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Friendship.

Something I had developed with Crystal. I had never seen a Pony so friendly before, the ones in the Stables seemed a bit crazy and…anti-social. As we entered her shack, I sat down on the bed that Crystal sat me on before and looked around at the many different pre-war posters around the hut.

“These posters, they interest you?” I asked curiously, looking around. One did catch my attention, the Pinkie Pie one, the one with the words ‘Pinkie Pie is watching you forever.’ However it did send a chill down my spine.

“They do actually; they help me imagine how happy Equestria was before all this begun. I can just hear the sound of birds chirping, the smell of fresh air. And then I come out of my imagination, and I get the foul stench of irradiated air.” She sighed, bringing over two Sparkle-Cola’s over.

“I always imagine some crazy shit whenever I look at them, for example that Pinkie Pie one.” I pointed, taking a sip of my Sparkle-Cola. “If she’s really watching us, where is she?”

“It was just her way of saying that she’s protecting you, at least that’s how I look at it.” Crystal levitates the bottle of Sparkle-Cola to her lips and sips at it. “What was the picture in your mind of the Equestria before this one?”

“Similar to yours…fresh air, birds chirping, green plains and blue skies.” I smiled slightly, letting out a soft chuckle. “I wish I was there to see it, you see…spending most of your life underground isn’t exactly the nicest thing.”

“You weren’t born in the Stable?” She asked, tilting her head in confusion. “I thought all Ponies in the Stables were born and bred there.”

“Not this Pony, I’ll tell you how…if you really must know.” I put the half empty glass bottle down and looked at Crystal.

“You don’t have to, but I am intrigued.” She sat there, looking into my eyes. “I mean, it gives us something to talk about.”

“Well, just don’t fall asleep.” I chuckled, taking a sip and then taking a deep breath. I knew I was going to regret this, but one way or another I would have to tell her. “I was living in Cloudsdayle with my mom, my dad and my sister. The Grand Pegasus Enclave offered to help us get into a Stable, the closest at the time was Stable 30. I was only five years old back then, so I can only remember little fragments. On the way there, a gang of Raiders attacked the squad taking us in, before we reached the cave the Raider’s had killed my mom and dad and taken my sister hostage. The Enclave managed to kill off some of the Raiders, but a couple of injured ones managed to escape with my sister while the fight was going on. I was the only one who managed to get inside the Stable and…ever since that day, I grew up alone. I didn’t really have any friends, only acquaintances. Then I met you, and I’ve finally met a friend.”

She looked shocked from what happened. “I’m so sorry Tornado, I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault…if anything it’s the Enclave’s fault; they should have defended my parents. Did they? Fuck no, the only thing they did was fire a bunch of shots that missed and then finally tried when my parents actually died.” I finished my drink and let out a huff. “Come on, let’s go.” I got onto my hooves and walked out. It killed me to even speak of that event again; it was one of the most horrifying moments of my life…something I didn’t ever want to speak of again.

Crystal pulled out a familiar book from my child hood. It was the ‘You’re S.P.E.C.I.A.L’ book. The feeling of nostalgia filled me as I stared at it.

“Where did you find that?” I asked, looking closer at it. “I haven’t seen one of these in a long time.” I went to grab it, but I flinched back.

“Oh, I found it in the Waste. It’s clean now; you can have it if you like.” She passed be the slightly beaten book and placed it in my hooves. “Please, take it.”

“Thank you.” I slowly opened it, revealing the first page of the book. I began to look at what was available to me, flipping through the pages. I eventually closed the book, hugging it with the nostalgia feeling growing in me.

“You’ve read it before haven’t you?” She asked curiously, leaning forward slightly.

“Of course, what Stable foal didn’t back then?” I placed it in my Saddle-Bag, “I’ll keep it by me, to remember…old memories, thank you Crystal.” I got onto my hooves and walked out of her hut.

“It’s no problem Tornado,” she got onto her hooves and followed me out. “So, it begins does it?” She questioned.

“Well, that’s for you to decide. We can either leave, or we can stay.” I spoke while playing around with my PipBuck to make sure it still worked perfectly. Success! It still worked perfectly, even though it was damaged.

“We should leave, the sooner the better right?” Crystal watched me playing with my PipBuck; she walked closer, taking a closer look at the device on my leg.

“Of course, I’m just trying to configure the map!” I started concentrating really hard until I finally managed to get the map online, “yes, success!” I said in triumph. “The map is online!”

“You managed to do that?!” She asked in excitement, “I never knew a Pegasus could be so good with technology!” She commented, looking closely at the perfectly functioning PipBuck.

“Yeah, Pegasi aren’t allowed to be good at technology are they?” I said raising an eyebrow and chuckling to myself.

“What?! No, that’s not what I meant!” She shook her head quickly and then waved a hoof. We began exiting the town, entering the deadly Wastes ahead.

“What-ever you say Crystal.” I smirk and walk ahead slightly, “where are we going?”

“Where ever the road takes us, just keep following the paths…let’s see where it takes us.” She pointed to one of the cracked roadways. The road had many potholes in it and it was decaying slowly.

I slowly made my way over to the road, placing one hoof on the ravaged asphalt. “Wouldn’t we be easier targets for Raiders?” I asked, looking over to the mare behind me. She was looking at the dead grass that danced in the breeze. “Crystal?”

“Huh, oh right…we should be fine, although it’s fifty-fifty chance of being attacked by Raiders.” She trotted over to me and stood next to me. As she walked onto the road, she looked around. “No Raiders in sight, yet.”

“Okay, sounds good.” I make my way onto the road, standing next to her. “Which way, left or right?” I asked calmly, looking left to right.

“Lucky left?” She commented, started to walk left. “My mother used to tell me about how left was lucky. Come on, I have a good feeling about going this way.” She began to gallop ahead. I quickly galloped after her, calling for her as I did.

“Hey, wait up!” I took flight, hovering after her at a smooth speed. “This’d better be the right way.” I mumbled to myself, as I glided closer and closer to the galloping mare ahead of me. We passed many desolated buildings, piles of rubble on the floor and even huge chunks of the building hanging off of ledges. Those Megaspells I was told of back in the Stable did a lot harm to Equestria.

Crystal continued to gallop at high speeds. She couldn’t hear me so I decided to call again, this time adding some emphasis on my voice.

“Crystal!?” I exclaimed, “where are we going?!” I pushed harder, managing to fly beside Crystal.

She suddenly stopped and with that, so did I. She placed a hoof in front of me, staring at a group of Ponies gathered around a bloody corpse.

“Crystal!” I looked at her, begging for an answer. She shushed me and began talking in a whispering tone.

"Keep your voice down, Raiders are ahead!” She began to shift to the right, “come on, we have to hide.”

“Why?” I asked, “why can’t we just kill them?!” I followed her closely, looking at the Raiders. The Raiders began picking at the dead body, searching for any possible loot that could be there.

“I can’t find jack shit!” One of the stallion Raiders exclaimed, “all I see is blood and some notes.”

“Shut up you blabbering idiot and keep searching!” The mare Raider hissed, “There has to be some caps on this sap!” She rotated the body onto its back. “Boys, I’ve hit the jackpot!”

“What have you found?!” A piss colored Raider asked in a deep tone, “caps, drugs, anything!?”

“Oh I’ve found caps alright, tons of them. He kept the little bastards in a small pouch!” She started taking the caps from the corpse, “come on, and grab some.”

“I’m so sorry.” Crystal whispered, looking at the corpse. The mare Raider heard Crystal and looked at where she heard the sound. She saw Crystal’s head, peeking above the rock.

“Hey, what are you doing?!” She hissed, walking over to us. Her coat was blood red, her mane was spikey and a dead green looking color. Her tail was too, her tail was short and spiky and she used her magic to raise her rifle to her side.

I gulped, oh shit. We’re going to die, we are going to die! I looked down, waiting for the mare to shoot me and Crystal.

“I will ask again!” The Raider spat, “what the FUCK are you doing?!” She stared down at us with her yellow colored eyes, showing anger and hate. She wouldn’t regret killing us; no doubt they killed that bloody corpse in the middle of the road.

“Boss, what have you found?” The piss colored Earth Pony asked, walking up to the blood colored mare. He stared down at me and Crystal once he got sight and smirked. “Ooh, look at these two Tank!”

The other stallion made his way over, he was a dark brown color and he had no mane at all and a black, short tail. He caught sight of us and let out a menacing chuckle. “Aww, what’s the matter, are you lost?” He commented, having another snicker to himself.

I glared up at them and then finally spoke. “No, we are not lost.” I spoke quietly, now looking up at them with an angry look in my eyes. “We are traveling, just like you ugly fucks!”

“What did you say little man?!” The one known as Tank grabbed me by the throat using his nearly featherless wings. “What did you say!?”

“Tank, let him go.” The mare Raider instructed. She looked over to Tank and nodded to him to let me go.

“No, I’ll snap this little shit like a toothpick!” He made his grip stronger around my neck, I found myself chocking. Crystal looked up at him in horror.

“Let him go!” Crystal shouted, “Please, let him go!” Crystal tried tugging on my hindleg, but that only made things worse. I felt my neck cracking slightly as she did and I shook my head rapidly.

“TANK!” The mare Raider boomed, “I said drop him, if you don’t I’ll put a bullet in your bite sized brain!” Tank snarled at his leader and threw me to the ground.

THUD!

I landed with a strong sounding thud, I found myself gasping for air. I held my throat, eventually getting the ability to breathe again.

“You only kill on my order, understood?!” The mare walked up to Tank. “If you kill without my order, I’ll kill you myself. Do I make myself clear?” She got no response from Tank, he just looked down. “Do I make myself clear?!”

“Yes…boss.” He looked up at her with anger, “whatever you say, boss.” He snarled at her and looked back at me.

“Now, you can kill…and make it bloody.” The mare stated, looking at us. “This is going to be too easy.”

“I doubt that!” I quickly reached into my saddle-bag, pulling out the pistol I had with my wings. I targeted Tank with S.A.T.S in the chest. I opened fire and the bullet hit him, it hardly caused any damage but he flinched and grunted in pain.

“Gah, come here you little shit!” He charged at me, grabbing me again with his wings and throwing me into a rock.

CRACK!

It left a huge crack in the rock, I fell onto my front and he charged at me again. Crystal managed to stop him by shooting him in the left foreleg. She walked up to him levitating the gun to his head.

“Any last words?!” She was pissed; she clearly wanted to keep me safe even though we just met. I haven’t been out here for one day and I’m already having my ass handed to me.

“Fuck you!” He spat at Crystal, after those words were said she pulled the trigger. It made a bloody mess, the Raider collapsed onto his side. Dead. The other two began to attack; I quickly got onto my hooves and picked up my gun, immediately targeting them with S.A.T.S. One bullet was going to hit the mare’s horn and the other was going to hit the stallion’s chest.

BANG! BANG!

The shot took the Raider’s horn clean off, making her gun just drop onto the ground. The other pierced the stallion’s leg, making him fall down in pain. Crystal went up to the mare, but before she could speak I stopped her.

“I’ll handle these two Crystal.” I walked up to the mare, pointing the gun at her forehead. The barrel made contact with her head.
“Give me one good reason to why I should not kill you now.”

The mare Raider was shaking in fear, looking up at me. “Because…I surrender!” She hugged my right foreleg. “Please, I beg you…don’t kill us.”

“Not a good enough reason.” I pulled the trigger, blasting her brains out. The blood splatted onto the ground as she died with her eyes, wide open. I made my way to the stallion that was looking at me with a brave look.

“Oh so you’re going to kill me, just like you did with her?!” He grunted, holding his wound. “Fine, go ahead; you’re no better than we were!” He grinned at me. “Death is so much better than having to live in a world like this.”

“You got that right.” I pulled the trigger, showing no mercy at all. His blood splatted onto the ground, with some parts of his brain there too. He died the same way, with his eyes wide open.

“Is that the last of them?” Crystal asked, looking around the barren Wasteland before her. She couldn’t see any more Raiders, but she didn’t have the best view either with all the different rocks and boulders out there.

“For now, we’d best get moving before more come.” I placed the gun back into my saddle-bag, checking the bodies for anything. I picked the rifle up that the mare was carrying using my wing, after inspecting it I placed it into my saddle-bag. I picked up some of the rounds lying around the mare’s corpse, before looking at Crystal. “There’s nothing else.”

“Let’s get moving, come on.” Crystal trotted back onto the path, I followed her closely. I checked for any Raiders.

“It’s all clear.” I commented as we walked down the road. “So where does this take us?” I looked at my PipBuck, but a location was not displayed. It was just a map of the Wasteland.

“Manehattan, it’s a long journey but we’ll pass some small villages on the way. So we should hopefully find a settlement by nightfall.” She said trotting ahead. I was looking at my PipBuck, standing in the middle of the road. “Come on Tornado, we need to hurry.”

“Oh, I’m coming!” I caught up with her, checking any signs for settlements.

We passed a sign that stated:

Manehattan, 70 miles.

“So, seventy miles…right?” I asked, walking with her. The sickly green sky, started to turn a darker shade of green.

“Yep, seventy miles until we reach our destination. It’s getting dark, we have to hurry!” She ran ahead. Again I found myself calling for her.

“Hey, Crystal! Wait up!” I galloped after her, passing many skeletal, dead animals and Ponies. We passed a billboard that was advertising Sparkle-Cola. The metal was rusted and the actual advertisement was decaying, with the paper cracked and ripped.

“We have to hurry. Unless you want to be mutilated and eaten up by Hellhounds, I suggest you hurry up too!” She galloped ahead, leaving me in the dust. Literally! Dust flew back into my face, causing me to cough and shake my head. I quickly galloped after her, finally catching up to her.

“Can’t you just slow down a little!?” I asked, starting to lose my breath. I couldn’t stop; maybe she was right…what happens if we did stay out here at night? Hell I don’t know, I’ve haven’t been outside the Stable in years, and back then, I was only a young foal.

“No can do, we have to keep moving.” She noticed an upcoming sign; this was made out of rusted sheet metal and had paint onto it. Presuming it was a shanty town.

This sign stated:

New Appleloosa next left

“New Appleoosa!” Crystal exclaimed, “they’ll have somewhere for us to rest!” She quickly darted left, me having to stop and gallop after her.

“Hopefully it isn’t dangerous.” I called for her, “the last thing I want is to die on the first day out of the Stable.” I managed to catch up with her again.

“You’ll be fine, trust me.” She called back to me, giggling slightly. We galloped towards the town, in hope of finding a town and not a rundown settlement.

“All I can do is hope right now.” I responded with a sigh, “It’s the only thing we can all do.”

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Footnote: Level up!

New perk: In-between the Eyes, this perk makes your shots 20% more accurate and also increases damage on headshots by 10% when using pistols.

Current level: 2

Next Chapter: Chapter Three: Radigators Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 25 Minutes