The radio kept trumpeting the odd song awhile before I got ahold of myself, shut off the radio and went to work. Falling for a princess from the sky would be pointless if she died right in front of me and that looked to be a distinct possibility. I grabbed a purple healing potion I had pulled out from my inventory, along with basically every other medical item I had collected, and shoved it down her cute little muzzle, no... stop it, focus!

I raised her head and forced the fluid down her throat, watching carefully for signs it was working. Some of the worst wounds I noticed were indeed starting to knit together again, but slowly, much too slowly. A second potion followed the first down the hatch.

I snatched the next potion up and started pouring it directly on the wounds I found, pulling off her medical box saddlebags and lifting her lab coat away to inspect for more damage on her perfect flanks...stop that! Huh... that was odd, a blank flank? How was that possible? She was bigger than me! Like... a lot bigger, this filly would tower over even Grizz if she was on her hooves. She was between Luna's and Celestia's proportions, but still... Had she just never found her special talent? Could that happen? I felt like it would take forever for mine to appear before I got it, but this was extreme.

Whatever, didn't matter right now, or ever as far as I was concerned. Pulling back the lab coat revealed more angry wounds from small arms, high caliber rounds, shrapnel from explosives and magical energy weapon burns... Luna's mercy, what happened to her? More potion got splashed liberally on her hide, causing them to slowly start healing over, why wasn't this working better?! I fixed machines, not ponies dammit!

Frantically, I started ripping open packages of magical bandages and wrapping her wounds clumsily, "S-s-sorry about this Princess, just... bare with m-me here.." I nervously rambled while I mummified the incredible mare that fell from the sky. I checked her breathing and heartbeat, which were weak but steady, she moaned softly in her sleep with my ear to her chest and I shuddered.

Sitting back up over her, I looked over her large wings. I knew what needed to be done for the one bent at the horrible angle, but didn't want to, but I couldn't leave it like that with two healing potions in her either. Even working so slowly, they'd restore it in that position eventually and a break would heal poorly, possibly putting her in danger of a bone shard traveling to her heart later. I looked down at the medical supplies I had scattered haphazardly around me and picked out the one I needed but didn't like having to resort to. Dad warned me about this stuff but I couldn't see any alternative.

"I'm glad you're not awake for this... forgive me ok?" I begged, grabbing the damaged wing in my teeth firmly, planting my hooves on her side under the wing while levitating the plunger of hydra over her flank.

With a sharp tug I set the wing back in position, feeling her shift and whine under me, but I couldn't stop now. With a grunt I jammed the hydra into her and braced myself. Unconscious or not this was going to hurt and she was going to struggle. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if she tossed me like a rag doll, but I had to try to keep her still. I braced, clenching my eyes shut waiting for the nasty drug to take effect.... and waiting... and.. she sighed in relief?

What? I opened my eyes in terror and checked to be sure I hadn't just killed her. No... she had stabilized? As I watched, the worst of her wounds started to close much faster than the potions had managed, but this wasn't right... Dad taught me all about this stuff, Hydra was very nasty medicine. It could save lives and restore incredible damage used properly yes, granting the regeneration of the beast it was named after to the user, even able to regrow limbs. But it was made with flux and hydra venom. The results could be unpredictable, even causing a flux mutation with a bad roll of the dice. Plus no matter what, even when it worked perfectly, it was agony while it did its' work.

Yet here it had restored the mangled wing and she had hardly whimpered. Her other wounds that the potions were only minimally effective on were improved too, which was unusual, well... maybe the rules were different for Princesses. She was still in bad shape, but it wasn't life threatening anymore and she looked peaceful, serene... magnificent...

I was startled out of sitting there in the rain staring at her, by noises below us. That's right, some pony had been shooting at her causing all this damage in the first place, they must have caught up! I flattened out on the roof beside her and started to creep towards the noise cautiously. I drew my 10mm pistol, crawling toward the sound of voices in the lot below us as red marks started showing up on my Eyes Forward Sparkle, seething at anypony that would dare shoot a Princess.

"Fan out dipshits! She went down somewhere around here! We're havin' Alicorn for dinner tonight!" a maniacal voice shouted as movements and laughter surrounded us.

Dinner? DINNER?! They were joking about eating her!?!? I felt that rage that had consumed me in the diner of Stable 111, when I found the corpses of a dozen foals murdered in cold blood. Struggling in fury to stay quiet, I reached the edge of the roof and peeked over carefully to get a look at the ponies that were going to pay...

A motley crew of four ponies dressed in strange leather armor were milling about. They saw her go down here, but hadn't seen her hit the roof at least, with luck maybe they wouldn't think of it. They were dirty and ragged, their manes filthy and arranged in spikes and bloody braids, all of them carried crude weapons; a spiked baseball bat, a machete and a pretty rough homemade looking firearm.

The one apparently in charge had a battle saddle equipped with a rifle and was wearing even stranger armor than the others. It had an odd, multicolored, patchwork appearance I couldn't make out very well. A flash of lightning gave me a better view and my stomach lurched as I threw myself back down from the edge.

The armor was made of patchwork pieces of leather, each a different color and each with a design on them. That pony was wearing the cutie marks of a dozen or more ponies as armor... The Alicorn dinner comment suddenly wasn't a crude joke, they were serious. I was torn between terror and all consuming hatred. I wanted to stand up and just start unloading on them all, starting with that one, niggling voice in my mind whispering "Be Kind..." or not. But the princess was up here too and badly hurt. I couldn't risk it...

"We can't find her Chopper! You sure she went down here?" one of the ponies called from behind me.

"Open your eyes and look around dumbass! Lookit the rocket! Didn't have that big dent or lean like that before, did it? Get up there and take a look before I waste you myself!" the leader called back. Way to treat your friends jerk, I wished he had investigated himself, so I could blow his head off when it popped up here.

A moment later, I heard shuffling and scraping back where I had climbed up using the dumpster behind the building. Great, it would take only a minute or two for them to follow. If I shot the first one up, the other three would know I was here. I had the high ground but they could wait me out.

I dug through my bags and found Hearty Fork's Saturnite knife, it was long, sharp and best of all quiet. I held it in my mouth so the glow of my horn didn't give me away and crept over to the part of the roof I had climbed up earlier. Honestly, I didn't know if I could do this, deciding to kill in cold blood, attacking before giving them the chance to surrender... 'Be Kind...'

I looked back to the princess under the rocket and pushed my doubts aside. They were trying to kill and eat her, the leader advertised how little he thought of pony life on his sleeve, literally. I might not like this, but I wasn't going to entertain wishful thinking or alternatives. This is what Watcher had tried to tell me about, this was the wasteland and I had been very lucky so far to have not been put in this position. It was kill or die, I couldn't die yet, simple as that.

A muddy orange earth pony with a pink mane that was falling out in patches popped their head over the edge of the roof right above where I was hiding, his yellow eyes focused on the princess. "Hey boss! I got..." he started to call before I swung the knife up in a vicious arc, aiming for his neck.

I had been trying for a lucky strike to the jugular to hopefully drop him quickly, what I got was... better than I expected, or worse... The long saturnite knife sliced through the pony's neck like butter, all the way back to his spine. The cruel looking pony gurgled, reaching for his neck as he started to tumble backwards. On the way down I had to see as his head flopped backwards, I had turned him into a pez dispenser... bile rose up in my throat... Sweet Celestia this thing was sharp! A fan of blood sprayed over me as the body tumbled back and fell with a bang into the dumpster, where it belonged.

"Oh shit! Boss! Better take a look at this, she ventilated Slasher! Luna fuck me she damn near took his head off! Get over here and..." The second pony was hysterical and distracted. but they knew the princess was up here. They thought she had done it. which was ridiculous, but now they were on guard, couldn't do this quiet and sneaky anymore.

I popped up from behind my hiding place and levitated the pistol out, firing half a dozen rounds on reflex at the crazed voice below, before diving down again. I heard a scream and a couple meaty thuds below, just before a line of searing pain stitched across my side, accompanied by the crack of a rifle. Dammit that hurt! I could feel spreading warmth on that side of my Stable barding in the cold rain.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Who in Tartarus is that!? Aw dammit my knee! Chopper gimme a potion!" the one I had fired at screamed below me, firing up with some kind of pipe pistol.

"Kill that little shit and I'll think about it Banger! Crusher! Other side!" super, the leader was smart enough to spread his forces out and surround me and I had only managed to wound one. I levitated the pistol up and fired down three rounds blind where I heard him barking orders and E.F.S. showed his red line, along with three where the wounded one had been emptying the clip.

I faintly heard a soft 'fwoosh' below the roof then a flaming amber bottle was arcing up over the edge and crashed with a 'FWOOMP!" and tinkling glass, a cloud of fire blossomed to my left and I jumped away, hissing at the line of pain bleeding away on my side. Molotovs... at least the rain was putting the puddle of fire nearby out slowly, but if they had enough of those it wouldn't matter, they could just firebomb the roof.

Reloading the pistol, I checked the Eyes Forward Sparkle, two red marks were moving around to either side, a third was solid where the wounded pony was. Another fwoosh of a molotov being lit put me on guard and I just caught sight of the bottle as it arced through the air. I managed to catch it in a field of magic and tossed it back down before it could burst, hearing a furious screeching reward my efforts, while that red mark danced wildly around on my compass.

Ok, the leader, take out that psychotic bastard and maybe the others would give up. I leapt up to my hooves, triggering S.A.T.S. as I crested the roof line. With time frozen I was disturbed to find the grinning face of the leader illuminated by the flash of his rifle pointed right at me... That shot was coming one way or the other, once I ended S.A.T.S. it was going to continue on its path and I couldn't do anything about it. Hoping I would get lucky and the leader wouldn't, I queued up 5 shots divided between his chest and head, the percentage chance to hit was below 30%, but it was the best I could do.

I approved the action and let time resume, watching as two rounds to the chest hit. One a glancing blow and the second solid, but both were mitigated by the disgusting armor he wore. He staggered from the solid shot, while I felt the round of his rifle punch through my shoulder. I wailed and rolled on the roof. That really hurt and I didn't get much out of it.

Groaning, I checked E.F.S., only two red marks remained. The wounded pony had apparently bled out at some point in that exchange. This was going bad... what was I doing, I was just a repair-pony dammit! Another molotov whizzed through the air and I made a grab for it with my magic, but wasn't quick enough. Flame blossomed across the roof again, this time far too close to the Princess and I saw red.

Bad shoulder or no, I ran towards the red mark of the one opposite the leader. I held the insanely sharp knife in my mouth again and floated the pistol along with me. This was such a bad idea... never breaking my wobbly stride, I leapt off the roof and hoped I guessed the distance right.

I did... I landed in a flying tackle that would have made mom... well, it was too ugly to say proud really, but satisfied anyway. We rolled in a ball across the parking lot, the heavier pony winding up on top. I swung my head around wildly, lunging at the smoking green unicorn mare I had slammed into. She bucked and bashed me in the side with the spiked bat floating in her own magic, puncturing my barding. The series of deep slashes across the mare's neck and chest from the saturnite knife made her very interested in getting away. As soon as she pulled back, I shoved the pistol still levitating nearby under her bleeding chin and fired three rounds to the head, leaving her a quivering lump partially crushing me.

I grunted with effort, trying to get out from under the corpse as I heard the leader approaching. "Oh you have been quite the nuisance you little bastard, I'm going to enjoy adding you to my collection you son of a bitch," I could hear him reloading the rifle as he trotted across the lot, steps splashing in the puddles he waded through.

My mind raced frantically, I had to do something quick, but I was pinned and couldn't see him, the dead mare on top of me too heavy for me to move fast enough. I couldn't die here, this bastard would go up there after the princess! I'd never find my family or the others. I wouldn't even get to die trying to get justice for all those killed back in the Stable, just killed by some psychotic cannibal pony in a dirty lot alone. The rain washed away my tears as I waited for the end, hoping he'd make some mistake and give me a chance.

The gloom of the storm was suddenly brilliantly lit up in orange flames and I could hear the leader screaming, there was shuffling, then the sound of a power saw spinning up to full speed and tearing into the bastard with a wet crunch. Then there was silence, followed by a familiar voice.

"Master Fast my goodness! Are you alright!? No of course not, allow me to help please!" Cogsworth gushed, floating up to where I lay pinned and grabbing the corpse, dragging it off me.

I gasped for air and coughed as Cogsworth clucked and fretted looking over my injuries, "C-Cogs... po-potions on the... roof. Next..to Princess..." I stammered, trying not to pass out.

"Right away sir! Don't move!" the robot cried out and flew up and out of sight.

With one of my remaining potions and the last pack of bandages, I was feeling like one of the living again. Cogsworth bobbed around me worriedly, as I got up and walked out of the Red Rocket sky carriage recharging station he had dragged me into. I walked to the back again, crawling up on the dumpster with a wince.

"Cogsworth, I need you to go up there, carefully drag the Princess over here and lower her down, we can't stay here in case more are coming alright?" I asked my robotic savior wearily.

"Yes sir, of course. Though if you mean the lovely filly on the roof above, well... my etiquette protocols make this a bit uncouth but, she seems to be rather...substantial... I am afraid I am unable to lift her completely sir," he answered awkwardly.

"It's ok Cogs, just get her to the edge so I can see her, I'll help lower her down with my magic ok?" I tried not to whine, but she had been up there in the rain alone and hurt, it was all I could do not to start scrambling back up there myself, injured or no.

"Right away sir!" Cogsworth answered smartly and hovered away up to the roof. Minutes felt like hours as I listened to him struggling above, finally he reappeared, straining with her delicate forehoof in his manipulator claw. "Here we are young sir, safe and sound!"

I sighed in relief and grabbed her with my magic, "Nnngh... ok Cogs, get a good hold and lower her down.. I got most of the weight now..." I strained and added a layer of overglow to my magic.

Cogsworth wasted no time, letting go of her hoof and hovering back towards her unseen body. Once he had maneuvered her over the edge, I hopped off the dumpster and together we lowered her to it. The trip back home was pretty daunting at this rate. I didn't like it, but I couldn't see much other choice and dug in my bags for one of Mr. Hawthorne's tablets of Buck. I crunched on the bitter pill reluctantly and sidled up next to the dumpster, feeling a surge of strength and energy rush through me. Between that boost, my magic and Cogsworth, we gently moved her down from the bin and lowered her to my back.

She practically blanketed me, her head hanging down by my chest and her hooves and wingtips brushing the ground lightly. My knees wobbled a moment, but I took a trudging step forward, wrapping her in my magic to lighten the load, while Cogsworth tried to add his levitation power to my efforts. We made an odd picture trudging back across the bridge to Sanctuary Hills.

Grunting, I tried to talk to keep my mind off both the effort and the feeling of her breathing softly above me. "H-how... did you... find me... Cogsworth?" I asked over the course of a few short steps.

"Oh, well you ran off in such a hurry without saying anything, I was unsure what to do sir, you hadn't requested my aid. After a short time, I began hearing gunshots and feared the worst. Thankfully, since you did such excellent work repairing me, when you interfaced with me via your pip-buck, I acquired your locator tag and simply followed it. It was a good thing you did so sir." he answered happily.

I had to agree there, if I hadn't taken the time or had the ability to help Cogsworth, he wouldn't have been able to help me and I'd be one dead pony. He could hear the shots, think clearly about what to do, fly fast and use his weapons to maximum effect, all of which were essential to saving my flanks. Sometimes being a repair-pony was pretty damn useful.

"Thank.... You... Cogs... Worth... Nnngh... Owe... You... My.... Life... and.... Princess'... Life..." I grunted, walking down the street towards my house.

"No thanks necessary sir! Though next time you should take me along to begin with I think. That Sprite-bot fellow seems to have been right, quite dangerous out here isn't it?" he replied with a hint of pride.

"Yes...Very...Oooof...Danger... ous....had... to... go... though.... sorry.... didn't... think.... just.... ran.... she.... was.... dying...." I answered, every step felt like fire as I finally made it to the driveway and turned up to the garage.

Cogsworth chortled and turned an eyestalk towards my passenger, "Yes, so I see young master, well it is nice to have company isn't it? Will the filly be alright?"

"Think.... so..... was..... bad.... ugh c'mon....." I strained and at long last reached my dry little couch, drenched in rain and sweat, bloody and bruised but alive. Carefully, I walked up and lined up with the seat to my side, considering how to do this when either the Buck wore off, or my body just refused to do more. I fell sideways, landing the princess on the couch comfortably, while I wound up going with her instead of just sliding her off me as everything went dark.

I came back to consciousness slowly, blinking heavily lidded eyes in confusion. Groaning, I shut them again and tried to bury myself back in the soft, warm, heavy blanket covering me. The blanket murmured and shifted over me in return......what?

My eyes popped open fully and I got a better look at my situation, I was on the couch facing the open garage door looking out at the drizzling rain still coming down as night fell. The "blanket" covering me was warm and heavy, and breathed slowly, rustling my mane above my eyes... Carefully I moved my head to look, I was still under the sleeping form of the Princess. Her hooves wrapped around me and her wings furled around us, her head rested against the armrest of the couch over my own. I froze, wide eyed as I grasped my compromising position and could feel myself turning red furiously.

Cogsworth was hovering near the large garage door, tending a small fire he had moved under the overhanging door at the edge of the driveway. The pot of stew simmered on a makeshift stand above it and he turned an eyestalk towards me when he noticed me wake, "There you are sir! I..." he began, before I gasped and wiggled a hoof free to press to my muzzle frantically.

"Ssssh!" I hissed, looking up at her head above mine as she kept sleeping, Cogsworth complied and watched expectantly.

Very carefully, I started trying to extricate myself from the heavenly embrace, lowering my hind legs to the floor while trying not to move above the waist. I managed to get myself in the awkward position of laying twisted on my back, my back hooves touching the floor and I started sliding towards them, trying to slip free of her forelegs and wings.

I inched lower, my neck and head pulling away from hers, when she whinnied softly and tightened her hold in her sleep, squeezing my neck enough to make breathing a little harder. She lowered her head to the seat cushion my head had vacated, nuzzling against my mane. Oh I'd never be able to explain this to a Princess if she woke up now, it was completely improper for royalty.

Ok... now I was stuck half off the couch, bent backwards and changing from a charcoal pony to one as red as Big MacIntosh. Cogsworth watched, waggling his eyestalks with what I was sure had to be a smirk, but remaining quiet as asked. I looked around desperately and settled on the largest pillow I had recovered exploring the neighborhood, picking it up in a field of my blue magic and floating it over my head.

"Cogsworth..." I whispered up to the watching robot, "I want you to very.. very.. slowly lift her hoof, gently..." Cogs floated forward obediently and carefully did as asked, while I slid free as quickly as I could, floating the pillow to take my place and extracting myself with relief and more than a little regret. "Phew.... good work pal," I whispered, plopping down to sit in front of the couch as the Princess squeezed the pillow to herself with a whine.

"Of course sir," he answered quietly, "I had considered waking you earlier, but you were quite injured and the filly friend looked to be warm. I thought it for the best to let you both rest, apologies if that was incorrect sir," he replied happily.

"No, it's fine Cogs, sorry, guess I was a little worn out is all," I answered absently, inspecting the Princess closely. Her wounds were still bad, the bandages I had applied had absorbed blood still oozing from them. Her wing was healed at least and she didn't seem to be in immediate danger. I was glad dad made me learn what he had managed to drill into me about medicine, including pegasus related care for mom.

Drawn by the smell of the stew and a rumbling stomach, I walked over to the fire and floated up one of two bowls Cogsworth had set nearby, dipping it in the pot and turning back to the beautiful blue alicorn sleeping on the couch. For once I simply didn't think, my normally racing mind quiet and peaceful as I just looked at her happily. I had saved a Princess! That was some Shrouded Stallion level heroics right there, even though the Shroud would have been a little more suave and sure in the rescue and less awkward in the aftermath.

I decided to try the radio again, adjusting the volume down low before powering it up and greeted with the sound of Sweetie Belle singing softly about not wanting to set the world on fire, mixing with the sounds of the rain. I sat there munching on the stew, listening to music and just watching her, torn between anxiety and happiness. Wanting her to wake up, but enjoying her sleeping. I don't know how long, several songs played from my pip-buck while I was there, so it was awhile, more than that I couldn't say.

Eventually I noticed she was clenching her eyes, her brow furrowed as she whined and sweat stood out on her brow. I trotted forward in concern, when her blue eyes popped open with a gasp and she was staring straight up at me, causing my brain to stop working again. She groaned weakly, trying to lift her head and not doing well in the attempt. "W-who..." she whispered hoarsely, her voice better than all the music I had heard coming out of the radio.

She kept looking up expectantly through lidded eyes and I realized I had to make...word.. things... "H-h-hi... um.... er, me Fast," I stammered weakly, pointing a hoof at myself, giving a shaky smile and blushing. She looked up in confusion, kicking her legs slowly and trying to raise her head again, before falling back.

"Fast?" she asked in confusion, her voice rasping before she started coughing. Panicking, I rooted through my bags desperately, pulling out my remaining Sparkle Cola. The red Sparkle Cola Rad flavor that had just come out, before it was left in the fridge for a couple centuries. Nearly dropping it, I popped the top and tried to clean the mouth before offering it to her. 200 year old soda hardly seemed appropriate fare for a Princess, but it was the best I had. Getting the coughs under control, she looked from the bottle to me dubiously, finally turning towards it slightly before her horn sparked and fizzled.

"Oh! Um... here let me... er.. just.. here you go, easy," I stuttered and gently lowered the bottle towards her muzzle, helping her take a drink without moving. She sighed softly after taking a few sips, closing her eyes and looking like she may go back to sleep, before they snapped open again and her legs resumed struggling to get up.

"Hey, don't try to move umm... please? You're hurt, just rest, here.. w-we have stew..." I paused, considering what kind of stew it was to offer to a Princess, but she had to eat something. I moved to run back to the fire and grab a bowl for her, when her wing reached out and touched my shoulder and I froze, shivering.

"H-have to go... they need help... P-Ponies in Poncord...my mission," she grunted feebly, trying to get up again and go. Of course, she was a Princess and was thinking of these other ponies who needed help before herself, but I couldn't have it. She was in no condition to help anypony, gently I pushed her back to the couch and shook my head.

"You can't go anywhere! You just got hit by lightning! Y-you were so hurt.. I thought you were going to die! You can't help them like this, please Princess!" I said, as stern as I could manage.

She kept weakly trying to move a moment before looking up in confusion, "P-princess? no... Jade... h-have to go, have to... do better... save.. save them..." she groaned and resumed trying to get up.

I sighed sadly and leaned in a little to her face, my heart hammering as I blocked her view. "I-I know Princess Jade, but you can't. Please forgive me," I begged as I injected a vial of Med-X into her flank and watched her fall back into a fitful sleep. I stroked her mane and stepped back, furrowing my brow in determination for the stupid idea I had. "Cogsworth, stay here and watch her, don't let her leave. I'll be back..." I called over my shoulder at the robot hovering behind me.

"Sir? Are you sure this is wise? If I follow your thinking..." he asked slowly with concern in his voice.

Looking down on her sleeping form, I was sure and pulled my 10mm pistol out, reloading it. "I'm sure Cogsworth. You heard her, there are ponies who need help waiting for her and she can't. I can't let her go and I can't leave them to just sit there, this is like a royal mission or something," I sighed and turned towards the drizzly night as my pip-buck flashed text;

Mission: As You Wish

Objective-
--Rescue the ponies of Poncord

This time a new objective marker popped up on my compass, pointing south. I wondered if this was something Watcher had been trying to point me towards when he mentioned heading south. Not that it mattered, Watcher had suggested going that way. The Princess had begged to go there to help ponies herself, she couldn't but... well, every Princess should have a Knight right? I would have to do.

"Protect her Cogsworth! I'll be back!" I shouted as I charged off into the night.

I slowed and approached the Red Rocket station cautiously, if there were more of those bad ponies after the Princess, they may be there waiting. Peeking through the bushes near the drive to the station's lot, I could see the bodies of her attackers, but no one else, so I came out of my cover and surveyed the scene.

Four dead ponies... I had killed three, ended their lives...I felt sick thinking about it now, but... I had to, right? The one I had actually wanted to kill had been taken down by Cogsworth in the nick of time. I trotted over to that one, the leader wearing the armor made of skinned cutie marks. I kicked the charred and bloody corpse. Inspecting the battle saddle it wore, I disconnected the rifle attached to it and checked it over. It was quite a bit heftier than the old Red Ryder BB gun I was used to when it came to long guns, but was in decent shape. I tossed it in my saddlebag, the container somehow able to accommodate the weapon, then turned back and started rifling through the other possessions on the body.

Looting the long dead already gave me pause, pawing over a freshly dead pony was worse, even if I didn't feel bad about this particular one. I remembered one of his group screaming for a healing potion from him after I blew his knee off and he bled out on the ground. My stomach fought with the bowl of stew while I found the potions he had been asking for. If this jerk had cared about his friend and helped him, there would have been a third pony harassing me and things might have gone different. They ended up close enough as it was without him. Watcher had been right, nopony can go it alone up here, you had to have friends and help them.

A few .308 rounds for the rifle floated up out of the dead pony's packs and into mine, along with a vial of Rage, a couple magical bandages and two bottles of amber liquid with rags stuffed in their necks. The molotovs they had been tossing up to the roof... Checking the other bodies yielded another couple bottles and some .38 rounds for the pipe pistol the pony with the ruined knee had carried. The weapon itself was pitiful and I left it.

Looking around, I walked under the overhanging roof of the station and through the front door, making a pass through the building on my way to the back. There wasn't much of immediate use, though the repair-pony part of me started taking notes of things of interest for later. A variety of tools in decent shape were littered about the garage, there was a small bed in the back office by a terminal that was in better repair than anything in Sanctuary. Boxes of parts were stocked on some of the shelves of the storefront. Opening the register on the counter yielded some bits I floated out and pocketed. Of most interest to me though, was a small arcano-tech generator in a service closet. It was dark and dead, but cursory inspection showed it should be a simple fix, with a little work I could have power.

All of this was nice information to have, but useless to me for now. I lifted the garage door open with my magic and walked out again, heading for the back after grabbing a ladder I spotted hung on the wall that would have been useful earlier... Floating it out, I braced it against the back wall of the building on top of the dumpster and climbed back to the roof, walking over to the red rocketship I had first laid eyes on Princess Jade under. I scanned the area, grabbing her lab coat and medical box saddlebags. I felt a little shamefaced opening them and rooting through her possessions, but they were medical boxes and this had been her mission. Maybe there was something important for it in there.

Inside one was a collection of holotapes, privacy dictated I leave these alone along with the glowing memory orb next to them. The other box had a variety of medicine, potions, med-x, antiseptic, bandages, scalpels, etc. There were also a couple health potions with an odd green tint and bottles of water labeled "Aqua Pura" which made my pip-buck tic lazily. Radioactive potions? Why keep them? With a shrug, I closed up the boxes and stashed it all in my own saddlebags, she'd be happy to have her things back when I returned hopefully. Maybe enough to not be too mad at me for sedating her.

Before climbing back down, I looked towards the marker on my compass from the rooftop and peered intently towards Poncord through the drizzle. It was dark down there, lit with an occasional flash of gunfire and a beam from a magic energy weapon centered around a large building in the center of the small town. The museum if I remembered right, dad took me there sometimes. Thinking to myself, I had a basic plan, though it was reckless. Sighing, I started pulling off my light blue Stable barding, stashing it in my bags and pulling out 'Best Served' as my pip-buck called it, Fork's crazy sharp knife.

The battle below my perch had demonstrated clearly my best results so far came when the enemy didn't know I was there before I attacked. I wasn't a big, tough pony like these savages rotting below me, I was small and sneaky, so I should play to my strengths here. Without the blue barding on anymore, I was now a black and grey colored shadow in the darkness. I gave up some protection, but the barding wouldn't stop a lot anyway if I got caught in a straight out fight. I really wished I could cobble together a suppressor for the rifle or pistol I carried, so I could start from a distance and work my way closer, but there was no time to waste tinkering.

Set on my course of action, I climbed down from the roof and trotted into Poncord. I slipped off into the back alleys as I approached the source of what light and noise was in the town. My E.F.S. started showing red as I closed in. Four red marks moved lazily around the museum beyond the alley choked with debris I hid in. I also noticed a green mark centered on the building itself, where the flashes of the energy weapon came from. So they were under siege, the ones out here were just harassing them and keeping them pinned down in there.

A red mark approaching from just beyond the alley got my attention, as I heard their hoofsteps and readied the knife in my mouth, unwilling to use magic and give away my position with the blue glow. A dingy white earth pony in leather armor passed by me, unaware, holding a pipe pistol in his mouth. I steeled myself, putting aside distaste at being the aggressor and slipping out of the alley behind him. He had just started to turn to go back to his patrol in front of the museum when I slashed his throat. The gleaming blade slid right through hide, muscle, tendon and windpipe with a whisper, splashing me with arterial spray, as the light in the pony's eyes died in shock and I dashed back to the dark alley.

That would be noticed eventually, so I had to move quick. Sneaking through the alleys and broken building toward the next red mark in a diner ahead. I slipped in the back quietly and crawled across the floor below the counter, toward the pony sitting in an empty booth with a .22 rifle braced against one of the gaping, broken windows. I anxiously crept out from my hiding spot and crossed the tiled floor toward him, the purplish stallion was absorbed focusing on the museum as I prepared to strike. Unfortunately, he chose that moment to turn back to the table of the booth over his shoulder, to grab a beer sitting there I hadn't noticed. We locked eyes with only a couple feet between us.

We moved together, I let go of the knife with my mouth and grabbed it in my magic, sending it flying at him like a missile. He didn't bother trying to turn and instead bucked me in the chest, sending me flying backwards to slam into the counter with a shout that was cut off after the first syllable. I jerked upright and prepared to fight, then relaxed spotting the handle of the knife jutting from his eye. I grabbed it with my magic and jumped back over the counter to slip out the back, as I heard shouts and saw the red marks of E.F.S. start moving erratically approaching.

I managed to make it out the backdoor, just as two of the attacking ponies reached the front, "What the fuck! Popgun! Somebody took him out, everypony fan out, we're not alone out here!" one of the two shouted down the street.

I took stock quickly, the one giving orders must still think the first of his crew I took out was patrolling, since he shouted in that direction. Actually it was two down and the last two were just on the other side of the door I hid behind, grouped together. They were on alert so taking them out like the first two was unlikely. With a grunt, I put the knife away and pulled out the pistol, gripping it and the door handle in my magic as I worked up my nerve.

With a jerk, the door flew open and I dashed in throwing myself for the counter and triggering S.A.T.S., taking stock as time froze. One blue-green mare in leather armor, carrying a fireaxe, inspected the dead pony in the booth with a grimace of hate. The second was a grey stallion in rusty metal barding, with a sawed off shotgun at the front doorway but not quite inside. I selected 3 headshots with an 80% chance for the mare, and four to the body of the stallion outside with a 60% chance, since the headshot indicator was below 30%. I triggered the sequence and watched time resume its flow.

The first shot blew the mare's ear off, the second sent part of her head after it and the third drilled through her chin and out the top of her skull as she fell back. I felt the system spin my pistol in my grip to bear on the stallion, as my chest was peppered with buckshot. I winced, but S.A.T.S. had no problems continuing. Two shots impacted the metal armor and drove him back, a third went through his fetlock in a bloody spray, making him jump back further in pain, out into the street.

The earth pony gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, swinging the shotgun to bear as S.A.T.S. ended and I was open. He was far enough away this probably wouldn't be lethal, but it was gonna hurt. I dove to the side then totally missed my footing, as I saw a pink beam lance out and turn the pony to ash before he could pull the trigger. I landed in a heap on the dirty floor, panting, that went well...

"Hello out there?!" somepony shouted from towards the museum, "If you're friendly reveal yourself! We could use a hoof in here!"

I crept toward the front door and peeked around the corner, waving a hoof out the door, "Friendly! Definitely friendly! Don't shoot!" I shouted back, staring at the drifting pile of ash in the street, gulping to myself.

More ash piles surrounded a charred and smoking cart and the double doors to the large brick museum building. Colorful bunting and banners hung on the face of it, framing a balcony over the doors, where a light green earth pony with a dark green mane, wearing a strange outfit, sat holding a magical energy rifle. He had it braced on the railing, pointing down at the street, but not directly at me at least. The pony had been wounded repeatedly, bandages of varying ages wound around his limbs and neck, his brown overcoat and jaunty hat were stained and scorched. He looked at me wearily, with an expression of mixed surprise, hope, skepticism and just plain exhaustion in his brown eyes.

"I don't know who you are stranger, but thank you... I know you don't have any reason to help, but there are ponies in here that need it, foals and elderly. Those raiders breached the building already and are pushing us back, we can't hold on long. Please... we're in a bad way stranger, we need help," the tired pony implored wearily.

Even if I wasn't on a mission from a Princess, that would have been enough. He asked for help, there were foals and old ponies in there being attacked by these.. 'raiders' he said. Yes, that described this kind of pony well. I thought back to the heap of foal skeletons in the diner of 111 and felt that ember flare again, stepping out into the street.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help, Princess Jade sent me!" I shouted up and started galloping for the doors and reloading the pistol, "I'll be right there, just hang on!"

The stallion cocked an eyebrow and looked me over for a moment, "Who..." he started, before snapping his head back to the door behind him, hearing something back inside. "Nevermind, we'll do all we can in here, just hurry please and... thank you stranger, no matter what happens, thank you."

I nodded up and threw the doors open, rolling into the room beyond with righteous fury burning in me.

The museum was a wreck, but familiar enough I recognized the layout. The museum had been celebrating Nightmare Night coming up a week after the bombs fell and was still decorated for the occasion. Banners showing the mare in the moon fluttered sadly on the walls. A few dead ponies were strewn about the entryway, beyond the counter to the right where you paid for entry. One was dressed similar to the stallion on the balcony, a buck dressed in dirty prewar rags and several raiders. Luckily, the room was unoccupied otherwise, all the action was happening in the upper levels, where I could hear movement and talking.

I slipped forward, giving the combatant corpses a quick once over for ammo since one of them had another 10mm pistol. I quietly added the rounds and stood to the side of the doorway leading to the main hall and peeked out. The main floor had collapsed down into the basement, where a small lake had formed from the leaks of steady rain all afternoon. Down in the pit, a cracked and molding statue of Princess Luna rose from the water sadly, her horn and left wing broken and part of the detritus below. Emergency lighting flickered on the walls, lighting the place enough to see by.

The second floor of the main room was surrounded by ruined walkways. Parts of the floor and railing had fallen away to the basement, but it seemed solid enough since there were... five red marks on E.F.S. milling around, some of which I could hear up there. A few more were scattered around the building and a clump of five or six green friendly marks were practically on top of me, the Eyes Forward Sparkle could be clearer on elevation of targets...

From my position, I could see a clump of three red marks to the right. They were clustered around a heavy door on the upper level, leading to the front of the second level where the balcony was. One pounded away at an attached terminal, while another was wiring together a series of metal apples? Explosives... great... that security door wouldn't hold them back for long one way or the other, and I wouldn't have time to get there. I levitated the newly acquired rifle out of my bags and checked it over. I was sure I could take two out before they knew what was happening, the third I wasn't sure of and it would only take one to use that makeshift bomb. Better if it went off now, while they were working on it at a desk away from the door. That wasn't a bad thought actually...

I floated out two of the molotovs I had taken from the raiders at the Red Rocket. Using firebombs in a ruined old building didn't seem like the best idea... But the place was musty and saturated from the storm, it probably wouldn't burn down around me... probably. I brought the bottles up to my face and concentrated. I wasn't the most magically adept pony out there but I did have some magic other than telekinesis to pull out. The simple spark spell I normally used for repairs and charging spark batteries flickered out, igniting the rags coming from the bottlenecks. I floated them out with me through the door, tossing them in an arc towards the clump of raiders on the second floor and dashing for the stairs.

I heard a fwoosh! of flame and screams as I slipped upstairs, followed by a resounding boom that shook the building. Crouching up the stairs as they turned and led up to the second level, I looked across the void of the great room below. Most of the security door room was a smoking wreck, but the place hadn't burst into flames. Two raiders had started running towards the damage, looking for the ponies that were shredded in the explosion, I readied the rifle as they came into view...

S.A.T.S. gave me good odds even at this distance with the rifle, I used half the charge for one shot center mass each for the two raiders I could see and I gave approval for the sequence. The first shot was perfect, right through the orange raider's leather armor and side, slamming him into the wall of the hallway he was running down. The next drilled into the flank of the second raider, causing them to stumble and roll to the ground, before firing wildly in my direction with the pipe pistol held in their red magic.

The distance was too great and the weapon too poor for anything but a lucky shot, so I steadied the rifle and lined up a headshot manually. I barely caught sight of the round blowing a hole through his jaw, when a tire iron bashed into my muzzle, sending me reeling and stumbling back down the stairs, tasting blood.

The raider who had slipped out of the rooms to my left followed up ferociously, leaping from the top of the stairs after me. My reflexes were just good enough to let me roll out of the way as he sailed past. Skidding to a halt, he spun back to me, the tire iron still in his mouth ready to follow up. I fired the last round in the rifle from the flank, no time to line up a shot properly. The .308 round punched through his neck and he stumbled against the wall of the landing, splashing it with his blood before clamping a hoof to it.

He was still up though and went to advance on me, I could hear more coming from upstairs behind me and went with the safer direction. Leaping from my perch halfway up the stairs, I swung the rifle in a flat arc and connected with the pink stallion's temple, dropping him like a sack of apples.

I dropped the rifle immediately and pulled the 10mm, diving for the turn in the stairs as two more raiders charged after me. The first was too enraged to exercise any caution and at his range I didn't need S.A.T.S. Three rounds stitched their way up from his chest, through his neck and ending with the last round puncturing his skull right below his horn.

The second was smarter, a metal apple came bouncing down the stairs and as I scrambled to get away, the world disappeared in a roar. I was sent flying through the main room, landing in the flooded basement with a splash. My right flank burned and bled with shrapnel as I pushed up from the water desperately, gasping as I broke the surface. Looming over me was the dark stone statue of Princess Luna, looking down sadly at me. Stains dripped down her muzzle like tears. The grenade tossing raider was charging down the stairs, while I flopped onto a broken slab of floor at a good enough angle to climb out.

The pistol had flown from my magical grip with the explosion, so I floated Best Served out and gripped it in my mouth. Fighting through the pain, holding on to the memory of the dead of Stable 111 to keep that internal fire burning, I charged up the ramp. The raider fired wildly as I ducked and dodged after scrambling back up to the ground floor. I felt a couple .38 rounds stitch my side as I darted to the right, then spun and closed the remaining distance, running by him in one motion. The blade ripped through his side in a fan of blood and gore, where the hell did Fork's get this thing?! I stopped just past him and bucked behind me for all I was worth, sending him for a swim in the basement and grabbing my pistol back in my magic, finding where it had landed nearby.

Rearmed, I darted to a nearby open door, away from suppressing fire from above and dodged to the right once past the doorway. Skidding to a halt, I floated out a healing potion, chugging it down and panting from exertion as it mended the damage I was racking up. I was fast enough to do some serious damage myself, but I didn't have the endurance to keep it up long. I tugged on the door with my magic, slamming it shut just as another grenade bounced off its surface and back into the main room.It exploded with a resounding boom that knocked dust from the rafters, followed by screams and shouts. The raiders were at least reluctant to keep pushing now and were regrouping, but that wasn't so good as I looked around the room with only one exit...

The walls were adorned with posters of the Ministry of Morale head, Ministry Mare Pinkie Pie. A large, slightly disturbing poster of the pink mare with the poofy pink mane peeking down in delight with big blue eyes, from behind the legend; "Pinkie Pie is Watching You- Forever!" hung as the primary decoration. Creepy... I remembered Pinkie was my favorite Ministry Mare as a foal, she seemed so happy and was always throwing parties for good little fillies and colts. She ran a whole ministry of parties for Luna's sake! Looking at this room as an adult though... I felt sad for Pinkie Pie.

Faded and limp balloons of all colors hung from the ceiling, tattered bunting and streamers stretched across the ceiling and down the corners, rotting confetti covered the floor. Pictures and news clippings of Minister Pinkie Pie from a filly in Ponyville, to the slightly manic looking older mare I remembered hung all around the room. A display stand in the center of the room held a replica of her Element of Harmony in the place of honor in the center. Two other stands to either end of the room held a Sprite-Bot and a large, brightly colored tube on wheels.

Gasping while the healing potion did what it could, I listened to the raiders shuffling around in the great room behind me through the hole filled wall. I remembered this exhibit now... I wanted to see it, for Nightmare Night they told the whole story of Nightmare Moon. The center room outside was supposed to be for the Luna exhibit, while the side rooms were to hold exhibits on the Ministry Mares who defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna.

I crept forward painfully towards the sprite-bot stand, whispering to it. "Watcher! Watcher! Come on... don't tell me this thing's just a replica! Dammit I need some help here!" the metal ball sat silently on its' stand, no help at all. I turned away and walked to the weird tube thing, looking for anything I could use somehow, I read the plaque on the stand that held it. "Party Cannon" I made out, the rest was covered in green corrosion. A cannon that shoots parties? Well... the operative word here was "cannon". I looked over the strange device in desperation, as I heard the raiders regroup and prepare to come after me.

A machine is a machine. Even one that seems to completely defy the rules of reality like this could be tinkered with, my repair-pony skills were all I had to fall back on right now. I pulled my tools and crawled under the bulky thing, fiddling with its' strange candy colored components, while the apparent leader of the raiders shouted from the main room outside.

"Alright in there, I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you have done considerable damage little pony! You are gonna pay in blood you hear me!? Why'd you stick your fucking muzzle into our business anyway? I'm curious before I kill you! Who in the name of Celestia's twat are you anyway!?" he yelled from the other side of the door in fury.

A clump of four remaining red dashes milled in front of the door and I smiled, thinking of my little Shrouded Stallion figure in my bag. "Me? Why I'm the Shrouded Stallion evildoer! I have come to punish you wicked ponies for your despicable ways!" I shouted from beneath the cannon. I figured out the bizarre internals of the party cannon and made some adjustments, turning an unobtrusive knob all the way to a handwritten number "11" past the normal printed range of the gauge.

There was a raucous laughter from the other side of the door as I wheeled the party cannon around to face it, "Is that so? The Shroud himself? Come on, you've been listening to that radio nonsense too long, he's some kinda nut boys!" the raider leader laughed outside.

I grinned sitting behind the cannon and shouted back with my best Shroud impression. "No, I'm a shadow of justice rising from the night! Luna's champion bringing blood and retribution to you dastardly fools. I have laid your followers low with fire and steel and I am coming for you. Look below you, you presume to defile this place! You DARE behave this way in front of her holy image!!! REPENT NOW OR FACE THE FURY OF THE NIGHT PRINCESS!" I roared, wow, that was pretty good, I believed it myself.

It had the desired effect anyway, I heard them murmuring to themselves in concern. Either I was a nut who just went through a goodly number of their friends for no reason, or I was some kind of supernatural killer from the past. Either way they paused a moment while I waited, catching my breath.

Finally, the leader tried to exert some control over the situation. "Shut up all of you! He's some fucking lunatic who listened to too much radio! Shroud ain't real, just some story from before the war! That's one pony in there, trapped in a room by himself!" he screamed.

"If that's all I am evildoer, by all means you should have no fears facing me..." I added, flicking his pride and playing up their doubts.

"Oh that is it! Prepare to die you little shit! Come on move!!" the leader screeched and all four charged the door, bucking it open and into splinters, then freezing in place as they spotted me.

I smiled from behind the party cannon, "Surprise!" I shouted and yanked on the candy cane striped lever on the side of the device.

The room exploded in a fanfare of trumpets and a flurry of confetti and balloons, a shockwave of cakes and presents blasted all four ponies in the doorway, across the great room outside and plastered them to the far wall. I ducked out from behind the smoldering remains of the cannon, drawing the 10mm and casually lining up my shots, as they groaned senselessly. I fired one point blank headshot for each, stopping at the last... The colt was dirty and bloody, bedraggled white mane over a raw and scratched purple coat, he had a cutie mark of a steaming apple pie of all things and it couldn't have been on his flank long. His pink eyes looked up in terror, at me... terror of me... I don't know how he ended up with these monsters, but I couldn't kill him like the others.

"The Shroud offers you another chance kid, I suggest you take it and leave. Be better than... this," I intoned darkly, looming over him and staring him in the eye, pulling his short combat knife away and tossing it aside. Gibbering, he extracted himself from a Pinkie Pie party turned up to eleven and bolted for the door, wailing into the night. I looked down to the broken statue of Luna and nodded. "Watch over him Goddess Luna, help him be a better pony, please.." I prayed fervently.

I looked around carefully, checking my Eyes Forward Sparkle. Five green dashes and nothing else... good. I dragged myself back to the stairs and started climbing slowly, everything hurt, but I had made it. I trudged around the walkway upstairs, rifling through the fallen raider's possessions, collecting ammo as I went. Finally, I shuffled through the smoldering room before the security door, standing in front of it and knocking passively.

A click of locking relays later, the big steel door creaked open and I was staring at the brown eyes of the stallion from the balcony looking out in awe, "Holy hell kid... Where'd you come from?" he asked in a whisper.

I sighed and held out a hoof, "I'm from here... I've just been gone awhile. You wouldn't believe me. Hi there, I'm Fast Times, Princess Jade sent me to help so... here I am."

He just shook his head and tipped his funny tan hat up, "Preston Gardens, last of the Minutemares. Pleased to meet you Fast. Now who's this Princess?"

New Perk Added!-------------

A Little Dash-
--Play to your strengths! While wearing light armor or no armor, you run 20% faster. As an added bonus you gain +5% bonus to sneak in dark conditions when wearing no armor thanks to your colors.

Reputation Change--------

Minutemares- Neutral
You've met the last Minutemare and pulled him out of the fire, he's not sure what to think yet but owes you a debt of gratitude.

Followers of the Apocalypse- Neutral
You've met a Follower of the Apocalypse, even if you don't know it. It may have been a short conversation, but you made an impression anyway!

Author's Notes:

Thanks as always to Kkat and the community around FOE, amazed at the wealth of wonderful stories available.