The world span and I tried to push past the pain. My ears rang with the sounds of Alguacil's revolver, and the blackness around my eyes faded as I focused. I was being lifted by the creature and my hooves struggled to find something, one of them struck a very familiar piece of wood; my shotgun. I grabbed it and bit in, freeing me in a roar of buckshot. I was separated from the beast and struggling to get to my feet.

I hit the ground, and the mutated pony roared. I looked up shocked and frozen for a moment, my body certainly was not used to pain like this and I could barely find my footing.

“Sunrise, move!” Pink shouted, and I felt an invisible hoof pushing my side. I rolled with it as the mutant’s hoof slammed into the concrete foundation. It’s hoof and leg, three times the size of a normal pony’s and loaded with muscle, left a crater in the concrete. . I shuddered, realizing the damage it could do to me, even through my armor. I’d just end up a crushed can of pony; if it managed to hit me.

Chifundo's rifle cracked, but at this range he couldn't keep the scope on target. Round after round slammed into the wall behind the mutant. Nyota ran into it and delivered a massive buck straight into its jaw. The mutant’s strength was scary enough, but now its speed showed; that massive hoof slammed into Nyota and sent him sprawling till a second blow from the massive leg pinned him against the wall. Nyota whinnied in despair and pain.

Jackal hammered his cyberclaw into the leg and pulled on it hard, “No you don't! Nyota you don't get to die today!” He put his full body weight into pulling at the creature's arm to inhibit its ability to crush him. I felt a boiling rage swelling up inside me.

“Get your hoof OFF him!” I shouted as Alguacil fired another round. I couldn't take it anymore. My vision blurred a much deeper red. I wanted to break this creature apart with my bare hooves. I let out a roar that I didn't realize I could muster. The gun shots stopped and even the mutant paused. He rushed forward with one purpose, murder. My muscles felt like they were bulging with power, power that was hidden within an earth pony. The creature pushed Jackal off with a massive effort and reared its massive fist at me.

S.A.T.S. activated on its own, or maybe Pink did that one, so I queued a shot at its knuckles and committed myself to bucking just like Nyota did. The training with him kicked it as the spell was released and my body moved.

My body flexed and reared, spinning in slow motion before I released S.A.T.S. Life moved still at a speed that felt like I never released the spell. Both of my hooves connected with his massive one with the sound of sledgehammers meeting.

My friends starred and the mutant looked confused as our hooves met, my two versus his one pony sized one and held there for aching seconds.

I felt the impact through my body, it rippled across the two of us. My joints screamed, my ribs felt like they could crack, my hooves were numb. The two of us separated almost instantly. I couldn’t feel my rear legs but they supported me, barely. I growled at the creature as the two of us stared at each other.

“Leave HIM ALONE!” I screamed at it while the sound of laser fire filled the room. Scopola Mina's laser rifle finally found a mark and hit something vital.

I hadn't even noticed the filly scout had been pumping out bolt after bolt at him. The incineration spell had left dozens of scorch marks during the fight. The creature started to cry out and froze as it turned to ash, disintegrating from its chest out along the rest of its body.

Pink was way to overjoyed as the hot pink ash floated away and covered us. Nyota was stunned staring from myself to Scopola then back to me. Jackal clapped him on the shoulder as he steadied himself.

“Hey! Just like old times! Almost die, and then something completely unexpected saves us all!” The dragon chuckled and put a claw onto Nyota’s shoulder. I gasped for air and wanted to collapse. I could see some damage had been done to my legs. Nyota glared at Jackal and shrugged the claw off his shoulder.

He approached me and wrapped his hooves around my neck. I felt Quick Stitch near us almost. He was pulling his fully mom doctor mode and his horn glowing. Both of us could feel the power of his healing magic tingling through us and working to heal bruised muscles, cracked bones, and stressed tendons.

I just listened to Nyota’s heartbeat, calming my rage and nerves. My vision returned to normal and my breath sounded so ragged that I must have sprinted miles when it had only been a few seconds in combat.

Nyota stroked my head and I realized he had been speaking and whispering to me. “Shhh, calm yourself.” He whispered and then shushed me again. “I've got you, it's over. We’ve got you.” He held me tightly and softly reassured me further as the feeling in my rear legs returned.

Alguacil spoke up first, “What in the wild world of Equestria 'as that?” He kicked the pink ash away and then looked at me. “And when did she 'get that strong?”

Nyota shrugged and Chifundo giggled as he tilted his head. “A mare of that size taking on a foe like that is a surprise. Sunrise is obviously a berserker, but her friends will not desert her.”

Nyota pulled back just a bit and looked a little scared when Pink rolled across my compass, “Oh! It's finally come out! The inner destruction!” Pinkie did her best impression of an angry dinosaur, which is to say it was more enthusiastic than good.

“Well that is something we're gonna have to temper and focus.” Nyota replied and there was a collective sigh of relief while Alguacil went to searching the room. I broke from Nyota's grip and approached the cot this mutant pony had been using.

“What do you mean I’m a berserker? I wouldn’t hurt anypony if I could help it?”

Chifundo sagely nodded to me, “Of this I have no Doubt, evidence of your kindness is all about.” He gestured to all my friends surrounding the two of us. Then pointed directly at me and tapped his hoof against my heart. “But locked deep in your heart’s cage, is a very powerful and passionate rage.”

I took a moment to pick apart his words and realized I’d be watching myself from here on out. I had to make sure that whatever this inner demon was, it didn’t come out or if it did, it wasn’t on the wrong ponies.

Quick Stitch continued to work and nod, “My time with raiders would tell me the same thing, the kindest and softest individuals often have the biggest amounts of rage to draw on. You’re the nicest pony I’ve ever met, I always wondered if you would just snap one day.” He finished and pushed a hoof against my flank to test my legs. “There the bruising should be healed now.”

My leg certainly worked again. My breathing had barely slowed down and I started to pray to the twin sisters. Chifundo joined me in silence as I wished the soul of the pony we’d just turned to ash, would find peace.

We left the room behind; and prepared to leave the store. Disarming the mines I'd laid to protect us was an easy task since I had not only laid them but they were a form of explosive I'd actually created. Then, we prepared to open the door, unsure what horrors we would face, in this garden of monsters.

It was overcast, outside. Plants and moss had overgrown the buildings leaving everything beneath the grey skies solid green as far as I could make out. Every step, our hooves crunched under us. Jackal winced, “Keep an eye out for flowers, they will do stuff awful to you.” He explained to all of us. I looked at him with a frown.

I smelled something beautiful and I started towards it when Jackal's cyberclaw stopped me. “Stupid pony, look and don't smell.” He pointed his claw and my eyes followed it to a mostly decayed body. Vines and roots sprouted from every orifice of the pony, revealing wonderful yellow flowers.I thought I saw those vines move, and twitch. “Especially don't touch the blue flowers.”

I looked at him horrified, “What do the blue flowers do?” I asked nervously, seeing one twitch nearby. I stepped away and shuddered I felt some instinctual urge that, Plants Aren't Suppose To Move.

“Oh, they have ferns attached that just straight up eat you.” Jackal shot a glare at me, and I wasn't sure if he was serious or just saying that to scare me. Then I saw a fern move towards me and jumped. Nyota caught me.

He steadied me and shook his head, “Don't flinch like that love; sudden movements might draw things in”

I got back on my hooves and began to scan the area around us.

Something flashed from the corner of my eye

I dove into Nyota to move him. A heavy metal object slammed past us, a pre-war trashcan. The noise of it hitting the brick wall, crushing with a wet squelch and a metallic clang mixed together. Every creature was on high alert looking in the direction of the thrown can.

A severed head slumped out of the trashcan.

I winced and took out my shotgun. Every pony had their weapons, when Scopola revealed her modded AER 12. It was a medium range to close quarters laser rifle unlike the standard variants made more for sniping. The important difference was its rapid fire and lack of skill required to aim compared to earlier models. It levitated near her head, her eyes searching.

“Algaucil, Quick Stitch, you two see anything?” I asked, considering that they had always been the two with the best eyes for seeing something before it happened. Geckzilla, The Roof, The Ambush in Las Pegasus; those two were on the ball. That book on Equestrian Officers was pretty good; and I was starting to learn from it. There was a growl and then thunder overhead.

No please, no, rain now would mean we are stuck indoors; trapped near whatever that thing was. Just as I thought that, Pink opened up an umbrella as rain drops hit the visor on my new combat helmet. I paused, expecting the click click of the PipBuck, but none came. Now I had soaking wet armor and the stable suit was being put to the test for its waterproof quality.

I looked to the others who moved underneath the nearest thing that would keep us dry. Alguacil extended a wing over Quick Stitch as the two of them kept looking around.

A red dot winked into view on E.F.S. and I drew my shotgun, pointing in its direction. The red dot seemed to be able to see me but I could see nothing but the highlight from E.F.S. The rest of our group proved how well armed they were with various clicks and charging power packs drawn.

“Sunrise, what's wrong? I don't see nothin',” Alguacil asked and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“My E.F.S. is showing a red pip but if you guys can't—“ Just as I had been speaking the red dot winked out of existence. “It's out of range now. I don't know but it keeps showing up, just like yesterday since we got here.”

Nyota and Jackal looked at each other and then turned towards me with Jackal speaking, “Well, Taint Wood ain't exactly known for being nice. The plants around here will straight up eat you. The pollen from the flowers is poisonous and keeps you unconscious while it bloats your body into a spore hub for spreading it.”

I nodded, the dangers and horrors of this place slowly filling me up. I felt my facial expression of terror welling up inside and kept suppressing it to a disappointed frown.

Nyota placed a reassuring hoof against my shoulder plate. I had started to learn, I could not hide my feelings from him. Jackal resumed speaking, “You really shouldn't touch the ferns, they turn you mad and feral with direct exposure.” He leaned in close with a mischevious grin on his lips and in a whisper made to scare me finished what he was saying. “Just think about the creatures that can live in that sort of environment? Such as the Charger in that basement, think about what lives out in the open.”

I gulped and nodded to him. Nyota held me close and whispered, “We've got you love, don't let him scare you.” My mind went wild with the possibilities of what taint could do considering the warnings about it and what I'd seen it do to changelings. We started forward again, in spite of the light drizzle, stranger still; No radiation was present here.

I had narrowed the bandwidth of detection down further and even background non-harmful radiation was present here. My skin was crawling, my nerves were high strung, and I just wanted to leave. It was like the sun itself didn't reach here through the clouds but somehow, every footstep was accompanied by the crunch of moss, leaves, or some other living plant life under hoof and claw.

I stayed near Nyota and kept him reassuring me after Jackal's speech and kept looking for any dangerous or sign of where we were supposed to be going. Jackal was just behind me, almost breathing down my neck at some points to keep me steered onto the same path rather than the direct route my PipBuck kept giving us.

This entire game of cat and mouse with the red pip on the E.F.S. continued the entire trip. I felt so unnerved, feeling eyes watching us. Whatever had come out at night in hordes I didn't wanna run into.

I flinched when Jackal stopped me from stepping on a vine. The lovely flowers that were coming off of it had slipped my mind while we worked towards the settlement in question to acquire the trade goods and see if Jackal was true to his word.

My map marker was getting closer and a very large parking deck appeared before me. Parking decks make sense for settlements when I think about it. They are hardened reinforced concrete bunkers,and easily survived the bombs.

As we grew closer, Alguacil took flight and came back down, “No one make sudden moves, they've got some heavy weapons on us.”

Scopola pulled out a inhaler of some sort and snorted it up. Her eyes glazed over and then suddenly looked very very focused. So she samples the Filly Scouts own substances? That can't be good for her. A very drugged out pony stepped forward when the talons and hooves came to a halt. I saw the griffons next to a mare, they looked like the old Talons from the war itself. The mare however, looked like she was on many more drugs than Scopola Mina.

“Who are they?” I asked and my hoof stepped on something, that moved. Alguacil drew his gun faster than I could react and fired. My hoof felt the wind of the bullet as it glanced off my armor and splatters of blood hit my face, my ballistic goggles protecting my eyes from the spay.

Screams and cries raised around us of creatures I recognized the noises from when I had first woke up, the things that had tried to killed Nyota, Molerats.

The ground exploded around us, even concrete and road pavement was no match for them, as nearly a dozen of the creatures lit up my E.F.S. all around us. They acted like living lethal landmines ready to rend us apart.

Scopola moved at a speed I didn't think possible, laser fire lighting up two of them in seconds and turning them into ashes. I saw the body under hoof and stomped down. Images of Nyota being ripped open flooded my mind and with it a rage I didn't think I had within me.

Nyota was in hoof to hoof with four of them, S.A.T.S. activated, my tail came up to help the shotgun as I drew it. I queued the shot, it still took all of S.A.T.S. power to pull 1 shot from this thing. I waited in slow motion as one leaped behind him, he didn't see it coming.

He turned in agonizingly slow movements to it. I could see the expression on his eyes when he realized he wouldn't make it in time to stop the blow from hitting him in an unarmored spot the barding I'd made for him didn't cover.

BOOM!

The creature exploded into bits from the solid slug that exited the barrel. Solid Slug! What? I loaded you with beanbags and buckshot, why? How? Pink snickered in the back of my mind as the world sped back up. Nyota smiled at me.

“That's twice you've been right on target, love.” He smirked while using his brass hoof to fill the mouth of one of the mole rats trying to bite him. I watched it's teeth break against the brass. There was a need to wince and feel bad for how much that hurt, until he ended it's life by snapping its neck with a single blow.

“You're keeping count!” I called back at I had to use the shotgun barrel to block one of the creatures and then brought my hoof up exactly as Nyota had been showing me, right into its gut; driving the wind from it.

Alguacil's revolver roared again and again, as molerats exploded around us. The oversized hand cannon rounds ripping their bodies clear in half or completely disintegrating their heads. More exploding concrete and asphalt ruptured around us.

How many of these things are there!? I stumbled back and realized now I was back to back with Nyota and Quick Stitch. Chifundo had formed up with Scopola and Alguacil.

Chifundo's varmint rifle only seemed to stun them, but that was enough for Scopola to hit them with repeated laser fire from her AER-7 and end their lives. Quick Stitch sprayed his flamer pistol around us. He wasn't trying to him them, only set the vegetation on fire and create an area of denial. He was protecting our backs while Nyota and I worked through them one at a time. I kept my gun moving fast to ones that freshly flew out of the ground.

Meanwhile, Nyota worked at keeping the ones that got to us back. The battle raged and my shotgun clicked. I reached back and pulled out my .357, Buddy's Last Gift, and fired it over and over again. The police revolver echoed around us with pops that didn't come near that of Alguacil's hand cannon as the symphony of battle kept going.

My armor rang with teeth trying to tear through it. The new plating was proving it's worth when they couldn't penetrate. Their weight nearly knocked me over several times but again the weight of the armor proved to anchor me in place. My revolver clicked at the next shot.

I hadn't been paying attention to the ammo counter on my H.U.D. I hadn't got used to the goggles and how they changed the display. We were far too close for explosives without hurting my friends, I could only resort to hoof to hoof. Nyota shoved the two creatures that were desperately trying to find a way into my armor off and Quick Stitch lit them ablaze before they could recover.

They died screaming in agony, Nyota growled and looked at me, “Reload! I'll cover you.” He called out and I had a better idea. Pink got the idea and took out a tail full of shotgun shells, I didn't care what they were, one at a time, I loaded and fired.

Scopola squealed out with glee, “WHOO!!! Love the smell of cooked molerat! So yummy right now!” She spoke in a squeaky and high speed voice that ground on my nerves and somehow rang out above the sounds of combat. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

Finally, the molerats appeared broken at the sheer number of them falling and making no progress to get at us. Chifundo was covered in scrapes and scratches, Alguacil's wing looked bad but not broken. My armor had held and while Nyota was covered in blood, most of it wasn't his.

The creatures dove into the ground and the sound of our heavy breathing was all that echoed around us.

I wasn't sure how many bodies were around us, Quick Stitch quickly working to heal Chifundo and Scopola. He was looking around expecting another attack. Nyota checked me over and found that my armor had held. None of the bites had managed to get through. I felt a sense of pride at my own engineering. At least I could protect us from the dangerous creatures of Equestria.

Jackal, who I'd lost track of in the flurry of combat, was licking his cyberclaw while munching on a molerat corpse. That is so gross! We all glared at him as the sound of his jaw crunching bone echoed around us. I looked away and kept suppressing the need to hurl. There will be a day when something doesn't make me wanna hurl, but today is not that day.

A horde of gray and red lit up on E.F.S. before us. I paused, and the little red pip that had been pursuing us disappeared. I shifted back to look where it had been and noticed a metal tin can rolling towards us. Alguacil seemed to notice it too, He pointed his revolver in the direction of the building. I gulped and turned back to the sound of hooves and talons approaching.

“Who the fuck are you? Why are you here? This is ours!” The mare declared and I frowned. I wanted to protest, or even whine. My own tail grabbed my mane and pulled to stop me from immediately protesting.

The talons could have been twins. They both had deep grey feathers with white heads. Their armor was certainly pre-war talon gear. That or I wouldn't be surprised if the Griffins can still make it. The mare was wild eyed with dark blue eyes at the edge of her pinpricks for pupils. She had a luke warm blue, almost a turquoise coat and her pink mane was caked in debris that left white spots and black pieces stained in.

“You gonna answer or what?” She demanded and the group turned to me. I sighed and nodded, stepping forward and raising my ballistic goggles to make it easier to see my face.

Nyota and Alguacil as one, grabbed onto my shoulders and made me turn and look at them. They both had an expression as if to say, Don't Trust This. I nodded at their concern but these new comers hadn't caused any trouble yet.

Jackal shrugged, “It wasn't occupied when I came here last.” He had a look of genuine innocence even if his face was infinitely punch-able right now. If only I was closer to him and taller I might decide to make that happen.

I approached them slowly, when talons drew their weapons. One of them held up his talon to make me stop. The service rifles even with armor piercing rounds wouldn't have much of a chance of hurting me without a precision shot. “That's close enough.” I realized now that griffin was female, I couldn't tell since she looked exactly like her counterpart.

The tactics manual came to mind, making themselves look the same so you couldn't tell which ones were injured or who was really in charge. I looked at them, nervous, and nodded to each of them.

“I umm... you mind if we talk this out instead of using violence? Alguacil, put the gun away.” I didn't even have to turn around to know he had it out. There was a loud click from him unpriming the hammer. “We just came in to see about a salvaged Q-Series, that's all we wanted to know if perhaps we could trade for it.”

The mare spit, “The Q-Series! I've got a mechanic hard at work on it.” She turned her head and yelled back into the garage where I saw an open door they had come out of. “Who better be working on it!” Her words were a bit off, her mannerisms clearly indicated someone who was twitching or drugged right off her eyeballs.

“You can't have it! Get lost!” She shrieked at me and growled. I calmly took one step back, giving her some space and then steadied myself back up.

I made sure to smile softly and appear inviting. “Look, we are reasonable ponies, no need to scream or threaten violence. The dragon here promised some salvage that I need to have in order to pay for defenses over at Silver Fang. I'm sure we can negotiate some trade and food from them to you if you want.” I was working under the assumption they would be reasonable. I had spoken as calmly and gently as I could muster. This would hopefully disarm her.

This seemed to calm her down. My smile and hopefully some of my softness had helped. The talons looked at the mare and lowered their weapons, the one who hadn't spoken even holstering their's. “We didn't agree to fight the angel, much less the fact she just wants to trade. You should consider it.” The rough talon from earlier said.

“Greava, you do your job at the sergeant of your unit and do what I say, so you will get your pay!” The mare ground out through gritted teeth. She turned back to me and sighed, “Yeah we've heard of you. Now, let me see what we can figure out that we can give up in trade. You said Silver Fang might wanna start a trade route with us? Food for scrap?”

My smile broaden and I felt genuine relief that apparently this reputation from the radio had preceded me. “Yes, I can negotiate it for you.” She spat at her feet. “Assume that damn Filly Scout with you isn't gonna make them come around with their cookies again!” Nyota winced and Scopola Mina looked genuinely hurt by the comment.

I held up a hoof and shook my head at her, when she tried to speak. I mouthed to her, “Time and place, time and place.” She nodded with smiled before inhaling another dose of the drug she had just before the molerats arrived. Apparently she wanted to keep the high going.

I'd have a talk with her about drugs, then I felt like a hypocrite. I myself relied on Med-X and still wanted that laced coffee in the morning.

Pink hit me upside the head with my tail, “Time and place Sunrise.”

I approached the mare who seemed to be in charge, and extended a hoof. “Hey, I'm Wandering Sunrise, I guess DJ Pon3's mentions of The Angel precede me.”

Minty Fresh took the hoof and smiled, “Minty Fresh, and I ain't got no nicknames.”

I held her hoof for a bit and looked into her eyes, “I was curious, is there a reason you're so nervous?”

She shook her head and looked around like a paranoid, “Nervous? Whose nervous? No I'm just, ya know aren't you the nervous one? We've got so many guns pointed at you.”

I shook my head, “I don't think we're gonna come to blows.” I said releasing the hoof and looking up at her. Minty Fresh nodded at me and then looked back at her talons, they holstered their weapons. This is going better than I had hoped.

I looked at my friends. Scopola was intentionally looking away. Jackal had his jaw dropped and needed to be picked off the ground apparently. Alguacil still was cocked and ready while Nyota let out a sigh of relief. Chifundo had been quiet and staying behind Alguacil this whole time. Quick Stitch just shrugged with an expression of, “At Least I don't have to heal anyone.”

“Let's talk about what we could—“ A lion's roar interrupted me from behind. Our group turned around to where the molerat bodies were scattered on the pavement. The weight of heavy step from creatures three times the size of Alguacil shook against our hooves.

I saw their long insectiod tails over their heads, dripping with green poison. The mouths the size of three ponies. Manes that easily could have been twice the size of my body. Lion heads and bodies that pulsed with danger. One word came to mind, Manticores! Why did it have to be pony devouring manticores!

Three manticores were on the ground, they walked towards us and roared again. I took a step back, talons and hooves back where Minty Fresh and her guards were clattered till we heard a door slam closed.

The three massive creatures seemed uninterested in us. Jackal slowly backed up to me and leaned down, “They are the biggest threat here, these things grow much larger than normal ones here. We need to get away fast!”

I held up a hoof and noticed one of the molerat corpses had been knocked close to us while the ground tried to push me back, I took step after step forward, trying not to interrupt their meal.

Nyota frowned, “Sunrise, What, Are, You, Doing?” He said punctuating each word through the corner of his mouth. I motioned a hoof back at him while my tail took out one of the most powerful explosives I'd ever made.

I didn't look back at them, “Get ready to run, on my signal.” I took the explosive from my tail with Pink smiling at me and jumping behind some sandbags that had just appeared in my vision. I held in my hoof, the improvised explosive from the doughnut grease and Abraxo cleaner.

If I was right, this could level a two story house on it's own. I winced and held vomit in my mouth as I picked up the molerat corpse, one of the manticores looked up at me and growled. My tail held up a motion that looks like stop and it tilted it's head with a questioning meow.

I shoved the explosive down it's nearly severed neck and set the egg timer for twenty seconds. I held up it towards the feline murder machine and swallowed my vomit. With a rasp in my voice to get over what had just happened with the bile, I whistled to it. “Here kitty,” I held up the corpse and wiggled it for the creature. “Good kitty, catch!” I pressed the button to start the timer and tossed it.

The group started running, while I desperately tried to catch up. A count down started on my PipBuck H.U.D. I watched as the cat swallowed the corpse whole in one snap. They could swallow ponies whole if they wanted, no surprise it could just eat a whole molerat at once.

My tail lowered my ballistic goggles and I bolted as fast as I could. We turned the corner and put the structure between us and the manticore. I was bringing up the rear and I was so much slower in the heavy armor plating than everyone else.

The explosion took me off my hooves stumbling head over tail, the impact drove my wind out and my eyes slammed shut as pain echoed through me. My friends likely felt it but continued moving. The stun didn't last long from what I could tell.

I heard bells and slowly opened my eyes, “Uggg, what, happened?” I managed as my consciousness came back and Quick Stitch was standing over me, Nyota trying to scramble to help me up.

“Done, she should be able to move fine now.” Quick Stitch said as Nyota helped me to my hooves and started to drag me into a run.

“Come on, we have to go!” He called he tried to keep talking but a roar made the bells in my head ring painfully and drown out anything he or Quick Stitch said. Alguacil's gun fired in silence to me at something behind us as Nyota lost his grip and I tripped into the pavement. My armored helmet taking the impact and preventing my face from scrapping the asphalt.

On my back, I saw it coming. I hit S.A.T.S. and they were still very much moving quickly in the spell. Their names appeared as well, “Tear” was the one bearing down on me. “Rip” was right behind it. The dead one behind the wall, was apparently “Stubs”.

The two manticores, Rip and Tear, who hadn't swallowed a molerat-explosion-surprise, were right on top of us. One of them landed and it's mouth opened wide. Their roar in slow motion sounded awful. Pink held up a sign that read “Translation: Kill Green Ponies” between the ringing of the bells in my head. Even in S.A.T.S. my vision blurred as I struggled to move.

I shot my hooves out and held its mouth back. Adrenaline kicked in and I pushed it back, getting to my rear hooves and being compacted down into a cube of pony and armor plating. I felt my muscles surge and hold the beast back for just a few seconds. Saliva dripped into my goggles and I felt the fear of being eaten alive setting in and desperately worked to stop it from happening.

It was long enough for me to see the expression of horror upon Nyota's face, a bullet slammed into the beast but it didn't care. Blood splattered onto my face from inside it's throat where the bullet had penetrated. Sound returned and the ringing died down as all I could hear was growling and the churning insides that were trying to claim me. Another gunshot cleared my ears.

“SUNRISE!!!” The group of my friends screamed in unison before I felt my forehooves slip off it's jaws and then I looked up into the dooming darkness. I felt a paw as large as my flank scoping me off my hooves. Upward I traveled into certain death.

“Oh Sunrise! Your life is going to end this time like a bad date: With way too much tongue involved!" Pink called out with giggles and enthusiasm; that somehow only made the act of being swallowed alive more horrifying! Fear and terror gripped me. This manticore didn't care that I was alive or not, I was reduced to meat. Meat that it was eating; RIGHT NOW!

Level Up Progress - Level up to 9! Congrats!

Perk - Bombermare - Your Luck with Explosives is Legendary! You can now cook of grenades and explosives with uncanny precision. Also, if you critically fail or fail an explosives check, you get to re-roll! You have to keep the second result even if it's worse.

Cover Art for the Book Back:

Author's Notes:

Hey Yall! Sorry this took so long! I had 4 conventions in 5 weeks. But we'll get back on track, hopefully giving you a chapter every week this year.
I also had to work on this: https://rena-miller.squarespace.com/shop/fallout-equestria-dead-tree-volume-1

That's right! We're being Published! Propmaster is doing heavy edits to chapters 1-20 in order to make the boo as good as possible, once the book releases, the fully re-written chapter's 1-20 will be available here.

Thanks to Mr Numbers for stepping up his editing game in the mean time.

Please do hit the thumbs up if you made it this far, we are so close to 200.