I awoke to a bright light beating down on me. Hoofsteps echoed in the room as a pony ran back and forth. As I turned to face them something twisted inside me and I gasped in pain. I glanced down to see the stone horn protruding from my side. Shit.

“Ah conscious,” Gale said as he waved a hoof in front of my face. “More or less anyway. Here’s the situation, I can’t give you a healing potion till we get that out.” He tapped the stone horn gently. “It broke in two, I’ll pull out the base then go digging for any debris, wouldn’t want any of those fusing with your internal organs. Then I have the pleasure of pulling the other half through. To sweeten the deal we’re on a time limit, internal bleeding and all.”

His words sounded distant. I looked over without turning my body to see Gale gathering medical equipment on a tray.

Cages filled with radroaches and bloatsprites were stacked in one corner of the a room. The words “Just a copy - GET THE ORIGINAL” was written on the wall in blood. Scattered below me were parts of mutilated insects, manticores, and ponies. Dear Luna, this must be the table where the necromancer created his experiments!

“Wait-” My mouth filled with the taste of iron and blood spewed out. Gale came over and started to strap me down. I attempted to struggle but the manticore poison was in full effect.

“I have good news and bad news,” Gale said as he finished restraining me.

All I could manage was a whimper.

“I had to use all our sedatives to make a improvised antidote to the manticore poison. Now I can move so I can operate on you… without anesthetic.”

“Good. News?” I had to take a breath for each word.

Gale raised an eyebrow. “Oh, sorry I misspoke, bad news for you, good news for me.” Gale’s devilish grin appeared. What does he mean by that?

“Well time's a factor.” Gale grabbed the base of the horn with his magic and pulled. I screamed as my body spasmed. The warmth that pooled inside me flooded away, replaced with an ever growing chill.

Gale’s grin grew wider as he levitated tools over to keep the wound open. I could feel him digging inside me, pushing and pulling my insides as he removed chunks of stone. My screams flowed as freely as my tears and were only interrupted by coughs of never ending blood. The pain suddenly dulled, and the chill worked its way throughout my body as my vision darkened. What a shitty way to die...

“Ardent!” Gale yelled as he slapped me. The darkness receded as I focused on Gale, despite his toothy grin he looked… worried.

“Don’t die on me Ardent,” he said. “Pain means you’re alive. Focus on the pain, there'll be plenty of it.” He wrapped the blood caked horn in magic and pulled. It was terrible advice, but with no alternative… I clenched my jaw as the horn ripped it's way out, grinding against my insides as it moved. Gale gave a final tug and I couldn't contain my screams as the exit wound tore to make room. With the horn removed Gale dove his instruments inside.

“Done.” Gale floated healing potions over. A liquid pooled at the back of my throat, and I managed one swallow before my consciousness slipped. The concerned look from Gale was burned into my memory. He won’t let me die.

I awoke to the sound of rain pattering against the roof of a small tent. Every nerve in my body throbbed with a dull ache, it felt like my body wasn't my own. I struggled to move my leg and took a sharp breath as I was rewarded with wave of pain. I clenched my jaw until the low throb returned. Without moving a muscle I glanced at my side and let out a breath of relief. Medical bandages wrapped around my side with no sign of a horn sticking out. I think this is probably my most pleasant awakening with Elpis so far.

Voices murmured from somewhere outside the tent. I sank into my trance to amplify my hearing so I could listen in.

“I need a refill on medical supplies,” Gale said.

“Grenades for me,” Nibble pleaded.

Clover grunted as he tapped away on his Pip-Buck. “Nibble what did you find on the terminal?”

I could practically hear her shudder. “Detailed notes on the necromancer's experiments. I wiped it clean.”

“What was all that shit about a page?” Mangle asked.

“There was a weird photo,” Nibble replied with a slight hitch in her voice. “It was, in zebra, I think, but it doesn’t matter.”

There was a pause before Clover spoke, “Gale, explain Ardent’s condition.”

“What do you mean?”

“How is he alive?”

“Oh that,” Gale said. “My medical expertise would say... luck. The manticore poison kept the pain at bay, and the horn didn’t hit anything vital.”

Clover scoffed.

“How could you be mad?” Nibble said. “He saved our lives, Clover!”

“I had it covered,” Clover replied calmly, “and luck like that doesn’t last.”

My focus shattered as fear wrenched me from my trance. He's right. I can’t afford to be careless. They aren’t training me with radroaches and raiders, I've been tossed into the major leagues.

“That's all the credit you are giving him?!” Nibble yelled past the storm.

“He is useless without that Pip-Buck!” Clover yelled back. “He killed a defenseless unicorn who burned all his magic on us.”

I killed him? I had never killed another pony before. Does it even count... I was unconscious when it happened. The conversation grew quiet so I re-entered my trance.

“You know it might not be luck,” Nibble said viciously.

“Meaning?” Clover said.

“In the mall he did something... strange. He-”

“So, what lesson have we learned?” said a raspy voice in the distance. I frantically searched for the source of the voice, and locked on to where it came from. It was outside of the tent, in the rain. I let my senses return to normal, took a deep breath, and ignored the pain as I got up. Time to find out if I'm crazy.

I stumbled out of my tent and dragged myself off in the direction of the voice. Rain drenched my coat and mane, the bandages grew heavy as they soaked up the water. My legs shook and threatened to give out with each step.

“You’re looking worse for wear,” the voice said. It sounded close, but even with my eyes adjusting to the dark I couldn't see past the veil of rain.

“All thanks to Clover,” I called out, not sure what direction to face. “He would have been okay with somepony offing me to take my place.”

“What about the others?”

Gale’s concerned look flashed in my mind. As easily as Clover was willing to throw my life away Gale tried just as hard to save it.

“I've no idea about Mangle. Nibble has always thought I belong and apparently Gale sees something in me worth saving.”

“You must be doing something right,” the direction of the voice seemed to move around.

“Not me,” I sighed “The Pip-Buck is responsible for everything I've done so far.”

“Come now, give yourself a little credit, I doubt your Pip-Buck freed you from that statue.”

A shiver worked its way through my spine, partially from the memory of being shiskababed, but mostly from how the voice had such intimate knowledge. I must be insane. That or it was there.

“To acquire Clover’s approval you need to become an irreplaceable tool,” said the voice in a dry voice. “But you should aim higher. Make Clover care, make them all care, become their friend.”

“A friend?” I chuckled in disbelief. Yup, definitely going crazy. Dust never fostered the concept of friends, there were ponies willing to let you help them for things in return or ponies who kept to themselves.

“I don’t know anything about friends,” I scoffed and scoured the darkness until my eyes locked on two pink dots, my body froze.

“Clearly.” The voice came from the pink dots. “Since you’ve failed to notice you’ve made two already.”

I couldn't speak or move, not from fear or shock, it felt like something held me in place. A flash of lightning lit up the sky and the pink dots disappeared, with their absence I could move again.

“What are you doing out here?” I spun around to see Clover staring down at me.

When I met his gaze I felt a scowl forming. This Pegasus was willing to leave me dead and recruit the very pony who murdered me. I thought back to how Mangle escaped the levitation spell. If I was stronger, more prepared, maybe I wouldn't have been so easily discarded. It's not Clover’s fault I'm weak. I looked away before Clover could see my expression.

“I thought I heard something,” I replied.

“I don’t see anything.” Clover looked out into the darkness. “Get back to bed.”

“Understood,” I replied and headed back to my tent. I glanced back to Clover. He had a stern look as he stared into the darkness, searching for something.

I slept for what felt like days, only waking in a daze when Gale came in with food or fresh bandages. I awoke one morning with clarity, my body no longer ached, if anything it felt renewed.

My tent door peeled open and Nibble peeked her head in. “How you holding up?”

“Better than I would have thought for being impaled,” I said.

Nibble stepped in but paused as she caught sight of the apple sized scar on my side.

“Gale said even with healing potions its permanent, not that I mind a bald spot, or two.” I shrugged. The scar on my other side had shrunken to the size of cap after the potion had worked its magic.

Nibble smiled but she still looked worried. “I got you a get well soon present.” She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a magazine with the title “The Big Book of Boom!” She held it out and watched me expectantly.

I searched my memories for the word ‘present’ but came up with nothing. “A what?”

“It's a gift,” Nibble said leaning in a bit more.

I could only give her a confused look as I failed to understand the word.

Nibble raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? A gift, a present, those things you get for your birthday.”

“Oh, a bonus. That's what Shot Chaser calls it; A reward for being a loyal and hardworking employee.”

“N… no, you don't need to work for a gift. Here I'll show you.” She placed the magazine into my hoof. “Here Ardent, I got you a gift.”

I shifted my gaze between the magazine and Nibble. “So do I ‘gift’ you some caps or something?”

Nibble groaned and rubbed at her temple. “No, it doesn't cost anything.”

It’s free? The only times things were free was when another pony found no value in it and even then they normally tried to pawn it off for a few caps. Maybe it's like the lock picking device and she didn't have a use for it anymore. The only other example that came to mind was the first time I met Ditzy. Had that been a gift, wasn't it only a ghoul thing?

Clover pulled open the tent door. “Pack up, we’ve wasted enough time here.” He stomped away to inform the others.

“Ardent,” Nibble said in a whisper as she stared at the ground. “About Clover. I… I know he can seem cold hearted, and he is, but he can do good, has done good, he saved me, and he's saved others, but he's also done horrible things, made me do horrible things.” Nibble fell to her haunches and hugged herself. “But his end goal, it'll be worth it, so if you could just forgive him, and move past what happened-”

“I already have,” I said causing Nibble look up in surprise with red rimmed eyes. “You're all so amazing, and I'm... not. I can't blame Clover just because I couldn't defend myself. I don't have any useful skills, but with this.” I raised my leg with the Pip-Buck. “I bet I can help, and maybe one day I’ll be as strong as all of you.”

“You're stronger than you think.” Nibble gave a genuine smile and laughed. “You have such an odd way of seeing things.”

“Do I?” I suppose growing up in a town with only a few dozen ponies could do that. Maybe it was time to start learning more about things like friends and presents, no matter how odd they might be.

I got up with minimal effort and opened the magazine. I spent a few moments on each page so it was easy to read from memory later. This way I could accept the gift and let Nibble keep the magazine since they were worth a fair amount. I never understood why ponies liked having the physical copy so much.

I finished and handed back the magazine. “Thanks.”

Nibble groaned in frustration as I left.

“Where are we headed?’ I asked leaning over the driver’s seat.

Clover glanced at me. “Does it matter?”

I tilted my head.

“If I told you, what could you possibly offer,” he said with annoyance. “Would you know a contact there, the layout of the place, its main source of trade, or would you just have a dozen more questions that I don't care to answer?”

I swallowed as Clover's eyes narrowed on me. He flicked his ear and returned his focus to steering.

I trudged to my spot in the back of the caravan. Nibble stopped me and plugged an extension on her Pip-Buck into mine and the screen flicked over to the overview map of Equestria. A way point showed up over a town called Furlong. I mouthed a thank you to Nibble and found my seat.

Clover had been right though, I knew nothing about the town. I scrolled through all the map markers already unlocked, I barely knew any of them, and everything I knew was second hoof from Shot Chaser or traders.

I flicked on my radio to DJ Pon3’s station, music played through the speaker. Clover called back to have me turn it off or plug in the ear bud, I chose the latter. After a few songs DJ Pon3’s voice came on.

“Good morning children. It’s another grey day in Equestria and I have some unfortunate news. After a long hiatus Pandora’s Children are back, which is bad news for everypony. In case you have poor memory Pandora’s Children had the numbers to overrun Equestria not but two years ago. Fortunately their leader retired early starting a massive civil war inside the group. It appears that war is now over. They have been raiding more frequently and with purpose, so be sure to travel fully loaded my little ponies.

“I have an update on that group with the large metal contraption. Turns out the group is from Jib, the town Elpis decimated. They are pissed and looking for some good old fashion revenge YEE HAW! Oh and the metal contraption they are traveling with is the very weapon Elpis was looking for. This is DJ Pon3 reminding you that you reap what you sow. Now back to Sweetie Belle!”

Well shit. I pulled out the ear bud and looked over the others. Was Jib one of those terrible things Clover has done? Nibble had an ear bud and refused to look my way, I assumed because she heard the same new report. I looked over the side of the caravan.

Just what kind of group could Elpis be? So far they seemed... balanced. I had always imagined the battle at Jib to be Elpis against an armed town with defenses, but what if it was more like New Appleloosa? They only had a few guards, the rest were shopkeepers, civilians, children...

Certainly they weren’t on the level of Pandora’s Children. Shot Chaser had plenty to say about that lot, even had a few run ins with them in his stories. They never cared about casualties, especially their own, from the sounds of it they just wanted everypony dead. Maybe comparing Elpis to a group of genocidal psychopaths isn’t the best benchmark.

Strange movements off in the distance caught my eye. I steadied myself and focused in on it. Something moved underground causing a trail of dust.

“Hey Gale. What’s that?” I said pointing to the dust cloud.

Gale got up. “Ardent you can’t bother me every time you see something ne-” His eyes went wide. “Clover we got a quarry eel!”

“Mangle get in the caravan!” Clover ordered as he turned the caravan away from the dust cloud.

“The fuck's going on?” Mangle said as she jumped in.

Clover ignored the question. “Nibble set up- Ardent set up the rocket launcher, Nibble check if you have anything else that might work on a quarry eel.”

The atmosphere shifted dramatically as Elpis went into mission mode.

“Do you remember how to set up PM3?” Nibble said.

I nodded. “Of course, who forgets things so easily?” She motioned where the legs should go. The dust clouds from the quarry eel started to close in.

“We are gonna try to out run it first.” Clover called back. My heart skipped a beat. Something Clover wants to run from?

“Melody, allons-y!” Clover said as he flicked the reins. The brahmin, apparently named Melody, started to gallop. With each step she tore into the cracked earth. I closed my eyes until they adjusted to the wind resistance from our new speed.

I gathered the pieces of PM3 and replayed the memory. When I finished I saw Clover eyeing me. That's unnerving. Nibble plugged in the power generator and started to pump. Despite our increase in speed the dust cloud was still catching up.

“So what’s a quarry eel?” I asked Gale. He smiled.

Gale sat Mangle and me down in front of a chalk board. What is- Where’d the chalk board come from?

“You see,” Gale began “After the megaspells hit the radiation changed creatures in Equestria. The changes are obvious. Bloatsprites use to be a annoying creature called a parasprite.” Gale drew crude images of the creature on the board. “They were pests but they were never hostile to ponies. Radroaches use to be the size of a bit. What is truly terrifying is the effect radiation had on already dangerous creatures-

“I think you mean taint,” I interrupted. “Taint is normally responsible for physical mutations.”

“How would you know?”

“Shot Chaser told me.”

Gale rolled his eyes. “Noted. As I was saying, one of these creatures is the quarry eel. Before it was a large snake like creature with sharp teeth that dug holes in the sides of mountains and waited for prey to approach. When prey came by, it could push itself out at alarming speeds to devour whatever creature was foolish enough to pass by.

“‘Taint’ turned these already hostile monsters into the stuff of nightmares.” Gale drew a image of a quarry eel, exaggerating the size of the teeth. “The ‘taint’ caused them to grow larger and have thicker hides. They gained the ability to bore through the ground instead of just making a hole. Also, for some strangely consistent reason, it caused the creature to have larger and sharper teeth.” He drew arrows pointing at the teeth. “Chances of surviving an encounter with a quarry eel are extremely slim.”

My ears dropped. “But we're going to be okay, right?” Gale shrugged and let the piece of chalk drop to the ground.

“Clover this is all I have,” Nibble said petting PM3 like a pet. “Two shots left but were only going to get off one, she’ll flip the caravan.”

Clover gave a nod.

Gale had abandoned the chalkboard and calmly prepared medical supplies.

“How are you not panicking right now?” I asked, my voice breaking.

“I am,” he replied normally, “but honestly there's nothing I can do but get ready for the aftermath. The only two ponies in our party who can hurt that thing are Nibble and Mangle. Why focus on what I can’t do?” I looked to Mangle who was staring intently at the ever enclosing dust cloud.

Mangle has something that matches a specially modded rocket launcher? Nibble had the rocket launcher ready to go and targeted the eel. The monster made its way to the side of the caravan.

“Brace yourselves!” Clover called out. I grabbed onto the side of the caravan. The dust clouds disappeared for a moment before a giant creature burst out of the earth. It had a dark purple hide with bulbous eyes, and an enormous mouth with rows of razor sharp teeth. I need to apologize to Gale, his image was not exaggerated. It launched itself into the air angling to come down right on top of us, mouth first.

Nibble swung to aim at the creature and with a crazed smile hit the launch button. Rockets went flying into the air exploding on the side of the eel's face. There was a shower of blood, flesh, and fire. The explosion had shattered the bottom row of teeth and ripped away a good portion of flesh revealing part of its jaw.

The kick back of the rocket launcher caused the caravan to flip just as Nibble warned, sending us all airborne. The force of the explosion pushed the eel off its original trajectory, causing it to land and bite into Melody. Before I hit the ground I saw a spray of blood escape the brahmin and the eel slip back into the earth.

A sharp pain sank into my back before I hit the ground. I landed on my side sliding back aways before coming to a stop, my leather armor protected me from most of the scrapes.

I got up and glanced at my back, a broken piece of eel tooth jutted out. I looked around, the others were getting up as well. No teeth in them, of course.

“Follow me!” Clover boomed as he took flight, leading us away from the quarry eel.

As we ran Nibble called up to Clover, “What now?”

The dust cloud re-appeared showing up near the tipped caravan. We had gained some distance.

Clover flew ahead of us and landed, he turned to face the quarry eel. “We are Elpis.” The others picked up their pace and fell in line with Clover. “Individually we are feared.” I caught up and joined the ranks. Clover gave me a nod. “Together there is nothing that can stand against us!”

Mangle smiled as she brought her fore hooves up and slammed her power hooves together. The weapons fused forming to be what looked like a mini cannon.

The dust clouds approached then disappeared like last time. I looked to the others and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. All of them were focused, unyielding, ready to take on anything. Is this what it means to be a member of Elpis? The surge of energy worked its way throughout my body and all my fears disappeared. I stomped my hoof and widened my stance.

There was a pause but no creature emerged, instead a loud clang echoed out of nowhere. The noise was unexpected, as was the ground collapsing underneath us.

I opened my eyes to see a large bulbous eye staring back at me.

I yelped and backpedaled until hitting something solid behind me. I turned to run when a pony grabbed me.

“Easy there Ardent. It's dead.” Gale said and let go of me. I turned back to verify that it was in fact dead, which was pretty apparent since its face looked like a crushed tin can. Blood poured out of the quarry eel, filling the area with the smell of death.

“What did that?” I asked.

Clover landed in front of me with a smirk. “A Stable door.” He motioned to the large door with a giant nine on it that had been torn off its hinges. It had a massive dent and was splattered in blood. “Looks like our quarry eel was nice enough to open the door to a Stable and dig us a path directly back to our caravan. Elpis time for a scavenging mission.”

Footnote: No level up