Pain. That was the first thing I felt as I opened my eyes slowly from the darkness. At first my vision was blurry and filled with so much white. After a few minutes, I began to focus upon the square tiles of the ceiling above me and noticed the over head lighting had been dimmed, but even though it was a soft white glow, not the harsh orange, it still nearly blinded me. For the next few moments, I tried to remember what had happened, and to figure out where I was. The Stable's medbay. The only place inside the entire complex that the cold gray walls were painted white and would be this spotless.

As I shifted slightly on the bed, I could see IV bags hanging from a metal stand beside my bed, a clear plastic tube running from them to me. I heard the soft beep of machines around me, and the whispers of somepony nearby. I doubted our attackers would have been kind enough to bring me here, or care about speaking lowly so not to bother me. So...maybe we'd won? The light over head was blocked out for a moment, somepony was leaning over me.

“Doctor, he's waking up.” the voice was familiar, a mare's, though at the moment my mind was still too clouded to think who it belonged too.

“Good, the drugs should be wearing off more quickly now,” I heard another voice, but could not see the pony to whom it belonged. Finally, I placed a name with that voice, Doctor Kindheart, the Stable's Chief medical pony. So, he was still alive. I tried to rise up, but felt a wave of dizziness wash over me as I did so and nearly fell out of the bed. A soft glow of magic surrounded me, and I was gently held in place, before being pushed back down into bed.

“Not so fast, you've lost a lot of blood, and your leg is still healing.” the voice above me spoke up, the glow fading from me as well as from her forehead. I grunted and lay back down, the room finally stopped spinning. A light green unicorn came into focus, her yellow mane tucked back into a pony tail, traces of silver running through it, Nurse Spearmint. Her name finally came to me as I saw her smile softly, kind purple eyes scanning from me to a machine nearby. I offered her a weak smile in return.

“Sure thing.” I managed, my voice cracked and my throat felt raw from a lack of water. Ever observant, the soft glow of her horn lit up, and a cup of water floated up to my lips. As I drank, a white stallion leaned over to check the IV and turned to look at me. His close cut gray mane was disheveled, and his tired brown eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep.

“Your lucky that barrel did not go any deeper, we had a devil of a time getting it out of you without damaging the nerves in your leg.” Dr Kindheart said, as he floated a needle up to the IV, shooting something inside. “This should help you shake off the effects of the drugs, and have you back up on your hooves in a few days.”

“What happened, Doc? How long was I out...have we driven the raiders out?” I asked after swallowing the last of the cool water. I'd never tasted anything sweeter.

“Indeed we did, thanks largely to that rather crazy stunt of yours, or so I hear. Seems they lost heart after you blew up their toys, and Brightblade managed to push them back up the Stable to the door. The tech's managed to reseal it, and after that it was a simple matter of clean up. Or so I hear, my staff and I have been busy the past few days patching everypony up.”

“Days?”

“Yes, it's been nearly four since you were injured.”

I blinked and laid back in bed, days. Four days? But, we'd managed to hold out, despite it all, we had managed to save the Stable. At what cost though? I knew June and Crosswire was dead, the six ponies in the entrance room had been killed. Had Wendy made it? Whisper? Slowly, the world around me once more began to darken, and I drifted back into unconsciousness.

It was bad.

I'd known the second my friend entered the recovery room of the Stable's medical section something was seriously wrong. He'd not come alone, having brought two others with him. I knew them all well enough. Brightblade looked over to me as the other two flanked him, my friend at least looked whole, the wounds he had suffered during the fight seeming to have healed up.

Beside my friend stood the middle aged pony in charge of the Stable's generators and all things mechanical, Gearbox. His dark blue coat was almost always covered in oil and grime from working so often in the bowels of the Stable and today was no different. He'd long since cut his black mane and tail short, to lessen the chance of getting it caught in any number of moving parts. If not for him, the entire system would have failed long ago. His cutie mark was of two gears. Like me, he was an earth pony. And like me, he had taken over the job from his father.

To Brightblade’s left was the Stable's head of supply, though you'd be hard pressed to imagine this pony being in charge of much. The young unicorn mare looked between those she'd entered with, then to me, before quickly looking away hiding her face behind her low sky blue mane. The shy and beautiful Silverhoof. Despite her lack of social skills, there was no pony better in the Stable at keeping track of things. The silver gray mare knew exactly where the Stable's limited supplies were at any given time. She was in charge of food, fuel, water, and any number of other resources. Her cutie mark was of a calculator and it suited her well.

When the three entered my room, Nurse Spearmint was helping me into my blue and yellow Stable jumpsuit, her horn glowing as she tugged the snug fitting suit up over my front legs and midway down my back. Looking up, I watched them enter my room, Brightblade's normally cheerful face looked grim. This was the first time I'd seem him since the attack. Odd, seeing how we'd nearly always been around one another. It was also odd I'd not yet seen my sister...or that she wasn't here with what amounted the heads of the Stable.

Looking closely at the red unicorn's face however told me something had happened. And it was bad. I'd known despite having sealed the door, fought off the raiders, and saved most of the Stable, we'd be in for more trouble.

Just then, the door opened once more, and a third pony entered, Dr Kindheart, the Stable's head of medical. The pure white unicorn looked tired, his light gray mane and tail ragged as his white jacket. With a soft sigh, he glanced around the room, soft brown eyes settling on Nurse Spearmint.

“Thank you Nurse, that will be all.”

The green mare looked up and nodded her head to the good doctor, before offering me a smile and trotting out the open door, which slid shut behind her. As she left, I looked back around to the others in the room. Together we represented the Stable's council, working under the authority of the Overmare herself. We were responsible for the well being and safety of the Stable and the ponies inside it.

It was Gearbox who spoke first, the pony was known for not beating around the bush, being direct and to the point. The others listened, but it seemed they'd already heard whatever he was about to say, because I was the only one to react.

“This Stable has a month of life left to it. Maybe less.”

“What?!” I sat in shock, shaking my head slowly,“A month? Our generators showed another ten years of life left last inspection. An inspection you carried out and reported to the Overmare on not a month ago, Gearbox. The raiders never made it to the generator levels of the Stable...” at least not so far as I knew. We'd fallen back to that level, but from what I had heard, we'd pushed them back shortly after my little stunt in the Atrium.

“Yes, the generators are fine, Shadow. The...raiders, as you call them never reached the generator level. They did, however, reach the ventilation system on level 2. The technicians on duty there fought bravely, but all they had to fight with was hammers and wrenches, not much use against shotguns and rifles. They destroyed the air filtration system and the generators that runs it,” Gearbox said, eyes fixed on mine as he spoke.

“They can't be repaired?” I asked, not believing that after over one hundred and seventy years we couldn't fix something like this. We'd had fires before, lost systems only to manage to fix them or reroute them elsewhere. It was for that reason the Stable itself would not last much longer, it was patched together with duct tape and wonder glue in places. Ten years we had figured, until we would have been forced to decide where to go.

“We could likely get one or two of them back up and running in the time remaining, however that is not the real problem.” at his words, the shy soft spoken Silverhoof stepped forward, eyes fixed on the floor.

“The problem is the filters themselves. The raiders burned them. All of them, along with a good number of other supplies we can not replace in the store room near the ventilation generator room,” she said so softly I had to strain to hear her over the near silence of the room.

“While the air outside is breathable, the dust and dirt kicked up by the wind on the surface has high levels of radiation in it still. Enough to clog many of the machines that are already running poorly, machines that relied on the filters to clean the air that cools them,” Gearbox said, as Silverhoof stepped back and let the large earth pony speak.

Dust storms, a common enough thing in this part of Equestria. Being so close to the Povoni Desert to the east, and the near flat lands to the west meant a lot of wind. Add in the fact there had been several cities to our west meant a lot of balefire bombs going off. Which in turn meant a lot of radiation to be blown around.

“There's also the water talisman,” Gearbox added, looking up to him I arched a brow and he continued,“Beside burning several supple rooms on the upper levels, they also stole the water talisman. We've maybe a week’s supply of water left in the pipes and holding tanks. More if we ration more than we already are.”

“How did this happen...?” I asked, Brightblade looked up, at my question.

“After looking over the records, Bluebelle found somepony had entered the correct access code on the console outside the Stable door. It's how they got inside, and once inside, they managed to override nearly all the locked doors between them and us,” the red unicorn sighed and his shoulders slumped,“We lost over thirty ponies to their attack, another twenty are missing...”

I could only stare. How in the name of Celestia and Luna had these strange ponies managed to get inside the Stable, bypass so many locked doors and so completely fuck us. Running a hoof through my mane I looked up to the grim faces around me. The lack of one face still worried me. Finally I asked the question that had been on my mind since they arrived, and part of me was worried about the answer I'd get.

“Where's my sister? Surely she knows about all this?”

The news they had told me was dire, I had readied myself for some of it. After all, it wasn't all lollipops and smiles in the world anymore. What they told me next, however, I was not prepared to hear, nothing can ever prepare you for it.

“Shadow...she's among those missing. They managed to force their way into her office and took her and the ponies she was sheltering before you lead the charge to retake the Atrium. We think they also took the other missing ponies. We've searched all the rooms and halls of the Stable, hell I even had a few of the smaller ponies crawl into the vents and small crawl spaces around the entire Stable to make sure they hadn't tried hiding in them.”

I barely heard the rest of what he had said past my sister was missing. I don't really know how long I sat there on the bed, staring at nothing. I was aware the others had stopped talking, and were all looking at me. Even the timid Silverhoof had looked up to watch me.

With a grunt, I dropped off the bed, wincing as a stab of pain raced up my flank and back. How had this all happened? So many were dead. So many were missing...my sister...oh goddesses her daughter. How could I tell her?

“Shadow....I am sorry. We all know how much your sister meant to you, hell we all thought the world of her and I can’t imagine what your going through at the moment but we need you to focus. We have decisions to make and we have to make them quickly. The lives of all the ponies in this Stable rest on what we do next.” Bright said, stepping up to me and laying a hoof gently on my shoulder.

I simply stood looking at him dumbly, until it hit me. In the event of the Overmare being unavailable the head of Security was to take over until such time as another could replace her. I looked around the room at the four ponies all looking back at me. Looking to me for answers.

Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths and tried to calm myself. My sister was gone. The Stable was dieing around us. The surface was clearly dangerous after what had come down here looking for us. We’d lost so many ponies, so many friends and family members. My sister was gone. My sister. I took another breath, before speaking, I had to be strong.

“We have to leave the Stable,” opening my eyes I looked to the others,“We've always known we'd be forced someday to abandon our home, make our way outside. The morning of the attack, Ebony...” I nearly choked on the name, “...and I spoke of where we might go. San Ponsico is the most likely choice.”

“But, it was destroyed in the war...according to what records we have, San Ponsico was a major war time port. It had to have been destroyed.” Gearbox snorted, shaking his head,“We're better off trying to reach Kanter City to the east. Or even Las Heygas. It may still be standing at least. I doubt the Zebras would waste their time with a city full of casinos and strip clubs.”

“We've been getting radio signals that say otherwise.” I grunted and shook off the remaining effects of dizziness as I looked up to the earth pony in front of me, he tilted his head to me. Ever since we'd first taken a peek at the surface some fifty years ago, we'd been receiving radio signals coming from the west, it had been our only sign of life beyond our little hole.

“You mean that DJ? The one calling herself Three Horns? You can't be seriously thinking of trusting her?”

“We've all been listening in to her broadcasts since the day we repaired the radio antenna on the hill above the Stable.” I answered shaking my head,“I don't believe it's a recording, everyday it's new. I don't think she's lying about San Ponsico either, or the new Confederacy that's formed there. Unless somepony had fifty years to record made up news and weather,” I added with a look to the dark blue pony.

“You don't think she's lying?” the engineer snorted and shook his head ears laying back. I was ready for that, over the past few months my sister and I had been speaking more and more about how we’d make the trip, and each time it was mentioned, Gear had been saying the samething.

“Look, San Ponsico is the closest city to us, the ground is flat, and there are small towns we could shelter at along the way, perhaps towns still housing ponies. If we go east to Kanter City, we'd need to cross the Povoni Desert. The surface is hardly the place to take foals and the elderly, let alone drag them across a desert.”

“When we sent search teams to the surface to look for our missing ponies we found the raider's tracks. They were heading east. Towards the desert, and since the only major city we know of was Kanter City, we have to assume that's where they are going,” Brightblade spoke up, the large red unicorn having remained silent for most of the conversation. Now he turned to the others, standing beside me.

I glanced up to my taller friend and nodded my head in thanks, happy to know he trusted my decisions still. The pony who spoke up next surprised me, given his role in the Stable and his responsibility to the well fair of the ponies within it. The surface was still a risky place, despite the lack of high levels of radiation. We’d seen evidence of mutant animals and plants.

“Our medical supplies are nearly gone. We were already low before this attack, and after treating so many wounded...” Dr Kindheart spoke up, the tired pony rubbing one eye with a hoof,“I hate the thought of any of my patents being dragged through the goddess forsaken wasteland above us and I insist we given them a few days to recover before we do anything. But...I agree with Shadow, we can't survive the desert.”

The others all turned to the white stallion as he spoke, Gearbox and Silverhoof were both clearly surprised to hear him say such things, had he been hiding the sorry state of my medical supplies from Silver? If so, that was a feat in and of itself, to say nothing of making such things stretch as long as it seems he had. Brightblade glanced my way and nodded his head slightly before speaking up again.

“We have to do something, and I believe what Shadow is suggesting is the best chance we have.”

“How do we know those towns are still there, or if the ponies in them are friendly?” Silverhoof spoke up finally, looking between us all. She seemed ready to agree with me, but Gearbox was proving as stubborn as always. With what he's had to deal with since taking his job, it was a gift. Keeping the Stable's failing systems running for the past thirty years required a pony to be stubborn.

“We don't. Look, either we stay here and wait for the Stable to fall apart around us, or we try our luck up on the surface.” I snorted, narrowing my eyes and flicking my ears to the side in annoyance at Gearbox and Silverhoof, “We're as good as dead here, either by lack of air, water, medical supplies, or those raiders coming back to finish us off. They got inside once, they can likely do it again.”

I stood up and made my way towards the door, my hind leg bothering me still where that metal rod had sliced its way through. Feeling like it was ready to buckle at any second, yet it managed to carry my weight. Letting the door slide open I looked back at the others, my eyes narrowing on their faces.

“We're leaving Stable 45. We'll meet tomorrow to discuss how exactly we'll be doing that, for the moment however...I have someone I need to see.”

As I walked out the door, I started moving down the hallway and towards the exit from the medbay. Very nearly stumbling over my own hooves as I went, I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself as my heart began to race. I had to keep it together just a bit longer...but no, she was gone. Opening my eyes, I glanced around quickly and saw another open door to my right and quickly stepped inside.

Silently the door slid shut behind me and I leaned against the wall beside it, fighting off the surge of tears that threatened to spill out. I couldn't break down yet, not yet. My eyes burned, and my heart was beating quickly, I couldn’t lose control just yet. Not yet...

The door opened again, and in trotted Nurse Spearmint, floating several bottles of medicine in front of her as she moved to the cabinets near the back wall. Almost at once, she stopped and turned to look over at me beside the door. For a moment we simply stood there staring at one another, before she turned and laid the bottles down upon a counter beside the metal cabinets. Stepping up beside me she tilted her head slightly and gave a soft sigh, leaning forward to gently nuzzle my cheek. Finally, I lost it. I fell to my haunches and pressed my face against her neck. I cried. A hoof came up to gently stroke my mane and hold me close as I sobbed.

Of all the ponies in the Stable, it would be with her I broke down. She'd always been there for us, since the day my sister and I had been born. She'd helped the doctor deliver us, gave us sweets when we had to get our shots. Mended my broken leg when I’d tried showing off for my friends in class. Brought my niece into the world, and stayed by my sisters side when she very nearly lost her. She was the grandmother we never knew. She was always there, even after mom and dad had passed away.

“Shhh...it'll be alright, Shadow,” her soft voice whispered to me, just like she had when I was a little colt who'd gotten himself hurt playing with his friends, “It'll be alright.” as she pressed her face against my cheek, I felt the warmth of her own tears as she grieved with me. For her, we were the children she never had, and she had lost one of us.

After several minutes, I managed to get myself under control, and pulled my head back, wiping my eyes and nose with the back of my foreleg. A tissue floated up before me, and I took it with a soft thank you.

“Do you want me to go with you?” the green unicorn asked softly, eyes watching me with concern. Her cheeks stained with tears, she would if I asked, but this was something I had to do myself.

“No, I should be the one to tell her.” I said, drying my eyes as best I could and wiping my nose. Looking up I offered her a weak smile, “Thank you.”

She returned the smile, and nodded her head simply before stepping past me and back into the hallway beyond. After a few minutes, I followed and walked towards the entrance to the medbay. As I passed them, several offered me quiet words, thanking me for my efforts or sorrow for my loss. The walk to the school seemed to take longer than it should, and my hooves felt wrapped in stone as I walked across the floor tiles.

As I entered, I was greeted by the sound of happy carefree children laughing and playing with one another in the large open room of the Stable's school. The desks for the older fillies and colts had been pushed to the edges of the room, there would be no lessons today. Today the children had been allowed to play. But not all of them would, off to one side of the room sat seven small huddled forms. Their teachers sitting beside them, one holding a small sleeping foal in her forelegs. With a start I realized I knew that baby...it was Wendy's new foal, she'd been showing everypony in security his photo. She’d been so proud of her new son, her first foal. Curled up beside her teachers flanks was another small pony, barely three years old, June’s son lay still, he appeared asleep thankfully. The little pony always ran up to me to ask me when his mother was getting off work, I don't think I could tell him she'd never be coming home, but then by the looks of his cheeks, somepony else had already done that.

Seven young ponies turned to look up hopefully, seven sets of bright tear stained eyes turning to see who had entered. but seeing me the hope died in all of them and they looked back down to the mats they were laying upon. One began to cry softly as she realized her mother or father was not coming in to tell them it had all been a mistake. I looked away from the sight, how many more would soon join them in that corner? Doctor Kindheart had side he was low on supplies. How many would die tonight due to that fact? How many more orphans would we have when we crossed the Wasteland?

My niece was not among the group, and I quietly scanned the room for any sign of the little pink filly. Despite it all, the rest of the children went about the room happily playing games with one another or by themselves, their parents still among the living, or they had yet to understand what had happened to them. Oblivious to the horrors that had befallen so many around them. A few watched the same cartoon I had when I was young. Others played with the same toys I had, sharing them among themselves. So many small bright colors running, laughing and playing, it could almost help one forget what had happened. But then, all you had to do was look over your shoulder at the corner, and you would remember.

Finally, I spotted her having tea time at the back of the school, near the teacher's desk. She was sitting beside a small table, toy cups and a tea pot laid out atop it. Sitting in a chair across from her was her favorite doll, Ms Sparkles, a very old stuffed purple unicorn that had belonged to my sister. Her buttons eyes had been replaced a dozon times over the years, and were mismatched in color, size and shape. Her mane was spotty in places and her originally deep purple color had faded to a lighter shade from too many washes. As I neared, I heard her speaking to the doll.

“More tea Ms Sparkles?” she was asking, picking up the tea pot and 'pouring' more tea into the doll's cup with a tiny hoof. Looking up as I approached, her smile brightened the room.

“Look Ms Sparkles, it's Uncle Shadow! It's Uncle Shadow!” with a happy little laugh she jumped up and attempted to tackle me, only managing to wrap herself around my right foreleg and squeeze as tight as she could.

“Hey, Tiny.” I smiled down to her, my voice catching in my throat as I looked into those wide happy yellow eyes. Her tiny horn rubbed against me Pipbuck as she finally let me go.

“Mommy said she was going to ask you about letting me sleep over, but I haven’t seen mommy or you in days!!! Auntie Mintie has been letting me stay with her, she said mommy and you was realllly busy!”

I kept the smile on my face as I sat down beside my niece, oh Celestia how was I going to explain this to her? Looking down into her bright smiling face and those happy yellow eyes, how could I tell her, her mother was never coming back? I did not want to believe it myself.

“Yes, we have been very busy, Tiny. But I’m afraid I have some bad news to give you.” at those words, the filly’s bright smile began to fade and she moved closer to me her weak grip tightening around my leg.

“Is mommy sick? The teacher’s told us some of the nice ponies got sick...so that’s why they are looking after some of us. Kicker’s parents are both sick I think...he...he’s been crying a lot today...”

“Your...mommy’s very sick, Tiny. She had to...go away to try and get better,” lying to her made my stomach knot, but she was far to young to understand about death or what it meant. I used the same excuse Ebony had when Sugar had asked about her father and why he never visited them.

“Mommy went to the same place as daddy?”

“Yes, Tiny she did...its very far away and it might be a long time before she can return to us.”

“Daddy never came back...I...I don’t want mommy to never come back...” tears began to form in those wide golden eyes, small legs wrapping once more around mine.

“I know, Tiny. I want her to come back too.” Gently I lowered myself down to the floor and nuzzled my niece, closing my eyes as I fought back fresh tears. I had to be strong for her. Her small pink form crawling in between my fore legs to press her head against my chest.

“In a few days, we’re going to be leaving the Stable; we’re going on a little trip. It will be a long trip, but at the end of it we’ll find a new place to live and build us a new home. There will be new ponies to meet as well...I’ll bet you’ll make lots of new friends there.”

“But...if we leave now...how will mommy and daddy find us?” the words were spoken so softly I nearly missed them. Wiping away the tears from my eyes I opened them and looked back to my niece. She had turned her head to look up at me, her small nose lightly touching mine and large gold eyes staring intently into my own.

“I’ll leave a note in your home...when they come back they’ll find it and know where to look for us...”

“But...what if they can’t find it? What if mommy and daddy can’t find the Stable...or if the monster under my bed steals the note...” her tiny face was filled with worry,“I know...you can go find them...and take them to meet us at our new home?”

“I...don’t know...”

“You can find them, Uncle...your the bravest bestest pony in the Stable...” she tried her best to squeeze my leg with her smaller ones,“You can find mommy and daddy and bring them back...and then we can all live happy again in our new home as a family.”

For the moment I simply sat there and held my niece. Was there a chance Ebony was still alive? Why would they take them out to just kill them somewhere else? Did they want them for something? If they did...then perhaps she was still alive. But if I left, who would take care of Tiny and would it be right to abandon her? Leave her with no family left for the small chance to save my sister and her mother?

Could I really live with myself if I didn’t try?

I stood silently in my sisters office, eyes scanning the room where I knew my twin had last been. Behind me lay the ruins of her door, blasted off it’s hinges by a crude explosive, pieces of the metal door were scattered around the room. Looking up from the floor, I glanced across her desk. Bullet holes ran across the old wood finish where they had shot into the office. Spent shell casing crunching beneath my hooves as I walked towards the desk. Here or there on the floor were small pools of blood, from who I had no idea, but the idea of some of it belonging to my sister made me look away.

Looking atop the desk, I saw a mess of papers laying scattered about and picture frames overturned. Stepping around behind it, I began looking over the papers and saw the normal reports that would come to my sisters desk every day. Files on repairs and injured ponies lay here and there as well.

Turning, I looked over the wall behind the desk, several filing cabinets lined the wall, but above them were two boards hanging from the wall with a few notes stuck to them. However, both were largely covered with drawings by a small foal. Nearly all had vast amounts of pink and black used. I smiled and looked at the hoof drawn images of a small pink pony and two large black ponies surrounding by smiling ponies in a gray box.

One by one I began taking them down from the board, deciding to take them with me when we left. I looked back around the small room, and all the little personal touches my sister had put into the place. There in the corner was the plant I had given her for her seventeenth birthday, blooming every spring with small pink flowers. And there was the tiny metal pony figure dancing on its hooves that mother had given her when she was a foal. Back when she wanted to be a ballerina. I gently picked up the figurine and laid in atop the desk with the drawings. Sugar should have it...

As I turned back to the desk my eye was drawn to the over turned picture frames and I reached a hoof out to right them.

The first image I remembered quiet well. Four happy faces looked back at me from the photo, taken about sixteen years ago on the Stable’s annual picnic. Our father and mother sat beside one of the apple trees on a checkered blanket smiling to the two young black ponies sitting before them, showing off their new cutie marks with pride.

The second photo was more recent, and was of Sugar’s first birthday, the tiny foal happily munching on a cupcake nearly as large as her. Frosting covering her face and small hooves but doing little to hide that bright smile of hers. Beside her, her uncle sat covered in much the same way in frosting as he ate his own cupcake, and her mother stood laughing behind the two, floating presents up for the foal to open. The glass was cracked however, and would need replaced.

Reaching up a hoof I wiped away the tears before they could spill out fully and looked around the office. Was there really no hope in saving her? Should I really just give up and go west with everypony else?

Sitting back in the chair my sister had sat in, I laid my head atop the desk and shut my eyes. We’d be leaving the Stable soon. Heading for a new home in San Ponsico with new ponies and new hopes.

Opening my eyes I looked back up to the photos on the desk, eyes drawn to the one of my niece's birthday. The cracked glass divided the photo now, separating Ebony from myself and Sugar Pie. I reached a hoof up and worked the latch on the back of the frame and pulled the photo out slowly, the shards of glass falling atop the desk. With my other hoof I wiped away the dust from the photo and looked to my sister, once more beside her family.

No...

Standing up, I placed the photos atop the pile and carefully packed them away inside a bag and picked it up with my teeth, eyes narrowed and ears pinned back.

No...so long as there was still a chance...I would get my sister back.

My niece lay beside me in my bed, her stuffed unicorn toy held tightly in her small legs as she slept softly against me. It had been two days since our talk in the school and the question she had asked me. Could I go find her mommy and daddy? Her father was long since dead and buried on the surface, but her mother...

I had decided a day before when I’d been cleaning out my sister’s office and home I had to at least try and find her, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.

With that in mind, I had things I needed to see to before I could set out. My niece for one, but that proved the easiest to solve. Spearmint would take care of the filly on the trip. She was already like part of our family so I felt safe leaving her with the older mare. I also knew Brightblade and Twist would look after her.

The problem of who to leave in charge while I was gone was answered as well. Brightblade had already taken over my duties as head of Security, with Twist picking up for him. He was a smart pony, far smarter then I. I trusted him to do what was right for the Stable and keep the ponies safe.

That however still left me with a problem...how to tell him I was leaving...

Careful not to disturb my sleeping niece, I climbed out of bed and walked towards the door, glancing back to make sure she was still asleep before stepping out into the hall

Entering the Security Office, I noticed how busy it seemed. Nearly all the surviving security ponies were present, even a few I'm sure Dr Kindheart would rather weren't. Brightblade had been busy organizing the ponies we had left into groups for our trip (their trip I silently reminded myself, as I would not be going with them). We all knew first hoof of the threats the surface had to offer. The raiders had left their mark on us, and no pony wanted to go through it again.

Brightblade stood in the center of a small group, looking down at a pre-war map unrolled across a table in the center of the room. Twist, Bluebelle and Blaze were all gathered around the large red unicorn as he floated a pen across the path they'd be taking. We'd both gone over it two days before, and had decided to follow the highway as much as we could. It would be easier on those ponies pulling the heavy carts Gearbox had been busy building to carry the supplies and wounded.

As I approached them, Bright looked up,offered me a smile, and motioned me over to them. Stepping up to the table, I looked down at the old map, it was much the same as it had been two nights ago.

Bright had split security into five bands of four ponies each. Two out of the four would be given the few suits of riot armour our Stable had been assigned. The thicker padding and more closed in helmet would stop most small arms fire. Even the spray from a grenade could be survived so long as it did not explode too close. Each would be given a shotgun, pistol, baton and ammo. These weapons would be further augmented by recovered guns from the dead raiders. While most were good for little more then spare parts, enough remained to be spread out between the groups. The added fire power of a machine gun or rifle might make the difference in a battle. They would roam a little out from the rest of the ponies, forming a screen around them.

It was a solid plan, a plan he had come up with on his own. I looked up from the map to the faces of the ponies around me, they all listened closely to his orders, asking a question ever so often when they were unclear on something. However, they had been over this plan the past two days, and would likely go over it again before we left tomorrow. They had all been trained well, and I was proud of each and every one of them.

Once they were finished, Bright moved over to me and offered me a friendly smile,“Checking up on me, Shadow?”

I smiled to him and shook my head,“No, my friend. But we do need to talk...somewhere private.” I nodded my head towards my former office. He cocked his head slightly, but nodded back to me before speaking over his shoulder.

“Alright...Twist, go check the weapons one last time, and take Flash with you.”

Looking over I saw the two ponies nod their heads and trot off to the armoury door. Flash seemed to have grown up over the past few days, he would have had to. After what he saw in the entrance room, he wouldn’t be the same cocky brash pony he had been. I was thankful, those traits would get him killed on the surface. I heard he had fought bravely beside Twist when the raiders had nearly broken into medical. His right foreleg was still wrapped in bandages from getting sliced up when a grenade exploded near him. Twist, however, still did not seem her usual self. I had heard Whisper would make a full recovery, but nearly losing her grandson and last surviving family member, had given the old mare pause. She didn’t speak much lately, and seemed a bit withdrawn. Bright had been worried about the sudden change, but I told him all he could really do was be there for her and let her get back to work. Letting her take time off would be a mistake in her case.

Stepping into my office, I looked over the nearly empty room. Two days of packing and salvaging had left the Stable a shell of it’s former self. The only thing still familiar to me within the room was my father’s desk. Made of actual wood and matching the one in my sisters office, it had been here since the day the Stable had first been sealed, it seemed fitting it would still be here long after the day it was abandoned. I remembered so many days sitting atop it while my father worked; drawing pictures and pretending I was my father running security. Ebony use to play with me on most days, we’d even hid under it the day I tried cleaning mom’s good dress with bleach. Ebony had run off with me that day, even though she was not in trouble. She was always looking out for me...

“Shadow? Whats going on?” Bright’s voice brought me back from my pleasant memories to the harsh realities of the present. Turning, I looked back at my old friend as he shut the door behind him.

“Bright, I won’t be joining you on the trip to San Ponsico. I’m going to try and find my sister.”

“What?!” well, that was the expected response. The unicorn stood frozen in the middle of the office, green eyes locked on me. After a moment he shook his head and stepped up beside me.

“Shadow...I know your still upset but you can’t do this. You don’t even know where they took her...or if she’s even still alive.”

“She’s still alive, why else would they take her and the others? What’s the point in dragging them off somewhere only to kill them there?” I reasoned, shaking my head,“No, they had some reason for it. I have to find out what happened to her, Bright.”

“I doubt there is any real reason to those crazed raiders, Shadow. You saw them...hacking at wounded and dead ponies like rabid animals in the middle of a fight,” came his own response. The unicorn looked worried now. He knew he was not going to talk me out of this.

“I know, Bright. But, I have to at least try.” looking back over to him, I pressed on,“I need you to look after everypony while I’m gone. I already spoke with Spearmint, she’ll be taking care of Sugar.”

“Dammit, Shadow...you’re going to get yourself killed. And then what? Sugar will be left with no family to raise her.” I smiled slightly to his words, knowing there was more to it then that.

“Sugar has all of you, she’s been raised by more then just Ebony or myself.” Which was indeed true, ever since her birth, nearly everypony in the Stable had taken some interest in the tiny pink filly. She was always being given a treat or small toy by the ponies around her. Her sudden birth combined with the death of her father had touched a lot of hearts. Not to mention the effect the tiny little filly had on ponies, her smile alone had made even gruff Gearbox laugh.

“And what am I suppose to do, eh? Just watch you run off? My closest friend?” We had been through a lot over the years. ‘As close as brothers’ my mother had said of us. But, as the years went by and we grew up, Bright began to have other feelings for me, feelings I could not return to him. He liked stallions and me...well, I had no idea really. I never had much luck with romance. To me, he was my big brother, despite me being a few months older then him. Our friendship was something I had always valued, and always would.

“Bright, if there was any other way, I’d take it...but I don’t think I could be happy never knowing.”

His ears dropped and he sighed softly in defeat. He knew he couldn't talk me out of it. Looking over to me, he nodded his head once and sat down at the desk heavily, minutes passed and we said nothing else.

“I know...I don’t think I could either.” With a grunt he stood up and turned to face me,“Well...if you’re set on doing this, you’re not going off on your own empty hoofed. No friend of mine is going off half-assed into a post apocalyptic wasteland in naught but his cutie mark.”

For the next hour we sat about figuring what I would need, and what I could carry on my own. He knew me well enough by now to know what I was capable of, so the list he drew up of ammo and supplies I largely agreed upon; although I did need to change a few of the numbers and I knew they’d need the food purifiers we still had running more then I so I refused to take one.

In the end, I would be setting out with my combat shotgun, one hundred rounds of ammo, a set of the riot armour, enough food and water for a week, and some medical supplies. More supplies then I liked taking away from the Stable, but any less then that and I might as well just admit my little trip was a suicide mission.

After leaving security, I went to inspect how the rest of the Stable was fairing. Everywhere I went, ponies were busy. A team of techies trotted past carrying boxes of spare parts with them. Gearbox, though still opposed to the idea of leaving, did his job. And he did it as stubbornly as always. Somehow, he'd managed to get the Stable’s overworked systems to continue pumping fresh clean water for the past two days. Every available container had been filled with the most important resource we had. He then began stripping the systems that had already failed due to the clogged vents and broken them down into spare parts. His teams of tech engineers wandered the Stable's access crawl spaces and maintenance rooms for anything of use to us. Several shed tears as they tore apart machines they had fought so hard to maintain for so long.

My path took me past medical, where the good Dr. Kindheart and his staff worked to insure our wounded would manage. Looking inside, I saw most of the wounded sitting up, or moving about by themselves. Several still lay on the beds, but were at least alert. Whisper was along them, as was Wendy. The mare had survived her wounds, and was even now sleeping with her foal wrapped up in her forelegs. Only fourteen of the wounded would need to be carried or helped along, and many of them would soon be able to manage on their own. Volunteers from the Stable had agreed to pull the medical wagons Gearbox had been building for the wounded and large equipment that would be taken, freeing the nurses and doctors for other duties. Having spent the last hour listening in on Bright’s final plans for the move, I knew that what few medical supplies were left would be spread between the medical staff so that, should the need arise, any one of them could help a wounded pony. Stepping aside, I let several ponies pass, carrying makeshift saddle bags and other containers into medical. With the help of Nurse Spearmint they began to box up the few medical supplies left in the storage rooms.

Turning away I headed back up to the Atrium and my quarters, where Tiny was likely awake by now, and I would need to spend the last few hours with her.

As I walked into the entrance room, I saw ponies working silently among the piles of supplies and gear scattered around the room. Anything and everything that could be of use to us was being removed from the Stable. From tools to the sheets off the beds, whatever could be carried, we took. In the center of the room, directing the organized chaos, was Silverhoof. The mare had proven herself more then able for the task at hoof. From sorting the supplies to assigning ponies to carry them, she'd thrown herself into the task. Within the past two days, she had effectively stripped the entire Stable of anything usable, neatly boxing and sorting the gathered spoils. When we left the Stable tomorrow, we would leave behind a largely empty metal shell.

I approached the soft spoken mare and she turned to look at me, a clip board floating beside her. Almost at once, she looked down and seemed to shrink. Bluebelle had told me once that security ponies intimidated her (but then, she seemed intimidated by a great many things, like loud sounds, the darkness, the light, quiet sounds...).

“Everything going alright, Silver?” I asked, trying to keep my voice as friendly as I could and the mare simply nodded her horned head to me and lightly kicked at something upon the floor.

Around us, ponies continued to work, loading their created supplies onto the small carts and wagons Gearbox's ponies had made for the trip. That stubborn old bastard had hammered them together from bed frames, hatch covers and wonder glue. They looked rough, but I had no doubt they would do the job and see them to were they where going.

“Do you need any more help?” and once again, she responded by moving her head, shaking it ‘no’ and seemed less likely to say much more then that.

“Alright....so....I guess I’ll let you get back to work then...” smiling I backed away from the shy mare and turned away. As I trotted away I glanced once more about the Atrium before allowing myself to look up to the Overmare’s office. The few items I had taken from inside along with those from her room I would give to Spearmint, she would see to them while I was away. I just hoped someday I’d be able to reclaim them, along with my sister.

When the day to leave had finally arrived, it was meet with mixed emotions by the ponies of Stable 45. Chief among these emotions was fear and uncertainty. They found themselves upon the surface of what could very well have been an alien world. Records from the Stable had painted the surface as a rich green farm land, with vast tracks of wild prairie grass and small towns and cities before the war. Now, however, there was little more then patches of brown scrub brush and dark rocks covering the landscape for as far as the eye could see. Over the past one hundred and seventy eight years little had changed upon the surface except, perhaps, for the radiation levels.

Many a pony was uneasy at the sense of openness around them, having lived their entire lives in a enclosed environment where all one had to do was walk far enough and a wall would separate you from the unknown. They huddled together with one another and looked up at the sky. It was a fact most of those who had been going to the surface had become use to and so most of the security ponies was more quick to adapt to the sudden change.

Behind them, the hillside the Stable had been built back into rose up to a rocky point. The site had been chosen to protect the Stable from a direct hit from a balefire bomb. I doubted however the Zebras would have wasted their time or limited resources on destroying one of over a hundred or more armoured shelters protecting not even a quarter of the population of Equestria. Stable 45 originally housed Rock Farmers and a small number of local Army solders lucky enough to be stationed nearby when the bombs fell.

Turning my gaze away from the hillside, I looked out towards the west and the flat plains before me. The odd rocky hill or clumps of twisted black things which we had discovered were long dead trees, stood out against the desolate landscape. A humid breeze rustled the hairs of my mane and tail, kicking up a cloud of dust as it blew across the assembled ponies. It smelled...odd outside.

“Well...this sucks...” Brightblade said beside me, looking over the twisted scene before him, his eyes taking in the thick cloud covered sky above us. He turned back to look over the survivors of our Stable behind us. They were checking their saddle bags and tightening belts and straps. Those selected to pull the carts began to strap themselves in, while the medical ponies finished helping the wounded into the carts marked out for them. Armoured ponies moved around the others, ensuring everything was happening as planned. Once they had checked their assigned groups, they moved into their respective positions at the edge of the herd.

I felt Brightblade’s eyes pass back over to me again, and I knew he was about to try once last time to talk me out of what I had already decided to do.

"Are you sure about this Shadow? Those tracks we found could end suddenly if this wind picks up enough. Or if they started following a road or the ground becomes to rocky for tracks. Its been nearly six days, there's a very good chance she's dead...and your niece..." My friend refused to let the argument go.

My niece. The one pony that had made me question my decision on leaving to find Ebony but then, she had been the one to suggest it in the first place and perhaps the only pony to think I had a chance of actually returning, myself included. Once again, those questions popped into my head. Would I be better off going west with her? Would she be better off not losing the only other member of her family left? She was among the other young children, safely sitting upon a cart with Nurse Spearmint walking beside it. The old mare had been tasked with helping the teachers look after the young ones on the trip. I had already said my goodbyes to my niece that morning...

Tiny finished packing her small saddle bags with what toys she would bring with us, she had picked only her purple stuffed unicorn and a few books. The rest she had left behind in favor of taking photos of her mother, father and myself as well as a few personal effects of my sister she wanted to carry with her.

As I finished my own packing I trotted up to the door and glanced back over my room. It, like the rest of the Stable, was largely empty of any personal effects. Even my small garden had been packed away for the trip. The seeds and radiation free soil would be of use when they reached their new home.

Turning back to the doorway I saw my niece standing there waiting on me, and I had to smile. She looked so much like my sister, even the way she tilted her head. She smiled back and rushed up to hug my leg once again.

“You promise to come back, right Uncle Shadow?” the small filly asked, and I nodded my head to her.

“I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?” she asked with large gold eyes and I chuckled softly.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I went through the motions of the swear, it had been taught to my sister and I by our parents. They had in turn, been taught by their parents and so on. It seemed to do the trick and she jumped up and down happily before she began tugging on my leg.

“Come on then...we don’t want to be late!”

With a sigh the memory faded away and I turned away from staring at the horizon to look to my friend.

“I'm sure, Blade. I can't just leave my sister to those raiders...even if there's the smallest chance she's still alive.” I pointed a hoof at the ground before us, the signs of several ponies and wagons clearly evident in the dry soil, “It'll be easy enough to follow them. And if their tracks dry up, I'll think of something. I always have before,” I added, though the look on his face was clear. He did not like my choice.

Behind my friend, another pony stood silently watching us. The yellow earth pony looking worriedly to the larger red unicorn, I offered him a smile and a nod, which he returned weakly, though I knew what he was worried about. Blade giving voice to his worst fears and causing him to step forward towards us.

“Dammit, Shadow. I can't let you just go wandering off on your own!” stomping his hoof in anger,“You get lost easily and you'll never stop and ask for directions.”

“Oh, no my friend. Somepony has to lead the Stable to safety, as the new head of security that'd be your job now.” I nodded my head towards the yellow earth pony behind him,“Besides, Goldmane would kill you and me if you ran off and left him out here by himself.” Goldmane, the pony my dearest friend had taken up with once he knew I’d never be with him. It seemed the yellow earth pony was forever living in my shadow, a fact that had caused us some trouble for a time when they had first started going out. But, we had managed to work things out in the end. For Brightblade’s sake if nothing else.

Glancing back to Gold, he lowered his head and said softly,“I know...it's just we've never had to say good bye before...not like this.”

“Nonsense, I'll be back before you know it.” I said with as warm a smile as I could muster. Neither Blade or Gold seemed able to see through it. I honestly held little hope I'd ever find them again, it was a big wasteland after all, and after the short taste we had; it was a deadly place to be alone. Reaching over, I laid a hoof on his shoulder and hugged him. After several minutes we pulled apart and he turned away.

Quietly he walked away, Goldmane stepping up to gently nuzzle his cheek. Turning from the pair, I scanned the horizon for any signs of the distant cities. According to the old maps we had, Kanter City was several weeks journey to the east by hoof and San Ponsico nearly as far to the west. The maps were over one hundred and fifty years old. Still, I doubted anypony had added roads or cities since that time. The raiders seemed to be heading due east, and since there was little else between here and the mountain range that separated west Equestria from east it seemed the likely place to go. It had most likely been hit by a balefire bomb, as had ever other major city across the country.

The sound of movement from behind me snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to watch as they started moving westward, Brightblade in the lead with Gold beside him. Even if the raiders were not heading to Kanter City, San Ponsico was the best choice to find help or at least shelter. The few wagons rolled past me, followed by several dozen ponies on hoof. The security teams started to spread out around the rest, to give a better warning should they be attacked. As the last wagon rolled past, I looked up to see Wendy laying on her side, shotgun held in her front legs. She might never fully regain the use of her hind legs, but she was not about to stop being a security pony.

Upon seeing me look at her, she nodded her head and waved towards me, a wave which I returned. At the head of the caravan Blade turned to watch the groups trudging along the dry earth and looked back to me. We stared at one another for a moment before he turned and disappeared over the hill. I stood there watching as the others followed him across the hill, disappearing from my sight one by one. Knowing nearly ever name of the ponies I watched. Some co workers. Many friends. Only three family. As the last wagon crested the hill, and dropped below, I felt suddenly so very alone.

I doubted I'd ever see any of them again, and I prayed to Celestia and Luna to guide them and keep them safe on their journey.

I looked up the side of the hill to the sealed door, and the large 45 painted in fading white numbers across it. Our home was empty now, silent. The gray halls and rooms would never again ring with the laughter of ponies, protect us from the harsh realities of the outside world. Our home. With a soft sigh, I turned away from the sight of the Stable door and turned towards the east. I had a long walk ahead of me.

The wasteland stretched out for what seemed like forever. With every step of my hooves, dust rose from the dry cracked earth. It was humid, the air thick and foul smelling. Below my jumpsuit and barding I was beginning to sweat. There was little to see around me, rocks, brown grass, the odd pile of unidentifiable bones. After stopping to check the seventh pile for fear one might have been my sister, I soon realized they had been laying here forgotten for sometime. They were turned yellow and brittle with age, bits of rusted metal poking out from here or there among them. After looking closer I soon discovered they were bullets. I stopped looking at them after that. I felt the ground begin to slope downwards after another thirty minutes of travel, my path seemed to be taking me down into the far flatter lands below the Stable. Far off in the distance, the hazy sight of mountains rose up into the gray over cast sky.

Ahead of me the hoof prints of the raiders remained on a near straight path east. They made no effort to hide their tracks, after all who'd be crazy enough to come after them? The odd bit of debris was the only other sign I had of their passing. Empty food cans, spent shell casings and the like lay scattered across the ground between the hoof prints. Idly, I wondered which set belonged to my sister and the other ponies taken from the Stable. There were little differences in the tracks, some smaller other larger, but that was about all I could make out. I'd come across no sign of their bodies thus far, though it appeared they hadn't stopped to rest anywhere near here. At least not yet.

My E.F.S. (Eye's Forward Sparkle) remained clear as I checked it once more. There was nothing out there, hostile or otherwise. Beyond a few small scorpions and the odd bird circling over head I'd found no other signs of life. Every so often, my Pipbuck would click, letting me know there were still traces of radiation in the area, none lethal unless I decided to roll around in the stuff for a few hours.

Not for the first time, my eyes wandered to the sky overhead or rather the thick gray clouds that covered it. For as long as we'd been coming to the surface, the sky remained hidden behind that gray curtain. Not once had any pony reported seeing the sun or the moon. An odd fact, surely after more then fifty years the weather would have changed. According to the history books and tapes, the pegasi controlled the weather in Equestria, able to move clouds about with their own hooves like an earth pony could a rock or book. Had the war killed them all? Like us, had they been hidden away in Stables somewhere and had yet to come out? Or had the radiation done something to the sky as it had to the land? Twisted it somehow?

What about the other Stables? There had been nearly a hundred of them scattered across the surface before the war, perhaps more. From what little I'd heard over the years from Three Horns, it sounded as if most around San Ponsico had opened a few years ago. Was that the case else where? Had they all left and begun rebuilding on the surface? But what about the raiders? Who where they? Ponies left above while the rest was below?

With a soft snort, I shook my head and looked once more ahead of me, my thoughts having distracted me enough that I hadn't noticed it was starting to get dark...or darker. I could barely see the hoof prints ahead of me, let alone the now hidden mountains off in the distance. I reached to switch on my Pipbuck light but stopped. If I turned it on out here, I might as well wear a sign that said, ‘Aim here please. Dumb ass Stable pony looking to get killed.’ Lowering my left hoof away from the Pipbuck I frowned and started forwards again, careful where I placed my hooves.

A soft beep from my Pipbuck started me and I quickly looked down to the gray device wrapped around my right foreleg, the soft green glow of the screen flashing something. Stopping, I lifted it up to my face to see a map had appeared on it. The green grid showed my location with a arrow pointing east. Behind me was the tag for Stable 45, but my eyes were drawn to a new point ahead of me. The name Lonesome Hoof stared back at me from the screen. How did it know what was ahead of me? Lonesome Hoof? What the hell was that?

Looking up, I stared off into the darkness around me, eyes wandering away from the path and off to the right. There. Dark shapes loomed up ahead of me, square and blocky. Buildings? Had I found a town out in the middle of nowhere? A better question: had the raider's stopped here the night after the attack or were they still here?

Turning away from the dark shapes I switched to my E.F.S once more and scanned the surrounding area for any signs of life. Once again there was nothing. Neither green nor red dots appeared in my vision or the screen itself; just the glowing name of the town, and my current location.

I frowned and looked back to the path ahead of me, the gathering darkness making it harder to see the prints in the dry ground. I could press on and stumble about blindly, or I could seek shelter now and press on at first light. The raiders had nearly a weeks head start on me, and they likely knew the land. I did not. I'd do my sister no good if I stumbled down a cliff and broke my legs or neck. With reluctance I turned away from the prints and started towards the row of buildings.

Approaching the town from the west, I could make out several dark buildings along what appeared to have been a roadway. The darkened shapes become more noticeable the closer I trotted, and soon enough I could make out more details. Most stood no taller then two stories, and nearly all had there windows and doorways boarded up. It had not stopped them from being broken into however, several showed signs of forced entry, the boards having been ripped off doors or windows and tossed into the street. As my hooves touched the cracked pavement of the road, I saw further damage to the small collection of buildings. Beyond the broken boards there were fallen walls and several caved in roofs. One building had collapsed entirely in on itself scattering rubble across the roadway in front of me. I scanned the buildings once more with my E.F.S. Nothing.

Carefully, I walked towards what had at one time been a store of some kind. The sign above the door creaked softly as a breeze blew down the street causing me to shiver a bit. Glancing up at it I could barely read,'Ma and Pa's General Store,' the lettering was faded and it looked like somepony had used it for target practice. Looking closer, I could see the sign itself was shaped like two pony heads side by side with happy smiles and what looked like glasses perched upon the tips of their snouts. It’d been a nice thing to see, if not for the fact somepony had shot several holes into the sign.

Frowning, I lowered my eyes and looked into the darkness of the doorway, the door itself lay just beyond I saw. It looked like it had been kicked down by hoof. Stepping over it, I quickly scanned the dark room, rows of empty shelves stared back at me, a few in the back were turned over, scattering boxes of cleaning supplies and empty boxes across the floor. Going further inside, my right hoof kicked over a tin can that had been sitting near the doorway and sent it rattling around, rolling to a halt beside the over turned cash register. Switching my light on, I passed it left and right, seeing little of interest. This place had likely been picked clean a hundred and seventy years ago, anything of use would have long since been taken away. My narrow shaft of light passed over piles of refuse, empty beer bottles and animal dung. The place smelled as good as it looked. I was just about to turn and walk out when my beam of light reflected off something metal in the corner. Turning the light back quickly I caught sight of a box sitting off to itself.

Seeing how I had little to lose, I moved towards it, my hooves crunching loudly upon shards of glass and other bits littering the floor. In the enclosed space, it seemed as loud as a gun shot and I almost winced, until I reminded myself this place had long since been abandoned. Nearing the box, I saw the padlock attached to the top, and clear signs somepony had been trying to get inside. The lid was heavily scared and dented, and the lock itself was blacked and chipped, but it had refused to budge.

After scanning the room once again, I sat down before the box and twisted my head around to rummage in my saddlebags. Within a moment I had what I wanted and pulled out a screw driver and pin. Working in security had taught me a bit, and having had marefriends who liked odd kinks had taught me even more: like how to unlock hoof cuffs and run like hell while she was distracted. Needless to say, I never dated again after that. Come to think of it, maybe I should have given Bright a chance, I never did have much luck with the mares...

Carefully, I pushed the pin into the lock with my mouth and slid the screwdriver in with my hoof. Working slowly, I twisted and turned the pin inside the lock, ears perked as I listened for the clicks of the tumblers. Luckily, whoever had tried to break in had not damaged the lock. Within seconds I heard a soft click and the padlock snapped open. Putting my tools away I turned back to the box and slide the padlock off and dropped it onto the floor. Pushing the lid open with a hoof, I leaned over to look inside. I had mixed results: A box of shotgun shells which I could make use of (though I was slightly unsure of how reliable they'd be after one hundred and seventy years in a box), a few lose rifle bullets rolled around the bottom (these would not be as useful-Still, I wasn't about to just leave them behind), pre-war coins with Celestia and Luna on them would be nearly useless, as I doubted I'd run across any banks while wandering the wasteland, lastly a pile of papers, ladies and gentlecolts we have the most useless item inside the box.

Tucking the ammo and coins away, I shuffled through the papers and found little of interest, just invoices and receipts. Tossing them back inside the box, I quietly closed the lid and stood back up. A quick trot around the room turned up nothing else of worth. Checking the back doors and hallways of the building reveled half of the roof had recently collapsed and buried whatever had been in those back rooms. Turning away from the rubble-blocked doorways, I turned and moved back out onto the street.

Scanning the other nearby buildings, I decided to check one or two more before finding some place to bed down for the night. As I moved down the row of buildings I came across what appeared to have been somepony’s home. Yet, there was something off about this single building. It stood no taller then the rest, two stories. It also seemed more intact than most, no signs of any real damage to the walls...then it hit me: the windows and door were still boarded up. Clearly no pony had gotten inside yet.

Moving around the building carefully, I scanned the first and second floors for any signs of a way inside and found none. As I walked through a trash strew alley way between it and another building, I came across the back door of the home. Like the front door it was boarded up, however there were far fewer boards here. Looking around the ground, I found a rusted metal pole. Digging it out, I pulled it up to the doorway and shoved one end behind a board.

Prying the boards off the back door proved more difficult then I expected, the nails had been in the wall for so long it seemed they had rusted to it. With a grunt, I worked the piece of metal with my hooves and mouth into the space between the boards and worked it back and forth. With a creak the wood began to give way, and with another twist of the pole, the board broke in half, landing heavily between my hooves. Letting out a grunt, I set to work on the remaining boards until finally I had cleared most of them out of my way.

Reaching a hoof up to the door I started to push it open when I stopped. In the back of my mind I suddenly thought, this had been somepony’s home, and here I was breaking into it. Never mind whoever had lived here had died over a hundred and seventy years ago.

Still, I had no wish to stay outside, so with a twist of the knob, I opened the door. Its rusted hinges barely letting it swing half way open before it stopped. With a grunt I pushed at the stuck door and it refused to budge. Looking at the opening I walked up and poked my head around the corner of the doorway and lifted my Pipbuck's light up to see inside.

It was dark, and dust floated around the room from the sudden burst of air I had created, and it smelled musty. It was, however, intact. I was looking into the kitchen of the home, the stove sat nearby with several pans atop it. Cabinets lined the wall leading off towards a large open entrance in the wall to the rest of the home. Craning my neck and hoof around the doorway, I saw stairs leading up and a dark dining room.

The space the door had opened up was just wide enough for a pony to slip inside, a pony not wearing saddle bags or armour. Reaching back I unbuckled my bags and dropped them to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust that settled within moments. The armour would stay on for now. Tossing the bags inside, I managed to worm into the open space scraping the wooden door frame with my riot armour and nearly strangling myself when the strap from my shotgun got caught on the doorknob itself.

Once I'd extracted myself from the door and re-donned my bags I looked around the kitchen, poking my nose into the closed cabinets and found little of use. Most had cooking pans and pots, several of the top ones held plates, bowls and glasses. Across the counter were several appliances from can openers to a mixer. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. In the last cabinet I found a box of cereal, ‘Apple Bombs’ after checking the contents I was surprised to find them still good if a little stale.

Walking to the fridge I opened it and had a look inside. There were several bottles of water which I took, along with something called Cram and some kind of little snack cakes. I tossed them all in with the box of cereal and closed the door. I'd sort through it later.

The remainder of the first floor provided me with little else of use. I found scuff marks across the living room floor, leading towards the couch and chairs pushed against the front door. Somepony had been trying to keep something out it seems, looters perhaps? As I turned to check the other rooms, I noticed a table near the fireplace, with a picture frame sitting on it. Curiosity caused me to step closer and pick the frame up in a hoof, shining my light on it.

It was a photo of the family who had once called this home. The background was bright and green, and blue water seemed to fade off in the distance. It took me a moment to realize it was the ocean. There were four of them: an earth pony stallion stood in a flowered shirt and wearing a straw hat, beside him was an unicorn mare wearing an outfit close to her husband’s, head laying on his shoulder. In front of them were two young ponies, a filly who could not have been much older then Tiny, and a colt who looked in his early teens. All wore happy smiles and held one another. Gently I sat the frame back down upon the table where I had found it and turned away.

Under the stairs to the second floor there was a small bathroom, empty but for the normal things you'd find. I had no need for toilet paper or a plunger. Glancing to the tub and the faucet I wondered if perhaps I might not get water from one of them. But when I tried the faucet all that came out was thick black sludge that caused my Pipbuck to click loudly. With disgust I shut it off and turned to return to the living room. All that left was the second floor.

Climbing the creaking stairs from the kitchen, I looked down the narrow hallway I found myself in, and trotted carefully down it to the first door I saw. It was open, and inside I found a small bed and dust covered toys. Posters and pictures drawn by a small hoof made it clear who had once lived in here. The light from my Pipbuck landed upon the smiling face of a pony doll, the once bright pink coat and long yellow mane faded and covered with dust. I backed out slowly, the thought of rummaging for supplies in a child’s room did not seem right to me.

The second doorway must have belonged to the older child, inside was the bed and a bookshelf with several trophies sitting proudly atop it along with a baseball bat and ball. A few dust covered books sat upon the bed and the floor was littered with clothing. Still, I doubted I'd find anything of use in here and so stepped out.

Turning I continued down the hallway, I passed another bathroom to reach the room at the far end of the house. The door was closed, but unlocked and I nudged it open with a hoof. The smell should have told me to turn back, but I didn't. Shining the light around what must have been the master bed room I found my first bodies.

There were four of them, laying upon the large bed against the wall. The dry air and lack of animals meant the remains were undisturbed since...since when? One hundred and seventy eight years ago? I cast the light upon them and found myself looking at an earth pony stallion no longer wearing his straw hat and a unicorn mare holding him. Between them, the small huddled forms of the filly and colt lay still. As I moved, my light passed across something sitting on the nightstand. Walking around the bed, I found a empty bottle of water or juice and a smaller bottle of something beside it. Although I could not be sure, judging by the label on the smaller bottle, it looked as if they had poisoned themselves with sleeping pills and waited for the end to come.

Looking away I noticed the soft glow of green coming off something in the room. Sitting on a desk near the door to the bathroom was a terminal, I'd missed it before, focused on the bed and the bodies laying atop it. Walking over, I clicked on a key and found it unlocked, a list of logs opening up across the screen. Not supring all were well before the war, though a few looked like they took place the day of the bombings and some the day after the Stables had been recorded as being sealed. I highlighted one and clicked. The writing appeared across the screen and I began to read.

‘We arrived back home from our trip today. The kids are still excited about having swum in the ocean and ready to tell all their friends about everything they did. Although she won't admit it, May's looking forward to telling her co workers about our trip. The mares at the hospital had been telling her a local cop like me would never be able to afford a trip out to San Ponsisco.’

I glanced to the bed and the family laying silently in it, before clicking on another log, this one a few months after the first.

‘The Sheriff said there might be trouble soon, seems the local buffalo tribe have gotten it into their thick skulls the end of the world is coming. One of their Spirit Seer's saw green fire and wind on a vision quest recently. This damn war has got everypony spooked. Jumping at shadows and pointing hooves at supposed Zebra collaborates. I decided to start bringing my side arm home with me. May isn't crazy about the idea, but I convinced her it would be for the best. I’ve always been glad my brother bought this for me when I left home to live out west.’

With a feeling of dread I clicked on the remaining logs one after the other, reading them as I went. Part of me didn’t want to know anymore, but another part told me I’d come this far, there was no since in turning back now.

‘I was at the station today when it happened. Fig, Hotfoot and myself had all just started our shift when we saw a bright flash off to the east, towards Kanter City. The sirens began after that, it sounded like the wail of the dead. We'd just gotten outside when we saw another flash to the west, and then another and another. Each towards a major city. Green balls of fire rose up high in the night sky. It's all over. Everything. Equestria. The war. Ponies. Zebras. It's all over. Shit...I have to be strong for May and the kids...I have to figure something out.’

I clicked the next log and continued reading.

‘It was three days after the bombs fell that the first few refuges from Kanter City arrived looking for help, poor bastards, they looked like ghosts with their bodies coated in ash. Some of them were so badly burned, how in the goddesses names had they managed to cross the desert looking like that?! They were carrying whatever they had managed to save from their homes before fleeing. Most died within hours of reaching us. May said it was the radiation, and although she tried her best to save as many as she could, the last survivor died a few minutes ago. The Sheriff has suggested we start boarding up our homes and shops, in case of looting or attack from Zebras. A few of the towns folk went to try that Stable built up in the hills, but couldn't get inside. Seems it had already been sealed two days ago. Why they'd build one for a bunch of rock farmers I'll never know.

Only two logs remained, and I brought them up one after the other to quickly reach the end of this father’s struggle, though I somehow had a feeling how it ended...

‘It's been raining ash for the past four days, May said we need to stay inside as much as we can since it's likely full of radiation. The Sheriff visited us before dinner, I've never seen him look so pale and skinny. May says its likely the early stages of radiation poisoning, he won't stay home with his wife, says he has to check up on all of us. He's a braver pony then I. He told us to keep an eye out, the Clovers down the street were attacked by something, killed most of them but the youngest boy. He just said it was zombie ponies. Can this world become any more fucked up?’

‘As far as I know, we're the only family to have survived this long. I can't get an answer from anypony else and the phone lines have finally gone dead. The streets are empty save for those shriveled things staking the town. The kid had been right, as fucked up as it sounds, there's zombie ponies outside our home. They almost got in the front door but we managed to shove all the furniture against it. Still they know there's somepony inside this home now. We're nearly out of fresh water and food, May said the town’s water is unsafe for us to drink. I only have five rounds left to my side arm. I can't think of anyway to escape our home, or where we'd even go if we could. It's all gone. Already we're getting sick, the home wasn't meant to be a fucking bomb shelter. Radiation is getting in, slowly but enough. The kids wouldn't last much longer, and in May's condition..the baby...

I won't let my family suffer. I won't...Celestia forgive me for what I must do...’

I sat staring at the screen for several minutes, not noticing the fresh tears that had run unchecked down my face while I had been reading. Could I have done that? I don't suppose I could really answer that, unless I was in the same situation as he had found himself in. With a click I turned the terminal off and sat in the darkness, we'd often wondered what it had been like on the surface when the end had come. Those of us in the Stable. Had everypony died at once in the bombing? No pain? No time to be afraid?

I glanced back to the bed and had those answers now. No, it had not been painless or quick. In some cases it had been slow, like those poor survivors from Kanter City who had thought themselves the lucky ones to only die days later as their mane and coats fell out in clumps. We'd all been taught the effects of radiation poisoning in school. It was a fact of life on the surface. I looked away from the bodies and sighed. There had been fear, like the family who lay still on the bed, taking their last breaths together as their father put them out of their misery.

I was just about to leave them when I noticed a metal case under the desk. Arching a brow, I reached down and pulled it out. It looked like a gun case, we had them in the Stable for those security ponies who kept their side arms at home. It looked smiler to one my father had used and passed on to me. After a few minutes of work, I managed to pick the lock and pop it open. Pushing the lid back my eyes widened. Inside was a beautifully preserved revolver. The gun was far larger then any pistol we had back in the Stable. Colt and Wesson 500 Raging Buck was written on the inside lid of the case. Not a speck of dust or grime marred its silver finish. Clearly he had taken good care of this, a present from his brother. Reaching for the weapon I recalled the father's words. He had brought his personal side arm home to protect his family. With a flick I opened the chamber and sure enough five rounds stared back at me. Looking up to the bed I began to return the weapon back to its case but stopped. I'd only taken my shotgun with me, and a baton. If I ran out of ammo for the shotgun I'd be helpless.

Walking back down the stairs I noticed it was late and I had no time to finish exploring the town tonight. Pushing the back door closed, I trotted back into the living room. It seemed the safest place to stay the night if I wanted to get some rest and be ready to press on tomorrow. The air had become quiet chilly as night had fallen, looking around for anything to cover myself up with I saw the pile of broken wooden furniture beside the door. Moving over to the pile I began to sort through it. Carefully I tossed the larger pieces into the fireplace and found a box of matches, after trying nearly all of them I managed to get one to spark and get a small fire going. The dancing flames casting the dusty room in a soft warm glow. I wasn’t afraid of the light being seen outside, as the windows of the room had been boarded up well enough to keep most of the light from escaping. Also, it did not seem like anypony else was in town.

Settling down in the living room, I pulled off my saddle bags and checked my supplies to pass the time. With the water I'd found in the kitchen and what I had taken with me I had enough for a week, perhaps two if I stretched it. Food was a different matter, and I had only enough for a week. There was five red healing potions Doc had insisted I take, along with five Med-X and five Rad-Away. I had over a hundred rounds of ammo for my shotgun, a few rifle rounds, my baton and one revolver with five rounds.

After returning everything to my bags, I dragged a cushion off the couch and laid my head down upon it, the flickering light from the fireplace catching off the glass of the family photo beside it. The smiling happy family looking back at the stranger in their home. I closed my eyes, and began to drift off to sleep under the smiling stares of a family one hundred and fifty years dead. My last thoughts before sleep took me was if they'd be upset at a stranger in their home. Or perhaps happy their home was once again sheltering somepony or simply happy there were still ponies in the world.

It was a little past sunrise when I began to depart the home, or at least as close to sunrise as I could figure, thanks to the twilight in which the world seemed locked. Having gathered my things I made sure the fire was out and trotted past the empty table beside the fireplace. As I passed through the kitchen I turned and walked back up the stairs and down the silent hallway to the room at the end. The door was still open, and I walked inside quietly.

“It's not much, but it's all I can do for you.” I whispered softly, as I gently pulled the blanket up and over the four huddled bodies. Bowing my head I whispered a short prayer to Celestia and Luna that they were together somewhere brighter and happier than here. Before I turned to go I retrieved the family photo I had found downstairs from my saddle bags and gently sat it upon the nightstand. With a heavy heart I walked back down the hallway, shutting the bedroom door behind me and made my way down the stairs.

The town had changed little in the dim light of day, though it looked far less creepy then it had the evening before. Thoughts of zombie ponies entered my head, but I pushed them aside, it had been one hundred seventy years ago. As I walked through town I passed several buildings that looked promising for supplies but I had no time to waste if I wanted to catch up with the band of raiders. My path took me towards the edge of town and near where I'd been following their tracks. With luck I could make up some lost time, given a group of that size likely took time to get ready to travel. They had hardly seemed the most organized at times.

As I neared the last set of buildings outside of town I noticed red dots had begun to appear on my E.F.S and slowed to a halt. They were coming from the west side of town, almost following my path exactly it seemed. Glancing around quickly I didn't see anyplace I could hide, the last building I had passed was little more then a pile of rubble some half busted pipes sticking up from the ground and a few standing walls. Beyond it was the flat expanse of the plains.

With no other choice, I ran towards the rubble pile and dropped down behind a section of wall that was just barely large enough to hide me. The red dots drew closer to my position and I clicked the safety off my shotgun. Had the raiders circled back? Or was this another group? Leaning slowly around the corner, I tried to spot whoever was following me. Several seconds passed and I saw nothing moving beyond a slight cloud of dust whenever the wind picked up. I should be able to see them by now. Then I caught movement in one of the alley ways and looked closer.

A lean looking canine moved out from the shadows of the buildings, sniffing at the ground below it. Another soon followed it, and another. Mangy fur and their scruffy appearance meant these were noponies’ pets. After a few moments I counted eight of the creatures, all so lean I could see their ribs under their tan fur. Growling and snorting they began to approach me, following my scent. I loosened the baton at my side, knowing this was likely going to get ugly. I was sorely out numbered, but then I had two cards in my favor. Surprise and a combat shotgun.

I held my fire until they got well within range of my shotgun, but not until they could notice me. With a grunt I stood up ears laying back as I slipped into S.A.T.S and locked onto the nearest target. A name appeared beside the green targeting reticul, coyote. I aimed for the body of the first, and then sweep to a second and third target before released it. At once time returned to normal and my weapon bucked in my mouth.

The first round rocketed from the barrel of my weapon, slamming home and sending the canine spinning across the roadway, it's red dot winking out from my view instantly as the empty shell clattered to the ground between my front hooves. The second shot missed its target completely as the coyote jumped back in surprise as the body of my first target rolled past it. The round took a chunk out of the pavement where it had been standing. The third slug slammed into the hind quarters of the last target, blowing much of the limb away. Another red light went dark. Six to one...better odds then eight to one at least.

With a snarl one of the wild dogs lunged towards me, forcing me to step back to avoid it's fangs. I swung my shotgun at it's head, missing and instead impacted with it's side, knocking the wind from it's lungs and sending it rolling across the pavement. Another snapped at my front hooves and I lashed out missing it's head by inches. If it hadn't been for the protection of the riot armor I was wearing a third attacker who had lunged in from my blind side would have sunk it's fangs into my right shoulder. Its teeth slipped off the smooth plates of my armor instead, and I kicked out with a hoof knocking it aside with a yelp of pain.

I turned and snapped off another quick series of shots into the pack, causing them to back off a bit and managing to wound two of their number, much to my satisfaction. With a snort I backed up again, trying to give myself some room to aim. But they were not having any of it, and started advancing towards me once again.

“Pony's not on the menu you mangy bastards.” I snarled around the firing bit for my shotgun, I had six shots left in the weapon and needed to make them count. The pack of canines growled and snarled, beginning to spread out around me as they approached. Pawing at the ground I readied myself for their attack keeping my eye on the bar for S.A.T.S. it was nearly recharged and then something completely unexpected happen.

Almost as a whole, the canines began to back away. Their tails tucking between their legs as they edged away more quickly, whimpering to themselves. I grinned and nodded my head. Well then, took them long enough to realize they'd bitten off more then...they could...chew...wait...what was that skittering sound?

The large red dot approaching from behind me deflated my sudden sense of superiority over the canines. Looking over my shoulder at what was approaching me nearly made my bladder deflate.

“Holy bucking shit!”

I barely had time to dodge as a pincer the size of my head snapped inches away from my hind quarters followed by a second. As they closed on empty air that made a rather alarming snick sound. Dancing back on my hooves, I placed some distance between myself and whatever the hell this was. A wounded coyote was not so luck however, and the snapping pincers sliced the creature into two parts as easily as a knife passed through butter. With shock, I saw the animal was still somehow alive as it bleed out, its front paws working as it tried to stand up, but within seconds it was dead, from the loss of blood. As the large creature fell upon the dead canine I had time to better see just what I was up against and I was happier not knowing.

It looked like nothing more then the biggest meanest scorpion I'd ever seen, and granted I had been on the surface for only a day, this was not saying much. It was all black armored chitin and snapping claws. A sharp stinger was posed over its body on a long tail that boobed and weaved about. It moved quickly for being such a bulky creature. The head was tipped by a sharp set of fangs and beady red eyes that boiled with pure hate. In fact, the whole thing oozed rage. It was not so much eating the dead coyote as simply mangling the body for the sake of it.

A quick glance to my left told me the other canines had no intention of staying to fight this thing, and had fled back into town. At least I didn't need to worry about being attacked from behind. Racking my shotgun I slipped into S.A.T.S and targeted the things head, the name my Pipbuck gave to it seemed fitting, Rad Scorpion. I dumped every bit of power I had into three shots and once again released it. The first shell I fired seemed to do little damage, scorching the hard chitin protecting it's head. The second impacted the chitin itself and simply bounced away harmlessly. The third round struck the face and pulped one of it's hate filled eyes in a mess of gore. With a screech it started towards me snapping its claws. Great, I pissed it off.

Once again I was forced to dodge aside as it's pincher came very close to slicing through my body, somehow I doubted my riot armor would protect me if that thing got it's claws on me. One pincher glanced off my front leg armor and left a deep scratch down the plate. Yeah, not going to save my ass. I was so worried about the claws I barely noticed the stinger lashing down at me. I only caught it out of the corner of my eye, the barbed tip rushing down towards me. With a cry of alarm, I jumped backwards as it struck the ground where I'd been a moment before.

I wasn't going to last fighting this thing up close, I needed space to work. With a grunt I lunged backwards again, spinning around to run and attempted to put some distance between me and the Scorpion. Running across the cracked roadway I moved back into town, leaping across a fallen street lamp and dodging around over turned trash cans. My hooves slamming hard into the pavement as I searched for someplace to either lose this thing or gain some advantage over it. I glanced back, and to my dismay it was keeping pace easily. I couldn’t outrun it in town, and I doubted I’d make it to the open plains. Most of the buildings around me were sealed up, only one option left.

Turning, I leveled my gun and fired off another three rounds into the mass of the Rad Scorpion, I couldn't miss. But even though every shot struck, they did little damage to it. One stray round seemed to injure it's unarmored legs enough to cause it to stumble giving me a few seconds more. As the third round left the barrel, the weapon clicked empty. I was out, and I doubted it was going to give me a chance to reload.

The bulky creature went on the attack once more, ignoring it's wounds in favor of killing me. I barely dodged it's stinger and batted away one of its claws with the bulk of my shotgun, the force of the blow nearly ripping the weapon from my lips and I was afraid it had been damaged. I hadn’t time to worry about it long, when the other claw blind sided me across the head and sent me tumbling into the ground. A few warnings appeared in my vision from my E.F.S. as I struck the ground. Don’t need you telling me I’m fucked thank you very much. I dropped the empty shotgun and rolled over onto my side as it's stinger slammed into the spot my head had just been. Lashing out with my hind hooves I felt my steel shoes skid across the smooth plates of chitin. Dammit this thing was a fucking tank. I kicked out again with my hooves striking it's wounded eye. Oh, it didn't like that.

Blindly it lashed out at me with the back of a claw that knocked me out from under it's bulk and sent me rolling across the hard ground. I felt something snap in my chest, and I the world had become blurry. A dozen more warnings popped up at the corner of my eyes, snapped ribs? Great. I could hear it's scurrying legs closing in on me. Was this how it was going to end? A day out of the Stable and about to die at the claws of some over grown angry ass bug?

I started to reach for the baton when I saw the glint of steel off my recovered revolver. Five rounds was all it had. It would have to be enough. Closing my teeth around the grip, I yanked it free and entered S.A.T.S once again. As time began to slow, the Scorpion's stinger was raised for the killing blow, and I knew I'd never be able to avoid it. With narrowed eyes, I locked three of my shots onto the stinger and with the last I targeted the creature’s head in defiance, if it was going to kill me, I planned on giving it a headache at least.

As time began to speed back up I watched the stinger slowly falling towards my chest, I could almost see the poison oozing from it's sharp barbed tip. Gritting my teeth around the pistol I fired and felt as if I'd been kicked in the face by the force of the recoil. As the first bullet left the barrel of the gun, it sounded as if I'd fired my shotgun. I'd never heard a pistol so loud. Time once more seemed to slow, as the first bullet spun towards its target. It struck the stinger itself, snapping the barbed tip off neatly and with a spray of green fluids that splashed across the ground. As the second round screamed towards the tail the scorpion was still swinging towards me, and the bullet easily ripped into the chitin plating. Blood, gore and meat blew out the other side of the tail, and at last the creature realized it was in trouble. Tears running down my cheeks from the force of the kick, the third shot bombed out from the barrel in smoke and flames, the tip of the bullet striking farther down the tail, and with enough force to rip the bleeding limb from it's body.

Rearing back in pain, the scorpion screeched loudly like hooves on blackboards and nearly toppled over, dust kicking up from it’s wildly lashing legs and claws, and then the finally round flew out of the pistol, the last shot struck dead center in the creatures already wounded eye. The bullet bursting the red orb like a piece of fruit in a spray of iccor. The creatures screeching only increased as it stumbled about blindly. Surprisingly, the beast turned and stumbled away from me, crashing into a stack of rusting barrels beside a build before disappearing down a side street dragging its tail behind it. The large red dot glowing once before finally fading from sight as it either got out of range or died from its wounds.

“Well...that was not fun at all...” I muttered to myself as I lay on the ground. With a grunt, I began to roll over onto my side and bit back a cry of pain as I felt something twist inside me. Pressing my face into the dirt I grunted as the pain raced along my body. Glancing down to my Pipbuck I saw a host of injuries appear across the screen. My body was listed as crippled. Oh, that was nice, still you outta see the other guy. I must have broken a rib or two from being knocked around. I was lucky it hadn't been my neck or spine. Taking a few minutes to gather my breath I turned my head towards my saddle bag and grunted as the pain flared up. Gritting my teeth I fumbled around inside the bag before finding one of my healing potions. Wrapping my mouth around the narrow opening I brought the bottle of red liquid up to my hooves and yanked off the cork with my teeth before swallowing the red potion and laid my head back down in the dirt. Somewhere in the town, I thought I heard growling, seems the coyotes had decided to come see who had won. With a snort that blow dust around me, I laid there and let the potion do its thing, if they did return to find me, I doubted I could do much to them at the moment.

Luckily it did not take the potion long to repair the damage I'd taken, although I was left with several bruises and a few cuts and scrapes, I could at least stand and move now. I didn't dare use another, I had no way of knowing when I'd find replacements and I would likely become injured again soon, given the fact the surface seemed out to kill me. Rolling back onto my hooves I glanced to the stinking trial of blood and chitin the Rad Scorpion and left and wrinkled my nose. Moving around it, I trotted back to my fallen shotgun and picked it back up. Reloading it quickly I scanned the empty streets of town before turning and hurriedly trotting back out the way I came. Behind me I heard the howls of the coyotes as they found a easier meal then me to set upon.

As the day was drawing to a close, I had managed to put some distance between myself and Lonesome Hoof. Despite my injuries, I had made good time across the flat landscape and encountered no other trouble. Glancing up towards the horizon I looked over the still distance mountain range. According to the maps I had looked at, Kanter City was suppose to be somewhere near them. It had been built along a rail line that crossed the mountains through a tunnel that connected to another city on the other side.

After another hour of walking in silence, I reached over to turn on my radio and was rewarded with little more then static. As I scanned the screen of my Pipbuck I noticed only one station listed and smiled. Luna’s News Radio. I turned to it and at once the sound of jazz began to play filling the emptiness of the wasteland around me with music. Within a few seconds of the new song, a young stallions voice began to sing a slow somewhat melancholy tune:

“Into each life some rain must fall

But too much is falling in mine

Into each heart some tears must fall

But some day the sun will shine.

Some folks can lose the blues in their hearts

But when I think of you another shower starts

Into each life some rain must fall

But to much is falling in mine”

The stallion’s voice faded away and the music began to increase in tempo as a new voice began, the soft gentle voice of a mare:

“Into each life some rain must fall

But too much is falling in mine

Into each heart some tears must fall

But some day that sun will shine.

Some folks can lose the blues in their hearts

But when I think of you another shower starts

Into each life some rain must fall

But to much is falling into mine”

As the mare’s voice faded away, a deep deep voice picked up the words as the mare hummed away in the background in time with the music.

“Into each and every life some rain has got to fall

But too much of that stuff is falling into mine

And into each heart some tears got to fall

And I know that someday that sun is bound to shine.”

As the deep stallions voice finished, the two younger singers began to sing together, the music building to the finish:

“Some folks can lose the blues in their hearts

But when I think of you another shower starts

Into each life some rain must fall

But too much is falling in mine.”

Hmm, a rather fitting song really, I glanced to the cloud covered sky over head and smiled. Perhaps someday the sun would shine, just had to get past the rain. Rain. Wow, that’d feel good about now. I was covered in sweat and dirt from my journey. The seconds of silence from my Pipbuck made me wonder if perhaps I had lost the radio’s signal, but just as I was about to check another voice began speaking over it. A very loud and cheerful voice and one I’d been listening to for awhile.

“Goooooooooooooooooooooooood mornin’ Wasteland!!!!! How's everypony doin'? It's your ol’ pal DJ Three Horns here on the big LNR, and that was Sapphire Shores lettin’ you all know its gotta rain sometimes before the sun will shine."

“It's time for a bit of news fillies and gentlecolts, so let's dive on in before we come to our senses. Lets see, I’ve gotten reports of increased Raider activity around Girder Shade. Seems everyponies’ favorite band of crazies have taken over the settlement and are using it as a base to launch attacks against nearby Graymane and Steeldome. If you’re in the area, I’d tell you to stay clear, but you’re likely already dead."

“In other news, President Starsong’s personal aids said today the mare was still in deep talks with the leader of the local Steel Rangers, Thunderhoof, ya know the old ass buck who’s likely older then me. As everypony knows, the Rangers are insisting they be allowed into our fair cities power plants to insure the ponies in charge are taking proper care of the machines. Last time I heard, the machines were doing just fine without a Union or pay raises. As everypony also knows, the last time we let those armored goons into our fair city they nearly ran off with anything mechanical that wasn’t bolted down and a few things that were, such as things attached to ponies legs, like our Pipbucks."

"Hey, Prez, why don’t you tell those metal heads where they can go shove their beliefs?”

This was followed by a toilet flushing and a rather rude sound over the speaker and I couldn’t help but chuckle. After a moment, I heard paper being shuffled and the mare’s voice continued:

“Now, onto the weather. We have cloudy skies today, with cloudy skies tomorrow. The five day forecast is, yep, more damned clouds. Oh, there’s also a 90% chance of painful dismemberment and death right about over in this area...and a 85% chance of burning and death in this general area...and right over here, in this small ass spot there’s about a 0% chance of nothing and death.”

As the mare spoke you could hear the sounds of someone tapping a table as if pointing out spots on a map. Silence for several seconds then:

“Oh yeah, sorry this ain’t got video does it? Well, just try and stay put and don’t move and maybe nothing will come and eat you for a few minutes. Well, after such cheerful news, I think it’s time for a drink. But I leave you in good hooves, my little ponies. Up next we have Sweetie Belle and one of her classics.”

As the music began playing again I looked back to the tracks in front of me and at once began to notice a change in them. For the past few miles, they had been easy enough to see, hoof prints and deep ruts left by the wheels of carts cut deep into the dry soil. But now, those tracks were fading away almost as I watched. The wind rose up once more, and the dust and sand that I had been ignoring for the most part began to fill in the prints and cart tracks as if they had never been.

“Shit...”

Kicking my hooves up, I raced ahead down the fading tracks, trying desperately to figure something out. But it was no use, the wind only picked up and blew more dry soil across the path and into my eyes. Shaking my head I finally stopped and watched with a sinking heart as the prints faded away to nothing.

I’d lost the trail...and my sister....

Welcome to Lvl 3!!

Perk Added:

Swift Learner:

You’ve never been a slow pony, just not a very smart one.

+10% XP whenever XP is earned.

Author's Notes:

Editor and Chief: TheGamefilmGuruman

Editor: Avi

Pre- Reader: MagicLlama

Pre- Reader: Bronyken

Original Cover Art: TimeForSP

Current Cover Art: MisterMech Go. Worship his work.