The drive to Manehatten seemed like it was going on forever…

After our meeting with Puppysmiles, many questions lingered in my mind. So many questions, my mind was going an influx of chaos wanting these questions answered. Looking at my PipBuck, we weren’t even at the halfway point to Manehatten. Harmony was reading through the Wasteland Survival Guide refreshing her memory as she said herself. I checked up on the radio wondering if DJ Pon3 had anything to say currently.

So far no news on either Stable Dweller or Security today, probably haven’t done anything grand as of the moment. But there was some news involving the P.L.A., “Good morning Wastelanders! This is DJ Pon3 speaking! Sorry to disappoint as there is no news on the action of either Stable Dweller or Security, but there is something awesome! What’s that awesome thing you viewers say? Well, remember our Angel of Darkness saving Baltimare? Well, looks like the freed slaves there decided to become their own faction! How cool is that!? Their leader, Luminescence, recorded a speech and gave it to me. He said he can’t leave Baltimare which is understandable, hear is the speech he recorded!”

The speech was grandiose as he was speaking, noticeable from the numerous cheering ponies being the background noise of the recorded speech, “Ladies and gentlecolts, please settle down please!” The crowd calmed themselves down as he was beginning his speech. This was somehow nostalgic for me if I remembered some of the famous speeches, “Thank you. Now as you all know, today we managed to liberate ourselves and claim Baltimare as our own thanks to our Angel of Darkness as DJ Pon3 said.”

Great, the news about my title was spreading to their ears now. My face was getting traces of red. Why was I getting embarrassed about my title…? I wonder how Stable Dweller and Security feel about their titles, are they embarrassed like me? I kept on listening to the radio with the crowd being very quiet. It was kind of eerie, “But this is just one step to truly be free… We can still do more!” The crowd was deafening even if it was a recording, “As of the moment, our faction now known as the People’s Liberation Army is expanding. Many say that we are few numbers but I’d say let them come and test our mettle! We will have a fully functional faction that can assist those in need of a freed life!” Again the crowd was deafening as they roared and cheered for their leader.

I felt proud of this new faction as they felt determined to assist anyone who needs help, “My brothers and sisters! Now is the time to prepare ourselves for the fight ahead! No longer will we stand by idly while the three ponies are risking their lives out there helping! Let us help the Stable Dweller, Security and our Angel of Darkness as we free our fellow ponies!”

The recording ended as it returned back to DJ Pon3 speaking, “Well isn’t that something!? So now were got a faction that focuses on freeing ponies! So if any of you want to join in the People’s Liberation Army, we got a recruiter here in Tenpony Tower that is looking for volunteers! So what are you all waiting for?! Join in the freedom fighters if you desire it! Well, that’s all I got to say, this is DJ pon3 giving out the truth, sometimes painful and sometimes inspirational to ponies. Here’s Sweetie Belle with her song, ‘Gone is the Wind’.”

The radio cut off as Sweetie Belle took over the radio. Her voice was very sweet, makes me very happy to hear her sing even if she was deceased. Epsilon heard the whole speech with the radio from our jeep as he was driving, “Damn, never thought to hear a crowd go wild over Luminescence…”

I will not lie and admit that a crowd going wild like that was something I did not expect at all. Guess the speech itself managed to get quite an uproar from them. Even Harmony acknowledge the fact for me as her ears perked, “Me neither… Considering what he did though, that kind of reaction was to be expected…”

I looked behind me first and then to the front checking our surroundings. I heard Epsilon asking the vehicle was speeding up a bit, “You think both Stable Dweller and Security heard that speech?” To be honest, I did not expect that question at all to be thrown at me, but them hearing that speech was a bit on a fifty-fifty chance.

“I am not so sure…” I thought about whom both Stable Dweller and Security was and what do they look like. Silly as that was, I was curious about their looks. And to anyone who has any funny ideas about me thinking of going through you-know-what with them, I am going to deny on you thinking about it at all. Seriously, what is with you ponies wanting me to have a love life? Don’t you think they already have a love interest that’s not me?

As I was pondering in my thoughts, the jeep went to a sudden stop. I was shot off the backseat into the front of the window. Harmony jumped a bit from seeing me at the front from the stop. I got up from that clutching my head in pain from that, “Ow… What was with the sudden stop Epsilon?”

He pointed ahead with an expression of shock on his face, “Look ahead and you’ll find out.” Harmony looked first and her eyes widened.

I did not like that but I heeded his warning looking at where he was pointing and my surprise matched Harmony’s, what was up ahead would make a raider scream in joy or even pale in comparison to their gory festivities. My PipBuck beeped as it gave a name to what we were presumably passing, The Boneyard. That did not help the three of us in the slightest.

Upon this landmass, piles upon piles of dead ponies covered much of the land. Their heads decapitated and put on stakes paving the road as their marks for turning points. Some of the ponies’ torsos were brutally forced open from the inside. A sudden idea of mine, which I really wished I hadn’t thought about it, suggested that whatever was inside forced itself out from either the torso or, for the poor dead mares out on this land, out of the cervix. Some of the heads were chewed from the face right to the bone leaving the flesh from behind left. Most of the ponies have little to no flesh at all leaving just the bone and leaving no entrails at fucking all. There wasn’t even a smell of rotten flesh at all or if there was, it was small and hardly noticeable… And that’s just some of the details I’ve noticed, who knows how many details I missed from the endless row and column of corpses or just plain skeletons…

The sight of all these dead ponies made me want to gag my lunch out again. Both Harmony and Epsilon let theirs out immediately. Harmony barfed from the sickening sight and Epsilon from just the smell itself. Harmony was still releasing her lunch as I saw Epsilon wiping his mouth. He looked at me very disgusted from seeing this gory spectacle of a graveyard, “I’m a battle-hardened soldier, and I’ve seen my fair share of violence but this? This is just a mass genocide. What the ever living fuck happened here?”

Harmony managed to stop puking as she looked away from the sight. I stood there frozen seeing all of this in front of me. Epsilon was confused when he saw me not responding to his question. He waved a hoof in front of me trying to get my attention, “Hello? Equestria to Zodiac! Are you there?”

Harmony wiped her mouth from her lunch looking at me. She too waved a hoof in front of me trying to get my attention, “Zodiac, are you okay there?”

I did not heed their questions as I continued to stare out into the many dead bodies. Echoes from the past began to resurface to my mind as the screams of many who died by my hooves, both friend and foe, were resounding through my mind. I was clutching my head as my body was shaking, wanting to not remember my past. I went down on the floor of the jeep whispering to myself as the past pains were coming back to me. I chanted words that I never thought to repeat ever again, “I’m not a killer… I’m not a killer… I’m not a killer…”

Both of the siblings were very worried when my whole body was shaking and I was chanting those words. Harmony shook my body hoping to get me out of this psychological trance, “Zodiac! Are you okay? Please, don’t go doing this to us!”

The effort was in vain as I was still stuck in the trance vainly trying to tell myself that I did not do what I did in the past. My mind was refusing to not think about the suffering of those from when I was a young child, vividly showing me all the things I’ve done to everyone around me. I was doomed to remember my past. My dark… past…

I jerked up quickly as the sound of an explosion woke me out of the trance. Harmony jumped from the sudden explosion as she turned to see that her brother fired a rocket onto the ground. Although she was scowling a bit from the sudden surprise, she was nonetheless happy to see me somewhat okay, “Zodiac, what just happened to you there?”

I saw Epsilon release a breath of relief when he saw me return to normal. He smiled for a second there before shifting his attitude pondering about my psychological mishap, “I agree with my sister… In my entire life, I’ve never ever seen somepony go like what you’ve went through… Tell us honestly, what did you do in your past?”

Harmony looked at her brother shocked he would ask such a question, “Epsilon! You shouldn’t ask that question to Zodiac! He could’ve had a traumatizing past for all we know!”

Epsilon shook his head in disagreement hearing that, “Now I know that he could have a terrible past, I can understand why no one would want to remember it, but it would be better to tell us now so that he doesn’t go through this again. In that state, he’s a hindrance…”

As much as I hate to say it, he was right, I would be a hindrance should I go through that. I did not want to tell them about it at all, I didn’t even want to remember it at all. My past was a massacre of everyone dead from left to right, even if some were evil and they deserved death. It was a catastrophe not meant to be shared by even my friends, “I’m… sorry Epsilon… As much as I can agree with you, I’d agree with Harmony, I’d rather not dwell into the past… The things I’ve done during my childhood… I’d rather not remember it at all…”

Much to Epsilon’s chagrin, he did not want to be denied of what was bothering me. But he respected my choice and left the question behind if I was truly bothered by it. Harmony helped me get up as I was clearing my head of all things I do not wish to recall ever again. I asked Epsilon again what his original question before all this drama started, “I’m sorry, but what was your original question Epsilon?”

I saw Epsilon letting out a small sigh. He was wondering whether to not ask him again for the sake of not repeating this again. He went on to ask me again his last question, “Please don’t do that on me again, but I asked what happened here… I included that this was a mass genocide…”

I looked back at it sharing Epsilon’s sentiment. Harmony still did not want to look at it for her sake. This was a mass genocide, but who in the right mind would cause this much wanton destruction? “I don’t know, I don’t think it mentions this in the Wasteland Survival Guide at all. If I were to guess, this was either recent or Ditzy Doo did not want this in the book at all…”

I’d go for the latter any day. This was something that should be known to everyone out there. I wonder if Ditzy was very shocked from the sight of this when or if she was here. Harmony looked at me with concern. I can definitely tell what was lingering in her mind and her question confirmed what I was thinking, “Do we have to go through this?”

I checked on my PipBuck to see if there was an alternative route we can take. Unfortunately, there was no alternative route for us to take. If I should ever meet Ditzy Doo, I should ask her to see if she saw this or not, “No Harmony, no such luck on our side… I hate to say this, but we’re going to have to go through that…”

I can clearly tell in her expression that she did not like this. Either way, the three of us knew that this was our only option to get to Manehatten whether we like it or not. Epsilon revved up the engine and we began our drive through the Boneyard. Once we got inside the skeletal valley, surprisingly, there was no smell of rotten flesh. Yet not a single whiff of something made all of us worried. Looking through some of the skeletons revealed that some of them were charred to the bone. Were there dragons in here?

We went only a few feet of this desolate land as my ears perked hearing scuffling from the strewn bones scattered, “Heads up you two, I think we got company…” They too heard the sound of clattering bones.

“Harmony, can you take over the wheel for now?” Harmony obliged as Epsilon stood up and moved allowing her to take the driver’s seat. He grabbed his rocket launcher checking his surroundings. I scouted above as I looked over the field of white checking to see any movement.

No movement as of yet… Either the enemies we are dealing with are stealthy or were waiting it out. I got my answer as something hopped onto my back with a roar trying to slash away at me, “Hey! Get this thing off me!” I was flying around like crazy trying to shake this thing off me. It managed to land a few good slashes on my chest emitting a scream of agony from me.

Both of them looked above me to see a… whatever that was trying to claw me apart was... I pulled my sword as I decapitated the monster, oozing its blood right on me. Hated the fact that I killed it right then and there but, one I had no choice and two, at least this was not a pony… It fell limp on to the ground as I was clutching onto the claw wounds.

I went down to the jeep wrapping my claw wounds with bandages as more of those monsters tried to jump on us. I heard an explosion behind me as I turned around to see Epsilon his rocket launcher at the pack exploding those caught in the blast radius to tiny gory giblets of confetti. I checked on my PipBuck seeing a bunch of reds surrounding us. My PipBuck alerted me that the slash marks was infected and that it needed to be cleaned out now. Great, more to add to my worries, like us being surrounded by these monstrosities wasn’t enough for me…

Epsilon took over the back seat and fired three rockets at the charging monsters. Most of them narrowly avoided the blast radius as they were sent flying away from us, “Harmony, think you can drive us out of here!?”

“I’m trying my best here brother!” Epsilon continued blasting through the incoming pack as waves of them were coming for us. Harmony revved up the engines as she pushed the thrusters hard, plowing the zombies in front of us and gaining some speed. That was not enough as some landed in the backseat and began to charge at Epsilon.

I pulled Righteous Crusader and fired at the few of them getting a few shots. One bit onto my arm eliciting a loud scream from me. Epsilon whacked it away with a shovel. He screamed in agony as two slashed at his chest, whacking them away again while clutching on to his chest. They clawed away the flesh of it revealing some muscle as it was bleeding. He wrapped them with some bandages as I took care of the others.

I heard a hard crunch as I turned to see Harmony punching the daylights out of one of the hellhounds that latched onto the door. She returned her focus back to driving. Epsilon finished patching up his wounds as he picked up his rocket launcher again and fired at the oncoming hellhound waves.

They were beginning to get smart of their attacks and resorted to… using energy weapons against us!? That is so not fair! I ducked under one of the beams as it barely singed both me and Harmony’s head. She put one hoof on her mane and pushed on the thrusters harder as we sped up the jeep.

Looking at my PipBuck, it was showing a never ending red field surrounding us. I was beginning to regret making the decision of driving through this white valley. She sped up our jeep as more of them were coming from every single direction. One jumped over our heads trying to pounce on Epsilon. It was met with a bullet to the head, exploding it, spreading bits of gore to its fellow hellhounds.

There was no end to the hellhound infestation. More and more would keep on coming filling up those we killed. My body and mind was getting tired as we continued plowing through some of these dogs. I looked at my PipBuck as it alerted me of contagions invading my body. Epsilon was suffering through the same problem. I switched it to the map. I felt like my prayers were answered as there was a town up ahead that was not blotched in red. As wrong as that was, it was better safe than sorry!

I turned around looking at the town. It was fortified to hold against all of the hellhounds swarming out here. Barging through the gate was a major bad idea obviously. I saw a broken ramp from outside. My body was beginning to fail on me right now.

Left with little choice, I gestured Harmony about the ramp. She saw what I was thinking and was looking at me like I was crazy, “Are you crazy!? We can’t do that!”

“It’s that or the packs chasing us Harmony!” She did not like this one bit but she sped up the jeep as we tried for the jump. Epsilon was clutching onto his slash wounds when he saw what I was doing. He tried to argue with me for the crazy idea but he passed out from his injuries. She ramped up the speed as zombies were being plowed through. She managed to make to the ramp and we made the jump.

Time felt like it slowed down as we made the jump. The acceleration was fast enough for us to make it over the fence. As we landed, Harmony pushed the brakes stopping the jeep from crashing onto a building. Everypony who was within the town heard the sound as they went out to search what caused the ruckus. They saw our jeep and bought their weapons to our heads being cautious about us.

They discarded the weapons though as they heard Harmony’s plea to attend to the two of us as both of our conditions were getting worse. Two unicorns carried us with telekinesis. I looked at the ponies here first then to the two siblings before passing out from the infections taking over my body.

I was a young child living a great life. I had a family siblings and a life worth ahead of me. It was to be great as my parents would say for me. But… That shining life did not last long. I had my innocence taken from me when some people cruelly punished my father and mother right in front of my eyes. I could only stare in abject horror as I watched the punishment continue, never ceasing even when I plead them to stop. My sister was very lucky to not witness the punishment as she stayed behind in our hidden bunker.

My eyes were beginning to tear up as the unending pain that my parents had to suffer continued on, each of their screams worse than the last. They pleaded with them as well to not end my life there as they wanted to see me live. They were willing to take the pain for me to live. I wanted to reach out for them. I wanted all of this to end; I wanted to share their pain as well, just to die with them together.

And even that was taken away from me as they decided that they had enough of torturing my parents in front of me. They gave a sadistic grin as they exchanged their whips for a serrated blade. They began to cut my parents body, sawing their bodies to give them the slow and painful death. Their screams of unimaginable pain ringed through my ears as tears escaped my eyes begging them to stop.

My mother and father looked at me even through the sheer pain one more time and mouthed a silent prayer to me, begging that their God and Goddess would watch over me. The light within their eyes was snuffed out as their heads went limp. They were dead… They were... No, please… Please don’t die on me… The sadistic killers unchained them as their upper body fell to the ground.

I sat there frozen in shock and denial from what I’ve witnessed. My parents were not moving… The murderers could only laugh at their sadistic joy of killing my parents. They were all smiling at what they called their workmanships. All eyes went on me as they wondered what to do with me. They decided to finish me there as well. They did not care about me going to the afterlife or my endless sobbing of being alone now. They just wanted to end me with a maniacal glee.

Their laughter resonated through my ears as one of them came with the serrated blade they used to kill my parents, ready to end me right there. I looked at them through my teary-soaked eyes as they inched closer to me. All of my emotions simmered down leaving one emotion burning through my body, an unending hatred for these murderers.

As he raised his weapon high into the air, I charged at him, my eyes burning with anger beyond my control. The others charged at me with their melee weapons. I looked at them with a cold glare that froze them there for a second before charging at me again. I dodged a machete as I bit onto his hooves. He screamed as he released the machete pulling his bitten foreleg away from me. I grabbed the machete in my mouth as I looked at the killers charging at me.

I moved hastily, avoiding their slow and heavy strikes as I went under them. I stabbed one of them through the back as the blade popped from back to front. He was breathing heavily as he tried to grab me off. I pulled the blade sideways spilling his intestines to the floor. He looked down at the floor seeing his intestines spilled. He faded into unconsciousness falling down on his intestines.

All charged at me mad about me killing one of their brethren. I moved out of their ways as I climbed myself onto one of their backs again. This time, they were smart about it as they tossed me over and I hit the wall hard. I was coughing out blood from that as they charged at me again.

I was weak from that, but still managed to speed past their strikes as I charged at another ramming her onto the floor. I stabbed her stomach first and then to her eye sockets as I was screaming. She was already limp upon the first stab, but I wasn’t even thinking straight as I stabbed at the eyes ruthlessly. I stopped there breathing heavily as I looked back at the other three there. My eyes still had the flames of hatred burning as I slowly walked to them as they stared at me, fearing for their life as they slowly backed, blade covered in my enemies’ blood held at my mouth.

One of them stumbled from his feet as he was on his back. He looked at me slowly walking and tried to crawl away only for me to be on top of him. I glared at him as I pulled the blade from my mouth into my hoof raising it into the air, “No please! Get away from me! Get away…!” His screams of plea were garbled by his blood as I stabbed at his neck. He went limp as I pulled out the serrated machete. The other two stood there terrified at what I’ve become. I got up and looked at them before they began running away from me.

I was right on front of them at their only escape route as they stood there shaking to their core. One fearfully attacked me as I just sidestepped stabbing at his foreleg. He screamed as he tried to pull the blade out only to meet another blade stabbing through his face from the chin to the head.

The other tried to run but the door was locked from the outside. He banged on the door trying desperately to call for his fellow members to save him from me. I walked slowly as he continued banging on the door desperate for someone to save him. No one heard his pleas as I climbed onto him pulling him back. He struggled to get me off as I continuously stabbed at him not stopping even if he was dead. His blood splattered on the door and the walls as I continued to stab at him. Only when he was filled with holes all over his body did I stop.

My body was tired from all of what I’ve done as I looked upon my actions. I had killed five people without mercy and as a young child. I fell limp next to my dead parents as my vision began to blacken. I tried to deny what I had done within my uncontrollable rage but my mind knew what I had done, “I’m not a killer… I’m not a killer…” I repeated that sentence as many times as possible to rectify what I did.

I cuddled my dead parents’ bodies as I cried myself to sleep wanting to forget whatever travesty occurred to my life. I wanted it to all return to normal, all to the way it all happened before this occurred. With my body soaked in the blood of my killers though, I knew that my life will never ever be the same.

I woke up from that nightmare screaming my lungs out. I clutched my chest as I was breathing heavily trying to not hyperventilate from it. I looked around to find ourselves in a medical facility. I saw Epsilon and Harmony sleeping peacefully. His injuries seemed to heal as his condition told by the computer linked up to him was stable, no infections at all.

I looked at mine seeing that I was cleansed of infections as well alongside visible injuries. I look to see that it was night still. I looked at my PipBuck seeing that it has given a name for the town we were in, Maredytum.

I put on the radio to see if there was any news. No news on Stable Dweller or Security… I looked through the window seeing the clouds blocking the night sky. I had wondered if they were handling their situations well. I wanted to get some shut-eye but that nightmare was making it uneasy for me. In the end, I had to use some sleeping pills on the counter to fall asleep.

Day had begun to rise as the rays of sunlight beamed through the windows bathing me in its warmth. I gave out a powerful yawn as I stretched out my body flexing some of my body parts as they made a pop sound. The town was bristling with activity, no doubt from our unannounced entry into the town as everypony in here was eyeing me leaving their clinic.

I saw Epsilon chatting with this town’s supposed leader talking about our entry. The leader did not sound so pleased of our emergency entry, “I did not expect you to come in unannounced like so, but with you two injured, we had to resort to helping strangers…”

Harmony was groaning hearing this over and over again. Her brother shared her sentiments, “And we appreciate you for that! Jeez how many times do we have to tell you!? We were chased by hellhounds mister!” Epsilon was en route to being pissed off and quickly too might I add. I went up to the two of them as he was looking like he was close to exploding and I meant that in a literally way… They saw me come to his direction, thankful that they have me to do the diplomatic stuff, “Thank the Goddesses you’re awake… Can you do all this for me? I need to blow something up to vent my anger…”

He left me to the diplomacy as he went to the outskirts of Maredytum to do some something. I glanced at Harmony who was ready to leave as well. She left with her brother and I was left with the leader in charge. I returned my gaze to their supposed chief of the town wanting to thank him for the assistance, “I thank you for the assistance kind sir…”

“You welcome, but that much kindness is all you’re getting from us. Now if you would be so kindly and leave our town already…” I raised an eyebrow from the suddenness. That threw me off a bit.

I know we unintentionally entered their town but that was enough for us to make leave right? “Sir what seems to trouble you? The way you’re saying that tells me that you have trouble trusting three strangers…” Which is understandable to a certain degree, but I didn’t say that out loud for him to hear.

“Look you all seem nice and all, but I’d rather be cautious especially if you are one of the Blades…” Again my eyebrow rose from that but I did understand why.

Taking precautions I see… Good thing we’re not one of those Blades he referred to us. Speaking of the Blades, “Who are the Blades precisely?”

His ears perked from hearing that. He looked at me like I was a crazed maniac for saying something like that, “You’re joking… You’re joking right?” I shook my head in denial. He was very much surprised that the three of us did not know anything about the Blades at all. Considering that we’re new here would not be a surprise to anyone in all honesty. Guess the barricade surrounding the city was good enough of an answer for anyone out there.

He looked around the city out of caution as he bought me inside the office probably wanting a private conversation with me. He closed the door and turned on the lights as I entered looking at a mayor’s office. He sat down in the chair as he pulled out some papers, “Before I give you these papers, are you sure you don’t know who or what the Blades are?” I again shook my head in denial as he gave me the papers.

Details about the Blades were written in here. A detail I noticed was that these were written by a group called the Regulators. I looked at him as I pointed out this detail. He answered about the Regulators when I pointed it out, “The Regulators was just a group I hired to defend the peace around the Boneyard. We have only a handful of guards to protect this city so I had to hire some guns to defend Maredytum and the Boneyard. Their leader is named Guillotine, where he is? I don’t know”

I listened to his whole conversation about the Regulators as I was reading the papers that the Regulators wrote about the Blades. Apparently, the Blades were thieves known for their murdering sprees at the northern part of Maredytum. As I was reading the casualties on here, my ears perked when of the casualties was named by the mayor, “My own daughter, Dawn, was one of the casualties. I can never forgive them for killing my daughter.”

That hit me hard as I got to her name on the casualties list. The mayor’s own daughter dead by a group of vicious thieves. I gave him back the papers having learned enough about the Blades, “I’m very sorry for your loss mister…?”

“Monarch… My name is Monarch…” He raised a hoof as an apology. I shook his hoof in return, though I can tell that he still has trust issues with the both of us. He wanted trust us for something but he can’t for the sake of the citizens here.

An idea popped up in my head as a way for Mayor Monarch to trust us, “Mister Monarch, why don’t you send me to do something for you? As a way to trust us I mean…”

He was silent as he bought a hoof up to his chin wondering about the idea I suggested. He smiled as he liked the idea, “That is a good idea and I have just a request for you.”

I relaxed my body as I was listening to Monarch’s request. I hope that this will be able to resolve his trust issues with me and Epsilon, “Okay then, we have a pony out there who is handling a problem as we speak. See, we have some hydroponic farms but they are not functioning. He’ll fill you on the rest of the details involving the request. His name is Miles; he’s noticeable as he’s always at the hydroponic farms.” He gave an easing smile as he finished his sentence.

I raised my eyebrow from that but it didn’t really bother me much, “So, all I have to do is talk to this Miles and he’ll fill me in?”

“Yes, I’ll tell him that you’re coming to assist him.” He moved out of his chair and opened the door as I left the mayor’s office. He gave a reassuring smile as he closed the door leaving me to do his request. A beep came to my PipBuck as I checked on it. It updated on my objectives giving me two main objectives. One of them of course was us going to Manehatten, the other involved finding Miles and speaking with him.

The PipBuck gave us the location of where he was by an arrow pointing the way. I was about to walk until I heard an explosion from the outskirts of the city as Epsilon and Harmony (who was clutching onto him tightly) again rocket jumped over the barricade killing some hellhounds along the jump. He landed next to me with a big smile very much happy to blow something up, “Phew, now that managed to vent my anger! Want to fill me in on what’s happening?”

Harmony got off her brother trying to get use to the land now again. She glared at him very displeased about that, “You know Epsilon, the next time you go through one of your killing sprees don’t bring me please.” He could let out a loud laugh hearing his sister.

We were walking on our way to meet Miles as I finished up telling them about my conversation with Mayor Monarch. Both of them bore a downer look upon hearing that his daughter died from the Blades. Harmony was sympathetic for him, “Poor Monarch, I’m beginning to see why he doesn't trust us yet.”

Epsilon shook his head looking around the town, “Why wouldn’t he? I sure as damn would be like that as well if I were to be in his situation, the poor fella…”

I do like it when my friends understood the pain but… “I know… But something seems off about the Regulators he hired though…” I looked around us seeing them on the outpost towers of Maredytum eyeing us. Their written report on the Blades was written like they had personal problems with them. Epsilon seems to share my opinion as he was eyeing them. Harmony was a bit indifferent but her eyes did wander to them as well.

We had reached the broken hydroponic farms hoping to see Miles. However, he seemed rather busy as he was screaming in rage with the broken farms, trying desperately to fix them without the much needed parts, “Fuck me with Celestia’s flaring-orgasms! This is getting ridiculous!”

I heard Epsilon laughing a bit while Harmony simply looked abashed. That last part he said I did not want to hear ever again. Really, putting Celestia’s name like that was a really cruel way to disrespect her right? I knocked on the door as he stopped his ranting opening the door to meet us. He bore a smile as he saw me, “You’re the pony that Mayor Monarch sent to help me right?”

Looks like the mayor was keeping to his promise about sending information about me, “Yep, that’s me so mind filling me on the details he left out?”

“Sure, please come right in.” He opened the door showing us the broken hydroponic farms that he was fixing alongside a working pony, “Sorry about that, we were trying to get these farms working but without the major components we need, these farms are just kaput…”

Epsilon chuckled from some pony using the word kaput there, “Well that’s a first I hear a pony say kaput in my life…”

“Hey I can’t help it; I’ve had that word stuck in my head throughout my time here in Maredytum. Might as well say it right?” The both of us only shrugged, not really disagreeing with Miles.

Harmony came forward looking at the somewhat broken hydroponic farms. A smile formed on her face seeing the idea of these farms, “So these farms allow you to farm your own fruits and vegetables right?” She was eyeing the farms curiously, rubbing on the windows. I can imagine the gears in her head turning right now seeing the possibilities of these farms.

A smile formed on Miles’s face this time, “Well aren’t you a clever lass there?” I saw Harmony blush a bit from the praise. He went on about the details concerning the parts about the farm, “Anyway, we need the parts to make these works. If we can make these farms work, we won’t have to worry about trading with other cities for food. We can grow our own here.”

“Okay, I see the basics but where are the parts?” I was beginning to regret asking that question.

“Yeah, well you see…” And now I officially regretted asking that damn question. Me and my big mouth, “The pony who was supposed to deliver the parts to this town got ambushed by hellhounds… If you want some info on where the parts you may need to ask the chemist here.”

“Wait, you don’t know where the parts are?” Epsilon beat me to the question. How many times has someone beat me to the question I was about to ask?

He shook his head much to our chagrin, “Only my chemist friend knows where they are. His name is Morning Star… He’s…” As if on cue, the chemist comes in with a look of concern on his face, “Right here!”

“Huh?” His look of concern changed to that of confusion when he heard his friend say something. Miles gestured to the three of us. He immediately was able to figure out what he meant as he said a long ‘oh!’ sound. He looked at us now with a look of both certainty and a bit of worry? That bit of worry made me worried now, “So you two are the ones Mayor Monarch sent?”

This time I beat Epsilon to his answer as he was about to open his mouth, “Yes we are, is there seem to be a problem?” He looked at me with a look that clearly said ‘Did you just interrupt me?’ All I did was shrug with a big grin on my face. Harmony could only groan seeing us like this.

“No, no problems at all! I’m just happy to have some ponies helping me get the parts for me.” That set off some warnings blaring in my head.

“You’re not coming with us?” In all fairness, I think I know why he wouldn’t come with us in the first place. I just wanted to hear his answer from Morning Star himself to confirm my thoughts

“Hell no! You realize that those hellhounds are out there where the parts are?! I am not going out there only for me to get mauled by hellhounds!” Well that pretty much answered my second question and my thoughts I was about to ask. I closed my mouth in response as he continued on with where the parts are, “Anyway, the parts we’re looking for are at the hellhound warehouse northeast from here. That place is infested with those dogs and of course we don’t know how to fight.”

“That’s where you guys come in…” Miles added as he continued on where the chemist left off, “So if you managed to get the parts, we’ll give a decent paycheck for your efforts alongside report what you did to get them, how’s that?”

The both of us looked at each other wondering whether to agree with this or not. Of course the both of agree with the request, but sometimes, it was better to hear one’s opinion before accepting one. For Epsilon, he wanted to know the paycheck first before going in the warehouse, “What’s the paycheck you’re giving us?” That earned him a look from Harmony. He just stood there not paying attention to her.

He made some motions as his head was calculating the paycheck, “Oh about six stimpaks and two hundred and fifty bottle caps, sounds like a fair deal?”

It was fair enough for me, I wasn’t one to brag about such a paycheck. Epsilon was not quite with the paycheck and was about to argue until two glares from me and Harmony made him shut his mouth. He just backed away slowly as I accepted their paycheck, “Fair deal, we’ll accept the offer.”

They smiled as a beep went on my PipBuck. I checked on my PipBuck to see a new objective was added replacing the original one.

Go to the hellhound warehouse and retrieve the parts.

With the request accepted, the both of us went on our way to the hellhound warehouse. I looked back to see Harmony busy eyeing the hydroponic farms. I whistled for her attention as I asked, “Harmony you coming?”

She looked at me for a moment before continuing her smile, “No thanks, I’m going to stay and see how these farms works if that okay with you two?” I didn’t mind it at all. I looked back at Epsilon who just shrugged.

I returned the smile to Harmony, “We’re fine. You can stay here then.” She waved as I left the farms. The PipBuck was pointing the way to the warehouse as we packed up our weapons. Epsilon was grumbling about the paycheck as we were heading there. I resisted facehoofing there for my companion’s lack of complete understanding at the moment, “Epsilon, stop grumbling about the paycheck. Be happy that at least we got something to do while being here.”

That lifted his spirits a bit but he still grumbled about the paycheck, “I don’t like that payment. We should have gotten something more so for what we’re doing.”

I believe this to be the third time I raised my eyebrow, “Since when have you been one to whine about paychecks?”

“Since right now… and I’m not whining, I’m complaining!” I truly did not understand my friend right now as I now facehoofed there. The both of us continued chatting as we walked to the warehouse not caring that we were getting unwanted attention from some ponies. Luckily, none of our subjects we chatted about were about the Regulators.

It felt like a long walk as we finally reached the northeastern area of the Boneyard. We ran into a few hellhounds along the way, but it was relatively an easy walk there. Our jeep was in repair when we arrived at the workshop first prompting a long annoyed sigh from Epsilon. I guess he liked driving there instead of walking our way to the hellhound warehouse.

The warehouse looked abandoned and dilapidated from years of wear and tear. The whole building looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. The pillars holding the building have slash marks from the hellhounds physically weakening the structure. And we were supposed to go inside it to get some parts? Epsilon shared my sentiments looking at the condition of the building, “Maybe we should check outside the parameters first before going inside?”

“Yeah, I agree. Let’s check outside instead of the collapsing building in front of us. That will make things so much easier…” He was trying to be snarky about us searching the outside which he was failing at doing. We wanted to make this quick hoping to not get any attention from the hellhounds. That would be very stupid as they can sniff us out, but it was easier than facing a pack of them even with a rocket launcher.

We moved slowly avoiding anything that could potentially give our location away. This time we carefully checked our surroundings. I stopped Epsilon immediately when he almost stepped on a can of Sparkle-Cola. I stopped him again as he backed a step from almost crushing another can of Sparkle-Cola. This was not going to be easy for us.

Every step we took trying to survey the area almost ended with us being revealed. The Wasteland was probably laughing at us right now as step by step; we almost gave away our location with cans and a few mines seeing if we can find those parts. We got to the northeastern part of the hellhound warehouse to find… an abandoned playground. Of all places, why did one have to appear here?

Past memories began to flashback to my first time playing through a playground with my siblings as our mother and father was watching over us. It was not a dark memory luckily, but it still left my heart broken. I can hear my siblings’ voices as I stared at the playground as image after image of us playing through the playground was being played in my mind. We were so happy playing around, having fun with our parents; I’d never thought to have all that disappear in a matter of days.

Tears began to well up in my eyes as I wiped them away. Epsilon saw me shedding some tears as he was surveying the area. He came up close to me and put a foreleg around my body comforting in my time of need. I put my head on his shoulder happy to have him, “Thanks Epsilon, I really appreciate it.”

Epsilon smiled as he comforted me, “Painful memories coming back?” He shifted to an expression of pain and sadness.

It threw me off to see this but the Wasteland was known to sometimes break some ponies even if only a little bit, “The same ones, why are you sad about this?”

He was silent as he looked at the playground. He spoke with a hint of grief as he answered, “This playground was my sister’s favorite playground. We would always play here whenever our parents were not around.” He walked to a location he remembered taking his first step into the playground. Where he stood was a single tile signed by both Harmony and Epsilon. He pulled out the tile with a smile seeing that something was still under it.

Underneath the tile was a small box from under all of that rubble. The box itself had aged well but was still able to keep its shape. The design was rather simple, a square box with some sort of curvature at the top of the box. He pulled it out and opened it pulling out a locket holding a picture of Epsilon’s mother and father with Harmony and Epsilon all of them smiling at the camera, “This picture was to be our last picture depicting us together happily.”

Their last picture… Epsilon held on to the picture tightly letting a few tears escape. This time I was the one comforting him in his time of need. I can tell that he wanted to give this to Harmony who stayed behind but why would the family split after that last picture? A sniffle from Epsilon broke me out of my thinking bubble, “Thanks Zodiac, I really appreciate what you’re doing…” He wiped the tears as he returned back to his normal self, “Now shall we continue looking for the parts?”

I let a smile form on my face, “Couldn’t have said it better myself.” We checked out the playground searching for those parts that Miles needed to repair the farms. Outside the parameters of the playground, we saw a corpse laying there. We examined it and found out that this was the supposed pony to deliver the parts after finding said parts. His body has slash marks matching that of the hellhounds, Looks like they weren’t kidding about the deliverer being mauled by hellhounds…

I put them in my saddlebag as my inventory updated telling me the price and information of the parts. Weirdly, it was just called junk despite it not looking like junk and of course the amount sold for it was one bottle cap. That was just a bunch of baloneys right there. Now that we managed to get the part for the hydroponic farm, we were about to head back to Maredytum only for me to step on a can of Sparkle-Cola.

Aw fuck me with the Goddesses’ cunt… Oh my goodness! Forgive me there Celestia and Luna!

The world just hates the both of us right now with stealth doesn’t it? We began to run immediately away from the building as the sound echoed through the warehouse. The sound despite it being only a quiet crunch was heard as the roars of the hellhounds erupted through the area. Already, they were on their way trying to get to us as they fired their energy weapons. Some of the beams of saturated magic singed our hides as we hasten our run.

Epsilon pointed his rocket launcher onto the ground and fired as he jumped soaring ahead of me. He turned around in the air and released a barrage of rockets at the hellhounds. The hellhounds scattered as rockets bombarded them exploding some of them into smithereens.

I continued running as I pulled out Righteous Crusader and kicked in S.A.T.S. Time slowed down as I aimed for the heads of the hellhounds firing at Epsilon. I do hope that this doesn’t screw my morals. Five bullets were fired, three missing their heads but did hit their arms leaving them crippled; the others fell limp as the bullet pierced their heads.

Epsilon landed and did another rocket jump as he ascended into the air releasing another barrage. One of the beams hit him squarely on the right foreleg as it began to disintegrate. I saw the hit and reacted quickly as I soared to the air applying some wards on it stopping the disintegration. Thank goodness for magical medical wards made for non-unicorns.

I descended alongside Epsilon as we ran not wanting to continue the fight, too many to fight at once… Epsilon was slowing down as he was limping thanks to his right foreleg. I carried him onto my back as I hasten my run. The town was much further away than I had anticipated as I was beginning to get tired from the running.

The town was alerted by the roars of the hellhounds as they see me with Epsilon on my back running away. We were still far away from getting some assistance as some of the ponies inside Maredytum scrambled to help us. The hellhounds fired their energy rifles at us trying to kill us before we entered into the safe haven. Some of the ponies at the outpost towers saw us running away and assisted us by firing at the charging hellhounds.

The ponies opened one of the gates as they threw grenades at the hellhounds. I ducked under the lobbing grenades as they exploded behind me making a gory buffet that the raiders would be proud to feast upon… maybe. I spread my wings ready to fly away as they continued raining down bombs upon the hellhounds. I made a serious error in judgment as one of the rifles beamed right through three of my wings on my right side. I applied the medical wards stopping the disintegration; no pain was felt thanks to some of my pain receptors being disintegrated there (though that’s a bad thing).

I furled my wings not wanting to repeat this mistake as I ran towards the gate. Some of the ponies came out of the gate to assist me inside as their allies continued firing their grenades. How they had that much grenades though, I might have to ask them about it. They saw me pass as they closed the gates as the hellhounds fired at them. The beams did not pass through the gates possibly due to magical wards.

I was tired and wanted to pass out there but I needed to first get myself and Epsilon to the hospital hoping that they can fix our disintegrated wounds. Our allies noticed our wounds and carried us to the hospital. This was what, like the third time I passed out right now? I’m beginning to think that me passing out constantly might end up becoming common for me.

I was waking up from my slumber as I looked around to find myself in a military encampment. I tried to move but my body was aching like crazy as I tried to move even a single inch. I stopped moving and laid my head down. I looked to my left to see my little sister, Aurora, sleeping with her favorite doll.

I felt a bit of happiness seeing her alive and well after my incident with the… No, I don’t want to remember that at all. Please for the love of all things good, don’t make me remember it. I heard a sweet voice as I was clutching my head. It made me smile as I looked at Aurora again, “Brother…?”

“Hey there Aurora…” She got up, stretched and yawned. She rubbed her eyes as she blinked a few times as she had a wonderful smile. She was my ray of hope in this grim world we all came to create.

I looked ahead to see a doctor in a soldier’s uniform checking up on me. She looked at me surprised to see me awake, “Oh! You’re awake!” She let out a breath of relief as she putted the papers away, “Goodness, for a minute there we thought we lost you after finding you in you-know-where.”

“Doctor, am I going to be okay?” Please let me be okay to at least live my life with my sister.

She smiled as she pulled the papers and gave it to me. I tried to read it but my body was hurting like crazy trying to move it. She moved it close to me as she told me about my condition, “Well right now, you’re in okay condition at most. Your body had to go through some extensive surgery to heal some of the ruptured organs but otherwise you are fine for the most part, but...” I hated the usage of that word right now. Please let this be something that doesn’t affect my sister, “Unfortunately as a result of replacing some of the major organs, you have a shortened lifespan. Roughly about twelve or so years I’m afraid…”

I felt like my heart just fell to the pits of my stomach hearing that. My sister looked at me with a worried expression as she asked the doctor, “Ma’am, what does it mean for my brother to live twelve years?”

I’m not going to be able to live with my sister that long? The doctor explained to the best of her abilities with a tone of sadness. My sister was on the verge of tears as she heard of it all. She hugged me during my thought process tearfully refusing to believe what she just heard. I looked at her and despite my body in pain; I comforted her trying to make calm her down. She looked at me grief-stricken with the news. I was hurt, but if I have that much of a life left, then I want to make it the best for my Aurora, “Listen Aurora, I know you don’t want to believe but if the doctors says that I have a short life then you and I have to accept it.”

She shook her head still refusing to believe that I will not always be with her after this God damn war, “No! I… I don’t want to lose you; you’re the only family I have!” She was weeping on my body as she hugged me tightly not wanting to let me go.

That caught me off guard. I looked at the doctor who explained it that she told her what happened to our parents. She did not want to tell her about our parent’s fate but she was so adamant on wanting to know what happened, she had no choice but to tell her. I can’t argue with the doctor there, I comforted her again trying to stop her crying.

She looked at me with those tear-filled eyes. It was basically begging me to continue living on and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears for her as I shared in her pain. She wept again as I rubbed her head gently, “Hush now, it’s alright.”

I woke up to find myself on the bed in the hospital. The beeping sound of a heart monitor was heard as I looked around. I saw my right wings in casts unfurled. I saw that the wound seemed to have healed albeit slowly. Looking at Epsilon who was sleeping to my left, his right foreleg has healed as well. I saw Miles coming in with a smile, “I’m not so sure on what to say but… Thank you on helping me…”

I chuckled on that remark, “It is nothing, but you do owe us for almost getting us killed with these…” I moved my wings a bit and that delivered a jolt of pain through my whole body. Ouch, this is going to hurt badly…

He gave a weak laugh as he looked upon our injuries a little crestfallen for the simple request. He returned back to his original attitude with the paycheck in hoof, “Here’s your paycheck, six stimpaks and two hundred fifty bottle caps.” I smiled as I put them in my saddlebag, “Thanks to you, we managed to get the hydroponic farms working. Of course we had to get our engineer and your friend Harmony to help with fixing the parts but otherwise we now have our own supply of food!”

He was bouncing back and forth with so much glee forgetting that he was being watched by me. I think everybody has a little bit of Pinkie Pie with her bounces… He stopped midway, blushing a bit from all of that. I could only laugh there seeing that somepony beside Twilight (When she’s excited at least…) and Pinkie Pie doing those bounces.

I stopped laughing out loud like a crazed maniac when I was beginning to losing my breath from all of that laughing. I never thought to run out of breath for a second there as I was clutching my chest breathing heavily. I looked back at Miles who looked like he had something in his mind when he was rubbing his chin. He clapped his two hooves together as he remembered, “Oh yeah I almost forgot, the doctor says that your wound is healing but she suggested not to strain it.” I got that memo when I trying to furl the wings into place, “The other is that Mayor Monarch wants to see you.”

Now? Out of all the times he decides to speak with me it’s now? Well, if the doctors say that my right wings are fine then maybe meeting with him wouldn’t be so bad. I got up from my bed trying not to strain my wings. Miles assisted me in getting up as I got on all four hooves. Well, at least I can still walk.

I looked at Epsilon who was sleeping with the locket in his hoof. It was nice to see something of personal value back at one’s possession. Miles lead me out of the hospital as I breathed in the fresh, radiated air. Goodness, radiated air? What is with me today? “Well I got to head back to the hydroponic farms and see if Harmony is doing okay. I think you know how to get to the mayor’s office right?”

I looked at my PipBuck as it pinpointed where the mayor’s office was in here, “I think my PipBuck knows the way.” I said that with a smile.He smiled as he left me to go there returning back to the farms.

I went to the mayor’s office as I passed some of the major buildings. Most of the citizens here warmed up to me as they gave some food for me to help myself on such as carrots and other kinds of vegetables. It looks like the hydroponic farms are going to help a lot, maybe I should plant those apple seeds I still have? I shuffled through my saddlebag as I pulled out the apple seeds I kept with me. It would be a good way for every pony here to try out Applejack’s apples.

I put them back in the bag as I reached the office. I knocked on the door hoping that he was here now. The door opened as Monarch saw me. He smiled as he moved out of the way allowing me to enter. I turned for a second looking at the outpost towers. The ponies there stared at me for a long while before shifting their gaze elsewhere. Did the Regulators have something to hate against me now?

I entered and sat as Monarch pulled up some papers and sat down, “I heard that the townsponies are beginning to warm up to you, if the ponies here like you then that’s enough to gain my respect and trust.” I was proud of myself hearing that from Monarch himself. He extended a hoof of appreciation and I shook it back in return. He backed away as he looked out the window seeing all of the ponies out there, “I never got your name when we first met. Tell me, what is your name?”

Oh shoot I never told him my name? Well, there’s something I missed, “Zodiac, Mister Monarch. The others I think you can ask them…” I let a small smile form.

“Please, you can just call me Monarch, the ponies here trust so you gained my trust now.” He motioned me over to the window. I was next to him as we looked out the window seeing the children out there playing around. It warmed my heart seeing all of them playing despite the dangers out there. Monarch shared my opinion as well, “When the war ended, this town was empty of all life and many of the families here were starving. They got ambushed from time to time by raiders, slavers; you name it, anything that could harm us.”

He returned back to the table as I looked through the window watching the children, “With no system here, I thought, Hey, maybe I could lead them and here we are. Maredytum was a town I was proud to be mayor for and all of the ponies, but even then, everypony know that I may end up dying.”

He pulled out the spreadsheet of possible candidates for mayor. One of them was scratched out as I was looking through them, I wanted to ask him about it but I decided to let him finish his talk first, “I wanted a worthy successor for me when I die. As a result, I made this spreadsheet of the possible citizens here that are worthy of being mayor. So many to choose from, I can’t decide, but that’s not what I called you here for.”

I was looking at the scratched out citizen on the spreadsheet. I looked at him seeing what and why he scratched out this one, “This one scratched out, guessing he’s the leader of the Blade?”

Monarch was silent for some time as he looked at his picture of the daughter Dawn. He put the picture his voice having a tone of fear and hatred while also correcting me, “She and yes, her name is Razor.” I gave him back the spreadsheet as he put it back shifting his attention northward, “You don’t know them yet, but you read the info about them so have at least enough knowledge about them. They are ruthless and bloodthirsty. The Blades are the worst of them all in Maredytum, I’m afraid.” I can hear the fear in his voice as he continued about the Blades themselves, “Have you ever dealt with a group of vicious murdering band of thieves before?”

I’m not so certain if the both of us have ever faced such a group before. The only thing I remember fighting were some raiders, slavers and now hellhounds to add to the list, “Sorry, the only thing I can think of are slavers, raiders and now hellhounds.”

“It won’t matter, I was just wondering. We’re a humble, goddess fearing town that is only trying to survive and these… these… monsters… prey on us…” He went a little bit too close to me as he whispered under his breath, “And our children…” He backed away as he looked at his picture of his daughter, a few fresh tears building up inside his eyes.

I wanted to accept his request but something in my clicked, “Ma… Monarch, I’d like to accept the request for me to avenge your daughter, but I want to speak with this Guillotine first before I do.”

He wiped the tears away looking at me with a saddened expression, before shifting to a happier expression, “I’m sorry, but he’s out at the moment. He’s not around at all in Maredytum in case you’re wondering.” Damn, I was hoping to have a little chat with this leader. Still even with that I was willing to accept his request. He asked me about the request immediately as I was about to agree, “Will you kill Razor for me?  For my daughter Dawn?”

I looked outside the windows seeing the children playing. I smiled as I changed my focus to Monarch’s request, “Yes, I will take upon it Monarch, for your daughter.”

He jerked out of the chair and hugged me tightly, “I thank you for accepting my request. I may finally be at peace once she is bought to me alive or dead.” He let go of the hug as he remembered a little tidbit from the radio, “In fact, you sound like you could one of the three heroes of the Wasteland, Stable Dweller, Security, or the Angel of Darkness.”

I blushed a bit hearing that DJ Pon3’s message about me managed to get here as well. I might as well tell him about the fact that I’m the Angel of Darkness, “Well, I’m not clearly Stable Dweller or Security, but I am the Angel of Darkness.”

Monarch’s eyes widened hearing that, “You’re joking… You’re joking right?” Isn’t that the second time he said that? Regardless, I shook my head in denial. He hugged me again tighter this time.

I felt like I was being squeezed by Pinkie Pie considering how tight her hugs are…! I was beginning to struggle to get out of the bear hug, “M-Monarch, n-not so… TIGHT!”

He let go me as I was breathing heavily and wincing in pain from that. He blushed a bit and helped me get up, “Sorry! You should’ve told me that you’re the Angel of Darkness!”

“And would you believe me if I had said that?” I got up stretching my bones from the tight hug. Ouch, my wings were still hurting and now I think the pain worsened a bit.

He looked away embarrassed from what just happened. I was right about one thing as he stuttered his lines about believing that I was the Angel of Darkness, “N-No, I-I wouldn’t believe y-you there for a second…” He rubbed his hooves together, clearly embarrassed about this situation.

I just stood there as he was rubbing his hooves together. My little imaginary friend inside my head did all the laughing for me as I watched him. I put a hoof on him trying to calm him down, “It’s alright, this event never happened okay. It’s just between us deal?”

He gave a weak laugh as he stopped rubbing his two hooves together. He regained his composure as he looked at me with a big grin, “Deal, just between the two of us.” Why did I find that grin uncomfortable? He opened the door for me as I left looking at some of the Regulators that were eyeing me. I did not trust these ponies one bit if they keep on staring at me like that. I looked at Monarch who reminded of the request at hand, “Remember, kill Razor for me okay?” My PipBuck beeped as a new objective was added.

Kill Razor

I smiled at monarch showing off my PipBuck as it showed mu current objective, “No worries, my PipBuck never forgets…” He chuckled hearing that as he closed the door leaving me outside. I would want to tell Epsilon about this new objective but there was a place that I needed to visit. Now where were the hydroponic farms again?

Thanks to the map provided by my ever-so useful PipBuck, I was able to locate the farms. I see the ponies were already beginning to make the farms lively as they now have a garden. Harmony saw me and waved as I entered, “Good morning Zodiac, I heard what happened while you two were running away. I swear, I think you two are magnets for trouble you know?”

I let a small laugh escape as I was looking at the fruits that were bearing. So many of them here, I feel like I was walking into someone’s garden here, “I know what you mean, but back on topic. Have you seen Miles? I’m trying to find him…” She pointed to the direction of where Miles was located. I thanked her as I left.

I came to where Miles was as he was planting a potato. Jeez, suddenly I feel a little bit hungry. Miles saw me coming and waved before looking at me wondering why I was here, “Hey there Zodiac, so why are you here?”

That snapped me out of my food trance as I pulled out some of those apple seeds giving them to Miles. He took it and suddenly got the picture of what I was here. He smiled as he begun to plant those seeds. I felt glad that Applejack’s apples will be growing for a long while here. I looked at Harmony seeing that she was checking to see if the farms will still function for a long time. Good thing we have an engineer huh? I left the farms and head to the hospital.

The walk to the hospital was relaxing. The ponies here waved at me happily as I waved back at them. Even a few of the children wanted to play with me. Of course I had to deny on their offer which made them sad, but I promised that once I’m done I may play with them. They cheered as they left playing. It was sad that under all this happiness, there was fear involved with the Blades.

I made it to the hospital where Epsilon was eating away at the food given to him by the doctors. They were surprised that he was eating a lot of food. Guess hunger gets everypony crazy for a moment. He saw me enter and swallowed his food as he ate it waving at me. The doctors turned around seeing me and let a sigh of relief as they left me with my friend, “Goodness Epsilon, you are a voracious eater you know that right?”

He finished the food in his mouth as he gave the rest for me to eat. At least he remembered that he has a friend that hasn’t eaten either, “I know I am, I haven’t eaten good food like this on a long while so of course I’m hungry!” He lay down on the bed as he looked at his foreleg. He was thankful that it was healing, because he sure did not want to go through the cybernetic upgrade to his foreleg like his backlegs, “So anything new to talk about Zodiac?”

I looked at him with a look of concern. I shouldn’t be this concerned considering what we were doing but something about the Regulators doesn’t add up, “Oh yes, we have much to talk about. But first, let’s eat and wait for Harmony, she need to know…”

“Know about what precisely?” Speak of the angel, she has arrived. I turned around seeing her at the doorway looking at us curiously. I motioned to come and eat up first. At least the whole gangs here now.

Both Harmony and Epsilon’s reaction was something I did not expect. They bore a look of concern like mine hearing that we were being sent to kill Razor, “Wow, we’re being sent to kill a leader of vicious thieves. Why am I concerned about this?”

I looked at the both of them each looking to see if their thoughts were in agreement with each other, “Does it bother you a bit?”

Harmony looked out the windows seeing the lights on the towers off, “Kind of… Have you ever had any of the Regulators stare at you oddly?”

She too was being glared at by the Regulators? They really must hate us or something to be giving us the cold shoulder, “Yes, I’ve had them eyeing me suspiciously.”

Epsilon was shaking his head confused about all of this, “I want to kill Razor too for Monarch but them staring at me makes me think that they’re the bad guys, not the Blades.”

“So we share the same opinion…” This made things probably either harder or easier depending on how this might go, “All right, we’ll make a move to the northern area of Maredytum, sounds good?” They agreed with me as we finished up our dinner. Goodness, Epsilon was right; I never had food this good in a long while since the last of Applejack’s delicious apples.

As Epsilon was down to his last food, he stopped and was choking for a bit. Harmony was right behind and was about to do a Heimlich maneuver before he swallowed his food. Letting out one breath out, Epsilon looked at his sister with the locket in his hoof, “Harmony, remember the playground back there we use to play at?”

Harmony’s ears drooped a bit and her eyes closed from hearing that. Of course she knew about it and its condition but even then, Epsilon still kept his smile. He pulled the locket out and put it around Harmony’s neck. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see the locket worn around her neck. He opened it showing the last family picture of them together happily. A few tears welled up in her eyes as she embraced her brother, “Thank you for finding this locket of mine, I’ll treasure it forever Epsilon.”

Her brother embraced her as well while saying something that made both well up in tears, “No, we’ll treasure that locket forever.” I smiled as I left them be, they needed some time alone.

Night was ascending upon the Wasteland as we decided to sleep for a few weeks until me and Epsilon’s injuries have full recovered. Harmony slept next to her brother. As I was about to go to sleep, I heard some voice going on outside. I pulled myself out of the bed as I neared a window listening to the voices, “You think those three might cause trouble?

“I hope not, in fact they might help us…”

“Help us how?” I was asking that question myself. I was curious about their conversation as I was listening to them.

“Remember that they’re going to meet Razor at the northern part of Maredytum, right?’

“Yeah so? What’s your point?”

“Do you think he’s suspicious of the Regulators by this point? They have been eyeing him a lot…”

I was beginning to realize that the ponies talking here were of the Blades. They didn’t sound like they were distraught with our appearance. In fact they sounded joyful, almost pleased that we arrived, “Right… Good point there, they would have been suspicious about them looking at them oddly… Stupid Regulators, doing that probably gave them away.”

“Yeah, and two things popped up in my head…”

“Go on?”

“One, we might be able to oust Guillotine out of his hiding spot and get him…”

“That’s a mighty big If there.”

“Yeah, well who knows, he might pop up if these three ends posing a threat to him.”

“Good point and the second?”

“He might be one of those tree heroes mentioned in the radio.” Aw come on really? Even the Blades know about my title? At least they also know Stable Dweller and Security but this is just embarrassing for me.

“As if! I don’t know if he is even any of them. For all we know he might just end being a normal stallion saving ponies for the heck of it!” A bit rude there, but I’d probably agree with her about rumors coming from a radio station, “We should probably head back to Razor and report this, who knows she might be pleased…”

“I’d say she will definitely be pleased. Come on let’s go back, I don’t want the Regulators spotting us.”

I saw their shadows shrunk as they left the side of the building returning back to the northern area of Maredyum. From the way they sound, the Blades themselves sound a lot better than the Regulators. Epsilon may be right after all… Well, until we actually meet this Razor, it is just a theory he thought of. I went into the bed sleeping for the night. I know now that we are going to have quite a chat with the Blades soon.

Footnote: Level Up.

Zodiac:

New Perk: Gunslinger – You are now 20% more accurate in S.A.T.S with one-hoofed weapons, how cool is that?

Harmony:

New Perk: Botanist – Learning about the hydroponic farms has given you the ability to cultivate gardens of your own, not that it might help in anyway mind you though…

Epsilon:

New Perk: Anger Management - Venting your anger managed to calm yourself, you now deal 20% more damage to enemies with explosives

Next Chapter: Chapter IX: A Lesson of the Heart Estimated time remaining: 45 Minutes