Somber #2

[18:30:14]	Somber	The Appleanta Expedition had arrived on the far side of the mountains, only to encounter the first hazard; a strange black haze whose movements defied traditional air currents. As soon as they'd arrived on the far side, the ponies in the expedition had started to show signs of sickness. Several were complaining of headaches. Odd given that none of the
[18:32:02]	things they'd eaten should have caused such a reaction. The lush and verdant basin, however, revealed that under the thick and wild growth there were relics of the old world. They'd been forced to land when one of the pegasi collapsed in their harness and came down in the middle of a parking lot outside a mall. With everypony's health rapidly deteriorating
[18:33:06]	the four of wagon three had gone into the mall in search of supplies, only to come across a mottled peach colored ghoul in denim overalls. She was providing information... for a price... but it was better than nothing, right?
[18:38:38]	Shimmershy	fidgets nervously, rubbing a forehoof against her foreleg. "Um... S-so... So nopony should eat the grass or trees..? Is there... Is there any way to help someone who has..?" She slowly lowered her head, ears folding back nervously. Like she expected to be yelled at.
[18:40:14]	Edna_Stonetalon	glances back towards the wagons "We may have a problem. We got Ranger and Enclave with us. And I don't want to be here if they go nuts and start shooting."
[18:40:24]	Night_Wind	looks back in the direction of wagons one and two. "I...suppose we ought to warn the others what to expect. Maybe they can do something...but they'll probably never believe me."
	Somber	The peach ghoul looks at her and then gave a shrug. "Get out and hope. Some folks recover. Time and magic helps. But everypony's got the Phage here and I'll getcha one way or the other. I've got it. Ya'll got it. Gonna getcha eventually. If yer lucky."
[18:40:42]	it'll getcha*
[18:41:37]	Wanderlust	feels his head throb, rubbing his temple as he tried to get the pain under control. "I'm all for not eating the insanity-inducing death grass..." he moans, barely able to focus on the conversation.
[18:41:56]	Edna_Stonetalon	roll her eye "Oh lovely the mysterious plague has an ominous name"
[18:42:04]	Edna_Stonetalon	eyes*
[18:42:37]	Night_Wind	clears her throat. "The Phage? Is it that...that black mist or whatever we came through? Because I had my shield up as we went through."
[18:43:14]	Shimmershy	winces a little and lowers her head even more. "O-oh..." That didn't sound good at all! "Th-then... Then I guess... I guess we have to get out of here..?" She lowers her voice to a whisper. "... we should have listened to the sheep..." More berating herself than anything else it seemed.
[18:44:13]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Don't be hard on yourself they would of flown into that shit anyway."
[18:44:31]	Somber	"Ya'll really must be from elsewhere if ya haven't heard of the Phage. Fuckin disease is a meanace. And of course every dipshit with a pulse think us ghouls caused it and we must be immune. Ain't see the rotters though. Phage eats us alive... well... dead..." the ghoul said with a snort and then pulled back her coverall to show a hoof sized canker in her
[18:45:07]	her shoulder. "Used to be the radiation countered the effects... but then all the radiation switched off...."
[18:46:33]	Shimmershy	bit her lower lip nervously, slowly looking up towards the pony. Very slowly speaking up again. "Where... Where was this..? Before... I mean, before all this... Um... N-never mind." She let out a little eep at the bare flesh and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at it.
[18:49:23]	Somber	"This?" She looked around the mall. "This was the Forestside mall. Then the Growing happened. Green rain and then shit growing everywhere! People thought it was a damn miracle. Till folks started goin crazy... or rottin... or turnin into monsters. Then we figured out the Phage. Or that's what them thair smart ponies in Olives say. Them religious folk
	Night_Wind	lowers her ears and nods. "Yes, the Gardens of Equestria project was finally completed a few years ago when the last Element bearer was found. All of Equestria was cleansed of radiation and taint, and where the ground was still fertile, it was seeded as well. We are sorry this has cost you so. If you leave, you will find that caravans are running to countries outside
[18:49:24]	Equestria to acquire irradiated water for ghouls."
[18:50:02]	Somber	say it's a punishment from Celestia." She looked at Nightwind and then snorted. "Well, wouldn't do us no good. Anypony that leave with the Phage is dead the next day."
[18:51:07]	Night_Wind	flinches from that pronouncement and lowers her ears further. "We...see."
[18:51:15]	Shimmershy	swallows nervously and very slowly opened one of her eyes. "Um... Wh-when did... When did that happen..? L-long... Long ago... Or just.. Just recently..?" Barely catching sight of the bare muscle before squeezing her eyes closed again.
[18:52:40]	Somber	"Mmmm... five years back?" She said, rubbing her chin. "Appleanta wasn't all that different from the rest of the wastelands... or so I heard. We actually had sunlight and such though, but wild and crazy weather. Tornadoes. Thunderstorms. Even a hurricane every now and then. Then all of a sudden all that stopped and the Growing happened."
[18:53:21]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Sounds like the gardens mite of /caused/ this."
[18:54:21]	Shimmershy	lowered her head, flattening her ears. "O-oh..." shuffling a forehoof into the ground. "M-maybe we... We should keep moving then..? If... If this whole place is dangerous..?" She whimpered a little bit. "We were supposed to be going to Appleanta... And... Um... And..." She trails off. "N-nevermind. We're heading to Appleanta. D-do you know the way?"
[18:57:07]	Somber	"Headin there? Y'are there! Least on the outskirts. Better not go into town just yet though. Appleanta has always been a nasty place. Had the phage even before the Growing. Some zebra plague, or so folks say. The Growing just tossed it all over the region. Y'all look to the south west and you'll see the Great Tree. Appleanta's downtown is right below
[18:57:09]	it."
[18:59:38]	Shimmershy	slowly raised her head and opened her eyes again. "Great... Tree..?" She slowly started to inch towards the door. "W-we should... We should figure out where we're going. N-now that we're here. Y-you wanted to trade for supplies, right? W-well we might have some things to exchange..."
[19:02:07]	Wanderlust	feels himself getting dizzy as he tries to process everything that's going on. Phage? The Growing? Zebra Plague? Great Tree? He groans again as a fresh bout of pain makes him stumble.
[19:02:24]	Somber	She tugged her coveralls back into place. "Ya'll want some suggestions?" she asked, looking a little pitying at the group. "If ya'll go east or west you'll get clear of the blight. East is Headless. Night enough town, even if they are nuttier than most folks. West you'll find Spark town. You'll hear it before you see it." She looked at Wanderlust.
[19:02:45]	"Best get out of here quick. He's gonna start loosing his marbles before too long."
[19:03:31]	Shimmershy	nods her head slowly. "Are they... Are they inside the... Um... The..." She looks out towards the horizon. "The big... Black... Cloudy stuff..?"
[19:03:43]	Wanderlust	glares at the ghoul. "Screw you too... I'm fine..." he growls. He couldn't pretend to be friendly with this headache.
[19:04:07]	Night_Wind	tilts her head. "So...getting out of the Blight helps to cure the insanity? At least if you leave soon enough?"
[19:06:23]	Edna_Stonetalon	hands Wanderlust a bottle of water "Drink this. It mite help."
	Somber	"Can't hurt. There's four or five blights. This one's the Madwood. Not dangerous if ya don't eat nothin..."
[19:08:57]	Shimmershy	looks towards her companions nervously. "And... And there are others... Which do other things..? We crashed near here. After coming through the black... Stuff out there." She fidgeted with a forehoof. "I don't think... I don't think we all had problems with the cloud. B-but... But everyone who ate something..." She winces. "W-we should get out of here..."
[19:13:23]	Wanderlust	suddenly feels a rage unlike he'd ever felt. Who was this wretch to tell him he was going insane?! He was fine! With a scowl he levels his rifle at the ghoul and pulls the trigger, spraying bullets at her. That'll teach her!
[19:17:59]	Edna_Stonetalon	drops the water as Wanderlust brings up his rifle and grabs the barrel, pushing it up so that the shots go harmlessly skyward "What are you doing!"
[19:19:00]	Somber	"Holy fuck!" Lulabelle shouts and turns, running out of the camp as quick as her hooves would carry her.
[19:19:18]	Night_Wind	looked on in horror as Wander brought his gun to bear on the ghoul and she raised her hoof reflexively to stop him before realizing she was a little too far away. Just as she was realizing she needed to reach out with her magic, her body, still leaning into her panicked lunge plunged her face first into the dirt. "NOOOOO-Ooof!"
[19:20:18]	Shimmershy	yelps in surprise, diving away from the gunshot and under a nearby tattered sleeping bag, the pre-war artificial cloth covering her quickly aside from the trembling tail still visible from underneath. The large lump of her body shaking visibly even through the padding.
[19:21:20]	Wanderlust	blinks, shaking a bit. "I... I don't know. I suddenly felt really angry at her, like she was responsible for everything that's ever gone wrong in my life." He lets the rifle drop from his telekinesis. "I can't be losing it, right? It can't happen that fast..." A little panic creeps into his voice as he talks.
[19:22:25]	Somber	The ghoul disappears into the overgrown mall. A moment later they hear another gunshot... and another... and then an explosion! Screams from the parking lot!
[19:22:56]	Edna_Stonetalon	glares at Wanderlust holding up his rifle "I'm gunna hand on to this for now. You can have it back if you're good."
[19:23:16]	then stows his weapon in her pack
[19:24:15]	Shimmershy	shakes even worse under the bag from the sound of gunfire and explosions. She whimpers quietly, muttering to herself. "... make it stop... just be quiet... they'll go away... it's all fine..." over and over again. Evidently the mare didn't like guns, or was very, very afraid of being shot.
[19:25:01]	Night_Wind	shoves herself up from the ground. "What happened? Where's Lulabelle? Wh-" Gunshots and an exposion interrupt her. "What was that? Ohmigosh, the caravan!"
[19:25:30]	Somber	Suddenly the THOOMATHOOMATHOOMATHOOMA of a machine grenade launcher filled the air, followed by another explosion.
[19:25:32]	Wanderlust	passes Edna his sidearm as well. "You'd best take this too... just in case." The explosions cause him to drop that as well, but out of panic. "Oh no..."
[19:25:46]	Edna_Stonetalon	"We NEED to get out of here NOW!"
[19:27:36]	Night_Wind	fidgets and looks nervously towards where the skywagons were left. "B..but the others..."
[19:28:13]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Who do you think is shootin!"
[19:29:20]	Shimmershy	peaks out from under the sleeping bag. "W-we... W-we... W-we need t-to get out of here. Before... Before they blow us up..." She whimpers a little bit. "O-or... Or..." She just doesn't look comfortable. Not wanting to come out but knowing she'll have to shortly. "We... We need to... To get away... F-fast... Please... Pleasepleaseplease..."
[19:29:33]	Wanderlust	shivers. "We should run. If just one meal is making me this bad... they kept eating it. They'll just kill us if we go back."
[19:31:52]	Night_Wind	lowers her head and glances back one last time towards the caravan before turning to head west and whining softly, "Mother and Fluttershy are going to be so disappointed in us."
[19:31:56]	Edna_Stonetalon	begins to go off in the direction the ghoul went "We can't do nothin for them. We'll come back later and look for survivors."
[19:32:13]	grabs Wanderlust pistol as she goes
[19:33:56]	Shimmershy	nervously slips out from under the sleeping back. "W-we... We..." She sort of stares back towards the caravan before closing her eyes and running away in the direction Night Wind was going, eyes closed tight with little tears in them, not wanting to think about the ponies they were leaving behind.
[19:35:20]	Wanderlust	hurries after Edna, wanting to be near someone armed since he couldn't be trusted to tell friend from foe and there were heavily armed insane ponies nearby.
[19:35:23]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Don't even think about runnin out there Fumbles. You'd get pasted just like the rest of us."
[19:36:22]	Somber	The sounds of shootings and explosions gets fainter, then ominously silent as they emerge out the back end of the ruined mall. There was a road running east and west; a tunnel through the thick foilage that was nearly a tunnel through the greenery. A narrow track went south, but that way was only further into the blight.
[19:37:52]	Shimmershy	ran as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast, nor particularly graceful. Stumbling to a stop near the road huffing for breath a few moments. "N-no... no m-more.." Gasping for breath a few more moments as she looked like she might actually collapse. The poor unicorn was not in the best of physical conditions. And was running way faster than she was used to.
[19:39:02]	Wanderlust	looks down at his pipbuck, anything to get his mind off how he nearly shot a pony and is apparently slowly losing his mind from some zebra-curse doom plague. He wanted an adventure, but he also wanted to come /back/ from it. "EFS shows a friendly bar over there." He points a hoof down the narrow track going south.
[19:41:14]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Sounds like the shootin's stoped."
[19:42:06]	Somber	Indeed. And there was quite a lot of smoke rising from the Northwest.
[19:42:37]	Shimmershy	huffs for breath a few moments, swallowing shakily and shaking her head at Wanderlust. "W-we... We should... We should go back... T-to get our cart. If... If we can... We'll... We'll need supplies. We can't eat anything here..." She whimpers a little and looks down at the greenery.
[19:42:53]	Night_Wind	was having at least as hard a time as Shimmershy keeping up, the alicorn still a bit tired from flying and unused to running for long. "So...um...we can...check it out...maybe?" she panted.
[19:44:04]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Mite as well. It's not like we know where anything is out here. I hope its a settlement."
[19:47:48]	Shimmershy	pants for breath, slowly collecting herself again. "W-we... We should... I don't... I don't know what we should do." She looks pleadingly towards the others. "We need supplies... But... But I don't... There's probably..." she bites her lower lip looking worried at some thoughts.
[19:50:28]	Night_Wind	licks her lips and voices a concern that has been nagging at the back of her mind. "Can we even trust supplies from either of the first two carts? If any of that black stuff got to it..."
[19:54:10]	Wanderlust	gives Night_Wind a humorless smile. "Go insane or starve. Wonderful choices."
[19:54:21]	Edna_Stonetalon	sighs and gives Wanderlust weapons to Night_Wind "Hold these I'm gunna go do a fly by to see if anyone is still kicking. I'll come back if it's safe." and she takes out her rifle and takes to the air heading towards the caravan
[19:55:29]	Night_Wind	telekinetically grabs the guns and after a moment of indecision, she floats them over her back, not really intending to use them.
[19:58:10]	Shimmershy	shakes her head. "W-we need our cart. The one which was... Protected. I think... I think we're better off sticking together, th-that way." She whimpers a little and looks up as Edna flies off. Staring at her as she vanishes over the buildings.
[19:59:31]	Night_Wind	bites her lower lip a moment then nods. "That seems wise, yes." Following Shimmer's gaze she adds, "I hope she's okay."
[20:04:15]	Somber	THOOMATHOOMATHOOMATHOOMA sounds again from the north.
[20:06:17]	Edna_Stonetalon	returns to the group a little out of breath "We need to go now. Nothing ... worth salvaging. Oh and Peach Schnops says hello. With her grenade machine gun. So lets go before she come looking for us."
[20:06:42]	Wanderlust	gulps. "Yeah... yeah not being here sounds good."
[20:06:57]	Shimmershy	squeaks at the sound of explosions and automatic grenade fire, falling to the ground and covering her face with her forehooves. "M-maybe... Maybe we should just... Just keep moving..." Whimpering a few moments. "N-not e-even our c-cart..?" She slowly uncovered her face enough to look up at Edna pleadingly.
[20:08:03]	Edna_Stonetalon	"If there is even anything worth salvaging it ain't worth it. Best to just move on. And the sooner the better."
[20:08:33]	Night_Wind	licks her lips as well and nods. "Y..yeah, that...oh dear...that would explain the sudden silence. So...west?"
[20:10:12]	suddenly remembers, "Or wait, that friendly marker was to the south, yes?"
[20:10:32]	Shimmershy	whimpers and slowly climbs back to her hooves, "Yeah... Let's... Let's just go... W-we should get far from here as f-fast as we can..." She looks west down the road. "Th-this way?"
[20:11:36]	Night_Wind	shakes her head. "Which way did Lulabelle run?"
[20:11:44]	Wanderlust	nods to Night_Wind. "Yeah, it was to the south. It's long gone now though."
[20:12:24]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Yeah but that take us deeper into the aptly named 'Madwood' I think we should head west."
[20:12:55]	Night_Wind	nods once. "Okay then lets forget that and get out of here." Without further discussion, she sets out west carrying Wander's guns with her.
[20:14:23]	Shimmershy	begins to head down the road west as quick as she could manage. Hardly a super-fast pace, especially as she wasn't running on account of still being tired from running this far. She just had to hope Peach Schnapps wouldn't go far from the first fight point. That was likely... Right?
[20:15:23]	Edna_Stonetalon	follows Shimmershy west dorw the road keeping her rifle ready
[20:18:27]	Somber	They don't get clear of the forest before the night falls. Once more, everything is eeriely silent... or is it? There's the strangest sounds in the night. Sounds of whispers... the feeling of someone standing right behind you. If Edna, Wander, and Night weren't so exhausted there'd be the option of pushing on and leaving this horrible place... but you
[20:18:54]	can't... and so camp must be made and rest sought... in the Madwood.
[20:21:21]	Shimmershy	swallows nervously, shuffling a forehoof as they reached as far as they were able to get. Her relaxed pace worked out surprisingly well for her own good. The straight-maned unicorn nervously looking around into the darkness. "W-we..." She whimpers a little bit and moves closer to Night Wind. She didn't want to be out and alone in a dark, spooky place.
[20:22:05]	Somber	Camp is made... well... technically you could call it a camp as it's right in the middle of the road. It's neither comfortable, safe, or hidden... but it is a place to stop and rest. Hysterical laughter shrieks out of the woods, growing higher and higher and higher... and then silent... A mare screams, begging something to stop... only to fall silent
[20:23:07]	again... and then, an hour later, someone starts singing. "Giggle at the ghosties... guffaw at the grossies... crack up at the creepy... whoopit up with the weepy...."
[20:23:25]	Edna_Stonetalon	sit nervously holding her rifle "Oooh so this is why they call it the 'Madwood'"
[20:25:09]	Night_Wind	had pushed on as far as she could go, but after pulling the wagon earlier, running through the mall, carrying Shimmer for a few miles while she got her breath back, and falling more times than she can recall, finally she could go no further and literally collapsed where she was in the middle of the road (amazingly without planting her face in the ground). Feeling Shimmer
[20:25:10]	close, she weakly extended a wing over the mare, but that was all she could manage.
[20:25:44]	Shimmershy	whimpers and flattens her ears, shaking nervously as she does her best to stay close to Night Wind. "I... I... I th-thought it was because it made you mad." SHe looks up towards the darkness, then lowers her head low, whimpering at the singing and horrible sounds in the woods.
[20:28:54]	Edna_Stonetalon	looks around stealthily before reaching into her pack, pulling out a plush purple doggie and hugging it close, whispering "You'll keep me safe right Commodore Snuggles?"
[20:31:56]	Somber	It's definitely neither restful nor pleasant way to spend the night. The mare screams twice more. Then there's a gunshot. The singer sang the same song for nearly an hour, looping endlessly... Once, a voice sounding very much like Stinking Rich yelled that Shimmershy was fired. And Wanderer... well... he has whispers of his own to deal with.
[20:33:21]	Wanderlust	looks around, heading to Edna. "We should post a watch. In case Peach is following us." He says. "That makes sense right?"
[20:33:45]	Shimmershy	whimpered slightly at the yelling, singing and horrible sounds from the distance. Doing her best to shut it all out and rest. Not terribly well.
[20:34:07]	Night_Wind	trembles against Shimmershy murmuring, "We are not having a good day. This...this is like the bad days...like the days when our former Mother was...troubled. Like after a hellhound attack or..." She shakes her head as the fragment of memory slips away.
[20:35:03]	Edna_Stonetalon	jumps as Wanderlust speaks to her, hurriedly stuffing Commodore Snuggles back into her pack "What did you see!"
[20:35:32]	Wanderlust	looks at Edna impassively. "Nothing important."
[20:35:45]	Shimmershy	looks up to Night Wind nervously. "W-well... W-well we're not... We're not all alone now, a-at least. We have friends..." She gives a nervous sort of smile to the alicorn. Doing her best to relax from the horrors and comfort herself more than anything.
[20:37:31]	Somber	The day brought a little relief from the nightmares and whispers and screams. Everypony was sore, achy, and exhausted. Still, the wood was thinning. There was actual sunlight breaking through the boughs. And then the forest suddenly peeled away to a grassier land spotted with lighter copses and forests. The ominous forest was a looming green wall running
[20:37:32]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Right yes nothing important. ... No point no one's gunna be sleeping with this going on. It's going to take weeks to get that song out of my head." and she rubs her temples with a talon
[20:39:03]	Somber	north and south. To the north west was some kind of large structure. The trees blocked the view to the south though.
[20:39:04]	Wanderlust	eyes Edna's rifle, barely paying any attention to what she's saying. "...so are we posting a watch?"
[20:40:35]	Night_Wind	lays her head on the ground next to Shimmer and murmurs wearily, "Mmmhmm...yes, friends. The new Mother taught us about friends. Yes, friends...not alone..." And the alicorn drifted off to sleep.
[20:40:54]	Edna_Stonetalon	waves a talon dismissively "Just tell everyone to listen for something big metal and stompy coming through the wood."
[20:42:39]	Shimmershy	shudders a little at the voices. She didn't get any real sleep at all that night. Barely managing to close her eyes before something frightened her back to wakefulness.
[20:43:00]	Wanderlust	seems to struggle with himself for a bit before responding. "Right. Of course..." He turns and walks away, finding a spot a good deal away from the group and trying to shut out the whispers. He couldn't do what they wanted if everyone was awake...
[20:45:29]	Shimmershy	was looking baggy-eyed and ragged by the time the morning came. Her straight, white, gold and purple mane and tail having numerous ruffled hairs, though still managing to completely cover one of her eyes. Already she was packing up her things and ready to go. "L-let's... Let's go that way." She pointed a hoof towards the building. "A-anywhere... Anywhere has to... To be
	better than here..."
[20:48:07]	Edna_Stonetalon	gets up and stretches "Works for me."
[20:48:58]	Wanderlust	drags himself to his hooves, looking nearly dead from lack of sleep but thanking the powers that be that the voices stopped. He's already heard enough of that buck's droll tones to last him ten lifetimes. "Ugh... let's just get out of here..." he groans, placing his bags on his back and falling in line behind Edna.
[20:49:22]	|<--	Pantzar has left luna.canternet.org (Quit: Relax, its only ONES and ZEROS!)
[20:51:31]	Night_Wind	comes awake still feeling tired. Her eyes are fine for what little good that does, but her entire body feels sore from the previous day's workout. "Oh Mother...we ache so very much..." She tries to kitty stretch...and suddenly feels a charlie horse in her groin muscle. She whinnies in pain and tumbles onto her side, vigorously rubbing a hoof between her hind legs.
[20:54:18]	Edna_Stonetalon	digs in her pack and pulls out some of the food they found in the mall "We should eat a little some-" *beep* "... What the hell was that?" she then digs around into her pack intill she finds a small radio "Oh right" its telling her that it's picking up a signal
[20:54:33]	Shimmershy	was glad she wasn't close to Night wind when the large pony fell over. Wincing a little at the sound of it. She was keeping a distance from the others this morning, more so than she had during the trip. As though she expected somepony to do something they'd regret. Or she would. Or they both would.
[20:54:59]	Somber	The day brought a little relief from the nightmares and whispers and screams. Everypony was sore, achy, and exhausted. Still, the wood was thinning. There was actual sunlight breaking through the boughs. And then the forest suddenly peeled away to a grassier land spotted with lighter copses and forests. The ominous forest was a looming green wall running
[20:55:07]	r	north and south. To the north west was some kind of large structure. The trees blocked the view to the south though.
[20:55:31]	=-=	Arcane_Scroll[A] is now known as Arcane_Scroll
[20:57:14]	Wanderlust	's pipBuck points out that it's picked up a radio station as well. "I could use some music right about now..." he mutters to himself, and tunes in to it.
[20:58:39]	Night_Wind	once she had massaged the embarassing kink from her muscles and climbed back to her hooves, she adjusted her armor and battle saddle (wearing them had not made her sleep restful) and set out with the others. The sight of the building ahead is a welcome one indeed - shelter would mean a more restful slumber...or at least it should.
[20:58:50]	Shimmershy	points a hoof off towards the structure. "M-maybe... Maybe we should head that way..? Lulabell... Sh-she said... Something about a town this way. Right? And... And that we'd hear it before we saw it..? Maybe... Maybe they have a radio transmitter there?"
[20:59:22]	Edna_Stonetalon	"A town sounds good right about now."
[20:59:57]	Somber	"BRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!! BOOM BOOM! GONNA BOOM BOOM! SENDYA STRAIGHT TO DA MOON MOON! LISTEN TO YER DOOM DOOM!! BOOM BOOM!" The mare on the radio screams at the top of her lungs, followed by the most intense, Goddess damned ruckus of metal and drums ever heard in Equestria. It wasn't music so much as organized cacophony that seemed to be mostly
[21:00:28]	about blowing stuff up and rutting like you were blowing stuff up.
[21:01:02]	Edna_Stonetalon	facetalons "Wonderful the 'Madwood' seems to have a radio station."
[21:01:18]	Wanderlust	yelps and scrambles to change the the frequency to anything else as fast as he could, staring at the pipBuck like it was going to explode.
[21:02:32]	Somber	He does find another radio station. A twangy noise fills the air along with a buck drawling on about how he lost his mare... his house... his dog... but he's still got his gun and his love of Celestia.
[21:02:33]	Shimmershy	yipes at the sound of the music! Scrambling a moment to look for somewhere to hide until she realized where the sound was coming from, instead panting for breath as her heart pounded. "L-l-l-let's n-no-t g-go there..." She whimpers a little bit.
[21:03:39]	Edna_Stonetalon	sighs and simply turns off her radio 'it wasn't even good metal'
[21:03:43]	Somber	"Git along... git along... git along to Clest... Clestia's wise and Celestia's best... git along... git along... for the phage gits ya gone... celestia saves every sin and every wrong...
[21:04:33]	Wanderlust	groans. "It's better than the first one..." he sighs in defeat.
[21:04:44]	Night_Wind	claps her hooves over her ears and shakes her head until Wander manages to change the channel. "We do not like that station!"
[21:05:54]	Shimmershy	whimpers a little and lowers her head, "I... Um.. I..." She shook her head, looking back towards the wood then towards the building then further west. THere wasn't any sign of anywhere else to go. "W-we should.... We should m-move on.. I don't... I don't want to get stuck here again."
[21:06:45]	Night_Wind	frowns at the new station but has to agree. "Does you PipBuck identify either station?" she asks Wander.
[21:06:48]	Edna_Stonetalon	perks up at Shimmershys words "I'm with Shimmer lets get the fuck out of these woods"
[21:07:18]	Somber	Well... it certainly was no DJ-PON3... but at least there were two groups in the wasteland with the technology to broadcast. The question was... did they want to go through the Madwood again to try and reach Headless or bypass the large building?
[21:10:36]	Shimmershy	whimpers a little and looks at the building, then further on west, then back to the building. "I... I... Um... I guess... I guess we have to go that way." she waves a hoof at the building. "O-or... Or... S-someone could fly up. And... And see if they can see the tree that Lulabell was talking about..?"
[21:10:56]	Wanderlust	looks down at his pipBuck and reads off the tags. "Celestia Salvation Station and..." he facehoofs. "K-FUK." He mutters into the ground.
[21:14:53]	Night_Wind	sighs and begins trudging towards the building. "Let us at least see what we may find here."
[21:15:27]	Edna_Stonetalon	follows Night Wind as she was in no condition for a solo recon
[21:16:29]	Wanderlust	drags himself silently after Edna, too tired to think let alone talk.
[21:17:06]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Hey Fumbles hold up a sec."
[21:19:00]	Night_Wind	comes to a stop and looks back over her shoulder at the griffin. "We...I do have a name," she mutters just a bit crossly. Not getting a good night's sleep can do that to a mare.
[21:20:11]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Right we's all grumpy. I think its safe to give Wander back his weapons."
[21:20:14]	Shimmershy	kept her head low and quiet, trying to stick close so she didn't lose her companions.
[21:21:21]	Night_Wind	blinks at that suggestion then shrugs. "I suppose so."
[21:22:30]	=-=	Arcane_Scroll is now known as Arcane_Eating[A]
[21:22:35]	Edna_Stonetalon	goes up to Nigh_Wind and take Wanderlust weapons from her "Hey Wanderlust think you're good enough to get these back."
[21:25:01]	Wanderlust	hesitates a moment before responding. "...yeah, I think so." He levitates his weapons back to their places.
[21:25:08]	Night_Wind	gives her entire body a shake then sets out again once everyone is ready.
[21:25:15]	Somber	It takes the better part of two hours... and they still haven't reached it! The massive building just gets bigger and bigger. They can make out smoke stacks and huge round silos and rows and rows of transmission lines going off in four different directions. From the looks of it, all the trees around the structure have been cleared away long ago.
[21:25:51]	Shimmershy	shuffles over to one side, to keep Night Wind between her and Wanderlust. Walking slowly with the others towards the building. She looks up at the massive building. "W-what d-do you think it is..?"
[21:27:01]	Somber	Before they could see anything specific though, they could hear the same rock music blaring over the air. Then they smelled the soot and ozone on the wind. On the front of the building, corroded almost into obscurity, was the symbol for Hippocampus Energy. A barbed wire reinforced with sheets of scrap metal surrounded it on all sides save for a large gate
[21:27:02]	Edna_Stonetalon	whistles "Bloody mega-building."
[21:28:09]	Somber	in the front. There were a half dozen guards standing watch and a brahmin caravan going into the settlement. A sign in scavenged neon signs read 'spark town'.
[21:28:39]	Night_Wind	shakes her head uncertainly. "I'm not entirely sure. A pre-war industrial complex of some sort perhaps?" She winces as she hears the ear-bleeding music on the wind, soft enough for now but growing steadily louder. "I hope they offer complimentary ear plugs up ahead."
[21:28:47]	Wanderlust	gapes at the building in awe. He had seen large building before, but this was in a league all its own. And then he hears the music and groans. "Let's go elsewhere, that music is going to give me a headache..."
[21:29:48]	Shimmershy	flattens her ears at the sound of the music, glancing back towards the woods. "B-but... Th-the only other place... We could go... Is... Um... Is on the other side of the woods." She nervously rubs her forelegs together a moment. "M-maybe... Maybe we can just... Stay here a little while. Until... Until we're rested enough to travel somewhere else..?"
[21:29:52]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Music isn't that bad. Hopefully it helps get that damn 'Giggle at the Ghosties' song out of my head"
[21:35:55]	Wanderlust	"Going to need a bullet to get this racket out of mine." He mutters under his breath.
[21:36:48]	Night_Wind	sighs and somewhat reluctantly heads to where the caravan is. "That looks like people trading. Any place that has trade has something that passes for civilization, so that's likely our best bet for now."
[21:37:33]	Somber	They get up to the humming fence that's marked 'Danger, high voltage' and an added sign, 'No, really motherfuckers. It's juiced.' Then they get to the front gate. The guards are armed with magical energy weapons and look down at the four of them suspictiously... Night_wind definitely making them nervous. A white mare with an electric blue mane trots
[21:39:24]	forward with some sort of industrial arc welder on her battle saddle. Every inch of her white hide is decorated with tattoos that match her vibrant mane. "Hold there, Motherfuckers. I don't recognize you four. Who the fuck are you and what the fuck is your fucking business in Spark Town? I don't see no motherfuckin brahmin and we don't need no mutant
[21:40:03]	freak shows running around." She said, the light glinting on a dozen bright and shiny piercings in her nose, ears, and lip.
[21:41:07]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Well fuckity fuck fuck fuck too you to"
[21:41:08]	Night_Wind	shakes her head but doesn't speak, instead giving Shimmer a reassuring wing-stroke and a nudge with her muzzle.
[21:41:39]	Somber	"Fuckin right." She said with approval to Edna.
[21:42:10]	Shimmershy	eeps a little nervously at the appearance of the pony. Swallowing nervously and slowly stepping forward. "Um... W-we're... We came from outside the cloud. From New Canterlot, searching for Appleanta on behalf of... Of..." She stammered a moment in nervousness before doing her best to well up her courage. "Our chariots crashed and our companions went crazy when they ate
[21:42:11]	the grass. B-but we're all clean. We... We came out of the Madwood looking for a place to rest." She looks up at the imposingly tattooed mare. "We... We won't cause any trouble. We're just... Just looking for a place to rest, and trade if we can. W-what we have which is worth trading..."
[21:47:47]	Somber	The mare looks at the others and then scowls at her. "What the fuck are you fucking trying to pull? You're fucking Celestian spies, aren't you!? Come to fuck our fucking shit up! Well fuck you you fucking cunt! You can go right back to your fuckin people and sing your fucking Celestia saves songs and eat my fucking shit! You hear me, you little FUCK!?!"
[21:47:58]	The white mare screams in Shimmershy's face.
[21:48:29]	Global	[Network Notice] Colgate - Celestia Radio is hosting a 200 hour *live* DJ marathon for Kiki Avivy, a young girl with cancer. This isn't just music either, this includes live interviews and shows as well! Check out #CelestiaRadio and http://ponify.me/kikis-cancer-fundraiser-extravaganza/ for more details on how it will all go down and how to donate!
[21:49:11]	Wanderlust	decides now would be a good time to turn off his radio entirely.
[21:49:35]	Shimmershy	squeaks, rearing up and backing away quickly as the white mare gets close to her. Clearly terrified of the pony's angry glare. "N-no... No we're... We're just... Just travelers... W-we met a ghoul. Sh-she told us this place w-was safe..." She lowered her head slowly and slunk backwards. "I'm... I'm sorry... W-we'll g-go if you don't want us here..."
[21:51:02]	Edna_Stonetalon	steps between the mare and Shimmershy "Hey! Back the fuck up! We are from outside that fucking haze! Fucking shit drove the rest of our group crazy. We just spent the fucking night in the fucking 'Madwwod' and its gunna take me fucking weeks to get that fucking song out of my head! So let us the fuck in!"
[21:54:20]	Somber	The white mare glares back and the finally snorts and laughs. "Okay. You're fuckin cool. Long as you're not one of those Celestian fucks. Just don't let your mutie eat anypony and we'll be grounded. Sound good?" She turned and gestured to the guards with her electric blue tail. They threw a level and opened the gate. "Welcome to fucking Spark Town.
[21:55:25]	Home to the fuckingest awesomest roughest most charged motherfuckers in all the fucking wasteland. I'm Arclight. Head of day security. What the fuck can I do you for?"
[21:56:31]	Edna_Stonetalon	ponders "Who are these 'Celestian fucks' you're talkin about?"
[21:56:38]	Shimmershy	keeps her head low, ears folded back. She was going to let Edna handle this. The griffin seems to speak their language, after all...
[21:57:51]	Somber	"Fuckers in Salvation. Bunch of fuckers found a mutie like yours and say she's Celestia and if we're all fucking nice and sweet she'll end the Phage. Fuckin bullshit. We're the only ones with the balls to call em on it."
[21:59:06]	Night_Wind	feels something well up inside her and blurts out, "Commander Hurricane's crusty crotch, I am not going to eat anyone!" She snorts once then blinks, uncertain where that came from.
[22:00:21]	Edna_Stonetalon	looks over her shoulder at Night_Wind "She's harmless. Clumsy but harmless. You fucks aren't gunna give her any shit right?"
[22:01:34]	Somber	Arclight blinks at Night_Wind. Then grins. "Okay. For a mutie she's a funny one. And nah. We're all freaks in the fuckin wasteland. Long as you got caps, can work, or are cool we won't get charged. Course, if you don't, don't, or aren't then we throw your ass over the fence. If you're lucky we turn it off first. So what can we do you for?"
[22:02:56]	Edna_Stonetalon	breaths a sigh of relief "Good. You got an inn or something?"
[22:04:53]	Somber	"A fuckin inn?" She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Right next to the fuckin sword sharpener and wisard's guild. We got a pair of fuckin crashpads, yeah. You want quiet or loud?"
[22:05:27]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Spent the night in the 'Madwood' we need quiet"
[22:06:01]	Shimmershy	swallows nervously and glances at her companions, nodding emphatically in agreement with Edna.
[22:08:58]	Somber	"Fuck! No fucking thank you." She said with a shiver. "Did that shit once when I was high on Dash. Didn't eat shit and I was still fucking losing it. Some fuckers have been lost in there for fucking years." She turned and trotted alongside the massive power plant. She turned and ducked inside the caverous, warm structure where the noise was even more
[22:08:59]	Night_Wind	flushes a little at Edna pointing out her...minor issues with coordination. She could at least let the mare form her own opinion! Then she hangs her head. Who is she kidding? Edna probably did her a favor by getting that out of the way. Ah well. She's barely paying attention and almost misses the mention of a place to sleep. "Yes, quiet please..." And then remembering how
[22:09:00]	Shimmers excessive politeness rubbed the other mare the wrong way, she belatedly adds, "...or, ah, fuck you?"
[22:11:22]	Somber	intense. The inside of the power plant, between the massive boilers, was a town of neon lights, lamps, and rock music. A large part of the town was dominated by a stage. But then she lead them through a door marked "The Bunker" and they went into the foundations of the building itself. Thick concrete muffled the sounds till they were a dull throb. The
[22:12:30]	crash house was long and low, with matresses on the floor and curtains for privacy, but it was quiet and seemed to be occupied by most of the outsiders. A sallow stallion looked at them and wheezed, "Five caps a night. Payment in full in advance."
[22:14:38]	Shimmershy	flattened her ears tight against her head at the rockous music, following with the others near the middle of the group. THe final relief from the throbbing, thumping sound to a mere dull pounding was a welcome change as she perked up significantly. Looking over the state of the room she gave a frown. But rather than argue, given this was their only real choice at the
[22:14:39]	moment, she dug out five caps and dropped them before the pony.
[22:15:29]	Somber	Arclight seemed to notice the state of their finances. "You folks seem a little low charge. You opposed to some work?"
[22:16:02]	Edna_Stonetalon	"Would you take a box of 'Sugar Apple Bombs'?"
[22:16:09]	Shimmershy	shuffles a forehoof then looks up to Arclight. "Um... N-no. I mean, we're all pretty tired and exhausted right now. But... But we all came here on business. So. Uh. Fuck, yeah?" SHe gives a politely worried smile at the use of the expression.
[22:18:50]	Wanderlust	tries his best to not simply fall to the floor and curl up to save his ears. If this wasn't hell is was damn close... The relief he felt as the walls slowly muffled the racket is indescribable. "I'm... kinda broke..." he mumbles bashfully. "I'll gladly work if it means a safe bed though."
[22:19:12]	Night_Wind	is just glad to be out of the noise, so when she hears the cost of staying and recalls where her caps went, she looks hopefully at the others. "We are not opposed to work at all, though we can not guarantee our best effort in our current state."
[22:19:22]	Somber	Arclight winces. "You can't say fuck. Don't. You sound like a fucking tool when you say it." Then she looks at the four and the offering. The sallow pony shrugs and nods, accepting the gift for payment. Arclight sizes them up. "We got a pest problem here. It's been a problem all fucking month. You fuckers clear them out, I'll pay you fifty caps a
[22:19:32]	piece."
[22:19:55]	Edna_Stonetalon	sighs "Fine what and where?"
[22:20:42]	Somber	"Woah. Fuckin sleep. You look like yer coming off a fuckin Dash Rush or some shit. Bugs ain't goin nowhere."
[22:22:24]	Shimmershy	yawns a few moments, long and drawn out, nodding her head. "Yeah... Sleep sounds good." Giving a nervous kindof smile.
[22:23:15]	shuffles a forehoof. "Um.. Uh... C-can I ask something, though... Um. H-how do you decide who performs here..?" She seemed genuinely curious more than anything else. "I've... Um... I've never h-heard of any actual bands in the wasteland. O-or at least not any outside the NCR..."
[22:23:37]	Night_Wind	nods and wearily mutters, "Sleep, eat, kill the bloody damned mutant bugs later. Same shit, different day." Again she gets a wide-eyed, confused look on her face then slowly shakes her head.
[22:24:39]	Wanderlust	smiles sleepily. He used to shoot radroaches for fun, pest control sounded nice and simple compared to the shit they've been through the past few days...
[22:24:40]	Edna_Stonetalon	yawns aswell "Right we'll take care of them bugs later." and stumbles inside looking for a group of beds relatively close together
[22:25:38]	Somber	Arclight shrugs. "It's whoever's got the balls and skills ta get up on stage. Perform well and we'll treat ya like a fuckin god. Suck ass and we'll shoot ya. Just up to the fuckin crowd. Right now my sis Livewire's the stage darling. Even broadcasts whatever rock she can as far as she can send it."
[22:29:17]	Shimmershy	nods her head and smiles a little. "A-and... I... I guess singers have to provide their own accompaniment..?" She just seemed to be getting a feel for how this place works. "Er. Uh. I mean... THeir own rock?" She lowers her head nervously folding her ears back.
[22:30:33]	Night_Wind	doesn't care about the stage and rest sounds really good. With their rooms paid for, she heads to the nearest unoccupied spot to sleep and crashes on it. A tad literally. Ouch.
[22:32:53]	Edna_Stonetalon	takes off her gear and flops onto the matress next to Night_Wind using, her gear as a pillow, and pulls out Commodore Snuggles, falling to sleep almost immediately
[22:32:54]	Somber	"Sure. And their own fucking instruments. Workin gear's more expensive than guns. Live's got three of her friends for that. Why? You rock?" she asked, arching her brow at the pretty young mare.
[22:33:47]	Shimmershy	blushes and shuffles a little bit. "Um... Maybe." she sighs and sinks her head. "Not that I'd have anyone to play for me anyway. B-but I thought... I thought I'd ask anyway. I've never seen a place quite like this before."
[22:36:38]	Somber	"Yeah. Place was even more fuckin charged before the phage hit," she said witha scowl. "Fuckers over at Salvation calls our rock a fuckin sin. Wants everyone to be all nice and sweet. Fuck that. Wasteland is a fuckin bitch that will fuck you and leave you bloody, so we make sure every fucker can hear our rage and feel our pain."
[22:41:05]	Wanderlust	follows Edna, flopping onto the first bed he comes across. "Its soft..." he murmurs.
[22:42:11]	Somber	Softness was relative. It was softer than the street they spent the night on and quieter without the screams. So yes... quite nice.
[22:42:32]	Shimmershy	nods her head slowly and tilts it to one side. Pondering something. "Um... I... Uh... I might give it a try... B-but I don't really have a band." She sighs quietly and hung her head. "S-so I guess there's no real point." She shuffles off towards the rest of the group to settle down.
[22:44:29]	Somber	"Well. Talk to Wire. She might give you a shot. Crowds are usually nice to the new fucks in the early afternoon so if you suck you probably won't get shot up much. Last fucker to blow it though... fuckers beamed him to dust. Got that shit in my eye. Fuckin burned." she shrugged like it was no matter.
[22:47:21]	Shimmershy	winces a little and nods her head, giving a nervous smile. "S-sure... I think... I think I might do that yeah." She yawned. "Maybe... After a nap." Settling down and letting the others fall asleep first.
[22:52:17]	Somber	"Sure thing. And sorry about biting your head off back at the gate. Just... you acted way too not like a rocker for me. Thought you had to be a Salvation pony. Fuck em." She grinned at Shimmershy and then leaned forward and kissed her firmly.
[22:53:18]	Shimmershy	shuffles her forehooves together nervously. "It... it's o-" She was cut off as the kiss occurs, blushing heavily but leaning back into it and even pressing back into the kiss with more than a little bit of passion. Her cheeks stained bright red through her light grey coat.