Got lots of stuff going down in Post Apocalyptia these days. Here's some of the latest news...

I didn't know much of the town, or the forested city it resided in, but I imagined that the small, remote settlement had been peaceful, before I came around and took part in shooting up the place.

With little to no knowledge about the inhabitants of Saddle, I had killed them. Gunned them down for an order. Murdered them for a generator we had no intention of using.

There were other ways we could have gone about this, without bloodshed. We could have made a trade. A generator for a megaspell generator. We could have offered anything they needed for that stupid machine... I get that we needed to stop it from being used any further, but we just went about it the wrong way...

Was it really worth killing over...?

I expected that soon, I'd pay the price of their blood with my own, and I'd deserve it.

There was nothing I could do to fix what I had done. No matter what I did to try and make things better, I'd still be that ex Steel Ranger that murdered helpless ponies.

I was alone in the wasteland, now. No allies. No friends. No family. No protection, with the exception of the two laser rifles on my sides, and the armor that relied too much on power cores and most definitely smelled of my urine.

Para's music blasted ahead of me, bringing me back to reality and out of my deep, depressive thoughts.

Okay, yes... I was traveling with somepony. So technically, I wasn't physically alone.

But mentally and emotionally?

I was alone.

Besides, this pony... Para. He was batshit insane and 120 percent delusional. There was no denying that.

"So..." I started, sticking close behind him, seeing as the trees didn't care for his presence. I had to admit, I felt better being next to him. I felt... safer. "How long have you been out here?"

"Since this morning." He said in that happy tone he usually had in his voice, before humming to the song that played on his radio. I didn't hear any lyrics thus far.

"No, I mean... overall, how long have you lived out here?" I gestured to the wasteland before us.

"Hm..." He kept walking in silence for a while, before finally answering. "Far as I can remember, three years."

"And you've been walking out here this whole time, with no means of defense?"

"Yep!"

"All be yourself?"

"Yep!"

I just couldn't believe anything he was saying... Nopony could survive 3 years out here without something to protect themselves with. Nopony.

"Were you heading anywhere specific?"

"Not really." He shook his head.

We stumbled upon the path that led to Saddle and came to a brief stop. Looking north, I saw a tower that leaned against another; the same one we flew under the other day.

"There's something I need to get at Saddle." Para said. "It's super important."

I nodded. "Alright. I was thinking on heading that way, anyways."

Para looked over and smiled faintly, before turning back north and walking. I stayed by his side.

"So what's this important thing you have to get?"

"A bag of rare treasures, the likes of which will probably never be seen again. The only place I know that has it is Saddle."

I regarded him for a few seconds.

Treasure, huh? As intrigued as I was, I knew that greed came with the territory of treasure, and I now knew what greed could make ponies do.

The looks on the ponies faces as they were gunned down haunted my memories. Their bodies falling and spilling blood on the asphalt played on an endless loop...

"Did you... by any chance... hear any gunfire yesterday?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "Heard fireworks, though. I think there was some sort of celebration or something. It's a shame I missed it." His smile faltered a little.

Fireworks... right.

"Be glad you missed it..." I muttered under my breath.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Since yesterday." I spoke up, looking at the machine on his back. "So, what's the critter's name?"

Wait... Did I just say 'critter?' Oh no... I was being brainwashed into thinking that it was a living creature!

"Hm?" He looked at me, then glanced back at the 'rabbit.' "Oh, my little buddy? She hasn't told me, yet."

Her... Yeah, okay... No... I can't...

"I'm telling you, that's not a living creature."

He looked to his pet, then back at me with a frown. "She looks fine to me."

Fine? What...? "She's never been alive!" I was starting to shout.

"Never been a five? She's not a number, she's a bunny!" He beamed at me. "You really are one weird pony, you know that?" He patted my armored head with a hoof. "Were you referring to her age? Cause even then, I don't think she's five just yet."

I... wha... UGH! Nevermind...

His ignorance and stupidity only made me more upset when I tried explaining the reality of... well, anything and everything.

He just couldn't comprehend it, I guess. He seemed to see the world through rose colored glasses.

Must have been nice.

As we walked, I looked around in each direction of the path we walked on. I had no idea how they kept the trees from swarming it for as long as it was there, but they did a great job.

Magic, maybe?

Freaky magic...

Maybe I could ask Para... no. No, he wouldn't know... He didn't seem to know much of anything.

Then again, it didn't hurt to just ask...

"Hey, would you by any chance know why the trees haven't taken over the path?"

He smirked as he turned to me. "Well, it hasn't been that long for nature to take over again."

Yep... I knew it. I wasn't going to get an answer from him. I don't know why I had any hope for one.

If I remembered correctly about my time in the Vertibuck, and if I was right about our distance from the towers that I used as a landmark, we would arrive in Saddle in about an hour or two. Maybe three.

... A Vertibuck sounded great right now.

I hated the idea of going back to Saddle, but it was the closest and relatively safest place I knew of, at the moment. There was food, shelter, and the trees didn't invade the town for some odd reason.

That was good enough for me.

Out in the wasteland, Saddle was all I knew.

About forty minutes, give or take, passed, as we traversed through the eerie woods with the screeches, howls, and hissing of what was mistaken as 'nature.'

There was nothing natural about this place. Not in the slightest.

Trees weren't supposed to move, attack, or even talk, for that matter. I had no idea what else lurked in the deepest parts of this hell, but I was comfortable with the idea of never finding out.

We were just starting to pass under the colossal, leaning structure and through its shadow. Nothing grew under its shade, save for the hints of weeds and grass in the cracks of the street, and moss hanging from the sides of the two buildings.

You know... real nature.

Even being all the way down on the surface, I could still hear the protests of the metal threatening to give out and plummet down atop us. I didn't value the idea of having a tower that reached up to the heavens drop down on me.

"Hello wastelanders!" The voice of a stallion that did a fairly good impression of a radio show host boomed over the radio. He definitely had the voice to be one. His voice carried through the streets, after the song that was playing, came to an end. I didn't recognize the song. "Uh oh... It seems to me we're in a bit of a pickle..." The signal started to give out hints of static. "Ah pony feathers! Our signal is getting cut! We're having some technical difficulties folks, but if all goes right, we'll be back momen-" Chhk! "We need-" Fzzt! "Run!" Despite whatever was happening at the station he used to broadcast, he kept his radio host attitude up pretty well. It sounded stupid at the moment, seeing as he was in the face of danger. "We're und-" Bzzt! "-tack!"

The signal died.

We both stopped and looked at the radio as Para tried changing the station to something else. I imagined that out in the wasteland, there weren't many other stations to listen to. Maybe one or two, but that was it.

I had a strong feeling that everything else consisted of radio static.

The light within the cracked casing died, and I watched as his smile turned into a frown, clearly annoyed with the flaw of technology.

Batteries.

"What was that all about?" I asked, pointing a hoof at his radio. He looked at me, returning a faint smile.

"Well, we have these ponies called DJs, and-"

"No, stop." I sighed and waved a dismissive hoof at him. "I know about DJs. What I mean is, why was he so... I don't know... chill about being under attack?"

"Why would he be under a tak? That's just silly." He made sure to differentiate 'a' and 'tak' from each other.

Oh my fu... He can't be serious right now! He just can't! Nopony can be that stupid!

"Ponies putting taks in their ceilings..." He shook his head and continued. "I mean, if you prefer posters on your ceiling, more than on your walls, then that's your thing. But I think it's weird. I shouldn't have to look up and strain my neck to see a picture."

Oh sweet Celestia... he was serious.

I didn't care how handsome he was. This was just annoying.

But... at the same time, I had to admit... it was kind of cute. An annoying type of cute. A little funny, in fact.

I found myself laughing under my breath as I shook my head softly. "You're one weird guy, you know that?"

"I'm feared? No, that can't be right... I'm Para!" He beamed at me, like he often times did. I couldn't tell if he was being serious, or just joking around with me.

I sighed and put my hoof on his shoulder, looking directly into the black that was trapped within the golden rings of his eyes, smiling softly. It probably would have meant more to him if my helmet was off right now.

Then a red blip appeared on my EFS, behind him.

Then another...

... And another.

Within a span of just five seconds, there were ten... and that was only facing north.

Looking around, I found just as many in every other direction.

"Not again..." I muttered.

"What's wrong?" Para asked.

I looked back at him quickly. "How fast can you run?"

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side a little. "Why? Are we having a marathon?"

Okay, there was a time for jokes, and this was not it! "... Fuck it. Sure. Why the hell not?" I looked around and started to see silhouettes of beasts raising from the ground and standing tall, on two rear legs. Dark wisps of cloud traveled around their form, and glowing eyes of white opened up all around us, watching...

Claws stretched out, ready to dig in.

Para looked at a group to the north and waved a hoof at them. "Hello!" He smiled.

I turned around in a counterclockwise, 360 degree rotation, checking our complete surroundings.

Thankfully, they made the mistake of being spread two thin to the west. However, if we went that route, the only way of escape was to go through the tower that... well... towered over us.

I opened fire on the beasts to our left, and found that lasers cut right through them like smoke, before reforming to their original form.

Okay, so entities made of smoke... Lasers did fuck all against them... How was that even remotely fair? How do you kill smoke!?

"Para..." I spoke softly, backing up to him, as I kept my eyes locked on to the monsters that grew closer each second. They were slow, for now. But they were also big. And their arms were pretty long... They stumbled, I noticed... As if they were drunk, or hurt. "I need you to listen to me..."

"I need to listen to the bees? What for?"

"Para, I'm being serious! Listen to what I'm about to tell you! How fast can you run?" I spoke as clearly as I could, hoping he wasn't going to get my words mistaken for something else.

"I'm kinda slow with all this weight on my back." He looked at his cargo.

"Then get on my back, and hang on tight."

"Ooo! A piggyback ride! Yay!" I glanced back to see him climbing aboard and wrapping his hooves around my neck.

"Hang on tight..." I reiterated, dragging my left forehoof across the ground twice, kicking up some dirt in the process. I charged west, blasting one of the smoke creatures with excessive laser fire. Each individual shot made more of the smoke dissipate from the rest of its form. My last shot in the microfusion cell struck it in the arm, before I rammed through the rest of its body.

Para started coughing violently, and I myself, felt a sudden disappearance of air to my lungs.

The air tasted sour, and I felt something growing inside me. Something that was not meant to be.

But I didn't have time to stop. I didn't have time to catch my breath.

Oh, but I wanted to so bad... My lungs were burning already, and the air was growing thick.

Whatever these things were made of, they had easily bypassed my air filtration unit. I didn't know if there was a resistance to it, but Para was going through the same thing I was, if not worse. We both needed to find safety, and fast.

I charged in through what was once a glass door and looked around frantically, losing breath the more time passed by.

On the far side of the marble floored lobby, at the exit opposite of us, I saw the roots coming in, ready to violate the source of the noise that had intruded into their territory. I still didn't know for sure what they did to ponies, but I caught a glimpse of something, and I knew that they loved making them suffer.

Between us and the roots, were four sets of elevators; each door closed.

The power was off, seeing as there was no lighting in the building, at all. We only had the sun's altered light and my helmet's headlamp to help guide the way.

Of course the power was off. Why had I expected anything here to actually work? Especially in a building that was leaning towards one side?

Besides that, just like the last elevator I came across, I lacked some key items. Three, this time. Though, to be fair, I probably needed the third item, the other time, back in the apartments.

My trusty toolbox to repair any damage and ensure the safety while in use.

Time to be able to fix it, without something trying to kill us.

And a generator to power it up.

I had none of the above.

Which meant...

Sigh...

We had to take the stairs...

I looked to my left, but found nothing with the exception of wall, on the far side of the room.

I swung my head right and found a metal door with a small, square window on its upper half. On the other side, even though it was fairly dark, I saw exactly what I was looking for; the faint vision of stairs.

I ran for the door, coughing and hacking up... Wait, did I taste iron...?

"Para!" I rasped, fighting to keep myself from collapsing as both the roots and the shadow beings came in after us. "You..." I was thrown into a violent fit of coughing, which staggered my movement for a brief moment. "You okay!?" I moved with haste.

"My lungs hurt..." He spoke in a soft, raspy whisper in the ear of my helmet, along with a continuous wheezing; the audio sensors picking up everything. "This is why I gave up smoking..."

"Hang on!" I shouted, trying to stay awake and not lose consciousness. "Don't let go!"

I reached the door and rammed my shoulder against it, but it didn't budge.

"Damn it, come on!" I quickly wrapped my hoof around the handle and swung it open, ran inside, and bucked it shut behind me, nearly knocking Para off in the process.

My helmet beeped, and the gauge blinked red at me.

I was running off five percent power... Damn it, no!

"Para, I need a new core!"

"I... I got you... covered..." He gasped for breath, before sending another violent coughing fit in my ear.

Come on, Para... Hang in there... Fight it...

The five percent dropped to zero, and I couldn't move. I wasn't going to bother trying, either. The constant beeping of my helmet started, and I already felt a headache coming.

The roots hissed outside the door, and a growl joined them. I assumed it was from the smoke creatures, but I couldn't check for sure. I couldn't turn around, and I didn't want to anyways. I was fine with just looking at stairs.

A new core was slipped into my back, and the power went up to 98 percent. This one was one number higher than the former. I could use all the power I could get. Especially seeing as we needed to...

RUN!

Para hung onto my neck again as the monsters started pounding at the door. I heard the window to the door start to crack.

"Yessssssssss!"

"Fuck you too!" I shouted in a dry tone as I bolted up the flight of stairs. Oh, my lungs... Celestia have mercy on my... physical health...

The corners of my vision were growing darker, and I felt myself growing weaker. Wisps of smoke grew closer, reaching out to the center of my sight.

What was happening to me...?

Everything was growing darker. I turned the headlamp on, which bought me a few more seconds of sight, but it wasn't enough...

I managed to make it to the third floor, but after that, I was blind, and my thoughts were drifting away to another place far from my own mind.

I fell to the floor with a heavy, metallic thud.

I drifted away...

Sweet Celestia, the surface was bizarre...

I found myself lying in my comfy bed, back in the bunker. The radio at the side of my bed played static. Of course it did. It always played static...

Damn it, Fire...

I hit the snooze before I developed a headache from the obnoxious sound and sat up to stretch. My charcoal black, bedhead of a mane covered my eyes. As I brushed it to the side, I saw my door open.

Nopony was on the other side.

Hm... Odd.

It must have been one of Fire's early morning pranks. A bucket of cold water, perhaps? Wouldn't be the first time...

I didn't hear any hoofsteps or voices. No machinery. Nothing.

All was silent in the bunker.

As cliche as it was... it was too quiet.

Was everypony taking the day off all at once? That didn't seem right.

I hopped off my bed and got into my engineer outfit, before giving a long stare at the power armor that stood tall before me, beside my locker.

I was more of a constructor than a destructor. I fixed things. That was what the hammer and wrench on my flank told me.

Point was, that it was a bit odd to be in the ranks of a ranger now. By my understanding, they shot things. Killed, conquered, and destroyed. I was the opposite.

They defended their home against raiders and other dangerous beings. Us engineers did so in a different way. We walked around the station, fixing anything that seemed out of place. From an armor's maneframe, to gas leaks in pipes, around the bunker. I learned, over the years, that there was always something to fix. Something was always falling apart somewhere. It was just a matter of finding out where the damage was, and how to fix it, before it got too bad.

It was not to say that I didn't love the promotion. As I previously mentioned before, I always had a vision to get to where I was now. A dream that I could one day patrol the wasteland and defend my home against the hostilities that threatened to take over our precious home. But it was... odd... being a ranger, now.

I suppose it was just something I had to get used to.

In the meantime, since I wasn't called to surface duty or security detail, I figured I'd patrol the station and look for anything that needed fixing.

I bit down on the red, rectangular, metal toolbox by the handle, pulling it out of my locker and tossing it on my back, balancing it perfectly.

I then peeked my head out into the corridor, only to find it empty. Nopony was patrolling, and nopony was heading to their shift. All the doors, save for my own, were closed. Even Fire's, which was right across from mine.

Hm... This didn't seem right...

I looked up, but I didn't see any traps set to pour freezing hydration on me, or anything of that sort, for that matter.

I stepped out, shrugging it off, and turned left down the corridor. Maybe somepony was in the mess hall? It had to have been around the time for breakfast, so I was sure I'd see somepony. Even so, I would expect there to still be security stationed around the bunker. We didn't all take breaks at once. That would be stupid, to say in the very least.

I pressed my hoof against the panel to the door, and before I could see what was on the other side, my vision had been covered by a pillar of black smoke that lunged at me!

With little to no warning, I still tried to jump back. To my misfortune, I was too slow.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. I couldn't speak.

But I could feel... and what I felt was a tugging at something inside me. Something trying to take some vital part of me... I wanted to scream, but I had no voice. I wanted to run, but I had no control.

I was fading...

For a split second, I heard a crackle in the speaker above me, right outside the mess hall. I felt the thing that tried taking me away lurch and squirm, before letting go.

At that moment, all sensation slipped from my grasp.

"Wakey wakey wastelanders! Today's another day!" That same radio host I heard earlier pulled me out of a slumber, and my eyes cracked open to see I was laying on my side, in the corner of what I imagined was an office, at one point. The desk was overturned and laying next to my head, and paperwork from long ago, covered in dirt and grime, littered the ground I rested on.

One of the first things I noticed, was that my helmet was off, and my skin felt as if it were breathing. I looked up at the exit, realizing that the room was tilted towards one side, and my armor was looking down at me, hanging by a black cable from the tail; all four hooves standing on the ground.

"We got some work to do, folks! It's all about survival! And if, by some chance, you just came out from underground, like say, a stable, and this is your very first time out in the wastes, then listen to these helpful tips. Don't try meddling with things you have no chance of winning against. Stay off the mane roads. Raiders like to set up ambushes there. Keep your eyes peeled, and your guard up always. Even when you think it's safe. Some may be friendly, but think of you as hostile, and some may be hostile, and think of you as easy pickin'. Don't be. Run if you have to... Oh, and stay out of Saddle Forest, 'kay kiddos? That place is a big no-no. If you find you're already in there, by some off chance... get out."

I felt a thick, sticky substance come out from my lips in a drool, which I smacked a few times before getting up. My muscles were still really sore, and whatever that black smoke stuff was, it didn't do too well on my lungs. I breathed in rasps.

I looked down as I lifted my upper body, and... oh... what the bloody hell is that?

I spat on the floor, and a black ooze parted from my lips. It didn't have any taste... but seeing it come out of me had freaked me out to where I imagined something sour and bitter.

I took a step back, watching it closely as I wiped my hoof on my tongue, trying to get it all off.

My stomach clenched suddenly, and I felt something big coming up...

Oh... oh no... Here it comes!

A stream of the black, tar-like goo was released from my stomach, forming a puddle before me. I already had a sore throat, and maybe even sore lungs... but puking while having sore respiratory systems burnt like hell times ten!

When I had gotten it all out of my system, I panted and looked down at the unknown liquid. What the hell was this stuff...?

And then it twitched.

I jumped back, hitting my flank against the wall and screaming. Not just from the sudden, burning sensation I felt from those shots earlier, but from the horror of what was happening in front of me.

The puddle grew a variety of appendages, which allowed it to quickly scurry away and have a smaller, more high pitched scream than mine as it ran for the exit.

"And now, for music." The radio host said, before a beat started to play.

Somewhere over Cloudsdale

Way up high

And the spells that you worked on

Endlessly 'till dawn

Sometimes, I wish upon a star

I heard Para yawn, and soon after, saw him poke his head out on the other end of the desk, smiling faintly at me.

I was breathing heavily, freaked out of my mind. That was beyond anything I ever saw before... What was that doing inside me?

"Bad dream?" He asked calmly.

I focused on him and sighed, sitting on my haunches; my back leaned against the wall. "I wish it was..." I replied, looking back at the black stain on the floor that was left behind. It was hidden from him by the desk between us.

Somewhere over Cloudsdale

Griffins fly

And the spells that you worked on

Spells really do work well

Someday, I wish upon a star

Fly up where the worries are far behind me

Where troubles flow like apple cider

High above the cottage top

That's where you'll find me

"Oh, I like this song." His smile widened as he closed his eyes, taking it in.

I glanced at my armor, before returning to him. "You saved me... Didn't you?"

He nodded, keeping his eyes closed. "You passed out."

"And... just how did you manage to haul me all the way to... wherever it is we are?" I looked around. We must have been in the tower, somewhere. Just didn't know where, exactly.

"Well, I'll admit... you were pretty heavy, and even dragging you was difficult. Especially since I was having a super bad cough. That dry day air really got to me, I guess..." He shook his head, and got back to the topic. "Well, there I was, trying to drag you up the stairs, and suddenly, your robo suit just opened up on me! I pulled you out and brought you somewhere you could rest. I went back for your suit." He wrinkled his nose, as if he smelled something foul. "It smelled like pee pee, by the way... and it was kinda sticky in one of the hooves. Sticky and icky."

I felt myself turn bright red. "I... I don't know anything about that. Must be your imagination..." I looked away and found myself facing the window to my left. I didn't even know it was there until just now.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that was enough sightseeing for me for a while. It was bad enough we were in a room tilted towards the window, and for that matter, had a very good chance of falling out, but seeing how high up we were...

I was about to piss myself... again.

Well, it was now confirmed we were in the tower. From what little I saw, I had to guess maybe the... 8th floor? I hated to imagine what it was like looking down from the top...

The song on his radio ended, and another one of Octavia's pieces started.

I quickly looked back at him, and when I spoke, my voice squeaked from the nervous feeling that grew in my now shaking body. "Did you sleep well, Para?"

He nodded happily, not really caring how high up we were. "I did. And you?"

"I've had better..." I murmured, looking at my armor. I noticed the cable was leading out through the door. "Thank you for saving me, Para. I mean it. I'm grateful."

"Thanks for being interesting company." He beamed at me.

I was interesting company? Yeah, I don't think so...

He leaned his back against the slanted wall, beside another window of his very own, smiling as he crossed his forehooves across his chest, as if he were playing it cool.

And he did. I didn't see one bead of sweat form on that sexy body of h... Damn it Charger... STOP!

The point is, he didn't seem worried in the slightest.

Either he had a death wish, or he didn't feel fear.

"So where did you come from?" He asked, smirking as he looked over.

"Underground." I replied, then added to my response. "In a bunker south of here."

I watched as he pulled out another black and red candy cane, then proceeded to stick it in his mouth, acting as if it were a cigarette.

"What's the last thing you remember?" I asked.

He looked up in thought. "Hm..." He paused for a few seconds; his brows knitted as he thought long and hard. "Waking up."

"Waking up?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like, just a few minutes ago?"

"No..." He shook his head and looked back at me. "I mean waking up for the very first time."

Wait... What?

"Uh... I'm afraid I don't understand..." I cocked my head to the side, looking on in confusion.

He smiled faintly, then looked away. "I'm not sure I do, either. The whole thing is a bit foggy. Bits and pieces, here and there."

"No full picture?"

He nodded as he looked out the window, but for some reason, he was still smiling.

"Don't you... you know... want to see the full picture?"

He turned back to me, his smile widening a bit. "Nope." He said in a cheerful tone as he shook his head; those golden rings meeting my green ones. "I don't care to know. I'm happy. I don't need a 10-19 on whatever happened."

"Like..." I paused, fearing I was going into personal territory. "With what happened to your wings?" Good thing I knew radio talk.

His smile faltered a little.

I knew it...

"It's just... I noticed they were... missing. You were a pegasus once... weren't you? You lived among the Enclave? But something must have happened, and... and you moved down here, right? Banished?"

He simply shrugged, but I could tell I was getting into something he didn't like thinking about. There was a hint of a sulk on his features as he sucked on the candy cane hanging from his lips.

"I don't know. Whatever happened, happened. I'm fine with how my life turned out. More than fine, in fact." His smile started to slowly return, but I felt there was more to this. I was starting to think that he was just faking his carelessness. But... he didn't seem to want to talk about it. It was best to just leave well enough alone. I suppose I couldn't blame him, really. He didn't want to talk about home. Neither did I. I understood enough to just leave it be.

Para had to have lived with the Grand Pegasus Enclave at one point, though. All pegasi seemed to. I never heard of a pegasus living outside of the "safety" of their clouds.

Usually, this would have automatically branded Para as an enemy to the Steel Rangers, and maybe even the entire surface, judging from what I heard go down, months ago, in the east.

There was something about a civil war between the Enclave, or something like that... Neighvarro and Thunderhead at each other's throats. I found that, like most things, I didn't know the full story.

I think I heard a cyberpony unicorn was involved with it, though...

I dunno... Stories are just stories. Ponies are always adding to them to try and make them more 'interesting.' And... seeing as this story traveled all along the wasteland, from east to west... there was probably a lot of unnecessary drama added to it.

Unfortunately, there had been more Enclave units sighted around Las Pegasus lately, including an entire Enclave base.

They had put the Steel Rangers all along the west coast under high alert, and we have all been watching them, since that time.

"Want a cane?" He asked, regarding me with a grin, to which I shook my head.

"No thank you."

He smiled brighter for a split second and shrugged, then resumed sucking the flavor out of his, as he reached into one of his many pockets, pulling out a deck of cards. "You play?"

He wanted to play a card game... now? Of all times?

... Actually, that didn't sound half bad. A break would be nice.

"Depends." I smiled faintly. "What game are we talking about?"

"Goldfish!" He beamed at me.

"Goldfish..." I nodded. "Alright, let's do it." Looking around the room we sat in, I continued with a frown. "Though, it'd be a lot nicer if we could play on flat ground."

He simply shrugged it off - which seemed to be a thing for him - as he smiled and shuffled the cards like a... pro... Okay, how was he doing that!?

Was this guy secretly a unicorn or something?

The beautiful, soothing notes of Octavia's cello ended, and soon enough, a vocalized song came on.

This next one had a moderately paced guitar strum that was soon accompanied with a rhythmic, steady pace of a hoof stomping, and another guitar in the background; this one with more of an echo behind it.

When I die, and they lay me to rest

Gonna go to the place that's the best

When I lay down to die

Going off to the spirit in the sky

Going off to the spirit in the sky

A mare sang in the background, just after the last line, saying "spirit in the sky!"

For a song about dying, this was a little... upbeat.

Spirit gonna go, when I die

(When I die!)

When I die, and they lay me to rest

I'm gonna go to the place that's the best

Para resumed shuffling the cards as the guitar resumed its steady beat with the hoof stomping.

I didn't know what this radio station was. I never picked it up on my radio, but I was starting to fall in love with the DJ behind all this.

Tell yourself, you know it's a must

Gotta have a friend in Luna!

So you know that, when you die

Stars will commend you as a spirit in the sky

(Spirit in the sky!)

They'll commend you as a spirit in the sky

That's where you're gonna go, when you die

(When you die!)

When you die, and they lay you to rest

You're gonna go to the place that's the best

"How often do you get to play?" I asked, looking down at the growing hand of cards that he kept tossing to me, after giving himself one, and so forth.

"Last time I did, they said I was cheating. I didn't even know what I was playing!"

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Cheating, huh?" Suddenly, I didn't feel too comfortable playing with him.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm that good." He smiled faintly.

"I imagine ponies don't take too kindly to cheating. I know I don't..."

"Some security mare way back in Hoofington didn't, either. Threw me out in the streets." He shook his head after dealing the right amount of cards to both parties. "She was not a very nice pony..."

"Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa... You were in Hoofington!?" I balked.

"Yep!" He nodded as he beamed at me.

"When?" I asked in desperation. The attack between the Enclave happened over Hoofington, and even though I wasn't a Steel Ranger anymore, the story still intrigued me. I just wanted to know for the sake of my own curiosity.

"Long ago." He picked up his hand, looking through his selection. "I don't remember a whole lot of that place. Might have been a few months or so..."

Well, I guess I wasn't getting any info on the attack, since he didn't remember a whole lot... Typical.

Never been a sinner

I never sin

I got a friend in Luna!

So you know that, when I die

She's gonna send me up as a spirit in the sky

Oh, send me up as a spirit in the sky!

That's where I'm gonna go, when I die

(When I die!)

When I die, and you lay me to rest

I'm gonna go to the place that's the best

Go to the place that's the best!

The song let out one final guitar solo for the remainder of its length as we played Go Fish. Not for profit, thankfully. Just for fun.

Good thing, too. I didn't have any caps on me, and he had just won the first round.

"That was 'Mare in the Moon,' by Normane Greenhoof." The nameless DJ said over the radio broadcast. "I'll say, that's a pretty good song for the wasteland." He chuckled. "Certainly a song I'd want to die listening to." Things got quiet for a few seconds, and he coughed. When he spoke up again, he sounded more somber. "Well, it appears it's that time again, folks. Lock your doors. Cover your windows, and pray for the dawn of a new day. Darkness is coming to swallow the wasteland once more, and with it, the real dangers of Saddle will awaken. So if you're in that area, hunker down. Stay inside. Barricade the doors and windows. Wait until morning. Do not step in the dark. Keep a light on at all costs, but don't make it too noticeable. Keep it close. Hell walks the surface tonight..." He paused, and I looked over at the radio kept on his person. "Goodnight, wastelanders. Here's to the hope of a brand new tomorrow."

A soft, classical tune filled the room as we played.

Para kept winning, somehow... I just kept getting really bad hands. This sucked...

When it got darker out, and the room grew dim, I activated the headlamp on my armor, which continued to look down at both of us; still bound by the cable around the tail's frame. If it broke, we'd both be crushed, since we met in the middle of the desk that had fallen on its side.

We'd be killed instantly, if we were lucky.

I was a glass half full type... usually.

The light shined down on us like a spotlight, but it also meant that anything from the outside would see a certain lit up window in a dead city and get curious.

Chances were, the core in my armor would have a gradual decrease in the power level overnight, what with the light being on until morning came. But judging from what the DJ said, that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

By my understanding, the trees couldn't see. Only touch and listen. So we didn't need to worry about the-

And I lost another round. Great.

This was getting ridiculous.

I looked up at Para to see him smiling that same damn smile he almost always had on his stupid, cute face... Smug bastard.

There had to be a trick up his sleeve... That, or he didn't shuffle the deck good enough.

"Shuffle the deck again." I said softly, frowning as I threw the cards at him. Despite my annoyance, I knew to keep my voice low. The DJ had me really spooked on what was out there now.

He nodded, put both our hands in the deck, and started doing his magic shuffling tricks. I had no idea how he did that so well... It seemed so... impossible for anypony except unicorns.

I watched closely... waiting. If I saw anything out of the ordinary, I'd call him out on cheating.

But... I didn't see anything suspicious. Okay... either he had great sleight-of-hoof, or he wasn't actually cheating...

... Or I just had horrible perception...

After three games of me constantly losing and not winning a single round, I grudgingly called it a night, and laid in my corner of the tilted room, where I woke up earlier. He went back to his corner after putting the cards away, and after about a minute of getting comfortable, had fallen into a slumber, still smiling as he did.

Lucky... He was probably dreaming about puppies and kittens, or frolicking through fields of healthy, un-irradiated flowers with butterflies... all while listening to his radio, most likely.

I noticed he never turned it off. Ever.

I eye'd it for a while as it kept the symphony going. It wasn't too loud, and even then, it was turned down to much more tolerable sleeping levels. If anything, it was relaxing. It made me remember that even in the darkest of places, there was still beauty.

But... did he really keep it on 24/7?

What was up with that?

No wonder it shut down earlier.

I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me.

But it didn't come. I was still too worried if this was it for me. If I was ever going to wake up again. Perhaps something would sneak in and eat me... or kill me just for the fuck of it.

The wasteland was unpredictable.

... And I was just another toy that joined its sandbox.

I opened my eyes, and I found myself in the tower, untouched. That was a huge relief on my part. That relief started draining from me, when I was reminded of how unstable the tower's structure was, via its continuous groans, telling us to get out of here before it became the death of us.

I didn't have any dreams the night prior to this morning. At least, none that I could remember. Judging by my last one, maybe that was a good thing. I was in no mood for jumpscares.

Para was still fast asleep, and he seemed to be doing it well. I don't know how... Maybe it was just a wastelander thing. But I heard his snores pretty clearly.

I carefully stood up, walked around the desk, and nudged his shoulder.

"Mmm..." He groaned under his breath. "Five more minutes..."

"Para, we should go..." I spoke softly, looking around. "I don't feel safe here any longer..."

His eyes cracked open, and he sighed, smiling faintly. "Alright, alright..." They widened as he stood up, but closed soon after, as he stretched. He raised one hoof in the air. "10-18 to Saddle!" He said in a happy tone. "Wrap up your goods, get in your porta-potty suit, and..." He paused and cocked his head to the side, smiling. "Do you need a cup of hundred mile coffee before we go?"

I blushed at what he just called my suit and looked away. "No, no..." I muttered. "And actually... I don't think we should go to Saddle. The road is too dangerous. We should just get out while we can. Who knows what else is ahead..."

He balked at me as his eyes looked into mine. "But... but the treasure! Charger, you can't expect me to be a suicide jockey by myself, in this. Other ponies are out there, looking for it!" He spoke in a desperate cry. "I'm not leaving it behind, and I need you as my lookout!"

"Look, Para... It's just too dangerous." I looked down and sighed. "You just said yourself that it's dangerous carrying around. I don't want to be a target. Plus, the DJ on the channel you keep playing through your radio says we should stay away. And with my first-hoof experience of this place, I have to agree with him."

"But... the treasure..." He sulked as he sat on his haunches, and despair grew in his eyes.

"Why didn't you grab it when you were in Saddle?" I cocked my head to the side, raising a brow as I looked back at him.

"Well, I didn't have the green stamps, and stealing is a big no no."

"So... What, it's in a store?"

"Yes..." He nodded, looking at me. "And if I don't get it, then somepony else will. I can't let it fall into the wrong hooves!"

I let out another sigh and shook my head gently. "Well... thank you for saving me earlier, Para... But I can't go with you. You're free to go, yourself. I cannot and will not stop you." I walked up to him and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. At least... I hoped it was comforting.

"Goodbye, Para."

I started to walk up the steep incline that was the floor, towards my power armor. The only real problem was that I kept sliding back down. My hooves couldn't gain any purchase for me to make any progress on leaving. I was stuck in here.

"Charger..." Para said in a soft voice. "Don't 10-7 on me... Please?"

Even though I understood the radio talk, I didn't know why he kept using it. It was getting mildly irritating, actually.

I didn't bother looking at him as I kept trying to get up and out of the tilted room. Pulling my armor out might be a hassle, but so long as I have the right tools, I might be able to make a pulley system to do it for me.

I just... needed... to... GET OUT!

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh!

"Sorry, Para." I said in an annoyed tone, looking up at the door. "I'm looking to survive. What you're asking of me is a very good way to do quite the opposite."

"... The roads are awfully lonesome..."

I gave up and looked at him. He had hung his head down, and his mane covered his facial features. I imagined he would be crying or something, but I didn't hear any sobs.

Still, it made me feel bad...

"Hey... Hey now..." I walked up to him and gave him another pat on the shoulder. Man... I probably sucked at this... "Don't feel like that. You have your... bunny... thing." I glanced at it, only to see it was looking up at me, staring into my soul with its red, glowing, mechanical eyes.

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaay... Time to move on out of creepy town and into sympathy valley.

Looking back at Para, I resumed. "You're not alone. You have your little buddy with you. Your... little bunny buddy." I gave a forceful smile, but it quickly vanished into a frown when I found my humor didn't work on him. It didn't work on anyone but me, it seemed. Not even Fire thought my jokes were funny.

"Not many ponies are willing to ride the roads with me. I'd hoped I'd find a pony like you to enjoy the slow life with me for a while. It ain't gotta be too long..."

I had a strong feeling that I wouldn't be coming across many ponies either... Especially nice ones. I was alone the moment I told the Steel Rangers to go fuck themselves, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat, if I was given the chance. But ever since I started traveling with Para, I was feeling a little better. I didn't know if I could call him a friend just yet. But he wasn't an enemy, and that was pretty good in my books.

Besides... Safety in numbers, and all that...

I sighed and smiled with more sincerity. "Alright, Para..." He looked up a little to catch my smile. "I'll stick around. For now."

"No... No foolin'?" He raised his head a bit more, revealing a sad blush on him, like a colt, after crying.

Yikes... I kinda felt like an asshole now.

I nodded. "Let's go."

"Thank you!" He smiled brightly and quickly wrapped his hooves around me, taking me in one, big, bear hug of an embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Oof... He was strong... Too strong for my lungs to handle!

I tapped him on the back, wheezing a little as I spoke. "Para! Can't breathe!"

He loosened his grip a little, and I chuckled softly. "Okay, Para. It's no big de-"

"Thank you!" He interrupted, looking deep into my eyes, just a few inches away from mine.

"... It's no big deal." I smiled, putting my hoof to his chest and gently pushing him back just a little bit, for some room. "Really."

"I know, I know, but... Thank you!" He said happily, once more.

He was acting a lot like me, when I was a colt getting new toys from the rangers.

I sighed and shook my head, smiling faintly. "Let's get out of here, then." I turned my head and looked up at the armor that hung from the black cable, by its tail. "I imagine we won't have much luck getting that out of here and taking it with us... Damn shame."

I really didn't want to leave it behind, but I didn't see any other way.

Para looked at me after slipping on his shirt and jacket. "Anything is possible, if you put your mind to it." He beamed at me.

He certainly changed from sad to happy pretty quick. Too quick, really... Was he just manipulating me?

He slipped on the rest of his belongings and started walking up the... WHAT? HOW!?

My jaw dropped as I watched him walk up the steep incline that I had so much trouble with. He had no problem with it, whatsoever. What the hell!? Not fair!

Lucky son of a...

I gave it one more shot, and... Wow. Okay. Now I'm able to leave? Not before, but now?

I didn't have much trouble, myself. At least... now I didn't. I did, however, tread carefully. I felt my hooves slide a bit, every so often, but not enough to make me fall. Just enough to make me worry.

Para slapped his hoof against the suit's back, and it opened up before us.

In doing so, the tail spread apart, snapping the cable and sending it plummeting towards the window, still standing on all four hooves. It left two thick trails into the carpet, behind it as it sped forward, revealing the flooring beneath and therefore ruining it.

The head crashed through the window frame, and the front end of the body slammed through the wall, hanging out of the tower; it's frame still open.

Its back end kept it from falling out completely, but now there was no way I was getting into that thing while it was hanging there.

I scowled at Para, and he gave me a sheepish grin in response. "I uh... I meant to do that."

Mentally, I slapped my hoof against my face and groaned out of frustration.

I went back down to the armor and kept my hoof over the mechanism that sealed it. This was a really bad idea... But... Damn it, I really wanted this armor! It was at least worth a shot!

I pressed down, and the suit closed up. As it did, it slipped out through the hole it had made, and fell to the surface. I watched as it plummeted to what might have just been the end of its value.

"Well, that was fun." Para said. "Now what?"

I almost believed that was sarcasm. But he sounded sincere.

I looked back, and that's when I started to feel the flooring beneath me give out.

I screamed and jumped back as it crumbled under my hooves, then darted towards the wall beside it, panting heavily. My back was leaned up against the wall; my hoof over my heart as my chest went up and down.

"I... hate... heights!" I spoke between each deep breath.

"I have no problem with it." Para smiled.

"You're a pegasus!" I stated, pointing a hoof at him and glaring. "Of course you don't have a problem with it!"

"Pegasus with no wings." He added with a faint smile. "I can't recall ever having wings. I have no memories of flying. That makes me an earth pony. Just like you."

I straightened myself out, feeling horrible about what I just said. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to..."

He waved a hoof at me and smiled happily. "Don't fret." There was a brief pause, and I took that time to 'not fret.'

"Ready to go?" I asked, after taking another deep breath.

He nodded, and I looked back out of the hole that my armor had made, to see that it had come into contact with the surface. I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked fine so far. I didn't see it in pieces, so that was a plus.

I turned around and walked back up the slope with ease.

During his wait for me to catch up, he fed his bunny two carrots, then took a third one out for himself.

Together, we made our way to the door of the office, and into the corridor.

The streets caught in the shade of the tower didn't seem to have any hostile life forms at the moment, but it was hard to tell without my EFS. I didn't like not knowing...

Putting my paranoia aside, I studied the armor that laid before me. I didn't see any physical damage, but it had fallen on its side. That was going to be a problem...

I tried opening the suit, but it had jammed on me again...

Great. I broke it.

I was willing to at least try to fix it, though.

First things first... Get it up on its hooves again.

"Para, can you give me a hoof?" I asked, going to one end.

He stretched out his hoof toward me, smiling. "Here ya go."

I looked on for a brief second, before planting my hoof into my face, releasing an exasperated sigh. "Okay, now can you help me lift my armor?"

"You mean the robo suit? Sure thing!" He smiled brightly and went to the other end opposite me.

"Okay, on the count of three, we lift. Got it?"

"Mhm!" He nodded and grabbed a hold of the armor as best he could. I did the same on my end.

"One... Two... Three!" We both groaned as we strained our muscles, fighting to lift the overweight mass of steel back onto its hooves.

We just barely got its upper half off the ground before we gave up. It was too much for just two ponies. But I was desperate... I didn't want to be stuck in the armor again, and it was amazing being outside of it, but it offered a great deal of protection, and I was a newbie to the wasteland.

Panting, I looked back at him. "Okay... Let's try again."

"You got it!" He swung his hoof from left to right, across his chest, as if he was being very supportive. I could start to see sweat forming on his perfect, white coat.

We grabbed a hold of some part of the armor and tried again at the count of three, but it only strained our muscles more so than they already were. I wanted to just drop and rest right there. My arms and legs felt like jelly.

Then, quite suddenly, the armor opened up, making us both drop it out of surprise.

I balked at it, then at Para, who gave me a casual smile.

"What did you do?" I asked quickly, looking back at the armor.

"Well, I was just pushing it, like you asked." His smile quickly diminished, and he looked worried as he stared down at it. "I didn't break something, did I?" He got down to its level. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to!"

"It's fine, Para." I said, rolling my eyes, which quickly locked onto him soon after some realization. "Wait... did you just say you were pushing it?"

He looked up at me. "Well, yeah. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Which way were you pushing it?"

"Down."

"Damn it, Para..." I muttered, shaking my head and putting my hoof to my temple. I felt a headache start to form. "I said lift. Not push... LIFT!"

He flinched. "Don't yell. It's rude."

I groaned, then looked back down at my armor. "Well... I suppose I can just... I dunno... Crawl inside."

I got down to work, and what would usually just take three seconds, ended up taking about half a minute, at the very least.

The back sealed up, and the suit tightened around my figure once more. Save for the chestplate, which was still red, and the left shoulder, which was yellow, everything else was fine and in the green.

The power gauge was at 67 percent. Not too bad.

I stood up, and to my relief, the suit moved just fine.

I checked the compartment for my two snack cakes, only to find that they weren't crushed.

Good. I hated squished food.

I closed the compartment and looked at Para.

"Saddle up." I said in the deep tone behind the helmet.

Nothing had attempted jumping out at us for the duration of the trip. Luck seemed to be favoring us... for the time being. Who knew how long that was going to last.

Still, it was more than pleasant for me, and I imagined for Para, too. I didn't have any ammo left, so my guns were all but useful.

The trees minded their own business, and we minded ours.

Occasionally, we'd hear something hissing, but it wasn't like how the trees did it. This sounded more... feral. As if that made any sense...

Among the hissing was a variety of howls and screams. I didn't feel like identifying any new species in the area. Ever. The noises alone did it for me.

I had felt as if we were being watched, and even followed. Whatever it was, if it was indeed anything more than just my paranoia, was staying away. This was just another appreciation added to my list of appreciations.

The trail still remained noticeable. Nothing bothered covering it up, to my surprise. There had to be some explanation for that. There just had to be...

About an hour after leaving the tower, we had stopped for a break at what was once a restaurant. A few trees had made home within the dining section of the building, but it didn't seem to be too much of a problem for us. Did they only attack at certain times? I didn't understand this crazy world... This was not the Equestria I read about in books.

Para sat at a table layered in dust and grime as I went behind the counter to see if there was anything worth taking.

Hm... No bits in the register... No caps. No food. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Damn it...

I realized, after opening the fridge, that this place was picked clean, and if my suspicions were correct, the supplies went to Saddle, which meant that the now dead inhabitants knew about the tree's sensitivities to sound, and used that to their advantage when going on supply runs into the city.

I could hear the radio playing some Songbird Serenade from where I was. Para wasn't blasting it at full volume like he did when I first met him, thankfully. It was actually at a nice, relaxing level. Not too loud. Not too quiet.

Though, to be fair... there was no such thing as too quiet, here. At least, not until I met Para. There was something off about him... Why did the trees leave him alone...? Why were they leaving me alone now? Not too long ago, they were pretty set on capturing me and doing something nasty... Just like with the other two rangers...

I went back to the table, and once the armor opened up, I slipped out and sat on the opposite side from where he was, stretching my forehooves wide above me as I groaned, shortly after setting my sore rump in the chair.

I peeked at where I was shot, and low and behold, there was a red rash just over my cutiemark. Oh boy...

Damn it, Fire... I wish I could get you back for that...

It was nice to finally be able to get out of that armor every once in a while and stretch. More than nice. It was wonderful! I wasn't going to be stuck inside that suit anymore! I felt free! I was free!

I caught myself smiling, as I looked at Para play with his little bunny buddy. I didn't really know what to call it, as a name. Rabbit? I dunno...

Robit? No chance I was calling it that...

Or... Or how about... Little Buddy?

Yeah. That worked. Little Buddy. It was already starting to grow on me.

I glanced at my armor, then back at him as he fed Little Buddy another carrot and smiled at it.

... Her. Whatever.

"My core is at 12 percent." I stated. "How much longer until we get back to Saddle?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be too much longer." He smiled back at me. "Just wanted to stop by here. It feels comforting, for some reason. I can't seem to put my hoof on it, though..." He rubbed his chin, then looked around the scenery. "It feels like I was here before..." There was a long pause as he just stared off into the distance, before quickly snapping back to reality and pointing his hoof up as if he had a brilliant idea. "Oh right! Duh! I was here earlier!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Were you the one that emptied the register at the counter?"

"No." He shook his head. "It was like that when I came by."

I looked around and took a deep breath of air. It wasn't fresh, but it was still breathable, so there was that. "We should hit the road."

I didn't really want to go back to Saddle. Not after what happened. But I was stuck between a rock and hard place. I didn't want to be in the forest, either. It was either feel guilt and be relatively safer, or feel guilt and be surrounded by trees with a bloodlust that just might have matched the Steel Rangers.

No matter what I chose, I lost.

No matter what I chose, I'd feel guilt for everything that happened.

Para nodded and put the cage back on his back, while I got back in my armor and stood as still as a statue - or the next best thing - until he was ready to leave. I didn't want to waste what limited energy I had left, turning my head or moving a hoof.

Here we were.

Saddle.

What I believed was once a lively town, had recently become a graveyard.

The fires had died out, and with it, entire buildings had fallen into heaps of scorched wood and ash.

The bodies still laid in the streets, baking in the sun.

A field of clouds was rolling in from the east, with the threat of rain.

Color had restored itself to its former glory, once we left the forest. Well... It was nice seeing full color again. It was going to take some getting used to, though, with how long I spent back there.

I looked at Para, expecting nothing short of a horrified expression.

What I saw astonished me.

He was smiling, as if nothing was amiss...

"Para..." I muttered, and he looked back at me, after taking his eyes off a dead mare that had a hole torn through her blue-coated chest via laser arsenal.

"Hm?"

"Why are you smiling...?" I glanced back at the streets of decaying corpses. I imagined they smelled horrid by now. I wasn't going to take my helmet off to find out.

The music from his radio cut out abruptly, and for a while, I thought it died again. But that wasn't the case. I still saw the faint, blue glow within the device, escaping even through his pocket. The meter that showed the radio stations had an amber glow.

"Why not?" He shrugged. "We made it to Saddle. Now the treasure's all mine! I have the caps!" He beamed at me, before trotting down the street happily.

I went after him. "But... everypony here is..." I couldn't say it... Just trying to get it out tasted wrong on my tongue. The word was stuck inside my head.

He continued on his way. "A bit strange, I know. They're all a bunch of lazy ponies... sleeping in the middle of the street like that. Fireworks and parties are no excuse to nap on the streets!" He trotted into a store that had the two front doors caved in.

I slowed to a walk, going in after him. My core was at 2 percent. This armor was as good as gone. I had used up all the cores I had on me. Or... Para had on him, I mean.

I kept my distance and watched as Para stepped up to the counter, looking around with a raised eyebrow and an expression that implied curiosity.

Then he looked down at a small, brass dome before him, resting on the wooden surface of the counter; a tiny knob sticking out of the top.

He tapped his hoof down on the bell, and it rang.

There was no customer service coming to assist him, and after a few seconds of waiting, he slumped his shoulders. "Hello?" He called out.

There was no response.

Ring!

Nothing.

Ring! Ring!

Silence.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

"Is this thing working...?" He muttered, then spoke up. "You have a customer waiting out here, and it's very rude to keep them waiting!" He spoke louder and with a more strained irritation behind his tone.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING!

Fuck! I couldn't take it anymore! This was worse than the beeping in my helmet, whenever my core was depleted or taken out! Far worse!

I shook my head quickly, hung my head down, and groaned.

"Please, Para... Stop." Despite the increased levels of agitation that were growing inside me, I wanted to keep calm. I was getting really tired of yelling.

He looked back at me. "Stop what? I'm trying to buy the treasure!" He resumed ringing the bell, and the agitation was mutating into anger.

"Para, stop." I spoke more strict. "I mean it."

"Everypony's sleeping on the job..." He muttered, before looking around more. "Hellooooooooooooo? Anypony here?"

RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING!

That was it. I couldn't hold it back anymore.

I glared at him behind my visor. "STOP RINGING THAT FUCKING BELL!"

He stared back at me; his hoof a few centimeters away from hitting the brass mistake. He kept it over the instrument as he just stared back, out of surprise.

Ring!

"You're insufferable!" I pointed a metal hoof at him.

"I'm insuff-" He gasped. "Hey, I'm just trying to get some service here! Maybe they're on lunch break or something... Surely somepony here is awake."

"Why can't you just see that everyone is dead!?" My voice wobbled, and I felt the tears start fighting to escape my eyes. "Everyone is de-" I choked and gasped on my own tears and turned my back to him, making my way to the exit. I came to a stop halfway through the doorframe and murmured to myself behind a broken voice.

"I killed them..."

"Everypony is deaf?" Para started. "Well then... Why am I ringing this bell, if they can't even hear it? Why do they even have one? Well... I guess they don't need it anymore... I wish it was for sale... Such a shame. It had a good ring to it." He looked around and huffed. "Well, no use standing here then..."

I shook my head in both annoyance, anger, and the loss of hope that I could get through to him, as I walked out.

A light drizzle washed down the surface as the field of light grey clouds covered the sky in its entirety, like a blanket.

The rain deluded the puddles of blood around me as I sat on my haunches, surrounded by the deceased in every direction.

What was red was now turning a faint pink, over time.

I looked up at the grey, and rain drops splashed down on my visor, distorting my vision.

The clouds had moved in a lot faster than I thought they would have. I didn't catch a hint of blue up above, at this point.

The color reminded me of Fire's coat. Perhaps a little lighter than hers, but it still made me think of her...

It had more of a resemblance of that grey, steel ceiling I always woke up to, though.

It didn't just make me think of family...

It made me think of the safe, warm confines of home.

Something I was never going to have ever again...

I removed my helmet and set it down before me, resting one hoof atop its structure, as I continued to gaze up at the sky.

The rain pattered against my armored body, and the touch of it against my coat was... bittersweet. A cold breeze brushed through my mane; strong enough to let it sway to one side, as it traveled west, judging by what my EFS told me before I removed the helmet.

I closed my eyes, taking in the sound of the rain pattering down on my steel form. The brush of the wind against me. The cool air.

I did my best to ignore the rotten stench around me, but the more I focused on trying to ignore it, the more I noticed it.

I sighed and hung my head down, mixing my tears for the fallen with the rain drops that covered my face.

After what felt like minutes of silence, I cleared my throat and redirected my attention away from my thoughts, and to everything around me.

My mane and coat was soaked to the core.

I couldn't hear the radio, and looking back at the shop, I saw it was void of any life.

How long was I sitting out here...?

"Para...?" I stood up on all fours, slipping my helmet on, and readied my rifles, despite the fact I had no ammo. I approached the entrance to the shop warily. "Para, where are you?" There was a small sack of bottle caps lying on the counter; some of which had spilled out.

"Para?" I poked my head in, looking around the room frantically. It wouldn't surprise me if he left me behind, with how I've treated him lately. "Para, where are you?" I spoke in a more panicked tone, and my heart was starting to race. I scanned my surroundings with my EFS, desperate to find his blip as I spun in circles.

I couldn't find it! Where was he!?

"Para!" I shouted in a desperate cry. "Pa-"

Two amber blips were south of me.

I walked the length of two houses, before they both started sliding off my EFS, to the left. From there, I heard voices. I moved in closer to find out what they were saying, and who they both were. There was no knowing for certain who it was inside.

I ducked underneath one of the windows and listened.

"Where are your parents?" I heard Para ask in a soft tone.

"They're... dead."

Wait a second... I knew that voice!

"Ugh! Why did they make such big fireworks!? Didn't they know it would make them deaf? I just don't get it..." He whined. "You're not deaf. What's your secret?"

"Dead..." She said in a mutter that spoke emotional distress.

"Yeah. That's what I said. Deaf."

She sighed. "What are you doing here...?"

"Oh, I just came by to get this here valuable treasure. The journey was long, but it was worth it!" I didn't need to see him to know that he was smiling right now. The tone said it all.

Regardless, I was curious about what this treasure was all about. What made it so important?

I peeked my head over the wall, underneath the window, and saw him holding a brown cloth bag and pulling out...

No.

Fuck you, Para! That wasn't important at all, you addict!

I came here with you thinking that this was vital, and that you needed help retrieving it, knowing full well what went down in Saddle, but candy canes are not important!

"No thanks..." The filly I met earlier turned her head away from him. She sat on her haunches, next to the couch I found her at, about two days ago. "Just leave me alone..."

I stepped into view, looking through the doorframe, and when the filly looked up, her mournful eyes widened with terror.

"Y-you..." She pointed a trembling hoof at me as she backed up towards the wall, where I caught her hiding on Saddle's D-Day. "Please don't hurt me..." Her back struck the wall, and realizing she was cornered, she whimpered and curled up into fetal position, wincing and expecting it to be the end for her.

"I'm not going to hurt you..." I said softly. "It's me... Remember? The one that told you to... stay quiet?"

One eye opened and looked up at me, and not long after, her look softened just a touch. I could still see hints of fear in those dark violets. Regardless, she nodded with a brief hesitation.

Right... Now that that was out of the way...

I turned to Para. "You. Outside. We need to talk."

"Okay." He beamed at me, and I turned around, heading back out in the rain. He followed close behind.

Once we reached the middle of the street, I turned to face him, only to witness him bump into my chest. He grunted upon contact, then backed up a few steps, looking up at me as I towered over him.

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked behind clenched teeth.

He cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" I laughed sarcastically. "You tell me this treasure is super frickin' important, and we almost died getting here. I was ready to just give up and leave this horrible place behind, but nooo... You just had to have it. And I'm just now finding out that your supposed 'treasure' is nothing more than a flimsy bag of candy canes!"

He grinned in response, looking up at my visor. "Oh, they aren't just any ordinary candy canes." He peeked inside the bag. "Let's see... We got Krampus canes, Sparkle Cola canes, Apple Cider canes, Zap Apple ca-"

"Shut up." I snapped.

He frowned as he studied the contents within, then looked back up at me, shaking his head with remorse. "I'm so sorry..." He paused.

My coldness was starting to diminish as I looked into his eyes. I saw true regret... He just might have been sincere... He just might have been learning.

"... I'm afraid we don't have that flavor."

I felt my eye twitch, and anger began to pool up inside me once more.

"Never even heard of it before." He continued. "Is it any good?"

I immediately snatched the bag from his hooves and crammed it into a compartment in the armor.

"Wha-hey! Give those back!" He slammed his hooves against the plating in desperate attempts to get his candy back, but it slid closed before he could get to it. I stared down at him as he fought my armor.

"You can have them back when you learn to not get us killed for petty bullshit."

"Get us billed? But I already paid for them!" He scowled and stomped his forehooves down on the street like a foal not getting what they want. "Give me back my candy canes!"

"Stop it, Para. You're not getting them back at all, if you keep acting like this. They're about to be all mine, now."

His lips trembled as he collapsed on his haunches. "My canes..." He muttered softly. "You're mean..."

"Maybe this'll teach you to not go after small things of little importance when there's a lot of death between you and it."

I started making my way back to the house, when I heard him say something softly, behind me.

"Maybe you should learn to enjoy the small things..."

I stopped at the doorframe, ignoring Para's comment as I looked down at the paranoid filly who had been crying her eyes out for far too long, judging by how red they were. Bags hung under both. Sleep deprivation did that, unfortunately...

"Do you have anywhere to go?" I asked softly.

"There's no place I want to go..." She replied, refusing to make eye contact with the visor that stared back at her.

"You can't stay here forever... You're bound to run out of food eventually, and that'll be the least of your worries. Once news gets out that Saddle is... well, you know... Raiders will come for the scraps." I shook my head. "I don't want to even think of you being... tormented by them..." I had to choose my wording carefully. She was still a kid... I hoped she didn't already know about what happened out here in the wasteland. I wish I never knew.

"I already have been..." She sobbed, and her eyes welled up more as she looked up at me with cold eyes.

She was referring to me... and the Steel Rangers.

I sighed and sat down. "I know... What I didn't know was what we were going to do when we got here... I spoke against them, but I did it a little too late... and I'm sorry... And no matter how sorry I am, I'll still pay for what happened. I accept that punishment. But in the meantime, while I'm still able, I want to do some good. Something worthy." I paused, hoping that all this was sinking in a little, for her. "But... I was referring to a much worse torment. A fate that some would call worse than death. Nopony should have to go through it, but raiders will make it happen, if they see you here." Or so the stories go... "Please... Come with us. Or just get out of here before it's too late. But don't let the raiders catch you."

She regarded me, and after a while, she wiped the tears from her face with a hoof as she sniffled.

"I'll... I'll go with you..." She said quietly. "Until we get out of the creepy forest... But then I want to go my own way... Away from you..."

I nodded. Really, I couldn't blame her... I didn't even want to be with me right now. "Alright..." I looked over my shoulder to see Para was still sulking about me taking the candy canes from him, then turned back to her. "What's your name?"

"F-Fluky..." She looked out the window, watching as the rain slid down the glass pane like a never ending curtain.

"Fluky, I'm Charger."

I heard her murmur something, but I couldn't understand what it was.

"What was that?"

She murmured again; this time just a little louder, but like the first time, I still couldn't hear it.

"You're gonna have to speak up."

"Robutt... That's your name... Because... You're a butt... A great, big, robotic butt..."

I couldn't tell if she was trying to kill the tension, but I didn't see even a hint of a smile on her.

Again, I couldn't blame her...

We both found ourselves without a home...

... Or a family...

We were both alone in the wasteland...

Author's Notes:

Wow. I went through hell with this chapter. I got a new job that's kicking my ass (pardon my French), my coordinator/supervisor was screwing me over, and then there's the Writer's Block, the constant distractions, the set up, revisions, the copy edit, the research, the continuity, and on top of all this, I'm doing two other collaboration stories, as well as three other solo projects, two of which will be books, and the other being put on here, after I take care of the first one (MLP related, of course). Oh, and then there was the eviction notice, so that was fun. XD

So yeah. This chapter had bad luck all over it. But I pushed through. Sorry for the long wait. But I do want to address that I've been wanting to work on my other books just a little bit more than I have been, seeing as I've been putting 90 percent of my free time on this story. I'll still be working on it, of course. Just not excessively, like I have been. But this story will continue, I assure all of you. I'm just trying to get my other work out there as well. I hope you all understand. Please don't mistake this as a hiatus from Radio Static. It's not that. I promise.

Anyways, enough of my rambling! I hope you're enjoying the story so far, even though nothing really happened yet. XD

Thank you Kkat for making the first FoE story, and thank you Somber, for making Project Horizons. And thank the rest of you for adding to the FoE universe. I'm almost done with reading PH, and then I can move onto other FoE stories. ^^

Credit for Para and Fluky goes to Pines. Credit for Charger, Firebright, Crimson, and the others goes to me.

Credit for the parody lyrics of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (Somewhere Over Cloudsdale) goes to Pines. Credit for the parody lyrics of "Spirit In The Sky" (Mare In The Moon) goes to mwah, though I didn't really change much.
Credit for the original singers go to Judy Garland from the 1939 version of Wizard of Oz... I think? XD
Credit also goes to Normal Greenbaum, for Spirit in the Sky.
Enough about me! Now it's Pine's turn to talk!

Pines: Want some more? Getting that static itch? Tune in next episode and maybe our little friend Para might get his candy back!