Oh Goddesses, where am I!?Why can't I move!? Am I dead? The questions raced through my mind. My vision cleared but I couldn’t make out anything but blackness. I could feel a sticky fleshy prison around me. I tried to move, but nothing worked. A rising terror filled me and then I realized I was wearing a radio headset. My body moved on its own, groggily. A whole new terror set in. A memory? NOW?! Why?! What has triggered this one?

As if on queue, I heard Coffee Stain's voice over the radio, “Sunrise! Sunrise, listen we're trying to get up there to you. Hang on! Scouts, Pegasi, get in the air! Bring that manticore down!” I took in my surroundings. It was pitch black, I couldn't even see my hoof in front of me. I realized I was in my own body. The air around was stale and reeked of decay.

There was a heartbeat, that echoed in my ears. I could feel the labored breathing of the creature that had eaten me, pushing up against my hooves and then exhaling out. I was either going to suffocate, be crushed by the stomach muscles, or dissolved in the acid.

I flinched hard when I felt something liquid burning against my flesh. My previous self switched on the PipBuck light and the world lit up with some sort of fleshy membrane. The air was getting hard to breathe. I saw the ribs and the pool of green liquid. My coat was dirty but white like I remember it before the stable. Yep, I'm in a memory... but where? The world jostled around and the body I was in coughed as a wave of the bubbling liquid rolled towards me.

The wave of liquid made my flesh burn in agony. I struggled immediately to get my head above it, anything to get away from the sheer pain. It was a tingling, eating sensation that rose to a burning fire raging against my flesh. My coat and flesh were flayed away. Slowly trying to turn me into nutrient soup for the manticore.

My previous self gasped for air, only to inhale this acidic substance. It burned so much, inside and out. My lungs were on fire, I could taste blood as well as feel the bubbling of flesh along the lining of my mouth and throat. The thrashing to get out of the liquid intensified.

My head breached the surface and the radio crackled, “I said bring it down! I don't care how! Save Sunrise! I won't lose my Sunrise again!” She was screaming into the radio and my damaged end made the crackling worse.

I managed to get out of the liquid to a dryer side of the dripping wet chamber. I felt my strength wavering. My flesh was seared all over. The armor plating was giving and several pieces of my skin floated on the acid for a brief moment.

I watched as it pulped and fell below the pool. I knew blood loss must be starting to mount as well. This is a memory of me dying, isn't it? Pink? Are you here?

“YES! It really is.” Pink appeared in the memory and it seemed to freeze. “Don't worry though! You're gonna wake up in the same situation!” She let out with glee and then seemed to immediately deflate, hanging her head.“I don't know what else to say, you need to ride this one out. I don't want you to repeat the mistake.” She seemed to slap the memory with a loud pop, like it wasn’t real but projected onto a chalkboard. “So pay attention!” She yelled with another thump of her hoof against the stomach wall, which caused the memory to resume playing.

“Coffee Stain, I'm gonna detonate a bomb, have a flyer ready to catch me.” It was my voice, the voice of the eyes I was watching this though. There was a lack of kindness or care in the voice. It was also raspy from the acid, like you’d just spent an hour vomiting.

“Sunrise! What if that kills you? Please, don't leave me again.” I could hear Coffee Stain's tears in her voice despite the crackle of the barely working radio. I felt my teeth clench and grind as my hooves searched my pack. They located a package and held it up in the dim light. It was a bomb, exactly like what I made that destroyed the ghouls and buildings at Las Pegasus.

I wanted to reply but the radio microphone on my end was destroyed. “Dammit,” I screamed into the useless piece and reached for the necklace she had given me. It was a piece from the old world, a beautiful ruby teardrop set in purest silver. I had to constantly clean it to keep the thing from rusting or degrading.

Coffee Stain kept sobbing and then paused as the radio crackled and the world toppled again, a wave of acid hitting my chest and burning through the armor plating. What made it worse was, I could feel my flesh being flayed off. My strength was waning as my tail pulled the det-cord of the explosive package.

“Coffee Stain,” There was a tenderness now in my voice. It was my voice, no doubt. The same kindness and caring that I always felt. The same worry for others over myself. The necklace snapped, the ruby fell from its mounting into the acid. The very symbol of our promise to each other, destroyed.

The tears on the radio seemed to die down a bit, but the strain was still in Coffee Stain's voice. “Sunrise are you there? Please, hang on.” Panic rose within the body I was hosted in. I couldn’t talk back in spite of trying over and over again as I surfaced from the pool a second time.

There was a confident laugh. I could sense it wasn't false, my previous self fully expected to get out of this situation. It was masking the deep pain inside my heart. The pain that Coffee Stain was crying.

I realized the terror I was feeling, was my own and this memory was of a Sunrise who was vastly different from me. “I'll hold you again tonight, I swear it!” I said to myself. I felt the strain of muscles prepare, this was going to hurt.

The memory slowed down, it was like a life flashed before my eyes. A life, not mine, and yet somehow it was." Memories of events with Coffee Stain. Her railway rifle, firing spikes that pinned ponies to walls. My work with her around a brothel. I was an enforcer for her mares of the night. This was so strange. Was all of this real? It felt so very wrong yet completely true.

The last bit was the night before, holding Coffee Stain. The scent of sex heavy in the air and her pressing her muzzle firmly against the back of my neck. It felt wonderful, the same feelings I had when Nyota held me. I've had a lover before? I've been a whore before? I've helped the Filly Scouts like this, before? So many questions filled my mind with the brief flashes of memories filling my mind.

Everything rushed back as I watch the explosion, it's flames consumed me. My strength completely faded and failed me, blackness closed in. The pain was indescribable, being burned alive by acid while the flames of the explosive hit. The manticore might die but I was certainly going to perish here. Then, nothingness.

Pink appeared before me, “Sunrise, you've done so much before you aren't even aware of. I can't stop all the memories from leaking through, especially when you repeat previous traumatic events.”

There was a long pause as the world around me faded back in, “Don't make the same mistake, twice!”

Now I knew why Coffee Stain was so hurt now when we met. How many times had she been through this? Losing me? Having to re-educate me on our life together? Having to have her lover relearn her? Now, she wasn't even getting to do any of that; she must feel abandoned.

How would Nyota feel if I died right now? He wouldn't get to do any of that! I'd just be dead! I don't know why I keep coming back but my previous self was dead and gone! I wasn't about to let the stallion I considered my first love, lose me. Not like this!

I thrashed around, realizing I was still in the throat of the manticore. Surrounded by powerful muscles that were proving far too much for me to resist. The throat was slimy and the wall of flesh impossible to find purchase on as I tumbled deeper and deeper. I made sure my ballistic goggles were in place and tightened my helmet.

I splashed into the bubbling acid and it burned my face and neck. Any part of me not covered in armor plating screamed in pain. I was glad for the goggles and their air-tight seal. This time my armor wasn't melting away. Stubbornite, this time I'm better armored. We'll see who comes out of this alive.

I looked at my PipBuck and turned the light on. I rapidly scrolled through my explosives list. The Anti-Tank warhead from Sandy Claws was still there. As I reached for it, the world around me shifted hard. It was as if the manticore had been hit by a freight train. The creature screamed out as it staggered and the stomach I was in jostled.

My hooves slipped and I lost the warhead into the acid. The initial area I was on, was only hoof deep and I would have to dive into the pool to get to the explosive. The world shook and shuddered, rolling. The balance upon my hooves was tenuous at best, each rock nearly tumbling me over.

I held my breath and jumped. The acid burned so much, I could see it eating away at the seal around my goggles. Where are you? You're a directional explosive! The only one I have! I hoped that the acid couldn't get inside the environmental sealed saddlebags. My armor was letting it in and it burned so much. My hoof grazed something metal and I latched onto it with my frog.

I had the explosive and struggled to figure out which way was up. My PipBuck light flickered as another semi-truck impact slammed into the manticore and by extension, me. I was slammed out of the acids and felt like I'd just been kicked by an enraged yak. My mouth was forced open and acid poured into my insides.

OH FUCK! PINK, HELP! I screamed out when my tail grabbed something and pulled hard, hard enough that parts of it gave. My head got above the acid. Coughing and sputtering, I pulled myself back onto the shallow end of the stomach. I knew this would change as soon as the manticore re-positioned itself.

It fell, the beast fell to the ground and the weight of all it's muscle ground onto my skin and pushed me downward. I couldn't hear the gurgling or the labored muscle moving anymore. I realized now that it had stopped breathing. The rhythmic muscle movements were not just the stomach trying to crush and pulp me, it was the thing's heartbeat. It had stopped.

“Sunrise! If you're gonna blow that thing, do it now! Before the muscles collapse!” I felt something push into me, something clawed and sharp. I jumped away from it and my armor stopped whatever it was from penetrating.

Is it dead or is that a death thrash? I don't know but this is a shaped charge, it shouldn’t blowback, right Pink? I flipped the switch and armed the warhead, it started to count down. I activated S.A.T.S., now was not the time to drop this thing. I have to make sure it hits just right.

S.A.T.S. indicated a 70% chance of hitting the sphincter where the upper intestine would start. Pink went wide eyed, “You're going out that way!? You can't be.”

Pink it's towards the back end or towards the thing that clawed at me, which one do you think is a better idea?

There was a pause as I watched the S.A.T.S. timer tick away. She held up her hoof, then put it back to her chin. She repeated this motion three times then shrugged, “I don't have a better idea, and this is by far the best one we've got. You sure about a bomb again?”

It's a shaped charge. So long as the warhead is facing away, you can stand behind it and it won't hurt you. I explained and queued the shot. S.A.T.S. ended and I let the warhead fly. It didn't hit dead on; but explosives are less like bullets with a name on it. Explosives are more ‘To Whom It May Concern’. The warhead was facing the right way and close enough.

I covered my ears and the muffled explosion rocked the chamber. The acidic liquid blew back and washed over me again. I knew I was swimming for my life now. It burned so much, I felt weakness filling my body.

The muscles around me pushed down and starting to apply pressure. Even if the creature was dead, it was still heavy and the muscles inside were fighting to not die. Now I was grinding against flesh and trying to head towards the hole the explosive had made. I felt like I was swimming in a sea of muscle, stomach walls, and acid.

Every piece of my body screamed. My legs and skull echoed with pain as they felt like they might snap or crunch under the pressure. My skin was gone in some places, and yet sheer will pushed me through. Then my hoof felt it: cold open air.

I felt a chilling, metallic claw grab on and my other forehoof fought through the sludge of nutrient soup to get out when a familiar foot grabbed the raw flesh, making me wince when both heaved to pull me out. With a disgusting slurp and squelch, I was pulled free of the hole and into the dull light of the overcast day. My body shaking and shivering as adrenaline left it. I couldn't stand up as Alguacil wrapped around my torso with his arm. Jackal and Nyota worked together to pull the rest of me free.

I wanted a bath so badly and yet I was just glad to still inhale. I regretted that a moment later when I smelled manticore intestine and stomach acid against the cool air. I gasped for breath and coughed up bile. I couldn't tell which bits were my own and which were from my would be predator.

Nyota grabbed and hugged me tight. I screamed in absolute torment. My body fired every single nerve from hoof to ear that I was in pain. My scream was muffled behind the damage done to my ears. Quick Stitch rushed to me, his horn aglow as he started to pour healing magic into me.

Nyota shoved a healing potion into my mouth as he stopped his hug and forced me to drink it down. What I thought was a healing spell from Quick Stitch was actually a clean one, as I felt the slime of the manticore's insides cleaned off my body. It was like taking a bath without water and it bothered me a little bit.

There is just something primal about feeling the water cascade off and cleanse away your filth. It’s like rinsing away the pain, stress, and anguish with it. That is so far beyond what this clean spell could do.

The healing potion started to heal my flesh and remove the burns. Quick Stitch began a full exam, taking off my armor plating. I looked and saw where the other manticore was riddled with bullets, laser burns, and even set on fire in some places. The smell of cooked manticore hit my nose, and it actually smelled slightly tasty but gross all at once.

I leaned over Nyota and couldn't hold it in anymore, vomiting up everything I'd had for breakfast and anything I'd swallowed inside the beast. He just patted my back, I could hear Jackal chuckle as I looked up at the teenage sized dragon. He had claw and bites into his scales while he was sucking down a poison antidote. I could see manticore guts covering his waist and legs.

I kept wheezing until my insides were completely empty. I firmly believe I'm keeping down less food than I'm hurling back up. Nyota kept rubbing my back and nuzzling up against my mane.

“There there, it's over. We're all alive, you're fine now.” I twitched as he spoke, coughing up the last bits of anything in my throat. I panted for air and I felt Quick Stitch's magic poking and prodding around to make sure he hadn't missed spots. My fur coat was slightly restored by the healing magic but there were definitely patches that were much shorter than others.

Nyota held me close, like he was scared he was going to lose me. His grip was tight, uncomfortable but so very welcome. I took the opportunity to whisper to Pink and she replied by making my tail inject Med-X into my throbbing flank. The coolness surging through from my body was so welcome.

It made the discomfort go away and the still tingling feelings of skin seared by acid fade away. My head cleared and I could think, it was such an enjoyable sensation. The healing potion and spells worked their magic. This stuff is just too beautiful for words. I thought as my eyes glazed over and I finally relaxed.

Nyota seemed to sense the change in my muscle tension and relaxed his grip. He whispered in my ear, “I've got you, I'm not ever gonna let you go.” He had tears in his eyes. This hardened Zebra had tears, for me.

I reached up with a hoof and wiped them away, then I leaned up and kissed him. This wasn't a simple I love you. It was a deep passionate embrace, a desire to let him know, the decision had been made.

I had experienced all of the flashes of a previous life, something behind the wall in my mind that Pink spoke of. I knew that I'd done things before and I wasn't gonna hesitate anymore. I would let him know, I loved him completely. If he was willing to face a manticore in hoof to claw for my life, he was worth keeping.

All this tender loving embrace was interrupted by something that made my blood run cold, a low meow. My head snapped in the direction, and I tried to push Nyota away. I failed to get his grip to let go but saw a small manticore cub. It was not some oversized puppy. I saw it as a lethal killing machine and felt pure fright at the sight of it. It was nudging its head against the dead body of the one I'd been swallowed by.

“Awww, I think you killed its mommy Sunrise.” Pink had tears in her eyes and had one of the most mocking voices I'd ever heard. I felt a deep seeded need to kill it here and now. I pushed against Nyota again and managed to get him to relent. I picked up my shotgun and went to point it at the creature when Scopola stopped me.

“It didn't do nothing wrong, Sunrise.” Her long draw style of speaking made me want to slap her.

“Yeah... yet! Its mother just tried to eat me alive! It's a manticore! It will try to eat me one day.” I growled. I felt Nyota's hoof on my shoulder and turned to see him glaring at Scopola.

“You really wanna stop her? This is one of the few times I think we've agreed. Shoot first, ask questions later.” Nyota declared.

Quick Stitched walked around him and stood between the two of us and the baby manticore. He huffed and gazed at both of us, “It can be trained to not eat ponies. It has done nothing wrong and I won't stand here and let you just kill an innocent child.” He stood up tall, taller than I'd ever seen him do. “The oath I took says Do No Harm.”

I stared at the two of them, gritting my teeth and growling under my breath. Alguacil stepped up and it just devolved into a heated argument before he could even speak. “It is a manticore! They grow up to eat ponies! Just like it tried to do me!” I spat venom with my words while staring at the two of them.

“Now listen 'ere, I agree with Sunrise. We should put it down. Gently and fairly though, I don't think a shotgun blast is necessarily merciful.” He tipped his hat at me and winked with his non-existent eye. Which just made my skin crawl a bit. “Now, Quick Stitch, Scopola, surely you two can come to an agreement 'ere on this.”

Scopola snapped at him and threw her laser rifle on the ground in defiance. “No way in Tartarus! I refuse to kill an innocent creature.” She looked back at manticore cub, “Besides, its venom can make some useful drugs for us.”

“For us! How about food made for it from our bodies! Are you insane?” Nyota chimed back and I grunted in agreement.

Quick Stitch stepped between the two of them and used his magic to forcibly separate us, “No you listen Nyota. Can you hear yourself? We just killed its parents and I don't care if they are wild animals, there has been enough killing today!” We were getting nowhere and arguing in circles when I noticed, Chifundo wasn't with us.

“Where's Chifundo?” I asked looking from pony to pony to griffin and then to the manticore cub. Chifundo was petting it and the cub was playfully nuzzling into his hoof. I dropped the shotgun and started to run towards him when Nyota grabbed me.

“Stop! Do you wanna startle it?” He whispered into my ear as we all turned and watched Chifundo in unison, horrified and worried.

I looked at him and Alguacil who readied his gun, he took very careful aim while the rest of us refused to move. After a few moments of careful petting, Chifundo offered the creature one of Nyota's rations; the kind with meat jerky in it. The cub devoured it heartily and then followed Chifundo back to the rest of us.

“The manticore creature's name is Snuggles, and it simply wants help with its struggles.” I stared and my jaw still hadn't completely fixed itself from the last unhinged moment.

Snuggles, as the manticore cub was called, walked right up and nuzzled my leg. I jumped back with a terrified squeal as the thoughts of being crushed and burned alive by the stomach shot back to my mind. “Look! If you wanna keep it FINE! Just keep it away from me!”

Snuggles made a protesting upset meow and hung its head. Chifundo softly pet the creature with a reassuring hug around the massive scorpion like tail that wrapped lovingly around his barrel. Why is that so cute and yet so horrifying that I'm afraid it's going to try to eat Chifundo one day?

I curled up as close as our armor would allow to Nyota while I stared in disbelief of the scene. I was not ready for today.

“Little manticore one it will be fine, I promise to be your new lifeline. Sunrise may now chime, but she just requires time.” Chifundo explained to the creature.

It seemed to talk back to him with chirrs, meows, and a slight low sounding roar. I would swear the way it talked, there was a language there. Chifundo seemed to understand it perfectly; not that the rest of us seemed to grasp anything the creature said.

I looked at Nyota and started to open my mouth only to find I was tasting zebra hoof and his brass shoes. I am really finding it strange that is a comforting taste now.

“Let's go see if they still wanna talk.” I suggested in order to get us past the manticore cub. I started to limp towards the door and Nyota put my hoof over his back. Before I could protest or say a word, I found myself lifted up again on his back and laid over him like a firepony carry.

“No you don't, we'll let somepony else do the talking, Sunny.” I opened my mouth and found the taste of zebra hoof again.

I swear one day, I'm gonna bite it!

“No, you need a minute and some time to recover period.” He insisted as Alguacil and Quick Stitch stepped ahead of us and Minty Fresh along with four talons this time came out to greet us from the parking garage security door.

Minty Fresh looked pretty ticked off and glared at us, “You managed to survive all that! Well I'm still not given up the Q-Series, I swear we'll get it fixed!” She turned with a twitch in her step back at the door. “Ain't that right, ya mechanics!” There was a scared yelp from inside the parking garage beyond where we could see.

Alguacil stomped his talon hard enough that I thought the concrete might give, “Now listen here ya thick headed varmints!” He paused long enough to draw in his breath. “We just banded together, came out here for some stubbornite and scrap metal from the nearest settlement! Silver Fang Shanty!” He gestured to all the manticore and molerat corpses around us.

“We just killed three of them manticores,” He pronounced each syllable of ‘manticores’ like it was its own separate word. “And our tried and true zony shaman there just befriended a fourth! Not to mention, this little green pony here is the Angel with a Shotgun, that one green pone 'ere who managed to DJ Pon3 to talk about her like she is the second coming of the Alicorn Sisters!”

I stared at him with my jaw agape again. Today is just full of surprises I am not prepared for. Alguacil let the words sink in before continuing to talk.

“I'm the Long Eye of The Law! The one and only! And she has sworn to me to try to talk to yall even if you look like raider and drug types!” He squawked and spread his wings out. “With me is Nyota and Jackal who just went claw and hoof against a manticore in close quarters and tore it apart in a way that I'm mighty proud to say they are on my side!”

It was Nyota's turn to look like he'd just been slugged with a hoof and then given a trophy at the same time. “To top it all off, Scopola Mina here is a filly scout whom Coffee Stain herself, leader of all the Troops in New Pegasus trusted personally to watch after the Angel with a Shotgun over 'here.” He pointed from Scopola Mina to me. “Mind you, this is a pony that can sit down with that mafia boss who invited her just for tea and crumpets!”

He then pointed at Minty Fresh with a harsh finger, “And if you'll excuse me but Quick Stitch can you purge her system because I think she needs it to think STRAIGHT! Considering I've seen you regenerate Sunrise's fur and get that acid off in seconds, I don't think it's beyond your power and I would appreciate to not talking to a drugged out mare!”

I stared in absolute disbelief as the talons even staggered back. Minty Fresh looked around rather paranoid and frightened. Quick Stitch walked right up, lit his horn up and Minty Fresh was puking her guts out within seconds.

When she finished, Quick Stitch offered her a bottle of clean water which she took gingerly and looked at him warily. Alguacil resumed to finally finish, “So, we came here to TRADE and establish trade relations with you and Silver Fang! Because Jackal,” he pointed at Jackal with a shaking angry talon and spit the words more than said them at this point. “Needed to be taken off the hook for the damages he caused. She reached out her heart to a dragon she didn't even know; so you better start considering your options because I'm through taking no for an answer!”

I leaned up to Nyota, “Did, did he just talk about us all in a way that indicated he likes us?”

Nyota talked back out of the corner of his mouth with a happy smile, “Cherish these moments Sunrise, cherish them.” Pink burst out laughing and rolling around. I glared at her and waited for her to explain herself.

“Sunrise! You had a positive impact on that damn griffin! You might even get him to go on a date at this point!” I blinked at the statement and looked at Alguacil with a sense of pride. This was the closest he had ever come to calling somepony a friend. I got off Nyota's back, who was too stunned to stop me and walked up beside him.

Minty Fresh got up. A small pony approached us from the door inside. She barely the size of a teenager and covered from hoof to ear tip in soot, grease, and grime. She leaned up and Minty Fresh leaned down while still drinking water. She gave a look of surprise at what this newcomer had to say and nearly spat the water out. “You sure?” Minty was audible enough for us to hear and the small filly nodded.

“You, Sunrise was it?” I nodded.

“Alright, I'll deal with you, but not birdy here. He scares me.” I stared in disbelief and then looked up to see Alguacil smiling. Anytime he smiled it always felt wrong.

“Well, I would like to offer you food, trade right negotiations, these three dead manticores as well as the molerats and anything else we've killed around you.” I reached into Alguacil's pack and then Nyota's looking through it for spare weapons, armor, or bits we had. It turns out we had several accumulated shotguns, a couple of service rifles, and a few sets of rolled up leathers. Not to mention three AER-9 laser rifles from the enclave. I put all of it on the ground and gave a nervous smile.

Minty Fresh stepped away from the unnamed dirt covered earth pony and inspected what we had. “All that plus the three manticore corpses?” I nodded slowly in response. I was trying to be friendly. I knew after Alguacil's bad cop routine and Quick Stitch's reinforcement, it was time to show the carrot instead of the stick.

Minty Fresh rummaged it over a bit and then looked at the small filly, “You sure it won't start?” To which a shaking of the head was the only response. Minty Fresh looked up at us with a smirk.

“Alright fine, you can have the Q-Series and whatever scrap we can fit into it. The manticore corpses are worth a lot more than some old stubbornite and I want a trade caravan here in a week with food and untainted water.” There was a collective sigh of relief from our group as I extended a hoof towards Minty Fresh.

“Deal.”

The talons as it turned out were named Power and Glower, they were twins from the same egg. Nyota was having a smoke with them while we waited for Minty Fresh and her filly friend to deliver the goods.

Jackal was excited and actually gave me a hug. “You stupid crazy dirt pony! I can't believe you did that. Much less that you did it for me!” He kept encouraging as I explained that he knew Nyota and I would do it for any creature in trouble who would genuinely make sure to not get in trouble again.

I made him agree to serve as one of Sparrow's recruits and keep to her rules. I wasn't gonna bail him out again either.

The car was delivered, the tires inflated, and while it wouldn't start; I could see most of the frame was still intact as was the paneling. The Q-Series of Equestrian Auto-Carriages was made with the Buckball Mom who wanted to drive through a war zone in mind. It was armored with nearly 4 inches of stubbornite all over. It was also one of the very first fission powered vehicles.

I got into the back seat while Alguacil decided he'd rather fly overhead. Chifundo put his new manticore pet, 'Snuggles' in the front seat with him. Quick Stitch worked with Nyota and Scopola to drag it along. Once we were clear of the garage which was called Upsville by the residents, I got out to examine exactly what we had.

The engine as it turned out was in good shape. It only required me changing the connection of a few wires with the alternator to get it to turn over and start the fission spell matrix. The car engine should power on now that the spell matrix was running. It was like an alternator from old combustion engines. It acted like a constant generator and battery charger, so long as there was a spark to start it.

It had some unusual features. There was a nameplate of the owner, “Dr. E.L. Brown”. It was embroidered in gold plating and screwed into the dashboard. Further down the console were several buttons that certainly would not be in a standard auto-carriage. There were five marked Ejector seat and arranged in a U pattern. This was likely arrange based upon the seats here.

Furthermore this vehicle had additional features labeled on it’s console, “Booster” “Fly High” and “Defense Shield” labelled in big words upon black, red, and blue buttons. Well that makes this interesting, I wonder if these are post-war or pre-war modifications.

I opened the console and started checking it, Sure enough all the buttons were wired and ready. It was nearly in perfect repair. Its was like Minty Fresh didn't realize they had crossed a couple of wires between positive and negative. Then again, the wires weren't labeled and Alphafording brand cars were notorious for reversing standard wiring. A post-war pony probably wouldn't have known that. Thanks Dad, all my time in the shop is paying off!

I got out from under the hood and closed it. “Alright which one of you knows how to drive?” I asked looking from pony to pony to griffin. Not one of them had a clue. I sighed and hung my head, “Who wants to try?”

Nyota stepped forward, “Hun, I know you repaired the Sand Dog 3000 but for that you had parts, time and—“ I ignored him and just turned the ignition switch and the engine roared to life almost instantly. Nyota’s jaw dropped open and he stared at me dumbfounded. Snuggles, the manticore cub, jumped back and growled at it. Chifundo just gave her a few pets to calm her down.

I looked at Nyota with a, ‘You were saying’, smile across my face. “They already did all the repair work, they just crossed some unlabeled wires. Uncross those and well, we get a wonderful roaring engine.” Quick Stitch reached into the glove box and our luck held out. A very waterlogged manual was inside. He started to read and we all got into the vehicle. The doors were heavy and the windows incredibly thick. This thing was an armored tank in small personal car form. Nyota and I were in the back now. I laid across his lap and sighed, closing my tired eyes.

Chifundo sat up front with Snuggles and Scopola next to us. Alguacil still insisted on flying overhead instead of cramming into the car. While Quick Stitch went over the manual, I felt Nyota's petting starting to set in and the smell of sandalwood on him was rather nice. My mind had been through too much today and just as Quick Stitch got the car rolling with rattling of scrap metal scattered across the floor and stuffed into the truck, I went to sleep.

I rolled over and realized, yes I was still in my body but I was in another memory. There was Coffee Stain and some pony I didn’t recognize, talking very casually. I was being held tenderly by Coffee Stain. My body closed its eyes and the thought was to play like I was asleep. I got the feeling that I knew the mare next to me. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed since the manticore incident.

“Where did you find her?” Coffee Stain asked as quietly as possible.

“Under a bridge, barely clinging to life. I wasn’t sure how long she’d been there.” The voice of the strange mare explained.

“Well Breakfast Blend you know what I’m gonna ask.” Coffee Stain fired back and I could hear the scoff of the mystery mare. I felt the need to sneak a peak but the body I was in did not attempt to do so.

“Why is she grey? I don’t know but it’s her. I couldn’t mistake that cutie mark or that look in her eyes anywhere else.” Breakfast Blend approached us with heavy boots on the floor while asking that question.

The mind that was making decisions felt cold, emotionless and very logical. I was scared, and wondered who this mare was. Why do I feel so cold? Inside it just feels dead in this body or at least the mind.

Pink rolled in front of my view and I realized she wasn’t apart of the memory again. “Sunrise if you keep scratching at the wall, it’s going to make holes.”

Pink can you stop interrupting these memories please?! I need to know my past.

“Nopie! I have to! Because I don’t want you to turn out like the previous 27 times! You’ve gotten further than you ever have before.” She paused to let out a squee and fire off streamers which made the conversation between Breakfast Blend and Coffee Stain impossible to hear. “It’s actually exciting!”

I growled at her as I tried to hear the memory again, “Listen, you owe me for this one. My sister Foam Art had to agree to become a mutant for those things to let her go.”

A Mutant? What is she talking about? Who is Foam Art? I looked at Pink who shrugged as they kept talking.

“The Filly Scouts will make sure you get what you want, access to that Stable right? The one where they are growing those weird trees supposedly?” Coffee Stain replied. I didn’t hear anything back as there seemed to be a bit of tension pulling me tighter for a moment.

“I think she’s awake and can hear us.” Breakfast Blend walked over and nudged me with a hoof.

“I don’t care, I’ll figure this out and where she went after the manticore got turned to meat salad. Maybe one day we’ll figure out why she keeps coming back.” Coffee Stain softly stroked my mane as the body I was currently in shifted. It was a conscious response to Breakfast Blend’s cold boot, the mind I was riding was attempting to keep them deceived that I was still asleep and not eavesdropping. The coldness of it, the calculation of it; sickened me.

I chilled to the core at how cold the heart of this version of myself was. I was glad to welcome the blackness of dreamless sleep.

“Sunrise, you are capable of wonderful things but also terrible awful destruction. Please, keep yourself in check and know your capacity for both.” I felt another chill, this one down to my soul. I felt a voice trying to push through and I denied it. Whatever part of me this was, I wanted to keep it caged, forever.

The car stopped twice , waking me both times. The first time, Quick Stitch got out to gather some moss that Jackal swore was completely immune to fire. The second time was a whole lot more eventful. As the evening started to set upon us and Quick Stitch turned on the headlights; there was a roar of Alguacil's revolver and a heavy thud bounced off the car. I woke up with a start and Nyota held me down, “Shhh, it's okay. I've got you.”

“What was that? Quick Stitch what did you hit?” I forced Nyota's hoof and opened the door, stepping out.

“I don't know, it just fell from the sky.” I could barely hear him, the timing belt on the spell matrix needed replacement. The lights were illuminating a very dead earth pony. His skull was smashed in and a .44 magnum round had been driven right through his sternum. He was dead. The stubbornite on the hood hadn't even dented.

I checked the time, 8:25pm. It was nearly completely dark outside and I let out a long sigh. Quick Stitch got out and started to search the deceased while Nyota placed a hoof on my side.

“There there love, I don't know where he came from but he likely didn't suffer.” Nyota reassured me.

Scopola seemed rather giddy as she found a set of dash inhalers on this mud brown earth pony. She also squealed when she located a bottle of buck. While Alguacil landed next to us, “I just saw him diving out of the sky! I didn't know if he was a threat or what! I don't even know how he got up 'here.” Alguacil tried to explain.

Quick Stitch held up a set of talisman's. Small gems with engravings upon their surface and two of them were glowing with a warm orange light. The other six were cold and dark. “Flight Talismans, if I had to guess one of them failed at the wrong time and he didn't activate the others in time.” He pocketed the talismans while I broke from Nyota's grasp and pulled out a shovel from my pack. I started to dig a grave.

Nyota used his brass shoes to help and Chifundo joined in. We stood over the sight long enough to bury him in a shallow grave beside the road. Chifundo spoke over the grave, “Little one your time here is gone, please do not linger on. Go forth to your resting, and you should embrace your testing. Prepare yourself for the next life, as this one's at the end of it's strife.”

He seemed to be casting something and I felt magic in the air. I didn't know what it was but there was certainly something to this zebra shamanistic practice. I was beginning to learn it was much more than superstition.

Jackal took the broken talisman from Quick Stitch and ate it, munching the gem loudly and jumped onto Alguacil's back to go airborne again. We drove the rest of the way, seemingly in peace as I slept through most of it. I did wake up and read for a while on the second day back. Quick Stitch was afraid to really push the car beyond a steady slow pace. I tried to listen out for Black Hawk at The Roof around 8:30pm-10:00pm there was a message trying to get there,w but a whole lot of interference.

Instead I ended up reading and finishing the 'Equestrian Army Officer Basic Guide to Decorum, Discipline, and Tactics.' There were genuinely useful tips in there and I had managed to get through the book over the course of a week, though it was heavy enough I could crack a skull with it. I felt more confident with those around me and started to process how each one of them fit together as a squad.

Our Adventure in Taintwood was over, a new settlement named Upsville was there and Silver Fang would have a new trade partner. I'd found out when we arrived our entry was denied. The Silver Fang guards demanding to see me before we were going to be allowed into town.

A very stern looking Sparrow was there to meet me, along with four guards. What did I do this time?

Progress to Level 10 – 6%
Bonus Perk (From Book) – Combat Coordinator – Add 1 to your Initiative and you may switch Initiative with any party member each round resetting and switching at the start of the round.

Bonus Perk (From Book) – Focus Fire – You may use 20AP to mark a target until they are dead or combat ends: All attackers against the marked target get +10% to Hit.

Pinkie Pie Perk Unlocked! (From Turning Raiders to Settlers!) - Pinkie Pie's Guard Letter Downer – Add 1 Charisma and you have a +1 to your disposition once a creature or entity deems you not a threat and knows your name. This only applies when over 80 Karma.

Karma Track – 87/100 – Paladin of the Wasteland.

Author's Notes:

Again yall! Wanna support the work that goes into making this?

We're being published! Pre-Orders are 10% off and Propmaster is hard at work making the first 20 chapters of this story something worth publishing. Thanks to the traveling pony museum.

Pre-Orders: https://rena-miller.squarespace.com/shop/fallout-equestria-dead-tree-volume-1

Futhermore, we have daki's again! Both SFW and NSFW! If you really want one, well I decided to get more for you guys.

Daki Order: https://rena-miller.squarespace.com/shop/sunrise-daki-preorder-only