Chapter 7: Attack

The following day, Midnight and I left the old fuel station to a much clearer and more visible day. It was rather dark still with the heavy cloud cover however we could see the buildings begin to come into greater perspective as we could see the city of New Saddle come into view. Between us and the tall buildings were elevated highways that were collapsed in many areas leaving huge expanses of road on towering concrete pillars.

The ground was covered in about half an inch of snow from the previous day as we trudged towards New Saddle while I kept an eye on the EFS.

My EFS began to show lots of red blips showing all kinds of random “Hostiles” most of which were just radroaches and other insects that could be bucked or hit which would be enough to kill them. Most of the hostiles were not even hostile unless we walked within two feet of them. I turned the radio on and listened to beats from Sapphire Shores, Sweetie Belle and Fleur De Lis.

Midnight kept getting me to sing and I just shook my head. I couldn’t sing in front of other ponies. Not even Midnight.

Midnight could hold the tune quite well but sounded scratchy at times. I laughed when her voice slipped or broke and she kept nudging me moaning “Aww Amethyst sing with me. C’mon”

“Argh, Midnight. Really?” I moaned.

“Yes, sing… come along.

“We all live out in Equestria

In this homeland we call Equestria

Oh the love we give for our princesses

For the Luna of grace and of Celestia the noble”

I cringed and joined in.

“We all live out in Eques—“

Midnight broke off looking at me a little stunned.

“I-I’m not that that bad am I?”

Midnight shook her head a said, “continue, by yourself.”

“But I’m bad” I moaned.

“No you’re not. Sing please. For me?” she whinnied “Please.”

Ugh “Fine.’ I grunted

“-love we give for our princesses

For the Luna of—“I felt my voice slip and facehoofed.

“Amethyst, you are actually an alright singer” Midnight advised.

I looked at her waiting for her to laugh, or to make a joke. But she didn’t.

“You’re kidding aren’t you?” I told her, my eyes squinting at her suspiciously.

Her face held straight and she shook her head.

“Really?” I asked feeling a little light. Singing was fun in my opinion. I never did it in front of anypony, normally while alone in my room or when at work.

She nodded “really. You should sing more Amethyst.”

“Nah not now thanks” I muttered. Even still I was too shy to sing in front of anypony. Not even Berry.

Thankfully too, three green blips appeared on my pipbuck as we walked and took a look at who it was. A single pony with a giant two headed cow and a small flying robotic phoenix were approaching us.

“Ahh, a merchant” Midnight told me as she approached. Midnight then flew up to the ragged earth pony mare with me picking up my pace.

“Howdy” the mare said saluting us. Midnight landed in front of her and extended a hoof which the blue earth pony mare took “Hey. Whatcha got for sale?” Midnight asked looking at the two headed cow.

“How much is that?” I interrupted pointing a hoof at the robotic phoenix.

“Oh, she’s not for sale. Can’t sell mah pets can I? Only thing that keeps me sane” the merchant told me.

I expected that and the merchant turned back to Midnight.

As Midnight bartered, I took a look at the two headed cow. What a mutation I thought. Why does she have a two headed cow? I mean I could see it carries the merchants stuff.

I looked up at the merchant “You don’t happen to have any guns?” I asked.

“Ahh… No sorry. I sold them all to a town just over there.” The merchant pointed a hoof behind her.

“Oh. Ok” I muttered. I wanted to see if I could pick up some better guns for cheaper. But that idea blew away in the wind.

“Anyway” she said turning to Midnight, “Ah’ll catch ya’ll later. Great doing business”

“Bye” I murmured watching her walk away with her pet robot and cow.

“What did you get?” I asked as Midnight as she packed tins into her saddlebags.

“Food, for your squeamish stomach.” She advised

“Hey that’s not fair” I mumbled.

“Feel like more meat tonight?”

“No” I mumbled. “Thank You” I added as an afterthought.

“Why do you want another gun?” Midnight asked me curiously

“Well… The shotgun is good when close. But it’s still a little big for my liking.” I told her, “a smaller gun, like a powerful but small gun.” I felt dumb. I did not know enough about guns to know what kind of gun I was after. It was probably a good thing that the merchant had no guns. It would have saved me the embarrassment.

Midnight put a hoof to her chin “I suppose we can take the day off? Head into town, spend the night? Have a wash?”

Now that was an idea. “I’m in” I said giving Midnight a hug before quickly withdrawing flushing slightly. “Which way?” I asked in a bid to not stray into awkwardness.

“Merchant says this way” Midnight advised pointing a hoof in the direction the merchant was moving from.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Sure enough, after a 30 minute trot we found ourselves through the security gate and in the town of Hoofling. This town lacked the majesty of Cantal. Unlike the spires and cobblestone streets, this town was mostly made of train carts, trucks and scrap metal. Some were piled on top of each other to create two or three story buildings. The ground was mostly just dirt.

The town’s ponies however were bustling between shops, or else talking or working.

“I think we should probably find the tavern first. We’ll need to grab ourselves a room” said Midnight. I nodded taking in the town’s atmosphere but received a clop to the head “Pay attention Amethyst.”

Rubbing the back of my head I asked “Where’s the tavern?”

“Dunno?”

“Excuse me?” I asked a passing peach mare, “Where can we find accommodation?”

She put a hoof to her lip then told me “That building over there.” She pointed at a rough four story building mostly composing of box cars piled on top of each other and held together with sheets of metal. It was towards the back of the town.

“Thank you” I replied turning to Midnight “it looks a bit rough, but it’s got to be better than spending the night inside a tiny metal garden shed.”

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

After checking into a room it was time to check out the merch’ here. I wanted to go to the gun shop rather badly. I did not know what spurred me on to buying guns, or being interested in tools designed to kill.

When we entered the shop which was laden with all kinds of firearms, I took a look around with Midnight at my hooves.

“Can I help you?” asked a young stallion from behind the counter.

“Uhh…” I mumbled “What kind of small firearms do you have?”

The stallion bustled around the counter and showed me over to a cabinet laden with pistol sized guns “These are our smallest guns. If you are after a small but powerful firearm then you are best to go with the magnum.” He pointed a hoof at a small gun with a large barrel. The scope on it was almost as large as the gun itself.

“How much is the magnum?” I asked looking at the rather mean looking and rather sexy firearm. Wait, did I just think a gun was sexy?

The shop keeper put a hoof on his chin before saying “I think 175 caps is more than-“

Midnight shook her head and told him “175 caps is a bit much, we’ll take it for 125 caps.”

The stallion shook his head “Sorry. I’m not letting it go for that low.”

“I’ll buy it for 140 caps” I piped up looking at the gun “I’ll buy bullets for it too.”

He looked at me biting his lower lip “I’ll give it to you for 150 caps.”

Smiling I nodded as the shop keeper pulled out his keys and unlocked the rusty lock on the cabinet and pulled out the rather large and mean looking pistol.

“What bullets do you want for it?” he asked me placing the gun on the counter and pulling out a variety of boxes containing bullets.

“Type? Don’t all guns just have bullets?” I glanced at Midnight.

The shop keeper sighed “This gun supports .44 bullets; we have a variety of ammo types. Standard, Armour Piercing, Explosive, Poisoned…

The armour piercing ones sounded nice so I asked “How much for the armour piercing rounds?”

He looked up at me and said “13 caps each.”

Fuck that was a lot I thought so I asked Midnight “is that right?”

She nodded “That’s actually quite cheap. Armour piercing rounds are expensive.”

I looked back at the shop keeper and asked “I’ll take twenty five standard rounds.”

He nodded placing a box of twenty five .44 bullets next to the gun I was buying. I then hesitated and finally asked “How much are the explosive rounds?”

“5 caps” he mumbled.

I nodded and told him “I’ll take 10 rounds of them too please.”

He pulled out 10 individual red ringed bullets and placed them on the counter “Is that all?”

I nodded and he grunted “That’ll be 275 caps.”

I pulled out a little sack of caps and placed them on the counter. He began to count and I turned to Midnight “Are you buying anything?”

“I’ll be fine” she replied “I have plenty of rounds.”

“Ok” I intoned as I strapped my new gun to my barding in the leather holster it had come with.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

“You’re going to get drunk aren’t you?” I asked when we went back to the tavern and went to the bar for some drinks.

“Probably” Midnight responded as she started drinking her cider.

I couldn’t help but facehoof as I took a sip of my sparkle cola which filled my mouth with the carroty deliciousness.

I still hadn’t had the chance to bath yet and was reluctant to go to the bar but Midnight pointed out most of the ponies there smelled anyway. “And I smell too remember?” she pointed out.

She didn’t smell as bad as I did. In fact her aroma turned me on if anything.

Midnight and I talked over our drinks until a burly looking buck sat himself right next to me. He turned and started “Howdy... New in town?”

I nodded and struck a conversation “Yup, just passing through really and staying for the night.”

The stallion ordered a whisky from the bartender and took a sip before smacking his lips “Where you two gal’s off ta? Mighty dangerous fer two young mares like yerselves out in the wasteland.”

I glanced at him slightly offended that he didn’t think mares could hold their own in the wasteland “we are doing fine. We’re off to New Saddle.”

“New Saddle ehh?” He murmered “Mighty posh that place, kinda like Tenpony I guess, best be getting there quick, its cold out.”

“Yeah, it’s been a bit cold.” I muttered thinking of the tin shed we slept in.

“Where ya from?” he grunted

“Uhh, I’m actually from a stable” I murmured.

“Stable ehh? Which one?”

“Eighty six, it’s… uhh, near Ponyville I think” I told him

He glanced at me with the corner of his eye “Ah heard ya on the radio bout a week back, DJ says you took out some raiders.”

“Well…. Yeah I did, but it was to save myself see. I didn’t do anything noble.” I told him.

“We’ll ‘s been nice meetin ya white mare. The stallion then trotted away.

I blinked as Midnight mumbled “asshole.”

I just shrugged and ordered another Sparkle Cola.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

After a few drinks and some conversations later, a group of ponies began to play live music. I simply listened, soaking up the music as Midnight slowly but surely got more and more drunk.

“Hey everypony” Midnight shouted to everypony in the tavern which was now about twenty or so, “Let’s get Amethyst up to sing, y’know the mare from the radio who saved those ponies.”

Everypony went quiet and I tried to hide “Midnight no, please.”

The band had stopped playing and was resting so Midnight began to push me up to the stage. I dug my hooves into the ground to try and resist. She lifted me and placed me onto the stage. In front of a microphone.

“Midnight” I moaned, “I can’t. I’m dirty and I can’t sing”

Midnight just shrugged as she told the bartender to put on Ode of Equestria, by Sapphire Shores.

The music began to play and I was frozen on the stage. All the ponies behind tables, drinking or smoking, some stopped playing cards to look at the white filly on the stage who was apparently going to sing for them.

My eyes watered… I knew the words to this song and the first part was about to start… I just gulped and sang to save me embarrassment of just standing there to playing music.

“We are all ponies from the land of Equestria

“We are the fighting nation

“We must be quick, swift and here… we will sing the ode of Equestria

“Ode of Equestria

…….

With the final note “Ode…. Of... Equestria….”

I looked at the ponies and many of them clopped their hooves, some of them gave me a whistle causing me to blush. That went better than expected I thought.

That still didn’t stop me from jabbing my hoof on Midnights chest telling her “I will get you for this.”

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

The band was playing again and I started to soak up the atmosphere. As most ponies were doing, I was clopping to the music as Midnight steadily drank next to me. The band finished with a final strum of a guitar and the band members all nodded at each other before starting a new upbeat song.

I ordered another sparkle cola and continued to listen to the music. “Midnight you ok?” I asked glancing at her.

“m’fine” she mumbled

“I’m going to take you up to the room soon. You have drunk way too much.”

Midnight shook her head and smiled at me “m fine Amethyst, ‘onest”

I shook my head “thirty minutes then we are going up ok?”

She nodded sipping her drink.

BANG

BANG

My ears perked and everypony in the tavern froze. The band stopped playing. Some ponies pulled out guns while others looked at each other.

BANG

Booom

It was getting louder. Some ponies rushed up the stairs and the band members stepped off the stage.

The bartender pulled out a rifle in his teeth and dashed out the door.

“Whats going on?” I shouted, “Midnight?”

I shook Midnight but she didn’t move. She was breathing heavily. I thought she might have passed out.

The doors to the tavern burst open and about 10 mean looking ponies entered the tavern, they all had guns.

“Everpony freeze or I’ll blow yer brains out” the stallion at the front shouted.

I froze my heart pounding. I glanced at all the ponies. They were all heavily armed.

“Now… Hand over all yer valuables, caps or anything of worth. Refuse and we’ll take yer life.”

I still had my new gun with me. However it was not loaded and the glow of my horn would probably prompt them to shoot me.

The bandits went around to everypony in the tavern and robbed them of everything. While they were robbing everypony I could still hear gunshots in the distance. Some bandits also took items of worth from the tavern as well as the ponies.

“Is this all ya have? Worthless slime”

BLAM

They shot an elderly stallion sitting at the table in the head right in front of us. I began to shake, my heart pounding. Finally they moved onto me.

The stallion looked at me. A mean smile appearing on his muzzle “Give me all ya got, all yer money or any valuables.”

I nodded still shaking and found my pouch. It only had 50 caps in it. I grabbed it by hoof and passed it over not looking at him.

“Whats this?” he growled “The little filly outside had more caps than you.”

“It’s all I got” I mumbled shaking still “I don’t have any more money.”

He glanced at Midnight “Well then… We’ll just take yer friend instead.”

“NOO!” I shouted throwing myself on top of Midnight.

“Get back bitch… and don’t move.” I felt something metallic push against the back of my head. I knew exactly what it was. Still shaking, I withdrew from Midnight and another stallion picked her up and took her away. Tears began to form as I watched Midnight get taken away. All alone again.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I dashed outsite pulling my magnum out of its holster and loaded it with explosive rounds. Anger spurred me on as it came crashing down in waves, my eyes streaming with tears as I saw a bandit rob an elderly mare. I aimed my new weapon and fired. The gun was about three times louder than my shotgun and with a heavy jolt, the bullet hit the bandit in the side of the head. The bullet exploded upon impact showing the ground in gore.

I felt no remorse as I looked at my EFS for the next bandit.

Bang

I heard a bullet strike the ground near my hooves. I looked for the culprit. It was a unicorn mare who was roughly my age. I did not care as she shot another round at me. She was as responsible for me loosing Midnight as the ponies who took her away.

I felt a bullet hit my barding with a punch, slightly bruising my breast. I shook it off and entered SATS. I fired twice. My first shot missed only just and hit a barrel causing water to go everywhere. My second hit her in the foreleg and it stood no chance. It had severed completely and she hit the ground bleeding out. I turned away and was now facing four bandits against me alone.

I slid into a battle stance and growled. The one in front laughed at me “four on one? Are you some sort of hero?”

“Maybe I AM!!” I screamed at him. “Give back my MIDNIGHT, You took her… give her back or… or… I’ll”

They all laughed again and I took advantage of that.

Bang

The first bandit hit the ground as I jumped back and wrapped my magic around the very dirt on the ground and flicked it up to obscure myself. Unfortunately that worked both ways. I couldn’t see them and they started firing blindly through the dust.

I ripped a sheet of metal from the side of a building and pulled it up like a shield. I then wrapped my magic around all the little dust particles and threw it further up into the air, bringing the remaining ponies back into view.

I pulled my sheet of metal up as they fired then threw it at one of them like a Frisbee which sliced at his neck in a burst of blood. He hit the ground partially decapitated. I pulled up SATS and fired an explosive round at the second mare which hit her in the breast. It blew away part of her barding which took most of the impact but left her mortally wounded. She collapsed onto the ground breathing deeply.

I fired at the final bandit who had dared face me. Face me when I lost the pony I had come to know, the pony that had a special place in my heart. My gun only clicked and I felt my rage increase tenfold. I had finally cracked.

I screamed while tears fell as I ran at the final bandit. He fired but missed. I bowed my head and drove my horn through his breast. I felt the blood and gore splatter the top of my head and felt the warm ooze of blood leak down my forehead into my face. I pulled him off me telekinetically then drove my hoof into his face repeatedly screaming until I felt his face cave in from my blows. I threw his body away from me and it hit the wall of a building with a bloody crunch.

I reloaded my magnum with five standard shots before looking through dark streets screaming out for Midnight.

“Midnight, where are you? Midnight? Midnight?”

I fell into the dirt and cried, banging my hoof into the dusty ground. “Midnight!” I screamed feeling my voice tear.

I heard a voice from behind me “Excuse me missy but are you looking fer a white Pegasus mare? I saw her get taken away not too long ago.”

I turned and the old mare that I saved from getting robbed was standing before me.

I threw myself at her hooves “please, where did she go? I need to find her. Please… Please…”

The elderly mare said croakily “I saw her get taken thata way” and she pointed a hoof behind me, “towards the old train station. That’s where they came from.”

“Thank you… Thank you so much”

She shook her head “Thank you… for helping me, for helping us.”

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

After collecting my own saddlebags and filling them with Midnight’s medical supplies, I dashed back out and towards where they had been seen. I ran as fast as I could with a stitch building in my side however I ignored it.

I ran up to a train station where a large train was pulled into. Bandits were loading it with their loot and there were way too many for me to get onto the train without being noticed. I pulled the trick once again, wrapping my magic around a large amount of dust and dirt. I threw it across the train station imitating a temporary dust storm. I dashed up to the train wrapping myself in my own field of magic to lighten my weight and jumped into one of the carriages. My only hope was to get to Midnight as they were getting off the train so I waited. It was the longest wait of my life until the train began to pull away from the station.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

The train only travelled for about half an hour before it began to slow down. Finally with a lurch the train stopped. I felt my heart quicken as adrenaline began to feed into my body making me feel jumpy. Bandits were beginning to unload the train of their stolen goods. I jumped from the train and dived beneath it waiting. I checked my EFS and could only see red. I waited, watching pony hooves bustle around the platform with boxes, sacks and other larger items.

Finally my EFS picked up a single green light. I poked my head around the wheel and caught a glimpse of a pony surrounded by a group of other ponies carrying a white figure, a tuft of white mane dangling inches from the ground. My heart jumped. Midnight, she was here. I watched carefully and they took her into a warehouse. I couldn’t risk leaving the underneath of the train, I would surely be caught. The train was pulled up at a concrete station and I could not use the dust as a distraction.

A group of ponies stopped right next to the carriage I was lying under. They were talking and laughing. I could smell cigarette smoke. The putrid smell made me want to gag, but I could not make a sound. I would get caught.

“Bah, that town was easy feed, should get some good caps for the lot.”

“Yeah as long as that idiot doesn’t sell our loot for cheap like last time. Fucking idiot.”

I felt my throat constrict and I coughed, my lungs just could not take it anymore.

I jumped behind a train wheel as ponies looked under the train. A pony poked his head around the metallic train wheel and looked right at me. I screamed. He screamed too however I pulled out my gun and shot him. I crawled along under the train as other ponies screamed out.

I rolled out at the opposite side of the train and dashed around the back of the train. I locked on with SATS and shot the three remaining ponies dead before reloading. I then dashed across the platform and into the warehouse where I saw them take Midnight. The warehouse was a maze of wooden crates twelve feet high. My EFS was blazed with red across my compass.

I snuck around the boxes as ponies loaded or shifted boxes trying to be as stealthy as possible. But as inevitable as it seemed, I came face to face with a bandit as I turned a corner and jumped out of my skin when I saw him. Before he could pull out his gun I fired, blowing a hole into his head.

The whole warehouse fell silent. I could still hear the echo of the magnum reverberating on the walls of the warehouse. Before I knew it, I was locked in combat with six ponies. I pulled a box down with my magic and used it as a shield while I fired around it, utilising SATS as I killed each pony that would dare stop me. Stop me from rescuing Midnight.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Finally, I reached a corner and on my EFS a green light was visible. I looked around the corner and saw Midnight in a cage, still unconscious. I prayed to Celestia that she was still ok and  jumped around the corner where two guards stood next to the cage. I entered SATS and shot them both.

“Midnight” I wailed “Oh Midnight.”

She did not respond. I looted the two guards of ammo and the keys. I unlocked Midnights cage and found her on the concrete floor. She was bruised and had a few cuts. Her feathers were sticking out at odd angles. I felt rage swirl in my head as I saw that she was hurt but was thankfully still breathing. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Stop right there” a mare bandit shouted “Don’t move.”

I stepped in front of Midnight and fell into a battle stance, “Or what?” I shouted, “You’ll just let me go?” I noted that there were four of them and one of me and I was now in a cage. I could not leave Midnight in case they would shoot her.

“No… we’ll sell ya to Red Eye, or Zenzorth. Whoever gives most caps.”

I stomped and levitated my magnum into position “Fuck no.”

I hit SATS and shot her twice, both bullets hit the target and the moment I left SATS I pulled up my shield which instantly took three bullets and faded. I levitated Midnight and ran out of the cage and dived behind some crates and put her down.

I swapped to my shotgun and rolled from my cover and fired at the next pony twice manually. Both shots missed. I dived back into the cover of the crates. I was such a bad shot when aimed manually. I needed to wait for my SATS to recharge but it was too slow so I jumped back around and fired again. This time I hit my target, only just but it was enough to render his hind leg unusable.

“Stupid bitch. Come out and face us, face your fate, we will have you. And we will get you. We’ll get you and fuck the both of you until you both bleed. Who knows? We might get some foals and we can sell them too.”

“Fuck you” I bellowed, “You’re sick, you lot deserve to be put down.”

“What are you some kind of hero, some kind of pony of the light, you will make no difference.”

I dived around the crate, this time with my magnum and shot the stallion who was shouting at me. I missed his head but it hit him in the breast.

I ran up as fast as I could and entered SATS and killed the other two ponies.

The pony that was shouting was still alive. I pulled out my shotgun and shot him in the head.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I wrapped a bandage around Midnight’s sore leg and patted her feathers down. I sat on my haunches and pull her into a hug attempting to seek comfort from her limp form than anything. I cried with relief that Midnight was back with me and I was no longer alone I was with my friend again. I felt myself draw more strength before pulling her away and giving a small kiss on her nose before tying her onto my back.

I dashed out looking for more bandits. I was by no means done. The pony responsible for hurting Midnight and kidnapping her was going to face my wrath.

I saw a red blip appear on my EFS and saw that it was a stallion lurking around. He was in bandit armour and had a gun levitated next to him. I snuck up on him before wrapping my magic around the gun and overpowered his own magic before pointing it in his face. I faced him, my nose less than an inch from his.

“Who is responsible for this? Who is your leader?” I growled through gritted teeth. I withdrew and pointed my gun between his eyes.

“In-in the building out back, the taller one, top floor.” He gasped looking scared. I looked into his eyes.

BANG

I dropped him and galloped outside to the building “out back.”

I ran into the other building. It was an administration building judging from the old office layout inside. From the outside I could see that this building was about three stories high and the top floor wouldn’t be too hard to get to only if it wasn’t from the red blips on my EFS radar.

I snuck through the ground floor with Midnight on my back. I had proven quite stealthy I thought. That was until I slipped over and with Midnight throwing out my balance I hit the floor with a yelp and before I knew it I heard an alarm go off.

Jumping to my hooves with my magnum levitated in front of me, I dashed towards the stairwell. Only problem was that ponies were in there. Lots of ponies which all had guns. I jumped back and almost lost my balance, Midnight was rather heavy and I was not very swift with her tied to me. The option to put her down was not on the table. I would not let her further away from me than against my own body.

I activate SATS and shot the first three ponies that came into the ground floor before hiding again.

“Where is the intruder? She shot dead three of our ponies.”

“Search the place, let’s go.”

I had no idea how I was going to get out of this, but I wanted this operation to be shut down. I wanted these bandits done, I wanted them gone so they could not steal another pony away from anypony else.

I looked around to see what I could do to fend off these ponies. There were way too many for me to fight. All I could see was terminals, desks, lamps, and dust bins, everything that would otherwise be useless. Then I looked up and saw turrets which turned out to be powered down. They were not shooting at anypony either, at me or them.

I dashed up to a terminal and plugged my pipbuck in and hacked the computer before bringing up the console. I wrapped my magic to the desk nearby and pulled it over for better protection. I then activated the turrets and dived for cover.

The air exploded in gunfire from the turrets. I could hear ponies scream and yell out. I sat under my desk listening to the sound of all the ponies on this floor die, sounds of gurgling, crying and screaming. I suddenly felt a wall crash over me. What had I just done? I had just ended the lives of over 30 ponies. I looked at my forehooves. I had just killed ponies that were just doing as they were told, all in the name of surviving. They didn’t kidnap Midnight. The pony at the top of this building deserved to die. But did these ponies deserve to die as well?

I began to cry as the realisation of what I had done crashed over me. I gasped, trying to remove the sounds of screaming ponies from my head. I then turned the turrets off again. I never meant to kill or hurt, I was trying to survive as these ponies were trying to do. I felt like I had just lost part of myself, part of me, and part of my soul. What else would this wasteland throw at me?

Getting a grip on myself I said out loud “No. I am saving Midnight, I am a good pony. Some things just… have to be done.”

“A-Amethyst…” Midnight groaned. She had finally come round. “Thank you… Thank you for saving me.”

“Wait how do you know you were kidnapped” I mumbled quietly

“I woke up in the train and they beat me up for not having many caps.” She mumbled back to me. “And don’t beat yourself up about killing these ponies Amethyst. You did the right thing.”

I looked at the ground feeling slightly better. But it still could not drive the screaming ponies out of my head.

I telekinetically threw the desk aside revealing a scene I was not prepared for. Pony corpses everywhere. I tried to ignore them as I made my way to the stairwell and made myself up to the third floor. There were few ponies on this floor which thankfully I could just shoot with my gun once and not a thousand times while listening to their screams.

Finally I pulled the door to the main office so hard the hinges broke and the door came off. I threw it aside as I saw the pony I had come for. The pony behind the desk was a trussed up stallion. He was quite old, who wore a rich black tuxedo and a monocle.

“Why what do we have here?” he said in a rather high pitched voice.

I pulled him up telekinetically and pushed him against the wall “Who are you, why are you doing this?”

He gave a little laugh “I am Count Jasper. I am the owner of the company here. I supply numerous goods to various towns and hamlets. And why… What I am only doing? Making a living of course.”

I pushed my magnum against his head “You are a vile slimeball. You deserve to die, how dare you attack a town and rob it. How dare you steal my Midnight from me. You dare, you should die.” I pushed him harder into the wall and pushed my gun harder into his head.

“Some things must be done dear girl” he said without an ounce of fear in his voice, “You talk as if what you have seen my ponies do is an uncommon occurrence out here. It is not. We must do what we must to survive. Survival of the fittest.”

“Survival of the fittest?” I asked exasperated “You are living like a king” I snarled taking note of the golden furnishings, clean carpet and crystal chandelier “You are a monster.”

He smiled at me “Haven’t been out here long have ya dear girl. The wasteland’ll eat ya out from the inside. I assure you that what I have done is nothing to what other ponies have done.” He gave a little cough and finished “Do ya really think killing me is gonna fix anything. The wasteland will be the same, ponies will be the same. No one except for the ponies at my employ will feel a thing.”

I stared at him. He was right. Raiders were worse. But ponies like him steal ponies and goods from other towns to sell it right back to them. That did not make it right. Killing him would not make a world of difference.

I felt a pit of anger begin to rise as I found a source of blame. I needed somepony to blame for what happened down there. I could not live with myself as a mass murderer. I growled at him “Those ponies down there, your ponies… They did not need to die. They died because of you. For you. You are the pony at fault for their deaths, not me. I’m sorry mister Jasper but you are a snake, and the snake must have its head cut off.

BANG

He fell to the floor with a thud. I breathed a sigh of relief as I collapsed onto the ground bawling my eyes out. Why? Why do ponies do this? Why must this place be so cruel?

“Amethyst. Stop crying, it’s ok” Midnight cooed.

“No it’s not” I moaned, “I just killed over 50 ponies out of revenge.”

Midnight shook her head as she untied herself from the bundle of ropes “You did well. You couldn’t have saved me and those ponies.”

I gasped and nodded. I knew many of these ponies deserved to die. That one who threated to rape myself and Midnight certainly did. But for the rest? They might have had foals or families and I had just slain their source for caps, for survival.

“I feel like shit, I’m sorry for putting you through this” Midnight mumbled, “I should not have drunken so much.”

“It was nothing” I mumbled “I thought I lost you. I could not handle the thought of being alone again. I would have died trying.”

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

Midnight and I were now on the train platform. We had to battle to stragglers who had remained behind on the platform while Midnight rested nearby. It did not take long and the last few bandits fled leaving my EFS free of red. By the time I was done I almost collapsed due to exhaustion. I checked my pipbuck, it would be daybreak soon and I had not slept a wink. My body ached and I wanted nothing more than to sleep. Instead of falling asleep on the platform however I trotted over to Midnight and asked “How are we going to get this train back to Hoofling?”

She pointed at the front of the train “The train ponies of course”

“They are not going to do that for free surely?” I mumbled “If they don’t try to attack me for killing their employer.”

Midnight shrugged “Point a gun at them and demand them to take you to Hoofling?”

“I am not going to do that” I growled

“I dunno, offer them a sack of caps?” she suggested

“They are not our caps to give” I told her blatantly

“Does it matter? Give them the caps and give Hoofling the train” Midnight suggested

That actually made sense. I wandered up to the group of train ponies with a large sack of caps. “You lot, take us to Hoofling and I’ll give you these caps.” I said in a would-be confident and demanding tone.

“How much is there?” the front stallion asked

“uhh… 10,000 caps about” I told him, “Share them amongst yourselves.”

“Sure thing, get on and let’s go” he neighed.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

We were back on the train and we were both in the passenger wagon. I was resting on a passenger seat with Midnight next me. I felt so tired and Midnight kept asking me questions on how I found her and what I went through to find her. Though, inevitably I ended up drifting off to sleep.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

I was walking through the corridor of Stable eighty six. The buzz of the lights filled my ears and the clop clop sound of my hooves echoed on the metallic floor. I knew exactly where I was and where I was going. I turned into the filly’s bathroom and walked in. Three ponies were already there. One had a large paintbrush and was writing on the wall. It was Glenda. I turned to leave but the door shut magically.

“Well, well, well… look what we have here girls” Glenda sneered “the pathetic excuse for a unicorn.”

I looked at what she was writing on the wall. In large foot long letters across the back of the bathroom she had written ‘Amy Days is a Lesbo Bitch’

“Like my message do you? Yeah you are a lesbo bitch Amethyst, you need some stallion. Oh wait… you can’t get any.” She laughed and her friends laughed with her.

I could not believe the length that this pony was going through to make my life a living hell. Seriously.

I just shook my head and told her coolly “I didn’t know that message was about me. My name is Amethyst, not Amy. You can’t even spell my name right.”

Glenda just laughed “You and I know who we’re talking about here, so does everypony else who steps into this bathroom. Maybe you should just run off to that slag you call a friend and go cry to her. You are a little filly after all”

I turned to leave. I didn’t have time for this but Glenda locked the door shut. I turned to her “Let me out.”

“No”

“Let me out” I demanded

“Why would we do that? It’ll ruin the fun.” She said smirking at me.

“What’s your problem Glenda? What have you got against me? Just spit it out so I can move on with my life.” I growled at her “Too bored to do anything else?”

“Not really, you’re just a door mat. As a door mat your job is to be walked on”

“What?” I said exasperated “Are you stupid?”

She gave a giggle “No that’s you Amethyst… So is it true you got caught in the bathroom having sex with Berry?”

I felt taken aback. For one I had no feelings for my friend and would not have sex with her even if she asked me to. I stammered “Excuse me? No… And shut the fuck up… I’m not the one who sleeps with everything that moves. That would be you Glenda. You’re the slut here. You must have done every stallion in this stable by now.”

“Ohhhhhhh” her friends gasped as Glenda inflated before me. Her horn glowed and I dashed to the door but not before being lifted into the air.

My horn flared too and I tried to break it but her magic was a lot stronger than mine so I fell limp before saying “ok, let’s get this over with.”

Once again my head was in the toilet as Glenda pushed me face first into it laughing and giggling like the stupid mule she was. Once she and her friends were bored they dropped me on the bathroom floor crying and once again the punching bag. I could not believe I was fifteen and still got my head dunked and picked on as if I was in grade school. I picked myself up off the floor and looked at the writing that Glenda had written in scarlet blazing letters across the stainless steel wall ‘Amy Days is a lesbo bitch.’

I finally went to the toilet for what I had come here for, then left feeling deflated and upset. I took some comfort that the smooth stainless steel wall would not let the paint stick to it and next time I entered the bathroom it would be gone.

I exited the bathroom and found Berry in one of the corridors “Afternoon.” I mumbled

Berry looked at me “You cannot be serious Amethyst. Not again.”

Wow I thought. She didn’t even ask. “It’s nothing” I mumbled “really.”

She just shook her head and said sternly “You need to stand up for yourself Amethyst, Glenda just walks all over you. You’re like a door mat.”

“I know” I mumbled “She told me that already.”

“So she dunked your head in the toilet? Again? What was her excuse this time?” She asked

“I called her a slut” I told her, “for asking if it was true that I had … well… had sex with you in the bathroom” I finished

Berry shook her head “she is doing this because you react to it Amethyst. Just ignore her.”

“But… she gets on my nerves, what I would do to get her just once” I growled “Just once.”

Berry facehoofed “Just look out if you are seeking revenge, just don’t do anything stupid.

I had no desire for revenge. It was just empty words.

Berry and I then walked into the atrium. Instantly all the ponies inside vanished including Berry.

“Berry? Where are you, where did you go?” I whispered panicking.

A deep rumble came from far away, as though through mist “Just a memory Amethyst, nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately we have to cut it short here.”

“What? Who are you?” I shouted as the lights in the atrium dimmed leaving me in semi darkness. Mist began to fill the humongous room and a dark figure appeared. I could see the shadow of a tall pony like Princess Celestia. He came into sharper proportion. His wings were extended out however they were just bone with ripped black material flowing from them. A dark skeletal pony came into view. He had a horn as well and a scythe levitated in front of him. I could not see his face behind his robe which fell to his hooves.

I heard his dark voice rumble “You have been such a bad pony Amethyst. Those ponies you killed, you gave them to me. They were such a great gift. However you have blood on your hooves now. Not all those ponies were bad you know. Several of them were young mares or stallions who had foals to care for. You took them away.”

I quivered and shook my head “No. Those ponies were bad. They took Midnight, they stole from innocent ponies. I am a good pony.”

He laughed before telling me “You have a heart Amethyst but after what you have done, not even you can deny that part of your heart has become corrupted.”

I felt tears run down my face. My heart ached as if it had suffered recent pain. I knew what he was talking about and I shook my head saying desperately “No. That Jasper guy is at fault. He made me kill them.”

“No” he growled “You killed them. You are using him to blame, to make an excuse to maim or kill. He is guilty of crimes but you are too Amethyst and like his little blame game you, like bandits, like raiders, like slavers are finding an excuse to committing sins. You sinned and you seek to find blame, to find a way to live with yourself.”

“NO!” I shouted “I am a good pony. I am not bad.”

He twitched his wings before saying “You will be judged when the time comes Amethyst. But I will let you know that you must find yourself before you destroy yourself.”

He faded and the doors to the atrium opened and a maroon glutinous substance started to seep into the atrium until it finally reached my hooves. It came in quicker and quicker until I was standing knee deep in blood. I could feel it staining my coat and the coppery smell hit my nose. Before I knew it I was swimming in blood. Before my head went under I saw Midnight’s face appear in my vision “You did good Amethyst. You are a good pony.”

I began to cry as I struggled to keep myself above the sticky and thick blood. Berry’s face appeared “You need to be careful when you are seeking revenge Amethyst.” My face slipped under the blood.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

“Ahhhhhh” I woke up. I was staring at a ceiling with a soft light glowing above me.

Breathing heavily I looked around. I started to panic as I had no idea where I was. I screamed out, my heart hammered against my breast and I threw myself out of the bed.

“Whoa there girl, calm down” I heard a stallion say. I saw that it was a pony who was wearing a cow boy hat and brown barding.

I activated my shield “Who are you? Where am I? Where is Midnight?”

The stallion looked a little taken aback “Dear girl I am the mayor of Hoofling, you are in my house; your friend is down stairs eating a heartening meal.”

I closed my shield off as my panic subsided “Sorry” I mumbled “I didn’t mean to almost attack you.”

“Nah, no problem, you were scared; I would expect ya to after what ya went through. I have to give you my big thanks for helpin us out. Not many folk would be so kind.”

“Can you please take me to Midnight?” I asked. I felt I did not deserve any gratitude for what I did. That dream I had, although partially real had truly scared me, that skeleton thing was right. I was a bad pony, I killed for revenge. The very thing Berry wanted me to not seek. I did a stupid thing, I was a bad pony.

“Sure thing” He said brightly taking me down stairs to Midnight who was shovelling food into her mouth.

“Hey Amethyst, how are you feeling?”

“Fine” I grumbled sitting down.

“You don’t look fine, you look like you have seen a ghost” She told me looking concerned.

“I heard you mumble stuff in ya sleep” the mayor told us “look Amethyst, you are a good pony, you saved our town. You collected our things and gave it back. What’s more, ya scored us a train, we can trade proper now thanks to you. DJ pon-3 will be raving tonight I think.”

I shook my head “I killed lots of ponies. I am a killer, I killed. I am bad.”

“Amethyst” Midnight sighed “You are a good pony, these were bandits. What they did is wrong, what they do is bad. It matters not why they do it, the matter of fact is they threaten pony’s lives and kill for money.”

“Ya did good ah think” the mayor piped up.

I nodded half listening. My dream swam back, the humiliation from Glenda so raw again in my head, followed by that bone Alicorn thing, and the blood. It made it all the more real.

“Amethyst are you ok?” Midnight asked sadly.

“I’m fine” I repeated.

“When do you want to leave?” Midnight asked after a long pause.

“Today” I grumbled. I wanted to be gone from this town, the town I helped. I wanted rest but I could not rest. My head was filled with the screaming of ponies, my dream and blood.

“You sure? Don’t you want to rest?” Midnight coaxed “You need rest Amethyst, what you did last night has scarred you. I can tell. You need to rest.”

I shook my head. “I am fine, I want to go today.” I said in a more demanding tone.

Midnight got the message and continued to eat.

“Ahh Amethyst, do ya want something to eat too?” the mayor asked

“I’m not hungry” I mumbled

“Look. Ah want to thank you fer what ya did las’ night. So I got you some more ammo fer your new gun Midnight her was telling me about. And some caps”

The mayor put some bullets in front of me and a small money bag. Great… Exactly what I needed right now, more bullets to kill more ponies. “Thanks” I mumbled putting the bullets and caps in my saddlebags. I did notice that he did give me a small box of 10 armour piercing rounds and some new explosive rounds.

*                                        **                        **                      **                                                *

On the way out of town I got waves and salutes from ponies in the town. I had many “Thank You’s” and “Please come back again.” The town’s ponies were so nice to me but I felt down and out. I felt mentally exhausted. While happy to have Midnight back I felt that it came with the expense of part of myself. I felt an open hole in my heart and it did not want to go away, no matter how many ponies who would tell me that I did good, I could have done better. The phrase ‘war, fear, death we must do better’ came to my mind. I did what the ponies did 200 years ago. Fluttershy would be disappointed in me. I knew it. I was disappointed in myself. I could have saved Midnight without needing to kill so many.

As we stepped out of the gates Midnight clopped me over the head “Snap out of it Amethyst, you are not bad. You are a good pony. I don’t care what you say. You are just freaking out. Those ponies were as bad as raiders. You saved this town more bloodshed. Those bandits would have returned and killed more, taken more.”

The bandit who took Midnight away swam into my head as he said “The filly outside had more caps than you.”

He robbed a little filly of her caps, they robbed an elderly mare. I took a deep breath and finally said “I know. I am just freaking out a bit.”

I felt a little better remembering what the Bandits did rather than what I did. Midnight was always good at comforting me and she gave me a hug which cheered me up a little.

Footnote: level up

New perk: I love small guns – You now do 10% more damage with small guns, in addition you are 10% more accurate with scoped small guns.