> Fallout Equestria Shattered Memories
>  by The Force
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Stable 375, a cacophony of groaning and creaking noises rang out, accompanied by the steady beep of monitors in the background. The place was a mess, with notes and garbage strewn under desks, in halls, and on the ground. Several rooms contained giant test tubes, each filled with a different alicorn-like pony that floated in suspended animation. A sense of disarray and turmoil suffused the air, as if something was about to burst at the seams.

The room was filled with the wreckage of various broken test tubes, some containing the rotting corpses of skeletal ponies. Other test tubes remained intact,  the flesh of the alicorns' having nearly rotted away, indicating that the alicorns within had all died.

The room was in a state of total destruction, with broken test tubes scattered everywhere. Skeletons of ponies lay scattered across the floor, next to broken weapons and other evidence of a violent struggle. Water dripped from the ceiling and walls, pooling on the floor and leaving it submerged by approximately two inches of water.

Deeper within the stable, a room with reinforced doors barred it off from the rest of the area. In addition to skeletons on the floor and broken weapons scattered around, there were also corpses up against the walls. The violence and destruction in this area were even more severe than elsewhere, with the destruction evident through the bars on the door. It was clear that something even more terrible and dangerous had happened in this room than the destruction seen elsewhere in the stable.

The bars held strong against anything that had tried to get through, with scratches and evidence of damage but still remaining sturdy. The bodies lying nearby seemed to have been trying to guard something or someone important. Inside the room were even more bodies, though their purpose remained a mystery. They stood beside another test tube, protecting whoever was inside. 

A perfectly-preserved alicorn lay inside one of the tubes, displaying vital signs indicating life. Monitors triggered the tube's failsafe, causing it to open and release the alicorn onto the floor. She coughed up fluid and water as she adjusted to the light, blinking away the liquid from her eyes.

The pristine alicorn emerged from the test tube with a deafening thud. The creature splattered liquid across the floor as it hacked and blinked, adjusting to the glaring lights and crisp air as her consciousness awakened. The monitors registered her vital signs, heralding the creature's re-emergence.

The alicorn struggled to adjust to the intense light, her vision blurred by the fluid from the test tube that was still in her eyes.

With a swipe of her hoof, the alicorn attempted to clear her eyes, hoping to adjust them more quickly to her surroundings. Her gaze now shifted, homing in on the corpses scattered across the stable's floor, absorbing their macabre sight with mounting dread. With her stomach churning and her heart thumping, she fought back her nausea.

The alicorn slowly rose to her hooves, her legs unsteady as she stumbled and nearly fell. Determined to ignore the macabre corpses surrounding her, she stretched her legs and pondered her identity. "Who am I?" she muttered softly and narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember anything about herself.

The alicorn's nose twitched, detecting an unbearable smell permeating the room. She gagged from the acrid scent, a rancid mixture of dust and rotting flesh. Forcing back the vomit rising in her throat, her throat ached and burnt from the acid. She screamed and fell to the floor in pain, gasping for any clean air.

The alicorn searched frantically for fresh air, only to fail in her endeavor. However, she glimpsed a locker ahead, let out a weak gurgle that was intended to be a plea for help, and noticed blood dribbling from her mouth. She stared at the pool of blood forming on the dusty floor in horror, realizing she was injured.

Desperate for water and some clue to her identity, the alicorn crawled to the locker. She silently mouthed her gratefulness to nobody when she discovered that the locker was unlocked. Fumbling to open it, she searched for clues as to who she was and for some water.

Relief spread over the alicorn's face when she found the canister of water, her heart tightening with happiness. Seizing it, she unscrewed the lid and drank from the vessel with a ferocity only thirst could prompt. However, the alicorn's throat still ached and the burning sensation intensified, making her cough and spit blood. She reasoned that the acid that had scorched her throat probably irritated something vital and caused the bleeding.

Fear and dread mingled with the already intense feelings of concern and pain. The alicorn considered the possibility that her injuries might have been fatal. Her heart pounded with the newfound anxiety, and yet more blood began to drip from her mouth.

Panic set in as the alicorn realized she couldn't taste the water she had consumed. This was very bad, she thought to herself. Her heart raced with fear and horror at the reality of her situation and the increasing severity of her injury.

In the midst of her panic, the alicorn took in her surroundings and observed the details for the first time. She noticed that the ceiling lights were nothing but dangling bulbs and the walls were marred with dents and scorch marks. The floor was covered in corpses and blood, but she dared not look closely at them. Then, as if to add more chaos to the situation, she picked up an unfamiliar object and accidentally set off its trigger. The ensuing projectile fired a laser blast at the wall, leaving a black scorched mark and forcing the alicorn to drop it in surprise.

The alicorn once again surveyed her surroundings, taking in the blood dripping from her mouth. She put her hoof around the canister of liquid and shut the lid, feeling the precious fluid within to be almost gone. This was not good, the alicorn thought to herself, looking back at the locker, the only other item within. With a flash of sadness, she read the torn and bloody letter, the rest of its message rendered unreadable by the hoof print. "Hey Stormburst, you are going to come back to see your daughter right? She misses you," the note read, tugging at the alicorn's heartstrings.

As the alicorn's heart ached with sorrow, her gaze shifted downward once more, and she spotted a skeleton nearby. It was reaching for the locker, which the alicorn suddenly realized had been slightly open this whole time. Her sadness deepened as she watched a tear fall to the floor, mixing with the blood from her mouth. The bleak scene before her caused her stomach to turn.

The alicorn stood transfixed, watching more tears fall from her eyes. With a soft huff of sadness, she took the letter in her hooves and placed it next to the skeleton's hoof. Reading it for the umpteenth time, she noticed that it mentioned a name, "Stormburst," and a purpose, "head maintenance for solarium enterprises." She stared at the skeleton for a moment longer, trying to make sense of the situation, before finally bowing her head and turning away. The alicorn tried her best to hold in her emotions, but the overwhelming sadness still choked her breaths and wracked her with sobs.

Wiping the tears away with her hooves, the alicorn noticed the dust and sticky liquid that had collected on them. Looking down, her mane, fur, tail, and even her hooves were streaked with a mixture of dried blood, tube fluid, and sticky liquid. As if to further intensify the discomfort of the messy situation, the fluids dripped slowly from her hooves, mixing in with the already present blood. This only served to make the alicorn feel even more uncomfortable and unsure of her situation. 

As if to add yet another complication to this increasingly difficult situation, the alicorn noticed that her eyes had become red and irritated, with the veins enlarged and visible due to her crying. With every little detail of her situation piling up, her discomfort grew, as if every little thing was pushing her closer and closer to snapping.

As the alicorn became increasingly overwhelmed by the conditions she found herself in, she took a moment to try and calm down. Realizing the dangers of the air, she slowed her breathing and tried to relax her muscles. With her eyes closed, she tried to gather herself and focus on figuring out who she really was. She knew that if she didn't calm down and make peace with this situation, she would be unable to see the light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel. Opening her eyes once more, determined to figure this out.

The alicorn spent an extended amount of time examining the room, noting its size and limited capacity. With the ceiling so close to her head, she realized that the room must not have been very big at all. Judging from the location of the bodies, there was also not much space for any additional ponies besides herself and perhaps one other to be comfortable. This realization only raised more suspicions and questions.

Examining the walls, the alicorn's mind pondered the propaganda that was plastered on them. The one that looked most legible to her eye was of a mare who bore some similarity to herself. The mare had a dark, stern look on her face, with a dark blue coat that caught the alicorn's attention. Below the picture, the slogan "Luna Republic is Watching, Join the Lunar Council Today" was printed in bold, eye-catching letters. The alicorn wondered who this interesting mare was and why her presence was being promoted.

The alicorn managed to remove the propaganda and folded it up as best she could, intent on keeping it safe for further inspection. Unfortunately, she did not have anywhere to place it for the time being. She turned towards a monitor in the room. In her weakened state, the alicorn struggled to cross to it, her hooves stumbling and her legs feeling stiff and aching. With each step, more cracking and popping noises came from her bones making the alicorn wince. It was becoming difficult for her to move with this stiffness and pain.

The alicorn gritted her teeth and continued forward toward the monitor. As she began to move more, the stiff and painful sensations gradually abated. However, she could still feel the soreness and ache in her legs as they struggled to support her. She really wanted to lie down and rest, but she knew that leaving this place took priority over her comfort. She was determined to figure out what was going on and find her way out, even if there was a bit of discomfort and pain along the way.

After some time, the alicorn finally reached the terminal in the room. She placed her weight against it, using it as support as she panted and tried to catch her breath. Sweat dripped off her face and one drop stung her eye, irritating her eye and causing her to groan in frustration. Careful not to upset her throat any further, the alicorn remained silent and refrained from speaking, as she was unsure if she could. She looked toward the screen, waiting for any clue or indication as to what to do now.

The alicorn continued to rub her eye, seemingly making the irritation even worse, causing her to grit her teeth in annoyance and frustration. She continued to struggle to breathe, her chest heaving as if she had just run a long distance. While her emotions boiled inside and her injuries still pained her, she still managed to keep moving and focused on finding out what was going on and how to get out of this place.

Upon seeing that the screen on the terminal flickered, the alicorn's attention was immediately grabbed. Cautiously pressing a button on the display, she was greeted with a message that read "welcome back, Petrichor." She stood frozen for a moment as she processed the unexpected greeting. Petrichor, a name that was somehow familiar to her, but which she couldn't quite remember. A new thread of excitement and curiosity wove itself through her already jumbled thoughts and emotions. This mysterious screen had just opened a whole new line of investigation and questioning.

After seeing the strange greeting, the alicorn took some time to take in the information before her. Several names were listed on the screen, each in its own tab, including Petrichor as well as Storm Burst, Fallon, JesterLet, Magnetopause, Angina, Krypton, and Anaemia. The sheer number of names overwhelmed her as she attempted to make sense of this situation. Was this some kind of roll call? Did any of these names resonate with her? The questions piled up in her mind, each one leading her closer to the truth.

Upon pressing yet another button on the terminal, the alicorn was greeted with a message that her file seemed to be deleted. This only made her more confused, as if she were being denied access to information about herself. She felt a rising sense of desperation and anxiety as she struggled to remember anything about who Petrichor was, why was that name familiar? She wracked her brain, trying to recall her name, as well, but all that came to mind was a name that had a familiar ring to it, a name that felt like it was just out of reach.

Seeing that all of her attempts to access other files only resulted in their deletion, a spark of anger ignited inside of the alicorn. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. With a sense of desperation, she frantically pressed button after button on the terminal. It seemed that each one did something, but access to files was limited and most of the files she tried to access were either empty or deleted. As she continued to press buttons, she noticed that one file was left for her to access--the file under the name of Stormburst. She hovered her hoof over the button without pressing it, hesitant yet curious.

She slowly inhaled and pressed the button to open the file entitled Stormburst. With bated breath and anxious anticipation, she waited for the screen to reveal what the file contained. Suddenly, a text message appeared on the screen, instantly drawing the alicorn's attention. She read the message, her heart sinking as she did.

With a heavy heart, the alicorn read the text message which had appeared on the screen, its sudden appearance taking her off guard. She stared at it in disbelief as she slowly read the words on the screen, the meaning slowly settling in and increasing her sense of hopelessness.

As she read the text message, the alicorn's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. The tone of the message was surprising and familiar in its content. It was as if it were being sent to somebody who had been away from their family for far too long and had missed important life events due to being busy with work. The phrase "Sweetheart misses you," jumped out at the alicorn, grabbing her attention. It seemed as though the message was being sent to Stormburst, who apparently had a daughter. A rush of emotion flooded into the alicorn.

The alicorn continued to read the text message, trying to make sense of it all. This seemed to be a message that Stormburst received from her wife or partner. It mentioned that the daughter, 'Sweetheart,' had turned four, and that the sender of the message missed Stormburst and their daughter. It seemed that Stormburst had a daughter named Sweetheart, and a wife or partner who was named 'Loveheart.' The discovery that Stormburst had a family left the alicorn feeling hollow. Even though she didn't know any of them, there was an undeniable sense of loss associated with this revelation.

As the alicorn looked through, she tried pressing more buttons to see what else she could learn. To her disappointment and frustration, nothing else important seemed to present itself. The text appeared to end in the message she had just read. Exhausted, she let her head hang low, still trying to process this new information. The text did provide a little more information, but not enough to explain everything. So, the alicorn continued her search for answers, looking at the monitor and the interface connected to it, hoping to find something else that would reveal more about her current circumstances.

Suddenly, the alicorn's search was rudely interrupted as the terminal blared an automated warning of a power failure. It said "power failure in 5 seconds," immediately prompting the alicorn to panic as she had no idea what to do. She started pressing buttons frantically, hoping to make the automated voice stop and save herself from the impending disaster, but she was unable to shut it off. As panic continued to mount inside her, she desperately tried to think of a solution before time ran out. Would there be a way to escape this situation? Would she die if the power failed.

As the power countdown reached zero, the alicorn shut her eyes tightly. She assumed that she was about to die as the power went out and darkness fell over the room. After a few moments, she summoned the courage to open her eyes once again, hoping to see that she was still alive. To her relief, nothing had happened, and instead, the backup power had kicked in, filling the room with a strange red glow. Still shaken by the situation, the alicorn noticed that a grinding sound was coming from somewhere, a sound she had not heard before.

With her heart still racing, the alicorn looked toward the direction the sound had come from. There was a barred door that she had not noticed before. Not wanting to remain in the strange red glow, she approached the door and looked at it curiously. Could this be a way out of this place? She reached through the bars and gave the door a push, hoping it would open and allow her to escape this strange and foreboding place.

As the alicorn inspected the barred door more closely, she observed the holes and burn marks on the door's surface. The metal was damaged and the door seemed to be falling apart, as if it were on the verge of being destroyed. The sight of the door caused the alicorn to question its origin and purpose. Could this have been how the ponies inside the room had died? The alicorn looked at the door, the metal surface, and the burn marks with a look of curiosity. She turned to the terminal to see if there was any additional information about this room.

As the alicorn turned her eyes back toward the tube with the blue substance, she noticed that there was a label on it. It was slightly faded, but the name "blue" was clearly legible. This caused her to tilt her head in confusion, as it did not help explain what was going on here. She looked around and spotted something else on the tube. There was a section of the label that was completely illegible. Curious, she tried to make out the contents, but it was impossible to read and her eyes struggled to focus. She needed more information.

As the alicorn thought about the mysterious blue fluid, she used the process of elimination to come to a conclusion. If the fluid was coming from this tube, and the label said "blue," that could only mean one thing, her name was "blue." It was a bit of a stretch, but considering what she knew so far, it seemed to be the most plausible explanation. She then considered that if she had come out of the tube, the label must have indicated what she was or what she was used for in this mysterious place.

Once she had gathered her bearings, the alicorn left the room behind. She walked further down the corridor, her eyes growing used to the red glow. She paused, trying to get her bearings and orient herself in this strange environment. The red glow and the strange surroundings made it more challenging to see, but the alicorn tried her best to adjust. She slowly continued down the hall, determined to explore further and find answers to all of her mysterious questions.

As she walked slowly, making sure to watch her step, the alicorn observed the strange surroundings. She was aware of her surroundings and the potential dangers. The alicorn noticed that the blood which had previously dripped in her mouth had stopped, which led her to believe that there was some kind of healing process at work. She considered the possible healing effects of the blue fluid, or perhaps she had simply recovered over time. Either way, this development provided her with a sense of relief and hope.

The alicorn tried to speak her first words, since she emerged from the tube. It was a bit difficult, and her throat felt dry. She croaked out a weak "Hello?" before coughing. She still felt a bit parched, and she realized that she had forgotten to retrieve the water from the previous room. With a light smack to her own forehead, she turned around to retrieve the forgotten item. As she walked back toward the room with the blue fluid, the alicorn thought to herself about what to do next and tried to plan out her search for answers.

As the alicorn walks back into the room with the blue fluid, she notices the items that she had left behind: the water canister and the forgotten poster. Struggling with her hooves to move over to the terminal due to the sticky floor, she feels discomfort in her throat as she coughs up more fluid. Still determined to be prepared for whatever the future holds, she takes the water canister and drinks it, realizing she's drank the rest.

Pausing, she decides to simply keep the empty canister. It could prove useful later.

She maneuvers the water canister towards her left fore hoof, placing it neatly under it and close to her body. After she secured the lid, she picks up the weathered poster. With a wary gaze, she glances outside into the main hallway with two more paths in front of her.

The alicorn looks up above and notices a plethora of signs, with the lights of the backup power blinking in and out steadily.

After squinting for a moment, she manages to discern two different directions to go, each labeled with a specific location; Barracks, Sleeping Quarters, Testing Labs, Overmare's Office, Storage, Main Door Entrance, and Head Security Sleeping Quarters.

The alicorn looks up at the signs above, the backup power flickering intermittently, causing the words to appear hazy and confusing.

After a moment, she realizes there are two different signs, indicating Barracks, Sleeping Quarters, Testing Labs, Overmare's Office, Storage, Main-Door Entrance, and Head Security Sleeping Quarters.

The alicorn observes all the signs and wonders which way to proceed. Perhaps the Barracks would be the best place to start.

The alicorn looks at either direction, her heart tightening at the sight of the collapsed hallway, littered with debris and bodies of dead ponies.

Looking at the mess, her sorrow quickly turns into a sense of urgency to continue on into the unknown. With a determined expression, the alicorn charges off towards the left wing, attempting to ignore the bodies around her.

The alicorn's gaze sweeps across the left wing, noticing signs of struggle there as well.

Deep in thought, she keeps repeating the name on the label until it sticks; 'Blue'.

Unable to forget it, she makes a note of the fact that the stale air doesn't carry the pungent rotten flesh smell that was present in the room she emerged from, which at least indicated the possibility of being further away from danger.

Despite the optimism of being further away from danger, doubts began to creep in as well.

Blue second guessed the previous observation and also considered that it might all be just a theory, there was no way to truly verify or prove that at this point.

Blue looked past the bodies and spotted four rooms, the name engraved over the doors faded and no longer legible.

Frustrated and wondering what to do, she stood and wondered what each room might contain, not knowing with certainly what lay behind each door, or how to proceed.

Blue moved close to the doorway on her left and observed a sensor, which appeared broken. Taking a moment to wonder how best to proceed, she decided to set the water canister and elusive wanted-poster on the ground and open the door by prying it, since the sensor indicated that it might still be locked.

To her surprise, when she managed to force the broken sensor open and open the door, a skeleton leaning on it fell on top of Blue, causing her to panic and yell out loud, before falling backwards to the floor in fear.

With the skeleton still on top of Blue, the young alicorn flailed around in a frenzied panic, her heart in her chest pounding from fear as she struggled to get the dead body off her.

The sight of the bugs falling from the skeleton's skull and scurrying away only served to escalate Blue's panic, as she desperately attempted to push and throw the dead body away from her.

Her body feeling weak and her stomach finally feeling hungry, Blue took note of those observations.

After throwing the skeleton off, Blue took a moment to try and calm herself, taking slow deep breaths in and out, as the fear that had been pumping through her veins began to subside and her heart rate began to slow.

Closing her eyes, she tried to gather her thoughts, and attempted to ignore the sweat which began to drip down her forehead.

Blue's eyes were drawn to the unusual features of the skeleton after opening them, noticing that it seemed to be taller than a normal pony, and also possessing what appeared to be wings and a horn.

"What the hell is this?" Blue exclaimed, panting and trying to catch her breath between each statement. "This skeleton is different than the others."

The observations caused her to wonder what species it belonged to and how it had ended up here, joining the rest of the corpses in this morbid graveyard.

With the lingering fear and hunger growing more overwhelming with each passing second, Blue carefully began to inspect the body more, while trying to control her shakes as the hunger continued to gnaw at her body.

As she inspected the body, Blue began to notice what appeared like stab wounds all over its torso as if someone had stabbed the skeleton repeatedly with a sharp weapon.

The thought caused her to stand back for a moment, wondering how she had come to that realization.

There was no visible blood or stab wounds in the damaged state that the bones were in, and the alicorn had never been trained in pathology or forensics.

Was it just a lucky guess on her part, or was there a more logical way for her to have deduced that the skeleton belonged to an individual who had been stabbed repeatedly.

Regardless, the fact that the skeleton appeared to have been brutally murdered sent a chill down Blue's spine, causing her shivers to intensify as she took note of the details around her.

Blue continued to examine the remains of the tall skeleton, the question 'Why?' echoing through her thoughts.

After taking a moment to reconsider her situation, she realized that she was most likely alone, and merely talking to herself in an attempt to keep from being overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty.

Moving closer, Blue took a moment to study the clothes that still lay upon the skeleton, noting that they bore the label 'Solarium Enterprises'.

With a nod of her head, Blue realized the pattern that the clothes had provided, noticing the similarities between this skeleton and Stormburst's body. However, the realization also only served to increase her sense of uneasiness and concern.

Blue entered the room on her right and discovered a scene similar to the other rooms she had passed by previously, although the atmosphere here seemed noticeably different, somehow less inviting with the presence of the cages and lockers. 

Curiously, one of the cages stood empty of its contents, while the other was still shut, potentially providing insight into what the purpose of the cages really was.

Determined not to be fooled, Blue approached the lockers and inspected them. Realizing that the lockers were inaccessible as they were situated beyond the cage, Blue looked around for any way to interact with them to open them up.

The presence of the unlocked lockers behind the cage only added to the mystery and intrigue of this room, as they obviously held some sort of significance, yet couldn't be reached in this moment.

Blue decided the best course of action would be to continue exploring the surroundings in the hope that any other clues as to the locker's content and purpose would become apparent further down the line.

The room, which had been rather warm, with a slightly humid atmosphere from the water damage, was now starting to grow cold and the alicorn finally noticed the chill in the air.

The alicorn could see snow trickling in through the broken parts of the ceiling, making her take note of the fact that she wasn't as sheltered from the elements as previously thought.

The chill of the room now added to Blue's anxiety and frustration, as the longer she stayed in the room, the more the elements and uncertainty ate away at her.

Leaning into the room on her left, Blue opened the door to see a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the stable.

The room was spotless, free of trash and dust, with the walls and furniture intact. With a sigh of relief, Blue noted the contrast between this safe and clean room and the previous ones destroyed by whatever had happened in the past. 

Blue decided to take a moment and catch her breath and perhaps take a quick rest, the contrast of the past and present room gave her a much needed respite from the ever present anxiety and stress that had plagued her since her waking in this unfamiliar place.

Closing the door behind her, Blue observed the room in more detail and noticed the comfortable looking beds and the inviting seating area.

She was puzzled by the room, wondering what it had been used for in the past, and then noticed the sign above the door labeling it as 'Head Security's Sleeping Quarters'. The prospect of being inside such an area was exciting, but also intimidating to the alicorn, who was a stranger in this new place.

Blue, wanted to investigate the bathroom first. Blue stepped towards the doorway of the bathroom, Taking a deep breath. She steeled herself and opened the door to the bathroom, peering into the room and expecting more horrors and mysteries to meet her.

As she peeked her head in, however, she saw what she initially thought was a strange creature, a creature she had never seen before, staring at her.

Startled and confused, she took a step back, wondering if her eyes had deceived her. After gathering herself, she looked back and realized that it was her own reflection staring back at her. The room was large enough to provide a full view of herself.

Blue peered into the mirror and saw herself in the full reflection, noting that she possessed her own unique combination of features, including the large wings on her back, the blue mane with the red streak, and the blue fur covering her body.

However, one of the most striking features of Blue was the horn growing out of the top of her head, an unusual feature that matched the skeleton that she had seen.

As she observed herself further, she noticed that the fluid covering her body was dried and mixed with sweat, making her realize that she hadn't been paying attention to how dirty she had become.

The mirror provided some surprising information for Blue, who noted that her eyes were not the same color, one eye was completely green, while the other was completely red.

As Blue continued to investigate herself in the mirror, she noticed just how thin and tired she currently was. With her ribs becoming prominent on her frame, she knew she needed to find food, and soon.

This added a greater sense of urgency to her search for food and supplies, knowing she wouldn't be able to continue for much longer if she didn't replenish her energy soon.

After spending a few moments investigating the mirror and her reflection, Blue attempted to use the reflection as a tool for reassurance, wanting to make sure that she wasn't losing her mind or sense of reality while alone in this strange place.

However, despite her best efforts, Blue found that instead of being reassured, her reflection only gave her a sense of shame and guilt, causing her to frown at the image of herself in the mirror. With these confusing emotions and expressions taking over, Blue quickly turned away from her reflection and continued to search for any sign of food or supplies that she could use to replenish her strength.

Leaving the bathroom, Blue found herself back in the seating area, and began her search for potential food or supplies by checking the lockers in this room.

As she opened the first locker, she saw the name 'Head Security Bruce' engraved on it, immediately sparking her curiosity as to who 'Bruce' was and what had happened to him.

She then opened up the other lockers, checking the name on each one, hoping for some indication of who else had worked in this here and what had become of the individuals.

Blue noted that the names engraved on them were 'Gage', 'Sparkler', and 'Venus', which was interesting information but didn't quite give her the answers she was seeking.

It seemed that she was following a trail of people and was beginning to build a potential history of the stable, but she was still no closer to finding food or supplies that could sustain her and replenish her energy.

As she looked around the room, not wanting to neglect any part of this apparent trail, Blue tried to find something else of interest or significance.

Looking in Bruce's locker again and finding a variety of personal objects inside, Blue looked through the contents with interest.

In addition to the clothes and sunglasses, she saw various photos of groups of people, which immediately piqued her curiosity as to who they were and what they had been doing in the past.

In a moment of excitement, she almost took the items for herself, before remembering that she might have dropped something in the process of being spooked by the skeleton in the other room.

Unable to concentrate due to the hunger pains gnawing away at her stomach, Blue decided that she couldn't delay her search for food any longer.

Searching every locker she could, Blue soon found what she was looking for, a large box of chewy bars, which she quickly opened up and began consuming, eating two bars immediately.

As she continued to eat quickly, Blue soon felt ill, having eaten too much too soon. As her hunger pains subsided, she also felt a sense of nausea overcome her body, and she found it difficult to eat any more than she had already consumed.

Blue fought the urge to throw up, knowing that this was the only food she currently had.

Desperate to keep the food in her stomach to stave off her hunger for at least a little while longer, Blue rubbed her stomach and growled, hoping beyond hope that the food she had consumed would stay in and give her at least some semblance of nourishment.

As Blue continued to rub her stomach and growl, it became clear that she had no desire nor motivation to move right now, feeling full and nauseous.

With her limbs and body exhausted and sore, Blue wanted nothing more than to curl up and rest, but knew that she had to keep on the search for food and other necessities, fearing that she had only bought herself a short time before her hunger pangs would begin to return.

Blue continued to rub her stomach and groan, trying to fight off the overwhelming fatigue that was starting to creep over her as the food in her stomach settled and she continued her struggle to stay alert.

As she began to feel tired and the fight to stay awake was going against her, Blue quickly grew exhausted and found herself falling unconscious on the ground in the head security sleeping quarters. As she lost consciousness, the sounds and images around her began to swirl and become a blur until Blue was fully unconscious and no longer able to fight the overwhelming forces of sleep.






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As Blue opened her eyes, she was surprised to find that she was in a dark unknown space, unable to see anything around her.

The soft innocent and precise crying immediately caused Blue to begin feeling fear, wondering what was around her that was causing such a reaction. Knowing she was in an unfamiliar place, and now hearing crying, Blue grew more scared and worried.

The alicorn was unsure which way to go, only knowing that the crying was making her uncomfortable and that she wanted to get away from it as quickly and safely as possible.

Growing ever more uncomfortable from the sound of the crying and its increasing volume, Blue tried to locate the source and determine the direction of the sound.

Uncertain of what was causing the intense and frightening crying, especially the volume growing louder and more all encompassing, the alicorn was growing increasingly concerned and afraid.

The crying seemed to be getting louder and louder, not providing any clarity as to its origin, and the volume began to grow overwhelming, making Blue feel uncomfortable and panicked.

The pleading and crying became so loud that the sound was deafening to Blue, who was finding it difficult to bear the volume.

To add to the alicorn's growing discomfort, she heard the voice of a mare, pleading with someone and claiming that they had killed everyone, including her daughter, which caused Blue to feel sympathetic pain.

With the sounds of pleading and crying being too loud and intense for Blue, the alicorn could no longer bear to remain in this dark and unknown space, wanting only to leave the area and find safety from the overwhelming and frightening sounds of the crying and pleading.

The screaming and pleading from the various voices was becoming too much for Blue to comprehend, as the loud crying, pleading, and screaming sounds were causing her mental pain and panic to swell to near unbearable levels.

This was exacerbated by the red flashes, which caused Blue to see the blood covering her hooves and caused her to scream in agony herself.

With each second passing, the intensity was growing, causing Blue to become more frantic and terrified of her surroundings.

As the world around Blue began breaking apart and swirling around her, she continued screaming at the unbearable pain and horror that her mind was struggling to bear.

Unable to continue screaming because her voice was lost from the strain and torment her mind was experiencing, Blue felt herself waking up, feeling the pain of her torment fade.






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Awakening to her surroundings once more, Blue felt the aftershock of the dream, her body shaking from the experience.

Noticing that her body was covered in sweat and that tears were running down her face, Blue tried to collect herself and assess what had just happened.

As her breathing became more rapid and labored, Blue became increasingly scared of the dream and experience, feeling overwhelmed and afraid of what she had seen and the pain she had felt during the dream. She remained seated on the ground, unable to speak and unable to move.

Having experienced all the fear, pain, and torment of her dream, Blue found herself completely overwhelmed by it and unable to hold back her tears.

As she let it all out, sobbing on the ground and wailing silently, the alicorn tried to push everything out, trying to find some piece of normalcy in the midst of all the horror she had just been through.

It felt like an eternity until Blue was able to collect herself, her wails and sobs slowly diminishing into her just breathing, trying desperately to remain calm and calm herself down.

Trying to grasp what she had experienced in the dream, Blue asked the only question she could manage, with her throat still aching from the sobs and wails she had unleashed.

Still trying to collect herself, Blue was left with one simple question: "What was that dream...? it was to real..."

The alicorn was still shaking in the wake of the dream, not fully comprehending what she had just seen and felt. Even though the dream was now beginning to fade from her mind, she could still feel its effects on her body and mind, struggling against them to stay stable.

Blue's body slowly returned to normal, the shakes and trembling fading away, but not the mental shock she had just experienced.

As she sat and tried to process everything she had just witnessed and felt during the dream, Blue made a mental note to herself:

'If possible, sleep around company'

She knew from that dream that there was the threat of falling unconscious and being defenseless, and she wanted to try to prevent that from happening again.

Still feeling exhausted, Blue looked around for a place she could take a nap, and tried to calm herself down enough to actually sleep.

Despite the dream and horror she knew she had just experienced, Blue was still exhausted and knew that she needed sleep.

But it was a struggle for her, since every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashes of the dream, trying to process it all and make sense of what she had just experienced.

Walking towards the bed, Blue was a bit unsteady on her hooves, having been shaken by the dream. Struggling against the fear and anxiety of the dream and trying not to buckle down, Blue moved slowly towards the bed to go to sleep.

With tears in her eyes and a haunted expression on her face, Blue flopped onto the bed and tried to lay as comfortable as she could.

Due to the exhaustion and shock of the dream, feeling herself fading into unconsciousness again, the alicorn knew she needed rest more than ever and tried desperately to fall asleep despite her fear of dreaming yet again.

Lying on the bed and attempting to fall asleep, Blue struggled to control her fear and anxiety, as all she wanted was to rest but knew that sleep was a dangerous thing at this point.

As Blue began falling asleep, the world around her began to fade away, the sounds becoming less prevalent and the scene in front of her growing darker.

Desperately trying to push her anxieties and fears away, the exhausted and traumatized alicorn let her eyes close and gave in to sleep, knowing that she was too weary to hold back any longer.

She fell into a deep and restful sleep, hoping that she wouldn't wake up in another terror-inducing nightmare.





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After a good amount of much needed restful sleep, Blue woke up and rubbed her eyes with her hooves.

Pleased to not be staring at a nightmarish dream, but still sore and tired from her journey and sleep, the alicorn was glad to have gotten some much needed rest.

She found herself not as tired as she had been in the past, but she still felt the aches and pains throughout her body, which she knew were due to the fact that she had pushed herself hard in order to survive this place.

As she stretched her body and woke up a bit more, Blue's exhaustion began to fade slightly, but she still felt the soreness from her journey.

Waking herself up a bit more, the alicorn pulled herself out of the bed, took a moment to stretch out her body and wings, and felt some stiffness diminish from her limbs.

Slowly getting back into shape, Blue continued to try and shake the last lingering effects of sleepiness, and prepared herself to move forward into another day stuck alone in this mysterious place.

Seeing that she hadn't eaten anything in quite some time, Blue knew that she needed to continue forward with some food in her stomach.

Taking a few of the bars and eating one so she could regain some energy in preparation for her journey forward, Blue made the decision to leave the large box.

Not being able to carry it as she previously mentioned, the alicorn resignedly left the box where it was, and took a few of the bars with her as she set out to continue her search for supplies and hopefully, a way out of this seemingly endless stable.

Moving forward with her search for supplies, Blue stepped out of the head security sleeping quarters and into the next room on the left, immediately noticing the door laid on the ground, obviously broken and destroyed.

With a sigh, Blue realized that such a sight would be becoming all too common on her search for food, supplies and a way out of the stable.

As she continued on her search, Blue knew that there would be more trials and obstacles to conquer, and as such, would need as much energy and determination as she could find to overcome them.

Searching for clues and a way out of here, Blue entered the next room and found a locker that she could open.

With her hope returning that she was close to finding an answer, or at least some vital intel, Blue opened the locker with eager anticipation, only to find a uniform with numbers on it.

Confused and disappointed, the alicorn quickly looked at the uniform, and noticed that it had some numbers, namely, 375.

Blue had no idea what this meant, and was confused as to why these numbers were a clue or hint towards finding a way out of the stable.

Grateful for the stable resident uniform, Blue quickly put it on, happy for the disguise and the cover that it provided.

With the uniform on, Blue found herself looking much less suspicious if she were to run into any other ponies in the stable.

Still not knowing what the numbers on the uniform meant, Blue thought about continuing on with her search for clues towards finding a way out.

As she put on the stable resident uniform, Blue found herself enjoying the warmth of the outfit and how comfortable it was on her body.

Noticing that the outfit had holes for her wings, she found herself wondering why that was the case, as she had yet to find more than one skeleton with similar wings.

Still not knowing what to make of the uniform and the mystery of its perfect fit, Blue turned her attention back towards her search for supplies, food, and information in order to help her find her way out of this strange and endless stable.

As Blue continued searching the room for food, supplies, or intel, she spotted something shiny on the hoof of one of the dead ponies.

Curious about what it might be, Blue approached the hoof and grabbed the shiny item, finding it to be some kind of device.

Looking at the device, she noticed that it had a strap attached to it, which she realized was originally attached to the dead pony's hoof. Curious about the function of the device, Blue decided to put it on her own hoof and tie the strap around it.

Curious to learn more about her pipbuck, Blue immediately began to mess with its features, trying to see what all it could do.

Noticing the various features of the pipbuck such as the radio, items, a map, and information about the user themselves, Blue was filled with a new kind of joy and excitement at discovering what else the pipbuck could do.

She felt as though she was learning something new and gaining knowledge that could help her in her adventures to find clues towards a way out of this mysterious and seemingly endless stable.

Feeling disappointed that the map feature of the pipbuck wasn't working, Blue tilted her head and tried to rationalize this, confused and curious at the same time.

Trying to make sense of what she was seeing on the map, Blue noticed the name of the place as 'Stable 375', which brought back memories of having seen the number on the uniform.

With the icon on the map showing a weird wheel with a pony hoof pushing it, Blue's curiosity was piqued and she became even more invested in trying to figure out what this place was and what it all meant.

Blue quickly wiped off the dust from the screen of the device, and saw the word 'user' on the screen.

Curiosity turning to confusion and joy, Blue read the word "immortal" on the device's screen and was immediately confused about what that would mean.

As the device said it was called a pipbuck, Blue wondered what else this device was capable of, and what it's purpose was.

Blue was filled with curiosity and a desire to explore this device to see what else she might discover, and what new knowledge she could find from it.

With the name of the stable coming up on the pipbuck and the strange icon on the map capturing her curiosity in a vise, Blue decided that it was time to move forward.

Leaving the dead ponies and their bones where they were, Blue headed towards the exit door to this strange room.

As she continued to explore the stable. Blue did her best to remind herself why she was here and the ultimate goal she was working towards: finding a way out.

As Blue prepared herself to enter the final room on this floor, she heard a strange squiting sound coming from inside.

Growing cautious, Blue went back to grab the canister she had left on the ground as a defense tool, as she felt it may come in handy with whatever was making the odd squiting sound.

Wishing for a moment that she had someone who could back her up in this situation, Blue took a deep breath and prepared herself to enter the room and investigate further into the mystery of the squiting sound.

Pushing open the 2nd final door on this floor, Blue found darkness ahead of her, which she wasn't sure what to expect from.

However, her curiosity was soon answered as she started to hear an unsettling sound approaching her, followed by a huge roach coming out from the darkness towards her.

Filled with shock and dread at the same time, Blue stood still for a moment, stunned by the sight of the roach before her.

With the large cockroach suddenly charging at her, Blue was shocked and unable to react properly.

In her surprise, she accidentally dropped the bars from her hooves, unaware of what she had just done.

Quickly shaking herself off, Blue readied the canister in her hooves, knowing that she couldn't allow herself to be afraid and had to defend herself.

As the roach advanced, followed by three more, Blue panicked, unprepared for so many of them.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Blue ducked out of the way of the first roach, which lunged for her with its teeth.

Not wasting any time, Blue quickly whacked the roach with the canister, sending it crashing into the wall and smashing it.

Happy to get her first hit in, Blue was surprised when one of the roaches came up behind and bit her hoof, causing it to ache and sending her wincing in pain from the sudden strike.

With one roach down, but another one having bitten her, Blue was struggling to hold back the pain from the bite.

With two roaches coming towards her, Blue knew she couldn't focus on the pain, and tried her best to hit the closest roach as it came for her.

Quickly striking the roach on its head with the canister, Blue knocked it out quickly and turned to prepare herself for the next onslaught her attackers were bringing.

As Blue knocked the roach out in a flash, then stomped again crushing it, she found herself with the upper hand in the fight, with the two other roaches advancing slowly towards her.

Knowing that she couldn't waste any time, Blue quickly readied herself for the other two roaches, aiming the canister with both hooves while trying to make sure to watch her back and sides as well.

Suddenly attacked by one of the roaches by surprise as it flew at her face and bit it, Blue quickly stumbled backwards in pain.

Quickly trying to regain her ground and not get too overwhelmed, Blue swung her weapon blindly in the air, and managed to hit the roach, smashing it apart.

Caught by surprise, her adrenaline rising in her, Blue took a breath after defeating the roach and prepared herself for the next that was advancing, her senses on high alert as she kept watch in all directions.

With her adrenaline sky rocketing in her, Blue waited for the next two roaches to make their move, prepared to defend herself with her weapon as best as she could.

As she stood there, waiting for the roach to attack, she could hear her heart pounding inside her chest and her breath coming in quick, shallow pants.

With this sudden rush of adrenaline, Blue did her best to be patient and wait for the roach to strike first, so she could try to be in a better position to defend herself while trying to protect her face and eyes.

As she waited for the roach to strike, Blue's pipbuck began to make some odd clicking sounds, confusing her and causing a moment of panic as she wondered what it meant.

Still trying to keep the roach in front of her, Blue suddenly found herself getting attacked from another angle, forcing her to duck out of the way, and accidentally pressing the trigger on her pipbuck.

As time suddenly slowed down, Blue saw the roach moving slowly towards her, and she used the opportunity to select one of her options that would allow her to better hit the roach flying at her, and hit it directly with a swing.

As time slowed down, Blue quickly assessed the situation, seeing a roach slowly sailing towards her.

Realizing that this was perfect timing, Blue used the chance to select one of her options that would help her hit the roach flying at her more accurately.

With a single swing, the roach suddenly found itself obliterated into chunks that slowly drifted down to the ground as the slow motion effects started to wear off.

As Blue came out of the time slow effect, she saw the obliterated roach drifting to the ground in front of her and was happy that her quick thinking had paid off in destroying the roach.

Seeing no more enemies in front of her, she took a moment to check her surroundings, hoping that there wasn't anything else nearby that could possibly catch her off guard.

Still feeling unsure that she was completely safe, Blue couldn't help but still be on edge and be vigilant, as she felt that there might be more surprises in store for her.

Entering the room and seeing an open locker with potential supplies inside, Blue was excited to see that there were some useful items waiting for her.

With a jacket, a box titled 10 mm ammo, and 2 boxes titled pistol ammo, along with two pistols inside and stun baton, Blue was in awe of her findings, and started to wonder why she felt such excitement.

Taking a moment to look at her canister, Blue saw the dent on it and realized that it was dented beyond repair, making her sad that this weapon that had helped her survive and destroy the roaches so far was broken and useless now.

Taking a moment to say her thanks in her heart to her damaged canister, Blue placed it down gently and turned to her two new found bags that were meant to wrap around her back.

Curious what these two new bags were full of, Blue couldn't help but feel excited about what she might discover inside, and eagerly inspected them more closely to see what they held.

Finding more pistol ammo in the bags, Blue could only imagine why they were here instead of being in the locker with their respective ammo.

Assuming that someone before her had tried and failed to snag some pistol ammo for themselves, Blue couldn't help but wonder if they were still around or whether they had made their escape already.

As she thought about the possibility that a past trespasser might still be around, Blue tried to continue keeping her guard up just in case she needed to defend herself again.

Looking up at her horn and noticing that it had finally lit up, Blue was filled with a sense of awe that she had managed to get this thing she had found to work.

As the jacket suddenly flew over to her, Blue couldn't help but laugh a little at the weirdness of the situation, as she had never seen a jacket fly before, much less to herself.

As the jacket settled gently on Blue's shoulders, it finally dawned on her that this jacket could come in handy when she needed the extra warmth or protection from the cold.

As the glowing thing on Blue's head refused to disappear, despite her attempts to not think about it, she had to try something else.

Realizing that this might be an extension of her new abilities with her horn, Blue focused mentally and tried to command her horn to stop glowing.

As her horn reluctantly turned off its glow, Blue realized that she had found yet another interesting way to use her horn, and had finally managed to turn off the strange glow.

Feeling happy that the jacket was keeping her warm, Blue took a moment to adjust the coat and make sure it felt comfortable inside.

As the jacket felt like a warm and cozy sheep coat on the inner layer, and the outer layer felt very soft, fluffy, and puffy, Blue suddenly felt more at ease in this jacket, feeling not only warmer but also happier from the comfort it offered her.

With the jacket settled on her body and feeling warm and cozy, Blue knew that this jacket could become a valuable asset to her, as it provided much needed warmth in the cold environment inside the stable.

Gathering the two pistols and a stun baton into the bag, Blue knew that she was now armed for what comes next. Feeling a little less anxious about facing the unknown.

Using her horn to close up the zippers on the bags, Blue was filled with a sense of satisfaction, realizing that she was really starting to catch on to the uses of her new horn.

Feeling proud of herself that she had succeeded in zipping up the bags and stopping her horn from glowing, Blue took a moment to look around and inspect the room to see if there was anything else left to discover.

After a quick look around, Blue couldn't see anything else left in the room to investigate, and decided to move on and explore further into the stable.

Leaving the room, Blue took a moment to say her thanks to the canister, a silent and small sign of her appreciation for what the canister had done for her, helping her fight off the roaches and protect herself.

A sense of thankfulness and wonder now filling her, Blue turned and started to move on to explore the establishment even further, wondering what new adventures and discoveries awaited her in the cold and endless confines of this stable.

As Blue went back for the Lunar Republic propaganda, she made the smart decision to put them into her bag, along with the bars and anything else useful to fill the bag up with supplies and ammunition.

Utilizing her horn and its ability to shine, Blue also zipped up the bag, making sure that everything was safely stored away.

Taking a moment to feel relieved that she had managed to save the supplies and fill up her bag, Blue couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as she was ready for whatever challenges and adventures might await her in future rooms.

With left being the only way being left, Blue felt both happy and anxious to find out what was awaiting her in that direction, but first took a moment to double check her right side to make sure she had cleared everything. Looking right over, Blue could still see the room on the left she had first awakened in and the collapsed hallway, so that was the only way to go.

Agreeing with herself that there was nowhere else to go but left, Blue turned her face towards the left once again, taking the first few steps in the left hallway.

Walking slowly down the dimly red lit hallway after passing the other collapsed rooms, Blue eventually came upon a door at the end of the hallway.

Taking a moment to hesitate before stepping inside, Blue wondered what was possibly waiting for her in this next area.

Gathering her courage, Blue finally stepped forward, took the handle of the door at the end of the hallway, and pushed it gently open to see what was inside

As Blue finally stepped through the doorway and into a more open area, the brightness and light was momentarily blinding until her eyes adjusted to the new environment.
Looking past the light and adjusting her eyes, Blue now saw the giant entrance she had been waiting to find, and felt a sense of anticipation and excitement about what she might find once she went through it.

Upon looking around in the new and open area, Blue's excitement and anticipation quickly turned to a sense of fear as she saw the horrifying scene before her.

Seeing dead ponies, what looked like fresh blood, and a lot of bullet casings all over the place, Blue knew this had not been caused by any sort of natural phenomenon or accident.

The sight of broken armor and ripped to shreds clothes further made Blue's fear worse, as it was clear to her that this was all the work of malicious perpetrators, and she was suddenly even more wary and anxious about whatever dangers still lurked in this unknown environment.

As Blue looked around the area more, she saw more bodies, which this time belonged to bird things, adding to the feeling of dread and anxiety she was feeling.

Realizing that she wasn't safe and that this new world she had just entered was even more dangerous than she originally thought, Blue tried to focus and to gather her thoughts as she tried to figure out exactly how she should proceed from here.

Looking around even more, Blue tried to determine whether there was anyone or anything else still lurking around, as she knew that it would be best to know what danger she was facing before making her next move.

As Blue looked around and tried to gather her thoughts, she suddenly noticed a new and interesting item in the area, something that might distract her from all the bodies and the smell of blood around her.

With her stomach telling her something, maybe that she wanted to vomit, Blue did just that, vomiting all the contents from her stomach onto the broken stone floor.

Even with the distraction of having vomited, Blue continued to look around and try to process everything that was around her, as this was a much more serious situation than she realized, and she needed to be on her guard and prepared for whatever might come next.

Walking over as carefully as she could in order to not get any blood on her hooves and to deal with the lingering effects of the vomit, Blue wiped her muzzle and spit out her remaining vomit, while feeling how the chill of the air was making her shiver.

Having dealt with the bodily fluids, Blue took a deep breath as she realized how the cold air was making her feel even more cold, but she kept going, determined to find answers about what had happened. Walking slowly but steadily, Blue pressed forward, despite the chills.

As Blue found the office of an overmare inside the stable, she took a moment to step in and have a look around. However, before she could find anything of real interest, she came across the corpse of a dead birdie, who had been trying to steal interesting items from the room.

Blue skimmed through the items and put all of them into her bag, including the radaways, the healing potions, fixer upper, and even a tiny figurine of Luna, which made her feel a strange and uncomfortable feeling inside her as if the figurine was speaking to her.

When the pipbuck alerted Blue to the names of the new items she had collected, Blue carefully read through them, noticing them being listed as radaway, healing potions, fixer upper, taint* as well as the *tiny figurine of Luna.

Having been notified of the names of these new items, Blue now had a better idea of what they were and the functions they might perform.

As Blue stared at the tiny figurine of Luna in her bag, she felt a sudden shiver and a feeling of discomfort, as if the figurine itself was somehow speaking to her or influencing her in some hidden and unknown way.

Unsure of what to make of these feelings, Blue's curiosity was only increased by her inability to figure out exactly what was going on with the figurine.

Feeling even more compelled to investigate and find answers, Blue continued to stare at the tiny figurine, pondering its effects and its potential significance.

Trying to shake off the strange feelings the tiny figurine was giving her, Blue decided to move forward once again, determined to figure out the answers she wanted.

Looking at her pipbuck to check the time, she was in for a surprising and unnerving surprise, as the pipbuck had revealed that she had been in this stable for an incredibly long time, five years to be exact.

At this point, Blue finally began to wonder why the pipbuck was referring to her as User: Immortal, which was completely unexpected.

As Blue was now questioning why she had been given this nickname, she turned to the pipbuck to see if there were any other information it could provide about her condition, as she desperately needed to find out what was going on.

Not finding any information of importance after searching the pipbuck, Blue felt frustrated and confused by the pipbuck's inability to reveal anything of importance about her condition or the situation that she found herself in.

Feeling even more uncertain, Blue couldn't get the strange and disturbing feeling about the tiny figurine of Luna out of her mind, as if it was somehow influencing her with its unknown power and effects.

Upon stepping outside of the stable entrance, Blue looked up to see the sky, only to be met by an incredibly frightening sight.

With nothing but darkness and black covering the whole sky, she felt her heart tighten with fear as she saw nothing but pitch black clouds, with the sun being completely covered and hidden from view. This strange phenomenon greatly frightened Blue and filled her with even more worry and anxiety as she realized this was not a normal  thing somehow, her gut feeling told her. Something was seriously wrong with this place. 

As Blue continued to look in fear at the sky covered in blackness, she noticed that the entire landscape was also just barren. Snow and ice covered everywhere as far as the eye could see, with mountains and snow covering the entire environment.

Feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the darkness, cold, and the strange and alien environment, Blue was filled with fear and a sense of uncertainty about what to expect next in this strange and dangerous place.
> Chapter 1: Welcome to Winter Peaks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Blue stopped to stare at the sky covered in clouds, she felt a sense of unease and anxiety wash over her. With the horizon obscured, she was unsure of which direction to go and how to get off the stable grounds and into the rest of the vast and seemingly endless frozen wasteland before her.
The dark grey and ominous clouds cast a foreboding and ominous shadow on the landscape, increasing Blue's dread and fear of what may be lurking within the mysterious and unknown regions ahead.

Stepping forward out from the shadows of the stable grounds and into the icy and desolate arctic wasteland, Blue found herself curious about the surroundings and what lay beneath the thick layer of snow.

Her curiosity was piqued as she noticed one of the corpses lying in the snow was holding a strange object in its hooves. Intrigued and with nothing else to do in this vast and seemingly endless wasteland, Blue decided to take a closer look and examine the mysterious object.

As Blue crossed over to the frozen body of the pony, her curiosity was piqued by the mysterious object it was gripping in its hooves. Examining it closely, she attempted to comprehend its functions and reasoning for being kept in this position. Despite her confusion, she was driven by her desire to unearth the mysteries of the present reality she had been thrust into and the answers of the past she had forgotten.

Blue reached out to remove the mysterious object from the hooves of the dead pony. However, to her surprise, the object was stuck in its grip, making removal difficult.
Feeling frustrated, Blue tugged on the object, noticing the skin of the dead pony being pulled in the attempt to release the object. Frustrated and unsure of how to free the object, she tried different attempts and techniques to remove it.

Unable to free the mysterious object from the hooves of the dead pony, Blue began to feel frustrated and overwhelmed.
The cold and harsh environment was taking its toll on her, the chill from her sweat dripping down her face and body and the freezing temperature causing her breath to become vapor in the air before her.
Feeling both frustrated and overwhelmed, Blue could feel a chill moving up her spine from the freezing temperatures. With her patience waning, she began to consider other ways to remove the stubborn object from the dead pony.

Angry and frustrated by her inability to remove the mysterious object, Blue pulled harder this time, finally managing to rip it loose from the hooves of the dead pony. However, the force of pulling the object away caused her to fall back to the ground, gasping and groaning.

Suddenly, as she opened her eyes, she was met by a frightening surprise. Multiple bodies lay frozen in the snow, including the corpse of the pony she had been attempting to free the object from.

Filled with panic and fear, Blue rose to her hooves and stumbled back, unsure of what to do next.

As Blue took a moment to slow her breathing and soothe her racing heart, she struggled to forget the look on the facial expression of the dead pony. With eyes faded and a frozen wound with blood spilled out, death was becoming a new reality for Blue in this frozen and harsh world.

Unsure of what lay ahead in this strange and mysterious world, Blue found herself filled with doubt and fear as she realized the consequences of death and how she did not want to end up like the victims around her. With a renewed sense of urgency, Blue continued her mission to find answers as she searched the bodies of the dead ponies.

Blue decided to examine the strange object she held in her hooves, Blue pressed some buttons and it suddenly released a sharp and unexpected sound. Taken aback by the noise, Blue quickly retreated and stopped touching the object, taken aback by its unexpected response.

Shortly after, a disembodied voice broke through the silence, filling Blue with curiosity and surprise. The voice sounded feminine and spoke out of the strange object.

"Sound off, this channel is for radio silence unless you have something important to report," came the voice as Blue tried to grasp the meaning of the strange and seemingly cryptic message.

Contemplating whether or not she should speak back to whoever was speaking to her through the mysterious object, Blue considered the consequences.

She also wondered how the object could even detect her words and respond to them.
With a sense of curiosity and confusion, but also a desire to find answers, Blue made the decision to speak and respond to the voice coming through the object.

"Hello? Is anyone receiving this message? Who is this?" Blue asked, unsure of the response she may receive.

With her senses feeling on alert and her nerves tense, Blue felt the need to check her surroundings, wanting to ensure her safety as she engaged in conversation with the unknown entity through this strange and unexpected object.

After taking a moment to check her environment and make sure that it was safe to continue, she returned her attention to the object and waited for a response. Her heart was beating fast and she felt filled with a sense of anticipation as she hoped to receive some answers to her many unanswered questions.

Trying to figure out how to properly use this strange device, Blue accidentally held the button as she became frustrated and shouted "Why isn't this thing even working?! I just want to understand!"
Surprised by her own outburst, Blue quickly released the button and tried to contain her emotions. With questions still unanswered, she hoped that the mysterious object would respond and she could finally receive the answers she had been seeking.

The hair-raising screech of nails across a chalkboard suddenly ceased, shattering the ominous silence like a sledgehammer. After an agonizingly long moment of stillness, a voice spoke out from the strange object in a velvety, feminine tone: "Sound off, who is this? How did you get onto this open channel?"

Blue paused, her hoof lingering over the button, heart pounding in her chest. Was she doing something bad? After taking a deep breath, she pressed the button again, forcing herself to keep going. "I'm Blue... I found this device... in the hooves of a dead pony..." Even as her words rang out, Blue felt like she was doing something wrong, and a sinking sense of panic rose up inside her.

Blue didn't let go of the button, still struggling with a sense of uncertainty. Looking around, she saw bodies strewn about, her eyes finally resting on a massive wheel. The number 375 was painted on it, "I am lost... there's lots of bodies here... there's a number on the wheel... the number is 375," she muttered into the device, trying to make sense of everything.

"Blue let go of the button, unsure of what to say next. The noise of the device suddenly stopped, and Blue found herself alone with her thoughts for the first time since she found this bizarre object. After a long moment of silence, a strange realization dawned upon her: This device was her only hope. With a trembling hoof, she waited for a response.

The mare's voice spoke through the device, causing Blue to jump. 'Sound off, did you just say a number? It sounds like you're referring to a stable. We're actually near that location. We will be coming to you, so please hang tight."

Blue stared at the device for a long moment, not sure if it really was useful or not. With a heavy sigh, she set it down, breathing out a plume of frosty breath in the cold air. 

Walking over to the stable entrance, she sat down, her eyes taking in the scenery around her. She felt like she wanted to lie there and do nothing, letting the wind blow through her hair as she simply watched the world pass her by.


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Blue opened her eyes to a sharp tap on her cheek, her heart leaping into her throat as she realized there was a rifle pointed directly at her face. With the wall behind her, she had nowhere to go, her knees trembling as cold drops of sweat trickled down her face. She swallowed hard, her eyes wide with fear as she waited for whatever horrors were about to ensue.

Blue strained her head to access her surroundings, despite the barrel pressed right up against her face. She managed to glimpse a nearby pony and three bird-like creatures, all dressed in gear that she was unfamiliar with. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to make sense of the situation she found herself in.

"You. Get the fuck up. Right now. Slow and steady. Don't try anything funny, you got that?" The mare barked through the device, her voice tinged with a sense of authority. Blue was instantly on edge, her heart racing as she slowly rose to her hoof, doing her best to stay calm and obey the order given to her.

Blue felt utterly confused. Why was she being forced to stand, with a weapon to her face, just seconds after awakening from a seemingly peaceful nap? She couldn't make any sense of the situation, her heart racing as she tried to stay calm in the face of this unexpected and overwhelming force.

Blue noted with interest that the mare appeared to be standing inside a metal structure that was shaped like a pony. She was confused, and with her heart still racing, she said meekly, "Excuse me, um, can we please calm down? I don't understand what's happening." The mare didn't lower the weapon, but said sternly, "Don't argue, you're coming with us."

Blue's heart pounded in her chest, leaving her feeling utterly frightened and confused. She didn't know what to do, as her wings were hidden beneath the jacket, but her horn was visible to all. Still, she had no choice, and as the situation grew more and more ominous, she complied, hoping to find some kind of explanation or reprieve. 

"Okay, okay, I'm going with you." Blue's voice was tinged with a panicked note of desperation. "Just... just don't hurt me, okay?" She said this with as much of a pleading tone as she could muster, hoping against hope that her sudden compliance and the soft pleading tone of her voice would be enough to spare her any harm.

The mare let out a sharp chuckle, the sound piercing Blue's ears like the crackle of a fire. "Good, you're not giving us any trouble. Makes things a lot easier. I've seen the ponies here, they were squadmates, lay dead, their power armor stripped from them and left to be forgotten... that's dishonorable. You'll be answering plenty of questions once we get back to the outpost." She turned to the gryphon beside her, saying, "Cuff her tight, make it strong."

"Make sure she doesn't do any funny business," the mare added, as the feminine-sounding gryphon nodded vigorously in reply. "Just in case, prepare a memory orb for our, um, unusually large unicorn here." Blue gasped as the gryphon removed a glowing orb from her bag and slowly brought it closer to Blue's horn. "Now use your magic or we'll shoot you and leave you to bleed out," the mare said, the tone of her voice making it clear that she was serious about the threat.

Blue's horn sprang to life with a flash of light, a look of growing fear crossing her face. As the world started to swirl around her, she could feel the bindings around her hooves tighten, as if someone was tugging the reins of control away from her. Before long, the last thing she remembered was the feeling of a hard, constrictive band being tightened around her hooves.


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Blue felt disoriented, out of her body and disconnected from her own self. Suddenly, she heard the voice of a male speaking from within her own mouth, a voice that did not seem to belong to her. "Princess Luna," the stallion inside her said. "Preparations are complete and the declaration of war is now upon us. All that's left for you to do, princess, is to establish several agencies that will help our war effort." Blue felt overwhelmed, confused, and utterly out of control, as her mind tried to reconcile the foreign thoughts and voices that she was hearing.

Blue could see the face of the other alicorn, this Princess Luna, and felt a surge of curiosity and confusion. Why did she feel so calm and grounded? Why did she know about this war that Blue had no idea existed? And why was she having these foreign thoughts and ideas, when just moments ago, she had been terrified and alone in a cold and dark landscape? As the questions swirled in her head, her memories of the strange orb came back.

Blue knew that the orb and this vision were linked somehow. With her growing curiosity and confusion, she tried to make sense of the situation she found herself in. How was she seeing this... Luna? And why did she know so much about this war and these agencies? And what did all of this mean for her and her current predicament? With so many questions in her head.

After a long silence, Luna finally replied. "I have the plans in place for six agencies that need to be established. I also happen to know the perfect ponies to run them, but I hope they won't turn down the call to Equestria. Our great homeland needs all the help it can get right now. I want to stress now that I am the princess of Equestria since my sister stepped down. I know running this war effort won't be easy, but with the help of these six ponies, we'll get through it." Luna let out a bright smile, her expression confident and determined.

The stallion responded, "Yes, your Highness. As your advisor, I will set up the meetings necessary for you to contact these six ponies." His tone was respectful and deferential, he quickly added, "Might I ask... who are these six ponies, your Highness?"

The stallion took in the information. "The six ponies who will run these agencies are the Element Bearers in Ponyville," Princess Luna said. "Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and... Pinkie Pie."

Blue watched in confusion as the stallion wrote down the information Luna had given him. He quickly jotted down a date and location, setting the meeting for one moon from now, while the sun was halfway in the sky. They would meet in the war room. Her head continued to tingle with curiosity, her mind racing with all the questions that had yet to be answered. This agency meeting seemed important, but for what reason? And how exactly would the Element Bearers help with the war effort?

Blue continued to watch as the stallion looked up at Princess Luna, his expression confident and resolute. "It's all done, your Highness. Don't feel bad about LittleHorn. The zebras are going to pay." Luna seemed lost in thought to Blue. 

Luna quickly replied, "Yes, 'LittleHorn' is a major loss for my beloved sister. We care deeply and grieve for her and her loss." Blue couldn't help but feel empathy for the situation.

Blue was a bit confused, as she didn't understand what 'LittleHorn' was supposed to mean. Why had Luna mentioned it, and in such a sad and concerned tone of voice? She felt more and more overwhelmed, as her mind tried to make sense of all the information that had been revealed to her. There was a connection between Luna, and LittleHorn.

Blue was taken aback by the stallion's words. Had she heard correctly? Did the zebra mentioned actually kill... small ponies? Her feelings of confusion continued to deepen, why did the thought of harm. Being done to these little fillies and colts stir so much emotion in her heart? Her confusion grew, as she realized there was some deeper link between Luna, and LittleHorn.

Blue was filled with overwhelming sadness, imagining innocent little ponies having been murdered. It was heartbreaking, and it hurt her deep inside. But before she could try to find out more, the world started spinning around her in a blur of color, Blue felt like she was stuck in a whirlpool. She didn't know how to stop the spinning sensation that left her head spinning and her heart racing. She tried to focus on what was actually happening, but all she could feel and see was this blur of color swirling around her. She began to feel dizzy and overwhelmed, her mind and heart struggling to keep up with the onslaught of strange emotions she was feeling. She felt as though she was on the verge of discovering something profound, but the spinning would not stop. It seemed there was a deeper meaning to this strange orb than she knew.





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Blue slowly came back to her senses, feeling disoriented and confused. She was surrounded by tents and small towers, the glow of wood fires casting a warm light in the cool night air. As she was trying to understand where she was, she heard a gruff voice nearby. "Ah, the abomination is awake at last," the stallion's muffled voice spoke. Blue looked around, her eyes widening and her heart racing as she slowly realized that she was cold. Her jacket was gone and her wings were splayed out at her side. She felt completely vulnerable and exposed, a feeling she hated and feared.

As the fog began to lift from her mind, Blue suddenly felt something on her horn. The grip was tight, as the male voice spoke with hostility, revealing the truth of her captivity. "That's a measure so you can't use your magic," he said. "We also tied up your wings so you won't fly away from us, you abomination." Blue's eyes widened, as she finally accepted her current situation. A new sense of fear and discomfort swept over her as she realized she was completely powerless and at the mercy of whoever had captured her.

"My friend here," the voice said, revealing Blue's captor's identity for the first time, "found you outside Stable 375, among the bodies of fallen squadmates." Blue felt a sharp stab of fear and anxiety as the stallion spoke, her thoughts racing with questions and confusion. "You better explain yourself," he said, his tone menacing and cruel. "If not," he continued, "we just clamp a magical ring around your neck that, if you disobey, we'll blow your head off." Blue couldn't help but feel a shiver of terror run through her body.

Blue quickly shouted, "I'll comply," in a more panicked voice than she would have liked. But she knew instinctually that showing any sort of hint of defiance would only make her situation worse. As the realization washed over her, she spoke again, this time in a quieter, more controlled tone. "I'll answer any question," she said, trying hard to keep her voice calm and steady, as her heart raced and her mind spun with confusion. She still didn't understand the events that had brought her to this moment.

She looked at the stallion in front of her, noting the strange metal shell that he seemed to be wearing in the shape of a stallion. This only served to make her even more confused and distraught, as she tried to make sense of the strange events that had brought her to this moment. Her breath became even more shaky as she tried to keep her emotions in check, hoping beyond all hope that the stallion would not sense her fear and vulnerability.

Blue took note of the metal shell around the stallion, realizing that this was the same metal shell the mare who gave her the strange orb had been wearing. This connection led to more questions, and her curiosity grew even stronger. Why had she been asked to touch the orb? What did this mysterious mare want from her? Why were there two sets of ponies wearing this shell?

Blue felt a sudden tap to her head, and looked up to see the stallion looking down on her, his expression frustrated yet stern. "Hey stop blanking," he said, his tone slightly ominous. "Answer the question I said to you." She tilted her head, looking up at him with wide eyes, "Question?"

His expression darkened, and he spoke in a harsh, aggressive tone. "One and only one more time or I beat you into the ground. Why were you around Stable 375?" Blue felt scared by his anger and growing hostility, and realized she had to tread very carefully.

Blue didn't have an answer that could satisfy the stallion, but she also feared for her safety. If this stallion was so intent on getting information out of her, what would he do once he got what he wanted? She tried to keep going, desperate to find some kind of escape. But he was fed up with her pauses, as he reared up his metal hoof and punched her in the face. Blue felt a searing pain, her cheek indented with the shape off his hoof. Tears filled her eyes, and she tried to curl up in fear and agony, waiting for it all to be over.

Blue tried to say something, her face feeling swollen and bruised due to the strike of the stallion's metal hoof. Her cheek stung, and when she tried to talk, her words came out in a garbled mess. As if he didn't have the patience to wait for her to speak. He slammed his hoof into the other side of her face, causing her entire face to rock and tumble back.

"Speak the fuck up abomination," the stallion yelled, his tone cruel and venomous.

Her voice muffled by the sound of her own blood which spattered his visor. She tried to plead and speak

Blue tried to speak, her words coming out in a garbled mess as she begged for mercy. "Please... I came from inside... I didn't hurt your people..." She cried and begged for mercy, a look of fear and anguish on her face. She was bruised and covered in blood, her face still hurting from the stallion's punches. The look in her eyes betrayed her desperation, as she hoped the stallion would stop beating her long enough for her to explain her side of the story.

Both sides of Blue's face were covered in bruises, her facial swelling even worse. Blood coated her teeth, as her entire face was covered in a bloody red hue. She laid on the ground and sobbed, spitting out blood and struggling to breathe. The stallion froze, his hoof raised to deliver another strike. He listened carefully to her words, his look of anger fading slightly. As silence fell, he slowly withdrew his raised hoof, taking in the sight with a new intensity.
"Tell me more," the stallion barked out, standing above her and studying the area in which she lay. Blue felt a pang of fear mixed with curiosity and apprehension as he stared down at the hoof print left on the ground beneath her. Snow and mud clung to it, along with her blood. She wanted to tell him that her memory of the events was somewhat foggy, but she didn't want to reveal that to him just yet. Instead, she decided to try to explain what she could.

Her words caught the stallion's attention, as he took in her bruised and bloodied face. He watched her struggle with her words, and her pleas for mercy with growing curiosity. "I woke up from a tube," she explained, "and I explored the abandoned Stable 375. It was mostly destroyed, bodies everywhere, I didn't kill any of them..." As Blue struggled to speak, the stallion could hear her choking on blood and crying uncontrollably. "That's the whole truth," she finally managed to speak, "I don't know who I am... please spare me."

Blue felt immense gratitude towards the mare who had just spared her life. As she said her thank you, a small smile spread across her face, despite the immense pain she was still in. The mare offered her a bottle, and Blue drank from it, feeling the pain and soreness begin to lessen as she took in the potion. "Not all of us are bad," the mare said, as she helped her to her hooves. Blue tried to stand, but was still unsteady, needing the mare's help to balance.

Blue turned to look at the mare, as she struggled to speak through the lingering soreness and swelling. "What did you give me?" she asked in a hoarse tone, her voice still somewhat distorted from the beating she had taken. The mare stared at her, appearing kind, and friendly, despite the grim circumstances they had just faced. "I gave you a healing potion," the mare explained, "it should help ease your pain and quicken your recovery. I believe in kindness and compassion, even towards those who may not deserve it. What is your name?"

Blue felt a flicker of hope in her heart, as the mare showed kindness and understanding towards her. While it still might not change the overall state of the world, it felt good to know that she wasn't completely alone, that there were some ponies who still remembered what it meant to show compassion towards others. The mare continued to stare, as Blue realized that she could still not fully see her expression, because of the metal shell and helmet she was wearing.

"I'm Blue, at least I think that's who I am," she replied, "but I'm so sorry for whatever I am?"

Flex spoke with a muffled voice that sounded like it was coming through something, similar to the stallion's. "I'm Flex," she explained, "I oversee this small encampment when Head Paladin Falcon is away on a squad mission." Her voice was a little intimidating, given their recent encounter with the stallion.

"Two more tips," Flex continued, "These alicorns are a threat, and should be eradicated. However you seem different, you got a mind of your own. Second tip, always second guess everything, no stranger is ever friendly." Blue took in this advice, nodding solemnly.

Blue felt a deep sense of relief at Flex's words, feeling the tension ease slightly. She looked towards the direction of Paladin Falcon's encampment, her curiosity piqued when Flex spoke about her innocence being the reason Blue was still alive. She didn't know what that meant, but it felt ominous, and her heart rate quickened at the thought. She took in everything that Flex had said, taking her words to be a warning for the dangerous world they lived in.

She nodded vigorously as Flex continued, "I'm going to escort you away, don't lag behind please, we don't want you in our camp, this was just to pry information." Blue was thankful that Flex hadn't tried to kill her on sight, and waited to be escorted away.

Blue walked alongside Flex, following closely as she was escorted away from their encampment. When she spoke up to ask about the orb Flex had forced her to touch with her horn, she was surprised by the mare's swift response. "It was a memory orb," Flex explained, "They serve as confessions or memories left by many who died long ago, the one we gave you was." She paused for a moment, before continuing, "Due to what others said, A memory of Luna's top royal advisor, she gave away information in the memory of her plan for the state of Equestria."

Blue listened intently to Flex's explanation, struggling a bit to understand everything. "What is Equestria, who is Luna, and what war? I'm afraid I have no memories at all," she said, hoping to receive more clarification on the world as it was before. Flex seemed to sense her confusion at all she had learned, as she provided more context. "The pre-war before everything went to shit," Flex began, "Luna oversaw the conflict and war effort of Equestria when she took over the throne, when her sister Celestia stepped down."

Blue listened carefully as Flex spoke about Luna setting out to gain help, and the six ponies she had reached out to. The realization that the ponies in their camp were the survivors of the "pre-war" that had nearly destroyed Equestria stunned Blue, as she tried to process the magnitude of the event.

"Megaspells rained down," Flex continued, "and killed most who stayed on the surface, some went underground into the stables." Blue looked up at the sky, sad that so many had died. She wondered what had happened to the ponies who lived underground.

"How did you find out about this?" Blue asked curiously, "How long ago did this happen?" The mare explained that she had learned about it from the books she and the others had been given as foals, and she had also used memory orbs to learn more. This surprised Blue, as she never expected for something like a memory orb to exist. Her curiosity was peaked, as she wondered what else these orbs might contain.

"I never looked into the memory orb I gave you," Flex added.

Blue realized that Flex had a horn which she had been hiding, due to the metal covering on it that blended it in with the metal armor. This made her wonder what other secrets were hidden underneath Flex's metal shell. She followed Flex attentively as she spoke, taking interest in everything the mare has to teach her about this changed and strange world they lived in.

Blue decided not to pry any further, since Flex had said that she didn't want to reveal her secrets.

"I'm flesh and blood under this," Flex said, "Just a regular pony like you, this armor protects me and allows me to protect others." This statement made Blue feel a little better, knowing that Flex was another living creature like herself.

Blue followed Flex as they walked, eventually arriving at a point where Flex decided to leave her on her own. "This is where I leave you," Flex said, "We left your weapons inside your saddle bag." Blue nodded in understanding, recognizing how fortunate she had been to have met someone nice like Flex. "So that's what you call this." Flex had called her a "innocent pony". Blue felt touched by Flex's words, and was thankful to have met her.

Blue's swelling went down, and she could finally see better, taking in the snowy surroundings. She then asked Flex, "What were those birds with you earlier?" Flex simply replied with, "I'm not telling you this. Its classified for an outsider." Flex walked past Blue and kept walking, leaving Blue alone to look around at the surroundings, spotting lights off in the distance. She then looked in her saddle bag and gasped, her jacket was inside of it. Without saying a word, Blue took her jacket and put it back on. She was no longer shivering in the cold.

Blue shuddered, her face covered in icicles, frozen bits of sweat, and blood. She felt a sense of urgency, not wanting to pass out and freeze to death in the cold. She shook her head as she continued, trying to force herself to stay calm. "This jacket is nice," Blue said, "but I need to find somewhere warm to fall asleep..." Her words came out in a soft whisper as she continued to tremble, her thoughts quickly turning dark as she realized how close she was to death. "I...don't want to die... I must survive," she thought to herself.

Blue shook off her panic and continued walking, going towards one of the places of light that were in the distance. She hoped to find shelter there, as she had realized that she would not survive the night if she stayed where she was. The cold gnawed at her bones, making it hard to walk and focus on anything other than survival. Her mind was filled with thoughts of heat and warmth, as she tried her best to make it to the light in the distance.

Blue felt a sense of relief when she had her jacket back, noticing immediately that it should've helped to shield her from the biting cold. However, she did notice that it was getting darker, and the wind was picking up. Snow began to swirl around her, making the lights in the distance obscure. Her tail and mane fluttered around, caught in the wind like a flag. She shook, her teeth chattering and her legs beginning to falter under the cold.

Blue had trouble hearing anything but the wind, as it roared loudly. It blew tiny specks of ice crystals in her face, making it even harder to see. Panic set in, as she continued to push forward, hoping desperately to find some shelter soon. Her limbs were starting to grow numb now, so she tried her best to speed up. She knew she couldn't survive out in the cold much longer, so she had to keep moving.

Blue felt relieved when she looked at her Pipbuck, seeing an icon for a shack just 25 feet in front of her. She hurried forward, her legs screaming at her to stop but she ignored the pain and continued rushing towards the safety of the shack. Snow built up on her jacket and ice formed on her legs, tail, and mane. She was exhausted and frozen, but she knew she had no other option but to keep pushing forward, hoping to make it to the shack without collapsing from exhaustion and cold.

"Please PLEASE! LET ME MAKE IT!" Blue screamed, her heart pounding in her throat. At that point, her body was starting to feel hot despite the cold, her face covered in snow and ice. Her legs began to falter, struggling to keep moving, but she forced herself forward despite the pain, wanting desperately to get to safety. She was determined to make it to the shack, despite how close she was to giving up and succumbing to the cold.

Blue saw the light coming from the shack, feeling joy at finally making it there, but her legs gave out, causing her to fall to the ground. Despite the cold and exhaustion, she continued to crawl forward, determined to survive. She was starting to feel sick from pushing her body to the limit, but she tried her best to focus on the light ahead of her, willing herself to keep moving, even when her body told her to stop. She had come this far already and was not willing to give up just yet.

Blue crawled toward the stairs of the shack, trying to lift herself up, but without strength, she couldn't manage to do much beyond crawl. When she got to the top, she saw that the door was locked, and panic set in. Her heart starting pounding even harder, as she had no more energy to spare. She weakly put her hoof onto her side, trying to catch her breath and regain some energy. The door was the only thing standing between her and safety, and Blue felt utterly helpless in this moment.

Blue leaned up against the door, trying to catch her breath. Her lungs felt on fire, and each breath brought her pain. She felt herself losing consciousness as her body continued to freeze, but she fought to stay awake. She couldn't risk losing consciousness now, or she might never wake up again. She tried to focus all of her remaining energy to stay awake and gain the strength to open the door, so that she wouldn't die out in the cold.

The door swung open before Blue could register what was happening, causing her to fall backwards and bonk her head. Still dazed and confused, she slowly looked up to see another weapon pointing at her, along with an unfamiliar face. The individual didn't seem to recognize her, and she tried her best to collect herself as she heard the individual call her a "raider".

"What... you?" The individual said, "Raider bad." Blue tried to respond, but her mind was still too foggy for her to form coherent thoughts. Instead, she just stared at the individual in confusion.

"No want raider! Raider steal, and kill yak family." Blue watched with growing concern as the individual in front of her seemed to be fixated on her being a "raider". The individual didn't seem to be understanding that Blue wasn't a raider and was just trying to survive the deadly cold. Blue tried to speak up in her defense, but she still felt too weak to speak clearly. She just continued to stare up at the individual, hoping that they would realize that she wasn't a raider and was only wanting to find shelter.

"F..friendly... please.. help." Blue slowly raised her hooves, trying to show that she meant no harm. She hoped that the gesture would be enough to convince the individual in front of her that she was friendly and that she just wanted to seek shelter from the deadly cold. Blue continued speaking in a weak voice, as her body was beginning to lose its remaining strength, but she forced herself to continue. "P..Please help..."

"P..Please.." Blue mumbled, her voice barely audible as she fought against her fatigue and exhaustion with every bit of endurance she could. Blue felt herself struggling not to succumb to the cold, her body beginning to slowly shut down as it tried to conserve energy. She didn't know how much longer she could go on for, feeling like she was at her limit.

Blue felt like she was struggling to keep her eyes open, her head feeling heavy and her vision getting blurry and faded. She attempted to open her mouth again, but she couldn't seem to gather the strength to speak any further. In a last desperate effort, Blue tried to reach toward the individual in front of her, her hands trembling and her hooves unable to maintain their strength for long. She felt herself slowly losing consciousness, as the cold finally took its toll on her body, but she held onto the faint glimmer of hope that the individual in front of her would help.

The individual in front of Blue spoke up, calling her a "stupid pony", but clarified that she was not a "raider". Yak then closed the door and dragged Blue inside, next to the fire. "What is stupid pony doing in blizzard," Yak asked angrily. Blue felt herself being pulled into the warmth, feeling a bit of relief but still exhausted. She was too tired to give a proper response to Yak's question. "Cold out... want shelter..." was the best she could manage in reply.

Yak looked at Blue in disbelief, annoyed at her response. She couldn't seem to comprehend why anyone would be outside, risking their lives in such a deadly cold. Yak grumbled to herself, calling Blue a "stupid pony" again, and then repeated herself. "If no raider, or other creature get pony, environment kill pony, stupid pony." Yak seemed convinced that Blue didn't know what she was doing, but she didn't bother replying to Yak. She was simply too tired and cold to continue this conversation.

Yak pulled Blue closer to the fire, wanting Blue to get warm. Blue's eyes were struggling to stay open, and she felt nauseous. She wanted to speak up, to say that she agreed with Yak about needing some strength, but her limbs felt too weak to say anything. "Pony will probably catch sickness..." Yak said as she pulled Blue towards the fire, Blue feeling too exhausted to disagree with her assessment at this point. She felt herself being tucked near the fire, trying to gain warmth as her eyes began to shut completely.

Blue fell unconscious near the fire, feeling her consciousness slipping away. She felt herself coughing and sneezing, a symptom of whatever illness Yak had mentioned. She was too tired and cold to do anything about it. Her body felt exhausted, her limbs struggling to keep themselves together, as her eyes closed. As they did, she could feel the warm fire nearby, but all she could think about in her exhausted state was the relief she felt as she slipped into unconsciousness.






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Blue awoke hours later, feeling a bit better, but to her horror, her nose was still stuffed up and she continued to cough. When she did, ice cubes came out along with her coughs, shocking Blue. "Pony knows now. Blizzard is twisted. Brings sickness. Pony will be encased in ice. Pony will shatter. Seen before... Happens to all infected. Takes 3 weeks though. Yak not sure if cure. Never seen one infected again." Blue was terrified, not wanting to die from being encased in ice, but unsure of what to do with this information.

Blue tried to get her bearings, realizing that she was in a place that had been melted due to the fire, likely thanks to Yak's intervention. Her muscles felt sore, as if she had just exercised for hours despite the cold. She felt scared and cold, her body still shivering, even though she was near the burning fire. She felt a sense of relief from the warmth, but also anxiety from being in such a scary situation. She felt her spine shiver with fear and the cold, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Yak suddenly spoke up, saying "Say something before Yak kicks you out, Yak not running charity." Blue looked up, feeling nervous at the thought of being kicked out. She didn't have the energy to even stand up right now, let alone leave. But she didn't want to get kicked out either. She tried to speak up, but her voice felt almost completely gone. "I... um... not a raider," was all she could manage, her breath raspy as she forced herself to talk.

"Yak knows stupid pony. All ponies dumb. Seriously makes Yak mad. Assist Yak with tasks. Yak will supply pony a place to stay for a couple hours. That all. What is pony name?" Blue felt a bit offended at Yak's words but decided not to say anything about it. She didn't want to push her luck or anger Yak at this point. "I.. am Blue. What is... Yak's name?" Blue asked, feeling out of breath as she spoke. "Can... help Yak." She hoped that helping Yak would ensure that she didn't get kicked out and left to freeze outside.

Blue's concern for her health escalated when she recalled the reassuring words of Winterflake. "If Pony worried about sickness, sickness happen in blizzard only," the yak had told her. Yet, Blue was unable to shake off the anxiety which was gnawing at her heart and mind.

Blue wanted to thank Winterflake for providing her with words of comfort, but she could only manage a raspy and painful whisper: "Water... mouth is dry...?" The sore and aching body of the mare alicorn was a stark reminder of the peril she had recently endured during the ferocious blizzard.

Winterflake scurried away to locate a container of water, and Blue found her mind briefly distracted and her mood improved by thoughts of the heroic feats she performed to save herself from the roaches in the stable. She felt some comfort in that and was reminded that even though she was just a stranger to Winterflake, she had helped her anyway. "Yak give Blue. You stranger but helping yak anyway," Winterflake said to her, and Blue felt touched by the gesture. "Blue may become maybe friend. Yes. Despite being stupid pony, pony is funny," Blue acknowledged, her mood lightened at least.

Grateful for the water, Blue gripped the container firmly to drink, despite her bodily aches and pains. She coughed a bit as she took sips, but she persevered and gulped down the water, feeling like the large chunk of ice inside her throat was slowly melting away.

Before Blue could even ask, Winterflake had already shown her thoughtfulness and consideration. She had provided Blue with warm water, rather than cold, because she was acutely aware of the symptoms of the dreaded Sickness, and that included a chunk of ice inside Blue's throat. Winterflake was also quick to mention that she had never come up with a name, perhaps indicating that she had always been content with her generic appellation.

A wave of gratitude swept over Blue as she sipped on the water. As she tried to absorb Winterflake's kindness, she felt a rush of emotions, feeling both shocked and relieved at being able to speak fully once again. "Thank you. I don't know what to do," Blue murmured, still struggling to put into words her thoughts and feelings in the moment.

Blue's uncertainty about her future was evident in her words. She had been told that she would succumb to the debilitating sickness in just a few weeks' time. Deep within her, she hoped that she would be able to discover something that could cure her in time, but the overwhelming sense of hopelessness was evident in the bleak tone of her voice.

Despite her gratitude, Blue was also wary, as Winterflake quickly asked her if she was up for some task. Blue knew that her situation was grave, but she wanted to help her kindly friend, and perhaps doing so would also help her uncover a cure for her illness as well. She wasn't sure what the task was, but she nodded in agreement regardless.

Blue was taken aback by the gravity and intensity of Winterflake's request, feeling her heart tighten at the thought of inflicting harm on another living being. "I've never killed anyone before..." she whispered, the shock of the proposal dawning on her. Despite her concerns and hesitations, however, the guilt and outrage at the injustice done to her friend's family also made her determined to help. "But for you...I'll do it," she stated, resolute to see justice done.

Blue's determination to help Winterflake and avenge her family gave way to another troubling thought. Despite her apprehensions and initial shock, she had felt a surge of adrenaline upon hearing the news about the death of Winterflake's family. More importantly, she had realized that she felt...good...about the prospect of killing bad people? This realization confused and disturbed her. Was she really deriving pleasure and enjoyment from the harm she was going to inflict?

Blue found herself questioning her own feelings and motives, her mind swirling with confusion and worry. "What's happening to me...?" she wondered inwardly, feeling the anxiety and angst rise within her as she contemplated the dark turn that her mind and psyche were apparently taking. She knew that the situation was dire, but was it normal for someone to feel this way when thinking about hurting and killing others?

Winterflake noticed the strange and unsettling expression on Blue's face, and Blue's mind felt like it was in turmoil. It was evident that Blue was struggling with the prospect of hurting another sentient being, especially the idea of enjoying it, and Winterflake felt a stab of concern. Yet, despite Blue's ambivalence, she finally nodded in agreement, and Blue's voice carried a touch of odd excitement and even...pleasure? "I will help...if it's bad people. Mmph." Blue finally murmured, causing even Winterflake to feel somewhat spooked by her reaction.

"Taking one last glance at Winterflake's humble abode, Blue was suddenly filled with unexpected longing and a strange but comforting sense of nostalgia. She wondered why she knew about such things - what was a fireplace anyway? Why had she recognized a bed, and why did she think that the sheets and pillow on top looked strangely itchy?

As Winterflake led the way outside, Blue followed her, the mysterious box the yak had mentioned catching her attention as well. The thought crossed Blue's mind to linger just a few moments longer, but she had to help Winterflake. With a reluctant nod, the mare alicorn followed Winterflake into frozen tundra.





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Outside, Blue was greeted with a strange sight - it appeared to be some sort of warehouse, where a group of burly-looking ponies and griffons were gathered. They all seemed to be busily preparing something, and the air was filled with an odd tension and anticipation. Winterflake, however, said nothing and simply led the way towards her friends, seemingly unperturbed by the strange sight.

Blue wondered what they were going to do, but she quickly followed Winterflake as the yak seemed determined to go forward. Where were they headed, and more importantly, what were they up to?

As Blue and Winterflake approached the group of ponies and griffons, she took the time to quickly observe the situation. The strange tension in the air had intensified, and Blue felt herself growing increasingly more anxious. She glanced at Winterflake, trying to gauge the yak's thoughts and feelings, but Winterflake remained silent and inscrutable.

Uncertain and worried, Blue nevertheless followed Winterflake into what looked like a sea of ponies and griffons, trying to make sense of what was about to happen.

Blue found herself walking alongside Winterflake into the midst of the group of ponies and griffons that had gathered. However, they all seemed to have a singular mission in mind because they had been intently preparing for something - sharpening their blades and making sure they had enough arrows. The grim expressions on all of their faces made Blue's ears prick up at every little sound, and she found herself becoming more nervous with each passing moment.

Blue tried to make sense of what was happening around her as she followed Winterflake, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

As the group of ponies and griffons prepared for something, Blue couldn't help but grow more worried. They all seemed to be focused on a common goal, sharpening their blades and making sure they had enough arrows. Blue's ears were on constant alert, her heart pounding wildly at her chest as she tried to understand what was going on, and what she had unknowingly walked into.

Winterflake still remained silent as they continued into the throng of ponies and griffons, and Blue was unsure whether to feel reassured or even more terrified by her yak friend.

Blue felt her stomach churn as she observed the group of ponies and griffons gathering in the warehouse. Their grim expressions and prepared weapons left little doubt as to what they were planning to do. Blue turned to Winterflake, desperate to know what was going on, but the yak remained silent and inscrutable. Blue's heart was pounding wildly at her chest, and she felt so afraid that she could barely speak.

"W-Winterflake...w-what...what's happening?" Blue finally managed to say as she looked at the yak with wide, fearful eyes.

"Winterflake...please...what is...happening?" Blue whispered nervously, feeling the icy tendrils of fear spreading through her whole body. The group of ponies and griffons still remained focused on their weapons and their mission, ignoring Blue and Winterflake as they stood in the midst of them. Blue tried to compose herself, but she seemed incapable of doing so in the face of the terrifying situation she had walked into. Her heart was pounding wildly at her chest, and she felt the onset of panic rising within her. "Please tell me..."

Blue stood in the midst of the group of ponies and griffons and continued to stare at them, her eyes begging Winterflake for answers. She was terrified and confused and didn't understand what was going on or why? Why were they all gathered here in the warehouse, armed and ready to fight something? What was their mission? Her heart continued to pound wildly in her chest, and she felt the onset of a full-blown panic attack.

Blue found herself surrounded by the group of ponies and griffons, all of whom were armed and ready for a fight. She desperately begged Winterflake for answers, but the yak seemed to have a singular focus. Unable to contain her curiosity or her mounting anxiety any longer, Blue finally asked the question that she had been dreading to voice: "Why are you all here...what are you going to do?" As the words left her mouth, she felt the onset of a full-blown panic attack, her breathing becoming short and jagged and her eyes wide and unseeing.

Blue's words only seemed to prompt even more tense and determined looks from the group of ponies and griffons who remained focused on their weapons. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the tears filling her eyes, Blue tried to remain calm but failed miserably. Unable to hold back her panic, she turned to Winterflake once more, her voice pleading, "I...I don't understand what's...what's going on...what are...what are you all going to do?"

The group of ponies and griffons remained focused on their mission, their grim expressions showing no sign of pity or concern for Blue's plight. Seeing their reactions, Blue turned to Winterflake for the last time, her voice trembled with anxiety and fear. "Please, I don't understand what's happening! Why are you all here? What are you going to do?" As Blue begged for answers, she felt the onset of a full-blown panic attack, her breathing becoming short and ragged, her thoughts racing in her mind and her body trembling with fear.

"Winterflake put a palm over her mouth, stifling a cry. "Quiet! Listen," she whispered, pulling her towards the group of fighters. "They're working against slavers, raiders. Just like our people. They're the only ones brave enough to fight... to protect us. They're our friends." Winterflake took her hand and pulled her towards the group, whispering to stick close. "This entire tundra... these peaks... controlled by slavers, raiders. We must help our friends."

Blue waited outside the room Winterflake had just entered. She looked around the warehouse, taking in her surroundings. The place was huge, with tall ceilings and rows of shelves lined with destroyed boxes of all different sizes. The air was cold and still, and there was a faint smell of dust and oil. Blue couldn't see inside the room Winterflake had entered, but she could hear muffled voices coming from within. She had a feeling she was asking for a favor from her old friend, so she had to be patient.

She watched intently as the others tested their weapons, making sure everything was in working order. She took in their expressions, noting the concentration on their faces and the look of determination in their eyes. 

Bluemoon's attention was drawn to the weapons laid out in front of her. They looked oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't place exactly why. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to lose focus for a moment. When she could see clearly again, she found herself in a strange place - there was no warehouse, just a field with ponies running towards zebras. She watched in horror as gunfire rang out from both directions. Suddenly, she blinked, and everything was back to normal. It had all been a strange.

Blue had a feeling of dread, but at the same time, memories of something long past washed through her brain. Then, just as quickly as they came, the images began to fade from her mind. She looked up at the mare who was polishing the guns, and was surprised to find that they looked so familiar to her. However, she couldn't put her hoof on exactly why. "These guns... I don't really know anything about them," she muttered, "but they do resonate with me." A sense of unease filled her heart.

The mare glancing up from her work with a smile, "You enjoy guns, I take it?" She raised an eyebrow, looking at Blue with a bit of curiosity. The mare had been polishing the guns for some time now, and was just about done with the task that had been assigned to her. Having taken a moment to look up, she was suddenly struck by how familiar the mare's face looked to her. "Have we met before?" Blue asked, frowning in thought.

Blue felt her heart sink a bit at the mare's reply to her question, but the mare's next comment brought a faint smile to her face. "Nice to meet you, Polish." She extended her hoof toward the mare, offering a hoofshake. "I'm Blue. I don't really have a good reason for it... just the name that sticks." The mare's remark about the wasteland only served to dampen her spirits a bit more, as she couldn't help but think about the endless possibilities for danger outside. She felt her worries build as she stared at the guns.

"Hey, so my friend said you guys are fighting slavers and raiders out in the winter peaks, but I honestly have no idea what those things are." Blue pauses, realizing how silly her question might sound to Polish who is likely more informed than she am. "You know, I've never heard of any of those things before. Do you think you could enlighten me?" Blue adds

Polish turned back to Blue with a look of worry on her face. "You don't know what a slaver or raider is?" She asked, sounding troubled. "They're the ones causing all the problems out in the winter peaks... the ones we're trying to fight. Slavers are people who kidnap and sell other ponies... they're awful. Raiders are... I don't really know how to describe them, but they're not very nice ponies at all." She shuddered, remembering the things she had heard about the slavers and raiders.

"As a mechanic, I am tasked with maintaining our weaponry, ensuring they remain functional and ready for combat. However, I have never actually engaged in direct action against these slavers and raiders. Instead, I support our troops from afar by keeping their equipment in tip-top shape so they can effectively combat these foes and keep the innocent townsfolk safe from harm. While I may not personally be involved in the bloodshed, my contributions are just as indispensable to our defense."

Blue looked around, confused as Polish explained, "We travel all over Winter Peaks looking to assist people with raider and slaver problems. That's who I meant by 'townsfolk.'"

A light bulb went off for Blue as the bigger picture came into focus. Suddenly, the stakes were clear. This quest wasn't just about fighting bad guys and saving people. It was about a much bigger cause. They were working to create a brighter future for those affected by the ongoing conflict

As she listened to Polish describe their group's cause, a look of understanding flashed across her face, saying. "Ah, I see. Well, that's not actually a bad cause. I might assist you guys from time to time," She asked. "How long have you guys been a group doing this?' Blue's question hung in the air, awaiting an answer.

"We've been a group for several years now," Polish replies, "It started as just a few of us, but we've grown significantly in that time. We've gained a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with raiders and slavers, and we've helped countless folks who were under their yoke. We're glad to have you on board, Blue. I'm sure you'll be able to contribute a lot to our mission with your skills and knowledge."

"A whole seven of fighting against these people? I've never heard of a group so dedicated to protecting others. It's amazing what you've been doing."

Blue looked on, her face drawn and upset. "I actually don't know that much about fighting," She admitted. "I wish I could help you guys a lot more." Blue's words hung in the air, her sadness evident to all those present. All she wanted was to be of use to this noble cause, and here she was, stuck feeling like nothing more than a burden. If only she could contribute in a meaningful way, maybe then they would value her as much as she valued them.

"No worries! Even if you're new to fighting, you can still help us in many ways," Polish assured Blue. "Your willingness to learn and contribute is what's important. We can't do this alone. We've assisted countless townsfolk with problems related to raiders and slavers. It's tough work, but someone has to do it. And now that you're here, perhaps we won't be so overwhelmed with all the work."

"But I'm just one mare, what could I possibly do? The raiders and slavers are armed."

"You don't have to be a warrior to help a cause," Polish explained. "We could always use an extra set of hooves. You could assist with organization, report writing, and keeping track of supplies. Even our little group has gotten too big for one person to handle. You wouldn't believe all the work we have to do just on a routine basis. So, if you'd agree to help take on some of that workload, we'd be more than grateful."

"Thank you for assuring me, Polish," Blue replied with gratitude. "I know I'm new to this world, but I really want to help and make a difference. I want to assist the townsfolk and help you guys defeat the raiders and slavers."

"Wait, how new are you to the wasteland?" Polish asked, raising an eyebrow at Blue. She was clearly confused by Blue's lack of experience in this environment. Maybe Blue had been sheltered or never left the safety of her home but whatever the reason, it was evident she needed some guidance.

"Oh, my!" Polish exclaimed, stepping back in surprise as she saw the horn on Blue's head as well as her wings. She pointed her gun at Blue and yelled, "Don't come any closer, you freak!"

Blue seemed confused and a bit upset by Polish's reaction. She didn't know what she had done to make her so scared.
However, Polish was taken aback by Blue's strange appearance and she wasn't sure how to react. She had never seen an alicorn before and she was afraid of what the creature might do.

"W-wait, please hear me out!" Blue pleaded with Polish, who had now backed up a few more steps. She continued to hold her gun firmly at Blue, ready to shoot if the alicorn tried to move any closer.

Polish had heard rumors about alicorns and their ruthlessness. She remembered the stories of alicorns kidnapping and transforming unicorns into more of their kind, and she didn't want to become the subject of those stories.

"Please don't hurt me," Blue pleaded as she grew increasingly scared. Her wings unfurled and she was now shaking with fear. Polish continued to point her gun at Blue, unsure of what to do. She had never seen an alicorn before and she was unsure of how the creature would react.

She tried to stay calm and assess the situation. Blue was clearly not a threat, but Polish was still afraid of what the alicorn might do. She was struggling to decide what to do next.

"Polish, stop this nonsense!" Winterflake yelled. "Blue has done nothing wrong and she's not going to hurt you. Put the gun down and let her explain herself."

Polish was confused by Winterflake's sudden appearance. She was still afraid of Blue and she didn't know if the alicorn was going to attack. But she trusted her boss, so she slowly lowered her gun and stepped back.
Blue was still terrified and she was shaking with fear, but she was relieved to see that Winterflake had come to her aid.

As Blue felt perplexed, wondering what had caused her yak friend's usual manner of speaking to change, Blue posed a question to them. "What caused this sudden alteration in your speech, Winterflake?" Blue inquired, with confusion evident on her face."

"Ah, you see, I was simply testing your intelligence." Winterflake replied with a slight smirk.

"Anyway, I heard from our old friend that there's a raider settlement that took over a nearby abandoned facility. They're apparently using ponies in those disgusting pit fights they enjoy so much."

"We need to take the raider settlement out, and soon. It'll be dangerous, but we need to save any ponies who are being held captive."
Winterflake turned to Blue and added, "Can you come with us? It'll be risky, but your alicorn magic could come in hoof."

Winterflake's words had wounded Blue deeply. "You tested my intelligence? Am I stupid?" Blue's voice trembled with uncertainty, as she struggled to reconcile her self-perception with Winterflake's judgment of her intellect.

Winterflake chuckled, "Hah! I guess I misread you earlier. I thought for sure you were putting up a facade to trick people in this wasteland. But you're actually as innocent as you seem. Which is bad, because you can't afford to be caught off guard in a place like this." Blue's face lightened as Winterflake recognized her naivety, which was a welcome change after being grilled for being treated dumb. She was relieved that Winterflake had come around to her genuine nature.

Winterflake said, "Okay, we're running out of time. Let's get going. Blue, you do know how to shoot, right?"

In response to Winterflake's question, Blue nods. "No, I'm unfamiliar with handling a gun. But I'd prefer to avoid using it if possible. I'm not a fan of violence, and I don't want to become a killer like everyone else out here."

Winterflake seems slightly annoyed by Blue's answer. "Don't be a wimp. In this world, you either fight or you die. And I'm not about to let anything happen to my friends. So suck it up and grab your gun before we make our way to there. We don't have all nightfall." Blue nodded agreement and they set off, following Winterflake's lead.







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Winterflake and Blue as they approach the abandoned facility. Light was fading, casting a dark, ominous shadow over the area.
The doors to the facility stand wide open, inviting them to enter. The structure looks old and decrepit, with years of decay and neglect evident. Winterflake looks at Blue, her face set with determination.

"This is it," she says. "We need to be extra cautious when we enter. Keep your gun ready in case we run into any trouble."

Along with Winterflake and Blue, there were five other ponies accompanying them, including Polish. She shot a disgruntled look at Blue, clearly still upset that an alicorn like her was helping out. Winterflake didn't seem to notice, as she was focused on entering the old abandoned building safely.

The ponies made sure their guns were loaded and ready to fire as they approached the abandoned facility. Blue turned to Winterflake, "I'm not sure how to load my gun." Winterflake responded, "Let me see it."

Blue looked down at her gun, her eyes filling with uncertainty. "I don't think I can do it," she said as she looked up at Winterflake. Winterflake raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting her ability to load the pistol. Blue gulped nervously, her eyes darting around. She brought out the gun, looking at it nervously, her hoof trembling slightly.

Blue looked down at the gun with growing fascination, her eyes filling with awe as she took in its details. The number 1911 was stamped on the side of the pistol, and Blue was mesmerized by this piece of weaponry. She continued to gaze at it in a dazed, almost drooly state of wonder. Winterflake noticed Blue's expression and raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned. "What's gotten into her," she wondered to herself.

Blue was still caught up in her daze, staring at the gun with her glazed-over eyes. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Winterflake stood next to her, seeming impressed. "I knew you could do it Blue!" Winterflake praised her. Blue looked down at the gun and saw that she had somehow loaded it properly. She was confused and impressed at the same time. As she looked back at Winterflake, she saw her nod in approval. "Wait, how did I...?" Blue trailed off, still not believing what she had accomplished.

"Be careful, I've heard there are at least 8 to 10 raiders occupying this abandoned facility," Winterflake warned as she and the other ponies took cover behind the entrance. Suddenly, gunfire rang out, followed by the insane giggling of two Raiders who had emerged from the darkness. One of the stallions with them was hit, his head blown apart and blood showering the entrance wall. His skull fragments flew in every direction, one of them piercing the closest stallions eye, causing him to wince and run partially blind. Winterflake shouted, "Regroup!"

"Run run run! It makes it more fun!" the Raiders' mare shrieked with reckless laughter, her words echoing off the walls of the abandoned facility. She reveled in the chaos and violence, relishing in the pain and suffering of her victims. The Raiders continued their attack, firing away at the helpless ponies who were desperately trying to find cover. It was a bloodbath and the mare's mad laughter filled the air.

Blue jumped behind a large mound of dirt for cover, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned to see her companions hiding behind a broken-down machine. It looked somewhat familiar to her, but she didn't have time to think about it now. The sound of gunshots and screaming filled the air. Blue could hear the Raiders' hysterical laughter, mocking their prey as they continued their merciless attack. She was overwhelmed with fear and adrenaline, her breathing heavy as she tried to stay focused and find a way out of this situation.

Blue was terrified. She had seen the stallion die just a moment ago and she could not fathom how quickly life could be taken away. In that moment, she was almost paralyzed with fear. Yet, she knew she had no choice. She closed her eyes and fired blindly. And she heard a scream, and a gurgle, and the madness of the Raiders' attack was silenced. Blue trembled, both from fear and from the rush of adrenaline that flooded her body. She didn't dare to move, not wanting to see what was left of her enemy.

The gunfire started back up again, bringing Blue back to the reality of the situation. She heard the sound of gunshots coming from both near and far away. But, she didn't want to move, too afraid of what she might see. The gunfire was loud and chaotic, and she could not bear to watch what was happening. 

She kept her eyes closed, hoping it would block out the sounds of battle and the screams of her fellow ponies. Yet, the gunshots continued, ringing out over and over again, until eventually, there was silence. Blue waited, still too afraid to open her eyes.

Suddenly, Blue felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Winterflake next to her, blood covering her face and body. The look of rage in her eyes made Blue step back in alarm. "What the fuck was that, Blue? Why weren't you fighting?" Winterflake snarled, her voice filled with pure anger and frustration. Blue trembled, stunned by the sight of Winterflake and the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"I... I... I froze up." Blue was stumbling over her words, her voice small and weak in the face of Winterflake's anger. Winterflake kept staring, her eyes boring into Blue, like she couldn't believe what happened. Blue shrank away in fear, feeling guilty for her inaction. But, she couldn't find her voice, her throat closing up as she tried to explain what had happened. Winterflake continued to glare, her eyes like razors cutting into Blue.

Winterflake pushed Blue towards the facility, her angry face glaring at her, her voice filled with frustration. "There's more hiding in there. You go in and take care of it. I'll clean up the mess of the three who died. I don't care what you see, and you don't get to run away." Winterflake turned to the dead ponies as she started cleaning up the blood, her back towards Blue. Blue was still in shock from earlier, trying to process what had just happened. Feeling overwhelmed, she slowly made her way inside.

Winterflake paused, and looked up at Blue. She seemed a bit taken aback by the question. "Why are you cleaning it up?" she asked.

Winterflake didn't reply. She just yelled at Blue to "get moving" and pushed her forward forcefully. Blue jumped with a start and quickly went inside dropping her gun into her saddle bag and closing it. Just as Blue stepped inside, a warning shot echoed through the facility. She froze for a moment, and then continued walking deeper inside. She was nervous as she approached the unknown territory, and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest.

"Oi, don't fecking move another step," a hostile voice called out. Blue halted in her tracks and looked around, trying to see who it had come from. "Otherwise, we use ya for target practice. My pals would love to use ya for that."

Blue was shocked and a bit scared. She knew she was outnumbered, but she still didn't want to follow their orders. The voice seemed to come from one of the Raiders, but she couldn't see where they were. She tried to keep calm and make a plan.

Having heard that threatening voice, Blue knew she was in a bad situation. She tried to be logical and felt she could be useful, thinking that maybe they would need her in some way. She took a deep breath and spoke up, trying to sound confident.
"Listen," she said, her voice still shaky with fear, "I can help you." She hoped that her words would be enough to spare her life.

"Wurk? Tha's a laff." The mare bellowed with a wild, sickening laugh. "Get a load o' that horseshit asphalt," she said to the stallion, who still had his rifle pointed directly at Blue's eye. She seemed to delight in Blue's fear and helplessness, her eyes gleamed with excitement. Blue stood still, unable to figure out how she could possibly help these raiders. She just wanted to survive.

"She finks we are like slavers," the mare Raider sneered, clearly disgusted by the idea. "Hah! We're Raiders! You little shit, we got a shit for brains." Blue felt a rifle butt strike her eye, and she let out a cry as blood trickled down her face. "Awww, red's cute on that purdy face," the Raider mocked her, clearly delighted to have caused her pain and humiliation. Blue felt powerless and angry, but she tried to keep calm and play along as best as she could.

As Blue looked around desperately, she noticed that there was another Raider behind her, the one who had whacked her with the barrel of the rifle. She felt her heart rate increase, fearing the worst. Would this Raider be even more brutal than the ones she had encountered a moment ago? She tried to remain calm and think of a way out of this situation.

Blood began to pool from the wound on Blue's cheek. It was split open, the chill air making the hot crimson feel cold on her skin. The pain grew unbearable, her head feeling light. She felt the ground beneath her sway, her thoughts running wild with fear and confusion. She wanted to scream, to cry out for help, but she knew that would only attract more attention from the Raiders. She looked towards the mare Raider and hoped that she would take pity on her.

"Just listen," Blue said with a slight waver in her voice, despite the pain she was feeling. "I know how to survive in this wasteland and I'm not a weakling. I think your group could benefit from having someone like me around, just think of all the things I could teach you." The female Raider listened to Blue, her expression twisting. "Is that so?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

The mare Raider mocked Blue, her voice dripping with pleasure. She seemed to enjoy Blue's pain and suffering. The other mare grew impatient with her and said, "Stop playing with the prey and just kill her already."

The mare Raider shrugged. "Or send her out to the mines, we could use the extra labor," she said. She looked Blue up and down, as if judging whether she would be suitable for mining work. Blue held her breath, not sure what would happen next.

The stallion Raider didn't seem as amused by the idea of having Blue around. "You're no fun, Lil," he said as he scoffed at Lil, the female Raider. Lil ignored him and kept pointing her rifle at Blue, looking her up and down.

"How much work could you actually get out of this thing?" Lil asked, her eyes narrowing at Blue's size. "She's big for a unicorn" she observed. Blue felt like she was being appraised like a piece of livestock.

Despite her injured eye streaming blood, Blue stood before the Raiders, desperate to convince them of her worth. Ignoring the mocking taunts, she continued, "I know how to survive in this wasteland and I'm no weakling. I can hunt and forage for food, cook for the group, and I have knowledge of medicinal herbs." She hoped that her skills would be enough to sway them, and that they would accept her as a member of the Raider group.

Blue knew that she was lying, just so she could survive. Yet, she tried to think of any useful skills she might have that could appeal to the Raiders. After all, her life was at stake and if she was lucky, they wouldn't call her out for lying.

The Raiders looked at each other and began to laugh. "You're a riot," one of them said sarcastically. "You're so bad at lying. Nothing grows out here, there's no animals to hunt, and we don't need and cook." They continued to jeer at Blue and laugh at her failed attempt at gaining their favor. Blue couldn't hide her frustration and fear, feeling completely powerless as the Raiders taunted her. It seemed to be hopeless.

"Looks like the bloody Fangs are eating good tonight!" the Raider snickered, her laughter sounding insane. She looked at Blue, a look of malice on her face. Her eyes gleamed with excitement, as if she was looking forward to Blue's demise. The other Raiders laughed along, eager for the meal and entertainment they expected to receive. Blue tried to hold back her anger, knowing that it would only make things worse. She had to find a way out of this situation before it was too late.

"We didn't agree to the 'Bloody Fangs'," one of the stallions shouted angrily at the mare. The sudden outburst from the stallion took Blue by surprise. But, being the intelligent unicorn she was, she immediately realized that this tense atmosphere might be her chance to escape. The Raiders were bickering and distracted, and that was the perfect opportunity to flee from the danger. She waited for the right moment, and then she sprung into action.

"We never made you our leader Mary bloodthirsty," one of the Raiders corrected her. "You don't get to choose the name. We are The Vicious FangClan!" It seemed like the Raiders couldn't agree on their name or their leader. This confusion created the perfect opportunity for Blue to escape. The Raiders were too busy arguing amongst themselves to notice her. She had to move quickly before they caught on.

Lil laughed, clearly enjoying the fight this was starting to turn into. She seemed to delight in the chaos and turmoil, not caring about the outcome as long as it entertained her. She looked over at Blue and smirked, enjoying the sight of her fear and confusion. It seemed like Lil was the type of Pony who enjoyed seeing others suffer and was not someone Blue wanted to deal with, if possible. But, she couldn't risk angering the Raiders further.

Suddenly, Lil got very upset, realizing that Blue was trying to sneak away. She shouted "hey get back here bitch!" out of anger, trying to intimidate Blue into staying. The other Raiders looked over, surprised by Lil's sudden aggression. Lil stood there, glaring at Blue, waiting for her to obey. Blue stood her ground, trying to remain calm and composed despite her fear and desperation. She knew she couldn't afford to antagonize the violent raiders further.

With Lil's shouts ringing in her ears, Blue decided she had no choice but to run away. As she did so, she happened to spot a cage covered in cloth. She quickly walked up to the cage and worked on the lock, trying to figure out a way to get it open. After two hits with her baton, she managed to break the lock and managed to open the cage. Bullets flew past her and one hit her leg, causing her to scream in pain. Despite her injury, she forced the cage door open.

As the Raiders scrambled and yelled, Blue believed that maybe the people they had captured would be in the cage, and that she had freed them. She took a step away from the cage as a giant paw came out, shaking the ground and causing Blue to step back, feeling scared of what she may have released. She didn't know if this creature was friendly or dangerous, and she felt helpless in the face of this formidable opponent.

From inside the cage emerged a giant bear with blue fur and star-like patterns. It roared at the Raiders and spat out ice breath, sending the Raiders scrambling in fear. The Raiders panicked, began firing, and took aim at the bear. They were yelling "Take the fucking thing down! The stupid bitch let out our highly coveted Ursa minor!" They continued to fire, but the bear easily deflected their bullets and claws with thick hide. Blue's eyes widened as she witnessed the bloodshed. She didn't know whether to feel grateful or terrified.

As the bear attacked the Raiders, Blue stealthily snuck around, using her baton to break open the locks of the cages actually holding ponies and gryphons captive. Mary Bloodthirsty saw Blue and narrowed her eyes at her, however, she fled with the bear as it gave chase. Blue, on the other hand, continued her efforts, breaking free and helping the beaten up and broken ponies and gryphons. When she was done, she then guided them to the entrance, waving for Polish and Winterflake to come over as the gunfire faded into the distance.

"You managed but what the hell came out of there," Blue said, fidgeting from the pain in her leg and on her cheek. She then turned to Winterflake, saying, "I unlocked a cage, and that thing came out they called it a Ursa minor. Any chance you know what that is?"
Winterflake shook her head and replied "No, but you got the captives good job," she chuckled lightly. She continued, "despite you not assisting and getting my men killed... I don't know what I'm going to say to my old friend, knowing some of his friends are dead," Winterflake says, finishing her sentence about her old friend. She was worried about how her old friend would react to the death of his group members. Blue, however, was still focused on the Ursa minor. She was now wondering if it was safe to stay close to it. She turned her attention to Winterflake and asked "So, do you know if this Ursa minor is dangerous?"

Winterflake simply stated, "I don't have the faintest clue, looks like a giant bear. Never seen one like that before." Blue's sadness grew as she realized she would get no further information about the weird bear-like creature. She was now unsure what to do next with the unknown Ursa Minor.

Blue winced from the pain and asked Winterflake. "Do you happen to know where I can get any help for my wounded cheek?" Winterflake stated, "We have a pony who knows medicine that can help you, however." She paused, thinking of which requirement to disclose first. "You are going to need to pay in caps, only those that show the best performance on missions can get free treatment." She shrugged, "If you don't got the caps you are shit out of luck."

Blue was saddened by this as she considered her options. Then, she remembered something and suddenly took out a bottle. However, she had forgotten which one was the healing potion and which one was an unknown potion she had obtained. Unsure of what to do with this bottle, she drank it, despite knowing it could have negative effects. Immediately, Blue felt strange, almost as if something strange was taking over her body. She wasn't sure if the Potion would be beneficial or harmful to her situation, but she hoped for the best outcome.

"Whoa, what the hell?" Blue couldn't believe her eyes. She watched in amazement as the bullets fell out of the wounds in her leg and the holes closed up, healing themselves. She couldn't believe it! She felt amazing. The chills inside her body were gone, and she felt alive and fantastic. She couldn't believe her luck. After everything that had happened, she finally felt good and in control again. She felt like she wanted to take advantage of this newfound power. 

Winterflake and Polish both looked at Blue with curiosity. Winterflake was the first to speak up and ask, "Hey hey, you good, Blue?" Blue looked back at them calmly, as if everything was fine. She even coughed and laughed playfully, acting as if it was nothing and was just in "the afterglow of this potion I took." She pointed to the bottle with the title, "Taint," and Winterflake immediately responded by pulling Polish back. "Don't fucking get that near the Unicorn," she said in her aggressive tone.

"The locals told me the puddles are full of that Taint," Winterflake stated, "Clearly the unicorn I saw must not have been a local." She turned from facing Blue to facing Polish. Winterflake was now even more cautious, keeping Polish as close as she could. She was clearly on high alert.

Blue stared at Winterflake in thought as she responded. She seemed embarrassed and apologetic. With a sigh, she spoke again, "I'm sorry... I didn't know. I won't do this again." With a slight smile and hesitant tone, she followed up with her question, "Um... may I ask what the place was you visited?" Winterflake nodded in agreement to Blue's apology, while keeping her eyes glued on Polish. She now seemed slightly more relaxed, now that she knew that Blue was remorseful and willing to listen.

In response to Winterflake's question, Polish shook her head. However, she still glared at Blue, clearly unhappy with her actions. But, seeing as Winterflake was starting to relax now that Blue had slid the empty bottle of Taint into her saddle bag, Polish continued to stay still and listen. Clearly, she was still on edge about what Blue might do next. She had to trust her to not make any other mistakes, but she wasn't confident.

Winterflake answers Blue's question, stating, "Near splendid Valley, I didn't stay there though." She paused, as if to choose her next words carefully. She continued to speak, "The locals say that hellhounds, and well... Your own kind, the freaks of nature." She couldn't help but sound slightly judgmental, as she spoke the last words. It was clear she wasn't thrilled with the idea of Blue and her fellow Alicorns.

Blue closed her eyes, looking a bit sad as she responded. "I'm not like them..." she said, "at least I don't think, I don't have any memories, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to act." Winterflake paused, then looked at Blue. She wanted to respond, but Blue immediately cut her off, saying "It's fine, I understand, I might know what horrible things the other Alicorns did..." Blue paused, then ended her sentence with "... but I promise you, I won't ever do what they do."

As Winterflake went to apologize, Blue quickly cut her off. "We have something to do. The raiders said there's mines. We need to find them, and save whoever is down there." Blue was determined and didn't have time for apologies. Winterflake realized this and agreed to head into the mines with Blue. "Right, Polish, stay here with the others," she said, leaving no room for debate about that.






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After a few minutes of searching, Blue and Winterflake managed to find the entrance to the cave. As they approached the mouth of the cave, an awful stench greeted them. The warmth coming from the cave gave Blue a foreboding feeling. They both looked around warily as they entered the cave, trying to see if something lay in wait for them inside. Winterflake quickly, pulled out her gun, as she looked around the dark cave cautiously.

"Are you also nervous to an extent?" Blue asked, her tone worried. Winterflake simply responded, "Anything other than being on edge is weakness, Blue." She then instructed, "Make sure your pistol is out." Blue quickly moved to follow Winterflake's orders, removing her pistol from her saddle bag after opening it, can closes it again. Holding the pistol in her hoof. Blue was now fully alert and prepared for any danger that may arise as they ventured further into the dark and eerie cave.

The stench that Blue was familiar with from her stable had become even more intense. It was like death and dust, but now the cave was even warmer than the stable was. She could feel the heat on her face, causing it to sting a bit. However, she pressed on past the unpleasant scent and continued looking around the dark cave, her pistol still held in her hooves. She hoped that nothing would happen, but she was ready for anything as she proceeded with caution.

"Hey, do you know how to use that horn of yours?" Winterflake asked, turning to look at Blue, as they continued to move forward through the dark cave. She then gave Blue a suggestion, saying "If you know how to lift things, use that magic to wrap your gun and boom, your hoof will be free to use still."

"You seem to know a lot, Winterflake." Blue was impressed and a little surprised by her knowledge. She focused her magic, just like she did when she lifted the jacket towards her back in the stable, and saw the magical glow form around the gun. The sound of her horn magic echoed throughout the cave and deeper within. They both heard a screech, followed by more screeches, and the sound of hoofsteps was approaching closer. It was becoming more clear that danger was nearby. Blue had to be even more cautious now.

Blue and Winterflake both froze in their tracks, as they heard the screeches and hoofsteps approaching. Blue's horn cast a glow over the area, revealing some decaying, pale ponies, with patches of fur. They had longer bodies and their hooves looked like claws. Blue yelled, "Run!" She quickly backpedaled, with Winterflake right behind her. Winterflake began firing her gun, desperately trying to hold off the creatures that were quickly catching up.

They both continued running, until they soon reached the entrance of the cave. "Hurry!" Winterflake yelled, "Use your magic to push the loose rocks on the entrance and collapse it!" Blue quickly focused her horn, blasting out a blast of magic at the loose rocks near the entrance, causing them to come crumbling down and seal the entrance. They were now safely outside but they knew that the creatures were still just inside the sealed cave. They could do nothing but wait.

They both stood there, panting heavily, as they realized they had escaped the dangerous creatures for the moment. Winterflake turned to look at Blue, impressed but also a bit concerned. She realized Blue used magic that she didn't know she possessed. "I wanted you to use your levitation magic but that worked out too." Blue said, clearly a bit bewildered and confused. "I don't know... how or where that came from. It was just an instinct," she added, still trying to figure it out. Clearly, she was unaware of how powerful she can be.

Blue looked up and noticed that Winterflake had a claw mark on her rear. She immediately panicked, worried that Winterflake may have been injured. "Winterflake! Are you okay?" Blue asked, her tone a mix of panic and concern. Winterflake responded quickly, dismissing Bluemoon's worries. 

"No, I'll handle it. I got healing potions," she said, trying to ease Bluemoon's fears. She wasn't injured at all, the claw mark just left an ugly mark on her rear.

Blue looks on as Winterflake pulls out a healing potion from her bag and drinks it down, before throwing the empty bottle to the ground, breaking it against the rocks. As the wound heals, she sees the reaction from the creatures in the cave. The entrance to the cave rumbles, as she hears muffled screeching coming from inside. Bluemoon is relieved that Winterflake seems okay but she is also worried about what those creatures might do, if they escape the sealed cave. She knows they have to be cautious.

"What the hell were those things," Blue asked, confused and frightened. Winterflake tried to reassure her. "Unfortunately, I'm not as experienced as you think. I have no clue what those things are," she said. Winterflake had no idea what those creatures in the cave were, but she felt a bit relieved now that the cave was sealed. She hoped they would be safe outside, but she was more on edge now that she'd seen those monsters.

Blue turned away from the sealed cave and moved further away. She clearly didn't want to be in that area anymore. "I don't wanna be in this area anymore," she told Winterflake. "I think we should move on." She wondered what to do about the people they had saved. "Are they even able to move in their condition?" Blue didn't want to waste time trying to move them if they were too injured, so she waited for Winterflake's answer.

Winterflake calls out "Polish!" and she rushes over quickly. She asks, "You are back so soon? What'd you find down there?" Blue listened in from the side, waiting to find out what Winterflake was going to say next. She was curious to hear what they had discovered. She hoped nothing too dramatic would come of whatever it was they had found.

"Nothing," Winterflake says to Polish with an air of confidence. Blue watches closely and is curious as to why Winterflake is seemingly lying. She responds with "All the ponies down there are dead." Blue is a bit concerned but she trusts Winterflake, since they had been through so much together. They all decide that one of them should go and get their entire group and their doctor to come take a look at the ponies. Blue listens in, wondering who their doctor was, but she was intrigued and willing to go along with whatever they decided.

Winterflake says "I think we should make Blue do it, since she's new and needs to earn more favor." Blue looked slightly annoyed but tried to keep a calm head. "Polish come with me and help bring the ponies out of the cold and in the facility, we need to stay here for awhile." Winterflake then looked to Blue, waiting for her response. Blue had no choice but to agree. She needed to earn more favor with the group, and so she would have to do as Winterflake suggested.

"Well okay, I'll do that for you," Blue said quietly. She seemed slightly bothered but tried to keep her cool. "I'm sorry I didn't help in the fight." Blue's voice caught in her throat as she spoke. "I'm sorry I got them killed," she then said, her voice filled with guilt. Winterflake looked at Blue with some concern.

Winterflake and Polish looked at her with a mix of worry and resentment. "Look... I'm never going to trust you as much seeing what you are," Polish said to Blue. "I'll tolerate you and work with you, maybe I'll even join you when you need it." Blue felt like the group wouldn't fully accept her after this. She tried her best to stay calm and not let her emotions get the best of her. "Just know I am a bit sorry," Winterflake said, trying to be a bit comforting here.

"It's fine," Blue said with a calm tone. "I understand, Polish. I'm an alicorn." She then added, "Just let me do a bunch of good though and I'll change your mind of me." Blue seemed determined to do what she could to redeem herself and earn back the trust of the group.

"I'll start with bringing you the group and the doctor," Blue said, "It will take a while though." She then turned and started to leave, to go and find their group and their doctor.





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Blue returned to the group, after going to find their doctor. She was well on her way to meeting up with the group, having already found their doctor. She was now snacking on three of the bars she took from the stable and had possibly a whole month's worth of snacks in her saddle bag if she didn't share it with anyone else. It seemed like she was taking responsibility and doing what she could to help, despite the polish's earlier reaction to her.

"Hey, I was told you were the doctor?" Blue asked with a calm tone. She was now wearing her jacket tightly around her. She seemed mildly nervous as two guards watched the doctor work, but tried to keep her cool. "Hey, dumbass," one of them said aggressively to her. "Doctor Biopsy is busy, she's tending to the wounded from the previous attack we dealt to the slavers out near the ruins of the crystal empire. Either say something important. Or move the fuck along."

"Ah.. um.. this.. uh is very important," Blue said quietly. She couldn't quite find the strength or confidence to speak loudly in front of the guard, who now began yelling at her. "Speak the fuck up, yes or no," the guard shouted, clearly frustrated at Blue's quietness. Blue felt even more anxious and stressed, as the guards continued yelling at her. "Yes or no? It's not that hard." He repeated.

"Yes," Blue answered forcefully. This seemed to appease the guards, who stopped yelling. She had now calmed down slightly, after taking some deep breaths. She seemed happy that the guards weren't yelling at her anymore. It was a big relief for her.

"Good, guess you ain't so dumb," The guard said, no longer yelling at Blue. "No funny business here" he added. "If ya try anything," he continued, "you gettin a bullet between ya eyes and left to be a practice body fer the ol doc ta work on." Blue was relieved that the guard seemed to be calming down and that he was now willing to listen to what she had to say. She didn't intend to make any trouble and wanted to stay away from any more conflict.

As Blue entered the building, she felt relieved that the guard had finally let her through. As she looked around, she noticed the doctor seemingly removing pieces of metal from another pony's body. "Damnit... there's more bomb shrapnel here than flesh," Biopsy said sounding exhausted. Blue kept her distance, trying to not interfere with the doctor's work. She wanted to help as much as she could but she also wanted to respect their profession and keep out of the way as much as possible.

Blue continued to watch the doctor work, intrigued by her skill and dedication. However, she couldn't help but notice how exhausted and stressed the mare seemed to be. After a few moments, she saw the doctor take a flask from inside her coat pocket and begin to drink it. Blue watched with curiosity, wondering what was in the flask and whether it was helping the doctor stay focused and in good spirits during such a strenuous task.

"A lost cause... there's nothing more I can do," Biopsy said, wiping the sweat from her brow. She was startled when she saw Blue looking at her, and shouted "What do you want?!" Blue got a better look at the doctor, who appeared terrible and exhausted. Her eyes were sunken in, she was pale and sweaty, and her mane was a mess. This was surprising to Blue, who had not expected the doctor to look this way.
"Don't be afraid," Blue then said gently.

"I came here to take care of business set by Winterflake," Blue explained to Biopsy, "She and Polish are just five hours from here... They are in dire need of our help." Blue went on to explain that there was a group of ponies who were in rough shape, unable to make the trip. She felt compelled to help them in any way she could.
Biopsy's ears perked up at the news that a group of ponies needed help and that Winterflake and Polish were nearby. She suddenly seemed more alert and eager to help.

Biopsy responded "I'll help." She then informed Blue that they had a working wagon, which they had enchanted with a talisman to make it move on its own, which would cut the trip down to only 3 hours. However, due to the amount of equipment and supplies that they would need, they would only be able to fit 5 ponies on the wagon, and she suggested they take 2 to make it 4. She then added that multiple trips would be needed due to the amount of hurt people they would need to transport.

"What's a talisman?" Blue asked the mare, curious to learn more. "What you raised in a stable?" Before Blue could answer, she was cut off by Biopsy, who seemed annoyed by the waste of time. "I can see your Pipbuck," Biopsy said sharply. "Fine, I'll explain." She then added, "However, I expect you to trade a favor since you are wasting valuable time." Blue wasn't expecting this response, but she wanted to learn more. So she decided to accept Biopsy's terms.

"Well, since I'm helping out anyway, I'll assist you, too."

Biopsy rolled her eyes and continued, "A talisman is a gemstone and it can do many different things. The one we have happens to make the wagon move quickly and on its own. This has been very helpful in moving supplies from one place to another. 
Unfortunately, we have been ambushed on a few occasions, but we mostly managed to make it out unscathed."

Biopsy pointed to a machine and said, "Well, we have to get a move on. Stop standing around and come help me with this." She took another sip from her flask and then pocketed the flask. She added, "We are going to take a while doing this. Hope you are strong." Blue could tell by the way Biopsy spoke that she was a pony who wanted to get things done quickly and efficiently, even if it meant working hard. This was something Blue admired and respected about the mare.






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It had taken both Blue and Biopsy a long time to complete the task, but they had finally finished. The both of them were tired, and Biopsy said that she was going to take a nap. "Okay, it will take three hours," she said, "I'm going to catch some well-needed shut eye... I haven't slept in 37 hours." One of the guards would drive the wagon, and Blue was told to keep an eye out. Biopsy then went to the back of the wagon and promptly fell asleep.

Blue looked around, taking in her surroundings. She noticed the snow falling gently, but it didn't seem like there was a blizzard outside. She saw lights throughout and tents littered the area. The building she had emerged from with Biopsy was giant. Blue felt overwhelmed at the size of this world. "This world is so big," she thought to herself, feeling a bit scared and awed at the same time. Her heart rate began to accelerate slightly as she tried to process everything that was happening so quickly.

"I feel so small..." Blue continued with a sigh. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and inferior in this large, strange world. Her heart rate kept increasing, as she felt like she was having a full blown existential crisis. She felt helpless and lost, like she was just a tiny pony in a big and scary world.

Blue quickly moved into the wagon, and a mare sat next to her. She had icy silver mane, her eye was scarred, and she wore what looked like worn thick hide. The mare asked Blue with a grin, "Why you staring? Like what you see?" Blue immediately looked away, not wanting to be caught staring at the stranger. She felt relieved to have something else to occupy her thoughts, and decided to concentrate on looking out into the dark night ahead.

"Hey," the mare continued, "I know I'm good looking and have stories, but I don't bite." She then asked Blue's name. "What's yours stranger?" Blue responded back, "I'm... Blue, that's all I know about myself." That's all she could answer for now, since that indeed was all she really knew about herself. She felt like a stranger in this new and unknown world, hoping that she could find out more about herself and her past through her adventure.

Lumi looked at Blue with a grin. "Ah, I'm Lumi," she said. Then she added in a soft voice, "Ask away, we have time." As the wagon began to move, Blue was startled and slightly off balance. She slipped forward a bit into the mare and said "Oh I'm sorry!" To which Lumi simply replied, "First time riding in a wagon, huh?" Lumi seemed slightly amused by how interesting and cute Blue was, and was eager to know more about her.

The wagon continued to move as Blue corrected herself and went back to her seat, feeling more nervous than before. "I'm so sorry," she said honestly. "Yes, it's my first time," she added. She shared her feelings of feeling small, and how it was overwhelming for her, due to the size of this new world she found herself a part of. However, despite that, she was still willing to help as much as she could, and to do her best.

The wagon continued to move, as the two ponies engaged in a conversation. Lumi then said, "Ah, I wouldn't worry all too much." She shared her advice to Blue, "Just go with the flow, and everything will work out." She said that this was how she views the world, and offered to tell Blue some stories instead. "I know there's no stories you can currently tell me," Lumi mentioned, "But I'm open to tell you some since you seem eager."

Blue was embarrassed to learn how easy to read her emotions are, and felt a bit shy. "Well, um how'd you come to be a part of this group?" She was curious to hear Lumi's story, and how she ended up joining this group. Perhaps it would be something she could relate to, and find comfort in knowing that she wasn't alone in this new and strange world.

"Ah, the heavy hitting questions first," Lumi sighed. She then explained her tragic past in detail, "I was sold by my parents to slavers. I spent years working myself to near death everyday, I was hardly fed... I had to please many, many people." Lumi had experienced true horror, abuse, and misfortune in her past, and the effects of it still lingered. Yet, she had found hope and redemption through the group of ponies she now called friends. Blue felt inspired by Lumi's strength and determination to push forward despite her past experiences.

The conversation between Blue and Lumi continued, as Lumi shared more and more information about her past. Blue could see that Lumi was a survivor, yet she didn't seem too sad or broken by her previous traumas. She seemed content, or determined, like she was never going to let those experiences define who she was. She expressed a sense of gratitude and loyalty to the group that helped her out, even if she felt like she would never be able to fully repay their kindness.

"I'll never get my eye back, or the horn they chiseled," Lumi shared, "but I won't let those disabilities stop me from working as hard as anyone else." She was determined to overcome her physical limitations, and to stay strong despite them. She wasn't going to let her past define who she was now, and was proud of her hard work and dedication. Even if it meant she had to work a little bit harder than other ponies sometimes, she considered it a small sacrifice to make in order to survive and prosper.

Blue was touched by Lumi's tragic story, and could feel her heart aching for her. "I... I didn't know," she said. She felt overwhelmed by the cruelty of some ponies, and didn't understand why they would be so terrible to others.

"It's fine!" Lumi laughed, trying to reassure Blue. "I'm just getting back at these monsters, and saving others in the process." She was determined to stay positive and move forward, despite the hardships she'd faced. She wanted to make a better future for herself.

Lumi's expression got serious as she turned to look at Blue, her eye piercing. "Blue, you'll get used to the wasteland," she warned her. "It will warp you, and change you." She continued, "It's up to you to figure out which way your path molds, I would hate to see someone who appears innocent twisted and choosing the wrong path." Lumi spoke from experience, and was concerned about Blue's future. She didn't want to see another innocent pony go down a dark path and become corrupted.

"I will do my best to not let that happen to me, Lumi," Blue promised her. "I promise you, Winterflake, and the group that I am helping."

"Don't just promise," Lumi replied with a soft smile. "Do 110 percent. Always."

Lumi was clearly a survivor, even after all her struggles and suffering. She had maintained her kindness, despite it all, and was proud of her ability to stay generous and thoughtful towards others.

Blue noticed Lumi's armor and asked, "What's with your warn armor?" Lumi replied, "This was a gift from the head of this group. He gave it to me when I joined their guards." She explained that she had been through a lot of battles while using it, and had taken many beatings while on missions for the group. Lumi also told Blue about her tragic mission to the ruins of the Crystal Empire. Despite the loss, she still remained hopeful and smiled back at Blue, as a sign of her strength and resiliency.

Lumi pointed to the hundreds of markings on her armor. "Every mark on this armor is from me," she told Blue with a soft smile. She explained how it was a way to remember all the ponies the group had lost, as they had gone through tough times during the last 7 years. "It's been a tough 7 years," Lumi confessed, "but we are still kicking, we aren't however as big as we used to be." Lumi was determined to continue fighting, and stay a resilient force in this world despite her hardships.

The stallion who was steering the wagon asked Blue, "Hey where do we go from here?" Blue walked up to the front of the wagon and looked at her PipBuck. "We go about straight for another hour, and then turn left and keep going for 2 more," she replied. The stallion thanked Blue for her guidance, and continued his task of driving the wagon. They were quickly approaching their destination, and Blue's knowledge was invaluable for making sure they got there smoothly and safely.

"Hey, I never had one of those fancy pipbucks before," Lumi said, "or had one in general. How do these things work?"

Blue couldn't help but feel a little impressed by the amount of features and capabilities of the pipbuck. She looked at it and was excited to see the different options that it offered her, but still was a bit confused by its functionality.

"Well, I'm not completely sure," she said, before messing around with the different tabs on the screen.

"I looked through this thing before," Blue continued and explained, "but I only mainly paid attention to its map tab. It's been a great help before, but I guess It wouldn't hurt to check the other settings." Blue then moved over to the radio tab that was displayed on the screen, and pressed on a buttons managing to enable the station. That was labeled "Everest Towers radio." This brought attention to a new voice, who Blue had never heard before.

The voice of a nasty sounding person came through the speaker of the pipbuck. "Welcome to Everest Towers radio, where we broadcast daily to the wasteland of Equestria," they introduced themselves in a smug tone. "We got news, music, and more to help inform and entertain you!" Blue wondered if they had something interesting to share, since the station seemed to have been getting good reception in the area. She couldn't help but feel a little impressed by the quality of the broadcast, and she felt curious to hear more.

"Listeners far and wide," the voice on the radio continued, its tone raspy and gritty. "I have some great news for you today."
Blue and Lumi both paid attention, curious to hear the news that the voice on the radio had to share.

"There's been activity from the caretakers," the voice announced, "they managed to take out a notorious band of raiders under the leadership of Mary bloodthirsty."

Blue lets out a sigh of relief, impressed by the caretakers' work in keeping the winter peaks safe for everyone. Blue felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the caretakers' efforts to fight back against the raiders, and make the winter peaks safer for everyone. The news on the radio had been good news, and it was clear that the caretakers were working hard to make Winter Peaks a better place.

They both continued listening to the radio, interested to hear what else the announcer had to say. 

Lumi remarked, "Seems we have been getting good recognition and talked about. Here, I thought no one batted an eye at the things we did."

Blue turned to her and said, "Huh?" Lumi then replied, "I'll group, we're the caretakers. Has no one told you our name yet?"

Blue was a bit embarrassed to have not known this, but wasn't too surprised. There was still a lot to learn about Equestria and all the groups and factions making up the nation.

Lumi chuckled, "Well, not surprised. Leave it up to these people. We're the caretakers, we happen to..."

She stopped and sighed, "You already know that, that's our name."

Blue nodded, and they both continued to listen in to the radio broadcast. They were both wondering what other news and information the announcer would have for them.

"A bit of trouble listeners," the announcer continued, "it seems that there's been alicorns spotted near winter peaks recently. No further news on why, just keep an eye out listeners, you never know if there's one hiding among you."

Lumi and Blue both perked up at the mention of alicorns, a group of ponies known for their exceptional magic and power. They both had not heard of any alicorns being near winter peaks, although it could be possible. They continued listening intently to the radio broadcast.

The mention of alicorns made Blue feel a bit uneasy. On one hoof, her own alicorn magic was something she was still coming to terms with. On the other hoof, she knew that rumors and hearsay had painted alicorns in the past as cruel and oppressive, and she wanted to be nothing like them.

She chuckled nervously, trying to shake off her unease, and tried to focus on the radio broadcast again. Lumi was also paying close attention, eager to hear more news from the announcer.

The radio DJ gave one final message as the broadcast concluded. "Something big happened near Stable 375," they said. "Rumor has it that a shadowy figure came from that place, spent a couple of hours there, and was then escorted by the Steel Rangers. After that, the entire environment suddenly disappeared. It was as if it had been vaporized by a powerful light. Whoever this mysterious figure is, someone's out to get you. This is Everest towers DJ, signing off. Next up, an hour of music." 

Blue and Lumi were both completely shocked by the radio announcement. "That's a massive feat," Lumi said, "I wonder who the mysterious person is."

Blue chuckled, but she then thought about what the announcer said, and suddenly felt her stomach drop. It had been her. She was the mysterious person from Stable 375, and she had been escorted away by the Steel Rangers. She remembered the stallion punching her.

Blue began to mentally question what she had to do with the stable being vaporized. She shook a little as she thought about the recent events. 'This must have to do with my missing memories,' she thought to herself, 'Am I that important?'

She felt conflicted, unsure of what exactly was going on. She was afraid, and was unsure of what to do next. She remained on edge, wondering who was pursuing her.

"Hey Blue? You with us?" Lumi asked, sounding concerned.

Blue snapped back to reality, and looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was lost in thought. What is it?"

Lumi looked at her, still concerned. "You haven't said a word for the past five minutes. You okay?"

Blue looked back, still puzzled and afraid. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being hunted or tracked. "I'm not sure," she replied. Her mind was still racing, wondering what would happen next.

"Lumi... I came from Stable 375, and I..." Blue couldn't find the words. She was feeling overwhelmed, and she couldn't explain everything to Lumi right now.

"Hey, you are cool, Blue," Lumi said, "No need. Your business is yours."

Blue nodded, still feeling conflicted. She appreciated Lumi's understanding and support, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was going on. She knew she couldn't stay in one place for too long, or whoever was after her, would find her.

"Thanks for the entertainment, don't get that much around the warehouse. No one usually has a pipbuck," Lumi said.

"No problem," Blue replied with a smile, "I enjoyed chatting with you too."

Despite her worries and concerns, Blue was glad she could bring some entertainment to Lumi. It wasn't easy living in Equestria, and entertainment like this could help keep minds off the stress and strain of reality.

Blue looked closer at Lumi, noticing more of her features. Blue liked how the mare presented herself. Her fur was a moonlight blue, her eye a beautiful aqua color, and her demeanor and confidence were very attractive to Blue. She was starting to feel more comfortable with the mare, and Lumi's presence was helping to alleviate Blue's stress and anxiety over her current situation. It was a welcome distraction.

Blue rubbed her eyes and looked away, feeling confused but also intrigued by her feelings for Lumi. She fought with herself, trying to understand why she felt attracted to her, and what her preferences were. She couldn't deny that Lumi was attractive, but was it just that? Or was there more to it? Blue was definitely confused, and she continued to fight with her feelings as she tried to make sense of them.

"I... helped take out Mary Bloodthirsty and her raider gang," Blue said after a moment's hesitation, "I was there with the caretakers."
Lumi turned, surprised and curious at this revelation. It was obvious by her tone that she was wondering why Blue hadn't told her about it before.

"That must have been dangerous," she said. "I'm glad you're alright, Blue. Now I understand why the Steel Rangers escorted you away from stable 375. They must have known about your accomplishments."

Blue tilted her head, looking confused.
"Wait... But I didn't..." she began to say.
"I'm not stupid," Lumi cut in, laughing. "I'm stubborn and sometimes too helpful, but not dumb. I put the pieces together very easily, and how you responded just affirms this."
Blue frowned, feeling a bit embarrassed and put on the spot. She still wasn't sure what to say, and Lumi's insight into the situation had left her speechless.

"Okay," Blue said, "but the Steel Rangers escorting me away from Stable 375 was just a coincidence. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Lumi cocked her head to the side, looking skeptical. "That's quite the coincidence, Blue. Can you blame me for being suspicious?"
Lumi laughed, her tone playful and teasing. "Oh, Blue," she said, "You need someone to help keep you out of trouble. Just take the compliment on what I said, I just had you figured out."

"Yeah," Blue replied. "I'm sorry, I'm just on edge."

Lumi nodded. "Blue, it's okay to be on edge here," she said. "Just don't let it stress you out. Stress doesn't look pretty on you."
Blue laughed weakly, feeling embarrassed but also relieved. Lumi was right, she needed to calm down. She was being too paranoid, and overthinking things. She needed to chill out. She tried to take a deep breath and refocus herself on the present.

"Thank you again," Blue replied. "You have been a massive help for easing my mind."
Lumi nodded. "Hey, no one said I couldn't lend my ear," she replied with a grin. "I'm here to help, Blue. Just let me know what I can do."

Blue laughed nervously, thankful for Lumi's reassurance and assistance. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted but still stressed. She appreciated Lumi's kindness, and tried to push away her stress and worries for the moment.

“Even though we are strangers in a way, we still share a bond because you chose to be apart of the people who saved me,” Lumi said. Her words were soft, and her face never left the smile that she had when they first met.

Blue nodded, smiling back at Lumi. She really liked her smile. It was warm, inviting, and made her feel at ease. “Thank you for saying that, Lumi. I’m glad I could help,” she said.

“We almost seem to be there now,” Blue said, and Lumi nodded in agreement. “Yeah, well, it’s always work, but it’s honest and good helping. Say, what happened?”

Blue rubbed her eyes, thinking back to the encounter. “Um... three ponies died... I managed to fire off a shot, I think it killed the raider... and released something called an Ursa Minor."

“Hardcore Blue!” Lumi exclaimed. She admired Blue’s combat skills and bravery in dealing with the dangerous situation.

Blue didn't share the same sentiment, and she was racked with guilt over the three ponies that had died. She hated herself for feeling like she had let them get killed, when Winterflake had made her feel shitty about it. She wished that she could have done more, even though she knew that it wasn't her fault. It was an impossible situation, and Blue was glad that she at least managed to take out the raider.

"I don't feel hardcore, I just closed my eyes, took the shot, heard screaming and gurgling, and then I didn't dare open them," Blue said. "I didn't want to kill anyone, but Winterflake made me go on a suicide run because I failed to assist. I froze up. I didn't want to kill anyone."

Blue's breath was hot, and it vaporized as she spoke, like steam rising into the air. It was clear that the encounter had traumatized her, and she was still recovering from the experience.

Blue was taken aback by something she never expected--Lumi's embrace. She didn't know how to respond, but she was grateful for her support and encouragement.
"Look," Lumi said, using a mature tone of voice. "You will grow stronger. I can help you, and even accompany you. You clearly need support.

Blue felt a sudden rush of emotions at Lumi's kind words. She hadn't expected that, and it was overwhelming to receive such support from someone she barely knew.

"But... we barely know each other," Blue protested.

"Doesn't matter to me," Lumi replied. "You radiate an innocent nature, and I know you wouldn't hurt me, so therefore I trust you. I taught myself to see people's feelings, and it pools off of them like a mist."

Blue was taken aback by Lumi's perceptive statement. She had never met someone like Lumi before, and she was amazed by her ability to read people. She felt honored by Lumi's trust and support.

Blue thought for a moment, and then finally said, "Okay... I need as much help as I can get. I don't mind having someone as a companion. I've been doing things on my own for almost two days now, and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed."

Hearing her own words, Blue realized that she really did need someone there to support her. She was feeling very isolated and alone in the world. Lumi's presence and help would be very welcome.






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Blue had fallen asleep, and when she woke up, she was disoriented and confused. She stretched and yawned, trying to get her bearings, and realized she must have fallen asleep. She felt a bit better and a bit more refreshed after her nap, but still exhausted and weary.

Lumi was still there, and the two of them had made it to the facility they were staying at for now. Lumi was busy attending to some personal matters, and hadn't noticed Blue awakening.

Blue rubbed her eyes and face as she started to stretch. Her legs felt slightly sore, and her body felt more relaxed after the nap. She slowly got up to her hooves and yawned, feeling refreshed but still tired.

"O-oh, you actually made it. I would've thought you would've died out there," Winterflake said in a smug tone.

Blue turned towards Winterflake and didn't quite know how to respond to her comment. She felt a bit insulted, but she also wasn't surprised that Winterflake would be this rude. Winterflake was known for her blunt and callous behavior, and Blue was used to it by now. She didn't waste her time replying to Winterflake, and simply went over to Lumi to help with whatever she was doing.

"Good job regardless," Winterflake said, then she suddenly added, "However, come here, I have some other things you need to take care of."

Blue looked at Winterflake with mild curiosity, not sure what she meant by 'other things'. What did she want her to do now? Blue walked over to Winterflake, wondering what she had in store for her now. She hoped it wasn't too dangerous or difficult.

Winterflake said, "You are going to keep a look out with the stallion. It's a shame you couldn't bring more, but thanks to you, these 10 victims might actually survive their injuries. After they're done, they're going to be the first to be transported and then the equipment, too, with a guard in the wagon."
Winterflake then added, "Finally, Biopsy, Lumi, Polish, and me will go and you'll see us off. We need someone to make sure we get out safely. There is no room for you, unfortunately."

Blue stopped, confused by what Winterflake had just said. "Wait. What do I do after that? Where do I go?" Winterflake, however, lied. "You go off and do something else. We really don't have room. Plus, I think it's best you go and try to learn more about the wasteland and kill some people before coming back."
Blue looked stunned, feeling a bit manipulated by Winterflake's words. She understood why Winterflake wanted her to leave. 

Blue felt something well up inside her, and suddenly, without warning, she punched Winterflake right in the face. Winterflake staggered back, growling in shock. Blue looked at her in surprise, and before she could say anything, she reared up and kicked her in the face, knocking her unconscious.
The two were caught in a fight, with Blue starting it and Winterflake escalating it. Blue was knocked out, but Winterflake's injuries were unknown. This was a dangerous situation, and things had escalated quickly.






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Blue remembered her vision blurring into white, and then everything going dark and silent after Winterflake had kicked her. She felt the ringing in her ears as she lost consciousness.

It was unclear how much time had passed before she came to. Was it minutes? Hours? A day? She had no way of knowing. But when she finally woke up, she was in a dark and silent place. Her head felt heavy, like it was filled with cotton, and her ears were still ringing. She slowly tried to catch her breath and gather her bearings.

Blue sat up and scanned the area. She was in the facility on a makeshift bed. However, everyone was gone, the equipment she helped Biopsy with was gone, and so were the people she came with. She suddenly heard something and saw Lumi appear from behind the wall.

"Hey, looks like little mutie is awake," Lumi said.

Blue shut her eyes. She tried to process what had happened, but her head hurt, her eye was swollen and bruised, and now she even felt cold. She finally noticed her jacket was gone and started to panic.

Lumi said, "Hey, stop that. I would've killed you in your sleep if you were dangerous. You might be an alicorn, but I haven't seen any others, so I don't have a preference. If I'm supposed to be scared of them."

Blue felt a bit relieved by Lumi's statement, but still had her guard up. She was unsure if she could trust Lumi, especially after all that had happened.

Blue sat up, and after taking in the reality of her surroundings, she turned to Lumi and asked, "Why did you stay?"

"I said what I said," Lumi replied, her words calm but with a tinge of sass in her voice. "And besides, I wouldn't mind seeing the world and doing more outside of just fighting slavers and raiders all my life. I've been doing it for a long time. Plus, you seem fun."
Blue felt pleasantly surprised to hear Lumi admit that she found her fun. It gave her a bit more trust

Lumi also said, "I didn't like how you handled that, punching my superior in the face. She might have deserved it, since she's an ass a lot, but you had no right though. Where did that come from?"

Blue felt herself getting defensive, but didn't want to cause a scene. She chose her words carefully, hoping Lumi would be satisfied with her answer.

"I-I didn't mean to," Blue said, lowering her gaze. "My body just reacted before I could think. It won't happen again."

"I hope so. I made sure you didn't get killed; Biopsy helped you onto the table but supplies were spread thin. They weren't going to treat you."

Lumi then said, "They were upset that I chose to stay behind, but I admit if they hate me, they hate me. I'll always make it up to the caretakers, now the question is. Are you going to?"

Blue didn't know what to say after hearing that. She thought about it, wondering if the caretakers would accept her back after violently attacking a supported member and getting three people killed. She wondered if they were just going to forgive her that easily. It felt like there were consequences for every action in this new world. She had no idea what to do next.

Blue looked sad, but Lumi quickly said, "Quit that shit. You need to look forward. Who fucking cares if you did that? Make up for it. Hell, go kill the top slaver groups. That's what I think would give favor to the caretakers."
Lumi's harsh words snapped Blue out of her sadness real quick. She suddenly felt a bit more motivated and inspired. Why should she let herself be so down when she could turn this situation around? She could prove Lumi right and make up for what she did.

"You are right," Blue agreed. "I'm sorry." Blue slowly hopped off the table and almost fell, but Lumi caught her. "Whoa, whoa. Settle down mutie, take this slow. You might have a concussion. I spent awhile guarding Biopsy."
Blue suddenly felt a bit dizzy, and held onto Lumi for support. It was probably best to take things slow for now.

"You seem to help me a lot, why?"
"Because you seem new," Lumi replied. "And you need help. I wouldn't turn away from helping one in need. Also, I want to see the rest of the wasteland. I want to feel like I could help people outside winter peaks."
Blue felt a little guilty that she had been so dependent on Lumi, but her words about wanting to help others warmed her heart a little. "Thank you," she said softly.

Being careful not to pry, Blue looked away from the cutie mark on Lumi's flank, a snowflake with a cage over it. She wondered what the story was behind the symbol but didn't want to ask. Blue wasn't sure if Lumi would want to share that information with her. Curious but not wanting to seem nosy, Blue simply nodded and turned her attention elsewhere.

Lumi said, "We should probably stay here for a bit? Unless you might have a healing potion inside your saddle bag?"

Blue rummaged around, and finally found a healing potion, along with some of her bars missing. She took the potion and downed it after removing the lid.

Lumi said, "I got hungry. I stole some of your food, I wasn't going to eat anything these raider scum had lying around. This stuff is toxic."

"Is it really bad?" Blue asked, a tinge of concern in her voice. She didn't know how bad the food might be, but she was grateful that she didn't have to eat it. She knew she had her own food, however, she also did the math and figured out that she only has enough food for a little less than three weeks. Now that she understood how much food she had, she was going to have to be wise about her rationing and make sure she didn't run out.

"If you don't want to share more of that," Lumi said, "then I suggest we should actually get a move on."

Lumi paused, and then added, "Also, I don't know what the food would do to you, but the raiders are filthy."

Blue saw lumi was glad that she was willing to share a bit more of her food with her. She didn't want to risk eating anything that might make her sick. And the knowledge that the raiders were unhygienic gave Blue even more reason to stay away from their supplies.

"I think I'm feeling stable enough to walk on my own now," Blue said, her relief clear in her voice.

Lumi let go of the blue, who stepped her hooves a bit unsteadily but managed to stabilize and not fall. She was still a bit dizzy, but the healing potion had done its job, and she was ready to move on.

"It's probably best to make a quick exit," Lumi said, her voice full of enthusiasm again. "We don't want to be caught lingering in here any longer than necessary."

"Yeah we should," Blue agreed, "depending that those raiders might actually come back, we should."

Outside, she took a look at the landscape. The light was coming out, but she couldn't tell very well because of the cloud that was covering the entire sky. She wondered how she would navigate in this unfamiliar place.
Lumi, however, seemed more confident and sure-hoofed compared to Blue. She led the way with calm and purpose, making sure to keep an eye out for any dangers.

Blue paused her observation of the landscape and kept an eye out in front of her, watching for any dangers. She slipped her gun out of her saddlebag and closed it, making sure to have a means of defending herself even though she wasn't familiar with the weapon. She also needed to keep her guard up in case those raiders returned, or any other potential dangers. Lumi, however, had become more cautious and vigilant, constantly checking their surroundings as they moved forward.

As the light spread over the landscape, Blue saw that there was a group ahead, and she and Lumi stopped in their tracks.
"What should we do?" Blue asked Lumi, but before she could reply, she felt a gun being put to her head, just like Lumi. A wave of fear rose in her belly as the situation shifted in an instant. It was clear that they were in danger, but from who? And what should their next move be?

"Okay, drop your fucking weapons right now and turn around slow," a voice ordered.

The voice was loud and commanding, filled with no hesitation or doubt. Blue and Lumi felt the pressure of the situation, and quickly dropped their weapons and turned around slowly. Their brows full of sweat, and they hoped that they would be spared and not end up dead right there.

Lumi seemed more composed than Blue, but Blue noticed that she was still wary of the better-dressed gryphon in front of them.

"Okay, we did as told," Blue replied, and she and Lumi were tied up, their eyes covered.
"Oooh look there Gale, this one is an alicorn, I think she's gonna sell for a good price," the voice said, laughing frantically.

Blue felt a chill run down her spine. She wondered where they were taking them, and what their ultimate fate would be.

"Maybe, but I don't think her friend will sell for much." Then the voice said. "Actually, let's give her back to the snowflakes. Seeing as she's got their brand."

Lumi, however, didn't take this so kindly. She fought back, saying "I'm not going back there! You can't make me!'' Unfortunately, she was silenced with a thud to the ground.
Blue didn't know what was happening, and all she heard was the voice saying, "Bitch is a fighter."

The voice continued to speak, saying, "Make sure she's hog-tied, and tie her muzzle. I don't wanna hear a peep from her."
Blue could only listen, and imagine what they were doing to Lumi. She heard another thud, and someone gasping for air.

"Hmmm alicorns are strong," the voice continued, "perhaps you'll help defend us. You'd look nice with a chain around your neck."

Blue was filled with fear at the possible future they were envisioning for her.

Blue's hooves shook, and she tried to stay calm. "Awww, the alicorn is scared?" She heard the voice say. "You want the others to save you? Fraid you're shit out of luck. We haven't seen any other alicorns here."
Blue felt a wave of panic flow through her, realizing that she truly was alone. She had no one to come to her rescue, and her situation was becoming more dire by the second. She needed to remain calm and focused in order to find a way out of this.

Blue questioned mentally, 'They think I'm with the alicorns? Maybe I could use this to my advantage.' She thought longer, her mind racing with thoughts:

'Wait, what if I...?' But her horn had been clamped by the gryphon and she couldn't use her magic. She was stuck, unable to do anything. The gryphon probably knew that she couldn't use magic with her horn clamped, and it was beginning to look like a hopeless situation. Blue tried to think of any possible way out of this predicament.

Blue heard the voice on the ground still gasping and saying something. "I'll fucking kill you," she made out. Another loud thud, and a cry was heard, making the situation seem even more dire than before.

Blue tried to listen to what the voice was saying, but her attention was drawn to the loud thud. It didn't sound good, and the voice seemed to be struggling for its air. Who was it? And what happened to them? The future looked uncertain, and Blue needed to think fast.

"Hey, don't break the merchandise before we get it to the snowflakes, dumb fucking raider." The voice said, sounding irritated.
Blue was confused by the comment, but it seemed like the voice was referring to her or Lumi as "merchandise." It was all beginning to make sense now, and Blue didn't like it one bit. They weren't going to be sold to the alicorns, they were going to be sold to others. Possibly even as slaves.

"But it's sooo funny watching them squirm!!" the other voice said.

But the female voice cut them off, shouting: "If you touch the slave one more time, I'm going to-"

Her sentence was cut short as gunfire began ringing out. Blue dropped to the ground as the raiders rejoiced. But the rejoicing was cut short by further gunfire ringing out, and the voices of the slaves shouting, "You dumb raiders, you killed our boss! We shouldn't have trusted you fucking brain-rotten ponies."

Blue crawled, and heard Lumi gasp and say, "B-blue... we need to get outta here.... I... I can't walk on my own."

Gasping was heard, and Blue rushed to the source to find Lumi. She managed to get the eye cloth off, but Lumi seemed injured and unable to walk on her own.

Blue knew that she needed to get Lumi somewhere safe, and fast.

Blue said, "Don't worry. I'll get us out of this."

Blue felt the cloth come off her eyes, and she could see again. Lumi's nose was bloody, and she saw that they had broken her hooves.

Her friend, looking weak, removed the clamp as she winced at Blue with shock and fear.

"Blue... please...," Lumi said, her voice shaky and unsure. She knew she needed help, badly. A sense of urgency spread through Blue, as she knew she had to get Lumi somewhere safe quickly.

Blue looked at Lumi for the first time and saw that her friend looked truly afraid. Lumi said quietly, "I don't wanna go back there....," her voice trailing off, as she remembered what had happened before. Blue was struck by a moment of deep empathy for her friend, seeing her in such a vulnerable state. It was a stark contrast to the confident and spirited image that Lumi had shown before, and showed just how much the previous incident had traumatized her.

Blue levitated Lumi onto her back, and despite the weight, she rose to her hooves and tried to walk away from the violence. She managed to get away slowly, despite the binds, but she heard gunfire still ongoing. Blue wondered what else her horn could do.

She focused and said, "Protect me." A barrier formed around her, giving off a blue hue. The bullets bounced off the barrier, and Blue looked relieved to be safe. She turned to Lumi and said, "Don't worry, I'll get us out of here. Just hold on."

As Blue and Lumi made their way to safety, they heard the slavers sounding alarmed.
"Don't let that slave get a-"

A bullet flew into the slavers head, and their head exploded on impact. The body collapsed onto the ground.

Startled, Blue and Lumi stopped for a moment, but they had to keep moving. They couldn't let their guard down. They didn't know how many more slavers there were, but they had a good head start and had to capitalize on the opportunity.

As Blue and Lumi kept going, the gunfire slowly began to slow down, but the laughter did not.

"More meat, more meat! Feed feed feed. Murdering feels so good," the multiple voices were saying. The raiders were getting closer, and Blue and Lumi had to pick up the pace if they wanted to escape.

They tried to pick up their pace, but the bonds were making it difficult to run away. They had to stay alert and aware of their surroundings, as at any moment, they could be outnumbered by the slavers or raiders.

"Why you running?" One of the raiders said. "Don't you wanna stay and be our meal? Those dumb slavers always selling perfectly good food, it's no fun!"

Another raider shouted, "You run and you die!"

Blue turned to see, and she recognized the raider as Lil. Lil was the least crazy of the bunch and seemed to have some sense of morality. But, Lil was still a raider, and Blue and Lumi had to be careful around her.

Lil inspected closer and gasped at seeing Blue, saying "Wait, weird unicorn?" She continued, "Ooh so you were just a tiny alicorn, now ain't that sweet." Lil giggled, then grew serious and pulled out a wooden plank with saw blades on it.

"You are in for a fuck ton of hurt," she said. "We owe you for driving us from our little slice of home." Lil turned to Lumi and said, "My friend wants to say hello." Lumi was frozen in fear, wondering what Lil meant by her words.

Lil giggled and turned to Lumi and said, "This is my friend!"

She shown off the plank with saw blades in her hooves. "They want to really get intimate with your insides."

Lumi's eyes widened, and she felt a chill run up her spine. She could sense the danger, and she had a feeling things weren't going to end well. "Please don't," she said softly, holding still, hoping that Lil would show some mercy.

Blue heard Lumi's words and was concerned, but didn't want to let Lil see that. She spoke up, saying "Hey, Lumi, I will make sure you are safe. I'm not letting a raider touch you."

Lil giggled and responded, "Ooh what you gonna do? We outnumber you stupid bitch, once that magical defense drops, my friends are going to tie you down and I'm going to let boardie explore your flesh!" She added, "You get it? I love violence."

Blue felt disgusted by Lil's crude and vile descriptions of what she would do to her. It was like the raider took pleasure in the thought of causing pain and suffering. The thought of being powerless to stop it was terrifying. Blue felt anger brewing in her stomach, but she tried to remember to stay calm. They had to get out of this situation, but first, they needed to stay alive.

Lil laughed in glee, pushing more of Blue's buttons. "And while we do that," she said, "my friends are going to make you watch while they rip your friend apart and eat her alive."

Blue felt the anger rising within her, but she tried to keep a level head. She needed to stay calm and focused, because if she let her emotions get the best of her, she would be putting Lumi and herself in even greater danger.

"Why," Blue said, straining her emotions. "Why would you...? Because you got some of my buddies killed. I liked them. Revenge is revenge."

"Mary Bloodthirsty is missing, and I rounded up these fools. Thanks to the slavers who we betrayed, I got a band of raiders under me now."

Blue felt helpless with rage and frustration coursing through her, but she forced the emotions down and tried to stay focused. Lumi was counting on her.

"Who knows?" Lil said, still laughing. "Maybe I'll just chop your horn off, wear it like a necklace, and make you my personal hoof stool. I'll treat you even like a punching bag to let my anger out on, and until one day when you are so broken mentally and physically ill, throw you out and have you die alone. No one would ever have gave a fuck about the tiny alicorn."

The words stung, but Blue tried to stay focused. She couldn't afford to be provoked in the moment.

Lil thought for a moment, then said, "Hmmm, how about I let my raiders force feed your friend there, and giver her the raider disease. You'll be forced to either kill her or she kill you."

Blue felt that final push, and she let her anger soar. Everything in her vision went completely white. The rage that she had been holding back suddenly manifested in her power. The magic around her grew stronger and brighter.



level up: You have increased mental focus and control over your magic, you learned telepathy. If you so choose you can listen in on any other creatures thoughts.

> Chapter 2: What a long day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue stared down the raiders, a completely white glow emanating from her. Her body hummed with a haunting sound, and her rage was palpable. "You won't defeat us, we are ultimate."

The barrier dropped, and the raiders advanced, confident that they would overcome Blue and Lumi.

Blue's voice radiated loudly and echoed, as she began to charge up a white beam from her horn. She shot the beam straight at Lil's face, due to the beam charging, it only burned half of her face off.

Lil screamed and ran away over the snowy hill. Blue watched her with cold eyes, satisfied with Lil's retreat.

Blue turned her beam on the other Raiders, who began running towards her while the others shot at her. The bullets burned into ash as they approached her glowing body.
She stepped forward, and the snow below her melted. The ground underneath her charred, as she stepped through the flames. She spoke, "You will die for attacking us."
The beam went through the Raiders, completely disintegrating them. All that was left was the smell of burning flesh, and the snow was tinged red with their blood and ashes.

Blue snorted and said, "Is this all? You haven't impressed..."

She seemed to struggle to get the last part out, and her voice and glow suddenly changed. 

"Noo! We will warp the wasteland!" she screamed. Her voice shook and trembled in fear.

"Get out of my damn head!!"

With that, her white glow dropped away from her body, and she collapsed unconscious. The wind whistled through the snowy wasteland, as she lay unconscious on the cold ground.




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Blue awoke hours later, her head was pounding like an army of soldiers were marching through her skull. She looked down, and noticed a bandage on her horn. Lumi lay sleeping next to her, her legs didn't look good, but Blue wanted to help. The nausea hit her stomach, and she could feel the sickness rising in her throat. In the distance, she could hear the faint echo of laughter.

She looked around, but everything was strangely quiet. She could see the snow falling, and she could feel the cold seeping into her bones.

"What happened...?" Blue muttered, closing her eyes in an attempt to settle herself. She tried to control her panting, nausea, and the throbbing pain in her skull. It was difficult, and she felt the sweat beading on her forehead despite the cold.

The snow continued to fall, and it was strangely quiet beyond the faint echo of laughter that she heard drifting in the wind. She kept her eyes shut, hoping that the pounding in her head would eventually stop.

Blue managed to get to her hooves, feeling light-headed from moving too quickly. She almost fell, but she gripped the ground with her hooves and slowly got up. She stood there for a moment, trying to regain her balance. The throbbing in her head was still present, but it was starting to ease up a little bit.

She looked around, taking in the snowy surroundings once more. The snowflakes were still falling, but the air was still. She could still hear the distant echoes of laughter floating in the wind, but the source remained uncertain.

Blue bent down to try and lift Lumi onto her back, but suddenly noticed the patches of burnt fur. 'Just what happened? Why can't I remember the last couple hours...?'
She thought to herself and closed her eyes in a vain attempt at clearing her mind. Maybe if she tried to focus and think back to the past few hours, something would jog loose her memories. But she tried in vain. Her head was pounding, and she could feel the nausea building up in the pit of her stomach again.

Blue winced, feeling the pain on her head crackle with energy. She couldn't stand it anymore, and she screamed, even though each vibration sent waves of pain through her head.

But she pushed forward, fighting through the pain. She grabbed Lumi and placed her on Blue's back, determined to keep moving.

"I need to survive... it's getting colder again," Blue spoke out loud to herself, still trying to make sense of the events of the previous few hours. She looked around, and a chill ran down her spine as she saw a dark area up ahead. The area was surrounded by swirling snow and ice, as if the blizzard had taken over the landscape.

She panicked as the blizzard swirled closer and realized her hooves and wings were no longer tied up. Fear welled up inside her, but she kept running, looking for any way out of this situation.

Blue was relieved to hear the laughter stop, though the swirling of the blizzard and the snow deafened everything around her.
"Why now... fucking wasteland," she muttered to herself, feeling the cold seeping under her skin as the blizzard continued to creep closer.

She tried to push on, fighting against the rising dread and hopelessness she felt as the coldness of the blizzard surrounded her. She was alone, and it felt like the odds were stacked against her.

Blue panted hard as she kept running, but she was barely able to stay ahead of the blizzard. She figured what her wings could do and took off, flying faster than the blizzard could keep up.

She realized she didn't know how to fly very well, and she struggled to maneuver her body correctly. She had to focus all of her attention on keeping afloat and not crashing to the ground. The wind was cold against her fur, but the snow was no longer swirling all around her. The blizzard still loomed in the distance, but Blue could see more of the landscape ahead.

Blue turned back and smiled to see that Lumi was still on her body. She was glad that the take off didn't fling her off.
Blue wasn't quite sure what to do with her wings now that she was in the air. She was flapping them, but it didn't seem to be doing anything. She felt the wind pushing against her body, but she didn't seem to be going anywhere. Still, she was far away from the blizzard and that was a relief.

Blue's head was still throbbing from earlier, but she believed that the blood pumping in her body due to the exercise she put it through was helping to alleviate the pain.

She still didn't quite know what to do in the air, but the wind was pushing her in one particular direction. She wasn't sure if she should just keep going that way or try to change directions. Blue kept flapping her wings, feeling frustrated at her inability to maneuver well.

"There's something over that way... what is that?" Blue saw a cluster of lights in the distance. She wondered what the place was. It looked kind of large. She kept flapping her wings, wondering if she should change directions and investigate or keep going the same way. The thought of a warm, safe place filled her with a sense of relief, as the cold wind rushed against her body. But she was also afraid of what the lights might represent.

Blue felt cold without her jacket, and she decided to descend to the ground in search of some shelter. As she flew, she cocked her head, noticing that the blizzard had changed direction. Blue felt better as she got closer to the ground. The lights were getting closer with each flap of her wings, and Blue was getting more and more curious about what she would find when she finally landed.

As she drew closer, Blue noticed that the lights emanated from a settlement made up of small, long houses. The structures had been reinforced with walls, and there was a gate.

When Blue landed, she was greeted by a titanic being with yellow eyes. Their teeth were gnarled, and they towered over her, their paws dwarfing her body. The sheer size and power of this creature filled Blue with awe and trepidation.

As Blue stepped back in unease, trying to take in the new and terrifying circumstances.

"Um... hello!" Blue exclaimed, desperate for help. "My friend needs help. She's hurt bad, is there someone who can help here?"
The large creature snorted and then said, "Why should we help a mutie? Your kind isn't tolerated around here. Tell you what, if you can pay caps for entry, we'll help your friend while you wait outside. If you don't, guess you're shit out of luck. There's nothing for miles."

"Two-thousand caps," the large creature said, his tone making it clear that this was not a negotiable price. He held out his massive paws, gesturing for Blue to hand over the caps immediately.

Blue stepped back a bit, nervous and unsure what to do.

As Blue stepped back a bit, she noticed the band on his arm that said 'Jet's Marauders.' She was unsure what to do, as she had not been picking up caps.

"How about this?" Blue said, pulling out the Luna figurine.

As Blue hoofed over the small figurine, the creature went wide-eyed. He snorted and then hissed, "Put that shit back! Those are very sought after. I don't need it, but you had better not show it to anyone else."

He adds.

"There are locals out in the winter peaks who would kill for those". Blue felt small next to the giant creature, and she quickly packed the Luna figurine away, not wanting to anger him any further.

"I'm sorry, I'm still new to this wasteland. I've been through so much already. I helped the Caretakers, but they just..." she was cut off.

"Oh, you worked with the Caretakers? Why didn't you say so? We've been trying to get in touch with them for years."

"The slavers took out half of the Marauders, promising better pay and housing." He paused. "Most of us stayed because we were loyal to Jet." He sighed. "Now we face constant attacks."

Blue looks at the creature with a sense of confusion, her brows furrowed. 

"Wait, who?" She asks, wondering if she missed something. "Who's... Jet? And who are the Marauders?" 

She pauses, waiting for a response. As the seconds tick by, she begins to grow more concerned. 

"Jet is our leader, and the Marauders are our group." 

"We take on all kinds of odd jobs, even those that the Caretakers refuse to tackle. But now, we find ourselves in need of their assistance. Our numbers have dwindled in recent times, with a mere twenty-five of us remaining. Five of those have suffered serious injuries as a result of the civil war."

"Cowards" the creature spits, their anger palpable. "They'll never be true Marauders now. If I see one, they'll be dead." They glare back at Blue, who offers to mediate a deal with the Caretakers.

Hesitantly, Blue adds, "Um, I can speak to your leader and discuss an arrangement whereby the Caretakers will aid you." She looks down, nervous considering the fact that she punched a high-ranking Caretaker in the face. Still, she's determined to make things right.

"Very well. Thanks for agreeing to get a meeting between our factions." The creature barks, clearly grateful by Blue's intervention.

"In the meantime, I suggest that you allow our doctor to examine your friend. You are a daring "mutie" for venturing all the way out to the winter peaks. Hurry inside before you develop hypothermia."

"What in the world are you?" Blue asks, her curiousity getting the better of her.

"I'm a snowhound," the creature growls. "A very common species in these parts. Amazed you haven't encountered one before." They chuckle dryly. "And no need to worry. If you try to fight, I'll happily demonstrate how to properly crush someone's windpipe."

Blue backs away slightly, intimidated by the creature's size and the heat of their breath. She's unsure of how to answer their question.

"Okay okay," the snowhound barks, lowering their demeanor to a more gentle tone. "You should be careful out here, this part of the wasteland is full of dangers like me. Lucky for you, I'm not hungry at the moment. If you're really curious about me, I suppose we could have a little chat over a hot meal."

Blue asks, "Wait. Is Jet not here then? I thought your leader was here?"

The snowhound cocks its eyebrow and says, "No. This is an outpost. My friend and I were paid to guard it. My shift is about to end, and once she arrives to relieve me, I'll talk with you and report it to Jet. As for why they want this place guarded, the ones inside are the who you should ask about that."

"Okay, wait. So, your group is being paid to guard this base, and you'll be reporting back to Jet. But Jet isn't here, and you don't have any idea what's currently going on inside. Why does he want this place guarded? Might there be other reasons for it, and if so, what are they?"

"Ask the ones inside after we've had a meal. I'm starving. Head straight to the doctor's office with your friend, and once you've got them situated, make your way to the mess hall to find me."

Here's the revised paragraph with more descriptive language:

Blue gulped and nodded. She turned her head to look at Lumi sleeping on her body. Her friend was shivering, though no signs of hypothermia were yet present. Yet, Blue realized that they needed to find a place to shelter immediately. Her surroundings proved to be empty, and there was nothing else to be seen. She also knew that walking away was a risk, but staying put wasn't an option. She wondered if Lumi could survive if they did move on, and made the decision to go inside.

Blue's ears perked up. She heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from someplace beyond the gate before her. "There's my relief," the snowhound said.

Blue finally saw the source of the footsteps come into view. They belonged to a scrawny bird pony-like creature. She tilted her head in confusion, wondering if this was actually another Marauder.

The snowhound nodded in confirmation. "Don't piss her off or make fun of her," he warned Blue. "Us Marauders are highly skilled, and you'll regret it if you do those things."

"Frazer, you're off duty for now. I'm taking over. And for the love of all that is holy, please don't eat my share this time. If you do it again, I will personally drag you to the medical den and leave you there to wake up wondering why I took your half of your share."

Frazer shrugged, "Yeah yeah, just let me in." Then he added: "This mutie here has important business to attend to, and her buddy is wounded. She's gonna convince the caretakers to work with us." He punctuated every word with a jab of his paw against Blue's chest, causing a bit of bruising.

"Uh, yeah, right," the mare scoffed. Then she shot a glare at Blue. "Just stay out of my way and we've got zero issues, you hear me?" She added, her words dripping with condescension. "And may whatever gods you pray to bless your afterlife with plenty," she finished with a sarcastic twist.

Blue was at a loss for words in response to the mare's scathing remark. She eventually nodded, still somewhat nervous. Then she added, slightly apologetic, "I'll make sure to stay out of your way. And I'm really sorry but...I don't know what a God is."

Blue noticed her pause and tense up, before finally relaxing and continuing. Then she had the urge to deliver a slight jab in the form of a question. "Damn, did you come from a stable?"

Blue also decided to add the revelation that she had no memory of who or where she came from, which might help to explain her lack of knowledge about the concept of gods.

The mare seemed to take some sort of offense to Blue sharing the facts of her situation. "Did I ask to hear your life story?" she said, with a degree of annoyance and disdain present in her tone.

Seeing how heated the conversation was getting, Frazer quickly intervened. "Both of you stop," he said firmly, his words directed at both Blue and the mare. "Let's just get going. Follow me, mutie," he added, directing his final words toward Blue as a command.

Blue did as Frazer instructed and went inside. She heard him engage in conversation with Yaest as he followed along after her:

"Yeast, what's on your mind today?"

Yeast responded, "You already know, Frazer. I won't discuss it within earshot of that taint-riddled time-bomb."

The usage of the word time-bomb seemed to imply that Yaest either had very negative feelings or perhaps a dangerous knowledge of Blue and her situation.

Blue felt an improvement in her comfort as she noticed that the shivering sensation was gone. The hope that Lumi would survive helped to improve her mood and help stave off some of those negative thoughts that had been troubling her previously.

Then she came across a building that was designated as the "Genepool's Medicare Station." This discovery filled her with a sense of relief, knowing that Lumi was in good hands and might even have a chance to recover from whatever injury she had been afflicted with.

Blue was aware of the injuries on her legs, though she couldn't exactly gauge the severity of the wounds. The urgency of the situation compelled her to rush inside the building marked "Genepool's Medicare Station."

While she was relieved that Lumi was relatively lightweight, Blue was beginning to feel the weight of her own body, which was becoming increasingly more difficult to manage. She couldn't pinpoint the exact cause, between fatigue or something else entirely.

Blue pushed open the door, and entered the building. Her expression was one of surprise at finding the place to be of relatively nice quality.

"If you want help, either pay me or do me a favor," a stallion's voice rang out. The gruff tone caught Blue off-guard, and she wondered what kind of favor she might had to do in order to get Lumi treated?

Blue turned the corner, stunned by what lied before her. The creature - small, with long, ears - looked up and face-palmed.

"What?" The creature said, squeaking into a device that translated their voice into Blue's preferred language. "I managed to find a patch of Killing Joke, and at the time, I thought it would be cute to be treated like something cute," they explained. "I used to be a hippogriff mare."

Blue attempted to restrain her laughter at the small fluff's explanation. However, her restraint gave way as a result of the small fluff kicking her in the face. While the impact may not have been overly painful, the surprise certainly had her stunned and reeling.

Then, the small fluff let out another squealed statement that was translated: "Don't laugh at me." Their tone was not exactly friendly, and Blue took the statement to be an indication to watch her behavior, lest she face more retribution from the small creature.

Blue was apologetic about her laughter, even though it had been hard to repress. She then inquired, "I'm sorry, I just...you're adorable and funny sounding. Um... wait, what is killing joke? "

It was clear that Blue may have been oblivious to something the small fluff had assumed was common knowledge.

"That was unknown to me as well, for some time, at least, when I was exploring near Ponyville, in search of medical supplies that might help remedy the blizzard virus that has been impacting people in this area. However, I happened upon some killing joke growing in the forest that bordered Ponyville, and upon conducting research on the subject, I uncovered documents and notes within a shack in the forest that referred to this variant of poison joke as a mutation that was capable of killing. As a result, I thereafter referred to the plant as "killing joke," regardless of the fact that I was unable to locate a remedy."

"Frankly, I thought the name was bullshit too, until I witnessed the effect of a joke played by the plants that resulted in the demise of a colleague I had during my expedition. I was rather fond of the stallion, but then again, this is the wasteland."

The small fluff had an expression that betrayed their underlying melancholy about a past loss, though they also maintained a matter-of-fact approach to the circumstances of the wasteland.

Blue started to state the obvious to the small fluff. "I'm very sorry. My friend needs help. She's horribly injured. Will you help me?" The response that was given by the small fluff came as a relief. "Set her on the table. I will make a diagnosis," they replied.

Blue's next question was the one that any inquisitive mind would ask: "What is that you are using to speak?"

The small fluff answered with more information than Blue had imagined. "It's a translation box, " they said. "The Ministry of Peace created them in hopes of obtaining the animals to cooperate with the war. That's as much as I know from the notes I read in one of the MoP offices." 

As Blue placed Lumi on the table, the small fluff finally noticed their unique traits, such as their wings and horn. However, far from expressing panic, the small fluff remained unfazed. Instead, they merely observed, before posing a question.

"So you are one of those that pledge to unity?" The question was directed toward Blue, as the small fluff inquired whether she belonged to any particular group.

A feeling of sadness settled upon Blue in response to the question. "I don't remember anything about that," she said. "I don't know what unity is."

The small fluff found this interaction to be interesting, in regards to Blue's apparent lack of ties to a group espousing unity. They then requested a rather unusual favor:

"Fascinating. So you're unlikely to be like the others then, well now. This is a surprise, I've never met an alicorn that isn't promoting unity. Tell you what, I want you to be a part of some tests. I wish to take samples of your blood. In return, I shall grant this favor: I will aid your friend if you permit me to obtain said samples."

Blue appeared to be wary of accepting the small fluff's proposal, given her current condition. The suggestion to take some time to rest and recover was sound advice, in such a situation.

"I would jump at the offer, but... I am not in very good condition at the moment," Blue said, explaining her reluctance. "I've lost a substantial amount of blood and am still physically weak from starvation."

However, the small fluff's assessment of the situation was quite accurate. "Hmm...well, you need to eat then," they said.

The small fluff's question about Blue's dietary intake was understandable, given her apparent state of malnutrition.

"These bars," Blue said. She opened her saddle bag and withdrew two of them to show the small fluff. The small fluff took the bars and closely inspected them, before declaring, "These are expired by 15 years. You must discard them."

The expiration date of the food bars Blue had been eating was a shocking revelation to the small fluff. They were likely a part of the reason that Blue was in a state of poor health.

Blue couldn't believe that the bars, which she had relied on for survival these past few days, were actually going to cause her further harm. The small fluff's subsequent pronouncement had the air of a mandatory requirement, rather than an optional request.

"But...these are all I had to eat for the last two days!" Blue exclaimed. "They kept me from dying!"

"I don't fucking care," the fluff said. "Those bars are more than likely to elicit negative outcomes. Now that you've mentioned this, I must insist that you stay here for a week to ensure your continued survival."

Blue reluctantly disposed of the food bars, conceding the point that they could cause further harm, as the small fluff argued.

Then, the small fluff inquired about both themselves along with Lumi, as they seemed to be curious about the other individual in need of medical attention as well.

"I'm Blue, and uh, that's Lumi," Blue replied. Her expression indicated some discomfort at needing to be on the receiving end of medical care, though she managed to keep her emotions and tone composed as the small fluff went about their duties.

The small fluff was quite frank in assessing Blue's intelligence, though their guess about her being from a stable seemed accurate. Blue didn't take the comments personally.

Then, the small fluff turned their attention on Lumi, observing the wounds inflicted upon her hooves. It seemed that Lumi's injuries weren't too severe, but she would still need to undergo a certain amount of treatment.

"Your friend has several punctured arteries in their hooves," the small fluff said, while examining the area up close. "Her legs are fractured but not broken, with time she will be able to walk on them again. However, I need to clean the area so there isn't any infection." It seemed that while Lumi was recovering, the small fluff was taking precaution, in order to avoid any further problems. This was an encouraging prospect, as infections could be quite detrimental to an individual's well-being. It was also good to know that Lumi's injuries were not too severe, at least as far as the small fluff could tell. But the small fluff's attention to detail and thorough care was commendable.

Blue responded with confusion to the small fluff's statement, likely due to the limited communication afforded by the translation device.

"Huh? I'm sorry, I don't understand," she said.

The small fluff then repeated, in a more simplified fashion: "Your friend will live. That is the best way I can describe." It seemed that the small fluff, through their own experience, understood the condition Lumi was in, and were providing their assessment of her prognosis. It was reassuring for Blue to have some idea of what to expect.

Blue expressed her relief at the small fluff's positive prognosis for Lumi, given that the situation had been unclear at first.

"Thank you Doctor. I was so afraid that she would die!" Blue said with some emotion in her voice. "We got ambushed by slavers and raiders, and then I don't remember what happened after that."

Blue inquired about how long the recovery process would take, to which the small fluff gave a blunt answer.

"At least three days," they declared, "we just don't have the resources we had years ago." The fluff then provided the reason: "With the damned slavers moving into winter peaks, they took over the crystal empire ruins and other sorts of popular cities and large landscapes in winter peaks." The small fluff was providing some background on the cause of the limited resources at their disposal and the threat posed by the slavers in the area.

Blue was slightly incredulous about the state of the caretakers, thinking that their assistance shouldn't be exclusive to those in their employ. The response provided by the small fluff was less than encouraging, however.

"Uh, yeah, but the caretakers are helping aren't they?" she questioned.

Then, the fluff replied, emitting what seemed to be a laugh, before stating, "Yeah! If you think that bullshit is true. No, they only help the people who work with them. The other settlements are left to rot if they refuse."

The small fluff, seemingly sensing Blue's shock at the revelation of the state of the caretakers, turned their attention upon Blue. They gave a simple statement, regarding the assistance she had rendered to those working with the caretakers.

"I helped them," Blue said, indicating that she didn't realize the implications of her good deeds.

In response, the small fluff cautioned her from continuing this support. "Well, if you want help from our group any further, you should stop assisting them." The tone suggested that she was dead serious about the matter, and that this was not just a suggestion but a command.

Blue, wanting more information about the small fluff's group, enquired about them in a non-confrontational manner, given her previous mistake.

"Ah...what's your group then, if I might ask?" she inquired, genuinely curious to learn more.

The small fluff didn't seem too pleased with this question, as they offered a response that was less than forthcoming.

"We're the N.C.E.R." The small fluff said this with a cold, yet dismissive, tone, as they expected Blue to know what group they were referring to. 

Blue clearly didn't have an understanding of the small fluff's group, leading to some confusion.

"Um, the what?" she asked, with an appropriate level of bewilderment.

Then, the small fluff clarified, as they corrected themselves. "Ugh, we are The New Crystal Empire Rangers," they stated. "Our group is full of the refugees of Crystal Ponies. There are hundreds of us, scattered in the winter peaks, and some... of our group has been sold off to the Crystal Empire ruins."

With a sense of urgency and frustration, the small fluff continued to speak about the disastrous incident that had occurred in the past.

"The caretakers only sent fifteen of their own..." the small fluff explained, before continuing, "...and we lost fifty of our own."

Blue, determined to be of assistance, offered to act as a liaison between the caretakers and the NCER, with the intent of getting the two groups to work together. It seemed that her sense of responsibility drove her to want to aid in any way that she could, even if there was a good chance that she would fail in her endeavor.

The small fluff didn't appear to be too hopeful, based on their reply.

"Okay," they said, "knock yourself out then. I don't believe you, but you first need to stay the fuck put here for a little while."

Blue's demeanor seemed to change and sag, as she internalized the reality that her current situation wasn't as simple as she had originally thought. It seemed that she would have to remain in the small fluff's care for a bit longer than she had anticipated.

The fluff's reply wasn't the most encouraging either. "You're very, very stupid," they said, as they rolled their eyes. This blunt remark didn't seem to be intended as an insult, but more an observation about Blue's current state, as she was still quite dependent upon the fluff's care and help.

Blue expressed her appreciation for the small fluff's assistance once more, in a heartfelt way.

"Thank you, again."

The small fluff didn't seem too affected by this display of affection, as they quickly moved on to other matters, by issuing a reminder to Blue about the need to provide samples of her blood.

"Remember this isn't charity," the small fluff said once again, as if to clarify that they were helping her out of necessity rather than any desire for altruism.

The small fluff, who went by the name 'Genie' rather than 'Genepool,' had requested that Blue address them by their shorter nickname instead of the latter name.

Blue responded in a respectful and agreeable manner to Genie's request, indicating her willingness to provide the necessary blood samples when she was more recovered.

"Okay, Genie," she said, "I'll make sure to give you those blood samples when I feel well enough."

In response, Genie revealed that the process could be sped up by giving Blue blood transfusions, which would aid in her recovery. "As soon as you have eaten enough, I will call for someone to bring you here," Genie said, referring to a potential blood transfusion.

Blue expressed some apprehension about the nature of the blood transfusion process, but she tried to put her worries to the side by nodding curtly to Genie's request. Genie, meanwhile, retrieved some items from a counter, taking out a small box and then striking a stick against it, creating smoke that they inhaled and exhaled. Blue was unsure of the purpose of these actions, but she was willing to wait and see what Genie was doing, as they were the helper in this situation.

Upon getting a closer view of what Genie was doing, Blue noted that the caretaker was smoking a strange-looking stick of some sort. Being naturally curious, she decided to inquire about the nature of the stick, asking: "What is that you have in your mouth?"

In response, Genie seemed irritated, responding with some exasperation: "What the fuck are you still doing here? Let the doctor work, I'm taking a small break to smoke, give me some fucking peace."

Blue, in response to Genie's less than welcoming attitude, apologized for her presence and swiftly left the building. She ventured outside into the cold and snowy environment, marveling at the darkness of the sky as she considered the situation to which she had been thrust. It was clear that Blue was now in a completely new world, having had no prior experience with the caretakers or the NCER, of whom she was now in the care and custody. It would take some adjustment for Blue to fully navigate her new circumstances.

Blue, despite the circumstances she found herself in, managed to maintain a level of determination as she looked towards the future. She understood that there was much work that needed to be done, and she had to start somewhere. She drew in a deep breath of the chilled air, which carried the scent of burning fire. It was invigorating, and she allowed herself to relax slightly before setting off for the mess hall, where she presumably would continue with her work in some capacity or another.




○○○○○○○○○




Blue, upon locating the mess hall, sat down in front of Frazer, who seemed to be consuming a bowl of soup. The contents of the soup were unclear, leading Blue to refrain from asking Frazer about what it was, despite the soup not sounding particularly appealing. Blue, however seemed to be satisfied with her sandwich, which contained fish chunks, wheat noodles, and seasoned hay. Blue was clearly hungry, and grateful to have food, despite the less than ideal circumstances of her surroundings.

Blue, with a bottle of fizzy-looking drink sitting in front of her in the mess hall, seemed intrigued by its connection to the Crystal Empire prior to the conflict. The individual working in the mess hall had informed her that the drink was called 'crystal cider,' and was produced by the company 'sparkle dream.' This company, it was explained, sold sparkling soda containing crystal minerals prior to the war, and it had the effect of giving the consumer a shine similar to that of a crystal pony, though only for a limited period of time. Blue, likely, expected to have the opportunity to try the drink in her stay.

Blue, seemingly having nothing better to do, took a bite of the sandwich, only to find the taste subpar. Disdainfully, she washed it down with the drink, which tasted pleasant. The drink had a combination of fuzzy sweetness, lime, and orange, while also providing a soothing warmth in her stomach. Blue appeared to be appeased, as she sighed in satisfaction and smacked her lips as she concluded the experience on a positive note.

Blue belched, and reflexively offered an apology, as she took notice of her hooves, which appeared to be unusually glossy and reflective, causing her to be momentarily puzzled. To confirm her observations, she tapped her hooves on the table, and was surprised to find that the hoof made a clang upon impact. In addition, she quickly realized that her hoof bounced off the surface, which also meant that she was unable to feel the physical properties of the table.

Once Blue had taken in the strange properties of her hooves, she soon realized that her condition must have been caused by the crystal cider she had consumed. She then quickly recovered back to normality, feeling startled by the whole experience.

Blue then turned at Frazer, who had been observing the whole thing from afar. "Oh.." was her way of apologizing, as it seemed clear that she had realized that she had been somewhat rude in her behavior towards Frazer due to her surprise and confusion about the entire situation.

Frazer shrugged off Blue's apology, preferring to move on and have her introduce herself. He began the process of attempting to establish a connection between them by saying: "You are a weird one. Anyways, don't sweat the small shit."

In response, Blue expressed her befuddlement about what she could say about herself, given her limited experience and time in the strange wasteland. She said: "I've only been here for like, two days. What do you want, me to tell you about?"

Frazer maintained his optimistic perspective, noting that two days was a sufficient time length to pick up some stories. He then inquired about Blue's encounters during that relatively short period, to which she replied:

"Uh... I got attacked by the Steel Rangers, I assisted the caretakers killing some raiders, and I managed to kill some more raiders a couple of hours before we met."

Frazer listened, intrigued by what she had been through in such a limited time frame.

Frazer reacted with some degree of admiration towards the scale of Blue's exploits, remarking in amazement:

"Daaaamn, that much of a wake on winter peaks? Color me like, impressed. Although, you'd have to do a ton more to like impress Jet. He's like, VERY serious about folks making a big ripple."

Taken aback by this unexpected declaration, Blue quickly tried to amend her earlier statement:

"I'm not - I mean, I'm going to unite the caretakers and NCER!"

It seemed that Blue may have said too much.

Frazer, in response to Blue's declaration of uniting the caretakers and NCER in her initial comment, tried to downplay her ambitions by suggesting the underground pit as a place where she would be judged on a more individual basis.

"Oh? That might make a small dip," he said, "I was thinking more along the lines of you besting another Marauder in the underground pit. That's where we place bets for who's gonna be the next top Marauder, and who gets to decide missions for everyone else."

Blue, however, seemed curious about the underground pit, raising an eyebrow in interest.

He continued. "No one but the tiny hippogriff out guarding the gate has bested me. I was undefeated until she came along. She soon earned top favor with Jet, and now she seems to be his right wing. She will do any job given to her, "no matter how fucked' it is."

Blue continued his listening, paying close attention to Frazer's words. "I understand. Should there be any Marauders I might have to be cautious of?" Blue inquired.

He expressed: "Not at the moment. Though, if you somehow manage to get a bounty placed upon your head, I believe that the more unhinged individuals, and those who have something against you, may target you. Hell, even the Marauders employed by slave labor may also become a potential threat

Blue gave a small nod and turned to Frazer. "Right, would you mind telling me about yourself? I'm intrigued."

"As a snowhound, I spent much of my past underground, digging tunnels and creating pathways for other colonies. However, these plans came to a halt when a slaver company discovered them and captured most of the colony, forcing them to work in their mines, mining minerals useful in the creation of weapons."


"I and many other snowhounds managed to escape after the capture by the slaver company. I was taken in by Jet shortly after, and soon found myself working as a Marauder. It's a violent choice of occupation, and one that has its thrills. There's something to be said about the satisfaction of crushing a slaver or raider's spine to nothing but dust."

Blue was almost taken aback by the violence of Frazer's words. "I mean, I know they're slavers and all, but don't they still have some love left in them? They're just people too, aren't they?"

Frazer disagreed, shaking his head firmly. "You're being naive. Those bastard slavers don't have a shred of love left in them. They rape and torture innocent people for their own selfish pleasure. Those cretins don't deserve to live, Blue."

Blue was visibly taken aback by what she had just heard, her stomach twisting in disgust. "They really do that?" She felt nauseous from sheer terror.

Frazer nodded in response, his face showing complete disdain. "Yes, they do. And I take great pride in being the one to take them out. One less person capable of hurting anyone else in the world."

"Although we may be messed up and brutally insane as a result of our experiences with Jet, we still target and take out those who are truly evil. We do so with the help and support of the loyal members of the Marauder's clan."

"Blue looked somber at the mention of former Marauder clan members who went over to the slavers' side. "Yeah, it's a shame that many of them turned to the enemy. But I'm glad that at least some have remained loyal, including yourself, Frazer."

Frazer asked Blue, "After all of this is over, why not share some Appledaniels together, relax and enjoy watching the peaceful landscape?"

Blue liked the idea and happily agreed with a small nod. "That sounds wonderful. I would like nothing more than to spend those moments together with you."

Frazer gave Blue a sobering reminder, "We might be facing certain danger. Don't take any risks, and don't ignore the very real possibility that either one of us might die. Remain focused and remember this reality, Blue."

Blue gave Frazer a nod of resignation and acceptance. "I've seen the chaos of the wasteland, seen violence and murder firsthand. I know how to use a pistol properly, and I'll work hard to stay alive. There's nothing I would like more than to live to see a future where tomorrow is a peaceful one."

Frazer lifted his drink to toast Blue, his expression lighting up with a warm grin. "To you, Blue, a truly intelligent, brave and determined individual."

Blue nodded, feeling hopeful, despite the challenges that lay ahead. "I know it won't be easy, and it certainly won't be accomplished in a day or two, but I believe that one day, Winter Peaks can become a better place. I'm glad you're willing to help out and support me on this journey, Frazer."

Frazer's expression turned serious for a moment. "Yes, despite the hardship you've experienced and the adversity you've faced, I have heard your perseverance and determination. You've been knocked down and beaten up countless times, but you've always gotten back up ready to keep working hard.






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As Blue and Frazer continued their bonding and engaging in conversation, they lost track of time, not realizing how much time had passed. Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Where the hell were you? You were supposed to take over my shift two hours ago!"

Upon hearing the shouting, Blue and Frazer were quickly snapped out of the conversation. 

"Oh fuck... Umm... Yeast, I uh... Sorry, I lost track of time! I'll take over double the guarding to make up for it, alright?"

Yeast narrowed her eyes in response, her expression turning cold and icy. "Fine, but if you keep him from doing his job any longer, I'll bury you alive six feet under." With that, Yeast moved swiftly towards Blue and swiftly kicked her backward, leaving her face-planting

Blue felt the impact as her face hit the table, a shock of pain going through her. Groaning in pain as her mouth started to bleed, her eyes slowly opened to reveal that Frazer and Yeast were gone. She stayed there for a moment, just sitting there and trying to regain her bearings. Finally, she sighed, trying to ignore the stinging pain and blood in her mouth.

Blue grumbled to herself in defiance, wincing a little from the pain in her teeth. "That damned Hippogriff. She sure packs a mean kick. Great... time to go see Genie and get my mouth treated." With that, she slowly and with a bit of difficulty, got herself to her hooves and headed towards Genie.

Blue tried to recall the memory of what Yeast looked like. In her mind, she pictured a light pink coat, with green eyes and a hint of blue in her hair. She tried to focus on the details, so that she could make a better mental image. Blue hoped that this memory would help her recognize Yeast when she saw her again.






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Over the next four days, Blue took time to spend talking with Genie, and got to know her better. Lumi had been recovering from her injuries, and feeling relieved that she was in good health. Blue took time to relax and unwind, feeling refreshed and invigorated again. It was enjoyable to spend her time in the hospital, as it gave her the opportunity to have some conversation and connection with both Genie and Lumi. Blue was just glad to be around those she cared about, and appreciated having some time to herself to unwind after what had happened.

Blue was resting in her hospital bed, taking it easy and using this time to recover. She looked healthier and fuller now, no longer skin and bones. Lumi was lying on the other hospital bed, and Genie was taking blood samples from Blue to monitor her health status. Blue was grateful for the attention and care that Genie was providing, as she needed this time to relax and recoup.

Blue asked Genie, "Might I ask once more, why do you need my blood? I'm sorry, but the thing piercing me still hurts a bit." As she spoke, she tried to ignore the sting, not wanting to appear weak or frail in front of Genie.

Genie explained, "Alicorns aren't easy to capture, and studying a dead alicorn doesn't help me too much. I need a live one to really understand their makeup, and your cells will only be useful to me if you're still alive to make the donation."

Lumi spoke up, "Genie, you're constantly poking and prodding at Blue, when are you going to let us get back out there and onto our mission? This miracle of yours is great and all, but we've got a job to do that's not going to wait for us." She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her voice steady. Although she was feeling better and more stable all around, it would still take some time before she was fully able to put weight on her back hooves again.

Genie spoke firmly, "You two need at least a week to recover, give or take. I know you may be feeling impatient, but there's no need to rush. If you had been paying attention, you'd notice that your breathing is still staggered and your reaction to that pain shows that you're still recovering and healing. While we've done the best we can with the resources available to us, I'm going to need you both to procure more supplies to continue providing proper care."

Genie continued, "Well, with the way Blue has been running around Winterpeaks, I've got to admit that she's incredibly lucky to have not died a long time before meeting you. It's strange that she's been able to survive for so long, to the point that I'm wondering if she's really too foolish to die or if there may be something odd going on with her." Genie sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, no more than one more week. After that, you both can leave this outpost."

Genie lit a cigarette, taking in and then discharging a deep breath through her nostrils. She spoke up, "You two had better get those additional supplies, they'll be at an old medical center nearby. It used to be run by Cadance, but I've heard strange and unnerving rumors about something inside. We can't seem to approach it either, so you'll have to go and see for yourselves."







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Blue and Lumi spent time talking and hanging out with Frazer, while also evading the sharp and unfriendly eyes of Yeast. The days flew by, the hospital room becoming a comfortable cocoon for them to relax in while they waited out the remainder of their recovery period. All the while, they shared their hopes and dreams with each other for the future, and kept each other company as they awaited the time when they'd be able to leave the hospital and venture back out into the world.

Genie sighed in frustration, putting out her cigarette and looking at Lumi and Blue. "Looks like both of you are doing better, but we've almost used up our supplies. Now, we need to get a move on. Don't come back until you're able to procure the additional resources. I can't keep you here forever, you know?"

Blue perked up at the news, while Lumi nodded along in agreement. "Yes, finally! I've been looking forward to the moment when we could leave." Blue saw Lumi get off the table, looking more steady now on her hooves. She was walking, but she still appeared awkward and unsteady. However, even with her injury, Lumi had improved significantly over the past few days.

Blue nodded firmly in response to Genie's comment about her improved mobility. "It definitely has helped a lot. I'll do my best to find those supplies and bring them back."

Lumi also nodded her agreement, while Genie let out a frustrated sigh and looked in the direction of the door. "You two, get out. I've been patient and kind enough, but it's time for you to earn your keep. And if you manage to find those supplies and bring them back safely, the NCER will likely see this as a great service to their cause"

Both Blue and Lumi nodded in understanding, Blue holding Lumi's against her and helping to support her as they walked out the door. Once outside, Lumi turned to Blue and asked, "You know, a lot happened while I was out. How have you been faring all this time?" She leaned on Blue for support, grateful to have her friend there as she tried to regain her strength.

Blue sighed, trying to hold back any tears. "It's been a lot, yeah. I woke up to find that the raiders were dead, and somehow I managed to fly us here." She shivered, the cold being a stark contrast to her emotions. "I was so cold, and I really thought that you... well I don't want to say too much." Blue cleared her throat. "But I'm glad that you're doing better, and I'm here with you now."

Lumi let out a small chuckle, as if trying to lighten the mood of the serious conversation. "That's the Wasteland for you, Blue. You kind of need to get used to it. I guess it's just a part of life here, and I think... well, I guess I've accepted my fate. I would like to make it back home safely, but if I don't... well I would've enjoyed living here, if only for a short time."

Blue stopped and turned to Lumi. "Lumi, I promise to do anything I can in order to keep you and my friends safe." She paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. "Look... this place isn't exactly easy to live in. We both know this. But it's important to not just face the facts, but to also face the hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance that we could make things better. And maybe that hope, is enough."

Lumi studied Blue for a moment, wanting to say something but holding back. It was clear to her that Blue was hurt and tired beyond belief, but she decided to set that aside in favor of completing their task. With a small smile, she said, "Yeah... you're right. We've got something important to do first."

Blue echoed Lumi's words, finding herself excited and eager to get started on the task at hand. "Yeah! That's the spirit! Let's get this done once and for all so that we can help Genie and the NCER." She nodded, ready to start their trek to the old hospital and gather the supplies that Genie needed.






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Exhausted and discouraged by the time they had already spent searching, Blue and Lumi had nearly lost hope of finding their way to the old hospital. Instead, they had found themselves at something called 'Cornerstone.' It was an interesting situation, a play on words and a twist of fate that seemed both fitting and ironic for them. But they knew that this was not the place where they needed to be.

Blue and Lumi were both exhausted, having spent a long time searching for the old hospital and becoming increasingly tired throughout their trek. Blue was especially feeling the effects, as she had spent a lot of their time carrying Lumi on her back. As they entered the town, they came across a group of people who couldn't help themselves but stare upon noticing the wings and horn that Blue was bearing. This caused the pair to draw attention, but not necessarily in a positive light.

Blue felt nervous as the pair entered the town of Cornerstone, and noticed the negative reactions of the people around them as they stared at her. Even though Lumi was providing her with some heat and warmth, Blue couldn't help but notice the fact that these residents may not be so friendly at all to alicorns like herself. She felt as though this treatment was familiar and something she had experienced before. But they both said nothing to the people, continuing forward as the stares continued to follow them.

"Alright, let's keep going," Blue spoke up, deciding to avoid further confrontation with the residents of Cornerstone. She was curious about their animosity towards alicorns, like herself, but she wasn't eager to find out exactly why they were so opposed to her kind. Instead, the two of them continued onward, hoping to find the old hospital where they would be able to retrieve the supplies and head back towards Genie ASAP.

"Over there," Lumi spoke up, pointing to a nearby sign. "A place to sleep. Let's go and get out of the cold." Blue nodded slowly in agreement, still struggling to move forward after the long trek. She let out a sigh, happy to finally be able to catch some rest after being out in the freezing cold for so long. The two made their way towards the sign, eager to get out of the frigid weather and find a place to rest their exhausted bodies.

They arrived at the building that had been advertised on the sign. It was an inn of some sort. In here, they could find a place to rest their tired bodies, and perhaps they could even find a warm meal. In spite of their exhaustion, Blue and Lumi entered the inn, eager to take advantage of whatever comfort and supplies were available to them. The Inn was filled with various patrons, some of which were staring at them as they entered. Blue ignored their stares, focusing on finding the Innkeeper.

"Excuse me," Blue approached the bartender who, according to the layout of the inn, would likely also double as the innkeeper. "My friend and I are looking for a place to stay for the night. We'll be out of your way in the morning, we promise." The bartender looked her up and down, his expression unreadable as he examined the two mares. He shrugged in response. "I can offer you both a shared room, if that's fine with you."

Blue noted that the stallion who was serving as the bartender/innkeeper had a white coat with black mane. His forelegs were paws instead of hooves, which was an unusual sight to see. When he mentioned the price and Lumi immediately provided the necessary caps, Blue was a little stunned. It seemed that she had a lot to catch up on when it came to currency exchange, but she was thankful for her friend's willingness to assist her. "Alright, seems that you are set then." Blue turned to Lumi. "Let's go up to our room."

Blue and Lumi looked at each other. The bartender had been nice and willing to help, but that quickly changed when he noticed Blue's wings. He let out a sigh, clearly unhappy that he had allowed them to stay here. His demeanor shifted even further and he began to yell. "We don't serve muties! Get the fuck out of my inn, before I get these fellas here to fuck you up and throw you out!" Blue and Lumi both looked stunned. They had no idea what to do in this situation and felt threatened by the bartender's harsh words.

The bartender's eyes were narrowed and he held a shotgun in his hoof. He demanded that they leave the inn immediately, Blue wasted no time in complying. She and Lumi rushed out the door and into the cold night. They both felt tense at being chased out of the inn after being given a room so quickly and with such enthusiasm. As they raced outside, they could feel the gaze of the people who had been in the inn watching them. They felt uneasy, realizing that they were not welcome in this place, and they moved as quickly as they could to get out of sight.

Blue panted as the cold breeze blew through, her breath visible in the air. She took a few moments to catch her breath, shivering from the cold air as she did so. She felt the flakes of snow begin to collect on her coat and in her mane once again after the brief respite from the inn. It seemed like every time that they found some kind of relief from the harsh weather, it would return with a vengeance. She knew they had to keep pushing forward, however, if they were to find the supplies that Genie needed.

Blue let out a small sigh as her stomach rumbled, the hunger pains not doing much to help in her exhausted state. She turned to Lumi, feeling a bit guilty for the situation she had gotten her friend into. "I'm sorry..." She looked down at the snowy ground, her head hanging low. "You sticking with me... I think I'm a problem..." She then paused, her expression changing from sadness to determination. "No, I'm not going to leave you here." She looked back up at Lumi, her expression much more confident. "We're going to make it work."

"We trusted each other this far. I'm not going to let that trust go to waste." Lumi spoke to Blue, her face and tone expressing a sincere and heartfelt message.

"I'm not either." Blue responded, showing confidence and determination in her voice.

Following the scent of sweet aroma coming from an unknown location, Blue followed it, her mouth watering as her stomach rumbled in hunger. The scent was getting stronger, and the snow was getting thicker as she walked. Blue was feeling exhausted, but the aroma was helping to sustain her, keeping her going. As she followed the scent, she knew she was on the right track and getting closer to something good that would help fulfill her stomach and fill her mind with content and relief.

Blue's stomach rumbled intensely, the aroma turning into the scent of delicious food. Her hunger was becoming more and more difficult to ignore. As she followed the scent, she saw a bright light shining through the snow, the warm glow being the welcome sight of a lit fireplace or perhaps even light from a window. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meats filled Blue's nostrils, her mouth watering and stomach growling even louder. It was almost as if the aroma was becoming more than just a scent, becoming a full-blown experience that she couldn't help but desire.

Blue saw a sign in the distance, and the aroma became even stronger as she drew closer to it. The sign read "Hasten's Bakery", and Blue found herself wanting to enter even more desperately. Her mind was filled with the smell and the promise of delicious food that would fill her stomach and provide energy for what she knew was going to be a long and arduous task. A small smile appeared on her face, knowing that this bakery was her sign of hope in such a harsh and unforgiving wasteland.