A Prewar Pegasus pony finds himself with few memories of his past.
A Pegasus pony wakes to find himself in a stable testing room with few memories and only a letter from his sister to remind him of his past, and some un-natural abilities. As he makes new friends and reunites with old friends the true nature of the Forgotten Wasteland gets revealed, as well as signs of other survivors of The Vault's Experiment. Starting with almost less magic than a baby unicorn Silver Aura can only barely use telekinesis and must learn how to use the abilities granted to him by The Vault.
The wasteland: unforgiving for many, death for so many more. It is, however, home to many secrets, one of which was an unmarked stable. This stable, like many others, was meant to serve as a shelter for many ponies. It lay in the far northern part of Equestria, where the only nearby settlement was a burnt out military base. Though one would at first glance think the stable lay abandoned, there was one pony in this stable. That pony was me, and I didn’t even know it; I'd been in an experimental stasis pod since before the bombs fell.
*** *** ***
The stasis pod screeched open with a sound only comparable to that of a banshee’s wail. I fell to the floor still unconscious, unaware that over two hundred years had passed and that everything I knew about the world had drastically changed in that time. When I awoke I found myself staring into what I thought were the eyes of another of the Equestrian Skyguard; I yelped and would have jumped back if I hadn't been lying on my belly on the floor. After the initial shock passed I noticed that something was off: the insectoid armor was there, but there was nopony in it.
As I got up I noticed my reflection in a nearby broken mirror; I was able to look myself over and see that my cutiemark was a winged heart, my coat was snow white, my eyes were a light sky blue, and a light grey spiked mane and tail ‘that color since birth’, almost as spiked as my CO with a mane almost as long as well, How long was I in stasis?. As I looked around the room I saw it was rectangular in shape with a single stasis pod, a window covered in filth, a cabinet, and two doors, one looking like it would never open again (having a dent in it so large that one would think it was hit by a freight train), the other marked with a sign that told me it was an analysis chamber. Turning to look at the stasis pod, I noticed a plate on the bottom of it.
Test Subject #185-SA
Magical Ability Induction Tests
I didn’t understand what it meant at all, but before I could think further on it an automated voice came over the stable’s pa system: “TEST SUBJECT #185-SA, PLEASE REPORT TO TEST ANALYSIS CHAMBER” The voice was without emotion and sounded vaguely like that of a young colt just out of kindergarten.
Needless to say, since I had no idea where I was or even who I was, with only the number on the pod as a clue, I decided to do as the voice had said. I entered the Analysis Chamber only to be met with a small windowless room that had only had a single desk in the middle of it. The desk seemed to have a structure on the back for scanning whoever sat in it, with a pole from the middle back of the seat going up about halfway to the ceiling and all the way down to the floor. The device had 5 metal rings that went out about 90 degrees from either side of the pole and were spaced apart so they evenly separated the pole into 4 even segments.
My legs were starting to get sore as I waited in the doorway for something to happen, so I decided to take a seat at the desk despite the nagging feeling in the back of my head that this was a bad idea. When I sat at the desk the computerized voice spoke again: “COMMENCING ANALYSIS OF TEST EFFECTIVENESS”, after which the rings glowed brightly with a pinkish-purple tinge; there followed a series of beeps, and then a printout emerged from the desk:
=============Begin Report=============
Test Subject #185-SA Analysis
Test subject exhibits signs of wing degradation, may need to relearn how to fly
Test status:........Success
Test Subject shows signs of magical enhancement, may be able to use
rudimentary levitation spell despite being born a pegasus specialized
Pip-Buck required for spell to be used, subject’s files transferred to new
specialized Pip-Buck
WARNING! possible feedback if spell used beyond user’s skill level
Current Pip-Buck Levitation Spell capabilities
levitate lightweight items and weapons
use max of 2 items at a time in telekinesis
=============End Report=============
*** *** ***
I was a in a test of giving a portion of unicorn magic to non-unicorns? I could hardly believe what I had read on that piece of paper. So many of my memories were missing or out of place. I could remember my family, my earth pony mother and two unicorn sisters, but I had no memory of my father. I found what the computer said were my belongings back in “Test Room 18”, as I had found out it was called by the computer. Among my belongings in the cabinet were the rest of the set of armor I had seen the helmet of when I woke, a photo of a light blue mare with rainbow-colored and very spiky hair (I knew her to be my old CO), a jacket with a nameplate on the front that read “Lieutenant Silver Aura” on it (the jacket looked to be similar to that of the pilots in the next item I found, a book called “The Early Days of Flight”), a DataCell, and a PipBuck that looked like it had burnt out from being left on for way too long.
The computerized voice spoke again after I put on the jacket and picked up the PipBuck: “PLEASE DEPOSIT OLD PipBuck ON EQUIPMENT TRAY AND PICK UP REPLACEMENT”. After it had said this, a wall panel I hadn’t noticed before opened and a tray slid out; on the tray were a shiny new looking PipBuck and, surprisingly, a pair of saddlebags.
“Wh-what do I do with these?”I asked, feeling strange that my voice had cracked when I tried to speak
“SADDLEBAGS SUPPLIED TO CARRY PERSONAL BELONGINGS TO YOUR QUARTERS IN IRON HOOVES MILITARY BASE”
Well, that cleared that up. I decided to put the armor into the saddlebags before putting them on. I carefully slipped the PipBuck onto my left foreleg, noticing that it had automatically brought up a user’s manual. After reading through the manual I downloaded the data from the DataCell and read it, discovering that it was a letter to me from one of my sisters
To:Silver Aura From:Rainbow Spring Subject:Good Luck Brother
We all miss you Silvie, and before you reply saying not to call you that mom told me to make this letter memorable so I figure why not make you blush one more time before you start that secret military training or whatever it is. Silver Feather said to remind you about the party we have planned in 2 months and that you should try to get leave for it. We all know how you loved that book so we decided to send you a jacket designed off the picture you were always staring at. We all wish you good luck on the training, or mission, or whatever it is.
As I finished reading the letter, memories of the many fun times I had with my sisters started to return to me. Memories of playing tag in the park, memories of playing dressup (partially against my will), even memories of eating breakfast. The last memory that came back was of when I said goodbye for the last time before coming to this place. That last memory was the most painful to remember, causing me to have tears in my eyes. I kept thinking about the letter for several moments before realizing that I had overlooked something when I had come out of the analysis chamber.
There was only one way out of these 2 rooms, and it was blasted in so badly it probably wouldn’t open even if a Steel Ranger tried to open it. I went over to the door and pressed the button to open it, but nothing happened, not even a whisper of a mechanism coming online. I started to get worried after the third try with the button failed and even the override didn’t work. Did it let me out only to keep me prisoner in this room? I started banging on the door with my hooves as the realization of being trapped finally sunk in. “Let me out you stupid computer! Open the door!” I yelled. I kept banging on the door till the computer’s voice came over the PA System again
“MALFUNCTION IN TEST ROOM 18 DOOR PLEASE BACK AWAY AS FAIL-SAFE IS INITIATED”
At that I backed away, eyes going wide as I herd loud screeching sounds from the door frame. The door slowly moved up till the bulge stopped it, leaving barely enough room underneath for me to get through to the hallway. There was a terminal next to the door and barely enough light to see. As I looked further down the hallway, to the right I found more terminals and test rooms. After reaching a door at the end of the hall I decided to turn around and try to look into the other rooms I had passed.
As I looked into the first one on my right, I was able to see what looked like the skeleton of a pony who was crushed by the ceiling collapsing as they were leaving the analysis room. The pony’s left foreleg seemed to have been thrown across the room to land next to the stasis chamber; an explosion seemed the likely cause of death, as well as the cause of the cave-in.
The next room was on my left and a bit further down the hall; I looked into it I saw another pony skeleton. This one appeared to have fallen out of the stasis pod, and I couldn’t tell if they died getting in or died getting out. I shuddered to think that it might have been me in there instead.
The last room before mine was again further down the hall and this time on my right; looking in, I assumed this room was numbered 17. The stasis pod seemed to still be closed, but as I looked closer I saw another pony skeleton inside the pod. The room must have still had a little power, though, since there was a faint glow from the pod.
I didn’t bother looking into the next room; I already knew what was in it. Beyond Test Room 18 was a stairway leading up to the atrium. There were crates stacked in this room, with a recreational area to the right from where I entered; 2 pool tables were there with military security bots in front of them. The bots were either off or recognized me, because they didn’t move even once. As I looked up I saw that the lights in this room were brighter than the ones in the hallway below. I also saw the overmare's office window on the far wall, as well as, to the left of the window, a sign that read "Cafeteria". Lower, on the far right and far left, were two doors without any indication of what lay beyond them.
Heading to the far left door, I found that it lead to another hall that turned to the left. As I went down the hall I was able to make out a sign next to an empty doorway indicating the Reactor was to the right beyond the sign going straight was another stairway going up. Following the hall up the stairs and to the left again, I was able to make my way to the Cafeteria, which seemed to have no dividing wall between it and the atrium. Two more security bots stood motionless.
*** *** ***
After eating some food from the cafeteria and wandering around aimlessly in the reactor level for what felt like an hour, I finally found my way to the main entrance. As I approached the controls to the giant gear-shaped door, I noticed a terminal on a desk in front of some crates similar to the ones in the atrium. When I got close to the terminal I was disappointed to see that it was rusted and the screen was just as burnt out as my old PipBuck. After making sure the terminal really was dead by pressing the power button about 5 times, I went over to the door controls. As I pulled the switch to open the door I was praying that the door still had power. My prayers were answered with the near deafening sound of the door mechanism coming to life and sliding the gear out of the doorway.
After getting beyond the door, the mechanism began to close it again and nearly took away all the sense of hearing I had. Once the door had closed I looked back and saw that there was no number on the giant gear. I found this to be very strange, since all Stables were supposed to be numbered. I shrugged it off and followed the cave wall to the entrance. As I got outside I noticed the cloud layer covering the sky and wondered if there was a storm planned to happen soon.
Nearby was the wreckage of a military base with a crater just on the other side of it. I remembered this place; I had looked out on this base just before following the science pony into the stable that I decided to call Stable 0 (my new PipBuck seemed to just call it “The Vault”). The last time I saw this base it was in pristine condition, the buildings standing tall without a scratch on them, but now the base was just a shell of what used to be there.
As I approached the base my PipBuck told me it was once “Iron Hooves Military Base”; I hardly recognized it now, but I was still able to make it to the building that housed my quarters. When I pushed the door open I was greeted with a sight I hadn’t seen since before I entered The Vault, and even out on the battlefield it had not been this bad. Corpses were everywhere, some on hooks, some just lying on the ground, some even looking like they had been partially eaten. The room was shaped similarly to most reception areas, with a desk in the middle and on either side stairways leading up to balconies. I saw ponies with strange armor at the top of the stairs to the right (the ones that I knew lead to the officers' quarters and the offices of some of the science ponies) and managed to make my second dumb decision since leaving The Vault.
“You are trespassing on the grounds of the Equestrian Army; state your business or leave now!” I commanded the two unfamiliar ponies. This was probably not the smartest idea given the situation.
They just turned and stared at me, and it was only then that I saw one was a Unicorn mare carrying a revolver while the other was an Earthpony buck with a dagger about half the length of my own leg (which made it a good 9 inches long). I realized all too late that I had made a mistake in judgement. I dove behind the desk just in time for my right flank to get grazed by a 34. caliber round from the revolver.
The pain was as though Celestia herself had jammed a knife made of sunlight into me, but I knew that now was not the time to think about such things. I quickly activated my PipBuck's Eyes Forward Sparkle with my hoof and saw that I had taken a nearly crippling blow to my leg. At least I thought it was that bad since the EFS showed a “severe laceration detected” message on part of the display. My best chance for survival would be to take down the dagger-wielding earth pony and use the dagger against the other pony.
Fortunately luck was on my side as when the dagger pony swung his weapon he just missing my head, leaving an opening for me to headbutt the pony and gain control of the weapon. Without thinking I used it as fast as I could, slicing into the pony’s eyes, blinding him. As luck would have it I had time to get back behind my cover before 3 more shots rang out from the unicorn, causing the wounded earth pony’s head to explode in a gory sticky mess and leaving most of the parts of my coat that weren't covered by my jacket covered in blood and guts instead.
I had decided that using one of these corpses that littered the ground in the room might make enough cover for me to get close to the unicorn pony. But even if I was lucky, it seemed I wasn’t that lucky; the unicorn came around the desk and fired off another shot that hit my left side, knocking me back to the floor.
I thought I was dieing after I felt the bullet hit me, but something didn’t seem right. I know the bullet hit, but I was still alive; I was lying on the floor looking dead, but still alive. That’s when I remembered: I had put the armor into my left saddlebag! I decided, though, that letting the unicorn think she had killed me was the better course of action right now. As she drew closer I held my breath in hopes that she would not figure out I was still alive. I could hear her speaking of all kinds of deranged torture she would do to make sure I was dead. As she got close I struck taking the dagger and jamming it into her chest. Blood spurted out from the wound, covering my face in more of the red sticky mess. She dropped the pistol almost as soon as I plunged the dagger into her.
I had started to search the bodies after the battle when my PipBuck beeped and a message popped up on it: “Radio configuration complete, 1 station found”
“Well, that’s a relief; I thought you found radiation, or another killer pony.” I sighed. Returning to my search, I noticed that both these ponies had bottlecaps on them, which I found strange. I decided to take the 50 caps, as well as the pistol, 15 rounds for it, and a key with the name “Commander Skyhoof” on a name tag.
*** *** ***
I managed to find my way to my quarters in the west wing of the building, running into about 7 more of those ponies with the strange armor. Each one had a few bottlecaps, but mostly they had melee weapons I didn’t need. The dagger seemed to be in the best condition out of all of them. I did, though, find an ammo box with 15 more rounds for the pistol. I had not been willing to use the spell from my PipBuck to levitate the pistol yet, still uncomfortable with my new abilities.
Once in my quarters I went to the bathroom and found my medical box still safe on the wall, with a combination lock that I easily undid. Inside were two healing potions and three bandages. I used some of the bandages on my wound, which still felt like Celestia had put a knife made of sunlight into my side. Then I locked and barricaded the door with my desk, which was luckily right next to the door already. I headed over to the bed and let myself fall forward onto it, wondering just how long I had spent being infused with low level magic in the stasis pod. I quickly fell asleep, feeling at least somewhat safe with the desk blocking the door.
LEVEL UP level 2 New perk:Unnatural Talent(Rank 1):you can now use telekinesis to lift rifles and shotguns, for each rank of this perk a new spell will be unlocked by your unique altered DNA.
“These tests are to increase your fighting ability, we have no idea what the side effects may be. You might never be able to fly again,” the Science Pony was talking to me like I hadn’t understood what I signed up for
“I know the risks, but to help protect Equestria and my family I’m willing to take that risk,” I didn’t really care that the possibility of never flying again was one of the risks.
We were walking through the pristine Iron Hooves base on the way to the stable, and had just left the building that had my quarters. I was wearing my armor, the segmented goggles always did bug me a bit, today it seemed was no different.
As we walked up the road that ran through the middle of the base I could see other ponies some under my command training. I stopped for a moment to speak with them, “ok, listen up everyone, while I’m in The Vault you take your orders from Lieutenant Iron Thorn. You are to at least try to work together with his squad till I return,” most of them seemed to take the news well, except for the youngest member of my squad.
“But sir I joined up to work under you, not under someone else,” she seemed to almost be a fifth leg for me, little Cloudy Melody.
“Cloudy Melody, did you not agree to follow my orders when you joined my squad? If that is the case then you should be able to work with Lieutenant Iron Thorn’s squad till I return,” I reached forward an armored hoof and ruffled her mane with a smile, “do you really think I would abandon my squad?”
She blushed after I said that, I would have thought she had a crush on me, I did know her from somewhere, but the world seemed to be slipping away. What was that loud banging sound?
\\\\\\\ooOoOOoOoo///////
I woke with a start the banging seeming to come from the door I had barricaded. The ponies from yesterday apparently were not alone I decided to stay silent until they left, I don’t think I’m ready for another fight so soon. Then I herd something strange, sounded like muffled screaming, had they gotten a captive? Not wanting to alert them to my presence I tried to use the levitation spell I was supposed to have access to, all I managed to do was give myself a headache. More screams this time louder, and what sounded like running hooves through the hallway, the pounding on my door stopped soon after as whoever was on the other side screamed and I guessed they started running as well. Soon after what sounded like sentry bots could be herd from the other side of the door, leaving The Vault probably activated the security protocols of the base.
Figuring that I wouldn’t be getting back to sleep again anytime soon I decided to see if anything had changed in my quarters. No sooner had I checked under my bed then I found something that triggered a memory from just before when my dream took place, I had stored a special sword from far away in my safe. The only problem was my safe had a key lock, and I didn’t have the key.
I had hoped to have more time before needing to try using magic again, but with a lack of a key and security active in the halls, I didn’t want to waste this opportunity to check the safe. Looking around I managed to find a box of about 10 bobby-pins in one of the end table drawers, and a screwdriver in my saddlebags. Looking further in my saddlebags I found that there was also a full PipBuck maintenance kit in the bottom of the right one, and a magazine on locks.
After reading through the magazine I had a better idea of how to go about unlocking the safe. For the second time today I tried using telekinesis, this time with a bit more success than the first time. I managed to levitate the screwdriver and a bobby-pin long enough to get the safe unlocked(after breaking 3 of them) before I started to get a headache this time. Inside the safe was my sword, a note detailing it, and a DataCore. I loaded the DataCore into my Pip-Buck first and found out it was a picture of my family. I decided to make a printed copy as soon as I possibly could.
The sounds of security outside my door could still be herd, if it weren't for those ponies’ sense of decorating and possible backup this might have been an ok spot to set up shop. But as things were I didn’t want to make a home out of a place where I might get ambushed stepping out the front door. Not to mention wanting to find my family or at least find out they were safe.
While I listened to the security robots taking care of the intruders I worked on getting control over what was currently my only spell, levitating light things at first like the bobby-pin box, or the note about my sword. After a few minutes of practicing I held the note steady in front of me to read it:
============================================
“Dash’s Lightning” Note to Silver Aura
We built the sword to your specifications including the arcano-bolt generator in the handle was difficult to say the least. We were able to build it but the electric charge will need time to recharge after 15 minutes of continuous use. This is due to the small size of the generator so please keep this in mind if you plan to use the blade in difficult combat. The sword’s name is also as you specified, I believe your CO may be flattered by the show of respect in naming the blade after her. However naming this blade such might cause someponies to think you a fool. The design on the base of the blade was also done as you specified. This is one of our finest blades and one of a kind, as the blade was a personal commission you do hold all responsibility should there be trouble over the blade’s creation. We do not know why you chose to go with the generator instead of simply using a electrical enchantment on the blade, but we used the generator even though an enchantment might have been more effective.
============================================
(author’s note:the blade is essentially a Katana Shocksword)
After reading the note I lifted up the blade to inspect it. There was a slight curve to the 23 inch blade, with the cutiemark of Rainbow Dash etched into the base of the blade itself(large enough to be visible but small enough so as not to compromise the integrity of the blade), the handle had a woven grip with a diamond pattern on the side for comfort in the mouth, a switch was near the top of the handle for turning the generator on and off, the bottom end of the handle could be removed with the right tools to perform maintenance on the generator itself. The blade was magnificent in many ways, but in trying out the switch I found that the generator had long died out; if I were to use the blade effectively in battle then some parts would need to be replaced.
I had commissioned this blade according to the note, a blade to show not only respect for ,but also loyalty to, my CO. I wanted to make sure to Keep this blade in good condition, so I slid it back into the sheath and placed the sheath with sword, at my side after putting on my saddlebags. I drew out the dagger from before and made sure it was still in good shape, I didn’t want to use Dash’s Lightning till after getting it’s generator working again. The blade itself had been in good condition, no moisture got into the safe so the blade was untouched by the elements.
After I had checked all my gear and every nook and cranny of my old quarters I listened for the security bots outside the room. It seemed they had returned to patrol mode meaning it was safe for me to leave the room without getting caught in the crossfire, if any. Moving the desk away from the door was just as difficult as putting it in front of the door was. After I moved it I was hesitant to open the door at first, but after reassuring myself and getting my 32. pistol ready I opened the door to see one of the security bots.
It had 4 legs and looked like a robotic version of a pony. “PRESENT IDENTIFICATION” it said in a robotic version of a mare’s voice.
“ummm, my name is Lieutenant Silver Aura”to which it responded with several beeps followed by a “WELCOME BACK SIR” before it moved on to continue it’s patrol. I was relieved that saying my name had worked, the robots must have had some kind of voice recognition system.
Making my way down the hallway I stopped when I saw a door to my left with the name “Commander Skyhoof” in very faded letters next to the door. Floating out the key I unlocked and opened the door to find that half the room beyond had collapsed into the floor below. The room was very much like my own quarters the only difference was that the safe was located in the wall instead of the floor, and it was in plain sight. I carefully navigated my way across the half collapsed floor till I was about 2 feet away from the safe, the floor under the safe had been on the side that collapsed, so that left me with only one way to reach the safe.
Floating out the key again I attempted to unlock the safe, not easy from almost a 90 degree angle. It took me several tries to get the key in the lock, but once I did it opened with a click. Inside the safe were some moldy old books, and 2 bottles of Sunrise Sarsaparilla. I put the Sarsaparilla into my saddlebags and left the books where they were. The base seemed quiet until I left Commander Skyhoof’s quarters.
Right as I got out of the room I was confronted with 2 Security Bots, who then proceeded to tell me I had broken in to a senior officer’s room, and refused to believe me(probably from programming) when I told them I didn’t break in I used the key. Things got pretty loud after that as I ducked back into the room as they readied their weapons.
‘Is every day going to be like this?’ I fired off all 5 shots I had in the 32. and quickly tried to reload. I was low on ammo and needed to get to the armory if I was going to get more. Blasts of magical energy weapons flew into the room, I was lucky to be behind the desk in the room as I shot more bullets at the robots. I herd the sound of several of my bullets hitting one of the bots, after which the amount of lasers being sent into the room was cut in half as the robot I hit started to attack it’s fellow security bot.
As the sound of laser fire died down I peeked out from my hiding spot to see that the robots had destroyed one another. In the place of the robots was 2 smoldering heaps of scrap, I drew closer to them remembering to reload the gun, I only had maybe 10 shots left. When I reached the fallen security bots I checked them for any components I might be able to salvage and use in repairing Dash’s Lightning’s micro generator. Unfortunately most of the parts I was able to salvage were too large to use, I only managed to salvage one of the probable 6 replacement parts I needed.
Carefully making my way through the hallways now I was able to get to the entrance without being detected, now there was only one problem. Three more of the security bots were in front of the doors. Floating out the 32. again I activated S.A.T.S. aiming for the targeting sensor on the middle bot. I lined up 3 shots hoping I would only need one, pulling the trigger. I missed, the first shot went past the middle bot and into the leg of the next one over. The second shot struck home taking out the targeting sensor and sending the bot into a frenzy firring off it’s weapons at the other 2 which then fired back at the middle one managing to take out 2 of them total with that move.
The last robot managed to find me and start firring at me. With the lack of S.A.T.S. I decided to just shoot in the direction of the bot in hopes of disabling it. I did manage to kill it, but not before wasting all but 2 bullets. The 32. caliber gun was not in very good condition anymore. I worried that the next shot might cause it to backfire.
After taking time to scavenge parts from the 3 fallen robots I had a second part I would need to repair the Dash’s Lightning. Flapping my wings quietly I was able to hover about 2 inches off the ground, but my wings were not up for much else at this time. My time in the stasis pod did not do my wings well, they were still somewhat stiff as well. Keeping off the ground let me pass by several more security bots on my way to the armory undetected. Most of them seemed to respond to sounds like the sounds my hooves would make on the floor had I not been hovering(albeit poorly).
Reaching the armory proved to be less of a problem than getting into the armory. The door was locked and Commander Skyhoof’s key didn’t work on this door. My only option was to try to pick the lock like I had done with my own safe. It took only 2 bobby-pins to get into the armory, but once I was in I was greeted with a welcome sight, there was still several assault rifles in the room as well as a good amount of ammo for them and 60 more 32. rounds.
Finding a assault rifle in good condition was a bit harder than expected, but I already knew how to break down a assault rifle for the best parts and use them to repair another. I managed to get one good condition assault rifle to sling over my back, I took all the ammo from the armory, even the 308. rounds for a sniper rifle, never know when different kinds of ammo will come in handy, even just to give it to a squad member.
Leaving the armory was just as stress inducing as sneaking in was. by the time I was finally outside again my face was covered in sweat from trying to keep my hooves off the floor. I was going to need some time for my wings to fully recover from my stay in The Vault. If I was going to leave the base I was going to need to know where I was going, that meant one of two things; either I follow the road to the nearest settlement, or I brave more Security Bots to find a map with some town markers on it.
The map of my PipBuck was useful but, not so much without proper markers on it. Looking at my PipBuck’s map it looked like there was a town or forest a little ways south of the base.
Taking another look around the base I found the old data center and decided to take a look inside. Locked, well, locked doors never seemed to stop me before. Taking out the screwdriver and one of my last 5 bobby-pins I set to work on the door, I only used the one bobby-pin this time, once inside I noticed there was still a good deal of power running to the building. Maybe I hadn’t been gone for very long after all, what I had thought had been a year might actually have been more like 3 months.
As I made my way to the main terminal of the data center I noticed that something seemed off. Even after a year there should have been some science ponies at the very least in here. Memories of working at the base were flooding back as the aftereffect of being in stasis for a long time wore off slowly. I still had large gaps in my memories but the base seemed familiar now. When I reached the terminal and started to access the data I herd a voice I hadn’t herd since the day I entered The Vault.
“Long time no see sir,” the voice was strange, I couldn’t place why, but it sounded off. “Looks like you finally came through on that promise”
“Cloudy Melody!? Where are you?” I was looking in every direction I could but couldn’t see her.
“I’m in the basement, in the secret stasis pod. Let me tell you, being stuck able to see everything around the base for 200 years is not fun,” she spoke like it was every day she did stuff like this, and what did she mean 200 years?
“Wha, two... two-hundred... I...I’ve been... for 200? What do you mean 200 years!?”
“Calm down sir, yes 200 years. when you went into The Vault I started doing some snooping around the base. Before you tell me off let me finish my story,” she had no idea how much I wanted to tell her off for disobeying orders, “I found out about this stasis pod and snuck in here got in the pod and when I did, hoo boy that pod was crazy. I set it to wake me when you were supposed to return from The Vault, but instead of waking me it just connected me to the mainframe of the base, or what was left of it. Outside was bathed in radiation so the pod had used a fail-safe that conflicted with my preset exit date for the pod, so I’ve been conscious all this time while my body remained perfectly safe down below. The science ponies apparently had tried to get me out of the pod on multiple occasions, but I reset the password so they wouldn’t be able to get in. And since nobody on this base ever took the time to get to know me it wasn’t hard to make the password something they would never guess.” The speakers did not do her voice justice, it sounded like what would be best described as Pinkie Pie with about half the softness of Fluttershy, a sound that would have been very pleasing to the ears had it not been for the static overtone from the speakers.
I facehooved and asked, “is the password ‘Silver Aura is awesome’? And also why did you disobey my orders and try to follow me into stasis!?”
She gasped, or whatever the closest sound to a gasp could be from a computer speaker, ”How did you know? I set that password so long ago and after you left. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t ‘try’ to follow you, I did follow you. Anyway the only way I can get out of this pod is if you disconnect me from the system then disengage the stasis systems manually. Before you ask, having access to the entire mainframe can reveal quite a lot of the technical details on these things.”
I was still in shock over the amount of time that had passed, and she was asking me to let her out of a stasis pod like it was the most natural thing in the world. ”Before I get you out, can you tell me why I found these on everypony I met in the main building?” I brought out the 50 bottle caps I took from the dead ponies from earlier, I figured I wouldn’t need anymore than that to find out why they seemed to be collecting them.
“oh those, that’s what ponies use for money now, at least that’s what I saw those ponies giving each other in exchange for ammo and weapons. I was able to hear some ponies on the edge of the base talking about raiders when they mentioned the base, I think those ponies you met were the raiders”
“Ok, so, what about the security bots turning on me after I went through Commander Skyhoof’s room?” It seemed strange that they turned on me now that I knew she was in control.
“well you know how I have access to the mainframe?” and without waiting for my response she continued, ”well, the mainframe and security center lost connection to each other when the bombs fell.”
That cleared that up, “so, and I’m trying to stay calm now, it has been 200 years since I entered The Vault, there are raiders, security bots shot at me because you didn’t have access to the security center, and not to mention I need to get you out of stasis. Did I miss anything?” I was panicking inside from all of this information all at once.
“Well, there’s also bottle caps being used for money but other than that I think you got everything,” I stared at the terminal with a unamused face and in response she just laughed saying, “what, you asked, now can you please get me out of this stasis pod? Here I’ll open the basement hatch,” I herd a click and a hiss in the corner of the room as a passage in the wall opened up revealing stairs leading down below the base.
Following the stairs down deep under the base I found the room where Cloudy Melody was, the room looked almost untouched, there was a row of data banks along the left and right walls. In the middle of the room was a stasis pod very much unlike mine was, this one looked more like a virtual reality pod that was altered to serve as a stasis pod as well, I could understand now why I needed to disconnect her from the mainframe first. Moving slowly toward the pod I was amazed how well this room held up over the years.
When I reached the terminal I asked “anything you want to say before I begin?”
No response, I guessed that there were no speakers in here for her to use to talk to me. I set to work disconnecting her from the mainframe, so far so good, no errors or warnings. When the terminal told me the disconnect was complete I began the manual emergency release system. When I told it to do this the pod hissed as it unlocked the emergency latches and a handle extended from the side of the pod. Grabbing the handle in my mouth I began to lift and tug until the pod was open and I was looking upon Cloudy Melody again.
She yawned and stretched, she looked like she had when I entered The Vault. Seeing her I sighed in relief, she was a Unicorn, about 2 years younger than myself (21 when I entered The Vault), her mane was curly in the back and spiked in the front, her tail looked to be slightly spiky toward the top and went into a gentle curl near the bottom. Her mane and tail were a light ginger color, her coat a gentle lavender, with a cutiemark of 3 musical notes peeking out from behind a cloud, and her eyes were cherry red.
If I hadn’t known it had been 200 years I might not have noticed any of this. But a lot can change in 200 years, even if I only just found out it had been that long.
LEVEL UP Level 3 New Perk:Diagnostic Mind(1):With this perk it becomes easier to diagnose errors in machinery or injuries, for each rank you gain a permanent boost of 5 to Science and Medicine
Luck, if you can call it that, works strangely in your favor if you let it. After Cloudy Melody and I got back to the surface, and I had overcome most of the shock of learning of the wasteland, we found a trader. He was passing through the base when we emerged from the data center; nearly scared him out of his barding.
As we approached I opened my mouth to speak but he spoke first in a deep voice, “Well this is new, never saw ‘nypony come outta’ that buildin’. Well afore now that is,” I couldn't quite place his accent, “so ‘ow did ya come to be in there?”
Cloudy Melody responded before I could open my mouth to respond, looked to be one of those days. “We were exploring the ruins to try to find items worth trading,” I gave her an odd look, “but we ran low on supplies and don’t know where the nearest settlement is.” Whatever she was trying to do it worked, because soon after she finished the trader pony told us he would let us accompany him to the next settlement on his route if we agreed to protect him along the way..
Before anyone else could speak after he set the terms I spoke up, “That sounds good but, I think we will need to get some barding of some sort for my companion here,” the fact that this trader pony didn’t have a guard already was bothering me. If he needed protection from here to the next settlement and knew it then why was he here alone? “We will come let you know if we find some in the ruins.”
What he said next surprised me, “No need ah’ ‘ave some combat barding from trading with the raider ponies ‘ere.” Cloudy Melody gave me a worried look, probably thinking I was going to gun him down for helping raiders, instead I asked a question of him.
“What do you want in exchange for it?” He looked at me as though sizing me up for a moment.
“Normally ah’ would say 100 bottlecaps,” ok, so it was the new currency,” but seeing as you will be givin’ me protection ah’ think I could let ya ‘ave it for free, and if ya die then ah’ just put it back in my inventory”
“I guess that sounds fair, and if we survive till the settlement?” I thought this sounded almost too good to be true.
“then the barding is yours fer keeps,” I nodded and then helped Cloudy Melody to put on the combat barding. It covered her chest, flanks, and legs very well. the armor had come with a triple saddlebag setup, one on either side of her, and one smaller one over her back. After we got her in the armor, I asked the trader about what else he had with him and he showed me his wares.
After looking through his inventory I had purchased 2 parts he considered mere junk for relatively cheep. I now had 4 of 6 parts needed for the Dash’s Lightning and still had 42 caps.
As we began to head out on the road the trader asked “so, why is a pegasus like ya down ‘ere anyway, don’t think ah’ve not noticed ya feathers peaking out from under that jacket”
“well, not like I was trying to hide it, just forgot to put my wings through their sleeves” I responded not seeing why it would be a big deal, but apparently it was. We had only just left the base and I had a feeling we would be talking most of the way, if not fighting.
“Ah’ve met pegasi ‘afore, they ‘ad a settlement in the mountains, ‘ad a stable for some o’ their leaders. That begs the question though, where is ya branding, or are ya a hunter for the Pegasus Enclave looking for deserter ponies?”
“What’s the Pegasus Enclave? I work, well, worked under the command of Rainbow Dash, if those Enclave ponies are hunting down ponies then it doesn’t sound like they are ponies I want to meet. They also don’t sound like the kind of ponies that Rainbow Dash would like either.” We were nearing a bridge by now, and so far no sign of any real dangers out here.
“Ya can’t tell me that ya were really in the war, that was 200 years ago. Only Goul Ponies be left from that time.”
“Well we are both from that time, and I followed him into stasis just to be with him. I couldn’t stand not to be with Silver Aura,” Cloudy Melody sure doesn’t waste time in telling strangers somewhat more personal topics.
“Ah still think ya be pullin my leg, but fine, if that be the case then why is ya cutiemark a cloud with musical notes, ah’ don’t think those ruins were for entertainment missy.” He was right about that but I wasn’t going to say anything, I was curious about this as well.
“well, it’s kinda a long story, but here it goes”
___---POV change, Cloudy Melody---___
It started when I finally got accepted to the Equestrian Army, I was supposed to be in the boot camp, but I was always a bit eager to get right to the action. That usually got me in trouble but I was allowed to stay based on my skills in the training exercises. One day I was transferred to a field base for “special training” as they called it, but I have a feeling it was just because they didn’t want to put up with me anymore and hoped I got killed by a zebra.
At the field base it was almost the same story, except for Silver Aura being there. Despite what the higher officers told him he still chose me for his squad.
~~Well I knew you from school when we were younger, I knew you could be very helpful. Even if your judgement wasn’t always the best~~
Don’t interrupt, I’m telling this story! Now where was I? Ah, yes, the field base.
Soon after he chose me for his squad there was a battle. I ran out onto the battlefield even though I was supposed to be training at the base. I had never been in a real battle before that and I almost wound up dead, probably would have been killed if it weren’t for Silver Aura.
I was in the middle of the battlefield in a trench and severely injured, there were other injured ponies there with me and things were looking bad. We all thought we were done for, there wasn’t a Ministry of Peace pony anywhere nearby. It looked to be the darkest hour for me and the other ponies in the trench.
~~That still don’t esplain’ how ya got ya cutiemark, or even how ya survived~~
I’m getting to that! I began to sing in that trench, quietly at first, just trying to keep some hope that we would be rescued. I kept singing and eventually the other injured ponies started to join in one by one. It wasn’t really a specific song, but it did give us hope. We kept singing till Silver Aura found us with a Search and Rescue team.
Even after they found us we kept singing, all of us did until everyone else passed out from exhaustion. Even after everyone else stopped singing I kept going till we were back at the base. Back at the base I passed out after seeing Silver Aura’s smile. I later found out that he had carried me back himself. But what really made me smile after I woke up was Silver Aura telling me that when the team found us, it was because of our singing, and that when he lifted me out of the trench, I had my cutiemark.
To this day I still don’t fully understand what it means, but I have a feeling it’s something good.
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
“That’s because it does mean something good. That cutiemark shows that you are a beacon of hope in even the darkest of times. You got that cutiemark because you managed to help the injured ponies around you regain hope for rescue.” I started to explain to Cloudy Melody
“How do you know? I thought they still had some hope at that time”
“I know because your story brought back memories of my time at that base, when each of the ponies awoke they said they had lost hope for rescue before you started to sing. Even if it wasn’t any song in particular your singing brought back hope of rescue to them.” I smiled at her and gave her a pat on the back with my hoof.
“well, that clears up the mystery for ya missy. Now what about ya cutiemark mister pegasus.”
“I... don’t really remember how I got mine, I barley remember much of my past, before The Vault.”
“Ah’m sorry to ‘ear that, sounds like ya got yaself some amnesia. Ah’m sure it will come back to ya in time.”
“I hope you’re right, what about you? What’s your cutiemark?” I asked the trader
“Afore ah tell ya ah must say that ah’m not proud of it, ah never show anypony under normal circumstances. Ah got mah’ cutiemark when ah was still a raider,” He stopped and moved some of his leather barding covering his flank. The cutiemark looked like it shouldn't have even been called a cutiemark. It looked to be a pony’s corpse impaled on several spikes with a pool of blood at the bottom of them. “Ah got it fer, well, ya can probably guess what it was fer. ‘Bout a year after gettin it ah decided that the life of a raider was not fer me. That’s when ah became a trader and started to cover my cutiemark so nopony would ever know bout mah questionable past.” After telling and showing us it he put his leather barding back in place.
We were starting to come up on some buildings that looked to be mostly ruined. It looked like it might have been a big city back when I was at the base. I started to wonder what the trader had meant earlier about hunters for some Pegasus Enclave. I wondered if they were in the buildings waiting to attack anyone who came near.
“So, who are the Pegasus Enclave hunting? I know you said deserters but who?” I was very curious about this.
“They are huntin the Dashites, more specifically they want to hunt down Dashites before they join the Dashite Unity.”he told us. “Who, or what are the Dashites?” me and Cloudy Melody asked in unison, which showed that even she didn’t know everything about the wasteland.
“They are Pegasus Ponies who left the Enclave to come down to the wasteland and try to help us earthbound ponies, following the example of Rainbow Dash when the bomb hit cloudsdale. Whenever a Dashite is found by the Enclave above the clouds they get branded with a brand in the shape of Rainbow Dash’s cutiemark. The Dashite Unity is a group that formed to help organise the Dashites here in the forgotten wastes. They work toward helping everypony they can here, they were the ones who helped me change mah ways.”
“The Dashites sound like very good ponies, I know I would never betray Rainbow Dash. That’s why I had this made”I floated the Dash’s Lightning out of the sheath and showed it to the trader.
“That’s a pretty amazing blade, anypony who would have a blade like that made is one good pony in mah books. This sword may prove ya to be a Dashite without the brandin. However if ya go above the clouds and are spotted then ya might receive one.” I put the Dash’s Lightning away after showing him.
*** *** ***
We reached the settlement with little combat, and the trader kept his word and let us keep the combat armor, and as a bonus he also gave us 100 caps. “anythin’ ta help the Dashite Cause” was his reason for the bonus.
I checked the map on my Pipbuck and saw that it labeled the settlement as “Sunset Bay”. Before we parted ways with the trader he told us that we could probably ask around the town for more information on how to improve our map so we don’t get lost again. We thanked him and entered entered the town gates.
LEVEL UP Level 4 New Perk:Interrogator; you gained the ability to extract information with as little conflict as possible, this perk adds unique dialogue options to some ponies, and raises speech by 5 Spell Level:Telekinesis level 2; you can levitate items easier without as much strain on your mind, and body.
Only word that really sums up this town, the buildings were made of scrap and wreckage of the city. The town seemed to mainly consist of a street leading to the river, and a single street to either side. Some of the ponies here looked to be like something out of a horror movie, my first reaction was to try to get my assault rifle out but Cloudy Melody stopped me.
“They're ghoul ponies, I’ve seen some before through the cameras. Anyway we need to get some ammo don’t we, and some directions.” I hated to admit it but she was right.
“What the heck are Ghoul ponies!?”I didn’t like the looks of them if she meant those zombie like things.
“They are ponies that were unfortunate enough to get caught in the blast of a balefire bomb, and not die from it. All the ghouls in this town are not feral though, so you have nothing to worry from them.” A strange pony with a green coat and mane to match told us before walking off into a store. At least I think it was a store, I couldn’t really read the sign out front as most of it seemed to have fallen to the ground to be swept into the pile of rubble. many of the other building’s signs looked in similar shape. The buildings didn’t seem to be faring much better.
Calming down I said to Cloudy Melody “Well, where do we go first? I don’t suppose you know where the shops are.” After I said that one of the Ghoul Ponies walked up to us
“Oh, you two look new, I’ve never seen you around here before. I’m called Tigerlilly I run the inn.” She certainly seemed energetic, for looking like a zombie,”wait a minute, you look familiar, have we met before?”
“uhh, I’m not sure wh...”
“I RECOGNISE YOU NOW! You’re that Equestrian Skyguard guy who always gave me a big tip when I worked in the diner near here, Silver something” she was THAT Tigerlilly!?
“H-how did you live for so long!?” Cloudy Melody never told me that someponies survived like this.
“Not here, let’s get you in to the inn, hurry” for looking like a corpse she sure could pull hard Cloudy Melody followed behind me looking as confused as I felt.
Inside the inn she kept pulling till the three of us were in a back room and she closed the door, “What was that all about?”Cloudy Melody voiced the question that was buzzing through my mind.
“Sorry, but I couldn't let the Pegasus Enclave hunters find you, if they did then you would probably be killed on sight. Do you have your armor still?” now I was even more confused than ever.
“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down, what’s this about Pegasus Enclave hunters? and yea I still have my armor but I doubt they still use the same design now.” I didn’t know what this was about, but I had a feeling that I was about to find out.
“if you’re going to head out put on your armor, the Pegasus Enclave won’t attack if you’ve got the armor on. They chose to take over this town because of the river, it’s their main supply route for getting goods from the surface while they hunt down Dashites.”
“Let me stop you there, I’m guessing you want us to do something about it. I’ll bet you expect us to go in armed as we are too.” I was skeptical if this was really what she wanted but it seemed likely that if she was keeping us hidden from the Enclave right now that she didn’t like them being here.
“Well...ummm...yea, I was going to ask you to help sabotage the supply routes or the Enclave camp here. But I wasn't going to send you in armed as you are now, you can each take your pick of one weapon I have back here.” She lead us over to a box that had several guns in it, mostly just more assault rifles and ammo for them.”Take your pick.”
“I think I’ll take an assault rifle” Cloudy Melody was giggling as she took one and slung it over her back. I chose just to take enough ammo for the both of us, I didn’t need another assault rifle.
“So how do we get into the camp? and why do you want them gone?” I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be simple as walking through the gate and cutting a wire.
“Well...if you are going to be helping anyway I guess you would find out sooner or later anyway...very few ponies in town want the Enclave here, but most are too scared to do anything about it.”she started to explain, “you should be able to get into their camp wearing your armor, they might think it strange that you use such an old armor but you should be ok for the most part.”
“One more question... Why should I trust you?”I had a feeling Cloudy Melody was about to say something about how because I knew her 200 years ago I should trust her now.
“How can you ask that Silver Aura!? If you knew her 200 years ago why not trust her now?” thank you, and goodnight.
“No, Miss Melody, he has good reason to doubt me. You would do well to learn from his example, few ponies in the wasteland are truly trustworthy. The merchant with the Skewered Pony Cutiemark for instance. He would sooner turn you into the Enclave than help you willingly. He lead many naive Dashites to this town before only to have them captured by the Enclave, they were Dashites that had only just left the clouds as well.” her story would explain why he had lead us here, he probably thought we would get killed or captured by the Enclave. Him believing us must have been a part of the ruse to get us here. ”He didn’t count on you having the armor, you should be able to sneak in, set free the captives, and shut down the Enclave base here without them realising it.” well, she was starting to gain my trust, but I still didn’t like this idea.
“Fine, we’ll do it. For the Dashites, I like what I’ve heard of them so far. It will be nice to meet some in person” I was still a bit reluctant but it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go.
*** *** ***
The armor felt like it needed some serious maintenance. Not only did the tail spike keep flickering, but as I had crashed at least once or twice in this armor during battle the built in magical energy weapons were of no use at all ,most having broken off completely long ago. Getting to the south gates was the easy part, getting through them proved to be only slightly harder as Cloudy Melody was not being cooperative.
As it would turn out Cloudy Melody being uncooperative helped me get inside with her, but now the Enclave thought I had her as a captive. I really hoped that I would be able to get through this with little resistance. My hopes were confirmed up until I reached the prisoner cells.
They were in the ruins of an old bank, all the prisoners were behind the bars of the vault. Many of them were Pegasus Ponies with a branding of Rainbow Dash’s Cutiemark over their own Cutiemarks. There was around 20 ponies in the vault, 5 of which were unicorn ponies that were probably from the town itself, if I could free them then we might be able to work together to take down the base.
“Another rebel huh, take her weapons and throw her in the cage”a male Enclave pony to the right of the cell door said. A female Enclave pony to the left moved forward to confiscate Cloudy Melody’s assault rifle, I had been told to take her ammo at the gate to the compound so that was safely stowed in my saddlebags.
“Hand it over” I said to Cloudy Melody, things seemed to be according to plan and so far I counted about 10 Enclave ponies in the base total. If we could set free the captives then maybe they would be able to not only take out the Enclave base here but take it over. I did hope that if they did take over then they would be friendly like Tigerlilly was.
After I saw that Cloudy Melody was in the cell with the other ponies I left to find where the Comm Tower for the base was. According to Tigerlilly it could be rewired to be usable by the Dashite Unity. I still didn’t know why I chose to help Tigerlilly, this could turn into my grave if I wasn’t careful.
Sneaking around the base was...difficult to say the least. There were more Enclave ponies the further in I went. Defiling the armor they wore, the armor that was made to help the Pegasus ponies to protect Equestria from the Zebras, now being used by Pegasus ponies that were hunting down the ones who followed Rainbow Dash and chose to help the ponies that could not fly. I could not let this stand but I had to remember why I was here, reprogram or destroy the comms array, rescue the captives, destroy the Enclave supply building.
How I was going to destroy the building I didn’t know, but I had hoped there would be explosives in it. Passing by a warehouse(number 17 according to the number on the doors) I saw the comms tent and further beyond that I could see a heavily guarded building. It stood several stories tall, probably the harbor control center. From what Tigerlilly told me the supply building would be the second warehouse from number 17.
Walking casually as I could from warehouse 17 to warehouse 18 re-enforced in my mind what Tigerlilly said about wearing the armor helping with sneaking around. The Enclave ponies didn’t seem to notice that I wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t until I reached warehouse 19 that I ran into a bit of trouble. The warehouse guards were checking dogtags before letting anyone in, not to mention the only stealth weapon I had was not currently usable, not without a replacement gem and replacement connector for the gem.
I waited till the guards left between shifts, hoping that when they did there would be an opening for me to get into the building. While I waited I reflected on the plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“The supply building is in the back of their base, warehouse 19. You should be able to reach it by going around warehouse 17 and then following the waterfront past the other warehouses. Before you can get into it a trap will need to be set, Cloudy Melody that’s where you come in. The Enclave will probably tell Silver Aura to take you to the prison in the base, in there you will need to unlock whatever they are keeping the captives in and take out the guards quietly then wait for the signal to attack from Silver Aura.” Tigerlilly stated as the plan
“What will the signal be? I won’t know if it’s time to attack if I don’t know what the signal is.”
“I hadn't thought of that, I guess that’s up to Silver Aura.”
“I’ll blow up the supply building, the explosion should take out some of the Enclave’s numbers in the base as well as being loud enough to be herd even if you are several stories underground. If I can find explosives in the supply building.”
“That sounds like a good signal, while the 2 of you are in the base I will be getting some of the other citizens here ready in case the Enclave decides to attack out here when the signal is given. I should be able to get around 20 people together by the time you set off the signal.”
“What about if they try to call for help when the attack starts? I doubt we can take on a full attack force with just a few weapons and 20 ponies.”I was doubting if this plan was going to work.
“That’s why you also have to either reprogram or disable their comms tower. I’m not sure where it would be in the base though.”
“Well... let’s get going then” after that I put on my armor and we set out to the gate that lead to the harbor being used by the Enclave as a base.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The plan seemed harder and harder to pull off as time went by. I was starting to think that heading back to the comms tent to take out the comm tower would be better to do than to wait for an opening when it came. The guards at the door to the warehouse left, when they were far enough I dashed over and got into the building. I was lucky again, right near the door was a crate of grenades. Taking several I creeped my way through the building planting them in key locations.
As I set the grenades about the building I took a few supplies for myself and Cloudy Melody, 5 recovery potions, 3 sets of bandages, and a medical brace. When I set the last grenade I found a crate marked “laser rifles” looking inside I found only one badly damaged rifle, it was also missing it’s gem and wouldn’t work. however the gem connector was intact and probably salvageable. Reaching into the crate I took the rifle and slung it over my back to take apart later.
Back at the crate of grenades I got ready to set them off and using some string on the ground I tied a grenade up so I could pull the pin from the doorway. Getting ready to run I pulled the pin and dashed out of the building like it was on fire, leaving 2 confused guards at the doorway. The next shift must have started, as I got around the corner of warehouse 18, number 19 exploded sending shrapnel and bodies everywhere. It was deafening from where I was.
Soon after regaining my hearing I herd gunshots coming from the directions of the town, Cloudy Melody must have been successful, but I still had one more thing to do before rejoining her. Sneaking around to the comms tent I noticed that the area was not as well guarded as it was earlier. Once I got to the tent I saw that there were only 3 Enclave ponies inside.
Activating S.A.T.S., I fired at the muzzles of 2 of them that were staring at me, striking one of the weak points of the armor. The third pony was cowering in a corner, probably a recruit who hadn’t been on the surface long, I walked over to them and asked “what’s the password for the terminal?”
Apparently the pony was a mare and as I suspected hadn't been on the surface long. “Th-the password is Cloudkiller, the name of our commander,” I guessed if she wasn’t so scared that her armor was likely to rust near her flank she probably wouldn’t have told me it was the name of the commander. “P-p-please I didn’t even want to join the Enclave, I wanted to follow my best friend as a Dashite.”
I couldn’t understand why but when she said that I believed her. “If you really want to be a Dashite how bout starting with removing that armor. You likely won’t live long if you keep it on when the others get here.” We could both hear the battle on the other side of the base, slowly getting closer and louder. I punched in the password and disabled the comms array until the Dashite Unity can re-purpose it. “You most likely will need to prove your really a Dashite to the other pegasi, I can’t help with that as I only recently arrived myself.”
As she took off her armor I couldn't help but notice her cutiemark, it was glowing as though it had only just appeared. Was she another late gainer like Cloudy Melody? “Your cutiemark is rather interesting.” I said pointing at her flank at the rainbow colored... it looked like a terminal... there was also a scroll coming from the terminal as though a cross between tech and retro.
“What do you mean? I don’t have a...” she stopped as she stared at her flank “OHMYGOSH! I GOT MY CUTIEMARK!” it felt like I was looking at a Pegasus version of Rainbow Spring when she got her cutiemark. I also felt... well... happy, it felt almost like I was back home again, almost like I wasn’t in a wasteland with death nearby. When she calmed down she said “When you told me that I would need to prove myself I remembered collecting records and stuff back in the clouds for fun, and how I could remember any obscure fact I knew off the top of my head. Oh I almost forgot to introduce myself, I’m Iridescence, but I preferred to go by Iria(Eye-rah). Umm, th-thank you for not shooting me.”
I will admit, she did look cute when she said that, her magenta coat masking her blushing only slightly. Her pink mane fell into her face, covering one of her light purple eyes, after she said it which just added to her cuteness in my mind. “You know, you really remind my of my sister, but she was a pink unicorn about a year older than me.” the battle was probably 2 warehouses away now, the conversation had distracted us as the battle drew closer.
“Sounds like they are almost here, the Enclave can’t find us, not with my armor off.”she was getting scared again, it really feels like she were a younger pegasus version of my sister. This felt strangely comforting.
“well, then you better hide under them... they weren't friends of yours were they?” I had shot them down without thinking, now I felt like it might not have been the best idea.
“Actually...”oh great, I killed her friends, “they were always mean to me, always calling me a mess up or a blank flank, I never really had any friends in the Enclave after my best friend left, she was the only one who really understood me... I miss her.” she looked about to cry but I couldn't comfort her right now, not with the battle growing closer.
One warehouse away now, I dove toward her dragging her to the corpses and I quickly put her under them saying, “be quiet until you hear from me, I need to hide somewhere nearby and I don’t want you to get caught.” after that I moved quickly to find a spot just outside the tent where I can hear what happens in it and still be hidden. I was only just in time as the battle reached the command tower, the Enclave ponies retreating while they fired back on what looked to be the entire population of the town as well as the ponies we rescued.
Leading the town’s forces was Tigerlilly, and at the front of the rescued ponies was Cloudy Melody, wearing her combat armor again and firing the assault rifle like she had unlimited clips for the thing. I had a feeling I would need to teach her moderation with her shooting and ammo consumption. Three of the Enclave ponies went into the tent, when I herd their voices they sounded pissed. “We need to call reinforcements” a male pony from the sounds of it ”where is that little twerp with the password?”
“Looks like she finally went after that traitor Dashite, what was her name?” a female voice, sounded almost sensual in a insane kill you on sight sort of way. “Oh wait, her name doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we kill both of them on sight now.”
“Oh, look what I found it looks like the little traitor hiding under our fallen brethren.” another male, this one sounded crazier than the other 2 combined. “Let’s kill her after we get the code”
CRAP! They were going to kill Iria, I can’t let them do this! “Don’t touch her!”I screamed running through the door with my own assault rifle floating in the air next to me. I had the rifle trained on the muzzle of the pegasus who had Iria by the tail my wings out to block the entrance of the tent. Soon after I screamed and was in the entrance of the tent Cloudy Melody was galloping with 2 other unicorns toward the tent.
“Good to see you’re still alive Sir, and I see you’re getting a hang of using magic, or at least telekinesis.” Even now she fails to notice that the Enclave are about to try and kill someone!? “oh, who is she?” she points to Iria “I don’t think you Enclave ponies know this but we’re the good guys and from where I’m standing you look like the bad guys.”
“Kill them” I figured the female enclave pony was going to say that. I opened fire taking out the pony with his hoof on Iria’s tail, almost at the same time as the enemy taking aim Cloudy Melody fired on the female and one of the other 2 unicorns took down the remaining Enclave pony.
“Th-thank you. I was scared they were going to kill me even with you there” I couldn’t help but to give her a hug, wrapping a foreleg over her and squeezing.
“I would never let anything happen to someone who reminded me so much of my sister, Rainbow Spring.” I broke the hug then turned to Cloudy Melody and gave her a hug as well, “thank you for coming over to help, are they 2 of the rescued ponies?”
“Yea, but that’s not the best part, they are both members of the Dashite Unity, the Enclave locked up their armor in the command center though. Apparently there are ponies of all kinds in the Dashite Unity.”
“Well, let’s go get the armor then. I think with the battle this close the building should be empty.” I started to lead the way out when Iria stopped me.
“It won’t be that easy, they protect anything they keep in there with at least 2 guards and several turrets. Usually more if the base is under attack.” Iria looked like she really didn’t think going in there was a good idea. “not to mention I don’t know where they keep the stuff they take from prisoners in there. I just know they put it in the building.”
“We’ll have to find someone who does and get the info from them then. Try to be stealth as possible till we get the armor location, if an Enclave pony shoots at you, shoot back.” This wasn’t my first covert mission to retrieve something in the heat of battle. And this battle was bringing up lost memories of many of the battles I had been in. I still couldn’t really remember them properly, but I could remember enough to be able to think straight here. “Let’s Go, and remember to stick to the shadows, take down a guard quietly to not alert the others.”
*** *** ***
Twelve guards, that’s how many we took down trying to find somepony that would tell us where the armor was. Now we were nearing the commander’s room of the base, all 5 of us still alive, and for once it wasn’t because of luck that we were doing so well. The Dashite Unity unicorns were very well trained, taking down more than their fair share of the guards using their horns to impale the Enclave ponies through the skull.
The commander’s room was locked but not a problem. only took one broken bobby pin to get in, inside the room was Cloudkiller, and 2 guards. Cloudy Melody and I took down the guards simultaneously aiming for the muzzles of each of them. The other Dashite Unity unicorns moved to guard the door, Iria followed me and Cloudy Melody to the desk that Cloudkiller was behind, looking like he didn’t care that the Enclave ponies under his command were getting killed.
“So, you finally turned traitor Iridescence. I wondered how long it would take, and I see your cutiemark reflects your choice.” He sounded too calm for someone at gunpoint.
“Enough, Iria has chosen to help us, so you can’t continue treating her as you did. If you do you will have to answer to us.” I really didn’t like this guy.
“Really, another traitor among the group? Why do you stand up for her, were you not one of the soldiers who made fun of her on a regular basis?” He couldn’t tell I was not one of them?
Removing my helmet I looked him straight face to face. My mane falling down having been tucked into my helmet to help with sneaking around the base, and to keep from having further gaps in defence in the back of my head. “I was never one of you, I am Silver Aura and if you thought they were floating the gun next to me, guess what, that’s me as well.” I herd a gasp from my right, where Iria was when I said my name and took my helmet off. “I’m the one asking the questions here now. Where is the Dashite Unity armor, and I recommend you talk fast.”
“Do you really think threats will get you anywhere? I won’t be persuaded so easily. Do what you want, I will not tell you a thing.” time for plan B
“Say word reaches your commanding officers that you just sat back and let your subordinates get killed. Do you really think they would accept you back after hearing of that? Tell us where the armor is and we will at least act like you did something to try to hold us off.”
“You wouldn’t do that, even if I did tell you where the armor was.”
“Your choice, tell us and have a chance of keeping face with your Commanding Officer, or we will find it on our own causing even more of a hit to your reputation and possible dishonorable discharge.”
“Fine, the armor is being stored in the basement the security code is 71842”
“Good choice, let’s go and put on a show for the cameras.” We charged out of the room like we were running from him, and we soon reached the basement door without running into anymore guards.”Get ready, if the guards are all down there then we have a bit of a fight ahead of us.”
We ran down the stairs and burst through the door at the bottom to find that only 2 inactive turrets were down here, and no Enclave ponies. “Don’t suppose they retreated while we were with Cloudkiller do you?” Iria asked.
“I don’t know, but we should try the security code in the terminal over there.” I was pointing at a single terminal next to the door behind the turrets. Moving over to it I put in the code and was smiling when it worked and the terminal had an option to unlock the door and options for the turrets. I unlocked the door and saw beyond were dozens of sets of Combat Armor, they must have captured a supply caravan that was taking some armor to other Dashite Unity members.
There was more armor here than would fit just the 20 we saved. The armor was a light blue, on the chest and flank armor parts Rainbow Dash’s cutiemark could clearly be seen having been painted there, just above the middle saddlebag on the armor was a small extra piece of armor with an image of Rainbow Dash herself painted on it. All of the armor screamed Dashite.
Taking as much of the armor as we could carry out of the room and to the front entrance of the building we met face to face with one of the pegasus ponies we rescued. “It is good to meet you, our rescuers. Ah who is this little pegasus with you Silver Aura?” The male pegasus spoke with a kind but strong voice, I had a feeling he might have been a Dashite Unity commander. The other Dashites and citizens were pileing up the bodies of the dead removing the armor from them as well. I suspected they were going to do a mass cremation, most likely so the bodies did not rot and cause more problems.
“Wait, how did you know my name? I never met you outside bringing Cloudy Melody to the cell to break you out.” This was just too creepy.
“Well, Cloudy Melody told us about you and herself being here to rescue us. After what happened here I believe you are indeed a great pony, also I am Shinkaru a commander in the Dashite Unity. Now can you please answer my question?”
“Her name is Iridescence but she prefers to go by Iria. She is a new Dashite, and she got her cutiemark just before the battle reached the comms tent. The new password is ‘DashitesUnite’ capital D capital U one word, I figured that would be a good password for the Dashite Unity.”
“Well, without the brand to show you are both true Dashites, I’m afraid not even Iria can join our ranks, Cloudy Melody is welcome to join though as she helped us escape.” The commander seemed slightly arrogant, but I understood his reasoning why Iria and myself wouldn’t be able to join, even if I hadn’t asked to.
“No, if Silver Aura can’t join, then I can’t accept any invitation to.” Cloudy Melody had a point, I wasn’t going to be ok with letting her leave my side again unless I had a plan that would make sure I was able to find her again.
“Shame, well if you prove yourselves to the Dashite Unity then we may contact you in future. May the Goddesses watch over you both.” Threw me for a loop.
“The goddesses? Who are they?”I had no idea who he was referring to as goddesses but I am pretty sure it’s not Rainbow Dash.
“Luna and Celestia, the goddesses, in the Dashite Unity any new Dashite who did not know about them was taught about them.”well, that clears that up.
“Before we leave, we need to get some map data to try to choose our next step.” not to mention find out what was where, “If you need our help later, you will need to find us.”
“Actually Silver Aura, we could use your skills again, there’s been word of another location with Dashite captives. We don’t have anyone available to do this mission as well as you could, especially with you being able to wear the armor of our enemies.” He nodded to a unicorn who had a pipbuck of her own and soon after I received a map marker on my own pipbuck. “that is the location of the other captives, if you can rescue them it would be greatly appreciated.”
“If you’re going on an adventure please take me with you, I don’t have anyplace to go anymore.” After everything that happened today for Iria I couldn’t refuse, especially since she reminded me of my sister.
“Fine, you can come with us, and I’ll accept that mission, anything to mess with the Enclave. If that’s alright with you Cloudy Melody.”
“I’m all for doing some damage to the Enclave, and it’s good to have you with us Iria.”
LEVEL UP Level 5 New Perk:Pony of the Night: Your eyes adapt quickly to low-light situations Companion Perk:Archivist:with this perk it is easier to find more important documents in terminals or journals
The ponies of Sunset Bay were nothing but kind once the Enclave had been taken out, one of the ponies even gave me a recovery potion saying it was for luck. We stayed in town for one night before departing from the town. The Dashite Unity had already opened up the bay to the rest of the town as a public location, the ruins of the supply building were still burning but the flames were dieing down.
As we left Tigerlilly’s inn I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned to look it was just a group of colts and fillies playing. A sight I had not seen when the Enclave controlled the town. I hadn’t even seen children when we first arrived, I thought now that it was because of fear of the Enclave.
Approaching the gate I began to see the reason why the Enclave was feared. Remembering the events of the past day I saw that the Enclave didn’t care if you were a Pegasus or not, they would take you if they thought you were a threat. The children must have been hidden away to keep them safe.
“hold up, I know it was because of you both that we are no longer living under the Enclaves hooves so to speak. I would like you to have this” the guardpony set a box at my hooves. Opening it I saw several recovery potions, 2 rolls of healing bandages, and a disused magical energy pistol.
“Thank you but are you sure you don’t need them?” I was unsure if the town was well-enough off to be giving such a gift. Especially after the recent battle.
“Everyone in the town agreed that we needed to do something to thank you for what you did, these are currently all the supplies we can spare. The rest of the supplies we have are going toward healing those who were hurt in the battle.”The Guardpony then turns to Iria “we have a gift for you as well. This is so you can help to protect otherponies in the future.” the guard then slid a magical energy pistol that looked in slightly better condition than the one I received and a box of ammo to Iria.
“Th-thank you, it really means alot to me that you are so forgiving of my past”I could tell she was blushing.
“I’ll keep track of the medical supplies, from the map we should try to go west of here; the captives are in a building just east of a mountain.” Cloudy Melody then packed away the healing supplies in her saddlebags as we prepared to leave.
“We better get going soon then.” I looked to Iria and saw her wearing her old Enclave armor, but with a light blue paint job over a few sections of the armor, she refused to wear it again without those changes, and she refused to wear any other armor as well. Needless to say I checked for tracking devices in the armor to make sure it was safe to take with us, there were none. “You ok with the armor Iria, we could always buy you some combat armor similar to Cloudy Melody’s”
“This armor is fine... I want to remember what the Enclave did to me. I want to pay them back somehow, and I have to make up for what I did when I was with the Enclave. Wearing this armor can’t atone for my sins, but it’s a start on the road of my punishment for what I did.” This was how she was acting since she put that armor back on after it was painted.
*** *** ***
As we left the town and turned right I got the strange feeling of being watched again. Looking up I saw birds flying overhead I got the same feeling from them as I did from the children when we left the inn. There were even the same number of birds as children. I shook it off thinking it was just because of having just taken down a Enclave base, and thinking they were watching me now because of it.
Before we got too far from the town I turned to look back, seeing a caravan leaving the town. They had a strange 2 headed cow with them with packs on it's back, it was followed by 3 armed guards. The merchant was at the front of the group leading the cow. Seeing this I realized that the so called merchant that had brought me and Cloudy Melody to Sunset Bay was severely under-prepared to make a trip in the wasteland, if we found him again he was going to have some explaining to do.
The trader leading his caravan waved to us before heading south, I decided if I saw him again I would buy something to help support his caravan. Sunset Bay was kind, and I was determined to return that kindness anyway I could. We started to make our way north to reach the market district of the city. The buildings around us still standing tall despite most falling into the crossroads or plazas.
"So what exactly are we going to do when we reach the next Enclave base? Same thing as the last one?" Cloudy Melody asked, I had to admit she had a point.
"I hadn't thought of that yet, I think we could probably try for the stealth approach again. But if we do then I think it will need to be adjusted since we don't have a town of ponies to help us this time I bet." I responded.
"Well if it's the base I think it is then we should be able to sneak the prisoners out between the shifts of guard duty. That would give us a 5 minute window to get everyone out without being detected" Iria informed us/
"Wait... we would need to get into the base first, how are we going to do that? Wouldn't we need..." at that moment I herd the unmistakable sound of a filly crying.
Running toward the source of the sound I came to a stop at the entrance of a shop, inside was a young filly crying over the corpse of a full grown buck. The body was horribly mutilated with a gash running from it's neck to it's flank. Blood plastered the walls of the room and the filly's face and mane as well.
"What's wrong Silv... oh Celestia. No foal should have to see this."Cloudy Melody was right.
"Come on little one, we should get you out of here."I walked up to the filly until I felt teeth grabbing my tail. Turning around I saw it was Iria."What's wrong? Do you see the attacker?"
"That filly, don't you remember her from the inn? How did she get here so fast?"Iria asked me, and in that moment I froze.
She was right, it was the same filly. Same mane same coat even the same cutiemark, I didn't notice before but the mark looked like an amorphis blob, like it couldn't decide what it was supposed to be. It was then that the filly spoke, with a male pony's voice.
"Aww, it looks like the disguise didn't work, get up Geo Neon" the filly began to transform, her neck elongating, becoming more beast like. Her, now his body grew to the size of a full grown pony razor sharp blades forming from the front hooves. The blades each tipped with a hook like design, the eyes of this thing becoming blackened and the color changing to blood red with no pupils. Sharp teeth formed from the maw of this thing. The same was happening to what I had thought was a corpse.
"You know my name is not Geo Neon, it's 256-GN, and your's is 621-NR" the thing that had been a pony corpse spoke as it transformed, the voices of both sounding warped and demonic. There was something way to familiar about the names it said.
"B-but, I checked the other rooms in The Vault, everypony else was dead!"I was shocked, I had no idea what was going on unless some other facility used the same kind of test subject naming.
"OH would you look at that, it looks like the boss was right, 185-SA WAS alive. But it looks like he chose not to follow our leader. He has taken on untalented ponies as his companions."the first beast said a PipBuck now forming on it's left bladed leg
"The boss gave instructions if this should happen, we are to eliminate all of them, my favorite part is when we get to absorb the energy from the unicorns we kill."the second said, a PipBuck forming on it's leg as well.
The beasts both lunged forward bringing up their bladed legs and attacking, the blade of the first beast striking me across the chest sending me flying into a wall dazed. I herd gunshots ring out as Cloudy Melody and Iria moved to engage the beasts. Iria was fairing well with the magical energy pistol. and Cloudy Melody was also doing well.
I brought out a healing potion and drank it down healing my injured bones from the attack. I waited for the potion to take effect and floated out my assault rifle firing at the head of the second beast. Cloudy Melody had already hit it a few times all over it's body but not the head. My shots struck home hitting the beast in the eye causing it to stagger before falling over, the brains of the beast now leaked out from where it's eye had once been.
Iria had caused much damage to the first beast and with her last shot before having to reload scored a direct hit with it's eye by chance causing the beast's bran as well as the rest of it's body to become a pink pile of dust, the PipBuck all that remained of the thing.
Walking over I asked "Why didn't they attack after throwing me to the wall?" A shadow of an Pegasus dashed across my sight on the second floor before disappearing seemingly into a wall. "Did you see that?" I pointed to where I saw the shadow.
"See what? There's nothing there." Cloudy Melody told me."Are you feeling alright?"
"y-yea, must just be the shock of their names." I quickly checked both PipBucks, they had indeed come from The Vault, but the warnings on their PipBuck screens show that their minds had been attacked during the battle with us. "I think I can use one of these PipBuck's as spare parts for the Dash's Lightning, the micro generator should be able to be fixed once I get the right parts." I tried to cover up my concerns with looking for parts in the PipBucks.
*** *** ***
After tinkering with the PipBucks and Dash's Lightning for a while I held the blade up and said "here goes nothing" Focusing on the blade I turned on the micro generator and brought the sword down on the blade leg of the second survivor, Upon doing so bolts of electricity could be seen jumping along the length of the blade leg. "Success! The Dash's Lightning should be able to hold enough of a charge for several attacks before needing to regenerate it's energy, this should come in handy in the future."
"And we can finally see how your blade works, after 200 years"Cloudy Melody said, I still think she needs to learn not to try to make light of everything like this.
"You waited 200 years, I only had to wait a day"Iria reminded Cloudy Melody.
"Well the good thing is that Dash's Lightning is now working, which means we have more protection in case of attack, and a quieter weapon to use for stealth" I told them both. I really hoped that traveling in the wasteland wasn't going to be like this everyday.
Turning to leave I saw the shadow again. This time I began to fly up the stairs(literally), my wings were beginning to feel better with this bit of exercise. When I got to the top of the stairs I found nothing there.
"What's up Silver? Not more of those things I hope" Cloudy Melody ran up right behind me.
"I-I don't know, I could have sworn I saw something up here... but now... I'm just not sure" I responded.
Moving to the second floor window I became glad we had moved several shops away from the one where the dead bodies now lay. Descending from over the field just outside came a earthpony whose legs never touched the ground though it did come close, I could barely make out a box with a levitation field around it for it's cutiemark. The pony was accompanied by 3 birds that upon reaching the ground became a Colt and 2 Fillies, all 3 with the same cutiemark.
"shh, we have to move quickly and quietly, I'm not sure what happened last time will help us this time around." I motioned to Cloudy Melody and Iria to get down. We began to make our way to the first floor and to the basement. "If I remember right there should be a way to the sewers down here, I don't want to be here if that floating pony comes looking. I would rather not find out it's powers if I can help it."
"I agree, but where is the way to thew sewer once we get down there?" Iria asked me.
"It'll be in the far corner I would assume, let's hope I'm right."I said as I opened the door to the basement as quietly as I could.
*CRREEEAAAK*
Freezing before heading down I listened for the survivors we were trying to get away from.
"Did you hear that?"one of them said, sounded like it was mimicking a colt's voice"sounded like a door opening"
"It was probably the wind"another said, this time a gruff full grown male pony's voice.
We carefully made our way down the stairs, me and Iria using our wings to keep our weight off the steps as much as possible and Cloudy Melody being helped by Iria to put as little weight on the stairs as possible. I looked around seeing many boxes piled up, most of which were piles of moldy cardboard by now. We searched for the entrance to the sewers my E.F.S. helping me keep track of the 4 survivors up top. Finally we found the entrance and not a moment too soon, above I could barely make out the sound of the Gruff voice giving orders to the others
"Search the nearby buildings, someone did this, and we don't want to return to the boss without bodies of the attackers!"
We quickly went to the sewer entrance, lucky that it was able to be opened easily, we dove in as soon as it was opened and ran down the hallway not paying much attention to what was around us as we went. Through a door we found the main sewer and started running to the west according to my E.F.S. compass. None of us dared look back to see if they were following us. We kept running until we hit a dead end, looking for the nearest exit we saw a door to our right, dashing through it we were able to keep going until we found a ladder leading back to the surface.
Checking my E.F.S. I made sure there was nothing up top that was going to attack us. No red marks, I lead the way up and ,using my levitation to help slightly with the weight, lifted the sewer cover. We had made it to the edge of the city, ahead lay a ruined road leading to the west. Not wanting to chance the survivors finding us we started moving on the road.
*** *** ***
"So, there's floating ones, and transforming ones. What other ones of those things are there?" Iria asked.
"Probably about as many as there are spell types. If what Silver Aura said is right and they are survivors of The Vault." Cloudy Melody Responded.
*SKSHZZZ* the RadRoach disintegrated as I sliced it's head off with the Dash's Lightning, a pile of blue dust left where the bug was.
"I just hope that most of the other survivors aren't as crazed as they were."I said "I don't know who their boss is either but I wouldn't want to meet them right now."
Up ahead lay a small looking town, what appeared to be a factory was part way up a mountain next to the town. As we approached the sun was beginning to set, we decided it would be good to rest there for the night. When we got into the town we looked for a inn.
"Found it!" Iria called to me and Cloudy Melody, we both went to where Iria was and saw the sign on the front of the inn, it read " Darkness' Shadow Inn, what a strange name for a town."
"Well, it's better than nothing" I said walking into the inn "Hello, anyone here? We'd like to rent a room" I called as I saw nobody at the counter.
"hmm, oh... oh my, visitors... we haven't had guests in a long time." an elderly mare came out to the counter from a back room "Please do come in, the room will be 10 caps, each."
"Why so cheep? Most inns I know of charge 25 caps a night per pony." Iria said as she came in.
"Don't complain about getting a room cheaper here than other places Iria" Cloudy Melody responded, she seemed a bit more mature since Iria joined us, maybe she saw Iria as a little sister as well. "I'm sorry if we offended you by saying it was cheap."
"oh, no dearie, your friend is right, we do charge less than other towns. but given that we don't get many visitors we don't feel right charging much to the few we do get." the Elderly mare said
I got out 45 caps for her and said "Here, I don't feel right paying you so little for the 3 of us."
"Why thank you, let me get your key" she looked around at the keys and levitated one to the counter, it was then I noticed she was a unicorn, her horn was so withered and small I hadn't noticed it in her grey mane."you're in room 2 on the second floor"
"Thank you, we'll head right up." I levitated the key with me as I walked up the stairs and followed the balcony to room 2.
"that's quite a trick dearie, levitating the key with your friend, and without your horn lighting up either" the mare said to Cloudy Melody
"oh, I'm not levitating the key, he is." Cloudy Melody said before following me up, Iria following closely behind her.
The room was rather small, with only one bed and a couch that looked like if somepony the size of Cloudy Melody or I were to use it then it would break.
"Iria you might have to take off your armor, I think Cloudy Melody and I will need to use the bed, I doubt the couch could support either of us" I said
"I thought you were going to say that as soon as I saw the couch, oh well, it does look comfortable" Iria said moving to the couch and removing her enclave armor, she was asleep as soon as she hit the cushions.
"After you Cloudy Melody." I said gesturing for Cloudy Melody to go before me in getting into bed "Ladies first."
"How chivalrous, eeee, I can't believe we will actually be in the same bed!" so much for more mature, she got her armor off and slipped under the covers of the bed and waited for me to join her.
I opted for sleeping with my jacket as my blanket and sleeping on top of the covers so that there was something between me and Cloudy Melody so I wouldn't invade her personal space if one of us rolled in our sleep. Soon we were both asleep as well.
///////ooOoOOoOoo\\\\\\\
Darkness, I couldn't see, the world was so dark. I took a step forward and suddenly I could see, I was home. Back in Ponyville with my family, it was the day I was to leave to join the Equestrian Skyguard. It was also before my family moved north to be closer to me like many families of the ponies who were at the base near The Vault.
Something wasn't right though, I didn't see my family anywhere. I ran to our house and opened the door, inside it was horrible. Blood stained the walls floors and ceiling, I couldn't see the source and I ran upstairs. Running into my and my sister's room I found them, dead and still bleeding...and him.
A Pegasus pony that looked exactly like me, but almost pure black. the only part of it that wasn't black was it's eyes and cutiemark, the eyes glowed red, and the cutiemark was mine but at the same time it wasn't. There was a knife stabbing the heart of my cutiemark, blood was in a pool under the heart and the wings had changed to that of a bat.
"I only did what comes natural, after all, it is my special talent, to destroy all things light and good." the dark me said in a ghostly mockery of my own voice.
"N-NO, I-I-I HOW COULD YOU!? GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" I yelled at the thing.
"Silvie, I'm ok, I know you can beat this, just believe in yourself." I turned to see who spoke and a bright light over took my vision.
\\\\\\\ooOoOOoOoo///////
I woke up with a start, and in a cold sweat. Outside I herd the screaming of a Filly, wasting no time I rushed to the window and saw something dragging a filly off, I couldn't make out the shape of whatever it was, before I could turn to wake the others I herd a older mare screaming "NOOO, DON'T TAKE HER, PLEASE!"
LEVEL UP Level 6 New Perk: Diagnostic Mind(2):With this perk it becomes easier to diagnose errors in machinery or injuries, for each rank you gain a permanent boost of 5 to Science and Medicine Dream Perk: The Light:You don't know what it is, but it saved you from the darkness. This perk gives Survival + 10
More than anything else that is what the mother and child felt as the thing dragged the filly away. I didn't have time to think of the consequences of going alone. With only a moment's hesitation I dashed from the room and down the stairs to the entrance, I only had the Dash's Lightning with me, having left my other weapons behind. The doors of the inn were luckily unlocked, and as I ran out I could see where the thing was taking the filly. Running forward with the Dash's Lightning in my mouth I attempted to use my wings for extra speed.
I flew a short distance but it was enough to cut right through the creature that was trying to steal the filly. There was a thump after I sliced through the thing's neck. The head rolled a short distance before stopping, it had no distinguishable face marks, but it was clearly a pony head shape. The mother of the filly ran up to me and grabbed her daughter as I inspected the head of the thing that was trying to kidnap her.
"Get to the inn, I think it may be safe there." I told the Mare, I used my telekinesis to levitate the body of the thing back with me with the head separate from it. Something didn't seem right here, and I intended to find out what.
*** *** ***
Back at the inn Cloudy Melody and Iria had woke up and were in the lobby when I returned with the Mare and her filly, and what I assumed was a corpse. When I got it inside behind me however Cloudy Melody asked me "Why are you bringing a Colterquin with you?"
"It is the thing that took her" I said pointing to the little filly, "I want to see if we can figure out why."
"If you want to do that then checking the factory may help more" the elderly mare said coming out of nowhere.
I nearly jumped out of my jacket when the elderly mare seemed to appear out of nowhere. Not much scares me, but somepony popping up outta nowhere could startle anypony. Iria was looking over the Colterquin already, "I think she's right, not much to see here"
"right... Cloudy Melody, Iria, I would like you to..." I started before Cloudy Melody cut me off.
"Stay here and make sure everyone stays safe in case more come after the filly?" she left a slightly stunned look on my face
"Yea, that... I'll be back, I promise. Good luck" I turn and begin to walk out the door on my way to the factory.
As soon as I got outside I looked around to make sure there weren't any more of those things. I saw many buildings like the way things might have been if the war never happened, but many were in ruin. As I looked to my left I started to gallop off toward the factory. I ran past alley way after alley way, the feeling of being watched never leaving me. What did that Colterquin want with the foal.
___---POV change, Iria---___
"Such a strange thing" I said as I examined the Colterquin, "it was able to move? Doesn't seem like it is designed for that, the legs are solid material."
"T-that thingy was trying to take m-me to t-t-the factory" the little filly said.
"I never heard of such a thing the entire time I was in the Enclave. Communications didn't always go through my station though." I replied. It seemed strange that something like this would be able to move, let alone take a little filly from her home.
"Nopony ever returned from the factory before" the filly's mom said, "your friend likely won't either."
"What?" Cloudy Melody spoke up, "why didn't you say something before!? I gotta stop him!"
"Cloudy Melody, he told us to protect them" I responded to her, "it won't help if we go after him and another of these things comes back here to take the filly again."
"M-Molly" the filly said, "m-my name is Molly."
"Molly, nice name" I say, "Cloudy Melody, do you really think that leaving Molly and her mom here unprotected is a good idea? I thought you had military training as well."
She stared at her hooves and said, "I know, I'm sorry I've never been in a position like this before. I was usually on a mission that put our squad in the action, not sitting back protecting somepony."
"I'm sure Silver Aura knows what he's doing. After all, it was because of him that both of us are here, he's a hero." I tell Cloudy Melody.
A knock came at the door of the inn, "Hello? is this where the ponies who helped Sunrise Bay are? I have a delivery from Memory."
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
The factory's front entrance was a large set of doors. Black metal and glass that was impossible to see through, the only windows I could see appeared to be high enough for them to be on the second floor. The town stretched out below the cliff the factory rested on. I reached a hoof forward and pushed the door open, it screeched loudly like a Griffon whose tail got stepped on.
Inside the room was covered in blood, bodies were piled up in the far corners and 2 more suited Colterquin stood next to the door on either side, motionless. I took a few steps into the room and quickly took the heads off the Colterquin just to be sure. I did not want to know how those things killed the ponies in the corners.
As I looked around after dispatching the door's guards I saw the room had a reception desk on the right hoof side, and two doors, one directly across from the entrance leading to the production line, and one on the left leading to the offices. I tried the door I assumed led to the production line only to find it locked and the lock was broken as well. Somepony had already tried unsuccessfully to force it open, in lieu of having the key I headed for the door leading to the offices.
The door led to a hallway with many offices along the right side, each one with a weathered nameplate. On the left the wall was bland and windowless. I decided to check each of the offices to see if there was anything useful in them. The first office held a dead terminal and a few caps in the top desk drawer. The next office had a working terminal that with a little luck I was able to hack into, the password was "Ice". The terminal held a few logs, the first one seemed to be a personal diary kind of thing, based on the name of the terminal login I assumed it was a mare's office.
Tornado Bolt and Twisty Doo visited again, they still have as much energy as ever. Their weather based toy company is doing well. I think Tornado Bolt might have a crush on a mare in their production facility, he wouldn't stop talking about her. His sister told me that the efforts that go into making each toy and delivering them to the town bring them happiness each time they visit. It is so nice to know that my old friends from Ponyville are doing well.
==========================
The remaining logs were similar, except the last one.
Oh no, he's coming this way. I hope I can get this finished before he gets here, I don't want to die! The research on sealing spells should be hidden by now, I just hope we aren't too late. He was telling us to prepare something for him to make into this thing he called a Soul Jar. The thing's design seems to be to draw in something and use it to change whatever is inside. I only caught glimpses as we worked secretly to make a spell to seal in this evil pony's soul. He wants to control the entire fact.......
==========================
The journal entry ended there, whatever this pony was trying to write never got finished. I turned to leave when a hoof clamped over my mouth and I was yanked backwards into a cabinet. Once inside a pony with a navy blue coat said "shhhh" keeping their hoof over my mouth and looking out of a tiny slit in the door like a locker's. I looked out as well and one of the Colterquin walked up the the door and it's head turned to look in, it stood there for a few moments before moving on toward the entrance.
When the other pony relaxed and we both got out of the cabinet, locker, thing I asked him, "What the heck was that for!?"
"I just saved your life, ya might wanna thank me." the pony who I could now see was a colt said. He was also a Pegasus but you wouldn't know it at a glance, his wings were severely underdeveloped only the size of a young colt but the rest of him made him look to be almost the same age as me. His eyes were orange in color, and his mane was brown like a tree, if I didn't notice the slight lines I would have said he had no cutiemark, it looked like his cutiemark was that of a pony nearly invisible, just an outline left.
"Who are you?" I asked as I looked over this pony for any weapons.
"I'm Littlewings, don't have a normal name so everyone just called me that" Littlewings responded, "and you are?"
"I'm Silver Aura, I'm here to investigate the Colterquins moving around." I told him, "why were you in that locker cabinet thing?"
"It's my hiding spot, I found out about what's moving those things when I escaped." He said, "They took me when I was a little foal, I'm the only one to survive past growing 'of age'."
"What do you mean 'of age'?" I asked him.
"I'll tell you while we move to one of my other hiding spots. HE will check in here next time he goes past." Littlewings told me.
"Fine but where? It's only fair since you seem to know more about this place." I followed him but floated out the Dash's Lightning just to be safe, when I did his jaw dropped.
"Y-you're one of them! One of those evil ponies who can use magic without being a unicorn!"He looked about ready to run.
"You know about the other survivors of The Vault? I can't say I blame you for thinking I'm one of them, but I'm not." as I finished my sentence I noticed a Colterquin slowly moving it's head around the door frame and dove toward it slicing the head off causing the thing to fall to the ground.
"Y-you saved me? But, wait, you're a Pegasus! All the... Survivors of The Vault... is that what you called them? Well, all of them were Earth Ponies." He said.
"I was the only Pegasus to be in the project. They likely want me dead." I told him, "I was attacked by the Survivors of The Vault before."
"Ok, I guess I trust you then, at least for now. Also if you can cast spells then maybe you can help with the sealing spell, it is supposed to be able to stop the Colterquin from moving ever again. I pieced together the research from the pre-war ponies as best I could but it says I need a unicorn's magic to cast the spell." Littlewings told me. He began to lead the way deeper into the factory
"What about that 'of age' thing?" I asked as we began to move, keeping Dash's Lightning at the ready in case more of the Colterquin were to show up.
"They...kill us." he said, "when a foal reaches a certain age the Slendermane, as he calls himself, kills them. What he considers to be 'of age' is when a foal begins to show bravery and lose their fear of him."
We were nearing a door at the end of the hallway beyond I could see stairs, and to my right I saw a door looking into the production room. The glass was covered in dirt and what I assumed to be blood. We walked up the flight of stairs and into a metal hallway on the side of the production room.
"That sounds horrible, what about when a pony gets their cutiemark?" I ask him as we pass by windows that look down on the production line. Looking down I could see at least 15 foals all working on what appeared to be suits the size of the Colterquin. At least 5 foals were taking wings and horns off of more Colterquin that were off to the side, it looked like they were designed to be used to make garments for Princess Celestia.
"I'm the only pony to ever find a special talent while trapped in here. My talent is to stay hidden, the Slendermane can't kill what he can't find." Littlewings lead me into another office this one apparently the manager's office, there were windows looking out over the side of the cliff. I couldn't see the town through the dirt encrusted windows but I thought better of it. The office was empty apart from a safe in the wall and a desk, there wasn't a terminal here.
Littlewings went over to a safe in the wall and unlocked it pulling out a paper with writing on it. The writing was not side to side like normal but up and down. I couldn't read what language it was, the writing was symbols and it looked like there were more of them in the safe.
"These are covered in the symbols that we need to seal away the evil that the Slendermane uses to posses the Colterquin." Littlewings told me, "but to activate them it takes a spark of magic touching this particular one, and the caster has to be focused on something good."
"What do you expect me to do with them?" I asked him feeling like a adult talking to a foal about why the sky is blue, and in this case, I was the foal.
"You cast the spell once we have the seal papers plastered on that thing in the center of the production room." Littlewings said as if it were going to be easy.
"I only know how to levitate things, how do you expect me to cast a sealing spell?" I ask him.
"You just need to concentrate your magic on it, it's like pressing a button on a terminal but with magic instead of a hoof." he said.
"Why haven't we been detected yet up here?" I ask suddenly realizing that things seemed to be going almost too smoothly, this thing called the Slendermane had to know we were here.
"The research included research into a type of magic that non-unicorns could use, I spent much of the years I was in hiding learning the type of magic used to make the sealing spell. I can use any irradiated paper to create this kind of magic. "he said leaving me standing there dumbfounded, "the irradiated paper is able to act similar to a unicorn's magic to activate the spell written on it, but it doesn't work with the sealing spell. I can only do little things with the paper magic, like a sound dampening spell even talking with normal voices only a whisper would be herd outside this room."
I turned around and saw 4 papers with the same symbol on them at the 4 corners of the doorway, "so, we go down there, seal whatever it is in there, and take all the foals back to their families?"
"That's the plan I've been working on for a little over 3 years." he said.
"If it means rescuing the foals then I say we get to it." I respond, "get the papers you need, lets go save some foals."
"uhh, right." he said.
"Something wrong?" I ask him.
"Well, you will need to be able to use a new spell to be able to activate the sealing spell." he responded, "the Manipulation spell, it's about as simple as the telekinesis spell you already know. Unicorns don't even realize they are using it sometimes, like when accessing a memory orb, the spell just works on it's own. I don't think it will be as simple for you."
"How would you teach me then? You're a Pegasus as well" I ask him.
"Umm, here try to concentrate on this spell paper, it has a healing spell on it, if you do it right then the spell should activate. The spell is the one used to make magical bandages, I'll put the paper on some rags so they have the same effect." he told me, "either way once the spell is used the symbols will be gone from the paper."
"Allright, not sure this will work but if you think I can actually learn more spells, why not" I say as I start to focus on the spell paper, as I focus more on the paper my Pip-buck begins to glow like a Unicorn's horn and the spell paper starts to glow in a similar manner. The glow from both goes out shortly after appearing, and the symbols from the paper are gone. "Did it work?" I ask.
"One way to find out, and that is to get hurt. Shouldn't be too hard then, we probably will get injured while fighting our way to the center of the room" Littlewings responds.
"No time to waste then, let's go." I say as I walk out the door, I freeze as I look down through the window to see 3 colterquin gathered around a young colt. It looked as though one of the colterquin had a hole in it's leg the size of the colt's own rear legs. The Slendermane look down at the colt before a red haze envelops where there should have been faces on them. I want to turn away, to not see what they are about to do, but my body refuses to move.
A scream rips through the factory as the Slendermane killed the foal. A voice is herd echoing through the factory. "LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU FOALS, NOPONY EVER LEAVES HERE, AND NOPONY WILL EVER HIDE FROM ME AGAIN!" I could only assume the voice was that of Slendermane, sounding demonic and evil. I could not allow it to kill any more innocent foals.
Littlewings came out of the office with his head hanging low "I fear he may be getting desperate, it sounded like he was calling me out. Before you ask, the sound dampening spell is a one way barrier. It dampens sounds from inside the office, but not from out here." Littlewings placed a hoof on my back before I felt him jump away. I still couldn't move after seeing the horror that the Slendermane did.
A red beam of light in the shape of a colterquin head slammed into my right foreleg sending pain up my leg, and causing me to regain movement. I started to flap my wings to take pressure of my leg as the pain seared like it was on fire. I threw the Dash's Lightning using my telekinesis at the colterquin at the top of the stairs managing to damage it's head, soon after a fireball flew past me and slammed into the hilt of the Dash's Lightning sending it through the head and leaving the colterquin sliced in half and motionless.
"I told you I could do basic spells using the spell paper, that fireball was one of the ones that didn't require Unicorn activation." Littlewings says as he dashes over to me.
I land with a thump causing more pain to shoot up my leg, the pain is enough to make me collapse sideways. "n-no more" I begin to say.
"time to see if that spell paper you tried out worked" Littlewings says as he quickly bandages my leg which was now bleeding where the energy had hit it. "what are you saying?"
"N-NO MORE! No more foals will die here today, or ever again!" I say as the pain dulls but blood still soaks the bandages, the spell on the rags apparently only a fraction of the strength of real magical bandages. "We will stop the Slendermane, now!" I say as I walk to the stairway ignoring any lingering pain in my leg, I grab the Dash's Lightning in my mouth and spot a colterquin coming around the bend in the stairwell, I dive upon it slicing it's head off like before.
The pain from the Slendermane's attack had awakened a strength within me, and seeing that young colt killed had made my resolve absolute. No more foals will die, I was going to see to it that they don't. Reaching the bottom of the stairwell I move straight to the door to find it unlocked. Littlewings appears from the stairwell door having just run down to catch up.
"That room is full of colterquin, it won't be easy to reach the center of the room." he told me.
"It has to be done, to protect the foals, when I open the door, we make a break for the machine in the center of the room. The datalogs in the room I met you in said something about a Soul Jar, well I don't know what a Soul Jar is but I have a feeling that machine is it." I say. "on the count of three... one" we readied ourselves to run, "...two" I reached up to the door to open it, "...THREE!" We burst through the door and immediately the colterquin turned to face us. They seemed to be different from the ones earlier, like they couldn't focus energy into the attack they used on the Colt and myself. But we ran through them.
My right foreleg was bleeding and bandaged and Littlewings was barely keeping up with me as we moved toward the thing in the center of the room. Several of the Colterquin had fired off some kind of attack at us that left the heads of them partially shattered and bits of the head on the far wall behind us. As we ran the little foals ducked down under the conveyor belts and tables in the room as they cowered in fear. We made it to the center of the room and quickly got to work placing the papers all over the thing as more of the Colterquin tried to hit us with their non-existent faces.
When we got the last paper placed I flew up and away and then focused my magic on the center paper with only a second to spare as I got hit in the side by the face of a single Colterquin. The papers all glowed and the Colterquin all around the room froze and some fell over. It had worked, just then I plummeted for the floor to be caught by Littlewings who grunted in pain as I landed on his back.
"I... don't believe it... it worked" I panted as I spoke.
"I*huff* told you it would." Littlewings said.
Just as we were starting to relax a loud demonic voice boomed out from the device in the center of the room, "WHAT DID YOU DO!? WHY CAN'T I ENTER THE COLTERQUIN ANYMORE!"
"we...sealed you away!" Littlewings said.
"THE RUNAWAY! AND SILVER AURA! I WILL BE FREE AGAIN! AND WHEN I AM I WILL KILL YOU BOTH!" the demonic voice said
"H-how do you know me!?" I said.
"I REMEMBER YOU, MY OLD COMMANDER! I SURPASSED YOU BY JOINING THE VAULT PROJECT AHEAD OF YOU!" he said.
"WHAT!? why would you do this, Blue Bolt!? I thought you wanted to protect your family! Here you are kidnapping and killing innocent foals and for what!?" I shouted back at him.
"You know the Slendermane?" Littlewings asked.
"I DO IT FOR FUN! IT AMUSES ME TO MAKE LITTLE FOALS BEG AND TO SEE THEIR PARENTS RUN IN ONLY TO DIE IN THE ENTRANCE! IT MAKES ME LAUGH TO SEE THEM DIE!" Slendermane said from inside the machine.
"His real name is Blue Bolt, he was a part of my squad before he volunteered for The Vault project." Why are you in that machine!?"
"I'M NOT, MY SOUL IS! I PUT MY SOUL IN A SOUL JAR INSIDE THIS MACHINE. WHEN THE MEGASPELLS HIT THE MACHINE ABSORBED THE RADIATION AND MAGICAL POWER TO AWAKEN MY SOUL INSIDE THE SOUL JAR AND ALLOWED ME TO TAKE OVER THE COLTERQUIN IN THE FACTORY. BUT I STILL NEEDED CLOTHES, AND THE NAME OF THE PONY FROM THE HORROR STORIES WE USED TO TELL SOUNDED SO NICE ONCE I HAD A SUIT LIKE FROM THE STORY." he said.
"Well, it looks like your plan is at an end, Littlewings round up the foals and help them out of here, try to avoid the main entrance if you can. I don't want them to be scarred any worse than they are now." I said
"Got it, good idea" Littlewings limped around the room gathering the foals to lead them out, the pain in my own leg and my side was lost as I focused on the conversation.
"YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME COMMANDER, BE GONE!" Blue Bolt said before going silent.
"How did you get this machine built!?" I shouted at the machine.
There was no response, it seemed I was not going to get anything more from him. I began to move to follow Littlewings and the foals but as I took one step I collapsed, unconscious.
*** *** ***
When I awoke I was at the Inn and Littlewings was talking with Cloudy Melody, I couldn't see Iria and as I got up I felt a stinging pain in my side, "AAGH, what happened to me?" I asked.
"Oh good, you're awake. I was worried when they said you were bleeding from much of your left side."somepony I didn't know said.
"Silvie! you're awake!" Cloudy Melody said as she ran over and hugged me.
"OW" I shouted.
"eep, I'm sorry, I'm just so glad you're alright." Cloudy Melody said.
"I'm fine, but I won't be if you hug me like that too much. Did you call me Silvie?" I asked
"umm, yea... sorry I saw the letter sticking out of your saddlebags and I couldn't resist reading it. I never met your sisters." Cloudy Melody said.
"oh good, you're awake. I have something you need to hear, we were told only to let our leader hear this. By the way, Littlewings wants to join us." Iria said coming into the room. She was carrying a holotape with her.
I got out the ear bud for my Pipbuck and took the holotape from Iria and downloading an audio log to my Pipbuck.
"Silver Aura, we got that from someone saying that a DJ Memory was at the Enclave base we are going to. It's from that pony." Cloudy Melody told me.
I started listening to the audiolog the voice was that of a mare, and it flowed like silk "Hello, I herd about you from a Dashite Unity spy who told us about someone who was able to set free Sunset Bay. I want you to know that if you haven't herd this already then there is a legend about a pony bringing light back to this forgotten wasteland. The legend is as follows.
The Forgotten Wasteland had lost its light, and it lay forgotten under the ground. A silver aura will mark the one distend to find it and bring it back to the surface.
I tell you of this so you might be able to find the unicorn who has a silver aura and get them to help put an end to the darkness of this wasteland"
A pony with a silver aura? Does that mean a Unicorn who has a silver aura around their horn when casting a spell?
LEVEL UP Level 7 New Perk: Flight(Rank 1):You have regained the ability to fly, but only for short periods of time and not as well as you once could. Quest Perk: Unnatural Talent(Rank 2): You now have the ability to manipulate things using magic, such as activating Archaic Spells. New Spell: Manipulation:This spell was used once to cast other spells through use of papers covered in special symbols. Companion Perk: Archaic Spellcaster:Combining your magical ability with Littlewings' spell papers allows you to cast spells you may not have learned yet, but only when there is enough irradiated paper in your saddlebags.
That's what I felt most of the day after rescuing the foals from Slendermane. The town was celebrating, and the little ponies I rescued and their families were visiting me for most of the day. I could have just taken a healing potion and been done with recovery, but the families of the foals insisted that I remain to share in the celebration of the return of their children. It wasn't until late in the day that we finally set out again, my injury having healed thanks to magical bandages, real ones rather than the makeshift ones we can make with Littlewing's spell paper.
Our group was now up to 4 ponies, I was starting to wonder how big our party would get. Once we started to leave the town of Darkness' Shadow we noticed something in the west that we hadn't seen the night before. It looked like a strange spike coming out of the side of a mountain in the distance, with the strange shade of the cloud curtain at sunset it looked to be almost half the size of the mountain itself.
Walking along the road heading west we found ourselves growing ever closer to the mountain with the strange protrusion. "I think we should rest near that mountain for the night," Iria said, "It's likely to get dark by the time we reach it at this rate."
"I agree with her, it looks as though that place would also offer good cover if it starts to rain" Littlewings said
"Maybe there will be a cave if we're lucky" Cloudy Melody said running ahead of the rest of us.
'her flank looks nice... no, don't get distracted, gotta stay on task' I thought, "Umm, we better hurry up then." 'why am I thinking this way about her all of a sudden'
"Looks like Silver has a fever from those injuries, I knew we should have just used the healing potion from the start." Iria said.
"N-no! I was just thinking... anyway, it looks like we're here, is that what I think it is?" I said pointing out a cave with what appears to be a Stable Door just barely visible.
"Let's check it out, I don't want to be out here at night." Littlewings said as he dashes into the cave and to the control box for the door.
As we approach the great gear shaped door I'm able to make out the number 119 in faded paint on the door. Littlewings pulls the switch to open the door and the noise we herd next was ear shattering. The door groaned and screeched as it jolted backward into the stable and began to roll only to stop with another gut wrenching screech leaving a gap just barely big enough for a pony to get through.
"What in the... Why didn't the door open all the way?" Cloudy Melody asks as she walks up to the door and starts to squeeze through the gap. "YIKES!"
"What is it Cloudy Melody!?" I shout and run to the door.
"You're going to want to see this" She responds
Iria was the next to go in, followed by Littlewings and then myself. What I saw shocked me, The entrance to the stable was overgrown with vines and roots. what appeared to be strange flower buds were interspersed along the vines as they lead further into the stable. Aside from the vines and roots it was what a pony might expect from a stable entrance, a door to maintenance off to the left, overgrown and inaccessible. In the middle of the far wall was a door jammed open with a pony skeleton covered in vines hanging from the top of the doorway.
"What could do this to a stable? The records said they were supposed to be to save ponies, not this." Iria said examining the skeleton.
"I think we better find out, I don't think this kind of plant growth is normal." Littlewings said as he started to place spell papers around the stable entrance. "these barrier spell papers should keep out any monsters, I hope..."
"The Overmare's office should have some data logs on what happened here." Iria said." I think I see a sign for it just down this hallway"
"Let's get there fast, I don't want to be out here if what made the plants grow like this is still here" Cloudy Melody said
"I'll lead the way" I said drawing the Dash's Lightning and turning on my Pip-Buck light, it seemed that the power source of the stable had died out already. The lights in the entrance and the door itself must have been on emergency power.
as we walked slowly down the hallway we saw that the entire stable was overrun with the plants, sometimes we would see large patches of plant life like tiny meadows. As we neared the Overmare's office I spotted a movement in the corner of my eye, when I turned to see what it was all I saw was another patch of plant life, this one slightly bigger than the others.
"This place is giving me the creeps." Cloudy Melody said
"Yea, it feels like someone is watching us." Littlewings responded.
"I think we're going to need to use the emergency release to open the door, apart from the entrance the stable appears to be out of power," Iria said, voicing the thought that raced through all our minds at this time.
When we reached the door we found that it indeed had no power. Looking around I was able to find the emergency latch to open the door manually. "here we go, Littlewings, can you give me a hoof with this?"I asked getting my leg around the handle. Littlewings came over and did the same, "Ok, three, two, one, lift." I said as we both start to lift the door using the emergency handle. After some resistance the door gave and with a click and hiss it rose up to grant us access.
Behind the door, instead of an office, was a brightly lit almost vertical hallway. The hallway just ended in jagged metal and a large gaping hole in the floor, what looked like it used to be the Overmare's office was at the bottom of the hole. It looked like a terminal managed to land on the edge of the hole when... whatever the thing was we were looking at hit the stable.
"What is that thing?" Cloudy Melody asked, "it couldn't be what we saw from outside could it?"
"I-I'm not sure." I respond starring blankly at the expanse below us. Whatever this thing was it was made strong enough to be able to demolish much of a Stable and still have power. "We should try to find out if that terminal has power or even a accessible log."
"Leave that to me." Iria said getting to work on the terminal "I should have this thing singing in no time."
"I think we need to check out that hallway for some clues to whatever this thing is" I said pointing to the strange hallway across the pit.
"I'll stay here with Iria" Littlewings said "This way she won't be left without someone to help her"
"I'll go with you Silvie" Cloudy Melody said, causing me to blush a bit. "Sound good?"
"Yes, you sure you'll both be ok here?" I ask Iria and Littlewings.
"Positive, with Iria's energy weapons and my Spell papers we should be fine" Littlewings responds, Iria simply uh huh's paying more attention to her work on the terminal.
I nod and slowly start to walk around the edge of the pit to the hallway on the far side, sparks fly as a wire falls loose from the broken edge of the hallway. As Cloudy Melody and I draw closer I can see that much of the light in the hall is from further in than the entrance ahead. I make it to the hallway and then flapping my wings fly the short distance into the hallway, i turn around to be ready to catch Cloudy Melody with my levitation as she jumps to join me. Despite the odd angle of the hallway it is surprisingly easy to stay on our hooves.
I lead the way up the hallway, almost literally as the hallway was almost perfectly vertical further up. Where we entered had been bent and damaged making it easy to get in, but as we walked it felt like we were walking on normal ground, our manes and tails said a different story however.
"Whatever is keeping us on the floor must not be strong enough to affect our hair." Cloudy Melody said from behind me.
"Yea, strange. I think I see a terminal up ahead" I said as I walk up to what I had assumed was a terminal, there was only one option on the screen and it was written in some strange language that I could not read. Upon pressing the button on the thing it opened the door next to it. "ok, not a terminal then, a door switch."
"What's in there?" Cloudy Melody asked holding her assault rifle out ahead of her with her magic. "I'm ready it it turns out to be monsters."
Given what we saw in the wasteland so far, I knew better than to laugh at her caution. Moving into the room I saw all kinds of alien devices, a circular thing with what appeared to be scissor handles. A orb with wires coming from what I assumed was the top. Strapped to a table was the corpse of a badly deformed pony, I couldn't even tell what gender it had been. It's belly bulged with what I could only assume were it's intestine just under the skin. It's forelegs had been changed and the hooves appeared to be 4 part claws now having been cut that way and sewn back together. This abomination was hardly recognizable as a pony anymore.
"No monsters, just a poor pony who was experimented on from the looks of it, I'm guessing they died from lack of food." I said and moved into the room, in a corner that I couldn't have sen without going in was a corpse of some kind of alien. It wasn't a pony, or a zebra, it wasn't anything I could recognize as being from our world. "That might qualify as alien though."
Cloudy Melody came in behind me and saw what I was talking about "Oh my, that doesn't look right, what is it? Are those talons like a Griffon?"
Cloudy Melody was half right, they did look like talons, but they had no actual claws on the end, and there were 4 limbs like the abomination. Unlike the abomination this thing had all 4 lined up rather than round like a disfigured hoof. It's head was almost as big as a normal pony's but it seemed to grow further back, and it's face appeared to have a small nose instead of a muzzle. What I assumed was it's skin was a strange greenish grey color and hairless. It was wearing some kind of silvery outfit with a almost plastic like lab coat over top of it.
"Looks like it's dead too, but the force keeping us on the floor should have kept it from sliding into the corner, unless..." I begin to say "I think we should get back to the others"
Cloudy Melody nods having just seen the Abomination on the table, "I think you're right, I think we should take some of these back with us though" she said picking up several small alien gems that were scattered on the floor around the alien.
"Be careful, we don't want to lose what's in our saddlebags if the gravity only affects our hooves" I said being ready to catch anything to fall out of her saddlebags, luckily nothing did.
"Got them in, ready to go" Cloudy Melody said as we start walking back to Iria and Littlewings.
As we move back along the hallway explosions can be herd ahead of us and we begin to run. When we got to the pit what was there shocked me. It looked like Littlewings and Iria were battling with plants, but not just plants, what appeared to be plants growing from pony corpses and skeletons. These things looked to be what was left of the Stable Dwellers, they had tatters of Stable Suits on with the number 119 on them.
Cloudy Melody gawked for a moment before she fired several bursts from her Assault Rifle. The Bullets punched through the plants and the bodies of the dead ponies who seemed unfazed by the bullets. The only ones doing damage appeared to be Iria and Littlewings. Littlewings was using flame spell papers, and Iria her Magical Energy Pistol. Both were burning away the plants leaving the bodies collapsed in heaps with nothing to support them now.
"Cloudy Melody, use fire. Bullets won't hurt them!" I yelled soaring over to join Littlewings and Iria drawing the Dash's Lightning and slashing into the plant covered corpses. "The plants are in control"
"What, how can plants be moving like that!?"Cloudy Melody said getting ready a flame spell before shouting "it's too crowded to use the spell."
"They came from the outgrowths in the halls, apparently the bodies were covered up by the plants" Littlewings said, "It would be safe to assume the meadows in the halls were also corpses covered by plants."
"I was able to get the terminal working just before they attacked." Iria said as she blasted one of the corpses through the skull and hit a second behind it, burning the plants off both, "Apparently this was supposed to be your run of the mill stable, as advertised. They were given the same supplies as most other Stables, as well as a few extra plants requested for by the Overmare. They were harmless plants, roses, petunias, et-cetra."
"These don't look like roses or petunias to me!" Littlewings shouted as his spell papers blasted several more of the plant creatures to ash.
"Out of the way!" Cloudy Melody shouted giving us little time to jump to the sides of the doorway before her fire spell shot down the hallway setting most of the plants ablaze.
"Good aim... did you plan that to happen?" Iria said
"Just lucky, I couldn't see where a gap was so I aimed for the center of the door" Cloudy Melody said.
I blinked and then said "wow... talk about lucky, but the battle's not over yet" I said turning back to the plant creatures, there was maybe 5 left not ablaze taking them down would be easy. As I readied the Dash's Lightning again they turned away and began to walk in a strange shambling manner away from us. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief that there weren't more of the things.
Just as we were relaxing I noticed something was off, "Hey, where's Littlewings?"
"He was next to Iria I thought" Cloudy Melody said.
"I thought he jumped next to Silver Aura."Iria responded.
After looking at each other for a moment we all quickly looked down in unison. We could just barely see Littlewings below hanging on a piece of the alien metal. If not for the alien thing having it's own gravity on the floor Littlewings likely would have fallen further.
"Littlewings! Are you ok down there!?" Iria shouted down the pit.
"Fine apart from hanging from a ledge" Littlewings shouted back, "I think I can get into a hallway down here"
"I'll come down to you" Iria shouted, she then flapped her wings and flew down to the ledge to help Littlewings into the hall.
"We'll find a way down from up here, no sense in getting down with no way to get back up." I shout down to them before helping Cloudy Melody get back across to the Stable side of the pit before we head further into the stable to find some stairs leading down.
___---POV change, Littlewings---___
After Iria helped me into the hallway we looked around trying to find a way back up. Unfortunately for us this part of the stable had been the end of a hallway to somepony's living area. We had to find another way up, and I did not like the looks of the pit. Being a Pegasus that can't fly really makes heights a bit of an issue. I needn't forget that having no armor makes me quite vulnerable in the stable.
"I think we may need to cross to the other side of the pit, unless you can fly. I doubt I can carry you back up." Iria told me.
"Tiny wings, and a big pit. Wasn't bad enough up top where we at least had a decent ledge to stand on" I said, "Well, no sense moping about impossible things. do you see any way to get across?"
"Umm. well, looks like the plants are more dense down here. and it looks like the stable on the other side of the pit is another hallway." Iria tells me, and sure enough there was enough outgrowth of plants to be able to carefully move to the other side of the pit with some help.
"Let's try it, I may need help so I don't fall" I said moving to the plants cautiously.
"I got you" Iria said flying over to support me. Trying to keep my weight more on the plants as we moved we slowly made it to the other side of the pit and into the stable hallway. "Let's keep moving, maybe somewhere there's a elevator that we can use somewhere."
Ahead of us was a stable door, and as we approached I tried the door panel thinking it wouldn't work. Surprisingly it did, and what was on the far side of the door was shocking to say the least. There was an alien corridor, upside down and the ceiling was sparking with loose wires. Thinking for a moment I was about to say something when Iria ran in and jumped up to the floor.
"Uhh, I can't fly remember?" I said before noticing that her wings were folded down.
"Fly? Don't you remember? Cloudy Melody and Silver Aura already walked up a sheer drop hallway like this already, apparently they have a limited gravity field that can hold things to the floor." Iria said, leaving me dumbfounded.
"So, I jump, and stick to the floor?"I ask sounding stupid.
"Yes. come on" Iria said before turning around and walking a short distance.
"Wait up" I said jumping up to join her on the floor, my mane and tail sticking straight up, or down as the case may be.
Walking in this upside down alien thing was disorienting to say the least. As we moved we found several rooms filled with consoles and dead aliens on the ceiling. Several alien weapons that we decided we best avoid for now, they weren't exactly designed to be shot from a pony's mouth. In one room we found several dead ponies on the ceiling and as luck would have it one was a Pegasus about the size I was.
Jumping from the floor to the ceiling was more disorienting than just walking on the floor was. Landing on my feet I walked up to the dead pony and examined the armor they had on. It appeared to be a light weight armor, but the design was also amazingly well made. The armor looked like if a pony wore it they could still perform outstanding acts of stealth as well as being ready to take the enemy head on. To somepony like me this armor was a work of art.
"That's some nice armor" Iria said above me, still standing on the floor. "Looks like it would fit you nicely as well"
I nod and begin to remove the armor from the body, careful with removing taking in each and every curve of the armor perfectly crafted to maximize it's stealth capabilities. The paint of the armor was a midnight blue, with silvery trim, even the paint was done so that somepony could easily sneak around. I chose to call it stealth armor as I began to put it on, the hoof parts of the armor were padded to silence a pony's movement but still allow for strong hits in hoof to hoof combat.
"This armor is amazing" I said as I crouched down, I was still visible, "It appears to be a non-magical stealth armor set. The armor is perfectly balanced for stealth without the need for magical enhancement."
I jump back to the ceiling with added agility from what I had before. The armor appeared to glide through the air as I jumped, it seems surprising that a pony would die while wearing this armor.
"Ready to go now that you have some armor?" Iria asks from the doorway looking both ways. "looks like the coast is clear"
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
"This place is a maze, we go down one set of stairs and it's a dead end, maybe the maintenance tunnels have a way to Iria and Littlewings." I said as we ran into our 10th dead end
"Good idea, we're already next to the entrance almost" Cloudy Melody said nodding in the direction of the gear door just beyond the door behind us.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained" I said with a sigh as we walk over to the maintenance tunnels. On the other side of the door we find a stairway leading down. Going down we find a dead pony in the hallway, the body looked fresh, and in the saddlebags I could barely see what looked like a rainbow colored mane on a tiny pony. Opening the saddlebags I discover a Rainbow Dash Statuette with the inscription "Be Awesome" on it's base. Taking a hold of the figure with my magic I feel a warmth spread through my body, immediately I felt like I could move more swiftly and could feel my wings grow slightly stronger.
Further in the saddlebags I found 4 healing potions, a note, and a photo. Looking at the photo first I could see it was a picture of a young Rainbow Dash next to a smiling turtle on the back it said "Rainbow Dash and Tank". Looking at the note next it read:
Hey, I found this photo and thought you might want it. It appears to be of Rainbow Dash so it might be one of those "Relics of Rainbow Dash" you've been looking for. Not sure why you want them, unless it's for that Dashite who claimed he was making a museum. Anyway, I found it in northern ruins of Goldenwing City, north of New Memory City. Guessing from the names on this photo, Tank is the name of her pet.
The letter ended there without a signature. Judging from how young RD looked in the photo I would guess it was from when she got Tank.
"What are the Relics of Rainbow Dash?" I ask to nopony in particular.
"Maybe Iria knows." Cloudy Melody said walking up next to me."We should see how far we can get down here."
I nod and carefully put the statuette, letter, and photo into my saddlebags, giving half of the healing potions to Cloudy Melody and putting the other 2 into my own saddlebags. We start to walk further down the maintenance tunnels passing a single room in the featureless hallway. At the end of the tunnel we found ourselves at the bottom of the pit from before, a chunk of the alien thing embedded in the ground, it's doorway facing straight up and wires connecting it to another alien hallway.
Looking into the alien room we saw what would be best described as a greenhouse, or like a hydroponics bay of a boat. Sparks flew and the plants glowed in the room, it did not look safe to enter. As we watched several vines grew down to the bottom of the room just barely fast enough to be noticeable.
"I think we found the source of the plants" Cloudy Melody said and I nodded.
"We should find a way to disable this thing" I said as i started looking around carefully to see if the room had a shutoff.
"Good idea, umm, what about cutting the wire?" Cloudy Melody said pointing with her hoof.
I nod and using the Dash's Lightning I cut through the wire at it's weakest point, which turned out to be it's coupling point. The hydroponics room shut down with a bewooo like sound you would come to expect from high energy machines. Looking into the room again I noticed that aside from the glow being gone the plants seemed to be starting to wither already. Apparently the glow not only made them grow but was what kept the plants alive.
"Well, that's one problem solved" I said turning back to Cloudy Melody, who was standing sideways in the alien corridor, "and it looks like we got more crazy gravity to deal with."
"Yup, at least this way we should be able to find a way to Iria and Littlewings." Cloudy Melody said, "It's strange how the gravity seems to hold us to whatever direction looks to be the floor in these corridors."
I nod and move into the alien corridor, I feel the slant of the corridor only momentarily as the world turns on it's side when I get in.
___---POV change, Littlewings---___
We ran down the corridor as we were chased by these, Abominations. It doesn't seem right to even call them ponies anymore. The claws of the Abominations clack on the metal floor as they run after us. Iria shooting back at them as we enter another large room. This room had a large break in the middle bending it so the floor ran straight down as a cliff face.
The Abominations race in after us, at least 5 following. Iria manages to nail one in the right foreleg sending it slamming to the ground with the next step it took. We were standing at the edge of the room almost, looking up, technically down, I see a platform in the broken room that we might be able to jump to. Nudging Iria a point to the platform with my hoof and firing off 3 more lasers at the Abominations she grabs me and jumps, using her wings only to make sure we stay on target. We land with a thud on the raised platform in the warehouse room now on a sideways floor rather than upside down.
The Abominations leap after us but not being able to control themselves in the air they plummet past us, two of them slamming into the far wall with a gut-wrenching squelch sound. The other 2 that leaped landed on staircases leading to the floor managing not to die in their leaps. The last one was still on the ceiling-floor unable to get it's footing long enough to leap, it limped to the edge of the floor and falls right at us.
It was falling fast but I was faster with my spell paper I throw a fire spell at the Abomination, the paper exploding on contact sending the Abomination into a wall. Iria reloads having used up the Small Spark Cell for the Magical Energy Pistol and slotting in a new one, closing the battery compartment and firing several shots into the chest of the closest Abomination. The Abomination glows for a brief moment before turning to dust which mostly drifts down to the wall.
The last Abomination was back on it's hooves now and once again running toward us. Iria spins round and is about to fire on the Abomination but gets broadsided by the claws. She slides down the platform but manages to stay on slight scratches visible on her enclave armor. I throw another flame spell paper into the face of the final Abomination and run down to Iria.
"You alright Iria?" I ask as I reach her.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken. This armor is well made despite what I was made to do while wearing it" She responded as the Abomination fell behind her to splat against the far wall with the other two.
"We should move before more of those... things find us." I said moving toward the stairs to get to the floor.
"They weren't so tough once we got them in here." She said as she follows me down the sideways stairs.
"Hey Iria? Why did you join the Enclave to begin with?" I ask as we walk to the door.
"My friend and I did everything together, even being in the Enclave military" She said, "I'm guessing by now my parents already were given permission to have another child. They'll have marked me as dead or a Dashite, and I'll gladly take the title of Dashite over going back to the Enclave."
"Permission to have another child?" I ask as we enter the corridor and follow the right hand path which leads to what appear to be windows with piles of rocks on the other side.
"In the Enclave parents can only have a certain number of foals. Some families are permitted more because of military status or rank." She said looking at the floor as we walk, I notice tears falling ahead of her. I reach out to give her a hug and smile at her.
"Don't cry Iria, I'm sure you'll see your parents again someday. That's more than can be said for me, mine are dead." I said still hugging her as we stood there.
She smiled back at me before saying "Thanks Littlewings, how do you deal with not being able to see your parents?"
"I... don't, not always. Sometimes I would just cry in a hiding place in the factory knowing that my mother was killed by the Slendermane when it took me. My father died trying to save the foals when I was too little to remember, and because of that my mother was too stricken with grief to even be able to name me." I said "I was called Littlewings by the bullies in town who weren't taken by the Slendermane, it would always leave just enough foals in the town to make sure he wouldn't run out. The bullies didn't know that I actually liked the name Littlewings, before they called me that I didn't have a name at all."
"You didn't deserve to lose your parents, you're a really kind pony" Iria said to me as she gave me a hug this time. "and you have friends now."
Her saying that caused me to smile. "We should move, I don't think standing here is going to help us find Silver Aura and Cloudy Melody." I said as I heard gunshots from ahead.
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
Running along the corridor I aim back with the .32 Revolver and fire at the Abominations chasing us. managing to hit one in the eye and drop it as the bullet hits the brain. Cloudy Melody keeping the route ahead clear as we run past door after door, window after window. I didn't notice till I ran right into them that we had managed to find Littlewings and Iria, almost falling back down the corridor me and Iria manage to catch ourselves with our wings and Cloudy Melody catches Littlewings as she continues to run before sending a volley of bullets at the Abominations behind us.
The corridor was completely blocked by Abominations behind us and only the hole in the alien thing ahead of us. I turned around and drew my Assault Rifle firing off a few rounds into the doorway. Cloudy Melody joins me in covering the door with our rifles as Iria and Littlewings fully recover their senses from being knocked down. Iria regains her senses first and helps with dealing with the Abominations as she fires into the crowd of them, disintegrating several who soon get replaced by more.
"We need another way out!" I shout to the others.
Littlewings regains his senses as I shouted and glancing around he spotted a large crate just small enough to move down the Corridor. "There! If we can get that off the floor it should flatten the Abominations!" He shouts over the noise of our guns firing.
"On it" Cloudy Melody shouts back as she runs over to the crate and with slight difficulty lifts it so the floor no longer affects the crate. "MOVE, I CAN'T HOLD IT MUCH LONGER!"
We all dive to the side as the alien crate goes soaring past us and down the corridor leaving a trail of Abomination blood and guts. The crate left only the lower legs of them laying on the floor as what remained of the bodies lay strewn across the walls, ceiling, and floor.
"Good thinking Littlewings" I said, "Where did you get that armor?"
"Thanks, I got the armor in another room, it's in that upside down portion of this place"Littlewings responds. "Why?"
"That's prototype stealth armor, designed to work without spells. It was one of The Vault's projects, it was meant to be a fail safe in case the experiment proved to be a failure." Cloudy Melody said leaving a surprised look on my face, "I found out about it during my time in the Stasis Chamber. The armor went missing during a test run about a month before Silver Aura entered The Vault."
I nodded having no idea what else to do in this situation. I glanced to the corridor and said "We better get going before more of those Abominations find us"
"You really think there are still more of them?" Iria asks
"Given how big this place is I wouldn't Doubt it." I said as I start moving toward the corridor and wait for them at the doorway.
"Let's get out of here" Cloudy Melody said walking up next to me.
The four of us begin to make our way back out of the vault and the weird alien place when Cloudy Melody whispers to me "You're getting pretty good with your spells, Silvie." her whispering causes me to blush a bit as her breath tickles my ear.
LEVEL UP level 8 New perk: Heightened Senses: You are able to react faster in low-light or limited vision situations.
Terror is what the Survivors of The Vault instil in their wake. Sheer Terror that only a monster can instill in it's victims, That is what they bring with them. They lost their names in gaining the magical abilities from The Vault, and this may have been what drove them insane. The price of their powers, their very names, may have proven too much for them, they know only the numbers they are referred to by the computer system of The Vault.
When we reached the entrance to Stable 119 we rested for a couple hours, but none of us slept. The morning came with silence. Looking to the others I got up from the ground and said to them quietly "I'm going to take a look outside, don't want to run into more of those Abominations." They all nodded in understanding.
As I looked around the gear door I could make out what appeared to be 2 foals with a earth pony that wasn't touching the ground. As I watched another earth pony approached the group, this one looked to have some form of rubber boots on its forehooves. They were talking but I couldn't make out what they were saying, as they spoke a Radroach was scuttling past them.
The pony with the boots noticed the Radroach and withdrew one hoof from the boot and as it did lightning seemed to flow out of the boot coming from the pony's hoof. They pointed their hoof at the Radroach and a moment later it was nothing but a small smoldering crater. The pony put their boot back on and the pony said something to the hovering one. The hovering pony started to fly off and the 2 foals transformed into birds and followed the other pony. The lightning pony walked off down the road in the direction of the Goldenwing City ruins.
"It's safe now, there were several Survivors of The Vault, they are gone now." I said turning back to the others. "We better head out, I want to get to the base when there are fewer guards."
"Lead the way" Littlewings said walking up behind me ready to leave.
As we took the first steps back outside I looked in each direction to make sure there weren't more Survivors of The Vault around the stable entrance. The coast was clear so we began to move once again toward the Enclave base along the road. Further down the road we passed what looked to be the remains of a caravan, the bodies were twisted beyond recognition, the limbs appearing to have been torn from their sockets with great force.
"What could have done this?" Iria asked as I started to carefully move the dead ponies' bodies so we could check for any supplies.
"I think we know what it was, and they were outside the stable earlier." Cloudy Melody responded.
"I herd stories about that, I just never thought they were true. Earth ponies able to tear other ponies apart like this, it didn't seem possible" Iria said.
"Well, I'm guessing we will run into a lot more unbelievable things if we don't find a way to deal with the Survivors of The Vault." Littlewings said, "I should know since I apparently was surviving in the wake of one at the colterquin factory."
"The Survivors of The Vault are more than just unbelievable, they are presumably ex-military." I said as I set the last of the saddlebags from the dead ponies in a pile to look through. "But our main concern right now needs to be the Enclave base, and making sure we have enough supplies to break out the captives."
"Right, I'll help you search through those bags" Littlewings said taking 2 of the saddlebags to search through, "wow, they must have been a weapons dealer, there are some good guns in this bag, small, but they look to be good condition."
Iria trotted over to Littlewings to look into the saddlebags and whistled "that looks to be a .45 Caliber pistol, and a silencer mod. That's a nice find"
"These saddlebags seem to only have spare clips for that kind of gun, a couple of near broken guns according to my Pip-Buck, and some caps" I say as I finish looking through the 2 saddlebags I had.
"Your pip-buck can scan weapon condition?" Iria asked seeming surprised.
"well, yea. Can't all Pip-Bucks?" I responded.
"I couldn't tell ya, my Enclave armor didn't have that function so I assumed Pip-Bucks didn't either" Iria said." any data on there saying what else it can do?"
"Let me check..." I responded as I got up after sliding the saddlebag full of .45 auto ammo to Littlewings, "yea, there's a datalog titled 'Lieutenant rank "The Vault" Special Issue Pip-Buck instructions' I'll read it"
=============Lieutenant rank "The Vault" Special Issue Pip-Buck Instructions=============
Welcome to the instructions manual for you new Pip-Buck, These instructions will tell you what functions your new Pip-Buck possesses as well as telling you of it's upgraded security features. These instructions have also been programmed to work as a status update for any malfunctioning components.
-Weapon and Armor Condition scanner(works on normal clothing as well)
-Built in inventory sorter(Malfunction)
-medical monitors(detailed display of any medical problems, Malfunction)
-Magical Focus (to enable easy use of your new magical powers)
-Guaranteed authorized access to all lower ranking Personnel Pip-Bucks from The Vault in the event of base destruction(Active)
-Food scanner (detailed display of any effects food may have on the body)
Security Features:
-Authorized access only for removal
-Electrocution of unauthorized personnel attempting to remove this device
-Magically bonded to Lieutenant Silver Aura of the Equestrian Skyguard, no other pony may wear/activate this unit unless said pony is of a higher rank.
"wow, that has to be better than a normal Pip-Buck with all those features in it" Littlewings said after I finished talking and he had gotten all the ammo into his saddlebags as well as his new silenced.45 Auto Pistol. "We should probably find a way to fix some of those functions though, and figure out how to authorize somepony if it needs repairs."
"yea, don't need a technician getting electrocuted for attempting to repair my Pip-Buck" I said starting to lead the way further along the road.
*** *** ***
After a while we began to see the base on the horizon, as we did I noticed a movement close to the ground and immediately drew the Dash's Lightning ready to slash at whatever it was. "Don't attack" a male Pegasus pony in Enclave Armor said as he came out of a sewer cover, "I'm here to help with the rescue attempt. The base is too heavily guarded and regulated for a sneak rescue from the front, they don't get re-enforcements in small groups, and all messages come from transmissions."
"Who are you?" I asked the pony still having the Dash's Lightning at the ready. "and why should we trust you?"
"I'm Silent Thunder, a Dashite Unity spy in the Enclave. I can tell you this only because I'm outside broadcast range for my armor and am expected to be in the sewers checking for anypony trying to sneak into the base." he told us as he removed his helmet and lifted the front of his mane to show a symbol like Rainbow Dash's cutiemark, but it was on a shield with the cutiemarks of the other Mares of the Ministries surrounding the lightning bolt.l "This is the symbol of the Dashite Unity, I had it tattooed on my head to remind me of why I fight whenever I look in a mirror."
"I still don't entirely trust you, got any better proof that you're trustworthy?" I asked in response.
"I think your lady friends can vouch for me in that regard, I did deliver that message to you back at Darkness' Shadow." Silent Thunder said to us.
"Yea, he does look familiar" Iria said getting a closer look at him, "I think we can trust him."
"Ok, good, now that that is out of the way follow me, hurry. The surface patrol is due to go over this area soon, and we don't need the plan foiled before it has a chance to work." Silent Thunder said ducking back into the sewer and putting his Enclave helmet back on."I'll tell you the plan once we're all down here."
We followed after having me check the EFS for unfriendly notifications, there were none. When were all in the sewer Silent Thunder.
"So, what's this plan of yours?" I ask as Silent Thunder begins to lead us through the sewers.
"First, let me explaign the patrols. The sewers are patrolled in small groups of one to three ponies each, the groups follow a route in the sewers and then return to the base entrance, at which time if all routes are clear of intruders then the night guard duty is only a single pony to allow the patrols to rest. If a patrol group does not report in then they send a search party and have 5 ponies on guard at the prison." Silent Thunder explained to us. "I'm late reporting in, but since the sewers are a black spot for the base's radar systems because of the irradiated water and the wires on the walls they allow for up to 30 minutes before sending a small platoon to find the missing group."
"So, the plan is, you report in that it is all clear, and then the guards for the prison will be reduced and give us an easy time getting in, is that right?" Littlewings asked.
"Smart one, yes, that is the gist of it. However I have ensured that I will be the one guarding the prison as I should be the latest reporting in. When we get close to the base you will need to remain behind a ways till I can give the all clear." Silent Thunder said, "We were in luck that you showed up before all 30 minutes had passed. Alright, you'll need to wait here for me, the signal for the all clear will be me sliding a empty clip for your assault rifle down that drainage grate, it's right below the prison." he said as he pointed out a drainage grate in the ceiling of the sewer. "it's covered right now by a extra cot so nopony up there can hear us. Once the all clear is given come up and silently kill any opposition, I'm the only spy on this base for our side. When you reach the prison you will need to knock me out from behind to make it convincing so I can keep my cover."
"Got it" I said nodding. "Cloudy Melody, Iria, you two should stay down here when we go up since you don't have any silent weapons."
"Yes sir." Cloudy Melody said before stifling a giggle.
Silent Thunder went ahead and down a path to the left, leaving us to wait for the all clear. None of us spoke much while waiting. Littlewings was looking over his .45 silenced pistol trying to figure out a good way to use it with his mouth. I was looking over the Dash's Lightning to make sure the micro electroshock generator would work for the duration of the mission. Cloudy Melody and Iria were checking their armor and weapons as well.
I was the first to notice the sound of clattering coming from the ceiling as the empty clip fell onto the stone floor in front of us. "Here we go, let's rescue those prisoners."
The four of us charged quietly to where we assumed the way up was, and sure enough a ladder was at the end of the passage to the left. Littlewings and myself quickly scaled the ladder, and took out the guards in combat armor at the top. Silently me and him made our way to the hall and checking our sides we moved quickly to a empty room down the corridor from the sewer entrance. Making our way silently and swiftly down the corridor we killed any Enclave guards we found, most of them in open muzzled Enclave Carapace armor, a few in simple Combat armor. We found the prison after a short while of searching and once inside we saw Silent Thunder who nodded and facing the cage with his helmet off he waited for us. A swift blow to the back of his head left him unconscious but still alive.
"We're here to rescue you. Do you know where the keys are?" Littlewings said to one of the ponies in the cage.
"over there, on the wall" She responded, her voice sounding like somepony who belongs on radio might when off the air. I rushed over to where she had pointed and took the keys throwing them to Littlewings who unlocked the cage.
"Follow me, I'll lead you to the sewer exit." I said to them as they started to exit the cage. Littlewings waited for the last of them to exit before following behind them and backing us up from the rear.
The large group rushed through the few corridors between us and the sewer, once there I waited at the top of the ladder to make sure everypony made it down into the sewers. Littlewings soon came in at the back of the group and nodded to me. after that we both leaped down into the sewers again.
*** *** ***
The trip back through the sewers was uneventful everypony remaining silent most of the trip. When we all made it outside we looked back at the base and saw that the lights were still dark as the light from above was fading.
"Thank you for saving us, Silver Aura." The Unicorn mare who pointed out the keys said once we were all outside. "My name is Flutter Wonder, but most ponies call me DJ Memory, I've herd much about you from Silent Thunder."
"Why is he called Silent Thunder?" Littlewings asked her as we began to lead the group along the road away from the base.
"It's because he is silent when spying on an Enclave base, but when he is ready he strikes with the ferocity of thunder." Flutter Wonder said. In the fading light of day I could see her coat was a Medium Violet Purple, and had a pale Yellow mane and tail with a single light blue streak down the middle of both, they were styled like a 3/4th length version of Fluttershy's mane and tail like I had seen in the posters. and her eyes were Brown in color.
"Where should we lead everypony?" I asked her.
"New Memory City, everypony should be safe there, it's one of the most secure cities in the Forgotten Wasteland." she said. Littlewings trotted back to tell Cloudy Melody and Iria where we were going as they were guarding everypony from attacks from behind.
"It will be a while before we reach there if it's in the city ruins." I said to Flutter Wonder "What was that message you sent us about? I know we are supposed to find somepony with a silver aura... but how are we supposed to find them? I doubt we can just walk up to every Unicorn we see and ask them what color their magical aura is."
"Well, I can't be of much help there, but I think there may be more to the legend than what we already know." Flutter Wonder said. "I herd a few rumors while in the Enclave prison. Some ponies think that the Light of the Wasteland was once used before the war, in a time when Changelings were attacking Canterlot during a royal wedding. Other ponies say what happened that day was something else entirely. But since we don't know of anypony who actually attended the wedding and is still alive we have no clue who is right, just rumors."
"What is the light exactly? Isn't it just an idea, or something like that?" I asked as we passed stable 119 on our way back to the city and Cloudy Melody walked up next to me.
"I'm not sure myself, but too many ponies across the wasteland who never had any contact knew of it for it to just be mere myth." Flutter Wonder responded.
"Think anyone in New Memory city will know about it?" Cloudy Melody asked
"Maybe, but we have to get there first" Flutter Wonder responded, "But the only way to find out is to get there."
"I think we should rest in Darkness' Shadow before we head into the ruins. It may be the only safe place between here and the ruins." I said as we walked.
"Darkness' Shadow!? Anypony with a lick of sense would avoid that place, it's said to be cursed." Flutter Wonder said, a twinge of fear in her voice.
"Not so much a curse as a power mad pony in a Colterquin Suit." I responded, "Something called a Soul Jar was in a machine there, I'm guessing it was the source of the rumors."
"A Soul Jar huh? I herd rumors about those things before, never thought they were actually real." Flutter Wonder said, "oh, and New Memory City is in the center of the uptown ruins.
*** *** ***
Close to half an hour later we arrived at Darkness' Shadow and were greeted by many happy Ponies in the town.
"All right, we'll rest here for an hour, feel free to get supplies for the trip through the ruins. Anypony able to fight should focus on weaponry in case we get attacked." I called out to the ponies in our care
A Brown colored Stallion ran up to me and still panting said "If you need weapons I would be happy to supply them from my shop, free of charge."
"Thank you, that will be a great help" I responded to his offer.
"Hey, Silver, I got some... unfinished business to attend to here, I'll be back before we leave" Littlewings told me before troting off toward the Colterquin factory.
"Wait up, I'll come with you" Iria called out to him running to catch up with him.
"Be careful!" I called out to both of them, to Cloudy Melody I said "we should see about getting everypony set up with the right supplies for the trip ahead.
___---POV change, Littlewings---___
Iria and I were heading to the Colterquin factory on the hill, occasionally stopping at some of the many new grave sites of long dead ponies. I bowed my head in respect of all the ponies lost to the Slendermane. It was quiet most of the trip there, we mourned the lost even if we did not know them.
"What unfinished business do you have at the factory?" Iria asked as we approached the end of the houses and beginning of the hill.
"Its... personal, somepony I lost, a long time ago" I responded as I lead the way up the hill. "He was someone I wish I knew better."
"oh, What do you plan to do once you find him?" Iria asked as we neared the doors.
"I... I wish to give him a proper burial, next to mom." I responded, a tear falling from my eye.
I opened the doors, the skeletons of many ponies were gone now. I could tell the Gravekeeper Unicorn had been here by the flowers left where the skeletons once were. She always left flowers on the doorsteps of ponies who lost family to the Slendermane, even before I was kidnapped. As I searched the skeletons to find a Pegasus Iria called out to me.
"I think I found him!" she called to me
"How can you be sure? Multiple Pegasi died here" I said as I walked over to her, that's when I saw it, a Photo, of me, my mother, and him. "Dad" It was all I could say as I reached out for the skeleton.
"He really loved you, to even take a photo of loved ones into a place like this." Iria said motioning to the factory around us.
"We should take the skeleton and bury him." I said as I lifted the skeleton carefully onto my back.
"Let me help" Iria said trying to help me carry my father's skeleton.
"No, I must do this myself." I responded as I started to walk out the front doors of the factory. I carried my Father's dead body down the hill with Iria next to me. I couldn't admit it at the time but I was glad to have her with me. Even being long dead there was still enough tissue on my father's bones to keep them from separating.
We soon reached the graveyard, which lay at the bottom of the hill. The Gravekeeper was waiting there for us with a small smile on her face. It was not a happy smile, more rather, a comforting one, the kind a pony like her needs given her line of work. She was levitating a shovel next to her, the gravemarker of my father already in place next to my mother's.
Placing my father's skeleton I took the shovel and got to work digging up the spot where my dad's gravemarker was. While I was digging a second shovel joined with mine. Looking up I saw it was Iria with the other shovel.
"I can't let you do this alone, I doubt anypony could handle it by themselves." She said.
"Thanks, I don't think I could have done this without you Iria" I said as we both dug the grave together.
After about 20 minutes of digging we finally had the grave dug. Iria flew us both out of the grave with me helping as best I could, which wasn't much. I then put my father's skeleton into the grave as a tear fell from my eye.
"Good bye father, even though I never met you, I still miss you." I said as Iria hugged me with a foreleg.
"May he rest in peace" The gravekeeper said as she used her magic to gently place the dirt in the grave, after which a single rose bloomed from the spot with a brown colored aura around it.
"Come on, let's go find the others" Iria said, to which I nodded
"I'm sorry it took so long dad" I said as we left the graveyard.
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
"12 Assault Rifles, 3 clips each, a few healing potions and magical bandages. I think we're set Silvie" Cloudy Melody said to me running through a mental checklist.
"It's not much, but it's better than we had before." Flutter Wonder said as she took one of the Assault Rifles and ammo for it.
"Now we just need to wait for Littlewings and Iria to get back. I got the path marked out on my Pip-Buck map so getting to New Memory City shouldn't be too difficult now." I said as I looked down the street to see Littlewings and Iria walking towards us about 2 minutes later. "How did things go?" I asked Littlewings.
"Everything is wrapped up, thanks to Iria" Littlewings said in response.
"We're ready to go when you are." Iria said smiling.
We began to leave the town with myself in the lead following the markers on my E.F.S. compass. It wasn't a long journey from Darkness' Shadow to the ruins of Golden Wing City and the ponies who had guns were told not to shoot unless they had to so we didn't waste ammo on Radroaches or other minimal threats that a swipe of the Dash's Lightning could dispatch quickly. The markers lead us to the entrance of a subway system a little ways into the city ruins, inside the subway had been covered with debris from the walls and ceilings.
The main subway was below a platform that the entrance hallway lead out onto. Below we could hear groans and strange voices as well as the unmistakable sound of something like metal tapping on tile.
"So, where do you suppose 158-SA is." one of the voices said.
"Who knows, but we will find him. The boss has an interest in him." a slightly higher pitch voice said.
I motioned for all the ponies with guns to ready them as I got out my own Assault Rifle readying it as I crept up to the railing at the edge of the platform. Looking over the railing I saw 2 Survivors of The Vault moving toward the broken escalators. As they walked the blades on their forelegs made the sound of metal tapping tile, the groans were coming from several Ghoul ponies that seemed to be ignoring the Survivors of The Vault as the 2 made their way up the escalators now.
I waved to the ponies to hide and Littlewings seemed to be nowhere to be found already. Cloudy Melody was by my side as well as Iria while we waited for the Survivors of The Vault to draw ever closer. As they reached the top I shouted "NOW!" as I let lose a barrage of bullets from my Assault Rifle, other ponies following suit and a few lasers flying from Iria's pistol. The Survivors of The Vault dodged a few of the bullets but given the number of shots being fired from all sides they only managed to make it a few steps before collapsing. 3 of the ponies we were protecting walked up to the seemingly dead Survivors of The Vault with their guns held out.
As the ponies grew close the Survivors of The Vault came out of their possum act and slashed at the ponies. The 3 were left with large gashes across the chest of 2 and throat of the third. Almost immediately after the attack Littlewings fired several shots into the heads of both Survivors of The Vault, killing them. After he did he emerged from the shadows where he had been waiting for an opening to shoot.
The shooting had alerted the Ghouls from below who began swarming the escalator as they came up. I started firing on the Ghouls as several ponies rushed to the aid of the 3 injured ones, bandaging the wounds and getting them out of harm's way. Iria, Littlewings, Cloudy Melody, and several of the ponies with guns joined in shooting down the large number of Ghouls. The Ghouls didn't stand much chance against the onslaught of bullets, we had to reload only once each before the battle was finished.
"Are they able to walk?" I asked as I approached the injured ponies.
"No, they lost too much blood before we could stop it." A pony tending to them told me.
" We'll have to carry them, we can't stay here." I said glancing around to make sure nopony else was injured before taking one of the injured ponies onto my back. 2 other ponies from the group picked up the other injured ponies so we could keep moving through the subway system.
*** *** ***
We were able to get through the subway system with only a few scrapes and cuts along the way. The Ghouls seemed to have all been gathered at the station with the Survivors of The Vault. The closer we got to the Ministry Towers station the fewer and fewer Ghouls we found. Luckily for us the Ghouls didn't seem to notice us, but seemed more concerned with getting away from the station we were heading to.
This station was in much the same state as the previous one. The only difference was that it appeared to have another level below where we were going in directions at a 90 degree angle to the rails we were on. We all walked up to the exit of the eerily deserted subway station. As we got outside we were able to catch our first glimpse of New Memory City. The city was made from 3 ministry towers that stretched up to make one of the highest points in Golden Wing City's skyline.
Even after 200 years the towers still stood, Platforms exposed to open air at regular intervals going up the middle, with the towers acting almost like a tripod. The sides of the buildings that faced inward had all collapsed leaving them open to the platforms. It seemed impossible that the city was even able to stand let alone have been around long enough for the city to be built. The old sign in front of the towers still remained with barely visible words stating that these were the towers for the Ministries of Arcane Science, Peace, and Wartime Technology.
The entrance to the city was in the middle of the base level of the towers where a giant metal gate had been built that could be raised by a large motor that looked like it was taken from a crane. and several large cables. As we approached Flutter Wonder began to speak.
"Something is wrong, there is supposed to be guards on duty here at all times. Silver Aura, can you fly up and raise the gate?" Flutter Wonder asked me.
"I'll try" I responded as I began to fly up slowly to the gate controls, where I proceeded to press the button that said open. I waited for everypony to be inside the gate before hitting close and flying down to join them in the center of the towers.
"Thank you Silver Aura" Flutter Wonder said as she directed the other rescued ponies to an elevator in the Ministry of Peace tower. "I don't want to alarm the other ponies but this area is supposed to have several guards in it and a medic just incase a injured pony comes to our gates. The emptiness here has me on edge."
Just as she finished saying that several Survivors of The Vault seemed to appear out of nowhere as they surrounded us and said "you will come with us. The boss wants a word with you." They didn't appear to be the kind that could transform, their cutiemarks appeared to be a half invisible pony symbol. We followed them to the elevator in the Ministry of Arcane Science tower and were told to go to the top.
As the elevator shook and rattled on it's way up I asked Flutter Wonder "what's at the top of this elevator?"
"My office, and broadcasting studio. If their boss is there, then they will have some questions to answer." She said as the elevator slowly rose above the ruins of Golden Wing City.
"How did New Memory City get it's name?" Cloudy Melody asked.
"My grandmother named it, She started the city with a small group of ponies a long time ago. When they found the towers, they were on the verge of collapsing, but luckily, they had some Unicorns with powerful levitation magic and Earth ponies able to build strong platforms that the city now rests on. As they built the platforms they moved up the towers, when they reached the top they found dozens of memory orbs in storage rooms. The sheer number of orbs is what lead my grandmother to name the city New Memory City." Flutter Wonder explained. "The name DJ Memory was from my mother, she found recording equipment and other such items in the basement of the Ministry of Wartime Technology tower. She used it to set up a radio station in the Wartime Technology top floor. She passed the mantle on to me before she died from a bullet wound she got from raiders while out looking for stories to report on the radio."
The elevator screeched to a halt at the top of the tower. As we walked out we saw several unicorn guards wearing green combat armor, this caused DJ Memory to smile. as we walked down a hallway to an office. When we got inside a pony in a chair spun it around and said, "Why hello there... Commander."
"It can't be." Cloudy Melody said as her jaw dropped.
"Who is he?" Littlewings asked.
"Why did he call you Commander?" Iria asked.
I was speechless for a short time before saying "Blue Bolt."
"What!? But I thought he was sealed in Darkness' Shadow's factory!" Littlewings shouted.
"All will be explained" Blue Bolt said as 2 transformation Survivors of The Vault became their monstrous forms on either side of Blue Bolt. "Oh, and shooting me will do you no good Littlewings. Iridescence, such a lovely name, shame you prefer to be called Iria. Cloudy Melody, I hardly need to delve deep into your mind, such thoughts will do you no good here. Before anypony asks, yes I can read your minds, and I can do more than just that as well."
"Why..." DJ Memory Started to say before she was cut off by Blue Bolt.
"Why did I take over your city? Simple really, it was the perfect place to govern my troops." He smiled wickedly as his cutiemark came into view. It had become a Brain shaped book with writing covering it, and it appeared to have blood splashing around it as well as part of the cutiemark. "Also no, Silver Aura, I am not the leader of the Survivors of The Vault, I am merely a General, one of three Generals that we have. Sadly, 003-XE died in her stasis pod before it could open, poor dear, she had such ambition before she suffocated in there. Someone had cut the air supply, oops."
"You're sick!" I yelled at him.
"I wouldn't draw that weapon if I were you, I assure you these two are not just for show. They are much faster than the fools in the subway with their Ghoul friends." He said in a mocking tone. "I must say, bloodline reading reveals such secrets about a pony, or Zebra. I must say that evil book was a good read in the mind of a certain Zebra I met not long ago. And Starswirl the Bearded, I never would have thought that such spells even existed, too bad his descendant didn't last long after meeting me. Bloodline reading is such a messy business, I needed direct contact with the poor dear's blood in both cases. So many don't even realize that their blood can carry memories from their ancestors."
As he was talking myself and the others were getting more restless, not wanting to try our luck with attacking him, but knowing that he had a hand in the evil of the wasteland.
He continued talking as he moved in front of a window, "I do have to say, the first 5 test subjects, coming from your own squad. I could tell it is eating you up to know one of them is dead and you couldn't save her. It was quite entertaining watching her struggle with thoughts of escape in her mind. I just wish I could have smothered her with my own h... OOF" I gasped as I saw Cloudy Melody tackle him sending both through the window. Catching a glimpse of Blue Bolt's expression I saw surprise on his face. The Survivors of The Vault reacted quickly forming wings as they dove after Blue Bolt.
"CLOUDY MELODY!" I shouted as I ran for the window and dove out after her pulling out my pistol. I had my wings pressed against my body as I saw Cloudy Melody below fighting with Blue Bolt, she was using her gun like a club trying to score a hit with it. Blue Bolt was dodging almost perfectly, every so often he was hit sending the pair spinning out of control, one hit sent Cloudy Melody and Blue Bolt in different directions as they fell.
I was firing off several shots at the Survivors of The Vault, scoring several hits on their wings but not slowing them down any. The Survivors of The Vault soon caught up with Blue Bolt and grabbed him.
"You won't be so lucky next time we meet Commander! I still have my backup plan!" Blue Bolt shouted as he and the Survivors of The Vault flew off.
"Somepony read a few too many Mighty Pony books" I said quietly as I flapped my wings every couple seconds to move faster, not noticing a silver colored magical aura starting to surround me causing me to fly still faster. When I got close enough I focused my telekinesis on Cloudy Melody, causing her falling to slow down just enough for me to catch her 4 stories above the ground. Using all my strength of flying I guided us into a crash landing in a irradiated pond.
We both limped out of the pond with a few broken bones and soaking wet. We herd gunshots from above and started to make our way back to the entrance gate. As we did several bodies of dead Survivors of The Vault fell around us, all of them with the invisibility cutiemark. As we reached the gate I collapsed on the ground having spent much of my energy on saving Cloudy Melody.
LEVEL UP Level 9 New Perk: Flight(Rank 2): Your flight ability is now good enough to allow normal flight with a Wingpower of 2.5 you can move faster when flying downward.
Author's Note: Mighty Pony is meant to be like a pony parody of Power Rangers, mixed with several other action shows, in book form. The first version of the idea in my head was for it to be a TV show, but I didn't know if that idea would fly with the readers, so I went with books instead.
Dreams sometimes tell the story a pony does not wish to have told, other times they tell of things a pony wishes to return to. A dream could even scare a pony to the point of never sleeping again. Dreams can turn to nightmares which turn into horror shows that only the pony dreaming it can see.
///////ooOoOOoOoo\\\\\\\
I was going to be promoted, I couldn't believe it. Rainbow Dash was actually promoting me to a Lieutenant of Equestria's Military. Something about the streets seemed off though, nopony was out and about. All the shops were closed, curtains drawn, not even a pony peeking out into the streets. I was supposed to be heading to the base after visiting with family, but I never saw Ponyville this empty.
Even with nopony there I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me. As I walked I could see blood starting to flow from under the doors. The dark red fluid began to pool in the streets and collect around my hooves. I started to run as fast as I could, no matter how hard I ran I kept passing the same houses, and the blood rose higher and higher.
I saw a black figure flying above me, a spiked tail and mane barely visible. It's wings sent waves of black energy outward as it laughed menacingly overhead. I couldn't move, I was trapped as the houses moved to surround me still flooding the area with blood.
The blood began to rise over my head. I couldn't breathe; all I could see was red.
\\\\\\\ooOoOOoOoo///////
___---POV change, Cloudy Melody---___
"SILVIE!?" I was startled as Silver Aura just fell over. I rushed over as fast as I could, all while trying to keep my busted leg off the ground. I got to him just before he hit the ground leaning with my bad leg on the same side as him. I held him up as best I could before carefully using my magic to keep us balanced.
I managed to get us the rest of the way to the gate and started to bang on it to be heard over the gunshots. A pony's head poked over the top of the gate for a brief moment before retracting and I heard a pony shout "WE HAVE INJURED!" from the top of the gate. The gate then started to screech upward. Several unicorn guards came running out with stretchers made from what looked like old dresses, and capes sewn together. They used their magic to lift Silver onto one of the stretchers and I was told to lay on the other one.
I did as the guard ponies told me and laid down on the makeshift stretcher. The ponies then rushed us to the third elevator in the Ministry of Peace tower. The guards set us down in the elevator and one of them got in the elevator with us while the others rushed to the Ministry of Wartime Technology tower elevator. Once the doors to the elevator closed, I tried to sit up but felt a severe pain in my side and was forced to lay back down on the stretcher.
"Possible broken ribs, and a leg. Pegasus looks like he broke a wing and his left rear leg, possible broken ribs." the guard pony said.
"You know medicine?" I asked looking at him.
"Yes. All New Memory City guards are required to know enough about medical skills to be of help in situations when injured ponies come to our gate." The guard responded. "I have been instructed to take you both to the medical building; it is better equipped to help you than our camp at the gate."
"What is going on in the city?" I asked as the elevator came to a stop.
"A battle, we're fighting against those monsters, we took out the invisible ones at the guard camp first and were on our way to eliminate the ones on the higher levels. That's why we were there when you got to the gate. Several minutes later and we would have been on the upper levels that needed help." The guard pony responded.
The elevator slowed to a gentle stop with it's arrow pointing to a piece of scrap metal with the number 5 etched on it. Before the bombs this would have been at least the 15th floor of the building and halfway up. The door opened onto a room made of scrap metal walls and the remains of the floor from before the bombs. The floor itself was tiled and the bits beyond the edge of the pre-war floor contained broken tiles that appeared to be from random ruins.
I could see windows every now and then along the walls, many of which were dirty or made from broken glass pieced together. "How are those windows held together?" I asked as we were lifted up with the stretchers and moved off the elevator by medical ponies.
"When this building was made from the scrap, we used fire spells to melt the seams together. The cracks still persisted in the middle of the glass, but it is safe for the most part. The other windows we just got lucky to find fully intact." The guard pony responded. "This building takes up the entire level actually, but seeing as we always referred to it as the hospital building everypony just got to calling it a building instead of a level."
I nodded as I listened and started to drift off to sleep when they transferred us from the stretchers to beds. The medical ponies then left the room, leaving only the guard standing at the door.
"I'm going to keep an eye on you both, don't need you getting more injured than you already are." He said. "Were his hooves black when we got you in the elevator?"
I looked over to see what the guard meant and saw that Silver Aura's hooves were indeed black, and the look on his face was like he was having a nightmare. I gasped as I saw that the black coloring on his coat was slowly creeping up his legs. I didn't know what to do, so I started to sing hoping it would calm his dream and maybe that would help.
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
///////ooOoOOoOoo\\\\\\\
I was drowning in blood the dark figure above me laughing as it kept me from reaching the surface. I was growing weaker and weaker as I struggled to reach the surface. That's when I herd something, it was beautiful, and somehow calming. I could hear somepony singing.
"In the darkness of the night, I am there to give you flight. Through the moon and the stars, with our friends near and far."
As I listened it became easier to swim to the surface of the blood lake. I reached out with my hooves trying to find land and I felt somepony grab my hoof with theirs. Looking up I saw a pink hoof there with a bracelet of some sort that had a half heart pendant saying "Sis" on it. I couldn't focus on the pony completely as a bright light obscured the rest of them.
The figure said "Get up Silvie, somepony is waiting for you." After that the light became brighter and brighter as the blood lake disappeared, and...
\\\\\\\ooOoOOoOoo///////
I woke up. I could still hear singing and looking over I saw Cloudy Melody was the one singing. Her voice was beautiful, and I could tell that it was her who I herd in my dream, singing. As she opened her eyes while singing she saw I was awake and stopped.
"Why did you stop? It was beautiful" I said to which I could see her blush a bit.
"I'm just glad you're awake, it looked like you were having a nightmare." she said while fiddling with her hooves a bit.
"I was, but I can't remember what it was about." I responded as I saw the guard pony by the door looking wide eyed. "why are you looking at me like that?"
"your hooves, they were black a moment ago. now their pure white." He said.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, unsure what to think.
"Uh... never mind, I must have been seeing things" He responded before going back to standing at attention.
At that moment I herd an explosion from another level. "What's going on?" I asked attempting to get up from the bed before a sharp pain shot up my side.
"Careful there, we just got you two here, don't want you injuring yourselves more than you already have." The guard said, "There's a battle going on above, and below. We're fighting those monsters off, driving them out of the city."
Cloudy Melody smiled a bit and said "No need to worry right Silvie, besides they got Littlewings and Iria to help them."
___---POV change, Iridescence(Iria)---___
"I got this side Littlewings, they won't fly in past us!" I said as I shot through the wings of 2 Survivors of The Vault that were flying close together.
"Just wish we had more backup!" Littlewings said in response as he took out the wings of another Survivor of The Vault. "They just seem to keep coming, and is it just me or have we shot down the same group multiple times!?"
Soon after a pony came running up shouting "Shoot the heads! The winged ones can recover from a shot anywhere else!" She ran past continuing to shout to everypony on the floor.
"Well, that should help" I said as I aimed down the sights of my Magical Energy Pistol and fired into the eye of a Survivor of The Vault. The results were immediate as it screeched and started to plummet downwards limply. "and it seems to work."
"That's good, I don't think we could have held them off much longer otherwise" Littlewings said as he took out another Survivor of The Vault. The other guards on the floor were also doing well as one by one the Survivors of The Vault fell out of the sky like bricks.
"THEY'RE RETREATING!" a pony down the hall shouted, and sure enough the Survivors of The Vault that were still alive were flying away from the city. We had won, or so we thought. There was still the matter of the Survivors of The Vault that couldn't transform. Gunfire could be herd from the lower levels of the city.
"THE BATTLE ISN'T OVER YET!" a guard pony yelled out as he led a group of guards past us to the elevator. DJ Memory walked back into her office where we had been fighting the flying Survivors of The Vault. She brushed some hair back from her face as she set her pistol down on the desk.
"I think the guards can handle the rest of them, you two should head to the Hospital Building." DJ Memory said as she sat down behind her desk.
"What do you mean? We can't leave the city yet, we don't know if Silver Aura and Cloudy Melody are alright yet!" Littlewings said in a slightly alarmed voice.
DJ Memory blinked, frozen for a moment, before she sighed and said "Sorry, I meant the Hospital level, we always refer to it as a building in it's own right because it was built to be like it's own building. All the levels of the city have their own buildings, but the Hospital takes up the entirety of it's level, so we just call it a building on it's own, rather than a level. It's level 5 from the Ministry of Peace elevator. You should be able to find Silver and Cloudy Melody by asking at the desk about ponies brought in from outside the city gate."
"Thank you" I said as I turned to walk out the door, before turning back and nudging Littlewings whose mouth was slightly open like he was trying to come up with a response. "Let's go see the others, I'm sure their worried about us too"
"Head down the first hallway to the left after turning right out of my office to reach the Ministry of Peace tower elevator." DJ Memory said as Littlewings and I walked out of the room.
___---POV return, Silver Aura---___
Still hearing the sounds of gunfire from the other levels I started to see dark shadows quickly pass the windows. I could only guess that we were winning.
"Ah, looks like they figured out how to kill the things" The guard pony said, "The battle with those transforming things should be over soon enough."
"See, I told you Littlewings and Iria could help them" Cloudy Melody said.
"I hope you're right and they aren't just lying on a floor somewhere" I said in response.
"If they were injured they would have been brought here like you two were." The guard pony said.
The gunfire from above began to die down a bit, however the gunfire from below was still very loud. A little while later what sounded like a broken radio came around and the guard pony smiled. "She must have fixed the broadcast equipment."
"Greetings ponies of New Memory City! This is DJ Memory telling you that I remember you." DJ Memory said over the radio "I got some good news for everpony down there, we're winning this fight. Thanks to a group of ponies from who knows where, we are defeating those Survivors of The Vault, as they are called. All that's left is to drive out the remaining ones in the city, until the guards give the all clear I ask everypony to remain in their homes. We will get through this and restore the city to it's proper glory." The radio sputtered for a bit before static started to come from the speaker.
"Well, looks like things are starting to look up for once. I can't remember the last time the city was peaceful" the guard pony said.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"Roughly, 2 months since DJ Memory was taken by the Enclave, for a while we didn't have a mayor, then the Survivors of The Vault came and that mind reading pony took charge." The guard pony said "Luckily we were prepared for such a event and were able to prevent him from seeing into our minds, we came up with a plan to overthrow him, but knew that we couldn't pull it off without exposing ourselves to the mind reading."
"How did you prevent him from reading your minds?" I asked, surprised.
"The memory orbs stored here, they spoke of The Vault, and ways to counteract some of the spells they were granting ponies in that project." The guard pony said. "Didn't you wonder why all the guards are unicorns here?"
"I honestly had not noticed, you're one of the first guard's I've seen" I said in response.
At that moment a knock came from the doorway and as I looked over I saw Iria and Littlewings in it.
"What were you two thinking, jumping from the top floor of a sky scraper city!?" Iria said as she came into the room.
"Who are you?" the guard pony said.
"I'm Littlewings, and she's Iria" Littlewings said. "Their our friends."
The guard looked to me and Cloudy Melody, we both nodded.
"Well alright then" The guard pony said.
"It's good to see both of you too Iria" Cloudy Melody said.
"How did you take Blue Bolt by surprise like that?" Littlewings asked.
"Blue Bolt?" the guard pony asked.
"I'll explaign later" I said to him. "I was wondering about how you surprised him too Cloudy Melody"
"Well, I knew the blocker spell the guard here spoke about" she said "it was in the archives I had access to at the base."
"My name is Sonar Shield by the way, sorry I didn't mention it earlier" The guard pony said introducing himself.
"Ok, well, like Sonar Shield said, there's a spell that blocks the mind reading spell. It's not a very complex spell, the results really speak for themselves"
"I was really scared when I saw you go through the window" I said "I didn't want to lose you"
"I-I was scared too, but I knew that I had to do something" Cloudy Melody said, a slight blush showing on her face.
Iria sighed a bit and asked "How long do they have to be here?"
The gunfire from below died down around that moment.
"I'd say they could leave soon as they feel up to it" Sonar Shield said. "But I think that won't be till at the very least a doctor gets here with medical supplies, broken bones don't exactly heal over just a hour of rest"
*** *** ***
A couple hours later we had been taken care of by one of the medical ponies and Sonar Shield started to show us around the city. The combat had ended and we could see ponies piling the transformation Survivors of The Vault on burning piles to ensure they really were dead and not just playing possum.
"This level is our main commerce level, as you can see we got everything from weapon shops to medical supplies to old-world drugs" Sonar Shield said as he pointed to a few stores with his horn while guiding us around. "The two levels between us and the ground are residential so we don't really need to visit them. Above us is the Hospital, and above that is what could be called our town square."
"What's in the town square?" Littlewings asked
"That's where we have the armory, Town Hall, and where we have most of our festivals. We try to keep as many of the old-world celebrations around as we can, though I'm sure some of them have lost stuff along the way." Sonar Shield said
"Do you have Nightmare Night?" Cloudy Melody asked "That was my favorite time of year when I was a little filly."
"What is Nightmare Night?" Sonar Shield asked "Is that anything like the Night of the Moon? Where foals go around asking for candy to give to the Goddess of the Moon, Luna?"
"That sounds like Nightmare Night to me, does everypony wear costumes?" I ask as memories start to trickle back into my mind about the yearly Nightmare Night holiday.
"Only what costumes we get from salvage teams. It's not a very good celebration since we don't really have any candy to give foals when they go around on that night."
"Sounds like you lost the terror of the night, it's not all about the candy, part of the fun was getting scared" Cloudy Melody said.
"Getting scared? You both talk like you were around in the old-world, the Night of the Moon is always a cheery event, not many things to get scared about that night." Sonar Shield says as he leads us into the Ministry of Wartime Technology elevator and presses 7.
Cloudy Melody looks at me then says "We kinda were, we grew up back before the bombs fell."
Sonar Shield looks at us in shock as the elevator door closes.
"You weren't the only one surprised to find out about that, when they first told me I didn't believe them myself. But, at least Cloudy Melody, knows too much about how the world used to be to not be from back then, and Silver has some amnesia." Littlewings said.
"How did you two live till now without being ghouls?" Sonar Shield asked, sill flabbergasted.
"We were in stasis pods, mine was inside The Vault" I said.
"I snuck into mine, it was a hub point for the base." Cloudy Melody said "I had access to some of the archives and most of the cameras, I took the slow route though since I was in a constant state of mental awareness. Let me tell you, watching 200 years pass with nothing to do but read the same archives over and over again gets very BORING!"
"I've heard the stories from a few ghouls, no need to tell me yourself. Course the ghouls weren't stuck in a pod all that time" Sonar Shield said seeming to accept things for what they were now. "We'll be on the archival level soon. There we have the library, the museum, and the public memory orb center"
"Public Memory Orb Center? I didn't know any town had such a thing" Iria said.
"Well, we have it because we found so many memory orbs when the city was founded that we decided to make a few of them public. The confidential ones are kept under lock and key with a special kind of lock that only DJ Memory and others of her bloodline can unlock" Sonar Shield said.
"So, stuff like the military memory orbs would be confidential. What kind of memory orbs would be considered public?" I asked.
"Mostly just speeches, grand openings, a couple old museum tours, stuff like that" Sonar Shield said. "Anyway, this ends the tour, I gotta get back to my boss for my next assignment." With that he went off to the Ministry of Arcane Science elevator and waved goodbye.
"Well, what should we do now that we have some free time for once?" Littlewings asks as we looked around, seeing what once was a skyline of a city in the gaps between the buildings and the ministry outpost towers.
"I think the museum might be a good place to start" Iria said.
"Let's go then." I said leading the way to the museum as stated by the large scrap metal sign above the entrance.
Once inside we could see many pieces of old world artwork and a few pieces of junk that did not seem to belong. A mare in a black old world suit came up to us and said "Ah, welcome! We don't get many visitors recently, but I suspect we will be now that DJ Memory is back" She said."Let me go get a tour guide for you." with that she dashed off faster than you could say Sonic Rainboom.
A short while later she returned with an old stallion who was also wearing an old world suit, his was a deep blue one. "Hello there young-ins, welcome to the New Memory Museum. I'll be your tour guide today." as he finished the sentence the young mare went back to the front desk of the museum smiling to herself as she sat there.
"Let's begin the tour with the east wing." he said as he lead the way. The tour went smoothly as can be expected from a museum that had a few things that looked like they came from a junk yard in it. we soon reached a painting of something that could only be described as a orb radiating a bright light.
"What's that?" I asked.
"You don't know about the legend?" the tour guide asked.
"No, what legend are you taking about?" Littlewings asked
"The legend of the Light of The Wasteland" The tour guide said.
"Can you tell us the legend?" Cloudy Melody asked.
"Well, where to begin.. ah yes, once there was something long ago that some ponies called the Elements of Harmony, 6 Elements that were wielded by the Ministry Mares. However few ponies knew that there was also an Element that acted on it's own, completely separate from the Elements of Harmony. Some ponies now call it the Light of The Wasteland, but back before the war, some ponies knew it as the Element of Love, others called it the Element of Light, and still others, the Element of Unity. The legend goes that in a time of great darkness ponies will unite their love, and it will bring about a great light that saves everypony. Some ponies even think that the Light of The Wasteland was used at a royal wedding, and again in some place called Crystempire." The tour guide said.
"Is that all?" Iria asked.
"No, the legend says that one day a pony with a silver aura will awaken the Light of The Wasteland and restore light to our forgotten wasteland. Many ponies have stopped believing in the legend though, seeing it as a hopeless prayer to the Goddesses rather than a real legend." He said.
"What do you think it is?" I asked him.
"Well... I think it might be a prophecy, telling of a great pony who will find this Element of Light or whatever it really is, and use it to drive off those dang Survivors of The Vault, and the Enclave for good. For all we know about it, it could be as simple as a book that tells us how the world once was though." he said. "But, what do I know, I'm an old stallion who still believes the Goddesses will come back to save us after all. Anyway, that concludes the tour, feel free to look around."
"Thank you, by the way, do you know where the inn is?" I asked him.
"Ah yes, that would be the next level up before you reach the offices." he said.
"Thanks, we might come back later." Littlewings said.
With that we went out of the museum and started to head for the elevator in the Wartime Technology tower.
*** *** ***
Later that night at the inn, Cloudy Melody and I were on the balcony of our room looking out at the ruins of Goldenwing City. Iria and Littlewings had gone down to the market level to shop for supplies and ammo. Our armor lay in the corner of the room so we could be without the extra weight on our backs for a while.
"I really miss seeing the moon and stars in the sky. It was beautiful to look up and see all the lights dancing around in the sky." Cloudy Melody said
"I can't remember the moon and stars very well, I just have these holes in my memory where they should be. Same goes for a lot of other things too." I said.
"I'm sure your memories will come back with time Silvie. We just have to keep going till then, who knows, maybe we will find some machine or spell that can restore your memories completely." Cloudy Melody said.
"Thanks Melly" I said, causing her to blush.
"You know... before we went into stasis, I had a huge crush on you Silvie." Cloudy Melody said as she dragged her hoof on the floor in circles. "I still do."
"I... I think I've started to feel the same way towards you too Melly." I said as I blushed. "Being in the wasteland, it's so unfamiliar, but even without most of my past, I can remember you almost perfectly clearly."
"That's how I feel, I didn't tell you this before but... before I joined the military, I had a horrible family. I was adopted, but the war had brought out the worst in my parents. They had almost constant appointments with the Ministry of Morale." Cloudy Melody said. "I don't think they cared for me at all by the time I left to join the military. I was on my own most of the time by then too." a small tear rolled down Cloudy Melody's cheek. I wrapped my right foreleg around her and pulled her into a hug.
"I love you Melly, and you don't have to worry about being alone ever again." I said. With that Cloudy Melody leaned into me and returned my hug with a smile.
"I love you too Silvie." she said.
LEVEL UP
Level 10
New Perk:Side-effects Include...: With this perk your spells become stronger when you have minor radiation sickness or greater. Warning, the increased spell strength can cause headaches and other adverse effects.
This is here to help people keep track of Silver Aura's Stats as the story advances, Some details here like Traits are not referenced in the story directly. Perks can be found at the bottom of the page
WARNING: This sheet may contain small spoilers for later chapters.
Traits
Military Training:Adds 3 to Strength, Perception, and Endurance, Due to extensive training in the military prior to the beginning of the story.
Trigger Discipline: While using Guns or Energy weapons you fire 20% slower but are 20% Cooler... I mean... more accurate.
Perks Gained Unnatural Talent(Rank 1):you can now use telekinesis to lift rifles and shotguns, for each rank of this perk a new spell will be unlocked by your unique altered DNA.
Perks Gained Diagnostic Mind(1):With this perk it becomes easier to diagnose errors in machinery or injuries, for each rank you gain a permanent boost of 5 to Science and Medicine
Perks Gained Interrogator; you gained the ability to extract information with as little conflict as possible, this perk adds unique dialogue options to some ponies, and raises speech by 5
Perks Gained Diagnostic Mind(2):With this perk it becomes easier to diagnose errors in machinery or injuries, for each rank you gain a permanent boost of 5 to Science and Medicine
Perks Gained Flight(Rank 2): Your flight ability is now good enough to allow normal flight with a Wingpower of 2.5 you can move faster when flying downward.
Perks Gained Side-effects Include...: With this perk your spells become stronger when you have minor radiation sickness or greater. Warning, the increased spell strength can cause headaches and other adverse effects
(Given by Iria being in the party)Archivist:with this perk it is easier to find more important documents in terminals or journals (Given by Littlewings)Archaic Spellcaster:Combining your magical ability with Littlewings' spell papers allows you to cast spells you may not have learned yet, but only when there is enough irradiated paper in your saddlebags.
Dream Perks
(Nightmare 1)The Light:You don't know what it is, but it saved you from the darkness. This perk gives Survival + 10
Spells
Telekinesis level 2; you can levitate items easier without as much strain on your mind, and body.
Manipulation:This spell was used once to cast other spells through use of papers covered in special symbols.
Perks
Unnatural Talent(Rank 1):you can now use telekinesis to lift rifles and shotguns, for each rank of this perk a new spell will be unlocked by your unique altered DNA.
Unnatural Talent(Rank 2): You now have the ability to manipulate things using magic, such as activating Archaic Spells.
Diagnostic Mind(1,2):With this perk it becomes easier to diagnose errors in machinery or injuries, for each rank you gain a permanent boost of 5 to Science and Medicine
Interrogator; you gained the ability to extract information with as little conflict as possible, this perk adds unique dialogue options to some ponies, and raises speech by 5
Pony of the Night: Your eyes adapt quickly to low-light situations
Flight(Rank 1):You have regained the ability to fly, but only for short periods of time and not as well as you once could.
Heightened Senses: You are able to react faster in low-light or limited vision situations.
Flight(Rank 2): Your flight ability is now good enough to allow normal flight with a Wingpower of 2.5 you can move faster when flying downward.
Side-effects Include...: With this perk your spells become stronger when you have minor radiation sickness or greater. Warning, the increased spell strength can cause headaches and other adverse effects
