Broken Mirror: Side Stories

by Striker1959

Rating: mature
Tags: Anthro, Alternate Universe, Adventure, Crossover
Length: 5940

The side stories to Broken Mirror

Lets face facts, more happens in the world of Equestria that we care to believe, or even want to know. From invasions from other universes, to stranded marines and supersoldiers, there is enough going on to make your head spin.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-09-30 03:03:50 UTC

Sarah Palmer's Day Off

UNSC Infinity

Palmer was on the bridge going through reports from the numerous department heads from across the ship. If they were to be believed, Infinity would be able to jump to slipspace in a matter of hours. "Here's hoping the eggheads don't get it wrong." muttered the Spartan as she put down her tacpad.

"So I'll take it you've come back a conquering hero?" asked Lasky as he approached.

` "If you consider that the Enclave retreated and we had minimal casualties, then I'd chalk it up as a win." Palmer handed the Captain her pad. "Looks like we should be good to go soon."

Lasky looked over the details on the pad before looking back up at Palmer. "That's good. Anyway, you have your bags packed?"

Palmer cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I want you to stay here."

Palmer laughed. "And just abandon my duties? Really?"

"Spartan Thomas has already been briefed and is familiarizing himself with the current command situation." stated the Captain. "Majestic will come with us, while DeMarco is staying here as well."

"And what do you expect me to do?" asked the Spartan.

A wry smile grew across Lasky's face. "Last I checked, you're due a vacation."

________________________________________________________

Ponyville, Two Hours Later

"I still don't like it." groaned Palmer.

"Cheer up Commander." said DeMarco as he followed her off the Pelican. "Would one day off kill you?"

Palmer turned to DeMarco, anger blazing in her eyes. "I'm getting left on a backwater planet. That right there stands to kill me."

"Whatever you say Commander." said DeMarco as he fished some coins out of his pants pocket. "Look, let's just grab a bite to eat and we'll worry about the rest later."

Palmer rolled her eyes and followed DeMarco into the town square. "Bit busy, don't you think?" she asked as she tried to navigate the crowd.

"Since when was that a problem?" asked DeMarco as he managed to get away from the conglomeration of bodies. "And I think I found where to eat."

"Really?" asked Palmer. "And where would this fine establishment be?"

DeMarco pointed at an bakery, decorated to look like a cinnamon bread house. "Kinda hard to miss Commander."

Palmer shrugged and led her companion into the establishment. The first thing that hit her was the smell of the pastries. She took a sniff of the air, nodding her head. "Alright, good move DeMarco."

"They could probably do without some of the decorations." said the Spartan as he nodded towards one of the candy-cane pillars. "I mean, it's a bakery. Do you really need to decorate the place with giant fake candy?"

"Eh, it's not my property so it ain't my call." said Palmer as she walked up to the counter. Behind it was a older blue mare with a pink beehive. "Any chance I can get a recommendation?"

"On what?" asked the mare.

"I'm not really the connoisseur of baked goods that I was when I was a kid." said Palmer.

"I see..." the mare tapped her chin before she snapped her fingers. "Pinkie!" she yelled. "Get me a batch of your brownies and an apple pie!"

"Okie-dokey!" yelled a voice from the kitchen.

The mare looked back to Palmer and smiled. "Consider it on the house."

"You sure?" asked DeMarco as he tried to fish out some bits.

"Please, I've heard enough of the war stories from Tremble and his men. As far as I'm concerned, you two earned it." she said. "Pinkie will bring it all out once she's done."

Palmer and DeMarco grabbed seats at an open table by the front door. "Not bad, eh Commander?"

Palmer shrugged. "I guess."

"Someone order some brownies!" yelled a pink mare as she placed a pan down on the table before disappearing.

"What the hell?" muttered Palmer.

"Oh, almost forgot the pie!" said the mare as she hung down from the ceiling. "Wait a minute..." she disappeared once more before popping up from under the table. "I don't know either of you!"

"You make that sound like a problem." said DeMarco.

"That's because I know everyone in Ponyville!" She grabbed DeMarco's hand, shaking it rapidly. "I'm Pinkie Pie by the way."

"Charmed." Said DeMarco as he pulled free of the mare's grip.

"That's great! See you two later!" Pinkie said as she stepped away from the table. Before either Spartan could blink, she took off like a rocket out of the bakery, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

"There is no way in hell that any of that was normal." Said Palmer as she allowed her gaze to follow the dust cloud.

"Well, the food's good." said DeMarco. He had grabbed a chunk of brownie out of the pan and stuffed it in his mouth while the Commander was distracted.

"Can you have some tact?" hissed the Commander. She took a fork and grabbed a chunk of brownie before taking a bite. Palmer rolled the morsel around in her mouth before she devouered the remaining piece on her fork.

"And what was that about tact?" questioned DeMarco.

Palmer swallowed her food and smirked. "Consider yourself excused."

________________________________________________________

Two hours later

"Alright DeMarco, you were right." said Palmer as she led her companion out of Sugarcube Corner and into the evening light.

"About what?" he asked.

"Stopping there for food."

"And here I thought you'd thank me for making you be social."

Palmer chuckled and started walking towards the town square. "Sure, whatever... Hey, you hear something?"

DeMarco nodded as the pair kept walking. "Someone's probably having a party."

WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!

Palmer and DeMarco jumped at the crowd's yell as they walked into the town square. Someone had gone out of their way and brought in speakers, lights, food and a DJ. All of that was topped off with a banner across the town hall that said "Welcome to Ponyville Paul and Sarah!"

"How the hell did they know our names?" asked Palmer.

"Because I told Pinks." said a voice from behind the pair.

"Well thanks Tremble, you just messed up my night." said Palmer as she turned to face the marine.

"I don't think so." chuckled the marine. "Pinkie, hit it!"

"Okie-dokey!" yelled the mare from the stage as she brought life to the speakers.

DeMarco nodded as a smile crept across his face. "Now that's an oldie."

"Lucky for us I was smart enough to save copies of my music from my terminal back on Earth." said Tremble as he led the two into the crowd.

"And who thought it was a good idea to try to give supersoldiers a heart attack?" grumbled Palmer.

"It's better than Pinkie dropping out of the sky in a drop-pod." said Tremble with a chuckle. "Now that was a party..."

"Wait, so a local got their hands on a SOIEV?" asked DeMarco

"Nope." Tremble paused and looked back at the Spartan. "Just Pinkie being Pinkie."

"He's not kidding." said a purple dragon as he brushed by. "She just pulls some of her ideas out of thin air."

Tremble shrugged. "Like he said."

By this point, DeMarco had started tapping his foot. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Palmer sighed and shook her head. "You know what? Fuck it. I'm in."

"You heard the lady Pinkie, turn it up!" yelled Tremble.

The music from the speakers started blasting from the increased volume, shaking the air around the crowd. And where was Palmer? For the first time in years, she forgot she was a soldier and remembered she was a human being.

________________________________________________________

Ponyville Castle, the Following Morning

Palmer groaned when the sunlight first hit her face. Most of the previous night's party was a blur of energy and alcohol mixed in with old music from Earth.

A knock came from the door, and the purple dragon from the party poked his head in. "I've got breakfast ready."

Palmer rolled out of bed as the dragon left. She was still wearing her same regulation uniform that she had on when she first left the ship the previous day. "Really need to get a better wardrobe..." she muttered.

Palmer slipped out of her bedroom and was bombarded with the smell of fresh pancakes. The odor was strong enough to follow down to the castle kitchen, where the dragon and DeMarco were busy munching away on their own stacks.

"I get the impression I'll be putting on some weight while I'm here." she said as she sat and grabbed one of the spare plates and acquired her own stack of pancakes from the tray in the center of the table.

"It'll get old fast." said the dragon. "Tremble had the same issue."

"Had, as in past tense?" asked Palmer

"He started watching what he was eating after his uniform started getting too tight." The dragon slid over a bottle of syrup. "Anyway, I'm Spike."

"I've heard that name before." said DeMarco. "You're the local egghead's assistant."

"I'm not an egghead!" yelled Twilight as she walked into the kitchen.

"DeMarco, can it." ordered Palmer. "Princess, do you do scientific experiments with potentially deadly consequences?"

"But it's science." said Twilight as she grabbed a stack of pancakes.

"Can it blow up in your face?" asked Palmer as she cut into her own food.

"Well, of course it can."

Palmer swalled her pancakes and turned her attention back to DeMarco. "Ok, she's an egghead."

DeMarco dropped his fork on the table, arms out wide. "Told you!"

"I'm telling you I'm not an egghead!" insisted Twilight.

"But you are." said Palmer. "Every egghead I've ever dealt with was or is working on something that could fail catastrophically and get us all killed. Like the black hole that I'm waiting for someone to create and destroy Infinity."

"Seems rather irrational." pointed out Spike.

"Well, you didn't watch a planet go flying into a star and make it go supernova." pointed out the Commander as she took another chunk out of her stack.

"Then what's your point Palmer?" questioned Twilight.

"It's simple really." said Palmer as she pushed her plate back. "Science is a bitch."

"But without science, you wouldn't have gotten that armor." pointed out Spike.

Palmer paused, exchanging glances with DeMarco before returning her attention to the dragon. "Alright, point taken."

"Moving on." groaned Twilight. "Anything you plan on doing Palmer?"

"I'm thinking something along the lines of a hike..."

________________________________________________________

The Everfree, Castle of the Twin Sisters

Palmer climbed over another log before stepping into the fog filled clearing surrounding the Castle of the Twin Sisters. She looked around at the piles of rubble strewn about the clearing before she sat down on a large stone block. "Well, it's different."

"You think so?" questioned DeMarco as he broke free of the treeline. "It's a pile of broken junk. I can think of plenty of places like this."

"DeMarco, is it really all that bad?" questioned the Commander. "It's peaceful-"

Palmer was cut off when she was hit behind the head with a large rock, knocking her to the ground. DeMarco spun around to face their attacker, but was knocked to the ground himself. As Palmer tried to get up, she turned over to face a thin black figure standing over her before she blacked out.

Reunion in Canterlot

Canterlot Castle, One Hour Post-Battle of Dodge City

"Alright, where's that medic?" Yelled one of the marines as a battered and dusty Pelican landed in the courtyard.

"Right here boss!" Called the medic as she ran out of the castle.

Once the ramp hit the ground, Dusk walked off with an unconscious Spartan in his arms. "Is the infirmary still in the same place?"

The medic ran up, checking the Spartan's pulse through a tear in the undersuit by her neck. "Alright, I’ve got a pulse."

"I could've told you that!" Yelled Dusk. "Now is the infirmary still in the east wing?"

"It is, but why does that-"

"Palmer will crush a stretcher. I'm carrying her." Dusk's visor lit up with a pale glow as he stared down at the medic. "Now are you going to get out of my way?" The medic silently stepped aside, and the glow from Dusk's visor died out. "Thank you." The stallion quickly broke into a brisk stride, and was already in the castle by the time the guards caught up to him. "Did any of you numbskulls miss the lesson I gave your friend outside?"

"I'm sorry sir, but we have orders to escort you to the throne room." Replied the guard.

"And I honestly don't give a damn."

"I have my orders-"

Dusk slowed down and allowed the guard to pass him. "Then go tell sun butt that she'll need to get in line, Palmer comes first." At the next intersecting hall, Dusk bore a hard right and broke into a mad dash, clearing the corridor in a matter of moments and leaving behind the stunned guards.

As he neared the infirmary, he blew the door open with a bolt of magic from his armored horn. The entrance was shocking to say the least, with doctors and orderlies taking cover behind overturned cots and counters. “I need a doctor who knows human physiology, now!”

One of the few humans rose from behind the main counter. “I should be able to help. Just please, don’t hurt-”

Dusk groaned. “I’m on your side damn it!” Dusk pressed over to the counter, laying Palmer down as it groaned under the weight of the armored soldier. “Palmer took a direct hit from a tank. Can you help her or not?”

“Not with that armor in the way.”

Dusk immediately went to work tearing off the shattered pieces of armor, starting with the remains of the chestplate and helmet before moving to the arms and legs. “Now can you do anything?”

The doctor pushed Dusk out of the way and motioned for some of the orderlies to approach. “Where did this happen?”

“Dodge City. Roughly an hour ago.”

The doctor nodded silently as she put on a stethoscope, checking Palmer’s heartbeat through one of the many tears in her bodysuit. “Alright, heart sounds normal… Breathing is a bit labored…” The doctor pulled her hand out of the suit and examined the blood that stained the once white glove. “She’s bleeding from the bottom right hand side of her ribcage.” The doctor stuck her hand back in, this time with a small piece of gauze. “Doesn’t feel too deep… Probably just a good gash.”

“Is that a good thing or not?” Asked Dusk.

“Just means she’ll need a few stitches.” Retorted the doctor. “Alright, let’s get a gurney over here!” As the orderlies slid Palmer’s unconscious body onto the fresh gurney, the doctor returned her attention to Dusk. “We’ll take care of your friend. Are you alright?”

Dusk nodded. “I’m fine. Is there anything else you’re planning on doing?”

“Probably a few x-rays to see if there’s any broken bones or internal bleeding.”

Dusk let out a sigh of relief. “So she’ll be OK then?” The doctor nodded. “Alright, I’ll be back in a little bit to check on Palmer then.”

The stallion walked out of the infirmary and leaned up against the wall, sliding down to the floor as he took his helmet off. “That could’ve gone better.”

“Freeze!”

The sounds of rifles cocking attracted Dusk’s attention, and he looked up to see a face full of assault rifles pointed right at his cranium. “Look, I already went over it with the doc. I’m on your side!”

“Guards, lower your weapons!” Immediately the rifles dropped away and the guards stepped aside for an approaching blue alicorn.

“Good to see you again Princess.” Dusk sat back against the wall. “Hey, have you lost weight?”

Luna rolled her eyes before she grabbed Dusk and hauled him to his feet. “I’d counter by asking if you gained any.”

Dusk tapped his chestplate. “Eh… Maybe half a ton? I’m not positive.”

“Small talk aside you do realize I need you to come with me, right?”

Dusk nodded. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle Throne Room, Ten Minutes Later

Celestia sat back in her throne as she drummed her fingers on the armrest. She sat up once the door to the throne room opened, allowing Luna and Dusk entrance. “Dusk, it’s good to see you again.”

“I could say the same.”

Celestia nodded. “You do understand that I’m a bit skeptical to simply hand out free passage to you without understanding the circumstance behind your return. Would you care to elaborate?”

Dusk shuddered. “How about I give you a quick recap instead?”

“Dusk, it’s been three years. I have no guarantee that you’re of sound mind, let alone where you’ve been.”

“I’ve spent the last three years as an ONI pincushion while one of their political prisoners was used to conduct their experiments and operations. About two days ago, the head honcho thought it would be a great idea to put me in charge of a few hundred super soldiers so she could keep me under her thumb, but that’s what’s great about having copies of damning evidence. I’ll give you three guesses on how that worked out for ONI.”

“And now one of those soldiers is in our infirmary?” Asked Celestia.

Dusk nodded. “And judging by your tone I’d say you aren’t entirely comfortable with that.”

“You’d be correct in your assumption.” Retorted the Princess. “Now, help me understand why I should trust this new group of humans?”

The doors to the throne room opened and two Lunar Guards escorted a human male before the dias. “Princess, this one says he’s here to speak with you.”

Celestia waved off the guards and stared down at the new arrival. “Dusk, do you know this human?”

“Tom you’re up.” Muttered Dusk.

“I’m Captain Tom-”

“I wasn’t asking you, human.”

Dusk and Captain Lasky exchanged confused looks for a moment. “Princess, I do know Captain Lasky. Thanks to his help, I managed to stare down the head of ONI and expose her actions to her superiors.”

“Is that so?” Celestia rose from the throne and approached the two, staring down Lasky the entire time she approached. As she stared down at the slightly shorter Captain, her scowl softened and broke into a sad smile. “Then you have my thanks.”

Lasky sighed in relief. “You’re welcome.”

“I take it you thought that this meeting would go far worse?”

The Captain nodded. “My past experiences with diplomacy tend to end with getting caught in a shootout.”

“A good reason to be concerned.” Assured Celestia. “But trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Then let’s cut to something to worry about.” Injected Dusk. “Where’s my team?”

“We’re back Sunny!” yelled Strike as he threw the throne room doors open. “And I’ve got…” Dusk and Strike stared each other down once they made eye contact. “Hey… Glad you’re not dead?”

“Do you have to make it sound like a question?” Asked Dusk.

Strike shrugged. “Nope, but why not?”

Steeljack, Dart and Comet pushed past the overly energetic Pegasus and moved to corner Dusk.

“Nice to see you guys too?”

Steeljack rolled his eyes and punched Dusk’s shoulder. “Good to see you again.”

After a quick fist bump with Comet, Dusk slapped Steeljack’s shoulder and stared down at Dart. “Miss me kiddo?”

Dart stared down at her feet and sighed. As she looked up, she had a more serious look plastered across her face. “Look, we’ll talk later. Right now I’ve got business with the Princess.”

“Then let’s hear it Dart.” Insisted Celestia.

“The run on Pioneer was a wash.” She groaned. “There was a bug in the computer that started a reactor overload once we took the bridge. It vaporized the ship once it hit the upper atmosphere.”

“Were you able to salvage anything worth noting?”

“There wasn’t anything to salvage.” Added Steeljack. “ONI was running with a stripped down ship. Bare essentials, no furnishings or supplies, and only the main computer to control the ship.”

“Odds are that their boss knew it was a suicide run.” Dart crossed her arms and sighed.

“But Euclid’s Anvil is a brand new heavy crusier.” Pointed out Lasky. “If Osman has been sending stripped down ships, why was it in a standard configuration?”

“Maybe this Osman character has a reason to commit more expensive assets.” The group turned to face Comet. “Just how many of their ships have we managed to kill at this point? Ten?” The lack of a response pushed Comet to roll his eyes. “If their cheap investments couldn’t do the job, then maybe they thought that the higher quality equipment was more likely to knock out our ships.”

“As of now, the point is moot.” Celestia walked back up the dais and sat down on her throne. “But everypony came home safe. Considering the circumstances, I’d consider that a victory.”

Steeljack nodded and led the group out of the throne room. Dart stole one last glance at Dusk, almost one of concern, before the doors closed and concealed her expression. “Now where’s Sarah?” Asked Captain Lasky.

“Docs in the infirmary are patching her up.” Replied Dusk.

Lasky nodded. “You mind showing me how to get there?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Three Hours Later, Castle Infirmary

It took Dusk roughly an hour to get out of his armor and gather some decent clothing. He and Lasky managed to reach the infirmary just in time to see Palmer get rolled into one of the recovery wards with Lasky close behind. He strode in just in time to watch as the Doctor finished hooking up an IV. “How is she doc?”

“Just out cold at the moment. We dealt with that cut on her chest, cleaned her up-”

“But she’ll live?” Asked Dusk.

The doctor nodded. “Give her a week and she should be fine.”

“I can live with that.”

The doctor strolled out of the room, and Lasky slumped down in a chair opposite Palmer’s bed. “Talk about a long day.”

Dusk sat down on the foot of Palmer’s hospital bed and nodded in agreement. “And it isn’t even time for dinner.” The room was silent for a moment before a soft snore broke it like glass, punctuated by the beep of a heart monitor. “Figures…”

“Dusk, you got a minute?”

Dusk turned to the door and crept over to Dart, slowly shutting it behind him. He looked down at the mare and smiled. “Miss me?”

“Miss you?” Growled Dart. “You’ve been gone for three years. While we’ve been getting our asses handed to us, you were off-”

“Now hold on, is it my fault I became an ONI pincushion?”

“You obviously had some sort of friend?” Dusk glanced down at his feet, leading to Dart groaning. “Did you ever think of sending us something, or did you forget that we all could’ve thought you were dead?”

“At risk of pissing you off, it really wasn’t one of my top priorities.”

“So you had the ability to reassure all of us that you were ok… And not once did you even try to send us some sort of message you pedantic asshole!”

Dusk put his hands up in defeat. “Well I’m sorry that I was-” the stallion was interrupted when the mare mashed her lips into his. ‘Holy shit!’ He thought. Pushing her back, Dusk cocked an eyebrow. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“Probably hormones.” Came a voice from off to the side

Dart turned to face the newcomer, a dreadfully shocked expression plastered across her face.

“Eh, makes sense.” Dusk had to do a double-take after he spoke. “Palmer, you’re awake! And you saw-”

“Yes, and I’ll gladly forget that little display at the first opportunity.” The Spartan clutched at the lower part of her chest. “So, want to tell me what happened?”

“Receiving end of a Scorpion.” Said Dart. “Can’t say I’ve seen anyone survive a direct hit from one before.”

“Palmer, this is Dart.” noted Dusk. “Anyway, odds are the ribcage is my fault. CPR and and all that jazz tends to leave some bruises.”

“Well then thanks for all of this wonderful discomfort.” snarked Palmer. “So, when can I leave?”

“You can leave now Palmer.” Assured Dusk.

“Good. And get a room while you’re at it.”

As Palmer walked down the hall, Dart looked up at Dusk with lidded eyes. “My room, now!”

“I’m sorry, but what?” Dusk didn’t have to wait long for his answer before Dart teleported the two to a decent sized bedroom in another part of the castle. “Look, can you just-” Dusk was cut off once more as Dart dragged the stallion into an impassioned kiss and pulled him down onto her bed.

Dart pushed Dusk back so the two could breathe. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that.”

“Then enlighten me.” Whispered Dusk.

______________________________________________________________________________

Five Years Ago, Manehattan Wire

Dart stood outside Dusk’s office and sighed. She had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to find a decent low-cut tanktop. After a quick burger run into the city, she had everything she needed to make her move. “Alright, show time.” Dart swung the door open and spotted Dusk pouring over paperwork at his desk. “Figured you might be a bit hungry.”

Dusk never looked up from his paperwork, scribbling in numbers on what appeared to be a set of blueprints. “Thanks.”

Dart leaned forward on the desk, making sure her collar was hanging low. “What you working on?”

Dusk got up from his desk, grabbing his papers and the burger that Dart had brought him. “Just some stuff for the Guardian project.” He made for the door, wolfing down the hayburger as he went and tossed the wrapper in the trashcan by the door. “Oh, and thanks for the burger!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Castle, Present Day

Dusk cocked an eyebrow at the mare under him on the bed. “Was I really that dense?”

Dart nodded. “Granted I was a bit too young, but anypony with a brain should’ve been able to see what I was doing.”

“Guess that makes me brainless?”

Dart sighed and teleported out from under the stallion, reappearing near the bathroom door. “I’ll give you a chance to make up for it then.” The mare turned around, tossing her shirt to the side and unbuckling her cargo pants, letting them fall to the ground and leaving her in nothing but a pair of black panties. “You coming?”

Dusk’s face turned red, and he couldn’t help but stare as Dart sashayed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “Fuck it, you only live once.” He muttered. Dusk scrambled off the bed, tossing his own shirt off to the side and kicking away his pants in time to rush into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it with a silent click.

Mission Creep

Blueblood Family Estate

Ten Years Post-Mirror Conflict

Two Weeks Before Archer's First Visit

'Here's to this not blowing up in my face...' I thought as I walked into Blueblood's Upper Canterlot Townhouse. The butler led me to the dining room, where Blueblood and I were supposed to have our lunch meeting. Well... That's the part I told Dart when I left the house half an hour ago.

"Dusk, glad you made it." Blueblood was at the head of the table, the board I dropped off earlier flipped over behind him to show a blank chalkboard. He was flanked by Cosmo and Strike (joined by their wives Trixie and Fleetfoot respectively), Comet, and Steeljack.

"I'm just glad everypony could be here on such short notice." I said as I took my seat at the other end of the table opposite of Blueblood. "Now we need to make something clear very quickly." I cast a spell to seal the doors into the room shut, and another to soundproof the room. "What is said in this room stays in this room. We clear?"

"Clear enough." Said Cosmo. "If anypony asks, me and Trixie were visiting with Princess Sparkle. Something about theories on magical essence, not that I pay attention anyway." Trixie punched him in the shoulder before pecking him on the cheek.

"Do I even need an excuse?" Asked Strike as he nudged Fleetfoot. "We are still trying for kids, so... I'll let the rest of you fill in the blanks."

I couldn't help but laugh. Strike had started spending time with Fleetfoot about a month after we got back from our little jaunt around the Wasteland. Before we had left she had her wing broken fighting an Enclave Alicorn drone, leaving her grounded. Maybe she wanted to wait, but for some reason Fleetfoot hadn't started her therapy until after we got back. And son of a bitch, Strike was right there with her. Within six months, he was flying right up there with Fleetfoot. Right after that was when it became official... They were dating. God damn, one of the thickest-skulled stallions I ever met was dating! Eight and a half years after that and he put a ring on her finger... And here he was joking about nailing his wife in the hope of having a kid. I haven't seen him talk like that since before I sent him through the mirror with Comet.

Steeljack groaned. "Look, can we get on with it?"

I got up from the table and walked over to the chalkboard, grabbing the top of it. "That we can." I pulled the chalkboard down, flipping it over. It was a cork board, with a number of pictures I had pinned to it, connected to a central point on the board with red pieces of string. "My friends, it's time to institute something I call Operation From the Heart."

Steeljack downed his glass of beer before putting his head to the table. Cloud and Cosmo were trying to hide their amusement while Strike was laughing like a child along with Fleetfoot. Blueblood was the only pony at the table with any sort of self-control, although he was at the very least amused. "While I can understand why some of you find the theatrics a bit... Over the top, as it were, Dusk did put some serious planning into this 'operation'."

I tapped my foot in annoyance. "Can we focus please?"

"Sure, why not?" Said Steeljack as he sat back up. "Tell us about this little plan of yours."

I couldn't help but smile. "Alright, we've got two main components to this plan. One is the ring, the other is dinner. Dinner is the easy part. Blueblood is going to let us use his house for a little 'reunion' of the old gang. But the ring is a bit more tricky..."

"You don't want Dart to find out." Added Cloud.

"Damn straight. Which is why we need to keep it quiet. I already picked out a ring with Blueblood's personal jeweler. But where I can't risk getting seen picking it up..."

"You need someone else to get it." Finished Cloud. "I can take care of it."

"Good. Glad we're on the same page. The ring's already paid for. You just need to get in and get out. Think you can do it?"

"I trained him, didn't I?" Asked Cosmo. "He can handle it. What do you need the rest of us to do?"

I pulled the in out of a large envelope that was on the board, tossing it onto the table. "Simple really... I need you guys to get the invites out."

We took the rest of the hour to catch up and just chat. As everyone else filed out to head for home, Cosmo and Trixie were the only ones left. I can't help but wonder why he even tried talking to her in the first place... Maybe I'm just naive, I always thought the showmare was a bit out of his league. "Cosmo, how's Archer been?"

Cosmo turned to look at me. "She's been OK lately. Why?"

"She still into research?"

Cosmo exchanged glances with Trixie and looked back at me. "Ya, why?"

"Well, I need to make it look like I'm focused on something... You think she'll want to hear about the Wasteland?"

"I'll make sure she's available."

______________________________________________________________________________

Canterlot Vale Estate

Half an Hour Later

I walked up to my front door, part of me wanting to wait before opening it. By now it was a do or die moment, with the die being spilling the beans on my proposal. I walked in to a mixed smell of baked apples and cinnamon. "Dart, I'm back."

My marefriend poked her head out of the kitchen. She was covered in flour, indicative of her most recent attempt at baking. "Hey Dusk, how'd it go?"

"Well, we've got the financing squared away for the new jeep, so it's a start." Damn, I hate lying... Especially to Dart. I wonder how pissed she'll be when she finds out that me and Blueblood took care of everything when we met for drinks last week?

"That's great! Anyway, I think I finally got the pie recipe down." She held a plate out with a fresh slice.

Damn... How stupid can I be? Fresh pie is generally scalding hot. As I put the pie down on the kitchen counter and forced myself to swallow the scalding chunk of apple and dough, I levitated myself a spoon and opened the freezer, ripping the top off of the unopened vanilla ice cream and wolfing down four spoonfuls to deal with the intense heat. I couldn't help but clutch my head. "Damn it!"

"Brain freeze?" Asked Dart.

"You'd think I'd know better by now." I said as I walked over to the counter. A quick cooling spell made the pie more tolerable, and I wolfed down what was left. "Although this still isn't your best pie." I waggled my eyebrows at Dart, who broke out into a fit of giggles.

"Alright, spill. What's on your mind." Geez, I know her like a book by now? Either that or I'm better than misdirection than I think.

"Well I was thinking... Did you ever think it would be a good idea to have what we did written down?"

Dart took off her apron and tossed it on the counter. "I thought we took a vow of silence when it came to the Wasteland?" She wasn't lying. After we came back through the portal, our little band of misfits made a pact to never speak of what happened in the Wasteland.

"Well... Maybe it should be written down somewhere. At the very least it can be locked in the castle's archive." I sighed and looked down at my feet. Time to put the month's worth of practice to work. "Look, I'm not asking you to do it. I want to give it a shot..." I looked up at Dart, keeping my head bowed a little bit. "At least for my sake."

Dart saddle up next to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Well, I won't stop you." She said. She leaned down and gave me a tender kiss, straddling me as I half sat on the counter.

"Thanks..." I stood back up, grabbing Dart by her waist and holding her up. "Now, we could always take this somewhere more comfortable..."

Dart nuzzled me. "We could..."

"Then allow me." I grabbed her and hoisted her over my shoulder, her face to my back. I started the long walk up the stairs to our bedroom, Dart playfully hitting me the whole way up.