Winter Bloom's Story - Part 1
"Sometimes, nothing is more necessary than the unnecessary."

"Maybe if you hadn't gotten yourself shot up, but Doc says you're never gonna walk again. So what the hell am I supposed to do with you? Does it look like we're in the business of giving out food and shelter for free?"

"You can toss me out an’ leave me to die if ya want, but not my boy or the filly. They... *cough cough* they're hard workers."

"Tch, the filly? Its been hours, and she's still just blubbering uselessly in the corner. Why, I..."

"I'll work hard enough for all of us! I will! Don't throw my dad out. Please let us stay."

"Now now Deadeyes, I think we can afford to give them a chance to prove themselves. And besides, we lost quite a few in the attack. We need to think about replenishing our numbers."

"Grrr...fine, you're the boss Topaz. You can consider yourself lucky, runt. But don't think your luck is gonna carry you any farther. Mr. Topaz may have a soft spot, but I won't tolerate freeloaders around here."

"Thank you..."

Winter Bloom awoke with a start. Bolting upright, her eyes flew open, only to slam shut again. Sitting in the space between asleep and awake, she wasn't sure if she was trying to hold on or let go. Whenever she dreamed at all, it was always the same one, muddled by time, but no less painful. The sensations of fire, choking, thunder, and unanswered cries faded away with each slow deliberate breath, and as always, the sensations of the present marched in to take their place.

Once her breathing calmed down, she opened her eyes again and looked out the one narrow window in the wall of her room. All she could see through it was a dim grey light, barely enough to illuminate the room inside, but it was enough to know that night would soon be over. Even though she didn't hear the sounds of anypony else up and moving around, she knew she couldn't risk laying back down and oversleeping. Not if I want to eat, she mused gloomily.

With a rueful sigh, she carefully lifted herself off of what qualified for a mattress in Shattered Hoof and gently planted her hooves on the concrete floor, careful not to wake the pony sleeping on the top bunk. The whole place had been a prison once, and other than the slow decay of time, not much had changed. I guess the only difference is we keep the doors open now, unless we're trying to keep somepony out.

After getting her bags, Winter Bloom slipped out into the hallway, and tried not to think of the times she'd had to slam those rusty steel bars shut and wait for the angry ponies outside to give up and leave. She had work to do before she got to work, and she made an effort to focus on that instead.

The groggy, grumpy cloud that drifted over her head fell by the wayside and the stiffness in her limbs loosened up as she got moving. There was no line at the restrooms when she went to relieve herself, another perk of waking up early, and she made another mental check-mark on her list of good fortunes that she wasn't on the detail that had to clean up after the ponies who decided to find some corner rather than waiting their turn.

Chill morning air added a sharpness to the smell of dust, the same stale tang that permeated everywhere and everything not diligently scrubbed be hoof, as she stepped out into the courtyard and made her way towards the mess hall. The air was cold enough to draw a shiver along her back, but since she didn't have anything to wear, all she could do was pick up her pace. Save for her hoofsteps it was quiet outside, and judging from the sky it would be another hour or two before the rock breaking started in earnest. The only ponies awake must be me and the guards.

There were always guards.

Winter Bloom was almost right about being the only pony awake, but not quite. A few ponies had already filed into the mess hall ahead of her, and were waiting around for somepony to start handing out the rations.

The moment she saw Misty Blue's short cropped mane, she turned her head to avoid making eye contact. Unless Limelight or Chase were around, Misty usually left her alone, but she didn't want to take any chances. Instead she carefully studied the armor adorning one of the guards, trying to imagine what kind of creature the carefully tanned leather was made out of. When she noticed the exhausted look on the mare's face, she stopped staring and forced herself to look at her hooves instead.

Ratting on a guard for skipping out on their shift early would be a foal's mistake for someone in her position, and in that case, even paying too much attention would be taking a chance. Oh sure, Deadeyes would be furious, but he wouldn't lift a hoof to stop somepony from getting revenge on whoever blew the whistle.

Keeping one's head down was a skill that the small, the weak, and the unimportant had to learn quickly in Shattered Hoof. Mercifully, the Meal Mare arrived and spared her the trouble of trying to look pre-occupied.

With only a few ponies ahead of her, she was up to the counter in no time, behind which stood the Meal Mare, a surly mare who's real name was Snickerdoodle. Winter Bloom pondered once again what might cause a pony with laughter in her name to be so grumpy all the time. Is it because everypony complains about not having enough to eat? Is it because ponies make fun of the way she looks, or because they talk about her behind her back, saying she eats more than her share? Is it because everypony calls her Dude, and she hates it?

"Applesauce and a biscuit. Next." The mare said in the same unenthusiastic voice she used the first time they met, and just about every other time in between, as she levitated an unopened tin can and a rock hard thing that could only generously be described as a biscuit onto the counter.

With one hoof, Winter Bloom swept breakfast into her bag and smiled, "Thank you!"

She always said "Thank you," ever since day one. Her parents had taught her good manners after all.

And just like on day one, and every day since, Snickerdoodle rolled her eyes and muttered, "Whatever. Next."

But on this day, unlike the first time, Winter Bloom saw a hint of a smile on her face. And like every day before it, she was certain it was bigger than the last.

The sky was noticeably brighter when Winter Bloom made her way back across the courtyard, but she kept her eyes on the other ponies who were starting to make their way towards the mess hall. The wake-up call sounded out loud and clear, a hammer against an old steel plate, and she knew to be careful during the morning rush. Being the small one, it was her responsibility to step out of the way.

The nightmare that awoke her was entirely forgotten by the time she ducked back inside, and she put another check-mark on the list for getting breakfast early.

While the rest of the herd trudged by, Winter Bloom found herself needing to stop occasionally and press herself against the wall to avoid being shoved, trampled or bowled over, but she was going against the flow. She had to find the one pony undoubtedly still in bed.

"Good morning Tail Wind, I brought you breakfast!" She lifted the can and the biscuit like object out of her bag and set them on a short stand next to the bunk.

As soon as he heard her voice, Tail Wind shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Winter Bloom knew he was awake, but she played along anyways because she also knew that he didn't like being thought of as lazy. It must be hard having a special talent for running a caravan and not be able to walk. Not that I know what its like to have a special talent in the first place.

Winter Bloom gently prodded his good leg with one hoof, pretending to try waking him, and in return he mumbled and groaned as he pretended to wake up.

"Winter Bloom?" He faked a yawn and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, good morning. I reckon Hazel's still on patrol?"

"Yeah. It'll be another day or two before they check in again." Thinking about Hazel brought a hint of a smile back to Winter Bloom's lips, and Tail Wind let go of his held breath, grateful that his pretense wasn't exposed. "They should be out by the southern outpost right now. Deadeyes has been ordering more patrols, something about slavers from Fillydelphia? I don't know."

"I hope he's ok." Tail Wind looked longingly out his own window, even though all he could see was another stone wall. "I can't help but worry every time he goes out."

"Me too. Oh, I almost forgot!" Winter Bloom perked up and her smile returned in full, "When they radioed in last night, they said your old caravan buddies showed and left something with Hazel, but I think its for you."

"Hmph. Everyone's fussing over an old stallion who outlived his usefulness." He waved his hoof at the food on his stand. "What's all this?"

"Breakfast?"

Winter Bloom grimaced nervously. He's going to be difficult today, isn't he?

"You didn't have to bring me anything, you know its enough that I can eat dinner. Don't work up much of an appetite sitting around." Tail Wind looked over at the food in front of him and shook his head. "And what about you?"

"Oh, I already ate. They had, you know... extras today." She struggled to keep the smile on her face.

"You're as bad a liar as your father was."

"Alright, alright." Her ears drooped, but she pressed on. "I'll eat some of it, if that'll keep you from complaining."

She had been ready to share the meal from the start, but oftentimes she had to be tricky in order to get Tail Wind to cooperate. As much as he complained about being useless, he was getting quite skilled with his telekinesis. Some of the other Earth ponies would even throw a few caps his way to get his help with whatever small object was giving them trouble.

Winter Bloom watched patiently while he expertly removed the top of the can and used it to cut the wannabe biscuit in two. The rock hard bread product didn't give up without a fight, but eventually Tail Wind floated the bigger piece in her direction, and there was much chewing involved before she was finished with it.

Winter Bloom was polishing off the last of the applesauce when Tail Wind closed his eyes and wondered aloud. "What have I done to deserve such wonderful family?"

"Don't say stuff like that." Winter Bloom recoiled in shock. The words stung, but it took her a few moments to figure out why. And when she did, her words were sharper than she intended. "You don't need to do anything. You don't think I did something to deserve losing my family, do you?"

Tail Wind turned to her, suddenly very serious. "No… Listen to me. You've got to get out of this place, Winter Bloom. Get out of here before it's too late."

"What? No." Winter Bloom snapped, still feeling indignant. "I can leave as soon as you can. Besides, its only been what, a year?"

"Almost two. But the days sure blur together, don't they?" Tail Wind sighed, trying to soften his tone, "This place is getting to me, Winter Bloom, and sooner or later it's going to get to you too."

"I'm not leaving anyone behind again." Winter Bloom took a step back, unconsciously putting some distance between them.

"I know how you feel, but you couldn't have saved Lemon Honey, believe me. You'd have been killed too."

"You don't know that!"

"Getting help was the best thing you could have done." Tail Wind already knew where the conversation was going, but he had to say something anyways.

"Well, it wasn't enough."

Winter Bloom turned around and stormed out of the room, struggling to hold back tears. She didn't want to let anyone see her cry, her reputation was already bad enough.

Standing in a small room whose roof had collapsed ages ago, Winter Bloom stared skyward and tried not to think about the argument she just had with the pony who was doing his best to be a second father for her, one of the only ponies that cared about her at all. Instead she tried to imagine what the sun might look like on the other side of the clouds. The foal's books she'd read when she was little always showed a bright cheerful circle against a background of solid blue, but every time she tried to conjure the image, it always felt unreal.

Still, the thought made her chuckle, and she took it a step further by imagining a herd of pegasi painting the scene onto the clouds themselves. What do pegasi even look like?

She shook her head to banish the thought, before any fantasies of peg-legged pegasus pirates or pastel pegasus pony painters could distract her from the task in front of her. No point in putting it off any longer.

There were piles of filthy rags, clothes, and bandages to clean, and if it was like any ordinary day, she'd have to do it by herself. Ever since she started, nopony else got saddled with washing duty unless they were being punished, but since she didn't have her cutie mark yet, it was one of the only things she was allowed to do.

It was easy work for Winter Bloom, soak, scrub, press, rinse. But it was also tedious and more than a little bit gross. Most of her effort was spent trying not to think about where each article had been before she had to pick it up.

After less than an hour of toil, she was surprised by the sound of a doorway opening into her own little private world. She recognized the mare who slipped through with a gloomy look on her face, a tan colored Earth pony with a red mane. As much as anypony from Shattered Hoof had been a friend to her, Rosebud had at least shown her some kindness.

"Hey Rosy, what are you doing here?" Winter Bloom stopped what she was doing and looked genuinely curious.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rosebud grabbed a washboard, kicked a second bucket into the center of the room and sat down. When she saw the expectant look on Winter Bloom's face, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I got caught trying to bribe one of the guards, as if that doesn't happen all the damn time."

"Well hey, at least we can keep each other company while we work." Winter Bloom's smile only deepened Rosebud's scowl.

"I hate doing this crap."

"At least it beats cleanup duty."

"I hate to break it to you Winter Bloom, but this counts as cleaning."

"Sure, sure." Winter Bloom nodded along, but she was already back in the zone, scrubbing some unidentifiable stain, trying her best to ignore her new co-worker's gloomy attitude. The last thing I need is to get into another argument.

As her mind drifted though, she unconsciously started humming to herself, and that was how she ended up foiling her own plans. A loud thwap, followed by a frustrated nicker, caught her attention as Rosebud forcefully threw a freshly rinsed towel into the clean pile.

"Could you find it in your heart to be a little less cheerful? It is simply too early in the morning for cheerful."

Winter Bloom bit her lip and tried to put on a serious face while focusing on her work, but she couldn't help glance out the corner of her eye. Rosebud shook her head and sighed with an exaggerated weariness.

"You know what your problem is?" Rosebud puffed herself up and took on a haughty tone of voice, but there was a hint of a playful smile as well. "Your problem is that you're a good pony, and you think that all you gotta do is be yourself, and all that nonsense, and everyone else will eventually realize the truth and magically start liking you. You think ponies are good inside. They're not. They're greedy, horrible monsters. What you need to do is learn to give a little, and then take a lot in return. That's how you stay on top."

"So, laundry detail is being on top?"

Rosebud grumbled and gave one hapless shirt an extra hard press. "Even when you stack the deck, the draw doesn't always go your way. After all, everyone else is trying to cheat you right back. Like I said, ponies are monsters."

"So why are you nice to me, hmm?" Winter Bloom made a sour face and stuck out her tongue.

Rosebud struggled to come up with a response, and before long, the look on her face had Winter Bloom struggling to reign in a flock of giggles that threatened to burst free.

"... Alright, go ahead. Laugh it up. Savor this little victory, because it won't last."

"I would never. You're a good pony too."

"And now she insults me." Rosebud turned up her head in mock indignation, "My poor, naive little filly, I am definitely not a good pony."

"You know what your problem is?" It was Winter Bloom's turn to act haughty, although between the two of them, she was by far the worse actor. "Your problem is that you pretend you don't care about anyone, but I know better."

"See, this is what I mean about being too cheerful. Its unnatural. Ponies are going to start thinking you're up to something."

Winter Bloom tilted her head to one side and spoke in as dreary a voice as she could. "So, what dull and unhappy things would you rather talk about? Maybe we should talk about the food. Oh wait, I know. Weren't there some slavers spotted near the borders, or something? Those have to be not-good ponies."

"Oh yeah, those assholes." Rosebud turned a few shades more serious, but it was the sort of thing she was used to talking about and she didn't miss a beat, "They were working for Red Eye, from what I hear. I tell you, he is getting to be a real problem. Somepony's gonna have to deal with him sooner or later."

"Red Eye? I've heard about him on the radio, I think. Its hard to believe someone that crazy could be a big problem." Winter Bloom spoke cautiously, struggling to remember the details.

"You really don't get out much, do you?" Rosebud's voice was mock condescension, and already there was a smile on her face again. "I just hope he comes here, then I could buck him right in the face."

"Don't say that!" Winter Bloom knew Rosebud wasn't being serious, but she couldn't help feel a little shocked, "What if someone gets hurt?"

"Eh, they'd probably deserve it. Besides, I don't see why you'd care. It's not like run with anyone here. You barely even hang around that colt you came in with, what's his name, the brown one."

"Hazel." Winter Bloom felt a little flustered bringing him up, "He's just out on patrol most of the time, so I don't see very much of him."

"Or maybe its because you're only ever looking at one half of him. Practically all you do is stare at his flank when he's not looking."

Willow Bloom knew she was being baited, but she still managed to get taken completely by surprise. "Wait, what? No, thats... Thats not how it is at all."

"Oh really?" With the train of thought derailed and Winter Bloom on the defensive, Rosebud grinned the grin of ultimate confidence. "So you don't have your eye on him, then you won't mind if I make a move."

"I didn't say that, I just..." The soapy, dirty water in her bucket was nowhere near clear enough for Winter Bloom to see her own reflection, but she was sure she'd just turned a deep shade of red. "I'm just a little filly to him. Thats all I am to anypony around here, a helpless child. Maybe when I have my cutie mark."

Rosebud wasn't sure what she was expecting, but Winter Bloom spilling her heart out certainly wasn't it, so she eased up a little. "Hey, look. Cutie Marks don't really mean anything. He's younger than you, and he's got his, right? Hell, I must have been half your age when I got mine. Fat lot of good it did me."

"Maybe you're right." Winter Bloom didn't sound very convinced.

"I know I'm right. Besides, I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not looking back."

"You're full of it."

"Am I? I guess you just need to look the next time you're not looking."

Looking while you're not looking... Winter Bloom found herself laughing at the absurdity of it. She couldn't help herself, even though she knew she was the butt of the joke.

"I take it back, you're not a good pony." Still trying to reign her giggles in, there wasn't a sliver of malice in Winter Bloom's voice, "You're a wicked, evil mare, who likes to toy with the hearts of helpless little fillies."

"I take it back too, you're not a good pony either. You're a mean old hag that delights in ruining everypony's mornings with your incessant, demonic cheerfulness. I'm going to have to work twice as hard to make sure I never get sent back here, as this is truly the worst punishment."

"Well, if you're in such a hurry to escape, I've got an idea." Winter Bloom's smile turned mischievous and she looked around to make sure no one else was around. There wasn't. "I know a trick that'll get this done in no time. Its a secret technique passed down from generation to generation."

"What's that?" Rosebud couldn't help but be curious.

"I challenge you to a race." Yet another surprise from the quiet mare who stayed out of everypony's way.

"A what now?"

"A race. If you can clean more than me, then... then your next drink is on me."

"And if I can't?" Rosebud narrowed her eyes, readying herself for the catch.

"Then you have to say you're sorry for calling me a mean old hag."

"You are so going down."

And with that, the race was on. It wasn't long before it changed from a contest of who could get through items of clothes faster, but who could point out the most missed spots on the other's work. More than one passerby peaked their head in to see what all laughing and shouting was about, but they each quickly went on their way, unable to make heads or tails of what was going on. In the end, they didn't go that much faster, and might have even gone a little slower, especially since calling a foul resulted in them throwing their work at each other on more than one occasion. But by the time they finished off the pile of dirty clothes, neither of them could say they'd done much work.

Promise me you won't forget how to smile. Those were her mother’s words, something she'd said near the very end. Winter Bloom hadn't really understood what she was agreeing to at the time, but in the days and months after, those words kept coming back to her. Every time, she found the courage to keep going.

Winter Bloom walked back to the mess hall, lost in her own little world. As fun as the race had been, a sinking dread was forming in the pit of her stomach. She knew she'd have to face Tail Wind when she brought him dinner, but she was at a loss for what to say. She'd meant what she said, but she also felt like apologizing for it, and reconciling those two conflicting feelings was proving difficult. She was so lost in thought that she forgot that it was her responsibility to step out of the way.

The sudden impact of bumping into someone sent her stumbling and scrambling to stay standing. No gentle nudge, she rushed to get her bearings, adrenaline burning its way underneath her skin.

Eyes wide, Winter Bloom had to force her jaw shut to avoid gaping in horror. Not only had she just run into Limelight, a pony that had bullied and harassed her ever since she arrived in Shattered Hoof, but she had knocked the mare over. Winter Bloom's ears flattened back and she bowed her head low, her legs unconsciously stepping backwards as the older unicorn lifted herself back up. Limelight was furious.

"If it isn't Weepy Bloom. You think can push me around, do you?" Limelight wasn't much taller than Winter Bloom anymore, but she still stood an imposing figure. Without taking her eyes off her target, Limelight levitated a stone off the ground and held it menacingly.

"I'm sorry, I was..." Winter Bloom went quiet as she backed into someone else.

"Hey, watch where you're going. Do you think you can get away that easy?" Winter Bloom didn't need to look behind her to recognize Chase's voice. He followed Limelight everywhere.

Winter Bloom couldn't make herself look any smaller if she tried, but her heart managed to sink further. Glancing around, desperate for a way out, she saw Wellspring and Misty Blue boxing her in on each side. She was trapped. Every time she dared to take a step towards an opening between them, they moved to cut her off.

"Why are you in such a big hurry? You should stick around." Limelight tossed the rock against Winter Bloom's forehead to get her attention, then picked up another one. "You obviously wanted to spend some quality time together, I mean, why else would you think you could even touch me?"

Limelight tossed the next rock, more forcefully than the first. Winter Bloom couldn't help but wince as it drew blood and a laugh from the pony behind her. Wellspring and Misty didn't laugh, but they didn't let her go either.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I was stupid and wrong." Winter Bloom hoped that insulting herself would get them to ease up, but Limelight clearly wasn't in a good mood.

"Oh, am I not good enough for you? Is that it?" Winter Bloom knew that any answer she gave would be the wrong one, even staying silent, but that was the best she could do. She closed her eyes and flinched as another rock hit her in the face.

"Come on Limelight, lets just go eat." Wellspring's voice was like a lifeline, a ray of hope that she might avoid a trip to the infirmary. "If she gives you her dinner, that'd teach her a lesson, right?"

"I suppose I can let this insult slide, in exchange for a meal." Limelight let the notion hang, as if she were seriously considering it, but Winter Bloom could tell from the look on her face that the other horseshoe had yet to drop. "But she still hasn't paid us back for all our friends that died saving her ass from those bandits."

"It wasn't my fault, please let me go."

"Let me go, let me go." Chase was parroting her words in mocking imitation of her voice, "Why don't you just run on home where you belong."

"I am home."

She hadn't meant anything by it, but as soon as she said it, she realized it was true. And with that truth came a clarity that she hadn't felt in a long time. Back when Mom and Dad were still alive, I took Home for granted, but it didn't just magically appear, they had to work for it. Maybe anyplace could be Home, if I make it happen, if I work for it.

In the tense silence that followed, Winter Bloom belatedly realized that she had just back talked to her tormentors.

"What was that?" Limelight's eyes narrowed, and her taunting smile shifted back into a scowl. "I don't think I heard you right, cause it sounded like you said, 'I am home,' but that can't be."

Winter Bloom closed her eyes, bracing herself. She'd been beaten up before and she knew she wasn't going to be able to talk her way out of it this time. She could hear Limelight stepping closer.

"Maybe what you meant to say was, 'I miss my widdow mommy and daddy, boo hoo.' Isn't that..."

*crack!*

Winter Bloom reared up and slammed her hooves into Limelight's face. She didn't think about what she was doing, the flash of anger was so sudden and intense that, even after opening her eyes, the entire world had narrowed down to one pony. It was like she was watching the unicorn crumple to the ground through a tunnel, and she managed to get one more good stomp on the barrel of her chest before Chase struck her from behind.

Her back flared up in pain and she went tumbling to the ground in a snarl of swinging hooves and biting teeth. They each scored some decent hits, but Chase was bigger, stronger and clearly more experienced, and the struggle only lasted a few seconds. Winter Bloom never saw what took her out of the fight. All she saw was an explosion of colors and shapes that followed a sharp pain on the side of her head, just below her ear. She tried to continue kicking and struggling, but she couldn't tell which way was up or down anymore, and her hooves didn't seem to move where she wanted them. Several more sharp sensations bit into her side, but each one was only a small drop into a vast sea of pain and disorientation.

"Chase, that's enough!" Somepony's worried voice brought the fight to a halt, but she didn't recognize who. It took some effort to move her head, but she could see Misty Blue was standing over Limelight with a look of deep concern on her face. Misty hardly ever spoke.

"I'm not through with her yet."

"I'm serious. Get over here and help me lift, we need to get her to the infirmary. Now."

"Looks like today's your lucky day." Chase growled as he pulled himself up to his hooves, then he gave Winter Bloom one last kick to the stomach. "Nice cutie mark by the way. Looks like you're doomed to shrivel up and die."

Winter Bloom didn't notice Chase trot away, and she didn't see what happened to Limelight. The stallion's words had set her world spinning with renewed vigor, and after a few false starts, she collapsed once more to the ground. From that vantage point, she could see others standing around and gawking, but nopony came over to help.

The spectacle was over, and with it went any interest the onlookers had. They started shuffling away a few at a time, as hungry stomachs pulled them towards more important matters. She didn't blame them, not after what she'd done. I must have looked like a mad mare. What is wrong with me? I never wanted to hurt anypony.

"Winter Bloom, do you... do you need help?" It was only after the crowds had dispersed that she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

She could hardly believe her ears, but when Winter Bloom rolled over and sat up, Wellspring was standing next to her looking genuinely concerned.

"No." Winter Bloom wasn't going to take any chances. Wellspring looked worried about her, but she couldn't be sure that it wasn't some kind of a trick that they'd planned for revenge. "I'll be fine, I just need a minute."

The thought of Misty and Chase returning worried her, but Winter Bloom knew she had to take things one step at a time. With each deep breath, the world around her stopped wobbling a little bit more, and although her legs ached and protested, she eventually managed to stand up.

"I know this sounds crazy, but I feel bad about what happened." Wellspring looked away as he spoke, perhaps not wanting to bear witness to her vulnerability, or perhaps not wanting to help if she fell again. "Limelight took it too far this time. I'll try... when she wakes up, I'll try talking to her, but try to stay out of her way, ok?"

"Thanks." Winter Bloom didn't really know why she said it, or what she might have been thanking him for. He was one of the ponies that bullied her, wouldn't let her escape, but it just seemed like the right thing to say.

With some effort, she started making her way towards the mess hall, and her legs loosened up as she walked. As she made her way through the lines, she tried to ignore the fact that ponies were looking at her, either openly staring, or inconspicuously glancing. I must look terrible. No point in going to the infirmary though, not with Limelight's friends there. Even if I do get patched up, they'll just catch me as I'm leaving.

By the time she finished eating her own dinner and had Tail Wind's meal safely tucked away in her bags, her left eye was swollen almost completely shut, and the burning sensation in her back had turned into a full-on throbbing ache. The sky was beginning to dim and she stuck to the shadows as best she could, making her way back to the cell blocks.

Most of the workers were still at the mess hall, and the hallways were nearly empty. After dinner was when the drinking would start, and Winter Bloom reminded herself that she'd need to go back later to make good on her bet with Rosebud. Not that she felt much like drinking at that moment, but sleep would have to wait. She tried to ignore the sounds and smells of ponies engaged in other forms of recreation and partaking in harder substances as she walked down the hall.

Peeking her head around the bars, she looked into Tail Wind's cell and saw that he'd pulled himself out of bed and was doing pushups with his one good leg while balancing a bowl of water in midair with his telekinesis. He might not have been able to walk, but he never could sit still for long.

"Tail Wind?" She spoke up hesitantly, "I brought dinner."

Tailwind almost dropped the bowl, but managed to catch it again before it hit the ground, instead coming to a gentle rest on the stone floor. With a couple quick motions, he dragged himself over to the side of his bed and propped himself upright against it. He looked thoughtfully at Winter Bloom, but he didn't say anything.

Winter Bloom still didn't know what to say, so she busied herself by setting out Tail Wind's dinner on the short stand next to his bed. The uncomfortable silence pounded in her ears, but then she heard something strange. Tail Wind drew in a ragged breath that almost sounded like a sniffle. She turned her head as fast as the bruises would allow and saw tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I..." She started to apologize, thinking that she had done something to hurt his feelings, but she stopped when she realized he was smiling. They were tears of happiness.

"It looks wonderful," Tail Wind's words came out pinched by emotions and still short of breath, "Your parents... Your parents would be proud of you."

Nice cutie mark by the way. She stood blinking in confusion for a moment, and then Chase's words came rushing back to her, words she had forgotten about in the pain of the moment. Stupidly, she craned her head around to look, but with her eye swollen shut she couldn't see anything. She winced in discomfort, unable to open her eye, then turned around the other way.

There it was, a bundle of pear blossoms connected by a branch, just like back home. Just like my old home...

Excitement, joy, disbelief, and fear danced across her heart as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She didn't even think about the words she blurted out, "You don't even know what it means."

"It's not a severed head." Tail Wind closed his eyes and tried to wipe away the tears. "It's not a bloody knife or a body, nopony killed, maimed or beaten, but flowers... they suit you."

Winter Bloom felt something icy and cold grab hold of her heart and twist. Fear and uncertainty bubbled up to the top and she had to force a smile. I did beat someone up though. Was it because I hurt Limelight that I finally found my special talent?

"I need to go, I..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find a way to excuse herself. "I'll see you in the morning.""

"I understand. Go, get some sleep, and have good dreams."

Winter Bloom laid in bed. Unable to sleep, she stared into the blank nothingness of the night outside. She'd had more to drink than she usually did, on Rosebud's insistence, but her thoughts wouldn't stop running around in circles. She had really hurt someone. Rosebud had praised her for it, and she received a lot more attention than she was used to during her impromptu celebration, but she didn't feel like she deserved praise. The last time she struck out at anyone was back as a petulant foal, but even that was hardly the same thing, just a childish act that she'd long since outgrown. What does my cutie mark really mean, is this what I'm supposed be?

Once the memories of her day were worn out, her restless mind started conjuring up visions of the day to come, running through every imaginable possibility both wondrous and horrifying. By the time she saw the first hints of light through the window, she was certain of only one thing. I'm going to have to do real work now.

Author's Note

It is hard to believe that it has been over three years since I first had the idea for this story. I almost decided not to complete it, but a good friend of mine convinced me to pull out my old notes and try anyways. I hope you are enjoying the story, in spite of the underlying dark themes.

I have tried to make this story require as little knowledge about Kkat's Fallout: Equestria as possible, but given how closely it follows certain events and settings, it is impossible to make it totally detached. If you have not read Fallout: Equestria, there is a good chance that some things in this story will not entirely make sense.