Chapter 7: Good Vibrations

Chapter 7: Good Vibrations

“You’re my shmoopy-doopy sweetie-weetie pony pie.”

***

Clip clop clip clop clip clop.

Happy smiled as the sounds of his own hoofsteps echoed in his ears. Tile floors really were the best. So noisy!

Stifling a giggle, he turned his gaze to the sterile-looking hallway ahead. The wide expanse of the San Palomino medical center seemed to stretch on forever before his hooves, half-open hospital doors lining the otherwise bare white walls leading to the building’s interior.

The buck grinned and shook his head. The view was almost dizzying. Gray light trickled in from the entrance behind him, casting a haphazard swath of shadows in all directions. A sense of quiet gloominess seemed to pervade the atmosphere, sucking the color out of everything.

Happy glanced down at his flanks. Even his own coat—or at least the tufts of it he could see protruding out from under his security barding—looked a dull shade of gray.

The buck lifted a hoof to his chin.

Oh. Gray fur. That was right.

A giddy snort escaped Happy’s lips. Such a forgetful pony.

Shaking his head, he shifted his attention to the hoof-falls echoing out beside his own.

As usual, Serenity was there next to him, trotting close beside. Happy could feel his eyes light up as they passed over her form. Somehow, the gloomy atmosphere didn’t seem to dampen her aura in the least. She seemed just as bright and warm as she always did.

Happy’s gaze shifted a little further. Victor was among their number now, too, walking in step next to Serenity as the three made their way down the hall. From what little Happy knew of him, the griffon seemed to be up to his old self, an easygoing smile stretched across his beak.

Humming tunelessly to himself, the buck’s ears perked up as his two companions chatted idly.

“…so now Silver Stripes is holding off on the next shipment until Red decides to pull operations back. He says we’re cutting into his area.”

Serenity let out a sigh, punctuating her discontent. Happy’s ears drooped a little. Even if he couldn’t grasp the meaning behind her words, he could still sense the tiredness in her voice.

Victor appeared to pick up on this as well, shaking his head.

“Zat is unfortunate.” He lifted an eyebrow. “And he vouldn’t reconsider?”

Serenity sighed.

“Not for anything. Smug hoofer thinks he can call the shots because he’s got those Black Saddles on his side.”

She scuffed a hoof against the tile in irritation.

“I don’t know where gets off, threatening us like that. He’s been a trading partner with Creek Bend for years. Now he gets his hooves on a couple of gangers and he thinks he runs the place.”

Happy watched as Victor nodded, his feathers ruffling as he adjusted the rifle slung between his wings.

“Ahh, threats now, even?”

The griffon made a circling motion with a talon.

“I imagine Red vill be asking Vera and I to expand our vatch area zee next time vee see him.”

Serenity raised an eyebrow, regarding the griffon with a skeptical glance.

“Next time you see him? I'd have thought he already would have asked you.”

Victor swiveled his head in her direction, arching an eyebrow.

“You know” Serenity nodded, motioning to both Happy and herself with a hoof, “when he asked you to keep an eye on us after we left?”

A look of surprise passed across Victor’s face at the remark. There was a brief pause, a broad grin breaking over his beak a moment later.

“Ah. Flew right into zat one, didn’t I?”

He chuckled.

“I suppose it eez too late to try and convince you zat I vas just out on patrol and happened to stumble across zee two of you?"

Serenity sighed, a light smile spreading across her lips.

“I should have known. Leave it to Red to send supervision when the caravan needs all the hooves it can get. Still though...”

The unicorn glanced over in Happy’s direction. The buck was surprised to feel his cheeks grow hot at the sudden attention.

Da-dunk.

Confusion danced across the buck’s mind as his heart leapt in his chest. He lifted a hoof to the collar of his barding and tugged.

Was it just him, or had the hallway suddenly turned into an oven?

Da-dunk.

Muscles tensing, Happy smiled and waved back shyly.

The mare smiled back, before turning her gaze back to Victor. As her eyes left his, Happy could feel his muscles relax, the bashful feeling receding into his chest.

“...still though, I’m glad you had our back."

Serenity nodded toward Victor’s rifle. Happy’s eyes drifted toward the firearm in turn, a scoped nightmare of a rifle, almost as long as the griffon was tall.

Victor shrugged, waving modestly at the remark.

“Ah, vhat eez a life-saving shot or two among comrades?”

Brushing some imaginary dust off his jumpsuit, he regarded the two with a down-to-business nod.

“So, now zat zee pony eez out of zee bag, vhat is it zat Red gave you zee clear to come here and find?”

Serenity flashed the griffon a small smile.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Keeping stride, Happy trotted ahead as the yellow mare recounted the details of their search to the griffon. She was better at explaining things than he was, anyhow. Words weren't his strong suit.

A mischievous look crossed the buck’s face as he put his snout to the ground. He had things to do, anyways—it was time to sniff out some excitement!

Tail wagging with anticipation, Happy inhaled deeply, taking in a lungful of air.

"Hbbpth."

The buck's eye twitched as several ounces of dust and dirt came with it.

“Ah…ah…ATCHOO!”

The force of the ensuing sneeze-splosion sent Happy flying. His head spun as he somersaulted back several hooves before coming to rest in a twisted heap.

He snorted, blowing a plume of dust from his nostrils.

Whew. Sure was sneezy in here.

Brushing wisps of his blue mane from his eyes, Happy untangled his limbs and resumed his search, taking care to keep his snout a few inches off the dusty floor. To his disappointment, the hallway ahead smelled and looked almost bare, save the occasional overturned chair or clipboard that had been cast aside.

Happy approached one of the less broken looking chairs, giving it a tentative whiff.

Hmm. It smelled…old.

He gnawed at one of its legs for a moment before taking a step back. A trickle of blood ran out from between his lips.

He giggled. So many splinters.

Spitting a few slivers of wood off to his side, Happy's eyes swept further down the hall. The thick layer of dust continued to cover just about everything he could see, though here and there he could make out patches of bare floor where scavengers had made their way through in the past. The buck only offered them a passing whiff. Most of their scents were long gone anyhow.

Happy nodded resolutely. He’d just have to keep searching.

Continuing to shuffle around for a few moments, Happy’s eyes finally fell upon some potential adventure fodder. A few doors down, one of the hospital rooms sat slightly ajar, its heavy wooden door propped open by a broken chair leg.

Raising an eyebrow, Happy trotted over to the threshold. Cautiously, he lifted a hoof to the door, putting some pressure on the wooden panel. It gave surprisingly easily, creaking quietly on ancient hinges.

The buck felt his eyes bulge as he stifled another laugh. More funny noises. This place was full of them.

Crawling forward on his stomach, Happy allowed the door to swing shut behind him. The voices of Serenity and Victor were immediately muffled, fading into the background. He wasn't worried, though. He could still hear them well enough to know they were there.

It was dimmer in the room, that much was certain. The blackened windows didn’t seem to let in as much light from this angle as the hallway did, but it was still enough to see by.

Happy’s eyes scanned the room. It was lightly furnished. Aside from the row of stools lining the wall and a small metal nightstand to his left, the only real piece of furniture in the room appeared to be the small bed resting in the far corner.

Happy trotted toward the mattress, his eyes focusing in on the shallow mound of blue blankets that lay on top of it. The buck blinked. A small, pony shaped bulge was resting just beneath the top layer.

He blinked again. Had his eyes deceived him, or had he seen the shape move?

Tension settled into Happy’s limbs as he took the last few steps to the bedside. As he lifted a hoof toward the small shape, he could feel a familiar, predatory prickle start to run across his scalp. He paused.

“N-n-no.”

Narrowing his eyes, Happy fought the urge to lunge, waving away the dark clouds that had risen up at the back of his mind.

No. Happy good-pony. Happy not-raider.

Slowly, the prickling receded. Stealing a breath of relief, the buck swept his hoof across the bedspread, pulling the sheets off of the hidden shape.

Happy’s breathing slowed.

Resting at his hooves were the remains of a small pony—a foal—curled up into a ball beneath the sheets. The body had long since withered away with the centuries, leaving nothing behind but a desiccated, paper-thin, husk of skin and bone. Its forelegs were frozen at an awkward angle, drawn over its face in a perpetual cringe of agony and fear.

The worst part of the sight, however, was its eyes.

A cold, numbing sensation settled in the pit of Happy’s stomach as he looked upon the two vacant slots. The empty sockets stared back at him, endless voids waiting to swallow him up.

The buck blanched and looked away. For some reason he couldn’t explain, the sight made him feel…sick. Bad sick.

He shook his head fiercely. Sweeping the blanket back over the body, he stumbled backwards a few steps before settling back onto his rump. He sat there for a moment, trying to sort out the thoughts drifting through his mind.

What was going on? First the strange heart flutters with Serenity. Now this.

He rested a hoof against his chest, inhaling deeply. His thoughts—though still jumbled—seemed to clear a little.

Where were all of these strange feelings coming from, lately? Was he sick? Was he dreaming?

Pitching forward, Happy slammed his head against the tile floor. A splitting pain lanced through his skull, painting a dazzling white light across his vision. He could feel the warmth spread across his forehead as a trickle of blood began to seep from the wound.

Nope. Not dreaming.

The buck narrowed his eyes.

If he wasn’t dreaming then…what was wrong with him?

“Happy? Are you in here?”

Happy turned as the door behind him began to creak open. Serenity’s head appeared a moment later, peeking in from the other side of the threshold.

She smiled, blue-green eyes lighting up as they met each other’s gaze.

“There you are. We were wondering where you ran off to.”

With a shimmer from her horn, the door opened a little further. Serenity trotted inside, hooves clacking against the floor. Her black security jumpsuit stood out against the gray walls behind her, breaking up the monotony of the room.

She nodded back toward the hall.

“I talked to Victor a bit, and we think our best chance of finding that talisman is down a level. Where the old emergency wing was. Everything here in the upper floors has pretty much been scavenged out.”

She motioned to the bare-looking room with her hoof.

“This wing was mostly general care, anyways. They probably wouldn’t have much in the way of—”

The mare paused mid-sentence, her eyes coming to rest on Happy’s forehead. The buck felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. He quickly turned his gaze to the floor, raising a self-conscious hoof to cover the cut.

Serenity’s voice grew softer.

“You okay, Happy? Run into something?”

Though he couldn't quite understand why, Happy could feel his cheeks grow warmer. Glancing up between the tufts of blue mane that had fallen over his face, he nodded sheepishly. Close enough.

A motherly smile crossing her face, Serenity trotted forward. Happy felt himself tense up again, transfixed on the yellow mare as she stopped in front of him.

Looking down into his eyes, she shook her head and let out a quiet laugh.

“Silly buck.”

Before Happy could react, she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his forehead.

Da-dunk!

“There. Should be better now. Be a little more careful, though. We don’t need you knocking yourself out where Victor and I can’t find you, okay?”

Happy didn’t respond. He was too busy melting into a furry gray puddle on the ground in front of her. A choir of miniature angel-winged Happys had sprung up around him, shooting off fireworks in every direction.

Serenity gave him an odd look.

“Um…Happy?”

The buck gurgled in response, flopping onto his back like an oversized rag doll.

“Gzzhhmmhahhh…”

Serenity rolled her eyes in response, letting loose with another light chuckle as she turned for the door.

“Come on, Happy. Let’s get back out there. We need to find our way downstairs.”

A wide grin broke over Happy’s face as he shuffled back onto his rump. Such a pretty voice.

He nodded slowly, completely unaware of what she had said.

Serenity smiled back.

“Good. Let’s get to it, then.”

Trotting off, she disappeared back through the door.

Happy simply sat there, a thin, dopey grin etched in his face. In a daze, he lifted a hoof to his forehead. His coat was still warm where she had touched him. Kind of like the warmth that had settled in his chest now. A fuzzy sort of feeling.

Furrowing his brow, the buck returned his hoof to the ground.

What…what exactly had that been? Her...lips? Why had she...?

He was at a loss.

Serenity’s voice echoed out from around the corner.

“You coming?”

The buck shook his head. No use trying to figure it out. Best to just enjoy it.

Rising up off the floor, the buck hummed cheerfully to himself, hooves tapping against the tile as he made his way back into the hall.

***

“Another stubbed hoof, Happy? Really?”

Serenity glanced down at the gray buck who had hunched over beside her, cradling his front hoof.

The three of them had only searched the first two rows of hallways—with little to show for it—and Happy had already managed to “injure” himself several more times, groaning loudly as his hooves stumbled across imaginary obstacles at every turn.

Putting on his best hurt face, Happy nodded and let out a little whimper.

The yellow mare shook her head.

“Happy, I know you’re not that delicate. We don’t have a lot of time to play around.”

She nudged his side with a hoof, shooing him away.

“Come on now. Let’s go. We’ve got to keep moving. No more of this funny business.”

Brushing past him, Serenity continued down the hall. As soon as he had fallen out of sight behind her, Happy’s face dropped into a scowl.

Drat.

He knocked a hoof against the tile.

He was sure that one would have earned him another lip-touch.

Low, accented chuckles sounded from Happy’s left. The buck turned, catching Victor’s gaze as he lifted talon to his beak.

“Ah. I see somevunn eez smitten, no?”

Happy snorted, glaring at the jumpsuited griffon. To his irritation, the look only seemed to succeed in eliciting more chuckles from the pony-bird.

“No need to get your hooves in a bind, my pony friend. Eez all in good fun.”

Victor took a couple of steps forward, placing a claw on the buck’s shoulder. Happy shifted grumpily at the contact, muttering to himself.

“Snappy flappy Victor bird say say Happy Serenity floor stumbles….”

The griffon's grin widened a notch as he gave the buck a light pat.

“Zats zee spirit.”

Giving him one last pat, Victor continued on after the yellow mare. Sighing, Happy turned to follow as well, making a point to drag his hooves against the ground as loudly as he could.

He’d listen, but that didn’t mean he had to be happy about it.

The buck paused at the thought, bringing a hoof to his chin.

Or did he have to be happy about it, by definition? Being Happy and all. Was it possible for him to not be doing something while still being Happy?

The buck slid onto his stomach. He could feel an anxious twinge run down his spine.

Wait…did this mean he had to be happy about everything? Was it possible for him to not be happy? And if he wasn’t happy, would he still be Happy? If not, who else would he be? Would he be somepony else?

The buck smushed his hooves against his face, pulling at his cheeks as the panic started to descend. Voices chittered through his mind like a chorus of demonic woodland critters as felt himself begin to hyperventilate.

“Happy” happy? Happy “happy?” Happy “Happy” happy happy?

“Happy!”

The buck turned on instinct, face still contorted into an awful, terrorstruck mask between his hooves. His mouth remained awkwardly open as he met Serenity’s gaze.

The mare sighed, bringing a hoof to her brow.

“Come on, Happy. I said that’s enough. Let’s go.”

Existential crisis forgotten, Happy’s twisted expression was quickly replaced with an embarrassed grin. Nodding sheepishly, he rose to his hooves and followed.

The three continued down the corridor, searching for any sign of a passage to the lower level. Once or twice Happy found himself catching a whiff of stagnant air—old air that had to be drifting up from somewhere below—but they were fleeting at best. The building was too drafty to gauge any sense of their origin. To make matters worse, the day had already begun to give way to midafternoon, only deepening the shadowy gloom.

Happy snorted. As if it hadn’t been hard enough to see already.

Beside him, his companions seemed to have the same thoughts. Giving Victor a nod, Serenity sent a few sparks through her horn.

Happy felt a brief tingling sensation as electricity filled the air. A moment later a there was a flicker of light and a glowing orb appeared at the tip of Serenity’s horn. The hallway was immediately bathed in a warm, red, magical glow.

Happy’s eyes were drawn to the sparkling light like a magnet.

Da-dun—

Happy smacked a hoof against his muzzle.

No. No more heart flutters. He had to focus. On finding the talisman, that was. Definitely not on Serenity. Or how pretty she looked with her horn lit up like that. Or how she—

Smack!

No. Had to focus. Had to focus. Had to find that talisman.

The buck nodded, taking a deep breath before shifting his attention back to the hallway ahead. A spark of pride leapt through his chest at the minor victory.

Resolution etched across his face, Happy resumed his plod forward, stamping his hoof into the ground with determination. No more silly interruptions.

Crrrrreeeaaaaaaak…..

Turning as one, Serenity and Victor swiveled their heads in Happy's direction, eyes widening at the sudden noise. The buck smiled sheepishly, shifting his weight on the floor beneath him.

K-snap!

Uh oh.

With the groan of ancient timbers reaching their limit, the woodwork beneath Happy buckled inward, sending a shower of debris in all directions. The buck was immediately dumped headfirst into darkness, flailing his legs wildly as the floor disappeared beneath his hooves.

“Yipe!”

“Happy!”

“Pony!”

The all-too-familiar sensation of sudden weightlessness reclaiming his stomach, Happy tumbled downward to the floor below.

Wham! Crunch!

A dull thud rang through Happy’s ears as he impacted, landing heavily into the uninviting embrace of concrete. A fresh spike of pain arced through his side, dulling his senses to the last few splinters of woodwork and plaster raining down from above.

“Ha…haha…ha—blehyuuk!”

Happy spluttered, a jet of blood erupting from his lips as he wheezed out an airy chuckle.

Ah. Pain.

“Happy! Can you hear us down there?”

Letting out another wheeze, Happy rolled onto his back. Despite the black splotches forming around the edge of his vision, he could still make out the two silhouettes staring down from the hole above him.

“Happy?!”

Serenity’s voice drifted down a second time. Lifting a hoof, the buck waved reassuringly toward the light.

“Happy smiles earsauce nicem good.”

A brief silence hung in the air.

“Ve’ll take zat as a yes, ” Victor’s voice followed a few moments later.

Happy grinned at the acknowledgement, a small dribble of blood leaking out the side of his mouth. By the time he made it to his hooves, his companions had joined him, Victor’s talons depositing a worried looking Serenity at his side.

The buck jumped a bit as he felt her hoof trace over his side. After a moment he could see the mare’s expression relax.

“Good. It doesn’t look too bad. You’re standing, at least.”

Happy nodded, eliciting a small smile from Serenity as she turned back toward the landing griffon.

“Looks like we found our way down,” she said, recasting her light spell.

Victor nodded, turning his sharp eyes toward their new surroundings.

“Indeed. Seems prewar ponies didn't like uzing zee stairs very much.”

Happy’s eyes followed those of his companions, surveying the area lit by Serenity’s glow. From what he could tell, they appeared to be in a hallway almost identical to the one above them. The same heavy doors, the same white walls, the same everything. All except—

The buck pressed his nose to floor, inhaling deeply. A moment or two passed.

No sneezes.

Glancing back toward his companions, Victor met his eyes with a small nod.

“I see it too, pony.”

Serenity glanced between the two, raising an eyebrow.

“See what?

Nodding down the hall, the griffon made his way over to Happy’s side, tracing a talon on the floor below. His lighthearted tone had disappeared, replaced with a more serious one.

“No dust. Zere’s been some heavy traffic in zeeze halls as of late.”

“Traffic?”

Serenity lifted her hoof, furrowing her brow.

"That doesn't make any sense, though. Nobody's lived here for years. It isn't exactly easy to get regular supply shipments this far off the main trade routes."

She nodded back toward the upper floor.

"And there's nothing else for miles as far as scavenging goes."

Victor nodded.

“Agreed. It eez odd.”

The griffon glanced around, his expression wary. Happy could see the feather’s on the back of his neck ruffle on their own accord, the only aspect of his poise betraying any anxiety.

“Vera and I haven’t seen anyzing moving on our patrols eizer. Our last vun vas several days ago, so any newcomers—”

Serenity nodded, finishing his thought.

“—would have had to pass through sometime after that.”

The mare shook her head.

“This whole thing doesn’t sit well with me. We need to be on our guard down here." She turned back, meeting Happy's eyes. "Alright, Happy? No running off.”

Happy didn't respond.

“Happy?”

Serenity glanced to her side. Happy barely noticed. His attention remained fixed firmly on the dark hallway before them, face set in a look of intense focus. The air around him was still.

His ear twitched.

Kzzt.

There.

Happy narrowed his eyes. The noise was faint, but undeniably there. A sharp crackle that he could just make out above the voices of his companions.

His ear twitched again as he lifted a hoof forward. Victor stepped up to his side, training his eyes on the darkness beside him.

Happy could sense the griffon fanning his feathers out behind him. Tensing. Preparing.

“Vhat do you hear, pony?”

Kzzt.

Happy nodded his head in the direction of the sound. There. Ahead. Just down the hallway.

The griffon responded in kind. Motioning for silence, he lifted off from the ground, his wings betraying no more than a whisper of wind.

A momentary spike of envy lanced through the buck’s chest at the sight. The sneaking he could do with a pair of wings like that…

Happy shook his head. Focus.

Eyes straining to see in the dark, he and Serenity watched as Victor disappeared from sight, swallowed up by the inky void. The two stood in silence, the small fluctuations in the unicorn’s light spell casting pulsating shadows along the bare walls. The small trickle of light from the floor above had all but disappeared.

A few tense moments later, Victor’s voice rang out, surprisingly echo-ey in the narrow hallway.

“Ponies, over zis way. You may vant to see zis."

There was a moment's pause before he continued.

“And douse zee light. It vill be easier to find.”

Serenity and Happy exchanged a quick glance. Serenity nodded. A moment later, the glowing orb sparkled and died, the two of them immediately bathed in darkness.

The buck grinned as his eyes made a vain attempt to adjust. This had to be the darkiest dark he’d not-seen in a while.

Happy giggled, chuckling at his own wit.

Clip clop clip clop.

He could hear Serenity’s hooves tap against the tile at his side as she started forward.

“Sounds like we should be okay to move up, Happy. Can you follow me?”

Happy nodded in response. He could do that.

Silence hung in the pitch black air.

“Did you just nod?”

Happy nodded again, bobbing his head for added effect.

Another pause.

A soft sigh escaped into the air in front of the buck.

“Okay, you. Let’s go.”

The two ponies slowly made their way down the hallway, treading cautiously to avoid the debris strewn about the cold floor. Happy followed in Serenity’s hoofsteps. His vision useless, he immersed himself in the sounds, imagining his ears spreading out like wings at his side.

Maybe if they grew big enough, he'd be able to fly all sneaky like Victor did, too.

Kzzt.

Aha!

The buck's ears perked up at the return of the sharp noise. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. It had to be just up ahead. Where Victor’s voice had come from.

Kzzt.

Aha-aha! Double the ahas!

Giggling in anticipation, Happy skipped forward. He was just like one of those detective ponies, the same ones that he had seen in a picture book once. Well, before Deuce and Rowdy had tossed it into the fire, anyways.

He grinned at the thought, imagining himself in a fancy brown hat and monocle, a bushy moustache perched elegantly across his upper lip.

Sherlock Happy, at your service.

Happy lifted a foreleg to his chest, performing a deep, graceful bow to complete the fantasy.

“Lock lock sherpa Happy, server pony pony—waugh!”

Unfortunately, his hindlegs hadn’t received the message to slow down. Tripping over his own hooves, Happy pitched forward—headfirst—into the dark. Serenity's voice followed a half second later.

“Happy? What’s—waugh!”

Whumph.

There was the clatter of hooves, followed by a dense thud as the buck stumbled forward in a heap.

“Zzzhmmwha?”

Happy scrunched up his nose. He’d landed flat on his stomach, his face pressed up against a very firm something-or-other resting in front of him.

His ears dipped in confusion. It didn't feel like the tile at his hooves.

Pulling his head back and lifting a hoof, he prodded at the obstacle.

Odd. It was a bit warmer than all the other knick-knacks sitting around at this level.

He prodded again. Experimentally.

More cushy too. It almost had a bounce to it.

“Um…Happy?”

Happy turned at the Serenity's voice, catching a mouthful of braided tail in the process.

Wait. Tail? Where had that come from?

The buck frowned.

If there was a tail, what had be been poking at with his—

Slowly—ever so slowly—Happy felt a warm blush spread up his neck and across his face. Reaching his ears, the sensation escaped in a whistle, jets of steam shooting out from either side as he stumbled backwards.

DAAA-DUNK DA-DUNK DA-DUNK DA-DUNK!

Despite the thundering in his chest, the buck could still make out a quiet shuffling as Serenity rose to her hooves in front of him. Even Happy couldn’t mistake the hint of embarrassment in her voice as she spoke.

“Um…it's okay, Happy. We...um...we all make mistakes.”

Her voice trailed off into the darkness.

Happy opened his muzzle, failing to produce a response. His usual wit and humor had left him. Fortunately, another sound interrupted in his stead, breaking the awkward tension.

Kzzt.

Flash!

The same crackling noise—louder than before—flared up again, accompanied by a small spark of light down the hallway. The heads of the two ponies turned on cue, a wash of relief rushing over the buck's shoulders at the welcome distraction.

Serenity’s voice reverted to its normal tone as she nodded. She seemed to have seenheard it, too.

“Let’s go, Happy.”

Pushing back onto his hooves, Happy resumed his place behind the mare as they trotted forward. The blackness had given way to dim gray as the faintest traces of light began to show from around the corner ahead.

Kzzt.

Flash!

Another sizzle. Another flash. Happy and Serenity continued forward, their progress markedly faster now that they could make out the scattered obstacles at their hooves.

Rounding the corner, Happy’s eyes took in the sight of a sizeable doorway leading to an open room. Stepping inside, it appeared more spacious than the other rooms they'd come across. It was plainer too, with bare walls and exposed pipes—a dingy, sputtering fluorescent panel humming away against the ceiling.

It wasn’t the only source of light in the room, however.

Kzzt.

Another electric crackle rose up as a spark jumped up from the pile of gears and panels at Happy’s hooves. Its vaguely pony-shaped outline struck the buck as familiar, down to the pinkish meaty thing suspended in gel where the head would have been. The figure was largely in jagged, sparking pieces, as if somepony had taken to it with a hacksaw.

The clack of talons drew Happy’s gaze. His eyes settled in on Victor, a stern expression set on the griffon’s beak as he ran a claw down one of three pony sized metal cylinders lined up against the far wall. The three units appeared to be empty, their metal doors slid wide open.

The griffon turned, taking in the sight of the two ponies as they trotted in. He smiled, his usual demeanor returning.

“Ah. Ponies. I vas vundering when you vould get here.”

He spread his wings in a flourish.

“It appears vee have found zee source of our mechanical velcome party, no?”

Serenity took a few steps forward, regarding the partially disassembled robobrain with a wary look.

“Well, maybe the source at least. Why would they just be waking up after all this time, though?”

Taking a few steps forward, the mare glanced down at the fallen bot, chewing at her bottom lip. Seeing this, Happy mimicked her motions, trying to be helpful.

She didn't seem to notice.

"Looks like somepony's been breaking it down for salvage. You can see the torch marks. Circuit board is gone, too."

Happy watched her scratch her head with a hoof.

“Why would anypony be down here to to take it apart, though?"

She prodded at the nearest mass of wires.

"It’s not as if it’s very valuable. At least not for the risk involved. Some of the circuitry might be good for resale, but that's about it."

Serenity trailed off, furrowing her brow.

"Unless..."

She took a few steps forward, prodding at the rubbery black arms protruding from the robobrain's frame. There was an empty space where the bot's arm-mounted energy rifle would have been.

"...scavenging for Flash Tech?"

She waved a hoof to Victor, the griffon flapping over to her side. Happy followed suit, peering over their shoulders.

“It looks like somepony was down here tinkering with the gatling lasers. Look. The arm’s cut through on this one.”

Victor raised an eyebrow, glancing at the room around them. Eyeing one of the small white piles of ash beside them, the griffon fanned it with his wings. A small plume rose up from the pile, several bottle caps, a few spent shells, and an empty can rolling out into the open.

The griffon chuckled.

“Vell. It vould appear zat our mystery ponies may not have had as much luck vith zee other two."

The buck's eyes widened, zeroing in on the treasures that had rolled out at Victor’s side. He began to eye the other ash piles—three of them in total—with a greedy grin.

Serenity didn’t seem to notice his expression. Nodding at Victor's insight, she rapped a hoof against the bot's frame.

“My guess is that they triggered an alarm when they started taking this one apart. That would explain why they went active after all this time.”

Happy tiptoed over to the closest pile, doing his best to avoid his companions' attention. Slowly, he positioned his hooves to either side of it. He could hear Serenity's voice continue on in the background.

"Still though, doesn't that seem kind of weird? Why would anypony be scavenging Flash Tech? There's not really a market for it this far West—just not enough spark batteries to go around. You'd have to them out past Filly to make any real caps."

She motioned to an ash pile at Victor's side.

"—or at least enough to make it worth the risk."

"Maybe zey found a buyer?"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Happy brought his hooves together.

Ploomph!

A plume of white dust erupted into his face, sending the buck into a fit of coughing as his hooves searched for any inkling of treasure.

Ah! There! Something heavy!

Giggle-hacking with glee, Happy’s hooves closed in around the small prize. As the ash slowly began to settle, he scanned it over with his eyes.

It was a small item—barely hoof sized—covered in thin metal rings. A dazzling purple gem sat fixed at its center, almost appearing to swirl and sparkle as the room's dim light diffracted off its surface.

Happy’s eyes widened at the sight.

So shiny!

He promptly placed the item in his teeth and began to gnaw vigorously.

Clink. Clink. Clink. Crack!

A spike of pain shot through Happy’s jaw. He could feel a few fragments of teeth join the treasure in his muzzle.

“Happy? What did you find?”

The buck turned at the sound of Serenity’s voice. Beaming, he pulled back his lips, revealing the shining gemstone locked between his jaws.

Serenity's eyes widened. Happy’s eyes darted over to Victor as the griffon chuckled.

“Mmm? It vould seem our pony found somezing good, no?”

Serenity shook her head in reply, but Happy could still see the grin breaking out over her face as well.

“Seems we have a new star finder to add to the ranks. Red’ll be happy to hear it.”

She trotted over to Happy’s side, levitating the purple talisman out from Happy’s mouth. The buck squirmed a bit as the magic tickled his gums.

The mare flipped the small object over in her hooves a few times, appraising it.

"Looks like whoever came through here must have picked it up along the way. Saves us a bit of trouble."

She flipped it over again, nodding.

"Looks like it's still in good shape—I think Fleet Hoof should be able to work with it."

Serenity turned, glancing back at Happy and Victor.

“We should probably see about getting back, though. Once it gets too dark, the rad-crickets start to—”

The mare paused in mid-thought, glancing down at the floor in front of Happy.

“Happy? What’s that beneath your hoof?”

Following her gaze, the buck glanced down at the floor. A small, yellowed sheet of paper sat against the tile, a few official looking stamps imprinted on its bottom half. Holding it up with a hoof, he inspected it more closely. A lengthy list of black scribbles covered the whole front side, written out hastily in black ink.

The buck blanched.

All words. No pictures. Borrrring.

Snorting in disappointment, Happy offered his hoof to the mare. Slipping the talisman into one of pockets of her security barding, she accepted the list, eyes scanning its contents.

“Shipment information. Flash Industries arcane energy rifle, multipurpose series, 27 units. Flash Industries energy pistol, civilian series, 57 units. Flash Industries universal spark batteries, 156 units...”

Serenity raised an eyebrow.

“It’s an invoice. For energy weapons. A lot of them.”

Victor and Happy exchanged a glance.

Serenity turned her attention back to the list, skipping down a few lines.

“All items subject to terms and conditions specified in the existing contract. To be paid for and accepted by—”

Happy could see the mare's eyes widen.

"—Silver Stripes?”

Victor's voice echoed the mare's.

“Silver Stripes? Since vhen does Vestern Traders deal vith such large shipments of veapons?”

Serenity shook her head, eyes still fixed on the paper in her hooves.

"Never. Not like this, at least. Their shipments are usually just armor and ammunition. Maybe an odd hunting rifle here and there."

Her eyes continued to scan over the text.

"It's hard to believe these numbers are right. I can't imagine Stripes going out of his way to bring in something like this. If anything, he'd be taking a loss."

An uneasy look settled into the griffon’s brow as he lifted a talon to his beak. Despite the fact he couldn’t quite follow the conversation, Happy could sense the mounting uncertainty. His own shoulders tensed a bit.

“Perhaps vee should consult Red on zee matter. I see few situations vhere this could bode well for anyvun.”

Serenity nodded, a similar unease in her expression.

"Yeah. I think so, too."

She shifted her attention back to Happy, smiling weakly. Happy could feel a bit of his tension melt away, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth at the attention.

"And don't think we forgot about you, Happy. As soon as Victor and I talk to Red, we'll go back to the clinic to let Fleet Hoof take a look at that talisman. Sound good?"

The buck nodded.

Serenity's smile grew a little wider.

"Good."

Turning back, the mare motioned to Victor with a hoof.

"Let's see about heading back, then. Think you can get us back upstairs through that opening Happy made for us, Victor?"

Victor chuckled, giving his wings a little flap.

"But of course. Lead zee way."

Serenity nodded. There was another spark of light as her horn lit up once more.

"Okay then. Let's go."

Exchanging another nod, Victor and Serenity trotted ahead. Happy smiled, rising to his hooves to follow suit. Returning to Creek Bend sounded like a good plan. This place was kind of dark and boring anyways.

Resuming his earlier humming, he trotted forward, hooves clacking on the tiled floor.

"Happy Happy hmm-hmm Happy Happy...hmm?"

Happy paused, his eyes widening slightly as Serenity's tail bobbed in front of him, swaying overtop her security barding as she disappeared through the doorway ahead.

Her extremely form-fitting. Contour hugging. Black security barding.

The buck could feel a familiar warmth rise in his cheeks as he averted his eyes. His earlier embarrassment rushed back in a wave.

It was going to be a long walk back.

*****

Perk Achieved!

Hopeless Romantic - Ahh, the things we do for love.

All skills receive a temporary +5 bonus when traveling with that special somepony. (Go get her, you little charmer, you!)

Author's Note

Wow...six months since my last post. Where does the time go? Apologies for the turnaround on this one...life's been pretty busy as of late. But hey, now that it's finally summer, I think there's a good chance I'll be able to improve my turnaround time on new content.

Thanks to those of you who suffered through the long wait. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter!