Chapter 6: The Ranger

Trouble and Black Dawn were sitting in the hotel lounge enjoying a meal.

Trouble was eating some sort of Bacon and potato dish while she settled for a salad.

It was the first time she had eaten in two days and still she felt there was too much on the plate, she had always been scrawny. You could always see her rib bones since she was a filly.

 A rather aggressive song heavy on the guitar and sung in some foreign language had just finished playing on the radio when a rather suave pony came onto the radio with a musky voice that could talk a wall into collapsing.

“Hello fillies and colts that was Ponistein Mutter and I’ am the Buck himself reporting to you from my humble abode in Marizona and I have here a report just in from the war in the North-West.” This stirred Black’s attention.

“The N.C.R are engaged on all fronts with the griffins in the battle for Wuden’s Valley, I’ve known some ponies who’ve been there, it’s a frozen hell you better pull out while your ahead General Bay that place is worthless there hasn’t been a blade of grass there in over 200 years.”

Fuck. Black didn’t even know N.C.R was at war. “Hey Trouble why are the N.C.R and Griffins are at war?”

Trouble raising his muzzle from his plate sputtered out through a full mouth what could only be deciphered as “B-heats, meah.” She shook her head she wasn’t a fan of the NCR but still she didn’t want them getting killed. Weird how she heard nothing about this where she came from.

The Buck himself continued “Mister Blues would turn in his grave if he seen what this world had become hell so would half of Equestria.” The name rattled in Dawn’s head Mister Blues.

Trouble grunted at the Bartender to grab his attention, the bartender looked up from polishing a cracked glass over to Trouble quizically. Trouble clopped his hoof twice on the table. The bartender muttered something indecipherable under his breath and poured a pint of cider. Trouble gorged on his meal until the pony arived with his brew. After he got the pint Trouble hooked his muzzle on it and gulped it. several loud “Glugs” later he was finished. And tapped twice on the table again. Dawn felt this was going to be a long night.

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Trouble guided Dawn to their room drunk, he sheepishly after 3 failed attempts opened the door he stumbled inside one hoof falling in front of the other he hit the light switch upon entry. he drank  2 gallons of cider the only reason he didn’t stay in the lounge is because they ran out.

 He then accused the bartender of lying to him and challenged him to a duel before Dawn pulled him away.

He collapsed after he hit the light switch; the room was beautiful.

 It had red soft velvet furniture. A huge radio set in the corner a fridge with unreasonably priced beverages in it, and flowery wallpaper. it was all quite cosy.

Dawn picked him up off the ground and with great strain dragged him down the hallway towards the door on the end, she guessed the one other door to be a lavatory.

“Come on big guy.” She heaved him to the door across the main room with the aid of some magic into the bed room. Two single beds. She felt herself relieved by this awkwardly enough, who knows what an old mercenary might try to do late at night with a mare stone drunk. Maybe he might feel like she owed him something.

After she dragged him into the room she threw his limp body onto the bed he was so goddess -damned heavy for a pony who moved so quietly.

She herself was only tipsy she only had one drink, a pint of stout it was too bitter for her liking and she wasn’t really much of a drinker.

 Whereas Trouble he drank like a fish, she heard the waiter say on his way back after Trouble’s 11th round “Coltics” in spite followed with tutting.

She got in the bed across from Trouble’s. Trouble was starting to mutter to himself again in his sleep Dawn suspected there were going to be some long night’s travelling with this pony. She climbed into her bed and with her magic hit the light switch she drifted off to what Trouble’s sub-conscious’ message.

“The queen, neva asked fir it, Blues musta had a plan, ol world fire... ta crack the sky. Tha fuckin wall.”

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Dawn stood there, all the stuff she had packed for what she felt she would need for her journey. Staring at the hole she had been clawing at for weeks. A small U shape dug at the base of the wall. A way out of this hell. A chance for escape. It was nothing short of a miracle she found this soft soil at the thinnest point along the wall.

She stood for a while just looking at it. Thinking what was worse, here? or the wastes. She spent so much time at this hole it seemed foalish not to exploit it. But all she ever knew was here, and the only stories she ever heard of the outside were those of torture and murder.She heard cries from behind, pleas for help. Some pony was getting a beat down for being in the wrong neighbourhood. She gritted her teeth, Running was the only way she was ever going to live, it’s not enough to just to survive. She cursed this hell one final time and crawled into the small hole and began to smuggle herself out of the NCR.

Thinking of new beginnings far out over the horizon. The ponies she’d meet, the friends she would have. All of that lay in front of her, so she thought.

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Dawn was woken by Trouble her head was unpleasantly buzzing Trouble somehow was up before her. She would have thought it impossible his eyes were baggy his face disgruntled he kept pushing the fringe of his black mane back out of his eyes.

Dawn shuffled out of her bed still in her armor she climbed out , and stretched.

 Trouble took out his flask and gulped on a few swigs “Avoid Hangovers, stay drunk.” Words of wisdom.

They wandered down back to the lounge a different pony tending from last night. Thank Celestia. The town was coming to life but for the most part it was asleep.

 Trouble bought some food from the bar and stashed it in his saddlebags and bought Dawn a canteen of water during this Dawn was organizing her ammo into the pouches in her armor. Magazines for Amigo All in her belt and her 8 magazines for Bad News were worn on her chest.

Trouble still looking like hammered shit when he walked out of the hotel his side resting on the door frame. He called back to Dawn who was resting in one of the luxurious armchairs drifting off once more.

“Come on kid we’re making for New Pegas.”

New Pegas? Dawn thought to herself she often heard tell of it, it’s a huge old war city that served no military function during the war so it was spared a direct strike at least.

It was solely dedicated to vice that’s why thousands flocked there from every corner of Equestria: To gamble, drink, whore and inject their way to happiness for a while. But on the flip side it eats through your caps like acid.

“Why are we going to New Pegas?” Dawn had to ask, we’re they going to blow their pay?

“I’m a V.I.P I own a suite in one o’ them casino’s I need ta restock.” He said it as if it were just a routine casual thing. Dawn couldn’t believe it this tired old groggy mercenary was accustomed to fine living, well if he was anyway he hid it very well.

“You coming with me?” Trouble actually asked her usually it was orders.

“I’d love to go.” She didn’t know what else to say, what else could she say, thanks for saving my life, the caps and a place to stay now fuck off? It was never going to fly not with her at least. She was sort of excited she always wanted to go there, they say you can spot the glowing buildings 20 miles out.

“We should be there in four days if we haul ass, let’s go.” Trouble pushed himself from the wall and walked into the centre of the street to better orientate himself.

 Dawn followed him out when she spotted the Good Pony threading sluggishly across the street with a cane supporting him, 2 sentries on either side. One she recognized as Haleb.

“Hey, what exactly does the Good pony do, anyway?” she wondered why they called him The Good pony all he done as far as she knew was hire Trouble to wipe out an outpost and rescue some hostages.

“He more or less built everything you see around you.”

“Most have been a lot of heavy lifting for one pony.” Trouble facehoofed.

“You really need to get out more.” He said exhausted.

Trouble made for the bridge this early in the morning the stall owners were only now getting ready for the usual busy day. So at least she wasn’t swarmed by business ponies shoving their wares down her throat. Trouble walked staright after the bridge, past Alanza’s workshop, past everything into the desert that lay before them. Dawn followed her Guardian into the desert without a shred of doubt, if anything hope. For once in her life she had an equalizer. Somepony to get her on level sittings with everypony else.

Trouble was a friend.

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Black felt like they were walking for an eternity but it had been little more than a view hours the conversation was stilted because of Trouble’s hangover.

“Hey, kid can you read or write?” Trouble said relieving their silence.

“Oh, eh, a little.” She picked up a little over the years, here and there but no pony that formally sat her down and taught her.

“What about maths? You know how to add, subtract, multiply?”

“I can’t multiply.” Trouble snickered to himself but it was short lived.

“What about divison, ratios?”

“No.” She felt like an idiot but no pony was ever there to teach her.

“Alright-y then I’ll teach ya a wee something later, you okay with that?” Why was he offering to teach her? First she thought this then she said it.

“What’s with trying to teach me?”

“Take my word for it, ya won’t last out here unless you can work shit out, brains are more valuable then bullets.” Eh, not the answer she was expecting and a little too broad.

There was another silence for a while when Dawn had the urge to ask Trouble a question.

“What age are you?”

“What?” He was caught off guard.

“What age are you?” she repeated maybe she hit a nerve.

“Thirty-eight this year I think maybe thirty-nine.” Trouble wasn’t entirely convincing though, by fuck though Dawn was taking back she guessed 30. Most ponies don’t live past 60 in this harsh world main factors are; disease, how hard they push themselves, dehydration and of course bullets.

Black could hardly believe it.  He moved faster and struck harder than most ponies half his age that and he was more than double her age “Wow you wear thirty eight pretty well.” He was older than her father.

“Thanks I suppose, me mother is sixty-seven in a few weeks maybe we’ll pay a flying visit.” Wow long life must run in his family the eldest pony in Dawn’s town must have been forty four when she died.

 “Here kid what age are ya anyway? Fifteen, Sixteen?” he was trying not to baby-ify her.

“Sixteen.”

 Trouble laughed in nostalgia.

“I remember when I was sixteen had a lot of living ahead of me, a lot of killing too. Everything seemed so clear back then, had my family, had a promising future, buh at the end of the day plans were made to go wrong.” He shrugged it off and laughed although he tried to mask it Dawn could sense the pain in his voice. Dawn wondered about what he said, about plans were made to go wrong. She felt it best not to press him.

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The sun was setting now Trouble stopped dead in the middle of the road what was left of it anyway, they had been walking on the remains of a once paved asphalt road. But now it was more of a dirt path from the years of ponies trudging down it. The road was leading into a mountain pass a road carved through it from generations long dead.

They were at the foot of the pass, the snaking and winding road disappearing around numerous corners.

He sniffed the air, pricked his ears and scanned. He turned to face Dawn and whispered “Ya, hearthat? What about the smell?”

Dawn did as Trouble done pricked her ears and sniffed she couldn’t smell anything but she did hear something faint rumblings in the distance carried by the wind.

“Yeah I hear it what is that?”

“That’s Ghouls shrieking, as for the smell, death and gunpowder.” He grimly murmured.

“What’s a ghoul?” she never heard of ghouls, she heard of fuck all to be honest, merc group maybe.

He looked her in the face with an expression that read along the lines of. Where in fucks name have you been the past 200 years?

“Zombies, most of them anyway. There are some ones that are just like me and you. The others are little more than cannibalistic husks of living rotted pony corpses don’t let them in close. Most of the feral ones can’t operate the simplest of tools so you can tell the living ones from the dead ones pretty easily, as well as that the living ones act like ponies and can talk if anything seems off about one blow it in two. Think of it as mercy killing.”

She didn’t like this living dead too unrealistic. Mercy killing eh? Dawn wouldn’t have it in her to mercy kill.Sshe wasn’t sure how she was going to handle this but at least she had Trouble his combat prowess is a force to be reckoned with.

“Didn’t you come through here to get to Dead Water?”

“No, I had to hit a few spots on my way to Dead Water first, some contacts…”

Trouble fitted his mask over his face the visor was glowing once more in the fading light he said through it’s filter that kills emotion “Get ready for hell if we’re lucky we can slip past unnoticed.”

They wandered for a while into the mountain pass the mountains climbing in height as they passed through, becoming a linear route it bore stark resemblance to EverBright canyon especially in the fading light.

Dawn read her Pip-Buck map once more they pass was tagged “Caturi Pass: Residental.”

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Dawn had Amigo at the ready, everything was quiet the only thing she could hear was her own hoof steps and the howling off the wind through the pass.

The road’s snaking path intensified corners nearly every fifty yards. Dawn’s eyebrow raised quizzically before them was a housing estate corralled off by an old chain link fence. An old sign swayed in the wind hooked on the fence, it read.

“Caturi Pass: Trespassers will be persecuted. Property of Equestrian Innovations ltd.”

The gate swung limply open in front of them creaking, nothing except the wall of a steep mountain was visible before them. What ever was inside here was around this first corner.

Trouble went in first taking the Red Queen from his duster’s back. He rose onto his hind hooves and threaded inside careful not to touch the squeaking gate. Dawn did the same but remained on her hooves. Ahead of them was a road that lead around another bend, there was nothing in sight just the road.

Trouble slowly threaded ahead of Dawn he came to the corner and pressed his back against the rock face and waved Dawn down to him. Dawn hurriedly skulked up to Trouble and did the same pressing her back against the rock face, she holstered Amigo and levitated Bad News out in front of her chest.

Trouble cornered weapon pressed against his shoulder, he went for a steady pace but stopped dead, The Red Queen dropped to his side. Dawn cornered as well prepared to peer down the scope and fire, she stopped dead just like Trouble.

 In front of them were corpses. Ponies of every shade of brown, some still retaining their coats original colour others were brown decomposed hunks of festered meat. Corpses everywhere littering the scene some look like they had been there for months in the sun. Others were fresh. The blood hadn’t even evaporated it was just sticky dark red goo on the sand.

The corpses were far near and wide spread. The stench was unbearable. Sun baked rotting flesh mixed with maggots and festering infections. It made Dawn sick she galloped back around the corner. Her fore hooves muscles locked Vomit raced up her gullet she puked. Ashamed of her own squeamishness. She hoped Trouble wouldn’t notice, she didn’t want him to see her shame, not again. This won’t be like EverBright.

 Trouble didn’t slow his pace he walked the snaking road as if it were his own. More bodies old and fresh every few paces significantly less fresh ones. There must have been a grand total of  6 fresh all wearing similar clothing. The old corpses numbered in scores but all the new corpses were stripped bear of weapons and ammo just their clothing remained at their sides spent ammo casings, bad luck.

Mauled 2 headed cows were there also, gutted torso’s ripped opened, very little remained of them. they rounded the final bend of the complex twisty road into a long strait. Trouble froze once more Dawn hated how quiet he got.

 There was maybe 40 or two story houses painted with all with small cream picket fences out in the front. All once residential housing very well preserved. All as quiet as the grave.

 On the road in front of them was a mass congregation of hulking beings. The stench was over powering here. Dawn froze, her muscles jammed up. Dawn shuddered, time stopped her eye started to twitch.

She was staring at an impossibility, Brown sun baked rotted corpses just like those behind her on the way in. Walking. Dead ponies walking just like Trouble said. she actually thought he was just kidding.

The ribs of the rotted ponies were visible through their  blackened and burned coats flesh chunks missing from their frames. Folds of their flesh had curled up doing to contractions. It was sickening. Many of these ponies if you could still call them that’s bones were exposed and turning yellow.

They were all piled over something in the road as Dawn got a better look she seen what they were hoarding.

 A mound of fresh corpses. Blood slowly trickling out from underneath their hooves.

They were taking chunks of meat from their bodies yanking it off mulching and mashing and swallowing. Bones broken into little more than powder their jaws retained unnatural strength.

 Dawn found she couldn’t look away it was all despicably and diabolically enthralling.

She wondered to herself what kind of goddess would allow this monstrosity to exist.

Trouble ducked into cover behind one of the buildings she was quick to follow him when her trance was broken from the feast. Dawn quivered and dashed towards Trouble trying to stay as close as possible.

 Trouble went to the edge of the house and peered around scanned the street side to side he came back and whispered “Shit, we’re in the belly of the beast these fine ponies live in these houses there must be a hundred of them.”  Must have been forty in the congregation another 50 dead on the way in maybe they were just sleeping? Dawn feared Trouble was right.

Trouble replaced the magazine in the Red Queen with a poison green one and chambered a round with the same pristine sound she always made.

Dawn levitated Amigo from his holster as quietly as she could manage and pulled back the slide it made a beautiful noise of metal upon metal “Kuin-Kuin.”

Trouble shuffled in close to her and spoke softly through his mask “Here’s the plan, there is no way you can take them with only that pistol, we’re surrounded I know that now check your EFS,” she did there was almost a solid ring of red around her and Trouble

“You got to stick close we push through stop for nothing, let’s go and if they get ya cornered safe a bullet for yourself.” Dawn gulped.

 He left from his cover. On his hind hooves once more looking down his weapons sight he was moving at a brisk pace weapon strained on the corpse feast.

Trouble hit the next building and went back into cover. The mound was close now Dawn heard the crunching and snapping of bones and the gaping of the maws. She raced in behind him the noise of the vile beings eating at her like nails on a chalkboard. She just wanted to cover her ears and pretend it wasn’t happening.

Trouble looked at her and signalled for  her to follow. He shuffled over to an old stained cracked window and busted it with a swift crack from the Red Queen’s stock.

He vaulted inside Throwing one hind hoof over the other and fell inside crunching on the glass. Dawn followed him in, cutting her hooves on the jagged glass. She winced slightly but she was too sensible to make any noise.

They were a murky kitchen filled with filth, feces and fuck knows what else. The stench in here was just as offensive as on the outside just concentrated, making her eyes water.

Dawn heard choked stuttered breathing, broken inhaling and exhaling.

Trouble stopped at the door frame, he reached into his duster and took out his small black steel axe. He jumped facing into the next room, a corpse looking back at him with a rotted mouth a blank look on it’s face. Before it had time to react, Trouble lobbed his axe. It spun through the air at the pony striking it between the eyes splattering the soft tissue and softened bone. The ghoul fell backwards sprawled out. The ghoul leaked no blood which deeply disturbed Dawn.

Trouble moved into the living room, dark and filthy and retrieved his small axe.

Dawn sheepishly followed him into the room.

Light was seeping in through the door frame. Poorly lighting her immediate surroundings. Trouble moved to the door, and peered through the crack.

Directly outside was the cannibal zombie feast, blood and entrails on the periphery of the buffet, spent bullet cartridges laying scattered all around. The once shiny brass of the bullets stained in crimson.

Trouble backed away from the door, Dawn silently waited for further instruction from Trouble. Trouble skulked over to the window on the far end of the living room. Stained black no light could pierce it. He carefully leveled the Red Queen’s stock with the centre of it and quickly struck it. The glass shattered almost noiselessly. Trouble waited for three seconds before climbing out.

Once out he pressed his back against the white exterior of the house they took refuge in.

Dawn did likewise climbing out carefully, she slipped on the window frame. Trouble grabbed her and pulled her towards him. He spun with her and slammed her against the wall of the house.

Trouble covered her mouth with his hoof and shifted her head. Her heart sank the feasting blood orgy was right next to them. It was nothing short of a miracle they had gone unnoticed. Trouble moved around to the back of the house across from them and tried the door. It opened with a creak.

He ushered Dawn to follow him. She did so without taking her eyes off the mound she seen two ghouls clamped down on a length of intestines gnawing their way closer to one another in a disgustingly romantic way.

They were in the back room of a house two washing machines adjacent to them and a sink. Trouble slowly worked his way in there. Dawn still had Amigo ready to rock and she quickly began to think she wouldn’t have enough them to. They would swarm her in one giant horde and mow here down within seconds. Tear her limb for limb with their impossibly strong jaws.

Trouble came to the door that lead into the living preparing to breach. He put his eye level with the keyhole to gaze into it. When “CRASHH! ARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!” the door blew apart, a huge rampaging ghoul charged through, knocking Trouble off his hooves. Dawn slipped into the alternate reality of S.A.T.S Amigo fired with a huge kick.

“PWOOOH!” the shot rang out blowing the huge corpse’s cranium in two, spraying Trouble in crusted minerals and long leather solid blood vessels. Outside there was an ear splitting symphony of screeches, howls of the damned rang through the air.

Dawn bite down on Trouble’s duster and dragged him up onto his hooves, adrenaline raced through her. Trouble climbed up and broke into a sprint. They shot into the living room Trouble put one hoof one a small table kicked off of it and used the momentum to carry his shoulder into the door smashing it open.

He rolled on the ground outside and broke into a gallop Dawn chased after him. Trouble was charging down the road roars erupted all around them, he looked over his shoulder at Dawn who was nearly neck and neck with him. He spun on his hooves pivoted and faced the onslaught of the dining horde who know wanted his flesh.

The Red Queen opened fired this was another custom cartridge. Green luminescent glowing sludge fell from the barrel. The shells leaving the action illuminated the ground they hit, upon impact the glowing shotgun pellets ate through their flesh severing limbs leaving huge dug out pits in their torsos.  The congregation was wiped out in less than 5 seconds. Leaving the mound isolated, but as they did four more ghouls galloped out of neighbouring houses to feast on the corpses.

Ponies shattered doors all around them chasing after them the number increasing with every passing second. The string of shrieks growing in volume.

Dawn spotted 3 coming from a house to her left she let off shots from Amigo with a vicious crack and hell of a kick they flew backwards the trio of zombies. The rounds hitting them so hard causing them to either hit the wall or spin when hit.

She was finding it hard to keep up with the stronger Trouble, 12 more appeared in front of them Dawn was about to slip into S.A.T.S but Trouble let loose a spray from The Red Queen liquefying the ghouls. Burying them under a sea of green. She looked over her shoulder to see a small army chasing her, ravenous expressions gripping what was left of their faces.

She swung her Amigo over her shoulder and used her magic to tense the trigger. Her weapon loyally doing her biding 5 of the zombies tumbled over with the sheer force their surges towards them cut short causing them to tumble but on the 6th trigger squeeze all Dawn got was a “Click.”

 Amigo’s slide was pressed backwards locked until it was fed more bullets like a foal crying out for more food she wasn’t going to starve her baby.

Troubled wiped out the remaining ghouls charging for them with a quick burst from the Red Queen neither of them breaking their sprint Dawn looked over her shoulder what she saw sent fear throughout her body she almost began to cry, nearly 100 corpses were barrelling towards them at speeds she didn’t think corpses could achieve she cried out.

 “TROUBLE BEHIND US!!!” Trouble pivoted and fell onto one knee and unloaded into the horde the thunder from the Red Queen echoing through the mountains.

His weapon was glowing a soft green now, ooze hanging from the barrel he emptied the drum into the crowd turning most of them into glowing perforated mush.

He replaced the spent drum with a fresh red one Dawn seen what red does. But before he even thought about firing he galloped on all fours to try and catch up with Dawn. The Red Queen smacking off the hard ground kicking up sparks. Another few in front, Dawn fired wildly into them sending them flying smoke rising from Amigo’s barrel she swapped out her magazine for a fresh one from her belt she was panting hard she couldn’t keep up this pace much longer.

Trouble had caught up with her now. With one fluid motion he was back on his hind hooves his fore hooves rocking the Red Queen back and forth. They were nearing the end of the complex after the gates were 20 more waiting for them.

 They charged through the rusted gates into the open mountain pass, the horde behind them only building in numbers like a snowball being thrown down an icy mountain. Gaining in mass and momentum becoming a huge force soon to consume them.

Her eyes were tearing up, her nostrils were burning.  She was certain of her demise her lungs burned and cried for air. Trouble sprinted forward his weapon exploding once more fire erupting from its muzzle lighting their proximity a bright red.

 Sawing and burning through the corpses obscuring their escape route they both spun in unison to face the horde Dawn slipping into S.A.T.S targeting as many as her mind would allow her 6.

They fired in sync mowing down rows of undead Amigo punching through lines of zombies at a time. The Red Queen cutting down rows down in ablaze of fire and molten metal she emptied Amigo and looked over to Trouble as he emptied the last few rounds of The Red Queen with a distinctive click sound it dropped he dropped her magazine.

Dawn did the same through her blurred vision.

She turned to run once more with Trouble.  She tried but her lungs were filled with napalm her head banging, her hooves exhausted.

 All she could manage to do was stumble and fall over exerted. She could feel those undead bastards breathing down her neck she cried for help

 “TROUBLE!!! HELP!!!” she was pleading. Her lungs dying for air. A legion from the bowels of hell craving for her flesh. She was going to be cannibalised shredded. Trouble stopped his stride and charged back over to Dawn normal rounds were back in the queen now, transparent and gray magazine.

He fired into the horde once more thinning their seemingly endless ranks he yanked out a syringe from some unseen place inside his duster and stabbed Dawn in the heart with it. She let out a gasp and he injected its contents into her blood stream.

He grabbed her and began to drag her along by the hoof. Firing into the horde this whole time. When the Queen’s song ended. Trouble broke into a sprint helping Dawn unto her hooves.

She could breath again her vision cleared she felt like she had just woke up from a 11 hour sleep. Completely recharged she began to sprint faster her head cleared she changed Amigo’s spent magazine and unholstered Bad News. She spun it behind her back with magic and fired.

Cutting through the horde with straight lines of molten high velocity lead. The horde though was gaining on them. They ran for another 100 yards the road back to it’s usual windy and snaking pattern. Trouble never had an opportunity to change his magazine. And Neither did Dawn.

 A determined zombie broke ranks from the horde and pounced Dawn with imposiible speed. She hit the ground with a tumble she lost all focus Bad News wildly bounced around Trouble stopped once more.

The zombie had Dawn pinned it forced its nuzzle in to her neck trying to take a bite. Lifeless eyes staring a hole into her soul. She wouldn’t wish this fate on any pony she swung out Amigo and blasted the zombie’s  jaw off covering her with rotted tooth powder and dried up gum flesh.

 She would have puked again if her stomach had anything more to puke and she attempted to crawl out but was pinned once more she couldn’t reload Bad News like this, another 2 blasts from the 8 Amigo had to offer sent another one flying. 5 more shots left with Amigo then the painful reload.

The Red Queen was back in action regular rounds though, but they were still brutally effective. Trouble fired from the hip spraying into them, giving Dawn breathing space for 3 seconds. She fired into the horde once more it dispersed splintering in an un coordinated encircling manoeuvre towards Trouble he was seen as more of a threat in their collective mind.

The Queen was out of kill juice  after mowing down another 50 or more undead.

 They swarmed Trouble before he had time to reload, descending upon him he swung the Red Queen onto his back and swapped her out for his two revolvers and let out a battle cry.

 Dawn reloaded. Everything was still clear as day, everything made sense whatever he injected her with was good. It stimulated her senses she could work out the finer details of the mountains that funnelled them completely without effort, aiming was hell of a lot easier and her thought processes had accelerated immensely plus time seemed slower than it had before like S.A.T.S but not as effective.

Trouble was blasting them with his revolvers but the rounds were quickly depleted those that got to close he debilitated with a sweeping blow to the head from the hard metal of the revolvers. Dawn was firing at none in particular just trying to help Trouble. She was slowly pacing away trying to keep some breathin space. More than 50 were encircling him and Dawn was left out of the onslaught. They ghouls had their mark and wouldn’t be satisfied until he was dinner.

Trouble had to reload he broke through their ranks taking many swipes scarpering off his armor and ripping his duster.

He swept his revolvers back into their resting place and whipped out his combat knife and axe.

One rose to pounce him he buried the axe into its temple walking backwards on his hind hooves. Dawn was sprinting ahead, she was too low on ammo to get in that sort of combat. 5 broke from the main group to kill her she blasted them with Amigo scoring headshots on 4 with the syringe’s game changing effects.

 When Amigo went click It was the most depressing noise in the world. A puppy getting stomped on would be happier. Her head was on tight though.  She quickly dodged the zombie’s lunge it went passed her. She swept up its rear and struck Amigo on the back of its head making a whipping sound another one from behind pounced her and pinned her.

Trouble was enwrapped in his own massive battle.

 A flurry of swipes and hacks from his melee weapons in graceful movements never staying in the same place for more than one second his blows sending decomposed flesh streaking across the ground and tearing through legiments and tired old muscles.

Dawn was fucked. The zombie was towering over her snapping its jaws in anticipation. She forced away its face with her hooves but it had an unnaturally strong neck. It was inching closer snapping wildly century old saliva trickling from its mouth she couldn’t force it off.

Trouble was taking hits they were bucking and swinging at him he was slowing the blade flurry. The run had taken too much out of him and there were simply too many. Still more than 40 he didn’t have time to administer the same shot he gave Dawn which would have made him twice as deadly.

Dawn mustered some concentration from the drug and it’s empowering effects. It was nothing short of divine intervention. More than one zombie was attacking her she wrapped Bad News in her magical field and bounced the stock hard off the zombie’s head the back of it’s skull broke up with a squishy noise and some foul liquid oozed out.

Two more spotted Dawn recovering. They ravenously galloped from the group around Trouble and ran towards her. She took aim and squeezed a dull click resonated from the rifle she forgot to reload. whoopty-fucking-doo.

Click, her heart sank. Trouble was stumbling they landed too many hits, he couldn’t keep it up much longer. He was covered in head to hoof in brown matter the blood had long dried from these corpses.

 Dawn took a hit she was in a grapple, a zombie forcing himself upon her when a faint “Tak” noise was heard. The zombie collapsed a series of “Taks” followed

“Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak- Tak” a small group of zombies fell infront of Trouble. Giving him space.

Dawn turned to face the direction these shots were coming from A silver unicorn mare with a silver mane and soft gray eyes was standing 40 paces behind Dawn.

Levitating a small silenced rifle with a collapsible stock, the silencer on it was constituted as the barrel about 12 inches in length the receiver and stock too were about together. The same length as the silencer/barrel. It had a short magazine, a laser sight mounted below the barrel and a scope mounted on the top. Giving it a professional feel it was further proof of size doesn’t matter.

The silver unicorn was wearing a brown jacket and waistcoat with brown spurred cowpony boots and a striking brown cowpony hat with a wide brim and a black band around the crown. A feather propping out from the side of its crown and wearing blue ripped and worn jeans.

She threw a bangle of 4 grenades tied together with string into the horde flying over Trouble’s head he seen them and lunged backwards. While he was airborne the grenades went off.

Sending him surging through the air turning the horde into flying hunks of meat and unholy fluids spat through the air a sickly red mist lingering where the horde had been eviscerated.

 Black had been knocked over onto her flank the blast had been severe and she was 30 paces out but Trouble was at the epicentre. There was a large hunk of shrapnel sticking out from Dawn’s chest piece that the armor stopped. Lucky, the wind was knocked out of her but the drug blocked most of the pain out.

Trouble’s duster was singed, smouldering embers at the ends, he wasn’t moving. The mare ran over to him and took of his helmet his eyes were closed she pressed her ear to his mouth to see if he was breathing. She took her head away content and levitated a bottle out from her saddlebags and tipped it gently into Trouble’s mouth.

When she spotted Dawn trying to force herself unto her hooves she galloped over to her and with a sweet voice she said “Easy! I don’t know how you survived that hell but shit! You’re lucky to have met me.”

“Is he alright?” she was still recovering from the blast the drug Trouble induced was beginning to wear off, but she was still riding some of its effects.

“Your friend is fine that’s some goddess damned good armor he’s wearin’ .” the unicorn scanned Black and she gasped when she spotted the hunk of metal sticking out of her chest.

“Oh, fuck is that deep?” she pointed at the shrapnel.

Black shook her head “Stopped at the armor.” The unicorn sighed in relief and helped Dawn up onto her hooves.

“Come on I’m going to need help dragging your friend here somewhere where we can make camp.”

She wrapped Trouble in a telekinetic field and hovered his limp body off the ground and began to walk with it.

“Wait, who are you?” Dawn needed more information than what she was giving her.

“I’m Night Light. I’m a Marizona Ranger.”

Footnote: Level Up.

New Perk: Educated—every time you advance in level you have more skill points to attribute.