We were less then an hour walk from Twilight camp. At least according to Seth who looked like he's on the verge of passing out any moment now. It was night already and everything was dark, but the moon has yet to illuminate everything in his full glory that represented Luna's smile in every foal-tale or legend.

Rose tried to convince me she could walk, but I insisted to haul her until we reach Twilight Camp. Even if she could walk and she clearly couldn't; I felt her stomach grumble every few second and her body was shaking out of weakness. She haven't ate for almost three days now. Besides, I just wanted to be close to her and because her body radiated warmth that was nice and calming, mostly of her being Rose...

After a while she accepted the fact she won't got off me until we reach the camp, so she hugged my neck and nuzzled my mane. Now I know why Custard and Shrapnel are always doing that; It's so much better when it's your better half doing that. She began to rub her face against the back of my neck to warm me up.

After a while Rose's body became alot calmer, Her hooves stopped holding onto my neck and she went limp against my back. At first I was worried, but after looking behined me I saw Rose was smiling at me. She trusted me that I won't let her fall as her body tried to catch some sleep. I was happy she was about to sleep again; We had a bit of a road ahead and I just loved the feeling of her breathing on my mane and neck.

"How're you doing Gunner?" Shrapnel asked quitely. I noticed that Custard weren't beside him but ontop of him, sleeping.

My first and only guess was that Custard got tired and Shrapnel's solution was to haul her just like I'm doing with Rose. So now me and Shrapnel hauled Custard and Rose... Custard was sleeping on Shrapnel and Rose was sleeping on me.

"I'm fine. Figured Rose needed some rest for her hooves" I chuckled.

"Yeah... Custard's very tired of all of this crap, so she needed some sleep too" he said with a little grin "Sooo, how'd you think Twilight camp'll be? you think it's any good?"

I really didn't knew how it'll be, so I replied what I thought.

"I really don't know, but it is our best shot to spare Rose and Custard from this wasteland, and hopefully you and me", he looked at me with an understanding face, as much as I could see his face in the darkness.

After walking in the darkening deserts Shrapnel started to search something in his PipBuck, sighing in frustration after he seemingly didn't found what he was after.

"Those fucking PipBucks aren't equipped with a light or something?!" Shrapnel said, more complaining then acutally asking me.

"Yes! It's a new feature called a 'Flashlight' Shrapnel... Oh, look what a surprise! It's activated by the big button called 'Flashlight' on your PipBuck!" I mocked him with an overly sarcastic voice, he usualy slept in PipBuck operating class at stable 154... He pressed the falshlight button right after I pressed it on my own PipBuck and he smiled an unamused smile.

"I know you're thinking 'bout the PipBuck classes back at 154, I can see it on your big ugly face Shitface" he said with a sarcastic smile.

"Look who's talking" I said with a grin.

"We're here kiddo" Seth suddenly stopped on the top of a hill and said without even looking at us, we walked up the hill he stood on and we saw Twilight camp. A large compound sorrunded by improvised barricade-wall-thing made out of old pieces of metal and wood. The compound was about seven hundred meters in diameter and it was a poor-shaped circle. Some old and mostly improvised buildings between the compound's walls decorated the inside. We could see some campfires in some places and some cabins inside used their chimneys. Armed guards were patroling on the improvised wall-like barricade.

Seth Shadow started walking toward the improvised giant gate that was facing us. I gulped and quickly thought that this camp may not be a very nice place to stay. But it was too late to return the stable, or really anywhere infact.

"Barrel! Deadmeat!" Seth Shadow shouted as he slowly advanced towards the giant door.

"I'll be damned... It's Seth!" One of the guards on duty said in a surprised and happy voice. He sounded a bit off, like he wasn't the pony I would choose to travel with or even sleep next door to.

"Holy fuck! I thought we fucking lost you!" Another stallion said, but from inside the camp, his voice was wierd somehow, but I just couldn't put my hoof on it.

"Not so easily" Seth Shadow joked.

"Stay clear!" A guard ontop of the gate said as he was doing something that looked like operating a terminal, the gate started to open upwards as a loud sound made Rose panic and grab my mane hard like she was about to fall from the sudden noise.

"Ro-Rose! that's my mane!" I cried out and tried to be heard beyoned the ear-fucking sound that the was coming from the gate, the guards and Seth Shadow didn't even flinched while me and my companions fought to stay consiousness from the Goddesses-loud ass-blasting noise that was sounding from the gate.

When the gate finaly opened after twenty seconds, that passed like years for me, I panted in relief and my ears rang in such way that I thought was the end of my hearing sense. My head banged like it was being hammered non-stop.

A green colored guard walked towards me and my three suffering companions as he smiled at us. I tried to talk but even standing was a challenge when your ears are about to fall off and run away.

Rose tried to tell me something, but when I turned around I saw that the tips of her hooves were covered in blood! The guard sticked a syringe into my side that made me scream my whole vocabulary of swears, but of course I didn't heard it. After a couple of seconds everything was alot better and my ears stopped ringing, I could stand without the sudden feeling of falling over and my head didn't hurted like hundreds upon hundreds of hangovers.

The guard injected every single one of us, and after a few seconds of confusion, he said in a calm and reassuring voice. "I'm very sorry about that, some asshole kept the ear-alarm on, those syringes are used to reduce the after-effects of it, I'm Barrel by the way" the green stallion said as he looked at us with his light purple eyes.

"Thank you, what the hell was that anyways?" I said as I shoved a hoof into my ear, feeling blood coming down from it.

"Like I said, an ear-alarm. Everypony in here has an ear implant that let us stay, well... Rather untouched when it goes off" he turned his ear towards me and showed me a bulge under his ear.

"But somepony inside is going to get a little talk for this bad first impression" He said as he looked with a very angry look at another young stallion behined him, that was smiling a guilty smile at us. He looked much like Barrel, but smaller and had lighter colors...

"Does it have any permanent damage?" I felt the urge to ask.

Barrel laughed a hearty laugh "No, no..but it can be not so lovely to hear. Never heared it in my entire life but as you just witnessed it can't be very fun"

"That's one way to introduce how safe you can be inside" Rose said with a lady-like tone as she scratched her ear out of pain, still ontop of my back and still holding my mane not-so-gently.

"Anyway, I guess you would want to get inside. We would love to assist you" Barrel said with a smile.

"Thank you, we're here to talk with Storm" I said.

Barrel's face suddenly turned a touched surprised and he backed away a step "Wh-why?"

"Well, we want to talk to him about staying here: we need a place to stay after all" Shrapnel replied before I could say anything.

Barrel's face turned smiling again as he heard that we're planning on staying, he sure looked like he was happy to help travelers in need "If so I won't disturb you. But some guards will accompany you, for safety measures only".

We entered inside Twilight Camp, we walked between the improvised cabin-like shelters inside the camp and got alot of attention from the natives. They looked a bit neglected, but they seemed surprisingly happy.

Some foals looked at us wierd, probably because Rose was still on my back. Two guards came out of a door that was connected with a small corridor to the inside of the improvised wall, probably a stair-case that's leading upwards to the top of the wall.

"This way please" one said, I quickly noticed that all of the guards had similliar outfits, and a weird three gears crossed by a horn with wings symbol were printed everywhere on their equipment and weapons, probably representing that they were guard's property.

The camp was pretty organized, ponies were walking around in their own business but all of them, with not exception, stopped to look at us and trade whispers.

After reaching to the middle of the town, we stopped infront of a large stone-brick bulding, the impressive part was that it looked like it was a real building even before the war, but it was poorly repaired with scarp in someplaces.

"Inside please" the other guard said, I noticed that they were wearing an army ballistic helmet, and their armor was a kevlar-vest with army-fatigue looking cloths, did they built this whole town from the ground up? everything was made out of scrap and improvised building job except the equipment and the building infront of us...

Whoever they were, they really know their stuff when it comes down to buildings. As we walked inside the doors I tried to signal Rose that she can get off of me, but she was probably scared to move away from me and I can't blame her, everything felt really off and I didn't knew why...

The giant building's doors swinged open slowly,  we entered inside to the very decorated hallway, a red carpet was covering the wooden floor and some old pictures were hanged on the walls and the entire room was lit by candles, and a small familiar-looking door was down the hall.

"He's waiting for you. Make it quick, he's a very busy individual" the first guard said as he entered a code into a terminal mounted on the wall next to the door.

"Thanks. We will" Custard said, she was walking on her own, but Rose was still on my back.

"Rose, you can get off me now" I whispered over my shoulder.

"I-I don't feel very well" Rose replied in a sick voice, I really started to worry about her condition...

"Hang in there, we'll find some food in here I'm sure" I tried to comfort her as we waited for the doors to open.

When the guard finished entering what seemed like a hundred-letters long code, I realized why the door was so familliar: after looking closer at the door I noticed it had Stable-Tec's logo on it! the door finally sounded an unlocking voice and it opened just like a door in Stable 154! but I had no time to wonder why or how a Stable-Tec door was outside of a Stable..hell...in here!

Inside the room was a light-blue Earth pony stallion, he had a black mane with a white stripe on the tip of his mane, he wore a formal suit and he held a coffee mug in one hoof, sitting behined a desk. The room looked like an office, it had everything that an office need.

There were bookshelves covering the walls and the stallion's desk was messy and filled with papers and a terminal was resting next to him, it looked similliar to the Security elder's office back at Stable 154 but everything had the three gears symbol that the guards are bearing.

At this moment my mind was sure that everything was just a bad dream, everything looked like Stable 154. It felt more like a nightmare then real life, but I played along anyways: If it's a nightmare I will wake up eventually in the stable to another boring day and find Caliber, the elder, my co-workers back in SM... They're all still alive. Rose's still the Overmare. Custard and Shrapnel are still nuzzling each other whenever they can...[Well some things can't change]... I was snapped out of my dreaming cloud to the light blue stallion's voice.

"Please have a seat" he insisted as he took a swig from his coffee mug.

Shrapnel and Custard sat down on the chairs infront of the desk, I stood behined them with Rose still on my back.

"Why won't you take a seat mate? You look like shite, no offense" The stallion said, his accent weird and very heavy. It reminded a bit Rose's accent but not quite the same.

"My friend here... She isn't feeling very well" I said as I turned around to show him Rose, but I tried to hide my wings for some stupid reason.

"Well then. You sure are a gentlestallion. So why you lads need my help?" He asked with an interested tone and a raised eyebrow.

"I... Well... Gunner here have this stupid idea" Shrapnel said before I could say anything.

"Perhaps, let's hear it shall we?" The light-blue stallion asked with the same interested voice.

"I wan't to help you with your raider problem, and a place for my three companions and me in return"

"Celestia be damned you're one of a kind aren't you?" He whispered to himself with a very deep tone, like he saw Luna herself infront of him.

"What do you mean 'one of a kind'?" I replied out of curiosity.

"Are you out of your damned mind mate? They'll tear you apart the second they'll see you!.." he retorted.

"Maybe, but I helped Seth Shadow. He was being hunted by five of them, and I killed four of them without getting even scratched!" I raised my voice.

"What about the fifth?" He asked with an overly irreverent tone.

"Seth Shadow killed him" I replied "After I got the four others off of his tail" I added confidently.

"I see... What makes you think y'can take all of them out? You look terrible and your friends are in no shape to travel with you, how are you going to do it?" his voice and way of him answering hinted me that he was out of options already.

"Alone, like I planned to do it" I said.

"Gunner. We talked about it already! You aren't going alone!" Shrapnel hissed at me.

"I'm going alone and you can't do anything against it!" I hissed back at Shrapnel.

"Oi, I'll have to agree with your friends boy... Y'can't kill four hundred armed raiders. You fought against four not prepeared raiders, their compund is well barricaded and they're all well-armed. They'll shoot you down before you know what hit you" He stopped to take a long sip from his mug "What makes you think y'can do that?" The light-blue stallion said, his bright yellow eyes looking straight at me, taking another long sip.

"Because" I said weakly "I'm a pegasus" I said louder and streched my wings upwards.

His eyes widened in surprise and he sparyed coffee from his nose all over his desk. "You're a fucking pegasus?!" He shouted as he coughed coffee out of his mouth.

"Umm... Yeah? Have you... You never saw a pegasus before?" I replied, shocked from his reaction.

"Luna fuck me sideways with her glowing horn! I thought the pegasi down here were extinct!" he coughed more coffee.

I looked at Shrapnel and Custard with an even more shocked face then the one before "Umm, no. We're from stable 154...there were three hundred or so pegasi" His eye were on the verge of poping out of their holes.

"You say what now mate?!" he shouted even louder now, I didn't knew what to say at this point.

"I'm a pegasus too sir" Shrapnel stood up and raised his wings upwards to let the light-blue stallion see them, he was about to pass out in any moment now.

"And there were--" Custard started

"Don't tell me you are a fucking pegasus too! What kind of a sick joke is it?" The light-blue stallion stopped Custard before she could say anything.

"N-no, we're the only survivors from stable 154. They're the only two pegasi left from there" Custard finished her sentence.

"Huh... I thought I was the only one" He mumbled under his breath, but loud enough for us to hear.

"The only one what sir?" Shrapnel asked

"I was a pegasus" He said weakly, we all looked at him shocked...

WAS?!?!?!?!

My mind insisted that I'll get answers for that, but I was busy with understanding that if he's a pegasus... Why was he so surprised?

"What do you mean 'I was' sir?" Shrapnel echoed my own thoughts.

He stood up and walked around his desk, he started to take his suit off slowly, the suit fell to the ground and we were stunned by the sight; His left wing was twisted in such way that looked painful to even think about... His right wing was a bit injured but still looked functional, did he lost his ability to fly?..

"Oh goddesses..." Rose whispered in shock.

"What happened to you?" My mind said instead of me.

"Those raiders killed my familliy a few years ago and fucked my wings up. I was from Stable 155" his voice was weak and sad.

"155?! A pegasus from Stable 155?" I shouted in shock, Custard and Shrapnel were looking at me like I fell from the moon.

"What's wrong Gunner?" Custard asked.

"Back at 154... Those mercs... One of them had a list with stable 154 and 155 marked off, they're the same ones that attacked our Stable sir!"

"Please, call me Storm mate. And despite my weird-looking wings I can still fly, barely" he said with a more cheered up tone.

"Wait, if you're a Stable dweller. Where's your PipBuck?" Shrapnel asked suspiciously, not buying his life story.

"You mean this piece of junk?" he said as he raised a hoof from the ground, the suit that was covering most of his leg fell off to the ground and his PipBuck was visible, Shrapnel had a believing expression after that.

"Wait a second there Storm. I think I can help with your wing somehow" I said, not sounding as confident as I felt.

"You helped me alot already mate, I've just witnessed that I'm not the only pegasus in this shitehole"

"And you'll be able to fly, hopefully" I said and looked at his now super-happy expression.

I sorted out a healing-potion I scavenged from Medical, and gave Storm the bottle.

"It's years now since I saw one of this bottles" He said a touched nostalgic as he opened the bottle and started drinking the contents, after a few swigs his right wing looked good as new, his left wing wasn't twisted anymore but still looked pretty bad.

"Celestia fuck my arse with her hooves. Thank you!" Storm squeaked out of his muzzle in happinesss, he was checking out his wings and flapped them all over the room like a little colt.

"No problem, but now when I'm suddenly a pegasus..." I said with a sarcastic voice.

"I really dunno mate... You really think y'can take on hundreds upon hundred of them twats?" Storm asked, still happy about his wings and still flapping them everywhere.

"I guess I can try" I said.

"Gunner. You ain't going anywhere!" Rose tried to say, but she was so weak that I could poke her with a hoof and she'll fall down.

"Rose. you're in no shape to do anything against it" I said simply.

"I can still do this..." Rose whispered as she repositioned herself on my back and started to tickle my neck.

"What are you doi--" I tried to say as I realized what was happening, I bursted out laughing and Rose continued tickeling me with her other forehoof.

"Fuh-fine! I'm not going anywha-anywhere!--" I said between laughs.

"What? Speak up Gunner! I can't hear you over your laughs!" Rose said with a very amused voice.

"Fine! I surrender!" I shouted out with a laugh so she could hear me.

"You surrender and what?..." Rose said, not stopping to tickle me even for a second.

"I surr-surrender and I won't go no-nowhe-he-her!" I tried to say, but I had no more air inside my lungs to do anything other then cough my words.

"I'm not sure I'm convinced" Rose continued with a sarcastic and even more amused voice.

"Alright that's enough, Celestia's mercy I think he rather say hello to the raiders" Storm stopped Rose before she could tickle me to death.

"Oww" Rose said in a grumpy voice "I haven't even started to have fun!"

"Good luck boy: You'll need this" Storm said with a wink "Guess it's late already, would you want to stay here for the night?" Storm asked.

"Yes, sounds good!" Rose said, sounding better after her tickle-attack.

"Well then, It's the least I can do for you after helping my wings out, the guards will show you your new home" Storm said.

We followed the guards to an improvised wooden cabin, it seemed pretty nice but not so well-cleaned, but I was so tired that even a pile of nails would be more then welcomed, we walked inside and each one of us took his own area, it was a small cabin, three rooms in total and a fire place in every room, I insisted to give Custard and Shrapnel the larger bedroom, but they both insisted on that me and Rose could use it more.

I placed Rose on the bed and my back felt naked after I hauled her for half a day, I closed the door and lit up the fire place and took a pillow so sleeping on the ground will feel somewhat comfortable, and I used some extra blankets to make me a little makeshift mattress.

"And what're you doing there Gunner?" Rose asked with a sleepy voice.

"Making myself a small place to sleep?" I said and showed Rose the place I organized on the ground.

"I can see that, but I think that the night will be cold in here, the fire's nice... But can you sleep with me tonight?" Rose asked with a sheepy tone.

"Yeah, just lemme take my battle saddle off of me" I said as I unlocked the safety mechanisem on the battle saddle. Not realizing Rose's hint about sleeping with her.

After I got the battle saddle off of me and set it aside, I gave Rose the extra blanket I used in my makeshift bed plus the Stable blanket, I took my half of the bed and prepared it for the night, it was more of one fourth of the bed then a half, but I just wanted to give Rose some space.

"Gunner?" Rose asked, sounding very tired.

"Yes Rose?" I answered as I sat down on my haunches on my side of the bed.

"Thank you" She said simply.

"For?... For what?" I was confused.

"Everything... You're ready to do anything for Custard, Shrapnel... Me..." her voice was sad.

"Haven't we talked about that already? I explained that I won't lose you... Never..." I countered a touched annoyed, can she please stop thanking me? she would've done the same if it was opposite!..

"But it isn't obvious Gunner! I can't think of one other pony that would care for us so much "

"Rose, just get some rest now... You had a long day.." I tried to change the conversation topic.

"If somepony in this place had a long day, it's you Gunner" Rose said like she was about to do something.

"Not this aga--Mpfff!" Rose stopped me with a kiss, I was a bit surprised for a moment, but she already surprised-kissed me like that once, In the Stable. I quickly gave in the kiss myself.

"This is a 'Thank you' gift" Rose said quickly after parting lips. She motioned me to get closer, I did so and tried to figure out what she was planning.

"And this" Her horn was glowing bright red and she kissed me again. After a few seconds she backed off.

"This is because I love you" her glow wrapped around my body as she tried to pull me closer to her, but she was currently so weak that I barely even moved.

"Don't exhaust yourself Rosey" I replied to her failing attempts to levitate me closer. I schooched over beside her, the telekinetic glow broke and she panted heavily.

"Gunner? Have you, well... Ever... Had sex with another mare?" Rose asked with a very embarrassed tone, a slight blush was visible on her face.

"No, I didn't knew any nice mares inside the Stable" I said "Well. With the exception of you and Custard of course" I quickly added.

Rose blushed even more and looked away from me. She was still shaking but looked better in general, I just hugged her and nuzzled her mane.

"Niether do I. There were alot of options inside the Stable. But I just never felt that connection to another stallion my mom told me I would feel" she said with an even more embarrassed voice.

"Don't be ashamed of that! You'll feel that connection someday. To a stallion... Or a mare" I said, my heart flinched a bit... She never was interested in Stallions actually... She eyed a few mares in the Stable, but never stallions...

Luna damn it!... You'll fall in love with her like that, you'll tear yourself apart the second she gets hurt!! my mind screamed at me.

I loved her and she knew it. She used it against me inside the stable. But I can't just give up on my love to her just because I would pick her instead of other helpless pony.

Can I?... In any situation... If she tells me to not pick her over Shrapnel or Custard, will I still choose her over them? Just because I feel something for her and she dosen't even sure if she feels the same for me?

"I think I did felt it" she said and her red eyes looked at me from behined her mane that slightly covered her face, a little smile was visible on her muzzle and she was blushing even more now.

"How'd it felt like? The connection?" I asked, starting to realize how wrong I was when I thought she didn't felt the same for me.

"It was the best feeling in the world back then, but being next to him is so much better" she said and leaned her head against my shoulder, rubbing my side slowly with her cheek and chin. This hint was so kitsch that it was obvious what she was trying to say.

"We better catch some sleep" I said after Rose's cheek rubbed against me for several minutes.

"Actually, I have a better idea..." Rose said with a smile. Something on her face told me that she's about to have sex for the first time, and apperantly the first time for me aswell.

Rose kissed me and began to sit up, I didn't moved because I had no clue what was her plan.

"Stand up" Rose said, I did so as soon as she said it.

"Now let me get into position" Rose added.

She walked around me and stood infront of me with her back side towards me. My nethers started to heat up and something down there began to throb a little and my wings flared up to yet another embarresing wingboner. I looked at her rear and my jaw dropped as I couldn't move. My whole body heated up and my face blushed like never before, a wierd scent radiated off of her... A very alluring and magentizing scent.

"Step forward Gunner" Rose said as she looked over her shoulder and back at me, her muzzle broke into a little smile.

"Bu-but how? You're in the way" I mumbled, still having no control over my body.

"Just mount me and place your forehooves on my sides so you won't fall over" She said it like it was supposed to be obvious to a pegasus who have never done it before, hell... I never thought I would do that! I was taught about how foals are made in Sex-Ed back at stable 154. But Stables aren't really prepearing you with stuff beyond how it is working, and if the other stallions in my class were as horny as I was at the time, we all wanted to know what is the best position and what turns the mare on and lewd things young stallions think of.

I got on my hindlegs and placed my forehooves on her lower back, next to her rump. her horn glew and her telekinetic wrapped around my slightly throbbing nethers, I backed off from the deja-vu I had. It reminded me the drug Rose used on me, the feeling scared me and triggered alot of not fun emotions.

"Is everything alright?... Did I do something wrong?.." Rose said, realizing something wasn't right.

"No-no, everything's fine... It just... Reminded me the drug effect" I stammered.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Gunner" She turned around and saw me shaking, the trauma that the drug left me with was still fresh in my mind.

"It's fine. Let's just go to sleep" I succeded saying, I was on the verge of collapsing from the stress that built up inside me from the past few days, I saw my friends in the stable die, I killed ponies! I fucking killed living and breathing things!

Everything was throwing itself on me at once, things that didn't really seemed off at the moment it happened, but the similliar drug feeling just made me feel so depressed that I just wanted to wake up in my bed back at Stable 154, to realize it was all a bad dream.

Rose looked at me with a guilty face, she was thinking about something.

"Rose, it's not your fault" I whispered. Knowing that she thought about that it's her fault.

"No! I have ruined something that supposed to be fun for a pony, how can you say such thing?" Rose said aggresivly, she demanded an answer.

"I know that if you could undo that, you'd sacrifice everything so you wouldn't inject me with that drug in the first place. But what was done can't be un-done, and I can't blame you for not knowing the consequences".

Rose opened her muzzle to protest but I quickly stopped her and added "...And even if you knew it would end like that, I can see that you suffer alot more then I do, I'm not under the drug effect anymore, it faded three days ago, but you still carry the guilt with you...mental damage is worst then any physical one"

Rose just looked at me and said nothing, tears were forming in her eyes. I hugged her as she cried into my mane.

"Thank you Gunner, but how can you just forgive me like that? I really don't get it, I want to believe you that everything is fine... But look at you! I've just ruined your first time! It can lead to other worst traumas from that!" Rose said weakly, tears streaming down from her eyes and her muzzle was shaking.

"You're truly sorry for what you did, right?" I asked, waiting for an answer so I could continue.

"Yes.." Rose whimpered.

"Then I can't be mad at you, holding a grudge'll hurt me more then accepting what happened. If I'll live in the past how can I do anything now? Or in the future?.." I said and embraced her.

"If you want to sleep on the bed instead of me.." Rose began saying.

"You said something about a cold night didn't you?" I asked, clearly knowing that the night won't be that cold inside here.

"Yes... But.." Rose mumbled.

"So I'll sleep on the ground tonight" I insisted and placed my pillow on the makeshift bed.

"Gunner..." Rose said in a warm voice.

"Yep?" I quickly replied.

"Can you... Please sleep with me tonight? If you don't want to you can say no" She closed her eyes as expecting to hear a 'no'.

I said nothing as I took a pillow off the ground and gently placed it next to Rose's head, I got on the bed and pulled a blanket from my makeshift bed, I gave the blanket to Rose and used my dirty and sweaty barding as a little blanket for myself.

"Here... Take a real blanket" Rose said as she offered me one of her three blankets with her telekinetic.

"I'm fine Rosey. Besides, you'll need it more" I said half sarcasticly.

Rose scooched closer to me, I put a hoof over her body and her head leaned against my chest, her body was warm and her breathing was slow and calming, she quickly fell asleep in my embrace. I looked down at Rose sleeping, she looked so peacefull and her cute face made me feel better.

After watching at Rose sleeping for a while I tried to catch some eye-shut myself, and I did managed to fall asleep not so long after, after all the last day was mainly me and my three companions walking around.

I woke up after a dreamless night, I raised my left hoof closer to me to mute my PipBuck alarm out of instinct, but there wasn't any alarm, nothing... Everything was quite.

Rose was still sleeping, and still in my embrace. Her breathing was slow and consistent..I didn't want to wake her up so I just let her sleep as I stayed in place, not moving at all.

I heard sounds coming from the other room in the cabin, Custard's and Shrapnel's room..it sounded like... Oh, the goddesses help them!... Are they really having sex? And this time they were louder then ever... I sighed like I just woke up and they stopped, well... Stopped being loud at least... Rose started to move and I realized that I woke her up. I felt a bit bad for waking her up, but I really didn't want to hear Custard's and Shrapnel's intercourse...

"Good morning Gunner" Rose said with a sleepy voice.

"Good morning" I replied hoarsely.

Rose sat up as she looked around with a yawn, I stretched out and got off the bed, I remembered that Rose haven't ate for three days now, she most be starving...

"Ehmm... Rose?" I asked as I put my barding on me.

"Yes Gunner?" Rose said, turning around towards me with her deep-red eyes and making me forget momenterily what I was about to do.

"I-I just... I'm going outside to get some food for us... A-an-any special requests?" I stammered. Her eyes were looking straight at me and I suddenly blushed and looked down.

Rose snickered "No Gunner. As long as it is edible though" she said with a giggle.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in no-time." I said as I opened the door with a hoof, entering the main room. It had a fire place in the middle, three old and dirty mattresses were lying around it in a circle. The cabin had a little dining table that saw better days, and some pillow-seats thingys next to it, I never saw anything like it before... But it sure looked nice.

I walked to Shrapnel's and Custard's room to see if they want anything, but as I opened the door I quickly regreted my decision, they were in the middle of their... Whatever they did...

"Whoa what the?!.." I panicked as I saw them both in a not so normal positions.

Did they?... They were both just... I just closed my eyes shut and turned around in shame and surprise [more of a 'What in the living fuck I just saw?' then a 'Surprise']. Rose appearntly heard me panicking and ran to see what's wrong, but quickly realized that she made a huge mistake.

"Guys? What in Celestia's name are you doing?!" Rose said as she kept looking at them. They both looked at her and didn't even moved from their positions, they were each with their head buried in the crotch of the other...

"You guys should really try this out, Custard read that it's called 'Oral sex'. Luna's hot moon-tail this is fun!" Shrapnel said, he's clearly drunk, so was Custard...

"Are you? Are you drunk Shrapnel?!" Rose raised her voice in a mother-ish tone, echoing my own thoughts, but my mind was busy figuring out how, what and when they drank so much to think this is somehow natural or 'fun'...

"Stop worrying... It's simple... You see? The mare's using her tongue and mouth on the stallion's.." Shrapnel said in a very drunk voice as Rose stopped him with an annoyed groan.

"What?! First of all get off each other and Custard, stop licking Shrapnel's..." Rose stopped for a moment and looked like she was about to throw up "Celestia's mercy when did you guys got so drunk?! Sorry... Why did you guys got so drunk?!"

"'Cuz thiz life sucks balls, all oft our fwiends are ded, plas we are in this fuhcked-up wasteland, drinking iz much better!" Shrapnel replied drunkenly.

I saw him broken in the past, hurt, left out and what not... But this? This wasn't Shrapnel!... I knew that Shrapnel would never quit, no matter how much it hurts! He was there for me when I was broken after I messed up something at Stable 154, it didn't ended up well for four other ponies, and I could deny this in time, I was thinking about giving up about trying so hard to be succesfull and never actually being succesfull, but Shrapnel was there for me... He always had, so it's not questionable that I will help him too.

"Shrapnel. Get up and wear something. Custard, go with Rose and find somewhere to clean up, you're all sweaty and what not.." I quickly took command on the situation.

"I'm going to get some food for us, when I'm back I want to see you up and dressed Shrapnel. After we all eat breakfast and you guys are sober again, I want to talk about this place, I won't say anything beyond that at the moment, understood?" both Shrapnel and Custard nodded with a drunk expression.

I bucked open the main door to the cold morning air. I was angry on Shrapnel. Did he actually wanted to quit?... He never quit before! I walked around and tried to find a place to get food. I tried to find a cafeteria or something around, but there was only a store named 'Eat Up!' in the middle of the camp [more of a large compound], so I guessed it'll be a good place to start looking for food.

I entered the small mostly wood-improvised building and noticed that it was pretty new compared to the other building in the camp, there was an orange earth pony standing behined a little reception desk, a closed wooden door that had the sign 'Storage' on it was behined him. And a yellow unicorn was talking with him, it sounded like they were bartering.

"Com'on Cleaver! It's least fifteen Caps! It's even fresh... Kinda..." The yellow unicorn barterd.

"No way Grip, I don't care how fresh is it. Ten Caps or no business!" The orange earth pony said, his accent reminded Storm's and Rose's, but lighter then Storm's and heavier then Rose's

"It's a fucking Can'O'Ham that was in extreme cold condition! Straight outta ponyville! I scavenged it myself from the goddess damned bandit area!.." Grip, the yellow unicorn said. Trying to barter while his horn was glowing bright yellow and a silver can floated next to him. "...It's fucking rare to find in this part of Equestria, and ya fucking know it Cleaver!" Grip added.

"I don't give a flying fock about it even if Seth's imaginary pegasus will enter this very store!" The orange earth pony knocked angrily on his reception desk to drive home the point.

"There's no request for meat in here, and nopony will buy it because nopony'll focking eat it! We're ponies for Celestia's sake! If we were those raider-focks... Maybe you will have better luck with them mate, as their food..." Cleaver, apperantly the name of the orange earth pony, replied with a hiss.

"Umm... Hello?" I said weakly, Grip and Cleaver looked at me and realized I was here all along, listening to their little conversation.

"Hello there lad! Welcome! To 'Eat Up!' The best food store in Twilight Camp!" Cleaver said as he walked around his reception desk and slowly walked towards me, greeting me.

"..The 'best' and only..." Grip whispered under his breath.

"Do you mind? Don't make our little guest feel uncomfortable just beause you had a rough day!" Cleaver said, his accent sounded suddenly more apparent as he rolled his R's. "What's your name by the way?" He asked politely, looking embarresed that he almost forgot to ask.

"Name's Gunner. I'm here from yesterday's evening" I answered slowly.

"Welcome to Twilight Camp Gunner! I hope you'll have a great stay with us, but you aren't here to chit-chat are you?" Cleaver quickly said, visibly excited to see new faces around.

"Anywho. Before ya suck his whole ass outta his torso, what about the deal?" Grip said, sounding disgusted at Cleaver's greeting. I thought it was nice until the mental image of ass-sucking came into mind...

"I told you already Grip, ten Caps or no deal!" Cleaver raised his voice as he looked behined his shoulder and straight at Grip, he wasn't in a mood to be interrupted while he tried to make a good first impression.

"To hell with ya..." Grip said as he walked outside the store.

Cleaver looked at Grip leaving the store, and after the door closed behined him he started saying "Dont'cha worry about 'em, he'll be back with his tail between his legs in a week. But enough playing around, to business shall we?"

"Um... Yeah... I guess.."

"Now dont'cha worry. We have food for everypony, foals, stallions, mares, elders. As long as you aren't a raider we have what'cha need!" Cleaver exclaimed.

"Oh, but I'm afraid I have no money.." I said, feeling bad for that after he was so nice to me.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem mate! You're new here so I can turn a blind eye on some supplies, after all I can blame it on those Roaches" he said with a wink.

"Thank you, I'll pay you back for that sometime soon" I replied with a thankfull smile.

"Oh no, don't you do that! You'll need the Caps for another thing, ammo or some armor, we got enough food for everypony!" Cleaver said, sounding very confident. I looked at him like he was trying to fool me, or maybe it was Seth trying to shake us off?

"Excuse me? Seth Shadow told me that you are low on food and supplies..." I started. Cleaver's eyes widened as he realized I was onto something.

"Goddesses focking damn him into pieces! he can't say that to everypony he sees! The focker barely got out alive without the help of a nobel pony that saved his sorry arse... Now he ruins business for me!.." Cleaver said, stomping in anger everywhere.

"Oh... Did he mentioned that?" I asked, wanting to know if he said that it was me.

"Yeah! That pegasus of some sort, out of a Celestia dammned Stable! Can you focking believe that?!" he said in excitment, looks like everpony in this camp is happy to hear some good news...

"I guess he didn't mentioned how he looked like..." I said in a sarcastic voice.

"Nope. We didn't believed him until we saw he took this from him when he was asleep.." Cleaver said as he took out my multi-tool from behined his desk.

This fucking thief! He looted my stuff while I was out?! Oh I will have a little talk with him... Maybe that's why he was against us coming here, did he stole anything else from me?!

"My multi-tool? Seth looted it off me when I was unconscious?!" I asked loudly, my wings flared up in anger as Cleaver's eyes widned even more then before.

"Are-are you the motherfocking pegasus that saved him?!" Cleaver asked in disbelief.

"Why yes, it's me... And I want my multi-tool back, but for that I'm not paying!" I demanded.

"Damn... Seth took 150 Caps on that, I can't even opreate it myself! Look, I didn't know that it's yours, but how'd I get my Caps back?" Cleaver asked, wondering about how to get his Caps back from Seth, but I knew that Seth wasn't a weak Unicorn, he killed a raider with two well-placed bucks, so he could kill me if he really wanted to.

"I really don't know, but It's not my business, I'll pay for the food if it helps, but right now I have no way to pay you" I said.

"Alright, guess that Seth will have them and I hope he'll choke with them..." Cleaver replied, sounding pissed.

"Can I ask what's that?" my muzzle took control and spat out as I saw what Cleaver considred 'food'.

"Yep, oatmeal sack... About five meals, canned fruits... About three meals, and three bottles of water, supposed to be clean enough to not get yourself sick.." Cleaver explained with a sigh.

"Thank you, how much's that?" I asked.

"Two hundred and fifty Caps. And that's the cost a month ago, when it was acutally common in here. Now it'll be about five hundred for the very least."

My jaw dropped... That wierd meat-can was just ten?! And the can wasn't that big! Five hundred Caps?! And he wants to give it for free?... Well I promised that I'll pay him, and if he lost one hundred and fifty for that snake Seth, the least I could do is to pay the price later on.

"I'll pay as soon as I can.." I said as I put everything in my saddle bag, including my multi-tool... My mind was starting to think about how to get five hundred Caps, and how does Caps even looks like?... Did they called it Caps as a nickname for bits? Or because it looked alot like a bottle cap? Or was it a Cap-like currency?... I really couldn't think about what was it.

"You really don't have to. If somepony in here deserves this food it's you mate!" Cleaver said with another sigh as he opened the storage door behined him and looked inside. His face looked so worried, was it that bad?... This town looks so happy, I really don't want to see that it's all an act...

I walked toward our cabin and saw some foals playing around, I got some funny looks from a couple of mares as they saw my wings, apperantly they looked very cute and they eyed me in a very inviting look..

Gunner... The name Rose is ringing similliar for you?!?! Your new fucking mare-friend?!?! My mind screamed.

I quickly shook my head and concentrated on why I'm here, for my friends, not to cheat on Rose. But even after all Rose looked way better...

I got 'home' with the food to see Custard and Rose sleeping with each other on one of the mattresses next to the crackling fire, cuddling together and a plate-pile was next to them. I was a bit jealous at first but my mind quickly reminded me that Custard was with Shrapnel, and Rose is with me... So why were they sleeping and cuddling?... And where's Shrapnel?...

I slowly walked in the fire's direction, I sat down on my haunches on a mattress and took out some food, I leaned over Rose's head and whispered into her ear "I'm back Rosey... I brought food".

Rose's ears perked to my direction as she woke up, She blinked rapidlly and quickly jumped to hug me, Custard woke up from Rose's sudden movement and because Rose moved the mattresses all over the place.

"Where's Shrapnel?" Rose asked me, I was confused for a second because this was what I was about to ask.

"Umm... What? I thought he was with you guys.." I replied slowly, my mind was thinking Shrapnel's trying to run away.

"He said that you wanted to talk with him about something, in private..." Custard said, her cyan eyes widened in panic as she looked at me with a worried face.

"I... I didn't saw him since earlier, when he was still drunk" I stammered

"He mentioned something about suicide yesterday... I don't want him to die!.." Custard whimpered into Rose's mane.

"He won't die... I'll find him before he can do anything.." I said as I got up and made my way to the door. When I tried to open the door with a hoof, the door swung open in my way and hit my hoof out of the way.

"Ow... What the?.." I said as I held my forehoof in the air in pain as I saw the gray pegasi entering the cabin, he looked exhausted but happy.

Custard was still crying and Rose didn't even noticed that Shrapnel was in the doorway.

"Where the fuck have you been Shrapnel?" I asked him with a hiss and a stomp, I was very angry on him for lying to Custard and Rose, especially after saying something about hurting himself.

"I helped out around the camp, they paid me a hundred and fifty Caps total!.." he said as he took out a rustling cloth bag out of his utility barding with his teeth and showed it to me, smiling.

"You got us worried here, I'm just happy to see you're fine, but next time just tell the truth to Rose and Custard." I said with a relieved tone.

"Ah'm fine, I'f gut us sum Cups afder all" he said with the cloth bag in his teeth, sounding very stupid and barely understandable.

"Now in a native Equestrian speakable language please?" I replied with a chuckle.

Shrapnel spat the cloth bag out of his mouth and said "I'm fine, I've got us some Caps after all... Shitface.." he said with a smile.

"Can't believe I actually worried for you.." I said sarcasticly.

Shrapnel laughed in a response, Custard's head jumped up as she quickly ran to his direction and jumped ontop of him, making him drop on his back as she hugged and kissed him. Rose slowly walked to my side and looked on the two kissing and hugging. They were kissing for a minute or two and I started to think that Shrapnel passed out...

"Is he alright? Don't they need to breathe?.." I asked Rose, and got an eye-roll and a snicker back from her.

"Okay loving birds, stop kissing already..." Rose said, looking a bit worried too, but they didn't listen and continued kissing. Celestia's mercy they need some time apart...

"Alright, party's over..." Rose sighed as her horn glowed bright-red and Custard's body was slowly wrapped by it. After Custard was covered by the red glow Rose began to levitate her upwards. But despite Rose's attempt Custard's mouth was still kissing Shrapnel, Rose kept levitating her away and Custard fought to keep kissing Shrapnel, who moved his head upward to make her job easier.

"Come on guys. You need to eat something else, something edible..." Rose added, slowly levitating Custard closer to us. Shrapnel flapped his wings and got up on his hooves, still kissing Custard.

"Guess that'll make them enter..." Rose whispered with a shake of her head, she turned around and got inside with Custard in tow.

Rose sat down on her haunches, Custard was levitated around and Shrapnel walking after her as they were still kissing, not disconnecting from each other for a second. Shrapnel reminded me a fish holding a fishing hook in his mouth. I read that apperantly fish were an animal before the war, and it was a sport to catch and free them with a fishing rod, but they were edible for some species like griffons, but they are a legend after all... Rose slowly placed Custard down on a mattress as Shrapnel lowered his head, still kissing...

"That's enough.." Rose said with a deep sigh as her horn stopped glowing for a second, and then started glowing again, but this time wrapping Shrapnel's body instead and moving him backwards. His hooves scratched the floor in the struggle to stay in place, but Rose's telekinetic power was strong enough to levitate him four or five times his height in the air without Rose even breaking a sweat. Fortunately for him the cieling was about two times his size. Finally the two disconnected from each other, Rose's telekinetic power still holding him away from Custard, it looked funny.., Like he was training on a treadmill at the gym of Stable 154 but with no treadmill, or any training..

Custard started to get up and walk toward Shrapnel, but Rose wrapped her body too in her telekinetic glow and kept them running in place to each other's directions.

"Alright... So Romeo and Juliet...what will we do?.." Rose purred at them.

"We can always let Shrapnel kiss Gunner.." Custard said with a smile and a very amused voice, looking at me with a devilish smile.

"Wait... What?!" I asked as my body was suddenly wrapped by Rose's telekinetic glow and slowly levitated to air. I tried to flap my wings to escape but realizing that if I'll flap my wings to take off, I'll hit my head in the cieling and that won't be fun.

"Now that all of us are here. We can start talking" Rose said as she levitated a plate and took some oatmeal, sat down on her haunches and started eating politely.

"I haven't done anything!.." I said, still levitating around by Rose, who ate infront of us in a very teasy fashion.

"I know, but that way I can look at some... Interesting... Places in your body.." Rose said in an overly cheesy and lewd tone.

I blushed hotly as I tried to hide my private parts from Rose's view, but it was helpless; She was holding my hooves in the air and I couldn't move them.

"Now now Gunner, don't you fight the love. I think that the color red is very beatuifull... Everywhere..." Rose continued teasing me with a very amused tone as she looked at me, I suddenly blushed even more and my face was heating up like a generator.

"Are you hungry Gunner?.." Rose said with a more serious tone.

"Yes?" I asked more then replied, not knowing if she meant real food like the oatmeal she was eating or her joke from earlier of 'tasting her'...

"So let's feed you shall we?.." She purred again and smiled a very amused smile, more then ever... She knew I can't stand her mother-ish behavior, so feeding me like a little foal will make her day and ruin mine... The best combination...

"Rose... Can you please have some mercy?" I asked in a defeated voice, knowing that she can keep me hanging [litteraly] for ages.

"Hmmm... Let me think about it..." Rose looked at me with a grin.

"I'll take it as a 'no' then..." I sighed.

"Depends... Will you be a better pillow tonight?" Rose chuckled.

"I'll be the best pillow there is, but a pillow needs to eat by itself" I said jokingly.

"Can you double as a buckfriend that cares about himself?" Rose added.

"I can't promise that" I laughed out.

"Looks like Custard is very cuddly indeed, maybe I don't need another pillow?" Rose purred at me and lowered me to the floor.

"Maybe you really don't need another one" I said, making her look regretfull that she even tried to hold my tail short. "Judging by your face, I just won this little deal of ours. I'm still a full-time pillow though" I added with a wink and advanced toward the plate-pile.

"Alrighty then, but I'm still using Custard as my sleeping buddy" Rose snickered as she lowered me to the floor and let me out of her glow.

"Hooves off my mare-friend Rose, she is finder's keeper's" Shrapnel broke into the conversation, still floating a few yards away from Custard, who tried to swim her way through the air...

"I don't even need my hooves to make her mine" Rose said sarcasticly as she tapped her horn with a forehoof.

"Can we at least get on our hooves before we become anypony's pillow or blanket or whatever?" Custard said weakly.

"Well... As long as you promise to eat before you two make out again..." Rose answered.

"Agreed, now can I please get on the ground? I'm maybe a pegasus but I think you just made me feel a vertigo attack" Shrapnel joked.

"Sure you can, but muzzles off each other for a few hours" Rose purred again, making me snicker.

"What's so funny Gunner?" Rose asked.

"I dunno, you tell me kitty-cat" I bursted out laughing.

"Oh you'll be sorry for that comment Gunn-Gunn..." Rose responded.

"Gunn-Gunn?... Owww that's soo cute!" Custard cooed at my new nickname.

I took a plate from the plate-pile and digged some oatmeal from the oatmeal sack, Rose nearly finished her plate by now. Custard and Shrapnel were lowered down and the glow around them faded quickly, they both walked toward one of the mattresses. Shrapnel took two plates with his teeth and placed one next to Custard, once we were all sitting down and we all had food on our plate we started talking.

"This place is falling apart, we have two choices.." I started

"Hopefully one of them dosen't includes you getting raped and killed by those raiders..." Shrapnel said.

Avoiding the mental picture of getting raped and holding back the flinch and shievers it made me feel, I gulped nervously and continued.

"Anyway... We can leave them to deal with their own problems, and find another place. A better one who can support his occupants" I said it in such way that made it clear that I won't choose that, and I made it sound like that because I knew that the three of them won't leave this camp to die. But to make the other choice to sound somewhat sane to my three companions.

"The other choice is to kill off the raiders, and you guys'll stay here, no matter what.." I said with a deep sigh.

"Not this again! We said already that we won't let you do that!" Shrapnel said.

"I agree with Shrapnel... Why you? From all of their well-armed warriors, you're the least prepared pony in the camp!" Custard added.

"Gunner, we need you. You can't just kill yourself on hundreds of raiders that'll kill you before you can scratch even one of them..." Rose began saying.

"In the name of Celestia... You know that if I won't do anything nopony would! They're all exahusted and scared! plus I bet that they won't expect a pegasus" I smiled and stretched out my wings, my three companions still had the regular grumpy faces from earlier.

"You aren't going alone... I'm coming with you..." Shrapnel said, standing up and looking at my eyes.

"Fuck no! You're in no shape to fight! You barely ate and you look tired then ever!" I countered.

"Like you are top-shaped" Rose cut me off, "You hauled me for two days total. You fought until you passed out and you barely ate too! You got bucked in the face!" Rose continued, not showing any sign of stopping with her nudging.

"I. Am. Going..." I insisted slowly as I weared my battle-saddle.

"No. You're. Not" Rose replied.

"We can keep arguing. But in the meantime they kill others, and this camp would die if I won't do anything! And you want to know something else? I have S.A.T.S and my Eyes-Forward Sparkle! And a pair of wings! And most improtantly: Three friends to protect!" I raised my voice.

"You think that it's fair Gunner?" Rose raised her voice too.

"This is the fucking wasteland Rose! I saw what they're like... They're fucking monsters who kill for fun! Hell: our whole fucking Stable was murdered for Caps! They don't care what happens to us as long as they're happy and they won't stay happy for long! Somepony needs to buck their tails until they know what 'fair' is!" I screamed, realizing I just screamed at Rose... My first time I was angry on her... Ever.

"So why you?! This camp has hundreds of well-armed guards and warriors that can go there and kill them off!" Rose started crying.

"Because the raiders have more fire power..." I hissed.

"So why one pegasus will be better then a whole camp?" Rose said between tears.

"Death from above... I doubt they have any idea that a pegasus will strike their little asses" I said as I walked toward the door.

"Don't do that" Rose whimpered.

"I have to. To keep you guys safe" Were my only words.

I walked towards Storm's office and ingored the guards trying to stop me, I walked straight to the small doors inside the old and large building, the guards were following me and trying to hold me back.

I flapped my wings and swiflty flew over them, I reached the office doors and knocked hard with both of my forehooves. The guards were pissed by now but I didn't cared, as the doors finally opened I saw Storm looking pissed at the doors to see who's inturrepting him.

"Who's the twat?!" Storm started as he realized it was me.

"I am! I want your best armor for free, now!" I screamed

"Relax mate... What happened?" Storm tried to calm me down, what made me even angrier.

"Don't you tell me to relax 'mate'... Now give me your best armor you can, NOW!" I screamed

"What's wrong with you?... What happened already?.." Storm looked confused.

"YOU HEARD ME! GIVE ME YOUR BEST ARMOR. NOW!" I roared, pissed already and ready to shoot the next thing I see.

"I-I'm not sure I can..." Storm started saying.

I shot behined him at the bookshelf twice and looked at him with a very angry look.

"YOU WANT TO DEAL WITH THOSE FUCKING RAIDERS? YOU GOT YOUR GUY RIGHT FUCKING HERE!" I screamed and added even louder "DON'T MAKE ME REGRET KILLING THEM OVER YOU!"

My eyes were filled with rage, I never felt so enraged in my entire life, I was about to bite down on my muzzle trigger and shoot the guards behined me and Storm infront of me.

"Guards, accompany Gunner here to the X-01. Immediatly." Storm said to the guards calmly.

My first thought was that it's some kind of punishment or excution of some sort, but one of the guards walked to the terminal in the hallway behined me, pressed on some keys and a bookshelf to my left moved aside on a hidden rail, it opened a cramped stone-carved hallway with old and barely working lights.

"From here" one of the guards said, I walked inside slowly, not knowing if it was a trap. The hallway curved to the right, I walked for a few seconds and entered a larger room, my eyes were blinded by bright lights. The walls were metal-made and it looked like a laboratory or an hazardous Medical center, a yellow stand was on a raised platform in the middle of the room with a wierd-looking metalic pony-shaped armor casing that was connected to the stand.

"This is the X-01 expiremental Magical-armor" was sounding out of a speaker to my right side "It was invented for the pre-war Steel-Rangers, and we could spare one that was rather special, it can support a pegasus anatmoy, and there's a special helmet designed for unicorns too, it has the best protection around... In Equestria even! it's working fully but I had no one to take control of that thing, it's old and nopony wants to risk getting in that rusty bucket. But if you wanted protection, it's your best bet"

It was Storm's voice, he said that from a microphone from his office?... I didn't knew what to do... This beatuy infront of me was stunning me.

"It includs a 40mm grenade launcher, a heavy .65 caliber shoulder-mounted machine-gun, and jet pack wings so you are a motherfucking super-pony in a titanium Magical-enchanted armor casing, it can suffer up to 300 times the radiation a normal pony can suffer, it's resistant to most temperators, in theory y'can survive landing on the sun, it's shock-proof, water-proof, there's a built-in resipirator that can work underwater or in choking gas, self-repairing overtime too! and the cherry ontop: It's own enhanced built-in Stable-Tec Assisted Targeting System and Eyes-Forwad Sparkle mechanisem with a big 'thank you' to Stable-Tec for that... This machine can hold up to 5000 pound of weight, and did I mentioned it even have a hoof-spring mechanisem that can make you a fucking bunny-sized pony?..." Storm added.

I was looking at that armor and wondered why nopony ever used that, I felt a big 'but' coming and it was going to destroy my dirty dreams on this armor..

"But.."

What did I just said?!

"It's using a limited magical power source, we can't find the Magical-Core that is compatible with this thing, so y'can use it for approximatly an hour or two, then it will be useless as a pile of shite, the power-core helpes with most of the mechanisems, with the exceptions of the guns and resipirators of course, after it depletes you need to be Luna herself to move that death-trap"

My first reaction was to get this armor and modify it until it's invincible, but my mind reminded me that I have no real parts to modify it, some metal rods and rivtes won't make a day and night diffrent, also I didn't knew how to improve that flawless art...

"Two hours? how far away's the raiders camp?.." I asked, still not moving my gaze from the shining X-01 Magical-armor for a second.

"Half an hour trot, but with wings I guess it can be even less, and with the JPMW I bet it'll be even less then flying..."

"JPMW?" I quickly asked, wanting to know what can make this gorgeous armor so quick, and if it's so heavy like Storm said it can be only better with that 'JPMW' thingy...

"Yep, Jet-Pack Mechanical-Wings, once you stretch your wings in a certain way y'can activate little jet engines beneath them, a fucking flying machine, better then any pegasus in the Equestrian wasteland..." Storm bragged, sounding proud that this precious armor is his little toy, though I doubt that this machine is faster then Shrapnel.

"Why nopony haven't used this armor yet? to my ears it sounds like paradise!" I was confused, not knowing who'll say no to this sexy pony-shaped titanium casing... I think I'll cheat on Rose with this thing!

I will Slap you

"Like I said, everypony in here is scared, the ones that can enter this little fellah" Storm explained with a sigh through the speakers.

"What do you mean 'can'? Could I enter it?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat at the thought that I maybe wouldn't be able to use this magical-armor.

"Well, without wings y'can't fully operate this beauty, we got the unicorn helmet but we can't remove the wings, only the Steel-Rangers that built it know how to convert it so a unicorn could use the wings without having actual wings connected to his flesh, but I guess that you'll be a perfect fit" Storm voice sounded through the speakers, sounding very glad that somepony would use that armor someday.

"But... You are a pegasus, why won't you use it?" I questioned, sounding very suspicious.

"Lad... We already addressed the little wing problem didn't we? so you're the only one who might be able to use the Magical-armor fully. And If you want to kill off those raider-fucks back there, it's your best bet....you're our best bet" Storm sounded a bit sad knowing that he won't be able to use this armor, and that the future on Twilight Camp was my decision's results...

"How do I operate this thing?" I hesitated, now knowing how to do anything with it, not even entering!..

"Shove those worries up your muzzle mate, it's a no problem really! there's a Valve-thingy on the back of the armor, where your Cutie-mark will be positioned when you're inside, buck it and turn it clock-wise, the armor will open up like swiss cheese, get your hooves in their place and try not to fall asleep" Storm chuckled

After his chuckle died he whispered "The paddings are really soft and warm so don't sleep in the middle of a fire-fight with my baby" , sounding very smug from the work he put into this armor, I'm really impressed even without him bragging about...

"Anywho, once inside try to move your hooves a bit, the motion-detector will snap on them gently" Storm stopped for what sounded like a sip

"It won't hurt... so after that you'll be connected to the armor without wiggling inside like a new-born mole-rat, in this part the Magical-armor will close up on you and the wing part will be online, insert your wings inside and try to flap them around, it'll do the same with your wings as with your hooves, it won't hurt too, do the same with your body and you are connected!...the HUD will lit up and show some geeky-stuff that probably you'll understand..maybe... the armor will adjust itself to your body size so dont move at that part, from there on y'can fly, shoot, swim, kill some bitches, and hopefully get you all of the sexy mares" Storm said in a tone that hinted I needed a mare-friend, was it that obvious that I didn't deserved Rose?...she was so cute and elegant, and I was....well, me..

"No matter, when do you want to get on your little rampage of yours?" Storm's voice sounded through the speakers, sounding very happy that those raiders will get some justice, pegasus style...

"Right fucking now, if I'll die at least I'll take fifteen or twenty with me!" I raised my voice in anger, wanting to hurt the fuckers that kill for fun, those pshycotic ponies that hunt and kill for amusment, the ones that wants to kill innocents like Rose and Shrapnel and Custard.

"Celestia's cunt piss on my eyes! are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Storm's surprised voice poured out of the speakers on the walls.

"If that means that I'll help every single pony in this camp, yes" I hissed at the Speakers, looking at them with enraged eyes, not knowing why..it's not like he could see me..right?..

"Before I go... Those raiders have any wierd sign, like unique clothing or distinguishable accent?" I asked, my voice alot calmer.

"No... I don't think so...oh! wait! They had this damned Nightmare Moon emblem on their flanks, but for only the past three or four years, they joined this 'Nightmare Moon Wasteland Order' or some shite... They kill anypony who isn't joining their Luna ass-fucked alliance"

My ears perked up and my eyes widened, they were the same mercs that attacked stable 154! And probably 155... They killed my entire Stable, they made me see how fucked up this world really is, the moment it happened my brain was busy on helping my friends to get out of there, but these sights... Mutialted and severed body parts everywhere... The sound of foals screaming was the worst... They raped bodies! They actually were paid to 'play' with my stable, they killed them all and enjoyed it... They totured, raped, killed ponies that I knew all of my life, at the second it happened my mind didn't proccesed it all, but now... When I know that my friends are safe... Sort of... It scarred me mentally, it scarred Shrapnel, Custard... Rose...

"Those fuckers killed my stable, they were paid to do it...it's more then helping you guys out, it's personal" I whispered.

"Gunner... They maybe fucked up in their mind...and they are part of this fucked up alliance, but the ones that were ordered to kill your stable weren't those raiders..." Storm tried to be reasonable with me, but the rage just grew more and more inside my body that I wanted to go out there and make those ponies suffer.

"How the fuck do you know that, huh?! You're working with them?!" I screamed in anger, bucking my battle-saddle, it made a cocking sound as I was ready to spray everywhere out of pure rage.

"No..but I know who did" Storm's voice was weak and soft, he sounded like he was about to cry.

"What now?! WHO.THE FUCK.DID THAT!?" my voice roared louder then ever, I felt the rage pumping in my veins, my heart was pounding and my eyes were clenched shut, my hooves were shaking, I bit my lower lip with my teeth and my breathing was violent and sudden. I felt like a ticking bomb that was about to go off, I wanted to hurt somepony... I wanted to kill....

"Gunner...relax, I can't help you when you are like that...you need to calm down..." Storm's voice was worried, he could see me somehow and I knew that, something in his voice was making him sound very regretfull, he knew the feeling of revenge fueling your mind... He was in my place before.

"HOW THE FUCK YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!...those-those fucking assholes killed your stable too...HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN!?" my muzzle roared out, I was a bit surprised that I could be so loud and threatning, it felt so wrong.

"Gunner...I know how bad it hurts, but I can't let you go out with a fucking X-01 Magical-armor when you are so trigger-heated. Go back home and calm down, return to me tommorow, when you're clear-headed and not so raged" Storm said softly, I was shocked to hear him so calm.

"NO!...I'm going to kill those fuckers with or without your help!" I shouted and bucked my battle saddle again, making it to cock again while my muzzle was already touching the trigger, all I needed to do was to press my teeth a little harder, to shoot everything I see, get outside and find those stupid fucking raiders, and shoot every single one of them until they are motionless and peppered with bullets....

"Last warning, I really don't want to do this" Storm's voice was serious.

"Do what? shoot me?! pfftt... Please, you need me more then I need you!" I said loudly upwards, looking around for anything weird.

"I'm sorry Gunner, but you forced me to do that" Storm's voice sounded as the speakers made a disconnecting beep, and four circled hatches on the ceilings opened up as little turrets popped out of them.

"The fuck? Are you really going to shoot me?!" I screamed, but my throat was sore from all of the shouting that the scream was so hoarse I doubt it was sounded beyond the walls.

The turrets aimed their triple-barrels at me, lighting up with lasers that were aimed right at me, they all made a cocking sound one after another, I looked around and saw that there was no cover for me, they covered the entire room and they'll gun me down in seconds.

My eyes widened as they started firing, but they didn't made a firing sound..nor fired any bullets..the turrets were shooting darts!.. I tried to avoid them as best as I could, and I managed to avoid them for a while.. I tried to jump and go airborne to disable them from the air, but as I stretched my wings out one dart pinched my left wing.

I grunted and tried to flap the dart off my wing, I started to think that the darts were just futile ammunition to scare off unwanted guests, but pretty soon after I felt my wing go numb. I tried to run to the exit just to find myself getting locked inside by a door that was sealing the corridor I entered the lab through, I ran around in circles in hope that the turret will run out of ammo soon..what's the chance?! my mind told me, one thing for certain: I couldn't enter the Magical-armor: it will take precious time I didn't have.

I tried to jump, vault over passing-by darts and duck so nothing will hit me, but after a few minutes a second dart pinched my hindleg as I groaned at the stabbing pain, they were about three centimeters long and it hurted like getting stabbed by a knife, it could pierce through my body if the turrets had enough power! this dart went deep inside my hindleg as I felt my lower body going numb slowly, my wing was totally sore and the sleepy feeling went through my body slowly but somehow painfully, it made my whole body sore and my muscles to twitch uncontrollably.

I was limping with my hindleg in the air and my wing was dragged on the floor behined me, after running in circles for few more minutes I accidently stepped on my wing and fell head-first on the stone floor. My body was too sore to get up as darts started to hit me rapidly, they hit my hooves, back, tail, neck, head, sides..everywhere. I just groaned in pain and tried to block incoming darts with the knowledge that I would probably die from bleeding out or from that poision that made it hurt so much. My head started to feel heavy as I looked like a freaking hedgehog [a pre-war animal with a back filled with dart on his back, books can sure tell you alot about the pre-war with accuration], my eyes slowly closed and my face slammed on the floor, I was starting to bleed heavily from the multiplied darts, the turrets suddenly stopped firing and left me to die..I tried to get up but my body was too numb and sore.

I was ready to welcome my death, I tried to say my last words but my hoarsed and weak voice just succeded saying "Goodbye Rosey.." as everything went black. Next Chapter: Chapter 4 - Ashes To Ashes Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 14 Minutes