Author's Notes:

This chapter is only 50% edited. Our Editor recently had bad news for his family and my wishes as well as ability to give him time off was granted. He was still paid for his work up to page 14 but I feel you guys will let me know exactly where i mess up and help me fix it. Remember the draft version you see here won't be the final release when it goes to the printing presses.

Nuts!
-Anthony McAuliffe

I was awake, working on a bomb madly. This wasn’t a spell matrix; no, this was the real thing. This was an undetonated megaspell bomb. “Sunrise, hurry up! They’re coming!” Coffee Stain pleaded with me. I nudged my head in her direction and wiped sweat from my brow. My hooves and mouth continued to piece together broken wires, hoping I was rigging this thing right. If I was wrong, one little wrong wire combination and there wouldn’t be anyone left alive to know I had messed up.

There was an electrical click, and my heart skipped a beat. Either it arms, or we die right… now! There was a steady hum that made my heart start to beat again, and I let out a relieved sigh. I looked at it nervously and hesitantly took a step back, still expecting it to explode. Coffee Stain placed a hoof up to my unarmored flank and I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned to her, feeling like I was pleading for a miracle from her. “It’s started, we need to move.” We bolted through the double wide ship style bulkhead door.

I slammed around the corner inside the narrow metal walled hall and realized where I was: Breakfast Blend’s gene sequence research facility. Viewing windows looked over rows of hydroponics facilities, all testing recently spliced plants for a new hybrid. A door on my right told me why I was rigging this place to blow. ‘Warning: Taint Exposed Plants’ was plastered over the silver metal in big, bold, black letters. The hydraulics that would open the blast door were locked with extra security to prevent exposure to everyone else.

Barista Foam was standing there at the end of the hallway. She growled at me and her horn lit up with magical energy. “Sunrise, you traitor! You have hampered our work for the last time!” She reared back with an arcane bolt ready to fly.

“No time to fight or talk! That megaspell bomb is live! Good Luck!” I shouted, dashing right past her. The Alicorn dropped the spell and looked at me, completely stunned. She almost fell over when Coffee Stain caught up and brushed her leg with her heavy railroad spike gun. I heard the air tank on it release and spring to life. A flash of magic behind us indicated the Barista Foam had just teleported somewhere else.

Coffee Stain and I ran, my foreleg reaching back and holding onto her's. I drug her to try to help her keep up and held on for dear life. I couldn’t let her go, not again. We stormed up a set of narrow steep stairs towards the exit. I turned to look into her eyes while our hooves clattered to a stop on the steel walkway. “You forced the monster out. Now I need to fix this.” I felt something in my mind fighting to be set free, and it was keeping Pink distracted as she was trying to suppress it. Something evil, with my voice.

We came up to the stable door, a giant cogwheel with a huge crane that would roll it out of the way. It probably weighed at least four tons and was thicker than two stallions end to end. There was no way to get it open, and the specs said it could take a megaspell right on the doorway and not give out. I plugged in my PipBuck at a console next to it, my hooves feeling the rusty control panel and working the keys to open the door.

The walkway started to extend while the crane came down to start the opening process. Yellow caution lights flashed overhead and a warning siren echoed around us. Gunfire erupted into the room, racking my nerves as a bullet grazed my flank and then my knee. It made it hard to stand, but my hooves resumed their work. Coffee Stain's railroad spike gun went to work as she moved between me and the gunfire to shield my hindquarters. It used compressed air and a primitive barrel to launch spikes of iron at speeds that would pin a pony to solid concrete.

“Sunrise, hurry up! We have to get out of here!” She declared while the system forced me to reboot and keep working furiously on something I had no idea would actually work or not. Wrong password, dammit, that's not it. What was it again? While I kept trying to brute force my way in, suddenly the large crane started to move the door, grinding it back against the track to open it. The words: “Door Opening” flashed across my PipBuck screen while below those two words, it read: Access Denied.

“Good work!” She called to me when I jumped for cover. The problem was, I didn’t do anything. I had no idea how that door finally got the last lock off and opened.

“Coffee Stain! Get down! That wasn't me! Someone on the outside opened it!” She turned to me, looking completely lost, when a bullet slammed into her skull.

I paused and the world froze as she stood there, twitching.

“Coffee Stain, NO!!!” I cried out and rushed towards her, black ooze seeping out of her head from the entry and exit wounds that ran through her temples.

She held up a hoof and I came to a halt. I was completely stunned that she could still move, or even remain standing with an exit wound the size of a hoof in her head.

“What? How are you—?” Coffee Stain shook her head and ran towards the catwalk. The massive cogwheel door rolled open,with sparks flying and steel whining as it moved out of the way. It rolled with loud shearing of metal on metal that made our ears scream in protest.

Outside stood twenty power armored ponies, all with Steel Ranger logos on their chests. All of them were wearing T-54B models, upgraded. The armor was completely enclosed with several lights upon the helmets. It covered them from head to toe in total protection, just as you would expect a tank. Their armor had attached battle-saddles loaded with weapons, from miniguns to grenade launchers and rocket launchers. Segmented plating allowing full coverage over their bodies while allowing perfect movement, and hydraulics steamed out as they moved with more power and speed than should be normally possible.

“In the name of the Steel Rangers,” A voice projecting authority and military discipline over a artificial speaker on his armor boomed, overriding the pain in my ears. “You are ordered to surrender all technology and submit for processing! Any resistance or escape attempt will be met with deadly force!”

I ran right at them, miniguns whirled on their sides to stop me. “Hey! I'd love to submit for processing! But right about now, there is a megaspell bomb that is going to go off in a minute or three inside that bunker. SO! Running is a VERY GOOD idea!” I quickly rambled off and much to my astonishment, they didn't shoot. They all lurched back onto their haunches in the oversized heavy plated armor. It was almost in unison, and in any non-life threatening situation, would have made the armor look comical and amateurly operated. I believe that posture in power armor is referred to as: completely stunned.

I held Coffee Stain tight by the hoof as we kept running out into the wasteland. Tears welled up in my eyes. The pain of things I’d done rushed to my mind and I fought them down to keep myself focused on getting us out alive. I felt the familiar coolness of Med-X entering my leg and making the running easier.

I stutter stepped, and it was enough that Coffee Stain took the lead. She was now pulling me along. Keep going! There is no time for you to feel guilty. Survive now, get out of the blast zone.

Our hooves echoed over the rocks we hit in the bottom of the cavern. Whatever this secret stable had left, it was going to die. Lights were flickering to keep the cave lit as a firefight erupted behind us. Explosions and gunshots echoed around us in the cave and spurred us on to move faster.

I couldn’t remember much since I arrived in this place. I was along for the ride in this memory and probing into what those terrible things were just gave me a blank slate. I did remember being in a cold dark place with some sort of monster bearing down upon me. Chains kept me from doing anything, but they were the kind of chains you feel in your mind, not physical ones. I could still feel the presence of that creature clawing at the edges of my mind.

Coffee Stain's voice had called to me and snapped the chains. I ran to her and now I was running to keep us both alive. My mind was calculating the blast range of a low-yield class 2 megaspell bomb when planted underground into a solid steel structure and concrete surrounded stable. The odds of our survival were coming up pretty low.

When I looked at Coffee Stain again, the bleeding from her head had stopped. She was alive, but covered in the black goo that she called her blood. Her illusion of white with brown spots was shattered, unable to hold up the magic with the head wound draining her. Instead, I could see the twisted visage of deep sea blue mixed with twisted swirls of black. Her fur and body color rotating over her flesh like a spoon slowly stirring a layered drink till it seemed to all blend together. Every part of her form’s color ended in unnatural right angles and shapes that just made you feel wrong looking at a creature that was from another dimension.

“Coffee Stain, what are you?” I asked, but she shook her head. She pointed at her wound and then made a throat slitting motion across her throat. More gunfire came from behind us, and this time; in our direction! Grenades landed just short of us as I dove for cover at the cave entrance. The Steel Rangers had snapped out of their stupor and decided we were worth killing. Bullets rained out of the cave entrance as we broke into the cloud covered day. The ground began to rumble and then an earthquake of force shot into our legs.

I was thrown off my hooves when the earth itself rose up. The ground cracked like cheap plaster and brittle rusty metal. Coffee Stain lost my hoof and jumped into the air. My hooves didn't come back to the ground, instead I was falling into a pit. A sinkhole opened up and I was tumbling into darkness. My PipBuck clicked maddeningly. 100 rads. 200 rads. 300 rads. 400 rads. I was feeling sick and my flesh felt like it was boiling me alive.

I'm dead, if the fall doesn't kill me; the rads already did. I thought to myself as the number hit 700 and kept climbing. The rumbling earth turning into a deafening roar.

“SUNRISE! I LOVE YOU!” Coffee Stain shouted as my mind became slower and slower. My eyes got heavy and my feeling of falling all but stopped as the heat intensified. I saw her face as she was leaning over the pit, desperately reaching for me, but I was long out of reach. I reached for her hoof with all my strength as the light faded.

“I love you, too.” My voice was far too weak to reach her over the roar of the explosion underground. It all stopped with the sound of a bone shattering crunch.

I snapped awake. I was back in The Roof and my PipBuck was still clicking. I'd only been gone for a few seconds, as the roar of the explosion was still echoing in our ears.

Quick Stitch shoved a bag into my hooves, which was brown with the words ‘RadAway Special’ printed on it. I put the straw into my mouth and was pleasantly surprised that it was apple flavored, and according to my PipBuck: much stronger than normal RadAway. He watched me intently until I drank every single drop.

I looked at him sheepishly through the entire process as he nudged me further down the ramp towards the inner workings of The Roof. The clicking on my PipBuck slowed down as we went deeper. . “You and I are going to talk after all of this is said and done. You’re not allowed to kill yourself.” He wasn’t whispering either, as the words gave me a gut-punch and every one of our friends around us turned to stare at me in disbelief.

Nyota approached me and I looked away in shame. I stared at the ground and wanted to be anywhere but here right now. The thought of jumping into that inferno cloud even crossed my mind again. My body felt cold and unresponsive while everything around me grew dim. Nyota lifted my chin, “Is this true?” His words cut me deeper than any knife. All I could do was nod as I felt in that moment, I might lose them all.

Tears started to well up in my eyes and my heart felt like it might explode. I had the thought of all of them abandoning me right now, or worse, going back to treating me like a child. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pull away and run right then, or just fall to the ground to sob. I looked between my friends and saw nothing but judgment being cast at me. They couldn’t possibly understand how I felt, how it felt to kill hundreds and doom future ponies to cancer or mutation.

Before I could speak or push myself further into depression, Nyota pulled me into a tight embrace and held me against his chest. All I could see were the scars under his chest coat, the sound of his heart rate slowly beating calming my turbulent emotions, and the scent of sandalwood overpowering that of the wasteland and ozone from outside. My scent of cordite mixed with it and fit perfectly.

I felt safe for the first time in a long while. My body felt distant and my stomach churned, both from the realization of surviving, and the acute radiation poisoning I was suffering. I felt the weight of another bag of RadAway pressed into my hoof while I held onto Nyota. Quick Stitch wasn't about to let us sit there too long with DNA mutating gamma rays soaking us.

I reluctantly released the embrace, but he held onto me. He kept me close, and my heartache swelled until tears rolled onto his burly chest. I could feel the coolness of his own tears hitting my mane. He wasn’t going to let me go, and I realized I shouldn’t let him go so easily, either.

“You did a good job, Sunny, we're all safe now.” I felt like I'd been punched again with that statement. I wanted to scream why it was all wrong. Some little voice in me reminded me of the 50 to 80 years of radiation poisoning I’d done to the land. Pink cut it out and I felt her hooves matching the soft stroking Nyota was doing. “It’s okay. Let it out, Sunny.”

Our tender moment was interrupted by something brushing against my leg. I looked down when I felt an insect like tail that sent goosebumps crawling up my leg. I immediately jumped back and broke our embrace. Snuggles, acting like a normal house cat, rubbed against my leg to comfort me. My mane stood up on end as I stared at the feline, and Snuggles’ scorpion tail raised at me ready to strike and she hissed at me. I pulled out my shotgun and pointed it at Snuggles, panting heavily, a rush of fear and the drive to fight rose within me. The flashes of Manticore stomachs I’d been in pulsed to the top of my mind and needed to be pushed out. My breathing accelerated and my heart hammered, It’s you or it! KILL IT! I flipped the safety and took aim.

Nyota stopped me, forcing the barrel of my weapon away from Snuggles, while Chifundo swept Snuggles aside. Somehow Chifundo managed to move Snuggles behind him and shield her from me. I spat the trigger out and snarled in rage, “You stupid creature! Keep it away from me, Chifundo, and keep that thing in check or I’LL KILL IT!”

Nyota rapped my head, hard enough that through the helmet I could hear it ting. “Sunrise! Be nice! Snuggles was just trying to comfort you,” Nyota snarled at me and I glared into his eyes. My heart still pounding and I could see my breath rolling over his skin. My PipBuck was still clicking, as it wasn’t cold, but the radiation particles in the air made our breath visible.

We decided to move ourselves deeper into The Roof before continuing our conversation. We hastily sucked down our diminishing supply of RadAway as we got deeper. Quick Stitch was wrapping a bandage around Scopola’s leg, as she didn’t wear nearly the same amount of armor I did and apparently took a nasty piece of shrapnel in the chaos.

Our situation had not actually improved very much. There were signs of battle still all around The Roof’s internal town. The ponies, however, looked up to us with eyes that had actually started to show signs of hope. There were no screams of battle or ringing gunshots. Many ponies had left the outer metal covered walls. They had started moving deeper within the fortified parking deck to where it was much safer from the radiation.

A sense of relief and safety rose among us. E.F.S. was flicking in and out, the magical rads compromising it temporarily. I was still dealing with a mixture of emotions when two very large stallions approached us. They had matching full manchu beards down below their chins. Their manes were cut short, buzzed down their necks. One was dark brown in coat, with a blonde mane while the other was the opposite. They both had those piercing blue eyes that made you take a step back if they stared at you too hard.

“I am Franzpone and this is Hanzhoof, ve have met your stallionfriend, Nyota.” Franzpone, the blonde maned one, pointed at Nyota and then back to the rest of us. “We met him in the showers and made sure he was ready for your date!” They both extended a hoof towards me, lowering their heads down in a slight bow. “Ve are honored to meet The Angel with a Shotgun.”

I wasn’t sure what to do, as they had surprised me. I stared in shock, as I wasn’t sure why they were honoring me. I’d just resorted to a level of violence that should have destroyed everything, yet they were humbled by my presence.These stallions, a full head and a half taller and twice the barrel thickness of Nyota, were humbled by someone not even a third of their size.

I took off my helmet and bowed to them instead; it was all I knew to do. “There is no honor to be given, and thank you for this, but please; do not shower me in praise like that. I have done—” I wasn’t allowed to finish the sentence as both of them scooped me up into a tight hug.

“FRAULINE! You are more amazing in pony than we could ask!” They tossed me up into the air and I yelped out in dismay as several ponies gathered around to watch me be raised up and celebrated. The overly enthusiastic stallions tossed me a second time then brought me into a bone crushing hug. “She is far too humble! She must truly be an angel!” They cheered as they held me tight.

I thought I might actually become a sardine tin filled with pony as the armor plates groaned in protest. My body felt like it was bruising all over. I felt my eyes bulging out of my head and my lungs burned for air. It took all my strength to gasp out, “AIR!” Nyota repeatedly tapped Hanzhoof in the shoulder till he was punching him. Finally, Hanzhoof got the hint and released me. Without any strength from oxygen in my muscles, I collapsed in a very indignant heap. My rear was high in the air and my face firmly planted into Franzpone’s hoof.

“Oh! I bet Nyota doesn’t mind this view.” I couldn’t even think of a quip or to tell Pink to shut it. Instead, my only response was just the slight burn of a blush that wasn’t from lack of air or bruised flesh welling up on my face.

My brain itched for Med-X from the various pains, something I could fall back on, but I resisted the urge to shoot up. I coughed finally when my armor plating shifted back to its normal positioning from my body uncompressing. “Thank you both.” I managed through some wheezing.

We headed towards the medical ward on the third floor and at the heart of The Roof. It was the most protected point inside this place there as well. I was trying to get away from the two very enthusiastic accented stallions. “Nyota, who were those two?”

“Oh,” Nyota looked away blushing till his stripes might match Chifundo’s. I nudged his leg, not playfully but to try to get him past his hesitation. “They umm, helped me get ready for our first date. They’re just really nice Germane stallion brothers.” Quick Stitch stopped us before I could inquire further. His horn lit up with magic as one of the raider trooper corpses next to us lit up with magical energy.

I paused and looked at the unknown stallion. His body was a discharged heap on the side of the walkway, among a few other long dead ponies. He was covered in blood and scratches. “Quick Stitch what are you—” The trooper took an inhale that caused us all to pause. He was alive!

I scrambled forward, pulling his armor off and Nyota stared shocked at me, “Sunrise, he’s dying, his spine is crushed. Come on, Quick Stitch, you can’t possibly save him.”

I turned and glared at Nyota, “You don’t get to decide if we can try! I don’t care, we need to save as many as we can. Especially after what I did!” Quick Stitch kept working his magic while I didn’t have near enough knowledge to treat him. I just knew it was easier to do surgery on someone if they weren’t wearing armor or barding.

Hanzhoof and Franzpone rushed up, “Ve shall deal vith him!”

“He shall regret ze life in his BODY!” Franzpone was mid stride to assault when I stepped in the way, shotgun out and pointed at both of them. They struggled to come to a halt before they hit me, and finally stopped with the barrel tapping against Franzpone’s chest. Both of the brothers looked very confused and reached up to tug at their beards in unison. “Sunrise, frauline, step aside. Ve have duty to perform on that raider’s skull.”

“No, you don’t.” Nyota stated and stepped next to me. I didn’t even have to remove the shotgun, and I felt my heart warm. Even Nyota was starting to take a hint of mercy in his actions. “For whatever reason, Sunrise spares as many ponies as she can. This raider isn’t a threat to anyone, and I doubt he’ll ever walk again. Let Quick Stitch try to save him.”

I hesitated to say anything, as it appeared Nyota had said all that was needed. The two brothers deflated and sat down, looking rather cross at us. Nyota was taking my side, even if he was expressing his disagreement with it. Then a very nasty thought entered my mind, one I hadn’t accounted for: How many frenzied ponies slipped inside during the explosion?

I took my mouth off the trigger and licked my lips, “Listen you two, go gather as many guards that are in good shape, and go look for anypony we can save. Friend or Foe.” I took a long breath and then continued. “Be careful though. That blast may have done a ton of damage and silenced most of their guns, but it’s very likely some of the frenzied ones made it in. It’s also likely that we have a lot of our own wounded who aren’t being taken care of.”

My heart felt like it had been punched and I winced, “We should go on a patrol to secure all entrances. At least till we can get whoever is still in charge of their army to a parley table. We may have wait for daytime to survey the damage outside.” The Germane brothers huffed in agreement and started trotting off to go about searching the building for more signs of hostiles.

There was a crunch that sickened me to the core. The knot that hadn’t left my stomach found another loop to twist in. I span around and watched as Quick Stitch’s horn blew up bright as a sun in an overglow of magic as sparks flew out of his horn that could have been mistaken for a welding torch. Another crunch echoed around us from the wounded raider’s back. The stallion’s spine was starting to align back in place. One vertebrae at a time, Quick Stitch healed the injury Nyota had inflicted.

Quick Stitch’s horn started to cool down, and he was panting from exhaustion as the light of his magic slowly left the room. I could feel the heat radiating off of him from nearly ten steps away. I ran up to him with Nyota alongside me. We steadied him before he fell over, slumped down with half his weight on each of us. The stallion below was softly breathing and slowly his eyes opened. Scopola pointed her laser rifle at him and we heard the electrical charge as she flicked it on. Her telekinesis providing the light by which we could see, “Nice and slow there, y’all wouldn’t wanna make any pony itchy.”

“Scopola, escort him to the medical wing and make sure Blackhawk keeps an eye on him.” I took a breath and nodded to Scopola Mina to make sure she got the message. She nodded back with a sweet smile and took a shot of dash from an inhaler. “After that, rejoin us, we’re going to look for survivors.”

“Alright come on, pretty stallion boy. Sunrise said to take ya to the medical ward, and I aim to make sure I don’t lose my merit badge in loyalty.” Scopola Mina nudged his flank with her laser rifle to emphasize the point and they trotted away.

Quick Stitch got back on his own hooves as his breathing slowed down, and he shook his head to clear it. He was clearly too tired to keep working, as we had been up for nearly twenty hours. “Hey, Quick Stitch, why don’t you take a break?” I rubbed his shoulder and neck with a great deal of concern at how much Quick Stitch and pushed his magical limits. I didn’t want our medic to break himself.

“Sunrise, thank you, but I am fine. I just need some water and a little breather. We’ve got more work to do.” I motioned Chifundo and Alguacil over to us. If I had my way, Quick Stitch would at least take lighter, easier duty and not burn himself out.

“Alguacil, Chifundo, escort Quick Stitch around looking for survivors up here.” I felt a shiver of fear when I saw Snuggles poke out from behind Chifundo. “And keep Snuggles with you.”

I turned to Nyota and smiled, “You are our secondary medic, we can both head out and Scopola can catch up to us. We’ll take down below, where we know it isn’t secure.”

Alguacil scoffed at us, “Hey! It’s more dangerous down ‘ere. Just two of you?” He demanded and I held up a hoof to stop him.

“My armor will stop almost everything they can throw at me. Nyota is invisible, even to my PipBuck tag when he wants to be. We’ll be fine.” I really just wanted a dangerous task to do and to keep all of them out of harm's way if I could help it. Any excuse to not have to explain myself to them. “Quick Stitch is more important,” I explained and Alguacil snarled but relented as he led Quick Stitch away.

Chifundo turned his head to us, “I suggest you come back alive and well, death will not stop Alguacil’s fury spell.”

I gulped as Snuggles turned and made a playful cat scratch in the air at us. I stuck my tongue out at the feline. Nyota chuckled and shook his head. “Come on love, you probably want to have a long talk with me.”

Before I could start to explain myself, I tasted Nyota’s zebra hoof again. It wasn’t unwelcome, just rather disconcerting. I expected now I was going to get a preaching to that only someone who loved you could possibly give. My eyes wandering up his leg to his uncovered green orb. He slowly shook his head side to side, and I gulped. I tried to put on a innocent smile and darted my eyes away to not have to look at him. He moved his hoof to force my attention to him. Then he put his hoof against my chest, right where my heart was. “Just know you aren’t allowed to kill yourself. That is all the reassurance I need from you, and we’ll leave this nasty bit of conversation behind us.”

I nodded very slowly and deliberately to him. He kissed my forehead very softly and I couldn’t look away anymore. He was being more than understanding, and I felt like trash for trying to throw myself away now. I held the tears in and sniffled, feeling a soft warmth radiating from inside me that drove back the coldness I had been using to cover us my feelings. “I know the wasteland will get to you, just like it gets to me. We’ll have a long talk after all is said and done.” Nyota whispered into my ear while giving me a gentle hug.

We stayed there for a bit, letting me softly sob and expel my emotions. Exhaustion started to fill my eyes and mind, but Nyota released me before I could get too comfortable in his embrace. “Come on, Sunny. We’ve got work to do.” He pulled my leg and gave me a candy bar. It wasn’t much, but it was something to keep me going at least.

The task was before us was grizzly. There must have been one hundred bodies on the first floor. “Oh come on Sunrise! Think of it as a surprise gift party! You’re most likely to get stuff you don’t want! Buuuttt you will find a piece of candy occasionally.” I glared at Pink while keeping my weapon ready while Nyota worked. My E.F.S. was completely fried out, as the magical radiation meant my PipBuck would need a scrubbing and a reset to function properly. Due to that, all I had was its dim light that kept flickering off and my eyes to keep Nyota safe.

My shotgun was held tight in my mouth as I peered into the darkness. Pink, this isn’t going to be good if we get ambushed. I thought, realizing I couldn’t see more than a few steps away from me. I flicked towards every shadow, every little hint of motion around us, even if it was made from my own flashlight.

“Sunrise, I doubt anypony is alive down here. You’ll be fineee, mostly.” Pink shrugged at me while in a mechanic’s uniform with a wrench working on a PipBuck in the world of my own headspace. I doubted she could actually interact with it but she could at least pretend to be helpful. She kept looking at me concerned, and then gave that ‘Everything is Fine!’ smile before resuming her cranking away in the corner of my vision.

Nyota motioned me over, “Sunrise, give me a hand. I think we’ve got a live one.” I holstered my gun and approached him. There was a griffin with a regulator star on his chest. His weapon still gripped in his hand, a high caliber revolver I didn’t recognize. There was some rubble pinning one of his wings and shoulder.

“See if you can pull him free when I lift this off him.” Nyota took a chunk of metal pipe that had fallen off the wall and wedged it under the rubble to get leverage. With a heave, both of us grabbed the wounded griffin out from under the chunk of debris.

He groaned in response and I took out a healing potion, administering it slowly with Nyota guiding me to make sure he didn’t choke on it. The griffin slowly came back to life as the magic worked to restore him and he sat up, holding his head. I touched his talon and tried to get his attention.

He swung his gun around and pushed it into my cheek. I felt a nervous twitch and gently reached up to lower the revolver, “Hey, it’s okay. Listen, there are some stairs around the corner. The mines should be disarmed. Just walk up there and you’ll see some friendly faces.”

The griffin growled and pushed me back, storming off towards the stairs without saying a word. “Well, what crawled up his high and mighty feathered ass?” Nyota scoffed and rubbed my cheek where the gun had been pressed.

“It’s okay love, I think I’d be a bit testy too if I woke up in near complete darkness after I should be dead,” I hugged Nyota and the two of us went back to checking for the living.

We move around a corner and heard a machine grinder going. Nyota and I looked at each other perplexed. Ahead of us three houses down, there was an electric light and a long trail of blood. We started to follow it, covering each other’s back as we checked rooms and corners. The blood was thick and still wet, which made it more concerning. We were expecting trouble when we got up to the door.

The light was coming from a makeshift ill-fitting metal door. Like many of the other internal houses and shops, this was made from whatever was available. One wall was made of brick, but most of that was based around scrap metal and pieces of other buildings from outside The Roof.

I leaned my ear against the door and inside the sounds of manufacture and an sparkle generator droned out anything else. I looked at Nyota and motioned for him to become scarce. If this was a trap, it would be best if they only saw one of us. As soon as I’d checked my surroundings, Nyota had vanished. I could sense his eyes watching me but could not see him or had a clue where he went. It’s always going to be reassuring knowing you are there. I knocked on the door hard and loud, trying to get over the machinery.

“Get the Fuck Outta here ya raider trash!” A thick Stalliongrad accent shot at me and a grenade flew over the space between the top of the door and its frame. I felt Nyota starting to move towards me. It wasn’t a physical feeling but an instinct. I heard his hooves skipping rocks along when I held up one hoof to stop him and casually kicked the grenade around the corner.

I’ve gotten too used to explosives and he didn’t prime that thing at all. The steel apple rolled out of view and I pressed against the wall for cover while I waited for the heavy brick side to absorb the shrapnel and concussive force. An explosion never came, the machine inside the building stopped.

“Are ya kidding me!? A dud?” The thick accent came back and I growled back at him.

“Hey! We’re friendlies, and who are you?” I demanded rather upset as I tried to open the door and found it barred from the other side. Angry hooves stopped up to the door and I heard the heavy board falling on the ground with a wooden echo.

“Why you, I oughta—” All the rest of his words were lost by the dust and sound of the steel apple grenade finally going off. I didn’t have time to realize what was going on when a shotgun fired into me. I gasped stunned as my armor absorbed the blast but I was flying into the air. The solid slug hit me in the chest but I didn’t hit the ground, instead I found myself held in the air. Alguacil was behind me, holding me in one claw suspended off the ground.

“Hold yer fire!” Alguacil glared back with a snort. “Glad I came back anyway.”

“Oh Shit! I’m sorry, I thought you were—” The stallion attempted to respond before I cut him off.

“ASSHOLE! I said I was friendly, check your fire.” I looked up to see a very burgundy stallion covered from head to toe in heavy winter clothing. A Stalliongrad military jacket and I recognized the commissar star hat on his head. He had piercing green eyes, the same kind of piercing stare that my own magenta ones bore. A trait for those from Stalliongrad that made us easy to recognize.

“Celestia dammit, you stupid pone this is an active war zone! I didn’t know which side you was on.” My chest burned with fire as he spoke, my armor might have held but the plate was at least dented. Nyota was at my side, checking my chest, and he nuzzled my cheek when he was sure I was alright.

I coughed a few times from the bruising and got back onto my own weight. I looked over at Alguacil who glared at me. “I came down and left Scopola Mina up there with Chifundo and Quick Stitch. I don’t want just you and Nyota to get ambushed.”

It was in that moment that I realized, this was Alguacil’s way of saying he cared. He didn’t know how else to do it yet, but he was acting well out of character. “Alguacil, I left you up there because if they got in trouble, they would need a heavy hitter.”

Alguacil snorted at me, “Like you and Nyota don’t? Besides, they’ve got guards to help them.”

“Is this how you show you care? Ignoring the party consensus to come rushing to our aid against hillbilly shotgun ponies who can’t tell friend from foe?” Nyota playfully punched his shoulder and the unknown pony swelled up.

“Excuse ME! Hillbilly! Why I outta blast you right in the head, you damn zigger!” He raised his shotgun threateningly at us and I sprang forward, slapping it down with my own.

“Knock it off! Before you give us away. I’m from Stalliongrad too!” This made the unknown pony stagger back. He stared at me and I glared right back into his eyes. The two of us never stopping looking at each other. My chest still burned and ached from being shot. My voice echoed around us, the dust still settling from the explosion and rough introduction between us. ”I ain’t a raider either. I’m bright and colorful, look at my armor!”

“And you’re covered in blood! Look at yourself! Truly, Stalliongrad would be honored to see such a fine mare of battle. But you are a sight that would cause anypony to shoot.”

“No No No! I am covered in rainbows, child’s graffiti, the word Angel is plastered over my chest, and there’s an angel holding a shotgun on my flank. I am, by the very definition, the OPPOSITE OF A RAIDER!” Even Alguacil was taken back by how intense I despised those words. I knew why Alguacil got so mad the first time I suggested he might be a raider, and now I was on the receiving end. He might have the same accent I do. He might be from Stalliongrad and my only link to home, but I’ll be damned if he was gonna treat anyone like this; especially me or my friends!

“Umm Sunrise, not to offend, but ya do realize everything around here is bright and colorful except me and the wasteland, right?” Alguacil whispered into my ear and all I could do was point a hoof at him to tell him to stow it. I was mad. I’d been shot, called a raider, done an unspeakable atrocity, and now I was not about to have Alguacil trying to make a good point to me. Especially knowing he would find a way to gloat about it for a literal month.

“Look at yaself! Ya covered in scrap metal, armor plating, blood, gore, cordite scent, and bullet dings. By the Twin Sisters my rusty flank are you looking like the opposite of a raider right now!” I huffed up and puffed my chest out looking as indignant as possible.

Alguacil leaned over and whispered, “Sunrise, I don’t think he can read.”

The angry Stalliongradder pointed at Alguacil with a snarl, “Bitch Griffin! I will take out my dick and smack ya with it across your ignorant beak! Haven’t you ever heard a Stalliongrad accent, bevore?”

“No, he hasn’t, because I have been trying to speak proper Ponish without an accent, I’m from Stalliongrad too.” I snarled back at him and stepped right up to meet him face to face. He took a step back and looked stunned. There was a long pause as the world around us faded away and we just stared.

“Sunrise, maybe you should calm down. Chifundo said there was some spirit here in the floor below that you should be warned about.” Both myself and our new friend turned to him.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” I stared at him still rather upset.

“Well he said that the monster they let loose might make ponies more edgy and also,” Alguacil leaned down and tapped my PipBuck. “It is jamming your E.F.S. because the creature is hostile to all life, period. It is in the air around us, making everything read as hostile.” He took a snort and spat off in the distance. “At least that is how I translated the Chifundo speak.”

“Wait, so dickless here shot me because some spirit might be influencing us to be more hostile to each other?”

“Oh, go fuck yourself princess.”

I shot a hoof in his direction, “I could have just hurled a grenade in and seen what happened. I’ve had a hell of a night already and you’re not making it better!”

Alguacil put his face firmly into his talon with a hard smack, “With all the ammo and explosives in there, you’d have blown the entire Roof down around all of us.”

I let out a long sigh and hung my head, “Okay fine. I turned back, look you, I need anything you can donate to help us defend this place. We haven’t checked after I dropped that megaspell on them, but we don’t know that they are done since I only hit the main camp in their lines.”

“Well then princess, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got bullets, bombs, and shells for every gun you own here at Mad Mac’s Arsenal Emporium!” He motioned behind him, where the walls were lined with firearms. I could see in as he stepped from the doorway, and it was a treasure trove of weaponry. Lasers, shotguns, rifles, were hung from every nook and cranny while there was an entire wall with cases of ammo stacked from the floor to the ceiling, each stack a different type of ammo. “Once the raiding was done earlier, I made my way back to my shop and started working again.”

“Well then, it’s free till we get you some salvage after the fighting.” I spat back and he turned and leaned down.

“What makes you think Mad Mac is willing to do that? Are you killing raider scum and assholes sieging The Roof?”

In unison all three of us answered, “Yes.”

“Well then the payment is a dead raider for every loaded gun you take.” He slapped my shoulder and winked at me. “What’s yer name, princess?”

I felt the shoulder slap through my armor, OUCH! His hooves are hard, and had to keep myself from showing it hurt underneath. “I’m Wandering Sunrise. This is Alguacil and that is Nyota.”

“Well, I’m sorry ver shooting ya and think of this as my sorry ver that. Also, didn’t mean to offend your bird friend or your zebra bodyguard. I hope he didn’t take the zigger slur to heart.” Nyota faux punched at him on the last comment.

“Hey hey, friend it’s okay; maybe we can ya know have a smoke over it and laugh it off, promise I won’t use that word around ya no more, Ny-yote-e.” The way he stretched out trying to pronounce Nyota’s name was the most comical part about all of this. “Ya do have some smokes, right? Because those would be greatly appreciated.”

Nyota pulled out a full four pack carton and held it up to him. “Yeah I’ve got some, maybe we can work it out over a couple of lights.”

“I will greatly appreciate them! I smoked an entire carton yesterday from all the shelling. I mean they can’t hit the broad side of a parking garage, but man does it make you nervous when one of them blows a metal panel out.” He reached for the carton and Nyota played keep away.

“After you and Sunrise are done getting things sorted.” Nyota teased with a wink at me. I looked at Nyota and then at Mad Mac. I had no real reason yet to believe we were still under threat but the fact was, they had encircled The Roof and that Megaspell had only hit the Northern area where their artillery was concentrated. It was highly likely there were still maybe a hundred or more in the army outside gathering their strength and figuring out what to do. We were going to need to clear them out, and more firepower would help.

“Well that just ain’t fair! I mean, ya can’t tease a stallion like that.” Mad Mac moaned and kept trying to reach for the cigarettes. I softly got between the two of them and shook my head with a tsk tsk tsk.

I got them separated and Nyota put a stupid grin on his face, like he’d just gotten a sibling in trouble with his parents. I held up my shotgun to him, “Look, I’m sure Nyota will share with you but I need some shells. I’ve been going through them pretty fast and it keeps firing stuff I didn’t load into it.”

“You mean round robin roulette style?” Mad Mac looked at my heavily modified weapon and smirked. I nodded slowly and he pointed at my tail, “And your tail does that on it’s own?”

I heard the distinctive click of bullets sliding into a chamber and turned to see my tail reloading Buddy’s Last Gift with ammo from a box labelled: JFP Hoof-Load Special. I growled out, “PINK!”

“What? I thought you wanted to use all these different ammos so I figured they should be a SURPRISE every time you fire without checking first.”

I felt raw anger building up and wheeled all my rage towards her I could muster, Let me get this straight, the reason why this thing randomly fires slugs, dragon’s breath, or any other special round without warning is because you keep randomly loading it?

“Yesss… what’s wrong with surprise coconut in your lemon cake?” She blinked at me with a super sweet innocent smile and the expression of an expecting puppy on her face.

We’re gonna talk later. I turned my attention back to Mad Mac who was just perplexed and snorted.

“Right, you are absolutely a mad mare. Anyway, I have something special for you, in exchange for shooting you.” He walked behind his counter and tapped on the wall three times. A false panel opened up and he took out a box and a briefcase. He put the box of shells onto the counter and it rattled with a mixture of different parts and shells inside. “This is flechette rounds, a couple of anti-robot pulse slugs, stick-n-shock stun rounds, bean bag rounds, buck magnum max load, the Stalliongrad special plasma slug, and a dozen explosive ball rounds. Just a standard strange load of stuff, this however;” he paused and pulled out the briefcase then opened it.

Inside was 2 dozen custom shotgun shells with black casings. All of them were inlaid in foam in their own personal holders with the words: War Crime, etched in crude yellow ink on the side. Then scattered a bunch of other types of rounds next to them.

I looked closer at the impact on my chest plate and could see the faint hints of clear gemstone shining through under one of the plates that was heavily dented. “Well, stubbornite is known for taking quite a beating.”

“Oh, yeah, but normal armor doesn’t stand a chance.” I nodded and pocketed the rounds. “But I will have to charge you for them.”

“But you shot me!” I growled, wanting to see how far I could possibly push the wounded pride bit mixed with guilt of accidentally shooting a friend.

“It’s cost o’ materiale, simple as that. I only am offering them because I shot you.” He grumbled and I took a moment to fling my mane like Chifundo did when he was negotiating with The Curator.

“I do get a discount then.”

“No Bitch! You just shoot me back or you take the opportunity to buy these, yer choice!” He put a revolver in my hoof and made sure to level the barrel back at him. I stared at him in shock and immediately dropped the revolver onto the counter.

“No, I’m a better pony than that!” I sheepishly whimpered and had to stagger-step away as the words lingered in my mind. It felt like he was right, I had the right to shoot him back. But a large part of me told me that such a thing was just wrong.

“Mad Mac, she’s with me. She’s the one who just set off that Megaspell too.” Alguacil put his talon between us to interject. He nudged me with his shoulder almost playfully to emphasize the point.

“Oh, I didn’t know she was with you, Al. Yeah, she gets a discount then. Friends of the family gotta stick together.”

“Wait! Alguacil, you knew him already?” I turned towards Alguacil with a look of shock and Alguacil rolled his one eye at me; having to fully turn his head to do so made it slightly awkward to make the motion.

“Yeah Sunrise, I met him the first time we was here. While you and Nyota were goin’ on your date, I got useful stuff done, like gettin’ my gun improved.” Alguacil almost looked hurt by my comment. I wanted rage and correct him on belittling my relationship, but I calmly reminded myself, time and place. Also not just time and place but there is a spirit apparently making you quicker to anger. So start checking your gut reactions!

“Speaking o’ modifications, that shotgun vhere missy.” Mad Mac pointed at my weapon still in my hoof. “That has a vhole lot o’ mods to it and looks like it’s got some history. It got a name?”

I shook my head slowly side to side. I have never thought to name my weapons or my armor. He smirked, “Well then Sunrise, I’d call that your Sunray if I were you. Seems appropriate that someone like you call it something like that.”

Without even me doing anything, my PipBuck registered:
-1 Modified Pump Shotgun
+1 ‘Sunray’ (Shotgun)

As an inventory change across my H.U.D. I will never get how it does that but okay then.
“Alright there, Sunrise. Ve’ll have a long talk after this is said and done about Stalliongrad things, for now, vhy don’t you and Al’ here help get that pile of guns and ammo at the end of the counter upstairs and distributed.” I nodded in agreement and just before I picked up the first load of guns, I turned to Mad Mac who was lighting up a cigarette off of one Nyota had started. The scent of tobacco smoke filling the air.

“Sorry how we met, you’re alright Mad Mac.” Mad Mac tipped his commissar hat to me, which if he understood the meaning of that hat; meant a whole lot more than any words we could share. It was the sign of a officer bowing his authority to an enlisted soldier, a way of saying; you deserve my respect and I am unworthy of your’s. That is, if he knew what tipping a commissar hat meant.

I could hear him and Nyota arguing if it was safe to smoke in a gun shop or not as Alguacil and I headed back upstairs.

One other new piece of weaponry was inside that pile of guns that we distributed that I kept. It was a standard 25mm single shot grenade launcher but my PipBuck registered it as ‘Newb Tube’ and it had a few modifications on it. Not to mention almost 20 grenades with it split between HE and Frag. I got it locked and loaded, finding that the extra pockets on my armor was coming in real handy to keep everything I had organized and from weighing me down too much. It was getting closer to 3:30am.

Chifundo approached me as I was cleaning my weapons and trying to fix my armor. We hadn’t taken a break or slept yet. I could feel the weariness wearing into me. He sat down and I looked over.

“I suppose you’ve got something to tell me about the spirit down there? The one affecting all of us?”

Chifundo nodded, “It was locked away to be kept dormant, the raiders opened the door ignoring the warning’s warrant. The seal only became partial when we closed it, a proper ritual needs to be done for atonement. I am not sure if now is the time, or if the siege is still in its prime.”

I nodded to him, “Yeah I saw the black tendrils in the walls before we closed the door. Real freaky stuff.”

It was then that Chifundo sprung up and grabbed my shoulders. He looked into my eyes and took our lantern up to shine so he could see. It felt like when I looked into Nyota’s spirit eye. That feeling of searching deep into the cosmos except I was on the receiving end. Some sort of energy he was pushing passed into me and then he let out a sigh of relief. “Okay Chifundo, what was that about?”

“I feared a star child had you possessed, but you appear to be very blessed. Perhaps my presence with you had created enough exposure, that you too can see into the spiritual enclosure.”

I took a long breath, “Earlier when we were in the trenches, I could feel something different when I killed in close quarters. I didn’t want to kill anypony but I could taste something, smell it, and even sense their parting thoughts. It was so weird, like I could feel beyond what I could see.”

Chifundo nodded, “Yes, perhaps it is Nyota’s blood or my talent, but you can now see beyond the mortal pageant. I fear if you learn too much without assistance, it will threaten your sanity’s existence.”

I hugged him softly and smiled, “Then you will be here to guide me and help me understand what I am seeing now.”

After that we finally got some sleep, lying down to wait for the next day when the guards and scouts could tell us if everything was over or if we still had more fighting to do. It was almost dawn but I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

Alguacil and Nyota both helped me to bed, but I insisted that everyone stay in their armor and keep their gear close. We didn’t know if this fight was over or not; nor did we know the consequences of the weapons of mass destruction had unleashed or what they would cause. Nyota held me through our armor and I rested on his inner leg. There weren’t enough beds to go around so our outdoor sleeping bags and the concrete floors would have to do.

We were awoken by a roar of pain and screaming in a language I did not recognize. Adrenaline hit me and I was reminded where we were immediately. I didn't stop to think, or question, I just reacted, charging towards the screams and throwing my gear on as fast as I could. Honed reflexes from the wasteland taught me, screams were something I needed to run towards and stop. Picline was throwing knives with her telekinesis out of a window towards the ground.

“Franzpone! Stay down!” She cried out as another blade was loosed from her telekinetic grasp. I stopped at the window and peered out. The two Germane brothers were fighting for their lives just outside the walls on the ground below us. Franzpone was flat on the ground. He was bleeding from his head and his ear was lopped clean off. A dent in his head the size of a hammer with blood rushing from multiple parts of his head indicated he was dying fast. Hanzhoof bucked right into a frenzied trooper's jaw and snapped his neck with a crunch I could hear from here.

How do we get to them? We're three stories up, if we run down they'll be over run before we get there! I frantically looked for a way down when my tail pushed my flank forward.

“Just jump! Your friends will catch you.” I didn't stop to think on it. I just pressed my hooves forward and jumped.

“Scopola! Catch me!” I shouted back then ripped ‘Sunray’ out of its holster. My hoof hit S.A.T.S. The world slowed down as Scopola's magenta magical aura engulfed me. I felt weightless for a time but began falling ever so slowly. S.A.T.S. was running out but allowed me a moment to process the situation by keeping time close to a stand still.

They’re absolutely drug frenzied, I can’t stop them with non-lethal attacks. This is just like that raider that killed Buddy!

“So, we are in a agreement, Sunrise?” I queued up a shot at the berserk raider nearest the two very large stallions and released.

No more Buddy’s! Pink and I said to each other in unison as we released S.A.T.S. and let the targeting spell do the work.

My shoulder ached from the recoil without proper anchoring to the ground. The acceleration towards the ground was slow but steady thanks to Scopola’s magic. I saw the buckshot pepper into the raider's spine, breaking it and his back bowed like a cheap card table. His rage left him as the agony took over and he shrieked in dismay.

When I got within around 10 feet of the ground, the magic of Scopola was too far away and gave out, making me freefall till my legs slammed into the ground.

It wasn't me being an earth pony, but the sturdiness of my armor that kept my legs from snapping as the soft earth gave way to make an impact zone from my fall. Every part of me screamed for a respite but there would be no time for that. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep but my muscles were telling me sleeping in armor was a bad idea.

A screaming slathering chem-addled raider was nearly pressed to the end of ‘Sunray’s’ barrel. I racked it and punched the trigger, sending him flying back. My shoulder screamed from hammering out a solid slug instead of buckshot.

Even with my eyes shut in pain I could still feel the backblast that washed over me by being too close to my target. The thud at my hooves as I was driven into the muddy earth. A crack of thunder echoed over the sky and the feeling in the air sagged. By the time I opened my eyes, rain was pouring over us. My PipBuck wasn’t clicking, so I wasn’t sure if it was still in need of a reset or if for some reason the radiation wasn’t getting to me.

Think on it later! Save lives now! I moved next to Hanzhoof. who was currently holding down one of the troopers in his forelegs. He kept headbutting the raider to death while a second raider was scissored into his rear legs, slowly having the life choked out of her. I steadied myself till my rear hoof touched his shoulder. I was in a position to be the shield for him and his downed brother. His blonde mane flicking against my leg hard as he rolled to his hooves to stand upright.

Nyota dropped in next to us, aiming himself to land with all four hoovers into the head of one particularly unlucky beserk mare. My stomach had a whole new reason to churn from the sound of crunching mare skull, much less the sight. I never needed to know a crushing skull sounded like a coconut breaking open.

Alguacil swooped overhead and let his revolver fly as Quick Stitch jumped off his back. Quick Stitch rushed past Nyota and I, desperately kicking and shooting to keep the small horde back. I could feel the heat from his magic working to save the cracked skull stallion.

I was searching for an exit strategy, a way out. It was hard to think or move between fatigue and the initial jumpstart wearing off. “Quick Stitch, can we move him? I don't know how long we can hold out here!” I shouted over my shoulder while I switched weapons, moving to Celestia’s Hammer and flipping its power switch. The weapon still shocked me when the impact pulped and eviscerated my nearest target. The feeling of blood on my hooves went from metaphorical to literal as the bodies piled up.

They were enraged, all sporting snarls of hatred and anger, none of them were going for weapons; they were using bare hooves. I couldn't back up any more if I tried, Quick Stitch was right there, trying to save a pony who should be dead. “No, we can't.”

My tail gave me an answer to a prayer. A detonator and two homemade lunchbox claymores. “Nyota! Alguacil! Cover me!” I screamed while laser fire from overhead disintegrated one mare into a puff of ash. I slammed down the mines, and scrambled to arm them. Alguacil’s revolver roared to life and he swooped in for another kill, fanning his hammer to empty half a chamber into one of the raiders.

In the rush, I almost crossed the detonator wires, but an itch on my hoof told me to double check. Nyota parried a blow that almost hit my head and I flinched, hoping I didn’t cross a wire when I did. He nodded to me, “Hurry up, Sunny. We can’t keep them off us forever.” I nodded to him and made quick to work to double check my wiring job. I flipped the detonator on and hoped it still had juice in its gempack.

Nyota charged in and proceeded to pummel kick a raider, left, right, left, right, until he fell back head over ass onto his back, letting out a whinny of distress. I stood upright and held the detonator in my hoof, ready to click it. “Everyone! Get behind me!” I screamed as Nyota leapt from where he was to right next to me in one bound. Alguacil banked hard over my head and bounded along the walls to The Roof to keep from crashing into them. Hanzhoof pressed his back against me from opposite Nyota to make me aware he was clear. I pressed the switch. Forgive me!

The earth shattering kaboom was not good for our ears as the word became a deafening ringing. My body quivered and pulsed from the detonation that threatened to throw me off my hooves with blow-back. My teeth clattered against each other and my heart skipped a few beats. I slammed my eyes shut as the smell of dirt, blood, and cordite filled my lungs.

I couldn't hear anything and my world was dim as my eyes fluttered open. All around us were bodies. Finally support fire came from the walls of The Roof, besides Picline's knives and Scopola's laser. A wall of bullets, mixed laser fire, and even Cross Stitch’s Plasma-Gauss rained down so hard that the downpour above us was cut off by the volume of flame and death. They removed anymore frenzied creatures from our path. I fell to my knees, my body spent. My radiation counter started-clicking higher and health display showed damage to every one of my legs.

I just want a break. I thought panting for dear life as I turned back to Quick Stitch; who was performing field surgery right there. His doctor's bag was out and his magic was going with delicate precision. He was slowly piecing the parts of Franzpone’s skull back together.

Hanzhoof’s massive fetlocks nearly tripped me as he rushed over and they swept against my legs. My shin cried out in dismay as I lashed out and held onto his rear hoof for dear life to stop him. “STOP! He’s performing surgery!”

“Franzpone, Franzpone, please don't give up brother. Fighter, help is here.” Nyota rushed in front of Hanzhoof used his enough body to stop Hanzhoof.

“Come on Hanzhoof, he's safe for now. Let Quick Stitch work.” He whispered and the stallion nearly twice his size turned to look at him, weeping like a mother losing a child. He squeezed Nyota tightly and Nyota grit his teeth and bore it like a champion. I was beside myself, watching this unfold. I released the extra hoof and let the heavy muscular stallion weep into Nyota’s shoulder while sitting down onto my haunches.

My heart was pounding in my ears as the ringing completely stopped. I was still in survival mode when I realized my hooves were shoving shells to reload my shotgun, but it was full and wasn't taking another shell. I dropped the buckshot round and holstered the weapon into my side. I am beginning to understand why you smoke, Nyota.

I took off my helmet and face protection, letting the rain-cooled radioactive air hit my face. Quick Stitch ever mindful of us, threw RadAway at all of us while he was looking for another surgical tool. I placed it into my mouth and started to suck it in. The flavor of grape was a pleasant surprise while the tingling along my skin started to go down as the magical energies were purged from my body.

My stomach stopped feeling like it was boiling, and even the air itself felt chilled to the bone. The soothing refreshment rushed through my throat as the air I was inhaling was being scrubbed by the magic of RadAway. It was like the twin sisters themselves had come down and relieved me of my duties for just the briefest moment. I wanted this moment to last as long as it could. Then the RadAway ran out, and slowly I began to feel the terrible shape my body was in.

I felt the dirt in my mane actually cascading down against the nearly airtight collar of my armor. I looked at my hooves, caked in gore and mud then up to see Quick Stitch still working away. He was bandaging the head wound now, and Hanzhoof was on his haunches being consoled by Nyota. Both of them, while in between sobbing and patting down tears, were slowly sucking through their own RadAway pouches.

Scopola Mina emerged from The Roof, her laser rifle scarred with burns along the square projector end. It had been firing so much, the weapon itself had nearly caught fire. “Sunrise, darling, put your helmet back on. It ain't safe out here.” Scopola insisted by levitated the helmet over my head and plopping it down unceremoniously onto my skull. I grumbled toward her and relented, pulling the strap into place under my chin.

“Scopola, good. Can you levitate him gently out of here?” Quick Stitch was putting away his doctor's tools and cleaning them as we turned to Scopola.

She huffed and looked rather indignantly at us, but she didn't say a word as she picked up Franzpone in a soft TK bubble. Scopola then huffed as she pranced back inside, the whole time holding him perfectly level with her magic. “What's her problem?”

Quick Stitch pondered rather perplexed at the behavior. I shrugged and he issued us more RadAway while ushering us back into the concrete walls that would provide some protection against the fallout. I watched my rad counter going up and then following back down, until the tingle across my flesh stopped and the counter read 177. The fatigue of nearly two full days was settling in on me.

We'd been going since the previous morning and it was nearly 3am on my H.U.D. Clock. I nearly dropped to the cold floor but Alguacil grabbed me by a backplate and held me up. “Dang it girl, you're heavy as a quarry stone in that armor!” I smirked and shook my head slowly from side to side.

I genuinely needed to laugh right then. I needed some emotion besides pain, turmoil, or disgust, and Alguacil had delivered.

It was 9:22pm. We’d slept through the entire day and into the next night. Yet, it felt like I’d only gotten an hour. My muscles ached and I wanted to get more rest, but Picline came to get me. We were starting to think it was over, that the siege had been lifted. There was one problem though; none of us wanted to go outside to find out.

“Sunrise, you got a radio call. There is a lot of static though.” I started towards the door when Picline stopped me. “Thank you, Sunrise. All your help has been monumental. I thought we were finished.” He took a deep inhale and was clearly trying to hold something back. I could see tears forming in her eyes and she sniffled which made me stop to look at her. “I don't know how he did it, but Quick Stitch saved Franzone, and Hanzhoof has been overcome for the last 20 minutes. I'd avoid him, he might squeeze you to death for those heroics of yours.”

I looked at her a bit confused, “How did they get outside in the first place?”

“Well, you all didn't tell us you were launching a megaspell and a few ponies were about to head out to do another raid; not knowing the ruckus you and Chifundo-baby had kicked up out there.” She leaned down and dusted off my mane with her hoof. “I owe you an apology.”

I took a step back and my heart palpitated a few times, “You aren't gonna threaten me again are you?”

“No, never again. Not after you did all this to save my home. You took care of Chifundo too, thank you.” I didn't feel like I should be thanked.

I didn't say what was on my mind, and I just nodded to her and gave her a hug. The hug was ceremonial, as my heart wasn't in it. I was going through the motions, and Nyota was soon right at my side.

Picline put a hoof onto my shoulder and pulled me into a tight hug, her eyes rolling tears down my neck and shoulders. The cool tears and soft sobs made me do all I could do, and embrace her back. “And you brought my Wicker back from the dead.”

I was very confused and now, rather than wait I needed to know what she was going through. “Your Wicker?”

“My son. All my foals were dead and buried. I refer to everyone here in the roof as my children because they are, but my son of my flesh and blood. You found him after years.” I blinked repeatedly and pulled back from the hug.

My heartbeat slowed and I felt like I was missing some vital piece of information, “Who? What?” Picline grabbed my hoof and led me over to a cot where the stallion raider we had saved lie sedated.

“This is Wicker Reed, my son. He left, said he was going to go find something to save the wasteland. I don’t know how you didn’t know who he was, but you found him and saved his life.” She almost fawned over me. It was the strangest experience to have a mare who had gone from threatening me with a knife over a stallion to having her hugging and crying into my shoulder. This felt so surreal I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real, and I did that with the damaged armor plate on my chest just to make sure.

I sat there and let her cry it out, until Chifundo approached and helped her off my shoulder and onto his. “I am unsure I am ready to be a step-father, but if it is asked I will see to be that much stronger.” His words to Picline were the trick that made her dry her tears and she blinked repeatedly.

“Chifundo, are you saying you want to, with me?” Picline’s words were hesitant and I had to try to piece together the sentence.

“After a few more dates and this siege is lifted, I wish to have my heart gifted.” Picline and I both got that message and both of us shared a blush and stunned look to each other. I slowly backed away.

“I’ll leave you two, to discuss some things.”

All this happened while we had been stitching our wounds, sucking down more RadAway until my PipBuck stopped clicking and checking our gear. We should be sleeping or getting ready to rest, but some tension in the air told us this wasn't all over yet.

I walked through the medical ward and Hanzhoof was right there holding Franzone's leg, squeezing it when he noticed me. He dropped it and stormed across the room, I thought I was about to be pounded into the shape of an armored sardine tin. He was massive up close, a full manchu beard that stretched down well past his chin. His coloration was deep brown with a blonde mane while his brother was the opposite. He glared down at me with deep blue eyes and snorted.

“Are you ze one whom leapt down to aid us?” I slowly nodded in response, trying to place his accent. “Vell, I am Hanzhoof and you have saved mein brother. For that, I owe you ze greatest of debts.” He bowed so low I thought he might tip over and kissed my armor clad hoof. “Name any service and I shall perform itz well beyond yer expectations.” He declared and rose back up to his full height.

I nervously took a stutter step away. My heart felt like it might explode from the attention. I wanted to protest, I wanted to scream for him to be mad at me. I wanted to understand why everypony was thanking me for using a weapon that should have never been made. I instead solemnly bowed my head, “Thank you, but please go be there for your brother.”

He huffed and jumped to his hind legs in a display of his agility for a stallion that was clearly all muscle. He placed his forehooves together with a clap and took a bow to me. “Of course mein fraulein! Should you need me, I will be heare!”

I waited patiently for him to finish and go back to his brother. Once I was certain no one else was going to come running up to make me feel like a megaspell was ever a good option; I slipped into the radio room with Nyota in tow.

The older stallion doctor from before, Bonesaw, was sitting next to the ham radio set, tuning it to try to get through the interference. “Dang fritzing thing. That megaspell put all our electronics into da worst fit I ever seen. Where's a toaster repair pony when ya need em!” I blinked a few times and my tail prodded me with my small toolbox.

Pink, you do realize if I fix this one, he's going to try to make me fix all their stuff right? I prodded back at the hiding Pink pony in the back of my mind.

“Yeah, but it'll be great experience!” She squealed in return. “Besides, it's hard to talk on a radio that won't even let you tune it like a zamboni!” I wanted to ask what a zambone was, but kept my mind shut on the matter. Instead, I started the process of actually getting out the right pieces of repair tools and scrap electronics.

Chifundo came in while I was working on the radio, getting the frequency just right. I figured he had something else to talk to me about, but it would have to wait. The radio suddenly crackled to life and I was surprised when it did. Apparently there was just a busted connector and I had pressed the screwdriver in just right to complete the electrical circuit.

Bonesaw stared and scratched at his chin, “That ain't bad or my name isn't Blood Work!” I stopped what I was doing and turned to him.

“I thought your name was Bonesaw?” He tilted his head and then snorted at me with enough force I felt his breath.

“Bonesaw is my title! We wasteland doctors gotta prove our education level! There is Hacksaw, Sinewsew, Blood giver, Bonesaw, Hoofheart, and Life Giver! You think all the doctors in the wasteland are named Bonesaw or Hacksaw or something?” I was stunned. Everyone called them by their rank, knowing full well that Hacksaw was the lowest rank.

“Heh, get it Sunrise, Hacksaw because he might be a‒” Pink could feel the glare I was giving her and refused to finish that statement. A strange thought of giving her a literal lashing for that terrible pun crossed my mind. Such violence was actually off putting but I calmed my nerves and returned to Blood Work.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know. From the Old World and all, only have a couple months of wasteland experience.” I made such to be as sheepish as possible, hoping I could end this embarrassing conversation faster. I didn't want him to notice the burning blush in my cheeks or the skittishness in my voice.

The radio crackling to life saved me, “Hey! Is that stupid green bitch there or what?” The voice of The Goddess with a Gun made both of us turn to the radio set. “Any of you even alive for me to skin for this one?”

I nervously reached up and clicked the transmitter, “Hey, ummm... Breakfast Blend, can we talk civilly now?”

“CIVIL! You wanna talk civil now? That makes twice you've dropped a megaspell on me! When I get my hooves on you I swear I will—” I hit the transmitter to stop whatever overly exasperated threat she was going to deliver. I looked at Blood Work, who was at a loss for words.

I shrugged at him and leaned up to the microphone, “So how about we parley now? There isn't any sense in more bloodshed; over.”

I released the button and felt the tension in the room escalating. All four of us felt like we were being slowly pressed in by a pike into our hearts. I felt sweat forming on my brow as someone on the other end was suppose to respond.

Finally the radio crackled to life, “You know, if you're going to go on a rant you have to push this button first.” There was a shot from what sounded like a cannon over the radio that caused it to peak out. We heard the report of the shot inside The Roof a half second later, whatever that weapon was; it made one hell of a noise.

“Listen here, you bitch. I don't care what you have to offer, we're committed to this now. I’ve lost too much to turn back now! One of us will be dead before this is over, permanently!” The radio went silent. I felt like I'd been struck. “But ya know what! We’ll setting this like proper Old World Mares!” My heart tightened and I felt like this was a build up to something I wasn’t fully prepared for. “We meet out in No Pony’s Land at High Noon! If you don’t show up, I’ll just blow The Roof Up! We got enough extra shells and just to prove my point, you’ll get a present you thought you destroyed. Be there for our DUEL! Winner decides the fate of this stupid parking deck!”

“You've got to be kidding me? I hit her with a megaspell. I literally hit her with the most powerful weapon ever made! All of her siege guns are gone, and yet here we are; she still wants to fight.” I slumped back into a chair and stared at the ground. I felt defeated. Everything I knew how to do had failed. No diplomacy had worked. No direct combat had worked. Scopola Mina made a chemical weapon and it failed. I made a megaspell and committed to an unforgivable sin. Yet even that wasn't enough. She still has troops left to fight with? She still wants a fight?

I felt Nyota's hoof softly pressing against my shoulder and slowly followed up his leg to his face. I could smell his scent of sandalwood mixed with mine of cordite and ozone. I clung to him like my life depended upon it. He was my anchor right now in this storm and I had no clue what it would take for Breakfast Blend to give up. “There there Sunrise, we'll get this figured out.”

Just then, the sound of incoming artillery shells resounded through the air and we all dove for the floor. Our midnight wake up call was the sound of raining artillery shells. It was going to be another long, sleepless night.

Level 12 Progress - 22% of the way to a Level Up.

Earth Pony Bonus Perk - Karma Beacon - Your Karma level has DOUBLE the effect that it should have. Giving you significantly stronger reactions based upon your karma level.
(Reminder, You’re at 100 Right now! Paladin of the Wasteland Right?)

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