My eyes adjusted to the bright light of the clouded sun as we trotted out of the small apartment shack we were sheltered inside of. The first thing I noticed was the giant black pillar of a tower that alone was wide enough to contain the entire mall that I had met Cait inside of, and was tall enough to breach the cloud layer. There was a definite lean to the colossal pillar though, as if something had shoved it roughly to one side, and following it down I lost track of the tremendous feat of pony engineering as countless small structures of buildings were between us.

Grey was moving without me and I did my best to catch up, my hooves clanking against the metal floor. Wait metal floor? I looked down, and was welcomed with the view of sheet metal, with the occasional change in a fencing material that gave me a more than ample view of a bottomless pit below the city. I'll admit that when I saw the giant pit below me, I almost took to the air, disguised or not. As is, I bolted to the solider looking plate metal pathways and tried my best not to look down at the terrifying abyss below. I think it was the fact that I couldn't see the bottom of it was that bothered me the most about it. At least I knew why it was called 'The Hole' now. The entire city had been built into the side of the massive pillar, and far off I could spot a large bridge that was the only way in and out of the massive industrial.

Too soon the fermented stink of Brahmin, and the noisy sounds of many ponies bartering over different odds and ends alerted me that we were drawing closer to the market and as we rounded a corner of a cleanest road I've ever seen I was met with another wonder of the wasteland. It was in fact the largest amount of ponies I had ever seen in one place. There were Merchant ponies selling their wares, Mercenary ponies no doubt looking for work or already employed, wastelanders, drug addicts, drug vendors, even a few open bars with ponies looking for a good time both alcoholically and physically.

There were enough ponies down the road towards the tower to make me take another look as well, groups of ponies wearing leather jackets and a fancy hairdo that all looked alike, two ponies in white attire stood outside the entrance to a rather posh looking building labeled with the sign: 'Mercy's Diner', who had a rival apparently in all black right across the road labeled, 'Decadence Casino'. Down a long road stood several more major permanent shops and we ducked into what I presumed was the town's general store.

The smell of the wasteland gave out for an intoxicating minty type of smell coming from offending little cardboard looking trees hanging on the ceiling of the shop. Around the walls however was a massive collection of items while a pony of bright blue fur and a green messy mane was at the front desk which was in fact built into one corner of the L shaped shop. Further back I could see a second pony, a dark grey stallion with a dark brown and red mane who was wrapped up in a blanket and nose deep inside a worn book, somewhere in the room a radio's voice rang out a slow and steady melody and as Grey came ahead to the clerk she smiled, "Welcome to Wub and Sub, center of Hole's general needs. I'm Wub, and my brother back there is Sub. I handle the general needs of wasteland survival like food and water as well as a various amount of miscellaneous collectibles, tools, and gear that you may or may not probably need out here in the wasteland."

Sub looked up from his book and muttered just loud enough to hear, "And I handle weapons and armor, as well as the more important explosives around the place."

Grey walked past Wub, "We're here for a battle saddle for the lady." Sub whistled, looking up at me and once more I regretted being a good head taller than the average pony, normally I would don a disguise more of the average size of a pony but since we needed the saddle custom fit to my normal body, my disguise was that of a unicorn mare of the same size and shape as me, my wings hidden, and the true nature of my horn and hooves hidden behind the magic.

"For a second," Sub growled, "Thought an Alicorn walked in, too bad shes still shorter than them, that and the missing wings. What're ya? A half breed?"

I shook my head, but Grey spoke for me, "She's just a unicorn. Don't worry yourself over much about it. What saddles do you have in stock?" his grim line seemed to falter at the few badly worn saddles on the walls, "And what do you have in good condition?"

Sub was equally grim in apearance, though his emotions were that of constant anger since before we had entered the shop, the scowl that was constantly on his face only reinforced my notion that this stallion was constantly angry, "Depends, you workin' for the clans?" he gestured to me.

The Clans? What did that word even mean? I gave him the only response I had for that question,"The what?"

He gave me a quizzical sort of mix between disbelief and a glare, "The Clans? The 'Big Four'? The Queens, Knights, Bishops, and Castles?"

"Sound's like a regular chess game," Grey commented, sarcasm heavy in his tone of voice, "Who's the pawns?"

Sub facehoofed and my ear perked to Wub giggling at the joke. He rolled his eyes a moment later when his tone was still grumbling between a growl and a hiss but it seems whatever had him pissed off faded somewhat, "Definitely not a Clanner. Alright, come with me. Better wares in the back." he didn't pause as he flipped over an ordinary looking soda bottle and a section of wall nearby popped open for us to trot through.

The hidden room was small, but it was a dream of modern weaponry and equipment. Weapons and armor lined the walls behind a miniature jail cell and Sub turned to face us, "So you said she needed some stuff? As you can see I have everything from pistols to grenade rifles and then some. Nothing in perfect mint though like the Guntrotters, but it'll all last a lot longer than what we regularly sell out front." he muttered something under his breath about Celestia's butt and Guntrotters.

"We need a battle saddle suited for all equestrian races." Grey dug through his bags and took out a small bag of caps, two hundred or so and I could of sworn I saw the pupils of Sub turn into caps for a second. I rubbed an eye to clear it and make sure I was seeing it right but when I looked again they were still pupils.

Sub put on a considering look, "Hmm. How much is in there?"

"Two hundred Caps." Grey said without hesitation, then pointed at one of the nicer saddles that decorated the back wall. It wasn't ordinate like the other saddles but built for utility. The pink and black one next to it however... With smooth wing shaped and decorated metal plates covering where the cutie-mark was supposed to sit... I had to stop myself from drooling.

"Three hundred fifty." Sub replied.

"One hundred and fifty." Grey answered in a complete deadpan.

Sub rolled his eyes, "You're supposed to barter upwards not downward you old coot."

"One hundred and twenty five." Grey replied in return.

Sub turned his expression to me, "He ain't serious is he?" I shrugged.

"Losing my patience here boy." Grey muttered.

He hadn't finished saying the last word before Sub had replied Two hundred fifty."

"Two hundred and twenty five."

Sub whined, "I'm trying to feed a family dude, Two forty."

"And I'm trying to protect mine, Two thirty." Grey responded without an ounce of sympathy. I resisted the urge to cringe.

"Two thirty five, those things are hard to make and gather intact. I'll even throw in a spare replacement strap."

The corner of Grey's mouth twitched slightly upwards for a moment, "Deal." He pulled out the extra caps and placed them in the bag while Sub sighed and flapped up to go grab the saddle. Wait flapped?

I looked again, yep, flapping. He had wings! Previously covered by the blanket he had been wearing like a makeshift cloak, with his wings beating steadily in the air while he unlocked the jail door and nabbed the harness from its pole. Grey tossed Sub the bag of caps for him to count through and once the merchant pony had finished counting them out he gave a nod and I grabbed the battle-saddle in my magic, lifting it over to lay on my back, I assumed we'd put it on in privacy where we could adjust the straps without ponies freaking out my normal form. I couldn't help but feel a bit iffy with it though, still wanted the pink and black one, it was just so... Cool...

Grey started to trot back and talk with wub and I snapped out of it, "Got any .308 ammo perchance?" I asked Sub.

"lots of it." he said offhoofedly, as though bored with the conversation, though thanks to my cheating changeling sense I could still feel the greed rolling off him underneath his anger, "Four caps a bullet."

I took out some of the useless stuff i've collected throughout my groups trip thoughout the wasteland, some useless odds and ends like toy cars, a few toasters, empty bottles among other small odds and ends, "How many for all this stuff?"

He eyed it over once, and sighed, "twenty rounds, not enough worth in this stuff for what ammo goes for."

I passed him over 400 caps to raise the total to 120 rounds. Something I had learned rather quick was that you could never have too much ammo and from the rate I had expended them, this would last long enough to hopefully get where we were going and back without too much worry. When I gave them to him he pratically was crying in joy for some reason. "Thanks for your business, come again soon!" He called off after us while I hauled the ammunition into one of my few bags that seemed all but glued to my sides since leaving the stable.

I nodded and waited for Grey to get done with his buisness with Sub, from the looks of it he was gathering a small stash of medical supplies so I didn't question it, after my recent experience with the Aqualights I was going to suggest it that somepony else should carry some healing materials as well in case I went down under. My chitin shivered, remembering the dark voice of Roggar, just what was he anyway? A figment of my imagination? A dream? But it had been so vivid...

"Aria? You awake in there youngling?" Grey questioned again, waving a hoof in front of my face.

"Yes..." I responded, blushing lightly, the actions transcribing the physical action from my chitin to the disguise to compensate, "Just lost in thought is all. Sorry, something you need?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Ready to go, want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, "No thanks, just thinking over something I saw while I slept.

He ushered me out the door, "You are getting a bit older, though were they vivid?"

"Very." I responded not getting what he was getting at.

He offhoofedly remarked as we trotted back down the streets, "Was it in a green like area made of honeycombs?"

What? My nose scrunched up, "No... It was a dark cave. Why would it be that?"

"Just checking to see if your ability to communicate to the hive was growing in. Usually doesn't start until a changeling reaches his or her teenage years, but it has been known to happen earlier occasionally. I only know what it looks like thanks to the reports." Right, Grey used to work for them. Forgot about that. My eyes wandered to the fake plastic prosthetic leg he had, it was making a thunk sound in comparison to each clank the other hooves made on the steel roadway, and we lapsed into silence until we reached the shack we had taken temporary residence of in the town, "Thanks by the way." I muttered quietly.

"Hmm?" he said, tilting his head around to look at me.

"For everything you've done, you know, getting me out of the Stable and joining us here and everything." I rushed the explanation.

He gave me a long considering look before giving me a slight smile, by Celestia he smiled, here I thought his face was locked into a permanent frown or scowl, "Kid, it was nothing, just doing what any sane pony should do. I may be all sorts of things, but I ain't a slaver like those Scientists. Even if they did make their own army rather than take it." He rolled his eyes, the slight smile returning to it's usual downcast frown, "They had something particularly nasty planned, and I couldn't stand it anymore, as for what it is that they planned, that's a conversation for another time."

I opened my mouth to comment but he had already unlocked the door and began to push it open, "Now lets get you inside that battle-saddle shall we? I bet that dog of yours would love to see you in it. Both of them."

"I'm not a dog!" Cait called from the inside. I trotted in after Grey and Cait waved at us, "Oh and welcome back Aria, what we miss?"

I unshouldered my bags and Scrapyard came up to lick me, his mouth open and tounge lolling out of his mouth after wards. I ruffled the top of his fur with my bad hoof, seeing as I was using the good one to stand and Grey remarked, "Got Aria a saddle." I noticed he didn't mention the medical supplies though.

I added in my own bit, "Also got some more ammo for Ambush, was running a bit low on her and I had the caps to spare."

It was true in a way, I didn't know why, but with getting caps back in the Eternal Flame, I had been rather picky with what I spent them on, I was however starting to save up a small fortune thanks to all the jobs we turned in during our stay in the Eternal Flame, and with any luck we'd get a lot more in the future. I think it might be because I never had money before and actually owning something, even if it was just bottle caps, had grown on me. Vaguely I wondered how they all of them fit into a bag, but that was a science for ponies far smarter than I in the ways of the universe. I don't even know how my pipbuck sorted the items to make all of my bullets fit into a tiny inside pouch of my bag, or the opposite bag's pouch for caps.

Turning my attention back to Cait and Grey as they chatted about the road ahead I noticed something new in the room, an dirty but intact envelope that had been sealed shut with a wax stamp. "What's this?" My question brought a halt to the conversation they were having to a stand still and Cait made a placating bored gesture, "Somepony dropped off a letter earlier, said it was for you," he paused for a moment, "Well more specifically, 'Lovebug'." he chuckled.

I turned it over and pulled it open with my magic, taking the letter out and read it aloud for them, "Dear Lovebug, Sentinel, and the Mysterious Stranger, You have all been invited for a private interview with Mr.Hoofington of the Vanhoover Broadcast station in the big tower of the hole, top floor. Pop in ASAP. Snacks and beverages will be provided, and any and all information talked about will be respected by your wishes if you wanted them shared on the radio. With regards, Mr.Hoofington's number one assistant. P.S. Show the letter to the guards and they'll show you right up. Squiggly line, bad representation of a heart, and a smiling sun."

Cait chuckled, "You're not supposed to read a picture Aria."

I passed the letter to Grey, "What do we do?"

Grey read it over and shrugged, "Why you asking me? You need to work on your leadership skills anyway, last I saw they were a big flat C minus on the classroom roster."

"It's probably a trap isn't it?" I muttered, it sounded too nice, there was no way this wasn't a trap, especially with how fast Mr.Hoofington seemed to get news around the city.

"Probably." Cait grinned, "Though i'm more curious to why they called Grey the 'Mysterious Stranger'. That's a new one, and I listen to the radio at every opportunity I could back in the bunker." I mentally noted that last part.

Grey growled, "It's not new, it's pretty old, before your time at least, and no, I do not want to talk about it."

Time to get between them and change the topic, if Grey didn't want to talk about something, that's that. It would take somepony moving the moon and sun into an eclipse inches from Grey's face to convince him otherwise, and while Cait was strong, he wasn't that strong. "Well they did offer us snacks. Let's go." I began to march like a true leader towards the door again, I didn't expect however my glorious attempt at leadership to be cut short by a saddle though.

I tripped over my momentarily forgotten battle-saddle as I had attempted to leave, reminding me of it's presence and the fact that I had originally wanted to put it on, "After..." I groaned, "We get the saddle on..."

Scrapyard bent down licked me in the face again, covering my face with his saliva and barking merrily. Sometimes I wish everything was as cheerful as Scrapyard. But then again, if everyone was that cheerful I think I'd go insane. Well, at least there was one level headed member of our team. Even if the rest of us were drastically different. I took the time to ruffle up the fur on top of his head again. Alright, Saddle first, Interview after.

Xp Footnote: 95% until level up.

Note Added: The Hole: The new found capital of the Vanhoover district, where you can find just about anything for the right amount of caps except for slavery and legalized murder. This town is under the leadership of Mr. Hoofington, a pony which no one has ever met in person except for his assistants. Below him are the four clans which caters to a majority of the tourists who visit the tower built city known as the Clan's, or if your being a bit overly formal, the chess pieces.Besides that the Hole serves as the home of several smaller caravan companies who wander the wastes to trade with various nearby towns like the Eternal Flame and Little-Hoof. Please ask more ponies for more details on Mr. Hoofington or the factions known as the Queens, Knights, Bishops, and Castles.

Next Chapter: Chapter 22: Radio Trip Estimated time remaining: 11 Hours, 9 Minutes