Fallout: Equestria- Burdens

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.