Fallout: Equestria- Burdens

Chapters

Chapter 1- Vexed Onset
Chapter 2- Extraction
Chapter 3- Tragedy Part 1
Chapter 3- Tragedy Part 2
Chapter 4- Departure
Prologue

Chapter 1- Vexed Onset

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Chapter 2- Extraction

"There is something out there. Something of great importance..."

I wasted no time flying around the corridors to cut the time in half, possibly upsetting some officers that were carrying folders of who-knows-what. Even more embarrassing when I had to stop and ask for directions since my conversation with Diamond Dust just threw my memory down the can.

Five minutes later, I found my way back to the Hangar bay. Looking at it more clearly since I arrived it was a slow sight. Our few remaining Sky Tanks and Vertibucks were sitting in their spots gathering dusts. They were getting some care from Technicians to the best of their abilities, unfortunately it looked like we’d be running out of spare parts soon. That’s where neglect gets tech these days. Whatever armor we couldn’t fit in the hangars for training space were on the top landing platforms. The flat head of the anvil. Mainly just more Vertibucks, Sky Tanks, bomber chariots and the lot. Heard we used to have Raptors and now we don’t.

I scanned from the entrance and found my squad gathered by Aviatrix's designated Versatile Deploy and Air Support - or VDAS, Vertibuck. This Vertibuck, in particular, was affectionately named ‘Singularity’ by Aviatrix.

A rather impressive Pre-war Vertibuck- something that’s served its time through and through, according to the some officers. This Vertibuck in particular is now considered a Hybrid Model at this point. That’s mainly due to scrapping out-of-commision vehicles to keep the good ones in check. We can’t make more, so desperate times came with desperate measures- and a whole lot of trial and error. It’s got the six-bladed rotors and cargo space of a Transport Vertibuck, but an armored hull and canopy of a Combat Vertibuck. At least they settled for consistency when they replaced the rotors. Doesn’t look half bad.

"Ward!"

My eyes blinked and I looked to the source of Typhoon’s call. I flicked my head slightly at him as I glided towards them, making a firm halt mid-air I gracefully landed next to them as they took some steps back to give me some room. They could tell that there was a bad feeling around me.

Fallstreak tried to ask for a reason behind my brooding expression, trying to pat me with a hoof. "You ok, Ward?"

I sharply swatted his hoof away, so hard I didn't realize that I ended up having Fallstreak bite down on his tongue to hold back a yelp. I didn't mean to hit him so hard.

"I'm fine." I said with clenched teeth. Clearly, things were not ok. Alright, get a grip. I’m tired, let myself get the shit kicked out of me, looked like a burden and had my room trashed, had a pointless talk… I’m frustrated.

Typhoon nodded with consideration as he knew the chat I had with Diamond Dust wasn't a good one. He cleared his throat and stomped his left forehoof lightly on the steel floor to get our attention. "Well. We have our mission, and unfortunately, it's to protect these assholes while they are trusted with package retrieval."

I still couldn’t believe that the fucking Wonderbolts got to do the important shit and we just sit by idly watching the big vast emptiness that is this Wasteland. It's just a big waste of time, but priority is a priority I will give it that; still, I would be much happier if it wasn't that son of a whore's, asshat Ace over there. If he dies out there, I wouldn't care; now that I think about it, nopony would care. It's Ace we are talking about after all.

"Right, the first thing we need to do is designate our roles while we’re outside," Typhoon said, bringing our attention to him as he began plotting out our roles in the squad. "Aviatrix is obviously our pilot. No need to get into any more details with that…” He looked at me. "Ward, you, Fallstreak, and I will be standard rifle ponies; Loaded Gun will be the guard of the Vertibuck once we land."

"Why am I not on the Vertibuck?" Fallstreak whined. I had a feeling he would ask that.

"You know why, Fallstreak." I commented firmly without making eye contact. He still doesn't have control over his hypersexuality. We can't have him sniffing in tight places, especially when he is alone with Aviatrix.

"You might like mares, but this mare ain't givin' you any." Aviatrix quipped, bringing out the silent chuckles from all of us. Myself included.

My laughter was short lived when I thought about something. Something pertaining to Aviatrix and the Vertibuck. I looked to her, “ Avie. Are you sure you’ll be alright?” She looked at me confused until I looked at the Vertibuck. “ You alright with...you know?”

“I’ll be fine, Ward.” she said with a small confident smile, thumping her chest. “Don’t worry about me.” Then I noticed her smile turn coy. “You know, you saying that still makes me curious.”

I almost felt myself blush and I turned away to hide it. Then I heard them laugh like at the Mess. Why is she bringing that up? Is it a sudden coping mechanism? Sometimes I wonder: if a mare can tell why a stallion acts the way they do (or something like that), why can’t she see why?

The mood died when a pegasus in a standard-issue flight suit came our way. Their face was obscured with goggles, a flight cap, and a scarf of some sorts. The only form of identification on them were two sewn badges on each of the shoulders; one resembling the symbol of The Enclave, and the other displaying an Aviation Battalion badge similar to Aviatrixes.

They didn’t say anything. Just stood there, their chest rhythmically inflating and deflating with each breath. We just stood there and stared, expecting words.

“Um, hello?” Typhoon said in a manner of confusion.

“Are you Sergeant Typhoon?” The pegasus asked (judging from the pitch, it was definitely a mare).

“Yeah, that’s me.” Typhoon answered stepping forward from the group towards the newcomer. He tilted his head slightly, “Who’s asking?”

“I was assigned to aid the Stormtroopers in their mission?” She answered, her words coming to an inflection. “Something about, needing an extra pilot?”

“Were those...questions?” Typhoon asked the pegasus. My thoughts exactly. Either she’s genuinely confused with what she’s saying or that’s a quirk in her speech. Or both.

“No. No.” The pegasus corrected her tone. Thank whoever that she’s not one of those types. “Some uncertainty came about the whole thing. Sorry.”

“No worries,” Typhoon said. “But my previous questions still stand: Who’s asking?” The pegasus didn’t answer and Typhoon reiterated, “What I mean is: Who are you?”

The pegasus pulled the scarf down from her face and lifted the goggles from her eyes. Pale purple and gold, respectively. Her hat was off now, revealing a slate blue crew cut. Next thing you know she saluted. “I forgot, Sir. Drift. Reporting for duty, Sir.”

Well I guess it’s safe to say she’s new- maybe a little too new, as a matter of fact. Who am I kidding, I think we’re all still green considering we’ve never seen real action. Let’s just differentiate by calling the two types ‘old green’ and ‘new green’.

“And you’re here because why?” Typhoon asked.

“I was ordered by Major General Virga to assist you all in piloting the Vertibuck. Sir!” She answered fluidly yet firmly, and still holding that salute.

Typhoon looked back at Aviatrix and I looked at her. She shrugged. “At least they knew. I was going to mention that I needed another to help me get her off the ground.”

“Hmm.” Typhoon hummed. He turned his head back to Drift who was still holding the salute up. He raised a hoof and sort of tapped the air. “You can drop the salute now.”

Drift did just that, “Sorry, Sir.”

“Anyways,” Typhoon said before turning to Aviatrix. “So she’s your Co-pilot. Wanna show her the ropes? Get to know the Vertibuck?”

Aviatrix nodded with a smile before approaching Drift. She greeted our acquaintance before literally taking her under her white wing and over to the Vertibuck. “This is the bird we’re flying. Her name is Singularity. Ain’t she pretty?”

Aviatrix. Approachable and friendly. Still wouldn’t mean you’d want to see her mad.

"Ward, let's suit up." Typhoon derailed my thoughts with a bump of my shoulder. I blinked my eyes twice and looked over to him. When my mind echoed the words, I nodded. The four of us made our way to those damned suits while the mares got acquainted and prepped.

* * * * * *

The armor and munitions storage. How convenient that we found it next to this particular hangar. This spacious room had an immense stockpile of M.E.W.s. Racks and shelves of energy rifles, pistols, and their respective ammunition were neatly organized within the room. You had your lasers with lasers, plasma with plasma, and novasurge with your novasurge. They were never mixed and kept together in their respective categories.

Despite the plethora of powered off marvels of Arcane Science, they were only the bonus in our case. On the complete opposite side of where we entered, suspended seperate storage station compartments were pairs of slick, insectoid-esque suits of Power Armor. They just floated there with those bright orange lenses. They were enough to strike fear into anypony who looked at them.

The blue barrier of telekinetic shield energy reflected off the distinctive two-toned, storm gray and black armor. From where I was standing, the armor looked relatively ‘new’. It wasn’t ‘fresh-from-the-production-line’ new, but it was as new looking as it could get. Kept together with near perfect maintenance using spare parts from the other inoperable suits and a good hoof with a welder.

Still, sometimes one can wonder how different things would be if we could actually make more of these things. A shame I can’t keep looking at it without my heart wanting to stop. Almost wanted to collapse from staring at it for too long. Those memories...the pain, are at the floodgates. Pathetic.

"Ward!" Typhoon's voice called to me. My senses came back and my eyes focused on him. I saw that my squadmates were already suited up and Typhoon was looking at me like he was expecting something to happen. "You ok?"

I nodded my head, confirming I was alright. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was actually doubting myself. I disabled the spell field around the suit in front of me and it gently landed. The container opened and extended the suit out to me on a platform, allowing me to fiddle with it outside that claustrophobic container.

Ok. Ok. First things first. I opened the suit with a hard press of a square plate on its back. It hummed and popped open, immediately welcoming me to step into its shady frame.

I couldn't move for a moment. The hum froze me in place, and I could feel my heart racing. My sides felt like they were collapsing on themselves with slow yet powerful phantom force. I almost fell over from the pressure building up in me if Typhoon hadn’t saw it coming.

"Ward! Hey!" Typhoon's voice echoed in my head. Through my sporadic breathing and heartbeat, I could hear Typhoon order Fallstreak to hold me up, and then his face came into my view.

He went on to slap me softly on my right cheek with his power armored hoof, along with a wave of a hoof over my vision. "Ward! Hey, focus on me! Just breathe!"

"What's wrong with him, Sarge?" I heard Fallstreak as he prompted me up.

" A training accident," Typhoon's voice echoed for a bit. "He's been afraid of the damned things since."

"Training accident?" Fallstreak asked.

"We’ll talk later. Right now we just need to get him back up."

Hearing them talk about me like this was enough for me to fight through my fear momentarily. I had to. It doesn’t look good for me. With effort, more agitation, and willpower, I shook them off, shaking off the pins and needles from all my limbs.

"Ward, I can talk to Diamond Dust," Typhoon mentioned. "If you're not ready then I think you coul-"

"I'm fine Typhoon!"

"But Ward, It's my job to look after all of you. I don't think that you ar-"

"I said: I'm fine! Just give me a moment."

Typhoon sighed, then nodded. He beckoned Fallstreak to get into his suit. I know he means well, but it's embarrassing to see them help me like this- especially if Diamond Dust gets involved. I've already mentioned it before, but I don't want to have my friends worry about me so much. I don’t.

Taking deep breaths to control my heart rate, I looked at the open frame as it waited for me to step in.

Breathe in...Hold...Exhale…

Breathe in...Hold...Exhale...

Once the suit felt my weight on all fours it closed, the frame tightening itself around my neck, legs, torso, wings, and tail. My heart rate began to accelerate again, and I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, expecting the worst case scenario. Once I felt my tail get tightly wrapped and sealed into the suit, my heart wanted to stop.

When the helmet was about to seal itself, I panicked and yanked it off before it could seal. I waited in dread for something terrible to happen after the sudden movements.

After what felt like an eternity, I opened my eyes to see that I was fine. I looked down to see myself encased in the sleek black armor. I still wasn’t letting my guard down, however. My tail was now tightly wrapped in a flexible metal that was fashioned with a curved blade at the tip, giving it an almost radscorpion-like appearance. Sharp, deadly, and gives goosebumps the longer you stare at it.

I extended my wings (rather cautiously) to make sure everything was in order and not set for dislocation. My wings were now reinforced with thin, aerodynamic sheath-like metal behind each primary and secondary feather, outlining them with dark gray. Folding them back up the metal feathers brushed up against each other, making a clean scraping sound that made the hairs on my neck crawl.

It was my turn for a Novasurge rifle to be placed into the suits built-in battlesaddle. Typhoon seemed way ahead of me and got one for me from one of the many metallic weapon racks on the opposite side of the room. Soon after the rifle was firmly placed at my side ready to be used. With a click, the Novasurge linked to the suit's system and was firmly connected to my right side. Normally you could do it yourself, but I kind of jumped the gun and put on the armor first before installing the rifle. Damn it.

"Glad to see you’re getting over it, buddy." Typhoon commented with a smile as I donned the suit.

I silently thanked Typhoon for his support. The thought of my fear for this damn thing still hovered in the back of my mind though. As supportive as he was, I’m still not over it. You can’t cure phobias that easy. I turned my head and looked down at my helmet on the floor. Sooner or later I will have to put that thing on. It can wait. For now I’ll just carry it with me till the mission starts.

"Ready, Ward?" Typhoon asked as I finished moving in place. I turned my head to his direction and saw him at the door console with Loaded Gun and Fallstreak leaving the room. Their power armor suits were making hard, metallic clops against the equally metallic floor in their stride. He was staring at me through his orange visors as he waited on the other end of the door.

"Yeah." I answered firmly after cautiously picking up the helmet under my right foreleg. He himself turned tail, following Loaded Gun and Fallstreak's direction and I tried to keep up with my hobbling.

Back at the Hangar, we boarded the Vertibuck that waited for us. Ace, now sporting his own distinctive suit of Wonderbolt Power Armor, was waiting arrogantly at the ramp. All we did was walk past him, keeping eye contact away from him.

"Let's go, Pilots!" He commanded impatiently after we were all inside. Listening to him made me feel on edge, he is supposed to be professional but doesn't act like one.

Immediately after, the ramp slowly closed as the Vertibucks rotors hummed from the outside. Soon as the hum reached its peak, we all stumbled a bit with some of us almost falling over completely and losing my helmet. I almost lost my balance and fell on a Wonderbolt. Fuck me if I did.

“Don’t fucking crash yet, Pilot!” Ace’s voice thundered as he walked towards the cockpit. He then angrily banged the door. “Learn to fly, bitch!”

I want to give him a hoof sandwich. Right there. Right now. Unfortunately, Typhoon was there to prevent me from doing so, and told me to sit down next to him. I sighed with annoyance, and plopped my haunch down next to him, and positioned my helmet on the free seat to my right.

“Just relax, Avie!” I shouted towards the door. “Nothing to worry about! Just take it slow!”

Seemed like she might have heard me when the Vertibuck tilted forward, and it felt like we were now moving out. From here it was a long waiting game.

* * * * * *

It had been nearly an hour or so sitting in the faint lit passenger bay of the small aerial vehicle, and we still hadn’t arrived at our destination. The humming of the Vertibuck's blades stuck into our heads the longer our asses grew sore from sitting in the armor.

The Wonderbolts were sitting opposite to us, watching us like we were suspects of some type of crime. I recognized Ace as being the shortest of the four, his familiar brick-red coat clashing with the deep blue and gold lightning filigree of his Power Armor. His mouth twisted into a whimsical grin as his visors were fixed on me.

"You look so pathetic." He jeered idly. His posse seemed to chuckle at the thought of his remark. That brought back the fire building up in my chest, fueled by the urge to leave them for dead out here. It wouldn't seem like a bad idea; hell I think I would be doing the Enclave a favor by removing this cancerous filth before he makes a mockery of his comrades.

"Fuck off and die!" I chided, opening up a portion of my bottled emotions. Ace was unfazed, and before long his comrades began speaking up for him.

"Shut your trap." A calm, gruff voice came from the biggest Wonderbolt. Whether he was trying to make himself sound tough or that is how he actually sounds like, I'm not the slightest intimidated.

"The old 'sound-tougher' trick.” Why do some ponies have to act bigger than they actually are, "Can’t you do anything better?"

The large pony slammed his hoof into the side of the Vertibuck right by my head and almost hitting Typhoon. He leaned in till we were muzzle to muzzle. My eyes and his visor were near touching, and the clear respirator touched my bare muzzle as I heard his heavy breathing up close.

"You have some fucking nerve to be running your mouth to talk to The Prodigy like that." Oh, Ace really does have a title. I didn't expect anything less from him. I jammed a hoof right in between our muzzles and shoved him off.

"The Pre-War era use to have something called ‘breath mints.’ " I stated with cold sarcasm. " It smells like you really need them because your breath just eats right through that respirator."

The brute really didn't like my response and was very close to hoofing me square in the face until a sharp whistle stopped him. That sharp whistle came from Ace himself as both the brute and I looked over to him as he held a hoof up at head level. He beckoned the brute back to his seat, which like a pet the brute listened and made his way back. He sat down and let out a deep breath. Ace turned his attention back to me after checking on his pet...I mean friend.

"Don't waste your strength on the low-life, Doldrum." I overheard Ace console his friend. "He'll get his."

What the fuck is that suppose to mean? Thinking about it for a while had me convinced that he expects me to die out here. I could say the feeling is mutual; because of that, I am much more relaxed about the idea of him dying out there. I even doubt that his comrades would be able to save him if we came across a Hellhound out there, or better yet an Alicorn- or both. Any one of them sounds like a good idea; I am more than sure that Ace is thinking the same things now about me right now.

I felt the Vertibuck come to a subtle halt mid-flight. My stomach grew a pit; a fair warning of what comes next. I looked back down at my helmet, which eerily stared up at me from it’s angle.

I picked it up between my two hooves, engaged a small staring contest, before turning the eyes away from me and slowly slid it over my head. When it clicked, my heart stopped. I waited for those big red letters to come on. And I’m stuck in the world’s worst place for a calibration error to kill me now.

The helmets integrated HUD system flickered and lit up the darker areas of my vision. Compass was working, Ammo counter was alright, and no calibration error. Ok. I think I can relax for now.

The Power Armor's ear pieces powered up and caught me by surprise. All outside noises were drowned out by the sound of brief static. The sounds of wind and rubbing from other connected comms when the static cleared quickly told me that some had their end on high sensitivity.

"This is as far as we can get." Aviatrix's choppy voice informed us through the comm. " We’ll be waiting for you here. Just hail us for extraction if things get dicey."

"Thanks for the note, Avie," I replied for the group. I looked over to Typhoon who was ordering L.G. to stand guard for the pilots. I noticed Fallstreak tapping the metallic floor. His posture and nervous body language suggested anxiety. Looked- and oddly felt- like an itch you can't scratch. He's going through another cycle, hope this will take his mind off of the mares; at least I hope so.

"Move it!" Ace commanded us as his group left the Vertibuck into the haze. Spoke too soon.

"You heard him," Typhoon said as he walked ahead of Fallstreak and I. "Let's fly."

I nodded firmly as he turned his head forward and ran outside the Vertibuck. I kept up with him, keeping a fair distance between us as we jumped into the fray. A hard blast of rushing wind hit us as soon as we were out. Fucking sandstorm- can’t see a damn thing. Trying to get into the air was harder than expected, our wings caught the bursts and briefly sent us flying backward and practically tumbling before catching ourselves mid air. With enough effort, we pushed off and managed to catch up with Ace and his group. The comm began beeping again.

"The Engineering Division updated the map in the armor." I heard Ace's voice come through. "The location of the crash site should be within 3 clicks of our current location."

Speculating the fact, I toggled the map system onto my HUD, which brought up a map of the local region. Most of it just looked like a squarish display an encircling mountain range, and what appears to be the appearance of a vast amount of dunes. The 7 dots representing us, myself included, were approaching the marked location.

* * * * * *

The sand storm began to clear up along with our view. We were a decent height off the ground, and looking down I could see nothing but sand, sand, and more sand; followed with ruins...covered in sand. Everything is sand out here, but like most things, I'm not surprised. I guess when shit hit the fan it hit pretty damn hard to leave not even a rotting stump sticking out of the ground; that or the sand covered that too. I'm going with the latter.

"Captain...bzzzt... right…bzzzt... top of the signal." Typhoon notified Ace through the comm link, carefully tapping my helmet to till the signal cleared up. I hoped by my rushing hearts there was no calibration error. Last thing I want is to be crushed to death in my own suit out here.

Speaking of out here, a wave of uneasiness hit me out of the dark blue. I couldn't explain it, but the air felt heavy with almost like a dread, and just...wrong.

I beat my chest to fight the squeezing feeling and looked ahead of my flight path. Ace giving the signal to descend. We followed the new trajectory towards the surface- gliding instead of diving.

To the right of our slow descent was a faint pillar of smoke visible against the dark sky and surface, it was rising upward as a small steady stream, calmly collecting itself in the atmosphere. The trail itself was coming from the downed Vertibuck Diamond Dust mentioned from the briefing. Shit.

We touched the gritty sand and folded our wings, making haste to investigate the wreckage in search of any possible survivors. It was just over the large dune ahead of us.

“Hold up!” Ace commanded through the comms, bringing all of us to a halt. He turned around to all of us. “Somepony will scout it out from here.” His helmet focused on me, and I could see through his transparent respirator that he was grinning. “Trade, go scope it out.”

Fucking knew it. I mean, who else would he pick to possibly dive nose first into a trap just to save his own hide from an assailant? Wait...something was wrong. Going back at his words I realized he didn’t mention any other pegasus.

“Just me? By myself?” I asked flatly, then my tone went to simmer. “Are you sure the suit isn’t too tight around that already thick skull of yours, Ace?”

“Oh, so you think you got a better idea!?” He asked with sarcasm and hostility. His words were enough to start swaying my jaw. “Should I have Sky Breaker ready the brand for insubordination.” He stepped closer and closer until his helmet’s forehead aggressively met my own. His tone rose. “Be a good subordinate, and don’t question the Wonderbolt!”

Nothing in my view but orange lens’, the world's worst case of bad breath, and a hotheaded asshole behind a helmet. What can I really do? If I fight him, I get another talk from Diamond Dust; that’s if I don’t get left to die out here. Even if that doesn’t happen, then what? The logic is that I don’t want to know where all the branded ones go.

I headbutted him away and pushed past him. Good thing he had that helmet on, or I would’ve given him more than just a nosebleed. If this weren’t a scenario where I wouldn’t be in any real danger, his goons wouldn’t have just let me walk by them just now. Fuck them, too.

I flew up the dune and as close to it as possible. Reaching the top and over I touched the flat-most surface at the dunes base. Then there it was. Oh shit, what a mess.

The Vertibuck in front of me had its nose buried in the sand. Couldn’t see the canopy window for shit. The smoke we saw earlier came from the left rotor engine- the only rotor to still be attached to the damn thing as a matter of fact. It didn’t even look like a rotor. It was disfigured to the core. Talk about a bad landing.

I walked around the wreckage to take a look at the backside. A trail of wreckage led to the opened ramp behind it. The tail that snapped off divided the entrance into two, and bent the ramp far past its limit. The blackened sand told me it skid across the surface for a while until built up sand brought it to a halt. Cargo boxes, most opened and smashed, littered the sand like crumbs to the Vertibuck.

Insomnia came back like a wave. I could feel my cognitive thought dampen and my eyes threaten to close. Legs feeling numb. Fuck me if I fall asleep in this walking coffin.

Wait...something’s missing. Something important. What was I supposed t-

“Ward!”

My helmet comm squealed and shot me awake, shamefully sprained my neck from the involuntary reflex. “Ward, what’s going on over there?”

That was Typhoon’s voice hailing me. Or at least I think it is if the damn squealing wasn’t making my ears ring. I exclaimed in dissatisfaction as the thing tried to get his signal. Few sharp taps to the helmet cleared it up.

“You damn near deafened me!” I exclaimed angrily.

“What’s your status?”

I don’t know? Tired. Irritated. Chafing. What else!?...wait… My mind’s gears worked again. “Nothing here but scrap and a broken Vertibuck. Come on over.”

I bolted to my left and back the way I came. Wasn’t in any danger and just thought the burst of energy could at least help me make it through the rest of this mission. I stopped right by the busted rotar and watched the group descend from the dune with Ace leading. Soon as they touched down, Ace approached me.

“Report.” He demanded. A part of me wanted to jab at him by making him say please.

“Broken Vertibuck.”

“And the package?”

“There’s scrap metal and smashed boxes, everywhere. How am I supposed to know what it looks like!?” I snapped.

“If you had half a brain, you’d know what we’re here for. Idiot!” He quipped angrily. What? He turned to the group. “You all search for the package! Now!”

They saluted and got to work. Except for Typhoon and Fallstreak who came to me, and Ace who was now beside me.

“Any survivors, Ward?” Typhoon asked from beside Ace. That’s what I was missing. I tried jogging my memory from just moments ago. Scrap metal...blackened sand....cargo boxes…

“No.” I answered. “Now that I can think about it, I didn’t see any bodies when I checked this place.”

“So, the Storm-shitter can think.” Ace quipped with sarcasm. My hooves shifted in anger, about to charge. I saw him grin widely and Typhoon next to him shaking his head subtly.

“Sir!”

The firm cry broke my train of thought. It was one of the Wonderbolts. “No sign of the package or bodies.”

Ace just stood still while we all looked at him. He calmly walked over to the hull of the downed Vertibuck, and slammed the metal with frustration. “Damn it!” he angrily yelled.

Yeah any louder would be fine, Ace. It’s only our funeral.

Started wondering if Ace was going to throw a tantrum. Like everything in the world to him was in that package. We watched him as his head craned while his hoof is still planted into the hull.

“There are no bodies,” he said aloud. Wait, he does care about others? He dropped his hoof from the Vertibuck and took a deep breath. “Then that means somepony’s still out there with our package.” Spoke too soon.

I turned to look at the rest of us, wondering what they were all thinking behind their helmets. Next thing I know, one of the Wonderbolts pulls a hoof to their helmet. I started hearing something in my helmet. Why was the comm building static? It shrieked, and this time was enough for all of us to emit a pained shout.

“What’s going on!?” Ace yelled through the static and shrieks as it died down.

“What the hell was that!?” Fallstreak asked out loud. “Fuck, there’s a buzzing in my ear from that!”

There was a buzzing in my ear. It was itchy, but at least the damn static is over. Fuck this damn buzzing, it’s getting on my nerves.

“Helmet’s picked something up.” one of the Wonderbolts said suddenly. “ The signal’s clearing now...”

He was right. We began hearing something. It was a series of beeps and boops that looped, and was occasionally interrupted by some garbled gibberish:

Beepbeepbeep...boop boop boop...beepbeepbeep… boop boop boop...beepbeepbee- wrblzwrlz….hlpsrizrig…

“What’s that, Sarge?” Fallstreak asked.

“A distress signal,” Typhoon answered his question. His explanation seemed to catch Ace off guard.

“That’s impossible.” Ace objected. “We’re on a secure channel. No other knows it-”

“Survivors.” Typhoon said, cutting his disbelief. “ You said it yourself. If no other ponies knows about The Enclave’s channel, it’s the only answer.”

Ace stood there for a moment, his jaw visibly shifting side to side. “Huh. Good thinking, Storm-shitter.” Ace finally spoke. A compliment? That’s a first in a blue moon. Bitter-sweet, though. “Can we trace the signal?” He asked one of his own.

“I think so.” The same Wonderbolt from before responded. They held a hoof to one side of their now tilting head. “I think I got it. Northeast; some clicks that way.”

Ace looked to Typhoon, “You all stay here. Guard the wreckage while we chase the signal. The package’s got to be there if it means survivors.”

Guard this hunk of busted metal? I began building a feeling that something wasn’t making sense. Either that or it’s my dull senses waning on me. Can’t tell. “Don’t you think it’s better to stay together?” I asked with a yawn.

“He’s right,” Typhoon agreed. “Ace, if you think about it, your not only splitting numbers but everypony’s chance of survival.”

“Alright,” Ace gave in. Really? That easy? Ace turned to the big Wonderbolt that nearly took my head off on the way here. “Doldrum, you stay with them.” Ace turned his head our way.

“There. Survival problem solved.” Spoke too soon...again.

* * * * * *

Already nearly thirty minutes since the Wonderbolts left for the signal and still no sign of them. Odds are that they’re taking their sweet ass time out there with whatever precious cargo this Vertibuck was bringing. Either that or they’re in trouble. Would it be bad to think that it doesn’t sound too bad? I mean, it would mean one or more less assholes in the world and in Sanctuary.

“Hey Ward. You awake?”

There was the wake up call. I just realized I was nodding off, and damn me if I did while in this death trap of a suit.

“Still nothing.” I said with a yawn slurring my words. “Just a little drowsy. That’s all.”

Speaking of how long we’ve been out here, I’m genuinely surprised no hostile ponies are anywhere in sight. Not even on my Eyes Forward Sparkle (E.F.S.). Now that I think about it, the pillar of smoke should’ve been a beacon for any Raider gang out here. This is odd; not that it’s bad. Just odd.

“Just come on in, Ward.” Typhoon’s voice beckoned me from behind. “ Doldrum’s got it covered. Sit down. Take off your helmet, and eat something.”

Well, I guess something to bite wouldn’t hurt. Wait., back that last set of Typhoon’s word up...eat? As in, there’s food? Still not believing what I’m hearing I turned away from the dune’s horizon and into the wreck, passing by the Wonderbolt who gave a disgruntled mumble.

I half-jumped, half-glided over the broken ramp and into the small, angled, cargo bay. Crates of all shapes and sizes were disorderly piled up at the cockpit entrance, sand flooding what once was the entrance to it. I saw apples. Fresh apples inside one of the crates being snacked on by Fallstreak and Typhoon and illuminated by a lone helmet’s light sitting on another, near adjacent crate. They were outside their armor, the hollow bodies standing firmly to one side of the interior. Fallstreak happened to notice me and offered a small red apple as a welcome token.

“What’s all this?” I asked.

Fallstreak looked down at the apples angled on the flat surface of the crates and back up at me. “Apples.” He chuckled in disbelief. “What else would they be?”

“No, I mean- what?” I forgot how to process my thoughts for a moment. I know they were apples. I mentioned that they were apples. It’s just... “Eeh-how...are there apples here?”

Fallstreak stopped mid-munch and slowly looked down at the crate they were eating from. He looked back at me and shrugged. “A stockpile?”

I shook my head. “No. Look at them.” I took the apple. “Fresh apples.” I pointed a wing to the outside. “Out there? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Abandoned Stable,” Typhoon answered with a mouth full of apple. “probably lucky the Stable’s trees still had fresh apples. You know- garden systems.”

You know, that probably sounds right. Started to wonder if I’m really one to be saying yes to everything he says? No. I’m just tired. Don’t want to think. The apple does look good. A thought did come up and halt me from removing my helmet to eat the shining red beauty. “You don’t suppose we’re allowed to eat these.”

I saw Typhoon shrug, “Sanctuary won’t miss them. We’re only here for the package. Plus, the sandstorms might just bury these things. Waste not, want not and such.” He tapped his hoof beside him, “So come on. Take off your armor and relax a bit.”

I felt my brows arch under the helmet. Then I looked down at my apple and let the saliva pool under and around my tongue. I guess one wouldn’t hurt, it’s one excuse to get out of this deathtrap. I (fearfully) got out of my suit, leaving it next to theirs and the helmet beside it, then joined Fallstreak and Typhoon.

Red apples. Why are the green ones always the hardest ones to get? I prefer those over the common red ones. I took huge chunks out of the small red apple in my hoof. Juicy. Very, very juicy! I almost ate the whole thing, core and all. Realizing the meat on this one wasn’t enough, I tossed it aside and went for another.

Just as I picked out a moderately sized one from the diminishing crate pile, a loud thud caught us by surprise. I jumped and lost grip of the apple I picked out, Typhoon coughed, and Fallstreak exclaimed in fright. We jumped out of our seats and primed our energy weapons. For what we knew, it could’ve been a threat. It wasn’t. Just a brute with loud steps.

Doldrum stood there and stared at us like a statue. What was his deal? Then I saw there was something on his back that slumped like a rolled up bed sheet. He leaned to one side and whatever he was carrying hit the steel floor like a bag of rocks. I saw four legs pop out of the overcasted shadow. Then a pair of wings when one of us managed to get some light on it...him. Oh my fuck! A body.

“This one was outside.” Doldrum’s brutish voice projected. “From over the dunes.”

“A survivor?” Typhoon asked the brute.

He didn’t respond, and instead effortlessly shifted the body to us. With the light, we saw him wearing mustard Enclave light combat armor- what's left of it that is. This pony had it bad.

“Get him up.” Doldrum ordered us. “Bastard’s still breathing.”

“We’re soldiers. Not medics.” I told him. All he did was growl before walking away. “Good to know that you care enough about this bastard to not stick around. Huh?” I quipped, passive-aggressively. Earning a metallic, but hard, bump on the shoulder from Typhoon.

Right...

Typhoon brought his helmet closer to the downed stallion. His yellow fur and feathers are bruised up and dirty- probably from the crash. His armor was equally dirty and missing some pieces of itself- particularly his shoulder armor and a piece of his lower right chest. He was bleeding from a vertical gash wound (and dried blood in his cinnamon crew cut) from his forehead to the back of his head and a torn ear glistening red. There was something else on his person though. Some kind of odd glowing stains within the hard fabrics of his reinforced kevlar chest piece. Light plasma leakage, maybe?

“Great leaders, Shit!” Fallstreak exclaimed. “What the hell happened to him?”

I could feel the fear radiating off of him. I felt the same way, but kept my cool the best I could. One of us had to check if he was still alive. Out of all of us, Typhoon was the one to step up to the body. He got down on his knees after angling his helmet again and checked for a heartbeat. He pulled the body till he was on his back. He brought his ear close to his chest. The bodies two forelegs suddenly clamped Typhoon’s head.

Typhoon screamed and the body shot upright and screamed back at him. Their voices overlapped and would’ve gone on hadn’t I gotten over to help Typhoon.

Fallstreak started screaming too. “WhatthefuckwhatthefuckWHATTHEFUCK!” He babbled like a foal and bolted a few feet away from us.

“It wasn’t worth it! It wasn’t worth it! IT WASN’T FUCKING WORTH IT!” The stallion started yelling. Typhoon started to cry in pain. I think the hooves were starting to dig into Typhoon’s head.

“It will come for us! It will come for all of us! We’re doomed, you here! DO-”

I shut him up with a crack to the head. His eyes rolled back and he fell back with a bloody and broken nose. Typhoon let out a pained sigh and pulled his head off the stallion.

“Agh. The bastard broke the skin!” Typhoon painfully told me as I helped him up. He wasn’t kidding. Both sides of his forehead had an arched cut slowly letting down a veil of crimson against his blue. He tried to touch a cheek, but winced when he barely touched. “When was there ever a grip like that !? Fuck this coming headache, he almost broke something else!”

The pegasus must’ve eaten something fierce. He was talking crazy. That look in his eyes. He had to be on some kind of drug. I looked over to Fallstreak who was facing away from us, huddled next to the armors. Incoherent babbling seemed to fill the silence. He was talking to himself. Sniffling.

I walked over to talk to him. “Fallstreak,” I beckoned him. He didn’t answer. I stretched a hoof out to him. “Fallstreak. Talk to m-”

He swatted me hard, swept around and up; wings flared out in the small space he was in. “Don’t tell me to calm down!” He shouted in fear. “That pony was dead! Next thing you know he’s saying we’re doomed while he tries to pop Sarge’s head like a pimple!”

I raised a hoof in caution. “Fallstreak. Calm down.” I told him slowly. “ He wasn't dead. We already confirmed that. He’s...was in shock, or something. Take a breath, ok.”

He was sweating and breathing heavily, giving me a stressed look. Calm down, Fallstreak. After listening to me, he took a couple of deep breaths. “O-o-ok. You’re right, sir.” He took two more deep breaths. “I need some air.”

I gave him some room and made his exit, still breathing heavily. I also noticed Doldrum standing outside the ramp. Guess the scream attracted him.

“He...was awake!” I had to give him an explanation. “We managed to calm him down.” I looked back at the crazed Pegasus. He was breathing, but then I eyed his off center nose. Calmed him down. That’s one way of putting it.

The Wonderbolt left as soon as Fallstreak stepped outside. With them gone, I focused on Typhoon’s situation. He was still bleeding. I looked around at all the crates that were still unopened.

“If they were at a Stable...” I got to looking through each crate I could get open. Strange tech. Spare parts. Crystals. Food. Emergency water rations… “Where the fuck are the damn meds!?”

My luck turned when I found some hope. A small heavy duty briefcase with three pink butterflies. “Finally.” I sighed with relief before trying to get it open. When the two hinges clicked, I opened it to find...nothing. It’s empty.

“Fuck my life!”

I slammed the case shut and shoved it out of sight. What a way to get my hopes up and then crush them. You got me life. You’re so funny...and I use the term loosely.

My eyes shifted around my perimeter, then doubled back at something welded to the wall. I deserve a slap to the forehead for my obliviousness. The Emergency Survival Kit. Bound to have something to help Typhoon out. And maybe that nosebleeding psycho.

Getting up and angrily kicking away empty boxes. I reached out to open the kit. Then I sat down after touching it and pouted at the mound of sand next me. “Locked. Should’ve known.”

Wasn’t my fault they decided to lock these things. Who’s fault it really should be is the pegasus who thought it’d be fun to shoot up Med-x like it was a holiday. And to make matters worse, three of his friends overdosed. Fuck.

I knew I wouldn’t find a key in this mess, and I lack the patience to even try and find it. My brain hatched a solution to the issue. It started with me getting up, getting my armor on, priming my Novasurge and narrowing my eyes for a shot on the lock. Fire.

The crackling bolts of orange energy consecutively hit the lock; first dead on, then around it. Then they bounced off the small metal door and around the room with scorch marks pinpointing where they last hit. I kept my head down to avoid the flying discharge of death. My hairs kept standing up the louder I heard it zoom over me and making me wish I still had my helmet on.

“The hell!” Typhoon cursed from behind me. “Ward, what the fuck are you doing over there!?”

I heard the bolts dissipate one by one, not having enough time to answer Typhoon’s question. A sudden push on my right shoulder and a burning sensation on my right ear. The last bolt audibly cut out to signal it was safe to check the damage. My ear felt like it’d been lightly seared, but it was still all there despite being sensitive to the touch. Then I looked down at my pauldron. A sizeable burnt dent had been made in the armor. It didn’t pierce through, but feeling it out told me it would’ve if another hit in the exact spot. Fuck.

“Ward! What the hell!?”

I looked back at Typhoon while I was still belly flat on the floor. He was currently covering the unconscious pony with his own body. I flicked my head to the box on the wall. “Thought some meds could help you.”

Typhoon sighed. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what happened, or if it was because of how rash I acted. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll live.”

I nodded before looking back down at the dent I made. It wasn’t smoking anymore like it did before, but the damage was there. I cautiously dangled the leg respective to the dent. No complications. Good so far.

My ears twitched to the faint sound of static and jarble. Typhoon and I looked around, trying to hone in on it. They ended at our helmets. They were both picking up a signal. We exchanged glances briefly, then he got into his armor quickly and slipped it on. It clicked and hissed.

“Ace?” Typhoon said after he put a hoof to his helmet. “Captain. Is that you? Comeback.”

I watched with concern as Typhoon listened into the warbling mess of words. He looked up at me with his orange lenses and pointed insistently to my helmet. I autonomically complied and fumbled my helmet on both cautiously and as fast as I could.

“...got the package. *Bzzzt*... more of us *Bzzzt*...have a situation! *Bzzzt*” The signal cleared to a voice drowning in fear,“We are out of range! Get the pilot on your line! Now!”

That was Ace’s voice practically screaming into our ears. There were also small sounds of novasurge discharge and rushing air. Then there was screaming followed by a crescendo of faint moans. Ghouls? Fuck.

“Copy that!” Typhoon responded in panic. Then Ace’s Com broke, followed by new faint static. “ Singularity come in! This is Sergeant Typhoon! Requesting immediate extraction on our location, over!”

There was a static-like chirp, followed by Aviatrix’s voice. “Confirmed. Preparing for immediate extraction. ETA 10 minutes. Hold out till we get there.”

While the exchange of order and confirmation went on, I bolted outside to see where the Wonderbolts were coming from. Soon as I passed the ramp up ahead, I notice Fallstreak hunched over on a crate with his helmet in the sand.

“Fallstreak!” I called out as I made my way to him. Was he still getting over the fucking survivor? Or is he actually asleep? Soon as I got close enough I called his name one more time and he sprung up with a scared twitch.

“Get your shit on, we’re gonna have company!”

“Company, sir?” He was scared and confused.

“Extraction is coming in 10 minutes!” I pointed out to the dunes and he turned into the direction of my pointing hoof. “Wonderbolts found something! And they’ve got company!” I dropped my hoof and took one step closer to him. “Be ready for a fight. Don’t lose it now.”

His eyes widened in shock and realization as to what I meant when Doldrum to my southeast started discharging his weapon into the air. He sprung, and flew into the crash.

“Got movement! Northwest, over there!” He yelled out to us. Looking into the direction of the flying bolts of concentrated orange energy I saw- oh fuck.

My hud’s E.F.S. bagan detecting something. First, I was red little nicks coming from the northwest. Almost immediately after more nicks began to crop up on the bar. Almost until the whole bar in my lower left vision was filled with red in that direction.

I looked back up into the sky and then I saw them. Shadows zooming across the sky were coming towards us. And they being pursued by a flying horde of something. Could it be Winged Ghouls? Bloodwings? Maybe something else all together? Whatever they were, they were giving the Wonderbolts a fly for their bits.

“We’ve got hostiles coming in!” Ace’s voice panted in panic over the coms. “Give us some covering fire down there! Now!”

I looked back to find Typhoon already behind us having rushed out once the orders were given by Ace. “Roger that!” He replied as he stepped next to me. Soon as Fallstreak came out of the wreck he positioned himself next to Typhoon. He looked skyward towards the horde and shouted, “ Light up the sky!”

Without question, we aimed our respective Novasurge towards the black tailing cloud. Fire. Bolts of the same orange energy dispersed into the air like a fireshow into the cloud-like horde. Soon we were able to punch holes into that dark blanket.

Just when we thought that this was it, the very thought almost seemed to conjure another stampede of them; this time coming from the dunes ahead of us.

“Over the Dunes!” I called out in alarm. I got to work on trying to take down that group. Doldrum, Typhoon and Fallstreak caught onto my spot and proceeded to help melt down a portion of the stampede, but we weren’t able to stop a small few from getting too close.

Four of those things jumped me before I could do anything. Next thing I knew I was swarmed by all of them at once and both Typhoon and Fallstreak seemed torn between helping me out and keeping the stampede at bay. Doldrum just kept firing at the oncoming stampede and ignored my predicament.

The assaulters shrieked a ghostly cry and then began stomping my suit in. They were strong. Too strong. My suit isn’t able to take such a strong beating- it’s integrity was decreasing in large percentages.

...75%...

...53%...

...35%...

I tried to lessen it if I kept the one on top of me away with an extended foreleg. I still couldn’t move because of the others, and they were beating down on my belly.

Before the number got any lower, the Ghoul I was holding up melted into an orange blob that splashed all over my suit. Looking over I noticed the bolt came from Typhoon. Thanks to that I was able to slip out of their grip more easily.

“Trade you alright?!” Typhoon called out to me before a shriek pulled him to the stampede.

“I got these ones!” I yelled before thrusting my hoof into one of the lunging bastards that was still alive. He didn’t stagger and I instead used my wings to put distance between me and them.

Typhoon and Fallstreak seem to be keeping the horde at bay and there were these three that got through. I can’t let them get to both of them or who know what’ll happen. I know what I got to do.

I open fired on the three when they lunged at me simultaneously. Burns riddled their lanky, patchy, growth infested hides and they dropped dead. Didn’t know what was scarier: the fact that they just kept getting back up, or the fact that the burns would disappear nearly as fast as they appeared. Some didn’t even look like they had scratches on them. What the fuck? Baffled, I reloaded with a rear kick and tried again: same results. Son of a bitch!

The first one lunged at me and I ducked. Once he passed overhead I turned my rifle to the pony and shot him a couple of times. They have to die. Somehow. The second one caught me off guard and pounced. The first didn’t die and lunged for me again, successfully clamping onto me like an annoying foal. The third, however, got distracted by Fallstreak and went for him.

“Fallstreak, lookout!” I cried as the ones on top of me started to smash my helmet in. I couldn’t see it, but I heard Fallstreak scream and the sounds of struggle followed. “No!”

I couldn’t shake them off, and my tail’s blade wasn’t doing shit to them. Had to try something else. I reared up and fell on my back to use my armors suit to crush the one on my back and pin the other’s right foreleg under me. I heard the sickening pops and snaps of bones behind my head and back and rolled over on my right side to get up and crush the other.

Once back up I looked back on the damage to see them. They were still moving, but incapacitated with their limbs bent awkwardly and chests caved in. Fallstreaks cries for help caught my attention and I rushed over get the Ghouls off of him. I managed to get them off before one of them looked like they were about to bash his head in.

“ETA 5 minutes!” Aviatrix’s voice buzzed through my battered coms. Those words gave my some hope to rely on, but I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet.

“There’s too many, Sarge!” Fallstreak began to panic as he shot down another stampeder. “I’m running low on ammo!”

At this point, most of us already were. This was supposed to be an extraction mission and nothing more.

“We need to fly, Sarge!” Fallstreak yelled in a panic. “We’re dead meat on the ground!”

“Denied!” Typhoon yelled in objection, “We got a survivor back there and we won’t leave him to these things!”

Fallstreak is right. We’re much weaker on the ground. Pegasus combat utilizes wings for efficiency and we’re here battling like Earth Ponies. But I can’t leave Typhoon here if I were to take off. He’ll need me.

Looking up at the sky in between periods of refocusing and reloading I noticed the Wonderbolts doing whatever they could to keep themselves alive up there. Diving, looping, mid-air strafing. Everything they were doing was quick and efficient.

I was down to my last two cells. Adrenaline was shooting through me like a literal booster shot. My sleepiness was replaced by temporary alertness everytime they got too close. They were getting closer and closer to the point that those of us still on the ground began to do our own strafing runs. We didn’t start flying high, however; we had a survivor still in the downed Vertibuck. We can’t leave him to them.

Just when my last cell was loaded into my Novasurge, my ears picked up on the sound of chopper blades whipping the air from the south. Then there were some search lights coming from the sky, rushing towards us at high speeds.

Soon the sound of the whipping blades and searchlights were right on top of us now. The wind kicked up the sand around us as she suspended the Vertibuck mid-air. Then the Vertibuck’s weapons began to do some work from the front with a barrage of red streams firing in every angle it can. Did some work to incinerate all the hostiles it touched.

“We’ll make this a no landing extraction!” Aviatrix said over the coms. “Things are getting too hot!” Soon as she said that the flying ghouls started throwing themselves at the exterior of the hull. What the fuck?

Soon as it was said, I noticed a Wonderbolt charge into the wreck. I looked up at the light show and saw two pegasi idly waiting by the Vertibuck. They weren’t fighting, but just floating there. The muties didn’t even take time to notice them as they were busy trying to get Ace and Company.

“Then open the damn ramp, pilot!” Ace’s panting voice responded. “We’re not gonna last much longer out here!”

The Vertibuck swayed a moment then I saw the ramp slowly begin to lower.

“Let’s go! Now’s the time!” Typhoon yelled in a professional panic as he took to the sky. Fallstreak and I managed to escape the closing horde, and looking back to the wreck I noticed Doldrum tailing behind us with the survivor on his back.

The ramp was open and I could see Drift waiting for us. She was armed with an M.E.W. Model 7 Plasma Rifle and beckoning us.

“Come on!” I can hear her words blast through my helmet. She looked outward and started discharging her weapon, shooting slow moving green plasmid rounds into the air.

The Wonderbolts flew in, then those two ponies after they were being yelled at, then it was Typhoon; me following close behind; Fallstreak almost crashed in behind us; then the Wonderbolt and survivor with the help of suppressing fire. Everypony was in and the ramp was closing. Drift dropped her battle saddle and bolted for the cockpit.

“Punch it!” Ace yelled at the top of his lungs. Exhausted, weak, and out of ammo; all I wanted to do was lay where I fell in the Vertibuck and fall asleep. I needed it now.

We were safe. We made it. I couldn’t believe we made it. It felt good to get settled in, remove my helmet carelessly and feel the cool air greet my heating face.

I took a deep breath and looked to the Wonderbolt’s side of the Vertibuck. To the far left, two Wonderbolts were laying the survivor doldrum brought flat on the floor, and not too far from them I saw two pegasi in battered standard issue Power armor.

“Who are they?” I asked Typhoon on my right, flicking my head to them.

“More survivors.” Typhoon’s voice echoed. Is it normal for my vision to be tunneling after what just happened. “That’s what he meant by ‘more of us’ when his signal came through.”

“They sure are a lively bunch.” I remarked about the two. “I saw them just floating out there idly, not doing a simple thing. They could’ve helped.” I looked at one of them, “You could’ve helped us on the ground, couldn’t you?”

“Ever heard of Battle Fatigue?” One of the Wonderbolts asked me almost scornfully, “That’s what they had when we found them. We can’t blame them but at least they followed us. Should be lucky that those things didn’t go for them.”

Battle fatigue, huh? I guess that explains it. Battle fatigue...

I feel different now that things have settled. I feel numb. Everything that’s happened; the violence; the adrenaline; all of it left me feeling empty. I just stopped caring all of a sudden. The veterans usually say that the first mission is usually thrilling to an extent, and some enjoyed it; I, however, feel like I’m not those some. Felt like the part that makes you care was just gone in an instant. I can’t feel a damn thing. My eyes were heavy and my breathing steadied. I’m just gonna close my eyes. The sound around me is fading. I smile, knowing I’m finally getting my rest. What a nightmare. What a mission. Finally, a well-deserved nap.

Footnote: Level up!

Trait(s) added:

Stormtroop Impulse: Your Shock Trooper training plus your own recklessness is both a fearless and hazardous thing. Gain +10 Action Points during combat, but also suffer a 15% penalty to your overall Damage Threshold.

Chronic Insomniac: You’ve adjusted to your lack of sleep. Kind of. Gain +1 Luck for everyday you don’t sleep, but without a 2 hour nap you lose -1 to all other SPECIALs.

Perk added:

Adrenal Rush: The heat of battle pumps energy into your veins. You gain a 10% resistance to damage and +7 action points when in combat.

Chapter 3- Tragedy Part 1

“A spark...That is all that is needed for something, anything, to start...”

"Time to wake up, Ward."

My eyes frantically blinked in response to being shaken awake. My head was pounding, and my neck was stiff from it resting at an awkward angle. Every twist and turn of the neck were riddled with a traveling subtle pain going up my spine to where my neck and head meet. I tried to tweak my neck to try and fix it. It only got worse with the result being a much more painful shock that up my spine. Why did I even think that would help the slightest?

My vision was blurred a bit, but I made out a group of ponies in front of me. Rubbing my eyes with a hoof my vision cleared up, and I found lavender eyes looking down on me. Past her, Ace and his Wonderbolts, Typhoon, L.G., Fallstreak, and the survivors were already leaving the Vertibuck. It was just me, and Aviatrix. The more I thought about it, the more awkward it seemed that we were the only ponies here. Her smile with those eyes were beautiful.

"Better get up." She said still smiling. "Everypony’s already out in the hangar."

"Yeah." I answered absentmindedly. I yawned, rubbed my eyes and picked up my helmet to loosely setting it on my head.

I wobbly stood up and attempted to shake off what remained of my grogginess throughout my limbs. Stretching would have been easier if the Power Armor was much less restrictive in certain areas, but stretching my wings out was not as hard. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, I tailed behind Aviatrix outside. Diamond Dust, alongside Major General Virga and a large group of S.F. troopers had been waiting for us. I’ve already got a bad feeling in my gut that I can’t shake. Why?

Regrouping with Typhoon and the rest of us, I watched as Ace stepped towards Diamond Dust and gave her a package of some sort. It was a small reinforced crate like the rest of them we saw. Something about that one was different, however. Why yellow tape?

It also almost felt like the whole hangar crew had flocked over to see us arrive from outside. From the few who were close enough, I could see astonishment in their eyes; others, however, looked confused with raised brows and slightly opened mouths curled in uncertainty. I guess they didn’t know, and I can only imagine how they felt when some were given the order to open the hangar door for departure; or the sound of the Vertibuck powering up for that matter.

Medical teams were set to work in assisting the survivors, hauling off the comatose ones and beckoning the two Power Armored ones over. I found one of them staring at me with his helmet still donned before breaking eye contact to follow the medical team that asked for him to follow. A group of S.F. were then being ordered to ensure they make it to where they needed to be.

“Sergeant, clear the floor!” Diamond Dust ordered a brown pegasus S.F. officer, growing irritated at the increase of astonished pegasi. He saluted, and then ordered the remaining S.F. to get the crew back to work. They dispersed, and the Security encircled the Vertibuck where they began pushing away the colorful crowd in gray with aggression and gruff comments. The crowd dissolved down to the last pegasus and things went back to how they were with only small talk between smaller groups that walked away.

“All clear, Ma’am.” The gruff stallion stated after the crowd left.

“Excellent. After we’re done here, you can report back to your Prov. Marshal on the debriefing of the survivors.” Diamond Dust said before putting her attention back on us. We noticed that the Wonderbolts stuck their noses up in the air, Ace sticking his out the highest.

"Now that we have some privacy, we can finish. Wonderbolts, well done on retrieving the package.” she commented. Ace was just eating it up. “Stormtroopers, we have something to discuss."

My stomach grew a pit for some reason when we were addressed. The rest of us just waited to hear what she had to say. Better be worth my time. If I don't get some sleep I'll be up all night again.

Before she discussed what she wanted with all of us, Diamond Dust gave the package to a ultramarine pegasus in a Science Department lab coat. I began getting mixed signals about their exchange. Especially when I saw the way the Science mare looked at her. After the Scientist departed with the package (being escorted out by two S.F. guards), Diamond Dust turned her attention back to us.

“You all did exceptionally well,” she said. “This package means a lot to us. And it means more to see you all still here. It tells me that you all can trust each other. For you all, this is your first true mission in the field. If anypony feels they need to be checked for injuries or problems of the sort, I urge you to see the Medical Wing for an evaluation...”

I can think of two ponies who’d need that. Despite how short our time was out there, all that stuff I saw wasn’t too bad. There wasn’t really any guts involved or blood for that matter, but it was still a pretty stressful moment for us. I find it better to repress those damned faces in my head.

“...with that said, you are also to report back to the Cloudship at twenty-four hundred for debriefing. Grab some food, relax for a bit, but report on the dot. We want to know what went on down there..."

Kind of late. Don't you think?

"...you are all dismissed!"

“Ma’am!” We saluted in unison. Diamond Dust then turned tail and left the vicinity. After we dropped out salutes we exchanged glances with the Wonderbolts and they too left the Hangar. We would’ve made our way out, but then we realized that Major General Virga still hadn’t left the vicinity. We immediately went back to saluting as she approached us.

“How was your new pilot?” She asked us with a slight head tilt. “Aviatrix. Isn’t it?” I guess she ignored our salute so most of us dropped it.

Aviatrix nodded after being addressed. "Yes, ma’am.” She responded. She looked over at Drift who stood to her left. “She's a little bumpy, but I'm sure she can be smoothed out with some help."

"Glad to hear it." Major General Virga smiled. "The Stormtroopers now have a new member in their Aircraft Battalion. Your new Co-pilot."

Great. Another clean suit. Not to mention that the only pony who seems to know anything about her is Aviatrix, and maybe Loaded Gun. To make matters worse, Fallstreak seems a little too excited for this. I even thought I heard a ding somewhere. Now I'll never sleep for sure.

"What's the reason for her being with us?" I asked irritably. Virga noticed my sour attitude and made a slight scowl, telling me that she didn't like the way it came across to her.

"The reason, Corporal, is because we may have much more plans for you all in the future. Therefore, we need to make sure everypony is acquainted and every Vertibuck filled."

Pardon my damned stupid sleepless talk. So we finally get pulled off the shelves, shake off the collecting dust, get thrown out into possibly the most hostile playground known to ponykind, and we basically prove our worth by going on an extraction mission? That and we get a gimme which happens to be in the shape of a new member? Since when has there been situations that didn't call for such a move like this? Are they going to be doing this with us now? Are we going to be moved into the Cloudship? Is that the reason?

"What about her academic records?" I asked with a raised brow. I didn't want to come across as somepony who is saying she is undeserving to be with us, it's just that I need to know if I can trust her with my life if we are getting a change in our absent schedule.

"She can tell you herself. We are on a tight schedule." She answered. Well, at least I got something of an answer that was straight to the point, and not a time-consuming lecture of her achievements.

"Take care of them, " Virga said to Drift then turning to us. "And I hope you all continue to bring pride to the Stormtrooper Division. Is that clear?"

“Ma’am!” We shouted and saluted once again. Virga relieved us and she turned to leave as well. Soon after, my squad was crowded towards the rookie, greeting and cheering her arrival while I stood where I was.

A new member of the family. Terrific. What could be next?

* * * * * *

Tonight's dinner was just some type of mush with non-existent flavor, dehydrated apples, and fruits for a side, and an orange flavoring powder with our water. That mush was this smooth mess that coated the roof of my mouth, leaving me to try and use the drink to wash it down. Looking back down on the meal, I shoved it away and instead focused on the dehydrated fruits. Chewy and tough, swallowing them was a scratching pain that traveled down my throat from the apple skin. My whole squad seemed to think so as well. Made me wish for the apples back at the crash site. Still...I wonder-

"So..." Aviatrix tried to start a conversation, effectively derailing my mental analysis. "...what happened out there when we were foalsitting Singularity?"

I finished my glass and cleared a piece of apple skin scratching my throat uncomfortably. "Nothing. Nothing but a nut, a downed Vertibuck, and Muties."

Aviatrix nodded after finishing her fruits. "Seems like you all had a blast."

I smiled with sarcasm, "Oh yeah. They were nice." I flicked my head over to Typhoon with his head wrapped in beige cloth for his head wounds. “The nut prettied up Typhoon’s face.”

Typhoon chuckled a bit. “Yeah, he did that alright.” He took a big mouthful and a quick gulp of the mush and his face expressed slight disgust. He got back to the topic soon after, “Still, it’s nothing compared to what Ace brought with him.”

“Oh?” Aviatrix purposefully pried.

“The horde of Muties followed him,” I said. “You’ve seen them while you were up there. Never knew his pride can be that much of a beacon.”

Aviatrix giggled, giving a glowing smile as she shared eye contact with me. “They told me you saved somepony down there. That true?”

I was confused. Who told her that I was the one who rescued the- Typhoon’s looking at me that way again. Like he’s encouraging me to go on with...oh. Now I get it. So he’s trying to be a bud and make me go for it. Damn him.

In the midst of this inside realization, I was shaking my head and talking to myself. It didn’t take long for me to say something to kill the building mood. “I- uh,” Lost my train of thought. “ ‘hem. I...hmm,” I looked at her, “ to be completely honest, I thought Ace was going to force you to leave us when he got the chance.”

Subject change...Damn it. I got nothing else to say.

Aviatrix did notice the not-so-subtle subject change, but it looked like it didn’t bother her much. She smiled again this time a little more…Why was she looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face? “I wouldn’t leave you behind, Ward. I don’t think anypony should be left behind in anything.”

What? I’m getting some kind of vibe from that. Why am I getting swea-

"Putting that aside," Typhoon's voice came out of nowhere, mercifully ending the emotional toil. “how about we get Drift acquainted with her new assigned squad.” Typhoon turned his attention to Drift, who happened to be sitting right beside me. "You already know me, but I’ll introduce myself again. My name is Typhoon, I'm the Sergeant and leader of this little group."

He pointed a hoof over towards me, guiding Drift's attention to whoever he was pointing at. "That's Trade Wind. Our second in command and one of the more temperamental and reserved of us all."

"Just call me ‘Ward’." I sternly mentioned with venom. My tone immediately affected her, making her kind of keep her distance from me. It would take a while for her to get used to me. Typhoon tried explaining it to the rookie. He leaned in to make the gesture of sharing a secret with her, but only whispered loudly.

"We call him Wayward Wind, or ‘Ward’ for short,” Typhoon leaned over the table top. “He doesn’t like his real name," he said in a loud whisper. “Personal issues.”

"Oh." Drift softly exclaimed.

Typhoon pointed towards Fallstreak who was sitting to my right. "That charismatic looker's name is Fallstreak. He's our riflepony and a player."

Drift didn't exactly know what he meant by "player," only for Typhoon to nod slowly after the former shot a confused look. Drift immediately caught on and kept quiet with an awkward look on her face, chewing her lip slowly. I could feel Fallstreak's vibe from where I was sitting; he wanted her. Oh shit, he can't keep it in his barding. I kept him from making a scene by giving him a sharp nudge on his shoulder, calming him down for the moment; probably shouldn't have hit him that hard.

Typhoon went on with the introductions as he just finished introducing Loaded Gun to Drift and finally ended with the mare in front of me. "This is Aviatrix. I assume the two of you already met."

"She's a nice pegasus." Aviatrix lauded about Drift.

I couldn't help but notice their friendly conversation. " You all had a social hour out there?"

"Yup." Aviatrix agreed to my question without hesitation. Something was irking me in the back of my mind; I think I knew what it was.

"What time is it?" I asked with concern raising and my stomach slowly dropping with the anticipation for an answer.

Drift looked over to the Mess Hall entrance to gaze at a clock that stood over the frame. She squinted her eyes, then turned her head to give me an answer. "A quarter till eleven."

"Shit!" I exclaimed. I still need to deliver the payment. I got up from my seat and took my tray in my wing. “Typhoon, I'll be back. Don't wait up."

Typhoon gave a wave of the hoof as he let me go do what I needed to do. I nodded and turned tail towards the mess hall entrance. If I'm not too late I can make that payment before it starts to pile into a bill.

Dashing, half-gliding around corners, and walking when I needed too, I found myself in my barrack room. They were empty save for a few stragglers that just came from the showers.

I galloped through the room to the foot of my bed, opened the trunk, and search for my stash of ration cards in the disorderly mess from earlier today. I found them under my old rookie uniform in the far left corner of the trunk and pulled them out with my teeth. The small stack held together by a rubber band was still there. I set it on my bed and undid the band holding the stack together and spread them out to get a good glimpse at all of them. Only half of them were clean, and it was enough to pay him off; I thought I had more though.

Speaking of the cards, it’s hard to believe that this is our currency: a simple piece of paper that’s stamped for every meal breakfast, lunch, and dinner- one for each day. No more bronze bits, just these pieces of aged Pre-War that was made of something a little better than paper.

I gathered the unused ration cards and put away my semi stamped ones, using the same rubber band to keep the clean ones together. Before I slammed my trunk down, my eyes caught a glimpse of an old photograph tip waving at me from under my old cadet suit. I couldn’t help but just dig it out from under the old blue button shirt and out into the open. The old photograph was one that captured the moment of my graduation. Sort of a private squad photo if you will. It was me, Typhoon, Aviatrix, Loaded Gun and Fallstreak. It made me smile right now just seeing how happy we all were. How happy Aviatrix and Typhoon were putting their forelegs over my neck. It brought on feelings of longing seeing it...

“Fuck me!” I realized that I was getting distracted from looking at this thing and remembered I was on a tight schedule.

I shoved the photo into my current off-duty uniform and I darted out into the halls and headed to the Medical Wing as fast as my hooves and wings allowed. Hope I make it. I don’t want to have to come back with an awkward feeling grown in my gut.

* * * * * *

The cold release of relief came from my chest that they were still open. Not wanting to wait any longer, I burst through the sliding door as soon as it opened up enough for me to squeeze through. Some Medical staff were already looking like they were ready to head out with some of them walking past me and out the door. Ms. Perhelion was still working at the front desk, and my sudden introduction became one of the few things to actually pry her from her work in a surprising manner.

“Hello, Trade Wind,” she welcomed tiredly. I’m letting it slide, again. “What are you doing here?”

I threw the small stack on the desk in front of her to answer her question. It just so happened to slide a bit on the smooth countertop until it fell over on her side. She looked at the stack, and then up at me with a confused look.

"It's the copay." I clarified the sudden event with a yawn. "For Dr. Derecho."

She looked at the cards, counting inaudibly and setting them aside. "Dr. Derecho's at the Thunderhead at the moment, but I'll hold it for him till he gets back. He's running a little late."

"Thank you." I acknowledged, before turning myself in the opposite direction and out the doors. Finally, that building tension was off my chest. That’s one less thing to worry about, but now I see that I could’ve skipped all that. Reason being that I already had fresh ration cards in my coat from tonight’s mission. That deserves a facehoof and a frustrated sigh. Damn it!

“Hold on a second, Trade.”

Getting really tired of hearing that name. I sighed with minor annoyance and turned around to face her.

“Yes, Ms. Parhelion?” I answered with the same tone of annoyance in my voice.

“Are you feeling alright?” She asked from the desk.

“I’m just sleepy.” I answered while I rubbed my itchy tired eyes. “Nothing to worry about.”

“You look like you haven’t slept at all.” She pointed out with concern.

She was right on the ration cards. I haven’t slept in a while unless you count that small nap on the way back from the mission. Gave me a boost of alertness but it was short lived. “I haven’t. You’re right.”

“Why’s that?” She pried. “Can you sleep at all?”

Where is she going with this. This isn’t important. “What are...you getting at?”

“I can see if there’s something that can help you with that.”

I tilted my head, confused. “But you’re a receptionist. Don’t you need to be a doctor, or a nurse, or something like that to do...something like that?”

She gave me a look that told me I was ignorant of something. “I don’t only handle the paperwork you know?” She got up from her seat and stepped away from the reception desk and into the familiar hallway from this afternoon. “Come with me.”

Feeling like I’ve got no choice, I followed her. We ended up at the end of the hallway where she took a card from under her coat and slid it through the control panel. The red light turned green followed by a mechanical beep and thud. The door opened, revealing a small little storage space with racks on each side of the small room. Small bottles were neatly organized in little groups with small paper cards listing them down each rack. She stepped in and looked around for a bit, adjusting her glasses after every glance at the racks. Finally, she found what she was looking for: a particular small little bottle with an aged yellow label on it.

“Here we are,” she said before turning to me with the pills in her hoof. I autonomically let held out a hoof and she dropped the bottle. The pills rattled when they landed right in the center. “Take one before you go to bed with some water. Be careful, they’re strong.”

I don’t know how I feel about this. I’ve had Insomnia for a while, and I’ve been good at hiding it from them- my squad being the only exception. I’ve learned to live with it. But now that I’ve got these...I’m just not comfortable with it for some reason.

“I can’t take these.” I diffidently said. I made a point by extending my hoof to Parhelion. “Thanks. But I can go without them.”

“I insist, Trade.” She told me reassuringly before slowly pushing my hoof back to me. “Sleep is essential to the body. Too much of too little sleep can have detrimental effects on the mind and physical body.”

I lowered my gaze and hung my head slightly in defeat. I don’t need them. I don't want them. I don’t need her help. This is my problem.

“Just take them,” she persisted kindly. “Don’t worry about paying for them. I’ll also fill out a prescription form, so the Security Force doesn’t think you stole them.”

Alright. You win. “Fine.” I said in defeat. I took the pills and shoved them into one of my pockets. I let Ms. Parhelion get out of the storage and she beckoned me silently to follow her back to the reception area.

“Let me just fill out the paperwork, then-”

The lights went out, killing Ms. Perhelion’s words with them. At first I thought somepony up front closed the lights on us, but that was dismissed when the subtle hum of power in the nearby walls died out as well. I looked up in pitch black darkness, unsure of what just happened.

There’s a strange change, or "shift," in the environment here in the bunker. It's not that same cold, mundane feeling that I'm familiar with growing up. There's just something different about it. It's like a bad itch that can't be scratched because you can't determine where it is on you. The more I walk up the flight of stairs and down the narrow halls to my barracks, the heavier both this environment and my eyes feel.

The lit halls shut off instantaneously, bringing my walk to a sudden stop. The familiar humming of the cooling unit and air filtration powered down. I couldn't see anything beyond me, and trying to use the wall as a guide was hard enough as I almost fell over a couple of times trying to put my weight on the non-existent surfaces. I could hear Ms. Parhelion panicking a little bit.

“Trade, are you there!?” I heard her call from the front of me. Then I felt her hoof swiftly brush right across my lip. Any closer and she would’ve swatted me hard.

“Right behind you.” I responded. I felt a breeze come around my right side. Must’ve swung a hoof around after hearing me. “Must be a power outage or something.” I felt myself look up again. Please turn back on.

The lights flickered on in a low power amber color. The halls were tinted with that same color, as well as Ms. Parhelion who adjusted her glasses as she faced me. She looked up at the low powered lights.

“That’s odd.” She remarked up at the lights. She caught me looking at her with a confused expression. “Power outage isn’t something that has happened. At least not yet.”

Her saying that made me think there’s a first time for anything to happen. I never thought I’d see beyond the mountains around us and look what happened. I will admit I was disappointed in what I saw. But this is all besides the point. Right now I want to know what the fuck just happe-

The alarm went off. Crying an eerie sound from the walls. The emergency lights in some parts of the wall began to flash white. Fire Drill? The intercom system pierced through the shrill cry of the alarms:

CODE: RED! CODE: RED! FIRE DETECTED IN MAINTENANCE LEVEL E-1! PLEASE SEAL ALL DOORS AND TAKE COVER! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THIS IS NOT A-

The voice went silent after the sound of the mic blowing out cut it short. Even if she didn’t finish, she said plenty to tell whoever was left in the bunker that something just happened.

Code: Red? Shit. Somepony made a mistake.

There was a muffled blast. Not soon after, a very sharp blast of hot air filled the corridor and the pipes overhead began to rattle subtly. Then there was a thunderous and crackling sound coming from the front door in the reception area. We could hear it from all the way back here. At first, I was glad the door was closed, but then...

The rattling overhead caught both of our attention. The sound it was making grew with intensity until the support clamps started to fail. The pipes intensity was coming from farther down the line, and I could see a part of the pipes start to swell with metallic pops. Then there was the sound of hissing coming from down there, making the two of us backpedal a bit.

The hissing intensified, and then it blew in a blazing cloud of orange heat and smoke. The worst part was that it wasn’t short-term, and the flames began to fill the corridor as the rest of the pipes started to burst violently with fire.

I turned sharply to the Storage room. No pipes seemed to run through there. And since the doors are hermetically sealed it’s our best bet. I jumped for Parhelion (startling her in the process as she froze), bit into her sleeve and pulled her ahead of me.

"Go!" I shouted as the explosions intensified behind us. I looked back at the fires and they were now ten feet away from us. “Get the storage room open! Now!”

The flames were getting awfully close, and the last pop from the pipes brought the wall of flames too close. My face was burning from the extreme heat, and I can feel the fur singe and my skin peel with every waft of the superheat. I tried using my wings to shield myself from it though it did little to help with the discomfort. Then another explosion happened in a nearby room.

“It’s open!” I heard her cry from behind. “Get in!”

Soon as I heard that, I bolted for the open door. Soon as I did, the door closed and the pipes on the other side exploded. The contents of the storage room shook to every explosion happening on the other side of the door. The lone light flickered up top and stabilized its amber glow. The last big one knocked out the power completely and we were in the dark. In this small damn room with an aged pegasus.

"What the fuck just happened!?" I thought out loud to Parhelion. Trying to think of an explanation, I could only think that it came from the maintenance levels. It couldn’t have been the reactor, we would’ve been wiped off the map. The pipes blowing up tell me that somepony might have ruptured the old fuel lines running throughout the bunker.

“Calm down, Trade,” Parhelion said. “This is probably some accident that happened.”

Some accident? "No. It can't be an accident! This is too big for an accident!" I debated with her. I can’t hold it in. I’m shocked as much as I’m afraid. It doesn't help that this place is small. It's too small! It's too small!

“Please calm down.” She insisted worrily. “This room has no vents and that door behind you is probably airtight. We have little breathable air for now.”

Took me a while to realize it, but it was true. Without an air vent in this room, and a hermetic door in times of emergency, we have little to breathe. Without the vent, you could also say it was becoming like an oven in here.

With what little reason was still in me, I tried clearing my mind. “Ok. Ok. I’m fine.” I reassured her, taking as small of breaths as possible. “Need to think about this.”

I honestly didn’t know what to think. As I mentioned before, this is too big to be called an accident. I know Maintenance has it bad sometimes, but I’d think it never be this bad. Sure maybe a short circuit or low water pressure, maybe, but this? Hell, what do I know? What do I know, indeed.

* * * * * *

I sat there in the room. Thinking. Waiting. It had been half an hour already, I think, and the air was already beginning to get stale. Parhelion had hoped for a rescue operation, but so far we’ve heard nothing. It’s hot as hell in here, and I tried to ignore it by thinking of something else. I began wondering. Wondering how much of the bunker has been hit. How many dead? Even who.

My family… Those words began to echo in my head. Creating a burning pit in my stomach. My squad. What if they didn’t make it out? What if they’re trapped somewhere? What if...No, no more waiting around. I won’t.

I got up from the right wall and moved to the control panel. There’s always an override function on these things, and it was in the form of a switch behind the terminal. All I needed to do was open the front panel and find it on the right side of the space. Gotta give credit to the makers of this bunker, and the Emergency Protocol Staff for teaching the basics back in class. As I moved in to switch it, a hoof came around from my left and held it back from touching.

“Trade, what’re you doing?”

The moment is too dire for me. I need to tell her. “ My squad is out there. I need to go find them.”

“Listen to me, Trade.” She said. “I understand your concerns, but going out there in that heat? Even if I do let you go, the Carbon Monoxide levels in the smoke are probably high. Asthma, Pulmonary Hypertension, and suffocation is a possibility. Not to mention the radiation if this is a reactor problem.”

“Like that’s any different from waiting in here!” I yelled. “I’d rather take my chances out there than in here. Nothing will stop me from making sure they’re alright.” I might sound like a lunatic right now, but I’m willing to take the risk. But then looking back at her made me feel terrible. I’m leaving somepony as old as her here. Alone. I can’t leave her here, so I extended the invitation. “Come with me.”

“I…” I hear her hesitate. “ I-I can’t.” She looked away from me. “I’m old; not as young as I used to be.”

I had the largest pit start to grow in my stomach on top of the other pit that was already there. Hearing her say that was almost like being on the verge of hopelessness. I felt terrible, but my squad...so many conflicting feelings and priorities. My squad? Or the elderly? My squad? The elderly? My...

I’m hating myself for being tugged into the middle like a stupid rope game. I want to bang my head on the wall just to stop the building tension, then wonder if it was worth the massive bump I’d give myself. Would be easier if I wasn’t so fucking tired! Damn it!

I tried to think rationally about this. And when the idea came to mind, I only hoped that I can follow through with it. I looked back again at Ms. Parhelion to see her wrinkled face staring back at me. I placed a hoof over the switch.

“Chances are no other pony knows we’re down here,” I told her as I watched my hoof flip the switch. “Somepony’s gotta make sure they know there are.” I turned back to her and gave her the best reassuring smile the situation called for. “I’ll come back. With help. I promise.”

I saw her nod slightly with her lips curling into worried expressions. “Ok.” She said with a deep smile. “Please. Don’t be long. I’ll be waiting.”

I gave a confident nod and looked back at the controls. Now I wasn’t so sure about opening the door. What if the fire just rushes in? What if it’s too hot to even move? No. I’ve committed to doing it. I won’t go back on that now.

A hot, black flash of smoke leaked through and then exploded briefly into the storage room once the door opened. Coughing violently to the plumes I quickly jumped through the open door and closed it behind me.

The room was bathed in crackling amber light with a thick blanket of smoke hugging the ceiling. My eyes were watering and it was hard to breathe. The halls were now stained in the same smoldering black, and the fire lined the edges of the walls, occasionally spitting out of the blown pipes overhead. If there is a hell, then I’d think this is what it looks like.

“I can’t stop now.”

I was breathing in the smoke by the dozen, and even using my wings didn’t seem to help any better. My suit felt heavy and disgusting as sweat began soaking it, and the soot clinging to it in every way it could. Walking over fire and through flying embers, I walked out of the clinic and was now in the equally hellish hallways of the bunker.

Through watery and burning eyes, I pushed towards the familiar flight of stairs now lined with crackling and spitting fire. At first, I tried dashing through it, but as soon as my sleeves caught fire I spread my wings and dashed up instead. No matter how I traversed the stairs, something on me caught fire and burned; first my front hooves and sleeves, and now the tips of my dark cerulean wings. Soon as I reached the top and was in the clear from nearby fires, I worked hard to put the fires out.

I stepped on something that let out a very crisp crunch when I finished putting out the last flame. Looking down at what it was I was in my own realm of horror to find that I stood on a leg that had disintegrated under my hoof as soon as my hoof unknowingly made contact with it. Wiping the ashes from my hoof, I found it belonged to a blackened pegasus that was still burning from the wings up. Their face was frozen in a state of agony and their hooves were curled up into the air as if trying to grasp something before dying. Every feature that made it easy to recognize the pegasus was gone. Hair and feather were burned off; skin looked like some type of over treated leather; bones were as frail as paper. By this point, they are nothing but frail, undisturbed ashes. By this point, I was disgusted and shocked that the soot I’m breathing in and coughing out could also be pegasus.

There will be time for some mourning. But now I know won’t be the time. I have some ponies to see. And I hope to my deepest thoughts and emotions that they’re alright.

Keeping them in mind as my main drive, I braved through the fires ahead and avoided oncoming explosions to get to the mess. My fear and anxiety grew every time I passed a twisted black corpse. If I had a ration card for every corpse there was while I kept on the move, I’d need a second trunk for the ration cards only.

Soon I found myself in the nearly unfamiliar door to the mess hall. My doubt that it wasn’t the right door cleared when I kicked in the override and saw what was inside. It was empty. This room was just full a while ago and now nopony’s here. Nothing but a large burning room with heated metal tables and seats with blackened trays and melted plastic sitting on top of them. That in itself lifted the fear off my chest. It gave me hope that they made it after I saw our table empty and no charred bodies.

I remembered. He said the barracks. Typhoon said to see them at the barracks. Knowing him, he’d be quick to lock the door. Maybe they’re all there. I hope I’m right. I hope to whoever that I’m fucking right.

My coughing was getting worse and the air was getting thicker. My body felt disgusting and sticky under the nylon. My eyes were watering and my mouth was drying up. The heat was killing me fast, and that was enough to tell me that I still had a job to do. I need to find them. I need to find help.

I went out the way I came and took a left. I thought that if I could make it to the back door, I could have a chance of getting to the Cloudship. Maybe even a rescue team. I hope to the heavens that I come across at least one squad.

I continued to trek through the fires and nearly froze when I heard screams over the crackling fires followed by the familiar sound of energy discharge. All hope of finding a rescue team seemed to dwindle with the scream; uncertainty over the energy discharge sounds rose. What are they shooting at?

Keeping on the side of caution, I followed the sounds of despair and discharge while battling the increasing elements of the burning bunker. My coughing was much more severe, and I began feeling sluggish because of the grim buildup all over me. What I’d kill for a shower after this.

Came to another 4-way intersection, and I listened for the commotion for earlier before letting out another hoarse cough.

"There he is! Take 'em down!" Came a voice from the corridor to my right. A symphony of high and low energy discharges followed- one coming out of the dark and nearly taking my head hadn’t fatigue been there to drop me in time.

There was a scream, followed by a spine chilling crunch that was louder than the fires near me. As the discharges faded, the screams began to stack. Soon, the last voice abruptly cut off and the fires were all I heard.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I run? Should I go help? I need the help, but what was in the dark corridor to snuff the screams? I don’t know what I need to do. I’m too fatigued to think straight.

My ears twitched. Moans. Moans coming from the corridor before. A survivor. Maybe...just maybe…

I got up from the burning floor and sluggishly walked towards the moaning. What am I doing? Why am I going towards danger? I know the answer...and it’s a sacrifice worth taking. There’s more at stake for me.

The stretching corridor lit in amber light and distorted by thick smog was quiet. I stopped some ways down to clear my ears of rushing hot wind and listened for the moans. There weren’t any. Where did it go? My answer came in the form of a clasping hoof to my right leg, sending me flying up, literally, surprised. Then I saw who did it...oh fuck...OH FUCK!

He had no more wings, only bloodied stumps of bone and blood coming out of his back that gleamed in the dim light. His suit was ruined with wet crimson. His gas mask was fogged over and shattered. No more working back legs, only meat and stringy nerves holding onto his dragging, dismembered, and detached limbs. He was just a torso, neck and forehooves stretching for me in a slow, painful pace with periods of whimpering and low sobs.

“H-h-h-help me!” He screamed in pain before dropping his hoof and dragging his wet mangled body towards me. “Help me!” He sobbed.

Fear began to waft over me, and the metallic clunk from up ahead was enough to send me backpedaling by wing, then by hoof once I touched the ground. I looked back down at the pegasus still reaching for me, crying and pleading for me to take him. What good would it do? He won’t make it. That’s too much blood, and the trail will lead what’s down there towards me.

Thunderous steps began to creep closer in the thick smoke and fear was wafting harder on me. I looked back down at the pleading, crying pegasus. “I’m sorry.”

I bolted in the opposite direction away from the thundering steps heading for me. The doomed half scream and half cry of the pegasus echoed through the halls and gave chase. My heart sank and my stomach turned in guilt as he did. Damn it!

Back at the 4-way intersection, I was literally at a hazy crossroads to what I needed to do next. The thunderous steps were still echoing through the halls behind me, and it became clear to what I needed to do: I need to hide. I looked around me and tried to find something to hide behind. My eyes focused on a pile of burning crates on a trolley to my right. Seemed large enough to hide behind, and continuing to hear the steps closing in told me I didn’t have a choice anymore.

I ducked behind the crates and waited. The steps got closer…

...closer…

...stop.

The pace stopped. Was whatever it is gone? I have to check. I peeked around the side of the nearest fallen crate and saw a figure standing in the intersection. It was wearing Enclave Power Armor, but couldn’t tell who it belonged to. They were also carrying something in its mouth (through the open respirator was my guess on the subject), and just standing there. Eerily. What were they doing?

They made a movement like they were sniffing the air. When their nose went as high as it could he relaxed and it slowly descended. They slowly panned the vicinity; first away from me, and then my heart jumped when his head cocked sharply in my direction.

I held my breath when I ducked behind cover. My heart was pounding out of its chest. I was uncomfortable from both the need to wet myself and the fact that I feel like I took a shower in the cesspool with some kind of smoke fragrance.

Keep calm. Keep calm. I had to control myself, and breathing slowly and quietly was the only way I knew how. It’s like the free fall exercise back in training. Don’t think about what bothers you and go for it.

Breath in...Hold...Exhale...

Breath in...Hold...Exhale…

It had been quiet for a while now, and the anxiety was killing me. That pegasus was patient. Too eerily patient. Every time I peeked around the edge of the crates they were still there. I didn’t know what they were doing, or why but they were just...standing there.

They moved. They were gone with a loud thumping and a firm, unemotional stride down the hall in front of them. I waited till the echoing stomps vanished out of earshot; only then was it safe to come out of hiding.

I walked out cautiously to the intersection and peeked down the corridor he disappeared off to. I soon wasted no time darting back down the corridor I fled from. Not like I have a choice, really. If there are more of those thing, I’d feel safer with a weapon. Those discharges from earlier told me they were some down here.

The corridor took a drastic change. I recently passed a body, pressed up against the wall and now resting at the low corner of said wall; blood painting a crimson waterfall right over it. Blood was splattered over the burnt murals. Then the sight of blood was changed into the sight of more meat and bodies. There were plasma-looking puddles that swirled a glowing greenish color in the gleaming crimson puddles nearby and over stray bodies I began coming across. What the...

I knew I made it when I heard and felt a disgusting squelch under my hooves. Looking down...I really wish I didn’t. Blood. So much of it! I was stepping in a wet, soft, and chunky blanket. I was standing on somepony.

This whole area was a disgusting gorefest. The blood had stoaked some of the nearby fires, and now the area smelled like death. This was the source of the noise from earlier. They were all mutilated beyond recognition. I retched. Hard. Then my dinner came back full force at a nearby wall that I used to brace the shock I was feeling.

“Fuckfuckfuckfuck!” was all that came out of me after I threw up the leftovers. I took another deep, shuddering breath (practically breathing in the throw up that was streaming from my nose), and tried to collect myself. “Don’t panic. Keep strong. You have somepony depending on you.” Who the fuck am I trying to kid! This is the first time I see something like this and I’m wishing I didn’t!

Breath in…Hold...Exhale…

Breath in...Hold...

“This isn’t working!” I screamed in a blind panic, punching the wall to relieve the building tension. “Weapon. Weapon weapon.” I looked around for one amongst the corpses. The red meat. The mush. I got my hooves sticky with blood when I kept finding broken energy pistols. Soon I found one still being clamped down by a severed and heavily smashed in head.

I used a hoof to knock the pistol out of its maw and it slid across the slick surface into something I knew wasn’t a thick wet support band to the blown pipe overhead. I picked it up before getting out and away from the mess. The imagery will fuck my mind up more than it already has.

I didn’t pick it up yet. Not till I finish cleaning off the blood with my uniform. As I did, I realized that my stained hoof was glowing in spots and smears. I stopped cleaning to examine it. Looked like plasma, but it wasn’t burning. Raw plasma has been known to be corrosive on organic material; said to burn like molten lava. But this wasn’t. Could it be the blood that dumbed it down? Asking that made me think back to the weapons back at the blood zone. I don’t remember seeing any plasma weapons. So what is it?

Chapter 3- Tragedy Part 2

Heat. Felt like the sweat in my clothes were wearing me down in weight. Everything on me was like I took a shower whilst in my uniform. Or I didn’t dry myself slipping into it. I hadn’t found any help yet either. That wasn’t good. Not good for me or Parhelion. I hope she’s still ok.

I tried recalling my mental map of the area. Maybe I can get to the exit of the bunker and find a new rescue team. The smell of smoke, the thick black clouds with amber lighting physically hitting me and the ceiling, and the drowsiness from days without proper sleep made it significantly hard to do so. I stopped when I heard crashes coming from ahead of me. Then came indistinct chatter followed by some banging.

The desperate side of me told me it was rescue, and the panicked side of me began yelling danger. After what I saw, panic began talking sense, but then desperation came to my logically to tell me that it has to be. Didn’t know who to listen to. Should I turn the other way? Or should I approach them? Shoot first? Would it be wise to just go for it?

My debate broke when I coughed harshly again. My vision turned dark around the edges and everything around the middle began to blur. My lungs felt heavy, almost sore and cumbersome. I stumbled forward a bit before falling on my front knees. Tired. I need air. But I need to keep going. Somepony’s life depends on me.

“Who’s there!?” Came a voice from up ahead. Seems like my cough attracted what was really help. I’d smile to that, but it wasn’t the time. I was losing myself for a moment after more hoarse coughing. The two coming coughs turned into a cough attack. Hard to keep air in, or rather breath air in without more coming out.

The rushed stomping echoed towards me; calling out to me. ‘We’re on our way,’ they seem to say; ‘just a little bit longer.’

I lost my strength. Was it my sleep deprivation? Or the smoke? Or both? Lost the grip on the energy pistol. Near blackout. Something wrapped itself around me. Holding me up. Indistinct voices continued to echo around me. They sounded panicked. Who could it be? Who found me? If I could smile to show my gratitude, I would’ve.

Something gave me a big open mouth kiss, big enough around my nose and mouth. There was a hissing sound now. Something of a cool breeze seeping into my nostrils. Fresh air. Beautifully crisp fresh air.

My strength somehow came back to me and my lungs started working. My vision came back. My senses. Everything. All came back to me at once; too fast. I braced what was kissing me full on the nose and mouth (which happened to be a mask). I began taking big gulps of the new fresh air, taking in too much at once and coughing so hard I might as well be spitting lung chunks.

“He’s coming back.” A voice said in joyful relief from over me. I know that voice. And it felt good to hear it.

I opened my still stinging eyes to see two figures looming over me. One of them seems to be having tremors.

“What’s going on?” I unwittingly peeped up at the figures.

“You stupid mustang.” It was Aviatrix’s voice, shaking slightly with joy. Ventilated by a full face mask. “I knew you’d be alive.”

I was bamboozled. The tone of her voice just threw me off. I didn’t know how to react to this at all. Aviatrix pulled me upright before embracing me in a big feathery hug. I froze as she rested her head on me, adding her hooves as an extra hug under her wings. Then Typhoon seemed to jump into it, wrapping both of us in a hug. Aviatrix was still shaking, but I still couldn’t tell if it was fear or joy. Thinking about them, made me feel glad I had them. But then something began pestering my mind...

“What happened guys?” I asked, still covered in the both of them. They both got off of me, allowing me to get my words out clearly. “What happened? Where were you guys?” I coughed hard, then eyed their gear when it settled. Both of them were wearing protective suits. Aviatrix was carrying saddlebags covered in masks and tanks; Typhoon carried a Flash Industries M-9 laser rifle on one side, and a saddlebag full of masks as well on the other.

“Security Force came in some time after you left and asked us -all of us- to move to the Cloudship.” Aviatrix explained quickly. “They came in by groups, ordering everypony in and around the mess hall and levels above out. Then the alarm sounded soon as we got out.” She looked around for a moment then back to me. “They sent down rescue operations. Typhoon and I were some of the volunteers.”

She turned around and showed me another four pegasi. One was opening terminals and working them to open from the outside. Two were checking and clearing nearby rooms. One of them in the hall, assuming it’s the officer of the squad, was looking in our direction. His flashlight tried to pierce through the smoke and down to us.

“Hate to ruin your reunion, if that’s what this is,” He said flatly through his mask. “but we still need to get moving. Give him a proper mask and get him up. We need to get moving.”

“Yes, sir!” Typhoon agreed firmly before giving me a full face mask from his saddlebag to me. Took me a while to slide it on, but I managed with the help from Aviatrix and was back up on my hooves, albeit a bit fatigued.

There was a banging up ahead. At first, I thought it could be something else. Turns out it was one of the S.F. working the control panel to get inside a room. I guess something was in there. Or somepony.

I watched as he pried open the wall’s front plating to expose the wiring. Then he got to manipulating said wires with some tools. These doors were simplistic, but they hermetically sealed to prevent anything to get in. They’d be alright with the air conditioning inside, but with the situation we’re in? I’m not sure that’s the case.

“Got it.” The Technician said triumphantly. His words coupled with the door almost made it look his words were what got it open.

The two pegasi moved in one after the other. Check and clear. In the room and around the door before moving in. “We got survivors!” One of them shouted.

The Officer caught notice and stepped at the door. “Enclave Security Force. We’re here to evacuate you.”

It took a while, but confidence seemed to build in there. A colorful group of pegasi families sizes from a foal to a seasoned adult. Some looked severely burned but still alive, hauled out by comrades who have lesser but nasty looking burns.

Typhoon and Aviatrix were giving out as many masks on their persons until the last Civi was out of the room. As for me, I watched the end of the hall I came from. The fear of seeing that thing stomp its way over her has me on edge. Felt like the longer I stared into that black abyss, the more I heard anguish screams of the damned. Then I thought of Parhelion.

“That all of you?” The Officer asked the group behind me, tearing me away from the hallway daydream.

“Room clear! That’s all of them!” One of the two S.F. reassured their officer before moving out of the room. The Technician just left the door open.

“Don’t look, sweeties.” Came a disturbed voice of a mare. Looking over to the direction of said voice I saw a mare shielding her foals with a magenta wing from a twisted and tormented-looking body nearby. Poor things. They didn’t need to see that.

“Alright,” The Officer brought the groups attention. “Let’s go. We need to get everypony back to the Cloudship till the situation is resolved. Follow close and don’t stray away.”

The Civis began to follow the group, almost herded by the group. After a couple of steps and a looming thought in my mind, I stopped walking frozen in place and at the same time tugged at my promise. Aviatrix noticed as I coughed again, this time tasting something disgusting and warm from the back of my throat.

“Ward, come on.” She beckoned me as the group went on. I noticed Typhoon looking back a bit and his pace slowed.

“I can’t go,” I told her. “Not yet, at least.” I can’t do this alone. Not with that thing back there. I need their help.

“What do you mean?” She asked me from where she stood; some feet away from me.

“There’s somepony still down there in the clinic. I promised I’d get her help.”

Typhoon apparently stopped and so did the group. “Stormtroops, keep up!” Came the demanding, authoritative voice of the Officer up ahead. Likely referring to Aviatrix and Typhoon.

“Ward, we’ll go for them when we get the Civis to the Cloudship.” Typhoon tried reassuring me. No.

“There won’t be any time for her!” I insisted. “I promised her I’d get help, and help’s here.” I thought about the shape from before. “Ther-hnn. There’s somepony down here killing survivors. It already got to a group of rescuers, and chances are they won’t stop there.”

Typhoon just looked at me, unmoved and more concern with the many. “Ward. We just need a little more time. Just wait, ok?”

I grinned my teeth, knowing I wouldn’t get to him like that. I can’t wait. They’re out there, and it’ll find her. I can’t let it happen. Then again, I don’t want them dragged into this either. Out of all the other pegasi I could’ve ran into they had to turn into meat, bone fragment, and plasma mix before I could get to them. I don’t want that happening to them. Not ever.

I said nothing and doubled back for my pistol. Finding it, I examined. The charge pack looks a little drained, but hopefully, I don’t need to use it. Save for the scuffs and worn barrel it will still work. Once checked, I got up and walked to Aviatrix. I dug through her saddlebag as she looked on and pulled out a spare respirator mask.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

I powered the energy pistol and walked back down the hall. Into the inferno.

“Ward, wait!” I heard Aviatrix call to me. As much as it pained me in the chest I didn’t listen and kept going. This time kicking the pace up a notch.

“Ward!”

* * * * * *

I did the right thing.The more I thought about it, the better it turned out. They are what matter to me, and I feel glad that I was able to see them. Glad they were ok. I went and got help; they turned out to be the help, and that just threw a bitter-sweet wrench into my hope. I would’ve been fine with just complete strangers. But them? No fuckin way. Can’t dwell on it now. I need to do this.

I finally came back to the flight of stairs leading to the medical wing. Down there was the clinic, and it was awful quiet save for the small crackling fire. Hard to see with this soot cloud. I rushed down, taking precautions around corners with a scan. The clinic is close. I hope I’m not too late. I hope to the sky that I’m not too late.

I arrived to see...oh no. The door wasn’t the way I left it. It was punched into from the center until it was forced some ways into the clinic. That’s...no pony could’ve done that. No normal pony...Oh shit!

I rushed inside while my body temperature ran cold against the hot setting. “Parhelion! Mrs. Parhelion!”

I rushed down the familiar corridor. It was so close. Past the blanket of thick smoke will be the storage room just the way it was left. Or it could be something worse. Maybe the door was only done some time ago and whatever did it didn’t find her. I hope...I can only hope...Can hope be enough to ensure she’s alright?

I think I’m coming to the end of the hallway. So far nothing seemed out of place...until now. I stopped. I can’t believe it. They were right in front of me. The gagging was coming from Mrs. Parhelion. They were pinning her to the doorframe by the neck.

“Gkh...eh..ack…” Were the few noisy attempts of gasping air she made. She reached a hoof out to me in hope I can save her when she turned her head towards my direction. I could also see the glistening trails of tears coming down her cheek.

The figure holding her up eerily turned their head towards me. I can’t tell if they were a mare or a stallion because of that power armor they were wearing. Those orange eyes pierced into my soul with that expressionless mask. This whole thing begged the question: How did they get the suit? Whatever the reason, it was safe to assume it was a traitor we’re dealing with.

I armed the laser pistol, lifting my mask just enough to where I can see with the pistol in my mouth and put on my combat stance. “Let her go! Traitor!” I demanded like security. He just stared at me, making him look like a statue. They didn’t seem to get me, so I pushed the envelope. “Put her down! NOW!”

They twitched, getting a reaction out of me that was close to pulling the trigger. They looked back at Mrs. Parhelion, then back at me. I gave them a ‘don’t-screw-with-me’ stare, and they reacted by looking back at her. They let her go. She slumped to the ground

Mrs. Parhelion picked herself off the ground, gasping for air after the armored pony let her go. She looked towards me and I beckoned her when I reached the spare breathing mask to her. She crawled momentarily towards me, quietly sobbing.

The armored hoof suddenly came down on her back and an audible crunching sound was heard from under her. Her jaw dropped as the pressure plunged into her, making her sides explode and stain her suit red. She soon after with her eyes looking up at me and falling lifeless.

She’s dead. She’s really dead. I was right there. So close to rescuing her and I failed. I failed. “No. No. No. No.” I began muttering as the failed promise began to sink into my mind. I looked back up at the armor and their head tilted ever so slightly.

“No. No. No. No! No! NO! NO! NO! NO!” I screamed as my volume grew louder with denial. Without hesitation, I unleashed the full might of the pistol in my mouth.

He wasn’t flinching. The lasers were just bouncing off of his armor and he was looking down at himself as he did. When I ran out of ammo for the pistol, They looked up at me. One step. Two steps. They began walking towards me like he was stalking me- toying with me.

I searched my pockets for some ammo. Then I was reminded: I didn’t get any from the bodies. Or from Aviatrix or Typhoon. I should’ve. They might have helped me. And now, I only do one thing. I dropped my pistol and bolted the exit. It was hopeless to go up against an armored target like that. Especially without anything less than a security vest, and I don’t have that either. Fuck me!

I bolted for the door, making some distance to the front desk, but found myself unable to cross it. Something had me by my small tail. Then I was yanked back into the room from that end, across the heated floor, and into the reception desk. I pulled myself up and saw the Traitor now walking towards me. I still felt weak. Too weak to fight them one on one. This is bad. I fucked up. I looked down and found a pipe that fell from the ceiling. Then I looked up at the Traitor. Their head shifted down to what I looked at, then to me.

They jumped at me suddenly with full metal force aimed for my head. I managed to narrowly miss his armored hooves by an ear as they slammed and crushed the edge of the large reception desk. I fell on my side and saw their head snap to me. Another jump at my head, another narrow miss. One after the other armored hooves slammed into the floor, narrowly missing me by the hair of my mane. The pace was quickening, and now I was rolling continuously just to keep myself from ending up like Parhelion.

I ran out of room to work with. I was too dizzy from the rolling to keep up. I felt sick. The room wouldn’t stop spinning. I started wondering if the Traitor was even tired from trying to get me. The dizziness in my head and the churning in my stomach were quickly overpowered by a devastating pain in my right cannon. A bloodcurdling scream escaped my mouth and the pain flared from the leg up to my whole body. I saw the damage through teary eyes. They crushed it. I could see the gleaming blood splatter and spill from the wound. Fuck!

They lifted their hoof off my leg. I tried moving it again. It hurt too much to try. I only shouted in more pain trying to curl it back to me. I tried crawling away, feeling my crushed leg dragging behind me as I did. Crawling towards the door desperately just as Parhelion did. I could feel their presence around me; hearing every metallic clomp of hooves behind me. Closer and closer to me.

A powerful laser shot came from the door and flew overhead. Training kicked in and I pulled my head down with my forelegs over my head as cover. There was the familiar ding of concentrated energy against metal. I cautiously lifted my head up, still keeping at least one forehoof over and looked back. The Traitor was looking away from me and eerily turned their head towards the direction of the shot. Their mask had taken a hit. I could see the glass fall from the visor. More red discharges came at his head, then I ducked my head back down to avoid the fire. I heard a loud, metallic thud.

The ambiance was that of crackling fire on top of what sounded like respirated breathing. It was coming from in front of me. The crackling of a laser rifle powered off and was followed by rushed steps towards me. Then I heard the sound of a uniform crinkling next to me, then the feel of feathers finding their way under my belly.

I lifted my head and over to my left. A mask was pointing down from me before the visor adjusted to making eye contact. I can’t believe it. She came. Alone, nonetheless. She’s fucking crazy! “Aviatrix...what are you doing here?”

“You’re seriously asking me that?” She asked with doubt directed to me. I was now feeling the pulling force from under my belly, making little progress in getting me off the ground. “Come on, Ward. Get up.”

Getting the hint, I pulled myself up. I was sore and deeply wounded. I was rudely reminded of my shattered leg when I tried to stand on it. It crunched under my body weight and shot the same unbearable pain and scream through and out my body, respectively. As a result of trying to walk, I also fell over to my left and into Aviatrix’s side. She was knocked off balance before finding her strength to support my weight.

“I’m sorry.” I inhaled sharply as I tried balancing on three of my good legs. This is embarrassing for me. I hate it.

“Are you ready?” She asked me. I nodded before pulling down my mask and looking away. I felt her adjust her hold on me. She stepped forward once and I followed with an awkward and painful limp.

Foal steps. One after the other on the side of caution.

* * * * * *

The smoke was getting worse. Almost so bad that I swear I could smell the carbon dioxide or methane, or whatever else could be in there through the mask. Even with a new filter. I don’t even what to think about what could be cooking and burning in the larger fires we pass up. The twisted shapes bathed in amber are a gruesome sight.

We barely made it near the mess hall after what felt like an eternity. Aviatrix let me take periodic rests when my leg or my fatigue became too much for me. Right now we were resting on a ruined mess hall table where she gently set me down on a table seat.

“You didn’t find who you were looking for, did you?” Aviatrix spoke in a near apologetic voice.

I didn’t want to think about it. It tears at me when I think about it. Guilt. Regret. All of it was chewing at me from the thought. It doesn’t help me. It only reminds me. Reminds me of what went wrong and what would’ve been if I did something different. It’s a terrible feeling.

“Take as much time as you need,” Aviatrix told me caringly with a gentle rub of my back. I only gave her a troubled look. I think she smiled at me with a slight head tilt to her right. Then she eyed my battered, swollen leg and sighed. “ I should’ve seen if there was something to fix your leg up while we were there.”

“Like that would’ve done anything helpful.” I countered irritably. I’m tired, worn, and my leg’s busted. I looked at my resting, swelling leg and reached touch it. I twitched to the tenderness and left it alone. “ Even with a healing potion, my leg wouldn’t fix itself completely. More like reconnection without alignment.”

“Don’t worry,” she told me reassuringly. “More than sure the Cloudship will be able to fix it up.”

“And if they don’t…”

“They will!” She said confidently. “They’ll fix you. And I’ll fight them to make sure you’re fixed if I have too.”

The idea donned on me about what I said about healing potions. If my leg isn’t fixed then I’m crippled. I’ll truly look like a burden, and I’ll hate myself even more than I already do. And I’ll hate every moment they’ll come and see me with my crippling condition. Unable to walk on my own. Unable to do anything worth the Enclave’s time. Unable to escape the idea of what I am. I don’t want it. I don’t fucking want it!

“They won’t be able to fix this,” I said soberly, staring at my leg. I flinched, “They crushed it with Power Armor, Aviatrix. Power Armor. It’ll probably be a miracle if I can keep my leg.”

“Have hope, Ward.” she urged. “ It’s not the end.”

“Maybe not to you!” I snapped. “You can still walk! And I won’t be able to fly my way in those the halls without enough wing room! Hell, they’ll ship me off to who-the-fuck-knows along with the rest of those who can’t pull their weight! Face it, Aviatrix. I’m done.”

“We’ve come this far, Ward.” She told me, sounding a bit annoyed. “Would it hurt to have a bit of optimism once a while?”

“How can I be optimistic about any of this!?” I shouted to make my point. Then I panned one of my hooves around the general area like I was beholding something:

“Look around you, Aviatrix. What’s there to be optimistic about!? We live in a fucking hole in the ground; we have advanced tech but don’t use it because of X-reason; We’re under fucking attack by...somepony that’s in here with us! On top of that, I have to deal with the fact that I’m a fucking burden right now! Maybe even was for my whole life! Now with a broken leg, that problem’s only worse!” I slammed my hoof onto the table. “Do you see my point!?”

I had to take a breather for a moment. I blew off a lot of pent up steam just now, and to think that it probably wasn’t necessary. This was about my leg. Not any of this and what I said. I need to calm down. How can I with the condition I’m in now!?

“You think...you’re a problem?” Aviatrix probed questionably. Her tone changed. It wasn’t growing annoyance, but it was something else. I don’t know how to describe it.

I’m a burden. I’ve always been a burden and I hate it. I wanted to change it. But I can’t. I don’t know why. Trying to figure it out just drives me insane. I’m annoyed, angry and sad about it all at once. I’m sad for them. I’m sad for her. I’m angry with myself. And they once asked me why I never wanted them. She once asked me that question...

“Why did you come for me?” I said sullenly.

“Ward…” She said in a soft, confused and concerned voice. “ Why are you saying that!?” her tone saddened. “Do you know how much you mean to me!? Do you know how those words hit me!? You’re all that I have left...” Avie... her masked gaze shifted down to the table. I can see her trembling. “Ever since father…ever since you-”

There was a distant scream echoing from the halls outside, disrupting the mood significantly. That scream was loud enough to remind us that we weren’t out of the clear yet. We still had a ways to go, and from the look on Aviatrix’s face, there was something to do as well.

She got up from her seat and armed her rifle, focused on the door to the hall. Then she looked back at me, her saddened mood melted away. “ I’ll be back, Ward.” She said, “It doesn’t sound too far.”

That’s what concerns me. I don’t want her to go alone. I need to go with her. I kept that thought in my head until the sharp pain and collapse in my leg told me otherwise. Aviatrix was quick to catch me when I tried standing.

“Ward, just stay here and stay quiet.” She told me insistently.

“You can’t go alone,” I told her with deep, pained breaths. I tried standing one last time and the pain was too much. She helped me sit down. “ just let me come.”

“You’re in no condition to fight, Ward.” She told me, kneeling down to my sitting level. “It’ll be quicker if I go by myself.”

My head was hurting from everything. I don’t want to argue if I know this conversation will go back and forth on the subject. I’ll try to push to go and she’ll push her argument too. Not wanting to spend anymore time down here, I reluctantly nodded my head. Please come back, Aviatrix.

“Thank you for understanding,” Aviatrix gratefully told me. She got up from her knees and moved toward the door hastily, and then came back. Why is she removing her mask? She’s getting too cl-

She kissed me. On the lips. My mask slightly uplifted by her hoof and then the kiss. Sweet, sweet strawberries. I’m appalled. Warmer than before, and the negativity slightly dissipated. Confused? Happy? Flabbergasted? I don’t know.

She pulled herself away and gave me a warm smile, “remember that one for me, ok?” She pulled her mask down dashed for the door as the screams continued. I watched from my seat as she disappeared into the soot clouds, bringing a hoof to my now covered lips.

Almost...Almost like last time.

* * * * * *

I waited to see her come around the corner. With the screaming pegasus by her side. No shout. No voice. Not even a laser discharge. It all made me so anxious. Too anxious. Tapping the table faster and faster with a hoof. Taking deep breaths. Twitching at the sounds of falling pipes and what I took for as small explosions further down. Hearing things. Where the hell are the fucking rescue squads? Thought there’d be more coming down here by now.

Finally, the sound of laser discharges made my heart jump. They were coming from down the hall. That’s it; I can’t wait anymore. I need to go find her. I can’t walk there that’s for sure. Then I looked at my semi-unfurled wings. I pushed myself off the seat and immediately collapsed to the crunching of my leg. Now on the hot, soot-coated floor, I cried out softly to ride out the wave of pain. I tried again and pulled myself off the hot floor with the aid of my hoof on the nearest table. I rested myself on the seat and this time pushed off in haste. I spread my wings before I took that leap and pushed off into the thick black cloud overhead. I did it.

I made progress getting to the door...

Next to the door…

Headfirst into the wall next to the door...

I can’t focus with the number of inflictions I’m dealing with. I’m tired, in pain, weak, and now I’ve got a web crack across the visor. Fucking perfect. But no matter how big of a deal I make it, there is still something more important. I got back up by sliding my wounded side up the wall. Now I just need to guide my way to her. One step at a time.

I jump-glided to the other side of the hallway once I rested on the doorframe. She went right. Now I have to jump-glide to the other side of the hallway till I find her. I did just that and then took my time to guide myself down the smoldering hallways again.

What felt like minutes I’ve been inching myself across the hall wall and was approaching a T-section. I have to find her. It shouldn’t take this long if the voice she heard sounded close. I’m not hearing it. Not hearing anything. I’m getting anxious. Where the hell did she g-

I tripped over something and was once again kissing the floor, this time on a burning pile of pony. Now panicking with the contorted corpse crumbling under me and feeling the ash burn through my uniform I bursted upward with a wingburst away from it. Then I patted down the ash on me. Now that I’m off that, I irritably looked to what tripped me.

It was a broken battlesaddle. An M.E.W. Model 9 layed near it, some parts of the saddle still clinging onto it. It looked like it was in good condition, but the saddle was totaled. Something bashed in the harness plating and the weapon carrier had snapped off.

“I could use it.” I told myself. A sudden thud put my dull edges on high alert for a moment. A quick glance behind and around, now I’m focused on getting the rifle. Fortunately, the rifle came off easy.

“Alright.” Finally, something works out. The cell seemed alright for now, and found three cells to go with it. Even better. Then I found a familiar glow when the saddle shifted on its side. Dread filled me when I saw the pool of it hidden under the saddle. Oh shit…

Something got me from behind. A hoof. The Traitor. Fuck! I let my guard down! I autonomically turned back to see the Traitor hovering over me. It wasn’t them...it was…

“Shit!” Aviatrix was staring at me in shock. I quickly grabbed her to lighten her fall, then adjusted her so she was looking up at me.

I took a heart-wrenching look at her. She was lacerated. Mutilated like she fell into a blender. Her deep wounds were leaking so much blood that the lacerations pooled in her skin and flesh and poured out crimson waterfalls. The once angelic white mare is now a crimson mare. A glistening, crimson mare. It hurt me to see her like this. I wanted to cry.

“Aviatrix! What happened!?” I asked in panic. She was just staring up at me through her damaged mask, struggling to make words. “Please, Avie! I need to know!?” Please, Avie. My heart was falling hard. Too hard in fact.

I heard the echo of metallic clomps. Slowly, I raised my head towards the direction of the steps. They were coming closer. My heart accelerating and my blood becoming more like ice water after every step. Was there another Traitor? It had to be.

Shit. Shit! We had to get to the exit and fast. But how? Aviatrix’s losing too much blood and I’m crippled. I can try carrying her on my back. It’s not like I have a choice.

“Just hang in there, Aviatrix!” I told her reassuringly in panic. I placed her flat on the ground against the wall behind me and then got into my best crouching position. I pressed my head under her and up the wall till she rolled on my back.

My legs wanted to give out as soon as I tried to stand. The only thing that kept me from collapsing was the adrenaline in my blood and making sure we make it out. Together. I will repay my debt.

The metallic clomps were getting too close. I started putting distance between us and the incoming Traitor. Come on. Come on! I pushed myself harder. Harder and harder like training. It was just like training. Yeah, if fucking training involved fire in close quarters! Crippled and carrying a companion!

I made some progress but it wasn’t enough. They were still too close and now my knees were tiring out on me. I almost fell after so many steps and now I must be hearing things because there’s something coming from up ahead. Lights pierced through the thick atmosphere. Never been happier in my life to see the second wave of rescue come in.

“Got live ones here! ” One pegasus in a protective suit screamed. “One of you get the Medic! Now!”

I relaxed, knowing we found help and got down on my knees. The pegasus who found us propped me against the wall. He looked to the sound of the still coming clomps and got two other pegasi armed with battle saddles to position themselves like a guard wall.

Another pegasus came carrying saddlebags this time. He stopped to kneel at Aviatrix who was still bleeding and got to work. Pulling out healing potion and telling her to drink up. It was good to see her well- or something close to that. After the potion, she was given water.

“Get ‘em up!” The pegasus ordered the medic and another rifle pony. They immediately complied and began aiding us back to our hooves. They started making us move down the hall they came from. Finally.

“Enemy sighted! Engaging!” Somepony cried out from behind us.

There was a short burst of an energy rifle from behind. First two shots, then consecutive shots overlapping each other. I looked back to see the hallway light up a bright red that traveled and stopped on armor. The Traitor seemed to start picking up the pace, forcing the guard to backpedal hastily to maintain distance.

The Lead Pegasus took a look behind. I just realized that the energy discharge started to pick up. Then there were screams and what sounded like something heavy slam the walls. Next thing I knew something bloody flung at the Lead Pegasus and knocked him down. Our support didn’t stop, they just kept going.

The klomps kicked up to running speed. I could feel the panic in the two pegasi that were holding us when they tried kicking up speed themselves. Now the klomp was right behind us, and a powerful sweep threw us all against the walls. Unluckily, I landed on my bad leg and groaned with intensity at the pain.

The Traitor was just standing there, scanning his victims and giving a vibe that was unnerving. Then his attention turned on the medic that regained his footing. The Traitor stormed off to him.

“Stand down!” The Medic yelled out to The Traitor. “Stand down, now!”

The Traitor would’ve pinned him with the bladed tail hadn’t the medic jumped out of the way. The medic scrambled for the weapon he had holstered and removed his mask to use it. The extra pegasus that helped Aviatrix come to his aid, aiming his rifle at the armored pegasus from the opposite end. They were starting to corral the mysteriously violent pegasus.

“Stand down!!” The Extra repeated to the Traitor with a mouthful of pistol.

Another pegasus came from the hall. The Lead. He was bloodied up and huffing. He too was arming his weapon and aided in the corralling.

“Stand down!” The Lead joined in that chant. The Traitor was shifting their head left and right as they backed up into a wall. “Unit 78-D! Stand down at once!”

The Traitor got out of their aggravated stance and stood tall. The Lead approached them, staring up at them. “Check this one.” He told his extra squadmate. Speaking of squadmates…

I saw Aviatrix on the other side of the hall. I have to make sure she’s alright while this squad’s doing their thing. Whatever it is. I pulled myself up and limped my way to her. When I got close enough to her I fell to my knees. She wasn’t moving. I nudged her with my muzzle. Still nothing.

“Please. Please. Please.” I started muttering in a panic. She had a healing potion. She was drinking water. Was she knocked out? To be sure, I put my ear to the side of her chest. Never had I been happier to hear a heartbeat.

“How many did they say were brought here!?” The Lead asked his squadmates.

“Two, sir!”

Two of them? Just as soon as it was said came the heavy walking again. When it came to the attention of the squad, they began setting up. The lead pointed to us then at the standing power-armored pegasus. “Stay wit’ ‘em! Make sure nothing happens to ‘em, do you get me?”

“Yes, sir!” The medic shouted. The Lead joined the extra and set up the same defense as before.

We waited. They waited. The waiting game was on. In that black curtain was the other, coming for us. Creeping towards us. Stopped.

Now it was quiet. The squad was unnerved. I was unnerved. The medic seemed just as unnerved, if not on the verge of a panic attack.

“Why the fuck did it stop!?” shouted the Medic in distress. Yeah, give away the fact we’re here. That’ll help. I turned to him in agitation at the fact he shouted. Then I noticed something slither under his hooves, then over his head.

“Watch it!” I tried warning the medic but it was too late. The curved blade lodged into the back of his head and went limp. The pistol dropped out of his mouth and fired a stray shot that bounced for a bit. I covered Aviatrix to shield her from it.

The two pegasi waiting for the encroaching other immediately turned in alarm to my shout and the shot. “He’s going at it again!”

I watched the Traitor’s tail lift the medic’s body from the floor and flung it towards the two. They ducked out of the way when they saw it coming and the flying body hit the wall with such force the body flattened, crunched, and splattered on the burnt mural. It stayed attached to the wall until it sloughed down and hit the floor, leaving a gleaming, trail stain of blood and a pile of meat. I just froze in the combat. Aviatrix is still out cold. I need to protect her. I need to. It’s my turn.

Shot’s fired. The second one was here. It was The Traitor from Medical. How’d he survive!? I saw his head get hammered! Even his mask says that! It was slowly walking towards the extra.

“Sir! We’ve got a problem!” shouted the extra as he narrowly avoided a jump.

“Hit ‘em hard! Open the armor!” The lead shouted. They were both occupied by the individual Traitor. I just watched from the sideline as they struggled. What could I do? I can’t risk leaving Aviatrix alone.

The Extra ran out of ammo and rear kicked to get another cell in his rifle. Soon as the rifle whirred up, the Extra’s throat was sliced open by a blade-tail whip. He held a hoof to his neck, trying with false hope to stop the bleeding as it gushed profusely. He was done, and fell forward. Dead.

Now the Lead was all alone and they started coralling him. He would aim his rifle at the one on the left. The one on the right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Now he was backed up against the wall. Who’d jump first? Who’d be the one to give the killing blow? They were in kissing distance. One arched their tail over their shoulder and sharply stabbed him in the chest, and the other went through his eye with a pop. He was finished.

They stood there. Both of them looking at the fallen body, then eerily up at each other. Then they slowly turned in my direction. Our direction. My blood ran cold throughout my body.

Shit! I knew I should’ve left when we had the chance. I would’ve been able to reach the exit by now if I thought about it. Maybe it’s false hope; maybe it’s me not thinking straight but I know I can still try. I got to.

I got up as fast as I could and put Aviatrix on my back. Now it was a game of Cat-and-Wounded-Mouse. Before I even took a step, one charged at me. I dropped Aviatrix (rather roughly) in time, got low and jumped out of the way. My leg shot pain through my body again when I landed on it, leaving me crying in pain.

I was now at the mercy of the Traitors. One was creeping towards me, and the other was creeping to Aviatrix. That tail looked very eager to end her. No. Not her. Anypony but her. I won’t let it.

I mustered whatever strength I had left, I decided to try and get around them. I put myself into action, limping hastily towards his left. The Traitor’s gaze- blank with the mask’s broken lenses- just focused on me. They weren’t even reacting to my sudden burst. Why are they just standing the-

My ears are ringing. Everything just went silent. Why can’t I move? Why can’t I breathe? What just...happened? Some of my senses were coming back- I can hear a heartbeat in my ears. Something tugged at me. The tugging was from the upper left side of my chest. Now I felt that spot unusually warmer and wet. Slowly, I looked down at myself. There was a thick, sleek and scorched black cord of sorts in my chest. It was segmented- insectoid. Blood. My Blood was dripping around it. I looked slightly to my side. This thing in my body was connected to the Traitor. they were staring at me.

It all came back at once. A horrendous wave of pain shot through my chest and I gave way to it. I screamed strainfully, putting a hoof on the armored tail inside. Now they were lifting me up off the ground till I was practically hanging. My scream became more breathless and strained from the pain the curved blade inflicted on me. I was beginning to feel sick, feeling my chest and my ribs tear themselves apart across that sharp edge. I looked back at them, my mouth now hanging open as I began running out of air. They cocked their head to the side, then with full force whipped their tail till I went flying back to the wall like a foal’s doll during a tantrum.

I broke. Sickening pops sending different frequencies of pain, one on top of the other. I felt my left ribs snap then felt back of my head slam into the steel wall, sending a traveling flare of pain to my crown and forehead. My left wing popped out of its socket and limped under the weight of my own body.

I was in so much pain, I felt like passing out. Instead, I threw up to taste vomit and blood. My ribs were on fire, my wing’s feel like a red-hot, painfully electrifying poker. Ironically, I began to start feeling cold. My head hurt like hell; so disoriented that I felt like I was going blind. My head was leaking too. Hard to breath; every breath a wheezing, painful, burning feeling. Every breath made my chest tighter and tighter. I can’t move, I felt like if I tried I’d only make things worse.

I could see one of them creeping up to me. Their menacingly dark silhouette approaching me closer and closer. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I was so close to crying, knowing that this...this was going the last thing I’d ever see.

Please… Somepony...Aviatrix...Typhoon...guys...I’m scared… where are you guys...I don’t want to be alone…

There was a sudden discharge, the Traitor was hit behind the head. After the second shot he calmly turned behind him to see the attacker. I painfully managed to see Aviatrix through my blurring and tunneling vision holding the Medic’s energy pistol in her mouth. She was still laying down against the wall, her right foreleg being the only thing keeping herself propped up.

The Traitor’s gaze was now fixed onto her. I started wondering where the other one was. Where was he? Oh shit!

Aviatrix fired at the Second looming over her after they failed to react. They staggered back from a couple of consecutive shots to the chest. He recovered, looked down at his armor, then unexpectedly jumped at her. They barely missed her. I could tell she was still fatigued, her foreleg giving out for a moment soon as she made the dodge. Now they both were creeping up on her. No. Not her. Anypony but her.

With any ounce of strength left in me, I pushed myself forward and fought through the tremendous pain. I was slipping over my own blood, holding back screams of agony. I clung to the hole in my chest to stop the bleeding and used one hoof to pull myself toward them. I hoped that if I can somehow slow them both down, then Aviatrix could have a chance.

I clung onto the Traitor as tight as I could. He dragged me across the floor; four steps later, They finally noticed me and stopped before they got to Aviatrix. Oddly, the Second stopped the same time the Traitor did. Then they both eyeballed me, taking their attention away from Aviatrix.

“F-f-finish… you...started…” I breathily told them. I looked to Aviatrix and our eyes locked. “Run!”

The Second darted at me where they socked me in my broken ribs back down the hallway, away from the exit. My ribs were flaring intensely with waves upon waves of pain. My breathing was labored. Every breath was a burning, sore, and hideously tight sensation.

There were more discharges coming down the hall I came from. Behind the last red beam, I saw Aviatrix desperately shoot through the smoke towards me. Seemed like she got a second wind. She slid across the floor on her hooves, and reached down to get me.

“You...were supposed to leave.” I wheezed in pain. “...gave you a chance.” I think she heard me, but she just continued trying to get me on her back. I grunted and almost screamed from feeling the loose things grind against my insides.

The Traitor darted again, and this time knocked both of us straight into the wall with brute force. Aviatrix landed some feet to my right and I was now on my belly. Back at square one. They looked at me then I saw the knife tail snake around one side and point at me. I knew what was coming next. All I can do is close my eyes. I don’t want to see it coming. I don’t want to look.

I heard the Traitor take calm steps towards me, and after three steps I heard the blade cut through the air. Something of a sixth sense tingled my stomach, intensifying the closer the blade came to me. It didn’t come. I didn’t feel the blade pierce me again but I heard it pierce something. I opened my eyes. Shock consumed me.

“Nnnnooo…”

Aviatrix. She was hunched over me from the side. She was gasping, eyes wide open and her body shaking weakly. I saw a blade tip jutting out of her chest. The tip pushed out of her heart, Aviatrix half grunted and half screamed as her chest was torn apart.

The blade sharply slipped out and she almost fell, her hole punched chest almost hitting me. I saw the blood flow and drip from her cavity onto my own uniform; onto my own blood. Her legs were shaking, struggling to keep her up. She looked at me, whimpering with tears running from her eyes and blood leaking from her mouth. She smiled. Why is she smiling? Then she mouthed something to me….she mouthed something to me...no…

She gave out, her body fell on me. Her eyes were still staring at me. She convulsed slightly and I heard her struggling. She smiled one last time...then she went limp. Her pupils opened up. She wasn’t breathing anymore.

My chest was filling up with emotion. I’m wracked with anger; with guilt...tremendous guilt. Just seeing her body...I can’t take it. Why, Avie? Why did you… I told you to- why the hell didn’t you- no...no. No. No. No. No. No. I don’t want to believe it. I refuse. She can’t… she can’t be…

My vision was fading- everything’s blurring. My breaths were shortening. I heard my heartbeat thumping again- slower and slower, one after the other. I saw the one of the Traitors pop into view. They were staring down at us. Watching my body give up. They were removing their helmet, and I heard the hiss echo in my head. Before my vision faded, I saw glowing dots. Two light green glowing dots in their head.

So tired… My eyes closed slowly. My breathing was slowing. My body went numb and cold. I heard my heartbeat start to slow. My world went silent and died all noise faded to my last passing breath.

≈ ≈ ≈ | ≈ ≈ ≈

My eyes popped open. I’m lying belly up, and all I see is white. A white void and specks falling from it- coming at me slowly and lightly. Some of it got into my eyes, and I realized some of it started falling into my nose holes. The sound of mildly blowing wind beating down on me in nearly every direction.

I coughed harshly, practically trying to cough up a lung. I rolled over on my side, getting up on three hooves- one holding my aching chest- and still coughed till it felt like my throat was raw. Now I was taking in deep breaths, staring down at the floor. Then I looked up and around me.

Where am I? I was...somewhere. No place familiar at all. All I saw was white. There was a distinctive mist of sorts that moved in accordance to the blowing wind. It was also white, but the odd thing was how it was distinctive from the ambient color. I did notice a tinge of sorts in the mist; a color I can’t quite make out. There was that falling debris falling daintily like a feather. Those small, colored specs fell from an unknown source above, and seemed to fall through the white floor under me.

I sighed, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Where am I, indeed. My chest pain nulled down a bit and I dropped my hoof with my othe- hold on a minute.

I’m standing; I can breathe just fine somehow; my wings respond to my brain’s commands with no pain or issues. Oddly, I’m also not sleepy anymore. Everything about me felt...right; like there was nothing wrong with me, at all.

“What?” I said as I drowned in befuddlement. Or at least that’s what I think I’d hear myself say. I brought a hoof up to my throat. I hollered testingly. No vibration in my throat; no note. Nothing came out, even if I screamed at the top of my lungs. I felt the pressure, but heard nothing from me. Not even a whistle from trying so hard.

Now begging for air while drowning in my internal confusion my rump hit the floor. I sighed with frustration at my strange predicament. I’m lost. I’m mute. I don’t even know anymore. My head was pounding and I instinctively pulled a...white...translucent and cloudy hoof to my forehead…to relieve...the pain...W-w-what?

I gawked at it for a while, then I brought my other hoof to level them both side by side. I remember being a dark cerulean, last time I checked. Why am I white? Still shocked that I look different I got to giving myself a pat down. Everything else is here. Everything on me looked white. My hooves. My chest. My belly. Even my wings. Where are my clothes? My body was somehow fixed and well, and...wait. Now I’m convinced something is wrong. Very wrong. I’m more than sure feathers don’t fade into nothingness around the tips. Let alone look like they’re constantly turning into a mist like the rest of me.

I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel. What happened!? How did this happen!? Why am I white!? Why do I look like a pony-sized cloud in glass? Now that I think about it, where am I!? There’s nopony here! Where is everypony!? Anypony!? It’s just some hazy, empty...nothingness all around me. WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?

The sudden surge of questions and emotions got my heart racing. My breathing accelerated to keep up with my heart. My chest was hurting from both. My head was spinning and began throbbing so much; so much that I had to brace my head between my hooves. Oddly, as the feeling got more intense, so did the blowing wind around me; encircling me and howling loudly in my ears. They began ringing, bringing more pain as the pitch escalated. I pulled my head down to the blank surface, almost falling belly first.

This is insane! This is insane! This is insane!! Where am I!? What happened!? Where is anypony!? Somepony!? ANYPONY!? My head! Make it stop! Make my head stop spinning! Hurting!

Out of the blue my body jolted still. My trembling was gone. My head pain snapped out like a fire. Somehow my breathing calmed down and I could feel my heart slow. The howling wind was calming down to a soft and gentle whisper. I let go of my head and lifted my gaze a bit.

There was something in the mist. A shaped silhouette obscured by the mist, some distance from me. It just stood there like a statue.

I got up and took two hesitant steps. I know this could be a trap or something, but this is the first thing I’ve seen since about 15 minutes ago.

“Lost…”

Huh? Odd. That voice was seemingly out of nowhere. Echoing in the vast emptiness like it was a closed room. Didn’t stop to even think how smooth the voice was. So serene. So welcoming. The echos themselves seemed worked their way into my head, making everything sound like I was getting an echo upon echo; one after the other, after the other.

“Seek…”

The shape disappeared, and some unknown force was just telling me to follow. Maybe they knew something. Maybe a way out? I can’t be sure, but...I need to know.

My hesitation melted and I was able to move again. I just bolted to where I last saw the shape, moving at an alarming speed that I never thought I could achieve. It was just frustrating that it felt like I was making no progress at all. I stopped running after ten minutes. Didn’t run out of breath, and I can’t believe I couldn’t find them. I swore I saw them disappear this-

There something in front of me. It looked so out of place, but at the same time, it didn’t. It was a tunnel. This tunnel...it was made of the ambient mist. I could see the vapor arching and encircling the dark opening. Seemingly leading to nowhere. No light at the end of that tunnel.

I felt my ears twitch. The wind that came from it carried an alluring voice that whispered and hummed in my ear. It sounded so beautiful.

My vision seemed to tunnel into the black opening. My senses went numb, and I somehow lost control of myself. Through my own eyes I see myself shuffling into the tunnel against my own will. The edges of my vision were going black. I could feel myself straining towards something.

The hum grew louder the further I went in. The wind blowing in my face somehow turned into a sweet-sour fragrance. Now my vision is encased in darkness, and in that black void I saw a greenish mist. It seeped from nowhere, then the thick clouds turned into elongating, snake-like tendrils that slithered across the emptiness towards my reluctant body. The closer the mist tendrils came, the more anxious I got. What are these things?

I started feeling weak. Like I was losing myself. My blurring vision saw white mist pulling towards the tendrils. The mist was coming from me. What’s going on!?

My body stopped, and the tendrils snaked closer and closer towards me. I tried regaining control of myself while I had strength left in me. My body wouldn’t respond. My anxiety turned into full fledged panic when the situation triggered the memory of the Power Armor Incident. I tried desperately to move, but I just couldn’t. Fuck me!

The hum was growing louder. So loud I couldn’t hear myself thinking anymore. But I started hearing something in it. Like there was somepony else in that voice. Someponies? It sounded like smaller voices under the dominant one. I couldn’t tell if it was the wind or my Insomnia-like weakness playing tricks on me.

There was something coming towards me. The shape. I could see it outlined by yet another ominous glow in front of me. It came to me, slowly walking with ounces upon ounces of near elegant patience. These tendrils didn’t seem to go for it. They just, slowly curved back around from the shape- like two reversed magnets.

I was sharply yanked from the back and was pulled out of the darkness like a laser from it’s rifle muzzle. The hum turned to fading shrieks when I was basked in a radiant white light.

The ordeal left me worn, and I closed my eyes to the rising warmth of the white light.

≈ ≈ ≈ | ≈ ≈ ≈

I jolted awake and autonomically pulled myself sharply upright, gasping for air. I gulped the cold oxygen around me with my chest heaving hard to take it all in. My body felt wet and cold. Something was trying to hold me down from the chest. I heard metallic objects fall some ways ahead of me.

My eyes adjusted to the light, and my breathing slowed but was still taking in large quantities of air. There was a pony in a yellow gown and medical mask staring at me from the right in surprise. The force I felt earlier was his hoof pressed up against my chest. The noise was an assistant knocking over a tray of tools. She looked like she’s seen a ghost.

I scanned the room blankly with wide eyes. There were flat, steel tables in a neat row on the other side of the room. Each one had a black bag of sorts resting on them. I heard something crinkle when my back legs moved. I looked at them only to see a halfway zipped black bag over them.

I looked over to the pegasus on my right and stared at him with my still wide, but now questioning eyes. “Where am I?”

Author's Note

So, I've managed to get out this many chapters in a short while. Pays to have the drafts in G-Docs. Got any questions about the story? Concerns? Or just curious? Feel free to leave comments, I don't mind a friendly conversation. :)

Chapter 4- Departure

"Some leave because they feel the need to, and other times because they want to. Sometimes, it’s both..."

‘Killed in Action.’ That was the phrase of the night. We’ve lost so many, in one hour and fifteen minutes. One hundred and seven military personnel are dead, and around two hundred non-military personnel. The bodies just keep coming in from Sanctuary. A little less than half of our standard population has died in the incident, and about a hundred more are wounded with terrible second to third degree burns. And all those who didn’t die from the fire either died from suffocation, their critical wounds, or…

2 hours and 15 minutes. I’ve been dead for 2 hours and 15 minutes till I woke up in my own body bag. At first, I thought it was crazy, but then the attendants I scared nearly to death showed me my death report. Punctured heart and lung, caused by a blade. I should’ve been dead, but here I am: breathing and standing (even my leg was fixed somehow). That’s what the doctors weren’t able to figure out. What goods a doctor when they can’t even find the explanation?

When the rather puzzling and slightly uncomfortable physical evaluation was complete I realized that Diamond Dust had been waiting for me outside the Cloudship’s Med Wing.

I’ve never seen a pony cry so much, especially from her. She too looked like she seen a ghost, which I guess is understandable. She attempted to hug me after I stepped out. I almost let her have it but backed away last minute. I don’t want a hug. I just don’t. But I will accept the coat she gave me. Eventually, she asked that I’d follow her to her office.

I followed her to the Command Deck. Her room was guarded by two Wonderbolts who stood attentively at her door and snapped at attention when she approached. They even opened the door for her when she got close enough and she turned into it with me following close behind.

Her room was neatly decorated and kind of spacious with more of those paintings on the walls- with frames this time. A desk sat at the far end of the room with the Enclave’s official flag held up on the wall behind her with two black Enclave Expedition banners in each corner.

Diamond Dust had already seated herself at her desk. I just stood where I was with my face resting at a blank expression. There are a lot of things going on in my mind. Too many horrible things to feel good about anything. I didn’t even want to express how I felt, because if I did, I don’t know if I’d be able to come out of it. All I can do is feel numb. The same kind of numb from the extraction mission, but stronger; much more sickening.

“Come take a seat with me, Trade Wind.” I’m too drowned in my own thoughts and numbness to respond to that name. Eventually (about a minute after she asked), my legs started working again and I walked over to one of the seats at her desk and sat myself down. Soon as I did, I just lowered my eyes to the floor. I heard a something slide across wood towards me. That noise for some reason or another made me jump internally with freight. I’m so jumpy now.

“Are you hungry?” she asked me “ I got some fruit. Apples. Oranges. Grapes. What’s your favorite? Take some.” At least she tried. I don’t have an appetite.

“I know it has something to do with what’s happened,” she told me in a caring, sympathetic manner. “ I know what that’s like and I know how to fix it. You need closure. You need somepony to talk too. I’m here, you can talk to me. Anything that’s on your mind.”

Nothing with me is sitting well in the realm of happy- or sharing- moods. That wasn’t the only thing affecting me though. Looking down at my chest and at that large scar made me feel sick.

I poked at it tenderly, then put more pressure on the pink skin to move it around against the surrounding dark fur. “ Does it hurt?” I heard Diamond Dust ask me as I messed with it. It doesn’t hurt. Not physically. It’s a different level of pain. One I hope is just me overreacting.

“Is something wrong?” She pressed. I didn’t answer her. Can anything help me with the pain? “Please talk to me! I can’t stand the silence!”

I didn’t respond again and it prompted her to get up from her desk and come for me at my seat. I felt her push my seat away from her desk and towards her right. Then I felt her brace my shoulders and shake me.

“Talk to me! I need to know you’re okay!” she yelled as she shook me subtly. When I still didn’t answer she shook me harder. “Say something! Anything! Please!”

Something snapped in my mind through the numbness. Aviatrix. It came to me in brief flashes and snip bits of her voice echoing in my head. Brought up a slight headache and heavy heartache. Can I call it denial if I wish what my hazed mind was telling me wasn’t true? What am I saying?

“Aviatrix…” I muttered loud enough to let her hear me. I looked up at Diamond Dust, “...Aviatrix. Where is she?”

For nearly a minute, she stayed silent and left me in suspense. She was just staring at me wide-eyed. She blinked and nodded her head. “Trade. I-uh...I don’t know how to say this, but…” She turned her gaze away from me and started muttering; some kind of self-conversation. She gave me some space. Now she was shaking her head subtly with sad, compassionate eyes. “...I’m sorry.”

Those words couldn’t register for some reason. Felt like my mind broke from just hearing them. I felt my brows furrow and my mouth open and subtly let out small, incoherent- if not inaudible- words. My eyes just started blinking on their own as they darted along the floor. Gravity was pulling my head down to the floor.

I felt feathers brush against the back of my neck down to my back with the presence of somepony approaching me from the front. “ I know how it feels. You can let it out, it’s ok. Let it all out.”

I caught my mind from the sudden inner confusion I was feeling. I looked up at her, “What does that mean?” I asked her. “What do you mean ‘I’m sorry?’ What the hell are you sorry for!?”

She shook her head again, “ Trade...I found out when the reports came in. When your squad came up on the list it was you and her.” She swallowed. “ She’s dead, Trade Wind. She’s dead.”

I don’t know why. I heard those words, but at the same time, I didn’t. Some kind of womp-fu-womp that cut into those words. Was it getting harder to breathe? Some kind of warm breeze turning up the heat?

I started shaking my head at her. “ No. No, I just saw her. We were so close. I mean, she was more able-bodied than I was. She was fine.”

She sighed sadly, “ I know how hard it is to accept this. I too lost somepony I loved dearly, and it took me some time to acce-”

“Accept what!?” This isn’t what I want to know. It all isn’t registering, and the chest squeezing keeps building up. “ Accept what!? Where is she!?”

“Trade, please calm-”

“WHERE IS SHE!?”

The doors suddenly opened, turning both of our eyes away from each other and to the intrusion. It wasn’t just any intrusion. It was a Councillor. The Head Councillor: High Glide. Wonder what the occasion is for her coming here.

“High Glide. Welcome.” Diamond Dust changed her tone and snapped to attention. I just stepped aside.

High Glide. Head Councillor of the Enclave High Council. Yellowbelly. She’s been the face and voice of the High Council for as long as I can remember. Maybe even before I was born given how grey her orange mane is. She’s the reason why we’re all cooped up in here the way we are. A strong advocate for Isolationism and preservation.

I noticed her turning a yellow eye on me, looking at me like she had a stick up her ass. Then she looked over to Diamond Dust who was already on the other side of her desk. High Glide walked in a sort of stiff strut with a sour face.

“General. Explain.” She firmly asked in a near gravelly voice, finally stopping directly in front of Diamond Dust.

Diamond Dust kept a professional face in front of her. Her eyes became steely and her eyelids dropped halfway, all complete with a flat frown. “Explain what, Councillor?”

Almost immediately in response, High Glide slammed her two front hooves so hard on the desk the contents rattled with intensity and the papers shuffled. “Don’t be so naive with me, General!” She lashed in a burst of anger. “You are the head of the Enclave military. You have a high authority within these mountains; a chair amongst us. The very lives within these walls fall on your shoulders. Explain to me how we’ve managed to lose more than half our population within the LAST! SEVERAL! HOURS!”

Something started clicking in the back of my mind hearing that statement.

“I assure you that I have others trying to investigate.” She calmly explained in wake of the head Councillor’s wrath. “The only thing we could determine is that they’ve snuck in whilst wearing our Power Armor.”

Snuck in? “ And how was that possible, Ms. Dust?” High Glide asked her in a hissing, kind of probing tone.

“We…” Diamond Dust trailed the word for a bit before managing to catch her tongue and finish her sentence. She sighed. “...We-I… issued an extraction mission for a scouting team that held an invaluable payload.”

I’m starting to wonder how red she can get till I noticed a change in her fuschia coat because she looked like the radiating muzzle of a laser gun. “You mean to tell me...you issued a military extraction without approval from the High Council?”

Diamond Dust just looked at her straight in the eye. “Yes.”

High Glide practically went berserk after hearing that and started with aggressively shoving all her desk’s content, minus the terminal off over the side. She pointed a hoof at her. “May I ask how!?”

Diamond Dust didn’t faze from her outburst. “As far as we know, they might have followed closely to the Vertibuck when the perimeter defenses were lowered prior to their arrival. Coming in through the window whilst being undetected.”

“I’d find that hard to believe, Diamond Dust! Don’t think I’d just take as is!” High Glide snapped. I realized she turned her gaze over to me. I turned my gaze down and away from her. “You there. Who are you?”

I didn’t answer nor turn my gaze to her. I heard her stomp her hoof firmly a couple of times. “Answer the High Councillor when she addresses you! Answer me, now!”

“Corporal Trade Wind. Service number: 775-31-9972. 3rd Stormtrooper Division,” That wasn’t me opening my mouth and spilling my name, division, and credentials. That voice was Diamond Dust speaking for me.

“I asked him to speak, General!” I heard High Glide snap.

“You’ll have to excuse him. He’s one of the survivors of the attack. He’s not all there.” Yeah. That’s one way of putting it.

I looked up briefly to see the Councillor still looking at me. She was slow to turn her gaze back to Diamond Dust. I heard her let out a frustrated sigh, “I get the distinct feeling you’re not being one hundred percent honest with me, General.” She said in a tested, but still calm manner. “Why don’t you tell me the truth. Tell me exactly- and truthfully- how this happened?”

Diamond Dust was silent. Her facial expressions made it look like she was looking for something in her own head. She brought her searching eyes to High Glide again. “Considering our security, the other theory might be disguises. From what we can assume it was Power Armor.”

“So now you rebuke your previous theory immediately after hearing this one after you sounded fairly confident about the former!?” High Glide bursted in front of her. Diamond Dust opened her mouth, but High Glide made a gesture that made her shut it. “I don’t want any more excuses from you!” Her hoof dropped and she let out a sigh to relieve the tension. “Tell me, Diamond Dust, must I bother asking if you managed to capture and execute these perpetrators?”

Diamond Dust fell silent. She just stared at her with intensity. What was that supposed to mean?

It seemed like High Glide got something out of her silence because she just inhaled sharply and shook her head with closed eyes. “You’ve disappointed me, General.” She commented. “We will decide the next course of action. For now, you’re grounded. Next Council session we will discuss the terms and punishment for your actions against The Enclave.” She walked towards the door and stepped through before turning to say one last thing. She looked at me, “ This conversation never leaves this room. Do you understand?”

I nodded weakly at her, then she looked back at Diamond Dust one last time. “You have endangered everypony you swore to protect. I hope you know that, General. Good day.”

The doors closed and the tension in the room mellowed just a tad. I looked over to Diamond Dust and watched her slump into her chair and cradle her head with two hooves. Wonder what she was thinking?

“Where are they?” I asked her, coming out of my numbness. “The ones responsible?”

She still had that look of contemplation. Then she looked over to the door. “They got away.” Those words. They had some effect on me. My heart felt icy hot. My chest felt squeezed again. Was it anger? Sadness? I just can’t tell anymore.

“How did that happen?” I asked her as she reassembled the effects on her desks.

“That’s none of your concern!” She countered sharply in frustration. When she fixed a fallen picture frame on her desk she took a small breather, then mellowed out. “I’m sorry, Trade Wind. It’s just...why don’t you go find your squad. Get some rest.”

A part of me wanted to know more about this. Another part felt like I’ve heard enough. And the other just wanted to shut it all out and forget everything. I didn’t know which to listen to. Don’t know which will make me feel better. This fire and ice feelings becoming too unbearable the longer I’m here. I need to get out of here.

I turned to the door. I didn’t speak; didn’t even utter a goodbye as I did. I just wanted out.

“Hold on.”

I turned to Diamond Dust after her words stopped me from exiting. She looked at me from her desk, holding something out to me. I walked over to get a closer look. They’re tags. My tags. My talisman; my necklace; and my photo. “The medical team gave them to me after they confirmed you were dead. I thought you’d like to have them back.”

I held out a hoof and she dropped them. They jangled against each other as gravity did its work. I said nothing after she gave them to me, shoving them into my pocket and the necklace over my neck. Then I left her room.

That whole ordeal had affected me in some way. So many growing emotions, so many questions arguing over one another. They were all trying to telling me something, like telling me how to alleviate the pain. How? My memories; my emotions… all of them were trying hard to tell me their something. I wonder if it would be the healthy thing to just lock them all away.

Why does my chest still hurt? The numbness came back, and it was a thing in the recent past now.

* * * * * *

There was a heavy ambience of sorrow in the air as refugees were being sorted into areas of the Cloudship. It hung in the air like a thick blanket of fog- so thick you might as well be drowning in it. It only made it harder to navigate through these dark halls. There was enough room for the refugees to settle in, but I can feel that it’s a hole too big to fill; a wound too big to heal.

A bracing, rushing force came out of nowhere and I froze in an intersection. Memories of the surprise attack carried me to deliver a blow on the assailant. I managed to stop myself seconds before I thrusted my hoof until I saw turquoise eyes staring up at me.

“Gentle Breeze!” My heart lifted to see her. So much, in fact, that when I realized it, I couldn’t help but bend down and embrace the little filly. I wanted to cry, but I held it back. The flood was prevented. “You’re alive! I’m so glad you’re alive!”

I held her close for a good few minutes. Then she pulled away from her digging into my chest and looked back up at me. I only saw watery eyes.

“What’s wrong?” That’s all that really need to be said. I only wished it didn’t make things seem worse for her. She dug her little nose into my chest and scar. I could hear her sobbing, feeling every warm, sharp breath against my exposed chest fur.

“Excuse me.”

I looked up to see a mare in what I recognized as a type of caregiver uniform. I looked back down at Gentle Breeze and made a connection. “Do you know her?” The mare asked me about Gentle Breeze.

“Of course I do.” I responded in a near soft-spoken voice. I patted the filly’s shivering head. “She’s my little sister.” I looked back up at the mare. “Why?”

She looked at me surprised. “I thought she didn’t have any siblings.” she explained. “At least, that’s what they told me when they asked me to look after her.”

“No. No.” I responded with a subtle headshake. “We’re not blood. Her mother was my Foster. She grew up calling me ‘Brother’. ” She nodded her head at my explanation. Then I started thinking something else… “Where’s her mother?” Her eyes gave a saddened vibe when I asked. Then I looked down at the still crying Gentle Breeze. “Where’s your mom?”

She looked back up at me, this time she had clear streams of mucus coming out of one nostril. She sniffled, “She’s a mummy.”

I couldn’t analyze her words clearly at first, but then it hit me. And when it did, I needed to know more. Starting by asking this caregiver. “Take me to her. Please.”

* * * * * *

Hangar 3A was just a floor below. The place where the old birds sat idly and waited, now a place for the wretched. Cotton, spring and bed replaced steel and scraps. Mechanical tools and oil were replaced with gauze and 200 year old ointments. The birds, old and sturdy were replaced with the aforementioned burned; the weak; and the dying.

This place smelled of chemicals. The ambiance of the suffering was a faint cacophony that sang a tone of helplessness. I hurt for them.

Among them was Katafront. I found her and when I did, I almost didn’t recognize her. In my own way, I was in a state of controlled shock and grief to see her like this in her bed. Her body laying in a hard-looking white bed that began to stain a shade of dark orange. She looked like a charred, oozing mummy. Her whole back from the head down was a large patchwork of gauze that leaked endlessly with that same reddish-orange fluid. Where there weren’t patchworks there were wraps. Her wings were featherless and burned. Patches of black, red, yellow and bleached white was all that was left; large toothpicks that poked motionlessly out of her back and to the sides. Right now, a nurse tried to spoon feed her a yellow paste. Watching her painfully try to eat tore me up inside.

“Katafront…” I muttered in grief as I approached her left bedside. I noticed her stop eating and slowly...painfully turn her head away from the nurse and towards me.

“Ward…” she muttered to me. Her ruined smile and wet, peeling skin made the floodgates want to burst. The sight was difficult to bear.

I looked over at the nurse on the other side of the bed, “How bad is it?” I know it looks bad, but I want to know how bad. I’m not a medical pony, but I hold some hope that she’ll be ok.

“Are you related?” She asked as she put away the yellow mush aside. I would tell her the truth, but if I did she’d probably shove me away. ‘Family only’ type of rule.

“Yes. I am.” I answered the yellow-cladded nurse.

She gave a half smile and looked at the smiling, suffering mare. “Recovery found her in the residential level of Sanctuary. They found her wrapped in a blanket and her filly in a trunk. She saved her, and thought the blankets could protect her in some way.” Her face expressed despondence. “Her wounds are too great. Healing potions can only do so much and the needs outweigh what we can provide.”

Too great to heal, huh? If only gauze were enough. Doesn’t help that most of what we had was down in Sanctuary. As far as I know, they are probably running on reserves. I wish I could help in some way, but what do I know about medicine?

Didn’t take me long to notice the nurse was already leaving with the aluminum tray of half-eaten slop. She stopped when she noticed me looking at her and gave a sympathetic smile. “I’ll leave you two alone.” I nodded in response and she continued on her way.

It was just me on the side of the bed and her stiffly on the bed now. I sat down on the metal floor next to her, unable to find a chair. I could tell that every movement was an agonizing second of discomfort and cracking skin.

“I’m...so glad...you’re ok.” Katafront weakly talked to me. She winced shortly after when she slightly adjusted her charred neck. I don’t even know what to say, or if I should say anything at all. I’d tell her the same thing, but I’m not so sure if it’d be the right thing to say.

“Aren’t I always?” I should’ve said something better. That doesn’t sound right, it’s contradiction on my part. She looked...happy. Very happy. Why? Wait. That smile’s going away. Her yellowed eyes were looking around.

“Where’s Breeze?” She asked me, her searching eyes now stopped at me. I waved a hoof slowly with a flat smile.

“She’s fine. She’s alright.” I’m glad I didn’t let Gentle Breeze follow me in here. She shouldn’t have to see this. Not her own mother. I noticed her concerned expression, and then I watched her painfully set herself to look up at the ceiling.

“I’m glad.” She said with a loss of wind in her voice. She swallowed painfully. “And your friends?... Are they ok?”

The memory of Aviatrix snapped in and out of place. Her screams of pain. Her tears. I shuttered away with a chill down my spine and turned away from Katafront for a moment. I felt my chest threaten to throw out sobs the more I thought of her. Her face. The hopelessness. I strain myself just to hold it all in.

“I...need somepony...to look after her. Somepony...strong...to be there for her.” I heard her say, throwing my mind into the now.

“What?”

She was staring at me from her fixed position. “I...need you...to look after Breeze… for me.” Her eyes were starting to water. My heart was aching even more than before. “I’ve...lived a life... going outside and coming back. Seeing the world...for what it’s turned out to be. Dreaming...of a day we’d come out...I’d be able to settle down with her. Raise her...into a strong pegasus mare.” The tears were coming. They were trailing from her eyes and into the bandages and open wounds. “Can you...do that for me?”

“What?” I still don’t understand. She’s talking like it’s the end of her. Don’t tell me that. That’s the last thing I want to hear right now! “Don’t talk like that. You’re gonna be ok.” The tension of her words had me jump to my hooves. “They’ll help you. They’re doctors! They know how to fix broken ponies!”

“Look at me, Trade!” She raised her voice with tears before groaning in pain. My tension dropped. She used my real name. “I’m broken!... Don’t know how much time!” She began to cry. “Just...look after her for me! Do...what a big brother would!”

Sadness sank into my heart faster, creating a vortex that swelled into my soul. I could feel it getting bigger. My teeth were grinding against each other as I decided to ride it out. I can’t take it anymore. I can’t.

The sound of the bed shaking pulled me away. I looked over to Katafront to see her shaking feverishly. Her wheezy breath turned into desperate gasps of air. Her mouth opened and loud gasps of air filled the local ambiance around me. I stood there in shock as I watched her convulse and gag.

“Katafront…” I peeped with wide eyes. My body ran cold. My heart thumped until the rest of the noise around me nulled into faint muffles. I didn’t know what to do. What was happening? “...Katafront…”

Mom...

Soon after, the nurse from before came towards us from the rows of beds further down. When she turned to what I was locked on, I noticed her swiftly rush to her aid. I could only see her mouth words. She looked desperate; it looked like she was screaming. Soon as it looked that way, other medical staff came rushing. They surrounded her, and I felt my hooves carry me a couple of steps back. Then it wasn’t me carrying me back, but a stallion nurse. He was pushing me towards the door. Soon as I was some distance away, he mouthed to me something before turning tail to help the medical staff. I just watched on until all the clamoring colors were cut off by the closing door.

Realizing my lungs still worked I took in steady, but deep breaths. I took in the scene a little more slowly in my head. Her words echoed amongst the rest of the horrors; the ambient cries and moans of pain further amplifying the pit in my stomach.

“Look after her for me…”

Look after Breeze. I know she means for me to stay and look after her. Keep her out of trouble. But if I stay here and she happens to end up seperated from me… One of those conflicting sides came back. It told me what if I’m not able to save her…

...If she becomes like Parhelion…

...If she becomes like…

I shut my eyes tight and shuttered, turning away from the horrid thought. I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want any of it to happen.

Gentle Breeze had been waiting with the new Foster. The mare just waited for me to say something, and Breeze just stared up at me.

“Is mama ok?” the innocent little filly peeped. Hearing her brought gloom. I don’t know what to tell her without upsetting her. I know that they’d eventually toughen up after the bad news, but can I really tell her? In the state she’s in? Can I break a little filly’s heart?

“She’s fine,” I answered softly, holding a small smile to hide the downcasting feelings like a mask. Although she believed me, the Foster was eyeing me a little bit. Not in a happy way, nor in an angry way. I think she understood why. I ended up looking back down at Breeze and kneeled to her level. I softly placed a hoof over her head. “She’ll be ok. But now I need you to do something,” Her eyes locked onto me and I thought of the words carefully in my head.

“I need you to stay with your new guardian for a bit, ok?”

Her face expressed disappointment and she looked at me with this ‘why?’ expression that pierced me right through my scarred chest. “No!” She said with a vigorous head shake. “I want to stay with you!”

I lowered my head, trying to let that sink in a bit. I have to be strong. “I know you do,” I told her before taking my hoof off her head. “But right now I need to do something. Something for your mother.” It chewed me out from the inside to half-lie to her like this, but right now with my internal conflict and Katafront, I need some time to think.

Breeze looked down in disappointment, she was about to cry again. Feeling real bad for her, I lifted her chin gently till we were eye to eye. “ Hey, I’ll come see you when I’m done, ok? I won’t forget. Ok?”

Her eyes trembled a bit. “Promise?”

I looked at her calmly, then traced a cross on my chest over the scar. “Cross my heart.” That being said was enough for the little filly to well up a tad and embrace me in another sudden hug. I returned the hug then Iooked up at the Foster. “Can you please take care of her for me? For Katafront?”

The Foster just stared at me and her head slightly jerked into a subtle headshake. “Yes. Of course.”

I nodded with a small smile, mouthing a ‘thank you’ to her before softly pulling myself away from the filly. I gave her one last confident smile, then left her with the Foster.

* * * * * *

I remember being told that my squad was on the next floor up along with the rest of the survivors, last time I asked. I think the room was, Barrack-5.1? Or was it Barrack- 3.1? Regardless about which one it was, I’ll find them. They were in 4.1. This room was relatively clean with what I can remember as the Stormtroopers that survived the fire, with the exception of mares. It felt like the whole room was staring at me. Taking a good minute to look around, they were.

With colors of eyes staring at me, I couldn’t help but feel my stomach sink slightly. What was their problem? I just narrowed my eyes at the room and walked inside. Soon as I did, everypony just went back to what they were doing; be it small talk amongst their squad or resuming their nap (fucking light sleepers). Amongst them, I recognized the familiar three just staring at me with concerned looks on their faces.

I made my way to an empty bed at the far end of the room. I sat at the edge of my bed and waited. Immediately after, Typhoon came to my side and sat down. L.G. and Fallstreak followed but remained standing up.

“How you feeling, buddy?” Typhoon started a conversation. I didn’t have the drive to answer. Still so numb- so cold. I just kept my silence and stared out. “We heard about Aviatrix,” He added plaintively. Then I felt him pat a hoof over my shoulder in a comforting manner. He kept it there after the second pat and sighed. “I’m sorry, Ward. Must be hard.”

Those words for some reason killed the numbness. Now I felt angry.

Shut up...

“It was because of you she went down with Typhoon, you know.” I heard Fallstreak mention out of the blue. That single comment…

My eyes widened when those words sank in. Memories were surfacing again. It was me? I’m the reason? I’m the reason she’s… My brows narrowed a bit, and my hooves started shaking. Fire overcame ice and was raging.

Typhoon patted my shoulder twice again then shook it. I saw him come into my field of vision from the right. “Ward, are you-”

I lunged at Fallstreak and the world went silent in my ears. His head hit the floor and his eyes widened in surprise and horror, I saw him mouthing words- possibly pleas. My chest was burning. What was that supposed to mean!? I want him to shut up. I want him to shut up!

Shut up! Shut up!

I started throwing punches at him to make his mouth stop moving. He tried to get up, but I used my weight to keep him down. I started roaring to the violence, slowly building the amount of force between punches. I was practically bashing him now.

There were forces pulling me back, and pulling Fallstreak away. It was the other pegasi in the room. I struggled to get free from my restrainers, to get back at Fallstreak. One was ordering others to get that now unconscious, bloody, nearly pulped pegasus out of the room.

“Let me go! Let me go!” I begged aggressively at my restrainers. They didn’t listen to me and pinned me down- belly first- to the floor. I continued to struggle till I saw Typhoon quickly kneel down and put his head over me. He started talking to me, putting a hoof on my thrashing head and mouthing something to me.

Sound was coming back. Typhoon’s words came up to volume. “...-de calm down!”

My roaring calmed down to angry breathing. It felt so hot. My head was hurting like hell; felt like it’ll explode. “ Shut up! Shut the fuck up, Typhoon!”

“Ward, what’s gotten into you!?” He shouted. “ What happened!?”

“He said it,” I said through closed teeth. “ He fucking said it, and I didn’t want to hear it!”

He shook his head in confusion, “What? That she went down there to-”

“Don’t you fucking say it!”

He looked at me like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “He didn’t mean to say it like that! I know he didn’t! But it’s true, she cared about you! She went against my orders to get you!”

“And you didn’t stop her!?” I shouted in disbelief. I was feeling uncomfortable and tried struggling to get comfortable. “ Get the fuck off me!”

“You don’t think I tried!?” he stood up and defended himself. “She didn’t listen to me, like you. As a matter of fact, unlike you, she left without saying a word!”

Shut up…

I don’t want to hear it. It hurts- all of it hurts. ‘...she did it because she cared about you.’ Typhoon...you have no fucking clue how much that hurts. You telling me that...hurts so much.

I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Felt like my nose was clogging up and the back of my throat was swelling. I can’t stop the flood. I’m trying so hard.

My ears twitched to the sound of the door opening. There were sets of hooves clopping their way towards us. There were two Cloudship Security Force guards walking past Typhoon and towards my restrainers. I felt the weight on my back lift, then I was forced up on my legs. One of them was restraining my wings while the other watched me with a nightstick.

I saw Typhoon step around the nightstick guard to talk with him face to face. “ Hey what’s going on?”

The guard adjusted his head slightly towards Typhoon, still having his eyes locked on me. “Your Stormtroops were hauling a body out of the room. When we went to go see the problem up close, they told us that they know who done it.” He twirled the stick in his mouth after he looked at my hooves and poked at my chest in rhythm with his enunciating words. “ This. One. Right. Here. Proof. On. His. Hooves.”

The pegasus working the harness firmly secured it around my wings. An all too familiar feeling. Any tighter and I might just pop. I grunted and growled with agitation after the last strap was firmly pulled at my back. When he finished, he forced me up off the ground.

My eyes fixed themselves on my bloodied forehooves getting shackled. Just like way back when. Been a very long time since they tasted another pegasus’ blood. Then I looked up at the nightstick guard and glared at him. He didn’t like it and told me by snapping that hard reinforced plastic and metal across my face. The sting across my cheek told me the skin broke. I gave him another glare with no humility whatsoever. Give it your all, warden.

He huffed and turned around. Typhoon spoke up. “Where are you taking him?”

“He’s going to the cages, as per the regs.” The guard answered firmly. “He’s at the mercy of The Leaders from then on.”

I looked at Typhoon and his eyes met mine. I gave him an apathetic expression. I’m not going to give the guards a lick of my struggling anymore. I don’t want to give them that feeling of dominance. And most importantly, I don’t want to show Typhoon what I’m feeling; there’s no point. Like I said, this situation is all too familiar.

Typhoon looked at me crestfallen. He looked more disappointed then saddened, and lowered his head till a shadow from his mane and the light overhead covered his eyes. Then I looked over to L.G., completely forgot he was still there. He just looked away. They both did when I left the room in custody.

* * * * * *

The halls of the Cloudship were clearing out and being gradually replaced by the sparse pairs of S.F. guards. The refugees were being put into their rooms as the Cloudship staff went about their business- mostly Sky Force officers, Science, and Maintenance Divisions. Then there was me, being escorted to incarceration. No struggling. No resistance. Just followed the Nightstick Guard with the Harness Guard breathing down my neck every step of the way.

The walk prompted memories and emotions to quietly come out of the dark recesses of my mind. This time I didn’t try to push them back. Anything that could get my mind off this recurring scenario is better than how I know this will all end. Fuck, this was hard to bear.

The fire came to my chest again. Those bastards, I can see them burning into my mind. Those Traitors- Broken Lens and Second I’ve come to call them- they’re still out there. They got out somehow and gutted us. Gutted me. Gutted… And the High Council is no help. The messages are on the screens in the halls, now. A message about this great loss we suffered and how we’re just going have to turtle in our own Cloudship till further notice. I can already tell, that further notice will never come. For all I know we’re all grounded, ball and chain down a water drain filled with cowardice. Fucking yellow bellies all of them. Nothing’s going to be done, and that means somepony has to do something! Somepony needs to speak for all of us! I’ve got a sister to look after, and I’ll be damned if she dies to those fuckers when they come back with whoever they were working with. To finish the job. And I speak for those I hold- and once held- dear to me. I can’t let that happen! I refuse!

But no… there was more this. What Fallstreak said...what he said. It’s not something to look over and forget about. Not to me. Because what the message meant is both fire and ice. More Ice than fire. Icey fire. It made me look down at my scar.

I know what I need to do. To end the pain. To end the guilt. To lift the burden.

“I said move it, Blank Eyes!” The Harness Guard gruffly shoved me forward after I intentionally started slowing my pace. I growled after feeling his rough push and almost falling over.

“Hey Squall, what’s goin’ on there?” a Guard from a group up ahead addressed Nightstick.

“Just an escort,” The Nightstick Guard, Squall, answered back with an undertone that betrayed the ambient mood. “Got a wild one here heading for the cages. Beat some poor fella half to death.”

The Guard caught a glimpse of me when they started to pass us by. I just gave him a look of my apathy. “Too bad for him, huh? Wouldn’t want to be him when the sun comes up.” he chuckled. “ Hope to see you around, Squall. Take care of that piece of shit.”

Squall chuckled as they disappeared behind us. “Will do. Will do.” he said under his breath.

A few more minutes into the walk and a turn into a right door and we were in Incarceration. Nothing but a spacious room with spacious barred cells side by side on each side of the wall. Two rows of three cells, each with a bed, a small sink, and shit bucket. Nopony was in here. Not even a shift of S.F. Guards at the desk facing the right wall. Because when your whole military society is trained to be loyal, you hardly break rules. Then there is the unfortunate few- like me- who are shoved in these spaces and wait for a trial. They are never seen again, save for me. I know that this time, it will be the last time I’m seen.

The Harness Pegasus stopped me, forced me on my haunch and held me in place with a firm grasp of my shoulders. Squall went to the desk and set his nightstick on its flat surface. He reached for a key loop held in a hook suspended over the desk on the wall. He turned and flicked his head towards the cells, signaling his friend to force me up and down the narrow passage between the cells. They were taking me to the one in the farthest left corner.

Squall opened the cell, “ Your new home. Enjoy it while it lasts.” he quipped at me as he opened the screeching, gate-like cell door. He held it open to let his friend move me in.

I stood still as the Harness Pegasus got to work to undoing my restraints. “Where is everypony?” I heard him ask Squall from my left with a mouth full of leather. He tugged hard to loosen the straps and almost made me fall again.

“Many of us died during the disaster and during the Rescue Op. Everypony still alive is pulling double duty till we can completely replenish our numbers,” he answered him from the door. He sighed, “Now that we got this one in here, we’ll have to watch him till we can get word out for a shift exchange.”

I’ve got to wait for the right moment. I just need to wait a bit longer.

I felt him tightening the belt on the restraint and releasing. With my wings free and dropped to the floor suffering pins and needles, the Pegasus worked on my shackles to see that they're tight. He jimmied the small locks and pressed on the shackles to add pressure. It clicked.

My wings were making a speedy recovery from their fatigue. I could feel the pins and needles dissipate and the feathers twitch to my commands. Just what I needed.

I sharply reared up and slammed myself down on the Pegasus’ head and knocked him out. My wings unfurled and I dashed for the door just as Squall was about to seal it. He managed to close it and I slammed into the bars hooves first. Now with the door shut, all he needed to do was get a key in the lock. He was scrambling around at the floor for the keys he dropped. He got them and now went for the lock just overhead of him. I reached my forehooves out through the bars to his head and grasped it. I held him tight as I could with my shackled hooves, and I ended up using a wing for extra support. Funny that we can use wings like that. I never made sense of it, but it’s useful. He struggled against my hooves and right wing, then pulled him sharply towards me till his head started clunking hard against the bars. Harder and harder I quickly kept smashing it until I saw blood spill in his white mane between my hooves.

I let go of the pegasus after he stopped struggling, and then I was jumped from behind. The Harness Pegasus got me into a headlock with the intent to cut my breathing. I was on my back legs now and can feel and hear wingbeats behind me maintaining the balance.

My throat was pinching shut. Hard to breath; hard to swallow. I relaxed my breathing for a bit, then I started pulling myself forward. I had to knock him off. He resisted against my actions, pulling me back up on my hind legs.

I started to go dizzy the longer he held me in that grip. I saw stars, then my vision started blurring. I was losing it. No. Not today.

With what ounces of strength I had I pulled myself down on all fours to unfurl my wings and shoot myself up to the ceiling. The Harness Pegasus kept a hold of me, and I repeated the same action twice till I decided to push myself into a half nosedive and half torpedo onto the metal floor. I arched my head downward ( or upward relative to the position I’m in) to avoid hitting my own head once our heads made contact.

THUD!

I heard and felt the Pegasus hit the floor first, then felt pain shoot through my body when I did. I got out of the Pegasus’ now weakened grip and gasped for the air coming back into me. I coughed for a brief period and made my way to the door. Once on the other side, I slammed it shut. The Harness Pegasus was knocked out cold on the floor.

I looked down to the floor and found the keys Squall here was trying to get into the lock. I quickly got to searching for the key that belonged to this lock, found it, locked it, then bucked it till it broke. Now he won’t be getting out for sure.

The adrenaline wore off, and now I was on my haunch. I’m in need of a breather. And some painkillers for the splitting headache. Fuck I came down harder than I thought.

I tapped my head hard in false hope it would relieve the pain, then got back up from my haunch. Now that I’ve prevented myself from getting locked up in here, I’m ready for the next course of action. I took one good look at Squall one last time. He was whimpering softly with his eyes closed, streams of blood trickling from his crown into his eye and out.

I looked at his uniform. And then at my still bloodstained hooves.

* * * * * *

Quiet. The halls were filled with the sound of silence, save for few clippity clops from patrols further down. It had been 25 minutes since I’ve gotten out of Incarceration, took a possibly dying pegasus’ uniform, washed the blood from my hooves in the restrooms, and retraced my steps. 25 minutes and I haven’t found what I was looking for.

I had to remain calm. I’ve already come across some close encounters with other S.F. patrols and they haven’t suspected a thing. As long as I keep my hat on and remain as calm as I can- get into character when the time called for it- I should get to the Hangar with no problems.

My goal. It was straightforward: get out there into the Wasteland and find those sons of bitches. That’s part one. Part two...well…

Memory came back and I tried my best to retrace my steps from the memory snip bits from the evening we went for out extraction mission. Now with some headway, I got to it. The walk gave me more time to think about the next course of action.

Once I get to the Hangar, the Armory should be nearby. It’ll be there where I can stock up and leave. That in itself isn’t a cakewalk either. In reality I had two options: It was either the Hangar or the Flight Deck. I can try to make a much more quiet approach from leaving through the latter, but I’d be too exposed. There are more S.F. that patrol that area and the Command Center almost overlooks it in general. One false move and I’m done. Then there was the Hangar with its own set of cons but at least one pro. It will be loud if I somehow manage to get it opened, and that in itself will alert nearby patrols. The only pro is that exiting through the Hangar is that I can fly low and avoid detection much easier. But questions still bother me; concerns too big to ignore.

The first question: How can I get out without alerting the whole Cloudship. The pegasi up in the Command Center will definitely notice a Hanger opening without authorization. Then the domino effect happens and the S.F. will be on their way to apprehend me.

Second question: If I manage to go through with the plan, keeping question one in mind and break for outside the mountain range, how can I make it out without burning to a crisp. Those thunder defense pylons will fry anything that comes their way unless they are deactivated. And that’s just it: I don’t know where they are powered from!

This heavy thinking’s giving me a headache. Damn this headache! Damn these obstacles! Fucking damn i-

There was a thud some ways down the hall I was currently walking down. That sudden noise brought the jitters and anxiety back. I can feel it all traveling throughout my body. There soon was some indistinguishable chattering coming into earshot. I slowed my pace when I came across yet another 4-way hall intersection. There was that thud again, and my nerves jumped suddenly. I braced the wall slowly and shimmied my way to the edge of this right wall. I took a peek around to find the source of the noise.

“Careful! That’s precious cargo!” Came a quietly screaming, angry but cautious voice from around the corner.

There were Science Division Pegasi in full body science outfits. They were loading these long, bulky, expensive looking crates onto trolley carts. I can hear them straining under those orange dome helmets as two out of three of them struggled to stack them on top of each other. Strange, I’ve never seen a box like that before. A better question: Why the full body protection?

Seemed like they weren’t alone, adjusting my angle a bit I saw they were accompanied by two S.F. guards.

“I said careful with the cargo.” One of the Scientists told the other catching a breath. “These boxes may be tech but that doesn’t mean they're meant to take a heavy beating.”

The panting Scientist being told nodded, acknowledging the other's statement before catching his/her last breath. I watched as the Scientists loaded the last box then disappeared into the door next to them.

I heard one of the guards groan. “How much longer with this crap, Drops?”

“As long as it’s gonna have be, Draft.” She, uh, Drops, sighed discontentedly. “You know, I thought it would be cool to come along for this mission...but...”

Draft shook his head at her. “It fucking sucks- the standing around and such.” Drops nodded at his comment before he looked away for a moment towards the Scientists. They were seen dragging (or shoving) the boxes through the door before struggling to place them on the trolley. He turned back to Drops. “Hey, do you know what the deal with those box things?”

Drops shrug. “Why ask me?”

Draft exchanged a similar shrug. “I don’t know, maybe because you’re the officer. I thought officers knew more.”

“Just because I’m a higher rank than you doesn’t mean I know more.” Drops said with annoyance. “Orders were to go to the hangar. From there we find these Science pegasi and one of them tells us to follow these two here. So here’s your answer: I know as much as you do- nothing at all. Don’t know how many times I’m supposed to tell you.”

Yeah, that’s typical. Still though, can’t help but feel curious about what they’re doing. Anypony would for that matt-

“Hey, you!” a voice projected towards me. “Yeah you, get out from there!”

A cold feeling dashed down my spine to the tips of my wings. They even almost flared open after being addressed and instead got ruffled Crap! Knew I should’ve just walked by without making eye contact.

I stepped away from the wall and waited in the middle of the intersection. I used my wing to fix my cap to shadow my eyes in hope that I could at least hide myself a bit. Now that I can see them closer, I realized I must’ve been blind if I couldn’t see the battle saddle one of them were carrying. It was an M.E.W. fastened to it; an AMER M-9, judging from its solid rifle configuration. Strange. Never thought that the S.F. would be carrying bigger guns. Always took them for Pistol Pegasi.

The one carrying the battle saddle, Draft I think, started to approach me. “You’re not supposed to be here!” He stated authoritatively, this time brandishing his weapon.

The square tip of the barrel was sparking red from the center, telling me it was close to discharging. Fuck! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“Hold it, Draft !” Drops threw an order to Draft in front of me. The mare’s voice just saved my neck and his, because as soon as she called off the damn stallion’s aggressive confrontation the weapon powered off.

She came up from behind the stallion, who stepped back to allow her to confront me. “What’s your name, you?”

Name. I need to give her a name. I should avoid using my name for personal security reasons. Guess I got to get creative. Throw in a false, pitched voice. “Private...Whirl, ma’am.”

I saw her shoot me a skeptical look, and then looked both ways down the corridors, left and right. Then she looked at the uniform and suddenly she looked like she understood. That didn’t last long, however. “Where’s your partner?”

Creative. Need to be creative and believable. Thank the 2-hour dead rest that I can think straight, otherwise, I’d have a lot more trouble right now. “ We were starting our shift, and something he ate must’ve called him. He needed to go.”

“Mmmhmm.” she hummed at me. “Answer me this: what are you doing in this section of the Cloudship?”

I thought for a moment, “Ma’am, sorry but this is my first shift ever. I didn’t know what section of the Cloudship this was.” I looked over to the boxes. “And I’m sorry if I was eavesdropping, I didn’t mean to. It’s a force of habit.”

Her face relaxed. “Oh, you're new. Didn’t know they started pulling in some of the refugees already,” she commented. She looked back at the Scientists still loading the boxes. Then she turned back to me. “Listen. Can you do us a solid?”

The chill died in my body. Thought she really was going to turn me in. Wouldn’t want that. “What do you mean?”

She pointed to the crates. “We’ve got to get these, uh, crates? Boxes? Cargo boxes...to the hangar…” Where was she going with this, exactly? “...but maybe you could help us. We got to stand guard and can’t help them much because of that.”

Is she blackmailing me? Over something that isn’t that big of a deal? And what? “ Can’t one of you just stand guard and the other help?”

She looked into me, “ Well, an extra set of hooves and wings would shave the time down. Also, I’ll make it worth your while in ration cards.”

“Where are you taking them?” I asked skeptically. I don’t care much for the cards, but I got to act differently from myself. Makes it more believable.

“To the hangar.” she answered quickly. Ok. Things just got easier. I acted like I was contemplating the situation, then I looked at both of them and nodded in agreement. Drops smiled, “Alright. Hope to it! Come on!”

“Ma’am!” Acting like a complete rookie I snapped a salute and scrambled a bit to helping the Scientist ponies.

As soon as I was near the two straining Scientists I put my wings to work, slipping them under the box and lifting with them onto the trolley. Fuck these things are heavy! I got help from the standing Scientist to put it with the rest. It dropped with a thud, and kind of hissed. They were pretty big cargo crates.

I noticed that the two Scientists orange fruit bowl helmets turned to me, seeing the small respirator facing my direction.

“Somepony’s gonna get it,” came a deep, voice from the respirator. Couldn’t tell if that was a ‘fuck you’ or a genuine voice of concern. Regardless, the aggressive and somewhat snark comment got me angry. Not ‘Ace’ angry, but more like bitter angry. Is there really a difference?

These boxes. The locks of some sort that are techy in appearance. The rest of the features were a blank slate. All blank save for some type of serial number on the bottom right of the boxes face. The one I’m holding right now’s serial number was ‘112-7691-67.’ All in white.

“What’s in these things?” A thought managed to slip my mind and out my lips. Ask too many questions… The words just kept echoing in my mind for a while.

“Classified.” Came the same, expressionless, ventilated voice from before. “Not your domain.”

Typical...

Tensed, straining, and taking small steps towards the cart we loaded the damn trolleys. Box by box by heavy, back-breaking, wing straining, hernia-inducing box. My joints in my wings were on the verge of aching, and so were my knees. But, if it meant I can get near the armory and the hangar without trouble I’m all for it.

Each one of the trolleys had about 4-6 of these boxes stacked on top of each other. Now we had to push them to the hangar from what the S.F. told me. They themselves took care of the first trolley and asked that we follow them.

The S.F. saw that we were ready to get going and led the way to the hangar. This damn trolley was a pain in the neck and wings to keep moving; don’t even get me started on the turns.

* * * * * *

The closer we got to the hangar, the more S.F. guards roaming the halls. There were some gruff, old faces mixing in with the fewer new, tired, and yawning faces.

From the last section I was in, this one seemed to be more congested with them. Instead of groups of two like back in Sanctuary, you had groups of 3-4 moving around and checking every corner they came towards. They left no stone unturned and seemed to be heavily vigilant about something.

Soon, I found myself pushing the trolley through a door guarded by more S.F. pegasi and into a separate Hangar from the temporary medical ward. Hangar A-4. Upon a quick glance around me, I realized that nopony was here. Not even maintenance. Well, it wasn’t completely dead, because I just realized that there were pegasi scanning the perimeter of a Vertibuck until one noticed the trolleys rolling slowly their way to them.

Getting closer to the Vertibuck I realized something was off. They were different. Different in the sense that I cannot recognized what they were wearing with any other armor or barding I’ve ever seen. When did we have armor like that? A black vest? Holsters on each side of the chest carrying pistols that poked out from under their wings? A face wrap or mask of some sort and green goggles pulled over their eyes? Still hoping I can at least see who they belonged to, I strained my eyes to get at least a glimpse of some identification. No insignias. No patches. And it looked like every one of them had their manes and coats a slightly different shade of gray and white, respectively. Who were these pegasi?

The line stopped after one of those pegasi raised a hoof for us to stop. He then signaled his other to inspect the trolleys. Without nodding or even talking he answered by going through them one by one and counting with a hoof. Didn’t know what he was looking for, but it was just a customary glance inside for some reason or another. But when he got to me, he paused and his goggles fixed on my uniform.

“Who’s this?” The deep, distorted voice questioned Drops and Draft.

“Well, he’s one of us, sir.” Drops responded with a twinge of fear. I’d imagine that the way they’re ominously dressed isn’t just for show. They even made my feathers want to stand on end with the hairs on my neck.

The black-suited pegasus kept his goggles on me. “Name and rank, trooper!” He said in a demanding tone. That of a drill sergeant, might I add.

“Private Whirl, sir.” I played the scared rookie card.

“Specs!”

Specs? I wondered what he meant until I noticed a green light in the corner of my eye. Looking to it I saw one of the other black-suited pegasus stare down into a device on his forehoof. Looked like a PipBuck. He was messing with the nobs as his covered face stared attentively into it. His face looked up to this Pegasus in front of me. He shook his head.

“No such pony, sir.” That pegasus, um, Specs told him. “Doesn’t show up.”

When he heard that, the black suit pegasus turned his head to Drops and Draft.

Draft looked on at him with fear. “I-I-I thought, that maybe, um, things could speed up if we had an extra set of hooves.”

“Orders were specifically given by your superior that nopony outside this operation was to get involved! Nopony else! ” He scolded. “ From how I see it, you shouldn’t even think at all! Makes you look stupid!”

“I’m sorry, sir!” Drops tried defending herself and me. “ I just thought that since he was an S.F. he coul-”

“Cut the apologetic crap.” He told her coldly. “Now shut up before I shut it for you.”

I saw Drops cower in place, her ears drooped back and she looked at me contritely. She mouthed words to me now looking like she was about to tear up.

“I’m sorry.”

Pain. A sudden, solid blow to my back caught me off guard and made me cry out in pain. I fell flat on the floor groaning from the flaring pain. What did I get into!?

Hoping that I had some chance of escaping, I tried to unfurl my wings to get myself off the ground as fast as I could. Unfortunately for that plan, they firmly stomped the end of each of my wings, worthy of another cry of pain. Looking to them, I saw black sleeved forelegs and hooves on them.

“What’re you doing!?” Cried Draft after witnessing the brutality.

“Tying loose ends you incompetent soldiers made.” He coldly stated before pointing a hoof at them, “You try anything, you’ll be joining him.”

Fearing those words, I struggled to get away from my restrainers. My reward was another hard blow to my already bruised and pulsing back.

I looked up at the black-suited pegasus as he lowered his face cover and used his maw to draw a boxy weapon from one of the holsters. Didn’t look like an energy weapon; it was ballistic. Now I was looking down a dark barrel.

It’s a fucking execution. I’m going to die right here, under the hooves of these damned ponies. I tried escaping one more time, and yet again they slam me back down to the cold floor of the hangar.

If I was going to die, I wanted my face to be the thing he’d see. My eyes locked onto his goggles and waited patiently for the beam to come right at me.

“Stand down at once!”

That voice. It came from the direction of the Vertibuck. It stopped the pegasus from executing me, and like a machine, he disengaged his weapon and turned towards the direction the demand came from.

A lab-coated mare stopped right by the would-be executioner. I know her. The Science mare from after the extraction. “What’s the meaning of this!?” She asked my executioner insistently.

“ Those two idiots brought in an S.F. Regular.” He answered flatly. “He knows too much, and must be executed to ensure that this operation is kept safe.”

Why is he talking like that? An operation? Regular?

“What gives you the right to carry out this task without my say so, Lieutenant?” The Lab Coat questioned the pegasus. I have to point out that they’re starting to apply a little too much pressure on my back. My breathing’s a little shallow.

“HQ notified us prior to our arrival,” he answered. “They’re lacking hope in your handling of the situation following the previous operation’s recent outcome. They informed me to take any measures necessary to prevent another breach in the Black Op.”

‘Previous operation?’ ‘Your handling?’ ‘Recent outcome?’

“Yes,” she agreed angrily and reluctantly. Her brows furrowed back at him. “However, when this is over, tell HQ that the Op is still at go. This last Operation didn’t turn out the way it hoped, but we now have something else to act as the catalyst.”

“Then what do you insist that I do with him?” the pegasus flicked his head towards me. She looked at me, and for a moment I was worried she recognized me from earlier. Her face didn’t actually seem to spell familiarity, telling me she probably didn’t.

“We can’t let him go. For all we know he’s not with them,” Lab Coat told him before looking around. “We can’t kill him. Not with a weapon like that. It'll leave something to wonder”

“Fine then,” Said the Lieutenant before firmly walking over to one of the Fillers, particularly Draft. “Give me your rifle, soldier.”

“No Lieutenant!” Nightfall opposed the order. The Lieutenant seemed to freeze before his wings could tear the rifle away from Draft. “You’ll be violating protocol. You’ll create tension between The Enclave and HQ if you take his rifle.”

The Lieutenant seemed to bow his head slightly and let out a frustrated growl. He put his wings down and turned back to her with a slow turn. “Then what do you suggest we do with him, then?”

“What I suggest is this: kill him, but not here,” she told him. Fuck me. She passed a glance at me one more time. “Put him to good use and take him with you.” She turned away from him and walked towards the door we came from. “Just make sure you pass on the word to HQ, and I’ll notify our allies of the situation.” She stopped before moving any farther. “Is that clear?”

The pegasus gave a dissatisfied sigh, “Yes. Ma’am.”

She didn’t say another word, and continued towards the Hangar exit into the Thunderhead. When the door closed, the Pegasus turned his attention to the two other pegasi on top of me. “Get him working.”

“Roger that,” the pegasus on my left responded before lifting his hooves off my back and left wing. When my right side was freed, they forced me up. “On your hooves, you.”

Up on my hooves, my back ached hard. They knew how to deal blows, and I’d have to say much harder than whatever Ace was able to dish out. Not wanting to have my back broken by any more of their shit I got back to work, helping the Bowlhead Scientists with loading the cargo onto the Vertibuck. During this whole community service for the lack of a better term, the black suit Pegasi kept breathing down my neck, hoping I didn’t start any trouble.

Soon enough, the last of the cargo was loaded onto the Vertibuck. I tried to follow the Scientists out and make my way to the armory, but I was stopped when the black suits cut me off and herded me back into the Vertibuck. Damn it all! This wasn’t the plan at all!

The familiar hum of a Vertibuck’s turbines was heard powering up. Then came the sound of Hangar doors opening before they were drowned out by the whipping blades outside. I felt the Vertibuck lift abruptly for a moment, before ascending at a much slower rate and then tilting slightly on its nose and pushing off.

* * * * * *

I had no idea what was coming. The longer I sat in my seat with those pegasi in front of me, the more anxious I got. I couldn’t let go of the thought of the way they were talking back at the hangar.

It had still been a while as I sat there in silence, wondering what happens next. I got my answer when the Vertibuck’s ramp began to open. Violent winds blew sand into the interior and all over the cargo fastened down by orange cargo straps. The sand got into my face and into my barding, blinding and irritating my eyes.

“What’s going on!?” I tried yelling over the wind to the Pegasi to get an answer. It couldn't have been where they were taking me. Or was it? Maybe it was a malfunction in the system somewhere. It had to be one of those things.

The pegasi got up in front of me and I kept eye contact with them until they forced me out of my seat. “Get up!”

Kind of hard to do when you're doing it for me. Their wings reached around my back and pushed me off my seat and on all fours. Next thing I knew, they began wrapping some type of harness wrap over my back wings. I tried to fight them until one of them knocked me over the head to keep me from struggling. Head spinning and bleeding, my ears were ringing as I fell to the floor. My wings were tightly strapped now.

“Get up!” one of them ordered me over the wind blowing over me. When I didn’t comply they roughly got me up on my hooves and dragged me over to the edge of the ramp.

“Take a good look, bub,” One of them told me in the ear to make things easier to hear. “Hope you have faith in Celestia and Luna, because you're gonna need every ounce of it to survive this storm.”

I was pushed out into the twisting winds, and my stomach began churning as I tumbled downward. I was outside, bound, confused, and falling fast. I heard the Vertibuck’s turbines drowned out in the winds in some direction. I couldn’t open my eyes without the sand blowing every which way. It was even hard to figure out which way was up with my stomach in freefall and my senses dampened from a combination of weather and the blow to my head from earlier. The only thing I could do was struggle.

I fought through the throbbing pain of my head and back together, and fought through my dizziness to try and regain control of my current situation. I had to get my wings free, otherwise, I’ll become a red stain on the floor in no time. I tried unfurling my wings, straining to get them free from the harness. It didn’t work.

“No!” I cried out, “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!” Panic fueled me to the point of overflow, and I tugged and tugged at the knot. Nothing worked. Fuck. Me.

THUD

My falling finally came to an end when I landed in something plush, yet wind-takingly hard. I had the breath knocked out of me and something popped in both my left wing and somewhere else. I tumbled downward, crying out in pain as it flared all over.

My tumbling came to a stop in some type of dip. The sandy winds violently blew over me as the pain consumed every ending in my body. Everything tuned out. The pain began to numb as my mind wanted to shut off. It finally did.

Back into the darkness. Back into unconsciousness.

Footnote: Level up!

Perk added:

Dress Up (Lv.1): “Who ever said you’re too old for dress up?” You gain a +10 speech and +1 Charisma when using a disguise outside of combat. (applies only to the faction the disguise corresponds to)

Quest Perk added:

Burden of Loss: “The death of your closest friend has kicked your determination up to a whole new level.” You gain +2 Endurance and take 15% less damage when health is critical.

Prologue

Author's Note

I want to thank some friends back home for supporting me with this story and I especially want to thank Kkat for allowing this wonderful opportunity for authors to expand Fallout Equestria.

Thanks for reading.

Prologue

"What is it you're willing to fight for most?”

We all bear a burden on our journey. We are chained by our responsibilities, bound by our actions, and chastised by our damnation. Nopony can escape their burdens. Not the infant, the young, nor the old...Not even the dead.

In the war with the Zebra, countless millions perished who were not a part of the conflict. Those who survived rotted away, as did the land—a wasteland born of fire and death. Solitude, radiation, and starvation drove them mad, eating away at their mind like an incurable disease. They lost themselves, like ashes in the wind. Ashes in the sour air that flows over the scorched landscape. Some turned feral—beyond any means of reasoning. Others maintained a small sliver of who they once were as time went on. In the end, all are burdened by something: the mutants by their existence, and the raiders by the emotional consequences of their actions.

Most wars end with one side dominating the other. If only it had ended like that...if only. Neither side won on The Last Day; neither gave up. The war ended to the crescendo of each side’s weapons. Mutual annihilation—truly a mad concept. The bombs fell, and just like that, both the Equestrian and Zebra nations vanished in the necromantic fallout that taints the world today. If the leaders lived, knowing they killed countless innocents, did they feel remorse? Or, despite the cost, did they simply rejoice in the downfall of their enemy?

War...war never changes.

* * * * * *

The breeze felt great as it brushed through my short mane and tickled my feathers; fresh and inviting. The sun was so bright it blinded my eyes; warm and inviting. Nothing had ever felt so good to me. It was such a wonderful thought to be high above the clouds without the worry of the surface and its many dangers.

I sat there in the clouds off duty, my weight putting slight pressure on the puff of white as I looked up at the stunning light blue sky, I didn’t want to move. It felt like I could just sit here and let the blowing altitude winds carry my worries away. My ears perked to the sound of a name.

“Ward.”

My eyes blinked frantically at the call of my name and instead found myself sitting up on my bed. The voice shattered my fantasy. I looked around to see that my whole barrack was in a state of groggy routine with other pegasi getting up from their respective beds, pulling a towel over their necks, and leaving the room.

What I thought was clouds were my stiff barrack bed, the breeze being an air vent coming from the wall, blowing into my face when I turn around, and the sun being the bright lights that lit up a room of cold steel and old fuel pipes; lacking radiant warmth. Damn it.

I yawned and scratched my neck from a developing itch, but my heart soon jumped when I felt my neck was bare of my special something. In a panic, I looked for it. The panic almost turned to absolute fear as the seconds ticked by and I heart my heart thumping in my ears. Much to my relief, I found it under my pillow.

The object was round and smooth with a closed hook hanging onto a string that made a large loop. My talisman...

I smiled warmly at the beautiful crystalline gem and kissed it tenderly. Then carefully I bent my head forward and slipped the necklace over and around my neck. It sat there, resting against my chest, in front of my dog tags.

I gave it a soft couple of pats...right where it belongs...

Yes. I'm a soldier. It’s not by choice either, because most pegasi in my generation have also been drafted into the Sky Force, not that it wasn’t ever like that before as some would say. And the reason why I say most is the fact that not everypony down here is physically capable or determined enough to move on with the routine. Here in the bunkers, you either make it or you don’t. If you don’t...well I hope you like cleaning everypony’s shit from the tanks; that’s if the pipes don’t burst and squirt shit water in your face.

I groggily slipped out of my bed and stretched out my two-toned wings giving them a hard flap to wake them up. After two flaps, I left them open to see what they looked like for now. I found the feathers to be disorganized with some pointing any other way. They were so messy that a few loose feathers were already beginning to fall and softly fall toward the ground. With quick preening, I set my feathers back into presentable and organized rows of dark cerulean and baby blue.

“Fell asleep on us there, Ward?"

My mind snapped awake after a brief dozing to the sound of the voice from before. I looked to my right to see a pegasus stallion staring at me with a light smile and gray eyes.

“You know I can’t help it Typhoon," I replied irritably with a strained yawn. "If I didn’t have trouble sleeping I wouldn’t be sleeping with my eyes open every so often."

Typhoon. I can leave it to him to call me out of my dazes whenever the situation arises.

Typhoon's voice called me back into reality (there we go). By the time I noticed him trying to get my attention he already had a shower cloth around his neck and on his way to the showers. "You better hurry up, otherwise we'll miss out on breakfast."

"Yeah. You're right." I blandly responded as I grabbed my shower cloth and sluggishly trotted down the cold corridors to the showers which were starting to get moderately busy.

After the ‘refreshing’ wake up call and a quick drying, I went back to my barracks to open up the trunk at the foot of my bed in search of my uniform. Finding them and my A-2 flight jacket, I wasted no time putting them on as fast as I could. They were just as starchy as I remembered; nowhere near as comfortable as just wearing the jacket on your back. But regulation is regulation, and as much as I hate it, I have no choice.

Typhoon just entered the room as I straightened out the collar of my jacket over the dark gray uniform. I tried to be as quick as possible since lines to the breakfast system were piling on fast. Typhoon just finished putting on his uniform and jacket as he waited for me to get my collar right.

"You know, she’s going to love your look regardless." Typhoon joked as I got my collar just right.

I quit fiddling with my collar- leaving it the way it was and rushed past him with an aggravated look. He just had to bring something like that up. Oh! And to add insult to injury he’s chuckling! Hope you’re having a laugh bud because I’m not! Sonofabitch...

Throughout the cold, steel walls there were pegasi going about their own business. Maintenance fixing something, Enclave Security Force patrolling by twos, and groups of foals being led by one pegasus (typically a mare) to another part of the bunker. All this happening while the blasted intercom would be blurting messages into our ears, spreading messages about loyalty to the Enclave or calling out a name followed by where said pegasus was needed. Some with free time worked on the large murals across the blank steel walls with old paint cans and brushes at their sides as they worked at the wall. I stopped my dragging walk and turned to look at one of them as one of the Civis carefully traced a cloud swirl with a brush in her paint-splattered mouth.

Most of these murals were supposed to represent our history with clouds being a major part of it. Hell, there hasn’t been a single spot on a mural where I do not see some type of cloud painting. Those were also supposed to feel “as if we were all home.” Didn’t work for some of us, myself included, because steel walls, cold air, and dim lights were all we knew. Still, some of us could dream.

“Ward.” My thoughts collected and my head turned back down the hallway I was walking through. Typhoon was in front of me, looking at me before turning to look at the mural I stopped to look at. “They’re doing a good job at these things. Kind of livens things up a bit down here, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” I answered indifferently with another yawn. “If it works for others.” I mean, yeah they kinda do, but it’s just white on gray or gray on white on gray. Gray to represent painted cities or vehicles around these obelisks piercing through the painted white blanket of clouds, and all of that on the steel walls itself. Kind of monotone if you ask me.

A large, cold, and buried system of hollowed out steel and cement bunkers underneath the basis of an area known as Solitary Hills. Affectionately named “Sanctuary” by those of us who found it so many years ago. Built for exclusive ponies during the Great War, and even large enough for repopulation along with the standard commodities of living.

I was born and raised here, and as I became eligible I had to enlist in the Grand Pegasus Enclave Sky Force where I received combat, power armor, and flight training. It was not an option. It was duty, honor, and loyalty to The Grand Pegasus Enclave; if you had none of those it only meant one thing: You were a traitor.

When you got old enough, you were drafted like everypony in your generation. You make it within the 5-year limit, you were a permanent addition; if you didn’t, you’re fulfilling other duties along with the other ‘unfortunates’. You have a choice, but it will only cost you with branding. From there, whatever happens to you nopony will know. You’ll simply disappear, from what many of us noticed.

Hard to believe what they tell us on our history. ‘We are an advanced and powerful civilization,’ my ass. More than sure an advanced civilization wouldn’t be underground, in the dark scraping the bottom of the barrel. Far as I know we only have less than two hundred and fifty military personnel plus medical, engineering, civis, and scav teams to round it up to about five hundred, give or take. And despite all that...this place couldn’t feel a bit more empty save for what could be considered the ‘artery’ upper levels. Well, at least it’s not Stable-Tec.

My stomach growled loudly, pulling me away from my deep thinking and making me put a hoof to my belly to make it stop. Typhoon noticed and let out a smile, using one of his wings to shake me from my right shoulder. “Come on, bud, the line’s getting longer.”

I nodded my head and Typhoon turned around to walk down the hall. Realizing that I was falling behind I galloped for a brief moment until I was beside him.

We finally made our way to the mess hall which at the time was occupied with numerous pegasi from different directions as they scrambled to get their fair share of breakfast. We got most of our food from a small orchard near the center of the entire infrastructure. Farmed from our own shit even.

A quick line at the kitchen and a spent ration card later, I sat down next to Typhoon as I got my breakfast. Today's breakfast: ‘Oatmeal+’ and oranges with a hot cup of coffee. Yeah not that exciting at all. But hey, the plus is that they managed to pump the oatmeal full of other nutritional vitamins and minerals to keep a soldier going. Though the method of exactly ‘how’ they do that isn’t known. Even when it’s somehow possible they can't seem to make it taste any better; the extra stuff just made it seem like a gritty and watery mess in my mouth. At least the oranges livened the dish up a bit with some color.

"Just another bowl of the same slop, huh?"

The silvery voice came northward of where I was sitting. Typhoon and I looked over to the direction the voice came from. Gliding towards us down the open aisles between tables was a fine, slender mare wearing the same jacket as Typhoon and I. Her soft white coat, chocolate brown mane, and her lavender eyes would try very hard hypnotized me right where I was sitting. It would work a little better if I had the energy. Just waiting for the coffee to give it to me so I could.

"We can't complain about what's available, Aviatrix." Typhoon flatly stated as he turned back around to finish his meal.

Aviatrix. Pilot. My other best friend, and technically the first. Just seeing her was enough to brighten the dullness and boredom down here. Just watching her...I...I can’t stop my lips from wanting to curl into a smile. She was just...just...

"You OK, Ward?" She called out to me. I didn't respond, but when I came to I found myself vacantly staring down at the mush in my bowl.

"He didn’t sleep again," Typhoon spoke out for me as he finished his breakfast. "he'll be back in a moment."

I blinked my drying eyes and looked back up at Aviatrix still holding a concerned look on her face. "I remember saying you shouldn't worry about me, Avie." I calmly told Aviatrix with a raised brow. I flicked my head toward her bowl, "Oatmeal gets worse the colder it gets. Hurry up and eat it."

She giggled and cracked a pleasant smile at, what I assume, is the nickname. "I would have to say the same to you."

Aviatrix. Leave it to her to try and cheer me up, whether I needed it or not. Glad to see that she’s still holding up. That makes me happy inside. Sad I have problems showing-

"Ah-ten-SHON!"

The shout was so sudden I jumped up with the coffee burning my tongue, chin, and my chest all at once. Everypony in the mess hall jumped to the command and saluted with a forehoof to the head. Unfortunately for me when my mind was once again saved from slipping, I nearly choked on the long sip of the dark coffee and ended up spilling it all over my uniform.

I looked over to the entrance where the voice came from. I made out a Wonderbolt Elite as he stepped to the side to salute the upcoming officer in a sharp black uniform. I made out a middle-aged mare as her features were made clear as she slowly walked down the aisle giving a passing glance over nervous pegasi at attention. When she got close enough I found her wearing on one side of her chest an organized assortment of ribbons of many colors, and on the other side was a rectangular brass colored badge displaying her name: Diamond Dust.

Diamond Dust. General. Superior. One of the most well known Enclave CO's with a lot of experience under her barding. Fucking hell why is she here!? Here to ruin my morning?

“Listen carefully!” She instructed from where she stood. I noticed her panning the scene. “I want everypony in the Salvaging, Scouting, and Stormtrooper Divisions to meet in Briefing Hall 1A, here in Sanctuary, at 1200 hours for Assignment briefing. I expect all of you in those respective divisions to be there on time! No exceptions!”

Us? Why us? We’re never needed? There was an awkward pause and everypony still held their salute up. She hadn’t given the ‘at ease’ for us to drop it. The coffee was still stinging the parts of me it was touching.

“Is that clear!?” She finally opened her authoritative mouth to the hall.

There was an audible snap as everypony, still holding up their salute, went to attention. “Ma’am, yes Ma’am!”

She didn’t say anything more and nodded firmly, I saw her turn, take two steps, and then stop before turning back around. "Carry on with your breakfast!"

The chatter and commotion immediately resumed and we sat back down in our seats. Our table remained silent for a while so I took it upon myself to strike up a conversation. But first, I grabbed some napkins and tried wiping the coffee off my uniform. Then something came up: we were missing two of us. "Those two are gonna get it if they miss the meeting."

Not the best conversation starter but since Diamond Dust decided to drop a surprise visit it had me concerned. Anything involving that mare had me on alert. I mean, why wouldn't it?

"We'll worry about them later, Ward," Typhoon reassured me as he caught my words. He then took my tray with his wing. "When the time comes we will look for them."

"So..." Aviatrix tried to get into the conversation. "...how many ration cards you wanna bet Fallstreak is hitting it up with some mare somewhere?"

* * * * *

1200 hours, or 12:00 pm standard time. It had been a lazy few hours waiting for the time to come, even lazier for me considering I just don’t want to move. What I’d kill for a good night sleep. Can’t complain about it now, the best hope I’ve got is if we weren’t assigned a task. We never were assigned a task- only the Scav and Recon teams did while the rest of us wasted away here.

We followed the converging crowd down to the lower levels of Sanctuary into a room labeled ‘Briefing Hall A1.’ Wasn’t really a briefing hall to begin with; as a matter of fact, it was a repurposed atrium with a stage and rows of seats. There were never enough seats for one briefing hall and this bunker had more than enough atriums down on this level to go around. The ponies who built this place seemed to love open spaces.

This atrium was, in a word, packed. There were never enough seats. It also didn’t help that for some reason the briefing for three separate divisions were crammed into one.

Pegasi clamored about to get their seat. For Aviatrix, Typhoon, and it was a matter of finding a seat with the rest of the Stormtrooper Division. And just like a ‘ask and you shall receive’ gimmick, we found a pony saving out seat. Our squad’s Grenadier was holding our seats and he turned to look at us like he had a hunch. Loaded Gun.

To further confirm it was him he waved his hoof in the air toward us, and we were all quick to notice. We glided over the other pegasi and plopped on the hard plastic. We folded our wings in, nodded a ‘hello’ to L.G. and waited for the briefing to begin. It finally did when the officer from the mess hall raised his voice from behind all of us.

“Ah-ten-SHON!”

The audible rhythm of synced hooves clicking and uniforms brushing filled the atrium, and a colorful collage of multicolored hooves all around me snapped towards foreheads.

Down the open pathway came Diamond Dust, walking with a firm gait. Behind her were other high ranking officers that belonged to the Salvagers, Scouts, and Stormtroopers-Major General Virga being one of them.

When they made it to the stage, Diamond Dust (positioning herself at the front of the stage) panned the Atrium while the COs that accompanied her stood some distance behind her, waiting for the briefing to start.

“At ease!” Diamond Dust’s voice rank through the Atrium. The silence broke when the sound of hooves dropping filled in the emptiness following. That was also followed by the sound of pegasi sitting down in their respective seating.

“As you all know, I’ve called you all here for your assignments.” Diamond Dust started, stating the obvious for some memory jog. “ Today is a different day. This is due to the presence of the Stormtroopers in the room…”

Just like that, I swear I could feel heads turn and eyes focus on us. I got chills. “...minor details aside, your commanding officers will be giving out your assignments for today's Reconnaissance and Salvage. As your superior, I must remind you that all squadrons selected must follow protocol for the safety of our sanctum. We don’t want any more incidents that risk our exposure.”

There was muttering amongst the crowd, along with some ponies turning to talk to each other. When the muttering got a little too loud, hard authoritative stomps from the stage effectively quelled the growing voices.

“As I was saying, it’s all a matter of following protocol. Now is the time for your superiors to give you your assignments.” Diamond Dust stepped back and called up the rest of the COs. The first one to start speaking I assumed was the Salvagers CO. What’s his name? Clear Frost? I think.

He went about listing three squads to report for Salvage duty. Then came a mare who got three different scouting teams for their duties. Yup. Just briefing...

Then when I saw Major General Virga up there an overwhelming feeling of dread churned in my stomach. “3rd Stormtrooper Division, Squad A!” Oh fuck. “ Report to Hangar A for briefing at 1800 hours! Find your assigned pilot and be there!”

My thoughts, fuzzy as they were, tried to run on what the fuck just happened. All of a sudden they have a mission for us? And out of all groups, our group? Talk about luck of the draw. Fuck me.

“You heard your Commanding Officers,” Diamond Dust caught all of our attention. “ be there at your designated times; those of you who’ve been called. Do not disappoint your officers, and do not disappoint me. Is that clear!?”

“MA’AM, YES, MA’AM!” The whole room shot up from their chairs and shouted in unison.

We watched as Diamond Dust took one more observation glance, “Dismissed!”

* * * * * *

The meeting was over and we were outside the atrium and standing in a non-crowded area within the hall.

“Our first mission, how ‘bout that?” I said with a sweet/sour feeling in my gut.

“Can’t complain, Ward,” Typhoon told me, across from where I was. “Look at the bright side, at least we get to go someplace that isn’t here. That’s a change.”

I thought about it for a moment. Yup. Sweet and sour all at once. “ True. But why us? Don’t you think that? And out of all things why so late? Doesn’t anyone think that?”

“Who doesn’t?” he responded in maieutical manner. “But hey, the plus side is that it's going to be us out there. And you know what? It’s a change of scenery!” He smiled and looked at us before lightly patting his own chest with a hoof. “No matter what happens, we’ll have each other's back. Through thick and thin. Birds of a feather, remember?”

Couldn’t help but copy his gesture myself; the rest of us followed. Yeah, birds of a feather. I bent my head down to try and hold back a smile. Toughen up, Ward. I looked over to Aviatrix and noticed her noticing me curl my lip and gave a thoughtful smile.

Those words meant a lot to me. Like a lot a lot. Coming from Typhoon, and the smile from Aviatrix; together, although I don’t let it show, they gave me a feeling of warmth in my chest. After all, they are important to me. They were from the day I met each of them, and the feeling just...prospered from there.

“Speaking of all of us,” Aviatrix’s words knocked me out of my deep thought. “Has anypony seen Fallstreak?”

Realizing the subject at hoof, I looked around for that stallion she mentioned. To make matters worse, I don’t remember seeing him in the Atrium for the mission assigning either. Fuck me if he did it again…

“That stallion’s cock got a mind of its own,” Typhoon said with a sigh. “Well, who’s gonna find him this time?”

“I will.” I yawned without hesitation. My eyes felt weighed down. What I’d do for some rest. “I have a feeling on where he might be.”

Typhoon nodded. “Alright, go on and find him. Meet you in the mess hall after.”

I nodded my head as I turned tail down the dim lit corridors. I looked back briefly to see my squad stand there for a moment before making their way to the mess. And here I was trying to find that son-of-a-bitch. He’s gonna get it.

It took about 6 minutes to get to my barracks as I found myself facing the door. With a tap of a red button on the doors control panel, it slid open, allowing me access to the room.

My ears were immediately violated to the sounds of excited shrieks and whinnies; the sound of a bed frame shaking as its metal headframe violently tapped the wall it rested against. Even from my current angle I could see the dings on the wall with the light. Damn it! I had a feeling he would be here. Fallstreak.

Of course! If he wasn’t showing up for breakfast he was looking for a mare to munch on when the crowd surged for the mess. I swear, it’s all he ever thinks about! I’m wondering if pussy is all he eats!

"W-*pant* wait Fall..." Came a mare's voice from under the thrashing sheets. From the sound of her voice, she was trying to catch her breath before squealing with delight. "...somepony is here."

A pair of cream colored eyes peaked over the now calm sheets as they widened at the sight of me. Although there wasn’t a strict rule yet, it’s worth a scorn and cold overtone. The sheets ruffled again and this time a steel blue stallion sat up as the pink mare's eyes continued to stare at me.

"Can't a couple of ponies have some fun without an idiot barg -" as he turned to finish his sentence he choked on his own words to find I was the interrupter of their little ‘get together.’ He found me glaring at him with disappointment, “C-c-corporal Wind."

He scrambled out of bed as did the mare. Feathers both pink and steel blue flew around the area haphazardly as they tried to make themselves decent again. Some of the feathers got caught on the vent winds and blew toward my face. I sneezed in disgust. If I find any one of them with adhesiveness!

The mare had gathered up her belongings, gave me a passing glance and she walked passed me in a skurry. I can tell she was a lower rank than I so her feeling of concern was understandable. My glance grew sharper the longer she stayed in the room; a growl was enough to make her pick up the pace.

I walked past Fallstreak as I flipped open my trunk. I switched out of my coffee-stained uniform for another fresh pair. Felt better having clean wear on me. I realized the room grew awkward as Fallstreak kept up his silence.

"Got something to say, say it now." I commanded without looking at him. I’m getting really tired with this shit, always finding him with a mare making the beast on two backs. It’s sickening at this point with him. I fixed my collar and brushed my shirt off with my feathers to get rid of any debris.

"Well..." He tried looking for some way to explain what I witnessed. I could tell from his voice there was nothing to cover up what he was doing. "...it's just that I want to know...why you have to be like that, sir?"

"You expect me to try and figure out what you mean, Fallstreak?" I firmly established. He knew I didn't like to see him like this, and as a result, I'm pretty pissed, and that’s saying a lot given my irritable state right now. “Specific. Now.”

"Well..." he tried to get the words right yet again, "... what I meant was: Why did you have to ruin a good moment for me?"

Good moment? Good moment!? He’s had plenty of ‘good moments’ in such a short time, I don’t even know why he should even bother defending his position. It’s distracting, and not to mention the fact that I think it’ll accelerate inbreeding.

“You missed a mission briefing,” I told him as I fixed my barding. “The first we’ve ever had, and you miss it! All because of pussy!” I heard him stammering, and I focused my eyes on him with a swift and sharp head turn. I eyed his wears; he was a mess. More than a mess actually seeing his...member...still hanging out.

"Fix yourself up and let's go." I ordered after looking away before it blinded me. My ears picked up on the sound of barding ruffling and I turned around after it slowed down. His uniform was hastily put together, but at least he stuffed it back in.

With that being the case, I walked past him and he trailed behind me as I walked out the door. Silence still loomed over both of us and even somehow managed to drown out the ambient chatter in the hallway.

"You were at it all morning with that mare? Or was she one in a few?" I asked between my teeth, going back to what I saw. Now that my mind’s slugged gears started turning again for a moment, I began thinking of the former. It had to be true since I didn’t see anypony remotely resembling him leave the barracks this morning. Fallstreak didn't respond; a clear sign that he was guilty of my claims.

I slowed down, stopping right before the doors to the mess hall. I turned to have a chat with him for a while. I don’t want to have this bothering me later.

"Look Fall..." I monologed:

"… I understand that we are all still ripe in stallionhood and the Foal Boom has still been going on for a while, but I am just doing what is best for you alright? At least be glad I am just about to save your ass from getting written up for unscheduled breeding.”

“Yeah, sorry sir.” He said apologetically holding his hoof out expecting me to bump it. “I’ll do better at controlling the urge. I promise.”

I looked down at the hoof, and them back up at him pensively. Is he really sorry? Or is he just saying that so we can move on from the conversation? Wouldn’t be the first time, and no doubt it wouldn’t be the last. After I saw him crack a smile that spelled ‘worry’ across his face I gave in and bumped his hoof with my own, gently lifting a small smile.

“It’s Ward, ok? No more formalities when things resolve.” He’s always calling me ‘sir,’ almost like a nervous tick. “C’mon. I’ll make sure Typhoon gives you the rundown on the mission.”

He smiled back, a sign that everything's back to normal. It’s still in the back of my mind though. Like I mentioned: It wasn’t the first time he promised to try and control it. That was the main thing that pushed me into being ‘Corporal’ instead of my typical self. Either that or it’s just the agitation that makes it seem so. Hard to tell.

That brought up something I forgot to mention: The Foal Boom. Just about everypony who made it to the bunker had the idea of re-growing their numbers. Didn’t take long for everypony else to catch on with the same idea. This ultimately led to the ‘Foal Boom’ within Sanctuary, leading to regulation of population to ensure that we could all survive. Most don’t give a fuck about the rules and have at it anyway, no pun intended. With the Foal Boom in the making, the High Council instead began rearranging the army to suit the need and survival of the Enclave during these drastic times.

And a lot of good that did…

* * * * * *

The mess hall was just as noisy as ever. The line was shorter than the morning and we both were able to get our lunch in time. Looking for our table I caught a teal hoof waving in the air that belonged to Typhoon. I pushed my way through the cramming herd of pegasi and managed to get a seat at our table.

"Where was he?" Typhoon asked as he bit into his hard sandwich.

I took a swig of the tart processed cranberry juice seated on my tray. "Take a guess."

Fallstreak was beginning to look a little embarrassed as to where this conversation was leading. We all knew about his problem for sure. Because of that, everypony in the squad seemed to give him that look and he awkwardly went to looking down at his meal.

“How many times was it this month?” Aviatrix asked us regarding him. “How many times was he caught with a mare?”

“4 times,” I answered taking a bite out of the sandwich on my tray. Disgusting: Sweet apple jam with kale and synthetic cheese. Who in their right mind thought that it would be delicious? “Unless he was called for breeding then in which case it may be more.”

Aviatrix nodded subtly to my answer and let her eyes wander around the mess for a bit. She rested a cheek on a hoof and sighed, letting her eyes settle down on her tray while the rest of us ate our fill. “Speaking of breeding, any of you other stallions been called in?”

For some reason my stomach got hit with a blend of fire and ice from the inside. Partly because the message that came across seemed like it was reaching out to us (or me in this case) as a request while the subject just didn’t settle for some reason.

“I’ve been called in,” Typhoon said after finishing his drink. “Supposed to happen in about a day or two. Can’t remember exactly, I’d need to check the roster.”

L.G. just shook his head from the right of the table. He also looked embarrassed about the subject as I saw his brown cheeks glow a shade of red.

As for me...well, I didn’t want to answer. Not because I was on the breeding queue, but because I’ve been avoiding it for a while now. They don’t hunt me down, it just means that the nursery has one less mouth to feed. Don’t get me wrong, who doesn’t like the idea of sex, but it just doesn’t seem right to be thrown into a room with a random mare- one you might barely even know for that matter. That’s not what I want. I already know who I want, but I have my doubts. I feel I don’t need to explain who that mare is.

“Hey, Ward!” Aviatrix’s voice was loud enough to get me out of my drowsy thinking and back into the matter at hoof, not that I actually left it after all. My eyes blinked a few times again and I looked back at her in a manner of ‘what?,’ “Where are you in the queue?”

Staying true to my word I just cleared my throat and got back to forcing in the terrible sandwich and down the gullet. I shivered after I felt it hit my stomach and the taste filled my mouth like a thick fog.

“Come on, Ward,” Aviatrix pushed the subject onto me, and this time it felt like the whole squad was looking at me expecting an answer. “Is there at least some mare you’d be willing to make foals with?”

She just had to say it like that. Was it getting hot in here? I felt like I was roasting in my uniform right now.

“No,” I said trying to hide my feelings from them; her in particular. Would be awkward to say it here. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

I saw her give me a skeptical glance and smile, “That tells me something.”

Was it that obvious? Felt like I wanted to start sweating, and to add insult to injury my lower barding was feeling very uncomfortable. Keep it together, Ward. Started thinking some juice can turn down the heat.

“Ward,” Aviatrix looked at me with a squinted eye and grinned. Why was she looking at me like that? Why is she messing with her mane? “Are you...gay?”

Hearing that surprised me enough to have the juice go down the wrong pipe. I began coughing up a storm and the rest of the juice that didn’t make it down my gullet spilled all over my tray.

“I take it...that means ‘yes’?” she continued to push the question with that stupid grin. Now my emotions went from confused to downright anger with the need to set it straight.

“N-no!” I coughed out, feeling the warm, cranberry liquid come out my breathing tube from the back of my throat. “I’m not gay.”

“You’re gay, sir?” Fallstreak looked at me from my left. Fuck me, could he be any slower than I thought?

“I just said, ‘I’m not gay’!” This is exactly why I don’t like conversations like this! “Pay attention, damn it!”

“Easy, Ward.” Typhoon tried quelling my boiling anger. “It was just a question.”

“A question she was quick to jump at after I said I wasn’t!”

Aviatrix laughed. “Ok. Ok. You’re not gay.” Her laughter died down and she looked at me intently while still holding that smile. “Then you shouldn’t have a problem telling us: Where are you in the queue?”

I tried thinking about it in hopes to just get this topic blown over. I just don’t want to talk about it.

“I don’t know,” I answered with gritted teeth and a subtle head shake. Got to change the subject before I hurt somepony. “Can we just change the subject? Please? Before I have to get mad at all of you guys.”

“Alright, Ward.” Aviatrix complied. I saw her lean in a bit and flutter her eyes at me, giving me the most foalish smile I’ve ever seen. Why? “How about I put it like this: If you could be with any mare, who’d it be? Who’d be the lucky one?”

That wasn’t a subject change; she just dialed it back on the heat. And why the fuck is she even bringing this up? It was time to draw the line. This subject, plus whatever the fuck she’s trying to do, is making me want to sweat bullets.

“SUBJECT. CHANGE. NOW.”

“He’s blushing.” Typhoon pointed out with a small chuckle. That happened to get the attention of Fallstreak and L.G. who I felt both their sets of eyes focus on me.

“Just...shut up!” I tried taking control of the situation. Not only was I heating up like a ruptured energy cell, but I was having a hard time keeping myself together from the inside. I don’t want to share.

“Is it...me?” Aviatrix poked at me with the subject, fluttering her eyes with that stupid grin again. I think I’m already a shade of tomato red. Can I get any redder from hearing her say that? “I mean come on, I notice the way you look at me sometimes...” she leaned in a little closer, almost climbing up on the table. Is she really tantalizing me? Was I that obvious? I noticed the rest of the squad look at her with a kind of whimsical manner. “ What about that kiss at graduation? That must’ve meant something.”

The kiss? The kiss...The kiss. Now I remember. Damn. Thinking about it put a knot in my stomach and my cheeks to glow to the point where they almost burn. “I was 6 days without sleep,” I tried defending myself (rather weakly might I add) in the memory. “You say things when you're tired you know.”

She giggled foalishly, “Right… and some of those things are like what drunkards say when you give them enough. Am I right? Because the lock loosens, right?”

Fuck! Her voice was smoother than butter and playful in all ways. Maybe deliberately provocative? The closer she got to me from the top of the table, the harder my heart thumped. My wings wanted to flare out but shuttered in resistance. So many questions; so many emotions. I can’t take it!

“What’d I just say!?” I reiterated, adding more overkill by slamming a hoof on the table. Didn’t faze them, but it was the best thing I had before the truth came out. That escalated too quickly. “Just shut up!”

She laughed. Typhoon laughed. L.G. chuckled. Fallstreak was on the verge of laughing. For some reason, the feeling that I’ve somehow embarrassed myself rumbled in my stomach and threatened to come up out my mouth and into my head. I felt myself heat up again.

“Well, I tried.” Aviatrix said after her laughter died down. She retreated back to her seat and straightened her uniform out. She looked back up at me and smiled, resting her head on a hoof. “Guess it’s true. You can’t make a gay pony straight.”

FUUCK! They just have to reiterate that to me. And to add salt to the wound they’re laughing. The only thing I was able to do to defend myself gave them the old forehoof jerk; resting my right forehoof on my left knee joint, and striking a small uppercut with the left.

“C’ mon Ward, take a joke.” Typhoon tried reassuring me with a smile. “Don’t mean any harm.”

I looked at Aviatrix and she smiled friendly-like at me, then at Fallstreak beside me who also sported one of his own; past him was L.G. giving me a half smile. I slammed my forehead on the table, unable to take it all at once. I was wrong thinking that my sleepiness wouldn’t make a difference. It stung, then sharply traveled all the way to the back of my head. I was too tired to even react normally to it. All I did was give my best smile. Smile as I let my head rest on the table for just a moment.

I was letting it all sink in, and letting my tired mind wander a bit into the void. Their laughing, happy voices, and their nudges on my shoulders faded away for a moment. Thoughts most random seemed to creep their way into my head. Dozing off further into the familiar void, welcoming me like an old friend.