Let's get the other bit of politeness taken care of, shall we? What the bloody, bloody, bloody hell are you doing here?!

I awoke to a soft, yet slightly colder temperature and breeze. It was warm out here and reeked of burning forest and flesh, but then again, it had been that way for days now. That's not what concerned me...

What did concern me was that my armor was off, even though I distinctly remember falling asleep with it on. What concerned me even more was that when I opened my eyes, I found myself alone, in the middle of a field of grass; dead and dry.

I stood up, groaning before looking behind me to see the treeline of a forest. Looking back ahead of me, I found the highway that led up to the checkpoint tunnel in the far distance. The smoke was getting thinner, but it was still a challenge to make out the silhouette of the donut shop the group and I were resting in for the night.

Suddenly, I felt my stomach lurch. I heaved and retched as I felt something coming up. I hadn't eaten anything last night...

I regurgitated whatever my body was trying to purge itself of, and found a pile of the black, oily gunk that I had puked up, back when I was in the tower with Para.

I quickly backed away from it, halfway between gasping for air and screaming out of horror. I landed on my back in a panic, then quickly rolled over, getting back on my hooves. After staring at it for a long period of time while I panted for breath, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to scurry away or attack me. It wasn't moving at all. It was just... there...

Ahead, in the distance, just over the building, I saw what I imagined was Thunderwing taking to the air. Presumably trying to find me.

There was a fit of coughing, hacking, and retching behind me, causing me to swiftly turn around and look. I couldn't see anyone there, but the noise was coming from beyond the treeline.

I made a run for the sound, passing through the brush with haste. The branches scratching against my coat wasn't really a problem for me, though it wasn't the best feeling, either. Still... I've had worse.

Far worse.

I came to a stop when I found Para puking up the same black substance that I had, a few minutes ago. He was stripped of all his gear, too...

"Para..." I moved in close, and he looked up at me, panting. He then wiped his lips clean of the gunk and smiled, but I could tell he was in pain behind that mask. I was too...

"Changer." He coughed up some more of the black, then sighed as he sat on his haunches, trying to catch his breath. He wiped some more of the substance away from his mouth and shook his head. "Must've eaten something bad last night..."

"Para..." I took another step forward. "Do you know why we're out here...?"

He shrugged with a simple smile. "We both sleep walk, I guess. Reckon we wanted to have a camp-out."

I stared down at the pile of vomit between us.

I hadn't thought of it before... Why hadn't I thought about it before...?

It made sense if he was infected with the same virus I had. This... disease... This... darkness that Petiole had described it as. He was right there with me when I charged through the smoke monster... thing, back at the tower.

Why didn't I think of him being infected...?

What did I do...?

... How... how long did we have left to live...?

I sighed as I put a hoof on his shoulder. He looked back up at me with a calm smile, then took my hoof in his. I smiled back, but I was worried as all hell...

I had gotten us both killed...

"We should get back to the others before they assume the worst and move on..." I said softly, to which he stood up. We started walking side by side, back to the shop.

"Before they assume to burst?" He looked me over with a raised brow. "Like, into bubbles? I like bubbles."

I laughed softly and brushed my tail against his flank. "Come on, ya dork." I started to walk a bit faster, and he stayed caught up by my side.

I caught Petiole on the roof of the shop, scoping out the land for us. His LEDs shined blue through the smoke, but once the barrel of his sniper moved on to us, they went green.

Shortly after, Thunderwing and her group, along with Fluky, met us at the back exit. I did my best to not look at the filly. I didn't want her on my mind at that time.

"What happened to you two?" Thunderwing asked as we approached.

"Wish I knew the answer to that myself." I replied. "Is our stuff here?"

"Y-yeah..." She looked me over warily, before stepping aside. Para and I stepped inside.

Our gear was put into two different piles. I went to mine and started getting dressed in my barding, while he did the same with his attire and equipment.

Petiole jumped down through the sunroof and groaned upon impact with the surface, as if it had hurt him. It wasn't that big of a drop... Wuss.

"Good to have you back with us." He said calmly as he approached. "Can we talk?"

"Hey, Para?" I said, tapping him on the shoulder. He looked over, and I continued. "Can you give Petiole and I some privacy?"

"Sure thing." He beamed at me, then trotted away happily, back the way we came. My eyes stayed glued to that sweet flank of his... Fuck, I wanted that...

He still had that small dance to his movement whenever he walked, and watching his tail flick from left to right... Nng... I got a little bit of eye candy from that... As if that ass of his wasn't candy enough.

I turned back to Petiole once Para left my sight. He was staring silently at me. I was sure he was judging me...

"What do you want?" I asked, annoyed just by his presence alone.

"I wanted to start off by apologizing for the other night. I know you're not a pedophile, Charger."

"No shit." I deadpanned; my ears folding back as my hoof started to crackle softly. "That it? Can I stop talking to you now?"

"Hear me out first."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, sitting down and adjusting my gear after. "Better make this good."

"I don't... take back what I said about Para having the mind of a child."

"Off to a great start..." I murmured as my hoof flared up with electricity a little.

"But I should have been more professional about it. He, by definition, is an adult. A very immature, deaf, adult. But an adult, no less." He raised a hoof halfway. "And I shouldn't have dragged Fluky in my argument. That wasn't fair of me. So... I'm sorry, Charger..."

I glanced at him for a second after I adjusted the shoulder grip on my rifle. Well... he seemed sincere...

"Yeah, whatever..." I rolled my eyes and started doing an ammo check. "Anything else, ghoul?"

"Okay, I deserved that..." He muttered quietly before shaking my remark away. "I wanted to ask... are you sure it's safe for all of us to be going to Portlandia? I'm perfectly fine with killing ferals, but I can't protect everyone from those freaks. Not even you. I'm starting to think maybe you and the others shouldn't go."

"Hey." I snapped, scowling at him. "This was my plan. And Tuner's... but also mine. If we're careful, we can all make it work."

"Okay, but what's there that the rest of the wasteland doesn't have?"

"Tuner said there's something there I need that I can't find anywhere else, and I believe him."

"Food, drugs, and of course, the primary item of interest that will prove more than useful for Charger." Tuner said.

Wait, where was that coming from?

I looked around until I noticed the radio tucked away in my pouch.

Huh... When did that get there?

"So, let me get this straight..." Petiole began, planting his face in his hoof. "We're going to a ghoul infested city for supplies we already have? Tuner isn't saying what this thing you need is, and that throws me off. This plan is horrible... and I'm surprised no one else has bothered saying anything about it."

"If this place is so infested with ferals, then we'd have a lot of untouched buildings, ready for looting." I quickly added. "The stuff we don't need, we can sell. Then we take those caps, maybe get on a ship or something. Get the hell out of Equestria."

Petiole shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this, Charger... But you're the one in charge. So I'll... ignore the feeling in my gut and fool myself into thinking you know what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing..." I murmured, turning away from him and making my way to the back exit.

"Where were you this morning?" Petiole called out, before coughing a little.

I didn't reply. I kept walking.

The rest of the group was waiting outside, near the exit. Fluky was on Para's back, leaned up against the cage with the bunny.

I nodded to the group that watched me.

"10-16 to Portlandia."

The group was silent for a short while, before Blaze spoke up.

"... The fuck did you just say?"

We had made our way past the depot after several hours of walking, but I chose for us to go around it. I didn't want to deal with the NCR right now... or ever.

In taking our detour, we had started to walk through a forest. Most of the trees were dead, but there was also flickers of life. Green.

Life in a dead world.

That made me feel a little better about the fate of Equus.

I trotted up to Thunderwing, who walked alongside Destrier at the front.

"Hey..." I spoke quietly.

She looked over with a calm expression. "Hey yourself."

"I gotta ask..." I looked around before resuming. "Do you think I know what I'm doing...?"

"What are you doing?" She smiled faintly, to which I rolled my eyes.

"I mean with where we're going. Do you think it's a good idea?"

"I don't see why not." She shrugged. "None of us have really said anything, because we've kinda wanted to take it over ourselves. At the very least, take the valuables. And like you said earlier, if we plan it carefully, then everything will turn out alright."

I perked up at that. "Wait, you heard my conversation with Petiole?"

She nodded. "Sorry. Eavesdropping is just in my nature. But honestly... he worries too much. I think you have what it takes to lead. He shouldn't just assume the worst."

"Crossing Steel Ranger territory to hide from said rangers still doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, though." Blaze said behind us.

"Yeah, well..." I paused, looking ahead. "We can circle around. Though, I'm not familiar with the surface just yet." I looked back at the team as we continued walking. "Any of you know the territories here?"

Thunderwing nodded. "I do. We'll discuss our next move when we stop to rest." She paused, then muttered to herself. "Really wish I had a map, though..."

Para trotted up to my side. "I have a compass, if that'll help."

"Our pipbucks have compasses built in." I stated, looking at him curiously. I thought he was hard of hearing...

His ears folded back, as if I had told him to fuck off. I sighed and shook my head.

"Can I see your compass then?"

"Yep!" He beamed at me almost immediately. "But it's busted."

... Great, Para. Thanks for the help.

He pulled out a bronze compass and flicked it open to reveal that the needle was spinning out of control.

That was... odd...

Didn't compasses point to strong magnetic signals? Why was this one going crazy?

"Here, let me see that..." I reached out a hoof, and he handed it over.

The moment I touched it, the needle stopped; pointing northwest - though more north than west - even though we were facing south.

"Oh, hey!" Para grinned. "You fixed it!"

"Hardly..." Thunderwing muttered, looking at it. "It's pointing in the wrong direction. Busted was an understatement." She took the compass in her wing, and immediately, the needle spun around to point to the northwest directly...

Or... southeast, geographically speaking...

Weird...

"Hm..." She handed it back to Para, and the needle began freaking out again.

He closed it and put it back in his jacket pocket, only to pull out a red and black candy cane. "I'm sorry I couldn't help..." He spoke softly, frowning, before sticking the cane in his mouth. "Do you accept candy canes as an apology...?"

"Don't worry about it, Para." I smiled faintly and lightly patted him on the shoulder.

He nodded somberly in response.

Thunderwing looked at my pipbuck, then up at me.

"My compass is pointing south." I stated, looking back at her.

"Mine too." Destrier filled in.

"Odd..." She shrugged and took a deep breath. "Guess we'll try and solve that later. We should keep moving in the meantime."

"Agreed." I replied, starting to walk forward.

We were back on the move through the forest, and the smell of burning trees and flesh was gradually starting to fade, the more we ventured south. I couldn't wait to get away from the smell entirely.

For a while, things in the group were silent. I was still pretty upset with Petiole, but he apologized for last night, at least. I went most of my life without apologies. I'd take what I could get.

There was a warehouse far off in the distance, surrounded by the forest we walked through for hours. It seemed long since abandoned, but then again, a lot of things were. I could only hope there weren't a bunch of raiders or radhogs or something like that waiting inside...

I didn't see any reds on my E.F.S., but that was most likely because we were too far away from it.

"What do ya think, guys?" Thunderwing asked, nodding off to the building. "Should we check it out?" She glanced in my direction after, as if she knew I was thinking the same thing.

"It could potentially save us time for when we get to Portlandia. We won't need to worry about grabbing any valuables if there's enough in there." Riot said as he levitated his two combat shotguns out of their holsters and cocking them.

Everyone turned to me for the final say, to which I nodded. "Sounds good to me. How should we approach?"

"Right." Thunderwing replied with a soft smile. "Destrier, you take the front. I'll be eyes in the sky. Riot, take the rear. Tezu, take the roof. Blaze, try and find a way in through the side. If there isn't one, go with Riot." She turned to me finally. "I'll leave the orders of your crew to you."

I nodded with a faint smile as I turned to my friends. "Petiole, stay behind the treeline and provide long range fire support, in case things go south. Keep a close eye on the group and ensure their safet-"

"Hey, does anyone else hear that...?" Tezu asked, looking up at the sky warily.

"Hear what?" Thunderwing looked at him with a raised brow.

Then Destrier spoke. "Vertibucks. Flock of 'em..."

Thunderwing's eyes grew wide as she looked around, realizing the trees offered little to no shelter. Her wings spread out from her sides. "Everyone, fuck it! Run to the warehouse!"

The group, along with mine, started running for the building in the distance. Para trotted happily with Fluky on his back, and I was about to book it, until I looked back to see Petiole walking.

Oh, FOR FUCKS SAKE!

I went behind him and rammed my head against his rear, pushing him forward. "Move, damn it!"

"It hurts to run."

"IT HURTS TO LIVE! SO MOVE!" I rammed my head against his rear again, but the contact with his metal armor was making my head hurt even more than it already did...

Still, he kept walking!

I could hear the buzzing and whirring of Vertibuck propellers getting closer. There were too many for us!

"C'mon, damn it!" I quickly got under him and lifted my back up, groaning behind clenched teeth as I forced him up off his hooves. He struggled a bit to get off, but I began running for the warehouse.

The others had just made it inside.

The Vertibucks were too close! There was no way we were going to make it!

Thanks for nothing, Petiole!

I looked to my left and quickly jumped into a bush, bringing the armored ghoul with me. It wasn't the most comfortable landing, but it was that or get shot down. I preferred the former over the latter.

With only seconds to spare, the Vertibucks flew overhead in a formation I had seen before.

Four of them stayed in the center, hauling a large metal crate by chains, while the others stayed around them in a circle formation.

Whatever was in there screamed and banged against the walls in desperate attempts to break out. At that moment, I knew just from the screams and roars alone, that it was the undying beast of Stable 32, back at the reactor.

"Enclave or Rangers?" Petiole asked.

I turned to him to see he was by my side, looking up through the leaves of the bush we hid inside. His LEDs were blue.

Turning back to the Vertibucks, I answered. "Does it matter?"

"No... I suppose not. Either way, we're royally fucked."

It was the Steel Rangers. I had high doubts the Enclave used that formation. They seemed too proud to use another faction's. At least, from what I heard of them. But it didn't matter if they were Rangers or Enclave. Petiole was right about one thing. We were royally fucked. If either side had gotten a hold of that thing and figured out how to turn it against us...

I shuddered at the thought and shook, closing my eyes as I hung my head down. "I imagine they're going back to the bunker..." I muttered, looking back at him.

"More than likely..."

Moments passed as we waited for the whirring of Vertibuck propellers to go quiet. We climbed out of the bush and looked at each other, before turning to the warehouse. The others didn't step out yet, so we began making our way over. They were probably already going through the valuables.

"Close call..." I said softly, glancing at him.

"Yep..."

"Petiole..." I sighed and hung my head down. My mane covered my eyes, so I looked back ahead and brushed it out of my sight. "You really need to move when I tell you to."

"I can't run, Charger. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."

"Well, can't you... you know... take something for the pain...?"

"It won't help any. Can't heal what's already dead. And while radiation restores parts of a ghoul, and may help me move faster, it doesn't help make them feel better. Enough radiation, and they'll turn feral. I'm trying to avoid that for as long as I can."

"Right..." I muttered, before turning to him. He looked back at me quietly. "Well, if we're ever in need of running, can you at least get on my back?"

He sighed before looking back at the building. We were a few steps away from the front entrance, which was left open for us. "I don't like it... but I suppose I don't have a choice. Alright, Charger. You got yourself a deal."

I nodded with a faint smile. "Thank you."

We stepped inside the building, and that's when I noticed red bars starting to appear around the area. Petiole noticed them too, as he was looking around, alarmed.

I spotted our team on the E.F.S., but there was no way of telling who was who, or what predicament they were in.

"Petiole..." I whispered, to which he glanced in my direction. "You take the left, I'll search the right for everyone else..."

He nodded, then began walking for the left side of the building, as instructed.

Quietly, I made my way along the right wall, keeping my rifle out in front of me; mouth around the grip.

The closest friendly I could see was on the other side of a wall of tall, wooden crates labeled 'CAUTION.'

Hopefully this one was Para...

"10-86." I called out in a whisper.

"What the hell? What's that mean...?" I heard Blaze call out in the same hushed tone I offered.

Okay, not Para...

I shook my head, keeping a close eye on my 6 and 12. "Forget it. Can you get out of there?"

"You tell me, Charger. You're the one with the E.F.S."

I looked around the area, and found a red blip passing by, over the blue. With it, came the sound of heavy footfalls, along with a few sniffs to the air.

"Smell puny pony fear." A deep voice said aloud on the other side.

Oh shit... Oh shit, oh shit, oh SHIIIT we were in hellhound territory! SHIT! That, or Diamond Dog... Either way, we were so dead! I've heard far too many horror stories of them from the other rangers, and that was enough for me to piss myself a little, just by hearing one personally!

The heavy footfalls started again, heading for the entrance that Petiole and I went through. "Want to hear pony hurt!" He started chuckling menacingly, sending a deep shiver up my spine.

I moved my head closer to the crate and whispered softly. "Just... stay there, Blaze... I'll... come to you..."

"Y-you better!" He hissed, sounding just as terrified as I felt. "Or I swear on Celestia's corpse, I'll make it my soul's purpose to haunt you to your last, dying breath!"

I stepped away from the crate and continued on my way, cautiously making my way down the makeshift corridor, with the warehouse wall to my right, and a wall of crates to my left.

There seemed to be a left turn at the far end.

Figured... Had to go through a damn maze filled with hellhounds... or Diamond Dogs... Cyberdogs... whatever they called themselves... Both were terrifying, but the former was pure nightmare fuel. Diamond Dogs were at least a little more manageable. A little...

I knew they dealt a lot with cybernetics, which made them very dangerous...

I really didn't want my limbs getting torn off...

I kept a close eye on my E.F.S. at the bottom of my peripherals, making sure there wasn't anything sneaking around the corner. I made frequent checks on my six.

As I started making my way around the corner of the wall to my left, I turned to look behind me once more, and found a red marker starting to head the way I came.

I paused and watched for a second, before I saw the front half of an 8 foot, fur covered beast walking on two hind legs step into view.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

I quickly jumped behind cover, my heart pounding heavily in my chest. I had just now realized this was a dead end! Fuck me!

I was having trouble breathing, and I couldn't control myself! Fuck, my heart! Hypventilating... can't...!

The heavy footfalls got louder as each second passed! Five beats of the heart between two steps! Ten... Fifteen! Fuck! I was so dead!

There was nowhere to hide! All I could do was count the seconds I had left! Count my frantic heartbeats!

Then something grabbed a hold of me from above.

"AGH, FUCK, NO!" I flailed; my rear hoof bursting with electricity. The heavy footfalls became more rapid, getting closer at an alarming rate!

"HA HA, PONY DEAD NOW!"

I looked up to see Thunderwing desperately trying to keep a firm hold of me. At once, I calmed down in her arms, and she lifted me up onto the tall crate that had made the dead end, and therefore, would have been the death of me. I started to stand up, but she forced a hoof down on my back, keeping me on my stomach. She lied there beside me, putting a pinion to her lips as she regarded me.

The heavy stomps of the hellhound stopped right next to the crate we were hiding atop of, and the beast growled.

"Smell ponies... Hear ponies... No see ponies... Where they go...?" He grumbled in annoyance at this horrible, deadly, not-so-very fun game of hide n' seek.

At least, Tuner would call it a game. I didn't think of it like that! Survival wasn't a game, damn it!

Thunder kept her eyes locked with mine, and when I tried to turn my head to look down at the monster, she put a hoof over me, keeping my head from turning, and keeping my eyes locked with hers. She gently shook her head in response and mouthed the word 'no.'

The beast's footsteps receded back down the hallway, and she let out a small breath.

"Glad to see you made it without getting ripped in half..." She muttered.

"We need to get the others. It's only a matter of time until they find our friends..."

"Noted." She said with a firm nod. "We need to play it safe, though. Where's Petiole?"

"Looking for the others. On the left side of the building."

She clenched her teeth for a second, but I quickly spoke again.

"So long as he stays hidden, he should be okay..."

"I hope for his sake, you're right... Ghouls have a pretty strong scent. Stronger than the living..."

Shit... Why didn't I think of that? I mean... I didn't smell anything on him since he got inside that suit of armor, and he's kept it on this entire time... Maybe the armor was preventing his decayed scent to escape?

I stayed optimistic about his well-being. "I think he'll be okay."

"Alright..." She glanced around the warehouse, before turning to me once more. "I can't find any of the others. Not without you. Serves me right for not having a Pipbuck..." She muttered, glancing at the metal bracelet on my forehoof. "Did you manage to find anyone?"

"Blaze, but that's about it. I didn't contact the others yet, but I have them on my E.F.S."

"Good. We need to gather them up and evacuate asap."

"Couldn't agree more. Let's start with Blaze."

"On it." She nodded. "Lead the way."

I started to carefully crawl forward along the top of the crates, heading towards where I heard Blaze. His blip was still there, so that meant he was still alive. But with the hellhounds snooping around, this was going to prove difficult without getting seen...

We stopped where his blip was, and I poked my head out, checking our surroundings, before looking down at him, curled up in a ball behind a smaller crate, shaking.

"10-86." I whispered, to which he looked up at me; his eyes widened in fear.

Thunderwing poked her head out next, and he looked a little more relieved than when it was only me.

"We'll get you out of there..." She whispered softly.

Then, before any of us could begin the extraction, a set of large, jagged claws wrapped around my form.

"GOTCHA!"

"SHIT!" I bit down on the grip as my body was pulled off the top of the crates.

Thunderwing quickly grabbed a hold of me, but it wasn't helping much. The hellhound was stronger, and would only take the two of us, unless she let go. Electricity was coursing through my hoof as my heart pounded in fear. I could see a lot of reds moving around more frantically. Oh, I was so fucked!

"GO!" I shouted behind the grip, pushing Thunder back. She lost her grip, and my body slammed against the floor, stomach first.

I felt the weight of the hellhound push down on my back with a foot as it started to pull my forehooves in opposite directions. I could hear and feel them popping out of their sockets, causing me to bite down on the grip in agony; therefore wasting ammo.

That wasn't important right now, though! As my arms were being torn from my body, I could feel my ribs starting to cave in on my internal organs!

I screamed and cried out as loud as my flooded voice and collapsing lungs allowed me. I flailed my rear hoof around to try and strike some part of the monster atop me so I had a chance of escaping, but it was to no avail. I had no chance.

"PUNY PONY CRY TOO MUCH!" He shouted with a dry, heavy chuckle as he applied more pressure to my back. My E.F.S. display flickered out of existence, and both my forearms were ripped off entirely, dropped on both sides of me. I couldn't bear to look... I didn't need to in order to know what had happened...

I heard and felt the cracking of bones, and suddenly, the taste of... something else... filling my mouth. Not iron...

This was cold and bitter.

The corners of my vision grew darker, closing in for the center. Sound was turning to silence, and I was finding it difficult to stay awake...

It seemed that lately... my life rested on ticking hands...

Time was a real son of a bitch...

Now it was time to sleep...

I heard the muffled shouts of my friends, followed by a barrage of gunfire, as I gradually went blind and deaf. My vision blurred as it got darker, until there was nothing left to see. At that point, there was nothing left to hear, either.

And then there was nothing left to feel...

"Hey there, son. You alright?"

I heard a familiar voice as I lied on a cold, wet surface. I could sense a light above me through my closed eyelids, and my armor seemed to be missing, as I felt the gentle shower of rain against my body. The night air was filled with pollution, and in the distance, I could hear traffic.

I opened my eyes to see a set of green hooves standing before me, along with the sleeves of a worn, brown leather jacket.

I looked up to see an earth pony buck with a disheveled brown mane standing before me with a scruffy beard, giving me a weird look behind dark blue, tired eyes. Dirt covered his features, along with his clothes, and I noticed a tin cup at his side, sitting on the ground.

"Wh... where am I...?" I asked, looking up at the dark skies. There was no moon, nor were there any stars. Only clouds and smoke stacks from power plants.

"Well, ya gone and wound up in Manehatten, chump." He held out a hoof, and I grabbed a hold of it. He helped me up, and I continued look around.

"Where are my friends? How did I get here?"

"Ah, well that's just it, init?" He gave me a kooky look as he continued. "Yer not s'posed to be here. None of us are. It all lies fabricated by the government. Nopony believes me, but you know it all an illusion, son. I tell ya... Pinkie knows somethin', but her and her hoity toity 'Ministry o' Morale' are coverin' it all up. I tellin' ya, they in on it! But do they keep the ponies of Equestria up ta date? No! No. They. Don't!"

That voice...

One... This was One, from the battery. One. The bum on the streets of Manehatten.

And now I was in Manehatten, talking to him...

"What's... what's your name?" I asked, doing my best to ignore the stench beaming off him. I think he went a few... months... without a shower. Or in this case, two centuries.

"I..." He paused, then slouched. "Them vermin took it from me..." He muttered, sitting down on the wet pavement with his bare flank. "They took mah name... Mah life... They dug in deep, and they done did stole it all... I know it was them... Always askin' questions... Always demandin' answers..." He put his hooves over his ears and closed his eyes tight. "GET OUTTA MAH HEAD!"

I backed up a few steps, only to bump into...

Oh my...

A dragoness about the same size as Tezu stood there, glaring me down.

"Watch where you're goin', ya clumsy shit!"

I continued to stare in awe at her dark red, shimmering spikes and her razor sharp claws... those teeth...

"What, you retarded or somethin'? I said MOVE!" She stepped forward, bumping into me hard.

"A-actually, you didn't." I stated. "You said to watch where I was going. That's not exactly telling me to move."

She paused, regarding me in surprise, before chuckling softly. "Okay, you know what...?" With that, she picked me up off the ground and tossed me to the side. I landed in a puddle in the street, groaning in discomfort as I struggled to get up.

"That was just a warning!" She shouted. "Next time, I shed blood!" She shouted as she continued on her way, ignoring One.

The bum seemed to avert his eyes from her as she passed, and he got into fetal position, rocking back and forth; muttering to himself.

I stood up and shook my coat, slowly making my way back to the sidewalk.

"Ah, damn it..." Another familiar voice said as a pegasus in an aviators jacket trotted up to me. He had a set of aviators tucked in one of the chest pockets. His dark grey mane was well groomed, as was his blue coat and wings. His eyes were that of emeralds. "I'm sorry about that, kid. She's kinda a bitch."

"Yeah, well Tuner warned me about Six..." I muttered.

He smiled faintly and patted me on the shoulder. "I think it's time we went to go meet him."

"Tuner?"

"Yep."

"Well, where is he...?"

The obvious Vertibuck pilot pointed to the door next to us, to which they opened, revealing a dance floor... with no dancers.

Regardless, club music was playing within. It had a DJ PON3 feel to it. I had managed to get a few of the rangers to try and find some of her work, back from the prewar times, after they introduced me to one of her records that they found lying around.

It had a pretty nice tune to it, and I had only heard a few seconds of it so far. It started with a distorted, echoed voice of a mare.

The pilot started to make his way forward, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked over to see One standing close to me.

"Watch your back, Charger... Not everything is as it seems..."

"Hey, you comin'?" Two asked, looking back at me with a smile that... gah, fuck, he was good lookin'...

I heard the tin cup rattle, and I looked back at One to catch him shaking it in front of me. "Spare a bit, sir?"

"S-sorry... I don't... have... any..."

He nodded with a sad, tired look in his eyes. "Goddess bless you, sir..." And with that, he turned around and started rattling the can at the... streetlight...?

... Okay then.

I turned back to Two and followed him inside. The doors closed behind us, as if they had a will of their own.

Ooo, I

I know you better, I know you better than her

Inside

Under the cover, I know you better than her

Ooo, I

I know you better, I know you better than her

Inside

Under the cover, I know you better than her

You wanna run around, then tell me now

Tell me now

Cause I need to believe that this is solid ground

Solid ground

You wanna run around, then tell me now

Tell me now

Cause I need to believe that this is solid ground

Solid ground

The song started to build up, until a loud, scratchy bass started blasting. Lights of various colors flickered and moved around the dance floor with the beat of the song. On the other side, against the wall, was a DJ booth, but I was blinded by too much light to really see anyone behind it.

Even though there weren't any ponies dancing here, I noticed a few sitting around at the bar, or at a table.

One of them that peaked my interest with appearance alone had a white body, and instead of hooves, they seemed to have spikes, almost like the legs of a spider. Their limbs seemed to have extra joints that ponies didn't.

Spines ran up and down their back, and their eyes were pitch black. I noticed their eyelids closed from the sides, instead of the top and bottom.

It looked at me with a blank expression, and that's when I noticed... it didn't have a mouth! There was nothing there! Not even nostrils! How was it breathing!? What the hell was that thing!?

I quickly averted my eyes from the horrorshow and followed Two across the dance floor, past all the flashing lights.

From there, I noticed a husky male earth pony at the bar counter, serving drinks - grudgingly, I might add - and Happy sitting at a bar stool, sucking on a candy cane after dipping it in a glass of Wild Pegasus whiskey.

He wore an overcoat, just like in the wanted posters.

He turned to me and grinned, raising his glass to me.

I looked the other way, doing what I could to ignore him. I didn't want to associate myself with that psychopath...

We stepped up to the DJ booth at the wall, and Two shouted over the music.

"Hey, we got a guest here!"

A purple unicorn with yellow eyes poked his head over the DJ equipment and raised a brow. "Well, this is certainly a surprise!" He adjusted a few knobs and dials on his set up, before stepping off stage, looking me over. He had red, a darker shade of purple, and blue for three stripes in his black mane and tail. His bangs hung over the top of his eyes. He had several glowing bracelets of various colors wrapped around all his hooves, save for his right rear. "Fuck, you're even hotter in person!"

I rolled my eyes, but honestly... he was pretty nice looking, too. Okay, so two attractive ponies in... wherever I was... Oof, choices...

Tuner smiled to the pilot. "Thanks for bringing him to me, Two."

"Don't mention it, Tuner." He smiled and turned around, heading toward the weird creature that stood in the corner awkwardly, watching people carefully. It backed up a little once it noticed him coming closer, and he raised a hoof halfway, trying to reassure the strange entity that everything was okay. It seemed to calm down a little, and he continued to approach.

Tuner put a hoof on my shoulder, and I looked back at him to see a smile that was already melting my heart...

"Let's grab a drink, you and I." He said softly as he inched closer to my muzzle. He waited at the perfect time to say that, as the music had gotten a little quieter at that time, before picking up again.

I nodded, and together, we walked side by side, toward the bar. I noticed Tuner swaying his hips a little, rubbing his flank against mine...

Ahh, okay...

He laughed at my blush, but I couldn't help but smile a little. He was definitely a teaser...

"Four!" He called out, taking a seat at the bar.

Happy kept his eyes on me as he grinned away, but I did well to ignore it.

Four looked over, scowling at him as he washed a glass.

"Set us up with two whiskeys! Top shelf! This is a special occasion!"

The dark red buck grumbled to himself as he turned around, setting up our drinks.

"Are we in the battery...?" I asked, looking around at the other ponies around us.

Tuner nodded with a faint smile. "'Fraid so. I apologize for the confusion of this place. But... you're not supposed to be here."

"I know..." I muttered, hanging my head down. I didn't know why I was here, but I knew I was supposed to be...

The grouchy bartender set down two glasses of whiskey before us, glaring at me and Tuner. "50 bits."

"50 bits!?" I blurted. "I don't have 50 bits! That's outrageous!"

"Don't have 50 bits?" He said with clenched teeth. "Don't have whiskey, either." With that, he took my glass away.

"Ah, come on, Four." Tuner started with a grin, resting his elbows on the surface of the counter while his head rested in his folded forehooves. "Don't be such a party pooper. We both know that money here is meaningless. Hell, this isn't even your bar."

"Fuck you." He hissed, glaring at the DJ. "I hate you both."

"Well, at least the feeling's mutual, love." Tuner replied, blowing him a kiss.

Four recoiled, sneering in disgust. "Homo..." He muttered, leaving to another section behind the bar, trying to ignore everyone.

Tuner levitated the glass back to me. "Bottoms up, sailor." He said with his endearing grin.

We both raised our glasses, clinked, and drank.

"Ah, fuck..." I shuddered, as did Tuner. He slapped his forehoof against the counter a few times as he shook his head.

"Hoo! That hit the spot. Kicks like a horse." He chuckled, then looked me over, smiling, before his magic reached over the counter, grabbing the bottle of Wild Pegasus. He began pouring us both a drink.

"I wish I could obliterate your souls." Four said, glaring at us from afar. "That goes for everyone here. Especially Seven."

Tuner set the bottle down after filling our drinks a quarter full as he grinned back at Four with a teasing look in his eyes. "I really wish your words would turn into ice cubes, so I could fill my drink."

Four grimaced as he turned away once more.

Well played, Tuner...

I smacked my numb lips a few times and smiled at him as I laughed softly. I still had questions, though. I didn't want to spend my time here drinking.

"So... if we're in the battery... then why does it look like Manehatten?"

"Ah, yeah..." Tuner gave a brief nod. "Interesting thing about that... The setting is always changing after a few hours."

"The setting changes?" I raised a brow.

"Mhm." He nodded. "We don't really get a say in the matter. And it's random each time. There's no real pattern. Something I've gathered over the years is that each setting is based off another person's memory, here in the battery. But the memories of people don't really stay with the memories of the setting, for some reason..." He shrugged, then slouched as he rested his hooves on the counter, looking down at his drink. "The Manehatten you saw? That was One's memory. This place? A memory of mine, back when I actually had a body... Saddle. Got a gig to play at a club for a week."

"Wait..." I froze. "But if I was just in Manehatten, and suddenly ended up in a club clear on the other side of Equestria..."

Tuner glanced over with a smirk, before taking a deep breath. "Sometimes memories will get mixed up with each other."

"... And so, for two centuries, you've been living through each others memories...?"

He nodded, looking somber. "Unfortunately. Some memories are good, like this one. Others... not." He closed his eyes and took another deep, shuddering breath. "Sorry... Sorry..." He patted me on the shoulder and straightened up, before downing his entire glass. He shook a bit, then coughed. "Agh... H-hey, let's get out of here." He stood up and stretched his limbs.

"And go where?" I raised a brow before finishing off my drink.

I felt two hooves hug me from behind, meeting at my chest... There was a light nibble at my ear, before he whispered.

"Well, I have a room reserved for me upstairs... Let's start there..."

"So, what was that music playing downstairs?" I asked as we made our way through the halls. The second floor and above seemed to just be doors to apartments. Kinda weird, for a night club...

"Ah." Tuner grinned. "DJ PON3. Wonderful artist, wouldn't ya say?"

Ha! I knew it was PON3!

"Yeah, he's pretty great." Tuner continued, and my smile faded to confusion.

He? Wait... I thought PON3 was a mare...

"Don't you mean she?"

Tuner chuckled. "I think we're talking about different PON3's. You don't know of this one. This one's... let's put it... interdimensional." He raised a hoof halfway as we walked, tilting it side to side a little.

"Oh..." I shrugged. "Well, that was a really good song back there."

"Hell yeah, it is." Tuner replied as he levitated a key out from his mane.

We stopped at a door to our left, which read '32.'

I wasn't too comfortable with that...

Last time I went through a door labeled 32, I got my gut torn through by a buzzsaw, got my rear hoof broken, along with a messed up back, then shortly after that, got it cut off by a tentacle, before getting orally raped by more tentacles that belonged to something of nightmares!

So... yeah... I wasn't too comfortable with this door and the number that accompanied it...

Tuner unlocked the door to his unit and pushed it open, flicking on a light with his magic. He stepped in after, tucking the key back into his mane and flicking his tail at me, before his flank disappeared behind the wall.

I peeked my head in after taking a deep breath, only to find a normal room. There was some more DJ equipment in the corner, along with a black, electric guitar in the shape of an Anarchy symbol. A unique design, for sure...

The other side of the room had a bed big enough for the company of two.

The closet was filled with fancy clothing, and beside it, a radio.

Tuner raised up on his hind legs, spun around to face me, then leaned back, collapsing on his bed with his arms spread out. His body bounced a little from the springs, and he sighed happily.

"Sooo..." I paused, looking around as I slowly stepped in further, closing the door behind me with a rear hoof. Hey, wait... I didn't have a metal hoof! It was natural again! "This is your place?"

He kept himself up halfway, using his forearms as leverage against the mattress so he could look at me.

"Do you like it?"

"I... actually do." I smiled faintly. "It's very clean here. And the oxygen feels... fresh."

He chuckled softly and sat up straight for a few seconds, before getting up and moving to the radio.

"What do you remember last, before coming here?" He asked, turning the device on.

I paused, thinking about what had happened to me, prior to my arrival here.

Wait... Oh... Fuck... I... I died... didn't I...?

"My... ribs got crushed, and I think my organs failed..." I shuddered, sitting on my haunches as I hugged myself close to make sure my forearms were still attached. "My arms got torn off!"

He looked back at me with a dropped jaw. He closed it again, then closed his eyes for a few quiet seconds. Eventually, he opened them again with a disturbed look.

"Oh man... Yeah, that hellhound sure squeezed you out like a tube of toothpaste... I'm sorry, Charger..." He turned around to face me directly, moved in close, and wrapped a comforting hoof around the back of my neck. He nuzzled my cheek, to which I closed my eyes to his touch.

He may have messed up a few times in the past, what with possessing Para... but... I didn't think that Tuner was all that bad. He seemed to care, deep down... I... felt safe here... With him.

A soft tune started to play on the radio, before a steady beat began. I opened my eyes, and shortly after, Tuner moved his head back a little. His hoof stayed glued to the back of my neck though, and his muzzle softly pressed against mine.

I felt myself blushing as we gazed longingly into each other's eyes.

It was late in December, the sky turned to snow

All around the day, was it going down slow

Night like a river, beginning to flow

I felt the beat of my mind go drifting

With these time passages

Years go falling in the fading light

Time passages

Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

"Another good song, so far..." I said softly, to which Tuner giggled.

"Definitely."

"Interdimensional?"

"You know it."

I chuckled softly and put my hoof around the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, and before I knew it, his lips were pressed to mine.

I closed mine shortly after, pressing into him a little.

It lasted for a few seconds, before he broke the kiss, smiling at me.

"I've waited to do that for far too long..." Tuner said softly, before backing up a little. He started dancing softly to the beat of the song, circling me as he did. Shortly following that, he began lip singing with the song as he kept his eyes locked on me.

Well, I'm not the kind to live in the past

The years run too short, and the days too fast

The things you lean on, the things that don't last

Well, it's just now and then, my line gets cast

Into these time passages

There's something back there that you left behind

Oh, time passages

Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Tuner stopped before as a saxophone started to play, and smiled as he continued with the lip singing shortly after.

Hear the echoes

And feel yourself starting to turn

Don't know why you should feel there's something to learn

Tuner put a hoof under my chin as he inched closer to my muzzle, looking deep into my eyes again.

It's just a game that you play...

He went back to dancing to the music. I couldn't help myself. I joined in. I wasn't the best dancer, seeing as I never bothered trying. But this was fun! A little embarrassing, but fuck... I may have been dead now, but I was going to live in the moment.

For a while, the saxophone resumed as Tuner and I danced around each other, smiling and giggling at our dorkiness. He managed to keep up with the lip movement, all the same.

Well, the picture is changing

Now you're part of a crowd

They're laughing at something, and the music's loud

A girl comes towards you, you once used to know

You reach out your hoof, but you're all alone

And those time passages

I know you're in there, you're just out of sight

Oh, time passages

Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight

Even for slow dancing, I was still a wreck, but Tuner didn't seem to mind it. He seemed to be enjoying his time with me, actually. I know I was.

As the saxophone came back into play, he quickly stopped dancing, slid closer to me, and before I could process what was happening, we fell into another kiss; this one deeper and more passionate than the first.

We held each other close as his tongue met with mine. Like the first time, I pushed in a little, and he laughed softly behind our intimacy.

His chest pressed against mine as he started getting more into it, and as the song started to end, he navigated me to the bed. I sat down on the soft, cloud-like mattress, and immediately, he broke the kiss, only to make contact with my neck.

His teeth sank into the flesh and muscle of my neck, and even though it hurt a little, that's how I preferred it. Otherwise it was too timid and boring. He knew my weaknesses, apparently...

He broke contact with my neck, leaving a spot of saliva there as he went for my shoulder; biting down on a tender muscle.

I let out a soft moan as my eyelids fluttered closed. My hooves wrapped around his body, to which he caressed my chest and stomach.

I was a switch, so being dominated wasn't really a problem for me. It seemed like lately, I've been more on the submissive side, anyways.

I was already excited before he even started with the neck biting, but now it was getting unbearable...

After he had finished giving oral services - and shared some of the reward mouth to mouth with me, no less - we were snuggled up together on his bed. His ear was pressed against my chest as I looked up at the ceiling, smoking a cig. Hot damn, was he good with his tongue...

I felt his hoof on my chest as he murred softly. I looked down to see his eyes were closed as he smiled. Obviously, he felt good. I felt great.

Everything was peaceful. This was what being dead was like? Peaceful? Bliss?

If that was the case, then I didn't want to wake up. This was where I wanted to be for all eternity. No Everafter. No Hell, or Tartarus, or whatever. Just... here. In the battery. Snuggled up with Tuner in a memory of his apartment.

Though, according to him, the scenery was changing once every few hours or so. To other memories that other trapped souls held.

That could have been a problem. Especially with Happy and Four in here with us.

... And me...

"Mm..." Tuner moaned under his breath as he looked up at me with his soft, endearing smile. "You okay?"

I looked down at him for a few seconds, took my cig away, blew some smoke away from him, then kissed him gently. Only after, did I answer.

"I'm perfect..."

Tuner giggled, looked up at my forehead, and poked it with a hoof. Or... something on my forehead. What the hell...?

Something hard... rigid... something... a part of me...

I put my hoof over where he prodded, but I still couldn't believe what I was feeling...

No... This... this wasn't possible!

"I'm a unicorn...?" I asked, trying to look up at the horn that was evidently on my head. Still, I couldn't see it. It was out of view. But it was most definitely there... I could feel it... "H-how is this possible?" I asked in alarm, sitting up. Tuner moved away and watched me silently, still lying down on his side. I gave him a long, silent look before pointing a hoof at him, clenching my teeth. "Did you know about this all along...?"

He nodded somberly, and his smile faded. "I'm sorry, Charger... I truly didn't want to keep it from you as long as I did, but... well... it's just a rule of the game." He sat up straight to get on my level.

"Game?" I glared. It was a surprise I wasn't hearing electricity crackling from my hoof... "My life..." I froze, remembering I was dead now. "... My... past... THING..." I waved my hooves over my head, not sure of what to call this. Afterlife...? Some form of Purgatory or Limbo? "It's. Not. A. GAME!"

He sighed and shook his head. "Said it before. I'll say it again. Yes. It is. But some games aren't as fun as others."

I gritted my teeth at his response, ready to beat him bloody. He slouched.

"What else do you know about me? How come I don't have a horn in the real world?"

He shook his head again. "I can't tell you. Even if I could, I wouldn't. Life is often easier to live with eyes closed."

...

"You have something to do with White Noise, don't you...?" I narrowed my eyes at him, now suspicious.

"Hardly." He stood up with a blank expression and opened his closet door. There was a glow from within as his horn lit up, and out came a bottle of Wild Pegasus, and two glasses. "I need a drink... Want one?"

"I WANT ANSWERS!" I shouted.

"Well, I'm sorry, Charger. But you're not getting them from me." He looked back with a serious tone of voice.

"You have no right!" My voice began to wobble as my eyes burnt.

"I have every right. I know it might not seem fair, but it really is for the best. You'll find out in your own time, someday. But it won't be from me... It's just not meant to be." He began to pour himself a drink, swirled the contents around in his glass a bit, then drank it all in one go. "Hoo... Man... Hooman... Humaaaan." He chuckled and poured himself another glass. "Hey, you wanna see something cool?" He grinned, looking back at me, but I really wasn't in the mood for this crap... I was being toyed with... Just like I had been me entire miserable existence!

"No..." I inhaled deeply as I stared him down. "Not really..."

"Ah, come on. Trust me, you'll love it." With that, his horn lit up, and a screen flashed before us, showing Destrier, Rivet, Blaze, and I holding the line at the checkpoint, a few days ago. A heavy guitar shredded in the background as we did what we could to keep the ghouls at bay.

... Okay, that was pretty badass...

But I was still really upset with him...

I was upset with a lot of things.

Bristle, Firebright, and CrimsonThunder... Petiole... Tuner... Happy... Four... Fester... Rivet... White Noise...

..... Myself...

My past...

Even if I found out the truth, what could I do...?

What could I do...?

I couldn't get justice for whatever happened... I couldn't give Crimson what he deserved... for what he did to my mother...

I couldn't do anything about my horn missing, back in the real world...

Everyone was going to get away with what they did to me...

All I'd be able to do is sit here in the battery, forever thinking about whatever the truth was, assuming I'd ever get it...

All I could do was sit in the memory of others, and if I was lucky, drink my problems away.

I was dead now. My soul was trapped.

I may as well have had a drink...

"Pour me a glass..." I muttered, waving a hoof at him and looking away.

He nodded, and the screen vanished, along with the music. He started pouring me a glass, then levitated it over to me. I took it with my hooves, despite me having a horn now. I didn't know how to use it just yet...

He filled my drink to the brim, however. I looked up at him with a raised brow.

"Why?"

He grinned and shrugged. "Why not? Sounds like you need it more than I."

Well... he wasn't wrong...

I started off with a few large gulps, before my throat said 'enough.'

He snorted and sat down beside me as I coughed, doing my best to keep my mouth closed so that I didn't spill any of the alcohol that remained in my mouth.

Before too long, I managed to get a hold of my gag reflexes and swallow the happy sleepy juice, before lying on my back and relaxing. I traced the tip of my hoof around my horn as I stared up at the ceiling with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry about that, Charger." Tuner said softly, brushing the mane out of my eyes as he looked down at me. "I hope you know that..."

"Yeah..." I muttered. "I'll live... or... not, I guess... Dead now."

"That makes the two of us..." Tuner replied. "Nine of us, or whatever..." He smiled faintly, before sighing and looking up at the ceiling.

There was a light knock at the door, and I sat up with curiosity on my mind.

Tuner's smile grew a little, and he called out. "Enter!"

A pegasus filly with a darker shade of teal for a coat opened the door. Her lively eyes were a dark grey, and her bedhead mane, a midnight purple.

"Hey!" She said as she trotted in, looking up at me specifically. "It's great to finally meet you, sir!"

"Uh..." I smiled awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you... too?"

Tuner chuckled. "Charger, meet Seven. Otherwise known as Midnight Sky." He paused and whispered softly in my ear. "The only other soul trapped in here apart from you, me, and Happy that actually remember our names. Everyone else seems to have forgotten theirs when they got in here... No thanks to One..."

I flicked my ear against his muzzle, and he backed away, scrunching his face up.

Midnight giggled at his reaction. "You're silly."

Tuner chuckled softly and stood up, making his way across the room. "Yeah..." With that, he started to dig into his closet. The filly turned back to me with a certain light in her eyes...

What I didn't expect was for her to hug me tight. Her muzzle buried into the coat of my chest. I tensed up at the random contact.

Tuner was still minding his own business.

A few seconds after, she spoke.

"I like what you did for Fluky..."

Tuner looked back at us and froze, watching, as a bag of candy canes floated beside him, enveloped in the purple aura of his magic.

Something began pulling at me. Some invisible force... Pulling me... out. Somewhere... And even though I wasn't moving, I could feel myself start to slip.

Slip into another reality...

What awaited me?

The Everafter? Hell?

Another Limbo?

"It's not your time..." She whispered, before speaking up. "Tell Fluky about me." She said softly with a faint smile. "I could use another friend." Her smile widened a little.

Tuner's eyes went wide, and he started to rush forward; the bag of candy dropping to the floor.

"Midnight, no, wai-!"

Everything changed.

That sweet, fresh air was quickly replaced by the burning forests and flesh. The air, hot and heavy on the lungs, which gasped for even a gulp as my eyes shot wide open, staring up at the sickly sky that the sun fought in desperate attempts to get through; making it even uglier, as it's orange haze mixed with the fog. The idea sounded pretty, but it wasn't...

It was as if all the pegasi had vomited all at once, and it was caught up in the clouds, unable to seep through and rain down on us.

Flakes of ash snowed down on my body as I lied there on my aching back. My chest moved up and down as I fought to get oxygen back. That foul taste before I died filled my mouth...

I was back...

Somehow, I was still alive...

Right... cause me dying the way I should have would have been far too merciful for a monster like me...

I rubbed my head, only to find that I was an earth pony. The horn was gone...

I sat up to find myself in the middle of a forest, behind a familiar bush that I had jumped in not too long ago with Petiole. Turning around, I saw the warehouse I had 'died' in.

I had been stripped of all my armor and gear, and my body was covered head to hoof in black stains. I may have been covered in... whatever this stuff was... but I wasn't finding any blood, or injuries, for that matter. My arms and back hurt like hell, though. But... no wounds...

And weren't my arms ripped off...? Why where they back?

Way too many questions were running through my head in such short notice, and none were getting answered...

I heard faint chatter in the distance, back the way we came from before the warehouse incident.

I stood up on all fours, groaning to myself as my bones cracked and popped, as if I had been lying still for centuries. Nothing was broken, oddly enough. And the E.F.S. was back in my vision.

I brushed the mane out of my eyes and started forward quietly.

About half a minute or so in, I had spotted the group that I was traveling with. There was Hap... Para, Fluky, and Petiole, along with Thunderwing and her group. One of Destrier's guns seemed to to be torn off his armor, and Tezu's right wing was missing. All that remained was a bandaged stump, much like Para's. He was lying down, keeping his eyes closed. Blaze sat beside him, holding him close worriedly.

And there was my gear. Laid strewn about. The back of the armor seemed a bit caved in, judging from what I was seeing of it from here.

Thunderwing glanced over for a brief second, then froze upon seeing me; her jaw dropped.

But only for a second.

The next, her guns were on me, as were Destrier's. The rest just stared silently.

Not Petiole, though.

He stepped in the way.

"Don't." He said calmly, his LED flashing blue.

"Get the fuck out of the way!"

Para threw a pebble, but she did well to ignore it.

"It's Charger." Petiole continued.

"Like hell it is!" Another pebble, and she gave him her murderous gaze. "Para, I swear, if you do that one more time!"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked softly, looking around at the group before me.

Destrier glanced at his leader, then back at me, saying nothing.

"Thunder..." Blaze spoke softly as he stood up. "It's Charger. I get that you're freaked out..."

"Freaked out!?" She scoffed. "You have no idea what happened the last time I encountered one of them! I swore that it would be the last time, though!" She quickly flapped her wings, jumped over Petiole, and came at me.

I didn't fight back.

I didn't run.

I stood there...

I was quickly slammed into the ground. The pain in my back flared up, but I didn't acknowledge it.

I opened my eyes to look down the other end of her laser rifles, ready to disintegrate me.

I wasn't scared.

I wasn't defensive.

I was accepting...

I looked past the barrels, into her murderous eyes, feeling a numbing calm grow inside me.

I didn't yell.

I didn't plea for my life.

I whispered...

"Do it... please..."

My life felt like a lie. I had discovered something about me in the battery. Something I had not once suspected, despite the more recent hints getting thrown in my face. The Pipbuck even told me I was a unicorn, but I shrugged it off as a system error.

Not to mention the severe migraines that I was always getting.

I was a unicorn at one point. I had to have been.

My life was a lie, and I wanted it to be over. I had enough.

Thunderwing stared me down for the longest time, but I continued to look up at her, feeling numb.

I didn't glare.

I didn't weep.

I stared silently...

I wasn't gonna go to the place that was the best, for sure. I was a monster. But anywhere was better than living here.

She sighed, closing her eyes and lowering her guard as she backed off of me. I sat up, and she turned her back to me.

"Why didn't you shoot?" I asked quietly, looking at her.

She glanced over her shoulder, then hung her head down. "Cause... I still think of you as my friend... If that really is you in there, Charger... then that means my friend is. I don't want to lose him if I don't have to..." She moved over to my armor and slid it over to me. "We'll move out when you're ready..." With that, she and her team moved for the warehouse. Perhaps it had been cleared?

As she passed by, she muttered. "Blood isn't supposed to be black..."

My group started to approach me, and Para smiled. "Did ya sleep well?"

I murmured under my breath, not really saying anything. Just... mumbling, I guess. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to breathe. I didn't want to feel my heart beating. I wanted it all to stop.

I wanted to die.

There was too much about myself that I didn't even know... A whole new side to this shitty life I've been living.

I was... so very tired...

"Come, Para..." Petiole said softly, stopping beside him and Fluky. "Let's give him some privacy..." His LEDs went green.

"Awww, but Charmer just woke up! I missed him!"

Para was more right than he realized. I had woken up. For the first time in my life, my eyes were opening. REALLY opening, and I was seeing more. I didn't have the full picture yet, but I was going to get it...

My mother... My missing horn that I never even knew I really had to begin with... My birthright was taken from me, and I was tired of the constant bullshit that those fucking rangers put me through...

Mutilated, raped, defiled... The one pony in that bunker that made me truly happy was taken from me... and I had enough. I thought I couldn't take it anymore. And I couldn't. But with this new knowledge, my heart found a new way to shatter. When I thought it wasn't possible anymore... When I thought there was no way it could shatter anymore than it already had...

I was left more broken than I had ever been in my entire life...

"Now, Para." Petiole said in a strict tone as his LEDs flashed blue again. He coughed a little from the strain to his voice.

Para pouted, and his ears wilted as he walked away. Fluky went with, but not before patting me on the head gently.

Petiole started to leave, but I placed a hoof on his shoulder. He stopped and looked down at me, his LED remaining blue.

"Stay... please..."

He looked over at the warehouse for a while, before moving closer to me. "What's wrong?" He asked calmly.

Everything...

Everything was wrong... and there was nothing I could do to fix it...

I waited.

Waited for everyone to get in the warehouse.

Waited for them to leave our sight.

Moments passed, and throughout that short amount of time, tears were fighting their way through. My eyes burned, and I closed them tight as I quickly wrapped my hooves around my friend.

He recoiled a moment, but then relaxed a little. He put a hoof around my form as my shoulders bounced up and down between the now uncontrollable breakdown. Tears washed down my face as I held him tight, and my breathing became labored.

"Breathe, breathe..." He whispered in my ear, nuzzling it gently. "Let it out..."

Snot smeared on his Tungstian-clad chest as I pressed my muzzle against him.

"I... I-I... I..."

"Shhh..." He gently petted the back of my head and pressed me against his chest as I sat there, bawling my eyes out before him like a foal that had their toy taken away.

"I-it's not fair..." I spoke between hyperventilated sobs. "Why is... Why is this happening to me? Why... me...?"

Petiole didn't answer. He didn't move. Just stood there as I broke down against his chest, leaning further into it.

Then, after a long moment, his LEDs flashed red. He let go and backed up. I reached my hooves out for him to stay, desperate for his affection... I needed him...

"Why you?" He asked. "Why. You?" He started to sound irritated with me... "Do not give me that self pity, entitlement crap. You're nobody special to the wasteland, Charger. Only another victim to its insatiable greed. You think you're the only one suffering? Newsflash... You're not. Everyone is going through their own shit."

I reached out a hoof, but he knocked it away with his, before continuing.

"I spent over 200 years in both physical and emotional trauma, all while trying to find a cure to save my wife. I blew her up less than a week ago. You don't hear me complaining about it. And you ask 'why me?' You don't get to ask that. If you think the wasteland is going to make an exception for you and treat you well, then you have another thing coming. Because that's life. And life is a sadistic. Fickle. Bitch. So... Why YOU? Why NOT you?" He raised his voice to a level I didn't think he could manage without coughing, and I could hear him struggling with himself to keep talking. "You aren't special or important to the wasteland. You have to suffer to belong, just like everyone else. If you can't handle that, then do us all a favor, spare us the drama, and drop dead. Again."

"Peti-" I scooted closer, still crying, but he pushed me back. I lied there on my back, looking up at the sky as he went on.

"No. You're the leader of this little group. I don't know what has you like this, but it's time you get your head back in the game and keep going." He turned and started to walk to the warehouse, muttering to himself. "Why you..."

I was back from the dead.

I didn't want to be. I wanted to be stuck in the battery with the others...

But fate... Fate had others plans... It wasn't ready to take me...

If I wasn't allowed to die, then that meant I had something I needed to do.

My life was a game; some colossal joke to a higher being. We were all just pieces of a board game to something else. We either played the game, or we got off the board.

My piece was stubborn...

My resurrection told me there was more that needed to be done. That my time wasn't over yet.

I sat up and started slipping back into my armor. It was severely damaged and shredded in some areas, but I'd just have to deal with that later.

I slipped my Stable 32 security helmet over my head as I stared out at the warehouse, after wiping my tears away.

I had something to do... And I wasn't going to give up until I did what I was meant to.

I was going to fix this side of the wasteland.

Tuner called me one of the cornerstones. It was time I lived up to the title.

There was one pony that had caused more than enough pain around these parts. I was going to start with them...

I adjusted the gun's arm a bit to find it was still operational. I loaded in a fresh mag, then slid the rifle over to my side, before making my way to the warehouse, taking a deep, shaky breath.

My head was back in the game...

And I was going after Bristle...

Author's Notes:

Apologies for this chapter taking longer than usual. I've been busy with life stuff.
There's a bit to say this time in the Author's Notes.
Special thanks to Scraton for letting me use his music in more than one of my books, and being an overall great guy to talk to. His music has inspired me in many ways. The first song in this chapter is Oracle, by the one and only Scraton, who once went by the name, DJ PON3. You can find Oracle here.
The second song is another personal one that traveled with me through my early teen years, all the way up to today. It holds a special place in my heart, and I really felt like it deserved a spot in a special chapter. Al Stewart - Time Passages
The third song was more of a fun thing. Special thanks to Pines for introducing me to the Killing Floor soundtrack. Funny enough, he actually hates heavy music, but he knew I love it. I imagine the song, Death Will Reign, begins at 0:43, when Tuner reveals the flashback of the ghoul infestation in the tunnel.

Also, Scraton had something to say in the Author Notes for this chapter!
Scraton:
Follow Your Dreams... Never Look Back.

A motto he lives by.

Also, there's a big chance I will be attending the Everfree Northwest con in Seattle, next year, in case any of you would like to meet me. I already paid for my badge, and for the time being, I have a ride to get there. Things could change later on, but so far, nothing has. I hope to see you all there.

Anyways, special thanks to Kkat for FoE, Somber for PH, Scraton for agreeing to let me use his music for my books, Nylten for her wonderful artwork on Radio Static, as well as other books of mine, and the readers who've stuck around this long.

And Pines...
So... it's a shame to say this, but Pines and I made a mutual agreement, and he is no longer going to be working on Radio Static with me. We have different schedules, different drives, and different motivation. I had been working on Radio Static alone since chapter 11.
We agreed that I will adopt all the characters he's made as my own. Mansia, Petiole, Fluky, Para/Happy, and some that haven't been revealed yet in the story yet.
I'd like to point out that if it wasn't for Pines and his ideas, this story wouldn't even exist. We talked about it a bit, and then later on, we just started brainstorming an entire story in the FoE universe. He helped make this book. I thank him greatly. From the bottom of my heart.

Pines:

All good things come to an end. It's what they say, right? Heh, well It's my time to say goodbye. I had a good run here on MMBT, but I have to call it quits. Now, now, I know what you're saying, “Pines, why are you leaving us?” But y'all need to calm down. I trust my partner with the characters I made. He done did all the writing anyways. And he already has so much more he wants to write, he doesn't need my ideas anymore. I'm much too busy with life issues right now. But all I ever wanted for this story, all I ever cared about when it comes to this, is entertaining all of you. And my ideas and passion of this story will live on in Para, Petiole, Fluky and of course, Mr. Happy. Now for my final moments, I'll leave you with my favorite quote from the book: “I've been thinking about it for a long time now, and... It's crazy to think about... Ponies might make fun of me for it, so keep this a secret, but... Do you think unicorns exist...?"