"So, you said she was like Isaac... but what does that even mean?" I barely heard Brass speak, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the last five minutes.

I don't know why it was affecting me so much! It was one kiss! Not to mention, he deserves it after everything I've put him through, so why can't my brain just let it go? I had thought I could finally put Sprocket behind me as well, but now I don't know if I'll ever get over losing him. I put my hooves over my head and let out a whine as the gears in my mind attempted to sort out a thousand different things at once.

"BACKLASH." Brass screamed out into my ear, startling me enough to where I had actually gotten up to my hooves. I panicked and looked over to him, trying to see what he was calling out for. He was just standing there with a bored expression on his face, staring as if he expected something from me.

"What?" I finally gave in and blurted out as the silence drug on, getting him to facehoof with a sigh. Why would he facehoof? What the hell did I do wrong?

"I asked you a question and you just kinda sat there, staring off into space." He rolled his eyes and pointed to the door. "We need to focus if we are to get out of here."

Right, priority number one. "So, any ideas?" I asked as I planted my flank on the floor. I hoped he had something good, cause I sure as hell had nothing.

"Well, you said that your guard was like Isaac, but you never explained Exactly what Isaac even is!" He waved his hooves around in mock frustration. "The thing is, if you mean she is more robot than mare, then maybe there is a way that we can turn her off or something."

"Yeah, what I really need are a couple of those magnetic... mines... that were stuck to...." I stopped as the turning gears now worked in unison to feed me details from yesterday.

"Backlash... did I break you again?" Brass said with a hint of playfulness.

"Luna, how could I have missed that!?" I said as a smile crept across my muzzle. Oh, I can be stupid some times, but this idea might just make up for every single time I was! "When Longbow and I had found Isaac, he was stranded in Minefield. A MAGNETIC mine was what had been keeping his systems from rebooting." If this idea actually works, it could be our ticket out of here! Brass's expression shifted to one of confusion.

"But, how does that help us?" He was looking at me as if I had finally just snapped and lost it.

"The Orchard door!" I exclaimed, my smile now stretching from ear to ear. "Xin told me that it was magnetically sealed!"

Brass mouthed the words to himself as a smile started to form on his muzzle as well. "You know, that could work. If you can gain access to the locking mechanism, and if you could find a way to swap the polarity fast enough, you might just be able to create a pulse weapon effect!" He jumped up and hung around my neck as he giggled. "With magnets strong enough to hold a 30 ton door in place, I'm sure that it will corrupt her systems enough that they will just fry then and there!"

"Yeah..." My smile shrunk into a grimace as I hugged him back, hearing the voice of B.I.T. run through my head again. I sighed heavily. "Everypony gets a second chance..."

"Wait, what?" Brass dropped off me and looked up in surprise.

"I can't let myself become the monster that ponies like 42 are too comfortable being." I mumbled out, groaning as I pulled myself to my hooves, finally able to use my rear legs again somewhat. "I have to at least give her a chance. Something I should have done yesterday."

"Backlash, they are holding us here and forcing us to work for them. They made the choice to do it." Brass kicked at the dirt floor with his hoof. "Doesn't that mean they forfeit their right to a second chance?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I can just..." I was interrupted by the sounds of hooves on the trail outside slowly approaching us, not just that, but I could tell it was more than one pony heading our way. Brass and I backed away from the door as they stopped just outside of it. The door creaked open slowly, revealing an unclothed Xin, while behind her stood Pariah, looking just as irritated as ever. The two entered without so much as a single word, Pariah looking to Xin and nodding.

"Kid, I can assume that after yesterday's incident, you won't try anything against Xin today." Pariah grumbled as Xin flipped open a saddlebag he was wearing, hoofing out a pair of bottled waters. My throat felt completely dry as I eyed them eagerly. After Lodge fixed me up, I haven't had anything to eat or drink with little reminder from it. Now that sustenance was staring me in the face, my body had a whole lot to complain about.

I nodded in response, salivating over the thought of a meal. Besides, I won't have to fight her again one way or another as she'll either agree's to help us, I.E. her second chance, or I hit her with the pulse. Well, if I can rig it up that is. With my nod, Xin tossed the two bottles at us, reaching into Pariah's pack again and pulling out a pair of canned beans. My stomach groaned in anticipation of food as my mind did the same in disgust from the flavor. Brass practically dove for the water, his horn sparking slightly as he tried unsuccessfully to grasp the bottle with his magic.

"What do you expect to find inside the Orchard?" I asked as I hooved my water toward me, sitting down once again. I poked Brass on the shoulder to get his attention before grasping the bottle in both hooves and using my mouth to twist the cap off. He smiled and did the same.

"Caps, buckets and buckets of caps." He replied with a fairly disingenuous tone. "This town is sinking. Most of the mine was cleared out during the last few years of the war, and blasting does nothing but uncover more and more of this impenetrable facility." He sighed, watching me as I chugged down the warm water in one go. I probably should have enjoyed it, but I didn't realize just how thirsty I was until it was gone. "It's not worth exploring any deeper with this just sitting up here. I know there's valuable arcano-tech inside, I just need that door opened."

Xin balanced one of the cans of beans on her hoof, sliding her other hoof around the top, popping it off after only a few moments. That was a pretty neat trick, seeing as I normally had to use my rusty ass can opener, but once again, that's probably lost forever in the East Orchard. Back to what Pariah said, it made sense, but he wasn't telling me the whole story. I want to know what he's hiding, but I'll have to wait until I've dealt with Xin.

Speaking of, she reached back and tossed the can over. I was about to complain, but it smacked straight down on the dirt, resting in a divot just large enough in the floor to catch it. That was... impressive, although, less so if you are just a zebra shaped a computer. Isaac has personality, compared to Xin, while she just seems like she's running processes and programs. I tossed the water bottle aside and picked up the can of beans, slurping them down eagerly.

Damnit, I lost bean roulette again. Whatever, I just need to eat!

Brass had already been doing the same and was currently licking the can clean. My mind drifted momentarily as an odd question floated into my mind. Does being a ghoul change how you taste? My ear flicked, interrupting my thoughts as the sound of hooves approaching quickly caught all of our attention. In the orange of the fluorescent light, the grey stallion from the house we arrived in ran up, a look of distress weighing heavily on his face.

"Mr. Pariah, Sir. I was just got word from the lookout tower that something is headed this way. It's nothing like what she's sent before, so they need you down there." He spoke through his heavy panting, seeming really out of breath for a fit looking earth pony (at least I have the excuse of being overweight). Although, it's just another check mark on the list of weird things about the ponies in this town. I'm glad that Sky and I never went further in or stayed longer than we did.

Well, if we had, I might have found out the conditions to the mine sooner. Maybe with Sky behind me we could have made a difference earlier.

"Fine, tell them I'll be down there in a minute. Go make sure that Righteous is up and help her get the workers into the mine. If it isn't the pink gangers' 'daily' checkup again, this isn't going to be pretty." Pariah turned and glared at me, giving me a look that he wanted burned into my very soul. "I had Xin move the rubble from the door for you. Yesterday, I wanted to see if you would be willing to at least work with us, and it is obvious you do not."

He walked toward me, not shifting his gaze at all. The fires of anger that burned inside him were well stoked from the years of hardship, and his look told me that he was ready and willing to take it all out on me.

"Oh, and I did happen to hear that you are one of the traders that deal with my town. Forge and Anvil down at the post told me all about how phenomenal your repair work is." A smile slowly knit it's way across his muzzle as he spoke. "If you really are that good at repairs, I expect that door open by the time I'm done dealing with whatever is down at the gate."

"And if I can't?" I asked, trying to keep my own expression from wavering. I know I can't intimidate him, but I have to at least try.

He squinted for a moment, taking in my own expression before turning away toward the door. He stepped halfway out of it before looking back to me. "Then I will kill both you and your monster companion."

With my legs feeling stronger than yesterday, it hadn't been so much of a hassle to follow Xin back up the mountain side. For the first time in nearly a month, my vision was clear of any pink or purple flashing bars or symbols. Having lost the vest and my saddlebags didn't bother me, but the Pipbuck? To be walking around without it just felt... odd.

Xin lead me back inside the cavern. A set of floodlights had been hooked up to a line of spark batteries and filled the cavern with enough light that it could have passed for daytime. I looked over to the corner I was supposed to work on yesterday, and sure enough, it had been cleared. The battered, yellow control panel sat out in the open, most of the lights on it were either too dim to see or not working, but to be honest I was surprised to see it standing at all.

I looked over to Xin as she tugged the rope around my neck, deftly throwing it up and off me will little effort. "So you are a machine." I asked as I looked over her, watching as she rolled her eyes and held her hoof toward the door panel.

"It matters not. You must work." She urged, a tone of shameful anxiousness coming across her words. She really didn't want to discuss it, but then again, with a secret like that, who would?

"I think it does matter." I tried to keep a calm face while walking slowly, trying to fake that my legs were still weak while I kept my eye on her for a reaction. "Seeing as I repaired another like you just a few days ago."

Her eyes widened only momentarily, just enough for me to know that I might be able to exploit her. "That is impossible. I am the only one of my kind." She was being dismissive again, and doing a very poor job at it. "You are telling lies."

"Well, that itself was just a lie." I stopped in front of the console, turning to stare into her eyes as I smiled. "I don't know what Anvil or Forge told Pariah, but ponies can't lie to me. Even if they are machines." I turned away from her when her expression turned to one of scorn. "I think that you know of Isaac, and that you may in fact know how he came to end up in that minefield."

"And I would love for you to fill me in on who he was," I kicked at the battered panel before me, knocking the covering off of it to reveal a twisted mass of multicolored wiring and tubes. The branching sections hadn't been marked, and crisscrossed in a fashion that I didn't think even Twilight Sparkle herself could have figured out! Celestia, who the hell designed this thing!? I sighed and leaned down, looking around inside it as I continued. "Seeing as you are a zebra as well, I'm going to guess you were his wife?"

"I... I am his sister!" She sounded almost offended as I hoofed whole bundles apart in my search for the connector that controlled the magnetic locks. The gears in my head started turning, trying to figure something out, but I was only half paying attention. So Isaac was her brother. That... didn't make sense at all.

"You two can't be siblings. You let him run all the way to Minefield and you didn't even LOOK for him?" I layed down, rolling onto my back and scooting myself so my head partially fit into the control housing. I used my hoof to trace my way through the spell circuits, from the door open switch, back to the emergency safety release button, and then to what should be the magnetic seal controller. "Family doesn't just abandon family."

"I... but..." She stammered. She didn't expect me to be asking these sorts of questions. "I raised him until we were both brought into the program. After Xellos's accident, he ran off and Pariah forbid me to go after him." Although off balance, she was recovering quickly. "No further questions, only work."

This at least sort of explained her treatment of Brass. Maybe she is trying to care for him because Isaac is gone? Wait... Xelos, not Isaac. You know what, I'll let him choose which one he wants whenever I get back. I stopped for a moment as the sound of high caliber, automatic gunfire filled the air outside, in mere moments it sounded like the center of town had become a warzone. I did my best to stay cool. I can get out of here if I just...

The gears in my head finished working, reminding me that for there to be a pulse, I need some sort of timing mechanism or program. Specifically, one I could have easily gotten from the pipbuck had I not lost it. Although, I might not need it with as defensive as Xin has gotten. She may still agree to help me when presented with the idea of a second chance.

"So, why not help me?" I called up, hoofing the magnet control wires out from it's place carefully. "Help me get out of here and I can take you to see him. I'm sure he'd love to have you help him remember everything." I popped my head out of the console and looked up, Xin's eyes darting about as she weighed the possibilities. Her muzzle grew a malevolent smile as she slowly dropped her vision down to me.

"I don't owe Pariah anymore, and will journey with you to my brother." She spoke honestly, but her words implied much more than she was saying. "Tell me where he is and I shall help you."

She lied, and not even well at that! Even after I told her that I could see through her attempted deception, she still tried to get it past me. Though I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as every pony who knows still tries to deceive me at one point or another. The gears in my head turned and threw out another idea. The perfect plan if she doesn't accept my offer.

"Really? You'd help me out for a second chance?" I did my best to keep myself sounding genuine, waiting for her to either take the bait, or surprise me with a sincere answer.

"As long as you tell me where he is, I will get you out." She smiled, her friendly words absolutely dripping with guile. I wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment, but I had to keep up the act if I was to get the pulse working. I don't know if I should feel happy that I was right about her all along, or if I should feel sorry for her.

The sound of gunfire was getting louder. Whoever they were fighting down there was pushing their way through town quite fast. "Well, in that case, we should get this door open!" I smiled and ducked my head back into the mass of wires, slowly swapping the magnet control wires into the emergency safety release button. "But in order to do that, I need your help in activating the emergency safety release. If you hit the button fast enough, it should fool the system into freezing the locking bolts in the open position when I apply power to it."

"Why open the door?" She rose her voice, now trying to compete with the gunfire outside. "Why don't you tell me where we must go, before it's too late!" Worry came through her hesitant words as I stalled.

"Because with the door open, Pariah has a better chance of just letting us go! He would be too busy digging through the Orchard to care about chasing us!" I shouted back, scooting myself out from inside the console. "If you want to go, you need to hoof the button as fast as your robotic limbs can!" I watched as she cringed at the idea of wasting any more time, but shoved herself past me to the console, furiously hoofing the button faster than I've ever seen anypony move a limb.

But she fell right into the trap. You see, once I hit the power button on the board, every time she hooved the button, the magnets will register a switch between on and off. In doing so at that speed, it will overtax the system and boost the power to the magnets all at once. The strain should be enough that they will either melt and screw me, or create the pulse I need a moment before they explode.

I stepped beside her, closed my eyes, and switched on the panel.

There was a sharp pop which was immediately followed by what sounded like the miners down below blasting again. The only sound that followed was the heavy thud of Xin beside me. I opened my eyes to see that the room was completely dark, even the old terminal in the portable was dark now. I turned around, only able to see the exit by the fact that the sky was growing lighter outside as the sun rose.

"Hah! It worked!" I shouted to myself, particularly proud of not getting myself killed. The pulse should have been strong enough that even a robot as advanced as Xin was should have had its whole system corrupted. I started toward the door, stopping for a moment as two things hit me. One, the gunfire was really dying down outside, which means that Pariah's forces could have repelled the attackers, or the towns folk were all but wiped out.

The second actually sent a wave of guilt through me. I had just killed Xin, the only family member and link to Isaac's past that he had left. How would he react when I tell him all of this? What will he do to me if he ever remember's who he is? I was pulled from my head as the panicked hoofsteps of somepony echoed up the trail outside. But they weren't normal hoofsteps, they had an odd gait to them.

The door flung open from Lodge's magic, his aura casting a small amount of light as he came in and shut the door behind him. He looked like he was scared shitless as he sat back against the door and floated a tab of buck out from the saddlebags he was wearing, crunching into it as his eyes darted around the darkened cavern. My ears picked up another sound coming up the trail. He might not have ever heard it before, but oh I was ever so glad to hear it.

"Hello, Lodge." I called out with a smile. He whined and used his horn to brighten the room a bit. I paced slowly as he looked around for a moment, spotting Xin behind me before trying to compose himself. So, round two. "Feel like making a bet?"

"We don't have time for that, you foal! We need to hide!" His normal snarkiness was gone, replaced by sheer cowardice. The dull thudding of the dual arcano-tech engines outside was punctuated by the hiss and thump of each step as ED climbed the rocky trail up to us.

"The machine outside is my friend, coming here to rescue me and kill all who stand in her way. I can guarantee your life if you win the bet." I spoke slowly, letting each word sink deep as he followed my movement. This was the one thing useful that I took from Sorbet while I was at the base, and I hoped it worked on Lodge a whole lot better than it did on me. "Just answer me four questions truthfully."

"FINE, fine!" He called out, P.I.N.K.'s heavy steps crawling closer and closer. "Just ask!"

"Do you still have the Pipbuck removal tool with you?" I beamed a smile to him, watching as his horn pulled the orange tool from his bags momentarily. He nodded softly and waved his hoof, trying to get me to ask the next question. I hesitated for a moment, enjoying him squirm as P.I.N.K. came to a stop outside the door. "What are you carrying in you're saddlebags?"

"T... the whole damn infirmary! Potions, Med-X, Mint-als, everything!" He closed his eyes and shouted to me. "Why are you doing this to me!?"

"Next question. And this one is important, so listen up." I stopped and glared at him, waiting for him to open his eyes before continuing. "If you live through this, can you honestly tell me that you will never exploit or rip off a pony again?"

He gasped at that, looking as appalled as if the suggestion itself was an insult to his own mother. "No, I will not! First of all I don't rip ponies off, I charge them a fair amount for the work that I do. Secondly, if they can't pay, what do you expect me to do? Just let them go?" He dropped the scared attitude pretty quickly as it looked like his true morals were showing now.

"Yes Lodge, I do." I shook my head. I had really hoped that he would agree. The wasteland could use another doctor like Dr. Fits. "And my last question is, are you sure about that answer?"

"Fuck you. You come in here and have me save your life, and you EXPECT me to just give up on making caps?" He got to his hooves, taking a step toward me. "You know, I bet I could just paralyze you again and hold you hostage."

"Have it your way." I called out, taking a step back. I didn't want to do this, but I gave him his second chance. "Hey B.I.T.!" I stopped walking back as my pipbuck chirped from around his forehoof. "Use every Med-X he's got."

The smile on his face dimmed as he went ridged, slumping over as the light from his horn slowly softened. I walked up to him, hoofing open his saddlebag and pulling the orange tool from it. I bit down on it, jamming it into the pipbuck on his leg and popping it open. As I slid it off, I stared into his eyes as the last amount of life bled out of them.

"I told you, I only gamble when I can afford it." I remarked as I hoofed the pink device over my leg, snapping it snuggly shut. The purple compass and indicators filled my vision again, letting me finally breath a sigh of relief. I snagged his medical saddlebags and swung them onto me. I turned to the door, walking up and swinging it open to be immediately blinded by the pink light flooding onto me.

"Heya there, Chief!" The bubbly voice of P.I.N.K. roared through the air, the massive robot towering in front of me as I walked out of the cave. I held my hoof up, shielding my eyes against the bright pink headlamps under ED focused in on me. "Wow, you shaved! Though, just between you and me, I think your flank looked better with fur on it."

"Suggestion noted." I said, not helping but smile. She dimmed the headlights down enough to where I could look over her. ED was covered in a mix of thick mud and deep red splotches on the legs and underbelly. "You've got red on you..."

"Oh, well I've been following your Pipbuck tag for the last few days. But about a half hour ago, I ran into a whole gang of forty two's goons heading this direction! I just HAD to stop by and say hello." She stomped and turned around. "It's not MY fault that they think I'm some sort of wasteland monstrosity and tried to kill me."

"Backlash!" Brass called from atop P.I.N.K. "Hurry up and let's get out of this place!"

"We can't, not just yet." I trot between ED's legs as I talked. The sun was finally brightening up the sky, casting an orange hue through the thin mountain clouds that filtered over the jagged landscape. I could barely make it out, but the town below looked to be bustling. the ponies there were probably trying to set up hastily built defensive positions. Oh Celestia, why is it that I have to concern myself with defences, ambushes, and bad guys!? I just wanted to be a successful trader!

"Chief Backlash, wait!" P.I.N.K. roared as she turned ED around. "After you left with the others on the boat, I found this sitting on the riverbank!" There was a light hiss as the compartment the wireless box used to be in opened, my old, worn out and slightly muddied saddlebags dropped to the dirt with a thud.

"You found my stuff!" I yelled jubilantly, smiling widely as I kicked off Lodge's bags. "Brass, take these bags. They are full of medical supplies we might need." I trotted back up under ED, biting down on the bags and swinging them over onto me, loving the familiar feeling of the worn straps over my back. I sat down and lifted my left hoof, flipping through the Pipbuck screens to get to the inventory.

For weapons, I had 42's revolver, which was in ok condition. Heart Stopper, which was still in amazing condition, but that's to be expected considering that I only fired the 4 shells I had for it. Some energy pistol named Shining Defender with 2 shots, which was probably the one I had taken from the facility. And lastly, the Party Cannon, which as the Pipbuck told me, was nearly destroyed. I had no medical supplies, but that was fine, seeing as I had just inherited some. As for the other things still left in here... my Pipbuck connection cable! I How it didn't get dumped out in the East Orchard facility, I'll never know, but thank Celestia I found it!

I pulled my hoof away as Pipbuck beeped, the screen switching to the smiling face of B.I.T. as she scrolled text across the screen.

"I would love to, but I'd kinda like to deal with Pariah first." I pulled myself back up to my hooves and started to head along the trail again, P.I.N.K. stomping along behind me slowly. "His treatment of the mine workers is unacceptable. Safty equipment can be found for cheap everywhere, so there are no excuses for skimping on it other than greed." I glanced down as B.I.T. tried to get my attention again, a frowning face appearing on the pipbuck as I stopped to look at it.

"I will make sure to give him the choice, but so far both Xin and Lodge turned it down. I'm not sure that Pariah will be any different, given his history with the Ministry." I sighed and shook my head.

By the time I had made it down past Pariah's cabin, the day had grown light enough that I could see the huddled groups of guard ponies hiding behind their hastily put together barricades of wood scraps and old furniture. As we approached, Pariah stepped out into the middle of the street up ahead, his mouth clenched tightly around the bit of an old battle saddle. Even from as far off I was, I could tell that the old rifles strapped to it were heavily rusted. Was there even a chance that I could convince him? The sharp report of one of his rifles made me stop as a small plume of dust kicked up to my right.

"That's far enough!" He shouted from around the bit to me as the dozen or so other ponies kept their guns trained on me. "You come into MY town, require MY help, and this is how you repay me?" He let go of the bit and spit on the dirt, glaring at me with the rage he has held inside for over a century. "The Ministry just can't leave well enough alone, can it? You just HAVE to keep SCREWING UP MY LIFE!"

"Pariah, I realize that the Ministry of Morale mistreated your family before the war, but take a look around you!" I sat down and swung my hooves out around me. "Don't you think we all know what the Ministries did!? We live in a landscape THEY helped craft, where ponies, zebra's, and even donkeys suffer together every day."

"Don't you patronize me, kid!" He stomped his hoof and shook his head. "I've seen more misery from folks who didn't deserve it than you ever will, and that was even from before the bombs fell!"

"That's exactly my point!" I waved my hooves about wildly before setting them down again. "The condition's down in the mine are abhorrent without safety gear." I turned my gaze over to one of the stallions behind a barricade, finding it was the same charcoal-colored stallion from the last few days. I softened my gaze to reinforce my sincerity, hoping I could at least reach him with my words. "You would have originally just killed him, but instead, you forced Brass to work in there. He's not much older than a Colt, for Luna's sake! Is that how you see children? As little more than just weak workers?"

The pony's gaze wavered for a moment, thinking over my statement. A few of the other ponies turned their guns away as they too thought it over.

"You know nothing about running a business, let alone about running MY town!" Pariah belted out, his annoyance growing out from his face as he began to tremble in rage.

"But it isn't YOUR town. It's theirs as well!" I frowned and looked over each and every pony working for him. "And you said it yourself, Forge and Anvil told you all about my merchant status! You know I'm a successful business stallion, and if I can see that the lacking safety equipment and foal labor is a bad investment, what does that say about your management priorities?"

The guard ponies looked about to each other, a few of them shrugging before leveling their guns back to me again. I guess that it pays to be loyal in this town, even with the case against his actions being as bad as it is. Maybe when my standoff is done, however it ends, a few of them will realize what I was trying to say and act.

"You're right." Pariah gave with a sigh. "Using foals to mine gemstones is wrong, AND the workers need safety gear." He looked around with a shameful look on his face as the workers started to whisper amongst themselves. "I didn't want the townsfolk to know, but it is time to come clean." He turned his head and pulled the quick release on his saddle, letting it fall to the ground. "LISTEN UP! This town is failing."

There was a collective gasp given by the guards, silenced as Pariah cleared his throat. "The cost to run the drills is too high, and the amount of gems we are pulling no longer covers the cost for trading for food and medical supplies." He slumped his head and looked around to each group before slowly dropping himself to the dirt. "I am sorry, I had hoped that a large lode would had been discovered by now."

"Pariah, I know you have had problems with the Ministries in the past, but I can help you." I called out, getting to my hooves. "I can negotiate a cheaper price for your alcohol at the Pool. It's not a permanent fix, but it should keep the town going until can get the facility opened for you."

Pariah looked up with a mix of shock and sadness. "You would do that?" He shook his head slowly, his face forming a scowl. "Why. Why would you do that, even after everything I've done?" He got to his hooves with a snarl. "Why should I even trust YOU of all ponies!?"

Why should he? I could say that I'm not like the ponies from the ministry before the war, but he already doesn't care about that. I can't tell him that I forgive him for what he's done, because my word doesn't mean anything to him. I can't tell him to ask Forge and Anvil if I'm trustworthy because I have failed to get them what they need in the past a time or two before. My Pipbuck beeped, making me pull it up as B.I.T. displayed nothing more than a smiling face.

"Because... you want to give me a second chance." I said as I felt a small smile pull across my muzzle. "Everypony deserves a second chance."

"The same chance you gave to Xin and Lodge?" He quickly called back. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out why you came down here without them."

"You misunderstand, as I did offer them a second chance." I took a step forward slowly, making sure that the guard ponies know I wasn't trying to deceive them. "And when offered, they instead attempted to kill me." I raised my voice and continued, calling out for everypony to hear. "If I had no intention of offering you a second chance of your own, the walking machine of death behind me would have killed you already!"

My Pipbuck beeped again, an audiolog clicked and started to play. B.I.T. had recorded the entire conversation between Lodge and I, bringing the credibility I needed to my words. As the log clicked off, the guards ponies began buzzing with whispers again. I kept my eyes pinned to Pariah's face, watching as his seething rage dropped away bit by bit.

"You would just, give me a second chance?" Pariah started to speak slowly, his voice now conveying the realization of his actions. He slid back down slowly onto the dirt, laying there as he thought to himself. "How could you trust me?"

I lifted up my hoof and held it out with a smile. "If the wasteland is ever going to be a better place, how can I afford not to?"

That's when I saw it.

It was like someone struck a match inside his mind, and suddenly there was light. In an instant, his eyes had softened, his face was completely relaxed save for the smile spreading across his muzzle. For what was probably the first time in over a century, Pariah beamed pure and simple happiness. The gears in my head stopped for once. Not jamming up, not straining, just purely and simply at rest.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as my brain wanted me to remember this moment. The one astounding moment that B.I.T. had tried to tell me about, but I had been too ignorant to see. Not to mention, from the start, Pinkie had told me that I have her gift. I knew that if I applied it correctly, then I could make anypony smile, but this was somehow so much more. I can't believe that somehow I had forgotten what pure hope looked like.

The crystalline form of B.I.T. walked around from behind me, nearly giving me a heart attack. Although, it would better explain why time felt like it had been turned off. She walked in front of me and sat down, canting her head as I waited for her to speak. If she hadn't sit there the other day and nagged me, this wouldn't have ended this way. How could I have been so stupid and ignorant to Ignore her advice? I'm such a moron.

"Chief Backlash, I believe that was the most sincere apology that you've given in the few days I've been with you." She nodded slowly as she spoke, a sense of pride coming through her words. "There just might be hope for you yet." Her encouraging words echoed in my mind as she dissolved, time creeping back to it's normal pace.

"So, do you accept!?" Brass shouted from my side without warning.

"DEAR CELESTIA!" I screamed as I felt like I could have jumped to the moon from fright. "Why must everypony sneak up on me!" I sat down and wrapped a hoof around him, pulling him close and giving him a soft noogie across his mane.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry!" He giggled and flailed his hooves at me.

"If you really can help me save this town, Kid, you have yourself a deal." Pariah spoke as he walked up, holding a hoof out as a gesture of friendship. I took it in my hoof, shaking it as I met his gaze. I knew it was going to be a long and tough process to get this town back on it's feet, but if there was a chance, I was damn well going to take it! I'm tired of leaving nothing but destruction in my wake, it's time to fix some things for once!

I detached the transfer cable from my Pipbuck, biting down on it and yanking the other end from ED's leg. My E.F.S. fuzzed away for a moment before popping back up in the bright pink I had when it was first put on me, seeming glaringly bright compared to the purple I had been stuck with. I shrugged it off and checked myself over again, hoofing Xin's wide brimmed hat up on my forehead so I could actually see around me.

Brass was fidgeting with the slightly oversized leather jacket he was given, grumbling to himself about how he wishes he had learned the clothing alteration spell his mother always used. I wished that he could use that spell as well, because Xin's coat was not made for a pony my size! It fit just about as well as DJ Pon3's vest, which meant that my entire chest and belly were exposed. Well, less for my stomach due to the coat hanging down to nearly touch the ground.

With 42 controlling the Pool, Brass had thought that we would need some sort of disguise to get inside unnoticed. Pariah had been kind enough to let me use Xin's coat and hat at my request, as I assume that if it had worked for her, than it should work for me!

"Now, you are sure that you can secure the alcohol contract for cheaper than 10 caps a gallon?" Pariah asked for the third time, still sounding as unconvinced as the first time. "That's as high as I can go, given what little the town has left."

"Yes, I can." I sat down and hooved at my saddlebags, making sure that they sat correctly under the coat. "Peppermint Schnapps is an old friend of mine, and one of the best brewers around! Don't worry, I'll get her next shipment and bring it back myself if I have to. I promise." I grinned to try to reassure him. Even with the grin though, he wasn't convinced. "Now, it's a two day's hike to get to the Pool, so don't expect me to be back any earlier than four days from now." I looked over a selection of other assorted item's that had belonged to Xin, seeing if anything else might prove useful. I stopped as I glanced over a small spyglass with intricate etchings on it, a single powergem sat on the side of the tube.

I smiled as I realized that it was an old light amplification tube. They were something that had been developed before the war to help traders if they got stuck in the everfree forest at night, allowing them to see enough to get to shelter. They had six or so different models on display at the Baltimare Museum of commerce, and they had always fascinated me. Other than a few surface scratches, this one seemed to be intact and in incredible condition!

"Backlash, are you sure this is a good idea?" Brass stepped over and put a hoof on my shoulder, the oversized armor making it hard to take him seriously. "Heading right into Forty Two's domain just feels like a really bad idea. She's always been one step ahead of us." He was more than just concerned this time. He was scared, and he had every right to be. Hell, I don't want to go anywhere near the Pool, but Peppermint is the only pony I know who can help out Redwing.

"I know, Brass. But Peppermint can help, so I have to try." I gave him a soft smile. "You know, you can always go with P.I.N.K. and B.I.T. to get help." And at least that way, I'd know he was safe. Not to mention, I could sneak around better if I was alone. If I'm lucky enough, 42 will still be on the coast looking for me. If she is, then maybe Peppermint can tell me if they've moved Pallet into the Pool!

"No way." Brass smacked me with his hoof. "You said it yourself. We are family, and family sticks together!" He shouted and jumped up, throwing his hooves around me. It felt good to hear him say that, like all of the pain and suffering I had caused him had been overridden just by that simple word, Family. I hugged him back tightly.

"The townies are all out of the mine and it's sealed up." Righteous Fury called from down the street. "You sure you can trust these ponies, Dad? I can go along with them to ensure their... cooperation." Her cruelty bled through her oily words.

"No, I don't want to raise the chances of getting caught." I turned to Pariah. "Brass is small enough to be ignored, but adding another pony would make us stand out. If 42 even catches wind that I am there, she will come down onto me like nothing you have ever seen." I pointed my hoof to her as Pariah seemed to mull it over. "Not to mention, if that does happen, and she's with me? 42 won't just stop with me, she will come here and kill everypony she finds."

I walked up and gave Pariah the most honest look I could, making sure he took in every last syllable of what I was saying. "I was the one who let 42 out of her prison. I know what she is capable of, and I'm not going to be responsible for the destruction of another town at her hooves. If you still want to send somepony, I suggest one who can pull a cart and can stay out of sight. That way they can get the hell out of there with the alcohol if things end up going sideways."

"Alright, alright." Pariah said dismissively, tilting his head around my side to look past me to Righteous. "You're going to stay in town. With Lodge dead, you're the closest thing I have to a nurse, and the guards who were wounded in the fight need to be tended to. Go tell Gale that he's to meet and accompany Mr. Backlash from the Inn." He waved his hoof at her. "I meant now... go get to it."

"Yes, father." Righteous Fury sighed and trot off to somewhere.

"She keeps calling you father?" I spoke slowly as the gears in my head locked up for a moment. "I thought the whole daddy comment the other day was just a joke!"

Pariah grumbled as the frown on his muzzle drew deeper. "Look. Her and her mother came here one winter desperate for help. Her mother had strained herself so much to get here through the snow and to keep Righteous warm, that she died the night they arrived. It was just Xin, Xelos, and I back then."

His voice changed from the agitation to a mix of pride, sadness, and nostalgia. "She was only a tiny filly, barely old enough to walk at the time. So I took her in and raised her as my own." His muzzle twisted into a small smile as he continued. "She has certainly grown into her own though, even if it's not the way her mother would have raised her. It's hard to believe that it was twenty six winters ago, soon to be twenty seven in a few months. Time just flies by with as old as I am."

I reached my hoof up and pat Pariah on the back. "Don't worry, Pariah. I'll make sure that Redwing is still here for many more winters to come." I hoofed the light enhancing monocular into my saddlebags and turned around, looking up under ED to see that the headlamps underneath had once again split colors with both A.P.'s inside. The left side was bright pink, while the right was a brilliant purple.

"P.I.N.K. and B.I.T., I take it you two are finding it comfortable in there?" I smiled as Brass strolled up to my side. "I hope it is, cause it's going to be a long walk!"

"Absotootly-lootly!" The chipper voice of P.I.N.K. blasted out of the speakers.

"I find it to be acceptable." B.I.T. replied at a more manageable volume. "As for time, I estimate that it will take no longer than 2.253 days time to reach the regroup point. I will then instruct Skyline to drive your Marauder down to Redwing to meet you."

"Perfect." I tapped my hoof on one of the colossal robot's legs, getting to my hooves. "OH, and do me a favor. If you run into any more of 42's goons, you know what to do."

"Hey, P.I.N.K. and B.I.T., can I ask for a favor as well?" Brass called up from my side. "If you see any Steel Rangers out there, can you ask them to get a message to my Mother? Have them tell her that I'm alright, and that I'll... I'll be home soon." He sniffled as he finished, looking over to me and trying to hide his homesickness with a smile. One that I couldn't help but return.

"Instruction's noted, Vice Chief Tacks." B.I.T. responded promptly.

Vice Chief?

"What do you mean, vice chief?" Brass's confusion as synced up with mine as closely as it could possibly have. One of these days, I swear I'll actually be smart enough to ask before him... maybe.

"Correct." B.I.T. replied in a slightly upbeat tone. "Backlash declared you family, and without a current second in command registered, you are hereby hired and promoted to the position of Vice Chief of the Ministry of Morale."

"So... I can order you around now?" Brass said slowly. I could already see where this was going. "What if I told you to bark like a dog?" And there it is. Give somepony his age a lick of power and this is what happens.

A gasp came from P.I.N.K. through the speaker "Chief Backlash would have to clear it because he's still here, but that does sound like fun! Hey Chief, can I?"

"No." I sighed, barely resisting the urge to facehoof myself. "We need to get going, and I need you to head out for Manehattan. The quicker Sky can get here, the better." Brass and P.I.N.K. both gave out a sad sigh as I trotted past them. We have a job to do, and for once, an entire town of ponies are counting on me. Actually, it's more than that. I have to do this for Pariah, to show him that not everypony is against him, and that Pinkie's influence can still bring some light back to this all too dark wasteland.

As ED exited town ahead of us, Brass caught up to me with little effort as we wound our way down the streets, slowing down as we reached Anvil and Forge's place. The old Inn was now an amalgamation of assorted shops, with each room on the first floor stocked with one type of good or another. Being the only place to stop between Manehattan and the Pool made this building a must for most traders, but recently it looked as if they hadn't had a customer in a while.

As Brass and I stepped in through the old western double doors, we looked around for anypony. The entire place was completely silent. Either Forge or Anvil was always here to greet me whenever I showed up, but without it, the place just seemed eerie. My ear tweaked as I heard somepony approaching from outside, so I turned myself to see who it was.

Of course now I realize that I probably should have stepped back from the doors.

The pony kicked them open, causing one of the heavy wooden slabs to swing out and nail me across my right cheek. The world spun and tilted as I crashed onto my side, the dusty floorboards giving off a small plume around me. My ears were filled with a light ringing as my vision had stars shooting across it like the meteor showers in the books about the old days.

"Oh! I'm so sorry about that!" The concerned, familiar voice of a stallion called out as he stood over me, holding his hoof out. "I'm still not used to these legs."

I rolled over and took the stranger's hoof, slowly regaining my senses as I stood back up. What an odd thing for a pony to say. I shook the disorientation from my mind and looked up, finding the same charcoal coat and maned stallion who had been around for the last few days. His light green eyes told me that he was utterly ashamed what happened.

"It's perfectly fine!" I said, tasting the blood flowing down from my nose. I lifted my hoof and applied pressure to it. "Are you Gale?"

He nodded and stiffened up, saluting me in an odd fashion. "Staff Sargent Gale Streams of the enclave advanced scouting regiment, reporting for duty!"

"Enclave?" I snorted into my hoof, nearly spraying blood onto the newcomer. "Don't you... you know... need to be a pegasus or something?" I wiped my bloody nose a few times, before Brass levitated a small handkerchief over to me. I wiped it across my nose, watching in morbid curiosity as the yellow rag turned white from the blood and crumbled away in my hoof. This whole acid blood thing is getting kind of annoying to be honest.

"I am!" Gale gasped and looked slightly offended for a moment. Then, a deep sorrow flooded his eyes as he dropped his gaze to the floor. "Well, I was until last year."

With the last month of my life, I've become familiar with all kinds of weird occurrences in the wasteland. Species change though? That's a new one.

"Killing joke?" Brass asked cautiously, getting a nod from Gale. "You should consider yourself lucky. It normally doesn't let you live, you know, part of the 'Killing' in the name." Brass walked around him slowly, looking him over. "Though, why an earth pony?"

Gale sighed and shook his head. "The only reason I can think of was that before one of my missions, the other girls and I had..."

"YOU'RE A MARE!?" Brass interrupted with a volume that could only have been matched by P.I.N.K.'s. I shot a glare over to him, as he scrunched his muzzle up in realization of his rudeness. Well, at least that explained why the name sounds so much like a mare's name.

"Yes, I was." Gale continued. "We joked about what we would do if we were ever stranded below the cloudcover." He shook his hoof in dismissal and closed his eyes. (Should I just have called him, a her, or what? I'm getting pretty used to weird, but gender swapping? That just makes this more confusing.) "I thought it was funny at the time to remark about how 'There is no way in hell that I would ever make a life down here with one of the dirty earth stallions'." He kicked at the floor. "Of course, the next time I was out on maneuvers, I crash landed straight into a bush of the stuff. Now they've marked me a Dashite and have left me to die down here this way."

"So that's why you felt sympathetic when you learned I had acidic blood." I nodded and rubbed my chin, rousing a small gasp from him. (I'm just going to stick with 'him'. It'll just be easier in the long run.)

"But... How?" He stuttered and looked at me. "I had just never meant another killing joke survivor. I thought I might have been the only one." I don't know how killing joke could have slipped my mind! I've always been on the lookout for it, but I've thankfully never seen it in person. As I went to tell him he was mistaken, I felt an odd feeling in my gut that I haven't felt for a while.

"Oh, he's not!" Brass spouted out. "He mutated that way from all the taint he had in him!"

Gale blinked a few times as she froze stiff, staring at me with an uneasiness rippling throughout his body. "Oh... is that right..." He took a step back, giving me the biggest, forced smile he could. "Well then... I'll just wait outside. Far away from you and your... taint." He dipped through the double doors and nearly galloped for the entrance to town.

"Well great! Now he thinks I'm contagious!" I sat down and facehooved.

"Shouldn't we call Gale a She?" Brass asked, a light amount of guilt in his voice. I put my hoof back down and shrugged.

"I've just decided to call him a he." I groaned out, pulling myself to my hooves. "Anyway, lets get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and I'm hoping that we can scavenge on the way." I looked over to Brass as he cocked an eyebrow. "You know, stuff to trade in case my amazing charm doesn't get us a deal with Peppermint." I said with a roll of my eyes.

After grabbing some ammunition and food from one of Anvil's stock rooms, I pushed open the double doors and walked out with Brass, turning and heading for the large, red gate that sat at the end of the street. It's funny, but the last few times I've left this town, the gate and walls that protected this place, didn't seem as much like prison walls as they did to me now. A pair of earth ponies bit down on a rope and walked backwards in unison, dragging the heavy gate into the air. I nodded to Gale as we reached the opening, watching as he fell in behind us.

As the immense gate slammed down, and the open expanse of wasteland filled my gaze ahead of us, I slid Xin's hat forward. I was about to head into the heart of 42's domain with the hopes of Redwing riding on my shoulders. I pray to the goddesses that this half baked plan can actually get us through the next few days. And I pray that Skyline can drive like a mad mare.

Author's Notes:

As per the norm, this is much in thanks to Kkat for the amazing world of the equestrian wasteland. So much thanks to Somber for the inspiring story of Blackjack. Thanks to No_One, for making Hired Gun one tough mother. Thanks to Mimezinga, for Puppeh and her chicken friend. To Stonershy, for tearing out DT's heart. To John, for keeping everything so casually evil through Aideen. To Hetnu, for making Hidden never give up! To Xjuan, for asking for advice when not many others are brave enough to do so. To Vocal, for staying strong and allowing friends to help. And lastly, to Sawyer, who has been amazingly open to my ideas, as well as pitching me some amazing ones of his own.

Special shout out to Regolit, who without fail has been the best Fallout: Equestria fan any author could ask for, hooves down.

My normal thanks to Bad Pun, who like me has been far to distracted with steampunk airship deathmatches for it to be healthy. Not to mention, has been the most understanding friend a guy like me could ask for.

To the increadable IRC crew, who's insane antics put no small smiles across this old ghouls muzzle, only great big ones.

And to you, the reader. Thank you. I know that reading my story may not be shakespeare, or some amazing novel, but without you, I'm not even an author. And I thank you for helping me see myself as something I've wanted to be for so long.