"Peace is something that is very hard to keep. But war is so easy to bring."

Day 40

The Camp

I opened my eyes I was put inside a building. It seems we got some built maybe? I slowly sat up seeing Fleur laying by the door with her gun. She looked towards me and smiled.

"Don't say...a word. Your species came looking for you. So we placed you in one of the new buildings... Apparently, they seek to kill you. So Kip and Silver Gunner are talking to them at the moment. They want the howling dance... But they're trying hard to not let them take it." I got out of the bed and sat by Fleur who smiled gently.

"I may look gross as a ghoul... But I still feel I kept my looks. Just not many would jaw drop... Like they used to with me." She chuckles softly. "Oh well, I think I still got the ability to get what we need through talking to them."

I sighed softly and looked towards Fleur.

"How long did I sleep?"

Fleur blinks and thinks a moment.

"Oh yes, a day and a half. But we didn't wake you and placed you in one of the new buildings. I found it interesting they got this one built so fast... But that's because it was added on to a formerly burnt run down building."

Nodding and just sat there.

"I wonder why my kind wants to kill me."

Suddenly the door opens up and the elder is there... Along with my father... I stood up and Fleur got in front of me and I growled softly.

"Tiria... It's time for your judgement..."

Fleur snickers and stares at the Elder.

"You have no right...to harm her... You forced her out of her home... Now you want to kill her?" The Elder taps his cane and the large creature grabs his sword to attack Fleur... I grabbed the gun from Fleur's magic and fired his arm. My father groaned and I stared at them both.

"You do not harm my friends..." I fire again in his other arm.

"You both treated me...like pure trash... You told me to find friends... Now you wish to hurt them."

I pushed my father out of the room and stared at the elder. Putting a gun to his head my eyes full of hate and anger.

"Give me one reason... Why shouldn't I kill your lying fucking ass right now? Maybe you could tell my father...that You knew were the Howling dance was the entire time... You forced exiles to give bodyguards to Wheel tread..."

My father eyes blinked.

"My mother was sent away... Because she dared confront you about it. Get out...now... You worthless piece of shit."

He spoke softly.

"I am sorry my daughter but I already knew this. But it's not because of Wheeltread it's a way to remove the weak DNA from our kind. We didn't do it because of this Wheel tread you spoke of... Because we wanted pure DNA."

My eyes go wide and I grew very angry but Fleur starts speaking.

"You seem to forget... You're kind used to be ponies like me. There is no such thing as pure...." She snorts angrily.

I took the butt of the gun and smacked the elder across the face.

"Go back home...never show up here again...if you do... I will come and kill every single elder...if you take the howling dance... I will kill every single last one of you... I protected these ponies here...and all the creatures... I protected them from fools like you..."

The elder sighs and my father gave me a look.

"Go...and I really will shoot and kill you both... Then there will be less trash in the world. You two have no honour... Also tell them the truth...that we are experiments of the war of the past. We aren't guardians of this world... We are just to save the pony way of life..."

They both simply leave and I went outside to see them leave and Bulwark said in a snarky voice.

"Don't come back! Lower the gate!!" The gate is lowered.

I sighed and Kip trotted to me and noticed I am tense and growling. Fleur came up behind me and I offer her gun back... She placed it in her magic. As Kip used her horn to look at my wounds and noticed that my stress is off the edge.

"Tiria...please relax..." Kip looked at me with very worried eyes. I smiled and patted her head and gave her a tight hug.

"I will...just let me enjoy some peace. I just need peace."

Kip frowned looking up to me. With soft gentle eyes.

"What's wrong now?"

Kip softly spoke.

"Does this mean...that me Shadow and Silver Gunner don't bring you peace?" She said it like she was about to cry. I blinked and looked to Fleur she gave a sly smirk.

"Oh... Kip... You three are my closest friends... You three saved me from a lifetime of loneliness..." I gave Kip another hug and apparently I didn't catch this as she gave Fleur a sly wink and she giggled. I then stopped hugging and Kip chuckles.

"Now I need to get back to keeping my new little brother in line..." I blinked watching her trot off to talk to Shadow it seems those two consider each other siblings.

"What happened to her husband?"

Fleur looks up to me and sighs.

"He went back to Manehatten to get the rest of the ponies out of those apartments... He wanted to get them away from the Enclave." I gave a calm nod and stayed close to Fleur since she was being my bodyguard.

Also, I wished to know more about the past. If she would tell me about it. "Fleur do you think we should clear the bog and removed all the ghouls there as well as those giant weevils?" She gave me an odd look blinking and shrugs.

"I don't know maybe having the ghouls there is a good thing. But about those weevils, I do agree maybe we need to get a group to clear out their caves... But there are more creature's in that bog that releases that strange mist that causes us to see the past. I do see that seeing the past is not a bad thing. But again to some the past wasn't all that amazing... Before the war...the world was amazing... Equestria was the land of Friendship and Harmony."

I sighed and looked to Fleur and wrapped around the ghoul and gave her a hug... I didn't care about the smell but she blinked and had a soft smile on her face and I stopped hugging her.

"I feel you deserve to be in the past Fleur... You shouldn't have to deal with what you see here. Equestria was your home... Now your just another great pony of the past." Gave a soft sigh and Fleur just smiled softly and shook her head.

"You worry too much about how I feel Tiria... I have accepted that the war destroyed my former home. I can't just sit by and let it happen to others. So I am going to be someone that protects this new little town. I will be here a lot. Just because you and your friends opened my eyes. Along with my crew. You proved that not everypony or creature of this new world... Are power hungry children."

I gave a gentle smile feeling very happy that I did this for so many. I looked at the others who are working on getting the buildings up and I sighed softly and blinks seeing another trader walk in.

"Excuse me Tiria... let me take care of this." She trotted over to the trader as Bulwark and patch held weapons close to them they acted as guards towards Fleur as I just watched to see how the master does it. I got closer to listen leaning on the wooden wall. I got to listen to how she talks to traders.

"Ah welcome to our beautiful home miss." The trader mare smiles softly nodding.

"Thank you...um miss ghoul... Now I heard that this area was cleaned out of the raiders and everything else... That used to come here. So I came down this way to see what I can offer or be offered." Fleur nodded and chuckled.

"Well, we haven't named our little town yet. That will come soon. But first, we got to rebuild. That will take some time and a lot of materials as well. But I am sure they will welcome every trader to this town." She nodded showing a soft smile through her ghouled flesh. Again her beauty was amazing for a ghoul.

The trader nodded and looked towards Patch and Bulwark.

"You got some very protective guards here."

Bulwark gives a nod nickering a bit.

"That's because we had to deal with the Enclave and we got rescued just because they pissed off that wolf behind us." The trader looked up blinking seeing me and I gave a smile.

"Oh...it's the wolf...hmm so you're a hero, after all, hmm?" She gave a soft smile. I snorted and chuckled.

"I don't consider myself a hero. I did what I felt was the right thing to do. I am not fond of ponies.., I never will be... But Fleur is helping me through that... I owe her a lot for helping me gain the heart to not murder every single pony I came across... I did it to save my friends... Then I made more..." Looks to Patch who I still don't trust. But gave her a calm nod.

The trader smiles nodding.

"I see. I shall speak to the other traders. That I come across... I will try to bring more this way and try to make this a normal stop."

I gave a soft smile nodding.

"There used to gardens here as well...but the Enclave burned almost everything just to get to the stable in there... We don't know what is so amazing about that stable. But I wish to keep it closed. I know there might be some that want to open it up... But I am not sure that is wise really."

The trader nods with a smile.

"I agree, not all stables are wise to open up."

Fleur nods as I went silent to let her speak. She gave me a soft smile with her features as she seemed to be a soft-hearted mare.

"Now do you have anyone we could trade or buy from you miss?" The trader uses her horn to let down her bags as Fleur looks through them with her horn. Finding mostly food seeds and some potions. As she looks through her own bags to find some caps and something to trade along.

"Ah, I see you have seeds... Hmm, maybe we will just take the seeds. I need to check our stores of potions and bandages. But still, the seeds will be useful."

The trader nods and pulls out a big bag of them and just tossed them on the ground.

"For free..." She takes the rest back into her bag. "I won't do that often but you ponies made Reaper Fields and this area safer... It's the least I can do..." She smiles to her protector the large bear and walks out heading back through the bog. Fleur smirks and lifts up the seeds. She trots over to the ponies working on fixing the burnt garden. As she offers them the seeds and they blink.

"Oh...mi...soo...good...Ja ja!!" The mare sounded interesting to me. She had a knife on her flank..and the other was a twin of hers. She had a bloody knife.

"Ja ja...more seeds to feed us... We shall plant right away ja."

I chuckled softly and then looked to Bulwark and Patch.

"I trust you both so you know." Bulwark blinks and gave a gentle smile and nods. Patch just snorted and shrugs.

"Yes, yes...it's better than being dead on the ground."

I nodded calmly and looked around to see how everypony was and I went to help those building. I helped Shadow and Kip while Kip gave me a look.

"Kip... I wish to help..." Kip keeps giving me that look and stares at me with great anger.

"Tiria...you haven't been resting... You could get hurt." She was being her motherly doctor self she stared giving me that look again. Looking to Fleur who trotted over and chuckled. She pulled me away with her magic and I sighed, looking to Fleur.

"I would say listen to Kip Tiria... She knows what she is talking about..." I sighed shaking my head.

"I am tired of just resting. I want to do something."

Fleur gave me a gentle smile and laughs. She pushed me out of the town gate and looked back to Bulwark and Patch.

"She needs to get away from all this for the moment I will call you to open the gate when you can." They both nod. As I looked to Fleur and blinked.

"Fleur...whats wrong?" Fleur turned to me and smiled.

"Look...do what they want you to do... Because you might lose them sometime. Like with me... I lost everything Tiria... My family, my love... My home... Just because I didn't wish to be part of the war. I wanted my fancy to come with me... But of course, he was too hateful of my reasons. You need to stay for them... Tiria..." She smiled softly. I looked into her eyes and sighed. How could I say no to somepony who lost all her friends and family just from a war in the past? I didn't know how to think at the moment. I followed her as we walked around the bog...

"Take a deep breath Tiria..."

I took a deep breath and then closed my eyes a bit and opened them blinking seeing the past. But they're solid.

"Fleur, what am I seeing?" I looked to her and her horn was glowing.

"Just watch closely you will see how it was."

I looked the ground turned green as I kept breathing in the fog. My pip-buck ticking up to show this fog is toxic. But I watched as the ponies went along slowly Fleur spoke softly as like she was explaining.

"200 years ago...this is how Equestria used to look like... I know it's hard to see... But I learned that this fog if you breathe it too much...it will allow you to see this... But it also might cause you to take in too much of the fog...and make you a bit sick... But just keep watching. Look at the ponies of old. So full of happiness so full of love... The princess gave us so much... It was peace for a time... Peace in our hearts... But the issue with peace comes hardships... We had our share of villains to deal with... But as the mares that saved us... That dealt with Nightmare Moon and Discord. We caused our own issues."

I watched as the mare's fought those in question I had no idea how this was happening but my Pip-buck kept ticking. But then her voice started to get more and more sad.

"Then the war...started... Fancy and I fought many days... Because I felt after little horn we had to stop this war... It wasn't our fault that they did that. It was ours... We deserved every moment of it. We could have put a stop to the war... But our leader's felt that we had to keep pushing it... To put off the propaganda that you see all over the ruins... Pinkie Pie watching you forever... That mare...she was not somepony I really cared for."

I started coughing as the vision left as the fog started to mess with my body. Fleur looked at my Pip-buck and her eyes went wide and rushed me back inside. She forced me on the chair and rushed to Kip asking if they had some Rad. Kip nodded and rushed inside the cave to find some.

I sat there feeling my body in pain... As the fog did seep sometimes into the town... But it seems the crystal would soak it up through the glass and glow brightly. But it didn't affect anyone on the outside because of the glass. The glass kept the effects from harming anyone. But it made it so the fog wouldn't harm anyone at all. I sat there feeling my body burning. As Kip rushed over with the fluid and forced me to drink it... As it washed it all away.

She looked at me with very angry teal eyes tears falling from them. As she poked me with her hoof.

"You could have told us!!" She yelled she was getting very angry and shaking I could see it in her body motions and her eyes filled with tears.

"You just came back to us... Tiria...you could have died... Don't you ever think of anyone else? How do we feel?!" Others look at us and Kip's tears drip from her face to the ground and I just wrapped around her hugging her tightly as she started to sob and cry. Shadow looked to the others.

"Back to work...let them be." Fleur sat and watched... As Kip drained her heart and soul and her anger.

She started hitting me in the chest with her hoof. "We care about you...you dumb oaf!" She sobs and sniffs as I pull her away a bit.

"I know Kip I am sorry please relax."

Kip kept sobbing hard as she sat on her haunches and Fleur calmly used her magic to pull Kip away and whispered to her and pointed her hoof over to Bulwark.

"Go talk to her relax...with her and patch, please Kip."

Kip nodded and trotted over to them and they started talking and Bulwark just gave Kip a tight hug and nuzzled her friend. I sat here needing to rest again. It was peaceful for the time being. Before some other horseshoe or shoe whatever dropped. It's getting the point that I felt that many of us needed to stay alive as much as we could. I looked towards all the ponies Griffins but I lost sight of Silver gunner oh he had ponies pull out the shutdown RA proto. He brought the large robot beside me as Fleur didn't seem to care for that thing. But she kept her mouth shut.

"Ah hello Tiria... I am just here to reprogram this thing... Also here to help Fleur keep an eye on you... Can't have you be stupid now hmm?" He chuckles robotically. I gave him a nasty look and he chuckles again as I leaned back and watched him work on the robot.

"Why are you trying to bring that thing back anyway?"

"We need more than one guard inside the town... Ponies will think twice if they come in here of robbing the place. So going to use him as one that will keep an eye on everything."

I sighed and closed my eyes a bit to relax as I listened to everything around me... Then I heard a song Looking towards the former slaves.

One was a slim hellhound helping with the hammer as well as ponies that are former slaves.

"Oh... Goddess you helped...remove our chains... Oh thank you for...our hooves and claws...to move...and become..one again..with the ground... We use our skills to bring forth peace. As our hearts are no longer chained... Oh, Princess thank you for your blessings. We shall now build you your crowns... You if you ever come back in life... We may show you are happiness... Through our love through the sun and the moon. Oh, Goddess the past shall be moved... We shall help rebuild... Remove our chains...show our hearts... As we walk...the road to peace... Oh, Goddess princess thank you for removing our chains... We shall rebuild your crowns."

I gave a soft smile. As I watched them help build and sing. It brought a calm setting to the once dead town... I watched as ponies carried the bodies of the fallen of both sides either to bury them... The Rat Creepers helping same with some of the raider's that lived... Dumbbell, I haven't seen him for awhile. But I am sure he is doing fine. I hope at least. The Junk reapers were on the walls removing the Turrets from the inside of the cave and brought them outside to place on sections of the wall to keep the trader's protected. Montyhoof went back but left some of his ponies behind.

The turrets seemed to be old but still useable I don't know why they moved them... But I guess the outside needs to be protected more. I sighed and stood up or tried. As Fleur let me this time and she followed me of course. I went to look around the gardens to see how everything was going along. I smiled at the gardeners who just gave me some looks but they smiled to they didn't seem used to kindness and then I went to the gate to hear Kip talk and she turned to see me up, her eyes full of rage...

"Kip... I am fine....please let me just walk around a bit I can't just be sitting forever." Bulwark gave her a gentle hug.

"I agree. Kip just let her walk around a bit... Maybe it will be good for her." Kip sighed, nodding and looked to me with a smile.

Patch was looking over the gate and she had a sniper, watching.

"Bulwark...we have two Steel rangers coming..." Bulwark's eyes go wide climbs up the gate to see for herself. As they got closer Bulwark called out.

"Hey...rangers... We don't trust your kind here..."

One of them laughed softly. The armour was red.

"Not even Applejack's rangers?"

Bulwark growled, showing her teeth and her horn glowed brightly holding her gun.

"I don't care who you are...you're still Steel rangers... Now tell us what you want... I only will trust three of your kind... But they aren't here. So now...again why are you here?"

One of the Applejack rangers removed their helm, showing a pure green mare unicorn.

"I am Paladin Lily. This is Scrib fire bloom. We are here...to study the stable..." I climbed up the ladder to get to the top of the gate and calmly spoke.

"What do you mean study?"

The mare spoke calmly.

"Our info about this camp. The warden's placed seals on the stable door to keep it closed forever. We think we can break the seals and open it up. Now I know you don't have a reason to trust us... But there might be something very important inside." I sighed and looked to Bulwark and talked softly to her.

"What do you think? If we just allow them to do that and go nowhere else in the town but there?"

Bulwark gave a nod.

"You will be watched and if you do anything we don't like we will remove you and if you put up a fight we will kill you deal?"

The two rangers look to each other and they both nod. The mare spoke up.

"Deal." Bulwark talks to the unicorns at the bottom near the gate.

"Open the gate."

The gate opens up and the two walk in. I get down from the gate and Fleur stood beside me.

"I will lead you there." The two rangers look to Fleur and the mare gives a nasty look to her. Fleur just gives a sweet innocent smile.

"Also don't cross her...she may be a mare from the old canterlot days... But she will kill you..."

The two look at each other. As I lead them inside the cave there is still bodies of Enclave and the mare blinks.

"Enclave used to be in here?"

I nodded. "They took over the area for awhile... I gathered an army to come in and remove the worthless trash... I did it to save my friends...if ponies that wished to harm others are just trash and deserve to die."

I lead them to the Stable and the mare puts her hoof on it and her horn glows as the seal's form and glows brightly. I blinked as Patch came in to stand guard. Watching the two, I blinked.

"How do you plan on opening it?"

The mare looked to me and smiled.

"It will not be easy but we will be studying it." I sighed and left with Fleur but I noticed the bar is open... Even if it's half in ruins. I went inside and saw that the tender was still there. Standing there was a tender was a pink mare. I sat on the stool and the mare smiled.

"Ah, the saviour of our little town what would you like whiskey?" I thought a moment and shrugged.

"Got any Sparkle cola?" She nodded and opened a casing in the back and brought out a bottle I gave her some caps and drank from it as Fleur sat there and seemed to speak to another bar patran a former slave. I drank the drink and sighed.

"So miss what is your name?" The mare looked towards me and smile.

"I am bubble gum... Basically, I was kidnapped from my parents at a young age and ended up here. So to help ponies here I gave them drinks and food. Oh and we dod have meat if you would like some."

I blinked.

"Oh sure I will take any meat you have." Bubble gum smiles and sets down a large plate of cooked meat. "It's pig meat... Since you seem to be a meat eater you won't have any issues eating it." I nodded and set down more caps and started to eat and felt happier after getting more meat in my system. Looked over to Fleur watching her talk to the pony. I listened for a time but just kept eating closing my eyes softly and sighed.

I looked around at the ruins as some were in here to rebuild. I sighed I felt I did the right thing. As I finished eating and drinking. I left the bar and walked around looking at the ruins seeing some Enclave bodies and watching some ponies digging through the ruins... To see if they could find anymore under them. My ears heard something and rushed to the back of the cave finding a little house that is caved in. I kept hearing it.

"Mommy....daddy....." Sobbing from there.

I dug through the old house not caring about how much in pain I was in... I had to save the little one. I let out a howl that echoed through the cave as I was in pain. On the outside, Kip heard it and rushed inside. Fleur rushed out of the bar and trotted to me.

"Tiria what are you doing?!" Kip asked I looked to her.

"Shut up...and get this child out of here!"

She blinks and I dug through. Kip and Fleur lifted heavier boards as we dug through the build and there was a storm door that lead to the underground. I opened it and inside was a little filly. She was pink and Fleur helped her out. I held the little one close to me. As she sobbed.

"Shhh shhhh." She screamed loudly, crying as two finally came out of the other side they were searching for her.

"MOMMY, Daddy!!" I let her down and she rushed to do raider's and Kip had tears in her eyes remembering that's how she was raised.

"Oh...thank you!!" The raider mare spoke and kissed her daughter. The father nodded and hugged.

I smiled. I felt I did something right. I felt my heart full of peace. But I looked down in there seeing more little ones... Dead. A lot of them didn't make it fast enough... I felt tears form in my eyes... But I knew we would never save them all. I closed the door open since I think they were down there with their parents. I made sure it was locked and used my claws to put on it. The lost souls that sing to us every night. Then I walked back out as Fleur and Kip looked at it.

I felt my heart in pain from seeing that... I walked out the back way and went outside to stand in the middle of the desert area I was... When the saw the sun come out. I got on my knees and closed my eyes. I softly sang my heart.

"Oh...great life of peace... Oh, hope that is coming to the soul... Bring forth your wisdom to me... Oh please... I can't keep moving on... I feel my soul is broken... I feel my heart shattering. I feel that my end is near... Please oh, goddess give me hope... In my heart... I wish to show our hearts. I wish to become a part of it. I shall fight till my end..." I stood back up and slowly stopped singing to myself but I felt my pain growing. I looked at the little ones that had died.

Looked down, tears falling from my face to the sand. I looked up seeing Cannon ball who smiled.

" The young Tiria has seen so much? That her heart is shattering my friend." I gave a nod and he helped me up.

"It's normal Tiria...we try our best to protect the world and the ones we love... But some will be lost along the way. We can't always have our way and keep everypony or everyone alive... It's not in our way of seeing things. We are fighters, protectors even leaders. Sometimes leader's fail and they must fail to learn."

I stood up and smiled at Cannon ball and he chuckled.

"I lost my best friend Tiria... Pot head... Lily has been by my side since we were chased out of our old home... She was the only friend that remembers who I used to be. The rest don't, my wife is dead my daughter never met her... Since she was killed during an attack on the Reaper Fields... But it's something that will be known that we all can't just be everywhere Tiria."

I gave a nod.

"Does it ever get...better to feel the pain that you had in your heart?" Cannon ball looked at me with a frown shaking his head and smiled.

"Sadly no... Tiria it will get harder... Every day you will think hard on how you could have fought better you could have done it better. There are times you will even look at the gun and see how it makes you want to use it on yourself... But you need to be strong and try not to allow this to happen to you Tiria."

I sighed and smiled and gave him a tight hug.

"I will head back in before Kip worries about me again."

I went back in and Kip was rushing around looking for me as Fleur just leaned against the wall and laughs.

"I see you went outside also Kip is going nuts trying to find you..." Kip rushed up to me and hugged me tightly...

"Don't do that again please Tiria." I smiled and patted her head and went back out the other way. I closed my eyes, sighing. I knew sooner or later... I am going to do something I am not going to like... As I got back outside in the front... Seeing more buildings being put up. I sat back in the chair to calmly rest my leg and the one that was hurting even if I had no leg there anymore. I just looked at everyone that was here... It was starting to become calmer.

I leaned back as I waited to see what would happen... I looked up into the sky to see the clouds hoping that someday I will see the sun again. I felt the pain leave my body for awhile and then I looked down seeing the little filly come to me and hug my leg as her parents smiled.

"Oh, your welcome little one." I patted her head and smiled. "I would do it again... Now go find a place to stay out of the way okay?" She blinks and got on the chair with me. I may be able to walk on my hind legs but I was sitting like a pony on the chair. I smiled and wrapped around little one...protecting her.

"I will watch her." I said softly to the two and they smiled as they go help work on the rebuilding. I stroke my paw along the little fillies head and nuzzled her gently. I looked back up watching the ponies and other creatures walking around and Fleur came back and gave the little filly a nuzzle and smiled to her. She may be a ghoul but she still looked like a normal mare just with dryer skin.

I watched and Fleur layed near the two of us and I asked the little one something.

"What is your name?"

The filly looked up to me with a soft smile...

"Star shooter... My mother named me... She may be a raider like daddy... But she has calmed his raider heart... I love them both."

I smiled never thought I would hear that a raider's heart would be softened to make such a beautiful little Filly... Then I looked over to Bulwark and the other guards.

"Fleur... I think the main thing of this town should be protecting the future..." Looks down to Star Shooter and wraps around her hugging her close.

"For the future is what we need to protect so they can help fix the mistakes of the past."