“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

Bil Keane

"And so it begins." Kosh Babylon Five.

The sounds of a book opening and being set on a desk, a pen writing on a sheet of paper in the book.

“Time of death 8:00 in the morning on June 18th. Thirty years after Sunshine and Rainbows. Name of the deceased Ruby Glide. Cause of death. By firing squad reasons by bringing hope to the land. She will be buried in an unmarked grave with two others.”

A stamp goes on the paper titled ‘The NCR’

War, war never changes. There are stories of heroes and villains; some stories show the heroes as powerful beings who could do no wrong. There is no truth to heroes and villains; the real story of both has been so romanticized over the years. When in truth every step a hero makes they leave death and destruction behind them.

Certain groups use pain and destruction to spread their views to anger the minds who scream for pure change. Most call this progress removing the heroes and villains like they’re legends or myths. One of these myths and legends became to be known as the Buzzer or to some the minions of the stars. Her name is Ruby Glide, a species known as a magic eater. Created by a former Alicorn named Majesty a villain but to others around her a hero in their minds. It starts on the island known as Devil's Due.
________________________
It’s been ten years since Star Shooter and she brought peace to our island. It feels like a path of peace. I go through my queen's old brood nest to see if I can find anything remaining to take with me. All I could find though are old exoskeletons of my brother's sisters and my queen. I just focus on the body of my queen.

A gentle cloudy hand lands on my shoulder. I glance behind me at Reaver. The cloud creature who used to work for the queen. He did so much heartless stuff to us and everything he did cause us a great amount of pain. Even though many are willing to give him a chance without the merchant or the queen.

“I am sorry Ruby, it's time to go if you wish to get the final ship of today. They won’t wait any longer and the others are waiting for you.”

A sad buzz comes from my wings. My body feels heavy and everything I did back then bothers me so much. I did awful things in the name of the queen.

____________
Ten years ago Majesty’s throne room.
Majesty tosses so much of her throne room all over the place. She screams anger and pain tears falling down her face.

“How dare they love her more than me?! How dare they show her more respect than they show me. I will show them.”

Reaver floats into the throne room. A group of floating armor guards pulls me in. I scream trying to fight them while they hold me. Majesty stares at Reaver then at me. She chuckles weakly looking right into my eyes.

“I don’t have my powers right now. So I can’t control you my dear Ruby like I would be able to. I have a friend getting me another way.”

Majesty glances into the darkness a lizard wearing a heavy pack comes out of the darkness and he bows to the queen.

“My queen, our master, brought you something to control all of your magic eaters and send them after your foe.”

The merchant opens his bag bringing out a crown.

“This crown will not only fuse to the head of the one you place it on. Even if it’s removed some of the parts will stay within their forehead. They won’t remember much of anything of what happened here. The only way they would remember it is as if they were told by one who is in here.”

Majesty takes the crown laughing loudly.

“Yes, this will show them for not loving me. Who shall be first..”

Majesty stares at me.

“My dear Ruby, I don't wish to force you. But if you wear this crown I promise you nothing will happen to your queen or brood.”

I tried to fight the guards.

“My queen, we have been following your orders for years. You don’t need to force me or my brood to join you in your war. We will fight with you to our deaths.”

Majesty smiles.

“Then why dear Ruby are you fighting the hold of my guards? Could it be that your mind is telling you to say this but your heart says otherwise?”

I buzz angrily trying harder to break through the guards. I can’t do a thing and Majesty laughs softly. She clicks her hoof on the stone. Reaver, The merchant, Majesty, and the guards holding me tightly take me out to the brood nest I was born in. Outside of the brood all my brothers and sisters are chained up and my queen has spears pointed at her neck.

“Now again will you join me peacefully Ruby or do I have to break you?”

I didn’t know what she meant. I stare at my brothers and sisters and my mother. I had no choice but the guards to let go. Majesty comes up to me with the crown. She chuckles softly looking at my nest.

“No loose ends. Kill them all.”

I flew up in horror. Majesty uses her magic to hold me from helping and the guards kill all my brood brothers and sisters including my queen. They then burn the entire brood, destroying every egg inside.

“YOU BITCH!!! They didn’t need to die.”

Majesty shrugs her shoulders forcing the crown on my head and my vision goes dark. All I remember are the screams and the deaths I caused waking up in front of the hero after all was said and done.

_________________
The present.

I come out of the memory shaking my head and looking back at Reaver.

“Tell them I am coming, Reaver. I just can’t forget everything that has happened. I feel the best way for me to forget everything I did ten years ago is to leave and live in the land Star Shooter is from.”

Reaver smiles.

“I may not deserve your kindness after everything, Ruby. If you ever wish to return please remember you’re always welcome here. Thank you for convincing the others to let me out of the bottle after everything.”

I smile or at least I try to smile. My species tend to show emotions differently in how we move our bodies and our wings.

“I did what I could for you Reaver.”

Reaver heads off to the docks to tell the others. I fly into the air flying to the town of Cliffside. I stop in midair to look at the island I was born on. I see so much hardship and rebuilding after the war ten years ago. The fires don’t burn anymore around the castle; many graves litter the area. I am sure there are more on this island.

I close my eyes and I feel it’s time to go. I fly to Cliffside and land down by the docks. I look at my friends, the ones who will be going with me.

“Come on Ruby, we thought you would never leave.”

I look up at Hawk. Hawk is a project creation known as project mech. I don’t know much about the pony she used to be. But I know a lot about the creature she became now. She has no heart and is just a brain in a dome and legs. After getting to know her for the last ten years. I see there is more about her I need to learn.

“I was starting to get worried. I wanted to Roll around to relax but the others told me it would properly cause some problems with the zebras.”

Roll Roll is a creature who is a magic eater like I am. A siege breaker of his kind is very rare these days to be born. Since we aren’t even at war anymore. They’re only born when it’s wartime. Roll Roll has been so much as I have at least he has a family to return to if he ever returns to the island.

“Yes, thank you for coming. This sea air is starting to make my gears stick. Even if this fake skin helps, it causes more problems for me.”

Tick Tock is a former pony of robotic nature. Tick Tock from what she told me about a soldier who ran away from the war of old. She followed the words of a Dr. He told her on this island they will change themselves to be no longer flesh and blood but powerful beings who could live forever and never suffer from sickness again.

And me? I am Ruby Glide. I am known to my species as a worker. I am a magic eater like Roll Roll. I am weaker than him. I can only lift some things and I have a hard exoskeleton that if it gets hit enough could evolve and become stronger.

“All aboard!!”

It was time to go and Glendo the warden hasn't said goodbye yet like he said he would. I am sure he is very busy being the warden of the island. I follow my friends heading to the ship. Hawk's legs hiss and groan while the hydraulics in her legs bend. Roll Roll skitters on the ground with his many legs far behind the mech. Tick Tock walks beside me if I hear close enough I can hear her gears.

We get on the dock of the ship and the anchor gets ready to lift from the water.
“Wait, I am here!!”

We look up into the sky seeing the image of the warden.

“Sorry I am late. I had to help take care of a little issue. I wish I could tell you what you would be getting yourselves into. But I can’t please take care of yourselves and remember you’re always children of this island welcomed to return.”

“Excuse me, we need to get going.”

The warden looks at the griffin lifting a pocket watch.

“I don’t mean to be a bother here. But if we want to get to the docks in Equestria we need to be leaving now before there is too much NCR traffic.”

The warden just waves by to us, turning off the screen in the sky. The crew removes the plank and we get ready to set sail; the wind will take us wherever we go now. A week later while in the middle of the sea we are still about a month to Equestria. A strange window hits us quickly and suddenly vanishes like it was magic. I could sense a little bit of powerful magic.

“Captain, we are off course, can you move us back?”

The captain tries to move the wheel but it's stuck.

“I can't, it's stuck!!”

We hear lightning and it’s raining hard. We see water funneling up into the sky being absorbed by some powerful machine in the sky. We are going right to it.

“Everyone brace yourselves to something if you can!!”

Hawk opens up and cables wrap around the mast to keep her from moving. Roll Roll ties himself to part of the ship so he doesn’t go anywhere and Tick Tock and I go below deck to get ready for whatever is coming.

“We can’t move out of the way!!”

I feel forced to the side of the ship while its spines in the air Tick Tock closes her eyes I close my eyes and we hear the griffin crew scream we hear water splashing I fear they have been tossed overboard.

I feel a sudden change like we have been tossed. I can move some I dizzily. Get back onto the dock to see what is up. I see we are up in the air and I feel a sudden change again like we are falling. We are speeding up to something. I quickly go back inside grabbing a part of a pole.
With a loud smash, the boat is strewn about while I am flown with my friends to an area we have never heard of before. Are we in Equestria? Are we somewhere else? I am not even sure but I know I am in the story of a lifetime. Welcome to my Story.
_____________________________
The book opens again for more writing.

“There are times when you might understand the fate and may understand none of it. But they came and when they did it could have brought a change to bring peace to a land in turmoil or bring more harm to it. It’s a matter of souls and hearts. Can a hero win them or is it always the idea of progress? Welcome to the story of pain-loss heroes and villains. Who will win the battle of winning the hearts?”

The book closes

Footnote:

Ruby Glide

Special:

Strength: 3

Perception: 4

Endurance: 8

Charisma: 5

Intelligence: 3

Agility: 7

Luck: 5

Virtue: Determination: {Determined to prove herself to those around her. Even if it threatens her life.}

The book opens with a pen writing on the pages.

“When they came they fell from the sky in the middle of an endless sea of sand and sun. Sometimes fate is a cruel mistress. We all see fate as something that the path will lead us down. Things did change for good and some for bad. I wish I could tell you what but death awaits us all.

The book closes
___________________

I open my eyes coughing up a great deal of sand. I try to move I can’t with a great deal of weight on my body from the wood of the ship. I hear groaning from the others, none of them are even speaking. I worry about them I cough trying to move. I hear steps in the sand not far from me I look to see a shadow.

“Hello, I am here!!”

I feel the weight lift off me. I see the camels lift the wood off me with their teeth. I buzz nervously looking around while a white camel helps me up. Another camel a black one looks at me. I have a feeling she is their doctor.

“Don’t worry I understand about being nervous. We saw your ship fly out of the sky and hit. Was there anyone else with you?”

I look around buzzing in fear.

“Yes, three others, do you see them?!”

The large white camel holds me in place. I stare into his eyes and he smiles sweetly trying to comfort my heart to make sure I don’t go too crazy. When I finally calm down he looks around nodding at the others with him to look.

“I am known as Pinda, there is no need to panic. We will find your friends. I promise we will do our best.”

I hear a robotic scream and guns firing off seeing Hawk come right out of the sand. She looks around staring at the camels. She gets ready to fire at them then notices me. Her guns go back into her shell while she relaxes.

“Well, this is a fine mess.”

More of the wood moves and Roll Roll rolls out of the large part of the boat rolling on it to break it apart and stomp on it more. He chitters growling deeply looking at the camels who come over to look him over.

“Hawk, Tick Tock are you two okay?”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“I am here to Roll.”

Roll looks at me.

“Yeah I know I don’t care right now. You will always find a way to get your ass out of the fire.”

Those words hit me harder than they should. I get it he cares about me but he cares more about the feelings of Tick Tock and Hawk than me. It could be what happened back during the old battle for Cliffside. I help the camels look and after that Tick Tock comes out of the sand by herself. She shook her body removing the fake skin from her head.

“WHOA!!”

Pinda Exclaimed.

“Wow, you four are impressive.”

I glance at the camels and I am unsure what to think about them. What confuses me though is the land we find ourselves in. Looking down at the desert sand I see fresh grass growing from the water which came with us and soon after it dies.

“What is wrong with this land?”

Pinda glances at me.

“This land has been cursed by Nightmare Moon herself. Back when the rebellion happened she cursed the land to turn it from a pure living jungle to a desert of death. Those before us remember everything about it.”

Do they remember everything about it? How old are these camels? They don’t seem that old at all? I glance at my friends who are talking among themselves.

“What do you mean you remember everything?”

Pinda chuckles.

“Ah, you’re not from this land, excuse me. My species have genetic memory. We remember everything from those who came before us. We need to get going, we can't stay here long or we might get attacked.”

I got confused but I didn’t want to cause any problems. Pinda leads the four of us through the heated land. I look up at the sun. It beats down hard on us. I feel my buggy skin burning looking over at the others.

“This sand and heat screws up the connections to my brain.”

The camels had to help Hawk walk since it was getting harder for them to walk. I wonder if she has to repair herself and the heat is not allowing her to do it. The sand gums up her hydraulics system.

Roll seems to be the only one of us who is not having any problems. He spreads out his bag to bring out his wings to fan himself. Since he can’t fly he uses the wings to cool himself off. Tick Tock uses the large bug as shade since she is having problems herself the skin is making her hotter than normal.

“Wait.”

Pinda makes us stop. He looks around tossing a rock into some soft sand and we see a large creature come out of the sand and fall back into the sand roaring in pain and hunger. Pinda moves us away from the soft sand heading back on another path.

“What in the world was that?!”

I buzz concerned, feeling scared about something like that showing up again and harming me.

“One of the desert dwellers you can communicate with them. But we sadly don’t have the time we need to get out of here before we get attacked by Water Hunters.”

I am confused about water hunters?

“What are Water Hunters?”

Pinda glances back at me.

“To some deadly killers. But to them, they’re what remains of Luna’s lunar rebellion in the past. Since it’s very hard to find water in this desert. They hunt and kill others to steal the water from their bodies.”

I was confused. I was about to ask something else when a horn sounded. We stop looking around and hear more horns. I look around frantically as a camel tosses me a rusted sword. I catch it in my buggy hands holding it tightly with all my buggy hands.

“Bellatores Lunam oppugnate! Aquam caballis nostris opus est!”

A group of ponies in strange robe garb. They charge us. There are many of them holding swords and strange badly made guns. While they fire the badly made guns at us. One of the camels with black fur reaches behind their back pulling out a large staff from behind their backpack. It folds out into a large metal staff and they stab it into the sand.

The camel chants in a tongue I have never heard of before.

“'awh , eashiqat alramala. 'aetini quatak lihazimat hawula' al'aeda'”

Magic runes glow on the staff and her entire body has runes formed on her body. She keeps saying the same words over and over while the ponies get closer. Hawk fires on one of them who gets close to her. Tick Tock quickly jumps around using her body using robotic claws which come out of her skin. Roll rolls into a ball and attacks them with his large body. One gets close to me. I can only see her eyes. Our weapons hit tightly the blade I hold cracks and the anger in the eyes of the creature.

The camel finally finishes the spell. A hand of sand forms from the spell and it grabs many of the group who haven't been harmed by me or by friends. The hand holds them and then buries them into the sand.

“Recepto receptui relinquit vulneratos.”

The group of ponies who aren’t wounded run off leaving the wounded behind. The mare I have been fighting tries to get the upper hoof on me. I quickly bring out my stinger and stab into her side. While I may have stabbed into her she was able to cut into my body. The mare falls paralyzed she is still able to move her head. While she watches the camels kill the others who are left. Hawk stomps on the ones who are left.

I stare at the mare. She looks scared Hawk comes over lifting her foot to stomp on her.

“STOP!!”

I get under the foot to stop Hawk from killing the mare. Hawk lowers her foot while the others come to me to look at the mare. The mare is shaking tears falling from her eyes. I can see she is scared and in fear.

“Misericordia... Misericordia”

I don’t understand her looking at Pinda and the other camels shaking their heads. They don’t seem to understand her. Roll Roll comes back he has blood and gore all over his body. I am sure he enjoyed smashing the poor ponies. Hawk robotically growls.

“What are we going to be like the ponies of old and not kill those who deserve it?!”

Tick Tock comes over to the mare stroking her side.

“It will take me a while to learn her tongue. But I think she is speaking old ponesh words that haven’t been used since the old times. I think she is saying ``Mercy'' if I can understand it correctly, Mercy.”

Hawk stomps on the sand, her temper taking over.

“We aren’t going to forgive a pony who just tried to attack us?! Are we that fucking dumb like Twilight and the others?! You seem to fucking forget Tick Tock I am from the same time you are. The ponies forgive too easily!”

Tick Tock sighs.

“Listen if we kill her like we did the others. We are no better than them. Now Hawk please relax before you blow a connection. I will take care of her and learn to talk with her so I can understand her.”

I stare down at the pony. I was silent and I moved her cloak to look for her cutie mark. I see water spouting out of a hole. Normally ponies name themselves after their cutie marks or their cutie marks can sometimes be formed through the magic from the name they have.

“Tick Tock please ask her this. Is her name Waterspout?”

Tick Tock takes a moment to speak. It’s not clean and it seems some words are a bit confusing but I am sure she can speak to the pony.

“est nomen tuum Waterspout?”

The mare can stand after the venom runs its course all she does is nod, bowing her head in defeat. I look at the camels who talk to each other. Pinda seems to be nodding and they seem to be staring at the mare.

“Nuncne ego servus tuus?”

Tick Tock’s eyes open wide. I am sure she understood the last word she said. She shook her head, her voice box finding it hard to express her view. She grunts more coughing loudly as she feels she can’t speak very easily.

“Nullus amicus tuus, non servus amicus.”

Tick Tock spoke the words and the mare looked at her confused. She looks back at me then back at Tick Tock. The mare relaxes and hugs the robotic mare tightly. Tick looks confused at this and she just holds the poor mare close to her. The poor mare sobs and Tick Tock moves the cloak just a bit. We see the wounds left on the poor mare they’re not fresh.

“She has been whipped”

When I hear this I feel enraged when Pinda comes over nodding and patting the back of the young Water hunter.

“There are some of our kind who can speak to water hunters. We have been told mares are used as breeding fodder and if they refuse that role they get whipped and forced to go on raids. It’s a way of their life, don't be upset about it. You can’t change it unless you prove to them their way of life is wrong. Good luck trying to convince them.”

Hawk sighs Roll Roll pats Hawk's leg. The mech looks down at her friend. She feels relaxed when Roll Roll is around so it’s good she is here. I just stare at the mare confused and upset. Maybe I have no right to be upset?

“Excuse me miss.”

I turn my head to look at Pinda.

“You didn’t tell us your names. I may have heard them over the craziness of the boat and what just happened but could you please refresh our minds?”

I float there buzzing my wings.

“I am Ruby Glide, just a simple magic eater. We are kind of off-course and wanted to find a mare who freed us from the evil of our island. She is in Equestria and from what I can see we are pretty far from Equestria like there is no way to even go there from here.”

Pinda smiles weakly.

“I can’t help you, Ruby. I doubt anyone could help you here. This land is full of poor and weak or the rich trying to control those below. It’s what we have been used to for so long. All I can do is bring you to the town of Hard Rock and you can find yourselves some work there to be useful.”

We follow Pinda and his group to Hard Rock. I look back at the area we came from, this desert is vast. I am worried about what we might find here.

_________________
Hard Rock

A page turns in the book a pen written down on the paper.

“Hard Rock is a city made by ponies. They drilled into a mountainside to protect themselves during their war of destruction. I didn’t know it at the time but when they came they would change the path of the city with their bringing of hope. To those who see this lovely town protecting the gate are camels and deep inside are various stores and a church with a strange golden horseshoe above the door. Deeper in is a bar called Goldie's bar and deeper still is a museum of the Sand walkers and a hospital”

A page turns and more writing.

“In the market, many souls sound off.”

“Fresh fish!!”

One vendor saids showing off their fresh fish from another area of the land. The fish has been dipped in pickle juice to keep its freshness. Another vendor shows their wares of gems and crystals.

“Magic crystals give something to the love of your life. Show them your love and your peace for everything around you.”

One more page is turned.

“Then five strangers found themselves in a town of the dying, the dead, and the depressed. They walk through the very gate to find themselves in a broken-down city of those who are broken. Those with the will to help can start the fires of change or death.”

The book closes.

________

I look around while the others go ahead of me. Pinda stands there waiting while I see a large camel with cybernetics on her body looking at the group walk past. She turns to look at the white camel.

“So we are allowing Water hunters in the village now?”

Pinda stares at the camel.

“We allow you here, Dunewalker. You’re lucky we allow a betrayer like you within our walls.”

Dunewalker laughs.

“You seem to forget Pinda. I didn't do what those before me did. I am just named this because of our species' idea of punishment. Now again am I going to have to double the guard to protect the pony?”

Dunewalker looks down at me snorting.

“A magic eater here?”

I stare at Dunewalker and Pinda looks down at me.

“Do you know what in the world she is?”

Dunewalker laughs.

“Yes I do Pinda you seem to forget many of her kind have come through here. Even though they keep to themselves. I can tell something is odd about this one. This one is a weak pointless shell. Kill her now before she causes us more problems than help.”

Dunewalker walks off to talk to another guard. I notice she lifts her foot to her head like she is listening to someone. She nods, heading to leave. Pinda stays silent for a moment watching her leave. He sighs, shaking his head.

“I am sorry about all that. I tend to forget that many don’t understand how we camels live. Now I got a question for you: are you looking for money to find a ship to lead you and your friends out of here?”

I was confused about everything. I need to make money or whatever to pay for a ship. I take a deep breath sighing.

“Do you know a place I can go to help others then?”

Pinda nods, lifting his paw to a bar called Goldie's bar.

“Down there you will see a bar. In there you might find some looking for others to help them with jobs. I need to get back to my museum and see if I can find others to help me with another journey to get more water.”

Pinda bows his head to me walking off. I look around lost. I am about to fly to the bar but I turn around feeling powerful magic attracting me. I turn to see a door leading into what looks like a church?

I head inside, look around and see a gold mare with the name Mimic below her. She looks like she is healing the sick using these golden horseshoes to bring glory to all around her. I turn to see a camel in a white cloak standing beside me.

“Welcome to the order dear little child. All who come here are lost looking for the glory of the food of order of Mimic. She has done so much for us she brings glory to us with her golden horseshoes and rejoices in her glory!!”

I stare at the camel.
“I am sorry who?”

The camel stares down at me.

“Don’t you want to learn about the glory of Mimic?”

I shook my head.

“I am sorry I just came in here because I felt powerful magic. I am more looking to find a job. I am sorry if I caused any problems coming in here.”

The camel relaxes.

“Oh don’t worry little creature. I can understand not wishing to learn the order of Mimic. Now you’re a magic eater from Devil’s Due are you not?”

I am confused.

“How do you know I am from Devils Due?”

The camel smiles.

“One of us went there many years ago to help the island. I am sure you met the creature. He is a lizard and calls himself the merchant.”

The merchant who caused so many of the problems on the island is from this order? I take a deep breath turning around to fly out. I stop quickly turning back to the camel. I bow to at least the best amount of respect I can.

“Listen, thank you so much for your kindness miss. I may take you up on learning about the order. Right now though I need to find something to do.”

The camel smiles.

“May Mimic’s horseshoes light your path.”

I head back out of the church looking around for the bar. I notice my friends are gone. I haven't seen them since I got here. Then I turn down an area to see a building being put up with Hawk being used to help lift some of the parts of the building to the other workers. Roll is helping by tearing down an old well. Tick Tock and Waterspout are helping dig the new well.

I look up seeing I am right in front of Goldie's bar. I take a deep breath blowing the cool air out of my mouth with a gentle buzz. Heading inside to look around. When I get inside I see it’s just a simple bar. With drinks and food, I look to the stage seeing a mare singing a song.

“Oooo under the moonlight of the desert there is a song in the sand. The rain pours down on us like a soft beer in the night. We swim together to get drunk together.”

I go to the bar to sit on a stool. I am sure the golden camel is the owner of the bar, mixes drinks for the others, and comes up to me.

“Hello Miss, how may I help you?”

I sigh hoping there are some drinks with at least some magic in them. I look at the menu and I just shake my head.

“I would like some water and if you can place some magic within it?”

The camel smiles, pouring some water into a glass. I stare at the water when she places it on the counter. I see bits of blood and strange bugs swimming around in the water. I look up at the camel.

“What in the world is this?”

The camel chuckles.

“That is our water. We don’t have the luxury of fresh water. So to those dying or criminals, we remove their water from their bodies. Some are sick and have some nasty creatures in their body. I am sorry I can’t give you anything fresher.”

I sigh I doubt the bugs will bother me. I took a deep drink and it tasted pretty good. These bugs taste like they have magic inside them. I set the empty glass down looking back at the camel.

“I am looking for some work. Do you have a board to show you have work posted there?”

The camel lifts her paw to the board on the wall near the bar. I head over to look and I see a posting about going into a place called the salt flats. I read up on who I am asked to meet. The name is Yanari. It saids I will give you all the supplies. I just will need to talk to you and see how serious you are with it.

I take the paper off the board flying back to Goldie.

“Excuse me, is the one for this job here?”

Goldie nods pointing her hoof at the back and I see a large turtle creature. The turtle creature looks to be eating a big meal. I take a deep breath and fly over to her looking at the creature. She turns her head to look at me.

“I am here to apply for the job.”

The big turtle looks at me.

“Hmm, you’re a pretty shrimpy creature. Are you willing to go through hell and back to get to what I need?”

I sit at the booth she is in and she clicks her fingers for a waitress to come over.

“Give my friend some food and something to drink. She and I will talk about this job.”

We wait for food and tea to come over before we even start talking about the job. I look around at this place of sin or what others would call a place of sin. The turtle creature pays with a strange currency that looks like coins. Star Shooter told me Equestria pays for goods with bottle caps.

I eat and drink tea to relax my mind. While I wait for the creature to speak to me about what she wishes to do.

“Now before we do anything. I am known as Yanari. What is your name bug creature.”

I look at the turtle. I try to sense if she has any magic in her system. I even use the vision of magic my species have which was somehow given to Star Shooter. To see if this creature has any magic. This turtle creature has no magic well magic I know off I can just tell she is pretty old.

“I am Ruby Glide. My species are known as magic eaters. Most of the time my species don’t have genders or emotions. My brood queen made friends and if my kind makes friends. They gain emotions like love togetherness and gender. I was made a female and my brood queen told me someday I will become a great brood mother.”

Yanari smirks

“Hon I didn’t ask for much. I am happy you’re able to trust a soul you barely know. I have heard of species like you before. Just never had the pleasure to speak to one like you before. Now we shall talk about the job.”

She grabs her bag from her shell, opens it up, and brings out a map. She sets it down. I look at the map of the entire desert. I see the many towns Hard rock, Hard shell, Nirik, Kludgetown, and a place called Hope.

“Now we haven’t been able to find everything in this desert. We know there is a place called Peace Rock and an area only for exiles and many of the desert dwellers have homes they won’t let us find. Now you see these salt flats here?’

I look at the map again, nodding.

“I see it, what about it?”

Yanari smirks.

“There are old stories of a building deep in the salt flats. It holds fresh pure water. Water is so pure that it was built to protect the water and to keep it clean and pure. It was built to keep the water protected just in case the end happened like it during the war.”

I was confused about what she meant. I come from an island where there is tons of fresh water. Then I realized they don’t have fresh water here. They don’t even seem to have gardens to grow food here. I look around at the patrons. These ponies and camels seem so much in high society.

“So you notice then?”

I look at the turtle shrugging my shoulders. I don’t know what she meant. I just see these are higher on the hog.

“Ah, I see before we leave I will have you take a look at something. I need to know, do you have a heart, Miss Ruby?”

I take a deep breath blowing out the cool air and buzzing my wings. It’s a hard question to even ask someone you barely know but I deserve every moment of this. I am sure she has asked many others this before and never found any willing to take a task.

“I do regret a lot of what I was forced to do back on the island.”

Yanari nods.

“I see. Then you’re my choice to go with me. Before we leave though I need to get you a weapon and some armor which can fit you.”

Yanari sets down some money for the waitress and she bows her head to Goldie. I follow the turtle creature. She leads me outside to the vendor to a cart full of weapons and armor made by the blacksmith. A mare looks up at the large turtle leaning on the counter.

“How may I help you two?”

Yanari smiles looking at the armor, weapons, and bags I can use.

“I would like some armor my friend here could wear. She will need one bag as well and at least one weapon.”

The mare takes a look at me with her hoof and asks me to come over to the counter. She uses a measuring tape to look me over with it. She sighs heading inside the blacksmith building. I look up and see the name of the store. It’s called the Blackstone. She comes back out with armor made for a foal

“This is all I got for you. I am sorry I hope it works and I got a weapon and a bag which could work for you.”

I am not too upset by this. I put the helm on my head. Strangely, I can’t let my feelers on my head come out. Before I place the armor on I poke holes in it for my wings to fly with the weight and I attach the bag to the armor. The mare then gives me a crossbow. It's a very badly kept together crossbow.

“I am sorry again for all I can give you. Also, take a few bolts and it’s all I can give you. We barely know you here little bug so it’s all I am allowed to give and you’re a question in itself.”

I take the crossbow and place it into my bags and the bolts. Yanari nods, setting down more coins. Yanari looks at me nodding to me.

“Now come with me.”

I followed Yanari to an area behind the blacksmith shop and in the area of the blacksmith shop. I see ponies young and old bleeding and dying. Some even die as strange creatures suck the water out of their bodies. I watch while the mare we just paid quickly goes to the market and comes to try to feed at least one soul.

I stare at all these broken dying souls. Tears fall down my eyes as I feel myself wanting to just break down and sob at the sight. Yanari glances at me. I notice a smile on her face with her hand she asks me to follow.

“That is all I needed to see. I won't be able to bring back any of the water. But you can do something for me. I will explain to you when we get to the destination of the area we will go.”

We head towards the gate noticing the camel who is Dunewalker talking to a pony in a wheelchair. They both look at me and I notice the pony in the wheelchair. I don’t know what is up about him.

We head out of the gate to head to the destination of the salt flats.

_____________
The salt flats

The book opens up with a pen sliding on the paper.

“The salt flats are a creation from the curse of Nightmare Moon so long ago. The curse screwed so many of the areas in this land. It caused more problems for the ponies of old and the stories of old. Creations made by the ponies during the war house themself to protect a powerful building that housed water. Then they came a hero who would bring hope and hope in a land hateful of heroes.”

_____________
Salt Flats

It took about three hours of constant walking and drinking water. Thankfully at the moment, the sun wasn’t beating down on me as much as it was. We stood on the outside of the salt flats and I could see the salty powder blowing in the wind. It hits my eyes and it burns so much I cough after the wind dies down.

Yanari sets her bags down.

“Alright I have been told by others who have been here we have to use a type of fluid to get through here. Also Ruby stays close to the ground to the point your ass is dragging on the sand. Be careful though, just a little strange vibration can awaken them.”

I want to ask why I look up, noticing strange creatures in the sky who seem to fly down to the salt to lick it up. They have sharp teeth. I am sure they eat whoever comes through here. I notice the fluid it’s strange looking.

“Okay, I am going to douse you in urine from both sexes. I warn you if you move wrong a female or a male might come down and try to breed with you.”

I glanced at her confused when she said one of the sexes could come down and try to breed me. I blink quickly a few times. I buzz angrily upset I have to do this. Yanari pours the fluid into her hand, stroking it all over my body. Then pour it all over my armor. She brings out two more vials doing it to herself and wow it stinks I take a breath coughing feeling I would get heavily sick from this.

“I got a few more vials in my bag and don’t ask how I got them. It wasn’t pretty.”

She smirks.

“I see what is the reward for what I get for this.”

Yanari shrugs her shoulders.

“You didn’t ask so I could give you nothing but you’re fulfilling something I have been trying to fulfill for years.”

I glance at her.

“What is that?’

Yanari sighs.

“You will learn when we get there.”

I don’t understand why she is not telling me anything. I get on all my little buggy legs walking with her through the salt flats. We say no word since from what she told me any vibration can cause something crazy to happen.

Yanari looks at me making a sign with her hand. She points at the ground and I notice a fin coming out of the sand. A shark jumps out of the sand trying to chomp one of the creatures in the sky. Then it falls back to the ground. Oh my gosh, sand sharks?! The shark when it hits the sand goes right back into it like it was water.

She hushes me. She brings out the map from her bag and looks at it and farther away. The heat makes it harder to see there is a building right in the middle of the salt flats. She smiles, rolling the map up and placing it back into her bag.

It takes us another hour to get to the building. She lifts her hand to stop me and shakes her head. She mouths. ‘Let me go first.’ She gets on the cement leading to the building looking around to see no defenses guarding the area. She swings her head to tell me to follow.

I get on the hot cement grunting getting my little buggy legs on the cement and it burns. I quickly walk through the cement with Yanari not far behind me, and she laughs. I could tell the heat doesn't bother her large feet.

“Before we go inside Ruby. I have a personal question for you.”

I sit fully down relaxing even if the heat is bothering my buggy body. A personal question for me?

“Do you have any deep personal relationships? Like if you had someone who loved you back at the home you had would you have left?”

I felt the question hit me hard. Star Shooter told me relationships helped her survive the battle on the island. The world is not only battle and death. She told me it’s those we meet along the way the souls we touch with our kindness in our hearts. The ones we give our sisterly love to.

“I do consider Hawk, Roll Roll, and Tick Tock friends. But I am not close to them per se. We just look at each other as good friends. It took a lot for me to convince them to join me on this trip. They were going to have me come on my own even though we live on the same island. We just look at each other as friends nothing else.”

Yanari frowns

“So even though you came with those you trust. They don’t have a personal relationship with you?”

I shake my head.

“I don’t understand what you mean by this. Even if I meet my species and I feel myself falling in love with him. He gives me eggs he could just then leave after filling me with eggs and then I will be used as the female of my species tends to be.”

Yanari sighs.

“I see that a personal relationship for you will never happen, a deep good honest loving relationship. Unless you seek it yourself and do you see yourself seeking it?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know. I am not looking for love or looking for anyone to join with my heart. I may find it someday or die allowing my brood name to fully die. Glide is my brood name. Ruby is my real name.”

Yanari turns her head to look at the building. It’s just a normal building with a tower on top of the roof. There is no name on the building at all. She swings her head for me to follow, the armor is starting to get very hot but I don’t feel like it’s time to take it off.

The large turtle looks at the door seeing no number codes heading inside. She looks down at me, sighing.

“Many have never been this far. Old stories and rumors talk about this being a military base. I highly doubt this is true. Whatever we find in Ruby, whether it's armor or a weapon, I will allow you to have it. I am here for something else.”

Yanari opens the door and we both go inside. I take a deep breath in the air. It smells old and decaying. Looking around Yanari turns on the light and the lights turn on. There are large webs all over the place. Yanari swings her head for me to follow. We sneak through the area while we hear skittering all around us.

Yanari opens a door and we quickly go inside and lock the door. Inside the room, we find a bunch of scattered armor, and on the wall is a gun in a case.

“I am going to take a look around.”

Yanari heads back out of the room. I take a deep breath looking at the armor. I have no idea what to do with the armor. I look over at a desk I see a book on the desk and it saids making armor for dummies.
I open the book to read it. ‘Welcome to building a suit of armor from various parts found around your workshop. Now look around for armor which would fit you and when you do make sure it’s something you want.’

I do what it saids looking through the armor. I find many helms which have hud and visors in them. I bring them over to the workshop table. I then grab the many batteries which would work with the armor and body armor. I look at the door quickly to lock it even though I worry about Yanari.

I go back to the book to read it. ‘Now use the workshop with the tools you find. Take apart the parts of armor you feel would work. Now some armor will come with the ability to attach weapons to them and bags inside the compartments of the armor. Now if you do this all correctly the armor will work like brand new. For some armor, you can add a filter for your urine to turn into water. But it would take too much power in your armor. The best thing to start with till you find a better battery is to use the medical system. Now get to it you dummy and remember if you fail the first time it’s just the object of learning. YOU DUMMY!!’

I buzz angrily trying to keep calm and do what it’s said to do. Taking the various pieces of armor. Setting them together. After a few minutes, I got the armor setup. I place the battery in the spot it asks me to and the visor of the armor glows. It said something about a name for the armor but I don’t see myself doing such a thing yet. When everything is set the hud comes on showing my bags and that the medical system is empty.

I look at the case where a machine gun is within the case. Looking through the case I take a deep breath sniffing in the fresh air so I can get away from the mustiness of the air. Looking through the desk I find a key with ammo for the gun and open the case. When I take out the gun a how to fire a gun for dummies card comes out. I look at it and read it closely.

‘To those who read this and it’s your first time firing a gun for Celestia's sake make sure you don’t aim at anything. Make sure the safety is kept on and make sure if you do have ammo in it don’t spray and fire. That is how innocents can be harmed. Now again follow these words and every dummy can be safe from harming others unless they deserve it.’

I haven’t heard from Yanari in a while. I head back out of the room heading upstairs. I notice a giant spider right in front of me who is asleep and a hand from the shadows grabs me and pulls me into another room.

“Shhh. I learned what this place is. It’s an old radio system to talk to the rest of the desert. First, though, we need to clean this place out before we do anything else. We need to take care of that spider and any other spiders which might be in here.”

Yanari reaches into her shell this time pulling a strange apple from her shell.

“I need you to be bait, Ruby.”

I stare at her and she can’t see my face since I am wearing the helm. I use my body language to show I am not happy about this. Yanari smirks

“Too bad Ruby you’re smaller than me and you will have an easier time attracting them.”

I grunt, sighing and shaking my head. Opening the door, lift the machine gun cocking it after I load it, and fire at the giant spider. I am sure this is the mother. When the bullets force themselves inside the creature she screeches in pain.

“FOOOOOOD!!”

The spider screams. Oh my, they talk I could try to reason with them. I could try and I see many other spiders coming around yelling ‘FOOOOOD’ I gulp flying quickly down the stairs many spider webs are shot at me and one of them finally sticks while my gun flies out of my buggy hands. They drag me to their mother and I try my best to fight them to get away reaching for my gun. Before the mother gets bites me I hear a click and see a web with the apple attach itself to the large spider after it hits I break free from the bomb and it blows up. I am tossed with many body parts of the spiders and I smack into the wall. My hud comes up with warnings of parts of my body showing pain and aberrations in my exoskeleton.

Yanari picks up the gun and helps me. We look at all the body parts of the spiders and we no longer see the big mother. She gives me the gun, smirking.

“Good job ruby.”

I remove the helm and it’s attached to the armor. I stare at her, the anger in my cute buggy eyes makes her just chuckle.

“Ruby, you don’t have a very angry look. Now let's..”

The body parts shake and the mother of the spiders comes out of the pile of the bodies and she screeches heavily in anger.

“CHILDREN!! You will pay!!”

Yanari reached into her bags quickly grabbing a machine gun herself and firing at the spider. Ignores her looking at the turtle growling.

“I will deal with you later turtle..”

The mother charges at me through the door. I fly quickly out the door. She attacks me with her leg and I notice one of her legs is barely attached to her leg. I quickly back away firing at it and it breaks off flying into the salt flats when it hits one the sharks come out quickly eating the leg. I got an idea then. I fly around the spider quickly firing all the ammo I have in the machine gun and it breaks through much of her body. She screeches in pain. It's harder for her to stand after I shot off one of her legs. She turns quickly around to aim her ass at me and fires more of her webs and it attaches to me.

I quickly flew around her to use her web to try to trip the spider up and I tie her legs tightly with the web and I have a chance to use her weight to do something very stupid. I turn back at her and smash my body into her hard with all my might using my little bitty body with the spider's weight and she falls on the salt flats. I groan in pain falling on the hard cement and feeling my body in such pain.

When the poor creature hits the salt flats many of the sand sharks come out of the salt eating the poor creature and she screams in pain. I wish I could save her but I don’t have a choice. I groaned trying to drag myself away. But one of the sharks tries to pull me in with the web. Before I even get close to the salt flats Yanari cuts the web with a knife picking me up away from the flats. She takes me inside, closing the door and we both relax.

“That was the dumbest thing I have ever seen a creature do. You could have not only died, but you could also have been a meal for a shark and no one would have known since I wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone that you died.”

I take my helm off again, groaning.

“Fuck you..”

Yanari smirks

“If I was into my sex I would allow it.”

I stare at Yanari like she is insane. I have never heard of the same sex being together well I have but it’s strange to my species. I have heard of it happening with my species but it’s very very rare. I grunt, feeling so much pain.

“I have a question before we go on.. Do you have any pain killers in that bag or a potion?”

Yanari opens her bag bringing out some Med-X and potions to open up the medical system to inject all her potions and med-x in there. I feel it working hard as the painkiller and potion go through my body. I groan feeling the pain vanish from my body.

“Ruby, that machine gun you found where did you find it?”

I look at the gun.

“I found it in a case, why?”

Yanari smirks.

“It could be one of those specially made weapons for someone in leadership. You will find these types of weapons around these areas. You might even randomly find some in trash bins and random boxes. It should also have a name, take a look.”

I look at the name. ‘Spes solis’ I don’t know what it means. Then I noticed the name it’s called Hope of the sun. I attach it to my armor, grunting still a bit of a pain in my wings. Flying into the air.

“I am going to head back to the radio room. Why don’t you keep looking around? Maybe you can find a way to get power into the system.”

Yanari heads her way and I head fully upstairs. I notice there is a heavily locked room and it’s locked because there is no power to get into it. I look into the window of the room and I see a skeleton inside the room. I head back up another set of stairs noticing the power room. Heading into the room I see a system connected I am sure to the one below and looking at what I guess is the generator? I am so used to the alicorn magic-tech systems from the island.

I noticed a book it’s not called How to work a generator for dummies. It’s a book on how to do it safely for dummies. I buzz angrily feeling so upset about every book I have found lately it just talks about the dummy this dummy that. I opened the book to read it. ‘Now this is pretty simple to make sure it works to make sure the entire system is connected.’ I look around to make sure it’s all connected. ‘If it’s all connected then all you have to do is push the turn on the power button.’

I turn it on and the system starts to work and I notice power going through the entire system. While it takes a while for the power to go through the system it’s going to take a long time for the system to become normal again. I look at the radio system.

“Hello?!”

I hear a crash below Yanari’s voice coming out of the system.

“Don’t do that!!.”

I chuckle

“I found the power system and everything should be working. Is there anything else you need before I head downstairs to see you?”

There is silence for a bit.

“If you don’t mind I need to talk to you about something before you fully leave.”

I turn off the system heading back down to the locked room. I open it up and look inside. I see the poor creature looking around the body of the pony. I see what looks like a tape? I place it inside my helm to download what’s on it. It fully goes into my system and I start it.

“I am told the world is ending. So much is going on the spiders broke out and caused so much death. I no longer can handle it and I hear the stories of bombs exploding all over the world. I don’t think I can handle it anymore. I… I don’t know if I can do this but this is the last thing I will leave behind. I will not even say my name in this and remain nameless. Goodbye.”

I hear a gun go off the recording ends.

I sighed, shaking my head. Heading back down the stairs to the main radio room, Yanari is working on the systems.

“I can use this and bring hope to this broken land. Have you ever thought of calling yourself a hero Ruby?”

When Yanari said the word Hero. It felt a bit off. Why do you need to be called a hero to help those around you? I take a deep breath and take the helm off fully to place it on the dusty counter looking at Yanari.

“I am sorry Yanari, I don't consider myself a hero. I doubt I would ever consider myself one.”

Yanari looks at the system turning it on.

“Ruby, before I say anything in this system, what am I about to say? It might trigger a reaction to many looking for hope and some of them might call you a hero. Not all of them will say it with respect since some hate the idea of a hero.”

I take a deep breath nodding.

“It’s a risk I will take. So go ahead.’

Yanari clicks the mic and it makes a loud sound all over the desert radio towers littered throughout the land of sand; she takes a deep breath before she speaks into the mic.

“Hello everyone I am known as DJ Mixer. I am coming live to you in the salt flats in an old pre-war building. Now I will be doing the news of this land and sending what I can see here drones to go around the area to find the news and to talk and spread music.”

She takes a deep breath.

“I am here with a creature called the buzzer. She helped me find my way here. Without her, I would have died. She knows while I am talking like this about her. Many would see her as a hero and cry for her help. I am going to have her speak.”

Yanari moves back to let me speak.

“HI, I am um the buzzer. I can’t promise I would be able to do much for your broken land. But I would give it a try. I can’t promise my friends and I will be able to help with everything but we will do what we can. Thank you so much.”

I back up from the mic and Yanari speaks in the mic again.

“I am going to be cleaning this system up and then learning how to use it more. I will be silent for a while and when I finally get things to normal I will start playing music. There are many old records from what I can tell here. I won’t be able to put any in right now.”

She turns it off and then swings her head.

“We got to check one more thing. There is a basement in this building.”

Yanari stands up and we both head to the basement. She opens the old door and we head down the stairs. We both notice old gardens which haven’t been used in years but the biggest thing is a large reservoir of water down another set of stairs. Yanari heads down the stairs and puts her hand into the water taking a sip.

“Pure water. This is why I came here to find water, the life, and the blood of this broken land. Ruby, I have a question for you: how powerful do you think one could be with this water?”

I am confused. I have no idea what she means.

“I don’t get it.”

Yanari sighs.

“Food and water can be used to have power over the broken. It can be used to sell those as slaves to one who has the power and food. Having that power over the population is called progress in some minds. Now Ruby I want you to remember this if you find any pure water find one you trust with it.”

I quickly go get my helm and come back down putting it on. Yanari stands hugging me tightly.

“Thank you Ruby for fulfilling my dream of finding something worthwhile in my life. Now I don’t need you anymore for now. Please head back to your friends.”

I wave bye to Yanari.

____________
The Enclave

A book opens up again on another page written by the mystery writer.

“The grand pegasus Enclave. Years ago they caused a war to try in the minds of some to take over the land of Equestria. Most seem to forget that progress and the future are needed to bring forth the truth. Now not everyone will accept this truth and in the stars, no one will ever accept it.”

Another page turns.

“Ten years ago a group called the Hardliners was under the control for a time by a mare named Winter Breeze and the gentle soul of this mare. Won so many hearts and she tried her best to be right and peaceful with all those around her. Even so, the Enclave or a group did betray her, and then it took Scootaloo with the help of another group of friends and heroes to fight them off.”

The turn of another page.

“To this writer, she should have allowed them to win. Of course, this is my opinion because I feel it will be the only way to be strong in the battle ahead. The path of the end is coming and the final journey shall come. In the name of a Blue undead goat when he finally returns.”

The book closes

___________
The Enclave base

I fly away from the building which I learn is an old military base. I grunt. I am still in a great deal of pain before I can fully get out of the salt flats. I see strange black armor flying towards me and see two ponies buzz by me quickly.

As an instinct, I quickly try to get away as fast as I can. The ponies are faster than them I am one of them fires at me and I stop quickly as the laser goes right past me and I take off my helm looking at the ponies.

“Why are you shooting at me?!”

I pant trying to stay relaxed and a black mare stops in front of me. They look at each other talking into mics from what I can tell and the black mare turns her head to look back at me.

“We just want to talk to you. Come on, let's get away from the salt flats.”

I am surrounded by the ponies while I fly with them. I watch them lead me to a strange old run down the base. The base looks like it hasn't been used or upgraded in years. When we land I look around feeling a bit concerned. I look around studying the base built into a mountain side and when I finally get close I hear weapons cocking with all the ponies aiming their guns at me.

I stand still looking at them all. I spread my wings out, my stinger coming out of my ass and it glows. I hear them getting ready to shoot at me.

“You brought me into a trap?”

I try to stay calm while looking around.

“Of course not. We just brought you here to talk to our commander.”

I try hard to stay calm. I buzz my wings heavily enough like I am a bee. I can tell from the movement I make that in everything I do they aim their guns at me. I hear hooves coming towards me and the stallion smirks.

“May I ask how you ended up here?”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“A strange magic wind put me and my friends off course and some strange machine in the sky sucking up the water tossed our ship here into the desert. Now I am about to leave because a mare I met ten years ago told me never to trust anyone from the Enclave.”

The commander sighs.

“I see so it means the Light bringer is not controlling the weather out in the middle of the sea.”

I look confused.

“Who is the Lightbringer?”

The stallion chuckles.

” Oh, yes I forgot you’re not from this land. Now before you leave I need to talk to you about something.”

I listen closely to the stallion.

"The Light bringer is the one who helped the land of Equestria. She pushed back the Enclave and made them rethink how they work. But we have a problem. I am sure you heard of Kludgetown."

I nod I have heard of it but I haven’t been there yet.

"Well, there is a large group of Enclave that has been there since the end of the war. They took the idea of Rainbow dash and left with their families and all the gear they could steal. During this time things were so crazy they couldn't be stopped. Thankfully for them, they can't hear the outside world and what happened 10 years ago with Scootaloo and Winter Breeze. But I won't go into that."

He lets out a weak sigh.

"Let’s just say the Enclave has been through much. Some see us as evil. Some see us as Villains. Granted I won't argue with that. But we do care about Equestria and our world Equis. But the problem is most of our old leaders. Winter Breeze did an amazing job for many of us. Of course, no matter what we do all the souls who watch on the outside see us as evil. So we could use your help.”

I am flabbergasted. Why would a big army need the help of a simple little bug like me?

“But you have all these resources and you need my help?”

"We want your help in the name of the Enclave to help us. See we used to not want the help of the outside world. Our pride and our stupidity kept us from asking those to help us. Now we won't force you to do this. But all ponies and races need to work together as one.”

He takes a deep breath looking at the others around him he lifts his wing to tell them to lower their guns and they do.

“Even though the Lightbringer did all she could to save our world. Old projects and creations of the war are turning themselves online or coming out of hibernation doing what they were created to do, destroying those they consider a threat.”

I sigh, buzzing my wings and flapping quickly to relax.

“I doubt I could do much for you all. The only project I know of is my friend known as Hawk who was project mech. The next project I met was with a stopwatch.”

The commander stared at me for a moment

“So wait, was the project stopwatch used on the island?”

I nod.

“Yes, the hero who came to our island had helped kill it. At least I think he was killed. We have no idea if he was killed or went into the future.”

“I guess you saw the corpse of Dr. Slice?”

I shook my head.

“No Dr. Slice stuck his mind into a robot body to force himself into a punishment so yes. He is very much alive. I guess with the others he is at the town Tria’s heart. I was on my way there by myself.”

I can tell from the looks of anger on their faces these ponies had a history with the area called Tiria’s heart. I stay silent for a moment and the commander lifts his wing to get the ponies to relax.

“I can tell that saying that name seems to upset you. So the truth I heard from Star Shooter Tiria did screw you all up?”

The commander nods.

“It was more our stupidity and thinking we could take on anything. The enclave of the past was not only full of themselves thinking they could do no wrong. They took on communities thinking no one would have the guts to take them on and win. Many proved us wrong.”

I think for a moment, nodding.

“Stay away from the Salt Flats. I don't want you to harm a friend of mine. No matter what I will never trust you Enclave to me you’re just like Majesty proving to me otherwise. Now, do you need anything else before I head back to Hard Rock?”

The commander shakes his head.

“We might later but if you find a way for us to help please let us know.”

I take a deep breath putting my helm back on and flapping my wings to fly myself back to Hard Rock. I look back watching the base vanish from sight as I head back to the place I found myself in here.

________
Return to Hard Rock City.

I had to rest a few times on the way back. I finally made it back to the city. On my hud, it saids it’s nine in the morning. I get into town and I notice Pinda is awake and he is talking to one of the guards. I land down beside him and he looks down at me.

“Well hello, Ruby it looks like the job you took panned out. We now have a radio DJ and someone to spread the news about what is going on in this land. I also see you found armor before you go too deep into what you’re about to do. Some might see you as a bringer of hope, a hero. Heroes in this land don’t only bring hope, some feel they bring pain.”
I have a feeling many are going to see me as a hero. I doubt I will be able to stop them from thinking of me as such. I don’t know if it’s going to be easy to remove myself from this idea and see myself as someone powerful.

“Where are my friends?”

Pinda points his dirty paw to a set of stairs. I look up the stairs and see a sign. ‘Hard Rock Research center. The future is now!!’

“I felt since the building up the stairs has been empty since the ear. I felt why not allow you and your friends to live there. Just do me a favor if you see any info about old weapons or see any lab creations let us know we will come and take care of them.”:

I was confused. I buzz confusingly.

“What do you mean old lab creations, old weapons?”

Pinda smiles weakly. I could tell from the look in his eyes he is stressed about many things. I don’t have a right to speak to him about it. He looks towards the blacksmith store looking back at me again.

“Head up there and talk to your friends. I need to talk to some folks to see if I can convince them to help.”

I was even more confused after he just walked off. I turn my head a bit noticing Dunewalker up on the roof and when I set my eyes on her the strange pony in the wheelchair just wheels out of sight. Why am I being watched? Why do I feel many are watching me? I shrug my little shoulders heading up the stairs to meet my friends.

I get up the stairs panting a bit since I have overly been working my body grunting. When I get to the top of the stairs I see my friends talking to each other. I slowly skitter toward them feeling my body screaming in pain.

“Ruby is that you?”

I grunt taking off the helm and armor and coughing deeply at the stink from what was doused on me. I set it all down, letting it recharge. I look at my friends.

“Yeah, it’s me. I just got back from the job I took this morning. I need a good bed to relax in. What’s going on with you guys?”

Waterspout points a hoof at me.

“Putet”
‘
She swings her hoof across her nose as if to say I stink. I don’t blame her, I can smell myself and I do stink. I need a long cold bath to just relax my brain and my body.

“She is right you do stink Ruby. May I ask something though did you have to make some look at us as heroes after everything you said? I am not upset with you no. You didn’t do something dumb and told everyone we would drop everything to help them. We don’t even belong in this land.”

I glance at Tick Tock. She is correct that many would have thought we are heroes and we should help the entire land. I don’t wish to do that, I just wish to get enough money to get a boat and head to Equestria to meet up with Blaze and the others.

Before I could say anything else. I see a group of ponies and the same camel I saw in the order of Mimic. They walk up the stairs with little foal ponies who look extremely weak and they come up to us dancing around us.

“What is going on?”

Hawk seems a bit concerned. Roll tries to back away from the little ponies who look like they’re on the verge of death. Tick Tock stays silent and Waterspout hides behind the clockwork mare. All I do is notice the camel from the order of Mimic.

“Here they are, children, heroes who have been brought to you by MImic herself.”

Hawk suddenly turns her cameras to the camel. Roll taps her leg and shakes his head knowing what is about to happen to keep her relaxed. I have a feeling the five of us have been forced to volunteer to help this land. I fly to the camel and quietly speak to her.

“May I talk to you privately please?”

The camel nods, bowing her head to her friends and those children around her. I brought her over to my friends.

“Listen, we are not here to help. We are here to get enough money and then leave for Equestria.”

The camel smirks.

“I am sorry to say Mimic herself has other plans for you. You follow what she wants or I could just say a few simple words to the children with the others of MImic over there that you would refuse to help this town. Oh, I am sure their little cries of sobbing and pain will not stop you from feeling something.”

Tick Tock chuckles.

“You have every corner and every trick ready in the book. To force those who have no idea how to help this land and you use children and Mimic’s name to force us into an evil ball of evil and hate.”

Roll and Hawk stay silent. I could tell from the anger Roll felt. Hawk would have started shooting but we are guests in this land and this city. If we started shooting because of what is going on we would be considered a threat and tossed out or worse killed.

“What tricks miss Tick Tock? I am just doing what is best for the families of this community. But all you seem to care about is you and yourself. Now before I get your answer I want you all to know. These children are dying. I am sure your robotic friend there with the cameras can take a look inside one of them.”

I glance at the others. Waterspout stays silent and Hawk looks over to one of the little foals. The color of one of her cams changes and she lowers it so we can see what is in the little foal. When we see the holographic image of what she is seeing we stare at the insides of the poor creature. There is a strange worm in this poor foal they’re suffering from worse things than these creatures.

“I have no emotions or feelings. If my old body and emotions were still with me I would feel something about this. But I can’t stop myself from feeling awful for these ponies. Ruby I am going to hate myself for saying this but we need to at least help long enough. Then leave and get back to our task.”

I nod to Hawk looking at Tick Tock to see what she saids.

“I still have emotions. I have been told never to care for foals who aren’t your own but I am from the past like Hawk. I would say we do what we can for them. If I could cry still I would and I would try to hug the little foal.”

Roll Roll growls

“How magic eater species works. We eat and kill the weak and make an example of them. At least that is how Majesty did things in the past. Ruby and I did it ourselves we have a lot of murders of species like us because they were weak. But now…I feel my heart screaming at me to do something for these little ones.”

I sigh, nodding in agreement. I guess I have no choice. I could tell from the eyes of Waterspout she was crying and she kept saying something in her way of speaking.

“Merunt aliquo auxilio saltem cor meum fractum esse, ne videre illos hoc modo.”

Tick Tock glances at Waterspout then back at the image nodding to her.

“Conabimur eos adiuvare.”

Tick did her best to speak back to Waterspout. It took the mare a while to understand what she meant then it finally hit her nodding. I look back at the camel swinging my head to her to follow me inside without the others. I head inside the old research station with the camel behind me and I look back to see if my friends could hear what I am about to say.

“Why are you forcing this on me and my friends? We didn’t even want to come to this land and now you’re promising these little foals we can help them?

The camel smirks.

“Oh but little bug you seem to forget. You spoke on the radio saying you would do what you can. You seem to not understand how empty many of the souls of this land are so desperate. Just hearing the voice of someone willing to help makes them focus on your good graces.”

I buzz angrily.

“Besides Mimic herself and her shoes work in many ways to convince those of little faith that when the order can’t help them a hero can do it.”

I growl deeply.

“Alright, I see we will do it at least for now.”

The camel smirks and she walks back out with me not far behind her going back to the children and the others of her order.

“Come along children, the heroes who wish to help you and this city need some rest. When the time comes Mimic shall call on them to bring them to help you and then do more for all of you.”

The foals leave while we watch the camel leave with her followers and the children. Hawk robotically growls. I watch her head to an open area and fold down to power down to rest her body. Her brain dome glows and it’s like she is sleeping. Her cams keep her alert of anything going on.

Tick Tock and Waterspout head inside to find a place to rest and sleep. Roll Roll follows them and I am left alone. I head inside to at least get a shower before I go find Pinda to speak to him. The cool feel of the water. When I look at the water I notice it’s pure and clean. How is this water pure and clean?

I head out feeling fully clean now to go find Pinda. I see Pinda talking to the guards and Dunewalker is standing not far from him. I swear she is staring right at me again. I look into her cold eyes when she stares at me. I don’t pay any mind to it looking at Pinda.

“Pinda my friends and I seem to have no choice but to stay here and help you and the others of this town at least for now.”

Pinda smirks laughing.

“Let me guess the order of Mimic pull at her heartstrings making you cry for the little foals and the dying?”

I nod, buzzing angrily. After a while, Pinda frowns and smiles again.

“I am going, to be honest, Ruby, we are lucky the non-camels of this land can survive at they are. To others, the camels were here first and they have a right to kill and destroy everything to get back what is theirs. But I am one of those who feel we need to be kind to all. I won’t expect much from you to do what you can.”

I take a deep breath taking in the hot air.

“I can’t promise anything Pinda. But I will do what I can.”

Pinda nods.

“That is all you can do. Look around the bar, look around the souls, ask them what they need but for now Ruby. You need to relax and allow yourself to just become a normal citizen of this land and don’t force yourself to become empty. The bar will have more jobs if you wish to take them now, please go rest.”

I head back to the research building sighing. Here I am 1000 miles from Equestria in the middle of a desert of death. I have been pulled into something great or something awful. I am being watched by a camel and some strange pony in a wheelchair who I get a glimpse of now and again. I land on top of the roof of the research building watching the sun. I hear Yanari speaking from the Radio tower.

“Hello, Every creature is Dj Mixer. I am coming to you live in this land's new radio station. I will do my best to bring you the news I can. The biggest news I have right now for you: The Enclave has returned to try to bring back a chapter or version of them that broke off 230 years ago. The Enclave that caused that stir ten years ago. If they offer to help you be weary till they prove they won't backstab you. But in other news, I found some music which I will let you rest your heads to. I promise you all I will do my best to bring the news to you.”

The music on the radio slowly begins to play. I listen to it as I relax on the cool roof. It feels hot but the roof is cool enough to get some sun and rest within it. I lay my entire body down feeling the pain entering me. As I let the sun relax me and I drift to sleep with the music in my mind as I do from the radio.
"Stone by stone

Cracked, crushed, fallen

Beauty burned, erased

But not forgotten

I’ll take your melodies

May your last breath

Fill the air with embers

I inhale"

________
The book opens up again as the same pen slides on the paper.

“A hero has been found even though she has been forced by the order of Mimic itself. The poor heroes have no idea what is ahead or what they see is to come. The pain of the star's death and broken hearts. Progress and the idea of heroes are only myths and legends stories to be told by a campfire or in a book. Let it be said those you come soon will understand the path these heroes shall follow to stay relevant in the eyes of the old.”

The book closes.

Footnote: Level Up

New Perk: Magic eater exoskeleton: You were created as a worker of an evil Queen. But honing your skills has given you a magic-resistant shell. Be careful with this though sharp objects can still break through it.

Quest perk: Friend on the Radio: You gained a friend through your journey they will sing of your praises but also sing of your failures. Even though you have been talked about, you're neutral to the citizens of Hard Rock.

Armor perk: You created yourself a suit of armor from various parts of Pegasus gear. You gain 5+ armor while you wear it. But you're 2- slower. The helm is very useful. It will tell you your life signs and injects you with potions and med-ex warnings though it can run out so keep filling it.

Weapon perk: You found a powerful weapon in the waste. While you use it you gain 25+ damage. But for how small you are while holding it. you lose another two speeds. So you can't dodge fast enough. So use the gun when in a jam.

The book opens up and a pen is taken to paper.

“When I met Ruby back in the day she was very unsure of herself. She tried very hard to please all those around her. She sadly was pulled into a situation she would never be able to get out of. The order of Mimic and many other souls around her had a hoof or a claw in all the baskets she tried to help. So many wanted her to be a hero when she just wanted to get to Equestria.”

A page turns

“Most seem to forget a hero is only as good as the hero is allowed to be. Most will always forget a hero is a creature with a soul and a heart. They can only do so much before the world turns on them just like what happened to Ruby.”

The book closes
__________

I found my way into the workshop of the research station. This research station has a computer to show what I am doing with my armor. I fix the helm and nicks from the armor I screwed up. Looking it over to make sure everything about it is ready. I felt a hoof tap on my shoulder. I glance behind to see Tick Tock.

“Ruby, Hawk, and Roll Roll are leaving.”

I stare at Tick Tock for a few pregnant moments. I felt hurt deep inside why wouldn’t they tell me they are leaving? I want to cry. I force down my emotions for the time being. Looking away to the workshop.

“I tried my best not to force the issue. Are they leaving because they got tricked by the order of Mimic?”

Tick Tock sits on her haunches looking at me. I could tell from the look on her face that she is concerned.

“Ruby, you have it all wrong. They aren’t angry at you or upset. They may not like how you tricked them into coming to this land. How you played with Hawks' emotions and how you tried to convince them early this morning about staying longer to help this entire town. Of course, I was pretty upset.”

I look down buzzing sadly.

“I didn’t want to force you three to come here. I just felt all of us would see Star Shooter and then. I would have found a place to be useful. I wouldn’t ever return to the island with all the looks I got before leaving. I know many of them started trusting me but I still saw the look of hate in their eyes. It’s been at least ten years and they still mistrust me.”
Tick Tock robotically sighs.

“Ruby, we have had this talk so many times over the last few years. You need to let yourself fall in love. You need to find that personal relationship with someone willing to hold you close to them. Someone willing to make you blush and give you that love you want. You’re the last of your brood Ruby. You don’t even have your mother anymore.”

I just wanted to break down and sob. My wings drooped and before I could feel the want to cry happen. A brown sand-colored mare hugged me tightly using her magic. I don’t know who was hugging me at first. I put my head on the mare's shoulder noticing Tick Tock and I am being hugged by Water Spout.

“I talked with Water Spout. It’s not easy to tell her everything. But she knows you’re very unsure of yourself. You also very easily push the buttons of those around you trying to force the issue. Like you did after the order of MImic did everything. It got me and the others wondering if they said something to you in private that made you tell us what we are doing after the sun came up.”

Water Spout removes herself from the hug nodding to me.

“Come on Ruby, the others are waiting for you to say goodbye to them. If Hawk gets snappy, don't let it bother you.”

I look back at the armor and my machine gun. I took it apart and read a book on how to clean it and put it back together. I did the same with the crossbow. I look towards the door heading out of the research station with the two mares following me. When I come out I turn to see Dunewalker staring at me.

“You two go ahead, I need to speak to this one.”

Tick Tock and Waterspout head down the stairs. I flap my wings to get into the vision of Duneawlker. She looks at me with her flesh eyes. I watch the female camel shift her foot tilting her head.

“So the order of Mimic tricked you into wasting your time to help the worthless of the town?”

I buzz angrily.

“What if the worthless need help misses Dunewalker.”

Dunewalker snorts.

“I am not some proper kiss my paw and take me to bed, female Ruby. I wish to see things done. If you’re going to help the useless, you’re dumber than I thought.”

I buzz angrily. The stinger comes out of my ass and I lift it to aim at the camel. She got to me and she pissed me off and she laughed loudly. I was confused why she suddenly laughed and she shook her head.

“You got some guts, little bug. If you wish to do this I will call you when I feel the time is right to do a task for me.”

Dune turns to leave. But stops turning back to look at me.

“Or am I going to find you crying like a baby and go woe is me oh I am woe?”

I buzz very angrily.

“Fuck you!!”

Dune stares at me confused and I fly right into her face. I have had it. I lost my temper with her.

“I don’t know why you have such an issue with me. I haven’t done anything but try to help this land. You look at me like I am a worthless little creature you can push around. I am not. I am a female who wants to prove herself to others.”

Dune smirks and grabs me with her metal paw while it turns into a hand. She pulls me close to look into her eyes.

“First rule if you want to help this little bug. Expect everyone around you to call you names. Expect everyone to toss words of hate and words that will stab you in the back. This land is not like Equestria or your island. We don’t have some Lightbringer who is willing to risk her pointless life to save us from some great monster. We are nothing to the outside world. Equestria is the only land which has healed.”

Dunewalker tossed me into the wall. It didn't hurt me badly just enough to surprise me.

“The next rule is to expect someone like me to rip every single thing you do apart. Prove to me you’re worth it and I will give you my time. If not I will kill you myself and prove it to me.”

Dunewalker walks down the stairs. I hover there flapping my wings so confused about what the hell just happened. I shake my head heading down the stairs and I finally get to the gate seeing Hawk and Roll talking to Tick Tock. Waterspout is standing beside the clockwork mare and they’re both trying to be kind to her.

When I showed up though it all changed. Hawk turns to look at me as she stomps on the ground to stomp me from getting closer. Roll stares at me with anger in his many eyes. He spread his wings open. It means staying away.

“It was bad enough Ruby that a camel from the Order of Mimic convinced us to stay. But you had to do what you always do and take things further. You’re still my friend Ruby but. It will be long before I have the will to talk to you. Roll Roll relax it’s Ruby no need to be mean to her.”

Roll stares at the Mech. He relaxes and looks at the caravan which is getting ready to leave. Roll looks back at me.

“Pinda asked me and Hawk to go with this caravan to find a missing group of water explorers. He told us they have been missing for at least five weeks now. When he came upon us he was searching for them. We will try to be back as soon as we can.”

I sigh watching Hawk and Roll Roll join the caravan. They look back at me and Tick Tock. Roll waves by to us and they head off. I hover in the air beside Tick Tock, my wings flapping hard enough to give a very gentle buzz.

“Ruby I am going to be taking Waterspout around to help the ponies and other species of this town to get used to her. Will you be alright on your own or do you see yourself getting into trouble that I am going to have to get you out of?”

I sigh deeply.

“I will be fine, go enjoy yourself.”

Tick Tock trots off with WaterSpout not far behind her. I am unsure what to do now before I head back up to the research station. I hear screaming and fights in the alley next to the blacksmith. I fly quickly noticing some camel guards watching. When I get there to see a large group of young colts beating on a younger foal. I then see a knife and see the colts stab the foal going for his water if they could. I fly quickly to them and take the knife from the colts.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

One of the colts a white one looks up at me.

“They were already about to die because of the parasites in their body. We just wanted to get the pure water from him before it seeped into the parasite with his blood.”

I stare at them parasites. I watch the colt slowly die and when the blood hits the sand. I see strange worm-like parasites come out of the bloody sand hissing at me and the colts. They back up from it. They vanish into the sand and I look around finally getting a good look. Seeing a full-grown mare with one worm poking out of her gut and wrapped around her sucking on her shoulder.

“I see you found the heartless side of this land.”

I turn my head to see Pinda. I feel like I want to cry seeing these broken ponies. I don’t see any zebras, just ponies. I don’t understand why that is. I don’t even see any camels. I wonder if these worms don’t harm them.

“Pinda do you have a doctor you have a hospital here.”

Pinda glances at the hospital up on the hill. He sighs looking back at me. His eyes turned sad and broken. I could see in his eyes he hasn't been able to help any of the dying or the sick.

“Ruby there hasn't been a doctor in this town since the war. Many of the camels again haven’t cared enough for the pony population to help them. Again, many of them are just too pointless to take care of and worry about. There has been no pony or camel who even wants to help the weak and the wounded.”

I glance at the hospital again. Then it finally hit me. The commander of the Enclave wanted to know if I could find those who needed help. I am sure they have a doctor. I look at Pinda and then he looks down at me.

“Pinda I think I can find those who will help. Do you have an issue with the Enclave?”

Pinda shrugs his shoulders.

“Truthfully Ruby there are times when we can’t be choosers of who helps and who doesn’t help. If you can get some doctors, then they can help this city. Then that would be the greatest thing ever. I am not even the leader of this town and just seeing these broken souls breaks my heart.”

I fly into the air.

“I will be back.”

I fly off towards the base the Enclave is using to see if I can find a doctor.

_________
Cranberry

A book opens up and a chair is moved with two souls sitting across from the writer of the book.

“I know this is hard for you two because you two knew Ruby better than most. But can you please tell me about her so I can write it down to my leaders?”

Across from the writer a dragoness and a red pegasus mare look at him. The dragoness leans down to speak to the mare.

“Love please, we need to tell him what she meant to you.”

The red mare has tears falling down her cheeks.

“But I can’t. I was the one who didn’t stop them from doing what they did to her. I couldn’t stop my hate. I loved her so much I couldn’t stop them.”

The red mare sobs hard into the dragoness.

“I will do it,'' she told me the entire story. It all began when Ruby was searching for help in the town of Hard Rock to find a doctor.”

The pen begins to write.

______________
Cranberry

It took a while but I made it to the base. I pant hard landing on the ground in front of the gates leading into the base. A unicorn quickly comes over to me looking over real fast. I hear her scream to get some water.

“Are you okay Miss Ruby?’

I look up at the unicorn. I smile weakly nodding.

“I need to take a break and not try to fly all the way here. I also need to remember to bring water with me and not forget we are in a desert and it gets hot.”

I chuckle weakly and a pegasus trots up to me holding a large jug in his wings setting it down so I can drink it. I take the water while drinking it down. My body slowly starts to feel better as the heat dies deep in my system.

“I need to talk to your commander. Is he busy or does have time to speak to me?”

The pegasus nods as he leads me into the base. I watch the Enclave train to get ready for a battle anytime. I watch their vehicles which fly with tech and clouds it seems. I am so amazed by everything I see. I turn and see the commander walk over to me. He smirks.

“Good to see you again Ruby, It seems some souls of this land are trying to call you a hero now. I am guessing it's not something you wanted?”

I chuckle weakly.

“No the order of Mimic kind of pushed us into it. Then I pushed the issue a little more upsetting my friends.”

The commander frowns.

“I see the order of Mimic is here too. I am going to warn you, Ruby. Don’t trust them at all. They have something behind their idea of peace and what they say Mimic wishes them to do. So watch your back with them.”

I wonder why I came here. Oh, wait I remember.

“You said you wanted to help and get ponies and other races to trust you again?”

The commander nods.

“Well, there is a hospital in Hard Rock that hasn't been used since the war. They have no doctors and no nurses, no medicine, and barely any water to keep them alive. Do you have any doctors and such here?”

The commander smiles.

“We do and our lead doctor is in the sick bay. Um, do you want me to introduce you to her?”

I shake my head.

“You don’t need to, I will do it myself.”

I flew up into the air to fly into the medical bay.

_________
Cranberry

“Now she came to you and she didn’t demand or force her view on you?”

The red mare stares at the one writing in the book. Her eyes are full of anger showing she is not happy she is being questioned. The dragoness sitting beside the mare strokes her head to relax her.

“No, she never forced her view on me. You said so yourself you met Ruby.”

The writer nods.

“I did of course it was before she was put to the gun. I had to talk to her to learn about her personality and why the NCR taxpayers would have to pay for the bullets used on her and the others with her. It’s a matter of understanding.”

The mare snorts angrily.

“I know I may no longer be part of the Enclave myself. So I understand about paperwork making the ones above us happy so they can file it for something later or use it to get elected again. Am I correct?”

The writer laughs.

“You know how this works then. It’s not something I am very proud of but It is election time for the NCR.”

The writer sighs.

“Now you may continue.”

This time the red mare seems strong enough to be able to speak.

“I was simply working. It was just another boring day and I thought my entire life in the Widowmaker desert was going to be boring like always.”

___________
Cranberry

I flew through the door looking around the hospital. I hear strange sounds and I take a deep breath of pure fresh air. The air system works in this building. It seems clean and like this doctor runs a clean ship. I smile at this fact. I head to the desk and there is a mare sitting behind it.

“Excuse me miss.”

I land on the counter. The mare looks up from her computer tilting her head and putting her glasses up on her nose with her wing and a gentle smile forms on her face.

“How may I help you?”

I stare into the eyes of this mare. She is so gentle.

“I am searching for the doctor who runs this hospital. Is she too busy to talk with?”

The mare just chuckles.

“Not at all, darling. We don’t get much traffic here so she will be in her office. Just be careful she is very into her work. I am sorry I can’t be of more help before you go see her though. May I have your name?”

I stare at the mare and shake my head. I am not used to one with such kindness.

“I am Ruby Glide. May I head in there now to talk to her?”

The mare nods, she clicks a button, and a buzzer sounds the door unlocks and she waves goodbye to me as I fly through the door. I land on the cold floor looking down at the floor. I have never seen such a floor. It feels so strange on my buggy feet. I look up at the names on the wall and see an arrow for the doctor’s office.

I follow the arrow leading me to the office. I get to the door and knock on the door for a while. I didn't hear anyone answer but I heard some movement and writing like this one inside is busy with work. I knock again with the same amount of hardness on the door.

“Yes?”

I heard a female voice sound off on the other side.

“I need to speak to you, may I come in?”

Again a few pregnant moments there is silence. In the silence, I could hear a pin drop. I suddenly jump hearing the fan system come on and it blows cool air through the system of the hospital. I am not used to this.

“Please come in.”

I go into the office and close the door behind me. I look to see a pure red pegasus mare in a pure white medical outfit. She has a shortcut red mane and tail. She keeps her eyes focused on what she is writing on the desk. Her wings are using whatever she is writing on. I notice her eyes look golden brown.

“So how can I help you?”

She doesn't even look up and keeps focusing on what she is doing on her desk, turning the paper to write something else. I let out a gentle buzzing sigh so as not to get upset with her. She is focused on her work.

“Well don’t just stand there…Tell me..”

She lifts her head and stares down at me with wonderment like a foal who has seen a toy for the first time. She quickly comes to me putting her wings on my face to look right into my eyes to make sure I am real.

“A magic eater?!”

I am confused by her grabbing my face with my wings. I get a good look in her eyes. I could tell from her eyes she was a mother. She has that sense of magic inside her. The magic she had in her time. I was a bit horrified that she knew off the bat what I am.

“You know what I am?”

The mare goes silent again looking over every bit of me. She uses her wings to act like I should be flying and my wings flap and I fly into the air. She looks at me over more and I don’t know what to expect from this.

“Miss I…WHOA!!”

She goes between my legs and opens my egg chamber with my wings to look at me like she is studying everything about me. I quickly move away from her and stare at her.

“Miss, please don’t do that.”

The mare laughs ignoring what I just did. She is focused on studying me and she quickly goes around. Finally, acknowledge what I said earlier.

“Yes, I know what a magic eater is. I have been to Tiria’s heart and met a salamander who told me about your species. We tried to make peace with the settlement after everything was said and done with Scootaloo and I got to take a look at everypony there. Including the one known as Star Shooter.”

She gets in my face again.

“What was Majesty like?! Do you have genders? From what I see from you. You have a gender a female in the kinder way a vagina. What about the others do they have a penis?”

I was flabbergasted at her questions. They feel so invasive like I am here being tested and worked on. I tried very hard to relax and take a deep breath to relax.

“My kind are normally genderless. We only do the male or female thing when we need to breed to make more eggs. If our brood queen has made friends over the years or has formed emotions. They will start giving birth to gender babies. I was one of the last and final eggs and the only one left after Majesty killed them so I would be forced to join in her little war.”

The mare frowns a second then quickly smiles again her ears perked fully up and she trots out of the room. I could hear.

“Nurse please get every testing system ready, we will be here a while.”

The more quickly comes back, the look of glee on her face scares me. I have never seen such glee about testing.

“Come with me, we need to do some tests, every test, every test!!”

With the smile on her face and the excitement in her voice, I felt fear in my heart. What kind of test? What does she want to do to me? I don’t understand at all what she wants to do to me. She just stood there and then trotted off. I follow her concern

I follow her to another room and a couple of nurses trot around with vials of many things. They bring it all into the room and I am forced into a strange chair. I look around very very concerned . one of her nurses is writing on something. The doctor comes back to me.

She puts a strange cuff on my leg. She forces some air into the pump and I feel pressure on my leg. I feel like I am about to panic and one of her nurses comes over to me and she puts my head on her chest stroking my head. They could tell I am not used to this.

“It's okay, it won't be too long.”

I glance up at the nurse. I got a good look at her. She is a middle-aged mare who looks like she was in her prime. She has a few wrinkles here and there and she has the eyes of a mother. The doctor lets the air run out of the cuff and she quickly writes on the paper.

“See it wasn’t so bad was it?”

The elderly mare smiles. I notice the doctor grabbing some strange vials and a large needle I have never seen before. I don’t know what they are for and the mare strokes my head making me focus on her.

“Focus on me, little one. I am Sunny Days. I am one of the oldest nurses here. What is your name, little one?

I smile trying to answer. I gasp, buzzing loudly feeling a needle jab right into my side. Sunny Days hold me close and tight. She strokes my head to relax me. I watch while the doctor takes a lot of blood from me like seven vials.

“Is that enough testing Doctor Cranberry?”

The doctor named Cranberry giggles.
“No nurse Sunny Day’s please take this to the testing area. We seem to be missing Nurse Heavy Rain. She hasn't come in with other instruments I need to use.”

Sunny Days kisses my head smiling at me.

“I will be back. We can talk anytime if you want a little bug.”

She trots off and I look at the one named Cranberry I get up from the chair but she pushes me back down and uses a strange cold object to check my heart. I grunt and get angry about all this. She then grabs two strange objects and a bag.

“Miss, I need to talk to you.”

The red mare smirks.

“Shh, we can talk soon. I need you to pee into these two cups and get a sample of your droppings in this bag.”

She offers me the two items and I am confused. She leads me to the bathrooms and I stare at the foreign object. I look back at the mare taking the objects so confused about how in the world I do this.

“Now you seem confused, now you use these objects where you pee from. You put the cup under you, same with the droppings in the bag. I need you to fill them up. I got you some water and it will force you to pee more.”

She sets a bottle of water down and I stare at it. I look at the bathroom and then back at her.

“Come on why won't”

I think she suddenly realized she was watching someone about to go to the bathroom with an object I have never used before. Her cheeks glow brighter red and she hides on the other side of the wall. I open both cups and look to see how I do this. I notice the strange object has a lid. I pee into one of the cups grabbing the water like she asked and drinking it and I feel my system work this water through quickly peeing into the other cup. I then opened it up like it saids in the instructions and put some droppings in the bag. I look at the sink. I know what this is. I clean my many hands.

I come out with the two cups and the bag and I offer them to her.

“Here you go.”

She takes the cups and bag from me and she leads me to a machine. She smiles and opens the machine and she sets down the cups and the bag looking at me again she chuckles and her eyes glow brightly.

“Thank you now, go in this machine please.”

I look at the machine. I notice there is writing on the machine. 'A machine that is magically used to look into the body and map the body and bones out.’ Oh, thank you so much for the writing. It makes it easier to understand.

‘Miss I.”

The mare is trying to force me into the machine.

“My name is Cranberry. I will talk to you after everything is done with these tests. Now please drink this white fluid.”

I stare at the cup of white fluid. I buzz very angrily. I have to tell her there are sick and wounded children who need her help. I try my best not to lose my temper. I don't want to upset the mare. I take a deep breath.

“Listen Cranberry, I came to find you because children are dying.”

I am sure that I finally got Cranberry to listen to me. Her ears fold to the back of her head. I see tears fall down her cheeks. Did I hurt her feelings or did I upset her? I worry I did that and I try my best to keep myself relaxed. Cranberry lifts her hoof to her race to remove her tears. I try my best to say everything I saw.

“Listen, the ponies of this city are not only dying and stealing each other's water to drink it. Many of them have strange worm parasites in their bodies. They look to not only be killing them but they drink their blood and steal their water.”

Cranberries eyes fill with horror with every word I have said. Her face turns from sadness to now full anger.

"Helpless fillies and colts and children are being killed for their water. Why would they do that? We have all kinds of water here. Of course, it's not endless, we would have to call in for it."

I feel relaxed and she is willing to help. I feel my body tense. Why was I so tense? Maybe I felt something about this mare and I didn’t know. I look back at the mare and I have no idea what to do or think.

“From what I learned about this land. It forces the broken to kill the weak and criminals get what they want. The rich refuse to help the ones below them. I will never understand this way of thinking. There was this type of thinking back on the island in the castle.”

The mare stares at the desk. She is trying to think and I could tell her gears are turning in her head. She goes to the fridge, puts the two cups and droppings in the fridge to keep the fridge, and comes back to me with a smile on her face.

“I will go talk to my commander. I will talk to him about trying to get a steady supply of water and supplies for Hard Rock. Why don’t you go tell them we will be coming.”

I just stare at the mare smiling weakly.

“Cranberry I don’t trust the Enclave one bit. I have talked to Star Shooter and she told me never to trust anyone in the Enclave even if they’re as kind as you and Sunny Days. No offense to you of course.”

Cranberry sighs coming over to me and showing me gentle sweet eyes.

“I know you don’t trust the Enclave, will you trust me and Sunny Days? She will be at the hospital with me and she will do anything to make a young creature like you smile. Please pretty please?”

She stares at me with her gentle motherly eyes. She bats them at me like she is trying to win my heart through what is called the motherly treatment or to some I am told if a mare bats their eyelashes at you they want you. I sigh, buzzing in defeat and she giggles jumping up and down. She pulls me into a tight hug.

“Oh, you’re so cute!!”

I buzz angrily getting out of her hug.

“I am not cute!!”

Cranberry giggles and looks towards the way out. She clicks a bell and Sunny Days come into the room and waves at me with her hoof.

“Sunny we need to go talk to the commander. We got a lot to convince him of. We need to convince him to get enough water and enough supplies to help a sick little town. Are you willing to help me?”

Sunny nods.

“Alright, please wait here Ruby we will be back.”

Sunny smiles waving goodbye to me and I wave goodbye sitting down to wait. I sigh deeply, closing my eyes and relaxing. It is so silent here. I love this peace and I look around. It's a bit too silent. I was worried and before I could do anything I heard a scream. I quickly fly through the halls to find where the scream came from. I see the body of the other nurse who was helping Cranberry and then I see a shadow lifting a weapon. I turn quickly to see a creature, a yeti-like being.

“Oh Lord, the Storm King rises, praise him, praise him with your blood!!”

The creature suddenly charges at me to try to stab me. I look around real fast to see if I can find anything to protect me. I see a tray and grab it quickly and when he hits the tray it makes a loud ting and I fight back with the large tray. I swung it at him hitting him in the head hard enough he backed up shaking his head.

The creature charges at me again and I bring out my stinger parrying the knife with the stinger I groan in pain smashing the tray into him hard enough again. It dents and he falls back onto the ground shaking his head.

“Oh my?!”

I look to see Cranberry. The commander has many guards and Sunny Days coming in and they notice the creature. The creature looks at me and then at them. Blood drains from its mask. He removes the mask and I see it’s ugly fast and he roars.

“The Storm King returns to praise him, oh Lord, praise him!!”

The creature spreads his arms like he is chanting something and the commander lifts his hoof. The guard's fire energy beams right at the creature and he laughs in pain, blood, and gore flying all over the walls and the floor. The creature just keeps laughing like he enjoys it and then lifts his knife and his arm while it barely connects to the flesh.

“The storm King shall return you shall be his slaves. You shall be his toys. He will make an example of your ponies. He will finally win, he will get his storm, and he will do what is needed to put on those heels. HE RISES!!”

Sunny Days lifts a gun in her wing and I watch the elderly mare fire into the head of the creature. He laughs loudly as blood leaks from his wound. He looks at me laughing loudly and he coughs and drowns in his blood.

“He rises and you’re his damn soul…Hero.”

His body falls to the cold hard floor and he has a smile of pleasure and happiness on his face. He just went to his god or whatever hell he has gone to. Cranberry goes to him and closes his eyes out of respect as she looks at the creature.
“I thought the Storm King was a legend?”

The commander shakes his head.

“No he was not, the Enclave is too foolish to talk about the past. Because the past to them is not pure. I am hoping soon they will think like Winter Breeze and teach as she does so we can learn and learn the truth.”

I look up at the commander.

“Um…I would normally be pissed off and try to chew you out for being late and not helping me. But you did what you could for me.”

I take a deep breath trying to stay relaxed. My anger for this pony is great and I am trying too hard not to chew out the commander. I had no right to come here and ask them to help me. If I try too hard to push I might cause more problems.

“Okay commander Sunny Days and I will be going ahead. Do you need me or her?”

The commander shakes his head and the two mares spread their wings and fly off. I noticed something odd.

“Why didn’t she say your name?’

The commander sighs, shaking his head.

“My family joined the Hardliners now. I didn't do anything with them but the stain on my record and my name because I am part of that family line. It took a lot for me to keep my command and it wasn’t easy. I am known as Shadow Flight.”

I sigh deeply looking towards the way out. I see Sunny Days and Cranberry doing what they can to get many workers and others to go to Hard Rock. I look back at Shadow Flight and I weakly smile.

“I hope they at least trust you. I got a request before I go back.”

Shadow Flight stares down at me.

“What would that be?”

I remember what it was like flying here from the desert from Hard Rock to here. I take a deep breath not wanting to look weak but I am not a strong hero I am not a strong anything. I am just a simple young worker and magic eater who doesn’t have a lot of life experience.

“Can you give me a large bottle of fresh water before I go? I don't want to worry about myself flying too much and getting hurt along the way.”

Shadow Flight chuckles.

“I see I will see If I can find some fresh water for you is that all then?’

I nod and I watch Shadow Flight fly out the door. I look out back at the two bodies they will be coming back to take care of. I look at the mare and feel bad for what happened. I noticed something in the window though. I see the stallion in the Wheelchair watching me again and I look away and then when I look back he’s gone.

I am starting to wonder if I am watched by someone who has plans for me. I head back out the door and I swear I see a shadow. I look at the shadow and I see a strange creature's shape-shifting and changing from a lizard to a large bird. It flies away like it’s watching me but I notice on its back is the pony in the wheelchair.

“Ruby, are you alright?”

I turn my head looking at Cranberry.

“I keep seeing a pony in a wheelchair. I feel so many are watching me and it concerns me. I have seen some camels watching me. I have noticed many don’t trust me and I don’t fully understand what is going on.”

Sunny Days listens and she glances at Cranberry.

“I will head on ahead to Cranberry. It might be best to stick near our bug friend here. Since she seems weaker than most races we have come across.”

I felt insulted and Sunny can tell from my emotions I feel insulted she came over stroking my face with her hoof.

“I mean no insult, little cute one. From what I can tell the heat of this land gets to you pretty harshly. Before I do anything or say anything I got a personal question for you”

I look up at the old mare.

“A question?”

The mare leans down to look into my buggy eyes.

“Do you have anypony who is willing to get close to you and you open your heart to them?”

I shake my head.

“I doubt I would ever find one wanting to give me the love to fulfill that need.”

Sunny smiles sweetly.

“How about a gentle old mare like me to at least be a friend you can confide your stories and your feelings to when you need someone my age to ask questions?”

A gentle smile forms on my face at least as much as it can.

“I would be honored to talk to an elder mare and pick her mind.”

Sunny chuckles as she leans down kissing my head.

“I will head on ahead, you come with Cranberry okay? Just if she tries to push too much, allow her to. She won’t listen to reason because she is always the one that needs to be quick.”

The old mare spreads her wings flying into the air head-on ahead. I watch her fly into the desert. I feel relaxed talking to that gentle old mare. I worry though I don’t know her. I worry very much if I will watch her die.

I sigh deeply, not sure what to think right now. I watch the pegasi and the unicorns who work with them going everywhere gathering whatever. I watch and I am unsure what to do. I close my eyes, sighing.

“Ruby?”

I open my eyes looking up at Cranberry.

“We are about ready to leave, are you okay?”

I smile weakly.

“Cranberry I have a question for you. Have you ever felt that everyone around you looks down on you like you’re a worthless creature and you’re just a third wheel and the world would do best without you around?

Cranberry stares at me confused.

“I have never felt this way myself.”

I look away sighing.

“I worry someday I will face many angry souls. I will see everything I have done and feel that I am no longer able to fight to protect myself. Someday I am sure I will see the eyes of those I helped through this land and they will just have nothing but hate for me.

I get into one of the Enclaves machines leaving behind a very concerned mare. I glance back at her and she starts to follow me and we fly off to get to Hard Rock.

_________
Sunny Days.

A door closes and opens as the writer of the NCR book looks up.

“Greetings you must be Sunny Days. I have been told ever since the ruling you haven’t been very healthy.”

The old mare’s eyes are bloodshot. She has been crying for so long.

“I betrayed the little creature. You would feel bad for everything you said about her while defending her. I have never felt such hatred for anyone in my life. I just looked at her there and the seething hatred of the kind little creature just breaks my heart.”

The old mare coughs everything which went down and has gone bad on the health of the poor mare.

“I know it’s hard for you to talk about. But do you have any idea why you and many others turned on the little bug? Many I have talked to about everything that has been said and done don’t only regret half of what they said. They regret so much the words they said to her face.”

The old mare weakly smiles.

“I got to know her many years ago, so many years before the war that happened a month ago. I didn’t know her for long. Just every time I heard about her most of it was hate and spit and then later they have no idea why they said any of those words.”

The writer nods, writing down the pages.

“Sunny, do you need any medical help?”

Sunny shakes her head.

“I don’t…I know I am dying and I know Ruby will never get to say goodbye to me. Is that all the questions you have for me, sir?”

The writer nods. Sunny days stand up, she gets ready to walk out the door and she collapses. The writer quickly gets on their hooves and checks the pulse of the mare. Opening the door.

“We need a doctor!!”

The book closes

___________
Return to Hard Rock

The ship we are in lands outside the guarded gate of Hard Rock it opens. We aren’t far from the city itself but Cranberry felt it wouldn’t be a good idea to just land in the city. We don’t know how many towns or cities. I have an idea it could be nasty if many just turn out they hate the Enclave. I worry that may be the case.

Outside the gate, Pinda is waiting with Sunny Days standing beside him. I am happy we sent her first to talk to Pinda. I flap my wings flying towards Pinda landing down in front of him and staring up at the white camel.

“I have spoken to Miss Sunny Days here. She wanted to tell me they brought almost everything from their base just for this little town?”

I nod

“They’re very serious about wanting to help this town. They will bring supplies and try to bring enough fresh water to make at least enough to sustain the town till we find some pure water endless stream.”

Pinda sighs.

“I see it won’t be easy again like I said Nightmare Moon cursed this land.”

Cranberry lands beside us and she bows her head to the white camel. The camel nods in respect.

“I am Doctor Cranberry I have come to…”

The order of Mimic camel brings over at least one foal; she carries the foal on her back and the foal seems so weak and close to death. The camel lays the little one at the hooves of the red mare. I can tell the poor camel has been through hell and back trying to help this little one.

“Forgive me, doctor. I am from the Order of Mimic. Our names are lost when we join the order. But most of us remember them over time. Just I didn’t want to force the issue. This little one was born just a year ago. I know this is much to ask but could you give this little one a chance?’

Cranberry stares at the weak foal.

“I don’t know if..”

The camel has tears falling from her eyes.

“I may have forced the issue on Ruby and her friends. But it’s been the first time in years that one like me has had hope. The order has done so much for me but. We can’t do anything about these little dying ones. Please, doctor, do what you can for these little ones and the rest of the ponies.”

Cranberry looks at the little one again, tears falling from her eyes. She nods to the others behind her and Sunny Days picks up the little foal in her legs flying into the air while the others work as quickly as they can to get the hospital ready. The camel sobs and Cranberry smiles weakly.

“I promise I will do what I can.”

Cranberry flies off and the others follow with her. Pinda watches and he turns to the camel from the order of Mimic and she smirks rubbing her eyes Pinda rolls his eyes and he smirks. The order of Mimic camel walks off as she fakes crying. I fly up to try to chase after the camel but Pinda stops me.

“No, don't push the issue.”

I stare at Pinda.

“She used the feelings of a kind gentle mare to get what she wanted?! How could she do that? How could she?”

Pinda sighs.

“Ruby, you're too ignorant to understand. She didn’t mean to do it out of harm or malice; she did it to get things going faster. Sometimes to push an issue you need to make a show. The show may be painful for others to watch.”

I buzz feeling very upset looking away.

“Pinda I got a question, do you even have a leader who could help run this town?”

Pinda shakes his head.

“There hasn't been a leader for this town since the end of the war. We have never had a leader or anything else.”

I land on Pinda’s back and he turns his head a bit to look at me. I stare into his eyes and try to see what I can see in his soul. To see if I can find any magic I could read. The camel has no magic but he has strange runes floating all over his body.

“Pinda, have you ever thought of being the leader yourself?”
Pinda looks away sighing.

“Ruby, I am just exploring. I am sure deep in those who came before could have been a leader. But I would need to take time to dig through my genetic memories to see. But I don’t have the right to be a leader.”

“Why not?”

Pinda and I look to see Dunewalker as she walks over to him tilting her head.

“Pinda you and I may not get along because of camels behind camels. But come on you have been leading this town even if you aren’t the leader. I can’t be the leader because betrayers don’t have the right to be one. Even though we don’t agree on everything Pinda. I will follow you.”

Pinda frowns.

“How can I trust a Dunewalker? A Dunewalkers word is a knife in the back. A Dunewalkers moment is to be the first to get the job done. How can I know fully you’re willing to do this for me.”

Dunewalker grabs a knife from a scabbard on her leg. She lifts her fleshy paw and cuts deep into it letting the blood fall on the sand.

“I give my blood to the maiden of the sand. I may not believe in the maiden of the sand and the give of the dreams of sand. For we must do what we can. Consider this my moment if I break this you will have to banish me like the days of old.”

Pinda sighs. I could see the stress form in his body mussels.

“I will do what I can. I need to go to my office, I need a drink.”

I get off Pindas's back and watch him walk off. Dunewalker stands beside me. I flap my wings as hard as I can. I am still weak from flying to the base even though we flew in a machine. I still feel tired.

“You shouldn’t have said a word bug. You should have left well enough alone. You haven’t been in this land a little bit a day or two and just your words are starting to change a bit of change. Many no matter how much you say you’re not to their minds you’re a hero or a threat.”

I groan and anger fills my body. I turn to stare at the camel.

“So I am trying to help. I don’t want to be a hero.”

Dunewalker smirks.

“Oh? You don’t want to be a hero? Then shut the fuck up and stop speaking!!”

She stares into my eyes. I stare into hers.

“What do you think I can’t do without trying to at least give a little bit of help?”

Dunewalker smirks.

“You want to help? Then I want you to meet me at the bar later. I will not tell you when. When I want you to come I will send someone for you. Then I will force you to prove to me you’re not a worthless piece of shit. Now get out of my sight.”

She smacks me with her metal paw and I grunt as I fall to the ground she hurt my wing. Dunewalker laughs leaving. I see one of the parasites come out of the ground because of the vibration from my landing. I use my magic vision to see if they have any magic. The parasite has a great amount of magic. It hisses attacking me and I use my mandibles to bite right into it. Its blood and gore flow into my mouth as I suck its magic. The creature screeches in a great deal of pain as one of the guards watches me. My bent hurt wing goes back to normal.

I pull off the dead creature and it turns into dust. I flap my wings flying into the air and I turn to see one of the guards wave me over. I fly to the guard tilting my head.

“If you can do that little bug why don’t you go find more of those and do it more?”

I smile weakly.

“I can only do that if they came out of a unicorn. Earth ponies don’t have that natural amount of magic.”

The guard sighs.

“What an anal ability to have.”

I blink not understanding what she meant.

“Why would my ability be an anus I am sorry I don’t know what you mean.”

The guard stares at me laughing.

“Okay how about this, what a selective ability to sense magic. Does that work better for you?’

I chuckle nodding.

“Yes, that works. I need to go find my friends. Have you seen a Water hunter and a Clockwork mare with fake skin?”

The guard nods.

“Yes if you see a sign with a pink mare posing they were seen going in there. You will find it in the red district area of town.”

I smile

“Thank you so much.”

I fly off heading to check the research building first. When I go inside I look around and notice a locked door. I ignore it first and I head to the workshop. When I get in there I see my machine gun and crossbow are back together again. I notice a note on the workshop table. ‘Hello, Ruby I felt after the falling out we had earlier WaterSpout talked me into doing something for you. So I fixed up your gun and your crossbow. Please don’t make me regret it. Your friend Tick Tock.’

Tears fell from my eyes. She didn’t have to do this for me. I don’t deserve any of this kindness. I take a deep breath and grab my armor and helmet and put them in the place of my crossbow on the side of the armor and the machine gun on the armor connections.

I fly out to go search for them.

________
Tick Tock and WaterSpout.

The book opens up when the door opens up and Tick Tock walks in with Waterspout beside her.

“I am sorry for taking you away from your wife Miss Tick Tock and sorry for taking you away from your husband Waterspout. I just need to ask you a few questions. Are you two able to answer them?”

Tick Tock nods.

“WaterSpout, how about you go first.”

WaterSpout nods.

“What would you like to know?’

The writer smiles.

“I see you learned how to speak like the rest of us. I take it your husband helped you?”
Waterspout nods.

“I am still learning not all the words are easy after being born in just speaking old poneish now can you ask your question?”

The writer nods, getting ready to write on the pages.

“Is there a reason you and Tick Tock here didn’t defend Ruby when we were seeing what her judgment would be?”

WaterSpout frowns

“To be honest we did it to protect ourselves and the families we made over the years. We were told if we didn’t turn on Ruby. We would share the same fate as her. The NCR would see us as threats and we would suffer her fate.”

The writer frowns.

“I see I am sorry you had to be put through that. Did the same thing happen to you, Tick Tock?”

Tick shakes her head.

“No, I am going, to be honest with you. After everything was said and done and what we went through the pain and the hate she caused. I could no longer defend her. I didn’t expect the judgment to be as harsh as it was. I regret my words now but I couldn’t keep myself from being so angry at her.”

The writer nods writing into the book.

“I have heard from many they have been told they would suffer the same fate as Ruby if they didn’t follow and betray her. I am sorry you had to go through that. If you could go back and stop yourselves from what you did a month ago to her would you?”

Waterspout sighs.

“No, I wouldn't, I would still betray her.”

Tick Tock nods.

“I still would have to. We may have loved the little bug but when it comes to our personal lives. In our relationships, we did what we had to. I know it seems selfish but we did what was best for us.”

The writer nods.

“That is all I may call you back at another time.”

The book closes

_____
Hard Rock city.

I follow the directions I was told to do so. I fly myself to the red light district of the city. It’s not very big but I notice there are many here selling drugs a stallion offers a mare some money and the stallion walks towards a hotel. I stare at the name of the hotel. ‘The rutters inn. Come in and leave with a smile.’

I am confused at all this and I go look for that pink mare. I find the mare sign on a wall. I stare right at the mare. She is showing her rear end and spreading her legs. She is opening herself up and I have no idea what in the world that even is. I shake my head feeling my face heated. I don't know why.

I head inside and when I go inside. I see many silk curtains and I see candy and wine sitting on a table at the side. I look to the middle of the big room and see a mare sitting at a desk there are flowers and she fans herself with a fan using magic. I fly to the counter looking around.

“Excuse me, have you seen..”

I heard many sounds of moaning and groaning strange wet sounds and screams of pleasure. The mare smirks and she lets me figure out what is going on myself. I follow the sounds moving the curtain and see a stallion on top of a mare and I watch the strange object between his legs going in and out of the mare.

“Miss, you wanted to find something?”

I turn back to the counter. I am so happy I have my helm on. I am blushing badly.

“Y…ess um I am searching for a Water hunter mare following a Clockwork mare who looks like she has fake skin on. Have you seen them, have they come through here?”

The mare nods.

“They did and one of my stallions hit on the Clockwork mare and all she did was smile. She said if she was still flesh she would ask him to take her. He then hit the water hunter and she broke her left leg. Then your friend broke his other legs after he insulted her. I fired him after I don’t care for stallions who can’t take no for an answer.”

I sigh deeply looking back at the two ponies.

“What are they doing?”

The mare giggles.

“Why that is sex. Why not watch for a while? Maybe you will learn alot from them, hmm?”

She smiles sweetly. My face burned even more to the point my see-through wings changed bright red. I gulp deeply.

“I don’t want to invade.”

She giggles.

“Oh no need to worry, miss the hero or buzzer you call yourself?”

I sigh.

“I don’t consider myself a hero.”

The mare frowns a moment nodding.

“Sweetheart, I can't judge what you do with yourself. If you help others too you will be a hero. Here my name is Aljins. I run this place and my girls are here to make something of themselves. They also escort money on the side. It’s a legit business many of these mares and stallions are former slaves. I freed them and gave them this job so they could be worth it in their eyes.”

I am confused looking back at the couple and watching the stallion force himself so hard into the mare she screams in pleasure and he stays into her for a while. I see a strange fluid come out of her as she seems tired.

“Take off that helm for a moment. I want to speak to you in your private area?”

I nod following her to the back room and I notice many paintings of her girls posing in various poses. I take off my helm and set it down. The mare sits on a couch patting beside her and I sit by her.

“Before you go and search for those you call friends. I have a personal question for Ruby, is it?”

I nod.

“What is the question?”

Aljins smiles, pulling me close with her magic, and strokes her hooves along me giving me a gentle kiss.

“Don’t worry this question is not about if you wish to be filled by one of my stallions or please yourself with one of my mares. My question is more personal. In your heart do you see yourself as a creature who is willing to help or do you feel you’re in the wrong place? There is no wrong answer, little Ruby.”

I sigh deeply.

“Why do you care so much?”

The green mare smiles giggling.

“I have been there little Ruby. I used to be part of what you call the order of Mimic in my early years. I did everything in her name even saving those. One of the leaders told me to leave to follow my path. She told me the path will lead me to happiness.”

I sigh deeply unsure what to say.

“I don’t understand why so many care about my feelings here. I haven’t even been here that long and on the island, no one cared if I left or stayed. I was just another magic eater they saw as someone who joined the battle back then.”

Aljins smiles pulling me close to her again.

“You see what many seem to forget in this land. Most may be broken and lost. But some remember the words of old. The love of magic and friendship. No matter what Ruby even if you’re lost or someone is out to kill you. You’re always welcome here no matter what.”

I move from her smiling weakly.

“Thank you so much.”

The green mare chuckles, kissing me again on the cheek.

“Now go find your friends. If you need to talk again I would be happy to. Just remember I am here if you need to break down as well.”

I smile, put my helmet back on and fly out of the back room. I turn to a statue looking at it. I see a stallion showing himself in all his glory. I blush again leaving the place of sex having no idea what I just did or why this mare was so kind to me.

_____
Aljins

The book opens up again and the green mare comes in and the writer bows to her.

“Hello I am sorry to take you from your brothel but you were close to the little bug so I got a question for you: why were you so close to her and why did you turn on her as you did?”

The green mare signs that she has some white hair on her mane. When Ruby and her first met she was still pretty young, close to the age of getting old.

“I was threatened by some in the NCR that they would destroy me and my girls and arrest me for indecent work. They should have no control in this desert. We didn't ask them to come here. They did nothing till everything was said and done.”

The writer sighs.

“We will be leaving after we are done here. We just came here to deal with the three accused so you won’t have to worry about us ever again.”

She nods

“I see well I was there like she was lost and broken. I… betrayed her because after everything she did. Because of her, we had to rely on outside help to rebuild almost everything.”

The writer nods.

“If you could, would you go back on everything?”

She nods.

“If I could, I would. I wouldn't have ever allowed what happened to her to happen to her. Is that all you need? I need to get going and meet with my mares.

The writer nods, closing the book.

“You may go.”

The green mare stands leaving the room and closing the door. The writer leans back, sighing, setting the pen down, and stroking their face. The stress on their face and in their eyes is getting to them.

________
Hard Rock City.

Head out of the door looking back at the place I just left. I need to go find them again and a mare standing by the side of the walk smokes a strange object. I fly to her and she looks at me and she blows smoke out of her mouth.

“I am searching for two mares.”

The mare smirks.

“Well, I am a mare, of course, I am into stallions. If you won't give me enough money I can look the other way and give you pleasure.”

I shake my head.

“No no I am searching for a Clockwork mare and a water hunter. Did they come through here?”

The mare tosses what she was blowing into.

“I did see them, yes. They went towards the factory district. You might find them there. Are you sure I can’t offer you any sex?”

I shake my head and quickly fly out of the red light district and get to the factory area. I look around noticing many camels who are workers and some dragon-like ponies. They seem to be working together on something.

I fly to one of the camels. The female turns and smiles.

“Ah, you must be Ruby. Are you looking for your friend Tick Tock and the water hunter?”

I nod.

“They’re both helping us tear down an old building. We have been meaning to tear down this building for years. We just never had the pony power to do so. So head to the construction site and you will see them both.”

I quickly fly there and see Tick Tock helping the construction workers set up some strange objects on the old building. WaterSpout is giving the workers fresh water she seems to have found. She has learned to be respectful. I fly to Tick Tock and she turns to look at me.

” I see you found your gift, Ruby. Do you need something?”

I land looking up at the Clockwork mare.

“I was just wondering what you have been up to. I went to find some help to help the weak and the dying in this town. What about you, what have you and Waterspout been doing?”
Tick Tock shrugs her shoulders.

“Just getting Waterspout accepted. She has been so kind to the others and they are learning she is not only a killer but she knows how to find water. So you helped find doctors and such to help the weak? Are you going to force us into another problem?”

I felt awful for what she just said.

“I didn’t mean to tell you that.”

Tick Tock sneers angrily at me, her eyes glowing brightly full of hate.

“You do that all the time you fucking worthless bug.”

Just those words hit me harder than anything. I feel my anger for my friend building. I don’t want to be angry with her but why am I so upset and angry?

“I didn’t mean to do anything. I …”

I noticed the strange red mist going around. I turn my head to see a portal opening up and a blue goat with black horns glowing red. I turn back to Tick Tock.

“Don’t go silent on me you worthless bitch!!”

She smashes her robotic hoof into my face. My helmet flies off and it falls to the ground with a thud. We have many watching us and Waterspout trots over I feel my anger and hate vanishing seeing the portal vanish and then Ticks Tock's robotic eyes go back to normal.

I get off the ground sniffing feeling tears form in my eyes.

“Ruby please..”

I grab my helm.

“I will be at the hospital to check on Cranberry and the others there.”

I put the helm on. I fly off and I hear Tick Tock behind me.

“Ruby, I am sorry!!”

I sob loudly to myself flying to the hospital.

________
Grogar and the hate sickness.

The book opens up again.

“I have been learning a lot about this land. This is not the only place little portals have opened up and the one known as Grogar has shown himself. Spreading his hate sickness. This sickness is a little mist of his own making. It will unleash how many feel deep inside them. They wouldn’t be able to hide their feelings.”

He sighs, stroking his head.

“I worry a lot about what happened during the hearings. Grogar used this mist to bring the outcome. Now I am fully unsure he did this with everything. But It’s starting to make sense why there were so many tossing things at her and her friends backstabbing her. But again I doubt it was all his doing.”

He closes the books, sighing.

______________
Hard Rock Hospital.

I make it to the hospital and I fly into the back noticing Sunny and Cranberry see me fly. My vision is fuzzy because of my tears. I get into a back room tossing my helm against the wall. I sob loudly.

“I didn’t mean…to I didn’t mean to…”

Cranberry trots in with Sunny days not far behind her and the old mare trots to me wrapping her wings around me. I sob like a big baby as I buzz weakly feeling so angry with myself for what happened.

“Oh-oh, what happened?”

I try my best to explain like a blustering fool. They both are mothers from what I can tell and they understand every word.

“Why would she hit you though?”

I shrug my shoulders looking up at Cranberry. I finally relax the old mare holding me close to her. I finally relaxed.

“Look, I will let Cranberry take care of you. I need to get back to my desk. Will you be okay or do you need me?”

I smile weakly.

“Go do what you need to Sunny, I will be okay.”

I sniff and Cranberry sits down smiling.

“So have you been able to help any of the sick?”

Cranberry sighs nodding.

“It won’t be easy to save them all but I have been able to save a pregnant mother. I can’t do magic as most can. Ruby, why do you have a hoof mark dented in your face?”

I sigh softly.

“I argued with Tick Tock. I don’t know why I felt so much anger and she felt the same. I went silent. I swear I saw a portal open up and she then smacked me hard with her hoof. It's why I was crying.”

Cranberry sighs.

“I see hate can sadly be normal. You can say things you never mean to each other. Sometimes the other who shows their hate will always show their hatred.”

I now have a question to ask the mare.

“Cranberry who knows we might get more forced on us by the order and others. My friends and I might get pushed into helping the rest of the land. Do you think you would like to journey with us?”

Cranberry blinks a gentle smile forms on her face.

“I would love to. It would give me a chance to help others in this land. I am sure they can do well enough without me.”

I hear hooves trotting in and I see Tick Tock and WaterSpout. I look away and get ready to fly out and before I could Waterspout uses her magic to keep me from running and she pulls me down in front of Tick Tock. She sits between us nodding to Cranberry to do the same she does like they’re going to force us to talk.

“Ruby…”

I stay silent.

“Please Ruby, I am sorry.”

I look up at the Clockwork mare.

“Are you Tick Tock? You have told me before that even on the island I do things that make you so angry. Angry enough that you would take her hoof and slap some sense into me. Be truthful to me Tick Tock please.”

Tick Tock sighs.

“Ruby, a lot of what I said has been deep inside me for as long as I have known you. Some of the hate is not just for you either. I have been holding back my anger for years ever since I became like this. Ruby, I will follow you on this journey but if it ever comes down to it. I will go my own way if I find something better. Do you understand this correctly?”

I nod weakly.

“I understand we all came here to find something better than just the island. Old memories, old stories even though you’re from Equestria and you have memories everywhere which would bother you the most.”

Tick Tock looks away.

“Ruby, we don't have the magic of friendship in our hearts. We don’t have the love of friendship in our souls. I look at you. I still see the monster who attacked Cliffside after all this time. I look at you, I see my friend but I also see you questioning yourself and pushing others into what you feel is right.”

Cranberry sighs.

“She asked me to join you on this journey. She didn’t push me or convince me. She simply just asked.”

Waterspout tilts her head. The poor mare is trying to understand but I am sure she can understand our emotions. She leans to wrap her forehooves around me and Tick Tock tries to get us to hug. I just sigh looking up at Tick. Tick Tock shakes her head to the mare she stands up and heads out. Waterspout trotting after her.

“So your friend is not as simple as the light-bringers friendship was. Your friendship is broken and it’s going to take a while for things to fix. I need to get back to work Ruby and then we can talk more.”

Cranberry stood up on her hooves and leaned down giving me a tight hug. She trots out of the room and I sit there feeling my sorrow growing before I could do anything when a camel walks in. I look up at the camel.

“You’re Ruby correct?”

I nod

“Dunewalker is waiting for you. Don’t leave her waiting.”

I put my helmet on, connecting it to my armor, and headed out. I stop seeing Tick Tock helping Cranberry and the others with ponies. I stare at them and Tick looks up at me. I could tell she is sad about how everything ended between us. Our friendship is still there but she told me the truth. I am still the monster from the island. I head out of the hospital to head to Goldie's bar.

_______
The bar

It took a while to get here but I looked around for Dunewalker. I see some of the Enclave in here drinking and eating food and laughing and talking. I head to the bar. Goldie looks busy and when she gets a chance she turns to look at me.

“You’re looking for Dunewalker?”

I nod and Goldie points to the darkest area of the room in a booth Dunealker is sitting in. A nod and fly to the booth and hover staring at the camel. She lifts a pint of beer while looking at me. She stays silent for a moment. She lowers the mug down to the table looking at me.

“So you didn’t chicken out like I thought you would. Sit and I will order you something to eat and drink.”

I remove my helm and Dunewalker calls over a waitress. She orders meat with magic inside it for me and tea. I am impressed she knew what I ate. She nods to the waitress and then turns her head back to me.

“Normally how this would work. I would ask you to go to the board and find a job. But I have a job lined up. What we are searching for is a simple file under this very city. I was given an old key to open the sewers. No one has been down there since the creation of this city. He did warn me there are other ways there. But nothing living or fleshy could take that path.”

My food and tea are set in front of me. I eat and listen to the camel.

“Go on please.”

Dunewalker nods.

“Consider this a way of training. If you wish to be a hero or at least a soul who wishes to help this land. Then you need to start by doing jobs like this or at least clearing areas so we can go through them to figure out what it was made for.”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“What is bothering you little bug?”

I look up from my food, sighing. I am hoping she doesn’t laugh at me for what I tell her.

“I was talking to Tick Tock and suddenly out of nowhere we started arguing and her eyes glow brightly. I argued with her and I noticed a strange red mist flowing from a blue goat. His eyes glowed and his black horns glowed red.”

Dunewalker stays silent.

“This land has many mysteries and a lot of them we have never seen before. OI!! Enough of this let's get going I am tired of sitting here waiting for you let's get this fucking job done.”

She took me by surprise with her sudden change of emotions. She was being kind then she suddenly started being rude. I buzz angrily putting my helmet back on and she pays for the food and tea. I follow Dunewalker outside of the bar and she leads me to a very out-of-the-way part of the city. We go down a set of stairs leading to a heavily locked door and on the door is a lock and then a keypad.

“Do you have all the keys for this?”

Dunewalker nods.

“The one who gave me this is a ghoul. He told me he worked down here as a sewer worker and he told me stories of strange things he saw strange rooms and weapons being worked on down here. He was fired after he tried to break into a room and it wasn’t what he thought it was.”

Dunewalker puts the key in the lock looking back at me.

“I am going to warn you Ruby there might be security down here. He also told me what we are after someone else might want it to. So be prepared for whatever is to come.”

She twists the key and the lock drops to the ground she places the code and everything opens up. She coughs when she opens the door. The smell must be awful. I make sure my helm is on tightly and we see stairs leading further down. We see a gentle rush of water heading down a stream.

With her paw, she tells me to follow her and I follow her down the stairs. I look up to see the door close and it sounds like it relocks. I feel I was just led into a trap. We head down the stairs to see what is to come. I have no idea what is to come and it worries me a lot.

________
The sewers [He has Risen!]

When we get down fully into the sewers we see writing on the wall all over. ‘He has risen, he has risen. Oh, Storm King has risen.’

“Oi.”

Dunewalker sighs, stroking her head. She grabs her sword with her metal paw. She reaches into her bag real quick. She sets down a strange tank and a sword connected to it. She smirks at me. I could tell she wants me to use it.

“Take this weapon I bought for you to use. Hopefully, it will last long enough.”

I pick up the tank looking to see if I can attach the tank to my armor. Dunewalker helps me and we find a way to make sure I can use the tank on my back and still fly. It’s going to be hard with the added weight. But I am still able to fly. She showed me how to turn it on and when it turns on the sword engulfed in a fire.

“Come on.”

Dune and I ease through the sewer tunnels. We noticed some of the old robot defenses have been ripped apart by something else down here. She looks over the old parts of the robots that have been down here for so long some of them look like they had no chance at whatever is down here.

We go around the corner and we see another set of robots and they’re very weird. We see some in the image of ponies. We see one version of robots I haven’t ever seen before. It looks like a female body with a dog head. Its eye is a bit pure glowing red one and just one. While they stand around a robot-like Dr. Slice.

“He has raised my brothers and sisters. He has blessed us with a simple life. He will return and bless us with his power and then he will demand we destroy every single soul in this land and then when he gains enough power. We shall destroy Equestria, the land that backstabbed us all so long ago.”

Dune swings her flesh paw to have me follow her closer. I hear a sound behind us and a large metal monster behind us laughs loudly.

“Brothers and sisters we got company!!”

The group is alerted and Dunewalker quickly charges at the giant monster with her large sword. She strikes the powerful sword into the robot and pushes a trigger after she hits the robot bullets fly into the wall and it breaks from the wall.

“Stop them long enough brothers and sisters. I got a job.”

I watch who seems to be the leader of them go down a hallway and the others come to attack us. The one that looks feminine charges at us with her hands looking like powerful weapons and her eye glows I quickly get out of the way and a laser from her eye burns into the wall. I look back at Dunewalker fighting the big one and I have no idea what to do. I look at the sword in my buggy hand and I know what I need to do.

I quickly go around the corner and fly as fast as the weight would let me. I swing my sword into one of the weaker robots and it slices right through. I cut the robot in half and its wires spread out to grab me and dig right into my armor trying to get to my fleshy exoskeleton. I quickly slice through it destroying the robotic creature and destroying it I groan.

“He has risen, don't let them destroy the only rise of hope for my children!!”

I groan, charging at the next robot. The next robot looks to have a brain in a dome.

“Now let's be reasonable about this. You don’t need to harm me and we can make a deal.”

I don’t listen to the robot and slice into its treads and the large body turns around fast enough to smack me. I back up grunting and I stare at its weapon while it charges at me. The weapon fires and it hits the tank on my back and it catches on fire. I feel it heating up and I quickly toss it toward the feminine robot. The robot wasn’t far from me and kept coming.

When the tank hits the ground near it. It explodes in a fiery blast and when the smoke lets up the feminine robot is intact but her wires hang out of her body. The wires are cut and cause the robot to power down and it looks like someone could fix her and maybe we could speak to her?

I heard a weapon powering up. I look back at the robot with the brain dome. I wasn't paying attention to this robot and I am going to pay for it.

“OI robot!!”

The drone turns its head looking at Duneawlker who is covered in oil. She pulls a shotgun out of the hilt of her sword and fires at the drone and its brain is blown apart. Dunewalker comes over to me staring at me.

“First rule, don't let them get the upper hoof on you. I see you got one and kept her together enough so we could turn her back on and maybe talk her into joining us and telling us what happened.”

We see more coming towards us and Dune looks at me nodding to me.

“You go on and I will deal with them.”

Dunewalker runs down the hall taking on the group of robots. I quickly take my chance and head into the next room and when I go in a strange alert sounds and a strange light scans me it burns at first.

“Strange DNA found needs to be destroyed. Turning on invasive subroutines”

The system has strange hot water all over me and I feel the heat in my body. The armor heats up and I feel like I am burning up. I grunt deeply and after a while, the system looks at me over again.

“DNA belongs to the creature. It seems to be safe, come on through.”

They finally go through the door panting and grunting. I get out of my armor for a bit, letting the air cool my body. I look around the area and I see a large window. Looking through the window I see what looks like an airship. I notice though the airship has been falling apart. Deep down there I see what looks to be pure water which caused the airship to decay.

“So you made it. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come down here and just expecting the stupidity of you fleshlings and not realizing that those who wish to get things done are former flesh brains in a robot.”

I put my armor back on looking for ways to get to the robot and I see it locked behind a protected glass and it’s typing in a console. One of the eye stalks looks at me.

“I have heard of creatures like you before the creation of Majesty. I am going to ask respectfully. Stay out of the way and let me do my task and I won’t harm you.”

I look for a way in and notice a vent system since the door is heavily locked. I open the vent looking back at the robot.

“I have no wish to bring any harm to you little bug. If you try to stop me though then I will have to treat you like those before treated the heroes who tried to stop them. If Red Eye learned what Littlepip was doing he would have killed her on the spot. Same with Light Hooves and BlackJack again out of kindness, I don’t want to harm you.”

I open the vent and go through it quickly. I am not used to closing places like this.

“Well then rejoice in his coming and choice in your coming death.”

I hear a button click and the systems turn hot. I quickly go through. I scream in pain from my little buggy feet burning. I quickly go through it feeling fire attack me and one of my wings burns and turns to dust. I get through faster.

“You’re a dumb little creature. You don’t seem to understand the need to rise from the dead. He will bring honor and peace to this land. The progress of this land needs to go on. He has risen from the dead and he shall honor us.”

I get through the vent groaning. I notice I am in a waiting area and looking back at my wings I pant in pain. I have to wait for my body to heal and I shiver. I lay there a moment to let my body heal and I hear the robot clicking away.

“You could just leave you to know. I have no ill will towards you. But if you try to stop my master from his task then we will have issues, my little friend.”

I hear another voice in the room.

“I think she won’t listen to my robot friend. She is too stubborn and you and I both know anyone who tries to stop us from starting up Project Storm Watch is a threat. So do what is right, I will go on ahead.”

The robot turns an eye stalk and I quickly attach myself to the window to see if I can find who the robot is talking to I see a large hoof attached to a red leg. I had four red legs attached to hoofs as this large creature was carrying something.

I grunt trying to find a way in and see a window above the door open and el the only thing I can do is be like this robot. I get back on the ground looking at my wings and I grunt feeling the best way to handle this is to say he has risen at least.

“You said he has risen?”

The robot stops clicking a few. I think they’re trying to fight their programming and I can tell they’re fighting themselves like they don’t want to spread this type of nonsense around but they’re forced to. The robot turns to the fake crowd behind them.

“OPEN UP ALL YOUR GATES!! He has risen to bring progress back to this land and this empty soul of a world. He has come back to destroy the so-called heroes of legends and myths. The heroes will be placed in their graves.”

My wings finally come back. I fly into the open window above the door and get in. I noticed when I got in the robot was gone and a strange program was working. I turn, seeing a robotic arm smack me right in the face and I fly into the wall. The robot went back to the console, taking the disk and firing on it.

“Now you won’t be able to stop us from starting Project Storm watch.”

I fly back up groaning.

“You’re going to try. I told you magic eater I have systems built into to deal with your kind.”

I get up back into the air. I grab my crossbow to use it as a weapon. I fly right at the robot getting ready to smack the robot with the crossbow. One of the arms of the robot blocks me from hitting it and stares right at me.

“Then I will do what I must.”

The robot grabs me with a claw holding my neck and using its blaster to shoot right into me. I feel the magic in my system vanish. I felt weak and the robot tossed me into the wall and fired at me again. I grunt and before I could move the robot charges right at me into the wall crushing me and my armor. I feel my exoskeleton dent. My armor was broken and the visor on my helm shattered. The systems in my hud I could read said the armor is heavily damaged and it would take twenty-four hours for it to repair itself. I try to move but I can't because my body won’t let me and the robot turns back to fire at me.

"That's what Red Eye should have done to Little Pip right when she was in his grasp. Same with those that went after Security and all the other heroes. Just fire, don't ask questions."

I tried to move, groaning as the robot turned back around. He aims his lazar back at me. I could see it charging getting ready to fire. After a second or two the charge ebbs. Then the gun dims and the robot turns back to the stairs.

“No no, I won’t do that. I could kill you right now but it will stop you from learning a lesson like the other heroes never learned. You failed to stop me little hero and it will eat at you for the rest of your life. Every time you break down you will see me and the others. Every time we talk about you and laugh at you. You will see us and we will destroy your mental mind. You will always know you have lost. You’re a failure little bug, go back to your home, leave this to the adults.”

The robot heads up the stairs and I lay here in a heap broken and weak. I try to move. I can't move too much and when I move my body falls and I hit my head so hard I knock myself out.

___________
Assault Diamond dog. [Assaultron]

The book opens up and writes.

“So you say you were turned back on but not programmed to work with the hero Ruby. What can you tell me about her?”

The robot chuckles.

“Darling, they didn't need to reprogram me. I offered to help because the hero was kind enough to talk to me. She asked me to stay in the hospital and stay out of sight so I don’t worry about the ponies and camels. Frankly, I enjoyed protecting little ones.”

The writer nods.

“Do you have a name?”

The robot nods.

“Yes but I don’t see the point of why I am here? I .ook at everything through a logical mind. What they did to poor Ruby wasn’t logic, it was pure spite. I will give my name to you and only to you if you NCR boys try to harm anymore in this land I will take you all out myself. I am Diamond Cutter. Do you have an agreement?”

The writer nods, closing the book.

“You may go, I am sorry for taking you to your job.”

The robot stares at the writer.

“You should be more sorry for what you did to the poor bug. All of you should know she did what she felt was right. If I could go back and stop all this I would. I would put every single one of you NCR in your place.”
________
Hard rock Hospital.

I open my eyes, my vision hazy. I look around hearing a beeping. I see I am attached to a life signs system. There is an iv on my side and I look at the bag full of pure magic. Looks over weakly to Waterspout who has her eyes closed focusing on adding more magic.

Sunny Days comes into the room to look me over. She smiles, sweeping me awake. She clicks a button.

“Doctor Ruby is awake.”

Cranberry trots in with Tick Tock not far behind her and the red mare and Sunny Days look at me and they run all kinds of tests to make sure I am okay. I groan in pain and Sunny holds me close to her.

“Shhh it’s okay sweetie it will be over soon.”

I look at Tick Tock and she looks away. I could still see what happened between us still affects us both. I reach for her with my little buggy leg and Tick Tock holds it with her hoof.

“I am sorry for getting angry at you Tick Tock.”

Tick Tock smiles.

“It’s going to be hard for me to do the same for you Ruby Glide. Now Ruby I tried to contact Hawk and Roll Roll to let them know what happened to you. I haven’t heard back from them and I am told it might be a while before we hear from them. Waterspout has been in here since you were brought in using her magic core to feed you.”

Dunewalker walks in looking at me. She grabs me hard enough to shake me but not to hurt me.

“Now listen bug you did good but I need to know what you were told.”

I try to speak but I can’t even let out a buzz. Dunewalker grunts angrily; she tries to get more upset but she gets nasty looks from Cranberry and Sunny Days and when she sees the anger in the old mare's eyes she stops.

“Sorry I keep forgetting she is not a pony or a camel. Her kind takes longer to heal and so on. I wonder if you all feel she wouldn’t mind being trained by me? I am not used to working with very fragile creatures. But at least I can try to make her stronger.”

Tick Tock stares at the camel.

“I don’t trust you, Miss Dune. You always seem to be so rude to me and others and weren't you just downstairs insulting Ruby here?”

Dune chuckles

“Yes, what of it? If she will not be able to handle any insults then OI!! She will not be able to handle any fucking fights in this land. Anyway, I worked on your suit and Tick Tock helped me put a new battery in it. That charge shot did something to your suit but when I found you. You weren't even breathing.”

Cranberry sighs.

“I will be coming with you now so I can make sure stuff like this doesn’t happen again. “

Dunewalker smirks

“I will be going with you then since you will need a strong one to protect you a lot.”

Cranberry looks at the Camel.

“What about the town?”

Dunewalker chuckles
“OI there are other protectors including that robot we found. We turned her back on and she wanted to speak to the bug. So when we are all done here we are going to do that to see if she can be convinced to help.”

Cranberry sighs and Sunny Days seems a bit concerned and she taps WaterSpout gently. She opens her eyes, her horn still glowing. She shakes her head, and Tick Tock nods, going with the others while she focuses her core on the bag and Duneawlker signs.

“Little Bug, you're strong and we have a lot of work ahead of us. I will meet you tomorrow for some training. Please be a strong little one.”

Dune leaves and after a while, a group of camel guards comes in. The Assault diamond dog comes up to me looking down into my eyes. I smile weakly and the creature seems to be just staring and watching.

“Cute little thing I tried to murder I was told you’re a hero or at least you don’t consider yourself one. I was told you want to help protect this little town. Let me ask you a simple question.”

I nod weakly to her.

“Ask…”

I weakly buzz out.

“Who would you say is the most important to the future? The adults, the old, or the children?”

I weakly buzz grunting trying to speak. It took a while for me to speak.

“The young. The future.”

The robot turns to the guards.

“Would it bother you if you let me go on my way dears and let me take care of the future of this land?”

The guards look at each other and shrug their shoulders. They leave the robot behind and she turns back to me leaning down to look at me more.

“I have one request from you. Can you name me, please? Can you name the future protector of the children?”

I weakly smile

“Diamond Cutter.”

The robot chuckles.

“I love it. I will talk with the guards of the city and I will do what I can to protect every single child. Even if it means I have to stay in the hospital during the day to keep some of the creatures here from fearing me.”

She walks out and I hear the radio turn on looking over to Waterspout where she is resting and turning it on to listen to some music or hear Yanari. She hasn't said anything else in the last few days. I did leave her behind in a pretty nasty place.

"Ah sorry for being silent folks. But DJmixer is back. Now for the news. The cease-fire in KludgeTown between the four factions has been broken by the poachers. This is what the leader of the poacher's Spearhead had to say about that."

Static came over as if it was a recording.

"This desert used to belong to us poachers. We lived together with the camels in harmony. It used to be that you had to get something by giving something. Now we have to ignore our own rules. Because these Zebras, Pegasus, and Ponies wish to make us weak. Now get out of my sight."

"The Zebras didn't wish to answer, they felt talking to the drone would ruin their souls. The ponies that still feel they’re in the past didn't want to say anything either. The enclave said fuck off as well. But in other news. A missing water expedition has been missing for almost three weeks. The Buzzer's two friends Hawk and the bug Roll Roll are helping with this. But they refused to speak. Hawk said they're a bit upset with the Buzzer for offering their service without their okay. Oh, poor friendship there. But I have a warning for my friends.”

“The heated pools heading to Base salt village have stopped them from being able to leave. Pinda has sent an offer to build them a bridge. But they haven't answered back. Let’s see oh yes Water Hunter attacks have stopped for the moment. Something is bothering them from the last one that got attacked by them. That is all the news. I sadly can't do music right now. I need to fix the system. It's just so dusty here. That is the news, thank you."

Waterspout turns off the radio, stands back up, and hugs me tightly.

“Spout you don’t have to stay and watch me… I…need some rest.”

She shook her head and stood guard pulling a sword from her robe. As she guards me I close my eyes feeling the painkillers finally taking over. It took a long time for them to work with me so I am not surprised.

_______

WaterSpout

The book opens up again.

“Now I am sorry for taking you from your home again to talk with me. But I need to know more. I am reading a report here about water hunters breaking into the hospital to deal with you. Have you had to deal with them lately?”

She shrugs her shoulders.

“Ever since the end of the war, they banished me from the tribe. I am still a water hunter at heart and I still wear the garb. But I don’t think like them anymore.”

The writer nods.

“I see, can you explain to me what went on?”

Waterspout nods and begins to explain.

_________

Through the eyes of Waterspout

I sat in a chair watching the sleeping bug. I felt so bad for her and I was worried about her. I paced and I heard hooves around me seeing many eyes in the darkness. I sigh deeply I knew this was going to happen.

“You can come out master.”

A stallion in the same garb as me comes out of the darkness with a couple of guards with him. I look into the darkness to make sure my surprise is still there. Since I know full well I am going to need protection.

“WaterSpout why are you here with these Monstras”

I snort

“They’re not as much of a monstra as you are, sir..”

My commander stares at me he is not only my boss or commander I am his slave. I am a mare to my kind and I will no longer have freedom if I let them do what they’re about to do to me and I get ready for a fight just in case.

"You're a mare... WaterSpout most of your duties are bearing foals and cooking for the males."

I snorted, removing my scarf from my face. The rage in the eyes of the stallion doubles when he sees my scared face.

“You have been showing them your face?! That’s it you need to be punished!”

"I'm a mare Moon Crescent. I am a warrior and I was trained to hunt for the water. When I saw the hero she didn't kill me. She welcomed me. I will be her warrior and train her. You may tell the elder's what you wish. But I am going to think for myself."

Moon Crescent stared at me in anger. He was furious. He brings out a whip from his cloak it has spikes on and they magically glow. I know what is coming. The other stallions come and move my cloak up to get to my back. I brace for the pain I am about to get.

I close my eyes tightly feeling the whip snapping at my back. I gasp in pain feeling flesh being ripped off by each hit. I groan and magic forms around my mouth to make sure I don’t scream and warn the others of this place. He takes a branding iron from one of the other stallions. He forces the mark of a traitor and outcast into my flesh. My eyes water in pain as I feel the brand seer my flesh.

They released me and the stallion stood over me, taking his knife and putting it to my neck.

“I should remove your ability to speak. You will be a good mare and do as you’re told. Do what a stallion tells you, Waterspout.”

In the darkness, a stallion is pulled in screaming in pain as I hear a neck crack. No Tick-Tock you don’t have to go that far. The clockwork mare comes out with the sword she took and slices into the other stallions without them even seeing her coming.

Moon Crescent turns to stare into the eyes of an angry clockwork mare. He has fear in his eyes as he is scared of her.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right here?!”

You... Can you understand our words?!"

Tick-tock forces him onto the ground forcing her front hooves on him grunting angrily at the stallion she smirks.

“I may not be happy with my friend Ruby right now. But WaterSpout has been telling me that someone is needed to bring the water back to this land. I know full well it will keep us here longer than we wish to be... But if we can help with that then we will do so.”

Moon Crescent stares at me and Tick Tock. There are sounds of worried voices from all the sounds and hooves coming this way. I turn to look at Tick Tock and Moon Cresent. I am worried about what they will do if they find him and the others.

“Tick Tock let him go. We can’t have a small proxy war start up because of me.”

Tick nods and lets the stallion go he looks back at me.

“Maybe someday Waterspout when you return we can talk this over and talk about your true role. Now goodbye.”

He chants a spell and all the bodies including him vanish. I quickly put my cloak back on my back groaning in pain at the feeling of the seared flesh when they come in Cranberry is looking around and Sunny Days are looking at Ruby to make sure she is okay.

“Tick Tock what did you see?”

Tick Tock looks at me with a weak smile.

“Another group of robots came in. They wanted to harm Ruby and well they attacked me and Waterspout. We were able to take them easily since they weren’t expecting us. Now, are there any more questions or can I take Waterspout to get some sleep?”

A smile formed on my face. I was honored that Tick Tock lied to protect me and to stop a war. Cranberry glances at Sunny Days.

“We should double the guard and go talk to Pinda. Go tell Diamond Cutter to double her watches and tell her to make sure anything out of the ordinary is questioned and tell her not to kill anything unless they fire back first.”

Sunny nods, flapping her wings and flying out to deal with all this. Cranberry checks on Ruby again to make sure everything is fine and she heads back to go back to sleep I look at Tick Tock.

“Thank you, Tick Tock.”

The Clockwork mare looks at me.

“I don’t like lying about stuff like this Waterspout. I only did it to stop a war from breaking out. Now come on, let's go get you in a bed and I will clean up your wounds.”

I sigh I know best not to argue. Tick Tock leads me to another empty room and I take off the cloak she quickly goes to get some ointment which she takes from the supply room and works on my wounds and puts bandages on them and the mark burned into my flesh.

“Your mark will never heal Waterspout, you will be with it the rest of your life.”

I nod slowly, falling asleep.

_________

The book closes and the writer nods.

“So is that the real story? Can you show me the symbol?”

Waterspout stood up moving the cloak and showing the mark on her flesh. The writer cringes at the look of it. He sits back down, opens the book again to write, and looks up at her with a weak smile on her face.

“I guess since your husband is a camel. Your children can feel and hear everything in your memories am I correct?”

She nods.

“Yes they can now can I go or do you need me more?”

The writer shakes his head and heads to the window.

“Go on.”

She leaves and another comes into the door.

“It seems you have a big task my old friend, are you sure you’re up to the task?”

The writer sighs.

“After everything, I feel it’s the only thing I can do after breaking the poor little creature.”

He comes out of the darkness showing himself to be the white minotaur ghoul. The white ghoul that Tiria faced back on that broken ship during her journey. He looks at the other in the darkness.

“Maybe someday we will be forgiven Beezen I don’t know.”

The one in the darkness laughs.

“We will see later, my friend.”

The one known as Beezen leaves and the Minotaur ghoul sits in the chair sighing.

“Oh, Ruby, I wish I didn’t force the universe into your soul. But it was your own damned choice. If only you listened.”

The minotaur heads to his room to relax and wait for the next set of readings he must do. Remembering more about that day and when he met the little bug. He stands up staring out the window notching the beauty of the desert land. He watches while many go back and forth. It's the world which has changed after the final battle. The story hasn't changed he has a job to do to take care of the interests of the NCA.

Footnote: Level up.

Perk added Crazy flier: You flew like a Pegasus through hell. You gain 25% speed when you are scared for your life.

Quest perk: The quest you have chosen failed. But you gained a trainer and a companion that's good right? Right?!