Just when I thought things wouldn't get any worse. - Applebits

Personally I didn't trust this Cotton Candy character since her ghoul friend nearly killed me and would have if I'd been on my own, though seeing as though she did end the threat I suppose that I could pass a little of my trust to her. We had acquired eighteen healing potions and two new weapons, Bulls Eye took the shotgun as soon as he saw it and with Lightnings help mounted it on the right of his battle saddle since his ninety millimeter cannon was ruptured, at least he had something close quarters now. But the pistol still had no owner and seeing as though Shadow had no weapon I decided to hang back a little to try and talk to the mare.

"Can we trust Cotton Candy?" Shadow asked Lightning as I listened in.

"I don't see why not, she killed her ghoul friend that she obviously cared for to help Temp and App." Lightning said giving a shrug as he flew.

I decided to wrap the .44 magnum in my magic and float it up to her to which she stopped flying for a moment and looked at me.

"What are you a pacifist?" I asked to which she laughed.

"No I just have never used one before." she said as she tried to take the pistol in her hooves.

"You hold it in your mouth, I'll see if we have any extra holsters." I said as I began to pick up the pace and catch up to our group.

I caught up to them just as we came up to a rather large settlement that looked like it had been home to raiders, then I heard a beeping sound before looking down. Before I could even speak I was blasted up into the air by a bottle cap mine that sent me flying into Dark Lightning who was in a deep conversation with Shadow Star on how to use her pistol.

"Hold up!" Tempest yelled as he spun back around on his rear legs and galloped over to me, "Are thou alright?" he asked me.

"Yeah just my pride." I said as I stood and my rear legs squeaked in protest.

"I going to need to repair those when we find the supplies to do so." he said giving a disapproving shake to the damage, "But I am glad that you are okay." he added before carefully walking forward.

"Yo Temp!" Lightning said as he landed next to the knight that was in the lead.

"What do think, go around or through?" Tempest asked looking at the small city, I checked my EFS and it was filled with contacts, probably raiders.

"Well it looks like it is owned by raiders so I don't see why we shouldn't just clean it out, but." Lightning began as he looked back to the four unarmored ponies traveling with us.

"We have civilians to be concerned with." Tempest replied catching onto what Lightning was getting at.

"App and Bull can hang with the civilians while we do a bit of house cleaning." Lightning replied as a smile broke his face.

"Sounds good to me." Tempest said as he spread his wings and took flight.

"Okay, we'll just circle around." I said as I took point and led Bulls Eye and the others around the presumed mine field that surrounded the town.

----------------------

The walk was uneventful, though I did hear several shots from Lightnings .50 cal sniper probably meaning that he is at least having a bit of fun. We had walked all the way over to the opposite side of the town and it seemed as though the mines were constant all around, with no clear path anywhere. This struck me at least as odd seeing as though the raiders would need a safe way to get in and out of camp, unless they were trying to keep something over there in, then I could see the minefield as useful. I was about to say something when I was struck in the back of the head with rather large object knocking me out. As I fell I could hear a combat shotgun go off and several cries of alarm before everything went dark.

-----------------------

I woke up out of my armor and chained by my right fore hoof to a steel bar that was secured by a single wall of bricks, Bulls Eye and the others were also chained but remained unconscious. I looked around and saw a couple of griffon mercs heading our way, I quickly pretended that I was still out and listened.

"I don't know, they don't seem like they would be worth too much." A female squawked, her voice like talons on a chalkboard.

"I assure you that they are the freshest meat we have, unless you want the ghoul mare over there." A pony replied, his voice shaky as if somepony had threatened his life.

"We will take the two fillies." a gruff voice said as I chanced a peak, there were two griffons in well maintained armor who were making a deal with a pony with no tail.

I quickly shut my eyes as the group turned towards us, the slaver just laughed as I heard chains unlatch and Solar Flare along with her sister wake up and begin screaming for Shadow Star who woke up and bolted into the sky. She rather quickly hurt herself before slamming against the ground with a heavy thud right next to me as I cautiously lit my horn and picked up Bulls Eye's shotgun which was thankfully sitting across from us. I moved it slowly and pressed it against the female griffons head before I started to stand up.

"Let us go and I won't blast her head off." I said as the slaver aimed a flamethrower at me.

"Oh come now, you wouldn't risk your life just for these whelps." he said as the pilot light for his weapon lit.

"You wouldn't hurt the merchandise would you?" I asked him to which he gave me a dirty look, "At least if you let us go you have a second chance to capture us." I added trying to reason with the idiot.

"Nah." he said as I heard the roar of the flame thrower as its flames hit me, I screamed before I killed both of the griffons with two shots and slammed the shotgun into the slaver as I dropped and rolled trying to put out the flames.

Luckily I managed to dowse the flames as Bulls Eye pulled on his bar and literally ripped it out of the ruined wall causing it to cascade in a shower of bricks.

"Applebits are you okay?" he asked as he helped me up, my front right side now blackened and my eye slightly burned but I still pushed him away as I tried to stand on my own.

I almost instantly fell flat on my face, Shadow having grabbed me just before my face plant. I looked over at the fillies as Cotton Candy grabbed our gear which had been lain out for them to inspect, wait don't slavers hunt in packs? I scolded myself for asking as four more of the ponies ran out of a building not too far away and Bulls Eye grabbing the .44 magnum I had given Shadow dropped two with a single shot to each of their heads. The two fillies ran to cover as a firefight ensued between Bulls Eye and the remaining slavers and all I could do was watch since I had been dropped when the fighting had begun.

Bulls Eye tossed the pistol to Shadow as he dashed towards his shotgun and into a building, I heard a wall collapse and witnessed as Bulls Eye aiming with the shotgun in his mouth killed the closest slaver with two shots in the chest. He turned on his hind legs and fired on the other pony blowing off his head before dropping back down to all fours and standing there like a boss.

"We are all clear everypony." he said as he walked casually back over to us.

"Our medic is hit!" Shadow said in an urgent tone as she rushed up to me.

"Well then, aint this just turning out to be a good week?" The light brown stallion said as he approached me.

"Water, please." I said before I lost myself to my subconsciousness and drifted into a sleep.

The first thing I saw was fire, then burning ponies as they ran into each other and different buildings. Then I saw raiders brutally murdering the ponies in the town, I recognized the location as Nowhere. I then noticed that I was transparent as I reached out to grab Fire Bloom before her head was blown clean off her body. I turned around began sobbing as I saw my perforated body lying there on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding me as I realized that I was unable to save those I cared about. Everything then went dark, there was no sound, light, or movement, nothing.

Author's Notes:

So a plan goes horribly wrong and Applebits is badly hurt after they are captured by slavers, but what of the mysterious town that Tempest and Lightning ventured into?