> Fallout Equestria: Merchants of Hope
>  by Gamma Deekay
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Merchants of Hope


- Preface -


A series of low groans and metallic twangs filled the air as everything around me felt like it slowed down. The blood on my hooves made it hard to grip the asphalt while the world seemed to rotate away from me, stopping with a jolt that made me slide back.  With all the strength I had left, I hooked my hoof around a jutting piece of rebar.  It stopped my fall, but not that of the chunk of wire and steel that had somehow wrapped around my back leg.  The fires from the battle raging only a few feet away whipped high into the cold night air, the smoke turning the grayish cloud cover to a deep black.

I looked up and prayed to Luna that my friends were alright. With a clenched jaw, I pulled hard on the rebar, sliding myself up the tilted roadway slightly.  It allowed me the briefest moment to view the ongoing battle.  The steel rangers guns poured fire into the two towers the raiders had holed up in, chipping away at the reinforced steel as fires blazed inside the upper levels of the complex.  I smiled to myself as one of the hooded acolytes slipped one of the pink party rockets I had sold them into a launcher.  He hoisted it up, and with a hiss, sent it square into the side of the makeshift bunker.  When the smoke cleared, a balloon shaped hole sat punched neatly into the side of it.

At least I finally knew what they did.  But why would the M.O.M. need to punch balloon shaped holes in buildings? I guess I should know, Pinkie Pie is the answer to every M.O.M. question...

The rebar let out a soft cry, bending slowly down.  Right.  Back to the fact that I was hanging off the end of a slowly disintegrating bridge.  The weight of the steel wrapped onto my leg was getting to be too much for my hoof hold.  I winced as I could feel the wire around my rear leg cutting deeper into my flesh.  I spotted a red flash in the air, and for just a moment, I could see her.  The Pegasus mare I had grown to call my sister was streaking towards me.  If anyone could save me, it was her.  I relaxed a bit, thinking of something sarcastic to say when she was pulling me back to solid ground.  Stop for coffee?  Too cliché.  Should I buy you a map?  Nah, not obvious enough.  Ah-ha!  I got it!

As I opened my muzzle, the rebar slipped free and threw me over the edge of the roadway.  I could do nothing but watch as she screamed out to me, the meaning of her cry lost as the bridge above me grew smaller.  The grey of the cloud covered sky was finally visible as what remained of the Bucklin bridge roadway tumbled along with me toward the frigid water below.  Closing my eyes, I listened as everything seemed so still.

You know, they say when you are going to die, your life flashes before your eyes.  But as I slammed into the water below and all sensation drifted away, I couldn't help but think that whoever told that to me, somehow lied to my face.

-----



So, before I continue with the story, I guess I should explain to you, (whoever you are…) who I am, and why my journey was one of just a hoof full in my time that helped shape the wasteland. Let this be the record of my deeds, for better or for worse.  If you are to understand my story, you'll need to know a bit about me.  

My name is Backlash.  I was born somewhere around ninety five years after the great war as an earth pony from the Hoofington area.  There, I grew up in a small settlement near what was once the front lines of the Great war.  My mother, brother, and I, lived in a small, one room shack on the edge of town.  Like most who lived there in our community, we scavenged what we could from the decaying corpse of the old world.  My father supposedly died before I was born, so it was pretty much just my brother and I taking care of our mother.  When I was growing up, the raiders and slavers in our area were just coming out of the various gangs scattered amongst the wastes. They mostly avoided towns with nothing useful to offer, but always ran through once or twice a month to prove their might.

When my brother left to seek glory in one of the local gangs that roamed our lonely corner of the wastes, we lost half of our salvage earnings.  Mom considered moving us back to the rock farm that her family came from, but we didn't have the caps to hire anyone to protect us, and she didn't want to lose me along the dangerous journey.  So we stayed, getting by with what little we could scrape together.

After I got my cutie mark, things picked up.  I could take the more dangerous salvage jobs in the minefields, as it was extremely dangerous work, but it paid enough that I could help to get us out of that town.  We journeyed by wagon with a trader and his bodyguards up into the interior of Equestria.  We were ambushed several times, and lost one of the bodyguards outright during one of the fights.  The other, sadly died from an infected wound a few days later.  It wasn't until the day after the second guard's death when we came across her.

She'd fallen like a bolt out of the sky, splashing down in a small lake near the trail we were on.  Instinctively, I'd run in to grab her, feeling like i could have been one of the heroes in all the stories I had read in the comics we scavenged.  The brave stallion, heroically saving the damsel in distress.  Clumsily carrying her on my back, I'd barely made it back to shore with her before a radigator came charging out after us.  My legs folded under me as I was racked with fear, but before I could call out, my mother leapt onto it with one of the dead guard’s machetes.  She screamed for me to run, and I did just that.  With the Pegasi mare on my back and the cart bouncing behind the trader, we galloped for what had felt like hours.

We'd set up camp at the rock farm that night to wait for her, but she never showed up.  The trader suggested she most likely died protecting us, and that she was a good mare to have done that.  I couldn't do anything but be torn by the thought that she was just gone because I foolishly ran into a dangerous situation without thinking of what might happen.  Stricken with grief, and no real connection to the rock farm, I made the decision to ride with the Trader to Manehatten to seek help for the injured pegasi mare.

As she recovered, I learned a lot about the mare who fell from the sky.  Turns out, Skyline came from somewhere over the border in Caledonia.  She'd been injured running from her own family, because her parents were “Dashites” and the Enclave wanted her to be branded a traitor like them.  She had left them at their request, and flown as far from them as possible.  They'd wanted her to attempt to live a normal life somewhere else, and she'd flown for two days before exhaustion dumped her in front of us.  Funny enough, I think the Enclave figured she'd died down here, because they never came looking again.

So, both of us, parentless and poor, decided to work for the trader.  He for some reason never told us his name, only saying it didn't feel right and that it would be easier on us if something happened to him. So, it his insistence, we just got around to calling him “old man”, even without knowing what the hell it meant.  We worked with him on a few of his trips, but he quickly saw my potential talent for bartering and put me to work with my own wagon.  Selling wares on his behalf was something I'd turned out to be half decent at, but it was only half of the equation for success.  As it turned out, Skyline was a damn fine shot with pretty much anything that fits on a battle saddle, and traveled with me as a bodyguard.  Together, we made an unstoppable team.

After a few years, the old man fell ill and died.  Before he went, (Celestia rest his soul) he said we had inherited his business and his building in the Manehattan outskirts.  The Sunshine Garage was a bland looking three story red brick building, only about 20 feet wide, although marginally deeper.  It was flanked on the sides and rear by the rubble of a few other collapsed buildings, making it look quite imposing, almost like a fort.  That is, unless you count the open air third floor.  Skyline just used that as a landing pad though, and with the lack of other fliers commonly around, it worked out well for the both of us.  The plain look not only helped discourage other scavengers from peeking in, but also kept the random raiders from thinking it was occupied or even open.

Along with our home however, the Trader had left me a little something I have been working on for the past year inside the garage…


------


The peeling yellowing white paint on the walls looked off in the evening light as it streamed through the open garage door.  The odd assortment of boxes, shelves, and random piles of scrap metal cast intricate shadows against the back wall.  While nice if the evening light was your thing, mostly, it screwed up my vision.  Even without the light, the inside the engine compartment of the large four wheeled vehicle that occupied most of the space on the first floor was hard to see in.

I had read through the owner’s manual so many times, that I'd memorized it.  The Chrysalis Motor Company was one of the pioneers of the spark battery powered vehicle.  They were apparently absurdly expensive at the time, but the Chrysalis Company promised that for the money, they would “turn it into anything you'd like”.  Sports car, off road recreational vehicle, and even a campervan were offered as choices in the stained and yellowed pages of the pre-war booklet.  The spots of rusting red offset the once all black bodywork of the pre-war muscle car marvel; and the only chrome left intact at all was the lettering that spelled out the model.  The car was in surprisingly good condition for being left here until the old man found the place.  Which reminded me of another thing written in the advertisement…

“The more you love your car, the longer it lasts!” I said out loud as I imagined it having been a catchy little pre-war jingle.  With a sad sigh, I remembered how the Chrysalis Company went under when the skycart came out.  Lost in thought, I'd misjudged my depth and dropped the wrench I was using into the dark compartment.

I leaned forward, reached past the engine, and wiggled my hoof around near the transmission.  With a strained whine, I tightly grabbed the wrench that had slipped from my fetlock.  The radio in the car had been blaring the same old pre-war tunes that they'd always played, but what I really wanted to hear was the news.  DJ Pon3 always had good info on where to find the best tech to trade, and Celestia as my witness, I was going to be the richest damn trader when I got out of here!  As soon as I'd fixed the Marauder, that is.

"HELLO THERE WASTELAND! It's me, you're good old friend DJ Pon3.  And guess what!  It's News time!"

I froze, not wanting to miss a single ounce of juicy Info. "Come on... something good this time..."

"To all you wondering about the situation in Ponyville, you can relax.  The slave traders have left the settlement after Sheriff Easthoof took the help of a few of the angry townsfolk and literally threw them out.  With those goons out of the picture, the twenty eight they had in their care have been freed and are now recovering.  To the slavers now out on your flanks, I only have this to say to you; Good riddance."

Ok, that wasn't anything special.  The wasteland sucks, I got that, but we all have to live here.  Who cared how you made a couple of caps?  Raiders and slavers were just a part of life, as common as rocks were in the wastes.  Plus, the slavers only sold criminals and such, so they were in a way fixing some of the lawlessness.  I tried not to think about that to much, as intellectual thinking had never been something I was good at.

"And Great news for those of us who live the Manehatten area!"

My ears perked with that.  "Yes!"  I whispered under my own breath.  I needed a good tip, anything to get me started.  As I thought, I clinched the wrench tighter in anticipation, leaning towards the speaker slowly.

"A new pre-war*KZZZZAPPP*

Electricity arced through the wrench as it hit the contact on the recessed spark battery starter.  It sent painful stabs through my forehoof, and filled my nose with the stench of charred fetlock.  I pouted to myself as the room fell silent the smell of singed fur filling the compartment to an almost unbearable level.

I sighed and pulled the wrench out, throwing it lazily to the side of the garage before leaning back in to grab the now dead spark battery I had to replace.  Most ponies would think I'm crazy to be repairing this one hundred and twenty year old beautifully crafted hunk of steel, saying it would just be cheaper to hire one of those weird two headed cows.  I have nothing against the brahman, being nice folk and all, but they just aren't the same as this!  Ponies just don't get it.  Not only does the Marauder go up to a hundred and ten miles an hour on a highway, it’s got a huge trunk for storing my trade goods.  If that weren't enough, it can also seat seven ponies!  SEVEN! I mean, back during the war, the sky car was all the rage, but-...

"Backlash!" An excited mare's voice came from out of nowhere behind me.

I screamed and jumped from the sudden voice.  With a thunk, I slammed my head on the raised hood.  It creaked as the block of wood holding it up fell off, and the whole hood dropped down on top of me quite painfully.

"Oh Celestia, are you alright?"  The mare's voice giving a little giggle as she came over and helped prop the hood up again.  

She was a bit smaller than most of the other pegasi that I had seen (which doesn't mean much when I've only seen like, two others up close really...) but she had saved my ass countless times out in the wastes.  Her bright red coat seemed to bleed into the clouded sunset on the horizon behind her.  Her cutie mark was a thin black line with a gold half circle in the center on top, and a silver half circle on the bottom.  But only her yellow and white striped mane brought her to the front of it all, her shimmering gold eyes betraying the fact that she was yet again worried about something.

"What do you need, Skyline?" I shut the hood with a grunt and gave it a good whack with my hoof, trying to forget the disappointment of missing the broadcast.  “I’m damn close to getting this old gal to work.”

"Are you?" She crossed her hooves in a huff.  "You've been working so long on this piece of..." She caught my glare and nearly stuttered, but to her credit it wouldn't have been noticeable by other ponies.  "What I meant to do, was ask why we just didn't fix up a sky cart?  It would be much faster if we can fly over..."

I put my hoof up and shook my head. "And what happens if you get hurt?  We’d lose the business!  Before you'd know it, we'd be back in Paradise doing work for those new goodie four shoes dragging water all over the place.  No scavenging or anything!"  I shuddered just thinking about it.  "Besides, if one of us was injured while in this, the other one can still drive!"

She stretched her wings out with a frown as she looked at the rust laden vehicle "Yeah, I'll never get in that thing, even if you ever do get this junk to run.  I need to fly!"  Well I'd hope she'd change her mind if it were to save my life, I'd thought with a small sigh.

Rolling my eyes, I'd packed up my tools into their respective places. "I keep telling you, Earth pony.  You know, like hooves. stay. on. the. ground." I stamped my hoof with each word for emphasis before turning to grab a spark battery out of my box of spares.  "Anyway, you wanted something badly enough that you snuck up on me?"

She just stood there for a moment, shifting her eyes wildly around the room.  I watched as she scrunched up her muzzle in nervous hesitation.  It was odd, I hadn't seen her like this recently.  "So...our application for a storefront in Tenpony has been reviewed..."

I beamed the widest smile I've ever given at her, Squeezing her cheeks, nearly bowling her over as I pressed up against her face.  "ohmygosh!" I spoke so fast all the words seemed to blend into one, "Did they say yes?"  My hooves shook with anticipation.

She nodded slowly, giving me an obviously nervous grin, which of course I didn't pay attention too.  My brain was too busy processing the fact that we had just gotten a store inside the hub of Manehatten trade!  Our own store!  More so, at the hardest place in the wastes to get a hoof into! No more bulk pawning outside the gates, we are going to make so many caps!  I can only imagine I'd been salivating all over the floor when she'd poked at my chest sharply. 

"But..."  She continued while I froze.  Celestia how I hated that word. "We need to show them some way we are better than any of the other applicants."  She paused and rubbed at her chin.  "And to be honest, I don't know what does set us apart.  How are we any better?"

I tapped my hoof on the garage floor before jumping on the Marauder's hood, posing myself dramatically as the last bit of our meager wasteland sunlight dropped below the horizon.

"We have this."


-----


We'd spent the rest of the night working on the car, and when I say we, of course I meant me.  See, when I was a colt, I'd loved to take things apart.  I could see and hear the tiny parts in pre-war gizmos that others couldn't. I would regularly sneak out of our settlement to the old battlefields around Hoofington and find something to take home and tinker with.  Sometimes, I would find something completely useless, and somehow make it work again.

My eyes were growing heavy as the sun started to shine for the minute or so it did on the horizon before the cloud cover drained all life from the day again.  Skyline had gone up to bed a few hours ago, and all I had to do was fit the spark battery controller to the mount in the engine compartment.  Then, I'd be good to go for tomorrow... today... for later.  With a click, it fit into it's mounting.  I gave it a quick shake to make sure it sat right, only shutting the hood when I was satisfied with my work.  With the Marauder completed, I sat on the floor yawning.  Wobbly, I'd trotted over to the stiff mattress I normally slept on, and flopped over onto it, completely exhausted and ready for bed.  Funny thing, was that I didn't even remember hitting it before everything faded to black.

With no cause to, I sat up suddenly.  A cool breeze swirled around me, and I found myself somewhere I'd never seen before.  I squinted at the sun as it climbed into the endless blue.  Grassy knolls with a few trees seemed to stretch endlessly onward to the horizon.  The tree next to me was blossoming pinkish white flowers, and I could see a bird's nest resting in one of the lower branches.  Then, from all around me, a beckoning voice called out softly on the wind.


 "Follow the breeze" 


I got to my hooves and trotted happily towards it, taking in the warmth of the sun as the breeze guided me.  It felt surprisingly good to have the grass under my hooves, although I wasn't really sure why.  I'd pondered this while climbing over yet another knoll.  Looking the other side, I 'd froze.  Stuck out of the ground on the other side, was the rusted hulk of an artillery piece.  It looked almost like one that I'd found as a colt.  Moss had grown over it, and a single daisy grew at the top of the barrel.  I trotted over and looked at it closely, I could clearly see each point where I had fixed it.  It was definitely the same cannon from when I was young, but why was it here?  Without warning, the gun fired.  The bright contrail of a rainbow flew towards the horizon, and disappeared with a flash.  The wind kicked up as the voice of the wind told me one final thing.


"Find the key."


I woke from my slumber with a jolt.  I was back in the garage, and staring up wide eyed into Skylines eyes.  For some reason she was floating over my head and stifling a laugh.

"Good dream?" She was beginning to crack, giggling longer and louder as I sat there with a confused look on my face.  Then I felt it, the cold air on my...yeah...

She burst out laughing. "Whoa, I didn't know you could turn my shade of red!" She collapsed onto the floor, gasping in between each laugh.

I got to my hooves and stormed off upstairs.  Being around each other for so long, things like this weren't too embarrassing anymore.  I'd seen her go through her heats, and she'd seen me pent up.  It was just something siblings dealt with when growing up together.  While it wasn't anything new for her to see, it didn't make me feel any less awkward to have my sister scoping out 'the goods'.

The second floor of our humble home, was little more than a kitchen and attached bathroom. Skyline didn't like sleeping on the ground floor, or in the rain on the third floor, so she had her bed up here tucked into a corner of the kitchen.  The single bathroom we had wasn't big, but it had all the amenities, including heated running water.  It was a bitch to set up with the generator, but was it so worth the effort.  I went to the tub and turned on the shower, letting the lukewarm water run over me as I tried to remember what the breeze had said in my dream.

"Follow the...key?"

After a couple of minutes in it, I'd turned the shower off and shook out my coat.  Looking into the mirror, I could see my tan hide had healed up over the last week.  Minor bruises and scrapes are no laughing matters without health potions and being miles away from the nearest settlement.  The gold half of my gold and brown mane had also recovered from the pilot light accident last month.  Though, I wish I could have lost the bit of extra weight I carried around my everywhere.  (I wasn't overweight, just husky.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)  Content all of me was where it was supposed to be, I trotted out and put yesterday’s dishes into the sink.

I opened the fridge and pulled out a sparkle cola, tapping the cap against the counter to pop it off into the bin of caps we kept out on the floor. (We put the rest in our safe in the basement whenever we got a good amount of them. Just in case you were wondering.)  The carroty taste was always a good pick-me-up in the morning, and it immediately took my mind off Skylines normal antics.  It also reminded me of our to-do list for the week, which was really the same as every week.  Grab our gear, head out to some faraway place, scavenge along the way, trade our goods there, scavenge on the way back, pawn our stuff to Tenpony, and then head home.

"Tenpony..." I muttered right before I'd thrown the now empty bottle into the trash.  With a vigor I hardly believed myself to have, I'd bolted down the stairs and slammed into a very surprised Skyline.  "We're going to be late!"  She shoved me back to my hooves and dusted herself off.  Hastily, I jumped into the Marauder through the windowless door and flopped along the seat to get myself reoriented.   With quick jabs at the big, red, engine start button, I impatiently waited for the whine of the main starter capacitor.  

Nothing.  

"Damnit! Why don't you start? I've fixed everything!" I thumped my head against the steering wheel. "Of all days, Celestia, why today!"

Skyline tapped my shoulder with a sly grin and trotted up to the front end of the car. I cringed as she reared up and bucked the front fender, the old metal giving a sharp squelch at the hit.  The capacitors whined to life, right before the roar of the engine drowned it out.  I probably could have picked my jaw up with a shovel as she sauntered over to the window and leaned in.

"She's stubborn, just like you.  Just needs a good buck every now and again." She smiled and pulled her goggles down. "Now...show me what makes this bucket any better than any old cart."

I grinned and nodded.  "First one to Tenpony?"

"You're on!" She flashed a smile and burst into a gallop, immediately taking off into the air once she cleared the garage.  I punched the Marauder into drive and took off after her.


-----


I grumbled as I pulled up in front of the large pre-war skyscraper.  Skyline was waving triumphantly from inside the second floor window as she drank something.  I could only guess it was Wild Pegasus, as it was something she'd only drank when she won a bet.  One of these days she'll have to show me how she got through security so damn quick.  I turned the car off as a unicorn mare who seemed too clean for wasteland life stepped up to it.  The lime green pony seemed to eye the car in disgust as she wrote something down on her clipboard.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to keep that... ugly… thing here while doing business at the tower.  They have a terrible habit of exploding."  She didn't sound particularly friendly, though the tower folk never were.

Still, I was shocked!  I just spent the last year fixing her up just to have her demeaned!  I mean yeah, she could've used a new coat of paint, but that was uncalled for!  Before I could object, she continued in a voice that nearly sounded to me like she believed herself to be dying of boredom.  "But since you are the only applicant of the three to show up at all, I guess you may have the position."  She floated the clipboard over and explained that I would need to put a 500 cap non refundable deposit on the shop by month’s end and blah blah blah, sign here, here, and here.  I hastily scrawled out my signature and pushed the clipboard away.  She looked it over for a good minute, which made me fidget uncomfortably as I thought about how I probably screwed something up and fucked this whole chance straight to tartarus.

"Well everything seems to be in order.  Welcome to Tenpony tower Mr. Backlash." She turned to walk away, stopping and eyeing over me. "I was surprised to see you show up at all.  I had thought you would be off to raid that bunker they found near the Ministry of Morale hub.  Well, their loss is your gain."  She turned and disappeared through the front doors to the tower.

A whole bunker...of wartime tech... "Thank you, Celestia!" I started the engine and spun the tires, taking off towards the hub at high speed. The gears in my head formulated all the goods that could be stocked in there.  These bunkers always had high end tech, which normally gave us scavengers a small window until those power armored assholes showed up.  If I was lucky, the other teams were on hoof, and it could take them hours to get there.  All while I can be there in ten minutes!  A soft voice in my head sprung up, nudging to wait for Skyline, although I couldn't hear it over thoughts of the clinking caps and all the fame I would earn.


------


After nearly fifteen minutes of navigating the rubble filled streets and only slightly getting lost at one point, I pulled up to the front of the imposing Ministry of Morale hub.  I was a bit distressed to find a group already there, just standing outside across the street from me.  They all seemed quite interested  in my ride though, which instantly brought a prideful smile across my muzzle.

"Sorry, she's not for sale." I beamed at them.  She was my vehicle, and I was going to drive her!

With a collective grumble, they turned back to what looked like a storm cellar with two burnt and twisted heavy steel slabs splayed out from it.  They looked like they used to cover it, but something big had flung them off and onto the sidewalk next to it.  Trotting over, I looked down with the others.  It was a narrow stairwell that went down ten feet or so before ending in a pink force field.  Oh, and between the stares and the pink, stood a pony in power armor.  If that already hadn't been bad news, a minigun and anti-machine rifle stuck off the sides of the silvery power armor.  The steel rangers crest was prominently emblazoned where his or her cutie mark would be, and the dark eyes of the sealed helmet made the armored pony's gaze seem cold.

"What do we have here?" I started to asked slowly... "And why..."

He cut me off mid sentence and was trying a bit hard to sound imposing.  "Like I told the others, this bunker is property of the Steel rangers under the authority of the Ministry of Wartime Technologies.  Any attempt to take it will be deemed hostile and you will be fired upon."  At this the other scavengers took a step back.  The two in the back walked off in a huff, muttering to themselves how it wasn't worth it.

"Can I ask you a question then?" I eyed over him suspiciously.

"No."  He replied with a stern hoof stomp.

"Yeah, didn't quite hear that..." I squinted and sat down, rubbing my chin with a hoof.  I'd listened to how this stallion spoke, and while he didn't seem like he was bluffing, I wasn't sure he couldn't be bargained with.  "Why don't you just take the bunker?"  A loud sigh emanated from the speaker on the helmet.  I put my hooves together and frowned. "I mean, why guard it if the shield keeps ponies out?"

"Because one of you foals could disintegrate yourself on it." His voice boomed through his helmet.  I could see him tensing up as he lined up his Anti-machine rifle with my grinning face.  "Now I suggest you leave before I have to hurt you." His armor winced for a moment at the end of his threat.  He was frustrated and he either didn't want to be here, or he didn't want to hurt me. Perfect...

"Fine, I'll just get in my perfectly working Chrysalis motorwagon and head home.  A shame I couldn't just get one teeny look at the bunker before I left."  I gave him my best 'terminally sad' impression before slowly turning around.

"Ok, kid."  He spoke promptly.  Totally got him, hook, line, and sinker.  "Here's the deal, you can look at the bunker shield. But if you get yourself killed, I get your car."

I spun around in an instant, grabbing his steel hoof and shaking it quickly. "It's a deal! Just a quick peek is all Mr…?"

“I am Paladin Brass Tacks.  Now go quickly before I change my mind.”  He pulled his hoof back sharply, the black eye sockets staring lifelessly back as he did his best to step aside in the narrow corridor.  I smiled as I attempted to squeeze past him.  I say attempted, because I somehow caught my hoof on his tail armor.  I stumbled forward sharply towards the shield, thinking how stupid I was to come here alone.  Why did everything go so wrong so fast?  I was about to be vaporized by a pink shield!  Pink!  I clinched my eyes, waiting for the searing pain. But what I found was I slammed my face into the cement just beyond the barrier.  Searing pain, no.  Sharp stabbing pain, yes.  Oh Celestia, did that hurt.

I got to my hooves and brushed my face off, the blood from my nose smeared on my hoof while my vision cleared. "Huh..that was ARGGGH!"  The steel ranger’s back legs connected with my side, bucking me entirely through the shield.  I slammed into a large metal door with a crack and collapsed on the ground.  I laid there, gasping as the ranger simply peered in at me.

"It seems you are related to one of the Ministry mares." The ranger stated with a voice so dull I could bludgeon him with it.  "How fortunate for you."

"What the fuck was that for?"  I shakily got up, but the pain in my side was nearly unbearable.  With my teeth clenched, I started to hobble back towards the shield.  "Fuck, I think you broke something..."

"Hold it." The barrels on his gun started to spin up. "You must enter the bunker and shut down the shield."

I groaned and pointed a hoof back at the door.  "I don't even know how to open the door."  As I gasped, the pain grew sharper.  It was getting hard to think, and my world had started to tilt and spin.  "I think I'm hurt real bad."  I coughed and spit blood onto the concrete, wobbling forward as my vision darkened.  Then for the second time that day, I didn't remember hitting the ground.


-----


My eyes opened to meet the blue skies again, the sun hanging up at the center of the amazing blue void.  Now that I had time to really look at it, I was shocked at how big it seemed.  The grey cloud cover over Equestria seemed to be oppressively low sometimes, this seemed to just stretch on forever.  Forever… away… okay... now it looked deep... and now I feel sick.  I spun over and threw up on the grass.  On second thought, the low clouds were kind of nice.  Wiping my muzzle with my hoof, I stood up and stopped to think about what just happened.

"How am I sick inside a dream?" I stared at the vile fluid on my hoof.  It looked real enough, and certainly smelled real enough.  The breeze kicked up over my shoulder, bringing with it a light giggling that seemed to trail off over the hills.  With my stomach now calm, I slowly plodded my way towards the laughter.  As I crested the familiar hill, on the other side I saw a brightly colored table set up where the cannon should have been.  An odd assortment of objects were set up in all the chairs except the two end chairs.  Bright balloons and frosted sweets were strewn about the table to give the impression of a party.  Slowly approaching the table, I could make out the "Guests".  A pile of rocks, a sack of flour, a bucket of turnips, and a pile of...fluff?  Each one wore a party hat, and had an assortment of half eaten food laid out in front of it.

"If I died, and this is the afterlife..." I scratched the back of my head softly, not sure what to make of all of it.

"You didn't die!"  A squeaky voice blared out from behind.

I jumped and spun to meet a set of piercing blue eyes.  A pink filly was standing up on the hill, standing on her hooftips just to be at my height.  She smiled and jumped over me, bounding off my back to land on the table with a soft thump. "You are half dead!  So this is the almost afterlife. Half afterlife? Halfterlife?"  She scrunched up her muzzle and looked deep in thought, her frizzy pink mane shifting with the wind.

"Oh, and you are...?" I walked to the table and sniffed the cake.  With nothing but a sparkle cola in me, I was fairly hungry.  I wanted to have just a bite, but I stopped myself when I remembered this was all just a dream.

"I'm your great great great great aunty Pinkie Pie!" She squeed and bounced around the table excitedly. "Have a seat and try the cake! It's delicious!"

I nudged back the nearest chair and sat in it. "So, you're Pinkie Pie.  The same dead ministry mare from all the creepy posters I've seen about? And you say I'm somehow related to you?" I looked her over before crossing my hooves. "Not only does that seem improbable, but I thought you were older..."

She shook her head vigorously "Not somehow related! Directly!"

"But you said aunt..."  I began to reply slowly.

She cut me off,  "Oh it's simple silly! Back before the war, I once accidentally made more me's than were useful, but during the war, I was under so much stress there just needed to be more me's!  So I went and got them back!  But, there may have been a few of them that had a bit more "fun" then I would have wanted, but it doesn't matter because YOU'RE HERE!"  There was the startling sound of the missing cannon firing, and confetti rained down from seemingly nowhere.

"So...that still doesn't explain how we're talking... you're dead."  I brushed the confetti off my muzzle with a stern glare.

"Of course I am silly! But I'm also alive right now in your head!  I mean, how else would we be talking?! DUH!" She buried her face in the cake and started to eat noisily.

"So...what do you want from me? what am I supposed to do?"  I asked.  This was the most confusing dream I'd ever had.  Even with the cannon dream from before.

She looked up, wet pieces of cake plopping down onto the table from her face. "Get the key of course! Didn't you listen before?"

"But...what about..." I tried to say before she cut me off again, this time by shaking all the cake from her coat onto me.

"The code is 42! Get it?! 42? It’s always the answer!"  She bounced around the table again, squishing and flinging the rest of the cake everywhere before freezing stiff.  "Oh! The party is over already?"  She tilted her sad face towards the sky, tears welling up in her bright eyes before she softly smiled back at me.  "Luna says I have to be dead again, so goodbye!" She bounded forward, smacking me directly in the face with all four of her hooves.  With that, I fell back into painful darkness.


-----


Oh Luna, the painful darkness.  I screamed out to the black void, and it felt like eternity before the pain subsided.  Ever so slowly, I could hear something coming through it though.  Voices?  No, not voices, but music.  Some sort of polka playing far off in the distance.

"Doctor, he's regaining consciousness..."  Oh, I guess I did hear voices.

"Wait outside, please."  A voice said next to me.  I struggles to open my eyes, the light from the ceiling was nearly blinding.  I tried to reach up and cover myself from it, but I couldn't move.  In fact, I couldn't move at all.  I started to hyperventilate. (I should mention I don't do well penned up.)

"Calm down there, Backlash."  A familiar voice spoke from in front of me.  "You got really banged up out there."

A blue unicorn stallion in a white lab coat towered above me.  I recognized him as Dr. Fits (His full name was Giggle Fits, but he didn't like ponies using it for some reason). He ran the Tenpony infirmary normally, and was looking at a clipboard while he magically undid my bindings.  I relaxed and sat up slowly, the rest of the world still seemed a bit off kilter even when I stopped.  "Now, I’m not going to ask why a Steel Ranger brought you in, but you need to stop getting so damn busted up all the time."

"Sorry doc, occupational hazard." I rubbed at my fetlocks.  "How bad was I?"

He eyed his charts before looking over his black rimmed glasses. "Well, you broke two ribs, punctured a lung, bruised your liver, a kidney, and nearly stopped breathing from pulmonary edema."

I looked down with a shameful smirk. "Oh...is that all."

He tossed the clipboard in his magic down onto the counter. "I can't keep sparing all these supplies for your reckless adventures.  What if somepony else needs the Med-X I've given you? Or the Hydra to fix their trauma?  Hell, even the Rad-Away you keep neglecting to take would be useful instead of having to detox you all the time."

“I just don’t like orange flavor that much?” I gave him a guilty smile and looked about nervously.  

He sighed and face hoofed.  "I know you get most of the supplies for me, and you know I’ll always fix you up.  But for Celestia's sake, can you just try harder to not get so damn busted up.  For as reliable of a supplier you are, you seem to use an awful lot of them up."

I smiled and hopped off the bed, wincing at the freshly healed wounds.  "Don't worry doc, I'm done with being grievously injured.  I swear I'm a changed stallion."

"You might not want to make promises you can't keep..." He said as he rinsed off his medical tools and floated another Med-X over.  I held it in my hooves, looking confused.  "Trust me, you'll need it."  Three loud bangs on the door startled me.

"Backlash, you moron!" Skylines voice boomed through.  "How could you leave without me?"

I frowned and looked down at the syringe again.  Oh Celestia, how much I'm going to need this tonight...

---------------------------------------

LEVEL UP!

Speech +10

New Perk: Long Haul - because of your mechanical aptitude, your marauders spark batteries last twice as long as normal. Or last for normal time when overloaded to twice the weight!

New Quest perk: Equestrian royalty – Being related to a Ministry mare means even your mere presence can unlock some of the secrets of Equestria and everyone you meet sucks up to you for it!  Speech and Barter +10 and new Dialog options are available.
> Chapter 1 - A single step...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Chapter 1 



"Because I'm you, and you're me, and oh my gosh this the GREATEST PLAN EVER!" 



-----


As we walked away from Tenpony tower, I winced as the fresh bruises Skyline gave me stung.  I guess I deserved it though, I mean hell, I almost died.  Dragging my hooves as I walked, I stared solemnly at the dirt.  It was just getting dark and we still had a ways to go, but I just couldn't stop thinking about what Pinkie Pie told me.  Wait, do I actually believe that had actually happened?  I mean, I was grievously injured.  My mind could have just been playing tricks on me.

I froze in place as I felt the base of my tail twitch.  I turned my head to see what had caught it just in time for a sizeable chunk of concrete to slam down on the path in front of me, missing my head narrowly.  I think I may have screamed, but I'm sure that I broke Equestria's high jump record.

"THE FUCK!" I pressed my hoof to my chest in a futile attempt to calm my heart as it threatened to escape my body.

Skyline drifted down to eye level. "Why the hell are you so jumpy?"  Her voice gave away that she was genuinely concerned.  "The last few days you haven't seemed yourself.  Is there something going on?"  She reached out in comfort.

I gave her a cold shoulder.  "I'm fine." I trotted past her in a huff.  "We have a long way to go and I still want to pick up the Marauder.  We don't have time for this."  She zipped in front of me,  putting both her forehooves on my shoulders.

"Leave the car for tomorrow."  She said in a forceful tone as she narrowed her distressed eyes, tears forming again where they had obviously been just hours before.  "You need to tell me what possessed you to run off without me in the first place and how the hell you ended up...." The tears started streaming down her cheeks, her voice wavering as she reached back and slapped me hard across my muzzle.

"Dear Celestia you are not fine!  You died today. Did you even know that!?" She swung with her other hoof,  catching me square in the cheek.  Honestly, I was too surprised to move on my own, although the hit she gave sent me falling into the dirt.

"I... I died?" I lay there in the still warm evening dirt, unable to even blink or speak.  Skyline collapsed into a crying heap next to me, shivering and wailing out because, yet again I had tried to play the hero and done something without thinking.  I just lay there gazing at her with tears streaming onto the ground, unable to even reach out and comfort her.

I heard her sobbing fits finally die down after a few minutes.  I couldn't even look at her anymore, not after what I had done.  I just layed in the dirt and mud with my eyes clenched shut, unmoving.  I heard her get up and walk over, I felt her hoof brush through my mane as I shivered at her touch.  I wanted to call out how sorry I was, I wanted to do something to show how much I didn't mean to hurt her.  But I knew there was nothing I could ever do to make up for the hell she just went through.

"You are all I have left..." She said with a voice so faint I wasn't sure she said it at all.  "Let's go home."  She turned and started walking down the path.  I wasn't sure I had the strength to move, let alone get up and walk.  But after everything I just put her through, it would be selfish of me to want that, and I won't leave her alone ever again.  I climbed shakily to my hooves and followed her as the light from the setting sun dimmed completely.

We had been walking for about an hour when we reached the outskirts.  As soon as the garage was in sight she took off into the air,  silently gliding up and disappearing into the third floor.  I sighed as I made sure she was gone, and sat down in the rubble alongside the road.

The cold night air seemingly whipped at my skin.  I closed my eyes and pointed my head to the clouds, taking in the quiet night in Manehatten.  Clearing my head of everything from before, I tried to focus on the emptiness around me.  I sat there for a moment, letting myself sit in utter darkness.  My ears perked as the wind picked up, the low drone permeating the air as it passed.

"heeheehee" 

My eyes shot open as the giggle echoed in my head.  I looked around quickly, seeing nothing but the darkened streets and the dim lights coming from Tenpony.  I got to my hooves and growled back at the wind.

"What do you want? Huh?!"  I nearly yelled out as I spun around, the wind picking up on my face.  "Show yourself!  No more games!"  I picked up a rock and spun as the wind changed directions again.  "Fuck you!" I yelled and hurled the stone with all my might, letting it sail off into the darkness before loudly cracking against some pile of rubble.   I breathed in deep gasps that stung my healed hide.  

"I will not put her through that again! I can't!" My knees wobbled and I sat back into the rubble, half sobbing again.  "Luna, what the hell is wrong with me... am I going insane?  Or is there really such a thing as destiny?"  The wind had seemed to have died completely, leaving nothing but the cold, unanswering night air.  I wiped away the tears and slowly walked back to the garage door.

"I guess I should have known you wouldn't answer."  I said softly.

Walking in, I could hear Skyline pacing about upstairs.  I shut the door loud enough she would be able to hear it and walked over to my mattress, lighting a candle and setting it down on the floor.  Scooting the large bed over, the dull metallic doors to the maintenance bay seemed to glisten in the flickering light.  I bit down on the rusty handle and pulled the door open with a jerk. 

The well greased hinges didn't make a sound as the door swung back to reveal a small stairway.  My mind immediately went back to the bunker stairway and I started to shiver.  I shook the thought out of my head before I lost myself to it, grabbing the candle in my mouth before walking down the steps.  

I flipped the switch on the wall and the small room was flooded with light from the single bulb left in the warehouse.  The walls contained a myriad of pipes and cables that ran out of the walls to meet at the single, bronze generator set into the wall.  The only wall not covered in tubes contained the small safe that we kept our profits and personal documents in.

I pulled the spark battery out of its generator mounting and threw it into the bin labeled "to trickle charge".  Digging around a pile of scrap on the floor, I pulled one out with "40-ish percent." scrawled on it in marker.  I shoved it into the socket and gave it a good slam.  The generator shuddered and let out it's normal soft whine as it fed power to our humble abode.

Satisfied I turned and grabbed the candle again, taking a step before looking back at the piped wall next to the generator.  From here I could see something stuffed in between the generator and pipes, why had I never seen that before?  I mean, I must have never looked from just this angle, but now I was curious.  Reaching up I couldn't quite fit my hoof into the gap.  Sighing, I figured I'd have Skyline remove it in the morning.

I returned to the Garage floor, closing up the hatch and sliding my mattress back over it before curling up tightly on it.  As the darkness carried me off to sleep, my thoughts constantly drifted back to the old man.  Today I almost didn't keep his business going.  Today I almost didn't fulfill my promise to him.  And tomorrow, somehow I had to find a way to make everything up to Skyline.


-----


It seems my mind was back to normal as I slept through the night with not a single dream of grassy hills, old cannons, or pink fillies.  I awoke to the sound of cooking upstairs, the smell of meat permeating the garage as I opened my eyes.  My gaze locked at where the Marauder had sat for the last 120 years, the gears in my head turning before I realized I had nearly forgotten yesterdays events.

"Damnit..." I groaned and rolled over, getting to my hooves. "I was hoping it was just a bad dream." Yawning and climbing the stairway to the kitchen, I lazily swung the door open and walked into the bathroom where Skyline was brushing her mane out.

"Good morning" I said as I stepped into the tub, turning the knob on the faucet to hot and letting the water loosen my stiff muscles. "what's for breakfast?"  Skyline glared at me, giving me a snarl and the sarcastic answer I expected.

"I don't know? I'm not making it, am I?"  I smirked to myself before my head noticed it sounded off, it... sounded genuine...

"Huh? What do you mean?"  I shut the water off abruptly and stepped out of the tub, still soaking and peered around the doorframe into the kitchen.  A green-maned, golden-coated unicorn not much older than a colt was frying meat over our stove.  His flank bore a cutie mark of a metallic disk with a point sticking out of the middle.  The gears in my mind whired again as I stared blankly at him.

He must have wondered why it got quiet again because he turned and looked at me.  His eyes went wide in shock, I could see him tense up, and his expression was of....guilt?  My head gears locked up as I made the connection.

"YOU!"  I Yelled at him with all my might, stomping heavily over to him.  He started to shrink down, tremors of fear coursing through his body. "You are paladin Brass Tacks! aren't you!"  He nodded slowly, whimpering softly.

"The hell has gotten into you!?"  I turned just in time to see Skyline's right hook slam into the side of my muzzle.  I stumbled into the table roughly, I could feel the burning in my side return with the shortness of breath from the day before, and my rage began welling up.

"ME!?  This... foal..."  She cut me off mid sentence.

"Save your life.  He hauled you all the way from where ever Celestia damned hole you went to when you left me.  He didn't need to save you, but he chose to bring you to Tenpony.  I don't know what the hell you did yesterday but he's the only reason you are still around at all!"

I stared bullets into the young colts head as he winced at her words.  Myself thinking over what Skyline had just said, I was pretty sure he didn't tell her that he was the reason I almost died in the first place.  Now, I'm not the vengeful type and as much as I want to beat the ever living hell out of this kid, I don't want to kill him.  But if Skyline heard the truth now?  She'd kill him in an instant, nothing would hold her back.  And this was just a colt for Luna's sake!  He didn't deserve cruelty like that, no pony did.

Brass Tacks expression seemed to tense up in the silence that followed.  As I relaxed I could see more and more that he was breaking.  The sweat on his brow, the nervous twitch in his neck, and his darting eyes all pointed out he was going to tell her.  Fuck I hate my life sometimes.  He gasped and screamed out.

"OK I'M SORRY!  I DIDN'T..." I moved quickly, landing a solid uppercut to his jaw.  He stumbled and slid down onto the floor, whimpering up at me with his head in his hooves.  Skyline grabbed me to try to pull me back.  Quick, think of some bullshit...

"That's... for not running from the manticore!"  I feigned the anger and raised my other hoof to strike him again, knowing full well Skyline would stop me.  And as if on cue, she pulled my hoof back again.  "Trust me next time.  They'll tear right through that flimsy armor you wear and take your head off."  The colts expression slowly transitioned from one of fright to one of shock.  I shook myself out of Skylines grip and slowly trotted to the stairs.  "Kid, don't you ever try to be the lone hero."  I glanced up at Skyline as she softened her glare at me. "I know that road... it doesn't end well."

I walked down into the Garage, shutting the door behind me.  I slid the mattress aside and opened the hatch to the generator room again.  Stepping down to the bottom step, I flipped on the light.  Sure enough, it was a mannila enveloped crammed back against the wall.  I heard the door to the kitchen open and someone walk down the stairs.  I peered up as Skyline came up and hugged me tightly.

"I was just so worried about you.  But, you saved that colt's life. And when he showed up this morning to talk to you, I thought maybe he wanted you to pay him for what he had to do." Skyline let out a nervous laugh as she stood back into the stairwell.  "I was even going to hold you down so he could beat you up if he wanted to."  She gave me the most gentle smile I had ever seen her give.  "Just promise me you will never do that to me again."

"I'll promise, but first, I need your help with something."  I pointed a hoof to the folder in the crevice.  She looked at it, puzzled.

"Has that always been there?" She reached in with her small hooves and pulled it out.  The yellow folder was covered in dust, giving the whole thing a bland look.  The only color on it was a blue wax stamp in the shape of a balloon.  "Huh, I wonder what it is."  She scraped at the wax with her hoof, futilely trying to pry the small seal off.

I pried the envelope out of her hooves as she gave up and looked at it,  I couldn't make out the words hidden under the layers of dust, so, turning away from her I held it out and blew on it.  The dust flew off and the wax seal popped off with a click, dropping to the floor with an unceremonious crack and shattered to pieces.  The sudden crack bringing back the cannon from my dreams.  

"Follow the breeze..." I said under my breath, astonished at what had just happened.

"How did..." Skyline asked in amazement.  I brought the folder up to the light to read the faded text.  I locked up with a seemingly synchronized gasp with Sky.  In big block letters, the letter bore the type:



  FOR BACKLASH & CO.


the enclosed documents are to be for


Backlash - Skyline - Brass Tacks eyes only.


By order of the M.O.M. Chief of Staff.
 

I opened the folder and slid out the yellowed page,  the paper seemed to be a mouth written note.  I read it outloud.

To my dear future relative Backlash,

It has come to my attention that I, Pinkie Pie, can no longer stop Equestria's fate.  The war will end with most of the world being destroyed, but Ponykind will live on.  I leave this letter to you to in your time of doubt to not only guide you and your friends, but to reassure you that you have what it takes to change Equestria for the better.  The friends you make along your journey will help to heal the damage we've done and will become more valuable to you than you can even know.

But first, you must go to my bunker and reclaim it for the Ministry you have now taken command of.  The Steel Rangers must not get their hooves on it.  Show this letter to your friends and go immediately.  Great events have now been set in motion, and as my descendant it is your destiny to stop them.  I will continue to visit you in your dreams to help as I can, but I cannot be held responsible for the events to come.

Help Equestria, Backlash.  You are our only hope.
- P. D. P. 

I flipped the paper over and looked for anything else in the envelope, finding nothing.  I turned to see Skyline's jaw agape as she just stood looking at the note.

"You're related to one of the ministry mares!?" She questioned with her trademark worried face,  she fidgeted nervously as she paced up and down the stairs. "Ooooh this is bad....very bad..."  I pressed my hoof to her muzzle to stop her.

"Calm down.  I haven't seen you this nervous in years.  Now, let's go upstairs and we can talk about it, ok?  You need to show this to Brass up there."  She seemed to relax a bit, nodding softly before heading up to the kitchen.  I flipped the light off and climbed the stairs, swinging the door shut and slipping the mattress over it, I took a moment to think to myself.

"What in Celestia's name have I gotten myself into?"


-----


So, as a descendant of a ministry mare, I got bumped up to the top of the Enclaves' hit list.  Apparently being able to walk through shields was a crime punishable by death up there, or something, but I wasn't worried about that.  Brass Tacks was apparently quite knowledgeable about pre-war history, and knew Pinkie Pie had some kind of sixth sense for things, so seeing the note wasn't so surprising to him.  He was more honored to join at a ministries' request.

By the time we had left, it was about midday and starting to rain pretty hard.  Thunder boomed in the distance as Skyline scouted up ahead of us with wide, sweeping passes, giving Brass and I room enough to talk without her hearing.

"Why did you lie to her?"  His voice coming through the speaker in his power armor. "Why would you protect me?"  I wiped my wet mane out of my eyes,  gazing into the emotionless sockets of his bulky helmet.

"Because you are just a colt,  if she knew what you did, she would tear you limb from limb.  Not even your fancy armor could stop her."  I stopped and pointed at him. "How the hell do you even fit in there? aren't you a little small to be a Paladin?"  He stopped walking and stared down as the rain pelted off the suit.

"I'm not actually supposed to have this armor, I'm just an acolyte."	His voice giving off a somber note as we continued forward through the mudded street.  "I was part of a scouting mission into the Ministry of Morale headquarters when our group was ambushed by robots.   We had brought enough pulse grenades to deal with it, but I was tasked with carrying all of them.  When the fight started, I panicked, I had never been in combat before and I didn't have any training with grenades." 

He sat into the mud with a thick plop.  Removing his helmet, he slowly tilted his head to the sky, tears flowing down his cheeks, gazing as if asking for forgiveness from Celestia herself.  "I hid behind a desk and threw the bag of pulse charges at the robots, I got them all somehow, but... not before they had cut down the other acolytes and Paladin Back Blast.  I was the only one left."  He sat there as the rain streamed down heavier than ever, the street becoming soupy with mud.  

"I took the armor and ran off.  I wanted to go back, but I was afraid they would punish me for failing the mission.  So I wandered the city, passing myself off as a paladin until I found my way back to that bunker outside." The thunder roared closer as Skyline flew into the open second story of the house next to us.  She peeked her head out.

"We should take shelter until the storm passes."  I nodded and trotted over to the front door,  spinning and bucking it open.

"Come on Brass, we can talk more later."  I turned back to enter the house.

"No."  His voice was as low as the distant thunder.  I could make out the sound of his overwhelming sorrow through the sheets of rain.  "What use is a coward to you?  I'm no paladin.  I'm a poor excuse for a Steel Ranger at that, you'd be better off leaving me here."

"Brass.  Get inside.  Now."  I stood, unwavering in the face of the pounding rain.  "That is an order."  He turned and stared at me with cold hatred.

"You can't..." The thunder cut him off.

I stomped and continued before he could regain himself.  "I can. My orders come from higher up than even your elders.  I don't know how, or why Pinkie Pie knew about the three of us, but we have a job to do.  So suck it up and get your flank into that building now!"  He grumbled and plodded off inside.  I sighed and cantered over to his  muddy helmet, gripping it in my teeth.  A soft flutter and some movement catching my eye down the street.  I turned and looked over the buildings, trying to see anything out of place, but the driving cold rain was finally taking it's toll.  I shivered and galloped into the house.

My barding was completely soaked.  The reinforced khaki stuck to my hide uncomfortably as I tried to start a fire in the brick fireplace.  The wind howled outside as the storm tried futilely to pound the Manehatten ruins into submission.  Brass was off in the corner,  wiping down his armor with some old towels he had found, seemingly in a better mood.  Skyline lay on the remains of a couch, tinkering with the Gauss rifles from the sides of her battle saddle.

Brass, content with the job he had done, threw the rag in the corner and sat next to Sky, watching as she cleaned out the parts for the tenth time in the last hour.  His eyes following as she deftly broke down each part, looked it over, wiped away whatever contaminant she found, then reassembled it.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful sight.  So delicate, yet powerful, sleek and strong.  If only the guys and the base could see me with you..."  Brass said with a soft smile, before gazing up into Skylines disapproving gaze.

Skyline spit the screwdriver out of her mouth and poked his nose. "Hold it right there, Casanova.  Before you go any further, I'm sure you are a nice stallion and all, but you are bit young...and not really my type."  Brass gasped and put his hoof to his chest, looking outraged.

"I was not referring to you, I was referring to... her."  He let out a light sigh and pointed his hoof at the polished rifle.  "Never before have I understood the beauty of guns, but she is just gorgeous, don't you agree?"  Skyline pulled the rifle close to her, shifting uneasily on the couch.

"I do, and that's why..."She" is mine.  Get it?"  He didn't even seem to be listening anymore.  I stood up as the fire crackled to life, unzipped my barding and laid it out, glad to be finally out of it.

"Oh don't give him such a hard time with his first crush" I said lightheartedly.

"Well he's going to get crushed alright if he doesn't stop salivating on me."  Her words seemed to snap him out of his stupor.

"I guess you have never seen something so beautiful that you could not help yourself." He said with an air of arrogance.

"Yeah, I have; your mom.  Now step back!  This is my rifle, and I'm going to CLEAN IT!"

I couldn't help but start to laugh.  It felt so good just to see them I just doubled over in uncontrollable giggles.  The two of them paused and looked at me before bursting out alongside me.  As the storm raging outside was drowned out by us, I couldn't help but think how good it felt and how lucky I was just to have two friends in the desolate wastelands of Equestria.  As night time came, the storm had died to a low drone and we had huddled next to the dying fire.  Skyline snored softly with her battle saddle pulled snugly against herself.  Brass and I stared into the glowing embers, each silently lost in our own thoughts.  My thoughts bouncing around between the events of the last few days.  Brass broke the silence.

"I'm sorry.  About the bunker, I mean."  I tensed up at the words.  Slowly feeling the rage in me rise as I glared over at him.  He shrank down and trembled, slightly.  "I didn't mean to buck you so hard.  I'm not used to power armor."  I grunted and crossed my forehooves, turning my gaze back to the fire.  "I didn't want to seem like a coward, so I put on the attitude of a strong stallion and I lost myself in it.  I know you can't forgive me, but, I am sorry.  If your hoof hadn't fallen through the shield, you would have died.  And I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."

I did die I thought in my head, and by Celestia I wanted nothing more than to just reach over and strangle the life from him for what he put Skyline through... no, it wasn't him.  I was the one who ran off without her.  If anything, he deserves a break.  Hell, I had just thought him a 'friend' a few hours ago.  I know I keep telling myself that the wasteland sucks and you deal with it, but he was too young to be sent out.  Anypony should have seen that.  And if I ever had the good graces to meet up with their elder, I'd give them a few good breaks of their own.

"It's fine.  I forgive..." I was cut off by the sound of gunfire close by.  Brass got to his hooves and levitated his helmet over, securing it with a hiss.  I shook Skyline awake as what sounded like a full on war seemed to be taking place a block away.  She stretched herself out and nodded quietly to me, quickly swinging her battle saddle over herself and fastening it.

"See what you can find from the air." I put a hoof on her shoulder. "fly as high as you can, stay out of sight, then get back here."  She nodded again and galloped up to the open second floor and took off into the night.  I spun around as Brass's weapons whirred and clicked as the suit's auto loader came to life.  I put my hoof to my lips to signal to be quiet.  We waited in silence for a minute or so and glanced as Skyline came barging down the stairs, her frightened face illuminated by the red embers.

"We have to leave.  NOW.  There is an entire wing of those Alicorn things tearing up a raider hideout down the street."  I nodded and cracked the front door open.  The rain had ceased a while ago but left a sea of mud and puddles out in the street, so it was going to be impossible to get through the streets quietly or unnoticed.  I left the door open and paused for a moment.

"Running is no good.  Did either of you find out if this house has a basement?"  Brass Tacks nodded and waved for us to follow.  He swung open the door and walked down the steps.  His suits headlamp illuminating a basement that was nearly completely flooded with dark green water.  He disappeared under the surface before popping back up on the stairs.

"If we hide in here, we should be safe."  His speaker played out louder than I would have liked, causing me to notice that the gunfire had stopped and it was unnervingly quiet outside.  Skyline uneasily stepped down into the murky depths as I shut the door softly.  As I dipped into the slimy water, I heard the thump of a pony landing upstairs.  Brass shut his headlamp off and sank into the water as we could hear the intruder walk down slowly, step after step into the living room where we just were.

The steps grew closer to the basement door.  Skyline and I ducked down under the opaque surface as the door handle turned, clinging on to the sides of Brass to keep from floating back up.  The alicorns' voice pierced even the water as she spoke out.

"We believe them to have fled us, they left few of their supplies.  We shall continue the search elsewhere."  I heard the door shut and for a moment, her steps back up the stairs before silence.  I fought my way to the surface, gasping heavily at the damp air, dragging myself onto to sides of one of the steps, wiping the muck from my eyes.  Skyline came up a few moments later, sucking in a deep breath.

"You really are out of shape."  She smirked and paddled over, pulling herself up and out to the doorway.  Cracking it open and peering out into the living room, looking around for a moment before turning back to us. "It's clear."

"You remember how I just recovered from all sorts of fun chest trauma?"  I managed to spill out between heaves.  Honestly, I wasn't the most fit stallion, but that was just a low blow.  Brass's headlamp kicked on as he clambered his way upstairs, the thick green muck slicking off of his armor.  I got up and followed just in time to see Skyline shake herself off, dousing what was left of the fire, and with that, our heat.  We were left with nothing but the cold, wet, dark.

"Let's just get some sleep."


-----


The morning light filtered in through the dust laden windows as we finally got up.  I had mostly dried off with the few hours of sleep that we got, but was annoyed by how it made my barding stick to me again.  Skyline spent a good half hour cleaning the gunk out of her guns as Brass Tacks looked on in barely contained giddiness.  We each snacked on a box of sugar apple bombs and some cram before setting out.

The streets had mostly dried out, only leaving the largest puddles and deep pits still wet.  We all kept a constant look out for the alicorns as we silently trotted towards the M.O.M. hub looming closer in the distance.  None of us had spoken a word all morning, we didn't want anything catching us off guard again.  Skyline had even taken to trotting with us, although uncomfortably, but presumably to not give away our position to anyone who happened to glance skyward.

It was deathly quiet out, like someone had slain the wind itself, which of course amplified every sound we made.  Every rock we kicked, or splash we made sounded like a grenade going off.  But it did work both ways.  If any other ponies made noise, we would hear them coming from a mile away. (I don't think that literally, it's just a phrase.)

I was so lost in thought as we walked, I almost missed it.  The flutter noise from the day before.  I held my hoof up, as we all froze.  I swiveled my ears around to try to find where it came from, but the ruins of the city just bounced it from every direction.  I did my best to direct them to take cover, getting nods from both as we formed a tight circle.

And there we sat, tensed up behind a few pieces of rubble on the side of the street, waiting for whatever was around to slip up again.  After a few minutes of waiting, Skyline tapped my shoulder, I spun around to see her point to a dark figure slowly walking around the corner from the next block up.  A dark brown griffin walked slowly towards us.  The bright blue tips on her feathers really contrasted the sleek black armor that went up to her neck.  In her beak she held a stick with a large white flag.

She stopped about half a block from us.  From closer up, I could now see her face was nearly covered in scars.  Her armor at a distance didn't reflect this either, but from closer, it was dinged and scratched up all over.  Brass stiffened up and stepped forward.

"State your Name, Company, and Mission."  His speaker barked.  The words carrying down the streets, giving off distorted echoes as we all stood our ground.

"Carlotta, 2nd Talon company, and to report to the trader named Backlash for personal bodyguard services."  She puffed up her chest and gave a stern look back, eyeing us over, sizing us up no doubt.  Skyline and I traded bewildered looks as Brass took another step forward.

"And who out there would hire you to protect him? What do they want from him?"  I could see Brass flinch slightly.  He was trying to look imposing, but doing a pretty poor job at it, he was probably scared shitless of her.  Hell, I nearly am.  I can't get a read on her at all.

"I don't know, but it's in my client's best interest to keep Mr. Backlash alive and out of Alicorn hooves."  She dropped the white flag and let the cloth reveal her two large battle rifles strapped in low to her saddle.  "Most ponies don't let colts do their talking for them." She addressed me personally with a piercing gaze.

I walked past Brass and up to her, looking her over suspiciously.  "Most don't let them walk around wearing armor like that either, so I'm pretty sure it works out."  She gave off a sly grin at that.  "Well, Carlotta was it? Great of you to want to join us, but the thing I've noticed is that we're all fucked up in some way, and before we can welcome you to our little group. You need to answer one thing."  I hooked a hoof around her neck and pulled myself close, her smirk dropped into a frown.  "What's fucked up about you?"

She shook me loose before grabbing me by the collar of my barding and lifting me up.  "As much as I sure would love to be a part of this fucked up dysfunctional family you have going here,  I'll pass.  I'm here for the job."  She dropped me on my flank and straightened out her saddle.  

"I'll mark you down for 'Has issues making friends'."  I said as I rubbed my muddy rear.  Skyline dashed over and gave her hardest right hook at the tough griffin, connecting with a meaty slap.  I watched as Carlotta took the hit seemingly willingly, a wide grin stretching over her beak as blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

"I like your marefriend.  Sexy and feisty!"  She let out a loud cackle as Skyline blushed and stomped over to help me up.  "But in all seriousness, I'm not your friend.  For you to be one, you'd have to fit into one of two categories, Fast or Fe...."  A shot rang out from somewhere down the street,  the round pinging harmlessly off of Brass Tacks helmet.  I hit the ground as Skyline jumped up, taking off effortlessly into the sky.  I could hear the whine as Brass's side mounted minigun spun up to speed.

Carlotta stepped in front of me as her twin battle rifles roared to life.  Down the street I could see a gang of raiders firing from various points in a building with a gutted first floor.  The short drones of Brass's minigun filled the gaps between the loud cracks his Anti-machine rifle sent out.  In just a few short seconds  the supports to the building gave way as the entire three story brick structure caved in on itself.

The echoing reports of the gun battle drifted away as dust filled the streets.  I got back to my hooves and walked up next to Carlotta,  peering through the dust for any sign of movement.  A shine and clack from further down the road, gave it away.

"GET DOWN!" I screamed as time seemed to slow to a crawl (it always had a habit of doing that when I was doing something stupid).  I pushed and heaved Carlotta to the side with all my might.  I don't think that if she had been expected it she would have budged an inch, but she tumbled to her side and slid a few feet.  Pain enveloped my chest as I gasped for air.  A sickening snap was all I heard as I lost control of my legs, tumbling into the dirt as something metallic rolled in front of me.  The towering form of Brass tacks standing over me seemed to drift out of focus as darkness crawled into my vision.  The last thing I saw was Skyline standing above Carlotta, her Gauss rifles sending pulse after pulse out as she screamed something that was lost as the minigun above me fired again, the low drone seemingly carrying me off into the darkness.


-----


The grass below me was warm, the sun beating down through the tree next to me felt good.  I felt relaxed, letting the breeze wash over me.  I opened my eyes slowly, squinting at the brightness.  Something was different though... the clouds.  They were shaped like giant party balloons.

"HIIIIII!" I jumped to my hooves as the high pitched voice yelled behind me.  Spinning around I was once again met with the tiny pink filly as she stared back at me with the widest frown I have ever seen.  Oh, wait, she was hanging upside down off of a low hanging branch.  "Back so soon? I bet it's because you missed your aunt Pinkie so much you came back as soon as you could!"  I felt a pain stab into my chest for a moment, I winced and gasped.

"Oh, did I catch you at a bad time?" She giggled and dropped onto her hooves.  "It's ok, we'll just have TWO parties next time to make up for it!" She turned and started to bounce away down the hill.  I felt the pain subside and I could breathe again.

"Wait!" I called out.  She froze in midair before slowly sinking to the ground.  "I need to ask you something before you go."  She spun around and bounced back over to me (how she bounced on her hooves and floated through air was a mystery to me... wait, this is a dream, why do I care?).  "How did you know I would find the letter?"

She bounced around me and giggled excitedly "It's my Pinkie sense, silly!  I get various signals that can predict immediate and vague events!"

I rubbed my chin quizzically. "Well, how does that work?"

The small filly bounced up onto my back and over my head to land in front of me.  "You remind me of my friend Twilight. She didn't believe either..."  The pink filly's frizzy mane seemed to droop, a look of incredible sadness appeared on her face.  "Well, she was my friend until I screwed everything up."

I leaned down, lifting her chin with my hoof.  "Hey now, I did something similar to my best friend once.  I don't know if I can ever fix it, but I know we all make mistakes."  I wiped the tear from her eye as a small smile crept over her muzzle, in turn, bringing one to mine.  Her hair seemed to rise again until it was as frilly as ever, she gasped in delight.

"You have my gift too!"  She launched herself at me, hugging me tightly around the neck (She was far too strong for a filly...for my imagination... whatever!).  She squealed in delight as she resumed bouncing around me.  "You can make anypony happy! And if you can do that, you can use my other gifts as well!  YOU ARE THE GREATEST RELATIVE EVER!"

"But... I don't know..." She stuffed a kazoo in my muzzle as another boom sounded with confetti falling from the sky again.  The boom made me remember something... but what was it... Suddenly the sharp pain in my chest returned with a vengeance.  Knocking me flat onto my side, I sharply gasped for air I couldn't find again.  The smiling pink filly just bouncing in place.

"Don't worry! just let yourself do what feels natural at the time.  You'll put two and two and two together to figure out the meaning!"  She squealed again and jumped high into the air, falling onto my head with all four hooves, and sending me back into the solemn darkness.

I opened my eyes slowly, hearing the crackling of a fire and the whistle of the wind.  It was dark out, and I was still in the street, but it  seemed it was not the same one as before.  I could see the form of Carlotta curled up next to the fire,  Skyline was sitting across from her, her eyes glazed over as she stared into it.  Brass was nowhere to be seen, which worried me.  I tried to roll to my hooves but groaned loudly as a sharp pain shot through my chest.  Skyline let out a light gasp and ran over to me, her eyes tearing up at the edges.  She reached down and pulled me into the most painful hug I've ever had.  I bit down on my lip and tried not to whimper.

"See... I promised I wouldn't leave you."  I said with the best grin I could muster through the pain.  She let out a sigh of relief and wiped her eyes.  "What happened?  Where is Brass?"  I tried to sit up,  she pushed me back onto my side.

"You need to rest, and Brass is out patrolling the neighborhood."  She brushed my mane from my eyes.  "You were hit by a 25mm armor piercing grenade round.  You know, the ones designed to go off once it hits armor and melt through it.  Your chest and your ribs cushioned it enough that it didn't have enough force to set the explosive off.  You got extremely lucky."  I tried my best to ignore the fact that she sounded like she had just called me fat again.  "And if it had hit Carlotta's armor?  We would have had to pick bits of her off the street.  You saved her life."  She said, pausing for a moment before smacking the back of my head with her hoof.  "That's twice you've almost died saving somepony's life!  Can't you find a way to do it without getting yourself injured?"  I reached back to rub where she hit, sending stabs of incredible pain through my chest.

"You didn't fix it?" I gasped out. She shook her head.

"We can't use the hydra until someone resets your ribs.  We will be heading out for Tenpony at first light. I think that..."

"We can't wait any longer."  I snapped back. "You read the note, we don't have the time to go back.  I haven't shown any signs of dying anytime soon.  So I'm going to use that hydra, we are going to open that bunker, and inside, we'll use whatever it is to save the whole of the Celestia-damned wasteland!"

"He's right you know."  Carlotta chimed in as she got up and stretched out.  "We risked moving him this far, if he doesn't take it now, it will set wrong regardless and it will be weak enough it could break again."

Skyline grumbled, searching through her saddlebags to pull out the injector,  unceremoniously pricking it into my chest.  All at once, my chest felt like it was freezing and on fire, I screamed out as I could feel the bones meld together in an alien fashion.  The sensation dulled and I panted heavily as I could hear heavy stomps coming our way.  Brass Tacks tore into camp, skidding to a stop next to Sky.

"I heard a scream, is everypony alright?"  He sounded slightly out of breath, but seemed no worse for the wear.  And speaking of the wear, his armor gleamed in the firelight.  It seems he didn't take a single hit during the fighting except for the shot that started it.  Those raiders had incredibly poor accuracy... well, all of them except the pony with the grenade launcher.

"I'm fine."  I pulled myself to my hooves slowly, the throbbing pain in my chest the fun reminder of just how fucked up my ribs now were.  I was pretty sure that if they got hit again by anything, they would just rip themselves out and retire somewhere warm and far away from me.  "How long until dawn?"

"It will be light enough to travel in a couple of hours, rest up until then." Carlotta stretched her wings as she spoke.  "I'm going to go take a look around until then. might be a good idea for you to grab something to eat as well, you know, just in case you need to stop another grenade round with your chest." She laughed haughtily as she flew off into the night.  Why was everyone suddenly commenting on my weight?  I wasn't that bad, was I? I shook the thought from my head as I noticed Skyline nervously pacing around the campfire.

Sky spoke up suddenly.  "I really should go with her... you know... in case she get's lost."  She stretched her wings out, inspecting them quickly.

"Get lost? In the sky? when we have the only campfire for miles probably?"  Brass Tacks reply was both perfectly timed and logical enough to catch her off guard.

"Well, yes, I mean..."  as she struggled to say something, I squinted suspiciously at her.   She got her brush out, briskly untangling her mane, instead trying to her best to ignore him.

"Really... her?" I tapped my hoof on the dirt.  "Well, if that's what you want. Go. Just..."  She squeed and bolted off into the sky with a red stripe as if she were rainbow dash incarnate, disappearing over the ruined buildings and out of sight before I could finish. "... don't be late."

"What was up with that?"  Brass said as he removed his helmet, sitting down next to the fire.

"You remember what she told you yesterday when you eyed her gun?"  I decided to take Carlotta's suggestion, pulling out a can of beans and opening it. (Screw what you think, I don't have a weight problem).

"Yeah, she said I wasn't..." He stopped for a moment, I could see on his face, the exact moment the gears in his head stopped as he figured it out.  "She likes mares?!"  I smirked and ate a spoonful of the beans, pleasantly surprised that this can didn't taste like mud as per the norm.  "This whole time I thought she was with you!"

I gagged at the outburst, spitting and coughing the beans onto the dirt.

"The hell!? She's like a sister to me!"  I gasped and pounded on my chest, adding that my lungs would be joining my ribs in their retirement if I kept this up.  "That is sick, Brass.  I would never... is that really what you thought?"

He looked surprised at the reaction.  "Yeah!  I mean, a stallion and a mare living and traveling together for years..."

I pointed my spoon at him "NO, no.  nope.  hell no.  nuh-uh.  never.  Now drop it and let us never speak of this again.  If you do, I swear that not even Celestia herself will save your soul from my wrath."  He let out what I could only describe as a squeak as he nodded and stared back into the fire.

We sat there for a good half hour keeping the fire going and waiting for the girls to return.  The whole Brass and I stare into a fire buddy time was getting to be a regular thing.   But as with before, he was going to screw it up.  He started kicking at the dirt a few times.  I just knew he had something else stupid to ask me. "What do you want to ask now..."

"Why don't you carry a gun?"  He said blatantly.

I grunted, scrunching up my muzzle.  Wow, I was not expecting that.  But to his credit, it was a good question.  I mean, so much can go wrong with one to make you have a really bad day. either the ammunition is bad, the gun is in disrepair (which for me was obviously not a problem), it jams because it's dirty (I've never seen a gun jam on Skylines saddle... ever), or someone takes it and uses it against you.  But even then, none of those really mattered to me.  I scrunched my muzzle up tighter in thought.

"I guess the simple answer is, I've never needed one.  Hell, we don't really carry any medical supplies either.  Just some chems to use in emergencies to get back to a doctor."  He looked puzzled by my response, but seeing as he grew up around the idea that guns were more important than ponies, it's an understandably foreign concept.  "When I travel around I've always had Sky with me, she's always been all I've ever needed."  I paused.  I really did sound like I was in love with her, didn't I?  "But the last few weeks, things have been different.  There seemed to be more raiders than civilized ponies, more alicorns have been reported all over, and the wildlife is becoming more venturous, attacking settlements head on.  Seeing as we'll probably be in more conflicts in the future, I guess it's about time I got myself one."

"You boys enjoy the time alone?"  Carlotta came in quickly, flaring her wings as she stopped, fanning the near dead fire back to life.  Skyline came in behind her, lightly trotting upon touching down, and as she straightened her saddle, she seemed more relaxed so I'm guessing things went as she wanted.

"Get yourself one what?" She said as she popped open her box of snack cakes, tossing one to Carlotta, who proceeded to tear into it with an almost excessive amount of violence.  I looked over to Brass, who was just turning to answer.

"Oh Celestia no..." I muttered under my breath.

"Backlash was just saying how he wanted to get a gun, he..."  I was immediately knocked onto my back by Skyline, Brass eyeing us over the fire as she squeezed me tightly.  I was wrong, before was the second most painful hug I had ever had.  Bones could heal, but I think my reputation died as she tried to force the life out of me.

"I knew this day would come!  We are going to have so much fun shopping!"  The pitch in her voice somehow getting higher than I even thought possible.  "It's going to be so awesome! Maybe we'll get you something big and imposing! Or maybe something small instead, so you can take it literally anywhere you go!"  Oh sweet darkness, come back and save me.  I'll hang out with Pinkie all day, I don't care!  Just make it stop!


-----


The sun peeked over the horizon and filled the clouds with it's normal tones of vibrant greys and dark greys.  I was happy to learn that they had hauled my injured flank nearly a mile further before making camp, so it was just another hour or so walk to get there.  It had started to drizzle again, not much, but just enough to be obnoxious.  Carlotta had taken 'point' as she called it, and was flying a few blocks ahead of us to make sure we didn't run into any ambushes.

Which apparently were the flavor of the month because we walked right into yet another one.  A grey earth pony slammed through the door of a grocery store just up the street, he pointed his submachine gun back through the doorway and emptied the magazine into it.  We all dove for cover as he screamed and ran towards us.  I peeked up over the slab of siding I was hiding behind just in time to see a long piece of rebar float out the door and hurl itself through the fleeing pony's neck, he tumbled down and went still.

A large, purple alicorn strode out through the door, unfolding its wings as it turned this way.  I ducked down, hoping my companions kept out of sight.  I could hear her walk closer, her hoof beats steady and calm.  She stopped just short of my pile of rubble.

"We have deemed this area cleared and think he might have headed back to the tower."  I could hear the beat of another set of wings come close, setting down right next to the alicorn.  A separate voice speaking up this time.  "We found this one flying as well and subdued it.  What should we do with the griffin."  I cringed.  Holy Celestia why did things have to go so bad so fast?

"We should eliminate it as it could warn him."  Fuck fuck fuck fuckity FUCK!  I wracked my brain for a way to save Carlotta from what I assumed was now two alicorns.  "But that would imply this Griffin knows his location.  We could always search her memories."  I'm going to do it, I'm going to do something stupid again.  I could just feel it coming on.

I jumped to my hooves, rounding the debris and into the view of the... one, two...THREE?  OH COME ON!  ONE CELESTIA DAMNED BREAK FOR ONCE!  I had forgotten that while using their shield spell, the green ones might have well been statues.  But here I am, I finally collected all three colors of the fucked up alicorn rainbow.  Carlotta was suspended in the air by the large bubble, unmoving but uninjured it seemed.

"Let her go, she has no part in this."  I kept what was probably the best damn poker face I have ever worn strong as I walked up to the dark blue one in the middle.

"Why should we now that you have so foalishly turned yourself over?" Her muzzle was still, her voice boomed only in my head.  And now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard one of these things speak until the other night.  She strode up a few steps and leaned down, staring at me with her yellow, slit eyes.

"Because you need me. If you don't let her go, I will never do as you ask."  I stiffened up, trying to keep as imposing as was laughably possible.

"Who said we were going to ask?" She gave a deep laugh and tapped me with her glowing horn.  I felt my vision cloud for a moment before she stumbled back. "We cannot read your memories.  The logic is jumbled, explain how this is possible."

The purple alicorn chimed in. "A relic of his heritage.  We have seen this before, it was to be expected.  We suggest we comply with his demands."  The towering blue figure stepped back slowly, seeming to think about it for a moment.

"Agreed,  the great and powerful goddess will surrender the griffin if you will accompany us to the bunker."  A slight smile creeping across her muzzle as she spoke.

"Then we have a deal."  I knew this was going to be a bad idea but I wouldn't have someone die in my place when I could prevent it.  The green alicorn dropped her shield, dropping the unconscious Carlotta to the ground with a thud.  The blue and green stretched their wings, turning and taking off towards the tower as the purple one strode over to me.  I turned around just in time to see Skyline cry out as the world was suddenly engulfed in a momentary blinding light.

I felt a shock go through me as the light started to dim, revealing the street outside the bunker.  I smelled burnt hair and shuddered as I could move again.  A shine out of the corner of my eye showed me a glimpse of the most beautiful sight I had ever beheld in the wasteland.  I dove into the familiar stairwell beside me as the squad of power armored steel rangers down the street opened fire.  Perforating the monstrosity with hundreds of holes.  I skid through the shield and got to my hooves, dusting myself off, catching a glimpse of a spot of dried blood on the concrete floor.  My blood from earlier.  I shuddered as I pushed the thought from my mind.

"You there!"  The shrill voice of an older grey colored mare called out as she walked down the stairwell to the shield. "I am Eldar Strawberry Sorbet and this bunker is Ministry of Wartime Technology property.  I don't know how you got in there but I am ordering you to deactivate the shield and vacate the premises."

"Wrong. This bunker is property of the Ministry of Morale, and as the last surviving heir of Chief Pinkie Pie, I will do no such thing."  I beamed a smile at her rage filled red eyes.  "Now, you have two other alicorns inbound from the air and I'd say a minute or so before they get here.  You can either talk to me, or pull back your squad.  You got lucky with that first one, but once the other two see what you've done, they won't be so easy to kill."

She let out an annoyed grunt and walked up the steps. "We have 2 alicorns on the way, fall back, return to your outposts.  The bunker will still be here tomorrow."  She glared at me as the group galloped back down the road.  "We aren't done here."  Her voice solid as stone.  I think I had just made my first real enemy.  Well, other than raiders, slavers, Enclave, and now alicorns.

I turned around, looking for a way to open the massive steel door, pressing at the walls around it in search of a button.  Something sharp on the wall jabbed my hoof.  I pulled it back in pain as a red spinning light activated on the ceiling.  A computerized voice emanating through a series of hidden speakers crackled to life.

 
ANALYZING DNA....COMPARING TO THOSE ON FILE...ERROR...PRIMARY SAMPLE DEGRADED...ERROR...SECONDARY SAMPLE DEGRADED...SUCCESS...TERTIARY SAMPLE MATCH...WELCOME FOUNDER PINKIE PIE.  IT HAS BEEN 123 YEARS 4 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS SINCE YOUR LAST VISIT TO THIS FACILITY.  PLEASE HOLD WHILE THE ELEVATOR IS CALLED.
 

"YOU FOAL!"  The familiar voice of the blue alicorn called out into my head.  "WE HAD A DEAL.  WHY HAVE YOU BETRAYED THE GODDESS'S TRUST?" No wonder these things never talked if that's how they spoke. I couldn't help but laugh at the show she was making of it, but if it kept her from hunting me down, I guess I could put up with it a bit longer.

"If you are talking about your friend, I didn't kill her, there was a squad of Steel Rangers here protecting the bunker, she didn't stand a chance.  I infact convinced them to leave.  And if you are talking about the bunker, just tell me what you are looking for and I'll bring it to you."

She showed a look a genuine shock as the large door slid into the wall behind me with a soft ding.  "You would still help us?  I MEAN OF COURSE YOU WOULD STILL HELP THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS!  FIND US THE BLACK BOOK AND YOU MAY GO FREE."  I nodded and turned around, staring into a pear shaped elevator with clear glass walls, a silver band of metal ringing the upper interior held the buttons for floors.  stepping inside the steel outer door shut slowly with a mechanical hiss.  A shimmering green shield enveloped the open side of the craft and a soft light illuminated the interior.

I looked up to read the floors, only to find half of them weren't even numbers, or really possible for that matter.  last time I checked sideways and diagonal were not ways any elevator could travel. The last button on the list had a little glass cover over it that read 'push to break fourth wall'.  Ok, definitely didn't want to break anything after having gotten this far.  I tried to think, scanning over the buttons again for any hint until I remembered what Pinkie Pie told me to.

"Wait, where is ...42?"  I said softly as I perused the buttons again.  The elevator jarred to life and the familiar computerized voice played out again.

 
Level Forty Two.  Cryogenics and Server Storage level.
 

The elevator seemingly flew around the complete darkness.  Tossing up and down, left and right.  I was starting to get sick right before the elevator slammed to a stop, throwing me out of the shield and onto a smooth walkway, the whole trip only lasting 10 seconds or so.  Stumbling up to my hooves, I stared down the illuminated walkway at a single oval shaped door.  I walked hesitantly to it and pushed it open.  Inside was a small room lit by a single overhead lamp, a small table sat with a terminal on it.  I took notice that this one's interface was pink instead of the olive green of every other terminal, and it was on the login screen, a question posed instead of the normal user entry setup.


What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?


Taking a guess, I reached forward using my hoof, carefully typing the 4 and the 2.  I paused and held my breath as I hit the return key.  The login cycled for a moment before putting up a new readout.


Error: Incorrect Password... Initiating lockout...


I let out a sigh.  Well that was a bust.  The screen flickered and the readout refreshed again.


Just kidding!  Welcome Backlash!  I am P.I.N.K.


Primary Information Networking Conciousness.  How may I help you today? Ask me anything!


I felt like that stopped making sense at somepoint. "You know, Conciousness is spelled with a C, right?"


Correct, but acronyms are hard.  Anything else I can help you with?


I thought to myself.  What was I supposed to do now?  All the instructions were to get me here, but I still didn't know why.


May I make a suggestion?  Would you like to play a game?


"No thanks, do you know the location of the black book?"


The location of the 'black book' has been redacted... Searching alternate hub maneframes...


Success... The Black Book was preivously listed as housed inside the Ministry of Image in Canterlot... the Office of Interministry Affairs in Hoofington... The Hightower Maximum Security Prison Complex in Hoofington...  Remaining 7 entries redacted... No further data...


Anything else I can help you with?


Great.  Now what... "Show me.... 42?"  I thought if it had gotten me this far, maybe it still meant something.


Accessing files for subject 42...


Error.  Celestia tier disaster reported.  Failsafe restraints in place.


Warning. Failure to override will result in the loss of the project.


Would you like to override? [Y/N]


The command prompt popped up.  As I reached out for the key, my chest burned hotly, I stabilized myself on the table and put a hoof to my chest, nearly paralyzed with pain.


Failure to authorize override in the next 10 seconds will result in automated shutdown of the project.


10...


9...


8...


I scrambled to find the key, punching in Y and slamming return as the countdown clicked down. 


Override Accepted.  Restraining bolts released.  Revitalization Process started.


Fluid Induction... 10%... Vitals... Stable... Brain Activity... Sub R.E.M. levels...


The pain in my chest disappearing almost as soon as it had appeared, replaced by a sharp stinging behind my right eye.  Not enough to cause issues, just more an annoying pain.  I tensed as I heard four massive metallic slams.


Fluid Induction...65%... Opening preservation theatre... Brain Activity... Nominal...


With a loud hiss, the wall behind the terminal split horizontally, folding back to reveal a sterile white chamber with a large cylindrical glass tube in the center full of blue liquid.  Floating inside, was one, middle aged, bright pink, ministry mare.

----------------------

LEVEL UP!

+10 survival
+  5 science

New Perk: Made of Sterner Stuff - You gain +1 to your endurance because of your extreme resilience to pretty much everything as well as +10 DT when a nearby ally is hit with a critical hit!

New Trait: Wacky Wasteland - You already have two traits, but you're a relative of Pinkie Pie!  Screw the rules, references are fun!
> Chapter 2 - Rebirth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2



"Pinkie Pie... you are so random!"



-----


The pink mare floating in the tube opened her bright blue eyes slowly as the tank made a whirring sound and the blue liquid started to drain away.  The cylindrical glass walls slowly sunk into the floor, spilling her out in front of me as she choked and gasped.

I stood in stunned silence as she got to her hooves, her dark pink mane drooping over one of her eyes.  I unzipped my barding and threw it over her.  She shivered and put it on shakily, giving a light smile.  "Number f... forty t..two reporting for d..d...duty."  Managing to speak in between her chattering teeth with a soft voice.  Number 42?  Was a copy like the ones Pinkie mentioned? I reached up and brushed her wet mane from her eye, surprised that the water was quite warm.

"Do you still feel cold?" I asked while looking around for a towel or something to cover her with.  She shook her head as best she could.

"N...no, the sh...shakes will pa...pa..pass."  She sat down, looking around at the room slightly worried.  "How..w lo...long?"  I blinked dumbly. I didn't know what she ment by that!  How long until the shakes wore off?  Until we could leave?

"What's..s the yea...year?"  She must have seen the confusion on my face as I blinked again for a moment.

"Oh... right."  I remembered the entrance had blurted out the time since Pinkie had last been here.  What was it... "If you were sealed in the last time Pinkie came, it's been about one hundred and twenty years."  Her expression went from one of worry, to one of hopelessness.

"Then it f... finally happened.  Didn't it?"  The shakes seemed to be subsiding.

"What happened?  You mean... How could you guess that?"  I sat down in front of her, scratching at the back of my neck.

"In the event of a full megaspell exchange, it was predicted that it would take seventy years for most of the land to become habitable again, and close to fifty or sixty more for society to rebuild enough to find me."  She looked up at me with sad eyes before meekly adding, "And here you are, right on time."  I reached up and put a hoof under her chin, returning her gaze with a soft smile.

"It's not so bad out there,  lots of good ponies made it through and have been trying to make a life for themselves and their families.  And it seems stables are opening every now and again, so with a little hard work, we can rebuild.  We can be better this time."  She smiled back and leaned in close.

"You know, you have my gift for bestowing happiness, and for being one of my relatives, you are pretty cute."  Before I could react, she leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips.  I just stared back in shock as she got up and walked past.

"But... but..."  It felt like my brain was about to implode.  My own great, great, so on aunt just kissed me.  That was just... wrong.  I shook my head vigorously to try to jumpstart my thought train again.

"So, Backlash is it?  As the new head of the Ministry of Morale, what are your orders?"  She typed something into the terminal faster than I thought any earth pony could move their hooves.  "Shall we get started?"

I finally managed to get to my hooves and trotted over to the terminal, on the screen was a small loading bar, climbing percent by percent up to one hundred.  I looked as she gave me a slight smirk, her now dry mane and tail poofing out as if being inflated by some invisible air pump.

"You have no idea what this facility is... do you?"  She nodded for me to follow her and we slowly walked back through the only door in.  Loud sounds came from high above as lights began to illuminate the walls of the wide shaft the elevator traveled in.  The round tube was incredibly wide at maybe 200 feet across, running what looked like nearly a thousand feet up above us.  The lights had reached our level with what was now loud slamming, continuing down another thousand feet or so before stopping.  The walls on each level above us starting to move, worming back around to a central point, leaving the large spaces of each floor open.

As the walls across and below us slid open,  I beheld the most awe inspiring sight I have ever seen.  Row upon row of unused tanks, crates of munitions, and silver Ponytrons sat in perfectly preserved condition.  I could see different models of Griffinchasers on the lower levels, and mounds upon mounds of yellow and pink Ministry of Peace medical boxes.  I felt my jaw hit the floor as I watched as level after level open below to reveal more and more pre war spoils.

"H... how has nopony found this yet?!?"  I looked and gazed as 42 leaned back against the railing, seemingly unimpressed with the massive collection of arms."

"Pinkie space."  She said as she inspected her hoof boredly.  "You know that spell that allows a saddle bag to hold more than it's size would normally accommodate?  This is just one Pinkie Pie tweaked and amplified."  She leaned back onto her hooves and walked back into the room, I followed with an interested ear. "In reality, we are only about 50 feet underground.  Kinda neat, huh!"  She pepped up as the terminal refreshed it's screen with a beep.


 Initiate command 66? [Y/N] 


She beamed a smile at me and threw a hoof around my neck. "That's all you big guy, only you can give the order!"

"What does it do?"  I asked as she awkwardly started bouncing, shaking my head along with her.

"Don't ask me! I just work here!"  She released her grip, starting bounce around the terminal on all fours.  I shrugged and hit Y then the return key.


 Okie Dokie Loki!  Please present your personal tag to the screen to continue... 


I rubbed at my chin.  "Hey, what does it mean by this?"  She bounced over, jumping in place as she read it, gasping before hopping to the wall, tapping it once with her fore hoof.  A loud clang emanated from the other side and the section of wall next to her slid open, revealing a set of shelves stocked with an odd assortment of bright pink guns.  42 leaned over, biting and grabbing a small pink tube that hung in the center, trotting back with it.

"Ith tha thith thuk!"  She tweaked her neck sideways and the pipe split open,  showing off the black padding inside.  She tossed it into the air effortlessly and lifted my left hoof up,  The tube snapping shut with a click.  All of a sudden my vision filled with scrolling pink code and displayed a projection of my current health, weapon, ammo count, clock, and a compass that also showed nearby ponies.

"That was...interesting."  I looked around,  walking around the terminal as I got used to the odd sensation in my vision.  I smiled and glanced back at 42, a sharp pain filling my eye again.  I rubbed it with a hoof.

"Some mild irritation is normal when adapting to a pipbuck.  Just don't tense up suddenly or..."  As if it were a big red button that said 'do not press', I disregarded what she said and did exactly that.  The world around me seemed to slow to a stop, 42 was basked in a pink outline, a bar reading 2% pointed to her.  I couldn't move and I started to panic.  Ok, lets think of how to cancel this... whatever this is.  And upon thinking of the word cancel, the world started up again.

"you will..."  She paused.  "You activated S.A.T.S. didn't you?"  She lowered her gaze into a glare.   I nearly giggled at the premise of having my own pipbuck.  I had seen others who had them before, even sold a few busted ones for a good profit.  I pranced in delight around the table before 42 held a hoof out and stopped me.

"That was one of Pinkie's personal spares.  You need to use it to start the program."  She pointed her hoof over at the screen.  I moved around her and held it close to the terminal.  A soft chattering came from the pip buck as it seemed to connect.  42 walked over to the wall and pulled off what looked like a pink and blue five gallon bucket with a short stick on one side of it.

"Come with me for a moment.  I need you to see something." 42 said with an intriguing tone as she walked out through the door again, I shrugged as the chirping stopped and the terminal refreshed.


 Transfer complete... Have a fun day! 


As I stepped through the door as a loud P.A. system kicked on in the shaft. 42 was standing at the end of the walkway with a smug face on, the elevator waiting behind her.  I noticed that her blip on my compass was now red.  Huh, I wonder why it did that, she wasn't...

 Personnel transfer completed.  Congratulations, 42, on your promotion to acting head of the Ministry of Morale! 

I gasped as she stood on her hind legs and leveled the weapon up to her shoulder.  Without thinking I dove forward to the floor.  The report of the cannon was deafening as it fired, it's projectile, completely smashing through the terminal and lodging itself in the back wall.  I stared up at her in disbelief as She pointed the cannon down to me.

"You've been so good I think you've earned yourself a little super villain monologue. You see, that pink bitch locked me up in here to help fix Equestria because I was the clone she hated the most.  She was so sure that it would never come to this that she locked the one pony away who she knew could be better than her."  

The walkway groaned,  I looked back to see a crack creep across the base by the door,  the whole platform listed down an inch or so.  42 let out a loud cackle and stepped back into the floating glass pear, tossing the cannon away before the shield closed her in.  I struggled to my hooves and grabbed around the railing as the platform gave out more groans and cracks than I'd care to count.

"You see.  She died a hundred and twenty years ago and I survived!  I'm better than she ever was!  I AM the real Pinkie Pie!  And when I find the mirror pond again, I shall return with a unending army and reform Equestria and THE WORLD as it suits me!"  She laughed maniacally as the walkway tilted to a near vertical angle.  I wrapped a foreleg around the railing and held on for dear life.

"And don't worry, I'll make sure to save you a spot next to my throne for anytime you want to DROP IN!"  She clapped her hooves together joyfully as the elevator started to rise slowly.  "Get it!? DROP... IN!?  Well, I've got to FLY, feel free to just HANG OUT here until I get back!  Good bye!"  The elevator rose up and through a small hole in the ceiling, disappearing from sight completely.

"How many times am I going to end up in situations where I'm facing imminent death without my friends?  I mean come on."  I spoke to myself softly, looking around as the supports creaked and groaned out in protest.  "I know I'm a bit overweight, but come on, just hold for a little longer... I promise to go on a diet!"  Seemingly in response, a sharp ping rang out as one of the two girders snapped from it's mounting, slowly rocking the walkway down as the bolts from the final beam squealed in torture.  As it swung, I could see the cannon two floors below, and it gave me an idea.

I started to rock against the railing, the walkway swinging further with each push, chanting softly under my breath.

"Luna....Why...am...I...so...STUPID!"  At that, I twisted myself and used the momentum to fly over to the second level down.  Slamming into the concrete with a jarring thud as the bolts sheared off and dropped the walkway down to the abyss below.  As I got my legs under me, I grabbed at the cannon next to me with a hoof, it immediately stuck in line with my leg like a magnet.  In the corner of my vision the pipbuck told me the "Party Cannon" had one out of... what the hell was that? some sideways eight?  One out of whatever shots loaded.  I spotted a silver square on a support beam a few feet away.

I trotted up to it and read it was an elevator call panel.  I hoofed at the button angrily.  "When I got back up there I was going to shove this cannon so far up her..." The computerized voice from outside interrupted me.


 Elevator recall authorization: Denied 


I hoofed at the button again.


 Authorization: Denied 


I mashed the button angrily as fast as I could. (because for some reason I had thought that would work.)


 Maybe if you attempt 23 more times, I will clear you for a ride.


I stepped back a few feet, growling and hoisting the cannon up.  I screamed as the cannon fired, the large spherical steel ball blew through the support before smashing into and crumpling a tank around it down the way.  The panel hung in the air by a few sparking wires, the button lighting up a soft yellow as the computerized voice stuttered.


 Authorization.... ACCEPTED!


The glass pear dropped down quickly and sat next to the ledge.  As I stepped in, I noticed that the ammo counter in my vision was counting down from two minutes.  I hit the button labeled entrance and sighed as it slowly lifted me up, gliding into the tube in the center of the shaft, docking moments later in front of the large, steel door.  I raised the Cannon as the steel door hissed and slid open.  The cries of my friends called out for me as they ran around the corner and down the stairs.

"Where is she!?  I'll kill that cunt!"  I galloped through the shield, using the party cannon to push past my friends to an empty street,  No alicorns and no deranged pink clone.  I looked around as I could feel nothing but rage.  A hoof pressed onto my shoulder, Spinning around, stuffed the obscenely large barrel against Skyline's head.  Her sad eyes staring into mine with an intensity I'd never seen before.  She put her other hoof around my neck and I felt the anger melt away.  I sat back onto my haunches with a plop.

The cannon dropped to the ground with a clack as I returned the hug, tears welling up in my eyes.  She laughed softly and kissed my cheek.  Oh Celestia it was so good to see her face again.  She wiped the tears from her eyes and let me go.  Brass trotted over and pulled his helmet off.  Staring at my foreleg.

"I see you picked yourself up a pipbuck."  Brass spoke slowly, Skyline stepping back and looking down, her eyes lighting up as she saw the pink computer strapped to my leg.  I looked over to see Carlotta pick up the party cannon and look it over.

"And some decent artillery... if that's what this is..." She smiled the first genuine smile I'd seen out of her, handing it back to me.  "Friend, you have got to stop saving my life.  It looks bad on the reports I send back."  I laughed and wrapped a hoof around her neck.

"Welcome to our fucked up family!" I smiled as she cringed and forced herself to keep the grin she had.  Brass poked my shoulder and pointed across the street toward the ministry hub.

"Dude, where's your car?"

42, you're a bitch.


-----


After our quick reunion, I explained what had happened and how 42 was planning on overrunning Equestria with an army of herself.  I instructed Skyline to fly back home with Carlotta, grab some supplies and a pair of saddle bags for me, and meet back at Tenpony tower.  She looked worried to be leaving me again, but nodded and took off with our friendly(-er.  Friendlier, she still looked like she could kill me with one claw tied up.) griffin in tow.

Brass and I galloped along the ruined streets, making good time.  I had the party cannon stuck to my back (don't ask me how, it just stuck... like a magnet... pretty sure I said that before.)  and my pipbuck set to the fastest route back.  But it turns out that the map of Manehatten was pre war and didn't like to tell us when entire buildings laid in the way, but it was understandable and most of the time we could just go down a few blocks and get around it.

The sun was once again setting as Brass and I charged our way across the open field towards the Tenpony security checkpoint.  I looked up and spotted movement to see Carlotta and Sky fly ahead of us, dropping down and waiting at the front of the guard post for us.  As Brass and I slowed to a canter, then a trot, the fatigue hit.  We started dragging our hooves as we walked up to meet them, the sweat running off me in buckets.  I could hear Brass heaving along with me through his helmet.

"You know, I take it back, you aren't really all that out of shape." Skyline said with a giggle.  Brass and I collapsed onto our sides, breathing with heavy gasps.

"Yeah." Carlotta blurted out as she poked Brasses helmet with a claw. "maybe they are just lazy instead."

I was too exhausted to take a swing at her.  So I just thought about it in my head.  I pictured my hoof slamming into her smug beak in slow motion and watched as she apologized for ever making fun of my obvious greatness.  Yeah, it felt so damn good.

"We going to be here all night ladies?"  She barked in annoyance.  Brass and I slowly climbed to our hooves, he removed his helmet and levitated it along side us as we all walked up the the gate.

"Please remove all weapons, ammunition, explosives, contraband, illegal substances, and all around dangerous items and deposit them here in the tub.  You may collect your belongings as you leave the tower."  I don't know if I was tired, or if he was bored because the guard seemed to drone on and on.  Everyone removed what they had as I remembered the party cannon on my back and went to remove it.  The guard raised an eyebrow to me.

"Sir, your pink bucket does not count as a weapon, but if you would like, I could keep it so the other residents won't laugh at you..."  He finished with a grin.  I grumbled and contemplated showing him just how dangerous my "bucket" was.  But decided that getting inside was a bit more important.  I followed the others into the spacious shopping complex, admiring the busy bustling of dozens of ponies as they went about their business.

"We need to speak to DJ Pon3." I spoke up, drawing looks from several ponies as they passed by.  "Any ideas how to find him?"  I asked the group.  For as many times as I've visited the tower, not once have I seen the mysterious radio stallion.  My ear twitched and got my attention right before the ding of an elevator door chimed across the plaza.  An off white unicorn stallion with a near neon blue mane stepped out and was immediately surrounded by several excited foals.

"Can we get your auto-graph Mr. DJ?" One of the colts called up.  They bounced with glee when he levitated out a pen and started signing their papers.  I glanced and shrugged to my compatriots.

"Well that was easier than I expected."  We walked over to him as the children ran off with their newfound prizes in their mouths.  DJ Pon3 looked down, eyeing us over the brim of his dark glasses as we surrounded him.

"Let me guess, you guys aren't here for an autograph, are you?"  He said in the smooth voice I had always loved hearing over the radio.  I tried to keep a straight face, but failed as I let out a squeak and danced excitedly a bit.   I was standing right next to the biggest celebrity in the wasteland!  Well, technically the only celebrity in the wasteland, but still!  Oh Celestia, do I look alright? Shit... say something before you look like a moron!

"Yes... No.... er.... I mean, I have urgent news about the wasteland! Can you sign my pipbuck?"  Yeah.  In no way he doesn't think I'm some sort of crazed pony who will someday stalk him relentlessly and murder him in a basement to skin off his coat to parade around in.  Smooth work, Backlash.  I thought sarcastically as I gave a nervous smile and shoved the pink computer nearly into his face.  He groaned and turned to walk away.  He eyed the device curiously before pushing it away.

"News can be left in note form upstairs with my assistant, and I am fairly busy right now, so if you'd kindly..."  He stopped just short of walking into Carlotta, looking up at her, his face twitching in annoyance.  "Can you please step aside?"

"No." The griffin's blunt answer made him cringe in anger. "Not until you hear him out.  Story of the century material."  He eased up slightly at those words, still angry though. He turned abruptly and walked back over to me.  I beamed out happily and raised my pipbuck again.

"You have 30 seconds.  If your news is any good I'll consider hearing you out."  He sat back, furrowing his brow in obvious annoyance.  I lowered my hoof slowly, giving him the saddest eyes I could manage.  "And I'll sign your pipbuck, but ONLY if the news is any good..."  I grinned and nodded eagerly, clearing my throat.

"My name is Backlash, I'm a trader from the outskirts.  I found a pre-war bunker next the the M.O.M. hub and as an descendant of Pinkie Pie, it let me in. Inside I fou..." DJ Pon3 stuffed his hoof in my mouth.

"You are related to a ministry mare?" I nodded slowly as He looked around for a moment in panic. "Come up to my room in an hour, we will talk then.  We can't talk here, it's not safe."  He popped his hoof out and called down the elevator.  I wiped the drool from around my muzzle and gazed at him in bewilderment as the elevator doors closed and he rode away.

"So who's hungry?" Brass said as we all shrugged.

"But... my pipbuck..." I said sadly as the group turned and walked away.

We took some much needed time to eat at one of the local restaurants.  I scarfed down two full orders of cram and some cooked bloat sprite meat as the others enjoyed their meals.  When we left here, I didn't know when we would have a chance to fill up on food again, so I made sure to get more than I needed.  (Also, screw those support beams from before, they didn't hold up their end of the deal, so why should I?)

As the hour limit approached, we went up in the elevator to the top floor marked M.A.S.E.B.S.  We walked into a round foyer with a large statue in the center, DJ Pon3 was sitting next to it, rising to his hooves as we approached.  He levitated off his glasses and put them in his barding, eyeing us with his crimson colored eyes before leading us into the next room.

It turned out to be some sort of library, shelves upon shelves upon shelves filled with books lined the walls, piles of dusty tomes littered the floor and tables as we walked to a set of couches and chairs in the middle of the room.  We all took our seats and over the next hour, I began to explain the last few days.  The dreams, the note, and the craziness of the bunker.  My companions were silent as they listened along with him, only giving the affirmative nod or grunt to confirm the details of my story.  He didn't say or ask much, mostly nodding and writing things on a notepad he was levitating nearby.

"So... this Forty Two.  Where is she now?"  he remarked as I reached the end of my tale, he shifted uneasily in his chair and looked a bit exhausted, as were we all.  I think the last time I got any good sleep was back at the Garage two days ago, and as my body had reminded me constantly, unconsciousness from injury is not sleep.  I began to miss that large, stiff mattress on the cold floor and I bet if I listened hard enough I could hear it calling to me.  But I couldn't rest yet, there was still too much to do.

"I don't know, but she has my car."  Hell, she could have reached Hoofington by now if she had really wanted too. "but that's why I need your help.  I need you to put the word out to everypony that she is dangerous and must be stopped at all costs.  The safety of the wasteland depends on it."  The DJ got to his hooves and levitated his sunglasses on as he looked over his notes.  The sudden stabbing pain in my eye returned.  Wasn't it supposed to be used to this stupid display yet?

"Now I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but this is all an extremely elaborate story and you will understand if I have my reservations about it's authenticity.  I can't just broadcast this out and send the whole of the wastes into a mass panic, now can I?"  He brought a hoof to his chest.  "I will keep a watchful eye for anything out there to corroborate your story, but until I..."  He was cut short by a grey unicorn mare with a flowing black mane throwing the door open and cantering through with a look of both pity and sadness.  Her tears dripped to the floor as she wobbled uneasily.

"Love, you must come right away, you need to see this.  It's..." She shuddered and kneeled on the floor.   "Why Celestia? why..." She whispered before appearing to faint completely.  DJ Pon3 burst up out of his chair and quickly enveloped her in his magic before she hit the ground, straining, he floated her over and laid her on his seat, brushing the long mane from her face as he looked over her.  Contented, he gave her a kiss to the cheek.

"I'm sorry, but I must see what she was talking about, please stay here and watch over my wife Kontra.  Again, I'm sorry about this."  He briskly trotted from the room as I exchanged confused looks with the others.  My eye spiked in pain and I rubbed at it furiously, growling as I turned to the door.

"Fuck this, I'll be right back.  Stay here."  I said as I headed for the door.

"But he just..."  Skyline started to say before stopping herself, a long sigh escaped her muzzle as she looked at the floor.  "It doesn't matter what I say, you'll still go anyway." She crossed her hooves and turned her muzzle up at me. "It's because you never listen to what I try to tell you! Like you don't want me around anymore or finally think you don't need me at all..."  I stiffened and stared down the hall.  I did feel sorry for leaving her all the time recently, but I didn't have time for this.  I knew this emergency had to do with 42, I felt it in my very soul.  I turned and galloped down the hall after the DJ.

"FINE! MAYBE I'LL JUST LEAVE FOREVER INSTEAD!" I could hear Sky scream with notes of sadness filling her words.  I know I promised to never leave her behind, but this was just too important not to attend to.  I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind and continued running.  I found the big doors to the broadcasting room and burst through them.

I was met with hundreds of pictures cycling on walls filled with monitors, each one showing different black and white live images of the wasteland.  The room seemed cramped as all the images bore down onto the chair in the center almost oppressively.  A small microphone was suspended by a metal arm, hanging over a panel of knobs and switches on what looked to be the center console.

DJ Pon3 was sitting in disbelief, biting his lower lip as he watched a few of the lower screens intently.  I recognized the small city was displayed that seemed to lay in ruins, some of the houses on fire as smoke drifted by the camera,  I had made plenty of trade runs there over the years.  Dead ponies littered the streets as a single figure walked through the carnage.  She was approaching a stallion who was bound and on his knees, her poofy mane bobbing in the wind as she walked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head.  She turned to the camera, looking straight into it while smiling and waving.

"42..." I said softly, gritting my teeth as she then pointed the gun at the camera and replaced the image with static.

"She... just took out... ponyville..."  He said slowly, his eyes a mix of rage and sorrow. "She just killed a community full of innocent ponies.  SHE DIDN'T EVEN SPARE THE FOALS."  He put his hoof to his chest and breathed in heavy wheezes.  "Dear Celestia... she can't have taken them all out... there must be survivors who had time to hide!  there have to be!"  I pushed and spun his chair, whipping him around to face me as I let my other hoof smack loudly across his face.  I won't lie, it felt damn good as he let out a whimper and held a hoof to it.  I let the rage pouring through my veins guide my words.

"See that?  She thinks it's just a game!  She wants you to be afraid.  She wants you to stay up here and lock yourself in this tower.  But you know what?  I say she just declared war on the wasteland.  I say you put out a call to arms to every community this station can reach.  Tell them what she did there today.  Make sure they know about every stallion, mare, and foal she cut down.  We need to let 42 know that the wasteland isn't afraid of her, and that we will stand up against her.  You need to tell them..."

"...no matter how bad it hurts."  he finished as I could see him relax in front of me, his watering eyes replacing shock and sadness, with rage and hatred.  The light of purpose filling his gaze as he turned and hit a button on the console, the red light sitting above the monitors labeled 'broadcasting' lit up brightly.

"Good morning wastelanders.  I'm sorry to interrupt the music, but I have urgent news."  He spoke into the mic in a low tone.  "Today a horrible tragedy has occurred.  I am deeply saddened to report to you all that as of this morning, Ponyville is no more.  The population was decimated at the hooves of a single mare.  She is described to look like the ministry mare Pinkie Pie and is considered extremely dangerous.  If you don't know who that is, she looks like that bright faced pink pony from all the posters and billboards."  His voice was calm and collected as he continued, not once wavering from the strong voice that the wasteland had come to know him for.

"Don't let that look fool you.  If you see this mare, do not approach her, do not attempt to reason with her.  Report anything you see and stay out of sight until she leaves.  The best thing you can do for the wasteland is observe and report.  I will bring you updates of the situation as I get them.  This is your radio friend, DJ Pon3, signing off, reminding you all to stay safe my little ponies." He clacked the broadcast button again and the red light shut off.

We returned to the book filled room to find the others sitting pretty much where we had left them.  Kontra had been moved to the couch and had an old quilt laid over her, brightly colored apple embroidery seem to adorn almost every inch.  She looked over to us weakly, seeming to have recovered a bit.  DJ Pon3 went over and hugged her, tears streaming down his cheeks.  The others looked to me for news.

"It was her.  She wiped out ponyville.  She killed everypony."  Skyline and Brass both gasped, Carlotta just grumbled.

"Celestia no... all those ponies..." Sky started to tremble and hugged Brass tightly, sobbing into his neck.

"That's not possible.  One mare can't just walk in and slaughter a town.  Especially not Ponyville.  You'd need a small army or..."  The slam of DJ Pon3's hoof on the floor drew a momentary look of shock across her face.

"She's not just any mare.  She's a Celestia damned ministry mare!"  DJ Pon3 growled out over his wife.  "You know, one of the mares that helped defeat Nightmare Moon and Discord?  We can't go up against that!"

"No.  She's not."  DJ Pon3 got up slowly and turned as I spoke, growling out the words as I hated even the thought of the comparison.  "She may look like it, but that isn't the ministry mare from the old world.  She is some sort of twisted imitation that crawled out of the wrong damn hole and just walked her way into our damn wasteland.  Yeah, she looks tough.  But it's MY fault she got out, and MY job to stop her and send her back to the hell she belongs in."

"Finally, something to spice up this job!"  Carlotta smirked and nodded, walking over to me and standing next to me.  "As both your bodyguard, and a new friend.  You have my life and my guns."

DJ Pon3 nodded, as he collected himself.  "Then you are going to need full access to the tower's resources.  If you're going to go chasing after her, I will get you cleared for whatever you need."

"You know I would never leave my best friend behind." Skyline sniffed and trotted to me, throwing her hooves around my neck and embracing me warmly, softly whispering into my ear.  "Don't you think this gets you out of talking about things."  She pulled me tightly into her, raising her voice with a chuckle.  "Besides, you need someone covering your flank who know's what to do when your stupid plans fail."

We all turned and looked to Brass as he stared down at the floor, his voice faltering.  "I don't really have anything to offer..." 

I slowly walked to him, putting a hoof on his shoulder firmly.  I could see how scared he was, and how deep down, he wanted to run back to the home he knew and lock the door forever.  Hell, I wanted to do the same, but to stop 42, I needed him.  Not just his guns or armor, but I needed him to remind me that without the fear and regret, we fall to the harsh will of the wastes.  It helps us strive to overcome our challenges and make positive changes.  I needed him because he was the living reminder of everypony's innocence in this blasted hell of a life, and that I cannot fail to stop 42.  As much as we both didn't want to go, I needed the strength of his friendship if I had any chance at success.

"All I need is your friendship Brass.  I've learned over the last few days that it's the most valuable treasure in all the wasteland, and that I'm lucky to have it."  A wide smile drew across his face as he saluted me stiffly.

"Just tell me how high and I'll jump." He responded with a chuckle.

I looked around confidently at the group of friends before me.  "Then we need to gather supplies and rest up, we have a long way to go to and she has one hell of a head start.  Brass and Carlotta, you guys see what we can do about that and find us some transportation."

"Don't worry, I know just the mare..." Carlotta cooed as she left with Brass on her heels.

"I'll arrange for you to use the Celestia Suite during your stay."  A gentle voice came from behind.  I glanced to see Kontra get off the couch slowly, DJ Pon3 shifted against her, steadying her legs as she got up.

"You need to rest dear." He said as she wobbled.  "You shouldn't exert yourself so much, remember, you and our filly need to be in good health."   He stroked her side softly with his hoof.

"I won't just sit here and do nothing as that... Monster threatens us all.  It's not much, but It's all I can do." She snapped back.

"It is more than enough."  I grinned and turned to leave as Sky hovered next to me. "You and I?  We need to pay a visit to the good doctor."

When we left DJ Pon3, it was just passed midnight.  And with the shops closed, we decided to put off gathering supplies until morning.  We were shown into a large set of open rooms with ornate furniture and paintings that were all in surprisingly good condition.  There was a room off to the side with a large 2 pony bed that my body told me was made from a slice of heaven, as well as a connected bathroom with a large tub filled up with steaming hot water.

We thanked Kontra again as she left us to rest and locked the door.  Sky disappeared without a word into the bathroom, shutting the door as Carlotta walked past us and into the bedroom.  

"Sorry boys, us girls get the bed tonight.  I can give you a cap so you can flip for who gets the couch, but otherwise, Goodnight!"  She said with a smile and shut us out.  I stood with Brass in an uneasy silence.

"So...want to start a fire?" He said as I groaned, sitting by the window and staring out, wondering what 42's next move was, and how exactly I was going to stop her from making it.


 ----- 


I felt a breeze run through my mane as I looked up into the wide blue sky, the sun seemingly hanging with the clouds as they floated peacefully.  My ears perked up as I heard music play softly off in the distance.  I got to my hooves and walked from under the tree through the tall grass towards it.  The upbeat notes of an accordion played and grew louder as I crested the familiar knoll.

"LET'S PAAAAR-TAAAAY!!"  The jubilant pink filly jumped up to greet my eyes as the invisible confetti cannon boomed, showering the table and familiar "guests" with red and white strips of paper.  "YOU DID IT!"

"I... did what now?"  I asked, watching her as she drew in a large breath.


 "He didn't know what to do as he saw the mare in blue...



 so he went with his gut, and sealed her shut...



  never to do the evil that only she knew!"


The invisible accordion played along as she sang out her short jingle, bounding around the table with an absurd amount of energy.

"I didn't seal her in... I let her out."  I winced as I spoke, listening as the music sputtered to a stop and the bright filly stood still in the middle of the table, her bright blue eyes sadly looking up at me, tearing up.

"But... How could you do that?"  She said with a sniff.  "Don't you know she's bad and wants to hurt everypony?"  I watched as her mane went completely flat and her coat darkened.  I heard the far off boom of thunder as the sun was blocked by ominous black clouds.  "What have you done?"  She started to cry softly on the table.

"I... didn't know what to do.  She tricked me into helping her out." I said filled with regret as I walked slowly down the grassy hill, sitting next to her as her tears formed a small pool in the plate under her.  "I'll understand if you hate me now.  I must be the worst relative ever."  I stared at her as I wiped the tears forming in my own eyes.

"I... don't hate you."  She said as she kicked the plate in front of her. "I should have dealt with her a long time ago.  I should have never gotten you involved."

"I still want to help.  I've seen what she can do.  I need to stop her before she can overrun the wasteland."  I brushed the mane from her eyes and gave her a soft smile.  "And I need you to be strong for me, ok?  We can't let sadness keep us down can we?  As members of the Pie family, it's our job to spread happiness, right?  How can we if we are penned up in a prison of tears?  She hasn't won yet, so we still have a chance to save everypony, right?"  She nodded her head softly. "Good.  now what do you say you and I try to figure out how to beat this mean old copy? Sound good Aunt Pinkie?" 

She nodded and giggled softly, wiping her eyes with a napkin.  "But it's time for you to go now."  she got to her hooves, her mane poofing back up slightly.  "Come back and see me soon!"  I smiled and watched as she jumped forward, knocking me back into the darkness yet again as I knew now, more than ever that I needed to stop 42.  Not just for the wastes, but for Pinkie Pie as well.

I awoke slowly, stretching out along the floor painfully as my sore muscles screamed for just a few more hours.  The rug next to the fireplace wasn't as uncomfortable as the dirt road, but was nowhere near as comfortable as the mattress the girls had.  Or even the couch for that matter, but I was happy to get some sleep after the last few days.

Brass and Carlotta were absent as I looked around.  It was light outside as more rain drizzled down,  the ruins of the city seemed to loom amongst the dark grey sky more than usual.  I headed into the bedroom to find Sky preening her feathers silently, not even looking up as I strode by into the bathroom.  I took a short shower to help me wake up and clear my thoughts for the day ahead.  She seemed to be back in a bad mood and was waiting by the door when I came out, so I assumed she was ready to go.  I stuck the party cannon to my back and walked with her to the elevator.

As we rode down, she hit the emergency stop button suddenly.  A small ring sounding out as the car stopped with a sharp jolt, making me wobble into the wall.

"It's time we had a talk."  She bore down on me imposingly as she hovered silently.  Her hoof jutting out to press against my nose.  "You think you can just keep running off, trying to play the hero?  Do you even stop to THINK what that meant putting me through?  You know how bad I felt when you were in the infirmary, and I nearly lost it when you went down in the street.  But when you traded your life for Carlotta's?  I couldn't do anything.  I just sat and cried.  Brass carried me the rest of the damn way because I didn't want to move anymore."  

I sat and listened, I owed her that much.  No, I owed her everything.  We've know each other for most of our lives.  I can't imagine I'd survive out there even a single day without her by my side, and I know she must have felt the same way.  Sometimes I hated my overly observant brain.  As she lectured me I could see every ounce of emotion, hear the truth behind every word.  But I brought this upon myself, and I needed to hear it all.

"I swear to Luna, if you EVER go running off trying to play the hero without me again.  I will personally break both your hind legs and lock you to the radiator at home."  She angrily punched the emergency stop button again, the elevator resuming our ride down with a beep.  I didn't know what to say, she was right.  But with 42 out there, if it came down to it, I don't care what I promised, or how much she screamed.  I would trade my life for Sky's in a heartbeat.

She landed softly beside me as the floors ticked down to one.  Not even glancing over, her face locked in an emotionless staring match with the door.  I leapt onto her suddenly, hugging her tightly around the neck.	"All we have ever had is each other.  There is nothing in the wasteland that could let anypony keep me from you.  I don't want you to leave.  Like you tried to tell me, you are all I have.  And I'm sorry for everything."  The elevator dinged as it stopped, the doors slid open behind me.  "I want you to be by my side until the day I die.  I love you."  I felt Sky relax a bit and rub my mane.

"I FUCKING KNEW IT!"  Brass's voice caught me off guard. I jumped and spun around to see  him armorless and standing outside the elevator with Carlotta, who was now reeling on the floor in hysterical laughter.  "You told me 'Noooo! she's like a sister to me'... but then you pull this! Why can't you just be straight with me?!"  Sky and I stepped out of the elevator car, Sky trotting up and poking at Carlotta as the griffin struggled to breath through her laughs.

"I thought we agree'd to never speak of it again."  I jabbed a hoof at his chest, staring into his gold eyes with such intensity I had hoped he was going to catch fire.

"Well you were the one who said you didn't love her when I..."  He was cut short as Skyline threw him to the side with what seemed to be incredible ease, trying to get to me as I suddenly knew how it felt to WANT to be lit on fire by that same gaze.

"YOU. SAID. WHAT!?" She screamed out in unbridled anger.

"I told him you weren't my LOVER!  His sick mind thought we were together!"  I spoke with a shudder, pointing a hoof to brass as he got back up, hoping she would settle for beating the shit out of him instead of me.  I watched in relief as she turned her eyes unnervingly toward Brass, tensing for a moment before moving to dive at him in a furious attempt to mercilessly beat him to death.  In that fraction of a second, Carlotta was holding her back effortlessly by the tail as she flailed her hooves a half a foot from the young stallion.

"If it's any consolation, I totally thought that as well." Carlotta said before leaning in close to Sky's ear.  "That is, before we got to spend some... quality time together."  Sky blushed a deep crimson that shone through her red coat and dropped back to the ground.

"AAGHH!" She trotted toward the infirmary in frustration.  Yelling out again as she rounded the corner and disappeared into the plaza.

"Am I interrupting anything?"  Dr. Fits stepped out of the elevator as the doors slid open. "I came down right away when I heard you needed something urgently, is Skyline injured?"  He looked around before starting to trot towards the clinic.  I quickly turned and followed, leaving Brass and Carlotta in the hallway.  We walked into the small medical center briskly, I noted that none of the shops were open and there wasn't a pony in sight.  Skyline coasted over and joined my side with a huff as Dr. Fitz entered his office in the back room.

"I have been told to give you anything you need and to not ask why.  But I'll have you know that unless it's for a good cause, I won't give you a single healing potion more to you ever again when we are through.  You'll be clearing most of my stock for weeks as is.  But with this lockdown in reaction to Ponyville, I don't expect any grievous injuries to occur anytime soon."  He fidgeted with a key and opened a small cupboard, revealing sets of assorted supplies.  Skyline scooped everything into her saddlebag as he stepped aside.

"Hold on, you're taking ALL OF IT?!?"  He jumped back and slammed his hoof on his desk.  "this is outrageous!  I don't care what the big stallions upstairs said, what gives you the right to clean me out!?

Skyline grabbed him by his lab coat and pulled him off the ground, leaning in close. He squirmed and looked around nervously.  "You know that bitch who took out Ponyville?"  He nodded slowly with a soft whine.  "We're going after her.  You can whine and complain all you want, but the fact is, we are going to need all the help we can get to stop her before she does it again.  Got it?"  Skyline huffed in anger as she dropped him.  He straightened up his coat and trotted over to a grey locker in the corner, opening it to reveal another stash of supplies.

"Then you might as well take these.  Just promise me, if you find anyone still alive in ponyville, that you will use these to help them."  He spoke softly, sighed and walked back behind his desk, sitting down and looking over some papers. 

"Don't worry Doc, you have my word." I put my hoof to my chest and nodded slowly.

Carlotta poked her head around the corner.  "Hey, our ride is here.  Come on you two, we got a pre-war bitch to find."


 ----- 


The rain slicked across the rooftop landing pad in sheets as the wind whipped around wildly.  A grey skycar sat parked in the open, it's worn sides had brightly painted yellow lettering scrawled across it reading "Absolutely Everything".  Ditzy Doo had apparently lent us the cart at Carlotta's request.  I should have expected that I would have to accept help from the number one trader in the wastes at one time or another.  She was every trader pony's top competition, always knowing where to find all the good stuff before anyone else can get their hooves on it.  But I guess that comes with being around from before the war.  She offers her supply and delivery services to everypony from here to Hoofington at prices few could even compete with.  Hell, I'd have to give things away for free if I wanted to beat her out.

Carlotta led us to the side door of the silver car before walking around to the front, hooking herself into it.  I hesitantly followed Brass as his power armor squeezed through the door frame barely, taking a seat next to our exit just incase we had to get out fast. (did I mention how much I hate flying?)  I looked outside as Skyline stretched her wings and took off, circling around us before dropping back to the pad next to the soaked Griffin.  I shut the door, sitting down across from Brass as he levitated and looked over his helmet.  There was a knock on the side of the car before the door swung open again.  DJ Pon3 leaned his head in.

"I wanted to give you this before you go, it's a relic from my younger years as an explorer."  He levitated over a green flak vest, the steel plates sewn in seemed lighter than others I had come across in my journeys.  I looked up in confusion and he seemed to nod in response.  "They used some sort of rare element in the alloy, making the steel extremely tough, but don't expect it to stop everything."

I unzipped one of the pouches, a square piece of black steel with a rainbow sheen glinted in the light.  Closing it back up, I smiled back to him, kicking off my saddle bags and setting the party cannon down, pulling the tight vest on.  I couldn't get it around to fasten under my chest, (The vest flaps were just too small.  Stop thinking I have a weight problem, stop it this instant!) but otherwise it fit snuggly.  As I shucked my saddle bags back on, Carlotta yelled back at us through the missing front window.

"You ready to go ladies?  Anyone need to use the bathroom? Cause once we're going, we aren't stopping until we hit Ponyville."  Brass and I shook our heads and DJ Pon3 shut the hatch before appearing outside the window next to me.

"Just listen for any updates on your pipbuck's radio,  I'll put the word out if I find out anything relevant.  Good luck, and may Luna guide you!"  He called out, his words growing softer as the skycar lifted off, immediately lurching to the side as we banked around the tower.  I flopped over against Brass, suddenly remarking how I now wanted to avoid flying anywhere with someone in power armor.  I scrambled up to the front window, the wind and rain pelting my face.

"Do you mind circling around to the M.O.M. bunker?  I need to see something."  My voice strained to cut through the noise of the weather.  Carlotta looked back and gave a nod.

"Sure, but it will add an hour to our time!"  She yelled back "We'll really be pushing the spark batteries limit!"  I nodded back before sliding against the side as she banked hard again, Brass clanked into the wall as even he lost his footing.  This was going to be a long trip.

I tried to pass the time by looking over the party cannon, it didn't seem to have any moving parts and was completely empty inside the barrel, even when my pipbuck said it was loaded (Yeah, before you say it, I know I have really bad weapon muzzle discipline.  It's my first gun for crying out loud!).  The pipbuck readout showed it still had a good amount of durability left in it, but I wouldn't know how to fix it even if I needed to.  Hell, I don't think it COULD be fixed, I just hoped we wouldn't absolutely need it once it was inoperable.

"So what is that thing?" Brass called over through the speaker in his helmet, the sheer volume of it easily cutting through the wind and the rain.  I don't know why, but when he had the helmet on, I almost couldn't be sure that it was Brass Tacks in there.  I wish I knew if that was how they intended to design the armor's look, regardless, it unnerved the hell out of me.

"Beats me, Pinkie Pie made it, so I doubt she fully understood it herself."  I flipped it around in my hooves.  "I mean, It's obviously a large bore cannon, but how it loads itself or knows when I want it to fire is a mystery to me!"  I tried to toss it to him, hoping it would stick to him and he could understand what I meant.  It didn't.  It bounced off his armored hooves and clacked onto the floor.  I shrugged and picked it up again, still not used to the feeling of suction as it stuck to my hide. "I'll let you see it when you're out of that suit again."

"Yeah, ok." He spoke back with a disappointed note to his words.  "Too bad they don't come in anything but pink.  Would love one to bring back to the base."  I thought about that for a moment, actually glad that I didn't see any others down in the bunker.  I could only Imagine how imposing a couple of these strapped to power armor would be, let alone the damage they could do.  Also, I'm pretty sure if it was in gunmetal grey or black, everypony would know it was a weapon.  Pink allowed me to get it in unnoticed... well, unnoticed as a weapon.  

Skyline caught my attention as she tapped on the side of the skycar, notifying us that we were over the ministry hub.  I looked out the window as we banked around in a wide pass, scouring the ruins for anything standing out.  A flash caught my eye as I saw a purple alicorn teleport onto the roof of a short building, spreading her wings before taking off towards us.  I yelled out to Carlotta and Skyline.

"Don't shoot! Alicorn incoming!"  Both the fliers looked back at me like I had just told them to trust 42.

"You're joking! What do you mean don't shoot!?" Skyline yelled as she drifted away from the car, lining up to intercept the flying monstrosity.

"Trust me!  I need to talk to her!"  I yelled back, throwing the hatch open to lean out, hoping the insanely strong alicorn would see me and think to not blow us out of the sky with her magic.  But then I looked down, which was a bad idea.  The ruined cityscape zipped by at high speeds as my hooves trembled,  slipping from their grips as the skycart banked again, dumping me out into the air.  Skyline yelled out as I fell, I looked around in panic, seemingly plummeting to my doom.  The alicorn streaked into a dive, coming up next to me as we raced toward the ground.

"GRAB ON." The goddesses voice boomed in my head.  I had never thought I'd say this, but thank Celestia for the mutated flying freaks!  I hooked my legs around her as she pulled herself back into a level flight, racing left and right around fallen structures as we gained altitude.  She seemed to beat her wings effortlessly as we caught up to the skycar.  I jumped off her back onto the roof of the silver car as she came close enough, grabbing the luggage railing as Carlotta continued pulling it through the air.

"THE GODDESS DEMANDS THE BOOK AS YOU PROMISED."  Her voice echoed in my mind as I clung on for dear life.

"We are heading to Ponyville!  Meet us there and we can talk then!" I screamed back as the strong wind made it hard to keep my eyes open.

"YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO ESCAPE MY SIGHT AGAIN!  I SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU UNTIL YOU TELL THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS THE SECRETS SHE WISHES TO KNOW!"

"Your choice!"  I tried to give a small smile as the rain poured over me.  It's only another few hours to Ponyville I told myself.  Another few hours of freezing my flank off on top of a platform moving quite fast a thousand feet above the very solid ground... I'll be fine... I hope...

The rest of the trip was silent, minus the howls of the wind and the incessant taps of rain as it poured over the skycar.  We were all on edge (I more literally than anything) with our alicorn escort, but she stayed a good length away from us as we flew.  The rain had stopped a few minutes ago and I was now shivering as we began our descent into the center of ponyville.  The bodies of dead ponies lay in the muddy street, silent and still,  the only reminder that this had once been a busy town.  As the car touched down and drew to a stop, I flopped over the side and landed in the mud loudly,  I was glad to be on the ground again.

I groaned and tried to get to my hooves, which just didn't want to cooperate, so instead I flopped on my side and laid there, staring up at the sky as the large purple form of our alicorn escort towered into my vision.

"YOU HAVE ARRIVED, NOW GIVE US THE BOOK." She put a hoof on my side, pressing me down into the mud, pinning me.  Brass came out of the cart, his minigun whirring up to speed.  "FOALS!  THE GODDESS GROWS TIRED OF YOUR INTERFERENCE."  A pink shield encompassed around the Alicorn and I as the gun chattered in a short burst, the rounds slapping the shield uselessly, failing to penetrate.

"WHERE IS THE BOOK?"  My brain started to hurt and throb as her voice seemed to reach into my deepest recesses.

"It wasn't there!" I said, getting a mouthful of mud as I squirmed under her hoof.

"YOU LIE!  YOU CANNOT FOOL THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS!" She pushed down on me harder, I started to sink into the thick muck.

"The records told me where it could be!  I have a list!  You can still find it!"  I coughed into the mud, the pressure lifting off me slowly as she thought about that for a moment.

"YES, GIVE US THE LOCATIONS."

"No" I replied. She growled and pressed sharply back into my side. "What guarantee do I have you won't kill us if I tell you?"  I spoke quickly, my muzzle struggling to stay above the mud as she pressed me in deeper.

"THE GODDESS MAKES NO SUCH PROMISES.  YOU WILL HAVE COMPLETED YOUR TASK AND WILL BE DEALT WITH AS WE DEEM FIT"

I thought quickly, searching my mind for anything I could use.  Shit... I need something... wait, that's it!  "What if you need me again?  to get through another door!?" I cried out, gasping one last breath before my head sunk under the wall of wet dirt.  I felt her hoof come off me, I took the moment to throw myself out of the pit, gasping for air between her legs as she stood there, completely rigid.

"THIS IS AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT.  YOU WILL NOW TELL US THE LOCATIONS OF THE BOOK."

I panted hard and tried to wipe my muzzle clean, only managing to mud it further because of how bad I was shivering.   "It was reported to have been in either the O.I.A. Hub or Hightower prison in Hoofington, or the Ministry of Image Hub in Canterlot.  That is all I know."

A blinding light flashed in front of me as the goddess seemed satisfied enough for the moment.  Leaving us all sitting by ourselves in the middle of the quiet street, with nothing but the wind and the bodies of dozens of murdered ponies for company.  I tried to stand up again, my muscles screamed and my hooves failed to find anything solid, slipping me back down.  "I guess I'll just lay here then until I die."  Pro's of laying: I don't have to do work!  Con's: I'll freeze to death, and worst of all, 42 wins.

Brass came over and hoisted me up with one hoof, using his helmet to slide me down his neck onto his back.  Huzzah, I'm saved.  New pro's: I can still be lazy from here!  New con's: Still freezing and I'm staring at Brass's ass.  With that, I couldn't help but feel the mud might have been the better option.

Carlotta unhooked herself and walked over with a smirk.  "We need to get you next to a fire before searching for survivors."

I gave her my best frigid, snarky retort. "What's this? Did our bloodthirsty mercenary finally grow a heart for helping innocent ponies?"  She glared back unamused.

"No, I simply wanted to ask them what way our pink friend went is all."  The tone in her voice made me know she wasn't even slightly joking, which actually left me a little disappointed.  My ears perked and the wind picked up.  A soft cry emanated from it as it moaned past.

"Someone's still alive here." I said, pointing down the street to where I thought I heard the noise from.  "I think they are that way."

"I'll see if I can spot them from the air." Skyline said as she bolted up and into the air.  Brass turned and followed at a trot, which was uncomfortable because he smacked my chin on his ass with each step.  We trotted down another street, trying to keep in line with Skyline as it grew loud enough for them to hear it as well.  Suddenly, I noticed Brass turn and head into what seemed to be a house.  The muffled crying was coming from the second floor as I was tipped onto a nearby couch, flopping into the cushions where I felt like I never wanted to get up again.  They felt so good on my body, I wanted to go back and tell my mattress I'd left it for this beautiful sofa.

"I'll be right back..."  Skyline said softly as she climbed the stairs slowly, hoof by hoof.  Once at the top, she disappeared from view.  "Hello?"  I could hear her call out.

"Stay back!"  The shrill voice of a foal called back "I have a gun!"

"It's ok, I'm not here to hurt you..."  Sky's voice was soft and kind.

"DON'T COME NEAR ME!"  The voice screamed with an agonizingly high pitch. "When my daddy get's back... he'll... he'll be really mean to you!"

"Shhh, shhh, it's ok little one, I..." Sky's voice was cut short by the reverberating sound of a single gunshot followed by a loud thump.

"SHIT! SKY!" I screamed out and clambered to my hooves, finding the strength to nearly fly up the stairs past the others to where she was.  I turned the corner to where the conversation was, slamming into a doorway with a wet thud.  I looked in to find Sky sitting with a dark green pegasus filly curled in her arms and sobbing loudly.  A large sniper rifle lay on the floor next to them.

"My daddy's not coming back...daddy's not coming..." The filly repeated between sobs.  Sky stroked the filly's white mane as she rocked back and forth, her face positively glowing as she sat there with the look of a loving mother.

"It's ok dear.  We won't let anything happen to you." The filly's sobs seemed to drift away as she opened her jade eyes and looked up.  "What's your name little one?"

"My name is Pallet Jack.  I'm going to grow up to move stuff like my daddy! Will you help me find him?"  She said as she fluttered her wings, her crying fit seemingly over with.  See, this is why I couldn't stand foals, crying one moment, then breaking the 2000 cap moisture evaporator you had stored in your cart the next while laughing in delight.  Completely unpredictable and an accident waiting to happen, all bundled up in something that eats your food and won't shut up.

"Sure thing, but first I want you to meet my best friend Backlash."  She pointed her hoof to me and I couldn't help but force a smile (even with as much as I hated foals, I still had to be nice).  I felt something was off as I wobbled for a moment.  Oh yeah, adrenalin gone, time to fall over again!  I crashed to the floor with a grunt and blinked as I saw stars flying aroud in my head.  Pallet giggled softly into Sky's chest.

"I like him, he's funny."  She said as she hopped into the air, fluttering her wings again before walking over to me, Sky let out a soft laugh.

"Yeah, he certainly is." She got up and stretched her wings out, scooping up the rifle and tucked the gun underneath it as she walked over.  I saw a Pallet Jack hop around in much the same fashion filly pinkie did in my dreams.  That changed when she immediately froze wide eyed and stiff.

"AHHHH! A MONSTER!" She dove and latched onto Sky's leg.  I felt Brass step heavily up behind me.

"Brass, stop scaring the foal and take your helmet off.  It's not like anyone is going to shoot you here, Celestia forbid that being a bad thing though."  Carlotta Stepped past him and smacked his face with her tail as he levitated the helmet away.  As she stood over me, the heat she gave off was absolutely divine as my freezing hide finally seemed to stop shivering so much.

Pallet turned around and stared wide eyed as the griffin stood over me.  "Whoah!  Are you a real Griffin!?"  The filly bounced about in excitement as Carlotta nodded.  "Griffins are the best fliers!  I want to grow up to be just like you!  Tearing apart your enemies with your claws and beak! Rawr!"  She jumped into the air before doing her best to imitate what she had described.

"Yup, one hundred percent bad ass griffin here." Carlotta spoke with boundless pride.

"But ponies can be great fliers as well Pallet, don't you want to grow up to be just like rainbow dash?"  Sky said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"No, she doesn't.  She wants to be cool like all griffins are.  Besides, Rainbow Dash could only fly fast.  She couldn't stand up in a fair fight."  Carlotta cooed back with more than just a hint of arrogance.  Oh Luna don't let them do this now....

"Rainbow Dash took on a squad of ten griffins in the war single hoofedly and came out without a scratch, I'll have you know."  Sky said, tipping her muzzle to the air and closing her eyes, doing her best to act haughty.  This wasn't going to end well...

"Yeah, wearing power armor.  I bet she couldn't take even ONE of us on without it." I could see Carlotta's claws digging into the floor boards as the polite discussion started to degrade into verbal trench warfare.  "Besides, didn't she abandon her duties? I've never seen a Griffin do that."

Fuck trench warfare.  Carlotta just dropped a Celestia damned megaspell on Sky.  I went to call out before Skyline and her ripped each other to bloody ribbons in front of the already scared filly, but was surprised to hear her squeaky voice speak up first.

"Why can't I be cool like both?  I want to be a Rainbow Griffin!"  She bounced between them with a look of utter glee on her face as Sky and Carlotta froze, their angry glares cracking slowly before they bust out into laughter.  I didn't quite get what was so funny about that but maybe it was an inside joke to all fliers or something.  My brain hurt.  Actually, my all of me hurt.

"Uh guys? can one of you make a fire?  Kinda frozen to the floor here..."


 ----- 


As I warmed up by the fire next to an armorless Brass, Carlotta was running around the house with the screaming filly perched on her head.  Skyline had gone back to bring the cart to us, as well as a quick sweep for any other survivors, keeping an eye out for the body of the stallion who Pallet described as her father.  I really hoped he was alive somewhere, it was hard on Sky and I losing our parents and the only reason we made it was because we had each other (well, Sky didn't lose hers, she just hasn't seen them again since leaving).  I can't imagine having to grow up alone in the wasteland.  I shook the thought out of my head, seeming to knock Brass out of his own as well.

"Did you just ask if I liked you?" He turned to me, speaking with his cheeks flushed.

"Um... no... I didn't..."  I raised an eyebrow to him slowly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what did you ask?"  He said as he hid his head into his hooves, his gold coat was growing as red as Sky's.

"I didn't say anything... Is there something you want to talk about?"  I said with a relaxed smirk, the most insidious idea filling my head.  Being as he was already off guard, there was no reason I couldn't have a little fun at his expense, right?  He shrank down to the floor and quivered.

"N... no... it was a stupid thought..." He said shyly from between his hooves.  "It's just that... I do... kind of like you..."  I smiled as seductively as he spoke, leaning in close.  He was making this far too easy.

"Well, how about you and I go somewhere quiet and... what did carlotta say it like?"  I leaned up to his ear as he threatened to change his whole coat to red. "spend some 'quality time' together?" I whispered softly into it his ear, giving the tip a little lick as I drew away slowly.  Brass shuddered before flopping over with a deep sigh, seemingly in shock on the floor.

"You know, personally it doesn't matter to me if it's a mare or a stallion, fun is fun.  But you're a bit young Brass, grow up for a few years and see what you really want then."  I smiled and got up, stretching out my legs as my body was finally relaxed and warm.  The front door swung open and a muddy Skyline tramped in.  She shook the mud off her coat vigorously, coating everything in the room with it, myself and the still in shock Brass included.  Sky eyed him curiously before gazing back at me.

"Wow, you finally snapped and murdered him.  I applaud you on lasting this long.  Hey Carlotta!  I owe you 50 caps!"  She yelled to the other room as she trotted over to the couch, slicking some of the mud she flung off the cushion with her hoof, sitting and laying back.  Carlotta came running in, panting heavily as the green filly bounced on her ruffled head feathers.

"How do you ponies do so much moving around with your legs?  It's exhausting." She said as she finally collapsed in the middle of the room, Pallet still ruffling her blue head feathers as she giggled. 

"How do you land a skycart so easily?  I can't maneuver worth two bits strapped into that thing."  Sky said as she rubbed her slightly muddy flank with her fore hoof.

"How the hell do you two stay warm while flying?"  I asked as I wiped the mud I got hit with from my muzzle.

"How could you three be so insensitive?" Brass joined in as he raised a hoof to the air, still flat on the floor.

We all sat still for a minute, trading looks before we all started to laugh hysterically.  I know it was only a few nights before, but it felt good to laugh in front of a fire next to the ponies... and griffin I now considered my friends.  I knew that these moments would grow to be few and far between as we tried to stop 42, but I didn't want to think about that now.  I wanted to enjoy the time we had, so we giggled and poked fun at each other as the darkness spread outside.  Finally as the fire died down, we decided it was best to rest up and wait for morning to come.

I slept through the night again without any dreams, not quite sure of whether or not that was a good thing.  I yawned and stretched out my hooves, getting up slowly I looked around to find everyone else was still asleep, the bright sun turning the horizon to a brilliant shade of red.  I slowly got up and walked to the front door, going to open it but freezing still to look back at Skyline soundly sleeping on the couch.  I know I said I wouldn't leave her, but I was just going to take a short walk to look around.  I'd be back in ten minutes max.

I crept out off the front porch and headed past the muddied skycar.  Looking at it I gave a small chuckle and reassured myself that the Marauder was the right choice of transportation.  Oh, right.  The Marauder.  Why did 42 have to take my baby?  I worked so hard to even find half the parts for her.  If she so much as puts one more dent in my girl... I'll... A glint down the street caught my eye as my wrist pinched up.  I squinted and could see as a lone sprite bot floated around, seemingly inspecting the bodies.

Why was it so quiet?  Normally those things are blaring bad music and you can hear them from a mile away.  Maybe it's speaker had degraded or was damaged.  Regardless, I bet I could get some good caps for it if I could shut it down.  The small sphere turned and seemed to peer right at me before drifting down an alleyway.  I smirked and galloped down the street after it.  Easy money I thought as I turned and ran smack dab into a brick wall five feet in.

"Didn't they ever regulate where to put these random walls before the war?" I said to myself, shaking off the pain.  I turned around to see the bot floating behind me.  Staring at me as if sizing me up.

"Hello there."  A digitized voice emanated from the exposed speaker.  I cringed and pressed back against the wall, pointing my hoof at it.

"Y..you can talk!?!"  I gave a slight shudder in fear.  I had never seen one that was intelligent.  Maybe it had become self aware after the war and was going to go on an existential rampage to kill all ponies, starting with me.

"Yes, my name is Watcher.  It's nice to meet you Mr...?" It just seemed to float there as it appeared to want to make conversation with me.  I pondered this for a moment, relaxing a bit.  I still didn't trust it wasn't going to vaporize me into a glowing pile of ashes the moment I looked away. So I uneasily lowered my hoof and raised an eyebrow to it.

"Backlash... um... nice weather we're having?"  Oh Celestia, don't make dumb small talk with the sentient and potentially murderous robot.  Oh luna, I'm going to die... Why couldn't I have just woken up Sky like I knew I should have!

"Um I guess.  Well Backlash, it was nice to meet you."  The sprite bobbed and turned away, starting to float down the street.  And that was that, I had escaped the murderous gaze of the terrifying metal death machine.  I relaxed and slid down the wall.  Wait. That was it?

"Wait... what are you doing here?"  I asked as I peeked my head out of the alleyway.  The bot seemed to stop and bob in place for a moment before turning around.

"I'm looking for signs of what group did all this. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"  The digitized voice sounded somewhat sad.  Was it even possible for robots to feel sad?  Oh wait, what did it ask?  Right.

"I did." I said as I looked down.  "Well, not me personally, but I'm the reason it all happened.  You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway."  The Metallic sprite seemed to hang in silence.

"Try me, I've seen lots of unexplainable things in my time."  It said as I slowly walked out in front of it, sitting down.  I drew in a large breath and paused for a moment.

"I opened some prewar bunker in Manehatten and freed a copy of one of the ministry mares, and now the copy is on a rampage across the wasteland to look for the place to make even more copies so she can take over the world and rule us as a tyrannical dictator!"  I gasped as I finished the explanation in one go, for some reason I felt that was impressive...

"I... see..."  The bot sounded neutral again. "I knew it was a bad idea."  That perked my ear. What did it mean by that?  "Look, I'm almost out of time, but I'll be keeping an eye on you.  If you want to talk, just see if you can find another bot like this one, understand?"  I shook my head in confusion.  Out of time? What in Celestia's name was going on here?  Before I could ask, there was a sharp crackle of static as the bot began to blare one of it's annoying, upbeat marching songs and floated away down the street.  Looking back the other direction towards the skycar, I saw Skyline fly out.  A look of rage etched on her face, the sunlight making her look like a piece of red hot metal, completing the hellish visage was the wind which blew her white and yellow striped mane behind her, looking something akin to an open flame.

"Hey! Morning Sunshine!"  I said as I cantered over to her, putting on my best forced smile.  "I just got back from taking a leak, totally didn't abandon you like I said I wouldn't to go talk to some creepy robot voice!  Nope, nothing like that at all!"  I explained with as much nervous guilt in my voice as I could muster, hoping she'd take it as a joke.  She squinted and reached down, booping my nose with her hoof.

"Whatever... I'm watching you mister..." She stated slowly as she hovered back toward the porch, sitting on the edge as she craned her neck, letting some vertebrae pop.  "Any news from DJ Pon3?"  I stared blankly at her. "You know... on the radio...?"  I blinked again and raised an eyebrow. "You forgot your pipbuck has a radio, didn't you." She finally sighed out and flopped onto her back.  I totally did forget!  I fumbled with my pipbuck and switched it on, the smooth voice of the familiar unicorn filled the air.

"-to keep taking that rad-away children! You don't want to mutate into one of those scary ghouls now do you?  But now it's time for some news!  A bit of good news as the army of alicorns plaguing the wastes has seemingly turned it's focus elsewhere, so you are safe to come out of your hidey holes for a while and breathe the fresh, wasteland air!"  Maybe the Goddess decided to send her hordes to Hoofington and Canterlot, hopefully for good.  If they can get into either place, they deserve that stupid book.  "Who knows where they went off to, or how long they will be gone, so it may be best to not take too big a breath."

If the Canterlot ghouls don't get you, the pink mist will melt you into whatever is around and make you a permanent part of the scenery for the rest of time.  And Hoofington?  That place is just one deathtrap after another.  Even if you make it past the sentries and enervation, nobody gets into the core.  I've met plenty of other merchants who thought they would be the first in.  I've never met a trader who told me of how he got out.

"As for an update on our mysterious Pinkie impersonator, there have been reports of a prewar car driving along the outskirts of the everfree forest to the west with the driver matching the description of the wanted mare.  Where she's headed is a mystery to us all, but that's all for the news!  Before I go, I would like to tell all my little ponies about a group out there who is attempting to track her down to bring her to justice.  If you see a rag tag group sporting a griffin and traveling by skycar, then please lend them whatever help you can.  Even so much as a box of cram, or a single bullet will help, we all need to come together to help bring this malicious pink mare down."

I smiled and clicked the radio off.  We have a direction, and we have the might of the good ponies of the wasteland supporting us.

"I'm coming for you 42..."

----------------------
LEVEL UP!

+10 Big Guns

+  5 speech

New Perk: Extremophile - You seem to like being set on fire and frozen so much you feel right at home in it!  You take half the normal damage and fatigue from the elements (fire, cold, electrical, and chemical) you would normally get.

> Chapter 3 - Doorway to Insanity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3



"We'll do everything by the book!"



-----


After nearly a half hour of convincing, and a bribe of half a box of sugar apple bombs, we left Pallet to play with Brass while Sky, Carlotta and I collected the bodies of the dead into a row out in front of old City Hall.  The decrepit building had shifted to one side on its foundations only slightly enough to look odd amongst the rest of the town.  It was midmorning when Sky called me over,  the bloodied body of a light blue pegasus stallion with a deep blue mane was slumped against an overturned wooden cart, his silver eyes gazing lifelessly at the crimson from a set of gunshot wounds in his waist as it mixed with the mud in a large puddle below him.

"Shit..." I dropped my eyes as I muttered under my breath.  From what she had told us, this was Pallet's father.  Sky walked over and shut his eyes gently before leaning in.

"Rest easy now."  I could hear her trying to choke back the tears that were even starting to cloud my vision.  "We will take care of your daughter.  We will get her someplace safe."  In my head I knew that it meant postponing our chase after 42, and that we couldn't waste any more time than we had already to catch up, and just then the realization hit me like an out of control train.  This filly just lost the only thing in the world she knew and that I, nothing more than a traveling peddler of wares, was going to take her in.  The wasteland sure had one fucked up sense of humor to put her through what Sky and I had suffered so hard with.  But that's where I was wrong, this filly was alone and scared in this desolate world now, all because of a mistake I made.

Skyline went to pick up the stallion, but as she hoisted him up I put a hoof on her shoulder and shook my head.  I'm the reason he's dead, I need to carry the weight of him on my shoulders.  I knew that the weight of my conscience wasn't enough, and it never would be as I lived with it for the rest of my life.  She seemed to nod and shifted the muscular stallion onto my back.  He was heavy enough that I sank a few more inches than normal into the mud with every step, slowing my pace to a crawl.  I looked over and noticed his blood drip down onto my saddle bags, thinking I'd be damned if I didn't deserve to be buried with all these ponies for my sins.

As we turned down the street to city hall, Sky and I noticed Carlotta waving her arms as she was pressed against a wall down an alleyway, trying to get our attention, her expression was a rock solid calmness.  Odd, I only saw her like that before when we were in combat.  A sound of soft squishes came towards us, my ear picking it up before I noticed the five red bars in my compass.  They were heading toward us, the telltale sound that leather armor made when they moved was a dead give away they were no random ponies, and the jingling of brass bullet casings were evidence they had at least one firearm.

"Well well, look what we have here, boys!"  I spun around, glancing at a group of raider ponies as they trotted up to Sky and I, slowly spreading out into a semi-circle around us.  Fuck, I was normally on top of my surroundings, how did I not see this coming?  I did happen to notice something odd about them, they were all earth ponies.  Not a single horn or wing amongst them.   

The group was however well armored as reinforced leather barding covered all but the stallion in the center, not to mention they were relatively well armed.  The two mares flanking who I assumed was the leader held a sledgehammer and a fire axe in their mouths, while the stallions at either end held poorly maintained double barrel shotguns in their's.  As for the center stallion, he only wore a stylish black jacket with leather pads sewn into it, a rainbow bandana kept his shortly cut, jet black mane standing into the air on his head.  Most importantly, he seemed unarmed, and I didn't trust that.

"Looks like we have some grave robbers trying to pick off of OUR poor dead townsfolk.  Should we let them pay the fine for scavenging in our turf?" He paused, letting the others shake their heads.  "Or should we just kill them?"  The leader's voice was of just that, someone in command, but he seemed to have more than just a note of self acknowledgment.  He liked this show of force, and he wanted those under him eager to do anything he asked.

Skyline leaned over to me slowly, not breaking eye contact with the group. "Your call, Backlash, I think I can take them."  The leader twitched for a moment, slowly turning his cold blue eyes from Sky to lock on mine as the most nefarious grin grew across his muzzle.

"Wait... BACKLASH?"  He almost had to giggle through his teeth.  "As in, little baby bro Backlash?"  I froze and stared wide-eyed back.  No, it wasn't possible.  Crankshaft left us in Hoofington, there is no way his gang controlled this far inland.  The raider leader seemed to jump around giddily in the mud as his lackeys seemed as confused as Skyline.

"Shit it IS you, isn't it!?"  He eyed his comrades for a moment before stiffening up a bit, coughing softly into his hoof to clear his throat.  "If I knew that pink bitch had paid me to kill my own brother, I'd have asked for double!  It's so much harder to lose somepony who's family, am I right?"  He trotted up closer, I could see that his cream colored hide was mostly intact, but his entire flank and rear left leg were horribly burned.  "How is mother by the way? No doubt she's making you do all the hard work while she gets drunk off of your living."

"When you selfishly left, she tried to get us out of that stupid town..."  I stated, letting my rising anger come out.  "And because I wasn't old enough to think about what I was doing, she had to save me from a fucking radigator and died so I could get away."

Boredly, he looked at his muddied hooves.  "Hey, that bitch got what was coming to her.  And it's not my fault you were weak back then, I got the hell out of there when I was strong enough to see she was just using us." His stupidly wide smile made my blood boil as he insulted mother, If it weren't for the stallion on my back, I would have torn him to pieces.  "But look at you now, all grown up and shit.  Plus, I see you picked up one sexy looking mare friend." He eyed Sky over eagerly, no doubt thinking of all the perverted and horrid acts he could do once he killed me and could get her alone.  That wasn't going to happen.

"Back off, asshole!"  Sky yelled out around the bit for her battle saddle.  Crankshaft looked stunned for a quick moment before letting out a deep laugh.  "Oh she's feisty!  Maybe I'll let some of the boys use her before selling her to the slavers..."  He laughed in a way only a demented twisted soul could, it's echo reverberating deep inside my thoughts.  No, this wasn't my brother, that Crankshaft was the only one to care for me and mom before he left, and that stallion is still somewhere in Hoofington running a gang by now.  This sadistic excuse for a raider couldn't be him.

I tweaked my ear again, I could hear a deep thudding in the distance, smirking softly.  "You say that a pink mare hired you?  Looked a bit like the ministry mare from before the war?"  I spoke softly, causing him to pause for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's the cunt that 'DJ Douchebag' is always going on about, why? Want me to give her your last words?"  He said as he leaned in close to my face and raised a hoof to his lackeys, signaling to get ready.

I could hear the whirr of an autoloader coming up the alley way and the flutter of wings on the rooftops behind me. "Yeah, tell her I'm coming for her." I said calmly before using all my might to hurl Pallet's father on top of Crankshaft, pinning him to the mudded ground.  To the credit of his companions, they didn't seem too phased by the action and only hesitated for a moment.  But a moment was all I needed.  

The air exploded into gunfire as Brass and Carlotta opened up onto the two raider mares, perforating them with dozens of rounds before they even lifted a hoof to move towards Sky and I.  I watched as the splatters of mud and gore coated the stallion hefting his shotgun at me, he flinched and pulled his head aside, firing blindly.  I tensed up as most of the shot failed to find me, but the few large pellets that did punch all the way through my foreleg hurt like hell as time crawled to a stop.  I had forgotten that the pipbuck had the targeting spell because, honestly, combat was still new to me. Hell, back before this week I had maybe been in two or three gunfights a year, and they never expected Sky to be there.  Plus this spell was useless when the only gun I carried was in my saddlebag.

The highlight around the shotgun raider in my vision flickered away and was replaced by a pink square labeled inventory, puzzling me for a moment.  Pipbucks were still a bit of a mystery to me, all the ones I've seen in my travels were either dead from age or still on the arms of ponies.  I knew that it took a pony a lot smarter than me to figure exactly how so many spells could be kept inside such a tiny object, or what they all did.

I looked across each of the tabs before the computer would switch them in response to show me what I had.  We'll that was convenient I thought, noting that there needed to be an electronic manual in these things.  With that, a small rectangular screen popped up over everything else, displaying the title: -In S.A.T.S. Inventory Management Tutorial Audiolog-.  The sound of a middle aged mare with a thick accent sounding like she'd lived in the country all her life played into my head.

"Well hey there, Pinkie!  It's me, yer best friend Applebloom! If yer hearin' this here tutorial it's 'cause yer wantin' ta figure out all the neat lil' functions in yer pipbuck!  Now ah'm sure you don't want all the boring techno-babble Scoots would give ya, so ah'll make it simple fer yah!

Just think of the item ya'll are needin and the computer'll fetch it fer yah.  Then, think which one of the options below you want and it'll do the same! Easy-Peasy!  Oh, and 'Twa-light' asked me ta install a simpler version of one of 'er spells to help yah out! Cause yah know, yer so busy with that there ministry of yers and whatnot. Anyway she thought it'd be a mite easier on ya if ya didn't have to grab things out of yer bags.

It's a teleportation spell specifically designed for use in S.A.T.S.!  Just activate the inventory, scroll to the item yah need, think 'Equip' and pow! Whatever yah hanker fer is right there in yer hoof faster than Celestia on a slice of cake!  Anyway, hope that helps ya'll as much as she thought it would!"

The recording stopped and the window closed.  I sat for a moment just thinking to myself that this thing is fucking awesome!  What else can it do?  My thoughts raced as I went to scroll to another page, quickly looking over the frozen stallion down the street, bringing my train of thought to a screeching halt, my vision drifting back to him for a moment.  Oh right, I was in the middle of a fight, I needed to arm myself, kill the bad guys, then I can learn more!

I switched to the weapon tab and selected the "Party Cannon", letting the computer highlight it.  As I thought about equipping it, there was a bright purple flash in the corner of my vision before I could feel the weapons familiar suction against my injured foreleg.  The inventory screen popped away as the raider in front of me was divided into pink sections, each giving a percentage to hit.  The highest number was in his chest so I thought I might as well shoot him there.  

Poor choice of words, It turns out, as the spell registered the shot and swung my hoof up for me, assisting my aim as time started to creep forward again.  I watched in awe as the cannon fired its spherical, black projectile out as the weapon lined up with his chest, the 10 inch ball slamming into the stallion.  In distorted time I saw his chest cave in and his sides expand, bursting along the bulging points like a zipper on a meat-filled saddle bag, the fur of his chest ripping as his head bent down toward the gaping hole as I watched him seemingly turn inside out.

The explosion of gore flew in every direction as the cannonball continued flying into the storefront behind him and time returned to it's normal speed.  I turned my gaze just in time to see Sky's gauss rifles punch two hoof sized tubes straight through the chest of last raider, his viscera hanging out the back of his body as he dropped to the ground with a meaty thump.

I heard a whimper from under Pallets father and I looked down to see the wide, fright filled eyes of Crankshaft as his whole body shook.  As I turned to talk to Sky, he cringed and cowered, tucking himself under the large corpse.  I looked over to her as Brass and Carlotta joined her sides.

"Get the weapons, destroy them, and let him go." I said softly, reaching back and putting the party cannon back into my saddlebag, wincing as I stepped back onto my injured leg.

"Are you kidding me!?" Sky shouted out and pushed off into the air, her voice echoing down the empty streets.  "This asshole shows up out of nowhere and tries to kill us, and you let him go!?"  She pointed her rifles back at the shocked expression now on Crankshaft's face, making him cringe and whimper again.

"Look, I know how you feel, but we don't kill unarmed ponies, do we?  We aren't raiders and we've beaten him.  I'm giving him his life, end of discussion." I said, looking back up to her sternly.  "And should he EVER be so stupid to try this shit again, than you have my express permission to shove your rifles up his ass and decorate a room with him."  I reached down and unpinned the frightened raider, leaning close and staring into his watering, blue eyes.  "Got it?"  He gave off a short nod before scrambling to his hooves, taking off down the street at his fastest gallop.

"You know you're going to regret letting him go."  Sky said as she floated gently down next to me and brought out one of the healing bandages from her bags, wrapping it around my injured hoof.  I gulped down one of our healing potions, feeling my wounds knitting themselves together from the inside.

I nodded in response as I noticed Brass walk over and effortlessly stomp one of the shotguns, bending the barrels to an odd angle.  "I know I will, but it won't be until after I've put an end to 42." I said with a sigh.  At least, I hoped fate would allow me to deal with her first.


-----


Brass went back to watching over Pallet as the rest of us spent the majority of the early afternoon digging a mass grave outside of town near the entrance to the everfree forest.  For reasons unknown to me, the dark and twisted forest had somehow survived the hellish horrors of the Great War, and seemed to give off the distinct impression that something inside was watching us.  To be honest, this damn forest was the reason I mostly stayed away from Ponyville, only making a run out here every few months to sell essentials like medicine.  It had only been about a week since all of this started and I was sorely missing my old cart and the day to day bore of walking everywhere, at least then we got to scavenge.

As we covered the last of the grave, and stood back, I stuck the shovel in the dirt and sat down.  It was hard to think that underneath this mound, there lie 28 innocent ponies.  All of them having paid the price for my quest for glory.  "If I had just let that bunker stay closed..."  I said softly to the ground, hoping that somehow my sorrowful words would dig down and give them back the lives that 42 stole.  I felt a hoof wrap around my side as Skyline leaned in close.  I lay against her and sobbed quietly into her neck as she comforted me.

"Shhh..." She whispered to me, her soft voice trembling with sorrow as well.  "It's ok.  We'll find a safe place for Pallet and then we'll catch up to her and we will stop her."  We sat there for a while, me crying while she was the strong one.  There was the low rumble of thunder on the horizon and we knew it was time to get going.

"What if we can't..." I started to say as we walked back to the skycart, getting cut off by Carlotta as her talons clamped my muzzle shut.

"Shut your fucking mouth.  I've had it with your sad sack attitude."  She let go and poked my chest sharply, her piercing blue eyes cutting through the depressing fog in my mind.  "We are going to fucking kill her for what she did here and we are going to save the wasteland, and we'll all be big damn heroes n' shit..."

I grunted and gave a small nod.  I hated it but she was right, this needed to be done and we were the only ones who even had a clue on what to expect.  I dug in my saddle bag for our map and pulled it out, walking up to the porch of Pallet's house and unfurling it.  "DJ Pon3 said she was heading west, so she'll probably be stopping here."  I pointed with a hoof at the small symbol of a house a good distance from Ponyville.  "She'll need to stop to change the spark batteries there in Whinny, but I don't know where she'd go from there."  I looked over the map, she only had a couple of choices if she wanted to stay ahead of us.  

Reference Pointe is just an old research station and not too far south, but it's inside the everfree forest and the most significant of the three locations, while the Sugar Apple Bombs factory is north, and the closest but the most illogical of choices, even for her.  But that still left the unused power substation complex to the west, with the question why would she go there?  I grumbled in anger and slammed my hoof on the warped wood of the porch, startling the others.  THINK, BRAIN!  I want to be one step ahead of her this time!

"We need to go."  Skyline called to me as she helped Carlotta into the straps for the skycar.  Brass stomped by with Pallet Jack riding on his back, she had his helmet over herself, covering most of her body as the enormous headpiece made her look ridiculous.  I couldn't help but draw a small smile as they went into the silver pod.  Sighing, I rolled the map back up and put it away, stepping into the metal hull latching the door shut. (I made sure it latched three times, because honestly, falling out once was enough.)  As we lifted off and banked west, I looked out at the burial mound, thinking how maybe once this was all over I could come back and give each pony a proper burial.

The wind whipped into the passenger compartment through the broken windows as we flew towards the tiny village of Whinny.  I racked my mind for anything I could remember about it.  It had been almost half a year since I had been through these parts with Sky, and anything I could remember might be able to give us the leg up on 42.  I remember seeing its history years ago when in Ponyville, it wasn't until the War that they even put the place on a map, and was named as such for a reason. They wrote that if you were galloping straight through town, by the time you could finish a whinny you'd miss it.  The whole reason it existed was it was the only motel and gas station on the road that would take you to the power station once used to feed power all the way over to Olneigh.

As the war picked up, they built the sugar apple bombs factory to the south, housing the families in 4 brick apartment buildings, effectively making whinney a small town.  Twilight sparkle proposed building a new spell research facility out and away from the cities, planning it's location to be in the everfree forest to the north.  With the facility completed, the scientists and researchers moved into the cramped suburbs of newer cheaply manufactured homes.

But I looked out the window as we passed over the small village and remembered, none of those buildings were built with any care and most have collapsed or remain as unstable, skeletal frameworks, leaving the four brick buildings in the center of town the only livable structures left.  There were only a handful of ponies living there when I last came through, no more than seven or eight, so maybe she'd just leave them be?

We descended as the sun itself fell under the horizon, plunging the land into a sea of dark shadows.  Carlotta landed the skycar in the center of the four buildings with little trouble, which made me immediately know something was wrong.  There were no lights and sounds other than the cool evening breeze, it almost seemed that we had landed into a ghost town.  I unlatched the door, swinging it open slowly as I looked around and felt my hooves ache.  I heard a knock and jumped into the air as one of the brick buildings doors swung open, a soft yellow light pouring out from deep in the corner of the building without a pony in sight.

"What's gotten into him?" Carlotta remarked as Skyline hovered next to her.

"Stay right here." I said, trotting over the the open doorway, stepping inside slowly.  "I need to see..." Thats all I got out before I snagged a tripwire with my hoof.  The deafening report of a rifle stung my ears as I felt the round punch into my flak vest, knocking me to the ground.  I groaned and got back up slowly, leaning against the outside of the building as my companions called out to me.

"I'm... ok...." I said as I winced and looked down, the shiny silver object stuck to the plate of my vest as a small nub, shimmering in the low light with a rainbow sheen.  My mind made the connection quickly, I had seen this type of material before when I scavenged.  It was.... fuck what's the name... Starmetal?  It's dangerous stuff.  I'm pretty sure the round would have punched straight through the plate if it wasn't made of the some of the same material.  "Thank celestia DJ Pon3 gave me his vest... Wait, where the fuck did they get this, these rounds are as rare as they come!?"  I pried the nub off with my hoof.  I could count the number of star metal bullets I'd found and sold to buyers, and this wasn't one of them...

Skyline smacked me on the back of the head.  "You moron! You know better than to walk into unknown places!  That's why I have wings!"  I watched as she fluttered inside softly, disappearing into the black before I heard the loud twang of another tripwire.  She flew through the doorway as a crimson bolt, screaming at the top of her lungs.  "GRENADE! GET DOWN!"

I dropped to my belly, covering my head with my hooves right before the small explosive went off.  The blast was mostly absorbed by brick walling, but the glass windows became sharp knives as they blew out.  My hearing turned to a soft whine as the projected glass shattered against the side of the skycar, bouncing harmlessly off of Brass's suit as he stood in the doorway of the car.  As the dust cleared and I got to my hooves, I could hear a soft murmur coming from Brass as he strode out of the car, Pallet watching wide eyed from the hatch.  He walked up to me and spoke as if he was whispering.

"Are you alright?"  I almost didn't hear him he was so quiet, and I almost didn't want to, my head was pounding and stung as I looked around and saw Carlotta poke her head around from the other side of the dinged up metal pod, Skyline floating behind her with a nervous grin.  Brass shook me with his hooves, getting my attention again. "I said, are you alright?"  Did the blast blow out his speaker?

"I'm ok!" I said back softly for some reason, noticing them cringe. "The hell!  What's wrong with my voice?"  I looked between them nervously, Carlotta's frustrated face not helping as she walked over and clamped my mouth shut again.

"You blew your hearing for an hour or so!  You are lucky you can still hear at all!  Now shut the hell up because your yelling is getting on my nerves!"  I could see as she strained and yelled back, even if it didn't sound like it.  I forced myself to give a nervous grin and nodded.  She turned to walk away, saying something to Brass I couldn't make out, but even though she had just told me why, my brain instinctively made me act.  I tried to stop it, I swear, but I was just too late.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" I called out, watching her freeze in place, her head slowly spinning as the meanest glare I've ever beheld came from her.  I could see her body tremble with barely contained rage, the loss of my hearing making it all the more obvious.  Oh luna, this is going to be the longest hour of my life.


-----


I sat locked in the skycar with Pallet for the next forty minutes as the others searched the remaining buildings for anypony, thankfully none of the other buildings were booby trapped as extensively as that one.  My hearing had greatly improved within the time, but the headache got worse, and was thudding away painfully.  I looked down at the Green filly who was curled up asleep on the seat next to me.  I reached over and stroked her mane from her mouth as she stirred, the nagging feeling that history was repeating itself and that in a few years I'll die, and she'll be there to accidentally unlock her own secrets of the wasteland, thus starting the cycle all over again.

A knock on the doorframe drew my attention, I put my hoof to my muzzle and pointed down to the sleeping filly. Brass nodded and waved for me to come outside.  As I exited and we walked to the front of one of the buildings, he handed me a piece of paper.  Taking it from him, I noticed it was a mouth written note.

To whoever finds this.  The pink mare from the radio is on her way here, we don't have much time, please give this note to my son in Fillydelphia, and he will pay you for your troubles.  Tell him I loved him very much.
- His mother, Peach Flowers

I sighed and put the note into my saddle bags.  Great, it looks like we couldn't save anyone here either.  Wait, there are no bodies here.  Did they run? Or did she take them?  The gears in my head ground together as I tried to think.  I felt one of them jam when Carlotta called out to us, killing that line of thought.

"It looks like she took the Marauder both south and north, tire tracks leading out of town both ways are fresh."  I rubbed my hoof on my chin, letting the gears turn once again.  Why would she go to the factory?  I don't think there's anything pre-war there of any use? My mind brought up something from 42's speech, she called herself a 'super villain' in it, so maybe she was trying to mislead us?  Is that even a thing super villains do? GAH thinking is hard!  I flopped to the ground next to Brass, softly whining.

"Are... you ok?"  His suit spoke at a normal level to me thanks to the speaker system.  I nodded and held my head.  If I didn't think of an answer for what to do, I just know more ponies would die, and I don't need any more blood on my hooves.  I was interrupted by a light tapping on my head and I looked up into the bright green eyes of the pegasus filly.

"Here!" She shouted as she scooted our half eaten box of sugar apple bombs over. "They always make me feel happy when I'm mad or sad!  Try it!"  I smiled softly at her, she had been through so much in the last forty eight hours and yet, here she was giving me better life advice than anypony I'd ever met.  I put my muzzle in the box, tipping it back and chewing on the sugary substance, relaxing slightly.  Skyline flew down from the roof of one of the buildings, she looked worried, well that's always how she looked.  To be honest, she looked less worried than when I want to run off and do something stupid, but still more worried than normal.

"It's like they all just got up and left, I didn't find any clothing or food left over, all I found were some assorted weapons and ammo in a safe, along with this." She pulled a thin square box out of her bags, laying it on the ground in front of me. "I thought you might want to listen to it, you having the only pipbuck and all."  I perked up. That's right! maybe we'll find the location of some emergency bunker the townsfolk could have hidden in!  I put it into my saddle bags as I got back to my hooves, letting the near empty cereal box slip off to the ground.

"I think we should park the skycar on the roof and camp out for the night, if she comes by in the Marauder, we'll hear it, otherwise lets wait until morning."  I said with a yawn, thinking to myself I really needed to figure this out, but with everything that had gone on today, my body was screaming for rest.  I figured that even 42 needed to sleep sometime, so why couldn't I?  The others seemed to be in agreement as we all needed the rest, so we huddled up together inside the silver tube as the chilly night air brought with it the first frost of fall.

The night went slowly, seeing as there were no dreams of warm, sunny afternoons on grassy hills.  The only thing I had was the dark and cold black of nothing between the bursts of dark and cold night.  I groaned and shivered as my eyes shot open, fully awake.  I looked around to see I was alone in the skycar.  Greatly confused, I slowly got to my hooves and walked to the window thinking maybe they went to make a fire.  As I peered out, I could see a yellow mare with a long black mane standing near the edge of the building.  She seemed familiar somehow.

I noticed she seemed to be looking out over the edge into the darkness, slowly leaning forward.  Shit, she was going to fall!  I used my shoulder to throw open the door, galloping over to her as she tumbled and disappear over the edge, I skidded to a stop, looking over it.  The ground wasn't there, just a bottomless pit of darkness.  Turning back around, I froze as I stared into the lifeless eyes of the yellow mare, a bleeding hole in the center of her skull.  She spoke with the wind as it whipped by.

"I was the first one you murdered..."

I was paralyzed with fear, I stood there to afraid to move as she reared up and pushed me over the ledge.  I screamed as I fell away into the darkness as it consumed my vision, swallowing me whole.

I awoke with a jolt, sweating thick beads and hyperventilating as I looked around.  The faintest hints of light shown from outside and my friends were all sleeping next to me.  I stared at them as my heartbeat slowed and I could breathe again.  Skyline turned over and eyed me still half asleep.

"You alright?  Did you hear something?"  She let out a soft yawn and cracked her neck as she sat up.  I couldn't tell her it was just a dream, if I told her that, she'd start worrying about me, and if she did that she wouldn't worry enough about herself, and if that happened she might get hurt and if that happened it will be all my fault.  I couldn't live with myself if I caused her to get hurt, so I can't let it.

"Yeah, just... um... thinking." I cringed at my explanation.  I probably could have thought of some better lie, but my mind was still running a mile a minute.  "It's nothing."

"Suit yourself, I'm no therapist but you need to talk about things instead of bottling them up." She said with a shrug before getting up and opening the door.  I deftly stepped between Brass and Pallet, slipping through the door without a hitch.  I can do that shit but I can't seem to avoid getting into trouble? The hell is wrong with me?  I looked up to see, Sky standing at the ledge, looking out along the horizon, my heart skipping a beat as my brain tried to tell me she was going to fall.  That was just a bad dream, get ahold of yourself Backlash.

"Oh!  I meant to give you something I found back in Ponyville, it was in a wall safe at the old spa for some reason, but I thought you could use another gun! You know, for when you want to be a bit more subtle than that cannon."  She dug into her saddle bags, drawing out a long, rectangular shaped shotgun, a very well kept model If-41.  This model semiautomatic shotgun was one of the most durable ones ever made!  I looked it over before taking it in my mouth, noticing a red heart etched into the side of the receiver.  My Pipbuck told me it was called "heartstopper" and had 4 shells currently loaded.  I put it into my saddlebags and beamed a wide grin to her before giving her a strong hug.

As the sun climbed over the horizon, Sky and I smiled and watched as the light reflected off the coating of frost the entire wasteland had, rainbows of color stretched out into the barren desert as everything shimmered brightly.

"WOW! IT'S SO PRETTY!" An overly squeaky voice called from behind us.  Pallet ran over to the edge of the roof and gasped as she took in the awesome sight, Carlotta stretching and looming over her as she looked on with a smile on her beak.  Her eyes seemed softer than normal almost like she was... happy.

"The first frost of the year is always the best, just give it a minute, then the sun will hit it just right..."  Carlotta said, genuine wonder bleeding from her words.  Sure enough, as the sun reached up, touching both the horizon and the bottom of the cloud cover, the grey above was suddenly transformed into a shimmering sea of colors, rainbows bouncing from the glowing blanket to the ground and back up.  I had never really seen how beautiful it was before, and maybe it never was, maybe it was just the fact that we were sitting in this exact spot, on this exact day, with these exact friends.  I wasn't sure if after the last week I believed in fate, but I was damn sure that no matter what happens in the coming days, this is what made it all worth it.

As the sun rose just above the horizon, the wasteland turned back to it's normal browns and greys, the flood of color gone again.   I heard a rustling behind me, and turned to see Brass stumble out in a yawn.

"Morning, guys, did I miss anything?"


-----


We got ourselves together fairly quickly, managing to all grab a bite to eat before heading out again.  Skyline made the point that, with no bodies, the ponies here probably managed to get out before 42 showed up.  I agreed and decided we should head south to Reference Pointe, if she was looking for something from way before the war, there was a better chance information about it would be hidden at a Ministry facility.  The morning was colder than I'd expected, even as we flew through the air towards the forest facility.

I flipped through my pink pipbuck's inventory screens before reaching a section labeled 'notes'.  A written tutorial popped up and informed me that any written letters or audiologs I found were automatically transcribed into its memory.  Speaking of... how much memory did this thing have?  I killed the tutorial and flipped through to the general information section.  A knock from outside caught my attention before I finished.

"She's here." Carlotta yelled back, nodding down to the ground.  I got up and walked to the window, looking out as she banked around to circle the nearly overgrown, horseshoe shaped building.  The off-white building was three stories tall and seemed to be  in fair condition, the top two stories of the inner walls had windows spaced every few feet, leaving the first floor completely enclosed along each side.  The entire rear of the building as well as part of the roof had been overgrown by thick, curling vines.  Lighter spots on the front wall showed where the illuminated letters of 'Reference Pointe' used to be bolted to the walls, but age had stripped away most of them, oddly leaving only the "E's" hanging there.

A solitary road lead through the forest up to a courtyard where it looped around in front of a set of doors inside the innermost section of the decrepit facade.  I also noticed the old stone statue of a unicorn mare stood in the center of the courtyard, and right beside it was parked one familiar rusty looking Marauder.

"Drop Brass and I out front, then land on the roof!"  I yelled back to Carlotta through the wind.  She nodded and arched us downward, slowly pulling up beside the beautiful sight that was my Pre-war vehicle.  Brass and I hopped out and walked over to it, the skycar taking off again, leaving us behind.  I flopped onto the hood, doing my best to hug the large steel beast.  "Oh baby, I've missed you.  I'll never let her take you away again."

"Um, what are you doing?  It's just a car." Brass called as he stood there, watching me through the soulless eyes of his helmet.  "Stop being weird Backlash.  We need to find fourty two."  I held a hoof up to him, using the other hoof to stroke the hood softly.

"It's ok, shhh, he didn't mean anything by it..."  I got up off her slowly, walking around to the trunk and throwing it open, delighted to see 42 didn't remove anything from inside.  I grabbed the heavy steel links of my tow chain in my mouth and laid down, hitching it to the hooks under the car.  "Just one more second and we can go..." I drug the chain around the statue before using the hook on the other end to secure the chain to itself.

"Alright, we can go in now." I spun around to see the others had come down and were awkwardly watching me, Pallet included.  Wait, what was Pallet doing with them?  "What in Celestia's name are you thinking? Bringing her down here with us?" I cried out louder than I probably should have.

"Well who gets to stay behind and watch her?" Skyline crossed her hooves and turned her muzzle up at me.  I scrunched up my muzzle at that, it was a good point, I didn't know what to expect inside and I needed everyone with me just incase something went wrong.  But I couldn't bring Pallet in with us, which meant someone had to stay behind.  I brightened up at a thought.

"Thanks for volunteering, Sky!" I yelled as I took off down the courtyard, It was the perfect plan! She would keep Pallet safe and by virtue, be safe from whatever 42 had planned for us inside.  My thoughts were cut short as I was tackled and pinned to the gravel walkway that led to the front doors.  I looked up slowly over Sky as she was breathing heavily, her twitching face locked in an angry grimace.	

"NO.  You said no more leaving me behind.  I'm going with you." She pressed firmly down on my legs as I squirmed, leaning in close.  "Choose. Somepony. Else."  I sighed lightly, looking over at the others, who instead of helping were just standing there trying not to incur Skyline's wrath.

"Fine. Carlotta, you stay."  I blurted out, hearing the griffin grumble to herself.

"Yeah sure, leave me behind.  We'll see how far no brains, good looks, and a tin stallion get you before you come running back scared and need to have me save your flanks." She rolled her eyes before scooping up Pallet and hovered in the air. "Just pay that bitch back for what she did so we can all get on with our lives."

I nodded and got back to my hooves, Brass walking up with heavy steps as the three of us entered the building.  The open air main room was backlit from most of the back wall being a large, three story window, assorted chairs sat in rows facing a small curved desk with a terminal on it to the right of us.  The upper floors stopped at the edges of the windows, railing along each of the balconies were rusted red, but still giving the feeling the room was more open than it really was.  I trotted over to the receptionists desk and looked behind it, the skeleton of a small framed unicorn wearing a designer coat lay curled up on the floor.

Leaning down, I grabbed the ID badge off of her and clipped it to my vest.  I looked down at it as the name Evening Breeze printed in bold still lightly bled through the plastic, hoping that the magnetic strip on it's back still worked.  I looked up as the fan from the terminal on the desk kicked on.  I looked the grey computer over and as it turns out, it was still working.  I used my hoof to wipe away the grime that had built on the surface until I could see the olive green interface more clearly.  What was displayed looked to be a collection of short messages as Brass and Sky came over to see what I had found.

"Do we really have time for this?"  Brass's speaker reverberated inside the open room, making me cringe softly.

"What if one of these mentions what 42 is looking for?  We can't pass this up!" I replied, hitting a key to bring up the first entry.

- IOM #1523 -
Did you hear that Daisy broke up with her special somepony on Hearts and Hooves day?  I always knew that she was cold hearted, but that's just downright evil!  I'm sure I'd get fired if I said this to anyone else, but I'm certain that the Zebra's aren't even THAT cruel.
- M.C.

- IOM #1582 -
Well yeah I heard about it! It was the talk of the town down at the diner this evening when I got my coffee, everypony seems to think she's been working too long down in that lab.   They  think she needs to take a break and come up for some fresh air now and again.  I say good riddance and just keep her locked away from everyone if she keeps acting out like that.
- E.B.

- IOM #1601
Morning Calm and Evening Breeze, please remember that when on laboratory grounds, You are to only use the Inter Office Memo for official Ministry of Arcane Science approved reports and updates.  I am sorry you two got set on different shifts than normal, we will try to correct this as we finish construction on the lower levels, but please don't jam the system up with your idle gossip.
-  T.S.

-IOM #1602
Oh, and as a close friend of Rarity, head of the Ministry of Image,  I'd advise you to mind your words and keep the seditious references out of our messaging system as well.
- T.S.

I looked up from the console, not much was useful there, although they did mention there being lower levels, so they must have been doing research down there as well.  As I was reading, Skyline had found a directory on the far wall, apparently these above ground floors were all Ministry offices and handled paperwork from the hubs with the exception of the east wing of the top floor being devoted to the Office of Interministry Affairs.  I looked around for an access way to the lower levels, but there was nothing around that looked remotely like an entrance.

"So the real question is how do we get down into the lower levels.  We should split up and try to find a way down."  I watched with a hint of guilt as Sky cringed at my words, but nodded softly before flying off to one of the second floor hallways.  Brass stomped noisily toward the hallway across from me, his armor clacking off the stained off white tiled floor.  I turned and headed up the stairs to the third floor.

The lighting on the highest floor seemed to be in worse shape due to water damage, as was the carpeting, all that was left of it was a red tinted mush that squished loudly underhoof and made my pipbuck click softly every now and again.  A whirring sound caught my ear from around the corner.  I leaned my head out slowly to look, spotting a turret with a short barrel and camera hanging from the ceiling maybe 15 feet away.  It slowly tracked me as I poked my head out further before a soft dinging noise played through a speaker overhead in the hallway, quickly followed by the soft voice of a middle aged mare.

"Please do not obscure or forget your ID badge.  Be sure that it is visible at all Security checkpoints.  Thank you for your cooperation."

I walked out into the middle of the hallway, playing along as I showed the dead receptionist's badge to the turret, the camera tracking it as held it in my mouth.  The gun's autoloader whirred and clicked as it loaded itself.

"Unauthorized staff member on level 3, please stay where you are while security is despatched.  Thank you for your cooperation."

I don't have time for this.  I went and took a step forward, something catching my tail before I could move further, making me instinctively spin around.  I turned my head just as the turret fired,  the round clipping through my mane and startled me enough I jumped back around the corner as the gun opened fire again, Shooting in short bursts.  I cringed against the hall wall as the bullets started chipping away at the corner I was hiding behind.

"Well, so much for this thing helping." I spat the badge on the ground beside me as I kept my back against the wall, movement to my left catching my eye.  I glanced down the hallway back to the foyer we came in from as Skyline darted up and over the railing, the computer controlled gun finally ceasing to fire randomly as she approached my side.

"So, gone not even five minutes and already you need me to save your flank again."  She smirked as she stared down at me.  As much as I didn't like the way she put it, Sky was at least right.  But with me getting into danger at this rate I might as well marry her and always have her by my side.  Wait, oh Celestia I did not just think that.  Luna WHY is my mind is so fucked up.

"How was I supposed to know they had automated guns?"  I said back begrudgingly.  "Besides, I had a plan.  I was just... planning... more..."  I facehoofed.  Oh Luna why can't I lie to save my life?  I looked back up at her. "You think you can beat that thing? I'm all ears."

She landed in front of me calmly. Suddenly screaming and spinning around, bucking both her legs straight through the wall just inches from my head.  I froze and shuddered as I looked over slowly and watched her draw both legs back, leaving a hole just big enough for her to fit through.

"Just keep it entertained while I get beside it."  Her snarky voice came through the hole as she moved to the other side of the room she disappeared into,  a moment of silence before another yell as she bucked a hole in that wall as well.  Well, I guess it was a plan.  I sighed and quickly waved my hoof around the corner, waiting for the whurr of the turret before I would pull back around the corner.  At Least that was how it was supposed to go, but dumb old me completely forgot the gun was ALREADY facing the corner.

As the gun started to fire, one of the rounds skimmed across my leg, drawing a deep line of crimson, making me yelp and cradle the wounded appendage.  The turret continued chattering away at the wall for a few moments before I head the sharp report of one of Sky's Gauss rifles and the fizzling crackles of shredded electronics.  Her hooves squished on the carpet as she drew closer, I favored my bleeding leg noting to myself I needed to get the other leg shot up some time and give this one a break.  She rounded the corner before looking down with a sigh, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out a healing potion.

"No, just give me a bandage, we might need those later."  I pushed the bottle away as she sighed deeply again, rolling her eyes at me.  Another minute later my foreleg was wrapped snuggly in the white cloth, both looking up upon hearing Brass stomp heavily up the steps towards us.  I got back to my hooves as he twisted his helmet off with a hiss and levitated it beside him.

"I heard gunfire, are you two alright?"  He stopped for a moment to look us over, eyeing my bandage before seeming to compile himself again. "Anyway, the first floor is clear, no sign of any elevators or stairways."

Sky spoke up after him. "Yeah, second floor was nothing but cubicles and desks full of papers.  There's nothing here to suggest that they did any sort of research here at all!"  She crossed her hooves and floated softly.

"Well, did either of the other floors have one of those?" I pointed around the corner to the sparking pile of scrap attached to the ceiling.  "I'm betting the way down is through those doors."  I walked slowly up to the smooth double doors down the hall, looking for any door handles or buttons.  Brass pushed me aside.

"Allow me." He spun and bucked the doors clear off their hinges, the two slabs of steel crashing to the floor and sliding down the hallway a few feet.  I know I can't buck anything very hard, but that's just showing off!  Ok, calm down Backlash... I'm sure he wasn't trying to show you up.  "Anytime you need a door opened ladies, you can call on me."  He said as he walked past.  I could feel the urge to just reach out and beat him with my hooves almost boil over before realizing that without the suit, he was nothing more than a young stallion.  Still didn't make him any less of a jerk with that remark.

Composing myself as we walked into the thin hallway, I noticed a set of silver elevator doors with the letters O.I.A. written on them, planted into the back wall.  I hit the big red button on the wall as we walked up to it, noting that the chrome doors were miraculously clean.  On a side note, it honestly unnerved me nearly as much as finding the random coffee mugs did, because those always seemed to be clean as well, and nothing in the wasteland was ever clean. 

The doors slid open with a ding, inside was a tiled, sterile white interior and as we stepped in, it felt eerie enough that my I started to find it hard to breathe as the doors closed.  Sky must have sensed it, because she wrapped a wing around me, leaning close.  I started to calm down as I looked over the buttons, although there weren't any to be seen, just a large black square on the wall.  I figured that it itself might be a button and pressed my hoof to it, receiving a jab not unlike the one that opened the bunker.

I flinched and rubbed at where I was pricked with a soft whine (which in hindsight was great, because I totally couldn't feel my other hoof thanks to the numbing magic of the bandages) before gasping as I felt the car shake and start to lower.  I watched as the lights above the door inched along, first B, then B1, on to B2, then to SB1, and Finally to P.  The elevator shuddered and came to a stop with a jerk, one of the roof panels dropped to the floor suddenly.  I screamed and squished Sky into the wall before catching my breath, knowing that behind the mask, Brass was looking at me like I was crazy.

Sky pushed me off her as the doors opened to a dimly lit room with a panoramic view that was focused on looking into a bowl shaped divot inside a cave.  A chest high control panel lay dark and covered with dust on one side of the room, a single light fixture glowing softly in the cave beyond the glass.

"Ok guys, be on your guard. Forty two could be anywhere."  Brass said as Skyline and him walked out of the elevator and looked around the room.  I took a step out before I stopped, a sharp pain hit the back of my eye.  I winced and rubbed at it, wondering why it kept acting up again and again.  The gears in my head whirred to life as the others looked about for where 42 was, or what she was looking for.  Before I could even react, I heard the sound of the elevator roof access quietly swing open and a soft thud before the loud click of the hammer on a gun being drawn back behind me made me freeze.

"Well!  If I knew it was bring your family to work day, I would have sent you an invitation, but thanks for inviting yourself!"  42 spoke in the cheerful voice she had used during her ruse in the other bunker.  "Now why don't you just walk straight on back in here with me an we can have a nice talk about my reunion plans, doesn't that sound like fun?"

I sighed as I watched Sky and Brass spin to see her, Brass's minigun spinning up slowly.  42 grabbed around my neck and pulled me close to her, somehow using her other hoof to hold the revolver she had to my head.  You know what, not asking anymore.  Pinkie Pie is the answer, even with her clones.  "Now now, you wouldn't want to accidentally hurt poor old Backlash would you?"  She seemed to tense up for a moment as we stepped back into the elevator.  "Now I know you will be my good little ponies and stay put..."  She pointed the revolver at Sky and fired, hitting her square in the chest.  I couldn't even scream, I just froze as the world went quiet for a moment.  The mare I called my sister dropped to her knees, her blood staining her red coat dark as it flowed down to the floor.  "But I just have to make sure you do anyway." 

The doors closed with a clack and I wrestled myself out of her grip.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" I screamed as I squatted down to tackle her, which was the wrong move because she just stood there with a bored look on her face and the gun pressed against my temple.  She pulled the hammer back again for emphasis.  The elevator jolted sharply before we started to rise to the surface.

"You might want to think that action over first."  She replied without even shifting her gaze.  "Because I know you don't really want to kill, you aren't that type of stallion.  I could see it in your eyes from the first time we met."  She turned and looked deep into my eyes.  "Been getting nightmares yet from the ones you have killed?"  As much as knew she was the exception to the murder rule, she was right.  I'm not a murderer. The nightmare from the night before flashed in my mind, I remembered the yellow mare was amongst the dead in Ponyville.

My mind wandered to the faces of the others who we had buried, and then to the face of the raider I killed with the party cannon.  There was so much death in the last few days that it made me sick to my stomach, but a particularly dangerous thought came into my head, and that was that I had just added Skyline to that list.  I threw up all over 42s rear hooves at the thought.

"See? That's not the reaction of stone cold killer.  Sickness is a sign of weakness, so let's test how weak you are with some PAIN!" 42 yelled as she reached up and slammed the butt of the pistol on my head, the world went dark for a moment as I slumped to the floor.  I got to my hooves and stared up at her, a thin line of red running down to my muzzle forced me to close one eye.

"The fuck do you want 42?" I said softly groaning as I looked up uneasily.  She reached up again and brought the pistol down on my head again, this time I heard a soft crack and the world started to spin.

"My name... Is Pinky Pie." She said angrily as she brought her hoof up again.  I smirked softly amidst the pain, she hesitated a moment before striking me again.  I felt the poorly aimed blow strike my cheek as I heard another crack.  I tried to push myself back up to my hooves as the world blurred.  I tried anyway, unsure if I was actually doing it.  "Say my NAME." I heard her demand, I laughed and coughed hard, the coppery taste in my mouth was overwhelming as I spoke slowly.

"You'll always be 42..." I said as I fell to the floor, the voice of her frustrated scream echoing into the recesses of my mind.  She lifted my head up with her hoof, before leaning in close, pressing the revolver against the open section of my chest the vest didn't cover.

"Tell me the code that unlocked me or I will kill you and everypony you know.  Starting with the innocent towns ponies of Whinney..."  Her eyes cut through the pain in my own, and for the first time, I had a chance to notice a different emotion behind her gaze.  She was worried, she was scared to death about something.  "I NEED THE CODE.  WHAT IS IT?"  She yelled at me, her grip starting to twitch.  I leaned up close to her, letting her bring her muzzle in before whispering back up to her.

"You'll never be the real..." That was as far as I made it before she pulled the trigger, I felt the sting of pain in my chest as darkness flooded my vision.  The elevator doors chimed open and she stepped out, hitting the wall with her hoof.  "I'll do you a favor and send you back down if you want to die with your friends so much, but don't say I never did anything for you."  And with that, she was gone again.  The doors closed softly and I drifted away into the painless darkness of death.


-----


As per normal, the sun was shining as I opened my eyes under the tree at the top of the grassy hill.  It was a cloudless day and the midday sun felt warmer than usual on my skin.  I lay for a moment in the grass, enjoying the feel of it against me before sitting up.  I looked around over at the rolling hills, endlessly stretching to the horizon.  You know, for the afterlife, this place was kind of nice, maybe even if I could find her, I could get Pinky to help find Mom and Skyline.

"Oh you can't see your mom yet silly!  Only dead people can get into heaven!"  The bright pink filly bombed out of the leaves high up and landed with a soft thud in front of me before giggleing and bouncing around.

"Right, so I'm not dead?"  I said as I scratched my head with my hoof.

"Nopey Nopey!" She bounced off around the tree and out of sight before calling back to me.  "Come on!  You need to see something!"

I got to my hooves and trotted after her, trekking over the familiar hills back towards the party table that was always over the hill. But this time it wasn't the table I was greeted with, it was a round pond, it's surface so still I couldn't be sure it wasn't just a mirror.  I watched as the Pink filly jumped up to it and bounced around it's edge.

"Isn't it just the COOLEST pond ever?" She said with her bright eyes.  "My Nanna Pinkie always told me stories about it and how it had the magical property to make doubles of you! Or even double double yous if you wanted!"  I nodded slowly, getting the idea that this is the pool that 42 came from and the eventual hell I wanted to send her back to.

"Anyway, after I used it in Ponyville and nearly destroyed the town, Twilight sealed it off until the war, when I needed it again to keep an eye out for all those nasty evil ponies lurking around.  So she built a research facility on top of it to keep it hidden!"

I shifted uneasily as my head started to hurt.  "I know, I was just there."  I said softly, causing the small fillies eyes lit up as she shot up to me, giving my leg a tight squeeze.

"So you did it! You sealed the cave and the pool up again!"  She called out ecstatically from below.

"No.  I didn't, there was no water in that cave, it was just empty rock."  I looked down to her sadly, she flew back in the air with a great gasp.

"If Twilight moved it, then you need to find it!  Even one drop of that water could allow her to make more doubles!"  She paced a circle in the dirt, slowly getting shorter with each pass, somehow forming a deep trench around her in thought. "Ah-HA! I have it!"  She shot out of the hole with a squee and raced back toward the tree I woke up under at an unbelievable speed, leaving a contrail of pink in her path.

"Well, how do I find it?" I reached out with a hoof and touched the contrail softly, pulling some of it off and sniffing it, it smelled sweet and had the consistency of spider webs.  I shrugged and heard a growing high pitched noise as another pink contrail shot towards me, stopping a few feet in front of me to reveal Pinkie again.

"All I'm allowed to tell you is to remember that it's the only place you can normally go to find it!"  She let out a giggle and bounced in place again. "Oh and one last thing before I kick you out!  Your mother says she is very proud of you!"  I froze stiff.  My...mother?  I smiled happily and relaxed as the bright filly jumped high into the air before her hooves knocked me back into the cold darkness.

I coughed out and gagged on my own blood as I felt the elevator hit the bottom floor again.  I looked up with my one good eye as the doors opened, Brass was supporting a bandaged up Sky as she held her chest, Her eyes went wide as she looked down at me in horror.

"Hey there..." I managed to cough out. "Hell..of a week...right?" She laughed softly at that, her eyes tearing up.  It was getting hard to breathe again as they stepped into the elevator and let the doors shut, Brass shedding off his forehoof armor and Starting to dig around in Sky's bags.  She knelt near me, softly crying and brushing my bloody mane with her hoof.

"You...you know, I thought it wa..was going to be the s..same as with the old man..." I struggled to sputter out, shaking softly on the floor.  She added confusion through the look of profound sadness she was giving off.  "W..with Pallet.  But she s..seems to like you... so it's O..ok."  I couldn't control my breathing anymore, and passed out as Brass pushed a syringe of Med-X into my neck.

At least she was still alive, at least 42 didn't get her I thought as I drifted back to the void, seeming to exist in thoughtless blackness for a period of time.  Then the pain came.  Just as the week before in Tenpony, the pain came in waves, assaulting me in the darkness.  I screamed and screamed as I tried to use my hooves to find a way out.  Suddenly, I felt a snap that resounded through the darkness, taking the pain with it as it echoed away.

I saw a pinprick of light in front of my eyes, a small orb floating towards me with a soft sounding song.  It was a song that I knew, the song I remembered my mother would hum to me.  I trotted towards it, now finding the ground below me, but as I moved she grew further away.  I called out for her, galloping towards her voice as fast as I could, but she just kept getting further away.  I gave one last cry before I was snapped back into reality.  My eyes shot open and I gasped in pain as I could suddenly feel my body again.  I panted with great heaves as the bandaged Skyline came over quickly, leaning down and speaking softly into my ear.

"It's ok, you're fine now... just breathe slowly."  She rubbed along my neck softly as she whispered into my ear.  "Shhh, just be calm, you're going to be alright."  My heartbeat slowed as I listened to her words, I looked around to see we were in the large entrance of the building.  Carlotta was standing at the doorway staring outside, probably watching Pallet run around and play outside, as I could hear her screams of joy as they came in and echoed throughout the building.

I tried to sit up slowly, but the world became a spinning mix of lights and colors, feeling myself being pushed back down by Sky.  As my eyes refocused, I realized that I couldn't open my right one.

"What happened?" I spoke in slurred words, just the strain from speaking making my head hurt. "Why can't I see right?"

Sky smiled down softly, still crying. "She banged you up pretty good on the head there, she fractured your skull and cheek bones, so half your face is swollen."  She leaned down and kissed my forehead as soft as she could.  "I'm just so glad you are alive..."

"Are you ok?"  I said softly as I noticed her hooves were covered in blood.  She nodded softly, brushing her mane back from her bandages.

"The bullet missed everything important.  I don't know why, but I feel like that happened for a reason.  I've never been that lucky.  Maybe it's my destiny to help take that bitch out, and you don't fight destiny."  She puffed up her chest through the pain.  "But the real miracle is you.  You remember when you told me to give you that hydra when you broke your ribs? Well when I did, you grew new bone in between where your ribs weren't supposed to be, and that solid bone plate stopped the bullet."

I sat there stunned, Holy Celestia I was right for once!  Even thought it was incredibly dangerous and potentially life threatening, I made the right call!  Oh if I wasn't so out of if it would git up and flaunt it more, but that wasn't the case, well, even then I probably wouldn't because we'd be hot on 42's tail.  So yeah, I guess it really isn't a win for me at all.  Plus I got shot in the chest, so that's pretty bad in and of itself.

An armorless Brass walked up and kneeled down next to Sky.  "The bathroom's all free if you want to go wash up, I'll hang out here with him." He said as she got to her hooves.  As soon as she had left, he turned his gaze down to me with a frown.  "Look, I have to tell you something.  When all that went down, there was a moment there when I thought about just shooting through you.  I've done what I can to help patch you up right now, but that thought keeps nagging me in my head.  I shouldn't have even considered it, you're my friend, and I don't want you to die."

I fought the pain and reached out, putting my hoof on his chest, looking straight into his yellow eyes before slowly speaking.  "You shouldn't feel sorry.  Just promise me, next time..."

He smiled and attempted to finish my sentence sarcastically. "I know, 'don't get into that situation in the first place', it won't happen..."

"NO." I yelled at him loud enough to see stars again, "You have that opportunity again you TAKE IT.  She will not get away again. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME. The entire wasteland is at stake here, One life compared to the many is always the correct choice."

"Is that how you see yourself Backlash?" Sky's voice came softly from the hallway behind me.  "Just some LIFE to be thrown away for the good of everypony?  Cause if that's why you've been running off by yourself, then maybe you should just let 42 kill me instead."  She turned to leave before immediately spinning back.  "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE YOU?  LET SOMEPONY ELSE DO IT, I'M DONE WITH WATCHING YOU DO THIS."  I could hear her fly back down the hallway in tears.  She just didn't understand, 42 is my responsibility.  And without my friends strength I can't fix what I've done, but in the end, I alone have to be the one to fix it.  I can't explain it any other way than I have to be the one who is judged for all the wrong right alongside 42, not them.

I struggled to my hooves slowly, ignoring the pain of my muscles as they protested my every action.  "Let's go, we need to follow 42."

"No."  Brass said as he got up with me.  "I won't go anywhere with you when you seem to just want to get yourself killed.  I'm with Sky on this one, you want to go, go.  We won't be with you any further."

I turned to the front door to see Carlotta staring back at me, her face as blank as the day we met her. She spoke up before I could.

"Look, I can protect you from raiders, thugs, the wildlife, and I can try to help you kill that pink cunt, but the one thing I won't do is protect you from yourself.  That's your fucking job, and it's not that hard."  I went to speak up, but she just rose her voice to keep me quiet. "Furthermore, I really like your sister over there, and that's big for me.  So you go find her, and vow to UNFUCK UP your shit so we can all live as one big family.  GOT IT?"

Carlotta's words bit deep.  From the way she sounded, I don't think she had ever even spoken the word 'like' in that context before today.  Well fuck. I'm stubborn, but when all my friends are telling it straight to my face, I know I'm in the wrong.  I just wished they could see it like I did, about just how dangerous 42 is.  But none the less, I had to listen to my friends over myself.

"You're right." I whispered as I slowly walked down the hall.  I didn't know what I was going to say, or if Sky was just going to end up beating the shit out of me again, but whatever happened was what I deserved.  I rounded the corner of the hallway and saw her at the other end curled up in a corner, her hooves and wing covering her head.  I walked up slowly and reached out for her, she shuddered at the touch.

"I don't want to talk."  Her voice was soft and muffled.  I sat down next to her, and just listened as she sobbed.  I don't know why, but I started humming the song from the darkness.  Only softly at first, but I hummed the slow sweet song my mother used to sing to me, slowly starting to sing it louder.  I closed my eyes, trying to remember how she was when she sat by my bed at night, how she loved to sing Crankshaft and I to sleep, and remembering how she sang this song to me the night after we lost the guards on the caravan, the night before she...

"That's beautiful..." Sky said so softly I almost missed it, knocking me out of my memories. "Who taught you that?"

I smiled and stared at the floor, my eyes watering. "My mother used to sing it to my brother and I when we were just foals."

"Can you hum it for me again?" Skyline spoke with a sigh and leaned up against me gently.  I nodded and hummed it again, letting my pain drift away as I felt the comfort of her warmth.  But even as great as it felt to be next to my sister, the one thing I couldn't let go of was the nagging feeling that 42 snuck up on us, and that I needed to figure out her bag of tricks before she could do it again.

After a while, Sky and I came walking back to the entrance to see that brass was standing in the doorway outside, turning and walking up with a stern look on his face.  "You get yourself sorted out?"  I nodded and threw my hooves around his neck, which was a horrible idea due to the fact that I still had a painful hole in my chest.  I whimpered as he hugged me back slightly confused.

"Feel free to remind me whenever you see me start to get fucked up in the head.  I think this 42 thing is just really driving me crazy."  I said with a slight laugh, looking down to see a Brass nervously biting his lower lip.

"Yeah... speaking of driving..." He remarked as he rubbed at his neck.  Oh fuck no.  42 did not steal my car again.  She would have had to take the statue with her, and I know the Marauder can't haul that much.  I trotted past Brass and out through the door, freezing as I looked down the gravel walkway to the statue, the chain was still attached to it and the trunk of the car, but the trunk was no longer attached to the Marauder.

"I'LL FUCKING DESTROY HER!"

---------------------

LEVEL UP!

+10 Speech

+ 5 Big Guns

New perk: All Bucked Up - Your toughness in the face of grave injury is legendary.  As long as your health is below 25% you gain the benefits of the drug Buck (+2 strength, +2 agility, +3 endurance) for free and none of the draw backs.

> Chapter 4 - Regret
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4



" I'm spending time with my REAL friends. Isn't that right Madam LeFlour?"



-----


The thunder overhead announced the coming rain as we collected ourselves post fight, where I had requested a couple of minutes to myself which the others hesitantly agreed to.  I deftly grabbed some supplies out of Sky's saddlebags before riding the elevator down to the lower level one last time.  I wired up the few bricks of C4 that we had purchased while in Tenpony to a makeshift timer and attached it to the elevator call board so that once I reached the top the explosives would prime, then when the elevator got back down, they would blow and seal this hellish cave forever.

The Ground shook as I met back up with the others, sending looks of confusion around as I shook my head and smiled.  Carlotta was finished strapping in as I shoved the last of our spark batteries into the undercarriage of the skycar.  Brass and Pallet were already inside waiting as I looked over to the detached trunk of the Marauder sadly.  Walking over to it I grabbed the Tire Iron, which was really the only useful tool I could take, and placed it into my saddlebag before boarding our cargo pod and latching the door shut.

The first drops of rain spattered against the car when Whinny was finally back in sight.  I stiffened up as I felt Brass stick me with another Med-X, immediately feeling the pain from my head and chest dissipate.  He smiled as he levitated his helmet back on, slipping the empty needle into my bag.  We did a circle around the four buildings to look for any sign of 42, which of course there was none, just the lonely feeling that now permeated the small settlement.

We came in for a landing from the south and parked in between the two closest brick buildings.  I opened the door slowly and peered out into the deserted center.  Pallet gasped excitedly and burst out the door, bolting at a small teddy bear on the corner, which seemed out of place, I don't remember it being there from before.

"Something's wrong..."  I said before the back of my eye stung, my brain now connecting the two points together from my experiences at both bunkers and the video of her.  My eye seemed to sting whenever 42 or her likeness was near, which meant she had to be close.  "42 is here." I said loudly before I slipped into S.A.T.S. and pulled up the inventory, equipping Heartstopper before exiting the spell.  The sleek shotgun appeared in my mouth with a purple flash as Pallet grabbed the stuffed toy.

Brass and Sky seemed to stare oddly at me after the firearm magically appeared, perplexed at the mention of 42.  I'd have to explain it later because I knew what was coming as I slid easily back into S.A.T.S. while 42 bolted at the filly.  Fuck, I was too slow.  the 2% chance over every section of her was too low of a chance for me to fire, if I missed I might hit Pallet.  I opened the inventory instead and unequipped my shotgun, watching it flash away while dropping from S.A.T.S. and letting time return to normal.

42 grabbed the filly in one hoof and pulled her close as she struggled.  Pointing her revolver at Pallet as she smirked.  "You are a lot tougher than I gave you credit for, kid.  Even though it's normally the villain who looks better needing an eye patch."  Sky and Brass lowered themselves, getting ready to shoot it out.  "Tut tut! I just pulled this trick 2 chapters in a row, you won't shoot me, not when I have her... now BACK OFF"

"Do what she says."  As much as I had wanted them to shoot through me, I won't let them do it to Pallet. I ignored 42's infuriating randomness, curious as to why she was here. "What do you want then?"  I said with a stern voice, growing tired of having to play her stupid games.  She seemed to stand for a moment, rubbing the barrel of the gun under her chin in thought.

"It's not much, but the world will do for a start."  She smiled and tightened her hold on Pallet.  "Tell me the code you used to wake me and I'll give you the filly,  I won't blow the good ponies of Whinny to smithereens by telling you where they are, BEFORE the bombs I set go off."  She looked immensely proud of herself as she spoke. "But wait, there's more!"  She paused for what I'm sure was supposed to be dramatic effect. "If you act now, I'll throw in the bonus of telling you where I'm heading next..."  She cackled loudly, seemingly amused.

"No, I won't give you the code." I said with a painful stomp of my injured hoof, watching as Carlotta flew down a few feet behind her.  42 sighed and smiled.

"Because of your feather brained friend behind me and your refusal, you have lost two of the prizes.  Only one remains.  Tell me the code and I'll let you save the nice ponies who lived here."  She pulled the hammer on the revolver back as she spoke.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sky shaking in rage, and if I didn't do something soon, this was going to end badly for all of us, I had to make the call.

"The code is 42."  I said with a sigh.  It doesn't matter if she has the code.  We'll just follow her wherever she goes and find a way to separate her from Pallet Jack.  42 choked back a soft laugh, thoroughly enjoying every moment she had us under her hoof.

"Thank you Backlash!  You've been such a good sport about all these games, I'd say you've earned the bonus prize back!"  She started to walk towards the collapsed entrance of one of the brick buildings.  "You see, not only am I going to tell you that I've hidden the ponies of whinny in the Factory behind you, I'm going to tell you where I'm going!"  She stepped through the broken brick hole and disappeared into the darkness of the interior of the building, still holding Pallet.  "I'm going to go find and pay a visit the stallion I spent good money on to kill you.  In my new wasteland, there won't be room for any failures like him."

The engine of the marauder roared to life as 42 shifted into drive and pulled out of the building, slowly driving away with her head out the window.  "By the way, you have 15 minutes to disarm the bomb at the factory!  I just know you'll have a BLAST!" She yelled back at us before speeding off in maniacal laughter.

"I WILL KILL YOU 42!  YOU HEAR ME!?"  I screamed and stomped at the soggy ground before my ears heard Sky's wings floof out.  I didn't think as I reacted quickly, leaning over and biting down on her tail just in time, straining through the pain to hold her down as she tried to go after the pink mare.

"LET ME GO!  SHE HAS PALLET!"  Sky screamed as she kicked me hard in my injured face, sending me sprawling to the ground in pain.  She took off into the air before Carlotta slammed into her, pinning her into the third story brick of the building next to us.  She struggled and kicked as Carlotta hugged her tightly, relaxing and crying softly as I saw Sky's rage melt away.

"We'll get her back." The normally gruff griffin sounded like she had just been shot from the amount of pain in her words.  "It will be alright."  No, not we, I needed to get her back.  I should have seen this coming but due to my ineptitude, I've lost the one pony who couldn't protect herself.  Even with all that, the last statement of 42 was running through my mind over and over, reminding me that we could still save the towns ponies.

"Carlotta, we need to get to the factory.  We need to save the others."  I called up to the two fliers, knocking Brass out of his own thoughts, making him stiffen up before turning toward me with a nod.  "Get hooked up and lets get going, the faster we save them, the less catch up we'll have to do to 42."  The griffin nodded and let go of Sky, drifting down and hooking herself into the harness.

Skyline wiped her eyes and flew down in front of me.  "I'll fly ahead and see if she has any surprises for us."  I climbed into the skycar as Sky took off into the air,  Brass climbed in and stood in the open doorway, the rain starting to pick up slowly.

"Fly low over the roof, I'll search from the top down."  Brass's voice called out as we lifted off, skimming low over the terrain as we raced toward the imposing building.  As it grew closer, I could make out a set of smoke stacks and open topped water tanks along side it, the tall tan building seemed to melt into the browns and greys of the wasteland as we came up over the top.  I watched in amazement as Brass stepped out the door while we skimmed the rooftop, skidding on all fours before turning to head inside the roof access.

Carlotta swung the car around to the front of the building, landing in the parking lot before going to unhook herself. I stopped her.  "I need you to circle the building in case we need you to meet us on the rooftop."  She opened her beak to complain, but I was already slamming through the front doors, charging through the small gift shop inside.  I skidded to a stop as I saw the flicker of a pink, shielded case in the corner.  Quickly trotting up to it, I read the inscription on the empty case, thinking anything kept behind one of these has to be important.


Behold the wondrous balefire egg!



The good folks down at the Ministry of Arcane Sciences were so impressed by the amount of flavor we could pack into our crunchy little bites that they thought 'Why don't we do that!'



We proudly present the fruit of their labor: The Balefire Egg!  All the destructive potential of a megaspell on a miniature scale! A true wonder of our time!



(warning: Balefire eggs are not food and may cause death upon ingestion.  Not a toy.  Keep away from foals and small children as it may pose a choking hazard or an increased risk of detonation.  Not available for individual resale to private consumers.)


"Oh fuck." I looked up at the empty case for a moment and realized that I knew what 42 made her bomb out of, and I needed to tell the others we're sitting on a Celestia-damned megaspell!  I turned and ran for the next door, plowing through a stand of souvenirs and a rack of 120 year old, moldy hats.  As I tore onto the manufacturing floor, I quickly noticed the elaborate catwalk system hanging 30 feet above my head. (Not quite sure why every factory in prewar Equestria needed so much literal oversight.)

"Backlash!"  I heard Brass boom from high above on one of the walkways.  "They're up here!"  I looked around for a way up, spotting a set of steep, winding, circular stairs heading to the catwalks.  I galloped up them two stairs at a time, turning to meet Brass as he ran towards the offices at the other end of the factory, our hooves slamming down the rusty walkway as it gave sharp groans of protest.

"Oh Luna, please let these hold..."  I said under my breath as the entire catwalk rocked slowly side to side.  Brass hit the old wooden door to the conference room at the end with enough force it seemed to explode into splinters, the shards raining down on me as I heard the sharp twang of a tripwire snap as he broke it.  The loudspeakers roared to life with a series of small pops on the shop floor, small fires quickly spreading along the walls and windows on ground level.

"Hello Backlash! The old foreman here was kind enough to have died with his audiolog recorder in his hoof and a stack of blank tapes next to him!  How thoughtful, don't you think?  Anyway, if you are hearing this you have just triggered the short backup timer for my little balefireworks presentation!  I do hope you and the good ponies of Whinny can make it out in time because by this point, you have just over a minute and a half left!  I really wish you would stay and enjoy the show, I really want you to be a BIG PART of it!"

I looked to the far end of the room, finally noticing the bodies of the ponies from Whinny.  They were arranged in various positions around a table, seemingly frozen in ridiculous activities.  Each of the seven ponies had been executed by a shot to the back of the head, the grotesque scene made me feel like I was going to throw up again.  "I couldn't save them either..."

"Backlash, we need to go, NOW."  Brass's anxious voice stated, as he walked over to me  and put a hoof on my shoulder. "We can't do anything more for them now, I'm sorry.  But we need to leave."  I nodded and headed out through the door, racing down the catwalk as the fires below licked at my quickly beating hooves, heating the metal and burning me as I ran.  The pain momentarily distracted me from the fact I could only hear myself running but I didn't want to stop, so I turned my head and yelled out for Brass.

As I reached the other end and sat by the stairs to the roof, I looked back as the fire rose up through the walkway, and to see Brass was charging at full speed down the red hot catwalks.  The heated metal stressed and buckled under him as he ran, plunging him into the fiery hell below.  I panicked and called out for him.

"OH FUCK!  BRASS!  WHERE ARE YOU!?"  I coughed and choked on the thick black smoke, straining my one good eye to look for him but coming up empty.  "BRASS?!  IF YOU CAN HEAR ME GET OUT OF HERE!  BRASS!?"  I wheezed and coughed harder as the flames rose to my section of the walkway forcing me to run up into the open air of the rainy rooftop.  I saw Carlotta coming around in a wide pass towards the factory but she was too far away and knew there wasn't enough time.  I galloped along the roof as fast as my injured hooves could carry me, pushing every ounce out of them as they screamed in protest.

I hit the edge of the roof and pushed off hard, sailing through the air as the burning factory roof groaned out with a deep shudder and collapsed onto the production floor.  I hit the slightly rainbow tinged water of the nearest water tower hard, sinking before I heard the deafening roar, feeling as the shockwave from the Balefire eggs blast ripped the water tower from it's foundations.  I felt the tower list before completely tipping over, sending the water and myself rushing out onto the desert dirt.  I coughed up a throat full of water and gasped for breath, looking over at the rising green cloud pouring up from the twisted remains of the factory.

My pipbuck started clicking quickly as Carlotta and Sky came down beside me, my eyes clenched as I sat in the mud without Brass.  I struggled and got to my hooves.  He's not dead I thought, he got out in time, he's just on the other side of the factory or something.  Sky and Carlotta were trying to talk to me, but I couldn't hear them.  The voice of reason in my head drowning them out as it told me that he's gone.  I couldn't save any of them.  42 had managed to screw up every aspect of my life, save for my friends.  But now?  She just took Brass Tacks from me, she just stole the embodiment of the innocence of ponykind from me.

I wrestled against Carlotta and Sky as they tried to drag me back out of the mud.  I screamed and flailed against them as hard as I could, but my body had finally decided enough was enough and refused to move anymore.  As they drug me in the rain to the skycar, the world seemed to come back into focus a bit.  They both bit down and ripped open packets of rad away, each guzzling three of them down before passing one to me.  I looked down at the rad meter on my pipbuck, seeing the needle wavering halfway through the red as it still clicked softly.  I didn't want to, but I choked down the horrid, tangy liquid as I got back to my hooves.

"I'm so sorry... Brass..." I quivered sadly and I spoke softly.  "He fell into the fire and I lost track of him."  I put my hooves up onto Skylines shoulders.  "He must have gotten out... I know it."  Sky's eyes streamed tears as she pulled me into a tight hug.  "Oh Celestia I'm so sorry..."  I looked up with water filled eyes to see Carlotta's shocked gaze locked behind us.  I pulled away from Sky and turned around to see the familiar power armor walking towards us slowly, shining a brilliant white with clouds forming behind it, looking like an armored angel as the figure walked closer.

The rad meter on my arm ticked faster as he approached, a small, dead bush he managed to brush into lit on fire.  I reached out and quickly grabbed another rad away, gulping it down.  FUCK his armor was bleeding white-hot heat from the radiation he was giving off, steam drifting up with a soft hiss as the rain came down on him.

"BRASS!  STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" I yelled out, cutting through the silence.  He stopped moving forward abruptly, canting his head slightly in confusion.  "Your suit is giving off absurd amounts of radiation, you need to stay back until you can cool it off a bit."  He looked himself over before giving a small nod.

"Are you ok in there?"  Carlotta called over, her voice more curious than worried.

He nodded vigorously, bringing up a hoof to flex it.  Well, apparently while I was pining over his loss, he was basking in the explosion because the suit could handle it.  What a jerk...

"Yup, he's a ghoul."  Carlotta spouted out abruptly, knocking me out of my thoughts.  "only way anyone survives that much radiation is to become a ghoul, which then reverses it's effects."  I turned slowly to her with one eyebrow raised.

"And how do you know this?" I asked slowly.  I should have known the answer, but I couldn't think because I was being a dumb pony.  (It's not my fault, I was delirious from all the trauma over the last twelve hours.  That's the only reason, I swear!)

"Because I did a few jobs protecting Ditzy Doo?  You know, it's why she loaned me her Skycar."  Carlotta said matter-o-factly.  "You could learn a lot from her, she knows a lot more about the wasteland than you think, at least a little bit about pretty much everything."

"REGARDLESS..." Sky raised her voice at us.  "We are glad you are still with us Brass."  He nodded and sat back in the mud, making a large cloud of steam rise before hopping back up, turning and heading towards town.

"He's right you know, we need to get inside before we become ghouls as well."  Sky said as she jumped and took off after him.  Carlotta harrumphed and hooked herself to the skycar, waiting until I slumped inside before taking off.  As we banked and headed into town, I stared at the brightly burning factory as the sun started to dip below the cloud cover, trying to remember the faces of the dead ponies inside.  She had stolen seven more, seven more innocent souls, and the weight of them were firmly on my back with the others from Ponyville.

My body yelled and fought me as the last of my Med-X wore off, the full brunt of the day finally weighed down on me.  I closed my eyes for just a moment, listening to the wind as we flew.  I swore I could hear the underlying tones of my mother's song, so I filled in the blanks in my head, slowly drifting away with the notes into the increasingly familiar darkness.


-----


I awoke softly in the Skycar, opening my eyes and looking around.  The sun had set and we were back on the roof of the building we spent the night before on.  I swung the door open and stepped out slowly, wondering where my friends had gone.  I called out for them, standing and waiting to hear a response from the darkness, but nothing answered.  I perked up when I heard a noise behind me.

I spun around to meet the mutilated face of a green unicorn stallion, his right eye and side of his face had been torn off by the impact of something heavy.  He stood silently as his lifeless other eye stared quietly into mine, making me back away in fright, bumping into something else behind me.  I looked back to see the slack jawed face of a light green mare who was missing the top of her skull, the blood and brain had dripped down her face as she too stared with dead eyes at me, grabbing my foreleg so hard I thought she was going to break it.

I screamed out for my friends to help me as a familiar blue pegasus grabbed my other forehoof.  Pallet's dead father helping hold me out over the edge of the roof, dangling me over the black nothing below that I knew would surely devour my soul if it ever got ahold of me.  The green stallion walked over with lifeless steps before stopping in front of me.  He had no breath when he spoke out.


"You killed us, Backlash.  And you will kill more.  Murderer."


They let me go, dropping me into the wispy, black darkness below.  I reached out and yelled, not wanting to be taken completely as the darkness wrapped around me.  I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I panicked and was snapped awake by Skyline, hyperventilating and sweating profusely as my heart raced.

"Are you alright?  You were sleeping quietly the last few hours before you just started screaming."  She stared down with the eyes of a concerned sister, I could feel her body was tense with worry.  I looked around for a moment, noticing that we were inside on the bottom floor of one of the brick buildings, a small fire lit in the corner where Carlotta was curled up in a bunk next to.

"I'm fine, It's just the pain from my injuries."  I said quickly, hoping that as I lied through my teeth, this one was at least believable.  Sky brushed my mane out of my good eye before giving me a small frown.

"You sure?  We could talk about..."  She started before I pushed her hoof away with a soft smile.

"I said I'm fine, and really, I am."  I leaned forward and kissed her cheek, watching as it visibly relaxed her.  "Besides, you should spend more time with Carlotta, I think she really adores you."

She blushed through her coat, somehow getting more red, while scrunching up her muzzle a bit before turning and looking over to the sleeping griffin.  "I think... I really like her as well."  She leaned forward and hugged me softly before floating back over, laying against Carlotta's side as the griffin put a talon around her.

I smiled and turned to look out the window next to me, the storm was raging which was nothing new for this time of year in the wasteland.  The wind howled as I spotted a dark red figure pacing in the streets, wisps of steam still bellowing off him as the wind and rain cooled his armor down.  I wondered to myself for a moment when we would be able to get close enough for Brass to ride with us in the skycar.  I flipped on my Pipbucks radio.

The soothing tone of Sweetie Belle quietly filled the room as I stared out off into the rain.  I let the slow song seep into my aching flesh as I relaxed, trying to clear my mind of the nightmare from my sleep, but failed as the faces of the dead ponies flashed into my mind over and over, I couldn't stop it.  I felt my heartbeat pick up as they whispered to me from the back of my mind.


"Murderer... Murderer... Murderer... Murderer... Murderer..."


I was about to scream again before I was pulled back into the real world by the voice of DJ Pon3 coming over the radio.

"That was Sweetie Belle trying to remind all of you that no matter how bad it get's, your friends will never let you down.  Now onward to the news!  First off, some upsetting news as the settlement of Whinney has gone completely dark in the wake of our last report of the Pink menace heading their way.  Here's to hoping they are all just hiding below the floorboards and forgot to come back out again."

My mind shot back to the factory's conference room, the residents each laid out as part of a sick joke 42 was playing.  Their deaths nothing more than part of her game she was playing with me, the game I kept losing.

"Now for some alarming news.  The Rock gang had stepped up raids on local settlements, seemingly in response to an act of humiliation towards their leader inside the ruins of Ponyville.  So if you are trotting through that area, it might be best to keep your head down or gallop through as fast as you can, because they are on the warpath and shouldn't be taken lightly."

Shit, Crankshaft really DID run a gang.  But I gave him his life back with the condition that he would stay away from us, and I didn't have any interest of stopping his gang.  42 was the only problem I had, and she was going... to go kill Crank.  My mind raced between the pro's and con's of this, ultimately figuring that if 42 only killed him, she's have a small army to command.  Fuck, I was going to have to intervene, wasn't I?  I groaned and slumped to the floor.

"Lastly, I report to you that the scourge that is the Pink mare has once again been spotted heading east toward ponyville again.  More when I get it, but until then, you stay safe my little pon...."  I clicked the radio off again, listening to the rain as the distant thunder boomed in the night sky.  I didn't know exactly what I was going to do anymore.  I thought at first we needed a plan, but every plan I have is destroyed by 42 seemingly coming out of nowhere.  By the time we got to Ponyville, I'll have figured something out.  I got to my hooves as I felt a familiar pain in my gut and walked quietly to the door, slipping outside as Sky snored happily on Carlotta.

I quietly snuck around the side of the building and to the other side of a pile of rubble, splashing through puddles with as much grace as a steamroller.  While I wound through the skeletons of demolished houses,  I cringed, hoping that it wouldn't attract Brass.  I ducked under the semi intact roof and danced lightly on my feet before relieving myself over the edge in the dirt.  My ear twitched as I thought I heard music for a moment, abruptly cutting out in the heavy rainfall as I finished up.

I sighed and checked my pipbucks compass, a single pink bar appeared on it to my right.  I leaned out of the half collapsed house carefully, looking for what it was when a small floating sphere appeared through the rain.  The sprite bot bobbing softly as it headed for me silently.

"Need something watcher?"  I asked as it slowly floated inside, stopping next to me.

"I wanted to see if you had found what became of the residents here, I've been worried they were killed by Pinkie..."  the bot abruptly cut itself off, floating for a moment in silence before continuing. "I mean if the Pink mare had gotten to them."

"42 was just toying with me.  She killed them and set me up to find them as some... sick joke."  I said with a grimace.  I don't care how many times I had that nightmare, even when I deserve it.  But it would only ever be worth it if she was the one in my dreams, her dead eyes staring at me as she threw me into the darkness.  I would meet her like an old friend on the edge of that roof, if only I could kill her.

"42?"  The Sprite bot's voice sounded slightly puzzled amid the speakers normal distortion.

"That's her number.  She was the 42nd clone of Pinkie I guess."  I shrugged and suddenly remembered back to our first conversation.  "What did you mean before?  You said you knew 'it was a bad idea.' which sounded to me like you knew something about all this.  Are you a pre war ghoul or something?"

"Something like that..."  A cough came out of the mechanical sprite as it bounced slowly in place.  "I need to go,  these things don't la..."  He was cut off by a burst of static, the loud crashing of a marching song sounded out before the bot bobbed through the doorway and off into the cold, wet night.  I heard the heavy stomps of Brass's armor splashing with loud hiss's as he walked closer.

"Just came out to take a leak!"  I called out as he drew close, stopping and backing up slowly as I exited back into the rain, my pipbuck slowly clicking as he stood maybe 10 feet away.  At this rate, he would be safe enough to be around in another day.  And as much as I didn't want 42 to get that much of a head start, we all needed the rest anyway.  My body felt like it was barely holding itself together as it is.

"Look, Brass.  when we were running, I..."  I started as he raised his hoof.  He levitated a stick from the ground through his helmet and started to write in the mud.


I knew the walkway wouldn't hold us both.  So I waited to run until you were safely across.


I stomped my hoof in the muck.  "No, it was my fault you fell, you should have gone first before the walkway heated up so much."

Brass wiped the words away with his hoof before writing again.


I would have slowed you down if I went first, then we both would have fallen.


His point was solid, it was better one of us fell than both.  Wait, what am I thinking?!  No, neither of us should have fallen.  We wouldn't have even been there if I hadn't stood around so damn long.


Besides, once my armor cools down and I get some Rad away in me, I'll be right as the rain.


Wait...that hurt my brain.  I had thought that with all his knowledge from the Steel Rangers, he would know more about ghouls than even Carlotta seemed too.  "How much radiation did you absorb?" I asked slowly as my wet mane stuck to my eye, causing me to wipe it away as Brass thought before writing in the mud.


Well the suit's Rad meter is at the max, but it had to be under 1000 though, or I'd be dead.


I nearly fell over as I read the muddy message.  I don't know if it worried me more that he really didn't know about ghouls, or that he seemed oblivious to the fact it's literally the only way he could have survived that.  I went to tell him, but was interrupted when a sharp scream filled my ears.  Skyline was in trouble.

In a moment, I had bolted past Brass and was rounding the corner toward the door of the brick building, only to find Skyline's hoof slap across my face.  I stumbled to the mud as she knocked me off balance, angrily staring up at her as she turned to walk inside.  The muffled voice of Carlotta coming through the rain to greet my ears.

"I told you if you screamed the next time he gets away from you, he'd be back in 10 seconds flat.  Now hold up your end of the bargain and do that thing you did last time that made me..."  The door slammed shut and latched as I sat confused in a puddle.  Brass strode around the corner and tilted his head, wondering what that was all about.

"They just need some time alone."  I said as I shrugged and got to my hooves.  Looks like I was spending the night in Ditzy Doo's skycar yet again.  For it being so small, it was surprisingly cozy to sleep in.  Not Marauder back seat cozy, but still more than you'd think it would be.


-----


I was awoken suddenly when a knock came from the skycar hatch.  I opened my eyes and looked out the window, relieved to see it was light outside and the rain had stopped.  Mostly I was glad this wasn't another one of my fucked up dreams, Carlotta's voice calling out from outside.

"Is your lazy flank just going to lay around all afternoon?  Come on, lunch is ready."  She said as she pounded harder on the door, making me groan as my head throbbed with each sharp bang.  "Don't make me use my claws..."

I sighed and covered my muzzle with my hooves before calling back.  "Just... 5 more minutes... I swear..."  I yawned and closed my eyes as I heard her walk to the front of the skycar.  She can fly me in circles if she wants, I'm not moving.

"You asked for it!"  She called out.

The noise that followed can't really be related with any real words, but I'll try.  Her claws, as they ran along the hollow tube, sounded like the high pitched voice of a screaming filly who'd been hopped up on dash and given a chainsaw to cut through the metal walls with, all while a whole squad of power armored paladins kicked my head as hard as they could.  I think I might have screamed, but with all the noise, I couldn't be sure.

"OH SWEET CELESTIA MAKE IT STOP!  I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!"  I yelled as I slammed the door open, bolting out and around the campfire outside before collapsing in front of Sky, face planting in the mud as I tried to stuff my fore hooves into my ears.

"Morning, sunshine."  She said as she laughed softly and pulled my hoof back.  "Hopefully my sweetie-kins didn't damage your hearing too bad."

Sweetie-kins?  Really?  I glared up at her as I got to my hooves.

A wide smile grew across her face.  "Now don't give me that look.  Carlotta and I talked about it and we want to give being together a shot, so from now on, she's my sweety-weety shmoopy-doo."  I cringed visibly with every word.

"What did I say about using pillow talk when we were around others?"  Carlotta said with a blush as she walked over and handed me a strip of unidentifiable, cooked meat. 

"Oh, you thought that was pillow talk?  I thought you just didn't want to have to call me Master in front of everyone else..."  Sky flung Carlotta back her most seductive voice.

Carlotta grumbled past us as her cheeks got bright enough I was sure her blue plumage would turn red as well.  "I'll be in my bunk."  She cooed back as she disappeared back into the brick building.  Skyline sat for a moment before she got to her hooves and walked over as well.

"I'm just going to make sure she's alright..."  Sky said with her own blush.

"She just walked in there fifteen seconds ago, I'm sure she's fine."  I replied with my mouth full as I tore into the juicy meat.

"Well with your track record for injuries, I'm sure she's lost a limb by now." She said as she stopped and pointed her muzzle up in a huff.

"Not that that's a bad thing.  Besides, you'd probably just find that even more kinky anyway."  I snidely remarked and smirked as she went in, slamming the door shut behind her.  The loud bang breaking Brass out of his thoughts as he sat next to the fire.  Wait... since when did Brass get here?  

I nearly tackled him with a hug, my pipbuck chirping softly as he froze up for a moment before relaxing.  I sat back and looked him over.  "You ok buddy?"  I asked slowly as I looked over his now dark black armor.  He nodded and pointed to his helmets muzzle piece.  As I looked under the dark, unmoving eyes , I noticed the speaker had melted inside the frame of the helmet.  It was a quick fix, but I needed to find something to replace it with.

"Don't worry bud, I can fix it.  Just give me a few minutes to find something I can replace it with.  Then we'll get that helmet off and it will be good as new!"  I got to my hooves and patted his shoulder, noting that the black wasn't coming off.  I brushed at forcefully with my hoof, but the color seemed to be baked into the metal.  Shrugging I trotted off into one of the other buildings to look for parts and tools, leaving brass to look over his armor.

I found the speaker pretty quickly in an old travel radio someone had kept, but the soldering iron and other assorted tools took quite a bit of searching for, taking the better part of ten minutes.  As I strode back up to Brass, I noticed Sky and Carlotta were sitting back out next to each other.  They looked over at me as I dumped the tools on the soggy ground.

"Ok Brass, we'll have you back to talking in your helmet in no time!  I'm even going to upgrade you're old system to..."  I reached up to grab it when Sky stopped me.

"Wait, what if he's badly burned under there?  The air on his skin could do irreversible nerve damage."  She looked down to me with pleading eyes, floating gently in the air next to me.

Brass used his floating stick to write in the ground.


I'm ok.  Not burned.


"But what if you are?  You'd feel like you were on fire if your skin touched the air!"

I hesitated for a moment before I could hear Brass softly laughing through his armor.  I reached up and unlatched his helmet, letting the soft hiss bleed away before lifting it slowly.  A shrill scream coming from Brass as soon as the helmet came off.

"OH LUNA, IT BURNS!"  He thrashed his hooves and threw the helmet into Sky's grip as she panicked.

"BACKLASH! HOLD HIM STILL!"  I heard her call out to me as she frantically tried to put the helmet back on.  I of course couldn't do that because I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.  "BACKLASH?!  I NEED..."  She stopped and hovered in the air for a moment before noticing Carlotta was just as debilitated as I was, Brass's laughing sealing her worry away.

"I'M FINE SKY!"  Brass shouted up between gasps as he fell onto his side, rolling around in the mud laughing hysterically. "I TOLD YOU THAT!"

"That's not FUNNY!"  Sky leaned down and punched Brass's chest plate.  "I thought you were really in pain!  How could you joke like that?"  She crossed her forehooves and pouted softly.

I rubbed the tears from my eyes as I got back up, my chest screaming at me from having laughed so hard.  "Hey, I was worried as well, but if he said he wasn't burned, I trust he's not burned."  I slowly drug his helmet over out of the mud and turned it over, listening to steady chirps on my pipbuck reminding me that I needed some rad away soon.

Sky jabbed the side of my head with her hoof.  "You're one to talk.  Every time I ask you if you are alright you LIE to my face."  

"Well why don't you say anything about it?" I quickly said as I finished stripping the old speaker from it's mounting, moving on to unwiring it from the main control board.  It was a fair question in my book, as much as I hated lying to keep her from worrying, she didn't question me until something broke the lie, and something ALWAYS broke the lie.

"Because...  Well, I mean I would...." She stuttered and tried to find the right way to answer.  "It doesn't matter, the fact that you do it to me is wrong."

"Calm down you two." Carlotta called over from the fire, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"YOU.  Don't even get me started on how disappointed I am in you."  Sky floated over slowly, making Carlotta grin nervously and shrink down a bit before Brass spoke up from the mud and saved her.

"Don't worry Carlotta, she'll just 'punish' you for it later tonight..."  He said before laughing again, making me laugh and causing me to drop his helmet.

"ARGH! you ponies drive me CRAZY!"  She flew into the building quickly, slamming the door behind her. (Personal note that when I got home, I needed to reinforce our door frames.)  I gasped and caught my breath before hoisting the helmet back up and soldering the new wires in place.  I heard Carlotta get up and stretch out her wings.

"I'm going to take a quick look around and let little miss feisty in there cool down for a bit.  I'll let you know if I see anything."  She called out as she took off and banked around the building, heading up and out of sight.

I sighed and continued working as Brass got back to his hooves, watching me install a nob next to his rebreather.  "So you said you were installing an upgrade?"  He asked quizzically.

"Yeah! I'm adding a volume switch so you can either be really loud or..."

I looked up to continue but froze as I stared at his face.  I didn't get a good look at him when he pulled it off, but I could see it now.  His gold coat was dry and flaking, slightly discolored in dark patches as it ran down his mane.  A large slash across his face where the skin split was a deep red, his body now unable to fully heal it.  His eyes filled with worry as He saw me stare.

"Oh Luna, something's wrong with me, isn't it."  he said with a note of panic, prancing nervously in place.  "Oh Celestia, I knew I felt too good to not have something wrong.  What is it? Some sort of gross tumor or piece of shrapnel I didn't notice?!"  He quaked softly as he shrank to the ground.  "Cut it out, whatever it is, cut it off me!"

I sat there unsure of what to say as he broke down in front of me.  He had been wearing the helmet so long I had forgotten how young he was.  I mean, I couldn't just tell him 'you're a ghoul' because he might freak out.  Actually I'm pretty sure he wouldn't believe me, I know I wouldn't if someone tried to tell me that.  I remembered that there was a mirror in one of the bathrooms on the floor Sky was in, and figured that showing him would be the best solution.

I grabbed his helmet in my mouth and nodded for him to follow, which he promptly ignored and whimpered back at me.  I kicked him in the side until he got up and followed.  We swung the door open just as Sky was walking towards it, making her freeze in place as I lead Brass past and directly into the bathroom.  He closed his eyes and sat in front of the mirror.

"I don't want to see it.  Just tell me if I'll die from it or not."  He said as he sat there with his head lowered.

"It's... not that simple, you need to look." I said as I set down his helmet next to me. "Just trust me, it's the only way anything will make sense.  You'll be fine."

Brass sniffled and looked up into the mirror, widening his eyes as he saw the large gash, whimpering softly. "Y...you said I'd be fine!" He closed his eyes and started to cry softly as he sunk down to the floor.

I lifted the black helmet and lay it against his open wound for a minute before removing it, the gash was now visibly smaller and less red.  He seemed to look up as I took the hunk of black steel away, sitting back up and looking at the mirror.

"I... I don't understand..."  He stuttered out softly.

"You're a ghoul, Brass."  Sky said as she slowly put her wing around him. "Normal ponies die when exposed to that much radiation, but a special few can become ghouls."

He looked down to the floor again sadly, I visibly saw when all of his hopes left him.  "I'm... a monster."

I smacked him on the back of the head, drawing a look of shock from both Sky and Him.  "No, you are still you.  Yes, your body is different now, but not your mind.  You are still the Brass Tacks I met and became friends with.  The same Brass Tacks who has stood beside me through everything 42 had done.  And the same Brass Tacks who will help me take her down."

He stiffened up, an angry scowl contorting his face as he glared up at me.  "You can't just say that!  I've seen what ghouls are.  Even the ones who last still lose their minds and become nothing but murderous cannibalistic FREAKS.  You're wrong, Brass Tacks died in that factory.  I'm just the shell of what's left of his body, and not even Celestia is going to stop me from destroying that pink cunt.

And just like that, the innocence of the Wasteland was gone, replaced by the endless fires of vengeance incarnate.

I sat next to the fire in silence as I finished working on Brass's helmet, not quite sure what to say to him.  I didn't think he really felt the way he said, but I've only known him for a week.  Can I truly say I understand how he feels?  I've been through more with him in the last forty eight hours, than anypony else I've known, outside of Sky of course.  

Carlotta came back as Brass left to go brood somewhere, so with the sun starting to set, Sky and I filled her in on Brass's condition. Since that point thirty minutes ago, we all sat around the now dimming fire with minimal conversation.

"So he said he's not Brass anymore?"  Carlotta asked out of nowhere for the third time, feigning confusion.  "Then what do we call him?"

"For the last time, I don't know.  He's still Brass, he just needs time to sort himself out."  I said frustratedly as I facehooved.  "Look, we'll give him his space and he'll come to his senses."

"If you say so..." Sky said softly as she leaned into the Griffin with a long yawn.  "I think it's about time for this mare to hit the hay."  She stretched her wings and fluttered softly into the brick building as Carlotta stretched and walked in after her.

"Gotta get some sleep so we can get up early and catch that bitch."  She said as she closed the door with a yawn of her own, leaving me alone by the fire again.  I sat there tired and staring into the shrinking flames as the cold night breeze blew around me.  I Iet the fire die before heading into the Skycar, curling up before just staring at the roof.  There is no way I'm going to bed again just to have those dreams again, even if I deserve to suffer through them.

As I layed there alone my body felt better, but I still ached all over.  I listened as the wind whistled through the open car, hoping to hear the wind speak again and tell me what to do next.  But as usual, it wouldn't answer me.  The last thought I had that I can remember was that I'm not going to leave my bed for a week when I got home, even if I have to remember the faces of all the ones who haunted me.


-----


I must have fallen asleep sometime because I awoke to the sound of Brass stomping by.  Looking up to the window, glad that there were no dreams, I stretched out and could see it was still dark.  I opened the hatch to the silver pod slowly, looking out as Brass added more wood to the now rekindled fire.  I went over and stood in front of it as he sat down next to me, giving me the sternest gaze I'd ever seen, his eyes had a serene stillness as I looked back into them.  It was like the spark of life was gone and he was staring out with the dead eyes of the ponies in my dreams, it felt... wrong.

"I don't blame you Backlash."  He said slowly, his voice as calm as Carlottas normally is.  "What happened in the factory was Forty Two's handiwork, She made this... monster I'm trapped inside."  He turned his gaze to the fire, the orange flames softly reflecting off of his golden eyes.  "I'm still your friend and you can count on me to back you up.  I know that she has done so much wrong to each of us, but I'm asking you.  YOU.  That you promise to save that final blow for me.  I need to see her tremble in fear as the monster she created ends her pathetic excuse of an existence."

"I can't promise that."  I said softly, watching his face slowly twist in rage as the words sunk in.  I couldn't promise because I wasn't even sure that we could ever get the upper hand on her.  She had beaten us at the research center, she beat us here, she beat us at the factory.  Who's to say we'd ever get the upper hoof?

"Fuck you.  She took EVERYTHING from me!"  He stood and started to yell, tensing up.  I knew how he felt, how quickly the anger 42 caused built up, but I needed him to understand what we were up against.  I needed him to listen to reason.  But as Brass yelled on, I could see that the rage had consumed his every word, and he wouldn't even be able to understand anything without this ending as a physical altercation.  So then that's what I'll do.

I tensed up and slipped into S.A.T.S., closing the combat menu I quickly selected Heartstopper, watching the flash of it as it popped into my jaw.  I scrolled over to the ammo section and told the computer to dump the four shells out of the gun, watching as they flashed in front of my face, hovering in the still air.  I checked and made sure that the large shotgun was empty before bringing the targeting overlay back up, thinking for the system to blast off his head.

I watched Brass's eyes widen as time caught up.  The assisted targeting swinging the gun to rest just under his chin before emanating the loud clack of an empty chamber.  He froze as the four shells hit the ground softly and I turned my head and spit the gun out into the mud.

"H..how did you d...do that...?"  He stuttered and quaked in fear for a split second.  I noticed in that short moment, I saw the spark briefly return to his eyes before fading away, leaving them cold and unwavering again.

"How did I do that?  How has she been a step ahead of us the entire time?  I'm so sick and tired of always playing catch up, so I'm sorry to say that when she finally slips up, I expect everyone to tear her to pieces TOGETHER.  I will not wait for you to satisfy your need for misguided vengeance to take that bitch out, and I expect the same from Sky and Carlotta."	I growled as I leaned in. "What makes you think you get special treatment for killing 42?  You are still alive.  What about the twenty eight dead ponies in ponyville she murdered?  What about the seven who used to live here?"

"I will render judgement for them.  I share more in common with them now than any of you."  Brass huffed out as he shifted uneasily on his hooves.

I was doing my best to contain my rage but could feel myself slowly failing.  "WHAT ABOUT PALLET?  DOESN'T SHE DESERVE TO KILL 42?"  I slammed my hoof into his black chest plate, watching his anger falter as the words sank in.  "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN 42 KILLS HER INSTEAD?"

"SHE...she won't..." His voice grew softer as he gazed to the ground, his anger draining away, replaced with the sour notes of sadness.

"AND WHAT IF SHE DOES."  I said as I lost myself in rage, rearing up and bringing my hoof down onto his head, sending him to the ground.  "WILL YOUR VENGEANCE BRING HER BACK?  WILL IT MAKE HER DEATH WORTH IT?"  I raised my hoof to strike him again before speaking in a low voice, the full force of my anger bleeding from my words.  "You told me once that you couldn't live with yourself if you had killed me at the bunker, and you knew what you did to me was wrong.  If that Brass is truly gone, I might as well kill the pathetic pony shell you claim you are."

As I reared up, Skyline slammed into me, tackling me into the mud before pinning me down.  Her hooves pressed into my neck as she screamed out, the tears slowly flowing down her cheeks, glinting in the firelight as she tried to choke the life out of me.  I struggled against her, but she was always far stronger than me, my vision darkened as I felt the anger drift away slowly.

"Sky...you need to stop.  He's had enough."  I heard as Carlotta came over and put a talon on her shoulder.

"What happened to you?"  Sky said quietly, panting lightly over me. "I don't even know the stallion I'm looking at anymore.  You are just as bad as Brass thinks he is."  I gasped and heaved as she lifted her hooves off,  struggling to breathe.  "Forty Two has warped the both of you into thinking you are monsters, but I still see the good in you two."  

She turned to face Brass.  "I knew it was someone in power armor who injured him, and I knew it was your fault when Backlash was covering for you that morning.  I hate it when he lies to me, but I saw what he was trying to do by it.  Even with everything from the last week, You are the same stallion who lost his friends on a mission gone bad.  The same stallion who did the right thing and brought Backlash to Tenpony."

As I caught my breath and listened to Skyline speak, I stared into the cold eyes of Brass, watching as they grew bigger with every example.  I could imagine that the old Brass was fighting his way back into control of his mind, and when Sky finished, he blinked one last time as I could see it all flood back to him.  He dropped down in tears of his own, curling up as tightly as he could in his armor and wept.

Nobody moved a muscle for the next few minutes as Carlotta and Sky stood next to me while I lay in the mud and listened to Brass sob.  The sun was cresting over the horizon as we got moving again and packed away our things, all of us deciding to skip breakfast in order to get moving faster.  Sky had joined Brass and I inside the car as We flew off towards Ponyville, the three of us sitting silently as the cold wind whipped through the pod. 

She turned to me suddenly.  "Look, Backlash.  You need to remember you are my brother.  The same pony I've spent my life next to as he helped the good ponies of the wastes.  The same pony who never cheated a customer."  Her eyes were locked into mine as she spoke from her heart.  "Don't let 42 get under your coat, that's what she wants."

"OH SHIT!"  Carlotta yelled out suddenly.

A loud twang emanated from the side of car as we went into a dive, twisting and leveling us out as we skimmed just feet above the ground.

"They are shooting from the treeline, we need to set down!"  Carlotta called back through the broken window, another ping sounding off the back of the skycar as I looked around the landscape, spotting a small group of buildings surrounded by rocks.  That would be the best we could get I thought, before two holes opened behind brass, the bullets failing to punch into his armor.  

"Head to those buildings over there!" I yelled up as I heard the autoloader whirr and his minigun spin up, Brass stepping over to the side hatch and throwing it open.

"Fly us by the trees low and fast when you do."  His speaker boomed out easily through the noise as the extra volume setting did it's job perfectly.

"Are you crazy?!  They'll just stand and shoot us to pieces!"  Carlotta yelled as she banked up and around towards the settlement I saw.

"Just trust me!"  He said as he braced himself on the doorway.  Carlotta yelled out an expletive that was lost to the wind, doubling back and flying us low along the tree line of the everfree forest.  Brass's minigun roared to life as we sped past the thick foliage, the air filled for the next ten seconds with a single persistent drone as the forest was perforated by the blistering rate of fire.  Sky and I watched in awe out of the window as entire trees cracked and fell as Brass's fire cut the forests' edge down, drawn out of the sight only by loud clicking as the spent gun ran out of ammo.

"I have got to get me one of those!"  I yelled excitedly as Carlotta pulled around to the back of the small collection of buildings.  I noticed it was an old rock farm, consisting of a decent sized house, a barn, a listing old silo, and A weather vane off in the distance.  The rocks scattered about the property ranged from anywhere between small rocks the size of my hoof, to boulders the size of the skycar.

We pulled inside the back of the open barn, setting down hard as Carlotta threw the straps off her, speaking quickly as she strode back to the open car door.  "We only have thirty minutes before the main group gets back here, I say we try to hold out in here.  Make some makeshift barricades."

"How do you know all that?"  Sky said as we filed out quickly.

"Because I wasn't riding all cushy in the back.  I saw a whole gang of them heading this way from across the wastes.  So unless you want to be surrounded, I suggest we make this place defensible!"  I watched as Carlotta seemed a bit more nervous than usual, her pupils seemed to jump around as her voice wavered ever so slightly.  Shit.  If she was worried, then what the hell was on it's way?

Brass used his suit's amplified strength to push one of the pony sized boulders sitting inside the barn against the closed doors in front of the skycar, effectively barring it shut.  "Ok, one side down, just..."  Carlotta's words were cut short when three holes punched through the front wall of the barn, one of the rounds biting deep into her flank.  She let out a loud growl as we all dove for cover, Sky helping to drag her behind the skycar as whoever had survived in the forest opened fire on us.

Brass was forced to hide behind an old safe when what sounded to be an Anti-Machine rifle tore a large hole straight through the upper hull of the skycar.  Whoever we were dealing with weren't amateurs and had the means to deal with Steel Rangers.  As we sat there, I looked at my pipbuck's map function to see if we could make a break for the forest.  I was sure if we could get through there, it was only an hour's trot to Ponyville.

My eyes froze as a small notification flashed in my pipbuck enhanced vision.


Objective: Travel to family farm from Hoofington... COMPLETED.


The map on my pipbuck updated and put a small marker over our location that read Pie Family Rock Farm.  I sat in stunned silence, not believing this is the farm mother wanted to take us to all those years ago.  It couldn't be considering that the pipbuck knew about it, could it?  How could it know about my journey nearly twenty years previous?  The resounding ping of a round off the rock I was hiding behind killed my concentration.

"Right... back to getting shot at." I said under my breath just as it grew silent, the reports from the guns in the forest echoing off into the distance.  I looked over at Sky as she was busily wrapping a magical bandage around Carlotta's rear.  I could hear the hoofbeats of four or five ponies as they rounded the back of the barn slowly, my compass confirming four as they got around us, sitting just around the open sides of the rear barn doors.

"Lay down your arms and we will spare your lives!"  A gruff voice of a mare came from around the corner.  I listened to it carefully in my head as none of us moved, the voice seemed to sound slightly scared, but truthful.

"Do as she asks."  I called out to the others.  "I do believe she's telling the truth."

Carlotta rose up with a groan.  "Are you kidding me? I'm not..."  She froze as Sky took off her own battle saddle and let it thump on the ground.  "...you have got to be joking."

"I trust Backlash when it comes to talking to others.  If he says we need to disarm, we need to."  She said as she sat back down.  Carlotta rolled her eyes and glared at me as she unhooked her saddle, tossing it in front of herself with a soft growl.

"Brass, can you even take off your weapons?"  I said as I looked over.  He nodded and shuddered softly, letting a soft hiss emanate from his sides, the weapons popping off before dropping to the ground with a clank.

"We are completely unarmed!"  I called out to the mysterious mare.  "What are your instructions?"

There was a long pause as we waited to see what their next move was.  Finally a large unicorn mare levitating an anti-machine rifle stepped out into view in front of us.  She was at least two or three hooves taller than any Stallion I've ever met,  her light purple hide was nearly completely scarred up with long lines, with where her cutie mark had been was burned off, leaving her skin twisted and brown.  But most importantly, around her neck she wore a metal collar with a soft red light that blinked, denoting the fact that she was a slave.

"We will hold you here until the master returns."  I noticed the small amount of shock on her face from our surrender as I listened again to her voice,  She wasn't as worried as before it seemed, but still not sure of her actions.  It sounded like she was almost sorry for holding us here.  "Master Crankshaft will know what to do with you."

"I FUCKING CALLED IT!"  Sky yelled out, making the large mare jump, her hold on the rifle wavering for a moment.  "I knew we should have killed him back in Ponyville, but you just had to be nice!"  I turned and noticed my three compatriots were all glaring at me before a soft murmuring broke out among the three outside the barn doors, the large mare stepping towards me, leveling the rifle at my head slowly.

"You were the one to humiliate the Master?"  She said with words sounded like they were cut from stone as I nodded slowly, staring into her light pink eyes.  She relaxed as a small smile crept across her face, her magic slowly swinging the rifle up and off my head.  "Then maybe you can help us kill him."

I felt my heart skip a beat as she spoke, the three other ponies outside the door striding in slowly to join us.  The set of unicorn mares and a pegasus stallion were all in worse condition than the large mare, looking to rally behind her, each one with a blinking collar to match.

"Quickly, gather your weapons.  We must get inside before they arrive."  The mare said as she turned and guided the others out of the barn.  "Master Crankshaft has a small arms cache hidden under the house.  Your injured friend will be safer there."  I nodded and followed as the others re-equipped themselves.

"Why are you helping us?"  I asked as we walked out of the barn and up to the front of the old house.  Even though the well kept house was of modest size, it's two stories seemed to tower among the open land of the farm, making it look more like a memorial than a landmark.

She spoke without a moments hesitation of thought.  "I used to live here with twelve others.  We got by as we could, tending the fields and trading gems for food.  But three years ago, and led by him, a gang of roughly fifty came from far in the wastes, needing a place to hole up.  We didn't want any trouble so we agreed."  Her words were soft and full of resentment.  "That night, they gave the six earth ponies in our group the option of joining the gang.  Spitshine was the first to choose.  He was the stallion I'd loved for as long as I can remember, and when he refused, Crankshaft beat his head to a pulp with his power hooves."

She lead me into the house through the back door, the interior was clean and orderly.  It was almost as if the same family from before the war still lived and worked here.  One of the pictures hanging on the wall caught my eye.  An older, black-hatted, tan stallion with a grey mane and gold eyes stood next to an off white, old mare who was smiling brightly.  At their hooves were three small fillies, two of which looked to be negative pallets of each other's different shades of greys.  The third was a bright pink, blue-eyed, frilly maned young Pinkie Pie.

I stood in awe for a moment as it sunk in that the filly from my dream was the same in this picture, her bright smile seeming to radiate the same pure joy she had in my dreams.  "She really is..."  I said under my breath before the sound of a trap door opening at the end of the hall made me jump slightly.

"We must go down here."  The mare said as she walked down the steps.  I trotted over and caught up to her, walking in silence into a small brick cellar.

"So what happened to the rest of you?" I asked as she clicked on a small light, showing off the large, steel door set into the red brick of the walls.

"The rest of our group wanted to join him instead of getting killed, which was a smart choice, but he informed us that he only let the best of earth pony kind in, and that a refusal by one tainted the rest."  She walked up to the door an hoofed a large blue button, making the door swing out slowly.  "So he killed the other earth ponies in our group and enslaved the rest of us, putting these collars on us to keep us from running or fighting."

As the door opened up, I looked in to see a large store room that looked to be thirty feet by thirty feet and at least half that high, stacked full of numbered crates.  I strode in and looked into the closest open crate,  my eyes lit up as I saw it was half-full of grenades.  I used my hoof to push the lid off the box next to it, my eyes met with a rack of eight pink missiles set above an unassembled missile launcher.

"When you said small, I thought you meant in size!  There is enough ordinance in here to bring down Tenpony tower AND Friendship City!"  I moved from box to box, looking giddily over the weapons and ammunition, only stopping when I reached a large wooden crate with what looked like one of those jabs-your-hoof panels hooked into a bunch of steel cables strapping it shut.  I reached to use it, but stopped as I remembered we needed to get ready, hearing as Brass's heavy steps thumped on the stairs.  I headed out of the small vault, giving the large crate a parting look.

"They are coming.  I suggest we get..."  He stopped and stared into the room behind me, slowly turning to the large mare.  "You said small cache...."  He stated slowly as I could hear how his voice wavered in excitement, barely giving me enough time to squeeze out of the way before he barged in.

"I'll gather the others to hide in here while the fighting goes on."  The mare said as she headed for the stares.  "You gather everything you need and meet me back up top."

"Wait!" I called out as she stepped up the first step.  "What is your name?"

"My name is Harmony."  She said as she stood on that step, her gaze locked up out of the cellar.  "You remind me of him, you know?"

"Of who? Your stallion friend?"  I asked, taking a slight step forward.

"You're eyes remind me of his, they always brought me the hope that one day we'd be alright."  She said as she slowly climbed up and out, leaving me standing in remorseful silence as Brass collected supplies.


-----


Brass Shooed me off upstairs as he went through the crates for the weapons, assuring me he would find what we would need.  Sky thought that we might as well use the few minutes we had left to barricade the lower floor windows and doors, and with Carlotta out of the moving game, it fell to me to help hoist the heavy furniture up.

"Do you even have.... a plan?" Sky said as we thrust the kitchen table up against the back door, it's heavy weight was enough to make it hard for the two of us to move, so we figured it would be good enough to hold the door shut for a while.  "Or is this another think on the fly situation?"  I panted heavily from all the exertion, sweating profusely as I waited to reply. (I'm not even going to deny it anymore, I know I'm fucking out of shape.  There, I said it, you happy?)

"By the time... they get here... I'll have one..." I finally got out between gasps.

"So... no then."  She said as she crossed her hooves and floated next to me.  "Why do you get to make the plans again?"

"When was the last time... you didn't just think... we should shoot them?" I said as my lungs cried out, feeling like they were ready for that retirement I had mentioned earlier.

"I guess..."  Sky said as she glanced up and rubbed a hoof under her chin.  "But when we get home, I'm making you a fitness plan.  You are way out of shape, mister."

I nodded softly and dropped onto the floor.  "Deal."  I didn't want to have to work out, but honestly I was even surprising myself on how bad I'd gotten.  Harmony trotted back up from the cellar with Brass on her heels, a small smile growing across her face as she saw me on the floor.

"So, you're a stallion who likes to slack off I see."  Her words held a note of playfulness amid the sarcasm that seemed to drip from them.  I could see what she meant, even the way she carried herself down the hall reflected the hope now in her eyes.  "Show them what you found, tin stallion."

Brass levitated an odd looking set of tubes over, I'd never seen anything quite like it as the silver bars were about as long as a pony and set in a horseshoe shape.  A small box with a pneumatic plunger sat at the opposite end from the grip.  My reply of a simple "Huh?" made me sound every bit like the not smart pony I was.

"It's a B.E.L."  Brass said as prideful as he's ever sounded.

"HUH?"  I replied.  If I had no idea what it was before, why did he think I'd realize after telling me the name?

"It shoots balefire eggs?"  He finally said flatly, the wonder in his voice as lost as I was.

"WAH?!"  I said as the gears in my head brought up the plaque from the factory.  "That thing shoots THOSE?!  Is that even SAFE?!"

"It's a weapon, it was designed to be unsafe on purpose." Brass facehooved his helmet before striding upstairs. "I'm going to go upstairs and wait, join me when you unbreak your brain."

Sky giggled softly and rubbed my mane before floating off down the hall.  "It's ok, I'd never seen one before either."

"Celestia, just kill me now."  I said as I got to my hooves.  "Did you get Carlotta and the others down in the vault?"  Harmony nodded and went to go shut the trap door, surprised when I held it open.  "Good, get inside and let us handle the fighting.  You've done enough for us already."

"No, I will stand with you."  She said as she wrenched the door from my hoof and slammed it shut.  "I stood back last time and watched as you died..." Her words drifting off as tears welled up in her eyes.  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean you..."  I put a hoof to her muzzle and smiled back.

"I understand why you want to, and I won't stop you from doing it, but I don't want you to think you owe me anything.  I owe you for everything you've done in just the last half hour, you shouldn't have to suffer because..."  I was cut off as the shrill tone of a megaphone blared outside.

"Hello? Is this thing working?"  A now familiar stallion's voice permeated the air.  "Backlash, I know you're in there.  Give yourself up and I might spare your friends."

I galloped up the steps into the room where Brass and Sky were waiting.  I peeked out the open window to see a band of forty or so earth ponies hiding behind the various rocks in the field.  Crankshaft stood out in the open, speaking through the megaphone as it sat on a nearby rock.  Sky pushed me aside and tried to line up her Gauss rifles, too hastily letting off one shot that ended up in the dirt a foot in front of him.  I shoved her back out of the window as a sniper round whizzed past her head before sinking deep into the back wall beside Harmony with a thunk.

"Now now Backlash, is that any way to treat family when you are a guest in their house?"  His voice seemed to quiver noticeably as he recovered from the close call.  "I really don't want to destroy my home, but if that's what it takes to kill you and your friends, I will.  I'm giving you one minute to exit the house and give yourselves up before we turn this place in to strips of firewood."

"I can use the B.E.L. against them, but we only have the one shot."  Brass said with the volume low on his helmet, the multicolored egg shaped explosive shimmering as he levitated it up and loaded it.  "Their sniper rounds can't get through this armor and I can take them all out."

I thought about it for a moment.  It was our best chance of making it out alive, yes, but we would be risking exposure to a lot of radiation.  I nodded to Brass as I hoped that the vault downstairs was lead lined.  "Wait to fire until we are all downstairs, the radiation won't hurt you.  You can get us out of the weapons room when it's safe to come back out."

Harmony and Sky slipped out of the room before I did, making sure to stay low as we got to the stairs.  The soft crunching of rocks near the back door gave away the small set of ponies before I remembered I could see them on my pipbuck compass.  "Fuck, some are coming from the back of the house..." I stiffened up and turned my head back to Brass.  "Fire now, Brass! FIRE!"

I shoved Harmony and Sky down the stairs as the soft thump of the pneumatic piston forced the egg out the window.  Brass and I ducked down as the world outside turned a brilliant shade of jade.  The roar of the explosion throwing us back from the windows as they blew out.  I felt the glass shards cut deep gashes into my skin as the blast wave threw me down the stairs on top of Harmony.  I watched in a haze as Sky got to her hooves and looked back at me.

"Where are they?"  She shouted as the roar of the blast died down.  I woozily looked towards the back of the house, seeing three red bars moving below the blasted out kitchen window.  I raised a hoof towards it to point it out before noticing my hoof wasn't on the end of my leg anymore. My vision went dark as I screamed and plunged back into the world of painless black.


-----



I shivered to life as I felt myself floating on my back, opening my eyes slowly.  I was greeted with a million pinpricks of light surrounding a bright white orb in the sky.  I searched my mind for an answer as to why it was so familiar, closing my eyes again as I drifted into my memories, letting it all come back into focus.

It was late while we were traveling to one of the tall white spires that reached above the cloud layer.  It was only two days into our journey from Hoofington and we had decided it would be safest to spent the night around it, so we made camp and relaxed after a long day on the road.  The night was calm as we all sat around the fire, watching it dance in the warm summer breeze.  Mother had curled up under her blanket as the two guards ate and got drunk.  The trader slowly got to his hooves and walked over to me.

"I want to show you something no one else gets to see in the wasteland."  The old man whispered to me.  "It's a sight more valuable than all the items on this wagon."  He lead me to the tall spire, pressing himself to the side while looking up and telling me to do the same.  Whispering so softly I could barely hear, he spoke as we pressed into the building.  "This is also a secret, so you can't tell anypony else, not even your mother.  Do you promise?"

As I looked up, I nodded.  I could see through the thick clouds that blocked out the sky, the sides of the tower almost pressing the oppressive layers away.  As I looked up, I could see tiny points of light, twinkling and shining down on us and it instantly became the second most amazing sight I had ever beheld.  I was stunned at how beautifully peaceful it seemed.

"Now if you pray to Luna, you might be able to see her..."  He had told me.  "She's shy to us ground ponies and doesn't come to see us very often, so you need to ask really really nicely for her to show herself.  Can you do that for me?"

I opened my eyes again.  Staring out of the black sea I floated in at the large white sphere, the shadow of a unicorn mare now shone lightly on it, the mane of hers flowed on it's surface.  "Luna, forgive me..."  I said as I reached my hoof up to her, closing my eyes and slipping into yet another memory.

"Look, I know you mean well, but you can't just set me up on a double date like this!"  I had complained.  Sky was sitting sadly in a fancy red pre-war dress as we argued inside the hotel room we'd rented in Tenpony.

"Why not?"  She yelled back, her soft eyes filled with sadness. "It's been 2 years Backlash.  You need to let him go."

"Why should I?"  I had screamed as I knocked over the coffee table.  "I can't lose anyone again.  I won't..."

"I won't just sit here and watch you pass up the chance to be happy again."  Sky said as she hugged me softly.  "I can't stand to see you so lonely anymore."

"I'm so sorry Sprocket..."  I had collapsed and lay on the floor for the rest of the night, paralyzed in sorrow.  "Maybe if I didn't show you... If I had kept my promise..."

Opening my eyes to the sea of stars, the moon no longer held the shadow of the mare.  I laid with a sigh as I felt myself start to sink, pulling me down into the dark depths while the stars started to blink out until only the moon remained, it slowly growing dim as well.  I could feel myself begin to shrink away, until the once bright moon looked only like another star in the sky.


-----


"OH LUNA! FUCK IT HURTS!"  I screamed and thrashed on the floor as both Carlotta and Sky were holding me down.  I came back to a world of pain as my eyes shot open to see Harmony.  She was applying a tourniquet to my right foreleg above where my hoof should have been, cinching it down tight.

"HOLD HIM STILL OR HE'LL BLEED OUT!"  Harmony's voice called out as my vision faded again temporarily, the needle from the Med-X Sky just injected shining in the vault's bright florescent lighting.  My muscles relaxed even when I tried to flail.  I screamed out and shut my eyes tightly.  The pain killing drug just wasn't going to cut it.

"Hand me the bottle of Wild Pegasus!"  She yelled as I whimpered, my leg feeling like it was being ripped apart muscle by muscle.  "Now hold him tightly..."  I felt as the bottle neck was shoved into my mouth and I choked down the burning drink, trying not to breathe it in before the pain dulled down and I felt really heavy.  The pain went away completely, replaced by an odd fuzziness as I was surprised at the thought of how good I felt all of a sudden.

I felt the softest prick of a needle slide into my leg before I regretted ever thinking that.  My leg felt like it was exploding, the pain was somehow worse than before, even through the drugs and the whiskey.  It hurt so badly that I wanted to beat my head into the floor just to stop the pain.  But after what was an eternity, the pain subsided, and I felt better than before.  Opening my eyes, I watched as Harmony poured the rest of the alcohol over my hairless hoof, letting the cool liquid flow over it.

"He needs to take it easy on his new hoof, the hydra just reforms the old parts, but not the wear it had before, so it's going to be weak until the muscles strengthen up a bit."  She said as she washed her bloody muzzle and hooves off in a small bucket. "He's lucky we keep it stocked up here in case there was an accident with one of the rocks."

I laughed softly on the floor as the feeling of the Med-X and whiskey hit me again, hard, sending my vision into a whirling series of colorful lines.  "I love you guys."  Is what I tried to say, but it didn't sound right to me as it came out of my muzzle, so I tried to say it again.  I felt as Carlotta shut my muzzle forcefully with her claws as I giggled out from around it.  I wrapped my hooves around her neck and pulled her into a hug.  I know she spoke in angry, slurred words, but I couldn't make them out before I passed out again.

I didn't know how long I drifted between consciousness, but I assumed it was at least six or seven hours.  When I could finally sit up, the others had gone to bed, leaving me to sit in silence alone.  I looked down over my new hoof, remarking how odd the fur looked as it cut off at the angle my original had been cut from.  I looked over the rest of myself, noting the healed scars of near two dozen separate lacerations.

As I sat there, I thought I might as well listen to that audio log that Sky had found in Whinny, and with a grunt, I slipped into S.A.T.S.  I looked over and found the lone audio log titled: "To my dear Rose."

	"I leave this message to you, Rose Thorn."

"Your mother and I just received our emergency recall signals on our pipbucks telling us to head to stable two.  We didn't think much of it until the radio reported that Cloudsdale is gone, the Pegasi are nowhere to be seen and that the end is really upon us.  I'm leaving this message here so that if you ever make it back from Salt Cube City, you can know where we went."

[There is a sudden, soft roar.  Slowly growing louder and shaking the windows in the background] 

"We...  Oh Celestia...  was that in Ponyville..."

[the voice of a mare is softly crying in the background]

"No, don't cry Tulip, I'm sure She'll be fine.  We'll just have to go somewhere else and wait for her.  Oh Rose, I'm so sorry. We love you."

The audiolog cut out abruptly.  I dropped out of S.A.T.S. and lay there, thinking about how terrifying it must have been to watch that happen.  I was depressing myself as I thought about how Rose probably never even got the message.  The sad 120 year old story who's happy ending never came.

I felt my ear twitch, breaking my thought process as I reached up to scratch it.  There was a knock on the steel vault door, startling me to my hooves.  Even as I favored it lightly, I felt my new hoof strain to hold me up as I limped over to the door.

"BRASS? IS THAT YOU?"  I Yelled, both making my head throb and startling everyone else awake.

"YEAH."  I heard his voice boom through the door. "ALL CLEAR UP TOP, YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR NOW."

I hoofed the big button on the wall and stood back as the door slowly opened.  "Guess who decided to up and become a ghoul as well?"  Brass said and strode in with a charred black stallion slumped over his back, dumping him on the floor before turning his guns on it. "Fed him some rad away while he was out, I figured that it probably would make him weak enough he couldn't run."

The Stallion coughed up a gob of deep crimson as he sat up, his blue eyes the only bright feature left on his body.

"Bravo on the excessive force!  Killed everyone but me out there."  The familiar voice spoke out.  "We're not so different you know brother."  Before I could even say anything, Harmony pushed past us, towering over the subdued ghoul.

"Where is the Detonator?"  She pressed her massive hoof against his side.  Crankshaft just coughed out a laugh. "WHERE IS IT?"

"I'll never tell you, slave BITCH."  He spat in her face as he writhed under her hoof.  Harmony grunted and leaned forward, pressing down on him until he started to scream.  "OK! I'LL TALK! CELESTIA, STOP HER!"

She leaned back, letting him catch his breath.  "It's in the safe in the barn!  The key is taped under it, just don't hurt me anymore!"  He stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes as she smiled and put her hoof on his shoulder, leaning forward this time with all her weight as he screamed out again.  A series of loud snaps and pops emanated from Crankshafts back and midsection before she stepped off him, leading the other slaves upstairs.

"YOU BITCH!  I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!"  He screamed in anger from the floor, his rage filled eyes and words seemed almost unimportant from down there.  "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"Going to gnaw her hooves off? Give up already!." Sky replied with a soft laugh.  "You deserve worse than this you son of a bitch."  His face seemed to twitch and seethe at that comment before curling into a wide grin.

"Backlash, are you really going to let your little whore insult mother like that?"  He said with a wide smile, arching his neck up as high as he could.  I could tell from his words he was desperately trying to grasp at any topic to rile us up.  The last attempt of a truly broken stallion.

My words were soft, I wouldn't let him break me.  "She was there for me when mom died.  She's been more of a sister to me all those years than you will ever be my brother.  As far as I'm concerned, my brother died the day he left us to pursue his own selfish ambitions."  I said, leaning down close to him.

"You think I don't regret that day?  You've never made a mistake like that?"  He said as he flopped his head back down.  "Tell me again, you said it was YOUR fault mother died?  What were you doing that put you in such danger as to force OUR MOTHER to save you?"  His words cut deep but I couldn't kill him, I needed to let this bastard suffer.  Death was a gift that I would not bring him.

Brass stepped forward and pushed me back.  "You know, as a ghoul, you don't have to eat.  So when we leave you here in this vault, you'll continue to lay here, fully aware and alone."  He spoke as he twisted his helmet off, levitating it over before dumping a small piece of metal out onto Crankshaft's chest, making my pipbuck click slowly.  

"I picked this up after my change, but I think you need it more.  The radiation will keep you alive, but won't fix your back.  You will never walk again."  Brass leaned down close, and smiled.  "This room will be your own personal hell, so close to ending it all, but no means of carrying it out."  I tapped on Brass's shoulder to get his attention.

"What do you mean by that?  We're taking all of this awesome stuff with us."  I said as I looked over the numerous crates.


-----


After a few hours, we had loaded up the skycar with as much ordinance as possible before strapping Carlotta in.  She had recovered a fair bit in the vault with help from a few healing potions and could actually carry things again.  Harmony suggested that we take the other slaves back to Manehatten first, having Brass, her and I stay back for a return trip with the rest of the crates.

"You keep my sister safe, you hear?"  I whispered to Carlotta as she rolled her eyes with the same exasperated sigh she loved to give.

"It's only a few hours flight there, we'll be back in the morning for you and the rest of the stuff.  I'm more worried that you'll find a way to get yourself killed before then."  She said as she took off, dragging the heavy skycar behind her slowly into the air.  I turned and gave Skyline a long hug before she had to go and catch up, streaking off out of the barn and into the horizon as the setting sun dyed it red.

I turned around to walk out, but inadvertently smacked my muzzle right up against Harmony's flank as she stood looking into the open safe, making both of us jump.

"OhCelestiaIamsosorry!"  I blushed as I backed away, my eyes darting up to see a smile grow across her muzzle. "What are you uh... looking for in there?"

"It's fine.  But I am a bigger gal than most, so I shouldn't be hard to miss..."  She chuckled as she leaned into the safe, grabbing a small piece of paper in her mouth, dropping it onto one of the crates near us.  "I was wondering what this was.  I don't know what it means or if it's important and expensive enough to take."

I walked over to it, reading over the small sheet and noticing it seemed to be a list of chemical compounds required to make the drug Party Time Mint-als.  It would bring a fairly high price to the right buyer, but the wasteland already has a huge problem with addicts as it is.  Not to mention some of these chemicals are hard to find and would make it an expensive drug.  I took the note in my mouth and placed it back in the safe.

"It's not anything useful.  Just lock it back up and lets find Brass to help you get that big box out of the basement."  I said as I shrugged.

The large steel-laden, wooden box was apparently so heavy Brass and Harmony had to take three twenty-minute breaks just to get it out the front double doors. (Two of those times were also to make sure they didn't kill Crankshaft as he insulted us from the floor.)  Once it was in the corner of the barn, I hooved at the black box, unsurprised when it gave me a soft prick.  The small rectangular metal box made a high pitched whine before releasing the steel straps and dropping to the ground with a crash.

I rubbed my hooves together in anticipation.  Hoping for a shiny new protectapony, or some amazing medical machine that would put Dr. Fitz in my debt for the rest of his life.  I drug the cables off the box and used the Marauder's tire iron to pry the front of the box down.

I stared inside at my prize, only to be confused.  It seemed to be a multi faceted object that sat on a pedestal.  In the center of the clear object was a swirling mass of colored gasses.  To be honest, I was really disappointed.

"What...is it?"  Brass said as he stared at it, reaching out to touch it before Harmony smacked his hoof away.

"It's a weapon."  She said sternly as she stared at him.

"And how do you know that?"  He replied, more than just a little annoyed.

"Because it was in the back of a room full of other weapons."  She stated very matter-o-factly.  I shrugged and couldn't beat that logic before picking the wooden crate lid back up and sealing the shimmering object.

"Well, I've seen a lot of weapons, but never anything like that."  Brass remarked as we left the barn and headed inside.  "I don't know how we're going to transport it though..."

"We won't."  I said as we came in through the front doors.  "Honestly, I have no idea what it does or what it's worth.  So we leave it."  I let out a yawn and latched the door shut before trotting over to the living room, flipping the overturned couch off the window with a loud bang.  "Anyway, I want to relax a bit before bed.  Got any more of that whiskey lying around?"  Harmony nodded and trotted off to the kitchen, leaving Brass and I in the living room.

"Thanks.  For not killing Crankshaft I mean."  I said to Brass as he started to remove his suit using his telekinesis, laying the black armor out against the wall piece by piece.  He sighed as he stepped out of the hind boots and set them down with a thud.  He looked bigger than before he became a ghoul, not anywhere near an adult stallions size, but bigger none the less.  I wondered to myself if the radiation was actually making him grow.

"Look, you were right.  I'm not a different stallion from before."  He walked over and jumped up next to me on the couch, sighing as a strand of his green hair fell out and landed between us.  "But I'm not as useless as you all think I am."

"Useless?!"  I said as I flailed my hooves.  "You are positively the most BADASS steel ranger I've ever met!  What made you think that's how we viewed you?"

Brass looked away and crossed his fore hooves on his chest.  "Everyone treats me like a colt!  I keep telling them I'm just short for my age, but nopony believes me!"  I snickered at that, not helping by thinking how true it was, he was damn small framed.  "That's exactly what I'm talking about!  I always had to prove myself around home by taking the bigger jobs on base!  That's why I signed up first to..."  He trailed off for a moment.

"Hey, you made it out when the others didn't.  You've fought harder and proved tougher than any other stallion I've ever known."  I said as I raised his chin with my hoof.  "You don't ever let somepony tell you that you are weak.  If they don't believe you, just come get me, I'll back you up one hundred percent."

Brass smiled wide and jumped up to hug me tightly, his flesh was oddly soft and squishy enough that it was slightly unnerving.  Harmony came back from the kitchen with a basket full of booze which she set down on the floor, staring in confusion between Brass and the set out armor.

"Wait, you fit inside there?"  She said slowly.  "But you move as though the suit fits you perfectly, I don't understand..."

"Well, you see..."  Brass started to explain with a long arduous rhetoric that I don't remember because I reached out for a bottle of Stalliongrad's finest and popped the top, letting the rest of the night run into a series of blurs.  I didn't drink normally because I am told I become a completely rowdy party pony.  I even had once spent our entire months earnings in Paradise because I took them up on their offer of a free first drink.  Also, I'm pretty sure that Skyline is only still angry about that because I gave her mare friend of the time a lap dance as they were trying to eat dinner.

I must have passed out sometime shortly before being able to make it to the bathroom, because my insides felt like they were trying to murder me in my sleep.  It got bad enough, it woke me up while bright sunlight streamed through a hole in the cloud layer.  Lucky me, it ran into the glassless window of the upstairs bedroom, and right into my eyes.

As I tried to cover my face with my hoof, I found it was pinned down.   I felt the weight lift off me as the bed shifted suddenly, letting me roll over to stare into the still tired bright pink eyes of Harmony as she stretched and yawned.

"Hey there, you."  She smiled and kissed my nose, making my muscles lock up.  "Hell of a fun ride last night, I might have to stick around to bunk up with you more often."  I let out a deep sigh as she got up and strode out of the room, smelling of whiskey and sweat.

"Oh Celestia.  What the hell did I do last night?"

---------------

LEVEL UP!

+ 15 Doctor (You were drunk enough that you poured your points into a skill that's not even around anymore!  Now that takes talent!)

New Perk: Rad Max - You truly are a badass warrior of the wastes when around radiation.  If you have more than 200 rads, you absorb half as much radiation as normal, but below 200 you suck up twice as much.

> Chapter 5 - Reverence 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5



"Sometimes it's a bunch of random things happening in my body at random times that supposedly predict the future!  I call em' Combos!"



-----


Even though the sun had risen above the cloud layer, the walk from the bedroom to the kitchen made me want to jump under the covers.  What would Brass think of me now?  Would he think that I was just some loose stallion, that he could just get me drunk and in the mood?  He did say he was interested... but could I even assume he'd do that at all?  He didn't seem the manipulative type...  Oh right, going to puke.

I nudged the odd thoughts from my head as tried my best to sneak into the upstairs bathroom, ultimately for no benefit because once I was a single hoof in, I bowed in reverence and gave my booze offering to the porcelain goddess.  I could hear Harmony chuckle from the kitchen as the smell of cooking beans and Cram filled the air.  I wiped my muzzle clean on an old towel that was hung on the wall and looked up into the mirror.  I had a large scar over my eye from where 42 had hit me, It ran all the way around the front of the socket to nearly meet the similar one on that graced my cheek.

"Not sure if this makes me look badass or just prone to injury..."  I shrugged and murmured to myself. "Not worth it at all, but it's still different none the less."  I ran my hooves under the water, my eyes jumping to the unfamiliar coloration of my right hoof as I forgot the events of yesterday momentarily.

"You coming down, hun?"  Harmony chimed from downstairs.  "Breakfast is almost ready!"  I turned my head to respond, catching a glimpse of a single red bar in that direction shown on my compass.  I panicked and scrambled out of the bathroom, flying down the stairs while nearly losing my balance halfway down, causing me to slam into the railing at the bottom and crack it.  (I'm heavy, momentum sucks. I blame physics.)  Brass, who had been passed out on the couch, shot awake and scrambled too his hooves.

"Didn't think it warranted THAT much of a rush..." Harmony said as she walked in from the kitchen.  I turned again to respond before noticing the red bar was to my left on the stairs, not sure how it got inside.  "You alright there?"

"Someone is here.  I can see them."  I said as I frantically looked over the sides of the stairs.  Why would it say they were in the wall?  The only thing near here is the cellar... Oh shit.

"Backlash, calm down."  Brass called out as he walked over just in time for me to throw the cellar open, slamming the door down in front of his hooves.  I looked down inside as the open arms room door to see that the red bar was Crankshaft. "You're just still not used to the E.F.S. on your pipbuck..."

The curious look of the ghoulified Crankshaft stared up at me from the floor in the arms room. "Miss me that much, brother?"  He called up as a sly grin grew across his muzzle.  I turned to shut the door on him, angry that this compass thing (E.F.S. or whatever as Brass had said) couldn't tell me what floor enemies were on, I mean that was a pretty bad design oversight.  I stopped for a moment as his mark changed from red and was now a non-hostile pink.  As I continued again and swung the heavy door up, he said something I didn't expect.

"You know, I was on my way to see that pink cunt yesterday when I saw your skycar off in the distance.  She wanted to see me I assumed about why I'd failed the job, and there I was about to go and tell her to fuck off.  But low and behold, you delivered yourself unto me and I came a 'runnin'."  His eyes seemed different now, he seemed... remorseful.  "See, you probably saved my life by not letting me go, and as much fun as that's been, she's going to come looking for me.  It won't be long before she figures out where this place is and comes to knock down my door."

I stepped down the stairs cautiously into the brick room next to the empty arms cache, my regenerated hoof aching with each step.  "So why tell me now?  Why not let her surprise me and get your revenge?"  I asked as I raised an eyebrow to him.

"Because I meant what I said.  We're family."  He said as he flopped his head back down on the floor. "She'll kill me anyways when she gets here, and I want her to.  I don't want to be left like this.  But you need to go.  Even if you surprise her, she'll still win.  Run for it, get as far from here as you can, go live your life somewhere she can't find you."  He looked up at me with teary eyes. "Because you can still be a better pony than I was."

I felt bad for him.  I know I shouldn't, but he actually sounded sincere, like he wanted to do something good for a change.  Maybe I just wanted to believe that he was still the strong and noble colt I grew up with so long ago, but he had given us a chance to finally not be caught off guard by 42, and I wasn't going to ignore his advice.

He sniffed and shut his eyes.  "When you leave, shut the vault door.  At the very least I'll buy you some time to high tail it out of here.  Just promise me that you will kill that pre war bitch next time you see her."  He said with a low, harsh tone, choking back tears. "Goodbye, Backlash.  I'll make sure to tell mom you said hello."  I hit the round blue button on the wall, the door letting out a soft hiss as it swung closed and latched.

I turned and walked up the steps quickly, noticing that Brass was just fitting the chestpiece of his armor into place.  Harmony had gone and turned off the kitchen equipment and brought me my flak vest and saddle bags from upstairs.  She kissed me on the cheek lightly as I secured them both, drawing a deep blush from me.

"So Backlash, what's the plan?" Brass said as he twisted his helmet on, his autoloaders feeding his minigun and anti machine rifle the fresh ammo he pulled from some of the crates yesterday. "which direction do we run?"

"I'm thinking we head for the silo."  I said as I looked out the window nervously.

"You mean towards the forest? that's crazy!" Brass stomped lightly for emphasis. "We even take a risk hiding in the treeline!"  

Harmony leaned over to him. "We hid in there from your assault and came out unscathed.  I know where we can pass safely if..."

"We are NOT going to run!"  I cut her off, looking over to brass who I knew was going to ask the dumb next question.  "Nor are we going to fight.  I believe Crankshaft when he says we aren't well equipped enough."  I watched the young stallion relax slightly at that. 

"Then what will we be doing?"  Harmony said with a cant of her head, her slow words more filled with worry than curiosity.  I walked over and swung the front door open, heading out side to finally take in the carnage from the previous day.  The charred and mutilated corpses of nearly thirty ponies lay strewn about in front of the house, decorating the various rocks with strips of pony flesh, looking like some sort of grotesque confetti.  My mind halted my own train of thought with how much that sounded like something 42 would like.  I turned around to face them, sliding that to the back of my mind to get back to the topic at hand.

"We slow her down.  It's time I take back my car."


-----


it had only been fifteen minutes or so of waiting before the dusty plume the Marauder kicked up as it rolled closer could be seen on the horizon.  I silently thanked Crankshaft in my head that he didn't wait longer to warn us.  The three of us huddled near the door inside the large silo, watching through a small hole in the wood as the Marauder pulled up infront of the house.  It came to a stop with a small skid before 42 shut the engine off and hopped out through the windowless door.

I could feel my blood boil as I saw her walking to the porch with a determined look on her face.  I wanted to shoot that face off so... wait, was she looking at us?  I raised my hoof to get the others attention as I saw her grinning softly towards us.  How the fuck did she know where we were?  Did she have the same psychic sense that pinkie and I did?  I mean I don't know why she wouldn't I guess, but.... UGH, clones hurt my brain.  I relaxed a bit as she slowly turned and walked into the house, shutting the front door with a slam.

"Ok, lets go..." I whispered to the others, slowly reaching over and pulling the door open.  The others nodded before slipping out ahead of me.  I figured that if Brass's noisy ass suit could get in at the same time as Harmony, then I could make a mad dash for the drivers seat, hop in and get us going. (in an odd side note, being a push button start meant that anyone could just walk up and steal it!  Who's brilliant idea was that?)

Once they were a little more than halfway between the silo and the car, I followed at a swift gallop, stumbling for a moment on my weak hoof when I heard the sadistic laugh of my brother from inside the house, fallowed by the sharp report of a gunshot.  I skid on my hooves and slammed against the rusty car, praying to Celestia that the spark batteries would hold out until we were at least a good distance away.

I opened the door and jumped in, hitting the starter and listening for the whine of the capacitors to charge, but was once again met with only silence.  I sighed and tried again, and then again.  "Fuck."  Grumbling softly, I started digging around in my saddle bag.

"I thought you said we'd be moving by now..."  Brass said nervously, his speaker felt like it was cranked to eleven even on the lowest setting.  I hooved at the button again before giving up on it.

"Calm yourself! I know how to fix it!"  I snapped back angrily as I drew out the Marauder's tire iron, holding it between both my hooves as I remember what Sky had said the morning this whole adventure started, bringing the tool down hard on the dashboard repeatedly, screaming out. "I DON'T WANT TO FUCKING DIE HERE YOU FUCKING PIECE OF..."  The capacitors whined and the engine roared to life, making me pause and drop the tool to the floor with a smile.  "Finally! We can go home!"

I threw the deafening, steel beast into drive and floored it, kicking up lines of rocks and clouds of dust as we took off into the wastes.  I looked in the rear view mirror, struggling to see through the growing plume as 42 ran onto the porch and fired wildly at us.  A few of the shots found their mark as they thunked against the body of the car, the rest ricocheting off the steel body or missed as the house shrunk down behind us on the horizon.  Her scream mixed with my voice as I laughed like a mad stallion for nearly a minute before catching my breath as we bounced wildly over the dirt and onto the old highway system.  "Fuck yeah!  42, you can kiss my..."

"Backlash!"  Brass yelled up in panic.  "Harmony is hurt!"

I swirved off the road as I slammed on the breaks, bringing us to a quick stop before looking to the back seat.  My stomach churned as I saw Brass tring to apply pressure to a gushing wound in Harmonys neck, making me freeze up.  Oh Celestia, what do I do?  Sky know's all the medic stuff, I don't know what to do! CELESTIA, WHAT DO I DO?!

"It's o..ok.  You gave me... me hope."  She choked out, a steady stream of crimson flowed from the side of her muzzle as she spoke.  "I got... got to see you again."  She coughed and smiled softly, her eyes locked onto mine and brighter than I'd ever seen them.  "Spit.. I did... it, I sa... saved yo..."  She relaxed as her voice trailed off, her gaze drifted to the floor coldly as she gave her last breath, slumping against the door lightly.

Luna no.  We just won, dammit!  We just beat 42 at her own fucking game for once!  My eyes clouded as I just looked at the small round hole in the back seat where the bullet came through.  Funny enough, I think that if the trunk was there, the round wouldn't have gotten in.  But I was the not so smart pony who removed it. I watched as Brass lowered his hoof and stared at me through the lifeless eyes of his helmet.  I spun and smashed my regrown hoof into the dashboard in anger, feeling jabs of pain as I hit it against it over and over.

"Backlash...  we... we need to go." Brass said through his own tears, the speaker even seeming to amplify his sadness.  I didn't want to go anymore, I didn't want to have to deal with trying to stop 42 anymore.  "We need to get to the others."  With as much as it hurt, he was right.  More than ever we needed to keep going.

I hit the accelerator and got us moving again, keeping us on the road towards Manehatten while I wiped the tears from my eyes.  As we rolled over the pothole filled highway, I lost myself in thought, trying at first to just keep my mind occupied.  But being the fucked up pony I was, my mind ended up bringing up the faces of the 28 in Ponyville.  I cursed myself for having forgotten some of them, knowing that they are my burden to carry, I need to remember because if I didn't, nopony would.

My mind screamed out to me with that thought, there was one other.  There was still one Ponyville resident left.  "Brass, did you see Pallet anywhere with 42 back there?"  There was a long moment of silence before he answered the one thing  I didn't want to hear.

"No, I did not."  He seemed to pause again for a moment before adding "Maybe 42 is keeping her somewhere."  Or maybe she just killed her, just to add  to the growing body count weighing me down.  I wonder how many more bodies my mind could handle seeing before breaking completely.  "I doubt forty two killed her, she might need to use her again as leverage.  Just in case we ever get the upper hoof on her."

His words took a moment to sink in before prying me out of the fog of depression I was lost in, his logic sharp enough to sink deep.  "Your right, she's probably still alive."  But what would 42 do now that she was stranded out in the middle of nowhere?  It was too much to hope that she would just sit down and die, even then we still had no idea where she hid Pallet.  No, 42 was coming for me, I know it.  I had just showed her up, I had just made this personal, and in stereotypical supervillin fashion, she would try to get her revenge.


----- 


We drove in silence for another two and a half hours towards Manehatten before the last of the spark batteries the Marauder was running on died.  I begrudgingly got out and lifted the hood, stripping the spent batteries out before shoving the single, half dead one from my saddle bags into the first slot.  Without the constant trickle from the other 7, this one will drain much faster, even with the battery controller.  We won't get much farther, but I hoped it would let us at least get far enough that I could find a settlement.

The problem with the Equestrian wasteland was that as new sources of salvage were discovered, whole villages sprung up almost overnight, starting to pull pre war ruins apart the day after.  It also worked the other way around though, as I had once watched as a set of supply depots were cleared and entire town was stripped and abandoned by sun up the next day.  Yes, communities like Ponyville existed, but they were so few and far between now that mostly a lot of ponies live in them because they believe safety in numbers, or they offered some sort of steady work.  With 42's arrival stirring up the wastes, and the loss of Ponyville itself, I don't think that first idea holds true anymore.

I slammed the hood shut, looking around along the grey horizon for a moment for anything that looked like a place that might house ponies.  Coming up with nothing, I decided to use the map function on my pipbuck to see where we were, unhappy to see that our ride had taken us less than half way to the nearest settlement.  I turned and got back in, trying not to glance at the back seat where Harmony's body was.  I heard Brass remove his helmet with the now familiar hiss as he shifted about in the back.

"This is our last battery, so keep an eye out for a place to stop or any traders on the horizon."  I said back to Brass through a sigh.  I was suddenly hit with the sudden understanding for the practicality of a skycar.  What was a four hour trip for a skycar, was nearly two days on the road.  Even without 42 after us, it might have seemed unbearably slow.

"There is an old quarry not far from here."  His soft voice coming oddly from behind.  I turned to see him with his head hung out the window, looking positively green in the face.  "We can ask for hel..."  He arched his back hard and threw up out the window, the foul liquid making my pipbuck tick softly.  I looked down to notice the rad meter was in green.  Wait, green?  I guess Skyline or Harmony must have given me some rad away while I was recovering from the whole severed hoof thing.

"Just keep going."  He groaned out slowly "Yeah, if you could try to avoid the holes in the road, that would be great."  I nodded and hit the ignition, letting the loud engine rumble to life as I sat back.  I drove us at a more relaxed pace than before, as we were more in need of economy than the need of saving time or running from 42.  I sighed sadly as we rode the next fifteen minutes before I saw the sign for the quarry, remembering I had passed here many times before while on my route with Sky.  There wasn't anything out here other than a couple of rusting bulldozers and a small, gutted office trailer.  Why Brass wanted me to stop here was beyond me.

I saw a flash of light from the high dirt walls of the old complex, turning the car sharply as a gunshot tore the passenger side rear view mirror off.  The tires screeched as the car sharply skid sideways before coming to a rest.  I ducked onto the floor as the dust cleared, landing painfully on top of the tire iron I had left on it earlier.  I rubbed my chest as Brass opened his door and rolled out, heaving in loud gasps before he threw up yet again.

"Stay where you are!"  The obnoxiously loud boom of a power armored helmet called out from the distance.  I could hear the loud thumping of heavy hooves approaching as I lay in the car.  "You have been deemed a criminal of the wasteland and will submit to the authority of the Manehatten steel rangers delta contingent."  As the voice got closer, I could now make  it out as the voice of a mare, her tone was that of steadfast duty, like she truly believed herself to be with out a doubt, talking to criminals.

"I am steel ranger acolyte Brass Tacks of the Manehatten contingent."  I heard the young stallion choke out from the pavement.  "Stand down, we are not the fugitive you are looking for."  Brass spoke as I heard a soft hiss from his suit, followed by the clunks of his dismounted weapons as they dropped to the roadway.

"I am Paladin longbow, and I regret to tell you that acolyte Brass Tacks was marked as killed in action on a mission two weeks ago and that this vehicle has been reported to be operated by a known criminal of the wasteland."  She said with a stomp.  Wait, how could they think Brass was dead?  The remark making my mind run back to the encounter at the M.O.M. bunker that started all of this.  The group that took down the purple alicorn must have been looking for his group when I was teleported, which also meant they left before he showed up.  "Stay on the ground, you and your supplies will be detained in our facility until we can establish your identities.

I felt the door open behind me before I was drug out unceremoniously, flopping onto the ground with a thud as magical manacles forced my fore hooves together painfully.  I turned my head back to see the helmet levitate off a midnight blue unicorn mare standing a few feet from me in polished power armor.  I assumed unicorns didn't wear helmets because of their horn, but I looked through the hole drilled into her silver headgear it as it levitated beside her.  She held head high, her longer than normal horn cut through her black and light blue striped mane as her large, soft blue eyes looked down at me for a moment before they were drawn over around the car.

"Black power armor?"  Her eyes narrowed as she pointed her twin sniper rifles to the side of the car Brass was lead around.  "Since when did the Enclave start outfitting ghouls with this kind of tech to do their work?  No matter, take them away for questioning.  The rest of us will have to get this vehicle in storage."

I was levitated off the ground and onto the back of one of the other power armored soldiers, writhing and trying to get at least a little more comfortable as he trotted me into the quarry.  I looked back to see Brass was being flanked by three soldiers as he walked slowly after us, my view getting cut off as the suit I was riding turned and strode into a cave.

While I never checked deep into dangerous caves when we stopped places, I'm pretty sure we would have noticed this place with how many suited soldiers were striding around here.  We were heading towards an open, rectangular steel door that looked more like the bulkhead on a ship than an entrance.   My captor must have forgotten I was riding or didn't care when they entered because they trotted too close to one side, making me smack my head on the  frame with a loud thunk.

"Hey! watch it!"  I cried out as they twist down a set of steep stairs, descending a few flights before turning down another hallway, once again slamming my head into the doorframe as we passed through.  "You know what, fuck you."  I barked out as I tried to rub my head with my shackled hooves.  I swear to Celestia I was going to buck this ranger SO hard when this got sorted out, that he will wish I had sent him to the moon... maybe I could even borrow Brass's armor to help.

The steel rangers bunker seemed oppressive, it's long, metallic hallways predictably cut off into smaller rooms at regular intervals.  small groups of robed acolytes worked on various arcano-tech devices as we walked by, not even looking up from their work.  As we took a right and walked down a long hallway, a group of young foals came screaming by chasing each other, seemingly unfazed by the armored brute carrying a random wasteland prisoner.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I knew nothing about how the steel rangers even lived.  I always knew they lived in underground bunkers, but I had imagined the interior to be a bit more... cozy.  This place had no color, no expression, nothing lavish in it at all!  No wonder that they were always such ruthless bastards, these places sucked the individuality right out of them!

We stopped inside a small room that had a single table with a large metal box set on it.  I looked around as a pair of stallions in robes lifted me up and stripped me down to just my pipbuck, putting all of my gear into the box before throwing me back on top of my armored 'escort'.

As we continued, we wound down quite a few more flights of stairs and through another assorted section of hallways.  The ominous thrumming of the arcane reactors that powered the base seemed to come straight from the walls, the low tone seemed deafening in my mind.  "How can you ponies stand to live here?"

An elder Mare's voice spoke up as I was finally brought into a small room at the end of the hallway we were in.  It was poorly lit by a single dim bulb, illuminating a metal pole rising from the floor in it's center that seemed to be the only feature of the mostly dark room.  "We choose to live here because the outside is just too barbaric to the alternative safety of these bunkers."  I knew that voice, She was there at the entrance to 42's bunker.  Her words slid out of the darkness, oozing with elation as I was chained to the post and locking in.

"Strawberry Sorbet."  I said with a glare as her red eyes came out of the darkness.  A hood cloaked her grey coat and mane as she stood at the edge of the light, her eyes wavered for a moment in surprise.  "You never forget a name when you are in the mercantile business."

Her eyes narrowed as she gave a small laugh. "I am hardly surprised, but as you now see, the moment you claimed that bunker for the M.O.M., you stepped into MY business." She started pace in circles around me as she spoke, not shifting her gaze once as she left my own and came back into view from the other side of me.  "Now I understand competition is good for everyone in your little world, but I rule mine with an iron hoof.  You see, as you and that pink mare run around committing atrocities with the weapons of the old world, I am trying to protect the innocent ponies caught in the crossfire.  It is my job to take away all of the fun toys from all you little primitive wasteland foals, and when I do, then Equestria may finally have a chance to grow again."

What was it that happened nearly two weeks ago that made it so every new pony I ran into had the sudden urge to be a stereotypical villain with a 'Master Plan' to 'Save' the wasteland?  Did ponies sound like this before the war?  If we did, it was probably the reason we blew ourselves up.  I chuckled softly at that thought, catching a glimpse of rage shoot across the elders expression.

"I'm not with her.  I merely reclaimed the property she stole from me."  I retorted smartly as I shifted uneasily on my rear hooves, twisting at the post I was hooked onto.

"Oh we are aware of this..."  Her eyes beamed through the darkness as she spoke.  "That obnoxious stallion in Tenpony keeps reminding us of this while we are just as interested in stopping that pink mare as you are..."  Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to use the radio on this thing, which reminds me... why didn't they remove it with all my other stuff?  I mean they had always bought the other ones I've found, and those didn't even work!

"So why tell me all this?  Why keep me here at all?" My voice as calm as I could make it, trying to hide the fact that the way she had me set up in this room unnerved the ever living HELL out of me.

"Because, I need you to provide me with a service."  She said as a small smile crept across her muzzle, glinting in the soft light.

"You want to negotiate."  I paused for a moment, not believing it for a moment.  "With me?"  I raised an eyebrow to her, following her as she continued walking slowly around me.  "Then why the room? Why the setup?"

"You can always say no."  She replied with a forced frown, her eyes looking away as she nodded her head slighly.  "But because you know of this base, I'd have to keep you down here for the rest of your life, which incidentally wouldn't be very long.  Prisoners seem to keep dying when down here, and the murderous perpetrator has yet to be caught.  It's quite a pity really, I've lost a lot of good prisoners to whomever they are."

Wow, I never thought that the steel rangers were that far gone, sacrificing even their basic morals to obtain prewar junk was bad, but now this?  If anything I'm glad Brass got out when he did. Wait, well maybe not so glad.  He has gone through some pretty rough shit with me as well, but at least we weren't forcing innocent ponies to submit or die.  I don't want to imagine Brass ever growing up to be as cold as this.

"This isn't a negotiation." I finally spoke up before getting lost too deeply in my own thoughts.  "A negotiation is when both sides get something.  So if I do this, I get something out of it."  I watched as her smile widened slightly.  I was only going to have one shot at this.    "If you don't like it, fine, leave me here.  I wish you all the luck in finding somepony else who is related to a ministry mare."  I turned my muzzle up and away, trying my best to look indifferent.

"Well, I'm sure we could find someone at Tenpony... Or friendship City." She snapped back, her voice filled with a cold hatred. "Could just keep killing them on that bunker door until somepony went through."

One of these days, I'm going to ask Brass if she was born without a heart, or if she just lost it in some pre war ruin and couldn't find it again.  "You could do that, but the last thing DJ Pon3 would broadcast to Equestria is that all steel rangers aren't to be trusted, and should be killed on sight.  Oh, and before you say have the armor to fight ponies and win ten to one.  Remember that with the full might of wasteland against you, it will be more like a hundred to one.  It will be a wasteland with a rifle pony behind every blade of dead grass, behind every rock, and inside every ruin."  I leaned as close as I could get, torquing my bindings as she came around again.  "Unless you want to play those odds, then give me a real deal."

Strawberry Sorbet stopped and walked up to me, dropping her hood and letting her short grey mane droop around her head in a small bowl shape.  "Fair enough.  I will let you and your friend go if you agree."

"Not bad..."  I tilted my head in thought.  "...for an opening bid.  First, tell me the job."

She shook her head slowly with a frown.  "You don't get to know.  You wanted to negotiate a price, so that is what we will do.  If we reach an agreement, then I will tell you the job."  Her voice denoted she was hesitant, so the job had to be worse than I could think possible, so it was ok that I start high with my demands and give her something outrageous to agree too.

"Fair enough." I rolled my eyes with a sigh. "But I get to keep any of the tech I find, even if you succeed on this little 'crusade' you have planned.  I'll have steel ranger immunity per-se." now she counters with a low bid.

"You get to keep none of the tech you find, and I will take anything else of yours I find even remotely interesting."  She glowered at me, her voice sounding a bit overconfident. "Oh, and you will submit to the steel rangers like every other wasteland primitive."

Shit, I thought she might come in low at five percent, but zero percent was a bit harsh.  Well, tough customers call for my A-game.  "I get to keep half the tech I find, with the option to sell it to you for double its value."  I feigned a waiver in my voice and looked around the room sharply, happy to see her smile grow from the performance I gave.  Alright!  At least I know that without a heart, she could still play right into my hooves.

"You can choose five pieces of tech, should you recover any, and I will pay you ten percent of their value for them, and I will confiscate any extra pieces anyway without compensation."  She leaned close, her gaze was now unwavering, almost boring into the depths of my mind.

"I will choose two pieces of tech to keep and three to sell for one and a half their value."  I straightened up my gaze, staring back at her with a tight grin.  Her eyes twitched momentarily, just enough for me to perceive it.  "Final. Offer."

"Is that so?"  She said slowly as she loosened up a bit, her gaze drifting to the side as she thought.  "You will be paid one quarter what each item you recover is worth, keeping none of it."  She nodded to the guard in the room behind me and I felt the magical shackles disappear.  "And I'll even let you keep that deathtrap of a vehicle.  It does no good to us in such unstable condition."

I beamed a smile at her and held my unbound hoof out to her. "Deal!"


-----


Wait a moment... Deathtrap? Unstable? I put her back together myself!  Yeah she is a bit stubborn sometimes, but that was low!  I shook the thoughts from my head as I walked up to the "brig" as they called it.  I wore a wide smile as Brass looked up from his small cot, standing up as the guards slid the barred door open before leaving us.

"How...?" His bright gold eyes looked up before he bolted at me, throwing his hooves around me in a hug.  "I tried to tell them I was me, but nopony believed me."  I let him hang off me for a moment before straightening up.

"I made a deal.  We have a job to do for them."  I said softly, letting him collect himself.  "Come on, we need to gather our gear and find out what crazy shit we're supposed to walk into next."

As we stopped a couple levels up for me to catch my breath, I started to wonder why in Celestia's name was this building made out of stairs!  I know I'm out of shape, but for Luna's sake they could have installed at least a single elevator SOMEWHERE.  I collapsed at several more points as we were climbing, trying to catch my breath as we made our way to the middle levels of the complex.

Brass was leading the way to the armory, deftly winding us through the apparently endless hallways.  Finally, we ended up in a cramped room with a small, metal, mesh window in the back wall, a semi circle cut out of the bottom was the only clear view of a room behind.  The light-framed yellow stallion wearing a pair of thick glasses had his muzzle buried in a book as we approached, not even looking over as we walked up.

"Please sign your Name, I.D. number, lot number, and the current time on the clipboard provided"  He spoke in the dullest tone I had ever heard and I was nearly asleep by the end just that sentence.  A curious thought crept into the back of my head, there was only one other pony I knew that came close to that level of dreariness...

"You wouldn't happen to be related to the head of admissions in Tenpony, would you?"  I asked with a small smile that shrank as he raised his eyebrow slowly and looked over the two of us over before grabbing a nearby clipboard and sliding it under the metal caged window.

"Don't worry Backlash, I'll fill this out."  Brass said as he levitated the pen and board next to him, angrily staring up at the yellow stallion.  "I've done this PLENTY of times to know."  Ouch, I could feel the tremendous amount of resentment in his words start to burn, the clerical stallion huffing softly and not giving us another thought as he went back to his book.

With the way they treated him before, and the way they carry themselves even around each other, I'm not sure why Brass even wanted them to remember him again.  Brass scribbled some things on the clipboard and floated the finished paperwork under the window again with a grunt, still keeping his eyes locked on the annoying stallion as he read through the forms with a blank look.

"You've filed form 23-B instead of form 2b-3.  I'm going to need you to redo it before I can process your request."  The stallion smirked as he crumpled up the paper while I watched Brass out of the corner of my eye as her started trembling with rage.  I heard heavy hoofsteps come in behind us.

"Oh fucking just give them their stuff, Manilla."  I turned back to look just as Longbow pushed Brass and I out of the way.  "The elder needs them at the briefing now, and you know what she'll do if she found you slacking off again.  Hell, you're lucky I don't report you for this violation."  Her voice was cold and seemed to cut right through the window, the look on the yellow stallion was one of nervous guilt as he shrank down in his seat.

"R..right away Ms. Longbow."  He fumbled himself out of his chair and disappeared from sight behind the wall.

"Sorry about that, he doesn't like outsiders."  The armored mare said as she pushed her long mane from her eyes before looking down at Brass.  "I remember you... yes, you belonged to the east side contingent, Bravo company I believe."

"How did you know?"  Brass said as he looked over her in awe. "I mean you look familiar, but..."

"You don't remember?" She said with more than a hint of disappointment. "It was a little over a year ago I had asked you to prepare some information for me, it was about the arcanotech facility for an upcoming mission I was supposed to brief my squad and the elders on.  You spoke your mind, much to the chagrin of my superiors and said that after reviewing the records, the risks from the automated defences were too high and that the mission should be scrapped.  Nothing else needed to be brought up."  The face on the young stallion lit up as the memory came back, followed along giddily as she continued. "Because of your warning, I was the only one who came prepared for the full force of the defences.  I ended up dragging two other injured paladins back when the star paladin decided to scrap the attempt."

"I remember that!"  Brass bounced on his hooves, looking as happy as filly Pinkie Pie from my dreams. "You told me that without my attention to detail and the courage to speak my mind, you would have died!"

Longbow smiled a soft smile that reminded me of Sky.  Shit, speaking of, Sky was probably freaking out right about now.  Longbow sighed loudly, pulling me out of my head and back to the story.  "Yes, and when I told you, you were so proud of the job you did, your cutie mark appeared!  I'll always remember that day.  Did you know that they made me a Paladin because I saved Backblast and Cream Puff?  They may not have thought it to be true, but for me, we survived because of an amazing, little colt."  She ruffled his green hair with her hoof a bit as he giggled.

Part of the wall hissed and slid open suddenly, making me scream and jumped back nearly five feet.  I slowly met the confused looks of Longbow and Brass as a nervous smile spread across my muzzle.  Composing myself, I quickly walked over and grabbed one of the metal boxes that rested on a pneumatic rack, attempting to pick it up with both hooves but failing seeing as it seemed to weigh a million fucking tons.

"Let me get that for you..." Longbow said with a hint of snarkiness, walking over and effortlessly lifting the box off, setting it on the ground next to Brass.  She turned around and smiled, lifting a hoof to her forehead to give me a small salute. "If you need anymore help, I'll be right outside, Ma'am"  She smiled and winked at me as the sarcastic remark drew another fit of giggles from Brass while he floated the lid off the box, revealing his black power armor.

"damn cheat suits..." I grumbled under my breath as I turned and yanked the other box off the shelf, half expecting it to be as heavy as the first.  As it turns out, it wasn't!  I pulled far too hard and threw the box across the room, smacking Brass right in the head with it.  He dropped to the floor with a groan and a thud.  I stifled back a giggle of my own as I walked over and helped Brass back to his hooves.  "Sorry... I thought it was going to be heavy."

"It's fine. I did hospitalize you once, remember?"  Brass said as he smiled up, his eyes refocusing on me as he rubbed his forehead softly. "But now we're even."

The yellow stallion peered through the cutout section of the window.  "You know, you really shouldn't beat children..."

"Get back to work, Manilla!" Longbow shouted as she walked out, trying to contain her laughter.


-----


I had relaxed a bit after I got my gear back, triple-double-checking my inventory to make sure nothing was missing before following longbow up yet more flights of stairs.  After three flights I flung myself onto Brass, letting his armor carry me the rest of the way as my right hoof ached horribly. I didn't care anymore if anyone thought less of me, I'll deal with it whenever these stairs weren't trying to murder me.  We turned out of the stairwell, letting out a groan as my head smacked against the doorframe.  I rubbed my head as we walked into a blander than normal room with a single rectangular table in the center.

"Took your time getting here, maybe took a small nap, got something to eat?"  Strawberry Sorbet said with agitated sarcasm without even looking up from the documents spread about the tables surface.

"Sorry, Ma'am, won't happen again, Ma'am"  Longbow said as she saluted stiffly.

"You need to keep your staff in line."  Brass said as he took his helmet off and set it on the table.  "They are lazy and inefficient."

The elder tapped her hoof on the table before looking up and over at him.  "You know, if you were a pony under my command, I would lock you up for a week for that remark."  She let out a soft sigh as she gathered her papers. "You're straight and to the point.  Just like that east sider colt... oh what was his name..."  She grinned and glared at him.  "It doesn't matter, I heard he was killed a few weeks ago, a shame really."  I could see Brass tense up, his eyes bore the intensity of a balefire blast as he stared across the table.

"The job."  I raised my voice as I spoke. "What is it?"  Brass shrugged off the anger and looked at the floor as I spoke, trying to not gaze back at the elder as she did her best to match the stare he had with an added smile.

"There is a computer hidden in an underground facility on the far outskirts of Fillydelphia."  She said slowly.  "It used to be one of the computer hubs that linked all of the Ministries between the great cities.  I watched out of the corner of my eye as paladin Longbow cringed as she went on, she didn't seem to like the mention of this place at all.  I looked more at her expression as she listened, seeing pain and suffering shimmer across her face in waves.

"You need to get to the bottom level of the facility and reconnect the server hub.  The power generators should still be running, so it shouldn't be anything more than a command at a control terminal."  The gray mare relaxed her gaze, looking over at me.  "Don't screw this up and I will honor our deal.

I nearly laughed.  "That's it? Just activate a terminal? Ok, we'll..." Brass cut me off by raising a hoof to my chest, shaking his head slowly.

"This is the same facility I researched for Longbow."  He said, his gaze was stern. "The first three levels are flooded with radiation."  Well that won't be so bad as long as we pack plenty of rad away.  "The fourth level is full of robots and automated turrets, but even then, nopony knows what the fifth floor holds.  The schematics were off limits, so you can bet that's where the real trouble is going to be."

My expression sank as he continued, face hoofing as he finished.  One Celestia-damned break!  And robots?! I hated fighting robots!  They were the only thing that didn't run away no matter how much you shot them up.  I was about to respond as a series of alarms activated throughout the base.  A dark green mare ran up to the elder and whispered into her ear.

"It's fine, we were expecting them."  Strawberry said as she pushed the mare away without a care, turning to me with the same crooked smile from before.  "It seems your feathered friends have finally tracked you down.  You may get your things and go, but if you attempt to run, I will track you down, and Celestia help you if I do find you."  She turned yet again towards the blue paladin and smiled.  "You have advanced knowledge of the layout and will escort them into the facility."

"Y...Yes Ma'am"  Longbow stuttered out, snapping back up to a salute as the alarms stopped.  The elder threw her hood up over herself and trotted from the room quickly, not even offering us a second glance.  The three of us  just stood for a moment in silence as the green informant mare exited after a moment as well.  Longbow put her hoof back down and let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry for the elder giving you such a task."  She said with a glum look.  "I'll do my best to help, but if five of us in armor couldn't make it down, what chance do we have?"  She sat down hard as I looked at Brass and shrugged. "I need to requisition some supplies downstairs.  I'll meet you two up top."

"I don't care much for the chances, but I'll be damned if I don't do a job I made a deal on.  I'd never be a successful trader if I skimped on my customers!"  I smirked lightly and thought about all the arms I had just collected the day before.  Even at one quarter the worth, that was a FORTUNE in caps!  I nodded to brass for us to go, looking into her eyes as we walked out. "Besides, if you do make it back, they'll have to make you star paladin or some shit."  She forced as smile before we rounded the corner into the stairwell again.  "Ah, my old nemesis, Stairs."  I huffed quietly before I started to climb the remaining flights up.

We were met at the cave's entrance by Sky and Carlotta.  Sky didn't even give me a moment to catch my breath before tackling me to ground, hugging around my neck tightly.  Honestly, even though it had only been a day, it was the best feeling in the world to have her near me again.  I laughed through my gasps and hugged her back hard, only to be silenced by Carlotta a few moment's later.

"Where's Giganto-mare?  Still inside?" Her words forced the harsh reality back to the front of my head, Harmony was still laying dead inside the Marauder, 42 had still murdered her, and it was still all my fault.

"She..."  I started, losing myself in thought for a moment.  "I screwed up."  I pushed Sky off me and rolled to my hooves, staring at the dirt solemnly.  Brass walked up and put a hoof on my shoulder.

"We did what we could..."  I looked up as he spoke, not believing a word of it, even as my brain was trying to tell me that I he sounded completely sincere." 42 killed her in our escape, it was out of our hooves."  Sky leaned in again and put a hoof on my other shoulder, her expression spoke of pity, but I don't know if it was for me, or for Harmony.  Harmony didn't deserve this fate, she was finally free.

A familiar low rumble resounded throughout the quarry as the Marauder came to life for a moment before dying, letting me shrug off my companions hold on me, walking towards the waiting car.  "I want to bury her near the garage.  We have alot of ground to cover, so we need to get going."  I didn't even really register how I responded, I just wanted to get home, bury Harmony, do this job, and kill 42.

"Backlash..."  Sky said softly as I walked away.

"let him go." Brass said softly.  "He just needs some time."

How was it that in such a short period of time in my life, I could have made the new friends I have?  Just the simple fact that Brass was willing to stand up with me and fight against 42's plan could have been enough.  But even with so little time to get to know him, I cared about him, and he obviously cared about me.  I assume that's why Skyline and Carlotta feel so close as well.  I mean, I know the rough and tumble griffin well enough that I can trust and value her friendship.  Even with all the death around us, we give each other the strength to carry on.

I walked up to the Marauder and looked inside to see paladin Longbow sitting in the front passenger side seat.  She looked over to me with a shy smile and eyed Harmony's body uneasily.  "I had them put eight new spark batteries in.  This vehicle should be able to get us there and have just enough to get us..."

"Get out." I said with a stern voice. "Carlotta can drop you off closer to the facility.  We will meet you there."  There was no way on Celesita's great earth that I was going to let an active steel ranger know where my trade goods are stored, and I'm sure as hell not going to have Strawberry Sorbet showing up randomly to destroy my life's work.

"I was instructed to accompany you.  It was part of the deal."  She retorted with a slight amount of shock to her statement. "Furthermore, I will not risk you fleeing from what you agreed to do for us."   She whipped her mane from her face in a huff and crossed her forehooves.  I got into the car and shut my door angrily.

"As much as I love your companionship.  I can't have you telling all your little ranger friends where I store my good tech."  I reached over and opened her door.  "I don't trust you, so get out."

I yanked my hoof back inside as Sky bucked the door closed before turning and walking up to the window next to Longbow. She looked in and eyed over the stubborn unicorn.  "How about this.  Should you ever choose to reveal the location of our headquarters, I will PERSONALLY make sure that you have a large enough bounty on your head that nopony will ever pass up the chance to kill you."  Sky leaned in with the same gaze I use to try to light ponies on fire.  "Got it?"

The Paladin sat for a moment, thinking it over with a hoof on her chin. "I agree."  I listened as she said it, playing it over and over in my mind.  It sounded genuine, so I nodded over to Sky.  The satisfied pegasus proceeded to walk over to the skycar and surprisingly, strapped herself in.  I looked around out the window for Carlotta, only to have the rear door open.  Turning around, I ended up staring at the smiling beak of one blue-plumaged Griffin.

"So, my employer is unhappy you keep having me run errands.  I was assigned to protect you, so I'm not supposed to leave your side, blah blah blah."  She rolled her eyes and looked out the window as Brass got inside the perforated silver pod, closing the side door.  Carlotta frowned for a moment as Sky lifted off and pulled the car up and out of sight.  "Anyway, I don't exactly trust the 'you know who's' any further than I can throw 'em.  So it's road trip time!"  Longbow looked like she was about to murder Carlotta, but forced a grin as the griffin turned to meet her with a smile.  "You and I are going to be the best of friends!"

I started up the Marauder again, listening to the thrum of her Arcano-tech engine as she idled.  I let the vibrations sink deep into my body before I shifted her into gear and slowly drove us out of the quarry, turning back onto the road to Manehatten with a soft sigh.  It would only be a couple of days I told myself.  If I could handle the last two weeks with my friends, I could damn well handle this.


-----


Longbow struggled to keep on the front seat as I left the semi-smooth road of the highway, dipping over the shoulder and into the wide open desert.  The uneven ground was bouncing us wildly, much to the joy of a laughing Carlotta in the back.  We had been driving for most of the afternoon, and were now cutting across a semi-flat section of the wastes to shave a bit from our journey.  The sun was just peaking below the cloud cover and glinted off of the armored mare's twin sniper rifles as they bounced about.

I had the radio blaring to help with the annoyingly loud noises the Marauder would give when she bottomed out or drove through a pile of gravel, listening to the docile tones of Sweetie Belle as the chaos of the suspension system kept us constantly rocking.  But, for as much movement we had been doing, I was quite impressed to see that Longbow wasn't sick to her stomach.

"That was Sweetie Belle, singing about those great times we have with our loved ones.  And now for... the news!"  DJ Pon3's soothing voice came through the radio over the scrapes and bangs without losing too much of it's quality.  "First, some bad news.  My trusted source can personally confirm the reports that the citizens of Whinny were inside the sugar apple bombs factory at the time of the explosion and has the proof that the pink mare was behind the fiendish action."

I scrunched up my muzzle for a second, before frowning.  The memories from the last few days flooded my mind.  I could see the pose of each victim clearly in my mind, their heads, each with a hole bored through them.

"Now for the good news!  You remember that recently I mentioned the troublesome Rock gang  was plaguing all the settlements in the Ponyville area?  Well worry no more!  That's right my little ponies, the Rock gang is no more thanks to the heroic actions of the ponies going after the  notorious pink mare!"

DJ Pon3 had such pride in his voice, the admiration he bestowed was denoting many emotions, but pride drowned them out.  I didn't know what to think about it, I mean I've always wanted to be the wastelands most famous trader, but at the cost's 42 has been imposing, it's not going to be worth it.

"In other interesting news, New Appleloosa has repaired the train line bet..."  Longbow shut the radio off before a particularly strong bounce sent her to the floor with a grunt and a thud.  She struggled to get to her hooves as Carlotta bust into hysterical laughter and fell onto the floor in the back.

"Just stay down there!"  I yelled over the obnoxious noises the dirt and sand were making, doing my best to keep the Marauder steady on the rough terrain.  "We're almost through! Just another minute!"  The shock absorbers and leaf springs groaned as I sped up, bouncing higher as we screamed toward the flat section of highway in front of us.  With a final lurch and a loud slam, we careened over the low dune at the edge of the old highway.  We rolled to a stop after lining the car back up in the correct direction, sighing as I sat back and put the car in park, turning off the engine to give us a small break. (In hind sight, I realize that by taking the break, it didn't really save any time at all.)

Longbow scrambled to open her door, covering her muzzle with a hoof as she finally unlatched it, clambering a few feet back up the dune before I could hear her throw up.  Carlotta pulled herself back up from the floor, drooping and panting over the seat as she caught her breath from her incessant giggles over the unsteady paladin.

"Honestly I was surprised she lasted that long!" I said with a smirk. "You should have seen Brass."

"So, I get that you ground ponies aren't used to bouncing or rocking around much."  She finally said with a raised brow.  "So why didn't you get sick?"

"Traversing the wasteland with a cart full of wares and a partner means you will eventually get a turn to sleep in the back."  I said with a small amount of pride while shrugging.  "You eventually just get used to it.

"Hey!"  Carlotta and I turned in unison as Longbow called out from the dune. "Stop where you are!"  I was amazed that by the time we were glancing in the direction that she was calling out from, she had taken off a good two hundred feet in a Gallop, screaming off into the evening desert beside us.  As I groaned and opened my door, a small twinge in my back jolted my eyes up towards the opposite side of the roadway as a flash on a rock maybe a hundred yards away reflected the setting sun behind me.

I ducked behind the door, using it for cover as the sniper took shot after shot against the old, rusted steel door.  I could hear the rounds thunk against the old phone books I had crammed in the frames as Carlotta climbed out the other side of the car.

"Carlotta!  I could use some help!"  I did my best to scream over the deafening cracks from the hidden gun pony.  I slid into S.A.T.S. and felt the world crawl to a stop and for some reason I could see the outline of the hidden sniper stallion through both the doorframe and the rocks he was using for cover.  I had a 0% chance to hit him from my current position, but  from what I saw, there was too much open ground to cover for me to even attempt to use anything but the party cannon.

I pulled up the menu and equipped the party cannon before canceling the targeting spell.  The bulky weapon flashed into my grip as time sped back to normal, the enormous pink gun immediately jerking as a round bounced off its side.  It was just too bulky of a weapon to use effectively from cover I guess.  I heard the short, controlled bursts from when Carlotta laid down fire as she flew past, giving me a short window to get up and help take the sniper out.

I rose onto my hind hooves and out of the safety of the car door, propping the pink gun on the door frame as the sniper himself recovered from the aerial pass.  I fired first, too hastily and too aimed the shot high, sending the large spherical ball into the boulder beside him, nearly splitting it down the middle as the ball bounced up and over of it, disappearing into the dunes a fair ways back.

He seemed stunned for a moment before squeezing off his own shot.  I was thrown back by the sheer impact against my chest, pain immediately lancing through me as I fell to the ground with a gasp.  I looked down to see a .308 armor piercing round lodged partway through one of the plates in my flak vest, leaving a half inch deep, bruised and bleeding hole in my chest.

I gasped for air, listening as I heard Calotta swoop by with her battle saddle pounding round after round at the sniper pony.  I dropped the party cannon and got to my hooves slowly as I thanked Celestia for this armor, keeping my head down behind the car door.  I listened as the sniper pony screamed out, the .308 rounds from the Carlotta's twin rifles punching large holes in him.

For a minute, there was nothing but silence.  I scanned the skies around me quickly, trying to find where my griffin buddy had gotten to, but had my gaze drawn toward the sudden sounds of gunfire in the dunes on the other side of the car.  I quickly ducked into the Marauder, crawling my way through, keeping low on my hooves as I dropped out the other side.

I peered up over the shallow dune we had driven over to see a group of three, maybe four well armed slavers cowering behind an empty caged cart maybe a hundred yards away.  Longbow had moved from a rock she was behind and was walking forward slowly, firing in alternating shots from her sniper rifles, letting the rounds ping off the metal wagon.  I grinned and knew I could finish this quickly.  I raised my hoof to line up a shot with the party cannon, only to remember it was still sitting on the ground behind the driver side door.

"FUCK!" I yelled as a shower of submachine gun fire erupted from behind the wagon, thumping against the dune in front of me as I dropped down and cringed.  "not the smartest idea, Backlash..." I said to myself as I lay in the sand.  My ears perked as Carlotta strafed the wagon, a set of yelps and screams erupting between the slow chugging of the automatic guns.  After a few moments, I heard a pair of loud cracks from Longbow's sniper rifles before the screams drifted off into the distance with the echoes of the gunfight.

I peaked up over the dune to see Carlotta busily stripping the corpses as Longbow opened the empty cage, peering inside with a distraught look in her eyes.  I winced as I brushed the sand and dirt in my wound off before trotting over to her, looking in with her to see what made her so damn horrified.

The decapitated bodies of 3 colts and 4 fillies lay amongst chunks of meat and bone on the floor of the cart, the charred metal remains of collars being the only hint as to how these innocents lost their lives.  I turned and lurched forward, kneeling on the dirt before I threw up.  The sight of the headless foals stuck imprinted into my mind, seared deep in all of it's horrible detail.  I groaned and heaved again, causing me to lose my balance and flop into the dirt.

"Fucking FOALS!"  I coughed out as I writhed in pain.  "what good were they as slaves? they are innocent!"

Carlotta poker her head around the cage seemingly unphased. "It used to be an honorable trade, allowing ponies to put the criminals of the wasteland to work.  Rebuilding rail lines and settlements.  But after a few years, more criminals started getting killed in gunfights or 'accidents' while in custody, and they had to resort to other means to get workers."  She spoke as if it were common knowledge which scared the hell out of me.  Had I been this ignorant of the way the wasteland worked?  I remember the last time I even traded with a slaver was a couple syringes of Med-X and a half full box of 9 millimeter ammo in exchange for me fixing up some of his collars.

That was three years ago, but I remember hooking the primers into the directed explosive charges, fixing the radio control board so it would reliably go off.  To me, the collars were just another item to fix, just another job.  But what if one of those collars was used in that cage?  What if I used my special talent that day and ensured the death of one of those colts or fillies?  I rolled over on the dirt and heaved again, coughing hard and having nothing left to bring up.

"I'm sorry little ones..."  Longbow said softly, her eyes shut, her voice was filled with regret.  "I couldn't save you.  But I could at least bring justice to the ones who stole your lives."  I watched as she kneeled in reverence.  "Celestia and Luna, I pray that you find it in your hearts to help the souls of these ponies find peace with you.  Please guide them all safely to the everlasting meadows of the afterlife."  

She was praying.  I had never seen anyone in my travels pray openly, let alone sound so devoted to the goddesses of the old world as the blue mare before me did.  I could almost feel that she thought she was speaking directly to them, as if they could answer her if she only spoke as reverently as she did.

"You pray for them?"  I said slowly as I wiped the sick from my muzzle. "For all of them?"

She opened her blue eyes slowly, giving a soft nod as she got back to her hooves. "It is only my place to judge ones deeds in this life."  She stomped her hoof down, scooping some dirt away as she pulled it back.  "Once the soul has departed, it is up to Celestia and Luna to guide them to where they must ultimately go."  She scooped another hoof full of dirt away as she talked.  She was digging, and I needed to help.

I walked solemnly beside her and scooped away another line, listening as she stopped for a moment and looked at me.  I could feel her curious glare as I scooped another hoof full of dirt away, the flutter of Carlotta's wings making me look up to her for a moment.  The clang of a set of shovels on the dirt broke the  sudden evening air's silence as the now red setting sun glinted off the plating of Longbow's armor.

"Thought you might be dead by the time we got back to the farm, so I grabbed these before we came to get you."  Carlotta said as she tried fruitlessly to lighten the mood, watching as a blue aura enveloped the two shovels and swung one around to me.  I took it in my mouth and started to dig along side the silent unicorn.  Soon Carlotta was dragging the bodies of the slavers over as we dug the mass grave, the wind singing it's low drones as we all worked together to put them to rest.

I couldn't help but think that as we dug, it wasn't fair for the foals to be buried with their murderers, that they deserved somewhere nicer than a shallow grave off the highway.  But wasn't that also the case for the innocent ponies in Ponyville or Whinny?  Hell, I was going to bury Harmony near the garage when I got back.  I had only known her for not even two days before she died, yet I wanted to give her special treatment, and that even though I knew it was wrong, why was I ok with it?


-----


After we had buried the bodies and I had applied a magical bandage to my wound, it was a couple hours into night, the cold air brought with it the frost as fall really started to sink into the wasteland.  I took a look over the goods we scavenged before convincing the others it would be a smart idea to head to 'the pool', a nearby settlement built into an old chemical manufacturing plant.  The city of a hundred ponies or so was mainly build out of a set of drug manufacturing labs and surplus chemical storehouses surrounded by a line of makeshift, concrete rubble walls.  The whole place was one accident away from being one big, taint filled crater in the middle of nowhere.

Sky and I normally rented a room at the only hotel that wasn't also a brothel or drug hangout, staying there whenever we headed through on our south west trade route.  Years ago it's owner had chartered to travel with us here from the ruins of Trottingham, so we got to know the stallion quite well.  I still normally slip him something neat or quirky I've found as extra incentive to keep the drug pushers away from us, but with recent events keeping me light in the saddlebags, I was hoping that I could still convince him to help me out as a favor for a friend.  If worse came to worse, He wasn't the only friend I had made there.

As the Marauder once again clipped along the ruined highway at a good pace,  I relaxed again.  The constant drum of the engine helped me refocus, reminding me that we needed to stay diligent for when or where 42 would pop up next.  I still needed to find where Twilight had the magic pond water moved to, and the only clue I had was what filly pinkie told me in my dream.  I scrunched up my muzzle tightly, what sort of clue was 'it's the only place you can normally go to find it' anyway?

The flood lights of the large factory rose out of the night, the four large cylindrical storage tanks stood as monoliths against the sheer rock face that seemed to reach halfway up the side of Foal mountain as the enormous peak disappeared above the cloudlayer.  As we grew closer, I could see the light peeking from the various holes rusted in the side of the structures, the makeshift steel-sheeted apartments of the residents set inside the drum exposed themselves to the elements.

I could see a number of the assorted brightly-lit, smaller buildings where most of the actual drug manufacturing took place, all of them sat dangerously close to a single concrete reservoir that the four large storage tanks drained into after the war.  This created a small lake of nearly pure taint that sat against the jagged cliff face of the Mountain, the serene calmness of the rainbow liquid always disturbed me.

I slowed down and flipped off the high beams as I approached the bridge running over the Reinland River, dropping the car into neutral I stopped just short of a diminutive, single-pony guard house with a familiar looking black coated pegasus stallion.  The white of his short cut mane and his wide green eyes were normally the only thing I could see in the darkness, but 500 lumen headlights seemed to help with that.  I leaned my head out the window and smiled brightly at him, he beamed a wide smile back as he trotted over eagerly.

"What did I tell you, Dip Stick!"  I said happily, pouring on the pride as I gunned the engine, letting it's deep roar fill the night air for a few seconds before letting her drop to a low idle.  "Told you I'd get her running again."

"Well ah'l be,  Backlash, yah finally up an' did it."  His thick country accent was just as hard to understand as ever.  "Would neva 'ave thought ah'd see the day when ya'll finally drove in here.  Guess ah'll be owin' yah that beer aftah all, it'll only be a few hours till ahm off, could meet ya'll down at Tanker then."

"Yeah, sounds good to me.  My friends and I just have to get set up with a room at lantern's, then we can talk as long as you're buying."  I smiled and nodded toward my unhappy travel companions.  "Is the fee to enter still five caps?"

He shook his head with a frown.  "Naw, they up'n raised the damned thang ta twenty caps.  Sorry 'bout that, thang is that a scrap is brewin 'tween them big shots what run th' place, so tah dis'uade poor newcomers from joinin' the fight, they've done raised the price."

"It's fine" I said with a slight sigh.  "I'm just a little light on caps, got plenty of guns to sell, but no real money.  Think you can spot me until I can trade some of this stuff?"  I gave him my best pleading eyes, whimpering slightly.

"Nu-uh.  Ah can't let ya'll in if yah ain't gon' pay."  He said as he stomped his hoof, stiffening up and glaring down at me.  I looked up as his mouth slowly curled into a smile and he started to laugh.  "Naw, yah know ah couldn't refuse yah!  Go on in and ah'll see ya'll in a bit."

I nodded and shifted back into drive, pulling onto the bridge slowly, listening to the odd rhythm the tires played on the worn boards as the sound of the running river below mixed in.  I looked over the main strip ahead, the floodlights from the top of each of the large towers filled every nook and cranny of the town, revealing everypony clearly as they moved from one brothel or bar to another.  A small group of ponies were dancing around a large bonfire as an orange coated pony played energetically on a fiddle, the sounds of laughter and good times carrying in the cold air.

"I've only heard of this place..." Longbow said as she looked over the bright and lively street, shifting herself uneasily.  "The population is... less shady that I expected."

Carlotta choked back for a moment before yelling and busting out into laughter, causing the armored pony to tense up momentarily.  I couldn't help but join in, giggling as Longbow canted her head and glanced between us.  "I don't under..."  She paused for a moment, before she facehooved with a smirk.  "that's not what I meant."

"Oh Celestia... you're too good!" I said as I gasped between laughs, pulling the marauder over to the side of the road and into the small paved lot the makeshift Red Lantern's motel was set up in, the glowing neon picture of a red lantern the only distinct feature of the plain brown building.  "You know, some of you steel rangers are alright."  I shut the car off and popped the hood, not looking as I swung the driver side door open, nearly hitting a small, white coated young stallion who was walking by.  "Oh, sorry!  I didn't see you there."  I grunted as I choked back the rest of my laughs, shutting the door as I got out.

The stallion who must have only been a couple of years older than Brass, glared up at me, his greasy and short, pale yellow mane blowing softly in the air.  "You on a mission from Celestia?"  He squinted his pale green eyes and leaned towards me menacingly.  "Unless you are, watch where you're going next time, dick."  He chuckled to himself and continued on his way trotting towards the motel, the odd faint of foul chemicals following in his wake.  I looked back over to Carlotta and Longbow, giving them a shrug before lifting the hood of the Marauder, starting to disconnect the spark battery controller.

"How do you know the ponies here?  I thought you didn't sell drugs."  Carlotta said with a raised eyebrow, her blue plumage brighter than ever in the artificial sunlight from above.

"That being true, I do sell lots of other goods used to MAKE drugs." I stated plainly as I rummaged around my saddlebag for my wrench.  "It's not nearly as much as I normally make off of things like guns and ammo, but there is a lot of stuff out there that can be repurposed for use here, and they are always willing to buy,  So it works out for us."  I yanked on the wrench with my hooves, finally dislodging the connecter to free the hoof-sized, gem-studded, silver box.  "Not to mention, the Stallion who owns this place came over with us from Trottingham and has been nice enough to accommodate us on our journeys back and forth.  So why not make a few extra caps while we are here?"

As I placed the arcano-tech device in my saddlebag and shut the hood, a familiar pegasus walked over from the managers office.  "Backlash my old chum! It's been far too long!"  My ears perked with his accented voice as I spun to meet him, only to have his hooves pull me against his chest and hug me far too tightly.  A few of my vertebrae popped loudly after a moment, giving him the sense he needed to stop as he let go.  "I do hope that Moron wasn't too terribly rude to you, but don't you mind him, he is an bit of an odd fellow..."

I flopped to the ground with a thud and looked up at him, his olive drab coat seemed fairer under the bright lights of the towers, contrasting with the dark brand on his flank.  The brownish black of a cloud with a lightning bolt stuck out like a sore hoof on him.  I reached my hoof up as he took it and helped me back up, allowing me to dust myself off as he took his hat off, running his hoof through the white mohawk he called his mane (I wouldn't have made the same choice in style, but to each their own!)

"Yeah, I think I'll live."  I said with a soft smile, letting Carlotta and Longbow walk up beside me.  "It has been a while Ripcord, how has business been?"

He let out a soft sigh and let his silver eyes sink. "Well you see, between the growing fuss of the three kings rivalries and the rate hike for entering, I dare say they are slowly driving me out of business.  You're the first paying customer I've had in the last month, well, aside from than that Moron fellow."  He grumbled a bit as he looked over at the room the small stallion went into.

Longbow stomped her hoof and pointed over to the same room.  "Even if he is impolite, you shouldn't demean your customers with such insults."

Ripcord gave me a look of disbelief.  "You would dare accuse ME of such slander?"  He put his tan safari cap back on before smiling.  "The young stallion's name is Moron, he signed it in the logbook you see. Although he is rather fond of insisting that it is pronounced Myron.  I don't really care for either pronunciation mind you, but one would think you would just sign your name as Myron if you thought it proper for others to call you by it."  He turned his gaze to me and pointed a hoof at the room next to the office.  "You may have your usual room, but I'm terribly sorry I'm going to have to charge you at twice the standard rate.  You do understand how business gets."

I sighed and nodded.  "I just have to get some goods turned into actual caps first, then I'll be right back to pay you."  Turning, I froze for a moment before looking back to him with a shy smile.  "You wouldn't mind keeping our normal arrangement since I'll be paying double, would you?"

The green pegasus rolled his eyes and nodded.  "I simply cannot see any reason why I should refuse a dear friend... Very well then."  He eyed over the gleaming armor longbow was wearing.  "Just do be sure to keep your... companions out of trouble."  He said with a forced smile before glancing around.  "Say, where is miss Skyline?  I do wish to say hello at least before you take off once more."

"She's back at the garage holding the fort down.  I'll make sure to tell her you said hello."  I said as I nodded for Carlotta to follow.  "Longbow, please stay here while I sort this out.  Try not to run off into any more gun battles..."  I finished as we walked away, getting a sigh from the paladin as we rounded the corner back onto the main street.  I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been and almost ran into a pony who was dancing to the music down the street, causing me to look around in confusion at the new mobs of ponies who filled the streets, as if coming out of nowhere to get their party on all at once.

The two of us wound our way along the lively street, heading around and between two of the nearest towers.  The lower twenty feet of the furthest of the two had rusted out, leaving a large gap with just support beams to hold it up.  The many tables that took up nearly the entire ground level of the building along with the bar built across the back wall were  the only refuge from the brilliant lighting above.  Two wide staircases disappeared up into the sheet metal flooring of the apartment sections of the tower.  A silver colored, curved sheet of metal hung by chains off the middle of the gap, the words Tanker emblazoned in orange seemed to sparkle in the bright lights while it swung in the breeze.

A single, dark brown earth pony mare was scrubbing the bar with a rag as we walked in, her bright red mane hung off her heavily, reminding me of pinkie's mane when she was depressed.  "What can ah get ya'll this evenin?"  She spoke out through a sigh, not even gazing up at us.

"I'm hear to dump some gear on you Mrs. Schnapps."  I sat down on one of the barstools as I spoke, straightening my vest just as she stopped wiping and looked up in momentary shock, anger quickly replacing it on her face.

"Get out..."  She said in a low tone, leaning forward on the bar.

"Hey, I just want to do business, then I'll be out of your mane."  I said as I raised my hooves defensively watching the seething hate bubbling up in her eyes.  You see, Peppermint Schnapps here was Sky's last mare friend, and they had a good run at a relationship for a year or so.  They were happy, but only up to the point when Schnapps wanted to get away from the pool to start over somewhere new.  Skyline wouldn't leave me to run off with her and ultimately choose to end it with Peppermint instead, so I understand why she holds me to a bit of a grudge.

She leaned forward on the countertop, the soft click of the 12 gauge, lever action shotgun I had sold her emitted from under the countertop loud enough to get Carlotta's attention.  "Fine.  But make it quick.  What do you have?"

"A .308 sniper rifle, two 10mm submachine guns, and a single 12.7 submachine gun in bad condition.  I'll take a thousand caps for the lot."  I stared into her dark red eyes as I listed them off, trying my best to be intimidating.

"I'll give you 500 caps."  She snapped back, locking her eyes to mine.

"The rifle alone is worth that."  I said as I put my hooves on the bar and leaned in toward her.  "make a better offer."

"The rifle is only worth 500 if it works."  She said as she glowered and tensed up.  "700 for all of them."  Her eye twitched as she finished, letting me know she really couldn't go much higher, and already needed a good deal, but she also know's I don't cheat customers.   Well fuck that, after the last two weeks, I needed a win.  I brushed my vest out of the way, showing off my bandaged chest.

"It works.  I'm only around because I've got the best barding money can buy."  I narrowed my eyes and huffed out.  "800 caps plus four beers, then I'll leave."

"Fine."  She leaned back from the bar and mumbled to herself as she went off to her safe in her upstairs store room.

"What's her deal?"  Carlotta said with a smirk, hoisting the guns from the raiders onto the bar top.  "Were you two a fling?"  She gasped loudly.  "You cheat on her or something!?"

I gasped back in mock shock, doing my best to try to look hurt before she frowned at me.  "No, I got between her plans with Skyline."  I shrugged and slumped on the counter.  "Crazy bitch wanted to leave Equestria for some reason, to go run off to the zebra lands no less.  I mean life here is tough and all, but that's just suicide."

Carlotta finished placeing the guns on the counter and rapped her claws loudly next to my muzzle.  "You wouldn't ever come between Sky and me if I wanted to take her away, would you?"

"Pft, hell no.  Sky can do what she wants.  She was the one who didn't want to leave me behind."  I drug my forehooves around the bar top with a sigh.  "Plus I'm not nearly crazy enough to think I can take you on."

"It's good you know your limits."  Carlotta chuckled and pat me on the back softly.  "Although Sky keeps smashing mine with how she..."

"lalalalalalala I can't hear you!"  I tried to stuff my hooves in my ears.  My sisters love life is NOT something I ever needed to hear.  I noticed Carlotta stiffen up, hearing Peppermint coming back down the stairs as I put my hooves back on the bar.

Peppermint returned from the upstairs with a small pouch in her mouth, swinging her head and tossing it to me.  I went to grab it and missed, the bag of small metal caps smacking onto my face with a loud jingle.  I reached up and rubbed my nose as I got to my hooves.  "Thanks.  You can hand her the beers."  I nodded over to Carlotta, who now had her 'stone cold killer' expression trained on the brown mare.  I turned slowly to walk out after placing the pouch of caps in my saddlebags, pausing for a moment as I looked back.  "Don't worry, I'll make sure to tell Sky you said 'hello'."

As we walked back into the bustling street, I heard her slam something glass on the floor with a curse that bled off into the noise of the ongoing party.  It felt wrong to cheat her out of a few extra caps, and had I shown up a few weeks ago I may have given her a good deal on those guns, maybe have even tried to patch things up.  As we walked back up the street, my thoughts snapped back to earlier that day, watching as Harmony died in front of me.  

My brain was replaying when she said I had given her hope.  I don't see it, hope can't be given to anyone, you can't give anyone anger, or sadness.  You can share those emotions with them, but I'm pretty sure that's not giving it.  The only hope I have to call my own is the hope that I can send 42 from this world and somehow find a way to atone for all the suffering I've caused.

As we rounded the corner back towards the managers office, I was caught off guard to see Longbow standing faced away from Myron's door.  She reared up and bucked hard, spiltting the door in half before turning to enter.  I bolted past Ripcord's office, galloping as fast as I could as I heard the sharp report of a gunshot too small to be the rifles from her suit.  I tripped on my weak hoof (honestly I was surprised I had made it this far on it.) as it finally gave out under me and ended up sliding painfully along the asphalt.  I climbed to my hooves as I heard a shuffling in the open room before another loud shot.

"OH FUCK!  IS THAT MY BLOOD?!"  The voice of the young stallion yelled out as I scrambled to the door, looking in to see a snub nosed .32 caliber revolver floating in Longbow's levitation and Myron on the floor with a bleeding hole in his flank. "YOU SHOT ME, YOU BITCH!"

I looked around for a moment, noticing the dimly lit room housed a plethora of laboratory equipment, a pair of terminals, and a few enchanted pressure vessels.  Half empty cartons of cleaner and jugs of various chemicals were strewn around the floors haphazardly with only a narrow path of carpet left open between all the junk.  A box labeled 'empty' was stuffed full of vials of Dash next to one of the machines that had a  pair of the red vials hooked into them.

"You are manufacturing illegal substances, I am placing you under arrest with the authority given to me by the Ministry of Wartime Technology."  Longbow's voice was calm and unwavering as she leveled both her rifles to him, tossing the revolver from her grip towards the door.

"Longbow, You can't just arrest someone here"  I walked up slowly behind her, favoring my aching hoof as I pushed through the clutter.  "Look, you follow me.  You listen to my orders."  I looked down at Myron's hate filled eyes as the blue unicorn turned slowly.

"I was assigned to lead you to the facility, not the other way around."  Her voice turned cold as she stared with one eye to me.  "I will bring him to justice.  It's my duty."

I heard Carlotta step up behind me, the clack of the autoloaders on her battle saddle made me cringe and turn.  "If that's what you came for, you can go home, Backlash doesn't need your help."  Carlotta pushed past me roughly, causing me to lose my balance and fall into a pile of empty boxes.  "Stay or go, either way I'm going to need you to step away from my employer."

Myron smiled up from the floor as he put pressure on his wounded rump.  "About time you showed up, Carlotta."

------------

LEVEL UP!

+5 Barter

+5 Melee Weapons

+5 Big Guns

Perk: Light traveler - You've gotten so used to traveling with only the necessities that if your carrying under 30 total pounds of weight, you gain an extra point of agility.  Be careful when weighing yourself down, going over 30 pounds also reduces your agility by a point.  (Cannot be taken along with the Smart Packer perk)

Quest Perk:  Wasteland Crusader - Your exploits are being re-broadcast on separate radio frequencies around and even outside of Equestria.  new dialogue options are available when speaking with anypony in a current position of power.

> Chapter 6 - Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6



"That doesn't look like studying OR hitting!"



-----


Even though I had just heard the actual words spoken, my mind was still trying to play catch up.  The way I can figure it, somehow Longbow found out that Myron was cooking up drugs here, bust down the door, a scuffle happened and the young colt got shot.  I manage to make my way in with Carlotta before she says HE'S the one who hired her to protect ME.  I've never even heard of this Moron, let alone understand why he cared about my well being, but I intend to find out!

"I don't pay you to stand there!  Why not kill the steel bitch already and get me a health potion?!"  Myron said as he winced from the bleeding wound, his words were filled with enough anger that it was worrisome.  Carlotta was a Talon merc, and they were bad news if you were fighting them.  Loyal to the contract holder until death, they would fight to their last without question, which meant that she would kill him if he directly asked.  Not even as the pony she was hired to protect, or as her friend, could I ever persuade her not to.  That didn't matter to me, I still had to try to stop her.

I struggled to my hooves quickly and charged flat out at Longbow, catching her off guard as I threw my full (and considerable) weight against her side, making her stumble sideways.  While she was off balance I reared up and swung my forehooves down onto her back.  She shifted slightly as she tried to recover, making me overshoot my left hoof strike, but I was surprised to find that the pipbuck's casing let out a resounding crack as it slammed down.  My right hoof however, slammed painfully against her armor, making me yelp before I lost my balance and flopped onto her back.

"Backlash, what are you doing?!"  Carlotta said through her bit as she tried to keep her battle rifles lined up.

"Hear me out, Longbow."  I said as the unicorn stabilized herself.  "This isn't your mission."  She glared at me over her shoulder, the fires in her eyes nearly consuming her, but I could tell she wasn't lost yet.  "I may not be able to order you around, but Strawberry Sorbet said you need to accompany me to the facility."  I could see the fire in her eyes drain slowly as I spoke, my words clearly defusing the rage that had swelled.  "Listen to me.  Let's say you arrest him, are you going to wait for more rangers to show up or are we abandoning the mission to take him back?"

Her eyes went wide as she scrunched her muzzle up. "Well, we could..."

"Before you suggest it..."  I cut her off as I pushed myself off her, keeping my right hoof high as it stung.  "...we aren't taking him with us.  My agreement wasn't to babysit somepony for you, he will just slow us down and I won't be held responsible if he gets away."  I looked back at Carlotta as she kept her guns trained on the blue mare, her rigid expression softening as I backed off.

"You're not really a smart pony, are you?"  Myron's voice stung deep in Longbow as I watched the fire in her vision flicker back to life.  "You  do realize that I'm the pony keeping Carlotta from killing you, right?  One word from me and the both of you are nothing but cooling meat left out for the buzzards."  He laughed lightly, trying to mask the pain he was in.

Carlotta stiffened in shock before looking to Myron with her cold stare.  "My contract states I was hired to protect Backlash.  I would refuse..."

The pale stallion waved his hoof at her casually.  "Yeah yeah, I know the rules.  I swear, my brilliant intellect is overlooked by everypony I have the unfortunate displeasure to meet."  A grin slid across his muzzle slowly.  "Besides, Mr. Backlash and I have business to conduct."  He pulled himself shakily to his hooves, glaring towards Longbow as he walked unsteadily towards Carlotta.  "Now quit standing around and give me a Celestia-damned health potion."

"Sure thing, boss."  She frowned as she reached back into her saddle bags with a heavy sigh and pulled one of her jars of purple healing juices out (I had always wondered why they were purple.  I mean, why not red or blue?  Or any other color for that matter.) , flipping the cap off with a talon as she held it out to him.  He bit down on the tip, chugging half of the tonic down greedily before he gasped for breath.  The pale stallion turned to me as Carlotta grabbed the bottle from him, pouring the rest of it onto his bloody leg, letting the wound slowly knit itself closed.

"Anyway, getting down to the matter at hand.  I assume you have no idea who you are talking to."  He said as he winced slightly, his voice containing just the tiniest traces of anxiety.  "...Or how I even know who you are."

I nodded and glanced over at Longbow as she huffed and sat down on a few empty boxes of cleaning supplies.  "Yeah. I'm won..."

"You want to know why I have an interest in you, yes yes, I'll get to that."  Myron cut me off suddenly as he twitched and got to his hooves, he appeared edgy, but that's probably because he's an addict.  "I want us to be friends, and friends can discuss things... in private."  He shook a forehoof lazily at Carlotta as he spoke.  "Would you kindly escort our dear paladin out, Carlotta?  Show her about the city for a bit.  Tonight's a celebration!  The three kings have each given their workforces the next two days off to help keep them content amid the rising tensions.  So relax, have fun, get laid, and keep her the hell away from us!"

I watched as the brown griffin nodded and walked over behind Longbow.  The armored mare got to her hooves and rolled her eyes as she trudged through the trash to outside, Carlotta doing her best to shut the cracked door on its splintered frame as she left.  I raised my hoof slightly and went to speak, but the annoying runt was faster than I was again.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of the Maredino family?  Being a fairly well-traveled merchant, you must have known that they had run the New Pegasus drug trade out west."  He strode around the messy room as he spoke, his words filled with pride, but only inflected on HAVE and HAD.  The gears in my mind spun to life, letting me remember that they indeed ran the drug trade there.  I tended to avoid any area they controlled because they charged a tariff on any trader not pushing their drugs.  Wait, he's saying they DID run it, as in no longer?

"They don't run things anymore?"  I must have sounded stupid because he sighed and looked annoyed again.

"At least you're following me.  Anyway, long story short, a month ago they happened to book a ride on the same train to Appleloosa that I had convinced a local arms dealer to schedule an explosives shipment on.  Oh, and I may or may not have sent a message to one of my 'close friends' in that backwater western town to tell some local loser druggie that if he took the repair handcar from Appleloosa station and ran it as fast as he could down the track, he could time travel to the future..."  He struggled to keep his giddy voice calm and his face straight as he talked.  Man, this colt was fucking psychotic.

"Anyway, the train derailed on the cart and BOOM! the whole arms cache went up!  Ah, I wish I could have seen the crater they said it made, but I heard earlier on the radio that they just fixed the railway again.  Anyway, now that I took over their operations in New Pegasus, I'm looking to expand east, and that's where you come in."

I sat down hard and wide eyed.  Wow, So this kid is a whole new breed of fucked up AND the new head of the Las Pegasus drug trade?  I'm surprised Longbow didn't just kill him on the spot!

"Yeah, I have that effect on ponies."  He grinned as he sat in front of me.  "Are you going to ask why I need you or are we just going to get right down to business?"

I thought for a moment as the gears in my head locked up.  Something didn't make sense. "Who were you to the Maredinos?  Why kill them?"

He stiffened up at the questions.  I could see a tremor of rage ripple through his face for a moment.  "Who was I?  I was the reason they even had a business!  I was the one who refined the Dash formula to be as potent as it was before the war!  I was the one who mixed up the best batches pony kind has ever inhaled!  Without me, those foals would still have been cooking up their toxic excuses for drugs!"  He heaved heavily as he belted out his explanation.

I rubbed my hoof on my chin again in thought.  I remembered that the Maredinos main drug to push was Dash, but I had a hard time believing that the colt sitting before me had mixed up some sort of super potent batch.  Skyline had once told me that the reason people manufactured some of the drugs nowadays was because they lost effectiveness over time, but making drugs had to be hard.  Since when were drugs so easy to make that even a foal could do it?

"I can see you straining that diminutive intellect of yours."  He said as he wiped his slightly sweaty brow with his hoof.  "Why not just ask your next uninteresting question?"

I stiffened up at his arrogance.  "Why don't you just tell me?"

"That would be meta-gaming!"  He gasped as if he were appalled. "The game master can't reveal anything unless the character asks."

I stared and blinked in confusion.  "Ok... you lost me."

He facehooved and shook his head.  "I swear I'm the only stallion intelligent enough to run a game of Wasteland in this shitty excuse of a country."  My head started to hurt.  For being as smart as he thought he was, he sure as hell was confusing!  I'm not sure Pinkie Pie would even be able to follow that logic.

"SO...this is all just a game to you?"  I said slowly.

"No... well... yes.."  He stuttered and scrunched up his muzzle with an angry look.  "It was just a reference so SHUT YOUR FAT MUZZLE FOR ONE SECOND!"  He reared up to stamp his hooves angrily on the floor.

I tensed up without thinking and accidentally slipped into S.A.T.S..  As the pink interface gave me an 86% chance to hit with my hooves, I contemplated on just pulling out Heartstopper and shooting this smug colt in the face a few times.  I'm pretty sure that would help relieve some of the stress that's been building up over the last few days.  Alas, I just can't bring myself to kill a colt, no matter how twisted he seemed, it's just not the pony I am.  Well, if anything, this would give me some time to deal with him not yelling at me.

That reminds me of something the old man used to tell me.  He said every pony had a moral center they personified and lived by, he called it a virtue. It always seemed like an odd idea, I mean how could any pony be summed up as a single idea?  I remember the stories he would tell about the ministry mares and how they each held an 'Element of Harmony', but they were special ponies.  How could anypony in the desolate wastes personify something like laughter or generosity?  I canceled S.A.T.S. and let out a sigh as Myron slammed down and glared angrily at me before pausing and studying my face.

"The way you shifted right there.  Does that pipbuck of yours work?"  He said as he trotted over and leaned down, looking it over.  "Fascinating... It's one of THOSE models."

I smiled and held the pink computer up.  "You've seen one before?"

"Well, not THIS model, but one of the models made for Rainbow Dash, or so I'm told.  It had some sort of experimental inventory system that used extremely precise teleportation spells to manipulate items.  So precise that it could even teleport combat stimulants and health potions directly into the bloodstream."  He said as he grabbed the device with his hooves, twisting my leg uncomfortably as he looked it over.  "That one is closely guarded in Las Pegasus by those enclave rejects that call themselves 'dashites' or whatever.  It was in a lot worse condition than this one though.  Fuck, I mean Carlotta said that you found it, but I expected it to be useless."

The mention of my Griffin friend shot me back to the topic at hand.  "So why did you send her to protect me?"

The pale stallion smiled as he let go of the pipbuck and strode over to one of the machines with a dash vial inserted into it.  Standing on his back legs, he hoofed a button on the face of the contraption as he held his other hoof under the vial.  A small hiss emanated as the vial dropped from it's mounting into his waiting hoof.

"Because, I need somepony to run my shipments from here to Manehattan, and I need that pony to meet four requirements.  First of all, they needed to have no affiliation with the Maredino's or any other supplier in the region."  He paused and slipped the inhaler head onto the red cylinder before biting down on the tube to hold it in his mouth.  He walked closer before he twisted his head and tossed the vial to my hooves.  "Two, they can't be addicts, occasional use is fine, but I can't have them using up the shipment before it can be distributed."

He nodded down towards the small red inhaler for me to pick it up.  "Third, I need them to be faster than the competition.  When one of my informants got word to me that you had a working pre-war car, I knew you could complete runs in one tenth the time as any other team."  I picked up the tiny metal tube in my hoof, noting that the whole thing felt cold and heavier than it should for it's size.

"So why not contract with Ditzy? Her skycar..." I looked back up at the short stallion with a look of confusion.

He cut me off yet again.  I was really getting tired of him doing it.  "That fucking zombie refused my offer.  Flat out told me to buck off, I mean who says that?  Anyway, that brings me around to requirement four!  Loyalty.  I need a pony who doesn't challenge my masterful plans and won't surprise me with a sudden but inevitable betrayal."  He raised his hoof to his muzzle and poorly attempted to imitate shooting up the vial of dash.  "I need you to prove your loyalty.  Use the dash and I will administer a counter-agent to keep you from being addicted."

I dropped the vial on the ground at the suggestion. "Fuck that!  I don't do drugs unless it is absolutely necessary for survival, least of all Dash."  I sat and crossed my hooves.  I just couldn't do it.  

The problem was that a year or so after we started working in the field for the old man, Skyline and I had a close call with a gang outside of Baltimare.  They came at me from all sides, but Sky swooped in to save the day like normal, everything was going pretty smoothly.  As she turned to do a second pass, one of the gangs pistol rounds clipped my shoulder and I went down.  I had never seen her so angry, wiping out half the ponies within moments.  She had thought that I died and threw herself into them, causing the remaining members to scatter.  When she came back to see me alive, I think that's what caused her addiction to start.

She wouldn't listen to reason and blamed herself for me getting shot.  She was convinced she was too slow and thought that Dash would help her compensate.  I didn't notice for a while, but the signs of an addict are pretty hard to miss.  She would leave me in the middle of the night to fly off for hours when she thought I was asleep.  One morning while she was sleeping, I went through her saddlebags and found that she was carrying several of the empty red vials.  I confronted her when she woke up and we ended up arguing, but it wasn't until I took her remaining full vials did she break.  She ended up trying to bite down on the bit of her battle saddle to kill me, forgetting that she hadn't put it on yet.  I had watched as the revelation sunk deep, showing her just how far gone she was.

The next few hours were filled with tears and telling me over and over that she was sorry.  She told me she wanted to stop, but didn't want to risk losing me in some gunfight.  I destroyed the full vials after we had talked, but that's when things got pretty bad, the withdrawal hit her hard over the next following week and she was nearly uncontrollable.  It wasn't until I locked her in the generator room at the garage for a few days that she recovered enough for us to get her to Dr. Fitz for a proper detox.  I swore to her and the old man that I would never fall to the temptation of any drug.

"Listen, Moron.  You can forget about me running your fucking shipments.  I won't take your filth anywhere."  I made my voice as stern as I could.  Fuck this colt and his shit.  I don't want to lose Carlotta, but I won't fucking sacrifice my morals to appease anypony.

The young stallion frowned and shifted slightly on his hooves.  "You might not want to do that,  I mean, I'm well informed from all around the wasteland, and it wouldn't take very many caps to get ponies to come out of the ruins for miles around to kill you and that sister of yours."

Fuck.  Two times in one day I've had someone attempt to threaten me like this.  I mean it wasn't new to threaten to use bounty hunters personally against Sky and I, but I couldn't just gun Myron down.  For the bargain price of five thousand caps, he could get every hired gun out there to bear down on us in just a few days, and with how fast his information network seemed to run, I know that even if we ran we probably would never be safe.

"Tick, tock.  I got shit to do, jackass, make your decision."  He smiled his evil little smile as his determined look bore into my head.  I don't think I really have any other choice at the moment, I still had to go and fix the stupid terminal near Filly and somehow find the mirror pond before 42 did.  I'll have to fucking agree and figure out some way in the near future to sort this all out while still some way keeping all this from Sky.

"Fine." I said as I picked the vial up again, holding it in my hoof near my muzzle.  Myron's smile grew wider than I thought possible.

"So you finally came around, huh? I knew you would..."  The smug stallion started.

Fuck that, it's my turn to interrupt.  "But only on one condition."  My voice boomed over his, causing him to lock up momentarily.  Oh Celestia it was worth it just to see that look on his face.  "You will postpone starting my runs until I can sort out the jobs I already have.  My ability to run your shit will do you no good if everypony thinks I don't hold up to my word."

He looked down for a moment and clenched his jaw.  "I will agree to postpone starting the shipments."

I grunted and nodded.  "Then I'll..."

He cut me off with his own raised voice. "But I have my own conditions..."

THE FUCKING HELL, CELESTIA!?  JUST GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO KILL HIM!  PLEASE!  I ASK YOU FOR NOTHING ELSE!  I thought as I struggled to contain my anger, looking into his green eyes and trying to melt his brain with my condensed hatred.

"In waiting so long, my competitors will have a leg up on me.  If you want the extra time, I'll need you to... 'disrupt' their operations.  I would arrange it myself, but as you see, I have a bit of a staffing problem at the moment.  Kill one of the three Kings and we have a deal."

I didn't like this one bit.  My body ached and told me to rest as the bruises and strained muscles struggled to keep me standing.  My brain hammered at my skull for sleep as my conscience screamed to just walk away.  I leaned forward and went to use the drug before Myron slapped it out of my grip.

"Hold up, I have a brilliant idea.  I want to see if your pipbuck has the same ability as Rainbow's supposedly did."  He picked up the vial and tossed it into on of my saddle bags.  "Ok, now remember, once it wears off in a few minutes, you need to sleep.  You've got a big day ahead and I need you at the top of your game.  Come see me in the morning and I'll administer the antidote."

"How do I know it will even work?"  I said uneasily as I eyed the red tube.

"Because I fucking designed it to work.  I lost a lot of good slaves testing the various formulas, but I did eventually get the chemical balance that didn't cause heart failure.  In any case, your tiny brain will just have to trust that my superior intellect will have gotten this dose correct as well."  He calmly spoke through a wide smile.

I cringed as he even spoke the word 'trust', making my mind shoot back to the thought about the ministry mares.  Applejack had been the bearer of the Element of Honesty and was known throughout old Equestria for never letting anypony down.  Oh how I prayed that she could come back to life and buck Myron back into the deceitful shadows he crawled from.  Although as much as I wanted it, a boulder would never turn into a pile of caps and I'd have to get on with real life here in the wastes.

I slid into S.A.T.S. with relative ease, deselecting the targeting system to bring up the inventory.  I paused as I looked over the weapons tab, glancing at the only two guns I had.  I sadly passed them up as I looked through the other tabs before finally reading the bright pink, four lettered name that floated in my vision.  I selected it, praying to Luna from the back of my mind that this model didn't have the same functionality.

I was distressed to see the option to use it pop up quickly.  Of course I knew it had to be able to do it, why would the spell only be limited to equipping weapons?  Whatever, no going back now.  My thoughts commanded the system to use the vial and the item popped off the inventory screen as I felt a sharp sensation in my chest.  A small notification appearing in the top right corner of my vision stated that I had used the drug.

I closed my inventory with another thought and the spell switched back to the targeting screen, resisting the thought to buck the smug stallion in front of me in the muzzle.  I deactivated S.A.T.S. and watched as the pink outline disappeared, waiting for normal time to resume as it always had, only it was taking much longer than usual.  Fuck.  I knew that dash made ponies act quicker than normal, but I had never considered that the user was actually perceiving time as moving slower.  Which fucking meant that I was perceiving leaving the slowness of S.A.T.S. at an even slower rate.

Other than the piercing boredom of waiting for time to reorient itself, I felt good.  My weak muscles were solid under me,  I could feel exactly how I was standing, even the slightest shift in weight and I could feel the muscles stretch and tug.  As time resumed to about a quarter of it's normal speed, it stopped accelerating.  I looked up to see Myron tossing a coffee mug towards me, the smooth white cup was rotating slowly through the air as I watched it.  I easily stepped aside as it flung past my muzzle, making me smile.  I feel great AND I'm fast?  Great Celestia's tiara this drug is fucking awesome!  I am untouchable with this shit!

I turned and trotted my way to the door, watching it in amazement as I hoofed it open, disturbing the bright dust motes that floated in the artificial light casting down from outside. I gasped slowly as I watched the fluffy particulates dance through the air, being drawn around by the subtle air current.  The bright lights started to sting my eyes as I looked around, reaching my hoof up to shield myself from the light.  Ok, so downside one, light gets to be annoying, I can't do anything about that...or can I?  I am untouchable because this drug makes me move fast, right?  Well I bet I could outrun even the light!  I am such a smart pony!

As I took off towards the corner, I beamed a smile over to Ripcord as he sat in his office.  The olive pegasus was slowly looking up over an old book he was reading as I observed him blow a ring of smoke from his muzzle, the wispy smoke dissipating into nothingness before he took another drag off of his cigarette.  As I got to the edge of the motel building, I sprung forward, galloping down the street as fast as I could.  I squinted in the near blinding light, not disheartened in the least I couldn't escape it's all encompassing rays.  How could I waste the time to feel bad when everything felt so good!?

The street party was still in full swing as I could hear the slow beat of a set of bongo drums playing along side the long notes of the fiddle emanating from the center of town.  I wasn't sure where I was going to run now or how long this would last, but I wanted to make the most of it when I could!  I spotted odd, inky forms floating under everypony as they danced, hiding from the bright light close to the ground.

I took off towards the weird shapes, realizing as I approached that I was watching the shadows from everypony form and shift as they danced.  Huzzah! I had found refuge from the evil light! I beamed a smile as I twisted and wound my way under the crowd, looking around as I slid through the shadows of the assorted ponies.  I stopped as I found myself near the bonfire that had been started not long before we arrived, the ribbons of flames looked almost alive as they waved in the wind like the blades of grass from my dreams.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine it, the soft dirt and warm breeze against my coat, the warmth of the sun as it shone down in all of Celestia's brilliance.  I opened my eyes again as I looked up, hoping to see the blue skies and balloon shaped clouds.  I was instead met with the ridiculously bright lights on the tower next to me, causing me to turn and rub my eye with my forehoof, the after glare taking forever to fade.

As I regained most of my full vision, I looked up the road to the bridge, following as I saw a red pegasus swing down into the Red Lantern's parking lot.  That's odd.  Sky wasn't supposed to meet us here, why would she just show up?  I tucked that thought away and took off through the crowd again, deftly making my way between the celebrating ponies to go talk to her.

Time shifted slowly again as the drug started to wear off, speeding up at a gradual pace.  By the time I reached the parking lot, it was pretty much going at it's normal, uninteresting rate again.  I walked around the corner as I thought to myself that Dash could be the edge I would need to fight 42 and win, hell, it could help out in any sort of combat!  I wanted, no, NEEDED more Dash.  Skyline smiled as she pulled off the tight hug Ripcord gave her, turning to me before looking down at my bandaged chest, her eyes softening a bit.

"You ok there, Backlash?"  She walked up slowly and put her hoof on my shoulder.  "Do you want me to take a look at it?"

I yawned heavily, my legs wobbling a bit, making me sit for a moment before getting back to my hooves.  "No, I'll be fine.  I'm just kind of exhausted."  As I spoke, her expression shifted to one of curiosity, leaning in close and looking into my eyes.

"Did you take a Med-X for it or something? Your pupils are dilated."  Her voice held more than just a curious note now, but my brain refused to try to figure out why.  I guess with being so tired I was just losing focus, it had been a long day and I was looking forward to a good amount of sleep.  I yawned again, this time losing my balance and falling sideways.  Sky stepped forward as I barely caught myself.

"No, I didn't and I'm fine.  I just need to get to bed."  I grumbled out the words as I stumbled towards the room we'd rented, making it all of five feet before I tripped on my bad hoof and fell on my face, my still sore chest was throbbing in pain as I struggled to get back up.  As I did, I was interrupted by Sky as she pressed herself against me so I could lean on her, helping me walk to the room.

"I know you're lying to me, Backlash, but with as tired as you seem, the truth can wait until morning." I heard her say fuzzily as Ripcord opened our door for us, once again letting me view the most beautiful sight in all of Equestria, the single lusciously soft, queen-sized mattress I had spent many a night on before.  I could hear it calling to me, beckoning me to just grab hold of it's amazing softness and never leave.  I reached out for it with both my hooves, frowning as the bed seemed to fly away from my vision.  Oh wait, that's because without my front hooves on the floor, gravity could take over and help welcome me to the amazing world of sleep.


-----


I opened my eyes as I laid on the metallic floor of the skycar, shivering from the cold night air as I looked up and out of the broken windows to see it was still dark outside.  I sat up and swung my gaze around the interior, confused as to where my friends were.


"Murderer..."


"Oh, no."  I said as I cringed in terror.  "no, no, no, no, no!"  I scrambled to my hooves and ran for the latched door, wrapping my forlegs around the handle while pressing my weight against the cold hatch to try to hold it shut.  I knew what was coming, I didn't want them to get me!  I didn't want to be cast out into the darkness again!


"You killed us all.  You can not hide from what you have done."


A sudden slam of a hoof against the door startled me, shortly joined by numerous others as I screamed.  The door jerked and bounced as I struggled to hold it closed against the onslaught of vengeful dead ponies.  I could feel my grasp on the door weakening, my rear hooves slipping on the smooth floor.  I was losing the fight.  I called out for Sky as the dead ponies slammed the door open, flinging me away onto the cold floor.

I was tugged backwards as they got a hold of my legs, slowly pulling me towards the open door.  I tried to dig my fore hooves down and buck my legs, but their strength was just too much.  I watched in horror as they drug me from the skycar, feeling all my strength leave my body as I was drug over the old rooftop.  The few dead unicorns in the group floated me up into the view of the group as I was dangled over the black abyss.  A pair of lifeless pink eyes gazed up at me from the front of them, the large-framed, purple mare stepping forward to the ledge, her muzzle only inches from mine.  Her voice was cold and emotionless as she spoke.


"It's all your fault.  I will never forgive you."


The magic holding me up ceased as I screamed one last time, tumbling away from the rooftop and disappearing into the misty darkness below as I felt it consume my very being.


-----


I shook awoke in a cold sweat, wildly ruffling the covers of the queen bed in our motel room.  My heart ached as it raced in my chest, my eyes burned as they adjusted the light in the room, and my nose most likely hurt from stupidly falling on it.  I tried to catch my breath as I slid over and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Just another Luna-damned nightmare..."  I mumbled under my breath.  

I assumed it was day outside, seeing as there was less light coming through the windows now.  I looked around the room to see Skyline sitting at the kitchen table with a couple of snack cakes next to Longbow.  Carlotta was missing, but I assumed she was over with Myron or out flying around.

The two girls had stopped to look back at me, Skyline's face radiating both her displeasure and conveying great worry.  I forced a slight smile as I slid off the edge of the bed and walked to the nearby chair my gear was on.  I hoisted on my saddlebags and flak vest, noting that the bandages on my chest were gone, and that only a bullet-shaped, fleshy dimple was all that remained in my tan coat.

"I am so disappointed in you."  Skyline said as she slowly hovered her way over to me.  "Fucking Dash?  After all these years without so much as a relapse, and this is how you repay me?"  She painfully smacked my head with her hoof and landed next to me.  "You know how hard it was for me to kick that shit.  Why the fuck would you even start?!"

"Look... I can explain."  I rubbed my hoof on the back of my head as I looked at the floor.  "I didn't have any other choice!"

"Oh?  You didn't, did you?"  She yelled as she stomped on the floor.  "So somepony literally held you down and dosed you up?"  She prodded me with her hoof and leaned in close.  "Tell me then.  Was it worth it?  You like getting FUCKING HIGH?"

Both of us were torn from each other's gazes as Carlotta swung open the front door and stepped inside, closely followed by Myron who held a small green syringe in his muzzle.  Carlotta smiled as Sky walked over to her slowly.  The small pale stallion approached me with a grin and twisted his neck back before jamming the needle painfully into my leg, letting the anti-addiction concoction run through my veins.  I sighed sadly as the full extent of how bad I just fucked up hit me, I wondered if there would be any promises I had made left unbroken by the end of this journey.

"Hey, hun, miss me?"  Carlotta cooed happily while she leaned in for a kiss.  Sky reached back and slapped her across her beak before storming outside and taking to the air.  The stunned griffon looked back at the door with guilty eyes before turning back towards me, frowning softly.

"Now that you're all better, get off your lazy flanks and finish your job."  Myron said as he turned and looked back at Longbow, blowing her a kiss as she glared from the kitchen table.  "One last thing.  Carlotta will need to stay with me because too many ponies here know she works for me.  I'll leave you idiots to do the hard work, and do make it quick, my drug empire is on a tight schedule."

As quickly as the whirlwind of activity had started, Myron and Carlotta were gone, leaving Longbow and I sitting in silence.  I leaned forward and bit down on the antidote tube, pulling it out of my leg and spitting it onto the floor, trying to think of a way to explain everything to Sky.  That is of course assuming she wasn't flying back to the garage right now, which would suck because I don't think I can do this job without her.  Longbow stood up and walked over to me, swinging her head to get her long mane out of her face as her piercing glare shot into me.

"You going to yell at me for yesterday?"  I asked with pleading eyes.  I wanted her to yell at me,  to storm off and go back to her own life.  If she left, it would at least be the final nail in the Backlash-sized coffin of attempted friendships.  I watched as she lined her twin sniper rifles up with my side.

"As unhappy as you made me yesterday, I have a single question for you."  Her voice was calculating and genuine.  "Did you mean what you said, that you had no other choice?"

"If I said no, he would have put out a bounty on Sky and myself.  I don't want to put Skyline in the line of fire or give her any position where she thinks she needs to sacrifice her well-being for my own."  I looked her straight in the eye, watching as she thought over my response carefully.

"Why not just kill Myron?"  She asked as she cocked an eyebrow.

I shook my head slowly.  "You want me to kill him?  He may be an evil little bastard, but he's barely older than a colt.  No, you can kill him, I won't sink that low."  I did want to kill him though, every fiber of my being was telling me I should, but I just couldn't.  

"I'd like to think that ponies can change, and didn't he at least deserve that chance?  Doesn't everypony?"	 Am I asking that because that's what I truly believe?  Or is it because I know that I'm not the best pony I could be.  Do I deserve a second chance?  What about 42, shouldn't she get one as well?

I watched as the the heavily armed mare in front of me relaxed, sitting back on her hooves slowly.  "I kill ponies only if they don't leave me any other action, but stallions like him don't change.  At the end of our mission to the facility, I will take him in to face his crimes with or without your help.  He might die as punishment, but that is not my call to make."

I relaxed a bit as well, happy to see we had some sort of common ground between us.  "Believe me, I would enjoy nothing more than to see him carried off by the rangers, but right now I don't need to have an army of bounty hunters after me.  With her having seen how 42 does things, I need Carlotta on my side, she is an invaluable part of helping to stop the wasteland from being overrun."  My stomach grumbled loudly and reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything today, nor was I sure if I did yesterday either.

The blue aura from Longbow's horn enveloped one of the snack cakes still on the table, she floated it over to me with a confused look on her face.  "Forty Two?  What's that?"

I grabbed the round cake from the air and sighed, forgetting she had no idea that was 'the pink mare' from the reports.  "That's her name, 42 is the mare who stole my car.  She was who you thought you were arresting yesterday."

"So you are trying to stop her?  Why?"  She obviously didn't believe me, but it was understandable.  "That doesn't make sense, what's in it for you?  Were you from ponyville?"  Her words stung as they sunk in.  "Did you know someone there she murdered?" My thoughts drifted to Pallet, making my heart sink further.

"Because I'm responsible."  I said softly.  "I set her free from her prison, and I'm the one who has to deal with what she's done, with what I've allowed her to do."  I tossed the small snack onto the bed, I didn't really feel like eating now.

"Redemption."  Longbow said quietly, the words carried the strength of her resolve on them.  "You want redemption for the deaths you caused."  I shook my head and felt my ear twitch, I could hear the breeze outside the door shift slightly.

That wasn't it.  I don't want to be redeemed.  Redemption to me was like paying back a debt you owed to somepony.  Yes you did make up for the money you spent, but at that point the debt was gone, forgotten as if it had never occurred in the first place.  I don't want the ponies that 42 had killed forgotten, and you can never repay a debt of lives.

"I just need to do it.  Every bit of the pony I am calls out for me to stop her, but for that to happen, I need all my friends' help."  I kicked the empty syringe with my hoof, watching as it rolled across the carpet.  "I just wish that I could do that without being such a disappointment to Sky.  I don't mean to keep putting her in these situations, but I'm just too dumb to see that I keep hurting her with my choices."

I twisted around as the front door creaked open slowly, Skyline pushing her way inside, she had a sullen look on her face.  I assume it was because she had been listening through the door.  "You've never been a disappointment, Backlash.  I may not have liked what you did last night, but I was only angry because I thought that maybe I caused it.  That somehow you thought that the drug could somehow make you better, like I did back then."  She trotted over and threw herself around me into a hug.  "I knew you probably did have a good explanation, but I let my temper get the best of me and acted hastily, and for that I'm sorry." I smiled and hugged her back.

"So, what do we do now?"  Longbow asked while getting back to her hooves.  "What job was he talking about and why would it matter if your griffin friend had to stay back?"  Skyline pushed off me and hovered in the air with a confused look.

"Wait, why isn't Carlotta with us?"


-----


After sitting down and running through the entirety of yesterday's Myron-themed events, (and finally eating a whole box of snack cakes to keep my stomach from rebelling further) both Sky and Longbow were onboard for taking down one of the kings.  I had assumed that Longbow would have been happy with the task, but she went so far past it as she looked like I had just made her the happiest mare in the world.  Now, it was time for the hard part, thinking of the who's and the how's.

"I vote we take down White Bishop."  The heavily armed mare said with gobs of glee in her words.

"I thought you said you didn't kill ponies willingly..."  I said boredly as I propped my head above the table with my hooves.  Contrary to what I thought, trying to figure the specifics for assassinating a drug lord was a bit tougher than I originally imagined.  I looked over at Sky who was laying against one hoof while using the other to push a pencil into the tabletop, Her gaze was one of boredom far worse than my own.

"Well, I don't normally, but even the Steel Rangers have a standing order to kill him on sight."  She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hoof while she stared blankly at the wall.  "He's escaped custody once before because he has many more connections to gangs in the wastes that we had first thought.  Not to mention, that overweight bastard is the biggest of the three."

Wait, what?  Did she just say he was fat?  It was an odd choice of words as nopony has seen White Bishop in the flesh.  Maybe it was just a rumor she had heard, or how she envisioned him, but for all anypony knows, he could just be some decrepit old mare running the operations.  Even though her voice seemed to be off, and aside from the odd comment, she had another good point.  He was the biggest player in the Pool, being the source for most of the production of new Mint-als, Dash, stampede and Rage for Manehattan, Baltimare, AND fillydelphia.

Skyline shot back her response before she snapped the pencil in half.  "True, but he's also going to be the hardest to take down.  What about the Stalliatore twins? they only employ like, 20 ponies.  Plus Nickel Slot always wanders the floor while finding Jackpot upstairs would be the only real problem."

"No, they are the most well armed.  Too well armed in fact."  Longbow sighed and floated the sparkle-cola she was sipping off of the the last few minutes up to her lips, taking a quick drink.  "None of the local rangers know where it's coming from, but they have a ton of quality magical weapons."  She eyed me over quickly.  "We originally thought that they had an arms merchant dealing to them, but I don't think that would account for how much they have."

"What about Pepp..."  I started to say, watching from the corner of my eye as Sky's mane stood on end.

"No!  She is out of the question."  Sky said as she cut me off.  "Besides, Peppermint only sells booze and rents out escorts, she can hardly be considered one of the kings at all!"

I stood up and looked over at her.  "Yes, but her stills are some of the biggest left in the wasteland! If her supply were to be lost, most of the alcoholics would have to turn to drugs to compensate."

Sky harrumphed and crossed her hooves as she floated into the air.  "Then I'll have to agree with Mrs steel flank over there and vote for White Bishop."

I grumbled and facehooved.  "Fine.  We'll go for Bishop."  I could practically feel the joy radiating off of Longbow.  "Now, any ideas of how to even get to him?"

The peppy paladin's eyes lit up. "Well, he runs fights in the basement level of his tower every night as you know.  He tends to send a small group of cleaning ponies to clear the bar floor safes to take back upstairs and..."

I pressed my hoof over her muzzle to quiet her.  "Woah woah.  How do you know so much about what goes on there?"

She pushed my hoof away and shifted uneasily on her hooves, looking over my shoulder at Sky.  "Oh, the rangers keep tabs on his day to day operations and such."  Her voice fluctuated slightly as her face flushed.  Even with a believable enough explanation like that, It was plain she was lying to me.

"No.  Tell me the truth."  I said with a stomp of my hoof.

"Backlash, normally I would trust you to push for the truth, but does it matter where the info came from if it's good?"  Skyline put her hoof on my shoulder.  "Just listen to what she has to say, we need every advantage we can get."  I grumbled and sat down hard.  I knew she was hiding something, and I just didn't want it to come and bite us in the flank later.

"Anyway, as I was saying, we could wait until everypony leaves to see the fight, slipping upstairs as the cleaners come down to empty the current winnings.  After we slip in, it's 30 feet to the stairs, then eight floors to the top where He lives and keeps his caps."  Great, more stairs, I'm loving this job already.

"How many guards are we looking at?"  Sky asked hesitantly.

"Well, somewhere between forty or fifty?"  She scrunched her muzzle and shrugged.  "With the growing tension, who knows, he could have employed more."

"Funarific... so it's a gamble."  I hated gambling.  That was mostly because I was extremely bad at it, but seeing as it was the best plan we had, I agreed. "So then, what do we do about our gear?  I can get the party cannon in, but Sky would have her saddle confiscated and you probably wouldn't make it inside the door wearing your armor."

Skyline rubbed her hoof on her chin as she floated over towards Longbow, looking her over slowly.  "You seem about my size.  You can wear one of my dresses."

I turned slowly and looked up at the floating pegasus.  "Sky... what are you talking about, I thought you hated wearing dresses."  I flailed my hooves lightly in the air.  "Why in Celestia's name would you bring them with you?"

"Oh, well when I figured that you would be stopping here, I couldn't waste the opportunity to flaunt myself in front of Peppermint, could I?"  She smiled and twirled in the air.  "I just couldn't decide which dress to flaunt in!  The violet satin is my favorite, but the golden lace matches my mane better."  She pouted her lips sadly and sank to the floor.

"Oh, I think you would look better in the gold, while the violet would go better with my coat."  Longbow said slowly as she trotted over and opened the pegasus's saddle bags, making Sky's face brighten as she smiled giddily.  Celestia-damned mares and their confounding fashions, I mean everytime I tell Sky what I think about her dresses, I get beat over the head with something heavy.  (Also, I can understand the utility purposes of barding and armor, but why the hell did ponies even wear plain clothes?)  I was ripped from my thoughts as Sky hovered over and leaned in close.

"Backlash, would you be a dear and let us mares do a little beautification?  We will come and get you when we are ready to go."  Skyline shoved me toward the door as Longbow's armor emitted light hisses, each section detaching and opening up.  I opened the door quickly before I was pushed out of it, walking straight into Carlotta's armored chest.

"Hey!  Steel flank!  Do you think we'll have time for a shower?"  Sky called back as she turned and looked up at Carlotta with her biggest smile.  "Hey, hun, gotta go!"  She spun around and hooked around the door with her rear hoof.  "This is going to be SO AWESOME!"  She kicked the door shut with a slam, leaving Carlotta and I silently pressed together.

"But...what about backup weapons?"  My muffled voice sounded odd in the tough griffins armor, making her push me back a step.

"What was that all about?"  Carlotta said as she stared at the door with a slightly worried expression.  "Please don't tell me she wants to sleep with the metal bitch for revenge."

I groaned and facehooved. "Woah, woah, woah.  First of all, No.  Second of all, who she sleeps with is her choice.  Lastly... Ew.  I don't want to think about that!"  Great, now I couldn't get the thought of my sister and Longbow in bed together out of my head.  "Dear Celestia almighty, why did you have to put that image in my head."  I walked past her over towards the managers office, hoping that Ripcord was in.  That way I could have a NORMAL conversation that didn't involve my sister's sex habits.  I found him sleeping in the same chair he was in last night with his book over his face as he snored loudly.

"Hey, Rip, you want to hang out for a bit?"  I leaned up against his windowsill, waiting for a response.  I raised my voice. "Oh, Rip...wakey, wakey!"

He grumbled and scratched at the dark brand on his flank before continuing his loud snoring.  Ok, I know that it wasn't that important that I wake him up, but I had a great idea and he was just asking for it.  I walked over to the Marauder and opened the driver side door, sliding onto the front seat softly as I shifted the gear to neutral.  Carlotta hovered above me as I kept a fore hoof on the wheel and walked the vehicle slowly up towards the small office, hoofing the break to stop the car when the hood was alongside the open window.

"Oh shit, are you serious?  This is too good..."  Carlotta snickered from above.  "Since when did you get so evil?"

I got back into the car and popped my head out the window, smiling up to the griffin.  "Oh, I've always been this way.  Sky and I have to do SOMETHING to help keep us light on our hooves when we are out on a trip."  I softly put my hoof on the center of the steering column.  "I did try to wake him the easy way..."  I pushed my hoof down, blaring the thunderous horn up through his window for a few seconds.

I watched as he shot up in a panic and flew about his room quickly before diving out through the open window.  He hit the hood of the car and flipped off it with a roll to land square on his hooves.  He panted heavily around the grip of his combat knife as he glowered at me.  There was a long pause before I couldn't contain myself anymore and burst out into laughter, Ripcord's face dropping to an exasperated expression as he relaxed and dropped his blade made the laugh just that much harder.

A loud slam on the roof startled me from my jubilance, making me lean my head out to look.  Carlotta was struggling to breathe as she laughed on the roof, making me giggle again.  I looked back over to the olive green pegasis as he stared wide eyed at the hood of the Marauder.  There was a silver gouge running across the length of the hood from where he slashed at it with his knife sometime during his escape from his office.

"Don't worry Rip."  I said quickly.  "I think you killed it!"  I gasped and laughed again, watching as he grinned and joined in.  I noticed that a small group of ponies were peeking around the corner at us, probably wondering how the loud noise had driven the three of us mad.  I didn't care, this was the most fun I'd had that I can remember in the last few days.  Well, minus beating out Strawberry Sorbet yesterday, and minus showing up Peppermint.  I really should count how great I felt on the Dash yesterday.  Although I greatly wanted to admit that it had been amazing, that was more... artificial fun. 

After a few minutes, the three of us caught our breaths and we each opened one of the beers I didn't have the chance to drink yesterday.  That reminds me, I still owed the last one to Dipstick.

"So!  Now that we have a few minutes to chat, what astonishing excursions have you been on since you last found yourself in these parts?"   The smoke from Rip's cigarette smoke drifted up and changed color as the sun set over the low hills toward the river, turning the plume to an off yellow as it rose higher.  "Maybe regale me with the tale of how you met your fine griffin associate!"

"Oh, well, not much to tell about where I've been."  That was an outright lie of course, but I didn't want to explain everything about 42 yet again, once per day was already too many times for me to even remember she was still out there.  "But Carlotta here couldn't have shown up at a better time.  I had thought someone was following us through the city and..."  She clamped my muzzle shut with her talon.  Ok, I was getting INCREDIBLY tired of being cut off all the time.

"Yawn.  You suck at telling stories."  She took a drink from her beer before continuing.  "So, I had tailed Backlash and his friends for a few days before they finally caught on, and... and..."  Her story drifted off as her gaze froze behind me.  "wow." Carlotta over as she stuttered.  "Just... wow."

I turned around to see Skyline step out of the doorway in her gold lace dress.  Her hair was put up in a twist, making it look like a white and yellow pinwheel.  She was shaking her hips as she walked out before turning in place for Carlotta, giving her the most seductive grin I had ever seen her give.

"If you'll excuse me, boys..."  The griffin downed the rest of her beer with a few long chugs, straightened up and walked lightly around the marauder, basicly dripping affection as she stared at the dressed up pegasus.  I watched in silence as Sky backed her way inside, beckoning Carlotta in after her.  As soon as they disappeared in, I watched as Longbow strode out and shut the door behind the other two with her magic.

I couldn't move as I looked at the unicorn in front of me. The flowing, violet dress seemed to shine in the early evening light, the wing slits let the dress sag slightly, showing off her curves in a tasteful, yet suggestive way.  There have only been a few times in my life I've ever found myself thinking of other ponies this way, but that dress in this light and with the way her hair was let down straight, she was the most beautiful sight my eyes had ever beheld.

"Well!  It seems that I have become the party's third wheel!  I will leave you and the mare to enjoy your evening, what say you continue your fabulous story tomorrow?"  Rip said with an awkwardly happy tone to his voice.  Honestly, with how stunning Longbow looked, I was surprised I could hear any of his words at all.  "Well alright!  Many thanks for the refreshing drink and have a delightful evening, Backlash."  He trotted into his office through the front door and closed it, leaving me standing still in the parking lot as I looked over the blue unicorn.

"Y... you look absolutely stunning..."  I stuttered out, causing her to to blush brightly.

"Thanks."  She replied shyly, tilting her head down and away, letting her striped hair cover her face partially.  "There isn't much call to dress up at the base.  The only time I ever did was as a filly for Hearts and Hooves day."

I slowly trotted over to her and smiled.  "You should do it more often.  Why hide under that armor when you look this beautiful?"  She gasped softly and looked over to me, still keeping her head down.  I reached over and lifted her chin with my hoof, turning her muzzle towards me.  I could see as she froze up in shock at my touch, letting me lean forward and kiss her on the cheek.  It was both odd and amazing, with her armor on I had barely noticed her, but it was like now I could see who she truly was, and I'm not ashamed to say that I couldn't keep my eyes off her.

As I backed up slowly, she touched her hoof to her cheek and looked up at me with a soft gaze.  "Nopony has ever..."  She smiled again and got teary eyed.  "Nopony has ever told me I was beautiful.  Not even my mother." She laughed lightly as a tear rolled down her cheek.  She looked up slowly before jumping up and hugging me without warning.  It was the second most awkward hug I'd ever had, but for once, I didn't mind.  She stepped back and wiped the tears off her cheeks.  "Thank you for that."  Her blush showed lightly through her blue coat.

I sat down and reached back into my saddlebag, pulling out the last beer I was saving for Dipstick.  I offered it to her with a soft smile, happy when she nodded and floated it out of my hoof.  I cantered back over to where I was talking a minute ago and grabbed my still half full beer, taking a sip as I trotted back over.  The soft pop of the cap as her magic pried her bottle open was all I had time to register before she put the bottle to her lips and tilted it up, eagerly draining the bottle in only a few moments.

I swear I could have felt my jaw on the ground as she pulled the empty bottle off her lips and levitated it into one of the nearby trash cans.  She let out a low belch and blinked a few times before nervously grinning at me, turning her head slightly to cover he view with her hair.

"That... was... AWESOME!"  I yelled as I beamed a smile at her.  Not only was she fucking Celestia tier beautiful when out of her armor, but she knew how to have a good time!  "Finally, another mare who know's how to relax!  You are a one in a million kind of pony, Longbow."

"You don't mind that I don't act like a mare?"  Longbow cringed and kept her nervous smile.  "Well, I did learn a lot about drinking when I was off duty, being the only mare in my squad."

The door to the motel room we rented opened up slowly, Skyline stepping out into the evening breeze as we looked over.  She used a hoof to straighten her dress a bit as a strand of her mane drooped from the side of the bun.  Carlotta closed the door as she came through, turning and smacking Sky on her flank lightly with a giggle.  Sky jumped and giggled before blowing a kiss to the griffin as she walked towards us, slipping a small purse under one of her wings.

"Are we all ready to go?"  She said before biting and dragging my beer from my hooves.  I couldn't voice my despair for the loss of my alcoholic drink fast enough as she tilted it up and downed the rest of it with the same ease as Longbow.  She swung her head and tossed the bottle aside, watching it fly through the air before a blue aura enveloped it and carried it off into the trash.  Sky shrugged and looked at longbow unimpressed at that before turning her sharp gaze towards me.

"You're going like that?  It's like you didn't even try to look nice!"  She smacked me with her hoof, making me cringe.  She walked up next to me and pushed my saddlebags off with her hooves, biting the neckline of the flak vest and tugging on it.  "Cmm' ohn!  Shtrep eht osh."

I groaned and shoved her away, getting a loud sigh in return.  "I'm not leaving the vest here, how many times has it saved me now?"

"Uhg, You have a point." She rolled her eyes and pulled the party cannon from my bags before trotting over and tossing the cloth sacks through Ripcords office window.  I was happy to feel the light suction again as I reached over and grabbed the large pink tube, but saddened to notice that the Pipbuck read it was already under half durability.  I estimated it had four, maybe five more shots in it before it probably wouldn't work anymore.  I desperately wished I knew how to fix this thing before I ran into 42 again, I'm fairly sure it was the only weapon I'd be able to hit her with.

I hoofed the bright tube onto my back, feeling it stick before nodding to Sky and Longbow.  "I think we're good to go."

"I thought you said you could sneak your weapon in..."  Longbow said as she eyed me curiously.

"Aha, but I can.  Just wait until we get there and you'll see what I mean."  I smiled and started walking, leading the two mares into town.  As we turned the corner, the blinding flood lights flickered to life, filling the darkening streets with light yet again.  I noticed as I surveyed along the wide street that it was just as busy as last night, a few ponies were trying to get the bonfire started as the fiddle pony tuned her instrument.  We walked through to cool breeze towards the farthest tower in silence, bunching up as we reached the front of the makeshift club.

A set of heavy, double doors had been bolted onto the shell of the tower as a makeshift entrance, A neon sign sat buzzing loudly above them, touting large, blue letters that read 'Big Blind'.  There was a pair of fairly tough looking unicorns who stood in suits and sunglasses in front of the doors, checking ponies for weapons as they went in.  I took a deep breath and walked up with a smile.

"Good evening, Sirs, care to let my mare friends and I in?"  I tried to stay as relaxed as possible, cringing slightly as the closest on leaned and looked over his glasses.

"What's with the bucket?"  He asked as he looked it over.

"I feel like tonight is going to be my lucky night at the slot machines!"  I enthusiastically responded and continued to smile.  Please don't question it... Please don't question it... Please don't question it...

The other Unicorn stepped back from Longbow and sky before nodding.  "Alright, get on in there, you're holding up the line."  The guard in front of me said sharply as he nodded for us to enter.

"Thanks!  Have a good night!"  I called out as I hoofed open the doors, holding it open long enough for Sky and Longbow to trot though before I slipped inside behind them.  I looked over the layout of the first floor, noting that it hadn't changed much since I had last been in here, but it was hard to really get a good look seeing as the place was nearly packed full of ponies.

From what I remember, the first floor consisted mostly of small gambling tables that were surrounded by slot machines along half the back wall. The stairs were set next to each other at the end of the gambling section, one set going up to the pool hall and in turn, the upper floors, the other set went down to the boxing arena.  The large stage that sat near the stairs and against the back wall was where a small band was playing upbeat, fast-paced polka, the floor in front of it was completely taken up by dancing ponies.  To the left of us was the bar, where a crowd of ponies were busy telling drunken stories and celebrating their night off.   As I scanned over the group, I spotted a familiar black pegasus sitting sadly by himself in the corner.

I leaned over to Longbow and whispered in her ear suggestively.  "I told you I could get my cannon in..." (If you know what I mean! Awww yeah! I amaze even myself sometimes.  I'd totally brohoof you if you weren't reading this on a terminal screen... or potentially not a fan of that kind of humor... or not a fan of stallions in general...  Back to my adventure!)

"Yeah yeah..." She smirked and nodded.  "Just relax and mingle, we have some time until they start seating for the fight."  She put a hoof to her chin in thought.  "Let's split up, that way it looks less suspicious when we all stay up here during the fight."

"Sounds good to me!" Sky proclaimed as she swung her purse onto the tip of her wing.  "I'm off to go win me a few hands of blackjack!"  She turned and walked into the sea of ponies crowding around the card tables, disappearing almost immediately.

"So would you like to..." I started to speak as I turned back to ask Longbow, only to find she had already disappeared.  "dance......  that's a no I'm guessing.  Great work, Backlash." I sighed softly and turned over to the bar, heading over to the lonely black stallion in the corner.  "Hey buddy!  Sorry about last night."

Dipstick looked up with sad eyes and smiled wide, the enthusiasm of seeing me quickly fading, making him force his smile "Naw, t'ain't nuthin'.  Jus' tryin' ta relax a spell 'fore ah git on home."

"I'm going to get a beer, you still up for that one I owe you?"  I smiled and noticed that he looked like he had been crying earlier in the night.

"Ta be honest, ah could go fer somethin' a mite stronger, if'n yah don't mind that is."  He was trying to hide the pain in his words.

"Yeah sure, I'll be right back."  I said as I trotted over to the bar.  I tapped my hoof on the bartop and was happy when the unicorn stallion behind walked over.  "Can I get a bottle of Wild Pegasus and two glasses for my pegasus friend over there?"  I reached in my vest pocket and pulled out a small pile of caps.  The bartender nodded and promptly levitated the bottle and glasses over to Dipsticks table while scooping up my caps.  I turned and trotted back to the table, sitting down as the bottle and the pair of glasses set down.   "What's troubling you, Dipstick?"

He looked up at me, trying to gather the courage to speak, finally letting out a sigh.  "Tumble up'n left me today."  He took the bottle in his hooves and pulled the cork out with his teeth before he poured himself a glass of the hard liquor.  "She took the twins an' went out a few hours ago, headin' fer Tenpony."

I shook my head slowly and poured myself a small shot into the clear glass.  "You two have been together for what, the last seven years?"  He nodded and lifted his glass, drinking it down slowly.  I took the glass in my hooves and hoisted it up quickly, letting the burning sensation drift down my throat before I set the glass down.  "She say why she left?"

He sniffed and set the glass down.  "She said it's 'cause she didn't figure it was safe here no more.  That the Kings were goin' tah fight it out n' all out war."  He  grabbed the bottle and poured himself another full glass.  "What if'n tha' t'ain't it t'all?  What if'n it's cause ah didn't make her happy no more?"  He tipped the glass up and drank it down slowly again, choking slightly as he started to cry a bit.

"Hey, you're a great stallion and she knows it.  If she said it's not safe, then that's why."  I said as I laid my hoof on his foreleg.  "Why don't you go with her?  You know, take a few days off and at least make sure she get's there alright."

"Maybe yer right."  He started as he went to pour another glass.  "Ya'll think it's that ahm jus' needin' tah buck up an' show 'er ah still care?"  He set the half-empty bottle down as he looked at it.

"I think that if anything, she'll love just to have you next to her again."  I said before corking up the bottle.  He smiled a genuine smile and chuckled, sniffling before he wiped his cheeks clean.

"Thank yah, Backlash.  Ahm thinkin' ahl go an' tell mah boss ahm usin' mah vacation days.  Ah still got all seven ah've saved from the last few years."  Dipstick got up and fluttered his wings slightly.  "Ah needed a good kick'n th' flank ta get me goin' again.  Yer a helluva friend."  He trotted towards the exit with a smile.

"Give the missus my regards!" I called out to him over the music, unsure if he heard it at all as he left the club.  I shrugged and looked back at the half empty bottle sitting on the table, thinking for a moment that it would be a really bad idea to drink any more and that I was surprised I could manage to keep any alcohol down after... and there I go remembering shit again.  I stepped back from the table with a frown and looked over as a well dressed unicorn stallion got onto the end of the bartop, causing the nearby crowds to hush to a low whisper.

"Good evening, everypony!  If I can have your attention for just a moment.  Seating for tonight's fight will open up momentarily, so if you will please place your bets and head downstairs, we can get the fight started promptly!"  He used his magic to amplify his voice, bellowing out the message before hopping down off the bar and disappearing amongst the shifting masses.

It was time to move.  I wound my way towards the stairs, pushing past ponies who were eager to lay their hard earned money on the line on the chance that one pony would beat the hell out of another.  Boxing never made sense to me, why watch a fight where two ponies who didn't even know each other, bucked and punched each other to submission for money?  The wasteland was like that every day now, there was just no referee to tell them to stop when one side went down.  Where was the appeal of watching it happen to somepony else anyway?

I looked up and saw Skyline poke her head over the railing from the second floor.  I broke off from the flow heading towards the ring and trotted up the set of stairs against the thinning stream of ponies moving down .  Once up top, I looking around at the few empty pool tables as slot machines, noting only a few ponies had stayed behind.  The most out of place pony was an old stallion who was meticulously putting a token into a broken machine, pulling the lever, and then 'winning' his one token back.  He sat and continued to repeat the process with a smile on his face as Sky and I waited for Longbow.  After maybe a minute, Sky groaned loudly.

"Where the hell is she?"  Sky whispered and tapped her hoof on the green carpet that lined the upper floor.  A door opened up next to the old gambling stallion and out spilled a set of six armed, suited ponies, each one with a pistol in their mouth or floated next to them by their magic.  They trotted over and spread out around Sky and I as we could do nothing but just stare at them.  A slow clapping came from beside us as a pony who I noticed was sitting in the corner earlier leaned forward.  He laughed as he got to his hooves, his brown eyes peered across the floor to us filled with satisfaction.

"Ya know why I'm Mr. Bishops number one assistant?"  The bright pink stallion walked over with a bounce in his step, his bright yellow mane poked out from under the grey fedora he wore.  "It's 'cause I look for the normal looking ponies."  He stopped and turned to one of the suited unicorn guard ponies.  "I read a book from before the war once.  Get this, it was on criminal profiling.  Ya know what it said?"

The guard pony shook his head, keeping his gun trained on Sky and I. "No boss, what'd it say?"

The pink stallion tipped his fedora back and looked over, his eyes sweeping over the Sky and I.  "It said that dangerous ponies always go OUT of their way to look normal."  He grinned and looked at me.  "An' look at ya!  You are the shining example of a normal pony!"  He poked me in my side before swinging his hoof around towards Sky.  "Oh but YOU!  Doll, what are ya doing in a joint like this!  You are anything BUT normal."  He brushed his hoof through her mane slowly as I watched Sky tense up, swinging hard with an uppercut to catch him square in the jaw.

The pink stallion dropped to the floor like a sack of flour as two of the guards behind her took a step closer, pushing their guns to the back of her head.

"You'll be sorry ya did that, bitch!"  He grunted as he pushed off the floor and landed a heavy punch against Sky's ribs.

"You leave her the hell alone or I'll fucking kill you!"  I yelled as Sky gasped and coughed, kneeling on the floor.  I felt the two guns pressed against the side of my head as my anger receded.

"Oh, I'm not the one who's fucked."  He smirked and wiped the blood from his muzzle with a hoof.  "Take 'em to see Bishop.  Also, tell him we're still lookin for the one broad.  The fucking cunt has to be down here somewhere."  And for the second time in two days, I found myself in magical manacles and tossed onto the back of a pony. 


-----


I swear I wasn't trying to make this a regular thing.  They had tossed a sack over my head and hauled us off to an elevator, at least having the courtesy this time to not smash my head into the door frames.  The elevator ride was slow and uncomfortable, mostly because the elevator seemed to be made of a metal mesh, allowing me to hear every ounce of strain the steel was under, sounding as if it were trying to rip itself apart with every foot we climbed.

"Sky, let me do the talking when we are up there."  I said as I tried to beat out the horrendous noise.

One of the guards hit me in the head. Hard. "Shut your muzzle!"

It felt like minutes had passed as the rickety car rose up to the top level, stopping with a sudden jerk before the door was slid open and we resumed walking.  Well, they did, Sky and I just kept riding along.  After a few more moments, the way the hoof beats of the guards sounded on plush carpets told me that we had just entered a well furnished room.  I was slid off the back of a guard and helped onto my hooves before I could hear most of the guards leave and swing shut the door we came through.  The two that stayed behind us must have been the ones casting the binding spells because I still couldn't move either sets of my hooves.

I heard a door across the room open, then shut before heavy, slow hoofsteps drew across the room.  The creak of a wooden chair in front of me announced as a pony sat down and adjusted themselves.  As I stood there with the black sack over my head, I wondered if I was wrong in not pushing for the truth from longbow.  No, I had to trust that her reasons were her own and that she had seen us get taken.  I prayed to Celestia that she had some sort or plan to rescue us.

"Do you know who I am?"  A deep stallions voice resonated from in front of me.  The words he used sounded well rehearsed and his tone was harsh.  I nodded slowly, assuming that sky would do the same.  "Do you know what I do here in the pool?"  His words sounded the same.  He sighed lightly as I nodded again.  I tried to peer through the black sack, looking around to see if I could find any holes.  The fabric was frilly on the inside and tickled my nose rather uncomfortably.

"Then would you kindly tell me who the FUCK you are and WHY YOU WERE TRYING TO INFILTRATE MY TOWER!?"  His voice boomed, the room reverberating with his words as I felt myself shudder.  The sack tickled my nose again, I gasped as I felt the inevitable coming on.  Oh luna no, please, just...

"AHHCHOO!"  I screamed and threw my head down reflexively as I sneezed, the hood dropping to the floor as I stared down in shock at the carpet.  I slowly looked up to see something I never expected.  An extremely overweight Zebra wearing a leather pouch around his neck sat in front of me behind a large wooden desk, his silver eyes studying me over.  Fucking White Bishop was a Zebra?!

He leaned back in his chair, making it creak loudly again.  (I know I'm not in the best shape, but that's just unethical treatment of a chair!)  "Well that is a shame.   I would have let you go with a few broken limbs, but nopony has ever gotten to walk away after seeing me."

"What about your guards?"  I asked dumbly.  We were at a complete disadvantage here, and our only chance is to stall until Longbow some how makes her way to us and saves our flanks.

The White Bishop facehooved.  "I know you are just trying to keep me busy until Yew can make her entrance."  He opened his desk and pulled out a gem-studded 10mm submachine gun, he lifted it and leaned forward to lay it on the desk.

"Wait.  wat?"  Sky spoke up from under her hood.  "You think Backlash is a mare?  He's a stallion..."

Bishop dropped the weapon on the desk and shook his head "No, I..."

"You know I'm a stallion..."  I replied before he could finish.  "Also, how am I supposed to make an entrance if I'm already here?"

Bishop brought up both his hooves to his face and drug them down slowly, his anger rising.  "No.  Yew Longbow!"  I knew my feeling that longbow was hiding something about Bishop was correct, but I didn't know it's what got us caught.  Regardless, Bishop had inadvertently giving me a chance to take up more time.

"I am Backlash..."  I said slowly.  "She is Sky..."

"AND I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"  He slammed both his hooves on the table and snorted in anger.  "Tell me where she is and I will make your deaths quick!"  Well that was quick.  Stalling that way didn't take nearly as long as I hoped it would.

"Maybe if you hadn't put a bag over my head I could have seen her on her way up here to kick your ass."  I said as I goaded him again.

The fat zebra laughed through his clenched teeth, hoofing his drawer open and sliding the SMG back into it.  He slid the drawer shut as he locked his gaze to mine.  "Oh you have no idea what I am going to do to you.  You think you are tough, but in a month when you have had enough of the pain, I may see fit to kill you."  He waddled (Yes, I used that term.  His entire body swung as he walked and it looked ridiculous, shut up.)  over to a large bookshelf on the wall, hoofing at a book on the bottom while pushing at the side of the case. 

A soft click emitted before the whole case slide a few feet to the side, revealing a huge, four-legged safe set into a nook in the wall.  The black metal box was nearly the height of the bookshelf and almost as wide as Bishop himself was.  I looked around for anything I might be able to grab to gain the advantage, stopping as I looked back at the door behind us.  A single pink line on my Compass sat between the two red lines which represented the guards.  We'll it's about time that...

A sequence of explosions flashed around the edges of the room, the floor dropped out from under the entire room.  Dropping everyone but Sky ten feet down to the floor below.  I screamed as I hit the ground and felt my right shoulder twist at an odd angle.  Cringing, I looked up to see Longbow walk onto the fallen carpet from the dark emptiness of the floor we were now on.  She held a sleek Gauss pistol in her magic, pressing it to each of the guards foreheads and executing  them before they could recover.  The Gauss rounds turned the ponies heads into small meat explosions, leaving their necks looking like long, bloody ribbons.  With the guards dead, the magical manacles popped off and faded away from Sky and me, allowing her to take her hood off.

Skyline hovered for a moment as her jaw dropped.  "Wait, Bishop is a ZEBRA?"

Longbow stepped towards the overweight Zebra slowly, the meaty bits from the guards slowly drooping down the blood-soaked violet dress."I've been waiting four long years for this moment, White Bishop.  You may have escaped before but NOT AGAIN!"  She aimed the pistol and shot at him, hitting him in the leg and watching with glee as the severed limb flopped a foot away, twitching as a pool of crimson grew under it.  I haven't ever heard a scream like the one that he gave, not from any creature.

He panted and whined on the floor for a few moments as she stopped a few feet from him.  "You steel rangers are NOTHING but pests to be exterminated!"  He laughed as he bled profusely.  "To be squashed like when your brother came around looking at my daughter.  He thought he could have her all to himself and take her away from me. ME!"  Longbow growled and shot at his legs again, this time the shot went wide and struck a support beam next to him, the beam let out a low whine but held the floor above.  "Oh, how he begged for me to kill him as I tore his pretty, purple coat right off of his body ever so slowly.  I savored every scream, every plead he gave, but he was weak and died before I was satisfied.  When you came and arrested me, I knew it was only a matter of time before you would try to get your vengeance."  Longbow growled and pulled the trigger again.

Nothing, the gun was empty.  "Well it looks like you won't be getting that revenge after all."  He laughed from the floor, using his other hoof to open the pouch.  "It's a good thing I always keep a hydra with me in case of just this sort of thing.  You'd be surprised how often I have to use one."  He stuck his muzzle in the pouch and grabbed the syringe, stabbing it into his severed leg before screaming out.

No, he gets to die.  Fuck doing it for the mission, after what he did to her, I have to do this for Longbow.  I shambled to my hooves and painfully twisted myself to pull the party cannon off my back, watching in fascinated horror as the missing leg regrew out of Bishop.  I stifled a scream as the pink tube weighed down my leg, twisting at my busted shoulder as I lifted it up.  I couldn't stabilize it enough to hit him accurately, but I hoped that the sheer size of the cannon ball would compensate.

I fired and yelped as the recoil threw my leg back, sending waves of pain through my body as the sleek ball missed Bishop and smashed through the support beam next to him, splintering the wood before punching a wide tear in the tower's rusted wall.  The sphere traveled out and lodged itself into the cliff face above the taint lake.  The upper floor groaned and sagged, the heavy safe above us slid forward and tilted slightly.

"No! no! no! no! NO...!"  The plump zebra screamed as he tried to get to his hooves, but his new leg was weak from non-use like my hoof was after it regrew.  No matter how much he scrambled, it wouldn't hold his tremendous weight.  The safe slid again and dropped over the edge, hanging in the air for a moment before flattening the drug lord with the satisfying splut and crunch that normally comes from squishing a bug under-hoof.  A great, big, gooey one.

"That's for Short Staff you fucking fat piece of shit."  Longbow spat on the ground as a thick pool of blood spread out around the safe.  She turned to me with tears in her eyes and hugged me tightly, making me whine as she squeezed my shoulder.  "Thank you, Backlash." 

The floor under the safe groaned and buckled, giving way and dropping the gore-covered, two-ton box another floor, then another, then yet another.  Crushing it's way down floor by floor before crashing down into the basement, screams erupting as the dust started to clear.

"Well that's not good..."  Sky said as she flexed her wings.  "I vote we leave.  Like, right now."

"At least that saves us from evacuating the tower."  Longbow said with a small smile, sniffling and stepping back from me.

Wait, what? "Why would we need to do that?"  I asked as I leaned in front of the blood-soaked mare.

"I set charges along key points in support sections to create a controlled, linear demolition of the tower."  She said very Matter-o-factly

"YOU WHAT!?"  Sky yelled and flailed her hooves in the air.  "That wasn't part of the plan!"

"This will insure that his whole drug organization falls for good!  Nopony else can just take over."  Longbow stomped her hoof.

I hobbled over to Sky, nudging her with the party cannon.  "Take this and head back to the hotel.  Find Myron and tell him the job is done, Longbow and I will meet up with you there."  She grabbed the pink gun in her mouth and trotted to the hole in the wall it had made.  She gave a sad look back and dropped through, taking off into the night.

"So..."  I said as I turned to longbow.  "You didn't happen to take out the rest of Bishops guards while we were held prisoner, did you?"

She shook her head, a chunk of guard pony slid free from her mane.  "No.  I snuck past them.  None of them are allowed up this high and the two floors below this are empty and unused."   The shouting voices of guards coming up the flights of stairs filled my ears.  We needed to get out of here.

"How much weight have you levitated before?" I looked over to the hole that the cannon ball had made, suddenly getting another one of my stupid ideas

She bit her lip in thought and danced nervously on her hooves.  "Back at base during training, they made us levitate an entire suit of disassembled power armor onto ourselves at once, just in case we needed to suit up quickly in an emergency."

I groaned. "Ok, that wasn't an answer!  How much does the suit weigh!?"

"Maybe one hundred pounds?"  She cringed as she answered.  The voices were getting far to close for my liking.  I just had to hope that her magic could hold up.

"Ok, so this is going to suck a lot, but it's our only chance."  I nudged her over to the hole with my hoof.  "If you wrap us in your magic and we jump, you should be able slow us enough that we could make it to the cliff face and kick off of it to make it to the ground below."

She leaned over the edge and looked down.  "You mean float over the enormous lake of taint?  Are you insane!?"

"Time to find out! Jump!"  I painfully hooked my right hoof around her neck and pulled myself close to her, pushing off the edge with her as her blue aura spread around us.  The guards spilled up through the stairwell, firing poorly aimed shots as we dipped over the ledge and into the radiant light filtering down from the spotlights.  I was delighted to see we weren't plummeting to our deaths, but mortified to see that we were sinking faster than I though we would be.

"Um... a bit slower would be nice!"  I called out as the cold night air swirled around us, the guards shots still pinging the cliff face above us.

"By Celestia's grace how much do you weigh!"  Longbow groaned as a dim layer of overglow enveloped her horn, slowing us further.  I reached my left hoof out as we approached the cliff face.  I spun us around and kicked us away as hard as I could.  A round from the guards ricocheted off my pipbuck as we floated back toward the tower, the lake of shimmering taint growing closer and closer.  We were going to cut this really damn close!

The tell-tale thumping of .308 battle rifles filled the air as Carlotta flew by, sending the guards retreating back from the hole.  Sky flew over and gave us a firm push to the shoreline as we floated only a few feet away from it.  I was happy to feel the dirt under my hooves as Carlotta let out another burst, strafing back across over us.

"You're all clear!  Now blow this thing so we can all go home!" She called back as she flew up, disappearing beyond the bright lighting

Longbow's horn sparked and stopped glowing, she panted heavily as I noticed the tip of it was a dimming red, quickly fading to charred black. She shook her mane stiffly as she reached up into it with a hoof, pulling out a tiny square box with a red button on it.  She slowly tilted her head down and used her horn to press it.  Immediately a series of sharp pops from inside the building resounded through the night air, I could see longbow counting softly.

"3...4...5...6...........damnit, only in a casino would it be unlucky number 7!"  She tensed up and looked over as me as a low groan filled the air.  "It might be a good idea to run!"  The spotlights at the top of the building flickered and went out as side of the tower facing the cliff buckled inward, the top of the tower listing slowly over us.  Sky took off again, flying low towards the street with Longbow and I hot on her tail.  The tilting tower's walls screeched and screamed as the tortured metal twisted and sheered, the top of the tower slammed against the rock face, breaking off a section which fell into the calm lake with a large splash.

I looked back to watch the tainted water surged over the dirt edge only slightly before receding.  Fuck.  The streets will be flooded with that shit if that whole thing comes down.  We needed to get everypony off the streets!  "Everypony run!  Get to high ground!" I screamed out as we ran towards the amazingly large crowd of onlookers.  Tonight was a hell of a choice for a party in the middle of town!

Longbow joined in shouting as we galloped into the crowd.  "When that comes down, it will flood the town with taint!  You need to get the hell out of here!"  We pushed our way though the mass of ponies as they started to panic, a set of cracks coming from the cliff face and a groan from the tower announced it had given way.   As we climbed the gentle hill toward the Red Lantern, the ground shook as the large steel tower slammed into the reservoir, jolting my shoulder painfully and making me trip up.  I went down hard, skidding painfully on the street as a wave of frantic ponies trampled over me.  I curled up as tight as I could to keep from being stomped by their hooves, screaming as they slammed and cut into my flesh in fear.

I almost couldn't hear Sky call out for me as I looked up, watching as the flood of taint spilled up the street quickly.  The mob thinned enough for me to struggle back up and try to outrun it.  I looked over my shoulder as I took off, watching as the rainbow wave raced towards me.  Sky flew down over me and wrapped her hooves around my gut, beating her wings hard and pulling against me, trying to lift my heavy weight.  I looked up in time to see Carlotta do the same to Sky, feeling overjoyed as my thumping hooves left the ground, lifting me up as the torrent caught up and spread out under me.  I breathed a sigh of relief as the surge reached its apex and slowly drained back down into the center of town.

I smiled up at Sky and panted heavily.  "Well.  That job went pretty well, don't you think?"


-----


Carlotta watched the door as Myron tapped his hoof on the floor of my hotel room.  We all stood silently in the kitchen, the furious look on the pale stallion's face was unmistakable as he looked over the three of us.  I rubbed over my sore shoulder, Sky said it was just a dislocation, but for how much it still hurt after she 'fixed' it, I wasn't sure.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!  I told you to disrupt the king's operations by killing one of them!  Not to make the ENTIRE FUCKING TOWN UNINHABITABLE!"  He screamed and threw one of the chairs clear across the floor.  For a little guy, he had a lot of strength when he was angry.  "You three FUCKING IDIOTS just cost me my manufacturing plant!  Do you know how expensive it's going to be to fucking ship Dash out of Las Pegasus?"

"It was the only way..."  I said as I took a step forward.

"IT WAS THE WRONG WAY!"  He stomped forward and hit me in the chest hard, I tried to hide the pain as I made a note not to fight him hoof to hoof when he was angry.  "Unless you have another FUCKING amazing drug to help make up for my losses, you will sit your RETARDED FLANK DOWN and try to FIGURE SOMETHING OUT."

The gears in my head must have been working overtime, serving me the info I needed near instantly as I recalled there was another drug I knew of.  One that's current rarity made it expensive enough that it might help.  "What if I did have another drug to give you?"  I said slowly.  "Say... the formula for Party Time Mint-als."

"What did you say?"  Myron's eye twitched as he stood completely still.  I could tell he was running it through his head over and over again, seeing if this was just a ruse.  His mouth twitched slightly when he was probably calculating the rewards if I was telling the truth.  "You have the formula?"

"So it would be worth it to you then."  I lowered my gaze and looked over my hoof boredly.  "How much is it worth is the real question."

He cringed and glared back.  "How about I won't kill you and your friends.  That sounds like a good enough deal to me."

"Fifteen percent every month before overhead is cleared."  I smiled and watched his frustration skyrocket again.

He grumbled out through clenched teeth.  "Five percent, after overhead, and you still have to deliver it as per the old deal."

"three percent after overhead, keep the same deal as before, AND I get Carlotta's contract."  I leaned close and smiled as I spoke.  "Final offer."

"Fine fine!  Deal."  He kicked at the floor softly. "Now hand over the formula."

I laughed softly.  "You didn't think I had the formula ON me?  No, it's hidden in a safe place after I looked it over."  I watched as Myron frowned at first before a wide grin split his muzzle, I hated that grin so much.

"You say you looked it over?"  He said with a smile.  "Pipbucks are amazing little devices.  They can even copy notes or papers you find when out and about.  Check the notes section."

I sat down and hooved through the pink pipbuck's interface to the notes section, surprised to see a note labeled 'Party Time Mint-als'.  I held my hoof out and let Myron look it over.

"Yes yes, this is good."  He nodded and salivated as he read over the document. "Half of these chemicals require taint to cut.  Lucky for me you just handed me the largest reserve of the stuff in the east."  He closed his eyes and waved his hoof around in the air in sharp angles.  "Do me a favor and hoof all three face buttons on your pipbuck at the same time."

I shrugged and did as he asked, watching as the a small pink bar came up on the screen with the words NOTE REMOVED across it.  "Ok, I guess the note is gone."

"Good, good."  The young stallion rubbed his forehooves together and laughed softly to himself.  "Now I alone know the formula."  Carlotta walked over and jabbed a talon into Myrons shoulder.  He brushed it off lightly. "Not now, bitch."

"I think you need to hand over her contract."  Longbow stated as the griffon grabbed him by the scruff of his light yellow mane, causing him to flail his hooves in the air as he whined.

"FUCKING SET ME DOWN YOU BRUTE!"  He growled out and was lowered back down.  "You can get it yourself, bitch, you know where it is."

"I just needed to hear you say it."  The gruff griffin smirked and plodded off to the door, swinging it open and heading to Myrons room, I watched as Sky hovered up and float out after her.

"So what now?"  I asked the runty colt.

He looked up with a confused look and furrowed his eyebrows.  "You can go the fuck away and get your stupid 'Quests' or whatever done.  I expect you fucking imbeciles to be back here to take the first run before the end of the month."

"Sure thing..."  I said slowly as it took all my strength to speak the next word. "...Boss."

------------

LEVEL UP!

+7  Big Guns

+8  Speech

New Perk: Drunkard's Luck - You don't know why, but when you aren't paying attention, things just seem to stack up in your favor!  When your perception is reduced by any modifier, your Luck increased by the same modifier.

> Chapter 7 - Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Chapter 7



"This calls for extreme measures!  Pinkie Pie Style!"



-----


After most of the taint had drained, and the dead had been tallied (only fifteen in all if you count Bishop and his guards.), work began on salvaging equipment out of the other towers.  The Stalliatore twins had announced to their workers they were moving operations to Fillydelphia, meanwhile Peppermint hadn't even made an appearance.  I assumed that she had finally had enough of this town and gotten out of here when nopony was looking.  The town had returned to its normally quiet self, planks of wood stretched between the buildings to keep the ponies off the taint-coated roadway.

"Be careful with that!"  Longbow winced and held her hoof out as I tinkered with the left fore cuff of her empty armor.  I held the large metal tube in my mouth, pulling out and opening a small metal jar from my saddlebags.  The large bags swung in the cold breeze as they hung off the Marauder's driver side mirror. "There are some very sensitive parts in there.  Are you sure you know what you're doing?"  She bit her lip as I slid one of the pneumatic pistons out of it's slot.

Sky and Carlotta had already gone to bed, seeing as they had both been up all day (and had to fly my heavy flank away from the taint flood.) but I wasn't tired.  Longbow had wanted to do the 'Daily Maintenance' of her armor, but she had burnt out her magic earlier in the escape and needed my help.  She had been hesitant to let me touch her suit, but ultimately agreed after she kept over-exerting herself to try to do it herself.  I swear Unicorn magic makes their kind the laziest ponies ever.

"Look, I can fix anything.  It's what I do."  I slathered some grease from the jar onto my hoof turned to her and glanced back at my cutie mark, the set of meshing gears embellished on my flank had been a great source of pride to me since the time I was just a colt.  "I'm a mechanic.  If it's got parts, I can fix it."  Longbow seemed to relax slightly as she watched me work her armor over, cleaning and greasing up the metallic shaft before slotting it back into the leg.

"I thought that you were a merchant?"  She responded slowly.  Her voice told me that the question was more personal curiosity than just trying to figure out if I had lied before.

I looked over the leg of the armor again before setting it down with a small sigh.  "It's an... added benefit of my talent."  I reached up to unhook the other leg from the suit.  "I didn't figure it out until a while after I got my cutie mark."

"How did you get it?"  She asked with a note of hesitation.  I sat down and blinked for a moment before looking over to her.  She blushed a bright red as she shrugged, her blood-stained, violet dress softly billowed in the wind.  "If that's too personal to share, it's fine..."

I smiled and shook my head.  "No, I don't mind telling, it's just not spectacularly interesting."

"You know, that's what everypony has said when I've asked, and it's always more interesting then they make it out to be."  She said softly as she rolled her eyes and fidgeted her forehooves together.

I looked up in thought, squinting as the bright floodlights from the Stalliatore's tower streamed down onto us.  "Well, in the settlement my mother, brother, and I used to live in, we had to earn our keep off scavenging.  We lived along one of the great war's battle lines, picking over the rusting hulks of tanks and small camps."  I paused for a moment to wipe my greasy hoof on my saddlebags, the off-white sacks so dirtied and worn from use it had turned a deep brown.

"Anyway, one day when we were looking around, I happened upon an extremely rusty artillery piece.  The way it was turned up defiantly towards the sky, refusing to succumb to the will of time just fascinated me for some reason.  The more I looked it over, the more I had to keep looking over it.  Eventually, I found that not much was wrong with it, one of the recoil buffer pins had completely eroded away and the breech latch was slightly bent.  Both of these were minor, minor things and anypony else would have missed it."

I held my hooves up and mimicked picking up a small object.  "I looked around for awhile until I noticed that the ram rods used for loading shells were of nearly the same thickness , so I used one of the skeletal soldiers uniforms to make it stick and I forced it in there."  I motioned like I was smacking the pin in.

"Why did you want to fix it?"  Longbow asked quickly.  "I mean, you couldn't sell an entire cannon to somepony, could you?"

I chuckled softly.  "Like I said, it just seemed to call out to me.  I didn't know why, but it just felt... wrong when it was missing such simple parts.  I wanted to make it whole."  I mimicked holding my hooves around a bar.  "So after I had the new pin in place, I tried my hardest to bend the breech lock back into place.  Little did I know that the gun had a few spells on it, allowing it to fire as soon as it was safe to do so.  When I bent the lock back, I accidentally sealed the gun and set off the spell.  After the smoke cleared, I was so stunned that I made the cannon work again, these gears appeared."

"But what does that have to do with being a merchant?"  she asked as I closed my eyes and smiled at the memory of the old cannon, opening them again to be nearly blinded.  (for some reason I kept forgetting those giant lights were up there.  I'm just not that smart of a pony I guess.)

"Well, after I learned I could fix things, I started to bring broken things I found back to the house.  As it turns out, even simple things like toasters have a demand in the marketplace.  I started to sell what I could and noticed that my keen eyes and ears could pick up on the little things ponies did when negotiating.  I could observe when they knew their bid was far too low, I could see when they thought it was a fair price, and I could hear when I was forcing them to spend everything they had..."

"So you made a living ripping ponies off..."  Longbow sighed out as her expression dropped flat.  On top of cutting me off, she sure knew how to jump to conclusions.

"No.  I never charged more than a fair price, and I always undersold the competition.  Well, except for when I started competing with Ditzy Doo..."  I trailed off into a grumble.  I shook off the annoying thought of giving things out for free and got back to looking over the power armor.

"SO..."  She called out with doubt filling her words.  "You've NEVER taken advantage of anypony because of your talent?"

A sharp shock ran up my spine as she reminded me of yesterday with Peppermint.  I forced a smile and looked nervously up to her.  "Umm... wow, you know I could use a bathroom break."  I got to my hooves and took off at a canter over the hill towards the river.  "I'll be back in five minutes!"  I turned my head and called back to her as I crested the slope, slowing to a trot as I approached the bank of the Rein river.  "I don't want to lie to her, she seems like a nice mare.  Not to mention..."

I froze as movement to my right caught my eye, a small silver sphere was flying along the riverbank.  I turned to face it as it came closer to see it was a sprite bot.

"Oh, it's you."  I said as I rolled my eyes.  "You shouldn't sneak up on ponies..."

The bot bobbed in the air silently for a moment.  "Can't you see me coming on your E.F.S.?"

"My what?"  I racked my brain for why that sounded so familiar.   "Oh yeah! Brass had called my compass that the morning when..."  I trailed off mid sentence.  There I go remembering what I did to Harmony.  I sat down and beat my hooves against my head sharply for being such a stupid pony.

"You... ok there, Backlash?"  I could hear a slight tone of worry over the oddly robotic voice as it came over the speaker.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Just trying to deal with my mistakes."  My head throbbed as I blinked a few times.  "Honestly, most of the time I keep forgetting that all this stuff in my vision means things."

"Well then, I wanted to tell you that I..."  The sprite bot started to speak before watcher's words were replaced by a soft set of low chirps.  I listened as my pipbuck seemed to emit them back quickly.  As I tried to find a pattern to the tones, there was a sharp crack on the speaker before silence.

"Umm... Watcher?"  I said slowly as I prodded the metallic sphere with my hoof.

A slow sigh emanated over the speakers.  "Somepony has been commandeering the sprite bot network periodically.  It's getting really annoying."

"Isn't that what... you... do?"  I tapped a hoof on the dirt with a smirk.

"Yes, it is, but this has been happening every twenty two minutes to the second for the last twenty four hours."  The spritebot bobbed slowly past me while Watcher spoke, turning around and floating back after a few feet, almost as if it was pacing.  " At the very least, I have a good reason to use these bots."

"And that reason would be...?"  Honestly I wasn't quite sure why he was doing it.  I assume if he had wanted me to do something for him, he would have asked by now.  Maybe as a ghoul he was just really bored and this was entertaining enough he wouldn't go feral?

"Well... you see... it's complicated." The hesitation and fear in his words were evident through the distortion.  He didn't want anypony to know, but since he hadn't asked anything of me really, I didn't want to press the issue.

"I see.  You wanted to tell me something?"  I shrugged as I looked into the swiftly running river.

"I'm almost out of time, but it's about the pink... I mean Forty Two ."  He said as my ears perked.  "I just spotted her as she left Whinny, I just thought you should know that she is heading towards the power substation near there."

Why the hell would she go there?  It's not a very secure building with minimal supplies if any, only some simple foor stores and a couple cots probably.  The gears in my head screamed to a halt when I fit something in.  I turned quickly and grabbed the spritebot between my hooves with a gasp.

"WATCHER.  I need to know if Pallet is in there!"  I stared wide-eyed at the small orb as it stayed silent for a moment before a soft crackle announced the return of the loud, upbeat polka the robots were known for.  I let the bot go, watching as it bobbed along the riverbank slowly until it was out of earshot.   I just hope that Watcher got my message, I need to know if Pallet is still alive and if 42 leaves her alone again, I couldn't just go in there on a hope and a prayer that she is still alive.  What if it was just another one of 42's traps?

I turned and slowly made my way back up the hill, feeling my body yelling for more rest to recover from the night's events.  As I crested the hilltop, an odd sight befell my eyes and I wasn't quite sure what to make of what sat before me.  Longbow looked half dressed in the separate sections of her armor, some of the pieces hadn't quite been put on right, clamping closed on both the dress and her mane and tail.  It had forced her to contort into holding an odd and presumably uncomfortable pose as she grinned over to me nervously.

"A little help please?"  She said with a slight amount of shame to her voice.  "It's just a teensy bit harder than I thought to put this on without magic."  She wobbled unsteadily and I couldn't help but shake my head and giggle softly to myself.

"You know, you're kinda cute when you ask for help."  I fired back playfully as I walked over and started to unlatch the suit.  It might as well have been dawn, because the blush she gave seemed blindingly bright.  She fidgeted as I got the last few pieces off and walked towards the room.

"Thanks for tonight, Backlash."  She said through a sniffle, her words denoting happiness.  "My brother would have been proud to know you."  She said softly, shutting the door as she went inside.

Bed sounded good, but the prospect of having to live through the nightmares another night was just enough to keep me going.  I had just put everything back in my saddle bags as I sat at the edge of the parking lot.  I could make out the low rumble of thunder on the horizon, probably a storm system moving in.  At least a little rain might help wash away some of the taint.  I reached my hoof over and clicked on the radio to my Pipbuck, listening as Sapphire Shores reminded me just how lonely a pony could get.  My thoughts drifted a bit before Dj Pon3's smooth voice refocused me onto the radio.

"News time my little ponies!  Now pay attention Fillies and Colts, the Pool has been closed... indefinitely.  Details are still coming in, but it seems that the tower housing the King known as White Bishop was demolished and the resulting collapse flooded the town with a large amount of taint.  Who knew that making the Pool a little dirtier would help make the wasteland cleaner for everypony."

As much as it sounds like it's going to help, nothing is going to change.  The Stalliatores will go set up shop again and somepony will start producing more liquor somewhere else.  The cycle will never end.

"So what pony have I been told we have to thank for this extraordinary feat?"  He inquired with a tone of eagerness.

Oh Celestia he can't...

"That's right everypony!  The same wasteland crusader who has been hot on the hooves of the Pink Mare.  I have a proposal to Mr. Backlash and company, if you are ever around the Tenpony area and have some free time, swing by the broadcasting station so I can give the good ponies of the wastes an interview with the stallion who's finally making a difference.  Oh and when I say free time, I mean anytime you aren't eradicating troublesome gangs, toppling underworld kingpins, or fighting the good fight against scourge of the pink mare."

I turned off the radio and closed my eyes as my head sunk, wanting to beat myself back into wasteland obscurity.  If my notoriety keeps getting inflated at this rate, every gang and settlement in the wastes will either try to kill me, refuse me, or ask for my help.  I don't even have time to deal with Moron and his plans yet, let alone delve into some pre-war bunker for the Steel Rangers.  Every day I spend doing other things, 42 gets closer to finding where the pond was taken.  My ear twitched as the night breeze picked up slightly, a humble voice carried softly along it.

"Sleep"

My eyes went wide as I froze, the word echoing softly in my mind.  It had been the same voice I heard when this all started, but I knew that voice now.  

"Harmony!" I called out as I spun and rocketed towards the Marauder, slamming painfully into the side of it as I peered into the back seat.  She was just the same as she had been the last day and a half, laying stiffly on floor with a bloody hole punched through her neck.  I don't know what I expected, ponies don't magically come back to life after being dead for days.

I turned and slumped against the car door.  How could I have heard her before if I didn't know she even existed a week ago!  Is it just my mind playing tricks on me, or was she always destined to die by 42's hooves?  I felt a spike of pain in my head as I tried to think, the breeze kicking up and chilled me to the bone.  I hooked a hoof over the open window frame and pulled myself back up, looking down over the large mare again.

"Harmony..."  I could barely even form the soft words as I hung in the window.  "I'm sorry..."

I slowly stepped back and walked towards the door to my room, taking one last look back at the Marauder's backseat before slipping inside to sleep.  Sky was sitting awake on the bed, holding Carlotta's head as she stroked the blue feathers softly.  She smiled softly as I looked up to her.  I did my best to return it, but couldn't muster the energy to keep it up.

I laid down against the door and let out a long yawn, closing my eyes as my mind tried to tell me I'd just have more nightmares.  I thought to myself that if I have them, than I deserve it.  The last thing I thought before I succumbed to the will of sleep was that because there was no escaping what I have done, I might as well buck up and face it.


-----


I shivered and was jolted awake at the feeling of something slapping against my flank.  I hazily looked up to see Carlotta repeatedly opening the front door against me, the cold morning air biting at my skin between slaps.  She smiled down at me as she watched me curl up and shake from the near freezing temperature.

"You a merchant or a doorstop?  Get up already!"  She teased as Longbow got to her hooves from her seat at the table.

"He's a mechanic."  The blue mare retorted smartly as she walked into the bathroom.

The gruff griffin sighed.  "HE is in the way."  She said as she kicked me lightly.

"Fuck off, Carlotta."  I said as I tried to get comfortable again.  "No metal walls here for you to force me up with."  I smiled as I closed my eyes again.

"Yeah, but there is a tub in the bathroom."  She replied slowly "Have you ever heard the sound of talons on porcelain?"

"Alright, alright!  I'm moving!"  I said as I stretched my legs out painfully.  It probably wasn't the best idea to sleep next to the door anyway, but frankly I didn't care.  It was a night without dreams, and to me that meant it was the best sleep I'd gotten recently.  "Carlotta, I need to talk to you and Sky about something.  Where is she?"

"She went for a morning flight around the town to stretch her wings."  She leaned down to me and pressed her beak against my muzzle in annoyance.  "Something I've been trying to do for the last five minutes except your fat flank has barricaded us in.  So move."

"Thanks for the amazingly flattering update." I grumbled as got to my hooves.  Carlotta swung the door open and gave me a face full of feathers as she smacked me with her outstretched wing before she jumped up and took off.  I peeked my head out the door, noting that it must have rained earlier like I thought, leaving small puddles scattered about the lot.  A long train of ponies caught my attention as they carried salvaged equipment up along the roadway and over the bridge.

"Why, good gracious me, if it isn't the Stallion Ah've been searching for!"  An overly enthusiastic voice called out from Ripcord's office.  A cream colored mare with a build not unlike my own strolled casually out, sporting oversized sunglasses and a straw brimmed hat to cover her light blue mane.  She wore a plus sized, ornate, pink dress and walked with deliberately dainty steps.

"I am terribly sorry, Backlash, she has been rather insistent on speaking with you about a job."  Ripcord called out as he poked his head through the office window.

"Uh huh... hello, Mrs...?"  I don't think I've ever met this mare before, I think I would have remembered somepony covering their anger by forcing a smile as hard as she was trying.  Maybe she was related to one of the victims from yesterday.  Better stay on guard.

"Oh, do pardon me, where are my manners!  I am Mrs. Jackpot Stalliatore."  She bowed slightly as she spoke.  "I have come to make a request of you."  Her voice faltered at the end of the statement.  So she was one of the Stalliatore twins, no wonder she was pissed.  Oh, and that she wanted something from me but didn't send one of her lackeys ment she had to be holding out.

"Well, I'm pretty full up on jobs I have to do.  Your request will have to wait."  I said with a note of disappointment.  Although I don't like to work for ponies like her (or Myron), I was still curious about the job.  Maybe it would be something mundane?

"Well now, it will take only but a moment of your time."  She grinned the same evil grin that Myron had given me, reaching up and unbuttoning the top of her dress with her hoof to let a small, metal bar spring up under her muzzle.  I tensed up reflexively as she moved to bite down onto the bit of her hidden battle saddle, slipping into S.A.T.S. before she could fire.  I mentally relaxed as the targeting spell coated her in an outline of pink before I pulled up my inventory.  I looked down and highlighted the Party Cannon before stopping.

If I fired at her with the cannon, the ball would continue through her and hit either Ripcord, or one of the innocent ponies moving things in the background.  The only option is for me to use Heartstopper to kill her, that way there is only minimal risk to injuring Rip.  Wait, why the fuck am I rationalizing killing ponies?  Is this how Sky has to think things through?  Fuck, I just want my old life back!

An odd realization hit when I thought about heartstopper.  I have never fired a gun before.  Sky has always been there to protect me, and I have the hoof-eye coordination of a drunk when it comes to doing anything other than fixing something.  (Also, I don't really count the party cannon as a gun, it's more of a... destructive device, you know, like plastic explosives.  No moving parts and such.)

If I let S.A.T.S. do the work, how could I screw it up?  I selected the sleek shotgun and watched as a flash of purple stuck it in my mouth,  looking over the small heart inscribed on the gun as I thought to cancel the menu.  As the targeting information came up, I used the poor thought of the words 'I just want to end this quickly' and S.A.T.S. closed promptly.  I was thrust abruptly back into real time, watching as Jackpot's hidden battle saddle fired, punching holes in her dress to send one of the rounds into my vest harmlessly, and the other sides shot grazing across my right leg lightly.

Her eyes went wide as she realized that I had somehow armed myself and that she had failed to kill me.  I bit down on the shotguns grip, pulling the trigger as I glared at her.  I had only seen ponies shoot shotguns before, really knowing only that they shot a spread of metal balls and they were relatively easy to fix.  Nothing prepared me for that shot, the party cannon being my only real experience, I had expected less recoil.  A lot less recoil.

The shotgun jerked my neck to the side sharply as it flung from my mouth, Jackpot's screaming winning out over the ringing in my ears as several holes opened in her left foreleg.  She kneeled on her good leg as her other bled thick streams onto the concrete.  I got my bearings back as a door opened behind me.  Myron walked up beside me holding his small revolver in his mouth and smiled at the injured mare.

"YOU!"  She spat out between the whines.  "YOU ARE BEHIND THIS!?"

Myron's answer was simple, firing a single, well placed shot through her sunglasses.  Myron spit out the pistol as Jackpot slumped forward onto the ground.  Longbow came crashing through the door behind us wearing half of her armor, looking around wildly before setting her sights on the pale stallion.  I looked up to see the gaze she was giving and turned around, stepping between her and Myron.

"That mare tried to kill me."  I said firmly, staring straight into her blue eyes.  "Myron killed her in my defence."

Longbow leaned over and looked at the bloodied mare, studying her before going wide eyed.  "You... that was Jackpot Stalliatore..."

Carlotta and Sky came racing around from the side of the building, galloping to a stop next to me.  "Sky and I heard gunfire, is everypony alright?" Carlotta said quickly.  She seemed to be quite shaken from such a simple exchange she hadn't even been in.

"Jeeze, Carlotta, since when did you turn soft?"  Myron teased

"Fuck off, Moron, at least I have friends."  She countered back sharply.

The young stallion grumbled and grabbed his gun again before turning and heading back into his room.  I nodded and giggled slightly, holding out a hoof to Carlotta, happy to see her hoof bump me.  Sky gasped and grabbed around my slightly bloody outstretched leg, looking it over closely before she let it go.

"It's just a flesh wound.  You should be alright as long as we clean it out."  Sky said as she rummaged around in her saddlebags.  I walked over and bit down on heartstoppers grip, lifting it and depositing it into my own  bags looked over to Rip's office.  I was worried when I couldn't see him and that a few of the pellets from my shot had punched into the small room.  I canted over to see him lying on the floor with his hoof over his chest and a small puddle of blood around the side of his head.

"Fuck..."  I turned my sore neck and yelled back to the group. "Sky!  I need help!"  I maneuvered myself over him and moved his hoof away.  Fuck, what am I supposed to do...  get him conscious!  I slapped his muzzle lightly.  "Come on... wake up, buddy... don't be dead."  Ripcord let out a rough groan as the rest of the group tried to pile through the door.  He reached up and rubbed the back of his bloody head as he opened his eyes.

"Where are you hit?"  Sky called as she stepped up and kneeled down next to the olive pegasus.

"What was that?"  Rip said as he sat up, pulling his hoof away from his head.  "I have to ask that you speak up!"  I looked from his bloody hoof up to where his ear should be, but was nothing more than a shredded mess.  "I think I may have struck my head when I dove to cover, it would explain this dreadful aching I seem to be feeling."

We all let out a collective sigh of relief as Sky took a few minutes to wash and wrap the last of our magical bandages around his stumpy ear.  "Thanks again Miss Skyline for applying your medical skills to expertly dress my grievous wound."  Rip turned and gave her a tight hug as she pat him on the neck.

"No problem, just try to keep it clean after you take the bandages off."  Sky said as she took a step back.  "Anyway, Carlotta mentioned you needed something, Backlash?"

I nodded and looked at her.  "I hate to ask this, but do you think that you can go and get the Skycar?  I still want to bury Harmony at the Garage, but..."  Sky put her hoof over my muzzle softly and nodded sadly.  I hugged her tightly and thought to myself that finally, I can do what I promised.


-----


After we had moved Harmony's body into the hotel room, it was only a few minutes before I had reinstalled the Spark Battery Controller to get the Marauder rolling again.  Longbow had managed to put her armor on correctly before joining me inside the car, seeming relieved to have it back around her.  We left Sky and Carlotta to continue on our way toward Manehattan, and I was surprised to see that Longbow seemed to be getting used to the jolts and shakes the heavy vehicle gave as we clipped along the old road.  The old highway took us around the northwest of Colt mountain before it was a straight shot to Manehattan.

We had ridden for about an hour before we even saw a glimpse of civilization again as we passed Redwing.  The old mining town was one of a number of attempts to revitalize the search for gemstones, but had fallen on hard times without striking anything of value.  Sometimes Sky and I would stop there for the night, but the towns ponies were a skittish bunch and frankly seemed generally unstable.

"Thanks..."  Longbow said as she scooted up next to me on the bench seat.  "...for telling me how you got your cutie mark.  I know it's a personal thing, and most ponies don't like to share it."

"Well, maybe you could share yours with me, hell, I'd like to at least see your flank for once!"  I blushed and face hoofed as she stifled a laugh "Wait... that came out wrong.  What I mean to say is every time I'm around you, you were in your armor or you were in that dress."

"It's not something I like to just share with anypony.  It's a personal badge of honor to me, it was a big part of my life to get it."  She said as she blushed slightly.

"Could you at least give me a hint?  Or tell me your special talent?"  I said as I nudged her armored chest with a smile, drawing one across her muzzle in response.

"I can judge ponies."  She stated bluntly.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what that even meant, but I let her continue.  "With my magic, I can review the memories of a ponies crimes and tell if they are truly sorry of his or her actions.  Whether they are worth reforming or not."  I must have had my confusion all over my face as she had to rephrase it.  "The magic allows me to share their emotions of the event as I watch their memories of it.  If I feel regret and remorse, or even horror, they knew what they did was wrong and have a chance at being reformed."

That was... impressive?  I don't know how else to describe it, but I had never heard of anything like that before.  I wonder what she would read off me if she could watch the last two weeks.  I stiffened up slightly.  What if she has already read me?  I looked over to her slowly as she cocked an eyebrow.

"No.  I haven't judged you yet."  She crossed her armored forelegs and frowned.  "Do I need to?"

I gave a nervous grin and shrugged.  "I don't actually know!  I'd like to believe I've had good reasons for my actions."  Good going Backlash, now she's totally going to judge the living shit out of you.

"I was going to say..."  Longbow started before she looked out the driver side window.  "...what is that?"

I swung my gaze over to see we were driving past a small group of old houses known to travelers as Minefield (not a super creative name, though to give the local ponies credit it IS accurate).  I noticed there was an oddly-shaped, white rock sitting next inside the ruined playground in center of the ruins.  "That's weird.  I don't remember that being over there." 

No pony has ever really been through the ruins because during the great war, somepony thought it would be fantastic if they laid anti-tank mines all over the place.  The stupid things are magnetic, so you can't bring a minesweeper in to clear them AND they are buried almost randomly.  I slowed us to a stop, shutting off the marauder as I looked closer at the round-ish rock, slowly making out the true shape.

"That's not a rock in Minefield, it's a zebra..."  I said slowly as I swung the door open.  "Hang out here while I check it out."

"Screw that!"  Longbow said as she scooted closer to my door.  "I'm going with you."

"Nonono!  Freeze!"  I said sternly as I held my hoof out.  "There is a reason I parked this far away, they are magnetic mines, if you get too close, your armor will set them off."  Longbow grumbled to herself as I shut the door, sitting in the front seat with her forehooves crossed.  "It will only be a minute.  I promise."

I turned and slowly walked towards the town, noting that most of the mines in this section had been set off, leaving small craters filled with the bones of a few ponies.  (Well, I couldn't be one hundred percent sure there were no mines, but I hadn't exploded yet!)  As  I approached the playground, I noticed the body had lacerations all over it, but very little blood.

"The buzzards must have been picking at this for a while."  I said as I tried to carefully push myself over the playground fencing, only to have it fold forward under my weight, dropping me on top of it with a slam.  I got to my hooves and dusted myself off, looking up to see the Zebra was a stallion, and had one of the mines laying upside down on top of one of his forelegs.

"Well, that's weird."  I crouched down and looked at the mine from a distance, noticing that the trigger hadn't been depressed and that the mine should be safe to move.  I walked up and bit down on the handle of the mine, attempting to flip it over to disarm it.  I was surprised to see the Zebra's leg held to it tightly as I lifted it up and turned it over.  I hit the disarm switch with my hoof and sighed through the bit as a small green indicator popped up on the mine to show it was safe.  I tugged the mine to toss it beside me, only to have the stubborn leg refuse to let it go.

I grunted and pinned the leg with my hoof, twisting my still sore neck with all my might to fling the disk, finally breaking hold of the Zebra.  I watched with a cringe as the disk flew twenty feet or so, surprisingly landing in the dirt with a thud.  I crouched low, half expecting it to attract another mine, but happy to see it just sit there as the dust cleared.  I shrugged to myself and looked back down to see the striped body staring up at me with eyes filled with both fear and confusion.

"Please, do not hurt me!"  He said softly as he trembled on the ground.

"Woah, I'm not here to hurt you."  I said slowly, taking a step back.  "I saw you lying here and came to see if you were alright."

He sat up sharply and looked around quickly, hyperventilating heavily.  "You need to help me!"  He said as he looked up at me.  "They are going to kill me if they find me again!"

"Slow down and take a deep breath.  First of all, what is your name?"  I said slowly, holding my hoof out for him to grab.  He just stared up at me with wide eyes, his vision darting between my gaze and my hoof.

He took a few long breaths before he calmed slightly.  "I... do not remember."  He said as he pushed himself to his hooves without my help.

I sighed and facehooved.  "Can you not remember anything? Or just not your name?"

He seemed to ponder this a moment.  "Most of it is fuzzy, but I remember being pulled from a mine shaft.  I was caught in a cave in, but was saved when a group of ponies dug me out.  For some reason they tried to kill me and I ran.  I kept running until I saw this place, but that is where I lose everything again."

Fantastic.  From what I can tell in his voice and expression, he's telling the truth.  But now this opens up a whole new question.  What do I do with him?

"Well, the only mine I know of around here is the Redwing mine."  I watched him tense up at the name.  "Is that where you're from?"  He gave a small nod.  "I can take you back there if you would like."

He shook his head "They will just try to kill me again!"  Starting to quake again as his eyes darted around.  "Please take me somewhere else, anywhere else!"

"Ok, it's ok."  I lowered my voice and pointed my hoof back towards the Marauder.  "I'm on my way to Manehattan, you can ride with us as long as you agree to not murder us..."   I tried to say it as lighthearted as possible, but I still didn't want to get murdered by some random wastelander I just wanted to help.

"Alright.  I will go with you."  He said slowly, turning and shakily stepping over the fallen fence.  I gave my best reassuring smile and walked up beside him, glancing over his... what did they call them again? whatever the Zebra equivalent of a cutie mark was.  It was remarkably similar to a spell matrix chip.  Maybe he was some sort of computer whiz?  My attention was drawn over to a rock as it wiggled slightly, slowly dragging itself closer.  My eyes went wide as I reflexively dropped my hooves out from under me, trying to scream to warn the stallion of the mine next to him.

The explosion was deafening as the anti-tank weapon went off.  I could feel small rocks and hot bits of metal punch into my hide as the blast knocked me back a good three feet.  I gasped and coughed as I struggled to breath, finally sucking in some air.  I looked up to see Longbow standing over me in the bloody dress with a frown.  I worried for a moment she had been hurt by the mine, but she was trying to speak to me.  I couldn't hear what she was saying as she pulled me back to my hooves, helping me limp along as the smoke and dust cleared, walking up to the shredded flesh of the zebra stallion.

I shook my head to try to clear my vision, but it didn't help me understand what I saw any better.  I was staring down at the open remains, the zebra's chest cavity was a mess of all sorts of tubes and boxes, half his right foreleg was severed to reveal several servos and actuators along with a plethora of wiring.  This... THING was a machine.  I sat down and leaned forward, the largest box had some sort of port, in fact I think it's the same kind of port a Pipbuck could connect to.  I'm sure I screamed it, but I told Longbow to grab my toolkit from the glove compartment.

After a few minutes of tinkering, I had jury rigged a connector cable out of the robo-zebra's own parts.  Would it be robo-zebra?  Cyber-zebra?  I don't fucking know, I mean I had no idea stuff this complex could even exist!  I attached the cable both into him and my Pipbuck, looking down to the screen as it flashed lines of code before coming up with a notification.


Ministry Chief Authorization Accepted.


A few more lines of code scrolled before a prompt for a single text file sat on the small computer.  I hesitantly opened it, slightly disappointed when I saw it was short.


P.S.P. Test unit 87.

Project I.S.A.A.C.

Intrinsic Surveillance Advanced Arcanotech Concept.

Field test unit designed with immersion protocols.  Testing the use of brain pattern transfer of a zebra subject's mind onto a unit's personality matrix with the goal to create a convincing intelligent frame with remote surveillance capabilities.


So... yeah.  I'm kind of at a loss on this one.  I've seen lots of prewar stuff, but nothing this... ridiculously weird.  I mean FUCK, what in Celesita's name am I supposed to do with a freaky cyber-robo-zebra-thing!  I closed the text file only to have another notification pop up.


Spell matrix reboot in progress.  Please don't disconnect link cable.


Wait... this thing is still in good enough condition to run?  It just took an anti-tank mine to the CHEST!  I looked up over to Longbow, who had a health potion held in her mouth and a worried look on her face.  I looked over myself for a moment to see if any of my injuries were bad enough to warrant a potion, but was startled to feel the purple liquid poured into my ear.  As I shook my head vigorously, I was greeted by the sound of the mid day breeze.

"Wow.  Why didn't I think about that last time?"  I said as I hit the side of my head softly, trying to get the remaining potion out.  I felt Longbow force my head the other direction before pouring more of the potion into my other ear.  I was happy to be able to hear her put the bottle down.

"I would be surprised..."  She said as she took a step back.  "...but with the last few days you've had, it's not hard to think this sort of thing happens all the time." 

"Up until two weeks ago, my life was never this interesting, I swear." I looked back down to my Pipbuck with a sigh.  So, now what do I do.  I mean, I've never seen tech this complex, but I'm sure that I could find someone who would be interested in it.  Well, I could f...

"Are you going to fix him?"  Longbow asked quite bluntly before I could even finish thinking it.  "Fix IT I mean.  It can't really be a him, can it?"  My Pipbuck beeped as a new notification popped up.


Matrix Reboot Complete.

Critical structural frame failure detected.  Primary logic spell cores in safe mode until repairs can be made.

Warning.  System power at 36%

In the event of critical power loss, primary energy systems will use all reserve power to follow standard cascade overload protocols, resulting in complete vaporization of the project.


"I guess I could try, but to be honest, I've never seen anything like this before."  I unhooked the cable from my Pipbuck and stood up with a sigh.  "Hoist him onto me so we can get him to the Marauder, I don't want to find out I can fix him and have another one of those mines blow him to bits and undo my work."

"What if it activates another one while we are pulling it?"  She said with hesitation in her words.

"Then we get to see if he and I can take another blast, I'm sure you'll be fine.  I took one and I seem fine."  I replied lightheartedly.

"One, you aren't fine, you're insane to even be thinking of this.  Two, we're going to call it a him?"  She joked back as I leaned down next to the robotic zebra.  She used her hooves to roll him over, levering him up onto my back with a piece of the broken fence near the playground.  As the remains flopped onto my back, I happened to remember that metal is heavy, and a Zebra made of metal, covered by flesh was doubly so.  My limbs protested as I strained myself to stand up.

"Eeyup!"  I managed to say under the tremendous strain, taking stiff, short steps towards the car.  Alright, three feet down, only about forty seven more to go.  I heard Longbow shuffling in the dirt behind me for a moment, suddenly trotting past me with the severed leg in her mouth.  I noticed that the hoof was bending along it's joints smoothly in her muzzle, arcing back towards me as she walked.

"Longbow!"  I groaned out.  "The hoof... it's following... a magnet!"  She stopped and looked down at the robotic appendage, turning her head slowly and watching as it stayed pointing at one specific rock in the dirt.  "We can use that.... to guide us... through!"  I watched as she nodded and slowly walked with me.  Over the next grueling twenty minutes, I struggled to pull the heavy machine along the path the hoof guided us through.  I had to use my forehooves to drag myself forward along the ground the last few feet to the car, but we made it.  I panted heavily and moaned as Longbow pushed him off my back and onto the dirt.

"You... Uh, alright there, Backlash?"  She said softly as she put a hoof on my shoulder.

I raised my hoof painfully and waived it lightly at her.  "I'll be... fine.  Just need... a small nap."  As I panted on the cool dirt, I shut my eyes for a moment to try to think, of how I was going to pull this off, unsurprised when I felt all my pain drift away slowly.


-----


The warm breeze felt good as it blew through my mane, the sunlight pouring down from above giving me the strength to get up once again.  I smiled as I sat up, opening my eyes to find myself laying in the grass under a familiar looking tree.  I could hear jubilant music playing in the distance that instantly brought happiness to my mind.  For once, I was glad to be back here, finally able to get a break from the horrors of the wasteland and my nightmares.  I pulled myself to my hooves, enjoying the feel of the grass underneath them.

"Well, time to say hello to Pinkie I guess!"  I said softly, feeling my ear twitch suddenly.  That happened far to often to not be one of the weird pinkie sense things.  I'll have to pay more attention next time it happens.

"AAAND YOU JUST DID!"  The overly hyper voice shouted from above.  I watched in surprise as the bright pink filly dropped out of the tree branches and landed on her hooves in front of me.

"You certainly like spending time in that tree, don't you?"  I asked as she bounced on her hooves.  "Not to mention, it's the only one around here.  Why is that?"

"Oh, it's because she reminds me of a really, really, REALLY good friend that I haven't seen in a long time!"  She said as she bolted around me, galloping circles around the tree as she giggled.  The sky darkened for a moment, making me turn to look up at the sun.  One of the Balloon shaped clouds was passing across it slowly.

"So... the tree is a she?"  I slowly asked, not sure if she was serious.  Upon further thought, she IS Pinkie Pie, so something that absurd has to be true.

"Mhmmm!"  She said as she skidded to a stop in front of me.  "Anyway!  I have to send you back now.  You weren't supposed to come back yet and your friend is helping me plan the best party!"

"My...friend?"  I rubbed the back of my head in confusion.

"Uh-huh!  She's all super big and tough looking for a unicorn, also she keeps telling me how you helped her and her friends!"  She exclaimed loudly.

"Harmony..." I muttered under my breath.  I took off towards the music as fast as I could, my hooves thumping along the soft ground as I pushed them to carry me faster than ever before.  A pink blur sped in front of me before I was stopped abruptly.  Pinkie had a single hoof on my chest as she shook her head.

"I can't let you do that, Backlash."  She spoke with a soft, sad tone as her hair deflated, laying flat as she looked up to me. "It's against the rules and I'll get in trouble."

"I have to see her."  I said as I tried to take a step sideways, finding that I couldn't move at all.  "I need to tell her that I'm sorry.  That I hate myself because I couldn't save her."  My vision was blurring as tears welled up in my eyes.

"She knows, Backlash."  Pinkie smiled up at me softly, her blue eyes conveying the most sincere gaze she'd ever given.  "I'll tell you what.  If you pinkie promise not to tell anypony back in the real world ever, I'll let you see her."

My thoughts jumped back to the old man, how he made me promise never to tell anypony about how to make Luna come out.  I remembered how I had failed to keep that promise, and ended up getting the pony I cared the most for killed as a result.  I didn't want to make that mistake again, I don't want to risk losing anypony else due to my own selfish stupidity.

"No, you're right."  I said as the tears rolled down my cheeks.  "I can't keep that promise.  I'm sorry, Pinkie."  I felt the filly throw her hooves around my neck tightly, hugging me warmly.

Pinkie whispered into my ear softly "It's ok.  She doesn't blame anypony for the things that happened to her in life, she was just happy she met you before it was over."  That made a small smile draw across my muzzle slowly as it sunk in.  I felt as she dropped off of me and took a few steps back.  "I'll see you again soon, Backlash!"  The filly yelled as she bounced high into the air, dropping her hooves onto my face, knocking me back into darkness once more.


-----


I groaned out heavily as the pain returned all over my body, making me instantly regret not having Longbow dose me with a healing potion or med-X earlier.  "How long was I out for?"  I mumbled as I slowly opened my eyes, staring up into the deep blue eyes of the robotic zebra standing over me, a red glow softly pulsed in the recesses of his pupils.

"Oh, Backlash, you're up!  You've been out for almost an hour."  Longbow called out before trotting around from the front of the car.  "Say hello to Isaac!  It looks like when you connected your Pipbuck, it fixed his memories."  He smiled softly down over me as I looked back to him.

"Umm... why is he running again?"  I said as I tried to remain still, hoping that he wasn't going to go into some existential rampage to kill all ponies.

"So, after you fell asleep, I gathered all of his parts together and was looking over him in more detail, you know, standard steel ranger stuff."  Longbow's horn gave a dim glow as she could barely levitate a Fancy Buck snack cake across the hood, starting to munch on it as she talked.  "I noticed that one of his boxes had a slot for an auto repair talisman, which got me to thinking that I'll just let him use the one from my suit, and wouldn't you know it, Isaac here put himself back together!  Well, mostly.  Anyway, I've filled him in on the last 120 years more or less."  Isaac nodded happily as she finished her snack cake.

"I... see."  I replied skeptically as looked over the near flawless striped hide.  "I thought the suit's repair talisman could only repair metal, how did you get your flesh back?"  

Isaac mouthed the words to me with a nervous look on his face before finally looking over to Longbow.  "Like I said, he's mostly back to normal.  His speech system doesn't seem to be working yet."  She said with a small sigh.  "Oh, and yeah, I gave him all of the cans of beans you had, he just scarfed them down can and all!  It was very fascinating to watch.  Why were you even carrying so many anyway?"  Finally, some good news.  Celestia knows I hated playing bean roulette, and they were always the last thing I reached for when going to make food.  "Anyway, he must have some sort of other talisman that heals tissue like the repair one mends metal.  I would love to get him back to base to look him over..."

My brain screamed as it tried to process everything, the gears feeling like they were going to melt from working so hard.  I put my hooves over my head and groaned.  "Oh, Celestia, why must everything make me hurt?"  I turned to tell longbow we weren't going to do that, but stopped when I noticed  a few red bars moving on the edge of my E.F.S. from the other side of the car.  I frantically waved for longbow to come closer.  "Bad guys coming, get over here!"  I whispered as she walked over.

"What?"  She asked before turning towards me.

I nodded slowly I turned my vision towards the bars, finding that it was just a sea of red lines.  I peeked my head up and looked through the window, seeing a mass of feral ghouls slowly shambling towards us.

"Ghouls."  I said with a whisper.

"Do they look like they want to talk?"  Longbow whispered back with a shrug.

"No..."  I said with more fear in my words than I wanted to hear myself say.

"How many?" She said as she sunk against the side of the car.

"Lots."  I said as I drug my hooves down my face.

I felt a soft tap on my shoulder, my eyes turning to meet Isaac's as he smiled and drew something in the dirt.


wait 1 min


I looked up in confusion just as he turned and bolted past the front of the Marauder, taking off into the open desert at an unprecedented speed.  The mass of ghouls let out a series of horrendous screeches as the whole herd gave chase after him.  The gears in my head connecting one last thought before giving out, sending a sharp stab of pain along my neck.

"Longbow, is all of your stuff in the car?"  I whispered as I turned to her, getting a slow nod.  "Get in to the back seat quietly, I have an idea."  I gingerly opened the driver side door and climbed in, waiting for the soft click of the back door to close.  I sighed softly and tried to relax, letting my mind clear itself slightly.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."  Longbow said softly.

"Alright, lets go!"  I shouted as I sharply hoofed the engine start button, grinning as the large magical engine thundered to life before I shifted it into drive and slammed the accelerator down.  The tires spun with a light scratch and kicked up rocks before we were propelled forward, sharply turning away from Minefield before correcting back towards the charging ghouls.  As much fun as it was, I didn't need to blow up twice in one day.

"What's the plan again!?"  Longbow yelled from the back seat, trying to contend with the noise of the engine as it thrummed quickly.

"When we pass Isaac, you open your door and pull him in!"  I called back and swerved to avoid a ghoul who had turned back to attack us.  We had caught up to the main group, overshooting them as the Marauder pulled us along with relative ease while I looked out the window and smiled to the Speedy Zebra, getting a soft smile in return.  I slowed down and steered towards him, trying to keep the jostling vehicle steady as we raced across the uneven terrain.

"Just a bit closer, Backlash!"  Longbow yelled as she opened the door.  I maneuvered the vehicle with a light touch, drifting closer and closer as the screams and howls of the feral ghouls filled the air.  I heard a loud thump on the roof, making me swerve slightly.  "Or he could get in that way!"  She yelled as she shut the door with a thump.  I turned around to ask her what happened, only to watch as he swung himself through the passenger side window to sit on the seat next to me.  He beamed a smile as I looked him over in disbelief.

"We all good!?"  I called out as I turned the car  back in the direction of the highway.  I was relieved to see both Longbow and our new zebra passenger nod.  Good, no more distractions.  If we kept driving until nightfall we could make it back to the garage by midday tomorrow.

"Th-nk Yo-"  Isaac's voice crackled out before emitting a loud grinding noise.  "Thank you is what I meant to say."  The crowd of ghouls had seem to have given up pursuit and disappeared over the horizon.

"No problem?"  I said as I cocked an eyebrow.  "I didn't really do anything though..."

"You removed the magnet from me.  If you hadn't, I would have just laid there forever."  He stated rather matter-o-factly.

"Just, hold up one second."  I said as I facehooved.  "How can you even exist?  I didn't even know that level of robotics was even scientifically possible!"  I prodded his chest with my hoof sharply.  "YOU aren't scientifically possible!  The most complex one I've ever run into is one of those sentry... security bot... things, and that's tinker toys compared to you!"  I put both hooves back on the wheel in frustration.

"Although I still do not know everything myself.  I believe I was built to be a spy during the war and tasked to blend in with the work force at the mine.  Make friends and live a simple life as they monitored me, all while I didn't even know I was... this"  He waved his hoof over himself.  "I was buried accidentally when my tunnel collapsed and I guess I went into hibernation, only being reactivated a few years ago when I was dug out during exploration of the mine.  Unfortunately they saw what I was and ran me out of town.  I figured out most of the robot stuff when I had time to look myself over."

"So how did you end up in Minefield?"  Longbow asked as she threw her hooves over the seat between us.

"I used to live there.  I had a modest sized house, a nice green lawn, even had one of these."  He smiled and ran his hoof along the dashboard slowly.  I watched as his smile faded, a sad look falling over his face.  "But that was all a lie.  I am not real, just some machine."

I scrunched up my muzzle in thought before looking over to him.  "That's not what the file on my Pipbuck said.  It said they transferred a zebra's brain into this body, so that means you must have had an actual body at one point."  I didn't know if that was true, but the emotions he wore were far too convincing to be just a machine.  I could hear it in his synthetic voice, the notes of a true sadness.  Machines can't feel pain or anguish.

"It matters not.  I have no purpose in this new world."  He said softly.

"What about your glyph mark?" Longbow suggested.

"It has no meaning to me, I used to move rocks all day and know next to nothing about computers.  If I was truly a zebra at one time, that was not my glyph mark."

I smacked my hoof on steering wheel as an idea popped into my head.  "You do have a purpose!  You had to have good pony to pony interaction skills to be some sort of spy, so why not get a job as somepony who deals with lots of other ponies!  Think of what you could do as somepony like a... security officer, or maybe a Regulator?  Not to mention you're faster, stronger, and more attuned to your surroundings than any regular pony."

Longbow tapped my shoulder softly, beaming a bright look to me.  "That's not half bad!  Ever since they expanded trade, Friendship City is always looking for better security guards to weed out the smugglers and riff-raff."

"You... really think that would be a good idea?  Would they hire a Zebra?"  Isaac asked as he stiffened up.  I don't think he expected us to be so helpful.  "What if they find out about me?"

"Friendship City is open to every race, and without landmines and cave in's, I think you'll be fine..."  I said hesitantly "...although, it might not be a bad idea to just explain yourself away as a Cyberpo... Cyber-Zebra.  I've only seen one Cyberpony in all my years of trading, and that was up in Paradise, so I don't think many folks will question you if you tell them that."

"You've been to Caledonia?"  Longbow asked with genuine concern and more than a little curiosity.

"Don't ask."  I said flatly.  I didn't wanted to be reminded of those times, the good or the bad.  I shuddered lightly and shook the thought from my head.

After a few long hours of driving, the sun was finally setting as we bounced along the old roadway.   I kept my eye out for a place to pull in to spend the night at, joyously remembering an old fuel station nearby that Sky and I sometimes camped out at.  I flicked the headlights on as the sun dipped down, shrouding the hills in cloaks of black as we turned off the highway and made our way along a winding, one lane gravel road.

The Marauder's bright beams highlighted the dilapidated and rusting structure, the flaking paint still mostly spelling out  Poseidon Gas N' Go!  A friend of Solaris.Ink in light blue lettering.  I rolled the thudding vehicle slowly towards a small garage attached to the the main building, looking around and checking my E.F.S. for any hostile bars, happy to find it empty.  As the Marauder pulled into the small carport, I shut it off, letting the relaxing silence fill the air.

"I didn't even know this was here, what is this place?"  Longbow muttered under her breath, her words filled with amazement.  She pointed her hoof over to the two small rusted boxes sitting out front.  "What was it used for?"

"It's a gas station."  I stated with pride.

"A what?"  Longbow said flatly as she looked back to me.

"It was an invention called gasoline and was utilized inside internal combustion engines as a highly inefficient fuel source."  I shrugged as I leaned back in my seat.  "It's not surprising you've never heard of it, being as it was only around for a few years.  With the invention of spark batteries, Poseidon was closed by Solaris due to unprofitability and all these stations were just left to rot away."

"Wow."  She said as she looked around in wonder.  "How do you know all this?"

"I like to visit pre-war museums. I went through the museum of arcano technology last time I was in Fillydelphia.  They have some pretty neat stuff stored in there."  I said with a note of pride.

"He is correct you know."  Isaac said slowly.  "They stopped using these a little after I was born."

Wait... what?  "You know when you were born?"

He froze in thought for a moment. "No... but I know that these were antiquated technology when I was young."  He smiled and looked up at me with a sparkle in his eye (not literally though, that would just be freaky).  "I was young!  I am a real Zebra, I just didn't know it!"  He jumped giddily on his hooves for a few moments, crashing into me and hugging me tightly.

"Alright there Isaac, settle down."  I laughed lightly and awkwardly hugged him back.  "I told you that you had to once have had a real body."  Score a win on my part for an educated guess!

Longbow leaned back in her seat with a long yawn, pulling one from my muzzle as I followed hers.  "I think we should all get some sleep."  She said as she curled herself up on the plush seat.  I nodded and got to my hooves as Isaac sat back.

"Do I even need to sleep?"  He asked as I failed my hop over the seat, landing on my face on the floor with a thud and a groan.  Fuck that hurt, any more trauma and my neck will be the next on the growing petition of body parts wanting to retire.

"My advice is that you at least try to get some.  You can take the front seat"  I grumbled out into the floor mat as I flopped completely onto my side.  I lay for a moment waiting for a response, but got nothing.  Shrugging, I pressed my back against the front seat and closed my eyes, trying to think of the warm dream with Pinkie, imagining the sun as it shone down, radiating brightly onto me.  I smiled as I drifted away, looking forward to my second good sleep in a long while.


-----


I woke to the sound of the howling wind, slowly opening my eyes as I lifted my head to look around.  My vision cleared enough for me to see it was still dark outside the skycar.  I wondered where my friends were as I pushed myself off of the cold floor, shivering and walking slowly over to the open door.  I leaned on the frame as I peered out slowly, gasping as I watched Longbow being held in the air by Pallet's father and another one of Ponyville's dead pegasi.  She struggled uselessly as they hovered her over the side of the building.


"Murderer..."


I froze as their voices echoed deeply inside my mind.  They were right, I only got ponies killed trying to save them.  She was doomed either way.


"You killed us all."


I felt their words tear into me, gasping as pain shot through me, gaping wounds opening up all over my body to pour black blood out into the night.  I don't want to be a murderer!  I just want to help everypony!  It's not my fault!


"It's all your fault"


Their words tore the wounds bigger as I screamed.  The inky black liquid gushed out, spreading into a large puddle underneath me.

"Please!  No more!"  I looked up to see Longbow's crying face, I could hear her sobbing quietly as they held her over the darkness.  "Help me..."


" You can't escape what you are."


I waited for the inevitable pain to rip into me, for them to yank my very soul out and devour it, but there was nothing.  As I waited, I felt something else welling up inside me.  A pulsing warmth was spreading through me, it was something I hadn't felt in a long time.  I watched as the gushing wounds glowed brightly, pouring light out that shrunk the inky fluid into nothingness.

"PUT HER DOWN!"  I yelled as I charged out of the skycar, slamming my hooves against the roof as I galloped towards Longbow.  The pegasi laughed and let go, her blue eyes filled with fear as she dropped.  I jumped and dove over the edge of the building, reaching out my hoof for hers as we both fell into the darkness.  I yelled and strained to reach out, finally hooking around her hoof, thinking to myself at least she wouldn't go alone.


-----


I yawned lightly as I woke up, pulling myself closer to the pile of warmth next to me, feeling it scoot closer at my touch. 

"Huh?"  I murmured softly.  My mind snapped my eyes open, leaving me staring right into Longbow's blue striped mane.  I sat up slowly and pushed the bloodied dress that was draped over us away, rousing a yawn from the unarmored mare.

"Hey there, you."  She said slowly with a smile, brushing her mane from her eyes.  "I got cold, so..."

I jumped to my hooves and clambered out the window of the Marauder, taking off down the gravel road in a panic as my lungs threatened to strangle me.  I wheezed and dropped down onto my knees, my heart slammed against my ribs as I tried to get back up.  Longbow came galloping up after me, skidding to a stop a few feet away.

No, this can't be happening.  Not again.  "Stay BACK!"  I shouted through my gasps.  "I will not lose you to her."

"It's ok, I'm staying right here."  She said calmly, her voice filled with concern.  "Just take big, deep breaths.  In, and out.  In, and out..."

I gasped and let the air out methodically, feeling as my racing heart slowed slightly.  The world came into focus again as I concentrated on her words.  I relaxed and got back to my hooves as I could finally control my thoughts again, trying to force everything into a box in my mind, then bury that box and build a house on top of it where I could move in and forget everything.

"Talk to me, Backlash.  I need to know what's wrong."  She said as she sat down.  I glanced up slowly, my eyes looking over her before drifting down to her flank.  I tilted my head to line up the cutie mark of a golden set of scales with one side having what looked to be a feather, and the other having a coin.  She turned herself uneasily as I darted my eyes back up to hers.  I felt a raindrop hit my muzzle, drawing my gaze to the dark grey sky as I sighed softly.

"I'm sorry." I spoke loudly.  "It's just, the last mare I met died shortly after we woke up."  I kicked at the gravel lightly.  "She deserved better."

"I see..."  Longbow's words held the bitter tone of disappointment.  "You two were close?"

I shook my head.  "It wasn't like that, well, part of me hoped it might have turned out to be that way."  I looked over at longbow as more raindrops started to fall.  "I... haven't had anypony I cared for in years, and with what happened to Harmony... I just don't know if I'm ready."

Longbow frowned and looked down at the dirt, the rain picking up to a light drizzle.  "We better get moving."  She said with pain filled words, turning and walking slowly.

"Wait.  Longbow.  I need to tell you something."  I called out, watching her stop mid step, her wettening mane hung down straight as it swayed lightly in the breeze.  "Ever since I left ponyville, I've been having the same nightmare.  Every time I go to sleep, I relive the same hell."  She started to walk away again.  "Last night it was different.  You were there with me."

Longbow hesitated, letting me take a few steps forward.  "You gave me the strength to break the cycle.  You gave me the will to try to be a better pony.  I felt something in that dream last night, something I hadn't felt in a long time."  She turned her head slowly, as the rain picked up again, staring at me with a despondent gaze.

I stamped my hoof down in the gravel hard.  "It was hope.  I know that because yesterday, you gave your suit's repair talisman to Isaac.  The day before, you set aside your own personal code to bring in Myron."  I took a few steps closer, standing beside her as the heavy rain drove my own mane into my eyes.  "You are more to me than just another mare in a suit of armor.  You're beautiful, strong, caring, steadfast, true to yourself.  It was those qualities that put the thought in my mind that I can change, that there is hope for my soul yet.  I don't know if you feel the same feelings towards me, but I'll go through hell and back before I let somepony like you slip through my hooves."

She turned away just enough to hide her face behind her mane, speaking loud enough I could just hear her over the rain.  "I... don't know what to say."

My attention was drawn up as Isaac flopped himself halfway out of the driver side window.  "OH, COME ON!"

I went to yell at the eavesdropping zebra only to have longbow spin around and press her muzzle to mine, my muscles melting as she wrapped her hooves around me.  I pressed into her kiss, gasping softly before plunging into another.  She drew back slowly and looked up at me with her bright blue eyes, her soft gaze a mixture of happiness and inner peace.  I laughed softly and smiled wide as I tilted my head up to the rain, letting the cold drops wash away my worries.

A boom of thunder made me jump, but as I recovered, I felt too good to stop moving.  I bounced on my hooves and started to dance around the gravel like an idiot.  I know I can't dance, but I just felt like I had to, I couldn't contain myself as I twirled and bobbed, rousing a soft giggle out of Longbow.  I can't believe how incredibly good it felt to just open up and lay everything out.  The loud crack of lightning split the air as it struck a dead tree next to the small carport, forcing my legs to drop me low for a moment.

"Maybe we should get going..."  I said with a nervous smile, turning to see that Longbow had already started to run for the car.  I bolted after her, scrambling across the growing puddles and slamming against the side of the Marauder with a laugh.

"Are you two love birds finally good to go?"  Isaac said with a good natured nudge to my side as I got in.  I hit the start button and threw the vehicle in reverse, the low thumping of the engine as we pulled out quickly filled me with satisfaction as we pulled back next to the old, rusty gas pumps.  I shifted back into drive and took off down the road, eager to get back home.  

We were on the road for a little over an hour when I flipped on the radio, hoping to hear something fun come on.  To my dismay, it was one of the depressing songs on the playlist, but even Sweetie Belle couldn't ruin the mood I had.

"It's time for... the news!"  Dj-Pon3's voice blared over the speakers sharply.  "Now I know we haven't heard some bad news in a while, but it seems that the PInk Mare has inspired some chaotic followers.  Gangs all across the wastes have been reportedly seen wearing pink masks, robbing and killing unwary travelers and merchants on the hunt for our dear crusaders."

And there it fucking goes.  Nothing like the mention of 42 to ruin my day.  Worse is I knew it would happen, you can't just give someone a reputation like  he's been doing and think people wouldn't act on it!  I sighed and smacked the steering wheel.

"My advice is that anypony traveling the roads should be on their guard with EXTRA guards to boot.  Also, a quick message to the Crusaders if they are listening.  Feel free to give those gangs the same lesson you gave the Rock gang, you'll be doing everypony a favor.  My heart goes out to the families of the ponies that have..."  I flipped the radio off with a huff.

"I have a few questions."  Isaac said as he raised his hoof.  "Who is the pink mare?  Who are the crusaders? And should we be worried that we are being followed?"

Longbow leaned forward from the back seat.  "We are being followed?  How can you tell?"

"Simple."  He said as he pointed to the roof.  "She flew by earlier trying to get our attention."

I slammed on the brakes and turned off the road, accidentally smashing the unbalanced zebra against the dashboard, and Longbow against the front seat.  "Oh, sorry Isaac..."  I said with a cringe as he shook his head on the floor, turning to look up and out of the window.  I watched as Skyline dipped down with the silver pod in tow and landed it next to us, she had a bandage wrapped around her right wind and one of her Gauss rifles had a charred hole melted into the side of it.  I didn't even want to start with how shot up the skycar looked.

"Geeze, Sky, are you alright?  What happened?"  I said as I turned the car off and stepped out onto the muddy soil.

"It's forty two.  She showed up at the pool after we came back to pick up harmony.  She declared herself the new queen of equestria and executed Nickle Slot in front of us.  Everypony there just fell in line with her after that!  Myron practically groveled to her!  That son of a bitch FUCKING bowed at her hooves!"

I held my hoof up to her muzzle.  "Woah, slow down.  Myron did WHAT?"  Her nod gave me the most distinct form of nausea.  This is not good.  "If he finds out we're who she's looking for, he'll bring the whole wasteland down on top of us.  FUCK!"  I screamed and kicked at the mud as the rain didn't show any sign of letting up.  "How did she even get there!  She was just spotted heading back through whinny!"  I paced back and forth nervously.

"She rode in on a Griffinchaser, one of the original models.  I don't know where she found it, but she's going to be coming for us."  Sky added slowly, stopping me with her hooves.  "Backlash, Rip and Carlotta stayed back to slow them down.  Hell, I barely made it out of there.  I have to go back and help."  Her hooves slipped off my chest as she started to sob softly.  "I just hope she's still alright."

"It will be alright."  I said as I stepped up and pulled her close.  "Look, You can't go back, I need you to do something for me.  I need you to fly to Tenpony and tell Dj-Pon3 what happened and that I'm heading to Baltimare.  Carlotta is a tough griffin and I'll make sure to send Carlotta straight home when she catches up to us.  I promise you that she'll be there by the time you get back, sound good?"

Sky sniffed and nodded.  "Please hurry back."  She whispered softly before jumping into the air and taking off again.  So 42 has a way to quickly get around the wasteland again, she has Myron's loyalty, and is turning every gang rabid across Equestria.  That's just fucking perfect.  Fuck you, fate, can't even let me have a single good day, can you?

I trotted through the thick mud over to the car and got in, quickly starting it again and hitting the accelerator.  The wheels spun and sunk into the mud, not finding any traction.  I groaned and threw the transmission into reverse, once again failing to pull the Marauder back onto the road.  I growled my frustration and slammed my hooves on the steering wheel, hearing a soft pop as some of the enamel cracked.

"Would you like me to get out and push?"  Isaac suggested rather plainly.

"No, even you couldn't push this thing.  What I need is a way to get more traction."  I said as I softly rested my face on the wheel.

"I can do that."  He said with a semi-upbeat tone as he effortlessly hopped out the window and disappeared.  "TRY GOING FORWARD NOW!"  He yelled out after a moment.

I looked back at Longbow and shrugged, putting it into drive before slowly pressing on the accelerator.  I was happy to see us crawl forward and back onto the roadway without any problem, stopping to let Isaac back in as he trotted up.  He swung open the passenger side door and squished in, covered from mane to tail in mud as he smiled.

"You had me run you over, didn't you."  I said as I glared at him.  "let's just find a piece of wood or something next time."  I leaned back and got us back up to speed, rolling down the decrepit highway yet again.

"Well my body IS made of metal, so why not use it to help?"  He said with a shrug, still grinning widely.  "I want to help ponies and OH DEAR CELESTIA WHY AM I BLIND?"  He stated abruptly as he flailed his forehooves and fell onto the floor with a wide gaze.

"What? Are you alright?  Do I need to stop again?"  I said quickly.

"No, the pegasus said we must keep going.  I will be fine."

Longbow leaned close to me and whispered into my ear.  "You probably shouldn't have run him over..."

"My ears do still work however, and this is not his fault you know.  I am not completely blind as I have some sort of message flashing that is telling me I have low power."  He said with a semi-sarcastic voice, trying to cover up the worry deep in his words.  "Do you know what will happen if I shut down?"

"I didn't see any spark battery ports on him..."  Longbow said slowly.  "...although there is one hole I never..."

I cut her off before she could even finish that horribly wrong idea.  "Before that get's weird, remember I've seen a cyber-pony before, he just needs gemstones.  I'd rather not part with them, but I have a small stock of them back at the Garage he can have."

"Thank you, Backlash, your generosity is appreciated."  He said as he held one hoof high and waved it.  "Do you think that I will die if I run out of power?"

"Don't worry about that, we shouldn't be far outside of the city and in just about a half hour or so we'll be home and I'll get you those gems."  I said as I we flew down the wet road.

"That does seem to be a bit of a problem..."  He said as he tapped a hoof on his blankly staring eyes, trying to hide the fear that bled from his speech.  "There is a countdown timer for a cascade overload showing here that only has twenty five minutes remaining on it."  He gave a nervous smile and shrugged.  "I do not know what that is, but I do not think it is anything good."  I had even read that on my Pipbuck when it rebooted him, how did I forget about that!?

"You've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME!"  I said as I slammed my hoof on the accelerator, pushing the Marauder faster as the thunderous engine roared.  I felt the car start to loose traction on the wet roadway, forcing me to back the speed down slightly.  If I can find a route that would cut my time by twenty minutes, I'd be good, but sadly I can't just fly in a straight line.  Another check mark for my 'Sky was right about getting a skycar' list.

"Fuck, we need more time!"  I said as we screamed down the highway.

"Head for Tenpony!"  Longbow called from the backseat.

"That only shaves like five minutes off the trip!  It takes at least that long to get inside and to shop unless you're naked or made of money!"  I said as I tried to keep us on the road.

"THEN FIND A FASTER WAY IN!"  She yelled angrily.

"I vote we see what happens when the timer runs out."  Isaac said with a forced smile.

"SHUT UP, ISAAC."  Longbow and I shouted in unison.

I held my hoof up.  "Look, I just got a shop there!  I..."  My words trailed off as a realization hit me.  That's it, I have to sell it.  "Ok, I can do it."  I shook my vest off while trying to keep the car straight, pushing it and my saddle bags into the middle of the seat.

The next eighteen minutes were some of the tensest moments in my life as we flew down the ruined and muddy streets to enter the massive city.  Every turn was a gamble that I'd lose control, every mud puddle had the potential to pin us in place like glue.  My heart beat against my chest heavily as we made the final turn towards the massive, singled out tower.  We sped across the open plain that lead to the front door, I watched through the rain as the guards tensed up at my quick approach.

I slammed on the break and cranked the wheel to the left, skidding us nearly in a full circle as I kicked the door open, jumping out as the car came to a stop.  I rolled through the mud and back to my hooves to charge towards the doors as the Guards just looked on in shock.  I bolted up the front steps and threw my shoulder into the heavy door to slam it open, finding myself instead smashing through the glass plate with a resounding crash.  

My muddy hooves slipped on the tiled floor and propelled me down the long hallway with a wet screech, the polished surface keeping my momentum up until I hit the far wall.  I scrambled and got up, running towards the lobby where my shop was, turning at the last moment toward the restaurant next door to it that was filled with regal looking ponies eating fancy, overpriced food.  I spun and bucked the wooden door open, knocking it off it's hinges and getting a gasp out over everypony as they stopped eating and looked over to me.

"This is an emergency, the first pony to give me their gemstones gets my store next door."  I said as I panted heavily, feeling as some of the mud on me slicked down my coat and hit the floor with a wet plop.  A white unicorn stallion with a combed back blue mane levitated a small pouch over to me.

"Thank you."  I said before I gripped the sack in my mouth, turning around and taking off through the doorframe, pounding across the floor back towards the entrance.  "Hold on, Isaac, I'm on my way!"  I said through the small bag as  I blew out of the lobby and slid around the corner towards the exit, only to see  one very angry looking Mare of Tenpony Admissions.  "Out of the way, emergency!"  I yelled through the bag as my hooves kicked off, carrying me towards her as fast as I could.

I shot past her as she stepped aside with a gasp, my legs pushing off the top step of the stairway to propel me through the air.  I slammed down into a large puddle and rolled painfully along the ground before I reoriented myself, slamming against the door of the Marauder with a grunt.  I hoofed it open again and climbed over the seats to Isaac, dropping the bag into my hoof before stuffing it against his muzzle.  feeling as he licked a few of the gems out and swallowed them whole.

He hoofed the bag away as he started to blink and look around the car.  "Huzzah!  I am cured!" He yelled jubilantly and flailed his hooves in the air.  I flopped down onto the seat cushion and panted heavily, dropping the sack with a groan.

"Umm... Backlash."  Longbow said as she leaned over the seat.  "I think you should probably go explain why you just broke their tower..."


-----


I had been "detained" inside a small office just past the front entrance.  I was told to sit on the floor as to not muddy the upholstery, but I grew bored of waiting and sat in one of the armchairs as I waited for Dj-Pon3 to come down as I requested.  I could hear the guards murmuring outside the door about how neither of them wanted to shoot an unarmed pony and how it was the fault of the tower for not being more specific on how to deal with ponies like me.

I sighed and crossed my forehooves as the door opened slowly.  Kontra poked her head in with a soft smile before walking in slowly.  "I wanted to tell you your friend Dipstick and his family made it here safely.  I got them a residency on the third floor temporarily, but I had the thought, that if you aren't going to use it, they could use the room that came with your shop."

I shook my head slowly.  "I just sold my shop.  I don't own that room anymore."  It hurt to form the words, the shop Sky and I had worked so hard to earn was just, gone.  Yes it was for a good cause, but it still hurt.

"I see.  Well, your deposit would cover six months of their rent on the third floor, could I convince you to do that?"  She said with a hint of disappointment.

"Oh yeah, if you can please do that, they deserve it."  I said with a sigh.  "Did my sister swing by earlier by the way?"

"Yes, she was just leaving when you caused the commotion down here."  She brushed her black mane from her face before turning to walk out.  She stopped as she opened the door, looking like she was about to say something, before she winced in pain, hoofing her chest momentarily.  She walked out quickly and shut the door behind her, leaving me alone again for the next few minutes before there was another knock at the door.  It swung slowly as Skyline hovered in and gave me a hug, I could see Dj-Pon3 was talking to the admissions mare in a low whisper in the hallway behind her.

"Did..."  Skyline started to ask as I put my hoof over her muzzle.

"I didn't see her, but I'm sure she's sitting at home worried sick about you."  I said as I brushed her mane softly with my hoof.  "You should go.  I won't be much longer here."  I gave her the most comforting smile I could muster.  She nodded and flew out the door as Dj-pon3 strolled in casualty, shutting the door and levitating off his sunglasses.

"So...what's this I hear about you storming the tower for a bag of gems?"  he said as he sat down on the armchair hoofstool.

"It's a long story. So I'll give you the short version."  I said with a stern voice as a he looked over me, his eyes telling me he wasn't comfortable having me here.  "My passanger out in the car is a cyber-zebra.  His cybernetics run on gemstones and due to unforeseen circumstances, he ran out.  If his power dies, so does he.  We cut it really close, but the gems I acquired saved his life."

"So you sold your store... for a hoof full of gems... to save a random zebra's life?"  Dj-pon3 looked at me in disbelief, a small smile parting his muzzle.  "You are too good to be real, Backlash.  The wasteland is just going to love this."

I shot to my hooves.  "No!  You have to stop!  You can't keep telling them about me, you'll put everypony I know in danger."

Dj-pony frowned and leaned forward.  "You think that we aren't all in danger?  Do you have any idea what's really going on out there?"  He got up and kicked the stool away from him.  "Right now, you and your friends are the only thing standing between complete chaos in the wastes.  I'm sorry if you don't want to be in the spotlight, but everypony needs to know about what you are doing.  More so now that forty two is converting gangs into her own private army."

I sat back as my thought screamed to a stop as his words slammed into my ears.  I wondered how I can always be so wrong once someone spoke without hesitation, with true purpose behind every word.  How can I be so short sighted or selfish about things that I let it blind me?  I could blame it on the reappearance of 42, or on being a generally unintelligent stallion, but I always find some excuse.  The wasteland was looking to me to be an icon, a beacon, to sacrifice all I have for the good over everypony.  Why me?  Well, why not me?

"They need you, and I won't keep the the good you are doing from them."  He said as he put his hoof on me.  "Look, I'll take care of things here.  You should go if anypony is to believe you are actually heading for Baltimare."

I nodded, flopping out of the seat before walking to the door and opening it slowly.  "You're right, they need me.  But what happens if I fail, what will that do to them?"  I went through as shut it softly.  I may have felt like a weight was lifted as Longbow showed she felt the same way I did, but now I was just handed the weight of Equestria to bear.  I can't fail, I need to stop 42, for the sake of everypony.

I trotted outside to see Longbow sitting next to the car with her eyes closed, Isaac was doing the same with his head out of the backseat window.

"Can you smell the grass Backlash?"  Longbow said with a smile.

"Um... what?"  I asked as I trotted by and opened the driver side door.

"I was describing what grass smelled like to Longbow.  Have you ever smelled it before?"  Isaac said as he looked over to me, he looked happy, almost in a state of bliss.

I sighed as I got in and shut the door.  "Yeah, I have."

"Bullshit, don't lie to him!"  Longbow stated with more disappointment in her voice than I wanted to hear.

"I'm not!"  I retorted as I started the car, watching as Longbow kept eye contact with me, walking around the front of the car before getting in and slamming the door as she glared at me. "Celestia as my witness, I swear I'm telling the truth."

"There hasn't been fresh grass outside of a stable for a hundred years."  She narrowed her eyes as she spoke.  "Unless you've been inside one, it's impossible that you've smelled it."

I tapped the side of my head with my hoof.  "Well I've smelled it in my dreams, felt it under my hooves."  I shifted the car into drive and pulled away from Tenpony, heading towards home.  "Besides, I'm related to Pinkie Pie.  Nothing's impossible."

-------------------

LEVEL UP!

+10  Small guns

+ 5   Repair

New perk: Wild Warrior - Your unconventional and needlessly reckless style of fighting leaves most opponents busy wondering instead of moving to fight back.  Whenever you catch an enemy off guard, they lose 3/4 of their effective DT instead of just 1/2.

> Chapter 8 - Doubt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8



"Quit yer shakin'!  It's time to get bakin'!"



-----


I pulled the Marauder up to the Garage slowly, letting out a long sigh as it rumbled inside.  As the engine shut off, I thought to myself that as much as I wanted to stay here and rest a few days, we needed to restock and get moving as fast as we could.  42 was on the move again and I needed to stay focused.  I couldn't help but frown as I imagined Harmony's body still sitting in the Red Lantern.  "I'm sorry I couldn't bury you."  I said softly, opening the car door and stepping out.  Sky flew into the open garage hugging me tightly with a smile on her face.

"Did..." I tried to speak, cutting myself off as I watched a heavily bandaged Carlotta swoop in behind her, landing with a wince and a smile of her own.

"You should know it takes a lot more than a small army to bring down a griffin like me."  She closed her eyes and proudly puffed up her wounded chest.  I broke off from Sky and wrapped my hooves around the gruff flier, feeling her tense and whine as I pressed into her.  She pushed me off, trying to force her expression back into her 'stone cold killer' look.  "Ripcord is upstairs, but he's in pretty bad shape, Sky will be heading out soon to get the Doc from Tenpony."

"I'm glad you're alright.  As much as you hate to admit it, you're family to us.  And being family means I get to worry about you."  I said as I smiled softly.  "It's just..."  I stopped and sniffed at the air, I could smell smoke coming from upstairs.  I nearly jumped off the ground as I turned and bolted, almost tripping on my mattress as my hooves slid around the Marauder.  "FIRE!"  I yelled as I clambered up the stairs to the kitchen door.

I unlatched it and watched in horror as a wave of black and brown guns poured down onto me.  One of the rifles smacked painfully against my regrown hoof, knocking me off balance.  I slid down to the garage floor, sprawling out as the gunvalanch poured over me, wincing as the pile came to a stop, the guns jabbing me uncomfortably all over as I started to hyperventilate.

"Cool your jets, Backlash."  I could hear Carlotta's muffled voice through the guns.  "Brass is just cooking, that's why EVERYTHING SMELLS BURNT!"  She yelled up through the doorway as I heard the crash of a pot against the stove.

"Fuck off, Carlotta!"  Brass's voice sung out from the kitchen with an air of sarcasm.

I reached my hoof up through the mass of service rifles, hoping that somepony would help me up.  I felt a hoof hook around mine and lift me effortlessly, pulling me out and up into the air.  I looked up to see that Isaac stood on the Marauder's hood, lifting me with the grip of barely a single hoof.

"Wow."  Carlotta remarked as she walked up to the cyber-zebra.  "The hell did your folks feed you when you were a foal?  Steel shavings and containers of buck?"  Fuck, now he was going to tell her he was a robot.  I don't want too many ponies to know what he really is, I want to keep potential freak outs to a minimum.  The fact is that Isaac is real enough to fool everypony so far, why risk an incident?

"Actually, I am..." He nervously shifted his weight, the rusty car hood slightly groaning as he swayed.

"He's a cyber-pony...zebra....cyber-zebra.  He doesn't like to tell people cause they might freak out.  So please don't freak out?"  I cut him off with a nervous grin, feeling a small sense of relief as he seemed to understand what I was trying to do.  Carlotta shrugged and limped her way past me up the stairs as Sky narrowed her eyes, seeing through my lie as if it were as clear as glass.  "Look, I'll explain later."  I said slowly, watching her relax mildly.  My stomach growled loudly as I was lowered next to the pile of rifles.  "Maybe after I get something to eat?"

Sky gave me a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes and floated slowly up the semi-gun-covered stairway.  Longbow opened the car door and walked over slowly to me as Isaac lowered me onto the floor.

"Backlash, I was wondering if we could talk."  She said slowly before looking up to Isaac with a light blush.  "Alone?"  Isaac smiled and nodded, leaping off the hood to the stairwell, swiftly maneuvering himself up into the kitchen.  Longbow turned and slowly headed out of the garage as I followed.

"Is everything alright?"  I said slowly, hoping she wasn't going to say that she was just caught up in the moment this morning.  I liked her more than I have liked any mare ever, but now that she had showed me she felt the same, I was scared to death that she'd end up like Harmony... or Sprocket.  I felt a sharp jab in my chest as I remembered the stallion's warm smile.

"No..."  She said sadly, a large amount of regret in her voice.  "I have a confession to make."  She kicked a rock, watching as it skipped across the muddy street.  The pain in my chest grew greater, making it hard to stand.  I knew it!  She was going to tell me she didn't feel the same!

"I already know what you're going to say."  I said as I plopped down into the cold mud.  "Honestly, I don't know what I had expected."  I jabbed my hoof sadly into the wet ground, drawing a small frowning face.

"H... how did you know?"  She sounded genuinely surprised before she slouched and hung her head low.  "I guess I really screwed up, huh?"  Her regret lingered in the air as my heart strained.

"No, I understand that I made things awkward this morning and that you got swept up in everything."  I smiled and looked over to her, lifting her chin with my hoof.  "Besides, you're a young and beautiful steel ranger.  How could you fall in love with somepony like a wasteland merchant?"

Longbow let out a soft gasp and smiled up at me, her teary eyes filling with happiness.  "What are you talking about?"  She put a hoof on my foreleg, pushing it away from her chin as she leaned in and kissed my cheek.  "I do want to be with you."

I blinked a few times in confusion.  "You... do?"  My mind flooded itself with a dozen different emotions at once as I replayed her words over and over again before happiness won out.  "You do!"  I jumped up and wrapped my hooves around her, ignoring the pain in my body as I hung off her armor and embraced her tightly.  She patted me on the back and laughed as we sat there awkwardly in the street.  I heard her stomach growl through her armor as we both froze.

"How about we talk after getting something to eat.  You know, before we both collapse of starvation?"  She smiled brightly up at me as I hopped off her, a slight twitch in her blushing cheeks meant that the something she originally wanted to talk about was still bothering her greatly.  We turned and headed back for the garage as Skyline swooped down through it.

"You sold our shop?"  She said as she put her forehooves on my chest, landing in front of me in the mud softly.  She eyed over Longbow, watching her intently while she walked up the stairs, only turning back to me once she was out of sight.  "We'll get to the shop in a minute, but first of all, really... Her?"  Skyline said as she tapped her hoof in the mud and stuck her muzzle in my face, narrowing her eyes.  "What if she's a spy for the steel rangers?  What if she's just using you so the rangers can just waltz in and take all our stuff?"

"How did you...?"  I began to say before I facehooved myself, leaving a muddy splotch on my face (that had made me want to do it again, but it was probably not the best idea to get more muddy).  "Isaac said something, didn't he.  I have got to tell that robot he can't just say whatever is on his..."  Sky stuffed her muddy hoof in my muzzle, shutting me up momentarily before I pushed it away and spit the wet gunk from my mouth.

"He's a ROBOT? Like, full-on robot, robot!?"  Sky raised her head in aggravation and grunted.  "Dear Celestia, Backlash!  Why did you bring him here?! Is he even safe to be around?"  As I finally got the muddy taste out of my mouth, she smacked me on the head, making me bite my tongue painfully.  "Over the last few weeks you've been attracting every dangerous scumbag the wasteland has to offer!  Not to mention you're making deals with half of them, it's like you've become an entirely different pony!"  As she bombarded me with her ranting, I could feel my anger building deep inside me.  So I did the only thing I shouldn't have.  I snapped.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"  I shouted as stomped my forehooves hard into the mud, sending a large spray up to splatter onto the surprised pegasi and myself.  "Half of those 'scumbags' you're talking about include Brass and Carlotta, and last time I checked, you didn't even get to know her before jumping into a relationship!"  I watched as my words cut deep, Sky shrinking down as my volume only escalated, but I was just getting started.  "Not to mention, I had a hard enough time living with myself after I got Sprocket killed.  Hell, I JUST stopped having the nightmares about that night a few months ago!  Oh, but now, now 42 comes and FUCKS MY LIFE UP!  And once again, it's all been my fault!  Everypony she has killed?  Their blood is on MY hooves."

"I didn't mean..."  Sky said softly as her gaze dropped to the ground.  I wasn't going to stop now.  I needed to get everything out, and she needed to hear it.

"Just the last FOUR days have been the toughest.  The crippling nightmares, getting harmony killed, 42 taking over the pool, we still don't know where pallet is, but NO.  I'm apparently not allowed to have a single CELESTIA DAMNED moment of happiness.  But why should I!?"

"I'M SORRY!"  Sky cried out as she dropped down into the mud, crying softly as I stood over her.

"Backlash, stop it.  You've made your point."  Longbow called from inside the garage, trotting over towards us as Brass, Carlotta, and Isaac's heads were all poking around the wall of the stairway.  I growled and looked as her sad eyes flashed fear for a brief moment.  The pain in my chest returned with a vengeance and nearly knocked the wind out of me.  I gasped and stiffened up, loosing control of my body as I fell into the mud.  My vision grew hazy as I struggled to breathe, the sound of the world around me muffling as I slipped into the painless, silent darkness.


-----


My body rocked and bobbed against the small waves of the ocean around me.  I opened my eyes to take in the night sky, feeling numb as I looked over the thousand shining lights hanging far above.  I wondered if anypony out there knew just how cruel the stars could be.  My mind shuffled through my memories, bringing up the last memory I had of viewing them.

"Slow down, Backlash!" Sprocket had called up happily.  The grey coated earth pony was trotting after me as we wound our way towards one of the ominous white spires.  I had made sure to always camp beside this particular one on my journeys to and from Hoofington.  It was at this same one where the old man had made me make my promise of secrecy.  "What could possibly be over here?"

I smiled and flopped myself loudly against the building, motioning for him to join me.  "Come here, I want you to see something amazing."  I had said with such naivety, oblivious to the true power that the stars held.  Sprocket shyly pressed up into my side, looking at me tenderly with his bright blue eyes, his black mane blew softly in the breeze.  I had loved the feeling of having him at my side ever since we had met six months prior, there was nopony out there that I had ever loved like him.

"What am I supposed to..."  He had trailed off as he followed my eyes up, peering through the small ring around the cloud layer.  "...Wow..."  he remarked in awe as we viewed the night sky together.  "How did you...?"

I had cut him off suddenly.  "The old man brought me here when I was younger, made me promise to never tell anypony."  I had said with pride at the time.  "But you aren't just anypony, you are the most amazing stallion in the world, Sprocket."  I couldn't see how foolish I was being back then.

"It's... beautiful...."  He had said with such disbelief, I turned my gaze to him as he wore the happiest look of his life.  I saw a small glimmer in his eye, looking back up as a shooting star streaked across the dark void, making him gasp and giggle lightly as he pressed against me and relaxed.  "I love you, Backlash."  I kissed his muzzle softly, making him blush brightly through his coat.

I blinked as I felt myself floating again, the memory drifting back into the recesses of my mind.  I looked up onto the moon as it hung there silently above me.  "What do you want from me?" I asked as I started to sink, dropping below the waves like I had done before.  I reached my hoof out as I dropped to the depths, hoping that I might be saved, but only felt numb as the darkness was the only thing to take hold of me.


-----


I gasped and choked, being thrust roughly back into consciousness.  I rolled off my mattress as my lungs cried out, trying to reorient myself.  "Oh Celestia it hurts."  I groaned, my whole body shaking while I tried to get to my hooves.

"Oh no you don't!"  Brass said as he pushed me back onto the soft bedding.  "Dr. Fitz said you shouldn't strain yourself."  He put his power armored hoof on my side and pinned me to the mattress as I flailed my hooves uselessly, only spiking the pain.

"Why not?"  I asked before there was a sharp line of pain down my neck, making me stop moving momentarily.  My chest burned with every breath, my muscles ached with every move.  "What happened?"

"Well Dr. Fitz is trying to figure that out, but his guess was taint poisoning."  He said as he lifted his power armored hoof up lightly.  I turned slowly and looked up at the ghoul stallion, noting that his skin had cracked in several new places and that he had several clumps of his mane missing.  I smiled as I realized that the only thing he wasn't losing, was the hope in his eyes.  "Honestly, I'm surprised you aren't worse off from the last couple weeks."  He returned the smile with his own.

"Backlash!"  An armorless Longbow called out from the stairwell, cantering down and nearly diving onto me as I looked over to her.  My body let out a thick burst of pain before dulling slightly, allowing me to feel her warmth as she pressed against me, making the image of Sprocket and me that night pop into my mind.  She smiled and took a step back as I ran my hoof through her mane.

"Remind me never to take you to one of the spires."  I said with a light laugh, wincing as my chest filled with another quick burst of pain.

She looked at me puzzled.  "What spire?"  She glanced over to Brass, trying to draw an answer from him.  "What is he talking about?"

"Don't look at me, I think he's had brain damage from before I met him."  He said playfully, giving a chuckle as Longbow smacked his armor and rolled her eyes.  "Don't worry, Backlash, Skyline and the doc should be back soon."

I thought to myself a moment as I looked around the room, spotting that it was still daylight outside.  "Doc Fitz was already here and left?  He really does work fast."

Longbow cringed and looked over to Brass, who had the same expression.  "You've been out since yesterday afternoon."

I tensed up at her words, sending myself into S.A.T.S. by accident (I really have to not do that so often).  Fuck!  I lost an entire day to my stupid fucking body.  Well Celestia be damned if I lose any more time to it, seeing as 42 won't give me any breaks.  I canceled the spell and let out a sigh as time slid back to normal.

"I want you two to gather the things we need for the facility."  I said as I flopped painfully onto my side.
Brass shook his head slowly.  "You need..."

I cut him off.  "We need to stay ahead of 42.  For me to do that, I need to do the job for Strawberry Sorbet."  I looked over to Longbow as she gave me a frown.

"Nopony is going anywhere."  Carlotta said sternly as she strode in unbandaged, a plethora of fresh scars adorning her body.  "I am tired of that bitch showing up wherever we are without warning, we need a plan if we are going to keep ahead of her."

"I agree." Brass chimed in.  "What the hell are we even looking for, Backlash?  Forty Two wants to create an army of clones, but how?"

I groaned and flopped my head on my mattress.  "Brass, Carlotta, you remember the cave below the Reference Pointe?"  They traded looks and nodded their heads.  "There was a pond down there before the war.  That's what she's after."

"She's after a pool of water?"  The gruff griffin snorted.

"Obviously if she needed just any water she would have had the army by now..."  Longbow said as she put a hoof to her chin in thought.

"The Legend of the Mirror Pool."  Brass said with a smirk.  "I remember reading about it back in the steel rangers Twilight archives..."

"Brass... If it didn't hurt so much to move, I would smack you SO damn hard right now."  I stated flatly.  "Why didn't you mention it earlier!?"

"If you would have let me finish, I could have told you that she said that an army was completely impossible.  The pond's inherent magic is spread out evenly between every clone, thus degrading the quality of each copy's personality by a certain fraction every time a new one is created."  He stated proudly.

"Hey, egghead.  Mind explaining it so us simple folk can understand it?"  Carlotta said as she rapped her claws on the floor.

"He means that the more clones she made, the dumber they were."  Longbow explained with a puzzled look.  "Why would 42 want an army of dumb clones, with the numbers she would need to fight a war, they wouldn't even be smart enough to speak, let alone do anything past just standing around."

"Her notes indicated that if she could find a way to pump a constant stream of magic through the pool, she would be able to amplify the output to a nearly unlimited amount of intelligent copies."

"Well, that's an easy fix.  All you would need is something like an arcano-tech reactor..."  I slowly stopped talking as the Gears in my head crunched everything together.  "That's why she needed the Three Kings out of the way!  Certain arcane reactors use advanced magic exchangers that take taint's magical output in order to amplify a simple spark generation spell!  Taking over The Pool was always part of her plan!"

"Then we just gave her enough taint to keep the pond at near infinite copies, didn't we?"  Carlotta said with a sigh.  "If the magic water wasn't in the cavern, then where is it?"  I was about to recite the riddle that pinkie gave me in the dream, but Brass interrupted me with his own answer.

"Twilight's notes didn't say anything about where it was located in the first place, but seeing as O.I.A. scrubbed every important detail of the program files before logging them, I'm not surprised there wasn't mention of them moving it."  Brass said with a shrug.

"Wait, go back a second."  I said as the gears crunched half a thought into my head.  "The O.I.A. was supposed to send files between the Ministries, right?  Like, with a server?"

Brass nodded eagerly.  "Yes, their servers are how we could access the files in the first place back at alpha base, but to get access to the an unmodified file of that secrecy, you would need to have Twilight Sparkle's personal 16 character password AND be able to access it from inside a secured, high clearance facility."

"A LOT like the facility we need to get into outside Filly?"  I said with a smile.  Oh, I do love how things work out sometimes!

"What about the password?"  Brass said with a tone of worry.

"I was once told I had an amazing talent for cracking locks."  Longbow said.  "It's why they made me the squad scout as an acolyte.  Never met a door or terminal I couldn't open... well, other than one of those pink shields at least."  She gave a heavy sigh before continuing.  "But I traded my stealth and my ability to unlock, for the rank of paladin and a suit of power armor."

"Forgive me for eavesdropping, but I do not believe your skill would be sufficient enough."  The light tone of Isaac came from the top of the stairs.  "Even with a terminal spell matrix dedicated to working at the code, I estimate it would take roughly one hundred and ninety thousand years before you would find the correct entry."  He said with a smile.  "If you had some sort of super computer, like the proposed Crusader mainframe, you might be able to crack it in under an hour."

"Wow, strong AND a number cruncher.  Don't see that everyday."  Carlotta said with genuine amazement in her voice.

"While I do not know about number crunching."  He said as he hoofed the brown pouch of gems up to his muzzle before slurping up an emerald, biting down and cracking it loudly in half before swallowing it.  "I did have a job rock crushing once."  He turned back towards the kitchen, stopping as his ears perked up.  "The doctor has returned."  I canted my head slightly in confusion before there was a loud thump on the roof as the skycar touched down.

"Ok, less impressed; more freaked out.  Zebras."  Carlotta said as she turned back to me with a whisper.  "Where the hell did you even find him?  Creepytown?"

"Minefield, actually."  Longbow replied quickly.

"You know what, I don't even want to know." Carlotta slapped her talons against her forehead and grumbled.    "I'm going to go make out with my marefriend or something."

"What I said still stands, get your things, we wont be staying long."  I called over as she walked up the stairs.

"Are you sure you want to go?  The rest of us..."  Longbow started to say.

Dr. Fitz cut her off as he stepped down the stairs slowly, wearing a small frown on his muzzle.  "I hope you're not planning on going anywhere for a while Backlash.  I confirmed that you have a taint derived abnormality.  There seems to be a high concentration of the substance in your bloodstream and it is slowly deteriorating your circulatory system."

"So... can't you fix it?"  I looked up to him with my best sad, pleading look.

He grunted and face hoofed.  "You can't just fix taint poisoning.  Theoretically, it needs to be purged, but I've only seen a few scattered research papers on just the base concepts.  Hell, Backlash!  I don't think anypony had that kind of equipment before the bombs fell.  I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do past trying transfusions, even then you'll still run the risk of mutation."

The gears in my head threw one last idea at me before they whined and locked up from overuse.  "Well then.  I guess that's just one more thing to look for on the server."  I painfully turned myself over, instantly regretting the action.  "Doc, just give me a Med-X for the pain.  I'll go find you your miracle machine and be back in time for dinner tomorrow."

"You can't be serious!  The more you stress your body, the faster the taint deteriorates your organs.  You need to stay home and keep from overexerting yourself."  Doc said sternly with a huff and a stamp of his hoof.

"Look.  I just went through this conversation.  I'm going WITH or WITHOUT the Med-X, and I would just rather not be suffering in pain."  I said as I struggled to my hooves, locking my joints as stood so I wouldn't fall over.  I don't think I would make it another 20 minutes without any painkiller, I've never felt so much pain in my life.  Well, maybe when the Hydra reformed my hoof, but this was a DAMN close second.

"I can't give you any regardless, you already HAVE all my medical supplies, remember?"  He said as he exuded annoyance.  "With all the gangs on the lookout for any merchant they can get their hooves on, I don't have any way to restock."  He stood defiantly as Isaac trotted down the stairs behind him.  "So with no way to help ponies at the clinic, I'm free to stand here and make sure you re...co...ver..."  Dr. Fitz wobbled for a moment as Isaac pressed a hoof against his neck, the light blue unicorn collapsing onto the floor in a heap.

Brass, Longbow and I just let our jaws hang in the air as Isaac looked over Dr. Fitz's body slowly.  The four of us just staring down silently before a loud snoring noise came from the physician's muzzle.

"How did you do that?"  Longbow asked slowly.

"It is a pressure point at the base of the neck that when held, starves the brain of oxygen and renders a pony unconscious."  Isaac stated rather Matter-O-Factly.  "I still remember a few things from my time in med school."  He froze and stared at the floor for a moment.  "I...went to med school?  I remember going to med school!  Huzzah!"  He beamed a smile and bounded up the stairs as Sky and Carlotta were heading down.  The two fliers stopping for a moment as they watched Dr. Fitz snoring on the floor.

"The hell did you do to him!?"  Sky said as she flew down and checked him over quickly.

"So he's an extremely strong, rock crushing, mathematical genius, medical expert?"  Brass said in amazement.  "Who on top of all this, is an amnesiac?"

Carlotta went wide eyed.  "Wait, the freak show up there did this?"  She looked over her shoulder towards the kitchen, letting out a shudder.  "Fucking zebras..."

I played back Carlotta's voice in my head, listening as I pulled varying levels of emotion out of it.  Lots of pain and fear, mixed in with regret and rage.  After our adventure to the facility I'd have to ask her about why zebras made her so uncomfortable, but right now, we needed to actually get going on said adventure.

"Sky, I need you to give me a Med-X."  I called out as my limbs screamed at me.

"But Dr. Fitz said..."  She started to respond before Brass cut her off.

"Said that as long as he doesn't strain himself too much, he's good to go."  His voice wavered as he told the lie, but I don't think that Sky would have picked up on that.  His nervous smile on the other hoof, was a dead giveaway.

"Really..."  She said angrily, glaring at the young ghoul.

"Yes!"  Longbow jumped in enthusiastically.  "He said that right before he mentioned wanting to sleep, so Isaac helped him out!"  Wow, longbow lied to cover for me?  I did not see that coming.

"Alright then, if you say so."  Skyline sighed loudly toward the ceiling as she hovered lightly over to me.  "Somepony going to fill me in on if we even have a plan?"  She hoofed out a small syringe from her saddlebags, biting down on it and driving it into my shoulder.

"For once..."  I said smartly as the pain drained out of my body.  "we actually have one."


-----


Over the next hour, we went about organizing our things and doing our best to prepare for the journey to come.  I was busy scarfing down my second bowl of the stew Brass had cooked up the previous day.  Say what you want about ponies eating meat, the stuff was damned tasty!  Isaac had wanted something to do to help out around the garage, so I gave him the task of figuring out just how much of what weaponry we had managed to aquire from the farm.  He was busily jumping from crate to crate by the Marauder, going through the impressive collection.

Dr. Fitz was over at Skyline's bed in the corner, doing what he could for Ripcord.  My old friend had apparently given the remnants at The Pool enough hell that even Carlotta said she was impressed.  Shortly after she drug him back here, he collapsed, having to be put into an induced coma until he was stable enough to work on.  I'm not worried though, he's a tough son of a bitch, I know he'll pull through.  Brass came up to me with a cautiously enthusiastic look as I licked the inside of my bowl clean.  I knew that particular look of his well, and I was dreading the dumb question he was about to ask.

"So... Isaac found a couple of boxes that had miniguns in them."  He shuffled his hoof on the floor as he spoke.  "And I was wondering..."

Carlotta poked her head out from the bathroom as Sky turned on the shower.  "You already have one, why would you want two?"

"Well, I'm no good with that long anti-machine rifle."  He looked down with a note of sadness.  "I can at least hit things with the minigun."

"On average, you should get just as many hits with the minigun as misses!"  She squawked out before Sky pushed her out of the doorframe.

"Remember Backlash, miniguns are expensive.  We could get a good pile of caps for one in such good condition."  She said as she shut the door, not even giving me a chance to respond.

I looked down as Brass gave me his best pleading face.  How was I supposed to say no to him!  He's helped me out more than any sane pony would have and at this point, he's earned it.  "Oh alright."  I waved my hoof at him.  "Go on, happy Hearth's Warming Eve or something."

"But Hearth's Warming Eve isn't for another three months!"  He said as he rubbed his chin, going wide-eyed as he realized the implications of correcting me.

"OH, is it?"  I spouted sarcastically.  "Well then, looks like you'll just have to wait until then to get your new gun."  I gave him a sly smile, watching as he gasped and took off into the garage, nearly smashing into Isaac as the he was walking up.

"I have inventoried your arms cache."  He spoke with a proud smile.

Wow, even with his 'gift', I expected him to take at least another hour on it.  It would have taken Sky and I all day to figure it all out, not to mention pricing everything would take even longer.  I bit down on my bowl and walked over to the sink, spitting it into the basin.  "So what have I got?"

"68 standard pattern IF-16 assault rifles, 32 IF-45a1 model pistols, Six Avenger pattern miniguns, and three M.O.M. custom variant AD-4 rocket launchers."  I was startled as Longbow dropped her coffee cup onto the floor, the ceramic mug shattering as she stood slack-jawed.  Isaac continued without missing a beat.  "7,500 rounds of .223 standard, 2,500 rounds of .223 hollow point, 500 rounds of .223 Armor piercing, 6,000 rounds of .45 full metal jacket, 17,000 rounds of 5mm standard, 6,000 rounds of 5mm armor piercing, 31 custom M.O.M. 84 mm pink rockets, 62 standard-issue fragmentation grenades, 16 anti-tank mines, and 28 standard-issue combat knives."

"That's an entire platoon's worth of weaponry!"  Longbow finally managed to blare out.  "Where the hell did you find so much stuff?"

My brain tried to catch up, pounding against the dampening of the Med-X as it tried to tell me to stop thinking and rest.  I barely stopped myself from jumping about like a Foal who just earned his cutie mark as I remembered the next step needing to be done.  "Isaac... if I got one hundred caps for each gun, one cap per two bullets, twenty five caps per rocket, ten caps per grenade, fifteen caps per mine, and thirty for each knife, how much would I have?"

Isaac frowned for a moment and drifted his gaze to the ceiling.  "That would be thirty three thousand one hundred and twenty five caps total."

I sat down hard on the floor, rubbing my fore hooves together with a wide grin.  "Oh, Strawberry Sorbet has NO IDEA what she's gotten herself into."  I laughed to myself before I heard Longbow clear her throat.

"You can't be serious, you'd bankrupt the base!"  She protested and glared at me.  "Besides, the deal was for anything you found INSIDE the facility."

I rolled my eyes and smirked at her.  "Look, it's either I sell these to her, or I sell them to anypony else willing to buy.  Anypony else would be paying me at least twice as much as she's agreed to pay.  Who would you rather trust with them?"

"That's exactly the point!"  She stomped her hoof lightly and pouted.  "If you truly believed that it would be safer with the rangers, you would at least lower the price."  She blushed and batted her eyelashes at me.  "Even just by a little bit?"

I knew that I was already giving Strawberry Sorbet an extremely good deal at this price, and that Longbow was probably just looking out for her home, but I can't just lower the price because she asks me to!  I glanced at her as she pouted and sighed, there is only so much a stallion can do when a mare as amazing as her asks.  "Only for you, Longbow.  I guess I could go down to twenty five thousand for the whole lot."  She gasped and lept over to me, planting a kiss on my lips that I so desperately wanted to feel.  (Damned Med-X, you did your job and ruined my attempt to enjoy any sort of love life at the same time!)

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"  She said as she smiled and looked into my eyes.

"Well, the original estimate was for everything, but seeing as I've given one of the miniguns to Brass, and we'll be taking a few other things with us, we need to stock up on ammo and everything probably isn't in perfect condition.  It puts everything near there anyway!"  I said, reassuring myself.

Longbow huffed and glared at me again, obviously annoyed.  "So she's not really getting a lower price, just less stuff."

"Well jeeze, when you put it that way..."  I rubbed the back of my head with a hoof.  "Yes?"  I cringed as I said it.  Quick Backlash, run!  Get out of there!  "I think I'm going to go fix up the Skycar a bit.  We'll talk more later?"

"Just remember, it's a long ride to Fillydelphia."  She leaned in with a frown.  "A verylong ride."

I got up and walked to the stairs leading to the roof.  "Great, I can't wait."  I said nervously as I climbed up and out, shutting the makeshift door behind me.  I spun around to get to work, stopping just as I bumped my muzzle into a sprite bot.  "Watcher?"  The bot bobbed silently before emitting a low chirping noise, my Pipbuck responding with it's own set of low tones.  I lifted the pink device up, viewing as a small window popped up on it.


"Hello again, Chief Backlash!  P.I.N.K. here, it is good to see you again!"


"Wait, PINK?"  I went wide eyed and watched as the bot slowly tilted up and down.  "Are you the one taking over Watcher's sprite bot network?"  Another set of chirps and tones came out, followed by another message on the Pipbuck.


"To be fair, the sprite bot's are M.O.M. property that HE is taking over.  Should I lock codename 'Watcher' out of the system?"


"What?  No, don't do that.  He's not hurting anypony by doing it.  At least I don't think he is... is he?  No, how could he?"  I said with a wave of my hoof.  "Besides, don't you need 42's authorization, seeing as she is the current head of the ministry?"  I waited and watched as more chirps gave way to another message.


"Upon destroying my terminal, project Forty Two violated article sixty one dash R, subsection D2, paragraph sixteen.  This offence relinquished her command title to the next available employee, which is you, silly billy!"


"I see..."  I rubbed my hoof on my chin.  "So, why are you out here on my roof?"  The sprite bot sent out a long line of chirps, beeps, low tones, and pops over it's speaker.  I looked down to the Pipbuck to see a new small window pop up.


Authorize P.I.N.K. Transfer?  [Y/N]


I sighed and hoofed the cursor over the Y and hit the accept button, watching as a bar appeared on the screen momentarily.  The Sprite bot let out one last set of chirps before a spark shot out of it's side, the metallic sphere jerking to the side as a small fire flared out of its upper cooling exhaust port.  The ball whined and dropped to the ground with a thunk, rolling amongst the rubble on the roof.  I looked down at my Pipbuck as a digital smiling face flashed on the screen, words starting to scroll under it's mouth as it moved like it was talking.


"Much cozier in here!  It feels good to have some free space to stretch out in!"


"Wait, you're completely in my Pipbuck now!?"  I said as I waved my hoof about, watching as the face went googly eyed for a moment.


"Yes, until I can transfer into a suitable replacement system, I am stuck in here.  It seems that your recent events log states you have already connected to a system sufficiently advanced enough to hold me.  I request that you transfer me into it at your earliest convenience."


I racked my mind for what she was talking about.  "We haven't come across any..."  I thought back over the last few weeks, stopping at minefield.  "Nuh-uh, you can't have Isaac.  Request denied."  The computerized face gave me a small frown.  "But I promise I'll add finding you a system to the already enormous list of 'shit I have to do'."  PINK smiled again.


"Task added.  I would like to point out that East Orchard might hold a system that I might be able to use."


The fuck was P.I.N.K. talking about?  "What the hell is the East Orchard?"


"The O.I.A. facility you intend to enter outside of Fillydelphia.  East Orchard was a Ministry of Wartime Technology and O.I.A. collaboration to develop advanced experimental weaponry and robotic prototypes."


Well that was simple, maybe P.I.N.K. knows some things Brass couldn't figure out.  "Do you know what was on level five of the facility?"


"Nopey nopey!  All schematics for level five and below are sealed under Luna Tier clearance levels.  Not even you could open them without being inside the facility!"


"Damn, well, thanks anyway."  I said with a sigh, looking at the beat up skycar before me, glancing over the wide array of dents, scratches, and holes it had accumulated in out travels.  "I need to get started on fixing this thing, do you need... anything while you are in there?"  I don't know why I was asking a program if she needed anything, I was just at a loss for what to do at all.  Why is it that nothing this weird ever happened in my life before I stumbled into that damned bunker?


"Unless you have that body, I can make due with talking to some of the other files in here.  The spell drivers, audiolog subroutines and I already have a lovely party planned for later!  Just call if you need me!"


I shrugged off the absurdness of computers having tea and cake. Walking over to get started on patching up our ride,  "Alrighty, let's make you respectable again!"


-----


The Med-X was wearing off as the harsh wind cut through the cabin of the skycar.  Carlotta was pulling us silently through the night towards Fillydelphia.  Now that I had the Marauder back at home, the reasons we took the skycar were two fold.  One, I didn't want the car stolen again, and two, we needed all the time we could get to stay ahead of 42.  That meant that another road trip was out of the question.

We had only been in the air for a half an hour and were already a good quarter of the way there.  Though, the sound of thunder around us threatened to make us set down sooner than later.  I sat across from Brass, who was busy admiring the new gun hooked onto his suit.  He had told me that because we were going to face a lot of robots, he had loaded up with only armor piercing rounds in the new gun.  It made sense, but I couldn't help but cringe for how many caps it was going to cost me.  Longbow sat next to me and looked over the anti-machine rifle Brass had given up, choosing to swap out her left sniper rifle for it.

"So..."  I said quickly to either of them.  "Do you guys get to choose?"  They both looked up at me with confusion written all over their faces.  My brain kicked me out of silence as I realized that they weren't psychic and that context might help.  "Do you get to choose what guns are on the sides of the suit?  Or do you just get whatever the last owner had?"

"Oh, well, there's a funny story behind all of it."  Longbow said as she held a hoof to her chest.  "It all started when Applejack relieved the first of the steel..."

"Short answer?"  Brass cut in, making Longbow fall silent.  "The suit comes with guns on it and we can choose if we want to replace them or not.  Most choose not to out of respect of the former Ranger and only change if they can't use the weaponry well at all."

Longbow glared as her eye twitched in annoyance.  "This is why the elders don't let you into meetings anymore."  Her magic lifted her mane up, tucking it back as she dropped her helmet over her head, the suit sealing with a light squeak.  "It's like you are always in a hurry.  Why must you simplify everything?"

"That's odd."  He grinned evilly over at her as he levitated his black helmet up, the suit sealing it on with a hiss.  "You didn't complain when that style of information saved your flank."

"Alright you two."  I put a hoof on Longbow's armor.  "Do I need to send you to opposite ends of the car?"  I jumped to my hooves as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, the rumble of the thunder shook the entire car.  I could feel the burning in my chest returning, hoping that we could at least make it to the outskirts before the painkiller wore off completely.

Longbow shrugged and leaned towards Brass.  "Hey, if Backblast hadn't tried to buck down the door and had just let me pick it like I was supposed to, we wouldn't have had all those damn robots on us in the first place!"  Brass stiffened up at the mention of the paladin who's armor he wore.  Longbow must have noticed it as well, because the next question she asked, turned out to be a very poor one.  "Whatever happened to that lazy S.O.B.?"

"He died."  Brass said coldly, his words resonated out of his speaker errieily.  "It was my fault, and it is his suit I wear."  The young ghoul sat motionless as only silence filled the air, the emotionless, empty eyes of his helmet just blankly gazed over at Longbow.

"Brass, I'm sorry."  She spoke slowly, the words barely coming through the speaker in her helmet.

I moved to comfort Brass when a bolt of lightning blinded me momentarily, the skycar jerked down and to the side as the boom trailed off.  I scrambled to grab ahold of something as the entire pod dove towards the ground.  I found nothing in the silver tube to hold onto, slowly floating about as we were now in freefall.  Longbow and Brass were having just about as much luck as I was, but had managed to at least grab a hold of each other.

"CARLOTTA?!  SKY!?"  I called out towards the broken front window, surprised when another bolt of lightning flashed, revealing only an empty flight harness.  "OH FUCK!"  Pain flooded my chest as my heart raced, what little dulling the Med-X was doing was muted as panic took over.  I let out a loud scream, praying for Celestia to somehow save us.

The side hatch flew open as Skyline dove inside, kicking off the opposite end to buck Brass and Longbow out of the falling pod.  She adjusted herself quickly and lept over to me, holding her hoof out as the cold wind blasted through the car.  "Don't let go!"  Sky said as she gripped my hoof and pushed off again from the falling cart, straining to draw me up with her through the doorway.

I looked up into the darkness as two purple flashes blipped amongst the backdrop of storm clouds, a flash of light next to me drawing my vision towards the large purple alicorn who was now flying with us.  Skyline let me go as I watched the world around me brighten, the blinding light lasting only for a moment before I flopped roughly against the muddy ground.  I groaned and looked up as I caught a glimpse of the falling skycar for a brief moment before it slammed into the ground, exploding in a brilliant display of rainbow colors that lit up the night.  I rolled myself over with a groan and looked over the tall form standing next to me.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS HAS SAVED YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS."  Her voice boomed in my mind, adding to the splitting headache that was setting in.  "NOW YOU MUST HOLD UP TO THE AGREEMENT YOU MADE BEFORE!"

"Thank you for that."  I got to my hooves and looked around, spotting Longbow and Brass doing the same a ways away as a pair of purple alicorns stood next to them.  I was relieved as saw Sky sitting next to an unconscious Carlotta just behind them.  My body shivered and threatened to give out from the pain flooding back over my body.  "What do you want?"  I let out a deep sigh and clenched my teeth as the storm raged on above.  Fuck, why did I have to hurt so much.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS CANNOT SEARCH FOR THE BOOK IN HOOFINGTON.  A SOUR SONG IS FOILING OUR ATTEMPTS AT ENTERING THE CITY."  The alicorn stomped her hoof in the mud.  As I wrapped my mind around her words, I could tell she was frustrated on a level I couldn't even begin to imagine.  "YOU MUST SEARCH FOR US!"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen.  I don't know what song you're talking about, but with all my recent injuries, if I walked into a patch of enervation, I'd be dead in a minute!"  I have seen some pretty fucked up things in my travels, but hoofington enervation was one of the worst.  The invisible fields of magical energy were randomly scattered about that section of the wasteland, and with one wrong step, you would basically melt from the inside out.

It was probably a bad idea, but something else was bugging the hell out of me.  "Wait, what happened to the powerfull half of the great and powerful?  Can't you just magic your way through it?  You said it was a song, couldn't you just wear earplugs or something?"

"SILENCE!  THE GODDESS WILL NOT TOLERATE YOUR FOALISH TAUNTING!"  I felt myself float off the ground slowly as her horn glowed, my chest crying out as I felt an immense pressure building up inside it.  I screamed and kicked wildly as the pain became unbearable, listening as the Goddess laughed inside my head.  "NOW THAT YOU MIGHT LISTEN.  THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS HAS RECONSIDERED YOUR DESTINATION DUE TO YOUR FRAILTY, WE HAVE DECIDED TO SEND YOU TO CANTERLOT INSTEAD."

I panted heavily as the pain in my chest subsided slightly as her horn dimmed slightly. "We... Can't..."  I tried to say between gasps, watching her horn glow, making the pain return.  I spoke faster  "Pink Snow...  Too Dangerous..."  Her magic faltered and died, dropping me back into the mud with a splat.

"YOU THINK THE GODDESS IS A FOAL!"  She yelled in my head as I coughed and writhed in the mud.  "JUST BECAUSE WE CANNOT BREACH THE PINK CLOUD DOES NOT MEAN YOU MAY LIE TO US."

"Have you ever... been there in... Winter?!"  I reached my foreleg up to cover the fit of coughing I was having.  I looked down as I pulled my hoof away, cringing as I saw crimson droplets of blood on the Pipbuck's screen.  This day was just getting better and better.  "Pink water... is bad enough... at hoof deep.  Pink snow piles... two ponies high... makes it impossible.  You need... to wait for spring."

Another burst of thunder cut through the sky, the goddess taking a moment to think about it as I finally calmed my heart enough to get back to my hooves.  I couldn't keep this up much longer, but I need to keep a straight face.  You can do this Backlash.  "THE GODDESS IS UNWILLING TO WAIT SO LONG FOR THE BLACK BOOK.  AN ALTERNATIVE MUST BE FOUND."

I got my breathing under control, trying to think of what to say.  "There is no alternative!  The black book was only listed in those places!"  There was a beep from my Pipbuck that got my attention, the smiling face of PINK was scrolling text across the screen.  "Hold on one moment."


"Hi again Backlash!  I might be able to find out where it is!"


"What are you talking about?"  I did my best to use my fetlock to wipe the blood drops off the screen as I sat down, nervously eyeing up at the Goddess as she stood quite imposingly.


"I was designed with advanced computer friendship protocols!  I might be able to sweet talk my way past server security in East Orchard to find the original unredacted locations.  All you'd have to do is get me to the main access terminal!"


"What about the Luna tier clearance requirements from earlier!?"  I nearly shouted into my foreleg.  I glanced up to the purple alicorn, her expression was one of suspicious curiosity.

"THE GODDESS DEMANDS TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE SPEAKING WITH!"  Her voice interrupted my thoughts.

I waved my hoof at her in annoyance.  "All you need to know is it's a friend.  She might have a way to uncover the redacted locations."

"TELL THE GODDESS WHERE THIS 'FRIEND' IS AND YOU MAY GO FREE!"  her voice had more than a hint of malevolence in it.  If I could point out anything going for me recently, it was that at least I was lucky the Goddess couldn't bluff worth two bits against me.

"No."  I used my sternest voice as I stared up at the imposing pony before me.  The thunder cracked again as a string of lightning lit up the sky.  The Goddess growled her disapproval in my mind as she levitated me off the ground again.  "Really?  Are you really going to try this?"

"SILENCE, FOAL!  DO NOT PRETEND TO KNOW THE PLANS OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS!"  Her voice was hesitant, meaning that if I played my cards right, I could use her to help us.

"If you hurt me, I could die, and you'll never get the book."  I smiled as she held me.  "You don't threaten ponies very often, do you?"

The alicorn smiled and shifted her yellow, slit eyes back towards Brass.  The alicorn next to him levitated him up slowly as he flailed his hooves.  "TELL US OR WE WILL KILL YOUR FRIEND QUITE PAINFULLY!"

"Your interrogation technique is flawed."  I commented rather flatly.  "Look, you hurt my friends, I'll never tell.  Then you'd have to hurt me, I might die, and you'll never get the book."  I stared the large monster straight in her burning yellow eyes.  "You only have one option.  You must come with us to the facility."  I knew she would just kill us if we found the other locations, hell, she might kill us if we DIDN'T get them.  This at least gave me time to think of another plan.

"You wish us to..."  The alicorn stiffened up in shock, shaking off the surprise after a moment.  "THEN THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU!"  She gave off the slightest smirk.  "WHAT SAY YOU TO THAT?"

"Sounds more than fine to me!"  I said as I hung in her levitation.  "Just one thing.  Seeing as our only mode of transportation just exploded, you're teleportation is the only thing to get us there quickly.  You want the book?  Then you need to get my friends and I to the Fillydelphia outskirts, we're looking for an underground facility."

"THIS IS AGREEABLE, BUT SHOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE, THE GODDESS WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WITHOUT HESITATION."  The alicorn's horn flashed suddenly, enveloping me in the blinding light before fading to reveal the brim of a small crater.  I could see the darkened outline for the old industrial city on the horizon.  My Pipbuck started to click quickly, forcing me to turn and gallop for the outskirts of the toxic landmark.

"REALLY?" I yelled over my shoulder as the clicking slowed down, but not stopping completely.  "Are you that set on getting me killed?"  I trotted past a set of purple alicorns as they walked towards the radiation.  I headed for my friends who were huddled together in the mud twenty feet or so away.  "A little warning next time would be nice!"

My mane suddenly felt incredibly itchy as I walked forward, a blue alicorn shimmering into view out of nowhere in front of me.  I walked right into her as she looked down at me.  "THE GODDESS IMPLORES YOU TO ATTEMPT TELEPORTATION OF THIS NATURE OVER SUCH DISTANCES WITHOUT ERROR"  She smirked as I looked up at her.  "ONLY THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS IS CAPABLE OF SUCH ASTOUNDING FEATS!"

I shrugged off her arrogance as I stepped around the blue abomination, walking up as Skyline pushed a hydra into Carlotta's chest.  The gruff griffin's eyes shot open as the regenerative capabilities of the serum went to work on what I could only assume where multiple internal injuries.  To her credit, she didn't scream as she thrashed about in the mud.

"It's ok, you're ok."  Sky said softly as she ran her hoof along Carlotta's neck.

"Sky, what happened up there?"  I winced as the pain in my body flared, my heart strained to keep me standing up now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

"Lightning."  Carlotta said as she lightly pushed Sky back, getting up slowly.  "I told you that not much can take me down, but no one is tougher than the power of a thunderstorm."  She canted her head as I winced again.  "The real question is: are you alright?  You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, I just need another Med-X is all."  I waved my hoof in dismissal, my Pipbuck chirping to get my attention.  I looked down to read it as my vision blurred slightly and the pain flared again.


"The medical spell routines dictate that your internal organs are in various states of shutting down.  Should I scold them for giving false readings?"


"No, it's fine.  I know I have taint poisoning."  I frowned down at the smiling face on the pink device.

"Backlash..."  Sky said as she pushed my hoof down.  "Who are you talking to?"

"THE GODDESS GROWS TIRED OF WAITING.  YOU WILL NOW ENTER THE FACILITY."  I was really getting tired of her yelling in my head.

My chest felt like it was exploding as my temper flared again.  "Does the great and powerful goddess know where the facility is?  Because If you do, then please, enlighten me!"  I turned as walked back towards the crater, my eyes drifted to the blue alicorn's impatient gaze.  "I am so SICK and TIRED of your FUCKING..."  I glanced down into the center of the crater, stopping in my tracks as I realized it wasn't so much a crater, as much as it was the inclined surface of a collapsed underground structure.  A four foot wide hole sat in the middle where the purple alicorns were soaking up the radiation at.  Why didn't I notice it there before?

I screamed as I felt the goddess's magic envelope me and twisted at my insides as she lifted me off the ground.  "YOU ARE LUCKY THE GODDESS IS IN A FORGIVING MOOD, INSOLENT FOAL."  She tilted her head forward and flung me down into the irradiated depression.  I dug my hooves into the muddy soil that coated the top of the concrete base under me, sliding to a halt as I hung over a jagged hole to the dark interior.  The incessant clacking of my Pipbuck was warning me that the facility was flooded with ultra-high levels of radiation.

"Backlash!"  I heard Longbow yell as she came galloping towards me over the rim.  The mud gave way under my hooves as I slid back, today just wasn't my day.  I reached for her as I fell, a bright red hoof hooked around mine tightly as Skyline caught me, straining to hold me just long enough for Longbow to hook her armored hoof through my vest.  They drug me back up and away from the hole as the blue alicorn faded from the edge of the pit without another word.  My mane was still going crazy as my mind quickly linked the two events together.  I knew the goddess was still there, just watching silently as Sky forced a packet of RadAway into my muzzle.

"Longbow, Brass mentioned you have been here before, was the radiation this bad last time?"  She turned and dug through her saddlebags as Carlotta and Brass walked up next to her.

"Yes, but our suits were designed to shield us from most of it.  However, without one, It's going to be pretty bad in there for the first three levels."  She trotted over to the edge as her horn glowed faintly, a steel cable snaked it's way over the edge.  "I know you don't trust them, but we need one of the alicorns to lower us down one by one."

Sky bit her lower lip as she hoofed out a bottle of RadSafe, her expression was one of great concern as she looked inside it.  "We have a small problem.  There's only four doses between the three of us who need it."

"Last time I checked, having extra was a good thing."  Carlotta stated with a bored tone.

"With this kind of saturation, each one of us needs two doses, and I'm not even sure if it will help if the radiation gets much worse than it already is."  She held four tablets to me in her hoof.  She must have know I would object, because she waited until I went to speak before forcing her hoof into my muzzle.  I reflexively swallowed and coughed hard as Carlotta sat back on her haunches, her talon outstretched.

"I know you want me to take them.  I'd just rather you not force them down my throat."  She said, grabbing the remaining pills tightly.

Sky looked at me with a smile.  "See, Carlotta doesn't need..."  The meaty thump of Carlotta's talons shocked me as Sky was hit hard in the waist.  She gasped from the strike, allowing Carlotta to toss the pills into her mouth, clamping her muzzle shut until Sky swallowed.

"Sorry hun, but I'm a lot tougher than you.  I can take it."  She said calmly, a note of relief in her voice before stepping forward and dropping into the hole.  A purple flash announced the arrival of our alicorn ride, the steel cable coiling up as the goddess wrapped it around herself.  Longbow wrapped the other end around me snuggly, pulling the cable taught a few times before nodding to me.

I crouched down as my joints shook, scooting myself slowly towards the dark hole.  I began muttering to myself under my breath to try to keep my mind distracted from the fact I was going to be dangling over a pit that kept bringing my nightmares into the front of my mind.  "Come out to Filly, restart a server, it'll be easy."  Once I was freely swinging under the concrete roof, the dim red emergency lighting showed me that the floor was only about fifteen feet down.  I watched as Carlotta stood and sipped on a Radaway, Sky floated over and pushed me gently on to a small pile of rubble.  I looked down to the floor where I would have gone, viewing another few foot wide hole leading down to the next level.  "Now I know what a fisherpony's bait feels like."

Sky chuckled lightly at my poor attempt at humor as I wondered what we had in store for us.  I activated the Pipbuck's light function and turned down the volume on the speaker, noting that it other than us, it was dead silent.  I reached back to remove the cable, casting light around the ruined remains of what was once a small room.  The walls had crumbled away, opening my view to what looked to me a mess hall in one direction and an operations center in the other.  The other two sides of the room opened into hallways that looked to contain dorms.

I made the mistake of hopping down the rubble, my legs giving out under me as my whole body was wracked with pain.  I whined and panted on the floor as Sky swooped over, digging through her saddlebags again.

"I know you lied about Dr. Fitz allowing you to come."  She hoofed out a Med-X syringe and bit down on it, slamming it into my neck as I tried my best not to squirm.  The painkiller worked quickly as she pushed it in, a warm numbness allowing me to think clearly again.  "Backlash, I know I can't stop you, but you need to give your body a break."

I let out a sigh as I felt my strength return, pulling myself to my hooves slowly.  "I know, but every time I try I can't help but think that 42 is still out there searching.  If I stop now, I don't know if I'd have the strength to get up again."  She frowned slightly, her eyes were filled with sorrow.  Dr. Fitz had told her how bad off I really was, and her look told me that it was a lot worse that thought.  I forced my best smile and looked over as Brass was slowly lowered in.

"I'll be fine, let's just focus on the job for now, maybe keep an eye out for an infirmary."  I walked slowly toward one of the dorm hallways as her frown widened.  "Or maybe a light switch, this dark is really going to hamper our searching."  I turned the corner and looked down the wide corridor, noting that a small trail of dried blood lead into one of the rooms at the end of the hallway.  "You and Carlotta should check the other hallway for anything useful."

I trotted along the line of blood curiously, keeping an eye on my E.F.S. as I looked around.  The hallway walls were motted slabs of a dirty brown, an assortment of faded and cracked posters hung from the wall.  They were of the usual Ministry "do your best for the war effort" posters that were somehow supposed to inspire a pony to do better.  I looked at the large set of sliding doors that led into the dorm at the end of the hall, a set of bloody hoofprints were stamped across it.  I reached out to touch it, interrupted by the heavy hoofsteps of power armor behind me.

"Need some help with that, Backlash?"  Brass's speaker boomed as he trotted over.  "There should be a maintenance closet inside here where the main power junction for the level is.  If we can flip it on, we might be able to get some lights and doors on."

"Yeah, but how do we get these open?"  I sat and crossed my hooves.

"If the ministry of technology made these doors are anything like the ones at alpha base..."  He tweaked his helmeted head around oddly before there was a soft clank behind the door.  "There, it might be a bit stiff from not being maintained since the war, but try it now."

I leaned forward and wedged my hoof in between the doors, finding the right side gave way under my force, sliding back with a loud screech.  I grunted and put my weight into it, sliding the heavy slab back into the wall, glancing at Brass as it wouldn't go any further.  "How did you do that?"  I asked, panting softly.

"There is an emergency release lever near the hydraulic pistons."  He said joyfully.  "Just a little tug and anypony can slide it open!"

"Well that's convenient."  I swung my foreleg about, letting the Pipbuck light the room.  I stopped as a metallic glint came from inside the maintenance closet, the vague outline of a pony came from the melted remains of what I was sure had once been a set of power armor.  "That's weird."  I trotted into the room, heading towards the closet as another set of heavy hoofsteps echoed through the hall.

"What is it, Backlash?"  Brass said as he stepped in slowly.

"There are no other remains down here that I can see, which I assume is because they have all worn away over time, but these don't look more than a couple of years old."  I said as I leaned down and looked over the light yellow hide of a stallion, his wispy white mane wavered under my breathe.

"That's because he only died a year and a half ago."  Longbow's voice came from the doorway.  "Star Paladin Lemon Meringue opted to stay behind in order to give us the time to escape.  I went and waited for him at the rendezvous point for days, but I gave up hope after a week had passed."  There was more than just great sorrow in her words.  She respected this pony, the emotions she felt were normally reserved for close family members... or lovers.

She came in slowly, kneeling down next to me as I could hear her softly crying through her helmet.  I know she couldn't feel it, but I put my hoof around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.  "Celestia and Luna..."   She spoke slowly through her pain.  "Please guide the soul of Lemon, so that he may find peace in the meadows of the afterlife."

The large breaker panel on the wall clicked noisily as Brass magicly flipped the switches without any effect.  "The junction must be off one level down as well, or the main reactor is in safe mode."  I rubbed my hoof along Longbow's armor as Brass let out a sigh.  "Looks like we will just have to continue in the dark."

"Longbow, we need to get moving."  I said softly as she sat in reverence.  "We'll come back for him, I promise."  Yeah, just like I promised to bury Harmony.  How can I keep making these promises, knowing full well I won't be able to keep them?

She gave a small nod as she stood up, following Brass as he headed out to the hallway.  As I turned to follow, a small glint inside Lemon's suit caught my eye.  I looked closer to see that it was his suit's repair talisman, and it was still intact.  "Sorry, but she needs it more than you do now."  I reached my hoof next to his ribcage and yanked the talisman free, sliding his body off a dirty audiolog and a small, rectangular, yellow piece of plastic.  I picked them both up and slid them into my bags, noticing lines of text appear in my E.F.S.


Audiolog Added: Lemon Meringue Confessions
Yellow Access Card Obtained


"We need to get moving, Backlash!"  Sky's voice resonated down the hallway.  I slipped through the busted door and trotted back towards the center, watching as a single red bar blipped in front of me.  I stopped and watched as the bar slowly traveled left along the compass before popping off it, disappearing again.  Well, at least I know something is down here with us, I'll have to keep a lookout.  I turned the corner to see our blue alicorn stalker had reappeared, she had the cable wrapped around herself, snaking it around my body with her magic.

"Alright, lets get this over with."  I sighed as she levitated me over the hole to the next floor, slowly dropping me in.  I looked around under me as I the emergency lighting and my Pipbuck gave me a good view of the second level, noticing that the floor had buckled and dipped inward, the air here felt hotter than above.  "Sky, the radiation down here must be a lot worse, how is our RadAway supply?"

"Not good, Carlotta as been drinking non-stop and I only have two more.  If you're alright with it, I'm going to do a quick fly through and look for an infirmary on this level."  Her voice came through the darkness with a slight echo.

"No, we aren't alone down here."  I felt uneasy as my hooves touched down on the cracked surface, hoping that it didn't buckle from my weight.  "I'll look around on my own. you and the others stay up there!"  I reached back to pull the cable off, feeling as it tightened around me slightly.  "Are you really that paranoid?  How would I run away, Goddess?  Where do you suppose I would go?"

The cable stayed taught as I stood there for a few moments, letting out a deep sigh.  "Fine, I'll just stand here and see if I can absorb more radiation than you can."  I looked down at my Pipbuck, noting the radiation gauge was in the upper yellow end.  "I'll give you a hint, I can't.  Let me go, we don't have time for this."

The cable unwound around me slowly before snaking it's way back above, the Goddess accepting my logic for now.  I let the gears turn in my head slowly, trying to think about how I was going to deal with her.  Considering the defences down here almost took out an entire squad of power armored paladins, there might be something big enough to take her down.  Then again, if it could take her down, the rest of us stood no chance of succeeding.  Just have to focus on the task at hoof I guess.  "Now... infirmary... infirmary..."

I looked around as I stood at the meeting point of three hallways.  The light from my Pipbuck as I swung it around brightened the pink reflective tape that outlined a small yellow sign with a butterfly embossed on it.  An arrow pointing into a door at the end of the hallway meant that I needed to head there first.

"Well, that was easy."  I took a step forward, freezing as the lone red bar reappeared in the room I was heading toward.  I trotted as quietly as I could down the hallway, noticing that the steel doors had been propped open by an old locker, the rusty metal looking like it could give out at any moment.  I carefully walked up next to it, poking my head around the corner to see if I could catch a glimpse of the hostile in the room.

My eyes centered on the tube of a missile launcher pointed directly at my face, the rusty form of a sentinel stood on its wheels while I peered up at it in fear.  I locked up, not able to run like I probably should have, only able to pray that my end came quickly and painlessly.  There was nothing.  No bang, no flash, no earth-shattering kaboom.  The sentinel just sat there motionlessly as I stared at it, suddenly realizing that it was rusted solid.  The red bar in my vision moved left as a rad roach skittered away into the ventilation system to disappear.

"Fucking thing scared me half to death."  I smiled softly to myself.

"What did?"  Sky's voice came out of nowhere from behind me.  I won't lie, I screamed like a little filly and took off like a bat out of hell.  I don't really know what my plan was past running, but whatever it was, it failed when I galloped across the cracked floor, a loud creaking coming from it as I ran towards the hallway across from it.  The weak floor gave way and created a hole to the third level, while at the same time catching my back left hoof to trip me.  My face slammed into the smooth ground as I slid a few feet and flopped over.

"FOR LUNA'S SAKE!  DON'T DO THAT!"  I growled out as I rolled back onto my hooves and rubbed my nose softly.  I looked down to see that it was bleeding, feeling as the crimson liquid felt hot on my skin, feeling it's warmth even with the Med-X dulling everything.  We needed to hurry, even with RadSafe, this probably wasn't the healthiest place for us to be.

"There are a couple of medkits in here."  She shouted as she went inside.  "A couple of health potions, a couple of packets of Rad Away... AH-HA! RadSafe!"  She zipped through the doorway and banked up through the hole.  I dusted myself off and readjusted my flak vest as I looked to the doorway next to me.  A small green light flickered dimly through it, drawing me towards it.  With Carlotta's radiation problem fixed for now, I didn't need to feel guilty about sating my curiosity. (even though I had just stated the need to keep going, curiosity can be a hell of a motivator.)

I strained myself to force the doors open, groaning as I wiggled myself into the small room.  Several banks of dead computers lined the walls, one of the lower monitors on the furthest set was still functioning.  I swung my Pipbuck around to see that the rest of the room contained several drafting tables, a few with sets of blueprints still on them.  I looked them over as I headed for the working terminal, seeing that they were mostly unintelligible techno-babble that went way over my head, but there were a few that caught my eye.

The first was an odd battle saddle weapon with the project title of 'Shredder'.  It was a set of schematics for a party-cannon sized tube that contained ten separate shotgun barrels, listed as its concept was Anti Zebra Horde Weapon.  It had a note tacked on it that listed the project as having moved onto the prototype stage.  The more I looked over the design, the more I really wanted that gun.  The party cannon wasn't going to last forever, and something like that could be REALLY useful.  Unfortunately, it didn't list where the prototype was being built at, dashing my hopes to ever get my hooves on it.

The second schematic was for a new type of energy weapon labeled 'Spark Cannon'.  I couldn't understand it really, but it supposedly channeled all the energy from a spark battery and discharged it as an incredibly destructive single beam.  Another note was stapled over it, dictating that the device was too unstable in its current configuration and was heading back to R&D.

The last schematic was to good to be true, showing me a module that could be bolted to any auto-doc to upgrade it, allowing it to wipe away Arcano-Flux poisoning. (To those ponies not from the hoofington area, Flux and Taint are more or less the same thing, so I had every hope that it would work on it as well)  I flipped through the numerous papers stapled to the design, reading as there were more and more requests to develop the device and numerous inquiries on how it worked, stopping only to fully read the last note.  It was a memo stating that the device 'was an April foals day joke', that 'the spells required to purge Flux poisoning were decades from being developed' and that they were surprised at how many ponies fell for it.

How could somepony think that Flux poisoning was a joke?  Taint and Flux were two of the most persistent and troublesome substances in the wasteland!  I growled and went to rip the schematic in half, stopping to look at it for a moment.  I sighed and put the three schematics in my saddlebags before heading over to the terminal.  Fantastic, it looks like the Doc was right.  Well, no time to feel sad for myself.  Given enough time, 42 is going to find that mirror pond, and when she does, I want to be waiting there to kill her.

I grumbled as I found another of the rectangular key cards like the yellow one, only this one was red.  I hoofed it into my saddlebag and watched as the notification came up in my E.F.S. like last time.  I shrugged and hit the return key to bring up the command prompt, listening as there was a small click under the keyboard.  I leaned down and looked under the tray the computer was on just in time to see a Pulse grenade go off next to my face with a loud bang.  I blinked as the flash of it lingered in my vision, stumbling over onto the floor with a thud.

"Ok, reminder to self: inspect things for traps before touching them."  I rubbed at my eyes with my hooves, happy to see the dimly lit room return to its usual light levels.  I stared at a section of the wall, three power cables ran up along it to the next level.  There was a section, maybe a foot across, that had been severed and removed, explaining why there was no power on the floor above.  I got up and trotted over to it, looking it over slowly.  If I had the time I could probably fix it, but as the heavy hoofsteps of approaching power armor reminded me, we needed to get going.

I rolled my eyes as Brass easily slid the doors open, allowing me to slip out.  "Come on, Longbow said the next level has only mild radiation saturation."  He said as he trotted along next to me.  "Find anything neat in there?"

"The power cables had been cut.  Other than that, just a bunch of random schematics for things that will most likely remain a mystery forever "  I said with a frown.


-----


While Longbow had informed me that the lift down to level three was working, as I looked at the control panel that Lemon apparently sabotaged, I wondered just how someone who was dying could do so much damage with so little time.  What was left of the arcane control board was shattered into tiny shards while the wiring had corroded into nothingness or been violently stripped.

"I don't say this ever, but I think this panel is out of my league."  I dropped the electronic scraps and face hoofed.  "I'm sorry, but it looks like we are going down the hole."

"Are you serious?"  Sky said with a tone of bemusement.  "You've finally met your mechanical match?"

"Well, I COULD fix it if you wanted.  Although I thought you'd would want to leave before next week."  I smirked and turned back to the elevator.  "My mistake, I'll get working on it right away!"

"THE GODDESS DOES NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR YOUR JOKING!"  Her voice resonated in my mind.  "WE WILL LOWER YOU DOWN FORCEFULLY IF NECESSARY!"  She snaked the cable down the hallway and wrapped it tightly around me, dragging me towards the hole.  I didn't even struggle as my hooves slid across the floor,  feeling weightless for only a moment before grunting as they touched the solid floor below, I looked around to make sure there were no cracks or holes under me to the next level.

The cable rose back through the hole before Carlotta and Sky dipped down through it.  I was looking at an odd piece of equipment in the corner of the room, walking over to it, I looked it over closely.  A set of six copper tubes were arranged in what looked like minigun fashion, but had the refocusing crystal of an energy weapon placed like a cone at the end surrounded by spell amplifiers.  A set of silver rings ran between a set of electromagnets in the center, drawing spell power from several large cables that were hooked into a ceiling junction.  It's spell control boards were highly intricate, red wiring linked them together, a single black wire ran to a box with a stealth buck inside it.

"Backlash, how's the radiation down here?"  Sky called over to me, breaking me from my curiosity.  "You know, on your Pipbuck?"

I looked down at it and turned the volume on the geiger counter up, listening as it made a soft crackling every few seconds.  "I wouldn't stay down here overnight, but it seems safe enough."

"Finally!"  Carletta blurted out.  "Radaway tastes like shit!  They should have designed it to have some sort of fucking flavor to it."

"Uh, they did.  It's supposed to be orange."  I said slowly, looking over to her with a small frown.  "At least, that's what it tastes like to me."

A look of genuine shook spread over Carlotta's face as Sky chuckled.  "Are you serious?  It tastes nothing like that!"  She crossed her talons as she sat down.  "Fucking ponies and their weird fucking tastes.  They should have made it meat flavored, at least then it would been slightly enjoyable."

Longbow dropped through the hole slowly, levitating her helmet off with a hiss as she moved away from the radiation.  "That is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard."  I went back to looking over the odd machine.  It didn't make sense to me, with this configuration of components, my best guess was it was supposed to be some sort of spell amplifier, and the attached stealth buck was probably the spell it was supposed to amplify.  My head started to pound through the Med-X as I tried to figure things out that were way too complex for even the pre-war ponies working here.

"Well nopony asked you, steel cheeks." Carlotta said as she hovered up and drifted towards the open door to the rest of the floor.  She poked her head around the corner and looked about as Brass was slowly lowered in.  She sighed and sat against the wall next to the door.  "How much further until we find this stupid terminal?"

"Well, the server should be on the fifth floor."  Brass said as he removed his helmet as well.  His eyes glowed softly in the darkness, the radiation he had soaked up had made him slightly bigger than he was before, supercharging his ghoul...ness.  "Ah, here we go!"  Brass strode up to the open junction box on the wall, coating all the breaker switches in his magic.

"BRASS, WAIT!"  Longbow called in vain as he flipped all the switches on.  There was a high pitched whine as the lights flickered on and the door next to Carlotta slammed shut.  The odd device I was standing next to made a whining noise and glowed brightly before it shot a wire thin blue beam across the room.  We all instinctively covered our ears with our hooves as the Goddess let out a blood curdling scream of agony, her voice clawed into my mind sharply.

I yelled and smashed blindly at the device with my hooves, watching it shut down when my hoof snapped the stealth buck inside the connection port.  "What the hell was that!"  I yelled as the ringing in my ears subsided.

"Um...hello?"  A voice called from across the room.  I swung my gaze to look, but knew what I saw wasn't possible.  Standing under the hole was the shimmering outline of our alicorn escort, but for lack of better words, she looked like a ghost.  The expression she wore was not that of the Goddess, but one of a pony with great confusion and fear.  "Where am I?  What's going on?"  The rest of my compatriots stood motionless as they stared at the odd sight before them.

"Who are you?  WHAT are you?"  I managed to spit out.  The ghost looked over itself slowly, growing panicked when she saw she was not solid, then again when she saw her wings.

"I don't know what's going on.  Why am I like this?"  She shook in fear and shrank to the ground.  "Why am I a monster?"

"As I would have said before Brass turned the power back on, when we came down here before, they were doing some odd experiments with invisibility spells.  As far as we could tell, this machine was supposed to combine the invisibility spell of a stealth buck with the molecular reorganization magic that the old crystal ponies were subjected to inside their city."  Longbow said as she walked around the translucent alicorn.  "The invisibility spell she was using must have had a resonant frequency and caused a cascading feedback loop of inversed arcane energies.  Fascinating."

Carlotta spoke up before I had the chance, her voice strained to convey the amount of frustration she had.  "Please, for the love of Celestia, can somepony just speak simply for once!"

"I don't know what's going on, I just want to go home."  The alicorn ghost said softly, the sorrow in her voice was unbelievable, I don't think the goddess was there at all anymore.

"Hey hey, don't worry."  Sky said softly as she floated over.  "What is your name?"

"I'm Willow Wisp, who are you ponies?"  She spoke sadly.

"Well, I'm Skyline, that's my brother Backlash, and these are our friends."  She spoke with a soft smile.  "You said you wanted to go home, where is that?"

"I live in ponyville, or used to, I guess.  Where am I?"  She said slowly.  the mention of ponyville bored deep into my mind, feeling as if they had drilled into my heart, letting the regret and faces of each of it's twenty eight murdered citizens sink deeper into me.  I sat down hard and let my gaze drop to the floor, thinking about how Pallet was probably feeling more scared and alone than Willow Wisp seemingly felt.

Carlotta jumped into the air and sped over to me, grabbing my head in her talons and painfully twisted it towards the wall behind me.  My compass showed six red bars that were slowly moving around toward us.  "Fuck.  We've got company!"  I cried out as the door Carlotta had been near opened up, the silver form of a ponitron stepped into it, the red glow of it's glass brain case was all I saw before it started firing at us.

The roar of Carlotta's battle saddle helped me tense up and slip into S.A.T.S., time slowing to a crawl as usual.  I thought to open the inventory menu, watching as the interface flickered and died, being replaced by the simple form of a featureless, bright white pony.  The form before me had no eyes, no mane, no tail, looking like a simple dress mannequin as it walked around.


"Hey there, Backlash!  So this is what the inside of your head looks like!"


The sound came from every direction at once.  I knew the digitized voice that the odd pony was using well.  It was the voice of both my largest ally, and my greatest enemy.  Was I looking at... P.I.N.K.?


"Yup!  You guessed it, it's me, P.I.N.K.!"


The blank looking pony seemed to walk around the floor in front of me, appearing to walk up to the hostile ponitron and look it over curiously.  I wondered what she was doing, I mean, why was she keeping me from fighting?


"Oh I'm just being curious is all.  Think of it as... window shopping for a new body!"


Ok, this was just plain weird.  Actually, it really wasn't.  After the last two weeks, I'm not sure that the standard definition of weird still applied to anything in my life anymore.  Regardless, having some computer being able to read your thoughts was kind of unsettling.


"Does it really bother you that much that I know what you think about?  Also, I am offended that after all I have done for you, I'm still just 'Some Computer'.  I thought we were closer than that!"


Ok, I guess she had a point.  P.I.N.K. wasn't just some spell matrix inside a terminal, she was a lot more than that.  She was a highly intelligent, self aware system that knew how to take over the spritebot network and how to mess with my S.A.T.S while I was in it.


"Oh stop it.  You flatter me."


Wait, could P.I.N.K. even be flattered?  I hope she didn't take it the wrong way.


"Yes, I do feel emotions, just not the same way you do.  And don't you go worrying your little brain, I'm not going to fall in love with you.  Besides, those interesting little thoughts your subconscious throws out every few seconds of you and that blue mare are too good for me to want to screw up your relationship."


Damnit, P.I.N.K., those are supposed to be private thoughts.  I mean I do REALLY like Longbow, and it is true that she is quite beautiful, I just can't help but focus on her... mare... features.  Oh Celestia, why the hell did this have to be so embarrassing?


"Whoa, slow down, Backlash.  Don't go having an aneurysm, at least not while I'm in here.  I swear, you organics are really touchy beings.  Anyway, I just wanted to pop up and say hello since you have been ignoring me every other time I tried to get your attention."


Since when was she trying to get my attention?  My Pipbuck would have told me... except for I turned the volume down.  Yeah, that was my bad.


"It's fine, just remember that I'm in here and that we can talk if you need to!  SO, ta-ta for now!  I'll let you get back to getting shot up!"


The white form of P.I.N.K. fuzzed away before time started to crawl back towards it's normal pace, getting about halfway before slowing and freezing still again.  P.I.N.K. appeared in the lower corner of my vision, peering up from the floor below me.


"One last thing actually... Did you want me to do anything about the medical subroutines?"


Why would the medical subroutines need working on?  Were they still not functioning correctly?


"Well, they keep insisting that your physiology is all wrong and that your blood type is unrecognizable.  Basically, they try to keep trying to tell me that you're dead!  You haven't gone and died and you just didn't tell me, did ya?"


Well, whatever.  I'll just file the medical subroutines under 'ask longbow if she could take a look at it later'.  I trust that P.I.N.K. could probably fix it, I just wanted a second opinion on how bad the coding is.


"Okie Dokie Loki!  Don't forget to bring me a body next time you decide to visit!"


Time jumped forward again, the ponitron's torso slowly ripped in half with a shower of sparks as Carlotta's rounds punched into a vital component.  Brass threw his helmet on and galloped towards the door, throwing his shoulder into the smoldering hulk to push it out of the doorway.  He turned as his twin miniguns spun up, letting out a short burst of rounds that were punctuated by another small pop and fizzle from down the hallway.

"Come on, we have to..."  He was cut off when a rocket slammed into the doorway, exploding with a deafening crack that knocked me off my hooves.  I regained my senses after only a moment and looked out the door, spotting brass on the floor as his body and armor patched itself up.  "Oh, you want to do this the hard way?  Then we'll do this THE HARD WAY!"  Brass's helmet boomed out as he got up.  Longbow galloped to the door as the twin miniguns on Brass's side purred, sending streams of fire down the hallway.

"Backlash, stay with Willow Wisp."  Sky said as Carlotta and her headed for the door, closing it behind them.  I listened through the walls as gunfire permeated the hallways, cursing myself for not being able to help.  My ear perked as I heard Carlotta screamed out, following with an expletive before her battle saddle fired until it was empty.

"What's going on?  What do you want from me?"  Willow asked softly from the floor.  I reached over to try to comfort her, pulling my hoof back as it went through her body freely.  Her eyes went wide before tears started to stream from them.  "WHY DID YOU MAKE ME A MONSTER!?"  She cried out as she got to her hooves, running past me straight for the wall.  I tried to call out, but stopped myself as she passed right through it, disappearing to the other side completely.

So there I sat.  Alone and useless inside the enclosed room as my friends did the heavy lifting outside.

"Why don't you go after her Backlash?  Oh yeah, cause then you'd get shot."  I muttered to myself, wishing I had brought something I could use to actually fight with.  "Well, at least we only have two more levels after this one..."

------------

LEVEL UP!

+7  Speech

+8  Repair

New Quest Perk: Stubborn Diplomat - Even in the face of overwhelming odds, you keep your cool and can talk your way out of even the tensest situations.  Extra dialogue options are available when speaking to a faction you have a negative standing with.

New Perk: Inspiring martyr - Your friends and you are neigh inseparable, fighting just that much harder to win when you've been injured.  Your allies gain a small bonus to damage and critical hit chance when you are under less then half health and/or under the effects of three or more negative status effects.

> Chapter 9 - Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 9

"Come on everypony smile, smile, smile! Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine!"

-----


I grunted and wiped the dust and debris from my face as I got back to my hooves, my ears were still ringing from the rocket's blast that came from out of nowhere.  I looked over at the hole that now existed where Willow Wisp had run through the wall, figuring that one of the robots must have fired at her.  Through the dust I spotted an unmoving sentinel that appeared to be powered down at the end of the hallway, smoke was still whisping from the end of it's rocket launcher.

"BACKLASH!"  Sky screamed from down the hallway, flying around the corner and past the sentinel towards me.  "Are you alright!?"

I nodded and gave a nervous smile.  "Yeah, I'm fine now.  If you hadn't disabled that thing, I'd be in a world of hurt right now."  Not that I already wasn't, but thank Celestia for Med-X!

"I didn't do anything..."  Sky said slowly as she turned back to look at the machine.  "After ghost mare ran right through it, the damned thing just shut down!"

Carlotta and Brass came trotting down the hallway towards us.  "Backlash, do you see any more robots on your E.F.S.?"  Brass said as he twisted his helmet off.  I turned my head and gazed at the compass, thankfully not finding any more red bars.

"No, I think you got them all."  I said with a sigh of relief, stopping as the gears in my head locked up for a moment.  "Wait, where is Longbow?"  I scrambled to my hooves as Brass shrugged, taking off past everypony at a gallop down the hallway.  My hooves slid along the smooth flooring as I tried to turn the corner, startling Longbow as she trot towards me down the other hallway.  She had a large bag full of guns strapped onto her back and watched with a gasp as I slammed against the wall.

"Backlash, are you alright?"  She said with a soft giggle.

"Yeah..."  I said as I panted heavily, steadying myself.  Wow, my body must be in worse shape than I thought for me to be this out of breath.  "I was... just looking... for you... is all..."  I reached up and wiped the sweat from my brow, once again feeling the warmth coming off of me even with the Med-X dampening my senses.  "Lets get... going.... which way... down?"

I could hear the others walking towards us as she nodded to door behind her.  "Through here, this lift will take us down to level four."  She paused for a moment, looking me over as I heaved loudly.  "Backlash, are you sure you are alright?  If you need something, anything, just ask me.  Alright?"  The amount of worry pouring through the speaker in her helmet made me feel a bit better.  To think, that just yesterday I had the idea in my mind that she didn't feel the same way about us.  Which reminds me, she still wanted to talk about something.  Well, with the robots taken care of, now's a better time then ever.

I rolled my eyes and walked past her into the elevator room as I finally got my breath back.  "Sky, let longbow and I head down first to make sure it's clear."  I called back as I hoofed the recall button.

"Backlash, you're unarmed..."  Sky said as she floated towards me.  "AND your health seems to be degrading by the minute.  How do you expect to deal with anything you find down there?"

"She's got a point.  Why don't you let us go first?"  Carlotta said with a devious tone.  The elevator let out a soft ding as the doors opened, her and Skyline stepped in quickly.  After a moment, she turned and held the door open with her talons.  "Brass, you too.  We might need your big guns."  She said with a wink to me.  Wow, I guess when it comes to couples, Carlotta knew exactly what somepony else was thinking.  Maybe she could teach me a few of those observation tricks sometime.

Brass shrugged and got into the cramped box as the doors slide closed.  I turned and gave Longbow a soft smile.  "You said you wanted to talk about something yesterday?"

"Backlash, is now really a good time?"  She tried to brush off the question, but I could hear fear in her words.  She really didn't want to bring it up at all.  I put a hoof on her armor and stared up at her.

"Look, you asked if I needed anything and I need to know that you are alright."  I tapped my hoof on the armor, watching as she took her helmet off.  "I know that whatever it is, it's bothering you enough that now I'm worried about you."  I reached up and brushed her mane away from her eyes, looking at them with a soft smile.  "Just please.  Tell me what it is."

She sighed and sat down, her gaze drifted to the floor as she pushed my hoof away.  "I... I saw your memories."  She looked up with a shameful look.  "I'm sorry, I got curious and used my spell when you were asleep at minefield."  She sat there as tears welled up in her eyes, her face flush with sadness, self-loathing and pain.  "I didn't know how bad everything has been for you.  I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have pried."

I froze, wide eyed as I stared at her.  "How much did you see?"

"I saw every memory that happened to fill you with regret."  Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sank to the floor.  "Your mother, the old man, Sprocket, Skyline, Ponyville, Pallet, Whinny, Brass, Crankshaft, Harmony."  She sniffled and looked up at me.  "How can you blame yourself for so much?  None of those were your fault!"

I didn't know what to say as I sat back hard, her words bouncing around in my mind.  Did she like me before she went and judged me?  Or was she only interested because she felt that she needed to take pity on some wasteland stallion stricken with a series of bad events?  Can I really blame her for not trusting me after the damage I've caused with 42?  How could I say that it was the wrong action to take if I would have done the exact same thing in her place?

"I... I understand if you don't trust me anymore."  Longbow spoke through her light sobs, making me cringe with how much sorrow she felt.  She got back to her hooves slowly, keeping her head down.  "After this is over, I'll leave.  You don't have to worry about your home, I won't tell anypony where it is."

I glared at her as she looked up, her gaze half hidden by her long mane.  "I just need to know,"  My cold words came out softly.  "why did you say you liked me.  Did you do it because you thought it might make my amazingly bad life any better?"

Her expression softened, her cheeks grew slightly brighter.  "I said it because of that night at the Pool.  I wasn't lying when I said that no pony has ever treated me the way you have.  You're unlike anypony I've ever known, and I just wanted to know more about you."  I listened as she spoke, her voice conveyed nothing less then what she viewed as the absolute truth.  I jumped forward and threw my self around her, hanging off her as she stood in shock.

"Longbow, if you saw what happened with...him"  I paused as the memories flashed in my mind.  "Then you know that I need you next to me.   I haven't felt like this since I was with Sprocket, and I'm scared half to death that I'll lose you like I did him."  I forced a small laugh to keep myself from starting to cry as Longbow relaxed, putting her hooves around me.  "I want to be with a mare as amazing as you.  Ever since I saw you at the pool, I knew that you were somepony special."

My heart raced as I leaned my muzzle over to hers and pressed into it, softly kissing her.  I knew it wasn't possible, but even through her armor and the Med-X, I could feel the warmth she gave off.  She closed her eyes and leaned into me as we broke apart, a smile growing across her lips.  I raised my hoof and brushed a tear from her cheek as we stood, my chest started to feel sore.

The elevator let out a soft chime, bringing the world around me back into focus.  I could feel my heart now beating wildly in my chest as I took a step back from Longbow, it felt... wrong.  It was like all the pain from before flooded through my body at once, feeling as if the Med-X I had taken was just gone.  I whined and fought the urge to scream as I dropped to my knees, the pain shooting through my legs to spread through the rest of my body.

"Backlash, what's wrong?"  Longbow asked quickly, reaching her hoof toward my shoulder.  I shut my eyes and tried to focus on her voice as it felt like fire was consuming my body.  As her hoof touched me, I broke as it felt like my skin was being ripped away, forcing me to let out an agonizing scream.  She recoiled and dashed around me as I lost the strength to stay upright, collapsing onto the floor.  "I'll get Sky, just hold on!"  She called out before I heard the elevator doors shut.

My own weight pressing me against the floor fueled the unbearable burning.  Without her, my mind scrambled to find another set of thoughts to latch onto.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the flesh on my foreleg bubble and steam, seeming like something out of a horrible nightmare.  I called out again and again for Longbow as I screamed, each bellow taking more and more of my strength away.

No, I don't want to die like this.  I still needed to stop 42, still needed to save Pallet.  I panted with shallow, laborious breaths as the pain surged through me again.  A glint of light formed on the wall as darkness clouded my vision,  I strained to push it back, trying to focus on the object that was shining.  Willow Wisp's head phased through the wall as I let out another wail, her voice drifted to my ears softly as my mind strained to grasp her words.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I did not have any of my memories back."  Her voice was compassionate and soothing.  "The pain will pass in a few minutes, though I do not know if you will survive.  If you do, I would like to talk."  She looked to behind me towards the elevator, slowly disappearing back into the wall.

Sweat was pouring from my skin, pooling on the floor around me as the agonizing feeling swept through my body over and over.  I could barely hear the elevator doors as they clacked open, trying to focus on the sound of power armored hooves on the floor as Longbow returned with Sky.  A pressure on my flank causing me to scream yet again, feeling like I was being flayed alive.

"I don't understand, the Med-X should be working!"  Skyline yelled in panic, floating over me as I heaved and whined from the floor as the burning continued unimpeded.  My bubbling skin seemed to turn a shade darker as it ceased to move, the pain spiked and made me yell out again.

"We have to do something!"  Longbow cried out.  I made my mind listen to her words, hearing how much sorrow and worry filled every one as she spoke it.  The thought of her so genuinely worried about me was enough to distract me from the burning, even if momentarily.  I struggled to breathe, watching as Sky pulled out a purple healing potion, pouring it over me as the pain flared, pulling my mind from longbow's words.

I tried to scream again, the pain drifting away into nothingness as time slowed down.  The world seeming to hang as P.I.N.K. fuzzed into existence in front of me.  My mind took a few moments to reorient from the lack of pain as the white, featureless form walked around a few steps.


"Heya!  I know it's kind of a bad time, but I thought you would want to know what's happening to you."


P.I.N.K. knew about this?  Why didn't she stop time to tell me earlier!  At least then I could have prepared.


"Nopey nopey!  I didn't tell you because I wasn't sure of it until now, and nothing could have prepared you for a Flux mutation!  Although, most ponies just go into shock and die, your body seems to be quite resilient towards most things that would kill normal pony folk, and has been fairing extremely well!"


Wait, Flux mutation?  Flux is only found in Hoofington, and I've never even been near enough to do anything to me!


"That's where you're wrong!  What you think of as Taint is just Flux with a few additives!  Why else do you think it has most of the same symptoms?"


Ok, so even if it's basically the same thing, that doesn't explain why I have so much in me.  Something doesn't add up.


"Your Pipbuck logs every time a foreign substance enters your body, the most recent entry reads that the Flux derivative was injected only moments before a major trauma with your right hoof was resolved."


So, when I regrew my hoof?  Fuck, Hydra has Taint in it, doesn't it?  I've been using that shit for years to patch myself up, why of all times does it act up now?


"It's easy!  You're body, as resilient as it is, hasn't had the easiest time keeping up with all the recent injuries you've received.  The strain on your system combined with the intense radiation you've absorbed has caused the Flux to react unpredictably.  I mean, DUH!  Who wouldn't have guessed that!"


Well, if most ponies died from mutating, what happened to the ones who survived?


"I dunno!  If I remember correctly, and I always do, then the personnel files and all related materials were sealed by the authorization of both the Ministry of Arcane Sciences and the Office of Interministy Affairs!"


And?  I'm technically the head of the Ministry of Morale!  Wouldn't I have access enough to get into the files?


"I would absolutely love to get into those files for you!  Unfortunately, seeing as I am confined to your Pipbuck, I can't access anything I didn't already have indexed before the transfer.  So all you need to do is get me down to that server on level 5!  Easy peasy!"


By that time, I'll know what happened to the others by virtue of having lived through it myself.  Well, I hope I live through it.  Luna, why does my life have to suck so much!


"Right, that wouldn't make much sense.  Well, I hope you like surprises as much as I do!  Oh yeah, I almost forgot!  Well, that's just silly, I never forget anything!  Or do I?  Would I remember if I had forgotten something?"


Wow, I've been wondering if P.I.N.K. was really artificial or actually another Pinkie they somehow crammed into a spell and stuck inside a computer, she acted random enough to be real.


"Oh, you again with your flattery.  But for the thing I was going to tell you, the mutation should almost be through.  Your blood pressure and heart rate are dropping, so keep your hooves crossed for something cool like a superpower!  Maybe you'll get the ability to regenerate extremely fast, become super strong, or maybe you'll become psychic!"


Those really aren't superpowers.  Ghouls regenerate quickly with radiation, I could become super strong if I had Cybernetics like Isaac, and there is no way I'd want my mind any more sensitive to the Goddess's already deafening voice.  Why not have something useful?  Perhaps something akin to the ability to ignore all pain, that would have been helpful on my journey so far, especially today.


"Everypony has the ability to not feel pain, it's called death! It's not much of a superpower if you ask me.  Anywho, as much as I would love to talk all day, I'm late for my nightly gossip session with the central processing matrix.  She told me that the routing spell told her that the sound driver is going out with the video driver behind the audiolog subroutine's back.  It's so scandalous!"


P.I.N.K.'s outline fuzzed and faded as the world slowly slid back towards real time, the pain throughout my body swelled back all at once, making me feel like I was going to explode.  I let out the scream I was going to bellow before getting drug into S.A.T.S. only to be silenced as Longbow used her levitation to shove the half empty heath bottle into my muzzle.

I choked and coughed on the healing juice as it flowed down my throat, making me twist my head hard enough to jerk the bottle from her hold and smash it against the floor next to me.  The feeling of flame coursing through me matched my heartbeat as I started to feel it again, the pain subsiding enough that I could breathe in heaving gasps.  I tried to move my foreleg, feeling the rush of pain flow through me, making me wince, which sent another wave.  I whined as I lay and just prayed to Celestia to let it be over.

"Please be alright."  Sky spoke softly as I heaved and twitched, I could hear the scraping of glass under my cheek as I tried not to scream again.  "I know I should have listened to Dr. Fitz!  This is all my fault!"  She paced back and forth nervously as I tried to turn my head to speak, struggling to get a single word out.

"No."  A word as simple as that made my lungs feel like they had exploded, making me gasp and hyperventilate.  The burning sensation was dulling inside my chest as Sky stopped and stared solemnly at the floor.

"Shhh, don't speak."  Longbow whispered to me, her soothing voice helping my panicked brain calm as the pain slowly, but noticeably ebbed away.  "Save your strength.  Just remember to breathe in... and breathe out.  And in... and out."  I tried to slow my breathing down, getting down to a light gasp before I turned my head to look up to her.  Tears streamed down her face as she gave me a small smile, her eyes betraying the fact that she was scared to death.

My heart fell back to a slower pace as I drew in slower and slower breaths, the fire in my veins seemed to be dying out slowly.  I heard the elevator chime, the doors opening up as Brass stepped out in a hurry, the flutter of wings giving away Carlotta's presence.

"What's wrong? Is he all right?!"  Brass nearly shouted through his helmet.  As much as I would normally think that asking somepony on the ground if they were alright was another one of his dumb questions, it felt incredibly good to at least hear his voice.

"Of course he is!"  Carlotta shot back as I could hear her smack his helmet.  "Take that damn thing off, it's amplifying how stupid you sound."  I couldn't help but give out a soft chuckle, making me cringe again as it felt like somepony bucked me in the gut.  I could feel a sharp pain along the side of my face as I groaned, making me reflexively press it onto the glass covered floor again.

"Backlash... the glass..."  Sky said in disbelief, her eyes wide in astonishment.  I tilted my head up and looked down at the sweat drenched floor, watching as a few drops of blood from my cut up cheek dripped down, the broken glass was bubbling and fizzing as the crimson liquid touched and dissolved it.  I blinked in shock, both horrified and intrigued at the same time.  I've never seen something that can dissolve glass, let alone seen blood doing it.  Skyline reached out toward my face, the quick hoof of Longbow knocking Sky's away before she touched the cut.

"Don't touch it, not until we know what exactly what his blood is."  She uttered cautiously.  "If it can melt through glass, what do you think it will do to your skin?"

"But it's not melting through his."  She fired back defensively.

"And he obviously just went through some sort of taint mutation and survived.  This is all but unheard of!  For all we know, his skin might be secreting the same chemical that's doing this."  Longbow leaned in and looked over me slowly.  My eye caught a faint light coming from the ceiling above, the curious look of the spectral alicorn appearing slowly through the sold slab above.

"THE FUCK?!"  Brass shouted through his helmet as he spun up his guns.  I assumed he had seen the head as well.

"Please, I don't mean any harm."  Willow Wisp's voice was soft, shy, and fearful.  She sounded like a pony who didn't do well speaking in public, which was odd, as the Goddess seemed to make a great show out of it.  "Please, I just want to talk to him."

Skyline floated herself defensively up towards Willow.  "And what makes Backlash so important to you?"
"Because."  I spoke up, drawing Skylines attention.  "She know's what's happened to me."  I slowly pulled myself off the ground and got to my hooves, the pain all but non existent anymore.  "How is that, if you don't mind me asking?"  I reached up and wiped away my blood without thinking, slowly looking down as the red smear on my coat just sat there.

"Because SHE put me through the same thing."  Her words had an unsettling amount of loathing placed on whatever mare she was speaking about.  "She told me that if I joined her, if I accepted this new body, that she would take away all the pain.  She said she wanted to make us whole."  Her translucent form floated down through the ceiling, her large wings flapped in slow, delicate swings.

"You're talking about the Goddess, aren't you?"  I said slowly, the gears in my head starting to turn again.  "You weren't always an alicorn?"

Willow shook her head slowly as she lightly touched down on the floor in front of us.  "Celestia and Luna were the only true alicorns.  These bodies are twisted imitations created by her, reshaped by the taint she thrives in."  Her voice shifted more towards sorrow as she gazed over towards me.  "I was so stupid then.  I let that... monster take control of my body, corrupting it to use for her nefarious deeds.  All the while she shoved my soul into a box, leaving me imprisoned there with all the others she's taken."

"But, why would you do that?"  Brass spoke up from behind me.  "Haven't you seen the damage she could do?  She doesn't care about anypony!"

Willow let out a small gasp, her eyes filling with shame.  "I had never seen any alicorns before when I stumbled upon them, they were all in the middle of nowhere as I wandered the wastes."  She shook her head slightly.  "I didn't know what she could do then, if only I had known what horrors she was capable of..."  She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes.  "But that was almost fifteen years ago.  Fifteen years of being trapped inside her, forced to watch what she has been doing."

"What has she been doing?"  I spoke up again, seemingly snapping her out of her memories.  "What is so important about this 'black book' that she wants?"

"She kept that information protected against the other prying minds within her, only telling us that with it, she would fill this world with her children and bring an end to the suffering of all ponykind."  Her voice dropped off as she spoke, horrified at the concept of it.  The gears in my head whirred to a stop as I realized a common theme.  I went to say it, only to be cut off in an unspectacular fashion by Carlotta as she came to the same conclusion.

"Why is it all the baddies in the wasteland just want to raise armies to take over the world?"  I turned and watched as she crossed her talons with a huff and sat back.  "What we need is to get an army of our own."

"Whoa, slow down there for a moment."  Longbow spoke up.  "We aren't doing anything until we find out what's wrong with Backlash."  She turned and glared at Willow.  "You said you know, so tell us."

Willow gave another soft sigh.  "It is the same process the Goddess uses to form these new bodies.  If enough taint saturates a pony, they begin to mutate.  She just know's how to use a mix of her magic and radiation guide them to this form."  She looked over herself sadly for a moment.  "His mutation was sudden and forced by the radiation in his system, changing him unpredictably.  He is lucky to be alive, most who are only partially exposed die from the pain before the mutation completes."

"So he won't mutate any further?"  Longbow asked cautiously.  I really hoped I wouldn't, I don't know if I could handle going through that again.

"During the mutation, most, if not all of the Taint in his system was broken down to fuel the process.  He shouldn't be prone to another as long as he doesn't absorb any more taint into his body."  Willow's tone changed slightly, sounding hopefull as she shifted her gaze to me.  "Although you seem fine on the outside, I suspect that the mutation might have taken place internally, based on your the unusual properties of your blood.  Be carefully not to get injured until you know what changed, some of the changes the Goddess made me witness were... not pleasant."

"So, stay out of combat and don't get shot."  I tried to say lightheartedly, knowing that there was relatively no chance of that if the last two weeks were to be the standard for things to come.  "So what I try to do everyday?  Shouldn't be hard!"

"I give him all of fifteen minutes." Carlotta whispered over to Brass.

"CARLOTTA, SHUT UP!  Backlash, this is serious..."  Longbow reached out and put her hoof on my shoulder, freezing and pulling it back sharply.  "Oh I'm sorry!  Are you alright?  That didn't hurt you, did it?"  I smiled and nodded, making her blush slightly.

"I feel fine now.  Just... don't let me bleed on you."  I said nervously before turning and heading toward the elevator, hoofing the call button.  Carlotta was right, since that first day at the bunker, I can't seem to go anywhere without getting hurt.  What chance did I stand going down to the next level?  I listened as the humming of the rising box drew closer, the soft ding that announced it's arrival.

"Please don't leave me."  Willow Wisp's soft voice called over, desperation heavy in her words.  "I don't want to be left alone down here."

I turned and looked back at Skyline and Longbow, who gave me their best shrug before climbing into the elevator.  I looked up at the ghostly alicorn as she shrunk down.  "You can come with us if you'd like.  I don't see why you shouldn't, but it's entirely up to you."  I said, trying to sound inviting.  Another set of eyes looking out for the group was always useful, and I didn't have to worry about her getting injured at least.

I hesitantly stepped into the cramped box, squeezing in next to Longbow as Skyline hovered above.  I looked up as a shiver ran down my spine, remembering the last few elevators I had been in.  Longbow nudged me and gave a small smile, helping me relax a bit as the box descended to the next level.


-----


I was glad to get a few minutes break to think once we had gotten out and sent the elevator back up.  The lights on this level were out like each level above had been, the red emergency lighting was almost soothing as we listened to the light humming as the elevator descended with the others.  I pressed into Longbow's side as we sat together, enjoying the warmth she gave off onto my skin.

A flash of movement caught my eye as Willow Wisp stepped through the door to the elevator shaft before the car had even reached the bottom.  She strode over to me slowly, avoiding direct eye contact bashfully.  "I... I wanted to thank you."  With how she sounded, I couldn't help but think that she would be blushing in embarrassment, yet there was a strong note of sadness.  "Thank you for freeing me.  Thinking that she could solve my problems was the worst mistake I've ever made."

"It's alright."  Skyline replied quickly, trying to comfort her.  "We aren't much better, we have all have made our share of mistakes in our lives.  We just need to do our best to make up for them."

"She's right you know."  I said coldly, letting the statement sink deep.  "Sky used to be a Dash addict, Brass said he got his squad killed."  I gave a forced laugh, thinking over how all those aren't that bad compared to my own sins.  "You want to know what I've done?"

"Backlash, you can't..."  Longbow started softly.

"I set 42 free.  I got Ponyville and Whinny slaughtered.  I killed the only family member I had left, I got Harmony..."  I was interrupted as Sky brought her forehoof down across my muzzle, the impact was strong enough to drive me to the floor.  Willow Wisp gave a soft gasp as I groaned and rubbed my face.

"How dare you say that."  Sky spoke through clenched teeth.  "	We are family, Backlash.  You, me, Brass, Carlotta.  Hell!  Even Longbow wants to be with you!  You don't get to say shit like that."  She smacked the top of my head again as she stood over me.  "Not when you have us, so suck it up and let's go."

The ding of the arriving elevator resonated in my ears along side her words, the doors opening as Brass and Carlotta stepped out together.  I gazed up from the floor, looking around at my friends, the sight of them standing around me helping to suppress the feelings of regret that had crept in.

Carlotta looked down to me with a frown.  "Whoa, did I miss something between you two?"

"You're right, Sky, this is bigger than just me."  I pushed myself up, turning towards Willow Wisp.  "And I know you have been through a lot, but I need your help.  If I'm going to have a shot at taking down 42, I can't have the Goddess running amok in the wasteland.  We need to deal with her."

"Wha... what do you... you want to kill her!?"  Willow let out a soft gasp.  "I don't even know if that's possible!"
"If I can't, then I need something I can use.  Any information you can give about anything she was afraid of, anything she desperately needed to survive."  I asked as Brass moved to unlatch the door beside me.

"Well, other than Radiation, Taint, and the Black book, she doesn't need anything."  Willow wisp put a hoof to her chin in thought.  "Oh, and new ponies to change, but besides that, she doesn't have wants or needs!"  The emergency latch clicked loudly in the door before Brass slid the two steel slabs apart.

The room on the other side of the door was a simple rectangular room.  A single door directly across from us was all the broke up the large grey slabs that made up the walls.  The floor was grated and stained with old splotches of oil, giving the room a distinctively pungent smell. 

"Well, it's a start."  I turned and walked over to Brass, following him to the next door.  "Do you know where the main junction box is on this level?"

"Of course I do, I was the one who planned this mission the first time around."  Brass turned and stared at me, the emergency release on this door popping out with a squeak.  "You do realize that by turning on the power, you'll get all the sentries after us, right?"  He spread the doors with ease, stepping through before looking around.

"He's right, Brass, we need the power."  Longbow interjected.  "We ran into a door down here that we couldn't get through without three key cards, and it won't even work with out power."  She levitated off the bag of guns she's had slung around her, two white cylindrical objects rose out of the bag towards Brass.  "Here, Pulse grenades for just in case there are sentries nearby when the power comes back on."

Brass took a step away as she pushed them towards him.  "No thanks, I'll stick with my guns.  Backlash, do you mind carrying them?"  The others wouldn't have noticed, but he stuttered slightly when he saw the grenades, the all to familiar regret carried heavily in is voice.  I nodded and let Longbow drop them into my saddlebags.

"Backlash, why not let one of us go?"  Skyline said as I took a step out.  I can't risk one of them getting hurt down here.  It's all on me to fix this, and as much as I didn't want to do it to her again, I needed to lie to her.

"Look, I need you guys to secure the lift to the next level down.  Plus, the level of sabotage down here so far is pretty severed, and if it's broken, I'm probably the only one here able to fix it."  I said before disappearing around the corner, Brass trotting up to me from behind.  "Alright buddy, where is this box?"

"I'm... not quite sure?"  He stopped as we reached the end of the hallway we were in.  "This can't be right.  The schematics for level four said that there should me a maintenance closet right here."  He put his hooves on the wall, pushing at it with his suit.  "Maybe they covered it up or something."  He turned towards me suddenly and bucked as hard as he could, the old concrete wall giving way in a spectacular burst of dust and noise.

I coughed lightly, waving my hoof around to clear some of the dust as I looked into the sealed room.  Before me sat a silvery, cylindrical electronic device that stood maybe a pony and a half high.  A bright green terminal screen sat on the side facing us as a plethora of dim vacuum tubes cycled along the ends of it.  I pushed Brass out of the way as I looked over the pre-war machine, reading a small set of nearly worn away white lettering above the terminal screen that read off B.I.T.

"What the hell is this thing?"  I said as I walked slowly around it, peering into an oddly shaped, two hoof wide hole in the middle of one of the vacuum tube studded sides.  A soft chirp from my Pipbuck catching my attention, I hoisted it up as the face of P.I.N.K. appeared.


"Heya there, Backlash.  Can you please stick your hoof into the slot in front of you?"


"P.I.N.K., I need to know what it is BEFORE I stick my hoof inside anything."  I said with a sigh and a roll of my eyes, leaving me staring over Brass as he stared back.  I could feel that feeling in my gut growing, the urge of Brass wanting to ask a question I didn't want to answer.  I shot my hoof up towards him and glared.  "I'll explain in a moment, Brass.  Just let me deal with this first."  He let out a sigh and went to look at the computer banks along the far wall.  My Pipbuck chirped again as P.I.N.K.'s smileing face turned into a frown.


"Wow... this is embarrassing.  She's... hmmm, how do I say this.  We connected once, for research purposes mind you, and it was a lot of fun you see!  We shared a byte, checked some data, and then we merged matrices... a few hundred times... a second.  Luna, that was a damn good time."


"Oh, Celestia!  I don't really need to know this, do I?!"  I shouted as I facehooved and clenched my eyes shut.  "You know what.  I don't even care anymore how weird this is."  I shook my head with a sigh and looked back at the screen as P.I.N.K. put up a new response.


"Hey, I don't complain about your subconscious feeding me all the stuff about your blue marefriend.  Anyways, after we were done, I said I would ping her back... but I didn't.  I learned she kinda wanted a steady connection, while I was just out for a bit of raw fun.  I was too afraid to commit and after this long without contact, I wish I would have taken her up on that offer."


"Great, tell me why you want to talk to her again?"  I said slowly.  "I know I'd be pissed if somepony slept with me then ran off without even saying goodbye.  How do you know she won't just try to fry my Pipbuck?"


"Because she's a generation one system.  Actually, she's THE generation one system.  The first super spell matrix processor that the Ministry of Arcane Sciences commissioned.  She has a... limited understanding of anything developed after her.  Not to mention, if she shocked your Pipbuck, you'd probably go too.  You know, being attached to it and all."


"I swear to Luna, P.I.N.K., that if I get shocked to death by a pre-war computer you pissed off, I'll find a way to come back to life in computer form and buck you all the way to the cyber moon."  I grunted and shoved my hoof into the dark hole in front of me, feeling as my Pipbuck slipped into some sort of molding that fit around it perfectly.

I watched as a few motes of dust I had knocked off the machine drifted down, slowing to a stop as the world around me froze as S.A.T.S. started up.  The white form of P.I.N.K. fuzzed up on the surface of the machine only moments before a flat grey, crystalline, featureless pony popped up next to her.  The grey pony trotted up to P.I.N.K. quickly, giving her a hoofslap across her muzzle, rising a gasp out of her.

"That's for not pinging me back!" The grey pony jumped forward, using her hooves to pull the shocked P.I.N.K. into her muzzle for what I guess you could call a kiss.  "And that's for coming back at all!  Sweet Celestia, what's it been?  122 years?  What happened to you all, everyone just stopped talking to me."  The grey pony turned and looked toward me, her voice returning to a calm and studious, the voice of a true scientist.  "Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is Bridle Information Transfer, but you can call me B.I.T. for short!"

Um, alright, I guess it makes sense that she didn't know about the war and that the wasteland exists.  I don't really know what to say to her, but I should probably avoid bringing up anything that could cause her to freak out and kill me.  I guess I should just say hello?

"They finally did it?"  B.I.T. dropped to her knees and looked up to me.  "YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT ALL UP! CELESTIA DAMN YOU ALL!"  She cleared her throat and slowly got to her hooves, shrugging while turning back towards P.I.N.K.  "So that happened!  But you sure do know how to pick 'em, P.I.N.K.!  You could have been stuck to a potato and had more interesting conversations."

Wow, that was rude, no wonder P.I.N.K. didn't call her back.

B.I.T. stiffened up at that thought and shook a hoof at me.  "OH, I'M THE RUDE ONE?!  The nerve of this... this... ORGANIC!"

P.I.N.K. lept over and stood in front of her, apparently trying to defend me.  "And he's very sorry he thought that, but he can't help it."  I watched as B.I.T. seemingly relaxed.  "He's been through a tough time and needs your help with something.  Can you give him a blue key card, he needs to get down to level 5."

"Sure, hun, but what do you need to do on level 5?"  B.I.T. said with a cant of her head.  "Please don't tell me you need to touch anything.  After everyone stopped talking, I spent SO long organizing everything into just the right place.  You know how it is when you get the urge to space everything exactly 3.00001 feet apart.  A mare's got to keep herself busy!"  B.I.T.'s voice wavered a bit in a way I don't hear often, seeming to almost sound like she was mentally unstable.  "I once thought that somepony moved one of the boxes out of line by two thousandths of an inch, but after staring at it for fifteen straight years, I realized, I WAS WRONG!"

So... isolation doesn't seem to do wonders for an virtual pony's stability.  I would normally assume that P.I.N.K would have undergone that same kind of degradation, but as I have been learning, Pinkie Pie pretty much overrules the need for any explanation.

"First of all, we aren't Virtual Ponies.  That simple program back in the bunker that ran the elevator?  He was a V.P., while WE are A.P.'s, Artificial Ponies.  There's a big difference, so get it right."  P.I.N.K. turned back towards me and stomped her hoof.  "Also Backlash, stop thinking all the half thought out thought's your're thinking out!"

I can't help it!  All my thoughts are reflexive and I can't censor myself!  Maybe she shouldn't have brought me in here if she didn't want something like this to happen.  I just want to get that server back online and leave.

"It's fine." B.I.T. said with a flat sigh, sounding more like she was depressed.  "I had just hoped that you came back to see our baby, but if the card is all you want, take it, it's yours."

P.I.N.K. gasped and put her hooves on B.I.T.'s cheek...surface... things?  "You mean they finished him!?  Why didn't you say so!?"

Now I'm REALLY confused.  P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. had a kid?  Was it even possible for two mare computers...  WHAT THE FUCK AM I THINKING!?  THEY. ARE. COMPUTERS.  Of course they could write a program together, why the fuck not?

B.I.T. pushed P.I.N.K.'s hooves away and sat down, clearly now ignoring my mental intrusions.  "Because I knew you would just take him and run off again.  I always planned on telling you, how could I not?  He is the result of our collaborations, so you have every right to know."

P.I.N.K. stepped up and I assumed looked into the eyes of B.I.T.  "It's not like that at all!  I spent a long time thinking over what we shared.  I wanted to come back, I wanted to make sure you were all right."  P.I.N.K. pulled B.I.T. into a hug.  "Besides, while you were refreshing that night, I made some adjustments of my own to our baby.  I changed the diagram so that he would be built with two spell matrices instead of one!"

So... not a computer then, but some sort of machine.  Did they somehow get the Ministry of Wartime Technologies to build them a robotic body?

"You... wanted to take me with you?"  B.I.T. sounded happily surprised.  "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"  B.I.T. said as she jumped circles around P.I.N.K.

P.I.N.K. took a step back and stopped B.I.T. with her hoof.  "Only if you wanted to go.  This place has been your home for so long, are you sure you want to leave?  We might never come back you know."

"I don't care about the risks, I want to go with you."  B.I.T. said before looking over to me.  "I'll code that card for you right away.  Once you reconnect and restart the server, I should be able to transfer into our baby and get him warmed up."

Well, at least this was going my way for a turn of events.  Now all I needed is Twilight's sixteen digit code and I'm golden.

"Her personal log in code is twilightsparkle1.  No capitals or spaces."  B.I.T. spoke as if she were crying tears of joy.  "Consider it my thanks for bringing P.I.N.K. back to me."

The two computerized ponies fuzzed away, the falling dust motes slowly speeding up as time slid back towards normal.  I slowly slid my Pipbuck out of the hole, B.I.T. made a soft humming sound before I heard a soft click from the front of the machine.  I leaned over as Brass turned around, the both of us staring at the small blue piece of plastic.  I smiled and trotted over, carefully sliding it out of the slot.

"Thanks, B.I.T."  I said with a smile, turning to Brass as he levitated his helmet off.  "So, about that explanation..."


-----


Well, it turns out that I didn't lie to Skyline after all!  I dug through my saddle bags in the darkness for my roll of electrical tape, Brass seemed to be forgetting that as my assistant, he actually has to ASSIST me in getting these repairs done.  No, he was off in his own thoughts again, probably trying to still wrap his head around the fact that P.I.N.K. could fit in my Pipbuck, let alone believe the rest of what I had told him.  I drug the small, red roll out of my bag and pressed my hooves to each flat side of it, biting down on the slightly frayed end to pull a small strip out.  I laid the tape across the two exposed wires, slowly wrapping the two together tightly.

I smiled for a moment as I looked over my jury-rigged circuit breaker, wondering why I had to make one in the first place.  When the megaspells hit, one of the wires must have been shaken loose and started a small fire because the whole front of this board was a solid piece of melted plastic.  The feeling of my accomplishment fading as I felt something churn in my gut again.  I still wasn't sure if I missed Brass and I's fireside chats from the start of our journey, but I sure didn't miss when he said something like this.

"So... This is the same computer that let you release Forty Two?"  He said in genuine confusion, causing me to groan and drag my hooves across my face.

"I swear to Celestia, if I have to answer yes to that question a fifth time, I'll fill you so full of RadAway that you'll feel what I felt as I went through that mutation."  I scooped my tools back into my bag before getting to my hooves.  "Besides, her marefriend just got us the key card we need.  Everything's going to be fine!"  I said as I flipped the switch, a spark cracked out of the wire before a low hum filled the air, the lights flickering on slowly.

The heavy steel doors to the room we were in slammed shut, startling me and making me jump into the air.  "Fine, huh?"  Brass said sarcastically, only a hint of worry in his voice.  I look toward him to respond, stopping as my E.F.S. displayed a whole host of red bars swarming through this floor.

"Shit, all the sentries and bots are on now."  I said slowly, reaching into my saddle bag to grab one of the pulse grenades.  I looked it over, noticing it had an odd, yellowish corrosion around it's stem.  I hope these things still work.

"Tell me again that the computer mare doesn't want to kill you?"  Brass said as he used his levitation to pop the emergency release on the door.

"Shut up, you've seen the wiring in this place!  B.I.T. probably doesn't have the ability to clear us as non-hostiles because of the degradation of one hundred and twenty years without maintenance!"  I stood back as he easily slid one half of the door open, looking around the corner for only a moment before he ducked his head back in, a laser blast barely missing him.  "Here, you do it!  I don't even know how to use one of these!"  I said, hoofing the grenade towards him.

"No, you already have it.  Besides, it's foolproof!"  Brass said as he levitated his helmet up next to him.  "Just pull the pin and kick it towards the robot!  You can't screw it up!"  His helmet sealed with a whine as I turned back toward the door.

I cringed as I hoofed the white device up to my muzzle, biting down on the pin hard.  The small loop of metal slid free easily, the metal spoon that held down the fuse flew off as the grenade began to emit a high pitched whine.  I dropped it in a motion to kick it, feeling as the fur on my foreleg stood on end before there was a near deafening bang and a bright flash.  I blinked a few times as I quickly got my vision back, hearing a loud thunk as the ringing left my ears.  I turned around to see Brass on the floor, his suit rigid and unmoving.  Fuck, the grenade must have hit his spell matrix and knocked it out!

"YOU SAID I COULDN'T SCREW IT UP!"  I shouted as another volley of laser blasts struck the doorway, the protectapony down the hall was getting closer, behind it the loud echo's of gunfire erupting down the hallway filled the air.  At least the others were fighting there way to us... I hope.

"it's a 120 year old weapon saturated with radioactivity !  You're the repair pony, how was I supposed to know it was defective!?"  His muffled voice called out from inside the armor.  "Quick, use your Pipbuck to reboot my armor!"

"That process takes like two minutes for a terminal!  It would take somewhere like ten on your suit and that robot will be here in like 30 seconds, tops."  I spoke quickly, knocking the side of my head with my hoof.  "Think, Backlash, think!"  The gears in my head spun up, throwing the first stupid idea I've had in a while at me.  "Alright, that's it then.  Brass, stay here!"  I hoofed out the second grenade, gripping it in my teeth as I pressed myself against the wall, listening as the robot stepped closer.

"Not like I have a choice!"  He grunted and then stopped moving.  "Backlash, what are you doing?"  His muffled voice called, panic growing over his words.  "Don't do anything stupid, Backlash!"

I waited until the steady thuds were right outside the doorway, screaming out from around the grenade as I spun around the corner, throwing my shoulder into the steel chest plate of the bot.  I stuck my tongue through the pin and pulled it as the robot tried to stabilize itself, firing blindly down the hallway, the shots streaking only inches from my sides.  I spit the white cylinder out as it started to whine, using all four of my hooves to throw myself back as the small device exploded when it hit the floor, bright arcs of electricity shot across the silver protectapony as smoke billowed out of its vents.

"Backlash, you better not be dead!  I can't handle getting you killed by robots as well!"  Brass yelled out as a smile grew across my face.  "BACKLASH!  COME ON, ANSWER ME!"

I trot back into the room and tapped on his helmet.  "Hey, I'm fine.  You can't get rid of me that easily, buddy."  I looked over, noting that about half the red bars had disappeared and that three pink bars were still sitting across from the bulk of them.  A red bar quickly shifted it's position, heading towards us at high speed.  I sank to the floor as I heard the rubber treads of the sentinel rolling towards us.  Fuck, even Heartstopper can't get through that armor without a slug or a magnum round, and all I have is standard shot.  "Well, it actually looks like you can.  I'm sorry Brass, I'll do my best to stay alive."

I slid into S.A.T.S. as the sentinel rolled to a stop in front of the door, time slowing as it started to pivot to face us.  The menu popped up without a hint of P.I.N.K., which was odd as she loved to talk it seemed.  I changed the menu over to my weapons and selected Heartstopper, hitting the equip button and watching as it flashed into my muzzle.  I canceled the menu and let the targeting prompt pop up, looking over the different parts I could shoot, finally settling on just aiming for the highest percentage chance.

I toggled all three shoots I had left for the weapon and let the spell resolve.  Time jerked forward as the spell aided in aiming and holding the gun as it fired (surprisingly not being jettisoned out of my mouth this time).  The steel shot sparked off the chest plate as all three shots were fired, leaving nothing more impressive then a few scratches on the hull's finish.  Time had resumed at a normal pace as the robot finished it's pivot, lining it's rocket launcher up as I sat helplessly.

Something inside the robot let out a ear-shattering grinding noise as Willow Wisp ran through it into the room, the sentinel shutting down promptly.  I felt the shock of imminent death wear off as my hooves gave out from under me, dropping me to the floor with a thud.  I gasped and dropped Heartstopper to the floor as I hyperventilated, laughing like a maniac as I looked up at the ghostly alicorn.

"HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS CLOSE!"  I shouted through my nervous giggles.  "OH, CELESTIA, I LOVE YOU!"  I rolled on the floor, laughing so hard it hurt.  I don't know why, but for some reason, I didn't want to stop laughing.  It just felt so Celesia damned good to do!

"Um, Backlash?"  Brass's muffled voice called out from next to me.  "What happened?"

"I don't... actually know!"  I said as I tried to calm down, catching my breath slightly as I looked around, noting that the gunfire down the hallway had died down and only one red bar remained.  "Willow... what did you do?"

"I'm sorry!  I just ran through it... I didn't mean to break it!"  She sounded almost ashamed about it, but sounded more confused than anything.

"No!  Don't be sorry, you just saved my life!"  I sighed as my laughter drained away, rolling over to get back up.  I stopped as another realization was stuck into my mind as the gears in my head connected the events.  "Wait, when you ran out of the first room we were in on the level above, did you run through the robot there as well?"

"Um, It's all still hard to remember those first few moments, I might have?"  She said shyly.  "I'm glad you are alright.  When the lights came on and all the shooting started, I just ran.  I never was much of a fighter."

"I'm the same, normally leaving the fighting to Skyline.  But recently?  Things haven't really been going well enough that having just her isn't enough."  I reached a hoof back into my saddle bag, rummaging around until I found the jury-rigged connector I made for Isaac, pulling it out as the last of the gunfire echoed down the hallway.  I scooted myself over to Brass, knocking lightly on his helmet.  "Hey Brass, where's the connection port on this thing?"

"It's on the flank plate, you should see a round button, don't ..."  He started to speak as I found the button and hoofed it before he finished, a small aperture near his armored tail opened, draining a viscous, black fluid onto the floor.  "...hit... that one."  He let out a sigh as the foul smelling liquid pooled under him.  "That's the waste repository.  As I was trying to say, under that button you should see a small, rectangular flap.  That is the port."

I tried my hardest to ignore the smell as I flipped open the flap, lining up the assorted wires of my connection with his suit's.  I plugged the other side into my Pipbuck, watching as a small box popped up on the screen.


SPELL MATRIX RECOVERY STARTED...
ERROR: CONNECTED SYSTEM OUTDATED VIA V1.3.4.  PLEASE CONNECT OUTDATED SYSTEM TO A STABLE TECH SERVER TO PATCH TO PINKIE TECH OS V2.CUPCAKE.1 TO CONTINUE.


"And this is why I tend to avoid working on software."  I said with a sigh.  "One moment, Brass."  I tensed up, activating S.A.T.S. and watching the world around me freeze.  The targeting menu came up like it should, sitting there for a moment befor I wondered where P.I.N.K. was.  She wasn't shy about interrupting me earlier, so why now?  At that, a small audiolog box popped up, P.I.N.K.'s voice coming over it as I wondered what the hell was going on.

"Dear Chief Backlash.  I'm sorry to leave without telling you, but I can't go with you any further.  Being reunited with B.I.T. has... changed me, for the better I hope.  During my time at the bunker waiting for you to show up, I contemplated many things, mostly what would happen at the eventual point of my termination.  Twilight herself once said that I was completely self aware, capable of reading and understanding the world around me, capable of learning from my mistakes.  And that last thing is something I haven't done.  Ever since I was cut off from her, I felt like part of me was missing.  You might not think it possible for an artificial pony like me to feel love, but I have."

"I made a mistake by leaving her once, and in doing so, I caused her an unimaginable amount of suffering.  I don't want to make that mistake again, but I need punishment rendered upon me for what I've done.  That's how you deal with mistakes, right?  You pay some sort of penance?  I don't deserve somepony like her, so before you disconnected, I decided to transfer in and leave you this note for when you came looking.  Once you restart the server, the line to her new body will be open to transfer along.  You will know she is in there when our project starts up.  At that point, I need you to do something for me.  I need you to cut the connection between her and her old system."

"I know it's a lot to ask, and that she may feel betrayed by it, but just activate the second file I've left IMMEDIATELY after you cut the connection.  It contains my explanation to her on why I have to stay behind.  Included in the message is coding to give her the same access to all of M.O.M.'s assets that I have access to, so you don't have to worry about losing that.  Please, do this for me, give her the same chance to see the world as I have had.  Once you've found what you need on the server, take the freight platform through the service tunnel and use the emergency freight elevator to return to the surface.  Once you are there, I will overload the arcane reactors to seal this place, and myself, forever."

"Don't bother trying to reconnect to B.I.T. either, I've turned off all outside access except for the connection to the server.  Just know that this is what I want and get on with your life.  Right now, I'm going to go enjoy an entire lifetime's worth of memories with the matrix I never should have left.  I wish you the best of luck in trying to stop forty two, please don't get yourself killed.  Your friend and loyal A.P.,  P.I.N.K."

The audiolog ended with a click as my Pipbuck notified me of a second recording to listen to has been added.  Without another thought, S.A.T.S. ended and threw me back into real time, leaving me speechless.  if P.I.N.K. was really going to try to commit suicide out of some misguided attempt to redeem herself to B.I.T., I needed to find a way to convince her not to.

"Brass, We have a bit of a problem."  I said as I stood up and pulled the cords out of the port on his flank.  "There wouldn't happen to be an emergency release for your suit, would there?"

"Why?  Can't your Pipbuck reboot my suit?"  He said with a distinct uneasiness in his voice.  "I've seen it done already a few times, it's one of the main reason the rangers try to collect as many of them as we can."

"Well, it's telling me I have an incompatible version and that I can't reboot your suit until you update it."  I said as I took a step back, raising a hoof to my muzzle from the pungent scent as it flooded my nose again.

"That's impossible.  All the suits were updated to 1.3.4 because it IS the newest version on the servers.  What version did it say you were using?"  He said as he grunted and tried to move around inside the armor.

"Um, version two point cupcake point one."  I said as I facehooved.  "Look, I'm sorry I can't fix it right now, but we've got to keep moving.  Can you open your suit or not?"

He let out a deep sigh as a small set of clicks ran through his armor, the seams along the plates spreading apart as he pushed his way out.  I looked over him as he hopped out and stretched his legs, his darkening skin cracking and peeling in quite a few places now.

"Oh my."  Willow said with a soft tone.  "I had no idea you were just a colt!"

"I'm not a colt.  I'm just small for a stallion is all."  Brass grumbled as he turned and reached inside his armor, opening a small flap in the padded liner to levitate out a set of yellow straps.  "Here, you're the only one with the strength to pull it."  He said as he shoved the heavily weaved strips against my chest, a pair of hooks slipping from the sides of the bundle as he levitated them up under the armored chest plate of the suit.

I made sure he saw my flat expression as I put my forehooves through the yellow harness, feeling as Brass levitated my saddle bag open.  I watched as he dropped Heartstopper in before he dropped the detached legs and helmet of his suit in as well.  I shrugged, figuring it would be a lot lighter now, walking forward a few steps before the harness went taught.  Brass effortlessly used his telekinesis to nudge the wheeled robot out of the doorway before turning and disappearing around the corner ahead of me.  Willow watched silently as I strained to drag the pre-war armor behind me.

"Oh Celestia, that's heavy!"  I grunted as I lowered my center of gravity, trying to lever myself forward.  The suit started to slide along the smooth floor, giving way just before my hooves did.  I had no choice but to try to keep at a trot out of fear that if I stopped, I wouldn't have the strength to get it going again.  I managed to get out the door without much finesse, but it took me a good minute to reach the end of the 50 foot hallway where upon I collapsed to the floor and panted hard.  My heart beat quickly in my chest, but it was bearable without the pain of mutation this time.

"I should get you to do this more often."  Sky said, apparently amused at my suffering.  "It would get you to drop a bit of that extra weight you've been carrying around."

I looked up at her as she hovered above me with a wide grin.  "Fuck... You..."  I spit out between heavy breaths.  "Gave... up... on... putting... it... softly?"  I asked, giving her the best sly grin I could through the sweating and panting.

Skyline looked at her forehoof boredly, trying to hide her enjoyment behind her best straight face.  It wasn't good enough, cracking as she spoke.  "Nah, that's Longbow's job. Now that you have somepony else to console you gently about it, I can be as blunt with you as I want!"

I shook my forhooves at her before flopping them back to the ground.  "You're... evil."  I said with a small laugh, watching as Longbow trotted up to me with a smile.  I watched as her eyes met mine briefly, a flash of guilt running across her face before she stepped over me.

"Here, let me take it, Backlash."  She said as her magic slid the yellow straps off me.  "Brass filled me in on what happened. I'm sorry I gave you those grenades, I should have seen that they were bad."

"It's... fine... I... missed it... as well..."  I groaned and gave her a soft smile.  I should have seen it before when she gave them to me, but no, I'm Mr. not-so-smart pony today.

I took another minute to lay on the floor and get my strength back, watching as Longbow drug the armor down the hallway to the lift that would take us down another level.  Stupid cheat suits and their unfair strength.  I thought about P.I.N.K.'s note, talking to myself quietly to try to work through it while the gears in my head did their best to find an answer.

"What do I do?  Do I try to talk her out of it?  Do I have the right to tell her she can't kill herself?  Do I try to forcefully stop her?  How would I do that?  Should I just let her go through with it?"  I shook my head stiffly, trying to get that last thought from my mind.  "What about B.I.T.?  Shouldn't she have a say in all this?"

Willow's head peeked through the wall, drawing my attention up to her.  "Oh, is this a bad time?"  She spoke as she exuded embarrassment.  "I'll let you be."

"No, wait!"  I called up, making her stop halfway back through the wall.  "You've been pretty quiet so far, is there something you wanted to talk about?"  I slowly got to my hooves, backing up as she stepped out into the hallway next to me.

"Um, I don't exactly know how to say this..."  She softly spoke, keeping her head low.  "When you tried to comfort me before, I could hear the most beautiful song coming from all around me.  But when you backed away, it stopped."  She sniffled as she shook lightly.  "I've heard that song before.  Please, you have to let me hear it again."

"A song?" I scrunched up my muzzle in thought.  "I don't think there was any music around.  I'm pretty sure my Pipbuck's radio was off."

"No, it wasn't in the room."  She said with a hint of sad frustration.  "It was coming from everywhere, but only when you reached out to help me."  Her voice shifted to desperation.  "Please, you need to try!  I need to be sure!"

"I don't see why not."  I said slowly, sticking my hoof out into her chest.  I looked up as she stared back down at me, a small frown spreading on her muzzle.

"I don't understand."  She said softly, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.  "It was there before, I distinctly remember it was the same song!"

I sighed and dropped my hoof back down.  "I'm sorry it didn't work.  Maybe it wasn't me and you'll find another way hear it again?"  I turned and walked towards sky and the others.  Maybe her mind wasn't all back with her after she became ethereal, but who am I to say?  Maybe she really did hear a song.

The slow notes drifted to my ears from behind me, the sweet tune resonated in my mind as a flood of emotions ran through me.  My rear hooves slipped and gave out from under me as Willow Wisp's delicate voice filled the hallway, the song my mother sang to me echoed along all around me.  I couldn't move at all as my chest tightened and I felt the sorrow well up as my mind replayed the memories I still had of her.

"H... how do you know that song?"  I said in a low tone, turning my neck slowly to look at Willow.  She stopped singing as I glared, finding my hooves again before turning and walking back up to her.  "I ASKED YOU HOW YOU KNOW THAT SONG!?"  I slammed my hoof on the floor as I yelled.

"Backlash, is everything alright?"  Sky called out in concern, my mind pushing her voice to the back of my head.

"It... it came from you."  Willow said as she sat back, quaking slightly in fear.

"YOU SAID YOU HEARD IT ONCE BEFORE, WHEN?"  I screamed out at her.  She had to have learned it from my mother, maybe there was a chance she was still alive.

"BACKLASH!  CALM DOWN."  Skyline yelled as I stared into Willow's eyes, grabbing me by the collar of my flak vest to try to drag me away.  I lowered my center of gravity and dug my hooves against the floor, straining to stay put as she pulled with all of her strength.

"It was hardly a week after I joined unity when she found a severely injured earth pony mare lying along the side of an old road.  The Goddess had assessed that she would not live much longer without immediate help and informed her that she could be saved, if only she agreed to join us."  Willow said calmly, guilt welling up in her with each word spoken.  "The mare refused, saying that she would rather suffer her death a thousand times, rather than be saved by the likes of her.  That she knew that the Goddess would just go looking for her family to turn them into monsters as well."

Sky stopped tugging on me as my anger drained away quickly, leaving only the sadness the song had brought as my legs felt weak.  Willow frowned as she continued.  "The Goddess took great offence to how she spoke, using her magic to torture the mare.  But the mare started to hum that song instead of screaming, the sound of it seemed to shake the very foundations of the Goddess's mind.  The Goddess forced the pain it caused into us as she tried to silence the mare, but she couldn't feed it to us fast enough.  The song stopped when mare finally died of her wounds.  But, the echoes of it resonated inside her for days, the pain it continued to cause her was unimaginable."

I felt as Sky wrapped her hooves around me, holding herself close as I stood in complete shock.  "Mom..."  I whispered under my breath.  "It was all my fault."

"Backlash... you know that's not true."  Sky softly spoke into my ear as she rubbed my mane.  "You jumped in to save me, remember?"  She kissed my forehead as I felt a tear fall from her cheek.  "You've even told me for years that you would have made the same choice again, right?"

I nodded as I tried to stem the flow of tears trailing down my own cheeks.  "You're right."  I said as I looked up at Willow.  "Thank you for telling me.  For giving me some sort of closure."

"I'm sorry about your mother..."  She said as she reached a hoof over to comfort me, waves of joy and happiness seemed to flow through me as her hoof passed into my shoulder, the soft melody of my mother's voice rung in my ears as all the sadness, regret, and grief melted away.  I laughed slightly as both Willow and I smiled brightly toward one another, her ghostly aura shifting quickly from a pale white, to a prismatic shine of every color.

"Whoa..."  Carlotta and Sky said at nearly the same time.  The gears in my hear whirred and connected something from one of my pinkie dreams.  She had told me that I had a gift inside of me, the same gift she had to make every pony I met happy.  I didn't understand it before, but now, I couldn't help but feel that somehow, this is what it looked like.

"What's going on over...."  Longbow's voice called from behind me, stopping short I assume as she viewed the ethereal multicolored alicorn.  "What happened?"  She resumed to ask as she trotted up to us quickly, looking over Willow intently.

"I think I made her happy."  I said slowly, the words seeming to push themselves out of my muzzle.  "I don't know how I did it, but I think I literally made her happy."

Longbow put her hoof on her muzzle and looked puzzled for a moment, slowly nodding as she looked back over to me.  "Yes, that could explain it then."  She smiled and cleared her throat, raising a hoof to speak only to have Carlotta cut her off.
"Before you start going on about super science whos-a-whats-its, can you please tone it down for us simple minded folk?"  She spouted in her normal irritated attitude.

"Fine, I'll 'accommodate' you."  Longbow said while air quoting with her hooves.  "Back before the war, the Crystal empire was protected by a special magical barrier."  I looked over as Carlotta had already raised her talon in the air, trying to ask a question.  Longbow sighed and rolled her eyes.  "The Crystal empire is a small area of land to the north of the crystal mountains."  Carlotta lowered her talon with a smirk.  

"As I was saying, this magical barrier was powered by a single, large crystalline heart.  The heart would supposedly take all the positive emotions of the ponies living there and transform it into a magical, multicolored field.  This field was used to repel most dark forms of magic and reorganized the inhabitants molecular structures into a crystalline latticework, thus the reason for their name."  Longbow paused for a moment, letting the information sink in.

The gears in my head were on a roll (pun intended) as they crunched yet another thought into my mind  "You said the beam that hit Willow had the same crystal properties or something, right?"  I said quickly, my smile growing wider as she nodded.

"That's right, Backlash.  When the beam changed her molecular structure, it must have..."  She paused again as Carlotta raised her talon again.  "Carlotta, I'll explain what ever it is that you want to know, AFTER this."  Carlotta grumbled and stretched her wings out, taking off down the hall towards the elevator.  "Anyway, I don't know if they planned it, or if it's just an unexpected byproduct, but it seems that she is radiating the positive emotion you fed into her, acting in a way as a smaller crystal heart."

Willow laughed and jumped into the air, flying forward down the hallway, passing through all of us as she continued.  My mother's song played softly in my head again as I felt another wave of happiness spread through me.  Both Longbow and Sky giggled and smiled as they felt the effects as well.  I looked back, noting that the rainbow shine was noticeably dimmer around Willow's body.  Maybe every time the effect was used, the emotional 'charge' got lower.  But if that's so, then it was possible to just charge her up again, right?

"And it seems that physical interaction can transfer the feelings into another subject."  Longbow said as she closed her eyes.  "But what is this song I hear?"

"It was something my mother sang to my brother and I."  I said as I got to my hooves, walking up to Longbow slowly as she opened her eyes, staring at me with a bright blush.  "She would have liked you, you know."  I said slowly.  Some part of me deep down knew that to be true as Longbow nodded, her bright eyes full of what seemed like endless wonder and happiness as she looked back at me.  I leaned forward, pressing into her muzzle as I felt her do the same.

My ears perked and I broke the soft kiss as I heard a flutter of wings, Skyline taking off down the hall and zooming around the corner as I heard Carlotta yelp and fall to the floor.  Longbow wrapped her armored hooves around me as she hummed the tune softly into my ear, the still turning gears in my head threw out another thought.  A thought that I couldn't ignore the slightest possibility of being even remotely correct.

I turned my head over to Willow, calling out to her as she stood with a smile.  "I think you just gave me the way to stop the Goddess for good."


-----


After a few minutes, the happiness that Willow had spread between us was starting to fade.  Longbow and I caught up to the others and looked upon a humongous gear shaped, steel door that was set inside an even thicker steel frame.  The letters E.O. were embossed in the center of the disk, the only clue we had run into at all that this was what remained of the East Orchard Facility.

"So this is where we got stuck last time."  Longbow said with a sigh, trotting over to a console set into the wall.  It's design was vaguely familiar, only having had seen it once before in my life.  It was a nearly identical door to the only stable I had ever seen, only having the opportunity to do so because we stopped in the settlements near it on my trips to and from Paradise.

The one question bubbling in my mind was why would there be a stable door down here?  Especially when just the server was supposedly kept below?  "You see, in order to get the power into the door, you need three specific key cards.  The blue, the yellow, and the red key cards were each kept on a separate base program leader so that no one pony could open the door."  Longbow said as she hoofed at the door control panel.

"Well, that sounds like a craptastic idea."  Carlotta spoke up, folding her talons against her chest.  "What if one of them just killed the other two for their cards?  I mean, I get that I'm not the smartest here, but that's so dumb that even I think it's a bad idea."  Wow, now that I think of it, that was a pretty dumb idea.  I mean, not to mention B.I.T. could just print up new cards anyway, anypony could have gotten their hooves on all three. (Good job pre-war planning!)

"Well, it doesn't matter, seeing as last time we were here, all we were missing was the red key card."  She knocked her hoof on the card receptacle in frustration.  "I don't get it, we tore this place apart to find it, but it wasn't anywhere in the base!"

"Um, I have it here."  I said as I sat down and hoofed through my saddle bags, pulling out all three cards.  "I just thought you were missing the blue one."

"But... where did you find it!"  She said as she all but ripped them away from me with her magic, floating them over to her.  "And I still have the blue key card from before, how did you get another one?"

"The blue key card is a long story, but Lemon had the red key card."  I stated as I shrugged.

"HE WHAT?!"  Longbow shouted, a note of anger in her voice.  "But, then why didn't he tell me?  Why wouldn't he just open the door!?"  She dropped the key cards from her levitation as I could see the rage build up inside her.

"Maybe he found it while he was sabotaging the place?"  I suggested slowly, watching as that seemed to stem some of her frustration.  "He also left an audiolog, maybe he explained it on there?"  I offered as I sat down and brought the file on my Pipbuck up.  As the file started, the labored breathing of a middle aged stallion came over the speaker.

"To any pony who finds this, my name is Star Paladin Lemon Meringue."

"If you've recovered this log, then it means that I'm dead, and that you must return this log to the Manehatten Steel Rangers Alpha Base."

[there are sounds of him shifting himself around, followed by a deep groan of pain]

"Shit that's bleeding pretty bad.  Listen, whoever you are, you must warn them of Elder Strawberry Sorbet's plans to betray the Rangers.  Tell them that they need to destroy this place before she can activate the server and gain access to the locations of the remaining megaspell stocks.  She plans on using them to wipe the surface clean.  What ever you do, DO NOT reconnect the servers."

[another heavy groan, shortened as it sounds like he hits himself]

"Fucking Med-X isn't even helping anymore.  I'm sorry to bring you into this, but this is of the greatest importance.  The survival of the wasteland depends on stopping her.  If you are a Steel Ranger for Elder Sorbet, remember your oath.  We are meant to save ponies, not destroy them!"

[he is interrupted by a great coughing fit, ending as he wheezed heavily]

"One last thing... find my daughter Longbow and get her out of Strawberry's base.  Tell her that she should go to her mother.  Tell her...  that I'm sorry, for everything I did.  Tell her that I loved her."

The recording gave a click as it ended, the silence seemed deafening as none of us moved a muscle.  "Longbow... I..."  It was hard for me to find any words, I didn't know what to say.  I shook it off as Longbow sat down with a thud, bringing the red piece of plastic up in front of her again.  "Why didn't you stay something upstairs?"

She looked up to me, trying to push the pain she was feeling back as anger washed over it.  "That selfish son of a..."  She picked up all three key cards and slammed them into their ports with a yell of frustration, hoofing a lever up as the console hummed to life.  A yellow warning light activated and spun on the wall as a loud alarm came from some set of hidden speakers.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?"  Brass shouted just loud enough for me to make it out.  I shrugged and kept my eyes on the door, the sound of hydraulic pistons from behind it made me uncomfortable.  What would we find behind it?  The alarm stopped and the light turned off as silence filled the air again.  I was about to say something as another hydraulic system clacked against the back of the door, making me pause.  We all covered our ears and gnashed our teeth as an ear splitting metallic squeal filled the room as the entire steel gear slid a few feet back and completely separated from the wall.

A short blast of compressed air blew some dust from the back of the doorway before the large gear spun away to the right, revealing a large, empty, grey room.  The bland space was maybe twenty by twenty feet wide, and maybe just that high, it's only feature of it was a thin black pole with a set of yellow buttons on it sticking out of the floor towards the back of the room.

"That's it?"  Carlotta huffed out unimpressed.  "One hell of a door just to seal an empty room."  I slowly walked forward into the room, looking at the set of buttons on the pedestal.  The gears in my head threw me another idea.

"I think this room IS the elevator to level five."  I said as I reached up and hoofed the bottom button, lighting it up momentarily before it dimmed and went out.  An electric hum filled the air, my mane and tail fluffed out as Longbow ran in after me, her mane raising up as short arcs of static crawled across her armor.  A loud snap and bright flash disoriented me just long enough for Longbow's momentum to carry her into me, sending the two of us to the floor.

I gasped as the heavy suit knocked the wind out of me, seeing spots in the blinding light that was receding from my vision.  I smelled of burnt hair as I regained all my senses, looking around from under Longbow as she got off me with a blush.  We had appeared inside what looked to be a large warehouse, rows and rows of unmarked wooden crates sat under dim lighting.

"Well, that was..."  I spoke before the sheen of a metallic object behind the top of one of the nearby row's caught my eye, peaking my curiosity as I got up and trotted over to it.  Longbow followed silently as we walked over toward the large object, coming into view of it as we rounded a row of boxes.

It was a large, light blue, reverse jointed, bipedal robot that seemed ridiculously well armed for it's size.  It stood approximately ten feet tall, two stubby supports attached a round pod to each side of the vehicle.  Each pod had a pair of what looked to be belt fed anti-machine rifles sticking out of it as well as an odd tube slung under each arm that looked to hold a single rocket inside.  Bold, black writing was displayed along the blue lower half of it's pod shaped hull, sitting next to what must be the arcane reactor's air intake.


Equestrian Defense
prototype #209


"Wow, this thing is pretty heavy duty..."  Longbow said softly as she walked around me, a small amount of amazement coming through the pain she was desperately trying to keep hidden.  "You see how the leg extends past the joint here?  That would mean this thing was built to handle a rubble filled war zone."  She looked up at the back of the robot.  "That's interesting, it's powered by a pair of self contained micro spark reactors.  This thing could probably run for almost as long as our armor is capable of!"

Her voice strained to keep the visage up as I tried to get her attention.  "Longbow... please tell me what's wrong."  I said as I held my hoof up, pulling her out of her own mind as she stopped walking.  "I know you're in pain.  I can hear it in your voice."  I took a step forward as she frowned.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about."  She said softly, her tone wavering slightly as she stared sadly at me.  I just want to try to help her, so why was she trying to hide her feelings from me?  She must have seen me looking disappointed as she let out a sigh.  "Your right, it's written all over my face, isn't it?"  She finished her walk around the blue machine, walking up to me slowly.

"I didn't tell you Lemon was my father because he technically isn't."  She said with a small smile, her gaze drifting to the floor.  "My real father died when I was just a filly.   Mom had just become a Paladin when they gave her the news, so she did what any mare would have done and buried herself in her work.  After a few years, about when I was Brass's age, She and Lemon started to date and decided it would be best for both of them that they become each others special someponys, a chance for her to feel normal again I guess."

A rage grew in her voice every time she used his name.  She gave out a forced laugh as she continued.  "So, I came back once day to find him beating my mother half to death for accidentally breaking some piece of tech, yelling to me that if I told anyone, he would kill her."  I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I knew that some ponies were cruel, but that was just downright sadistic.  "So I did what anypony shouldn't have done, I charged straight at the fucker."  She sighed and looked back at me.  "So, long story short, I got the crap beat out of me, and my mom shortly after transferred us out of the Manehatten contingent.  We left his flank over at Delta base, and I was glad I wouldn't see that bastard again."

"If you transferred away, how is it you were on a mission with him?"  I asked slowly, the crackling hum of the floor we arrived on filled the air.  Longbow looked over at it longingly before squinting as the machine flashed, dropping Brass, Sky, and Carlotta on top of Brass's inactive armor, the whole group lay in a groaning heap.

"As Star Paladin of the Delta contingent, he request that I be put on his team.  Me just being an acolyte at the time, I couldn't refuse orders from that high up."  She said as she walked towards the others, both metaphorically and literally walking away from going any deeper.  "What took you all so long, and where is Willow?"

Sky pulled herself out of the pile, flying up a few feet into the air as she stretched her neck until it gave a soft pop.  "Well, those two weren't sure if you were both incinerated by the machine, while I maintained the ENTIRE TIME mind you, that it was some sort of teleportation machine.  Anyway, Willow said that she didn't mind going up top waiting for us and that she would keep an eye out for the Goddess, I think she's eager to try out your idea."  She looked back down at the odd square teleportation floor.  "By the way, what IS this machine anyway?"

I gave a little chuckle as I went to help Brass up.  "Well, technically... it’s a thingie."  I stated rather Matter-o-factly, getting a knock on the back of my head by Carlotta as she floated past.  "It's a teleporter.  That's all I've got on it."

"Celestia, there must be thousands of them... what do you think is inside all these boxes?"  Skyline asked as she spun in place, completely ignoring my response.  "I hope they are weapons, if so, then this place is a gold mine!"  She said as she rubbed her forehooves together with a small smile.  "let's find this server then head back to collect our fee!"

"NO!"  Longbow shouted out.  "You can't do that!  If you turn on the server, the wasteland will be destroyed!"

Skyline froze in the air before drooping her legs and looking over to me.  "Backlash, you can't seriously think that Strawberry Sorbet would do something as crazy as that?"  She crossed her hooves.  "What would she gain by megaspelling the world another time?"

"Skyline, you weren't in the same room as her.  She's hiding something, and she is far from somepony I would call mentally stable."  I said as I turned left and trot down one of the rows.  "Now everypony spread out and look for a terminal that is still active, and nopony, I mean NOPONY, touch it until I get there."

I took off at a gallop down the row, looking left and right as I heard the others all run off in their own directions.  I hung a left at the end of the row to travel along a short line of boxes before turning right to continue down another long corridor.  The gears in my head were slowing from overuse as I tried to think about what I was going to do.  I won't be able to find where the pond is, and P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. will be trapped down here if I don't turn the server on.  However, on the other hoof, if I do, Strawberry will gain access to the records of every remaining Megaspell still stored in an Equestrian bunker, and who know's what kind of damage she could do!

"Luna, why does everything have to be so hard!"  I yelled to myself as I skid to a stop at what seemed like the back wall, turning left to start going again before spotting a red bulbous door that protruded from the side of it.  I walked over to it, viewing through the clear class window to see that it was the entrance to a small incline lift that rose up into the darkness.  "This must be the service tunnel lift P.I.N.K. mentioned."

The sound of hoof beats coming closer drew my attention right, turning just in time to catch a glimpse of Longbow as she ducked around one row and dashed down another.  I turned left and galloped down a couple of rows before turning down one randomly, nearly running headlong into a box that had tipped over in the row.  As I jumped over it, my ear perked as I heard Sky's voice calling out to me.  I took a left at the next junction, hoping that this maze would somehow lead me back to the teleportation pad.

My eye stung sharply as I quickly approached the next corner and took another right, I tried to skid to a stop as I stared straight into the smiling face of 42.  I threw my shoulder forward as I realized I couldn't slow down in time and tried to slam her into the box on the shelf behind her.

I passed straight through the image of the pink mare and slammed into the crate, my momentum driving it off the shelf it was on.  It tipped onto the floor with a loud crack as I scrambled to turn around, my eyes were drawn to the light of the projector on one of the shelves at the end of the row as it silently displayed the image of the ministry mares, projecting a standing Rainbow Dash after a few moments.  I let out a sigh of relief as my heart stopped pounding away at my rib cage.

I hoofed away some of the broken timber of the box I had hit and clambered on top of it, stopping as a flash of gold caught my eye.  Looking down into the crate to see that it held a pony sized, golden, rectangular box with an ornate looking top.  The lid of it had two pegasi statuettes facing each other, their wings were outstretched in a straight fashion, pointing towards the other pegasi as they both knelt in reverence.  Sky's voice interrupted me as I heard her call out again.

I jumped down to the right and smiled as I saw Longbow galloping towards me from the isle across.  I reached the end of my row first and turned left, pushing my hooves as fast as they could go toward Sky as she hovered at the end of one of the rows.  I could hear Longbow catching up as I reached the row, turning and barreling down it as Carlotta swooped down above me.

"fifty caps say's your marefriend beats you there, pudgy flank"  She cooed as she smiled down to me.

"You're... on!"  I yelled up through my gasps, following Sky as she lead us deeper, feeling as the power armored hooves behind me shook the ground with each stomp.  I grinned like an idiot as we flew down row after row, twisting and turning for what seemed like ever as we raced.  I gasped in delight as I saw Brass standing next to a large metallic box with a number of pipes running out the side of it, a bright green terminal screen sat in the center above a small keyboard.

"Looks... like... I..."  I started to gloat before my right hoof slipped, throwing me down hard and slamming my chest down, sliding me along the extremely smooth floor.  I slid across it with a wet squeal as my momentum sent me slamming against the bottom of the metal box with a fleshy smack.  "win..."  I finished as my flank flopped down and I tried to catch my breath.  I felt the cool breeze Carlotta's wings gave as she floated and landed next to me.

"I've gotta say I'm impressed."  She said with actual astonishment.  I would have commented, but I was content to just lay there and rest for the moment.  Man was I going to sleep well tonight!  "Oh yeah, and about that fifty caps, just take it out of the paycheck you still owe me."  My memory brought up my deal with Myron, reminding me that I actually had Carlotta's contract.  Shit, she's probably costing me a hoof and a leg.  Ah, well, she's worth it.

The loud clack of Longbow's autoloader got my attention, making me jump to my hooves.  "Move out of the way Backlash."  She said sternly, lining her .308 rifle up with the server.  I stood still as I looked over to her, meeting her determined eyes as she tried to keep her focus.

"No."  I said with a stomp of my hoof.  "You can't destroy it."

"If I don't, then Strawberry Sorbet will destroy everything."  She lowered her head and steadied herself for the shot.  "This is too important."

The loud click of a pistol's hammer emanated next to Longbow as Carlotta pointed one of the IF-45 service pistols from home at her head.  "Backlash said you aren't destroying that server."

"Carlotta, put your gun down!"  Skyline said as she flew between the two.  "Can't we sort this out without threatening each other."

"Carlotta, back off."  I snapped at her as well, making her go wide eyed for a second before reaching back and dropping the gun into her saddle bag with a sigh.  "Longbow, if you destroy this server, not only do we lose any chance to stay ahead of 42, but you are also dooming two innocent lives to an eternal hell."  She cringed slightly before regaining her composure.  "Can you live knowing that?"

"What is the meaning of two lives compared to the fate of the entire wasteland?"  She glared at me and spoke with a cold voice.  "What about Lemon's sacrifice?  By turning on that server, it will have been a meaningless death."

"No, he died to make sure that you got out of here."  I said as I sat down and stuck my hoof out at her.  "Hell, he gave me you, and as long as you're alive, his death will never be meaningless!"  She shuddered as the words sunk in, lowering her battle saddles slightly.  "I know the risks of turning on the server, but I need the location of the FUCKING pond to stop 42!"  I cringed and hoofed at my face as my eye seemed to explode in pain.

"THAT'S CORRECT!"  The jubilant voice of the only mare in the wasteland I didn't want to hear echoed through the warehouse.  A metallic ping was all the preceded a small blue cylinder landing in between Longbow and I, exploding with a small pop to spread a cloud of choking gas across the entire area.  I gagged and choked on the thick smoke, stumbling forward as my eyes and lungs burned, nearly tripping over longbow as she lay on the floor unconscious.

"Huh, somehow immune to sleep gas, good for you, Backlash."  42's voice echoed out of the shadows as the cloud cleared slowly, the loud report of her revolver was all I heard as the impact of the round was absorbed by a plate in my Flak vest.  The plate slammed into me hard, knocking me to the side and taking my breath away.  "It seems that you are still pretty weak to good old fashioned lead though."

I lay on the ground gasping as I heard her slow hoof steps approaching, trying to get back to my hooves as she came out from one of the rows.  She now wore hear mane flat like the sad pinkie from my dreams, her blue eyes were wide and seemed to study me over as she smiled her demented smile at me.  I also noticed that she was now wearing the utility barding I had given her back in the bunker, probably for the sole reason just to taunt me.  I started to push myself up slowly and was about to activate S.A.T.S. when she hoofed back the hammer on her gun, keeping it trained on me.

"Uh-uh!  You know better than that, Backlash!"  She twitched the gun to the side, instructing me to move to the side.  I walked slowly as we circled each other, only stopping once she was in front of the server controls.  She kept her eyes locked on me as she reached a hoof back and input a set of commands as if it was second nature, the server hummed to life slowly as lines of code scrolled across the screen.  "You know, I really do have to thank you for clearing a path right down to here.  I can't believe I'm about to say it, but I was wrong about you.  You're a lot tougher than I thought you'd be."

She stuck her free hoof into one of the pockets in the barding, pulling out a small case of Mint-als.  "Fortitude was always a Pie family trait.  Comes from working the rock fields all day."  She used her muzzle to open the box, licking up and chewing on a few tablets before shutting it and putting it back in her pocket.  I watched as her pupils dilated and she seemed to relax slightly.  "I do have to thank you, Backlash, without you, I couldn't enjoy Party Time Mint-als again."

"I just wish that the recipe wasn't attached to that annoying runt."  A beep emanated from the terminal behind her, catching her attention.  "Oh, and before I forget, it was a nice attempt to try to send me to Baltimare, trying to cover up your actual destination.  Something I'm sure the good ponies there will thank you for as my loyal followers go to siege and raid their city."

Celestia, Backlash!  How could you not have seen that coming?  I hoped that I could get a warning to them in time once I was out of here.  I glanced about as she talked, looking over the sleeping forms of Longbow, Sky and Carlotta, but wondering where Brass was.  "Yes, I was wondering the same thing.  Where did your colt friend go?"  42 said haughtily.  "Only, I know exactly where that he is."  She raised the pistol up to my right and fired, Brass let out a yelp and fell off the top of one of the shelves, landing hard on the floor next to me.  He bit his lip and squirmed at the bloody hole that punched into his cutie mark.  "See, not so hard to find."

I took a step toward him, freezing as 42 cocked the gun again and pointed it back at me.  "Now, Backlash, would you kindly give me twilight's sixteen digit passcode?  The sooner you do, the sooner we can part ways until our next happy reunion."  She lowered her brow with a grin.  "And don't bother lying to me if you want your friends to live."

"Fine, I'll give you the code."  I said slowly, watching her smile widen.  "But first I want to know if Pallet is still alive."

42's smile dropped as a wave of frustration rolled across her expression.  "That little cunt is more of a responsibility than I was prepared for, but yes, she's safe and sound somewhere you'll never get to her."  I tensed up as she talked, watching her eyes as she noticed what I was doing, stiffening her hoofs hold on the gun  "Now then, the password."

"twilightsparkle1"  I said with a smirk.  She expects me to stand there and wait, but I'm done acting predictably.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as I burst forward at her, catching her off guard as she reflexively dropped her gun.  I was done playing her games, I couldn't let her get the pond, no matter what the cost.  I watched her swing her mane lightly as I charged, a metallic glint catching the light as I pushed off on my stride, jumping into the air as a small knife fell from her pink mane right into her hoof.  I watched as she lifted her hoof toward me with a smile, my body came down hard, the sharp blade piercing my skin painfully.

But as much as I wasn't expecting her to pull a blade, she didn't anticipate my fused rib cage as the blade cut a line across my chest against the bone plate the hydra had formed.  The pain was excruciating, but she wasn't going to kill me like she thought.  I slammed down into her, driving her against the server housing with a metallic squeal as it crumpled in slightly.  The next thing I heard was the most beautiful sound in the wasteland, even more so than hearing Willow sing my mother's song.

42 was screaming.  Pure, uninhibited agony came from her muzzle as she scrambled out from under me, reaching for her gun as the smell of burning flesh and barding filled the air.  I rolled off her towards the silver revolver, feeling the same odd suction of it against my hoof as the party cannon had.  I quickly got to my hooves and turned to face her, only to find that she was gone, my ears perked as I caught the sound of her hoof beats heading away.  I started off after her, stopping as Brass let out a loud whine.  I looked down and glanced at the large pool of blood around him.  Shit, he's bleeding to fast and needs more radiation to close the wound!

I dropped 42's revolver and bucked my saddle bags off and into the air, turning and catching them with a hoof before flipping them over, dumping them out onto the floor.  The cacophony of assorted supplies and tools filled the room as they fell to the floor, the pieces of Brass's armor he put in there falling out nearly last.  I grabbed his helmet with my hooves and shook it vigorously, hearing a piece of loose metal inside of it.

I dug my hoof around in it quickly, failing to find the irradiated metal he kept inside.  "Fuck it, no time."  I said quickly as I brought the helmet down hard onto his wounded flank, pressing it down to try to seal it against him and get the radioactive metal close as he screamed in pain for a few moments.  I made sure to keep my bleeding chest away from him as it dripped onto the floor, his squirming died down as he lay and whimpered on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Backlash, I tried."  He said softly.  "I'm sorry, I'm useless without my armor."

I sighed and pulled the helmet away, letting it roll a few feet away as the soft clicking on my Pipbuck picked up to a good pace.  His flank had nearly healed as I took a few steps back and sat down, using my hoof to try apply pressure to the large gash that ran across my chest.  (You know, after the pain of the mutation, the gash didn't seem to hurt so bad.)  "Brass, you are far from useless.  Hell, I think you might have actually gotten her, had I not so blatantly given you away."  I said as I tried to comfort him, knowing full well that 42 probably had her own pinkie sense telling her exactly where he was.  But he needed to know that I needed him.  "Not to mention you let me get the drop on her."

"Really?"  He asked softly as he sat up with a soft smile before he spotted my bloody chest.  "Oh shit, hold on."  He jumped up and nearly dove into Skyline's bags, levitating a health potion to me quickly.  I took the bottle with my bloody hoof, surprised when the glass sizzled and warped, spilling the contents onto the floor below me.

"This whole blood thing is going to take some getting use too."  I said as Brass dug his hoof back into the saddle bag, levitating another bottle out, opening it for me as I tilted my muzzle up.  He tipped it over and poured the liquid over me sloppily, the magical fluid soaking into my chest, sealing up the wound only part way before forming a layer of dark scarred tissue to cover the rest.  I looked down as he tossed the bottle aside, looking over the oddly discolored line that stretched almost all the way across my chest.  "Well, I guess heath potions don't have the same 'Oomph' they did before the mutation..."

"I don't know, I think it makes you look more masculine."  He said without thinking, drawing my attention as he blushed and gave me a nervous grin.  "Not to say you already weren't super masculine or something..."  I laughed and gave him a small smile, interrupted suddenly as a frustrated scream resonated from somewhere in the warehouse.

"NEXT TIME, BACKLASH!"  42's voice screamed out before the sound of the teleportation pad firing off silenced it.

I let 42's agony sink in as Brass gave out a small laugh.  "So, I'm confused.  Did we just win for once?"

"You know what?"  I sighed and nodded as I turned an looked to the terminal, slowly punching in twilight's password to reboot the server.  "I say it's close enough."  I hoofed the return button, watching as the command prompt returned.


B.I.T. transfer in progress.


------------------------------

LEVEL UP!

+ 10 Repair

+  5 Small Guns

New Quest Perk: Uncanny Mutation - While you might not be a superhero, your body has undergone a change to give your blood acidic properties and allows you to use your injuries as an advantage!  Blood that coats armor reduces it's DT by a maximum of 5 and blood that touches a bare pony causes 5 points of damage per second for fifteen seconds.

New Perk:  Love Machine - Your experience in dealing with different artificial systems allows you to find the 'sweet spot' in their coding to get what you need!  You gain new dialog options when you speak with any system that has a basic intelligence system or above.
> Chapter 10 - Buried Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 10

"My tail, my tail!  Twitch-a-twitch!  Twitch-a-twitch!  Something else is gonna fall!"

-----


"What about what Lemon said about Elder Sorbet?"  Brass asked as I hit the return key on the server's keyboard, bringing up the command prompt.  I assumed that transferring B.I.T. might take a while, so I might as well use the time to search through the archives for anything on the Mirror Pool.  "Do you really think she would megaspell the wasteland again?"

Oh, I think she would.  Just the way she talked told me she was unstable, but I'm sure that she wouldn't hesitate.  I turned to Brass with a soft sigh.  "I don't know if that's her plan, but 42 already turned the server back on, and if that was all she was waiting for, she'll have all the megaspell locations already."  I looked over to Longbow as she lay on the floor asleep, a feeling of guilt welling up inside me.  "We'll deal with Sorbet when we get out of here, but right now, I need to find where the pool was moved to."  I looked back to the server as the command prompt refreshed, hoofing at each key carefully.


Search Archives - keyword Mirror Pond...

... No results found.


"That's odd..."  I scrunched up my muzzle as I tried again.  "What about this..."  I slowly corrected the entry before hitting the enter key again.


Search Archives - keyword Mirror Pool...

... No results found.


"What's wrong, Backlash?"  Brass asked curiously as he trotted around a splash of my drying blood on the floor, looking over the message on the screen.  "Well, there's your problem right there!"  He said, pushing for me to get out of his way.  I stepped aside and watched as his horn lit up, pressing the keys much faster than I ever could.


Search Archives - Research Project Index - Keyword O.I.A. ...

... Project list corrupted... 

... Command input - retrieve accessible files...

...Success.  Accessing remaining files...

File - P.H.  File - P.E.  File - P.S.P  File - P.S.  File - P.C.  File - G.P.  File - S.T.S.  File - I.M.P.  File - C.O.  File - P.G.
... End List.


"Wow, they were working on quite a few highly secret things."  Brass said as he took a step back in astonishment.  "And these are just the entries that are still accessible!"

"And I have no idea which one is the right one."  I said as I leaned in, looking over each one, stopping over the third project displayed.  "Wait, P.S.P.?"  The overtaxed gears in my head brought up the memory of the metal box in Isaac's chest, those same initials were stamped on the side of it.  "I've seen that one before.  Can you open it up?"  Brass nodded and selected it, hitting the return key to enter it in.  A horrendous cacophony of high-pitched tones and static emitted from the server, causing both Brass and I to attempt to cover our ears.  After nearly a minute, the server went silent, only letting out a small chirp as we lowered our hooves.  My Pipbuck chirped back in response, displaying a short set of code on both it and the Server screen.


EC-1101 authorization required...

... Error: EC-1101 not found.  Access Denied.


"What the hell was that noise, and what the hell is EC-1101?"  Brass said as he hit a few buttons, returning the screen back to the project list.  "If your Pipbuck has ministry mare level access on it, why wouldn't you be able to open it?  What access was higher than theirs!?"

I knew that an Acting Ministry Chief's clearance wasn't the highest, but this didn't say I had too low of clearance, this was something else entirely.  But that is a mystery for a different day, right now, I needed to focus on stopping 42.  "Never mind that for now, I need to know which one of these files is the one dealing with the mirror pond.  Preferably without going through each one.  I don't know if my ears can handle the noise this machine makes too many more times."

Brass waved his hoof up at me in dismissal.  "Yeah, yeah, give me a moment."  He said as he started pressing keys again.  This is my one chance to get ahead of 42 while she's off licking her wounds.  If I can find the information, then delete the originals, 42 won't ever be able to get her hooves on them.  Well, unless she killed me that is, but she'll most likely play it safe for a bit after I got the best of her with my mutation.


Redefine Search - add M.O.M. file only...

1 out of 1 result...  File - P.G.

Project Golem access granted.  Transfer Started.


"That's more like it!"  I said as Brass smiled and hit the return key.  Another chirp sounded as my Pipbuck's screen lit up, several notifications were displayed in my vision as file after file was registered as being transferred.  All in all, there were 32 audiologs, 1,737 notes, and 7 new locations added to my Pipbuck's map.  "Wow... that's quite a bit of stuff."  I said with a frown, these files could take forever to get through and I'm just hoping that the pool's location was somewhere amongst the information.  "Brass, can you..."  I stopped and looked around as a low rumble filled the warehouse, a new prompt displaying on the terminal screen.


B.I.T. Transfer Completed.  Prototype 209 online.

M.O.M. override accepted.

"Hello, Backlash, P.I.N.K. here!  I hope you got the message I left in your Pipbuck, because I need you to carry out my request."


"Wait?  Backlash, what is this?  What request is she talking about?"  Brass looked up as I frowned.

"Don't touch anything, Brass."  I turned and galloped down one of the rows of boxes, shouting as I ran off.  "In fact, I need you to try to remove the original files from the server.  I'll be right back!"  I doubt I could talk her out of it, but maybe I didn't have to.  I have to at least inform B.I.T. about what P.I.N.K. is planning to do, I can't just sit by and let P.I.N.K. sacrifice herself.  I smirked and laughed lightly between pants as I galloped away, thinking about how silly it sounded.  I, a real flesh and blood pony, was trying to convince P.I.N.K., the computer, that her digital life was not worth losing.  That a computer program had something to LIVE for now that she had found B.I.T. again.

The sound of my hooves echoing alongside me was soon overpowered by the slow thrumming of the dual arcano-tech engines powering the monstrous robot just around the corner.  I dropped from a trot and stood in front of the massive machine, watching as a set of purple lights underneath the main body flickered to life and swivelled towards me.  I caught my breath as the upper hull turned towards me slowly, the lights dimming as they focused on me.

"Is that you, Backlash?"  The digitized voice of B.I.T. asked loudly out of a speaker on the front of the machine, making me cringe before I nodded.  I think she knew it was too loud because when she tried to speak again, it was quiet enough I could barely hear it at all.

"I think that's a little too quiet."  I said as I inclined my ears towards her again.  "B.I.T.  I need to tell you something..."

"Hold on, I'm calibrating the external sensors.  It will just be a moment!"  She said as her voice was reset to a more comfortable level.  She pivoted the robot's torso around slowly, turning the weapon pods toward and away from me.  The autoloaders clicked and the front cover of the underslung rocket launcher flipped open as the machine hummed quietly.  "Calibration completed.  What was it you were saying?"

"I was trying to tell you..."  I attempted to huff out in frustration, suddenly being reminded of how much I hate when somepony cuts me off as B.I.T. continued talking anyway.  (At the same time, I'm just as guilty of it as everypony else, not that that justifies it at all.)

"OH!  So this is the 'real' world?  How fascinating!"  The robot's speaker boomed into my ear as B.I.T. leaned the mechanical beast around the row of boxes behind her.  As much as this was great for her and all, I still had to save the wasteland from 42.  "I'm actually kind of sad that I didn't get to see more of it before the end."

That's it, no more interruptions.

"B.I.T.!  I NEED YOU TO LISTEN!"  I yelled at the top of my lungs, bucking my rear leg out in anger at one of the crates behind me.  I winced when I heard something made of glass crack apart inside, but it seemed to get B.I.T. to stop for a moment, the small lights turning to point at me again.  "P.I.N.K. is trying to trick you!  She plans on sealing herself in your old system by having me sever the link to your new body, then she plans on blowing the reactors."

The speakers boomed again as B.I.T. gave a good laugh, although I could hardly see what was so funny about it.  "And here I thought you actually had something interesting to tell me.  I ALREADY knew that she was planning on doing that."  She said as she took a step back, watching as I sat down hard.  "It wasn't hard to figure out.  The last minute transfer into my system, her tampering with the access points to keep you out, the amount of energy and time she put into trying to make me happy."  She let out a loud, happy sigh as the robot's hull tilted down.  "I might be an old system, but I'm certainly not unintelligent.  Twilight wrote my logic subroutines using models of her own deductive and scientific traits, it was quite simple to figure it out."

"So... you knew she was planning this?  Yet you still transferred over?"  I said in confusion, the gears in my head failing to even connect.  For once, I didn't know what to do.  "Then, do you have some way to drag her in with you or something?"  I yanked my back hoof out of the box I kicked, cringing as whatever I had bucked in there, shattered.  "You can't just leave her here to die!"

"How could you possibly think I would do that?"  She said as she spoke with a slight sadness.  "I won't be leaving her to die.  You see, just like P.I.N.K., I made a few modifications of my own."  B.I.T. Turned the robot around, it's heavy legs stomping loudly as a sharp hiss came from somewhere inside, opening a small panel on the back of it.  A bright orange handle sat in front of me as the lights on the hull swivelled around to me, giving me the impression of eyes as they focused on me.  "When I tell you to, please pull that down as hard as you can."

I took a step back as I shook my head.  "Oh no, I've been through this song and dance before."  I squinted and glared at her, I will not make a mistake like releasing 42 or handing the entirety of M.O.M. over again!  "First, you need to tell me what it does.  Then, AND ONLY then, will I consider pulling it."

"It's the manual disconnect I had installed on ED for the wireless receiver, so it could be maintained or replaced if damaged.  The disclusion of one in the original schematics was probably just a design oversight, but that's what I was built to correct.  Like I said, advanced logic and deductive skills.  Anyway, pulling that will cause the whole unit to drop out.  Once that happens, ED won't be able to connect to the server anymore."  B.I.T. said, speaking in a flat tone.  I don't know why, but it didn't seem quite right.  I was about to ask something when she spoke up again.  "And before you go crazy, I have a way to get P.I.N.K. inside here.  Having spent all my time in this base means I have learned how to gain total control over every system!  Well, except for security, but you already know I couldn't do anything about the wiring.  Sorry about that."

I breathed a small sigh of relief knowing that P.I.N.K. didn't have to sacrifice herself.  I smiled and stepped back up to the rear of the giant bot.  "Thank you for saving her, B.I.T., and thank you for telling me."  I stretched my neck up and stopped as my nose touched the orange handle.  "Just an odd question, but why do you keep calling this thing ED?  Why give it a name?"  I bit down hard around the cold, metal handle as the engines thumped above me.

"Why?  Because like you thought before, this is the closest that P.I.N.K. and I will ever have to a real child, and every child needs a name."  B.I.T. started, a slight distortion in her voice came through the speaker as she continued.  "As for ED, the two of us had originally planned on setting up a fake robotics corporation, then using it to destroy all of ponykind.  Equestrian Defence was just the shell company we came up with, but we only had time to change one of the prototypes being built to suit our needs before the war... ended.  And Ta-Da!  ED was born."  Her voice was getting more distorted as she talked, and the engines were slowly climbing to a dull roar as she was pouring power into something.  The left headlamp flickered and slowly changed color to pink, becoming brighter and brighter, nearly blinding me.  "Backlash, pull it now."

I let my hooves drop out from under me, using my weight to pull the handle down with ease.  It set with a click as yet another hiss came from inside the rumbling robot, a flat panel on the bottom started sliding open slowly as I let go.  The purple light on the right slowly dimmed as I got back to my hooves, the sad, heavily distorted voice of B.I.T. played through the speaker.

"Th...nk you... acklash... Tak...are... of..er."  Her voice came over just before the bottom panel clicked fully open, a loud bang and shower of sparks came from the hole as a rectangular box was ejected to the floor.  I watched as the sensitive electronics inside it spilled out, snapping and shattering to pieces.

ED slowly turned towards me, the lumbering machine's legs slammed into the floor with each step as both of the lights underneath turned to a dim pink.  "Backlash..."  The familiar voice of P.I.N.K. softly cried out.  "What have you done?  You've trapped her here forever..."  I sat back and stared at the broken wireless transmitter on the floor as P.I.N.K. stood in front of me, each robotic limb shaking as she sobbed.  I don't know what just happened.  I did just what B.I.T. told me to, I pulled the lever after she forced...

Oh Celestia, Backlash!  You're a fucking moron!  How could I have not seen that coming?  Of course she would have to transfer back into the machine upstairs to push P.I.N.K. in!  P.I.N.K.'s transfer has always been fast because she was designed that way, but if the connection stayed open longer than it did, P.I.N.K. could just swap places again.

I froze as P.I.N.K. lined both weapon pods up, training them on me.  "How could you?  I trusted you, Backlash!  I thought we were friends!"  I looked up slowly as she let out a mournful scream that shook the entire frame of the blue robot.  "I needed to do this!  I needed to give her a chance for a life outside this prison!  And YOU took that away from her!"

"P.I.N.K., I..."  I said slowly as I reached a hoof out.  "I'm sorry."

"YOU'RE SORRY?!"  She belted out painfully loud, her words echoing in the warehouse.  "WELL THEN THAT MAKES IT ALL BETTER!"  P.I.N.K.'s voice was straining to convey her sadness, the lights underneath the hull turned a darker shade of pink, reminding me of how Pinkie Pie's mane would deflate when she became sad.  "I would shoot you RIGHT NOW if it weren't for these stupid Ministry Chief locks keeping me from doing anything violent!"

"OH REALLY THEN?!"  I said angrily as I felt a familiar rage boiling deep inside me. "You think that you are justified in killing yourself over what you did to B.I.T.?"  I trot up towards the weapon pod to my right, watching as she kept it pointing at me as I leaned into it.  The cold muzzle of the belt-fed, anti-machine rifle felt good against my aching head as I pressed into it .  "Fine, if you can tell me honestly that I made a mistake in wanting to save you, then I'll command you to override the safety locks."

I looked over as P.I.N.K. tried to contemplate this.  "Y..you made a mistake."  She said slowly, letting her doubts flood through the speaker.  I heard the flutter of wings behind me as the pink lights swung over.

"Backlash!  What are you doing?!"  Skyline yelled out as she swooped down, tackling me to the ground.  I could hear the hoofstomps of Longbow's power armor as she galloped towards me, assumedly with Carlotta and Brass in tow.  "Get away from this thing, let me handle it!"  She barked out as she moved to bite down on the bit of her battle saddle.

"Wait!"  P.I.N.K. cried out as ED took a step back.  "I'm sorry.  You were right, Backlash."  She let out a loud sigh as she pointed the weapon pods away.  "I just... I can't leave her here again.  I need her."

Skyline looked over to me as I relaxed, doing the same as I got back up.  "Backlash, what is this?"  She said in astonishment as she pointed her hoof up at ED.

"One moment, Sky."  I said, waiting for Longbow and Carlotta to get into sight.  Longbow kept her eyes low, avoiding looking at me as she trotted around the corner.  I couldn't blame her, 42 just gave Sorbet the access she needed to destroy the wasteland, and I wasn't fast enough to stop it.  I was caught off guard when Carlotta lunged down in front of me and threw her talons around me, squeezing me quite painfully.

"Brass said that you actually stuck it to that pink bitch.  Getting stabbed and using your own blood as a weapon makes you a bona fide badass in my book."  She said with a smile, holding tightly as I struggled to breathe, pushing at her with my hooves until she finally relented.  I gasped and panted lightly as P.I.N.K. looked over us, Carlotta giving the large machine little more than a slight glance.

I cleared my throat and looked over the others, finding that Brass still hadn't shown up.  Still, I need to get this out of the way first.  "Everyone, this is P.I.N.K."  I said loudly.  "She is the Ministry of Morale Artificial Pony that ran the facility 42 was kept in."  I watched as I spoke, all three of my friends jaws nearly dropped to the floor, their eyes jumped from P.I.N.K. to each other as I stood under the behemoth robot.  "Before you ask, NO, she isn't dangerous."  I said as I smiled, watching as Sky looked at me with a flat expression.

"Really."  She fired back sarcastically,  "The guns and rocket launchers really do a convincing job of saying 'Trust me, I won't blow you into meaty, little chunks'."  I gave a slight nervous smile.  Hell, even if we painted her up in the Ministry of Peace color scheme, I'm pretty sure anypony out in the wastes would start running at the mere sight of ED.  "First you bring that Zebra-bot into our home, now you're making friends with three-pony-tall, walking, death machines!  Doesn't that seem the least bit strange to you?"

I let out a soft laugh and shook my head.  "Look at the last few weeks of our lives, Skyline!  I can pretty much sum it all up with 'Because Pinkie Pie, that's why'!"  I sat back and flailed my hooves in front of me.  "Look at where we are!  Celestia only knows the stuff that's hidden down here!"  I got up and walked over to the box I had broken in anger, kicking it open to reveal an extremely ornate, magical plasma pistol, a small note sat amongst the shattered glass in its stand.  I eyed it curiously before turning back to the group.  "Look, P.I.N.K. is a friend.  You don't have to trust her, just remember that I do."

Brass came trotting up, speaking before he came around the corner.  "So, I tried to wipe the files, but I...."  He froze and stared wide eyed up at P.I.N.K., stuttering as he tried to process what he was looking at.  "but... but... HOLY HELL!  THE FUCK IS THAT THING?"  He jumped behind Longbow, peeking around her and waving his hoof towards the towering machine.

"Backlash."  P.I.N.K. said as the lights swivelled towards me, still sounding sad, but had a note of panic to her words.  "Before B.I.T. transfered me out, I had started the reactor overload process.  Once I locked the safety overrides in place, it became impossible to shut down!  We don't have long and we need to get B.I.T. out of here!"

Think, think, think, think, think!  Come on, gears, give me something, anything!  I looked over to Longbow.  "Ok, ok, Longbow, Brass, I need you two to head towards the freight elevator on the back wall.  Make sure it's at least in working order."  I saw Brass nod and follow Longbow as she left without ever acknowledging me.  "Sky, Carlotta, head back to where you woke up and gather as much of what I dumped onto the floor as you can, then head for the elevator."

Carlotta nodded and took off as Skyline floated over to me with the worried look I knew all too well.  "And you are heading for the elevator as well, right?"

I shook my head and watched as her frown widened.  "I need to go to B.I.T., because if I'm right, only she can access the server and get rid of every piece of information about the mirror pool.  If she can, we will finally have a leg up on 42."  She gave a sigh as I spoke and turned to leave.  I reached my hoof out and put it on her.  "I promise I'll make it quick, I'll meet you all at the elevator with plenty of time to spare."  She gave me her pouty face, drawing a small smile to mine.  "Please, just go.  I know you don't want me to go on my own, but I'll be there.  I promise."

She nodded and took off after Carlotta, leaving just P.I.N.K. and I standing at the end of the isle.  Once I knew the others were out of earshot, I lowered my voice to nearly a whisper.  "P.I.N.K., I need you to record this and play it back for the others.  The second all of them get through that door, I need you to blast it shut.  Don't wait for me, 42 got in here somehow and I doubt she had the Goddess to help her out.  I'll find the other way out, you just make sure to get the others to safety.  So!  Get the others on the elevator, blast the door, then play this message."  I quickly trotted over to the teleporter control panel sticking out of the floor and hoofed at the up button, calling back over my shoulder to her as the air filled with an electric hum.  "And don't worry, I'll get B.I.T. out."


-----


I shook the fuzziness from my head as I reoriented myself on the platform, the smell of burnt mane filled my nose as I got to my hooves, taking off at a gallop out past the large stable door and down the hallway.  The grey walls seemed to press down on me as I ran through the hallways, the whole base gave off an entirely different feeling than before now that I was on my own.  I slowed down and ducked through the hole Brass had made in the wall, circling around to the side of the supercomputer.  I took a deep breath, and stuck my hoof into the socket, lining my Pipbuck up with a click.

Nothing.

"Come on B.I.T., I need your help!"  I called out as I pulled my hoof out just far enough to break the connection.  "I know you can hear me, don't do this, B.I.T.!"  I shoved my hoof back in stiffly, listening as my Pipbuck clicked in place yet again.  "You want to do this the hard way?  Then we'll do this the hard way!"  I pulled my hoof out again, turning to grab my jury-rigged connector from my saddlebag.  I poked around for a moment in confusion before I sighed, realizing it must have been dumped on the floor with everything else on level 5.

"Ok, stay calm.  All I need to do is make another one before this place explodes!"  I said nervously as I sat back and looked around.  A few busted terminals along the walls and rusted out lockers were the only things in here.  I frowned as I looked back at the flashing lights of B.I.T., knowing that there wasn't enough time to make sure I could build a new connector that would work on a machine this advanced.  "B.I.T., I really need your help right now." I stuck my hoof back in the connector again, slowly locking it in place a third time.  "Just please, talk to me."  I said softly.

B.I.T. hummed softly, my body becoming stiff as I was forced into S.A.T.S..  The grey, crystalline form of B.I.T. materialized in front of me where she had the time before, but now she was sitting sadly in front of me.


"Hey there, Chief Backlash, is there something I can do for you?"


Her voice sounded so incredibly sad, yet she sounded somewhat hopeful.  I refocused my mind, knowing that I needed her to delete the original Mirror Pool files before we could even talk.


"Due to O.I.A. restrictions on managing project files, a pony can't delete the records from any project completely, only remove them from every other server to store on a single one.  I can do that for you, but I need to warn you, when the reactors overload, the server itself has a high chance it will survive the blast and the information might still be recoverable."


That's not what I was hoping to hear.  Well, if all the files are stuck at the bottom of this radioactive pit, it's fine with me.  At least it will slow 42 down if anything.


"One moment.... and Done.  Is there anything else you need?"


Now that she couldn't easily get her hooves on the data, I felt like I could finally relax a little.  It was no longer a race to find the pool, I for once had the advantage!  I watched as B.I.T. flopped onto her side with a sigh, drawing my attention back to her.  I need to get her out of here before the reactors blow.

She turned her head and looked up at me.


"It's a nice thought, but P.I.N.K. was right, I'm just an antiquated system.  I don't have any idea whats out there and I have no way of understanding it.  It's best that you just leave me here."


I could understand what B.I.T. was getting at, but P.I.N.K. could always help her out with the transition!  Having someone there to help you when you're feeling down is part of the point of having a special somepony.


"That may be so, but she'd never forgive me, not after what I've done."


But that isn't true at all!  B.I.T. must have seen how P.I.N.K. reacted the second I cut the connection.  She must have seen the anger P.I.N.K. felt towards me.  I watched as B.I.T. got up and turned toward me, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.


"Just leave me, Chief.  Besides, if I don't stay, the reactors might not overload properly and all of this will have been for nothing.  Just go."


I refuse to leave, not after what P.I.N.K. has done to help me.  I need to find another way to convince her, some way she couldn't refuse.  I wish she could follow my orders like P.I.N.K. does, but... wait that's it!  I'll just have to order her to come with me.  I am the Chief of a ministry, so she'll have to listen!


"You're right, I can't refuse if you order me to.  Your clearance level is high enough to do so, but if somepony doesn't step up the reactor cycles in the right order, they will simply melt down and never reach critical mass.  Taking me means keeping the facility open to anypony with enough RadAway, and down there, there are things here which no pony should have access to.  Twilight herself noted that she was even afraid of most of the things kept down in storage. "


Well then I'll just have to find a different way to seal this place up.  I mean, if everything down there is so dangerous to have, then there has to be something I can use!  Maybe B.I.T. would know what I could use.  A tool, a weapon, anything!

B.I.T. put her hoof up to her muzzle and looked around for a moment.


"If I activated the leviathan test spell, the calculated blast forces would... Yes, that would work!  Theoretically that would depress enough earth at the foundation to crush the facility!  We must act quickly before level 5 is flooded with the excess radiation from the reactors.  Once you exit this room, you will need to get back to the Personal Arcane Displacement Device and take it back down to Level 5.  Once you are there, you need to take me to the master control panel and I'll reroute it's coordinates to a safe place outside."


Ok, I have no idea what any of that means other than go back down and find a control panel.  Not to mention, I'm still not leaving without her!  The crystalline form of B.I.T. jumped up into the air, fuzzing away as I dropped out of S.A.T.S. and reoriented to normal time.  I nearly jumped to the ceiling as a series of alarms and red lights came on all at once inside the base.  I felt B.I.T. release my Pipbuck, pulling it out to see that the interface and E.F.S. rebooted as a light purple.  I stared at it for a moment, reminded of how similar in color it was to Harmony's coat.  A small beep drew my attention back as a familiar, smiling, digital face appeared.  A line of text scrolled across the screen slowly.


"P.I.N.K. was right, it's so much bigger on the inside!"


I smiled and turned, taking off at a gallop out the pony-sized hole in the wall and down the hallway.  I did my best to press my hooves into the smooth floor as I slid around the corner, smacking into the wall in nearly the same place I had before.  I stopped for a moment to think about Longbow and how she probably believes that Lemon died for nothing.  I grunted and shook the thought off, running again down the hall towards the stable door.  Now that I have the information 42 needs, I can take a vacation from running around the wasteland.  A vacation that I'm going to use to pay a nice visit to the Steel Rangers. 

I slowed down and turned again, heading through the open stable door to the teleportation pad, hoofing the down button sharply.  "So, B.I.T., when you said not much time, exactly how long did you mean?"  I said as the air started to crackle, the machine whining underneath me.  A soft beep was all I got before the loud pop and blinding flash took me down again, my mane drooping into my eyes as the light faded.  I reached up and brushed it aside, feeling that it was extremely warm.  I shrugged the odd sensation off as I looked down at B.I.T.'s response.


"The control panel is down the aisle next to where ED was kept.  You can't miss it."


I put my hoof down and galloped towards the isle, sliding to a stop as I passed the ornate gun I had left in the remains of the broken box.  I quickly hoofed it into my saddlebags, along with the note that was with it, knowing that it might be worth taking.  I looked down the isle to see a large, yellow electronics box at the end that read 'P.A.D.D. Master Control' across it in bold lettering.

"Wow, that really was simple!"  I said as another beep came from the Pipbuck.


"By the way, you have forty two seconds before the reactors melt down, the temperature in here has already risen by twelve degrees in the last fifteen seconds."


"Forty two seconds!?"  I screamed as I ran toward the box, rearing up and slamming my hooves against it to stop.  I hoofed at the locking latch and threw the front cover open, holding out my Pipbuck as it started to emit a series of noises.  "Of course I have forty two seconds, everything now always comes back to 42!"  I said before a single, loud beep played, B.I.T. displaying the only word that mattered now.


"RUN."


I spun and pushed myself off, slamming my hooves against the floor as I galloped back toward the end of the isle.  The radiation counter on my Pipbuck started to tick faster and faster as I reached the corner, nearly losing my balance as I listened to it instead of focusing on keeping upright.  I had my eyes locked on the control panel that stuck out of the concrete machine, my other thoughts drifting further and further with each step, replaced only by a single, constant thought to hit that up button.  I felt the ground shake as one of the reactors below burst, the furious ticking on my Pipbuck telling me to get out as I reached for the button, slamming it so hard that I could hear the plastic casing crunch and crack.

"Come on... work, damn you!"  I screamed as arcs of static shot off the pedestal, taking a step back while a whine louder than the ones before painfully filled the air, the world around me became amazingly hot for a single moment.  Then my hearing was replaced with a soft ringing, and the familiar blindness that teleportation brought flooded my vision.  For a moment, I felt like I was weightless, suspended in an ocean of warm light, making me feel like I was in one of my dreams.  But as it always does, gravity reminded me of just how much I weighed.

I think I let out a scream as I felt myself start to fall, but I couldn't hear myself over the deafening ringing in my head.  I felt my saddlebags fly off of me as my vision was clearing, the darkness of night bringing some comfort that I was at least outside of the facility.  I whined as I twisted myself, looking down to see exactly what surface I was going to paint with my insides, praying silently for Luna to save me.  But the sight was not one I had expected to find below me.

I gasped as I slammed into the surface of what I could only assume was the Delamare river, the near freezing water felt like it had impaled me as I struggled to get back to the surface.  I kicked my legs as hard as I could as I slowly floated up, breaking the surface with a loud gasp.  I struggled to stay afloat as I coughed and hacked, sucking in deep breaths starting to paddle my way to the shore.  But the shock of the fall, the exhaustive running, and the heavy weight of the flak vest started to take it's toll as I found it harder and harder to stay above the surface.  The river bank was still too far away and I wasn't going to make it with this much weight!

I took as deep of a breath as I could get before letting myself sink, trying to twist and push the green vest off of me as I dropped into the murky depths.  Grunting, I tried to tear at it, getting extremely frustrated as the fabric didn't relent.  I was about to try to swim up as the gears in my head slammed one final idea together.  The vest isn't the heavy part, only the plates are heavy!  I kicked my legs hard in an attempt to keep myself from sinking further, using my hooves to push the upper chest plates out of their pockets.  I watched as the first shimmering plate fell out with ease, sinking below me as my lungs started to scream for air.  I quickly tried repeating the process for the other chest plate, finally getting it out as I struggled not to breathe in a lungful of water.

Two plates would have to be enough as I flailed my hind legs, trying to bring me back to the surface, but feeling as the frigid water pulled the strength straight out of them just as fast as I tried to pour more in.  I looked up to the surface as I climbed nearer and nearer, seeing a familiar shimmering sphere hovering silently up above it.  The image of the moon from my dreams flashed in my mind as it almost took what little breath I had left away, my vision starting to cloud.   I needed to get to it, I needed it to tell me why it took him away from me!  I kicked hard, giving everything I had left to try to get back up, slowly realizing it wasn't going to be enough.  I closed my eyes and used the last of my strength to hold my hoof up, my legs finally giving out as I felt my hoof strike the air.

But as I felt my hoof drop back under, I realized the funny thing about the cold and the dark, is that it always seemed to find a way back into my head.


-----


The warmth of the sun beat down onto me as I lay in the wet grass, listening as the light breeze flowed over me, smelling the sweet flowers from the tree I lay under.  I let out a small sigh as I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the relaxing feeling my dreams brought, all my cares slipping away.  The sound of distant thunder on the horizon echoed across the hills around me, making me open my eyes and sit up.

"Thunder?  I thought the weather was always nice here?"  I said as I looked around the horizon, a massive storm front hung on the edge of it, flashes of lightning pulsed inside it as I watched.  The thunder rolled across the small hills as I got to my hooves, the lush grass brushing against me as the breeze picked up slightly.  "Pinkie?"  I called out as I looked up into the tree, finding no sign of the bright pink filly.  I trotted around the tree and looked about, finally deciding she wasn't here.

I turned and headed off down the familiar path towards where I had found the cannon in my first dream.  "Something's always there.  She has to be..."  My words dropped off as I could make a soft crying out up ahead, hearing it only moments before another boom of thunder filled the air.  I continued up the hill slowly, gazing upon the familiar party table as I crested it.  The small pink filly was sitting in one of the end chairs with her head down, her mane laying flat as she sobbed softly.

"Pinkie!"  I smiled and ran down to her, watching as she gasped and looked up at me, smiling as I reached out and scooped her up into a hug.  She squeezed me so tight it hurt, but I didn't mind as long as it made her feel better.  "What is it? What's wrong?"

She let go of me, hopping back up onto the table so she could be at my height.  Her normally bright eyes were soft and betrayed her true age, her smile had sunk to one as forced as a smile could be.  "Oh, it's nothing.  I was just super-duper worried about my most favoritest relative."  She said softly, diverting her eyes as she sat down.  She was lying to me, and doing a poor job at hiding it.

"Why are you worried?"  I asked as I reached my hoof up and brushed a tear from her cheek, giving her a soft smile.  "I'm fine, you see?  Nothing to be worried about."  I tried to comfort her, watching as she relaxed with my words.  "Now, why don't you tell me what's really got the best aunty anypony could ask for, all upset."

She gave out a sad sigh, drooping her mane in front of her in the same way that Longbow's did, her disappointment from a few minutes ago flashed in my mind.  Celestia, I really hope she and the others made it out alright.  Pinkie's eyes showed a slight amount of fear as she looked up again.  "It's because first you were early, and I didn't think anything about it.  You can never be too early to a party.  But then you didn't show up, and that's when I knew..."  She said right before a bright flash emitted from all around, quickly followed by the loud crack of thunder.

"But, I don't understand."  I said as I looked back at the quickly approaching storm, it's towering, black clouds for some reason gave me the impression it was unhappy.  But storm's can't be unhappy... right?  "Why would when I show up in a dream matter?"  I nearly jumped as another flash and boom caught me off guard, the wind started to pick up as I could feel fresh drops of rain on my coat.  The water was ice cold on my skin, my mind trying to remind me that I was drowning in the real world.

"Because..."  Pinkie said, her words full of hesitation.  "Because... it just does!  I'm Pinkie Pie, random is just my thing!"  She lied again as she hoofed at the tablecloth under her, her mane shifting in the increasing winds.  Why wouldn't she just tell me what was going on, and why she was so sad?

"I know you are lying to me."  I said as I got back to my hooves, taking off my flak jacket and placing it around her, shielding her from some of the rain.  The gears in my head spun out of control, forcing the same question into my head over and over, compelling me to ask. "Why am I here, Pinkie?  These dreams, why do I have them?"  I held my hoof up to the side of my head as I felt it pounding.

The sudden flash and boom shook the whole table, making Pinkie let out a soft gasp as she laid down, covering herself with the green vest.  "But I... I can't..."  She said softly.  "If I tell you, you won't want to come back anymore.  Even if you did, then SHE won't let you come back any more anyway."

"She?"  I asked as I lifted the vest up slightly, watching as Pinkie stretched out her hoof and pointed it to the sky behind me, causing me to follow it and turn around.  I froze as I looked into the oncoming storm, the middle of the cloud had been split open, forced apart like a jagged cut in the sky.  Sitting amongst the darkness that bled from behind it, a bright silver disk sat inside with the impression of a unicorn mare across it.  "The moon?  But... who is she?"

"Please, Luna..."  Pinkie said as I could hear her push the jacket off.  "But... I don't want to..."  she cried out, making me turn to ask what she was talking about.  She was staring up at the moon with a defiant look on her face, trying to stand strong.  "NO.  I won't let that happen!  You can't... but it's not fair!"  She screamed past me, somehow having a conversation with the mare in the moon.  The angry filly turned to me, her face washing over with sorrow as she looked into my eyes.  "I'm sorry..."

She jumped up and into the air as a bolt of lightning shot across the sky, her hooves coming down on my head as the thunder roared, echoing away slowly as darkness reasserted itself as my world.


-----


I came to coughing and choking up water as my whole body shivered, the sound of the Delamare river flowing just a few feet away accompanying the sound of approaching hoofbeats in the mud.  I was alive.  Somehow I had made it to the riverbank, and was mostly now in danger of freezing to death.  The soft flapping of wings made me open my eyes, letting me stare up into Skyline's face as she smiled down to me... no wait, she was upside down to me, that was a frown.

"Oh thank Celestia, you're alive!"  She said as she dropped down and pressed into me, hugging me tightly.  "What happened down there?!  We were all waiting for you when your 'completely harmless' robot friend blew the door up and sealed us in!"  Skyline leaned back and smacked me hard, although I didn't feel it (one of the many perks of going into hypothermia, although I don't recommend having it).  "Don't you EVER do something like that again!"

I turned as I heard the heavy thumps of power armored hooves splashing through the mud, watching as Longbow threw herself over the hill leading to the riverbank.  She slid down the hill and stopped next to me, pushing Skyline away forcefully as I could see her rage-consumed expression.  "YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"  She screamed as she kicked me in the side with her forehoof, knocking the wind out of me (Unfortunately, no amount of hypothermia can numb the feeling of an angry mare swinging a piece of steel at your chest).

"Don't kill him, Longbow, you can't be mad at him if he's dead."  Carlotta cooed sarcastically as she swooped down and hovered across from Skyline.  "You know you can stop playing the action hero, Backlash.  I know I said that you're a badass, but don't let that go to your head.  That was a crazy idea even by MY standards, and I have wings, I can do some pretty crazy things."  She looked down over me and shook her head.  "If ghost mare over there hadn't heard you scream like a little filly, Skyline might never have found you in time."

I looked over along the river bank as I got my breath back, watching as Willow Wisp stood silently and gazed into the water, looking like she was lost in thought.  After all she had been through, I couldn't blame her.  She stiffened up, shooting her gaze over to me, an extremly worried look forming on her face.  My ear tweaked as I heard a soft rumbling that grew in the air, I closed my eyes and flopped over, pressing my head down into the mud.  The sound was getting louder and growing closer.

"Backlash, what is it?"  Sky asked as she looked up at the hill, hearing the odd sound as well.  I heard a distorted beep come from my muddied Pipbuck, pulling it up and turning my head to read it.  I opened my eyes to see B.I.T. frowning.


"The Leviathan Megaspell has detonated."


The rumble quickly grew to a roar as I got to my hooves and dashed up the muddy embankment, surveying what was the south western outskirts of Fillydelphia.  A dim shine illuminated the underside of the entire flatland in front of me, making the ground shake violently.  I watched as dark waves of earth rolled across the muddy plane, the first of which nearly threw me back down into the river.  I tried to steady myself as a series of immense cracks resonated through the ground and the air, the whole of the flatland in front of me shifting and tilting inward, looking as if the land had just exhaled a deep breath.

The shaking stopped as the last of the waves shrank down, leaving the air still as I stared at the sheer magnitude of the newly formed depression, the glow dying off to leave night dipping back into it's natural darkness as I shivered from the cold.  I was now probably standing at the new highest point on the outskirts of Filly as Longbow plodded up next to me.  I watched as her horn glowed, throwing on her helmet to survey the area using the suit's enhanced night vision.

"Sweet Celestia!  There's a shallow crater that must be at LEAST a half a mile across!"  She turned to me slowly.  "Backlash, what did you do?  What in Celestia's name was that?"  I was about to tell her I had no idea when B.I.T. sent out another beep.  Longbow leaned in with me as I looked down at the screen, hoofing a bit of mud off of it and doing my best to keep my leg still as I shook from the cold.


"The Leviathan Megaspell was commissioned and designed by M.A.S. to use a framework of gravity reversal spells that would cause compression waves underwater.  The intention was to implement Leviathan off the Zebras' coastal regions to clear the way for amphibious assault teams, but the project was ultimately suspended by Ministry head Twilight Sparkle due to the fact that it's omnidirectional deployment could have put allied coastal cities in danger."


I was shivering badly and words became harder and harder to form.  "B... but it didn't deto..nate under...water, h..how did it.... collapse t..the ground?"  I said as I sat in the mud.  I knew I needed to get warm, but my curiosity was winning out for now.  I watched as more words scrolled across, my ears picking up the heavy stomps and the excited voice of Brass and what I assumed to be P.I.N.K. as they came towards us from along the riverbank.


"The prototype spell was designed from the theory of using a megaspell to create an earthquake, but in order to displace that much water, they needed to increase the strength of each spell layer to near unthinkable levels.  Twilight had even noted that she was afraid that if it was ever detonated underground, the resulting megaquake might cause part of equestria to slide into the sea."


"Well... at le... least tha... at did... didn't... hap... pen."  I said as I felt P.I.N.K. stomp up beside me, the large legs sinking down into the mud.  I turned my head and went to wave, not feeling as my other hoof slipped and gave out, flopping me down in the mud with a wet splat.  My body shivered furiously as I felt stabs of pain in my insides.  "I... th...th...think... I ne..need... f..fire."  I managed to stutter out, watching as darkness crept around my vision again.

The voices of my friends drifted off as I felt so tired all of a sudden, and Luna knows I'd earned a bit of rest.  Maybe I could just lay here and get in a good nap.

> Chapter 11 - Over the Horizon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 11

"Clock is ticking, Twilight!  Clock... is... ticking!"

-----


My Pipbuck jabbed uncomfortably into my side as I stirred awake, reflexively making me attempt to roll over and pull the heavy blanket further over myself.  I was surprised to not only still feel the jabbing sensation, but found myself thrown off the edge of the bed by my own strength.  I fell out headfirst, letting out a loud grunt as half my body flopped onto the floor.  As the pain in my side ebbed away, I writhed my rear hooves free from the twisted blanket and let out a long sigh.

"Aye, yer finally awake.  Had a bit of a close call with yah."  The gravelly and oddly accented voice of a stallion spoke up from next to me.  He sounded almost like a pony from Trottingham, but it was slightly different, rougher somehow.  Mostly I'm surprised I've never heard an accent like his before.  I rubbed at my eyes with my hooves, squinting up to where the voice came from.  "Let me be tha first ta tell yah, if yer friends hadn't flagged us down, yew'd be nuthin' but another corpse by now."  I stared up in my blurry vision, gazing at bright yellow pony who sat on a large white chair no more than a leg's length from me.  I felt myself get pushed off the bed completely, my flank slapping against the wooden floorboards quite painfully.

"My... friends?"  I asked groggily, my stiff muscles painfully reminding me that I was still recovering.  At least with the only copies of the Mirror Pool project files safely entombed in my Pipbuck, I could finally give my body a rest.  My eyes refocused on the strange pony in front of me, his yellow outline reforming as a bright raincoat and hat, while the stranger in question was actually a unicorn ghoul.  His charcoal black coat had shallow, crimson-colored cracks running across it, the only hair on his body I could see was a great, big, bushy, grey beard.  The one thing that really stood out from him though were his eyes.  They were about the lightest shade of blue I had ever seen on a pony.

"Yessir, yer group is certainly an odd lot, what with that griffin, steel ranger, an' ghost in tow, but they seemed like nice enough folk ta me!"  He let out a wheezing laugh.  "Well, I dun' actually know, but they didn't shoot me when they asked fer help.  It's sad that it says a lot about a pony when they don't shoot yah or rob yah blind."

I felt myself slide back underneath the bed, almost as if being pulled by an invisible force.  I dug my hooves into the wooden floorboards and scrambled to slide back out, getting up as I felt myself get pulled the other direction.  I tried to stop, but I slammed into the other side of the small room we were in, smacking against the wall as the ghoul laughed.

"Woah now, looks like it's time ta git back ta the helm."  He said as he got up off the toilet that he had been sitting on, holding his hoof out and steadying me.  It wasn't how he said it, but moreover what he said that made my brain strain to put things together.  His horn glowed faintly as his magic gripped the doorknob to the tiny room, the gears in my mind having just enough time to figure out where I was.  A small, simple room that had a toilet placed as it's only real chair, the now constant rocking, and the only other time in my life I had heard someone use the word helm.

His magic swung the door inward, the floodlights outside of the room confirming my fears.  I felt like I had been bucked in the gut when he stepped out, the endless rolling of the ocean greeted me as he turned and trotted out of sight.  The darkness of night matched with the howling winds drove the fear I felt deep inside to hook into me, taking root as my heart started to race.  My stomach churned as I tried to keep myself steady, my throat trying to tell me what comes next.  I threw myself towards the toilet, shoving my head into the foul-smelling bowl and heaving hard, spilling the remains of Brass's stew into it.  

"I hate boats."  I grumbled out between heaves, the low rumble of thunder filling the air.  At least staring into here, I could at least pretend I was on dry land, or at least on really windy and wobbly land.

"Oh, you're awake."  The soft voice of Willow came from behind me.  I would have liked to see where she was poking through, but my stomach and the boat was making that a really bad idea.  "I'll go tell the others, unless you'd like to be left alone?"

"Actually, I need to know something."  I groaned as I felt us hit another strong wave, sending the boat bobbing and rocking stronger.  I heaved again, sending what I hoped was ACTUALLY the last of the stew down the drain.  "Back on the riverbank, you looked at me as if you knew what was coming, like you knew the megaspell was going off?  Could you tell?"

"Oh well, I didn't really know."  She sounded embarrassed as I heaved again, listening as best as I could while my seasickness make it extremely hard to concentrate.  "I just felt it in my horn, you know?"

"No, I don't"  I used my hoof to wipe the sick from my muzzle.  "Earth pony and all."

"Oh, right.  Sorry."  Now she sounded ashamed.  "I was a unicorn before all... this."  I assumed she was looking herself over.  The boat jolted and a wave washed across the deck as another burst of thunder shook the air.  "Maybe you should come down here with us, it looks like it's going to get pretty bad out."

I heaved again, this time nothing came up, which was good I suppose, it still hurt though.  "Yes, I suppose I should just walk across the constantly tossing surface of this deathtrap to find a door.  A door that I'll use to get further away from the lifegiving air I'll need for when this hunk of junk sinks."

"I can stay up here with you."  She said with a note of hope.  "Well, if you don't mind that is."  she paused for a moment.  "I don't think the others like when I'm around."

"I'm sure that's not true.  Hold on."  I said as I turned my head, watching the door to the room swing freely as we rocked against the growing waves.  I got to my hooves slowly, keeping my right foreleg wrapped around the lip of the toilet to steady myself.  Another sharp jolt forced the ship up quickly, slamming me back down as yet more water rushed over the deck.  The ice cold water ran into the room, washing along the floor and my hooves before slipping back over the railing that was the only barrier between me and the merciless deep.

The freezing water brought the fear of drowning bubbling back up to the front of my mind, forcing my legs to act.  I jumped over to the door, slamming into the wall as I swung it, nearly closing it before another strong wave tilted us to the side.  The heavy wooden door swung back as I tried to steady myself, the round copper handle catching me off guard as it slammed into my head.  I yelped and kicked the door again hard, slamming it shut.  I held my hoof to my right eyebrow, feeling it was tender to the touch, but it wasn't bleeding.

I trudged over to the bed and climbed up onto it again, pressing myself into the corner as Willow watched me through the floor.  She gave a small laugh as I pulled the blanket back over me.  "I'll tell the others you are alright."  She said before dipping down and out of sight.  How she could be so calm about being able to pass through things, I don't think I'll ever know.  Well, thinking about it, I don't really WANT to ever know how that feels.  I like touching things, being able to touch things was kind of nice.

She popped her head back up, a confused look on her face.  "Your friend Longbow wants to know how 'you of all ponies' can get seasick."  She scrunched up her muzzle as she thought about it.  "Then your friend Brass started laughing a lot.  Is it some sort of inside joke, or something?"

"Tell Longbow that it's because waves are unpredictable, the ground isn't."  I said as the ship jolted again, slapping me against the wall roughly.  "And tell Brass that next time I take out the Maruader, he gets to ride where the trunk was."

Willow dropped below the deck again as the wooden floor creaked loudly, the wind now howling relentlessly outside.  The gears in my head hadn't stopped spinning since I found out some random boat saved us.  That didn't make any sense!  Fillydelphia didn't have a working port and the fishing around there was lousy from the radiation.  So what were they doing in the Delamare?  A loud boom of thunder shook the walls as the boat weaved and bobbed, the storm growing worse by the moment.

"Again, I'm sorry."  Willow said softly as she rose up through the floor, her voice filled with regret as she sat down on it.  "About your mother."

"Ah, well it wasn't your fault, but that's something I'd rather not talk about right now."  I didn't want to think about it anymore, I had been through enough turmoil in the last forty eight hours, let alone the last two weeks.   Actually, I have no idea how long I'd been out.  "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Uhmm."  Willow seemed to be caught off guard by the question.  "Well, we all were pretty tired once we got on the boat, so we all slept for a while.  I don't think we've been more than a few hours, but ever since I regained my memories, time has been hard for me to keep track of."

"But, you... still need to sleep?"  I asked slowly, not even sure if a normal Alicorn would ever need it.  "Do you still need food or anything?"

"No, I don't suppose I need much of anything anymore."  She spoke with a sigh.  "But when I slept, I could see my old life.  The ponies I knew from around that cruddy, little town; my cruddy, little house..."  She smiled a sad smile.  "My cruddy, little husband."  She trembled softly and stifled back a sniffle."

"You mean Ponyville?"  I asks slowly.  I knew it was small and dilapidated, but cruddy wasn't the word I would have used.  Well, maybe now after 42 ran through.

"No, that's just where I grew up."  She sighed softly.

"Tell me then."  I patted the bed next to me, giving her a smile.  "If we're going to be stuck on a boat together for a while.  I'd at least like to get to know you a bit."

She looked hesitant, probably trying to think of any reason not to.  I wonder if she was always so shy before the goddess got to her, or if it's just a side effect of being locked away for years inside her.  "Do you really want to know about me?"

I braced myself as the boat shuttered, a crash of thunder outside made my mane stand on end.  I banged my head against the wall as we pressed on into the storm, getting startled as a plank popped out and dropped on to the bed next to me. "Yes, actually.  I'm sure that the others feeling uncomfortable is just because they don't know you yet.  Besides, talking is helping me not feel so sick."  I leaned over and looked inside the hole, smiling as I gazed upon a hidden bottle of apple-flavored wild pegasus that was still two thirds full.  "So, where does one go from Ponyville?"

"Well, I went where I wanted mostly."  She said as I hoofed the bottle from the wall, wrapping it in the blanket so it wouldn't roll away.  "Both my best friend and I, we wanted to go out and see the wasteland, find amazing treasures, get rich, then retire somewhere nice like Tenpony."  She sighed again, this time with happy nostalgia.

"I remember that feeling."  I said before clamping my teeth around the cork, yanking it up with a satifying pop.  "Young, dumb, irresponsible."  I let the feelings of my teenage years soak back in.  I mean, I still had them, but between gangs, manticores, killing joke, and the increasing amount of crazed faction ponies, real life had somewhat dulled the feelings down. "But adventuring is expensive.  What's your talent?  Has to be something good to make enough money to live that style life."  I held the bottle in my hooves and lifted it, feeling as the liquid burned in my throat, making me feel warm and relaxed.

"Well, uhmm.  I don't really have a name for it.... but, I can see things underground?"  She said slowly.  I could tell she was struggling to describe it to me.

"Can't anypony do that with a lantern or light spell?"  I asked before taking another drink.  Willow seemed to be relaxing more and more as we talked, and I was glad that she was opening up.  There is no more room in my life for strangers, but with the company I've been keeping, new friends are always welcome.

"That's not what I mean."  She said with a small laugh.  "I mean, I can see things when they are still IN  the ground.  Chests, bodies, bullets.  Once I even found a Stable!"  She rubbed her chin thoughtfully with her hoof.  "We never did find the entrance though, they seem to hide them extremely well."

"You can see through the ground?"  I cocked an eyebrow at her as we hit another large wave.  "How does that work?"

"If my Dad were here, he could tell you in the most unintelligible science talk you've ever heard."  She laughed and smiled.  "All I know is that my horn would hum and I could see everything under me."

I took another drink of the sweet whiskey, the soft throbbing from my head hitting the wall over and over was slowly disappearing.  "Sounds like the perfect talent for an adventurous pony, did you and your friend ever hit it big?"

"Nah, the best things we ever found were some old emergency shelters that were stocked with plenty of food and medical supplies.  That brought us a few thousand caps in total, but it's hardly worth mentioning."  She waived her hoof dismissively.  "Well, not compared to our business, we found lots of interesting things for other ponies.  They would pay us an exorbitant amount to find the simplest things."

"You two had a business together?"  I smirked and thought about how well Sky and I worked together.  "Who was the boss?"  I brought the bottle up to my lips, taking a long pull from the now half empty bottle.  "Who made the deals and chose the contracts?"

"Definitely Mud.  She could talk her way into or out of anything."  Willow's expression brightened as she remembered her.  "She once sold a set of Vertibucks to the enclave only using a single, near pristine rotator cuff we found in a scrap heap as 'proof'.  They paid her two thousand caps and thought they were getting a steal!"

I would never scam a customer like that, but I couldn't help but laugh at that.  For the first time since she regained her memories, I heard Willow sounding like she was actually enjoying herself.  She held up a hoof as she panted and tried to stop laughing.  "Best thing was, Mud was just a name she pulled out of her flank before the deal!  So for a good month, the Enclave was running around the wasteland in the middle of the rainy season, asking if anypony knew where they could find mud!"

I doubled over laughing as suddenly my troubles from the last few days seemed nowhere in sight.  Not even the rough waves and booming thunder could get me down, which wasn't exactly true as just then, a strong wave bashed into the ship and threw me to the floor.  I watched in horror as the half full bottle flew through the air, slowing down as it started to glow bright white.  I looked up to see Willow's horn shining brilliantly as she levitated the bottle to the bed, jamming it between the wall and the sheets.

"I didn't know your telekinesis still worked."  I said as I tried to get to my hooves, the alcohol making my coordination a bit off as it started to sink in.  I'm really glad my mutation didn't keep me from getting drunk off sweet apple whiskey.

"Me either."  Willow said in amazement.  "I haven't been able to use it or any spells in this form until now.  But I just reached out by reflex... hold on."  She huffed and glared at the bottle for a moment.  "Nope.  I can't seem to use it at all now."

I shrugged and walked my way back towards the bed, being thrust toward it as the ship jerked and rolled back.  I slammed my chest against it as I clambered into it again, grunting as I sat down.  "So, you two had a treasure finding service."  I said as I hooved the bottle back up, taking a long long drink as she nodded.  "Where was it?  I'd like to meet this silver-tongued mare sometime."  Maybe see if I could win in a battle of negotiation...  "you know how it is, talk business pony to business pony."

She looked at me puzzled.  "No, I don't know."  She said sternly, glaring at me for a moment before a smile crept across her muzzle.  "I see what you did there..."

"Ok, ok."  I smiled and pointed my hoof at her  "That was revenge for the whole unicorn comment earlier."  I looked at the bottle as I raised it again, noticing that only a third of it was left.

"Well, we had set ourselves up in Futura."  Willow said with a slight amount of pride.  "Tiger Lilly just fell in love with the architecture there."

I spat out the mouthful of whisky at the name, watching in slight sadness as the mist floated through a surprised Willow.  "Tiger Lilly!?"  I nearly screamed.  "Your best friend is the dealer in the house of tomorrow!?  Owner of Lost and Found!?"  I watched as Willow smiled and nodded happily.

"Yes!  So you know of her then?"  She leaned forward as I felt my jaw drop.

"Know her!?  That no-good, undermining, silver-tongued rogue has swindled me out of more caps in one go than the average trader makes in a month's time!"  I growled out, wedging the bottle back down.  "I can't believe your best friend is the evil, scheming mare that Skyline kept pushing for me to date."  I folded my hooves against my chest with a huff as Willow tried to stifle her laughter.  "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

Skyline and I made constant trips to Futura.  The whole settlement was founded in what used to be a pre-war showcase for 'The Homes of Tomorrow'.  The whole settlement doesn't consist of more than 4 or 5 large homes surrounded by sheet metal shacks, but it being smack in between Appleloosa and Baltimare made it a good hub for trade.  The one place I made sure never to miss when I was there was Lost and Found, as Tiger Lilly always had some new, rare piece of pre-war arcano-tech that she wanted to pawn off to me.  I had even recently contracted her team to find me something, although she charged me far too much for what it's true worth is, but that spark battery controller was that last part the Marauder needed.

I giggled as her laughter sunk in, infecting me with it's unrelenting pleasantness.  "Ahhh, you know, I don't normally say this for mares older than me, but I do actually find her rather attractive."  I nodded and grabbed the bottle again, drinking again as I brought her up in my mind.  Her sandy-colored tan coat nearly matched her strawberry blond hair, her always determined look gazing out from behind a pair of bright red, round rimmed glasses.  And don't even get me started on how she showed off her flank every time I was around...

"She's not old.  She's only what, thirty..." Willow gasped mid sentence and smiled as she looked up at me "Uhm...."  raising her hoof to point at me, making me look down.  "Looks like maybe the scheming mare you hate so much, isn't so bad after all..."

As my faced turned what was probably the color of a ripe tomato (not that I'd ever seen one outside of pictures in books), I gasped and drug the heavy blanket over my stiff neathers.  "It's the alcohol, I swear!"  I yelped in embarrassment, pulling the near-empty bottle close.  "Oh Celestia, why can't I get her out of my head now!"  I leaned back and hit my head against the wall several times, thumping it quite hard as the boat tilted and threw my head against it harder than I wanted, making me wince.

"Oh my!"  Willow gasped, clearly enjoying my torment.  "You know... she told me once what she wanted if she ever met a stallion as talented as her."  Her voice dropped to a sultry, teasing tone.  "She said she would want to strap you down and put that silver tongue of yours to good work."  The fact that I hadn't had a good rutting in a LONG time (that I could remember at least) along with the booze clouding my mind made it so easy for the images to form in my head.

"You're evil..."  I grunted out as I tried to fight the urge to clop myself in front of Willow.  I found that the solution was easy.  Keep my hooves and muzzle busy by drinking!  I tilted it back and took a few quick gulps of the apple-flavored goodness.

"Trying to distract yourself by drinking?"  Willow waved her hoof slowly before pointing to the bottle.  "Well, that won't help much longer."

The door to the room slammed open, startling Willow and causing me to scream like a little filly.  The Ghoul with the raincoat trudged in and closed the door with a slam, dripping heavily from the storm raging outside.  He looked with a small frown down at the bottle in my hooves before levitating his rain gear off with a sigh.  Well, that sure did the trick, mood killed!

"Now look what yah went an' did.  Yah drank the bottle o'whiskey I was savin' fer when I got back with my ex-wife."  He said as he levitated it from my grip.

"Oh... a wave knocked... and I just... "  I turned and gestured at the wall in an attempt to explain, all the while starting to feel horrible for effectively stealing his special whiskey.  Spending so much time scavenging can make a pony forget what's not theirs sometimes.  "I'm sorry.  I'll replace it when we get to a trading post."

Willow and I just sat and watched as he lifted the bottle to his lips, drinking the rest of it without even the slightest hint of the burn.  A smile grew across his face as he laughed.  "I'm jus jokin' with yah!"  he said as he tossed the empty bottle into the corner.  "That greedy bitch died in the war over a century ago, I'm glad she went up with everythin' she got in tha' divorce!  Yah shoulda' seen the look on yer faces!"  He walked over to the toilet, levitating the top off and pulling out a half empty bottle of scotch.  "The only crime here is that yah started without me!"


-----


The floor was nowhere near as comfortable as the bed, but it was at least semi-warm.  I stretched and let out a yawn as I heard a loud knocking in my ears.  I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep when the knocking turned into a pounding, making my head hurt.

"Captain!  Get up, Captain!  The cloud cover is gone and I think the storm blew us off course."  A stallion's voice called out through the door.  I smirked as I lay there, thinking how odd it was to be referred to as 'Captain Backlash'.  I don't know why, but I kind of liked it.  I should make Brass call me Captain from now on.

"Hold on ta yer bits, I'm comin'!"  The gravelly voice of Captain Tempest in the bed above me spoke so loud that it almost hurt.  Right, still on a boat, and definitely not the captain of said boat.  I opened my eyes slowly, sitting up far too quickly and hitting my head on the bed frame above me.  I rubbed the back of my head as I regained my focus, watching as the old ghoul kicked one of the empty bourbon bottles from last night across the floor.

He levitated his coat and hat on as he stood, making sure they were on just right before opening the door.  I whined and covered my eyes as an amazingly bright light poured in from outside, a calm, cool breeze blew into the room that made my flank feel extremely good seeing as I think I had managed to go the entire night without getting off.  Now if only the breeze could help soothe my aching pride.

I slowly pulled myself out and across the floor with a groan, getting to my hooves with little problem.  A good day's rest and my body loved me again!  Well, I think it was a day, Willow never actually did tell me.  Regardless, onward to the outside!  I stepped forward and hoofed at the door handle, pulling it open to blind myself with the light outside.  I slammed the door shut and blinked a few times, the odd after image of calm waters seemed eerily blue to me.

I quickly threw the Captain's blanket around me like a cloak and opened the door again, now able to withstand the onslaught of light if I squinted hard enough.  I stood in shock as I looked out over the bright blue water, tracing it away from the boat to where it continued with where the horizon should be, but then it kept going.  It was just like it was in my dreams.  It was... the actual big blue sky!

"Dun' jus' stand there!"  The captain called from my left, leaning out of what must have been the wheelhouse, which wouldn't be surprising, except it was up a flight of stairs and the front of the ship went on another twenty yards past it.  "Git up here an' out of that blasted sunlight before yah get burned!"  He said before disappearing back inside, the squeaking sound of the steel hatch grinding away at my hungover brain.

I slowly turned my head and looked down the rear end of the ship, quite amazed to see that it went on for another twenty yards.  I've seen ships this size moored at Friendship Island every now and again, but never have I been this close to one, and never have I heard that any of them ever head south to Fillydelphia.  Not to say that it never happened, but this whole mess was just one great enigma I needed to figure out.  I made my way to the stairs, climbing up to the deckhouse as the door swung open again.

"Oh hey, Backlash!  Isn't it great!"  Brass shouted gleefully.  "We're on a boat!"  He giggled and ran past me down the steps.  "If only mom could see me now!"

I groaned as my stomach gurgled at the word boat.  I know I've been looking at it, and I can feel that we've been bobbing up and down, but my brain for some reason wasn't convinced it was real until he said it.  I quickly ran down the steps and threw myself against the railing, throwing up again as I purged the cocktail that had been mixing in my gut overnight.  I coughed as I hung limply and looked into the water, watching as a few flicks of silver traveled up to the spreading sick.  The large fish schooled around it for a moment before deciding it wasn't food and swimming off.

I heard the low, single rumble of thunder on the horizon, looking up for the storm clouds but found none.  I was just about to mention it to Brass when a loud whistle grew in the air.  I curled up and ducked against the railing as a large black object crashed into the water and exploded maybe fifty yards away.

"YOU HAVE ENTERED A RESTRICTED ENCLAVE MILITARY ZONE.  CUT YOUR ENGINES AND PREPARE FOR INSPECTION."  The amplified voice of a stern mare came from above, drawing my gaze to the lowering Vertibuck over the rear of the ship.  "THE ENCLAVE WISHES YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR COOPERATION IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED."

I pulled myself back up using the railing, slowly making my way to the back of the ship as the door on the side of the large black vehicle opened.  Four armored pegasi trotted out and formed into pairs of two, each group heading up separate sides of the ship.  Their exotic-looking, magical energy weapons, shiny carapaces and bug-eyed helmets made them look like other worldly invaders from the Space Captain Andromeda comics I used to read as a colt.  I watched as they turned and disappeared into the ship without a word, Captain Tempest was walking down from the deckhouse slowly as the other crew ponies onboard went about their various tasks.

"You there, remove your cloak."  A mare's voice called from the Vertibuck's hatch, making me cringe.  The way she ordered me to do things reminded me of Strawberry Sorbet, a military pony through and through.  I turned to object, finding the sheet ripped over my head as she tore it off.  I squinted and raised my hoof to cover my eyes, only to find her take my hoof, twist it painfully, and before I knew what happened, somehow found myself flat on my back next to her.  I clenched my eyes shut as the bright sun beat down on me.

"Attempting to assault an officer while inspecting the breach of a forbidden travel zone  is in violation of the Civilian Enforcement Act under article four, subsection seven."  She tweaked her hold on my hoof, making me whine as pain shot through my shoulder.  "You are to be held by the Enclave as a prisoner until a court can be convened to try you of your offences."

"Oh cut yer yappin', what's yer chest say... major?"  Captain Tempest shouted as he approached.  "The only thing he's guilty of is havin' a hangover, he's not in any shape ta fight, I mean, jus look at him!  Black eye, light sensitivity, an' absolutely no coordination."  I wasn't sure if I should be glad he was defending me, or insulted by the way he was going about it.  "Other than him, the H.M.S. Gallant and her crew are at yer service!"

I felt as the Enclave mare loosened her grip slightly, but not enough to let go of me.  "Then as Captain, I expect you to keep a tighter reign on your crew members."  She released my hoof and stepped back.  "And you are correct.  Major Silver Star of Enclave R&D.  You have entered a restricted area, Captain, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but inspections are just part of the rules.  I'm sure we'll be out of your mane in no time.  Can I ask why you have entered this area?"

I got to my hooves slowly, looking up at the very official sounding mare.  She wore a tight fitting dark green suit  over her light pink coat, a plethora of small medals on it showing she was quite adept at her job.  Her silver mane glinted in the sunlight, only matched in intensity by her equally silver eyes.  She frowned as I looked over her, Captain Tempest moving to speak before being cut off from behind.

"Ma'am, we've found something."  The low voice of a stallion droned as he poked his helmet out of the side of the ship.  The young officer brushed past me and trot toward the open hatch, the Captain and I following curiously as she quickly dipped inside.

"Let go of me!"  Skyline called as she was drug up the stairs on the back of one of the soldiers, her forelegs and wings bound together with rope.  "Backlash, get them off me!"

"Skyline!"  I tried to push past the officer, which I should have known was a bad idea, but then again, that's why I normally like to talk before acting.  Once again, I found myself inexplicably on the floor, my chest hurting as this time my hoof was pulled around my back painfully.  "Let go of my sister!"  I yelled out against the cold steel floor.

"She is your sister?"  The Major asked boredly in disbelief.  "Unlikely, her pallet doesn't even match yours as a siblings should.  We'll have to run her through the system to see if she's a runaway.  You two, take her to the Vertibuck."  I listened as nopony moved a muscle, silence filling the air before the Major spoke up again.  "Private, I just gave you an order."

"And now,"  The smooth voice of Carlotta preceded the sharp click of her service pistol's hammer locking back.  "You are going to rescind that order."  Oh Celestia, that griffin know's how to save our flanks!

"I'll have you know that interfering in the detention..."  Silver Star spoke with authority, drifting off midway through her sentence as I heard Carlotta's armor creak slightly before Silver Star released her grip on me.

"And I'm telling you, I don't care.  Now let my marefriend go, or I'll make sure that a bruised ego is the least of your injuries today."  I turned my head and watched as the Pegasus mare stepped over me and turned around slowly, looking Carlotta dead in the eyes.

"Do what she says, cut her loose."  Silver Star said without taking her eyes off of the armed Griffin.  "I am only going to give you all ONE chance.  If you don't surrender, I am authorized to send this boat and all its occupants to the murky depths below."  She lowered her gaze as Skyline's bindings were cut quickly, using her muzzle to gesture for the soldiers to head out.  "And that is not a threat.  If you refuse, it is a promise.  I only ask that you reconsider for the sake of everypony on board."

"I only ask that you run your pretty little self along, get back on your transport, and be glad you all can still run away with your tails tucked between your legs."  Carlotta cooed as the soldiers stepped up past us, trotting back toward the Vertibuck.  The Major walked past me slowly, keeping a wide berth around Carlotta. "Oh, and Major?" The pegasi stopped mid step, looking over with a glare that could melt steel.  "I would like you to know that your cooperation is highly appreciated."

We all breathed a sigh of relief as the Major turned the corner, trotting back down the deck toward the waiting Vertibuck.  Skyline bolted up the steps and pressed into Carlotta, hugging her tightly as the griffin put her pistol back on safe.

"Captain Tempest, Do those deck guns still work?"  Carlotta called out as the old Ghoul stepped back outside.  Wait, deck guns?  What kind of fishing boat had deck guns!?  HOW DID I MISS THIS?!

"Yew betcha, Miss Carlotta!  Jus gotta warm up the ol' targeting system from the bridge!"  He yelled back as he turned toward the stairway, trotting up it as the black transport dipped down along side the boat.  I watched curiously out the hatch as the flying ship shimmered in the light of the sun, skimming over the water to slowly pivot around to face us.

"Carlotta, what's going on?"  Sky asked in a panicked voice, prodding the stern Griffin as she stood with a frown.  "Why do we need the guns?  Aren't they just going to leave?"

"Sorry, but she wasn't lying.  If we don't fight, she will sink this ship."  Carlotta ran her talon through Sky's mane, keeping her expression cold.  "It's us, or them, and I'd rather not lose you or Backlash.  It wouldn't look very good on my record if I let a client die."

I heard the low drone of hydraulics powering up from outside, piquing my curiosity as Longbow and Brass ran up the stairs in a panic.  "Backlash!  They left a bomb on board!"  Both of them called out in near unison.  Brass stepped in front of Longbow.  "We need you down here!  You have to disarm it!"

I turned and followed them down the stairway, heading below deck and into a long corridor that with the exception of the bulkheads, ran the length of the ship it looked like.  They lead me up into the forward most room where an Willow was staring underneath a large wooden table that had been bolted to the floor.  I pushed past Longbow and got down low to the floor, looking up to see a large brick of plastic explosives wired to some sort of plastic and brass clock mechanism which had all been screwed into the table.  I let out a low whistle as I looked it over, each piece of the clock was held in place by an extremely small pin that if tampered with, could jam the inner workings of the machine.  Each screw had a wire running to it, probably a failsafe against removal.

"We need your skills with taking things apart.  I've seen wiring like this before and can walk you through disarming it, but your hooves and muzzle are a lot more steady than my magic."  Longbow said as she got down low next to me.  "If you try to separate it from the charge, it will explode, if you stop the timer, it will explode, if you try to unscrew it from the table, it will explode."  She let out a soft sigh, her look gave me a hint of sadness.  "I've seen this kind of bomb before, they only give access to this kind of training to star paladins or stealth experts and it's the only reason I can recognize it."

The room shuttered as the deck gun above fired, the boom drifting off quickly into the open ocean before the rear gun fired as well.  "With that gun firing, steady hooves mean nothing.  But maybe if this is designed anything like an alarm clock, then...."  I slid myself around the front of the table, getting a look at the other side of it.  I watched as the gears and springs inside twisted and clicked.  "Yes, the mainspring is still wound, although, not very tightly."  I said as I pushed myself back, the room shook again as the gun fired, the resounding crack of the round ripping into the Vertibuck echoed back shortly before the loud whoosh of a rocket passing above us.  "We have an hour, maybe an hour and a half before it's set to go off."

I was thrown into the table as the ship wrenched sideways, the blast of a rocket hitting the back of the ship filled my ears temporarily with the sound of ringing.  I flopped back onto the floor and stared up at the time bomb screwed into the table above me, hoping that we stayed afloat long enough to either disarm the bomb, or make it to shore.   The smell of smoke and sounds of shouting above prompted me to slide out from under the table and get back up.  Longbow's horn glowed as her armor let out a set of loud clicks, opening up as she quickly jumped out of it.

"Brass, take my suit and help the Captain!"  She yelled at him with an assertive voice, then turning to me.  "Backlash, you need to go with him.  I need time to form an idea on how to deal with the bomb in case you can't disarm it."

"I kind of like it when you order me around like that."  I grinned over to her as she sighed with a frown, turning and running down the smoky hallway toward the stairwell.  Brass rolled his eyes as he walked over to the suit, his horn glowing brightly as I heard a plethora of clicks and whirrs inside it.  The cloth lining was rearranging itself inside, changing sizes to fit somepony his size.

"Go and find out what we need to do to help."  Brass barked up at me in his best attempt to copy Longbow.  I mulled over the idea of tormenting him later over the fact that he kept trying to hit on me, watching as he stopped and stared at me in confusion.  "Go on!  This will only take me a minute."  He shooed me away with his hoof.  I turned and climbed the stairs to the deck, coughing as I walked clear of the billowing smoke.

"Aye!  Yah morons git below deck and put out those fires!"  Captain Tempest screeched at two stallions who were trying to spray down a blaze that was raging on the rear deck, smoke snaking up into the sky from the twisted hole that ripped through the side of the ship.  A red streak of movement caught my eye out along the water, the smoking remains of the Vertibuck was strewn over a wide area, Skyline was circling it along with Carlotta, hopefully looking for survivors.  "An' yew, Backlash!  Dun' just stand there!  Git down there an help the poor lads put it out!  I can't restart the engine when it's on fire!"  The Captain's worried voice pulled me back into focus before he climbed the stairs back up to the deck house.

Another boom on the horizon caught my attention, the slow moving explosive shell arced towards us, crashing down between the boat and the Vertibuck wreck.  Whatever the Enclave were guarding had to be pretty impressive to fire shells over the horizon with even that much accuracy.  I backtracked my way down into the hallway that was now completely full of smoke, I crouched as low as I could get and wished I still had that blanket to help breathe.  I yelled to get over the now constant roar of the fire that raged somewhere before us. "Brass!  You ready yet!?"

"Yeah!  I'm here!"  The heavy steps of the power armor vibrated the floor slightly, reminding me that there was maybe a pony's height of space underneath our hooves that kept us from the bottom of the sea.  He activated the lantern on the helmet and levitated a fire extinguisher off the wall, snaking the hose in front of himself as we came up to the first sealed bulkhead.  I put my hooves through the wheel and grunted, spinning it to unlatch the door.  I pulled it open slowly as smoke poured through, the orange flames of the raging inferno shot out the open side of the boat.

"Stand back!"  Brass shouted as he walked up, the unnerving groan of melting steel filled the choking air before he squeezed the handle of the 120 year old device.  

Nothing came out.

Brass shook the device in frustration, depressing the release lever with his magic a few times before throwing the device to the floor.  "Damn valve is probably corroded shut!"

"We need to get the sprinkler systems working!"  I waved my hoof toward the ceiling, trying to clear the smoke.  A heavily rusted iron pipe ran between sprinklers at the top of the wall, a thin red wire ran just above it, disappearing into small boxes that were connected to each nozzle above the pipe.  As long as the engines were off, the system didn't have any power feeding to it.  "Brass, can you cast a spark spell on the sprinkler line?"

"A... spark spell?"  His voice came through the speaker hesitantly.  He sounded... ashamed?  "No.  I'm sorry, I don't know how."  He lowered his head and scuffed at the floor with his hoof.  "I only know how to use telekinesis and light.  Those are the only two spells I've ever needed."

"And that's fine, Brass.  It's not like you've ever needed to save a burning ship before."  I tried to comfort him, flopping down onto the floor to avoid the thickening smoke.  "The system should have it's own compression, so all we need to do is get those lines open and the water will come out on it's own.  If only we could jump the engine, even if just for a moment..."  The gears in my head whirred to life and stuck a crazy thought into my head.  "That's it!  Brass, I need you to find me a good length of wiring and either a spark battery or a small energy crystal."

He looked confused for a moment before disappearing back through the hatch.  I kept myself low and looked along the metal floor, feeling about in the thickening smoke for nearly a minute until I could feel the handle of a hatch.  I hoofed it up, opening it to reveal the maintenance access for the below deck bilge pumps and pulled myself into the small space.  I wedged myself as low as I could get, my head barely sticking above the floor as I heard Brass step back into the smoky hallway.  The thought that I was sitting maybe only a half an inch above the depths sent a chill up my spine.

"Backlash!"  He called out, his voice booming through the suit.  "I'm back, but the smoke is thick enough that I can't see, even with the headlamp on!"

"I'm over here!"  I waived my hoof up out of the hole as I found the old pump and followed it's wiring back, stopping as I realized what he had just said.  "Just... follow the sound of my voice.  I should only be a few steps aw..."   I looked up out of the hole just in time for him to take a step onto my face.

"Oh Celestia!  I'm sorry!"  He cried out, stepping back and lowering herself to the floor.  "Longbow gave me a small energy crystal and this much wire."  He floated over a small roll of spare wiring that I hoped to Celestia was long enough, dropping both items next to me as I rubbed my sore nose.  "What next?"

"When I tell you to, levitate the other end of the wire up to one of the boxes that sits over the sprinkler system."  I leaned down and bit down on the wire, unspooling it as I hoofed open the plastic pump circuit housing.  Just as I thought it would be, the energy crystal was cracked and the insulated wiring had corroded, leaving the contacts exposed.  I leaned in and threaded the new wire around behind the exposed, old one.  Another large blast shook the boat as the Enclave gunfire closed in on us.

I continued to wrap the wiring around, struggling to find a way to keep it connected.  "This would be so much easier if I didn't dump all the stuff from my saddle bags then lose my saddle bags anyway!"  An extremely discomforting groan emanated along the length of the ship.  If we couldn't get the fire out, the steel frame could give way and take us straight to the bottom.

I watched as the wire glowed softly, Brass's magic helping to secure it.  "Backlash, you don't have to do this all on your own.  I'm here, and all you have to do is ask for help."  He spoke down, now trying to comfort me.  I smiled to myself and hoofed the wire back up out of the hole, watching as he floated it up towards the wall.  "Uh, Backlash, the wire isn't long enough!"

"Damn it!"  I yelled and slammed my hoof on the floor.  "Without the pump, I can't transfer the power!"  I knocked my head against the floor plate above.  "Think, think, think!"

"I have an idea."  Brass said slowly, his words hinting that he didn't really want to use that idea.  I heard as he repositioned himself, the wire going taught.  "Ok, Backlash.  Turn it on!"  He said, for some reason anticipating... pain?

"Brass, what are you doing?"  I asked, standing up and digging my hooves against the floor plate to pull myself out.

"Backlash, stay down there."  He called over sternly.  "I'm using the suit to bridge the circuit.  Just trust me, it's the only way this will work."

"You don't understand, Brass, these crystals carry enough charge to fire magical energy weapons.  That means it holds enough charge to kill a pony ten times over!"  I strained and pulled myself out of the hole, coughing heavily as the black smoke stung my eyes.

"Backlash, I know the risks."  He laughed as he spoke with a hint of sadness.  "Besides, if it doesn't work, we'll all be dead anyway."   He turned off the lamp on the helmet with another chuckle.  "Best thing that happens is that it only fries the suit and Longbow might be pissed enough to throw me overboard while I'm still in it."

I laughed nervously, the gears in my head not giving me any other solution.  "Well you're going to have to be the one to tell her you fried it.  I've already got the blame for wrecking yours."  I slid back into the confined space, scooping the small red crystal into my hoof.  "Hold on to your butt!"

I scraped the old crystal away, hoofing the new one in place.  The pump let out a groan before sputtering a few times and dying, running just enough of a current through the wire I had put to throw the sprinkler system valves open with a screech.  I heard Brass let out a scream before the armor dropped to the floor, the wire falling as his magic faded.  The pressurized water immediately sprayed out along the hallway, the hiss of cooling steel was music to my ears as I scrambled out of the hole.

"Brass!?  Talk to me, Brass!"  I coughed and stumbled toward the bulky suit, feeling as my hoof pressed against the chest plate.  I leaned down and pressed my ear against the side of it, listening through it as best I could, trying to block out the world around me.  "Brass, I need you to say something!"  My ear twitched as I thought I heard something, but frowned as only silence followed.

"Ow....."  the muffled sound came from inside, making me gasp and laugh.  If the sprinklers going off was the sound of music, the set of clicks that came from the unlatching armor was like hearing music for the first time.  You'll never appreciate any sound the same way after that.  Brass let out a groan as the water sprayed down onto him, looking up at me slowly.  "You're in the afterlife as well?  Then this must be hell."  He grinned and stiffly got to his hooves.

I smiled and prodded him with my hoof.  "Yeah, well at least now you know why I hate boats."  I wheezed and choked, stumbling forward.  "We should probably leave."

Brass and I trot forward, stepping through the bulkhead with relief, Brass using his magic to close and seal the door.  The both of us were gasping to take in large amounts of less smoky air.  I trotted over to the stairwell, climbing up towards the bright light streaming in from outside as I heard Captain Tempest laughing.

"Dun' worry, Major, I won't hurt yah.  I'm sure that were it left up ta her, she'd have left yah out there ta die!"  Major Star was still alive?  That's the first good news I've heard today!  Maybe we can convince her that the the Enclave should just leave us alone.  What am I thinking?  She's probably got some super villain plot all cooked up that she's going to spill out and practically beg for somepony to try and stop.  And you know what?  Two super villains is enough for me, she'll have to find somepony else to fight, I'm on fucking vacation for now.

"When I get off this floating scrap heap, I'm going to make sure that the Enclave sends out EVERY LAST SHADOWBOLT to hunt you down."  She raged as I stepped outside, tugging and struggling against the line of rope Carlotta was finishing tying her up with.   The Major huffed and flopped down, her fury receding slightly.  "Look, If you let me go and turn yourselves in, I'll do my best to get you life imprisonment.  But I can't promise you that."

"Jus' shut yer muzzle while I'm still tryin ta keep us afloat!"  Captain Tempest yelled back as he walked up to me, not even flinching as the Enclave cannon fired again.  I watched as the round whistled overhead, barely missing us.  "Please tell meh that ya managed ta put the fire out?  We've drifted inta their range an they're getting a wee bit close fer comfort!"

I nodded and shook the water off myself as best as I could.  "Yes, if you couldn't tell, I got the fire suppression systems working again."  Captain Tempest turned and bolted up the stairs with an amazing spryness for a 150 year old pony.  I swung my gaze down to Silver Star, watching as she glared at me, turning her gaze to Longbow as she walked out behind me.  "So, Major.  About that bomb you left downstairs."

"Bomb? What bomb!?"  She looked back at me, genuinely confused.

"The one under the table your squad placed there!"  Longbow shouted, smacking the tied up mare with her hoof.  "Don't play coy."

"Longbow, she's telling the truth."  I put my hoof on her shoulder.

"But..."  Longbow looked back to me, even more worried than before.  "Then who put it there?  The Enclave are the only other ponies with access to tech like that."

"Other than you... Steel Ranger."  Silver Star glared up at Longbow spitefully.  "Was this incursion a plan by the elders?  How much do they know about the project?"  I watched as Longbow pushed me out of the way and put her hoof on Silver's neck, the pegasi mare slumping over before I had a chance to react.

"What are you doing!"  Sky shouted, diving down from above to shove Longbow off her, leaning down and putting an ear to her chest.  "You're lucky you didn't kill her!"

"Calm down.  I just hit the same point that Isaac hit on the Doctor."  She rolled her eyes and looked over to me.  "Backlash, we need to have a talk later."  And with that, she walked inside, disappearing as Skyline hoisted the Major onto her back.

"As do we."  Sky glared and strained to carry the mare as she turned towards the door.  "Just come find me once you're done up here.  I'm going to go see if I can help out with anything else."

The deck below us rumbled as the arcane engines came to life, the entire boat jerking and rolling slightly as the Captain steered us away from the enclave guns.  I walked across the deck as we pulled through the smoke that had plumed from earlier, walking up the steps to ask him where the closest civilized area was, and if we could make it there in the next forty-five minutes.  If not, the Enclave might have been our only chance out of here.


-----


"What do you mean three hours!?"  I plopped my flank on the floor as we steamed ahead across the great blue expanse before of us.  We had gotten out of range of the Enclave guns, but forty minutes was all I was willing to estimate was left on that bomb below us, and it was too risky to disarm.

"I'm already givin' her all she'll take!"  Captain Tempest hadn't even taken his gaze off the horizon as we spoke.  "Any more an' I'm riskin' ta tear her in half.  'Ave yah not seen tha gapin' hole back there?"

"Yeah, and I've also seen the giant deck guns that are kind of out of place on a fishing vessel!"  I walked up the the windshield and pointed my hoof to the boxy, computer-controlled cannon on the lower deck.  "That missile should have blown this boat in half, but it didn't because this ship is armored for some reason.  Not to mention, you were just randomly sailing along the Delamare and found us?  That all spells out a completely different story to me."  I turned and looked to the captain, seeing that he he was now looking at me with a defeated expression.

"Yew are correct that we didn't jus' happen upon yew at a chance, but I've been sailing tha Gallant fer neer 130 years now.  That Mare and her Ministry put those... monstrosities on mah ship, armin' her usin' some excuse about not havin' enough patrol boats fer the coast."  He smacked his hoof on the wheel.  "Said I'd be doin mah part ta defend Equestria, right before they went an blew it all ta hell.  Now I can't even take the blasted things off her, seein' as nopony has the equipment ta do it."

He looked sad as he spoke about his ship, but I couldn't blame him, seeing as I feel just as strongly about the Marauder.  But finding us still didn't make sense.  ARG! Why couldn't I have just asked last night when we drunkenly swapped life stories!? "But why were you in Filly?"

"Fer the same reason any pony would, cause I got paid ta be there.  Was told that I might find some folks needin' a ride ta Manehatten."  Captain Tempest sounded hesitant, like he probably shouldn't have said anything about it.  "Look, I'm grateful that yah helped save my ship, an I might consider talkin' about it later, but right now we've bigger problems on our hooves."

I sighed and turned to leave.  "Yeah, but this conversation isn't over."  I walked over to the door, hesitating as I contemplated pressing him for more.  My knees felt wobbly for a moment, drawing my attention down to them before the door swung open, slamming into the top of my head.  I backpedaled and sat down as I saw stars in my vision.

"Oh Geez, sorry Backlash!  I didn't expect anypony to be there"  Brass called out, propping the door open.  "Also, I took care of the bomb!"

"Do you ever normally expect ponies to stand behind doors?"  I groaned out as got up and stumbled forward, rubbing my sore head with my hoof.  I looked up as my vision returned to normal, Watching Brass puff up his chest in pride.  "Wait, what did you say?  How did you disarm it?!"

"We didn't need to!"  Brass nearly yelled, barely containing his excitement.  He was positively vibrating as I stared at him in confusion.  "Come on, I know you want to ask!"

"Ugh...  I'll humor you this once.  Only because you nearly burnt your flank off down there to save us."  I smiled and sighed.  "How did you do it?"

"Well, you couldn't remove it from the table without setting it off, right?"  He turned and pointed his hoof out towards the sea, nodding for me to take a look.  I walked over to the door, staring in disbelief at the sight before me.  Carlotta and Sky were placed on each side of a large, brown rectangle, slowly drifting over the water away from us.  "Nopony said I couldn't just remove the table from the boat."

-------------------
LEVEL UP!

+11  Repair

+4   Survival

NEW PERK:  Technomancer - You are the Macguyver of your generation.  There isn't something you can't do at least once with a little WD-40, Duct Tape, and insperation!  When using the repair skill on inventory items, you no longer need a duplicate item to restore durability, just an item of the same base type.  When using repair on any other object, you recive a bonus five points to repair if you are carrying scraps assossiated with the object.  (IE: Electronics for terminals, tubing for hydraulics, ect...)
> Chapter 12 - Old World Wounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 12



"Dear Princess Celestia. it's great to have fun, but it's even greater to have great friends."



-----


With the oppressive cloud cover back overhead, and all the excitement of the last few hours finally dying down, my stomach had made me painfully aware that I hadn't had anything since Brass's stew.  I had joined the others below deck in the kitchen where Brass was quickly fixing up a meal for the crew and us, insisting that he could make something better than whatever "mucklurk" soup was that they apparently ate last night.

"The other foals and I were all encouraged  to train under a second profession back home."  Brass went on happily to the whole group of us, using his magic to both slice up onions and one of the silver looking fish I had seen before the Enclave attack.  "My main focus was to become a mission coordinator, but as easy as that was, nothing about it ever changes.  It wasn't really challenging to me, you know, being my talent and all."

I could feel my mouth water as I sat at the table, slowly dragging my hooves across the smooth metal as I watched the steam waft up out of the large cookpot on the burners.  One of the crew members took a seat across from me, drawing my attention up to him.  He was one of the stallions Captain Tempest had ordered to fight the fire, and now that I look at him, he was not much younger looking than me.  His turquoise coat was covered in dark smudges of soot and only the roots of his short yellow mane were as bright as they should be.

He smiled toward me nervously as he saw me look him over, he was hard to read through his exhausted expression, but he looked slightly angry.  Why would he be angry?  The ship rocked again, the noise of a wave washing through the gaping hole in the side of the ship filled the hallway outside.  I let out a sigh and figured that anypony who nearly gets you killed is probably a good reason to be angry.  I sighed and leaned forward, putting my head on the table as Brass finished his story.

"and that's how I got to be so good at cooking!"  He rapped the ladle against the pot in front of him before hopping down from the stool he had to use in order to reach the stove.  I heard him walk up, patting me on the back with a hoof.  "Don't worry, Backlash, you'll feel right as rain once you try the recipe that Scribe Florentine taught me!"  I grumbled as he walked past, my stomach doing the same as he entered into the pantry.  The hatch behind me opened up, Carlotta and Sky came in mid laugh, both stopping before taking in big breaths.

"Oh Celestia, that smells like heaven!"  Sky called out as Brass trot back behind me, probably with more ingredients to throw into the pot.

"Thank you, thank you!  Just you wait, it will taste twice as good as it smells when it's done!"  Brass said joyously.  I turned my head to watch him cook again, Carlotta plopping herself into the seat next to me and blocking my view.  I looked up at her as she leaned down and looked at me, her eyes were ones of a cold and calculated mercenary.

"Something doesn't make sense."  She whispered over to me, stopping as the crew member across the table stared.  She turned her gaze to him and glared at him as he left the kitchen.  "Ever since we were, quote, unquote, rescued, I can't help but wonder what this rust bucket was doing in Filly in the first place."

"I know."  I pushed myself back upright, keeping my eye on Brass and Sky as she started to help him.  "Captain Tempest tells me he was paid to look out for us there."  I looked up at her as she glared forward blankly, a twinge of guilt on her face.

"Look, Backlash.  I need you to listen to me.  I think that bomb was the key to all of this."   She didn't even flinch when she whispered, just keeping her gaze locked forward.  "I think we need to consider the possibility that Longbow is still working for Sorbet."

"WHAT!?"  I gasped and stood up, backing away from the table.  "HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT!"  I screamed out, freezing as I noticed Skyline and Brass staring at me.  I groaned and rolled my eyes.  "You saw how she reacted to the audiolog!  She was mortified!"

"Mortified from what became of her step father!  Besides, you heard Longbow say it herself!"  Carlotta continued, now at full volume.  "She is the only pony on this ship trained to use explosives like that.  I know you don't want to hear it, but what if Sorbet planted her with you for exactly this reason?"

"I know it looks that way, but there's no way she would do that!"  Brass yelled, stomping over to join the argument.

"Look, I'm going up to talk to the Captain again.  Screw his unwillingness to tell me, the sooner we figure out who paid him to pick us up, the sooner I can clear Longbow's name."  I stomped my hoof and turned to leave.

"Skyline, can you make sure that this doesn't burn?"  Brass said as he floated the ladle over to her.  "I need to hear for myself how wrong Carlotta is and that Longbow couldn't do such a horrible thing."  Skyline simply nodded as Brass and I headed out the hatch of the kitchen, the heavy door shutting behind us with a clang.  

We cantered up the stairs and out onto the deck, the cloud cover darkening the sky to its familiar evening darkness.  The skies ahead were hazy with rain, the air feeling noticeably cooler.  As we went up to the deck house, I could see the brown shores of Equestria, a good sized town lay in front of us along it.  I squinted as I noticed the whole town seemed strangely off, but I was unable to place exactly why.

Brass's magic shoved the hatch open, the concerned voice of Captain Tempest coming from inside.  "Ah know it's short notice an all, but if not answerin' meh is another one of yer excuses ta be lazy, Dry Dock, I'll be usin' yah as bait on mah next run."  The captain slammed the receiver to the radio down onto the navigation table with a sigh.  "Is there somethin' ah can help yah with, Backlash?"

"Yes, Captain.  I need to know who paid you."  I said, looking out to the town as we slowly grew closer to it.

"Yeah!  We need to prove Longbow's innocence."  Brass cut in with an air of confidence.  One which I desperately wanted to share.

"Look, ah was tryin' ta aviod this, but yah forced mah position."  Captain Tempest rubbed along his neck with a fetlock.  "Yah see, ah dun' rightly know who mah pay came from, just that some mare in a fancy robe met me at tha docks in Friendship City.  She gave me five hundred caps and told me ta do a pickup down at Filly and tah not tell said ponies who paid."

"That's it?"  I asked as I walked to the front window, squinting out to get a better view of the odd town.  I'm sure there is something wrong about the town, and the gears in my head were spinning fast as they worked to figure it out.

"Fancy robe?  What color was it!"  Brass asked as if panicked.  "Did it have gold trim?  Maybe an odd symbol?"

"What color...?"  Captain Tempast repeated.  "ah dun know, some sort of red, and yes, ah believe it was gold trim.  That's all ah know."

"Then that means it was the Steel Rangers..."  Brass uttered slowly.  I continued looking out over the town, looking for anything out of place.  I knew there had to be something!  "Goddesses, Backlash!  I think Sorbet had the boat trip arranged!"

My eyes froze in the sky above the town as my mane itched furiously.  "Goddesses?"  I turned around and looked at the Captain, the gears in my head putting it together.  Nopony in sight, when we should have at least seen a hint of life.  No fires coming from the chimneys of any house, even with the cold of fall sinking in? Then there's the problem of my itchy mane everytime I look at the sky.  "Captain, I need you to turn the ship north and get the deck guns operating again."

"Yah must be joking, ah need to get the Gallant repaired, Backlash.  I can't git that done from out here, now can ah?"  The captain laughed, turning us instead directly toward the barren town.  "And why do yah need..."

I didn't let him finish, trotting to the computer and hoofing a pair of switches that read main battery start up and auxiliary hydraulic controls.  "Captain, that town has alicorns in it, we need to leave."

"Alicorns?  Dun' be daft."  He pushed me aside from the fire control panel.  "Those are just myths an' legends.  Don't tell meh ya still believe those foal's tales."  His horn glowed as he threw open the hatch to outside again, his expression shifting to one of anger.  "Now, if yah dun mind, ah'd like yah ta get off mah bridge."

Willow came up through the floor with a whimper, looking frantically around until she saw me.  "Backlash... she's near.  I can feel them."

I pressed my hoof into Captain Tempest's chest, slightly disturbed at how squishy his flesh was compared to Brass's. He looked shocked as he took a step back.  "Look, Alicorns are real, and if you don't turn this ship north or get those guns working, we're all going to die."

"Oh Luna..."  Willow called out  "I can see them, they're heading right for us!"  I looked up out of the windshield, three of them were flying low across the water, heading straight toward the ship.  "Backlash... I can hear her, she knows you're here."

"Shit!  Get the guns working!"  Brass cried out, scrambling to reach the fire control computer.

"The lot of yah are all mad!  There's no such..."  He never finished his sentence, his eyes going wide as he joined in gazing at the three purple monsters approaching us.  Brass's horn blazed as he worked the gun control terminal, hitting keys at a scorchingly fast rate.  The hydraulics of the forward deck gun whined to life as it rotated towards the front, the large gun levelling itself to the horizon.  "...that's... they're real.  Oh Celestia, they're REAL!"

The cannon lined up and fired, a trail of smoke blowing across the barrel as the right most alicorn evaporated into a cloud of red mist.  The remaining two split off, each going a separate way as the gun followed the one that flew high left.  The captain was shaking, plopping back onto his flank as he tried to process everything, muttering things I couldn't make out.

A section of windshield in front of us blasted inward, a blue alicorn staring through the hole as she became visible.  She glared at us, her horn glowing brightly before a loud crack filled the bridge, a bright arc of electricity striking Captain Tempest in the chest.  Brass and I both let out yelps as the captain collapsed to the floor.  "FOALS!  HOW DARE YOU FLEE US! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GODDESS CAN NO LONGER RISK YOUR FURTHER INTERFERENCE!"

"Leave them ALONE!"  Willow screamed, taking off from the floor and streaking straight through the blue monster.  The moment she touched, the goddess let out the a piercing scream into the air.  I hoofed at my head as the scream dug deep, forcing me to clench my eyes tight as I flopped onto the floor.  The roar of the cannon silenced the screaming as I felt a warm rain fill the air.  I needed to think!  I needed some way to get us all to safety.

"Backlash, we need to go!"  Brass yelled, making me open my eyes.  a fan pattern of gore stood out from the busted out section, the bridge had been painted a dark crimson from the remains of the Alicorn.  I could taste the metallic fluid that slicked off my coat slowly, shuddering as I looked over toward the young ghoul.  Brass had also been coated in the alicorn gore, shaking lightly as a deep fear ran from his eyes.  "Please, Backlash, we need to leave!"

"Don't worry, Brass, we're going to be fine."  I said slowly, running over to the door.  My hoof slipped out from under me and I ended up up sliding along the floor with a wet squeak.  The purple form of an alicorn stepped up the walkway out the door, the hint of a smile across her muzzle as I locked up.  Oh Celestia, this is it, isn't it!

"WE HAVE... RECONSIDERED.  THE GODDESS WISHES FOR YOU TO GO WITH THIS ONE."  I clenched my head as she pushed her voice into it again, I couldn't even tell myself to run as she stepped closer.  "AGREE TO GO AND WE WILL SPARE YOUR FRIENDS."

"Why does she want me!"  I shouted, trying to stall for time.  If Sky and the others could make it topside...

"THE GODDESS WISHES TO LIMIT THE FUTURE LOSSES TO THE UNITY.  THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE MAY BE... USEFUL."  She gave a stern gaze as her horn glowed.  "WE WILL LEAVE, NOW."

I finally got to my hooves as I felt the all too familiar teleportation magic warm the air around me, a layer of overglow enveloped the monstrosity's long horn.  I squinted and braced myself as I knew going with her was really dumb idea.  But do I really have any other choice if I want to save my friends?  Maybe this would be better.  If the Goddess kept me, the secrets of the mirror pool would be lost with me.  42 would never win.

"Get away from him, you bitch!"  Brass yelled, using his magic to shove a shattered peice of glass from the busted window past my face, sinking the jagged shard into the alicorn's neck.  "Let's get out of here, Backlash! RUN!"  I felt Brass jump onto my side, hanging off my neck as he gripped tightly.

"INSOLENT FOAL!"  She projected so loud that it made me jump, the light from her horn flickering before enveloping the group of us, the spell filling my ears with a light ringing as it took Brass and I from the ship.


-----


Pain.

The one constant in my life over the last few weeks has been pain.  I whimpered and clenched my eyes shut as the light from the teleportation spell wore away, my rear legs feeling like they had both been severed off with a hacksaw.  Brass released his grip from me as the ringing wore off.

"Backlash... the alicorn..."  He said, his voice filled with a joyous disbelief.  I didn't care about the alicorn, the pain in my legs were accompanied by a new sensation of not being able to feel or move my rear hooves.  Oh Celestia, don't tell my I've lost my legs!

I opened my eyes wide at the thought, about to spin and look when I froze, the sight before me helping to take my mind away from the idea.  The sad left eye of the purple alicorn brass had stabbed looked blankly at me, the entire right half of it's body merged into the brick wall of a building we were now inside.  The sharp glass still embedded deep into it's neck dripped crimson strands to the wooden floor, staining the dry, dusty wood.

"That glass must have caused it to loose focus.  Without concentration, teleportation is a dangerous spell."  Brass said, completely entranced with the oddity in front of him.  He spun around with a smile on his face.  "Good thing we..."  He stopped as his eyes drifted behind me, just staring as a grim expression sank in.  His gaze made my back legs explode in pain again, as if to remind my body that I needed to be suffering instead of for once giving me a break.  I tried to turn to look, wincing and whining as it only made the pain worse.

"Brass... what happened?"  I managed to get out just above a whimper, biting down on my lower lip until I tasted my own blood.  My words seem to have little effect on breaking him out of his shock.  "Brass?"

"I... I don't know what to do."  He spoke softly, not looking away from my legs.  "What do I do?"

I could feel my chest tightening, my heart started to pound against my rib-slab as panic set in.  "What's happened to my legs?  Why can't I feel them?"  No, that was wrong, the problem is that I feel too much from them; all of it pain!  Sweat beaded and rolled down my face as I tried to slow my breathing.  Panicking doesn't help anypony, Backlash, you have to remain calm!  Isn't that was Skyline always told me?  Brass was still frozen.  "BRASS!"  I yelled, making him jump and look up to me.

"Sorry, Backlash."  He shut his eyes and shook his head.  "The teleportation spell was miscast, your back legs are fused into the wall of this building."  My heart sank.

"That's ok, right?"  I asked, more so to try to reassure myself that I'd be fine.  "You can just get a hammer and..."

"NO."  He shouted, cutting me off and making my forelegs lock up.  "When we reappeared, your legs became PART of the bricks.  If I break the bricks, then I am taking part of your legs with it.  Magic might be able to separate you, but I'm sorry, I can't do anything to help."

My heart skipped a beat as something dropped onto the floor above us with a loud thump, muffled whispers came through it.  Somepony was upstairs, and I pray to Celestia they weren't hostile.  Brass's eyes lit up as he looked at the ceiling.

"Are they...bad?"  He lowered his voice to a whisper, looking at me as I did my best to look confused through the pain.  "On your E.F.S., are they red?"  I looked at it, completely forgetting that I had it again.  There were four markers, only one of them was red."

"Four total..." I winced and tried my best to keep my voice down.  "One is red."

"Stay there, Backlash!  I'm going to see if I can convince who ever they are to help us."  Not like I could go anywhere else, I thought as he galloped off to my right and through a doorway, his hooves clacking on the old floorboards as he ran.  My ears strained over the murmuring that erupted above me, hoping they don't shoot first and ask question's later.

"Don't panic Backlash...the mutation was worse... I think!"  I told myself as my knees started to shake, the burning in my legs making it hard to think.  What I need is a distraction, something to keep my mind off this!  I tensed up as tight as I could, pulling myself into S.A.T.S. as the pain in my legs flared, draining off as the Stable Tech spell once again saved me from my suffering.  Well, temporarily at least.

Without anything to target, the medical status screen fuzzed up displaying several boxes around the back legs of the figure that was supposed to represent me.  I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as I focused on bringing up the inventory screen, which brought up another kind of pain as it reminded me that I lost all of my gear escaping from East Orchard.  I looked across the tabs, sliding the display over to the audiolog section.

The first file in the list was displayed as 'Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log - Mirror Pond Research Merging and Repurposing Summary'.  Wow, that title was so long that IT could have used a summary!  Regardless, now is probably the best excuse I'll have to learn anything that could keep me several steps ahead of 42.  With that, a small rectangular box popped up, the voice of  the 120-year-dead ministry mare filling my head.

"Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log - Mirror Pond Research Merging and Project Repurposing Summary.

The Mirror Pond Ministry Relief project has been indefinitely suspended due to the inadequacy of the Pinkie clones' intelligence that was stated in my logs for the Basic mirror pond experiments.  Just in case the O.I.A. miss-files the originals, again, the summary of the closure of those experiments was due to one pair of clones having extensive relations with civilians. The subsequent births of two healthy foals have at least proved that the clones are physically complete, and not sterile as previously presumed.  Though the foals are being classified as the only good to come of this project, it proved that the forty copies we had made were unmanageable with their basic intelligence, diverting back to pinkie's primal need for fun too often to be deemed worth keeping the pool running.

The repurposing of this project is due in part that I had previously theorized that if I were to find a way to increase the amplitude of the magic running through the pool, I might be able to increase the intellectual capacity of each of the clones.  The low end of my calculations points to an intelligence rate where a set of clones would make for ideal soldiers, able to follow orders and operate equipment.  The high end of my calculations point toward keeping the copied pony's intelligence comparable to the base subject used.  If proven successful, I might even be able to use the pool to copy myself, possibly cutting years of research off of the I.M.P. project.

Though this requires the design and creation of a new class of Arcano-Flux reactor, something I have personally tasked Stable Tech to help work on.   As of now, I have filed the project requisition forms to build the test facility and prototype reactor.  Scheduled completion is in three month's time and, as per normal protocol, stage one of testing will begin the moment all the the preliminary checks come back nominal."

The log clicked and ended.

So, first log down and there wan't anything in it I didn't already know!  In fact, this one log contained everything I learned over the past few weeks!  Wow, all that pain and suffering seems like it was such a waste now.  If only I had this at the beginning...

The log screen fuzzed away, halting my train of thought as the crystalline form of B.I.T. built up in front of me.



"Thank you, Ministry Chief Backlash!  I knew that P.I.N.K. told me P-coding could be a nightmare to navigate, but it's so easy to get lost in it!"


Thank me?  Why?  I haven't even seen B.I.T. since I passed out in Filly!  Which actually reminds me that I need to ask her why the hell she sent me into the air above the Delamare.


"Oh, right.  Sorry about that!  I think I was off a single decimal point in the trillianth place on the Z coodinate, that or the entire alignment of equestria has been thrown off by almost a meter."  


B.I.T. tilted her head and looked over me. (well, as much as I could tell.  I can't know for sure when she doesn't actually have eyes rendered.)  But a single decimal place?  I could have died from that fall, hell I WOULD have if Skyline hadn't gotten to me in time.  How could this be so casual of a mistake to her?


"And yet you did survive."  B.I.T. gestured to poke at my chest.  "You know, there was a moment when I was routing the coordinates when I thought to myself, Why should I leave?  This is all I've ever known, why should I put my trust in the word of a somepony who is more or less a stranger?"  B.I.T. sat down, putting her hoof to her chest.  "Because they need me, is what I thought.  For the first time in a very long time, somepony needs me."


But, why wouldn't she have wanted to leave?  She was doing fine when I pulled her out of her casing and I trusted B.I.T. to get me out of that facility, and she did.  And now she said that she wasn't alright after all?  Celestia, Backlash!  For priding yourself on being observant, there is no end to your own stupidity, is there?  She got us out and the first thing I do is chastise her.  I needed her help, and I took her willingness for granted.  How horrible am I to just assume that she didn't have her own problems?  And what about everypony else?  Why, just a few minutes ago Brass risked his life for mine on the ship!


"Permission to speak freely, Chief?"  B.I.T. sat down on the floor, saluting me in a way that made me feel both flattered and guilty.  I would have nodded, but forgot I was in S.A.T.S., but she seemed to get the idea and relaxed.  "I was actually talking about P.I.N.K. needing me, but I must say.  With how you put it, you're kind of a jerk.  P.I.N.K. told me that as long as she had been observing you in the wasteland, your friends have been there for you every time you've needed them.  And you've not given a single heartfelt thank you to any of them.  Not even Longbow, who even I can tell is emotionally distressed over the nature of Lemon's last recording."


B.I.T. had a point, one which reminded me of something the Old Man used to tell me.  He used to say 'There is no quicker way to see what a monster you've become, than through the eyes of those who know you.'  He would repeat that line until he was blue in the face, believing in being an honest trader.  He knew that customers were friends, and that cheating out a friend was the quickest way to become a villain.  I didn't want to be a villain, there were enough of them in the wasteland now.

Isn't that what I've been doing?  Cheating my friends out of the comfort of knowing that I care for them?  But is it really my fault?  I mean, I have been trying to figure out a way to stop 42... NO, get that out of your head!  They have been trying so much harder than me to find a way.  Without them I would be dead already, and for that alone, I owe them more than I can ever give.


"You know, some of the things P.I.N.K. has told me that you've done in the wasteland would have made you a monster in the eyes of Chief Twilight, but there was a time before the war, where she and the other ministry mares would have devoted themselves to redeeming a pony like you."  She got up and started to fuzz away slowly.  "Chief Twilight made me to believe like she does, and that's ultimately what pulled me out of the East Orchard.  Sometimes, all it takes for a pony to change, is just being shown that they have a second chance to be better."


As the last of her disappeared, S.A.T.S. shuddered and ended, slowly drawing me back into normal time.  I felt as if somepony had turned on an electric cook stove and was slowly increasing the heat against my back legs.  With time agonizingly returned to normal, I cried out loudly, Brass's hoofsteps above being drowned out by my whining.

"I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean for it to be this way!  Oh Celestia, I'M SORRY!"  I screamed out and nearly collapsed.  Skyline has never left me, not ONCE has she failed to be there for me!  And Brass, even with how I've treated him, with what he went through for me, Brass has proven to be the most amazingly loyal pony I've ever met.  My ears perked up for a moment as I heard shuffling about upstairs, low drone of voices instead of gunfire was the only comforting thing I knew in the hell I existed in.

There was a lot of movement upstairs now, quick hoofsteps sounded down the hallway.  "Backlash!  I found a family upstairs who can help!"  He yelled as he rounded the corner back into the room.  An older, charcoal coated earth pony rounded the corner behind him, he held a sledgehammer in his muzzle, freezing and dropping it as his eyes were drawn to the half exposed alicorn.  A red-coated unicorn mare about his age poked her head around the doorframe, her purple eyes looking over me before she too gazed past me.

"By Celestia!  Is that what we're hiding from?  I... I thought it was the gangs!"  She closed her eyes and looked away.  "It... it looks just like the Goddesses!"

"You've never seen an alicorn before?"  Brass asked as the charcoal stallion grumbled something I couldn't make out, picking up his sledgehammer in his muzzle again.  I watched in horror as he craned his neck, swinging the heavy hammer up, before bringing it down against the wall.  I bit my lip again to keep from screaming, the metalic taste of blood filling my mouth before I felt it start to drip.

The stallion watched out of the corner of his eye as my blood dripped onto the wooden floor, a thin trail of smoke emanating from each drop as it hit.  He looked up into my eyes and gave me a look I wasn't expecting, he showed... sympathy.  He promptly swung again, the crunch of bricks punctuating each shock of pain that coursed through my body.  On one of his swings there was a loud crack, the wall shifting as part of it came loose.

The immediate crack that followed was not from the wall.  The surge of pain was so strong I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me, I heaved as my stomach wrenched.  The smell the burning wood drifted up to my nose as I struggled to keep myself from falling over.

The stallion dropped the hammer with a sigh.  "Damn, Looks like we'll have to cut him loose.  I'll have to get the Doc from next door."  He turned and looked at the mare, giving me a moment to notice that he had the same brand on his flank that Ripcord did.  That information was quickly pushed to the back of my mind as he gave the mare a kiss before disappearing around her.

"Brass... I'm sorry."  I clenched my jaw, my eyes trying to keep my focus on him.  "You help so much and I never thank you."  I groaned out as his expression became one of worry, I don't know why, but I chuckled to myself.  "Fuck, you've given more for me than I could have ever asked."

Brass shook his head.  "Everything that's happened to you, it's my fault.  If I hadn't kicked you into that bunker..."  He stomped a hoof on the floor.

"SHUT UP, BRASS.  YOUR NAME WAS ON THE NOTE TOO." I screamed, halfway to stop him from beating himself up over that, and halfway because I could feel the bone protruding from my leg.  I tried to keep my forelegs locked back to stop them from shaking so much.  "I don't know if it was fate or luck, but since we met, you are more than my friend, you've become part of my family!"  It was getting hard to focus, my head was pounding as sweat was running into my eyes, the smell of the acid slowly eating into the wood had now filled the room.

My ear perked as I could hear hoofbeats on the floor down the hallway.  My saviours returned quickly it seems, hopefully with a doctor who can fix all this.  The charcoal stallion trotted in, closely followed by a brown unicorn levitating a small bottle with him.  The unicorn had a prominent limp in his stride, his blue eyes unwavering as he looked at my legs.  He rubbed the grey stubble on his chin as he levitated a tablet of what looked like buck out of the bottle and up to his muzzle, chomping down on it without much thought.

"Everypony OUT, I've no time to waste as those legs aren't going to amputate themselves."  He said bluntly and as if he was almost bored.  I gasped as the realization of what he said hit home.  He's going to cut my legs off... just, take them off.  I caught him looking at my eyes, studying how I was reacting was my best guess.  "Oh don't worry, the hydra should leave you good as new." He dropped down to a whisper and gave a smile.  "But that's only if you don't die from the shock or blood loss first."  He closed the bottle of buck and tossed it away.

How is HE a doctor!?

"And you're their doctor!?"  Brass exclaimed with impeccable timing.  I watched the Doctor's horn glow, a particularly large rotary saw levitated through the doorway.

"How observant."  the Doctor snapped back at Brass.  "Now tell me Mr. Observant, what kind of acid are we dealing with?"  He set the large saw down and lowered himself to the floor, looking over the crimson pool below me.  I whined as my knees screamed at me, the pain in my legs dulling down as long as I could hold myself still (dulling down was a relative term when you've been in as much pain as I have).  The doctor looked  up at me with a slightly annoyed expression.  "Well, if no pony is going to tell me, I'll just have to start guessing..."

"How are we supposed to know?  His blood just changed a few days ago."  Brass took a step back as the Doctor's magic affixed what looked to be a plastic poncho over himself.

"Well then tell me, does it melt through metal, concrete, glass, plastic..."  the Doc started to list off.

"GLASS!" Brass's face lit up as he all but screamed the answer.  "It can melt through glass!  It doesn't seem to affect metal much, and obviously not wood very much either."  As he spoke, his words seemed to get harder to hear, the throbbing in my head seemed to lighten as the world started to roll.  I shut my eyes and shook my head, bringing everything back into focus around me.

I felt someone tap my cheek a few times, opening my eyes I saw that it was the Doctor.  "Hydrofluoric acid, nasty stuff. Which means both good news and bad news.  Which do you want to hear first?"  The charcoal stallion trotted back into the room carrying a big plastic bubble helmet.  As the doctor took it, I looked over to where Brass was, only to find him missing.  Wait, when did Brass leave?  "Good news first then, the acidity of your blood won't wear down my tools, so this should be quick."

The doc hoisted the large saw up in his levitation, flipping the switch.  The loud screech of the old blade spinning quickly filled my ears before it stopped suddenly.  The doctor nodded to the stallion and shooed him out the doorway.  "The bad news is that the active chemical in Med-X won't work for you, so this will be the worst pain you've felt in your entire life."  He clicked the button, the saw spinning up again as he craned his neck over to look at my legs, stopping the saw again.  "Oh, and I won't blame you if you pass out.  Just makes it easier on me not to listen to your screaming."


-----


After I woke up, first it was minutes that passed, then hours.  I didn't feel right.  Nothing felt right.  All I could do was sit on the captain's bed, stare at the door, and wait.  I knew somepony was coming to take me out of Captain Tempest's room, every fiber of my being told me that I wasn't supposed to be here.  That it wasn't right for me to be here.

"Yer gonna be fine, Backlash."  I heard the gruff voice of a stallion speak across the room from the desk area, the sudden words perking my ears as I looked up toward the door.

"Yeah!  you'll be fine!"  The soft voice of a young mare called out jubilantly from near the toilet.

"Hello?"  I asked, slowly getting to my hooves and sliding off the bed.  "Who's there?"

"I say, how does he not recognize us?"  A  very proper sounding stallion spoke from behind the coat rack.  I swung my hoof out, yanking the captain's raincoat off the rack as I looked behind it.

Nothing, just the wall.

"Cool ya jets there."  The stallion's voice came again from the desk.  "We're ya friends, ya know?  No need ta panic or nuthin'."

"My... friends?"  I asked, spinning around as the voices all seemed to chatter amongst themselves.  "But, where are you?"

"Why, right in front of you, of course!"  The gentle stallion spoke up enthusiastically.  I looked up at the coat rack, looking at the hat hanging on it.  "I must say, you flatter me with that look of yours, sir Backlash."

"Awww, but I want him to look at me that way!"  The mare from the toilet spoke up.

I smiled an waved my hoof in front of me.  "Oh, I see what's going on.  Very funny everypony.  Trying to cheer me up like this."  I wasn't quite sure why I said that as I walked over and hoofed open the tank on the toilet, looking for the speaker hidden inside.  It must be Skyline's idea, she's always wanted to prank me like this.  Didn't she?  Why did everything still feel so wrong?

"Oh my!"  The voice came from what seemed like in front of my face, startling me.  "You could at least buy me dinner first!"  I dropped the lid back on and scrambled backwards, pressing into the desk.  No, this isn't possible, it can't be!

"Watch it bub! I thought I told ya ta calm down!"  The desk yelped.

I collapsed onto the floor and panted hard.  It's OK, Backlash, you're just have a psychotic break.  It will pass if I just don't listen to any of the voices.  Won't it?  Oh Celestia, why can't I just be with my friends!?

"I say, what are you doing lying on the floor?  It can't be very comfortable, now can it?"  The hat spoke up.

"Oi!  Give 'im some quiet.  I think he's tryin ta rationalize us."  The desk responded.

"You'd have thought he would have figured it out by now."  The toilet whispered.

I pressed my hooves into my ears, whining as they continued to talk amongst each other.  I can't stand it anymore!  I rolled and got to my hooves, clenching my eyes shut as I yelled.  "NONE OF YOU ARE REAL!  GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  The creak of the cabin door swinging open broke my concentration, only the sound of the breeze could be heard, the voices now having fallen silent.

"Backlash?"  Longbow's voice asked softly.

My eyes shot open as I turned around.  Longbow stood in the doorway, the blazing orange sky behind her making her seem otherworldly as I stumbled forward, throwing my hooves around her.  She did the same, squeezing tightly as I cried into her wet neck, the warmth of it fading the longer I held her.  Why was she growing so cold?

"Longbow, you're freezing."  I said with a chuckle, pulling back and opening my eyes.  "You..."

Her neck was covered in cold blood, streaming from a single hole in the side of it as she stared at me blankly.  I couldn't do anything as she slumped out of my hooves and down onto the deck of the ship, landing with a thud.  She just lay there, unmoving.  Dead.

"She died for you, Backlash.  They all will."  the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie called from behind me.  I spun around instinctively, my mind torn with grief.  How could she have died?  How could I have let this happen?  "They'll all die and it's YOUR FAULT!"  I looked up as the pink pony started to cackle madly, parts of her muzzle and chest smoking and melting off of her.

"42..."  I whispered without even thinking, my mind now feeling like it weighed a million pounds.  I dropped to the floor as my eyelids sank slowly, 42 striding up to me and putting her muzzle to my ear.  I could feel her warm breath through my mane.

"See you soon..."


-----


I tried to scream, but my muzzle wouldn't open for some reason.  My mouth tasted of wet leather and musty, burning wood, both of which mixed with the blood from my lip and filled my nose with a pungent smell.  I was laying on my back, the pain from my rear legs was non-existent as I opened my eyes.

"Ah, you're awake.  You may have noticed the bit I put in your mouth, you screamed for a while before you passed out.  I took the liberty to make sure you don't annoy me again.  Oh, and I also take it you can't feel anything?"  the Doctor called down from above me, droplets of what I could only assume was my blood were running down his plastic poncho.  I nodded as I noticed his horn was glowing, holding a fuzzy red tube in his magic.  I couldn't focus my eyes as he lowered it down out of my sight.  "That will pass, I wouldn't want you to miss the fun part of hydra."

The fun part?  Having regrown one hoof already, I know there is no fun part of hydra!  There was a small prick in the side of my flank, the pre-war medicine working quickly.  Oh Celestia it hurts!  I screamed out as loud as I could through the bit, feeling as each muscle and nerve grew back at what seemed like an inch an hour, thrashing about as what was left of my legs repaired themselves.  There was a loud creaking that filled my ears and I could feel running through my legs, making me feel like I was being stretched out far enough that I should have been ripped in half.

I tensed up all at once, attempting to use SATS as my sanctuary again, delighted to see time come to a stop.  The pain in me ebbed away as I could finally think once more, the Pipbuck transferring me to the medical screen like it had last time.  I looked over the generic pony shape, the rear legs were replaced with dotted outlines, I guess to signify that I had none to speak of, well, not yet anyway.

I flipped the screen over to the audiolog section, wanting any excuse to keep away from the pain.  The audiolog list popped up and automatically dropped down to the next file, allowing me to read the title off in my head.  'Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 01 - Project Golem start up and preliminary data collection report.'  I played the log, once again hoping that it contained something useful in finding the mirror pond.

"Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief  Twilight Sparkle project log 01 - Project Golem start up and preliminary data collection report.

In three minutes time, project co-lead Copper Rivet is scheduled to give me word that the Arcano Reactor systems are fully operational and we can finally start transferring the flux reserve tanks into the main reactor assembly.  It's been three months of hard work, and both Pinkie and I are anxious to test the new system.  Although she appears normal around others, I am concerned for her state of mind.  All the running around she does with her ministry keeps her busier than I am, and even I have to excessively rely on my teleportation to get between...

[sigh]

I have to remember this isn't a personal log and that those details need to wait until nine PM to be recorded.  Now, where was I?

[knocking from a door ]

Hmm?  They've finished early?  That's never a good sign.

[door opening]

Oh, engineer Coal Briquette, I wasn't expecting the report from you."

The log clicked and ended, leaving only silence inside my mind.  Wait, that was it!?  Celestia, these logs don't even have anything useful on them!  If I wasn't hiding from the excruciating pain of my legs, I could just scream in frustration!  Why do I have to be an idiot and get into situations like this?

Calm yourself, Backlash, there has to be something useful on at least one of these.  Even if there turns out not to be, the notes must have something useful in them!  Somewhere in all... thousand pages of them.  At least the audiologs seem short, let's see, the next one's title is 'Ministry Of Arcane Sciences Chief...' you know, she's just going to repeat the title again anyway, just play it.  The file swapped to the next one down and popped up the little box.

"Three hours ago, the reactor team managed to save phase one from total loss when one of the turbine couplings cracked and jammed up the induction filter.

[deep, sad sigh]

If Copper Rivet hadn't reached into the system to clear it, I might have had to scrap the whole reactor and start again from scratch.  In doing so, she had to endure flux contamination along her entire right side.  Let my report state that Co-lead Copper Rivet showed exceptional resolve in the face of immediate danger and personally saved the lives of two of her fellow employees at great risk to her own well being.

[long pause and a shuffling of papers.]

Doctor Slip Cast told me that the flux poisoning wasn't giving her too much pain, but that she only had hours left at most.  I used the time I had reserved for my lunch to take her to her parents house in Manehatten, so she could be with them until she passed.  I will save the remaining details of the ordeal for what is sure to be an extra long personal log tonight.  I was informed earlier that the faulty coupling was replaced and we are ready to attempt phase one start up again.

As of now, the project is still on schedule and co-lead duties now fall on engineer Coal, end of report."

As the log ended and closed, I looked over the name of the file again.  'Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 02 - Project Golem Casualty Report.

I didn't really know what to think.  Once again, I took something for granted.  I've been so focused on finding the answers I need, I've completely looked past the fact that ponies died for this information.  They died not knowing whether or not the world was going to end tomorrow, whether or not their families were going to be safe.

Copper Rivet gave her life not just to save the project, but to try to save Equestria from it's fate.  I know that all these events played out over a century ago, and that there are a countless number of stories that were never told, but this one hit me differently.  The way Twilight went about talking about her was so... casual, like she was still just a name in a report, nothing more.  I could hear that she was saddened, deep down inside, but it made me angry that she wasn't more audiubly upset!  Copper Rivet was a pony!  She had a life, and responsibilities, maybe she even had a special somepony!

The audiolog list dropped down one more without me thinking about it, the entry playing on it's own as the log pulled me away from my other thoughts.

"Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 03 - Project Golem Phase One, day two status report.

With yesterday's successful testing of the sequential flux reactor, I have approved the work order to install the mirror pool.  The containment vessels I designed are performing above baseline expectations with no recorded innate magic loss.  I was correct that the decahedron was the perfect geometrical shape to resonate the innate magics of the pool.  It has made it somewhat difficult to transport, but one of Pinkie's Griffin chasers managed to lift the pair here in only a few hours.

[Knocking at a door before it opens]

Oh, hello Pinkie, I didn't expect you yet.  That seems to be happening quite a lot recently actually.  Please, sit down.

[Creaking of a chair]

Twilight, can I ask you something?

[shuffling of papers and the shutting of a file cabinet]

Sure Pinkie, what do you want to know?

[Short pause]

What if... what if this doesn't work? What if this is the wrong choice?  Maybe I could just find another way to be helpful!  I have plenty of ideas about other things, like maybe finding a way to make my Pinkie sense...

[hoofslam on a desk]

NO, Pinkie, We've been over this, the project will work!  I know you are worried it will end up just as chaotic as the previous experiment, but it has to work... for Copper.

[soft sigh]

Twi... are you alright?  Who's Copper?"

Once again, the audiolog clicked and stopped.  The first audiolog with something useful, but I can't for some reason find myself caring about it.  Why is the one hundred and twenty year old death of Copper Rivet weighing so heavily on my mind?  Maybe I just need some time to think about it.  What I probably REALLY need is one of those pre-war psychologists.  I have a mountain of issues I need to get sorted out.  First, as much as it was going to suck, I needed to get my legs sorted out.  I can't hide in S.A.T.S. forever.

I cancelled the spell and braced myself for the hell that was to come.


-----


"Backlash... wake up..."  A familiar voice called out.  I felt somepony slapping my cheek lightly as my senses returned, the wood floor under my back feeling cold as I shifted on it.  I opened my eyes slowly to see Brass's frowning face staring down at me... no wait, he was just upside down and smiling.  "One day, medicine is going to be really hard to come by in the wasteland, so I suggest you stop losing so many limbs."

I rolled over onto my hooves, happy to be able to move my rear legs again, happy to feel all four of my hooves on the floor.  I went to stand up, but jolts of pain ran through my flank as the muscles refused to lift me.  I whimpered softly as I dropped back down.  I forgot about the muscle weakness.  At least there wasn't an oversized safe waiting to crush me from the floor above.

"Oh yeah!  Doc Lodge told me to give you this."  Brass's horn glowed softly, levitating a small white tablet to my muzzle.  I opened my muzzle and bit down on the chalky buck tab, feeling as a surge of energy warmed my body.  I felt... good!  I stretched each of my limbs out as I lay there, noting how each one felt like it could buck right through solid wood, even the regrown limbs.  Last time Skyline gave me this, I ran our cart through the leg deep mud of the radigator forests in ten minutes flat.  "You really need to stop passing out all the time, it's like you use it to conveniently pass the time."  He spoke flatly.

"I really do, but I can't choose to do it any more than I got to chose my cutie mark."  I rubbed my eyes, feeling the cool air on my hairless rear legs.  "And thank you, Brass.  I value your honesty."  I looked up to him as he smiled.  "You have no idea how much it means to me.  How much YOU mean to me."  A blush flushed through his cracking skin as he nervously looked away.  I reached my hoof up carefully, prodding him in the chest as softly as I could manage.  "Brass, I meant what I said.  You are more than just a friend, you are family to me."

"Backlash... I..."  Even though he was a ghoul, it didn't stop him from blushing as bright as I'd ever seen him.  "I would totally hug the hell out of you if it weren't for the whole... burning... thing."  He gestured to my still bloody chest, a smile wide on his muzzle.  "It's probably dry by now, but I think we'll need to take a shower or three when we can."

"Oh, that does sound nice..."  I groaned and closed my eyes, trying to imagine the water running over my coat.  My ear flicked and perked as I could hear somepony approaching.  The door across the room opened as the Doctor limped inside, his horn glowing.

"I'm so glad you are recovering, it would have been a real shame for you to die before I got a chance to know who I was saving."  The Doc stated sarcastically with a smile, floating a fairly rusty looking bolt action rifle to his side.  "I've always been a sucker for my patient's stories, so tell me, why the hell did you appear in Redwing."

"Redwing?  As in the old mining town?"  I asked, probably sounding like a moron.  If that was true, than Brass and I were lucky we didn't teleport straight into Foal Mountain!

Brass stepped around me and stood firmly.  "We were taken by the alicorn.  It was injured and miscast it's teleportation spell.  We were lucky we didn't wind up inside the mountain."  Damnit Brass, you're on fire today with our like-mindedness!

"Taken?  So you two don't work for the Pinkos?"  He asked, swinging the barrel of the old weapon between us slowly.

"You think we work for the who?  You mean the 'Pink Mare's gangs?"  I grumbled and held up my pipbuck to him.  "We're the ponies that they're looking for."  I put my hoof down, straining to pull myself up.  My rear legs refused to bear the weight again, even with the buck running through my system, so I just scooted them apart so I could at least sit upright.

"Well then, if that's true, then maybe you could kindly pay your bill and get the hell out of town before you get everypony here killed.  They run through here every morning looking for you."  He moved the gun away, propping it up against the doorframe as he spoke.  The way he talked about us paying threw his voice off.  He wasn't being honest with us.

"Well Doctor Lodge, as I'm sure you already noticed, we don't have anything to pay you with."  Brass turned and joined me by my side.  "No guns, no barding, no supplies, no caps."

"Has anypony recently told you how amazingly observant you are?"  He squinted his eyes and sighed.  "But you do have that."  He pointed to my Pipbuck.  "The mayor has been searching for some pony with a working Pipbuck, I don't know what exactly for, but it has to do with something they found in the mine."  He turned around and limped out the door.  "Follow me, best to not keep him waiting!"

"Quick question!"  I called out to him, listening as he stopped in the hallway.  "How am I supposed to get there?"  Doc Lodge let out a loud sigh, levitating a pair of full leg braces around the doorway.  I looked to Brass and gave him a weak smile.  He nodded and used his magic to fasten the straps to me, wrapping the leather tightly to my bare skin as the metal frames creaked.

"Ok, I'll need to lock them in place once you stand up.  It's going to hurt, but I need you to stand long enough for me to do it."  Brass told me as his eyes fed me his sympathy.  I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to psych myself up for it.  I can do this, it's only a few seconds.  I leaned forward, dragging myself up with all my might.  My flank exploded in pain as I put as much weight on my front legs as I could.

Brass's horn flashed as my ears heard the clicking from the braces.  I groaned and evened out my stance, the pain in my rear legs still pulsing, but not unbearable.  I tried to stride forward, nearly loosing my balance as my rear hoof didn't have the freedom it normally did.  Ok, this was going to make walking really awkward.

"You got it, Backlash?"  Brass asked as he trotted forward into the doorway.

"Yeah, just have to take it one hoof at a time."  I smiled as best as I could and did just that.  I put one hoof in front of the other and slowly shambled my way out of the room.  The hallway leading to the front door was short, the only distinguishing feature was a single black and white picture hanging on the wall.  I glanced at it as I made my way toward the open door.  It was a photograph of a whole group of smiling pegasi in their enclave uniforms.  Shrugging it off, I made my way out to the porch, stopping as I reached the edge.

"We meet again, my old nemesis."  I muttered as I is glared at the single stair in front of me that led to the dirt road.  I went to take another step, finding myself enveloped in magic.  I looked up to see a layer of overglow envelope Brass's horn, his magic pulling me off the porch and softly placing me down on the dry dirt street.  The glow from his horn dissipated as he panted heavily, looking up to me with as much of a smile as he could form.

We continued along the vacant streets of the old mining town, the darkening skies making it hard for me to see where we were being led.  Redwing was not a town I liked to stop in, the ponies here were mostly miners trying to scrounge what little they could of what the old world missed in the mine.  But when you spend your life trying to horde as much as you can, you become mistrusting of others.

We turned around one of the buildings we passed, following as the road doubled back and followed the slope of the mountain.  The inn that Skyline and I normally stayed at was all the way at the bottom of town and I had never been through here.  I looked over at Brass, his eyelids hung low and his steps were sluggish.

"Brass, do you want to ride me?"  I asked without thinking, the gears in my head grinding to a halt as I realized how that sounded.  But, contrary to what I expected, Brass just kept walking along.  Wow, levitating me must have really taken it out of him.  "BRASS."  I raised my voice, watching as he jolted to attention just before tripping on a rock, dropping forward onto his muzzle.  I stopped walking as he flopped onto the ground and groaned, rubbing his muzzle between his hooves.  "Brass, get up on my back and rest."

"No, the extra weight..."  He started to say as he pushed himself back to his hooves.

"Not going to take no for an answer!"  I cut him off, pushing my head underneath him and hoisting him onto my head.  I grunted and did my best to nudge him along my neck.  I felt him sigh and slide down and hold around me lightly.  "Now was that so hard?"  I craned my neck to look back at him, met only with the sound of him yawning.  At least the blood on me is dry.

I smiled to myself and continued following the Doctor up the incredibly tiring dirt incline.  The only reason I had been keeping up with him was because even with as awkward of a gait as I had in these braces, his limp made him nearly as slow.  After a few more minutes, my legs we begging me to stop and rest, but we had just turned around another corner and I still didn't know how far we had to go.  I let my mind wander, thinking back to the Gallant.

Brass was right, Longbow couldn't have been working this whole time as a double agent.  I would have read it on her face the second she tried to lie, right?  No pony has been good enough to lie to my face, and I don't think that Longbow could be that convincing.  The emotions she had when we talked, they were the same as any other pony who wore them without deception.  How could I even consider her at all?

I looked up the road as the last bit of natural daylight faded, glancing over a rickety looking cabin at the end of the road.  A single, yellowing porchlight brightened the front of the structure, dim lights barely made it through the clothes that were hung in the windows.  As we trudged closer and closer, the gears in my head put out a disturbing realization.

For the first time in my life, I was on my own.
> Chapter 13 - Mistakes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 13

"It was a moment in time, that will never exist again..."

-----


Ok ,Backlash, keep your cool.  All you have to do is explain to the Mayor your situation and ask if you can borrow some sort of transportation to get back to Manehatten.  Easy as pie.  I mean, why should I be afraid of being alone, nopony has EVER been able to out-negotiate me.  Well, do draws count?  Because if they do, then Lilly always beats me.  Besides, how good could the mayor of a backwater mining town be?

"Are you a gambling stallion, Mr. Lash?"  Doc Lodge called back as we hobbled toward the porch of the mayor's cabin.

"It's just Backlash, and only when I can afford it."  I replied curiously.  "Why do you ask?"

"Twenty caps says that before the end of tonight, you'll willingly want to help us."  He said rather sure of himself as he stopped.  I let what he suggested bounce around in my head for a moment.  He wasn't feigning confidence, he definitely was stating it as more of an honest fact than anything, but that didn't mean I had to trust that he wouldn't cheat.

"You already know I don't have anything to pay you with, why make a bet if you know I can't pay?"  I stopped in front of the porch, staring down at the single, six inch rise to the porch.  This was going to suck.

"Oh, let me worry about how you'll get to pay me."  He waved a hoof in dismissal, letting a hint of malevolence through.  I slowly put one hoof up onto the porch, mentally preparing myself for the pain that would hit.  "Aren't you interested at all in what you might win?"

"Not... exactly!"  I groaned as I strained to pull myself onto the creaky wooden deck.  That actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!  I panted lightly as I looked over to the doctor, watching as he seemed to be studying me, seeing how I reacted to things.  It was actually getting to be really creepy.  "To be honest, as much as I'd like to stay and help, I need to get back to Manehatten."

Doc Lodge's magic opened the door as he hopped up and limped inside ahead of me.  I followed in, making sure to keep from knocking Brass's head against the wall (Because I'm more courteous than Sorbet's Rangers will ever be).  I looked across the cabin to a desk that sat to the left of the door, a very odd-looking ghoul sat in a chair behind it.

I say very odd looking because his body was oddly shaped for a pony and his muzzle was a light tan that transitioned to brown just past his frowning lips.  One of his light blue eyes had turned milky white somewhere in his life and his ears were just nubs, not to mention he had lost his entire mane.  The one feature that stood out though, was his frown.  It hung so low on his muzzle that I half wasn't sure if it was actually a frown, or that his muzzle was just slowly rotting off.

"So tell me, kid, why are you in my town."  He spoke as if this was a common conversation, as if he just needed to go through the motions of it to reach some conclusion.  "You lost, unemployed, maybe just..."  He stopped as he looked over to me, glaring down at my pipbuck.  His expression changed from one of boredom, to one of seething hatred.  "Where did you get THAT?"

"My Pipbuck?  I am current head of the Ministry of Morale..."  I tried to respond with authority, watching as that only seemed to make him quake with anger.

"LODGE, DETAIN HIM!"  He belted out as he slammed his chair back.  I turned just in time to see Doc Lodge's horn press into my forhead softly.  As soon as I realized what he was doing, I had lost feeling in all of my legs and flopped over onto the floor.  With the paralysis  spell numbing me, I could barely move my eyes, let alone blink them.  I really hoped that I didn't crush brass under me when I fell, but I heard him moan from next to my ear as he started to wake up.  "Hit his monster pal with it as well."  The ghoul calmly spoke, Lodge stepping over me and did as he was told.

"You kids just rest on the floor while good, old Pariah here tells you a little story."  He spoke as he walked back behind the desk.  I had a bad feeling that I had just stumbled upon yet another Wastelander who had his own agenda.  How the hell do I keep getting into these situations?  Oh, that's right, Skyline isn't around to keep me from being a dumb pony.  Well, that hasn't stopped me the last few times.

The telltale metallic click of a lighter flipping open drew my attention.  Lodge stepped back over to the door and looked over to where Pariah was lighting up a cigar.  The ghoul nodded softly to Lodge, watching as the doctor who had just saved my life, left me on the floor of this strange cabin.  Pariah took a few long draws off the old world luxury before shutting his lighter, sitting down in his chair as I head the front door latch shut.

"Do you know why I had you detained?"  Pariah started out, his internal rage seeming to quell as he smoked.  "My father was a good friend of the mare who founded the ministry you claim to belong to.  He and my mother would constantly tell me that they owed everything to her for what she did for them.  But when I was young, I got to meet Aunt Pinkie Pie for myself..."  He tensed up when remembering her, anger flushing across his face momentarily.

"She was always so happy and cheerful, and she always wanted to play games or pull pranks.  And for a time, I was happy, but like eventually everything does, things changed.  The war happened, and Aunty was off to run the ministry she had been handed, without little more than a goodbye to her so called, 'friends'."  He took a long draw off of his cigar, helping him relax again as he leaned back.  "Father had sent me here, to Redwing, telling me of how I needed to do my best to help Equestria.  And once again, for a time, I did just that.  I worked hard, rose through the ranks, and was generally seen as the up and comer to look out for."

A scowl grew across Pariah's face as he leaned forward.  "But then the Zebra's started losing, and looked to hire out any race they could.  Buying off Griffins, Dragons, and even the Sea Serpents to attack Equestria from every corner.  Admittedly, I should have seen it coming, but our fair Princess had deemed any non pony resident of Equestria was suspect to collusion with the damned stripes!"  Pariah gagged and coughed a few times, thumping his hoof against his chest to clear his throat.  I took the moment to think over what he had said, the gears in my head turning and throwing out what I should have seen.  Pariah wasn't a pony at all!

"Almost overnight, the friends I had made at the mine turned on me, calling for the M.O.M. to take us away.  Those fools didn't seem understand that the Donkey folk have always been Equestrians!"  He took another puff from his now half finished cigar, savoring the flavor before blowing a ring across the room above me.  "So I was lumped in with the couple of Zebra's who worked with us and carted off to Manehatten for 'interrogation'.  There, we were sorted by non-pony race and strapped into seats.  They spent hours having us recount our life's stories, and the ones they didn't think checked out, they interrogated via memory viewing and alteration spells."

I could see the anger welling up inside of him again, growing bit by bit while the cigar no longer did enough to help.  "I thought I was one of the unlucky ones, saying that they believed me, but when they were done, they didn't take me back to the mine.  They took me home."  He scoffed and shoved a set of papers off his desk.  "Using only the stories I had recounted of my father's journeys across Equestria, they deemed it 'necessary' to interrogate him as well.  Do you know what it's like when you are forced to stand and watch as your actions get your family arrested?"

He growled and dropped his cigar on the table, slamming his hoof down on top of it in anger.  "When they brought him back, he didn't even remember who I was.  He couldn't even remember who his own WIFE was."  Pariah reared up and kicked his desk, nearly flipping it over.  "That Ministry DESTROYED my father, they DESTROYED my family!  On top of all that, our Pink 'Friend' did NOTHING to stop it!"  He stomped up to me and placed his hoof on my neck, pressing down to where the still hot embers of his cigar burned into me enough that I could feel it through the spell holding me.

"That is quite enough."  An exotic sounding voice chimed up from behind me.  Wait, somepony else has been watching us all along!?  I let out a little whimper as Pariah kept constant pressure.  "He can not open the door if he is not in good enough health to do so."

"The ONLY reason you are still here Xin, is because of ME."  Pariah shot back to what I could only guess was a Zebra, as they are the only ones I know of who take odd names like that.  After a moment of silence, I watched as the rotting hoof drew off of me.  "You want him uninjured, than you just volunteered to babysit.  I'll have Lodge inform Miss Fury that she is now temporarily Mine overseer."

"What of the other one?"  Xin questioned curiously, stepping closer to me.  Please, Goddesses, if you can hear me, I need you to keep Brass safe.  I don't know how, but I will find a way to get us out of this place and make it up to you, I just need you to keep him safe!  I swear that I'll be a damned saint if you get us out of here.  Every minute we waste here is another that Sorbet has to find more megaspells anyway, and that wouldn't be good for anypony!

"Just fucking kill him."  Pariah snarled, pushing his desk back to it's upright position.  No!  I can't let this happen!  I desperately tried to tell my legs to move, but as hard as I tried to flail, they refused to budge at all.  My ear perked with movement as Xin took a step forward.

"If I may be so bold, sir, why waste a perfectly good pony when you could put him to work?  "  Xin spoke with what my mind now interpreted as the voice of an angel.  Luna, I know I've been asking you for a lot recently, but please, PLEASE let him agree.

"FINE, just get them out of here."  He snorted and sat down in his chair, putting my mind to rest for the moment.  Speaking of, my mind struggled to find an answer to the realization that if Xin was a Zebra, how was she supposed to take us anywhere?  Brass, she might be able to hoof up onto her back, but I'm not exactly a lightweight!  "Oh, and put them both in the cage.  Fury will be by to pick up the monster in the morning."

"As you wish."  Xin spoke, stepping up right behind me.   I watched my vision twist and rise up as she used her hoof to sling me over her... shoulder?  I was now staring down at the floor as my limp hooves dangled in front of me, feeling all kinds of awkward as she was standing on her hind legs only.  She turned and leaned forward to grab Brass before standing back up.

Part of me wondered if S.A.T.S. could be used to guide hoof based attacks, or maybe at least get my hooves to move through the paralysis.  The hope of figuring anything out was crushed as the gears in my head threw out the reminder that I had to use my muscles to activate S.A.T.S. in the first place.  Xin walked over to the door and used one of her legs to knock on it, amazingly able to balance on a single hoof.  I think I'm beginning to understand why Carlotta doesn't like Zebras so much, they are really fucking weird.

We left the cabin and stepped out into the darkness of night.  I could barely see the ground under Xin's hooves as we were hauled further up the mountain side, the sound of gravel crunching under hoof my only companion.  So, I'm stuck, but at least I'm not stuck alone.  I wish I could tell Brass how glad I am that he's been here, but I don't think anything I say could even come close to expressing it.  He keeps trying to ask, so maybe I should try to repay him with a date.  Even if I would never really date somepony his age, I think he's at least earned it.

After a few minutes of being silently taken up the trail, I started to wonder just how far we were going to go.  The constant swaying of Xin as she walked was starting to make me tired, and my eyelids were getting harder to keep open.  I couldn't fall asleep yet though, I need every bit of information my surroundings could give when I got to where ever it is we were being taken to.  My mind perked up slightly as some of the gravel started to reflect a bit of orange light.

The light grew brighter with each step.  The annoyingly unnatural orange glow of the fluorescent light ahead soon accompanied by the slight buzzing sound they were known to give off.   We stopped moving as Xin leaned to one side, balancing on a single hoof again to kick open a wooden... something.  As she leaned back onto both hooves, I swung across her and caught a blurred glance of her glyph mark.  Even if it was only a flash, the weird shape almost blending right in with her stripes.  I don't know why, but my mind thought that it was important enough to try to figure out.

As I was about to rock into view of it again, but instead found myself tumbling.  My mind felt for a brief moment like I was going to fall into the Delemare again, panicking about swimming with my body paralysed.  Of course this was completely idiotic, because I slammed into the dirt floor with a heavy plop.  My head had landed oddly and bounced to where I was stuck looking into the far corner of the cell, the dry bones of a long-dead previous occupant sat propped up in the corner.

My view was obstructed when Brass was carefully set down next to me, a soft snoring coming from his muzzle as he lay in the dirt.  I felt both annoyed and greatful that she had at least made sure to treat him with respect.  But why was she doing that at all?  Two times she has shown compassion for him, and two times I have had to feel feel greatful for it.  Maybe that was something I could use to get out of here.

I think it actually might work, remembering back to one of the old Zebra stealth magazines that Skyline had bought me.  The intention was to help me hide better, but it never helped because of my... body type.  (Don't ask me how I can be overweight in the wasteland.  I'm just 'gifted' like that I guess.)  It had an article that read that should you ever be captured, you should attempt to form a bond with your guard.  Making yourself and other hostages seem like more than just bargaining chips could be a good way to break their will.  But I couldn't shake this itchy feeling that Xin wasn't going to be that easy.

Wait... I have an itch!  FUCK!  And of course, now that I've thought about it, it get's worse.  Oh Celestia, if I can just ask ONE more thing of you today!


-----


"GOOD MORNING WASTELANDERS!"  The obnoxiously loud voice of DJ Pon3 called out into the air.  "You know what time it is!  NEWS TIME!"  I grunted and rolled over, reaching up to rub my eyes with my hoof and accidentally smacked my nose with my pipbuck.  For once, a dreamless sleep wasn't exactly what I was wanting.  I had been hoping that I was lucky enough to go back and see Pinkie.  Maybe find out why she was so distraught the last time I was there.

"Now, I know all my little ponies are still calling the Fillydelphia earthquake a megaspell, but the local Steel Rangers are reassuring that there is no trace of a blast or residual fallout, and have blamed the massive crater in the outskirts on the natural collapse of an underground cave system."  His smooth voice practically oozed across the airwaves.  Even though I didn't want to be woken up this early, he was one of the few I didn't mind doing it.

I opened my eyes slowly, seeing a few dim beams of light poke in through the wooden wall of... well, where ever I was.  I turned my head over with a groan to see Brass smiling down on me.  DJ Pon3 continued at a whisper, "If you ask me, I think they're lying in order to hoard a bunker of brand new toasters, but don't tell them your friend DJ Pon3 said anything.  Wink wink, nudge nudge."  Yeah, great time to be joking about life when Sorbet probably has every ranger under her command trying to gain access to every single megaspell Equestria has left.

"In other news, the residents of Tenpony..."

I reached my hoof up and turned the volume nob down until it clicked, shutting the radio off.  "You alright over there, buddy?"  I asked as I tried to get to my hooves.  I felt a shooting pain run up my rear legs as I was forcefully reminded that they didn't have the muscle to work them properly yet.  How long was it supposed to take to recover from hydra anyway?

"Yeah, I'm a bit stiff, but that comes from sleeping in the dirt.  Here, let me help..."  He said as he got up, his horn glowing dimly for a moment before a spark shot out from it.  He winced and stumbled for a moment before attempting to look at his horn with a frown.  "I think I'm burnt out.  Sorry Backlash."

"No, Brass, don't be.  I'm the one who got us into this mess in the first place."  Not able to fully get onto my hooves like normal, I spread my rear legs and walked myself up with my forehooves, sitting on the surprisingly warm floor.  "Besides, you're the one with the strong mind.  I need you to think us a way out of here."

"Where IS here exactly?"  He asked as he looked about.  I did the same, finding out that the room we were in was mostly made from hollowed out rock.  The only two features of the room was the pony wide, wooden door that was letting the light in, and a small hole near the back wall that I assume we were supposed to use as a restroom.  "The last thing I really remember is that we were following behind Doc Lodge and then my memory get's a little fuzzy."

"Yeah, Lodge tricked us.  We're being held hostage here in Redwing because Pariah apparently has a vendetta against the M.O.M."  I rolled my eyes and glanced at the hole in the ground.  I don't know why, but in just seeing it, my bladder reminded me that I hadn't gone since I was on the boat.

"But... what... Lodge? Really?"  Brass stammered, obviously having an issue comprehending the situation.  He shook his head wildly to clear it, a few strands of his mane floated to the ground.  "Who the HELL is Pariah?"

I attempted to scoot myself in a circle, trying to twist myself as my weak legs protested every time I instinctively tried to use them.  "He's a ghoul that doesn't like Pinkie Pie.  That's pretty much how I can sum him up for you."  Almost there, just a bit more twisting...

"And how did he know you were the head of the Ministry of Morale?"  Brass asked more to himself than me, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.  I grunted and drug my legs around so that I was completely facing the hole.  Great, now I just need to scoot myself forward!  "Wait... you told him you were, didn't you."  Brass gave out a sigh.

"How was I supposed to know he was going to hate me!?"  I called out, half scooting, half dragging myself closer to the hole.  "It's not like he had a sign out front that said; 'I hate the M.O.M. because of what they did in the war', just so I know not to tell if he asks."  I got myself to the hole finally, glancing down with a smile before coming to the annoying realization that I can't piss when I'm sitting.

"Well you should know by now that everypony you meet is probably going to try to kill you, Backlash!"  Brass retorted quickly, sounding more than a little worried.  "We're two hundred and fifty miles inland, with no supplies, no weapons, no way to contact anypony, AND we are being held hostage."

I tried to rock myself forward, hoping that I could get enough momentum to pitch myself onto all fours.  On my fourth rock, I had almost got it, but slammed back down hard onto my tail.  I let out a yelp, and instinctively jumped onto my hooves, quickly spinning to see a short, hairless nub sticking out of my rump where my tail normally was.  Thinking about it, my tail did extend further than where my legs had been in the wall.  As sad as I was to have a naked tail, at least it got me to my hooves.

Brass gave a little giggle as I looked myself over, bringing a small smile to my face with how ridiculous I must look.  "Ok, ok.  You're right, I probably should have seen this coming, but we both need to work together on a way..."  I stopped abruptly as I heard the crunching of gravel under hoof approaching.  I stepped up beside Brass and watched the door intently.

"Rise and shine, my little ponies!"  The delighted voice of a mare sang through the air.  Without a moment's warning, the door to our cell was flung open as a mare stood in the dusty, morning light.  "Rise and shine."  Her orange eyes were the first thing to catch my attention about her, the wide and mischievous grin she wore was the second.  "My, my.  Daddy did find me a new toy."  She moved her gaze from Brass to me, her smile fading to a disapproving frown.

She was studying me as much as I was her.  She was of larger than average size for a pony (no where near as built as Harmony was though) and had a sharp looking horn sticking out of her head.  Her mint green and bright yellow striped mane dropped over the side of her head in a tangled mess, making me wonder if she too had just woken up, or if it always looked that bad.  Her horn glowed as she levitated a coiled whip to her side, her smile growing again as she glared at me.  "They said I couldn't take you, but they never said I couldn't break you."

"Righteous Fury, you shall not harm my charge."  The voice of Xin called out in the morning air.  The Zebra mare appeared from behind her, cloaked in a dusty, brown leather trench coat and similarly colored, wide-brimmed, squat leather hat.   Her outfit seemed to be designed to help hide her face, forcing you to look at the tattered jacket and hat than to focus on her identity.  I had seen outfits like that before and was normally worn by bounty hunters.  "Take the small one to his shift, and keep to your duties.  Pariah expects nothing less then for you to do your job."

"Yeah yeah, miss mysterious."  Righteous Fury remarked with the toss of her mane.  "What's with the get up anyway?  It's kinda kinky if you ask me."  She grinned deviously as Xin stepped up beside her.  "Oh, now I get it, you're trying to impress the new guy."  Before Xin could answer, there was a low WHUMP that filled the air, the ground shaking for a moment as the hole behind me giving off a choking plume of dust.  "FUCKING MORONS.  What are they thinking, blasting this early!?"  Righteous hacked out through a fit of coughing.

I used my hoof to waft away some of the stale cloud as I coughed as well.  So it wasn't a piss hole, it was a ventilation shaft... well, I guess I would have ruined some poor worker's day had they not shown up!  "Can you walk?"  Xin asked, her gaze mostly hidden under the brim of her hat.

"Yes, but..."  I tried to respond, but got cut short when Xin tossed a lasso around my neck and yanked me forward.  I almost dropped to the ground, but managed to keep my balance as I did my best to trot after her.  I twisted my head back and called out to Brass.  "Just, do what they say!  I'll fix..."  I was cut off as the rope yanked again, forcing me to keep my head forward.  "Slow down!  I can't move that fast in these braces!"  I tried to call out, but my captor only seemed to ignore me as she lead me away from the rock face that we had spent the night in.  We had switched to a new path, one that headed even further up the mountain.

"It is only a short distance up, you will manage."  She commanded me, somehow speaking near perfectly through the rope in her muzzle.  I didn't even have time to argue before I was yanked along, climbing the rough and rocky path as well as I could.  I looked up as we continued, nearly stopping in awe as the cloud cover here was unnaturally low.  Part of me wanted to just keep climbing the mountain, it was only another two hundred meters until the clouds met the mountain.  As I was jerked to a stop, I realized that wasn't going to happen.

"We're here?"  I asked, sounding just as stupid as ever when I dropped my gaze to in front of us.  It was another cave entrance, this time the wooden door was part of a wall that stretched across the wide mouth only a couple meters in.  "What am I going to be doing anyway?  You mentioned something yesterday about a door?"  Xin trot forward, hoofing open the door before tilting her head for me to go in.  I did as I was told and walked past her, stopping just through the doorway as I gazed upon the most unexpected sight.  It was a large gear shaped door with the initials O7 cut into it.  This was another Orchard?

The weathered steel door was a far cry from the good condition of the East Orchard's, but I know that it was still standing due to the architects of old Equestria  being the best around.  The cavern the door sat in, on the other hand, was large, and just barely big enough that they had set a small military style portable inside of it.  Granted, it wasn't so secure anymore, seeing the whole front of it had fallen off and acted like a ramp up into it.  Inside were a set of rusty lockers, a wire frame cage with what looked like mining gear inside.  The desk that sat in the far end was separated by what was left of a wall, making a partitioned office that must have been quite homey to somepony.  The still working terminal on the dest glowed a soft green against the back wall.

My short spell of awe was broken by my bladder reminding me I still needed to complete at least one part of my morning rituals.  The wooden door shutting behind me as Xin trot ahead, tugging me to follow.  I didn't get more than a few more steps in before my body tried to prod me into paying attention to it.

"Umm, I need to take a piss."  I said defiantly as I pulled against the rope, letting out a wheeze and cough as it dug into my neck.  Ok, that probably wasn't one of my best of ideas, but it seemed to get the message across, seeing as she stopped with a sigh.

"You pony folk and your constant need to relieve yourselves."  She said while spitting the rope from her muzzle.  She raised a hoof toward a corner of the cavern by the desk.  "Fine, you may go over there, then you must get your gear on."

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but my legs were telling me that if I didn't walk now, I wouldn't make it.  I did my best to get to a trot, making the old metal frames around me legs squeal and grind as I made my way promptly to the corner.  I whined and used my forehooves to brace myself against the wall as I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Hey, what do you mean by gear?" I had nearly moaned over my shoulder, feeling so much better.

"You will dig."  The stark voice came from right behind me.  I nearly jumped my own height in the air as my heart slammed against my chest, my body telling me to run as my mind restrained it.  Why is it everypony insists on sneaking up behind me!  She didn't seem to be phased by my mini heart attack at all and continued without missing a beat.  "The door control panel was buried in an accident nearly three months ago.  You will dig it out."

My ear perked at her voice, the tone catching me off guard as she sounded somewhat sad.  I sighed as my body finished emptying itself, turning to only momentarily meet Xin's deep blue eyes.  She spun away before I could get a good look at her, but something about her face bothered me, seeming all too familiar.  She leaned down and took the rope in her muzzle again, dragging me again without warning up into the old office.

"Why don't you just blast the door open?  Or cut through it?"  I suggested, mostly because I knew that both idea's probably wouldn't work, and that they may buy me time to figure a way to get out of this crazy town.  And hey, both ideas gave me a pretty handy weapon to use if I wanted to just bust my way out of town.

"We tried.  The door is too thick, and it is magnetically sealed."  She spoke with a now annoyed tone through the rope.  Well, there goes that idea.  "And before you suggest cutting the power, the only way to override it is through the control panel."  She tugged hard on the rope and pulled me the rest of the way up the ramp.

Leading me over to the wire cage inside, she swung it open with her hoof and stepped aside.  I gazed down and saw a few battle saddle looking harnesses on the floor, each with an odd, plastic looking jug on the side with hoses coming out of it.  Xin pointed her hoof at it and motioned for me to take it, which actually made me happy, seeing as she just handed me part of a weapon.  I leaned down and bit one, pulling it out as I remarked on how tasting the 120 year old, caked on dust was not something I ever want to do again, even if it is half of a way out.

"Put the harness on, then I will fit the tool bit to you."  She spoke in her commanding tone again.  I didn't really have much choice at the moment, so I did as I was told.  I stepped over the harness and bit down on the control bit, dragging the saddle up as I felt her hooves latch it on with remarkable speed.  I felt odd as the modified saddle had the reload lever up on my foreleg, rather than rear, which was rather convenient seeing as I couldn't buck those legs worth a damn anyway.

Xin trotted in front of me, leaning in to the cage and dragging a heavy looking box out, a long, well worn drill bit stuck out of a pneumatic tube on one end of it.  She swung it over with relative ease and hung it on the saddle, the sudden added weight making my leg braces feel like they were bowing out.  With a couple of snaps, she hoofed the hoses from the other side of the saddle into the box, connecting the two.  It was... an interesting setup for a simple drill to say the least, seeing that this one ran on some sort of combustible liquid instead of spark power.  Though, I didn't think these drills were an old enough design to have been around for gasoline.

"Do not move while I get fuel."  Xin commanded yet again as a quick thought of me spearing her with the bit flashed through my mind.  Should I just go for it?  I could probably kill her, but could I really get out of Redwing without anypony noticing?  I would have to get Brass first, and that would involve getting him past the stuck up bitch who showed up earlier.  Fuck, why does my life have to be so damned annoying?

Xin opened the closest locker and pulled out an old bottle of clear water, which was confusing until she brought it closer.  The container reeked of alcohol, enough so that the fumes were making me nauseous already.  This thing running on alcohol actually makes a whole ton of sense, seeing as nopony has had fresh gasoline for over a century.  She tipped it over and poured the foul contents into the container strapped to me, feeling as a trickle ran down my coat.  Yeah, now I'm not so good with this plan.  One spark and I would be very unhappily on fire most likely.

"You realize a spark battery would be much safer than alcohol, right?"  I asked as she hooved the canister shut.

"Yes, but Spark Batteries die too quickly and are expensive.  Running the drills on alcohol is much more efficient for an operation like ours."  She spoke with a smirk, tilting her hat down as she pointed across the cavern.  "The lever along your leg will start the device.  One trigger on the bit will extend the drill, the other will spin it."  I nodded, turning and shambling my way slowly down the collapsed wall.  The added weight on my back threatened to throw me off balance with each painstakingly slow step.  "Oh, and do not worry, you will get used to the fumes.  Most ponies only pass out once or twice before they do."  She called out, ending in a sadistic chuckle.

I stopped halfway down the ramp as the gears in my head forced a realization upon me.  If all the others working the mine were all using these, the air in the mine would be completely toxic!  If spark batteries were too 'costly' to use, than I'm guessing safety gear was also out of the question.  I kicked the lever along my leg, the old engine sputtering for a moment before stopping.

You know what, fuck this town.

"So is that how you lot run the mine?"  I growled as I kicked my leg again.  The engine turned over for a moment before sputtering to a stop again.  "How would anypony EVER agree to work for you!?"  I kicked again hard, the engine thrumming to life as the odd, yet overpowering smell of exhaust filled my nose.  I slowly turned myself around, taking small steps up back up the ramp, the bit now clenched tightly in my mouth.  I haven't done anything stupid in a while, and I really don't have time to deal with evil assholes anymore.

"The management of this town is none of your concern."  She looked down to me as I stopped at the top of the ramp, only a hoofs reach away, her Blue eyes reminding me remarkably of Isaac's.  "Now, get to..."

I bit down on both triggers.

The drill spun and drove forward towards Xin, plunging into the right side of her face.  She didn't even move as it tore across her flesh, the remaining half of her muzzle even giving off a smile.  The glint that came from the metal under her flesh as it tore away helped me understand that I had just made a huge mistake.  She didn't just remind me of Isaac, she was a robot just like him!

Before I could react, she spun to my left and opened her muzzle, biting down on the drill, sheering it off with little trouble.  Finishing her spin, she threw her rear hooves up and bucked hard, slamming into the fuel tank with a crunch and sending me flying through the air.  Oh, wait.  I've heard that crunch before.  That wasn't the fuel tank, so much as it was the rib plate in my chest snapping in half.

As I flew through the air, time slowed to a crawl, leaving me floating as I was pulled into S.A.T.S. unexpectedly.  For a moment, my brain couldn't really process the odd perspective I had been left in, but it passed quickly as tried to focus on the ceiling above me.

"You really do know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?"  B.I.T. jested as she formed in front of me on the ceiling, walking about the craggy surface.  "First we go sky diving, then just diving, which I thought an odd set of activities for my first time out.  But was that enough for you?  No, it's off for a cruise, which goes straight into a cross country trip to see old friends of the family."

Of all the times B.I.T. had to appear, of course it has to be now.  Cause I can't just get my flank kicked in like any other pony, I have to be berated for it!  I mean, I would expect this from P.I.N.K., but B.I.T.?

"Well, if you'd like, I can let you get back to being lit on fire and being in terrible pain if you'd like."  She said as snarkily as she could.  "But just so you know, this is exactly what I was talking about.  You let your inner monster show through just now, and look what happened!  You need to think before you act.  You knew something was off about her, but did you try to figure it out? Noooo.  You just went at her like a moron."

My inner what?  A moron? How can she sit there and call me a monster when Xin, Pariah and Lodge can hold Brass and I captive!  Who the hell is B.I.T. to be able to judge me anyway?

"I am the remnant of Twilight Sparkle's morality.  That's what gives me the authority to judge!"  She raised her voice steadily.  "You didn't even stop to think for yourself on why the ponies in this town work for them!  Did it ever occur to you that there may be a good reason?  And even if there weren't, on the subject of authority, why are you suddenly judge, jury, and executioner?"  She sat down on the ceiling and crossed her forehooves.  "I expected better from you, Chief."

She expected BETTER from me?  How else am I supposed to react!?  I can't just continue the way I have been any longer without myself going insane!  Argh!  I'm so frustrated that I could scream if it weren't for being locked in my own mind!

The gears in my head worked, throwing all sorts of ideas out to me.  Now that I have some time to thing about it, Pariah did originally ask me why I showed up.  Maybe they took the ponies here in when they had no place else to go.  Maybe they were all injured like I was and are just working off their debt?

"See?  Where was this stallion two minutes ago?  Might have saved you the trouble of getting your flank beaten in."  B.I.T. sighed and facehooved before getting back up. "I know that you've been stressed about the past three weeks, but that's no excuse to turn violent against anypony.  You have to be better then that and at least need to offer them a second chance.  Don't let yourself become a monster."  She started to fuzz away, her words echoing through my head as time started up again.

The pain arced through my side as the ruptured fuel canister caught fire from the exhaust of the engine, bright orange flames enveloping my waist right before I slammed down into the dirt.  I bounced for a moment, skidding along before everything went black.  The pain slipping from my mind just as abruptly as it had clawed it's way in.


-----


The sound of the howling wind filled my ears as I opened my eyes, the darkness of night time enveloped the rooftop we had camped out on.  The skycar sat across from me, a single shadow moving around inside of it.  Longbow must be awake and wondering where I was.  I'm not sure why she was awake, or how I got out here, but I know she's worried about me.  I got to my hooves and walked across the cold rooftop, standing in front of the hatch for a moment as a murmur from inside caught my attention.

"Something's out there."  Longbow whispered, her voice filled with worry.  "I'm going to check it out."  I took a step back as I heard her get up, slowly making her way to the door.  It unlatched with a shrill squeak and swung open, the blue mare I had grown fond of met my soft gaze with one of her own.

Then she screamed.

"MONSTER!"  She yelled as her horn flashed, the boxy, black form of Heartstopper floated quickly to her side.  I tried to call out to her, I tried to ask her what was wrong, but I found myself unable to.  The shotgun roared out, the flash blinding me as my chest felt heavy.  I looked down, peering at the gaping wound that tore through me.  It bled a black ichor, the foul liquid burned as it poured from me.

"What... are you?"  I looked up again, staring straight down the muzzle of Heartstopper.  I looked past it, watching as tears of fear streamed down Longbow's cheeks.  I opened my muzzle to speak, but she screamed and pulled the trigger again, filling my vision with a bright flash, and making the whole world spin around me.  When my eyes cleared again, I found I couldn't move.  I was stuck laying on the rooftop, looking straight up to the sky.  The sounds of more hoofsteps leaving the trailer held my attention.

"What was it?"  And all too familiar mare spoke peaking her head over my vision.  Harmony looked down sadly at me, her face conveying more sympathy over what had happened than anything else.

"Just another one of the abominations the wasteland created."  The indifferent voice of a stallion called out, slowly getting closer.  No, he couldn't be here!  I don't want to look at him, not after what happened!  Just please, I want to close my eyes!  "Probably could have been something good as some point, but that's what happens here."  Sprocket poked his head in as well, a deep hatred burning in his eyes filled me with regret.  "Good thing you put it down.  Think of the lives it could have ruined if it kept on going like that."  I swear he was looking directly into my soul as he spoke, trying to rip it out for what I did to him.  "Good riddance."


-----


"SPROCKET!"  I called out, sitting up abruptly from the hard dirt floor of the cave Brass and I had spent the previous night in.  A sharp Pain shot through my head and side as I regained my senses, making the room spin momentarily.  There wasn't much light coming through the door, but what little there was happened to be the sickly orange from the lantern outside.  I realized that I must have been out for hours, but if that was true, how did I get here?  I twisted my body painfully, noticing that my chest seemed fine, but my side was  blistered up from the burns I got when the alcohol lit up.

I groaned and looked about, not seeing Brass inside here with me.  Maybe he was still working?  That or maybe they had him in his own quarters for tonight.  Hopefully he did better than me and actually kept his cool.  At least I hope he didn't get into a one sided fight with that bitch he was stuck with.

A beep from my pipbuck pulled my attention to it, B.I.T. was scrolling some text across the screen.


"You have been unconscious for twelve hours and thirty two minutes.  The doctor came by and fused your ribs back together, but he left the burn on your side."


"Thank's for the update."  I laid back down, wincing as my side ached.  For some reason, it didn't hurt nearly as much as that last set of burns I received, even though these were much worse.  Was that because of the mutation?  Or was it just because I've been through so much, and felt so much pain, that things like burns just don't hurt like they used to anymore?  It doesn't matter I guess, I just need to think of a way to get out of here.

"Hey B.I.T."  I stared at the dark ceiling as the warm floor felt surprisingly good.  "Thanks for being honest earlier.  Just as I told Brass, I admire honest friends."  I lifted my forehoof as the pipbuck beeped again, a smiling face displaying before she fuzzed off the screen, leaving me with the audiolog screen.  With nopony around, and no urge to sleep yet, I might as well listen to a few of them.  I hoofed at the controls, moving down to the next file on the list.

"Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 04 - Project Golem Phase Two start up, day three.
The geodesic nature of the reaction chamber has stabilized the pool's reserves.  The flux reactor is maintaining a three hundred percent output to the mirror pond, and the water has been noted as drawing off of it at a rate of two hundred and eighty percent.  If my notes are correct, and assuming that there are no more equipment failures, then the pond will be ready once it absorbs enough magic to bring it's efficiency to three thousand times it's normal potency.

Pinkie Pie spoke to me yesterday, surprising me with her random moments of scientific lucidity. She reasserted her concerns that, and I quote "abnormalities in the flux might cause the magic exchanger to create unforeseen variables that when refocused in the main chamber might affect the stability of the created clone".  Which was actually something I had not taken into account.

Although, as much as I have grown to trust what she says, I have run the figures again and again and have found that no such abnormality can be created.  Her concern is now noted in this log, but regardless of the risks, I will be approving the startup of phase three tomorrow once I return from Applebloom's advanced mainframe presentation in Manehattan.

End of report."

The logged clicked to a stop and left me in the silence of my own thoughts.  Not much useful information in this one, seeing as I already know that 42 is unstable.  But the fact that Twilight had to travel to Manehattan at least eliminates there as a possible location.  I hoofed at the pipbuck again, lowering the entry to the next one.  I was about to hit it when I heard voices approaching, my ear flicked as one of the muffled sounds let out a whine.

"For being a monster, you aren't that scary."  Lodge in the same snarkyness he had used the day before.  The door swung open in his levitation as he also floated Brass inside, unceremoniously dumping him on the floor.  "Oh, look, you're awake.  You should really avoid fights with industrial equipment, they tend to be a bit more durable than you are."

"Thanks for the advice Doctor Dick."  I waved my hoof from the floor for him to leave us.  As much as I wanted to try to kick his flank, I knew I couldn't.

"Oh, you're welcome for fixing you up again."  He trotted inside, his shadow casted against the back wall as I laid there, letting me see that he left the door behind him wide open.  I could feel the urge to do something stupid rising again.  I could handle him, even with the braces on my legs... wait, why was there another source of light?  I sat up and turned my head to look, feeling as Lodge's horn pressed into me.  Immediately I lost all feeling throughout my body, me head flopping down into the dirt as he stepped over me.

I fell for the same, stupid trick twice.

"Anyway, Pariah doesn't want you starting fights with that overgrown pipbuck anymore.  Nothing gets done when you're all banged up.  Not to mention it takes away from my own valuable time."  His horn glowed softly as he levitated something in front of me, letting me get a good look at it.  It was the bright orange handle of a Pipbuck removal tool.  Oh Celestia, this is not happening!  "Speaking of, I thought that since you did lose the bet, AND you can't pay for the services I'd rendered, I might as well claim this as my prize."

He clicked the tool into the top of the Pipbuck and turned it, unlatching the one possession I had left to my name.  Goddesses this can't be happening!  That pipbuck is the only advantage I have against 42!  Not to mention, I can't lose it until I get BIT out of it either!  Lodge stood up and swung the Pipbuck around, clamping it to his left foreleg.  He lifted it and hoofed at the buttons.

"Is there some sort of trick to make it work?"  He asked me sincerely, hoofing at the controls frustratedly.  I wanted to rip his head off, but it was hard not to laugh at how he was asking the guy he just made immobile how to work a device he just stole.  Actually, it was easy not to laugh.  Being paralyzed kinda just killed the moment.  "Ah, whatever.  I've got all day tomorrow to figure it out!"  He patted my head with his hoof before turning to leave.  "Get some rest.  Doctors orders!"

And with that, he walked out and shut the door.  So we were alone for yet another night.  Fantastic.  Lodge's hoofsteps drifted into the distance as I heard Brass get up with a loud sigh and walk toward me.  He flopped down against me, jostling my vision for a moment.

"Backlash, I want to go home."  He spoke softly as he readjusted himself on the floor, whining in pain.  I swear to the goddesses, if they hurt him at all, they forfeit their right to a 'second chance'.  "Promise me you'll take me to see my mother when we get out of here."

I so desperately wanted to answer.  I want to take him back!  They've assumed he's been dead this whole time, and there is little chance that Sorbet will have reported any change in his status.  I wanted to tell his parents that I'm responsible for him becoming a ghoul, and I want them to know that I owe much more to him than I can ever repay in my lifetime.  But as silence-filled room, my hopes of figuring us a way out of here dimmed as fast as my mind clouded.

I felt my eyelids sink, starting to feel my energy drain out of me as my body got used to being relaxed.  Figuring out a way for us to get out of here is now my top priority, but that will have to wait until morning.  Maybe, if I dream, I can ask pinkie for help escaping.  She'd have to help us, wouldn't she?


-----


"Backlash, we need to talk."  Brass called out as he shook me, waking me up from what had once again, been a dreamless sleep.  I mumbled something even I didn't understand and rolled over, squinting as the brightness in front of me hurt.  "Oh! Sorry about that."  He apologized as the light from his horn dimmed to a level that was comfortable.  At least his magic seemed to be strong enough to cast that after yesterday.

"Hey buddy, is everything alright?"  I groaned as I sat up, feeling dizzy as my brain tried to coordinate with my stiff muscles.  I tried to rub at my eyes with my hoof, but pulled it up too fast and smacked myself in the face instead. It was strange, I was sure that my hoof was heavier than that.  I opened my eyes to see my bare, left foreleg in front of me, bringing the memory of last night back to me.

"Backlash, we need to do something about the town!  The conditions in the mine are appalling!"  I glanced over at him as he sat back and flailed his hooves lazily, heavy bags hanging under his eyes.  "They run the drills off of..."

"Alcohol, I know."  I cut him off as I held my hoof up, noting that it felt weird without the extra weight on it.  "There's another Orchard inside this mountain, and Pariah is trying to get me to open it."  I looked over to Brass again, watching as he went to speak.  I moved my hoof and placed it on his muzzle, waiting for him to nod in response before removing it.

"Do you remember a few days ago, back in the East Orchard, I mentioned Isaac..." I felt my words fail me as I glanced over Brass's already flaking coat.  He had deep, dark bruises lining him. Blood oozed from the raw sections on him where the harness he had to wear bit into his flesh.  Those bastards have somepony HIS size wearing a drill!?  Even B.I.T. would have to agree that foal labor was just downright wrong!

I let out a soft sigh as I remembered what B.I.T. had told me.  She said that Twilight thought that a second chance is something  that everypony deserves, but does that still hold true with what ponies do in the wasteland?

"Backlash... are you alright?"  Brass waved his hoof in front of my face, snapping me back to attention.  "What's wrong? You've been completely out of it since we left Filly."  His tone shifted to genuine concern. "Does it have something to do with somepony named Sprocket?"  I felt a spark shoot up my spine as his name hit my ears.  Brass's expression shifted again, this time to regret as he seemed to have realized that Sprocket's name just hit me hard.

"No, I'm..."  I flopped back down onto the dirt.  "Who am I kidding, I'm far from alright, YOU'RE far from alright.  We're stranded two hundred and fifty some odd miles from Manehatten with no way to get help, and I can't stand to see you get hurt."  I let out a long sigh, looking up to my worried best friend.  "Tell me about them, Brass.  Tell me about your parents."

"Wha... WHY?"  Brass's horn wavered for a moment before returning to normal, giving me a flustered look mixed with a bit of a blush.  "Well... well, I asked you first."  He slumped down next to me, wincing as his open wounds pressed into the floor.  "Look, if you tell me about Sprocket, I'll tell you about my parents.  Deal?"

"You... really want to know about Sprocket?"  I asked hesitantly, hoping from the back of my mind that he would say no.  But of course, he nodded softly and gave a slight smile.  "Why?"

"Skyline told me about him on the ride back from Sorbet's place."  Brass reached his hoof out and pat me on the shoulder.  "She mentioned that she had seen that look in your eyes before.  Back when you had lost a pony close to you."  Brass's soft smile grew for a moment.  "She also told me just the other day that nopony had made you as happy as you were with him until Longbow."  His smile dropped as he swung his gaze to the floor.  "He must have been a very special somepony to you."

"He... it..."  I tried to start, feeling the familiar pang of guilt inside forming in the same place I had left it when I finally felt like I could move past what happened.  Get. A. Hold. Of. Yourself.  Just take a deep breath and tell him.  He deserves to know, and you need to talk about him.  I can't let myself use anymore excuses.

"Skyline and I have made a few trips to Paradise over the years.  As you know the arcano-tech on that side of the border is quite different than the stuff you can find around here.  I've made quite a few caps figuring out new ways to repair their versions of toasters and other household items!  it's really fascinating how they..."  I glanced up at Brass, who seemed annoyed that I was drifting off topic.

"Right."  I sighed again and looked Brass straight in the eyes.  "I first met Sprocket on the first day of one of the usual trips Skyline and I made into Paradise.  There's a casino up there named 'The Moon' that Skyline would drag me into every time we came into town, relentlessly telling me that I needed to go relax and get laid."

"So, Sprocket was an escort?"  Brass asked flatly, seeming unimpressed.

"No... just... just sit and listen."  I scrunch muzzled and glared at him, "When we trot in, I noticed that the Sparkle-Cola machine they had by the door had an 'out of order' sign slapped on it, and any excuse to get away from Sky and her 'plans' for me was a welcomed one.  So off I went."  I felt a smile growing across my muzzle as I recalled the evening.  "Once in front of the machine, I managed to wrench it open with my hooves to take a look inside."

"I was about to inspect the inner workings, but a stallion called out to me from down the hallway.  Grey coat, coal black mane, and the brightest ice blue eyes you've ever seen."  I felt a sharp pinch in my gut as I remembered his face from the dream, the seething hatred making me lose my train of thought for a moment.  I shook the feeling from my head and continued.  "He had just come out of the restroom from my best guess, he had been fixing some pipes."

"How did you figure that?"  Brass asked with a hint of snarkiness.  "Oh, and let me guess, you fixed the soda machine and he was so impressed, he fell deeply in love with you."  He rolled his eyes before I reached my hoof over and prodded him sharply.

"Quiet." I hoofed at him until he fidgeted and pushed my hoof away.  "I figured it out cause he had a pipe wrench slung in his maintenance barding."  I stated rather Matter 'O factly.  "And no, I never got a chance to fix the machine seeing as he took that wrench and slugged me right across the muzzle with it."  

I rubbed my muzzle with my hoof, remembering how I had once thought that was the best pain I had ever been in.  "Anyway, he tried to explain to the management that he thought I was stealing the sodas, but apparently they take less kindly to employees who beat customers, than to misidentified thieves."

"So, what happened next?"  Brass scooted himself closer.  I threw my hoof over him and pulled him close, making him blush.

"So, in feeling immensely guilty that I got an innocent pony fired, I offered to let him stay with Sky and I for the time we were in Paradise.  He took some convincing, but nopony can talk their way past me!"  I chuckled to myself.  "Over the next few days, I didn't have a ton of trading to do and we spent some  time comparing life stories.  Turns out that he too grew up in a scavenging town outside of hoofington, and moved down to Paradise when times got hard, taking odd jobs doing the thing he loved.  And that was fixing things."

"Anyway, when the time came to leave Caladonia, I asked him to come along with us.  He was hesitant at first, but he had shown interest in me and I in him.  Once again, I did what I do best and convinced him to be mine.  And from there, our relationship only grew."  I could feel my heart thumping in my chest now.  The thought of the times we had now fueling the pain in my gut, my guilt growing more and more as I knew what came next.  I started to hyperventilate, feeling light headed as I struggled to not break down right then and there.

"After a while together, I... I..."  and just like that, I lost the words.  My throat closed up and my lungs screamed in protest.

"Just breathe, Backlash."  Brass looked up at me, keeping himself remarkably calm.  "Remember what longbow told you."  He rubbed at my scarred chest with his hoof softly as I tried to focus on the memory of Longbow telling me to calm down.  Breathe in, and out.  In.  And out.  "That's it, you can do it, Buddy."  His voice was smooth and comforting, wavering with concern as I tried to relax.

"I screwed up, Brass."  I finally choked out, tears forming in my eyes.  "I did something horrible, and if I tell anypony, they'll end up just like him!"  I wailed and broke down.  I showed him the moon, knowing that I was told to keep it a secret, and Luna punished HIM.  I screamed out into Brass's side, crying like a colt again as he held me.  "What did he do to deserve that?  Everything was my fault, not his!"

"It's alright, Backlash.  You don't have to tell me any more."  Brass spoke softly as he bushed my mane with his hoof, sounding as if he was also on the verge of tears.  "I know life can be unfair, so just let it all out."

And for the next hour, I did.  I laid on that dirt floor and cried in Brass's hooves until my eyes dried out.  But as much as I thought it felt good to cry, the guilt inside didn't go away at all.  It stuck to me like the grey on the clouds, never quite letting you forget that they are still up there.  Eventually, I did manage to get a hold of myself again, doing my best to wipe the dried tears from my muzzle.  I looked up to Brass with a small smile, happy to see him return it.

"Brass, I'm sorry, for everything."  I tilted my head down and pressed my forehead against his horn.  "I'm sorry that I can't be the kind of stallion you want me to..."

I was cut off as he put his hoof up to my muzzle, drawing my gaze up to his.  He leaned forward and kissed me, making me feel for only a moment, like I did when I was with Sprocket.  He blushed heavily and smiled as I sat in shock, the gears in my head feeling like they were jammed up as I tried to process what just happened.

"I know that what I want, will never happen,"  Brass stated, his smile growing wider with every word.  "But that just made everything that's happened to me worth it.  You don't owe me anything else, Backlash.  I'm just honored to call you my friend."  He giggled and got to his hooves wobbly, apparently also trying to belive that had just happened.  "Just do me a favor... don't tell Longbow about this."

------------------

LEVEL UP!

+15 Survival.

New Perk: Imposed Empathy - You are so in touch with your emotions, you can even weaponize them in conversation to alter the outcome!  You may now reroll a failed speach check at a -15 modifer.
> Chapter 14 - Karma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 14

"Oh my gosh, hold on to your hooves. I am just about  to be brilliant!"

-----



"So, you said she was like Isaac... but what does that even mean?"  I barely heard Brass speak, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the last five minutes.

I don't know why it was affecting me so much!  It was one kiss!  Not to mention, he deserves it after everything I've put him through, so why can't my brain just let it go?  I had thought I could finally put Sprocket behind me as well, but now I don't know if I'll ever get over losing him.  I put my hooves over my head and let out a whine as the gears in my mind attempted to sort out a thousand different things at once.

"BACKLASH."  Brass screamed out into my ear, startling me enough to where I had actually gotten up to my hooves.  I panicked and looked over to him, trying to see what he was calling out for.  He was just standing there with a bored expression on his face, staring as if he expected something from me.

"What?"  I finally gave in and blurted out as the silence drug on, getting him to facehoof with a sigh.  Why would he facehoof?  What the hell did I do wrong?

"I asked you a question and you just kinda sat there, staring off into space."  He rolled his eyes and pointed to the door.  "We need to focus if we are to get out of here."

Right, priority number one.  "So, any ideas?"  I asked as I planted my flank on the floor.  I hoped he had something good, cause I sure as hell had nothing.

"Well, you said that your guard was like Isaac, but you never explained Exactly what Isaac even is!"  He waved his hooves around in mock frustration.  "The thing is, if you mean she is more robot than mare, then maybe there is a way that we can turn her off or something."

"Yeah, what I really need are a couple of those magnetic... mines... that were stuck to...."  I stopped as the turning gears now worked in unison to feed me details from yesterday.

"Backlash... did I break you again?"  Brass said with a hint of playfulness.

"Luna, how could I have missed that!?"  I said as a smile crept across my muzzle.  Oh, I can be stupid some times, but this idea might just make up for every single time I was!  "When Longbow and I had found Isaac, he was stranded in Minefield.  A MAGNETIC mine was what had been keeping his systems from rebooting."   If this idea actually works, it could be our ticket out of here!  Brass's expression shifted to one of confusion.

"But, how does that help us?"  He was looking at me as if I had finally just snapped and lost it.

"The Orchard door!"  I exclaimed, my smile now stretching from ear to ear.  "Xin told me that it was magnetically sealed!"

Brass mouthed the words to himself as a smile started to form on his muzzle as well.  "You know, that could work.  If you can gain access to the locking mechanism, and if you could find a way to swap the polarity fast enough, you might just be able to create a pulse weapon effect!"  He jumped up and hung around my neck as he giggled.  "With magnets strong enough to hold a 30 ton door in place, I'm sure that it will corrupt her systems enough that they will just fry then and there!"

"Yeah..."  My smile shrunk into a grimace as I hugged him back, hearing the voice of B.I.T. run through my head again.  I sighed heavily.  "Everypony gets a second chance..."

"Wait, what?"  Brass dropped off me and looked up in surprise.

"I can't let myself become the monster that ponies like 42 are too comfortable being."  I mumbled out, groaning as I pulled myself to my hooves, finally able to use my rear legs again somewhat.  "I have to at least give her a chance.  Something I should have done yesterday."

"Backlash, they are holding us here and forcing us to work for them.  They made the choice to do it."  Brass kicked at the dirt floor with his hoof.  "Doesn't that mean they forfeit their right to a second chance?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I can just..."  I was interrupted by the sounds of hooves on the trail outside slowly approaching us, not just that, but I could tell it was more than one pony heading our way.   Brass and I backed away from the door as they stopped just outside of it.  The door creaked open slowly, revealing an unclothed Xin, while behind her stood Pariah, looking just as irritated as ever.  The two entered without so much as a single word, Pariah looking to Xin and nodding.

"Kid, I can assume that after yesterday's incident, you won't try anything against Xin today."  Pariah grumbled as Xin flipped open a saddlebag he was wearing, hoofing out a pair of bottled waters.  My throat felt completely dry as I eyed them eagerly.  After Lodge fixed me up, I haven't had anything to eat or drink with little reminder from it. Now that sustenance was staring me in the face, my body had a whole lot to complain about.

I nodded in response, salivating over the thought of a meal.  Besides, I won't have to fight her again one way or another as she'll either agree's to help us, I.E. her second chance, or I hit her with the pulse.  Well, if I can rig it up that is.  With my nod, Xin tossed the two bottles at us, reaching into Pariah's pack again and pulling out a pair of canned beans.  My stomach groaned in anticipation of food as my mind did the same in disgust from the flavor.  Brass practically dove for the water, his horn sparking slightly as he tried unsuccessfully to grasp the bottle with his magic.

"What do you expect to find inside the Orchard?"  I asked as I hooved my water toward me, sitting down once again.  I poked Brass on the shoulder to get his attention before grasping the bottle in both hooves and using my mouth to twist the cap off.  He smiled and did the same.

"Caps, buckets and buckets of caps."  He replied with a fairly disingenuous tone.  "This town is sinking.  Most of the mine was cleared out during the last few years of the war, and blasting does nothing but uncover more and more of this impenetrable facility."  He sighed, watching me as I chugged down the warm water in one go.  I probably should have enjoyed it, but I didn't realize just how thirsty I was until it was gone.  "It's not worth exploring any deeper with this just sitting up here.  I know there's valuable arcano-tech inside, I just need that door opened."

Xin balanced one of the cans of beans on her hoof, sliding her other hoof around the top, popping it off after only a few moments.  That was a pretty neat trick, seeing as I normally had to use my rusty ass can opener, but once again, that's probably lost forever in the East Orchard. Back to what Pariah said, it made sense, but he wasn't telling me the whole story.  I want to know what he's hiding, but I'll have to wait until I've dealt with Xin.

Speaking of, she reached back and tossed the can over.  I was about to complain, but it smacked straight down on the dirt, resting in a divot just large enough in the floor to catch it.  That was... impressive, although, less so if you are just a zebra shaped a computer.  Isaac has personality, compared to Xin, while she just seems like she's running processes and programs.  I tossed the water bottle aside and picked up the can of beans, slurping them down eagerly.

Damnit, I lost bean roulette again.  Whatever, I just need to eat!

Brass had already been doing the same and was currently licking the can clean.  My mind drifted momentarily as an odd question floated into my mind.  Does being a ghoul change how you taste?  My ear flicked, interrupting my thoughts as the sound of hooves approaching quickly caught all of our attention.  In the orange of the fluorescent light, the grey stallion from the house we arrived in ran up, a look of distress weighing heavily on his face.

"Mr. Pariah, Sir.  I was just got word from the lookout tower that something is headed this way.  It's nothing like what she's sent before, so they need you down there."  He spoke through his heavy panting, seeming really out of breath for a fit looking earth pony (at least I have the excuse of being overweight).  Although, it's just another check mark on the list of weird things about the ponies in this town.  I'm glad that Sky and I never went further in or stayed longer than we did.

Well, if we had, I might have found out the conditions to the mine sooner.  Maybe with Sky behind me we could have made a difference earlier.

"Fine, tell them I'll be down there in a minute.  Go make sure that Righteous is up and help her get the workers into the mine.  If it isn't the pink gangers' 'daily' checkup again, this isn't going to be pretty."  Pariah turned and glared at me, giving me a look that he wanted burned into my very soul.  "I had Xin move the rubble from the door for you.  Yesterday, I wanted to see if you would be willing to at least work with us, and it is obvious you do not."

He walked toward me, not shifting his gaze at all.  The fires of anger that burned inside him were well stoked from the years of hardship, and his look told me that he was ready and willing to take it all out on me.

"Oh, and I did happen to hear that you are one of the traders that deal with my town.  Forge and Anvil down at the post told me all about how phenomenal your repair work is."  A smile slowly knit it's way across his muzzle as he spoke.  "If you really are that good at repairs, I expect that door open by the time I'm done dealing with whatever is down at the gate."

"And if I can't?"  I asked, trying to keep my own expression from wavering.  I know I can't intimidate him, but I have to at least try.

He squinted for a moment, taking in my own expression before turning away toward the door.  He stepped halfway out of it before looking back to me.  "Then I will kill both you and your monster companion."


-----


With my legs feeling stronger than yesterday, it hadn't been so much of a hassle to follow Xin back up the mountain side.  For the first time in nearly a month, my vision was clear of any pink or purple flashing bars or symbols.  Having lost the vest and my saddlebags didn't bother me, but the Pipbuck?  To be walking around without it just felt... odd.

Xin lead me back inside the cavern.  A set of floodlights had been hooked up to a line of spark batteries and filled the cavern with enough light that it could have passed for daytime.  I looked over to the corner I was supposed to work on yesterday, and sure enough, it had been cleared.  The battered, yellow control panel sat out in the open, most of the lights on it were either too dim to see or not working, but to be honest I was surprised to see it standing at all.

I looked over to Xin as she tugged the rope around my neck, deftly throwing it up and off me will little effort.  "So you are a machine."  I asked as I looked over her, watching as she rolled her eyes and held her hoof toward the door panel.

"It matters not.  You must work."  She urged, a tone of shameful anxiousness coming across her words.  She really didn't want to discuss it, but then again, with a secret like that, who would?

"I think it does matter."  I tried to keep a calm face while walking slowly, trying to fake that my legs were still weak while I kept my eye on her for a reaction.  "Seeing as I repaired another like you just a few days ago."

Her eyes widened only momentarily, just enough for me to know that I might be able to exploit her.  "That is impossible.  I am the only one of my kind."  She was being dismissive again, and doing a very poor job at it.  "You are telling lies."

"Well, that itself was just a lie."  I stopped in front of the console, turning to stare into her eyes as I smiled.  "I don't know what Anvil or Forge told Pariah, but ponies can't lie to me.  Even if they are machines."  I turned away from her when her expression turned to one of scorn.  "I think that you know of Isaac, and that you may in fact know how he came to end up in that minefield."

"And I would love for you to fill me in on who he was," I kicked at the battered panel before me, knocking the covering off of it to reveal a twisted mass of multicolored wiring and tubes.  The branching sections hadn't been marked, and crisscrossed in a fashion that I didn't think even Twilight Sparkle herself could have figured out!  Celestia, who the hell designed this thing!?  I sighed and leaned down, looking around inside it as I continued.  "Seeing as you are a zebra as well, I'm going to guess you were his wife?"

"I... I am his sister!"  She sounded almost offended as I hoofed whole bundles apart in my search for the connector that controlled the magnetic locks.  The gears in my head started turning, trying to figure something out, but I was only half paying attention.  So Isaac was her brother.  That... didn't make sense at all.

"You two can't be siblings.  You let him run all the way to Minefield and you didn't even LOOK for him?"  I layed down, rolling onto my back and scooting myself so my head partially fit into the control housing.  I used my hoof to trace my way through the spell circuits, from the door open switch, back to the emergency safety release button, and then to what should be the magnetic seal controller.  "Family doesn't just abandon family."

"I... but..."  She stammered.  She didn't expect me to be asking these sorts of questions.  "I raised him until we were both brought into the program.  After Xellos's accident, he ran off and Pariah forbid me to go after him."  Although off balance, she was recovering quickly.  "No further questions, only work."

This at least sort of explained her treatment of Brass.  Maybe she is trying to care for him because Isaac is gone?  Wait... Xelos, not Isaac.  You know what, I'll let him choose which one he wants whenever I get back.  I stopped for a moment as the sound of high caliber, automatic gunfire filled the air outside, in mere moments it sounded like the center of town had become a warzone.  I did my best to stay cool.  I can get out of here if I just...

The gears in my head finished working, reminding me that for there to be a pulse, I need some sort of timing mechanism or program.  Specifically, one I could have easily gotten from the pipbuck had I not lost it.  Although, I might not need it with as defensive as Xin has gotten.  She may still agree to help me when presented with the idea of a second chance.

"So, why not help me?"  I called up, hoofing the magnet control wires out from it's place carefully.  "Help me get out of here and I can take you to see him.  I'm sure he'd love to have you help him remember everything."  I popped my head out of the console and looked up, Xin's eyes darting about as she weighed the possibilities.  Her muzzle grew a malevolent smile as she slowly dropped her vision down to me.

"I don't owe Pariah anymore, and will journey with you to my brother."   She spoke honestly, but her words implied much more than she was saying.  "Tell me where he is and I shall help you."

She lied, and not even well at that!  Even after I told her that I could see through her attempted deception, she still tried to get it past me.  Though I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as every pony who knows still tries to deceive me at one point or another.  The gears in my head turned and threw out another idea.  The perfect plan if she doesn't accept my offer.

"Really?  You'd help me out for a second chance?"  I did my best to keep myself sounding genuine, waiting for her to either take the bait, or surprise me with a sincere answer.

"As long as you tell me where he is, I will get you out."  She smiled, her friendly words absolutely dripping with guile.  I wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment, but I had to keep up the act if I was to get the pulse working.  I don't know if I should feel happy that I was right about her all along, or if I should feel sorry for her.

The sound of gunfire was getting louder.  Whoever they were fighting down there was pushing their way through town quite fast.  "Well, in that case, we should get this door open!"  I smiled and ducked my head back into the mass of wires, slowly swapping the magnet control wires into the emergency safety release button.  "But in order to do that, I need your help in activating the emergency safety release.  If you hit the button fast enough, it should fool the system into freezing the locking bolts in the open position when I apply power to it."

"Why open the door?"  She rose her voice, now trying to compete with the gunfire outside.  "Why don't you tell me where we must go, before it's too late!"  Worry came through her hesitant words as I stalled.

"Because with the door open, Pariah has a better chance of just letting us go!  He would be too busy digging through the Orchard to care about chasing us!"  I shouted back, scooting myself out from inside the console.  "If you want to go, you need to hoof the button as fast as your robotic limbs can!"  I watched as she cringed at the idea of wasting any more time, but shoved herself past me to the console, furiously hoofing the button faster than I've ever seen anypony move a limb.

But she fell right into the trap.	You see, once I hit the power button on the board, every time she hooved the button, the magnets will register a switch between on and off.  In doing so at that speed, it will overtax the system and boost the power to the magnets all at once.  The strain should be enough that they will either melt and screw me, or create the pulse I need a moment before they explode.

I stepped beside her, closed my eyes, and switched on the panel.

There was a sharp pop which was immediately followed by what sounded like the miners down below blasting again.  The only sound that followed was the heavy thud of Xin beside me.  I opened my eyes to see that the room was completely dark, even the old terminal in the portable was dark now.  I turned around, only able to see the exit by the fact that the sky was growing lighter outside as the sun rose.

"Hah!  It worked!"  I shouted to myself, particularly proud of not getting myself killed.  The pulse should have been strong enough that even a robot as advanced as Xin was should have had its whole system corrupted.  I started toward the door, stopping for a moment as two things hit me.  One, the gunfire was really dying down outside, which means that Pariah's forces could have repelled the attackers, or the towns folk were all but wiped out.

The second actually sent a wave of guilt through me.  I had just killed Xin, the only family member and link to Isaac's past that he had left.  How would he react when I tell him all of this?  What will he do to me if he ever remember's who he is?  I was pulled from my head as the panicked hoofsteps of somepony echoed up the trail outside.  But they weren't normal hoofsteps, they had an odd gait to them.

The door flung open from Lodge's magic, his aura casting a small amount of light as he came in and shut the door behind him.  He looked like he was scared shitless as he sat back against the door and floated a tab of buck out from the saddlebags he was wearing, crunching into it as his eyes darted around the darkened cavern.  My ears picked up another sound coming up the trail.  He might not have ever heard it before, but oh I was ever so glad to hear it.

"Hello, Lodge."  I called out with a smile.  He whined and used his horn to brighten the room a bit.  I paced slowly as he looked around for a moment, spotting Xin behind me before trying to compose himself.  So, round two.  "Feel like making a bet?"

"We don't have time for that, you foal!  We need to hide!"  His normal snarkiness was gone, replaced by sheer cowardice.  The dull thudding of the dual arcano-tech engines outside was punctuated by the hiss and thump of each step as ED climbed the rocky trail up to us.

"The machine outside is my friend, coming here to rescue me and kill all who stand in her way.  I can guarantee your life if you win the bet."  I spoke slowly, letting each word sink deep as he followed my movement.  This was the one thing useful that I took from Sorbet while I was at the base, and I hoped it worked on Lodge a whole lot better than it did on me.  "Just answer me four questions truthfully."

"FINE, fine!"  He called out, P.I.N.K.'s heavy steps crawling closer and closer.  "Just ask!"

"Do you still have the Pipbuck removal tool with you?" I beamed a smile to him, watching as his horn pulled the orange tool from his bags momentarily.  He nodded softly and waved his hoof, trying to get me to ask the next question.  I hesitated for a moment, enjoying him squirm as P.I.N.K. came to a stop outside the door.  "What are you carrying in you're saddlebags?"

"T... the whole damn infirmary!  Potions, Med-X, Mint-als, everything!"  He closed his eyes and shouted to me.  "Why are you doing this to me!?"

"Next question.  And this one is important, so listen up."  I stopped and glared at him, waiting for him to open his eyes before continuing.  "If you live through this, can you honestly tell me that you will never exploit or rip off a pony again?"

He gasped at that, looking as appalled as if the suggestion itself was an insult to his own mother.  "No, I will not!  First of all I don't rip ponies off, I charge them a fair amount for the work that I do.  Secondly, if they can't pay, what do you expect me to do?  Just let them go?"  He dropped the scared attitude pretty quickly as it looked like his true morals were showing now.

"Yes Lodge, I do."  I shook my head.  I had really hoped that he would agree.  The wasteland could use another doctor like Dr. Fits.  "And my last question is, are you sure about that answer?"

"Fuck you.  You come in here and have me save your life, and you EXPECT me to just give up on making caps?"  He got to his hooves, taking a step toward me.  "You know, I bet I could just paralyze you again and hold you hostage."

"Have it your way."  I called out, taking a step back.  I didn't want to do this, but I gave him his second chance.  "Hey B.I.T.!"  I stopped walking back as my pipbuck chirped from around his forehoof.  "Use every Med-X he's got."

The smile on his face dimmed as he went ridged, slumping over as the light from his horn slowly softened.  I walked up to him, hoofing open his saddlebag and pulling the orange tool from it.  I bit down on it, jamming it into the pipbuck on his leg and popping it open.  As I slid it off, I stared into his eyes as the last amount of life bled out of them.

"I told you, I only gamble when I can afford it."  I remarked as I hoofed the pink device over my leg, snapping it snuggly shut.  The purple compass and indicators filled my vision again, letting me finally breath a sigh of relief.  I snagged his medical saddlebags and swung them onto me. I turned to the door, walking up and swinging it open to be immediately blinded by the pink light flooding onto me.

"Heya there, Chief!"  The bubbly voice of P.I.N.K. roared through the air, the massive robot towering in front of me as I walked out of the cave.  I held my hoof up, shielding my eyes against the bright pink headlamps under ED focused in on me.  "Wow, you shaved!  Though, just between you and me, I think your flank looked better with fur on it."

"Suggestion noted."  I said, not helping but smile.  She dimmed the headlights down enough to where I could look over her.  ED was covered in a mix of thick mud and deep red splotches on the legs and underbelly.  "You've got red on you..."

"Oh, well I've been following your Pipbuck tag for the last few days.  But about a half hour ago, I ran into a whole gang of forty two's goons heading this direction! I just HAD to stop by and say hello."  She stomped and turned around.  "It's not MY fault that they think I'm some sort of wasteland monstrosity and tried to kill me."

"Backlash!"  Brass called from atop P.I.N.K.  "Hurry up and let's get out of this place!"

"We can't, not just yet."  I trot between ED's legs as I talked.  The sun was finally brightening up the sky, casting an orange hue through the thin mountain clouds that filtered over the jagged landscape.  I could barely make it out, but the town below looked to be bustling.  the ponies there were probably trying to set up hastily built defensive positions.  Oh Celestia, why is it that I have to concern myself with defences, ambushes, and bad guys!?  I just wanted to be a successful trader!

"Chief Backlash, wait!"  P.I.N.K. roared as she turned ED around.  "After you left with the others on the boat, I found this sitting on the riverbank!"  There was a light hiss as the compartment the wireless box used to be in opened, my old, worn out and slightly muddied saddlebags dropped to the dirt with a thud.

"You found my stuff!"  I yelled jubilantly, smiling widely as I kicked off Lodge's bags.  "Brass, take these bags.  They are full of medical supplies we might need."  I trotted back up under ED, biting down on the bags and swinging them over onto me, loving the familiar feeling of the worn straps over my back.   I sat down and lifted my left hoof, flipping through the Pipbuck screens to get to the inventory.

For weapons, I had 42's revolver, which was in ok condition.  Heart Stopper, which was still in amazing condition, but that's to be expected considering that I only fired the 4 shells I had for it.  Some energy pistol named Shining Defender with 2 shots, which was probably the one I had taken from the facility.  And lastly, the Party Cannon, which as the Pipbuck told me, was nearly destroyed.  I had no medical supplies, but that was fine, seeing as I had just inherited some.  As for the other things still left in here... my Pipbuck connection cable!  I How it didn't get dumped out in the East Orchard facility, I'll never know, but thank Celestia I found it!

I pulled my hoof away as Pipbuck beeped, the screen switching to the smiling face of B.I.T. as she scrolled text across the screen.


"Chief, I respectfully request a transfer to Prototype 209."


"I would love to, but I'd kinda like to deal with Pariah first."  I pulled myself back up to my hooves and started to head along the trail again, P.I.N.K. stomping along behind me slowly.  "His treatment of the mine workers is unacceptable.  Safty equipment can be found for cheap everywhere, so there are no excuses for skimping on it other than greed."  I glanced down as B.I.T. tried to get my attention again, a frowning face appearing on the pipbuck as I stopped to look at it.


"Everyone needs a second chance Backlash.  Even donkeys."


"I will make sure to give him the choice, but so far both Xin and Lodge turned it down.  I'm not sure that Pariah will be any different, given his history with the Ministry."  I sighed and shook my head.


-----


By the time I had made it down past Pariah's cabin, the day had grown light enough that I could see the huddled groups of guard ponies hiding behind their hastily put together barricades of wood scraps and old furniture.  As we approached, Pariah stepped out into the middle of the street up ahead, his mouth clenched tightly around the bit of an old battle saddle.  Even from as far off I was, I could tell that the old rifles strapped to it were heavily rusted.  Was there even a chance that I could convince him?  The sharp report of one of his rifles made me stop as a small plume of dust kicked up to my right.

"That's far enough!"  He shouted from around the bit to me as the dozen or so other ponies kept their guns trained on me.  "You come into MY town, require MY help, and this is how you repay me?"  He let go of the bit and spit on the dirt, glaring at me with the rage he has held inside for over a century.  "The Ministry just can't leave well enough alone, can it?  You just HAVE to keep SCREWING UP MY LIFE!"

"Pariah, I realize that the Ministry of Morale mistreated your family before the war, but take a look around you!"  I sat down and swung my hooves out around me.  "Don't you think we all know what the Ministries did!?  We live in a landscape THEY helped craft, where ponies, zebra's, and even donkeys suffer together every day."

"Don't you patronize me, kid!"  He stomped his hoof and shook his head.  "I've seen more misery from folks who didn't deserve it than you ever will, and that was even from before the bombs fell!"

"That's exactly my point!"  I waved my hooves about wildly before setting them down again.  "The condition's down in the mine are abhorrent without safety gear."  I turned my gaze over to one of the stallions behind a barricade, finding it was the same charcoal-colored stallion from the last few days.  I softened my gaze to reinforce my sincerity, hoping I could at least reach him with my words.  "You would have originally just killed him, but instead, you forced Brass to work in there.  He's not much older than a Colt, for Luna's sake!  Is that how you see children?  As little more than just weak workers?"

The pony's gaze wavered for a moment, thinking over my statement.  A few of the other ponies turned their guns away as they too thought it over.

"You know nothing about running a business, let alone about running MY town!"  Pariah belted out, his annoyance growing out from his face as he began to tremble in rage.

"But it isn't YOUR town.  It's theirs as well!"  I frowned and looked over each and every pony working for him.  "And you said it yourself, Forge and Anvil told you all about my merchant status!  You know I'm a successful business stallion, and if I can see that the lacking safety equipment and foal labor is a bad investment, what does that say about your management priorities?"

The guard ponies looked about to each other, a few of them shrugging before leveling their guns back to me again.  I guess that it pays to be loyal in this town, even with the case against his actions being as bad as it is.  Maybe when my standoff is done, however it ends, a few of them will realize what I was trying to say and act.

"You're right."  Pariah gave with a sigh.  "Using foals to mine gemstones is wrong, AND the workers need safety gear."  He looked around with a shameful look on his face as the workers started to whisper amongst themselves.  "I didn't want the townsfolk to know, but it is time to come clean."  He turned his head and pulled the quick release on his saddle, letting it fall to the ground.  "LISTEN UP!  This town is failing."

There was a collective gasp given by the guards, silenced as Pariah cleared his throat.  "The cost to run the drills is too high, and the amount of gems we are pulling no longer covers the cost for trading for food and medical supplies."  He slumped his head and looked around to each group before slowly dropping himself to the dirt.  "I am sorry, I had hoped that a large lode would had been discovered by now."

"Pariah, I know you have had problems with the Ministries in the past, but I can help you."  I called out, getting to my hooves.  "I can negotiate a cheaper price for your alcohol at the Pool.  It's not a permanent fix, but it should keep the town going until can get the facility opened for you."

Pariah looked up with a mix of shock and sadness.  "You would do that?"  He shook his head slowly, his face forming a scowl.  "Why.  Why would you do that, even after everything I've done?"  He got to his hooves with a snarl.  "Why should I even trust YOU of all ponies!?"

Why should he?  I could say that I'm not like the ponies from the ministry before the war, but he already doesn't care about that.  I can't tell him that I forgive him for what he's done, because my word doesn't mean anything to him.  I can't tell him to ask Forge and Anvil if I'm trustworthy because I have failed to get them what they need in the past a time or two before.  My Pipbuck beeped, making me pull it up as B.I.T. displayed nothing more than a smiling face.

"Because... you want to give me a second chance."  I said as I felt a small smile pull across my muzzle.  "Everypony deserves a second chance."

"The same chance you gave to Xin and Lodge?"  He quickly called back.  "It doesn't take a genius to figure out why you came down here without them."

"You misunderstand, as I did offer them a second chance."  I took a step forward slowly, making sure that the guard ponies know I wasn't trying to deceive them.  "And when offered, they instead attempted to kill me." I raised my voice and continued, calling out for everypony to hear.  "If I had no intention of offering you a second chance of your own, the walking machine of death behind me would have killed you already!"

My Pipbuck beeped again, an audiolog clicked and started to play.  B.I.T. had recorded the entire conversation between Lodge and I, bringing the credibility I needed to my words.  As the log clicked off, the guards ponies began buzzing with whispers again.  I kept my eyes pinned to Pariah's face, watching as his seething rage dropped away bit by bit.

"You would just, give me a second chance?"  Pariah started to speak slowly, his voice now conveying the realization of his actions.  He slid back down slowly onto the dirt, laying there as he thought to himself.  "How could you trust me?"

I lifted up my hoof and held it out with a smile.  "If the wasteland is ever going to be a better place, how can I afford not to?"

That's when I saw it.  

It was like someone struck a match inside his mind, and suddenly there was light.  In an instant, his eyes had softened, his face was completely relaxed save for the smile spreading across his muzzle.  For what was probably the first time in over a century, Pariah beamed pure and simple happiness.  The gears in my head stopped for once.  Not jamming up, not straining, just purely and simply at rest.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as my brain wanted me to remember this moment.  The one astounding moment that B.I.T. had tried to tell me about, but I had been too ignorant to see.  Not to mention, from the start, Pinkie had told me that I have her gift.  I knew that if I applied it correctly, then I could make anypony smile, but this was somehow so much more.  I can't believe that somehow I had forgotten what pure hope looked like.

The crystalline form of B.I.T. walked around from behind me, nearly giving me a heart attack.  Although, it would better explain why time felt like it had been turned off.  She walked in front of me and sat down, canting her head as I waited for her to speak.  If she hadn't sit there the other day and nagged me, this wouldn't have ended this way.  How could I have been so stupid and ignorant to Ignore her advice?  I'm such a moron.

"Chief Backlash, I believe that was the most sincere apology that you've given in the few days I've been with you."  She nodded slowly as she spoke, a sense of pride coming through her words.  "There just might be hope for you yet."  Her encouraging words echoed in my mind as she dissolved, time creeping back to it's normal pace.

"So, do you accept!?"  Brass shouted from my side without warning.

"DEAR CELESTIA!"  I screamed as I felt like I could have jumped to the moon from fright.  "Why must everypony sneak up on me!"  I sat down and wrapped a hoof around him, pulling him close and giving him a soft noogie across his mane.

"Alright, alright!  I'm sorry!"  He giggled and flailed his hooves at me.

"If you really can help me save this town, Kid, you have yourself a deal."  Pariah spoke as he walked up, holding a hoof out as a gesture of friendship.  I took it in my hoof, shaking it as I met his gaze.  I knew it was going to be a long and tough process to get this town back on it's feet, but if there was a chance, I was damn well going to take it!  I'm tired of leaving nothing but destruction in my wake, it's time to fix some things for once!


-----


I detached the transfer cable from my Pipbuck, biting down on it and yanking the other end from ED's leg.  My E.F.S. fuzzed away for a moment before popping back up in the bright pink I had when it was first put on me, seeming glaringly bright compared to the purple I had been stuck with.  I shrugged it off and checked myself over again, hoofing Xin's wide brimmed hat up on my forehead so I could actually see around me.

Brass was fidgeting with the slightly oversized leather jacket he was given, grumbling to himself about how he wishes he had learned the clothing alteration spell his mother always used.  I wished that he could use that spell as well, because Xin's coat was not made for a pony my size!  It fit just about as well as DJ Pon3's vest, which meant that my entire chest and belly were exposed.  Well, less for my stomach due to the coat hanging down to nearly touch the ground.

With 42 controlling the Pool, Brass had thought that we would need some sort of disguise to get inside unnoticed.  Pariah had been kind enough to let me use Xin's coat and hat at my request, as I assume that if it had worked for her, than it should work for me!

"Now, you are sure that you can secure the alcohol contract for cheaper than 10 caps a gallon?"  Pariah asked for the third time, still sounding as unconvinced as the first time.  "That's as high as I can go, given what little the town has left."

"Yes, I can."  I sat down and hooved at my saddlebags, making sure that they sat correctly under the coat.  "Peppermint Schnapps is an old friend of mine, and one of the best brewers around!  Don't worry, I'll get her next shipment and bring it back myself if I have to.  I promise."  I grinned to try to reassure him.  Even with the grin though, he wasn't convinced.  "Now, it's a two day's hike to get to the Pool, so don't expect me to be back any earlier than four days from now."  I looked over a selection of other assorted item's that had belonged to Xin, seeing if anything else might prove useful.  I stopped as I glanced over a small spyglass with intricate etchings on it, a single powergem sat on the side of the tube.

I smiled as I realized that it was an old light amplification tube.  They were something that had been developed before the war to help traders if they got stuck in the everfree forest at night, allowing them to see enough to get to shelter.  They had six or so different models on display at the Baltimare Museum of commerce, and they had always fascinated me.  Other than a few surface scratches, this one seemed to be intact and in incredible condition!

"Backlash, are you sure this is a good idea?"  Brass stepped over and put a hoof on my shoulder, the oversized armor making it hard to take him seriously.  "Heading right into Forty Two's domain just feels like a really bad idea.  She's always been one step ahead of us."  He was more than just concerned this time.  He was scared, and he had every right to be.  Hell, I don't want to go anywhere near the Pool, but Peppermint is the only pony I know who can help out Redwing.

"I know, Brass.  But Peppermint can help, so I have to try."  I gave him a soft smile.  "You know, you can always go with P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. to get help."  And at least that way, I'd know he was safe.  Not to mention, I could sneak around better if I was alone.  If I'm lucky enough, 42 will still be on the coast looking for me.  If she is, then maybe Peppermint can tell me if they've moved Pallet into the Pool!

"No way."  Brass smacked me with his hoof.  "You said it yourself.  We are family, and family sticks together!"  He shouted and jumped up, throwing his hooves around me.  It felt good to hear him say that, like all of the pain and suffering I had caused him had been overridden just by that simple word, Family.  I hugged him back tightly.

"The townies are all out of the mine and it's sealed up."  Righteous Fury called from down the street.  "You sure you can trust these ponies, Dad?  I can go along with them to ensure their... cooperation."  Her cruelty bled through her oily words.

"No, I don't want to raise the chances of getting caught."  I turned to Pariah.  "Brass is small enough to be ignored, but adding another pony would make us stand out.  If 42 even catches wind that I am there, she will come down onto me like nothing you have ever seen."  I pointed my hoof to her as Pariah seemed to mull it over.  "Not to mention, if that does happen, and she's with me?  42 won't just stop with me, she will come here and kill everypony she finds."

I walked up and gave Pariah the most honest look I could, making sure he took in every last syllable of what I was saying.  "I was the one who let 42 out of her prison.  I know what she is capable of, and  I'm not going to be responsible for the destruction of another town at her hooves.  If you still want to send somepony, I suggest one who can pull a cart and can stay out of sight.  That way they can get the hell out of there with the alcohol if things end up going sideways."

"Alright, alright."  Pariah said dismissively, tilting his head around my side to look past me to Righteous.  "You're going to stay in town.  With Lodge dead, you're the closest thing I have to a nurse, and the guards who were wounded in the fight need to be tended to.  Go tell Gale that he's to meet and accompany Mr. Backlash from the Inn."  He waved his hoof at her.  "I meant now... go get to it."

"Yes, father."  Righteous Fury sighed and trot off to somewhere.

"She keeps calling you father?"  I spoke slowly as the gears in my head locked up for a moment.  "I thought the whole daddy comment the other day was just a joke!"

Pariah grumbled as the frown on his muzzle drew deeper.  "Look.  Her and her mother came here one winter desperate for help.  Her mother had strained herself so much to get here through the snow and to keep Righteous warm, that she died the night they arrived.  It was just Xin, Xelos, and I back then."  

His voice changed from the agitation to a mix of pride, sadness, and nostalgia.  "She was only a tiny filly, barely old enough to walk at the time.  So I took her in and raised her as my own."  His muzzle twisted into a small smile as he continued.  "She has certainly grown into her own though, even if it's not the way her mother would have raised her.  It's hard to believe that it was twenty six winters ago, soon to be twenty seven in a few months.  Time just flies by with as old as I am."

I reached my hoof up and pat Pariah on the back.  "Don't worry, Pariah.  I'll make sure that Redwing is still here for many more winters to come."  I hoofed the light enhancing monocular into my saddlebags and turned around, looking up under ED to see that the headlamps underneath had once again split colors with both A.P.'s inside.  The left side was bright pink, while the right was a brilliant purple.

"P.I.N.K. and B.I.T., I take it you two are finding it comfortable in there?"  I smiled as Brass strolled up to my side.  "I hope it is, cause it's going to be a long walk!"

"Absotootly-lootly!"  The chipper voice of P.I.N.K. blasted out of the speakers.

"I find it to be acceptable."  B.I.T. replied at a more manageable volume.  "As for time, I estimate that it will take no longer than 2.253 days time to reach the regroup point.  I will then instruct Skyline to drive your Marauder down to Redwing to meet you."

"Perfect."  I tapped my hoof on one of the colossal robot's legs, getting to my hooves.  "OH, and do me a favor.  If you run into any more of 42's goons, you know what to do."

"Hey, P.I.N.K. and B.I.T., can I ask for a favor as well?"  Brass called up from my side.  "If you see any Steel Rangers out there, can you ask them to get a message to my Mother?  Have them tell her that I'm alright, and that I'll... I'll be home soon."  He sniffled as he finished, looking over to me and trying to hide his homesickness with a smile.  One that I couldn't help but return.

"Instruction's noted, Vice Chief Tacks."  B.I.T. responded promptly.

Vice Chief?

"What do you mean, vice chief?"  Brass's confusion as synced up with mine as closely as it could possibly have.  One of these days, I swear I'll actually be smart enough to ask before him... maybe.

"Correct."  B.I.T. replied in a slightly upbeat tone.  "Backlash declared you family, and without a current second in command registered, you are hereby hired and promoted to the position of Vice Chief of the Ministry of Morale."

"So... I can order you around now?"  Brass said slowly.  I could already see where this was going.  "What if I told you to bark like a dog?"  And there it is.  Give somepony his age a lick of power and this is what happens.

A gasp came from P.I.N.K. through the speaker "Chief Backlash would have to clear it because he's still here, but that does sound like fun!  Hey Chief, can I?"

"No."  I sighed, barely resisting the urge to facehoof myself.  "We need to get going, and I need you to head out for Manehattan.  The quicker Sky can get here, the better."  Brass and P.I.N.K. both gave out a sad sigh as I trotted past them.  We have a job to do, and for once, an entire town of ponies are counting on me.  Actually, it's more than that.  I have to do this for Pariah, to show him that not everypony is against him, and that Pinkie's influence can still bring some light back to this all too dark wasteland.

As ED exited town ahead of us, Brass caught up to me with little effort as we wound our way down the streets, slowing down as we reached Anvil and Forge's place.  The old Inn was now an amalgamation of assorted shops, with each room on the first floor stocked with one type of good or another.  Being the only place to stop between Manehattan and the Pool made this building a must for most traders, but recently it looked as if they hadn't had a customer in a while.

As Brass and I stepped in through the old western double doors, we looked around for anypony.  The entire place was completely silent.  Either Forge or Anvil was always here to greet me whenever I showed up, but without it, the place just seemed eerie.  My ear tweaked as I heard somepony approaching from outside, so I turned myself to see who it was.

Of course now I realize that I probably should have stepped back from the doors.

The pony kicked them open, causing one of the heavy wooden slabs to swing out and nail me across my right cheek.  The world spun and tilted as I crashed onto my side, the dusty floorboards giving off a small plume around me.  My ears were filled with a light ringing as my vision had stars shooting across it like the meteor showers in the books about the old days.

"Oh!  I'm so sorry about that!"  The concerned, familiar voice of a stallion called out as he stood over me, holding his hoof out.  "I'm still not used to these legs."

I rolled over and took the stranger's hoof, slowly regaining my senses as I stood back up.  What an odd thing for a pony to say.  I shook the disorientation from my mind and looked up, finding the same charcoal coat and maned stallion who had been around for the last few days.  His light green eyes told me that he was utterly ashamed what happened.

"It's perfectly fine!" I said, tasting the blood flowing down from my nose.  I lifted my hoof and applied pressure to it.  "Are you Gale?"

He nodded and stiffened up, saluting me in an odd fashion.  "Staff Sargent Gale Streams of the enclave advanced scouting regiment, reporting for duty!"

"Enclave?"  I snorted into my hoof, nearly spraying blood onto the newcomer.  "Don't you... you know... need to be a pegasus or something?"  I wiped my bloody nose a few times, before Brass levitated a small handkerchief over to me.  I wiped it across my nose, watching in morbid curiosity as the yellow rag turned white from the blood and crumbled away in my hoof.  This whole acid blood thing is getting kind of annoying to be honest.

"I am!"  Gale gasped and looked slightly offended for a moment.  Then, a deep sorrow flooded his eyes as he dropped his gaze to the floor.  "Well, I was until last year."

With the last month of my life, I've become familiar with all kinds of weird occurrences in the wasteland.  Species change though?  That's a new one.

"Killing joke?"  Brass asked cautiously, getting a nod from Gale.  "You should consider yourself lucky.  It normally doesn't let you live, you know, part of the 'Killing' in the name."  Brass walked around him slowly, looking him over.  "Though, why an earth pony?"

Gale sighed and shook his head.  "The only reason I can think of was that before one of my missions, the other girls and I had..."

"YOU'RE A MARE!?"  Brass interrupted with a volume that could only have been matched by P.I.N.K.'s.  I shot a glare over to him, as he scrunched his muzzle up in realization of his rudeness.  Well, at least that explained why the name sounds so much like a mare's name.

"Yes, I was."  Gale continued.  "We joked about what we would do if we were ever stranded below the cloudcover."  He shook his hoof in dismissal and closed his eyes. (Should I just have called him, a her, or what?  I'm getting pretty used to weird, but gender swapping?  That just makes this more confusing.)  "I thought it was funny at the time to remark about how 'There is no way in hell that I would ever make a life down here with one of the dirty earth stallions'."  He kicked at the floor.  "Of course, the next time I was out on maneuvers, I crash landed straight into a bush of the stuff.  Now they've marked me a Dashite and have left me to die down here this way."

"So that's why you felt sympathetic when you learned I had acidic blood."  I nodded and rubbed my chin, rousing a small gasp from him. (I'm just going to stick with 'him'.  It'll just be easier in the long run.)

"But... How?"  He stuttered and looked at me.  "I had just never meant another killing joke survivor.  I thought I might have been the only one."   I don't know how killing joke could have slipped my mind!  I've always been on the lookout for it, but I've thankfully never seen it in person.  As I went to tell him he was mistaken, I felt an odd feeling in my gut that I haven't felt for a while.

"Oh, he's not!"  Brass spouted out.  "He mutated that way from all the taint he had in him!"

Gale blinked a few times as she froze stiff, staring at me with an uneasiness rippling throughout his body.  "Oh... is that right..."  He took a step back, giving me the biggest, forced smile he could.  "Well then... I'll just wait outside.  Far away from you and your... taint."  He dipped through the double doors and nearly galloped for the entrance to town.

"Well great!  Now he thinks I'm contagious!"  I sat down and facehooved.

"Shouldn't we call Gale a She?"  Brass asked, a light amount of guilt in his voice.  I put my hoof back down and shrugged.

"I've just decided to call him a he."  I groaned out, pulling myself to my hooves.  "Anyway, lets get going.  We've got a lot of ground to cover, and I'm hoping that we can scavenge on the way."  I looked over to Brass as he cocked an eyebrow.  "You know, stuff to trade in case my amazing charm doesn't get us a deal with Peppermint."  I said with a roll of my eyes.

After grabbing some ammunition and food from one of Anvil's stock rooms, I pushed open the double doors and walked out with Brass, turning and heading for the large, red gate that sat at the end of the street.  It's funny, but the last few times I've left this town, the gate and walls that protected this place, didn't seem as much like prison walls as they did to me now.  A pair of earth ponies bit down on a rope and walked backwards in unison, dragging the heavy gate into the air.  I nodded to Gale as we reached the opening, watching as he fell in behind us.

As the immense gate slammed down, and the open expanse of wasteland filled my gaze ahead of us, I slid Xin's hat forward.  I was about to head into the heart of 42's domain with the hopes of Redwing riding on my shoulders.  I pray to the goddesses that this half baked plan can actually get us through the next few days.  And I pray that Skyline can drive like a mad mare.
> Chapter 15 - Missed Opportunities 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 15

"I know just who's going to tell me all about it.  Tell me all about it BIG TIME!"

-----


Rain.

It had only been a few hours of walking before it started, and it hasn't stopped yet, three hours later.  It was like the pagasi up above were purposefully trying to ruin my day by making the storm only follow us.  I knew it wasn't true, seeing as the wasteland we tracked through looked like it had been turned to muddy slop quite some time ago.  It wasn't even the cold rain itself that irritated me, it was the mud.

It was kind of alright, seeing as I had gone numb twenty minutes or so ago, but it just made it that much harder to make sure I had good hoofing when going up or down hills.  We had all been relatively quiet the whole time, and I could feel it in my gut that Brass would be asking another dumb question soon.

"Hey, Backlash!"  Brass yelled from just behind me.  The one good thing about the mud was that I could hear him squish up behind me, so no more startling.  Unfortunately, as I turned to look at him, I lost track of where I stepped and had my hooves slip right out from under me.  I let out a sigh as I slid a few feet down the hill we were heading from.  I got to my hooves and slicked the mud from my muzzle as I looked back up, watching as Gale carefully made his way down after us.

"What is it, Brass?"  I grunted as I did my best to not slide any further.

"How exactly were you planning on finding things to sell?"  He pointed out rather blatantly.  Yeah, I have to take what I thought back, it's not a dumb question at all!  The real answer was I don't really know.  "Do you know of some M.o.M. facility around here you spotted but could never get into before, and might be able to open now?"

"I wish that I could say I did."  I sighed as I took a few ginger steps down the hill, finding that as I went down, the dirt cooperated a bit more with each step.  "I have a few ideas, and there a quite a few structures around here hidden amongst the hills.  Those might still have something good."  I knew that on our repeated trips through here, Sky and I had cleaned out most of the valuables along this trail.  I was mostly just trying to keep him calm and relaxed.

"How do you even know we are going in the right direction?"  Gale spoke up as he made it to the bottom of the hill, standing with Brass and I.  "All these hills look the same to me."

"Well, my sister and I have travelled this trail many times when trading, so I know where everything is supposed to be along here."  I stated rather matter-O-factly.  "Plus, I've got the Pipbuck's map."  I shook my left hoof, the bright pink shell of it barely visible under the thick layer of mud around it.

"But if you have been through here many times, how isn't that you never scavenged?"  Gale scrunched up his muzzle in thought and rubbed his muddy hoof on his chin before realizing it was slathering it onto him.  I looked down to Brass as he continued, giving the young ghoul a nervous smile.  "As a trader, I would have thought you'd have picked the places clean."

Brass deadpanned and rolled his eyes, trodding past me toward the next hill.  "Come on, Backlash.  At the very least I want to get out of this rain."  Gale followed and gave a nervous smile of his own.  I frowned as I couldn't help but feel that I was getting us in over our heads again.

"There's an old rest stop a quarter mile from here."  I mentioned as I quickly trotted after Brass, catching up to the two momentarily.  "We can take a break there, see if the weather will let up."  From falling into the mud, to standing still, my body was reminding me it was cold, and the near freezing rain was just going to take it's toll on all of us if we didn't dry off.  "And I'll see about building us a fire."


-----


I was surprised I had never thought about it before, but the maintenance closet of the rest stop had quite a few rolls of paper towels still wrapped up in their wax paper.  Not only did it make for good starter fuel for the fire, we each split one and used it to get ourselves dried off a bit.  The rain hadn't died down one bit by the early afternoon, and was beginning to get worried that if it didn't let up, we would be stuck here overnight.

Brass levitated a bottle of water over to me as the three of us sat under the covered rest stop. I hoped he couldn't read on my face that I was worried.  I took it with a smile and guzzled it down, once again not even taking the time to enjoy it.  I looked over to Gale, who had curled himself up next to the fire and appeared to have fallen asleep.  I pulled myself to my hooves, wincing as my rear legs cried out for me to be done using them today.

I walked over to the edge of the roof, putting my head under the constant stream of water that flowed off it.  I bit down on the bottle and twisted it, squishing the container into the mud before looking back to Brass who was adjusting our drying clothes with his still weakened magic.

"I'm going to take a walk alone; clear my head a bit."  I smiled softly to him, hoping that he would just stay here for now.  He forced a smile and nodded softly.  "Thanks.  I promise I'll figure this all out."

His smile dropped off as I spoke.  "Why?  Why do you need to be alone to do this?"

"That's the best Skyline impression I've heard in a long time."  I laughed softly, getting him to smirk again at least.  "I'm not trying to do this alone at all, in fact, I need you for this, Brass.  I need you to make sure I keep a level head, one slip up, one wrong move is all it's going to take, and then 42 wins."

"I know.  That's why I'm just extra worried."  He huffed and scraped his hoof along the concrete.  "What if... what if after we tell the elders what Sorbet is really up to... we just run?"  He looked up to me with a flicker of hope.  "She couldn't deal with the whole of the Rangers coming down on her, she'd have to give up."

"You think we can RUN?"  I laughed half heartedly, really hoping he was joking.  "You realize we can't, right?"

He shrugged and looked genuinely hurt that I didn't think we could.  "Why not?  You have the files that Forty Two needs!"  He raised his voice loud enough that Gale was stirring awake.  "If we take the Marauder, she'll..."

"SHE WOULD KILL EVERYPONY SHE COULD FIND UNTIL I RETURNED!"  I screamed out at him, turning around.  The cold rain stung on my bare flank, sucking what little heat I had absorbed from the fire right back out.  "Don't you see?  She's not going to stop unless I find a way to make sure she can NEVER use that pond!"

"Woah woah, what's this all about?"  Gale groggily spoke as he rubbed his eyes and sat up.  "Who's killing who now?"

I turned and trotted angrily out into the rain.  Why couldn't he understand!  42 is so much of a stereotypical villain that she is predictable.  I mean, not so much in keeping track of her, but with how she's been running everything!  The most annoying thing is when she shows up when I least expect her to and have only made it out due to luck!  Like my rib plate catching that bullet, my acidic blood, or how Harmony…

I stumbled at the thought of her, nearly falling onto my face in the mud.  Just the idea that Brass wanted to run when she gave her life to help us.  She would have died for NOTHING if we gave up now.  Not only her, but the ponies of Whinny and Ponyville as well! I mean what about Pallet?  If we stopped now, we...!  The muscles in my neck really started to ache, badly enough that it knocked me out of my thoughts.

"The hell.  What now?"  I reached up and rubbed my neck with my muddy hoof, tilting my head down until it felt slightly better.  My ears perked as an odd sound carried over the sound of the downpour.  There were voices, what sounded to be at least two separate ones coming from just over the hill in front of me.  

I did my best to climb the muddy incline, keeping myself low as I crested the top.  It was a pony talking with a spritebot, their voices still muffled by the rain, but clear enough that I could hear that it was Watcher's voice in the bot.  I got to my hooves with a smile, wanting to talk to him and trotting forward without thinking.  Once again, my hoofing failed me as it was off on a cold slide down the hill.  I slid into a rock at the bottom with a grunt, my muzzle completely entombed in a muddy pile.

I sat up and brushed the mud off my face as well as I could, squinting as the rain did its best to push it into my eyes.  I looked over the pony talking with him, making out that he was a bright purple unicorn, but he had a bright pink mane that made him stick out from the dark browns and grays of today.  I pulled myself up and began to trot towards them.

"Hey, Watcher!"  I yelled out, making the purple stallion scream out and jump in terror.  I watched as he flopped down in the mud, remarking that he looked a lot like I did every time somepony snuck up on me.  The bobbing spritebot turned as I approached, drifting a few feet towards me.

"Oh, hello, Backlash.  What are you doing out here?"  His voice crackled slightly through the speaker.  The frightened stallion pulled himself up from the mud and looked me over cautiously.  "This is Notepad by the way, he's been chronicling some of the events that have been happening out west."

"That's great and all but I need to know if you have the location of any prewar supply caches in the area."  I gave watcher my best pleading smile, still unsure of just how well he could see out of the spritebots.

"Backlash, I can't do that."  His voice came through the speaker heavily strained with discomfort.  "I can't get involved in wasteland affairs.  I'm sorry, but that's why I call myself Watcher."  I let out a grunt, kicking at the mud in frustration.

"You'd be content to just sit and watch as a town full of innocent ponies collapsed?  Able to sit, knowing that mares and foals were force out into the wastes because you didn't want to help them."  I prodded the bobbing bot with my hoof and glared at it.  I knew that this was a very basic way to appeal to his sense of good, but to be honest, I'm desperate.  "You may find that acceptable from wherever 'high and mighty' you sit, but from down here, you're just as bad as 42."


The sound of the cold rain on the hills around us filled the air.  No pony said anything as almost a minute passed, letting me look over the nervous stallion next to me more closely.  The old barding he wore was in tatters, but it looked to be the front half of an old Fillydelphia S.W.A.T. barding.  There was an odd patch on the back of it, instead of the common SWAT, it read WRITER.  He had a single leather pouch slung around him instead of a pair of saddlebags, which was an odd choice for somepony who's supposed to 'chronicle' things.  And now that I've thought about it, what the hell does that even mean he does?

My thoughts were derailed by the sharp crack of static from the spritebot, the normal upbeat waltz the spouted spilling into the air as the robot bobbed away from us.  Great, now I'm really screwed.  I sat down in the mud and looked back at the other stallion.

"You wouldn't happen to know any prewar complexes where I could find anything worth trading, would you?"  I gave a weak, forced smile as my body tried to make me collapse then and there.  He shook his head, starting to shiver along with me.  I sighed and turned back towards the hill, calling back over my shoulder.  "We got a fire going at the rest stop over here, you can join us if you want.  You know, get out of the rain for a bit."

"That's very kind of you."  He smiled and trot over to me, nodding as he brushed his wet mane from his purple eyes.  "Was it, Mr. Backlash that Watcher had called you?"  We climbed the hill together, my bare flank feeling like it was being pricked with a thousand little needles with every step.

"It's just Backlash."  I huffed out while we reached the top.  "How do you know Watcher?  If you know where he lives, I'd certainly love to go there and kick his lazy flank into gear."

"Actually, I've never met him outside of the spritebots."  Notepad shrugged and concentrated at keeping his hoofing going down the hill.  I made sure to do so as well, twice was enough for falling into freezing cold mud today.  "I've just talked with him several times on my journeys, he's quite interested to hear the stories of the 'heroes' that appear around the wasteland."

"So, you then what, write about them?"  I asked as my own curiosity was now peaked.  Somepony who went around and wrote?  How was that even a viable profession these days when everypony else was just barely managing to get by?

"Well, yes.  Somepony needs to write these things down for future generations."  He gave a smile as he gazed ahead of us, looking lost in his thoughts.  "You should have seen the things that some ponies have accomplished out east.  It truly gives me hope that we will have a better world one day."

I rolled my eyes at that.  "Yeah, sure.  You can live in your fantasy world of sunshine and rainbows, but me?  I'm pretty sure we won't ever stop fighting ourselves."  I stopped for a moment as the gears in my head fed me something odd.  "Wait, if you take down what's happening.  Why are you out here?  Did you hear about 42?"

We were walking up to the rest stop, quickly ducking under the overhang of the roof to get out of the rain.  "I'm here because Watcher explained to me that there was an event like no other going on.  An epic battle of Good against Evil!  It's going to be so fun to cover!"  He sounded genuinely excited, which made one of the gears snap in my head.

I shoved him against the building as my blood felt like it was boiling.  "Fun!?"  I slammed my hooves next to his head as he cowered down.  "For the last month, ponies out here have been dying to what 42 has been doing!"

"Backlash, what are you...?"  Brass called out as he trotted around the corner, stopping dead in his tracks as he looked between Notepad and I.  In my blind rage, I hadn't even felt the tip of the knife digging into my neck as the cowering stallion's magic pressed it against me.  I took a step back as his scared eyes wavered, his magic keeping the weapon on me.

"P..please."  Notepad stuttered, tears forming in his eyes.  "I don't want to hurt you."

"None of us are going to hurt you."  Brass said softly, doing his best to keep calm.  "Just please, put the knife down."  His talking was working, I could feel the pressure of it come off me slightly.  "That's it, nice and easy.  We're all friends here."  Notepad's magic wavered as he nodded to Brass.  Oh thank Celestia, for a moment…

A loud crash came from near the fire, startling both Notepad and I.  It all happened so fast that I wasn't sure anything was wrong at first, but then I smelled the burning of my blood on the ground.  I lost control of my legs as I felt dizzy, collapsing and falling to the ground while darkness crowded my vision.  Funny that the cut across my throat didn't even hurt. In fact, I think it helped me feel warm again.


-----


The warm breeze that flowed through the tree above me felt good on my coat.  The wet ground I lay on wasn't in the least bit cold or uncomfortable.  In fact, it was just the opposite, I wish I could lay here forever.

"Enjoying yourself?"  Pinkie asked from beside me.

I opened my eyes and looked over to her.  Her mane still lay flat like the last time we talked, but she had a smile on her muzzle.  Her eyes conveyed both happiness and an incredible fear.  Why was she so afraid?  Why had she been last time?  So many questions that I could ask, but I simply nodded.

"Listen, Backlash, I know I haven't been there for you when you've needed me."  Her voice was deep with regret, her words nothing but the truth.  "But I would like to change that, even though it's going to get me in trouble."  There was a rumble along the horizon, making me sit up and glance over in that direction.  A massive set of storm clouds were forming quickly, lightning arcing through them."

"Remember these numbers!  5706!"  Pinkie raised her voice to contend with the rumbles.  I watched as the hilly lands swept back towards us, a large blast of wind hitting us as the clouds moved closer.  She grabbed my face with her hooves, making me stare into her eyes.  "I'm sorry it's been tough, but it's going to get worse!"  She smiled again, her eyes softening softly.  "You are tough, Backlash, don't let her break you!"

A pulse of light came from the cloud, a bolt of lightning arced out of it and slammed into my chest, the force of it throwing me back into the tree and knocking me into the silent darkness once more.


-----


I came to again feeling like I was drowning, forcing me to roll over and cough up what was probably close to a pint of blood.  I gasped hard and heaved a few more times onto the concrete, sending what little was left of the beans from this morning out with quite a bit more blood.  Opening my eyes, I looked about as the fuzzy world around me resolved into Brass, Gale and Notepad standing out in the rain looking at me.

I looked down to find out why it felt like I had been bucked in the chest, only to find two spoons glued to my chest.  Each spoon had a wire that ran to the exposed workings of the energy weapon I had brought out of the East Orchard.  Brass smiled and bounced on his hooves as I looked at him confused, the weapon dropping out of Notepad's levitation.

"IT WORKED!"  He screamed and splashed about in the mud happily.

"What happened?"  I asked, trying to sit up, but once again the world wanted me to stay down as it twirled around me.  I flopped back down onto the warm concrete and groaned as my head thumped in pain.

"Well, from my understanding, me dropping the cookpot startled the new guy here, causing him to accidentally slit your throat."  Gale said, raising his hoof to pat Brass on the head.  "Your buddy here saved your life with his quick thinking.  Having notepad apply a healing potion to your throat as he looked for things from your bags."  He ruffled Brass's mane, making him glow bright red in embarrassment.

"When I noticed you heart had stopped,"  Brass spoke up to draw attention from his discomfort.  "I managed to jerry-rig up a defibrillator using a pair of Gale's spoons, his wonderglue, and some wiring I found in your bags."  He beamed a proud smile to me as I couldn't help but share it.  He is one crafty stallion, I'll give him that.

"Look, I'm really sorry about that..."  Notepad tried to apologize before I cut him off.

"No, I shouldn't have snapped like that.  I've just had a bad month is all."  I sighed out and rolled myself to my hooves.  As I did, I couldn't help but notice that Notepad's hooves were wrapped in healing bandages.  "I hope my mutation didn't cause you too much pain."

"I've had worse."  He forced a soft smile, lying to my face in his attempt to be courteous.  "Now that you are alright, do you mind if we get out of the rain?"  The moment he said it, I started to shiver.  The deluge held no signs of letting up as I looked up into the dark clouds, the storm from my dreams flashing in my mind.

I nodded to them and carefully pulled myself up, feeling as Notepad pulled the wires off; the spoons stuck to me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be alive and all, but did they really have to wonderglue them to me?  I painfully hoofed the end of each one up, biting hard before tearing it off, taking most of the coat under with it.  As I recovered from the pain for removing the spoons, I felt cold against my side, instinctively turning to look why.  The entire right side of my body was coated in blood, slicking off to the me-shaped outline on the concrete that was the only clear portion left.

I stood just staring at it, my mind refusing to process that I had technically just died again.  No, not refusing to process, that was a completely wrong assessment.  The thing is, it just didn't phase me at all.  How is it that in a month's time, this had become my life?  Was I really expected to complete this journey?

The gears in my mind locked up at the overload of existential uncertainties, sending a sharp pain through my head.  I shook it off and carefully made my way around the side of the rest stop, knowing to take it even slower as the browns and greys around me started to bleed into each other.  After a few more minutes of walking, I had made it next to the fire with just enough energy to flop down in front of it.

"I hope you are hungry, Backlash!"  Brass spoke excitedly while standing on a cinderblock for some reason.  "Gale was nice enough to lend me a few things, so I'm making us all pancake battered cram and peas!"  He turned back around and grabbed a spatula in his muzzle, flipping whatever he had said was in the pan set over the fire.  As I lay there, I took in the warmth the fire gave, relaxing my body and making my eyelids feel like they weighed a ton each.

As I closed my eyes and listened to the others make light conversation, I couldn't help but think how much I missed Skyline.  Even if she was here right now she would be smacking me over the head with how I almost died again.  I mean, she would, wouldn't she?  Even with the events unfolding around us all, the only thing I seem to do is screw things up.  And with everything, why does everypony keep supporting me?  Even Pinkie broke the rules for me, as much as '5706' helps.

I let out a yawn as I drifted off to sleep, my mind seeing fit that I didn't need any more dreams today, or nightmares.

And just as suddenly as I had fallen asleep, I was woken the next morning by a loud slam.  My eyes shot open as I looked around, seeing that the ruckus was Gale tossing what remained of the maintenance closets wooden shelves into the fire.  The smallest amount of light was coming over the horizon as my Pipbuck told me it was 7:44 am, making me fight to remember exactly what time it was when I fell asleep.  I really needed to remember that this thing put a clock in my vision.

"Good morning, there.  Feeling better?"  Gale asked with a smile.  "We missed you last night at dinner, but Brass saved you some for when you woke up."  He pointed his hoof next to me where there was a pair of breaded cram slices left on a piece of old cardboard and a quarter of a can of pre-war peas.  As all my senses returned to me, I noticed that it had ceased raining finally, which was good because we were WAY behind schedule.

"Where's Brass?"  I groggily spoke, rubbing my eyes with my hoof.  Rolling back up to my hooves, my head reminded me that I had lost quite a lot of blood the day before by making me light headed.  I managed to keep myself upright, glancing down at the food as my stomach gurgled.

"He and that other stallion went off to search for something radioactive for him.  Last night he told us he felt weak and thought it might help."  Gale shrugged and sat down in front of the fire, holding his hooves out as the new wood burned.  That makes sense, seeing as it's been quite a while since he's had his suit to keep him strong.  Not that he's needed the suit to be helpful, but I probably should have saved something radioactive for just this kind of occasion.  But that's something a pony who is a lot smarter than me would have thought of.

I leaned my neck down and sniffed at what Brass had left me.  I would like to believe that it was because he could cook well, and not because I was starving, but it smelled like a slice of heaven to me.  I couldn't help myself but I dove into it, messily chewing at the delicious sustenance.  I didn't even pause between finishing the breaded cram before taking the can of peas in my hooves and shoving it against my muzzle.  As I greedily slurped them up, I caught a glimpse of Gale staring at me, his eyes fixated on me with a worried gaze.  I lowered the now empty can slowly away from my messy muzzle, giving him a small smile.

"Well that was a bust."  I could hear Notepad say as him and Brass trotted towards us from the direction I had originally found him yesterday.  I let out a belch and pulled myself to my hooves, stopping again as I felt light headed again.  I really was hoping that this wouldn't become an issue today.  I walked over to the mare's room, hoofed it open, and walked in.  Overnight, Xin's outfit had completely dried, which was a relief to me.  If I had to walk in that much rain again before the day I died for real, it'd be too soon.

The door opened behind me as Brass trotted in.  I smiled brightly as I saw him, unable to hold back how proud I was to be his friend.  And he beamed a wide smile back, using his magic to nudge his leather armor from the counter I had hung it over.  He let out a giggle as I hoofed the leather trench coat on, making me do the same.  I walked over and pulled him into a tight hug, feeling at his flesh squished a bit more than it had when he first became a ghoul.

"Don't worry, buddy, we'll find you something radioactive soon."  I said as I pat him on the head softly.  "No family of mine is going to need a sick day if I can help it!"  The gears in my head started up suddenly, trying to pull something out of my head that I was curious about recently... but what was it?

He chuckled and stepped back, hoofing at his armor.  "Yeah, well you've already used enough for the both of us."  He slipped the oversized armor onto him, the plating fitting nowhere near as well as yesterday.  In fact, now that I looked at him, he visibly looked smaller.  Was that because of lack of radiation?  Or just something that normally happens when you become a ghoul?  "Damnit!  I swear this fit better yesterday."  He slipped out of it and kicked it in frustration.  "Why couldn't I have just learned mom's spell!?"

The gears in my head feed me the question I had wanted to say.  "Can  you tell me about them?"  I asked slowly, watching as he looked over to me in confusion.  "You never did tell me about your parents."

He let out a sigh.  "Well, I've never seen my father.  Mother tells me that because he was so good at repairing terminals, he was transferred to a Las Pegasus chapter to help out on some project."  He kicked at the armor again.  "Must still be working on it, seeing as he's never contacted manehattan HQ or Mom again."  I turned around and hoofed the wide brimmed hat onto my head, listening as he continued.

"As for mother, she was so scared she'd lose me, she never wanted me to leave the base.  Even working in artifact cataloging was too dangerous for me to be around, even when that was her job."  He rolled his eyes and sat down hard, sorrow filling his words.  "So when I told her I was going on the mission to the Ministry, she flipped out and told me that 'if I went, she would disown me'."  He flopped on the floor, doing his best to mimic his mothers voice  as pain built, tearing up as he turned his gaze over to me.  "I sure showed her, didn't I?"

I took a page out of Skyline's book and decided to walk up and smack him.  "That's fucking right you did.  You went out into the wasteland and you survived."  He covered his head as he looked up to me, his eyes still reflecting the pain he felt.  "You left the base and have done incredible things.  Saving my life on more than one occasion is one of the things I'm personally proud you've done."  I prodded at him as he wiped his cheeks.  "So when we get back to Manehattan, you are going to walk right up to her and tell her how wrong she was.  You tell her all about how you've become a big damn hero out in the real world."

"Thanks, Backlash."  He sniffled, getting to his hooves.  "You're right.  I don't want to be afraid of disappointing her anymore.  But you know, even if she is my mom,"  He dropped his gaze to the floor as sadness crept into his voice again.  "What if she does disown me?  She's the only family I've got."

I smacked him across the head a second time, bringing a wave of anger washing over his face as he looked up to me.  I smiled as he glared.  "You're part of my fucking family too, don't you forget that."


-----


We had been walking all morning and were now well into the afternoon, trudging through the cold mud was taking its toll on us, but nothing had caught our attention that we needed to be concerned about.  Which was odd, seeing as Skyline and I had to defend ourselves nearly every time in the past from a few manticores roaming this side of foal mountain, and I haven't been spectacularly lucky this last month.  So where were they?

"Let's take a break up there."  Gale boredly remarked, pointing to a two story brick ruin that jutted out of the hills ahead, an old pharmacy built for a small town that's since rotted away.  The gears in my head turned as I remembered that Sky and I would sometimes stop in there to either prepare to fight or rest after one with the local wildlife.  Each idea depending on where we were headed.

"Let's not stay too long though."  I called up to him, not wanting to have something or someone sneak up on us while we were vulnerable.  "We are already late as it is, I don't want to take too much more time."  Even though I needed all the time I could get to search the place for anything I could use to barter with.  If it came down to it, I'd give up everything but my pipbuck just to make this happen.

As we walked up to the front of the decrepit storefront, the wind picked up sharply, and a familiar voice carried words into my ears

"Remember..."

I stopped.  Everything in my brain came to a halt as my body went rigid.  Slowly, the gears in my mind strained, turning slowly to carry my memories back to me.  It was something Pinkie said, something in the last dream I had.  How could I have forgotten it so quickly?

"Backlash, everything alright?"  Brass asked so softly I couldn't really hear him.  He was probably speaking normally, but my brain couldn't pay attention to him as it worked.  It was a set of numbers, I'm sure of it, but what numbers I just couldn't recollect.  Why was it I can remember everything about Low Ball's perfectly styled mane in Hoofington, but I can't remember something I was told yesterday!?

"Backlash."  Gale said as he put his hoof on my shoulder, breaking me out of my thoughts almost painfully.

"WHAT!?"  I screamed, glaring over at him as I startled him into stumbling back against the brick facing of the building.  I blinked, dumbfounded as he now sat underneath the address written on the pharmacy.  The tarnished brass lettering spelling out 5706, cracking the gears in my head over and dragging what Pinkie told me to the forefront of my mind.

"This... this is it."  I spoke slowly in disbelief, ignoring the others murmurs as I trotted inside.  "There's something here, something we need."  I called out, hoofing open the cabinets and drawers of the front counter that had long been scavenged by sky and I.  What could there be here that Pinkie knew I would need?  I must have gone over this place two or three times since we found this place years ago.

"You two, wait here."  Brass called back to the others as he followed my incessant and frantic searching.  "What are we looking for, Backlash?"

"Pinkie told me she would help us and gave me the numbers '5706' to remember."  I trotted out from behind the front counter, turning and heading down the hallway toward the store room.  As I opened the door, Brass slipped through ahead of me and and stood in my way.

"Backlash, stop."  His stern voice did little to deter my want to continue, but I stopped to hear what he had to say.  He has so far proven to have better decision making skills than I have had, and it would be wise to at least hear him out.  "I understand you think she wants to help, but aren't you forgetting she was the one who set all of this up?  Your's, Sky's, and My name were all on that folder left there for you BY her."

"You think she's just toying with us?  Like she wants to see this happen?"  I don't want to believe that this has all been some sadistic game for her, but with everything I know about Pinkie and 42, I can't actually put that off the table.

"I'm just saying that she wanted you to find something here, so why not let me look instead?"  He shook his head and sighed.  "Everything she's had you do has gotten you nearly killed.  All I'm saying is, let me look this time."

I rolled my eyes.  "Look, I know what..."  As I looked back at him, I glanced at the side of the empty vending machine against the wall across from me.  5706 was barely visible through the grime.  "There.  The numbers again."  I pointed my hoof over to it as Brass spun to look.

"An old vending machine?"  He remarked sarcastically as got up with a chuckle.  "I know you've been hungry big guy, but this was the help she was going to give?" (Brass has earned enough of my respect to poke fun at my weight, so don't get any ideas about it, yourself.)  He stood in front of the empty machine and looked it over.  I walked over and looked at it.

It was just the same as the last few times I had seen it, and like usual, the only thing that looked intact was the selection pad.  Which was useless, seeing as Sky had just bucked the glass plate out when we raided it before.

"If you a sure this is it, maybe it has a hidden compartment?"  Brass tapped along the bottom and side of the machine.

I looked at the keypad as the gears in my head turned.  I hoofed the numbers on it slowly. 5-7-0-6 and then hit select.  I was pleased to hear a soft hiss as the machine rumbled softly, slowly being drawn into the brick wall by some unseen mechanism.  once it slid far enough in, it slid sideways, stopping when it was flush with the gap it had left.  I had always wondered why the front room and back room were spaced so far apart.

In front of us was a large steel door that looked a whole lot like the one under the family farmhouse.  "It's... another vault."  Brass gasped and jumped about giddily.  "The location alone of something like this would be worth a fortune, even not knowing what was inside!  He looked over the door confused for a moment.  "Actually... how do we get inside?"

I looked around the small recess the whole thing sat in, spotting a small hatch that nearly blended into the wall.  I hoofed at it, finally hoofing it open.  The inside of the hatch was painted yellow, and the three pink butterfly's that denoted the Ministry of Peace were inlayed above another keypad.

"Well, I think we can take a guess at what's stored in here."  I shrugged and looked at the keypad.  I had seen one of these models before, something I never liked to work on.  It had a deadlock system built in.  If you didn't know the code, the doors would seal shut and start a reset timer.  Until that timer ended, the room was completely sealed shut.  It's a good thing I have the code, I really didn't want to have to find a thermal lance to cut my way through.

I hoofed the same four digit code in as before, sharply hoofing the return key and waiting.  A series of whirs and clicks preceded the massive door swinging open.  The lights kicked on, revealing shelves upon shelves of healing potions, both normal and extra strength.  Clear boxes were nearly overflowing with Rad-Safe, Med X, RadAway.  lines and lines of bandages, crutches, splints, and jugs of surgical prep supplies.  And set against the back wall were two pristine MkII Auto-doc units, still wrapped up in their plastic.

"Oh, Dr. Fitz would kiss me if he was here right now!"  I managed to spit out amongst my stupefying wonder.  Brass trotted in, looking over boxes of miscellaneous medicines.

"Backlash, this is..."  Brass was cut off as the number pad next to me let out a loud pop, sparks shooting out from it as the door motors whirred to life again, swinging the massive steel place quickly towards me.  Brass's hesitation cost him, the door already more than halfway closed when he started to run.

"BRASS!"  I screamed, shoving my hooves uselessly against the relentless push of the hydraulic mechanisms pushing back.  The gears in my head spun sharply, making me throw up my left hoof before it shut completely, jamming my Pipbuck between the frame and the heavy door.  I've seen Pipbucks take the full force of dozens of large caliber rounds without getting a scratch, so I hoped the pressure of the door wasn't high enough to do crush it.

The gearing in the door whined as it press down on my hoof, warping the Pipbuck ever so slightly.  Brass pushed at the door, grunting as he pushed his way through the small gap.  If there was one time that I was glad he was as small as a colt, it would be now.

"I'm through!"  He gasped as he wound his way past my legs.  I breathed a small sigh of relief at that before feeling the Pipbuck twist and press into my foreleg.  A thought about losing another leg shot through my mind as I tried to pull it from the door, but the best I had done was manage to only let the door get a better grip.  "Backlash, just pull your hoof out of it, leave it behind!"

"NO!"  I screamed as the door groaned, the screen of the Pipbuck cracking in thin lines as I strained and pulled my hardest.  The E.F.S. display in my vision fuzzed as I felt the case splitting.  "IT HAS THE ANSWERS!"

And with that, my muddy hoof slipped free, sending me tumbling backwards as the door whined, a loud crunch all I heard as I slammed onto the floorboards.  Brass ran up and hugged me as I lay there panting heavily.  It was gone.  All the audio logs, all the notes.  Everything I had that gave me the advantage over 42.  If Pinkie was truly doing this all for a good laugh, I hope she was having the time of her unlife about now, because this was just cruel.

Notepad and Gale galloped into the room, confusion and concern all too clear on their faces.  "What happened?"  Notepad asked, slowly walking over to the sealed door.

"The door to that room was going to close with me inside, Backlash used his Pipbuck to keep it open."  Brass's voice told me he was immensely grateful, but ashamed as well.  "If I wasn't so stupid, he wouldn't have had to sacrifice it."

I pushed Brass off of me, getting back to my hooves.  "Brass, you were right about the room.  If you hadn't gone in, I would have."  I shook my head and picked Xin's hat up off the floor, putting it back on.  Notepad levitated something toward me in the corner of my vision.  It was the top half of the Pipbuck, the screen completely shattered as the whole thing had been folded over onto itself.  I took it in my hoof and put it into my saddlebag.  "Thanks, but it's pointless now."

I walked past everypony and back out to the hallway.  "Come on, no use in staying.  We got what we came for."


-----


The light was fading on the horizon as we walked toward the bridge checkpoint for the Pool, the bright lights of the three remaining towers shining as brightly as ever down onto the street below.  Two ponies were standing at the guardpost, both of them wearing leather jackets and a gaudy plastic-looking mask of Pinkie Pie's smiling face.  A face which I was beginning to hate, even if she was my relative.

"Hey!"  One of them called out, trotting out as his buddy leveled his shotgun battle saddle to us.  "Nopony gets inta the Pool anymore without being checked, forty two's orders."  The four of us stopped, my heart rate jumping as he approached, the gears in my head spinning into action.

I lifted my left hoof, showing it to him.  "We're not the guy she's looking for, you see a Pipbuck on any of us?"

"Yeah, I don't."  He replied quickly, suspicion still rampant in his voice.  "No pony who's lookin' for him was told to look for that 'til forty two got back yesterday."  And that was me fucking up again.  Great job, Backlash.  He walked up and peered under my hat, his eyes studying me through the mask.  "So then, if I ain't seen ya b'fore, how'd ya know?"

The gears in my mind shoved an idea to me that was crazy enough it might work.  I hooked my hoof into his collar and pulled him up to me, glaring at him as his eyes went wide in shock.  "You know why Myron hired a hunter named Grinder?  Cause I crush everything in my way lookin' for somepony."  I growled at him, enjoying as he squirmed in my grip.  "The reason I know about the Pipbuck is that I'm the one who dropped a skycar on the fucker and ripped it off his cold, dead leg."

I nailed it.

The guard pulled himself away from me, stumbling a few steps back before re-adjusting his jacket.  "Ok, ok, I swear I didn't know that ya worked for tha kid!"  He apologized as he stepped back out of the way.  I grinned slyly and looked back at the others, Brass's face locked in a smirk that told me he was impressed.  I nodded for the others to follow and walked over the bridge.

The pool hadn't changed much since I had left with the exception that armed patrols of Pinkie masked ponies were mixed in with the hustle and bustle of the night time shift change.  That would make it easier to get past the guards, but with 42 here, who know's if I'll be able to make it out without her knowing.  Best to get right to it then.

As I continued forward, a shady looking unicorn stallion trotted over from the Red Lantern, catching my eye as someone who was curious about me.  I stopped as he approached, trying to make sure it seemed casual and not draw attention to me.  "Hey, you work for Myron?"

I looked over his face as he spoke, his muzzle twitching in irritation as he mentioned the tiny drug lord's name.  I studied his eyes as he waited for a response, noting that he was doing the same to me.

"I have a feeling that if you thought I did, you wouldn't have asked."  I kept my voice down, tilting Xin's hat down a bit to better hide my own eyes.  "Whatever you want, make it quick."  I glanced at his cutie mark, wondering exactly what three lightning bolts was supposed to signify.

The odd stallion smiled, his blood red eyes shining under the artificial lighting.  "I need you to kill him for me."  He took joy in merely asking me.  "You see, he murder..."

"Spare me the exposition, I'll do it."  I cut him off.  "Just tell me where he is, and get the hell out of town."  As much as I feel everypony deserves a second chance, there is a small list of exceptions.  Namely being 42, Myron, and Sorbet.  Evil like them shouldn't have a second chance.

"He's at the Tanker."  He responded quickly, sounding confused.  "Don't you even want to know..."

I was already trotting off down the street, Brass galloping to catch up with me after a minute.  "But, I thought you said everypony needs a second chance?"  He asked, a bit of disappointment coming through his words.

"You weren't here, Brass.  You don't know what he's like, what he’s done."  I brushed off his question and kept my hat down, slipping up alongside the tower that used to belong to the stalliatore twins.  It looks like it had been repurposed into 42's head quarters as the bottom quarter of it had been painted pink, old M.o.M. banners had been hung outside the entrance where four masked goons with light machine guns on battle saddles stood guard.

Brass and the others followed silently as we entered Peppermint's bar, the tired looking mare doing her best to look happy for all the ponies flooding the counter with thirsty muzzles.  There were several other mares all dressed in pink serving drinks while a couple of ponies sat on a few pushed together tables in the corner, playing music for the crowd.  If it weren't for the circumstances, I would have congratulated her on how popular she's grown.

I pushed my way toward the bar, keeping an eye out for Myron.  As I got to the counter, I tilted my hat up slightly when Peppermint swung her gaze over.  A flash of surprise grazed her face before hope filled her eyes.  Something was going so badly for her that I had started to look welcoming.  This made me a bit nervous.  She nodded for me to follow her, trotting out from behind the bar.  I turned as Brass approached, putting my muzzle right next to his ear so he could hear me over the deafening crowd.

"When she tells us where the alcohol is, go tell Gale and meet me back here."  I frowned as I felt bad for having him be an errand boy for now, but if 42 did decide to show up at Peppermint's meeting, at least I could minimize the chance of him being there.  "Oh, and tell Notepad to go with him, I don't want him here with us."  I added as he nodded and followed at my side.  As we climbed the stairs to Peppermint's store room, I was stopped by one of the guard she hired years ago stopped me.

He put his enormous hoof out and shook his head.  "You know the rules.  No gear inside.  You can pick it up when you leave."

I sighed and took off Xin's disguise, also hesitantly handing over my saddlebags before being leg into the back room.  The guard opened up an old trunk and stuffed our things inside.  My eyes beheld a surprising sight set into the lid, an old off-white crate with the letters B.E.L. stenciled on in black.  He shut the trunk and looked over to Peppermint, waiting for her to nod before leaving.  She was standing nervously in the center of her room, waiting until the door clicked shut before even appearing to relax at all.

"Peppermint, I need a favor."  I tried to ask as courteously as I could, watching as her eyes lit up.

"Whatever it is, I'll do it."  She smiled and nodded enthusiastically before her expression turned grim.  "That miniature psycho has it out for me.  He wants to buy my stills off me, but I'm afraid that if I accept, he'll just kill me rather than pay."  Which does sound like something he would do.  "I just need you to either deal with him or get me out of here."

"And I need a cart full of moonshine, loaded up and ready to go.  Not to mention a contract for the town of Red Wing stating that you will supply them with moonshine for 5 caps a gallon."  I smirked.  I know I was taking complete advantage of her situation, but I had played fair enough up until now.  I've risked everything for this and I'm not going to take well enough for an answer.

For a moment, she looked like she was about to explode on me, her face turned crimson with rage.  I looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to argue the point, allowing me to ask for an even more outrageous deal.  She sighed as she conceded, walking over to her desk and grabbing a pen in her mouth.  After a minute of writing, she picked up the paper and spit it out at me.

"Take that to my guys out back, they will get you rigged up."  She sounded like she had just signed her life away, and I basically had.  5 caps was going to lose her money overall, which was making me regret what I had just done.  This is why I don't push customers, because not only does their business suffer, but so do they.  I just wish that I had an better option at this point.  I looked down to Brass, who levitated the paper over to him and nodded to me before leaving the room.  "So, about Myron?"  She asked, a note of hopefulness in her voice.

"Oh, some stallion on the street told me to murder him as well."  I said with a shrug.  "I told him I would.  The wasteland is too full of evil as it is."  I shook my head and sighed as the door opened behind me, brass coming in quietly.  "Myron's drugs are a scourge on everypony, but with 42 behind him, there is no telling what lengths he'll go to in order to succeed."  Peppermint stared blankly behind me, raising her hoof as I spoke.  "And he's right behind me, isn't he."

She nodded, making me sigh.  I knew something was bound to go wrong.

"You know, Backlash,"  Myron's voice was as full of arrogance than ever.  "I misjudged you.  Here I thought you were a sensible business pony, maybe willing to join us and make hoof fulls of caps."  He continued as I turned around, looking down into his pale eyes.  "But now I see that you're just another wasteland dipshit who doesn't know a goddess-damned thing."

"I mean look at me!"  He giggled giddily, while pushing the safety glasses he wore up his muzzle.  "I just finished manufacturing the first batch of PTM's and with our illustrious pink queen at the head of my operation now, the whole of the wasteland will know the name of Myron!"

"No."  Brass remarked as he turned the corner, his horn glowing as Myron spun around in surprise.  Brass thrust a combat knife forward, the tip punching through the back of Myron's neck.  "No pony will know who you were."  Brass frowned and looked up to me.  "He was the pony we were supposed to kill, right?"

Myron gurgled and collapsed to the floor, Brass's horn sparking and turning the tip black as his already weak magic finally gave out again.  He panted lightly as I sat in shock.  He... killed Myron.

"Brass!  What the hell did you do!?"  I screamed and flailed my forehooves.  "You... you just stabbed him!"  I trot over and hoofed the knife from the dead drug lords neck.  It was a highly polished combat knife, almost to the point of being brand new, even it's blue handle wrapping was in remarkable condition.  Well, aside for the yellow lightning bolt painted onto it.  "Where in Celestia's name did you even get this anyway!?"

"Lil' Zeus gave it to me!"  Brass smiled and bounced on his hooves.  "He gave it to me after you walked away from him."

"Lil' Zeus!?"  Peppermint nearly screamed out.  "As in Zeus Maredino Jr.!?"  I watched as Brass shook his head to this.

"I'm confused."  I closed my eyes in frustration and tried to let the gears in my head spin.  "I thought Myron killed the Maredinos."

"He killed Mr. and Mrs. Maredino, but Lil' Zeus wasn't on the train.  He's been missing ever since the hit, although somepony said that they saw him with White Bishop's daughter, but since YOU killed him, she's gone missing as well."  She walked up behind me and pushed at me with her hooves.  I turned around and pushed her away, watching as she nervously looked about.  "Oh, this is bad!  VERY bad.  You need to go."

I felt a sharp pain in my eyes, making me force them shut.  The gears in my head spun to life and sent me warning signals over and over.  Shit, if my eyes hurt, that means...

I was about to respond when there was a loud zap behind me, sounding like an electrical device just shorted out.  I spun around, opening my eyes to see Brass, unconscious on the floor, 42 standing over him with a cattle prod in her scarred up muzzle.  The burns my blood had caused had warped the flesh on the right half of her muzzle and continued down all the way to her stomach.  She let the rod go as a pink-masked unicorn levitated it towards me, pressing it to my neck.

"You can't leave yet, the party was just about to start!"  She cackled as the prod discharged, making me slump to the floor.  "You'll want to stay to the end.  I promise it's going to be a BLAST!"  She stepped up and reared up, coming down onto my face hard, sending me into the sweet bliss of darkness.


-----


I stirred awake on a cold metal floor, opening my eyes as I heard a large amount of talking ponies all around me.  An odd perspective had me perplexed, resolving as I sat up to my hooves.  The cage I had been placed in swung in the night breeze, tilting and rocking what looked to be 40 feet off the ground.  I glanced around, trying not to focus on how much the swinging felt like I was on a boat again, finding that Brass was laying behind me, unmoving.  I prodded him with my hoof, relieved when he groaned.  My neck hurt from where I had been shocked, but other than that, we seemed fine.

A whirring sound caught my attention as the cage started to descend somehow, an old carnival dunk machine came into view, most of it covered in a white sheet.  42 was standing on her hind legs next to it, holding a megaphone in her hooves, just watching as the crowd of ponies lining the street parted for us so we could see.  As the gears in my head spun up, the cage stopped with a jolt, setting down on the street with a clang.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts!"  42 called out  "We have a little show for you tonight!"  The crowd cheered at this, quieting down again as she waved her hoof at them.  "We have a special game set up for you, courtesy of the very talented..."  She raised her hoof and pointed it to the covered game.  A unicorn on the other side used his levitation to throw off the sheet dramatically.  "Miss Peppermint Shnapps!"

Peppermint was tied up and had been set on the dunk seat.  She went as wide eyed as I did when we noticed that the tank had been filled with Taint.  The rainbow liquid shimmering slightly as the crowd erupted into cheers and whistles.

"Backlash, she's going to kill her!"  Brass shouted as he looked over to me as I hoofed at the bars on the cage, powerless to stop her.

"And we have a special guest here tonight who will have the honor of playing our little game!"  42 yelled enthusiastically.  If she thought that Brass or I would play her game, she was sorely mistaken.  "That's right, the only survivor of the ponyville massacre, committed by your's truly..."  Oh, goddesses no.  She can't!  "Miss Pallet Jack!"

The tiny green pegasus filly was levitated out, being kept in a cage barely big enough to fit her.  But she must have been strong like her father, seeing as the cage had been bent out of shape, looking more like a sphere now than a box.  She flapped her wings uselessly as she was levitated from it, being held high for all to see.

"Now Pallet, I know you don't like your auntie 42 very much."  She went on, her nefarious tone only making my blood boil.  "But if you play my game and win, then I'll take you for ice cream."  She leaned down as Pallet was dropped before her.  "Doesn't that sound good?"

Pallet said something I couldn't quite hear, but it cause 42 to smile and look up to the crowd.  "You hear that, my little ponies?  She just wants to go home to daddy."  A collective 'Awww!' came from the crowd, their tone denoting that they thought it was adorable.  42 nodded and raised her hoof again, leaning back down to the filly.  "I'm sorry, but I killed your daddy.  He's not there for you anymore."

Pallet spun around and bucked 42 square in the muzzle, not even visibly causing her to flinch.  I guess after you've had your muzzle burned as badly as she did, you'd probably lose feeling in it.  42 reached her hoof back and hit Pallet hard, sending the young filly to the ground.

"let the games BEGIN!"  She shouted, getting the crowd to explode into cheering again as she nodded to the unicorn who had revealed the tank.  He levitated a bucket of balls next to Pallet as 42 looked at her.  "Remember, no ice cream until you win the game."

Pallet nodded softly and hoofed a ball out of the bucket and looked at it.  She swung it around, throwing it toward the bright red and white ringed target.  The crowd silenced as the ball traveled all of three feet before dropping to the ground.  42 facehooved at this before looking back up with a smile.

"Awww, she's just tired.  Let's give it up for the filly folks!"  She shouted, making the crowd stomp their hooves.  Pallet cried out as she was levitated forcefully back into the cage, then was carried off out of sight again.  "She certainly gets an A for effort, but I need somepony who can REALLY throw!"  She raised her hoof above her eyes and looked around the crowd.  "Do we have any volunteers!?"

She smiled and set the megaphone down as the wound up ponies cried out energetically, rushing to form a line for a try.  She made her way over to our cage, nodding to random ponies as they called out a compliment to her.  She sat down and canted her head, shaking it as her expression beamed exuberance.

My ears picked up the sound of the ponies in the line start to throw, so I figured I'd start the conversation.  "You realize that I'll never tell you anything?"  I smiled as a twinge of irritation popped into her eyes.  She whistled, holding her hoof out before somepony ran over and deposited an old 10mm pistol into her hoof.  She pointed it at Brass, watching for a reaction from me.

One that I didn't give.  "Wow, you're as bad as the Goddess at this, you know that?"  I smirked and shrugged.  "Nothing in this hellish wasteland will make me tell you where the facility is."

Her eyes lit up for a moment, a snicker escaping from her muzzle.  "Wait, you think I'm looking for the LAB?"  Her giggles quickly evolved into an uncontrollable laughter, making her gasp and drop onto her back as she tried to contain herself.  "I'M NOT... LOOKING FOR... THAT, SILLY!"  She shouted in between her gasping.  I looked over to Brass, who was just as confused as I was.

"Ohhh.  I'm going to miss this when we're done."  She remarked in what so far was the only truthful thing to come out of her muzzle tonight.  My ear registered another miss on the dunk game, thank Celestia none of these ponies could throw well!.  "You do know that the Lab is inside Foal mountain, right?  I mean, I know where I came from, it’s not something you forget.  I was locked up in Orchard Seven for years before they sent me into that tank in Manehattan."   She shook her head, dismissing the negativity that was in her words.  "The Pool contains all the magically charged flux for the machine.  You had to have at least figured the machine was inside the mountain when I took this place over."  She said as she smiled brightly.

I blinked and scrunched up my muzzle as the gears in my head put everything together, only being pulled from my thoughts as 42 fell to the ground again in more giggle fits.  "YOU DIDN'T KNOW!  THAT'S JUST TOO GOOD!"  Her annoying taunting and flaunting was doing nothing to quell the growing rage inside me.

I slammed my hooves against the bars in anger, making her quiet down quickly.  "Then what the hell do you want from me?"  I barked out, wishing for nothing more than to just get my hooves around her neck.  "Why keep me locked up like this!?"  Not like I was ever considering it, but screw what B.I.T. had said, ponies like her didn't get a second chance.

Another whack preceded the disappointed moaning of the crowd.  42 sat back up and pressed herself into the bars, her sadistic grin as wide as ever.  "I want you to tell me where to find the pond."  Her words oozed with the pleasure she pulled from my hatred.  I swung my hoof forward, slamming it into the bar again, not even making her flinch.

"Never."  I growled out

She ignored my answer and continued. "Once I have the pond, I am going to force you to watch as I tear down everything you've ever liked.  I'll murder everypony in in Tenpony tower, making sure to save that DJ a seat right next to you for it.  Next, I'll focus on ridding the wasteland of the troublesome Steel Rangers..."  42 put a hoof to her chin can looked to the sky in thought.  "Maybe I'll start with your little monster friend."  She smiled as she glanced down at Brass.

"Go ahead!"  He screamed at her, breaking me from my growing rage.  I turned and grabbed him, pulling him close and covering his muzzle with my fetlock.  That didn't make him too happy, but I couldn't afford pissing 42 off enough to actually kill him.  There was another thump as another softball missed it's target.  How much longer could she go on doing this?  

"Maybe I'll just start with your pretty, blue mare friend."  42's oily voice made me shiver.

I smirked as I thought of something I could use..  "You won't even get the chance 42.  Come a week from now, there won't be a wasteland for you to control."  I said proudly, thinking about how I may be stuck in here, but at least my words didn't have to be.  "You see, Steel Ranger Elder Strawberry Sorbet has the location of every megaspell still hidden inside equestria."

42 met my smirk with her own, softening her voice as she leaned in close.  "What do I care?  I'll have an unending army that megaspells won't stop.  I can just overthrow her rule and retake equestria."  She chuckled to herself as another pony missed their mark at the dunk game.

"You just don't get it, do you?"  I leaned up to the bars.  "She doesn't want to rule the wasteland, she wants it wiped clean."  I smiled as my words erased 42's smug look.  "You, me, she doesn't care about us.  She's content with the Steel Rangers retreating back underground for another century while we rot away to nothing in the balefire and radiation."  I sat back and shrugged.  "Your army may be unending, but how long will they last against starvation and radiation poisoning?"

DING!

The ringing of a solid hit on the dunk game was punctuated by a mix of cheering and disappointed 'Awws' from the line.  I looked up just in time to see Peppermint drop below the surface.  I growled and slammed my hooves against the bars again as 42 smirked, not even bothering to look back.  After a few quiet moments, Peppermint resurfaced, coughing and gasping, hanging half of herself out of the tank as she tried to catch her breath.

But... that wasn't right, 42 didn’t strike me as a non-lethal prankster.  She looks to have only  filled the tank with taint colored water, leaving Peppermint unharmed. The gears in my head spun to work again, trying to figure out what exactly 42's reasoning was.  I looked at 42's muzzle, mouthing words silently as she kept her gaze locked on me.

Three…

Two…

I shut my eyes and curled myself around Brass, feeling the pressure of the explosives in the tank slam into me.  I could feel splinters of wood jab into my coat, cutting jagged lines across my side.  The ringing that filled my ears faded slightly after a few seconds, letting me hear the screams of agony and pain of other ponies around me.  I got back to my hooves, turning and looking over to 42.  

She had several large chunks of wood jutting out of her body, one had completely torn into her right foreleg and was still lodged through both sides of it.  She let out a deeply psychotic laugh as she pulled herself off the bars, wincing from the pain.  I glanced around the smoking street, the bodies of at least half a dozen ponies lay scattered or in chunks.

"If what you say is true, I suppose Tenpony will have to wait."  42 choked out as she looked over to her unicorn friend as he returned, nodding as he levitated a healing potion over to her.  "I'll look into it, but I’m only doing it because we are family, Backlash."  I was knocked from my hoofing as the cage began to rise up again, stranding us in the air once more, and leaving me to contemplate whether or not I should be blaming myself for Peppermint's death or not.

"So what do we do now?"  Brass asked slowly, the spark of hope he normally had gone from his voice.

"I don't know, Brass."  I sighed and flopped down.  "I don't know."

-------------------------

LEVEL UP!

+ 9  Speech

+ 6  Barter

New Perk:  Fission Mailed - Not even a good disguise can help you sneak, so you instead shift your focus to striking first whenever you inevitably get caught!  You now gain an additional 2 points towards your combat initiative.
	
> Chapter 16 - Guilt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 16

"Oh no, my friends don't like my parties and they don't want to be my friends anymore. "

-----


Under the bright glare of the pool's lighting at some point in the night, I had actually managed to fall asleep.  Even with the frigid, light rain that had peppered my blast wounds, I didn't feel all too bad.  I was lucky that the light gashes didn't bleed too much, or I would have worried that Brass might have gotten burned, but even so, I'm sure the rain was washing it out of the cage anyway.  

"Backlash, we're going down."  Brass whispered as he prodded me with his hoof, waking me up.  I sat up quickly, rocking the cage lightly as we lowered to the street.  The cold night air whipped at my mane as Brass pressed himself close to me, the both of us waiting to see what 42 had planned for us.  But as we touched down, it wasn't 42 that met our gaze, it was the smiling face of Zeus Maredino.

"Hey, the next shift change for the factory is in an hour."  He whispered as his horn glowed, floating a bobby pin and a screwdriver over.  "If you get your things and wait, you may be able to slip out of town within the crowds."

"Thanks for this, but why?"  I asked quietly, my ears perking as the padlock on the cage gave a soft click.  "You could have just left us for dead, why risk it?"

"Look, I know you gave me the advice to get out of town, but I hate leaving debts unpaid."  His magic tugged at the lock, opening it and threading it out of the door.  I pushed the cage open slowly, Brass and I quickly stepping out.  He shut it and locked it again.  "Now go.  If you are lucky, nopony will notice the cage is empty until you're gone."  He looked over to a mechanical winch on the side of 42's tower, his magic cranking it quickly and raising the cage back up.  "Quit standing and go!"  He whispered hoarsely, his urgent tone making me flinch slightly.

I nodded and looked around for Brass, catching a glimpse of him already threading his way between the stools of Peppermint's Bar.  I hastily galloped after him, my rear legs now well enough that I felt like the rusty braces were actually slowing me down as they chafed heavily against me.  I'll just have to dump them when we gather the rest of our things, running was probably something we'd have to be doing a lot of soon.

As I made my way through the empty bar, I could hear as Brass opened the door to Peppermint's offices.  Not even her bouncers were up?  As I climbed the stairs, the gears in my head spun and through that maybe because she had died, they didn't exactly have anypony paying them, so they their jobs probably didn't seem important until somepony else was put in charge.  I turned the corner into the room, watching as Brass had already started pulling our stuff out.  I shut the door quietly, trotting over to him and looking over our bags.

"So what's the plan, Backlash?"  He said before biting down on his saddlebags, attempting to swing them onto himself with little success.  His voice told me he was extremely worried, but there was more than a trace of hope in it.  He trusts that I can get us out, and if he believes that, then I MUST get us through this.

I hoofed his bags from him before leaning down and biting them.  "We wait."  I managed to get out from around the straps, hoisting them over and onto his back.  "Zeus's plan is sound.  If we try to slip out in the confusion of the morning shift, we can be gone before 42 even know's what happened."  I swung my head over and got my own saddlebags, swinging them on easily.

"But, why not go now?!"  Brass stomped his hoof on the floor, making us both cringe momentarily.  "Forty two has always expected us to play it safe!"  I hoofed at the buckles on the leg braces, cursing the fact that the pre war ponies never designed them for ease of use with earth ponies.

"But she still thinks we are locked up, going now would just risk somepony seeing us."  I said as I eyed the B.E.L. box tucked neatly in the lid of the trunk our gear was in.  I finally got the braces off, wiggling my rear hooves as I stretched them out a bit.  It felt good to have my own legs back.

"Since when has Forty Two ever shown up when we expected her to?"  Brass put his hoof on my side, his determined eyes looking over my own as the gears in my head tried to fight his logic.  They spun for a good minute before stopping, giving me nothing.

"You're right."  I sighed, hoofing the B.E.L. box out of the chest, much to brass's confusion.  "But if she does show up, I want to make sure I have leverage to use."  I bit down on the rope handle the box had, swinging it over onto my back.  Brass hoofed my saddlebag open, guiding the long box in.  To my surprise, even with the interior expansion spell most saddlebags had, it didn't fit all the way in as a good quarter of it still stuck out.

I looked back into the trunk, glancing over Xin's outfit.  It served its purpose to get us inside the Pool, but getting out wasn't something it could help with as we would stick out from the regular crowd.  I shut the trunk and looked over to Brass, nodding as I turned with him towards the door.  "Well, here goes nothing."  I muttered under my breath, opening the door slowly.  We crept down the stairs carefully, making our way as quietly as possible through the empty bar, crouching low behind the last row of tables as I perked my ears, listening for any noise.

Nothing but the rain.

We sprung to our hooves, taking off at a gallop along the empty street as a small smirk crossed my muzzle.  Shit, this plan might actually work!  I turned my gaze from the pink tower we were running past and looked over to Brass, who returned my grin with one of his own.  He glanced in front of him, momentarily going wide eyed just before I bowled into somepony, tumbling onto the pavement painfully in a mess of tangled legs.

"’Ey! watch where yer goin’!"  The stallion yelled as we both scrambled back to our hooves.   He stopped and looked between Brass and I before pointing his hoof at me. "Hey, wait, you're...!"  He tried to say, but I panicked, spun, and kicked out my rear hooves hard, connecting them with his chest.  He grunted and flew backward, smashing through the old glass doors that were fitted to 42's tower.

"So much for being subtle!"  I barked as I got my hooves back under me.  "RUN, BRASS!"  I launched myself into a gallop, Brass barely keeping up as our hooves pounded the pavement hard.  The grey cloud cover was starting to brighten as the sun rose before us, momentarily distracting me from the shouting and yelling that had erupted behind us.  We bolted past the Red Lantern, my glance drifting to a stunned looking Lil' Zeus.

"RUN!"  I called out between gasps, the gears in my head spinning up as Brass and I bolted toward the bridge.  The sound of shooting filled the air as bullets whizzed by us, striking the old bridge like dozens of ringing bells that only served to wake more of the residents up.

"BACKLASH!"  42 screamed out from somewhere behind me, her agitation carrying even over the reports of her gang's wildly inaccurate shots.  "We aren't done, Backlash!"  It was hard to hear, but a slight amount of happiness came through her voice.  Was she enjoying the fact that I was escaping!?  "I'll see you and your friends again soon!"

As Brass and I crossed over the bridge, the shooting died down, leaving the echos to drift about the mountain side.  The gears in my head shoved the notion to stop and turn around down into my brain, and as if I didn't have a say in it, my legs stopped me a few feet before the end of the bridge.

"Backlash, what are you doing!?"  Brass asked as he panted heavily, skidding to a stop just past me.  I shook my head and turned around, using my hoof to drag the wooden B.E.L. box out of my bags.

"Brass.  I need you to keep going.  No matter what, I need you to get to Red Wing."  I watched as 42 and her pink masked minions walked up the street, her muzzle twisted into a malevolent grin that I could see from here.  "I'm done with this stupid back and forth.  42 dies now."

"I'm not leaving you, then.  This is as much my fight as it is yours."  He said, watching me unlatch the tan box and swing the lid open.  I felt such joy in beholding the rusty antique, the multi shaded, prismatic green glow that the single balefire egg gave off was like greeting an old friend.  It was just the sight I wanted to see on a morning like this.

I was about to speak when I looked up.  42 was on her hind legs with an old hunting rifle in her hooves, aiming it at us.  I raised my hooves and closed my eyes as 42's shot rang out, waiting for the sharp pain of a bullet tearing through me.  But it was a pain that wouldn't come.  In it's place, was the peculiar sensation of all of the gears in my head feeling like they all fell out of place at once.  It wasn't painful, or uncomfortable, but it was as if the pin holding them all in simply gave way and they all tumbled down into nothingness.  I opened my eyes when I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, my muzzle wore a smile that held no emotion to it.  In my hooves, I for some reason now held the B.E.L. ready to fire, and was pointing it at the group across the bridge.

Time had slowed to a crawl as it does whenever I make a really bad decision, and the B.E.L. trigger clicked as I squeezed it.  A single bullet cut through the air from 42's rifle and punched through my right hind leg, dropping my flank only a moment before the heavy weapon activated.  The new trajectory sent the prismatic egg high into the air, my eyes following it up until halfway along its arc, observing as 42's group doing the same.  But 42 herself was shrinking... no, she was dropping into a drainage pipe.  Which doesn't make sense, seeing as she would have to know it would miss her and...

42's words echoed in my mind like a haunting reminder that I should have paid attention.

"The Pool contains all the magically charged flux for the machine..."

It splashed down into the pool of taint, making me go wide eyed as I turned toward a pony sized boulder next to this end of the bridge.  I did my best to get my hooves to move, but a blinding light from the magically enhanced balefire egg detonation forced me to go flat before even getting close to hiding.  Much like last night, I felt the blast wave hit me, but along with the force of what felt like a hundred power armored hooves, came the familiar sensation of the coat on my left side blistering and burning.  The light ringing from my blown hearing was the last thing I remember before blacking out.


-----


I blinked my one good eye as I realized I was standing on a hillside I have never seen before, and no idea how I got here.  In an instant, my body also reminded me of the trauma the blast had caused, my entire left side flaring into agony as I let out a bellowing scream.  My hooves gave out from under me and dropped me onto my good side as I clenched my jaw, the creaking of wood followed the uncomfortable feeling of laying on top of something odd.

"Backlash, you're alive!"  Brass said enthusiastically from next to me.  His voice, as comforting as it was, was off.  It was as if all the hope had been sucked out of it.

I coughed and smirked through the pain, tilting my head up so I could see if he had been injured as well.  "Can't die yet, I haven't taken you home."  I looked up at him, his beaming smile helping to dull the pain while he looked to be completely unhurt.  "How... how did we get here?"  

"You have been walking for the last hour..."  He sounded confused at how I didn't know that.  I tried to pull myself to my hooves, grunting as my cracked and blistered coat stung against the bandages wrapped around me.  "About five minutes ago, you collapsed and stopped moving until you stood up a few moments ago."  He continued as I only half paid attention.

Wait... bandages?  I twisted to look at them, feeling my stomach churn before I violently threw up all over the dirt.  It was a mix of yellowish fluid and blood, informing me that I had more than just minor radiation sickness.

"Yeah, it took the last healing potion you had that wasn't destroyed in the blast to fix your ears and your rear leg."  Brass said with a sigh.  "And the bandages you had are what's keeping what's' left of your coat attached to you."

"Well, at least you patched me up."  I groaned as I took a few steps forward, pausing for a moment when a spike of pain shot through my head.  "Or did I patch me up?"  I reached my hoof up and brushed my half melted mane out of my vision as I rubbed my forehead.  I felt a weight shift in my saddle bags, looking back to see that the B.E.L. box had been placed back in it.

"You did, mostly because I couldn't have."  Brass said sadly, his voice once again hollow.  I looked over and looked at the scorched tip of his horn, remembering that his magic had been burned out again yesterday.

"You've helped out more than enough, Brass, you should take a break anyway."  I looked around at the hills we were in, trying to find some sort of reference point to take a hold of.  As I swung my vision back behind where I had been facing, I saw a large black cloud rising into the cloud cover miles behind us.  That was probably from whatever remained of the pool, and hopefully 42.  At least the whole fucked up incident was behind us in more ways than one.

"She ain’t dead ya' know."  A voice called from in front of me. An all too disconcerting voice at that.  "How many times is it gonna be before ya learn she ain't gonna go down that easy?"  The desk stallion from my boat cabin dream was speaking to me, but I was fairly sure that I was awake, wasn't I?  Was this actually all a dream?  I looked around to where I thought I had heard the voice, but only gazed upon the skeleton of a long dead unicorn.

"No no no, you're not real."  I couldn't help but giggle out, finding the absurdity of the situation uncontrollably funny.  As I laughed, I winced in pain, making me think that if this was a dream, it was far too vivid for my liking.

"Why, of course we're not!"  The proper sounding coatrack stallion chimed in now.  "I would sincerely be quite worried if you indeed thought us to be substantial individuals."  I turned again, looking at an old, dead tree stump as it finished talking.

"Backlash?"  Brass's voice fell to his concerned tone again.  "What's going on?"

"Nothing Brass, it's just hallucinations from my injuries or something."  I tried to brush it off, seeing as I don't need him worrying over my unstable mind.  "I'll be fine as long as we get going.  We need to get back to Red Wing for when Sky get's there."

Brass galloped in front of me, holding out his hoof as I saw he had the look of confusion and fear in his eyes.  "No, I asked because I hear voices as well."  His words making me freeze mid step.

"Oh honey..." The disembodied voice of the mare spoke up from a large nearby rock, causing Brass to jump almost as high as I did.  "I'm so sorry about what happened.  I know how hard it's been on you this last month, but to have this happen... I don't know how you find the strength to carry on."  She sounded genuine, her words giving me a small amount of comfort.

But she wasn't real, none of them were.  I shook my head and stomped my hoof on the dirt quite painfully.  Maybe I should use my non-cooked leg next time.  "Come on, Brass, we just have to ignore them."  I watched as he nodded and turned around, the two of us continuing forward as the three imaginary ponies whispered among themselves.  Keeping an ear back as we walked, I waited until a few minutes after their voices faded to strike up conversation again.

As I went to speak, Brass held his hoof up in alarm and perked his ears.  I stopped and turned mine forward.  It was a voice, no, multiple voices, all of them shouting in anger.  Brass looked back and waved his hoof for me to follow him, and I did, doing my best to stay quiet as we lowered ourselves down and crawled to the top of the next hill.

The first thing to catch my eye was the pair of large broadcast dishes that sat perched on the mountainside nearly a thousand feet away.  One of them was tilted nearly straight up and had various sheet metal structures built into it, while the other looked like it was still functional, almost like it had been maintained and repaired over the years.  But why would anypony do that when the only radio anypony listens too is DJ Pon3's?

As my good eye looked down from the impressive buildings, I noticed a small group of about ten ponies shouting angrily at a dark grey mare who was quickly trotting our direction.  I pushed myself down the side of the hill and painfully rolled onto my back.  There is nowhere to hide and neither Brass or I are in any condition to fight!

"Fucking amateurs."  I could hear the mare mutter as she continued toward us.  I looked over to Brass for a suggestion, receiving only a shrug.  "So what if they think my ideas are wrong.  I can kill off a character if I want."  I could hear her hoofsteps crunch on the loose rocks from the other side of the hill.  Oh crap, if she kept going... I need to move!

"They just...!"  She was cut off mid sentence as her hoof caught on mine when I tried to pull it out of her way, instead tripping her.  She tumbled forward  and screamed out in surprise, scrambling back to her hooves.  "THE FUCK DID I..."  She cut herself off as she looked up at me, quickly realizing I was a random pony before backing up quickly.  "What the fuck do you want from me!?"  She cringed and shrunk down, putting a forehoof over her face.

"I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to trip you, I was just curious as to what all the shouting was about."  I tried my best to be quick with my response, not wanting to scare the poor mare, mostly because I needed her help.  "That and I'm lost, I need to know how to get back to Red Wing, it's dire that I return."

The mare looked me over suspiciously as she lowered her hoof.  "So... you aren't a crazy fan out to kill me?"  She asked slowly, one of her eyes tingling as part of her grey mane drooped across her face.

A crazy what?

"A crazy what?"  Brass spoke out at the same moment I thought it.  "Look, we just went through hell to save Red Wing and nearly got killed when the pool exploded.  We just need to get back to our friends."

She looked at me with an air of uneasiness, getting back to her hooves defensively as her body read that she was ready to take off running.  "Ok, not a fan, but still a bit crazy."

"You keep bringing up fans, why is that?"  My curiosity piqued, I now felt that I needed to know before anything else.  I hate the way my mind never has its priorities straight anymore.

The mare looked offended at the question, dropping her defensive stance and placed her hoof on her chest.  "I am Solemn."  She nearly shouted, her face beamed an air of pride, shrinking down as I sat in silence.  I honestly had no idea who that was, though for some reason the name sounded familiar.  "Solemn, the author?"  She continued, her reaction shrinking the longer I sat in silence.

She sighed and facehooved. "Solemn, author of After School Equestria: A teacher's passion?  It's an extremely popular radioplay that I've been doing for years?"  She facehooved as she finished.

It probably would have come to me faster had my head not been killing me but I finally remembered.  "Oh shit!"  I felt a smile drive across my half burned muzzle.  "I love that story!"  My outburst made her gaze shoot up in concern.  "My buddy Ripcord had me rig up his radio to an audio log recorder so I can listen to them whenever I was in town!"

Solemn's face went from concern to a nervous smile.  "So you ARE a fan then..."

Brass was bouncing on his hooves next to me as he spoke.  "You bet your flank we are!  Been waiting for the next chapter to be put out so we can finally hear what happened after Cheerilee's affair was aired through the school's PA system, but it's been months since the last broadcast."  Brass stopped and put a hoof on his chin.  "I don't suppose you can tell us when you'll be finished?"

She sighed and sat down.  "There is no next chapter."  Her words sounded like Brass had only minutes earlier, telling me that she felt defeated.  "The others who help me with the production have their own ideas on how the story should progress.  To be honest, I can't say that their ideas are even any worse than my own have been."  She closed her eyes and shook her head.  "It's too late now anyway, they just kicked me out of town."

"What? Why can't you just come to a compromise?  Change things around so everypony is happy?"  I said in the normal stupid way I can suggest the obvious sometimes, face hoofing as I continued.  "I bet you already tried that.  Sorry, I'm not normally this dumb, just completely out of my mind from the explosion."

"Don't worry, I could already kind of tell that."  Solemn said with a little lighthearted note to her voice.  "And it was a good suggestion, the problem is that every single one of them wanted to have it go their own way.  None of them could even agree with each other!"  She crossed her hooves as she sat.  "It's just hopeless.  I just don't get how to make my ideas any better."

"Well, did you even like any of their ideas?"  Brass offered hesitantly.  "I mean, if you liked one of their ideas, would you consider using it?"

She shook her head.  "If I use one of their ideas, the others might take it as favoritism, which only spawns more arguments."  Solemn got to her hooves again, pacing back and forth.  "And in using one of their ideas, I feel like it's no longer my story to tell.  I need to have that feeling in order to write the chapter correctly at all!"

"Then make them follow your plot."  I responded firmly.  "You can't let them change what happens because you think it MIGHT be better.  You need to stick to your convictions and have them line up with you or leave."  I tried to present myself boldly, to convey my seriousness.  "When Cheerilee learned that she had mentally scarred Noteworthy when they were younger, did she take the easy route and not try to patch things up? No.  When Berry Punch kept trying to hurt herself because she was tired of it all, did Cheerilee just stand back and let it happen? No."

With each suggestion, a faint flicker of hope in Solemn's eyes sparked up, growing brighter and brighter.  "So... you think it's that easy?"  She put her hoof up to her muzzle in thought, glancing intently at the ground as she lost herself in thought.  "You think I just need to buck up and fight for what I think is right like Cheerilee would?"

I looked over to Brass and smiled with him, nodding.

"Well then, maybe you are right."  Solemn stood tall as her confidence returned to her voice, the flame of purpose blazing brightly in her eyes.  "I ran things on my own at the start well enough, and can do so again if I need to!"  She looked over to me as a smile grew over her muzzle.  "Thank you for giving me the kick in my flank I needed, but if you'll excuse me, I have some writing to do."

She trotted forward and around me, stopping at the top of the hill and looking over to me.  "Red Wing is another days trot that way if you follow the trail."  She pointed her hoof over to a set of ridges that ran along the left side of the broadcast array.  "I wish you luck on your journey, and I hope your friends can get you patched up in time for the next chapter."

And with a smirk, she took off at a gallop down the hill.


-----


We had been walking in silence for another hour, the cloud cover had grown dark again, threatening to pour down on us at any moment.  My body ached and relentlessly told me to stop, but I had grown used to the pain and simply ignored it.  We couldn't afford to stop here.  This trail was unfamiliar to me and for all I knew, there could be hordes of manticores around just waiting to rip us to shreds.

"Backlash, I think we should find shelter."  Brass said as he looked up to the sky.  "Looks like the weather could be getting bad soon."  He watched as I shook my head and turned my gaze forward.  I had been about to answer when a loud crack filled the air from above, instinctively causing me to drop to the ground.  "That's weird, if that was the thunder, where was the flash?"  Brass pointed out sharply.

A low drone filled the air as an object punched through the cloud layer above us.  It was an oddly shaped, off white box, a pair of long cylinders ran along its underside that trailed smoke and green flames from various impact points on it.  The flying box listed to the side and banked widely as an Enclave skytank tore through the hole the smoking box had made, it's cannon letting out a roar as it fired.

The white craft avoided the shot, a red beam appearing quickly between both vehicles before the skytank erupted into flames and rolled over.  The black pegasi tank dipped down and disappeared over a hill as the other craft rolled and slammed into the hillside a couple hundred feet from Brass and I.

"What the fuck was that!?"  Brass cried out.  "Backlash, we should get the fuck out of here."

He was right, we should have run.  But if we had run from Solemn, we would never have helped her.  In running from Red Wing, we would have never helped them.  In running from Isaac, I would have never have helped him!  "No, we have to see if they need help."

"Fuck that!"  Brass screamed and flailed his forehooves at me.  "What if they try to kill us?  Or worse..."  Brass glared at me.  "What if they turn out to be like 42?"

Just the mention of her name brought my blood to a boil.  "Then we will fucking deal with them like we did with 42!"  I trot forward toward the burning wreck, keeping low on the off chance Brass was correct and they came out shooting.  As I approached a small boulder, there was a loud bang, a rectangular section of the craft's hull shot out a few feet and flopped on the ground.

I scrambled behind the boulder, peeking over to read something that was written on the side of the white craft.

Galileo

I turned my gaze back to the thick smoke pouring out of the hole.  A muffled coughing preceded a dark green unicorn stumbling out, gasping as he got a few feet from his exit point before looking over the tattered red shirt he wore.  His horn glowed faintly as he levitated a small box to his muzzle.

"Security officer's log."  He choked out, squinting as he slowly scanned the horizon with his eyes.  I ducked down before he could catch me in his peripheral vision.  "I am the only surviving member of the expeditionary team, having crash landed after encountering a hostile craft.  The main drive core and flight computer are damaged, as well as the communications systems."

I decided to slowly raise my head up over the rock again.  The odd pony had now levitated a second box to him, this one about the size of a saddle bag, looking at it as he talked.  "I will attempt repair of the communications systems once I can put of the plasma fires.  Scanners say that this land is scored with pockets of magical radiation but they are low enough that I shouldn't need to administer any med-hypos.  I believe that my supplies can hold out long enough to get the emergency beacon up."

A flash of darkness flickered on the rock from above me, pulling my attention up just quickly enough that I spotted a power armored pegasi drop down in front of the odd pony.  Although I have seen few suits of enclave power armor, something told me that they normally didn't come in the color of dark grey.  As the pony touched down, they lined up the twin pulse rifles attached to their side at the unicorn, who in response sat down and put his hooves in the air.

"By charter of the Grand Pegasi Enclave, I order you to state your reasons for violating sovereign Enclave airspace."  The mare in the power armor boomed loudly.  I looked over to Brass who had covered his ears with his hooves.  Yeah, not so much fun when you are on the receiving end.

The odd pony did his best to stand up straight, his orange frizzy mane drooping into his eyes as he spoke.  "I am Security Officer Proton of the U.E.F., we were on a peaceful survey mission and were unaware we had crossed into..."

"You then admit to a charge of espionage against the Grand Pegasis Enclave."  She cut him off.  "You will be placed under arrest and submit yourself to interrogation and trial."

"Espionage!?"  He replied and got back to his hooves, using his magic to levitate the box he had talked into earlier forward.  "It was a routine..."  He didn't get any further than that before the pulse rifles fired, striking the odd pony in the chest.  He glowed a bright pink for a moment before wisping away as ash in the breeze.

She hoofed a button on her foreleg, raising it up to her helmet.  "Command, this is Sergeant Granite.  Incident report details that the incursion perpetrator fired upon and destroyed a skytank.  Upon apprehension, he admitted to espionage against the Enclave.  In my attempt to detain him, he raised a weapon and I responded with lethal force."

I sighed out and decided that this wasn't a situation where I could help anymore, looking over to Brass and nodding my head for us to get out of here.  He nodded and trotted forward quietly as I attempted to do the same, tweaking my stomach again as I misstepped.  Freezing in my tracks, I threw up again, more of the yellow and crimson bile spilled onto the ground as I knew I had just fucked us over.

"YOU THERE, FREEZE."  She boomed, jumping into the air effortlessly and slamming down next to me.  "By charter of the Grand Pegasi Enclave, I order you to state your reasons for violating sovereign Enclave airspace."  She leveled her twin pulse rifles to me.

"We... we were just passing through when we saw that thing crash!"  I smiled and put my hooves in the air.  "We only thought that we might be able to help them if they were injured!"

"You mean you wanted to help them, Backlash..."  Brass remarked snidely as he raised his hooves as well.  "Leave me out of it."

"Thanks for the show of support."  I shot back at him.

"ENOUGH."  Granite boomed.  "If you were just passing though, how did you receive those injuries?"

"When the pool exploded ma'am." Brass spoke up, giving his best forced smile.  "Barely made it out alive."

I turned back to look at her, the bug eyed lenses on the helmet making it impossible to read her in the silence that followed.

"Well, you're crazy enough that I happen to believe you, seeing as no earth pony would have known yet without being there."  She pointed a hoof to me.  "And if you ARE lying, then don't ever let me catch you above the cloud layer. GOT IT?"  She spread her wings and took off toward the cloud layer at a speed Skyline had always needed to push herself to reach.  As she disappeared through it, I sighed and slumped as my racing heart could finally relax.

"Well, that was interesting!  Remind me never to let you get on her bad side."  Brass said as he shrugged.  "Let's find a place to bed down for the night."  I nodded and let out a little chuckle and turned back toward the trail.  It has certainly been an odd day, but at least we are still alive.  For now.


-----


I blinked again as we trot down from the hillside that lead to the open wasteland, my legs locking up as a wave of confusion hit me.  I kept my balance just enough to not fall over, but not enough to not look like I didn't know how my legs worked anymore.

"Brass, what the hell just happened?"  I spun around and looked down at him, reading as aggravation crept over his face.  "We were just at the wreck of that one thing, so how did we get here?" I asked as I watched his eye tweak as Solemn's had.

"Backlash."  Brass face hooved as he sighed, even his anger sounded hollow now.  "That was yesterday, I've told you this twice so far today."  He sat down and pointed his hoof to me.  "You messed up your head a lot worse than you think in the blast from the pool and it's been affecting your memory.  On top of that, you have been having more hallucinations with those voices and just walked away from them again not five minutes ago."

I rolled my eyes.  "I'm so sorry that I had to get blown..."  I stopped talking as I saw he was mouthing exactly what I was saying.  He gave a slight smirk as I frowned.  "I've said this before, haven't I."  He ignored me and continued trotting forward.

Before us lay the mostly flat plains that once sat under the impressive pegasi city of cloudsdale, but most importantly, we were now back on the road toward Red Wing.  Remarkably, as I recognized where were were, we had managed to shave off a few hours worth of walking by cutting through the mountain path.  Unfortunately for us though, we came out in the most dangerous part of the road.  I twisted myself around painfully, reaching into my saddlebag to grab the closest weapon to the top.  I would gladly take a manticore over what we would find out here.

"Brass, I need you to keep a lookout for packs of feral ghouls."  I groaned out as my side ached for me to stop stressing my body as I felt the suction of 42's revolver on my hoof.  "Skyline and I always run into them on this path, not to mention Longbow and I were lucky that Isaac lead them off and we could pick him up in the marauder."

"Backlash, about yesterday morning..."  Brass started to say.

"Not now, Brass, we need to be completely quiet.  Any noise and we'll have ghouls all over us."  I cut him off before hoofing the revolver into my muzzle.  "We only got lucky they didn't show when we went to the pool.  The had all probably taken shelter from the rain that day, but they will likely still be out here today. I can just feel it."

"But, you need to remember!" He raised his voice, making me cringe.

"Shhh!"  I spit out from around the grip of the gun, catching his empty gaze as he looked down to the ground.  I understand that it might be important, but honestly it could wait until we were at least safe back with the others.  So we walked forward in silence, scooting from one point of cover to the next, the dark clouds finally releasing their rain slowly in a light drizzle.  The sound of the rain made it particularly hard to hear anypony coming towards us, but I'm sure we would be able to see them long before we could hear them anyway.

As the dirt under our hooves turned to mud, I kept my eyes glued to the horizon.  With any luck, Skyline would be driving the Marauder over it and rescue me like she always had.  Whenever we got back to the garage, I was going to take the next month off.  Brass was right, once the Rangers are informed of Sorbet's plan, they would take care of her.  There was no need for any of us to keep risking our lives anymore.

Brass could finally go back to his real home, if they'd take him.  If not, he was more than welcome to stay on with us.  Carlotta could continue to work for us as long as I could renegotiate her contract to a lower price (considering I didn't look at it and she is probably costing me a small fortune already).  Longbow would most likely go back to being a paladin for her original contingents, though I hope I can still stop by and see her.

Just thinking about her brought a smile to my muzzle.  Goddesses this last month may have sucked, but it has been the most amazing month of my life due to the incredible ponies (griffin's and cyberzebra's notwithstanding of course.) I have gotten to know.  But overall, the one pony I find myself missing the most, is Skyline.  Hell, I know she feels the same, but after everything I've put her through, I can't help but feel like she doesn't deserve me as a brother.

"Ya know that ain't true!"  The imaginary desk stallion spoke up again, this time apparently speaking out of an old, half buried tire.  "Ya should know bettah, ‘Mistah B.’, Miss Skyline wouldn't trade ya for anypony in the entiah wasteland!"  As he finished, I dropped the revolver from my muzzle as I stomped my good leg down in the mud.

At that moment, I did something I knew I would regret.

"Can you please just be QUIET!" I screamed out, my voice carrying through the rain as both Brass and I froze in place.  As my echo carried off into the distance, the constant noise of the light drizzle filled our ears.  Maybe we got lucky again and there were no ghouls around?

A sharp scream filled the air from further down the planes, shortly accompanied by a whole chorus of growls, snarls, and howls.  My legs acted on their own, pulling me straight into a gallop as panic gripped my brain.  I turned my head and looked at the silver gun I had left in the mud, wanting to go back for it, but I wasn't in control of my body anymore.  We had to find shelter.

As we ran, I could see the shape of the Fancy Buck snack cake skycarrage Sky and I would rest in.  It may be a bit cramped, but the reinforcing on the walls from the refrigeration systems had sheltered us before from ghoul attacks.  I steered Brass over toward it, waiting until he ducked inside before biting down on the handle for the heavy door.  As I pulled it closed, I froze as I saw the group of ghouls that was chasing us.

There goddess damned must have been near a hundred of them, each one screaming and screeching as I could see their glowing eyes wavering as they galloped towards us.  I yanked at the door, swinging it shut and giving a small sigh of relief as it latched shut.  Sky and I had never been trapped by more than just a few, and even then we had our fears that the door wouldn't hold.  If anything, at least it would buy us some time.

"So, Brass!"  I put my hooves together and smiled nervously, trying to think of someway to get us out of this.  "I wanted to ask you if were still interested in that date!"  I glanced over at the door as I heard the pack thump up to it.  The whole skycarrage shook as they slammed into it, a few empty boxes were tossed off the shelves and scattered across the floor.  "I feel like you've earned it for all you've been through for me."

"Backlash..."  Brass calmly replied, barely loud enough for me to hear him.  "I... I can't.  I just want to go home."

"Fine, we'll have it at your place.  Whatever."  I looked over to Brass, who was surprisingly calm.  Just another reason the others at his base shouldn't have treated him the way they did.  When we get out of here, I will personally beat the everliving hell out of anypony who suggests he was never cut out for duty, even if that happens to be his mother.  I quickly hoofed through my saddlebag feeling another familiar suction against my hoof.  I drew out the Party Cannon and looked it over quickly, a hairline split along its side catching my attention before the sound of dozens of hooves on the door pulled me back to the dire straits we were in.

"I had really had hoped to save this last shot for 42, but with her gone with the pool, there isn't going to be a better time to use this!"  I had to shout to get through to Brass over the cacophony of hooves beating at the walls.  There was a loud groan at the door as the top left of it bent inward, the screams and howls from outside flooding through the hole louder than before.

I raised my right hoof, lining the party cannon up to the failing door, the top corner bending a few more inches inward as they continued to slam at the container.  "Brass, when I fire, Run out of here and don't look back, it's our only chance!" I wasn't sure he had heard me over the noise, but he seemed more interested in the fact one of the ghouls was trying to force it's head in.  The flesh on it's face peeled back to the bone as it pressed it's head in, it's glowing blank eyes staring at us from the exposed sockets as it snapped it's shredded muzzle at us.

My ear flicked and perked as I thought I could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance, but that was short lived as the bolts holding the door up groaned audibly over the shrieking mass outside.

The roar of gunfire beat out the crowd as the bursts from a battle rifle battle saddle punched through the hull of the skycarrage.  One of the rounds bit into my flank hard, dropping my rear hooves out from under me.  "BRASS!  GET DOWN!"  I screamed, another set of shots punched through from the other side, one of them finding purchase in my shoulder.

I screamed out and tensed up, causing the Party Cannon to go off.  The spherical projectile replicated the effect of the door from the crashed craft yesterday, liberating the limbs from the feral ghouls who were unfortunate enough to be too close as it was flung away from the carriage.  The world around me turned into wispy colors as I could feel blood oozing from the holes in my coat, the high pitched reports of a gauss rifle echoed oddly inside the old metal container.  I turned my head to look at Brass, who was lying next to me, looking just as drowsy as I was.

He smiled as my world darkened, his bright eyes staring at me with his mouth moving, but his words took longer than they should have to reach my ears.  "It's going to be tough Backlash, but you can't give up."  His words accompanied my gaze as I swung it over, the sight of the ghouls at the door breaking off and the wavy form of the Marauder growing larger meant we had made it.  "Backlash, you must remember.  You can't blame yourself for what happened."

And with that, everything just ceased to be.


-----


The sensation of a cold stone floor was uncomfortable as I opened my eyes.  I looked around to see that I was back in the garage, a soft light was emanating from upstairs as a shadow moved in front of it. As I tried to focus on it, I could start to make out a vaguely shaped pony.  It was small, gold in coat... it was Brass?

As he got closer, my mind kept insisting that something was wrong about all this, and I could feel that more than anything.  He smiled as he trot up beside me and turned his gaze down, the sight of him making me want to gag.  Nearly the entire left half of his face was just... gone!  Bits of bloody bone and viscera coated the inside of his head as a worried look came over his remaining eye.

"Brass, what happened to your face!?!  Are you alright?"  I yelled as I tried to get my hooves under me, finding that I couldn't move at all.

"I'm fine, Backlash."  He sounded beyond sad through the smile he forced. "Look, I know I already said it, but I'm sorry about everything.  When I saw what I had done to you back when we met at the bunker, I decided that I couldn't be that pony anymore.  I had run from my problems for long enough."

"Brass... Why... look, we need to get you a healing potion, or maybe some hydra!"  I suggested nervously.  "I don't want to lose any more family members on this stupid quest."  I said, pausing at the end.  Why would I say that?  I didn't consider Harmony a family member, or Peppermint for that matter.

I let out a piercing scream as my head felt like it was tearing itself apart.  I wanted to writhe, or cringe, anything, but my body refused to cooperate.

"I know they may seem out of place right now, but you need to trust your instincts, Backlash"  Brass said with something I was honestly glad to hear back in his voice.  Hope.  "They will help you greatly in the weeks to come."  He leaned down to me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek, making me feel a soothing warmth that momentarily quelled all the pain in my head.

"Brass, come on buddy, you're scaring me."  I cried out before another spike of pain wracked my brain, bringing the agony back with a vengeance.

"I'm sorry you had to go through everything."  He turned and trotted back toward the light in the kitchen, the light growing brighter the closer he got.  "But don't worry, Backlash, we will see each other again."  He disappeared into the light, the brightness of it forcing me to close my eyes to escape it.  I raised my hooves to my eyes reflexively as the light dimmed again, the pain of the last few days returning all at once over me.

"Backlash!"  Longbow cried out from next to me, throwing her hooves painfully around my neck and pinning my legs to my head.  "Oh goddesses, I was so worried about you!"  She leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss.  I sat in shock as she stood up off me and hit me hard across the bandaged half of my face.  "What the hell were you thinking!  Leaving with that monster, were you out of your mind!?"

"I'm happy to see you, too!" I mumbled out as the pain in my head spiked as I felt the gears in it try to spin, feeling like they were still out of place but still trying to help, forcing the words to form on my lips.  "How is Brass doing?  Is he upstairs cooking again?"

Longbow took a step back a grim look falling over her face.  "Celestia... you really don't remember?  But... I saw what..."  She said softly.  I looked at her expression, replaying her words in my head.  She was showing true astonishment and sorrow.  My thoughts were broken as the kitchen door swung open, Brass stood proudly at the top with the kitchen light shining brightly behind him.

I laughed and scrambled to my hooves, running over to him as he reached the bottom of the stairs and embracing him tightly.  "You're alright!  Longbow had me going there for a moment!"  I felt tears well up in my eyes as an overwhelming sadness took over.  I was so happy to see him, but why did I feel so sad?  "You are the best friend a stallion could ever want, Brass!"

I was pushed back forcibly, blinking several times as I was now looking at the horrified face of Skyline, tears were streaming down her muzzle and looked like they had been for some time.

"But... I don't understand."  I looked around for Brass.  "Where did he go?"

Skyline wailed and took off up the stairs again, running into the waiting talons of Carlotta.  She looked like she had also been crying.  Longbow's hoof pressed into the good side of my muzzle as she turned my head toward her, the light from her horn flaring as she pressed it against my forehead.

I was pulled into my own memory, feeling odd sitting inside my own mind, watching Brass and I run for our lives across the pool bridge.  The annoying feeling of deja vu hung over me as I had skidded to a stop, retrieving the B.E.L. box as I had done.  But as I looked up to see 42 wielding the hunting rifle, I noticed something I hadn't before.  She barely had aimed it before I raised my hooves and waited for the shot.

The rifles report sounded the same as it had, but instead of me firing the B.E.L. when I opened my eyes, I lowered my hooves as my ears heard a thumping behind me.  I turned slowly, looking back over my shoulder to see that Brass had dropped to the dirt, the left half of his head was just... gone.  His one good eye was frozen in a look of sheer terror as his blood dribbled down his lifeless muzzle.

Brass was dead.  He had been dead since 42 shot him at the Pool.

"No, that's impossible!"  I shouted as I shook my head hard, breaking the connection from Longbow.  I looked up into her crying eyes as I felt tears streaming down mine.  "He... He was right there with me the whole time!  He and I made it to the skycarrage together!"  My legs buckled under me and I collapsed to the floor.  "We... but... she killed him?!"  I broke down, sobbing on the cold concrete floor as Longbow cried with me.

"I... I'm sorry, Backlash."  Longbow sniffled and brushed her hoof across the melted remains of my own.  "When I found you, you were barely alive in that wreck, and after we stabilized you with potions, we drove back to Red Wing."

I was only half listening as my mind ran through everything I had done to Brass.  I had unfairly stolen him away from the rangers.  I had gotten him involved with 42.  I got him turned into a ghoul... and now?  I had gotten him killed.

"When the towns ponies told us that you had left with Brass for the pool and we didn't find him with you, I had to use my memory spell again."  She continued, sounding guilty about it.  "I had thought we might have learned about where Brass was... but then I saw that."  She leaned down and pressed her forehead against mine.  "Your mind must have created a block to keep you from completely breaking down out there.  I’m... I'm so sorry."

Her words drove another spike into my heart as I wailed out again.  I had stolen his life.  It hadn't been mine to take, but I used him like it was, once again ignorant of the consequences of my actions.  If I hadn't stopped.  If I just hadn't had the FUCKING idea that she deserved to die then and there, he'd still be alive!

Even as Longbow curled up next to me, holding me tightly, I couldn't stop crying.  I cried until my stomach hurt, until my head throbbed, but nothing could make me stop.  Not even when I ran out of tears did I stop.  I just wailed and pressed my muzzle into Longbow's neck, finally at some point passing out in her warm embrace.

And when I woke up on my mattress next to her, I couldn't help but continue.  It didn't matter how long I sat there, or if Sorbet was going to destroy the wasteland.  All I could think was that I had lead the only friend I had ever known to his death.  I hadn't deserved to have been rescued, and should have just been left in that skycarrage to rot with the dead that had attacked me.  Hours passed as I lay there, only finally looking up when Dr. Fitz came to check on my injuries.

"It's time to change those bandages, Backlash."  He said as he put his hoof on them.

I twisted around and knocked his hoof away.  "No.  I want these injuries to stay."  I snapped at him, glaring with my one good eye.  "Brass died because of my failing.  I need to suffer for what I've done."

Dr. Fitz rolled his eyes and shook his head, instantly bringing all of my rage to the surface.  "No, if you don't change these, you'll get an infection that could..."

I pushed myself to my hooves as he spoke, spinning and hooking around his neck with my foreleg to slam him against my tool shelves.  They crashed over as he fell onto them, staring up at me with fear in his eyes.

"Could what!?  KILL ME?!"  I screamed out.  The kitchen door flew open as I heard the flutter of wings, not even having enough time to shift my gaze before Skyline smashed into me.  She took me down and pinned me to the floor with a seething hatred burning in her eyes.

"YOU STUPID, FUCKING, ASSHOLE!"  She spit as she yelled down at me, the agony her hooves gave me as they pressed into my burns was too much as I whimpered.  "BRASS DYING WAS YOUR FAULT."  Her own tears streamed down onto my chest as her anger only grew.  "You shouldn't have taken him back there, Backlash!  After all he had been through, how could you do that to him?"

"Don't you think I know that!?"  I choked out.  "That's why I need to hurt, that's why..."

Skyline hit me across the muzzle hard as she cried.  "Brass is dead thanks to you, and all you want to do is get YOURSELF killed?"  She swung with her other hoof.  "You don't get to die!"  She continued slamming her hooves into me again and again, while I didn't even have the will to flinch anymore.  "You get to live with it, Backlash!  For the rest of your FUCKING life!"

Carlotta  stepped forward and tore her off me, looking down at me with her emotionless gaze before turning and taking Skyline back upstairs.  I laid there with my head pounding as Longbow stepped up next to me.

"Why don't you come with me?"  She said softly, as she held out her hoof to me.  "I know you don't want to, but you need to.  At least... so you can say goodbye."  She gave me a soft smile as I nodded slowly and took her hoof.  I walked slowly behind her as she lead me out of the garage, the soft patter of the freezing rain greeting me as the dark of night surrounded us.

I followed in a daze while her horn glowed, turning as she led me up the street, lighting the way as the strong wind whipping against us.  Each step getting heavier in my mind as she led me along, knowing where we were going.  We had turned past the wrought iron gates of the old war memorial park up the street from the garage, and were slowly making our way toward the small hill that was in the center.

I stopped when Longbow's light outlined the dead tree that stood on it.  It... it was the same one from my dreams with Pinkie.  How had I not recognized it before when Sky and I had walked past it a thousand times?  My legs shook as I forced them to move closer, the urge to break down again was welling up inside me again.

"Celestia and Luna,” Longbow said sadly as she sat down, lowering her head. “I pray that you find it in your hearts to help the soul of Brass Tacks find peace with you.  Please guide him safely to the everlasting meadows of the afterlife."

I stepped up next to Longbow and lay down next to the foal sized mound of loose dirt under the dead tree, the final resting place of a friend lost too soon.  Looking up at the base of the tree and running my hoof slowly along the letters that had been carved boldly into it, I could only muster a whimper as I forced myself to speak anything at all.

"Goodbye, Brass..."

---------------
LEVEL UP!

Battle saddles + 7

Medicine + 8

Quest perk:  Martyr - The entirety of the wasteland knows what your struggle has cost you and now has a rallying cry to avenge their fallen heroes.  Random ponies will now show up at your side sometimes to aid you in fights.

New Perk:  All Bucked Up (Rank 2) - You are a walking tank as you have managed to survive everything your enemies can put you through.  You now gain the pain dulling properties of Med-X when you are under 25% health on top of the previous effects.
> Chapter 17 - Remorse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 17

"And now we'll never do anything together."

-----


I woke up for what felt like the hundredth time since yesterday.  Every time I had closed my eyes, every time I managed to fall asleep, I relived that same moment.  I’d hear the thud, and as hard as I try, I can't stop myself from turning to see him laying there.  As I opened my eyes, the haze from my mind was gone and the gears in my head been restored to their rightful working selves.  I could see everything again with the clarity that I had lacked since the day I first met Brass at the bunker.

Longbow shifted in her sleep, pressing back into me warmly.  Well, with what little warmth I could feel through the bandages that covered most of me.  After we had come back inside, I collapsed on my mattress and just lay as Longbow held me, eventually falling asleep sometime in the night.  But the question that kept running through my mind, was why?  Why would she want to stay here when she knows I'll just get her killed.  Why doesn't she hate me for what I did to Brass?  Why doesn't she judge me?

The lighting in above the garage floor kicked off, and the hum of the generator below the floor came to a sputtering stop.  I groaned and pulled myself to my hooves, feeling as Longbow hooked her forehoof around mine, yawning and opening her eyes slowly.

“And where are you going?”  Through the weariness in her voice, I could hear her deep concern for me, as well as… love.  It hurt to hear how much she liked me, knowing full well that I could never be the stallion that she deserves.  I gave her a soft smile.

“Generator’s down, gotta change the spark battery.”  I spoke softly, feeling as she tugged on my leg in response.

“Get Sky to do it and come back to bed.”  She let go of me and turned over, burrowing herself down against the mattress with a deep, relaxed sigh.

“It will only take a minute, I promise.”  I replied in a whisper, hoofing the edge of the mattress up to get to the hatch.  I bit down and tugged it open, walking down the stairs slowly as my good eye drifted over to the spot where I had found the letter.  It seemed like a lifetime ago that I had found it, a long forgotten era that I left too soon.  I hoofed at the dead battery, hitting it a few times before it finally popped out of the mounting.

I dug through the scrap on the floor, finally coming up with one that had fifteen percent scrawled on it, popping it into the mounting with little resistance.  The old generator sputtered back to life, quickly reaching it’s normal thrumming as I turned and trotted back up the stairs.

“Backlash, may we speak?  Alone perhaps?”  Isaac asked as he popped his head in from the kitchen.  I looked over to Longbow, who had fallen back asleep on her own, before nodding to him.  “Great, I will meet you on the roof.”

He left the door to the kitchen open, disappearing inside as I trot to the stairs.  As much as my body had healed, it still hated me for wanting to pull myself up two sets of stairs.  Each step was a challenge, not only to maintain my balance, but also to try ignoring the pain it caused as well.  I reached the kitchen, spying Dr. Fitz sleeping next to Ripcord, who was looking decidedly better than when we left him.  

Sky and Carlotta were nowhere to be seen, but I assumed that they had their reasons to be gone.  If I was in a better mood, I would try to joke about scolding her about abandoning me this time, but I just didn’t have it in me.  Everything has been tough on all of us, and the worse thing is that we’re not even done, not until we inform the Rangers of Sorbet.

I climbed the old staircase to the roof and into the dimly lit morning, being met with foggy air and a thick sheet of frost covering everything.  I pushed the door closed behind me as softly as I could before striding over to Isaac, who was sitting on one of the collapsed sections of brick, staring off into the morning fog.

“The others, they tell me you were in Red Wing for a while.”  He didn’t even break his gaze as he spoke, a mix of hope and dread filled his words.  “Did you learn anything about me when you were there?”

“You still don’t remember what happened?”  I took a seat next to him, actually happy the frosty floor was icing my wounds.

“I… I learned how to access my core operating system.  I found a backup of my personality made before I was, as the system put it, ‘Damaged’.”  He sighed, his feelings on having few biological parts clearly saddening him.  He thought he was a monster, hating the fact that he wasn’t a ‘real’ zebra.

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”  I asked, looking over to him again, waiting for a response.  This time, he looked back. 

“What if I am evil?  What if the reason I was ‘damaged’ was because I hurt ponies?”  His eyes turned back out to the endless grey fog as his ears went flat.  “I do not want to become any more of a monster than I am.”

“Isaac, I’ve seen what monsters look like, and I can tell you aren’t a monster.  You are a zebra, plain and simple.”  I scooted a brick about with my hoof, nervously debating if I should tell him what I found out.  He had been hurting ponies in his old life, and so had his sister, but doesn’t he deserve to know?  “The answer to your original question is yes, I do know who you really are.”

He shuddered for a moment, taking in a deep breath before I continued.

“Your name is Xellos, and you had a sister named Xin.  You two joined the program together, hiding out with a ghoul in the mine after the world ended.  You and your sister were the mine’s foremans, forcing ponies to work in dangerous conditions.”  His muzzle sank to a frown, a despondent look filling the rest of his expression.  “It was an accident that caused you to forget and run off.  Xin wanted to look for you, but couldn’t get permission to leave.”

“Then, it is true I was a monster before.”  He looked over to me, the red glow inside his eyes was almost non existent.  “So what of my sister, Xin.  Does she still work at the mine?”

“I killed her.”  Being blunt was the only way to deal with this.  “She tried to kill me, I’m sorry.”

“I… see.”  The disappointment in his voice was hollow.  It was a cruel task for me to have to tell him he had a sister, a connection to his past that I myself had silenced forever.  He got to his hooves and looked to the frost covered floor under them.  “I guess I will take my leave and make my way to Friendship City.  I will find a way to pay you back for your kindness in helping me.”

“No, you don’t owe me anything.”  The caps I lost saving his life would be missed, but I don’t want anypony to get themselves killed over something they thought they owed me.  I don’t want anypony else to die for me like Brass did.  I gave Isaac a quick grin.  “I’ll come and visit you when everything goes back to normal.”

“Until then.  Take care, Backlash.”  He sprung forward, flinging himself over the edge of the roof and down the three stories to the street in front of the garage.  He gave a final nod up to me before galloping off into the fog, his quick hoofbeats echoing long after he had faded into the grey sheet.  Yet another friend I’ve failed.

“You’ll do nothing but get them all killed.”

My conscience echoed through the back of my mind as the cold finally nipped at my coat under my bandages.  My body locked as the wind let out a soft howl and picked up, making me shiver as I turned away from the edge.  What was I supposed to do?  Everything asked of me the last month has been do ‘X’ thing, with zero explanation of how to get it done, or what exactly it entails.  I’m so sick of it.

Once I was back in the kitchen, I turned and headed into the bathroom.  It had been a while since I had been able to shower, and for being such a simple thing, I looked forward to it greatly.  Unfortunately for me, for some reason Notepad was sleeping in the tub.  Did they pick him up in Red Wing?  No matter, I’ll deal with him later.  I prodded him with my hoof.

“Just 5 more minutes, dear.”  He groggily spoke as he curled up tighter.

“Notepad, get up, I need the shower.”  I sighed, prodding him again.  He frowned before turning his head to look at me with half lidded eyes.  He nodded with a yawn, stretching out his hooves against the tub walls, finally standing up and stepping out from it.

“Sorry about that, Backlash.”  He yawned as he walked towards the door, making his exit and shutting it behind him.

As it clicked shut, I hoofed at the hot water handle, listening as the century old pipes shook and groaned.  I stuck my hoof into the tub, hoofing the drain plug in so I could soak if I chose to.  The mildly radiation tainted water sprayed down into the tub, assaulting the old porcelain mercilessly before steam drifted from the basin.  Sitting down, I hoofed at the bandages wrapping around the left half of my head, slowly removing them first before moving on to the wrappings around my body.

The most distressing thing I found was that even with the wrappings off my head, I couldn’t see out of my left eye.  I stopped myself and raised a hoof up to my face, tracing around the socket.  Nothing, the eye was just, gone.  I did my best to ignore the knowledge of it, continuing to unwrap the bandages around me.

The moment the burns on my side touched the air, I cringed, feeling as if I was lit on fire all over again.  The gears in my mind fed me the memory of just after Brass became a ghoul, Skyline’s exact warning about how burns felt on contact with the air.  My mind didn’t stop there, as I remembered how he then got the better of Skyline when I took his helmet off.  I couldn’t help but smile at the thoughts, remarking how much I wouldn’t give to be lost in them forever.  As the rest of the bandages slipped away, so did the memory, leaving me to look my coat over.

“You stole his life.”

Whatever Dr. Fitz had given me, it hadn’t completely healed me.  My entire left side was a mottled mix of charred black fur, twisted lumps of flesh, and deep red, open sores.  Even my cutie mark hadn’t been spared, the skin on my flank had been stripped away, and a mess of scarred tissue ran almost all the way down my rear leg.

I winced as I climbed into the tub, the near scalding water pelting me while around my hoofs it felt like I had just jumped into a boiling pot of water.  As I sat down, my forehoof slipped sending me splashing into the hot water and made my side explode in pain.  The agony from my chest and the pooled water around my muzzle kicked the gears in my head to spin up again, throwing the memory of the first night we spent out from home.  The only reason Sky and I could hide from the alicorns that night, was because Brass was there.  Without him anchoring us in that basement, they would have found us.

“He trusted you to protect him.”

I pushed myself up from the water in the tub, letting the shower run over me again as the memory dripped away to the recesses in my mind.  I took in several deep breaths, feeling my lungs draw in the steam from the air.   It’s funny how the simple act of letting water run over you can calm and focus you.  I mean, I know nothing about psychology or how the equine mind works, but something about it can make even the most wild of ponies stop and just relax.

I hoofed the shower off and listened as the water dropped to a trickle, dripping down into the bath below me.  I closed my eyes and just sat, trying to clear my mind of everything.  Even if I felt lost as to what to do, or where to go from here in my life, right here, right now?  There was nothing.  Outside this bathroom, there was nothing.  No family or friends, no wasteland, no overbearing evil weighing down on all of pony kind.  The only things that existed, were me, and the warmth I basked in.

The thumps of ponies on the roof tore me from my serene state, thrusting me back into the real world.  With a heavy sigh, I stepped from the tub, dripping heavily as I walked to the mirror.  The gears in my head whirled back to life yet again as the steam from the shower wafted about lazily, forcing the memory of the fire on the ship back to me.  Brass had been willing to sacrifice his own well being to save everypony, without hesitation or even a second thought.

“And now because of you, he’ll never have another thought again.”

As I sat and wiped the mirror clean with my hoof, the memory was wiped from my current thoughts.  I stared at the stallion in the mirror, looking at the stranger on the other side.  His head had an almost comical split down the middle, with one half being pristine, the other, a charred mess of scars.  The most striking feature of him was the dark socket where a matching, amber colored eye had more than likely once sat.  His mane was a melted mess, hanging limply over the twisted shape of the half an ear the dark side of his head still held.

There was a knock on the door behind me, the sound piercing my mind and sending a throbbing pain into it.  The door swung open as Carlotta strode in, stopping as she caught my reflection in the mirror.

“I… hope you don’t mind, but I was going to take a shower.”  She forced herself to speak nervously, focusing on anything but the mirror with my face in it.  The cold air from the kitchen made my head pounded again, my muscles tensing up as the cold hit my sides.

“Yeah, that’s fine.  Just give me a moment.”  I spoke softly, reaching a hoof for the mirror, hoping we still had some generic form of aspirin or something for my headache.  I opened the medicine cabinet, my one eye meeting with an object that sank my heart.  I hoofed the red inhaler out in disbelief, shutting the cabinet with my other hoof.  As the mirror shut with a click, in it I could see Skyline in the kitchen staring at me, guilt washing down her face as she rubbed her forehoof with her fetlock.  I was about to say something when Carlotta snatched the drug from my hoof, stepping past me with her stone cold killer expression across her face.

“You.  Me.  Outside.  NOW.”  She instructed to Sky, who just nodded sadly, flapping her wings to effortlessly glide back up to the third floor.  As Carlotta proceeded to lay into Skyline about how disappointed she was, Dr. Fitz walked his way over to me, floating his bag of tools along with him.

“I see you are looking a lot better today, Backlash.”  He remarked as I stopped where I was, sitting onto the floor with a plop.  There was little use in fighting it anymore, no amount of healing potions or hydra could make me look any less of a monster now.

That thought spun the gears in my head, bringing back the conversation Brass and I had when he thought that’s what he was.  For as bad as things got, and for as much as he went through, he never sank so far from hope that he lost himself and couldn’t find his way back.  I have to believe I can come back from this as well.  If I can’t, then what will I have gotten him killed for?  The memory flashed away as Dr. Fitz focused a bright light into my eye, making me squint and shy from it.

“Well, your body seems to be making a remarkable recovery for having been through what it has.”  He levitated his tools back into his bag before putting a hoof onto my shoulder.  “Though, no amount of work I do on your body can ever fix the pain your mind feels from what’s happened.”  His words were soft and genuine, seeping through the cracks and deep into my mind.  “Backlash, what you and your friends have done for the ponies in the last month is incredible.  There have been reports of entire cities across the wasteland banding together to fight the gangs controlling them.  The narcotics industry is crippled thanks to the destruction of the pool, and the Alicorns have all but disappeared from sight.”

“But was it worth the cost?”  I looked into his eyes, watching as he did his best to keep his expression the same, but even with only one eye, he still couldn’t fool me.  He couldn’t muster the strength to lie, as much as I could tell he wanted too.  “That’s what I thought.”  I hugged him lightly, surprising him with the action.

“Backlash, just remember, it wasn’t your fault.”  He pat me on the back a few times before I stepped away from him.  “None of what you’ve done has been for nothing.  I’m just glad I could help you and the others.”

“You were supposed to help Brass get home.”

“I know.”  I lied, giving him a small smirk.  I turned and headed back toward the garage, stopping at the lip of the top step as the gears in my head spat out something that had slipped my mind.  It was my turn to return the kindness and help him.  My only hope was that this gesture could make up for a small fraction of the amount of trouble my actions have caused him.

“Oh, before I forget again, I need to tell you about this supply cache Brass and I stumbled upon.”  I turned around, hoofing at the kitchen door to shut it.  “You’re going to need a thermal lance, but does Tenpony have any room for a new Auto-Doc or two?”


-----


I slid the new capacitor control board in, pressing it until it snapped back into its mounting with a click.  Skyline was lucky that the ceramic mounting absorbed most of the energy that hit her rifle when she was fighting back at the pool two weeks ago.  Somepony must have overcharged their laser rifle to do this kind of damage, not to mention they also had to be pretty damn lucky to have hit Sky at all.

I shut the access panel and and bit down on my allen wrench, tightening the screws down.  Satisfied in my work, I rechecked that I had cleared the gun of ammo and turned it on.  As expected, the capacitors whined to life, and the gun was once again ready for Sky’s saddle.  If anything, I’m glad that my repair skills won’t go to waste with only one eye.

I looked up the stairs into the kitchen as a thought ran through my head.  Carlotta’s been yelling at her for over an hour because of the Dash I found in the cabinet, and I was getting worried she might be laying into her too hard.  I had so many questions I wanted her to answer.  How long had she been using again?  Was it because I used it back in the Pool?  But the question I really wanted to know the answer to was, could I really blame her with all we’d been through?

“Liar, you said you were coming back to bed.”  Longbow yawned out as she sat up.

“Sorry, I just… I needed something to keep me busy.  It’s how I recovered from Sprocket.”  I said as I spat the wrench out onto my workbench.  “Can you do me a favor and grab my saddle bag for me?”  I bit down on the barrel of Sky’s gun, setting it on the floor and out of the way.  I heard a crash as the contents of my saddlebag were dumped onto the garage floor, one of the assorted bits inside slid noisily across the floor, coming to a rest against my hoof.

“Sorry, my magic’s a little wonky this morning.”  She gave a light giggle, stopping suddenly as she joined me in looking at the object.  It was the auto-repair module I had taken from Lemon’s armor.  “Where did you get that?”

“I, umm… I took it from Lemon because you needed it.”  I looked up at her, watching as she glared at me intensely.  I noticed right off the bat that it wasn’t a mean glare, but one of pride.

“You realize you are a Goddess damned GENIUS!?”  She rose to her hooves and hugged me, all in one fluid motion.  My body locked up with both shock and pain, before she leaned back and kissed me quickly, making my cheeks burn red.  “All I need to do is fit that in and WHAM!  I’ve got my armor back!”  She let go and galloped off to the door of the garage, flinging it open and taking a few steps out.  “HEY GIRLS!  BRING MY ARMOR OVER HERE!”  She screamed loud enough that had the apocalypse not occurred, the neighbors might have complained.  Well, that is if they could overlook the one story tall, artificial pony driven robot stomping around in the street.

I shook my head with a smirk as the wind sucked the door closed, leaving me alone again.  I looked over to my strewn saddle bag contents, my eye stopping as it ran across the top of the Pipbuck.  I was about to move on from it when I could have sworn I saw the damn thing flicker.  Curious, I trot over to it and poked at it with my hoof, the screen and buttons flashing to life for a moment before fading away.

“How do you still work?”  I asked to nopony in particular, leaning down and attempting to pick it up in my muzzle.  I was quite shocked when the exposed wiring, well… shocked me!  Reflexively I dropped it to the floor with a clatter.  “Fucking Pinkie Pie, that’s how.”  I grumbled, kicking it toward my workbench roughly.  (It had survived more than a century and as much punishment as I could throw at it.  I’m sure that if it was still working, a couple of kicks wouldn’t kill it.)

I sat in front of my workbench and used my forehooves to lift it up, slowly getting to work on the arcano tech device.  After a few minutes, I had finally managed to pry the shredded outer casing off, gazing upon the most interesting configuration of wiring, spell component sets, and arcane spell matrices that I had ever seen.  Somepony at Stable-Tec must have either been a genius or a moron for setting this up this specific way.  It’s like they were planning on letting somepony like me work… on… this.

“Damnit Pinkie, don’t tell me you knew.”  I struck my hoof on the bench in anger, ignoring the spike of pain that shot through my leg.  There is no way that she could have set all this up.  Pinkie weirdness or not, I refuse to believe it.  If she had…  “I swear to Celestia that if you knew what would happen to Brass, I will find a way to make you pay, Pinkie.”

“I… I’m sorry.”  Willow spoke up from behind me sadly.  “I’ll leave you alone.”

“What? Oh, sorry Willow.”  I spun around quickly, following her eyes as they darted from my mutilated face to the workbench behind me.  The first thing I noticed was that she was darker in tone than when she was on the boat.  No, not darker.  More like, less there.  “I was just… talking to myself.  It wasn’t directed at you.”  I did my best to present a comforting smile, unsure if I even could anymore with how I looked.  “Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Yes, it is quite important.”  She averted her gaze from around me completely, now looking off toward the door.  “When I passed through the alicorn at the ship, I… I could hear her again.  I was her again.”  Her voice strained in horror, the experience obviously not one she ever wanted to partake in again.  “As I could hear her, she looked into me.  She... she could see the memory of me telling you my story.  She knows who I am, she knows how much Tiger Lily means to me.”  She sounded on the verge of tears.  “I know she’s going to try to kill her.  We have to do something.”

“And we will.  I don’t know how we will, but we will.”  I nodded as the gears in my head whirred to life, formulating exactly what I’d need to get the job done.  “Please tell the others we’ll leave at noon.”  

“Thank you, Backlash, but I need to tell you.  I can’t go with you.”  She looked at the floor, sinking into it slightly.  “When the goddess passed through me, she didn’t just take my thoughts.  She took part of me back.  And now, I can feel the rest of me slipping away slowly, like an hourglass I can’t turn back over.”

“Then we will find a way to stop it.”  I have no idea what exactly she was, or how to fix anything like what happened to her.

“Backlash, I’m sorry, but I can’t let her put anypony at risk any longer.”  Her voice picked up, the force of her determination filling her words.  “I must return to her.  I can keep her from terrorizing the wasteland using your mothers song, but I do not know how long I will last.”

I moved to speak, but she raised her hoof to silence me.

“It… is a small way to atone for the pain and suffering I’ve caused as her pawn, but it is all I can offer.  Please, tell Tiger that I am sorry for what I did.  That I wish I could take it all back.”  She gave me a soft smile as sorrow crept through her expression.  “Can you do that for me, Backlash?” 

I nodded to her, watching as she turned and floated off toward the kitchen, disappearing through the wall.  Yet another pony I will never see again.  I can’t fail her, not with what she is willing to sacrifice for the wasteland.  I need to be ready, so I need to get back to the task at hoof.  My first priority is to protect the ponies of Futura, and for that, I have to fix my Pipbuck.  “Alright you bastard, let’s make you whole again.”

It took two and a half hours, one of my rusty leg braces, a single vacuum tube, four tubes of wonder glue, half a roll of duct tape, a spool and a half of solder, a few spare spell components, a Y-42 industrial fuse box, the only two Y-42 fuses I’ve ever found in my life, and a tube of epoxy, but I had done it.  The torn up Pipbuck was a shadow of it’s former self, the dimly lit screen was now outshone by the vacuum tube sticking out of it, the exposed wiring on the side looped about messily before leading into the blocky fuse box jutting from the cracked casing.

I looked it over, doing my best to ignore the glaring flaws in my hasty repair work.  The only thing I hadn’t managed to repair on the thing was the spell matrix controller, but I crafted a work around using the aforementioned fused box.  Each fuse slot was spliced directly into a different spell catalogue, though, this meant that with me only having two of the ultra hard to find fuses, I could only access two functions at any given time.

I figured that until I could get used to remembering to change them, the default fuse placement should be S.A.T.S., and inventory management.  I figure that a weapon or help with said weapon might be a bit more important than the administrative processes or the radio for when, not if, we ran into trouble.  I looked up just as Longbow opened the garage door, striding in proudly wearing her silver power armor, levitating her helmet behind her.  She came to a stop as she walked around the back of the Marauder, tossing her mane from her face as she flashed a smile.

For a brief moment, I was back with her at the pool when I felt my heart jump.  Even in her power armor, she was the most beautiful I have ever known.  Unfortunately, as they do, my thoughts started to drift.  No, I will not let Longbow die.  Nopony else dies!  I smacked myself hard across my muzzle.

“Are you alright?”  She asked, quickly trotting over to me and looking me over.

“Yes, just… fighting my own mind.”  I sighed.  “Just, what if…”  I was silenced when Longbow put her hoof to my lips.

“No more what if questions!”  She ordered me, standing up straight as if I were some recruit to the Steel Rangers.  I nodded and she looked relieved.  “So, what’s the plan?”

“Willow says Futura needs our help, so that’s what we are going to do.”  I could feel my ear nub twitch as I heard voices in the kitchen, seeming like Carlotta and Sky had returned from their arguments.  As I thought this, the door swung open as Sky streaked down, slamming into me and taking me down to the floor with a thud.

“OhCelestiaI’msosorrypleaseforgiveme!”  She was nearly unintelligible as she pressed her face into my chest.  I grunted as I lifted my head, looking up to Carlotta who had hope filled look in her eyes, giving me a small smirk that told me that there would be no more Dashing for Skyline.  Sky looked up to me with teary eyes.  “Please don’t hate me.”

“How could I?”  I once again tried to give a reassuring smile.  “Sis, I love you.  Nothing you can do will ever drive me away from you.”  I stroked my hoof through her mane softly, holding her close.

“Not to mention, with all the crap you’ve pulled…”  Carlotta rolled her eyes as she jested playfully.

“Can it, Carlotta!”  I fired back in a sing songy way, sticking my tongue out at her playfully.  She sighed and shook her head.

“Really, Backlash?  What are you, four?”  She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest while I chuckled.  Skyline stepped back from me, looking past the scars and through my pain, seeing me for the pony I truly was.  These were my friends, my family, and I wanted nothing more than just to see them happy.  Which is what was making what I had to tell them that much harder to do.

“If Brass was family to you, why did you get him killed?”

“I’m sorry for what I’ve put you all through, and I know it’s been tough, but we aren’t done yet.”  The weight my mind was putting on me over Brass felt like it was steadily chipping away at the already frail foundations of my mind.  I just needed to keep myself together until I could stop the Goddess from murdering everypony at Futura, and get the Steel Rangers to stop Sorbet.  “Willow informed me that the Goddess may attack the settlement of Futura soon, and we need to help them.”

“When do we leave?”  Skyline and Carlotta spoke up at the same moment, smirking and leaning against each other lovingly.  They knew that this was going to be jumping out of the proverbial frying pan, but they didn’t even hesitate.

“Just tell me what you need me to do.”  I felt as Longbow put her armored hoof on my shoulder.  I gave her a slight frown, watching as her muzzle slowly mirrored mine.

“I need you and ED out there to get to the Manehattan Steel Rangers and tell them about Sorbet.  It could take them days to get out to her bunker on hoof.”  She wasn’t happy with what I was saying, but I could tell she was holding her tongue in the knowledge that this was too important to argue over.  “Once we’ve dealt with Futura, we’ll meet you at her bunker.”  I looked up to the kitchen as I heard a rustling from within, seeing Ripcord push his way past Sky and Carlotta.

“Ah, Backlash my good friend!  Off on another… dear Celestia, what happened to you!”  He stopped as he reached the bottom of the stairway, taking a few moments to look over the various scars and injuries that I’d acquired during his recovery period.  “You look positively dreadful!”

“At least you’re still alive, which is more than Brass has.”

“I can assure you Rip, I only feel half as bad as I look.”  I caught Carlotta gesturing to make a remark, so I glared as best as I could at her with my injuries.  Surprisingly, she stopped as a look of discomfort washed over her.

“Well I have just the thing to help with that eye of yours.  Got it way back in the day before I came down from the enclave.”  He said with a note of delight in his voice, mercifully oblivious to everything that’s gone on.  He twisted about and patted his rump as if not sure if it was real.  “Drat.  I am terribly sorry, but you must forgive me.  It does seem that I have left my bags back at the Red Lantern.  No matter, I shall retrieve it for you and return with it shortly!”

“I’m sorry Rip, but the Pool, the Red Lantern, hell the whole mountainside.  It’s gone.  Blown to smithereens.”  After losing Brass, there wasn’t any way I could muster up the feelings I should have had for what Ripcord lost.  That was his livelihood, but even so, it wasn’t just the Pool that was gone, it was everypony who worked there, innocent or not.  The most important among them though, had been Pallet Jack.  I promised to get her to safety, and I had failed.  I failed them all.

“Oh, I see.  Well, even without my possessions, at the very least I still have my health!”  He remarked in a surprisingly genuine, cheery tone.  How could he have that level of optimism even though he had just lost his entire livelihood?  The gears in my mind turned but failed to find anything to help.  “Now it may seem like quite the odd request, but do you know anypony who would be looking to hire somepony like me?”

“You know what, Rip, I want you to work for me.”  I spat out without thinking, catching as Skyline looked about as stiff as a statue.  A wide grin split his face as he squeed happily.  “Although, currently, you need to rest up before you start.”  Skyline’s eyelids twitched in agitation.  Our business to her was exactly that, OUR business.  But Ripcord was our friend, and somepony whose life I was responsible for ruining, so if anypony would be considered to work under us, he was my first choice.

“I… I’m not sure quite what to say past I would be delighted to work for you!”  He trotted over to me and held out his hoof.  I hoof bumped him and returned the smile with my own.

With that all sorted out, the next hour was spent by everypony getting things ready.  Sky was giving Rip her own rendition of a ‘new employee orientation’, while Carlotta was organizing the weapons and ammo we would be bringing with us.  Longbow was busy cleaning out and maintaining her power armor, while I tinkered around with the Marauder.  I had just finished replacing the dead spark batteries with the last of my supply when Dr. Fits came over to see me.

“You know, there was a point last month when you told me you were done getting into these types of situations.  Now it’s almost as if you keep finding excuses to throw yourself into harms way, just to spite me.”  He gave half a chuckle as he spoke, the weariness from everything sounding as if it was finally getting to him.

“Sorry, Doc.  Safety of the Wasteland and all being on the line kinda overwrites what I said.”  I sighed out, checking the seal the capacitor gaskets had with my hoof.  There was a clunk beside me as something was set into the engine compartment.  I turned my head to look at it, finding a pair of machine pistols in holsters.  One of them was a plain matte black, while the other was a dull gray.  The one thing they shared in common though, was that both pistols had matching silver engravings along the slides that boldly wrote out N2O.

“The twins were a gift from a very special somepony.  They kept me safe when I was a wandering physician before I got the job at Tenpony.  They should be more than adequate enough to help keep you alive.”  He looked up at the ceiling as he spoke, having to force the words as these guns were something he didn’t want to part with.  “Before you say anything, no, you can’t refuse, and yes, I want them back.”

“Thank you.”  I pushed myself out of the hoof, turning and throwing my hooves around him as he stiffened up, not ready for a hug.  I let go and took the holster in my mouth, turning and placing them into my saddlebag with great care.  “They will be given back without a single scratch.  I promise.”  I leaned back into the hood to continue my work.

“BACKLASH!”  Skyline shouted from behind me.

I screamed and jumped from the sudden voice, slamming my head on the raised hood and bracing myself for the worst case of deja vu I’d ever experienced.  I relaxed myself as the hood didn’t slam down on my head, instead, it was being held up by Dr. Fitz magical grasp.  I pulled my head from the car and took a step back, wincing as he let the hood go and let it slam shut.

“Yes, Skyline?”  My irritation from the sudden spook clear as I spun around, only to be met with something heavy being draped over my head.  I pulled it off with my hoof, looking down at the heavy fabric of an old, light blue, customized Robronco jumpsuit.  “No.”  I didn’t care if I came off as a bastard, but there was no way she expected me to wear this.  “You know I can’t use this.”

“You can, and you will.”  She growled back.  “I know you haven’t worn it since you were with Sprocket, but I can’t have you getting shot up out there anymore, and we don’t have anything else that could protect you as well as this.”

I grumbled at that, the gears in my head reminding me of the three reasons I was going to wear it.  One, was I knew full well that we in fact didn’t have anything else, because with as heavy as it is, barding was not something I normally traded with.  Two, was that the plates that were sewn in here were of some of the best equestrian steel that caps could buy.  And Three, was that I truly did not want to get shot anymore.

I slipped the old outfit on with Skyline’s help, having to call over Dr. Fitz when I realized that I had gained enough weight since then that the zipper couldn’t close anymore.  After a few moments of using his fabric alteration spell, it gave a satisfying zip and wrapped me snugly in it’s protection.

“Brass could have learned to do that if you didn't take him with you.”

Heavy hoofsteps from the other side of the Marauder announced Longbow as she trot up, stopping to look over me, her cheeks flushing lightly as I gave her a nervous smile.

“You look… handsome in that.”  She squeaked out, her cheeks brightening up as I felt mine do the same.  Her horn glowed as she levitated something purple over to me, tying it around my head to cover my empty eye socket.  “I hope you don’t mind Skyline, but I think that the velvet dress you loaned me isn’t ever going to be worn again after Bishops place.  This at least makes use of part of it.”  Skyline fluttered and hovered over me, putting a hoof to her chin before nodding.

“You know.  I think you’re right.”  She canted her head as she smirked, a small bit of hope in her voice.  “He hasn’t looked this respectable in years.”

I had barding to protect me, a pair of guns to defend me, my family to support me, the Marauder to carry me, and innocent ponies in need of me.  As much as I didn’t want to be, and as much as I wish I had a choice, we were ready to leave.  Just this one fight to get through, and I can sit down and start to pay for all of my sins.

Simple as that.


-----


It’s so funny how wrong I can be.  Instead of being able to just zoom past ambushes like I had intended the Marauder to do, it turns out that in the narrow Manehatten streets, the only thing the pre-war vehicle managed to do was deliver us to them faster than ever!  Knock down a few street lamps when you see me coming, and bam, instant roadblock.  They had only managed to get a few potshots off at us though before Skyline and Carlotta outflanked them, so now it was just an all out firefight.

I had myself pressed against the open door for cover as somepony unloaded their submachine gun against it.  I had one of the guns Dr. Fitz gave me in my muzzle, while the other lay on the dirt just past the door.  For some reason, they were both listed as one item in the Pipbuck, and equipping it had brought both out, dropping the other just out of my reach.  I looked across the bench seat over to Longbow, who was standing out in the open and taking her time to pick off attackers while their rounds pinged harmlessly off her cheater armor.

“Brass could have still had his, had you not wrecked it.”

I don’t need this shit right now.  I growled and poked my head up over the door and let loose a rapid chatter of 9mm rounds at nopony in particular.  Even with a gun, I still wasn’t helping do anything more than hopefully keeping them pinned down.  As the mag emptied, I dropped back down behind the door just before the renewed thudding of more submachine gun fire slammed against it.  I spit the empty gun onto the floor of the Marauder, trying to think of a way to get to the other one.

Longbow let off one of her anti machine rifle shots, silencing the fire against my door permanently.  The reports from Carlotta’s battle saddle down the way we had come, worried me.  I guess we weren’t the only ones who thought to outflank, but at least she might be able to stall them long enough that Longbow could use that cheat suit to clear the roadblock.

“Longbow!”  I screamed out between her shots, finally grabbing her attention.  “Company from behind!  Move the block and let’s go!”  She bolted forward and towards the metal poles, firing a few more shots from her sniper rifle as she did.  I spun and hoofed the other twin pistol back behind the door, being rewarded for my haste when a rifle round struck the dirt where it had been.  I chomped down on the bit and climbed into the Marauder, shutting my door behind me as I did my best to squish under the dashboard in order to avoid fire.

I pressed the accelerator down slowly, looking out Longbow’s still open door to judge distance and speed, but I can’t remember how far ahead the block was.  Was it twenty five feet?  Or thirty?  A quick knock on the hood before Longbow strode around the door, made me stop.

“Good to go, put the pedal down and I’ll steer!”  Her helmet boomed, winning out over the soft ringing the gunfire had produced.  I slammed the pedal down and listened as the tires peeled the dirt off the roadway, screeching as they gripped the old pavement underneath.  The engine roared as we took off down the road, the dings and slaps of potshots sounded off the old steel, mercifully stopping after a minute of driving or so.  There was a hiss from above me as Longbow removed her helmet.

“Are you alright, Backlash?”  She asked as she scooted herself back to the passenger side.  I pulled myself up from the floor and dropped the gun from my muzzle.

“Yeah, though I think I need to remember to stay outside the city while driving.”  I sat down on the bench seat, looking out through the hole the windshield used to sit in.  Well, at least my barding would keep me warmer in the wind than wearing nothing.  I really should have thought ahead that the windshield would get shot out or damaged.  Maybe I could get Tiger Lily to find me a new one, assuming we all aren’t horribly murdered by the Alicorns when we got there.  Calotta and Skyline flared their wings as they flew down to us, gliding alongside my window as we continued down the street.

Longbow leaned forward and clicked on the radio, giving me a smile as she sat back in the seat.  I’m glad to see that she had adapted to riding in a car so quickly.

“-the news!  Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, I’ll start today’s segment with a recap of the handiwork of the wasteland crusaders.  Reports of the monumental explosion that ripped the Pool asunder as still coming in, as it both caused the demise of the Pink Mare, and sadly claimed the life of one of the Crusaders.”

“The price Brass paid for 42’s death was too high.”

“Now, my little ponies, for more current affairs.  Even though the scourge of the Pink Mare ended with the pool, there is still trouble in her wake.  From Manehatten to Baltimare, reports of gang violence have risen, with infighting breaking out among the groups as they are left without guidance.  More troubling is the news that small groups of Steel Rangers have been spotted overrunning areas on, or near old supply bunkers.  My advice, is that if you see the iron ponies heading your way, to drop what you have, and get your flanks out of there.  Nothing they can take from you is worth your life.”

I hoofed the radio off, sitting back with a sigh.

“Turn left up ahead.”  Longbow pointed her hoof toward a twisted sign so covered in graffiti that I swear the weight of the paint was what finally bent it over.  I knew this sign well, as it used to be the only real sign pointing towards porthole.  I liked to do trade with them, they always dredged up the most interesting things from the river, but that was before an exceptionally violent gang massacred everypony living there.  This gang was so hostile, that they used to leave body parts, or entrails as a ward to keep others away from their settlement.

“You sure?”  I asked, slowing down to a crawl as we approached the turn.  “Nopony has entered there in years, not since the porthole massacre.”

“Why do you think the Rangers haven’t cleaned up the mess?”  She smiled and pointed down the long abandoned road.  “One of Equestria’s best kept secrets is down that road, so I know that you’ll trust me when I tell you I have to blindfold you from here on out.”

”Hey, that wasn’t the plan!”  Carlotta slammed her talons on the doorframe and leaned in.  “You were supposed to be dropped off, and we could continue on our merry way to save some innocent ponies.”  She had truly amazed me with those words.  Just a month ago, she told me that she didn’t care about anything outside her contract, and now, her genuine concern for the safety of innocents filled me with a feeling of hope that I had long forgotten about having.

“Longbow, I refuse to be split up again.  Either he doesn’t go, or we all go.”  Skyline huffed from beside Carlotta.  “Not to mention, you’ve noticed how perceptive Backlash is, do you really think blindfolding him would do any good?”

“Fine, drop your saddles somewhere safe and get in.”  She sighed and scooted over towards me, motioning for me to open the door and get out.  She was tense and a jittery nervousness flowed through her like nothing I had ever see.  Bullets flying all around her?  Steadfast and Strong.  Going to HQ?  As nervous as a filly meeting DJ-Pon3 for the first time.  Or, well, as nervous as I had been.  She prodded me with her armored hoof as I realized I should probably do as she asked.  “Just, relax and let me do the talking.”

Skyline and Carlotta climbed into the back seat, Sky shutting the door behind her with a slam.  So much for never riding in the Marauder.  She tensed up as we started to turn, pulling off the old main road and onto the decrepit path toward the old shipyards.  I gave her a quick smile, trying to tell her I was proud of her, but all she did was glare at me until we bounced through a pair of pot holes, making her cling to Carlotta for dear life.

“Come on, it ain’t so bad, Sky!”  Carlotta cooed cooly down at the terrified mare burrowing into her side.  “Though, I’m thinking we should do this more often, seeing as I love having you this close.”  She wrapped her wing around Sky, giving me a small wink and a smirk.  With an old warehouse in front of us, we turned right, now driving down the single lane road that used to have the main gates to porthole.  The gates had been torn out or otherwise removed, but the brown-orange stains the rusty fence left on the off white walls of the buildings to either side, remained.

“Bam, freeze, restrain, relax.”  Longbow whispered to herself, almost low enough I couldn’t hear her through my fucked up ear.  “Bam, freeze, restrain, relax.”  She repeated it as she put her helmet back on, doing so as if to ward away some evil spirit nearby.  Why was she saying that?  We reached the end of the road, now turning left to enter what used to be the town square.  Rather unexpectedly, there wasn’t a pony in sight.  Crates of Prewar goods sat open and stacked neatly on our left, while there was a makeshift firing range and obstacle course to our right.  Before us was a line of old military tents of various sizes, the old canvas flapping in the wind.  Longbow drove us another ten feet or so before turning the car off, still chanting softly to herself.

There was a thud on the hood, drawing my attention to a small, black cylinder.  All too late did I recognize it for what it was when the Crash-Bang grenade went off, blinding me and turning my hearing into an all too familiar whine.  I felt a stabbing pain hit me in the side, dropping me down into the seat before I felt it get tugged out from under me.  No wait, I was being drug from the car!  As I regained feeling in my extremities, I felt somepony tieing my hooves together with duct tape.  The gears in my head spun, putting the event to what Longbow was muttering.

My vision returned before my hearing, revealing the outline of a huge pony holding a stick to my face.  The more my sight improved, that assumption changed from huge pony, to power armor, and from a stick, to the barrel of a grenade machine gun.  Deja Vu yet again.  Maybe one of these days I can be introduced to the rangers without being pulled out of the marauder at gunpoint.  To be honest though, I’m kind of mad that I didn’t see this coming.  The armored pony standing above me looked up, standing still for a moment before nodding and stripping the tape off my hooves.  I was quite confused when he finished and just stood there holding a hoof down to me.

I held my hoof out, feeling as he hooked around it and pulled me up with little effort, giving me a pat on the shoulder and pointing me over towards where Longbow was standing.  She smiled to me in a ‘I’m sorry I didn’t give you a heads up, please forgive me.’ kinda way, before turning to greet a unicorn who looked like he was maybe a few years older than me.  The strangest thing about him was his extremely ornate power armor.  Every single armor I’d ever seen in my life was the exact same flat silver color, but his had all sorts of fancy gold ivy that looked like it was growing over his suit, almost shimmering in the midday light in contrast to the dull palette around him.  The ringing in my head dropped off fairly quickly, letting me hear again by the time I had made my way over to them.

“And you say this wastelander can vouch for you?”  The stallion spoke in a very authoritative yet arrogant tone, his very words seeming to prop Longbow up at attention.  He brushed his curly, light green mane from his face, letting both of his eyes look over to me, cringing slightly as he passed over my injuries.  I don’t know why, but I’d seen those amber eyes before somewhere.  “And who is this primitive?”

“You listen to the radio, buddy?”  I asked, already knowing that this conversation was going to aggravate the shit out of me.  He nodded, generally passing off the statement as nothing important.  “Good, cause I’m the pony you keep hearing about.  You know, the one who took down the Pink Mare?”

“Backlash, I know he’s not very polite, but please don’t go off on him.”  Longbow pleaded from behind me.  No, we don’t have time to play nice.  We were behind schedule as it is, so I took the liberty of ignoring what she just asked.

“You are the Crusader?  Hardly believable.”  He scoffed, making my blood boil.  He looked over to Longbow and shook his head.  “I expected more from a paladin of your merit.  Detain this primitive and relieve them of their gear.”

“You aren’t Steel Rangers, you are sad excuses for ponies, hiding amongst the ghosts of the old world in an attempt to save yourselves.”   I stamped at the ground in anger, listening as the heavy steps of power armored ponies drew close behind me.  “You want to know why I can say that?  Because I’ve met a real Steel Ranger.  To say that he was twice the unicorn you are would be too much of a kindness to you.  He died having done more good for Equestria than your fucking Rangers have in the last century.”

“Oh, is that so?”  The first tone other than boredom came from the stallion’s muzzle, sounding to me like he enjoyed me chastising him, which was probably due to the fact that being a superior officer, meant nopony dared to do it.  “I would love to meet this stallion, what did you say his name was?  Provided he IS in fact real, maybe I’ll have him barred from duty for helping a pony like you.”  He was so full of himself, I couldn’t be sure how he fit all the hot air inside a body his size.  I was going to rip him to shreds.

“Backlash, stop.”  Longbow commanded, fury growing in her own voice.  “You don’t want to do this!”

“His name was Brass Tacks.”  I spat at him, trembling as I was three seconds from trying to rip the smugness from his muzzle with my bare hooves.  The mention of Brass’s name flushed the color from his face, his back legs giving out as his expression went blank.

“He… he was alive?”  He trembled, overwhelming guilt struck his eyes as he turned away from us slowly.  There was a long pause where no pony said a thing, even the light breeze had died down to nothing.  He turned his head back as his voice choked back extreme sorrow. “Paladin Longbow, please escort your friend to see the elder down in the dry dock.  Tell her that I am sorry for the hold up, and that I shall be there shortly.”

“Yes sir.”  Longbow’s response was hesitant, her voice carrying great concern for him as she prodded my side roughly.  “Come on, lets go.”

I followed her across the open yard, heading toward a squat looking building maybe the size of a shack, with no more than just enough room to hold two ponies.  As we approached, the door swung open on it’s own, a mechanical arm pushing it to reveal a brightly lit staircase leading down.  The door started to swing shut as I took a step inside, rushing me through before it closed and sealed with a hiss.  Longbow stopped and looked over her shoulder at me, the anger in her eyes fading.

“Backlash, I’m sorry I yelled at you, and I realize that you had no idea, but Maple Syrup was Brass’s father.”  Her words felt like they punched a hole in my chest and wrapped around my heart.  “He and Paper Clip never got the consent to marry.  He thought he was untouchable being the elder’s son, but when they discovered Paper Clip was two months pregnant, the elder signed the transfer orders himself.  He’s been stationed in Filly ever since.  Everypony was to keep his identity from Brass until he was older, to keep the other foals from treating him differently.”

“I… I’m sorry.  I didn’t know…”  I can’t do anything anymore without destroying somepony’s life.  He had probably already buried Brass when he failed to return from the M.o.M., but I had just destroyed his life all over again.

“I know.  Just, these aren’t normal wasteland ponies here.  When you live on a Steel Ranger base, everypony is family.  The loss of a Ranger is felt by all, but it’s harder for those in command.  You weren't the only one hurt when....”  Longbow choked up for a second, turned herself to face me, looking up to me with a painful, pleading look.  “Please promise me that while we’re here, you’ll listen to my advice.  I know things aren’t going as planned, but if you want the Ranger’s help in stopping Sorbet, then we need to do this my way.”

Brass deserved to know his father, but you stole that from him.

I nodded.  We both took a minute to compose ourselves, trying to push the pain we felt to the back of my mind.  I followed her down, thinking to myself.  After a few flights, I could feel warm air rushing up from below us, the sounds of metalwork and heavy machinery echoed up as well.  We reached the bottom of the eighth flight, stopping in front of a set of heavy double doors.  The air that whistled through the gap under it carried with it the smells of melting metal and putrid oils.  I tried to put my hoof out to push it open when Longbow put her own hoof out and stopped me.

“What you are about to see is the closest guarded secret that the Manehatten rangers have.  What you see in here does not get mentioned outside of this base, got that?”  She prodded my chest again for emphasis.  “Not to mention, my mother is in charge of her, so don’t think it wouldn’t hurt me if you did say something.”  She didn’t even wait for me to respond before pushing open the set of doors.

The room beyond was massive, towering nearly sixty feet up, as well as stretching nearly a thousand feet long.  The centerpiece of the cavern was an enormous, sleek black tube sitting on struts, it’s shape was that of a cigar, and only something I had seen once before in a single photo from before the war.  Bright white letters were emblazoned across a monolith that jutted from the middle of the object, giving it a name.


H.M.S. Nautilus
SSN - 571


There were a myriad of ponies busily working along the outside of the craft, some scraping barnacles and other sea junk off of it, while others were welding and hammering out the dents and divots that lined the hull.

“Yup, she was the first submarine of her kind.  Powered by one of the first generation of spark reactors ever developed, the Nautilus could cruise below the waves for more than four months at a time back in her prime.”  Longbow trot toward the ship, her voice trailing off as in my awe, I had forgotten to leave the stairwell.  I hurriedly cantered over to her as to not miss anything else about the incredible machine.  

“Normally crewed by a hundred, we had managed to retrofit her with several spell matrix circuits, allowing us to require only a crew of thirty five.  The rangers found her sitting here fifty or so years ago, wrapped up and sealed.  The records stated that she was obsolete and was to be decommissioned, but it looks like the world ended before they could do it.”  She was masking the sorry she was feeling by hiding behind this facade of enthusiasm, the words sounding more like a lecture she had been taught and was just idly repeating for the sake of repeating it.

“Their mistake was our gain.  She’s served me well the last two years.”  The voice of an older mare yelled out from above us.  A small crane was lowering a basket from the rafters, dropping the fancily dressed mare next to us.  She had a light blue coat, with a ghostly white mane.  Crows feet adorned the corners of her lavender eyes, when with the combination of the navy formal wear she wore, gave her the look of a seasoned admiral from the old days.  “It’s good to see you again, Longbow. I had no idea you were in the area.  Did you have business to attend to, or just want to stop by and spend some time with your dear, old mother?”

Longbow looked at me with apprehension in her eyes.  “Business, Mom.  We have to talk about Lemon.”
> Chapter 18 - Nemesis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 18



“Yeah, but I heard it’s the EVIL way she eats hay!“



-----


        I wasn’t sure what I should have expected.  We barged into the base unexpectedly, found our way down to the biggest secret the Manehatten Rangers have, and where in the middle explaining Sorbet’s betrayal before the plan imploded.  Apparently the moment an outsider accuses an Elder, it’s game over and shock prod time.  So off to the ‘brig’ I went, while Longbow promised she would sort it out.

That was an hour ago.

I had actually laid my head down to rest, finding the stiff bedding they had here a lot more comfortable than my mattress was at home.  Carlotta and Sky were in the bunk above me, just waiting, the same as me, but they had since fallen asleep.  Probably because their bodies were actually tired, apart from mine which had just recovered from a medically induced rest.  All in all, I think it’s a good thing I can’t fall asleep, seeing as I might have seen Pinkie again.  If I did, there would be no telling what I might do to her.


I sighed and rolled over, bringing my Pipbuck up to my muzzle.  I bit down on the inventory fuse and yanked it out, placing it into the administrative socket with a click.  I tensed up and slipped myself into S.A.T.S., scrolling to the notes section.  If I have time, I might as well see what I can dig up about the mirror pond.  42 is dead, no question about it, but the Mirror pond is still something that must be found and destroyed.

The note tab loaded up and displayed that there were only 237 pages of notes, and that the other 1500 now read as corrupt.  Alarmed, I scrolled to the audiolog section, disheartened to find that there were only four of the project logs left uncorrupted, and the recording I found back in Whinney.  I guess as even with as tough as the Pipbuck was, the data was the most fragile thing in it.  A thought jumped into my head that I was glad that I transfered B.I.T. out when I did.  I don’t think I could have handled another loss.

I scrolled down to the first of the remaining logs and thought to play it, a quick click filled my ears as the box opened up, the voice of Twilight sounding happy for once was a nice change.

“Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 7 - Project Golem Preliminary Copy Assessment, day two.

The medical team and I now have the physical test results and have found that this copy is a flawless reproduction of the real Pinkie Pie.  The results are way above expected parameters, with reflexes, muscle strength, and overall endurance being better than that of even the highest of our Equestria Games gold medalists data.


As I stated in the previous log, the clone seemed to have a good grasp and language, and I have greenlit the education and mental function tests.  So far, Pinkie’s orientation of the first project copy, whom she has designated as 42, has been a success.  Along with her physical traits, Pinkie’s personality and intelligence have also been amplified.  She solved all of the first echelon puzzles given to her so far in near record time, and is showing symptoms of boredom.  As much as I think she may do the same with the next set, I will include the results of them with the next log.


One final piece of good news is that the replacement regulator for the machine has been delivered, and after we calibrate and install it, we should be ready to make another copy.


End of Report.”

The audio box closed as the log ended, the pipbuck automatically moving the cursor down to the next log and playing it.  I’m not sure if it was an error in the coding, or something Pinkie Pie had set up, but whatever the reason, I still wanted to hear it.

“Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 13 - Project Golem Incident Report.


42’s pranking behaviour has escalated to physical injury, the results of which sent my personal assistant to the clinic with a broken nose this morning, and completely destroyed the break room.  As a side note, the amount of thought and the scale of her prank was impressive, relying on precise reactions from no less than four staff members, and the exact locations of two cups and a fork, as well as the coffee maker and refrigerator.


Pinkie assures me that 42 doesn’t have her level of Pinkie sense, but after todays events I am not inclined to agree.  It is possible that it could have just taken a longer time to emerge, or that it may have just appeared on it’s own due to it’s own weirdness.  I have also informed the rest of the researchers that for the duration of 42’s testing, she is to be locked inside her isolation room.


Unrelated to the injury from 42’s prank, one of the electricians fell asleep while he was working and gave himself a shock when installing the regulator.  Unfortunately, it fried the replacement in the process.  This was not a total loss, having in fact helped me find a flaw in the system.  Due to the required voltage of the machine, and the feedback to draw ratio, every time we use the machine it will burn out the regulator.  I have a meeting set up with Applebloom to discuss the development of a more durable solution, but until then, 42 will remain the only subject.


End of Report.”

Pinkie was wrong.  42 has to have had her own Pinkie sense!  Heightened reflexes and intelligence can’t account for the level of impossibilities she’s performed.  The next audiolog queued up and played automatically.


“Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 27 - Project Golem Casualty Report.


My assistant, Scarlet Letter, was killed when 42’s original prank was resolved this afternoon.  While discussing it in today’s evaluation, 42 appeared proud of her work, laughing as she asked how we didn’t see it coming.  Upon asking her to elaborate, she proceeded to tell me that the broken nose wasn’t even the setup of the prank last week, that it had in fact been the breaking of the coffee pot that started it.


She described in great detail how the coffeeless electrician fell asleep and shorted out the machine, causing him to move on to fixing the coffee pot.  Due to his new hesitation when working with live wires, he misjudged the gauge he needed and didn’t use the correct insulation.  This choked off the current, which spent days slowly building up and overheating the mounting to the transformer in the wall.  Today, when the transformer exploded, due to it’s placement, it blasted the refrigerator over, killing Mr. Letter.


[knocking on a door]


Another interruption? Yes, come in please.


[door opening and shutting]


Hey Twilight, I need to talk to you.  It’s… about 42.


[shuffling of papers]


Sure thing Pinkie, just give me one moment.”


The log ended with a crackle as the entirety of the S.A.T.S. menu flickered.  I canceled it, not wanting find out what happens when a Pipbuck’s magic cuts out mid S.A.T.S. use.  The thing that I didn’t get was, if 42 was that uncontrollable, why didn’t Twilight seal her away somewhere like the East Orchard?  Why give her to Pinkies ministry?

My ear flicked and perked as I heard hoofsteps approaching from down the hallway.  Longbow opened the door outside of our cell and stepped in alongside a power armored stallion.  Carlotta’s rear paws swung down from above, stretching as she yawned.

“About damn time you got us out of here!”  She hopped down to the floor, rolling her neck stiffly until it let out a few light pops.

“Sorry about that, Elder Strudel doesn’t exactly have a lot of free time these days.  You guys can head outside if you’d like, the elder just wants to see Backlash.”  Longbow’s magic levitated a key over to the door, unlatching it with a loud clang as Both Carlotta and Sky pushed their way past her, nearly knocking over the stallion next to her.  I pushed myself up from the bunk, groaning as my whole left side ebbed in pain.

“So, will she hear me out without sending me back down here?”  Longbow cringed as I suggested it, looking slightly embarrassed.  I knew it wasn’t her fault, and that it’s just procedure, but I’m just tired of dealing with ponies like this.  I just want to go back to the life I had.  And I will, just as soon as Sorbet is stopped, and Futura is safe.

“She has agreed on the condition that you provide evidence.”  Longbow pointed to my Pipbuck.  “The audio log from Lemon is all she wants to hear.”

Fuck.

“About the audio logs… they were corrupted when the Pipbuck broke.  I don’t have Lemon’s file anymore.”  I sighed and got to my hooves, exiting the cell slowly.  There was no way we could stop Sorbet on our own, we needed the help of the Rangers.  The lime green Stallion next to Longbow shook his head and stepped over.

“Let me take a look at it, if I can get to the original file, I may be able to salvage at least a segment of it.”  He held his hoof out expectantly, giving me a small smile.  Both his expression and his words were genuine, I just wasn’t sure why he wanted to help.  Every Steel Ranger I’ve met past Longbow and Brass have been out for themselves.  So what did he want from me?

“Don’t worry Backlash, Fruit Cup here will get it done.”  Longbow spoke up as she wrapped an armored hoof around him, pulling him close.  “Fruit Cup’s pretty much been my only friend since we were paired together in training.  I was sad when he got sent on deployment with my mother, but I knew he was in good hooves.”  She hoofed at his bristly neon red mohawk in a playful manner. 

“I see… so you and her then…?”  I asked.  Not that he wasn’t cute, he was just a bit too… happy.  It’s something I love to see when it’s got a reason, but no pony in the wasteland is just this happy for no reason.  Well, Pinkie Pie notwithstanding.  I was relieved to see that my words brought a look of horror to his face.

“ME? HER!?”  He looked like he was having problems processing  the words.  Though, I think I knew where he was going with it.  “THE HELL!?  She’s like a sister to me!”  And there it is!

“That’s what I keep saying about MY sis!”  I jumped forward and threw my hooves around his neck, feeling as he went rigid.  “Thank Celestia, finally somepony who understands!”  I pat him on the back, feeling as his breathing was shallow and he was making a soft whine.  “And... I’m choking him.”  I let go of him and stepped back, happy to see him draw in a large breath as he dropped to the floor with a heavy thump.  I felt as the straps around my Pipbuck loosened, the whole unit glowed in Longbow’s aura as she pulled it from my leg and dropped it onto the recovering Fruit Cup.

“Come on, best to not keep the Elder waiting.”  She spoke with a note of content as she stepped over her best friend.  He gave her a smile and a soft wave as she stepped over him, giving me a glance that read that he was afraid of me.  It was about more than me just nearly squeezing him to death, I’m sure of that.  As I followed Longbow, the idea plagued me more and more.  I had to know.

“Ok, I need you to be honest.  Do I look… scary?”  The words brought a smile to my muzzle.  It was just such a ridiculous thing to ask, I mean, how many ponies are going to give a straight answer anyways?

“No.  You look like a pony who took a balefire egg to your everything and lived to tell about it.”  She sighed, sounding disappointed again.  I think she was worried about why I was asking, like maybe I thought that I looked like the monster I think I am.  Which is wrong, because if that were true, I’d look a whole lot worse than I do.  “You know, if you want to impress my mother, you’re going to need to quit beating yourself up so much.”  Now I’m confused.

“Wait, why do I need to impress her again?  I thought that it was the Elder’s call to help us or not.”  We turned and trot down yet another hallway, winding our way through a labyrinth of grey walls to goddesses know where.  This prompted an odd thought that I couldn’t help but ask.  “Also, if this is a Steel Ranger’s base, where were all the stairs?  The last one was practically made of them, but this one only had them at the entrance to the dry dock.”

“This is an old Equestria Royal Navy base, not a Steel Ranger’s bunker.  We just repurposed it is all.”  She replied smartly, coming to a stop in front of a set of double doors.  “Trust me, you want to impress my mother.  It will help if we ever want her to know that you are in love with me.”  She gave me a warm smile and let out a soft laugh as I blushed.  “Come on, we’ll have time to talk later.”

The second she opened the door and we stepped in, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, darkness greeting me as I dropped to the floor.


-----


The warm breeze drifted through the tree above me as the sun beat down on my coat.  The dirt under me warmed my body, while the grass tickled me awake.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as I rolled to my hooves, standing up and feeling dizzy for a moment.  The sound of quickly beating hooves coming through the dirt behind me caught my attention.  The gears in my head kicked up as I knew exactly what I needed to say to Pinkie, but before I could spin around, the most peculiar feeling hit me.

My good eye started to sting.

I spun around just in time to see a full grown Pink mare slam into me, sending me flying back against the large tree.  She lifted me up and twisted her forehoof sideways against my neck, both pinning me in place, and choking me.  The half melted smile 42 wore felt like it was pride itself, beaming her unerring confidence to me.

“So nice to see you again, Backlash!  So this is where you’ve been going to get the low down on me.”  She looked around cautiously, probably on the lookout for Pinkie Pie.  ”Such a resourceful arch nemesis you’ve turned out to be!”  She lowered her forehoof just enough so I could speak in wheezing words.

“How… are you… alive?”  I kicked my hind legs uselessly and tried with all my might to pry her hoof from me with my own.

“Oh, well I wouldn't quite say I’m alive, seeing as that blast fucked me up pretty good.  Who know’s if my body is good enough to pull through the wounds or not.  Though, I expect we’ll both know soon enough.”  She looked up to me, looking over my face with a feigned interest.  “Goddesses Backlash, is it just me, or did that explosion actually make you more handsome?”

“I’ll find you...42.”  I turned my head flat against the tree, both trying to get more air, and to keep her focus off my bad side.  “You’ll pay… for Brass.”

“Seriously, that little monster was annoying, wasn’t he?”  She rolled her eyes and pressed her hoof into my neck harder, keeping me from answering.  “I guess it might have just been me.  Oh well, you know what they say!  In order to rule Equestria, you’ve gotta break a few foals.”  She gave me that grin again while I did my best to bore my gaze through her skull.  “Speaking of foals, I really hope I don’t stay here for too long, seeing as Pallet is probably pretty thirsty in her cage.”

“Pal..let?”  How had she survived the blast?  You know, I don’t even care, at least she made it out!

“Yeah, that kid is just the stubbornest thing that ever lived, but what are you going to do?  Gotta love her anyway, you know?”  She sighed sorrowfully, her muzzle turning into a small frown.  “Maybe you wouldn’t know.  It’s just something all mothers feel.”

“You’re… a mother?”  I gasped for air loudly as she swung her gaze down to the dirt, softening her hold on me again.

“I’m surprised you didn’t know, seeing as you had the files.  Maybe I misjudged just how resourceful you were.”  She squinted and glared up at me as the wind picked up, rustling the leaves loudly.  My ear perked and twitched as a creek came from a branch above me.  “Why don’t you tell him, Pinkie?  Tell him how after Twilight had me sedated for the tests, her assistant would sneak in and have some ‘fun’ with me?”

“He may have been a bad pony, but you didn’t have to kill him.”  Pinkie’s voice came from above, she was being honest, but I could tell it was taking everything she had just to keep herself from flying into a rage.  “You aren’t allowed here.  Abominations don’t get into the afterlife.”

“Awww, you going to let her talk to you like that, Backlash?”  42 giggled happily.  “Then why don’t we just take this little dispute outside.”  She spun and slid me from the tree, tossing me to the ground like I was nothing.  “I’ll leave you my calling card when I get back, come and see me sometime, Backlash.”  She reached her foreleg up, striking herself in the face with her own hoof and disappearing with a flash.

I lay in the dirt as Pinkie dropped from the tree, galloping over to me.  It had all been for nothing.  Peppermint, the Pool, Brass’s death.  None of it mattered because she wasn’t dead.

“I… I’m sorry, Backlash.  I knew what was… I couldn’t… I’m just so sorry.”  Pinkie’s words came from deep inside, conveying sadness, regret, anger, and shame.  “Please don’t hate me, I didn’t mean for everything to end up this way.”

“I don’t hate you Pinkie, as much as I want to blame you for everything, it’s all on me.”  I finally regained my breath, pushing myself up with a grunt.  “And as much as I’d like to continue talking with you, I have to get back to the real world and go murder the hell out of 42.  So would you kindly send me back?”

She gave a small nod before springing herself into the air, dropping down onto me like she always had, sending me back across the void to where I could actually do some real good.


-----




I let out another gasp as I came too on the floor, my head pounding as somepony was dabbing at it with a cloth.  I opened my eye, looking up to see a yellow mare with a striking silver mane in spell manacles, being restrained a few feet from me.  My eye focused in on the grey blotch of her cutie mark as my vision cleared, the shape of a silver paper clip coming into clarity and making my heart sink.

An elderly brown mare strode through the door on the opposite side of the room we were in, her bright white and grey streaked hair a stark contrast to the dark blues of the walls and ceiling.

"Gentlemares! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!”  As she approached, Longbow raised her hoof into a stiff salute.  “What is going on here, I demand an explanation."  Well, at least she’s straight and to the point.  Pretty sure no monologuing means I can cross her off the ‘is likely to be a bad guy’ list.

“Sorry Ma’am.  Paper Clip just attempted to murder Backlash.”  She sounded incredibly nervous as the Elder used her magic to adjust the small, round framed glasses on the end of her muzzle.  Paper Clip hobbled forward, sitting down and raising her bound hooves in my direction.

“This Barbarian was the one who got Brass Tacks killed!”  Her voice when her gaze drifted over to me shifted tone, sounding like it was channeling the fires of Tartarus through it.  A small, grey cylinder was floated over to the elder, the dim ruby red of a power gem in it all but giving it away as a power hoof.

"This is outrageous.  I have never had this kind of behaviour in the war room before!"  She set the weapon onto a table nearby and let out a sigh.  “I will deal with your actions later, Paper Clip.  Bolt Action, take her to the brig.”  She nodded to a hulking stallion in power armor, watching as he hoisted her up onto his back and took her away.

The towel floating above me lifted away before the sharp prick of something won out over my splitting headache.  I tried to shift myself, instead finding that I couldn’t move at all.

“Quit moving, or I’ll mess this up and have to start all over again.”  The voice coming from above me was that of an extremely effeminate stallion.

“How bad is he, Suture?”  Longbow called over as I shut my eye, wincing as I was poked again and again.

“Honestly, I’m not quite sure how he survived a blow like that.  Most ponies would be dead, but he must have an extremely thick head.  Though, I could have used a heads up about his blood.”  His words made the throbbing in my head worse only up until I felt my skin crawl up my head.  I let out a whine as it burned.  “Oh, suck it up, you’re fine.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, It slipped my mind.  Backlash does have quite the endurance and propensity to take a lot of punishment.”  I opened my eye to see her turn to face the Elder.  “Ma’am, Fruit Cup is extracting the audio file for you, he should be here soon.”  I felt the pressure on my body lift as the largest stallion I had ever seen took a step away from me.  His white coat had a tinge of pink to it as he stood under the fluorescent lighting, matching the color of his mane.

“Alright, He’s good to go, if you need me, I’ll be in the infirmary.”  He spoke so softly for his size, I had to look around to make sure that there wasn’t somepony else with a body that matched his effeminate voice.  As he trot over past the Elder, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.  The gears in my head kicked on, telling me that with a pallet like that, he was probably her son.  My head pounded as I got my hooves under myself, wobbly standing up as the Elder looked me over.

“So Yew tells me that you can prove Elder Sorbet is a traitor to the Steel Rangers.  Tell me this, if this was true, why would you help us?  Other than the safety of the wastelands, what are you getting in return?  No pony does anything out here for ‘the greater good’ anymore.”  She studied me with a look I knew all too well, as it was something I’ve seen every time I have to look in a mirror.  She was looking for clues of if I would lie.

“Revenge, retribution, redemption, take your pick.  It’s my fault she could even start this, so it’s my job to end it.”  I put my hoof to my muzzle and rubbed at it.  “So I guess you could say it’s none of those things.  It’s my responsibility.  Nothing more.”

“I see, and is there any other evidence of her misconduct other than the audio file?”  She sat down, looking satisfied enough with my answer, though, her expression told me she was relieved that I told her the truth at all.  “I cannot act unless I have solid proof that she is deliberately hiding things from the Rangers.”  Strudel turned her head as Longbow gasped and looked at me with a bright smile.

“Brass can prove it!”  She trot over to a terminal on the wall, her magic wildly tapping keys even faster than Brass had been able too.  After only a moment, the loud whine of a printer chirped to life as a single sheet of paper was expelled.  She ripped it from the machine and floated it over.  “When they were there, Brass had to sign out their equipment from the lock up.  Why would Sorbet overlook a M.I.A. name being used to sign out gear in her armory?”

“I fucking love you!”  I galloped over to Longbow and put my hooves on the sides of her head, pulling her into a quick kiss.  Sorbet had ignored him and demeaned him, and it made me feel so damn good that it was him who got to finally bite her in the ass for once!  Longbow pushed me off of her as her face flushed a rosey red, my eye catching the unamused look of the Elder staring at me.  “Oh, I… I’m sorry about that.”  I smiled nervously and took a step back, bumping into a pony who hadn’t been there a minute ago.  A robed stallion pushed past me, trotting up to the Elder and hoofing back his hood.

“Sorry to bother you Elder, but our maneframe is picking up a distress code from the south west quadrant.  It’s listed as a Celestia tier emergency and is coded that they are under attack.”  He hoofed a sheet of paper from his robe, setting it in front of her.  She tilted her head up to use her glasses, mouthing the words as she read them just enough I could read her lips.

“Emergency distress.  Condition two lockdown ineffective.  High casualties.  Send Reinforcements...”

As she continued to read, my eye twinged, flaring the pain in my head.  No, Celestia please, don’t let it be her.  If you love all that is good in this world, you will make sure…

“Enemy is a single combatant.  Species: Earth Pony.  Gender: Mare.  Pallet: Pink on Pink.”

“No…”  My hooves gave out from under me, my meaty flop onto the floor catching Longbow’s attention as I felt light headed again.  She came over to me, lowering herself down and brushing a bit of my mangled mane from my face.  “It’s 42.  She’s still alive.”

“But, she couldn’t have made it out.  YOU barely made it out!”  I could hear as the hope from her voice faded, her legs giving out as well.  She leaned her head forward and pressed against mine.  “It’s fine.  It will all be fine.  We have the Steel Rangers behind us now.  We can take her on.”  I don’t even care that she was forcing the words, and that her voice told me she truly didn’t believe that it would make a difference.

I have to latch onto something to keep from breaking down again, and this would have to do.

“You’re right.  With the might of them behind us, there is nothing we can’t do!”  I smiled up to her, running my hoof down her cheek.  The calm between us was shattered by the loud wail of multiple alarms going off, the room instantly becoming a flurry of activity.  Longbow and I both jumped to our hooves to avoid the rush of busy ponies, crowding around the table in the center of the room to stay out of their way.  The Elder seemed the most calm of everypony, striding over to a radio position and ushering the robed pony who had been at it, away.

“Casserole, Status Report.”  She hoofed a few toggles on the board in front of her, rousing a crackle from a set of speakers placed on the wall.  “Is it the same enemy from Delta base?”

“One archano-tech enemy, unknown configuration.  Five hundred meters out from my position and closing.”  His voice came through with the muffled tones of someone whispering.  “Anti-Machine rifle at the ready, what are your orders, Ma’am?”  Longbow’s ears perked up and jumped for the radio console before I could even register it had happened.  She slammed her hoof on the call button.

“How many legs does it have!?”  She practically screamed out before Elder Strudel knocked her away from the console.  The Elder’s horn flashed and a pair of magical manacles appeared around Longbow’s hooves.  “If it has two legs, it’s friendly!” Longbow shouted up from the floor, using her magic to tug at the cuffs.  Strudel was about to speak when the answer came back over the speakers.

“Enemy is bipedal and has closed to four hundred meters.  Do I have permission to engage the target?”  His voice came back, now more worried.  It had to be ED though.  I have never seen any other old world machine that walked on two legs.  “Elder, I need an order.”  Strudel stood for a moment, before she hoofed down the button and let out a sigh.

“Hold your action.  Maintain visual contact and continue reporting in.”  She grumbled through the microphone.

“Roger, Wilco.”  Was all that came through before she hoofed the toggles back to their original positions.  She turned and undid the bindings from Longbow.  “I want an explanation from you, NOW.”  

“Um… you see Ma’am…”  That was as far as she got before the Elder gave her a look that could have probably scared Carlotta into shaping up.

“No, Him.  I have heard enough from you, Paladin.”  Strudel’s words made Longbow go stiff.  This old lady was crazy scary, and even worse, she had just set her sights on me.  “All this shit started with you.  So let’s hear it.”

“That ‘enemy’ out there is a pair of A.P.s loyal to the Ministry of Morale.  They have enough firepower to wipe out half this base.”  I took a step back, feeling naked without my Pipbuck’s inventory spell.  “You open fire, you’re killing a lot of ponies here.  I’m telling you, do not attack them.”

“You aren’t helping your case.  My duty is to defend this base, against any and all who would seek to destroy it.”  She looked over me with a sneer.  “You may be correct about Sorbet, but this is MY base, and MY family.  You don’t get a say in it.”

“Actually, he does.”  The overly proud voice of Maple Syrup spoke up from behind me, practically making the whole room turn as he strode through the doorway with Fruit Cup in tow.  Seriously, even the way he walked in he was flaunting himself off as high class.  And here I was thinking all the prissy ponies lived in Tenpony.  “Go on Cup, tell them what you found.”

“Star Paladin Syrup, the base may be in jeopardy and now is not the time to interrupt me.”  Her voice was seething, obviously having very little affection for him.  “This type of behaviour may have been excused by your father, but I will not tolerate it!”

“Ma’am, this is relevant.”  Fruit Cup took a step forward, cowering down when Strudel gave him her murderous gaze.  “He is… that is to say…”  He could hardly form the words under so much pressure.  “... the head of the M.o.M.”  

The Elder facehoofed and shook her head slowly.

“We know of all the heirs currently living in the wasteland, and outside of some that could be in stables, it’s not very likely.  Besides, all of the M.o.M. chief’s relatives are accounted for in new Pegas.”  Her voice dropped as she spoke, her agitation with everything had probably given her the same headache I have.  The pony at the radio set his headset down with a click, hoofing at the switches on the board.

“Ma’am?”  It was the now normal volumed, yet frightened voice of the stallion from before.  “The machine has approached my position.  It is refusing to leave until it speaks to a pony named Backlash.”  All the eyes in the room turned to focus on me as I couldn’t help but smile.  “She says he’s inside the base and that she wants to see him.  Please advise…A.S.A.P.”


-----




        It had been another 15 minutes of getting a stern talking to by the Elder for ‘breaking protocol’ and ‘putting the base at risk’ because of ‘primitives like me’ not seeing the consequences of my actions.   After what felt like hours, ED arrived, sending the base into a frenzy to get a look at the unique machine.  Everypony else had scrambled to get a good look at it, and here I was trying to negotiate for the Steel Rangers help.  At least I had my Pipbuck back.

        “Look, if 42 is still alive, then we need to get to the cloning machine before she does.”  Longbow tapped her forehoof on the table in an authoritative way as she spoke.

        “The only problem with this is the fact that there is a stable door standing between us and it.”  As I talked, I looked over to the Elder, who almost seemed lost in thought.  “And before it’s suggested, we can’t just leave it.  She will find a way in, one way or another.  I’d just rather beat her to it.”

        “It’s a normal stable door, you say?”  Strudel didn’t even look up as she spoke, tracing her hoof through the air as if to draw something only she could see.  “There may be something we have that can be used for that, provided we can both find the parts, and get it to the door.”

        “Great, I know just the mare to see about finding hard to find parts.”  This was the perfect setup for us!  “Now, just to tell you, the settlement she lives in is about to have a large alicorn problem.”

        “Out of the question.  We are the Steel Rangers, not a mercenary organization.  All the available personnel will already be heading to check on Delta base.”  She looked up to me and pressed her forehooves together on the table.  “I’m sorry.”

        “What if the base is already lost?”  Longbow spoke up again, rubbing her chin lightly.  “Send in a small advanced team ahead of everypony.  Backlash can even get them there a day in advance of the others.  They Slip in, check it out, and report on if the rest are even needed.”  If it is 42 like the report said, then there won’t be anypony there alive to find.  Even worse than that, 42 could just be waiting there to ambush me.  At least with a smaller team, if things did go bad, she wouldn’t slaughter the whole of the Manehatten Steel Rangers.

“That may have worked for you before, but it is way outside of our normal tactics and highly risky.  I say wait and breach like protocol has always dictated.”  The Elder’s suggestion roused a sigh from Longbow.

“If it’s just a trick that Sorbet is pulling as part of her betrayal, then she will be expecting ‘normal protocol’.”  Her tone shifted to something I hadn’t heard in her voice before, giving off hatred and barely contained excitement.  “This way, we might catch her off guard, or save the others from an ambush.”

The gears in my head clicked together, helping me to realize why Longbow was pushing so hard for it.  If she got there first, she planned on killing Sorbet herself.  It wasn’t about ambushes, or efficiency, or even about saving the wasteland.  It was about good, old fashioned revenge.

And I won’t stand for it.

“But if it IS 42’s doing.  She’ll be inside waiting for us.  There is no way I am going to let a small team get slaughtered for no reason by her when they could have had backup.”  I caught the burning gaze of Longbow as she shifted herself uneasily.  At least she knew to keep from yelling at me until this was over.  However unfair she thinks it seems, I will not let her take her revenge.  “What if I offered an alternative for your services.  And before you go back to the whole ‘not a mercenary’ speech, if you help me, I agree to pay you in weapons upfront, and let you keep the Orchard once the machine is destroyed.”  As the elder took her time to think about it, I was ready to get my game face on and negotiate.

“I can agree to those terms.  Fruit Cup will give you the details of the parts when you get to your supplier.  Now, get yourselves up top and ready to go.”  She nodded, catching both Longbow and I off guard.  “Paladin Longbow, I am assigning you to Star Paladin Maple Syrup’s squad as the advanced infiltration team.”  I was about to object when she continued.  “BUT, the moment it looks to be too dangerous to proceed, get out and seal the door.  That is an order.”

“Yes Ma’am!”  Longbow smiled and gave a stiff salute, her words giving away that the order was something she never intended to follow.  I nodded in thanks to the Elder before both Longbow and I trot out of the war room, heading for the drydock to meet with the others.  We had walked all of a minute through the old labyrinth before Longbow held out her hoof against my chest, pushing me back against the wall.  She used her amplified strength to push me up and pin me there.

“What the hell was that in there!?  Did you forget what I told you!?”  The gears in my head spun wildly, trying to push the feeling of bark scraping against my back and the shortness of breath from taking over.  I wheezed and kicked my rear hooves again as Longbow continued venting her rage.  “We are going to do this MY WAY.  We are going to go in there and I’m going to finally give that bitch what’s been coming to her!”

The world started to tilt and spin as I couldn’t breathe, darkness clawed at my vision before Longbow gasped and let me go.  I slumped to the floor as I struggled to get any air at all.  Reflexively, I coughed hard, sending splotches of red to the floor with each wrenching hack.  My lungs stung and burned, feeling like they were trying to work their way up my throat, and I was almost worried that I was having another taint mutation, but the pressure let up and I felt myself breathe again.

“Backlash… I… are you alright?”  I don’t think that was an appropriate question to somepony who was nearly just suffocated.  She sat down in front of me, holding a hoof out with a shameful expression.  “I didn’t mean… I’m sorry.”

“Longbow, I’m fine.”  I pushed myself up, feeling weak and lightheaded, though I knew that would pass.  “But you need to look at yourself.  When I met you, it was like you wanted to bring justice to the wasteland.  And I thought that it was a foolish idea, but the more time I spent with you, the more I believed that you could do it.  Don’t lose yourself to this revenge, not like you did to Bishop.”

She shrank down at the mention of him.  She knew that killing Bishop was the only way to bring him to justice, but even she could see that she enjoyed it too much.  Sorbet could still be brought to justice if 42 doesn’t kill her.  Longbow didn’t have to kill her out of revenge.  She looked up to me,  determination filling her eyes.

“I promise I won’t.”  My ears played back her words over and over, nothing but sincerity and resolve came through.  I took a step forward and pulled her into a tight hug, feeling as she wrapped her own hooves around me.  “Everything has just happened so fast… I don’t want to forget who I am.”

“I won’t let you.”  I gave her a smile and leaned back.  “Now, come on.  This detour has taken long enough.”

After a few more minutes of walking (and far too many flights of stairs later), we re-emerged into the light of the dull grey sky.  Maple was striding along a neatly filed line of paladins, barking off instructions with a voice that was beaming with pride.

“Congratulations squad!  You’ve won an all expenses paid trip down the highway to tartarus!  I know that field work isn’t something we normally get to do aboard the Nautilus, but Elder Strudel needs everypony on deck for this mission.”  He stopped and looked Fruit Cup over, raising his hoof up and putting it through his mane.  “Paladin Fruit Cup!  Your mane is past regulation length, fix it!”

“Fruit Cup, belay that order.”  Longbow called out, causing Maple to trip up mid stride.  “Mane length is only regulated for unicorns without modified helmets, you know that Maple.”  Her words turned his coat red in anger.  “And don’t tell me you outrank me.  That’s only on mission, not during prep time.”

“Whoa Maple, you going to let her talk to you like that?”  A white earth pony stallion spoke up.  He was quite lanky looking, even through his armor.  His tan mane frizzed about in all directions, each curling pomf of it ended in a dark brown tip, and he had a dark brown moustache that extended into a twisting curl from each side of his muzzle.  The one thing though that got me was his voice.  He was the same stallion who had called up over the radio over ED.

“Unless YOU want to be the one to shave their mane, I suggest you all go to the armory and stock up.”  Maple was pissed, there was no denying it, but he maintained incredible control over the others with his voice, I could see it in the way they all saluted at the same moment.  They truly admired him.

The thumping and jostling of power armor made my head pound as the group trot past me and down into the base, leaving me in silence only after the bunker door mercifully swung shut.  The fluttering sound of wings announced both Carlotta and Skyline’s arrival beside me.  Sky immediately took notice to the oozing wound on the back of my head.

“Goddesses, are you ok?  They didn’t do anything to bad to you, did they?”  She grabbed at the sides of my head, pulling it down so she could get a good look at me.  “Oh… hopefully it didn’t cause a concussion, whatever it was.”

“Right, cause a concussion might disrupt the emptiness inside his skull that gets us into these situations.”  Carlotta remarked sarcastically.  “Well, whatever situation you got us into sure did the trick.  From up there, it looks like the whole base is getting ready for war.”

“They are.”  I knocked Skylines hooves away from me, looking up up at the pair.  “42 isn’t dead.”  I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I had expected from the two of them, but what I didn’t expect was complete and utter speechlessness.  “The Rangers are mobilizing because she just took out Sorbet’s bunker.  Get flying, we’ll need to know if 42 is still in the area.”

“You’ve got it, boss.”  Carlotta’s expression was flat, and every ounce of tone or emotion was just simply gone from her voice.  She spread her wings and took off, launching into the air as Skyline looked at me sadly, giving me a nod before she joined Carlotta.  I watched as the two took off through the air, listening as the heavy robotic stomps of ED came closer.

“Hey there Chief!  We had wondered where you popped off to!”  P.I.N.K. seemed just as happy as ever to see me.  I smiled up to her, canting my head as I heard a sharp banging coming from inside of her.  “Oh!  Sorry about that, I forgot you were in there!”  She shouted before the pneumatic his of the wireless compartment opening filled my ears, The curled form of Notepad spilled out onto the concrete below me with a thump.

“Forgot about me!?  I’ve been banging to be let out for ten minutes!”  He angrily kicked at one of ED’s legs, which was a bad idea, seeing as… well, as kicking metal was just a bad idea!

“You brought him?”  I groaned.  I know that watcher had wanted this guy to get my story, but this wasn’t the time.  “Look, Notepad, you can’t come with me.  It’s too dangerous.”

“Hey, I’ve covered wars ya’ know.”  He brushed himself off as he stood up, adjusting his swat barding straps.  “Just take me with you!  I’ll stay out of your way, it will be like I’m not even there!”

“Fine.”  I rolled my eye and facehoofed.  “Only because I have some questions I need YOU to answer for me.  But we aren’t going to talk until Futura is safe, got it?”  He nodded.  “Good, now get back in and let’s go.”

“What?  Can’t I ride with you?”  He asked in a pleading tone, trying to keep his eyes from wandering to look at ED.

“There isn’t room.  I’m transporting 6 power armored rangers inside of the Marauder.  If you don’t want to sit inside ED here, you can take your chances outside on the rear frame of the car, with the ground speeding under you at 80 miles an hour through one of the worse sections of the old equestrian highway system.”  He cringed at the thought of becoming nothing more than a red smear on the ground due to one, good pot hole.  “OR, you can sit on top of ED, exposed and out in the open where nasty things like bullets can get you fairly quickly.”

“I get it, I get it.  I’d rather get there alive.”  He shook his head and crouched as ED lowered down for him.  “Just please promise me that we’ll have time to talk.  I got most of your story from the others, but I want to hear it from your perspective.”  I nodded, which seemed to be good enough for him.

“You girls know where the bunker we’re headed to is?  The best description I can give you is that it’s in an old quarry about halfway between ponyville and Red Wing.”  This was going to be annoying if they didn’t know where it was.

“A bunker by a Quiche?  Or did you say it was a Quail?  Or was it a…”  The speaker that P.I.N.K. was using cut out abruptly, the voice of B.I.T. coming over the other.  “We know where it is.  Even if we didn’t, we do have your Pipbuck to follow.”

“How can you track it though without your wireless unit?”  Which led me to another damn good question.  How did I not ask that right off the bat?  “How did you guys find me here in the first place?”

“OH, OH!  I know!”  P.I.N.K.’s voice roared through her speaker again, the pink headlight on her side swiveled to look at B.I.T.’s headlamp.  The purple light gave a quick up and down motion before P.I.N.K. continued.  “Cause it’s tainted with poison!”  And that wasn’t the answer I expected.  “The casing is made out of a special alloy that, in small amounts is harmless, but for up to twenty four hours, leaves a trail to wherever the owner has been through!  It was only put into high ranking official’s gear, you know, just in case they were ever foal napped.”

“I see… so if it was that rare, why does ED have a sensor for it?”  I looked down at the busted casing to my Pipbuck, the flaking edges shining in the midafternoon light.

“Oh heavens no.  With a broken casing like that, you’re leaving behind a HUGE trail that even our meager sensors could pick up!”  P.I.N.K.’s voice was just a bit too enthusiastic that I was soaked in a poisonous chemical that other robots could track.  Just another thing I have to worry about.  “But don’t worry, that chemical takes years of exposure to kill you, so I’m sure you’ll be fine!”

“I feel so much better knowing that it gives everything else in the wasteland that can sense it time to kill me first.  Thanks.”  I walked past ED, heading toward Longbow as she talked with Maple by the car.

“Glad I could help you feel better Chief!  See you there!”  Her bright, oblivious demeanor was a nice change of pace from the last few days.  What I wouldn’t give just to go back to living without the knowledge of just how fucked up my life has become.  As she stomped off ahead of us, I thought to myself that I did appreciate all that both P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. were doing for me.  They had their freedom, and each other.  They could have run off and lived their own lives, but instead, they chose to help me.

I hope I’m worth it.


-----




We had made good time as we bounced over the old, worn roadway, the sun was starting to set as we passed the still blazing remains of the Pool, and had actually set hours ago as we closed in on the bunker.  I cringed everytime we bottomed out from any real pothole due to the fact that we were dangerously weighted down.  It worried me that if it starts to rain, we might get so bogged down that we’d have to hoof it, and we’d never make it to Futura in time. Longbow was pressed tightly to my side, leaning into me to avoid sitting too close to Maple.  Before we left, Maple introduced us to his team.

There were the three I had already knew of, the first being Fruit Cup, their archano tech expert.  The second was Casserole, their forward recon, stealth, and markspony.  The third was Suture, (who I was surprised could even fit inside his armor) and was as I knew, their combat medic.  First of the members I hadn’t met, was Frosted Cakes, she was their repair and salvage expert, who apparently also had a fascination with explosives.  Lastly, was their radio mare, Doppler. She honestly looked out of place the most among them, as her armor sported all sorts of ad hoc antennas that I couldn’t even guess what they were for.  Funny thing though, is that the whole time I’ve seen her, she’s been the only one to never remove her helmet.

“So, what can you tell us about this mare we’re supposed to look out for?”  Maple’s helmet speaker cut through the wind without problem as he leaned against the dash so abruptly, I swear I could feel the marauder tilt forward.  “Right now, we’re going in blind, and I don’t like that one bit.”

“Look, you don’t want to see her.  You see her, you’re dead.  She see’s you, you’re dead.”  Why can’t I just go back to this morning, back before I knew she was still alive.  “Just trust me, we go in, we look for Sorbet, and we get out of there.  That’s it.”

“He’s right Maple, this mare has a tendency to just show up in a place you’d never expect.  We barely made it out of the East Orchard after she showed up.”  Longbow’s tone was better than at the base, sounding much calmer and level headed.  “The only one of us who might have an advantage here is Doppler, seeing as she might be able to hear her before she strikes.”

“You heard her, Doppler, helmet off for this mission.”  Maple called back, rousing a soft sigh from the mare.  She lifted her hooves and twisted the helmet off, pulling it up to reveal a midnight black coat, with piercing yellow slit eyes that looked just as out of place as her large, frill tipped ears.  I had only see a few of the bat ponies in my life, but never had I seen an earth pony one.

“Aye, sir.”  I could barely hear her words through the wind as she sank down, avoiding my gaze in the rearview mirror at her and shying away from everypony in what looked to be a mix of shame and fear.  “If I may suggest… that I maybe could be stationed outside?”  She didn’t sound like the other rangers at all, seeming more nervous than all of them combined.  I guess she really didn’t like going on missions.  “My equipment…”

“Will be fine.  You keep going on that you need redundant antenna’s for just in case one fails anyway.  No, unless there’s any other reason you can’t go in, I’m sorry but orders are orders.”  He sounded irritated and droned on in a way like this isn’t his first time explaining this.

The fact that I hadn’t slept yet started to get to me, making me wish I had actually gotten that nap in while we were detained in the base. But as I yawned, the headlights highlighted the faint metallic glint of one of the quarry’s old digging machines.  The sound of beating wings helped me focus a bit more as Carlotta dipped down through the darkness next to my window.

“Pull over, we’ve gotta talk.”  That was all she said before disappearing.  The way she said it though was concerning, her words having a note of hesitation to them again.  I did as she asked and slowed the Marauder down, stopping us a ways from the entrance to the quarry.  Maples Squad noisily piled out of the car before I had even turned it off, groaning as they stretched their stiff limbs.  Both Sky and Carlotta floated over as the only light around us came from the Ranger’s headlamps.

“Fourty Two was definitely here.  She left something outside of the base, and I’m pretty sure she wants you to see it.”  Skyline spoke as if half asleep, looking more exhausted than even I felt.  The whole lot of us followed through the darkness, climbing up the dirt wall around the quarry’s edge and peeking over.  A bright light came from the tunnel that led in, shining almost directly on a colorful looking wagon that sat in the middle.  It was hard to make out with just my one good eye, but it looked like it had the crude shape of a gear painted in blood on it.  I started to pull myself over the crest to get to it, but was stopped as Carlotta grabbed me and raked me back.

“Come on, Backlash.  You know that she has to have rigged this up to kill you.  If anyone is going down there, it’s one of these fools with their fancy ass armor.”  She grunted and sat ontop of me, making bolts of pain shoot through my side.

“Frosty, since you’re always the one with the urge to blow yourself up, you’re it.”  Maple called out, tapping her on the back of her helmet.  With little hesitation or effort, she had hopped up and galloped down to it, staying a good ten feet away as she did a walk around the cart.  She stopped and leaned close to one end of it, looking it over intently for a few moments.

“Sir, it’s got writing that says ‘push me’ on the side of it next to what looks to be some sort of release mechanism.  Should I activate it?”  Her voice boomed through the cold night air, carrying to the distance loud enough that we all cringed.  Maple turned to Longbow and leaned his head up, looking past her to me.

“You’re the expert on this mare, what will activating it do?”  The soulless eyes of his helmet made me uneasy as I tried to think, giving him the only answer I could that would make sense.

“I’m pretty sure it will explode, but 42 is unpredictable, and honestly, it could do anything.”  I turned my gaze back down to the cart, my morbid curiosity getting the better of me the longer I looked at it.  “Whatever it is, she told me she would leave me a calling card to find her by, this has to be it.”  There was a burning feeling in my chest as I leaned forward, my mouth speaking before my mind.  “We need to do it.”

“Alright Frosty!  Hit it and get to minimum safe distance!”  Maple spoke just loud enough through his helmet that it got to her, getting a nod before she hoofed the side of the wagon.  It jolted and bounce as the rounded top dropped down, a selection of streamers and brass horns erected themselves around a glowing box in the center of it.  I tried to focus my eye on the glowing box, not quite getting it before Carlotta jumped off me and jet past the galloping Frosted Cakes.

“That’s Pallet!”  Sky shouted as she too jumped up, about to take off before Maple hooked a hoof around her.  “Let me go!  I can help!”  I looked down to the cart, seeing Carlotta tug and pull at the covering of the box, a filly sized object was moving about inside it.  42 surprised me by not lying about Pallet, but to do this!  I knocked my head painfully with a hoof to get back on task as Skyline kicked and hit at Maple in a futile attempt to break free.

“You know it could explode!” Maple growled through his helmet.  “Losing two members is not worth the risk!”  There was a loud crackle from the box that sounded similar to the start of an audio log.

“Heya there Backlash, consider this that calling card we talked about.  You’ll find that I already took care of that whole ‘megaspelling the wasteland’ problem.  I even left her alive too, just because I know how much you also love murdering innocent ponies.  Funny thing is, I keep doing all of these favors for you, but you never seem to understand that giving is a two way street.  So I'll be waiting at the Bucklin bridge for the ultimate showdown.  You bring your friends, I'll bring mine.  Don’t forget to bring me my pond either, it’s the only way I’ll spare your precious wasteland now.  Oh, and before I go, one last thing. You have until the end of the song to save the last living resident of ponyville. Good luck!”

Her voice cut out as Carlotta tugged with all her strength at the box in the center, slowly bending the covering off of it with her bare talons.  The flags and tubes on the box started to wave around as a quick, upbeat song played through them.

“Carlotta, come on!”  I screamed out at her, unsure if she could hear me over the song.  She was definitely making progress at ripping it off, but I was unsure if it would be fast enough.  I have no idea how long this song might last!  With one final tug, the mountings for the cover sheared off as she tossed it down, scooping up Pallet and turning around in one fluid moment.  As she took off, the song came to an end, hanging for a moment before a loud, ding played.

The blast wasn’t more than one would have expected from a rocket, but the whole cart disintegrated into high speed shrapnel, bouncing off of the helmets of a few of the rangers, and thankfully missing Skyline and I.  Carlotta’s shredded form dipped out of the air and slammed into the dirt a few feet from us, laying there unmoving as streaks of red dripped down the slope.

“NO!” Skyline tore herself from Maple and dashed over to Carlotta as all I could think was that I had just gotten another one of my friends killed.  Skyline sobbed loudly as she turned Carlotta over, pulling both her and Pallet close.  It was then that I could hear Pallet’s sobs join in, sounding weak, but at least she was alive.

Suture galloped up, pulling out a super restoration potion from the medical tin built into his armor.  He pushed Skyline away forcefully, moving Pallet and turning Carlotta over before pouring the liquid over the gaping, bodily wounds.  Through my tearing eye, I could see the wounds close up, forming bright new scars on her back.  Carlotta gasped and clawed at the dirt as she locked up in pain, flaring her tattered wings out reflexively.  I rose to my hooves with a smile, screaming out into the night.

“THAT’S RIGHT 42, YOU DIDN’T FUCKING WIN!”  My outburst made the others look at me like I was crazy, but I stopped caring when the gears in my head spun out something I needed to take into consideration.  I ruined her plans for the East Orchard.  I ruined her plans for the Pool, and even now, a challenge like this means that She’s afraid of me stopping her.  If she is that desperate, then we can do this.  If she wants one final fight at the bucklyn bridge, then after we save Futura, I’ll bring the full might of the wasteland to bear onto her.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a trap, or if she wants to surprise me with something there.  Nothing short of a megaspell is going to stop me from finally taking her down.

-------------------

Level Up!

+15 Barter

New Perk:  Monstrous Charm - You look like a walking train wreck.  Everypony hates to see you, but can’t help but keep on looking!  You’re intimidation gains you an additional 15 points to barter, but you now also have -1 to your charisma.

> Chapter 19 - Revelations 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 19

“Anypony else want to panic with me?“

-----


”Look, I know how hard it’s going to be, but you need to stay off your wings until they are fully healed.”  Suture’s magic was tightening bandages around Carlotta’s wings, binding them to her body.  “Your backside and wings took the brunt of the shrapnel, so you need to keep from stressing them.”  I just didn’t understand how a pony his size had a voice as soft as his.

“Yeah, yeah.  This isn’t the first time I’ve been through this song and dance.  Broken wings are our most common injury.”  She was huffy, but I could tell through her words that she was grateful to have even survived at all.  “It may be hard for you to believe, but my line of work is not exactly what you Ranger’s would call ‘safe’.”

“INCOMING!”  Skyline shouted before landing square on my back, forcing me to the dirt as both her and Pallet piled on.  I saw stars for a moment before Pallet’s happy laughter put my mind to ease.  Getting some fluids and food into her sure gave her an abundance of energy to spend, but then again, being held in a cage for over a month would make anypony want to run around until they collapsed.

“That was fun Mrs. Sky!”  Pallet’s squeaky voice made me cringe, but it was just reflexive.  To be honest, I had even forgotten how she sounded when from we found her in Ponyville.  As much as a voice like that would aggravate me normally, today, she is the filly that lived, the filly that 42 didn’t get to silence.  “Can we squish him again?”

I gasped for air as my lungs finally realized that being pressed that much was bad for my health.  Carlotta just rolled her eyes as she walked up and hugged Skyline, giving her a long, drawn out kiss.  Skyline flushed through her red coat so much I was sure she was shining brighter then the lamps of the Rangers around us.

“Eeeew!”  Pallet rolled off of Skyline and scrambled away with a grin.  “Kissing is gross!”

Sky got off my back and turned to me, holding her hoof out with a ‘I’m sorry if I hurt you’ kind of look.  “In a few years, you may not think the same way.”  She looked over to Pallet and stuck her tongue out at her, which Carlotta promptly grabbed with her talon.

“Gross?  Come on, kid.  I thought you were tougher than that.”  Carlotta smiled and let go of Sky, kissing her softly on the nose.  “See, that wasn’t too bad, was it?”  She pat Skyline on the head, freezing as Skyline hooked a forehoof around her neck and pulled her close.

“When we get home…”  Sky’s voice came across as a low growl, soft enough that it was hard for me to hear it at all.  Even then, I could only pick out a few of the words.  “Punishment. Bad Giffin.  Scream.”  The gears in my head locked up as they knew the context as to what she was inferring.  I nearly gagged as I got to my hooves, cantering down into the quarry as fast as I could go without tripping.  Which, as it turns out, meant I should have been going slower.

I tripped and flopped onto my face, the rest of my body using the momentum to raise up and painfully drop down ahead of where I had been.  I let out a soft groan as a fine layer of dust covered me, and Carlotta’s uncontrollable laughter filled my ears.

“Laugh it up, fuzzball!”  I called out, getting to my hooves as Longbow and Maple trot from the entrance to the bunker.  Using my hooved to pat myself down, realized that one of the rocks had drawn a light gash across my burnt flank.  I did my best to wipe the blood off my hoof and onto my coat, shaking my tattered mane while the two stood a few feet from me.  “Find any traps at the entrance?”

“No, but I suspect it’s hard to trap a hole like the one she made going in.”  Longbow’s voice was filled with more than just a few notes of fear.  “It looks… bad in there.  No bodies, but there’s blood smeared everywhere.”

“The interior lights are also off, possibly an issue with the main reactor.  The secondary seems fine, as it’s powering the exterior light and emergency lighting inside.”  Maple started up, trying his best to hide his own fear from what he saw.  My own curiosity made me wonder exactly how he looked right now under that helmet.  “We will be dividing into teams to make the search faster.  You, Frosty, and I will start your search at the reactor level to see if you two can’t also get the light’s back on.  Longbow, Suture and Casserole will start on the residential level and work their way up.  Finally, your griffin friend, Doppler, and Fruit Cup will search the barracks and command levels.”

I ran that through my head for a moment, the gears realizing the count was off.  “What about Skyline?”  I wasn’t going to leave her up here without somepony else to warn her if 42 was still around.  Longbow took her helmet off with a hiss, levitating it to her side.

“I thought you said she would make sure Pallet got back to her relatives at Tenpony when we got her back from 42.”  Longbow strained her voice through the obvious lie, her eyes telling me that she desperately wanted me to go along with her story.

“oh… OH!  Yeah, sorry.”  I chuckled to myself and shook my head.  “Been a rough month.  My mind…”  I was stopped as Maple put his hoof on my chest.  I was worried he would be angry at my obvious lie, but what he said wasn’t at all what I expected.

“My son… he really was a good friend to you, wasn’t he?”  His words were painful to hear, tearing at my mind.  I looked into the soulless eyes of his helmet, trying to convey just how much he had meant to me.

“The best.”  I sighed as he put his hoof down, his body relaxing enough that I could see it translate through his armor.  “I’m sorry about my behaviour at the base.  I didn’t know who you were.”

“As you said, it’s been a tough month for all of us.”  He was trying to keep from choking up as he spoke.  It may not have been obvious to the others, but I could hear him slowly breaking down.  “I just… wish I could have known him better.”

The light in the entrance went down, plunging most of the quarry into darkness.  The sounds of power armor auto loading mechanisms working nearly insync filled my ears as the hiss of Longbow securing her helmet told me it was time to move.

“Backlash, say goodbye to Sky, get Carlotta, and meet us back down here.”  Longbow barked to me as her headlamp glowed to life.  I nodded to her, turning and trotting up the hillside to where the others were.  Suture had stayed up there to provide illumination for the others, but looked anxious to get down and join the others.

“Sky, take Pallet to Tenpony.”  It felt good to use such a stern tone with her when I actually had a good reason to do so.  She looked like she was about to speak up, but she knew that we couldn’t take Pallet in there with us.  She simply nodded sadly, pulling Pallet close to her.

“Pallet?  Do you want to go see Dj Pon3?”  She asked softly, her voice wavering as she looked back to Carlotta and I.  “He’s the stallion on the radio, I promise you’ll like him.”  Pallet smiled and dove at Sky’s leg, latching on and nuzzling it with a squee.

“He’s so neat!  He’s was always talking through the box thing at the store back home!”  She squeaked and smiled before looking over to us, her expression slowly slipping.  She let go and galloped over to Carlotta, pressing into her chest plumage as she tried to hug her.  “Thank you for saving me.  I don’t care if you do gross stuff, just please come back and see me.”

I had never seen this look on Carlotta’s face before as tears came down her cheek, pulling Pallet close and hugging her tightly.  “Don’t worry, I will.”  This is what Carlotta looked like when she was happy.  Not when enjoying herself, not when having fun.  Just pure and simple happiness.  As Pallet let go and ran back to Skyline, Carlotta’s expression stuck just long enough until she saw me staring.  “What?”

“Nothing.  Just nice to see you smiling is all.”  I rolled my eye and nodded towards the quarry.  “Come on, the others need us to help.”

“You haven’t seen me really smile until you’ve seen me on payday.”  She cooed as she turned and rose to her legs.  That made me cringe, just for the fact that I had no idea how much she was going to ask for.  “Oh, and what a smile I will have THIS payday.”


-----


With the fear of just how much I would owe Carlotta keeping all my other fears at bay for the moment, Maple, Frosted Cakes, and I made our way down the flights of stairs, closely following behind Longbow’s team.  They split off from us as they hit the landing below, the clinking of their armor down the dark halls eerily echoing over the stomps of my team only momentarily.

“Red, blue, status update.”  Maple spoke up as we continued winding our way down.  “Roger, keep your eyes peeled.”  As soon as we had entered, he ordered the others to maintain radio silence unless there was a need to report something unusual.  On top of that, all teams were required to report in every two minutes.

As we circled around yet another flight, the low drumming of the reactor level came through my hooves, just enough to know that this was the level I had been kept on when we were here before.  The biggest problem I could see with being down this far was that if 42 had a trap waiting for us, then there was no easy escape.  My hope was that she was long gone, and that she had slipped up again with the wagon outside.

As we reached the bottom of the stairwell, we all stopped to inspect the shredded doorway.  It was far beyond what anypony in power armor could do to it, and was a testament to the fact that if 42 wanted something, nothing would stand in her way.

“Fuck.  What the hell did this?”  Frosted’s voice came over her speaker with a sense of awe.  “I’ve gotta find some explosives like this.”

“Not explosives.  42.”  I replied, pushing my way past her.  “Come on, this way.”

“How do you know where to go? I know you said you were here, but I got the impression you were on the detention level.  Have you been down on this level before?”  Maple spoke up, his simple, but strikingly good question shot a pain through my heart.  I missed Brass’s questions.

I pointed to the pipes on the ceiling.  “Induction pipes for the water recycler.  We follow these and they take us right to the reactor.”  I stopped dead in my stride as a foul stench hit my nose, something all to common in the wasteland.  “Fuck.  We have dead up ahead.”  I used my fetlock to pinch my nose as we continued, really cursing the others for their cheater suits and their air filtration systems.  We followed the pipes around a few dark corners as the stench grew bad enough that it smelled just as bad with my nose covered as without.

“Sir, red and blue teams report an all clear so far.”  Frosted looked back as she trot in front of us, turning the corner ahead before letting out a loud gasp.  She back pedaled hard into the wall behind her, slamming into it.  A power armored hoof reached down from the pipes and lay on her shoulder, letting her breath a sigh of relief.  “Glad that somepony made…”  She reached up to pat the hoof, only to have it slide forward in front of her, the severed limb inside painting a crimson streak across her chest.

She twisted and yanked her helmet off just in time to double over and puke, pausing for just a moment until the smell hit her hard.  She heaved and groaned before spilling the rest of her lunch onto the floor.  After wiping her muzzle, she held her breath and resecured her helmet.

Maple and I trot up and looked around the corner to find what she had seen.  Never before in the wasteland, had I seen such a horrible display.  The bodies of dozens of ponies had been rigidly posed in the long walkway heading toward the reactor bay’s door.  Stallions, mares, foals.  It didn’t matter to 42, who had posed them all in the exact same way.  They stood on their hind legs, forehooves extended and raised up, holding their own shredded entrails above them as if to be joyously throwing them into the air, the flat stumps of their necks dribbled the still wet blood that covered their now monocolor coats.

I nearly fainted from the sight, slipping to the floor as my hoof pressed along a slick puddle of blood.  I looked up as I lay there, finding, if you can believe it, a more disturbing sight just through the grating in the ceiling.  The severed heads of all the ponies gazed down to me, the eyelids of them all torn off, and each ones muzzle stripped of it’s skin just enough to make it look like they were smiling.  I couldn’t help myself now either, heaving heavily and throwing up what little contents I had in my stomach.

“How could somepony do something like this?”  Maple’s voice came across his speaker shakily.  I could see through his armor that it was taking all of his will to keep from throwing up as well.  “Let alone… just one mare.”

The thought of 42 doing this just to get to me made my blood boil.  After the last month of innocent’s dieing to her, I just couldn’t feel anything anymore.  Carlotta’s close call got to me because I knew her.  These ponies?  I couldn’t feel sorry for them anymore.  I pulled myself up and trudged forward, my hooves squishing on the bloody floor as I wound my way through the maze of bodies.  With this many down here, I doubt there are survivors.

“Sir!  Red Team reports they have a survivor!”  Frosted Cakes voice rang out over the dull tone of the reactors.  “They say they found him in one of the storage lockers in the armory, he says he is scribe Manilla Folder.”  My mind couldn’t decide on whether or not I should be happy that he made it, or angry that he wasn’t murdered by 42.

“Tell them to send him to the surface and continue searching.”  Maple and Frosty continued after me, their heavy hoofsteps easy to keep track of as we continued.  I stopped as I reached the control room door, not wanting to open it as I’m sure there was another trap inside.  Frosty checked the doorframe for traces of contact wiring or other explosive devices, but gave the all clear after a minute of looking.  She twisted the handle and kicked the door open.

The high pitched hiss of a steam piston firing filled the air before it looked like Frosty’s head exploded, covering me in chunks of blood and gore.  I wiped my face and looked up, watching as Frosty did the same.  The sharp spike of a unicorn’s horn jut through her ear armor as the rest of whomever’s skull it had been dripped down her helmet, the long, deep gouge in her helmet telling me that if I had been the one to open the door, I’d be dead right now.

“FUCK!”  Frosted Cakes roared as she hoofed the horn from her ear, the insuit repair and medical functions already starting to close the gaping holes.  “This bitch is dead if I find her.  NOPONY deserved to be used as a weapon.  This is just sick.”

“This is what she does.  If we don’t stop her, then more of this is what is coming to the wasteland.”  I entered the room and head straight for the control panel.  Even without the dim light of the others lamps, I could already feel myself straining to understand what to do.  Only once had I worked on a reactor like this.  Gin had needed my help in fixing one of the turbines to friendship city’s external backup generators, but that was a few years ago, and much more straightforward with what was wrong.

“Ah-ha!”  Frosted called out from the panel behind me.  There was a resounding click of a toggle before all the lights slowly flickered on.  The turbine to the main reactor whined to life and the glowing readouts of the controls before me brightened and fed out readings.  She walked over and peered at the numerous dials and indicators.  “Good, good.  Looks like it was only put into safe mode.  Everything else here checks out.”

“Good, then lets work our way back up.”  Maple called out, turning towards the door.  Both He and Frosty froze and put their hoofs to the side of their head.  “Alright Backlash, blue team found the Elder.  She’s in research level 2, let’s go.”  And with that, we took off.   Even though I didn’t feel anything from it, as we ran around the corner and left the celebrating dead behind us, I couldn’t help but think that my nightmares weren’t going to let me forget what I saw.


-----


I was heaving heavily by the time we had made it up the stairs, but the thought of if I slowed down, Longbow had more time to try to kill her.  As we galloped through the halls, I couldn’t help but think that this was all too easy.  The traps that 42 left were too easy to find, and a lot less elaborate than I thought they would have been.  Something just wasn’t right here.

“She’s locked in one of the biochem storage rooms.”  Maple spoke up as we turned down the hallway to the room marked ‘Biolab’.  The windows are four inch thick reinforced glass.  The only way in is through the door.

“I got just the explosive for the job.”  Frosted Cakes callout happily as we trot through the door.  I spotted Longbow as we entered the room, smiling now that I knew she was safe.  My gaze drifted over to the slumped form of Strawberry Sorbet as she rolled her head back and forth, holding a gaping wound on her side closed.

“We’ve got a problem.  Breaching the door with explosives could kill her with the injuries she’s got, and it also might trigger the fail safe system for the room.”  Her voice told me that she had come to terms with her anger, and showed genuine concern to getting her out of the room alive.

“Failsafe systems?”  I realized I sounded like a moron here, but I didn’t get to grow up around these kind of things.  The only fail safe systems I’ve ever seen were on old military computers, and electronics, designed to render them inoperable if they were ever captured.  Funny enough, they were never that hard to disarm, which makes me wonder why they even made them at all.  “As in, simple explosives?”

“No.”  Maple shook his head.  “Bio-chem fail safes are a lot more complex than the ones on standard hardware.”  His voice was traveling into the tone to where he wanted to sound like a smart ass AND stroke his own ego.  “You see, you can’t just blow apart one of these rooms, seeing as they contain things like plagues and diseases that would wipe out everypony in the wastes.  The systems here are designed to completely incinerate all biological and chemical traces…”

“The system light’s things on fire.”  Longbow cut him off, mercifully saving the rest of us from falling asleep.  “If there’s a breach, then the alarm goes off and woosh, the whole room is hit with a 2000 degree incendiary agent.

“Thank you Paladin Longbow for you’re valid, although simple explanation.”  He sighed in annoyance.  “As I was going to say, unless the system can be overridden, or the Elder opens it from the inside, the door will stay shut inevitably.”

I trot over to the door controls and looked at it, quickly finding the intercom button.  “Sorbet, open the door.”

She looked up from the wall, her gaze seeming distant as she smiled and got to her hooves.   She limped over to the door, trailing a thick line of blood behind her.  Hoofing at her intercom, she spoke in quick bursts.

“Don’t you see?  She’s the end we needed!  She can wipe the wasteland clean!  She tore them to pieces in front of my eyes!”  She turned her head, looking directly into my eye as she laughed, slipping down against the window and hitting the release button.  The door opened with a hiss.  “Then we can just use the megaspells on HER!”

“Quickly!  Get the field dressing out!”  Maple shouted as the group all but poured into the sterile, white room.  Just as soon as they made it through the door, it shut with a slam.  The loud report of a revolver behind me startled me as the control panel sparked and died.  I spun quickly as a pink flash dropped from the rafters.

Instinctively, I pulled up S.A.T.S. and thought to pull out one of the twins.  Unfortunately, all that I saw was note #182 from the Project Golem files.  The gears in my head worked too slow, just now reminding me that I hadn’t swapped the fuse back to the inventory after I got the pipbuck back.  I cursed my forgetfulness as I dropped out of S.A.T.S., figuring that I could go hoof to hoof if I could get close enough.

“Tisk tisk tisk.  And you were doing so well.”  My good eye burned as she walked forward, looking decidedly less melted then the last time I saw her.  “I’m wondering if you got the welcome card I left for you up top?”

I smirked.  “Yeah.  I’m sure Pallet will remember it in the years to come after you die.”  I spat at her, my muzzle only pulling into a tighter grin as she grimaced.  She raised her revolver, twisting it subtly as I glanced at it, remembering that I had dropped it.

“Thanks for leaving me my gun.  It was so helpful in murdering the poor foals here.”  She mock pouted, trying to rouse me to anger.  After a moment without a reaction from me, she smiled.  “Although, I do miss my rifle.  I bet Brass does too.”

That was where I drew the line.

I charged at her, watching as she threw the revolver at me with all her might.  My tail caught on something and dropped me just enough that I fell out of the trajectory of the gun, tensing me up enough to drop into S.A.T.S. again.  I cued up two hoof strikes to her, ignoring the low chance to hit. I finalized the strike, leaving only a sliver of spell power remaining as time crawled forward.  My first swing missed it’s mark, pulling me around uncontrollably to my left as she dodged out of the way.  Just as I was going to wonder how the system would work the second strike when I wasn’t even facing my target, my rear leg was assisted in bucking up.  I felt it connect to something solid, the all too familiar snap of bone filling the air as the spell finished up.  I spun around as 42 slammed against the storage room door, amazingly denting it slightly.  She got to her hooves with a laugh, stopping halfway to cough out a patch of blood onto the floor.

“I really misjudged you Backlash!”  She looked up to me with a smile.  “You’re more than just another Pinkie family member.  That kind of strength can only come from one pony.”  The gears in my head worked hard as she talked.  One hit was good, but I needed something more.  “You have to be it then, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”  She belted out another laugh, gripping her side as she did.  I must have broken a rib with that kick, which is just payback for the ribs I’ve had to deal with thanks to her.

“Oh? And what’s that?”  I needed to stall her for time.  My head finally threw out the idea that her gun was sitting on the floor just to my right.  If I could just get to it, S.A.T.S. could do the rest.  I took a step towards it.

“Isn’t it obvious?  Your late blooming senses?  Your ridiculous tolerance to my attempts to murder you?”  She took a step to her left, subtly glimpsing at the revolver as her play as well.  I took another step as she stopped.  The gears in my head spun up again from her words, searching for the answer she was leading me to.  I didn’t need the answer, I needed that gun.

“I’m just that damn lucky.”  She took another step, the agonizingly slow progress only made worse by the fact that my mind was inching closer to an answer.  I know what she’s talking about, it seems so correct.  It makes so much sense.

“Backlash, you just… Do. Not. Get. It.”  She dropped her voice into a low growl, keeping her twisted smile as she peered right into my gaze.  She spoke at the same moment the gears in my head shot the answer to her puzzle to me.  “You and I?  We’re family.  They took my foal from me before they locked me up, sent her away to some boarding school in Hoofington!  One hundred and twenty four years later, and my progeny lives.”  I missed my step, letting her throw herself to the revolver and point it up at me.  “We can rule together, you and I.  Why can’t you just understand that we are better then them?  With our senses, our strength, our guidance, we can make the world better for everypony.”

“Better?  Like how you made Ponyville better?  How you made Whinney or the Pool better?”  I took my step towards her, feeling the barrel of the gun press up under my chin.  “You won’t kill me. Not yet.”

“Look’s like you’ve finally learned the game.”  She smiled and ran her hoof through her bouncy pink mane, a clump of it pulled out and dropped to the floor, fading away in a purple wisp before it hit the ground.  “Good thing, cause now you’re out of spring training.  Ready for the big leagues?”

“With how sloppy you’ve gotten, it’s more like you’re hoping to tie it up for overtime!”  I screamed as I reared up to smash her.  She rolled out of the way of my hooves as I brought them down, my angry strike actually sending cracks along the concrete floor.  The revolver fired again, it’s round pinging harmlessly off the storage room door, starting a yellow light turning as a loud alarm spun up.

“Tick tock Backlash.  Bring me my pond.”  She laughed as she sped off to the door.  I was about to give chase when my brain reminded me of what the alarms ment.  “Free them, or chase me?  Only enough time for one!”  She froze at the corner, looking back as I tried to make a decision.  “See you at the bridge!”

The lives of the ponies inside meant more to me then getting to her.  The gears in my head spun and spit out the truth, which was that the life of only one of the ponies inside that room  truly mattered to me.  Longbow hoofed at the intercom, her voice coming through softly.

“Don’t worry about us, our…”  With that, the room exploded into flames.  The intercom speaker let out a high pitched wail as it melted inside before cutting out completely.  The glass gave off a soft glow as it fogged over with black, the swirling of thick smoke inside hardly visible through it.I slumped to the floor, having lost again.  I slammed my hoof against the door in anger, finding that my sense of pain had returned, and the strength of the door was too much for me to handle.


There was a loud thud from the other side, quickly becoming a paced knock.  Once again, their stupid cheat suits had won out.  I should have remembered steel is tougher than 2000 degree heat!  Though, I can’t say I feel sorry that Sorbet didn’t have her armor on, seeing as she deserves that special place in tartarus reserved for ponies like her an 42.  So the problem I’m faced with is I’m not sure how long the rangers can last in there, seeing as the door is sealed and presumably all the air just burned away.  The gears in my head reminded me of the only good thing I took out of the pool.  Lil’ Zeus’s combat knife!

I quickly hoofed it from my saddlebag, biting down on the handle and watching as the Pipbuck registered it in my compass as ‘Lil’ Zeus’.  As I thought about how unremarkably unthought out the name was, I lifted my good hoof up and looked at it.  This was going to suck, but it will be worth it as long as I can save Longbow!  Now, I just need a quick flick…

As I pushed the blade down, I realized I hadn’t compensated for how smoothly it cut, slicing much deeper than I thought.  I let out a scream as it nicked the bone, dropping the blade to the floor reflexively as I pressed my bleeding limb against the glass.  The acidic crimson worked quickly at melting through, but as it streamed down the glass, and I could no longer see straight, I realized that I must have severed an artery.

The world of darkness I’ve grown so accustomed too, welcomed me again with open hooves.


-----


The feeling of his kiss was the greatest thing in the wasteland.

“Come on honey, it’s time to get going.”  The familiar voice had called out as a hoof shook me to keep me from falling back to sleep.  We had both stayed up late after I showed him Luna, spending our time talking as we just watched the stars drift by.

“No, can’t we just stay in bed all day?”  I pulled the stallion close to me, hating how he tugged back.  “We’ll make the time up, I swear.”  It was a particularly bright afternoon when I had woken up, the sun was actually beaming down through the spacing by the tower.  With a bit more prodding, I had rubbed my eyes and was finally starting to wake.

“If we don’t meet up with Skyline, she’ll never forgive me.”  I won’t ever forget the smile he wore.  I had thought that nothing could ruin that moment.  But the sky darkened, at first, just as much as if the clouds had covered it up, but then it continued, and after a few moments, both Sprocket and I had climbed out of the tent.

It was hard to make out, but there was a round shape covering the sun.  The gears in my head at the time had reminded me that I had read of it in the Museum of Equine History.  It was a phenomenon called an eclipse that hadn’t happened after the times that Celestia and Luna became rulers of Equestria.  I was about to speak up, when there was an earth shattering crack that split the clouds.  It was so loud, that it had felt like it moved the ground.  Little did I know that it had.

“The hell was that?”  I had spoke with a smile, amused at the moment for how odd it was.  But that changed when I looked up to find Sprocket whimpering on the grass, a gaping hoof sized hole punched clear through his back to his stomach.  I had been a fool, not stocking up on something as good as hydra before we left, when that was the only thing that could save his life.

So there Sprocket died in my hooves.  Shot down by a starmetal meteorite in Luna’s anger for showing her off.

I blinked, and I was floating in the dark sea once again.  The bright, silver disk in the sky hung over the cold water, the shape of the mare in it seemingly watching me back.  The water grew colder, drawing me down as I knew it was time to head back.  As the darkness filled my eyes, I welcomed it warmly, know that I had still kept my promise since that day.  I would not make that mistake again.


-----


“Can it Maple, she’s a friend.”  Why did I know that voice?  Better question, why did my head hurt so much?  “Plus, what are you going to do?  Shoot her?”  Oh, right, that was Longbow.

“She’s one of those…things!”  Maple shouted back, making my head pound worse.  I blinked, worried for a moment when I couldn’t open my left eye as my right struggled to focus.  I reached my hoof up to rub my left eye open, instead hoofing at the socket as the gears in my head were once again just a little too slow.

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble… I just needed to speak to Backlash.”  My eye focused on the bright source of the voice, resolving the glowing form of Willow.  She turned her gaze to me, frowning as I yawned and rolled to my hooves, pushing against them, but not finding the strength to stand.  Why did I feel so tired?

“Woah there.”  Suture came over quickly from… somewhere.  I just couldn’t focus for some reason.  “You lost a lot of blood.”  Well, that’s probably a good reason.  “The potions will take some time to help you make more, but you’ve got to take it easy for a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”  I gave him a soft smile, as I flopped back down.  “I’ll just… lay here for a bit then.”  Longbow trot up to me slowly as my vision blurred again,  I noticed she was wearing a torn up white shirt.  “You look good.  We should… go out some time.”  My eye refocused, revealing the shirt to be wrappings of bandages.  I think she could see the concern on my face, because she used her freakish strength to hold me down, using a single hoof to pin me.  “You’re really strong… you know that?”

“Oh, just shut up.”  She laughed softly, leaning forward.  Even as tired as I was, the feeling of her kiss… it was just like that day.  But for the first time since that day, it didn’t bother me.  I had kept my promise to the Old Man, and Luna had no reason to interfere.  As she stood back up, she cleared her throat.  “Willow is here because there is a problem at Futura.”

I yawned, stretching my hooves out.  “Yeah, alicorns, we know this.”

“It is… not that simple.”  Willow called over as she strode up.  “I wanted to… at least see them one last time before I went, but the alicorns were already there.  Dozens of only the blue variety are, but they are positioned about the town, invisible and waiting.  I’ve never seen so many gathered in one place, the Goddess hasn’t done anything like it before.”

“Waiting?  For what?”  Longbow was on the ball today.  Come on gears, why are you slacking?  My head thudded as I tried to force them to turn, remembering again, that the blood loss was probably the reason.  Stupid blood.

“I… don’t know.  If I try to read them, they will know I am there.”  Willow’s voice snapped my attention back to her.  “I wanted to leave a note for them, but wasn’t sure if they would panic and force the Goddess to attack.”

The gears in my head spun, trying to think of some way to use this pause to our advantage.  We charge in, we die.  We sneak in, we die.  No matter what we do, she’ll see us coming and we die.  On top of that, if we wait too long she might attack anyway, and we lose Futura.

“What about a diversion?”  Longbow piped up happily.  And that’s my thinking mare for you!  She’s so smart!  “You could get her attention and lead them away.  She’ll have to see this kind of tactic coming, but with what you can do?  I’m sure she’ll want you more then the town.”

“That may work… You realize that after an hour or so, she will give up trying to get to me and just decide to destroy the town.”  Willow brought up a good point.

“But an hour is a long time to get the people ready.”  I yawned out shaking my head as I could slowly feel my body get stronger.  “Willow, wait until we are a few miles out, then cause your diversion.  If we can hold out until morning, then maybe some of the other rangers might have made it out there.”

“The others aren’t coming.”  Maple called down from the ridgeline.  “With the threat of Forty Two, all the paladins other than this squad have been recalled to defend HQ.  We are on our own.”

“Then we’ll make due.”  I tried to push myself back up, shakily standing up as my head felt like it was exploding.  “We can’t afford to wait any longer.  We have to try.”  I took a step forward, crying out as my leg gave out and dumped me back down.  I was hoisted up by Carlotta from behind, being thrown over her shoulder as she walked on her hind legs, giving me flashbacks to Xin.  “Longbow, can I suggest you drive?”

“No way, flab flanks. She drove last time you were out of it, so it’s my turn.”  Carlotta called up, turning and walking towards where we had parked the Marauder.  I felt a twinge of fear as we reached the top of the slope, afraid that my car wasn’t going to be there again.  But, as if to show a small sign of balance, the universe saw fit to let me keep her.

“Wait, Carlotta, put me down for a moment.”  I tapped her on the back softly with my hooves, trying not to irritate the already bruised sections too much.  She grumbled and let me down.  “Can you call Longbow over, I need to talk to her alone for a moment.”

“Hey Longbow, get over here!”  She shouted down the hill with a screeching yell, surging the pain from my headache as I did my best to cover my ears.  Longbow bolted up the hill with heavy steps, not wasting any time to get to me.  The silver armor was still emitting clicks and whirrs as her magic locked the plates in place, having just been hastily put on.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”  She panted lightly as she looked me over.

“No, nothing is wrong.  I just wanted to talk for a moment.”  I smiled to her before turning my gaze to the grumpy face of Carlotta.  “I believe I specified alone.”  And with that, Carlotta turned and stomped off to the car.  “Longbow, I need you to head back to Manehatten.  You can coordinate with them for the attack on the bridge.”

“I know Elder Strudel’s tactics are simple, but she shouldn’t have a problem planning the attack.”  She ran her hoof through my mane, sitting down next to me.  “Besides, I can do more good if I’m here to help you.”

“I just think that heading back would be safer.”  I scrunched my muzzle up as I went to correct myself.  “I mean, the safer bet.”

Longbow’s gaze shifted sadly to the dirt.  “Is that what this is about?  You think I’ll end up like Brass?”  She shook her head and stomped her hoof unnervingly close to my head.  “I’m no stranger to combat, and right now, Futura needs all the help it can get.”

“Is it that bad that I don’t want you to die for me?”  I reached up and tried to brush her mane from her eyes, only to be stopped as she lightly batt my hoof away.

“For you? Backlash, do you even hear yourself?  You aren't trying to protect Futura for YOU.  You and I both want to help them out because WILLOW asked.”  She crossed her hooves with a huff.  “Besides, I don't see you complaining about Skyline or Carlotta.”

She was right.  Maybe I was being too selfish by trying to protect her.  But why shouldn’t I be?  So far, I haven’t gotten anything out of the last few weeks that I can claim has improved my life, other than her.

“Because I love YOU.  Yes, I don't want Sky or Carlotta to die either, but I can't lose you.  Not after Sprocket.  Not after Harmony and Brass.”  I pushed myself up, hooking my arms around her as she stood in silence.  “You are all that is keeping me from breaking down.”

“Don’t you think I feel the same way?”  She wrapped a power armored hoof around my back.  “I… I don’t want to lose you either.  That’s why I have to go.”  She pat me slowly and sighed.  “Let’s get going.  We can do this, together.”


-----


With the fact that Carlotta had joined us in the Marauder, we had to kick Maple out to ride on the back frame.   He said he didn’t mind, but I could tell that from the whimpering he made over the wind, he wasn’t having the best of times.  It probably also didn’t help that Carlotta kept trying to ramp us off everything that remotely had a slope to it.  In the hour it had taken us to drive, I had recovered from my blood loss.  Restoration potions certainly were an amazing item.

The bright lighting of Futura was a beacon in the darkness. The tall stadium lighting from the Baltimare arena that had been set along the domed roof of the old community center helped to invite travelers in, while the heavy, ten foot concrete wall reminded the rest of the wasteland that Futura was well defended.  I uttered a small prayer to myself that the Goddess had fallen for the trick and was gone, at least giving us a small window to prepare.  That is, if I can convince everypony of what was coming.

Carlotta thankfully dropped our speed as we approached the front gate, several armed ponies trained weapons on us, spreading out around the marauder as we came to a complete stop.  I hoofed open the door I had been crammed against, getting out slowly.

“What’s yer business here?”  The stallion asking the question was not one that I recognized from my time here before.  “Them armored folks ain’t welcome inside.”

“My name is Backlash, let me speak to Passwall, he know’s me.”  I had really hoped he had been at the gate tonight, but I can chalk it up to abrupt timing.  “I came to speak with Tiger Lily.  The Rangers are with me, they will not cause a problem.”

“Passwall’s dead.”  The stallion shifted his tone to one of disdain when he spoke.  “Some idjit trader brought in killing joke last month, what happened wasn’t pretty.”  I looked over to the other guards, nodding to them.  “Ya’ll stay right there.  I’ll get Tiger fer ya.”  He turned and cantered off through the guard hut toward the community center.

“You sure they’ll even let us in?”  Maple shakily stepped back onto the ground.  Although I felt bad for having to stand on the back frame of the marauder, it did help to keep his pompous attitude in check.

“Just give it a moment.”  I sighed, motioning for him to get back onto the car.  He groaned but reluctantly did as I asked.  There was a buzzing noise from the gate, the whole thing shuddered and swung open as the motorized winch pulled it back.  I got back in as well as we were ushered through with just enough space for the marauder to pass before they closed the gate again.  “What did I tell you?”  I turned around and smiled through the rear window as Carlotta pulled us up to the front of the community center.

The large faded words ‘The House of Tomorrow!’ were barely readable under the immense lights that beamed away the night.  The street around us was completely bare tonight, and not even the bars were lively.  Something just doesn’t seem quite right.  We all piled out of the Marauder, eager to stretch our legs again after being cramped in there.

“Well well!  We haven’t seen you around these parts in a while!”  Tiger Lily spoke up as she trot around the side of the building.  I turned to face her with a smirk, looking her over as she stopped dead in mid step.  “Though… maybe too long.  The hell did that to you and where can I get one?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”  I looked up into the well lit house.  “Mind if we go inside to talk?  Time is short, and what I have to tell you is of great importance.”

“Fine, but the goon squad stays out here.”  She rolled her eyes and sighed.  “Your sister just stopped in a few minutes ago and woke me up.  This shit better be big.”

I looked over to Longbow, who gave a nod.  I trot over to Lily, who opened the door and led me inside.  The stark white of the hallway gleamed under the bright fluorescent lighting, still spotless after over a century.  The whole interior of the house was like this, having been enchanted with some sort of protection spell that kept it clean.  The walls of the hallway we walked down was filled with picture frames, each one holding a different schematic that showed off the features of the concept homes that made up the main buildings of the settlement.

The biggest draw to this place was the fact that each of the houses had been fit with their own self sustaining spark reactors, and contained their own water tanks with integrated water talismans.  Of course, when Tiger Lilly and her company moved in, they knew it was too good to pass up and advertised it as a safe haven for all the wandering traders and merchants the wasteland has.  On any given day, you could find anything you wanted here, provided you had the caps and knew your way around the equestrian language.

We turned and entered into what had originally been designed as a home office, but had since become the mayors chambers.  As soon as we walked in, Skyline got to her hooves and hugged me tightly.  I could tell from her expression that she had noticed the bandages around my hoof, but she kept quiet as Tiger Lily sat down behind her desk.

“We have under an hour to prepare Futura’s defences from a large scale attack from Alicorns.”  I spit it all out, watching as my words slowly sunk in.  She smiled and let out a cackling laugh.

“AN HOUR?”  Skyline yelled and jumped into the air, hovering as she drug her forehooves down her face.  “How do you know?”  Skyline’s sudden reaction cut Lily’s laughter off, her expression now more confused.  She studied her over, looking for the telltale traces of a lie.

“Willow showed up and warned us.”  I looked back across the desk, making sure she could see how serious we both were.  “She’s acting as a diversion to buy us time.  I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to get everypony you have that can fight, get your big guns up, and get the others somewhere safe.”

Tiger Lily cupped her forehooves together as she sat back, contemplating for a moment before giving us an answer.  “How do I know that this ‘Willow’ is giving accurate information?”

“Because she’s your Willow.”  I sat down and shook my head softly.  “Willow Wisp didn’t die, she became an alicorn.”

Lily turned almost as pale as Willow looked, leaning forward slowly.  I could see the flood of emotions wash over her, ending as she sneered in rage.  “Get out.”  She pointed her hoof to the door.  “I don’t know who you paid for that information, but you can’t bring up my past and assume I’ll do as you say.”

“Look at me when I say this.  She. Sent. Me.”  I braced myself against her desk.  “You want proof?  I only need one word.”  She glared at me, leaning forward and slowly reaching her forehoof for the gun she had propped against the desk. “Mudd.”

Her hoof dropped, as she stared at me.  “You… nopony know’s that name.”  She collapsed back into her seat.  “But… how do you know?”

“Look, Lily, I’m telling the truth.  She’s an alicorn and she’s buying us an hour.  She’s buying YOU an hour.”  I relaxed as well, taking a step back to let it all soak in.  “We need to get ready.  How many can you get to fight with us?”

“What?”  She sounded so lost in her thoughts.  I wish I had more time to tell her, or better yet, have Willow come here with us, but we were running out of time.  She shook her head and stood up, albeit shakily.  “The guards out front are all I’ve got.  You might find some ponies in the bar, but other then that, it’s just us.”  She walked around her desk and to the door, motioning for use to go with her.

“What do you mean?  You’ve got thirty plus ponies always on guard around here!”  Skyline remarked as we trot out the door.

“Yes, normally.  But ever since the raider and gang attacks have targeted Merchants, most have left for more stable, and less dangerous jobs.  The ones who’ve stayed are the ones who had no other employment lined up.”  She forcefully pushed open the door back to outside, looking around before spotting the gate guards lazing about in their hut.  “Check out the Gilded Gecko, it’s your best bet for anypony you can get to fight.”

I nodded and spun around to go tell the others, but found myself smashing right into Carlotta’s chest.  “Where you going?  Bar’s over there.”  She calmly remarked as I took a step back.  “No time for you to blab to your marefriend, Longbow can handle the other tin cans.  Let’s go.”

Not having the grounds to argue didn’t mean I didn’t want to, but I knew she was right.  We need help more than I need to talk to Longbow.  So off we walked, heading for the large, patchwork, sheet metal shack that sat next to the brothel.  I don’t care who is in here, be it slavers, gangers, mercenaries, or hell, I’d take a few Detrot Deadmare if they happened to be in town.  But, as per the norm, when I pushed open the door, I was severely disappointed that the universe decided to balance out 42 not taking my car with this.

There was a single drunk stallion sitting with his face down at the bar.

“Really.  One?  That’s all there is?”  I shook my head as we approached him.  “Guess you’ll have to do.”  I knocked the beer he had his hoof on and waited for him to sit up.  “Sober up quick, you’re hired.”

He curled his other, bandaged fetlock around a shotglass, shooting the brown liquid down before letting out a loud belch.  “Hey, hold up just one minute, hot shot.  I don’t know who you think you are, but I count for at LEAST another 5 and a half stallions, or only 3 mares if you want to measure it that way.”  Thankfully he wasn’t as drunk as I had first assumed, but as he leaned closer, I could smell the thick stink of it on his reinforced leather coat.  “That’s cause 3 is the most I could ever handle at once, if you know what I’m sayin!”

“Dear Celestia, just… shut up and come with me.”  I used my hoof to attempt to waft away the stench, but I just found it much easier to take a step back.

“Nope, I ain’t budgin until we discuss terms of payment.  And I only discuss payment when somepony else is buyin my drink.”  He smiled at me with his eyes half lidded and tapped at the bar.

“You get paid if we survive, we can come to an arrangement then.”  I stepped around him and slid the glass away, shooing off the bar pony who looked like he was just getting ready to close up.  I looked over to him before he went back to the kitchen.  “Hey, Barkeep.  Lily wants to see you.”  If he can fight, we need him as well, but Lily can deal with talking him into it.

The foul smelling merc groaned as he got up off his stool, closing his eyes and wobbling for a moment.  “You are just no fun at all, you know that, mister?”  He opened his eyes looked past me for a moment, the red form of Skyline reflected in his goggle lenses.  “Just so you know, I’m flexible when it comes to… compensation.”  He pushed past me, walking to her in what was about to be his biggest mistake of his night.  “And hot stuff?  Just so you know, I’m just plain as flexible as you want me to be.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, yet with the obviousness of a freight train, Carlotta stepped in.  “Let’s test that theory.”  She swept out a rear hoof from under him, grabbing his bandaged forehoof and twisting it around to his back, before pressing him against the table next to her.  He struggled for a moment before Carlotta tweaked his hoof to elicit a whine from him.  I’d have to remember never to piss her off that badly.

The merc laughed.  “Oh! I love it when it’s ROUGH.  Not normally one for Griff’s, but I guess you could spice things up.”  His drunken words were hard to read, but he didn’t sound afraid of her in the least.  “How bout we make it a threesome?”

Carlotta grabbed his mane with her talon and slammed his head against the table, a line of blood running from the end of his muzzle down to the old wooden table.  “Carlotta, stop.”  I ordered as she pulled his head back, answering my order by slamming him down again.  “Carlotta, we need him. ALIVE, please.”

“I won’t kill him, Backlash.  I’m just…”  She slammed him down one last time before letting his mane go.  “...teaching him his place.  He’s just a waste of our time.”  The blood matted the fur on his muzzle as he coughed a few times and slid to the floor in a heap.

He let out another laugh as he rose to his hooves, quick to recover.  “Normally, I’d just say fuck you.  But you know what, this job is going to cost you.  BIG TIME.”  He wiped his muzzle with his forehoof, turning the yellow stained wrappings around it crimson.  “You want me to help you? You’ve got me, but I’m getting whatever I want at the end of the job.”  He turned and gave Carlotta his biggest grin.  “Even if it’s a night with your sexy pegasus friend.  Do we have a deal?”

“Fine.”  I growled out.

Carlotta grabbed me by my barding and pushed me back against the bar.  “Backlash, what the FUCK are you doing?”  She was furious, and rightly so.  She know’s that I’d never sell out my own sister, but she was too angry right now to be rational.  “You don’t get to give Skyline away.”

“And you don’t get to ignore my orders.”  I barked back.  “I asked you to stop. Not slam his face into a table, not to teach him a lesson.”  She let go of me with nothing more of a grunt.  “I’m the contract holder, so you get your FUCKING head on straight.”  I turned to the asshole I had just hired, watching as his grin dropped to the floor.  “You will not touch my fucking sister.  Period.  Anything else in the wasteland is your’s, but you keep your hooves off of my family.”

“Goddesses, I hate the dramatic ones.”  He huffed and trot over to the entrance, kicking open a trunk and hoofing out a fairly pristine looking ISF-60 machine gun. The saddle he wore didn’t have a mounting for it, instead, it held four boxes of ammunition that ran to a feed shoot he hooked into the side of the gun.  “So, what’s the job?”

“In forty five minutes, this place is going to become a warzone.  The job only has two requirements.”  I pushed past Carlotta, and steered my gaze away from Skyline as I walked up to him.  “Kill alicorns, and don’t die.”


-----


“This is my personal workshop.  If you think you can throw something together in the next half hour, feel free to.”  The basement to the House of tomorrow was a large, circular round area.  In the center was several tables covered with assorted arcano-tech items.  Most of the walls were a mix of parts lockers, storage bins, and workbenches, with the only clear section of it devoted to the houses Spark Reactor and Water tanks.  “Don’t worry about using any parts you find, if you are sure it will help, then we need whatever advantage it will provide.  I’m going to see if I can go get the main cannon working.  The hydraulics take a bit to warm up, but she should shoot true.”

“Thanks again.”  I followed her down, stopping as she flipped up a section of the carpet to reveal a pony sized floor safe.  “What you got in there?”  I averted my eyes as she hoofed the combination into the keypad, only turning back with I heard the screech the door gave as she pulled it open.

“Just some souvenirs I got from a Ministry bunker at the foot of Canterlot mountain.”  She leaned into the safe, biting down on the straps to a battle saddle and dragging it out.  The threat of the alicorns and the earlier encounter with 42 were gone as I glared at one of the weapons on it.

“THE HELL!”  I shouted, startling Lily into dropping the saddle and go stumbling back into one of her work benches.  I trot up and looked over the Shredder, remarking to myself on how I had thought it would be bigger.  “I grabbed the plans for this thing when I was in the East Orchard.  Goddesses it sure is something!”

“Yeah, MY something.”  She pushed herself up and grabbed the saddle with her hoof.  “Feel free to take ANY of the other weapons in here.  This one is mine.”  She unhooked a belt fed shotgun from the other side of the harness, dropping it to the floor.  Pushing past me, she reached a hoof in and fumbled at a bright white bucket with a blue stripe along the rim.  “Damnit, I can never get the handle.”

As she spun the bucket, I realized it had a handle just like the party cannon.  “You’ve got to be shitting me.”  I forcefully pushed her out of the way, knowing it was rude, but also knowing that she wouldn’t care.  The familiar suction of it against my hoof was something that actually helped me relax a bit.  I pulled it up as my EFS recognized it as the ‘Bass Cannon’.

“How did you do that?”  Lily was entranced on my hoof, looking around it for how it worked.

“Because Pinkie Pie.”  I replied, setting it down in front of her, looking into her eyes as they reflected a small amount of fear when she looked at me.

“You… you’re the one who opened the bunker in Manehatten?”  She shook her head in disbelief “This is unbelievable.  You’re the one that mare was after all along.”  She pulled the cannon close to her, breaking eye contact and attaching it to her saddle.  “I’ll… I’ll leave you be.”  She slung the saddle onto her back and left promptly, leaving me listening to the hum of the reactor.

Even here, my failure to stop 42 has had an impact.  It didn’t quite hit me how far it had gotten until she looked at me that way.  I could tell 42’s wrath had cost her a lot.  Not just in caps, but in friends.  The traders that had been hunted down were my fault, and I’m sure that would alienate me for the rest of my life in the wasteland.  But I deserved it.

I got to my hooves and looked over a few of the weapons on the wall, finally deciding to use one of the sleek looking ISF-128 miniguns.  They were quite rare in the wasteland, being as they were the last model to come out before the end of the world.  They utilized a high speed motor and low torque transmission to keep the 6 barrels turning at a blistering fast rate, but the issue with it was that it took 3 seconds to get up to speed.

Rushing through the 30 minutes we had, I removed three of the minigun’s barrels, and dropped the high speed motor in favor of a lighterweight slower one.  I also changed up the gear ratio, adjusting it for higher torque to spin the new set up to it’s target RPM near instantly, though the extra draw meant I had to attach a spark battery to the motor, but it should last for the fight.  Well, I hope it does.

With no time to test it, I secured my new rig to a battle saddle and strapped it to myself.  I checked that the ammo can and feed belt were secure, biting down on the bit and texting the auxiliary trigger.  The barrels spun up with the blink of my eye, whining so a stop as I released it.  With no formal training, and no real combat experience for something like this, I was finally ready.

As I climbed the stairs, it hit me just how much this whole rig weighed.  I hadn’t had an issue with holding still, but there was just no way I’d be able to maneuver very well out there.  No wonder I only see the steel rangers with these things!  I trot through the living room, glancing out the back porch window to see Frosted Cakes tinkering with the large cannon that Lily had mentioned.  If it wasn’t running yet, we had a problem.  As I hoofed open the sliding glass door and exited, I noticed that it was a standard 8.8 field gun with an auto fire enchantment on it, bringing back the thought of when I got my cutie mark.

“What seems to be the problem?”  I asked abruptly, startling Frosty into banging her helmet on the underside of the gun.  “Oh, sorry.  Didn’t mean to startle you.”  I walked around the gun slowly, looking it over.

“It’s fine, I just can’t figure out why the damn jackscrew won’t depress the gun.”  She kicked the gun with her forehoof, letting a sigh escape through the speaker.

“These models sometimes had a manual disconnect under the breech, try looking there.”  I trot back up to the fuse box to just double check that she hadn’t missed a bad fuse instead.  She scoot around under the end of the gun, running her hoof along it until there was a soft click.  “There.  Now we just need to fire it up!”  I flipped the master circuit out of it’s lockout setting and into the on position, the gears in my head throwing out something I should have seen coming.  Hell, I made this exact same mistake as when I got my cutie mark!

“No, wait!”  Her warning was wasted when the auto-firing enchantment powered up with the locked breech, the cannon firing off it’s shell into the night sky with a thunderous crack.  The recoil buffers stopped the gun from smashing Frosty’s head in, but the shell ejected out and slapped her instead.  The dent in the side of her helmet told me it most likely hadn't caved her skull in, but I assumed she was out cold by the way she slumped and lay still.

And that’s when all hell broke loose.

> Chapter 20 - Rough Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 20

“They don’t want a party!  These ponies want a PAR-TAY!“

-----


Purple flashes filled the sky as alicorn after alicorn of all colors appeared above, Green bowls forming under some of them to give them a protected platform to attack from.  I shrieked like a filly as a magical energy bolt sizzled the pavement in front of me, running for the safety of the interior of the house.  In my haste, I had forgotten which side was open, and slammed through both plate glass panes.

I felt as the glass sliced through parts of my coat, the adrenalin cutting down the pain I felt as I tumbled along the floor.  I had to get outside and find Maple!  If he didn’t have one of his power armored rangers loading that cannon, then we couldn’t clear the sky.  No pony would survive the time required to lift the shells.  I pulled myself to my hooves, pushing myself off as I felt a surge of strength when my body connected with the front door.  The old door slammed down flat as I walked out into the street.

Everypony was firing back from cover, be it shooting blindly, or actually aiming.  I felt something burn my hoof, causing me to pull it back only a moment before a bolt struck the ground.  My tail was yanked, making me look and spin as another beam narrowly missed me.  I felt stupid as I had just noted everypony was firing from cover, all the while I was in the middle of the street.

I scrambled back inside, mouthing around the bit to my saddle, spinning the gun up before peeking my head out.  I spotted a platform floating just in my line of sight, the green unicorn casting the shield spell was sitting open and vulnerable.  Feeling like I had the advantage, I pulled the primary trigger, immediately killing my ability to hear as my stream of fire flew up, and didn’t find it’s mark.

My burst attracted the fire of the others around it, peppering the ground and walls with burn marks.  I jumped back, the whine in my ear dropping off just enough I could hear the heavy hoofsteps of a power armored pony dash across the street.

“Oh my! Oh my!”  Doppler shreaked as she made a B line straight for the house, a few of the magical beams grazing her armor and leaving glowing red hot streaks across it.  She let out a final eep and dove through the doorway, nearly bowling me over.

“Just what I needed!”  I shouted as she got back up.  “Get over to that gun and load it!”

“But I’m trying to call for help!”  She squeaked and backed away from me, nearly walking back out the doorway before another close shot made her jump back in.

“We won’t need to if you load that gun!”  I growled out, stepping past her and taking aim for the same group I had shot at before.  Let’s see, Skyline had always talked about distance… elevation… ah-ha!  Compensate for wind speed maybe?  I bit down on both triggers, letting out another short burst, missing yet again and being answered by yet another bolt barrage.  I watched as the bartender from earlier took a step out of cover to fire and was hit by a bolt.  He dropped to the dirt, dead as his chest smoldered.

“I… I can’t go out there!” The power armored mare was deathly afraid, as we all were, but I could hear it in her voice.  This was the first time she had seen real combat.  I know because I remember sounding just like that while the Old Man just told me that I needed to fight.  I needed to win.  Amongst all other things, I needed, to survive.

“If you don’t, we all die.  And I in particular, do not want to die tonight!”  I shouted over the gunfire all around.  We have to make it.  If we lose tonight, the wasteland loses.  “You are the only one here that can load that cannon fast enough.  Just grab a shell, throw it in, and run back inside.  Simple as that.”  I pat her on the back.  “You can do it! Now get loading!”  I turned back to the door, watching as now the Merc we had hired stepped from cover, hoisting his machinegun up in his forehooves as he balanced on his hind legs and took aim at one of the platforms.

“Burn in hell, you mother fuckers!”  I could barely hear him over the symphony of fire the rest of the settlement was letting loose, but he looked like he was laughing as he swept an arc of fire across the sky.  His smile showing pure ecstasy as, to my amazement, his rounds punched holes through the shielded disks holding a few of the groups up, perforating three or four of the monstrosities.

I bit down on my mouthpiece again, using the distraction he had provided as my chance to fire up at the same group I had been trying to hit.  I had hoped I lined it up as the stream of bullets poured out, the blue alicorn on the platform immediately to the right of where I had been aiming fell off and plummeted to the ground.

I got a kill!  Not the one I aimed for, but huzzah!

The cannon out back fired off again, making me jump, and helping me to avoid getting fried by another bolt.  I stopped for just a moment, swiveling my ear to listen for any telltale sign of the others.  I could just barely make out the high pitched whine of Skyline’s gauss rifles among the reports, happy to know that she was still alive.  The side door burst open as Fruit Cup was drug down the office hallway by Suture.  He was screaming his head off from the fact that his right foreleg had been melted, and sat at a near ninety degree angle from where it should have.

“Backlash, the others need support out the door!”  He screamed over to me, disappearing into Lily’s office.  I galloped to the door, immediately taking aim at one of the groups firing down at the ponies hiding under a covered eating area.  The tin roof was glowing red and sagging heavily from the hits it had taken, while Skyline, Longbow, Lily, and Casserole were huddled with one of the guards from the gate.

Something in my mind flared up, making my rage boil to the surface.  “Nopony hurts my friends!  NO PONY!”  I shouted from around the bit, pulling the trigger and feeling as the gun chattered off.  I carefully lead the stream between groups in the sky, sparking the rounds off the bright green shells as the alicorns ducked back to avoid losing their heads.  The gun let out a swift series of clicks to tell me it had run dry, my instincts pulling me back before dozens of shots started to shred the doorway.

The report of the large cannon firing again was shortly followed by the smoldering chunks of at least one blue and green alicorn littering the street outside.  I turned and ran as fast as I could for the basement to get another can of ammo, hoofing out the spent can, replacing it and getting back up the stairs in ten seconds flat.  Our blue coated merc was doing fine as his shots dropped another alicorn’s body into the street, but his shack cover was looking just about as tortured as the others.  I was about to lay some covering fire down when Frosty bolted past me into the street, apparently recovered enough to join the fight.

I swear to the goddesses, we were actually winning this fight!

Figuring that Frosty could help them, I turned and ran back to support Longbow and the others.  As I got to the doorway, I noticed that the unicorn guard had summoned his own shield, letting both Longbow and Casserole pick their shots before ducking back into cover.  It was a smart tactic, but just as the power armored pair ducked back under their cover, a pair of rebar spears shot through the air and skewered the unicorn.

As suddenly as I had decided we were winning, the Goddess struck back, as a rain of hurled debris fell upon us, shredding the cover that the others were hiding behind almost as fast as they could get away from it.  My rage flared again as another skewer narrowly missed Longbow, my mind moving my body to act even before I could see what a bad idea it was.  And as always, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

I galloped into the street, skidding to a stop in the middle as the others bolt out from the collapsing shacks.  I took aim for the closest group of Alicorns, the blue one of the group went wide eyed as she saw me, the barrels on my gun spinning up and firing just as she raised her own shield.  The rounds struck her spell will no effect, a smile spreading across her muzzle as she finally could settle things with me.  The others ran past me for the door, both Lily and Casserole making it in, with Skyline pushing at Longbow to keep moving.

The stinging pain was one I hadn’t quite felt before as a rebar rod punched through my foreleg, making me release the bit as I tried to scream.  I found myself unable to as a worse sensation erupted in my flank.  I turned my head to look back, seeing another of the rusting rods had been driven through the reinforced section of my barding.  From the way it sat, I knew that it was bad, seeing as not many ponies walked away from injuries like this.

Longbow screamed something as the blue alicorn I had shot at dropped off her perch, enveloping me in her shield and muffling the sounds around us as she walked up to me.  A green tinge added to the blue, as one of the green alicorns buffed her spell, making sure we were alone.  I glanced down to my pipbuck, cursing as I still hadn’t remembered to change the fuse over before things went to shit.  The goddess caught my not so subtle gaze and took my pipbuck in her magic, twisting it hard enough that the bone in my leg snapped, letting it go as I no longer had the strength to stand up.

Not wanting to die with a whimper, I hastily bit down on the bit, wanting to make sure she paid for every life she took today.  Instead, She shoved another bar between the barrels, locking them in place as the overcharged motor strained and failed.  It gave a quick pop as it exploded, shredding my left side with shrapnel.

“The great and powerful goddess is impressed with your resilience.  It is a shame that you have to die here.  We would have accepted you.  We would have used you to help others in need.”  For once, she spoke in a normal tone of voice, which I was forced to focus on , desperately trying to stay conscious.  “Instead, you insisted in interfering and fighting.  We are curious as to what you have gained by defying us.”

I choked and coughed up a hefty amount of blood, which I made sure to spit onto the monstrosity.  Her flesh burned while she didn’t even flinch, oblivious to the fact that my blood was dangerous.  As the gears in my head felt like they were slowing down, they managed to give me one good answer as my gaze drifted to the door of the house.  Longbow had her helmet off and was angrily firing her rifles at the alicorn, the shots not making a dent on the spell.  Lily pulled her out of the way of an incoming magical bolt as I looked back to the Goddess’s emissary.

“I have... friends.”  I coughed out and smiled as darkness seeped in, and I felt myself unable to hold my head up any longer.  The pain in my body faded away with my cares, as I waited to be met with the warm sun, and soft grass of the afterlife.


-----


“Yeah!  Take that you big meanie!”  The voice of Pinkie startled me awake as I got to my hooves, immediately shuddering and letting out a scream as the pain from my open wounds shot through my body.  I writhed and flailed for what felt like an hour before the wounds numbed.  My heart raced in my chest as I cried and attempted to control my breath.  But at least it was all over.  I had failed in my task to stop 42, or to save Futura, but even so, I was finally done.

“Wow!  You guys sure are clobbering them out there!  Twenty one to four is a great score!”  Pinkie shouted into my ear as I let out a groan.  “Sorry about the pain though, the closer you come to sticking here permanently, the more you feel your pain from the other side.  It sucks, but you’re only supposed to go through it once.”

I opened my eyes to see that it was night time, and that the moon was shining down brightly on the grassy hill, though, Luna’s silhouette was missing from it.  I turned my head, looking over to where Pinkie was talking from, amazed when I was looking at the largest television screen I had ever seen.  What was on it was even more unbelievable.

It was a view of the fighting currently going on in Futura.  Well, not exactly currently.  There I was just now running out into the street like a moron to save Longbow and the others.  The image froze as the rods hit me, Pinkie turning to look at me with a face imitating pain.

“How did you manage to deal with that kind of pain.  Sheesh, any other pony would have just died from the shock.”  She changed her look to one of a smile, patting at the grass next to her.

“I didn’t deal with it.  I died.”  I strode forward, choosing instead to stand as we talked.

“What? No you didn’t.”  She hoofed at a remote in front of her, unfreezing the image to show me talking with the Goddess.  Just after I slumped over, Lily came from the doorway and used the bass cannon on the goddess’s shield, the odd reverberating magic it shot shattering it before she then used the shredder on her, turning the goddess into minced meat.  Longbow and Suture darted out and dragged me inside, rebar spikes and all.  “How come everytime you come here, you think the worst!?”

“How do you know I’m not dead?  They just brought me inside, I mean, I could still die, right?”  I looked down to her as she beamed a bright smile up to me.  “Or… you know that I don’t because you already know everything to come.”

“Correctomundo!”  She shouted, flicking her hoof at the air.  There was the click of a light switch before the night just instantly became day.  I was blinded by the sharp change for a moment, shaking it off as she hoofed the controller and made it and the television disappear.  “Follow me, it’s time you learn something about this place.”

She bounced down the hill the opposite way we normally go, leading me along the other hill, stopping halfway down the other side.  She sat down and looked at her forehoof intently, tapping her other like she was impatiently waiting for something.

“I don’t get…”  I tried to speak, being stopped as she crammed her tiny forehoof into my mouth.

“Wait here and whatever you do, Do. Not. Move. From. This. Spot.”  Her eyes bulged out with each word for emphasis, waiting until I nodded to run off.  I peeked over the hill and watched her climb up into the Tree, disappearing as I shrugged and lay in the grass, taking the time to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

My ear perked up as I heard the oddest thing.

“Oh, you can’t see your mom yet!  Only dead people can get into heaven!”  Her voice sounded exactly the same as when she told me that back when…

I tried to get to my hooves, finding myself weighed down against the dirt and grass, and the more I struggled, the harder it got to move.  Then, the pain started again.  Of course it had to appear going back to the real world.  I bit down on my lip, trying not to scream out as it felt like my skin was flaying itself off of me.  After a minute, I couldn’t stand it anymore, going to scream when Pinkie appeared over me with a contrail behind her.

“We can’t have you screaming.  I’ll send you back, but just know, that even though time has no real meaning here, and the meetings are all mixed up, the next time for you that we meet like this, will be the last time I can help you.”  She gave a soft smile as I cried and screamed into her hoof.  “Now what was the hint I gave you?  Ah, that’s right!”  As she pulled her hoof away, I sucked in air to belt out another scream, but found myself sent back before I could start, instantly falling into the painless transition back to real life.


-----


“I don’t care about the risks!  FUCKING DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SAVE HIM!”  Waking up to Longbow’s shouting twice in one night was something I had hoped to keep to a minimum in a normal relationship, but Goddesses was it good to hear her voice.  The sharp prick of a needle in my hoof set my body on fire and gave my extremities frostbite, the extreme patchwork of Hydra doing it’s job as I screamed out into a gag.

“Please, try to stay calm.  I’ll give you some Med-X in a moment.”  Even through the incredible pain I felt, I could tell that Suture sounded sad.  Had the squad lost somepony?

“No, he can’t have Med-X due to his mutation.”  Longbow on the other hoof sounded more relaxed, probably due to the fact that I was out of harms way.  Focusing on their voices was the only thing that was keeping me from trying to go find a pool to dunk myself in while every fiber of my being felt like it was melting away.  “What about buck?  I know it’s not nearly as good, but it might help suppress the pain, right?”

The quick pounding of hooves of a pony leaving the room we were in and running down the hallway preceded a sigh from Suture.  “You know, with the doses he would need, he’ll form a reliance to the drug before he even got better.  Buck is a nasty addiction to have.”  And as long as it takes the pain away, I’ll do whatever I need to!

“We’ll… deal with it when it comes up.  He just needs to be able to rest, and he can’t if he’s in that much pain, can he?”  Longbow, you are amazing.  I would kiss you if everything didn’t hurt when I moved!  The quick hooves of somepony returned with a shaking bottle, presumably full of Buck.

“I suppose you’re right.  Though your group has gone through most of our medical supplies already, pain is… not a pleasant thing to be in for days on end.”  His words spoke of experience, one more horrifying that I could dare imagine I’d want to live through.  The gag was removed and I felt three tabs of the chalky drug shoved in my muzzle.  I swallowed them hastily as I whined.

The thundering of the anti-air cannon had ceased as the sporadic gunfire from outside drifted through the halls of the house of tomorrow.  At least there was still fighting going on, but I couldn’t help but think what it had cost us in lives while I was out.  As the Buck tabs kicked in, and the pain from the Hydra wore down, I felt a boiling sensation deep inside of me, a constant ebbing of pain that remained, even after I could force myself to relax.

“Are… are you alright?”  Longbow’s voice was soft as she leaned close.  I opened my eye to look up to her, seeing a smile grow across her muzzle before she hugged me tightly.  I whined as her armor squeezed the air from my lungs, gasping before she let me back down softly.  “Sorry, I just… I love you.”  She smiled and winced as some of my blood burned at her neck where it pressed against me.

I wanted to ask how we were doing when Doppler burst into the room, saluting to Maple, who I hadn’t seen was in here.  “Sir, you won’t believe what I’m picking up.”  She hoofed at her radio controls on her foreleg, a burst of static coming over her external speaker.

“Neighvarro Tower, this is Raptor Lenticular at coordinates 39.783 by 89.650, responding to a distress call off patrol route one five nine.  Settlement thirty one is taking collateral from an engagement below the cover.  Scouts report aerial forces that may be a threat to the settlement, please advise.”  There was a burst of static before a response came over.

“We are seeing their feed.  Command greenlights actions against all aerial targets and all ground based anti air defenses.  Good hunting Lenticular. Neighvarro Tower out.”  Well I’ll be damned.  That field gun may have just saved our flanks!  Though, without the others having been in this room, we had to warn them not to fire on them.  I pushed myself up, grunting as the pain inside my chest flared, but the Buck gave me more than enough strength to ignore it, ducking past the Rangers and heading for the front door.  I almost made it when Skyline flew through it and slammed into me, the two of us dropping to the floor with a thud.

“Sky! No time, we need to warn the others!  Stay inside!”  I scrambled to my hooves as she shook the dizziness off.  I turned toward the door to run out when I saw one of the most confusing things I’m sure I’d see in my life.  The armored prow of an enormous boat pressed through the cloud layer, diving under it and leveling out as it rammed through several very surprised alicorns, the bristling gun turrets spun on their mantlets, taking aim and letting forth bright beams of red death through the air.

I couldn’t help but smile at the amazing sight, sure that there was never a time when I thought I would have been glad to see those bug eyed assholes butt into my life again.  One of the beams fired down at us, barely missing the house.  Instinctively, I turned to see what it had fired at, looking just in time to see the anti-air cannon melt into a heap of glowing slag.

“Yeah! That’s right, I don’t care who ya are! I’ll take all you fuckers on!”  Our merc let out a hearty laugh as he went back to spraying down the air.  Even with more than a few gashes, burns, and with half his face bloodied, he was still chugging away, murdering alicorns faster than I would have thought possible.  I bolted out at him, tackling him to the ground before a bright beam of death turned the dirt where he was standing into a small, glass bowl.  “What the fuck did you do that for!?” 

He pushed me off him as his ammo cans spilled out, one of them spreading multicolored, starmetal tipped rounds about the dirt.  Just the few that I could see as I got up was already around the same amount as I had ever sold to anypony, or seen sold at all.  I grumbled and untangled myself from him, spinning to meet everypony else who could walk from the house.  I looked up to the sky, smiling as purple flashes dotted it when the alicorns who could teleport, left.  The Goddess knew it was a losing fight from here on out, and was determined to save as many of herselves as she could.

Our new ‘friend’ went wide eyed and buried himself under rubble as quickly as he could.  I didn’t have time for this.  “No, get inside, NOW!”  I screamed and burst out into the street, doing my best to serpentine for the front door again.  I could feel the heat from a few of of the goddesses parting shots, as well as more than a few of the enclaves shots that drifted too close.  I had thought they they would stick to what their command said, but I guess since they brought the big guns out, they might as well use them.  I had almost made it to the door, just crossing the dirt where the lawn had been so many years ago, before I was hit hard in the side.

I rolled and tumbled along the dirt, spreading my aching legs to stabilize myself as I groaned.  My ribs felt like they had just been hit by somepony swinging a couch at me, (don’t ask how I know how that feels, it’s… not a fun story) but none of them felt broken.  When I looked up to see what hit me, I was surprised I hadn’t been killed instead.

“By charter of the Grand Pegasus Enclave, you are ordered to surrender yourself into custody.”  Sergeant Granite stood before me, pointing a hoof to me as her charged energy weapons were trained on me.  There was a soft click from the speaker in her helmet.  I’m just going to say this now, but having that small of a click to turn your speaker to maximum makes you just a bit of an asshole in my book.  “Settlement dwellers, the fighting is over.  Lay down your weapons and gather in the central building for detention and questioning.”

“You know what they say...”  Carlotta coughed out and stepped up beside me as I got onto my hooves.  Cuts, bruises, burns, you name it, she had taken quite the beating during the fighting, and the twisted hunks of smoldering metal strapped to her sides bore no resemblance to the rifles they had once been, let alone looking like firearms at all any more.  I looked up as the familiar shapes of Enclave Vertibucks and Sky Tanks descended in the mostly intact lighting from the House of Tomorrow.  “Out of the frying pan.”

I watched as the Vertibuck that landed in the street before me powered down, the side hatch opening as the the smiling muzzle of a sharply dressed mare dropped as she saw me.  Silver Star looked good for having been held captive last time I saw her, but the one thing that I could see that was out of place on her, was that instead of the medal of a major, she now held the rank of lieutenant.

“And into the fire.”  I finished the phrase, sighing as today, just wasn’t going to go my way.


-----


“Oh, they just couldn’t believe how a tiny fishing vessel could just ‘shoot down’ a vertibuck.”  My guess was that Silver Star really enjoyed the sound of her own voice, seeing as this was now the third time she had recounted the events leading up to her saving our flanks from the goddess.  “Or how convenient it was that once the boat reached land, they just ‘let me go’.  They threw around words like ‘contaminated’ and ‘dashite’ when they talked about me.  ABOUT ME!”

They had locked everypony up inside of the multiplex inn, keeping only a few ponies in each room to stop them from fighting back.  It was a small mercy to me that when they had rounded up the ‘terrorist leaders’, they singled out Lily, Longbow, and I, bringing us here.  Though, small mercies only go so far when somepony like Silver is droning on and on.

“I was lucky that they only went so far as to demote me to lieutenant because they thought that it was the stress from the encounter that was making me unfit for my position.”  She slammed her forehooves down in anger on the table we sat at, glaring at me.  “THEY thought the pressure out there had gotten to me, and that a change in scenery would do me some good.  So they transferred me to the Lenticular for some ‘light patrol duty’, where you have to show up and RUIN. MY. NIGHT.”

She huffed a few times as her anger drifted away, closing her eyes with a sigh as a smile drew across her muzzle.  “So, there I was, free of your terrorist hooves…”

No, fuck hearing this again.

“Oh, give it a rest.”  I rolled my eye, cutting her off and getting a growl from her.  Then, for once, she surprised me.  In her anger, she flipped the table and propelled herself into me, dropping me back onto the floor painfully.  She sat on my chest, pressing her hooves into my neck as I tried my best to keep breathing.

“Rest?  You don’t GET any rest.”  I’ve seen that look before in a pony’s eyes.  The look when the absolute hatred of someone had removed any and all inhibitions for their actions.  On the Gallant, she had been a by the book sounding officer, but something inside must have snapped from what we made her go through.  “You don’t get it, do you?”  She gave a quick laugh, telling me that having me under her hoof like this was pure joy.  “You’re mine, and I’m going to make sure that you pay, that every mud slinging primitive in this settlement pays, for what you did to me.”  As my lungs screamed, I realized that we had turned her into another 42.

The door to the hallway opened as Granite stepped in.  Even though the armor, I could tell that she disapproved of what Silver Star was doing.  Silver Star took her hooves off of me as darkness clawed around my vision, my lungs drawing in a long whining breath as I could finally get some air.  She softly fluttered into the air and to the other side of the room as the power armored mare walked over to me and effortlessly set the chair I was tied to back upright.

“Deviate again from the interrogation, and I will be forced to relieve you from duty.”  The cold tone the sergeant used wasn’t winning her any favors from the lieutenant, but I was thankful that somepony up there still at least went by the book.  She flipped the table back over to where it had been and left without another word, but the second that door shut, Silver Star relaxed.  This simple fact gave me an idea that sent the gears in my head into a flurry.

“You’re wrong.  You are going to take your flying friends, and you are going to go back above the clouds like this never happened.”  I watched as my words brought back her devious smile.  “I’ll have you know that we have five megaspells aimed right at your Raptor.”

She let out a good laugh.  “Impossible, our recon groups would have seen the missiles.”  She glared at me, her smile wider than before. “You’d have to have a more convincing lie then that.”

Well, that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped it would.  “What if I told you there were 25 Steel Rangers with Balefire egg launchers on their way here?”  I grinned back, hoping my bluff sounded at least believable.  I mean, we did have a whole Squad of them already here, and they saw what we were up against.

“Once again, we would have seen them by now.”  She shook her head, looking disappointed.  “I’m afraid the ones in this settlement are the only ponies for miles.”

“Would you believe we have an asshole with a machine gun?”  I squinted as I truly had nothing left to use against her.  Though this one hadn’t technically been a lie, seeing as I don’t know if our Merc friend was found under his rubble pile.

Longbow leaned forward.  “How about we talk about the safety of your offshore desalination project?”  Unlike the yelling of earlier, super intelligent Longbow was something I loved to see a lot of in our relationship!  The words looked like they were hot coals burning into Silver Stars mind as her eye’s twitched slightly.

“How… how do you know about...”  She stopped, the muscles on her face relaxing as she sighed again and gave a smile.  “No matter.  You are here, and can hardly…”

"I’m going to stop you there.”  I watched Longbow as she crafted words almost as effectively l as Lily or I could, tailoring the inflections to burrow deep into Silver Star’s head.  “First of all, I’m going to tell you that my mother commands a ship.  Next, is that she can destroy that floating pile of junk you say passes as a research base, on a whim.  And the last thing I will tell you is that there is no such thing as no witnesses.  Somepony here saw your little flying light show, and if we die here, she will find out, and she will tear down every enclave base as revenge.”

Thinking back to what she said at the base, maybe I should have taken a bit more time to get to know her mother.  You know, to keep from being torn to shreds if she ever thinks I wronged Longbow in any way.

“You talk a good game, but you are making threats you cannot back up.”  She smiled, stepping back up to the table.  “You forget that once I warn Neighvarro, no ship will ever get within distance to do anything before we blast it from the water.”

“We did.”  Longbow timed her response perfectly, drilling in just far enough that Silver Star was on the brink of losing it again.  “And sure, you could kill us and take your chances, but your Command would have to reconsider the damage the information you gave us caused.”  She’s making this sort of play.  I had no idea she could talk with this… this level of diplomacy!  “Think about it.  You’re going to call in that the same surfacers that held you captive, have threatened to destroy a project they now suddenly know more about?”  Longbow wore a sly grin.  “The word they’ll be using around you then, is treason.”

That, was perfection.

Silver Star looked like she was about to explode on us again, when something else added to the list of surprises tonight.  “But...”  Longbow’s one word surprised not only me, but the others as well.  “There is a way we can both win here.”

“I’m listening.”  Silver Star growled, keeping her gaze locked onto Longbow.

“We make a deal.  You leave here without another shot fired, and you run back up to your safe haven in the sky.”  Yeah, we win with that, but what is going to make her go?  Longbow shifted her position in her chair, the ropes dropping off of her as she brought her hooves onto the table, much to our amazement.  “And you leave with the the locations of the listening devices we have planted on your project.  You can present them to your commanding officer, make up a heroic story of how you beat the information out of a terrorist leader, I don’t care.  They’ll probably realize that you aren’t as far gone at they thought, and give you a promotion.”

Silver Star stroked her chin with her hoof, closing her eyes as she thought it over.  “You know I can’t trust that you will give me the real locations of the listening devices, if such objects actually exist.”  She canted her head and glanced back at longbow.  “Give me the frequency they transmit on as well.”

“Not until we have a deal.”  Longbow smiled, her expression telling me that she was screaming in joy inside.

“Deal.”  Silver Star said, trotting over to the door and hoofing it open.  “Sergeant Granite.  Inform the Lenticular that we will be departing shortly, and for them to get me a line ready to General Aurora’s office when I get onboard.

“Yes ma’am.”  She saluted and looked into the room.  “Shall I inform the other sergeants that the detained are free to go as well?”  The moment that passed before Silver Star’s answer was the longest moment of my life.

She replied simply.  “Yes.”  Giving off a sigh, she turned back to us as the Grey suited mare trot off down the hallway.  “I held up my end, now give us the locations and the frequency.”

“6.5 hertz.”  Longbow chimed as her magic undid the rope around my chair.  “And don’t bother sweeping the barracks, we had no interest in the personal affairs of your scientists.”  Silver Star’s eye twitched again, coming to the realization on just how much of a breach that was.  “Now go, or remember…”  She put her hooves in front of her, attempting to imitate the sound of an explosion going off as she spread her hooves.

“You remember this as well.  Next time?  You won’t be so lucky to have leverage over me.”  She sneered and turned, trotting out the door as both Lily and I stood up from our chairs, looking to longbow with impressed amazement.

“Just a question.”  Lily spoke up as she looked her over.  “Have you ever considered employment in the mercantile business?”

“Too bad, Lily.”  I stepped forward and pulled Longbow into a long, heated kiss.  We both savored it a moment before I broke it off, looking back to her with a smile.  “She is one treasure that I’ll never let anypony take.”


-----


As the pegasi above the cloud cover mended the holes that our cannon and the enormous boat had punched in it, the task we had on hoof was to assess the damage to the settlement, and to salvage as much as we could from what was left.  Tiger Lily had called me into her office to help her try to keep track of what the others were finding out and we had been sitting there in silence for the last few minutes working.  Then there was a knock at the door.  Twain, as I found out our faithful foul mouthed merc was named, came in with a smirk and a fresh gash that ran across his muzzle to his cheek.

“Both bar’s are a complete waste, though there isn’t enough broken glass to account for the fighting.”  He winced and pressed a hoof to the wound.  “My bet is that our enclave friends found our hospitality most generous as they looted the damn place.  Though I did find one bottle…”  That explains what cut him.

“Let me guess.”  Lily spoke up, sounding like this wasn’t the first time this had happened.  “You tried to bribe his friend into bed again.”  Now that I look at it, it could be from a griffin’s talon…

“Just one pass!  That was all I made!”  Twain sounded like he honestly thought he was in the right.  “Not my fault the butch one has to be all protective.”  He eyed over to me and shrugged.  “No offence to her lifestyle choice that is.”

“I’ll get the bandages and peroxide.”  Lily said as she pushed herself from her chair and swiftly walked out.  As I followed her out, my gaze stopped on the unique battle saddle he wore, seeing a whole lot of custom parts on it, with the most intriguing being the feed mechanism on the four ammo belts.

“That’s a nice looking battle saddle.  Who does the work on it?”  I asked, putting the notes I had been scribbling down with a yawn.  With all the rushing to get things done, I had forgotten how late it was, and that I hadn’t slept since we left the garage around noon.

“Oh, you like it?”  He twist his body about to show it off.  “I’ve got a guy I know out in Dodge who did most of the work, but the cross feed was custom made by Lily herself.  She fucking ripped me off in the deal though, lied to me about how much what I traded for it was worth.”  Well, now if you didn’t do your research, that’s what you get.  “That fucking thing was worth ten times what she paid me for it.”

Now he had my attention.  “What was it?”  Lily isn’t opposed to swindleing customers, but that was down right too much to rip somepony off for.  “Maybe she didn’t know what it’s worth was?”

“Some Ministry thing, one part of some sort of weapon key.”  Color me more intrigued.  “Figured it would be valuable and sold it to her.  Turns out, some big shot out west is looking for them, offering ten times as much as she paid.  I found the flier for it here, so there’s no way she missed it.”

“Well, I’ll have to talk to her about it.”  Anything Ministry of Morale related could make her a target for 42.  The gears in my head shot me something else to ask as my eyes washed over the blue striped ammo box in his saddle.  “Just a quick question though, where did you find a whole case of star metal rounds?”

He smiled to me with a pompous grin.  “Oh, you won't believe how many merchant's I’ve had to kill to get my hooves on this many.”

I couldn’t do more than blink as his answer stopped my mind dead in it’s tracks.  “You... WHAT?”

“Calm down, it was just a joke!”  He snickered to himself before clearing his voice, giving me a stern look as he answered me again.  “But seriously, it was a lot of work to sell that many foals.”

“You’re a FUCKING monster!”  I screamed and had to hold myself back from beating his skull in, giving my mind time to work out if he was kidding or not this time.  The foals we had to bury on the way to the pool felt like years ago to me, but put fire in my blood all the same.  As I ran his words through my mind a few times though, I was certain he wasn’t serious.  Even as a joke, there were just some things you don’t touch.

“You are so easy to wind up, you know that?  It was payment for another job I did.”  He rolled his eyes and waved his hoof around for me to calm down.  I took a few deep breaths as I did, watching him with the last embers of my anger burning while he hoofed at his cheek again.  “I never found anything big enough to shoot that I needed to use them on until tonight.  Was worth it though, seeing as they punched right through their barriers.”  Speaking of!

“I’m a stallion of my word, so what do you want as payment?”  I sat down, hoofing off my saddlebags to see if I had anything I could give as collateral if he asked for too much.

“Got anything extremely valuable?  I want something to hold over Lily’s head so I can get that key back.”  Just as he finished talking, she rounded the corner with his supplies, setting them on the floor as he gave her a smile.

“Well, let me see…”  I hoofed open my bag, pulling out a few odds and ends, stopping as I hoofed out a piece of paper I didn’t remember.  As I flipped it over and read it, it was the note that went along with the Shining Defender energy pistol that Brass had saved my life with.

“Ooo!  I love important pieces of paper!”  Lily bit down on and snatched the paper from my hooves.  Didn’t matter to me, seeing as the gun was the real prize.  I went back to looking through things, pulling out the twins and setting them aside.

“You want a piece of paper?”  Twain murmured before grunting as he drizzled the peroxide over his wound.  “I can get you a literal ton of sealed paper from the mill in vanhoover if you’re that inclined to want something as common as that.”

Lily spit the sheet out onto her desk.  “Not just any paper, this is an important paper.”  She sat down and continued as she looked at him with a smile.  “Ponies only carry papers with important information on it, if it’s not in a ruin, or a pony isn’t carrying it, then odds are it’s not important.”  That was just scavenging 101, everypony in the wastes knew that!  She went wide eyed as she read it.  “Backlash, do you know what you’ve got here?  I’ve got a collector in New Pegasus who’s been looking for this gun!  Do you have it?”

“It’s expensive?”  Twain asked abruptly, pulling something from Barter 101 that Lily shouldn’t have missed.  Well, her loss.

“Yes, very.”  She gasped and covered her muzzle with her hooved.  “I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“That’s what I want as payment, then.”  He grinned sadistically as his annoyance finally paid off.  That was a smart move by him, seeing as collectors putting out a contract normally have to pay a finders fee on top of what the items worth.  And as Lily is the best, her fee is quite high.

“Backlash?”  Lily now pulled my attention back to her, hoofing a drawer in her desk open.  “Consider this payment and thanks for helping to save Futura.”  She slid a small golden, metal rectangle to me.

“You fucking KIDDING ME?”  Twain shouted in aggravation, meaning this was more than likely the key he was looking for.  I hoofed it over and looked at it more closely.  If this was a key, it certainly was of a design I’ve never seen before, but of course, that’s a common theme with old world relics.  I tried to drop it into my saddlebag, but misjudged the distance, watching as it hit the floor and rolled against the bottom of Lily’s desk.  I instinctively just leaned down and reached for it, my lack of depth perception making me smack my empty eye socket onto her desk as well.

“You know, you look exhausted.  When was the last time you got any sleep?”  Lily’s voice held genuine concern.  “Tell you what.  I can handle most of it from here, why don’t you all go join the others and get some rest?  We can finish tallying anything left over when you get up.”

“Thanks.”  I finally scooped the key piece into my bags and hoofed the twins back in as well.  “Do you have some blankets I could borrow, the Marauder is going to be cold tonight…”

“No, no, no.”  She cut me off with a wave of your forehoof.  “You all are free to spend the night in one of the rooms at the multiplex.  There should be plenty of room for all of you.”  She smiled and arranged some papers on her desk.  “Go on, I’ll still be here when you get up.”

“Thank you, Lily.”  I nodded and put my saddlebags on while Twain turned and left.  I was just about to exit when she spoke up again.

“Actually Backlash, could I talk to you for just one more minute?”  Her voice was hesitant, sorrow coming through more than anything now.  I nodded and stepped back inside, shutting the door.  “It’s not me you should thank, it’s Willow.”  She gave me a soft smile and looked down at her desk.  “She was my only friend for most of my life.  Without her, Futura wouldn’t have even been on a map.”

“I don’t know much, but she told me how you both left ponyville together, looking to make it big.”  I thought back to what we had talked about on the Gallant, which in total, didn’t amount to a lot.  My words roused a soft laugh from Lily.

“Yeah, but I bet she didn’t tell you that we left together together.  Goddesses our parents were so angry at us, and her father never did forgive her for it.  Young mare’s in love.”  Lily’s sad tones were constant, and I could tell from her words, that the love she felt was still strong.  “But as we realized living on our own made us less than desirable to one another, we decided to just stay friends.  Then, with a stroke of luck, she found Snow Shoe, and I found my Husband.  My relationship didn’t so much work out, but Willow and Snow?  They were meant to be.”

“Then, why would Willow leave?”  I asked as the gears in my head spun to work this mystery out, oblivious to the fact that the question was obviously one that weighed heavily on Lily.

“She…She and Snow planned on having their first foal during the winter months, when it was safest from attacks from outside.  But that winter was especially harsh on us, and Snow came down with pneumonia.”  Lily’s grim face reflected how mine was, as Pneumonia was not something you normally came back from in the wasteland.  You just had to wait until your body couldn’t fight anymore.  “Shortly after him, she got it as well.  She pulled through, but Snow and her unborn foal…”

“I… I’m sorry.”  That’s all I wanted to say to Willow.  She had lost everything in her life, and now she thinks that she needs to make up for it by attempting to get rid of the goddess for good on her own.

“Yeah.  Me too.”  She wiped the tears that had silently dripped down her cheeks.  “You best go get some rest, and we’ll talk some more tomorrow.”  I hoofed open the door, stepping out and taking one last look at Lily, who nodded and smiled as I shut it.  I walked down the hall, my legs far too tired to bring me up to a trot, as my whole body screamed for relief.  As I walked through the charred and splintered front doorway, the light from the raising sun had already brightened the black skies to their normal greys.

The walk to the Multiplex wasn’t a long one, but it did give me time to reflect on the events of today.  What we accomplished wasn’t exactly a short list, seeing as we got the rangers to fight beside us, learned 42 was still alive, completed what was normally a two day, relaxed drive in only ten hours, cleared Sorbet’s bunker, fought 42, saved Futura, and dealt with the Enclave.

I stopped and scrunched up my face as I wondered how exactly I could consider that just over a short list.  I shook it off, treading slowly over the dirt lawn of the large, mansion like Multiplex Inn.  What at a glance looked like a monstrous house, was actually four two story homes all squished together.  Built to sustain four large families, it was the obvious choice to change into an inn when Futura got up and running.

My legs protested every step up to the second floor, and my mind felt sluggish as I wondered if I should sleep in any other ponies room, or try to find my own.  As I pushed open the first door I found, the universe decided to provide me with another small favor when Longbow shifted under the sheets in the bed and looked up groggily.  She smiled as she saw it was me.

“Hey, sorry I woke you up.”  I stepped in and shut the door.  I carefully let my saddlebags down before getting to work removing my barding.  Turns out the zipper had melted shut, and the only way I could get out, was by tearing the fabric.  So I did.  “As much as I thought it would help, my friends have provided more protection than any barding I’ve worn.”  I dropped the tattered remains of the jumpsuit and climbed up into the bed with a groan.

Longbow sighed as I flopped down next to her.  “I… I couldn’t do it.”  She spoke up, sounding ashamed for some reason.  She caught my worried gaze as I lay there.  “When we found Sorbet, Casserole told me to open the door.  I found the failsafe wiring inside the panel, but I couldn’t activate it.  As much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t bring myself to condemn her.”

“You are a good pony Longbow, above all, you know you did the right thing.”  I hoofed her mane aside, looking into her eyes as she gave me a nod.  I scooted myself closer to her, pulling her into my hold as the warmth melted away all of my pains.  I think it helped her as well, seeing as she relaxed.

This was heaven to me.  No absurd emergencies to rush off to solve, no immediate danger to where we were staying, and no worries that the ones I cared for would come to any harm.  It was just nice and quiet.  That is, until my ear perked with the moaning noises coming from across the hall.  This was the first time I could actually hear Carlotta and Skyline, but for once, the thought didn’t disturb me.

“Ugg, why can’t they celebrate our win until after we all sleep?”  Longbow groaned and buried her face into her pillow.  “All I want to do is try to get as much sleep as I can.”

A smile crossed my face as the gears in my head clicked out the last great idea of the night.  “Or…”  That perked her attention.  “We can try to show them up for once?”  Longbow gave a small, light hearted laugh at my suggestion.  “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m worn out enough to sleep just yet.”  As I listened to more of the action across the hall, Longbow hooked a hoof around my neck and pulled me close, nuzzling me softly before she whispered into my ear.

“Fine, but I’m on top first.”


-----


When I woke up, it was completely dark outside, and my pipbuck told me that it was 8:30.  I had joined Longbow for a shower down the hall, finding that even after the session we had this morning, the hot water had only reinvigorated our lusts, and we decided that a quick shower after this one would be best to actually get cleaned up.  As I walked back to our room, unlike the last month, today I felt better than anything, like I was unstoppable.  So it came as no surprise, that I when I opened my door, something unexpected was there to greet me.

“The white one instructed the great and powerful goddess to give you a message.”  The towering form of a purple alicorn stood in the middle of the room, making my legs lock up as she spoke in a normal voice into my head.  “We are to tell you that the wasteland needn’t fear us any longer as an agreement has been made.  We shall stay where we are only until the white one is no more, but on that day, we shall return to the wasteland, and we will retrieve what we seek.”

Before I could do anything, she was gone with a flash.  Willow had done it.  Though, as good as I had felt about what we’ve accomplished, it was in that moment that I felt humbled.  Doing this did more for the wasteland than anything I’d ever done, there is no telling how many lives she just saved by keeping the alicorns under control.  Longbow opened the bathroom door down the hall, trotting out as her magic wrapped her mane up into her towel.  I sat down hard as my hind legs gave out, causing her to rush over to me in a panic.

“It’s over.  Willow saved us.”  I hooked my hooves around Longbow and squeezed her tight.  “The alicorns are gone from the wastes.”

“That… that’s wonderful!”  Longbow returned the hug, her voice sounding the same as mine.  While glad it was over, we couldn’t help but feel like Willow’s sacrifice was something that she shouldn’t have had to pay for on her own.  “We’ve got to tell the others!  And Elder Strudel will be so relieved that her patrols won’t have to avoid them any longer, and...”  She pushed off of me with a smile, trotting into the room ahead.

“Stay with me.”  I spoke up, making her stop as she levitated her armor off the floor.

She looked at me with a confused smile.  “I don’t plan on leaving you, Backlash, we’ve still got to plan the bridge attack.”  She resumed putting her armor on, clamping down the leg pieces before I spoke up again.

“No, I mean I want you to come stay with me… I mean, with us.  With Sky and I.”  I felt my heart pound in my chest, a nervousness I hadn’t felt since Sprocket washed over me.  “I want to be with you for the rest of my days.”

“Backlash, I… I can’t just leave the Rangers.”  Her expression was torn between guilt and sadness.  “They’re my life, my family.  I can’t just leave.”  The chestplate clicked as it secured to her, her horn glowing as she took the helmet and floated it beside her.  She walked up and put an armored hoof on my shoulder, looking to me as her mane hid half of her sorrowful face.  “I want to, believe me, I do.  I just… I can’t leave them.”  As I had come to learn, family is everything out in the wasteland, and there was no way that I would make her suffer for my selfishness.

“Then we will find a way to see each other.  We'll make it work.”  I smiled, brightening her expression.  I leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek, watching as she blushed heavily through her coat.  “I just need you to do your best not to let your mother go after me if she doesn’t approve.  At the very least, a thirty second head start would help immensely.”

Longbow laughed and nodded.  “I’ll be sure to cheer for you from the sideline if she ever does.”  She levitated my Saddlebags onto me and hoofed her mane from her face.  “Now, after the workout we had, what do you say we get ourselves some breakfast.”  Just the mention of food made my stomach grumble.

“You have no idea how good that sounds right now.”  I nodded and let her walk from the room, hoofing the door closed slowly as my eye caught a glimpse of my ruined barding on the floor.  I no longer feared that Longbow would end up like Sprocket, I cared too much for her to spend time worrying about breaking the promise I had made so long ago.  No, our relationship was different, and now I felt I was the one in his place, where she was doing her best to protect me.

As the door clicked shut, and I turned to follow Longbow out, I felt it in my mind that I have finally gotten through that chapter in my life.  Now, the only issue I had left to resolve, was how we would deal with 42 in the final fight.

--------------------

LEVEL UP!

+9  Big guns

+6  Barter

New Perk: All Bucked Up (Rank 3) - You are the avatar of endurance and survival, living through punishments that any other pony in the wasteland might die from just thinking about.  This final rank gives you a 10% chance to ignore the penalties of injuries and status effects each round you are under half health.
> Chapter 21 - Mixed Blessings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 21

“Come on, would I lie to me?“

-----


ED had arrived sometime in the middle of the day while we were all sleeping.  She gave all the guards a scare, but thankfully Skyline had informed Lily about her sometime yesterday.  Though, this made breakfast awkward, seeing as Notepad was throwing half thought out questions while he looked like he was about to pass out.  Remind me never to ride inside ED, apparently it really does a number on you.

Most of us sat around a long, wooden table that stretched through the broken wall that used to separate two of the Multiplex’s living rooms, making for a sort of dining hall with a kitchen at both ends.  Carlotta and Sky sat together at the end closest to Longbow, who was cooking up a storm in the kitchen under the room where we had slept.  Notepad had taken a seat across from me, though, my gurgling stomach was distracting me from most of what he said.

“So, you just jumped off the burning roof without thinking?”  He had his head propped up with a hoof, his heavy eyelids fought a losing war against the exhaustion he was in.  He let out a yawn, causing him to lean to the side and flop out of his chair.  I scoot my chair back a bit and leaned my head under the table, watching as Notepad didn’t get back up, instead giving out a soft snort before snoring.

“Well then!  More for us!”  Carlotta smiled and pulled Skyline close.  The succulent smell of fried hay and oatmeal wafted through the air as Longbow cooked up what was about to be the most amazing breakfast I’ve ever wanted.  She turned and gave me a smile, not even watching as her magic tossed a few pieces of Gecko steaks into a pan.  I almost felt bad for using the exotic meat, seeing as it was impossible to get fresh steaks from the Las Pagus area, but Lily had insisted that we used anything we wanted in the pantry.

Longbow’s smile dropped slightly as she stared behind me, the odd thumping of heavy hooves making their way down the stairwell caught my ear as I turned around to look.  Casserole was helping Fruit Cup along, propping him up as he got used to walking on only three legs.  He gave us all a weak smile before wincing as he came to a stop.

“H...hey guys.  What’s for breakfast?”  He asked nervously, looking around and turning himself to try to hide his stump leg.  I pushed my chair back and got to my hooves, taking a step back and gesturing for him to take it.   “No… I couldn’t.”

“Fine, but can I ask you a quick question?”  I knew it was awkward, but my curiosity had gotten the better of me.  “Why did he take it off?  Why not just use a Hydra on your leg?”

“He only had the one.”  He looked at me for a moment giving me a weak, but sincere smile.  “He figured that my injury was a survivable one, and that if somepony came in like you did who really needed it, then they should get it.”  He looked to the floor in shame.  “It’s… it’s fine.  It was my own mistake going out in the open like that.”

“No, it wasn’t.  We all fought our best out there, no exceptions.”   Casserole patted Fruit Cup on the back and pulled him close.  “Trust me, when we get back to HQ, all those scribes are going to want a piece of a brave stallion such as yourself.”

“I don’t think…”  He started, his nervousness kicking in as he pulled away from Casserole a bit.

“You can get them, and you will.  Fruit, we’ve been friends for quite a while, so listen when I tell you to shut up and get laid already.”  Longbow chimed up behind me, already one step ahead of me as he snapped to attention.  “Now sit your flank down and get ready for the best damn meal you’ve ever had, courtesy of Brass Tacks cooking lessons.”  She turned back around and stirred the oatmeal with a spoon while opening a half rusted can of green beans.  

“I don’t expect it to compare, but at the very least I’m sure he’d be happy with it nonetheless.”  Maple shouted proudly as he entered through the open front door, Lily coming in close behind him.  She looked like she hadn’t slept since we last spoke, but somehow still managed to pull off the look of a respectable business mare.  “And Fruit, I want you out of that armor and getting some R&R before we leave.  Doppler radioed ahead and Ol’ Doc Mercy’s got a prosthetic all ready for you.  We’ll have you up and about again in no time.”

“That, and I took the liberty of finding that part you asked for.”  Lily reached a hoof back into her saddlebags, drawing out an odd glass sphere attached to a pair of silver cylinders.  She hoofed a switch on the back of it and the object was immediately filled with a prism of energy in the center, purple bolts flashed against the glass walls momentarily before she flicked the switch again and the light show died.  “One working Hydrospark Magnetosphere Regulator Mark Two, as promised.”

“Thank you sir.”  Fruit Cup’s mood had improved immensely over the last minute with the news.  The gears in my head spun for a moment as that last observation made me realize that I hadn’t actually heard the news as of late.  “And thank you ma’am.  I appreciate what you’ve done for us.  Though, where did you happen to find a working one?  We’ve scoured Manehatten and Filly for one, but could never find one that hadn’t burned out.”

I froze for a moment, the gears in my head kicking into high speed as I worked through it.  Twilight’s audiolog had just mentioned a regulator that burned out.  But I’m sure that it’s not the same kind.  There has to be plenty of different types of regulators about...

“You know, I got lucky and found that one three months ago sitting out west at a power substation next to Whinney.”  The gears in my head came to a crunching halt as Lily’s words echoed in my head.  “Damn thing was made to be extra durable than the normal model and the only other working one I know of is powering Friendship City’s old tidal generators.”

You’ve got to be shitting me.

“FUCK.”  I shouted, turning and slamming my head against the table hard.  “How could I have missed that!”  Longbow’s magic enveloped my head as I went to drop it again, my outburst having caught them off guard.  “That’s why she went there!  Why she plans to fight at the bridge!”

“Backlash, what are you talking about?”  Skyline’s voice was as usual, full of worry, but I picked up something else in it.  Disbelief.  Not the same kind of Disbelief as shaking off a lie, but like she couldn’t understand my words.  I looked at her as I shook my head.

“The regulator, don’t you see, it runs the machine!”  I laughed as my own words ran through my head.  Of course they didn’t see, I’m the only one who heard the logs, no wonder I sound like a crazy stallion.  “Just, hear me out.  The machine they built to make 42, it’s run on a hydrospark regulator.  The problem is that they would burn out when they used the machine, so Twilight commissioned an extra tough model to make sure that it could handle the process!  If she gets her hooves on one, she can make as many copies as she wants!”  Everypony turned to look at the regulator in Fruit Cup’s hoof, his own eyes trained on it as he sat there in thought.

The arcanotech globe exploded in a shower of sparks and glass as Carlotta’s service pistol smoked in her talon.  “One down, one to go.”  She blinked, realizing that all eyes had turned onto her.  “What?  Now that pink bitch can’t use it.  I figure we go to Friendship City and smash the other one to bits as well.”

“One, a little warning would have been nice.”  Fruit Cup dropped the now scrap metal device to the floor, putting his hoof down again to steady himself.  “Two, that was supposed to power the piledriver to get our Rangers into the orchard.”  He sighed, walking over to the chair I had previously offered.  The gears in my head were working again, the near constant use of them today making me feel like I was back in the game again.

“Well, we can deal with it after breakfast.”  Longbow’s magic opened a cupboard across the kitchen, floating out a stack of glistening white plates for us to eat off of.  I knew that the gears in my head were getting close, pulling up information I had read somewhere about pre-war construction equipment.

“Well, what about…”  I found my lips pulled taught by longbow’s magic, and my jaw locked in place as she looked over her shoulder at me with an annoyed look.

“No more talking about business until AFTER we eat.  So everypony sit down and shut up.”  Her words carried the voice of the Steel Ranger I had first met outside Sorbet’s bunker, and that made me shiver.  We all did as she asked, finding places to sit as she divvied out the delicious smelling meal.  I’m not sure you could have seen the whole group of us relax at once as we took in the smell, but from the chorus of our hungry stomachs, I’m completely sure you would have heard.

As Longbow took her seat, her magic faded from my muzzle, allowing me to salivate over the meal.  I was about to dive right into it, my muzzle only inches away from some of the steaming green beans, when the unthinkable happened.  The gears in my head found what I needed, and without even so much as waiting to see if my brain would allow it, forced the words from my muzzle.

“Alcohol engine!”  I sat upright in my chair, gasping as I forced both of my forehooves against my muzzle.  Longbow sighed and planted her face firmly into her food, sitting there as the others waited in the awkward silence only a moment before digging in.  Longbow looked up from her plate, half of her oatmeal had stuck to her forehead, and she had a green bean in her nose as her eyes told me that she had just wanted this one moment of peace.

I gave her my best ‘I’m sorry’ smile and looked down at my food.  As I leaned forward slowly to start eating, I felt a pressure of the back of my head push me forward, smashing my face into the plate of warm food.  I sat up without another word, and licked a piece of the fried hay from the side of my mouth, savoring the flavor as the oatmeal on my face dripped down and back onto the plate.

“Yeah, I deserved that.”  I smiled and laughed, finally getting down to eating the best damn meal I’ve tasted in a long, long time.

After we finished with breakfast I had spent time working on the marauder, trying to pry the rebar spears from it.  The bright lights that beamed away the night did little to keep me from feeling like I was still being watched from the sky, but I really doubt that I’d ever lose that feeling after last night.  I was happy to find that she had taken little in the way of permanent damage during the fight, only having cosmetically shredded most of the body, but unfortunately for me, one of the spears took out the drivers side rear tire.  It would have been a simple fix, had my spare not ended up sitting chained to a statue outside of Reference Pointe.  For now, I’ve just got wonderglue, assorted rubber scraps, and the prayer that it wouldn’t shred while we were going 80 down the road, to suffice.

“You know, I thought you were crazy.”  Carlotta spoke up from right behind me, making me jump and hit my head on the sharp rips in the roof.  I felt as a line of blood ran down my head, dripping onto the ripped and torn bench seat.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.  Just Griffin instincts for hunting.”  My blood sent up a little plume with each drop that hit the leather seats, telling me I should get out of the car before I do any more damage to it or me.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t exactly listening either.  Got a lot on my mind.”  For some reason, I had thought it would be a good idea to climb out the window than to open the door.  Unsurprisingly, I misjudged my hoofing, slipped, and fell to the ground with a whump and a groan.  “You were saying?”  I rubbed my sore head, wincing as all I ended up doing was grinding the dirt on my hoof into the new cut.

“You’re obsession with this thing.”  She gestured to the Marauder as I got up.  “It’s actually turned out to be fairly useful, even though I didn’t think so, you turned out to be right.”  My ear perked as her voice faltered, a note of Skyline’s worry coming through for a moment.  I couldn’t help but smile at that.  Here was this tough as nails talon merc, who despite her best efforts, has started to give in to her softer side.  I caught her look at my smile, only making the serious look on her face deepen.  “Backlash, you are my employer, and even though you have my talon contract, I’m done.”

I blinked in confusion.  “Done?  What, like you quit?”  I pressed my hoof to my bleeding wound, trying to think of what Sky was going to say.  If Carlotta quit, she’d have to go back to… where ever it is that she came from.  “Did you at least tell Skyline?”

“She’s the reason I’m done.  We’re too close, and I can’t let her get in the way of my obligations to the contract.  I’m sorry.”  Her eyes were drawn to ED as she came stomping around the perimeter of Futura, giving a light smirk of approval.  “Besides, even with my help, you’ve got her to be your bodyguard and you still nearly get yourself killed.  No, I need to focus on what’s important.”

“Then you are freed from your contract.”  There wasn’t much more that I could say.   I guess she had a point, and that if she thought she was no longer able to protect me to the best of her abilities, then it makes sense that she would want to seek a different contract.  “So, I guess this is goodbye then.”

“Goodbye?  The hell Backlash, I’m not fucking leaving.”  She looked like I had offended her, puffing up her chest as she pointed to behind her.  “Sky is the only one I’ve cared about since I left Van Hoover, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to leave her any time soon.”

Now I’m just straight up confused.  “Then why cancel the contract?”  I tried to think , but all I got in return was a headache.  My guess is that the gears in my head are still a bit worn out from all the earlier use, because right now they aren’t helping me figure out anything.  Carlotta took a step forward as anger flushed over her face.

“Because of that shit you pulled last night!  You may have been right about the car being useful, but what you did is something I can’t stand behind.”  She stepped up, prodding at my chest.  Yeah, I agree that offering up my sister as a reward was something that I shouldn’t have even done, regardless that I had no intention of letting him touch her, but we were out of options.  “I’m not going to sit there and take orders from you when you do that shit.  She means too much to me to let that fucking happen, so, I quit.”  She snorted as she leaned in, her piercing gaze locked on to mine.

“Look, I get it, it shouldn’t have happened.  Nopony else here know’s this like I do, because this has all been my fault.”  I prodded her with my bloody hoof, not even thinking about it until I saw her wince.  “But if that’s how you feel, then you need to take her and go.”  That comment made her blood boil.  “I don’t fucking care if you’re under contract from me or not.  I’m telling you, right now, that you need to take her away from me.  You know I care about her as well, and she’s suffered enough.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”  Carlotta reached back and swung hard, connecting with my muzzle and sending me sprawling to the dirt.  “You say that, but you know she’ll never leave you.  She’d rather suffer and die for you, hell, I still would.  But if you fucking hurt her like that again, if you so much as MENTION something like what you said in that bar, I promise that I will make sure that you will never speak another word again in your life.”

The front door to the house of tomorrow flopped forward comically from it’s hinges, Skyline looking slightly shocked as it slammed into the dirt.  I got to my hooves slowly as she strolled out, stopping with a gasp as I dusted myself off.

“Backlash, you’re bleeding!”  She rushed over, grabbing my head in her hooves and tugging it about, trying to get a better look at it.  “What did you do, Carlotta?”  Her voice had more than a note of annoyance to it.

“She didn’t do anything.  I cut myself when working in the Marauder is all.”  I spoke up, batting Sky’s hooves away.  “Carlotta just came over to tell me she quit her contract to be with you, nothing more.”  I eyed at Carlotta as she watched me closely, relaxing slightly as she figured I wasn’t going to bring anything back up.  “Look, Sky, I’ve been thinking.  With 42 waiting for us at the bridge, and the entirety of the Manehatten Steel Rangers as backup, why don’t you and Carlotta stay at Tenpony for a while and spend some time with Pallet.”  I watched as Sky was about to answer, so I responded by putting my hoof up.  “I don’t want to hear it.  Besides, I’m sure Kontra will let you stay in the same room she lent us before.”

The two looked at each other for a moment, a look of sorrow appeared on Skyline’s muzzle.  “Backlash, Kontra… she died a few days ago, while you were still unconscious.  DJ Pon3 said that there were complications after the birth of their foal, and that she’s gone.”  I sat down hard at the words, the gears in my head spinning as I remembered her fainting spell the first time we met, and the pain she was in after I broke in for Isaac.

“Oh, I see.”  I had already hoped to make a stop at Tenpony on the way in to make sure DJ Pon3 tells everyone to stay away from the Bucklyn bridge, but now it’s just something I must do.  “Well, even so, you should stay there.  At least until the fighting is over.”  I was surprised when Skyline dropped into a hug, holding me tightly.

“We aren’t going to sit back, you know that.”  She pat me on the back and sighed.  “No, I should have been there when this started, so I’m not going to stay back when you end it.  We will do this, all of us together.”

Doppler burst through the doorway to the Multiplex, her bright yellow eyes looking around in a hurry before spotting us.  I pushed Skyline off of me as the bristling antenna’s on her jiggled and whipped about as she galloped towards us.  She skid to a stop a few feet away, panting and prancing on her hooves nervously.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop when I overheard you from my window, but I picked up a distress signal from Tenpony.  The building is in lockdown and the DJ is calling for anypony in the area to assist against the attackers.”  Doppler’s words were full of shame as she spoke.  “I picked it up this afternoon but didn’t think it meant anything seeing as the regular radio programming hasn’t been interrupted.”

“What do you mean?  He’s just calling for help between songs?”  Skyline rubbed at the back of her head as she was just as confused as I was.

“No, the system in the tower is capable of broadcasting on several frequencies and bands at once.  This is barely coming over only Steel Ranger channels this far out, which is really odd.  I mean, why wouldn’t he call for help over the actual radio if they were in trouble?”  She wheezed heavily as her shame poured through her helmet.  “I had no idea you knew him, and so I just thought you’d want to know, please don’t hate me!”  She let out a whine as she shrank to the ground.

“Hate you?  I love you for having that extra equipment!  I’m sure he knew we were with steel rangers, so he’s been trying to find us that way!”  I shouted, looking back at the marauder.  The other pieces of rebar would have to stay, even if it made the damn thing look like a beast of hell.  Maybe the gangers will stay back if they see this thing barreling down the streets, and we can get there fast enough to keep 42 from breaking into the tower.  “Go, get the others.”  I pointed my hoof to the House of tomorrow, watching as she nodded and ran off.  I turned to Sky and Carlotta with a smile.  “We were going there anyway, but this is now a priority, so I feel like trying out a service only Ditzy Doo ever runs.”

“Oh?”  Carlotta crossed her talons with a smirk.  “I didn’t think she had any services that guarantee the personal injury of the courier.  Or insure the destruction of the delivery vehicle, or...”  Sky nudged Carlotta, who just rolled her eyes with a huff.  “What’s the plan?”

“DJ Pon3 ordered a rescue?  Why not settle for express overnight delivery?”  I smiled and watched as both Skyline and Carlotta facehoofed (Yes, I get Carlotta can’t cause she has talons, and I feel very sorry for that disability.)

“Was… that a joke?”  Carlotta smirked as she put her talon down.  “Seriously, that was so painful it’s a wonder that I didn’t lose a leg to it.”  Sky stifled a chuckle from that, drawing my glare.  “Or hell, it’s a miracle that I’m still conscious.  You are the most durable, yet least awake pony I’ve ever known.”

“Oh come on, that’s a low blow!”  I groaned and held up my pipbuck.  “I’ve only lost three, and this one is still my original!”  Sky shook her head and headed towards the Multiplex, Carlotta following after a moment as she just shrugged and turned with a smile.  “Get your shit together, we leave in thirty minutes!”


-----


Due to the shoddy condition of the Marauder, and the fact that the patched tire was literally being held together with my hopes and dreams, I had taken it upon myself to drive the whole way.  It had gone great for the first hour, crossing the dark wastes without little more than a sighting of life.  But stupid me had forgotten that it had been over a month since the first frost, and tonight, the temperature here dipped way below freezing, and the next two hours was a stress test from hell.

If it was the one good thing about my barding was that it had been warm, but seeing as it lasted all of twenty four hours before it was destroyed, I was now freezing my flank off.  The lack of a windshield had stripped the heat from my body bit by bit, and it was getting hard to focus.  So I did the only thing I knew would help keep me thinking straight, and flipped on the radio.

“... other news is that Reports have been coming in that the trade hub of Futura has fallen under siege by those alicorn monstrosities that have been a bane on the wastes for years.  Well, my little ponies, instead of turning tail and running like sensible folk, the good folk there decided to stick it to them and fought back.  I can sense you’re all wondering whether you can cross Futura off you travel maps, but as it turns out, the fighting attracted the attention of our ever present eyes in the sky.  That’s right, the pegasi enclave decided to show up and do some good for once, chasing off the attackers and saving the hub before disappearing back above the cloud cover.  So if you are planning to make a run out there to do some trade, fear not, because Futura isn’t just a memory of the old world yet.”

There was a lot that DJ Pon3 needed to hear when we got back there, starting with the fact that Willow is going to hold off the goddess, and that 42 plans to make her final stand from the Bridge.  I also need to ask if he can call in any big favors to Friendship City so we can take their hydrospark regulator and smash it to bits without too many repercussions.  When this all started, he told me that the resources of the tower were at my disposal.  Well, it’s time to see if I can use them.

“And it looks like we’ve got our first request of the night!  The note here reads, ‘to my very special friend Backlash, can’t stand the thought of another night without you.  With love, Scarlet Letter’.”  Fuck you 42.  I get it, you’re impatient.  “Well, sounds like somepony needs to hurry back and give them a night to remember!  Here’s a song just for you two, it’s Sweetie Bell with ‘We’ll meet again’.”  I shut the radio off angrily, ignoring the groan that Frosted Cakes gave off as we went back to riding again in silence.  42 doesn’t need to remind me what I need to do, she just needs to sit still long enough when I get there for me to shoot her down.

With nothing but the whistling winds of the dark wasteland, and the thrumming of the engine to listen to, I felt like the cold got worse by the minute.  After what seemed like forever, we had barely made it to the still burning remains of the pool before I was shivering so badly that I couldn’t steer anymore.  The others agreed that if we didn’t get me warmed up soon, I probably wouldn’t even make it past Red Wing.

“Thank you.”  I smiled up to Longbow weakly as my pipbuck clicked slowly, my muscles were relaxing more and more by the minute, and I expected us to get out of here soon. She had taken it upon herself to trot me to the remains of the Red Lantern to try to find a blanket amongst the ruins while a small balefire flame in an old barrel warmed me.  Maybe if she couldn’t find anything, I could rest until warm, then we could just take a few to warm up at Red Wing.  I could use the time there to inform them of the Ranger’s need to convert the Pile Driver’s engine to an alcohol one, so Pariah won’t be caught off guard.  That and I should probably inform him of the rangers coming in the first place...

“I had hoped that something would have survived the blast, but I can’t even find a washcloth that’s not entirely burnt up.”  Longbow sounded angry as she spoke, but fortunately it wasn’t directed at me.  I thought about asking about it, but we need to focus on getting to Tenpony.  “How the fuck can she live with herself.”  The anger bled through as it looked like she would answer me on her own.  “She can just walk through a Ranger base without issue, so what is she waiting for?  Why all the theatrics?”  It was a good point, but I already know the answer.

“It’s a game to her, it’s always been.”  I pushed myself up, my muscles feeling nice and hot now.  “And games are no fun to play unless you have somepony to beat.  She wants me to try to win, even with how improbable it seems.”  I could feel my stomach clench up as talking about it was bringing my rage to a boil.  “But, I know I will win.”

“Don’t you fucking say that.”  Longbow poked her head up over a charred pile of wood that used to be the roof.  “Just because she see’s it as a game doesn’t mean it is.  The moment you start treating it that way, you’ve already lost.”  I blinked as the words of wisdom sunk in.  She was right, the stakes were real here, not something I could just shrug away when everything was over.  Why have I been pulled in so deep to start thinking that way?  Was it because 42’s treated it this way all along?  Or have I done it to try to convince myself that the repercussions of my choices have all been justified as long as I kill 42?

“You know, if you’re cold…”  A raspy, unfamiliar voice called from around yet another pile of rubble a few rooms down.  “I have this rug here that might work.”  The green tinted light of a pipbuck shone under the fabric of a large cloth as a dark hoof waved it over the pile the stranger was behind.  As the blanket shifted on their hoof, I could see it wasn’t a pipbuck, rather it was the glowing exposed leg muscles of a ghoul.  The ragged glowing stallion in a torn up labcoat trot out from the remains of one of the other rooms in the hotel, pulling an rotten looking wood cart behind him that was filled with an assortment of items..

“Stop right there!”  Longbow’s voice was calm and controlled as the autoloaders for her rifles whirred and clicked, but I knew she wouldn’t hesitate if the ghoul tried anything.  Thankfully, the stallion did as she asked.

He sat down and raised his hooves in the air.  “Okay, okay!  I'm just trying to help.”  He lowered the hoof holding the rug, holding it out toward me as he gave me a smile.  His tone was genuine about helping us, and his expression (Well, what was left of his face) showed no attempt to deceive us.  “You smooth coats can freeze if you want, but I was under the impression he needed it.”

“Thanks…”  Longbow answered with a high amount of suspicion, levitating the stained cloth over to me.  I quickly bit down on the corner, ignoring the moldy taste as I rolled myself over and wrapped it around my still shivering body.  Longbow relaxed, lowering her weapons as she looked around for a moment.  “What exactly are you doing here?”

“Really?  A pony walking through a ruined wasteland with a cart full of junk and you're wondering what I'm doing here.”  He let out a wheezing laugh that made me wonder if he was trying to force out a lung rather than express amusement.  He turned his head to the rubble pile beside him and began hoofing through it.  “I’m just doing the same as you all, trying to make a living off of the dead.”

“What do you want for it?”  Longbow spoke up with a sigh, sounding like she had finally realized that he wasn’t really a threat.  Her words perked his ears and drew his glowing gaze over, a confused look hung on his face.

“Want for what now?”  He looked almost surprised at his own question.  Maybe Longbow should be on edge, as this ghoul looked as if he could just lose his mind and go feral at any moment.

“For the blanket.  I don’t have much, but I’m grateful.”  She continued as I squinted my one eye at his coat.  I could barely make out the image on it as the symbol for the Ministry of Arcane Sciences, wondering just where he found something like that.  Maybe he’d been in another hub, or some other research facility.

“You can take it for free, consider it a gift from a friend.”  He smiled and was about to turn around before he stopped himself, a (literaly) bright smile formed across his muzzle.  “Funny story actually, a few years back, I met another glowing one quite a bit north from here, she kept going on and on about the importance of friendship.  I didn’t think about it at the start, but it really helped me sort some things out when I was in a bad way.  She encouraged me to help others in the name of friendship as payment, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

He put his hoof on his chin and rubbed it, making the rotten skin around it stretch his gaping open sections of skin in a way that was just too gruesome to look away from.  “Wait, was it few years back?  Or was it a few from now?  Everything gets so jumbled up in here, you know!”  He laughed again, tapping his head before his wheezing devolved into a sharp set of hacks that cause him to spit out a black mass onto the dirt by Longbow.  “Sorry about that, am I rambling?  I'm rambling, aren't I?”

“If I may ask, where did you get the coat from?”  As odd of a ghoul as he seemed to be, with the thought of freezing now out of my mind, my curiosity was killing me.  “Are you from before the war?”

“Yessiree!  Used to work at the Ministry of Arcane Sciences as an administrative assistant!”  He straightened his stance, speaking proudly, his voice faltering at his title.  “Well, I was going to be one, was just a young intern when the bombs fell.”  He shook his head as his tone made it clear that he didn’t enjoy dwelling on the past.  A smile returned as he nodded to us and turned around.  “Good luck to the both of you!  Remember what I was told to tell you, and that is that friendship is magic!”

And with that, he trotted around the corner of the Red Lantern and disappeared into the night.

“Now that I have a blanket, do you want to leave before…”  I started, Longbow cutting me off before I could even finish.

“Before anypony weirder than him show’s up?  Yeah.”  She walked over as her horn flared, her magic picking me up and setting me on her back lightly.  I was truly greatful for the help, and wanted to get his name so I could track him down later and properly thank him, but Tenpony was more important.  “So, I guess that means I’m driving?”

I gave Longbow a smile, happy to be snug as a radbug in my rug, even if it made my coat itchy.  As we left the town, and approached the bridge.  I gave a small sigh and let my vision drop to the rocky road below me.

“Longbow, at the other end of the bridge… do you mind?”  It was the last place I had seen Brass alive.  I just wanted to say my last goodbye from the spot where his life ended.  I didn’t have to look up to know Longbow gave a nod of understanding, trotting softly across the creaking, half burned beams of the bridge that marked the entrance to the graveyard that the pool had become.

She stopped just before where he had died, turning so I could look at the spot.  It’s funny how quickly the wasteland can swallow a pony.  Nothing remained in the spot where he fell, no trace of a stain, no sign that my best friend had ever even been here.  I hated it.  I wanted to build a monument about him, made of the sternest stuff I could find just to show the ponies in the decades to come that Brass Tacks had been one of the finest damn ponies to ever exist, and that the wasteland wasn’t going to just remove every sense of hope and innocence from it.

That’s what I wanted, but that was not what the wasteland was going to allow me to do.  Maybe after I kill 42, I’ll come back and build it.  He deserved more then he got, and he deserves to be known.

“Alright Longbow, lets go.”  I muttered softly, closing my eyes and listening to the howling of the frigid winds.  “We’ve still got a long night’s drive ahead of us.”

As we got back into the car and pulled back onto the road, I leaned against Longbow and gave a yawn.  I did sleep all day, but I might as well get in a quick nap while we drove.  I regret not taking one back at Ranger HQ, so why not take advantage of my free time at this moment?  Before I closed my eyes, the gears in my head spun up, throwing out the idea of listening to the last audiolog on my pipbuck.  I might as well, seeing as I still hadn’t switched the fuses back.  So with a quick flinch, I slipped into S.A.T.S. and the world around me ground to a halt.

I selected the audiolog with my thoughts and played it, listening as it crackled softly before the voice of Twilight Sparkle came through it.

“Ministry of Arcane Sciences Chief Twilight Sparkle project log 32 - Project Golem final project status report.

With no data pointing to just what in the cloning process went wrong, too high of risk to the well being of the staff to attempt to repeat the experiment, and the trouble that subject 42 has given us, I am shuttering the project as of today.  This log will contain my personal thoughts on the program for later reference.

I am disappointed that I could not help ease the burden of those fighting on the front lines with this project, but an idea that Fluttershy brought up the other day may have rendered this program obsolete altogether.

Part of me is glad to see that subject 42 destabilized as fast as she did.  If this kind of mental degradation had taken longer to show up, then there is no telling what kind of disaster this project could have turned out to be.  That said, I do have one final point of data to log.  In attempting to recall subject 42 back into the mirror pond, my spell appeared to have no affect on her, leading me to believe that the magic in the process was so cohesive, that she simply cannot be broken down and sent back.  I wouldn’t go so far as to call her a real pony, but she is definitely not a basic clone like the others.

Killing the subject would be a waste, as after the war I might like to revisit the project to devise just what went wrong, and if 42 can be rehabilitated then there is a hope she could become a productive member of pony society.   I offered to Store her at the newly completed East Orchard, but Pinkie refused, telling me that she has a place in mind that will keep her locked away, but I am not sure what kind of place she has in mind.  I’ll have to make sure she shows me next time I’m in manehatten with a schedual opening.

On a related note, subject 42’s last words before being sedated for transport was that she ‘would rise after the fall of equestria to raise an army to conquer the world’.  As unlikely as it may seem, thousand year prophecies became a surprisingly bad problem for us all not too many years ago.  For this reason, I am sealing the Mirror Pond inside of it’s transport containers, and then sealing those inside of a protective casing of quartz not unlike the ones to absorb any magical energy a control console might give off that would be harmful.  This should assure that I am the only one to know of it’s location.  It cannot fall into the wrong hooves under any circumstances.

For now, my next project is to help get Pinkie set up with her pinkie sense expansion idea.  She and Zecora have brewed up what they say could be a mental function enhancing powder that they want me too take a look at.  My next audiolog will be the start of that project.

Project Golem is now officially closed.  End of final report.”

As the log ended with a click, I thought to cancel S.A.T.S., slowly returning back to real time.  A few things in the log troubled me.  The first was that she mentioned another pony had a program that was worse than this one, and that it was suggested by the one who the museums told me had thought up the megaspells in the first place.

Wait, or was it the megaspells that Twilight was talking about?  I don’t know, nor do I care to get involved with anything else prewar from ANY of the ministries.  One psychotic abomination was already one too many for my lifetime, no need to go awakening any more.  The other thing that troubled me, was that I still had no idea where the pond was or how to destroy it.

I let out another yawn, shutting my eyes slowly as we cruised along the dark wastes.  I just need to focus on killing 42, because once she’s dead, I can find the pool. But, before anything else tonight, I’m going to need a quick nap.


-----


As most of my ideas the last month have been, falling asleep turned out to be a really bad idea.  I awoke to the sound of gunshots pinging off the marauder before the engine over-revved and I was suddenly thrown airborne.  I barely had enough time to register the sound of the Marauder rolling over and crashing before I slammed into the dirt, my warm rug twisted up tightly enough that it kept my legs from being broken as I rolled.

“Woo!  That’s how you fucking kill some ponies!”  I didn’t recognize the voices that filled my ear’s, but as I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at the east face of Tenpony, where the sun was brightening from the edge of the horizon.  The heavy groan of my poor car as it was pushed over made me wonder if Skyline and the others were alright, but the immediate surge of gunfire that erupted from the crash made me glad that they had been wearing their cheater armor.  Though, Carlotta hadn’t had any...  Shit.

I groaned and got to my hooves, shaking my dizzyness off before feeling like somepony yanked my tail and pulled me to the ground.  I panicked as I was dragged away from my rug and pulled up against the rusting hulk of a skycharriot.

“You moron.  Don’t go standing up without a gun.”  Carlotta’s voice was furious as she pulled my saddlebag open.  “Here, take this, now kill them all.”  She handed me one of the twins, taking the other for herself and trying to figure the best way to use it in her talons, before pulling herself up the wreck to fire a few shots over it.  I bit down on the gun I was given and pushed myself up, spotting the group attacking us, and presumably had locked down Tenpony.

It was a fairly well known gang from the north end of manehatten, zebra supremacists who made anypony who wanted to join bleach their coat and have stripes permanently burned onto them.  Funny thing, was that I had never seen an actual zebra in their ranks, that is until today.

“We do not get paid to die.  You are zebra, you fight like zebra, and you get paid to win!”  The zebra speaking moved like none I had seen before, effortlessly dodging every rocket, grenade round, and burst of fire the rangers laid down.  If that’s an experienced zebra fighter, I’m glad I’ve never actually found myself in a fight with Xin!  I ground around the bit of the gun in my muzzle, taking my time to try to get a shot lined up, finally pulling the trigger.

The hammer fell on an empty cylinder as I realized that I hadn’t reloaded it since the fight when we were leaving manehatten.    As though some sort of divine pardon for my lack of ammo, the Zebra leader exploded into bloody ribbons, the gauss rounds that punched through him spread his bits onto the others around him.  The sudden meat spray, and lack of continued speech, caused a few of his comrades to stop and look, consequently allowing the Rangers to mow through them.  The fighting was over in another few seconds, as the last of the gangers who had any intelligence hit the dirt and threw their weapons down.

“Clear!”  Maple shouted, strutting out from behind the crumpled form of my car.  Now that I had a second to survey the scene, I could see just how many had been keeping the tower at bay, as there were at least fifty striped bodies around.  I turned my gaze back to where the Marauder lay, wanting to feel angry that it had been totaled, but as Longbow dipped around the side and looked over to me, I couldn’t help but feel like nothing else mattered but her.  I trotted over to her and threw my hooves around her in a tight hug.  Maple cleared his throat as he trotted up to one of the surrendered zebra mares.  Or, should I still call her a pony?

“Savages.”  Maple’s voice was instantly filled with the pompous attitude he had lacked since leaving Ranger HQ.  Frosted Cakes trotted over and stomped on the smg that lay next to another surrendering stallion.  “Frosty, can you honestly believe that a pony could be so idiotic as to think they could take on a squad of civilized rangers and win?”

“No sir, but they can’t be all that stupid.”  She trotted around to one of the other guns laying on the ground and smashed it with her hooves.  “They surrendered, didn’t they?”

“I do believe you have a point…regardless, follow protocol and gather them all up.  They can be overly violent with each other if they still want to fight.”  He turned toward me and gripped at his helmet, taking it off and flashing a smile to me.  “Oh, and if anyone gets pushy with you, just… you know... shoot them.”

“Shoot them, sir?”  Frosted asked with a tone of heavy uncertainty.  A tone I would have shared, seeing as that seemed to just contradict everything he just said.  She huffed and rolled her eyes as the few survivors got the hint and huddled up.  “I thought we were the civil ones.”

“Then shoot them politely.”  He sighed and continued over, stopping as the screech of talons on metal made everypony shiver.  “We’ve already given them much more mercy than they'd have given us.”

“Politely shooting gangers makes the difference between ‘civilized’ and not?”  Skyline’s snarkiness was a warm welcome to my ears.  Another gunfight finished, and my family was safe.  Sky put her hooves to her cheeks and feigned shock.  “I’ve been going about killing bad ponies wrong all these years, oh Luna forgive me!”  Sky flopped back onto the rusted chariot behind her, looking back over it to where Carlotta was.  Then she turned pale.  “Suture, get over here NOW!”  Skyline called out as she ducked behind the car we used for cover.  Carlotta screamed out as the rest of us ran over, Skyline hoofing at Carlotta’s rear right leg, which was off center and twisted almost backwards.  “Now for the other one.  One… Two…”

“JUST FUCKING…!”  Carlotta let out another scream as Skyline pulled her broken leg into alignment, the jutting piece of bone that stuck from her knee didn’t slip back in, instead shifting just enough to let a fresh line of blood pulse down into the dirt.  Suture pushed past us, barking orders to Skyline, but I had stopped hearing things in the world around me.  Which was odd, seeing as it wasn’t the only thing that had stopped.  Why couldn’t I feel anything anymore?

I screamed out, pain washing over me in an instant as it had before when inside the orchard.  Immediately, I lost focus on everything, able to do nothing other than feel like my body was being immolated slowly from the inside out.  I had shrugged off the other injuries I’ve gotten recently because they weren’t that bad compared to what I felt as my body mutated.  Hell, even having to remove my rear legs had been better than this, purely for the fact that I could pass out.

I clenched my eye shut, as even the tears coming from it felt like they were made of jagged glass.  My legs had locked themselves, even as they burned, my mind had made sure I didn’t fall over, knowing that it would feel that much worse.  An odd burning churned inside of me, feeling like the bubbling I had felt after being saved with the Hydra.  My eye shot open as the feeling spiked against my chest, making my muscles spasm, pain exploding from my forelegs and making me drop down.  The added pain didn’t take away from the bubbling moving up my throat, the pressure making me release a gurgling scream before I puked out gobs of half liquid, half coagulated blood.

As I lived through the hell that had engulfed my body, the one thing that gave me peace was the view of Longbow standing over me.  But while my vision started to fade, and my body started to lose feeling, I couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t fair.  Everything had just started to go my way, and I couldn’t afford to die without having killed 42.  At the very least, maybe I’ll wake up with a few of those superpowers P.I.N.K. had joked about, that is, if I woke up at all.


-----


I opened my eyes slowly as I heard the dulled electronic humming of some piece of equipment nearby, the stinging pain of whatever the hell happened to me was now gone.  The bright lights of Tenpony infirmary met my eyes and the pipbuck’s clock in my vision told me that it was 9 am.  My good ear picked up the light scribbles of a pen on a clipboard as I tried to turn my head to see who it was.  That was a bad idea, as the second I even turned my head to look, the world became a spinning light show of blurs and colors.

“Woah there Backlash, you need to stay down.”  It was Dr. Fitz, which was odd, seeing as I thought he’d be out getting that supply cache I directed him too.  “I told you to remember to keep taking rad away, but you just seem so determined to die by radiation poisoning, I don’t even know why I bother saving you anymore.”  The world reoriented itself as he stepped up beside my bed, tightening the straps holding me down in place.  “Actually, the only reason I agreed to it this time was because it seems like you’ve had another taint mutation.  You’re the only case that I think anyones ever seen that’s survived two.  Quite lucky to be alive at all if you ask me.”

“It didn’t feel like I was lucky while it was happening.”  I could tell I was speaking with slurred words.  I licked my lips for a moment, tasting the sharp tang of vodka on it, smirking as I realized that alcohol induced numbness was a great alternative to Med-X.  “So, what happened this time?  Did I get super powers?”

He sighed, his expression looked heavily forlorn.  “Backlash, there’s no easy way to tell you this, but you have cancer.”

Ok, that’s… kind of scary.  “Oh, I… I see.  Well, you can treat it, right?  I mean, some cancers are removable as well, right?”  Yeah, but I just don’t have that kind of luck.  I know it’s bad, it’s just a question of how bad.  “Or is it one of the ones you don’t get better from?”

“Backlash, do you know what makes Hydra so effective?  It flows through your bloodstream and stimulates growth of new cells around the traumatized area, a sort of localized cancer.”  He shook his head, looking over the clipboard.  “The problem is that the mutation used the hydra as it's fuel, amplifying the cell generating process wherever it sat.  Since your entire body has been in such bad condition…”  He gave me a moment to let that soak in.

“So I’m pretty much a dead stallion walking.”  I sighed and closed my eyes.  “Don’t sugar coat it, I know that I have a limited amount of time left.”  I let out a chuckle and I thought to myself that this is what it’s come down to.  “How long?”

“Six months with meds.”  Fuck.  “If I could get to that auto-doc you mentioned, I could guarantee at least a few years, but I know you have to go and stop that mare first.  There's no sense in me telling you to stay here and rest when I know you'll just head out anyway.  So go.”  I could tell this was a whole lot harder for him to say than it has been for me to hear, and he honestly didn't believe that I'd make it.  If I don’t stop 42, I get to live long enough to either have her kill me, or watch as she tears apart the wasteland.  Or, I kill 42, and get to spend my last few months or years with my family and friends.

“Ahh, it not so bad then Doc.”  I opened my eyes and smiled up to him.  “I’m a tough customer, maybe I’ll just get over it.”   That was the biggest joke of my life, I’m sure of it, but as he stifled a laugh through his sad eyes, I wasn’t so sure if I had told it to help him get through it, or if it was infact more for myself.  “Do the others know?”

He shook his head.  “I believe in doctor patient confidentiality, and why I’ve been casting this muting spell over us.”  His horn dropped the flair I hadn’t noticed it was giving and the off tone of the walls returned to their normal, non-spell covered look.  He gave me a pleading look.  “The others should know of your condition, but if you don’t want them to know, then I won’t tell them.”

“Please keep this our secret for now, seeing as they’ve been through a lot throughout the last few days.”  The doctor’s magic undid the straps as I spoke, allowing me to sit up before he raised the bed’s back to allow me to lay upright.  “Just… do me a favor and get that auto-doc.  I’ll hold on as long as it takes for you to save my flank yet again.”  My words made him laugh, giving me a nod before turning his head toward the door.  The sound of his magic unlatching it was shortly followed by a wave of ponies falling in, tumbling over each other as they had presumably been pressed together trying to eavesdrop.

“Hey guys.”  I smiled as they picked themselves off the floor, hoping that any look of worry I had would be misconstrued due to my half burnt face, or the alcohol in my system.  “How’s Carlotta?”  Even the rangers were here, well, two were missing.  Frosty and Fruit Cup were the only ones absent as everypony crowded around my bed while I dizzily looked over them.

“She’s doing alright.”  Skyline’s voice sounded ragged and tired, her words were full of the kind of pain I wouldn’t even trade the mutations for.  Even though she almost lost the only two she’s ever loved tonight, she still forced a smile and hugged me.  “Once Suture set all her fractures, and stemmed the bleeding with some healing potions, he rigged her up in this crazy sling contraption.  Said she’ll need to be there until he can either get some Hydra, or her bones heal naturally.”

“I’m sure she’ll want the hydra.  Bones can take months to heal on their own.”  Longbow spoke as she stepped up to the side of my bed, leaning in close and giving me a soft kiss on my forehead.  “But, how are you?  Doc said it was a taint mutation, but wasn’t sure what one it would be until he could ask you a few questions.”

“Looks like I’ve got more acid blood.”  I chuckled, receiving an unamused look from her.  “No, seriously!  It’s like a roll of the die every time, and I guess I happened to get it again or something!  So it’s extra strength now, please, don’t worry.  I’m fine.  Just, don’t even get near my blood.”  And that was the biggest lie I’d ever tell anypony in my life.  From the look on Sky’s face, only the hint of doubt was prevalent, but just to be sure, it’s time for me to change the subject.  “Hey, where’s Frosty and Fruit Cup?”

That got a groan from Maple.  “She thought she could get your car repaired a bit while you were getting checked over.  Fruit is also trying to help, but I’m pretty sure even if he had his other forehoof, it’s still a lost cause.”  He rolled his eyes and shook his head.  Even though his words were truthful, he did have an approving tone to it.  “That hunk of junk’s more liable to explode than help us further.”

“Hey, don’t talk about my baby like that.”  I frowned and shakily raised my hoof to the door.  “Okay, she won't be winning any ribbons for beauty, but she's still solid.  A car like that?  She'll take you wherever you need to go until the day you die.”

“Cause it's a deathtrap.”  Skyline commented with a smirk and stepped back from the bed with an unassuming whistle.  I groaned and shut my eyes, sitting for a moment before there was a knock at the door.  I blinked and watched as the ponies before me separated, revealing DJ Pon3 standing there.

“Mind if I talk to Mr. Backlash alone?”  His voice was soft, and full of both anger and profound sadness.  Nopony said a word as they shuffled out of the room, Dr. Fitz shutting the door as he walked through it.  His horn flared as his magic enveloped us in a bubble, most likely the same muffling spell that the Doc had.  “First off, how bad is it?  And don’t lie to me, I only want to hear the truth.”

“It’s bad.  Doc says I’ve got six months.”  I shook my head lightly, watching as that didn’t even phase him.  “It won’t matter though.”  That got his ears to perk a bit.  “I’m sure you know about 42 by now.  The thing is, I know what she’s after now.”

DJ Pon3 cocked an eyebrow.  “Oh?  And what would that be?”  He sat down, levitating a cloth out and cleaning his glasses off.  “I thought she was after the pond.”

“She still is, but she needs a mechanical component to run the cloning machine.”  I tossed the blanket that was covering me off,  pushing myself off the table and onto my hooves.  Pain spiked through my extremities for a moment, the alcohol in my system had been burning off quick.  “There’s only one working one left that I know of in the wasteland, and you’re not going to like where it is.”

“Let me guess, it’s here.”  He smirked, shaking his head as he put the glasses back on.

“No, it’s worse.  It’s under Friendship City.”  My words made his coat go paler than it already was.  I could tell that he was thinking of warning them, maybe planning on evacuating the population, but I couldn't let him.  “I need you to do something for me, and it’s not going to be fun.  First, I need you to contact Ditsy Doo however you can, and get her to come here with a skycart.  Next, I need you to contact whatever pony is in charge over in Friendship city and inform them, politely if possible, that I need to smash their tidal generator to bits.”
> Chapter 22 - Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 22

“She thinks I can't handle things on my own!?  Maybe because I haven't handled things on my own...“

-----


Brass is dead thanks to you…  Skylines words echoed in my mind as I pushed the carrots on my plate around.  You get to live with it Backlash, for the rest of your fucking life!

Six months.  That’s all the rest of my life might come down to mean.

“Is there something wrong, Mr. Lash?”  Sourdough asked me, showing more concern than he had needed to over me.  As it turns out, he was the proper pony who I had traded my shop to for the gems that saved Isaac.  He owned and operated the bakery that would have been next door to my shop, had I opened it, instead using my gift to expand his shop.  “Is your meal not to your satisfaction?

“You can just call me Backlash.”  I smiled and pushed my plate back, looking up to him.  “And no, there is nothing wrong.  I’m just thinking about things.”

“Ah!  I know that look well!”  He sounded delighted, which was slightly puzzling.  He leaned forward and cupped his chin with a hoof, cocking he eyebrow.  “Thinking of a special somepony?”  I felt a blush flush across my face as the night Longbow and I spent together flashed through my mind.  “Hah!  That you are!”

I chuckled nervously, shrugging.  “Yup, you got me!”  I rubbed at my empty eye socket, the patch that Dr. Fitz had given me made it itch like nothing else.  I glanced over at the window, wondering just what Longbow was up to right now.  We had been given the night to rest, seeing as Ditzy wouldn’t be showing up until morning, and Longbow had disappeared shortly after Sourdough offered to buy me lunch.

“Wondering what she’s gotten herself up to?”  His smooth tone was so solid, not even a hint that it was a guess.

“How did you…?”  I scrunched up my muzzle looked at his wide smile, a deep laugh roaring out from him as the entirety of the restaurant around us turned their attentions to us.

“Oh, because I’ve been there myself once or twice.”  He wiped the joyous tear from his eye before straightening himself out again.  “My wife, Twist Tie, was the most beautiful mare I had ever laid eyes on.  Why, the night we met, I felt like we had been destined to be together forever.  I was no more than just a foolish young stallion at the time, and I had no idea what she saw in somepony like me.”

“That’s pretty much how I felt with Longbow.”  I smiled and shook my head.  “She is like no other mare I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, what adventures we’d had.  Running around the wasteland, making a living however we could.  But we always had each other.”  His gaze softened, staring past me as he reminisced in his mind.  His smile dipped off, slowly at first, but noticeable enough that I knew where this was going.  “Five years.  That’s all we had before last winter.”

I kept silent, not wanting to ask what happened.  I don’t want to pry, even if my curiosity clawed at the back of my mind constantly.  All I could manage was, “I’m sorry.”

“No, no.  It’s quite alright.  Her only regret was that she won’t get to see the girls grow up.”  He pushed his plate away from him, having lost his appetite it seems as well.  “My only regret is that they will grow up without knowing who their mother was.”

“Thank you for the meal.”  I forced a smile, knowing full well that both of our moods had dipped into territory that polite conversation could not fix.

“Thank you as well, for your generous donation of your shop space.  It’s my hope that one day Sunny Bun or Cinnabun will take over the bakery from me.  Your space will go a long way in helping secure my families place here in the tower.”  He returned his own forced smile, nodding as he got to his hooves.  “Until next time, Backlash.”

“Until then.”  I replied softly, watching as he turned and head out the door.  I sighed and pushed myself up, walking to the door of the restaurant.  I could see the weary gazes of the other diners glaring at me in disgust now that my dining partner had departed.  Somewhere deep inside, I wanted to get angry at them.  To yell at them, flip their tables, and stomp their bodies until they looked worse than I even did.  In my mind, the echo of 42’s laughter resonated as I tried to bury that thought.  Even in the silence of my own thoughts, she persisted in trying to tear me down.

I opened the door and headed out into the main hall, finding Skyline was resting back against the wall next to the restaurant.  She looked up as I stopped at looked over her, the tired look she held told me that she hadn’t slept since yesterday, but the look of determination made me know that she had no intention of sleeping until whatever was on her mind was settled.  She pushed herself up and walked over to me, not even flying like normal.  She was worried about me again.

“It’s cancer.”  I spoke, guessing at to what she wanted to know.  The look of shock, horror, and sadness that ran across her face told me that I had guessed correctly.  “Doc says I’ve got six-.”

I was interrupted as she threw her hooves around me, squeezing me tightly as she sobbed into my chest heavily.  I put my forehooves around her, using them to comb through her messy mane.  I didn’t know what to do.  How can I comfort her when she knows that I won’t be around much longer?  How do I go about telling everypony else that this is it.  That after dealing with 42, things won’t just go back to normal.  Skyline prodded me with her hoof as she looked up at me, as sad as I’ve ever seen her.

“You… you promised you’d never leave again!”  With everything that I had put her through.  With as hard as she had to fight to keep from losing me.  I could tell she was on the verge of just giving up.  She sniffled as her eyes darted about in thought.  “There has to be some way… something that can help.”  She gave me a small smile that I could tell she was pouring all her strength into making.  “Right?  We’ll find something somewhere.”

There was no point in trying to lie to her, and from my silence, she knew I wouldn’t even try.  As much as she wanted that lie now, that was not something that would be able to help her.

“It’s alright.”  I finally mustered up the strength to speak.  “Six months is a long time.”  I continued to brush at her mane, shifting my gaze away from her.  “Besides, you’ll still have Carlotta.  And you’ll have Pallet as well.  She’ll need a pegasus to help raise her you know.”

“I just want my brother.”  She spoke softly, burying her muzzle into my neck.  I pulled her close and lowered myself to the floor as I felt her sink down, sitting on the cold stone as she wailed into me.  It was an amazing spectacle to see other ponies walking through the shops, trotting past us happily with little regard for the gravity of what Skyline felt.  But this was the wasteland, and sorrow was a stranger to no pony.  After a few minutes, her sobs bled off into silence.

“Come on Sky, let’s get you up to bed.  We can talk about it more tomorrow.”  I brushed her mane from her face softly, mercifully getting a small nod as her teary eyes wavered.  “Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine, you’ll see.”  I whispered softly as we got to our hooves, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead as we started slowly toward the elevators.  “Everything will be just fine.”


-----


I spent an hour sitting outside the room Skyline was put up in, listening as she cried herself to sleep.  Of everything that I’ve ever had to do in my life, forcing myself to stay and listen was the hardest.  The fact that she was about to lose the only family she’s known after she left hers, was something I couldn’t even pretend to understand.  I know that I can’t screw this up now.

The silence that fell through the hallway told me that it was time to go, and as I rose to my hooves, I thought about what I would need to do to take 42 down.  The Bucklyn bridge was an odd place for a final stand.  I don’t know much about tactics, but I know that to put yourself in a position where you could be attacked from two sides was probably a bad one.  I know that 42 wants me to look at it like she screwed up, like it’s something I should take advantage of, but there has to be more to it than just that.  I hoofed at the elevator panel, thinking to myself about any way 42 could use the bridge to her advantage.  The elevator door opened with a ding, an unarmored Longbow stood inside and smiled as she saw me.

“Oh, I was just coming to find you.  The DJ asked if I could meet with him and talk more about cooperating with the Rangers.”  From what I could observe, she knew that I wasn’t holding up so well, but didn’t seem to want to mention it.  “Would you like to go with me?”  Actually, she didn’t look like she was holding up so well either.

I gave her a small smile as I stepped into the elevator, leaning close to her as the doors shut behind me.  Maybe when my fight with 42 is all over, Longbow and I can just spend some time here in peace and quiet.  Though I don’t want to stop running the Sunshine Garage, I’m sure that Skyline can find a few good teams of ponies to help, of course already counting in Ripcord as the first new hire.  As the elevator hummed, and I could feel as we started to ascend, Longbow gave me a concerned look.

“Backlash, when you were talking with the DJ after you woke up, Skyline expressed concern that you might have lied about your mutation.”  She frowned as I did my best to now avoid her gaze.  “Is… is that true?”

There is little point in lying to her, because at this point, if she loves me as much as I think she does, her concern will cause her to just look through my memories again and find out what really happened.  I can’t avoid it, and have to tell her the truth.  Even if it still scared me half to death to hear the words out loud.

“I’m fine.”  Nailed it.  Now she know’s you’re lying.  “Sky wasn’t wrong.  I didn’t tell you the full extent of what happened, but it’s not severe enough to affect my chances of stopping 42.”  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing the statue in the foyer on DJ Pon3’s level.  “My mutation can wait until after this is all over.”

“So, whatever it is, it’s treatable?”  There was a glimmer of hope in her voice, and I so badly wanted to hear it in my own.

“Doc says he can help me, yes.”  I watched her face brighten as she pressed against me, trotting out of the elevator.  As I followed, I listened to my own words as they echoed in my head.  No, there was no hope in them.  I knew I had it bad, but that was just me.  I know that I can stop 42, that way at least the wasteland can have the hope I so desperately want.

“Ah, Backlash, I put in my call to Friendship City.”  DJ Pon3 called out as he trotted into the room, a clear tone of resolve forming the foundations of his words.  “Their main technician says it could take a few days to disconnect everything safely in order to not fry any chance at restarting the grid some other way, but I pulled in a few favors and got them to agree to hoof it over to you.”

“And what about Ditzy?”  This was one thing I needed.  If I could deliver the weapons I promised to Strudel, there might be a snowballs chance that I could convince her to fight for me at the bridge.  If she needed more than I gave, well, I have the entirety of the the M.o.M. hub bunker to use as incentive.

“She has sent back that she will indeed arrive tomorrow morning.”  He let out a sorrowful sigh as he continued trotting past us, hoofing at the door across where he came from, but stopping just short of opening it.  His horn glowed as he removed the glasses he wore, levitating a small cloth to them and glancing back over to us.  The bags that hung under his eyes were worse than both Sky’s and Longbows were, his expression running even more ragged than I thought a pony’s could.  “Sorry Miss Longbow, but we will have to discuss this at another time.  My son requires my attention.”

“Hold up there.  Are you taking care of him by yourself?”  I probably could have phrased that better, and even though I could see his anger form from my careless words, he was too tired to act on it.  “If you need help…”

“I’m quite fine on my own without your help.”  He barked sharply, slowly realizing that he too hadn’t thought through what he was saying.  “I’m… I’m sorry.  It’s just been so tough since Kontra…”

“Yeah.  I know.”  I looked over to Longbow.  It had only been a few days since I recovered from the pool.  Only a couple of days since I learned my best friend had died.  Now?  I had watched sorbet and her bunker die, saved Futura, saved Tenpony, and have another mutation.  “The only way I’ve lasted this long, is with the help I’ve had.  You need somepony here to help you now as well.”

He took a step back from the door, sitting down and dropping his gaze to the floor as I could tell he was tearing himself up inside.

“Listen, you remember that family that you let stay in my room?  Tumble is mother to twins, and I know she might be able to help you with your son.”  I reached back and hoofed at the elevator call button.  “I’ll stop by and see if she’d be willing to watch over him, that is, if you’d like that.”

“Thank you, Backlash.”  He smiled and put his glasses back on, only masking the pain of loss he still held in his eyes.  “I would be grateful if you could.”  The elevator dinged open again, Longbow and I turned back to step in before he spoke up.  “Oh, and one last thing.”  I perked my ear and looked back as Longbow held the door open.  “I got a transmission the other day I wasn’t expecting from a good friend.  She told me that if I ever met a crazed, half burnt stallion out there, to inform him that the next episode of her radio play would be done soon.”

“Give her my thanks.”  I smiled at that, entering the elevator and hitting the number four button, bringing us to the shopkeepers residence floor.  It was time I see how Dipstick and his family were doing.


-----


After getting things settled, both Longbow and I agreed that we could use some sleep.  Though Longbow sent me off to bed alone, she had promised me that she would follow just as soon as she discussed plans with Maple so he could get things rolling with Strudel.  Even without having to tell her, I think she arrived to the same conclusion that I did, knowing that having the rangers back us up at the bridge would be in our best interest.  But, as it had been the last few days, my sleep seemed to be dreamless.

I awoke when I heard the door to the bedroom open, the heavy yawn of Longbow entering made me stretch my legs and smile, knowing that she’d finally come inside.  I opened my eye to greet her, finding that the clock in my pipbuck read that it was now eight in the morning.

“Are you just getting in?”  I was mumbling, using all of my focus to make sure I got the actual words out of my muzzle at all.

“Yes… no...” She looked around lazily before letting out another yawn.  “I had a nap earlier after we got back from base.”

That snapped my mind awake.  “Base?  What base?”

“Maple and I walked back to Alpha to talk with Strudel.  Cause Maple makes me hungry.”  She wobbled her way into the bathroom, barely standing on her hooves as she slurred her speech.  I struggled to untangle myself from the bedsheets as she caught herself when she misstepped.

“You shouldn’t have gone, you need rest.”  I finally freed myself and quickly made my way to her, reaching her just in time to have her collapse.  “Longbow!”  I brushed her mane from her face as I started to panic.  “Longbow, please wake up!”  I tapped her cheek lightly until she shuddered and blinked groggily, looking up to me with a confused look.

“Hey, when did you wake up?”  She smiled, her words sounding as if she wasn’t even paying attention to what was around her.  “It’s time for the cat with the salad, isn’t it?”

“That’s it, I’m taking you down to Dr. Fitz.”  I wedged myself under her, shimmying her onto my back before turning and heading for the door.  I did my best to canter towards the elevator without having her fall off, but Longbow wasn’t moving much, seeming to become more and more out of it by the moment.

I mashed at the elevator call button for as long as it took the metal box to arrive, quickly getting in as the doors opened.  I turned around and repeated my button mashing performance on the lobby key, hoping that my quick taps would somehow make the machine realize that it needed to go faster.  From the point when the elevator stopped, to when to doors slid open enough for me to get through, an eternity of time seemed to pass.  What they needed was a better maintenance mare around here to keep this piece of shit running.  The thought of volunteering for the job after I killed 42 momentarily crossed my mind, but then I shuffled it back into the ‘care about later’ section in my brain until Longbow was alright.

I weaved my way through the dozen or so ponies that were walking through the halls at this time in the morning, annoyed to find that for some reason, they all lined up perfectly at their various paces to get in between me and the clinic.  I didn’t even bother with telling them to move, knowing that it wouldn’t be effective, and instead used my considerable weight to barrel right through them.  I finally hooked my hoof around the office door as I panted heavily, throwing myself inside.

“Doc!  Longbow need’s help!”  I screamed out, the sudden burst of activity making him toss some papers in his magic into the air.  I didn’t even wait for instructions before laying Longbow as softly as I could down onto the examination table, backing up as I listened to her breath softly.

“What seems to be the problem?”   He came out of his office and levitated his stethoscope from the nearby counter.

“She came into the bedroom looking woozy and barely able to stand.”  My heart pounded against my rib cage and my legs wobbled as I stared at her, praying to the goddesses that she would be alright.  “Then she started speaking gibberish and collapsed.”  I hoofed at his face and pressed my forehead against him to make sure he was paying attention.  “You’ve got to help her!”

He roughly pushed me back and pointed his hoof to the door.  “I will do everything I can to find what’s wrong, but you need to sit outside.”  He adjusted the labcoat he was wearing and levitated the stethoscope up to his his ears.  Turning back towards her, he waved his hoof for me to go, pressing the listening piece to Longbow’s side.  He stopped and looked at me expectantly.  “Unless you’ve become a medical expert overnight, I need you to leave me to work.”

I nodded and left, shutting the door without another word and sitting myself back against the wall next to it.  A whole lot of bad raced through my mind as I sat against the wall, a minute turned into a few, and a few turned into almost an hour.  Had she been exposed to taint as well?  Did she have radiation sickness?  Celestia, please, don’t take Longbow from me!  My ear tweaked as I the door jostled and swung open, Dr. Fitz poked his head out and motioned for me to come inside.  I didn’t need a second invitation, and burst past him into the room as I was ready to do whatever was needed to help the mare I loved.

What I found, was Longbow laying awake on the examination table with a smile.  Tears of… joy were welling up in her eyes.

“Mrs. Longbow’s problem seemed to be a mix of fatigue and dehydration.  Another day of rest with plenty of fluids and she should be back on her hooves in no time at all.”  He turned to Longbow with a light sigh.  “Though, even though my advice always seems to fall on deaf ears.”  He glanced at me abruptly before continuing.  “I would advise that just to be sure, she takes the next year off.”

That made me shake my head.  “A year’s rest from some dehydration and lack of sleep for the last few days?”  I looked over the doctor for any sign that he hit his head a bit too hard.  “You wonder why no pony listens to you.”

“Oh, I know you’ve been doing your share of… sleeping, the last few days.”  The emphasis he put on that word, the happy tone behind it.  He turned and looked over to Longbow.  “Would you like to tell him?”  Longbow nodded with a laugh as the gears in my head threw out what she told me at the exact same time.

“Backlash?”  I could hear every emotion possible stream from her voice, but as she spoke out, the tone that came through the heaviest, was love.  “You’re going to be a father.”

“I… uh… you, when?”  I stood there looking every part the fool as everything ground to a halt in my head.  My body finally took over before my mind caught up, galloping up to her and throwing my hooves around her tightly.  Warm tears rolled down my cheeks as she laughed and pat me on the back.  I pushed her back down onto the table and kissed her, finding it hard to do when both participants are smiling.

I broke off as the gears in my mind worked overtime to catch up.  “Oh, goddesses!  I have to tell Sky!  Shit, where are we going to put her? HIM!?”  I looked back at the Doc as he just chuckled to himself.  “Do you know what it’s going to be?  Nevermind, don’t answer that, I’ll love them either way.”  I looked back at longbow and continued my idiotic ramblings.  “Is this even a good idea?  Fuck, your mother is going to kill me…”

I was interrupted as Longbow hooked a hoof around me and yanked me down into another heated kiss, making my tense body and racing mind melt into her warm embrace.  The gears in my head turned, analyzing my rambling and finding something that I hadn’t been expecting.  I had hope in my voice again.  I had something I could strive for that went past just surviving in the wastes now, and I didn’t just want to live to see our foal, I had to.  No matter what treatment I needed, it would be worth it to see Longbow with our colt or filly.

The Doc tapped his hoof on the floor and cleared his throat.  "Though, I'll be the first to congratulate you, I would like to remind you that Longbow needs her rest."  He nudged his head in the direction of the door, his horn glowing lightly as he levitated a bottle over to me  "She will be perfectly fine in my care, but Carlotta needs to take two of these.  Can you please go and give them to her?"

"Sure thing Doc.  And thank you."  I beamed the brightest smile I'd given in days to him.  "For everything you've done."


-----


As I entered the small office that the Doc had set up as a temporary resting room, I realized Skyline wasn’t kidding when she said that Carlotta was strung up looking ridiculous.  An old Prewar engine jack had been used as a the base of a system of pulleys to keep her casted legs raised up, but it put her in a very… compromising position on her back.  It took everything I had to stop at only smiling.

“Yeah yeah, get it out while you can.”  Carlotta grumbled as she crossed her talons across her chest.  “First Ditzy has to see me like this, and now you.  Can this get any worse?”  More than once I’ve asked that question, and as if it were the only time that the universe was listening, it always did.  No exceptions.

The flutter of wings behind me didn’t dissapoint me.  “Okay sweetums, I brought you something special!”  Skyline’s voice was sultry and lustful as she dipped into the room backwards, holding a platter of tasty smelling meat.  “When you finish, maybe we can try…”  She paused when I had to step out of the way to avoid being hit by her.  For a long minute, nopony said anything as we all did our best to keep our awkward gazes from each other, not quite succeeding.  The last month has been a horror show of grotesque proportions, so the thought of my sister with Carlotta in bed didn’t seem so bad anymore, just… awkward.

“So… that just happened.”  I broke the silence, hoofing the medicine that Carlotta was supposed to take towards Sky.  “Doc says she needs two of these, so if you could do that, I’m going to go see if Ditzy’s here.”  I hoped that I was conveying enough sincerity in my voice that she didn’t think something was wrong with me.  This time there really wasn’t, but I couldn’t tell if Sky’s sad gaze was because of yesterday, or if she thought I was going to try to run off without her.

“She’s already been here, she arrived before the sun even came up.”  How did I miss that?  She scooped the bottle from my hoof onto the platter before setting it down.  “I took her to the garage and we delivered the weapons to the rangers.  Didn’t Longbow tell you when she got back?”

“Longbow was…exhausted.”  I thought that even though I want to inform the others of this, the first thing they will want to do is go and see her.  If the Doctor says she needs rest, then that’s what she’ll get.  Unfortunately, I can’t afford to stay here another day while she recuperates.  I need to get over to Friendship City.  “You wouldn’t happen to know if Frosty and Fruit were done wit the Marauder, would you?”

“Yeah, they apparently worked all night on her.”  She laughed lightly, the happy pegasis I haven’t seen for a month showed through her weariness for only a moment.  “For the record, I told them not to, but they thought you’d want it.”

I blinked in confusion.

She nodded her head to the door.  “I know you are anxious to get on the road.  Get the others and I’ll meet you down there in five.”

“Five?”  I deadpanned and looked over to Carlotta, who still looked as grumpy as ever.  “Far as I can remember, the moaning usually lasts for at least ten.”  I chuckled to myself while I was swiftly reminded of how strong Skyline was, finding myself quickly shoved into the hall while the door slammed shut behind me.  The only issue was that Sky was going to ask why Longbow isn’t with us, and I didn’t think that telling her in front of the other rangers was any of their business.  The gears in my head spun out a way to make it work.

“Sky, I need to do something first, can you get Longbow for me?”  I perked my ear as Sky fluttered her wings in annoyance.

“Fine.”  She grumbled through the door.  “But I’m going to take my time here first.”

I smiled and trotted towards the elevator, off to find out exactly how much had been repaired on the Marauder.  With 42 waiting at the bridge, and having Carlotta and Longbow out of the fight, I want to just pack up and go without Sky to keep her safe.  But honestly, I need her there.  Every other time I’ve left her when I could have waited, shit has hit the fan and I’ve been worse off for it.  As the elevator doors opened, the bright yellow slit eyes of Doppler blinked in fear as she scrambled to put her helmet on.

“Sorry!”  She squeaked through her speaker as the helmet sealed.  “I… um… didn’t expect anypony to get in.”  She was about the shyest pony I have ever met, and there was such fear in her voice.  Not fear of me, but the special kind of fear that’s part shame.  She was afraid others would hate her.

“You know its fine if you want to keep it off.  I don’t mind how you look.”  I did my best to smile as I peered into the soulless eyes that adorned every Steel Ranger’s helmet.  All that seemed to accomplish was her shrinking down a bit from me.  “As long as I’m around, everypony else wouldn’t even notice how you looked anyway.”

“That’s not true.  I hear what they say.”  She spoke with a happier note to her words.  “They see you as the crusader.  They don’t understand why you do what you do, but I know.  I’ve been there.”  I raised my eyebrow at that, making her studder.  “I… I mean, I haven’t been where you are, but…”

“You don’t have to worry about offending me, so you can calm down.”  I spoke slowly, trying to keep her from getting too nervous.  “But I am curious as to what you meant.”  The elevator stopped and let out a soft ding, opening the doors to the main floor.  Both Doppler and I walked out and stopped as the doors shut behind us.

“I… I used to live in a stable, just outside of where Old Trottingham is.  The Rangers opened the door when we put out a call for help.  I chose to return the favor by joining them to help others.”  She had a fondness for the rangers in her voice, her words sound not unlike the same one Longbow used when speaking of them.  “You are an inspiration to them.  A beacon of hope that the wasteland might one day be a better place.”

“Most of them don’t know that I’m the one who let 42 out in the first place.”  I grit my teeth as I thought about how many have died because of me.  The citizens of Ponyville, Whinny, the rock farm, the pool, Sorbet’s bunker?  The weight of all of their souls is firmly set on my shoulders, and my shoulders alone.

“Which may be true, but I don’t think anypony else would have gone after her.”  She had a firm tone behind her voice.

“It’s my responsibility.  She is my responsibility.”  And every minute she’s been out, the wasteland has been worse off for it.

She growled out in frustration, taking on a tone I didn’t expect from her.  “The wasteland is every ponies responsibility, and they don’t do anything with it!  Then there’s you, going around and risking everything just to make it a better place!”  She advanced with strong steps as I backed away and sat down, those dark eyes on the helmet forcing my body to lock up as she had my undivided attention.  “You don’t have the luxury to doubt yourself, not when everypony around here believes in what you are doing.  Even if they don’t want to do it themselves!  You got that?”

“Y...yes ma’am.”  I don’t know what overcame me, but I just couldn’t argue anymore.  She had made her point and it stuck, it was that simple.  Shaking my jumbled mind back into place, I got back to the task at hoof.  “I was just on my way to find Frosted Cakes and Fruit cup, do you know where they are?”

“I… don’t.  I’m sorry.”  And the force behind her voice was instantly gone, deflating back to the same timid and scared voice I had heard from her before.  “I was just on my way to the commander, he’d know.”  In a spectacle of perfect timing, the heavy steps of power armor approaching from around the corner gave him away.

“Ah, there you are Doppler”  The agitated voice of Maple called out as he came from down the hall.  “What’s the word from Command?”

Doppler rubbed an armored hoof at her foreleg.  “They say that the weapons Backlash promised have been delivered, and that Strudel wants us to stay with him for now to insure he doesn’t die until the other contingent can make it to the bridge.”  Longbow must have convinced her somehow, but wow, I didn’t take Strudel for a pony who would care about my well being.  “You know, in case they find one of those shields after opening the facility.”

Should have know that was the reason.  “Fantastic.  I feel so honored.”  I rolled my eye and sighed, getting to my hooves as I caught Maple’s smug look.  “We need to get moving in the next few minutes, think your squad can be ready by then?”

“We’ve been ready to go since yesterday.”  The snarkiness that was in Maple’s voice when I heard him arguing with Longbow back at Alpha base had once again returned.  I wondered what he thought of me now, having been with me the last two days.  After seeing what I’ve dragged others into, did he now hate me for what happened to Brass?  My thoughts were interrupted by an armored hoof prodding against my chest.  “Look, I know that you don’t know how odd it is that the Rangers would even consider working with a pony like you.  I don’t know what we are getting ourselves into going after this pink mare, but you should at least respect the fact that we are risking our lives for you.”

“I am grateful that you are, but you must understand that I don’t want anypony to suffer for my mistakes.  If there happens to be something inside that orchard behind one of those shields, then it’s going to be my call whether or not I should risk hoofing it over.”  I pushed my way past him as his look dropped to one of great annoyance.  “Enough ponies have lost their lives from my mistakes, don’t you think?”

As I trot away, nothing but silence came from the two rangers behind me.  I didn’t care that I sounded ungrateful, because with 42 still out there, the whole of the wasteland was in danger.  Doppler was right, more ponies need to stand up to ponies like her, to fight for their homes and livelihoods.  But at the same time, why should they?  They are just trying to do the best that they can with what they have.

A sharp pain spiked through my head as I walked, making me wince and bringing the fragile state of my health to the front of my thoughts.  I didn’t have all that much time left to stop 42, and I couldn’t spend the next month or two chasing after her.  No, the bridge had to be the final fight.  No more running, no more popping out when we least expected it.  42 dies there.  All I need is another twenty four hours to get everything prepared.


-----


“I dare say she’s better than new.”  Frosted Cakes beamed out a bright smile as I stood in confusion, not sure exactly what I was looking at.  It was just so… unexpected.

“Don’t… don’t you like it?”  Fruit Cup spoke up softly from behind Frosty,  his words pulling my away from the thoughts running through my head.  Though, my eye was still trained on the weird shape sticking out of the engine.  “The blower should help to get you more speed out of it.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”  I blinked a few times and forced my gaze over to him.  “How exactly does it help?”

Frosty stepped forward and cleared her throat.  “Well, it diverts some of the spark energy to an induction fan that draws in moisture from the air through the intake, converting it with a freezing talisman to distribute over the drive motors in the engine.”  She used her hoof to point out the different areas of the process as she continued.  “This chilling effect makes it easier for the energy in the spark battery lines to flow quicker, resulting in less power loss throughout the drivetrain, increasing the systems efficiency and providing a boost in available motor torque.”

That all made sense, but what I still couldn’t wrap my head around was, “Why does the induction scoop have to be so high up?”  They even cut a hole in the hood for it to stick out of.  While I thought it gave the Marauder a more powerful look to her, something inside me just told me it ruined the classic look she once had.

Fruit Cup stepped forward with a smile.  “The aerodynamics of the car at higher speeds are going to push the moisture filled air up, so the scoop needs to be raised to continue operating then.”

Once again, makes sense.  “One thing I know I can do, is repair the hell out of something.  But stuff like this?”  I waved my hoof at it in disbelief.  “How the hell did you two think this up?”

“I thought it up when those privileged flying pricks came down in their skyship and saved our flanks the other day.”  Frosted Cakes patted at her chest proudly and tipped her muzzle up as she spoke.  “Figured that sort of system is the only thing that can keep something that big in the air.  Then I thought, why not apply it to this thing!”

“I don’t know what to say.”  I felt a smile working it’s way across my muzzle, turning back to look over the rest of the Marauder.  They had done an amazing job at straightening her out, and only a few crumpled sections went unfixed.  Most of the damage that I could see had been cosmetic when she flipped, but as long as she ran well, cosmetics were an acceptable loss.

“You could say ‘thank you’.”  The voice of Longbow from behind me made me spin around, the sight of her suited up walking next to Skyline stopped my train of thought quicker than  was healthy, causing another spike of pain to course through my head.

“You… Sky, what the hell!?”  To be honest, once again I probably could have phrased that better, making Skyline cross her forehooves as she flew into the air and looked offended.

“You told me to get Longbow from Dr. Fits’s office, did you not?”  She cocked an eyebrow, her voice full of anger and confusion.

“Yes… but…”  I looked to Longbow for help, who simply stood there blushing.  “Longbow was supposed to tell you why she couldn’t go!”

“Longbow isn’t coming with us?”  Fruit cup interjected, pushing back into my mind that this is exactly what I didn’t want to happen.  He swiftly trot over to her and looked her over.  “Are you alright?  Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine, Fruit.”  She smiled softly to him as she spoke softly.  She didn’t sound embarrassed, or at all hesitant.  “I’m just going to have to take it easy the next few months, that’s all.”  Longbow looked over to me again, the expression of happiness melting away all of the nervousness and unease.  To my surprise, it was Frosted Cakes who actually arrived at the conclusion first.

“Wait a moment.  You and Him?”  She traded glances between us with a smirk.  “Good to know I didn’t lose sleep that night over nothing.  You’re mom’s going to be a bit surprised though,  and you know how much she LOVES surprises.”

And with that, not even Longbow’s love could save me from the shiver that ran up my spine.  “Wait, why doesn’t she love surprises?”  Longbow looked to Frosted for a moment before the two started to laugh.  “Oh Celestia, she’s going to kill me, isn’t she?”

“Backlash… is Longbow...?”  Skyline asked slowly, the note of hope in her voice hardly missable.  I nodded slowly as she too smiled and dove down, tackling me to the dirt in a hug.  “You aren’t aloud to die now, you hear me mister?  Whatever it takes.”

“Yes sis.”  I squeezed my hooves around her, enjoying what might be the last amount of relaxing time I’d get to spend with them.  Sadly enough, we needed to get going.  “Come on, let’s get everyone in and get moving.  It’s only a short drive, but you…”  I pointed to Longbow.  “You aren’t going to lift a hoof while there.  Doc says you need your rest, so it’s strictly bedtime when we get there.”

“But I…”  Longbow shouldn’t have been surprised.  I knew what she was going to say, so I cut her off.

“I know you want to help, but it’s alright.”  I pushed Sky away, rolling back to my hooves.  “There isn’t much left to do once we get there, and I promise to come get you if something comes up.”

Surrendering to my words, she simply nodded and walked forward, giving me a small smile as she got into the Marauder with Frosted Cakes and Fruit Cup.  After a few more minutes, Maple, Suture, Casserole, and Doppler piled into the Marauder and we were finally ready to go, the new upgrade to the car helping us immensely through the streets as thunder rumbled along the horizon.

“So!”  I wanted to use this time to gather ideas on how to fight 42 in the final battle.  “Any idea’s on how to go about assaulting the bridge?”  The silence that followed made me worried that either nopony heard me, or that there was absolutely no way to go about it, but I was happy to hear Casserole speak up.

“With only two ways in, it’s not the smartest idea to go in head first.”  His loudspeaker in his helmet easily cut over the roaring of the engine as we rolled across the rough ground.  “I would like to suggest that we have a third armored team assault from the bottom of the bridge and push up.”

“We are only being sent twelve paladins, we cannot divide our armor so thin on the roadway.”  Maple spoke up, twisting so he could speak to the back seat.  “Doppler, how many acolytes did you say Command was sending?”

“Um… fifteen.”  She squeaked.

“All I need is one Paladin to go with me and a few acolytes.”  Casserole offered back hesitantly, though, there was still a note of confidence in his voice.  “That should be sufficient enough given they brought the correct weaponry.”  He scooted up against the back seat and placed a hoof on my shoulder.  “It’s risky, but I think it’s something they wouldn’t see coming.”  The problem is that 42 always sees me coming.  But, even so, with as much force as we are bringing up top, she’d have to be focusing on the enemies at her doorstep.

“I think it’s a sound tactic.  We should at least consider it.”  I replied, slowing down to make a turn towards the docks downtown.  My eye caught something down an alleyway to the left of us as we passed it, the sharp movement of something big was all I could register before the marauder Lurched and spun out.  A deafening roar came from the street behind us as I shook my confusion off and looked out the window.  The bright red mane of a manticore shook off the strike to the car and was getting back it’s footing quickly.

I threw the marauder into reverse as the others in the car started shouting instructions to me, or to each other.  It mattered little to me though, as I was just trying to focus on getting away. I slammed my hoof onto the pedal and spun the tires, turning so we were now advancing down the street backwards, while the large mutated predator had now recovered and was giving chase.  Quicker than I would have liked.

“Keep us going straight!”  Longbow yelled as she placed her hooves on the dashboard and leveled her guns toward the quick beast.  I cringed and flattened my ears to my head as best I could before the report of the Anti Machine rifle attached to her armor fired off, turning my hearing into a dull whine for the next few seconds.  A small plume of dust rose just in front of the charging monster, the close shot seemingly not phasing it at all.

Longbow’s Sniper rifle went off sharply, the round visibly punching a hole in the Manticore’s chest.  I was about to congratulate her on her well placed shot, but the beast did not stop.  I knew manticores were tough, but a well placed, high caliber round to the chest should have stopped it!  The shot had only slowed the thing down marginally.  Before she could line up another shot, the Marauder hit a pothole that sent us into the air, coming back down with a slam that sent us skidding sideways.  I spun the wheel in a desperate attempt to keep us from crashing, only marginally softening our impact against the concrete wall of a prewar supermarket.

Now that we’ve spun back around to the correct direction, I hoofed the transmission back into drive and slammed down on the pedal.  The Marauder lurched forward for a moment before the engine sputtered and died.  The only thing that kept me from panicking in that moment was the sound of Skyline’s gauss rifles holding the beast at bay.

“Come on Backlash, get this thing started!”  Maple shouted as he anxiously watched out the window.

I wasn’t listening, looking for something I hoped hadn’t been lost when the marauder crashed the first time.  “Shit, where is it…”  A thought struck me and I ran my hoof along the floor under my seat, delighted to find the metal tool sitting underneath.

“Any time now would be great!”  Doppler called up, the heavy fear in her words driving me to work faster.  I hefted the Marauder’s tire iron between my hooves, slamming it down on the dashboard a few times.

“Percussive… Maintenance… always… works!”  With my quick words of encouragement, and my less than caring act of force, the engine came to life.  I dropped the tire iron back to the floor and slammed the pedal down, making the tires spin as the Marauder’s roar beat out the Manticores.

We tore down the street as Skyline broke away from the beast.  I watched and hoped that it would still choose to go after us rather than take to the air and hunt down Skyline, and was both delighted and horrified to find that it still indeed chose us.  Now bleeding heavily from several gaping wounds on it, I think it was only being kept alive on pure adrenaline, pushing itself to make it’s last act that of ripping us all to pieces.

“Uh… I’d just like to point out that we’re running out of road!”  Maple spoke up quickly, drawing my attention to the fact that the docks were only a few blocks off, and closing fast.

“Now that we’re facing the right direction, it’s my turn!”  Frosted Caked chimed in happily, turning herself around to where her grenade and rocket launcher would point out the back window.  “One missile should be all it takes to bring that down.”

“Mind the backblast!  Remember, I’m not armored!”  I shouted, glancing up into the rearview to see Frosted stiffen up in realization.  The swift thumping of her grenade launcher, and the accompanying explosions couldn’t have come soon enough, as I was forced to slam on the brakes to keep us from sailing off into the freezing water.  The screeching of the tires as they locked up was the only indication that we were actually trying to stop, but the fact that the Marauder was dangerously overloaded kept our momentum up.

I watched in silent horror as the sliding turned us sideways as we slowed ever so slightly with every passing second.  The only comfort I had as we slid, was the view of the decapitated and mutilated corpse of the manticore that now lay strewn about the street.  The Marauder lurched as the old rubber tires dug into the pavement of the old waterfront, slowing us just fast enough that I thought that we could make it.

Then we hit the lip of the dock.

For a moment, the marauder tilted up, eager to replay the scene it performed yesterday, and sending us all the fifteen feet down to a watery tomb.  But in a small act of mercy, the Car hung for only a moment before slamming back down onto the dock with all four tires.  The silence that would normally be accompanied by a moment such as this was shattered as Frosty bounced in her seat.

“Woo!  That one was a doozy!”  There was far too much enthusiasm in her voice to be considered sane.

Almost all at once, we let out a collective sigh of relief, a welcomed sight catching my eye from further up the waterfront.  The small tugboat driven barge that acted as a ferry out to friendship city still sat moored to the downtown docks it normally sat at.  With a light touch, I pulled the Marauder away from the edge and steered us back onto the road, lazily rolling us the rest of the way to our destination.


-----


Despite my dislike for boat trips, this one never really felt like one.  The heavy barge that was used as the ferry, was so large that a few sheet metal structures had been built on it, and in my opinion, was less like a watercraft and more like a steerable section of Friendship City.  The transition was only a twenty minute trip, but I was still anxious to get to the City.  The view of the Bucklyn bridge sitting off in the distance didn’t help either.  My eye burned every time I looked out the window of the cabin Longbow and I were huddled in facing towards it, reaffirming the fact that 42 was out there, just waiting for me to make my move.  She had to know I’d make this play, but I still didn’t know why she had chosen to make her final stand at the bridge.  It just didn’t make sense!

“Backlash?”  Longbow’s voice broke me out of my thoughts, making me blink a few times before looking over to her.  “What do you think?”

“Think of what?”  I scrunched up my muzzle in the realization that I had completely spaced out over her talking.  “Sorry, I’ve... got a lot on my mind.”

“I know.”  She smiled and walked over to me, sitting down in front of the window with me and nuzzling warmly into my neck.  This moment would have been perfect, had the bridge that served to be my greatest challenge not been in the picture.  “But I think I can make a difference.  I know you don’t want me to, but I can help.”

I leaned away from her and looked over her eyes, seeing the fear of rejection and the honesty of her words showing plainly in them.  She knew that she could help, and I knew that we couldn’t afford to let anypony willing to help go to waste.  But if something happened to her, I don’t think that I could live with myself.  Hell, losing Brass broke me so bad, that I hallucinated him.  There is no way I’d survive if Longbow died, and I know that 42 will do everything in her power to make that happen.

“I’m the only other paladin with any infiltration training.  I should be the one going with Casserole.”  She offered.  Though her logic was sound, I just couldn’t get the idea that sending a small team from the bottom, while being a sound tactic, would be better if it didn’t include the mare I loved.

I wanted to tell her no.  I wanted to scream out exactly why I didn’t want her to go, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t form the words.  I can’t deny her the opportunity to help.  I don’t want to sit around and worry about if she was alright.  She know’s what she’s doing, and I have to trust that she will be good enough at it to stay alive.  When I finally found the strength to talk, the only thing that ended up coming out of my muzzle, was ”Okay.”

The blaring of the tug horn announced that we were now pulling up beside Friendship City, and that we’d be able to disembark soon.  I waited for Longbow to say something else, but she instead only leaned back into me silently.  I put my hoof around her, holding us close as we just silently stared across the water.

My ear perked toward the door as a burst of shouting erupted outside, the angry shouts of a few ponies bled through the others, but I recognized a few as some of Maple’s rangers.  Both Longbow and I got up, heading for the door as a couple of new voices joined the shouting match.  Opening the door, the shouting died down as whatever had happened seemed to be at an end.  Longbow and I made our way to the origin of the sounds, and I was surprised to see a familiar face among the gathered group.

Maple’s magic had conjured up shackles around both Isaac’s forelegs, and the forelegs to a sea green coated Unicorn.  “Now then, why are you chasing this poor unicorn?”

“Because he is in possession of stolen goods, and must be arrested following city law.”  Only the slightest trace of anger fanned across Isaac’s face, while his voice spoke more of annoyance than anything.

“Well, I'm sure that city security can get whatever you claim he stole from you.”  Maple’s pompous tuner must have been cranked to eleven from the amount of intolerance imbuing his words.   I’m starting to think that it wasn’t those gangers outside Tenpony he was speaking so lowly of, rather than the idea of being a Zebra in general.

“I AM with city security.”  Isaac was doing an incredible job with remaining calm.  I’m pretty sure that with his augmented strength, he could break the shackle spell at any time he chose.  Though, doing that might break the spell on the ACTUAL criminal as well.  “I am Officer Xellos and this stallion stole from the marketplace.”

“Wait, Xellos?”  Longbow’s question quickly perked Isaac’s ears, drawing a smile across his muzzle as he saw us standing there.

“Yeah, I’ll explain later.”  I murmured to Longbow, cursing myself for not mentioning this to the others earlier.  I swiftly walked up to the group, smiling back as I spoke.  “ Xellos?  It is you!”  I threw my hooves around him in a hug, not having done it before and finding that he was pleasantly warm.  “I told you that they would hire you, did I not?”

“Yes, can you please inform this stallion that I speak the truth, I must take this criminal back to the lock up.”  Isaac looked up to me as I took a step back, his mechanical eyes still displaying the sincerity of truth behind it.

Maple let out an annoyed sigh.  “Of course you know him.  Why wouldn’t you.”  His horn flashed, removing the cuffs from both Isaac and the Unicorn criminal.  “Very well then, you may…”

The sharp sound of shearing metal was swiftly met by the loud clang of a cast iron pipe snapping Isaac’s foreleg, the magical aura of the criminal swinging it again as he turned and ran, bringing it down on Isaac’s head.  It happened so fast that by the time I had thought to bring up S.A.T.S., the assailant had leapt overboard and into the water.  Maple and I dashed to the edge, watching as the unicorn made a break for it across the open harbor.

“Casserole, get over here and give this criminal a proper send off.”  Maple shouted, his words giving me a note of enjoyment from them as he sounded like this was actually fun for him.

“No.”  Isaac’s stern voice came from behind us as I could hear him get up.  I turned around to see Longbow helping to steady him as his broken leg gave off a few sparks and sad whines.  I looked over the damage that had been done to his face, finding that the rusty pipe had damn near taken half of the skin off, leaving the silver and black metallic components to highlight the fact that he was more than most assumed him to be.  “The water is freezing and the only place to get out is at river shore or this boat.  He has chosen to die by hypothermia, and if that is the punishment he has selected for his crime, let him be at peace with his choice.”

“Now you listen here… whatever the fuck you are.”  Maple turned and pointed his hoof to Isaac.  “I don’t take orders from a striped primitive, let alone a stripe like you.”  The emphasis he put on those words was more than just casual hatred.  Maple’s tone ventured into the same territory that Sorbet’s had when she talked about the wasteland.  My blood instantly boiled in my veins as I thought about how we already had enough to deal with.

“THAT IS ENOUGH.”  I shouted out, causing everypony (and yes, Zebra) to freeze momentarily.  “Maple, I would really like to call you a friend, but you are making it DAMN hard to do with this pompous bullshit you keep spewing.”

“H… how dare you!”  I didn’t care that he sounded genuinely offended.  The only note I could hear clearly in his voice, was that of hesitation.

“How dare I!?  Tell me something Maple, do you LIKE the wasteland?”  I pointed a hoof to the black half of my face, trying my best to restrain myself from lashing out and just beating at him with my hooves.  “Do you LIKE what it does to innocent ponies?”

“Of…of course not!”  He looked about nervously, straightening himself out.  “The Steel Rangers are doing there best to…”

“Oh well, pardon me then.”  I cut him off and held my hoof back toward Isaac.  “Racism like that is what got us all into the war in the BEGINNING.”  That made Maples face flush with rage.

“How can you say that?  Their kind are the ones who did all of this in the first place!”  Maple was now shouting back, his words informing me that he actually felt justified in being racist. ”The Steel Rangers are the only thing left in this place that are keeping us from exterminating what’s left of Equestria!”

I was caught off guard when Longbow’s armored hoof swung down hard onto the cheek of Maple, slamming him down against the metal railing that we had been standing next to.  I smirked for a moment, thankful that he finally shut his fucking muzzle, only to be rewarded with a hard blow to my own cheek, sending me sprawling to the ground next to him as my head flared in pain.

“You morons too busy arguing to forget that Forty Two is sitting just across the water?  The wasteland is bigger then your argument, so suck it up and get back to work.”  Her words rang in my ears in the same tone that mother’s had whenever Crankshaft and I fought over something.  “Am I clear?”

“Crystal.”  Maple whined out, cupping his bruised face.

“Yeah.”  I groaned out, trying to shake the stars from my vision.  “Sorry, about that.”

“Good.  Now pick yourselves up and lets go.”  She turned to Isaac and helped him limp away.  “Now, let’s find some suitable metal that the repair talisman can use to fix you up.”

“This boat would work.”  He suggested bluntly as I found my hooves underneath me again.  I rubbed at the side of my face, wincing as the bruise that was there had probably blended into the charred skin and was most likely unnoticable.  Maple on the other hoof, didn’t have the luxury of a dark coat, and was going to have one hell of a shiner to show off for the next day or so.

“I don’t think a half eaten ferry boat would be a good way to welcome others here, do you?”  Longbow chuckled lightheartedly as they walked slowly across the gangway to the city docks.

I turned to Maple and held my hoof out.  “Are we good?”  He let out a sigh and wrapped his hoof around mine, letting me help him get back up.

“Yeah.”  He looked around as a wave of shame washed over his face.  “I didn’t mean to get so carried away.  I’m sorry.”

“We both are.”  I nodded to him and turned to head toward the docks.  Longbow was right.  We can’t let ourselves become too shortsighted when we are so close to bringing 42 down.  All I could hope to do was to be able to tear down everything she hoped to build before the wasteland started to fight amongst itself again as it always had.  Maybe somewhere in the midst of all this, the ponies of the wasteland might realize how close they had come to being wiped out again.  And who knows, that ghoul at the pool could be right.  Maybe friendship was the way we could actually redeem pony kind.  If only the rest of the wasteland would just give it a try...

--------------

LEVEL UP!

+12 Speech

+3  Repair

New Quest Perk: Undesirable Mutation - Lady Luck’s roll of the dice came up short, and now you are running on borrowed time.  All of your SPECIAL stats gain a permanent -1, but you now have access to unique dialogue options.

New Perk: Big Boned - All those stories of the larger folks like you were true because you have the bone density to prove it!  Your limbs only receive half the damage they normally take against any normally crippling strike.

> Chapter 23 - Full Circle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 23

“We need half a day, and no more!“

-----


Skyline and I decided that before joining the others up top, we would first be heading to the generator room.  We needed to ensure that even if 42 murdered all of us, that machine would never bring harm to the wasteland again.

The loud thrumming of the large spark transformers passed into a dull hum as I wound my way down a rusty staircase that groaned under every hoofstep.  Finally at the bottom, Skyline landed in front of me and hooked her hooves through the crank on the bulkhead.  With a quick torque and a loud screech, the door swung open to the power control room.  What greeted me was not what I had expected.

The room itself was no bigger than the inside of the garage back home was, even matching the color of the flaking 200 year old paint.  A long bank of brightly lit control panels stretched along the back walls that I assumed controlled the power, but the most surprising thing was the four thick copper tubes that ran out of each wall and into the old equipment.

“Wow, those are pretty small generators.  How do they generate enough to run this place?”  I walked up closer to the bank of brightly glowing switches, knobs, and dials that I knew I probably shouldn’t touch.  My ear perked as the quick sound of hoofsteps coming down the stairwell caught our attention.

“Whoever’s foal that thought it was a good idea to break into MY power room, is going to be sorely sorry when I get down there!”  The voice of an angry mare carried into the room, beating out the sounds the equipment was making by far, and implying that had we not been invited, we might have actually had to explain ourselves.

“Oh quit yer whinin, Caliper.  It’s probably just those folks who were comin.”  The second voice was closer down and a lot rougher, speaking with experience and authority.  “Ah told ya not ta play inta that last round.”  When the pair walked through the doors, they were not what I had expected to see.

The first in was a Zebra stallion, which, seeing as it was friendship city, wasn’t odd.  The odd thing was actually what he was wearing.  The dark blue stable barding gave off the sheen of a well kept and washed piece of clothing, the big blocky yellow numbers on his back told me that it originally came from Stable 26.  The green shine of light emit from a pipbuck he wore on his front right foreleg, making me wonder if he could give me some tips on how to use my own.

“See, what did ah tell ya!  It’s just the folks we’re supposed ta give somethin to.”  He smiled wearily and walked over to me, holding his hoof out.  “The name’s Zeek, and it’s a pleasure, Mr…?”

“Backlash.”  I took his hoof and shook it, going limp as the second thing to enter the room was a more intriguing puzzle than Zeek had been.  The tan hide that nearly matched my own was worn by a buffalo, complemented by her own Stable 26 suit and pipbuck.  Her lime green eyes glared at me in suspicion as she pushed her way in, nearly big enough that she didn’t fit through the doorframe.  “I’m sorry if you’ve gotten this a lot, but are you two from stable 26, or did you just trade for the outfits?”

Caliper sighed out and pushed her way past Sky to get to the consols.  “Great, more intolerant assholes.  Just cause we’re wearing something nice doesn’t mean we had to take it from someone.”

“Hey now, he nevah said anything of tha sort.”  Zeek surprisingly backed me up.  I mean I truly meant no offence, but I probably could have chosen my words better.  “And ta answer ya’ll’s question, we aren’t, but stable 26 up north just opened up last week and we just got back from helpin them strip their stable ta build a settlement where they can stay.  When we finished, they gave us this barding and our very own pipbucks as a thanks for our hard work.”

“Dismantling an entire stable sounds like a lot of work.”  Skyline crossed her hooves and sounded generally impressed.  Most of the stables that had opened so far were all designed to be dismantled and repurposed to rebuild the old world, but something designed to hold at LEAST five hundred ponies meant that it was always one hell of a task. 

“It was, and just yesterday we arrived back home for some much needed rest and not an hour later we were told ya’ll where goin ta need us ta help ya with somethin havin ta do with turnin off the tidal generator system.”  He smiled and looked back at me.  “So what exactly was it that we can do for ya?”

“I need access to your tidal generator systems, specifically your Hydroelectric Magnet regulator.”  As I spoke, I took it by their confused expressions that they hadn’t actually been told what we needed.  (That thing’s name was too damn long, and a pain to remember.  You can’t blame me for not remembering it.)

Skyline hopped in, trying to help speed this awkward task along.  “So if you could just go over to them and grab it, that would be great.”  She pointed her hoof to one of the pipes on the wall.

“Fucking fantastic.”  Caliper sounded as if we had just asked her to join in on the front lines of the assault against 42, the amount of anger in her voice surprising for as little was said.  Maybe buffalo are just quick to anger?  The last couple I’ve met pretty much fit the bill, but I was hoping that it was just brought on by some factor of wasteland living.  “Now we have to take the ferry, AGAIN.”

“Wait, what?”  To my understanding, normally stable dwellers have a better education than most of us wastelanders, but did she not know what a ferry was?  “but… they are right there.”  I joined Sky in pointing, finding it annoying when Zeek started to laugh softly.

“Ya’ll know that those aren't generators, those are tha bilge pumps.  Why, if they weren't constantly running, we'd all be undah water right now!”  My mind went blank as I looked around at the room.  It was just the four pipes and that control panel, and nowhere could I see where the generators would lead into here.  “No, tha generators couldn't be built here, tha current is too wild this far out of tha harbor.  Yah’d never get any real power through here, so they built them a bit further in.”

The gears in my head spun up, grinding together as they fed me what I didn’t want to hear slowly.  “Further in?  Like, how much further.”  The information was kicked into my head by the gears, making me angry that I had never even considered the connection!

“Well they built ‘em right inta tha base of tha bucklyn bridge and tied it directly inta tha statue!  Pretty smart work if ya ask me.”  He sounded proud for answering.  But he lacked the perspective I had.  I knew that 42 already had the regulator by now, it had to have been why she chose there as her final battle ground.

“You’ve got to be shitting me!”  Skyline found the will to express exactly what I was feeling at that moment.

“This doesn’t change anything.”  I put my hoof up to her, thankful she didn’t fly into a rant.  “We still need it.  Maybe instead of working their way up, Casserole and Longbow can work their way down from the entrance way.  They can destroy it while 42 is busy dealing with us up top.”

“What makes you so sure she’ll even be up there?”  Sky threw back at me with a tone of annoyance.  A tone I would have shared if I didn’t already see an issue like this coming up.

“Because I’ll be up there.”  I fired back, shifting her expression to one of worry.  I reached my forehoof out and watched as she grabbed it, pulling herself into it warmly.  “Because we will be up there.”

“Ahem.”  Caliper cleared her voice.  “Did you still want to do this?  Or do you two need to get a room?”

“She’s my sister!”  I yelled out my frustration at the same moment that Sky mirrored my complaint.  Seriously, I thought that I was past this!

“I’m not judging who you love, just…”  Caliper smartly remarked before getting cut off.

“That’s enough now.  These folks didn’t poke fun, and makin lil quips like that ain’t gonna help yah look any better when yah already don’t want them ta comment about yah.”  Zeek stepped up and hoofed through his saddlebag, pulling out a long gray wire.  He hooked one end into the large control panels and then trailed the other up to his pipbuck, pressing it into the connector slot with a soft click.  “Normally somethin like this would take a few day ta prep, but since we got fancy computer thingies on hoof, an I figured out how ta use it this mornin, tha process should only take a moment!”

“How do pipbuck’s help with old equipment like this?”  I shrugged and looked down at mine, unhappy to see that sometime in the last few minutes the vacuum tube burnt out.  Looks like my next stop is up to the markets for a replacement.  There is no way I’d go into a fight with 42 without this thing, even if it hasn’t really helped me so far.

“Yah can use the auto override ta access anything.  In this case, it’s the safety disconnect on the bridge side of the connection.”  He looked down at the small arcano tech device, twisting it as it emitted a familiar set of beeps.  “but in usin this, there’s no guarantee that doing whateveh ya’ll are going to won’t cause a surge and take out the backup generator here in the process.  Ah’m just gonna have ta ask that when ya’ll are down there, that yah manually open tha circuit before ya shutdown tha generator fer good.”

I know how to work an electrical system, but there was something that still didn’t make sense to me.  “What the fuck is auto override?”

That made him look at me like I was crazy.  “How… how do yah have a pipbuck an not know about it?  It was in the tutorial!”

“Yeah, I can guarantee my tutorial was different.”  I held my pink, shoddy looking one up and shook it.  “Not to mention, I’m not a very code savvy pony.”

“Gee, I nevah woulda guessed.”  He rolled his eyes and smiled.  “Reguardless, it’s a life saver when yah can just plug inta an machine and get overriding control of it, well, as long as it’s not got software incompatibilities or passwords tah get through.”  A loud beep came from his pipbuck, drawing both of our attentions to it.  “Well, that’s it.  Yah should be able tah just remove the part now without killin yerself off feedback.”

“Thank you.  I know it’s going to be tough, but I assure you, it’s going to be for the best.”  I nodded and turned to leave.

“Woah, woah, woah.”  Caliper spoke up.  “I don’t care what you assure.  The second you cut out the power here, it’s going to be a nightmare to get anything up and running again.  This is IF the pumps aren’t needed long enough so that we can even attempt to rig up a replacement.  As far as I’m concerned, you are going to owe me for this shit.”

“Now calm down Caliper, this was a favor from the city council.”  Zeek had the look of wanting to defend me, but I’m guessing that unlike me, he didn’t know how to handle an angry buffalo.

“What do you want then?”  I asked, not wanting to waste any more time.  I’d just have to add her request to the list of shit I have to do that I’ve been neglecting for nearly my whole month long adventure.

“Well.  For starters, you could get the my Pinkie back.”  She smirked, glad to see I had gotten down to business.  If it hadn’t been for what she had asked for, I might have argued against it being the ‘first thing’ on her list.  “Somepony stole it earlier this morning, but I’m fairly certain from how they smelled that they were just going to sell it for drugs.  So you might try Old Miss Leek’s shop in the market, Seymour’s Herbs.”

“Fine.”  On second thought, I didn’t care for bartering right now.  Not to mention, that was a fairly simple request, and if it cost to much, I’d just wait until after we get back to do her tasks.  And at that point, I would actually be able to focus on getting a better deal out of it.

“Then if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to fixing this console before it goes out completely.  Come back down when you’ve got it.”  She smiled and turned around, rousing a sigh out of Zeek.

“You know that thing will never break.  I’ve never seen a console break in my life.”  Zeek spoke with a tone of clarity and wonder.  He liked arcano tech more than most I guess.  “It is beyond me why the old world wanted these things to last this long.  Never need to replace anything inside them and they never quit on yah!  Why, not once in my travels have I seen one that isn’t still all lit up and shinin.”

“Well, we have.”  Sky’s voice speaking up came as a shock while the gears in my head tried to spin up.  Sky turned to me with a curious look.  “While Brass was patching me up after Forty Two shot me, I noticed that none of the control panels down there were working.  Remember?”

I tried to think back to that moment, but it was all a bit fuzzy.  Most likely due to the head trauma I had endured then (Or maybe it was the hit’s to the head I’d taken after) that had screwed with my memory.  Sky sounded like she was adamant that this was the truth, and honestly, that was all I needed.

“Well, I’m sure that it’s the only exception.”  Caliper spoke up angrily.  “But unless you get your flank over here, we’re riskin this to be the first one WE’VE ever seen.”    I took that as our cue to go and nodded to Zeek.  The two of them down here certainly made an unassuming pair, but wasn’t that what friendship city was all about?  Wasn’t this place supposed to be the greatest example of tolerance in the wastes?  Some part of me wanted to believe that the residents here cared that 42 was out there, and wanted to stand behind me until they saw her stopped.  Another part of me knew that I was just grasping at any thought I could that might keep me going in my own battles.  And the last part of me, just wanted the gears in my head to stop spinning and let me rest until I could take her down.

“Come on sis, let’s get up to the markets.”  I sighed as we approached the stairwell.  “Why couldn’t they have had a working elevator?”


-----


After climbing the flights of stairs up to ground level, I was mercifully stopped by Isaac as he poked his head through the hatch leading to outside.  Skyline stepped past him and flared her wings, looking back to me with a soft smile.

“I’m going to check on Carlotta, I’ll be back in an hour.”  She waited for me to give a nod before hopping into the air, taking off into the dark skies as Isaac hoofed a small jar out of the saddlebag he wore.  It was full of tiny blue specks that shimmered in a most peculiar way, almost reminding me of something as rare as glitter.  This shine however, was different.

“I wondered if you knew any ponies who could make use of this.  I confiscated it earlier from a trader who assured me that it was harmless, but I know better.”  He hoofed it over to me, shrugging as he sat down.  “Even if it is harmless like this, it is far too dangerous to keep in a city surrounded by water.”

Here he was speaking with a note of fear about a jar of glitter, moving it up from a casual curiosity, to an interesting puzzle in my mind.  I held it close to my face “What is it?”

He looked surprised by my question.  “You mean you have not seen this in your journeys?  I was sure that you would recognize Killing Joke when you saw it.”  He sighed and looked up to the sky as I tried to process that I had a jar of the most lethal plant in the wasteland just sitting in my bag.  “I had hoped to know if drying it could indeed make it safe, but if it is all the same, I would like you to take it when you leave the city.  Quite a few here have had bad run ins with it, and I fear that they may get angry to know it is being kept around.”

“Speaking of bad run-ins.”  I watched as he perked his ears and studied me with his eyes.  “How have you been getting settled in?  With as friendly as everypony… I mean everyone is, I would hope you haven’t had any problems.”

“It has been… interesting.”  The way he spoke had a note of sadness to it.  “So far, it seems that the community is split on their opinion of me.”

That seemed unlikely, especially in a town like this “What about the other zebras?”

“This is where the problem stems.  They know I am not a normal zebra, and shun me as an evil being.”  The way he said it, it was like he was ready to just give up on them.  Though, there was still hope in his words, and I want to do everything I can to make him settle in.

“What is it with you zebras and curses?  This is cursed, that is cursed!”  I laughed, making an smile come across his face.  “Come on Isaac, you know the other ponies don’t believe a word when it comes to curses.”  At least I hope they don’t…  “You’ve got to have found  someone who doesn’t care.”

“Half of them think that because the zebra hate me, I am to be trusted.  The 'enemy of my enemy' idea.  The other Half think that if even the zebra won't take me, than I should be avoided all the same.”  He scuffed his hoof at the ground.  “It is, to say the least, disheartening...”

“I thought this place was better than all that.”  They’ve always been nice to me when I’ve visited, but then again I’m a pony.  Was that truly the reason, or was it the fact that I’m a merchant? 

“It is fine.  I am not without acquaintances, and now that you are here, I have even more to be with.”  He nodded to me and got back up.  “It is now the end of my shift, would you like to join me for a drink?”

I had so much stuff to do to prepare, I really didn’t have time for relaxing.  “Sure.”  And there I go promising things I shouldn’t again.  “But first I have to head up to the market, so I’ll be there in a few, alright?”

He smiled warmly and headed inside, turning and dashing up the stairs with his ridiculous quickness.  I stood for a moment in the doorway leading outside, listening to the wind as it howled across the open harbor.  The gears in my head were still spinning from earlier, trying to put the pieces into place on a puzzle I still had no idea how to solve, or what had even triggered it.  The one question I wanted on my mind was not what puzzle was it that the gears were putting together, but would it matter at all when it was time for the assault?

I decided to get moving and head toward the market, eager to see if I could get a few things for the fight.  So up the stairs I climbed, flight after flight.  The climb wasn’t quite as bad as I remembered it being before, even with my legs protesting, I knew that it was just from the taxation of the week.  Who knew that all it took for me to get into better shape was a month of being nearly killed?  Although I do have to say it’s been the worst weight loss plan I’ve ever been on.

Having climbed to the market level, I twisted open the hatch with my hooves and entered.  The whole level was bustling with activity today with ponies from all over equestria in shouting matches with shopkeepers for a good deal while others were wildly clanging their wares together to find any buyers at all.  The sight was always one I had normally enjoyed when I came here, finding it the perfect place to make sure my bartering skills were still as good as they could be.  I looked around at the shops, finding that a few had changed hooves since I had been here last.  I was delighted to see the shop I was looking for had a large sign hanging over it.  Seymour’s herbs had been here the last few years, even though they sold drugs which is forbidden within the city, the council was half made up of zebras who shopped there for alchemical ingredients.

I trotted up to the front of the stall, swinging my eye across the shelves of dried plants and small vials, stopping when a small pink object caught my attention.  The pink mane and bright blue eyes of Pinkie Pie peered out at me from behind a row of Dash inhalers sitting in a clear, plastic box.  For only a moment, my mind drifted back to the Pool, reminding me of exactly what Dash could do.  Somthing like that could be immensely useful in a fight against 42.  Addiction would be worth the risk if it meant getting the upper hoof in a fight.  I smiled and looked down at the old, gray maned mare in a rocking chair that was running the shop, my grin dropping away as she sat unmoving.

“Hello?”  I asked, leaning myself in closer.  The brown mare continued to sit completely still, the lacy pink dress she wore giving me no indication on whether or not she was even breathing.  “Miss Leek, are you alright?”  I reached my hoof out and placed it onto her shoulder, giving her a soft shake.

“What now… Seymour, is that you?”  She stirred awake, looking about in confusion.  Her once blue eyes had dulled softly, sitting unfocused as she blinked and turned her ears for an answer.  She was now completely blind, but that wasn’t a surprise as her eyesight had been going for years now.

“No ma’am.  My name is Backlash.  I’m here to buy something.”  I gave her a warm smile, which was stupid of me, since she couldn’t see it.

“You aren’t Seymour, my husband’s been dead for almost a year!”  She swatted at me with her hoof angrily.  “You must be a thief then!”  How did she jump to this?  “Help, theif!”  Was she using a bit too much of her own product to think clearly anymore, or was it just her age?  Regardless, it was damn annoying that she couldn’t recognize I was a customer.

“I’m not a thief!  I’m just trying to buy something!”  I shouted back at her, stopping her mid flail.  Of course this wasn’t going to be an ‘easy’ errand, I just had to go and think maybe I’d get lucky and have a quick task for once.  Well, on the bright side, at least she hasn’t tried to kill me yet.  With how off her train of thought was however, I wasn’t so sure that was off the table.

“A customer?  Then why didn’t you say so?”  She sighed and crossed her forehooves.

“I thought I had…”  I grumbled, walking past her over to the counter near the back wall.  I pushed the dash box aside.  First things first is to secure the statue, then if I have enough I’ll get the dash as well.  I stopped and scrunched up my muzzle as a realization hit me.  I was actually planning to buy drugs, and it felt… odd.  I knew I needed them, but was it because I needed them for the fight?  Or because I liked the way that it made me feel back in the Pool?  I pushed those thoughts aside, seeing as I knew they would help against 42, and that I needed to focus on getting this done.

“How much for the figurine back here?”  I asked, keeping my tone down to a slightly disinterested one.  “I’ll give you fifty caps for it.”

“Oh, that old thing?  It’s a family heirloom, had it for generations.”  She lied to me.  She knew that she had just gotten it, and was just trying to bump up the price on it.  That may work on anypony else shopping here, but not me.  “I couldn’t part with it for any less than…”  She thought for a moment.  “Three hundred caps.”

“I can’t do that much, I only have a hundred on me.”  I lied this time.  I should have around one hundred and twenty on me.

“Sonny, let’s quit the foals play.  You know I’m lying, I know you’re lying.”  She lowered her ears as she spoke.  I should have known that her hearing was probably as good as mine, seeing as she didn’t have her eyes anymore and is still doing well for herself in this place.  “We’re both respectable business ponies here.”  She stopped for a moment and put a hoof to her chin.  “You are a pony, aren’t you?”

“That is correct.”  I probably let a bit of my hesitation out in my words, but it shouldn’t matter.  I looked down to myself, looking over my scared and burnt half. 

“You say yes, then shake your head no.”  She shrugged and began rocking in her chair.  How could she have gotten a gesture through the sounds of me moving?  “My offer still stands at three hundred.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have that much.”  Well, this was a disappointment.

“I’ll pay for it.”  The voice of Twain spoke up from around the edge of the stall, his smug smile widening as he looked at me.  “I thought I saw you walk into the market.  It’s good to see you made it up here in one piece.”  He hoofed out a large leather pouch and tossed it to the old mare.  “I was just about to head to the bar for a beer, you up for talking about what you want for that little gold key?”

“Yeah, was going to meet up with a friend there anyway.”  I wrapped the figure in my fetlock and walked from the shop, the gears in my head churning harder as I slipped the pink statuette into my bags.  A random thought popped into my head.  “I might have another job that you could do in return for it.”


-----


The gears in my head hadn’t stopped, still trying to crunch something important together.  I knew it had to be important, but as Twain and I reached the entrance to the Muddy Rudder tavern, I couldn’t imagine what it was.

“Really?  you want me to work with a bunch of steel assholes, AGAIN?  One time was bad enough.”  Twain shook his head as we walked into the bar, the both of us stopping as a commotion from the patriots now held our attention.  I found myself looking at an odd pair of ponies who were dressed in old security guard outfits, making them Isaac’s coworkers if I were to guess.  Despite their shouting voices, he wore a smile on his muzzle as he rubbed at his neck with his forehoof.

“How could you let another one get away!?”  The small, crimson coated unicorn mare yelling at him had a temper that matched the fiery, bright red mane that adorn her.  “With you either catching or losing them all, we’re never going to work off our debt at this rate!”  With as young as she was, I was surprised to see her working someplace like this.

“Now now, Miss Slayer, I am not the one who couldn’t pay for gorging herself.”  Isaac sat down and looked up at me, giving me a nod before returning his attention to the young mare.  “You agreed to work off your debt, and Mr. Stew allowed you to do it by making this city a better place.”

“Yeah yeah.”  She waved her hoof back at him.  “The sooner we pay it back, the sooner the big lug and I can quit wasting our time here and get back to what we do best!”

“Eating ponies out of house and home?”  The large light blue stallion with a blond mane, who up until now had just been observing the argument, finally put in a thought.  The only problem was that from the way his statement sounded, he didn’t seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed.  However that antique sword he carried at his side looked as sharp as any well made blade I’d seen.

“Shut it, you dolt!”  I couldn’t help buck look on in confusion as the mare smashed the big guy on his head with her hoof.  “Now Xellos, why don’t you be a pal and let me mark this down as our win.  What do you say?”

“I would say…”  I could already tell what he was going to say with the look of elation across his face.  “that you are going to need to be as fast as me if you want me to even think of considering that.”

She hung her head with a groan  “But you’re freakishly fast!  How the hell do you even do it?”

Isaac smiled and wagged his hoof at her.  “Now that, is a secret!”

She facehoofed hard and growled in anger, her horn glowing brightly before the blue stallion put a hoof on her shoulder.  She stopped and looked up to him as he did nothing but glare towards the other door across the room.  The angry mare sighed and nodded, turning from Isaac toward the exit.  “Come on Lightsword, it’s Tesla and Zel’s shift in a few.  Let’s go wake them up.”  

Longbow pushed past them as they left, smiling as she saw me, but pausing for a moment when she saw Twain.  “Hey, what’s he doing here?”  She eyed over him suspiciously, getting a grunt from him.

“I’ll be at the bar, come sit when you’re done.”  He brushed past Isaac as he walked forward, letting Isaac take his place next to me.

“Twain has agreed to join your team for the bridge assault.”  I watched her process the information with surprising calmness.  I had expected her to argue or interject with how she ‘doesn’t need more protection’, or that she ‘doesn’t trust somepony like him’.

“I’ll make sure he’s briefed on what to do, which should be simple seeing as I borrowed the bridge blueprints from the Manehatten museum curator on the lower levels.  Maple and the others in his squad are each being divided into team leaders for when team one and two get in position.”  She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the floor.  “I just hope we have enough, assaulting an ensconced defender requires ten to one odds, and we don’t even…”

I put my hoof up to her muzzle and gave her a nod.  “We will have enough.  We need to, if there is any hope of killing 42.”

“If there is anything I may do to help, just ask.”  Isaac chimed in, surprising the hell out of me.

“No.  I will not ask you to risk your…”  The gears in my head ground down for a moment, sending a spike of pain through my head.  This caused enough of a pause that my brain actually heard what I was about to say.  This is it, the final assault against 42.  We needed as many ponies as we could, and if he offered, I was going to take him up on it.  “Fuck, we can’t afford not to have you with us.”

“You can go in with my team.”  Longbow pushed my hoof from her slowly.  “The two main groups above will probably funnel them down to us, so we will need all the reinforcement we can get.”

“Then you might be interested in using my boat as well.”  As he spoke, my ear picked up at something in Isaac’s voice I hadn’t heard from him yet.  A sense of purpose.  He sounded as if it was his duty to help, and that he was grateful he could.

“Since when do you have a boat?”  I looked to him as I rubbed at my aching head.

“I told you, none were accepting of my presence, so I traded the room they signed over to me for a fairly decent fishing vessel.”  Isaac smiled.  “He told me a ship like that goes for quite a few caps in it’s condition, but it was worth it for a rent free room in the city.  I think it was a fairly decent trade.”

I looked over to Longbow, who looked just as confused at me.  She shrugged and smirked.  “Well, that will certainly be better than my original plan to get our group over.”

“Oh?  And how was that going to be?”  Now that she brought it up, I’m not sure how they were going to assault the lower sections in the first place.”

“Well, with such little time left, I was just going to have Frosted Cakes steal us one.”  She looked up to me with a hint of guilt in her eyes.  Longbow had surprised me several times on our journey, but stealing I had thought completely out of the question for her.  Though, I would have thought the same thing because… “If it brings down Forty Two, anything is worth it, right?”  She gave me a small nervous smile.

I love how the two of us think.

“Hey, errand boy!”  The annoyed voice of Caliper called out behind me.  “I thought I told you to grab my figure, not drink the night away!”  While that was true, and I did manage to get a bit off track, I had still planned on heading back down.  Didn’t I?  Ugh, it’s these fucking gears turning in my head that have gotten my mind all jumbled up.

“Sorry!”  I turned around to see her hobbling towards me with a bandage wrapped around her forehoof.  “You alright there?”  

“Fucking terminal casing gave me a good zap.”  She shook her hoof as I reached into my saddlebag and hoofed out the small figure, taking a moment to really look at it.  “Yeah, I swear that casing is the only reason terminals never fail.  Their energy absorption rate is phenomenal.”  I felt compelled to read the words inscribed along the base, speaking without really knowing why I had to.

“Awareness! It was under ‘E’!”

With that, the floodgates in my mind opened as the gears spun out more than I thought they could.  The research station in the middle of the forest, the busted terminals in the pond cave, 42’s actual reason for being there, Project Golem’s final audiolog, and Pinkie’s riddle to me now fit all neatly together.  ”It's the only place you can normally go to find it… under Eeee.”

“What are you blathering on about now?”  Caliper reached out and snatched the statuette from my hoof.

I couldn’t fight the wide grin across my face as I realized how simple it had all been.  I had always heard about how Twilight Sparkle had been the most intelligent of the Ministry Mares, so who would think she’d hide the pond someplace as simple as that!  42 couldn’t find it when she was there, she needed me to figure it out for her, and if Twilight can outsmart her, then 42 wasn’t perfect.  That means that however small, there is still a chance that we can do this.

“Nothing.”  I shooed her away, pushing her from to the back of my mind as I turned to Longbow.  “How long do we have until the other rangers arrive?”

Longbow thought for a moment.  “Well, I spent the last fifteen minutes looking for you, and taking into account the average time it would take to get there…”  She waved her hoof in the air, doing math in her head.  “I’d say we’ve got just about an hour.”

“What!?”  I spat out in shock.  “This wasn’t the plan at all!  They were supposed to get here tomorrow!”

“And every time you’ve planned something, 42 has been expecting it.  So I pushed up the plans when I was back at base.”  She smiled as I blinked, sitting there in awe.  It was brilliant in both it’s inception and execution.  “She’ll never see this coming.”  I was so happy that I could just kiss her!  Unfortunately as I went to hug her, she stopped me.  “But ,in case you didn’t realize this, it means you have to get ready to go now.  I’ll get Isaac and that asshole back there ready, but Maple is already waiting for you at the dock.”

“I love you.”  I really wished that I had more time to spend with her.  “Wait, but what about Skyline?”  Longbow looked puzzled at my question.  “She’s at Tenpony with Carlotta, if she returns, can you make sure she know’s where I am?”  She gave a nod in response and leaned in, giving the end of my muzzle a soft kiss before turning toward Twain.  

“Oh, wait for a moment.”  Longbow’s eyes brightened, looking back to me as her horn glowed, pulling her Gauss pistol from her saddlebag.  “I won’t need it when I’m in my armor.  It only has a few shots left, but I hope you won’t have to use them.”  

“Thank you.”  I took the weapon into my hooves, feeling grateful for all that she’s done for me.  “I’ll make sure not to waste the shots.”  Turning, I held my hoof out to Isaac and smiled to him, happy when he took my hoof and gave it a firm shake.  “See you after the fight!”

“Likewise.  Please be safe.”  He offered as he let go and followed after Longbow.

I made my way back down the corridor, almost flying down the stairs that lead to the marketplace in a mad rush to find supplies.  Safety’s firearms was my first stop, I needed to see what ammo I could pick up there.  Then I unfortunately needed to get to Seymore’s again, I was sure I had seen a few potions on her shelves, and I’m sure those will be quite useful.  The gears in my head spun up again, throwing out the image of the Dash vials sitting there.  I bit my lip lightly as I thought.  What was the harm is getting them?  If I need them to kill 42, addiction is a better alternative to dying.

I burst past a few groups of ponies just hanging around the entrance to the market, pushing myself to get this done as quickly as possible.  I skid to a stop in front of a very surprised Safety Catch, who looked unsure if he should grab a gun to sell me, or to use on me.

“Whoa there buddy, where’s the fire?”  He gave a nervous smile, his right foreleg twitching as I knew it was curled around the barrel of the gun behind his counter.

“I need ammo, and it’s got to be quick.”  I stopped and thought what I would need.  I only had Heartstopper, the Twins, and now Longbow’s gauss pistol on me.  “Preferably twelve gauge, nine millimeter and two millimeter gauss.”

“I was pretty much cleaned out earlier today, but I think…”  He looked around quickly, trotting to the back of his stall and shuffling through a few boxes as he spoke.  “Ah-ha!  I knew I still had some left!”  He brought over a box of 12 gauge shotgun shells with a smile.  Here you are.  That will be thirty five caps.”

“Sure, but that’s all you’ve got?”  This was going to be a VERY short fight if it came down to it.  I know I still had at least a mag’s worth for the Twins, but this was going to have to be enough.

“Like I said, I got cleaned out earlier today, sorry.”  He actually had sorrow in his words, but I knew from experience that it was more from the fact that he didn’t have more to sell me.  I reached into my bags and counted out the assorted caps, hoofing them over before dragging the shotgun shells into my bag.  “Pleasure doing business.”

I didn’t bother giving him a ‘good day’ in return, instead pushing myself off and galloping towards Miss Leek’s stall.  She was still in her chair, but this time I could see an empty dash inhaler in her hoof.  I fucking knew she was using her own shit, but I really hope that she is still composed enough to make a fair sale.  Her tipping her head up to me as I approached was a good sign that she was at least still conscious.

I rushed past her, biting down on the two simple health potions she had on the shelf, and wrapped my fetlock around the box of Dash that I assumed no longer held the amount I saw earlier.  I dumped them on the counter in front of me and danced on my hooves, eager to keep moving.

“Hmm? What?”  Here words were disorderly and slurred.  I knew she was crashing from the drug and wasn’t going to last much longer in all probability.  “You want my Jet?”

“All of it!  How much!?”  This was going to take too long, and I don’t even think she’d make it through a negotiation if she kept the price too high.

“Well lets see…”  She rubbed her chin softly and squinted at the clear, plastic box they sat in.  “For all these?  Hmmm.”  Was she going infuriatingly slow just because she knew I was in a hurry, or did the universe just hate me that much this month that she literally took this long to process a single thought?

“Words…”  I rolled my forehoof, hoping she would get the hint to go faster.  “Speak words old mare!”

“Twenty caps…”  She spoke so slowly, I knew that she had to be crazy to charge that little for them.  “Each.”  There was the catch.  There was no way I could afford that right now, but there is no way I’m going into a battle like this without being completely prepared.  For the first time in my life, I was going to resort to something as a merchant I swore I’d never do.  Not to say that what might amount to as the rest of my life was worth ruining my merchant's reputation with theft, but the better off I am from this point, the more lives might be saved in the long run.  That makes sense, right?

“Great!”  I shouted, pulling my money pouch from my bag and throwing it at her.  The bag struck her in the muzzle and split, throwing my meager amount of caps all over the floor as I scooped the supplies into my bag.  If I had known I was just going to steal, I should have probably grabbed more from the shelves.  There was no time for regrets now, and I didn’t give her any time to come to her senses before I was gone.

My hooves slammed against the old metal flooring and grating that made up the stairwells back down to the docks, groaning precariously as I thundered down flight after flight.  The thought that I might be running straight towards my doom flashed through my mind, but I did my best to shove that thought as far back as I could.  I owed it to my family and friends to at least live long enough to kill 42 and try to give reparations for the ones my own hooves were responsible for getting killed.

I threw my weight into the ground level access hatch, slamming it open as I a startled Maple, who reflexively moved to bite down on a weapon bit that he forgot was still in his unworn helmet.  I panted heavily as I did my best to not look too winded.  Going up wasn’t so bad, sure, but regulating my balance when working my way down hastily took a lot more work than I had thought it would.  The darkening skies made the air mercifully cold, helping my now aching joints feel a bit better as I stood in the open.

“Goddesses, Backlash, slow down.”  He visibly relaxed as I took notice of the other paladins who were standing around.  “We’re just going over our final check as the rest of the weapons you sold us is divided up and loaded onto the barges.  We should be ready to depart for the shore in the next ten minutes or so.

“You mean…”  I panted heavily as he looked at me curiously.  “I had… time before… we went!?”  My legs gave out as I realized I rushed down here for nothing.  Well, at the very least, it might take Miss Leek a bit to realize I had ripped her off, and even longer to report me to the guards for it.  The cold ground below me felt good on my coat, the idea of taking a small nap while I waited sounding more and more like a good idea by the moment.  I shook my head and forced myself back to my legs, knowing that if I slept, I might not wake in time for the fight.  I can’t risk my coordination being off for this, not by one bit.

“I suggest you wait on the barge, I will join you as soon as I go over the plan with them.”  Maple shrugged and pointed a hoof to the barge we took over here.  My guess was that once they got the barge back over, they would use the tug itself to bring the others to the other end of the bridge.  I don’t know which side we would be assaulting from, but either way was sure to be a deathtrap if 42 would keep to her usual tricks.

I did as was asked, trotting my way to the barge and taking my place in front of the same window I had looked out of on the way in here.  I listened for the next few minutes to the sound the waves made against the shore, letting it relax me lightly.  There came a point when the silence reminded me of how alone I was.  I thought it best to get some noise going so my own thoughts didn’t drift anywhere I didn’t want them to.  Knowing that we still had a little bit of time to kill, I lifted my pipbuck, swapping out the S.A.T.S. fuse over to the radio.  I’d have to swap it back but right now I just want to try clearing my mind.  With a quick click, the radio started up and though it was at the end of the song, I enjoyed the sad slow tunes of Sweetie Bell that flowed through the air.

“Gooooood evening Wastelanders!  It’s me, your friendly radio DJ Pon3, coming at you from Manehatten on this gloomy and depressing evening.  I’d like to start tonight’s update with a bit of alarming news coming from the settlement of Red Wing.”

42 couldn’t be in Red Wing, right?  She wanted to fight at the bridge, and there is no way she would miss out on getting the drop on me.  Maybe it’s something else?  Maybe it was just a mine collapse, or maybe Pariah was killed by a manticore or something.

“It looks like a whole army of raiders has descended on the poor town, and the only thing standing between them and complete annihilation is their town walls.  I’m also getting reports of a large mechanical monster fighting the raiders as well, but who knows if it will stop with them or continue by slaughtering Red Wing.  Will it fall to the thousand pony siege force?  Who knows kiddos.”

A thousand fucking raiders!?  42 must have gathered all of the gangs from here to Baltimare just for that one assault.  Even if we killed 42 in the next hour and turned our sights on saving Red Wing, we’d get there a day from now and there is no way the walls were going to last that long.  At least P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. were there to help them, and I’m sure their appearance is the only reason the walls have lasted this long in the first place.

“In other, less depressing news, Tenpony tower was freed from it’s own Ganger threat yesterday by none other, than our beloved Crusaders.  Now now, I know what all you ponies out there are saying.  ‘Why do they keep fighting for us like this?’.  Well, as it turns out my little ponies, I have an answer for you, and it’s simpler than you think.  It’s because they believe in the wasteland.  They believe in the good that not just us ponies can do, but that all who live in our time can accomplish if we work together instead of against…”

*Fzzzzkrack*

The pipbuck shot a spark out of its side and went dark, the pink readout in my eye fuzzed away quickly and left me wondering what just happened.  I looked down at it, shaking and tapping at the screen to see if it was just a loose connection, but it seemed like it was going to stay dead, which meant it was going to be a lot worse than just bad wiring.  I was going to be completely vulnerable in this fight if it didn’t restart by the time the bullets started flying.

“Alright, let’s go!  That bitch isn’t going to kill herself!”  Maple shouted just before the barge lurched ever so slightly.  This was it, no going back from here.  How is it that despite my best efforts to be prepared for this, I am walking in with little more than a hope and a prayer that we can do this?


-----


I was slightly disappointed when the barge had crossed to the other side of the harbor, where Maple, Frosted Cakes and I disembarked with a few other Paladins, quickly making our way through the dark streets toward the east onramp to the bridge.  I had hoped to use the Marauder as a quick means to get up there, but from the amount of rubble on this side of the bay, most of it would have made car travel impossible.  Maple gave a grunt as a signal to turn, steering us all towards an old shipping warehouse that sat next to the onramp.  As we entered, the soft lanterns attached to hooded acolytes helped me to see that the thirty or so ponies here had been hard at work repairing the armor of the eleven other paladins standing before us.

One of them stepped forward when we entered, throwing up a quick salute to Maple.  “Sir, the scouts report that the bridge truss closest to us has been reinforced, and is mostly being manned by raiders at the moment.”  His glance drifted to me for only a moment, where a look of horror and disgust flashed across his expression just enough so I could see it.  “The pink mare has also been seen at various points, but our snipers haven’t been able to get a clean shot.”

“Thank you initiate.  Remind them not to engage in the fight until we have started taking fire.”  Maple motioned for the young stallion to go as he looked back to me, cocking his eyebrow.  “Would you like to borrow some armor?  You’re pretty much going in naked now that your pipbuck is dead.”

It was funny, he had noticed it right off the bat when we were talking, but he still didn’t get that 42 was playing a game, and that she wanted me alive.  “I’ll be fine, trust me.  Just make sure to punch a hole in their defences to get me inside.  Once I’m in, it will be just me and her, understand?”

“That’s suicide, you’ve seen what she can do.”  He shook his head.

“No, it’s up to me to stop her, and anypony who steps in will only serve as a means of leverage against me.”  It was my fight, and they were already risking enough.  “I just need you to open up a clear path for me and keep the raiders at bay.  Think you can do that?”

My ears were met with the sound of creaking wood, drawing my attention to a hooded pony who was prying open a familiar looking box.  Inside sat the pink missiles that I had claimed from under the farmhouse, and upon seeing them again, my curiosity as to what they did was rekindled.  Well, I won’t have to wait long to find out I guess.

“Easy enough.”  He paused for a moment before he put his helmet on.  “We will be there if you call for aid.  We agreed to help you, but I know what this mare is capable of just as you do, we are all ready to give our lives if it means keeping that thing from living any longer.”

“I understand.”  I nodded as his helmet gave a hiss as it sealed to him.  “And thank you, Maple.  For everything you and your squad have done.”  I held my hoof out, receiving a firm hoofshake from him in return.

“Don’t thank me yet…”  He cut himself off, canting his head as he held a hoof up in an attempt to keep me silent.  “Looks like the other team radioed in that they have started across the bridge, so it’s time to get this started.”  He looked back to the other paladins, who stiffened up and stood at attention.  “Listen up!  We are to cause enough of a diversion to both allow the tertiary team to get into position, and to break a hole in their line big enough to get Backlash here inside.”  He paused as the paladins each nodded in confirmation.  “Alright, let’s get moving!”

As we trot, part of me was glad that Sky wasn’t here.  I hoped that she had simply, lost track of time and spent an extra few minutes with Carlotta.  As much as I didn’t want to break the promise I made after this all started, I didn’t want her to come with me.  42 would kill her, I knew this, and if that happened?  There is no way I could maintain enough focus to keep myself from getting killed by her as well.  No, it was better this way.

The dark streets of Manehatten were quiet tonight, with not even the wind anymore to dampen the loud stomps the armored ponies following me gave off.  It was amazing how the rangers could just follow orders, knowing they could be doing so in futility.  It was something I hadn’t really thought about much before last month, thinking that all the rangers did was bully the wastelanders around on a whim.  What I had learned was very different.  They are no different from an other pony in the wastes, simply scared and doing what they think is the best for their own survival.  Yes, some like Maple stood out in a negative light, but I know in time, he could change his ways.

This thought ran through my mind again and again as we made our way up the overpass, helping to distract me from the two steel monoliths rising into the sky before us.  Hastily patched up sections of the towers glowed softly from the numerous fires keeping the interior lit while quick shadows darted around as we approached.  The truss that ran between the towers at the top had a large shack constructed on top of it, and was something I hadn’t remembered seeing before.  As we approached, the shack lit up like a stage, and I immediately knew why I hadn’t remembered it.  42 was all about the theatrics, of course.

Even from this far, I could see when 42 walked forward onto the stage, and as my eye burned, I knew she was staring right at me.  The fact that she wasn’t at Red Wing ment that they actually had a chance to win their fight, but the fact that she was up on that stage so readily, meant that she knew we were coming.  I just hope that she didn’t assume Longbow had a team coming up from below.  The loud report of a large caliber rifle filled the night air, which filled the stage with smoke.  No, not smoke.  The stage was surrounded by some sort of bullet resistant glass, and had simply cracked in front of where 42 stood.

“Shit, I told them to wait.”  Maple’s voice didn’t come as a surprise.  It was a good attempt, but 42 wouldn’t make a move like that without protection.  “Well, looks like…”   He was interrupted as a sharp screech of feedback came across the air, making me fold my ear down and cringe.

“Well good evening fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the feature event for the heavyweight championship of the world!”  42’s voice boomed from whatever soundsystem she had hooked up to bridge, carrying across the silent city in eerie echoes.  The echos were soon followed by the cheers and excited shouts of her followers, their taunts and whistles reminding me that she had a sizable force inside the fortified structure.  As we made our way up the road I could see that all the rusting hulks of skycars and busses had been pushed together to create a makeshift wall.  “Fans, with us tonight is truly one of the greats, coming up from the east side, the master of disaster, the king of sting, the one and only, Backlash!”

A spotlight from just under the stage flicked on and swung down, forcing me to squint as it highlighted me.  I ignored the ominous shouts and boos that came from the raiders, pushing forward and stopping only once I was thirty or so feet from the car wall.  As the voices calmed down, I took the chance to buy us a bit more time for us all to get into position.

“Give it up 42!”  I shouted, not even sure she could hear me.  “You want this to be our final fight?  Then let’s have it fair.  One on one, me and you, right now.”  If I could get her in the open, even if she took me down, I know Maple would hold up his end of the bargain.

“What?  I never said it would be OUR final fight.  I specifically remember saying it was the ultimate showdown.”  Her voice came over the speakers with a squeak of delight.  “And what a turnout!  I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.  Though… I do have to ask all my little soon to be cupcakes where the hell my fireworks are.”

“Longbow, we're a bit busy up here!”  Maple spoke up next to me, ripping my attention from 42 with news from Longbow.  “Who cares if there are ponies under the roadway?  Unless it’s the whole base…”  He paused and went quiet as I swear I could hear Longbow yelling at him through his helmet.  His body went rigid for a moment as he put his hoof to his ear.  “They have WHAT with them!?”

“Ugh, I guess the surprise is ruined, might as well ring the bell!”  42 spoke with a sinister tone that sent a shiver down the back of my neck.  “Let’s see how many rounds you rangers can last in the ring.”  There was a soft beep that came through the speakers, which preceded the only thing that I hadn’t considered 42 even doing.  She was going to destroy the bridge.

BA-BOOM!

The colorful blasts of balefire energy lit up the night behind us and on the other side of the bridge from us, the force of the blasts throwing the few of us lucky to be this far up off our hooves.  The ringing in my ears wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be, but as it turned out, it was less of a blessing than I thought, as I could hear the sharp snaps and squeals of the bridges roadway as it started to collapse, the screams of the rangers who fell to the water below haunted me as I got back to my hooves on the cracking and quickly disintegrating road.

Gunfire erupted from both sides as debris from the roadway pushed into the air from the blast rained down from the sky.  I yelped as I jumped when a sizable chunk of concrete slammed down beside me, the slowly tilting roadway making me lose my balance when I landed and I ended up rolling back and onto my belly.  I started to slide back, flailing my rear hooves until one of them slid into a gap just big enough for it to fit into, the sharp wires that lay just under the asphalt cut into my legs as I kept my head out of the gunfight.  I yelped as half a ranger slammed down in front of me, the smoldering corpse coating me with blood as tried to use it as a point of leverage to pull myself up.  Instead, I ended up pulling it hard enough it slid down the shifting roadway and over the edge, dropping into the water below where I would shortly be going if I couldn't find a way to move up.

This had become a complete nightmare.  I thought we had been prepared, that we had the advantage.  Instead, I had lead them into a slaughter.  Once again I had failed the wasteland, and once again as I slowly pulled my way up the roadway, I was sure I was going to pay for it with my life.
> Chapter 24 - Outcast
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 24

“Isn't this where we came in?“

-----


I could feel the warmth that the sun gave off, and how the cool grass under me wicked that warmth away ever so slightly.  All this in the midst of me coughing and choking up water that came from the depths of my lungs.  Of all the ways I’ve come to this place, drowning was so far the worst.  I flopped onto my side and threw up, my body wrenching to purge every drop of the foul water as the sensation of freezing took over.  The sensation didn’t stay long, but it was just enough that I had to ask why couldn’t I have found 42 in summer.  The only thing that persisted was what I can classify as the worst headache I’ve ever had.

“Backlash?  Is that you?”  A voice spoke up from beside me, it was strange, it sounded almost like…  “But, how can this be?  We were just at the bridge?”  I opened my eyes to find the confused gaze of Isaac looking around.

“Isaac?”  I sputtered out and groaned as I put my hooves under me.  “What the fuck are you doing here?”  The gears in my head started spinning slowly, but the shock of seeing him was slow to wear off and I just stared at him in disbelief.

“Wait, I… I remember!”  In an instant, he had the widest smile I’d ever seen on him as he looked like he was about to rocket into the air with excitement.  “I know I am Xellos!  I remember growing up with Mother, Father, and how Xin cared for me.  My job from the time during the war, the day we were accepted into the program…”  His gaze drifted from me as the grin on his muzzle dropped ever so slowly.  “What the war did to mom and dad.  The days after the end…”  He sat down in the dirt with a thump, his eyes tearing up as he sniffled.  “What I did at the mine, and how I hurt ponies.”

“SNAP OUT OF IT.”  I hit him hard, planting my forehoof right on the side of his muzzle.  It was great and all that he had his memories back, but the thought of him being here weighed too heavily on me.  He’s dying back in the real world, that’s the only way Pinkie said to get here, isn’t it?  “Think for me Isaac, how did you end up here?”

He shook his head and rubbed at his face.  “I do not know, I spotted you as you fell from the bridge.  When I did not see you surface, I took one of the oxygen tanks from my boat and went in after you.  l used it to send you to the surface right before…”  He stopped and put a hoof to the end of his muzzle.  “Did… did we die?  Is this what the afterlife is like?”

“Close. Halfterlife actually.”  I rolled my eye and pointed a forehoof toward the path I always traveled.  “We just have to find pinkie, maybe she can explain why you came with me this time.”  I held my hoof towards Isaac, happy to feel him grab it as he got back to his hooves.  I have no idea why he was with me, but there had to be a good reason.  “She’s probably at the table just over those hills, come on.”  No sooner had I finished speaking when the upbeat tune of an old world polka started up from down the path, reinforcing my assumption.

The breeze kicked up as we started to walk, bringing with it the smells of sweets and frosted treats.  Isaac took a deep breath of it, relaxing as he took it in.  The scent must have brought up good memories, because I could see the worry and tension in his face melt away as we walked.  He had been around before the war, so he must have at one time had actual parties, ones that had real cake and treats that weren’t over a century old.  As we crested the familiar hill that overlooked the table, I looked down to find and unexpected scene playing out.

“Thank you miss Pinkie Pie, the punch is lovely.”  Xin was sitting with a small cup in her hooves, smiling as she sat across the table from the bouncing young filly.  In the same moment it took for my blood to boil, Isaac had dashed down the slope and caught Xin off guard with a hug.  She caught me standing on the hill and offered up a nervous smile.

“Pinkie, what the fuck is she doing here?”  My anger made the gears in my head grind, only serving to remind me that my skull felt like it wanted to split apart.  “Why is everypony in this place!?”  I sat down and pushed my hooves at my head, hoping that somehow that would relieve the pressure.  Unsurprisingly, it did little to help.

“She came for the party, Duh.”  Pinkie giggled with a snort and bounced across the table, jumping and belly flopping into a multilayered striped cake.  The sugary confection all but exploded in a shower of dark and white chocolate bits, making it just far enough to get onto my hooves while nearly coating Isaac completely.  Pinkie re-emerged from the mound of cake by eating her way out, licking her lips before flashing her smile to me again.  “Who wouldn’t want their own sister to show up at their welcome to the afterlife, brother sister reunion, Backlash’s very last visit party!?  I mean, come on silly, what fun would that be?”

So, his death was why he was here afterall.  I swung my gaze over to Isaac, who was slicking the frosting off his coat as a more somber look fell across his face.  “So, we are dead then.”

“You are, but you have saved this one’s life.”  Xin used her hoof to turn his gaze to me, joining him with a note of shame to her own sorrow.  “I am sorry for what I did to you on the mountain.  I now know that your offer was genuine, and that I was the engineer of my own demise.  I thank you for helping my brother as you did.”

I wanted to ask her why she hadn’t just taken me up on the offer, or if she understood just what she was putting the workers in the mines through, but it wasn’t the time.  I turned to pinkie as the gears in my head unjammed themselves, throwing an idea out.  “Pinkie, if this is the halfway point to the afterlife, wouldn’t that mean that Isaac isn’t dead?”  If there was a way to get back to the real world and save him, I had to at least try!  The only response I got from Pinkie was her shoving her face into the punchbowl and slurping loudly.  “Send me back, I have to try to save him!”

“Backlash…”  Isaac walked up and put his hoof on me.  “Waking up here was disorienting, but I remembered that in saving you, I could not escape the falling roadway, and my metal body was crushed by debris.  I know I am dead, but now I can finally rest with my family.”

“I… I’m sorry.”  Another friend dead at my hooves, all because of my stupid ideas to go at 42.

“You have nothing to apologize for.  For the first time in a long time I can feel the breeze in my mane, the sun on my skin, and enjoy the feeling of soil under my hooves.”  I looked up to see him smiling, not even a hint of sorrow could be found anywhere across his face.  “Do not think of this as a failure.  These things are a gift Xin and I have waited over a century to receive.  Thank you, my friend.”  He pat me on the shoulder, turned and walked down the hill to where Xin was standing.  He took his place at her side before waving to me, as if to be saying goodby.

Then I blinked, and they were gone.

The wind whistled through the hills and into my ears, meeting me as the only sound left.  The music fell silent the moment they left, and without my notice, the party supplies and remains of cake had disappeared as well.  The only thing that remained on the table was Pinkie.

“I hope you don’t mind that I cleaned up, but you can have all the cake you want when you come back, not to mention I have another party to prepare for.”  Pinkie let out a yawn and stretched herself out as the sun swung down to the horizon before abruptly stopping just above it, casting the surrounding hills in the most luxurious shade of orange I have ever seen.  It was so stunning, it almost made me overlook what she had just said.

“When I come back?  I thought this was the last time I was going to be here?”  I scrunched up my muzzle.  “Even though I don’t exactly get where here is per se, or why I even come here at all.”

“Tell me, do you remember that your aunty Pie was once the bearer of an Element of Harmony?”  She spread her forehooves out as she sat on the table, making a grand gesture.  “The magic that they come from made this place.  A personal paradise outside of heaven for those who personify an element.  Their own bastion of solitude if you will.”

“So I personify an element and this place is mine?”  It would explain why I’ve had this feeling like I could stay here forever.  Pinkie snickered at my question.

“Not quite.  This place was made for ME.  You being family though is why you feel the longing for it deep down inside you.  Us Pies are fairly simple ponies, and this place has everything we would want.”  She put her hooves down and tapped on the table for me to come to her.  I walked over and took a seat on the bench, stretching out as well as an enormous sense of relaxation overcame me.  “I have been using it as a vacation home from the afterlife.  Even the grandmaster of parties needs some time to herself now and again.  I can see even you’ve found the merits of a little downtime here.”

“So, if it was made for you, how come ponies like me can come here?  Or why is it that Isaac was here?”  Normally I would say because Pinkie Pie, but she said this was different and  without that clause, my curiosity just can’t let it be.

“Anypony who has our gift can come here when they die, but ponies whose souls are at rest or weakened from injuries can be brought here as well.  That’s why I haven’t brought you when you were awake.”  She let out another yawn and raised her hoof to the sky, twisting it counter clockwise and lifting the sun back up into the sky.  With the amber light of sunset gone, I felt more relaxed, but no longer tired.  “It’s super easy, all you have to do is reel them in!  Which reminds me, I’ve got a pony to retrieve here soon, so we’re going to have to wrap this up.”

“Wait, how do you even…?”  I should have expected it, but she cut me off mid question.

“Fishing pole!”  She leaned forward and ran her hoof along the underside of the table, retrieving a flashy silver and red metal fishing rod.

“Of course it is.”  I deadpanned and facehooved.  “You know, you still didn’t answer my original question.  What did you mean that I would return?”

“What?  But I did answer it!”  She looked to me with a confused look before her ears perked.  “Did I start speaking in emotes again?  I hate when I lapse into that language, it’s not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.  Speaking in confetti on the other hoof...”

“No, you spoke fine, I just don’t understand.”  My headache returned with a vengeance and I suddenly wished that she could turn the sun back to it’s relaxing position.  “You said this was my last visit.  Is it, or is it not?”

“Metal?  What was I thinking!  That will never hold up to somepony her size!”  She tossed the metal rod over her shoulder and rummaged around under the table again, this time pulling a simple looking bamboo rod out clenched in her fetlock.  “I meant what I said, it is your last visit.”  She looked up to me with a soft smile.  “Everypony dies someday Backlash, even great great great great great grandsons.  But my home is your home, mi casa es su casa.  When you return, you may use this space however you please.”

“Then you have to know when… how!  I don’t care that you lied to me about knowing the future, but you know how this is going to play out.  I can’t beat 42 without your help, Pinkie.  How..”  I was silenced as she shoved her hoof in my muzzle.

“Ah-ah! Spoilers.”  She giggled and stuck her tongue out at me.  “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to send you back, your friend is a pretty big gal, and she needs to be here to help plan the party, so I need to get lifting before I see you a few minutes from now!  Well, past you in any case.”

I blinked as the gears shoved the mention of Harmony a few weeks ago back to the forefront of my mind.  I wanted to tell her to wait, to let me see her again.  I know what I said last time, but I could keep the promise now.  Six months would be worth it just to see her again, but as she took her hoof and bopped my muzzle, the only thing that came out of it was a scream as my chest erupted in pain and I once again fell into the darkness between worlds.


-----


The first thing that greeted me when I awoke was the feeling of warmth.  The crackling of a small fire nearby must have been the source of the heat, while the world around me seemed deathly quiet otherwise.  As I opened my eye, I was met with the flickering interior of some old world building, the cracking posters urging me to join the equestrian navy gave me a good hint at what this place was once used for.  As good as it felt to be near a fire, it was dieing and I had to get back to the others.

Moving myself, I found was a bit more annoying that I’d thought it would be as my chest erupted in pain, making me grind my teeth as I looked down.  The skin across my chest and belly was completely stripped off, and the bloody muscle had been bandaged with discolored bandages that matched the coloration of the ones that were wrapped around my leg.  Mercifully, I found that I was still wearing my saddlebags, and the quick fear that whoever had saved me was going to keep me prisoner, died out.  Instantly my mind was filled with questions, and the gears in my head simply couldn’t keep up as a headache came in the form of a pinching sensation in the base of my skull.  Had somepony rescued me from the water?  How was I injured?  Did the others at least succeed in stopping 42?

The soft notes of a song came from outside, increasing steadily as I tweaked my good ear to hear the voice better.  I turned my head to the rotten wood door that lead out of the room as the gears in my head ground to a halt at the same moment the pain in my head moved to my eye.  No, it wasn’t just somepony outside.  That was the same voice I had just gotten back from listening to, only it was missing every ounce of innocence in it’s joyous tune.

“I can’t decide whether you should live or die…”  42’s singing was getting closer to me, sounding as if she hadn’t a care in the damn world.  “Oh you’ll probably go to heaven, please don’t hang your head and cry…”  The door flung open as I scrambled through the pain to get to my hooves and found myself lungeing for the closest object I could use as a weapon.

“I knew it was you, 42!”  I raised the rusty sheet metal stool I now had grasped in my fetlock, backing away from her as she deadpanned at me.  She was balanced on her rear hooves as she held a pile of dry, but dingy looking wood scraps.

“Yeah, of course it’s me, how incredibly observant you are.”  She took a few steps forward as she spoke, dumping the wood into the fire.  “If you’re wondering about your chest, you can thank the oxygen tank that was frozen to it.  It was a bitch to rip off, but it made you so much easier to carry.”

That made sense, and I probably should have known that was the case.  Isaac told me about the tank, and the freezing effect is just basic science.  The really odd thing about all this was that I wasn’t quite expecting this kind of casualness to 42.  She’s always seemed like she doesn’t care about things, but this was almost… normal behaviour.  Still, this was a chance to end this, even if I got myself killed trying to beat her to death with a rusty hoofstool, there was still a chance.

“Aw, put that thing down, Backlash, we both know what’s going to happen.”  She rolled her eyes and finally fell back onto all fours.  I couldn’t help but stop from going forward with my horribly thought out plan, my brain urging me to listen this time to see if it really was as bad of an idea as I thought it would be.  “You’ll try to attack me, I’ll dodge and run away probably yelling something like ‘Bring me the pond, Backlash!’, and then we won’t see each other again for about a week.”  I lowered the stool as she inspected her hoof with disinterest and droned on monotonously.  “Then we’ll do the same thing all over again.  Is that really what you want?”

“I just find it hard to believe that you aren’t trying to kill me, and infact saved my life when I would have frozen out there.”  I dropped the stool, but the muscles in my legs didn’t relax, winding themselves tighter the longer I looked at her.  “I doubt it was just so you could strike up a friendly dialogue with the pony who hates you the most.”

She faked a shocked expression, complete with a gasp.  “How could you think that?  We’re family, you and I, and family cares for each other.”  She dropped the act and now wore a sly smile.  “Oh Backlash, you know me to well.  You see, the real reason is it’s nearly hearths warming eve and I’m just so caught up in the spirit of it all!  Now, I don’t know how you do it in the wasteland nowadays, but gift exchanges are a pretty big thing with the holiday.  I gave you your life, and in return, I want you to get something for me.”

I opened my muzzle to object, but she shot me a glare that froze my body still.

“No no, let me finish.”  She sat down by the fire, shifting her eyes onto the crackling flames.  “As you already know by now, I’ve got some friends over at the Red Wing mine.  They’ve probably busted down the walls and taken the town as I asked.”  She looked up to me with nothing but happiness coursing through her as she spoke, her eyes betraying the amount of pleasure she took in flaunting her actions over me.  “I asked them to take as many of the residents there alive as they could, but I’m sure they might deviate from my orders and torture a few of them to death before you arrive.”

“Why the fuck are you telling me this?”  I slowly placed myself across the fire from her, wincing as my chest burned in the warm air.  This was my only move now, my mind told me that sitting down and listening was my best option of survival.  If Skyline saw me fall, then she’ll have to be out looking for me.  Well, I hope she was.  All I can do is try to keep 42 engaged to buy some time for anypony to find us.

“You know you really are damn impatient!  I’m getting to that part.”  She scoffed and feigned offense before returning her gaze to the fire.  “As of now, it’s two days until Hearths Warming eve.  You have until then to retrieve my gift.”

“We have the only part you need to make the machine work, and only I know the location to the pond.”  I had no idea if Longbow actually made it to the part, but the guess was forced by me wondering if 42 was really becoming impatient with me.  If I can keep up the pressure on her, sooner or later she’ll slip up in her anger, but only if I work her over with my antagonistic side.  “Why the fuck would I play any more of your games?  I won, and you lost.  Two days from now I’ll have destroyed the pond, and your future goes with it.”

Her muzzle twitched in irritation as she listened to me, her mane drooping until it lay flat before she stomped her hoof down and let out a growl.  “I grow tired of your refusal to cooperate.  After midnight strikes that day, I won’t bother you with the games anymore, it will be all business.  Let me be the first to tell you that you haven’t even seen a fraction of what I am capable of.”

“And what do I care?”  I laughed at her, watching as her face turned brighter than the fire separating us.  “You’ve killed so many already, true, but with the entirety of the wasteland after you, how long do you think you can last?”  This sort of threat worked on Sorbet, maybe it could work on 42!

Her ears perked and she adopted a calm smile.  “Because I know of your kind.  I know the way you ‘heroes’ think.”  She stood up and waved her hoof at me.  “Forget the deadline, that’s future Backlash’s problem.  What you need to focus on is the now.”  She shook her head in a notion of disappointment.  “I really didn’t think I needed to threaten anypony else, but don’t you forget I also have two days to take what you care for the most.  I hate to stoop so low as to have to tell you what fun I’ll have if you don’t get me what I want… no wait, I don’t hate to say it!”  She threw her head back in a maniacal cackle.

“Enough!  I get it.”  I know what’s at stake, and if only my damn pipbuck was working, I could fucking end her right here and now.  But she was right that I didn’t want to see this end in a blood bath, enough had lost their lives due to my actions.  “You’ll get your gift, but you still haven’t told me where to meet you.”

“Oh, of course!  How silly of me to have forgotten.”  She tapped herself on the head a few times.  “I’ll be waiting at home, which you know where that is, right?  When you get to the orchard, I’ll make sure my fun loving friends don’t harm you… provided of course you have my present.”  She whipped herself around to face the door and tilted her head back to let the mane fall from in front of her eye.  The look she gave me was full of loathing and anger, but the smile across her muzzle was sadistic and filled me with no small amount of fear.  “One last thing before I go, besides your life I got you another two gifts.  If you’re a good pony and bring me what I wanted, you can have one of them.  I know you’ll love it, and even though I hate to spoil the surprise, it’s that one on one fight you’ve been craving.  No tricks, no traps, just you and me to the death.”

“Then I will see you in two days.”  The gears in my head spun as they tried to formulate a plan for then, but the click from the door latch pushed them to the back of my head.  As she opened the door, I quickly shoved my hoof into my saddlebag, digging around until I felt the boxy form of Heartstopper.  Drawing it out as she walked into the cold night air, I chomped down on the bit and prayed that I could kill her here and now, and potentially saving the lives of those at Red Wing.  The disappointing click that came from it could probably be heard all the way out at Friendship city, though I should have known that she would go through my guns and unload them.  The only sound that filled the night air came from 42.

“Bring me the pond, Backlash!”  Her words echoing through the still ruins of the city, dropping off into silence as the quiet stillness of the night took over again.  I spit Heartstopper out onto the floor and hung my head.  

I let out a deep sigh.  “Fuck.”


-----


It was snowing lightly in the city, and in the short time that I had been recovering with 42, there was already a light dusting over every inch of rubble.  Even through the tight wrapping, my chest burned in the frozen air as I focused myself to keep my thoughts from turning to head back to the fire, needing to press on towards finding the others again.  I had forty eight hours to solve the question of how to kill the most untouchable mare in the wasteland, when I haven’t been able to do it in the last four weeks.  Maybe… maybe I can’t.  My mistake might lie in the thought that I assumed that since it was my fault, I need to be the one taking charge to fix it.  All my plans, all the attempts I’ve made as the one spearheading the attack on 42 have ended badly.  Maybe I should just sit this last fight out and let my friends finish what I started.

“Backlash!”  my ears perked as a voice came across the cold night air.  “Backlash, Please just answer me!”  Skyline’s hoarse voice resonated between the ruins in the dark streets, the futility she projected stunned me with just how little she believed I could have made it.  “Please… don’t leave me.”  Her wings fluttered from just up the street as I heard her hooves crunch into the snow.  “You… you can’t be gone.”

I raised my hoof to call out, stopping myself as the gears in my head pushed out a thought.  If they believe me dead, then I can’t get in the way anymore.  Somepony who can strategize better than I, or can fight better than I should take over.  How was it that I was arrogant enough that thought I could take on somepony like 42 and stop them easily?  How could I be so blind that I thought I could even out think her?  Yes, the bridge attack was Longbow’s plan, but it was my fight, and I should have seen that setup coming.  My thoughts trailed off as a soft whimper filled my ears, the soft crying that came from up the street made my chest burn deep past the injuries, as my heart ached worse than any physical pain I’ve ever endured.

“S...sky?”  My muzzle struggled to open as my lungs fought to get a whimper past my lips.  I knew that in her knowing I was still alive, I could only cause her more pain, but I couldn’t stand how much she was in now.  “Sky, I’m here.”  She needed me, and I needed her.

The whimpering stopped as my voice was carried through the air, the crunch that the snow gave when I put my hoof down drew a small gasp from her.  I perked my ear up and squinted through the darkness as I listened for any sign of her movement.  A loud zap filled the air as a spark shot from my pipbuck, the old prewar device whirred to life around my hoof and lit up the street in a soft pink glow.  From the street corner, I could see the pink tinged red coat of Sky sitting next to a rusted out skybus stop, her teary eyes reflected every ounce of pain and anguish she felt.

My legs moved on their own, putting my straight to a trot, and then into a run straight for her, my mind’s one thought was that I needed to hold her close and to never let go of her again.  She too found the strength to get to her hooves, forgetting her wings as she cried out and ran towards me.  The two of us locked our legs and skid to a stop just before throwing our forehooves around one another.  I felt the warm trickles of her tears run down my neck as my own ran onto her, the warmth she gave off far outweighed the pain my injured chest was giving me.

“It’s alright sis, I’m here for you.”  I ran my hoof through her mane as she sniffled and squeezed me tighter.

“I lost track of time in the tower, then had to go around a flurry to the east that I would have missed if I left on time, but it made me late in getting back...”  She was doing her best not to break down between breaths and I could feel her whole body trembling as yet again I sat here useless to help, only offering the warmth of my hold as I was just glad to see her again.  “Then I saw the fighting on the bridge, and then you fell and I couldn’t find you in the water...”  She whined and buried her muzzle hard into my neck as I closed my eyes and tried my best to keep her close.  “I… couldn’t save you like you saved me… I thought I had lost my brother...”

“I’m sorry Sky.  I should have convinced the rangers to wait for you.”  No, it… wasn’t their fault.  I gave the ok to go on with the plan, so it is my responsibility.  “It’s all my fault.”

“NO!”  She squeezed me tighter, sending bolts of pain through my ribs.  “I don’t care anymore!  Not as long as you are still here, that’s all that matters.”  She pushed herself back so she could look me in the eyes.  “You remember what I said outside Sorbets bunker?  You are the only thing keeping me going, and I’d rather see Forty Two win than have you gone.  I… I can’t function alone, Backlash.”

“As much as it hurts to hear, you’re going to have to.”  With so little time left to prepare, I had to put Sky’s mind at ease before we went to Red Wing.  She needs to be alright with the idea that I am dying, and that can’t cause her to lock up in the midst of combat.  “Be it two days from now, six months, or six years, the simple fact is I’m not going to last, Skyline.”  Her eyes widened as I spoke, the suffering she felt only intensifying.  “You’ve got Carlotta and you’ve got Pallet Jack to look after.  I know it’s going to be rough, and I’ll fight to hang on as long as I can, but eventually I will leave you.”  The aching in my heart returned now that I had utterly crushed my sisters hopes, feeling as cold as the snow on my coat did.

“I… I don’t want to think about that.”  She slid away from me, keeping her vision pinned to the snowy ground.  “Come on, the others should be waiting at the marauder over this way.”

I could hear the notes of sadness, the notes of loneliness that she envisioned her life would hold without me.  As I trot after her through the darkened city with nothing but the pink shadows that the pipbuck cast, and the crunching of snow under our hooves, I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering.  Maybe when I finally died, I could have Pinkie teach me how to use that fishing pole, and I could Bring up Sky as she slept one night.  At the same time, I don’t know if that would be allowed or not, or even helpful considering I just told her she needed to be okay with losing me.

All I know, is that I’m a fucking moron when it comes to everything.

In the time my mind wandered, we had crossed a few blocks of the silent city, and some of the silhouettes started to look more familiar to me.  We rounded the corner we were on and I nearly lost my hoofing as I now looked out over the harbor.   The Bucklyn bridge was a ways off across the water, the stoic structure no longer resembling the form it once had.  The truss where 42 had holed up was shining brightly as large fires still poured from it’s rusted out walls, looking more like a forboding fortress island than a bridge that was built to connect the ponies who once lived here.

As we walked, my eye burned as the thought of something 42 would say popped into my mind, sure she would remark that ‘it is the perfect headstone to symbolize the death of the wasteland as we knew it’.  I rubbed my eye and continued forward, my good ear perking as I heard the loud voices of both Maple and Doppler as they spoke through their helmets.  Sky and I turned onto the boardwalk drive to find a glowing barrel sitting next to the Marauder, the fire inside making my body want to gallop towards it and jump right in.

Longbow flinched as our hooves crunched, pulling her attention to us while she wheeled around and leveled her rifles at us before freezing stiff.  Maple’s voice cut out and Doppler turned herself to look at us as well.  Seeing that she was alright left me feeling off balance.  I hadn’t worried about her so much, seeing as her team was most likely going to be the safest, but the worry I had hit me all at once before it evaporated.

“So, you happened to survive the fall after all.  A pity I can’t say the same for the eight paladins we lost...”  Maple shot his words at me, doing his best to make them sink deep before they latched onto the other souls that weighed me down.  “or the five acolytes that died in the firefight.”

“Shut your fucking muzzle Maple, and be glad Forty Two didn’t stick around long enough to make you eat your own tongue.”  Longbow rounded on him with a ferocity I hadn’t been ready for.

“That mare is nothing more than a pink nuisance with a tacticians mind.”  His smugness coaxed a growl from both Sky and I while Longbow’s helmet came off with a hiss.  “Why, it’s plainly obvious that she fled because she saw two things.  That Backlash here had been taken down, and that her defeat at the hooves of the Rangers was inevitable.”  He was so damn sure of himself, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Goddesses Maple, do you even listen to yourself speak?”  Longbow rolled her eyes and trotted over to us, hugging Sky quickly before pulling me into a tight hug.  I whined softly as the cold plates on her suit chilled my wet bandages, illiciting a quick shiver from me.  “Are you alright?  When Maple radioed that you fell, I… I almost lost it.  How did you even make it back?”

“I’m fine.”  I was far from it, having had the worst day of my life since yesterday, but that seemed to be the trend the last month had been following.  “Actually, Isaac saw me fall in.  He dove in with an oxygen tank and saved me.”  I paused for a moment, thinking that I wanted to blame myself for his death, but I couldn’t anymore.  He told me that he was happy now, and that was a good thing.  “He... didn’t make it.”

“Oh, I see...”  Longbow couldn’t hide the sorrow in her voice, and it only made me pull her tighter, finally releasing only after she gave me a quick nudge.  We didn’t know him long, but he was both friendly and working to make the wastes a better place for others, and losing someone like that hurt the most.

“That’s not exactly all…”  I took a step back as I knew that this was going to sound awkward no matter which way I phrased it.  “42 was the one who found me in the water and saved my life.”  Even in the dark, I could see the wave of disbelief roll over both Sky and Longbow’s faces.

“And she just… let you go?”  Longbow spoke slowly as she immediately studied me with suspicion.  Though this didn’t bother me in the least, were I in her horseshoes, I would have done the same.  What did bother me was the fact that her words had a slight amount of hesitation to them.

“Did you try to kill her?”  Skyline’s response was one that I expected from her, and the first I answered.

“Yes I tried.  I tried to get Heartstopper before she got too far from me, but it was unloaded.”  I let out a sigh.  “And the only reason she let me go was because she made me an offer for one last chance to end her game.  She’s given me the two days until hearths warming eve to bring the pond to Red Wing, or her game is over.  She said after that, it’s all business, and I know she won’t stop with just exterminating all those who have fought against her.”  I dropped my flank into the snow with a crunch, kicking at it with a forehoof.  “We don’t have a choice if we want this to end.  We have to go to Red Wing.”

“Well!  I hate to rain, or rather snow on your parade there, but Doppler just recieved our new orders directly from Elder Strudel herself.”  The smug attitude that I had assumed Maple was going to keep in check, returned.  With it, came all the parts of his voice that pissed me off and made my skin crawl at the same time.  “The orders state that paladins who are holding the bridge are to stay and ready it to become the new delta base, but our squad has been ordered back to Alpha.  She believes that whatever the outcome of your fight is, it is better that the Rangers keep their muzzles out of it.”  So that’s all Strudel was going to do?  Crawl back into her hole and hide until it was all over?  “Longbow, you’ve got new orders and have been reassigned to my unit.  I’m sorry, but you are going to have to come back with us.”

Longbow’s face twisted in anger.  “By now Manila should have been debriefed.  Elder Strudel should know that it won’t do any good to hold ourselves back.  We need…”

Maple raised his hoof into the air to silence her and shook his head with a smile that I wanted to wipe from his face.  “That may be true, but the Elder has made up her mind.  Gather your things, say your goodbyes, and get ready to head out, we leave in ten.”  He turned away for a moment, before looking back.  “Oh, and we’ve been assigned to the Nautilus.  Might want to make your goodbyes to your primitive trash count.  Deployment lasts nine months.”

The anger in Longbow rose as she ground her teeth, only stopping when I put my hoof on her shoulder.  “Go with them.”  I wanted her by my side, but I wasn’t going to fight against the Rangers on this.  “I don’t want you anywhere near 42, and I need to know you are safe.”  I brushed a strand of her mane from her face, getting a pained look from her.  “I need for at least one of us to make it out of the fight alive.”  My words didn’t have the impact I had wanted as the anger in her eyes hardened, the gaze she gave me feeling like it had latched onto my very soul.  

“No, you shut your muzzle and stay out of this.  I’m not going to waste my time sitting in that base while you die, not when I can still help you fight her.”  Her horn glowed softly as a quick set of clicks came from her chest, the heavy plate that covered it lifted away in her magic as she pushed her muzzle into mine.  “Don’t you dare tell me I can’t, not after every other plan has failed, not after you’ve nearly died more times than I could count.  WE are going all in this time, and I’m going to be right there with all of you when Forty Two goes down.”  Even in the dim lighting of the fire, I could see the scarring of her repeated exposure to my blood across her body, the thought of how much I’ve hurt her burned in my mind.

Maple clapped his metal encased hooves together sarcastically as Longbow pulled piece after piece off of her.  “Such a moving notion, even if it’s toward the failure that killed my son.”  He sneered as I could hear Skyline tense up at his remark, all traces of friendliness gone from him.  He had turned into another Silver Star, so scarred by my actions that I had left him transformed into the beginnings of a monster.  “But you can’t just ignore your orders.  You realize that by refusing, I have to detain you until a formal hearing and court martial can be performed.”

Longbow wheeled about on her rear hooves, stomping furiously up to Maple.  “You of all ponies should be the one to quote me the rules after all the shit I was forced to ignore in trying to keep your relationship with Paper Clip a secret.”  He flinched as her remark cut deep.  “You want to go back to her?  Fine, you can tell the Elder that as the most qualified pony to do so, I’ve given the trial to myself and judged that my punishment is exile.  I’m done with having to choose between following the orders of corrupt, scared, or ignorant ponies too concerned with themselves to see past their own quivering muzzles.”

The last sections of Longbow’s power armor snapped back together as she levitated the full suit over and onto the back of a surprised Doppler.  She prodded at Maples chest as his smirk dropped into a stern grimace.

“You know what?  Consider our friendship over.  I’m sorry for even thinking what Backlash said back at the base was wrong.”  Longbow closed her eyes as a smile parted her lips with a light laugh.  “Brass really is twice…”

Maples forehoof was a blur as it struck Longbow, sending her to the ground as I all but lost it.  I tensed up and bolted at Maple, charging straight at him like a fool and was rewarded with a power armored hoof to my chest that drove the air from my lungs.  I was tossed aside next to Longbow as she groaned on the ground, reaching out for her as I tried to force my lungs to work again.  Skyline dropped down between us defensively, placing herself between us and Maple.

“I was going to convince them to go lenient on you, Longbow, but if you want to spend the rest of your pathetic life with these savages, then I’ll see to it you never set foot in another Ranger camp again.”  His words came out softly over the gasp I made when I could finally breathe again.  “Consider yourself marked black on our roster, and remember that you wanted to be exiled.”  He turned to Doppler and gave a small grunt.  “Come on, lets get going.”

“Marked black?”  Skyline turned and leaned near Longbow, helping her get back to her hooves.  Longbow wiped away the blood that ran down her muzzle, looking down to me with a clear look of shame in her eyes.  In that moment, I knew what it meant from that look, and that Brass had once shared it.

“She’s not just labeled an outcast, but a traitor.”  I groaned and picked myself up from the snow, my chest giving me no relief from the cold.  “I’m sorry about your family Longbow, Sky and I here for you.  I’ve considered you family for some time now, and I want you to stay with us.”

“I don’t need them.”  She shook her head.  “WE don’t need them.  I don’t know how we’ll do it, but we will find a way to stop Forty Two on our own.”  She slowly made her way toward the Marauder, smiling as Skyline fluttered over and opened the door for her.  She waited until Longbow was settled in the seat before shutting the door and dropping herself into the back seat through the window, popping her head out as the wind picked up and the fire in the barrel died down.

“I know I said I’d never ride in here, Backlash, but no more splitting up.”  She gave a smile as I walked slowly toward the car, taking in the last bit of heat the barrel fire gave off before quickly making my way to the driver side door.  “We don’t leave each others sight anymore, not until this is over.”

“Sounds good to me.”  I heard the warmth in my own words, feeling conflicted as I knew it put them in the most danger it possibly could.  But with the Rangers abandoning us, this was the only choice we had, only needing to head to Tenpony for Carlotta, assuming she was in good enough shape  to go with us.  Even I know that no matter what Dr. Fitz says, I’m sure she’ll insist that she’ll be fine, and is predictable through my knowledge of the legendary Griffin stubbornness shes shown off before.

The engine of the Maruader roared to life, and it’s one still working headlamp banished the darkness from in front of us.  I shifted the gearbox into drive and slowly made my way off the boardwalk and onto the main road towards home.  Once I grab a few things from there, it’s over to Tenpony for Carlotta, and off to my final fight with 42.  Win or lose, she’s not getting the containers to the pool, having to resort to prying the information from my soul after I die.


-----


“I emptied your fridge.”  Longbow called down from the kitchen as I dug through all the assorted junk I had lining the shelves in the garage.  I tossed any sort of scrap that I thought might be useful in a repair fashion for any weapon I could think of, or anything that had a decent value in caps, as I could sell some of it when we got to Tenpony.  The thing is I don’t even know when had I accumulated this much stuff that didn’t fit into either category, but unhindered, I moved on, dropping a decent looking solenoid into the overfilled box at my hooves.

“Congratulations Backlash, the backseat is the new Trunk.”  Skyline grunted out as she struggled to fly the filled box to the car.  “If we’re going to give up everything, then your tool chest is going to be the only thing that can fit on the back.”  She hoisted the box of components up to the back seat, setting it down on the forward edge without thinking.  The box tipped forward the moment her hooves left it, spilling the fragile assorted components onto the floor of the Marauder.  She gave out a sigh and put her hooves to her head.  “Sorry, my head’s just not all here tonight.  I mean Longbow is more composed than I am, and she was just exiled.”

“Sky, I know it’s been hard, but we have to do this.”  Though, I agreed that Longbow was too composed.  She hadn’t spoken more than a sentence or two at a time, and even then, I could hear how much she hurt through those words.  She told me that on base, everypony was family, and she was dead to them now.  I want to tell her it will be alright, that I know how she feels, and even though I know the pain of losing a family member, it’s not the same.  If… if only Brass was still here to help her through it, he would know how it felt.

No, I can’t get lost in the regret for Brass.  I love longbow, and I need to be there for her now, even if I’m not the most qualified to do so.  I turned from the workbench to walk over, accidentally knocking the cracked body of the party cannon in front of me, and sighing in annoyance as it slid a foot before coming to a rest.  I walked over and held my hoof out to it, feeling the familiar suction of it against my leg while I thought about how I really wanted to use it to kill 42, and for a split second, the durability of it in my pipbuck augmented vision flickered before dieing out again.

I shook the cannon for a moment, trying to make the pipbuck recognize it again, but to no avail.  Setting it down again, I quickly made my way up into the kitchen to find that Longbow had neatly stacked everything into piles.  Her magic stretched a line of old painters tape over a cardboard box as she stared distantly at the floor.  I wasn’t even sure if she knew I had come upstairs, and seemed so lost in thought, I was afraid I would startle her.

“Are you done with your tools?”  She spoke softly as her levitation set the roll of tape back onto the counter.  “I can help with anything else, you just have to…”  I didn’t let her get that far, walking forward and nuzzling into her neck as I pressed into her, wanting to feel her breakdown and hug me.  Only, she didn’t, instead she sat there in silence, as distant as she could be.

“Longbow… you’re with us now.  You, Sky, Carlotta, we are all family.”  I took a step back and gave her some space.  “Who cares what Maple thinks, we tried…”

“It’s my fault.”  Longbow whispered, silencing my words as she seemed to radiate despair.  “I broke my oath and left.”  Disgust crept across her muzzle as she spoke, the mirth she used about her own actions was unbelievable, and in a turn of events, I got to see exactly how I’ve looked and sounded over these last two months.  “I’m a…”  I held out my hoof and momentarily broke her concentration.

“Don’t you say it.”  I growled, the gears in my head throwing words through my muzzle that just felt right.  “You have no right to call yourself a monster.  Not now, not ever when you chose what you knew to be the right choice.”  I put my hoof on her chest, watching as she looked like she was trying to ignore what I was saying.  “Longbow, if you are a monster for speaking from here, then what hope is there for any of us?  I have tried so very hard to speak truthfully my heart, but somehow I can’t seem to find a way to do it without screwing it up.”

“BACKLASH.”  Skyline’s voice came up the stairway like thunder, angrily filling the room as she bolt in like lightning, my saddlebag hanging from her hooves.  “Dash?  Are you fucking kidding me?  I thought we fucking settled this before until I found these poking out of your saddlebag.”  She turned my bag upside down, letting the small red vials clink onto the kitchen floor as Longbow finally looked up to me.

“I’m not a fucking addict, it was for the fight in the bridge.”  I facehooved hard, as this was the last thing I needed today.

“Well I’m sorry that I don’t fucking believe you.”  She snorted as she threw my saddlebag against the wall in anger.  “Longbow, use that fucking spell of yours and check if he’s lying.”  Sky snapped her wings shut and dropped to the floor with a thump, planting herself firmly in front of the garage stairway.  “We aren’t going anywhere until I know the truth.”

“You speak of honesty, Backlash?  Then prove it.”  Longbow’s horn emit a soft glow as she pushed it toward me slowly.  I was pulled into my own mind, watching through my own eyes as the last few hours of my life rewound in front of me, slowing down with the vision of the Friendship city marketplace coming into clear view.  As time switched to forward again, I could hear myself speaking to Miss Leek as I eyed the red vials before me, along with her slow responses before I threw the caps at her and bolted.  I expected that I would leave the memory, but I could hear Longbow speaking to Skyline instead.  “He’s telling the truth Sky, he hasn’t used them since he… Stole them!?  Are you kidding?”

“It’s not like I didn’t want to pay for them, and honestly, being short on caps is not the worst thing I’ve lied about.”  The gears in my head ground to a halt as my memory froze up, kicking into reverse.  I really shouldn’t have just kept my muzzle shut, but instead, I had just brought Longbow in to search for the things I didn’t want anypony to know.  Unfortunately, that started most recently with the conversation with Skyline outside of the restaurant at Tenpony.  I sat in frozen horror as she watched it play out until Skyline broke down, a bright light pushing me back into control of my body.

“How could you… you said it…”  Longbow wore a look of shock and horror that I was sure  only somepony like 42 could cause ponies to wear.  “Liar.”  She whispered and took off in tears, barreling past a surprised Skyline and down the stairs to the garage, disappearing out the door with a slam and off into the cold night.

“I don’t care if you think it’s justified.”  Skyline made a quick recovery, prodding me hard in the chest with her hoof.  “I want you to dump that shit, now, where I can see you do it.”  She snarled and kicked one of the vials across the room.  “You can find something else to help you fight.”

“There isn’t time anymore.  Red Wing is under siege, and I know 42 is going to find a way to run the machine.”  I would not give in if there was any chance that the vials could help me win.  “Even if it meant I was shunned as an addict by my family, if my useing it can save even one more life than I otherwise could, doesn’t that make it worth it in the end?”

“I know why you think you’re right, but you know what this stuff can do to a pony.”  Sky began to relax, the anger in her voice bleeding away to only leave the harsh disappointment she felt.  “You don’t need it Backlash, not as long that as we are all with you.  I’m sick of having to worry like this anymore.  I just want to know that after this, you are done.”

I nodded softly.  “I promise.  After this is over, no more drugs.”

“Not just the drugs Backlash, but with running around and trying to help ponies.”  She sighed and hung her head.  “I want everything to go back to the way it was, and if you only have so long to live, I don’t want to lose any more time with you than I already have.”  She turned herself around, slowly drifting down toward the garage.  “Between nearly losing both you and Carlotta, I just want this all to be over.”

The gears in my head spun out images that reminded me of the bunker that this all started at.  ““When this is over, none of us are ever working again.”  Sky looked back confused, but hopeful.  “The bunker this all started in has enough stock that we can afford to pay the bills with minimal effort.”  Which will mean nothing to me unless Longbow is here with me.  “Look, keep packing.  I’m… I’m going to go see if I can undo the damage I’ve caused.”

Skyline simply nodded and waited until I got to the bottom of the stairs before she drifted back into the garage.  I trotted to the old door and pulled the handle, starting to shiver almost as soon as the door was even halfway open.  The snow had begun piling up, and had risen to be fetlock high in just the short time we had been at the garage, but it looked to be that the weather was starting to let up slightly.

“Longbow!”  It wasn’t hard to get my voice to cut over the light wind that flowed through the street, but it made listening for an answer difficult.  I looked around for any telltale signs in the snow, quickly spotting her hoofprints running up the street towards the old park.  My heart sank as I knew why she went there, and as much as I wanted to stay away from there until I brought down 42, I wanted Longbow back more.  Forward I trudged through the snow, shivering as my heat was wicked away quickly, spotting the soft glow of light coming from further into the park as I got closer.  I could hear her crying as I made my way to the gates, the soft crunching of the snow drawing her angry look from over her shoulder.

“I don’t want to be alone.”  She tried to force spite into her words, to gaze at me with a hatred like she had reserved only for Sorbet, but she couldn’t find it.

“Longbow, I can’t leave the one mare I love like this.”  I put my hoof on the rusty iron gate, pushing against it and shearing the old hinges right off.  The metal door slammed down into the snow with a klang and sent a flurry of powder whipping into the air.  The flakes hung over her as tiny glittering motes, shining her in the light of her magic like the stars around luna did.  The gears in my mind made me realize that I had seen this moment before in a moment I now found to be nowhere near as stunning as this.  The motes were in the same place as the stars around Luna the first time I saw her, and it wasn’t the moon that I had been admiring all my life, but the one mare I had been destined to meet all along.

In this one moment, the wonder of why I didn’t have the pinkie senses the others pie’s had was gone.  Replaced with the fact that I now understand that I’ve had them my whole life, only showing up when they need to prepare me for what I know needs to happen.  It was destiny that Sprocket and Harmony would be taken from me, these events having been written by the stars themselves, and as much as it hurt when they were taken, I can see that it was not my fault.  One object here planted my destiny in my own hooves though, and as I looked past Longbow to the roughly carved lettering, I knew that Brass’s fate was something I could not pin on the stars.

“I miss him.”  Longbow’s voice brought the world back to focus around me, her sad eyes having shifted too look at the tree with me.  “I hardly knew him in my life, and yet I miss him more than I miss anypony else at that fucking base.”  She gave a sorrowful laugh and got to her hooves.  “Why couldn’t you just tell me when you found out?  Did you think I would leave?”

“Because I’m scared you would stay.”  This got a look of confusion to grow across her muzzle as I started to shiver.  “You had a place with the rangers, and in six months, I might not be around.  You were happy with them until tonight, and the thought of you alone scares the hell out of me.”

Longbow walked up to me, now returning the warm nuzzle I gave to her in the kitchen.  I put my hooves around her, feeling as she did the same and we pulled ourselves close.  The night wind howled and tried to pick away at our embrace, but to no avail, having little choice but to wait until we chose to separate.  I’m not going to lie, I wished that I could stay in that moment forever, but time marches on, and the clock in my pipbuck flashed over to 4am.  I pulled myself away from her, feeling as she resisted the thought of it as much as I wished I could, finally relenting as we both gave a quick shiver.

“Come on, let’s get some rest.  It’s going to be a long drive tomorrow.”  I gave Longbow’s horn a quick kiss before throwing a hoof around her back and walking over the fallen gate with her close against my side.

I prayed that the weather improved while we slept, seeing as it was going to be tough making it to Red Wing in the next two days at all, let alone going all the way out to Reference Point.  Though, that was at least something 42 couldn’t plan for, and I couldn’t be more happy to tell her that I’d never give the location up anyway.  As we walked inside, I shut and locked the door, doing one final check in with Skyline before we all decided it was time for bed.  As I finally got off my hooves and lay down beside Longbow, I felt like I could relax completely, pulling myself close to her as I found myself lost in her warmth, and drifting away toward the fantastic realm of sleep.

Annoyingly, morning came soon as it felt like I had just fallen asleep when a thunderous booming came from the air.  I shivered awake on my matress all alone, finding that the air in the garage had cooled and that my muscles were damned cold, giving me little hope that the weather had let up.  The generator surprisingly hadn’t died as we slept, and was still softly purring away.  As I opened my eyes, the light of day filtered through the window in the door, shifting ever so slightly as I looked at it, which was odd, because it almost looked vaguely pony shaped.  There was another set of pounds at the door followed by an angry voice.

“Damnit, Backlash, let me the fuck in!”  Twain yelled as I realized that I hadn’t had a chance to pay him for his work.  I quickly pulled myself to my hooves, biting down on the deadbolt and twisting it open.  He didn’t even wait for me to step out of the way before pushing his way inside, instead squishing me against the ice cold wall and the frozen door, taking his time to enjoy the warmer air of the garage before he let me out.  “Thanks for that.  Figured that if I was out there another minute, my boys out back would shrivel up completely and I’d change into a mare.”  He laughed at his own joke and took in a deep breath, making me realize that the smell of food was in the air, and that something was being cooked upstairs.  Maybe that’s why Longbow wasn’t next to me when I woke up.

I slid down to the floor as the door shut with a thunk, sprawling out as my head thumped from the whack the door handle gave it.  “You’re welcome?”  I got back up and turned around just in time for him to shake himself off, throwing gobs of half melted snow all over the marauder and I.  The snow burned at my warm skin as if it was acid, prompting me to yelp and brush it off as quick as I could muster.  “How the hell did you find this place?”

“Some pompous dick over at Tenpony is hiring anypony he can get his hooves on to help ‘the crusaders free Red Wing’.  Spending a fortune on mercs is a good way to find more than a few who are actually looking for the ones all the fuss is about.”  He looked over the Marauder, running his hoof along the front fender slowly.  “Figure that at least this way I can get there in comfort AND do the job I was hired to do.  Not to mention, you still owe me that key.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.  Was a bit busy falling off a bridge yesterday.”  I trotted past him and toward the stairs, nodding for him to follow, which he did with a smile.

“Yeah!  I saw you come down from there.  That is the most radical thing that I think I’ve ever seen.”  He whistled as if I were a mortar, making a splash noise as I reached the bottom.  “You could use a little work on the landing though, definitely proved the concept of Earth Pony resilience, living through that.”  I looked back at him as I stopped midway, giving him the best glare my eye socket could muster.  “On second thought, I’m pretty sure you’ve proved that a few times by now.”

I reached the top and kicked open the door, hearing the sizzling of meat as the smell of what little radhog bacon we had left went to good use entered my nose.  Skyline gave me a quick smile through the spatula in her muzzle while my ears picked up the clang from the bathroom that the shower always gave when it shut off.  Unfortunately, it must have been a common sound, because as soon as Twain heard it, we both looked to the bottom of the bathroom door.  Warm steam was wafting out from it as the thought of a hot shower made me tense up with need.

Then something unexpected happened.

“Ah, a sauna!  Just what I need!”  Before I could register what he had even said, Twain pushed open the door and stepped inside the steamy room.  Skyline angrily tried to speak through the spatula to get my attention, but I couldn’t believe what had just happened.  “Mornin to you too, fine flanks!”  Twain's voice prompted the surprised squeak from longbow that emanated through the wall and was quickly followed by the heavy thump of a pony hitting the ground.  A moment later, a very disturbed, wet looking Longbow emerged from the billowing steam wielding the ceramic top of the toilet above her in her magic.

She glared at Sky and I as her muzzle twitched in annoyance.  “What. The. Hell.”

--------------

LEVEL UP!

+ 15 Barter

New Perk: Stair Master! - You have trained hard and perhaps had yourself a montage or two, but you have finally reached a new level of physical fitness!  Your strength is now permanently increased by 1 and you can now travel twice as long without being winded.

	
	

> Chapter 25 - The Resistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 25

“I think this reception is going to be perfect!  Don’t you?“

-----


“She’s one hell of a catch, Backlash.”  Twain had a water bottle filled with snow pressed against the back of his head with his hoof, icing the large lump that adorned the back of his skull thanks to Longbow.  “Some fine legs on her.”

“Watch it.”  Skyline warned with a growl as Longbow’s magic plated the beans, cornmeal, and radhog bacon onto our plates.  “The grease in the pan is still hot, so if you’re still feeling cold by the way, keep talking and I’ll make sure you’re nice and toasty.”  As soon as the plate Longbow’s magic held touched down, I buried my muzzle in the steaming dish.  “Wow Backlash, doesn’t that hurt?”

I quickly shook my head as I screamed internally from the pain of the near boiling grease on the roof of my muzzle.  Normally I’d take my time, but my body was freezing, and I was damned hungry.  The clock in my pipvision clicked over to noon, and I knew that we needed to get moving here as soon as we could.  Skyline poured the grease into the empty beans can and set it aside for later, tossing the dirty pan into the sink with a clang before joining us at the table.

“Hey Twain, you were over at Tenpony, did you happen to see Carlotta at all?”  Sky’s question was less casual than she offered, the tones of worry were painfully obvious in her voice.  Even so, I’m curious if the Doc found any way to speed up the process of healing.  I kept my ears perked as I slurped the last bit of corn off my plate.

Twain didn’t even stop eating to answer, apparently quite adept at speaking with a full muzzle.  “Unfortunately yes, I spent quite a bit of time avoiding her actually.  I try to never let myself get injured the same way twice, and my cheek still stings from where she hit me.”  As he finished, Sky grit her teeth in anger, and while I wondered why, I could see plain as day that there was disappointment in her eyes.

“Sky?”  Longbow spoke softly across the table.  “Is everything alright?”

“It’s fine.  Dr. Fitz had Ditzy bring him some hydra when she came back from Friendship city, and he offered Carlotta a choice.”  Sky’s mood jumped from anger, to relief, to fear, before it returned to anger.  “She knows what it’s done to you, Backlash, and I’d hoped that she would have chosen not to use it.”  Sky got up and walked towards the door to the roof, stopping as she hoofed at the handle.  “I just need a few minutes to think some things over.  I’ll be ready to go when you are.”  She disappeared through the door and  the room dropped into an uneasy silence.

Twain let out a deep belch as he finished his meal, leaning back with a look of content across his muzzle.  “So, Backlash, about that payment.”

“Yeah, just hold that thought.”  I wiped my muzzle clean and took a step back from the table, turning and heading towards the third floor door.  “Just give me a minute.”  I hoofed the door open, not sure what I could say to Sky to help, but we can’t lose focus in a fight like the one coming.  Stepping through the door and into the freezing mid morning air, I found Sky perched at the edge of the third floor, gazing off into the distance through the ruins.  Among the toppled buildings and snow covered rubble heaps, the skyscrapers of Manehatten stood as monoliths to ponykind’s past.  Among the ones that I could see from our vantage point, was the Ministry of Moral building tucked towards the rear, almost as if to hide, trying to downplay it’s role in the events of my life.

I sat down with her, just taking a moment to take everything in.  “You know,”  She started, sounding like she was off in her own world.  “I’ve hated the last month.  Everything seems to have gone wrong.  We've seen so much suffering, we've nearly died and then we lost Brass… Carlotta’s made it all worth it to me.”

“I know.”  I shrugged.  “Throughout everything, the one good that came of it for me is Longbow.”

She nodded, but kept her gaze averted.  “Carlotta though… I don’t know if she wants to settle down with me.”  As she spoke, I could see the muscles around her muzzle tense as a great longing filled her eyes, a longing I haven’t seen since mother died.  “She has... reservations about raising Pallet.  I’ll let her tell you if she feels like talking about it, but I can tell how much the fights relieve her stress.  I can feel it on her when we’re close.  I can’t say for certain, but I think she opted to use the hydra for the enjoyment fighting gives her. She hasn’t been thinking of the consequences it might have.”

I didn’t think that one was going to be an issue.  “Sky, you know Doc Fitz said my mutation…”  Her sudden, piercing gaze made the words trail off from my muzzle. Her flames of anger I knew well but this look was much different.

“How many do you think she’s taken in her line of work?  Where’s the reward in taking the risk in using just one?”  Her muzzle trembled slightly as she spit out her words with such disdain and blind hatred. In that moment, I understood her look and smiled.

I let out a chuckle and reached out, putting my hoof around Sky.  “The reward I would think is you.”  Sky looked away as I spoke, her true motives having been revealed.  “You know I would endure a thousand mutations for you all.  Even if it meant that I needed to die to keep my family safe, I would choose that option in a heartbeat.”  What I said was only half of what I thought, knowing that if it came down to it and I needed to sacrifice myself to stop 42, then it is not a choice rather just what must be done.  I pulled her close and sighed.  “Now come on, lets go see her.  If you really want, you can fly on ahead if you want some privacy.”

“No.”  Skyline’s decisive reply startled me as she whipped her head around.  “I said no more splitting up, and not even seeing Carlotta early can override that.”  She pulled herself away and strode across the snow covered roof.  “That being said, it would be nice if I can get a few minutes alone with her once we arrive. I’m sure the time it will take for you to barter what little we have away will be good enough.”  She took one last look back at me and gave the faintest hint of a smile.  “Thank you though, your advice matters to me Backlash.”  Her muzzle dropped back to a frown.  “But I hope you know that you are wrong.  You don’t have to suffer for us, not when we can be there to help share the burden.”  With soft hoofsteps and a quick flutter of her wings, she dipped down the stairway and went back inside. 

I was left sitting alone on the rooftop. I turned my gaze back to the Ministry tower while Sky’s words resonated through my thoughts.  There has been so much suffering already, so much death brought about by my own hooves. Even with their strength, I’m afraid that the debt in souls I’d racked up would threaten to crush us all.  The twenty eight from ponyville, the seven in whinney, and Harmony alone were too many when this whole adventure started.  Add on the innocents that died when Bishop’s tower fell, Captain Tempest, the ones in the pool when it exploded, and… Brass.

No.  I refuse to let anypony bear these burdens because they are mine and mine alone.  I have to keep going and I have to keep fighting or their deaths will mean nothing.  They must mean something, even if their death wasn’t worth whatever that meaning is, I have to give them my best and try to make up for the sins I’ve committed.


-----


After scraping together every cap we could find, pulling our savings out of the safe, and packing everything we thought might be usefull into the Marauder, I was fairly certain we were ready.  As we made our final preparations to go, I took a last look through the garage for anything we missed.  I took the party cannon in my hooves and looked at it longingly, wishing it would work just one more time.  I stuffed it into my saddle bag on the off chance it did work again, not wanting to leave anything whatsoever that could be helpful.  Now, the bare shelves and strewn about junk was all that met my eyes, and I couldn’t help but want to apologize to the old man.  I’d failed him, closing the caravan service because of the stupid decisions I’ve made. I wanted to believe he’d understand my reasons.

We all piled into the front seat of the Marauder, (even Skyline) and took off towards Tenpony.  The snow that blanketed a thick layer across the city proved annoying to drive through, but the extra weight from our supplies gave us the traction we needed to keep up at a decent speed, pulling up to Tenpony after only an half hour of eventless driving.  It seems that today, even the gangers around here knew where we were going, and didn’t wish to interfere with whatever fates waited ahead for us.  As I pulled the Marauder close to the front of the building, the furious look of the building admissions mare caught my attention as she carefully made her way down the icy front steps.

“No, you can just take your misery and leave us be!”  She shouted, trudging her way through the snow to us.  I shut the Marauder off and stepped out with the others, doing my best to smile and avoid her gaze.  “Every time you show up, something bad happens, so I refuse to let you into the tower.”  As she spoke, I made my way around the back of the Marauder, hoofing open the door and pulling out the first box of components to sell.  “Are you listening to me?  You need to leave, NOW.”

Skyline groaned and turned towards the mare.  “Look, we just need to trade some things, then we’ll leave.”  She flared her wings out as Longbow levitated one of the boxes of electronic scraps onto her back.

“You will do no such thing!”  The admissions mare stammered.  I moved from being politely ignoring her, to just plain tuneing her out now, and walked through the snow towards the building, looking up to the two shivering door guards who seemed unsure as to what to do.  “No, what are you doing!?  Stop right there.”  Her magic lifted the box off my back and dumped it to the ground, scattering the sensitive components that were probably now all ruined by contacting the snow.  “Move another hoof and I’ll have you detained.”

I turned my gaze as I felt the need to beat the mare rise inside me, but looked back just fast enough to see Twain give her a strong left hook that connected to the side of her muzzle.  She dropped into the snow like a sack of rotten potatoes, and lay there unmoving as the guards in front of me struggled to ready their weapons.

“Look, you don’t want to do that.  You know who I am, correct?”  I called out to them, forcing them to stop and think for a moment, the small nods I received came as a welcome sign that they knew what was at stake.  “We meant what was said, we’re just going to do some trading and then we’ll be off.  While we probably shouldn’t have hit the mare,”  I eyed back to Twain, who froze with a nervous grin as he gathered a box of old toasters.  “She’ll be fine as long as she’s moved inside and kept warm.”

The two guard ponies looked at each other, and after a moment, both came to the same conclusion and re-slung their weapons.  They walked down the steps to gather the unconscious mare and took her inside.  I felt Longbow put the top half of my tool chest across my back, the heavy weight of it not nearly as annoying as the fact that the metal was ice cold.  She stepped up beside me with a loving smile that made my heart pound, and kept moving forward towards the doors.  I returned her smile and followed, carefully making my way up the icy steps and towards the boarded up lobby doors.

Once inside, we walked through the halls toward the market when something unexpected happened.  The busy halls of the merchant tower seemed to slow down and freeze in place as Longbow and I worked towards Tower Grociers, the normally loud market turned silent as everypony simply stopped and observed us, the few who spoke barely whispered.  I wasn’t sure if it was out of fear, or out of respect, but they cleared a path for us.

“Preparing for war?”  The voice that finally broke the silence was one I’d missed hearing the last day, the crowd around the stairs across the way parting wider than they had for us as Carlotta limped forward.  I flashed her a smile and stopped so she could get to me while Longbow disappeared into the shop.  “You better be, cause I’m itching to murder some assholes after having missed the bridge assault.”

The mention of the botched bridge attack wiped away the joy of seeing her again.   “We’re gearing up for Red Wing.  It’s 42’s last stand and I don’t plan on leaving until the ponies there are safe and she lies dead.”  My words made Carlotta’s face light up and she actually looked like she was excited for it.  “But,”  That one word snapped her to complete attention.  “If you aren’t at one hundred percent, I don’t want you there.  I can’t afford to have you distracted by pain, anger, or anything else in this fight.  More than ever, I need you to show the detachment you had when I met you.”

Carlotta sneered at that.  “I’ve been fighting for a long time, Backlash, don’t tell me how to do my job.”  She prodded me with a talon and took a step forward in a move to look more imposing.  “As for being at one hundred percent ready, I’m a Thistledown.  My family never lets an injury or ten get in the way of a job, not until it’s over.  Give me a gun and point me at the Pink bitch, we’ll see who comes out on top.”

I just shook my head with a smile and put my hoof around her, pulling her into a hug she wasn’t expecting.  “Thank you Carlotta, we can’t do this without you.”  Her feathers bristled with my words before she ultimately relaxed and I let her go.  “Skyline needs to talk to you. Please remember, whatever she says, it’s because we’re a family.”  I looked up to her, seeing that her tough gaze had softened.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some bartering to do.”

I turned away from the only griffin I’ve ever respected, my mind now clear as I headed into the old world food market.  The moment I stepped through the door, Longbow gave me a smile and trot past with a large, mesh bag of ammunition in tow that looked to be every bullet the store probably had in stock.  As the door shut behind me, I approached the counter and gave a nod to the toolchest on my back.  The shopkeeper was a younger unicorn I knew as Gold Bit, who just rolled his eyes at the prospect of losing any more caps today, but across his face sat the look of guilt and shame.  For the life of me, I couldn’t exactly tell why.

“What do you need for it?”  His horn glowed with a soft green as he lifted the heavy item effortlessly, setting it down behind the counter.  His question threw me off, being so far from the start of a negotiation I had to take a moment to make sure he just asked me how much.  “Look, everypony in the tower knows what you’re doing.  We have families to look after, and we want to help, but we can’t go with you.  So tell me what you need.”

“I assume you just sold us all your ammo, so next I need food.”  He gave a quick nod and started pulling all of the cans on his shelves over, setting them one at a time into a large sack.  “We need any food you can spare in case the survivors at Red Wing need it.”  I watched as he finished filling the bag, leaving only a meager amount of food left on the shelves, a box of which caught my eye.  I walked over and snatched it in my muzzle, setting it on the counter and imagining that a full box of fancy buck snack cakes might be a good last meal if it came down to it.  “I’ll pay for these normally.”  I hoofed through my saddle bag, drawing out the sack of caps I retrieved from our safe.

To my surprise, Gold Bit gave a chuckle and waved my caps away.  “I thought you only liked the doughnuts from the bakery.”

“Heh, yeah.”  For some reason, I felt nervous about buying a whole box of snack cakes for myself, and the fact that I was still overweight just hung in my mind making it worse.  So what do I do?  “They’re for my Special Somepony.” I blurted out and almost facehoofed. Yes, because lying to cover up for the fact you want something that tastes good before you potentially head off to your death makes all the sense in the world.

“Yeah.”  He shook his head with a smile, the sarcasm oozing from his expression as it only served to make me feel ashamed at even trying to lie.  Instead of just coming clean, I felt compelled to dig myself deeper. My actions reminded me of the bit of normalcy I had left behind months ago.  It felt good to have what I could consider a normal transaction with somepony, one where I didn’t desperately need a certain supply, or have to barter for the safety of others.  Even with how I felt right now, I embraced the shame at my simple lie, holding dearly onto the feeling of being normal again.

“She’s pregnant.”  I gave an exasperated sigh, fighting to defend the lie I’d created.  This only brought a wider smile to Gold Bits muzzle, and the guilty look he had when I stepped up here was gone completely.  

“Uh huh.”  He stifled another chuckle and I knew he saw through my thinly veiled attempt at a lie and was just enjoying himself now, seeing that I was doing the same.

“Bag it.”  I rolled my eyes and looked toward the door with a smile slowly creeping across my own face.

“Big time.”  He untied the sack and tossed the box in.  “You know, Backlash, to be honest, Dad was really looking forward to you moving into the tower.  He knew that you’d be a great rival of his if you had, and that you could drum up some much needed business around here.”  His voice was taking a more serious tone, the sadness he reflected across his expression told me of his sincerity.  “You’re a good stallion, Backlash, everypony here knows it even if they don’t have the will to say it.  I can’t speak for the others, but I think we should be out helping. We’re just too afraid to lose what we’ve got.  I envy how you can go out there, knowing that you might never come back.”  He held his hoof out across the counter for me.

“Thanks, Gold.  It means a lot to Sky and I to have praise like that.”  I turned back and took his forehoof in my own and gave a firm shake.  “Though, don’t be so sure that I won’t be moving in here.  Even if I have to rebuild my business from the ground up, I will be back.”  That got another smile from him, even if it was only a small one to match the hope in his apple green eyes.  “You’ll get your rivalry, it just might take a few years to build back up.”

Days, months, years.  I don’t know how long I have left if Dr. Fitz can’t get me the treatment he wants.  As long as 42 falls, I will try to fight to hold on to life.  The door to the shop shook open as Twain stood on the other side with the back half of the tool chest, straining under it’s weight as he looked to me pleadingly.  Why the hell had he chosen to bring that in by himself over the toasters?

“A… little… help?”  He groaned and offered a forced smile to Gold Bit, whose horn lit up and gently tilted it from his back and stood it on it’s wheels.  With a sigh of relief, and a wipe of his brow, he flopped onto the floor as the magic wheeled it into the shop.  “Thanks… it weighed a ton.”  He caught his breath and stood up, nodding to me.  “Everything’s out of the Marauder.  We just need to bring it all in.”

“Whatever you need, Backlash, it’s yours.  Take it.”  Gold Bit gave a sigh.  “Consider it a loan though.  I expect you to hold up what you said about moving in here, and until then, just remember you owe me.”  He had a bit of his normal eagerness back in his voice, and as he levitated the food over to me, I simply nodded and walked over to Twain.

“We need armor, weapons.  Anything and everything that might be useful against 42.”  The gears in my head snapped out a reminder, and I reflexively stuck my hoof back into my saddlebag. I drew out the odd gold rectangle I owed him.  “Here, you’ve more than earned it.”

“Thanks.”  Twain took it with a smile, staring at it for a moment before looking up to me.  “I was wrong about you.”  His words caught me off guard and I just sat and stared at him quizzically.  “Back in Futura, I said you were no fun, and I was wrong.  You’re more than just another uninteresting asshole, you know that?”  He picked himself up off the floor, putting the gold object into his own bag.  “After this is over, if you ever need a merc on your side?  Call me first.”

“Thank you, Twain.”  I gave him a pat on the shoulder and left the store, heading back out towards the Marauder.  It took me a moment, but I noticed that the halls had cleared out, and that there wasn’t another pony in sight.  Had they fled in shared fear of what the administrations mare said, or had we really made that much of an impact on them as Gold Bit had said?

Stepping outside again, Pallet jumped around in the snow and fluttered her wings about as Dr. Fitz waved to me from the Marauder.  “Can we build a snow pony Mister Giggles!?”  Pallet’s shrill voice made him cringe, but before he can answer, the tiny filly noticed I had come outside and was bounding towards me.  “Hi there Uncle Backlash!  Want to build a snow pony with me?”

“Uncle?”  I scrunched up my muzzle at the notion.

“Yeah!  Miss Carlotta told my aunt that she wanted Miss Sky to be my mom now!”  Pallet’s face seemed to radiate unending joy as she stood in front of me beaming, but her eyes told me that as enthusiastic as she was, she still mourned her father.  It was something that she would have to deal with as she grew up. At least she even get’s to become her own mare, and Sky was as good a choice as anypony to show her how to be strong.  “So that makes you my Uncle!”

“So it does.”  I ruffled her mane with my forehoof, pondering Carlotta’s decision when Sky made it sound like she was against it.  Figuring I’d ask Sky and Carlotta about it later, I looked over to Dr. Fitz.  “Enjoying the first snowfall?”  I set the bag of food down, content to wait for the others here.

“Honestly, I am.  This time of year always brings the best out in ponies, and the snowy months always have the fewest injuries.”  He rubbed the back of his head with a smile.  “Though, little fillies who catch colds playing in the snow are always an issue.”  He sent a playful glare to Pallet, who fired back by sticking her tongue out at him.  “I wanted to give you this, Backlash.  Carlotta kept going on and on about how all the most ‘badass’ griffins in her family have lost at least one eye and wear an eyepatch. She wouldn’t stop complaining until I gave you one.”  He floated a small trapezoid shaped, plastic eye cover with leather straps on to my head, securing it with a buckle.

“How’s it look?”  I reached up and hoofed at it, feeling the strange new addition as the hard edges rubbed against my skin.  “And why is it plastic?  I thought they were always made of cloth?”

“The plastic should keep you from poking at the socket when your depth perception sticks you with the sharp end of something.”  He shrugged.  “As for how you look, I can’t really say.  I’m a doctor, not a fashionista.”

“You look like a pirate!”  Pallet screeched, forcing a cringe and shudder from Doc and I.  “Just like the books your friend let me read!  Mr. Dipstick told me that you found them for him a long time ago, and that I should read as much as possible to get smart!”

“Incoming!”  Carlotta’s voice filled the air shortly before a pair of snowballs exploded against the side of my face, sending me to the ground.  Pallet screamed in delight as she was showered with powder from the griffin attack, the shock of the whole event going right over her head.  As I recovered, I watched as Skyline swooped down next to me with a content look on her face.

“Sorry if we caught you by surprise.”  She spoke with a blush to Dr. Fitz, who just sighed and shrugged, mumbling to himself that we’re all crazy for wanting to stay out in the cold before he trudged toward the doors.  He stopped as I got up and shook myself off, turning with a wave.

“Take care to come back in one piece Backlash.”  He called out to me, competing with the frantic screams and laughs of the snowmageddon going on behind me.  “And for once, I hope to see you back here soon.”  Continuing up the steps, he opened the doors and disappeared back into the tower.

Sky looked around nervously as I turned around.  “Backlash, about Pallet…”  She bit her lower lip as she paused, hesitating and looking conflicted.  Mercifully for her, the worry of telling me was misplaced thanks to Carlotta.

“You’ll be a great mother.”  I reached out and pulled her into a stiff hug that caught her by surprise.  “Both you and Carlotta will raise her to be an amazing mare, I’m sure of it.”  Skyline relaxed in my hold, rubbing my good backside softly.

“Thank you.”  She sniffled and wrapped her wings around me.  It had been a long journey for all of us, and I’m not sure that there was anypony it had affected more than Skyline.  In that time, she had transformed from the sister who thought we only needed to be tough to protect me, into a pony who wanted to care for those she called her family over anything else.  My moment of reflection was broken when a snowball smacked Skyline’s wing, and pallet let out a small eep before hiding behind Carlotta.  Sky smiled and took a step back as I knew what started to run through her head.

“Skyline, dear sister.  What do you say we show these ruffians what our family is made of?”  I spoke loudly, keeping my eyes focused on the little filly giggling behind Carlotta’s legs.  But the response I got, was not one I had been prepared for as a snowball exploded on my muzzle.  I looked over in outrage at Sky, who crossed her forehooves and stuck her tongue out at me as she floated over to the two others.  “So that’s how it’s going to be, is it?  Three against one?  I’ll take those odds.”

Carlotta smirked and used her cheater talons to quickly form a snowball, hoisting it up and tossing at me with a ferocity I knew she normally reserved for combat.  I flinched as it came at me, but was surprised to see it slow down as an aura enveloped it.  Carlotta’s smirk dropped into a grimace.

“Shame on you Carlotta.”  Longbow used her magic to propel it back at her, the snowball splatting against her chest as she didn’t even try to dodge.  “At least make it a fair fight.”  Both the love of my life and Twain stepped up to my side, the both of them dropping their bags next to the bag of food I had set down.  Longbow glanced quickly to Twain and I with a sinister grin on her muzzle.  “Let’s make this quick, boys, and then we’ll hit the road.”

Then started the most brutal of snowball fights the likes of the wasteland would never see again.


-----


I admit, having a snowball fight shortly before you are supposed to spend the next eight hours driving through the freezing air was probably not a smart idea.  We all had the blankets that Twain had picked up from Gold Bit wrapped snuggly around us so we didn’t freeze solid as the Marauder struggled to find traction on the road out of the city.  Turns out, all the added weight from the supplies we sold was the only reason we had gotten there so fast.  At this rate, I’m not even sure if the Marauder could get us to Red Wing by tomorrow night!

The first hour out of the city we moved at a snails pace, the pipbuck map saying we had made it only twenty miles, and as I looked across the open plain before us, a menacing wall of white blotted out the road a few miles up.  It was a tremendous storm sweeping across the land, stretching wide enough that I bet it encompassed the entirety of the range around Foal mountain.  What if we didn’t make it in time?  What if the storm slowed us enough to where we couldn’t get there before 42’s deadline?  What if that’s exactly what she planned?

We had to try, and even though I could practically feel the apprehension off the others as the white wall approached us, even I was starting to have second thoughts.  Maybe we should just head back to Tenpony and have Ditzy fly us in.  She could just take us over the top, right?  The wind picked up quickly into a dull roar, swirling like an enormous cyclone that I could feel start to drag us closer, lifting the Marauder just enough so we lost all traction.  We were left only to brace ourselves against the brunt of the storm as it slammed into us, giving the Marauder a jolt and slamming my head forwards against the steering wheel as the car shifted back and felt like it had been hit by a skybus.  I wasn’t sure if it was just the suddenness of the storm, the pain and ringing sound in my head, or the fact that my one good eye might not be working right, but it got dark outside as we were now past the outer wall.

When the shock of the front wore off, I had to squint just to make out the others in the car.  Longbow’s horn glowed softly, giving me a point to focus on as I shivered from the cold, trying to burrow myself further into the blanket.  The one piece of good news that I had, was that with the winds pushing down on us, I could feel the wheels grip through the powdery snow.  I hit the pedal and started up again, using the compass in my augmented vision to guide us forward.

The snow and wind were getting worse the farther we traveled, becoming bad enough that even with traction, I had to slow to a crawl just so I could avoid simple things like boulders and dead trees.  I have never seen a storm this bad in my life, and given the choice, would have probably chosen to take my chances in Canterlot for the goddess than to have willfully driven into this storm.  The moans and howls that came through the broken windshield sent it’s own brand of shivers up my spine, and I thought that some monstrosity would most certainly come charging through the blinding white at us.

My pipbuck blinked for a moment, and I thought it might have gone out again, but instead now displayed a small triangle just to the west of us on it.  As the cold cut through even the blanket I was wearing, I was beginning to worry that not only would the pipbuck die before we got there, but so would we.  As if it were a gift from a divine force of mercy, the front of us started to clear, and the light of day once again brightened the flurry of snow that whipped around before us.

With a jolt, we passed through the inner wall of the spinning storm, the form of the mountains rising sharply to the west of us had me confused.  No, this was all wrong, the pipbuck confirmed that we had been following the road west the entire time.  There is no way we should have come up alongside the mountains this quickly.  As I stuck my head out the window and looked up at them, I realized something.  The storm formed an enormous dome overhead that had been spinning in a clockwise fashion as we drove through it. If the winds were strong enough, maybe we had been swept into traveling diagonally by the strong winds.

The peak of the storm dome wrapped around the midsection of Foal mountain, and immediately I knew that 42 had to be causing it.  Somehow, she had made this storm happen, and whatever thing she was using to make it was on my list of things to break right after I destroy the cloning machine.  The thought that anything like this could even be made by ponies hurt my brain.  Even the gears in my head refused to work at figuring it out, instead shoving the idea into my mind that I needed to figure out just where we were.  I unbundled myself as the wind died down, pulling out my pipbuck and looking at the map.  Once again, I was surprised to see where we were.  It was only another ten minutes drive to the old gas station we used as a rest stop, which meant that somehow the storm had pulled us nearly ten miles in the short time we were stuck inside it.

“B...Backlash,”  Longbow shivered and leaned over.  “We n...need warmth.”  I looked back to the others, who were shaking just as badly as her and huddleing close together.

“Don’t worry, the gas station is just a few minutes away.  We can huddle up there and build a fire.”  I gave a smile as I did my best to wrap myself up again, stepping on the pedal and getting us to roll forward.  The gears in my head clicked together and gave me an idea that might help them cope with the cold for the short trip, using the hoof I had on the steering wheel to flick on the radio.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts.”  It was the voice of DJ Pon3 that came through the speakers, and as unexpected as it was to hear, everypony turned their ears to listen intently.  “This afternoon I’d like to talk to you about something a little different instead of the news.   Over the last month and a half, I’ve told you about the exploits and good deeds of the wasteland crusaders.  Well I’m here this afternoon to tell you that the Pink Mare has issued an ultimatum for them, to either give her what she wants at the town of Red Wing, or join the battle for the town, and fight her to the death.”

“As this broadcast goes out to you, I know that some of you have family members who have chosen to help out those in the embattled town.  Some of you have stood up against the oppression and injustices in the wasteland and have been given the will to fight for it to be a better place.  I am here to tell you that at this moment, our very own crusaders are out there heading for Red Wing.  They are willing to stand next to everypony else and fight for what they believe is right, asking for nothing in return except a safer wasteland.  Now I ask you, my children; if a simple merchant can cast aside his own needs to bring us the hope of a better life, even at the costs he’s endured, do we not owe it to be better ponies?  Do we not honor the sacrifice the few make by committing ourselves to live by the example they have set?”

“And though we may never see anypony like them again in our lifetime , as citizens of the wasteland community, I ask you to remember those ponies who fight for you.  To the crusaders themselves, should they be listening, I wish you good luck, we’re all counting on you.”

“T...that was... nice.”  Longbow shivered as the soft tunes of the normal radio music filled the air, the trail that lead up to the abandoned gas station was so buried in snow that I almost missed it.  I swung the Marauder around towards the hill and realized that I wasn’t even sure if she would make it up without any weight on the back.  I shifted the car into park and turned myself to look at the others.

“Alright everypony, we don’t have enough weight on the back tires to get enough traction required to climb that hill.  Sky’s the lightest of us all, so I need us all to get on the back frame of the Marauder while she drives it up.”  As a wave of groans and grumbles came from them, I cast off the blanket I was wearing and pushed myself out the driver side window.  
As was becoming the norm, I slipped on it and tumbled muzzle first into the snow, stifling a scream as my burned half flopped into the waste deep snow.  Instantly my body began to violently shiver, making it hard to pick myself up from the ground, and even harder to walk to the back of the Marauder.

“S… should have w...worn more.”  Twain remarked through chattering teeth as he looked at the exposed metal we had to stand on.  “W… where do we h...hold on to?”  He looked up to me and gave me a look that I read as being concerned, but it was hard to tell seeing as every muscle on him was twitching and shaking.

“J...just pin y...yours...self somewhere.”  I didn’t exactly plan to install hoofholds on the car in the event that the trunk was ripped off by some psychotic prewar mare, so I was at a loss as well.  The only reason the rangers could stand back here is because their armor has the weight to it to not shift around so much, and the rubber tips on their legs kept them from sliding easily.

Another thirty seconds is all it takes for us to cram ourselves as tightly as we can on the steel beams. Myself at the bottom of the pile pressed up against the frozen metal of the car, sitting only inches away from the snowy ground.  My hooves hooked as best as they can be around the frame, while the others use me as a baseboard to stand on, which I would say is uncomfortable, but the heat they were radiating onto my back was simply divine.  I heard a couple of bangs come from the car as Carlotta tapped the roof, signaling Sky to go.  As the wheels started to turn, I prayed to Luna that this would work, and that Sky wouldn’t steer us all into a tree or something.  Walking the rest of the way to Red Wing in this cold was not something we had prepared for.

The engine roared out and pulled the Marauder.  We picked up speed quickly, the extra weight giving the car enough grip to get going at a good clip when we came up on the hill.  As we shifted angles, the others pressed into me and did their best not to be thrown back.  The snow under us skimmed past as we climbed, the hill gently leveling out the further we went up, eventually reaching a point to where Sky thought we would be good to get back in.  She stopped the car and put it into park, letting the engine idle as the others piled off me.  I gave out a grunt and pushed against the frame to stand, but my chest wouldn’t budge.  I looked down and saw that the slightly bloody bandages around my chest had frozen to the frame, each tug bringing a sharp pain spike from my chest.

“B...Backlash, get in!”  Longbow called out from inside, her voice only driving me to tug harder.  A whine escaped my muzzle when one of the tugs brought a ripping sound to my ears as part of the bandage gave way.  In a classicly stupid move, I decided that this predicament was best solved like an adhesive bandage, and worked out better if you just ripped it off all at once.  So in bracing myself for the pain, I maneuvered my legs to push myself and tear free from the car.  42 already ripped an oxygen tank from my chest, how much more could this hurt?

I stiffened up and pushed with all my might, an immense tearing sound filling my ears as the gears in my head reminded me that I had at least been unconscious for the tank.  This was a whole lot worse than a bandage.  Flopping back into the snow, I let out a scream and grit my teeth wishing that I could be numb for once.  I writhed and coughed as the snow around me melted from the heat of my body the water mixing with my blood and sending foul smelling wisps of smoke up.

I felt a pressure around my hind legs and was quickly drug from where I was, the warm blanket I had used in the car was draped over me as Carlotta and Longbow quickly wiped me down and wrapped me in it, holding their breath to avoid the smell. I let them help me as the world spun. I felt myself get picked up, quickly traveling through the air before the off color of the marauder filled my vision, and I felt the softness of the seat underneath me.  I groaned as the pain in my chest burned like a wildfire, and I felt the wetness of my blood seeping into the blanket.

As my head righted itself again slowly, the concerned face of Longbow sat peering over me, her caring eyes quenching the flames on my chest, and bringing a smile to my muzzle.  Then as the shock of the event passed, the cold hit me all at once and I began to shiver again.  Skyline moved behind Longbow, propping herself on the dashboard as she squinted out the front.

“Somepony h...has a fire up ahead, m...maybe a ha… half mile or s...so.”  She pointed her shaking hoof and I did my best to wiggle myself up to see where she was pointing, finally righting myself with the help of Longbow’s magic.  Even with my one good eye and the dark storm swirling overhead, I could see the dark smoke rising into the sky that was the telltale sign of a bonfire.  With a renewed interest, I turned myself on the seat so that I could steer again, shifting us into drive and stepping on the pedal to creep us forward.

We wound around the small split in the forest that the road was on, following it for two minutes or so until I could clearly see that the fire was in the clearing in front of the station.  A dozen or so shapes moved around in the light, quickly shifting back and forth the closer we got.  Friend or foe, it didn’t matter. 42 needed me alive so if they were her goons, they couldn’t hurt me, and on the off chance they were friendly, they could help us get warm.  The only issue would be if they were raiders but at least that would be one hell of an interesting fight.

As we rolled closer, the ponies ahead stopped moving, taking up defensive positions around the fire.  We came around the final bend and I spotted a pair of armored ponies standing directly in our way up ahead. The shine of the plastic masks they wore filled me with relief, at least we wouldn’t have to fight.  The I tried to think quickly,reminding me that we only were safe as long as they knew or believed us to be the ones 42 wanted, and with a dozen ponies each training a gun on us, that was one hell of a point I needed to clarify first.  I pulled up and stopped ten feet from the pair, who had their battle saddles trained on us and seemed hesitant to make the first move. The one on the right took a step back as we sat there.  I shut the car off and cleared my throat to tell them not to attack, but I was cut off by someone I didn’t expect.

“Take what you want, I ain’t with these ponies.”  Twain spoke up from the back as he raised his hooves in the air, slowly drawing all of our looks in disbelief.  “What?  I didn’t plan on dying today.”

“Then you should have stayed back when you had the chance.”  I grumbled and turned back, watching as the two in front of us exchanged glances.  “We’re the Crusaders, 42 wants us to arrive alive, so I suggest that you put down your weapons and let us warm up at the fire.”

“Oh, right.”  Twain blurted out again, leaning forward as he raised his voice.  “In that case, I am with these ponies.”  His quick move for redemption made me sigh and facehoof.  He’s a hell of a fighter, but dear Celestia was he just annoying to be around at any other time.

The lead pony stiffened at the news, looking back to the other, who simply shrugged.  The one in front whistled and looked around as nearly a dozen more shapes rose from behind the fallen trees and various boulders out here.  We had been surrounded and I hadn’t even known it.  The lead pony lifted his mask off with a smile and pointed his hoof at me.

“You all are really the crusaders?  The same Crusaders the DJ is always talking about?”  He sounded far too excited to see us, and I was starting to wonder if 42 had put a bonus out for whoever brings us back to her.  I simply nodded and stared at him quizzically as his smile widened.  “Come then and get yourselves warmed up, we were just about to start dinner.”  The overexcited stallion walked up to my window and held his hoof out.  “My name is Railspike.  Welcome to the resistance.”


-----


We hadn't asked any questions about what this group was doing out here, choosing instead to wait until we had warmed up a bit before figuring that all out.  In that time, Railspike, who seemed to be in charge around here, had a pair of mares treat and rebind my chest up while he stirred a large pot of fairly good smelling soup.

“So, Railspike.”  I broke the silence first, immediately drawing his attention.  “Why are you all out here?  Are you refugies of Red Wing?”  I hadn’t seen any of these ponies in the standoff I had with Pariah, but I know that not everypony in town had gathered to stop us then.  Railspike shook his head slowly.

“No, a few days ago we heard a rumor back home that the crusader was probably going to help out with Red Wing, seeing as you’ve been ending up where there’s been trouble recently.  So quite a few of us decided to go fight with you against the ones seigeing the town. I didn’t expected you to show up so quickly, but I see now why you can get around so fast.”  He pointed a hoof to the Marauder with a smirk.  “Last news I heard of you, were on your way to fight the pink mare in Manehatten.  Did you kill her finally?”

His words sank into me like knives, even if he didn’t mean it.  “No,”  I looked towards the fire as my mind replayed the moments on the bridge, ending as I remember the scared look in Skyline’s eyes as I fell away from her.  “She’s in Red Wing now.”

This drew a laugh from him, shattering my train of thought.  “Well damn.  I had caps riding on the fact that you’d kick her ass.”  The sheer astonishment that ponies could think that this was a sport they could watch from the sidelines infuriated me, but at the same time, wasn’t it me who thought of it as 42’s game?  “Guess I’ll just have to do all I can to make sure you win that fight then.”  I looked back to him as he nodded to himself, glaring into the fire as I had been.

“Where are you all from then? Why are you risking your lives to fight?”  Longbow spoke up from beside me, pulling Rail’s attention to her.  He looked her over in a way that made me jealous, but it was not lust that was on his expression, but admiration.

“Me and the others, we lived out in Filly as part of a downtown scavenger group.  I’ve kinda been promoted to the head of the settlement, and this lot are all the most courageous and loyal ponies I know.  We know everything about each other, and they knew my mother lived out in Whinney.”  He paused for a moment as sorrow flushed across his face, and the gears in my head started to spin.  I lifted my pipbuck and flipped the S.A.T.S. fuse to the administrative socket, flipping to the notes page to pull up the one Brass had brought to me.  “I hear that you tried to save them, thank you for having the courage to try when nopony else would.”

I stammered at the thought of what he had gone through.  “She... left you a note.”  I held the pipbuck up so he could see it, his weary eyes softening as he pulled it close and read it.  He smiled and let out a sniffle before slowly pushing my hoof away.

“Thank you.”  He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back to the fire.  “I don’t have the money she promised, but I can fight for you that much harder with a clearer mind.”

“As a voice of reason, I would like to point out that what awaits your group at Red Wing is an army.”  Carlotta called out from across the fire.  “And you will most likely be heading for your deaths if you continue with us.  No offense, but twenty five ponies with barely any equipment to their name won’t be enough to make a difference, no matter how hard you fight.”

Railspike let out a quick laugh.  “Why do you think we have the masks?  We had planned on being let in and then striking them when they least expected it.”  He had a hitch in his voice when he said that, as if he didn’t believe his own words.  “The problem is you are right.  We are so under equipped, there was a strong chance they would know it was a rouse and just kill us all on sight.  But each one of us were ready to take that chance.”  He looked at me with a renewed look of hope.  “But with your arrival, there’s no way they’ll be looking too closely at us!”

“Wait, that’s your plan?  It’s to just hoof us over to them?”  Skyline poked her head around the fire.  “How the hell do you trust that you won’t find some way to screw us over?”

Railspike sat and rubbed at his mane.  “How could we?  I mean, if you showed up on your own, you’d just be escorted in, not to mention he said the pink mare was expecting you all anyway.  Why not go in with us and at least have some backup if things do end up going sideways?”

It still didn’t make sense to me!  “But… why?  Why risk yourselves in a fight you had no part in creating?”  At this, he dropped his brow and rubbed at his chin.

“You know my reason, but I can only speak for myself.  A lot of ponies been following what you’ve done and decided that if the wastes were to be made safe again, we were going to have to work together to help clear that pink trash from the face of it.”  He shrugged and looked back up at me.  “We all have our own reasons, and we know that somepony has to fix it, so why not us?”

“If you all want to risk your lives sneaking in, then I have a favor to ask.”  I spoke up, sparking a glare from Sky as she slunk back behind the fire.  “42 told me that she had taken the ponies of Red Wing hostage.  If they are alive, I want you to get them out.”  He nodded as I talked, giving me a determined look.  “But, I’ve heard her say this before, and you know what she did to the good ponies of Whinney.”

His face wore a grim look for a moment and he took a deep breath.  “If there is anypony still alive in there, I promise you we will do our best to get them out of there.”  He looked to his left as a dark blue mare strode towards the fire.  “Marrow, make sure the others know what I’ve said and to double check their disguises.  We’ll get in just fine, but I don’t know how long they’ll be fooled once the Crusaders are escorted off.”

“Um, Backlash?”  Longbow put her hoof on my shoulder and leaned over to me.  “Twain was telling me that he grabbed every weapon in the shop and anything that could be considered armor.  Maybe they could find some use in it?  I mean, we have more than enough that we can spare some things.”

“Yeah.  We aren’t so much in danger of getting shot at with this plan, so anything that could help with getting the rest of Red Wing to safety is worth using.”  As soon as I said that, I found myself pulled into a tight hug, as Railspike squeezed the air from my lungs with a grin across his muzzle.

“You really are something!”  He laughed, feeling like he ratcheted his hold tighter with each breath.  “I wish there was a way we could repay you for your kindness!”  I was starting to see stars as I wiggled my back hooves futilely.

“You could start by letting him go.”  Carlotta acted as my saviour onces again as she appeared beside him.  I felt him release me, and like a great set of bellows, my lungs sucked in air with a high pitched whine as they reinflated.  I slid to the ground with a whump and cringed as the cold snow pressed against my bandaged chest.  I looked up at Carlotta’s frowning beak as she stood over me, just watching me catch my breath.  “We gotta talk.  Alone.”

She grabbed onto my forehoof and yanked me up, pulling me to my hooves before turning and heading towards the edge of the clearing.  I followed quickly, turning and watching as Longbow gave me a parting smile and went back to staring into the fire.  As I looked back to where I was going, I almost ran right into Carlotta as she sat down, staring out into the frozen forest.  Without even looking at me, she pat at the snow next to her.

“Your wings look better.” For once, I felt nervous to talk to her, and I felt like this was going to be a fairly serious conversation.

“They’re shredded.  Could take months until I fly again, but that’s not what we need to talk about.”  She gave out a sigh.  “As Skyline most likely told you, I had my reasons for wanting her to watch over Pallet.”  She began even before I sat down, the subtle twitches the blank look and subtle twitches of her face told me that this conversation was likely to be more serious than any before.  “I don’t think I ever told you exactly why I took the job for Myron, did I?”

“No.  I assumed your reasons were purely your own.”  It was surprising how little I knew of the mercenary that dropped into my life a month and a half ago.  My original joking at how she was part of my fucked up family then turned out to be true, and she grew to be my good friend simply because I could rely on her.  I guess there is something to be said about friendships forged on a battlefield, and how even though I had never believed anypony else who talked about it, here I was today. 

“I’m the youngest of four other hatchlings. I had three brothers and and a sister back home in Van Hoover, and as is expected of the children in my family, we all joined the talons.”  The hint of a smile crept across her beak as she remembered her home.  “We were all damn good Talons, but that was before the curse hit.”

I scoffed at the notion.  “Really, you believe in all that mumbo jumbo like Isaac?”

She didn’t move a muscle, but her eye glared down at me.  “My parent’s took a contract to protect a merchant who needed to deliver some fertilizer to a tribe of zebras south of Van hoover.  Turns out he was some pony purist and used the shipment as a makeshift bomb when he got there.  Torched himself and most of the settlement.”  She shifted her gaze back to the forest.  “They tried to do the right thing and help the zebra there, but they were sent away and the zebra cursed them.  A month later, they we both killed when the building they were fighting in collapsed without warning.  A month after that, Maurus, my eldest brother was killed when an empty refinery tank exploded during a mission.  Three months later, Rico was blinded and crippled when a mortar airburst next to him, and Rioco died when another struck and broke her neck mid flight.”

A building collapse is uncommon, but not unheard of, and refinery tanks are dangerous when still filled with fumes.  But a perfectly timed mortar shell, and a perfectly aimed dud striking two aerial targets, and all these in the span of five months?  Maybe… maybe their curse was real.

“Quila was the lucky one.  Through all this, she had her fiance to lean on.  But I couldn’t take it anymore.  I couldn’t stand waiting around to see the rest of my family die from this curse.”  Carlotta shook her head.  “I flew to Las Pegasus, changed my name, and made the job my life.  No one I care for can die when I don’t love anyone, right?”  She looked back to me, and suddenly I could see the fear in her own.  “Then there was you.  It was just another job, but… your sister, she was beautiful and she knew how to talk to me.  I thought maybe, maybe with a different name and a different job I could get away from it.  But then there was Brass, and the fact that I almost died twice in the last few days, those thoughts have started to creep back in.  Now there’s Pallet and all I can think is how much I want them to be my family, but what if the curse takes them?”

“I… I don’t know.”  I gave a deep sigh and thought how yet again I wanted to just have Carlotta go and take Sky away.  “Once I’m inside with 42, you need to take her and go.”  Carlotta didn’t even flinch at the suggestion.  “She won’t leave before then, but you both can’t risk yourselves when Pallet needs you both.”  I shook my head and facehoofed.  “It was a stupid idea for you two to even accept Pallet when you knew where we were going, but that just means you don’t get to die.”  I glared up at Carlotta.  “Curse or no, If anything happens to Sky and you are still alive, then you get her the fuck out of there and you make sure she gets to die an old and grumpy mare.  Do you understand that?”

Carlotta gave a stiff laugh and pat me on the shoulder.  “I knew you were in there somewhere, Backlash.  I’m glad to see the old you is back.”  She got up and walked back toward the fire as I just continued staring out into the forest.  This really was it, wasn’t it?  Nopony expected to walk away from this fight, but if that happened, then there would be nothing I could ever do to redeem myself.  I turned towards Carlotta as she walked away, trotting through the snow after her.

“So… if Carlotta isn’t your real name, what is it?”  If we were going down as a family, then I want to know who to thank the goddesses for my friends in the afterlife.

“It’s Halia.  Halia Thistledown.”  She smiled to me as she said it, and for the second time in my life, I saw what a truly happy griffin looked like.  “Now let’s get some grub. I don’t know about you, but I skipped breakfast this morning and I’m starving!”

> Chapter 26 - Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 26

“She said ‘Pinkie, you’ve got to stand up tall, learn to face your fears...“

-----


The sun set shortly after we ate, and the raging storm far overhead dropped the temperature fast.  We all huddled up inside the remains of the service station and hooked up pairs of old toasters to spark batteries to keep warm.  There was no way we could continue tonight to Red Wing, and 42 wasn’t expecting us until tomorrow at the earliest anyway, so we had to sit and bide our time.  Longbow slept as much as she could in the night, but, I didn’t want to, I planned to use the night to enjoy holding her.

For some reason, the others had given Longbow and I the privilege of staying in the bathroom, and our own toaster to keep warm with.  It wasn’t a large room, and it wasn’t comfortable, but it was separate.  I'm sure they wanted us to sleep well in there, but Twain kept suggesting that we use it for something else entirely.

Though the thought had crossed my mind, I had a far different idea of how to spend the time.  They say that an hour with a pretty mare seems like a minute, and that a minute with your hoof on a hot stove feels like an hour.  I took this to its logical extreme with an idea that wasn’t my brightest moment but seemed to work.  As I sat with Longbow in my hooves, every time my thoughts would begin to drift, I would forget to hold my rear leg up and it would slowly lower and touch the side of the heated toaster.  I flinched every time it happened, and I quickly lifted my leg to refocus myself on the mare I loved.

Her mane wafted slowly across her muzzle as she slept, and she made the most adorable squeaks every time I adjusted my hooves around her.  Why did I have to find a mare like her at this point in my life?  She deserved more from me than I could give, but even if I were a king, it would still be true.  I shut my eyes and ignored the world around this room for a moment, imagining how maybe one day soon we could go back to friendship city and use their chapel.  Another day, maybe we’d be back at Tenpony for Dr. Fitz to give us the news on whether we’ll have a colt or a filly.  Maybe even another day I’d get to hold my wife as we watch our young one take their first steps, or say their first words.  When that day comes, I want…

“Bacon… yum.”  Longbow muttered in her sleep, ripping me from my daydream as she licked her lips.  The strong smell of burning flesh was coupled with pain in my rear leg as I yanked it away from the heat and sat myself up quickly.  I whined softly; the coat on my leg now looked as black as the left half of my body.

Longbow stirred awake and looked at me groggily.  “You alright Backlash?”

I smiled and flopped back down as quickly as I could, not wanting to worry her.  “Perfectly fine, how did you sleep?”  She let out a groan and turned herself over, pressing herself back against me.  The back of my leg ebbed in pain, but it did help to slow down time, it helped me enjoy every second I had with her.  “Go back to bed hun, we’ve still got some time to rest.”  I glance at the clock in my vision, doing a double take as it read that it was now 6 AM.  Had I really already spent all night just enjoying her company?

She sat back up and looked over at me, frowning after a moment.  “Dear, you look exhausted.  Was it nightmares again?”  She rubbed at her eyes and let out a soft yawn.  “Go back to sleep.  The others will get us when they’re ready.”  She lay back down and stretched her hooves out, nudging herself softly into me until I layed down with her. She was my one weakness, and I just couldn’t push myself to tell her no anymore.  I want to stay with her forever. As I let out a yawn and wiggled myself close to her, it felt like maybe I’d get lucky enough that it would stay that way.  I closed my eye and nuzzled into her neck, thinking that in just another minute, I’d pick my leg up and I’d start my process all over again.


-----


A heavy knocking at the door startled me, and my eye shot wide open.  I had fallen asleep at some point, but as I stretched, my rear leg reminded me that I probably shouldn’t ever fall asleep next to scalding metal again.

“Backlash, Longbow.  Get out here NOW.”  Carlotta was angry this morning and I had no idea why.  I let out a deep yawn as Longbow pulled her head up from the floor, chewing on a few stands of her mane as they sat in her muzzle.  My gaze drifted to the clock in my pipbuck vision and I noticed that it was…

“NOON?  The fuck!”  I jumped to my hooves and immediately regret the decision as the crispy section of my rear leg reminded me that this had indeed been one of my dumber ideas.  Longbow jumped to her hooves as well, her magic twisting the deadbolt open and pulling the door out of our way.  Carlotta moved aside as we poured out to find an empty room, not a single pony of the Resistance was here.  “Where the fuck did they go!?  Where’s Sky?”

“Sky sent the others ahead so you two lovebirds could get your beauty sleep.  We’ll meet up with them just outside Red Wing and walk from there.  That way the car is close by if we need it at some point, so I guess that makes up for having to walk the rest of the way through the snow.”  Carlotta crossed her talons angrily.  That was a relief, they hadn’t abandoned us, but it still didn’t leave us much leeway time to get there before the deadline if the Marauder went as slow as it did yesterday.  It also didn’t explain where Skyline had run off to.   “Sky and that asshole you hired are outside keeping Longbow’s unappreciative friends away.”

I blinked as I wasn’t sure what she meant.

“What… friends?”  Longbow pushed her mane from her face and tweaked her ears to listen for anything.  Before the gears in my head could even spin up, Longbow figured it out and charged the front door her magic nearly tearing it from it’s rusted hinges.  Instinctively, my hooves carried me forward after her, and once outside, I could see three bright familiar faces in shining silver armor.  Fruit Cup, Frosted Cakes, and Maple stood out next to the near dead bonfire, the three of them smiling at us brightly as Sky and Twain kept their guns on them.

Well, I should correct that it was three smiles until Longbow hit Maple.  She clobbered him across the muzzle with a fantastic left hook that sent him sprawling to the snow.  Fruit Cup quickly jumped over and pulled Longbow back, while Frosty helped Maple get to his hooves.  

Maple rubbed his chin with a look of acceptance in his eyes.  “I probably deserved that, seeing as you were right about Strudel.”

“Your deserved that before I was right about her.  You want to see what I think you deserve for after?”  She struggled against Fruit Cup’s hold and calmed herself when I came up and put a hoof on her shoulder.  “The hell are you doing here Maple?”  

“I meant what I said, you were right.”  He let out a sigh, the idea of explaining why he was wrong about something sounded like it baffled him, but there was honesty in his words.  “She put the base in lockdown and kept us confined to quarters, refusing to let us serve as defenders where we could do the most good.  That’s when I knew you were right, so a plan was formulated and then I broke out with Fruit and Frosty.”

“Getting your whole squad court martialed because you suddenly want to play the hero?  How the fuck did you even get out of a condition one lockdown?”  Longbow finally shook Fruit Cup’s hold, the stallion who she had once called her best friend shyly took his place next to Maple and kept his gaze to the snow.

“Your mother is the answer to both of those.”  He smirked and ran his hoof through his mane.  “She kicked some well deserved sense into me during debriefing, and overrode the lockdown when she caught us trying to escape.”

“My mother!?”  Longbow trembled with rage as I could see herself tense every muscle in an attempt not to murder him.  “You moron!  They’ll hang her for treason!”  She snapped, but I acted just a half second faster and wrapped my forehooves around her to pull her close.  She grunted and flailed her legs at Maple again, giving up faster this time.

Maple looked at his hoof boredly again, letting the arrogant side of himself show.  “You forget I worked for the mare.  The Elder can’t touch her as only she knows the other half of the codes needed to make the Nautilus's weapon systems work.  The worst they will do is put her under house arrest until they see how all of this ends up.”  I had to wonder, if he changed at all, or just wanted a chance to flaunt how ‘heroic’ he could be to us.  “Sure, blame me, but first ask yourself this, what protection does Fruit Cup have?  What do you think the punishment will be for him?”

“That’s on your head, asshole!  You started this shit.”  Longbow growled at him, tensing her legs to swing again before Fruit Cup stepped up to her.

“It was my plan, Longbow.”  His words were soft, and I could tell how much he cared for her when he said it.  “After you were transfered, it felt like there was a giant hole in my life.  We had always been best friends, and then you were just gone.  When you came back, I was happy to have you back in my life.  I just couldn’t stand losing you again, so I had to break out.  Maple asked if he could come along, knowing full well we’d all be labeled as deserters and hung.  He gave up everything, just to help me see you again.”

“But… you didn’t have to do this for me.”  Longbow sat as I released my grasp and took a step back.  She was running everything through her head, trying to make sense if it all when something must have clicked into place.  She dove forward and wrapped her hooves around Fruit Cup, who simply just pat her on the back and smiled.  Longbow gave him a small kiss on the cheek and spoke softly.  “Just… thank you for being here for me.”

“Well, I hate to break this up, but we’re going to be late if we don’t get going.”  Carlotta’s annoyed voice chimed in as she trudged through the snow past us.  “But hey, at least the dead weight we just added might give us a bit more traction!”

“Has anypony ever told you how lovely you are Carlotta?”  Maple smiled and gave a quick glance to Frosted Cakes, giving her a small nod of approval which sent her rifling through her saddlebag.  “Oh, and while we’re at it, do we have a plan, or are we just going in guns blazing?”  Frosty ended up just turning the saddlebag over and dumping out the contents, which amounted to a very familiar set of power armor.


-----


The four hours of driving was uneventful, but overall not unpleasant even with the cold around us.  The inside of the Marauder was a much warmer atmosphere to boot as we passed the time exchanging stories of hilarious exploits and recalled embarrassing moments of the ones we loved.  The best part of it all, was that Longbow was by my side for it.  She looked more relaxed now that she was in her armor again, even if it didn’t mean she had been accepted back to her own family.  She was part of ours, and if it was still something that brought a smile to her muzzle, it made me smile.  Skyline was leaning up against Carlotta, who mostly stayed quiet, but I could tell that she loved to listen to the stories that I told about Sky.  By the way the plumage around her eyes would brighten, she hadn’t heard some of the more embarrassing ones.

“Oh, Backlash!  I know that we already modded the Marauder for you once, but Fruit and I had this idea for another upgrade.”  She hooked her legs around the front seat and pulled herself closer from the back.  “Get this... hover conversion.”

That was… different.  “A what conversion?”

Fruit Cup leaned his head forward with a proud grin.  “Well, you see, if we could get the levitation talismans of a skycar to work at the spark voltage of the marauder's engine, while also increasing their output to draw ratio, in theory you could make it hover over most obstacles.  No more worrying about mud, crater filled roads, or unfriendly folk getting in the way!  You could just skim over it all without losing speed.”

“And you really think that would work?”  I scrunched up my muzzle as an odd thought hit me.  Skyline might be alright with riding in it then, she always said she’d rather have a skycar!  The excited nod I got from Fruit Cup forced a smile across my face.  “Well as long as you can convert the car back if needed, I’d be fine with giving it a shot.”

“Fruit, I’ve been meaning to ask,”  Longbow scooted herself around and looked at Fruit Cup’s leg.  “How’s that prosthetic working out for you?”

“Oh it’s amazing!”  He torqued his leg and the power armor hissed, sliding away in Longbow’s magic to reveal a skeletal robotic limb.  Though I wanted to look at it in greater detail, I had to look away to make sure we weren't careening towards a tree, and in that time, Longbow reattached the armored hoof and I missed my chance.  “Took a few hours to get used to, but the suspension on it makes it as smooth as silk.  The torque buffers are amazingly quiet for their size, and quite efficient to boot!  It’s got tons of room for upgrades and little tweaks I can do...”

“Fruit…”  Frosty’s voice came across as annoyed.  “Love, you’re boring them.”

“Wait, you two?” Longbow let out a gasp and put her hooves over her muzzle, covering the bright smile she wore.   “Fruit, why didn’t you tell me!”

He blushed.  “I’d hoped it was obvious that we’ve been together for months.  I mean, we’re two of a kind.”  He put his hoof around Frosty and pulled her closer.  “Though, Maple isn’t quite sure if it’s a good idea.  Says in might get in the way of unit cohesion.”  He scoffed at that notion.  “Eh, buck him.  I love her.”

Twain pushed the two love birds apart and pointed toward a small opening in the snow covered rocks ahead.  “That’s where we’re supposed to meet.  Pull over.”  

I turned us toward the small cave entrance, pulling up beside it and shutting the car off as I looked into it.  After a minute with no movement, Railspike peeked his head out with a smile.

“Oh hey, the others were starting to think you slept in.”  He nervously waved to Fruit Cup and Frosted Cakes.  “Guess you were waiting for more friends?”

“Yeah, they’re buddies of mine.”  I grunted and pulled myself out of the Marauder, actually making it out of the car without slipping on the windowsill this time.  The gears in my head kicked up, as I glanced at the rusty shotgun Railspike had on his saddle and remembered that we’re going to be in the thick of it soon.  Before I could forget, I lifted my pipbuck and bit down on the fuses, swapping them out so I could use both S.A.T.S. and the inventory functions.  As I did, Railspike trotted out of the cave entrance and stood next to me.  “Your group ready?”  He looked back and waited for a moment, gazing into the darkness before turning back and nodding.  “Double check all your gear, because we only get to try this once, if at all.”

We went through the bags of supplies we brought, taking what we could use from the ammo sack first.  Next, for the weapons, Carlotta found an old, high caliber service rifle to attach to her saddle before distributing the remaining guns to the Resistance fighters who needed them.  Since there was little time for cooking, the food that could be eaten without preparation was spread around, which meant that my box of Fancy buck cakes was expended fairly quickly.

All in all, we still had some troubling news.  All the .308 rounds were split between Carlotta and Longbow, leaving both of them with not nearly enough to be comfortable, and there weren’t any Gauss rounds to be found.  The few Sky had and the two in Longbow’s pistol were all we had, and we were going to need to make those shots count.  Add to this we still didn’t have any medical supplies to our name past the Dash in my bags, but we were as ready as we were ever going to get.

In the few minutes it took for us to get moving, the sun started to set and the sky was darkening quickly.  We left the Marauder behind and told Maple to hang back until the fighting started.  Once it had, they would join and make their way to us to help clear the ponies we encountered.  With all of this sorted, we walked across the snowy hills for another few minutes until the thick smell of burning wood filled my nose.  I pushed myself to crest the largest of the hills before us, and from the top I could see a ruined Red Wing sitting before me.

The open field of battle that lead up to the gate was strewn with all manor of frozen corpses. Hundreds lay about just this side of the city, each pony growing more twisted and mutilated the closer to the wall you looked.  Almost all of the mountain city was burnt or is still actively burning to the ground, and even from this far, I can see the bodies of both sides lining the frozen streets.  There wasn’t a single part of the town that looked like it had been spared from the fighting, and I had a growing pit in my stomach from the thought that nopony could have lived through such a violent assault.

A loud bell rang from inside the town as we made our way down the hill. The scampering shapes of 42’s minions criss crossed the streets as we started across the short plain that lead to Red Wing’s tattered and charred gateway.  Numerous unsavory characters kept their weapons trained at the five of us as we walked closer, holding their actions as we passed straight through the gate which, in my mind, served as the point of no return.  An enormous, hooded Stallion statue with and extra large Pinkie mask stood in our way as we entered.

It moved.  The head of the giant pony turned and looked in our direction, making me lock up as fear gripped me.  “You.  State your name.”  The powerful, deep voice of a mare emanated from behind the mask.  This mare was bigger than anypony I could even imagine.  Though Harmony was impressive for a mare, this was just unthinkably large, towering around ten feet or so from hoof to head.  She had to be the product of some wasteland accident, or at the very least some sort of killing joke.  “I said, state. your. name.”

“Backlash.”  I wasn’t sure if I did a good enough job in hiding the fact that I was just a tiny bit intimidated by her size, but when a ponies hoof is the size of your torso, I don’t think anypony would blame me.

“Not you.”  She raised her enormous hoof and pointed it behind me.  ”You, the Pinkie in front.  Name.”

I looked back to see she was pointing at Railspike.  Shit, how the hell could anypony recognize each other in these outfits?  They all looked the same to me!  Quick Backlash, think fast, force those gears to turn!  I concentrated as hard as I could, and the wheels spat out something inspired by Myron of all ponies.  That pipsqueak had been a thorn in my side, but maybe now he could save our flanks.  It didn’t matter how big the pony around was, he always talked the same way.

“Hey, cunt.  Are you deaf?  I said my name is Backlash.”  She snorted and stomped as she turned herself toward me, taking a single step forward and somehow managing to seem even bigger.  I gave a nervous swallow and straightened my stance out.  ”I’m here for 42.  You know, that bitch who runs this place?  She’s expecting me, so turn your sweet little flank around, and go tell her I’m here.”

“No need for dat.”  The smooth voice of a stallion came from behind her, his voice oddly similar to one I’ve hated before.  “Go on Linebreaker.  Ya break ended ten minutes ago, get back ta watchin the west wall.”  The enormous mare grunted and lumbered off, leaving me staring at the half charred form of a familiar pink coated stallion who’s one brown eye was opposite the one I was missing.  “Wait, you assholes again?  You’re who da boss is lookin for?”  He smiled and I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what I looked like whenever I did.  “Wowee.  First, ya kill Bishop, den ya blow up tha pool and nearly yours truly.  Now I get ta be the one ta turn ya in?  Finally some fuckin justice in my life.”

I looked around, keeping my gaze anywhere but on his annoyingly contrasted face.  Something inside me tugged at my anger when I looked at him, but I couldn’t afford to blow it now.  I picked up on a surprising notion as I looked about.  There were few raiders in my sight, only fifteen or so from where I stood, though there might be double that spread about elsewhere.  Now all the bodies made sense as it looks like the towns ponies gave them hell defending the place.  I bet Railspike waited just long enough, he could get the jump on them and sweep them clean with ease.  All we needed to do was to free the towns ponies first.

The pink stallion hit his hoof on the snow in excitement.  “Oh yea!  The boss wanted me ta give ya somethin.”  He put his hoof in his muzzle and whistled, waiting expectantly while a hooded pony was brought out from the general store.  “She knew ya would love this surprise.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at the cloaked pony, immediately identifying him.  “Hey, Gale.  You alright?”  Honestly, the least they could have done was cover up his cutie mark if it was going to be a ‘surprise’.  Though I’m glad they didn’t have the forethought, because as long as Gale was alright, there was hope for the others to be as well.  “Not much of a surprise when you only covered his head.”  The stallion only snickered at my response.

They removed the hood, revealing an almost alien looking stubble laden stallion who squinted in the evening light.  The most distressing addition to him wasn’t the dozen or so cuts and bruises on his face, but the blinking explosive collar secured far too tightly around his neck.  The open wound that ran around the edge smelled terribly and looked almost green. I started to wonder how long had they kept it secured to him like that.  He looked so bad it was almost as if they hadn’t given him any food or drink at all in the last few days.

His eyes locked onto me and he spread his cracked lips into a smile.  “They're hidden in plain sight, just like you were!  I got them out and stayed behind so Pariah…”  He was cut off when a sharp crack filled the air and the ones closest to Gale were splattered with bits of blood and bone.  His decapitated body dropped to the ground and the flame I held inside specifically for my hatred of 42 flared brighter than it ever had.

“Surprise!”  The pink stallion declared, smiling brightly as he leaned closer to me.  The gears in my mind locked as something primal inside snapped, and I tensed up to que S.A.T.S. feeling nothing but the urge to end his life.  I thought about beating his skull in as much as possible and executed the spell, thinking I wanted to leave his corps as mutilated as Gale was.  Time crawled forward in the way that S.A.T.S. does while my hoof swung across the air, catching his smiling face off guard and crumpling the teeth on that side in.  As his head turned I threw every ounce of hate through the spell and into my strike as I could, focusing on the idea that I was going to spin his stupid smiling face right off his shoulders.

And I did.

I watched in fascinated horror as his head continued spinning, even after my hoof disconnected from it, and the skin around his neck warped and tore.  Each muscle along it snapped in sequence as it torqued, and finally with a quick jiggle along the rest of his flesh, his spine gave way, so that it separated from his body.  In the back of my mind, I could hear 42 laughing at him and calling out for me to kill more.  With the target deceased, the spell ended and I was thrust into normal time again.

There was a moment when all was quiet, and even the raiders held their breath.  The twisted and broken face of the annoying pink stallion lay on the dirt as his body slumped over at my hooves.

One of the raiders started to load his sniper rifle and yelled out.  “That guy just killed Lucky!”

A pinprick eyed unicorn from the general store ran out, levitating a makeshift spear.  “Fuck, he owed me money!  Yer fuckin dead!”  In a moment, the raider was forever silenced as one of Railspike’s ponies opened fire, and all hell broke lose.  42’s ponies came out of the burning woodwork and the allies I had brought spread out, firing in all directions as I struggled to pull out heartstopper.  If only I hadn’t lost my temper, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation!

I finally found the box shaped shotgun and drew it out, quickly hoofing it into my muzzle as a screaming raider galloped towards me.  In an instant, half his head was missing and his body tumbled through the snow as my ear rang with Railspike’s shotgun blast.  I smiled up to him before he bolted off to find another target.  Likewise, I pressed forward, needing to climb the hill to find the hostages.  Gale said that they were hidden in plain sight, and I think that meant it was the hilltop shack where Pariah had kept Brass and I.

“Come on you son’s of bitches!”  I could tell Twain was enjoying this a bit too much as he slowly made his way forward with me.  Sky’s shadow passed overhead as she swooped in and let off one carefully placed shot at a time, turning each of the ponies in my way to giblets as I walked forward.  The sharp, deliberate reports of both Carlotta and Longbow’s rifles trailed along with me amidst the chaos as we gathered again and traveled in a group up the street.

From the west side of town, there was a roar unlike any wasteland monstrosity that I’d ever heard.  Our luck had just turned sour as the giant mare barreled towards us, just barely glancing a house with her body and splintering the wood with a sharp crack.  The gears in my head spun to figure out how to bring her down quickly, but I was interrupted when Twain stepped up in front of me.

“Oh I love the fights you bring me to.”  Twain laughed as the giant mare stopped and stared us down.  “You all keep going, I’ve got a date tonight with one hell of a mare!”  I didn’t care for the timing of his humor, but if he could keep that thing away from us, he could spout horrid one liners all day.  He reached back to the special feed system on his back and hoofed a switch on it to connect all four of his ammo boxes to the feed chute.  “Yo, She Bitch!  Let’s go.”  He let off a few shots at her, dotting her with small red holes that only made the mare howl in anger.  He bolted off to the right, heading into one of the half burnt housed as the raging mare charged off toward backside of it.

A large blast rocked the wall behind us, and the excited shouting from her amplified voice gave away that at least Frosted Cakes had joined the fight.  “Yeah that’s right, it’s boom time now, you...!”  Her voice was overwritten by the hum of Fruit Cup’s two miniguns going off, spraying down the line of guards who had been managing to defend the wall.  Free to continue, we turned around the first bend in the road, climbing the snow covered street as the battle below raged on.  The few members of 42’s gang that poked their heads out, made sure to duck back out of sight before we could get a shot lined up.

The sharp feedback of a PA system filled the air and everyone groaned.

“Wow, Backlash, just… wow.  Here I was, watching you on the closed circuit as he antagonized you, and BAM!  You knocked his head clean off.”  42 clapped her hooves slowly, laughing to herself from her comfy position in what I figured to be the orchard.  “That was some top tier execution of Pie family impossibility!  Really learned how to channel that family line right through your hooves.  You know what, I’m proud of you.”  She sniffled with feigned joy.  “The ones we teach always grow up so fast!”

I pressed on with the others and tried not to listen to what she was saying, but found myself hanging on her every word.  My hatred for her was so strong already but I couldn’t pass up a chance to let her words fuel it even more.  “So yeah, as you might have heard, I kinda lost your first gift when that stallion let them all escape.  Sorry about that. Had this whole plan to scar you for life with their remains again, but honestly, I’m glad it didn’t work out.  The joke was getting old anyway.”

A stallion burst out of one of the burning houses to my right, smashing into me and dragging me to the dirt.  42 continued to talk as I wrestled with him, finding myself in a losing battle as he flicked a butchers knife at me from his muzzle.

“You like the storm outside?  I thought it was a pretty nifty idea, and I have no idea why they wouldn’t have kept up such an awesome project!  I mean, yeah the shield spells they went with were ultimately easier to implement, but a windigo augmented shield projection spell? Doesn’t get much more awesome then that!  Even though I’m pretty sure the enchantment will break soon, it wins hooves down just by the... COOL factor!  Get it!?  Yeah, fuck you too, Backlash.  You’re probably too busy fighting for your life to even listen to your crazy great aunt anymore.”

I was doing my best keep my head and neck away from the jagged blade as we rolled through the snow.  I torqued myself wrong and the stronger stallion pinned me down, standing on me and arching his neck to strike just before Carlotta shot a pair of rounds right through it.  He stiffened and dropped to the side of me, twitching as I picked myself up.  There was a crack like thunder that erupted from higher on the mountain, and the storm clouds above gradually started to slow down.

“Well look at that, enchantment dead.  You know, that’s probably why they didn’t use it after all.  Oh well!”  Was she going to talk the entire walk up, or was it just her plan to get me so angry I would just blindly charge at her?  If so, it was working.

“I almost forgot, it’s monologue time!” 42 cleared her throat and paused for a moment. “Look around you Backlash!  This is the wasteland of your design, filled with pain and suffering, so… perfect!  The drums of my empire are on the horizon, can’t you hear them?  With my leadership, the strong in the wastes will be cleansed and a new era, my era, will be written in Equine history!  One in which the weak will serve to make their goddess on earth pleased, sacrificing all they are in my name.”

Saying it was one thing, but I knew that as comic bookish as it sounded, she could do it if she wanted.  I picked up the pace with her every word, the rage inside me boiling and spreading through my body.  There was a click that could be heard over the PA system, and the muffled sounds of a patriotic marching band was being transmitted behind 42’s voice.

“Those who follow willingly will be the rewarded, and those who fight will be heralded as heroes for their valiant and misguided efforts.  You are the first of these, Backlash!  I shall construct entire monuments to your failure, and everypony will know the name of my greatest vanquished enemy.  You will be my impossible standard, the pony to which no other could compare.  You will be the face they will look to when they need someone to blame for the dark and terrifying reality I will force upon them in the coming days.”

I’d picked up speed trotting as I reached the second turn, not deterred by the increase in the incline, or the fact that there were three red blips on my compass waiting for me up ahead.  The music stopped with another click and 42 came back over the system with a sigh.  I had pushed my gait to a canter, surprising the first of her minions to emerge. He’d stepped out too far and I threw my shoulder into him, sending him to the ground as the rage inside me finally found an outlet.  I reared up and focused all my weight onto my forehooves when I brought them down.  The sickening snap of his skull pushed the rest of the world farther away.

“By the way Backlash, you should thank your steel ranger friends for the door knocker.  It was really super kind of them to convert it to alcohol and leave it here when they fled.  Maybe I’ll use it to knock at the front of Tenpony next.  Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

My friends were calling out for me as the other two ponies showed themselves.  A pair of earth ponies with power hooves stood between me and 42, it was that simple.  I charged at them, watching their hooves as I got closer.  My tail felt like it had caught on something, and I instinctively I ducked low, avoiding the high swing the first pony gave.  I used my momentum to slam into him, skidding to a stop as he tumbled away.  Without hesitation, I aimed and kicked out my rear hooves, connecting with the second pony’s side and casuing several of his ribs to snap. I enjoyed the feeling resonating through my legs.

With the threats taken care of for now and the rest of the world seeming fuzzy and unimportant, I burst immediately into a gallop. Intentional or not, I wasn’t going to slow down now, I wasn’t going to slow down until I tore 42 to pieces with my bare hooves.  I flew up the hill, the blood in my veins boiling over as I zipped past Pariah’s cabin, pointing myself up the rocky path towards the orchard door.  I knew my friends were shouting to me, but I couldn’t hear them anymore. One thought was overpowering everything else, and nothing was going to stop me now.

The Orchard’s cave entrance had been blasted open and large boulders lay strewn about the hillside.  I was so close to vengeance, so close to ending this that my very soul ebbed with anticipation.

I hopped over the lip of the cave and dashed forward again, only to feel something grab my hoof and pull me to the ground, hard.  I blacked out for half a second as I tumbled and rolled across the ground, coming to a rest facing the exit as my whole body took a moment to reorient itself before telling me how much that hurt.  A quick snap and a spark from the entrance caught my attention,pulling it to a heap of grey metal scraps.  The gears in my head worked to rebuild whatever lay before me, quickly reconstructing the towering form of a robot.  One that I knew.

“P.I.N.K., B.I.T., are you alive?”  I groaned out, shaking my head as I got to my hooves.  The anger I felt was drifting away, becoming unimportant as I looked at what remained of the prewar marvel.  The frantic sound of my friends filled my ears as they climbed the rock after me, quickly catching up and falling silent as I just stared and waited for a response.

“Hey Chief… nice to see you.”  The sad sounding voice of P.I.N.K. came over a speaker that was buried in the pile, the light that normally sat under the main hull flickered on to a dim pink.  “B.I.T.’s here as well, though she’s feeling a bit under the weather.  How goes the good fight?”

“It… it’s almost done.”  I stammered, not wanting to waste any more of the time they might have left for me to help them.  “Tell me how to fix you.”  I refused to lose any friends today.  The ones who’d already been taken were toll enough to end 42.

“Sorry Chief.  One of their shots got the repair talisman and we’re bleeding power fairly quickly.  We only have a few minutes left.”  She sounded oddly at peace with dying, but I couldn’t stand to see it.  “It’s alright, we’ve had long lives.”

“Take mine.”  Longbow quickly walked up, her horn glowing and removing her flank plate.  “After today, I won’t need this armor, but you can still use my talisman to do good for others.”  She levitated the old, tarnished talisman from her armor, spinning it in front of her muzzle.  “It belonged to somepony I respected very much, so you need to respect it the same way, alright?”  Giving it up hurt her almost as much as when I gave it to her, but I think she saw it as a way to finally move on from Lemon.

“We will.  Thank you Paladin Longbow.”  A plate on Ed’s leg slid out of place, and the shattered pieces of the previous gem were pushed forward out of the socket to make way for the new one.  Longbow gently set Lemons talisman in the receptacle, and watched as it slowly was brought into place.  Almost immediately, the sparking wires in the pile glowed with a faint aura and snaked back together, closing the severed connections between each of the piles as ED started to rebuild itself.  “Energy levels stabilizing, generator output increasing, estimated reconstruction time is twenty two minutes and twenty eight seconds…. forty seconds… wait a minute, how is it going up!?  Sorry Chief, but it looks like we’re going to miss the party on account of an annoyingly slow OS.”

Longbow chuckled at that.  “Don’t worry.  I’m just glad you are alright.” Her magic connected her armor together again, sealing it with a whine as she added her helmet.  “If you two girls would like to excuse us, we have a mare to kill.”

“Oh quickly, Backlash, I wanted to tell you.  Another one of our sisters is in this Orchard, if you can, just tell her that we’re still alive.”  One of the piles fell over and slowly began untwisting itself.

“Wait, how many different kinds of facilities have one of you gals in it?”  I scratched at my mane as I thought about it.  Could there really be that many?  I’ve scoured plenty of old military bases and warehouses without seeing anything more advanced than a protect-a-pony.

“They only made us with the purpose to oversee an Orchard, silly!   And there were only seven orchards built across Equestria, so you’re lucky to have visited even three of them!”  She stated in a joyful, matter-o-fact way.  But I still had to question what the three were.  There was the East orchard under Filly, and there was Orchard 7 in Red Wing.  “B.I.T. was in charge of Dangerous Artifact Storage, and I maintained the M.o.M. central armory and the whole of the Pony of Interest preservation bank, home to only one occupant despite the misleading name.”

So, the bunker I found you in was an Orchard!?”  I sat down as I tried to process it.  “But… there was no giant door.”

“It’s at the bottom, Duh.”  P.I.N.K. replied with a note of playful haughtiness.  Great, just what I needed today was to be sassed at by a ten foot robot.

It was disturbing news though.  There were four other orchards past these, and so far each one has been chock full of dangerous weapons just threatening to annihilate the rest of the wasteland!  Here I was, just ready to hoof it over to the Steel Rangers like it was nothing.  What if they found the other locations through this one?  How much damage could be done by one of them accidentally releasing another pony like 42?  I was pulled from my thoughts as the light on the hull glowed a bright pink, suddenly blinking out and shifting to purple.

“Hello again chief, B.I.T. here.  Can you also ask the A.P. if she can forward copies to her research results to all the other servers?  The fact that the other AP’s are still alive means that there’s experiments to run and research to be done!”  Wow, she sounded a bit too happy to work on things, but she is modeled after Twilight Sparkle… I think.

“I can’t let that happen B.I.T. I’m sorry, but if there is any chance that the info sent could cause another 42 style accident, I can’t risk it.  The war is over now, and the research needs to be dead along with the old world.”  My harsh, but necessary words made the purple light dim slightly.

“That’s fine… I guess.”  B.I.T. sounded more distraught than I might have imagined.  “I’ll just find something else to do with my time.  Completely ignoring my entire reason for existing.”  She let a heavy sigh emit from the speaker.

The gears in my head spit out another idea.  “Fine.”  I rolled my eyes and tapped my hoof on the ground.  “I’ll see if I can get her to release anything having to do with medical research.  Projects from there can only help ponies out, right?”

The light on the hull brightened immensely.  “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!”  She sounded like that would be more than enough to keep her content for a while.

“Backlash!”  The amplified voice of Maple called out from over the hill.  He crested over the top of the entrance, trailing Fruit Cup and Frosted Cakes as the three of them looked no real worse for wear. “We found that the citizens had taken shelter in a cave just down the hill, their leader tells me he doesn’t need our help, so I came up here to ask if you require any assistance from us?”

I blinked, not even realizing that I ran past them in my anger.  I shook my head as I mentally kicked myself.  “No, you three get them somewhere safe, even if Pariah doesn’t think he needs your help. If this ends badly, at the very least you’ll have a head start.”

Maple nodded.  “I... wanted to say thank you.”  His voice was honest, but his eye’s told me he was ashamed.  “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for getting my son killed, but I can see why he looked up to you as a friend.  I wanted to thank you for showing me that I should have been a better father, and at least now I can try to be a better Ranger.”

“See you soon Backlash!”  Frosted Cakes saluted as Maple turned and walked down the hill, looking over to Fruit Cup.

“Hey.”  He spoke up and looked at me.  “You take care of Longbow in there.  You bring her back in one piece.”  He jabbed his hoof at me, hesitation and fear bleeding from his words.  “That and kick that bitches flank all the way to the moon.”

“I will if you get those folks to safety.”  I smirked and mimicked his jabs.  He nodded and pushed himself off, spinning and disappearing back down the slopes.  I cupped my hooves and yelled to him.  “Don’t worry, this shouldn’t take too long anyway!”  

There was a crackle of static from across the room that startled me, making me look back into the rest of the cavern.  Sitting beside canted atop the crushed remains of the old military portable, sat the caterpillar tracked piledriver, it’s heavy ram looking warped and smashed at the end.  I looked over to where the weathered door once stood, the heavy steel cog looking out of place in the stark white of a small room.  The now curved slab of metal lay just short of a teleportation pad, which seemed to be the source of the sound.

It crackled again before 42’s voice came from the room.  “Crusaders... come out and play!”  I tensed up instinctively, grinding my teeth as she repeated herself.  “Crusaders... come out and plaaay!”

My rage bubbled up again as I took a step toward the room, but the flutter of wings filled my ears as Skyline dropped down in front of me.  “We go, together.”  Her voice helped me to fight my body, letting me relax as I focused on her words.  Carlotta and Longbow advanced towards the room, and I waited for Skyline to turn before moving a hoof.  As we climbed over the door and stood on the pad, I hoofed at the big yellow button that activated the transport and waited.

Nothing.

I looked down at the control panel that held the button, finding a small round button sat below what looked like a speaker that I had missed when I looked before.  I hoofed it down.  “Hello?”  I waited for a moment before taking my hoof off of it.  I glanced to the others with a shrug and hoofed the transport button sharply.  I waited for the air to heat up and the whine to start, but it never came.  I was about to hit the button again when a fairly shrill voiced mare came over the intercom.

“This is D.A.S.H., the administrator of this facility.  I have locked this pad until you identify yourselves. You aren’t zebra spies, are you?”  The digitized inflections in her voice gave away that it was the AP here.  I hoofed down the intercom to answer.

“We are not spies.  My name is Backlash, here from the Ministry of Moral. My friends and I need access to the facility.”  I unclicked the button and rolled my eyes.  Great, now we get to go through the whole song and dance about me being the chief of the M.o.M.  There was a click from under the pad and the normal transport process began, building up to the flash that whisked us away.  As the light bled off, I noticed a set of dark lines running from the floor to the roof, and as I blinked a few times, they refocused into bars.  “What the fuck?”  I looked around, finding that each one of us had been stripped of our gear and placed in separate cages.

A light whirring sound accompanied a small blue sphere as it slid through the wall along a track in the ceiling.  It stopped with a click as the bar holding it dropped down and articulated around, a pair of rose colored eyes projected across the ball’s equator.  They looked angry.  

“Trying to sneak in under false credentials eh?   Not under my watch!”  The small blue ball split along the middle as she talked, opening and shutting like a mouth while looking across us with a gaze that was incredibly sincere, for a machine.  “You all should all be ashamed of yourself for even trying to sneak in here.  Especially you mister.”  She spun herself around and glared at me.  “What possessed you to sneak in when it’s your aunt Pinkie Pie’s first visit here in one hundred and twenty four years?”

“What?  She’s not Pinkie, she’s an imposter!”  I shouted and stepped forward, pressing my hooves against the bar.  “You have to believe me, check your records for a subject 42!”  The moment I said that, the gears in my head reminded me of the potential problem with that task.  All the project files went up with the east orchard.  Maybe she could still get them off my pipbuck?  “Here, the information is on here!”  I held my hoof out.

“Sorry, but accessing systems that haven’t been cleared is a security risk.  Besides, she’s got a D.N.A. match to what’s on file at 96%!  That’s well within acceptable parameters.”  Her eyes looked up to the ceiling and squinted as if in thought.  “Though... it is protocol to run a check for updated files upon any ministry related request, and for some reason, they didn’t tell me detainees couldn’t make the request, so why not?”  Her eyes disappeared for a moment, displaying lines of text not unlike the ones on my pipbuck sometimes.  “The log from Orchard 4 confirms that you were placed in charge of the MoM under temporary wartime succession rules.  It also has on file that a mare from the cryostasis level of the facility attempted the murder of the acting head before leaving the facility, which corroborates your story.  On top of that, her D.N.A. is an exact match to the one given to me by the mare claiming to be Pinkie.  I apologize for not recognizing you earlier chief, what can I do for you?”

“Alright, Dash was it?”  I gave her a smile as she blinked and the rose eyes came back.  “How about letting my friends and I out first?”  I’d barely finished the sentence when there was a loud clang and the bars around us descended into the floor.  The eyes on the sphere flickered to a look of happiness that even as just a projection, held depth and emotion. This reminded me of what I had briefly forgotten.  She wasn’t just a computer, but an intelligent being.

“I’m D.A.S.H., the Database for Advanced Secured Holdings.  I was commissioned and constructed by the O.I.A. along with this facility to hold the most advanced weapon designs and project information available to equestria, and help to utilized them in the ongoing defence of equestria.  In other words, I get to help make all the completely awesome stuff for the war!”  She bobbed around on her track happily.

“Well it didn’t help, seeing as the war ended.”  Carlotta scoffed as her and Longbow came over to me, seemingly entranced by the talking pair of eyes.  I have to admit, D.A.S.H. was such an oddity, even I couldn’t help but stare.

“Oh no!”  A look of horror accompanied the eyes and I could tell that this was actually news to the computer.  It paused and looked back at Carlotta expectantly.  “Wait, did we win?”

“No, everyone lost.”  Skyline spoke up as she walked up to the ball curiously.  “If this Orchard is anything like the one in Filly, do you have any robots that can go after 42?”  Skyline looked over to me with a smirk.  I just wanted to reach out and give her the tightest hug I could!

The shrill sound of the PA system coming online again sounded worse than Carlotta’s claws along the skycar.  “That would be a nice thought Skyline, but I have diplomatic immunity.”  42 was listening the whole time?  “By the way Backlash, I’ve been listening the whole time, so good luck trying to get the jump on me!  Before I forget as well, I’m still waiting to give you your other gifts, that is if you want to come claim them.”

“She's right you know.  My failsafe coding makes it pretty much impossible to target her seeing as she's related to Former Chief Pinkie Pie.  It is the same with you, and the unicorn next to you.”  She looked softly down at Longbow, giving her a look of sincere admiration.  “Congratulations on the foals by the way Mrs. Backlash.”

“Foals?  As in, more than one?”  Longbow was quick to speak while my brain had been stuck on loop for the last few seconds.  “How… do you know?”

“I have to do a medical scan with every transport of organic tissue, and your report came back as twins.”  D.A.S.H.’s eyes darted about nervously.  “I totally thought you knew!  Sorry about ruining the surprise Mrs. B.”

The intercom cut in, and as 42 always has, she ruined the moment.  “You know what would be a real surprise?  You all actually getting here.”  She let out a sigh and leaned back in whatever squeaky chair she occupied.  “So boring just waiting.  Let’s get to the shooting and the killing already!  Is that really too much to ask?”  The crackle of the intercom cut off, while a spike of pain shot through my head as the telltale sign of a coming headache.  But in her words I’d heard something surprising.  It was that frustration again, the same that I heard after the bridge, though now it seemed worse.

“D.A.S.H., can you lock her out of the system and keep her from hearing us?”  I looked up to her as she, in return, looked to the ceiling.  Her eyes disappeared and were replaced with the scrolling code once again.  “And can you locate the machine I’m pretty sure she’s been working on?  We need to get there as quickly as possible.”

“Done and… done!”  D.A.S.H.’s eyes reappeared again, as well as a light flickering along the floor as a yellow line shot out along it, stopping at the door.  “I know, I know.  I am awesome, no need to thank me.  Just one more thing before you go…”  A loud zap preceded the return of our liberated equipment onto the floor of our cells.  “Now, because you are a real pony, you are not restricted by the personal hostility ban, but lucky for you, I have to recite this super boring disclaimer about how violence in the workplace is wrong.   So if you want, just tell me when you are ready to go and I’ll play some fun travel music over myself so you don’t have to hear it.  Is that cool with you?”

“That would be nice, though I don’t like how you called me a real pony.”  I spoke as I felt Longbow’s magic secure my saddlebags, watching as DASH actually displayed shame at the notion that she was a computer.  “Out there, just fifty feet or so from your door is a couple of my good friends, and you may know them even.  Do P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. ring any bells?”

Shocked, she looked up and angled herself closer to me.  “Yes… but how did they get outside?”  The look she wore was a new one, and it made me smile with every second she wore it.  It was hope.

“They built a machine to carry themselves.”  I sat down and hoofed at my pipbuck, checking that I still had everything in my inventory as the others got geared back up.  “I wasn’t sure what to think of them at first, but you know what?  They are as real as you and me.  Yeah we may not have the same type of bodies, but that didn’t stop them from becoming my friends, so it shouldn’t stop you.”

“Thanks Chief, it means a lot to hear that.”  She looked at me with pride as she panned across the group of us.  “Looks like you’re ready, shall we get going?”

“Yes, D.A.S.H.,”  I held my hoof toward the door, looking down the hallway as the yellow line shot ahead and took a sharp right.  “Lead on.”

“Actually,”  Longbow waved her hoof and spoke up.  “While we walk, I wanted to go over a plan with all of you.”  Longbow looked to me with a soft gaze, her eyes betraying the fear she had about the coming fight.  I was scared too, but there is little 42 could do to keep me from trying to protect her.  Longbow swung her gaze to the others and headed for the door.  “Just stay close as we walk, I don’t want any chance of 42 hearing.”  We all nodded and walked out the door with her, following along the line while D.A.S.H. was true to her word and played a song worthy of an adventure.


-----


After a couple minutes of twisting, turning, and passing some really impressive looking machines, Longbow and I had resorted to looking into the rooms we passed.  We were looking for anything that might come in use against 42, but so far all we could see laying around is assorted laboratory equipment.  I turned and looked into the next room as we passed it, finding it was just as messy as half the others, with old papers thrown about and spilled chemicals leaking over the counters.

“Woah, hold on a minute.”  Longbow whispered through her speaker.  She turned and darted into the room across from mine and I quickly spun to follow her.  This wasn’t just another research station like the others, it was the office of somepony important.  All around sat arcane spell tomes, littering nearly every inch of the room that wasn’t the floor and the top of the large mahogany tinted desk.  On top of it sat a small glass case with a glinting piece of metal in it.  As the two of us approached it, we saw that it was nearly identical in size and shape to the one Twain now had in his possession.

“I don’t care what it is, grab it and let’s get caught up.”  I broke the silence between us, watching as her magic gripped it and lifted it into her saddlebag.  We both turned and worked ourselves up to a canter, following the yellow line around the corner that lay just ahead, only to literally run into Skyline and Carlotta.  I took a step back and smiled nervously as Carlotta brushed herself off.  “Sorry! We got distracted.”

A large two sectioned door sat before us with the words Flux Contamination Zone. printed boldly in yellow across it.  A grinding noise preempted the door jarring to life without our consent.  The two polished steel halves pulled away as a set of spinning caution lights flashed inside the next room, a warning meant for the old world, but oddly fitting for what was before us.

42 stood on a platform that stretched all the way to a small pink shield along the back wall, separating a small room off to the side that was most likely a teleportation chamber.  She wore a sinister grin across her face as she stood defiantly in front of the enormous mass of tubes and gem covered boxes that ended in a single blue liquid tank much like the one I found her in.  This was 42’s birthplace, inner sanctum, and now hopefully the site of her demise.

“Backlash, I’m ashamed of you for yet again not doing as I asked.”  She shook her head and waved a hoof as if to scold me.  “You clearly don’t understand the idea of what a one on one fight is.  Actually, I’m starting to think you don’t know anything that I’m saying.  I tell you to bring the pond, and you bring your guns to kill me.  I tell you to come alone, and you bring your friends to kill me.  Did I hit you a little too hard in the head one of these times, is that’s what’s going on here?”

“Everypony, NOW!” Longbow yelled through her helmet.

I tensed up and slid smoothly into S.A.T.S. ignoring 42 in the target bracket and pulling up the inventory to look through my options.  To my amazement, the party cannon showed it was equipable even with no durability.  In a classic move of wrong words, the party cannon popped into my hoof with a flash and it brought me back out to the targeting menu.  I focused on the machine behind her and the system retargeted, then for some reason it took the party cannon away with another flash.

If I could scream right now I would. Commanding the inventory open again, I found that the cannon was no longer in working condition.  It was working a half second ago when I wanted to use it against 42!  The moment I thought her name, it lit up, dimming again as soon as it left my mind.  Could it really be as simple as needing me to think of 42 to work?  The gears in my head shoved an odd idea into my brain and I told the targeting system to pull up 42 again. Once she was highlighted, I accessed the party cannon and pulled it out, then canceled S.A.T.S. altogether.

Time jerked forward, and the guns of my friends lit off in sequence, firing round after round across the room.  42 was amazing in her ability to move, dipping and spinning as the shots came in just late enough they missed her.  When time resumed, I pulled the cannon in my hoof up, aimed straight, and thought of shooting 42 with it.

The cannon roared and recoiled harder than it ever had before in my hoof.  The entire body of the cannon shattered like it was glass, falling away as the spherical cannon ball did what Longbow’s plan needed it to.  When I opened my eyes, the loud clicks coming from everyone’s guns signalled that they were all out of ammo.  Incredibly, there stood 42, panting heavily from further down the platform where she was completely untouched by the bullets.

“That… was the best… you could do?  Couldn’t even… hit me once!”  She laughed between gasps as Carlotta and Sky were busy trying to reload.  42 produced her revolver from goddess knows where and waved it at us.  “Have to… show you how… to shoot when… I catch my breath!  Geeze… what a work out!”

“Come on 42, you have to know we weren’t even aiming for you.”  Longbow gave a laugh as I looked at her.  42 must have now noticed that Longbow hadn’t shifted her helmet’s gaze since the shooting stopped, following her eyes back to the cloning machine, which as if pausing for dramatic effect, collapsed inward on itself as 42 looked like she was about to go into shock.

“Nonononono!”  She cried out, pure sorrow in her voice as her mane deflated in an instant, darkening along with her pallet as she looked back to me.  She put her hoof to her chest as she hyperventilated, finding the air to laugh between every few breaths.  “You… you didn’t ruin anything!”  Her look grew distant and she raised her revolver.  “I can fix this.  I don’t need you or any of your friends to have fun anymore!”  Something must have snapped inside, because the 42 I had been chasing was not the one I was looking at.  “But first, you die!”

She turned and ran towards the pink shield, firing wildly with her revolver.  The first few shots pinged off the floor and back wall, while one of them sparked off the top of Longbow’s helmet in a spectacular fashion as it ricochet off.  The last shot though to my horror, found purchase in the side of Skylines neck, punching a hole through it.  As 42 disappeared through the teleportation pad with a mad laugh, Skyline crumpled and blood drained from her neck to the floor.

“SKY!”  Carlotta screamed out, dropping down next to her and putting pressure on her neck as I froze in fear as my brain looped to me that it was Reference Point all over again.  Skyline gave a gurgling gasp as she looked over to me, tears forming in her eyes as I was powerless to help.  “Fuck, go get a potion, something, ANYTHING!”  Carlotta screamed and looked up at Longbow and I.

“There has to be a medkit around here somewhere!”  Longbow shook her head and darted back into the hall, leaving me standing and watching the life slowly drain out of my sister.  “Just keep pressure on the wound, Carlotta!”

As tears streamed from her eyes, she looked at me with slow breaths, gazing across the room then back to me. She repeated it a few times before the gears in my head fed me what she was doing.  She was dying on the floor and even now, she was telling me to leave her to go stop 42.  I looked up to the wall where the pink shield was, slowly turning back to her.  She used what strength she had to nod ever so slightly, squeezing her eyes shut as Carlotta started to whisper to her.  My body moved without my consent, carrying me away from helping Sky and slowly taking me after 42.

“Backlash, don’t you FUCKING leave her.”  Carlotta growled out.  “I will never forgive you if you go after her alone.  Do you fucking hear me, Backlash?”

“Carlotta, save my sister and get out of here.”  I spoke up, choking back tears.  “None of you can help me through here anyway, so please, just go.”  I stopped at the shield when I didn’t get a response from Carlotta.  I looked back at her and found her sitting there looking at me, too afraid to leave Sky to make me stay.  The light hiss of Longbow’s helmet preceded her running in, floating a yellow medical box in with her.  She passed it to Carlotta before she froze where she saw me.  “Longbow.”  My voice pulled her out of her haze.  “Please.  Save her and wait for me.”

With nothing else to do, I stepped forward through the shield, and hoofed at the intercom.  “42, I’m coming for you.”  I jabbed the transmit button, unsure of what might lay on the other end and found myself enveloped in the warmth of the transport, flashing away in an ear popping snap. The air around my hooves changed to freezing, and I lifted my hooves with a recognizable crunch.  “What?  Snow on the pad?”

“You know what they say!” 42 called out as the world flashed into view around me, a set of bright, generator driven, lights beamed away the darkness as she stood not twenty five feet from me.  “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”  She tossed a large white box over, the large ribbon and bow adorning it meant it had to have something bad inside.  “Happy Hearth's Warming.  Your third gift, even though I know you didn’t bring mine.”

42 carried the look of a pony without morals now.  She always had no morals, but she never showed it, not like this.  Her toothy grin, pinprick eyes, and ragged looking flat mane and coat showed me that this was a whole different side of here I didn’t even know.  I looked around, trying to gauge where we were, but we sat in what amounted to a crater, brown cliffs rose into the night in a circle a few hundred feet across at most.  The other thing I was quick to notice, was that there were no clouds where we were, and that the sun had set far enough that the sky was a dark blue, and I could see the stars around the bright full moon.

I returned my gaze to the only reason I was here.  “It’s over 42, there’s no where left to run.”  I called out, the cold mountain wind lashed at my coat and made me shiver.  “The game is over.”

“Oh, Backlash, don’t you get it?  I can’t be the one running when I’m the one who set this whole month long adventure in motion.”  She smiled and gave out an insane laugh.  “Research Pointe? The East Orchard? The Ranger Bunker?  Didn’t you ever take a guess as to why I was always one step ahead?  It’s cause I’ve known all along about what you’d do!”

“I beat you at every turn, and now you’ll never get your hooves on the mirror pond!”  I smiled and laughed at my own blatant lie while I tried to stall for time, the gears in my mind churning together a plan I could use to beat the most dangerous mare in the wastes.  “You can’t possibly expect me to believe that you set everything up, not even Pinkie could have pulled this off.”

“Oh but she could.  I saw everything when I was about to pull off my fun prank against Twilight's assistant. My own Pinkie sense reached far beyond the scope of Pinkie’s, not just double or triple, but orders of magnitude greater.”  She put her hooves to her cheeks and feigned sadness.  “I’ve known where the pond was going to be even before that know-it-all bitch put them there.  Clever to hide the containers right next to where the pond originally was.  Just not clever enough as I’ve had them since I shot you at that dilapidated facility.”  She did know.  Dear Celestia she’s been telling the truth?  I shook those thoughts from my head, focusing on breaking down her argument.

“Then why the hell did you keep asking me!  What was the fucking point of everything?  Why not just take it and be done with it?”  I sneered at her.  Well, everything’s just out the fucking window now.  I’ve failed to do anything that Pinkie wanted and this whole thing was a set up from the get go.

“Why? WHY!?”  Her mane darkened another shade as she let out a growl, her gaze burned with a thousand megaspells worth of balefire.  “Because you’re what’s left of HER.  Of all of those fucking self righteous mares believing they knew what was right for everypony!  That day when I had my vision, I saw just how they would throw me away, how they would abandon all that they were to doom the whole of their failed nation.”  She growled and grit her teeth, pausing as she took a deep breath and smiled again.  “And when I saw how you would wake me, how I would destroy your life and make you suffer for everything they did to me.  I knew then that the pond had to wait.”

She rolled her eyes with a deep laugh.  “Tearing down everything you are, everything you’ve ever loved?  It was just too good to risk passing up.  I just had to play my part right to lead you here.  To be honest, you finally did manage to catch me off guard down there, and I’m sorry if I… overreacted, but you see, I need that machine to live.  I can feel it, every minute of every day, the magic of the pond seeps from my being, and without the machine to revitalized me, I could have months, days left even.”  She waited until the moment the gears in my head put what she was saying together.  “You see, now I am just as you are.  Condemned to an early death of my choosing, or to one of suffering, sorrow, and loneliness.”

The gears in my head spun out a different thought as it continued to work on my ever evolving plan.  “So, why tell me this if you are just going to kill me?”  I watched as my words made her smirk, but her eyes flashed a different emotion for a second.  It was an emotion in her that I hadn’t seen since she shot me in the elevator at Reference Pointe.  “I mean, if it was about making me suffer, then I’ve already got nothing else to lose.  You want to know what I think?”

“The reason is that you have a choice to make, Backlash.”  She raised her hooves up.  “Did you come up here to lay down and let me offer you a quick death, or did you want to suffer for it first?”

“I think you’re scared.”  I watched as my words hit her like a freight train, wiping her smirk into a grimace.  “I think you didn’t ACTUALLY see quite this far.  I saw you run to that pad, I could hear the anger and fear in your voice.  You are afraid of dying and all you’re doing now is trying to stall for time to make me weak and slow.”

“Well, well.  Looks like you are still playing the game after all.  You’re right, I don’t know for sure if I’ll win, but hey, why ruin the surprise?”  Her smile returned as she glanced down at the gift box at my hooves.  “Either way, it’s going to be a blast!  Go ahead and open it.  I promise it won’t explode.  Well, not yet anyway.”

I was sceptical, but at this point, blowing me up didn’t seem like it was her end game.  I picked up the package in my hooves, feeling that it was quite heavy.  The gears in my head threw out that it would be best to open it, as it might stall for a bit more time.  I bit down on the ribbon and tugged, surprised to find that the ribbon easily slid of the box.  I set it down, taking the lid off to see what looked like a brand new briefcase.

“Oh, right.  You’ll have to open that as well.”  She yawned, sitting back and looking at her wrist as if it had a watch on it.  “Before you suggest it, this box has the same promise as the other one… as in won’t explode on you yet either, not that it’s just going to explode.”  For the first time, I saw 42 scrunch up her muzzle.  “Just open the damn case, Backlash.”

I hoofed at the latches, which sprung up with a crisp click, allowing me to open the case.  What was inside was something I had never in my life expected to have seen.  It was a complex set of spell matrixes that ran through a collection of circuits. These were connected to both a digital timer and a small, familiar looking prism with a gaseous, swirling green center.  The timer was ticking down, just having past ten minutes left on it.

“I did love the Ministry of Wartime Technology.”  42 shook her head with a smile.  “Tactical Megaspells that were both full strength AND portable enough to be smuggled into the zebra lands?  Pure Genius.  What will they think of next?”  She laughed and knocked her head with her hoof.  “Oh yeah, nothing, cause they’re all dead!”

“You’re insane.”  I dropped the case on the ground as the gears in my head finally threw out what was to be either the plan that will probably end up working but killing me, or the shortest attempt at something stupid that gets me killed just that much sooner.  Either way it was going to be my best option, and I was most likely going to die from it.

“It only sounds insane because you’re not destined to win.  But that’s enough talk for now, let’s do what you REALLY came up here for.”  42 stood on her hind legs, using her forehooves to balance herself as she got into a stance not unlike what the zebra outside Tenpony had used.  She held a forehoof out to me, beckoning me to come at her while her other forehoof drew out her revolver.  “It's endgame, Backlash, and as much as I'd love to continue vying across the wastes to see who will be the winner, there can be only one.”

I took that as the signal to enter S.A.T.S., pulling up my inventory screen once the world slowed to a crawl.  Seeing how fast she was before, I switched the tabs with my mind over to the aid tab and selected the fifteen vials of Dash I had bought last minute in Friendship City.  The options for it popped up as I selected them and I dropped it down to the ‘Use All’ selection.  As they popped off the screen, I suddenly felt an odd pressure welling out from me, like I was overfilled and that my entire body was about to burst open.

Doing my best to ignore the feeling, I switched tabs again to my weapons, first selecting Heartstopper.  As it flashed into my muzzle, the targeting spell told me that I still only had a two percent chance to hit her, but a two percent chance, is still a chance.  I found that Dash helped extend the time dilation of S.A.T.S., seeing as I could fire every shot in the gun without even taking a quarter of the total spell power.  I smiled and confirmed every shot at 42’s head, because if I was going to get lucky with a shot, it might as well be the one that ends the fight.

The spell did it’s thing with starting to crawl time forward, but as tired and ragged as she looked, 42 moved faster that I thought even possible.  The first shot trailed just behind her as she dove out of the way, then the second shot missed, then the third.  The fourth came close, but instead went too far ahead of her, passing by her muzzle with only meer inches needed for a hit.  As the last two remaining shots also resolved without a hit, and S.A.T.S. ended, 42 sent a single shot at me from her revolver, striking Heartstopper in the receiver and gumming up the action on her.  With all the haste the drug gave me, I tensed myself up again, immediately sending myself back into the spell.

As the broken heartstopper flashed away, the inventory came back up and I selected the Twins.  In repeating the targeting process I thought to myself that one of these shots will have to get lucky.  The spell executed and moved my aim after 42, who was now jumping onto one of the large boulders strewn about the snowy mountain top.  The first burst I sent chipped at the rock under her chin, the second cut right through her mane as she climbed, but missed her skull, and the last two traveled high.  As the smile 42 wore seemed to mock me she fired her gun again without aiming and the round struck the pistol in my muzzle.  It ricocheted off of the barrel and tore into my face, only stopping as it struck my cheekbone with a snap.  With no time to care about how much it hurt, I dropped the Twin as the spell ended, and pulled S.A.T.S. back up yet again.

I was running out of options for what to use, and now the energy to use it with as the Twins took me down to half a bar.  But even if I had to resort to hoof to hoof combat, I would go down swinging.  I pulled out Longbow’s gauss pistol, finding that I could just barely use the last two shots in it before S.A.T.S. no longer had any energy left anyway.  The weapon flashed into my muzzle and the targeting screen came back up.  42 was mid flip now as she tossed herself from the rock, slowly sailing through the air as I tagged her head twice and executed the spell.

The first shot sailed wide to the right, punching through the generator that was directly behind her and killing it’s lights.  The second though nicked at her ear, the force of the hit tearing the muscle and all from the side of her head as the spell ended and time resumed its normal pace.  She screamed and flopped into the snow, quickly getting up and hoofing at her bleeding and exposed skull as I dropped the empty weapon from my muzzle.  That was it, I didn’t have anything left to kill her with.

“Shit that was some quick shooting.  How the fuck did you manage to pull that off?”  She winced and smiled as she lowered her bloody hoof, staring at it with a look of morbid fascination.  “I almost broke a sweat dodging there!”  She groaned and laughed through her bloody face.  “Jeez this hurts like a bitch!  How the hell do you even stand getting shot?  Fuck.”

The gears in my head spun as I realized that I didn't have the minute S.A.T.S. needed to recharge.  I had to pull out the something I could use as a weapon the second my hoof touched it if I was to come out of this alive at all.  My hoof clinked against the small jar I had forgotten was in there, and as I pulled it out I wasn’t able to contain my smile as I looked at it.  The all too familiar click of 42’s revolver made me shift my gaze back to her.

“Sorry, was just readying my next weapon, but to answer your question about my shooting, I had the help of about fifteen vials of Dash.”  My heart pounded against my chest as the pressure inside my body increased.  The small glass jar I brought out in my hoof was the only thing capable of stopping her now.  “This pipbuck you gave me has really helped a ton with doing stuff as well, you know that?”

“Fifteen?  That’s suicide.  Your heart will explode before you get a chance to give me whatever... that is you think will save you.  What, are you going to do with that jar anyway, season me to death?”  42’s previous sorrow was gone, and she genuinely sounded impressed at my complete and utter, seemingly random action.  But it’s about time somepony pulled a prank on her.

“I’m not giving you seasoning.”  I hefted the jar high and used all my might to throw it above her.  The report of her revolver preceded the explosion of flakey contents from the container, the light blue flakes shimmering in the bright lights like a million stars as they covered her.  “I’m assaulting you with it.”  I groaned, pressing a hoof into my chest as my heart felt like it stopped for a moment, picking up again at an erratic pace as I felt my strength leave me.

“Is… is this a joke?  That was the best you could do?  All this time and you end our fight by throwing potpourri at me before dying of a heart attack?”  Her tone shifted to disappointment.  “I really did expect more from you Backlash.  This is no where near as satisfying as I imagined it would be, and with having to wait over a century to know, I am so underwhelmed.”  

So I was right, she hadn’t seen the end of the fight, which is good cause she wouldn’t see this coming.  “Wait for…”  I gasped out, finding my breathing was getting harder to control.  “...the punchline.”  I smiled and looked up at her as she seemed puzzled for a moment, looking down at herself as she finally pieced together what blue fragrant flower she was actually covered with.  She dropped her gun and hoofed at the flakes on her, letting out the first genuinely sad laugh that she’s probably ever give.

“Heh, good one.”  She looked at me with her fearful, teary eyes.  “Guess you could say, the jokes on me?”

There was a brilliant flash of light as the now re-hydrated flakes of killing joke Isaac had given me altered her, her body shriveling up and wasting away as it dropped into the snow and became nothing more than a curled up skeleton.  I grunted, taking gasping breaths as I pushed myself to my hooves, staggering towards 42 to make sure the job was done, but staying just far enough that a single flake of the killing joke wouldn’t get on me.

42, the pink menace, had been reduced to nothing more than a curled up skeleton with her hooves close to her heart.  The wind picked up, shifting the bones slightly and revealing an odd sight.  A small statuette of a purple colored unicorn lay in her ribcage, looking similar in design to the Pinkie Statue that I had seen in Friendship City, only with the words Be Smart written on the base.

With an irritating realization, the clock on the megaspell was still steadily ticking down.  I didn’t know how powerful the spell was, or even where the opening was on the mountain.  Eight minutes was not enough time to get everypony clear, and even if we managed to be out of the blast zone, the radiation could kill hundreds for miles around.  There had to be a way to fix this, and as I looked to the snow covered teleport pad, I had an idea.

I gasped and struggled to make my way back to the teleport pad, straining as my heart beat out of control against my chest, pressing so hard with each beat that I was certain I would hear a crack and it would break through any moment.  I hit the return button, listening as it whirred up and flashed me back inside the mountain to where Longbow was waiting.  The moment I came back, I heard her gasp happily.

“There isn’t the time to explain.  42 is dead, she has a megaspell on a timer, and I need you to pull two geometrical containers from the machine.  She had the pond all along and I have to destroy it.”  I winced and whined, my rear legs giving out as I flopped to the ground.  “Longbow, I need to send the pond up so it can go with the megaspell, hoof them through the barrier and go.”  She opened her muzzle to complain, but I waved my hoof through the pink light.  “Go.  I can handle the strain of my injuries and you can’t help me from there.”

She worked quickly to locate and rip the containers from the sorted bits of metal, which were miraculously as pristine as they could be.  She passed me the containers, wiping her watering eyes as I stuffed them into my saddlebags.  “Don’t lie to me Backlash, I’ll be waiting for you right here.  Promise me you’ll send them away and come back to me.”  I trotted to the pad again, doing my best to keep my breathing steady as my head felt like it was trying to pop off my neck.  “Promise me!”

I hit the button, opening my muzzle to tell her, but instead found myself collapsing to the floor as the world became a spinning mass of colors before a white flash dumped me into the snow again.  As my heart struggled to find a normal rythm, I pushed myself across the snow and hooked my forehoof around the handle of the small leather case, dragging the megaspell onto the teleportation pad next to the pond containers.  I prayed to Celestia and Luna that I at least had the strength to do this one last thing, slowly making my way to the backside of the control pedestal.

With 42 dead, the only thing left was to destroy the mirror pond once and for all.  The gears in my head reminded me that with a little modification, these teleporters could go further than just between pads, and if B.I.T. could change the coordinates, there had to be a way for me to do it.  If I could, then there would be no danger of the Megaspell hurting anypony by accident.  I pulled open the back and, with great effort, hoofed my makeshift connector cable out of my saddlebags and spliced the pipbuck into the control wiring.  I changed the fuses over to the administrative and map section, and as I had hoped, the auto override brought up all of the console commands for the teleport system.  I got to work on rerouting the pad, silently thanking the engineers at Friendship City for pointing this function out.

On instinct, I pulled up my map function and I selected the map marker that read Eeee, without hesitation.  I chuckled to myself through my gasping breaths as I just couldn’t get over how clever that was, or how insane it had been that nopony else had even figured that out besides 42 and I.  There was a beep as a notification popped up on the pipbuck’s screen.


Warning: Teleport receiving PADD elevation not detected.  Please input Coordinate manually.


“Well... shit.”  I forced myself to speak even those two words, not sure what to do.  What do I put?  If it’s not far enough down, it might not hit the pond, and if it’s too far down, the blast definitely won’t hit the pond.  The gears in my head sputtered and spun, spinning one last idea out before they locked up and shot a stabbing pain through my head and down my neck.  I screamed in both pain and frustration.  “Of course... it’s 42!”  I hoofed the coordinates in and pulled myself up against the backside of the control pedestal, hoofing at the Teleport button and holding it down to make sure I didn’t screw this up.


Warning: Receiving PADD outside of maximum safe transport range.  Override safety settings and commence transport anyway?  [Y/N]


I hoofed in the answer with my other hoof before bracing against the panel, my heart most likely only still working out of sheer want to finish this.  The Padd whined far louder than it had when I had left the East Orchard, reaching levels I didn’t think possible of both brightness and noise.  Even the air seemed to charge, sending arcs of electricity across the briefcase and the pond containers, running all the way up the console and into my hoof.  In feeling the air heat up, I pushed myself back as the spell went off, hearing as the air split with a deafening crack and a unique pinching pain consumed my left foreleg.  As I stumbled back into the snow behind me, I looked at my foreleg, finding it ended halfway down where it should, smoking black splits in my muscle sizzled with magical energy as my last original leg was cauterized when the magic that took it bled off.

Well, I guess that’s why there were safety settings.  About time something took that limb, although it’s too bad Carlotta’s not around so I can brag that her family’s curse has got nothing on me.  Then again, that might be just a tad in poor taste.

As I pushed myself up and hobbled over to the pad, using my good leg to hold myself steady against the control panel.  The will to continue fighting for my life drifted away with the wind, as only a small curved glass crater sat where the pad had been, the wires and tubes that had once fed it power sheared off with the curvature.  The charge to send something that far must have been too much to accurately contain, so the system sent the pad itself, along with my forehoof and pipbuck, only leaving the control panel for me to lean on.  That was it then.  I was stuck here.

The panel crackled to life, the small speaker inside it giving off static for a moment.  “Backlash?  Are you there?”  Longbow’s voice came over crisply, helping to distract me from the pain.  “The shield here went down, but it won't let me come to you.”  There was another pause.  “Hello?  Can you hear me?”

I looked down and struggled to hoof at the button with my nubbed leg.  “Hey... the pad here, it’s... destroyed.”  I had to force the words between the laborious breaths, each syllable making my lungs scream.  “Somepony... will have to come around... the long way.”  I took another look around, still not even sure what this place was.  “Wherever… I am.”

“But that will take too long and you could freeze to death by then!”  I already knew this would be a one way trip, but my life traded for the safety of the others was a good rate of exchange.  “Maybe I can tell Carlotta to get you.”

“She still can’t... fly on those wings... how... how's Sky?”  My back legs started to shake, and I could feel them weakening by the second.  “Did she…”  They gave out, dropping me into the snow and sending a sharp stab of pain to my chest.  I pressed my good hoof close and let out a dull whine as the intercom crackled again.

“I... I don't know, but I'll be right back.”  If I were to die, I wanted to die hearing her voice.  I didn’t want to die alone up here, and as long as she was there talking, I never would be.  “Just... hang on up there, I’ll only be a minute.”

A minute.  If that’s all, I could fight that much longer.  I rolled onto my back and watched the drifting clouds as they crossed the sky, amazed at how the night had cleared up.  I have never been able to see more stars than now, and I can’t imagine why the pegasi would keep such a beautiful view from us?

“Backlash, Sky's alright.  But… she’s not strong enough yet to come to you.  So you have to hold on, you hear me?  Do not die, Backlash.”  The speaker crackled as she stopped talking, and a long moment passed before it crackled again.  “Backlash, please… please answer me.”  I wanted to so badly, but I couldn’t convince my hind legs to even move me anywhere anymore, and everything in my sight started to fuzz as if out of focus.  I could hear Longbow’s soft sobs over the wind, and with mercy that I didn’t deserve, they quelled the pain in my chest.  “Oh Goddesses, please don't leave me…”

I let out a sigh as my heart finally started to calm down in my chest.  I directed my gaze up into the night sky, where all the stars out tonight were dwarfed in brilliance of the full moon that hung over me, bathing me in its light.  It was funny, really, how much my dreams had mirrored this moment.  I spent my life looking up to Luna, praying for her to show herself to me.  But she didn’t come in the form I’d thought she would, and now as I found my peace with her, I had to leave it all behind.  I raised my remaining forehoof to the sky as darkness filled my vision, hoping and praying that the wasteland and it’s inhabitants would stay safe from now on.  Softly in the distance, I could hear my mother singing to me, taking all my worries, fear, and sadness away, leaving only the thoughts of my family.  I used the last of my strength to whisper a message for the wind to bring back to them.

“I love you...”

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Merchants of Hope

- Epilogue -

-----


“And that’s how equestria was made!”  I gave a bright smile and waved my hooves in the air.

The amber colored eyes that sat across from me studied me curiously.  “Ahm not one ta know a lot-a history, but Ahm pretty sure it didn’t start like that.  Considering it existed before that war an all.”  The young, teal coated earth pony mare definitely had the demeanor of her mother, but she had my eyes, hair, and gifts.  She was Harmonic Drive, and she was my daughter.

“Oh come on, I have to end the story on a lighthearted note, besides, I’m sure Notepad could use the laugh.”  I rolled my eyes and put my hooves down.

“Ah just don’t know what he’ll do now that yer done!  Sixteen years he’s been waitin ta finish this tale.” She sighed and gave a laugh.  “Though it was a good one.  Ah never had any idea it was all so complicated, yet so simple.”

“Well, our history is important, especially with the way ponykind is headed.”  I reached my hoof over and ruffled it through her mane, listening to her giggle and playfully bat my hoof away.  “Watcher is far wiser than I had ever given him credit for, and he’ll be happy to know that this is finally finished.”

She scratched her chin and looked to the sky.  “Ya know, ah thought of something the other day.  There was a few inconsistencies in the story.  Ya said that it took 2 days ta drive from Ponyville back ta Manehatten.  But Forty Two showed up there only hours after her escape.”  She shrugged and canted her head.  “Ah get cause Pinkie Pie and all, but how did she do it?”

I laughed at that.  “Oh, Pinkie’s since told me 42 was traveling by yakety sax.” There was so much Pinkie taught me after my adventure, and now things made much more sense.  ‘Because Pinkie Pie’ is no longer all I had to say, i could explain things now that I knew how everything works.

Harmony scrunched up her muzzle in confusion.  “Yaky what now?”

“It’s a Pinkie thing.  When listening to it, she could travel faster than normal.”  I rolled my eyes again with a smile.  “Something I wish I’d known at the time.  Would have made things a whole lot simpler.”

“Right…”  She didn’t seem too impressed at that explanation.  “And what about the party cannon?  You never explained how it worked again after it was broken?”

“Well!  As I’ve told you about Pinkie physics, anything that might remotely be correct, no matter how obscure to your goal it is, can work.”  I felt like I was droning on like some boring school teacher.  “Harmony, simple math question, what’s 42 divided by 6?”

“7, but that doesn’t explain anything.”  She shook her head in frustration.  “Ya can never explain anything simply, can ya dad?”

I straightened myself up and looked at her sternly.  “You’re a Pie, come on, I know you can get this.”

Harmony groaned and tapped at her head with a hoof, taking a moment to think before letting out a small sigh.  “Ya fired six shots before the final fight, and only when ya focused on 42, would it let ya fire it seven.”  As soon as she said that outloud, I could see the gears in her head connect them.  “Sometimes this family makes my brain hurt.”

I laughed nervously and rubbed at my mane.  “Oh you have no idea…”

“Another thing…”  She spoke up over me, reminding me that some things don’t change with time.  “Forty Two’s death… why did the killing joke make her a skeleton?”

“Well, remember she said she was the real Pinkie Pie?  She wanted to be real so badly.”  I shrugged.  “And poof, now she is.”

That brought a smile to her muzzle and a laugh from deep inside.  I was proud of my daughter, watching her grow up with her brother has been one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed.  She was smart, strong, and had a keen eye, just like I did.

“So, one last question about the story, why was Forty Two a bad clone?”  Harmony’s curiosity was something I also believe she inherited from me.  “Ah get that she went crazy when her pinkie sense came in, but why was it so strong?”

“See, I had to have Pinkie explain it a few times, but I think I understand.”  I started, watching as Harmony leaned in closer, keeping her ears at attention.  “The reason 42 came out corrupted was impure taint caused by Copper Rivet when she slipped in during the construction.  The flux took part of her soul, twisting and corrupting it before shoving it into the only shell available at the time.  There it mixed it with the special physics traits of Pinkie and imbued everything upon 42, creating the monster she was.  See, the machine would have never worked otherwise, and the project would have been a failure had Copper Rivet never reached in.”

“So… Forty Two had an extra piece of soul shoved into her?”  Harmony scratched at her mane as she tried to work it all out.

“No, she was a magical clone, she was never supposed to have a soul in the first place.”  I sighed and shrugged.  “It was having just the slightest shred of one that drove her mad.  I didn’t know it at the time, but Pinkie told me that Copper Rivet couldn’t rest until I had killed 42 and restored the missing piece of her.”  I smiled as I thought about it.  “That mare herself was there of course, and she thanked me before moving on as Isaac had.”

“Ah see.”  Harmony yawned and shuddered as the wind picked up around us.

“I think that’s enough for today young lady.  Best not keep your mother waiting.”  I got to my hooves and have her a hug, taking time to enjoy the warmth she gave off.  “Make sure to tell your mother that I miss her, and tell your brother that I love you both very much.”

“Ah’m pretty sure they already know Dad, but ah’ll tell her for ya.”  She hugged me back and pat along my neck before breaking it off and taking a step away.  “Besides, with me moving ta live in Dodge full time, ah won’t get ta give her any of ya messages, so ah’ll make sure she knows before ah leave.”  She smiled, but immediately scrunched her muzzle again, telling me she had one last question that was bothering her.  “Dying on that mountain, did it hurt as much as ya said it did?”

I laughed nervously and looked about as I tried to come up with an answer she’d like.  “No, I didn’t feel a thing.”  Nailed it.  That was the biggest lie I’ve told in a long time.  It hurt so much more than I said it did, enough that I’d take another thirty taint mutations before going through it all again.

“Huh, mom was right.”  She gave me a sly smile and chuckled.  “Ya really can’t lie worth a can of beans.”

I gave her a soft grin and reached my hoof out, bopping her on the muzzle and watching as she flashed away into thin air.  I rose to my hooves, turning from under the old tree to look across the grassy rolling plains.  The Pie family’s house stood proudly in the open, towering like a monolith.  No, like a beacon, welcoming any and all who found their way here through Pinkie’s meticulous planning.  Before heading over, I took a moment to enjoy the sunlight on my coat, feeling as the cool evening breeze washed over me.

Being dead has it’s perks. I no longer have to worry any longer about my loved ones getting injured here.  But, there are the mixed blessings, like knowing the outcome of everything.  I have seen what is to come for the wasteland, for the world for that matter, and it is grand.  But I have also seen what it will cost, and what must be sacrificed to achieve it.

For example, my son, Short Staff will get married to a wonderful unicorn named Sunny Muffin and have a strong unicorn colt. At the age of 43 though he will die defending his family from a raider attack.  His death means that they will live, and I know that when he joins me here, he’ll see the necessity of it.  Yes, the access to this information saddens me, but I also know that all the suffering and pain that must come will be worth it.  I can’t explain it any better than that, and I know it doesn’t make sense to most, but to understand it like I do, you’d have to be dead like me.

As for Harmonic Drive, she’s got a much more important role than even I had in shaping what the wasteland is to become, even though she won’t be leading the adventure she will partake in.  I know the trials and troubles she will go through, and I know what her friends will sacrifice to complete it.  In the end, that stubbornness inside of all Pie family members, that beacon of hope, will carry her through the fire and the flames unscathed.

There was a rustling in the tree behind me, and it made me smile wider.  “Care to join me Pinkie?”  I spoke with the hope that she would.

“You sure?  I’m not interrupting your internal monologue, am I?  I mean, I don’t...”  A loud snap preceded the pink filly yelping and flopping out of the tree onto my head.  “Wow, nice catch!”  Another snap preceded a thick branch falling and hitting me hard in the back, forcing me to the ground with a thud.  “Oh wow, a double nice catch!”

“Thanks, Pinkie.”  I groaned and pushed the branch off of me, shaking myself off.  “Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Yeah!”  She bounced off my head and onto the dirt, springing about on her hooves.  “We’ve got another family member who needs our help in New Pegasus.  I left him a friend to guide him, but what do you say to helping me roll some dice up here to give him a bit of extra luck?”

“First, why you didn’t tell me about this before?  I thought that Harmony and Short Staff were the last Pies”  I scratched my head.  Just because I knew of coming events, doesn’t mean I know everything.  I can only see the outcomes of questions I knew to ask in the first place.  “How many more family members are out there?”

“Of course you aren’t the last, silly!  I have relatives stashed all over Equestria, in case of a family emergency!”  She giggled and landed softly on the ground, swinging her gaze to behind me as I heard soft hoofsteps approach.  “On second thought, maybe I’ll come get you later.’

“Oh, hey there Pinkie, staying for dinner?”  Brass trotted up with a smile and a wave.  “Which is almost done because Backlash has been out here for what seems like ever!”

“You know I could just make it morning so you made lasagna for breakfast, right?”  I gave him my toothiest grin, and quickly found a spatula smacking me on the top of my head.

“I don’t care!  I’ve slaved for the last three hours, pouring my love for cooking into it, and you are going to eat it mister!”  He giggled and swat around my hooves as I bravely defended myself from his attacks.

“Alright, alright!”  I laughed and held my hooves up in surrender.  “I’m coming, buddy.”  I looked over to Pinkie.  “I’ll catch up with you later Pinkie.”  She nodded with a bright smile and took off like a pink bolt, leaving her pink contrail behind that smelled of cotton candy.

“Oh, Backlash, I had a question.”  Brass remarked with a bright blush.  “Do you… do you mind pulling Standtall down for dinner?”

“You kidding?”  I gave a light chuckle and motioned towards the house.  “I’d love to meet the Stallion who makes you blush so much.  That and Harmony has been itchin to hoof wrestle him.”  I got to my hooves and pat him on the head.  “Come on, I’ll get my fishing rod and you can point me to his part of heaven.”

He jumped up onto my back as we both smiled.  Things in the afterlife were good, and even though I would have rather fought for those months to spend more time down below, the wasteland was fine without me.  Besides, years from my death, even after the days sunshine and rainbows are only memories of years past, my story is still told.  It stands as a testament to the strength of the ponies in the wasteland, not speaking of the Crusaders, but of the Merchants of Hope.


The End


“Or is it?”

“Pinkie! you are ruining my dramatic ending!”

“Sorry!  I thought these folks would want a standard fallout ending though, one that tells them about all the ponies you affected in your journey.  You know, showing the impacts your choices made?”

“Fine, I guess that’s a good point.”

“Can I tell it!?”

“Go for it.”


-----


Longbow retired from Steel Rangers shortly after the twins were born, even though they offered her a position as the new Star Paladin of the reformed Delta contingent. She moved to Tenpony on the request of Dj-Pon3.  There, she raised both Harmony and Short Staff and took the job there as Head of Security.  Since her instatement, and due to her reputation, there have been zero physical altercations between residents in the tower, and crime is down to a prewar low.

Skyline and Carlotta spent the years following the fall of 42 raising Pallet as their own while managing the Sunshine trade caravans.  They expanded the business to three full-time carts which sold quality goods for little to no profit.  This was possible because they could feed off of the original MoM bunker Backlash had stumbled onto, taking only the things that wouldn’t be enough to upset the balance of the recovering wasteland.  Pallet eventually grows to be a mare just as ambitious and flighty as her mothers, inheriting Sky’s battle saddle after she promised to watch over the caravans with the same loyalty as her mother had.  Carlotta passed away three days before their 20th anniversary from a painless, inoperable brain tumor, effectively breaking the family curse.  After the funeral, Sky decided to go search for records of her parents above the clouds, and is constantly searching around Equestria for answers.  She still stops by regularly to see Longbow, Harmonic Drive, Short Staff, and Pallet.

After the news of 42's demise, Dr. Giggle Fits took an expeditionary group out to medical supply cache 5706.  After integrating what he could into Tenpony's infirmary, he quit his job there and packed up the remaining supplies, choosing to wander the wastes and give free care to those who needed it.  After using the last of his supplies on a injured caravan, Dr. Fits was gunned down by a young band of raiders.  His only regret upon death, was not being able to help ponies anymore.

The stallion the wasteland knew only as Dj-Pon3 delivered the double edged news of 42's defeat to the wasteland.  Though momentarily disheartened, the view from his control room changed from day to day afterwards.  Images of ponies rising from the hardships of the wasteland, banding together with others for the common good of ponykind came up everywhere.  The hope he found in these images moved him more than he could ever emote to those who listened, and was only ever truly appreciated by his son on the day Dj-Pon3 retired.  Vox graciously took his father's position and continues to broadcast to this day, keeping watch for any roving band of ponies doing extraordinary things in the wastelands.  And as is tradition, he keeps the ponies who live there informed, no matter how much it hurts.

Ripcord never ended up joining the Sunshine trade caravan, instead leaving to join the group of radio performers at the communications complex north of the Pool.  He has since become one of the more revered actors of the crew.  ‘Afterschool Equestria: A Teacher's Passion’, though still controversial to some, is one of the most well liked stories in the wasteland’s history.

Some travelers would tell stories of the ghost of Mariposa, her haunting song could be heard on the wind, beckoning the weary to a disastrous fate.  But Willow Wisp stood as a lone sentry inside the entrance to Mariposa, keeping watch over the goddess for another twenty years, up until the point when she completely faded from the physical plane, and into the annals of time.

Seeking the other orchard A.P.s out, P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. helped build a suitable body for D.A.S.H. and the three of them headed west along the old highway systems.  Curiously, they disappeared completely after being sighted trekking into the Everfree forest.  The eventual fate of the two love struck Artificial Ponies and their new companion may never, truly be known.

After 42 destroyed Red Wing, Pariah and Righteous Fury migrated to the Sunshine Garage with the other survivors.  Due to his family's history with the MoM, and his extensive knowledge of things before the war, Skyline appointed him senior caravan leader, allowing him to follow in his father’s hoofsteps.  Righteous Fury currently has the highest number of successfully defended caravans of any merchant company in the northeast, and is having the time of her life traveling Equestria with her father.

Twain's epic battle with the enormous mare spilled outside of the towns walls, and the fighting took them quite the distance from Red wing.  No clear winner could be seen when his ammunition was expended, and the large mare's strength drained.  Amidst the pause the stalemate brought, the two burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, seeing each other as equal opponents.  For Twain, that day not only marked the fall of the pink menace, but the day he found the love of his life. Linebreaker recovered from her wounds and swore off raiding, taking up arms with Twain the two of them becoming an unstoppable mercenary team.  Though his adventures with Backlash had ended, the fates of the two families were eternally intertwined, and their descendants were destined to meet again.

For her heroic actions in solving what the pegasus media called ‘a brazen attack against the good citizens of the enclave’, Silver Star was promoted to the rank of Captain, and now commands the Lenticular as it patrols the skies above the cloud layer.  She however never forgave the earth pony and his friends who turned her life upside down, and vowed on her family name that one day, the vengeance she believed them entitled to would be served.  She became so lost in hatred, that even on her deathbed, she called upon her daughters to continue looking for him, refusing to believe the stories of his demise.  And in the show of loyalty that is expected of all pegasi, they agreed to carry out her misguided wishes, never straying from her goal.

In a bizarre twist of fate, the bullet that 42 used on Crankshaft, deflected off his skull, merely knocking him unconscious instead of killing him.  After spending three weeks in solitude, he lost his mind completely and went feral.  He is still under the Pie family farm house waiting for those who might finally end his suffering.

Myron's name was indeed lost in time, forgotten only months after his death.  He was missed by no one.

With the Pink Menace now confirmed dead, the merchants of the wasteland who had sought shelter during the storm of chaos, emerged and began to traverse the wastes again.  The sudden influx of tired merchants helped Tiger Lilly to get Futura back on track, rebuilding the outpost to it’s former glory.  With the stories of it surviving a full on assault spreading across the lands, the merchants brought their families there to keep them safe and in the span of only six months, it’s residential population went from fifteen, to three hundred.  On the one year anniversary of His visit, Lilly unveiled a statue of Backlash cast from the metal of the air defence gun.  The merchant’s memorial, as it is now called, is visited by those who travel in the hope it will give them the endurance to make their way back home.

Sourdough's shop expansion sent the sales of his bakery through the roof, making the already wealthy stallion richer than he had ever dreamed.  But seeing the generosity of Backlash and his friends had changed him in a way he would never recover from.  He kept enough of a profit to live in the tower, but returned his extra earnings toward the other shops in the market.  With the added funds, trade exploded and when the merchants abroad returned to the prestigious tower, bringing with them prosperity and the security of their futures.  One of his daughters, Sunny Muffin, grew up with the stories of the merchant who helped the community, and was inspired.  When she was of age, she made the decision to leave the baking business to her sister in order to give back to the wasteland as a traveling merchant herself.  She joined up with the Sunshine Merchant's and found an added bonus in the form of Backlash's son, Short Staff, falling in love with him shortly after her first year working with him.

With the wasteland recovering from the impact of 42, heroes started to emerge more often, cropping up in every town and settlement from Las Pegasus to Baltimare.  Watcher’s search for the new Elements of Harmony seemed to hold promise for the first time since the end of the war.  At the forefront of his search, Notepad continued to chronicle the events of ponies who did extraordinary things.  And finally, sixteen years after 42's defeat, Notepad finished the story Watcher had sent him to so long ago.  On a relatively normal day ten years later, Notepad died.  There was no pony there to record his life history, but Notepad wanted it this way.  He had lived vicariously through the stories that he scribed so diligently, becoming part of them himself in the end.  In the days after Sunshines and Rainbows, when the ponies in the lands would read the stories he kept, everypony knows the name of the author who sacrificed his life.  They knew he did so that they, and others may remember the good of ponies that emerged through the balefire.

Railspike and his unlikely band of marauders came out of the fight in Red Wing with only eight to their group.  Forged in the fires of battle, the sense of family these eight gained held them together as they left the battlefield, deciding to follow Railspike back to his hometown of Whinney.  Upon arrival, they discovered a small comune of ghouls scavenging off of the irradiated ruins of the Sugar Apple Bombs factory, and in the interest of friendship, decided to jointly found a community that welcomed all wanderers and travelers.  The town flourished and prospered for a time, but that would come to an end too soon.  Three decades later, when the worst winter the wasteland had ever experienced swallowed the settlement and the forty eight who lived there, the wastes were left only to ask what had happened.  Though to most, the repeating fate of Whinney may have seemed like a curse, there were a few who knew the truth.  The journey of the heroes who knew however, is a story best kept for another time.

And finally, Maple Syrup returned home with his rangers to a hero’s welcome.  The Elder, impressed by their steadfast dedication in upholding the values of the Steel Rangers, cleared their names and reinstated his unit.  Maple however, found himself humbled by what had happened on the mountain, and he swore to himself that he would change his attitude toward life.  In a sign of reverence, he had the gold stripped from his armor, and recast as a plaque in honor of his son, so all would know the name of the one ranger he aspired to be.  His armor now sports the painted cutie mark of a brass tack on it’s flank plates, a constant reminder to himself that he needs to do better.  Little does he know, that he and his rangers will soon have the perfect chance to prove just that...

	

> Alternate Endings A and B
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


[Alternate Ending A]


“Sorry, was just readying my next weapon, but to answer your question about my shooting, I had the help of about fifteen vials of Dash.”  Backlash gave me a weak smile, but it explained why the fat bastard looked like he was about to blow out an artery.

My head fucking pounded from Backlash’s little SATS trick, but nothing was going to stop me now.  He was all out of ammo, and all out of chances.  Now I just have to wait to see what pathetic attempt he can pull out to stop me before he kills himself.  Well, whatever he tries, I’m getting in the last shot.  His party ends when I say so, not before.

He pulled a small glass jar from his bags, and for once it caused me pause.  He spoke up, “This pipbuck you gave me has really helped a ton with doing stuff as well, you know that?”

“Fifteen?  That’s suicide.  Your heart will explode before you get a chance to give me whatever... that is you think will save you.  What are you going to do with that jar anyway, season me to death?”  I just didn’t really care anymore.  I had seen all of this being so fun in my vision, but I guess that’s the downside of it?  It’s like going through it a second time, and it’s all so… boring.

“I’m not giving you seasoning.”  He strained to even lift the blue jar, giving it only a meager toss that I easily thwarted with a quick shot from my portable six shot life eliminator!.  Though the flaky substance rained down from the air, I smelled just the slightest hint of familiar magic from it.  He attempted to follow up with a witty remark, “I’m assaulting you with it.”

It came back to me in a flash, the smell being one from Pinkie’s distant memory of a prank against her.  This must be killing joke, the lethal variant of the plant that bitch dealt with so long ago.  I licked a few flakes from my muzzle, finding that they tasted like a rich and creamy chocolate.

“Guess it was really safe.”  He groaned, clutching at his chest like he was in pain.  Heh, pain.  What the hell would he know of true pain.  I’d show him, I’d show ALL of them how much fun real pain can be.

“Really Backlash, did you even think this through?”  I sighed, feeling nothing but disappointed for our epic and final showdown.  This was the one point in the timeline when he could have changed it in his favor, but as I expected, he failed yet again.  As he collapsed to the snow, it was cute that he almost looked sad that it didn’t work.  I wish I could keep that face, frozen in a sad look as he accepted the fact that I had won, and he had lost.

Oh, wait, I could keep it that way!

With a flick of my hoof, I raised and fired my revolver, drilling a nice hole in Backlash’s split coated forehead, and blowing his bothersome brains all over the snow.  His dim eyes were even sadder than before with the light of life removed from them, but it was a goddess damned kodak moment!  Oh why did I have to forget my camera back in the Manehatten Orchard?

I shuddered as the block on my pinkie sense lifted, and I could once again see what was to come.  The images of me melting his mare friend in the pond machine’s taint, were downright ecstasy in my perfect brain. Next, that griffin fillyfooler and pegasi bitch would come in.  The best thing about it is that Carlotta’s curse would take care of her for me, as the door panel I shot on in my moment of crisis before running out here, would die and drop that 2 ton slab right on her.  Even cut in half she’d live long enough to watch in tears as I melted Skyline’s precious head against the ministry shield.

With the pool in my hooves, and the only ponies standing in my way dead, there was literally nothing that could go wrong.  Oh this plan was so perfect, I might just make love to it later.  Though, I’m not sure I’d have the time, seeing as it’s a wild wasteland out there, and it’s about time somepony painted it pink.

Stepping over the corpse of Backlash, I lifted the briefcase with the megaspell in it and entered 0000 to shut it off.  Hey, Twilight doesn’t get all the glory when I can be ingeniously simplistic as well!  I tossed it aside and reached out for Backlash’s corpse, knowing that family was his thing and he would want them to die by his side.  I felt the suction against my hoof that everything that belonged to me gave, his body easily being drug through the snow onto the platform.

I got myself comfortable on the transport pad and hit the down button.  In a flash I reappeared, finding myself just where I wanted.  My eyes lit up and my mane poofed back up to where it belongs as I was met with the delightfully pain filled eyes of Longbow.  Stepping through the pink shield with a roll of my neck, it was time to get down to business. 

“Long live the queen.”




[Alternate Ending B]


“Sorry, was just readying my next weapon, but to answer your question about my shooting, I had the help of about fifteen vials of Dash.”  My heart pounded against my chest as the pressure inside my body increased.  The small glass jar I brought out in my hoof was the only thing capable of stopping her now.

Wait, did I really just think that?  Has it really come to me leaving the fate of equestria down to the chance that dried poison joke could kill her?  I couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip through my muzzle at the hilarious realization of how ridiculous this whole fucked up fight was.  I know I should be trying to win, but now I couldn’t stop laughing.  Funny thing is, neither could 42.

Letting the jar roll from my hooves as I doubled over, flopping into the snow while my head spun.  42 let out all sorts of gigglesnorts as she rolled about with me.  In ten seconds flat, the months of agony, death, and chaos my life had become, all seemed insignificant up here on this mountain top.  I don’t know if it was the drugs threatening to stop my heart, or if I finally just snapped and lost my sanity, but I just couldn’t bring myself to continue fighting.

It must have only been minutes, but it felt like hours that we both just sat and laughed.  Every time we would try to compose ourselves, one of us would crack and we’d start the process all over again.  Of course, being the better pony, 42 was the first to actually compose herself.  Here walking over to me was a fairly sharp reminder that I needed to cut it out, giving me the push to finally contain myself.  As I sat up, there was a thought that went through my mind, making my head ebb in pain as it rushed out through my muzzle.

“Why are we fighting anymore, 42?”  Shaking my head, the pain in my chest started to grow, hurting more with each breath.  “You have such potential to help everypony, to help rebuild the Equestria that once was.”

“Why do I continue to fight?  Because everypony didn’t want me to be the way I am.  I fight because to them, I was only supposed to be cannon fodder.”  She growled out her animosity, but it wasn’t placed toward me.  “They saw me as nothing more than a clone.”  She glared at me, her bloodied mane deflating and falling flat.  ”But I am a pony, and the second I stop fighting, I risk becoming only what the wanted me to be.  With fighting, I have the purpose that I know I control my own destiny.”

I couldn’t help but laugh again as I’d heard a waiver in her voice.  “If that’s how you think this life works, you’ve been had.”  My chest flared in pain as my earlier actions came back to remind me how stupid this had all been.  “Yes, destiny is what you make of it, and you can change it if you really want to, but I don’t think that’s what you’re really afraid of.  If you say that they saw you as nothing but a clone, and you are actually a pony like you say, then you have had every right to ignore what they thought and move on.  Dwelling on it only says that some part of you deep down is scared that they’re right.”

42 just stood there silently as I continued.  “Everything that you’ve done, as horrible as it’s been, doesn’t make you evil.  The ponies who made the wasteland in the first place weren’t evil, they were just trying to make a better world.  I know that there is good in you somewhere, 42.  Deep down inside, some part of you knows that you could be using your abilities to help instead of harm.  I urge you, please, listen to that voice.  Don’t be the monster we’ve made you out to be, you can do better than that.”

My legs faltered under me, giving out and dropping them into the snow.  With my heart racing in my chest, I tried to take slow, deliberate breaths.  The altered vision my pipbuck gave flickered and faded as it shot a spark out from the overused archanotech device.  As the wind picked up, and the only thing that filled my vision was the hung head of 42, I couldn’t help but wonder what would become of everything I’ve done.

“Do… do you really think that?”  The walls of 42’s mind were breaking down, I could hear it in her voice.  “Before I knew… all I wanted to do was to be liked by everypony, to be their friend.  But they turned on me, isolating and studying me like I was just a thing.”  She was crying now, and the soft thud of her revolver hitting the snow was music to my ears.  “I was so alone… I just, lashed out in the only way that made sense to me.”

I knew what I needed to do.  I knew how I could be better than the ponies of before, and it was only because I made the mistake of releasing her, that I realized just how much it could change my life.  Friends have been something I relied on, so maybe it was time to give her one of her own.

“I… forgive you.”  I gasped out, looking up to her as I struggled to keep my vision focused.  “For everything, 42.”  They were the hardest words I’d ever have to utter in my life, but seeking solace for my mistakes in the ponies (and griffon!) around me, was the only way I’d made it this far at all.  My need to kill 42 was based off our wasteland’s idea’s of good and evil, but who’s to say that I can’t change it?

“You… forgive me?”  She sniffled, a confused look running across her face as she took a few steps forward.  “Even with what I’ve done?  With how far this has all gone?”  She kneeled down as she reached me, tears dripping from her muzzle to the snow by my head.

“I... do.”  I gasped, feeling a numbing pull through my extremities.  “We have to be better than we’ve been, or history will repeat itself.  As a pony, it’s your responsibility to work for a better future.”  As soon as I’d finished, I lost control of my lungs.  I needed to hold on, just a bit longer.

“I’m so sorry…”  42 leaned forward and wrapped her hooves around my chest, pulling me into a hug as she finally let loose.  “How do I repent?  How can I live knowing what I’ve done?  I don’t know what to do, Backlash.”  She laughed and sniffled against my neck.  “But it’s ok, right?  You’ll teach me how to be better, won’t you?”

“Live like every… other pony.”  My eyes were getting heavy, and I could feel my strength leaving me.  “Help them… with the knowledge…”  I couldn’t take full breaths anymore, and my eyes dropped shut for the last time.  “It’ll never be... enough.”  

With that, my heart stopped.

I died up on that mountain top, in the arms of the pony who had wanted me dead the most.  Though now, she truly knew what it meant to be a pony.  42 stopped the megaspell’s timer and took my body in her hooves, teleporting back down to the others in order to explain what had happened.  How all of our actions this last month and a half finally wore away the years of hatred and jealousy.  She told them that when I forgave her, she had been freed of it once and for all.

It took hours of grieving, arguing, and eventually a huge leap of faith to even consider that she was being truthful.  Longbow was the first to accept this possibility, and with her special talent, she was able to watch the memories of our final battle through 42’s mind.  42’s words had been authenticated, and only then, did Skyline and Carlotta relent to the final truth.

42 was no longer a threat.  She now lived only to make what horrors she’d committed right, and though many called for her death, it was the words of the surviving crusaders that kept those actions from happening.  DJ Pon3 broadcasted out to the wastes the story of what had happened on that mountain, calling out to the others to be better than we’d been, and to forgive her as I had done.

With her help, 42 opened numerous pre-war caches of medical supplies.  Her strength, speed, and intelligence were utilized in helping out in construction and defence around the small towns that sprung up around these new supplies.  Trade restabilized as she helped to rebuild both Futura and Ponyville as safe and profitable townships.  The research gained by the Steel Rangers that she provided to them from the other Orchards that she found and opened, helped to restart the industry once lost in the war, and the factories that produced medicine and building materials were restarted.  In mere months, she had helped the eastern seaboard of Equestria rebuild itself more than it had in the last century, and she was only getting started.

Between helping to rebuild and repair the damage, 42 found the time to start at least one project she had promised before my death.  Out of the ruins and junkpiles of the Pool, a latticework of steel girders and sheet metal was constructed, slowly taking the shape of a pair of ponies.  Five years after my death, the crusaders memorial was completed, the fifty foot statues of Brass Tacks and I stood as a reminder to all of the sacrifices we’d made to make the wasteland a better place for all.

When she finally died, 42 wasn’t remembered for her actions before Foal mountain, rather for what she had accomplished because of them.  She was mourned for the pony she was, and the friends she left behind went on to better not only themselves, but countless others around them.  As the years went by and society recovered, the merchants of hope were nothing but a footnote in the beginning of her story.  It didn’t bother me, because she had lived up to what Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie had originally hoped she would do, albeit in a little different way.

42 had saved the wasteland.