“Fran you’re just going to have to leave it.” Helix said irritably. “I know that it could provide a solution to all our problems, as unlikely as it may be, but it’s not going anywhere now is it?”

I was going to retort again but she was right. “Fine, I will be along in a minute.” I put down my multimeter and logged out of the terminal. “I was getting close. I could feel it.” I kicked the terminal in frustration. “This is the first thing I’ve come across that I can’t hack. It’s like it is taunting me.”

“Now you are just being melodramatic; which isn’t like you at all really.” Helix said, looking at me with an odd expression as she reattached the cover to the panel for me.

“Well I’ve never been forced to give up on something due to time constraints before, and the needs of one hundred hungry ponies.” I sighed. I’d spent a whole two hours trying to hack the terminal to no avail. It wasn’t like anything I had worked on before. Boards that I thought were one thing did something completely different, the hardware architecture was all wrong, and the software worked in hexadecimal not the traditional binary which was compounding the problem.

I trotted out after Helix into the morning gloom. It was a near identical day to the morning before when we had left seventeen; clouded with a hint of descending mist. “It better not rain like yesterday.” Helix looked at the slightly ominous sky. “I really don’t want to get soaked for five hours straight again.”

“Was that really only yesterday.” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe how much had happened in such a short space of time.

“Yeah. Almost exactly twenty four hours since…”

“Ambrosia.” I finished her sentence for her, bowing my head. I didn’t want to be the one that told her friends how she’d died. They would be devastated at the very least. “It’s bad enough dying of natural causes, but death by giant alligator isn’t exactly what you want to read in an obituary.”

“Hmmm.” Helix just nodded sadly.

Amber had been taken back to her house by Teal with help from her husband when Helix had deemed that her head had healed sufficiently. We wandered back to Tabitha’s Treats together, watching the townsfolk begin to clean up after the skirmish. The large boulders were being rolled up against the back of the defensive wall by groups of ponies, reinforcing it, while others went round clearing up spent shells and other debris.

“I wonder if they recycle those,” Helix asked, looking at a young colt with a bulging bag of used 10mm cartridges in his mouth. “Can they do that?”

“I think so.”

We reached the others. Tungsten avoided my eye, but everyone else was busying themselves packing and adjusting their saddlebags. It looked like we were moving out already.

“I thought we were helping Mantis?” I asked Foxglove.

“Apparently he said to forget it and we can repay him another time.” She buckled up the two sides of her pack and flipped it up onto her back. “Do you mind?” She sat up and I buckled the strap around her middle with my magic. “That’s better.” She shook the packs slightly. “Nothing digging into my sides like last time.”

“Are we going back to Seventeen”

“Yep.”

“All except Stave and Clef, they’re staying here.” Ripsaw trotted out of Tabitha’s, slipping a fresh bottle of whisky into her saddle bags as she spoke. “Tabitha wants them to start playing right away as the other two musicians have moved on to New Appleloosa. They left this morning.”

Wow, one day out and already we were slotting into the new Equestrian society. Perhaps we should have gotten out of Seventeen a few years back; started mingling and trading. Seventeen could have been a real hub, become wealthy and made a difference in the wasteland. ‘But now it’s gone’ my little pony said mournfully. Did I have to remind myself.

“How long until we go?” I asked.

“Maybe thirty minutes or so.” Foxglove looked at me curiously. “Why.”

“I need to see a buck about a gun.”

After handing over all my ammunition once more, I telekinetically opened the door to Arcano Technologies and headed straight over to Swarf. The buck was over in the far corner of the deserted warehouse at the shooting range. He was sighting in what must have been his first attempt at copying Jury.

“Swarf.” I called smiling. “What’re you up to?”

“Oh hey Fran.” He tightened several wing nuts on the gig holding the gun in place and then placed a laser on the top of the gun and proceeded to centre it on the target down range. “I am getting ready for the first test firing. Fancy watching?”

“Yeah, sure. You got it working already?” That was quick.

“We had other versions built from earlier tests so I just took one of those and made the necessary modifications.” Swarf did a final tightening of the wingnuts, removed the laser and armed the remote firing mechanism. He ushered me back behind a thick polycarbonate screen and lifted the cover on the fire button.

“Lets start off at the bottom shall we. Ready?” I nodded. “Test firing on lowest setting in three, two, one.”

The centre of the target disappeared in a flurry of metal shards which embedded themselves in the foam blocks positioned directly behind the target. Yet again I had an after image left in my vision from the glow of the crystals.

“Well it fires.” I said brightly.

“Not without a price.” Swarf looked dejected as he examined the prototype. “Its drained almost a quarter of the spark battery.” He indicated the gauge on the top of the gun which has dropped straight into the yellow. “Way more than it should.”

“Why would that be. Mine can fire fifty shots on a single battery.”

“It’ll be a calibration issue, wasting energy somewhere.” Swarf altered something on his PipBuck and reset the remote-fire and came back behind the screen.

“Do you want Jury back then?”

“No, we’ll be alright. We have a working prototype, so you’ve already fulfilled your side of the deal.” His hoof hovered of the fire button. “Ready?” He said with a slight grin.

“For what?”

“This.”

The target exploded in a vast blue fireball. Fragments of metal ricocheted off the protective screen in front of us and the warehouse ceiling. The fireball dissipated rapidly to reveal total devastation, not only to the target but to the gun itself. The spark battery had exploded and was still burning, the floor littered with fragments of blue crystal.

Swarf ran in to extinguish the flames whilst I watched in mild shock.

“Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.” Swarf muttered dousing the gun with the extinguisher.

“What was that?” I exclaimed.

“Half power but at maximum discharge. It fired about four times the amount of energy as the last shot, but I let it pull as much power as it wanted from the spark battery. Clearly that is a very bad move.” He gave the spark battery another quick burst, putting it out before it magically reignited.

“No kidding...” I mumbled. “Are you sure you don’t want Jury back given you have just destroyed your only working prototype?

“I’m sure, its all recorded so I can work from that.” He caught my eye. His expression looked confused for a moment but he turned back to the gun before I could figure out why. “If you get a chance, watch the orb that came with that. You will find it very useful.” He dumped the rest of the canister on the burning prototype. Unperturbed, the battery continued to burn.

“Yeah, health and safety and all that...” I eyed the still burning gun.

“The software has no constraints on it so be careful what setting you use.” Swarf abandoned the gun and trotted back round to join me looking despondent. “But on the upside if you find a setting you like or is good at particular materials you can save it as one of four presets. Its all in the orb.”

“Thank you for all this.” I smiled at him. “With your dad yesterday and with Jury. I hope there are more ponies out there like you.”

He smiled back awkwardly, “You’re welcome.”

I turned to go, weaving my way through the machines. I was almost at the door when movement above made me glance up. Cheque was watching from the window of his office through the blinds. I smiled at him. He didn’t reciprocate.

Rain was beginning to fall out of the sky again. Great big drops that made the surface of the lake bounce with each strike. There was no way I was going to end up like last time and immediately stopped to unpack my EVA suit. The others all began donning the raincoats that Foxglove had brought the previous day.

“I am so glad I brought this with me.” I called over the wind which was picking up dramatically.

“It’s excessive. I bet you get too hot in it with all your equipment.” Tungsten said scathingly. It was the first thing he had said to me all day.

“I’ll just jump in the lake. That’ll cool me off.”

The rain picked up ferocity over the next few hours and the wind drove it right into our faces as we made it along the valley. I ended up at the front with the others sheltering in a line behind me. The valley was acting like a funnel, channelling the air along at high speed and turning the rain into a wall of water that tried to find every hole in our water proof equipment.

“You know if we end up living on the surface.” Seafire called over the rush of wind and the roar of the rain. “Let’s pick somewhere slightly less damp.”

“Yeah. Somewhere with sunshine.” Ripsaw called back.

“It can’t be far now, can it?” Foxglove asked, trying to stop the hood of her raincoat from flying back off her head.

“No idea, can’t see anything in…” Seafire tripped and stumbled into the back of Smoking sending them both sprawling on the ground in a muddy heap. “Oh great. Perfect timing.”

“You alright?” I asked. “What did you…” Words failed me.

It was Lavender. Or more precisely her body. The poor mare was lying face down in the mud. She was covered in blood. Deep cuts all over her back and flanks ran freely. Her front left hoof had been shot clean through. Her once smooth hide was covered in burn marks. The middle of her spine kinked unnaturally.

Foxglove cried out, screaming. She turned and ran into the mist.

“Foxglove come back!” Seafire sprinted after her.

The rest of us stood horror struck by the view before us.

“Oh dear Celestia… who would do…” Helix began but stopped, staring at the mares hindquarters. I adjusted my position to see and immediate felt bile moving up my throat. The handle of a knife was sticking out from between her legs, blood caking the insides of her flanks. There was a pool of blood beneath her that was flowing with the rainwater making it look like she was the source of a blood red stream. I couldn’t tell if she had been raped but after they’d, whoever they were, had their fun, they’d… they’d…

I turned around and vomited. I couldn’t think. I just stood there shaking as I emptied my stomach. I ended up collapsed on all fours in the mud, gasping. I barely heard the next words from Smoking until he started shouting.

“She is breathing… SHE’S BREATHING!” He immediately dove into his sack for a healing potion and knelt down next to her, trying to get the concoction down her throat. After a few moments she spluttered and coughed.

“Lavender! Look at me.” Smoking tried to tilt her head back further so she could drink the potion. I just stood there, horror coursing through me. “Help me!” He shouted desperately. But I couldn’t... I couldn’t think.

Smoking finally got the healing potion down her throat. Lavender gasped and then started screaming as the pain flooded back to her mind. Helix was examining the knife that was jammed inside her intently. Only her medical training could explain how she was focusing on the sight before her.

“We have to get this out of her before we can give her any more healing potions.” Helix pulled out a box of bandages she had brought and laid it on the ground trying to shield it from the rain. “If we don’t then it will get healed inside her.”

“Don’t” Lavender coughed up blood onto Smoking’s hoof. “The others… attacked… killed…” She coughed again and a trickle of blood ran out the side of her mouth. “Tried to get away… find you… get help…”

“What happened to the other’s” Smoking said slowly, leaning into her.

“Captured… security killed… foals taken… Heather…”

“What about Heather!” He suddenly looked terrified.

“Taken…” She coughed up even more blood.

“We have to get this out of her!” Helix yelled.

“No… go save the… others… I am so sleepy…”

“No, stay with us.” Smoking pulled out a second potion, lifting it to Lavenders lips.

“No… look at Helix… she knows…” Smoking glanced up at Helix. She just looked scared and mouthed ‘I don’t know.’ Seafire appeared beside me with Foxglove who was sobbing uncontrollably.

“If you go now… you can…track them…” Lavender’s head suddenly dropped out of Smoking’s hoofs. “For the little ones.” She stopped, blood now flowing freely from her mouth, her eyes unfocused, staring into space.

We all stood there for a moment in silence.

Klu-klunk.

We all turned. Tungsten had pulled out Seafire’s shotgun. He looked livid. He looked at us each in turn before turning in the driving rain and sprinting off towards stable Seventeen. I did the only thing that felt right. I pulled out Jury, checked the cartridge and began to sprint after him.

The warehouse loomed out of the mist. Tungsten was flattened against the near side of the building, away from the door. He checked that he had a full magazine before gently slipping it home with a soft click. I pulled in next to him breathing hard.

“What was up with you this morning?” He was asking me now?

“Bad dream.” He frowned at me. “No seriously, a really creepy dream.”

“If anyone should be having bad dreams it’s me.” He said coldly, chambering a slug. “On the plus side, I think I’ve found a way to vent my frustration.”

He moved silently around the corner, shotgun raised. I followed close behind. The huge door to the warehouse was ajar. I could hear voices and sounds coming from inside. Seafire pulled up behind me, two Blackhawks floating beside her.

“Oh Goddesses. Can you hear that?” She whispered. I strained to hear and gulped as I caught the sound of flanks slapping and male grunting.

I felt the fear building inside my chest, twisting my gut. I tried to calm myself. ‘Focus. Breath.’ Take all my negative thoughts and channel them into readying my mind for what was to come. This was wrong. This had to end now. Tungsten looked back briefly mouthed ‘three’ and then nodded, once, twice...

We stormed through the door and then almost stopped dead. There were bodies everywhere. Guts splattered against the walls. Hoofs and heads littered the floor. I spotted a pair of hind legs leaning against a wall. There were eight raiders inside. Four picking over the remains of the stables residents. Two more were sorting their loot, laughing whilst watching the last two pounded a mare from either end. She wasn't moving. Her legs were limp, the two ponies violating her holding her off the floor. Blood poured from the holes in her chest. Dear Goddesses she was dead. She was dead!

The four looting raiders reacted quickly, bringing their weapons to bear. Tungsten didn't slow in his charge as the rounds pinged off his barding. Fire exploded from the barrel of his shotgun as he fired. The closest raider took a full load to the chest, muscle and bone giving way to the lead pellets. The sound of the shotgun ejecting the spent cartridge played counterpoint to the stallion splashing into the blood and gore covering the floor. The second shot tore into the next raider's neck, almost ripping the mare's head from her shoulders, the expression of malice and glee becoming a permanent death mask.

Seafire’s Blackhawks boomed in unison. Two more raiders were rent asunder by the high calibre rounds. They too joined the cadavers on the ground.

I slipped into SATS, took aim and fired. The nearest necrophiliac’s foreleg spun away in a flash of blue crackling energy. I fired again. The energised mass scorched the other raiders face as it passed his muzzle. SATS ran out. I adjusted Jury, trying to aim down the sights. The raider grinned around the grip of his own weapon. The flash of his shot burned away my vision.

“Francium!”

I tried to respond but only managed to choke on the blood filling my muzzle.

With great effort I charged at the raider knocking him over backwards onto the blood slick floor. There was a horrible sound as his stallion hood slipped out of his dead sex toy. My magic flared as I stabbed at him with my horn. I felt my horn punch into his eye and he cried out, firing wildly. The smell of burning meat assaulted me. More rounds hit my chest and I heard a rib crack. A creepy tingle run down my horn as it slipped from his socket. A single bead of blood running down its length, skirting my eye. He rolled on top of me grinning again despite his scorched eye and pointed his pistol at the side of my head.

Blood splattered my face as the raiders neck exploded outwards. His now limp body collapsed on top of me and I shoved him off. I got up quickly, ready for the next raider, but there was no need. Smoking and Ripsaw had entered and blown away the final two raiders whom Tungsten had been duelling with at close range.

I rolled over and looked around; all I saw was blood and bodies. It was terrifying. There was almost no way to tell the difference between the dead raiders and the ponies of stable Seventeen. It was just a massacre.

“Fran.” Helix dropped at my side pulling out her first aid kit. “Look at me. Where are you hit?”

“In the throat but I am alright.” I wheezed sitting up. “Well, almost.”

“Wait, hold still.” Helix leaned in and pulled at my suit with her magic. The intact bullet slipped free of the thick PVC at the neck of my EVA suit “How is that even possible?” Helix whispered to herself. “The suit doesn’t function out of the water.”

Foxglove screamed from the doorway, cutting off my thoughts. Her yellow coat splattered with gore as she tore across the room. She slipped. There was a sickening splat as she landed on the gore covered floor. Frantically she pulled herself forwards, her face and neck now dripping with fresh blood. She ignored the sounds of snapping bones as she ran. Ignored the blood slicking her coat.

“Mum!” She dropped to her knees beside Dandelion. “Mum, please look at me. It’s ok, its me mum, Foxglove. Oh please mum, please look at me.” She cradled her mothers head in her hooves, pressing her muzzle against her own. “Please mum, speak to me, say something....anything.”

I felt a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

“Please mum. Say something. You’re really scaring me.” Foxglove whispered as she tentatively stroked Dandelions mane. “We found civilisation. There are other ponies... good ponies. They can help us. We’re going to make it, just look at me.”

Silence. Broken only by the steady trickle of blood.

Foxglove flung herself over her mother's body bursting into uncontrollable sobs. “Come back!” She screamed. “Don’t leave me here!” I tried to ignore the sound of her hooves pounding against her mother's body as she screamed. “Come back... Come back!”

“I’m sorry Foxglove...” Seafire placed a comforting hoof on the younger mares shoulder only to have it slapped aside.

“No! I can’t leave her. She needs me! I need her.” Foxglove continued to scream, desperately clinging to her mother.

Seafire tried to pull Foxglove into a hug but the distraught mare kicked and thrashed. “I won’t... I won’t leave her.”

As Seafire's legs tightened and began to pull her away, Foxglove finally turned in the embrace, beating Seafires white coat with her reddened hooves. Seafire didn't flinch from the assault, pulling her in tighter to her chest until she lost the strength to resist.

“We won’t. I promise.” said Seafire soothingly. Foxglove collapsed into her hooves, silent tears running freely down her cheeks.

I drank the healing potion Helix offered me and got to my hooves. I felt my fractured rib fusing back together and the bruising subsiding in my throat. I massaged my neck; if it hadn't been for my EVA suit I would probably be dead right now. It was a chilling thought.

I glanced up. My eyes washed over the scene before me like it was all a dream. It was horrible to think that just a day ago I had been in almost the same place arguing with Lavender about us surviving. I had, but she hadn’t. Seafire comforted Foxglove in the spot where we had sat drinking our life saving Sparkle Cola, discussing the ministry mares.

How could they let this happen. The best that equestria had to offer, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. How could they not stop all this. And what hope did we have if they had tried to stop the darkness and failed. I knew they had tried. That Twilight Sparkle had been working on something top secret to end the war. Fluttershy had been given an order by the princess herself to find a way to stop the bloodshed. Even Rainbow Dash had been doing... something. And yet it had all failed. All of it.

“Helix, you best come see this.” Tungsten mumbled from across the otherside room. We stepped cautiously towards him, our eyes following his outstretched hoof to the small shape on the ground.

Smartie Pants.

Helix didn’t cry. She just stopped. Trembling, she stooped to lift the stuffed doll and cradle it in her hooves. She slowly sat down on the blood myred floor, stroking the mane of Lillypads most treasured possession. My love pressed the chest of the doll and a soft, quiet, melody began to fill the room.

“They took her.” Helix said softly over the lullaby. “They killed everypony and then they took her.” Her voice began to rise. “They murdered everypony and kidnapped a helpless filly. They Murdered and Raped and Violated My Stable And Ripped My Lillypad Away From Me!”

The nearest raider body was slammed mercilessly across the room in a surge of magic. “I hate you!” Helix screamed at the corpse. “And I hate you.” Another landed with a crack of snapping bone.

“You mutilators.” Snap.

“You rapists.” Crunch

“You defilers.” Splat.

“You,” Helix’s magic imploded. I lunged to catch her as he slumped to the ground. The raider body landing right behind me with a sound like a slab of rubber. “...murderers” I held her limp form in my hooves as she shook, sobs wracking her body.

There was a wheezing cough at my back.

Smoking pointed his Blackhawk at the raider that Helix had dropped. He was spitting blood and bleeding profusely from the stump of his leg but he looked around at us with a malicious grin.

“Tell us who you work for and I will end your life swiftly.” Smoking cocked the revolver.

“Go fuck yourself.” the raider spat at Smoking, but only managed to make more blood run out the side of his muzzle.

“We can drag your death out for as long as we like. Tell us and it’ll be quick.”

“No.” Helix whispered her head in my hooves. “If you do you are no better than him.”

“Yeah, listen to the fuck toy. I’d do her...”

The raider let out an involuntary high pitch yelp as I collapsed a repulsion field around his stallion hood. I stood up and leant over him, pure rage flooding through me. I moved until our muzzles were almost touching squeezing him even tighter.

I could just see Seafire and Ripsaw watching shock out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t care. “Take that back.” I whispered venomously.

“You didn’t let me finish.” He said gasped through the pain. “You’ve no need to worry. I would only fuck her if she was dea...”

There was a sickening ‘pop’ as bits of flesh and viscera flew into the air. I took Jury from its holster, ignoring Helix’s pleas and the howl of the raider. I watched as his eyes widened in fear, Jury pointed between his eyes. I pulled the trigger.

“What the hell did you do that for!” Tungsten shouted. “How are we supposed to find them now!”

I walked over to where the raiders dismembered foreleg lay on the ground and lifted it up.

“Francium are you even listening to me? You killed our only lead!”

“You asked how we can find them? The answer is right here.” I showed him the disembodied fore leg. “He had a Pipbuck.”

“Alright listen up scum, news just in. We got ourselves a fresh stable! Madame wants all of you armed, dangerous and at the usual spot by dawn. Scouts say it’s just south of Viewpoint so we should reach it by noon. After asking around it seems there are about eighty, but only a dozen or so are armed. We can’t capture eighty ponies but don’t kill them all either; thirty will do. As always, don’t kill the colts and fillies and no funny business with them either; no Black Trap not even a little bit, or Madame will have your head. Storm out.”

The last message finished and I tossed the Pipbuck aside. It hadn’t been random. They knew about us. They knew and they had planned it in advance.

Somepony had betrayed us, but as I had no idea who, I felt hollow inside with nowhere to direct my anger. It was the strangest feeling, I couldn’t focus on anything as my mind rushed and spun. Like I was perpetually falling with nothing to grab on to. And yet... and yet everything was so perfectly clear. I could see and feel details that I never noticed before. Every ragged breath that passed my lips. The slightly carroty aftertaste of the cola that clung to my tounge. The bitter scent of my perspiration through the thick smell of blood. Every strand of my blue mane that hung before my eyes. The absolutely horrible sensation filling in my gut.

To make it even worse, my supposed lead had turned up nothing. I had assumed that if you wore a Pipbuck, you knew how to use it; apparently not. The raider had only used the messaging feature and the clock. I had hoped that he would have used the mapping function and that would give us a lead but he hadn’t. There was absolutely nothing.

But that was not the thing that was worrying me most. When I had moved to help clear the bodies, Seafire had held me back and told me to go find a quiet place alone. I had expected Helix to protest but she had ignored me completely. So now I was sitting all alone, in my pit, leaning on the hydraulic pump and sipping on a sole remaining bottle of sparkle cola that had rolled under the machinery. The others, minus Foxglove and Ripsaw who were digging a grave for Dandelion, were carrying all the bodies outside one by one. As much as I hated the idea about burning the bodies we couldn’t just leave them out to rot. It was like Ambrosia but a thousand times worse.

I wanted to help, but the look that Helix had given me before she had stepped outside kept floating to the front of my mind. I could detect hints of shock, fear, anguish and anger. But in my mind there was only one that was worth my attention and it hurt far more than the others ever could. Disappointment.

Not only had I killed, but killed in anger, neither of which I had thought myself capable of. Before it had been in defence but this was just brutal murder. And I knew it. I looked down at my EVA suit. I had been too tired and stressed to care about it before, but now that I looked again my fore hooves and chest were caked and speckled with dried blood, standing out against the matt black material. I looked half raider myself; no wonder Helix had turned away. I pulled frantically at the suit trying desperately to get it off, but all I did was smear the blood around with my hooves. I felt tears brimming in my eyes. I really was a monster.

“Francium.” I looked up at Smoking as he peered down at me in the pit. He opened his mouth, closed it again and then finally said, “We’re ready to light the pyre.” He moved off without looking back for me.

I pulled myself to my hooves, barely paying attention to where I was placing them. I wandered out of the pit and glance around the warehouse. The floor was still awash with blood, but without the bodies it just looked like someone had had an accident with a gigantic bucket of paint. A strong hint of copper caught my tongue and snatched at the back of my throat. It took all my remaining focus not to heave again.

Rain spattered my face and mist began to dampen my coat as I stepped out into the waning light. It couldn’t have been any later than four but with the heavy clouds and the tall cliffs, there was little light penetrating the valley.

The pyre was much smaller than I had envisaged; it seemed that fifty nine dead, raiders included, wasn’t as large a volume as I had thought. The others were grouped around it waiting, not for me, I noticed, but for Foxglove, who was adding the final touch to her mother’s grave; the only growing green plant that she had been able to find.

I made to stand in the line next to Helix, but at a quick glance from Tungsten I stopped. ‘Is she still my love anymore?’ my little pony asked. ‘Is she still my Helix?” I felt a lump in my throat when I realised I couldn’t answer. Sadly I trotted round to the far end, furthest away from my best friend.

After a few minutes of silence, Foxglove stood and took her place next to Helix. I chanced a glance around at the others but we all seemed to be waiting for everyone else. Slowly Smoking stepped forward.

“To all those we have lost this day, may Celestia and Luna welcome and embrace you in the ever after. We cannot undo the atrocity that has occurred but we can make amends for it. With all those here and the princesses above as my witness we will find those who have been taken and we will bring them home.”

He had always been good at finding the right words.

I watched as Seafire moved forwards and took to one knee before the pyre. “With fire we release you. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, accept all and judge none.” Seafire’s horn glowed as she touched it to the ground. Blue magic began to spread from the point of contact, almost like water. It soaked the ground as it flowed, making the ground listen in the magic from Seafire’s horn. The moment the magic ringed the entire pyre a spark jumped from Seafire’s horn and ignited the blue liquid. Slowly but surely the pyre was consumed in an inferno of blue flames and white sparks, licking upwards into the night air.

Despite the moment, I made a mental note to get to know Seafire properly; something more accurate than the idealistic beauty that she currently seemed to be inside my head. In fact, I only really knew two of my companions properly. Now it was more important than ever that I find out exactly who I would be wandering my new world with.

Just as the last of the sunlight disappeared from the horizon, we made our way back inside. I didn’t like the idea of sleeping on a floor covered in blood or in a room where so many had died, but it would be stupid to waste such shelter, even if it was tainted.

I pulled out my blanket, removed my saddlebags and settled myself down next to the pumps once more. It would probably get cold in this sunken pit over night, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of sleeping next to a pool of blood. I hoped that Helix’s head would appear over the rim of the pit and she would come down to join me, but the longer I waited, hearing the others drift off to sleep, the more I knew that I would be sleeping alone tonight.

Unable to sleep, I pulled out the raiders PipBuck for something to do. I double checked the mapping function but nothing, just as before. I tried the messages again to no avail. I got desperate and delved into the messaging details; who had sent the message, what time and date, where the message was going to next.

I blinked.

The message had a macro attached to it that would automatically forward it to the next nearest PipBuck on a preset list. This seemed to allow the message to travel great distances without the need for a long range transmitter; bouncing along the line until every PipBuck tag on the list was ticked off.

Intrigued, I delved a little deeper.

The message from the previous PipBuck had a short string of code at the beginning. I could tell that it was not part of the original coding by the way the PipBuck couldn’t positively identify the sting of digits. It was attempting to assign references to it base upon its regular coding patterns. The first part matched the pattern of a PipBuck serial number. The middle was coming up blank; probably some kind of message identification. The last nine digits were being labeled as grid reference. Curiously I let the PipBuck display the location on its auto-locator. A small square with a diagonal line running through it marked out a location about thirty miles south west.

We had ourselves a lead.

I woke with a start as I felt my coat brush against another warm body. I backed away only to see Helix lying next to me. I started again when I realised that I wasn’t wearing my EVA suit; had I taken it off or had Helix? When my heart rate had dropped back to where it was supposed to rest, I pulled myself to my hooves and looked over the rim of the pit.

It must be morning, Tungsten and Ripsaw sat together quietly eating some of the pre-war food we’d bought in Viewpoint. I dreaded to think what two hundred year old Sugar Apple-Bombs tasted like, but it can’t have been too bad if Tungsten, with his fussy palate, was able to keep them down. Smoking had begun the unenviable task of going through the remains of the saddlebags from our stable, pulling out all the useful items or things we could sell.

Realising I was also starving, I passed Helix as quietly as I could to reach into my saddle bags. I noticed she was cradling Smartie Pants in her fore hooves. My heart ached wondering where Lillypad was now, and what those horrible raiders were doing to her. The only good thing I could think of, as slight as it may have been, was that Storm; who I guessed was the second in command, had specifically instructed his ponies not to harm the young ones.

I reached carefully into my bags and pulled out a sealed packet. Surprisingly, the label on the front said that I was about to eat an apple turnover. We’d had turnovers back in Seventeen, they were a specially cooked once every few months. The production was limited by the rate at which we could produce flour and butter; which was actually a processed by-product of the algae fields. That didn’t stop them from tasting awesome.

With my magic I opened the packet as quietly as I could. I caught a sickly sweet waft which contrasted sharply with the coppery tinge still hanging in the air.

“So you don’t share now either?” I stopped, muzzle poised over the turnover. Helix cracked open an eye and watched me sleepily for a moment before, “Oh go on then.” Suddenly I didn’t have an appetite.

“No, you take it.” I floated it over and placed it in front of her nose so she could smell the sugar dusting the surface and the mellow tone of the pastry, still present after all these years. “I’m not hungry.” I turned my back to her. I just couldn’t face her anymore.

I felt a gentle pair of hooves on my shoulders, trying to turn me round. Reluctantly I let Helix turn me to face her, but I kept my head low, avoiding her eye. She leaned in and nuzzled my face softly and slowly. Still I didn’t want to look. It had only taken mere moments but I had become a killer and killers didn’t deserve to have somepony as amazing Helix at their side.

My head snapped sideways as Helix slapped me around the face with her hoof.

“What the hay did you do that for?” I massaged my face. “ That really hurt!”

“Well I tried the gentle approach and that didn’t work.” She replied matter-of-factly.

“So you jump from nuzzling to a full on hoof slap just like that.” I glowered.

“I forgot to pack the whip.” I felt myself blush furiously. She seemed to like that. “Finally. Now look at me and listen.” I just nodded in agreement, still rubbing my face.

“What you did yesterday was bad, I won’t lie to you. But in your defence what they did was worse. I am not cross with you and I still love you, but I am disappointed. Very disappointed.” I nodded again. “But there’s something else...” She suddenly seemed very nervous, even afraid. “I’m surprised that you’re not having a go at me.” Her ears drooped as she looked up at me carefully. She was ashamed, even afraid. But of what? “I just couldn’t take it... when I saw Smartie Pants lying there, covered in... I... I lost it. I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I acted foalishly, literally. I should have controlled myself, my emotions but I couldn’t. I behaved like a filly throwing her toys out of the pram.”

I just looked at her in amazement. She had expected me to be cross with her about that, after what I had done.

“You are crazy, you know that right. What you did doesn’t even come close. What were you expecting me to do? Tell you off? Punish you?” I rolled my eyes. “You are amazing Helix.” I leaned in and gave her a tight hug; I just couldn’t help but smile. “Was it you who removed my suit?’ I asked as Helix munched on the turnover.

I had to stifle a giggle as she bit into the snack and and a blob of the filling squeezed out, rolling down her muzzle. Before she could move to wipe it away I leaned in. Slowly I ran my tongue gently up her muzzle, claiming it for myself. I watched her eyes close as a soft shiver ran across her body. I couldn’t help but smile.

After a moment she pulled herself back together. “You’d managed to get half out of it but you had fallen asleep. So I finished the job.”

“Where is it now?” I asked, privately relishing the taste of Helix and apple sauce.

“Seafire took it away. I think she was going to clean it for you.” Her expression faltered. “You know, get rid of all the blood.”

I just nodded, pulling out a second turnover and opening it. I bit into it greedily, savouring the sickly sweetness filling my mouth. ’Not bad for two hundred year old food.’ My little pony noted. I too had the same issue with the sauce though as it oozed out between the layers of pastry. Helix seemed to find my plight rather amusing.

When we had both finished we trotted over to the others; our moment of humour cut short as we picked our way through the pools of blood. Tungsten eyed me for a moment before looking questioningly at his sister. Helix just smiled and he went back to his Apple-Bombs.

With a groan Smoking dumped two saddlebags down in front of us. “They either weren’t interested or they are rubbish scavengers. There left loads of valuable stuff.”

“Such as?” Tungsten leaned forward and started to rummage through the bags.

“Food, water, medical supplies mainly. Then things like books, which are probably less valuable out here.”

“I am not so sure.” I levitated a book up for them to see. “Any of the maintenance handbooks from the stable could be gold dust. Look, it contains all the designs and construction for water filters, pumps, air purifiers. In fact, this is the one we used to build the replacement water pump.”

They all looked at me, confused but Ripsaw understood what I meant.

“She is right. With this book you could cobble together loads of key equipment. A water purifier and pump could save a village, a town, even a city.”

“I don’t get the impression that raiders are interesting in helping others.” Tungsten said dryly.

“Nor do I.” A small voice added.

Foxglove stood in the doorway, pointedly avoiding the blood on the floor and walls. She looked awful. Her mane and tail were ragged, her ears sagged and her eyes were bloodshot; ‘Unsurprisingly’ my little pony mumbled. She moved slowly to us and leant against Seafire, her eyes half closed. My heart sang out for her. She had lost everything. Her home, her family and; although it didn’t hurt as much but would affect her just as greatly, her innocence. She was still young in comparison to the rest of us, yet had stayed strong and pushed through everything that had been thrown at her. But it seemed that this was just one step too far.

“I don’t know if you have talked about this yet but I want to go find them. I want to get them back. My brothers, my sisters. I want to help them.” Her voice was so small, so broken. “I just don’t... I just don’t...”

“Don’t what?” Sefire nudged her encouragingly.

“I don’t know how.” Foxglove wailed. “I’m not strong enough. I’m not trained in weapons, can’t mend equipment, I can’t design or build or... or kill. I am useless out here. I can’t do it alone.”

“But you are not alone.” Ripsaw insisted. “You have us.”

“We can work through this as a group. No one gets left behind.” Seafire said encouragingly.

“But look at us. Its the seven of us against the world.” Foxglove slumped to the ground. “Only three of us have any training in fighting. The rest of us are just making do. And its not like we even have a plan.” Foxglove sobbed. “We have no leads, no goal, no plan. No home.”

“Actually, we do have a lead.” Everyone looked at me in surprise.

“I thought you said that there was nothing on the PipBuck.” Tungsten said skeptically.

“There was, just not where I was expecting it. And there is another bit of good news. The other team headed off south west when we went north east, and guess which direction the signal came from.” I saw their faces brighten. “We might have reinforcements.”

That hope of reinforcements dwindled with every mile we walked. There was no trace of recent travel as we traveled south. I had half expected to encounter them within the first few hours but as time went by my oddly bright mood sank slowly into a self centred stupor.

We talked little as we picked our way down the heavily degraded road. Foxglove made the occasional hiccup as she fought to contain her feelings. Smoking was unusually withdrawn too. I had spotted him checking the saddlebags as we packed up to leave. I knew that he was searching for signs of Heather. I didn’t know if the lack of a sign indicating what had happened to her was giving him hope or bringing despair.

I stopped. Lifting my hoof I stared down at the small object I had trodden on. I had gotten used to the hard feeling of ravaged concrete so the pliable rubber pellet was almost a surprise when I recognised it.

“What is that?” Smoking asked, his voice tense.

“A rubber bullet.” I floated it up for them to see.

“Let me see that.” Smoking practically ran me over in his desperation to scrutinise the tiny object.

He took it in his hooves and examined it closely. “Its one of ours. Its been fired but it missed.”

“What does that mean?” Seafire asked. Foxglove had immediately rushed to her side and was almost hiding behind her. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know... I just don’t know...”

Slowly we began to walk again. None of us said a word but I could feel it. We were scared. We were all so scared.

High-Voltage.

When I had heard the name I didn’t know what to expect but for once the name seemed logical. We approached a checkpoint in the chain link fence surrounding what remained of an old coal power station. Two huge cooling towers dominated the view before us with several skinny red brick chimneys poking up into the low hanging cloud. The towers rose out of a collection of squat industrial buildings mixed with collections of pipes that ran round the site. Light from windows crudely mounted into the face of the cooling towers punched out into the gloom; very much like the core of stable Seventeen. Just not as well built and taller. Much taller.

“Those things are huge.” Ripsaw whistled sounding impressed.

“I wonder how many ponies live here?” Helix mused.

“A lot less than a few weeks ago.”

We had been so preoccupied by the towers that we had almost walked straight into the outer gate of the city. The guards were armed but that was not what made me jump. All eight ponies were wearing yellow biohazard suits with guns mounted in harnessed on either side. The one that had addressed us had stepped forward unclipping a pistol. He didn’t draw it, but I could tell that he was just waiting for them moment we made a wrong move.

“I am sorry but High-Voltage is under quarantine.”

“Quarantine?” Foxglove asked. “From what?”

“The Pony Pox.” The guard sounded very worried. “I have to ask you to keep moving. No pony is going in or out.”

“Why such strong measures?” Helix moved to my side. “Pony Pox is far from lethal if treated correctly.”

The guard seemed to do a double take inside his suit. “What world are you living in, there is no cure for Pony Pox.”

“I am a Chemist and Biologist and I can tell you that there is a cure for Pony Pox.” Helix replied simply.

“In whose world?” The guard skeptically. “Now get moving or do I have to start using force.”

The guard rapidly drew his weapons as Helix magically opened her saddlebags, but relaxed a fraction as he saw her draw out a book.

“Page two, zero, three. Common viruses, their associated antiviral drugs and vaccinations.” Helix floated it over for him to read.

The guard slowly scanned the first few lines his eyes widening as he read. He looked at us all curiously. “Who are you ponies?”

“From what you have said it seems we are the answer to all your problems.”

The guard glanced back at his colleagues. One of them nodded slowly.

“Right, two of you are coming with me, the rest must stay here. We will get opinion from a professional and see how legitimate this cure is. You.” He pointed at Helix. “Who is coming with you?”

“Francium, you are with me on this one.” Helix said imperiously, holding her head high; she seemed to like being the one in charge. ‘But you knew that already didn’t you.’ my inner pony added slyly.

Not now!

The two of us followed the guard into a small wooden hut that been erected at the entrance. Inside were another pair of ponies who were sitting at a desk covered in monitors. One of the ponies was a cream coloured aging mare with a prematurely grey mane and tail, The other a tangerine buck. I was surprised that neither was wearing a bio-suit. The screens seemed to be cycling images from all over High Voltage; the perimeter fence, a collection of shops, public areas, other security rooms. But all the rooms were empty bar one which was up permanently on the largest screen. It seemed to be a gym or sports room, judging by the courts marked out on the floor, but the floor was barely visible through rows and rows of ponies curled up and lying down in lines. Other ponies in suits moved between the lines, handing out water.

As I watched, a commotion in the top corner of the screen drew my gaze. A buck was jerking and shaking violently on the floor. Suited ponies were rushing to his side. I expected them to pull out some potion or injection for him, but all they did was hold him down. The shaking continued for almost a whole minute before he slowly stopped and fell limp.

“Oh no...” Helix gasped.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked.

“He had a seizure. The virus attacks the brainstem and causes total loss of bodily control. In that minute he wouldn’t have breathed once; he would have died of asphyxiation.” Helix said softly. We watched as two ponies in suits carried the poor buck away, his limp body hanging between them.

“But, I’ve had pony pox and its nothing like that... I just got spots and felt very weak.”

“The feeling of weakness is linked to the brainstem damage. The spots are brought on by a loss of hormonal control and the resulting imbalances. We got to you within a few hours of you catching the virus... these ponies...”

“Its been weeks.” The cream pony at the desk turned round. “This is the slowest but most debilitating version of the virus I have ever seen.” The mare stood up and pulled off a muzzle mask. “What are these two here for Clear Shot”

“This one here says she has a cure for pony pox.” Clear Shot pointed a hoof at Helix.

The cream mare’s eyes widened. “A cure? Impossible.”

“Not impossible, just forgotten.” Helix levitated over the book for the mare to see. “Who are you may I ask?”

“Stitches. I’m the doctor from Viewpoint.” She scanned the page, looking more bewildered with every line. “Where did you get this?” She waggled the book.

“I’d rather not say...” Helix said gingerly.

“Hmmm, is that so...” Stitches gave us a level stare. “But in your favour this looks to be real enough. I know most of the ingredients and their general properties. Its a shame getting them is next to impossible.”

“Why? It can’t be that hard... can it?” I could tell immediately from the looks that Helix and Stitches gave me that I didn’t have a clue about what I was commenting on.

“There are a few algaes, so that means going under water. Distillation and concentration of the mixture will be hard. And some fungi... you will be hard pressed to find anything like that in the wastelands.”

“Is there no way to cut corners? What about looking in the medical unit on site here? Surely a place like this has a first aid centre?” I was kind of out of my league here when it came to biology.

“It did have one but its was cleared out decades ago. Good thought though...” Stitches moved over to a filing cabinet in the corner and started rummaging through the draws. She mumbled as she searched. “Clear Shot. Is that observatory still standing?”

“You mean Starfall?” The buck looked shocked. “You’ve gotta be kidding me! You don’t want to go near that place.”

“Why not?” Why was it me asking all the dumb questions?

“You know what a Terrorhawk is?” Clear Shot said, as though I was a filly. “Its their nesting ground. Has been for donkeys years. The last team we sent up their never came back.”

“And why did you send a team up there if you knew it was dangerous.”

“As far as we are aware no one has been up there. Its an untouched resource. The site was so difficult to access that they had their own on site energy and water generation, not to mention all the other scientific equipment. Getting hold of them would be of major benefit to High Voltage. ”

Helix scratched her chin. “Stitches. If we got the ingredients how quickly could you produce a cure? You have the right equipment back in Viewpoint in the Mine’s medical bay. ”

Stitches got up sharply. “What have you been doing breaking into my office?”

“It was an emergency.” I interjected. “Helix saved a mare who had been shot.”

“Why was she shot?” Stitches asked sounding worried.

“The Stonethrowers launched an attack yesterday morning. We were there so we helped out.”

“Hmmm.” Stitches nodded approvingly. “Where had the mare been shot? Nothing too severe I hope.”

“She was shot in the head...” Helix said slowly. Stitches grey eyes widened immediately. “It was a really oblique angle, in through her right eye and out through her ear.”

“You saved a pony who had been shot through the head!” Stitches gawped. Even Clear Shot seemed impressed. “Where did you learn skills like that?”

“Again, I would rather not say.” Helix said sheepishly. I gave her a nudge. “What?”

“The signal came from inside High Voltage. We need to get in there if we are going to be able to follow up the lead.” I whispered, very aware that Clear Shot was trying to eavesdrop. “If we don’t help then the pony who the message was sent to could die before we have a chance to talk.” I thought for a moment, considering our option. “I could go and get the underwater algaes with my EVA suit. I seriously doubt anyone else has the equipment.”

“What would the rest of us do?” Helix asked. “We dare not go up to this observatory... it sounds suicidal! But we can’t help them if we don’t have all the ingredients for the cure...” She looked torn. “But they might not even want our help.” She added.

“We need to talk it over with the others but if we can help here then we can get one step closer to saving our friends. Our family.” I added firmly. “We have to. Its our only option.”

“It wouldn’t be if you hadn’t blown that raiders brains out.” Helix said cooly. I felt my stomach twist. “But if this works then it won’t have been a total loss.

I stood looking out at the cold, murky, black water. Growing waves splashed and ran up the small, grey beach, whipped up by the strong wind being funneled along the narrowing valley. I shifted slightly, my hooves making shallow imprints in the spoilt sand where I stood. It struck me as odd that I was about to step into the same body of water in which the remains of stable Seventeen resided. Less than thirty miles away, round the curve of the lake, was the place that had once been my home. I had been in this water hundreds of times before, but this time it not only felt but would be a very different experience.

“Come back away from the edge.” I was snapped from my musings by Helix’s sharp voice. I had a sudden image of Ambrosia in my head and quickly backtracked away from the waters edge.

“Come here, I think we can get one more in there...” I wandered up the bank into the sickly looking grass to Helix as she pulled out another orange packet. She firmly pushed the several bags of Rad-away further down the sides of my suit. It was tight enough as it was without her adding more to my frame. With effort, Helix took what must have been the seventh bag of anti-radiation medicine and flattened it against my back. “Zip it up.”

I reached out with my magic and took hold of the zip that rested just above my tail and began drawing it up, closing up the suit. With the help of Helix I finally managed to do up the suit with seven bags of Rad-away pinned under the surface.

“Do all the tubes work?” She asked walking round to face me.

The EVA suits hadn’t designed to stop radiation; I doubted the designers could have foreseen that they would have been used anywhere else than the radiation free bubble around stable seventeen. As a result I would soon be surrounded by irradiated water with no way of stopping the radiation from penetrating my body, and the deeper I went the worse it would get.

To combat this I had to take Rad-away with me in such a way that I could drink it when my suit and helmet were on. The solution, thought up oddly by Foxglove, had been to pack the medicine inside my suit and run tubes up into my helmet so I could suck on the concoction periodically.

“Yep all good.” I responded when I had bit down gently on the valves fitted to the end if the tubes. A quick burst of flavour from each confirmed they were all working. I looked up at Helix reassuringly. “I’ll be fine. I’ve done this dozens of times.”

“I know. Its just...” She bit her lip. “Its always terrified me. Horrible dreams that one time you go out and something happens and there you are trapped underwater, water filling your lungs and you... you...” Her rush of words petered out. Her wide eyes brimmed with tears.

I sighed, pulling her into a tight hug letting her nuzzle close into my coat. Her breath was uneven on the back of my neck as she shuddered in my grasp.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered in her ear. “All this time, why didn’t you say that it frightened you?”

“If I had, I know you would’ve done your best to never go out there again, so that I wouldn’t have to worry anymore.” She sniffed. “I couldn’t replace you either if something ever happened but you were too good, too valuable to the stable. They could never replace your skills. So I put you and the stable first.”

“What about when I went inside the gas tubes?” I asked. “I could have died just as easily in there.”

“They scared me to.” She admitted, letting go to look at me. Her eyes had gone all puffy and her mane had got all messed up where she had been nuzzling me. She looked so cute. “But I didn’t mind so much for some reason. I think it was because I once had the thought that if anything did go wrong in there that the rest of the stable would probably have blown up so quickly that I never would have noticed until I ran into you at dinner with Celestia and Luna.”

‘The gas doesn’t work like that...’ My little pony prodded, but I ignored it; if it softened Helix’s nerves then I wasn’t going to go correcting it.

“You ready yet?” Clear Shot and Stitches appeared out of the long grass at our side. “The others have just set off with two of my team up to Starfall.”

“What about Foxglove? Did she go with them?” I asked nervously.

“What the yellow one. No she’s sitting in the cabin still crying her eyes out. I wish she would just get a grip; can’t stand foals.”

Helix rounded on him. “You leave her alone. She’s not a foal, she is a young mare! And for your information she has been through more in the past week than anyone her age should ever have to endure. So you are going to love and tolerate the shit out of her weather you like it or not. Understood?”

“Fine lady. Love and tolerate. Geez.” Clear Shot looked taken aback but quickly recovered. With a quick glance at Stitches he made to leave. “Oh wait, take this.” He pulled a long rod out of his saddle bags. “Harpoon, used for fishing, but I reckon you can use it to fend off any creatures you encounter down there.”

I levitated it to my side, feeling its weight in my telekinetic grasp. “Thanks.” I said surprised. He gave a quick smile and then headed back towards the gate.

“He certainly has an odd personality.” Helix mumbled as he vanished into the distance.

“He has family in High-Voltage.” Stitches said as she pulled a book out of a saddle bag. “He has been rather short with everypony since this whole thing started. He is doing surprisingly well if you ask me.”

“When did you realise what was happening?” Helix asked.

“You mean the virus? I got the message maybe fifteen, sixteen days ago. So maybe twenty days maximum. By the time I got here it was already too late to try and stop the spread.” Stitches started flicking slowly through the book. “I haven't had word if the virus has been detected in any other towns, High-Voltage and Viewpoint are quite separated. Two days walk minimum before you find another settlement.”

“So it could be spreading and we wouldn’t be informed for weeks?” Helix said fearfully. “Why are Viewpoint and High-Voltage so remote?”

“The Platinum mountain range.” Stitches said simply. “It is not the tallest range in equestria but it is the most extensive. if you were to follow the edge of this river you would eventually reach the sea and Hoofington, but that is maybe a months solid trot with no real civilisation. If you go the other way you would reach New Appleloosa, thats two to three weeks trot.”

“A month!” I doubted if anyone that was infected had got out that they would have survived long enough to pass it on. “How far is it?”

“To the Hoof... one hundred and eight miles as a pegasus flies. You could do it in four to five days if it was flat but the elevation and the winding tracks that make that impossible, unless you are a pegasus of course.”

“And to New Appleloosa?”

“First you have to go over Thunderhead pass, thats about five thousand feet of ascent. Then down around six thousand on the other side. From there, its about ten days trot across the Buffalo plains south of Appleloosa, and then another week over the Canterlot mountain range to New Appleloosa.”

“Hang on, Appleloosa and New Appleloosa?” A flag went up in my head. “Mantis, the cook at Tabithas Treats, he said he was from New Appleloosa. So what’s Appleloosa?”

“Now, as far as I know, its a slaver town.” Stitches shuddered. “About six years ago it was just the remains of a pre-war earth pony town but since then its been colonised by slavers. Someone needs to go in there and burn the place to the ground.”

I could feel a wave of questions building up inside me. If anyone would know where the rest of our stable could have been taken it would be other slavers or raiders but something else was bugging me.

“Helix... I know this is thinking along way ahead, but suppose...” I faltered.

“Suppose what?” She said encouragingly.

“What happens when we get everyone back? Say we find everyone; Lillypad, Bramble, Jib, Boom, Heather, what do we do with them once we get them back. We would have nowhere safe to keep forty new ponies. We can barely keep the seven of us safe...”

“So...” She added while I thought.

“So I was thinking. What would we need to get stable Seventeen back up and running? Where could we find parts? Or more importantly, schematics and plans.”

“If you want to know anything about Stable-Tech you would need to go to one of their branches.” Stitches cut in. “Their headquarters were in Fillydelphia but they had other buildings in Manehatten, Hoofington, Canterlot and loads of other cities.”

“How come you know so much?”

“Before I settled down in Viewpoint I was a traveling doctor; you know, food and shelter in exchange for my skills. I have been to many places. Seen many things. Heard rumours.” Her voice was almost conspiratorial. “There are things out there. Things you really are best off not knowing.”

“What? To do with Stable-Tech?” I could feel worry building inside me.

“Stable-Tech. The ministries. The ministry mares. The princesses. They all had secrets.” She spoke like she was being watched. ‘Perhaps we are?’ my little pony thought in a worried tone.

I thought for a moment, contemplating.

“Have you ever heard of Project Nightmare?” I asked.

“Can’t say that I have.” Stitches shrugged.

“Stable-Tech research and development?”

“Nope, fraid not.” But she paused. “But I might know some pony who does.” I felt a grin spread across my face. “Why do you ask?”

“I will tell you when I get back.” Helix just rolled her eyes.

Helix passed me a packet of Rad-X. I quickly chewed and swallowed two pills, ignoring the rather disgusting taste. I turned and looked out once again at the lake. I glanced down at my suit. The sand clung to its matt black surface, glinting slightly in the light. I felt a gentle hoof on my shoulder and I let Helix draw me into a hug once more.

“You be careful down there. Promise me you will be careful.” She took my head in her soft purple hooves and looked deep into my eyes.

“I promise...my love.” I added carefully.

“My love.” She ran a hoof gently across my face and then leant in slowly and kissed my forehead.

Helix levitated up my helmet and began to slide it over my head. She moved out of the way as the lip of the helmet passed in front of my muzzle, cutting her off from me. I felt a tingle run down my body as my horn slipped through the rubber flange, tickling and teasing me. With an firm click the helmet made its seal with the rest of my suit.

“See you soon.” I gave my love one last look before I turned and began to walk into the murky depths of the lake. A lake that had once been my home.

Footnote: Level Up!
New Perk: “What Doesn't Kill You...” - You have finally experienced the horrific nature of the Wasteland first hoof and survived. You are tougher and brutal, if more cynical, for it. +1% damage for every kill in a single round of combat, up to 25%

[Thank you to MusicByOctavia for letting me add that extra level of detail!]