Chapter 12(Part1): Radio chatter

The Figure absorbed the most recent part of the retelling of Dawn’s story with growing interest.

The Figure all this time wasn’t seated but rather standing in one of the dark corners of the room.

Dawn wondered to herself was he going to call bullshit again. Try to blow holes in the logic of her story. But his next question caught her off guard “In Trouble’s diary was there ever any name dropping?” he asked with the utmost importance in his voice.

“Tonnes.” Dawn replied.

“Any mention to Death Dealer name dropping?”

“Only their call signs,” She said in a semi disappointed tone.

The figure let out a breath but Dawn continued “But he kept coming back to one pony in particular.”

The Figure shifted approaching his chair “Eight of Clubs.”

The Figure took his seat once more hanging on her every word “Why?” he asked generically.

“Trouble travelled with him for a bit, after their downfall. But he disappeared, Trouble keeps going back to him wondering where he is. He’s convinced he’s still alive. Just in hiding or operating under a pseudonym. He said he’d call him out one day. He just hopes he’ll answer.”

The Figure spoke fast and quizzically “What was so important about this Eight of Clubs? We can’t even nail him down. And we found you in a frozen tundra.”

“We?” Dawn retorted.

The Figure let out a sigh “We’ve been over this. Just answer my question.”

Dawn was let down by how this Figure kept stone walling her but she obliged him all the same.

“Trouble said he was the best knife fighter he ever seen. He could have made Ace or even King of clubs. That and he’s one of the three survivors from the siege of Ar Dun Dearg. That’s The Red Fort in Equestrian.”

The Figure might have actually been impressed with her. he asked her another question.

“How many languages do you speak?” he casually asked her.

“Equestrian and a tiny bit of Trottingham slang.” The Figure laughed.

“I’d hardly call Trottingham slang another language but it damn seems that way.

 I speak four languages Equestrian, Coltic, Germane and the Stalliongrad vernacular”

Dawn was bewildered by the last one Stalliongrad Vernacular?

“What’s the Stalliongrad vernacular?” she never actually caught the name of the language they spoke.

“In Stalliongrad there are six or seven languages the vernacular is a cross between the lot. the one thing every region of this land is they all speak Equestrian but you might get the odd pocket who only speak Coltic, that’s where I come in. These guys need a trigger man who can negotiate as well as kill.” The Figure put one of the fingers of his exoskeleton to his ear and went silent.

The Figure cleared his throat and put his cold tough pony act back on “Alright time is of the essence, next was New Pegas right?”

“I guess.” Dawn idly replied.

“What the fuck do you mean you guess? Where in fuck’s glorious name did you go?” The Figure’s voice was raised, a transparent act to Dawn act this stage.

“Well we headed south for the glorious name of fuck.” she snidely replied.

“And?” The Figure asked.

“The trip south was weird, what Trouble said when we arrived on the doorstep to New Pegas stuck with me. But first things first VDNKh.”

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It was morning before Night Light came around in that small house. Trouble spent most of the night cleaning Night Light’s Valkyrie and The Red Queen. Dawn dozed off leaving Trouble to his tasks, he was still up before her Dawn doubted if he actually got any sleep.

Night Light let out a groan and forced herself up onto her rump holding the bandages Trouble wrapped around her head wound. Dawn woke about the same moment.

Trouble was holding her Valkyrie in his hooves she looked over at him dismayed. He pulled back the bolt on her Valkyrie chambered a round into the gun from the fresh magazine. He put on his business pony voice and spoke addressing the weapon more so than her.

“The Valkyrie Personal defense weapon. Manufactured in Stalliongrad, pre-war. Continued manufacturing post war as well. approximately nine hundred rounds a minute with twenty to forty round magazines. Muzzle velocity in and around fifteen hundred feet a second. Uses the nine by thirty calibre rounds. Range of five hundred metres without training nine hundred with training. Integrating a silencer based barrel for the gun renders the weapon nearly undetectable when firing and it’s light weight body and collapsible stock means it’s very maneuverable and easy to carry. Favoured weapon of many C.P.L.A commandos and Stalliongrad Stalkers.”

Night Light sat dumbstruck at the lecture dawn was silently impressed with his freaky knowledge of firearms.

Trouble waited in silent anticipation cradling the Valkyrie against his chest. Night Light spoke.

“Trouble I,”

“Shut the fuck up!” Trouble roared. He was just waiting to drop that in.

“Why did you try to get the kid here to give your gun a blow job?”

“What? I,”

Trouble dropped his business pony voice and let his proper voice slip back.

“Ya fuckin owe muh ranger! Wah? Ya mad bout the shite that carried on ere’? Dem regulator purists bastards are corpses now! I cleared your name, I fuckin helped ya save a town. The bounty fir ya was wah? five grand? Me standard fee is roughly forty grand. Not to mention those lovely fellas we blasted who wanted to hand you over remember them? And when I had to knock your ass out six alicorns showed up, and plus reparations, damages and danger pay.” he started counting on his fingers. “Either you pull sixty grand outta your arse or we have problems.”

“What? Trouble you gotta,” Night Light babbled.

“Here’s is wah the fuck we’s goin ta do bouts it, since I’m a lovely fella and you’ve grown on me. I’ll let you keep your life but your arse belongs ta me. Until I’ve decided you’ve worked back the debt you can’t walk away, if ya run I’ll gun you down. You will be compensated with a share from the jobs and your share will be around twenty five percent, you will receive the promised twenty five percent and that amount will be deducted from what you me. So you can be absolved and rich after a mere five or six big jobs. Deal?”

Night Light cleared her throat and spoke quietly, petrified of Trouble “...Deal...”

Trouble threw her Valkyrie back at her it bounced at her hooves. Night Light silently slung it around her back. She got up onto her hooves “Trouble I’m sorry about y’know.”

“Ranger your apologizing to the wrong pony.” he pointed towards Dawn who was still lying flat in the opposite corner of the room in her sleeping roll.

Night Light looked over at Dawn apologetically feeling a little like a bitch Night Light opened her mouth to speak but Dawn raised a hoof in objection “No need Night Light, it’s cool with me.”

Night Light smirked back, a genuine smirk, maybe Dawn was developing social skills after all.

“There is something we got to do before we leave.” Night Light announced.

“And whats that?” said Trouble.

“Got to call this in to the Buck himself, confirm the reports.”

“Ya might wanna hold your breath, walking down that street.”

Night Light raised an eyebrow “Why is that?”

Trouble looked over to Dawn and winked “You’ll see.”

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Outside the damage wreaked by The Red Queen was apparent almost everywhere the place was painted in some weird purple crystal. the goo hardened over night. And it fucking stunk.

It was the worst thing Dawn had smelt in her short life. The crystals where the goo had been stuck filled gaps in walls that had been gnawed at.

And little more than twenty yards in front of them was a pile of Red and Purple the ground meat that was the alicorns. Purple maggots had spawned over night the carcasses had putrid blood infused crystals mounted on them. It appeared the purple stuff ate away at the flesh crystallized after it found a nice alcove. Maggots came from it somehow and began eating some more. Dawn just stood there gawking at it not sure what to do.

 Night Light sniffed the air as she walked out. When she saw the bloody mess she gagged

 “Ah, Holy Fuck! What did you do to them? That Damned stench is making me sick!” Said Night Light disgusted, burying her head into her sleeve.

“I fucked em’ up beyond comprehension. What I do best.” Replied Trouble smiling at his work.

He began walking, Dawn followed appalled but it didn’t really strike her as hard as Night Light.

“How did you do that?” Night Light’s nose was still buried in the sleeve of her jacket but she couldn’t take her eyes of the sickness of the scene the maggots tunneling through the meat growing, frolicking, devouring.

“Black grade ammunition Ranger, my mother taught me her secret recipe but I’m afraid it’s a family secret.” Trouble said with a humongous smile.

“Keep your secret recipe! It fucking stinks! And by Celestia where did  those damn maggots come from?”

“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” his smile kept on widening every time she whined about it.

“Forget about it, I’m trying to.” Night Light finished with a muttering.

They approached the door to the building at the end of the road. It was a large 3 story building with a concrete and steel frame. It would have been a rather decent building before it was scorched and matted with Purple crystals. Trouble came up to the door to be precise it was a large stinking crystal door with a jammed up lock.

Trouble whipped out his white revolver pressed the barrel against the lock and blew it apart with a resounding “BANG!” echoing in the Ghost Town. He gently nudged the door it swung backwards without resistance. He holstered his revolver and strutted inside keeping his fore hooves on his Pistol belt the Sharpened digits of his exoskeleton petting them.

He walked into the center of the room taking in his surroundings, Dawn just followed him and Night Light making sure to avoid the door as much as possible entered as well and finally lowered her nose from her sleeve and walked into a different room that had a staircase in it.

trouble followed her satisfied with his analysis he went back onto all fours.

The room was pitch black you could only make out the silhouettes of most the random miscellaneous materials in there. Empty bottles, Plates, Glasses and Clipboards.

“Trouble you got anything to make it brighter?” She bucked herself in the head for her shit sentences.

“Hold out your forehoof.” she silently complied holding out her right forehoof with the spiraling scar on it. She almost forgot about that. Trouble let out a sigh “The other one.”

Dawn feeling a little foolish. She put out her other hoof Trouble rested her hoof in his grip and started to tinker with her PipBuck. He mashed a few buttons Dawn didn't see exactly what he was doing.

“Hmmmmm” Trouble said.

“Eureka!” He exclaimed.

“What? Dawn replied.

He jabbed a button with one of his talons and the screen of her Pip Buck exploded with light making the HUD impossible to read, to look at it just blinded her so instead she looked at Trouble squinting. His face was almost perfectly lit. A perfect Mugshot of him she noticed another scar under his chin, a small circular one but deep enough to have new hairless flesh seal it up.

It was hard to see from most angles and the fact that the rest of his face was practically carved open really shadowed it. The light shining onto his face was like a little filly trying to look spooky with a flashlight under the chin. Except Trouble looked legitimately scary.

The rays of light highlighting the trenches of his scars and the thin long one that ran from his cheek stood out, pale. Haunting smirk engraved into his being then the deep scarring underneath his eye. That Dawn suspected was caused by shrapnel with its resemblance to hers. The light bounced off of it, found grooves in it. The wound healed poorly over the years, rippling with no definite shape the dips and out-croppings in his skin. The missing pinnacle of his right ear catching the traces of the light.

 Dawn shuddered, instantly regretting it.

Trouble looked at the ground and licked his lips. He let out a sigh and made eye contact with her.

He ran his free hoof that wasnt holding Dawn’s along the thin scar that reached from lip to ear.

“Do you wanna how I got this scar?” The eerie green glow of the Pip Buck lighting him up, as he licked his 3 golden teeth at the back of his mouth. Dawn was at a loss for words, her protector her guide through this hell, Trouble. was the most hellish pony she ever met.

There was anvils in her throat weighing her words down, choking her up. She nodded.

“A Chainsaw got my cheek a griffin charged me with it.” He rolled the sleeve of his duster up 4 inches. “I stopped her, the only way I could,” He held his hoof up Dawns eyes widened she felt herself take in a sharp breath.

His hoof before the elbow was mulched and mutilated, the skin was waved and rippled grey, wrinkly skin where the teeth of the saw met the flesh was visible a large dip stopping half way through his hoof.

Trouble’s eyes broke contact with Dawn for a moment observing the grim reminder.

“I caught it with my left fore hoof the teeth of that fuckin saw grinding me up.” Dawn took her eyes off his grotesque wound and looked at his face his brow was slanted, his eyes riveted on his hoof reliving it in his head grinding his teeth in anger.

“So, I grabbed my knife...” Trouble put his hoof down and reached for his sheath. Dawn was unable to break eye contact hypnotized by his stare as his exoskeleton talons wrapped around the knife’s handle. “And put it against her ear.” He yanked the knife out holding it with two talons and levelled it with Dawn’s temple. She felt her muscles lock petrified frozen by fear. “And drove it way the fuck into her head,” He stopped to lick his golden teeth again. “Blood and hair everywhere it’s not how I lost my teeth though. That griffin bitch never seen my knife coming,” He let out a sigh “By fuck I used to be fast back then, getting too old now.” With that he sheathed his knife and began to trudge up the stairs towards Night Light.

Leaving Dawn standing there to think about what she was told reflecting on it she imagined the griffin, she only ever saw one once a mercenary passing through her town on some expedition south to a contact. He was huge and intimidating, white and Brown feathers and a yellow beak they’re nearly twice the size of a big pony. Then Dawn’s train of thought crashed and was blown to smithereens. Magic welled up in her and burst from her horn in an over glow, her eyes shone white and everything faded before her.

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She blinked all around her was darkness. Colours came from the darkness before her. Taking shape from a pulp of red, yellow and blue to form a being.

It was Trouble.

But not Trouble as she knew him, he was much younger, much more animated. The Red Queen against his shoulder firing at the darkness. He staggered backwards, sparks flew from his armour his helmet was no where to be seen. Dawn was not there like she was in VDNKh a  ghostly spectator to the massacre. Now she was the air swirling around, she wafted through the darkness not tied down or limited to a being. She found this to be deeply disturbing. But she decided to roll with it. She turned to face the direction Trouble was firing at.

The Red Queen bouncing up and down noiselessly in his grip. The weapon still flashing the shells leaving it disappeared, evaporated into the blackness. She saw Trouble’s face the only scarring he had was underneath his eye his cheek was still unscathed.

He was busy focusing at whatever was in front of him ducking and returning fire from various odd postures and poses.

When something new came from the nothingness. Colours forming behind Trouble.

A Griffin.

The colours formed around the griffin while it was moving. A tall female griffin wearing dark green combat armour with a chainsaw in her grip walking on her hind legs. She was skulking up on Trouble moving cautiously her face, determined. The Red Queen stopped flashing. Dawn felt out of place in this contorted reality. She was accustomed to the humongous boom that accompanied The Red Queen and the loud click letting her prey know they can let out a sigh of relief .

Trouble spun around pushing his back against an invisible wall. He let the magazine drop, it evaporated into nothingness. He reached into his duster as the griffin pulled a cord and the chainsaw burst into life.

Trouble looked up surprised caught off guard. The griffin charged letting out a soundless cry. The griffin ran for him, the chainsaw held over her head she was upon him in less than a second.

She swung at his head from over the shoulder. Trouble raised The Red Queen to block the swing. Sparks flew as the two weapons connected. The Red Queen flew from his grip skiting away from him as the connection imploded with the momentum and energy, the griffin raised the chainsaw again swiping downwards.

Trouble lowered against the wall his knees bent he raised his hoof to shield his face.

The chainsaw connected with his hoof. His face went from baring his teeth to anguished the chainsaw ripped his wrist sending blood and sinew spurting, spinning around the teeth of the weapon. Staining the griffins white feathers with every rotation of the serrated spinning teeth.

Trouble let out a noiseless roar as it connected with his face. He fell onto the ground back still pressed against the invisible wall. The Griffin broke the connection with his wrist mercifully and raised the saw high above her head ready to plunge it downwards and maul his intestines.

But Trouble before she brought the chainsaw down on him he bucked her between the legs,hard. Her body formed a sideways V. She dropped the chainsaw Trouble slapped it out of the air with a buck and wrapped his wounded hoof that was about to fall off his body around her head and pulled her in tightly.

Her head was buried against his chest while she was still stunned, he reached for his knife “Relentless”

 the black steel flashing through the darkness and buried it inside her ear. If it weren’t for the ten inches of steel lodged in her head the two could have been cuddling.

Trouble rolled on top of her to help me stand. Her eyes had rolled back into her skull as Gray matter seeped from the hole in her head. He picked himself up keeping his injured hoof tightly pressed against his waist. He snatched The Red Queen up keeping his head down presumably the firefight was still ongoing, though without sound or a view of what was going on it was hard to tell.

With the Red Queen on his back he reached for one of his revolvers. The white one. He had his hooves crossed as he trudged the way the griffin came the hoof carrying the revolver keeping pressure on his injured one that was against his waist.

His cheek was torn open flapping with his every movement blood flowing down onto his neck or dribbling onto his duster and his eye above it was twitching bizarrely. The last thing Dawn seen before the scene faded was Trouble taking aim with the revolver and pulling back the hammer his balance faltering, his body going into shock.

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She returned to the dark room above her she heard the crackling of a radio. Her PipBuck lighting up the room. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something underneath a desk.

A safe almost identical to the one in EverBright where she found Amigo and her PipBuck 3000 lite.

She got to work with the screwdriver and bobby pins Trouble gave her what seemed like an eternity ago. She strained to remember what he showed her. Screwdriver and bobby pin wedged into the lock, she fumbled around with it a few times felt it gave way at certain angles until finally with a crisp “Crrrk.” the safe door swung open.

Inside were two bottles of Vodka a small tape and a syringe of Jet. Dawn placed the two bottles on the desk above the safe. Hid the Jet deep in her saddlebags, that was for later. The tape  Dawn didn’t know what to make of that. Her Pip Buck screen flashed she looked at the screen squinting. (DOWNLOADING AUDIO LOG 87%)

She was entirely sure how it knew that. She just chalked it down as magic and left it at that.

The log auto played, a mare’s voice came from her PipBuck she lacked an earpiece the voice echoed through the room.

“We’re getting reports from our agents Trouble is in the area. Put our operators on high alert, also that rogue ranger she’s our primary target. Alive we can ship her north we cant get much use off a corpse now can we? Roger sir. I’ll dispatch an agent to Dead Water. May I suggest at least waiting til Trouble rescues the hostages sir? Understood. Oh and finally sir we’re getting reports the Purists are on the move. The thing is sir they’re heading here in force. Understood we’ll pull out tonight.”

The message ended Dawn for the first time wondered what this building was. A hub for some ponies not sure who but they had some sort of hierarchy Night Light was bound to know.. Dawn headed upstairs to join her companions.

Upstairs consisted of one giant room with scattered paper clips and other junk lying around. In the corner was Night Light sitting in a wheeled seat. The room was fairly well lit since the light was shining in the smashed in windows the purple crystals stunk the room out though.

“The Buck Himself, come in. I’m looking for the Buck himself. This is Beaver, over.” Night Light spoke into the Radio’s microphone.

A response came back over the air waves “This is the Buck himself. I read you, whats your twenty?”

“VDNKh.” Night Light said back.

“Damn, we thought you ponies were goners Beaver gimme a sitrep, over.”

“Every pony here, ain’t. Purists. Lots of em same party that attacked Marizona Springs, over.”

“Ten four Beaver. Clean sheet at VDNKh, I’ll spread the word.”

“Keep your ears on Beaver, expect a collect call.”

“Negative making my way to the Big P, gimme a sec over.”

Night Light’s grip over the Microphone loosened and she asked Trouble.

“Hey Trouble you got a CB?”

“Yeah, callsign Trouble I’ll make first contact.”

Night Light nodded and her horn glowed again. “Collect call Beaver same A.F over and out.”

“Roger Beaver, all the good numbers. Over and out.”

Night Light let out a sigh as the crackling of the radio ceased with a click. NIght Light sat there for a while merely staring at the floor. Trouble clapped a hoof on her shoulder. Night Light made eye contact with him holding for several seconds. Dawn interrupted their moment.

“Ahem...” she said trying to catch their attention. the two looked at her she hovered out the bottles of Vodka “Found these in a safe downstairs thought you might appreciate them is all.”

Trouble giggled to himself as he walked over and snatched a bottle “Kid, I think I may be rubbing off on you after all.”

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A note to all my readers: The next chapter is going to be the end of act one so please be patient I will be revising previous chapters to improve their quality.

Chapter 12(Part2): Who’s the Bad Guy?

The Figure  got out of his chair routinely and said “So what you hit up the Buck himself called it in then what? Let me guess Trouble got drunk off his ass right?” Dawn let out a sigh.

“Trouble likes his drink. We hit a few snags in the road and Trouble showed a rather interesting side of himself.”

The Figure took up a remote corner of the bleached tiled room and pressed his back against it.

“And what side would that be miss Black?”

Dawn broke into a soft chuckle reminiscing “The bad guy side or at least what I thought at the time was, he got worse before he got better.”

The Figure rushed over to his seat and gestured for Dawn to continue.

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The road had been short. They were already distancing themselves from VDNKh it was well out of sight. Night Light refused to drink Dawn had a little sip here or there she never really had much of a taste for hard liquor.

Trouble was drunk unsurprisingly. He staggered on his hind legs from side to side on the old road. Less than half a two litre bottle remained yet he was still carrying both his exoskeleton scratching the glass of the bottles. singing some indistinguishable song she could not tell if it was so indistinguishable because he was drunk or because it was in a different language either or it was starting to bug her.

The sun had set long ago ahead of them lay a long stretch of road according to Night Light that ran straight to New Pegas. Dawn had been playing around with her Pip Buck since then she discovered it had a Geiger counter and according to it she was relatively free of radiation.

And the radio functionality she picked up multiple broadcasts three Trouble tipped her off the best one was 105.7 The Buck Himself. Good Music, Reliable news.

Night Light was keeping her head down caught up in thought the last time she was so focused on steering her own train of thought she nearly overlooked Trouble slapping Dawn in the face after she had the post Jet crash.

Dawn simply focused on the radio trying to block out Trouble’s antics a song had just wrapped up and a the stallion with the musky voice came on “We have confirmed reports that VDNKh is down, I’ll say that again VDNKh is a ghost town. We suspect it was down by the purists and as far as we know there were no survivors,” The radio stallion let out a sigh “Bad things are going down... it used to be so much easier, This is the Buck himself leaving you with some tunes...”

The stallions voice faded out and was replaced with light hearted music thankfully. Dawn checked her mapping feature on her PipBuck out of boredom and checked all the new points registered on it behind her was VDNKh (Ghost Town) and not far from that was Marizona Springs (Ruins) she was impressed at how it somehow knew this and yet she was sad.

Sad at how fast the world was going to shit around her two entire settlements cleaned out in less than a week of her leaving the NCR.Without a doubt in her mind she knew it was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better. Or maybe the worse had passed and by some miracle the NCR launch a counter offensive. Or maybe it was just round one against the purists and the ponies of Marizona should be on high alert.

She would have voiced her thoughts to Trouble if he weren’t in his current state of intoxication.

And with Night Light in her trance it would be folly to even ask her. The were walking up a steep gradient that Trouble slipped and fell unto several times muttering a stream of curses under his breath.

On the third then he staggered forward and fell slamming his face on the road and didn’t attempt to get back up Dawn galloped over to him alarmed Trouble rolled over onto his back and Dawn stood next to him blood pouring from his nostrils.

“Kid... Ya hear that?” he slurred out.

“No... Come on get up.” Dawn replied she knew from experience never to humour a drunk.

She went to grab his sleeve with her teeth and haul his sorry ass but as her head lowered he snatched her muzzle gripping tight his sharpened exoskeleton scratching her face she pulled backwards panicking but his grip was too firm she tried to yell out but failed to open her jaw a millimeter.

Trouble leaned in close “Listen...”

Dawn felt the cold metal keeping her in place she could feel the bead of sweat trickling off her fore head and she could hear Night Light walking by like nothing was happening then she heard it.

Gunfire.

Lots of Gunfire.

“Kid, do you hear that?”

Dawn did her best to nod with Trouble keeping her head trapped and all. He released his grip and clumsily found his way onto all four of his hooves. He galloped as best he could up the hill involuntarily swaying and zigzagging.

He made a note of slapping Night Light’s flank on the way up though which seemed to break her trance and made her jump with a yelp.

He reached the top of the hill and looked down the road. He still perfectly without missing a beat took out the Red Queen like he was sober and signalled for the others to catch up.

Night Light broke into a brisk trot and reached him in no time as did Dawn. Dawn arrived at Trouble’s side and looked where his eyes were locked.

There was multiple flashes in the distance exchanging flashes on either side of the road two groups shooting it out. Night Light Levitated out her Valkyrie and chambered a round.

“What now?”

Trouble spoke slowly and slurred “Easy, let em’ waste each other off than kill the survivors.”

Dawn shot Trouble a look in shock. Was he really planning on that? Or was he joking?

Night Light looked at Trouble dumbstruck “What?”

“Some pony has gotta win righ? We jus kill the fuckin winner let em soften each other up.”

Night Light gritted her teeth and looked through her scope down at the firefight.

“For Celestia’s sake Trouble they got foals down there. we gotta do something. They’re losing ponies!”

Trouble fell on his rump the Red Queen falling to the ground next to him.

He reached into his duster found himself a cigarette lit it up with his zippo took a deep pull on it exhaled and exhaled gently.

“Relax foals shouldn’t take more than a bullet each.”

“You sick fuck!” Night Light roared.

Trouble broke into a coughing fit blowing plumes of smoke shooting out his nostrils.

“Who dies today ranger? your call.”

Night Light swore under her breath as Trouble merely sat on the ground watching the fire fight with grim amusement.

Dawn approached Night Light not sure what to do, this far she had always put her money on Trouble but that may change.

“Night Light what are we going to do? We cant just let them die, can we?”

“No Black. We’re going to do something bout this even if he wont.”

Trouble let out a groan “Fir Facks sake! Righ then I’ll help, gimme a scope.”

Night Light’s horn had a faint shimmer as a small combat scope hovered out from her saddlebags and landed next to Trouble.

“Kay, Ranger do us a favor and ID targets, kid set up your machine gun I’ll sort shit out.”

Trouble sluggishly slid the small scope on a rail in front of The Red Queen’s rear sights he twisted a knob on the top of it and peered down.

“Red dot reflex four times magnification.” He muttered to himself.

He rose to his full height with great effort and clipped his helmet on.

The visor glowing blood red again just making the painted on teeth on the gas filter visible, everything Trouble did had a factor of intimidation about it. His armour, his weapons, his face.

He switched the magazines out on his weapon from grey to blue (Range.) And sprinted on his hind hooves down the hill as if he were sober. Night Light peered down her scope at the ensuing battle. Her horn glowed and the radio on her jacket buzzed into life.

“The ponies on the left save them, raiders on the right....”

“Ten four, weapons free.”

“Dawn! Hit the dirt and lay down some Lead!”

Night Light’s Valkyrie with its soft “Pfft, Pfft, Pfft.” blasted away the rounds disappearing into the darkness. One pony’s muzzle flashes ended abruptly signifying a kill.

But the star of the show was the Red Queen as usual. she exploded into life the high velocity slugs veering towards the gun battle the slugs puncturing the ground upon impact. There was eight or maybe nine raiders and five ponies returning fire Night Light said there was foals among them. Dawn fell unto the ground as instructed levitating out her machine gun resting it on the ground in front of her.

Trouble’s booming shotgun made impact with a raider blowing the raider’s torso into pieces, Night Light was also having success a fast flick into fully automatic peppered another raider sending rounds through her side killing her almost instantly.

Dawn took careful aim the raiders were still focused on the group making them easy static targets. Dawn fired “RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT-RUT” the machine gun bounced wildly, spent casings flying from the weapon. She ceased fire immediately surprised by the weapons kick in slight disbelief Bad News didn’t have this much kick.

She kept up the suppression trying to keep sight picture with the jumping gun.

But she noticed something, or rather the lack of something. The Red Queen was no longer firing and Dawn had long since lost sight picture of Trouble. Dawn shot a glance at Night Light who was firing semi automatic on her Valkyrie.

After nearly a whole minute of Dawn firing this ridiculous weapon it finally went “Click, Click.”

A tunnel of smoke rose from the barrel. After the weapon was emptied Night Light lowered her Valkyrie.

“Why did you stop?” Dawn asked confused it sure shit wasn’t over.

“They’re already dead, they just don’t know it.” She solemnly replied.

Trouble was closing in on the raiders the flat plain littered with Dawn’s wide shots, there was four raiders still standing Trouble had all his weapons holstered.

He walked past the corpses of the fallen raiders and approached an earth pony raider with a bolt action rifle in his grip. The raider resumed fire after the volley ceased unaware of his presence. Trouble wrapped one hoof under his chin the other around his dome and twisted the raiders neck it snapped with a crunch the raider fell lifelessly to the desert floor.

One of the raiders noticed his take down, a unicorn mare carrying a small SMG she swiveled to get a shot, but Trouble was upon her all to soon. He grabbed the SMG out of the air shots ringing from it as he twisted the barrel into the air. He swung his hoof upwards catching her throat and he lifted her into the air. His exoskeleton’s talons digging into her Jugular vein, he applied pressure. Tiny little droplets of blood began trickling onto his sleeve. The unicorn mare gritted her teeth and her hind hooves began to twitch.

With a final tensing of his muscles her vein was severed and she made a croaking noise splaying blood from her neck as the life left her eyes, her whole body went limp. Trouble’s kill caught the attention of the other two they turned to face him. One was an earth pony stallion with a small revolver in his teeth, the other an earth pony mare with a blow back pistol.

They fired at Trouble who quickly swung the dead mare in his clutches around as an improvised shield, the bullets shredding the corpse but lacking the stopping power to hurt Trouble.

The pony with the revolver emptied his load he tried to fire but all he got in response was a mournful “Click.”

Trouble took the body he was using as a shield and threw it hard at the mare who still had ammo knocking her off her hooves. Trouble charged the stallion who panicking only managed to stay frozen in terror. Trouble formed a fist and punched the stallion in the jaw. Hard. Blood and teeth shot out from the mouth of the stallion as his head snapped sideways with the force.

Trouble followed it up by grabbing the pony’s ears getting face to face with him and smashing his helmet’s forehead against his nostrils. He pounded the face of the raider several times crumbling his muzzle showering his helmet in blood. The raider lay dazed and semi conscious on the ground.

Trouble stood up to his full height and hit one sharp buck he crushed the raider’s wind pipe.

The raider pony’s eyes widened, he gasped for air but the only thing to be heard was a harsh gurgling noise as he desperately tried to take a breath.

Trouble let out a chuckle through his mask and moved on to the pinned pony. The mare was recovering from having her dead raiding partner knocking the wind out of her, she seen Trouble slowly advancing she reached for her pistol but Trouble when seeing her do this picked up his pace.

She got her gun in her mouth about to take aim, but Trouble pounded down on her head with his fore hoof knocking her onto the ground sending her limbs flying outwards, the pistol still in her grip.

He swung his hind leg back swung forward and kicked her hard in the ribs sending her onto her back.

He must have easily broken two ribs with that, he snatched the gun from her mouth and climbed on top of her. He spun the handle of the pistol around in his hoof and grabbed the barrel and swung with the handle for her face.

He smacked her with the hard steel of the grip shattering her teeth and cracking her jaw.

The metal made an audible connection with the bone with eight sharp strikes “Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun-Kun.”

He spun the pistol round once more pointing the barrel between her eyes as she coughed up blood and shards of her teeth. He leveled his face less than 5 inches from her eyes and said to her “Bad Luck.”

He unloaded the magazine into her face, spraying grey matter blood and other fluids over his helmet five shots “PA-PA-PA-PA-PA.” each one digging a deeper crater into her skull. The slide of the pistol blew backwards and stayed there. Spent. Thankfully.

He climbed off the mare with the now unrecognizable face  and his voice came over the radio. Through Night Light’s jacket.

“Ha, who’s the sick fuck now?”

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Dawn and Night Light were helping the survivors of the attack stack the bodies of the dead bodyguards and claiming the raiders weapons as spoils. Dawn didn’t think to highly of looting the dead this far she’s avoided it. Thought it was disrespectful to filter through a pony who gave their life for you pockets.

apparently they were a caravan on its way to Dead Water from Phoenix. There was 4 survivors a Stallion and a Mare couple travelling with their two fillies, all their bodyguards were killed, they said the fighting waged for over an hour before they showed up.

There was the mother Orchid a unicorn with a pink mane and cream coloured coat and her husband was called Raw Hide a brown coated earth pony with a blue mane. The couple weren’t much older than Night Light in their mid twenties. But their fillies Flora and Fauna weren’t much older than five. Six maybe.

Trouble sat in the middle of the road smoking, staring at the road that lay before him, whereas Night Light and Black Dawn were making conversation with the couple as the fillies fell asleep after their hellish night near a camp fire they had set up after the firefight.

The night crept over time the only thing to be heard was the crackling of the fire as the adrenaline wore off. And the losses of the day set in.

“So, why are you heading to New Pegas?” Orchid asked trying to get a conversation started.

Dawn answered “It’s where Trouble is headed.” and she nodded over to him as he lazily sat there blowing out rings of smoke.

The couple’s eyes grew wide and they stared over at Trouble. “That son of a bitch is Trouble?” asked Raw Hide.

“Keep your voice down.” Night Light replied.

“Why?”

“Because if I were Trouble I’d be listening in.”

“You can’t be serious he can’t even walk in a straight line.” Raw Hide exclaimed.

“No but he just killed four raiders in hoof to hoof.”

One of the fillies woke up and cradled herself against her mother and asked.

“Mommy who’s Trouble?”

“One of the bad guys dear, now go back to sleep.” She ushered her little foal behind her back.

“Bad guy huh?” Trouble emerged from the darkness asking.

Dawn swore she seen the couple shrink a little.

“What a funny thing to call the pony who just saved your life.” He had his mask on again after abandoning his smoke. He still didn’t wipe the blood from his helmet

“What makes me the bad guy?” He asked.

Raw Hide spoke up “You murder ponies.”

“So do you, I just do it on a larger scale.” He vaguely replied.

“I don’t murder ponies in cold blood like you, what about those towns you sunk? Foals you’ve killed?”

Trouble laughed through his gas mask killing its emotion “What did you do today? Killed for business and you’re life. I didn’t kill all those ponies out of spite, I was hired.”

“You still took the job.” Raw Hide accused.

“When you kill, do you blame the gun? No I’m merely the medium the go between. I take the jobs no other guns have the balls to take, so what I’m a bad guy? I’m a necessary evil.”

“DJ Pon3 even says your a bad guy, killing ponies for money.”

“You kill to live, I kill for a living we’re the same and by fuck don’t believe everything you hear on the radio.”

“We’re nothing alike! I don’t shoot foals, level towns.”

“You Also Don’t Rescue Hostages! Take out Raiders and Slavers! So what if I’m the bad guy what does that make you?”

Raw Hide was speechless so Trouble continued “Ponies like you need me! So you can point your Fucking hooves and say. That’s the Bad Guy! So what that make you eh? Good? You’re not good. All the good guys are dead. All that’s left is me so... Take a good look and remember me. Because it’s the last time you’ll ever see a bad guy like this again.”

Trouble stormed off into the night leaving the couple sitting there stunned with Dawn and Night Light.

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Every pony was asleep around the camp fire the sun was on the precipice of starting a new day when Dawn woke up in a cold sweat, panting. All the others were asleep; the small family and NIght Light. When a voice came through her head the same one that spoke of Trumpet and it said “Find Trouble... Something you need to see...Move...”

Dawn didn’t question this she discretely slipped out of her thin sleeping bag and began to trot the road Trouble had left for.

The road was cold and desolate, eerie to walk alone. She trotted on only now wondering why she so obediently listened to the 3rd party voice in her head.

She walked for the better part of an hour searching the road the sun was going to disappear behind the eternal cloud cover soon. Then she spotted him in a ditch along the side of the road passed out helmet still on.

She smiled to herself as she approached “Hey Trou,” She cut herself off short next to his hooves was his diary on an open page it read.

Vice and Virtue: fuck me every pony out here in this abominable shithole believes in virtue. It’s absurd. it’s redundant maybe once we followed virtues but they can be turned against you all to easily same with vices just less so. Morals get you killed you can’t limit yourself out here why set up self restraints? Easy it’s what it’s always been something to make it easier on yourself, to help you believe  yourself that you won’t be lost to the wastes.

The wastes claims what it wants. It’s everywhere around us, it’s in me it’s in you it’s just waiting. Manifesting itself so one day we will become a part of it’s hell that’s where I’ am at. In it’s jaws breaking it’s teeth salvation awaits me outside I can see it.

Others all around me, familiar faces getting mulched in the vices of the maw of the wasteland. Pounded up, wounded. Their faces look tired, worn down before their finally swallowed whole tough ponies some better than me.

I had a virtue once, I think I wonder if I have It still, the wasteland swears by vice New Pegas an entire city dedicated to it survived the apocalypse nearly unscathed.

Virtue’s are an abstract concept they’re what we’re thought is right what’s engraved in our skulls from a young age they aren’t inherent in us. Vice on the on the other hoof day one from foalhood: greed, ambition it’s built into you because it’s a natural defence to want for your own betterment violence to, a need to be dominant Vice saves you from others Virtue saves you from you but you alone cannot save yourself.

None of this ever mattered to me though, all that mattered was family. I cant tell if it’s a failing in my character or not, but all I have eve wanted from this world was to go down in applause.

“Trouble.” Dawn said to herself.

“The Bad Guy.”

Chapter 12(part3): Family Business

The Figure sat in his chair in reverent silence staying stoic. “Interesting.” The Figure dully summarised.

“That was the tip of the iceberg you witnessed Miss Black.”

“I know.” Dawn replied she seen what he was capable of first hand.

The Figure sighed and moved out of his chair scraping the ground, like fingernails on a chalk board.

He didn’t pace on his hind legs now like he had done before, he just trotted on all of his hooves.

“There is one thing I can say for Trouble.” Dawn said.

“Ha, and what’s that?” The Figure asked amused.

“He takes care of his friends.” Dawn said staring into space.

The Figure let out a soft chuckle and said back to her.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Dawn nodded her head in silence.

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Dawn placed the diary closed next to Trouble’s limp body, trying to dispel any inkling of suspicion about her viewing his inner most thoughts.

And on cue Trouble’s body began to quake, his muscles rebooting. With great strain and a groan he forced himself up onto his hooves. He turned round and jumped, startled by Dawn’s presence. But it quickly wore off.

“Awri kid?” he asked with his outlandish accented voice that was really starting to grow on her. It was present even though that helmet killed it’s unique tone.

“Hello to you too, I guess, Trouble what the buck was last night all about?”

He undid the clips on the back of his skull that fastened his helmet, it fell to the ground. He muttered obscenities as he scooped it up and stashed it somewhere on his person.

“Usual shite far as I remember, saved some fuckin band of ingrates, ah?”

His face looked worn down and tired, more so than usual. Dawn thought how best to answer without trying to cross Trouble she owed him too much. And she couldn’t imagine he’d be in a great mood after waking up in a desert with his head buried in a ditch.

“A small family caravan moving to Dead Water, you wanted to kill them.” She said feeling a little nervous about her wording.

Trouble laughed aloud “Kid if I wanted em dead, they would be. Musta been before I knew wah was happenin nd’ another thing that MG is doin ya no favours, toss it, actually sell it.” he said pleased with his base ingenuity as his head’s basic functions restarted.

Dawn stared at the ground for awhile before speaking again. “You said for the foals they’d only need a single shot, that we’d kill the survivors.”

Trouble forced himself onto his hind hooves and cracked his back he groaned in relief and spoke again. “The only reason I’m still alive after all this time is because...” Trouble thought for a while and and finished his own sentence “Probably because shooting me only makes me mad.” He laughed to himself and began to walk on, forsaking the fact Night Light was probably only waking up now. But that really didn’t answer her question.

“Trouble, what about Night Light?” Dawn asked frazzled, she left her sleeping bag there after all.

“She’s a big girl.” He replied.

 (Thank you so very fucking much for the analysis professor.) Dawn thought to herself.

She wouldn’t voice her thoughts though, Trouble had done more for her than anyone had ever done in all her life. He gave her opportunities, he gave her equalizers and most importantly he gave her someone to watch her back.

Trouble didn’t stop moving, he just kept on walking while Dawn just stood there, then she remembered. His journal was still lying there. She wondered for a second whether or not to tell him. maybe she could keep it, get a better grasp of Trouble maybe even find out his identity. Besides his alias. But maybe Trouble might seek it out and what would he do if he found she was hiding it. Dawn seen how he handles those he deems ‘Hostile’

“Trouble!” Dawn called out.

He stopped and turned snapped from whatever trance he was in “What?!?” He said pissed off at his crashed train of thought.

Dawn levitated the journal up to eye level Trouble broke into a gallop back over to her. She stood rigid not sure what to do besides just stand there. He snatched it out of the air and stowed it he nodded his head at her and made a signal for her to advance with him.

So they walked, deep into the blistering desert that lay ahead.

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They walked for hours under the heat of the desert. The humidity cutting into them. Trouble seem less than bothered by it, despite the fact he was wearing much thicker and heavier gear than her and a duster on top.

Trouble removed his flask from inside his duster and took a deep drink nourishing him, Dawn couldn’t understand how he could take that intoxicating piss over water in this hell. Hell being the optimum word in the sentence. Right behind piss.

The day had been rolling by fairly smooth usually disaster strikes and there is a shoot out, but not today. The only thing weird about today was the lack of Night Light, but when she asked Trouble about her on the road he said. “She’ll find us, she’s that type.”

Dawn remembered something she was meaning to ask Trouble about the small statuette she found. The one of Trumpet.

“Trouble do you know a pony named Trumpet?” she said.

“I’m wonderin` how ya know who he is. He was an old soldier, one of the original Death Dealers.”

“Who were the Death Dealers?” Dawn asked she could have sworn Trouble had made mention to them or someone had.

“Coltic mercenary group or rather we were. Got wiped out twenty two years this year I think, only three of us survived. Enough about that for now wanna hear more about Trumpet?”

Dawn replied “Alright, but I’d like to hear more about the Death Dealers later.”

“Dun worry bout tha, Travelin with muh ya can’t help but hear bout em`. Trumpet was a member of Mister Blue’s special team known as The Squad, I’ll tell ya more bout him later. Trumpet was a genius, and the best kinda genius. The psychotic kind. He made devices the size of apples that could blow up half a town, he was an artist with explosives. He came up with the invincible pony idea. That pony was my inspiration, he had half of his mane scorched inta his head from experiments and this brace roun his hindleg locked there from playin with chemical weapons, he couldn’t move fast at all and famously never took cover. But he didn't need to, he often made himself bulletproof.”

Dawn wondered what he meant be making himself bulletproof and all this invincibility stuff. “What do you mean the invincible pony idea?”

“Think kid, how do ya make yourself invincible?”

Dawn thought for a moment then shrugged she imagined it to be some overkill armour like the purists’ just more sophisticated. “I dunno.” she eventually said.

Trouble smiled and answered “It’s obvious, ya make it in every ponies best interest that you don’t die.” He laughed to himself. “And how you do that is by strapping a fuckin ludicrous amount of high explosive ordnance to yourself, this bein’ Trumpet twas no bother fir him, he used ta hold onto this detonator and if his grip lessened it’d go off, and let’s say by some miracle you shoot him and the detonator is a dud, there was enough liquid nitroglycerin on his person that if one fragile bottle breaks same result. That’s how you make yourself bulletproof. But it doesn’t work in every circumstance like if they just attack you without knowing. The main reason it works is because you get inside their heads. Make them feel like they are in the presence of a vengeful god. And if they feel brave, everyone pays, if one hero wants to kill you I doubt his friends share the opinion so much so they are ready to kill for it they’d shoot the pony who suggested shooting you, like it was almost blasphemy, turning on each other like starving timber wolves. And it works every time. Clever right?”

Dawn was lost for words. She just discovered the secret to making herself within reason, bulletproof. She chuckled Trumpet was indeed “Clever...”

“Did he have a motto?” Dawn asked remembering the inscription.

“He did indeed. Not one Step Back!” Trouble shouted with passion.

“Beautiful, he said it during a speech during a direct confrontation during the great war, outnumbered and outgunned against an army of griffins and dragons to the north, he had to raise moral. He fired the first shot and let me tell ya, his shots hurt.”

“What do you mean by that?” Dawn asked.

“He played Stalliongrad Bagpipes like nopony else.” Trouble nickered and pressed on leaving Dawn to wonder about these Bagpipes.

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The miles dragged on, the air in front of them looked wispy, in the distance the air seemed palpable. Like you could catch it in a bottle and sell it as a curio. But it was merely a trick of the eye. When something else appeared.

Trouble stopped dead in the road and muttered something to himself. When he spoke “What ya reckon?” he said shaking a hoof in that direction.

Dawn strained her eyes, she wasn’t too happy about what she saw.

Bodies.

“I dunno, w-what you think?” she said back, she was still an amateur to the wastes.

Trouble licked his lips “I think two sides got in a shootout in some sorta bush whack and no pony won.”

They drew closer to the bodies Dawn was busy looking at Trouble who was busy looking at the bodies. Maybe ten or so of them. “I dun like this.” He said to her.

He stopped.

“Nah can’t be right...” he said.

Dawn was flabbergast she didn’t want to go inspecting cadavers but she knew when Trouble was nervous he had good reason to be.

“What? What can’t be right?” she asked getting flustered.

“Nah enough blood...”

“The fuck are you talking about?” She said

There was a body laying propped up against the corpse of a decapitated or double decapitated Brahmin's body.

The body was that of an orange elderly unicorn stallion who carried a sawn-off shotgun at his hip and had a long grey beard running down to his chest.

“Follow my lead.” He said.

He drew his revolvers as slowly as he could manage took aim at the elderly stallion.

“What are you doing?” Dawn asked

Trouble screamed a reply not at her but at the bodies. “THESE FUCKERS AIN’T DEAD!”

He let out a shot at the elderly stallion hitting him in the hind leg slicing right through both of them.

The old stallion’s torso rocketed forward letting out a cry of agony. Half of the bodies sprang into life. Trouble moved forward keeping his guns on the group nearly none of the ponies ran over to the old stallion rather they all froze up instead caught off guard. All except for one.

Dawn levitated out Amigo but kept the barrel facing the sky above, these ponies didn't seem like much of a threat.

 She checked her EFS all their registered signs appeared blue. Trouble was in close enough now maybe thirty yards out, Dawn not far behind. The old stallion with an empty bottle for a cutie mark called out to him “You Son of A Bitch!” he said through withering pain.

The younger ponies bunched together. Not sure what to do, Trouble must have figured him as the leader.

“Very fuckin funny. Playin’ dead jumpin the boys that come close.”  One of the ponies there, an earth pony reached for his gun.

Trouble pulled back the hammer of his white revolver “Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah, don’t do anything stupid.” The pony decided it might be better to not play hero.

The elderly stallion who was now rocking back and forth spoke again.

“You fucking shot me!” He yelled showing his rotten teeth.

“And I’ll shot ya again if ya don’t shut the fuck up son.” He threatened.

The only one of the younger ponies that was near the old stallion was inspecting his wounds a yellow one with a black mane and a smashed bottle for a cutie mark spoke.

“Oh shit! Pa what are we gonna do?”

the elderly stallion replied “We do whatever we’re told now shut up!”

Dawn just stood behind Trouble waiting for instructions,she received none.

“Now listen, I don’t wanna kill ya, but by fuck make a dodgy move and I’ll ghost ya.”

The elderly pony went silent no longer groaning and nodded his head. He waved a hoof to the band across the road, they all relaxed slightly Trouble whispered to himself “Good, good.”

The elderly pony spoke again “Alright, hows this going to go down?”

Trouble’s face curled into a smile “The easy way, you fuckers leave don’t care where jus go, and another thing there is a ranger coming this way, keep your heads down. If I hear gunshots you’re dead.”

The elderly pony nodded his head, the pony standing next to him began nuzzling him.

“Okay whatever you want.” The elderly pony said, Dawn noticed the bodies that didn’t jump up 4 ponies in cheap clothing their pockets emptied lay dead their bodies looted long ago.

Dawn prodded Trouble to get his attention and she gestured towards the corpses “Trouble, what about those there.” Trouble laughed to himself. “Thanks kid.”

“Old timer, for those dead there I’m afraid some pony is going to have to pay.”

The elderly pony furrowed his brow “What do you mean?”

“Pick some pony to pay and I’ll leave, will it be you?.”

The old stallion shook his head.

“Then pick.”

Dawn felt a chill shoot down her spine, in all viable senses she just sentenced somepony to death.

The elderly pony beckoned the black maned pony who called him Pa over. The elderly stallion embraced him in a tight hug and spoke into his ear.

“Tic Tac how much to do you love your old man? Your brothers and sisters need me son, come on. The buck he called Tic Tac his son, had a rough and gravelly voice even though he was still quite young.

He spoke slowly and nervously “Pa, what are you saying?”

Trouble spoke up “So it’s him? Over you?”

Dawn went to object, feeling responsible, but as she advanced Trouble stopped her with his hoof.

He stared at the old stallion who was still hugging his son asking the impossible.

The yellow pony who called himself Tic Tac broke the embrace.

He was shaking slightly the old stallion landed on the ground with a thump.

“Take him, he’s my choice.” the old stallion said.

Dawn felt like she should have shot him, condemning his own son, then she would have shot Trouble for doing this, the bastard, and then herself for mentioning it. All for what the dead?

“Wah’s your name ol’ fella?” Trouble asked.

“Nick Knack.” the old stallion replied.

Tic Tac was shrinking back, all his other what Dawn guessed was family members were quiet as the grave. No pony objecting. Tic Tac looked at his brothers and sisters in dismay pleading from the eyes for help. But Dawn reckoned to them he was already dead. It reminded Dawn of the town she came from, every pony for themselves except they often had friends to help them take what they want, or who they want, she had no one. The world was fucked up like that.

Her father probably would have played the same card send her to die instead, he was a fucking drunk, she never knew him, except well if you count when he hit her, to shut her up. Or for fun. Or when he offered her as payment when the debt collectors came knocking. Dawn still remembered his name he probably didn’t remember hers. Her mother gave the name to her, she died shortly after giving birth. She was called that by the debt collectors anyway, her father usually just called her bitch, that was still painful too painful to remember.

Dawn didn’t even know her mother’s name. Dawn often wondered was it because her mother died that sent her father that way, but the older she got the more she began to think he was always a bastard. She always had a sensation of guilt every time she even thought about it.

Trouble was still in dialogue with the old stallion “Ya sure ya wanna send him ? Not no one else ah?”

Knick Knack nodded his head, his son began to back away even more, a solitary bead of sweat rolling down his brow. Tic Tac screamed “FUCK YOU!” he went for his sub machine gun that was at his side he got into his mouth when Trouble adjusted his aim, closing one eye as he peered down the sights and squeezed, blowing Tic Tac’s flimsy weapon in two while in Tic Tac’s mouth making him double over and cry out in agony.

His cheeks were gashed open giving him an involuntary elongated smile like Trouble’s except on both sides. Tic Tac crawled backwards his father and siblings staying stoic. Dawn dropped Amigo losing control over her telekinetic power since she was so consumed with what was happening. She panicked. She expected some pony to make a move. Nothing happened so she just holstered Amigo, content. Disgusted.

Tic Tac covered his mouth with his hoof biting down on it, suppressed howls coming through. Trouble loomed over him casting his disfigured face in shadow. Trouble bucked him in the face rendering him unconscious. He still had his revolvers out, one on the band of smaller siblings and one on Knick Knack.

Trouble walked behind the limp form of Tic Tac and bit down on his mane and began to drag him away, grunting through his hairs as he hefted him away from his family and closer toward the grave.

Dawn followed suit taking quick strides to catch up with Trouble and before long the family were nothing more than dots on the horizon and Trouble was still going steady revolvers at the ready.

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Trouble dragged and dragged him and Dawn just watched, what else could she do, chunks of hair were missing from Tic Tac’s head pulled out slowly from his long mane.

When finally Trouble let his grip loosen.

Tic Tac was spread out on the ground, it’s been nearly an hour since they left his family with him and he was beginning to come back toreality. Trouble took out some small reel of power cord from his duster and began binding Tic Tac’s hooves together.

Tic Tac shook his head and opened his eyes he tried to flex, when he couldn’t he spasmed in alarm stuck curled up by the power cord. He erupted into a rant.

“I’m alive? Are You Gonna kill me? Who are you anyway? What did I do to deserve this!? My mouth is killing me!”

Tic Tac was raving Trouble replied slowly and seriously.

“Stop asking questions, you’ll live longer.”

“Oh sweet fucking Celestia! I didn’t have this coming! Please my face it burns!” Tic Tac pleaded. Squirming and tossing trying to slip the cord, but all he done was cut himself on it.

Dawn felt sorry for Tic Tac he looked pathetic pleading for his life rolling on the scorched earth. condemned by his father.

“Trouble?” She asked shyly looking at the ground in front of her, the words in her throat being weighed down by an invisible anvil.

Tic Tac was panting, trying to force his way out of the power cord, his eyes were tearing up.

Dawn couldn’t stand it. The guilt to much.

“Let him go.” she demanded. he just ignored her.

Tic Tac ceased moving looking at Dawn a shred of hope in his eyes.

Dawn looked back sympathetically.

“Tic Tac do y’know why you’re in your current pre-fucking-diciment?  Trouble said waltzing back and forth gone at his side making small circles with his wrist.

“I-I-I.” he replied stumbling over his words.

“Trouble.” Dawn said trying to grab his attention he just quickened his pacing, she felt her heart in her throat.

“Cuz your father fucked ya, your family fucked ya and most importantly I fucked ya. And do you know why I fucked ya? Cuz ya tried to fuck me! Nobody fucks me without my permission! Nobody! Not even me!”

Tic Tac was sobbing, sand began to slip into his ripped open cheeks, Dawn couldn’t imagine what was going through his head as hoof-fulls of tears mixed into his wound.

“Trouble I mean it!” her threats fell on deaf ears Trouble was circling Tic Tac frightening him.

“Now Tic Tac I’ll ask ya this once who killed who?” Trouble demanded towering over him.

Tic Tac calmed a little accepting it maybe. “Not you...” Tic Tac’s eyes were raw red and nearly all of a sudden the stream of tears ceased, stopped by an epiphany.

Trouble smiled “Then who? Who killed you?” his voice softening for every syllable it lowered a dozen decibels.

Tic Tac swallowed an expression of melancholy took hold on his face.

“My father.”

“Your father what?” Trouble replied.

“My father killed me.” He said in a low tone, it seemed to Dawn he thought he was already dead.

Trouble smiled but Tic Tac spoke not pleading anymore or squirming he just asked a simple favour.

“When I’m dead, kill him.” He rested his head flat on the sand beneath him, waiting for it.

His now was unreadable, either his emotional train had ceased maybe overburdened just resorting to a poker face.

Dawn’s muscles tensed infuriated at how he had to scare him, how he had to tell him how he wasn’t responsible, she snapped. Dawn drew Amigo and jabbed it against Trouble’s temple. Tic Tac didn’t move just blinked he seen his death as inevitable. Then she spoke.

“I’m not letting you kill him! I’m not letting you!” She forced the gun into his temple it was nudging his head slightly. Trouble in response lined his black revolver’s front sights with Tic Tac’s eye.

Trouble’s expression remained the same focused on Tic Tac.

“Me kid? I’m not gonna kill him.”

Tic Tac’s eyebrow shot up quizzical.

Dawn asked slowly “What do you mean?”

“I had to be sure.”

“Sure about what? You’re not making any sense!”

Trouble inched away from Amigo’s barrel and faced Dawn his face muscles lax.

“Sure about him, and sure about you.”

Dawn brought amigo closer towards her but kept it level with his head.

“What are you talking about?” Dawn asked.

Trouble sighed and holstered his revolver, he looked Dawn in the eye and began to speak.

“I’ve been searching for someone, someone very special, to help me find another special someone. I’ve been looking for nearly fifteen years and I need help. I think you’re the means to the end. And him lying there, he isn’t going to die, he never was. Not today at least, he reminds me too much of me.”

Dawn slowly lowered Amigo, Trouble had sincerity in his voice. Something he rarely portrayed, Dawn asked him “You think I’m special?” her voice cracked on the last syllable. Being called that was a first for her.

“First time out here is always rough,” Trouble said looking at the ground then he looked at her. “You rolled a six nd’ a half, found me, found that sprite bot. Your first kill is hard, I remember you terrified in Ever Bright, scared shitless.” Dawn lowered her head in shame remembering how much of a coward she was after accepting his offer, but she still killed for her pay and remembered how good that cash felt in her hooves.

Trouble went on talking “But once you dropped your first, you changed, you unlocked something, the fact of the matter is you’re a killer. A better one than me, in time.”

Dawn was taken back. She always considered Trouble a giant, that could squash her with no effort, what he is saying is he expects her to be groomed into a ferocious mercenary like him.

“You’re special, you had the guts to stay at Marizona Springs with me. You don’t want to kill this fucker, a pony who tried to bush whack us but rather me, the one who has saved your live too many times now all because of how pitiful he is and you see an opportunity to save some pony who you felt was just dealt a shitty hand.”

Dawn’s expression fell.

“Trouble I,”

He spoke over her. “When that trippy shit happened with that fucking harmonica playing pony you came out with a spell that let’s you see things, I’m guessing here, but that makes you worth more than ten Troubles or thirty Night Lights, you have to survive this. You have to help me survive this.”

Dawn was confused “What do you mean?”

Trouble’s face was gloomy like her own she had no idea why, she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Kid, all I can do is make sure you reach the finale in one piece. Then you got to help me, this can’t all just end one way.”

“Your still not making sense finale of what? what’s going to end one way? Dammit Trouble!”

Dawn was slightly scared  of him he never spoke like this what had he planned for her?

“Kid I dunno even know whats coming, but when it all falls into place we’ll be there to see it. That’s all I can say for now, I promised nothing bad will happen to you I intend to keep that promise, but first we got to get things in order, we’re going to need help.”

Dawn was flabbergast, not sure what to make of this. But her thoughts went back to Tic Tac who just lay there watching, not looking grateful that Trouble said he was going to spare his life not looking like anything, the unreadable expression stuck.

“Trouble I don’t know what you were trying to say but what about Tic Tac?”

Trouble snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and turned to Tic Tac.

“Kid pass me your MG.” He held out a hoof expecting it, Dawn obliged him and hovered the hefty piece of equipment into his grasp.

“Tic Tac, what about your family?” Trouble asked.

Tic Tac let out a sigh “I don’t have one anymore.”

Dawn felt a pang in her chest, those words struck her hard nearly all at once she had been reminded of her old life she suppressed the feelings, now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Trouble unsheathed his knife and got to work on the power cord, after a long 30 seconds it snapped with a loud “Twang”

Tic Tac stretched out his limbs calmly looked up at Trouble and asked. “What now?”

“You go to Phoenix sign up as a guard, tell them Trouble sent ya, with a face like that and a machine gun like this and with those purists on the rise they won’t turn you down.”

He dropped Dawn’s MG at Tic Tac’s hooves.

Tic Tac shifted slightly and lazily slung the MG across his back, his wounded cheeks filled with sand, his cheeks almost glued back together by the adhesive of sand and blood and tears.

“Why?” Tic Tac asked.

“Leave.” Trouble replied he pointed his hoof to the distance and said “That way.”

And with that Tic Tac trotted away but on his way past Dawn felt him slap her on the flank, and a chuckle afterwards, she blushed,  he wasn’t the same pony as he was little more than an hour ago, she should know better than anyone Trouble has that effect in ponies.

Trouble was already back on the road walking away and Dawn was glad he didn’t see that. She galloped to catch up with him feeling better about herself.

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The Figure rocketed out of his chair sending it crashing against the wall.

he slammed his hooves on the table “What Aren’t You Telling Me!?”

Dawn remained stationary she wasn’t even startled, instead she giggled.

“Hahaha what? You think you scare me?”

The Figure formed a fist tensing up in anger and shook his head.

“Pom!” he punched her in the face, his hoof crashing against her left eye, she recoiled.

The Figure reached behind his back and swung out two large black steel leafed knives and held them in a scissor shape against her throat.

“Don’t fuck with me Miss Black, what did Trouble have planned?”

Dawn hadn’t a notion he disappeared, leaving just her and Night Light before she was taken here. Dawn didn’t mind being given a black eye, she’s had plenty of them and in a dark room like this it made no difference.

“No idea, he jetted off after we entered the facility where you kept all those griffins, got what he was after I guess.” Dawn said not at all interested.

“What was he after!? What did he mean Finale!?” The Figure demanded.

Dawn shrugged her shoulders “I don’t know you’ll have to ask him.”

The Figure swore loudly before finally he gave up got his seat and took his position across from Dawn.

Dawn smiled to herself, the Figure made a minor slip up. “You’re NCR aren’t you?”

The Figure let his shoulders go slack, trying to cool off he spoke through gritted teeth.

“I told you, that it’s none of your business who I work for what makes you think I’m with the NCR?”

Dawn was never happier to catch somepony off guard “I noticed how you didn’t object when I said where you keep all those griffins, Trouble taught me on how to catch ponies out Heh clever isn’t he?”

The Figure lightened his mood slightly Dawn could only base this off his voice.

“Ahhh, so he’s been tutoring you?”

Dawn didn’t answer instead she posed a counter question.

“Shall we continue?”

“Go on.” The Figure said.

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The Road lay ahead of them, still no sign of Night Light. The sun was retreating to the west coming out from it’s cover in a mad dash to fall back over the horizon and find some rest, and to send the world spiralling into darkness. The road ahead of them composed of what it was the past hundred miles or so; Barren land, covered in sand and tired old cracked asphalt guiding ponies 200 years after we lost guidance.

There stood Black Dawn and Trouble, walking through this perilous hell towards salvation.

Dawn and Trouble exchanged few words since Tic Tac left their company, Dawn thought about him wondered if he’d make it. Wondered if he’d actually go to Phoenix or just go back to his family. Or murder them.

“Hey kid you ever see an automobile?” Trouble asked out of nowhere.

“Whats an automobile?” Dawn replied.

“Do you know what a train is?” Trouble asked trying to nail down the scope of her knowledge.

“No.” She heard of them but hadn’t the faintest clue as to what one looked like.

“They are basically a way of getting around fast, they can carry any number of ponies depending on how big it is. I have one, sort of, being repaired, It’s got a turret and all.”

Dawn was intrigued by this and wondered why she never heard of them.

“How many of them are there?” she asked

“I think what you meant to say was how common are they, the answer is not very mine is military spec and that cost me a fortune, but luckily there is a guy who patches em up in New Pegas.”

Dawn was interested in what he had to say about it but she had more pressing matters on her mind like once they reach New Pegas then what? they say their goodbyes?

She dropped the current topic and decided to voice her worries.

“What happens after we reach New Pegas?” She was secretly dreading the answer, the past few days were hell but this hell is a lot more interesting from the hell she was escaping.

“What do ya mean?” Trouble replied.

“Well, me and you were partners, right?” Dawn spoke nervously this far she had been relying on Trouble. He was the only reason she was still breathing after all.

“Actually kid, I was hoping to groom you into well, the next Trouble.”

Dawn stopped “What?”

Trouble let out a sigh “I’m getting old, and I don’t have any kids that I know of so,”

“That you know of?” Dawn replied before he got a chance to finish his sentence

“Well there has been plenty of mares over the years maybe one of those flowers bore fruit.”

Dawn cringed slightly, she never really did know what she was: Gay, Straight, Bi she didn’t know, all her life she went wondering she never really cared for anypony, except for maybe one. She remembered one of the early days, one of the bad early days, she closed her eyes tightly like she taught herself to do and suppressed it.

“You okay kid?” Trouble looked at her oddly as her eyes were pressed tightly closed.

Dawn recomposed herself and answered.

“Fine, I’ll take you up on your offer but what is the plan for New Pegas?”

“Well I sorta took over a casino a few years back and,”

“You took over a casino? How?”

Trouble shrugged “Explosives and booze lead to some very interesting results, I woke up the next day with a headache and a casino.”

Dawn had found herself some very interesting company.

“New Pegas should be in sight soon.” Trouble announced.

They were approaching a gradient a large hill, there was lots of randomly scattered hills throughout the wastes that have geographical business being there but just are, this was one of them.

They trudged slowly up it, the hill took up most of the ground in front of them it was just a sudden rise that lead to a plain on the top large impossibly steep mountains either side of them narrowing it. Maybe that plain above them was the original version of this road, maybe they were walking along the belly of a crater.

Once at the summit Dawn seen it, in the distance something she mistook for the sun rising.

A soft glow in the distance beautifully radiating the horizon, a flurry of reds and greens and yellows and blues all highlighting the presence of a glorious civilization.

Dawn could only see above the city, the lights was all she could make out except a large tower or the very tip of it, in the shape of a roulette spinner that loomed over all the city and was adorned with lights of every brilliant colour.

dawn felt her eyes widen at the spectacle that lay before her, in a word magnificent.

Trouble looked at her face, her jaw hanging open, her eyes wide.

“Wait till you actually get there it’s even scarier than it looks.” Scary? It was the most beautiful sight in the world, Salvation.

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They were at the middle of the plain stopped with their backs against an old rest stop on the road just outside of it facing the lights of New Pegas, Trouble had donated his sleeping bag to Dawn since it was sort of his fault for her not having her own. She lay there snuggled up inside the sleeping bag taking it all in, just staring at it. The closer they got the better it became. And the more this mystical paradise became a reality. Dawn hardly even blinked transfixed by the city’s beauty.

Trouble was faced away from her, asleep. He shifted over to face her subconsciously in his sleep and as he did an old worn down Biro pen fell from his grip as well as his journal. This was one of the few things that could have broken Dawn’s trance on those ever shifting lights.

She looked towards the diary hovering it over to her gently using the light from the distant city as a reading aid.

The Joke: Laughter is a powerful thing it brings joy it brings fear it can bring any amount of feelings I love it I swear by it if we can’t have a laugh every now and again then what’s the point of continuing in misery.

I use it when killing to scare to intimidate but I use it for fun for friends as well truth be told in this lifetime I’ve been 3 ponies the most recent being Trouble I used to go by other names once.

There was this monk in the mountains not sure which ones though he left for meditation one day left his family left his life behind and disappeared because all the years of his life something was eating at him a notorious question “What is the meaning of life?”

Everyone comes to a different conclusion in the end because every one finds different levels of meaning and understanding in different things but he came to the pan ultimate conclusion the definite article.

30 years into his meditation 30 fucking years alone he woke up from another night of pondering the cave in which he slept had writing all over it all trying to link it up.

When he awoke it finally stroke him what had plagued him what had hijacked his his sentenced on the mountain was served he burst into laughter and he couldn’t stop laughing either and his realisation was “There is no point in.” with a great crack erupted from the sky a thunderous bellow.

As if some divine voice somewhere was saying so you finally get the joke.

That’s why laughter is so important because it’s all really a joke we can all enjoy, that’s what causes my laughter why everything is hysterical from irony to firing a shotgun its all a joke and the ponies that burned the world all those years ago didn’t get the joke…

But Mister Blues he did and he followed it up with one of his finest…

Maybe one day I will get to use his joke and go down in applause.

Dawn finished the log, and put the worn down old book back where it belonged in Trouble’s possession. And not a moment to soon, Trouble started tossing and turning back and forth violently, muttering.

His hooves flailed outwards until he shot up in a cold sweat licking his lips, eyes darting from side to side. He seen his journal and hid it in his duster none the wiser to Dawn’s invasion of it.

His eye twitched and he kept making small circles with his wrist.

“Dawn, EFS Now!”

Dawn was frightened not even the soothing spectrum of lights in the horizon would be able to negate it, Trouble never called her by name. She complied and loaded up her EFS once it lit up Trouble yanked her wrist, peering down at it.

Trouble’s expression dropped from frantic to, Dawn didn’t know what until it struck her Tranquil. She took a look at her own EFS and seen what Trouble must have seen.

Celestia only knows.

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

RED-BLUE

Flashing all over it, Dawn looked all around her and seen nothing but the lights were moving, she began to panic, she looked to Trouble but all he was doing was looking at the lights of their far away sanctum.

When those lights began to fade.

A blanket of darkness began to dim it, shrouding and obscuring its radiance. But New Pegas wasn’t being extinguished, they were being cut off. A bubble of blackness around them, Trouble broke his silence.

“Kid, it’s been real, now we got to burst our little bubble, we may not make it.”

Dawn looked at him quizzically but she remembered when he acted like this before.

The Harmonica, except this time it was more focused, more surreal.

“Trouble what the fuck is going on?” Dawn was going to fucking hit him, this was weird, a cover of darkness consumed them all around them was blackness, and Trouble exhaled.

Steam rose from his chilled breath, the usual heat of the desert dissipated and all that was left was bone chilling cold.

“Nightmares don’t last forever.” Trouble announced as his eyes stayed locked on where New Pegas was, he calmly clipped his helmet onto his head the blood red visor the only visible light source around them, and it seemed the darkness even obscured that.

Trouble rose up onto his hind legs and as he did a strong wind arose from the darkness causing his Duster to blow wildly. Dawn stared at him in awe, he was in a word fearsome a bold pillar of strength defying death daily.

“Darkness is the absence of Light, now we must cast aside the darkness.” Dawn rose up inspired but fear still gripped her muscles. She tried to levitate out Amigo his golden sheen to guide her, Amigo trembled in her grip and almost faltered about to be carried away by the gust, but Trouble grabbed it and slid it back into it’s holster and said.

“Those weapons won’t save us now, follow me.”

He began to walk off into the plain and Dawn followed. The wind pelting against her face carrying sand and small pebbles in the gust. Trouble joined his two fore hooves together and bowed his head as he walked through the darkness.

Dawn struggled to keep her balance, all around her everything was turning dark even the ground at her hooves, then she remembered.

Her Pip-Buck light.

She bit the knob that controlled her Pip-Buck’s screen brightness and twisted, her immediate surroundings lit up.

The sand at her feet was trembling, her skin felt prickly and all she could see clearly of Trouble was the end of his duster when, he stopped.

Trouble swung back his fore hoof and dragged Dawn to his side, she didn't resist him.

In front of them was a small mare just like Dawn lying on the ground same coloured coat only the eyes and mane were different, but the starkest thing about it was; it lacked a cutie mark.

It’s mane unlike Dawn’s bright gold one was Black and limp her eyes sent chills down Dawn’s back.

Soot Black with no pupils.

And there this small mare lay, on the ground with it’s eyes wide open. Trouble crouched down and embraced it in a hug. The mare’s head resting on his shoulder.

Dawn watched as Trouble remained crouched holding this mare sincerely not moving an inch. When Dawn froze, she couldn’t explain it but her muscles locked up. She stood there rigid, and the voice that spoke to her before that sweet soothing feminine voice spoke once again as it did when she found Trumpet’s statuette.

“I can help you little one, I’ll guide you, as I always have.”

Then suddenly the wind died. The Black Mare’s head turned slowly on Trouble’s shoulder and looked at Dawn blankly. It blinked.

All around her the world faded into darkness Trouble stayed rigid caressing the mare. And the mare stayed looking at her. The voice inside her spoke again.

“Follow the signs, and never forget... Don’t go looking for Trouble, Trouble will find you.”

End of Act1