What is a courier?

I’ve been asked that a few times myself. I just told them that a courier is like a post mare. We just deliver stuff all over the region. Then they ask, ‘Is it something you are forced in or is it a choice?’ That question I have heard oh-so many times. What is a courier? We are ponies that risk our lives to the Wasteland just about every day. We battle the harshness of the Wasteland. We fight our way through creatures and monsters. Raiders, slavers and gangers. Even the occasional brain bots that find their way out. A courier goes through the stress and heartache if they fail the job. When they get captured by slavers or raiders, most don’t have the skills to escape because they believe that as a courier, you just deliver a letter or a package and get paid for it.

Well, let me tell you about the little ponies of Stable 50. Stable 50 was designed to open after 200 years of being locked. When the stable was opened, the ponies inside were greeted by the RCE. The RCE offered protection while the ponies of Stable 50 built what is now known as Pleasant Town. For a while, it was a successful trade town. But then, when a lone pony came to the town 50 years ago, like a ghost from the Wasteland itself, the town was suffering a crises from raiders. The town asked if this ghost was willing to handle the raiders, but he just stated, ‘I’m a courier.’ Feeling as if the town was doomed, this courier went out of his way and did the town justice by not only getting rid of the raiders, but managing to free the missing colts and fillies that were going to be shipped off to the slaver leader by the name of Jackal Hide. This courier eventually retired to Pleasant Town and founded the Crystal Express.

What is a courier? Are we around to follow the example of this certain courier? Are we really patrons of the Wasteland meant to lend ponies in need aid? I can tell you that answer. No, we are not following the example of that courier. We make it our sole duty to help ponies in need by delivering, not going in and fixing town troubles. Nothing big, nothing else. I guess you can say that we are ghosts. We come when needed but disappear as soon as we finish our job.

What is a courier? We are nothing more than ghosts. Ghosts that when provoked, act out against evil. But, passive if left alone. Couriers are nothing more than ghosts just delivering letters and packages.

Deciding to travel early in the morning, we decided to cash in the caps Comp made with the slaver salvage and rented a room for the night. I didn’t like the idea of sleeping with a recipient and a pony that is labeled as a “package”. But what do I know? I’m just a courier. Staring out into the snow tattered street from the third floor window of our room, I couldn’t help but replay Chester’s and Sukuji’s riddle. What did it meant? ‘Mark my words, tis the devil you hear.’ Who is this devil? It can’t be some pony good. Well no duh? Anything with devil in it is evil, period. I looked at the horned pony on my shoulder. If you ask me, you shouldn’t really bother with that nonsense. It’s all zebra talk anyway. But what if it isn’t? I sighed and shook my head. There has to be some sort of trick going on. I mean, how is it that Chester’s warning was replayed by a zebra from the Legion? Then, I went on to the next line. ‘For you shall know true fear.’

The only thing that scared me was the tale of the headless horse that my mom decided to tell me before going to bed. It was just as traumatizing as with the stuffed pony head. Everything else? No way. I’m a courier. And a courier should never be afraid. If you are, you are swallowed by the Wasteland, never to be the same pony again. But, fear isn’t all that bad. I looked to the winged pony on my other shoulder.

“Then what do you think?” I said out loud.

“Pardon?” I looked to Brick and flushed.

“Oh, sorry, was just talking to myself.” I said pulling my hood down further. Brick and Comp exchanged glances.

“Maybe schizophrenia?” Comp said with a shrug. I glared at the colt who shrunk back at my expression. “Just, you know, a thought.” I snorted before looking back out the window. I watched the traders down below like little tiny ants. Some pony must have been hard at work freeing trade routes. My caps were on the RCE. About time those lazy asses did something useful for once. I, for one, didn’t approve of the way RCE handled trade routes. I feel as if they are abusing their power on the road and get free trade with caravans. I saw them as shoot first then ask questions. Pretty much nothing more than organized raiders in the sense. I also had a sneaky suspicion that some of them are aiding gangers as well. I could picture Bull Horn shaking hooves with the RCE president and allowing them to claim their own turf. Feeling bored, I put my ear bloom in and switched on the radio. Octavia was playing. I sat on my haunches and just listened to the notes rising and falling. It was a sad song. I could feel the sorrow flowing out of the grey pony as she slid the bow back and forth. I swayed a little to the notes, humming softly along.

Music is nice. I always felt at ease with music. The melody finally finished and New Pegas’s voice forced me to wince.

“And that is all for music and news, listeners. This is New Pegas signing off. But before I go, I must thank each and every one of you ponies for ‘fighting the good fight’ as a friend of mine once said. Speaking of which, tomorrow morning I hope you all tune in to hear the latest interview with special guest star, DJ Pon3 and the lovely Mrs. Velvet Remedy. Goodnight, folks.” I switched off the radio and held my breath in. Velvet Remedy and DJ Pon3 coming to Las Pegasus themselves? I’ve heard rumors that Velvet was the Stable Dweller’s medic and best friend. Both of them being from a stable themselves. And more importantly, why is DJ Pon3 coming to the north? Okay, take one moment and stop. You are pretty much filling up the plate with questions that are totally unnecessary. I have to agree. You should really focus on the matter at hand. Too many unanswered questions can drive a pony mad. I shook away the ponies on my shoulder and groaned.

‘I guess so. I should probably get some sleep. We have to get up bright and early.’ I froze.

“Turn back, Courier.” I could see myself running down the cracked road. I closed my eyes.

‘No, I can’t! I don’t want to! I have to keep going. I’m not afraid of anything!’ I reassured myself. I looked over to Comp and Brick quietly sleeping soundly on the bed. I looked back out the window and gapped. ‘No way… couldn’t he be…’ I saw Lyon standing on the roof of the building across from us, his face hidden under the straw hat. His duster flapped in the wind. I swallowed. ‘He’s here! I have to try again! I can’t fail this time.’ I looked back to the sleeping duo before quietly opening the window and sliding out onto the stairs outside. Closing it, I made my way up to the roof. Reaching the edge of the roof, I met my gaze with Lyon’s. We stared at each other for a good long moment. What was he thinking? Why is he here? Is he trying to tell me something? He suddenly pulled his hat down and turned.

“Wait!” I called out. I conjured two of my copies and positioned them with their hooves out stretched. I trotted back a little and took a deep breath. I galloped forward. Jumping, I brought my knees in and my two copies heaved me across. I felt the vertigo, but I ignored it. I landed on the roof and rolled to avoid tripping. As I stood, I saw Lyon gallop off and jump to the next building. “Lyon!” I called out. I galloped and jumped to the next building. Why was he running? What was it he wanted me to find? Was he really just showing me something or is he just running away from me? I couldn’t let him escape. I had to bring him home! As I landed, I suddenly felt my body spasm. I took a moment and shook off the shock. I looked down to see a faded rune beneath me. He was trying to slow me down. I smirked. Not gonna happen!

Now fully aware of Lyon’s trap, I could see more runes as I jumped from building to building, following close on his tail. Now I was mimicking his movement. When he jumped, I jumped where he had jumped. When he ducked under a pipe, I followed suite. Reading his movements, I could tell he was doing his best to try and shake me. Closing in, I tried biting at his duster to stop him. But he shifted slightly and I missed.

“Lyon please! Stop!” I growled, more frustrated that I keep missing his duster. I saw him smirk. In a blink of an eye, he had vanished. I skidded to a halt and looked back, darting my eyes to see where he had gone. The only way he could have gone was down. We had just jumped over a building when he vanished. I trotted over and looked down into the ally way. I saw him dart behind a corner. ‘You’re not getting away this time!’ I jumped down into the ally, landing inside a dumpster. Shaking the garbage off, I hopped out and galloped to where he had gone. Turning the corner, I came into a clearing. It was a sandlot. I trotted to the middle of the lot and looked around. The lot exited three ways. One way was where I had just entered and the other two forked out to the corners. I checked my EFS and noticed red bars around me.

“Man, you are so annoying to get rid of.” A voice said behind me. I turned and saw Lyon step out of the shadows. When I looked closer, I could see that it really wasn’t Lyon. My eyes widened as the unknown stallion removed the straw hat and grinned at me. And it wasn’t a friendly grin. I bristled.

“What is going on?” I growled. As the stallion stepped forward, more ponies appeared out of the shadows.

“Well, as long as you are here, might as well have a little fun then.” The grey stallion said. My magic hovered over my shotgun as I darted my eyes. I counted six ponies. Two with sawed-off shotguns. One with a baseball bat. Another with a chain and the last two (including the stallion grinning at me) had 10mm pistols. “You were right, Bud. Disguising as her missing brother? Pure genius.” A mare cackled next to him. My heart beat into my ears. I felt my breath shuddering.

“So you’re the infamous Courier Sixteen. The one that New Pegas keeps talking about.” The grinning stallion said to me as he discarded the duster and hat revealing leather armor. I noticed an insignia on his head.

“You’re a ganger?” I asked trying to steady my breathing. My eye started throbbing. He nodded.

“You bet your sweet ass, if I do say so myself.” The others whooped in agreement. I just ignored them and focused onto the stallion grinning at me.

“How dare you…” I muttered. He blinked and leaned his ear in.

“Come again?” he asked mockingly.

“How dare you!” I shouted making him wince and rub his ear.

“Hey, hey, no need to get so worked up.” He laughed. He then motioned to the mares with the baseball bat and the chain. They grinned wickedly and circled me.

“We heard all about Route 15. How you got Bull Horn and Razor to come a truce.” Baseball Bat hissed.

“Most of the gangs didn’t approve of that.” Chain Whip said. I felt it really hard to breath.

‘These fuckers are going to pay for toying with me.’ I thought to myself. I looked up and grinned from under my hood. The ponies backed away when they saw three of me.

“W-what the hell is this?” the mare next to the stallion stammered. “The hell, Bud? You didn’t mention she could conjure copies!” The stallion, Bud, combed his groomed blonde mane and smiled.

“Don’t worry about. It’s not like they are real anyway.” He said so sure of himself. I smirked.

“Wanna try them?” I hissed. The two copies I had made quickly pulled out the shotguns on their backs and fired. Chain Whip was smart and ducked, but the pony behind her and Baseball Bat had both their heads blown off. Before the rest could retaliate, I entered S.A.T.S. I targeted the pony with the sawed-off shotgun. Thankfully, my copy had blown the head of the one with the other sawed-off behind Chain Whip. I fired four rounds into her head. She gurgled as he face exploded into giblets. Chain Whip came up and lashed out at one of my copies. Striking me across the face, the copy vanished. My other copy followed up and swung the butt of the shotgun to Chain Whips face, only to have Chain Whip step to the side and bring the chain down onto my copy’s back. I quickly entered S.A.T.S. again and focused on the mare with the 10mm pistol. I fired two rounds into both her forelegs. She screamed in pain as her legs flew through the air and landed in front of the baffled Bud. Chain Whip came up and tied the chain around my neck. I gagged as she pulled me to my hind legs. I struggled to keep myself awake.

“Die, you bitch!” Chain Whip chuckled and pulled more. No, I can’t die here! I have to keep going forward! I have a job to complete! I shifted my body weight and fell to my hooves. With all my might I bucked Chain Whip over my shoulder and the chain came loose. I fell to the ground, coughing for air as Chain Whip managed to get back on her hooves. She brought the chain around across my cheek, making me groan in pain and spiral to the snow. I tasted blood in my mouth as I tried getting up. Chain Whip was on me and continued to lash down on my back. I screamed as my back started to burn.

“You like that, don’t you, bitch?” She laughed as she brought the chain down again. I attempted to get back to my hooves when Chain Whip strafed me and brought the chain under my hooves. She pulled back and I went with the chain. With my hooves hogtied, Chain Whip proceeded to pummel my face with her hooves. I can’t die here! I can’t! Come on, Courier! Live! With a painful groan, I tried conjuring a copy, but the mare was intent on pummeling me that my magic would pop every time she brought a hoof down. She finally stopped and grinned down at me. I gasped for breath, only to spit out blood in the process. My back stung and my face felt numb.

“Well then, I guess we made the message clear.” Bud said as he levitated out his pistol and sighed.

“Wished it didn’t have to come to this, but if you mess with the gangs ever again, Father Pride will make sure that you don’t walk out alive again.” He turned and motioned for the mare to follow.

“Serves you right, bitch!” the mare leered. She spat in my face and trotted off after the stallion. I laid there all alone. My face started stinging now. My eye continued to throb, but then stopped.

I’m alive.

By some miracle I was alive. Karma gave me a break and had beaten a warning into me. I guess I did kind of deserved this. All those years of being anonymous. Gone. And for what? Only to have some gangers trick me into beating a warning into me. I’m a courier. I don’t need to be a hero. I deserved this. This was my mistake for sabotaging my own work and played into being a hero. Taking a moment to calm myself, I wiggled my hooves around. Finally getting the chain untied around me, I shakily stood and shook off the snow. Looking over to the four of the six I had killed, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed with myself. Why did I decide to fight this? I could have escaped. All I had to do was use that moment of surprise when I conjured my copies and gallop down one of the exits. I felt alienated. Like I wasn’t myself anymore. I limped out of the lot and made my way down the street. I thought back to the chase on the roof. Bud had disguised himself as my brother and led me to a beating. The next question that came to my mind. How did he know what my brother looked like? Had my brother come into contact with this Father Pride? A panicking thought came to mind next. Had this gang dug into my family history?

The ponies on my shoulders seemed to disagree. Unlikely. If they had, they would realize your family’s history of being infamous for unintentional reasons. But, what if that was the point of that confrontation? They had beaten me to a pulp and gave me that warning to stay out of gang business. I agreed with the winged pony. Pssh, please. If we weren’t trying to be all gung-ho about the whole thing, we wouldn’t have gotten into this mess. The horned pony maybe on to something. But still, we did right by helping those ponies. Yeah, only to get ambushed and beaten for our trouble. Okay, now they were starting to give me a headache.

“How about we shut up and just get some sleep.” I said out loud. Yeah, we’ve certainly learned our lesson. If we had the upper hand, we could have taken those guys on. But, then we would be even more infamous. This Bud character seemed important. And this Father Pride sounds like he belongs to The Family. The Family…

The Family is a well-known and feared gang group in the north. Run by three heads, the gang owns practically half of Las Pegasus. They pretty much ruled the Strip. Having to come out of their way to beat into a warning meant they wanted me to stay out of gang affairs. Yes, The Family is also the top dog of the gangs. But being top dog, the three heads had different views on how the Empire and the Strip should be run. The White Hoof Society ranged from aristocratic ponies that wear cult like masquerade masks to butlers and maids. They treated the citizens of the Wasteland with welled manner greetings and feign it to their enemies. They worked more like assassins, poisoning the drinks of rambunctious gang members and ignorantly insult and bully the poor. Then you have the Omaretas. Run by mob boss daughter to King Pin IV, they work with the inspiration of the mafia. Lastly, there is The Pride. As you can guess from the name, they own the outer areas of Las Pegasus. Mainly working in the night, they are nothing more than rowdy meat heads just trying to cause trouble to ponies walking on their turf.

But the list doesn’t stop there. Underneath The Family, you have the major gangs of the Wasteland, Bull Horn and Feather Tail for example, and branching off into other smaller gangs. It was like after the Empire fell, ponies decided to take over most of the north and created gangs. If one of the heads of The Family went out of their way to beat a warning into me, then I was going to follow it. Like I said, me and my siblings work under notoriety. I’m just a courier, not some wanna-be hero. Finally reaching the hotel we were staying at, I was surprised and a little annoyed to see a familiar grinning mask tapping his hooves on the ground in some sort of dance. As I passed by, he stopped and I winced.

“Oh! Ohohohoh, Sixteen! Sixteen! You are not going to believe what I heard!” Chester said, clapping his hooves together. I sighed and looked back at him.

“What do you want, Five?” I growled, not in the mood to be bothered by the freakiest pony in existence. He continued his little hoof dance, then cocked his head.

“Oh? What happened to your pretty little face? You should definitely get that fixed, yes indeedy.” He sang. I wiped some stray blood from my mouth and pulled my hood down further, hoping it would hide the cuts and bruises. ]

“I tripped.” I said, hoping that he would buy my bluff. I felt relived as it seemed to work.

“Oh, clumsy you! You should really watch where you are going, yes you should.” He suddenly stopped and crouched low on his hooves and moved his head left and right, as if trying to see if somepony was listening. “Come closer, I need to tell you a secret.” I arched a brow.

“Look, Five, I don’t have time for this. I’m tired and sore and…” I stopped and groaned. “What I really need is a damn drink!” Chester seemed to ignore me as he waved his hoof for me to lean in. I gave a defeated sigh and leaned in.

“Closer.” He said. I did. “Closer.” I was now staring eye to eye with the grinning white mask. “Now listen, for this is very important secret. You must tell no pony, none at all.”

“Get on with it, Five.” I hissed. He looked left. He looked right. Then he leaned in to my ear and whispered.

“The Stable Dweller is awake.” He whispered. I balked, but not in surprise. “Oh yes.” Chester said.

“No way.” I said with a gasp.

“Yes indeedy! She is awake and is here in the Empire!” he sang.

“You’re serious?” I gaped. He nodded furiously.

“Wow that is the most…” Wait for it. I watched as Chester seemed to freeze with anticipation. “The most wasted five minutes of my life.” I finished flatly. He didn’t seem fazed by it.

“Oh, such a glorious moment! After twelve years, she has finally awoken! We are saved. Saved I tell you!” he cheered. He started spinning and twirling, laughing gleefully down the street. Karma, please put a bullet in my head. I quickly snuck back into the room from the window and was relieved to see Brick and Comp were still sleeping. I quietly trotted into the bathroom and threw my hood off. I sighed as I saw the bruises and cuts all over my face. That mare certainly did a number on me. I went over to my saddle bag and drank a health potion and watched in the mirror as the cuts mended but the bruises stayed. I looked at my back and saw minor tears into my duster. I could faintly see blood from the cuts that were left behind.

‘Great, I have to get my barding patched up again.’ I glanced at the time on my PipBuck. It was 3 in the morning. I looked back at the two sleeping on the bed. I strapped on my saddle bag and adjusting my shotgun over my back, I trotted towards the door.

“Courier?” I looked back to see Comp half asleep. “What’s going on, Courier?” I pulled my hood down and gave him my best smile I could manage.

“I’m just going down the market street. When you guys wake up, meet me by the eastern gate. The earlier, the better.” I said. Comp nodded and went back to sleep. Now I truly smiled. He kinda reminded me of Stall when he was his age. I trotted out of the hotel. Before continuing, I made sure my hood was hiding my face before trotting down the street.

The street was still lively as it was when we had entered Stableton. Now I was curious. Why was the street becoming more crowded? I pushed my way through the crowd. Finally reaching the armor dealer booth, I fell to my face as I came out of the crowd.

“Well, look who’s back.” The mare behind the booth said. I peeked out from under my hood and saw her smirking down at me. Helping me up and dusting me off I gave a sheepish smile.

“Listen, about earlier.” I began. She held up a hoof and smiled.

“I must apologize for that. I was under a lot of stress. Ponies keep coming in and giving me their barding. I was surprised that most of them were only minor tears.” She rubbed her chin and shrugged. “Well no biggie. As long as they keep bringing their barding, I keep making caps.” She looked me over. “Speaking of which.” I rubbed the back of my head and gave a small nervous laugh.

“Err yeah… I uh… got into a fight.” I said. She shook her head.

“Girl, I made the barding so it can withstand fire, not hooves or chains.” She used her magic and I was lifted up as she slipped my duster off of me and folded it. She gave me another look over. “Well hell, you really took a beating.” I flushed and rubbed my foreleg, wincing as I brushed a bruise. She sighed. “You couriers are always getting into trouble. Aren’t ya’ll supposed to just deliver packages?” she trotted behind the booth and pulled out some scraps of leather and silk.

“Well, some of us do dealings with shady characters.” I said. She snorted as she began patching my duster.

“Is that why you look like hell?” she asked flatly. I stiffened.

“Well… I’m not sure to be honest.” I said lamely. “Well… you ever hear the name Father Pride?” From her grim look, I took that as a yes.

“Well, shit. You must have done something big to catch the attention of The Family.” She said. I could see the winged pony give a triumphant cheer.

“So, what about the name, Bud?” I asked. She flipped my duster over before putting it back down and patching the tears.

“That sneaky dog? Why he’s a no good dirt bag is what he is.” She said. Damn straight, sister! I glared at the horned pony who shrugged.

“So you know Bud?” I pressed on. She nodded.

“I used to be in The Family before cashing in and opening my own business.” I gapped at her, who gave me a nod in return. “I was The Family’s head armor dealer. My most “prized customers” were Bud and his gang. They would always come in, ask for free repair, which I refused to give, paid me and went off to go get into more trouble.” She snorted. “Maybe the reason I left was because he was running me dry on materials.”

“Or that he was a no good dirt bag?” I smirked. She nickered and nodded.

“That too.” She finally lifted up my duster for me to examine. I was in awe.

“Wow, it looks brand new!” I marveled as I took it in my own magic and examined it. Not a single indication of my barding being torn. The mare smiled at me and knocked her hoof on the table.

“I take pride in my own work.” She said. I levitated out my caps and gave them to her. She happily dumped them in her own bag.

“I can respect that.” I said as I threw my duster over me and strapped in the buckles before finally throwing my hood over my head. She arched a brow at me.

“Are you a vampony or something?” I cocked my head. “I always see you wear your hood. So I figure you a vampony.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

“No, nothing like that. I guess you can say it’s a habit I’ve acquired over the years of being a courier.” The mare chuckled.

“Now don’t be shy now. Whenever you come to Stableton, be sure and stop by to see Sunny Spring. I am open from 3 in the mornin’ to 10 at night.” I smiled and nodded before trotting back into the crowd. I checked my inventory and frowned. I only had three drums left for my gun and was alarmingly low on health potions. I headed over to the arms dealer not too far away from Sunny Spring’s armor booth. I told the mare what I needed and waited. I felt someone tap my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder and saw a familiar groomed stallion with the white checkered suite and white fedora.

“Hey, baby, nice to see a friendly face around here.” He said with that charming smile. I said nothing and stared blankly at him. He reached into his suite and pulled out a pocket watch, checking it before putting it back and looking back at me. “So, I hear you’ve been mugged by The Family. Tough luck.” He rubbed his chin. “You know, I always thought Father Pride was up to something. Just never knew what. But hey, I’m not one to cross lines.”

“Bucky, was it?” I asked. He blinked. Then smiled and brushed his suite.

“The one and only. Manager of Barrel Roulette Hotel in Las Pegasus and the most handsome stallion ever to walk in the Omaretas.” He said.

“So, you’re Omareta? That explains the get up.” I said flatly. He could clearly tell his charm wasn’t working on me, but he just smiled and tipped his fedora.

“So, what’s a head doing out here in the Empire? I thought your lot worked down the Strip.” I asked. I had to know now. Why were gangs from the Suite wandering around the Empire? He chuckled before continuing.

“Top secret business, baby. Don’t worry about it.” He said. There was a minor pause before he continued. “I ah… couldn’t help but notice the sixteen on your back.” My magic hovered over my shotgun now. If this was going one way, I’ll make it another way. Now hold up! Don’t repeat what happened earlier. Remember? Anonymous? She’s right. I eased up a little, but I considered my options for escape if it did go one way.

“It’s my courier number.” I said calmly.

“Oh yeah! You’re the talk of the Wasteland now.” Bucky said. “You delivered my message?” I shook my head. “I see. Well, no rush, baby. It’ll get there when it gets there, eh?” Then he leaned in. “You know, me and the boys can deal with The Family in lowering your notoriety.” I stiffened. Lowering my notoriety with The Family? Sign me up! Wait… there must be some sort of catch. This almost sounds too good to be true. I thought back to earlier. It angered me so much when Bud had disguised himself as my brother. And the fact that he copied the look so well meant something. I narrowed my eyes at Bucky. “I know what you’re thinking.” He said shrugging. “Something like this is too good to be true. You’re probably wondering what the catch is.” I had a sneaky suspicion that Bud and Bucky were related. I said nothing as he continued. “Well let me tell you, doll, you’re good friend Bucky here only asks that you lend a hoof to the Omaretas in Las Pegasus.”

“Pass.” I said flatly and casually. He arched a brow at my quick reply. Then I followed up my answer. “I’m a courier. I don’t work gangs. I do deliveries.” He tipped his fedora before speaking.

“I see. Well, it’s just a thought. We aren’t forcing it on you. But hey, when you are in Las Pegasus, stop by the hotel. The offer will still be there for you.” He said as the mare returned with my ammunition and health potions. I stuffed the drums into my ammo bag and the potions into a separate bag. Okay, this might be good for me. If I get my notoriety lowered, I can stay being an everyday courier and still work how I always work. But to do that, I am supposed to aid the Omaretas, which was a big turn off for the deal. The Omaretas were part of The Family. Aiding them might increase more notoriety. Probably not from The Family, but from other gangs. I certainly didn’t want that. But when Bucky offered it, he made it sound like it wasn’t that big of a job. I will have to think about this more.

“I’ll think about it.” I said trotting pass Bucky.

“Well, ring-a-ding-ding baby. Al Capony will be glad to hear that.” He said. I arched my brow at the name as I left the stallion behind. Al Capony? I thought King Pin’s daughter was running the Omaretas? Well, no matter. The offer is still standing. And it’ll be a couple of days before reaching Las Pegasus, so there is plenty of time to come up with an answer. In the back of my mind, I knew I was going to regret this.

I checked my PipBuck’s time. It was now 9 am. I tapped my hoof and looked around.

‘Where are they?’ I thought to myself. I had told Comp to meet me by the eastern gate. Earlier the better. I looked up again. Still no sign of them. I bit my lip. I couldn’t just up and leave them. They were part of the deliveries I needed to make. This is why I don’t want ponies to be my deliveries. I was beginning to fume a little. I hadn’t gotten any sleep and my body was still sore from that mare beating me. Not only that, I had been sober for three days now. I could feel my brain slowly process the area around me. What the hell was taking those two so long? I checked my EFS. Only a few blue bars and a couple of red bars that I assumed were just Radroaches. Feeling more agitated and bored, I put the ear bloom on and switched on the radio. I was greeted with a male voice that wasn’t New Pegas.

“…that’s right, children. Your own, DJ Pon3 is hear live with my good friends, New Pegas and Velvet Remedy herself.” The voice I now knew was DJ Pon3’s said.

“Yes, we are happy to hear that your trip here went very well.” The familiar voice of New Pegas said. “Now, my lovely listeners, we have got some news for you and I am happy to share it along with my good and dearest friend, DJ Pon3.”

“Alright then, let’s get started!” DJ Pon3 said. “Now first off, I would like to say how honored I am to be here in the glorious vice city, Las Pegasus. What do you think about it, Vel?” My ears perked up as I heard the sweet voice of Velvet Remedy answer.

“Oh yes, I was surprised when I saw how lively everything was. I could tell my husband was dying to try one of those slot machines.” Velvet Remedy said. I had forgotten she was married. Oh well, it was still exciting to hear my favorite singer over the radio.

“So, Pon3, lovely Remedy. I have been told that you are well acquainted with the Equestrian Wasteland hero, The Stable Dweller as you call her. Is that correct?” New Pegas asked.

“You bet NP. Which brings us to our first set of news. That’s right children! The Equestrian Wasteland’s own hero, The Light Bringer, The Stable Dweller and my very own toaster repair pony, is here in the Strip!” DJ Pon3 said. I frowned.

“I see. I hope this Stable Dweller enjoys her stay here in the glorious vice city as she works to bring the good fight to our own troubles.” New Pegas said.

“Speaking of which, I couldn’t help but hear that the Empire has its own hero.” DJ Pon3 said. Now I was really frowning.

“Yes. We in fact have a hero, who rose to calm the hornets’ nest on Route 15 and get two big time gangers to come to a truce. She practically ran into all the chaos and came out to cause a victory for traders and caravans alike. Then, she proceeded to fight the good fight by freeing an entire settlement of enslaved farm ponies.” New Pegas said.

“And pray tell the name of this hero?” Velvet Remedy’s voice asked. My heart beat rapidly.

“Some call her Courier Sixteen, but I say she is our Savior of the Roads.” New Pegas said with apparent pride in his voice. I groaned. Savior of the Roads? For Goddesses sake, I’m just a courier!

“She must be a very brave pony to go through so much for the Empire.” Velvet Remedy said. My heart skipped a beat. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

“And she’s a courier to boot! I hear the Strip and Empire are home to brave couriers that go through hell and back just to deliver a loved one’s letter to another.” DJ Pon3 said. I facehoofed. They were making it sound like being a courier is a good thing. Now, I was getting really annoyed. I vowed quietly to myself that when I reach Las Pegasus, I’m hunting down both DJ Pon3 and New Pegas and get them to quit calling me a hero. Probably at gunpoint if I have to.

“Well then, let’s finish off the news with some activity from the RCE.” New Pegas said. “The RCE have finally and successfully secured Little Tail Heights, thanks to our Savior of the Roads, and have begun to search for any raiders in the nearby area. Lastly, RCE president has declared that he will be arriving within a couple weeks to give his speech to the brave ponies of the Shining Armor Dam. And that does it for the news today. Why don’t you finish it off, Pon3?”

“With pleasure. Thanks for listening, children! This is DJ Pon3 with special guest me and Velvet Remedy bringing you the truth, no matter how bad it hurts.” DJ Pon3 said.

“And a pleasure for you two being here this morning with me. That’s it for the news. Let’s kick off your morning with Sweetie Bell’s Hush Now, Quiet Now.” I turned off the radio and groaned even more. I was starting to have a lot of mixed feelings. First off, I was tired. I hadn’t gotten any sleep at all yesterday. Second, I was grumpy that I had got beaten by a pony who belonged to The Family. Next, I was feeling very stupid due to going sober for three days straight. Then, I was feeling happy to hear my favorite singer speak of me under the new identity ‘Savior of the Roads’. Finally, I was fuming that Comp and Brick hadn’t shown up yet. I pulled my hood down further and sighed. Before I could even ponder on how I should feel now, I sensed as if somepony was watching me. Raising my head slightly, I was startled to see a floating metal bug in front of me. I jumped back and pointed my enchanted shotgun at the thing, making it float back a bit in surprise. I calmed my heart beat and cocked my head.

“A Spritebot? I thought those were only down east and west?” I said to myself out loud.

“Actually, there are some that are around here but are so tricky to find.” A garbled metal voice replied. Now, I pointed my gun straight at the bot. My heart was thumping. Damn, that scared the hell out of me. “Whoa, whoa, don’t shoot! It’s okay, I’m friendly.” The bot said. I said nothing and gave it a blank look in return. “Are you Courier Sixteen?” I jabbed my gun at the bot making it bounce away slightly.

“Now tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you, now that you ask?” I said coldly. Was this some sort of set up? How could I know this thing is friendly? It could be The Family making sure I’m not causing trouble.

“Easy now. Don’t get so shooty.” The voice garbled. “I’m not here to spy on you or anything. I just want to talk.” I eased a bit, but still pointed my gun at it. “So you are Courier Sixteen, right? The Savior of the Road?” I groaned as he asked that.

“Why can’t you, DJ Pon3 and New Pegas knock that shit off? I’m a courier, not some wanna-be hero! I didn’t ask to be praised let alone given that damn nickname. It’s already gotten me into trouble with The Family already.” I snapped. My eye started throbbing and I hissed in pain.

“Wow, already infamous with The Family.” the voice said.

“I didn’t ask for it!” I shouted as I jabbed my gun at it making it bounce again. “My whole life me and my siblings work so hard to meet ends and just be happy. We made it our duty to get our job done and stay under notoriety. But no, I get a couple of gangs to come to a truce, free myself and some slaves, which I hadn’t known was an entire settlement of farm ponies, and it all goes to shit!” I began pacing. “I can’t tell if Karma is setting me up for something or what. But it’s not good for me. I work hard and proud of my job. Why aren’t other couriers getting the attention!?” I growled.

“Well, that’s because most couriers don’t do what you have done.” The garbled voice said.

“Oh yeah? So I’m the only one that gets noticed for it? If I recall, there was also another pony with me that pretty much locked the deal, so to speak.” I hissed as my eye started throbbing more.

“Most ponies don’t leave the fate of two lives into each other’s hands like you had.” I narrowed my eyes at the spritebot.

“Just who the hell are you?” I said.

“Just call me Watcher. I’m a good friend with the Stable Dweller.” The voice said.

“Watcher huh? Well, since you’re good friends with the Wasteland hero, why don’t you tell her that she made a big mistake?” I said.

“What do you mean?” Watcher asked.

“I’m sure you heard the interview with New Pegas and DJ Pon3. In fact, DJ Pon3 just sealed the deal himself. It’s not wise to announce your presence to an entire city that is run by ruthless gangs. I mean, look at what happened to me.” I threw my hood off, revealing the bruises on my face. “Thanks to New Pegas giving me the praise I didn’t want, I was ambushed by The Family.” I threw my hood back over my head and adjusted it. “I want to stay as far under gang notoriety. I don’t want to deal with gang affairs.” I looked back at Watcher. “Tell The Stable Dweller that she better turn back now. I can almost guarantee you that she will be in danger.”

“LittlePip can handle herself.” Watcher said. LittlePip? I arched a brow at the spritebot.

“Listen Watcher, I’m the middle eldest child of four courier siblings. We all have done deals with gang heads and what not. I’m telling you to get the Stable Dweller back out of here. This place isn’t for heroes.” I said. There was a brief silence before Watcher spoke.

“I see. I’m sorry to hear that. But you know one thing? The Stable Dweller can overcome any obstacle in her wake. She knows she can because she has the one thing that most ponies don’t have.” I gave him a blank look. “Friends.” I said nothing. “Friends that she can rely on. Friends that she knows will be there for her as she does to them. They look out for each other. Friends, Sixteen. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Friends huh? Of course the Stable Dweller has friends. I’m pretty sure the Stable Dweller has loads of friends. Tons even! But me?

“I’ve tried, Watcher. But they always toss me away in the end.” I said.

“Well then, keep trying.” He replied. I jabbed my shotgun against the metal ball reminding him that if he pushes any more buttons it’s bye-bye bot brains. Watcher sighed. “I can see that your trust in ponies is slim. But you have to know, Sixteen. There are ponies out there that you can trust. In fact, you know some already.”

“Yeah, my family. They are the only ones who don’t toss me away.” I said. Watcher chuckled a bit.

“So stubborn. You kinda remind me of a pony I know from so long ago.” The spritebot suddenly popped and swing jazz music began playing as it bobbed away down the town road. I noticed Brick and Comp rounding the corner as Watcher vanished. The two trotted up to me and Brick gave a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about being late.” He said. I rubbed my face. I felt very tired and confused.

“Whatever, let’s just go.” I said as we walked to the gate.

“Friends, Sixteen. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I’ve ran this by me several times. Watcher had made it pretty clear that I needed to make friends. But he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I’ve been through. I won’t be used as a tool again. We were making our way down Route 5. We would have to reach Tipson as our resting point. Then from there, we make our way northeast along Sentry River and rest again at Wheatfield Acres. Comp trotted next to me and tipped his head to look up at me from under my hood.

“Are you okay, Courier?” he asked. I pulled my hood down.

“Why do you keep asking? I said I’m fine.” I replied.

“Well, it just looks like you haven’t gotten any sleep.” He said. Gee, I wonder why. Oh yeah! I was tricked into thinking Lyon was in Stabelton only to get mugged in the end. I sighed.

“Yes, I haven’t slept at all yesterday.” I said. “I also haven’t had a drink in three days. So now I’m feeling stupid as well too.” Comp nickered.

“So what’s your poison?” he asked.

“Ranger Whisky.” I blinked and arched a brow at the colt. “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. Just figure I might try some myself.” He said.

“What? You can’t! You’re too young to even be drinking.” I balked.

“Who says I can’t?” he retorted.

“Well, take it from some pony who drank early in her age. Trust me, as much as it is tasty, it doesn’t mean to serve any good purpose.” I stopped in my tracks and gapped. “Oh Goddesses, I really am sober.”

“You sound horrified by the thought.” Brick nickered. I groaned.

“I really need a drink…”

Footnote: Level Up!
Survival (50)