[FO:E] The Southern Wasteland of Equestria 2

[Drowlord]

Steel Creel looked at him all buggy eyed. "Did you literally, pull that out your flank? I've heard of metaphorical flank pulls but this one takes the nugget."

Even Mags who was behind Sparky to the side was baffled by that, why didn't she see it before?

"Yep."

Sparky was nonchalant, shrugging lightly. He acted as if it were no big deal.

"So, you all going to see the sun? I could prob'ly take the both of you at once; Mags isn't that heavy."

[Benson]

"Yep."

Sparky was nonchalant, shrugging lightly. He acted as if it were no big deal.

"So, you all going to see the sun? I could prob'ly take the both of you at once; Mags isn't that heavy."

Well that's something nasty.

"Uh....I don't know...ain't it a dangerous thing?...Going up there?...I kinda like having my hooves on the ground anyway..." He said with uncertainty and glanced away.

[PurityIcekiller]

"Some fool ponies dared to disturbed the balance that kept New Appleloosa safe with a game of 'heroes' gone wrong. Got the Goddess involved that endangered the safety of the good folks here," Railright said nickering and deeply sighed.

Bright Eyes shook her head. "That sucks. Not a lot of ponies know there's more to the heroic path than just charging at the nearest ugly thing. Do you need any help fixing things up?"

[Benson]

[New Appaloosa]

Well that's an unpleasant thing to think about at the moment.
Home. That place that was just burned to the ground, even as they fled in terror and despair. The place they definitely mentioned once already.

There's a collective wince from the group and most of them looking in various directions except at each other. The vocal mare's brother(?) speaks up this time, in a somewhat even, somewhat bothered tone. "The late Strawberry Fields, a good several miles down the road."

Strawberry Fields!
That small little town that always kept to itself and generally seemed to not bother or be bothered by anyone else, save the typical occasion raider.
Now ash and corpses. It probably won't even be missed, just as much as it was unknown.

"That's a shame...just a darn shame when the wasteland decides to just take things away.." Railrght sighed and frowned, shaking his head.

Bright Eyes shook her head. "That sucks. Not a lot of ponies know there's more to the heroic path than just charging at the nearest ugly thing. Do you need any help fixing things up?"

"Naw, there weren't much damage caused by them lot, thankfully the town made it through that ordeal in one piece." He studied the lot with scrutinizing eyes and bobbed his head a little.

[Tychris1]

Southwestern Equestria- Underground Facility 5:07 PM

Maul Steel looks away from the ghoul, ashamed by his actions and wishing to just get away as quickly as possible. But... there was one thing Maul Steel knew for certain.

That chieftain was as good as dead.....

Wild Rabbit Woods

WOW This was escalating way faster then Ducard was expecting. Did bunnies know how to throw ninja stars? It didn't matter, what mattered was running; fast. Ducard stomps his hoof three times to try and get the groups attention before trying to spot the ninja.

[TAG Benson, rest of Wild Rabbit Woods]

[Chaotic Bob]

[Ponyville]

Anybody enjoy headaches? Anybody? No?

Too bad.

As Pineapple decides to end the miserable cloud-box's existence, the psychic keening dies out completely. Guess that was where it was coming from after all.
In its place, a burst of (completely normal) cloud-stuff is poofs out of the box, along with some electrical sparks.

Also what seems to be an immense mental record-scratch., louder than the keening was before, but infinitely briefer.
Out and done, a passing pulse of intense discomfort.


Also the mare's head is probably indistinguishable from tomato paste by now, because that matters.

[New Appleoosa]

"Sucks, but it's the way of things..."
The Wasteland taketh what the Wasteland...reluctantly giveth.

The group is scrutinized!
They all look terrible. Malnourished, miserable, and tired.
Appearance-wise, there's the two orange ponies, who happen to be the particularly vocal mare and stallion.
There's the little gray colt (the only well-fed looking one), unconscious on the back of a darker gray mare standing at the back of the group.
Then off to one side is the dusky purple stallion standing between a very hopeless-looking dirty blue mare.

None of them really look remotely threatening or dangerous, and being earth ponies, it seems pretty unlikely they're gonna pull out some crazy magical shenanigans.
Although the orange stallion looks faintly grumpy, maybe he'll do something crazy like be snarky.

Gotta watch the snark.

[Lycan 01]

Warehouse - Entrance

Sergeant Sprinkles raises his weapon-limbs, and primes his armaments. "I don't think leavin' a comrade behind would be wise, 'specially not in a locked-down MoM stronghold. If he ain't got the proper clearance, he'll likely be sprarkly dust or hamburger meat by the time we get back. Who is this fella, anyway? Some sort of merc?"

[Rebonack]

[Cake Warehouse - Entrance]

"I have noooooo idea!" Surprise replies gleefully to Sprinkles before casting a glance at Sivr.

To which the griffon just shrugs. "A scavenger of sorts. He seemed to know quite a bit about the Ministry of Morale."

Mysterious!

"Hmmm... Well! I guess we'll just have to find this super-special lockdown place where the thingy he's looking for is! Though I can't imagine he could get in if only Pinkie is allowed in there."

Stands to reason at least.

"So! Which way to we go?"

[MCerberus]

Ponyville

After the hoof/talon shake, Cloth would likely need to clean the blood off. It's pretty fresh. Still, it gives the impression that Razoreye won't be immediately shot in the back. The first order of business it seems is to go find Pineapple. The griffin goes over to investigate the doctor's hunch on where the mare would be.

Well if the building collapses, he's going to be the best to dramatically move rubble.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Cake Warehouse - Entrance]

"Were this another time, I'd say he was a spy..."
Check Mark shakes her head a bit, realizing a little slow that thinking about the Old World doesn't help bad thoughts at all.

She glances down at the markings on the floor, directing her thoughts to something more useful.
Like trying to remember what they mean!

"Okay. The balloons lead to the cargo elevator, which offers quicker access to the lower levels. I assume it still works, but it's...kind of loud. Also requires security access, but I guess Miss Party has that covered.
Cupcakes lead to general access, and should have an emergency staircase somewhere. This floor is mostly mundane storage. Food and administrative materials."
Paperwork!


As before, the balloons lead towards an open, concrete hallway with struggling lighting (although it's working much better now), whereas the cupcakes lead towards a pair of security doors with a fried locking mechanism.
They'll open freely and without fuss.

[Lycan 01]

Warehouse - Entrance

Sergeant Sprinkles harumphs. "How smart is this fella?"

[Rebonack]

[Cake Warehouse - Entrance]

"Smart enough to be decent with machines. Dumb enough to go running off into a Ministry of Morale bunker full of Icarus knows what without any weapons or backup," Sivr summarizes.

Yep.

That's about right.

Smart in some ways and dumb in others.

What an interesting (and stupid) pony.

"Hmmm... So one way would be really quickity quick but noisy. And the other way would be sneaky but slower?" Surprise muses aloud. "I think sneaky would be best!"

[Chaotic Bob]

[Cake Warehouse - Entrance]

"That's...a way of putting it."
Check Mark shrugs and moves on over towards the security doors.
"Doubt you have to be very sneaky in a place with nothing but bookshelves and filing cabinets."

And unless someone decides that it's a bad idea at the last moment, the ghoul will be pushing those doors open to reveeeeeeal...

A very trashed looking library, sharing the entrance's decorative scheme.
Easy purple colors and a series of cupcakes decals winding a pathway elsewhere.

It's a single, massive room, apparently having been organized to grant line of sight from one end to the other, with the manner that bookshelves and filing cabinets were placed.
Even easier now, with many of said bookshelves having been knocked over, broken, or apparently burned into blackened ruins.

Many of the filing cabinets seem to have suffered equally unpleasant fates, being dinged up, scorched, or shoved completely out of position.

There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason...the place was simply torn apart. Old books and papers have been flung all over the place, left in destroyed pieces on every surface.


Following the cupcakes (which may require moving some trash and wreckage) will lead towards a cracked-in-half security desk in a far corner of the room, right in front of a doorway.
Said doorway is oddly pristine and unmarked.

[Lycan 01]

Warehouse - Wrecked Library

Sergeant Sprinkles hovers in after Mark, idly observing the devastation. "Y'know... This looks purposeful. Like somepony was ventin' their frustration, or lookin' for something. Either I need to have a chat with your friend, or we may have a serious problem..."

[Rebonack]

[Warehouse - Ruined Library]

"Oh wow! Stuff!" Surprise laughs gleefully as they enter this new and interesting place! Boy, everything sure is wrecked down here! Wonder why they would do that? Maybe they got upset about being stuck down here and slowly perishing.

Starving to death would likely bother many ponies.

Surprise begins to rummage through heaps of rubbish at random in hopes of finding something that might be worth looking at.

Sivr just gives the cybermare an odd look.

Weird ponies..

"What was this place for, anyway? You worked here, right? Was it just for storing things?"

[BladeofObliviom]

Spoiler

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[Ponyville]

Anybody enjoy headaches? Anybody? No?

Too bad.

As Pineapple decides to end the miserable cloud-box's existence, the psychic keening dies out completely. Guess that was where it was coming from after all.
In its place, a burst of (completely normal) cloud-stuff is poofs out of the box, along with some electrical sparks.

Also what seems to be an immense mental record-scratch., louder than the keening was before, but infinitely briefer.
Out and done, a passing pulse of intense discomfort.

Also the mare's head is probably indistinguishable from tomato paste by now, because that matters.

[Ponyville]

And that's how Boxhead-mare became Tomato-paste-mare.

In any case, Pineapple tries one last time to shake that horrible screech out of her head, and to her bewilderment, seems to succeed. That damned buzzing is gone, and presumably the rage spell with it. She's free! Finally free!

...Nah, I'm kidding. There's a tear about an inch wide between her eyes that badly needs medical attention, most of her body is going to be bruised in a few hours, it will be a miracle if she isn't concussed, and her jaw's probably broken too. She is so ridiculously delirious that most of this doesn't even properly register.

In any case, assuming she can actually see it and it isn't blocked by rubble or something, the mare clumsily stumbles out the door, covered in blood and trailing another pony's intestines.

Yay?

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[Speaking Of Which, I Probably Ought To Pick Character Theme Music At Some Point]

Night Jewel turned off her light spell. "Thanks. I think I'm going to like you. I definitely know where to go if I find myself missing any body parts.

"So, if you're going to help me in any way, I probably should help you too. Is there anything I can do for you?"

[I Don't Usually Do Character Themes, But When I Do...]

"Talismans. Better metal. Better tools. Gems. Sparkle Batteries. Bauhaus use many things."

Well, he's certainly right to the point.

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre looked in the direction the hoofstomp had come from. He knew it was Ducard, not the ghoul, but couldn't act on his knowledge. He gritted his teeth with frustration, illusionary light flaring around him.

Steel Creel's House

"Not really. We pegasi can stand on clouds and move them whenever we want. I was going to take Mags up anyway, but if you don't want to come you don't have to."

He nodded in emphasis at the grey sky above.

Ponyville

Doc Patch watches Razoreye head over to the building. Not a bad move for him as well, seeing as the explosives expert might be wounded.

Then Pineapple lurches out of the building and he frowns. That might be a problem, fixing her up. He moved closer, trying to get into a position to assess Pineapple's wounds better and hold her upright until he could heal the mare. He didn't talk to her yet; sometimes it was better not to. Her throat could be perforated or anything else.

[MCerberus]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Someone want to fill Finder in on what the hay is going on? He's currently rubbing a hoof against his aching head wondering what kind of severe bug-bite or something woke him up. Wait, everypony seems to be going crazy. The scavver brings up his SMG getting ready for... whatever.


Ponyville

Well Pineapple seems alive. That's a good plus, but one has to wonder if the mare is going to scamper off once patched up considering her 'debt' was payed. Another one of them is covered in somepony else's blood, so Razoreye muses, "Crazy things didn't realize they were dead and kept going."

[Luka]

[Wild Rabbit Woods]

The stable colt would be pulling out the SMG magazine when Ducard arrives, letting the shuriken fall off along one or two bullets. He would raise his head to see the Ranger stomping.

[Tag: the whole group, possibly Benson too]

[Chaotic Bob]

[Warehouse - Ruined Library]

Check Mark shouldn't really be surprised by anything Surprise does anymore, after that thing with Sprinkles...but since when does logic apply to that pegasus?
Still baffled.

"What was...? Oh yes, officially. As far as I was involved, it was just storage and transfer."
Officially! But the ghoul doesn't seem entirely convinced of that.
"But, you don't staff as many ponies as they did just for holding trinkets and secrets. Never seen half of the ponies who's names I saw..."


Meanwhile! Surprise seems to stumble upon some sort of chart for the supplies of a Mister Trim's promotion party. Most of it is illegible, but the storage details of...cake mixes and beach balloons? are present.
They seem to be in kept in the B2 Block 5 #13 and B2 Block 8 #16 respectively.

Not much in the way of variety, but far more than the Wasteland usually sees...

[PurityIcekiller]

"That's a shame...just a darn shame when the wasteland decides to just take things away.." Railrght sighed and frowned, shaking his head.

"It sure is. That's why we've got to cooperate and help each other hold on to what we have."

"Naw, there weren't much damage caused by them lot, thankfully the town made it through that ordeal in one piece." He studied the lot with scrutinizing eyes and bobbed his head a little.

Bright Eyes nodded. "Good to hear that, at least. I'd rather not lose places like this, since they're actually reliable."

"Talismans. Better metal. Better tools. Gems. Sparkle Batteries. Bauhaus use many things."

Well, he's certainly right to the point.

"Sounds simple enough. Basically, the same kinds of things that I like to collect."

Night Jewel was silent for a bit. Now that I know what I'm looking for, the hard part will be actually finding it. I know a certain someone who had some of those things and who I wouldn't mind depriving of said things, but I don't know where he is. I'll have to track him down somehow.

"Say, what do you know of recent events?" she asked after a long silence. It was a bit of a long shot, but she guessed that monsters left trails behind.

[BladeofObliviom]

Spoiler

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Ponyville

Doc Patch watches Razoreye head over to the building. Not a bad move for him as well, seeing as the explosives expert might be wounded.

Then Pineapple lurches out of the building and he frowns. That might be a problem, fixing her up. He moved closer, trying to get into a position to assess Pineapple's wounds better and hold her upright until he could heal the mare. He didn't talk to her yet; sometimes it was better not to. Her throat could be perforated or anything else.

Ponyville

Well Pineapple seems alive. That's a good plus, but one has to wonder if the mare is going to scamper off once patched up considering her 'debt' was payed. Another one of them is covered in somepony else's blood, so Razoreye muses, "Crazy things didn't realize they were dead and kept going."

[Ponyville]

Ironically, considering the fight she'd just been in, it is really a wonder that she's still able to walk in a straight line. Most of her body is protected by a suit of leather barding, reinforced to survive explosives at short range. She's still carrying two rather large and heavy saddlebags, though they've become significantly lighter since the beginning of the fight due to constantly using explosives during it. "Thumper" remains at her side, and still has two grenades primed to fire if anybody decides to trigger her battle saddle's mouthpiece carelessly.

However, there are clear signs of things having gone wrong. She was within the casualty radius of a Grenade blast, though her experience with that served her well since she isn't crippled and her fleshy parts generally aren't peppered with shrapnel. There are some holes in her saddlebags where fragments punched through, and a few bits managed to stick to her barding, but the grenade doesn't actually seem to have messed her up too badly beyond a bad manecut.

The other mare did a number on her though, even if she ultimately did much worse to said other mare: Pineapple has a gash between her eyes nearly an entire inch wide, and fairly deep. Said gash is currently bleeding in a manner that could fairly be described as "profuse." While that's probably the most life-threatening injury on her, there are a number of lacerations on parts of her face owing to vicious beating of such, along with some blunt trauma that will almost certainly develop contusion or, in worse cases, hematoma. Oh, and she has a jaw that, while not properly broken, is definitely not fit for use.

While it is not something Cloth Patch is likely to identify immediately unless he has x-ray vision or can just tell it apart from the effects of serious blood loss, she's also concussed.

Of course, she looks a lot worse than she is. Most of the blood covering her isn't actually hers, and part of the other mare's small intestine is tangled around her foreleg, still connected on the other side to where she mashed it into the ground. She doesn't seem to be entirely aware of this fact, though thankfully she hasn't registered Patch as a murder target or anything.

Spoiler

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"Sounds simple enough. Basically, the same kinds of things that I like to collect."

Night Jewel was silent for a bit. Now that I know what I'm looking for, the hard part will be actually finding it. I know a certain someone who had some of those things and who I wouldn't mind depriving of said things, but I don't know where he is. I'll have to track him down somehow.

"Say, what do you know of recent events?" she asked after a long silence. It was a bit of a long shot, but she guessed that monsters left trails behind.

[Basement Workshop]

"Dog not go out much. How pony find me, anyway?"

He seems to have partially lost interest in this conversation, as now he's doing something to the leg with a screwdriver. If Night Jewel's looking for news and gossip, though, this Dog is probably not the best source.

[Lycan 01]

Warehouse - Wrecked Library

Sergeant Sprinkles idly pokes at a ruined cookbook. "Looks like yer friend ain't here..." he gruffly observes, before activating his sensors and trying to key in on any sights, sounds, or signatures nearby that would indicate a lost friend or troublesome interloper...

[Benson]

Southwestern Equestria- Underground Facility 5:10 PM

Chief Green Spike just watched as Tough Stomp carried off Maul Steel. He didn't really know what to do himself. He didn't bond quite as much with the ghoul as Maul seemed to do. Foxfire herself was conflicted on this. Do the needs of one really outweigh the needs of many?...Just another example here how the Wastelands just loves jerking around.

Chief Green Spike then ordered his warriors to take the ghoul back on the...throne-thing? pedestal? whatever. Where the ghoul was to be hooked up. Frankly, Chief Greenspike didn't know what he was doing really, he was just going to wing this.
--


Wild Rabbit Woods

Swift Star was out of view, keeping high above them in the giant mushroom tops. Elestre's light did not show him. Finder would find a ninja star piercing his SMG in a vital spot like before.
--

Steel Creel's House

"That's not the danger I'm talking about. I just don't think its smart to risk Mags' life. The clouds above and surrounding New Appleloosa are major territory for enclave and their patrols." He said with a frown.
--

New Appleloosa

"I reckon we may have some space still in the Commons for a group this large....though they'll have to pull their weight around here. We just ain't got the resources for a free ride if ya catch mah meaning."

[MCerberus]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Suddenly there's a ninja star in the SMG's bolt. Who knows if that can be fixed without new parts, but messing with it likely won't be an option right now. Since he had time to rest, he can risk some low-use magic at least... going to make the migraine worse though.

Finder channels a light spell trying to figure out what's going on.

[Drowlord]

Wild Rabbit Woods

Elestre looked relievedly at Finder. "Ninja ghoul is somewhere out there, I'm rather sure."

Who else would use shruikens?

Steel Creel's House

Sparky looked at his weather map again. "What the? This thing doesn't show that for some reason. Oh well then. Sorry, Mags. Would you accept sometime later?"

He sounded a little aggravated that his map failed him, but grateful Steel had warned him.

Ponyville

Doc Patch almost decided to just use Scourge on the mare in retribution for Bent Barrel's condition, but checked his anger. He quickly pulled out an extra-strength bandage and applied it to the wound. He'd make a healing salve once he got back to the ATV. First, to check for concussions or other ailments which could have resulted from her head wound; a good step was see if the mare was capable of responding to speech correctly.

"Excuse me, miss, but you are rather heavily injured. I am a doctor by trade, so I hope you don't mind me healing you."

[Benson]

Steel Creel's House

Sparky looked at his weather map again. "What the? This thing doesn't show that for some reason. Oh well then. Sorry, Mags. Would you accept sometime later?"

He sounded a little aggravated that his map failed him, but grateful Steel had warned him.

Mags pouted that her fun to see the sun was ruined. She pouted at Steel Creel who only looked back at her with a 'wha?' expression.

"I...suppose...okay..." She said with a little sigh.

"Later?....I kinda prefer 'never'...I don't want to risk her life," Steel said with a little frown.

[PurityIcekiller]

"Dog not go out much. How pony find me, anyway?"

He seems to have partially lost interest in this conversation, as now he's doing something to the leg with a screwdriver. If Night Jewel's looking for news and gossip, though, this Dog is probably not the best source.

"A lot of luck. I happened to be passing through the area, looking for a skilled crafter, and I asked around." Night Jewel smiled despite her disappointment. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you. I'll let you know when I find something." With that, she turned to leave.

"I reckon we may have some space still in the Commons for a group this large....though they'll have to pull their weight around here. We just ain't got the resources for a free ride if ya catch mah meaning."

"All right. I'll pitch in, of course."

Bright Eyes made a mental note to find some new tombs to raid soon. She knew she didn't have infinite money, she was just losing more and more all day today, and she hadn't even bought that shovel yet.

[Drowlord]

Steel Creel's House

"I meant later as in when we're not in this area. When we travel outside of the trade area, I'll do it for her."

Sparky was intensely focused, perhaps very oddly so.

"Anyway, any shopping you need to do? I'd be happy to do it for you."

[Chaotic Bob]

[New Appleoosa]

"Of course we'll earn our keep. Just...need to recuperate a little?"
They're pretty much dead on their hooves, no matter how much the lead-mare is trying to keep a positive front for them.

Certainly none of them are going to be saying "nuh uh! We don't do work!" anytime soon, if it means they get proper shelter.