so she looked back at her.

“What?” Rose asked as they both stopped walking.

“There’s a bounty over there.” She said as she pointed at a piece of paper nailed into the wood wall of a building.

“Oh, alright.” Rose said before going to it.

Rose pulled the paper to her and looked at it, she could barely understand. “So why are you helping me?”

“Because now you owe me.” The mare said happily.

Rose sighed. “Of course.” 

“Ten cap finders fee!” She said while smiling at Rose.

“Fine fine, also can you read this to me?” Rose asked as she dug through her bag.

“Sure.” The mare replied after Rose tossed her the caps, she then took the paper and read it. “There is a factory with some raiders that’s been attacking caravans and you’ll get five hundred to take them out, bring the leader’s cutie mark as proof to The Queen, the mark is a pony skull with a bullet going through it.”

“Sounds easy, where is it?” Rose opened the map of her Pipbuck, and a new marker appeared. “Nevermind I see it.”

“Really? It already knows?” The mare asked as she looked over Rose’s shoulder at her Pipbuck.

Rose smiled up at her. “Yep, it’s magical.” 

“I need to get me one, anyway, you should really learn how to read.” The mare said before giving the paper back and leaving.

“I guess…”Rose watched her leave before putting the paper away and leaving the ruined town and following the road towards the marker.


***


A Couple Days of Walking Later


***


Rose looked up at the massive building her marker led her to, She pulled her massive rifle off her back and held it in front of her in her magic to look down the scope. She saw a couple raiders on the roof and one next to the front entrance.

Rose put the plus of the scope onto one of the ponies on the roof and held it in her magic as hard as she could, she closed her eyes then pulled the trigger, when nothing happened she pulled the small handle on the back end of the rifle, an empty shell jumped out of the gun, she then pushed it back forward and put the plus back on the pony and pulled the trigger. The rifle jumped in her magic and she almost dropped it, she looked back at the pony to see them on the ground.

Rose pulled the handle back again, after the empty shell jumped out she pushed it back forward and looked around for another pony to shoot, she looked for the one that was next to the door, she saw him running at her, she put the plus on his chest then pulled the trigger again. The rifle jumped out of her magic that time and hit her on the head, she fell onto her flank and the rifle fell against the road.

Rose held her head and tried to look through the tears at the pony that was running at her. She saw him lying on the ground with a hole in their chest, Rose got up and picked her rifle up in her magic. She wiped her eyes and looked back through the rifle’s scope, she saw the last raider pony loading a rusty tube with another tube with fins.

Rose put the scope’s plus on the tube and fired, the rifle stayed in her magic and she saw an explosion where the raider pony used to be. Rose set the rifle on her back and trotted to the factory, when she got close she pulled her pistol out and entered.

Rose looked around the entrance while holding the pistol in her magic, to the left was an office, right was a hallway that went past some more offices on the left side, on the right was some destroyed windows. Rose walked to the office to the left and opened the door, inside was a desk and shelves, on the desk was various papers, the shelves held random objects that meant something to the previous occupant. Rose left the room and started searching the other offices, after finding no raiders she continued down the hallway to the larger room.

She entered a small break room and found some Old World food, before Rose could take it she heard somepony running at her, she turned to see a raider with a knife in his mouth running at her. Rose turned her pistol to face the raider and she pulled the trigger, the pistol fired and hit the raider in the chest, the raider kept coming and tackled Rose. The raider pinned her to the floor and tried to stab her in the neck. Rose dropped her pistol and focused her magic on holding the blade back from her neck. Rose started to turn the blade around and she felt the raider try to pull back, she then shoved it at the raiders throat. The knife entered into the raiders throat and he fell on top of her.

Rose rolled the raider off her with magic and got up, she then tried to brush the blood off of her with her magic and grab her gun before continuing on into the main area of the factory.

Past the area that had food a path went straight and another went off to the right, Rose shrugged then started down the right path, she walked past a large machine that had a box in front of it, ahead of her she saw  a couple more raiders talking to each other, Rose couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Rose aimed her pistol at one of their heads and fired, she saw him fall to the floor and she pointed it at the other one’s head. The second raider jumped behind a pile of boxes, Rose looked around for something to hide behind. While looking around she heard a gun firing, she looked back at the raider holding a rifle and firing it at her. Rose felt an impact on her forehoof, she crouched and shot back at the raider, she felt another impact in her shoulder. “Just fucking die already.” Rose muttered to herself as she started feeling the pain from being shot.

After shooting at the raider a few more times the top of her pistol stayed back and the trigger stopped doing anything. Rose turned the gun around and looked down the  tube. “Oh it’s empty.” Rose turned it back around and pulled the magazine out and replaced it, she tossed the old one into her saddlebag.

She shot back at the raider and saw him drop to the floor. “HA! Fuck you.” She started walking to him when her leg gave out and she fell, pain shot through her and she screamed. She started looking through her pipbuck and found a healing potion, she selected it and grabbed it from her bag. She took it and downed it.

Rose pulled her bag off her and started looking through it, she looked for what she saw ponies get stabbed with when they were in pain in Medical. After some digging she found one, along the side of the syringe it said “Med-X”, Rose took it and stabbed it into her leg and pushed the back in, she felt the liquid enter her leg.

Rose laid on her back and waited for the pain to stop, she pulled her gun to her and put it back into its holster, she dragged one of the ponies she killed closer to her by their leg, when next to Rose she started going through his pockets.

She found some random bullets, a hoof full of caps, a red plastic tube connected to a rectangle that had a hole on one side. She tossed it all into her bag then went through her Pipbuck for anything new. She found something called “Dash”, when she selected it the red, plastic tube thing went to the top of her bag. “Oh that’s what that thing is.”

Rose pushed it back down into the bag and put it back on, she tested her hood before standing back up, the pain returned but not as strong as it had been before, limping to the other body she picked up a pistol one of them dropped, after tossing it into her bag she went through the pockets of the other body.

***


Rose found a group of raider ponies still asleep, she crawled up to one and took a knife laying beside a mare, Rose used her magic to stab the mare in the head, she tried to pull the knife back out but it just lifted the mare’s head with it, she put her hoof on the mare’s head and tried to push it down while pulling the knife with her magic, after it still wouldn’t come out she dropped her head and crawled to the next pony.

She went through her Pipbuck looking for another knife, as she clicked the buttons she felt something hit her leg and her Pipbuck smacked her in the nose. Rose fell on her back, the raider ponies all grabbed their weapons, Rose drew her pistol and started firing at them all, after killing one she was smacked in the back of the head by something thin. She spun around to see a stallion holding a long stick, She fired her gun into his head, a pony jumped on her back and pinned her to the floor.

Rose jerked her head back, attempting to hit them with her horn, the pony on her put their hoof on her horn and shoved her face to the ground. Rose looked around, she saw the stock and grabbed it with her magic and made it fly at the pony holding her down as  hard as she could. The raider pony jumped off her while screaming.

Rose jumped up and looked for her pistol, she saw it beneath the screaming raider, she grabbed it in her magic and turned it up and fired before pulling it to her, she looked around and saw a filly wearing raider armor sitting in the corner.

“Hello? Little girl?” Rose holstered her gun and slowly approached the filly.

The filly grabbed a small knife in her mouth and ran at Rose, Rose lit her horn and picked the filly up. “Nope.” 

“Leth me thoh!” The filly yelled at Rose while trying to escape.

“Nope, you’re coming with me to the Queens, trust me, it’ll be better than this place.” Rose booped the filly’s nose and took the knife from her.

The Filly tilted her head. “Queen? There’s a Queen?” 

“Yeah, she’s like Sweetie Belle from the war, the original music ‘Queen,’ I have some of her music on my Pipbuck if you want to listen later.” Rose put the knife in her bag and set the filly down.

“Alright, you’re nicer than the last pony that came through here, he tried to kill all of us but The Boss killed him. I’ve wanted to leave for a while after my parents died.” The Filly said with a sigh.

Rose patted her head. “Then why did you try to stab me?” 

“Thought you might’ve been mean like him.” The filly said while trying to push off Rose\s hoof.

“Well, I am being paid to kill your ‘Boss,’ so I’m not so sure about that.” Rose said before turning around and walking through the factory floor again.

The filly followed behind her. “Well yea, but you just picked me up when I tried to stab you, others probably would’ve shot me.”

“Well I don't want to shoot a little filly.” Rose said while looking around.

“I’m almost as tall as you.” The filly said with a huff.

“Yes, but I’m older. So, ha!” Rose looked back at the filly and blepped.

“I doubt it.” The filly said before trying to grab Rose’s tongue between her forehooves.

Rose grabbed the filly’s hooves in her magic. “I’m eighteen.”

“Oh, I’m fifteen.” The filly tried to pull away from Rose’s magic.

Rose let go of her hooves. “Ha, now let’s go find that boss so we can get out of here, and so we can get you to the Queen.” 

The filly pointed up at some hanging walkways. “He’s up in one of the hanging rooms.” 

“Well that’s easy then, go wait outside, there’s some small rooms you can hide in out front.” Rose patted her head before turning to leave.

“But I can help you!” The filly grabbed Rose’s tail.

“I have gun, you don’t, so wait for me.” Rose said before pulling her tail from the filly.

“Fine, you better come back then.” The filly said before heading to the front of the factory.

Rose started following the hanging walkways till she found steps leading up, she looked up and sighed. “I better get paid real good for this.” She pulled out one of the raider’s automatic rifles she took and pointed it up the stairs and started walking.
> Chapter 16: The Boss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After walking through the hanging pods and finding nothing interesting she opened the only door she could find, she looked around and slowly entered. Inside was a line of doors, she couldn’t read any of the signs attached to each door, she ignored them and headed straight down the hall to a large door.

Rose opened the door the same as she opened the last one. “Didn’t I tell you cunts to not bother me?” A stallion yelled from the other side.

Rose shoved the door open with her magic and pointed her gun into the room. “Didn’t tell me.”

Behind a desk was a stallion wearing rusted metal armor, he pulled a knife off the desk with his magic, Rose moved the rifle in her magic to point at him and fired, Rose felt something hit her leg and causing her to collapse, Rose fired at the Raider Boss’s hooves under the desk, she saw red as the boss collapsed like she did.

The Raider Boss pointed a pistol at her from under the desk, Rose shot at him again making the gun go flying, Rose saw the Boss go limp, she heard a bunch of doors opening behind her, she sat up and looked down the hall, all the doors shes passed were open and more raiders were looking out, and at her.

Rose jumped up and limped to the door frame and hid behind it, as rose hid the raiders started firing, she could see wood splinters fly off the door frame she hid behind, she held the rifle in the doorway and fired down the hallway without looking, she heard a click from the rifle and it stopped firing, she tossed the rifle down the hall as hard as she could and looked through her bag for another weapon.

After grabbing the pistol she bought she peeked around the frame while holding it, one raider was on the floor, the rest were hiding like she was, one peeked out and raised his own pistol, she pointed it at his head and fired, he dropped to the floor and she saw his pistol next to his head, she pulled it to her with her magic and held them both in front of her. A raider jumped out from an office and ran at Rose, she tried to pull the triggers of the pistols but ended up fumbling with them and dropping both. 

The raider pulled a knife from their armor as Rose pulled her stolen rifle off her back and shot the raider with it hovering over her head. She saw the raider’s head explode and the rest of him hit the floor. “Alright then.”

Rose pulled the bounty up on her pip. “So I have to take his mark? Weird.” 

Rose pulled a knife from the raider she took the head off of and went to the boss pony, she cut into the raiders flank, after removing his mark she wrapped it in the bounty paper and tossed it into her bag, she then bit into the raider.




***


Rose walked down the entrance hallway while knocking on the office doors. “Helloooooo, you here little mare?”

One of the doors opened and Rose stopped knocking. The filly looked at Rose’s mouth. “Why are you covered in blood?”

“Got hit, duh.” Rose patted her head and left the building, the filly followed Rose out.

“How far is it to the Queen?” The filly had to trot to keep up with Rose.

“Like a day, I dunno how far it is.” Rose looked at her pipmap. “It doesn’t say how far. Just says ‘go this way,’ so I just go that way till I get to the place.”

The filly talked between breaths as she tried to keep up. “Well that’s stupid, it should say how far it is.” 

“It does when you’re close to something.” Rose said with a shrug.


***


Walking up to the gate Rose saw a couple of the Queen’s group standing around smoking. One noticed her and the foal riding on her back. “Heya Rose!”

“Uhh, hi? Don’t think I’ve talked to you before.” Rose said as she stopped beside them. 

“I was outside the building you cleared the bugs in, who’s the foal?” The Queen’s mare said while tossing her cig onto the ground and kicking sand onto it.

“Raider foal, going to see if the Queen will let her stay in one of those buildings we’re clearing.” Rose sat down and let the foal slide off her back.

“She should be in one of them helping set it up, she wasn’t in the school last I saw.” She said before lighting another cig.

“Got it, thanks.” Rose said before leading the filly through the gate.

Rose led her down the road towards the building she had cleared. “So hopefully it’ll be set up enough for you to stay.”

“Could you come back and visit whenever you’re near here?” The filly asked while she trotted behind Rose.

“Sure, in here.” Rose opened the door to the unabandoned building, the filly followed her in. 

Rose looked around for The Queen, she found her in the middle of the largest room ordering around the others in the gang as they fixed the room, most of them did not look happy, a couple did as they painted a wall.

“Queen?” Rose nudged the filly in front of her as she approached The Queen.

“Ah Rose, you’re back. We’ve just started restoring this place, I’ve got a jo- who’s the little one?” The Queen interrupted herself after noticing the foal between them.

“Raider rescue, was hoping she could live here, or another building you fix up.” Rose sat down and started watching the mares as they worked, the two replacing missing floor boards had started arguing.

“She can stay here when it’s fixed, she can even join us if she wants to when old enough. The Queen said before crouching down to the filly’s height. “Want to help us fix this place up?”

“Sure!” The filly started bouncing excitedly.

The Queen stood back up and looked back at Rose. “Anyway, that job, i need you to clear out a hardware store for me, it has some ghoul ponies so i'm sending Punch with you, she’s out near the gates.”

“Punch is a strange name, so just go in and kill some things?” Rose watched the filly run off to the mares fixing the building.

“Full names Cherry Punch but she doesn’t like being called Cherry, and yes, just kill some ghouls so my mares can get more supplies, most of them don't do much fighting like you do, plus they’re occupied with other buildings in the town. Punch was a caravan guard before joining us.” The queen pulled a bag out of a small back that hung around her neck and held it out for Rose.

“Alright, what’s this for?” Rose asked as she took the bag.

“I trust you enough to pay you before it’s done, plus one of my mares will be with you. Stay safe Rose.” The Queen went to the fighting mares leaving Rose alone in the middle of the room.


***


Rose and Punch had left the town and were halfway to her Pipbuck marker, most of the trip had been silent.

Rose was startled when Punch finally spoke. “After we’re done I’m going to stay in the store, you can go ahead and do whatever after, I don’t really care.” 

Rose tilted her head at her. “Are you just going to wait around?” 

“I need to search for what we need and pack it all up so when the others come we can get it out quicker. You are only getting paid to kill the ghouls.” Punch said without looking at Rose.

Rose looked back forward. “Alright then, I’m guessing you don't like me by how you’re talking.”

Punch started to talk with a growl. “I don’t like mercenaries, I don't get why the Queen does. Your kind just kills for money, also don’t get why Sparks was so nice when you got to the gate.” 

“Well there isn’t much else I can do, got fired from the maid place, shot the guy because he hit me, he had a bounty so now I’m doing this.” Rose pulled the stolen rifle off her back and looked at the building through the scope.

“Don’t care merc. That ri-” She was interrupted by Rose firing the massive rifle.

Rose fired another shot at the ghouls wandering outside the hardware store, its chest exploding. Punch just sat down and waited for Rose to finish, as Rose scanned for more ghouls she saw the door burst open as more ghouls came pouring out, some had.. Guns?

“They can use guns? Are they raiders?” Rose followed one of the robed ghouls with her scope.

“Wait, they aren’t feral? Ferals can’t use guns. Stop shooting.” Punch shouted before trotting ahead of Rose.

Rose tossed the rifle onto her back and followed Punch, having to run to keep up with the taller mare. When they got closer, red and blue lights filled the air, Punch ran off the road and dived behind a large, blue box, Rose followed her and crouched behind her.

“So what now then?” Rose said as she peeked out beside the box.

“Wello if you hadn’t shot first we could’ve asked them for what we need, now we have to kill them.” Punch muttered under her breath. “Fuckin mercs.”

“It was red on my thingy so I shot it.” Rose moved the rifle in front of her and shot another one of the ghouls.

The ghoul fell and dropped a pistol covered in tubes and wires, Rose propped the rifle on the box and pulled the pistol to her and used it to shoot another ghoul, the tubes on top lit up before it fired, the ghoul she fired at screamed as he turned to a pile of ash.

“The fuck is this thing?” Rose asked, turning to Punch with it still pointed at the pile.

“Recharging pistol, energy guns can make ponies goo or ash. It doesn’t every time.” She said before shooting another with her 9mm pistol.

Rose looked back towards the ghouls and readied the recharger pistol


***


Rose searched the store for valuables while Punch stripped the ghouls of their equipment. Rose pulled the bit register off the counter and threw it with her magic, it hit a nearby wall and crashed to the floor with a chime from its bell. She grabbed a hammer off a nearby shelf and started hitting the register repeatedly.

She heard a bell on the other side of the building. “The fuck you doing?” 

“Trying to get some money but it wont open.” Rose replied as she continued hitting the register.

“Just pick the lock, it’ll pop right open.” Punch sat down beside Rose and started digging through a bag.

Rose paused and waited for her to get whatever she was looking for. “I dunno how to do that.”

“Put these into the lock and slowly move it around till it clicks.” She pulls a screwdriver and a bobby pin out and pushed them into the lock on the register. After turning it a few times and breaking one of the bobby pins the lock clicks. “There.”

Rose opened the dented up bit drawer and Punch took the bits and pocketed them. “Hey those are mine!”

“I opened it. Not you, they’re mine.” She said before walking off.

Rose threw the register into a shelf and grabbed her things before leaving the store.

Outside she found the energy weapons and ammo Punch had looted, she glanced back at the store before pocketing a recharging pistol


***


As Rose entered The Queen’s school one of the mares leaning on the counter in the middle of the room looked up. “Heya Rose, Queens up in her room if you’re lookin for her.” 

Rose nodded to her before going past her to the hallway through the door behind her, after a couple minutes of walking through the halls and up a couple stairways Rose knocked on the door.

Inside Rose heard a muffled. “Come in if it's important.”

Rose opened the door and peeked her head in, The Queen was sitting at her desk and had her chair turned to face the door. “I finished what you wanted me to.”

“Ah, right.” She turned back to the desk and pulled open a drawer, after some digging she pulled a small bag out and floated it to Rose who took it and tossed it into her saddlebags.

Rose sat down before talking. “Anything else to do for caps?” 

“They’re all bounties, you really shouldn’t be doing them till you’re better with your weapons.” The queen turned and started going through some papers.

“Ah, I’ll be fine, I’ve survived this long.” Rose gave her the biggest smile she could.

“Well.. alright, you should also learn how to read these if you’re going to keep doing them.” She said before giving Rose the bounty paper.
> Chapter 17: What Happened?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinder slowly woke up, her face buried in the larger mare’s chest fluff, she sighed when Ash started to rub her back. “My head hurts.”

“Mine does too, why are the lights humming so loud?” Ash asked before nuzzling Cinder’s head.

Cinder slowly lifted her head and laid her chin on Ash’s chest. “I think the ones in S-96 were louder. You were a scribe, you tell me why they’re loud.”

“Pretty much the glowey bit is vibrating, shouldn’t be this damn loud though.” Ash booped her nose.

“Hey, about S-96...” Cinder started to talk before Ash interrupted

Ash stopped rubbing her back. “No, I’m not talking about it.” 

“Please, Just tell me why I tossed away my life to join you. Before I left they were all saying you took a ton of Rage and murdered a scribe, me and your mom knew it was a lie and went to find you.” Cinder had started to cry. “You don't even like your suit giving you Med-X but everyone kept saying you were on Rage.” she put her face back into Ash’s chest.

“There was a foal, he was from a stable.” Ash started crying as well. “Still had the barding and Pipbuck and the scribe tried to ash him to take it, so I smacked him in the head. I forgot I had power armor and he didn’t, I just wanted to push him back. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

Cinder raised her head and set her chin on Ash’s chest. “I thought everyone was lying so I went to see your mom, she didn’t believe them either so she went and got the tag for the armor you took and wiped it from the system, same with mine. I went and got my armor then we went to find you, I’ve been trying to believe you were the same Ash the entire time but it’s gotten too much.

Ash nuzzled her head. “I am, we just need to find the Neijave Chapter, we can continue to be the same then. W-we just need to find them.”

“But how? We have no clue where they are, we haven’t seen any presence of them here.” Cinder slid off Ash and the bed onto her hooves. “We should go, it’ll be nice to get away from this humming.”

Ash sat up and looked for her armor. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe we could take over one of their signals, just gotta find an encrypted channel and find a way through.”

Cinder started sliding the parts of her armor that she could without help. “That might work, can you give me a hoof with this?”


***


Ash followed Cinder down the strip to the gates, watching a couple ponies stumble their way across the street. While watching she noticed a red mare in heavy combat armor watching her and Cinder, on her chest was a white symbol but she couldn’t make it out at the distance.

While looking at the red mare she ran into something in front of her and fell back onto her flanks. “Watch it Ash.”

Ash looked up at Cinder’s rear and looked back at where the red mare had been to find her gone. “Sorry… just was looking at someone.”

Cinder looked back at Ash before looking around. “At who?”

“There was some red mare with heavy combat armor, very out of place but she’s gone now.” Ash said before getting back up.

“Heavy? Think it’s a Ranger?. Cinder sounded concerned and started quickly looking around for where she went.

Ash started looking around as well. “I don't know, I couldn’t tell what the symbol was on the chest.”

When Ash looked back forward there was someone different, Ash jumped back as Cinder turned to the new face. “Sorry, didn’t mean ta scare ya.”

Ash cleared her throat to compose herself. “Do you need something?”

Ash noticed he seemed to be an older colt, just below or just barely hit adulthood. “You’re Rangers right? Usually when ponies visit they don't have armor like that, just their bodyguards.”

Cinder went to stand beside Ash. “That obvious huh? What all gave us away?”

He turned to look at Cinder. “Well to start, you look very strong and the gray one is way too large to survive on what we all eat. Plus your fur is nearly perfect, just a little sandy.”

“Did you just call me fat?” Ash asked, pretending to be offended.

“No, no. I mean you’re just so tall and you look like you can throw ponies easily, there’s no way you’re a normal wastelander. It’s why most ponies are somewhat avoiding you, Rangers aren’t normally ‘undercover’ like you two are.”

“Then why did you come up to us?” Cinder asked with her head tilted.

“I know a place you might be interested in, found it with a couple friends, i'll tell you where for a hundred caps.” He smiles at Cinder.

Cinder shrugs before opening her saddle box, ash pulled the caps out and held them out in her hoof. “Alright, where is it then?” Ash asked as he took them from her.

“Up north a mile or two from the road there's a ground convoy, there's a few robots so we couldn’t get close. Got it drawn on a map though. I have a rumor you might be interested in for fifty more caps.”

Cinder sighed before having her armor push more caps to the top for Ash to pay him with.

After he takes and pockets it he starts talking. “Alright so I heard the I.S.Rs are out looking for some traitors.”

Cinder looked at Ash with her head tilted. “Who is the I.S.R?”

“Inner Steel Rangers, they only answer to the Elder Council. Basically their personal goons. They don't answer to anyone else, not even a single Elder, I think they can order us around as well.” 

Cinder turns back to the other pony. “Alright, give me the map.”

“I said I’d tell you for a hundred, maps another two.” He gave them a smug look.

Ash leaned down and got in his face. “Or I could break your spine and take it.” She said quietly.

He tossed it on the ground in front of them. “Fine, whatever. Cunts.” He walked off as Cinder took the map and tossed it into Ash's bag.

Cinder started walking towards the main gate again. “We probably could have just talked down the price. He might not talk to us again now.” 

Ash followed. “His fault for not being clear. He’s lucky I didn’t actually want to.”
> Chapter 18: Convoy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash and Cinder followed the map down an old dirt road,keeping an even pace, a product of their training. The marker turned into a ‘100 meters’ and started slowly ticking down as they got closer.

Ash turned to Cinder. “You ready for this?” 

Cinder turned to look into Ash’s black tinted visor. “No, but we shouldn't let this sit too long or it might get snatched, I doubt he just had one map and you pissed him off.”

Ash scoffed and turned her head to look forward. “Maybe he shouldn’t have been a bitch then. 

There was a clang to the back of her head. “Ash! That’s mean!”

“Well he was! Trying to fucking extort more caps out of us.”

As they got down to 30 meters away from the convoy Ash spun up her minigun and dropped her rangefinder over her right eye. She watched several ticks on her compass turn red and start moving. “Hostiles at twelve.”

“Draw them out and I’ll get them at the same time.” The covers over the front of her missile launchers popped open.

“Got it, I’ll head off to the side and peek over the hill.” She said before running up the hill covered in patches of radgrass to the right of the pathway. 

Cinder watched her run to the top and let out a short burst from her minigun before running back to Cinder. A missile soared directly where Ash was, while Cinder readied herself.

Sliding to a stop at the bottom of the hill, she spun to point back at the top, minigun still spinning. A large, three wheeled robot rolled on top of the hill, it stopped to level it’s gatling laser at the two ponies. A barrage of red lasers began pouring out from the robot’s weapon, the majority reflecting harmlessly off into the distance. Shooting Ash a quick glance, Cinder let loose a pair of missiles, the warheads rocketing towards the exposed metal underbelly of the machine.  

The first missile impacted it’s arm, the explosion shearing off the metal with a shower of fire and shrapnel. The second missile went low, smashing into the leg and crippling the bot with a flash of light and sound. The robot toppled forward, erratic lasers being fired into whatever was unlucky enough to be in the way as it crashed down the hill. Ash scrambled back to Cinder to get out of the crashing bot’s way. Coming to a final stop, the robot sat still for only a moment before it’s internal workings detonated, a small fireball marking it’s demise. Seeing the smoking wreckage, the two ponies bolted up the hill.

Upon reaching the top they both dropped as low as their armor would allow them, just peeking up to their visors over the crest.

Down below them were some Equestrian Military wagons, three large, empty cages laid at the rear of the convoy, a fourth in the middle had three dead Gutsy bots, two more wagons in front were closed, armored boxes.

Ash saw a flash of green followed by a burning spot on her helmet, letting off a burst of 5mm in retaliation. She watched sparks fly off one of the armored, floating robots. After a couple seconds of firing it fell to the ground in an explosion of sparks. A second came from behind an armored carriage and took the fallen’s place, she held the trigger till it too exploded in sparks.

As the barrels slowed her head was jolted to the right, a hot spot near her ear. Spinning the barrels back up, Ash turned to spot two more bots next to one of the cage wagons The rangefinder dropped over her right eye and quick adjustments they were met with a 40mm explosion.

“Cinder, that’s all the marks. Think you can get the armored wagons open?” Ash started down the hill with Cinder following closely behind her.

“If it’s locked I might have to blow it, I can’t pick well.” Cinder started to head to the front of the convoy as Ash started picking through a robot’s burnt frame.

A few quiet moments of looting were only interrupted by a shot echoing through the hills. Ash spun to see Cinder diving behind a wagon, a large hole ripped through her right flank. “CINDER! Cinder, are you alright?”

Cinder got back to her hooves and paused. “Repair unit is down, but I’m fine!” 

Ash ran to her, a shot hitting the dirt beside her as dirt kicked up. “I think they have an AMR, so we can’t get out of here unless we take them out. I can spray grenades and bullets to distract so you can fire off a volley at them.”

“I don’t know, your armor’s weaker and you’ll be exposed.” Cinder glanced at the destroyed repair unit.

“I know, but I don't have any other ideas.” Ash started checking her compass for ticks, finding none. “They’re outside my perception.”

“What if you just spray grenades along the hills? Suppress them so I can get ready.” Cinder checked her compass as well.

Ash saw a white glow behind Cinder and pointed. “GET DOWN!”

Cinder turned and there was another shot, her other flank exploded knocking her down, shrapnel pelted Ash. Furious, she angled her launcher and began raining explosive shells along the hills, the tick mark disappearing before the rounds could impact. The distant thumps marked only by a puff of dirt and smoke.

Ash backed up to Cinder while scanning the hilltop. “Cinder?”

Cinder glanced at her display before responding. “Medical unit is down, we need to leave. Now!”

Seeing a flash of magic to her right, Ash, turned and fired over the hill. Glancing down she saw the red tick appear on her compass. When she looked back to the hill she saw an orange flash followed by the roar of the Anti-Machine Rifle floating over the ridgeline.

The world seemed to slow as she watched the rifle lower back down, still held in its owner’s magic. She heard the ping of the round hitting steel as she turned to Cinder,  anexplosion kicked up a cloud of dust behind her. Ignoring it she ran to the fallen Ranger, dropping down and holding Cinder in her hooves. Rolling her over and placing her head in her lap, she gently tried to shake her wife awake.

“C-Cinder?” After no response she shook harder. “CINDER!” Ripping her helmet off as quick as she could, she wiped the tears from her eyes and found a horn-sized hole in Cinder’s chest, red pouring from it and covering the symbol of the Ministry of Wartime Technology.

The tears poured faster as she pushed her forehead to the front of Cinders helmet. “Why, why wouldn't you stay in Filly? It was safer for you.”

She pulled Cinder closer and pushed her head harder against her helmet and just held her, letting herself cry for hours.
 
Wiping off her tears again, Ash set Cinder down as gently as she could and put her helmet on. Putting her muzzle into the dirt, she pushed her head and neck under Cinder and lifted her onto her back. With a final adjustment of her wife’s corpse, she began her long walk back, alone and numb to the world.

Following the road around the hill she found the crater she made,  finding a blood trail that cut off into nothing. 

“Fuckin teleporting horned cunts.”

After what felt like a week of walking, Ash set Cinder’s body down next to a hole. Her weapons were removed from her armor. Ash glanced at her and started crying again, hugging Cinder's armored body again for the last time
> Chapter 19: Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A couple months later

Landing in the middle of the street and looking around the intersection, she spotted the bar’s sign, trotting to it she entered and took a quick glance around.

On the right was a bar, a mare behind the counter was dragging a crate of Wild Pegasus to the counter to serve. Looking around she spotted a massive suit of power armor in a different room next to some slot machines, a mare in a maid outfit set a whiskey bottom beside a large, gray mare with a short, blue mane before walking off.

Being taller than most ponies she was drawn to the larger mare, approaching her she noticed a heavy smell of alcohol coming from the gray mare.

“Hello there.” She put her hoof on the mare’s back. “Hey th-” she jumped back as the gray mare sent her hoof through the floor. “Woah, hey, just trying to talk to you, my name’s Vortex.”

“Ash, wash you want?” The larger mare sat down and looked back at Vortex.

“Sorry, I just haven’t seen someone bigger than me, thought I’d get to know ya.” Vortex looked back at the sound of someone stomping over to the pair.

One of the security ponies pointed at them. “Out, both of you.”

Vortex tilted her head at him. “But I just go-“

The security pony pointed at the door. “Don’t care, big bitch has caused enough trouble here and because of you we have to replace the floor. Out.”

The larger mare left without saying anything, a couple empty whiskey bottles falling to the floor as she did, Vortex hesitated but followed behind her. Outside she followed Ash to the gates, noticing her slight wobble she spoke up. “So how much did you have? I saw a couple bottles but you shouldn’t be walking, or even conscious then.”

“You see how big I am right?” Ash glanced back at the smaller pegasus following her. “It takes more and longer, should for you too since you're bigger than a normal pony as well.”

Vortex trotted up beside Ash before responding. “Ah, yea, fair. Anyway, can I stay with you?” 

Ash tilted her head at Vortex with an eyebrow raised. “What? Why?“ 

“Well I’m tired of staying out here alone and you’re the first to catch my eye.” Vortex said before blepping at Ash.

Ash rolled her eyes and went back to looking forward. “Why would I trust you enough to stay with me?” 

Vortex went back to looking forward as well as she talked. “Well I’d say you owe me for getting me kicked out of that bar before I could even get a drink.” 

“Fair, I guess. Would be nice not being alone again. Alright then.. Vortex right?”

“Vortex Chaos, yeah. I’ll tell you a little more later, can probably guess why.” She said before putting a wing over Ash’s back.

Ash glanced back. “Paladin Ash Blossom, Steel Rangers. I have a guess as to why.” 


***


Ash started climbing up the cliff path as Vortex followed behind, annoyed she couldn’t fly over without being shot at by Ash’s turrets. “Alright wait here, I’ll go shut ‘em down.”

She sat down and peeked over the crest. “Alright, will you be able to turn them on later without them shooting me?”

“Yea, won’t take too long too, I’ll yell when it’s safe for you to fly over.” Ash said before disappearing over the top of the cliff. 

After a couple minutes Ash called and Vortex flew over, the first thing she noticed was the makeshift turrets. Landing near them she gave them a lookover. “Where’d you get these?”

Ash went to put her armor away as she spoke. “I made them, used to be the bots that guarded the convoy. So now they still guard it, I can add you to their combat inhibitor if you’re going to stay here a while, just going to turn it all off for now.” 

“I’ll probably stay a while, I’ve just been wandering. So far nowhere good, till now I mean. Haven’t been able to really settle anywhere.” Vortex raised a wing for emphasis. “For obvious reasons.”

Ash poked her head out of one of the wagons. “Yeah, I’m guessing Dashite considering your level of grooming.” 

Glancing at her wings, then to the wagon behind ash before replying. “Yeah, not branded at least. Are you with the Rangers? Or formerly with them? Your armor still has the emblem.”

Ash joined Vortex at the burned out firepit. “Former..ish, I’ve been trying to contact the chapter here to join them, they are better than the chapter I came from, I’d rather not talk about them.”

Vortex watched Ash’s attempts at lighting the fire, she glanced up at the darkening sky before talking. “Want to talk about how we escaped? My story isn’t very eventful though.”

“Mine isn’t as well, I was being court martialed and I just ran, mother and wife helped. My wife Cinder joined me here. She… a sniper…”

Vortex quickly adjusted to put a wing around Ash. “It’s alright hun. You can stop. Here, let’s change the subject. Any plans for camp improvements?”

Ash rubbed her eyes as she talked. “Well… maybe better turrets and a proper work station. There's an old robobrain in one of the wagons I’m tempted to get running. The brain doesn't look decayed so I think that the robots were maintaining it before I turned them into turrets.”

Vortex started petting Ash’s mane. “Do you want to show it to me? I haven't seen one that wasn’t shooting at everything.”

“Sure.” the two go tup and walked to the wagon that held the equine robot. Inside a few tools and parts sat spread around the metal forehooves. “Everything looks repairable but the voice module, looks like a bit of shrapnel went through it.”

Vortex went up to the metallic face of the equine robot, inspecting the shrapnel hole in the muzzle. “Waiting to get that fixed before turning it on?” 

Ash started picking up the tools she left sitting about. “Yeah, been thinking about just turning it on to see what happens since I don't really know where to find a replacement. Has to be a robobrain module or it won’t work.”

“I could help ya do it, I don’t know much about robots but I can do what ya say.” Vortex started picking up tools as well.

“That could be fun, just be ready to run in case it’s crazed, can you get me a spark battery? They’re in a crate next to my armor.” Ash opened a panel on the flank of the robot and pulled out a dead spark battery.

After about a minute Vortex gave the battery to Ash who plugged it in before immediately backing away from it, Vortex doing the same. They watched the brain dome light up, after a while of sitting motionless it raised it’s metallic head, moving it to look at the two mares staring at it.

Ash hesitantly raised a hoof. “Hi?”

The robot stared at the large mare before raising a metal hoof to touch it’s false muzzle, putting it’s hoof back down it took a slow step towards the two.

“So, Ash, do you think it’s sentient?”

“Idea. Robobrain, can you understand me?” the robot nodded at ash. “Come out here and write in the sand.” The two mares stepped out of the way as the robot slowly made its way out, it’s forehooves and rear tracks making a grinding sound, a result of not having enough oiling.

The large robot stopped with its tracks in the wagon, its forehooves in the sand, it paused before writing ‘Hi, I’m Ava’ in the sand, upside down to it so the two ponies could read it easily.

“Ava? Nice to meet you, I’m Vortex.” she put her hoof to her chest as she stated her name.

Ash did the same. “I’m Ash Blossom. I was able to work on most of you, except your voice, was too damaged in the crash.

Ava nodded as the two talked, covering what she wrote before she wrote ‘How long has it been?’

“Bout one-eighty AB, sorry, hundred eighty After Balefire.” Ash said before she went to take a look at Ava’s joints.”I’m going to have to find you some oil, not sure where from though.”

Re-rasing what she wrote again Ava replaced it with ‘Try any robot store.’

Ash nodded. “Yeah, makes sense. Any specific one, or just any robot oil?”

Ava just wrote under ‘any’ under what she wrote before.

“Alright, well, just don't move too much till I can find some I guess?” Ash turned to Vortex. “Know where any robotic stores are?” Vortex just shrugged with her wings. Sighing Ash turned back to Ava. “Well you seem sane, I’m guessing you being in standby the entire time saved your brain from degrading.”

Ava nodded at that. The thunder of gunshots echoed, followed quickly by one louder and Ava retreated into the old wagon, Vortex entered the other wagon as Ash ran to her armor and jumped into it
> Chapter 20: 181 After Balefire (AB)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One day ago.
Rose took her thirtieth bounty off the board and glanced through it before something slammed into her side knocking her over. She scrambled back and magicked her AMR to her side. A stallion pointed a shotgun at her, another beside him grabbed her gun barrel.

The one with the shotgun spoke first. “So you’re the little shit that keeps stealing our bounties.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be so slow then.” Rose tried to crawl back and pull her AMR from her second attacker.

As she pulled he jumped forward slamming his hoof into her horn, her magic collapsed and the rifle clattered against the ground.

The first spoke after taking her rifle. “None of that, we’re just going to have a little chat.”

Rose started getting up. “How about fuck you, I got to them first.”

The first attacker shoved Rose back to the ground and put the barrel of his shotgun to her chest. She froze as he started laughing. “Doesn’t matter. This is our territory. Stop stealing our shit, also, how about you empty your pockets and you might live.”

Rose looked around for something to hit him with then she saw two Queen mares running to them, Rose reluctantly pulled her saddle bags off, as he took them one of the mares stopped running beside him and spun. Her hoof hit him square in the chest making him drop his gun onto Rose’s belly.

The second mare jumped onto the other attacker as he tried drawing a pistol. She wrapped her hooves around his neck and pulled him to the ground. Rose jumped up and grabbed the AMR in her magic before she started running to the gates of the city, behind her was gunfire.

After throwing open the city gates and running past the Queen mares on the other side she glanced back to see the first two that helped her motionless on the ground, tears in her eyes she kept running.

Current Day

After what felt like miles Rose finally slowed down and started hyperventilating. Looking around she saw a vast expanse of sand on one side of the road, a cliff rose above her on the other side. Old and rusted wagons spread out the entire road, at least as far as she could see. 

Muttering to herself she started walking down the road. “Guess it's the main path.”

Watching the cliff face as she walked she noticed a path, it looked lightly used, pausing to decide to follow it or not she heard bullets fly past her head followed quickly by the bangs of gunfire, diving behind one of the rusted wagons she held the massive rifle up and checked it was ready to fire.

Peeking out she returned a round sending sparks everywhere as it hit a rusted wagon. As she worked the bolt she peeked at her attackers through the scope, seeing it was the same bounty hunters she fired again. The round impacted one of the wagon's roof beams, she watched the sparks and shrapnel hit one of them in the face.

 As she worked the bolt again she watched her pursuers explode, the explosion knocked her down. Her rifle dropped on top of her, knocking the wind out of her. As she stared up at the sky trying to get her air back a metal helmet blocked her view of the clouded sky.

A mare’s voice came from the metal helmet. “Hey, are you alright? Thought I shot that far enough away to not get ya.”

Rose just wheezed up at her, a gray pegasus peered down at her next to the metal mare. “Deep breaths, you’ll be fine in a bit, when you can tell us your name please. Need to see if you can still think straight.”

After a while of staring at the sky Rose sat up. “I’m.. Rose, who are you?”

The metal mare spoke first. “Paladin Ash Blossom, you alright little filly?”

Rose rubbed her head. “Not a filly, I’m still dizzy.”

The metal mare pulled her helmet off, revealing a gray coat and dark blue mane. “Rather small then, thought it was a couple slavers coming after a foal. Know why they were after you?”

Rose layed back down. “Stealing their bounties I guess, they were on the board for anyone though.”

The gray pegasus sat down beside Rose. “I’m Vortex, bounty hunters tend to be territorial, You’re lucky you got this far with them after you.”

Rose slowly got up and magicked the AMR onto her back. “I had some help. They… didn’t survive.”

Ash put her helmet back on, making her voice go staticky. “Well. you can join us if you’d like, we're just on the other side of the ridge.”

Vortex turned to Ash. “That took some convincing, huh?”

Ash tilted her head to look at Vortex. “Hey, she lost her friends and was getting attacked by bounty hunters. It’ll be fine, besides, It’ll be nice having more company.” 

Vortex replied in a teasing tone. “Aw, is the Ranger going soft?”

Ash scoffed. “Not as soft as tiny pegasi.”

Vortex just rolled her eyes at that and turned back to Rose. “Can you walk? I might be able to carry you if not.”

Rose shook her head. “Eh, I’ll be fine. Just, need a bit.”

Ash nodded. “Alright, be careful, some of the rocks on the path are loose.”

Vortex opened her wings. “I’ll meet you at the camp, you can stick with Ash.” She took off, flying over the ridge and out of sight.

Ash watched her fly till she was over the ridge before turning back to Rose. “Alright, you ready? I’ll have you walk in front of me in case you slip.”

Rose nodded and the two headed into the camp


***


Sitting around the burned out campfire ash looked over Rose’s AMR, her power armor in her wagon. “This thing looks new, where’d you get it?”

Rose just shrugged. “Random caravan.”

Ash just kept looking it over. “Bolt is custom, the receiver looks completely new. A few scratches, I’m guessing from your use.”

Vortex raised her eyebrow at Ash and said with a smirk. “Ya have a thing for guns don’t ya?”

“No… kinda, well, not the way I think you’re implying.” Ash said before giving back the rifle.

Rose set the rifle on the ground, the barrel in her lap. “So are you two in like a military or something? Is that the right word?”

Ash nodded. “I’m with the Steel Rangers, she’s ex Enclave.”

Rose tilted her head at that. “What’s the steel rangers and what is the enclave?”

Vortex opened a wing to the sky. “Enclave what is making all those clouds up there. Basically what’s left of Equestria’s government.”

Rose just tilted her head further. “What’s a government?”

Ash just facehoofed at that while Vortex attempted to explain. “They’re… what controlled ponies, what made rules for everyone. Best way I can describe it.”

Ash sighed before explaining “They are who create order by creating and enforcing rules, controlling the economy and intersecting with other governments. The Stripes weren’t very good at that part, it’s why the war went how it did.” 

Vortex pulled her wing back and scoffed. “It wasn’t just because of the zebras, Equestria was half responsible. AND, stop calling zebras that, it’s terrible.”

Rose just tilted her head as far as her neck let her. “What’s a zebra?” When both Ash and Vortex facehoofed she just laughed. “I’m joking that time.”

Ash started rubbing her temples. “Ooooh I think I feel a headache starting.”

Rose jumped up and started looking around. “So, what do you have around here?”

Ash got up as well, slower than Rose. “Not much, some turrets I made from some bots I destroyed. Some armor I’m working on, and a robot pony.”

Rose looked excited when Ash mentioned the robot. “Where’s the robot?”


Ash held a hoof up. “Calm, she isn’t fully repaired yet and she can’t talk yet. She’s in her wagon over there.” She moved her raised hoof to point at one of the old wagons.

Rose trotted to the wagon, Ash and Vortex following. Ash called out as they neared the wagon. “Ava, sorry I forgot to tell you earlier but it’s fine to come out now. There’s someone new you can meet.

The metal and glass head of Ava peeked out. “Rose went up to her and touched Ava’s nose with her hoof. “Never seen one like this, what's the pink, squishy looking thing?”

Ash walked around Rose and stood next to Ava. “It’s a brain, you have one in your head as well. It’s what makes you.. Well you. Not really sure how to explain it other than that.”

Vortex cut in after Ash. “Yeah, some ponies had their’s removed and put into these robots, they’re named Robobrains.” At that Ava nodded at Rose.

Rose nodded back. “Okay, but why?”

Ash hesitated a second before replying. “Well it is a bit better for some tasks, like running a factory. It’s easier to use a pony computer than a full robot.”

Rose just tilted her head again. “Okay, but why not just have a normal pony do that?”

At that Vortex cut in. “Easier to control a robot, or a pony that thinks it’s a robot.”

Ash shook her head at that. “No, they’re aware that they’re in a robot. They just can’t fight the programming.”

Vortex turned to look at Ava. “Wait really?”

Ava nodded before idly tapping the ground with her metal hoof.

“Right, anyway Ava c’mere.” Ash went to Ava and started touching her metal jaw.

Ava stayed still, Vortex and Rose watched Ash pull her jaw off.

Ash looked over her shoulder. “Rose, I need your magic to unplug some of these.”

“Wh-what? I don't know anything about any of that.”

Ash nodded at Ava. “Just do what I say and it’ll be fine. Just unplug the blue wire and the green one.”

Hesitantly Rose went and sat  beside Ash. “So she can’t talk because the jaw can't move?” She said while unplugging what Ash told her to.

 Ash shook her head as she pulled the jaw from Ava’s head. “Not supposed to move. It's just a speaker on a solid muzzle, need to see if I can fix it or if the speaker just needs to be replaced completely. Hopefully it’s just some sand that got inside it.”

“But… it does move, you just made it.”

Ash set the metal jaw on Ava’s back and looked around inside it.” Well, yes but it doesn't normally move or open.”

“But it just moved just then.”

With a sigh Ash turned to Rose. “I said normally it doesn’t. This isn’t how it works normally.”

“Buuuut, it opened.”

Ash just facehoofed, at that Rose snickered. “Don't facehoof at me, you’re the one that’s wrong.”

Ash with her hoof still on her face. “Who’s the one smart enough to take her apart and put her back together?”

“Not you obviously, since you’re wrong.”

With a muffled clop Ash slammed her hoof to the sand. “Do you even know how to detail strip your fancy rifle?” Noticing Vortex laughing behind her, Ash turned back and pointed at her. “Don’t you start.”

Rose just shrugged and got up, Ash started reattaching the jaw. “Going to need replaced. Can’t tell what’s wrong so it’ll just be easier.”

“Ha, you don’t know what you’re doing.” At that Ash smacked Rose’s flank. “OW, bitch!”

“Goin to fucking shake you. Might make you smarter.” Ash shook her hooves in front of Rose acting like she was shaking her.

Rose showed off her teeth. “Touch me and I bite you.”

“Oh hey, you’re a mutant.” Ash leaned down to try and get a better look at Rose’s fangs. “Canibal?”

“...how?” Rose clenched her jaw to try and hide her fangs. Biting into her gums.

“Either you’re a cat or a mutant.” Ash smiled at her.

Rose just stared before responding. “The fuck is a cat?”

“A little furry thing ponies kept as a pet, anyway. The Rangers have a list of known mutations, cannibalism is one, we believe it’s why some raiders eat ponies. fangs are another that we’ve noticed in some ghouls. Your room might have been above a reactor and you've been exposed to low but constant radiation. You being small is more likely inbreeding from the stables being small.” Ash paused to make sure she understood all of that.

After a blank stare, Rose just asked. “What’s inbreed?”

Vortex spoke up before Ash could explain. “Means your parents are closer in more ways than normal.” 

Ash sighed. “Your parents are closely related in some way, probably cousins.”

“Oh, fun, I think? Anyway, what are we doing next?” Hiding how she felt Rose’s scruff fur perked up.

Ash nods at Ava. “Well I want to see what she was going to be used for so I want to find a Golden Atomics facility, hopefully they have a terminal or something about her. She has Stable Tec markings so it’s a fair guess she was going to a stable.”

Vortex cut in. “Might be able to find out about it in the city, it’ll cost caps but there’s always someone who knows what you’re looking for.”

Ash nods to herself before gesturing at Rose. “We can get her proper armor while we’re at it.

After raising her hoof to look at it. “What’s wrong with the stable suit? It covers me just fine.”

“Even with those leather patches It won’t stop a bullet, I’d give you my combat armor but it’d be dragging behind you.”

“Hey we could go back to my stable. Could take it over and take their armor.” Rose gave a smile that reminded Ash of Pinkie Pie.

“I am not breaking into an act-”

Before Ash could finish Vortex cut her off. “I know I wear power armor but I’m not a damn Steel Ranger. You’re on your own with that.”

Ash just glared at her as Rose huffed at them both. “Fine, whatever but I want to go back at some point. Maybe forcibly replace that Overmare.”

“I say again. You. Are. On. Your. Own.” Vortex glared down at the much smaller mare.

Rose just glared back. “You don’t even know what the inside of a stable is like. What that stable was like.”

Ash cut back in. “You can tell us about it on the way, c’mon.” 

Ash entered her power armor, Ava followed, standing beside her as the others got themselves ready.”

When Rose grabbed her Anti-Machine Rifle and Vortex snickered behind her. Rose glared back at her bug-like helmet. “Something funny?”

“Compensating for something short stuff?” She laughed as she went to join Ash.

Rose threw a hoof full of sand at her before following as well.


***


Nearing the city gates The Queens lazing around waved upon noticing Rose, wanting to talk to her. Flattening her ears she passed the rest of the party. “Hey. I’m sorry about before.”

One placed her hoof on Rose’s shoulder. “Ah don’t worry ‘bout it hun. Happens fairly often. Just this time it was for one of us.” She gave Rose a wink and a smile. Rose smiled back and nodded. “Right, still sorry since I caused it.” She glanced over her shoulder as Ash came up beside her.

Ash’s voice came through the helmet filled with static and the occasional crackle. “Hey, I have a question if ya don’t mind.” 

The Queen’s mare glanced at Rose and didn’t respond till she nodded. “Only since you’re with her, go ahead.”

Ash nodded. “So we’re looking for information about a robotic production facility and a way to contact the Rangers here. Know anyone who could help?”

“Y’all will have to ask The Queen ‘bout that. She nodded at the gate. "Otherwise, maybe a bar.”

“I’d rather not visit that one in there, so let’s just see The Queen.” Rose stated before trotting to the gates.

The other two followed as Ash said. “Yeah and I’m kinda banned there anyway.”

“Good job.” Rose pulled the large gate open in her magic. Letting out a small whine of pain from the effort. She led the others to The Queen’s school. Outside was a couple of the mares with identical manes conversing about something Rose didn’t care about so she ignored them and turned to Ava. “You should wait out here. It's small and you’re kinda big.

Being unable to speak Ava just nodded before putting her back to the wall to wait.

Inside was nearly the same as last time she had visited, she noticed the others were casting cautionary glances at the two armored ponies following Rose. Ignoring them she led Ash and Vortex to the stage room.

The near identical copy of Sweetie Belle glanced over her shoulder before returning her gaze to the performer on stage. “Back already hun? And with company this time. What can I do for ya?”

Rose waited to speak until she was standing beside The Queen. “We were hoping you’d know something about a robot factory around here. We kinda can't go to the bar to ask.” She glanced at Ash’s jet black visor hoping she said it well enough.

“Am I right in assuming this is for that Ranger behind me? While their kind have helped some ponies around here I’ve heard the stories of the others, I believe they’re called chapters, have done so I’m not very inclined to assist.” Rose saw a glint of hate behind The Queen’s eyes as she spoke and flattened her ears.

Ash stepped forward and spoke before Rose got another chance to. “And why does it matter? Besides, I'm not a part of a chapter anymore.”

Spinning in her chair The Queen slammed her hoof onto the table and glared at Ash. “It matters because I’m not helping an organization that robs ponies daily while also pretending to care by helping in some places they deem less fortunate.”

With a hiss Ash pulled off her helmet and let it dangle by the hoses onto her chest. “You say that as if the entire Steel Rangers have one leader. Each chapter is separately led.

After a short pause of just staring into the dark gray mare’s eyes she spoke slowly. “You said you aren’t in a chapter?”

Ash nodded at that. “Left because of what you said earlier. Was actually hoping to join this chapter because they help ponies. I just don’t know how to contact them yet.”

Vortex jumped in before The Queen could respond. “I’m going to need the story later.”

The Queen glanced at the pegasus before returning her eyes to Ash, she then tapped on the table in thought before responding. “Alright. I might be able to contact them for you, just tell me where you’re staying at and I’ll send them to you.”

Ash smiled before looking at Rose. “Can you show her your map for me?”

Rose shook her head. “Don’t have a map.”


Ash sighed. “Do you not know how to use your Pipbuck map?”

Her ears jumped up. “Oh! Right!” Rose poked through her Pipbuck before holding it up for her to see.

“Ah, you’re at that old sky caravan. I had my mares try to scavenge it a couple months ago but the bots were too much for them. I’ll see what I can do for you. Now, the factory. I don’t know anything about it but I’ll ask my mares if any of them do. You can go do whatever for about twenty minutes and I should know by then.” The Queen stood up and started for the door. 

Vortex moved closer to Rose. “How’d you get on good standing with The Queens? I haven’t been able to get any of them to say more than a sentence to me.”

Rose just shrugged. “Just met with The Queen and helped with some stuff. Pretty much it.”

She nodded, her armored eyes glowing in the lighting. “Makes sense I guess, I only ever talked to them on the street.” 

Rose just stared up at Vortex, she stared back before asking. “Something wrong?”

Rose nodded. “Yeah, I fucking hate your armor. You look like a bug.”

She nodded “I think it was supposed to be intimidating. I dunno, it's kinda cool.”

Ash cut in. “Let's go back to Ava. remember she's kinda waiting for us?”

Rose nodded and Vortex said “right.”


***


The group sat around a burning barrel they found unattended, Ash and Vortex had their helmets off. Vortex’s sitting on her back and Ash’s hanging by the breathing hoses onto her chest.

Ava just watched them as Rose told stories about her old stable, including her last day.

Vortex rubbed her nose. “I dunno, it doesn’t sound real.

Rose looked up at the pegasus, a glint of anger behind her eyes. “Maybe you should visit with me then.”

Vortex shook her head and started to say before Ash cut her off. “I’m still not goin int-”

“Wait. We can go in peaceful. See what it’s like and just leave after if Rose isn’t right.” Ash said with a nervous smile.

Vortex gave her a smug smile. “You just want to see the technology they have you tin can hoarding goblin.”

Ash jumped up and pointed at Vortex. “You’re wearing power armor right now!”

Vortex winked at her. “Not a Ranger.”

Rose snickered as Ash glared at the two. Ava just shook her head at the two.

Vortex let her smile fade. “So Ash. Back in the bar, why were you so jumpy? All I did was say hi and you tried to hit me.”

Ash looked into the fire, her brows furrowing. “We were attacked a few days before then. Before I met Rose.” Closing her eyes she looked away. “Someone.. a Ranger.. shot my wife Cinder. destroyed her armor systems before putting one in her chest. Blew them up but they escaped. Been thinkin they’d try again and you went an approached me from behind.”

Vortex’s eyes widened and she looked down. “Ah fuck I’m sorry I was going to make a joke. Wait, did you say it was a Ranger that did it?”

Still keeping her eyes closed she nodded. “I didn’t see them but I blew apart their rifle and the stock had our emblem. They teleported off so it was a horn head that did it. Same kinda rifle as Rose’s from the shape of it.”

Rose glanced over her back at it. “This thing can go through that armor?”

Nodding again she looked up and over at Rose. while talking Ava started writing in the dirt. “It was made for taking out robots, fell into the stripe’s hooves during the war so we still have to deal with them. If Ironshod hadn’t made it we would be a lot safer and wouldn’t have to take them from whoever we find has them.”

Vortex nodded at that. “Can go through ours as well but we’re a bit harder to hit unless we’re just walking about.”

Rose looked at the others. “Not taking mine though.”

Ash glared at her again. “I don’t care about that right now.” 

Rose shrank back at her glare and said quietly. “Was just saying.”
Ava tapped the burn barrel to get their attention, when all three looked over she backed up and pointed at the ground. Vortex walked over and read what she wrote out loud. “Ministry Mare Applejack hated their creation. Her cousin at Ironshod had it made.”

Ash nodded. “We hardly use them unless necessary. At least my old chapter.”

Vortex tilted her head at Ash. “Old chapter?”

Ash looked down again and took a breath and sighed before giving her story. “Yeah. I’m from Fillydelphia.” Vortex looked up and like she wanted to say something. “I left because of how they operate. I heard stories about the Rangers down here helping ponies. At first I left Cinder but her and my mother found me before I left and she joined me. Mom of course didn’t want to leave, she’s the highest scribe they have.”

When Ash paused to take a deep breath Vortex cut in. “Filly is a long way from here. Doubt it was fun walking with the heavy armor. Surprised you could even power it that long.”

Ash shrugged. “Cinder stole some spark batteries before leavin. Maybe mom did actually. She wouldn’t have been questioned about it.

Vortex looked down at her armored hoof. “It’s been a bitch keeping this suit running. I’ve just been storing it when I get low and wait till I buy enough for a week or so.”

Ash gave her a bit of a smile. “Why and how did you leave Vortex? Heard the Enclave isn’t very good at letting go.”

“Leavin was easy. Just tossed the trackin then scratched off the markings when I got groundside. As for why, I believe it’s not a unique story but I was sent on a ground mission with terrible orders so I just dipped.”

Ash nodded. “Heard similar from other Dashites, we have a few of their stories in our terminals. Heard if you get caught once they brand you, then if they find you again they kill you”

Vortex sighed at that. “I’ve heard that as well, went through some settlement that wasn’t inside our operating area and the locals told me I wasn't the first pegasus to go through.”

Ash nodded at that as well.” Oh yeah, I heard a story from one that was missing half his fur from plasma burns, said sometimes if you make enough of a mess they send assassins instead of just randomly finding you like what normally happens.”

“Haven’t heard that, but I did hear they make up stories about ya to say you’re some criminal that fled. Higher ups don’t like the truth I guess.”

Ava tapped the barrel and pointed to something she wrote. Vortex read it outloud again. “Same as back then.”

Before anyone could respond the door to The Queen’s opened causing everyone to look over. The Queen went to the group. “Alright from what we know it should be untouched, strong robots like that caravan we couldn’t scavenge.” She nodded at the two in power armor. “Shouldn't be a problem for you two though. It’s along one of the main roads that comes off the highway. Goes past The Shining Bar, it’s active if you want to stop by.”

Rose held out her Pipbuck and The Queen put its location in for them. “Thanks Queen, I’ll try to bring something back for ya.”

“Not needed but thank you hun.” The Queen gave her a smile before returning.