“Dark magic?” Twilight asked. Her guts clenched and blood turned to ice at the thought of a dark magic-using raider. The trip to the Crystal Empire would have been a lot different if King Sombra had played by Wasteland rules.

“Y-yeah,” Fluttershy said, some of her old, meek self slipping to the surface as she looked down. “Sorry I didn’t mention it sooner. I’m under orders to share the information as little as possible, and only with who I believe can help me capture or kill Scribe Glenn.”

Fluttershy turned her attention to Daniel, who stared at her. The dim moonlight had him squint to try and see. Twilight had to remind herself that the only ones who could see in such low light were her and Fluttershy. Rarity, for some reason, hadn’t used any light spells for her meeting.

“I wasn’t lying to you about recovering the transmitter,” Fluttershy said. “Three Dog had the widest reaching radio station until his current relay was destroyed. He’s the best bet to warn people if Scribe Glenn becomes a larger threat than he already is.”

“I didn’t think you were lying, but that is a fair point,” Daniel said. “It helps me forgive him for using the information on my dad to get me to agree to do the job.”

“Darlings,” Rarity interrupted as she levitated the sack of caps to her hand. “Let’s hurry up and head inside. The super mutants have taken over Project Purity and the island that Rivet City’s bow points towards. I don’t want us out here any longer than necessary.”

She turned and proceeded towards the bridge connecting the ship and the tower, her hooves clinking against the metal floor.

That explained why there were no lights for the meeting with the mercenaries.

“Why were you meeting them out here in the first place?” Twilight asked, joining beside Rarity. She knew the moonlight was enough to illuminate her limp.

“Rivet City has a law against issuing bounties while aboard the ship,” Rarity replied. “It keeps them out of Wasteland drama.” Rarity turned her head slightly, her eyes following Twilight’s odd gait. “You’re limping. Are you okay?”

“I’m doing better, I’ll explain what happened later,” Twilight replied. She honestly was feeling better after the food. She hoped a few days of rest would do wonders... if the news about a dark magic user would allow her to rest easily, that is. “I came here to see you and take a few days out of the Wasteland to heal. Would you be able to loan us some gear? Daniel and Fluttershy have a job to do for Three Dog.”

“I’d be happy to help,” Rarity said with a chipper flair. “Especially for that charming radio stallion.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, continuing at her limping pace. Every step brought them closer to the ship, which grew even more imposing the more Twilight approached. The ancient metal hulk creaked and groaned as the warm late-summer wind buffeted its structure. The metal bridge, thankfully, remained sturdy despite the gusts.

Her vision snapped to an oval-shaped metal door with a wheel at its center instead of a handle. It swung open on rusted hinges, eliciting a painful metal-on-metal sound. Dim light spilled out from the room beyond the door, illuminating it enough to see that it was several inches thick. A black armored guard emerged, grunting with effort, as they pushed it open with one shoulder. It was a clear sign the door was also heavy.

A lit cigarette danced in the guard’s lips. The glow illuminated a female face with her hair hidden by a black helmet, the clear visor of the helmet was lifted to allow her to smoke. Using her back to push against the door, she closed it, then leaned against a nearby wall. Even from halfway across the bridge, Twilight smelled the foul smoke.

The door the female guard had exited had a plaque above it. ‘Marketplace’ it read, but above it was a second plaque reading the market was closed at night.

“Are you allowed in the market after hours?” Twilight asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” Rarity replied. “You all arrived at a bad time. Market curfew is at eight P.M. for everyone, so you just missed it.” She gave the guard a nod as they crossed the remainder of the bridge and made it onto the ship proper. Now that they were on board, Twilight could see a second, similar naval door near the market door.

“How’s it going… Juliana, right?” Rarity asked as she stopped near the smoking guard.

“It’s going,” Juliana replied, or at least Twilight assumed it was Juliana since she hadn’t corrected Rarity. “Chief Harkness is going to have some choice words for you since you're bringing so many people on board after dark.”

“Foul language won’t get him clean clothes.” Rarity tsked.

Juliana snorted out a laugh. She took a moment to take a long draw off her cigarette. The smoke cloud that followed was worse than a sleeping dragon. “Well, if I’m seeing this right, you have another miracle-working hornhead with you. If they can do at least half the things you’ve done for us, I say welcome aboard.” She burned down the last of her cigarette in another long pull, then dropped it to the ground before crushing it out under her boot.

“You perchance wouldn’t be willing to let me into the market after hours for some store management?” Rarity asked sweetly. She leaned close to the human, and Twilight saw Rarity bat her long eyelashes.

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I actively work to get on Harkness’s bad side,” Juliana replied flatly, shaking her head. “You and your friends will just have to wait until morning.”

“Drat,” Rarity groaned, dramatically swooning backwards. “And here I thought I saw your name at the top of my list for weapon maintenance.”

Juliana rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in a shrug.

“I would say your accent is insufferable, your body language overly dramatic, and for you to go to hell, but,” she dropped the shrug and grinned, “I’m going to be nice and nicely say I’m still going to have to pass.”

“Oh you're no fun,” Rarity pouted. She turned towards the second door and opened it with her magic by turning the wheel. The plaque for the door advertised it as ‘stairwell’. Brighter light than what had spilled out of the marketplace cut into the darkness.

Rarity was the first to slip inside and Twilight followed. She was nearly blinded by the transition. Once her eyes adjusted, Twilight took a step back in surprise as the stairwell was leagues ahead of the exterior of the ship in terms of looks.

Most of the metal in the room was rust free and painted in warm colors, primarily soft orange. It helped reflect the light twinkling from tiny gemstones and glowing soda bottles hanging by strings from metal ceiling beams and pipes. Several white-painted bulkhead doors were arranged around the room, while a set of unpainted but rust-free metal stairs ran to the deck above and another to the deck below.

“Wow,” Twilight said, dazzled by the sudden shift in color and light. It was the most color she had seen in the Wasteland in weeks. It was a nice change from rusting metal and bare concrete. It helped alleviate some of the worry Fluttershy’s news had brought. “Did you do this? I figured this place would be all rust.”

“She did this?” Daniel asked in astonishment from the rear of the group.

“Most of it still is rusted, darling, and it wasn’t all me. The humans aboard this ship just needed a little motivation and we all began scrubbing away and painting. Honestly, most of my help was supplying the paint. That simple artist transmutation spell I learned from you works like a charm.” Rarity said. She leaned to look past Twilight. “Is that Daniel?”

“Huh?” Daniel asked from behind Fluttershy, both of whom had followed in behind Twilight and had been looking at the brightly colored walls and glittering gemstones. He stepped around Fluttershy, approaching Rarity and Twilight at the front of their group. “We were never introduced. How do you know my name?”

“My, my,” Rarity said, her voice smooth and sultry. “If James is anything to go by, you have a bright future ahead of you as a silver fox. The family resemblance is strong enough for me to see it, and I’m not used to human faces yet. The voice is a dead giveaway, though.”

“You know my dad!?” Daniel blurted out. He closed the distance between himself and Rarity at a speed Rainbow Dash would be proud of. His face suddenly blushed as he took a backstep. “Wait, what do you mean silver fox?”

“Oh, well I mean no offense, but your father is one handsome devil for a man that I assume is at least twenty years and some change older than me,” Rarity said with a polite bow.

“Nothing wrong with older men,” Fluttershy whispered off to the side.

Twilight suppressed a smirk. When it came to her relationship with Discord, ‘older men’ was an understatement.

“Right,” Daniel said quickly. “Is he still here? I’ve been looking for him for weeks!”

“Afraid not,” Rarity replied. “But I do know James. He was fascinated by my cleaning magic being able to purify a glass of water. He introduced me to Dr. Madison Li and asked both of us to join him for a project of his. If you want to speak with her she’s down in the laboratory… but back to James. We all talked for a while before he decided to go check out the old memorial and Project Purity, that project I mentioned is located there. He came back before the super mutants moved in, bought supplies from me, and said he was heading to Smith Casey’s Garage. He showed me where it was on his little arm terminal. I can show you.”

Daniel quickly stuck out his arm, dumbstruck. Rarity used her magic to spin the scroll wheels until she had the map centered on an area far to the east. Several days of travel by foot at the very least.

“Why is he walking all the way out there? He’s fifty-five! Gah!” Daniel said, aggressively facepalming. He impatiently turned towards Fluttershy, asking quickly, “Can we do Three Dog’s thing tonight? Maybe we can slip into the museum under the cover of darkness?”

Fluttershy winced back and bit her lip. She held the expression for several seconds as she shifted from foot to foot before taking a deep breath. She exhaled and snapped to rigidity.

“No,” Fluttershy said. She took another breath and puffed out her chest. Her military voice was back, curses and all. “We are fucked if we dive into the Mall right now with no armor or medicine.” Fluttershy let out a snort as she visibly forced her jaw shut to bite back words. She instead sighed and placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, before continuing more softly. “Listen, I know you want to find your father and help with Three Dog’s transmitter, but you won’t be able to hug your father again if we’re six feet deep under a tombstone… I also haven’t slept well since the incident, and Twilight is out of commission.”

Daniel shied back, jaw set as he tensed up, fists balled. Twilight could see a multitude of emotions playing out on his face. She knew he needed a little more reasoning to stay or he would go charging off himself. She gave a cough to grab everyone’s attention.

“As the most recent expert on running off without a plan, I say we all need rest.”

Daniel let out a groaning sigh. His shoulders slumped in defeat as the tension drained from him.

“Fine,” he said with a deflated huff. The wind had certainly been taken out of his sails. He bounced back with a forced smile and a joking tone. “If you haven’t learned yet, humans are massive hypocrites.”

“Humans are certainly alien to us,” Rarity cooed. “Anyways, your rooms are on me. My treat.”

“Any rooms with bunk beds?” Fluttershy asked. “If Daniel and I are leaving in the morning, we might as well wake each other up, and it’ll be cheaper on you.”

“Darlings, it’s fine,” Rarity replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I have my own business. I have the caps to spare for separate rooms.”

“Your own business?” Fluttershy asked. “I thought you helped Bannon.”

“I was, but I made enough connections and my magic proved useful enough to allow me to branch out from working with him,” Rarity replied, then jerked with an excited gasp. “Oh, idea! I know you all are tired, but it’s still very early in the night. Maybe we can get some drinks, catch up with each other, does that sound good?”

Twilight nodded. The others did as well.

<>~<>~<>

The journey to the Weatherly Hotel had taken them up a deck and through several narrow corridors. The windowless interior and samey hallways would have been a confusing mess were it not for multiple plaques with names and arrows guiding the way liberally posted around the halls.

Their odd ensemble group had received a few curious looks from the humans that they had passed, but with Rarity taking the lead there were no issues. Twilight had even seen several happily wave at her and comment that it was nice to have another miracle worker on the ship. It was a far cry from the coldness of the Brotherhood.

Twilight hoped Fluttershy would consider leaving the Brotherhood once the business with the dark mage was over with. The lingering thought of King Sombra the raider still dampened Twilight’s mood. Reality had come crashing down onto a second reunion with a lost friend.

Once they reached the lobby of the Weatherly Hotel, Rarity rented everyone else individual rooms. Next, she generously bought everyone food and drinks. Twilight had squealed with joy when the menu offered fresh carrots, apples, and potatoes, all made possible by Rivet City’s hydroponics bay set up in one of the ship’s old aircraft hangars.

The dining area they all entered was a small room next to the main check-in office. They were the only ones in the room, all of them occupying a single corner booth far from the entrance door. It would give them even more privacy if anyone were to enter. Twilight sat beside Rarity, with Daniel and Fluttershy across from them.

Fluttershy had declined alcohol and asked for a Nuka~Cola and a plate of carrots. Rarity had bought the rest of them glasses of some drink called scotch, which apparently Daniel’s father, James, was fond of. It was a hefty liquor, and even though she was eating, Twilight already felt buzzed after half a glass.

Seated next to Rarity, Twilight realized one thing. Rarity was the only one of them who was clean. Daniel, Fluttershy, and herself had all accumulated a layer of grime. Rarity’s cleaning magic had pushed back the dirty Wasteland and restored a little clean civilization. Twilight nearly felt shameful for walking around, smelling of sweat and old blood. From what Twilight could tell, clean water was too precious to waste on a bath. Rarity being able to whisk grime away with her horn was just as the guard had said, miracle work. No wonder people were so friendly.

“Hey, Rarity,” Twilight said, sipping on her glass of scotch. It wasn’t bad. Not something she would drink every day, but since it was a social gathering it was fine. It helped ease the tension after Fluttershy’s bad news, and had opened the way for everyone to make small talk before Twilight’s epiphany. “Do you clean everyone here?”

“Those who can’t afford a shower,” Rarity replied. “The ship has a working water purifier, but showers cost a lot of caps. I do charge, but it’s a steal compared to showering. The only caveat for a full cleaning is that they have to be okay with being naked around me, otherwise the grime under their clothes will be concealed and unable to be fully begoned by my magic. To make it up to them, I don’t charge to clean their clothes inside and out. Some of the richer residents have started to come to me, even though they can afford showers and privacy, just because I offer such a discount.”

“Well, when I get a bath from you, nudity won’t be a problem for me since we’ve seen each other naked,” Twilight said, her speech slurring already. She played back what she had just said and shook her head. “That sounded wrong… changing subjects. Do you remember much of what happened during the transition here? I got hit in the face, so I didn’t see the whole process. Just woke up in an old house with skeletons in it, and my nose and horn were broken.”

“Oh it was horrible,” Rarity cried, bringing a hand up to her cheek. “I heard that mirror shatter and before I knew it, we were all being sucked in so fast. I saw that metal locker hit you in the face so hard it broke your horn and sent you spinning towards the edge of the stream of light we were sucked through. I tried to grab you, but your saddlebags weren’t buckled tightly and they slipped free. I’m sorry I didn’t focus on you, but we were spinning and twisting so much I didn’t want to disjoint something by grabbing a part of you that could be easily damaged. I don’t know why I didn’t just try and magically grab all of you.”

“I understand,” Twilight replied, smiling warmly at her friend who she knew honestly had tried to save her. “Did you manage to keep hold of my saddlebags?”

“Yes and no. When I hugged them close to me they transformed around me into one of those dapper little vault suits, complete with a belt covered with pouches. Inside the largest pouch, I found that the little science gizmos and gadgets had turned into one of those arm terminals like James and Daniel wear. I have the suit and terminal in my room. One-pieces are not to my taste, and I didn’t put that dreadful bracelet on, so it’s nice and fresh for you.”

“Thanks for saving it, Rarity,” Twilight said. She cradled her chin in the palm of her hand as she thought. “So if the saddlebags turned into clothes, that means everypony else was naked when we arrived, right?”

“I think so,” Fluttershy said. “Out of us, only AJ and Rarity wear accessories. I arrived naked, too, though I think it saved my life. The super mutants I walked up to to ask for help and directions saw my wings and ears and said something about me not being a human. Although it didn’t stop one from hitting me in the side of the head with a board.” Flutterhsy shook her head and sighed, “Thankfully, it wasn’t one with nails in it. I woke up later, and you know the rest of the story.”

“So you managed to approach super mutants?” Daniel asked curiously. He had nearly drained all the scotch in his glass already, and his face was flushed red with a buzz. “I’m surprised, but I guess it still ended rather poorly. Sorry about that. So if I can ask, what’s the story behind your tattoo? I noticed it earlier.”

“Thought it’d look cool,” Fluttershy replied with a chuckle, shaking her head and smiling. “Fit the character I was playing.”

“What do you mean, like a split personality?” Daniel asked.

Twilight wanted to thump Daniel in the head for asking insensitive questions, but she was curious as well. It seemed so out of place for Fluttershy, even with her acting abilities.

“No-no-no, nothing like that,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head from side-to-side as well as a hand. “If I set my mind to it, I can throw myself into a role, almost become it in a way. Some ponies call it method acting. I once played three or four different characters at the same time while running one of Rarity’s boutiques in the past.”

“Yes,” Rarity replied. “And even though the drama those characters created caused some problems, the acting itself was fantastic.”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight asked after she swallowed an apple slice. “Did this character really need to cuss so much?”

“Well, it was a spur of the moment thing to fall into the character, and I had a blitz of reference material,” Fluttershy said. “You’d hear a lot of swearing from me if I told the story, though.”

“I’ve already heard you curse. How bad can it be?” Twilight asked.

Rarity held the crook of her elbow to her face, poorly disguising a snort of laughter as a sneeze.

“Oh, you have no idea the creativity of a pissed off range instructor,” Fluttershy said with a grin as she rolled her eyes. It was a look Twilight recognized from Rainbow Dash. This was going to be a tale. “You see, firearms don’t exist in Equestria… so neither does firearm safety.”

Fluttershy stopped and looked around the room, Twilight looked as well and saw that their group were still the only occupants. Fluttershy’s posture went rigid as her voice took on that familiar military cadence.

“Initiate Fluttershy! You have approximately two seconds to point that fucking rifle back down range and unfuck yourself! You will treat every goddamn weapon as if it were loaded! Do you hear me, Initiate Butterflies!? Fuck up and flag a fellow initiate again and I will shove my power armor’s boot so far up your ass you will be spitting teeth! Now drop and give me fifty!”

“Sweet Celestia, Fluttershy!” Twilight blurted out, her ears stinging from the sudden barrage of high-volume cursing. “What did you do!? What in the hay is flagging?”

“My first time shooting a rifle—which was my second day here—once I was done with some practice shots, I cradled the rifle in a way that it ended up pointing at the initiate beside me on range,” Fluttershy explained. “Pointing a rifle at someone like that is called flagging, and is a big no-no. I was so scared of Paladin Gunny right then, I did the only thing I could think to do and started to act like the Wonderbolts from back home and the other soldiers around me. All salutes and ‘sir yes sir’. After that incident, I studied hard and put in as much time on the range as I was allowed. I wanted to be someone strong enough to take on this scary world. Eventually, I didn’t have to act because I really became a part of the Brotherhood because I believe in their goals of defending the people of the Wasteland. There are some really selfless and noble people in the Brotherhood, like Elder Lyons, who I look up to. They would gladly throw themselves into certain death if it meant saving a single life. It’s one type of kindness I’ve found in this destroyed world.”

Noble, self-sacrificing defenders. True knights in shining armor. Twilight could see how people who put themselves in harm's way without asking for a reward would appeal to Fluttershy. Fluttershy had done just that in the alley earlier. Twilight could easily recall the ping and clank of bullets hitting her armored friend instead of Daniel or her.

“So, Twilight?” Rarity asked, catching Twilight’s attention. “What have you been up to? You said you would tell me about your knee.”

“I walked right up to a landmine,” Twilight said, her shoulders slumping. She stared down at her half-finished plate. “Out of all of you, I’m probably the most useless right now with my body and magic crippled. I’ve nearly dropped every weapon I’ve fired and have nearly ended up dead many times over. I need more training if I’m going to go looking for our other friends.”

“Once Daniel and I get back from getting the transmitter, I’ll teach you how to shoot,” Fluttershy said with a firm nod. “We just need to find a weapon you're most comfortable with. That rifle you have should do for a start.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Twilight said.

“Well,” Fluttershy said, scooting out of the booth, “I hate to leave early but I need to do some weapon maintenance before I sleep. I want to make damn sure I don’t have any jams if I’m heading into the Mall.”

“I’ll go help clean your rifle,” Rarity said, sliding out of the booth after her. “I have cleaning spells and some repair magic that will make it just like new. I might also have a soap spell for that mouth of yours,” Rarity scoffed. She gave Twilight a passing glance back and a wave. “Toodaloo, I shall see you and Daniel later.”

Twilight gave them both a wave goodbye.

<>~<>~<>

Daniel watched Fluttershy and Rarity leave. Of all the people in the Wasteland he had met, the best people were completely alien to this world.

“You have amazing friends,” Daniel said after Fluttershy and Rarity had gone. He smiled softly as he met Twilight’s gaze. Hearing her share stories with loved ones had reminded him of home. After a second he looked up. “I’m honestly a little jealous.”

The scotch had helped loosen his lips. Made him feel more at ease despite the mini-nuke of a bombshell Rarity had dropped by knowing, and apparently working with, his father.

Twilight’s ears swiveled his way.

“Jealous?” Twilight asked, tilting her head. She swayed a bit from the alcohol. “Why?”

“I… never really had friends back home,” Daniel said. His eyes glazed over as nostalgia and trauma played off each other. “Dad and I aren’t from the Vault originally. The Overseer tried to keep that fact quiet, but when a new doctor and his baby suddenly appear in a very small bunker complex, people talk. No matter the Overseer’s attempts, rumors floated around. The other kids stayed a good six feet from me at all times because they thought they might catch ‘the outside’ from me.” Daniel finished with a sad, dry chuckle.

“That sounds terribly lonely,” Twilight said. “Why did the Overseer want to keep your origins a secret?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel replied and shrugged. He honestly didn’t know. He didn’t have much time to ask why Vault security had killed Jonas, or had been aiming to kill him as well. “Maybe he wanted to protect the Vault from, well, everything the Wasteland is. A dangerous, irradiated hellhole. Although, it could just be that the Overseer is a control freak. Amata often complained how overbearing her father was.”

“Were you and Amata close?” Twilight asked. She had quickly become interested in her plate again, her face blushing as she used one hand to twirl her mane.

Daniel tensed. Her tells were so obvious they were practically neon. He hadn’t missed her comment earlier that day after he joked about her singing. He had been serious when he said it was cute, but he hadn’t meant it as a flirt.

“She was my only real friend growing up, but we were just that, only friends,” Daniel said. Part of him wondered if growing up without any crushes or elementary school ‘dates’ had turned him into a hopeless romantic. Daniel knew he had certainly fallen head over heels for Moira, one of the few women to actually acknowledge his existence rather than bully him. With a shake of his head, he focused back on Amata. “We never had a chance to get to know each other. She helped plan my tenth birthday party, but past that was when I started to really work with my dad. That was when the Overseer practically banned her from seeing me. I think he had it out for my dad or something, that’s the only reason I can think of to explain why he sent security after me so hard. I had to escape the Vault as it was being sent into lockdown.”

“That’s horrible!” Twilight gasped in shock. “Did your dad not tell anyone he was leaving?”

“Even though I stayed with my dad most of the time and learned everything I could from him, there were things I could tell he was hiding from me,” Daniel said as he leaned against the table. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the anguish in his dad’s eyes everytime he asked about Mom. “Questions he kept dodging or would refuse to answer outright. I never expected him to leave without warning. I didn’t even know the Vault door could open, even though I knew I was born outside. It was just something I never learned to question. The Vault was home, and outside was dangerous. I had never even seen the Vault door until I needed to escape.”

Twilight was stoic with determination, looking at him like no one had looked at him before. “Well, I know once I’ve had some time to heal, I won’t hesitate to help find your father.”

Hearing that reassurance sent Daniel’s heart skipping a beat. Twilight was certainly something. Despite missing her friends, she was still so willing to help him. He wasn’t going to try and rush things, but he could tell Twilight was interested in him.

Daniel’s mouth outpaced his brain as scotch took the driver’s wheel.

“We never did finish that date.”

Both of them went rigid. Twilight’s eyes shot open with shock. Daniel swore he saw Twilight’s hair jump into a mohawk for a split second before falling back down, as if he had electrocuted her.

“I, um, heh, ah,” Twilight spluttered like a garbled holotape recording.

Daniel recovered faster than Twilight. He had to suppress a laugh.

Twilight looked cute when she was embarrassed.

Even if she wasn’t fully human, she was human enough that he could look past that. Plus, it wasn’t about looks. She spoke like she had an education, was fiercely loyal to friends and family, and he could just feel she was a good person. Twilight radiated friendship.

Daniel smiled. The smile turned into a grin. Then full on open mouth laughter for several seconds. It tapered off long enough for him to drink the last of his scotch. He set the empty tumbler back on the table and leaned forwards, hands steepled.

“So since this is a date, tell me about yourself. What are some things you like? I do want to know more about you, and this is the first refuge recently where we’ve stayed long enough to actually sit and chat.”

“W-well,” Twilight stuttered, tugging at her collar as she attempted to recover from her embarrassment. “I never had many friends growing up either. I was always too focused on studying and advancing my own magical abilities. That was until Celestia, one of the two Princesses of Equestria, sent Spike and I to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. That’s where I met all my friends.”

“Spike was your dragon assistant, right?” Daniel asked, having learned of Spike from past conversations. He had apparently been smitten with Rarity.

“Yes,” Twilight replied, “I hatched him myself… which was only possible because I got spooked by Rainbow Dash’s first sonic rainboom. It was during a test to land a spot in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was five at the time, which is kindergarten age in Equestria.”

Twilight had had a dragon assistant since she was a little girl. It was no wonder she couldn’t find her way around certain things.

“Wait,” Daniel said, having to count on his fingers because of the alcohol slowing his brain. “Earlier you told me you were twenty-three, so if you hatched him at five, he’s a year younger than me?”

“Yeah. Spike is like a little brother to me,” Twilight said. “Though sometimes like a son, too. It’s a unique relationship we have since I was too young to really think of him as a son as we grew up together… but… he’s never really known another parent. Celestia found him as an abandoned egg. The egg needed a dragon to nest it, or powerful magic in order to hatch. Part of the test of hatching him was also taking care of him.”

That was a lot of responsibility to throw on a five year old. Living things weren't baby dolls.

“With a kid at five and placement in an advanced school, I guess you didn’t have time for friends, or really much else. When I got my work assignment at ten, it didn’t take long before I was learning how to suture a wound or identify every bone in the human body.” Daniel said. He leaned back in the booth, taking a long, slow, sigh of a breath. He stared into Twilight’s beautiful, exotic purple eyes. He had to ask a certain question, one that hit close to home for him. “Did you ever get the feeling that, because of circumstances, some of your childhood was robbed from you?”

Twilight held her glass with one hand, staring at its contents as she swirled it around slowly. Daniel wondered if he had offended her. The thought was crushed when Twilight looked back at him and spoke solemnly.

“Maybe… I mean, it was the life I knew, and I’m not unhappy with it. It brought me to where I am today. But hindsight has a way to give you perfect vision. Looking back, I know I wasn’t a normal filly.”

Daniel smiled. He had to agree. If he hadn’t worked in medicine since he was ten, he wouldn’t have had the skills to fix Twilight’s mangled knee. He picked up his empty tumbler and held it out.

“Then, I propose a toast… to being weirdos from childhood and proud of it.”

The echo of clinking glass resounded off the walls.

<>~<>~<>

Rarity’s room wasn’t what Twilight had expected.

She stood in front of Rarity, heavily swaying from the second round of alcohol she and Daniel had drank together. Twilight turned her bobbing head to scan the room for what may have been the third time. Lockers, tall metal shelves, workbenches, tables, power tools, and even a machining lathe were all jammed against the walls and most of the floor space. Almost everything was covered in half-disassembled items, all tagged with scraps of paper duct taped to them. The only hint the massive room doubled as a bedroom was the lofted platform reachable by a set of metal stairs against the far wall.

The breadth and variety of items was too much for Twilight’s drunken brain to catalog. Instead, she hyper focused on a multi-barrel weapon on one workbench, the guts of the attached motor for the barrels spilled out across the table.

“Darling, do you know what time it is? Giving you alcohol was a bad idea,” Rarity tisked, just before yawning. Twilight chuckled, her hand fumbling for the zipper of the jumpsuit. Rarity had already helped her out of the knee brace.

“What…? I’m fineeee,” Twilight slurred. Her body radiated with fuzziness. It felt as if she was wrapped in a dozen blankets. Once the zipper was down to her waist, Twilight pulled her arms and wings free of the suit. She cast off the jumpsuit and stood in front of Rarity in only a pair of panties and a bra.

“My goodness!” Rarity shouted at a volume that had Twilight wince. “If I knew you were that underfed, I would have never given you alcohol. And those scars!”

Twilight looked down at her naked self, wondering what scars Rarity was talking about.

The stimpak had closed the shrapnel holes, but left her body pockmarked with nearly a dozen furless scars. If Twilight wasn’t drunk, she could probably count her own ribs while she was scar-gazing.

“I’m fine, Rarity, honest,” Twilight said, looking back to her friend. Twilight knew deep down that she wasn’t fine, and that the warm fuzzy feeling all over herself was just the scotch, but she was here to relax.

Med-X is dangerously addictive because it makes you so numb. It makes it easy to forget the world and reach for it for every minor ache and pain, Daniel had said.

Twilight frowned. She needed to be honest with her friend.

“Okay, I’m not fine,” Twilight said as the bra and panties joined the jumpsuit on the floor. The movements needed for undressing caused her to stumble, but Rarity held her up with magic. “Just had a bit too much to drink. I won’t use it as a crutch.”

“I’ll be sure of that. No more alcohol for you until you gain some weight, Dr. Rarity’s orders,” Rarity giggled as the ball of magic that had helped Twilight stay upright shifted and rolled across Twilight, starting with her left arm.

Twilight watched, and felt, weeks of dirt and other types of grime pulling free from her fur. No matter how matted or tangled in the detritus it was, it slipped free and was sucked up into the floating magical ball like a silent vacuum cleaner.

Twilight’s coat was a lot brighter than she remembered. After two straight weeks of only occasionally being wiped down for medical purposes, she had turned a muted lavender, with dark brown-red splotches where bloodstains had dried.

Twilight didn’t say anything as she let Rarity clean her from horn to hoof. It made Twilight feel better and worse at the same time. There were so many Wastelanders who would never be able to experience this level of cleanliness.

“Rarity?” Twilight asked once her friend was done and had placed the ball of magically collected gunk into a small waste bin.

“Yes?” Rarity asked as she stepped over to a locker and opened it.

“Ever wonder what we would do if we got the chance to go home?”

Rarity froze, her hand lingering on the locker door.

“One thing at a time, dear,” Rarity spoke slowly. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

<>~<>~<>

Twilight left Rarity’s room shortly after the conversation. She had donned the Vault suit Rarity had saved for her. It was plum colored with maroon highlights, rather than the navy blue with yellow accents like Daniel’s jumpsuit. It even came with wing holes and fit Twilight perfectly. It had been her saddlebags that had transformed after all, so it made some sense that the suit had transformed itself to her dimensions. The Pip-Boy, meanwhile, was still in the suit’s largest belt pouch. She intended to get Daniel to help her with understanding the thing before she tried using it herself and accidentally broke it.

Entering the corridor where the Weatherly Hotel rooms lay, Twilight walked down the hall and stopped between two doors. One her’s, one Daniel’s.

Her alcohol high had started to mellow out. Thinking was becoming clearer. It allowed her to think back to earlier. She had had so much fun with Daniel. He really was a good guy. Learning about how much they had in common had been so… relieving. He was smart, funny if slightly a goofball, friendly, wanted to help her find her friends, and had been so lonely growing up.

Loneliness. That one common thread they shared had spawned so many more conversations. Like the fact her first sleepover wasn’t until a few years ago when Celestia sent her to Ponyville, or that he had never even been invited to one.

It had hit Twilight close to home. Doubly so as her memories of her time in Minefield came rushing back. She wondered if Daniel would like someone to make him feel less lonely tonight. Shifting from hoof to hoof, she stared at Daniel’s door.

Twirling her hair with a shaking finger, she took several slow, quiet steps towards his door. She stopped before she reached it and bit her lower lip nervously.

Even though sobriety was on the horizon, Twilight knew she was still too drunk. She was being impatient and impulsive again. One date spawned from a joke, followed by drunkenly sleeping together, wasn’t the best foundation to build whatever was forming between Daniel and herself.

She needed to take it slow. Her time with Flash Sentry had been so brief she barely even remembered it. Rushing would just cause problems.

She turned towards her door, but stopped mid turn. The whole day rushed over her thoughts. From the feral ghouls in the metro station all the way to learning about the dark mage.

“Come on, Twi,” she whispered to herself. She couldn’t summon the will to move her trembling legs. All she needed was to complete the turn and walk away. “Just go to your room.”

And be alone.

“But,” Twilight said to herself, scratching her knuckles nervously and biting her lip some more. Daniel was about to go on a dangerous job. Sure, he had Fluttershy as backup, but what about after the job? Anyone, even her friends, could die any day. She herself had almost died from a landmine earlier.

The Wasteland could take her friends away from her… leaving her alone again.

Turning towards Daniel’s door once again, her decision was made.

She took the last few steps.

<>~<>~<>

Daniel couldn’t get to sleep despite the hotel bed being more comfortable than his bed back in the Vault. It wasn’t his armor keeping him awake, either. He had changed out of his armored Vault suit and into a nightshirt and loose pair of pajama pants.

What kept him awake as he stared up at the rusted ceiling was the date replaying again in his sobering mind. The idea that Twilight was interested in him skittered around his skull like a hyperactive radroach.

Reaching a hand over to the nightstand, he half blinded himself as he checked the time on his Pip-Boy for the second time since laying down. It was close to half-past midnight. He and Twilight had talked for several hours about almost everything. Their lives, history from their worlds, simple things about each other. They picked up whatever meandering topic had spawned from the last one until they had both decided to get some sleep.

To have a date go so well, all from a drunken joke. Daniel couldn’t believe his luck.

“Wonder what Dad would think?” Daniel muttered to himself. He winced as a fist closed around his heart. “Well, he can tell me himself soon… I just have to do this one job. Please be safe.”

The thoughts of his father and Twilight rapidly traded places multiple times to keep him awake. He was thankful when a knock at the door gave him a distraction. He eagerly slipped out of bed and instantly regretted it as the bare metal floor felt like ice against his bare feet. Despite the pins and needles of cold, he walked to the door.

“Hello?” he asked as he turned on the light and leaned close so his voice could carry through the metal.

“Hey,” Twilight’s voice, heavily muffled, responded. “C-can I come in?”

She sounded scared.

Daniel quickly turned the wheel on the naval door. He didn’t have to struggle to pull it open, as it was much thinner than the exterior doors. Its hinges had thankfully been oiled, and it swung without squeaking.

Peering around the open door, Daniel’s breath hitched in his throat as Twilight’s new look stunned him into silence.

Twilight’s clean fur matched well with the plum and maroon Vault suit she wore. With her fur and mane cleaned to a shine, Twilight would have looked like she had stepped right out of a Vault, were it not for her broken horn and leg brace.

“Hey,” Twilight repeated herself, stepping in as she hugged herself with both arms.

“You okay?” Daniel asked, closing the door once Twilight had crossed the threshold. She didn’t look okay. She was biting her lower lip and looked anywhere but his gaze.

“I wanted to know if m-maybe… you wanted to not be lonely tonight, together?” Twilight asked, finally meeting his gaze with wide, terrified eyes. The sheen of forming tears reflected the light in his room.

“Twilight?” Daniel asked, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“I-I-I-I,” Twilight stammered. Those wide eyes filled with years. “I thought ab-b-bout g-going to my room. Alone… l-l-like Minefield.” Twilight’s voice cracked like eggshells. “P-please, can I s-stay? I c-can’t be alone.”

Daniel’s still drunk brain was sluggish to respond. When he did, he did without words and hugged Twilight tightly. Her cries became sobs as she gripped tightly back, face buried into a shoulder as her entire body trembled. Daniel felt her thundering heart through her Vault suit. With her head on his shoulder, her short, shallow breathing was close to his ear.

Even half drunk, Daniel knew what he was dealing with. He needed the appearance of remaining calm despite the rush of adrenaline he felt.

“Twilight, I’m going to move us to the bed. Is that okay?” Daniel asked, using as few and simple words as possible

He felt Twilight nod on his shoulder as she sobbed.

Careful as to not make sudden moves, he walked backwards, still hugging Twilight as she hyperventilated until his legs hit the bed.

“Twilight, I’m going to sit down on the bed now,” Daniel warned, slowly breaking from the hug to sit. Once he sat down, he patted the bed beside him. “I want you to sit beside me.”

Twilight needed assistance to sit beside him. Her shaking body appeared listless and unresponsive.

“Look at me,” he said firmly to get her attention.

As Twilight’s bloodshot, puffy eyes looked his way, he spoke while maintaining eye contact. “You’re having an anxiety or panic attack. I’m here for you. Let’s focus on breathing. In, hold for ten, out. Follow my lead.”

He pulled in a breath and Twilight followed his lead. That was a good sign, she was cognisant enough to follow instructions. He waited for ten seconds, then let out the held breath. Twilight followed his lead again.

He sat with her, coaching her through several more breaths until she finally took over on her own.

“T-thanks,” she muttered at the end of the fifth or sixth breathing cycle she completed on her own. Her voice still quivered with fear.

“It’s okay, you’ll make it through this. Do you need anything?” Daniel asked.

“Water, please,” Twilight pleaded.

Daniel left Twilight’s side only long enough to fetch a bottle of water from his bag. He opened the lid for her, helping her trembling hands hold the bottle to her lips. She drank until the bottle was dry, then let out a sigh.

“Sweet Celestia,” Twilight cursed, leaning forwards until she was practically folded over her own knees with her face in her hands.

“Shhhhh,” Daniel said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Just anxiety. You’ll make it to the end. Just keep focused on breathing, and know I’m here for you.”

Twilight didn’t respond at first. As they sat together, Daniel considered suggesting that they take her mind off the stress with some… exercises.

No. That was wrong on so many levels and Daniel knew it. Twilight was in nowhere near the right headspace for him to even consider suggesting sex to her. Raiders had threatened to rape her not even a few days ago. Twilight was a patient and a friend.

The idea he had even considered something so manipulative wanted to make him puke in self disgust and loathing. He was in control, not his stupid hormones or the alcohol. He took a deep breath and waited silently beside Twilight for several minutes until she worked up the ability to say something other than a swear.

“That had to be my worst one yet,” Twilight muttered.

“Do you have a history with anxiety?” Daniel asked, still keeping his tone professional. Twilight was his patient, not the woman he had gone on a date with.

Twilight nodded.

“Lots of trouble in the past, almost to the point it was an anxiety disorder,” Twilight responded, her voice and breathing almost back to normal. “I thought I had it under control… My sister-in-law, Cadence, taught me breathing techniques, but so much has happened today, and it all crashed back on me at once when I thought about sleeping alone.” She grabbed her face with a hand and groaned. “I’m being a drunk idiot. If you hate me for trying to sleep with you, I get it. My brain is all over the place right now.”

“Hey,” Daniel said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve had one hell of a long day. One that may seem longer and unlike any you’ve experienced back home. It was a lot of back to back trauma, but you were strong enough to survive it all. I don’t blame you for anything.”

He put an arm around her shoulders, giving her another hug.

“Thanks,” Twilight said, wiping her eyes, then her nose, with her forearm. “Can I still stay, please? I already woke Rarity up once to get cleaned, and it’s a long walk back to her place. Fluttershy is probably already asleep, too… I really don’t want to be alone right now.”

Daniel winced. She still wanted to stay with him, and they were both still drunk and emotions were high.

“You can stay, but clothes stay on,” Daniel said, nodding slowly before he pinched the bridge of his nose. “And please don’t go telling your sniper friend we slept together after a first date. It sounds horrible out of context.”

Even in context, Daniel didn’t like it. They weren’t a couple. Even with almost no relationship experience, he knew things were moving too fast with Twilight for him to feel comfortable with. There were going to be words tomorrow. Daniel didn’t know what they would be, but they would be sober words at the very least.

Author's Note

I know I said in the blog I was going to release this on the 26th, but it's Thanksgiving. I'll see about getting chapter 11 out by November 3rd, hopefully sometime around 11:30am/12pm.