“We give their lives the most important thing possible. We give their lives dreams to be excited for.”
-Ayla, Fallout 1. Written by Mark O’Green.

Nyota and I arrived at The Roof. Waiting for us outside were Grapevine and his wife, Orchard Blossom. Alongside them were Hanz and Franz playing with the three foals: Niagara, as well as my twins Magical Miracle and Jumoke. Nyota rushed towards them and scooped them both up in his hooves with glee. I shook my head with a giggle at his excitement. It was the first time he was physically able to hold them, so I let him have this.

I approached Grapevine and Orchard Blossom. “Deciding on whether to stay or not?”

Grapevine tipped his hat to me and wrapped a wing around Orchard Blossom. “I think we might just, assuming they are welcoming of pegasi.” Grapevine nodded to me.

I sighed and smiled. “I mean, Sparrow runs Silver Fang Shanty and she is a pegasus, and her husband’s from the Enclave,” I told Grapevine, who seemed rather relieved by that. I put a hoof up to his shoulder. “Thank you. I cannot express how much what you have done has meant to me.”

Grapevine leaned up and whispered in my ear, “I think I have a decent idea, just not two like you do.” I blushed and smiled at him warmly as he turned to his wife. “We might just go visit this Sparrow of yours. It’s a brave new world for us and a brand new life, not to mention the Enclave might start looking for us if anyone survived to know what I did for you.”

I nodded to him. “You are welcome here, just as promised, and Sparrow will be here in a couple of days to discuss a few things if you are willing to wait for her to get here.” I walked towards Nyota, who was just the happiest, cutest papa I could have ever imagined seeing.

And he is… I paused for a few moments. A realization struck me; in the Old World, Nyota and I would have gotten married to publicly represent our commitment to each other. Here, however, we had been so busy with basic survival and running from one crisis to another that the thought never stuck in my mind. It had never occurred to me until now, until I saw the father of my children playing happily with his two little ones.

Pink leaned in with a grin. “Whoooo… A wedding! It’s been ages since I helped plan a party that epic! It’s a once in a lifetime event for almost every pony and it is a commitment for forever… how dreamy!”

I raised an eyebrow at Pink, who was somehow drooling onto my health monitoring section of my H.U.D. I swore I could feel that drool on my shoulder under my armor. Wait, when did you plan weddings?

Pink snapped to and wiped up her drool off my shoulder, another sensation that—despite seeing it and knowing it was coming—I will never get used to feeling. It was odd this time because I felt it on my shoulder, despite her doing so on the PipBuck’s H.U.D. in front of my eyes. Now I was feeling her cleaning it up.

“Oh, right! Before the war, Rarity and I used to plan weddings all the time in Ponyville. They were like magical slices of heaven. Sometimes I would get the fussiest bride, we’d call them Bridezillas because we would rather face a Geckzilla than one of them.” I motioned my hoof towards Pink, as if asking for something more.

“You… want me to… no, I couldn’t possibly, there is no way, how many days do we have?”

I cleared my throat, and thought about it. Two...we have two days to plan it, if he accepts, and you will have to do all the planning through Chifundo, not me. I will be hooves-off for it, completely.

I had seen Pink’s jaw descend cartoonishly to hit the floor before, but this was a new record. It fell all the way against the ground and even caused a puff of dirt to pop up from the impact. A puff in the real world that I hoped no one noticed or would ask questions about. I made a mental note: once the children were asleep for the night, I would pop the question to Nyota. Would he be my stallion, and I his mare, for life.

Pink tilted her head, “But I want you to ask it now!”

I shook my head as Nyota took turns lifting the twins up into the air, squealing out a “wee!” as he did so, much to their delight and giggles. I want to let him have this, and not ruin his time with them. I’ve had them for days, almost a full week, all by myself. I want them to make sure they know who their father is. I needed some time to gather my thoughts and put things in order. If I was going to make something of the Old World real and tangible in just two days, I would have to make sure that it was just right. Then again, to plan the party… I looked at Pink as I slowly let the realization sink in.

I do have the best party planner of the Old World with her hooves on the wheel of this ship. Pink gave a sharp salute as we headed inside. I kept answering questions Grapevine had while I let Nyota beam and be proud of the two very small bundles of joy he now entertained and helped bring into this world. The Roof was bustling and my mind was going a mile a second, all in preparation for a single moment tonight.

I spoke to no one, letting my emotions calm down over the day. I let Nyota play with the children as long as they did not need feeding or changing. For me, I was just happy to be safe. Well, as safe as one could be in The Wasteland of Equestria. I was inside a former parking garage, turned into a castle-style fortress with enough firepower to make all but a Thunderhead hesitate to even consider attacking it.

I really hope the Enclave doesn’t have thunderheads and only the raptor-class ships. I knew they probably did have something bigger, but for now, I could just relax. I let the world drift away as I took the nap of a lifetime, exhaustion taking away my afternoon.

I woke up to Nyota nudging me. “It’s late, love, why don’t you come to the bed. The hotel has gotten us a nice place to sleep and…” I placed a hoof against Nyota’s lips.

“Can Hanzhoof and Franzpone watch the kids for a little bit? While we take some time for dinner?” I looked at him through tired eyes as I wiped the sleep from my inner eye. I was blushing and trying to breathe, but my throat was dry. I had fallen asleep on someone’s couch, though no one had dared disturb me.

Nyota walked off for a minute without answering and came back with Hanzhoof and Franzpone, both of whom walked past us with a skip in their step.

“They don’t mind. Tartarus, they said if we need to go back out they could watch them for us.” I tilted my head, confused. As I watched, the metal-plated Franzpone disappeared beyond a doorway, which I assumed is where our twins were sleeping.

Nyota had a glass of water in his hoof and offered it to me. I took the glass and sucked it down with a smile, “That is better.” My mouth was still dry, but I could feel my emotions coming back. The hints of what I wanted to ask Nyota pushed through me. I felt like I should wait, but another part of me might actually explode if I did.

Pink finally nudged me. “Well, go on, the next part of your life is gonna be decided at this moment. Just like you made your choice on the Vulture, make it now.” I nodded and gulped, for once in agreement with Pink’s impatience. Nyota was staring at me, worried, and I got up from the couch… only to immediately kneel in front of him. It must have seemed like I was collapsing because Nyota rushed to help me up. I held up a hoof and shook my head.

“No, you stay there. This works better if you are standing.” I tried to explain, and Nyota tilted his head in confusion.

“You literally fell down… unless you did that on purpose.” Nyota chuckled, completely oblivious to what I was doing. He was right however, from his perspective it probably looked like I went to stand and immediately just collapsed into a heap on the floor. “Seriously, Sunny, Love, why don’t we get you up and go get some food. You don’t have to act all super powered and independent around me.”

I smiled at him, I reached up and caressed his cheek. “Nyota, I assure you, I am on my knees for a reason.” Nyota turned his head, even more confused by my explanation. He was simultaneously too perfect and completely lost at the same time.

I gulped down the dryness in my throat and suppressed the rising butterflies in my stomach. “Nyota.” He leaned down, anticipating what I had to say. I finally looked up at him and stared into his eyes. He wasn’t wearing his eyepatch anymore for some reason, so I could look into his spirit eye that reflected the cosmos. Finally, I exhaled slowly. “Nyota, will you marry me?”

Nyota looked like he had been hit by a sledge hammer. His hearty, happy demeanor was shattered by the question. He stared at me and the world was held on pause. I could see Hanzhoof and Franzpone poking their heads around the corner. I felt for a moment he might say no or make an excuse. Seconds turned into a minute before Nyota actually recovered and gulped, “Did you want to run that by me one more time?”

I nodded to him and very slowly repeated the words, “Nyota, will you marry me?” It took a titanic effort to say it a second time with my throat as parched as it was; each word slowly pushed out as if I had to move a great weight to move my vocal cords. My lips felt like desert sand and my tongue like a slab of fresh obsidian from a volcano. But I managed the words again, and Nyota continued with his dumbfounded stare.

I think I might have broken him for a bit. Just the way his face stared at me and how his cheek twitched indicated that something might have finally cracked. Pink peeked up from my status bar and looked like she might actually explode as she softly rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. They rested right below her chin as she smiled from ear to ear, ready to explode.

Nyota finally blinked away his stunned state. “It sounds so much prettier when you say it.”

I looked at him, stunned now by his answer, not sure what he meant. “Is that a nice way to say no?”

Nyota leaned in close and got eye level with me, “When?”

I was now completely lost. I had expected a yes or no answer, not a question in return. “What do you mean, when?”

“When were you thinking about us getting married?” I chewed on his words for a bit. My heart was pounding, not rapidly, but like a blacksmith’s hammer in my ears with a steady thump, thump, thump that was hard to ignore. The butterflies swelled from my stomach to my throat and tried to steal my words. I had to focus to think about it and rolled my idea around to make sure I understood him correctly.

“I… was thinking in two days, when Sparrow, Soot, and whoever Stable Phi sends arrive to discuss that agreement I talked them into.” Nyota simply kissed me at those words and held the kiss until we both could no longer hold our breath. The butterflies died away and my heart held with my breath. I felt lighter than air as he almost pulled me off my hooves with the embrace, until we both had to pull away panting.

“Done, love.” Nyota wrapped his hooves around me and we held each other, tears of joy and tears of pain that needed to be let out flowing down our faces. Hanzhoof and Franzpone squealed like school fillies in delight and Pink literally shot herself out of a cannon.

We had work to do. For once, it was not to stop somepony from dying, or to fix something that was broken, or to right a wrong. No, this work was for joy and happiness, finally a celebration without any strings attached. The Wasteland would finally give us a win.

*****

I found myself in Cross Stitch’s gallery with his assistant, a pony I recognized immediately as Lunar Spice’s wife, the seemingly naive bat pony named Jade Jump, or Jay Jay for short. She was going over different things for my wedding dress. A set of wing blades for Jay Jay sat in the corner. She had a cut open blood orange for a cutie mark. Her ruby-red mane was done up in a bun and her tail was unkempt, but she was competent enough. She did have those slits for irises that thestrals tended to have, but her eyes were the same color as my fur coat, so I had to admit that they were not off-putting. She was always wearing a goofy smile though, like she was just too happy and perhaps a bit empty-headed. As we worked together on my wedding dress, the only thing I had insisted upon was that the dress be able to come off and my Stable-Suit be worn under it.

When Cross Stitch got upset I explained, “It will give me a little armor just in case something happens, since we are gonna have the wedding outside at the tree that marks the graves of Corners, Buddy, and Picline.” He stopped all protests there, then he and Jay Jay started to work feverishly.

“Then it shall be splendid within those restrictions, darling!” I recognized his accent again, and now I knew where it was from. I looked at him, my own face perplexed and contorting.

“Fancy Pants?” I asked hesitantly, as if I was hoping for a miracle and a curse at the same time. Cross Stitch stopped cold. If a ghoul’s face could get paler, I would never be able to see it, but I guessed his was.

“Jay Jay, take a break.” He said to her as if giving a final order. Jay Jay looked confused and Cross Stitch smiled. It was a fake smile but one to reassure her she wasn’t in trouble. “Just for a minute.”

Jay Jay pranced out and turned the corner, “I’ll go see if Lunar honey has some sugar for me.” She was quite happy with herself as Cross Stitch waited until the door closed and he was certain she was away.

“How do you know that name?” Cross Stitch got up on to the dressing platform in his measuring room, a set of shears held in his horn’s magic. I gulped as I took a couple of steps to get away from him.

“Fancy Pants; you are him, right? You dressed me in Canterlot, in the Old World… remember?” I wondered for a moment if this was how ghouls went feral.

Cross Stitch took a breath and sighed as he hung his head. “Sorry, I have had an innumerable number of assassins show up and refer to my Old World name. Just a reflex, hopefully you will forgive me.” He lowered the shears and took a step back.

I now understood the reason for the gauss weapon under his counter. I reached up to him and gave his cheek a soft rub. The leathery rotten ghoul skin was unnerving to touch, but I decided I didn’t mind. He was my friend, and had been for nearly two centuries. I had been given eternal youth, and he had been given a terrible curse. “My friend, it is okay. I think I would have done the same if others had tried to kill me. Now, how about we focus on the wedding?”

Cross Stitch nodded as my H.U.D. changed, his name now registered as Fancy Pants. “Just don’t call me Fancy Pants in public, alright little mare?” I nodded in agreement and took my place back on the dressing platform and Cross Stitch got back to work, our secret now cemented between us. Jay Jay came back and helped him, even using her bat wings to suspend the dress that would overlay my armored stable-suit.

“I think we can both agree to call each other by our chosen names instead of what others might think we should be called.” Cross Stitch gave me a wink and remained silent as he kept working on the dress. There was some understanding between us, as each time we looked at each other to speak, there was hesitation, then some sense of knowing. He spoke to Jay Jay and she fetched cloth, ornaments, and other pieces, but neither of us directly addressed each other.

It was strange to have someone who was a friend and yet we had known each other on and off for almost two centuries. We finished the dress, took it back so it could be hidden for a couple of days, then hugged tightly. I did not care that his flesh was without fur, leathery, or squishy. I only cared that one day he had helped me when it was direly needed. Yet again, he helped me on what was probably the greatest day of my life.

Warm tears rolled down my cheeks, not ones of loss, but of joy. I had discovered a long lost friend and was finally glad to know him. When we parted some time later, The Roof had quieted down.

My next stop after Cross Stitch was the clerk's office. I wanted to try to make this as Old World as possible. There had been mentions throughout The Roof of some celebration outside at The Memorial Tree, but I think Pink and Chifundo were working to make sure no one knew what it was.

I made my way to the clerk’s office for the council, which was relatively empty. The clerk didn’t look up. His name tag, crudely written in sharpie on a piece of refined scrap metal, read: “Note Worthy” and my H.U.D. confirmed that was his name as I approached him. He had a set of glasses that looked new, rather than something off the shelf in an abandoned pharmacy. His brown coat was further muted by his very bright orange and sun yellow mane. He did not look up from what he was writing.

“Hello, how may I assist you? What complaint or grievance have you brought to the Council of The Roof?” He didn’t look up from his work, and I was hesitant to actually say much yet.

I gulped and stood upright, “I would like to register a marriage… well, I mean… a marriage that is going to take place? Sorry, not exactly sure if there is official paperwork I need to do.”
The pony raised an eyebrow and looked up at me. His gaze was incredibly harsh, but then he was immediately startled to see me. “Angel?”

I nodded, “Yes, I am Wandering Sunrise, though please, just Sunrise for short. Angel with a Shotgun was DJ Pon3’s idea, and I am not exactly fond of it.” I wasn’t. Everytime someone called me Angel with a Shotgun or some variant thereof, I felt very self-conscious, like my actions were being judged extra hard. It was always like there was some expectation with it. Honestly, I just wanted to be called Sunrise, or let Nyota call me Sunny.

“If it makes them happy and content to not shoot you, maybe that is a good thing! You ever think of it that way?” Pink pointed out with a boop on my nose, and before I could reply, she disappeared again. I heard her shouting from somewhere distant, “At least it’s not Princess of Explosions or Little Green Monster anymore, Angel!” She drew out the last word to emphasize her point and really drive it home.

I shoved Pink aside for now as Note Worthy stared at me, his face dumbfounded. “Is that… What is this celebration?” I rushed over to the clerk desk and put a hoof up to his lips with a long ‘shhh’ from my own mouth.

“Sorry, but we do not want everyone to know what is going on until it is happening. I imagine if we do more than a public ceremony, we may find ourselves overwhelmed.” Note Worthy nodded in agreement, but he also reached up and indignantly removed my hoof from his mouth with a harsh snatch.

“Right, yes, well, we can draw up the paperwork to make the arrangements.” He shuffled some paper and went about his business preparing a few documents that were hoof drawn instead of printed. Granted, they were immaculate and drawn by someone who had better hoof and mouth work than I could ever hope to have.

“Just need you to fill this out,” He handed me an old pen whose advertisement had long since worn off, then stopped his filing for a moment and lifted his head, “Quietly, of course. Wouldn’t wish to ruin the surprise.”

I finished that paperwork. Realizing that Nyota’s full name was ‘Nyota Ya Risasi’ required me calling for Pink and having her make sure. I had not realized that zebras had second, house, family, or last names until then. Once that was done, I started to head back to the room provided for us when Pink stopped me.

“Sunrise, we’ve got a snag, a little lack of sugar that needs to go into this wedding cake.” I rolled my eyes, and then had a moment where a question had to be asked.

One, who said anything about a wedding cake? And two, did you mean that literally or figuratively?

“Oh, figuratively! You need to have someone give you away to Nyota at the ceremony. According to Chifundo, this is supposed to be your father.”

My heart skipped a beat. My chest felt tight and twisted as I was reminded that my father was gone and my mother wished to make me less than equine. I looked at Pink with eyes that felt new cold tears full of the heartache of my failure filling my eyes. “Right, but he said that you could pick a friend from your homeland as well.”

I was now hurting and confused. What? Who would that… Oh… oh no.... you cannot be serious.

Pink nodded. “Only pony on hand who meets that description is Mad Mac.” I groaned, then nodded at her.

If there is no one else. Pink shook her head as if to tell me there indeed was no one else. I hung my head, starting towards the lower section of The Roof, where his shop was. Despite it being nearly ten at night, his light was still on.

I walked up to the door and knocked on the side of the metallic wall. There was a loud thud of a head hitting a table. “Who in the bloody flag is that? Dammit all to hell, I am closed! This had better be fuckin’ important or I will string you up like a bourgeoisie traitor!” The door slammed open and Mad Mac looked out over my head as he stepped out and almost put his chest right into my face. He stood over me and then looked down.

“Oh… it is you. Sorry about that, been having idiots not take the hint that the lights stay on cause I live here.” His forehead was redder than usual, like he had just smacked it and I felt my ears pressing against the top of my head.

“I umm… I have a favor I need to ask you.” I said hesitantly, and Mad Mac leaned down with a growl as he looked into my eyes and examined each side of my face up and down.

“You do not look like you are here for bullet or gun, so what are you here for? You better not be asking for stuff for free either! As a matter of fact, double the price if you are.” He was obviously coming off of a bad day.

“Nothing for free. At least, not anything you make.” I looked around to see a few ponies still out late at night, looking at us with interest. “May I come inside? I think we should talk without prying ears.”

Mad Mac took a piece of chew out of his mouth, put it into a glass bottle and tossed that into the trashcan next to the door. He then turned around with a harrumph and started inside, “Yeah, get in here.”

I quickly went in and closed the door, “I am…. Um… well…”

Mad Mac took out a bottle of vodka and poured himself a shot and then poured me a shot. “Oh… I do not drink.” It was like I had taken a record he enjoyed off a jukebox and threw it into the wall.

“No, you are gonna take this shot or you are gonna have to go without asking your favor.” He passed me the shot and I gulped as I remembered the other time I had tried alcohol with Nyota. It was not a pleasant experience. I hesitantly put the glass to my mouth and let it burn. I felt it rip through my throat and leave me wanting to drink something else to rinse it out. Not that anything else was offered.

It did make my throat and belly warmer, even if it was torturing my mouth and tongue. Finally, Mad Mac motioned for me to speak in the dimly lit room of boxes of bullets, gun racks, and materials for making both. I let out a sigh, “Right, so… now that is done, my father is gone and my mother wants to do something terrible to me, the thing I was just rescued from.”

Mad Mac motioned with a hoof, his face showing his patience was wearing thin. “I am getting married in two days, and Chifundo wanted me to ask if you would give me to Nyota during the ceremony.”

Mad Mac’s whole demeanor seemed to change in that instant. He rushed forward, and I thought for a moment he was going to strike me. Instead, I found myself scooped up into his hooves and in a back-breaking hug as he let out a cry that I had not heard since before I went into the Stable.

“HUZZAH!!!” His voice vibrated the walls around me. Bullets rolled and jingled, a gun fell off the wall, and Mad Mac laughed so heartily that I could feel his jubilation in his bones. “Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!” He set me down roughly and ruffled my mane with enough force to shove my head down. I closed my eyes and winced a bit as Mad Mac was no gentle-stallion. “Yes, yes, little mare, I will happily give you to your husband-to-be.” He chuckled and then insisted I have a seat.

I pulled up the chair and hoped that Nyota and our foals wouldn’t mind me being away from the house for a little longer. I did manage to refuse more booze, citing to Mad Mac that I was still nursing the twins. He talked long into the night, going over the adventures he had outside of The Roof, everything. It was strange to be able to talk to Mad Mac and yet relate to him, as we were both from Stalliongrad. I told of my memories from before the megaspells and bombs. Mad Mac told me the things he had seen change and would laugh and actually have heartfelt moments when I would say things of our motherland that were still the same.

We carried on until almost two in the morning, when Franzpone—the metallic glint on the side of his head where the plate replaced part of his skull still made me nervous—came in. “Oh, there you are, we had gotten worried.”

I raised an eyebrow. “How could we not be heard? We have made the walls of this place shake with laughter and shouting.”

Franzpone nodded. “Well, little fraulein, Mad Mac’s shop is sound proof by order of the council, since he works sometimes until dawn,” Franzpone motioned for me to follow. “Come, Nyota is vorried sick you had gotten cold feet, but Cross Stitch and ze clerk, both said they had seen you and everything had gone over vell. Ve thought that mayhaps she had been ponynapped again.”

Mad Mac shook his head. “No, I just insisted upon stories and celebrations. Not every day that I get to see a daughter of Stalliongrad, much less get to see her be wed.” He punched my shoulder, just hard enough that it hurt, something I remembered that colts would do to each other, playfully. I looked at Mad Mac and he smiled. “Go on, little mare, your foals and fiance are waiting, I have kept you long enough.”

I followed Franzpone back to our loft. I was beginning to think that The Roof would want me to stay here permanently, but not entirely certain. Nyota was overjoyed to see me, and tomorrow was his day of preparations. Hopefully everything will turn out as we anticipated.

Nyota, however, wouldn’t let me get straight to sleep, as we had some making up for lost time to do quietly, with a silencing talisman and bridle to keep me from waking the foals.

*****

I was out at the Winnebago, checking on Alguacil’s body. Quick Stitch had kept him on ice and continued to monitor him with three computers set up in the RV and several different medical instruments. They were all reading no lifesigns, but there were signs of magic at play on the printed readouts. I had no idea where he had gotten all this tech, but apparently I wasn’t the only pony that had been very busy for the last two days.

“Well?” I asked Quick Stitch, who shrugged.

Chifundo wrapped a hoof around my shoulder, “I am sure Alguacil will be alright, Quick Stitch’s analysis is airtight.” Chifundo gently pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back very softly. I nodded at him and we left the Winnebago, our last chore before the morning’s ceremony done.

Quick Stitch nodded at me. “There are signs of magic taking place inside of him, but I cannot be certain what kind of magic. I have tried to remove the box and found it is very aggressively resilient.”

Scopola Mina snickered and turned to us with a wink, “It electrocuted him, and when I tried to use my TK, it felt like it was trying to melt my horn.”

Quick Stitch rolled his eyes and sighed, then took in a deep breath to regain his composure. “Right, well, I will keep monitoring him. If nothing manifests in the next day or two, we will bury him, seeing as he will have long outlasted Hallow Feather’s record.”

Nyota spoke up, “These boxes are weird, and before Sunrise I would have just left the body out in the field. I get why you bury them, as a memorial. We're gonna bury him here with the others?”

I nodded and felt a deep remorse inside. Alguacil had given his life for me. I really wanted to say something else but couldn’t find the words. Quick Stitch nodded to Nyota and Chifundo gave a reassuring smile. “I am a doctor, though even I cannot cure death, which is what makes this so interesting; someone found a cure for death.”

It was now that I noticed his armor plating was somehow growing out of his fur and flesh. His armor seemed to be melted to him. I tilted my head and got in close for a better look, tugging at his shoulder plate to try to get it off. However, the yellow and pink Ministry of Peace armor refused to budge. When I tried to pull particularly hard Quick Stitch winced. “Ow, Sunrise, yes! It doesn’t come off anymore.”

I looked at him with an expression that could only be described as miffed. “What? Why?”

Quick Stitch cleared his throat. “I used some of the purified I.M.P. we found inside Stable Phi and a mixture of healing herbs to create an experimental healing potion. When we were racing to Alguacil, I… died. The autoinjector took over and shot the experimental potion into me.” I winced, not entirely sure what taint could do, considering we had only encountered it once, much less what a purified version of the substance would do to a pony.

“The laser that tried to disintegrate me and the potion resulted in this. From what my medical analysis can tell, my armor is now a part of my body. Even after chopping it off, it regrows as the combination of steel, aluminum, titanium, and stubbornite you made it out of.” I blinked a few times and genuinely felt upset. I wondered how uncomfortable Quick Stitch had to be to try to sleep in his armor like that.

Quick Stitch saw my expression and gave me a pat on the head, “Look at it this way, Sunrise: I may be mutated, with flowing princess hair and armor that won’t come off, but my flight talisman is also stuck in me, so I can give myself wings any time.” He leaned down and whispered, “Also, I’ll always be wearing my armor, so you will always be protecting me, Sunrise.”

I wasn't sure if I felt good or bad for the last part, but Quick Stitch’s smile was infectious and made me giggle a little bit as we left the RV to rest up for the next morning. Sparrow and Mountain had already arrived in preparation for the treaty discussion. Soot was expected sometime tomorrow, and the celebration decorations were hastily being put up by Scopola Mina and Chifundo.

I finally faded into sleep and hoped it would go as planned.

*****

An old record played a marriage welcoming song as guests gathered on blankets, improvised chairs, and whatever else they could think of to sit on. I was sitting inside the tent we usually used for camping with Mad Mac. Cross Stitch was putting the final touches on my wedding dress, including the bits that would easily be sheared away if needed. Scopola Mina was playing a harmonica, and Quick Stitch had somehow acquired an El Paso Pony guitar, though he wasn't very good at it.

Another pony from The Roof had taken the guitar after Quick Stitch had nearly broken a string trying to re-tune it. He had a medium gray coat with navy blue hooves and a blue and neon-blue mane and tail. I think somepony had called him Sundancer, and he knew how to play the guitar, strumming a pleasant tune that calmed my nerves.

Nyota stood at the end of a long, old, patchwork red carpet. I swore it had been made from six or seven different fabrics and pieces of carpeting. A few of the everything trees, the ones that would not fit on the top of The Roof, lined the path as well, providing shade on the sunless, gray, cloudy day.

Nyota had his chest out, looking proud, and Chifundo looked small in comparison. There was nothing that could ruin Nyota’s mood. Sparrow, Soot, and Mountain all had front row seats, and Hanzhoof and Franzpone were playing with Jumoke and Magical Miracle to keep them content through the festivities.

A strange pony caught my eye. He looked less pony and more robot with all the pieces of him that were made of some black metal. I swore that it might have been ‘star metal’ as zebras called it, or iridium as I knew it. He had glowing green cyber-eyes and was sitting in the crowd, a full head and shoulders taller than those around him.

Before I could dive in further, I was pulled back by Mad Mac. Cross Stitch was beaming and dressed in a suit I knew likely had survived since before the megaspells. It was still gleaming and made of the finest pieces of silk. He wore a purple tie and blue vest with his light black suit barding. He even had a teal blue tail and mane wig, and Cross Stitch had crafted a monocle for himself to wear over his left eye. He seemed almost non-ghoul-like with all of that, even his cutie mark was showing despite his ghoulification on his right side. I could barely make out the three gold crowns with purple sapphires at their center.

“Sunrise, whenever you are ready.” Cross Stitch reassuringly gave my head a pat, then made his way out of the tent into the crowd. It wasn’t exactly an Old World wedding, but it had all the trappings, and it was the best anyone in The Wasteland could hope to do.

Mad Mac had dressed himself beyond his normal greatcoat. He was wearing his officers coat from the Stalliongrad Militizia and a furred ushanka with the hammer and sickle circled by the twin alicorn sisters in gold. Mad Mac stood up proudly, “We never officially disbanded, so we just kept passing down our ranks and heraldry.” He had even trimmed his mutton chops and now looked like a much younger stallion than he normally did.

He offered his foreleg to me, “Shall we?” I nodded and we started walking down the red carpet laid out for us. My heart hammered into my chest. I looked from right to left, seeing everypony’s eyes upon me. I gasped for breath. I could feel the blushing in my cheeks and down my neck. The world seemed to come to a standstill, as even our foals stared at me with big eyes. The murmur of the crowd stopped and everyone remained silent.

The music picked up, Scopola Mina really tearing up that harmonica and Sundancer playing a guitar tune to keep up. It was like listening to an old western song that was about to try to tell a story, though no words came. I just focused on putting one hoof in front of the other. I looked at Mad Mac for reassurance and he gave a very fatherly smile, as if he had done this more than once.

I saw Nyota stand up even taller somehow and his chest puffed out, his three scars gleaming in the dim light as he looked at me with his spirit eye. I swore I could see the reflection of my soul inside it. I saw Pink sanding there in a pink bridesmaid dress as she held flowers and was tearing up.

We stopped short of Nyota and Chifundo. Chifundo motioned with his hoof to stop the music, “Dearest creator of guns, show us the sun.”

Mad Mac reached up and slowly removed my veil and Stable-Suit wedding cover. He then took my hoof and nodded to Chifundo. “May I present, the daughter of Stalliongrad, my friend, Wandering Sunrise.”

With that, I slowly walked up as my heart was pounding. Mad Mac took a seat in the front row next to Sparrow. Sparrow gave him a rather vicious look and he sneered and snarled back, but they seemed to have some truce they had come to without words. Mad Mac took his seat and turned his gaze back to the front, smiling at me with a coy wink.

Chifundo nodded and motioned for me to stand opposite Nyota. We stood under the tree opposite the memorial for Picline, Corners, and Buddy. I tried not to think about how that might soon include Alguacil. Chifundo began to speak, pulling my mind back to the here and now. As Nyota and I stared at each other, I found myself mesmerized by Nyota’s spirit eye. A comet seemed to streak across it and move across a star formation, drawing a line that I swore looked like my form as a constellation.

“To the many ponies, griffons, and dragon gathered here today,” I looked around to see Jackal lazing behind the tent. I had actually not noticed a dragon the size of a mansion. “We seek to make more than one treaty in the clay.

“This stallion and mare, mighty and fair. Wish to create a bond, with love so fond,” Chifundo pointed at Nyota then to me as he spoke, “Spirits near and far, a request I have for you, please ensure this love rings true.”

Chifundo turned to me. “Sunrise, one of mercy and sweet fate, do you take this stallion as your mate?”

I nodded. “I do.”

He then turned to Nyota and smiled at him, a sense of pride I had not expected rising in his gaze. “Nyota, guardian warrior and gentle stallion, do you take this mare forever with love and passion?”

Nyota nodded. “I do.” I could see the tears in his eyes and Chifundo’s hoof started to generate some pink glow that I swore was magic.

“If this is true the spirits will know your bliss, you must now share true love’s kiss.” Nyota and I came together and embraced. I felt his love, but also electricity and the shock of magic. Pink squeed as my rear leg burned, though I did not care at the moment as Chifundo continued to draw pink visions and outlines into the air. With a burst of light, Nyota and I pulled back.

Chifundo smiled. “With that, the spirits’ magic is complete, you two are now of one heartbeat.” I looked and saw Nyota’s left rear leg was covered in green stripes in the same pattern as his stripes before. He pointed to my right rear leg and I saw his black stripes now on my leg. “The spirits confirm true love, you are wrapped by each other’s love. In keeping with Zebrican tradition, your stripes are now a fusion.”

Chifundo waited, then the crowd erupted in cheers as the music began to play again. I could see ponies bringing out food from The Roof and setting up a giantatic outdoor picnic under the overcast skies. I had no idea how much of our caps or favors Chifundo and Pink had used, but I immensely appreciated it.

As we made our way back, we gathered around the gleaming vegetables and fresh fruits of the everything trees. Ponies began to party as Chifundo grabbed me and Nyota over towards the instruments. “It is a tradition of all zebras from days of time long, the mated pair must sing the first song.” I looked at Chifundo nervously, not sure what to do or sing.

Nyota blushed as well before Sundancer handed him the guitar and Chifundo gave me a wink, “Do not be shy, just follow along with me, I will sing something with which you will agree.” I nodded and we set up, Scopola Mina on the Harmonica, Nyota on the Guitar, and Chifundo and I front and center.

Chifundo made an effort to clear his throat, but there was a gleam in his eye. “On this day of happiness and bliss, we must rejoice in the lives of those sorely missed. I wish that rather with sadness and tears, they be remembered with gladness and cheer. Though they may have left us, far too soon, they brought into our lives the greatest boon...friendship.” The word, unrhymed, carried a weight with it that stirred the crowd to silence. Chifundo smiled. “Please listen to our voice, and in their lives rejoice.”

Chifundo nodded to Scopola who started on the harmonica. The tune was uplifting and a bit pitchy as Nyota caught the tune and started on his guitar. We fell into a song, Not one of sorrow, but of celebration. Just as in the Old World, ponies sang into the night. Quick Stitch picked up a hoof and beat against a tree side. The other ponies caught on as Chifundo lead me into a wonderful dirge:

“There was a bird from ‘Loussa, through the wasteland he did roam,
Carrying out swift justice, it is to him I sing this ode.
Along with a great spirit, he struck down every foe,
Safety in the wasteland, to him we do owe.
Red and black, red and black,
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.”

There was an interlude and adjustment by our musicians ot the tune, to match my key and I took the signal:

“He shot the ruinous raiders, too numerous to list,
Carrying out justice with his revolver in his fist. “

“Through the toxic skies, he scoped each shot to fall,
Each and every lawless Raider, feared his mighty call.”

“Red and black, red and black,
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.”

Then we began to alternate and the story started to unfold to the beat of the music, rising and falling at just the right moments, the magic of Equestria coming back to life just in that moment, restoring music to pony’s lives.

“With his gun raised high to the sky
Raiders and Slavers would be sure to fly
To this life they would have to say goodbye
From his mighty JUSTICE Cry
Red and black, red and black,
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.”

The music slowed and the world felt like it came to a stop as I spoke the next piece:

“Beneath that hat, was just a lone griffon you see,
One with a hollow hole, where one his eyes should be.”

“But why try to preserve justice in a world full of ugly sin,
If asked, Alguacil would speak to you,“

We all heard a voice that sounded just like Alguacil chip in, as if some combination of magic and spirit had come together in perfect harmony:

“Because I’m a Regulator, someone has to bring the law in.”

The crowd hollered and hooted as we all raised ourselves up and finished the song with a chorus that lasted until our voices felt sore:

“Red and black, red and black,
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
He carried a mighty gun
So we can all see the sun
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
His Legacy has just begun
Make his will far from done
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
The bird from ‘Loussa wore a hat of red and black.
Red and Black
Red and Black
Red and Black
Red and Black
The Bird From ‘Loussa Wore a Hat of Red and Black.”

With that, the cheering continued as I blushed and tried to catch my breath from dancing with Chifundo and his steady hoofwork. Nyota gave me a tight hug and the party resumed, the entire day taken up by our celebration. Any treaties, deals, or other business could wait until tomorrow. For now, though, we could simply be happy.

Level Progress: 26% of the way to Level 16. Congrats, you are getting there.
I, the GM, have had the honor, a wonderful pleasure by the way, of guiding you through this book and the others. I hope to look forward to when we meet again. Despite my saltiness, I genuinely enjoyed this act.
Thank you.

Author's Note

It has been a pleasure and an honor to get this far.

I will be working on a Book 4 but I will be silent until the entire book 4 is ready.

There is a reason for that, as of today, I am tasked by Games Workshop with writing a new novel for them titled: The First Raven.

Thank you and if you're at Everfree when this releases, come to my table, we can talk about it.

Come check us out at: Shotgun Angel Productions