Chapter 1: First Encounters
"Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria..."
I now lay upside down, my back against a wall looking back at my own reflection. Luckily for me my armor had converted into a pony shape as we passed through the mirror, portal... thing. My head throbbed not because of being chucked out of portal and into a wall, but because of the amount of pink mist that surrounded me. I rolled over and stood, still looking at the mirror. My sleek black armor formed nicely with the transformation though I looked intimidating to even myself. There was a little sticky note attached to the frame. I walked over to the mirror and read the note.
To CInder Blitz:
Hi! If your reading this seems like you made it in one piece! Either that or your slowly melting away from the pink mist and reading this at the same time. Then me putting this note here seems pretty pointless. Any way! I've sent the glass mirror to the Castle of Canterlot. You should be in a storage room. Be careful some nasty alicorns, dragons and their young, and a couple of feral ghoul filly's, and colts might be lurking around try and avoid them if you can they seem to be immune to the mist a bit. Head for Ponyville south of your location your first objective should be there. Good luck and stay safe!
Pinkie Pie~
I finished the note and looked around I was in fact in a small storage room filled with old moldy boxes stacked high to my left and some royal furniture now eaten away by time to my right.
"Well time to do whatever it is I'm here to do, but first..." I looked around the room frantically looking for what was needed before I left. I threw the boxes around till I could see the far wall, nothing. I moved the furniture though they fell apart by my simple touch, still nothing. "Where is the bloody freaking door!"
Suddenly I heard a loud thud on the other side of the wall and a ominous, sickly moan that threw a chill down my spin.
"Shard infrared sensors." I whispered suddenly my full visor turned black with the luminescent glow of heat in front of me. On the other side of the wall with the mirror was a room full of small little ghoul ponies. The sound I heard was one of the ghouls slamming their head against the wall probably drawn by the noise I was making.
"Well that looks fun. Shall I calculate how many there are sir?" Shard said casually. I swear if I could I'd be bashing Shard's head in right about now. I looked around it seemed only that room was filled with those things. I looked above me and saw a more peculiar signature very massive indeed. Above me was a dragon, not as big as I'd imagine one to be, must be a teenage dragon. I looked around a bit more and spotted the other thing Pinkie had listed, alicorns.
"You don't suppose any of these are friendly?" I asked.
"Mmmm let me estima... no... that's about right." Shard replied. Okay not helping my situation at all I looked at the pink watch pinkie had gave me. It read eight hours and was counting down. I figure that if I ever make it out of here I'd need to repay Pinkie a visit with a bullet to her cotton candy head!
"Okay... Shard run a pulse scan of the castle get a layout and find the quickest and quietest route out of this hell hole." I said. There was a brief silence as I skimmed by all the creatures a second time.
"Sir, I hope you realize once we run the pulse scan these things are gonna be on us like bee's to honey." He warned. Crap I forgot about that okay it may not be the quietest way out but it's a quick way out!
"I know I know... just run the scan as quickly as possible. I'll jump out a window and happily fall to my death then be eaten alive by a dragon." There was a small 'whir' and a dim glow around my hooves. The glow slowly crawled up my legs and grew brighter. The sound of the 'whir' resounding in resonance. When the glow reached the top of my legs it suddenly dropped back to my hooves and a ripple of blue fanned outward in all directions. The pulse shook the room and knocked back some of the lighter boxes. The sound could be heard as it changed frequency as it passed through wall after wall. I stood silently waiting the moans of the ghouls had ceased. I could practically see vividly in my mind all of the monsters looking towards me through those walls. It felt like an eternity had passed as I waited.
"Okay mapped out an escape plan there is a hidden trapdoor underneath the rug." I spent no time as I moved the rug aside, rose onto my hind legs, smashed the trapdoor in, and tumbled through as something big and very pissed crashed through the upper level. I scampered/fell/ crashed down the stairs and into what looked to be some kind of ball I'd like to take the time and look at the architecture I'd rather not overstay my welcome. My visor brought up a mini-map of the castle with a white line leading to my destination of away. I quickly ran through the room to the far side as I saw several red dots converging on my location. I kept following the white line turning left down the hall the line was going through the door ahead which was suddenly swung open and within I could see the little ghoul ponies. The locator marked a big 'X' on the door and quickly drew another path leading to the right and I quickly followed.
Suddenly a darkness started to creep in around the edges of my vision and a sharp piercing sound rang through my ears. I didn't stop running I sped up in fact and the sound began to dim and my vision blurred back into focus. I could feel blood dripping from my nose and ears.
"Sir are you alright? You've seemed to have sustained internal damage." Shard said. His voice was hazy and distant but I could make out the words."Sir?"
"I'm fine, find us another exit quickly." I felt like I just ran through a thick wall of sludge, my body drained of the energy it had just before that horrid noise. Though my mind partially swimming I kept up my pace and ran.
"Well this won't be the most pleasant route, but it should get us out of this building." Shard said. The new path formed on my mini-map and I quickly raced down my current hallway turning a sharp left. I skid to a stop as I saw two alicorns in front of me and back paddle away. "Okay... not that way...well you said you didn't care if you jumped so..." I quickly turned around and went right instead. Beams of light flashed by me as I raced down the hall. I rammed through the door ahead of me and quickly headed up a flight of steps. I could see glimpses of the new wasteland in every small window as I raced up the stairs. I reached the top and was now outside on a bridge leading to a large tower. I wish I could have stayed there for a little while and look at the vast land before me, but taking a magic bolt to my shoulder with a resounding 'ping'.
"Shard! You better have some kind of form of flight patterns in your system!" I said as I ran across the bridge. Looking ahead of me a teenage dragon landed on the other side of the bridge. It was either now or never as i turned to the left and leaped off the bridge just as the dragon spewed a wave of pink mist which engulfed my pursuing alicorns and concealed my escape.
'Oh that was a long way down... maybe I should have thought this through.' I thought to myself. I suddenly felt a shift of movement on either side of my body, Shard overriding my suit and using it to expand my new wings. I didn't fight against the motion but simply relaxed into it and felt the movements to remember the use of my wings.
"I hope you realize that just because we're hovering over the landscape does not mean we are actually flying. The weight of the suit and your belongings are weighing us down. I'll be able to get us clear from the castle after that we are on foot." Shard informed. While we were up here I might as well enjoy the view although 'wasteland' wasn't really a new sight, but it still carried some form of beauty of it's own.
"Once we've landed remove the suit and make adjustments so it's lighter. Even with less armor the suit will do just fine it'll take a least a few rockets to punch a hole in it." The suit of mine was one of my nations projects during the war effort. It was the only one manufactured before the final days of the war and was given to the single elite unit. There was also a secret project... My head began to pound as I tried to remember pieces of my past and I quickly pushed the memory away.
We slowly descended into what was left of the forest that was before us merely ash and some burnt stumps. I looked around a bit examining my surroundings and sat on my haunches.
"Okay take off the suit I can practically feel my tail riding up my ass..." I said. The suit gave a hiss and piece by piece folded and retracted into what was now saddle bags on either side of me.I gave a shack and stretched a bit. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Yep doesn't smell any damn different from the previous world. Well better get started I suppose." I raised my left hoof and checked the timer which now read 7:30. I raised my other hoof and clicked... tried to click my data pad still covering my right hoof. "Ugh... this is gonna take a while to get use to so instead of having to get use to it, Shard while your working on the armor apply fingers to it. Make them so it will tap into my nerves so I can use them freely when I have to." I said.
"Will that be all Sir?" Shard replied as I still fiddled with the controls finally opening up the objective files. I read the file as I licked my hoof and wiped away the dried blood from my nose. First day in a new wasteland and I already need a shower.
'Your first objective is a repair job I hope you know how to fix a terminal. If your not sure there is a manual installed on your pipbuck. You'll find the terminal inside The Carousel Boutique. Once you've repaired it you'll need to tap into a pipbuck nearby the codes have been stored inside your pipbuck. You'll be sending an audio file to the pipbuck tag. That's all for your first mission.'
~Pinkie Pie.
"Just by reading this it sounds like Pinkie Pie would have sent anyone into this mess." I said. I Stood up and started at a trotting pace. Now that I thought about it I was actually a little off balance with this new body it felt weird to walk on four legs instead of two! Though after that episode in Canterlot I think I'd be fine for a while. Following the objective marker on my visor I looked at what little scenery was left the sky's were the same as ever a constant cloud cover. I could never tell night from day only by looking at the heads up display in my visor could I tell. I felt as though nothing was different only this time I was wondering with a purpose something to do while I lived here. Their was the occasional radroach crawling around and the cold chill of the wind as it blew through my coat and mane. I walked for about another half an hour with the same passing scenery till I found what use to be a road leading over a hill side. I walked up the hill and looked down to a small little town and to my left was a bent and, used as target practice, street sign. The upper sign was so rusted and full of holes I could barely make out the words 'Canterlot' written on it. The lower sign however was a little less damaged but was splattered with blood and a bit of graffiti. The sign reading 'Pon Evil' instead of 'Ponyville' some idiot took it upon themselves to make a mess of it.
"Well at least the phrase makes sense now right?" I said with a chuckle. I looked down to the town having gone through one ponyville I decided to do a little scouting before rushing in like last time. I reached into my bag and brought out the pieces to my sniper rifle well.. more like dumping them on to the ground, how do ponies build things without fingers!? Another question that will probably never be answered any time soon. Instead of actually putting together the rifle I scooped back up the pieces and put them back into my bag leaving the scope out. I Lifted the scope with my front hooves and peered towards ponyville. Looking through the scope I could see a number of 'raider ponies' I presumed just the look of the armor and their hideous hair... manedos. I think I'm just coming up with new words as I go along now.
I looked around the destroyed town and spotted the sign on one of the buildings that read 'The Carousel Boutique' with lovely graffiti sprayed on the outside of the building. I looked at the watch pinkie gave me now saying 7:03 and then stared back to ponyville then to my scope which was still held in my hoof simply defying gravity... Wait WHAT!? The scope dropped to the ground.
"Awwww..." I said lamely. I scooped back up the scope and put it into my bag. "Shard activate the cloak I'd rather get this job done without anyone noticing." A hum and a shimmer later I vanished from sight and headed down to the town.
"Bleh... why.. how do raiders live in these conditions? This is sick so sick that just smelling this shit could kill you." I whispered as I past by a pile of rotting corpses and guts. The few raiders here acted just like the ones back in the previous world. Cruel torture occasional raping on the side or even both at the same time. Just hearing the sounds of it were unpleasant though I'd love to help, but with me not being able to use my sniper and the lack of energy to summon 'Sanity' for that long a period I'd be screwed. So I prayed for those who were victims and hoped they'd pass on forgiving me that I didn't come to their aid.
I kept sneaking my way by and almost set off a bottle-cap mine twice before I finally found the Boutique. It looked even worse up close. There was a single red dot on my motion tracker and a yellow dot next to the previous. I slowly crept up to the door hearing the sound of a whip, a scream of pain, and the cackle of a raider. I slowly pushed it open, for a door that had been here for 200 years it wasn't squeaky at all. Inside wasn't as bad as I pictured there was mere graffiti on the walls no guts strewn anywhere. I imagined this place back in it's pride would have been a beautiful Boutique with wonderfully made dresses and suits or well... I thought they'd look good but considering I'm not an expert on pony fashion... never mind. As I walked in I could hear the sound of the whip crack again and again each with a unpleasant whimper or scream from the one being whipped.
There was the terminal next to two old mattresses one heavily stained with blood , and some other bodily fluids, and a smaller mattress made for a filly or colt. I stared at the terminal then to the stairs that led up on far side of the room I suspected the person I could hear being whipped was up there.
'Just don't think about it Blitz... Just get this done and get out.' I thought to myself. The whip cracked again and again and again with me flinching every time.
"Gah!... Fine!" I whispered in anger. I slowly made my way to the stairs and started ascending to the top floor. As I walked up the stairs I could see a dim glow of red, blue and green with each crack of the whip making the glow flicker even dimmer. I looked through the small gape in the door and saw a nasty female raider her black coat and her purple spiked hair and a mark on her flank of some kind of torture device. I couldn't make out the other pony being brutally punished, but by the sound of it the screams seemed feminine. With the raider not facing the door and paying to much attention to the former I silently pushed open the door and sneaked inside. The Pegasus being tortured was tied to a metal bed frame her... wait... his... coat was a light gray, his... her... GAH! His/her mane was a strange neon striped red, lime green, and a sky blue it's tail being the same striped pattern. On it's flank was a mark of a green ghost the pegasus seemed to be in his or her teens. It's back was lacerated from the whip and was bleeding severely.
"This'll teach you pegasus a lesson leaving us ponies down here to rot while you stayed in the clouds for 200 years with all the pleasures in the world." She said as she cracked the whip again. Though I would have helped right away if I wasn't for the fact that if she made a single word or noise it would notify every freaking raider in this small ass town. I looked around for something to keep her quiet.
'C'mon there has to be something that's easy to pick up with hooves and muffle a pony at the same time... Something with feathers." I felt a light go on in my head. I walked slowly behind the raider and slowly approached. The raider cracked the whip across the pegasus back one last time as I quickly covered her muzzle with my wing pulled her back and took my right hoof wrapped around her neck and reaching the left side of her face and quickly yanked my hoof back. With a crack and a pop of bone she fell limp and I slowly lowered her to the floor. I then walked over to the injured pegasus and examined it's injuries. The pegasus red eyes almost looked hollow and lifeless I would have considered them dead if it wasn't for the rise and fall of their chest. I looked around for anything at all to help the pegasus I looked into my inventory and found an item marked healing potion, but a Pink pony in my head punched my brain and was shaking her other hoof. Damn mission if only I had a spare I might have been able to save at least one.
"On... the... table..." The pony said weakly. I turned a saw a vile of a pink liquid I brought out the same vile in my bag just to make sure. I quickly scooped up the bottle from the table and quickly brought it over to the dying pony and lifted it to their mouth and held the vile as she/he gulped it down. Immediately I saw the lashes start to heal close though the fur would take time to grow back and the scars would probably not disappear completely, but at least the bleeding stopped.
"Soo... long day huh?" I asked lamely. The pony snickered tiredly. "So what's your name. If you don't mind me asking?" I said as I undid his/her bonds I better ask gender before I go crazy from the question. When the bonds were broke I caught the pony before they fell to the floor.
"My name is Neon, Neon Ghost." Neon said the voice really did sound female though I could be wrong.
"Okay that answers one question. My next question is..." I was silenced with a hoof and Neon looked at me tiredly
"I'm gender-less if that's what your wondering. Birth defects and probably a little to much radiation had to do something with that. Don't ask how I piss cause you don't wanna know. Most people refer to me as a tomboy so you can say I a girl, anymore questions?" I thought for a few seconds.
"Well other then that, how'd you end up in a raider camp?" I asked. She tried to stand and stumbled once I braced her by putting my side against hers.
"Well it's what usually happens when a slaver caravan gets into some trouble with a bunch of raiders. The rest of the ponies in that cart are either dead or being tortured as we speak." I had a hunch as to where this was going and I wasn't about to get involved.
"Look I'm not fixing to help every single pony I come across. I just decided to help you because you were near by." I said. She looked at me.
"And I never said I wanted to save them now did I? I didn't know any of them besides the brief travel I had with them. Out here, in the wasteland, it's everypony for themselves" Well that was cold, but I guess that's the wasteland for you. "Okay so I told you my lovely story may I at least get a name?" She asked as we slowly walked down the stairs.
"Names Cinder Blitz, you can just call me Blitz if you want." I replied. We reached the bottom of the stairs and I let her rest against the wall. "I'll have have to do a few things rest here for a bit shouldn't take me long."
I walked over to the terminal and examined it making sure there wasn't any outer damage keeping it offline. I looked at the Pinkie watch with it now reading 6:25. Time sure fly's when your in a dangerous hell like this. With knowing how much time was left I focused back on the terminal and opened the panel on the side. I checked each wire and circuit board making sure that everything was in it's rightful place I reached further back into the terminal and got a large jolt of electricity and flinched back in pain.
"Ugh!... if only I had some light this would be so much easier. Why did they never design a light in the suit anyway!?" I said angrily.
"Well to put it simply the suit was made for stealth ops missions sir." Shard said in my ear piece.
"Shut up I don't want to hear it." I said. I could feel the stare I was getting from Neon she must have thought I was crazy. I went back to my work and reached into the back of the terminal again once again getting a jolt of electricity. I rubbed my hoof from the tingling feeling now bouncing around in my leg. I sighed staring at the guts of the terminal when suddenly a light glow lit up the dark spaces within. I turned to my right to see neon standing beside me.
"If you needed a light you could have just asked?" She said smiling at me. I returned the smile and reached back into the terminal this time with the help of the glow I found the single wire the was split. I fiddle around with the wires and somehow managed to bind the two together. The terminal lit up with a faint green glow and a 'Stable Tec' logo shown in the center of the screen. I clicked a key and the terminal screen changed to a screen filled with data and codes.
"Shard if you don't mind?" There was a hum as the same small plug snaked out of my saddle bags and plugged into the terminal. My mare friend giving me a bewildered expression. "It's a long story." I said simply. She just shook her head in understanding and looked back to the terminal screen. Several codes roamed upward into the space marked password each letter changing through the alphabet and landing on the correct letter required. A.P.P.L.E.
"Although I don't think it would have taken me long to figure that out, but it would have taken a lot longer without Shard here." I said. The terminal read 'Access Granted' and switched to the terminal screen. Though I'd like to read whatever data was on the terminal I'd leave it to the pony who'd actually care to read them. "Alright Shard load up the the signal for the pipbuck tag and transfer the audio recording." I said. There was silence for a brief moment while we just watched the screen still running through codes.
"Sir, these terminals are linked to one massive hub, would you like me to upload the connection so we may access it later? We might be able to gain valuable information on the events on this world like the previous one." I thought about it, reading a crap ton of aging files again sounded dreadful, however it would keep me busy while I traveled to my next objective.
"Upload the connection quickly and lets get out of here. Lock the terminal back up once you're done." I said as the plug was disconnected from the terminal and slithered back into my saddle bags.
"Already done Sir. Next objective being uploaded to your map." I turned to neon who was patiently waiting and nodded she stood up a little steadier then before. Her glow was back to although magnificent and colorful as it was a big red target painted on her body.
"Before we head out we need to find something to cover you up with, no offence." I grinned sheepishly.
"None taken." She replied back. I looked around found a pile of vile, urinated on, cloths but mostly other than that there wasn't much to be torn apart and used as a sheet. I checked upstairs to find around the same results the raiders had torn the place apart. I found a locked dresser that had been dented up by hooves and maybe other melee weapons.
"Neon, come up here." I called down for her she slowly walked back up unwillingly. I couldn't blame her if I was just whipped I wouldn't want to be in the room either.
"You any good at lock picking?" I asked she nodded and walked over.
"You woulnd't happen to have a screw driver and a bobby pin would you?" She asked I looked at my inventory and scrolled through the massive amount of crap placed in my bag. I found a supply of over 200 bobby pins, the pink pony in my head smiled in pride. I took out 5 bobby pins and a screw driver.
"This stuff looks brand new where did you get it all?" She asked as she looked into my saddle bag.
"That's a bit of a shorter story, but... look I'll explain some more after we're not in a raider camp deal?" I said. She nodded and took the bobby pins and the screw driver and went to work on the lock. I looked around in my bags to make sure I didn't have anything worth using as a sheet for the mare. I found only one thing which was my jacket I wore back in the human world, although it was altered to fit a pony I had memories of it I didn't want to lose. I stuffed the jacket back into my bags as I heard a click of a lock and she raised a hoof towards me.
"Deal." She said simply. I took her hoof and awkwardly shook it. I opened the closet to find that it was bare with the exception of a single black scarf hanging from a lonely hanger. The scarf had a gold hemming and embroidery written with two initials reading "C.B." in an elegant cursive. I took it down and read the note aloud.
"To: Cinder Blitz
Though I don't know who you are, Pinkie Pie seems very fond of you and she begged me to make you a scarf. She tells me you'll help us out of this crazy mess we've caused for ourselves. Though I don't know if she's right or just making up exaggerations, but if you do find this. I'd like you to have it in honor of my dear friend Pinke Pie. Stay warm, Cinder Blitz.
~Rarity" I looked at the scarf and back to the letter then turned to Neon.
"Hey now don't look at me. If it's from a great ministry mare I'd keep it, but that's up to you. I'll go check the other rooms for anything to cover up with." She said and started for the stairs. I looked back to the scarf and put the note into my bag, pulled out my black jacket/cloak and wrapped the scarf around my neck, and hurried to catch up to Neon. I met her at the bottom of the stairs, she turned to me, I looked from my jacket to her.
"This was given to me by my older sister just before she went off to fight in the war." I said as I passed a hoof over the fabric. "I'll let you use it for now, but I want it back in one piece got it?" I said sternly as I offered it to her with an outstretched hoof.
"I promise, though I think I should be thanking you, considering you're helping me." I shook my head.
"Don't get all sappy on me and lets go. We're not out of the woods till we're out of 'Ponyville'." I said. She nodded and slipped on the black cloak, I helped cover her tail as she pulled the hood over her head. "Don't stray to far I saw a sniper on a tree house balcony not to far away. If things go bad I'll distract them you head out of the town there should be a road leading towards The Canterlot Castle there will be a broken street sign wait for me there ok?" I said she nodded. We started on our way out keeping to the shadows and out of view of the sniper.
We had made it about half way through ponyville when I halted Neon with a hoof. I know she couldn't see it but we were being stalked by several raiders. I counted at least twelve if not more in my visor. I looked around for a place Neon could slip away. I found a loose plank on a fence and quietly moved it out of the way.
"Okay you got to trust me on this, we'll need to split up. Same meeting place they've been following us for a while must have been seen by the sniper." She looked at me then to the gape in the fence. She quickly crawled through and looked back to me.
"Meet you there, I still got questions for you so don't end up as raider meat." I chuckled and she smiled then slipped away from sight. I put the plank back and started walking on my own. The red markers slowly followed behind me and on the other side of the buildings I was walking next too.
"Shard is the suit reconfigured yet?" I whispered as I wrapped up the scarf and put it in my saddlebag.
"The reconstruction is 50% Sir, it will take an estimated time of another hour and a half. Sorry Sir." Shard said. I sighed as my ears twitched to the sounds of hoof steps coming closer.
"You might have me out numbered and out gunned, but you're sure as hell not as fast as me nor do you have the military skill to take me down." I hollered to my pursuers. I doubted that intimidation would get them to leave me alone though. I stood on my hind hooves and prayed that I could still use hand to... hoof to hoof combat with this body.
'We we're made to kill...'
I put a hoof to my head as a surge of pain struck through my head. My ears were ringing from the sudden voice and my vision was blurry.
"Kill the..." I heard a voice fading in and out as I was hit by a sharp strike to the back of my head. That didn't help my headache or my focus, nope not one bit.
"No take... We'll eat him later." I heard another voice. I could feel something cold and circular on the back of my head. Definitely was a shotgun barrel, with a simple pull of the trigger could finish me off.
'Why do you fight us?'
The voice growled.
'We work better together.'
I felt myself being dragged along with a rope around my neck. My vision blurring in and out, I saw a mare raider walking beside me and a crazed stallion snickering and laughing his teeth sharp as a knifes.
"I'll Kill all of you..."
I heard it whisper my vision now black.
"Quiet you or we'll kill you here." I heard a raider clearly. Who was he talking too?
'Yes, hold me back. Bury me in the deepest parts of your mind let me fester let me rot!'
The voice said louder and my blood starting to crawl. I could feel it something moving just below my skin.
"I said quiet you." The mare said. This voice I didn't remember, it didn't sound like Sanity. It sounded feminine, lustful and hungry. I felt my body move on it's own as I stood. "What the?!" I heard the mare yell.
"What is that !?" Another stallion yelled.
"Fuck, asking what it is, shoot the damn thing!" Another raider stallion cried. I heard a roar of gun shots and the bullets bit into my hide. The pain of each shot made me want to scream, but I couldn't move or see. The barrage of gun fire lasted for a minute and left me feeling like I was Swiss Cheese. I wanted to scream, I wanted to push myself away from my body, the pain, it burned like fire.
"DIE!" I heard myself yell in a demonic blood thirst. I heard screams and the sound of flesh being torn. I could feel everything ... my mouth biting in to a raider as I heard her scream in pain. I pulled my head back ripping flesh from the mare and her scream turned into a gurgle of agony. I wanted to puke but my body refused.
'Stop.' I thought in my head, but the screams continued as I ripped into another raider. 'Stop...please...' I said as I tried to move my hooves up to my ears with no avail. I heard their screams as they ran for their lives, I heard the gunfire as they tried to kill me. 'What was happening, why was it happening, why were they calling me a demon. What did I look like, was I going to be like this forever?'
My thoughts raced as the screams continued and as quickly as it started the screams ceased with the sounds of a few raiders that got away. My vision slowly returned to a pulverized stallion is head decapitated from his body along with his spin attached to it. His body ripped wide and his guts trailing up to my...
I puked several times blood and bits of pony now lay within a putrid pool of gore. Just to make things worse as I stared down into the mess and as the muck settled an eyeball looked back into mine. After puking for another ten minutes I looked around and saw at least 7 raiders killed in my path. One was impaled on a broken piece of fence, another was merely half a body. A giant blood stain against a side of a building told me that story and a mare was completely cut in half with the same terrified expression as she probably had while she was running. I looked at my blood stained pinkie watch the clock now reading 5:25 from the time I looked at it back in the boutique. I didn't check the rest of the bodies as I set out for the path out of Ponyville. Now that I thought of it I could probably cause more havoc then a full army of raiders could dish out. My body still burned the pain of the bullets weren't gone but there was no bullet holes in my hide.
I saw the bent sign on the hill and trotted over to it I looked around a slumped. Neon was no where in sight, I suspected she got tired of waiting or saw what happened from afar and took off running. Damn and I really did want my jacket back, not only that... I felt very alone.
"Shard, see if we can't get to a place to stay for the night." I said. There was a long silence as I looked to the blackened cloudy sky. "It's happening again isn't it Shard?" I asked. The silence continued and a simple marker point towards my next objective. 'New Appleloosa' appeared on the next location I was five hours ahead of schedule and I might as well get a head start while I could. If I ever did find Neon Ghost it would be either in another troubling situation or in my own hooves being strangled alive for leaving with my jacket.
So I started walking my body still very weak. Being able to create my own food has it's own perks, but i was still very thirsty. I past by some pools of water but with the clicking of radiation I strayed away. I must have looked like hell, because I definitely smelled like shit. The dried blood of the dead on my body and primarily my mouth was putrid and disgusting. I doubt that this town would have running water and if they did have a friendly community I don't think they would take a liking to my 'lovely' appearance.
As I walked along the road towards New Appleloosa I stopped at a small pool of water near the roadside. I took out my old human jeans and soaked them in the water then started whipping as much of the blood off my hide as I could. After I was done I looked at my reflection in the pond. My eyes still a dark blue my hair... mane a striped red and black, my coat dark gray and red stripes of a zebra running along my body. I turned so I could get a full view of the rest of my body and make sure I got as much of the blood off. There on my flank was the same strange mark that I saw on every other pony. My mark was a yin and yang symbol with the colors of a fiery red and an electric blue.
"Shard can you look into any history on this Equestria?" I asked hoping that my silent friend would give me some answers. There was silence for a time I was about ready to give up when suddenly I felt a shock of electricity in my ear. I yanked out the com and rubbed my ear. "So that's why..." I said to myself I pulled the com free from it's port and put it into my bag. "Shard, switch communications to written text on the heads up display. I'll have to find some kind of speaker our something to fix this later." I said.
'So that's why you couldn't hear me.' Shard typed. 'Whatever happened back in Ponyville made everything go crazy. Extremely high frequencies were distorting everything and I couldn't get a message to you.' Shard informed.
"Maybe this town might have something I can use as a speaker when we get there. For now we'll need to work with this. You got any information on pony kind?" I asked.
'Well signals a bit weak from the event, best I can pull up is a thing called a 'Cutie Mark.' Some kind of thing these ponies signified as your defined destiny. Says here that Cutie marks are often related to the personality, proclivity, or talent of a pony. Well that kind of explains yours I guess.'
"Well I guess I'll need to hide it huh? Wouldn't want anyone to know my special talent." I said with a half-hearted laugh.
'Our next objective is with somepony named Ditzy Doo?' The mission objective pulled up on to my visor with a little bit of fuzzy entry.
Next Objective is a simple one a delivery to Ditzy Doo. She is a very helpful pony, though don't get grossed out by her appearance. She's been alive for over 200 years since the balefire bombs hit. She's been a ghoul pony ever since and has lived plenty of nightmares you wouldn't want to be in. Ditzy is very friendly so be nice! She should have a room for you to rest in for the night once you deliver her package.
~Pinkie Pie
"Okay, maybe I shouldn't take it so hard on Pinkie... if I ever see her again that is." I said as I finished reading.
'Systems are still repairing, your suit should be finished by tomorrow morning. I recommend we head into town.' I stood there looking in the distance towards the objective marker. A small tear rolling down my cheek.
'Would you like to talk about it sir?' Shard typed. I let the single tear fall and continued on my walk to New Appleloosa. I walked in silence with the sound of wind and maybe a few tumble weeds bouncing past me. I past the time by reading up on what little history Shard could pull up on this equestria. Surprising enough, this equestria wasn't that different from the previous. Though now I was able to distinguish the two sides of the equestria war. On one side was the Super power of Equestria ruled by ponies and the other side, which still didn't have a name, was ruled by zebra's.
I hoped that Appleloosa didn't mind having zebra folk around. As I was walking I saw a set of railroad tracks heading over a hill side. I trotted over the hill and in the distance I saw the town of New Appleoosa. The perimeter of the town was made of stacked metal boxcars the tallest stacks being four high with catwalks spanning to the other towers. Two massive gates secured the city from both ends of the town. I still was oblivious to how ponies were able to build these kind of structures. I also saw a crane which kind of explained the boxcars being stacked,but how'd they build a crane? I made my way towards the city and wasn't surprised to see the guards take aim towards me.
"We don't take kindly to you zebra's being in this town!" A stallion called from on top the boxcars. "If you're wanting to trade you go no further then the gate." He said. I stood there examining the towns defenses, though punching a giant hole through one of the boxcars with my armor would be pretty simple, I'd rather not piss off anymore ponies then I'd have too.
"I'm simply here to make a delivery to a pony named Ditzy Doo." I said. The guards looked at each other a few whispered. The pony who called down before looked back at me.
"There's no pony named Ditzy Doo around here you'll need to take your business somewhere else." The stallion said. I could practically feel the dishonesty in his voice. I would have said more or argued for that matter, but I didn't want to cause a blood bath so I turned and started to walk away. I got a mere 3 steps before a gray form landed in front of me. I think it was a mare... her appearance startled me a bit and the single eye that drifted awkwardly as she looked at me with the other. She looked as if she was going through a slow process of... 'decay' if you will, bits of pale apple green hair where her main and tail use to be where all that remained on her. She gave me a smile though a few of her teeth were missing it was still a friendly a warm gesture. I returned the smile and she reached under her featherless wing and brought out a pencil and a note pad.
She took the pencil in her teeth and scribbled on the page of note paper. She picked up the pad in her mouth and held it out for me to see as she focused both her eyes on me. 'Hi! I'm Ditzy Doo. You said you had a delivery for me?'
"Ah, Yes umm... let's see here." I said as Shard brought up the objective and the items to be delivered. I long list of items scrolled through my visor most of it being armor plating for patching up barding, some supplies for putting those bardings together and a package of muffins. I looked at the mare and gave a sheepish grin. "You wouldn't mind letting me in so I can get all this stuff out would you?"
She put the pad back down and scribble quickly as I saw her nub of a tail wiggling around happily. She lifted the note pad up again. 'Are you the muffin man!?' I looked at her with a small chuckle and nodded. She walked up to me and embraced me with a squishy hug. I just sat still till she let me go and scribbled on the pad again. 'Sorry, you must be Cinder Blitz right? Pinkie Pie told me you'd be coming. I thought I'd never see the day I'd meet you.' She wrote.
She put the pencil and notepad back under her wing and trotted past me. As she passed I saw her cutie mark, I coudln't make out what it could possibly mean for the mare. Did she like bubbles, did she blow bubbles in some circus act, or is it her bubbly personality? Another question I might never know.
I followed after her as she headed back towards the gate. She simply waved to the stallion who shooed me away in the first place with a grumble from the pony and a order of 'Open the gate.' The gates slid open and I followed Ditzy into the small town. It wasn't a lively town but then again it was in the middle of the night and mainly the night guard was patrolling. I was surprised that even Ditzy was awake... or did zombie ponies sleep at all?
She led me to a store named: 'Absolutely Everything' and we walked inside. The store was filled with all kinds of items to most ponies would look like junk, but to wastelanders was a dream come true. The barding department wasn't looking as good as I imagined so I guessed that's why Pinkie sent me. I sat down and placed my saddle bags in front of me. It took me and Ditzy about a hour and a half to sort out all the items that were to go to her. By the time we finished we had filled 4 boxes full of barding another 2 boxes with repair tools and other items. Who knew wonder glue was so useful? After we finished unpacking everything that was on the extensive list I delivered her last order a box full of fresh muffins. She clapped her hooves together in glee and took one of the muffins and offered me with one. I wasn't the type to be rude so I accepted her offer ate the muffin quietly as I looked around the empty dark store. The only light source was a dim lamp sitting on a table where we worked. When I had finished my first muffin Ditzy had eaten the rest. She brought back out her pencil and pad.
'Thanks for the muffins. One more thing c'mon.' She wrote.
She led me into the back of the store. She then paused looked around and lifted a small hidden panel on the wall. Behind the panel was a hoof scanner Ditzy pointed towards the scanner and I walked up and placed my hoof on it. I let it scan and then removed my hoof and the scanner read 'access granted'. A mechanical door slide upward and a hallway was revealed. Within the time frame of me walking into the dusty, but undisturbed hall Ditzy walked up with her notepad.
'Pinkie always had a way of knowing things. She wanted me to prepare this for your arrival. I didn't know when you'd be arriving so I built it a little early hope this will do.' She flipped to the next sheet of paper. 'There should be everything you need in your room along with a terminal and a few old history books.' She smiled behind the notepad and I gave her a nod back.
"Thank you." I said and she gave me another hug. She released me and flipped another page.
'You being here will be kept a secret. Sun shine and rainbows right?' I chuckled to that and Ditzy simply smiled. I walked on while she waved after me and trotted back out the hidden door. I walked the rest of the lit hallway and to the door at the far end. Upon opening the door I found myself a little at home as I saw several books on the shelves, a terminal, a single bed, and a work bench. I walked over to the bed and sat down.
'The connection on that terminal should be strong enough to connect to the internal hub. Once I've connected I'll be able to learn everything and see everything if there's camera's hooked to the system.' Shard wrote. Though I wasn't paying much attention my mind set was on the events of ponyville. 'Want to talk about it?' Shard wrote. I shook my head.
"How much do we have left?" I asked. A silence fell within the little room. 'Not enough for a full dose. The best it will do is about 4 days tops. After that you'll just need to let it happen I suppose. Would you like to inject it now?'
"Some things are meant to be remember huh? I, on the other hand, wish I could erase it..." I said as I felt a small needle from my saddle bag puncture my hide. The world seemed to swirl away as I fell onto my bed as a heavy sleep came over me.
'Sis! don't go!' I said. As I stared at the shadowy figure in front of me. My sister turned to me and smiled.
'I'll be back home soon little brother take care of mom while I'm gone okay?' She said as she walked over to me and hugged me.
'Some day you'll understand your destiny in all of this. One day you'll be unmatched to anyone.' She whispered into my ear.
'And some day you'll remember!' The demonic voice said as my dream faded to nothingness for the rest of the night.'
Footnote: Level up.
New Perk: Silent but 'deadly' - Deal an extra 10% damage when attacking enemies from behind. Sneak increased by 5%
Side note: Sanity level is at 90%##################_
Sorry everyone and everypony I've been dealing with a lot lately and online classes mixed with school isn't helping either! I'll try my best to get out chapters, but bare with me I'm under a lot of stress now a days. Stay tuned everyone and everypony
~The mystery behind Cinder Blitz's past increases.