The morning sunlight poured through the shades of the window, covering the majority of Jason's face with the brilliant light. As he began to stir, a scowl appeared on his face while a certain mass of fur began to stir. Dogmeat began to stretch out atop the sheets as a yawn escaped both, his and Jason's mouths. Jason squinted at the thin layer that protected the window from his hateful gaze as he began to sit up.

"Fucking balls of plasma, always ruin my sleep," he muttered while arching his back, eliciting several loud pops to bloom.

Dogmeat merely jumped off the bed and shook off his tiredness while Jason groggily removed himself from the comforting embrace of the mattress. When his hooves made contact with the wood, he began to stretch in a manner similar to that of his canine companion. With a twist of the neck, Jason felt himself awaken inside as well, before he began to walk for the bathroom.

\\\\\\//////

Luna hastily scarfed down the delicious morsels the chefs had prepared for her morning, not bothering to enjoy the taste as the events she had seen plagued her mind, along with conversations she held previous with her beloved sister. To think that she would be trying to keep something hidden was... not, unheard of, but still managed to scrape at the Lunar ruler's nerves.

The massive doors opened up to reveal the pristine white coat of the elder alicorn, along with her pristine golden robe and frazzled mane making an appearance. Were they in any other situation, Luna would have taken the time to smirk and make some playful quips at her sister's condition. The Guards, however, were showing great proof of their training, remaining stone-faced at the sight of their ruler in such a state. Celestia made some grumbling sounds as her blood-shot eyes began to scan the table.

"Good morning, Tia. Did you sleep well?" Luna asked.

The Solar deity began to groan in her throat as a cup of caffeinated ambrosia began to float towards her.

"Sister, do you have time to discuss something?" Luna spoke, placing her silverware to the sides of her plate.

"Mmm... Later... have to... letters..." she trailed off, making her way to the exit already.

Luna sighed as she rested her head onto the undersides of her front hooves.

'She's truly dedicated to our ponies,' Luna thought to herself. 'Perhaps it be best if I try and focus on these gangs for now. Besides, Ponyville still stands. Twilight and her friends have faced terror before.'

She closed her eyes and thought back to what that dream, that memory, had shown her.

'Please let me be right.'

\\\\\\//////

The sound of a porcelain throne sentencing the lowest denominator to the depths of the underworld rung out in a joyous tune in Jason's ears as he exited the bathroom. Upon entering the small living area, he was greeted by the sight of Dogmeat sitting by the door, scratching at it. Jason walked over to the door and began to release the locks as Dogmeat rose to his paws. When the door opened, the canine rushed out and down the stairs, out of the Wanderer's sight in a second. Jason smiled lightly before turning back to the gear he had set up for his new occupation, and began to don his duster.

\\\\\\//////

Apple Bloom placed the broom carefully back into the closet that held other cleaning materials with a smile, admiring her own skill in the chores of the Apple homestead. She closed the door and trotted towards the kitchen, excited to start her weekend on a high note. When she went through the arch between rooms, a sudden red blur came around her barrel and hoisted her up before a hard surface began to rub against her skull.

"Mornin' Bloom," a familiar deep voice greeted with the messing of her mane.

"Cut it out, Mac!" she giggled out, failing to escape the grasp of her brother.

When the assault on her head ceased, so did the small bout of laughter that followed. Apple Bloom was paced back onto the ground as the large red stallion smiled down at her.

"Doin' alright?" he asked.

"Eeyup!" she answered cheerfully.

Big Mac nodded before moving a seat from the table behind him. The filly hurried into the seat before the stallion pushed her chair in to greet her with a healthy breakfast of Wheat Flakes cereal, milk, and a glass of orange juice. Apple Bloom looked up to the calender by the door and scanned it for the current date.

"Ooh! It's been a month! Time ta go get another batch o' herbs from Zecora!" she stated gleefully.

"Guess Ah'll get ta work on tha farm's extension later today. You stay on the path when ya go ta her, alright?"

Apple Bloom nodded rapidly before digging into her breakfast.

\\\\\\//////

Jason tightened the final harness on his bags as he heard a sound from the entrance to the room. At the door was Dogmeat, wagging his tail as he strode in. Jason gave a quick rub to his companion's side with a hoof before heading to the door himself. The two stepped out together and looked out over a small section of Ponyville. All around, children played in more numerous quantities than the previous day. A quick glance to his Pip-Boy later, Jason could guess that it must be Saturday for this place as well.

"Kids. Better keep a close eye on 'em," Jason muttered to himself and Dogmeat.

They turned to the left as the door closed behind them, locking on its own. The two began to walk all the way around the upper level of the building's exterior, having learned only recently about the opposite end's preferred method of elevated travel. As they approached the downward slope, Jason noticed a gleaming in his sight. He turned his head to search for the distortion, and found a pair of gold-armored pegasi that were patrolling.

The Wanderer began to slowly walk along the descending angle of the walkway as the clanking of metal plates began to ring in his ears. Just as his hooves hit grass, there was a voice that called out from behind him.

"Excuse me."

Jason slowly turned his head to meet the gaze of the approaching figure.

"Are you the new Regulator?" he asked.

"That depends on who's asking," Jason replied.

The white stallion let out an amused huff of air.

"You duster-wearing show-ponies all act the same, you know that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you need?" Jason asked.

The second one slowly approached as he spoke.

"You never came by the Guard Post to confirm your status, give an address for payment, or anything. Somepony had the idea of keeping some of the pay to themselves instead of giving it to you. So we'd like it if you could come over to the station and start filling out the paperwork."

Jason looked between the two for a second.

"How long is this gonna take?"

"Depends on several things, but this could take more than a couple of hours."

He gave a sigh before turning towards the two.

"Lead the way, then."

\\\\\\//////

Apple Bloom trotted along happily as she thought about what her day could bring. She thought about the crusading that she and her friends could partake in, listing possible ideas that they hadn't tried yet in her head. Also going through her mind was the time she could spend with some of her older friends later on. At one point, she thought about going to see Rainbow Dash practice with Scootaloo, or maybe even helping Fluttershy with her animals.

Before she knew it, the barrier of bushes and trees that made up the boundary of the Everfree was already behind her, giving way to a view of the interior of the forest. She peered deeper in, looking around for any wildlife that could try and spring on her. As she cautiously made way through the familiar path, a number of yellow eyes began to follow her through the bushes.

\\\\\\//////

Rune sipped at the cup in his hooves, tasting the essence that filled the small wooden object. As it began to flow down his throat, he let his senses take hold of him as he felt a burning sensation run up the back of his nose. He dropped the cup and slammed his hooves down to steady himself before the same fluid began to coat the floor as well.

"Well... that's expired," he said between spitting out the juices and taking in shaggy breaths.

A large yellow-green hand came to his side as a massive shadow cast over him.

"Are you alright?" came the voice of Fawkes.

Rune managed to nod a bit while wiping his mouth.

"I'm fine. I think I should have tried to insulate those herbs a while back. They were supposed to be edible leaves."

A pat on the side from the Meta Human reassured the zebra as he looked around for anything to clean the mess.

"So Fawkes, continuing where we left off, you said that you don't actually need to worry about your physical body?" Rune asked while moving towards the shelves.

"Not exactly," Fawkes started, "though I can heal at a rapid pace, I can only recover from so much. If I were to take too much damage, to the point where all of my regenerative cells are overworked, then I would indeed die."

"Fascinating."

Rune opened a cabinet door and found a large staff within. A smirk appeared on his face as he reached in for it. Once it was in his grasp, he backed away from the walls of the hut and gave it an experimental twirl.

"Even better," he said with a grin.

Fawkes looked over to him and watched as the staff began to swing around in Rune's grasp. As the zebra moved, his motions seemed to merge with the staff, turning it into an extension of himself as they flowed together. Once Rune stopped, Fawkes spoke.

"That was impressive. Is it a technique you learned?"

"Indeed," Rune replied with a chuckle. "I learned it from the Temple of the Patient. We specialized in fighting virtues for when we would need warriors to defend. My sister took a few lessons, but ultimately decided upon the Temple of the Wise. That's where the greatest minds in the tribes learn of our most sacred of ways. I'd say that the variety of masks and symbols is the most prominent evidence that she's a fully fledged adept of their teachings."

Fawkes nodded as he examined the tribal masks that hung on the wall, just along his midriff's height. He slowly ran a massive hand across its surface, closing his eyes as he took in the texture.

"You seem to be more akin to this sort of thinking," Rune observed.

"What you've told me about your people's beliefs reminds me of the Zen philosophy I read upon while I was... occupied. The focus on how desire can destroy, the right intention... and even so much as the same path that one must take... to achieve peace."

Rune smiled as he examined the gentle giant feel the carvings that read out into the symbols of the Temple of the Wise. As the zebra moved to place the staff in a corner, a high-pitched scream rang through the air, causing both of the hut's occupants to turn to the source.

"A young one," Rune breathed out as he moved for the door.

Behind him, Fawkes picked up his large metallic club and let out a growl. Rune raised a hoof to him before speaking.

"If it were something you need concern yourself with, we would feel the chase from here, as you did the rock monster. Who ever screamed is being attacked by something small, most likely wolves. I can handle simple beasts like those."

Fawkes looked down at the weapon in his grasp as he let out a sigh.

"I might scare them as well," Fawkes added as he placed the weapon on his side.

The zebra gave him an apologetic look before opening the door and bolting into the forest as a cry for help rang from the trees.

\\\\\\//////

"Somepony, help!" Apple Bloom screamed as another Timberwolf jumped towards her.

She had found safety in the embrace of a branch that she had jumped onto after being chased by the hunters. All around the base, three wolves circled and gnarled at her, snapping up at her every few seconds to remind her of their intent. Hot tears fell down her face as a cold sensation ran down her left side, where one of the beasts had swiped at her moments ago.

Before she could scream again, there was an impact on the opposite side of the tree, where bits of wood flew past her face in seemingly slow-motion. She turned to see what had caused the impact, and saw a familiar fur pattern assault a blur of wood that flew below her. When the two blurs made contact with the ground, she had a good look at the figure as a Timberwolf bounced into the bushes.

The figure was a zebra, no doubt, but as Zecora had defined feminine curves, this one was sturdier and more blunt, giving it the shape of a stallion. As opposed to the Mohawk that the familiar zebra had, this one had long, stringy hair, much like Rarity's mane during the Poison Joke incident. A core difference, however, was the fact that it was varying between black and white instead of purple. This zebra also had some golden rings around their body, but instead of several around the neck, this one had a majority of them around his legs. He stood in an awkward pose, leaning on his left appendages while his right hind leg shot out, his right fore leg holding a staff in the bend of his elbow.

Without a word spoken, he shifted his legs across the dirt and swept the staff below the closest beast, knocking it over in the blink of an eye. In the same motion, the zebra carried the momentum with a twist of his torso before bringing the staff down onto the airborne neck of the wolf. The instant the Timberwolf made contact with the ground, a snap echoed through the area as the eyes of the beast went dim, bits of wood going limp seconds later.

The zebra remained in the position, keeping the staff in the crook of the wolf's broken neck as the remaining two began to circle him. Apple Bloom switched her gaze between the wolves and the zebra, waiting for one to strike first. The Timberwolf on the right of the zebra pounced with a great leap, almost gaining enough height to reach the filly's branch. As it flew above, the zebra jumped towards the opposite end of the staff and switched the grip. He rolled onto his back as the wolf came down, but not before parrying its charge with an upward swing from the inverted position.

In that same moment, the second wolf bounded towards him with its maw wide open. Just as it was about to sink its wooden teeth into his flesh, the zebra rolled above the predator, using its movement to his advantage. Once he was parallel to the back of the wolf, the staff failed to be stalled by the resistance the dirt offered, and flew beneath the two at an awkward angle. The zebra, however, adjusted his grasp and rolled his form while keeping the staff beneath the foreleg of the Timberwolf. A whine accompanied the snapping of wood as the two rolled across the dirt twice. When the zebra stood up, he swung the staff across his back and watched as the wooden beast's eyes flickered and died.

He gazed at the final wolf and stood still as stone, waiting for its attack. The wolf, however, examined the corpses of its brothers and gave a growl before running off into the depths of the forest. The zebra let out a deep breath as he relaxed his posture.

"It's safe now," he spoke.

Apple Bloom blinked three times before slowly releasing her grip on the branch she was perched on. When she did, she looked below before hopping down onto the dirt. The filly looked up to the Zebra to see him approaching with a smile on his face.

"You must be Apple Bloom," he said happily.

She looked up at him with slightly wider eyes before answering.

"Uh, um... yes?"

"Do not worry, I've only come for a visit to see my sister."

"You're Zecora's brother?" she asked with renewed interest.

"Indeed. I am Rune, of the Temple of the Patient."

"Temple of the who?" Apple Bloom asked with her head cocked to the side.

"I can tell you later. For now, however, we should return to her hut. It's much safer there."

The filly nodded and began to move down the path before a ring-clad fore leg came up in front of her.

"Before you go in, I want you to know of a certain... guest, I have invited to stay. He is tall, with skin of green and yellow, and packed with muscle. When you see him, know that he will not harm you in the slightest. Do not be afraid of him."

Apple Bloom thought about why she was being told this, but remembered how everypony reacted to Zecora at first. Since this was her brother, he more than likely heard about when she was thought of as an evil enchantress.

"I want you to give him a chance before you pass any judgement, alright?"

"Ah promise."

With that, Rune turned and led them both down the path to the hut. When it came in sight, Apple Bloom noticed a thumping sound inside that shook the ground slightly. She gulped down a lump in her throat before approaching the door. Rune moved ahead of her and swung it open, revealing the form of the "guest".

It stood incredibly tall on two legs, almost hitting the high ceiling, even with its hunched-over posture. The skin of it was indeed a sickening blend of green and yellow, looking almost like an infection. There were bits of clothes that were shredded across its body, as if it grew suddenly from a smaller form. It turned to her and showed its strained face.

"Is this who was screaming?"

"Indeed," Rune said while walking inside the hut. "She's a protege under my sister, from what I remember in our letters. In fact, she was the first one to actually welcome her to their town."

Apple Bloom slowly moved into the familiar hut, eyes locked on the massive creature before her.

"Apple Bloom, this is Fawkes," Rune stated.

Fawkes bent one of his legs forwards and leaned down to the filly, who was now petrified in fear. His meaty hands began to close in on her face as she closed her eyes. What she felt, however, was the sensation of her mane being pulled at. She cracked an eye open and saw the large being adjusting her bow. Apple Bloom blinked a few times, remaining still as Fawkes grunted slightly while tightening the knot without pulling a single strand of her mane.

"There," he said in a deep, throaty voice. "Sorry if I scared you. Your bow... it was falling to the side a bit... thought you could use a hand."

The filly looked up at the giant as he stood up again. When he did, she smiled up at him and spoke.

"Thank you, Mister Fawkes."

"No need for thanks. I'm a bit surprised you didn't try to run and scream, though."

"Well, Ah was a bit scared when ya reached for me, but then I saw that you were just helpin' me, so there's no reason ta worry, right?"

When Apple Bloom finished speaking, the corners of his mouth seemed to pull up a bit from their already strained position.

"That means... very much to me."

Apple Bloom watched as he began to walk towards another part of the hut, where a large metallic box and... tool, were placed.

"Mister Fawkes," Apple Bloom started, "if ya don't mind me askin', what are you?"

He gave a low growl in thought as he began to lift the large tool and box, revealing a complex bag that laid in the corner.

"I prefer the term 'Meta Human,' but most refer to me and... similar others, as 'Super Mutants'."

"Going on from that," Rune spoke from another corner of the hut, "what is the difference that you imply there?"

Fawkes set the device onto a cleared table, along with the box it was attached to, as he spoke.

"What most know as 'Super Mutants' are generally known as monsters where I'm from. They abduct innocents, attack the weak, and are hostile to everything that isn't one of them or their slaves."

Apple Bloom's pupils shrank as she took in a sharp inhale, along with Rune, who almost dropped another expired herb.

"Slaves?" Rune spoke. "As in captured and forced to labor?"

"Just like monsters would," Fawkes replied with while taking apart the long metallic tool.

As pieces of it were set aside, wires were exposed to the open, or more specifically, to Apple Bloom. Her eyes set on the workings of the device, she began to approach both it, and the gentle being that disassembled it.

"Are there more like you? Those that rebel in their ways?" Rune asked, his words unable to breach the filly's ears due to set curiosity.

"There may be, but I have yet to see any. All I know is that they've... succumb to their most basic of instincts, and have surrendered all kinds of cognitive thought... and run on only rage and an urge to kill."

"What sets you apart, then?"

"I spent two hundred years trapped in a small room, with no recollection of who I was at one point. I could only keep myself... awake, you might say, by reading about the world outside."

As he spoke, the filly present hopped up next to the table and looked over the strewn out parts of the device. She gasped in awe at the different pieces, seeing them click apart in Fawkes' hands. The Meta Human noticed this, however, and moved his hands to let her see it.

"Would you like to learn about this device?"

Apple Bloom nodded subconsciously as she spoke.

"What is it?"

"This," he patted the side of the device, "is a device known as a 'Gatling Laser'."

Author's Notes:

Dear God above, what is this?

I set out to make a small story that I thought would flop around like some kind of overused joke, but look at this. Almost 1,000 upvotes within the span of a few months. This fandom really is wonderful, and I want to thank everyone that's reading this. I wouldn't have been noticed by an internationally recognized college without all of you, and I can't begin to think of a way to repay you all.

Special thanks to JB von Herb for the new cover for the story, go check it out!

More coming soon (hopefully, I'm starting to fall behind in school so I have to switch gears for a bit).