Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

Chapters

Chapter Two: Trust
Chapter Three: Maintenance
Chapter Four: Diner Delights
Chapter Five: Stereotypes
Chapter Six: Ain’t No Sunshine
Chapter Seven: Interment
Chapter Ten: Fallout
Chapter Eleven: Tarnished Memories
Chapter Twelve: Anticipation
Chapter Thirteen: A 'Clean' Expedition
Chapter Fourteen: Grim Reality
Chapter Fifteen: An Uneasy Respite
Chapter Sixteen: Alliance
Chapter One: Welcome To The Wastes
Chapter Eight: A Line In The Sand
Chapter Nine: Breaking Point
Chapter Seventeen: Recurrence

Chapter Two: Trust

“Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.”

“Irresponsible reckless behavior, self-endangerment, defying the direct orders of a security officer, defying the mandated lockdown of the stable, investigating a potential enemy threat without authorization, and to top it all off, unauthorized use of chemical substances!” Overmare Flare lowered a paper onto the desk, blue eyes icily staring at the two mares sitting before her.

Standing on one end of a long wooden desk was Chief Smokey, a stout charcoal earth pony stallion whose red eyes wanted to turn Blaze to ash. On the other side was Sergeant Cuffs, green eyes wide. He twitched every so often, making Misty Sparks suspect he was almost as nervous as she. Blaze however, yawning in her seat, didn’t seem to care.

Misty Sparks hardly understood her cousin.

“Whatever am I going to do with you two?” Flare asked.

“I hope you mares realize,” Chief Smokey cut in, “that defying a mandatory lockdown is an automatic double duty for three days. And for you Blaze, I imagine that’ll be extra difficult given you barely show up for work as is.”

The sandy colored mare straightened up in her chair, squinting at him as if challenging him to a fight, but said nothing. The Overmare sighed and rubbed at her temples. “Do you know the position you’ve put us in with this stunt? I honestly can’t say I’m all that surprised that you would do something like this Blaze, but Misty Sparks? I expected better of you, young mare!”

Misty Sparks tried to merge into her seat, pressing against it as much as physically possible. The small unicorn was looking at anything but the pale red mare, who was sitting on the other side of the desk. Misty Sparks’ gaze fell upon the shelf, mounted to the wall. There were family photographs, arranged in a particular manner, showing a young Flare alongside a darker red colt being nuzzled by their mother. Next to it was a photo of a stallion whose green mane contrasted with an ashen coat; his emerald eyes instantly made Misty Sparks’ heart clench. She idly moved a hoof, touching her freckles as she stared at the stallion’s matching ones. I wonder how disappointed he’d be.

“Misty Sparks are you even listening to me?” Flare snapped, drawing her from her thoughts.

Misty Sparks flushed. “Sorry Mom,” she said and shifted up in her seat. She glanced back to the photo of her father. “I shouldn’t have gone without permission, I know. Sorry.”

Nodding sternly, Flare continued, “Of all the ponies Blaze could drag into trouble I didn’t think it’d be you. Blitz, most certainly, but not you. You could have been hurt, or worse yet killed! And how would we have any idea if I hadn’t already been sending a security team to investigate? That crash is two hours away, you could have been attacked by anything on the way there and back! The two of you aren’t capable of defending yourself against raiders or mutant creatures. I expect you to think things through, not succumb to peer pressure.”

Her last shred of patience gone, Blaze snapped. First it was constant scolding on the walk home and now this?! Blaze wasn’t known for her patience, and it was almost a miracle it had lasted so long. “Hey, lay off her!” The others looked at Blaze, Misty Sparks’ eyes widening in shock as her cousin came to her defense. It wasn’t something that happened often, if ever. “Sparky saved that mare’s life, and if we’d waited on all of you then she’d definitely be dead by now. She did her job, and I took care of those ghouls easy-peasy.”

Flare’s icy gaze settled on Blaze, the indigent mare stiffening as her aunt’s anger turned on her again. Even used to it, being the disappointment in the family that she was, it still set her on edge. “Her job is not to heal ponies, it is to create and sell chems. Chems that you so recklessly use.”

Blaze firmly met her gaze. “They’re prescription.”

Flare snorted, before moving on and looking back down at the paperwork, clearly not thinking it was worth the fight. Blaze snorted victoriously in response. “According to Sergeant Cuffs’ report, he found you two returning from the Enclave wreckage with the injured pegasus passed out. Skyfire is her name, correct?” Misty Sparks nodded. “Cuffs, do you have anything else to add?”

The large stallion gave a nod and cleared his throat. He tugged at the collar of his stable suit. “What Blaze says is true, she did neutralize the ghouls seemingly on her own. There were no bullet wounds, only blunt force trauma, presumably from her sledgehammer. She was also covered in blood and minor wounds. It’s unclear if she wasn’t feeling bad due to the chems in her system or because she was truly alright.”

“I’m right here you know,” grumbled Blaze.

“Yes, and you’re a known liar so I’d like to get somepony else’s version of what happened,” Flare replied smoothly. Chief Smokey chuckled slightly, still glaring at Blaze intently. The mare glared right back, emeralds and rubies fighting a silent war. They knew each other far too well given Blaze’s rebellious nature.

Clearing his throat, Cuffs rubbed his fuschia beard before continuing. Misty Sparks felt slight discomfort at the way he stood. She doubted he spoke directly to the Overmare that often. Considering even she could be intimidated by her mother’s position, she could only imagine how a simple security sergeant must have been feeling right about then.

“I must also agree with Blaze’s statement that we would have arrived too late,” he conceded, getting a glare from Smokey while Blaze grinned triumphantly. “Our approach to the situation was to be much more cautious, not charge right into a potential danger zone. They’re fortunate the ghoul pack was small, otherwise they could have been seriously injured if not killed. Luck and timing decided this rather than true skill.” Smokey’s glare softened. Blaze rolled her eyes and grunted.

“I see,” Flare replied, thoughtfully folding her hooves and frowning. She seemed so composed, her mane pulled back into a bun with a curl on either side of her horn. The light of the atrium window behind her gave her silhouette the otherworldly feel, a bright contrast to the dark blue walls of Stable 36. Even Blaze listened when Flare spoke. Sergeant Cuffs almost seemed to revere her, drinking her words up as if they came from the Goddesses themselves. A part of Misty hoped she’d hold such authority and respect when she was Overmare.

“The position you mares have put us into is a difficult one,” she said, looking at her daughter and niece.

“That’s putting it lightly,” Smokey said sharply, scrunching his nose at them. “If the Enclave comes to investigate whatever happened to that aircraft, we’re at a serious risk. We know next to nothing about them, that makes them a threat. Your recklessness could bring them down on us. What if they think we’ve taken their citizen hostage?”

“Smokey,” Flare said, holding a hoof up, his anger reining in instantly. “I know you just want to throw Blaze in the brig, but please, try not to jump to outlandish conclusions. There’s as many positive possibilities from this as negative ones.”

“Apologies Overmare,” he said, tucking his head. Blaze stuck her tongue out at him, making his scowl instantly return. Flare cleared her throat, looking at him strictly. Misty Sparks marveled at the way she controlled the room. She didn’t get to see her mother in action like this very often, busy as she was working at the chem shop. “Regardless, it still stands that we know nothing of this pegasus in our medical ward.”

Flare gave a nod, looking over the papers once more. “According to Healing Drops’ report, she’s stable, but in an induced coma to assure she’s healing and subdued. She’s quarantined, both for her benefit and ours. Misty, Blaze, do make sure you get yourselves examined after this, we don’t want you catching any cloud-based diseases.”

“What kind of diseases could they have?” Blaze scoffed, “There’s nothing but clouds up there.”

“And ponies. Ponies who have to be eating something to survive two hundred years after the Great War, so you’re getting examined,” countered Flare. Grumbling to herself, Blaze relented. Flare smiled softly, and then looked at Misty Sparks. “Did you see anything inside the wreckage that I should be concerned with? Any weapons, explosives?”

Misty Sparks gave a shrug, ears pinning back as she tried her best to remember. “I’m not sure. It was really dark, even with my flashlight. Most of it was wrecked in one way or another, but I didn’t see anything other than the bodies and uh… a laser pistol.” Flare squinted at her pause. “It was probably just a standard part of the equipment, you wouldn’t send out somepony unarmed would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t. So the question is, what were they doing out here, and why did they crash?”

“That’s probably a question only the pegasus can answer,” Smokey said.

“I doubt she intended on blowing up,” Blaze drawled. The others glared at her.

Flare hummed in thought, idly tapping a pencil on a table, violet magic aura casting a shadow on her face. Misty Sparks watched nervously, following it go up and down until Flare straightened up, the telekinetic aura around the pencil exploding with a colorful flourish. Her magic was never subtle. She addressed Smokey directly, authority and certainty in her voice.

“Arrange another squad to the wreckage to investigate and assure the area is clear. Scouting mission, recon only. If any hostiles are in the area they’re to return immediately. If it’s clear, check the cargo and bring back anything of note. I want it under constant surveillance. Set up a hidden outpost and establish radio contact using the scouting frequency. Sergeant Cuffs, given you’re familiar with the area already, I want you to lead it.” The stallion stiffened, and gave a resolute nod. “Cuffs you are dismissed.”

Giving a salute, Cuffs briskly exited the Overmare’s office, the door whooshing behind him as he left. Smokey watched him go, gave a sigh, and then looked back at Flare. “He’ll do fine, Sergeant Cuffs is a good officer.”

Flare smiled politely. “Good, I expect the best of our security,” her gaze returned to Misty Sparks, “and my daughter.“ Misty Sparks squirmed in her seat, trying to escape her mother’s glare. Without looking away, Flare spoke again, "Smokey, please go make sure that gets done properly. I need to have a private discussion with these two.”

“Understood,” he replied, saluted, and then trotted out.

Misty Sparks’ heart raced as they were left alone with her mother, uncertain which mask she would be wearing next time she spoke. Noticing the professionalism melt away from blue eyes however, she relaxed. “Misty, Blaze,” Flare said slowly, gathering herself. “What you did was beyond foolish, like two foals chasing a Mister Handy across the Atrium. If you’d gotten hurt…”

Blaze’s face hardened, casting her gaze aside, as Misty Sparks lowered her head in shame. “Yeah well we didn’t, we’re fine,” grunted Blaze, “not that you’d really care if I got hurt anyways.”

“You know I love you Blaze,” Flare said, “you’re my niece, you’re my family.”

“Doesn’t mean you really care.”

Sighing, knowing full well she wasn’t going to get through to the mare, Flare looked at Misty Sparks. “I am proud of your heart, and that you wanted to help, I honestly am. But to do it like this, without permission and in such a dangerous situation, is not wise. An Overmare must consider all the options, and not be coerced into taking action.” She shot Blaze an accusing glare, making the earth pony scowl harder.

Misty Sparks couldn’t meet her mother’s gaze, head heavy with thoughts and shame. She stared at her hooves, picturing Skyfire’s blood on them. Her Pip-Buck had a slight mark left from the ghoul. She’d saved her. There was no doubt about it, if they hadn’t gone, Skyfire would have been dead by then, either having bled out or been eaten by the ghouls. Despite herself, the fear and danger the situation had brought, she was proud of that fact. She had saved somepony, and even if it ended up being a mistake, it had been because of her. Already Misty Sparks had decided that she would take any blame, even if she had only gone because of Blaze, but it had been her magic and knowledge that had saved Skyfire. It was her who had brought Skyfire to their home.

“Would you have let her die?”

Flare blinked, taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“Let’s say hypothetically, we hadn’t gone, and your squad arrived in time. Would they have saved her?”

“My orders were clear; assess the situation, provide medical care as needed, and neutralize any threats to the safety of Stable 36.”

Eyes raising, Misty Sparks leaned forward in her chair until she could reach the desk. “And is she a threat?”

Flare frowned. “I’m not sure yet.”

Misty’s voice lowered, thick and heavy. “So until you are?”

Blaze stared at Misty Sparks, jaw dropping slightly. Flare blinked once more, taken off-guard by her daughter’s firmness. She rarely spoke with such gravity, Misty Sparks easily noticed pride filling mother’s eyes. “Until I am, I will treat her as I would treat any other injured outsider. She will recover, and then we will find out why she’s here.” Flare paused, taking in her daughter. “You care about her wellbeing.”

“I saved her life. I’m responsible for her now.” Misty Sparks looked at Blaze. “We both are.”

Blaze snickered. “You don’t want me responsible for anything, let alone somepony’s life.”

“We’re Stable 36,” Misty Sparks said, turning to her mother fully. Determination filled lime-green eyes, strength rising within the small unicorn. “We treat ponies as they should be treated, and that is with respect. She’s not our prisoner, she’s our guest.”

Flare beamed with pride, making Misty Sparks blush. “Good girl.”

The realm of consciousness came back to Skyfire excruciatingly slow.

A fire within her rose from the embers, drifting across her body in what felt like hours. Her mind was nothing but fog as she felt herself starting to stir. She really couldn’t tell what was going on, except that it smelled really different. It was clean, sterile, sanitary. None of those were things she’d ever encounter in her daily life, not that she lived a dirty one, this was just too clean.

Even her sluggish mind could tell it was out of the ordinary. Not to mention how heavy her body felt, her mind still trying to sort everything out. Her hide itched, as if bugs were crawling along her skin, but her body was too heavy to really move let alone itch at it.

A particular spot on her left burned the worst.

Her eyes weren’t helping out either. They were as heavy as the stupid torque wrench she always had to lug around. What little she could see through what felt like a struggle was bright light. White, blaring, sterile light, so bright it hurt to stare at, bringing Skyfire to clench her eyes closed, groaning quietly.

After what felt like hours later, sounds started to come back to her. Distant humming, repetitive noises going off, from what sounded like a computer, though that only further confused her. She really wished she could wake up faster, this was agonizing! She’d be late for work at this point! Except she wasn’t at work. That much she remembered, the realization sending a jolt of nervous energy through her body. Something was definitely wrong. That singular thought helped her hearing and sight come back faster, the ashen pegasus’ eyes fluttering as she managed to focus on the world around her. She was on a bed that wasn’t hers.

Did I have some crazy night?

Skyfire’s body confirmed she did indeed have a crazy night, as a massive lance of pain spiraled from her left side. She yelped out loudly in pain, flinching and curling up as her heart started racing again. Something beeped loudly to the side. She looked down to see her bandaged side, memory starting to come back, rushing forward to slam into her skull. The descent with Jolts, the crash, the unicorn saving her, her name just eluding Skyfire. Misty? She blinked and felt herself start shivering as she stared at the bandage, a vivid memory of what she had seen last filling her mind. She could almost see it now. She looked away in a panic only to yelp again as she noticed a rather serious looking unicorn staring right at her.

“All nice and woken up?” She asked, Skyfire uncertain if she was truly frowning or if that was simply her face’s natural position now. “Good. My name is Doctor Healing Drops, I am the Chief of Medical here in Stable 36, which is where you are now.” Slate eyes settled on her as Healing Drops telekinetically lifted a clipboard, marking a few things down before refocusing on the bewildered Skyfire. Her expression softened for a moment. “You took quite a beating young mare.”

“What?” Skyfire managed, tongue struggling to form the many words of shock and confusion that were filling her mind. Instead, she made a simple squeak of confusion. An attempt at shifting herself up to look at Healing Drops quickly reminded her that she was still injured in the form of another sharp lance of pain. Skyfire flinched quite visibly, clutching her side before whimpering as a more tender pain spread through her body. She couldn’t remember ever being in so much pain before.

Healing Drops gave a sympathetic smile to the pegasus, but it did little to ease Skyfire’s wounds. “You’re lucky those mares found you when they did, or else I don’t think we’d be talking right now.” She peered at a set of monitors besides Skyfire, drawing her attention to them and the IV stand nearby. Purple eyes widened as she followed the tube to where it was injected in her left forelimb. Slowly she began to put the pieces together: that she was in some sort of hospital, in an isolated room on a medical bed. Skyfire scanned the room, trying to take in more details of her surroundings.

It was small, a door on the far side with a pony in some sort of armor standing besides it. Her heart skipped as she saw a pistol on their barding, the machine next to her registering it and making the doctor raise a brow. She coughed, trying to cover her fear, but failed. A window was along the wall to her right, just enough for Skyfire to see a hallway of sorts with posters on it, but with how strained her eyesight was she couldn’t make out many details without her head starting to ache.

Healing Drops cleared her throat, making her look back at the old mare. Wondering if she was a prisoner of some kind, Skyfire studied the mare. She had a white coat she’d seen the doctors back home wear with a strange insignia on it: an upright horseshoe with an inner circle and wings. Her minty mane was almost like a dollop of toothpaste, especially against her light blue fur. A trio of droplets with a red cross behind them adorned her flank, making it easy for Skyfire to believe she was a doctor. There was something on her right forehoof, a series of buttons sitting below a small screen, piquing pegasus’ interest, but before she could dwell further on the device, Healing Drops started again.

“I’d like to ask you some questions, see if your cognitive functions haven’t taken a hit like the rest of you. We’ll start with something simple.” Healing Drops floated a nearby stool closer, a soothing red hue surrounding the metal seat as she put it in place. She grimaced as she sat down, letting out a slow sigh, and then levitated her clipboard and pen to herself. “What is your name?”

Skyfire shifted in the bed, sitting up now and grimacing as it caused more pain to flood her body. It took a few moments for her to settle out, the walls wobbling until she caught her breath. “I’m sorry- I just…”

“It’s okay, take your time,” Healing Drops said, letting Skyfire get her bearings once more. “Is the pain too great to think?”

“I…” Skyfire took slow breaths, trying to focus, before shaking her head. “No I just need a moment.” Healing Drops lifted her chin, the pen in her telekinetic grip growing closer to the clipboard, before Skyfire nodded. “My name is Skyfire. Skyfire Lumia.”

“Matches what Misty Sparks said,” Healing Drops replied as she jotted something down. “Mostly anyways. Misty Sparks mentioned you had a companion in the wreckage, what was their name?”

Purple eyes widened, sucked back into memory, the look in orange eyes moments before everything went black. The fear. “Jolts,” she whispered, voice a thousand miles away, “his name was Jolts.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Healing Drops said with sincerity, giving her time before she spoke again. Skyfire gripped the blanket, heat flashing over her in waves, the sounds of the explosion roaring in her ears. The wound on her left side flared as her mind drifted further, reliving the few minutes she could remember before the explosion. “Skyfire?” The doctor’s voice drew her back to reality.

She blinked and shook her head slowly, trying to focus. “Sorry.”

“Like I said, it’s okay.” Healing Drops watched her for a few more moments, and then tilted her head. “Tell me about your home,” she said, “I assume there’s at least a city up in the clouds for you Enclavers.”

Skyfire gave a shaky breath, appreciative that the doctor was trying to keep her from dwelling on those terrible last few moments. “I’m from Neighvarro, I’m a mechanic.”

“Did you work on aircraft, like the one you… arrived here in?”

“Yes. The Skyhawk was Jolts’ personal aircraft.” Skyfire struggled for a few moments. “I was his favorite mechanic, we were friends and-”

“Do you have family?” Healing Drops interrupted, drawing her from the darkening thoughts. “I had parents, until disease took them ten years ago. My son is still around at least. What about you Skyfire? Family back home?”

Thinking on her family helped the mare focus, her breathing steading. “My father, Irontail, my mother Draftystorm, sister Lightning Breeze, and my brother Shining Arrow. They’re all in the military, uh… I was the only one who went into engineering actually. Go me.” She sighed, finding herself on that medical bed easily caused a deluge of family pain to resurface. “Then again with a cutie mark like mine, I guess it was bound to happen.” She slightly pulled the blanket up to let the doctor look at her cutie mark, a cog with a wrench diagonally across it.

Healing Drops seemed to find that statement particularly interesting, ears flicking. “Soldiering? Of course you have soldiers, like our security.” She gestured a hoof at the pony in armor by the door. Skyfire tried to look closer at the pony in armor, but the only thing she could make out was that it was a mare. “I hope you don’t mind them, they’re more just a precaution than anything else. You’re an awful lot of unknowns.”

They don’t trust me. The thought slammed into her head. It made sense, in every manner it was the only truly logical scenario, but something about it made her hide itch all the more. “No, I don’t.”

“So how about we make you a bit more known then?” Healing Drops said, toying with the pen idly. “Overmare Flare would like you to consider Stable 36 a respectable and hospitable place, however in the Equestrian Wasteland we have to be careful. Trusting the wrong pony can lead to sabotage, theft, even death. We want to trust you Skyfire, we truly do, but we need to know if we can first.”

Skyfire grimaced, moving a hoof to her side. “How long have I been here?”

“You arrived three days ago in critical condition. Misty Sparks’ medical skills kept you alive, and we induced a coma to make sure you recovered. It seemed time to wake you up, bringing us to now.”

“Three days!?”

“Modern medicine and magics can be quite effective,” she said with pride. The security pony coughed across the way, making the old mare scowl back. Skyfire pinned her ears back, long crimson mane messy as it fell around her. She felt frail, her skinny grey body shivering and she wasn’t sure if she was cold, still in shock, or it was simply from the pain. “That’s not to say you won’t still need time to recover fully, but we needed to speak with you.”

“What do you want to know?” Skyfire asked, her eyes focusing on Healing Drops. “I honestly don’t know much, like why I was even in the Skyhawk to get blown up in the first place.”

Wrinkled lips drew into a heavy frown, and Healing Drops sighed. “Well that’s unfortunate.”

“I wish I knew I really do, I just- I don’t!” Frustration boiled within the pegasus, wings rising with agitation as she sat up straighter only to fall back into the bed, hissing as another spike of pain pulsed through her body. The heart monitor beeped swiftly as she focused back on the good doctor, tearing up a bit from the pain and frustration. “I’m sorry I’m not much help.”

“Well we can’t hold that against you, considering the amount of trauma you’ve undergone it’s not a surprise.” Healing Drops lowered her pen, eyeing Skyfire for a bit longer. “Perhaps after more rest you’ll find your memory has returned,” she suggested, rising to her hooves and crossing to the machines besides Skyfire. “You’re still in a lot of pain, I can give you some medicine to make it go away, but it will put you to sleep. It’s up to you if you want it.”

“Please!” The request came a bit too swiftly, almost desperate.

Giving a sad smile, Healing Drops pushed a few buttons, and a mechanical fizzing noise was soon followed by a chilling sensation throughout Skyfire’s body. Her head grew heavy in only a matter of seconds, colors blurring into each other, shapes shifting into blobs. “Rest well,” Healing Drops’ words were half understood as Skyfire swooned, and then slipped from consciousness once more.

“Do you think she’s awake?” Inquired Misty Sparks, staring at the door that contained their pegasus visitor. Her short streaked blonde mane was freshly groomed, curling around her horn and pulled into a short poofy ponytail in the back. She’d even dawned her cleanest stable suit, hoping to give a good impression now that she wasn’t covered in blood and oil. “Would she even want to speak with us? I know Mom wants me to but what if-”

“You’re ridiculous,” Blaze lazily interrupted, emerald eyes glassed over. She was freshly groomed as well, red and pink punk mane washed and combed, also wearing what was her cleanest stable suit though it still had holes. None of her stable suits were intact. “Why wouldn’t she? She’s probably got as many questions as we do.”

Squinting, Misty Sparks pushed up on her hooves towards Blaze, sniffing the air. A particular minty smell lingered near the large mare. To some it might have been mistaken as her using mouthwash for a change, but for Misty Sparks it was a dead giveaway. “Are you high right now?” Her voice was a tight whisper.

“What, like I’m going to skip my daily prescription for some cloud-head?” Scoffed Blaze, “Besides, I actually needed it today. Spring was on my ass about skipping out on them… again.”

“You’re a terrible worker, how have you managed to stay out of janitorial services?” Misty Sparks muttered in wonder, fidgeting with her suit. She wanted to look perfect.

“Because they know if they stuck me in there they’d have shit rising in their toilets and across the floor,” snickered Blaze, shoving Misty Sparks softly. “Quit it, you look fine. Not that she’ll care. We’re not here to make nice, we’re here to ask questions.”

The unicorn started to pace, ignoring the security guard waiting besides the door with obvious annoyance. “Mom wants to know if she’s a threat, and if she knows why they were flying towards Stable 36. I want to know that too.” She paused, lime eyes flicking up to Blaze. “Why are you here? You don’t care about this kind of stuff.” She tried to not offend her cousin, but it was hard not to. Things that didn’t set the mare off could be counted with one pony’s hooves, especially when she was high.

Shrugging, Blaze tried to unnerve the guard, bored with the conversation already and staring down the pony. “I mean, I carried her all this way, might as well see why right? This is still more exciting than skipping work to get high with Blitz, I mean don’t get me wrong I love hanging with Blitz, but this is… unique. When’s the last time you’ve ever seen a pegasus?”

“Never.”

“Exactly!” Blaze laughed, giving up on the guard who reminded an angry statue, and looked at her short cousin. “Besides, Flare actually said I could come. That practically means an order and your mom kinda scares me. I mean she can’t get me to build shit, but I’ll do this for sure.”

Misty Sparks looked her over, lingering on the sledgehammer over a fireball on her flank. Blaze certainly excelled at destroying things rather than creating. Inversely, Misty Sparks’ talent was just that, creating new chemicals, as a dual banded flask with a wispy explosion coming from it on her own flanks indicated. In a lot of things they were polar opposites, from size to talents to temperaments. “Yeah… okay.”

“Besides, not like you’re going to get me to leave.”

Sighing in defeat, Misty Sparks slumped. “Right…”

“If it really comes down to it, I can make both of you leave. Now are you going to go visit Miss Skyfire, or are you going to gossip here all day?” Came the gruff interruption from the same security pony who had been standing guard when Skyfire had first been questioned. She snorted and pointed a hoof at the door. “Git in there.” She curtly commented.

“I’d like to see you try and remove me,” Blaze retorted, re-initiating a stare-down that lasted all of five seconds before Misty Sparks pinched the sand colored mare’s nose with her magic, narrowing her eyes. She felt a bit braver around the security pony, knowing that if Blaze tried anything beyond words they’d assist her.

“Stop that Blaze, I’m going in.” Misty Sparks said briskly, nodding her head to the security pony who tapped in the door code. Its familiar hiss helped Misty Sparks collect her thoughts. She stepped through the door, pausing for a moment as the sterile smell reminded her of the shop, at least at the beginning of the day. Her moment of distraction was long enough for the figure in the bed to glance over, the commotion loud enough to rouse Skyfire from her introspective thoughts.

“M-Misty Sparks right?” Purple eyes focused on the blonde unicorn, Skyfire attempting to smile before wincing faintly, her injuries still far from healed. It had been about half a day since she’d awoken, but the pain medicines were still working, if only more weakly. “It is nice to see a familiar face at least.” She commented a moment later, feeling a bit lame about it, as she noticed the sand colored earth pony behind Misty Sparks. “Glaze?” The pegasus asked quietly, her face reddening as she remembered the mare’s correct name and blurted out, “B-Blaze! Not Glaze I’m so sorry!”

Blaze snickered as Skyfire apologized, trying to cover her mistake. She went to make a witty remark, when a bark of ragged laughter behind her drew her attention. The gruff mare was stomping her hooves, failing to control her laughter. Misty Sparks cringed expectantly, shuffling away from her cousin. “It’s not that funny!” Blaze hissed, the security mare ignoring her. Huffing, and stomping a hoof for extra measure, Blaze turned back to the embarrassed mare. “Well I suppose I’ve been called much worse, so you’re lucky,” she commented, shifting back and forth on her hooves. She was about ready to buck that mare if she didn’t stop. The door shut before she did.

Misty Sparks silently thanked her luck that Blaze hadn’t taken Stampede today. It was what usually made her act out rather than Buck. She focused on Skyfire, her eyes going wide as she found herself still surprised by how much of the pegasus’ torso was bandaged up, and she had been there saving her life! Perhaps it was just seeing the wounds in fluorescent lights rather than the neonic green of her Pip-Buck made her realize the magnitude of Skyfire’s injuries. “Yes I’m Misty Sparks, and this is indeed Blaze, you remember us then?” She asked quietly, trying to not give off any sort of negative energy to the injured mare.

“I remember… I remember you two saving my life. Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me.” Skyfire began, her eyes tearing up for a moment as she let her emotions spill out yet again, it had been a rough few days for the pegasus.

“It’s nothing, I came to the crash looking to see if I could help anypony, and I helped you. It’s fine,” Misty Sparks said, shyly smiling and looking up to the ceiling for a moment, she knew the mare would have likely been thankful, but the intensity of her emotions was more than the unicorn was used to. Being the Overmare’s daughter led to a lot of ponies double checking what they said and how they acted, not wanting to incur Flare’s wrath, or make an enemy of her. Misty Sparks was one to hold onto grudges after all.

“It’s everything to her Sparky, just let her thank you for Celestia’s sake, sheesh. Save a mare’s life then act like it isn’t a big deal. Come on,” Blaze cut in, snorting this time at Misty Sparks and shoving her softly. “I’m even proud of you for that, but I know you wouldn’t want my praise.”

Misty Sparks grunted and stuck out her tongue at her. “That’s because you’d just try and butter me up to give you more chems!” The unicorn replied back in exasperation, glancing back to Skyfire with an embarrassed look, trying to figure out what to say next. Skyfire found herself at a loss of words for a moment, the two mares had approached her clearly with a reason but were doing a pretty good job of hiding it. The mention of chems especially gave her concern, but she did her best to hide that for now.

“Sorry. So uhm, how are you doing?” Misty Sparks asked, doing her best to sound charming.

Skyfire frowned, trying to move past it. “Well uhm, Healing Drops told me I was going to live… I suppose that’s it really. Just waiting to heal up.” She answered quietly, not really sure what else to say, pinning her ears back nervously. “Trying not to think of Jolts.”

Wincing, Misty Sparks walked closer. “I really am sorry about your friend. Maybe we could bring you some books for while you are here? There’s plenty in the library I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

“Books?” Scoffed Blaze. “Nerd.”

Misty Sparks scowled softly towards her, before smiling at Skyfire. “Something to keep your mind off of it?” Her smile faded as she noticed Skyfire’s face grow morose, but before she could begin again Skyfire interrupted.

“Why are you being so nice?”

Misty Sparks blinked, then lamely poked at the ground. “Er, cuz it’s what a pony is supposed to do?”

Blaze chortled loudly behind Misty Sparks. “She thinks we’re trying to butter her up, ‘cause we don’t trust you yet,” she pointed out, “don’t you?”

“Well- uhm… yes? A little. It’s just, well...” Skyfire rambled, her gaze falling to the bed as she let out a pained sigh. “Healing Drops said you don’t, uhm… yesterday I think it was? I’m not sure, I’ve been in and out of it. She didn’t believe me, and I suppose you probably don’t believe me either?” She asked, glancing up at Misty Sparks, her emotional turmoil clearly showing in her eyes as the mare started trembling. “I want to tell you what happened, but all I remember is waking up, lots of alarms- so many alarms.” She sucked in a breath, the trembling worsened. “And- and then there was an explosion, and then I woke up and-” Her voice cut off as she scrunched up in pain, grabbing at her side, reliving the moment yet again.

Misty Sparks was speechless for a few seconds, glancing back to notice even Blaze had lost her scowl, a look of sympathy on her usually curt face. She took a step closer to Skyfire, willing herself to talk. “Skyfire, Skyfire, listen to me. You’re not at the crash. You’re safe. You’re safe with us here in our stable.” She had read up enough to guess that Skyfire was traumatized by her injury, relapsing into the memory of it as she tried to defend herself to Misty Sparks.

She felt a chill, knowing she had caused this episode of pain, before focusing back down on a slowly calming Skyfire, who managed to open her eyes a few seconds later, staring up at Misty Sparks, fear the only emotion she could read. Her heart ached all the worse. “It’s okay, you’re safe now.” She commented quietly, giving her best smile.

A few moments later, a teary eyed Skyfire was sitting straight enough to look at the cousins directly, her puffy reddened eyes a reminder of what she was going through. Misty Sparks had arrived with a plan, that plan had been crumpled up with the fight with Blaze, and here it had just burned up, her clever idea of how to stealthily extract information from Skyfire, now little more than ash.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you Skyfire..” She began cautiously, trying her best to be convincing. “I want to trust you, but we don’t know you. I want to know what happened, but… you don’t have to talk about it, alright? You’re safe here, you’re with me, and nothing is going to hurt you. We certainly won’t hurt you, you’ve done nothing to show that you’re a threat.” It got easier for Misty Sparks as she kept going, Skyfire’s expression softened as she continued. “Do you know where you were going at least?”

Skyfire was still trembling lightly. Exhaustion coming down on her after the waves of pain she had endured. She didn’t want to think about what happened anymore, it hurt to remember. “I... I remember Aurora. Outpost Aurora,” she murmured quietly, “I wish I could tell you more, J-Jolts told me we were going to that place, before-”

“That’s fine, you told us where you two were going, no need to talk about that. Do you remember why you were going there?” Misty Sparks asked quietly, not writing anything down for the moment.

“Jolts just said we were going there to live a better life. After we dropped something off. I think. I wish, I really wish I could remember before we got into the Skyhawk,” Skyfire began again, in an even voice, her breath steadying. Misty Sparks and Blaze watched her carefully, the larger mare stonewalled while Misty Sparks wore a pitying frown. “I’m sorry, that’s a really lame excuse.” She added eventually, her ears drooping again. “He wouldn’t tell me why, just said I’d understand when we were all done and safe.”

“That’s fine Skyfire, it sounds like you have amnesia, which would be understandable given… what you’ve gone through. Just try and relax alright? Do you know if the Enclave would come searching for you? Would they be hostile to us for taking you in?” Misty Sparks asked, trying not to let the worry leak into her voice as she asked. Skyfire’s curious expression only heightened her confusion.

“You mean they haven’t come by yet?” Skyfire asked quietly, concern splashed across her face. “It’s… well it’s standard procedure to search crashed aircraft for survivors. I thought I had been deemed too critically injured to be moved honestly.”

Skyfire didn’t get a moment to dwell on that question. “You’re joking right? We haven’t seen a single feather or heard as much as an engine scream over us since you crashed. We’ve had scouts observing the crash since we came home!” Blaze couldn’t help but blurt out, her frustration palpable, though it faded for a moment as Misty Sparks turned to her. Lime eyes had turned into fiery daggers.

“And how did you find out about those scouting reports?” Misty Sparks asked, “Those were between the security department and Flare, exclusively.” She added before stepping back as Blaze glared right back at her, easily overwhelming the unicorn.

“For your information, I do have friends besides Blitz. And a contact or two among them... I was curious what was going to happen to her. And last I checked you weren’t security, or Flare!” Blaze countered. Glancing back to Skyfire, Blaze steered the conversation back on topic. “You mean to tell me they should have come by now?” Skyfire nodded. “Well they haven’t.”

Skyfire started trembling for a moment as she let out a whisper, “Jolts… must have done something then. He was shouting into his radio for a while before he turned it off.” She bit her lip as she contemplated what could have happened. “I think somepony was upset with him- with us,” she commented quietly, not sure what else to say at that point. There was too much she couldn’t remember, and the last thing she wanted to do was give them a bad impression. Ears pinned back as she drifted into the last few moments with her friend, not noticing the heart monitor was beeping faster.

Misty Sparks eyed her for a few moments, and then gave a small sigh. “Breathe Skyfire.”

She blinked up at her, swallowed dryly, and gave a small nod. Soon the monitor resumed its regular pace of beeping, Skyfire calmed enough to think once more. “Sorry.”

“You’ve gone through a lot,” she said sympathetically. “I only have one more question though, if you think you can answer it.” Skyfire nodded. “Good. Were you transporting any cargo?”

“I remember a crate,” Skyfire said, “it was in front of me in the cargo compartment when we took off. That’s all I remember though. Vertihawks aren’t meant for carrying much. They’re mostly for scouting or stealth operations, so it’s tight back there.”

“Any idea what was in it?”

“No.”

“None at all?”

Skyfire shook her head. “It could have been anything small enough to fit in a crate.”

“Like… These?” Misty Sparks’ horn was surrounded in a green aura as she levitated a hard plastic translucent box out of the saddlebags she was wearing. Skyfire’s ears perked and she sat up a bit straighter, grimacing a bit and staring at the brilliant orbs contained inside individual slots.

“Those were in the crate?” Skyfire questioned.

“And many others,” Misty Sparks said, setting them on the bed next to Skyfire so she could get a better look. There was a hoofwritten label above each orb, numbered up to four with Skyfire’s name by the first. “Each of them labeled like those. Some medical and emergency supplies, food, ammunition, and even a laser pistol were found in the wreckage as well. It looks like wherever you were going, your friend Jolts wanted to make sure you were prepared.”

With a quivering hoof, Skyfire touched it. “I don’t understand. Why were we transporting memory orbs? Were… were we taking them to Aurora?”

“What’s a memory orb?” Misty Sparks questioned. Blaze gave a curious sniff, bumping closer to get a better look at the orbs. They were each a different color, swirling with a mist of some sort, and looked fragile to the touch but must have been decently hardy to have endured the crash unlike the crate they’d been within.

Skyfire blinked, surprised at their lack of knowledge, and then cleared her throat. “I don’t know much about them, but they’re a pre-war technology that’s still found today. A unicorn can cast a spell to copy somepony’s memory and put it in the orb here. Then they can be watched by other ponies. Only unicorns can use them though since they need magic to work.”

“Then why would you have them?” Blaze asked, “Pegasi don’t have magic.”

“No, but there are unicorns in the Enclave.”

The stable dwellers’ eyes widened, Misty Sparks leaning closer while Blaze frowned. “What about earth ponies?” The large mare asked.

“Uhm… I haven’t seen one before you,” Skyfire said, ears pinning in fear she might offend Blaze. But all she got was a frustrated huff. “The unicorns live in the mountains that pierce the clouds, since they can’t walk on clouds and all. There aren't many, but… yeah.”

Misty Sparks made a thoughtful noise, tapping a hoof. “So if that’s the case, then one of those unicorns had to have made these right?”

“Or they’re pre-war,” Skyfire suggested, “maybe… maybe Outpost Aurora was expecting them? They could be… research?”

“But you said vertihawks don’t carry lots of cargo. Why not send a transport ship?” Argued Misty Sparks, trying to find a hole in her story. “That doesn’t make sense, and at least this first one has your name.”

“I don’t know!” Skyfire yelped, pulling away from the memory orbs. “I told you I don’t know why I crashed or anything else!”

Misty Sparks hadn’t realized she’d moved against the bed, intent on finding some lie Skyfire was trying to spin. Blaze gave her a small nudge, glaring down at her. It felt strange to be scolded by her of all ponies. Sighing, Misty Sparks stepped back and fidgeted with her mane. “I’m sorry. It’s just very important that we understand what’s going on. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Skyfire watched her for a few moments, and gave a whimpering nod. “I want to understand too.”

Misty Sparks’ gaze turned to the orbs, lingering on the one with the pegasus’ name on it. “That one might have some answers then. Would you mind if I watched it?”

“Uh Sparky,” Blaze interjected before Skyfire could answer. “Are you sure your mom would be okay with that?”

“I’m not saying I’ll do it right now,” replied Misty Sparks, flicking an ear as if insulted by the suggestion. “But it’s important. So it should be watched. It could explain whatever it is Skyfire doesn’t know.”

“Yeah, but why you?”

“Because,” Misty Sparks said as if explaining it to a foal, Blaze scowling deeply in return, “you know exactly why.” They glared at each other for a few long moments, before Skyfire gave a cough.

“If uhm… If you think watching it will explain everything, then go ahead. It’s not like I could really stop you after all…” She trailed off, purple gaze fixated on the orbs at the end of the medical cot. “I’m thankful you saved me, I really am, but… I’m stuck here aren’t I? If the Enclave hasn’t even searched the crash site and it’s been three days at least…” Skyfire gripped the blanket beneath her, beginning to tremble again. Tears welled in her eyes. “I just want to go home.”

Softening, Misty Sparks lowered her head. “I wish we could take you there,” she said, “but we’re as grounded as you are. Maybe they’ll come looking, who knows, they could be looking right now!” She tried to suggest something happy, tried to give her hope.

Blaze promptly shattered that hope. “If you ask me, they abandoned you.”

“Blaze!”

“Look, I don’t sugarcoat like Sparky does,” she said briskly, stomping a hoof. “They’ve written you off as dead already, else we’d have seen something by now. So if you wanna get home, you need to get better. I won’t lie to you Skyfire, ponies here aren’t going to trust you, like you already figured out. You’re a stranger and strangers mean danger.”

“Healing Drops said something of that sort,” Skyfire repeated quietly.

“So, somepony is gonna watch that orb, and probably the other orbs eventually, knowing Flare,” Blaze said, putting them back into Misty Sparks’ saddlebags. The small unicorn was staring at her in shock, mouth slightly agape. Snorting, Blaze continued, “So don’t do anything stupid. You’re stuck here, might as well make the best of it, right?”

“I… I suppose you’re right,” Skyfire agreed, her ears slowly pinning as she began contemplating the implications that came with that. A few seconds passed before her eyes widened as she came to a dark conclusion. “If they don’t come back, then… then what will happen to me?” She asked quietly, looking between the two mares she barely knew. Thoughts about returning back up to her home in the clouds helped her to stay calm when she was awake.

What if they’ve already given up on me?

The thought paled Skyfire’s face as she tried to keep her composure, though it was quite apparent she was upset. She was a burden to these kind ponies, what would they want of her?

Misty Sparks had approached the situation anticipating a few outcomes, she had braced herself for angry threats, for begging, for silence, but she hadn’t thought about a situation like this. She froze up, racking her brain, trying to think of what Flare would do here, before wincing as she remembered Flare’s response to the crash would have resulted in Skyfire’s death. “I-” Misty Sparks started when Blaze butted in.

“Well that’d be up to ol Flare in the end. I dunno if they considered you dead and didn’t search for you, but if they’ve written you off that quick, maybe you could be of help here?” Blaze suggested, ignoring the initial grunt of annoyance from Misty Sparks, before her eyes widened as she thought about Blaze’s suggestion.

“I think that could be a possibility? We’re really not keen on taking in outsiders, but it would be up to mo- Flare.” Misty Sparks said, scratching her mane again as this entirely new idea began forming in her mind. “I… I could talk about it to her, but it’d be a potential big risk, what if they do come back?” She asked Skyfire, looking back over to her, an eyebrow raised. If the Enclave did return for Skyfire, they could take Skyfire’s staying as treason, or a million other things that could end badly for her stable! The mare sat down, one hoof against her chin as she thought.

Skyfire’s expression ranged greatly in the last few seconds, from fearful to hopeful, and now it was hesitant. She hadn’t ever considered ‘ground pounders’ taking her in, and here she might have a chance? Still, what if the stable ponies were lying about the Enclave not looking for her? They didn’t seem to trust her, how could she trust them?

“It’s standard to investigate crashes within twenty four to seventy two hours. Especially when they don’t know why the crash occurred. The only reason they would delay any longer would be if they thought the area was dangerous.” She glanced over to Misty Sparks, then back to Blaze. She wasn’t sure if they’d lie about the crash. “Did either of you see what caused the Skyhawk to crash?”

Misty Sparks waved her hoof. “No, I was working when I heard the explosion and rushed outside to see what was going on. Blaze was… preoccupied. I saw a trail of smoke and then there was a booming crunch.”

“Can’t believe that batch was wasted,” muttered Blaze.

Side eyeing her cousin for a moment, Misty Sparks cleared her throat and continued. “There’s been a few statements, from ponies who’d been on the street when it happened, saying they could see a pair of shapes in the distance, one with smoke which presumably was your aircraft.”

“Two?” Skyfire asked softly, eyes wide. She was shaking again.

“Enough witnesses said as much,” Misty Sparks confirmed. “Which isn’t much, could have been a dragon for all we know.” She was about to add more when she noticed Skyfire’s face paling again, the color had just started coming back too. The machine beeped rapidly as Skyfire hysterically laughed, pushing her head into her hooves.

There was a niggling thought in the back of her mind, somewhere between the gap in her memory and the headache, that she couldn’t ignore but didn’t dare consider. “W-we haven’t spotted dragons in over fifty years! And uhm- I remember a beeping noise, with all report’s of fighting dragons, our systems never indicated when they were attacking. That only happens with missiles.” She said briskly, continuing to shake as her thoughts turned darker.

Blaze’s eyes widened for a moment. Skyfire making enough sense for her to piece it together, saying what the pegasus seemed hesitant to consider. “So you’re saying it couldn’t be anything other than a missile that hit you? That’s pretty damning.” She grunted, interrupting herself as she turned to stare Misty Sparks in the eyes. Skyfire went rigid, the monitor skipped for a moment. “Do you know anypony else who has aircraft? Red Eye? Isn’t he off in bum-fuck-nowhere?”

“Fillydelphia,” corrected Misty Sparks.

“That’s what I said.”

Misty Sparks stared at Blaze, emerald eyes full of certainty even if they were ever so slightly glassy from Buck. “Blaze, you’re not wrong… I just don’t know what to do, okay?” Misty Sparks admitted finally. Skyfire was either the best liar to ever live, or she didn’t know what happened leading up to the crash. Purple eyes stared at her, wide and desperate. Her own heart ached, sympathy tugging on strings. Misty Sparks knew she’d be a wreck if she woke up all alone, nearly dying, only to be rescued by strangers.

She stepped closer to Skyfire, trying to speak, tongue feeling too big in her own mouth. “I don’t know what is going to happen, but I’ll talk to Flare about what can be done. Is there anything else that you want to bring up, anything at all?”

Skyfire stayed silent as she acknowledged the thought that she reasonably could have been shot down by another Enclave aircraft. Jolts had to have done something bad if they had been shooting to kill, and hadn’t bothered checking the wreck for survivors. That was the only sensible reason that could have caused all of this. The pegasus was spiraling into a chain of negative thoughts, playing that terrible moment over and over again. Blaze’s suggestion was all that made sense, nothing else could have done it. It hurt to consider. She didn’t hear the monitor accelerating once more, or the pair as they tried to bring her back. A drone of static rose inside her mind, the sound of engines stalling, the taste of blood in her mouth, darkness at the edges of her vision.

Orange eyes filled with fear.

“Skyfire?”

There was a hoof on her shoulder. She lifted her head up, reddened eyes staring at Misty Sparks, apprehension clearly on her face. “I don’t know.” Skyfire said quietly, sniffling as she tried to hold in another wave of tears. She’d cried an awful lot, feeling guilty for that fact. “I wish I could tell you what happened, but I can’t. I know that’s… a terrible defense.” She sighed and buried her head into the pillow again, feeling excruciatingly alone.

Blaze coughed quietly, scuffing at her Pip-Buck. “Look Sparky, I think we’re done here. She’s said all she knows.” She sighed and looked up to Skyfire. “You survived, and you’re a mechanic? Last I heard we’re needing more of those.”

Misty Sparks shot Blaze a curious look, hoof still on Skyfire’s shoulder, trying to help her but not really knowing how. She could heal wounds of the body, but not the heart or mind. “Flare would need a lot of convincing to allow a non-stable pony to do anything more than exist inside here.”

Blaze laughed darkly, staring Misty Sparks down. “Yeah? Well what would you do with her? You’re going to lead this bunker of boredom one day. Perhaps it’s time you start thinking of what’s best for it.” She started to smile before wincing. A sign that she needed a fresh hit, she started for the door gritting her teeth. “I’m out of here anyways, and Skyfire?” She added, glancing back over to the stressed pegasus. “I believe you, if that matters at all.”

With that, the large mare took her leave, banging on the door so the security pony on the other side would let her out. Misty Sparks watched her go, grimacing, before turning back to the pegasus. “I…”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” Skyfire said around the pillow.

Misty Sparks gave a rueful sigh, ears falling back. She struggled to figure out what to say, memories and worries filling her mind. The last outsider she’d trusted had turned out to be the greatest mistake of her life. “I’ll see what I can do,” she managed, “but for now you need to rest. You can’t do anything, if you can’t even stand up on your own.”

Skyfire made a noise of defeated acceptance, long crimson tail flicking in synch with an ear. It was a rather sad sight to the unicorn. Giving an awkward pat to the pegasus’ shoulder, Misty Sparks withdrew. “I promise we’ll treat you right,” she vowed, “we aren’t savages.”

“Thank you…”

“Is there anything I can get you? A book? Uh… food?” She looked around and spotted a dirtied tray on a medical table. “Oh right, of course they’d have that much taken care of.”

“I like reading,” Skyfire said, lifting her head just enough for her words to make sense rather than be garbled by the pillow.

“I’ll bring a book next time I come by then,” Misty Sparks said with as much enthusiasm as she could manage without sounding fake. “After I speak with Flare.”

“Who is this Flare you keep mentioning?” Skyfire questioned.

“Oh... She’s the Overmare. She’s in charge.” Misty Sparks shuffled her hooves. “She’s also my mother.”

“What Blaze said makes more sense then, about why your opinion matters.” Skyfire said quietly, “So my life is in your hooves? In a way…”

Misty Sparks gave an awkward smile, and nodded. “Yeah, guess so… I promise I’ll do everything I can.”

“I suppose that’s all I can ask, and uhm… Misty?”

The silver mare paused, thinking long on her response. She settled her gaze on her Skyfire, not quite ready for her to use such a familiar term. “It’s Misty Sparks, but yes?”

“Thank you for visiting me. I didn’t think I’d see you again.” Skyfire whispered looking away sullenly as she continued. “It feels like others see my being here as a mistake. Other than maybe Blaze.”

Pausing for a moment, Misty Sparks’ smile turned more genuine. “She never does what everypony else wants,” she said and then nodded. “I couldn’t just not come by. Like Blaze said, this is the most exciting thing to happen in a long while. What kind of future leader would I be if I missed out?” She laughed, the noise a bit strained but it was clear to Skyfire she was trying to be genuine. A heavy weight, fear and anxiety, pushed down on her, but when their eyes met they both could tell at least one thing.

They were being honest.

“Feel better Skyfire,” she said, starting towards the door. “I’ll bring a book next time.”

“Thank you.”

Skyfire - Quest Perk Added! - The Way Things Should Be - Stable 36 has extended their hoof to you in your time of need! Reputation set to friendly, don’t make them regret it!

Author's Note

We went back and edited Chapter One a smidge, mostly on that first scene.

Chapter Three: Maintenance

“All you need is duct tape and some chewing gum.”

“Miss Skyfire…”

“Skyfire Lumia?”

There was a frustrated grunt and a loud clatter.

“Skyfire, it’s time to wake up.”

A crimson mane shifted as Skyfire’s eyes fluttered open, ears twitching. She blinked blearily, trying to wake up from the deep sleep she’d been enjoying. If only she could have a few more minutes of rest. Finally, she tried to search for the source of whatever awoke her. The lights felt awfully bright, a painful sterile white she still wasn’t used to, and she grumbled as she rubbed purple eyes with heavy hooves.

“Ah, you’re awake.” The voice of Healing Drops, that she began to get accustomed to, greeted her, drawing her attention to where the elderly blue mare sat on a stool. It almost felt like every time she awoke there was the elder mare, sitting and waiting with a clipboard in hoof.

“Good morning,” Skyfire yawned. With a bit of effort she shifted up to a proper sitting position, the rough green blanket on her lap the only respite to the cold sterile air.

Healing Drops gave a polite nod. “I imagine you’re starting to get stir crazy.”

“Maybe a little,” she admitted, brushing her mane idly. She broke eye contact, gazing about her quarters, there were a few books on the nearby medical table that Misty Sparks brought, having made good on her promise. They’d been her only escape from that small medical room, taking her to places she’d never even known existed, though they certainly didn’t now after the Final Day. She was rather appreciative of them.

Healing drops coughed as she floated out a clipboard in front of her, looking over the injured mare in front of her. Skyfire refocused on her and gave a shy smile. “It’s surprising you’ve lasted this long without complaint, though you’re the first pegasus in our stable. Trying to make a good first impression?” Skyfire awkwardly shrugged at the question. Healing Drops gave a soft chuckle and shook her head. “Well, it’s been a week and the Overmare has decided you will be evaluated.”

Skyfire blinked, pinning her ears back as she looked towards the ceiling. “It’s been a week already?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I guess I hadn’t noticed, it’s hard to tell time here.” She used to rely on the sun, but with so much concrete, rock and metal between her and the sky, her sense of time was skewed.

“That’s alright. However, there has been no reported contact or indication of Enclave forces investigating the crash, not even so much as a fly over. You said that the Enclave would have arrived at most three days after a crash to investigate,” Healing Drops noted, nodding her head somberly. Skyfire closed her eyes, her grip on the blanket tightening as she let out a long sigh. Healing Drops’ almost judging gaze felt extra heavy on her.

“I see…”

A few seconds passed before Healing Drops jotted something down on her clipboard. “That being said, Overmare Flare felt it would be smart to let you start moving about again, and to let you start repaying our hospitality.” Healing Drops flipped through her notes until she was satisfied. “If you pass, you’re going to help out around the stable. You did say that you were a qualified engineer, right Miss Lumia?”

Skyfire took a few moments to process what Healing Drops was telling her. The possibility of getting out of that room and helping the stable was exhilarating and terrifying. Misty Sparks hadn’t mentioned if she’d been successful with her mother when she’d visited, leaving her anxiously awaiting any news. She didn’t want to consider what would happen if she made a mistake. The pegasus adjusted herself, carefully positioning her wings until she felt comfortable. She tried to look presentable. “I am a mechanics technician specialized in repairing Vertihawks and other small aircraft.”

“Verti-whats?” Healing Drops asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uhm… Vertihawks, it’s an aircraft, like the one that I arrived here in.” Skyfire explained quietly and gave a strained smile. “What would you have me do?” She found her hoof playing through her long crimson mane, the sensation relaxing enough to help calm her nerves.

“Whatever they think they can trust you with fixing, or at least attempting to. I’m sure some of our systems are quite different from what you’re used to, but hopefully you’ll be able to adjust. Whether or not you’re lying about your profession, time will tell.” Healing Drop’s said as she glanced at the vitals reading from Skyfire’s monitors. Skyfire cringed slightly at the last bit, but she quickly resolved to prove herself to them.

“Looks like your vitals are in line with a healthy pony of your age. Please raise your left hoof up as high as you can. Okay now raise the other.” Healing Drop’s pen ran back and forth across her notes, filling in various details as Skyfire obeyed.

Healing Drops slowly stood up from the stool, grimacing as her knees popped, and then walked over. She floated her notes and pen along with a pair of surgical gloves. She leaned against the bed and slipped the gloves on. “Now stretch out on your side, I’m going to take a look at your puncture wound.”

Skyfire obeyed, trying to hide her grimace of discomfort as the blanket was pulled back. A chill ran down her spine, as the cold air rushed over her, only to be magnified by the touch of plastic covered hooves on her left side. “Extend your foreleg,” instructed Healing Drops. Skyfire’s grimace deepend as she did, extending it forward and then circling it around as Healing Drops continued, testing her limits of reach. While she couldn’t see what she was looking at, Skyfire could feel heavy slate eyes coldly examining her.

She tried her best to hide the pain it made, soreness radiating from that part of her that only worsened under such scrutiny. It was difficult to not think of it, making her side ache more, ribs feeling too tight around her lungs. Her mind began to buzz with worries, that the wound wasn’t healed enough and she’d be stuck there longer, barely noticing the pickup of the heart monitor.

“Get up,” Healing Drops ordered, moving aside to give her space and drawing her from the dark thoughts. Skyfire stepped down onto the tile floor, and blinked as Healing Drops removed the heart monitor attachment that had been wrapped around her left foreleg. “Walk to the door and back, please.” Skyfire obeyed, steps a bit wobbly from so much bedrest but beyond some discomfort she felt alright. Healing Drops wrote something down and gave a nod. “Now try hovering in place.”

Fire itched along her skin as she stretched her wings, giving a few experimental flaps before lifting herself into the air. She lowered herself back to the ground thirty seconds later, breathing heavily. She couldn’t remember hovering ever being so difficult before. Healing Drops made a thoughtful noise. Next she ran her through a series of stretches, testing to see how much mobility she possessed. Skyfire was only able to marginally hide her discomfort at some, especially if her left side was involved. After what felt like hours, Healing Drops gave a resolute nod.

“It seems you’re healing up well. You don’t appear to have motor functions impeded beyond general soreness. I think you’re ready to start doing light work again at least. Nothing too physically demanding for now, and avoid flying as much as possible. Does that sound agreeable?” Healing Drops asked as her pen scratched in a few final notes.

“I think I could do that,” Skyfire managed weakly, trying to catch her breath after all the exertion.

“Are you sure?”

Gulping, she gave an exaggerated nod. “Yeah.”

“I’ll be writing you a prescription for pain medicine, make sure you take them in the morning at breakfast. If you have any troubles, physical and mental, be sure to inform myself or any other member of the medical staff. I’ll be checking up on you in a week otherwise.”

“So I’m cleared to work?” Skyfire asked, one hoof idly playing with her long mane.

“Yes. Until we find you a proper quarters, this will be your temporary living arrangement unless we need use of it otherwise.” Healing Drops fixed her with a neutral expression. “Any questions?”

Skyfire nodded along to the instructions before frowning. “How will I tell the time if we’re underground?” She gazed around, confused. After looking around the room three times she gave up, not finding a singular clock on the wall, and gave a sheepish smile to Healing Drops. “Or am I just blind?”

“No, you’re not blind. When it’s time, somepony will escort you,” Healing Drops explained, “given you don’t know where anything is after all.”

Skyfire couldn’t hide her relief that she was being shown around, even if it meant somepony would always be watching her. It seemed a reasonable arrangement for both parties, and she couldn’t blame them for wanting to keep an eye on her. “Thank you.”

“Not to worry,” she replied as she gathered a few things and started for the door. “They’ll be by in about an hour. There’s some utility barding over in the bathroom waiting for you, go ahead and get dressed.” The old mare paused by the door, as if some thought was just on the cusp of her mind but unable to reach it. Deciding it unimportant, she shrugged, and departed.

There was a heavy knock on the door before it came open, whooshing with hydraulics not too unlike the heavy lifting equipment back in the Enclave. The sound was comforting for Skyfire, who’d spent the past hour pacing with rising anxiety over the impending assignment. Healing Drops’ remark that the stable’s systems hopefully wouldn’t be too different from what she was familiar with had been a haunting one to say the least. She was worried that she’d be kicked out if she was proven to be not only a liability with the Enclave, but a burden on their resources as well.

As a large, burly earth pony stallion came in, she felt small. Then he began to speak, and his voice was hardly more mature than a colt that’d just gotten his cutie mark. “Miss Lumia,” he said, clearing his throat a few times. He gave a thin smile. “I’m to escort you down to maintenance.”

“R-Right!” She tried to smile but it felt as strained and forced as his.

“If you’ll follow me,” he requested, backing out into the hallway and Skyfire was quick to obey. The hallway was full of posters reminding ponies a variety of basic medical practices; washing hooves and taking medicine, a blonde maned earth pony smiling in each of them. She admired one expounding the importance of sanitizing the workspace, before the buck grunted at her for lollygagging.

They passed a few other doors with numbered labels of ‘quarantine’ and then entered what she could only describe as an airlock chamber. A low hissing mist sprayed over them and Skyfire squeaked at the unexpected cleaning agent, instinctively shielding her face with her wings. The buck snickered. “Never been in one of these before, Enclaver?”

“Can’t say I have,” she said quietly, peeking out from crimson wingtips. She cleared her throat, and tried to regain some degree of composure. She fidgeted in the Stable 36 dark blue jumpsuit, with bright yellow accents that came to the middle of her barrel. It was just long enough to cover the injury on her side. This particular version had a series of pockets sewn into the sleeves and a belt, something she was sure would prove useful on the job. The wing-holes even appeared to be part of the actual design, rather than makeshift for her arrival.

The guard laughed as he caught her messing with it. “I wouldn’t worry too much about how you look, by the end of the day you’ll be covered in grease I’m sure.”

“Are things very messy down there?” She asked as a pleasant chime signaled the decontamination was complete and the front door slid open. The guard led the way, this time into a large lobby. Various ponies milled about working, waiting for aid in a small lounge, or otherwise occupying themselves. To her shock, almost everypony stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Her ears fell back and wings flared up as she found herself frozen midstep. The ponies of Stable 36 were staring at her.

“Move it, Miss Lumia,” he said with annoyance, nudging her with a hoof. The squeak that had been caught in her throat came out, and the mare fought the desire to dart right back into the decontamination chamber. Instead, she gave as friendly a smile as she could manage, half certain she looked deranged, and scampered alongside him to a large door with an exit sign above it. The lobby remained quiet. Ponies watched her go, and immediately bursted into noise as the doors shut behind the pair.

“The last thing you want to do is to be late,” the guard cautioned.

Skyfire gave an awkward nod, hide itching as she wondered just what they were saying about her. “Right, not a good idea,” she muttered, shifting her weight from one hoof to another. Her ears were burning.

“You’ll be working with the Chief of Maintenance today,” he went on, leading her down a long hallway towards a pair of elevators at the end. “He’s a bigger hardass than Chief Smokey. You really don’t want to get on his bad side.” More ponies moved about, though not near as many in numbers as inside the medical lobby. She tried to hide besides the large stallion, hoping he might shield her from the curious gazes of the stable ponies. She quite failed at that, due to her crimson wings and foreign appearance. Various doors and other hallways shot off from the main corridor they walked down, signs indicating research labs closest to Medical. Further away they became Security; an armory and brig specifically mentioned.

Still she saw no clocks.

By the time they’d reached the elevators, Skyfire’s hide was itching. “We’ll take the security elevator down,” he informed her, pulling a cord from his Pip-Buck and connecting it to the panel besides the metal door with red painted down the middle. After a moment there was a chirping noise, and he gestured for her to enter. The only splash of color in the grey elevator was a yellow medical box mounted to the wall, three pink butterflies adorning it.

“Is he really that scary?” She asked as he pressed a button for the 8th floor, the elevator jolting into life and starting a slow descent down.

The young buck shivered in his armor. “I do my best to avoid the C Shift if I can. Just… if he starts yelling just shut up and ride it out.” She gave a small nod and looked at the floor, even more concerned about the job. “Hey,” he added, nudging her with his hoof. “I’m sure it’ll be just fine!”

She gave a weak smile, thankful for his attempt at comforting her. The rest of the ride down passed in an awkward silence, with Skyfire trying to mentally prepare herself for what was coming. She needed to impress them, to prove she was worth the risk of keeping her until the Enclave came to the rescue. They had to be coming after all, they were just taking longer than normal because Jolts had upset them, but surely, eventually, they would save her! Or at least that’s what she was telling herself.

The door came open with a rattle, and the guard gestured for her to exit alone. “Good luck!” He shouted as it shut behind him, leaving Skyfire in another lobby.

“Hey!” A young mare’s voice came, “You made it!”

Skyfire straightened up, trying to find the source as she scanned the lobby. There was a long counter with boxes and terminals across it, broken machines jutting out at weird angles. The air was crisp, electric. A low drone of pipes churning away with spinning fans soon melted into a background noise. Finally she saw a clock, and sitting beneath it was a green earth pony mare with a pomp of dark purple hair typing something on a terminal. The mare jumped down from her seat behind the counter and trotted over, smiling with genuine excitement.

“Welcome to Maintenance! I’m Grease!” She held out an oil smeared hoof.

“Uh, Skyfire,” she replied, shaking it and glancing around nervously. “Are you… the Chief?”

The mare snickered and shook her head. “No, that’d be Hammers. He just ordered me to wait here for your arrival. I’ll go fetch him now.” She stepped back, scanned Skyfire over, and shrugged. “I thought you’d be taller.”

“I’m taller than you though,” Skyfire mumbled back, a bit confused, since she measured up a tad taller than Grease.

“Yeah but like, really really tall?”

“I’m not a princess… they’re the tall ponies.”

Grease squinted at her, lips pursed with thought. Skyfire pulled back, ears falling flat. Deciding something, Grease gave a cheery smile. “You’ve got the eyes of a princess, you’ll get there one day.”

“That’s not entirely how it works.” Despite herself she was blushing.

Grease shrugged once more. “Oh well, what do I know?” Turning on her hooves, she trotted to an office across the way. Momentarially left alone, Skyfire took the chance to better examine the lobby. Branching off in different directions were a series of hallways with large labels. It seemed everything from pipes to electricity was all on this one level, Skyfire’s focus settling on a large radiation symbol, standing out among other warning signs towards the reactor. She hoped she wouldn’t have to work there, she knew nothing about reactors.

Someone snorted heavily, snapping her attention to the large stallion besides her and Grease who gave a sympathetic smile. Both of them were wearing barding just like hers, though far from clean. The stallion was dark red with a tall black buzzcut mane, a horn sticking out of the top. Dark emerald eyes squinted at her, judging for all she was worth in only a matter of seconds. Something about his stature or perhaps his eyes, distinctly reminded her of Blaze. She cringed expectantly as he opened his mouth, the guard’s warning screaming in her head.

“Sure took you long enough,” he said, “that side all healed up?”

“E-Enough to work,” she replied.

“Good… Good…” Hammers said slowly, Grease backing away as stealthily as she could. “Because we’ve already wasted half a damn day waiting for you to get down here!” He snarled in a booming voice, practically punching the poor pegasus with his words. “We’ll be starting in the repair room today, nothing strenuous so I don’t want to hear any complaints about your side hurting or I’ll send you right back up to Medical! Understood?”

Skyfire rapidly nodded, trying not to shrink in front of him but he reminded her all too much of the flight sergeants back home. “Y-Yes sir!”

“Good! Slick here had to process paperwork instead of helping the others with our major repairs, so you best thank her for waiting up on you!”

“Uh- Thank you!”

“It’s no problem,” Grease replied, cringing at Hammers’ volume. “Honestly.”

“Around here, everypony has to pitch in,” Hammers continued as he started towards one of the hallways, the mares following right behind. “If one pony is out sick, it mucks everything up, and now accommodating you into the schedule means a whole lot of restructuring! You better be worth all the trouble, Enclave.”

“I’ll do my best!” She promised.

“Damn right you will, or I’m shipping you back to the clouds myself!”

Grease coughed, stepping forward to nudge Hammers with a hoof, her face barely hiding her annoyance. “Scaring her witless is probably not helping. And besides, what magical plan do you have to get her back up into the clouds?” Skyfire balked, she’d never have the nerve to talk to her superior like that, especially if they were as grouchy as Hammers.

“Grease!”

“Let’s just get to work and let Skyfire prove her mettle. You know she wants to go home, so don’t threaten her with something she actually would want,” Grease retorted, narrowing her yellow eyes. She quickly interfaced with the repair room panel, the hiss of hydraulics cutting through the uneasy silence. She looked back to Skyfire. “You coming?”

Skyfire jumped at the direct question, still processing the threat of being taken back up to the clouds. Her vision of returning home felt farther away than ever, so deep underground. She could practically feel the weight of all the rock above her. “I am.”

“Good now come on in then, time’s a wastin.”

Skyfire stepped over the pressured door, managing not to jump as it hissed shut behind her, before she searched the room. Grease had already walked over to a bench, patting the spot beside her. “Over here! I’ll get you up to speed on how we work around here.”

“Let’s hope for her sake you’re a quick learner, Enclaver.” Hammers grunted out as he passed by her, avoiding looking at the pegasus. He quickly settled into a spot in the room behind a large desk, a variety of small machines spread across it and got to work.

Skyfire soon found herself the only pony standing around, hooves frozen in place. Breathing in deeply, distracted by the comment with her heart starting to race, but after a moment she managed to calm her nerves. She wasn’t certain where she was supposed to go entirely. A friendly wave from Grease became her savior, and she was quick to trot over.

Grease sighed and nudged a toolkit to Skyfire, getting out what they’d need. “He’s unusually snappy today. Don’t mind him, the best you can at least. He’s normally understanding, a hardass but still. Not sure who put salt in his oats.” She shot him a suspicious glare, but the stallion was buried in his work already.

Skyfire sighed. “He’s upset because I’m messing up his schedule-”

“He’s upset because things aren’t going exactly as he wants them to. Some days he’s such a control freak, but what does he think is gonna happen? We’re short staffed as it is… not like you’re going to make things worse.” Grease growled out as she shook her head, then flashed a smile to the nervous pegasus.

“Right, no-no pressure at all.” Skyfire mumbled out, steeling herself to look through the toolbox. She needed to see what she had at her disposal. Her expression warmed as she recognized nearly everything she could get her hooves on. “Looks like we share the same tools, that’s a nice start at least.”

“Speaking of starts,” Grease said as she hoisted a lightly crisped fan in front of Skyfire, “here’s a broken ceiling fan. One of the unicorn foals decided it was a good idea to test out her magic on her room’s fan. It ended in a shower of sparks and burnt mane.” Skyfire’s eyes widened comically. “Don’t worry about the foal, she’s only embarrassed that she had to chop most of her mane off.”

“A ceiling fan, eh? That doesn’t sound too bad, uhm you have spare copper wiring right?” Skyfire inquired as she started unscrewing the device, resisting the rising urge to gag. “How recently was this? I can smell the burnt mane… it’s gross!” She added, waving a hoof, trying in vain to disperse the smell.

“That was this morning, probably before you were even awake. It’s… a more common goof up than you’d guess. But yes we do have copper wiring, you might need it. Good thought though to think of the wiring.” Grease admitted with a smile as she pointed out the spool of bronze wire. “Now why would you need the wire?”

Skyfire glanced at the earth pony, trying to size her up. She could easily guess the mare was trying to see just how knowledgeable she really was, a test even if it were something simple. “Judging by the smell… the coil is dead, I uhm hope you have a machine for wrapping the coil of the fan,” Skyfire commented softly, a pained look on her face. “Else this would be a unicorn’s job.”

“I haven’t looked in the fan yet, but I bet you’re right. We’ve got a wrapper. Go on then, open it up.”

“Right.” Skyfire quickly unscrewed the housing, coughing as the stench of burnt mane grew worse. “Did she jam her mane up into the fan? This smells terrible.” Grease’s giggles only compounded the mixture of worry and interest Skyfire held for the filly. A moment later and Skyfire was pulling off a slightly charred motor coil. She had guessed correctly. Looking around, Skyfire jumped as she felt a hoof on her shoulder, prompting another chuckle from Grease.

“Forget I was here? The wire wrapper is behind you on the shelf, be careful it’s a tad heavy.” Grease commented, a mirthful laugh escaping her as Skyfire blushed softly at her surprise. “I can get it for you if you need me to.”

Skyfire made an embarrassed noise, quickly standing up to carry the bulky device back over to her workbench. “I zoned out a little bit, I want to do a good job so I, um, don’t upset the stable if possible.” She tried to pull it off the shelf but was quick to tell it was much too heavy for her, even if she wasn’t recovering from an injury. “Uhm… can you give me some help?”

There was a loud snort from across the room and then a grey aura manifested around the heavy tool. It floated across to an empty space next to the fan on the table. Grease waved across to Hammers who wasn’t looking, the stallion focused on a broken terminal.

Looking back at Skyfire as she started to hook the fan up to be re-wired, Grease tilted her head. “What makes you think you’ll upset the stable?”

“Blaze mentioned it herself that Enclavers like me aren’t liked, because we uhm closed the clouds off.” Skyfire’s voice faded away for a moment, her gaze falling to the dull grey workshop floor. Skyfire managed not to flinch as she felt Grease press a hoof against her shoulder again.

“Skyfire, some ponies are going to have prejudices, and the only thing that will change that is you proving that you’re somepony different than what they think you are. I doubt Blaze hates you.”

Skyfire paused the final set up of the wrapping machine, glancing over to see Grease looking at her. She swallowed quietly, hooves tensing around the machine. “W-what makes you say that?”

“You’re a disruption to the routine way of life here, a newcomer. That’s exciting for her, plus you’re not bossy like, well, her bosses.” Grease leaned over the wire wrapping machine, nodding to the pegasus. “Also let me help you with this, or else you’ll be working on it for the next few hours. I’ll run the machine and you adjust and feed the wire.”

“Thank you.” Skyfire murmured quietly, starting the process. Grease began winding up the machine. A minute later the two mares pulled away from the machine, Skyfire proudly examining the freshly repaired fan-coil.

“That was a lot faster than it would have been if you were working by yourself. Still, you know the basics of wiring. You’re an engineer right?”

“I suppose you could say that, my job title is technician.”

Grease laughed quietly and sat back in her seat, starting back on a project of her own. “One of the jobs usually involves building new things, the other usually involves fixing things. Down here, they both mean the same thing more or less.”

Skyfire gave a small laugh. “Which are you better at?”

“I’m a bit of a grease monkey.”

“Oh sweet Celestia you make puns,” Skyfire groaned dramatically.

“Among other things,” Grease replied easily, a smug look on clear display. Skyfire couldn’t help but like the younger mare, she was being friendly at the least. It was certainly better than all the stares the ponies gave her earlier. “Now come on, let’s finish this up before Hammers yells at you again.” Skyfire eagerly agreed.

The pair kept working on the fan until it was completed, and then moved on to a variety of smaller repairs. Grease seemed particularly interested in Skyfire’s deftness with the tools, using them each a bit more gracefully than the earth pony did. Where Grease used brute strength, Skyfire was clever and found workarounds. By the time they’d cleared the table of appliances they were both a bit tired, but had sped the process up, along with fun conversation and a generally upbeat attitude she found relieving. The only thing missing was some blaring music and she’d have felt right at home.

Finally, some hours later, Hammers called them over to his desk, holding a hoof over a button next to a PA speaker. “Uh huh, another brownout?” He questioned into the mic.

“Yup,” a voice chirped back. “Looks like at least half the residential suites are reporting it on the fifth floor.”

Rubbing his brow with one hoof, Hammers sighed. “Alright. I’ll be by shortly to check it out.”

“Roger that.”

Hammers pushed back from the PA speaker, rubbing his temples. “What’s up boss?” Grease questioned, tilting her head.

“More fucking brownouts. I swear it’s another section every other day.”

“Are your wires going bad?” Suggested Skyfire. “This place was built during the war wasn’t it? I’m sure after all this time some of them would’ve gone out by now.”

Hammers fixed her with a deadpan glare. “Of course they’re going bad, when aren’t they? But this slew of brownouts is nothing short of a headache. We’re gonna take a look and make sure there’s no physical damage at the least. Last time this happened it was some radroaches, and I swear if it’s again-”

“We’ll get Security to clear it out,” suggested Grease before he could launch into a tirade.

Snorting, he jumped off his chair and started rummaging through the drawers of his desk. “Slick, go get her some protection just in case,” he ordered, “last thing we need is her getting bit by some Celestia damned bug and catching some disgusting sickness.”

“What about me? Aren’t I going too?”

“No, finish up this terminal for me, Smokey wants it back in Security yesterday. I’ve got notes on what I’ve done so far. I’m sure you can close it up.” He pulled on a pair of pants made of the same material as the rest of the standard stable barding, covering up his namesake cutie mark, then rubber boots. Grease sighed, and led Skyfire to a row of lockers across the way. Skyfire was quick to put on the clothes she removed from one. Once ready, Hammers already waiting by the door with a large hammer looped to his belt, Skyfire made her way over.

“Now once we’re in the electrical tunnels, do mind your head,” he ordered, starting out the smaller repair shop back into the lobby. He pointedly avoided the reactor entrance, eyes fixated ahead of him while Skyfire scanned it over once more. “Sometimes there’s loose wires, don’t want you frying your brain more than that crash did.”

“Healing Drops says my head is okay,” she protested softly.

“She also doesn’t know what you were like before the crash now does she?” He retorted, hitting the access panel for the tunnel labeled ‘electrical’. Almost instantly the low crackle of energy she’d first noticed upon reaching the maintenance floor tripled. Her mane stood on end as Hammers started down it. She had to admit she was grateful for the protective equipment as she followed close behind the large stallion.

The electrical tunnel was decently maintained, the thick wires running along their path kept secured with metal brackets. Occasionally she could see a patch job where the inner workings had spilled out, resealed with electrical tape or something of similar materials. There was a low hum that grew as they trotted down the tunnel, hoofsteps mixing with the buzz. Small lights illuminated the way, few bends in it fortunately so she wouldn’t fear getting lost, even if she somehow lost sight of Hammers. There was no sign of any physically damaged wires, though Skyfire knew that didn’t mean there wasn’t something wrong.

Eventually they reached a large door with emergency sealing, and Hammers unlocked it with his Pip-Buck just as the security officer had the special elevator earlier. Inside was a control room, terminals, monitors and other equipment lining the walls, various ponies stationed at them. Instantly one jumped up from his terminal, glasses barely staying on his face. “Boss! Thank Celestia you’re here already!”

Hammers scowled. “I told you I was coming, didn't I Plugs?”

“Yeah, but in the few minutes since we’ve had a total blackout in the gym!”

“Calm down,” he ordered, the frazzled earth pony ducking his head. “Have you investigated it yet?”

“Uhm… No. With you coming I didn’t want to, you know, do it wrong…” Hammers snorted, Plugs wincing. “Sorry.”

“You’re a supervisor for a reason Plugs,” he scolded, “I expect you to lead. Skyfire, we’re going to check out the gym’s wiring. Plugs, get some ponies to check the brownout sections.” The electrician gave a nod and galloped across to a few other ponies, ordering them quickly to action. Skyfire had to admit she was a bit surprised by Hammer’s tone, clearly disappointed but not demeaning the nervous stallion. She started to second guess her initial opinion on him, perhaps he wasn’t that much like the flight sergeants back home after all.

Dark emerald eyes settled on her, and she jolted upright. “Come on, we’re going to see what’s messing with my stable.” Following after him, Skyfire had to pause and shuffle past the other maintenance ponies, drawing an impatient grunt from Hammers who was waiting at the other side of the room. She gave a sheepish smile once she’d finally caught up with him.

Clearly unamused, Hammer rolled his eyes and then unlocked the door and led her into a dark utility tunnel. The small lights she expected to see were all off further down. There was a singular faint flickering light far down the tunnel. Skyfire squinted at it suspiciously. Hammers’ horn glowed a soft grey hue, the aura encapsulating it entirely before a mote of light drifted from the tip of his horn, illuminating the tunnel far more clearly than the Pip-Buck’s light would.

“We’re looking for damage,” he reiterated, “and I think we’ve already found it.” He started down the tunnel, scanning along for any other abnormalities. Skyfire kept close to him, the light from his spell not extending more than a few feet around him incentivizing her to not lag behind. Something clicked in her ear, making her mane stand on end, but she wasn’t sure if it was the sparks they were approaching or not.

Once they reached the offending sparks Hammers began to examine it. “Looks chewed…” He said in a low voice. Skyfire was half certain she heard fear at the edge of his words as he continued, “see if there’s others like this. Radroaches crawl everywhere and take a bite out of just about anything.”

“What- Uh what exactly is a radroach?”

Hammers blinked at her, genuinely taken off-guard. “You don’t have those pests up there?”

“No.”

“Of course you don’t,” he grumbled, turning to her entirely. “They’re big bugs that can fly around, brown and-” Skyfire cut him off with a scream, purple eyes wide at the very creature he was describing crawling up the wall behind him.

Spinning around as quickly as he could, Hammers barely avoided the bug as it flung itself at him, instead landing on Skyfire’s chest. The mare’s shriek pitched an octave, rearing up in a panic as her wings sprang out from her sides and propeled herself into the air for a second before she thudded onto her rump. Wide eyes greeted the hissing creature as Skyfire threw her hooves up in front of her face to protect herself. A grey aura surrounded the massive bug and yanked it off Skyfire. A moment later she heard a colorful swear and a disgusting squelch.

Daring to peek, Skyfire’s hooves fell to the floor. She saw Hammers, who was now smeared in bug guts, his hammer freshly sullied. The radroach’s legs twitched even in death, massive bug eyes staring at her in accusation. Her hide crawled even worse. “There’s never just one of these things,” he grunted, offering her a hoof up. She shakily took it. “Let’s get out of here, now.”

Suddenly, Skyfire was keenly aware that the noise she’d heard earlier was in fact, not electricity. The hissing clicks of the radroaches echoed around them, swarming as insect legs darted at them through the darkness. She dared look down the tunnel. Dozens of black bug eyes were seen in the light of Hammers’ spell. “That’s bad!”

“Yeah it is! Move it!” He shoved her towards the exit which felt like a mile away now. Skyfire’s wings spread instinctively, forgetting Healing Drops’ orders not to fly. Instantly a jolt of pain spread along her left side. A cry escaped her and Skyfire stumbled aside. “I said move it, do you want to become radroach chow?”

“I-”

“Oh for Luna’s sake!” The stallion extended his magic once more, the grey aura surrounded Skyfire and took her by surprise. He gritted his teeth, an overglow surrounding his horn. It began to glow brighter as his hooves were wrapped in a grey aura. Skyfire gaped as she felt herself lift a foot into the air, no need for wings, and was carried by Hammers towards the exit. “Damn useless pegasus!” He shouted, Skyfire’s mind was too much of a frazzled mess to realize he was speaking about her. His hooves still impacted with the concrete ground, but the stallion had succeeded in lightening himself. He carried them both swiftly towards the exit. “Damn these things to Tartarus!”

The bugs surged, cutting them off and swirling almost like a singular entity. Their clicking was maddening, Skyfire’s heart pounding in her ears. Hammers shouted with effort, sliding on his rubber covered hooves to a halt. He slowly began to back up, still holding Skyfire in his telekinetic grip. “Can’t you call for help?” Skyfire shouted.

“And let these things into the control room? They’ll flood maintenance!”

“W-well what do we do?”

Hammers gave her a look that somehow scared her more than the encroaching radroaches. “This might hurt,” he warned.

“What might- AH!” Skyfire screamed as he telekinetically threw her. She sailed right above the radroaches, moving at a speed that made her heart flutter, eyes watering. When he released her she carried the momentum for a few seconds longer, wings flaring open to catch a drift, and stumbled to a halt. “Hammers!” She shouted, whirling around just in time to see the grey magical aura bubble around the stallion.

The radroaches surged. They climbed along his large hide, biting every inch of the stallion, chewing through the protective barding with ease. With a scream, he cast the spell. The dark red stallion vanished in an implosion of grey magic, sending the radroaches sailing in every direction, some of them seared or even dead. He reappeared a few feet from her with a burst of light, collapsing in a heap. A faint light covered his body, smoke rising from his barding, before he fell into darkness like everything else.

“Are you okay!” She struggled with keeping calm, galloping over to the stallion and shaking his prone form. “Oh no no no!”

Hammers coughed raggedly, struggling to his hooves only to fail. “What are you still doing here?” He asked, wincing. The radroaches seemed to be confused, skittering about in wild circles trying to find him further down the tunnel. The magical light he’d cast earlier had faded away, only the emergency lights now illuminated the tunnel.

“What?”

“You should have gone for the door,” Hammers said, still trying to get to his hooves, grunting and swearing under his breath as he tumbled back to the floor.

Skyfire shook him violently. “What’s wrong? Did they hurt you?”

Hammers shoved her back. “Quiet!”

She suppressed a squeak. “Are you okay?” She asked in a brisk whisper.

“I will be if you get out of here, and go get help. We need a full extermination team to take care of this mess, and right now they don’t know where we are so keep quiet and get to that door,” he ordered.

“What?” Her voice pitched, and she clamped a hoof over her mouth. She could feel his angry glare. “I’m not just leaving you here. No pony left behind!”

“This isn’t some game, Skyfire!” He hissed tightly. “If a swarm this big got into the control room, the technicians wouldn’t stand a chance. You need to get there, discreetly, and I’ll just slow you down.”

She stood in the dark, heart racing and hooves stuck in place. The radroaches skittered and hissed down the tunnel, searching for them and sure to find them soon. She knew that even if she got to the door without alerting them, the radroaches would find Hammers before she returned with help. He would die.

“No,” she said firmly, not letting him argue. “No. Pony. Left. Behind.”

“Sky-”

“Can you cast that telekinetic spell still?” She interrupted, moving around his back and wrapping her hooves around his heavy body, thankful for her long legs. He didn’t answer with words, but instead the soft glow of grey surrounded his horn once more.

“Barely,” he muttered, “that teleport took a lot out of me.”

“Just hold it as long as you can okay?” She requested, spreading her wings, wiggling crimson tips. Her side ached in anticipation, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. It wasn’t far, she knew it, but she’d never make it if she had to drag him by mouth all the way to the exit. Her body was electrified, her heart was racing, but she was determined not to leave him there. She didn’t want another pony she knew to die. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Skyfire flapped her wings. Lightning shot through her, jolting from her wound outwards through every inch of her body but unlike before she refused to stop. Gritting her teeth, trying not to scream in agony, she kept flapping until at last she felt them both lift from the concrete ground. Hammers grunted as well, using all of his magic to make him easier to carry. They’d just started moving forward when hisses reverberated through the tunnel. The radroaches had found them.

“Go go go!” Shouted Hammers, an overglow already surrounding his horn.

Skyfire didn’t fight the guttural cry any more, flying through it like a wounded bird, tears burning her eyes. Each flap felt like crashing, as if she would slam down into the vertihawk’s metal hull instead of hard concrete. The clicking hisses became panicked beeps, the echo of a missile alarm spurring her on faster. Maybe she could outrun this one. Skyfire’s throat was raw, lungs on fire, the taste of blood in the back of her mouth. Hammers bellowed with effort as a third overglow consumed his horn.

Then they slammed into the door.

Skyfire spun wildly back, head dizzy and stars in her blackened vision. She’d lost her grip on Hammers and wound up on her back. When she finally got her hooves steadily beneath her she couldn’t see him. “Hammers!” She tried to scream but fell into a coughing fit. The radroaches were closing in, their hisses battering her ears. “Hammers!”

The door swung open with a trio of ponies jumping through, flamethrowers floating in different telekinetic grips. They shouted incoherently as a torrent of flames erupted from the weapons, burning anything unfortunate enough to be on the other side. Skyfire gaped at the rescue team, the bright light painful, heat sweltering her hide. She couldn’t quite tell what was going on as a pony bit her barding and dragged her to safety, the extermination team turning the tunnel into an inferno. The door swung shut before she could even get a word out.

Somepony practically shoved a healing potion down her throat, Skyfire downing it breathlessly. She gasped as the pain ebbed to a more manageable level, the throbbing in her head lowering enough to think. “What… Where’s… Where’s Hammers?” She questioned, Plugs hovering nearby with worry on his narrow face.

“We got him out,” he reassured, “when we found a swarm in one of the tunnels chewing on the wires we called for the extermination team. Can’t believe it was so bad in yours though.” Skyfire struggled to her hooves, barely able to sit up. She winced as her side flared with pain. “Are you okay?”

“I didn’t get bit,” she replied, looking for the aforementioned chief. Hammers was laid out in front of a terminal, a mare wrapping his hooves in bandages from an emergency first aid kit. They were bloodying in seconds. His barding was torn to ribbons, the only thing still properly on the stallion being his Pip-Buck. “Oh no.”

“I think he’ll be okay,” Plugs said, “It’s more just magical exhaustion. We need to get him to Medical immediately though.” The stallion pushed his glasses up, and looked back at her. “You too.”

“I didn’t get bit though.”

“Radroaches carry disease, and you’re new here. You’re going,” he said with a bit more authority. She gave a whimpering nod.

Suddenly there was a familiar earth pony at her side, yellow eyes wide. “Sweet merciful Celestia! Are you okay?” Grease asked, poking and prodding her as she checked her over for wounds. Skyfire pulled away, ears pinning back.

“I’ll be okay,” she said, “I just… need to catch my breath.”

Grease gave her a wary look, calming down. “We better have you looked at. We heard you run into the door, that sounded painful!”

“Good thing pegasi are built to crash from time to time,” Skyfire joked awkwardly.

“Crash… You flew?!”

“Uhm...”

“Healing Drops expressly said you can’t- awh fuck she’s gonna kill me!”

“I mean it was that or the roaches got us,” Skyfire quietly argued, Grease muttering on about how badly she was going to get chewed out. Skyfire frowned. “Is it really that bad?”

Grease’s face creased in concern, pausing again. “Well… if you truly didn’t get bit then it might be acceptable, but what if you tore a muscle or broke some stitches?”

“I... feel fine though.”

“You feel fine right now, once the adrenaline rush fades you might say otherwise. Come on, let’s go. If nothing else they’ll check up on your injuries.” Grease grunted and nudged at Skyfire, nickering as she walked over to Hammers, a clouded expression hanging on his face.

Skyfire’s face paled at the sight of the blood on Hammers bandages, earning a scoff from him. “You think these are bad? You must be greener than I thought, Feathers. And… yet you managed to get us out. Not bad.” He momentarially appraised her, clearly reassessing the pegasus. He coughed before glaring at Grease. “What are you waiting for, Slick? Let’s move before I bleed through my bandages.”

“Right right we’re going Sir-”

“It’s Hammers, you know I hate being ‘Sir’d.”

“Right, Hammers, we’ll lug your sorry rump off to medical before you bleed out. That’d be a shame wouldn’t it? The great Chief Hammers- taken down by vicious radroaches?” Grease laughed back, a smirk on her face as she started helping him to his hooves. His legs wobbled beneath him, a moment of uncertainty on the large stallion’s face. Grease supported him best she could, not near as tall as him. Once she was certain he wouldn’t fall over, she smiled at Skyfire. “You coming along miss Feathers? Or would Cutey be a better name?” She flashed a wink to the mare before starting again, jostling an indignant Hammers.

“F-feathers?”

“Hammers said it first~”

Skyfire’s face reddened as she started after the pair out of the control room. She hissed faintly as her shoulder started throbbing. Grease glanced back, laughing quietly as she nickered the mare onward. “I told you about that adrenaline rush. You’ll probably be sore for the next day or so. This is why you’re going to medical to get checked out.”

Skyfire nodded in return, nursing her shoulder another dozen steps before gritting her teeth, catching back up to Grease. “I-I’ll be fine-”

“Less flirting, more walking, the two of you. If I have to limp there myself you’re going to be washing toilets for the next three months Slick.” Hammers grunted out again, prompting the two mares to keep going down the utility tunnel to take them back to the maintenance lobby.

It took a few minutes given the state of the stallion, but soon enough they were summoning the elevator. Skyfire turned to look over the panel once they were inside, opening her mouth nervously as she looked over to Grease.

“Floor three is Medical.”

“Thank you, Grease.” Skyfire commented as the doors slid shut.

“You know Skyfire, most patients don’t come back within a day for a completely new injury.”

“I know but Healing Drops-”

“But nothing, you’re supposed to help out in the stable, not get injured.”

“But Healing Drops...”

Hammers coughed loudly, butting his way into the conversation. “Feathers here was actually helping me when we encountered another radroach infestation. She made sure I got out of the maintenance tunnels. Give her a break, Dropper.” He shifted, grunting as he lifted up one of his hooves. “See this?” He then adjusted to show his other hoof. “And this, and this, annnnnd this, and-”

“I don’t need to see your rump Hammers, please sit back down. I understand that you’re the one who was injured.” Healing Drops interjected quickly. Her slate grey eyes were wide as she waved away the chewed up stallion in front of her. “Just how much blood did you lose?” She looked at the bag already connected to the stallion and back.

“Uhm… How much is enough to be concerned?”

Healing Drops made a particularly frustrated noise, sighed, and then regathered herself. “If you are the only one injured, why did Skyfire and Grease come with you?” She asked, pointing over to Grease who had a hoof over her muzzle, trying her best to not laugh. The technician was across the room near the door, lingering, while the other two were sitting on medical beds in front of the irate doctor. “Find something amusing?” Healing Drops arched a brow.

“N-no ma’am, Hammers showing off his new scars was not amusing in the slightest, not at all when he waved his rump at your face. Nope.” Grease said back through barely suppressed giggling.

Healing Drops snorted.

The young mare walked closer to give their feathered friend a soft bump on her barrel. “This one however I’m not sure if she got bit or not. The last thing we’d want is for Skyfire to get an infection.” She grew a bit hesitant, and tilted her head towards her boss. “Before uhm, Hammers got a bit delusional he thought the same.”

Skyfire tilted her head, looking at Grease. “Well I don’t believe I got bit. But an infection does sound bad. If I’m clean, where would I be going next? I’d uhm, like to keep working if that’s alright with whoever it needs to be alright with…”

“I’m most certain it would be Hammers, but he’s incapacitated, or will be once we get him shot with an antibiotic and some fluids to make sure he’ll be alright. Grease, you would be the next in command, correct?” Healing Drops started nudging Hammers into the bed, giving the tired stallion words of encouragement and floating the blood bag along with her.

Grease balked, her eyes widening for a moment. “Me? The next in line? I suppose it would be me, huh. Never thought ‘Second Technician’ would ever mean I will be…” She stroked her chin idly as she thought about it, glancing over to the worn out pegasus next to her. “Well first order of business would be taking old Hammers up top and putting him out of his misery.” She paused to wink, ignoring Healing Drop’s scoff as the medical pony started hooking up the chief to an IV drip as well.

“Right, I was joking. Skyfire, if you’re uninjured, we’ll go down and get some food, have some of that pleasant small talk if you’re the social type, then we’ll go finish up our shifts. I’m not sure what you’ll be doing after work to be honest. That would probably be up to Overmare Flare. Now if you’ve got some nasty bites, you’re stuck here with Hammers and Healing Drops. Really pleasant idea I know.” Grease beamed to the nervous pegasus again, patting her side. It did little to calm her nerves.

Healing Drops scowled as she finished up the basic setup with Hammers, turning to point a hoof at Grease. “You make it sound like spending time with me is a bad thing. Hammers here doesn’t mind my company. He’s the happiest stallion in the world right now.” She smirked at Grease, trying to defend herself. Hammers wore a lazy smile as he slumped on the bed.

Grease merely rolled her eyes, pointing at the IV drip. “That’s because you probably laced his fluids up with pain killers, he’s probably not even listening to us right now. Anywho, he’ll probably be out for the next day or two. I’ll take over and make sure everypony continues to work. It would be of great help if you could check over Skyfire. Her assistance will be crucial for us not falling even further behind.” The earth pony shuffled a bit, glancing at the clock on her pip-buck, they were about to start eating into her lunch time. She muttered softly to herself, “Celestia knows these radroaches are going to fuck us over.”

Skyfire had been looking over herself, checking for bites she might not have felt from all the excitement. She snapped her head up at the approaching Healing Drops. “I really don’t think I got bitten anywhere.” She stopped with a squeak when the medical pony started adjusting her limbs all about, inspecting her grey fur.

“I will be the judge of that, though honestly you would have started feeling the bites by now. Let me check your wings.” Healing Drops said, quietly examining her. Skyfire did her best not to twitch or squirm, sighing in relief a few moments later when Healing Drops backed away. “It appears you got lucky, very very lucky. You have no bite marks as far as I can tell, but you should probably take a booster shot to help you further acclimatize to this new environment.”

The old mare floated up a small needle, looking to Skyfire. She got a small nod, even if the pegasus looked nervous about it. She quickly floated the needle over to Skyfire’s shoulder, gently administering the injection. Skyfire squirmed at first, the sensation unpleasant to her. She relaxed once a reassuring hoof from Healing Drops gently touched her side. The discomfort faded away at the insertion point a few seconds later.

At Healing Drops’ biding, she stepped down from the medical bed. Skyfire stretched her wings experimentally, and then shook out her hooves. “Thank you.”

Healing Drops gave a small smile, and then nodded. “Now, you might feel queasy for the next few hours but you’re cleared to eat lunch with that injection. On the note Grease made earlier, please do see about your sleeping arrangements. I doubt you’d like to share the room with Hammers. From what our notes say he’s a loud snorer, and that’s just what a healing pegasus needs, right?”

“I’ll take care of that with Overmare Flare if I see her. Nice to see I’m not the only mare who’s putting some thought and care into the longer-term well being of our new feathered friend.” Grease replied, nudging Skyfire over towards the quarantine door. “Let’s go get food though, I’m starving.”

“O-Oh okay!” Skyfire replied, being practically whisked away. These stable ponies were so quick moving, not wasting time even with a bit of discussion. “Feel better soon Hammers!”

The drugged stallion gave an amused giggle, waved a hoof, and laughed louder at Healing Drops’ deadpan expression.

Skyfire - Perk Added! -Tenacious: When it matters, you’ll push yourself beyond your limits.

Chapter Four: Diner Delights

“Food is often a gateway to great friendships.”

A large mare was staring at a particularly intriguing poster on the blue metal wall, one advertising that ponies were needed for the local stable hoofball team. She fixated on the blonde maned earth pony smiling with a helmet on, the warm colors of his cream coat fading and edges curling up. A part of her vaguely remembered trying out for the team, only to be turned away for having an ‘incompatible personality’. The equally foggy memories of her telling the coach to colic and die were amusing. She chuckled to herself as her attention drifted to some other random poster.

Everything felt pleasantly warm, her body tingling comfortably as she sat in the diner booth. Her head felt heavy, a fog weighing down on her brain more like a thick quilt than something painful. It almost made her want to sleep, though a part of Blaze rejected such an idea. It was still too early in the day for that and she had much to do. She just couldn’t quite remember what that was.

She felt perfectly content, her body humming as her head swayed back and forth. If she leaned too far one way she might just fall over entirely and laugh about it. This was the part that she loved, forgetting about her pain and worries. She’d feel a rush that made life worth living like this. It was a cherished moment, like the thrill as she crushed skulls with her sledgehammer or bare hooves, but the rare moments of peace were what she loved most.

For a few solid hours she could forget everything, simply drift off into her own little world. Then something would always come crashing in and ruin it all. Sometimes it was the literal crash, her beloved chems having run their course and left her with all the things she’d tried to run from.. Sometimes it was some random pony who just couldn’t mind their own business, a few even having the gall to forcibly detox her. She really couldn’t stand those ponies. It always felt worse to return to those dark thoughts like that, angry at being ignored. Sharp knives digging into her mind, ceaseless and overwhelming

“Blaze?”

She blinked, glassy emeralds focusing on the small silver unicorn sitting across from her. She couldn’t quite remember her getting there, but the half chewed carrots in front of her cousin probably meant she’d been there a while. The edges of Misty Sparks’ silhouette were blurring into the red vinyl booth seat behind her, everything soft and meshing into one another. “Heya Sparky,” she greeted. She took note of the bowl of soup in front of her, unsure if it was brown or orange in color. Blaze leaned down to take a few sips only to chuff in annoyance that it was cold. “The hell kinda service they got here?” She grumbled, straightening up.

“We’ve been here for twenty minutes,” Misty Sparks informed her, voice sounding a bit like it was coming through cotton.

Blaze made a face, and shoved the soup away. “Hey! Hazel Blossom!” She shouted at a waitress who was rushing through the diner, telekinetically holding a variety of orders. The mare jumped at Blaze’s abrupt voice, nearly dropping everything. Various other ponies on their lunch break began to stare, even if Blaze’s outbursts were far from a rarity.

“My soup is cold!”

“That’s what happens when you wait too long to eat it!” Hazel Blossom shouted back. “Now don’t bother me!”

“Blaze…” Whined Misty Sparks, covering her face and trying to hide. Unfortunately for her, silver and blonde didn’t blend well with a neon red booth cushion. “Please don’t-”

“What- this is my fault?” Blaze snapped, ignoring her cousin’s pleas. “Come on I know you’ve got a spell to warm it up so how about you help a mare out?” Hazel Blossom squinted red eyes at her, still holding the orders aloft, and then huffed and carried on with her job. Blaze slammed a hoof down onto the table, spilling some of the soup across the metal surface.

Misty Sparks squeaked, wishing she could be anywhere but there. “Blaze!” Scolded Misty Sparks, desperately trying to reel in her cousin. She glanced at the pill bottle sticking out of one of Blaze’s pockets, her heart sinking as she recognized her own seal on the cap.

The now angry mare looked at her, rage brimming in glassy emerald eyes. How easily that happy buzz soured into a violent mood. “What?” She demanded, looming across the table. “You got a lecture for me too?”

“No I just-” Misty Sparks started, trying desperately to think of the right thing to say so as to avoid further setting the mare off. “I don’t think Hazel is going to give you what you want if you yell at her like that.”

Blaze arched a brow and snorted. “Whatever.”

“Would it hurt to be nice?”

“Yes.”

Misty Sparks did her best not to show her frustration. “You wouldn’t like it if you were her and somepony yelled at you, right?”

“Oh fuck off,” Blaze hissed, “ponies yell at me all the time. If you can’t handle it then you should go back to nursery school.”

“What about treating ponies with respect?” Misty Sparks challenged.

“Respect? Nopony respects anypony anymore. Haven’t you looked outside? We’re killing each other over old cans of beans for Luna’s sake!”

“It doesn’t have to be that way!” Misty Sparks replied, voice rising. Her own anger was mounting, her frustration with her cousin and embarrassment that she would act this way in such a public place was reaching a tipping point. It didn’t matter that everypony already knew Blaze was a rude mare with no social grace, it was the fact that once again, she didn’t think about anypony but herself.

“I don’t think me being nice to the waitress is gonna change anything,” Blaze growled, trying to sip her soup and once more wrinkling her nose at how cold it was. “Nothing will ever change if I play nice. Nothing even fucking matters.” Her anger was ebbing, the mood shifts of the chems as unpredictable as always. When she looked at Misty Sparks, everything felt a bit out of focus no matter how hard she tried. The edges of her vision blurred, slowly funneling down to just the little mare across from her.

Blaze sighed, and laid her head on the table right in the spilled soup. Misty Sparks cringed, offering a napkin over but Blaze didn’t even seem to notice. Instead the large mare simply continued speaking, voice dull. “Nothing we do will ever make any difference so why even bother? We’re all gonna wake up tomorrow, do the same shit as always, and then go to bed and do it all over again.”

Misty Sparks softened, brow furrowed as she tried to determine if this was a trick or genuine. Blaze was a known liar only when it suited her, and she couldn’t always tell if it was the drugs or her cousin talking. “You don’t really believe that, right?” She asked softly.

“Maybe,” Blaze replied flatly. She felt her chin forcibly be lifted up, as Misty Sparks began wiping it with a napkin. Blaze grunted and jerked away, easily slipping out of the telekinetic grip. Misty Sparks frowned after her. “Quit it Sparky.” Her voice grew hard.

“I just want to help, Blaze,” Misty said in earnest.

“Who says I want your help?”

“Want and need aren’t always the same thing,” Misty Sparks replied. “Please. If you won’t talk to me at least see Melody up in Medical. She’s helped me a lot, she can help you too.”

Blaze gritted her teeth. “I don’t need to see a shrink!” Her voice lifted and Misty Sparks shrinked back against the pleather seat. “I’m only going to Medical when I need a refill, and that’s it.”

“I think it could do you wonders-”

“I don’t give a damn what you think!” Blaze cut her off, shouting now. “I don’t need you trying to foalsit me, I’m a grown mare I can take care of myself!”

“Then act like it! You need help, Blaze, can’t you see?”

“I’m perfectly fine!”

“Oh yeah?” Misty Sparks scoffed, reaching out with magic to yank the pill bottle from her pocket. She shook it aggressively towards the wet sand colored mare. Blaze tried to catch it, but she lifted the bottle too high into the air. “Your refill was two days ago, and you’re already down to one dose. Did you take extra so you can forget today? You know that’s not a healthy way to cope. You can’t just forget today. Melody could teach you much better ways to cope with trauma and pain. She has for me.”

Blaze stood on her seat, trying to grab the bottle with her forehooves but Misty Sparks raised it higher. She already knew everypony was staring but she no longer cared. Her mother would give her a scolding for making such a public scene but she was at her wit’s end. Someway, somehow, something was going to give.

“Give. Me. My. Meds.”

“You mean your chems! These things that are going to kill you sooner than a bullet!” Misty Sparks snarled back.

Blaze dropped her forehooves onto the dirty table, fire burning in narrowed emerald eyes. The silver mare’s nerve faltered. “I mean… the pills you make.”

“I make them for ponies with problems.” Misty Sparks flinched at the sudden low tone in Blaze’s voice.

“And I’m one of those ponies.”

“You’re an addict!” Misty Sparks shook the almost empty bottle at Blaze, trying to prove a point. She softened, lime-green eyes filled with concern. “And we’re all worried about you. Mom, me… Uncle Hammers.”

Blaze snapped, slamming her hooves onto the table with enough force that the bowl of soup and plate of carrots went flying. Misty Sparks threw herself out of the booth, yelping. Her cousin surged, headbutting where she’d just been. Misty Sparks slid on the waxed floor, nearly knocking over another pony who was trying to get out before Blaze went berserk. Unfortunately, he’d been too late.

“I don’t need your pity!” Screamed Blaze, jumping after her. Misty Sparks shrieked, her horn glowing neon green before she vanished in a burst of light. She appeared a few feet away, her short blonde mane singed from the quickly cast teleportation spell. “I don’t need anypony’s pity!” Blaze bellowed, pivoting on her hooves with a terrifying speed. The fleeing stallion had been knocked away. Another pony rushed to help him to his hooves.

Before she could get even a foot closer a telekinetic glow engulfed her, freezing the giant of a mare in place. Misty Sparks let out a sigh of relief as a security pony trotted over, exasperation on her pale face. “Misty Sparks, I get it, your cousin is a real big shame, but try and keep it from showing in public will you?” She asked, looking over the diner. Most ponies had excused themselves when Blaze had started shouting, but the few that remained seemed scared to death of the drugged out mare who was trying her best to get free of the magical barrier.

“Easy for you to say Lily,” groused Misty Sparks.

The mare sighed. “Are you okay?” She offered a hoof, and Misty Sparks gratefully took it.

“Physically? Yeah. Thanks for stopping her.”

“Just doing my job,” Lily replied, her blue magic coalescing around Blaze’s hooves to form hoofcuffs. “Come on you, back to the brig you go.”

“Lemme go!”

Lily deadpanned at the raging mare. “Not happening.” She tugged on the magical cuffs, forcing Blaze to stumble forward and curse wildly. Tisking her tongue, the pale mare led Blaze to the Security elevator directly outside the diner, unlocking it with her Pip-Buck before shoving the resisting earth pony in. Blaze’s obscenities were cut off by the heavy doors, Misty Sparks just catching the look of utter hate on Lily’s face before they were gone.

Her hooves were shaking beneath her, the rising whispers of everypony else sounding like the steady rumble of a radstorm. She blinked, trying to calm herself, heart racing and heat filling her small frame. With uncertain steps, she climbed back into the booth, trying to hide from everypony. Of course, there was no real hiding even in a stable as big as this one. Part of her wanted to just run out, maybe call it an early lunch and get back to burying herself in chemical reactions. If it wasn’t for her fear of making the scene worse. Instead, she stayed in place.

Then somepony had slipped into the spot Blaze had just left, and Misty Sparks was already starting to ask to be left alone when the words caught in her throat. Icy blue eyes were staring at her. “M-Mom!”

“Misty Sparks…” Flare said with a careful tone, glancing down at the messy table. She lifted a hoof-full of napkins from the dispenser with her magic, engulfing them in violet aura and started to clean up the spilled soup. Green magic joined in, Misty Sparks’ eyes downcast to the table as she tried to avoid talking. Finally, once the table was clean and Misty Sparks couldn’t pretend to be busy anymore, Flare broke the heavy silence. “She’s getting worse.”

She cringed, and gave a small nod. “Yeah. Wish I could say that was a first, but… First that bad at least.”

Flare gave a small sigh, the rigidness of how she sat giving Misty Sparks enough of an idea that this wasn’t a conversation for pleasure. “I wish there was something we could do for her, I really do, but if she isn’t ready then we can’t force the issue. All she’ll do is go further from us.”

“She’s taking my chems Mom.”

Flare frowned, tilting her head. “You’re not giving them to her, are you? She’s just getting the portion of your stock that goes directly to the stable?” Misty Sparks tensed, eyes widening. The ice in Flare’s gaze grew harsh, and her frown twisted into one that made the little unicorn’s heart sink into the vinyl seat beneath her. “Misty Sparks, are you supplying her with chems?”

Misty Sparks gulped, unable to break away from her mother’s stern gaze. She felt like a little foal again, getting in trouble for messing with her mother’s makeup. Only this time, it was much more serious than a frown covering the amusement at the little mare’s self makeover. “M-May-be?”

She knew Flare wasn’t one to shout in public, and that perhaps was her only saving grace as she saw the anger that swirled in her mother’s eyes. Flare leaned back in the booth, her voice thick when she spoke next. “We’ll discuss this tonight, in private. For now, just know I am very disappointed in you, young mare.”

Her ears fell, and she gave a small nod. “Yes ma’am… I just- it’s the only way she’ll talk to me sometimes. Nopony else wants to be around me and she ignores me even when she’s here so I-”

“Unacceptable,” Flare interrupted, raising a hoof. Her voice was brisk, making Misty Sparks cringe. “You’re the future Overmare, everypony should be trying to get to know you. It’s crucial you build these connections now so that when you take over after me you can transition with much greater ease.”

“How am I supposed to do that when I spend all day on the surface?” Misty Sparks grumbled. “Besides, don’t you remember what it was like being the future Overmare? Nopony wants to be your friend, they’re too scared you’ll turn against them. Better to be distant and professional than take that risk.”

Flare softened slightly, though the disappointment that filled her eyes was inescapable. “Yes, I do remember it being difficult to tell who was truly wanting to be my friend or not, but it’s important. You’re a bright young mare, I’m sure you can find somepony aside from your strung-out cousin to be your friend, can’t you?”

“Apparently not,” Misty Sparks muttered, sinking into her seat. The cushions felt nice against her tired body, and she lingered on that sensation for a moment before continuing. “Kinda hard to mingle when all you want to do after your shift is sleep.”

Flare appraised her, silver hide itching where blue eyes roamed. “You and I both know how important the surface town is to the future of the stable,” she said slowly, “and I do believe your tenure as Overmare will be decided by it and what it brings. That extension of the stable could be what saves us, and you’ll be the one leading it.”

“If the town keeps growing as it is, we might start having ponies actually live up there rather than just work by the time you’re a grey old grandma.”

“Red, sweetie. I’ll be a red old grandma,” corrected Flare with a snicker, allowing the moment to pass before the seriousness returned. “About the surface however…”

Tensing, Misty Sparks gave a small nod. “Yeah?”

“What are your thoughts about our newest visitor?”

Swallowing, Misty Sparks took a moment to really think about her response. When she started to speak, she was slow and meticulous, being very careful with what words she used. “I believe she really doesn’t know what happened or why she crashed. She seems really upset at the idea of not going home, which I can’t say I blame her for, but I have to wonder just to what lengths she’ll go to discover what happened.”

“Do you think she poses a threat?”

“No. Not from her directly,” Misty Sparks replied, Flare arching a brow. “If the Enclave thinks we captured her however…”

“That’s a possibility, yes.”

“One we’d better know the odds of. If you’d just let me look at the memory orbs we found.” She’d made this request before, after first speaking to Skyfire in quarantine and she’d swiftly been rejected. The mare didn’t expect Flare’s mind to change much either, but the niggling worry was enough to make her try.

“Misty we’ve talked about this, we don’t know what those things are. It could be a trap, or damaged from the crash.”

Ears lowering, Misty Sparks made a strained noise of frustration. “Mom-”

“It will be examined by the research team who have it right now, not you. We can’t afford anything to happen to you Misty, you know that.” Flare’s tone was firm, stopping her daughter’s pleading words before they’d made it past her lips. “Somepony will figure out the truth, but that pony isn’t you.”

The pair stared at one another, mother and daughter locked in a battle of wills. Soon enough the emotionally drained Misty Sparks relented, gaze lowering to the table. Flare gave a heavy sigh, and adjusted her bangs before reaching across and tapping Misty Sparks on the nose. The little silver mare blinked at her, ears fallen flat. “Sweetie, are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, itis today after all. With everything going on I just want to make sure you’re doing alright.”

Grimacing, Misty Sparks adjusted herself in the booth, half trying to buy time to think. “Just so much stuff happened. I’m worried for the stable, I’m worried about Blaze and I’m worried…” She trailed off. “Well yeah, today never stirs any good feelings.”

Flare hesitated, letting her hoof hang in the air. “Well how about we change things up this year?” She suggested. Misty Sparks looked back at her, worried. There was something swirling in ice blue eyes that made her heart quicken, a thickness filling the air between them. “It’s our anniversary, we can remember it as we want to, right? Does it have to be dreary and somber every year?”

“I mean considering the origins, a little. Family betrayal isn’t exactly a happy topic.”

“But why do we have to let that bastard ruin our lives every year more than he already has?” Flare questioned, smiling down at Misty Sparks who was trying to follow along. For a moment she was trying to wrap her head around her mother cursing, rare as it was. “I know Blaze will be unavailable tonight, but surely Hammers wouldn’t mind a changeup. He’s always grumbling at me as if we’re doing it wrong, and perhaps he’s right.”

“Why change things now?”

“Why not? Change is inevitable, my little pony, and if this recent development isn’t proof enough I don’t know what is.”

Misty Sparks frowned with thought, debating the proposition. Every year they had a dinner in remembrance of the tragic betrayal of her grandfather against the stable. Blaze was usually too drugged out or in lockup. She still suspected it played a part in her lashing out as she had earlier. It was one of the few times Misty Sparks really had one-on-one time with her uncle Hammers as well, one of the few things she actually looked forward to with the dinner. However, she couldn’t deny she was curious just what alterations her mother had in mind.

“What do you want to change?”

Flare brightened at her question, a spark of magic escaping her horn. “Well, how about we invite somepony outside the family? Maybe a mare in need of some friends?” Flare suggested.

Misty Sparks frowned. “I barely know her.”

“Could be a great way to get to know her then.” Flare smiled, leaning across the table.

“Mom.” Misty Sparks deadpanned.

Sighing, Flare flicked an ear and assumed a more rigid posture. Her tone shifted from playful to professional in a heartbeat. “I don’t want Skyfire unattended, and I can’t just post a guard with her without seeming suspicious. We’re going to monitor her, but we can’t afford to make her feel like she’s a prisoner. So I need organic reasons to have ponies around her at all times.” Misty Sparks blinked at the change, impressed by her mother’s ability to snap in and out her Overmare’s role.

“So why not assign some maintenance pony to stay with her? They’ll be working with her all day after all.”

“Hammers and his assistant Grease are already on that. For after hours however, there’s somepony else I had in mind.”

“Me?”

Flare nodded.

“What? Why? I can barely make friends with my own stable-mates. You expect me to manage to befriend a stranger from above?” Misty Sparks wondered, if it was the ‘can barely make friends’ part, that influenced that decision.

“Think of it as diplomacy practice,” countered Flare with a silvery tone, Misty Sparks knowing well that it meant her mother wasn’t going to get her to change her mind. “Invite Skyfire to dinner tonight, please. I’m still trying to find lodging for her with somepony I can trust. And who can watch her without it being obvious. In the meantime, spend some time with our new guest after your shift and have her join us for dinner. We can use it as a chance to really get to know her together, and assess her true behavior. Especially if we get the cider flowing.”

“You want to get her drunk!” Misty Sparks gasped.

“Only a little. Enough to see if she’s a good liar.” Flare waved a hoof dismissively, and then caught sight of something across the diner. “Speak of the devil…” She muttered and Misty Sparks peered out of the booth towards the door.

Skyfire was chatting with Grease, the latter scanning the diner for a seat. The earth pony’s eyes fell on the pair, ears perking up and Skyfire quieted as she tried to see where her new friend was looking. Misty Sparks eeped, and jerked back into the booth. “She’s just a pony,” chuckled Flare, lifting a hoof and waving them over. “Why don’t you say hi?”

“Mom!”

“What?” The Overmare snickered. She tilted her head up in greeting. “Hello Grease, Skyfire, how’s the day treating you?” She said as they came over. Skyfire’s ears pulled back and purple eyes widened. “I don’t think we’ve had the chance to meet in person yet, I’m Overmare Flare.”

“O-Oh hello! Uh, well you already know who I am,” Skyfire replied, a soft chuckle coming from Flare while Grease seemed all too amused at her nervousness.

“That I do, as does most of the stable, if only by name.”

Skyfire gave a nervous laugh. “I guess so, yeah.”

“It doesn’t take much for news to travel in our tight knit community I’m afraid,” she replied.

“You hear about Chief Hammers?” Grease questioned, Flare’s ears swiveling forward and a hint of concern filled blue eyes. Misty Sparks sat up straighter. “No? Oh crap- uh we had radroaches in the tunnels.”

“I heard of the incident but no one informed me he was injured.”

“Nothing too serious, but he’s under Healing Drops’ keen observation for at least a few days.”

Rising to her hooves, Flare shook her head. “So you’re in charge?”

Shrugging, Grease laughed. “Shocker huh?”

Knickering, Flare gestured for Skyfire to take her seat while she maneuvered around the pegasus. “We need to talk then,” she said firmly, Grease giving a brisk nod. “Skyfire, why don’t you get some lunch while I take your friend for a conversation?”

“Oh uh-” Skyfire fumbled, raising a hoof as if it would help her find the words to say but nothing came out.

“It’s fine Feathers, I’ll join you when we’re done,” Grease reassured, winking at the flustered pegasus. Misty Sparks gave a comforting smile as Skyfire looked between them. “She doesn’t bite. Now lick-” Flare cleared her throat and Grease seemed to rethink finishing that sentence. Head lowered, she shuffled off to a vacant booth across the diner. Flare snorted briskly, one brow raised as she watched her go, and then smiled at the mares before following.

Left alone, the two mares looked at one another, uncertain what to say. Skyfire’s eyes roamed the diner, trying to find something interesting to talk about, when Misty Sparks finally spoke up. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Oh! Yes, definitely. Still can’t really fly properly but I’m on my hooves at least.”

Misty Sparks nodded, idly pushing the empty plate away. “Good. Were you hurt by any radroaches in the tunnels?”

“Uh, fortunately no. Got out with nothing more than a headache from when I flew into the, uh, door.”

Lime eyes widened, and the unicorn affixed her with a particular look that made Skyfire blush. “Beg your pardon?”

“I uhm, was carrying… Hammers. Lots of radroaches, not much time, you know?” She started brushing her mane, trying to calm the flutter of nerves racing through her.

“Can’t say I do, thank Celestia.”

“Oh! I forgot that you uhm probably don’t spend time down in the tunnels and maintenance area,” Skyfire admitted, looking away a bit embarrassed. After a moment she remembered something, glancing back up curiously, nervous eyes looking across the table into Misty Sparks’ lime orbs that were deadset upon her. “Back when I was in the medical room, you and Blaze had that spat about chems, but you don’t seem like the type to use them. It sounded like she did, and I… I think I remember you saying she was high when you rescued me. So… Do you sell chems?”

Silver ears perked up, surprised by the directness of her question. She adjusted the curl of blonde hair around her horn, trying to find the right words to answer honestly without giving Skyfire a bad image. “I… make medicine and other compounds for the stable, but Blaze… has a habit of wanting more than she needs. Using too.”

“Wouldn’t she want to go through Healing Drops then?” Skyfire said, her gaze dropping for a moment as she added, “I don’t mean to question you about this all, if you’re uncomfortable answering. I-I just, I was curious what that was about, and what you do.”

“No, it’s alright,” Misty Sparks reassured, smiling faintly as she looked over the curious pegasus, trying to follow her wandering gaze. Even still, it didn’t feel as if Skyfire was deceitful or didn’t trust her. Misty Sparks could tell a fellow socially-anxious pony when she saw one. “I’m a chemist, I work up in one of the shacks on the surface. That’s actually why Blaze and I were able to come to your rescue. We could hear the explosion from there.”

“Oh that’s really interesting, mixing together chemicals to make things to help out ponies who get hurt or sick, right?”

“They can do that and more, but we’ve started selling them to traders and wasteland ponies in the last few months. We’ve gotten a number of trade agreements recently even! It’s nice to slowly see that the wasteland has reasonable ponies who just want to survive.”

Ashen ears perked up as Skyfire smiled a bit more, looking back to meet Misty Sparks’ gaze. “That is nice to hear. It’s different from what we were always told, how mostly inhospitable the surface was, and that the crazy ponies who were around were murderous raiders who killed first, asked questions never.”

A shadow crossed the unicorn’s face. “There’s certainly ponies like that out there. We’ve kept out of their sights for now- I hope.” Misty Sparks murmured, her eyebrows pinched together as she shuddered for a few seconds. “There’s been a few instances… here and there of raiders, but we’ve dealt with them.” She looked back up at the pegasus across the table. “But uhm, might I steer us back towards a more pleasant topic? I told you my job, and I know you’re a mechanic, but what exactly do you do?”

Before Skyfire had the time to answer, a unicorn cleared her throat, stepping up with a small notebook floating within her magical grasp and eyeing the Misty Sparks for a moment. Misty Sparks did her best not to avert her gaze, grimacing slightly. “Pardon me you two, but if you’re not going to order something, there’s other places to talk ya know? Oh and miss Skyfire, you can call me Hazel.” She clicked her pen repeatedly as she glanced between the two mares, her gaze eventually settling on Skyfire.

The pegasus’ eyes widened, jaw falling open a tiny degree before she looked back to Misty Sparks. “We get to choose our food here?” She asked, glancing back to Hazel Blossom, pinning her ears back as the waitress failed to suppress a snort. She sunk back into the booth, looking away.

“Why of course you get to choose your food here. What do you think this place is, a prison? There’s a menu in front of you my dear. I know you just sat down, so I suppose you might have not had time to look over it yet. But it’s fairly normal to have a menu at a diner,” Hazel Blossom insisted, glancing over to Misty Sparks who gave a confirming, if not curious nod.

The chemist leaned forward in her seat, slowly pushing the menu over closer to Skyfire with her magic, a question burning in her mind. “Do you not get to choose what you eat?” She whispered, eyes widening as Skyfire gave her a look.

“We didn’t get to choose nearly anything. Sometimes we got something special for our birthday or if we got promoted, otherwise it’s the same old thing everyday. This sounds amazing,” Skyfire answered, leaning in to pore over the menu before looking up shyly. “I uhm, don’t really know what most of the entrees are. I guess the food back home was really lacking, speaking generously.”

Misty Sparks found herself smiling to the point that a few quiet giggles escaped from her as the unicorn held a hoof to her mouth. “I-erm, I can help explain the menu, if you want?”

Skyfire’s face reddened as she picked up on both Misty Sparks’ and Hazel Blossom’s quiet muffled giggling, burying her head in her hooves for a moment. “If it’ll avoid me more embarrassment, sure.”

Misty Sparks glanced down the menu, the smile still on her face. “It’s not like we have a huge menu, but it is nice to change things up. To start off, we have our appetizers which are pretty self-explanatory.” She paused for a moment, looking up to a more composed Hazel Blossom. “Speaking of which I’d like to order some fresh steamed carrots. I didn’t get to finish my earlier plate.”

“Second plate costs,” reminded Hazel Blossom. She leaned in grinning sheepishly, “And sorry for assuming everyone knew what a menu was. Most all the wastelander ponies know, so…” She’d murmur before leaning back out, and cleared her throat looking over to Misty Sparks expectantly.

“I know I know,” she waved off, and then continued, “After that there’s the main entrees, er meals themselves. I suggest the hay burgers. They are more or less a pre-war meal that we never stopped making. They're pretty tasty, but also really filling.”

“I am pretty hungry,” Skyfire said, “though Healing Drops said I might get nauseous. Maybe something not too risky?”

“Maybe the herb salad then, order of carrots on the side?”

She nodded, grateful for the assistance. “Sure!”

Hazel Blossom jotted down her order, telekinetically moving the menu to the corner of the table, and then trotted off. Skyfire watched her hand the paper to a pony just visible through a cutaway window, a silly looking white hat keeping his mane hidden. “So you don’t have diners up there?” Misty Sparks asked, drawing her attention.

Skyfire shook her head, making her long crimson mane bounce slightly. Misty Sparks’ momentarily fixated on the motion, before blinking up at purple eyes. “No. We’ve got a chow hall near the barracks, but it’s pretty militaristic back home. Families can have their own kitchens but both my parents were too busy with work so my siblings and I would just go there to eat. You just sorta… line up and hold out your tray.” Skyfire scrunched up her face, groaning quietly. “We called it food, and it was decently nutritious, but it didn’t taste like food, or really smell like it either.”

Misty Sparks frowned at the comment, raising an eyebrow as she watched Skyfire’s expression. “That sounds horrible. Food can sometimes be hard to come by consistently, but we’re always trying to make sure it’s enjoyable at least.” She shifted in her seat, leaning up to look over towards the chef pony. “I don’t think they’d serve anything that fits your description.”

“I… don’t think the chefs up home would really call themselves that. They never smiled, and you never chose what you ate. I don’t think they even saw it as something to be proud of,” Skyfire commented, her eyes following the fresh looking food that Hazel Blossom floated out over to a pair of unicorns. The pegasus shifted, staring at the food, eyes widening until her stomach growled loudly. Skyfire’s face flushed for a moment, as she looked back to Misty Sparks, feeling embarrassed. “I can’t even call what I used to eat food after seeing what you- actual food looks like.”

Misty Sparks held up her hoof to her mouth in a feeble attempt to hide gentle giggling, the smile remaining as she adjusted herself. “Just wait till you try it, you’ll never want to go back to eating… whatever you were eating back there.”

Skyfire blinked a few times, looking down at the table for a moment. “It sure would make it hard to stomach, if this is as good as you say.”

“Surely there’s some other good things to go back to, even if you didn’t eat with your family, you got to see them at least?”

Skyfire’s expression brightened up, as she smiled at Misty Sparks. “I did. My mother was usually back home a few hours after I was off my shift. She always got tied up and had to stay late. She’d at least ask how my day went, and we got to chat. It was nice.”

“Well that’s good, I hardly can imagine not getting to see my mom.” Misty Sparks remarked, sighing softly in relief as Skyfire continued.

“My brother and sister were around too. Though Lightningbreeze was always busy reading up on tactics and other things to try and get ahead in her career. She and… Dad would get snippy at me if I talked too much about my non-soldiering life.” Skyfire sighed softly, her mane fluttering about as she shook her head. “So yeah, I did get to see my family at least,” she answered again.

“I see I see… That’s good at least, family is quite important to have. I’m quite grateful to- oh here comes our food,” Misty Sparks commented, as her steamed carrots were floated in front of her. She beamed a smile at Hazel Blossom. “And that would be your herb salad!”

Skyfire perked up, stretching ever so slightly as she was gifted with a colorful bowl full of red, green, and yellow. “This food has three colors more than what I would be given for lunch.” Skyfire murmured, licking her lips. She glanced at Misty Sparks, pausing, her hoof barely reached the fork. “Thank you again uhm, this looks wonderful.” She glanced again a moment later, waiting for the mare expectantly.

“You know you don’t have to wait for me, is that a thing up there with the military?”

“Oh! I um, yes. It sort of was. The guests waited for the hosts to start eating, but okay!” Skyfire smiled graciously, picking up a large piece of a red herb, leaning in to sniff it tentatively. An experimental bite later and Skyfire’s eyes lit up as she quickly munched through the rest of her bite. “What is this? It’s delicious!”

“That would be rhubarb,” Hazel Blossom said proudly, and waved a hoof at Misty Sparks. The smaller unicorn sighed, and floated out a hooffull of caps. The waitress beamed down at Misty Sparks, before trotting back to her duties.

Misty Sparks watched Skyfire dig in, taken off-guard by just how cheery she was at the strange new tastes. As much as Misty Sparks didn’t think Skyfire was a liar, she wasn’t expecting such genuine honesty either. Picking up a carrot up to eat, she tried to appreciate its fresh taste when others were less fortunate to be so impressed by simple herbs and vegetables.

Skyfire straightened up, salad almost half devoured, and hiccuped. Misty Sparks gave a bemused smirk, and the pegasus hiccuped once more. “You’re like a foal on her birthday, is it really that good?”

“Absolutely! I’ve never tasted anything like it!”

“Just wait till you try the sweet stuff then, like my mother’s sweet rolls.”

Skyfire’s ears perked, something about how animated she was drawing Misty Sparks’ interest all the more. “You think I could?”

“Definitely if you came to dinner tonight,” she replied, trying to hide a flutter of nerves in her chest.”

Skyfire blinked, as if confused by her words, and then pressed a hoof to her chest. “I’m sorry what? Dinner? Uh…” She trailed off, flushing heavily.

Misty Sparks found her mouth dry, and she struggled with her words for a bit before managing to fumble out, “It’s this thing we do once a year, well I mean we have dinner plenty of times but it’s a special night and Mom wanted to mix things up. It beats being alone in Medical eating their food right? It’s not a big deal if you don’t want to, but it’d be nice if you did. We could uh, talk and… hang out? And I promise Mom is an excellent cook!”

“Well…” Skyfire trailed off again, eyes nervously wandering the diner as she stroked her crimson mane, they resettled on pleading lime green ones, as she gulped. “It’d be rude to say no, wouldn’t it?”

Misty Sparks beamed, cheeks pushing in a manner that distorted her freckles. Skyfire lingered on the sight for a bit. “Awesome! Mom will be so happy to hear you’re coming!”

“I’ve… never been to a dinner party before. What do I say? Or do?”

Misty Sparks softened a bit, reeling her energy back in. “Oh, well I’m sure Mom will ask about you and the Enclave, get to know you and all. If… If you wanted we could practice?”

“Sure, sounds good.” Skyfire shifted in her booth, trying to get more comfortable. She gave a nervous smile to Misty Sparks, who gestured at her food to indicate she could still eat. Thankful, she chomped on some herbs to help settle herself.

Misty Sparks bought a bit of time by eating her carrots, trying to think of the right questions to ask. Eventually she figured out where to start, and cleared her throat. “So you were the only one in your family who didn’t do something related to being a soldier?”

“Well technically, I was since I worked on the aircraft they use, but that wasn’t close enough for them. Everypony else was somewhere in the military, but that’s most of Neighvarro, and specifically my family line. They’ve always been soldiers, since before the bombs dropped.”

“All of them?” Misty Sparks asked as she cocked her head.

“Apparently every single last one of them, they always picked a mate that happened to be a soldier. It became a big deal, it didn't help that apparently my ancestors were great leaders, so the family line became prestigious.” Skyfire sighed quietly and looked up to the ceiling. “It’s as though we’re destined for greatness, at least that’s what they kept telling my siblings; well, Mom told me that still.” A pained look drew across her face. “Dad didn’t like doing much with me after I got my cutie mark.”

“That’s… a shame,” Misty Sparks started, her eyebrows creased together in annoyance. “I imagine he still told you that he loved you as a daughter.” Her eyes widened as Skyfire looked away, her gaze cloudy with dark thoughts. The unicorn leaned over, her heart skipping a beat as she nudged Skyfire, trying to distract her. “But hey, perhaps he’ll be happy to see you home alive and safe after all this?”

Skyfire’s eyes cleared, a small, timid smile growing after a few seconds, “I want to hope so, but uhm, how’s your dad?” She asked.

Misty Sparks coughed quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. “I-er, how about I tell you about him after we give you a practice run at what my mother will probably ask you?” She sighed in relief as Skyfire nodded, happy for the topic change. “So you have two siblings right?” Skyfire gave another nod. “What do they do?”

“Well my big sister Lightningbreeze followed my brother’s hoofsteps, but didn’t quite have what it takes.”

“What’s that?”

“I- I can’t really say. Sorry.”

Misty Sparks frowned, ears pinned back for a moment. “Why not?”

“Because I can’t? It’s uhh classified. Sorry.” Skyfire’s grey and crimson wings ruffled behind her, unable to hide her nerves.

Relenting, Misty Sparks sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to respect that. What about your parents? Can you say what they do?”

Skyfire gave a nervous smile. “Just that they’re about what you’d expect from my family.”

“So higher ups?” Misty Sparks guessed, Skyfire’s smile tightening. Misty Sparks gave a withering sigh, shifting back in her seat. She wasn’t very good at these kinds of things. Changing gears, she smiled back at the nervous pegasus, trying to seem genuine. “Well how are you liking it so far down here?”

“Oh! Well the food is nice!”

“I noticed you thought as much.”

Skyfire flushed. “And the ponies seem nice, like Grease.”

“Uncle Hammers didn’t give you-” Her words stopped short as a pair of mares returned to their table. The purple maned earth pony almost seemed to know what Skyfire had just said, a certain quirk to her mouth.

“Hello young mares,” Flare said, “I hope you were having a good chat?”

“Yeah Mom, we were,” Misty Sparks replied, straightening up. “You two figured things out?”

Grease nodded enthusiastically. “Sure did! I’ve got all the power of Maintenance at my hooves now!” Flare glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and the mare cleared her throat. “Erm, yeah. Anyways, Skyfire we’re going to finish up the rest of the day working on some stuff after lunch, and then adjust from there. Sound good?”

Skyfire gave a small nod.

“Did Misty Sparks invite you to dinner?” Flare asked, her daughter stiffening in her seat.

“Oh- uh yes. She did!” Skyfire tried her best not to let her nerves show.

Flare smiled down at Misty Sparks, and nuzzled her cheek. Grumbling, Misty Sparks leaned away and shot her an embarrassed glare which only made Flare chuckle all the more. “Good girl! I take it you’ll be joining us?” Skyfire nodded softly. “Perfect! I’m cooking spaghetti and you simply cannot miss it!”

“Can I come?” Grease jokingly asked, and the subtle shift in blue eyes was enough for her to step back. “I’m just kidding boss, don’t worry. I know what that dinner is all about, Hammers talks about it often enough. Though if you’ve got leftover sweet rolls I’d be more than happy to help you get rid of them.”

“I’m sure there’ll be some as usual.” Flare assured her. Grease brightened, licking her lips for emphasis. Flare shook her head softly, and refocused on Skyfire who was trying her best to calm. “Just be there around six, after you get off your shift. Speaking of… Misty? Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“No? I should still- Oh! Oh no!” The unicorn’s voice pitched as she looked at the clock on her Pip-Buck, a chime beeping from an alarm. “I’m late! I’ll see you tonight, bye!” Her horn glowed neon green as her magic focused, and in a blink she had teleported across to the elevator, running out in a blur of green and twinkling magic.

Skyfire blinked, staring at where Misty Sparks had just been. She looked up at the other two who were laughing. “Bye?”

“Come on Feathers, let’s get to work.”

Misty Sparks - Quest Perk Added! - Overmare In Training: You’re being trusted with more responsibility in the Stable’s Future, easier charisma checks with fellow Stable 36 members.

Chapter Five: Stereotypes

Chapter Five: Stereotypes

“You’re just like the rest of your kind.”

“No less than sixty caps,” said Misty Sparks firmly from behind her counter. Her forehooves were folded on the smooth metallic surface, keeping her composure calm and unyielding. The earth pony in front of her scowled, his face a tapestry of scars and burns. Piss yellow eyes burned daggers at her. His rotten teeth were exceedingly off-putting, bared like the jagged fangs of a monster. If Misty Sparks wasn’t so used to customers in such a condition she might have been cowed.

“Come on Misty Sparks,” he growled tightly, a hoof slowly reaching inside his dusty jacket. “Thirty caps for the chems, or you’re gonna be needin’ a hit yourself.”

Lime green eyes narrowed, and her horn glowed as she cleared her throat. “I’m fairly certain I can shoot first,” she coldly replied, trying to hide how her tail was twitching behind the counter. Bullet looked behind himself, the barrel of a levitating pistol aimed directly at his head. He glared at it for a few long moments, Misty Sparks’ forehooves barely kept from shaking as she waited. She didn’t want to shoot him, but hoped to the Goddesses he didn’t call her bluff.

Slowly those rotten eyes turned back to her. “You expect me to believe a soft stable mare like you is gonna pull the trigger?”

She gritted her teeth and forced the words out as emotionlessly as she could. “If you make me.”

“It’s just some caps Misty Sparks.”

“This time, and next time it’s my life. I know what you have in your jacket, you’re a wastelander. So you give me the proper amount of caps, I give you the chems you can’t live without, and we both get to save a bullet and our lives. A bullet that could save your life tomorrow. Think it through.” Despite herself, her voice softened, pleading him to not give in to such base instincts. She knew what an addict would do to get the fix they need, and Bullet was unfortunately one of her worse off customers.

“Think.”

The old stallion’s scowl wavered, hesitance in his eyes. He reached his hoof in further and Misty Sparks’ horn began to glow brighter, basking them both in its neonic green light. He pulled out a bag of caps and instantly she calmed, though the pistol remained at the ready. Sixty caps were laid out meticulously on her counter, Bullet counting them off with some difficulty, but the moment the sixtieth was named Misty Sparks swept them up into her till and floated out his chems. “Here, the specialized stampede. Remember to drink lots of purified water when it’s run its course and rest for a few hours, or you could have some serious side effects.”

He grabbed the chems with a greedy hoof and left the pamphlet she was offering on the counter. “Whatever, bitch.” The metal door swung open with a pleasant chime, giving Misty Sparks a brief glimpse down the street as he stomped out. A particular pair of mares caught her eye, and a rock lodged itself in her throat at what she knew was about to happen. Bullet paused in the door as he too caught sight of them, and then the old stallion surged forward with a violent shout.

“Enclave!”

Misty Sparks threw herself over the counter and caught the shutting door with her magic so she could barrel out into street. Bullet was standing in the dirt road with a gun in his mouth and Skyfire only a few feet away. Grease stood in front of her, a fierceness in yellow eyes but Misty Sparks could see her legs shaking. Everypony around them were still, frozen in place like the scratch of a record as they waited to see what would happen. A pair of security ponies were slowly inching forward, but to Misty Sparks’ frustration neither of them were unicorns who could defuse the situation from a distance.

She carefully stepped forward, making sure her movements were slow and unthreatening. “Bullet,” she called, making him glance at her for a split second. If it wasn’t for Grease he might have already fired. “Put the gun down. Skyfire isn’t your enemy.”

“Enclave!” Came the muffled snarl, practiced skill letting the rotten stallion speak around the mouthpiece trigger.

Misty Sparks glanced back at the security ponies who were slowly inching as well, giving her small nods to keep talking. Skyfire shot her a terrified look, her wings tucked against her side as she tried to remain a small figure behind Grease. Unfortunately, she was taller. Swallowing her fear, Misty Sparks spoke louder. “She’s just a pegasus, just one pony. She’s not the Enclave. Yes, the Enclave has done things we don’t like, but she is not guilty of their sins. Killing her will just get you killed now, and then what good would those chems be that you just bought?”

He glared at her for a few moments longer, his attention starting to split. A bit hopeful now, she pressed harder. “I’ll just take those chems right back even, and the Stable will be entitled to your possessions until next of kin come to claim it, but we both know you don’t have anypony left. Is this how you want to go out, after decades of weathering this hellscape? Some addict wastelander who got himself killed attacking an innocent pony? Do you want to be gone with nobody left to remember anything good about you, to become a dark memory in the one place that’s been kind to you?”

“I lost everythin’ to the Enclave,” he growled.

“She’s not them.”

The security ponies were nearly upon him now, hoofsteps as quiet as possible. He was staring at her, giving the pair of targeted mares a chance to start inching away to cover. Bullet’s grip was faltering, torn ears pinned back against his mangy green mane. She just needed a few more seconds, and security would have it handled. “You’re better than this Bullet, I know you are.”

Piss yellow eyes shifted, hardening with murderous intent. Misty Sparks’ heart froze. “No I ain’t.” Bullet moved quicker than she’d think the old stallion could. He shifted his footing in time to dodge the now rushing security. A chorus of gunshots rang out, several punching into the armored barding of the security ponies. They pressed on with steeled determination before there was a splash of blood and a yelp. The lead guard pony tripped and slammed into the dirt with a languished grunt. Chaos rang out as ponies fled from the wastelander, nearly trampling Misty Sparks as she dove to the side.

As she looked back, the second guard shouted violently and managed to bodyslam Bullet. With a howl of pain, Bullet lost his grip on his gun and tumbled into the dirt. Misty Sparks desperately reached out with her telekinesis, face scrunching up and a scream in her throat as she struggled to catch it before Bullet could. Catching something moving at such a speed was a difficult task, so difficult in fact Misty Sparks had to put all her focus into it. At the last moment her magic wrapped around it and yanked it away from his reaching hoof. Her magical grip was too tight and fired the gun, a bullet ricocheting off into the alleyway. A scream followed.

“You think I didn’t come prepared?” Bullet growled out as he rolled back up onto his hooves, years of survival ingrained in his movement. “I’m gonna get that Enclaver and get my justice!” He shouted as he pulled out a second pistol, cocking it angrily. Misty Sparks froze, her eyes wide as the gun was aimed at her. She couldn’t move. Suddenly, the pair of guards tackled him and the guards shouted up to her.

“MISTY SPARKS!”

“PLEASE EVACUATE!”

The lead guard pony howled out as he pointed down the alley way with his bloodied hoof. "Go. Quickly." He swore, and ducked away as Bullet fired off a fusillade of shots. The wastelander swore around his gun, it firmly in his mouth this time.

Misty Sparks screamed, rushing towards where Grease had escorted Skyfire into an alleyway. The pegasus looked like she might puke, chest puffing rapidly and purple eyes as wide as the stable door. Grease grimaced as Bullet swore and another shot rang out in the street. They all pressed against the sheet metal wall of the gun store, ears pinned and hearts racing as more gunfire cracked, then heavy meaty noises and an agonized cry split the air.

Silence settled on the street, like a ghost that forced everypony’s mouths shut. Finally, Misty Sparks looked back at the mares, and in a whisper asked, “Are you okay?”

“We’re not hurt,” Grease said, as Skyfire tried to catch her breath.

“Thank Celestia,” sighed Misty Sparks, before she cautiously glanced back onto the street. She’d anticipated blood and bullet casings, but the true gore on the dirt road wasn’t at all what she’d expected. Nor the pony standing in the center of it. Blaze sat on Bullet’s back, hooves bloodied and emerald gaze cold. The security ponies were staring at her with horror, the injured one drinking a healing potion while the other pulled out bandages. Bullet was still, a shoulder wrent from the socket and bloodied but still attached. Misty Sparks could see more blood pooling on the ground, a slow stream from Blaze’s weight upon him.

The unicorn’s hooves moved on instinct once more, magic coalescing around her horn. Green light surrounded the four ponies in the center of the road, twinkling and warming their skin. The wounded security pony coughed raggedly as his chest healed completely, blue eyes grateful. Blaze however, was unchanged, and only scoffed at the magic.

“What in the name of Luna are you doing here!” Seethed Misty Sparks, glad she could see Bullet’s body mending some. “You nearly killed him!”

“Nearly and killed are two different things,” growled Blaze, stepping off the unconscious stallion. “Pretty sure I just saved the day, since those two were useless.” She flicked her short red tail at the pair nearby, scowls given in return. She only snorted with a roll of her eyes and met Misty Sparks’ furious gaze with a flick of an ear. “You gonna scold me for taking him down?”

“You’re supposed to be in the brig.”

“I got bored.”

“Blaze-”

“Shut up and thank me for saving everypony’s life already.”

Misty Sparks opened her mouth but another pony beat her to it. “Thank you,” Skyfire said in a small voice. Grease gave her a reassuring hug, the pegasus’ lithe frame trembling against the stockier earth pony. “H-he was going to kill me…”

“I wouldn’t let him,” Blaze said, locking eyes with Skyfire who struggled to not shrink back. “You’re hanging around us now, so I’ll protect you.”

The grunts of the security ponies carting the limp Bullet down to the surface jail rose with the hooves of ponies moving about again, giving the four of them a wide berth. Misty Sparks glanced around, chewed on her cheek, and then gestured all of them towards her store. “Let’s get you somewhere with less eyes,” she offered to Skyfire. “And you cleaned up,” she added to Blaze. “Grease?”

“I think I’ll have to pass. My father is going to have a fit if he hears I was up for this fun and didn’t tell him I’m okay. I’ll see you at work tomorrow Feathers, remember to be on time.”

“O-Oh! Okay. Thank you for showing me the way,” the pegasus said swiftly, shifting her hooves beneath her.

“No problem,” Grease said easily, shifting over to hug Skyfire again. “You try and keep up the good work you’ve been pulling. Hammers mentioned how he was impressed with how quickly you were figuring out some of the issues we had today, like that glitching generator. It’d have taken me another hour to figure it out, chewed wires isn’t something I have to deal with often. He’ll be vouching for making you a permanent stable member if you keep it up.”

With that Grease nodded to them all, “Good evening, everypony.”

They waved her off as the green mare turned back towards the stable, then headed into Misty Sparks’ chem shop.

The timid Pegasus couldn’t help but stare at Blaze as she sauntered in. The large mare’s hooves thumped heavily on the wood floor as she walked over to the corner where Misty Sparks was pulling out towels. The unicorn grumbled as she found her detergent and prodded Blaze to stand in a spot.

“Stop fussing around and clean me up Sparky. That’s what you brought me here for, right?” Blaze grunt as her eyes shifted around, peering over Misty Spark’s latest creations. She licked her lips absentmindedly.

“I brought you here because A; you might have some open wounds, that we don’t want Bullet’s blood infecting. And B; this place is supposed to be sterile but I really don’t want you getting Celestia knows what in your system. He’s always refused blood work to see how badly messed up he is,” Misty Sparks replied as curtly as she could, Blaze always heeded the sanitation rule, however begrudgingly when she visited the chem shop. The unicorn only wished she visited for more reasons than trying to score free chems.

Misty Sparks glanced over and frowned as she noticed Skyfire looking back to the door every so often, nervously expecting other aggressive ponies. “Skyfire, Sky- yes, you, silly.” It took some prodding to get the dazed pegasus to focus on Misty Sparks. “How’d your day with Grease go? I'm pleasantly surprised to see that she was willing to defend you. There… will be ponies who hate you merely for having wings. It's nice to see others looking out for you."

Skyfire’s eyes shimmered, breathing fast as she quickly nodded back. “I uhm, I hadn’t thought it would be that bad. But there’s been… stories of ponies who hate the Enclave, the few that weren’t radiation-crazy, or downright savages. We were told there would be no friendly faces down here to meet us. They’ve talked about sorties to clean up ferals or ‘savages’.” Her face darkened as she mulled over what she said. “I wonder what their definition of a savage really is.”

Blaze turned to directly face the pegasus, ignoring Misty Spark’s whines about staying put, her eyes digging straight into Skyfire’s. “Probably any and all of us. The traders and surface ponies talk about Enclave raids on their villages for no reason. Sometimes they warn the locals to fuck off before they ‘cleanse an area of ghouls’. Sentient ghouls. You’re going to have a lot of enemies, Feathers. Especially if you use Enclave words like ‘sorties’. The hell even is that?”

“Oh- uh, it’s a military term. We use it generally when aircraft are going to depart on a mission, erm… ‘Prepare to Sortie.’”

“Exactly,” snorted Blaze, “you’ll have enemies.”

“Maybe she will, maybe she won’t.” Misty Sparks added in quickly, casting a nervous smile to a sniffling Skyfire. “I hope that the ponies of Stable 36 let her prove herself. I hope others are like Grease. You’re not a bad pony, and reasonable ponies won’t judge you for the sins of your… affiliation. Even without your Enclave barding your wings make you stand out. Maybe we could get you a cloak or some bags that could cover them up.”

“Sparky-”

“Stop calling me Sparky! My name is Misty Sparks.” They glared, tense quiet between them, before Blaze yawned and gestured at Skyfire who winced. “Yes, I know that might just draw attention, but I feel bad alright?” The unicorn sighed as she backed away from a scrubbed down and sanitized Blaze, who scoffed as she walked over to the chems.

Blaze started sniffing about the chemicals, licking her lips. Her eyes twitched as she caught whiffs of the ingredients. “Mmm whatever, you make the good shit. You’re smart enough to decide what’s best after all, aren't you?” She glanced at Misty Sparks from the corner of her eye, a brow arched.

Misty Sparks groaned then cast an apologetic smile to a confused Skyfire, “Blaze...you do remember that you got thrown in jail for drugs... not a day ago? There's better things for you to do than to get high all the time." She flinched as Blaze stared her down, doing her best to keep her gaze locked on the stubborn earth pony.

“You know I have friends and contacts who'll help me out. I help them out after all... Misty.”

“I’m not sure that’s the right word.”

Blaze surprisingly broke eye contact first and instead pocketed a few syringes of Med-X from where they rested on an upper counter. Misty Sparks scowled as she so blatantly stole from her, but said nothing. “Hey Feathers, I heard the tunnels had bugs. You see any?” She asked without turning as she rummaged through a few more counters. Green magic gathered around several objects as Blaze reached for them and lifted them too high in the air. Blaze simply moved on to the next as if it were a game.

“Uh- yes. A whole tunnel full.” Skyrfire shivered at the memory.

Emerald eyes widened as Blaze paused to look over her shoulder, forehooves against the wall as she reached for a bottle of Misty Sparks’ homebrew Buck. “And you made it out unharmed?”

“I flew into the tunnel door…”

“Hah! Head first?” Skyfire nodded. “Beautiful. I like you Feathers, you’re tougher than you look.” Blaze praised as she pushed off the wall. There was a heavy thump as her full weight hit the floor, and Misty Sparks frowned. “Awh get that stick out of your ass. She’s fine ain’t she?” She pointed aggressively at Skyfire who shrunk back again.

“Hammers isn’t,” Skyfire eeped.

Blaze paused, hoof lingering in the air for a moment too long before she lowered it. Her ears folded back, a flurry of thoughts making her emerald eyes grow dark as she tilted her head down. “How bad?”

“Healing Drops is looking after him. He’ll be okay in a day or so but they got him really bad. I had to carry him out,” softly replied Skyfire. Her side twitched for a moment with thought. Misty Sparks was watching the large brooding mare carefully, slowly shifting towards Skyfire.

“Thanks for getting him out,” Blaze said earnestly. “He probably likes you a lot now, especially if Grease was telling the truth. Respects you at least.”

“Uh-”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Blaze’s voice grew hard, jaw taut. “It doesn’t take much to fall from his graces.”

Misty Sparks winced. “You know he still loves you, right?”

Scoffing, Blaze started towards the door. "Sure he does. Anywho, Feathers, you free tonight? I want you to meet my marefriend, and while she might get flirty and touchy, she's mine at the end of the night."

“W-what? Uhm Blaze. I’d happily meet your marefriend- isn’t that the one that sleeps with you pretty often? Or so I’ve uhm heard.” Skyfire started, her eyes widening as Blaze looked back with an arched eyebrow. “But, I have plans tonight. Misty Sparks asked me to go with her to dinner.”

“Did she now?” Blaze asked as she narrowed her eyes, daggers crossing to Misty Sparks. The little unicorn shrunk back, averting her gaze. Blaze chuffed and opened the door. “Well. I’ll go get into trouble or something then.” She didn’t so much as give them a goodbye as she stepped outside, the metal door swinging shut slowly enough that they could see her trotting back towards the stable, leaving a confused Skyfire behind.

The pegasus glanced over to Misty Sparks, brushing her mane nervously as she adjusted to sitting on a nearby stool. “Did I say something wrong? I was just being honest.”

“She never ends up going to this, even if her dad usually does. I imagine she finds it a bit weird to see somepony else attend.” Misty Sparks explained, a nervous smile on her face. “Plus, her relationship with her dad is… strenuous at best.”

Skyfire chewed on her cheek. “Is it… okay for me to ask why?”

Misty Sparks shook her head, short blonde mane bouncing slightly. She crossed back behind her counter and started counting down her till. “It’s a long story. If either of them decide to tell you that’s their business, but it’s something that happened a long time ago and just keeps getting worse.”

Balking at the comment, Skyfire gave a shake of her head. “At… At least they have something resembling a relationship. I’m glad to see you all down here doing your best to live a good life, to have friendships and all. It’s nothing like how the Enclave painted life beneath the surface.”

Misty Sparks glanced up from a half chewed cap, brow arching. “Nothing but savages right?”

“Uh, yes.”

“You’ve mentioned that before.”

“S-sorry. It’s… All I had to go off of.” She played with her mane more, eyes roaming the shop as she tried to think. The walls were covered in boxes with expert writing labeling them, or on display chemicals. A door was on the far end just open enough for her to see a sink and shower, some kind of ventilation built into the ceiling. Tucked into a corner outside it were several large storage crates and various chemistry equipment that she didn’t quite understand. Behind Misty Sparks was a set of stove-like appliances, with burners slowly boiling something that vapor fed into a winding glass pipe that eventually distilled in another chamber. The air was a bit sweet coming from it, and she suppressed the urge to sneeze.

Misty Sparks had various health posters featuring a cream earth pony with a blonde mane and wearing a stable suit in a simplistic art style. Oval eyes smiled at her ever so slightly, solid colors with no lines on desaturated backgrounds with charming lettering. In one the pony informed her of safety procedures when making chemicals, and another showed him comically singed with a reminder to ‘check the gas always’. “Is that… some sort of Stable-Tec mascot? I’ve seen it all over the stable already. The workshop had a lot of them, though most had grease stains,” said Skyfire, pointing at another where the pony was demonstrating how to store a health potion.

“Oh, yeah. They call him Stable Colt.”

“But he’s an adult.”

“That’s catchier to say than ‘Stable Stallion’ isn’t it?” Joked back Misty Sparks, admiring her informational posters. “We had a whole bunch down in storage, so when I started working here, I put those up. Sometimes my customers seem to actually listen to them.”

“Why is he an earth pony? Aren’t unicorns more, uh, versatile?” She started playing with her mane again and shifted on the barstool.

With a glimmer in her eyes, Misty Sparks finished up the till and closed her register back up. Her horn glowed as she quickly wrote down the amount in a ledger, and slid it into a footlocker. “I think he’s an earth pony because Stable-Tec is based on earth pony engineering, which is second to none! Honestly though, Stable Colt is whatever Stable-Tec needed him to be. The only photos I’ve ever seen of pegasi were posters or in medical books, and those were strictly anatomy. You’ll see him everywhere.”

“I guess I’ll try to get used to him then.”

“There’s a few where he’s a mare actually, but the stallion version is the most popular. I guess Stable-Tec really wanted us to have motivational educational posters,” Misty Sparks laughed.

“Must work if you decided to use them,” Skyfire said with her own laugh, heart calming. This conversation soothed her and addled nerves from earlier. Thinking upon the civility of the stable was a lot more comfortable than Bullet holding her at gunpoint with Grease willing to sacrifice herself. She cringed, closed her eyes for a moment, and then cleared her throat. “So, did they build this town for you too?”

Misty Sparks jumped down from her seat and shook her head. She gestured for Skyfire to step outside as she paused by the door and hooked her Pip-Buck into a small machine against the wall. It chirped happily as she clocked out, and she joined a hesitant Skyfire back on the street. The air had shifted with the waning evening. It was getting dark enough that ponies walked with their Pip-Buck lights on, the few street lights they’d built made hazy halos of illumination on wooden sidewalks and the dirt road.

Inhaling softly, Misty Sparks admired the fresh air for a moment before smiling at Skyfire whose ears were twitching. The Pip-Buck lights gave everypony a slightly sick ghostly feeling she couldn’t quite shake. “Everything you see here we built within my mother’s lifetime. In fact, we built this because of my mother. Sure it’s just one street but it’s got everything a traveling wastelander needs.”

Skyfire followed her as Misty Sparks walked along the wooden walkway towards the western side of the town. Some ponies were drifting about, talking amongst themselves, green hues of their Pip-Bucks giving them an otherworldly look. She tucked her wings closer at the suspicious glances they gave her, tilting their heads up more or walking away entirely. Only a few seemed more focused on Misty Sparks than she. A pair stepped over the bloodied dirt from earlier to avoid them, and Skyfire snapped her head forward. One of Misty Sparks’ ears twitched, a strain on her smile now.

“My mom knew that if we didn’t adapt and open ourselves to the wasteland, we’d die in a tomb. My grandmother Clear Falls started exploring the lands around us, but it was Mom who made the push.” She stopped outside the first building they’d reached. There was a hoof painted sign depicting a wagon full of caps proudly pronounced as it jutted into the street. “This is the general store, where a little bit of everything is sold. Well, except chems and guns of course. I’ve got one of those two commodities monopolized. Blitz, Blaze’s marefriend, works at the gun store under Steelheart. That’s the building we uh… took cover behind earlier.”

Wincing some, Skyfire gave a nod. “With the sheet metal walls?”

“Yes that one. We sell our less quality guns there from the armory. That’s not to say they aren’t of quality, but they’ve been worn down a bit too much for the chief’s taste. Some traders bring real fancy ones, and Blitz is admittedly good at getting them for a fair price.”

The pegasus seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Is that why Blaze likes her? She seems like the type to uh… appreciate violence.”

The shorter mare sighed, and started walking around a rather plussed construction worker who was busy starting to patch the small bullet holes in the walls.. “Not the only reason, but one of. Blitz has talent. I'll give her that, just wish she didn’t make trouble with it.”

“What happens when she does?” Quietly asked Skyfire as they passed a mother and her colt, too young for a Pip-Buck even. The young pony gaped at her wings and pointed at her, only for his mother to scoop him up in orange magic and set him on her back, chastising him for poor manners. Skyfire sighed.

“Well she’s too slick of a talker to end up in the brig like Blaze, but to put it simply, drama.” Misty Sparks started walking further down the street, her hooves making a noise Skyfire wasn’t used to on the wooden slabs of sidewalk. She focused on it so much she almost walked right into Misty Sparks when she paused outside of another building. It was multistoried with Stable-blue painted shutters and Stable-yellow trim. The door was a large shutter that swung open in the center, and they stood aside as one drunk pony stumbled out and a sober one went in.

A pair of guards came to assist the drunk, amused chatter rising between them at the familiar scene. A mare came chasing after the drunk, shouting angrily and when the stallion deadpanned back she huffed and stomped back inside. The guards laughed at the confused stallion’s dismay. Misty Sparks sighed with amusement.

“Oh this is the bar, isn’t it?” Skyfire asked. “These are really popular back home.”

“I bet they are,” chuckled Misty Sparks. “It’s also an inn for travelers, beds are just as good as what we have inside too, and we even got proper plumbing in it!” She sounded quite proud of that fact, smiling at Skyfire as if that should impress her.

“That does sound nice,” she praised, “I’m sure wastelanders don’t often get to enjoy indoor plumbing.”

Crinkling her nose, Misty Sparks gave an adamant shake of her head. “Celestia no, the things I have smelled…” With a shudder she gestured across the street where the guards were leading the drunk. It was a relatively short building made out of reinforced metal, a heavy door with a barred window facing them. “That is the jailhouse. We don’t trust outsiders to go to the brig so we keep any troublemakers there. Sometimes the drunks sleep it off there though.”

Skyfire’s ears pinned back. “Is… Bullet in there then?” She could picture him planning an escape to exact revenge.

“Yes, but don’t worry it’s very secure. He won’t be escaping from there,” comforted Misty Sparks. She gently placed her hoof on Skyfire’s, hesitant.

Violet eyes looked down at their hoofs, and Skyfire gave a small nod. She forced her ears upright and cleared her throat, looking back around. As Skyfire glanced over the jail, she noticed some markings became apparent on the less traveled sides of the structures. “Are those supposed to mean something?” She’d ask, pointing to the painted wheel with a rod going through it.

“I, that doesn’t look like a building code, or a marking symbol I’ve ever heard of. It looks pretty fresh too.” Misty Sparks answered with confusion, “I’ll ask Mom sometime. Good catch though. It does look important, I think.” She smiled shyly.

Skyfire’s gaze wandered around once more at that point, her even turning around in place, looking less at symbols and more at the buildings around them.“So, what else is here? Does anypony live on the surface?”

With a shake of her head, the unicorn pointed at a half built structure a bit a ways down. “Not yet! But give it a few months and we will. That’s where Blaze is supposed to work.” There were a few construction ponies closing up for the day, wearing barding just like Blaze was when they’d found Skyfire. Unlike Blaze however, they were well maintained and not stained crimson. One particularly burly one was shouting orders at the others, bags visible beneath his eyes from a distance.

Skyfire tilted her head. “Are they building a home?”

“Several. They’re called apartments. It’ll be our first attempt at really getting the stable ponies involved with the surface. Only those assigned jobs up here tend to come out, and we all live inside,” explained Misty Sparks as she started guiding her back down the street. There were less ponies around now with Pip-Bucks. Roughed up and well weathered wastelanders occupied the street instead, their wary eyes often falling upon the pair. More guards patrolled as well, watching the strangers with equal distrust. The subtle tension was missed by the mares, though the guards did their best to smile at their next Overmare.

Skyfire frowned with thought. “What kind of defenses do you have? Isn’t it dangerous to be so in the open?” Her mind drifted to the stalwart barracks and military buildings of home, the perfectly sculpted clouds that seemed to ascend into the heavens.

Misty Sparks gave a slow nod. “Yes, it’s dangerous, but it’s necessary. The more ponies we have living in the stable the harder things are going to get. It takes power to keep so much equipment running, and what we have is finite. Increasingly finite in fact. We have our security forces, watchtowers and there’s been ideas floated about a proper wall but that requires a lot of materials we lack.”

An ear flicked back in concern and Skyfire paused on the wooden sidewalk. “How finite?”

Something in her words made Misty Sparks pause as well, narrowing her eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder if Skyfire was doing what she’d attempted at lunch. “Despite what Stable-Tec boasted, eventually spark generators lose their power, especially if they’re run to the degree that ours is. It hasn’t failed us yet, but we all know it one day could. I’d rather we’re prepared than not.”

A sigh of relief escaped Skyfire and she gave a nod. “That makes sense. I’m glad it’s not like the reactor will suddenly go down. I don’t think Hammers would be happy with that at all, a-and that’d be bad for everypony! We’d have whole blackouts from time to time back home when a generator blew.”

Letting her sudden suspicions slip, Misty Sparks smiled back. “Right, yeah! So anyways we’re doing our best to expand. We’ve got a grocer over there where we sell parts of our harvest from the farms.” She gestured with a hoof at a stout little shop with a variety of produce on display out front. A mare and her trio of foals were gaining long stares from the grocer who wanted to close for the day. Misty Sparks snickered quietly to herself.

“What’s that building?” Skyfire asked, one of the last two before they were at the tunnel entrance to Stable 36. “With the white paint?”

“Oh that’s the clinic. A good doctor is rare to find in the wasteland and we fortunately have many. I honestly think that’s what brings the most travelers. I used to be an apprentice over there before the chem shop became my full time job,” she explained.

“So that’s how you were able to save me! Who’d have thought a few lessons in your youth would be what saves my life.” Skyfire flapped her wings with excitement, only to twinge at a jolt of pain. “Whoops,” she sheepishly said.

“Careful,” cautioned Misty Sparks, “Healing Drops doesn’t like it when her patients ignore her orders.”

Tucking her head, Skyfire glanced at the clinic and was relieved to see it closed for the day. Dust and grime were less apparent on the windows than the other buildings. “She gave me an earful earlier…”

“I bet she did. I’m glad you’re alright, by the way. I’d hate to have to heal you again.” Misty Sparks gave her a grin, earning a blush in response. Something about how Skyfire flustered made her heart soften.

Hiding her face behind crimson wingtips for a moment, Skyfire cleared her throat. “S-So that last one! What is that?” She pointed at an equally stout building with curtains of some sort draped across the windows. However, it seemed rather official looking, with notice boards nailed into the metal walls. A pair of security ponies stood outside smoking and lazily monitoring the street.

“That’s the surface administration building. It’s where we manage all daily businesses, give information to visitors, and even offer a banking service. Technically that’s where Blaze works, since one of its key functions is building management.” Misty Sparks waved at the pair of guards who gave friendly ones back.

The ground was getting rockier now that they’d made it back to the stable door in the long stone tunnel. 36 was proudly emblazoned in stable-yellow against the grey barrier. It was illuminated by lanterns with more guards present. Upon spotting her, one started to fiddle with an external panel and plugged his Pip-Buck in. A deep metallic noise rang through the dusty air, reverberating through rock around them. Skyfire’s ears fell back and her wings tucked closer against herself as the giant cog shaped door slid backwards along its grooves, and then began to spin away to a side. Rotating yellow lights and a repeating deep beep further announced the door moving, as if to assure the whole stable knew when someone came or went.

“Evening gentlecolts,” Misty Sparks greeted politely as she led Skyfire back into the safety of the subterranean home.

“Misty Sparks,” came the equally polite replies.

The moment her silver hoof touched the metal catwalk leading into the stable entrance, Misty Sparks inhaled sharply. She smiled back at Skyfire who seemed in awe of the machinery. “So, ready for dinner?”

Purple eyes blinked at the smiling unicorn. “Uh- I guess we’ll find out!”

Level Up! \ Blaze (3) - Running Tackle: Sometimes the best way to stop somepony is to take aim and charge. +50% chance to deal damage (based on strength) with the tackle. Quest Perk Added! - Renegade: You do what you want, when you want, and no pony is going to stop you! +25% to intimidation attempts, and reputation with Stable 36 set to Rascally Black Sheep

Level Up! \ Misty Sparks (3) - Expert Chemist: You know your way around chems like no other. Chems you make have longer lasting effects and decreased withdrawal symptoms.

Level Up! \ Skyfire (3) - Maintenance Training (1) - You may have trained to repair airships and vertibirds but those skills transfer without too much hassle to repairing generators and toasters. Keep up the good work! - +10 to Repair rolls

Author's Note

Reedited and uploaded on 2020/09/02

Chapter Six: Ain’t No Sunshine

Chapter Six: Ain’t No Sunshine

“Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that’s where your future lies.”

“So this is where you live?” Skyfire asked in a hesitant voice, looking around the Overmare’s office. It was mostly kept clean and professional, though there were a number of personal effects along the desk and walls framing the circular window that overlooked the Atrium. When she peered out it she saw an expanse of catwalks from the upper levels that had a variety of rooms lining it, and a larger expanse below. Bright lights illuminated the signature Stable-Tec blue and yellow metal walls, where posters like the chem-hut’s were proudly hung. Skyfire’s heart felt light as she watched ponies milled about chatting while foals played chase with high-pitched laughter.

Misty Sparks gave a half smile as she stopped just short of connecting her Pip-Buck’s cable to a door panel. “Well,” she said, “this is where my mother works. I live just through this door. Are you ready?”

“Not quite, do you think I look good? I tried to clean up after work but with Bullet…” Skyfire trailed off, brushing her mane nervously and averting her gaze after a few seconds.

Misty Sparks arched a brow, and let herself scan the pegasus over slowly. She lingered on crimson tipped feathers and the way Skyfire fidgeted. “I think you look great,” she said after a minute. “Your hair is beautiful.”

Purple eyes blinked up at her. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“But really sure? I d-don’t want to make a bad impression on your mother!”

With a reassuring laugh, Misty Sparks connected her Pip-Buck, selected something, and then the door came open with a pleasant chime. She gestured for Skyfire to enter ahead of her and right into a cloud of mouthwatering scents. The pegasus’ wings naturally fluttered open and her muzzle tilted up as she inhaled the savory cheesy smell serenading her inside. She drifted right in, hooves barely grazing the metal floor. Misty Sparks smiled and followed inside.

“Is that you Misty?” Flare’s voice came from a bit further into the apartment. They’d entered a living room with a dining table set just to the side. Joyful blue walls greeted them with a framed photograph on nearly every available space. Cream couches were tucked around a low resting coffee table, sparse of any decoration beyond the photographs. There were a variety of moments stolen from time and preserved on the apartment wall. Brief moments of foalhood long past, proud achievements and the final moments with one another. A large one with Flare on a stage on the surface with what seemed to be a freshly built town was hung above the loveseat tucked into the corner. Skyfire drifted towards the nearest set that stood out to her, a family tree proudly on display above the long couch. She was vaguely aware of Misty Sparks standing to her side as she focused on them.

The photographs went back two generations from Misty Sparks and Blaze, both of whom had taken their photos at least in the past few years judging by their appearances. It seemed at one point Misty Sparks had let the front of her mane grow in a basic manner and her horn had simply pierced through unlike the stylized short curl that wrapped around the base she had now. There was a certain lightness around the younger mare that she felt lacking now when Skyfire glanced at her. Misty Sparks' gentle smile reached Skyfire, as the unicorn tilted her head indicating that it was safe to continue and then trotted in the direction of the glorious food.

“Need some help setting the table?” Misty Sparks’ voice came from the kitchen area. Skyfire’s ears twitched as she passively listened. There were more photographs in this one room than she’d ever seen before in her life, outside of a technical manual.

“Oh yes please, thank you. Make sure you and Skyfire wash up,” Flare replied.

Above Misty Sparks was quite obviously Flare, and one photo to the left a pony who seemed to be her father. A silver stallion with freckles like hers, energetic green eyes and bright green mane. His picture seemed cleaner than the others, though they were all well maintained. Still, the glass of the photo frame had a certain polish that caught the pegasus’ inquisitive eye. His parents looked similar to the stallion himself: silvery, elderly unicorns with a certain energetic spark in their eyes. Skyfire smiled at how well aged they seemed, instead of the shriveled flapping husks she’d seen in the Enclave from time to time, if they were even able to get that old. Everything above the clouds seemed to hold a dagger to one’s throat at all times.

“Wow, you all look so happy and cheery in these.” Skyfire called out over at the pair, causing the stirring to stop for a moment.

“Well, the photos you see look lovely, but the fussing, whining and aching that it took to get them, well those days were memorable in their own regards.” Flare would call back, she returned to the setup conversation with Misty Sparks as Skyfire looked back at the photos, spying something new.

Flare and Hammers were connected in a manner to further cement the already known sibling relationship. The Overmare professional and resolved while Hammers a stoic wall of discipline. Next to him was a light sandy earth pony mare with a vibrant striped red mane who seemed to be his wife. Her golden eyes were like the final flicker of a spark reactor, the kind of final light one longed to see. She was polished just as Misty Sparks’ father was, a note of reverence Skyfire could almost swear she could taste. Or perhaps that was the delicious food smell she could not compare to anything else she’d had before.

Soft talking and clinking plates came from the dinner table but Skyfire wasn’t quite done with examining the family tree yet. She wanted to know as much as she possibly could about this important family, and this seemed like an opportune learning moment. At the very least it would be a topic of conversation with Flare that she wouldn’t have as much trouble discussing.

Blaze beneath them looked as if she’d just gotten into a hoof fight with six other ponies and still come out on top. Her mane was even messier than now, eyes wide and angry, and a strong jaw set in place like she wanted to bite the camera. Skyfire winced at the intensity. It reminded her of wanted posters back home for deviants. Blaze’s maternal grandparents held the same spark that her mother did. Unlike their daughter, their manes were shortly trimmed just like the many mechanics back home were. Skyfire found her hoof idly brushing her long crimson mane. Skyfire blinked, both the parents she had yet to have met seemed younger than their spouses did in the photographs, perhaps over a decade or so between them.

She furrowed her brow.

The dust lines at the top indicated that there were two photographs long since removed. The remaining one was a large red mare with brilliant blue eyes and a striped blonde mane much like Misty Sparks’. Without a doubt she carried the presence of a leader, strong and dignified with an edge of adventure. She looked remarkably young in the photo as well, when she should have been edging into her grey years by now.

Skyfire blinked with realization.

Oh.

“I see you’re rather interested in my work,” Flare said with her silvery voice, startling Skyfire as the elder mare manifested at her flank. Crimson wingtips jolted for a moment as a startled eep split the air. Flare arched a brow, and Skyfire stammered out an apology as she calmed. “Didn’t mean to scare you there.”

“Mother can sneak up on you,” Misty Sparks said as she came around Skyfire’s other side. “Likes to keep the workers on their hooves.”

“It can be a useful skill,” Flare admitted, “especially if I’ve heard tales they’re doing something they’re not supposed to. So, what do you think?”

“You took all of these?” Skyfire managed.

Flare nodded her head, violet magic twinkling around a few pictures and straightened them out. Her magic fizzled out with sparkles, rather than just fading as most would have. “When I was a filly, I actually found it very difficult to speak to most ponies. So I asked Mother for a camera so I could practice talking to photos.” She smiled at what most likely was among her first photographs, an uncentered image of a colt aged Hammers shouting at a terminal. “Now I don’t need them for that, but I love documenting the life of Stable 36.”

“Grandma recovered a whole stash of cameras in one of the first scouting missions!” Misty Sparks added excitedly. “Now we have a team of photographers that Mom established.”

“Wow! That’s fantastic! Most photos I’ve ever seen were in our training manuals, and I think they’re all drawn,” Skyfire commented.

“It was a great boon to our understanding of the world around us. As well as our life here.” Flare straightened one more photograph and then cleared her throat. “But come! Food is to be had and I’ll be so embarrassed if it’s cold by the time you sit down!” With magical nudges she got the mares moving to the set table.

Three plates rested on a stable-yellow table with only a slight bit of visible wear. Scant scuffs blemished the white saucers and there was a chip in the one given to Misty Sparks. “Why do I have to get that one?” Questioned Misty Sparks plaintively as they settled into their seats.

“Because you’re the one who chipped it,” Flare replied with a snicker.

Glasses of water with cutlery and hoof-made napkins adorned the table alongside the ceramic plates. On each plate were yellow noodles resting in a halved squash with a variety of herbs and vegetables cooked in. It smelled absolutely delectable. Skyfire’s eyes lidded at the heavenly smell, practically floating in her chair.

“You alright there, Skyfire?” Came a self-satisfied reply.

Purple eyes shot open and Skyfire’s face turned as red as Flare’s coat. “Ah! I- Uh- I’ve never sm-smelled anything this good! Sorry! I-I bet it tastes really g-good too! Thank you!” In her quick slew of words she began to stroke her crimson mane, partially hiding behind it.

Lime eyes lingered on crimson locks for a moment. “Your hair is really pretty.” Flare arched a brow at her daughter’s sudden comment. Skyfire stopped stroking her mane and blinked at her. Misty Sparks flushed and averted her gaze. “It must uh, be a bit hard to keep it clean when you work. Have to uh… put it up right?”

“Oh! Uh well… I usually put it back in a ponytail! We are extra careful when we work with engines! Or…when I did,” Skyfire swiftly said, tripping over her words as she glanced between the two mares every few seconds.

“Wait… wouldn’t they want your mane to be shorter if you’re working with moving parts?”

“I… never really asked about that rule. I suspect that it was to let there be a clearer divide between the military and us civvi-er civilians more or less.”

“That makes sense… I guess? I keep mine short so it’s not a fire hazard.” Misty Sparks brushed her own mane and turned her head so Skyfire could more properly see the puffy ponytail of striped blonde. She flushed deeper when she turned around.

Their eyes met for a moment and then they both busied themselves with eating, elegant twirls of magic from Misty and uncertain stabs into the meal from Skyfire. Flare looked between them with a guarded expression before she smirked and began to eat as well.

The room felt quiet to Skyfire, the only real noise coming from the hum of the lights in the room, and the gentle clacks of utensils against plates as the trio ate together. The silence slowly got to the nervous mare and she started glancing between the two of them. “I-is that from experience? The keeping your mane short due to a fire hazard?” Once more she found herself brushing her mane with her free hoof.

Flare laughed quietly and leaned closer with another smirk as she wagged her levitating fork at Skyfire. “Actually, that’s because at one point her coworker, Shimmermist, with her lovely peach mane, got bumped into her equipment during a materials delivery. The equipment happened to have a burner that was turned on. She very quickly lost a good bit of her mane.”

“Y-yeah… the next day before anyone could even suggest it to me, I was at the barber getting my mane trimmed down,” Misty Sparks admitted with a quiet giggle as she patted her swirl of blonde. “Though… I think it looks alright, doesn’t it?” She asked, glancing over to Skyfire with a smile.

“I uhm.” Skyfire turned, leaning a bit closer to get a proper look again, this time smiling. “I think it looks fitting on you, Misty Sparks. It’s a cute manestyle, and it works with your horn quite well. It looks pretty,” she murmured, staring for a moment before snapping back. A third smirk came from Flare.

“I happen to agree, I think my daughter found a rather fetching style to express herself. Everypony should be able to enjoy their appearance of choice. The fact it’s not going to get caught in any machinery or flames is merely a benefit.” She wagged her fork again before nickering at the shy pegasus. “Skyfire dear, I know you’re probably new to this kind of food, but please dig in.” She gestured encouragingly with a hoof and gave a tender smile. “It won’t run away I promise.”

Skyfire’s blush returned as she nodded. “S-sorry miss Flare. It’s exquisite, I want to savor the meal. The cafe was something wonderful compared to what we normally ate, but I never imagined you could make something so tasty.” She bowed her head before starting to eat again with a bit more vigor.

For sometime there was silence again, interrupted only by the constant low hiss of ventilation and clinking utensils. Ice blue eyes shifted thoughtfully while grey heads buried themselves in food. Flare eventually sighed as she pointed a noodle covered fork to Misty Sparks. “I heard there was… an ‘incident’ on the surface today?” She raised an eyebrow expectantly as her daughter’s face turned a shade whiter. Blue eyes grew cold and her lips downturned.

“Oh! Oh uhm. The uhm, scuffle with Bullet?”

Flare gave a slow nod, fork still pointed.

Misty Sparks swallowed nervously, glancing over to Skyfire before taking a few quick breaths. Skyfire shrunk back against her chair. “Well… I was about to finish my shift, and Bullet was, well, being Bullet in regards to how he acts about his chems. He had made some remarks about the price…” She began, pausing to take a tip of her drink, and smiled nervously through the glass as she tried to find the words.

The stalling effort made Flare squint.

“I convinced him it wasn’t worth getting hurt, or thrown in jail or even dying… and that was going to be it but uhm then Skyfire and Grease were walking up. Grease was showing Skyfire to my shop so we could meet and come here. But… Bullet got upset at seeing Skyfire. You know, because… Pegasus?” She gestured vaguely at Skyfire who’s wings instinctively spread.

“I don’t see why that would cause-”

“It’s because she’s Enclave! Or former, potentially!” Misty Sparks blurted out as she glanced away nervously. Flare’s frown tweaked at the interruption. “He was wanting to get payback for what they did to him. Said her kind need to die. I tried to talk him down, but he- he pulled a gun.”

“And you tried to protect Skyfire? That’s brave but stupid. Misty Sparks, dear, we have security for that.”

“Mom!”

“Don’t ‘mom’ me Misty-”

“Overmare!” Misty Sparks squeaked out, her face racked with distress. “T-the guards weren’t anywhere quick enough to rescue her, and Grease could have gotten hurt. I know that I’m important, but I can’t let our new guest get shot up because I’m afraid to protect our Stable!” The young mare stood up from the table, sniffling a bit. “I know I’m your heir, but how can I even be a good leader if I’m not willing to protect us?”

Flare’s face stayed stone cold for a few moments before it started softening. Ears downfallen, she leaned over to hold her daughter’s hoof. “Oh Honey... I’m sorry for pushing you. I just worry. You’re my daughter before you’re my heir. I want to keep you safe. I most certainly couldn’t bear to lose you today.” She murmured through pursed lips, looking over to Skyfire who was peeking behind her crimson wingtips. A napkin dabbed the little unicorn’s eyes and Flare gave a soft smile. “And I’m sorry Miss Skyfire for bringing up something that was out of your control. I wish the wasteland could understand that stereotypes don’t apply to everypony.”

Skyfire gave a meek nod, sighing softly as she let out the built up stress. “I’m sorry Ma’am, to have caused problems,” she murmured shyly and lowered her wings. Misty Sparks gave her a reassuring look.

“Nonsense, it’s not you who caused them Skyfire. Just… I’m sorry for bringing up a rough subject tonight, let’s try and get back into the swing of things,” Flare said, nodding to Skyfire with a small, tender smile. “I’ve heard good things about you, from both Grease and Hammers. There was an interesting situation I needed to discuss with you, a positive one at that.”

Skyfire’s ears perked up as she gave a nervous smile, setting her fork down to give the Overmare her best attention, “Y-yes?”

“I’d like to formally invite you to stay in our Stable, Healing Drops for one needs the medical bay, it’s also not proper to keep you there forever. I’ve started looking at rooms that would have space for a new tenant… but somepony has already requested to house you. Somepony you’ve had contact with.”

“Grease? I thought she already had an extra roommate, on top of the first one. Didn’t Plugs’ marefriend move in with him? Non-family apartments only can hold up to three or at most four.” Misty Sparks pointed out, an ear flicking back and forth. She too had picked up on their budding friendship.

“No… it’s even more shocking, your cousin, Blaze.”

“She offered!?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you even consider a thing like that? It’s Blaze!”

Skyfire cocked her head as the two went back and forth, feathers ruffling once more as they began to argue about Blaze’s reliability both as a pony and a roommate. Mostly they were negative, and Flare had to reluctantly admit that many nearby ponies had filed complaints for noise and smells. Slowly but surely a scary image formed in Skyfire’s mind, making her shrink further against the seat as they talked about the situation as if she weren’t there.

“Besides, she can’t be doing this for altruistic means,” Misty Sparks pointedly said.

“Right… still, she’s one of the only dwellers right now that has a spare room, especially as somepony who’s had positive contact with her-you, sorry Skyfire.” Flare admitted, brushing her mane gently as she looked at Skyfire.

“I’m not sure if it’d be good for her,” Misty Sparks added. “She might be a bad influence, especially with Blitz around!” Pleading lime-green eyes shone into Flare’s.

“Misty Sparks… I have the same concerns as you do, but let’s face it. She’s the best that we can do, plus she proactively offered herself. When’s the last time she’s done anything like that?”

“Never?”

“Correct. So this might get a chance for her to grow a little… and Skyfire?”

Purple eyes focused on Flare. “Yes, Flare?”

“You said that after about a week, there wouldn’t be much more hope of a rescue?”

“Y-yes…”

“Well I believe that you’re doing good, so we’re going to go ahead and accept you into the stable… after you fill out the paperwork, as a temporary Stable member. That way, you can reasonably live here and help us out for now. I’d like to talk with Hammers about you helping him out once he’s fully recovered.”

Skyfire’s face froze as she remembered the reality of her situation. “I… thank you so much.” She murmured, starting to tense up. “I was afraid of getting thrown out into the wastes… if the wastelanders hate pegasi so much… I’m scared I wouldn’t be able to survive.”

“It’s okay- you don’t have to worry about that,” Flare interjected as she smiled softly, leaning over to pat Skyfire’s shoulder. “I’ve been thinking it over, and concluded, that you are honest about your situation. You’re also quite helpful, and friendly.”

She nodded towards Misty Sparks, smirking as the younger unicorn flushed softly. “I think you’re the first person she’s connected well with in a long time. I think that’s due to you seeing her for who she is, and not as my daughter… so thank you.”

Skyfire nearly hid behind her wings further, but instead she slowly lowered the crimson wingtips to reveal her confused yet flattered face. “I’m happy I could be of service,” she managed, “Misty Sparks is someone I feel I can trust. This whole situation is… confusing and difficult, but she’s made it a bit easier.” She caught Misty Sparks’ gaze, a moment lingering between them, before she shyly averted away.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Flare hummed. “So, how about we get to know each other better hmm? After all, I like knowing who I’m responsible for.”

“O-oh okay, sure,” Skyfire agreed, trying to swallow down her nerves.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t a job interview, you’ve already been welcomed in,” Flare soothed. Skyfire gave a little nod and lowered her wings to a more neutral position. “So, I know today was very eventful for you, but do you think you’d enjoy living here?”

“Yes. You have been beyond welcoming to me, despite every reason not to.”

“We do pride ourselves on being civilized,” Flare touted.

“I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job at that then,” she replied, eating between words to avoid missing out on the warm deliciousness before her.

“Aside from Grease and Misty Sparks, is there anyone who’s been particularly welcoming?” Flare asked.

“Uhm, not really… But nopony has treated me badly from the stable either so, there’s that.” She furrowed her brow. “Well, the security guard who escorted me to work tried to be helpful and gave me advice.”

“Let me guess, something about how terrifying my brother is?” Flare asked with an amused tone. Skyfire gave a meek nod. “Hah- sounds about right. Hammers can whip anyone into shape with enough time and fury.”

“Well, not Blaze,” muttered Misty Sparks, an icy glare stopped her from saying anything else.

“Is… Blaze okay? I don’t mean to pry but, she doesn’t seem the most, erm, stable,” Skyfire inquired with a small voice, as if afraid the mare would burst into the dining room at the mere mention of her name.

Flare gave a dreary sigh, and shook her head. “No… My niece has a lot of personal issues she struggles with. I do hope in time she’ll recover, but she has a habit of increasing the difficulty of said task.”

“Will it be okay living with her?”

Flare blinked, then gave a soothing smile. “Oh don’t you worry, if there are any issues I’ll find you new accommodations as soon as possible, though it will pose difficulties. If you don’t want to even try that’s alright too, it’ll just be a bit of a wait till I can get you somewhere to stay aside from the medbay. So, what do you say?”

“She won’t hurt me, right?”

Misty Sparks gave a half shrug. “Uh, usually no, but she can have some pretty bad moods.” Misty Sparks glared at Flare. “I don’t think it’s a good idea period, Mom.”

“If we never give someone the chance to prove us wrong, then we will never let people surprise us,” Flare responded with a lecturing edge. “After all, if we had made the assumption Skyfire was our enemy based off of rumors and half truths, she would be dead.”

“There’s a difference between an unknown and stereotypes, and someone who’s got a recorded history,” argued Misty Sparks.

Flare frowned heavily, drawing the few wrinkles she possessed taut. “Blaze is in a situation in which a pony needs a helping hoof, not a cold shoulder. If you never show her that ponies care, and want to help her, then she’ll just sink further into the pit. Yes, she often does not help her situation, but if we give up on her then who knows to what depths she’ll descend?”

“It isn’t fair for Skyfire to have to deal with Blaze’s issues on top of her own.”

“If you promise she won’t hurt me,” piped up Skyfire, half hidden behind her wings. “I’m willing to give it a try. I’d rather be with somepony I know, instead of a total stranger… and Grease’s room sounds rather, erm, full.”

Misty Sparks sunk back in her chair while Flare smiled broadly. “Thank you for your understanding, Skyfire. I’m sure after a bit you and Blaze will be fast friends, or at the very least good roommates.” The pegasus gave a weak smile. Flare got up from the table and walked over to the kitchen. When she returned, she carried a large bottle with apples emblazoned on its flanks and a trio of mugs in her magic. Skyfire found herself licking her lips as the mugs were filled, a cream froth bubbling on the top and spilling over the edges some.

“How about we celebrate Skyfire staying with a toast? Have you ever had cider my dear?”

Skyfire blinked. “Ci-cider? No… What is that?”

A laugh of disbelief slipped through Flare’s composure. “Really? You military ponies aren’t ones for alcohol?”

“Oh! Well no we love that! I don’t… exactly drink, but we have alcohol yes. Just… never cider.” Skyfire blushed with embarrassment.

Misty Sparks gave a wry laugh as she brought her mug to her lips. “I’m not much either, but we make it from apples. Do you not… have apples?”

Skyfire snorted. “Not what you’d call an apple I think, judging by the rest of your produce. They’re gangly grey things that are bare just a few per short tree.”

The unicorns shared a look, before Flare wore a proud smile. “Well, we are proud to have our own orchard, both in the stable and on the service. You can enjoy all the apples you like while you stay with us, including cider. Go on, have a taste.” An encouraging wave of her hoof got the pegasus to try the foamy drink. Immediately her ears perked up, and she looked to Flare who laughed before gulping down more.

“Careful, if you have too much too quickly you’ll get sick!” Warned Misty Sparks with a laugh.

Her words went unheeded as Skyfire slammed the whole mug down onto the table, and hiccuped. “Whoops?”

“I think we’ll wait a bit before I pour you another,” teased Flare, “but I’m glad you enjoyed it. Are all your crops back home as you put it, ‘gangly grey things’?”

Hiccuping again, Skyfire covered her muzzle with her feathers. Long ears fell back and she tried to restrain herself. She rocked in her seat as she hiccuped again, and Misty Sparks laughed. “Well- we do have a few things that grow. Lettuce, radishes, cucumbers- the easy sort of things. I love pickles, but that’s mostly because that’s the most flavorful food we have! Oh, and the hot sauce, everything's better with hot sauce.”

“Hammers would certainly agree with that statement. When we were kids he’d drown his food in the stuff just to prove he could handle the spice,” Flare chuckled.

“Is that why he keeps checking on when the next batch of jalapenos come in?” Misty Sparks questioned. When Flare nodded, she laughed.

Skyfire arched a brow. “You don’t think he’ll shout fire next time he’s angry, right?”

“Your mane is safe.” Flare drank slowly from her cider, ruminating with a happy smile. “I believe the military ponies who helped found Stable 36 carried a love for hot sauce with them as well. I’ll make sure to acquire you a ration so you can feel a bit at home.”

Skyfire hiccuped once more, and smiled. “Really? Oh that’s very kind of you!”

Flare dismissed her gratitude with a simple nod. Misty Sparks glanced to the flushed pegasus, brows fixated in a curious expression. “I’m a bit surprised you can make vinegar. We make ours with excess apples, though that’s a much friendlier format for consumption. I have more pure chemical compound vinegar for my chem cooking however, perhaps they’re synthesizing it like I do?”

“I’m an engineer… I have no idea how any of that works,” Skyfire slowly said.

“Ah, right, sorry.”

“It’s impressive you know how,” Skyfire added.

Misty Sparks straightened up at her praise, and blushed. “Well, we’ve got a good school system,” she brushed aside.

“Misty was also mentored by an outsider, who added a lot to our understanding of the surface world,” Flare cut in. Her words were brisk, surprising Skyfire. “Things ended on a bad note with him, but we’ve adapted what we could from his knowledge.”

“Oh, well… good for you,” Skyfire awkwardly replied. Misty Sparks had sunk back in her chair, lime eyes cast aside.

Before the conversation could grow any more tense, Flare cleared her throat and gestured at Skyfire. “So, Misty Sparks mentioned you have family back home, but you couldn’t say what they did. I won’t push you on topics you can’t discuss, but is there anything you can tell us about them? That way if anyone comes by we know who they are?”

Skyfire brightened. “Well, I have a brother and sister, they’re both older than me. My mom spent a good portion of my foalhood with me until I started school. At least one parent gets leave to be with their new foal, and my father was a bit too… important to take time off.”

“Oh, you’re from a family of leadership as well? I take it you and your mother are close?” Skyfire nodded, hiccuped, and grumbled to herself. “Oh don’t feel bad, hiccups are perfectly normal from cider. You’re lucky you didn’t get anything worse.”

Misty Sparks gave a dramatic belch, to which Flare immediately glared at her until she excused herself. “Like that,” Misty Sparks said. Finished with her own mug, Misty Sparks went to refill all three, but Flare put a hoof over her own. “Really? This is like, the one night you cut loose.”

Violet eyes flicked between the unicorns. “What… exactly is the significance of this dinner? Misty Sparks said you do it every year but… that’s about it?”

Flare tensed, a long moment passing. A seriousness gripped her frame as she spoke. “Nineteen years ago, I opened up the surface town of the stable. It was something that took several long months of working, and we only had a few buildings and the beginnings of the farm. It was supposed to be a momentous day, the start of our new life as part of the wasteland. Instead, my father Ratchet, who had been exiled for attempting to poison me, arrived. In tow, was a band of slavers.”

“Oh no,” whispered Skyfire. Misty Sparks looked away, jaw clenched. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

“The opening of the surface town is a dark day in our history. It was an absolute massacre until we were able to retreat into the stable, where only the sturdiness of the door kept us safe. Three weeks passed with them trying to dig or blow their way in, and many of us feared we would die. Eventually they gave up. When I opened the door, they’d left entirely, though not without pillaging the town. Waiting for us was a warning, my father crucified on the very stage I’d opened the surface town upon.”

“That’s… oh Luna that’s terrible.” Skyfire’s voice had grown quiet, the images in her mind grotesque and horrifying. “I can’t even begin to imagine how scared you all were.”

“I don’t remember any of it,” Misty Sparks spoke up. “I was only two. Blaze though, she was four and has a few foggy memories of the ordeal. We’d known nothing but peace up until that moment, but we haven’t let it make us afraid. Mother and I both know that the only we survive is by interacting with the surface, though some called for a return to isolation. The truth is, we either expand, or die alone in a quiet tomb.”

“There’s nowhere else you could go?” Skyfire suggested with a slight note of panic. Until the crash, she’d never seen a dead body before. The fact that Misty Sparks had seen not only one but several before she could even retain memories sent a shiver down her spine. A pit formed in her chest, and Skyfire looked between the morose unicorns.

Flare gave a little shake of her head. “Out there is radiation, slavers, mutated beasts and ponies who will do anything to survive. Our best chance is here, where we have safety. We survived because of the stable. Our kin are fairly unmutated, we might struggle for food sometimes but we are considerably better off than others, and above all we have infrastructure. We are safe in Stable 36.”

Giving a little nod of understanding, Skyfire whimpered, “Sorry. Of course you know what’s best, you’re in charge. I didn’t mean to offend.”

A hoof reached out to Skyfire. She looked up, meeting her gaze with Flare’s, a softness in her icy eyes surprising Skyfire. “Of course I’m not offended. Everypony has a right to voice their thoughts and ask questions.”

Tears formed in violet eyes. “That’s… new to me.”

“Oh… I am so sorry little one.” Flare pulled Skyfire into an embrace, squeezing the air out of her lungs. Skyfire winced, but found herself relenting to the gesture swiftly. Misty Sparks came around and joined them, nuzzling against Skyfire. Cheeks turned crimson as they pulled apart, the younger mares sharing glances that Flare didn’t catch. “Here in the stable you are free to be who you are, whoever that may be,” Flare went on. “A quiet mechanic who gets work done, or a curious one who asks about the world around her. There’s no wrong way to be who you are.”

Skyfire looked to Misty Sparks who gave an encouraging smile. “Thank you. To-tonight should be for you two but you’re being so nice and-” she cut her rambling short, puffing out her cheeks as if trying to contain her endless words. Flare patted her curl of crimson atop her head. “Thank you.”

“I hope we can be friends,” Misty Sparks offered, a slight nervous twitch to her smile.

“Me too… I think we are a bit, already. You saved my life after all.”

“Yeah, but I mean… liking each other for who we are, not just what we’ve done. Tomorrow we could share lunch again maybe?”

Skyfire smiled and wiped her eyes dry. “I’d like that.”

A soft noise of approval came from Flare, who returned to her seat. “Is there anything else you’d like to know, Skyfire?”

The pegasus stroked her mane to calm herself. “I know it’s a bit dangerous, but I want to return to the crash site and bury my friend Jolts. That is… if there’s anything left to bury by now.”

“Sergeant Cuffs has reported that no other feral ghouls have come sniffing around to scavenge, so there should be… remains. Misty, it was only a two hour trot correct?”

The silver unicorn nodded, and drank from her mug of cider. “If we were just normally walking it’d probably take closer to three, though. Blaze was really rushing to get there… I didn’t exactly keep up.” She winced at the end, and drank more.

“I see. Well, I am more than willing to help you lay your friend to rest. If I send a security detachment to escort you, then I am sure everything will go fine,” Flare replied. “We could send something to improve the morale of the guards out with you. Perhaps a sweet ration?”

“They’d like that, I bet,” Misty Sparks said.

“Is there something the Enclave does specifically for funerals?”

Skyfire shook her head. “Nothing I could do for him down here, b-but he wanted to live on the surface. He would t-talk about it a lot. Being buried in Equestria’s ground instead of cremated sounds better for him. I think that would make him happiest.”

“Okay, we can do that for you.”

“Thank y-you.”

“I imagine you want to go as soon as possible, correct?”

Skyfire gave a small nod. “The longer we wait… the more disrespect to his body and decay. It’s already been… a while.”

Flare offered a comforting smile. “I understand. It’s too late to travel now, it’s very dangerous to be in the wasteland at night, but I can arrange an escort for the morning. Right after dawn should work best, while some creatures are still sleeping. I know the nightshift captain will have a squad picked for the morning that will keep you safe, and I can order a coffin built.”

“A coffin?” Skyfire blinked. “What… Uh what’s that?”

Misty Sparks’ ears swiveled up in shock. “It’s a special box you put a dead body in, so that it’s kept preserved. Otherwise the worms and bugs will eat it up.”

“Oh! Oh… Well I think… if it keeps him separated he wouldn’t like that. He died trying to come here, to be part of the surface world. I want to honor that desire. Plus… His body is already a bit eaten up…”

Misty Sparks jumped in her seat, shocking them both. “Sorry! I Just uh, I had an idea. Jolts wanted to be part of this world, right? So… Well okay when something dies it decomposes, adding nutrients back into the ecosystem around it. If you want him to become part of the surface forever, we should capitalize on that. His sacrifice shouldn’t be a waste. We have orchards, trees, and they need a lot of nutrients to grow strong. We could plant a tree above his grave, so he can truly become part of the surface. A gravestone wears away, a marker can get destroyed, but a tree? A tree grows.”

“Isn’t that an old earth pony burial rite?” Flare asked, to which Misty Sparks excitedly nodded. “I can easily offer a seed if you’d like that Skyfire.”

Wings held Skyfire closely as if to hug herself, violet eyes downcast in thought. Flare offered her hoof to the young mare. Skyfire took it and inhaled slowly to calm her nerves. When she’d steadied herself, Skyfire gave a pained smile. Wetness dampened her eyes. “I think he’d like that a lot. He always loved cloud gardening.”

“Mom… Can we ask the security outpost to keep it tended? There was an old grove there that burned up but that means the soil isn’t dead. If anything it’ll have fresh nutrients restored,” Misty Sparks inquired softly. “If it doesn’t get a lot of care in the beginning, it’ll die out before it’s even sprouted.”

Flare smiled warmly at Misty Sparks. “I think they’d love that. You know Hard Shell is always going on about joining the agricultural department. He’s out on the mission.”

Misty Sparks squeaked in delight. Flare nickered softly at her daughter, before a sharp intake of air drew both unicorns’ attention to Skyfire. Still holding herself with her wings, she’d begun to cry. Their smiles melted away, and Misty Sparks came around the table to embrace Skyfire. Choked gasps racked the thin pegasus’ body as she leaned over herself and grieved.

Flare made soft shushing noises and rubbed Skyfire’s back soothingly. “It’s alright dear, it’s safe to cry here.”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Misty Sparks added, uncertain of just which words to use.

“Thank you,” whimpered Skyfire. “I just… I miss him so much.”

“Go on… let it all out,” encouraged Flare. “It’s safe here.”

Chapter Seven: Interment

Chapter Seven: Interment

“Tears water our growth.”

Skyfire awoke in a bed of stingy sheets and blankets, a pungent smell she was unaccustomed to filling her senses. She sneezed and shook herself awake. Foggy memories of Misty Sparks escorting her to Blaze’s apartment answered her silent question of where she was, and she sighed. The apartment had been absolutely filthy, with old dishes stacked on the counters and discarded chems strewn across the floor. It was only her exhaustion that had allowed her to sleep so soundly in the spare bedroom. The alarm clock on the nightstand told her it was nearly time to go, and she forced herself down from the bed.

“I hope Jolts is okay out there…” She muttered to herself as the heaviness of sleep slowly melted away. Apprehension clutched at her heart, and she shifted her hooves nervously while dressing herself in the maintenance barding that was her only possession now. It felt itchy and a bit tight, smelling faintly of sweat from the day before’s events. “I hope I can wash this… or get another,” she said. It comforted her somewhat as if speaking her hopes into existence would increase the likelihood of it happening at all. Taking a quick moment to brush her mane and teeth in the attached bathroom.

“Ready?” She asked herself, inhaling as she stared at her reflection. “I can do this.” She left her new bedroom. The living quarters were nothing like they’d been last night. All the empty canisters and syringes were swept away. Only half the dishes overflowed the kitchenette and the dishwasher chirruped a note of completion. Skyfire rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Laid out on the couch was Blaze, a sponge fallen away from her hoof.

Carefully, Skyfire approached the sleeping earth pony. Just as she reached her, the Pip-Buck on Blaze’s right leg chirruped loudly, jolting the mare up. Bloodshot eyes stared at the wall distant and almost murderous. Skyfire yelped and stumbled backward. An ear twitching, Blaze looked at the pegasus who tried to hide behind the wooden coffee table. A tense moment passed of Blaze staring, and then with a heavy yawn, the earth pony relaxed. “Morning,” she greeted as she slid off the couch and stretched.

“Uh- Morning…” Skyfire sheepishly replied.

“Sorry about the mess last night, I meant to clean it up but lost track of time.”

“Oh! Well uh, thank you for doing it at all?” Skyfire tried. Blaze shrugged and picked up the sponge. “Did you… fall asleep while cleaning?”

“Yeah, was waiting on the dishwasher to do another load but guess I dozed off.” She returned the sponge to its spot alongside the filled sink. “We don’t have much time to eat before we need to go so I hope you don’t mind cereal.”

“Before… You know about the funeral?” Skyfire slowly followed Blaze to the kitchenette. The earth pony snorted and pulled a box of sugar bombs out of the cupboard and filled two bowls with the sugary breakfast. “But how? I only spoke of it with Overmare Flare and Misty Sparks.”

“Sparky left a note asking for me to make sure you woke up on time,” she answered dismissively. “What, you thought I wouldn’t wanna go with?” Skyfire cringed. She hadn’t thought about inviting Blaze. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Skyfire frowned. “Well uhm, if you want… you can come with?”

Blaze offered her one of the cereal bowls now mixed with milk and chuckled. “Why are you asking me while inviting me? If you really don’t want me to tag along I get it. I don’t doubt Flare has a security detail accompanying you, but trust me, you want me there for real protection. Those assholes barely get real practice fighting, unlike me.”

“Is it really that dangerous?”

“We had a few rabid animals attack us on the way back with you passed out,” Blaze admitted, “but there’s always a chance for raiders to pass by. They know we’re here, they like picking off the stragglers.”

Gulping, Skyfire nodded. “Okay. Please come with us.”

Blaze's smirk was hard to get used to.. “Sure thing Feathers.”

“It’ll uh… be nice to have another friendly face there. I don’t know any of the security ponies after all…” With a sigh, Skyfire accepted her fate.

Blaze’s smirk faltered, and warmth filled emeralds erupted from those normally cynical eyes. “Yeah… Friends and all that.” She cleared her throat and sat on the couch. “Come on, eat up, don’t wanna be late.”

Skyfire nodded and joined Blaze on the couch to eat the simple meal. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Now what kind of business do you possibly have out in the Wasteland at this hour?” The question came from a grayscale mature mare sitting behind a counter. The quartermaster, Steel, squinted at the trio with annoyance. “The sun isn’t even up yet… I think.”

“Sorry for the early wakeup,” Misty Sparks apologized. Blaze huffed loudly from the side. “The Overmare wants to make sure we’re fully prepared for our short trip. I’m sure you can understand.”

Steel grumbled to herself before fixing her dark gaze on Skyfire. “I take it involves Miss Skyfire?”

The pegasus shrunk back, wings rising to hide her. Misty Sparks stepped between with a charming smile. “Always a sharp one, Steel.”

“Buttering me up eh?” Steel snorted with a brow arching. “Well I’m already up so might as well help you fillies.”

“I’m not a filly,” snarled Blaze.

“You are to me, Blaze,” Steel chuckled. “Now, you’re going to need proper armor if you’re going out there. I did get a message late last night to expect you but I didn’t think it’d be before the day had even started.”

“Safest travel times are in the hours between,” Misty Sparks said. Skyfire slowly folded her wings back. “Can we get a cloak for Skyfire as well? Something that’ll hide her wings but not weigh her down too much?”

Steel scanned the grey mare over before nodding. “I have a few things from the back storage. We still have old gear designed for pegasi after all.”

“You… do?” Skyfire blinked.

The mature mare turned back into her many shelves of storage. “Yup, I thought it might come up so I brought some stuff into the forefront of my stow. Stable 36 was made for all three species after all. Your kind just decided not to show up.”

“None of us?”

“Not a single one! Our original Security and Engineering heads were supposed to be pegasi even. Instead, you all went into the sky, and I’m sure you know what happened after.” Steel trotted over with a cloak with a harness attached to it. There were holes for the wings, though it would keep them hidden beneath until she needed to fly.

“I was taught that after Cloudsdale was hit the pegasi walled up the sky,” Skyfire replied thoughtfully. “I always suspected that not every pegasus had heeded the call though, it just doesn’t seem possible that they’d all make it.”

“Sure, there’s the stray pegasus on the surface,” agreed Steel as she carried three sets of stable 36 issue armor to the counter separating the ponies. “But the fact still remains when the bombs dropped, the stable was short a third of its population.”

“That must have been very difficult. It always felt like I was short-staffed back home, but never that much.”

Steel gave a heavy snort. “We're hard-working ponies for a reason. Now, put this armored barding on first, your cloak will go on top. You’ll also need a weapon…”

“Don’t bother giving me anything,” Blaze growled.

Steel rolled her eyes. “I know how much you love your sledgehammer Blaze, I wouldn’t think of wasting time giving you a gun. You’re dangerous enough as it is.”

The earth pony stomped a hoof. “And you’re never laying a hoof on Hammers Junior so don’t try.” Skyfire chuckled, looking at the Blaze’s sledgehammer, which was currently looped into her barding. “What?” Snarled Blaze.

“Your dad’s name is Hammers though, right?”

Blaze’s ears fell back. “It ain’t like that! It’s just this is my second sledgehammer!”

“What happened the first one?”

“Radroaches ate it.”

“...What?”

“You heard me. Now, get dressed.” Blaze shoved Skyfire towards the counter, easily moving the light pegasus.

Wings raised in alarm, Skyfire took the armor and looked for somewhere to get changed. Seeing none, she blushed heavily. “Right here?”

“I’ve got a changing booth back here if you want, but most ponies don’t mind,” Steel offered. “We tend to live pretty communally.”

“Oh, uh, well back home, we aren’t, really… at least us civvies” Skyfire squeaked. “I’ve heard from my siblings that it’s more communal when you serve though.”

Steel gave a nod. “Won’t lie, most of our founders were military and that probably bled through to the rest of us. We’ve got communal showers, eating, farms, living, and whatnot. No pony is authorized to have weapons inside the stable, so they get checked in here and maintained. Only security can have batons, but no firearms on the inside.”

“You have to keep track of a lot, don’t you,” Skyfire commented as Steel unlocked the half door blocking Skyfire from entering. The quartermaster’s armory contained so much it made her head spin. Steel indicated the small clothed booth for Skyfire to use, and she scurried to it.

“I have a system,” Steel touted, “and I know when ponies try to steal something.” The second half was barbed, and Blaze snorted indigently.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course,” Steel gritted. “Misty Sparks, same as normal?”

Already changed, Misty Sparks gave a nod. “I can only use small weapons, and barely even at that. Let’s just hope it’s unneeded.” Green magic tucked a 10mm pistol into its holster and a box of ammo into her saddlebags.

“The day you need to actually shoot it is the day I turn completely grey,” Steel said with a motherly tone. “You need to stay away from fighting as much as possible. If you get hurt- well that would just be downright awful.”

Blushing, Misty Sparks scuffed the metal flooring with her hooves. “Well… I’ve already shot a weapon.”

Steel’s eyes comically widened. “What?”

“A ghoul attacked me when I was rescuing Skyfire.”

“Oi vey,” muttered Steel dramatically, swooning where she stood. Misty Sparks stabilized the elder mare with her magic. “The little Overmare has killed?”.

“It was that or die,” Blaze snarked. “It was just a feral ghoul, not like it was a real person.”

“Ghouls once were Blaze.” The sight of ponies reprimanding Blaze was something Skyfire began getting used to. “It’s an utter shame what happens to them. You better stay away from radiation if you don’t want to become like them.”

Blaze’s face darkened, and she stomped her hooves. “Shut up, I know how to keep myself alive. I don’t need you reminding me of what I already know.”

“It’s just some friendly advice,” Steel said with an offended tone.

“Shove it. Sparky, I’ll wait at the stable door aight? I’ve had enough of this windbag.” Without another word, Blaze stormed away. Misty Sparks plaintively shouted after her, but Blaze did not stop. Sighing, Misty Sparks turned to Steel who only nickered sadly.

“Where did Blaze go?” Asked Skyfire, almost radiating off concern. The cloth cloak disguised her frame well, making it impossible to distinguish if she had wings or simply padded armor on beneath. She frowned and scanned the area to no avail.

Misty Sparks awkwardly shifted on her hooves. “She went ahead.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Uh… Nothing out of the ordinary. Let’s finish up and catch up with her okay?” Misty Sparks offered a comforting smile to the Pegasus.

Steel gave an agreeing nod. “Now, Miss Skyfire, I have something of yours here. I need to know if I can trust you with it however.”

Skyfire blinked, tilting her head. “Something of mine…?”

“The scouting party recovered a laser pistol in the wreckage. There was another but it broke upon impact. We’ve never seen a laser weapon before, in all honesty.”

“Really? They’re all we have back home,” Skyfire replied, blinking. “Peculiar.”

Steel shrugged. “I guess different available supplies. You understand that as soon as you return you have to submit your weapon back, right? You can keep the cloak to keep you safer when you visit the surface town but the armor and your weapon have to be returned.”

“But the pistol is mine,” Skyfire argued with fallen ears.

“Like I said earlier, no one has weapons inside Stable 36.”

“I can’t keep it with me in case I get attacked on the surface again? I loathe fighting but there was an earth pony who nearly killed me!” Skyfire’s voice pitched as she imagined finding herself in a similar situation, only this time without Grease to shield her.

Steel shook her head. “If somepony threatens you, then call for a guard to help you. I promise they will protect you, even if the Overmare doesn’t allow you to stay. If you join us however, we could work out some means of letting you keep a weapon on the surface. The store owners all have emergency weapons.”

Misty Sparks gave a nod of agreement. “Thankfully I’ve only had to use it to bluff so far.”

Sighing, Skyfire relented. “I understand… I’m just a bit afraid of a repeat happening.”

Steel gave a friendly smile and brought up the laser pistol from beneath her counter. “I understand. Here you are, let’s hope it remains only a precaution.”

Taking it with a hint of hesitance, Skyfire nodded. “Yeah… Thank you Steel. I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck little ponies!”

The stable door was an intimidating piece of machinery. Its thick radiation-protecting steel stood between the gathered ponies and the long corridor of rock that shielded the entrance. The door at this particular moment was closed, which as Skyfire had learned was the normal position. Though it took some time to pull open and shut, it was for safety reasons. Only a pony with a Pip-Buck or interior access could interact with it, making it a perfect defense against sudden attacks. The idle thought that such slowness would prevent evacuation in either direction was brushed aside as Skyfire focused instead on the large security detail.

A tall stallion was facing off against Blaze who rose a few inches above him. Seven other security ponies glared at Blaze with varying frustration or loathing. The stallion wore an insignia identifying him as a sergeant on the lapel of his stable suit. Misty Sparks picked up the pace, rushing to intervene in the confrontation while Skyfire slowed down warily. The last place she wanted to be was between Blaze and a fight.

“Sergeant Shears,” Misty Sparks said briskly, an overly friendly tone straining not to reveal her nerves. “What seems to be the matter?”

The sergeant scoffed, looked to Misty Sparks and gave a polite nod before returning to staring down Blaze. “Miss Blaze here was just informing my squad of her exact opinion of them and their skills.”

“The only one out of the eight of you that can fight is Lily,” Blaze accused. “Even she can’t beat me without using magic though.”

The pale unicorn glowered at Blaze, blue magic flaring around her horn. Lily’s hair poked out beneath her helmet, a visor catching the glow of magic menacingly. “Oh trust me, if I really wanted to give you a beat down I could.”

Emeralds met sharp blues, and Blaze grinned. “Let’s go then.” Something about the eagerness that dropped from those simple words made Skyfire step back. A menacing glint sparked in Blaze’s eyes while her muscular form grew taught.

“No.” Sergeant Shears stomped a hoof. “You might not respect us, but you will not fight us. We’re here because of Miss Misty Sparks. If you ask me, you should be let to wander out in the wastes and get your ass chewed up by whatever monsters are out there.”

“Nopony was asking.”

Neonic green magic tugged at Blaze and Sergeant Shears, pulling them apart a few inches. Misty Sparks inserted herself between them with a strained smile. Compared to the large earth ponies, Misty Sparks might as well have been a filly. Skyfire’s brow rose with impress at the bravery of the mare. “Okay how about everypony just calms down and takes a breath? Sergeant, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”

“It’s the truth though,” he huffed.

“Please don’t talk to my cousin that way.”

He hesitated, brown eyes flickering between the cousins. One was clearly trying to broker peace while the other only wished for more chaos. “My apologies, Miss Misty Sparks.”

“Hah!” Blaze chortled.

“Blaze, you should be more polite as well. I am sure that our security detail is highly trained and competent,” Misty Sparks added.

The smirk fell away from Blaze’s face. “You remember what we faced last time we went out, right?” She questioned. Misty Sparks nodded. “Now, multiply that by whatever beasties have become interested in the crash site since, or might be skulking around at dawn. I know how good I am in a fight, but if I have to cover you, Skyfire, and all seven of these idiots I won't be happy.”

Sergeant Shears rolled his eyes. “I think you’ll find my squad is well trained and ready for a fight if need be. We also are prepared for stealth, should it be safer to avoid a fight.”

“You better be,” growled Blaze as she loomed towards him. “Because if a single hair gets hurt on these two I’ll kick you all the way to the moon myself.”

“On that we agree.”

Skyfire carefully stepped closer. She waved awkwardly with a wing, and cleared her throat. All eyes turned to her and she quietly eeped. “H-hey everypony. Thank you for… doing this for me. I hope we can all get along and get there safely.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Lily grumbled. Shears shot her a dirty look and she averted her gaze. Skyfire wilted. “Sorry. It’s uh, nice to meet you Miss Skyfire.” The unicorn held out a hoof. Skyfire shook it with enthusiasm. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Skyfire tilted her head. “Oh, good things I hope.”

“Well, the incident yesterday got reported in. That cloak should help but if anypony ever gives you trouble for being a pegasus just come get me and I’ll knock some sense into them.”

Ears perked upward and Skyfire blinked. “W-well thank you! Hopefully that won’t be necessary but… I uh, appreciate the offer.”

“Lily can kick a good bit of ass,” Blaze remarked offhandedly.

“That almost sounded like a genuine compliment,” Lily snorted.

Blaze shrugged and gestured for a pony to open the stable door. “You’re the only pony I think I won’t have to keep an eye on in a fight. Take that as you will.”

Misty Sparks snickered, relief seeping off her shoulders. She turned back to Skyfire as Sergeant Shears got to work on the controls. A loud klaxon set off as amber warning lights spun away. A metallic screeching noise cut through the air as the heavy gear shaped door slowly pulled back onto its track. “Let’s hope this goes alright,” she shouted over the noise.

Skyfire gave her a nervous smile, feathers ruffling under her cloak. “Wingtips crossed!”

“Keep your eyes on the horizon, miss Lumia,” cautioned Shears, his gruffness taking her by surprise.

The pegasus stopped daydreaming, and jolted upright with embarrassment. Her wings fluffed beneath her cloak but remained hidden. She looked to Misty Sparks who walked next to her in the center of the escort formation, who smiled comfortingly. “S-sorry!”

“Lots of nasties get you the moment you lower your guard,” he continued, “to include the rocks right beneath your hooves.”

“The rocks?”

“Most of this territory was once settled by ponies, especially the further northeast we go towards Baltimare. Suburbs, satellite towns, and farms cropped up all around to support the metropolitan area. When the megaspells and bombs dropped, the region got levelled. Nowadays you’re liable to fall into a sinkhole as much as catch a raider’s bullet.”

Skyfire blanched and Misty Sparks gave a small nod. “Yeah it’s… not the most fun. But the ground around Stable 36 is pretty well… stable!”

“Lame,” drawled Blaze at her attempt at humor. “One time the scouts came back and said they’d found a whole cavern of pre-war buildings that had fallen in. The photos made them look almost like they were from a whole ‘nother world, all toppled over and junk.”

Shears cleared his throat. “There’s also the risk of feral ghouls in those caverns, miss Aura.”

“Don’t call me that,” growled Blaze.

He snorted, and kept walking. Skyfire wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling, she’d fallen into memories of Jolts not long after they’d passed the farms and entered the hills. The landscape was remarkably bare, but now knowing that was due to unstable earth it made a bit more sense to her. Periodically it looked as if the chimney of an old house was sticking through the surface, half buried or completely demolished rubble comprising most of the scenery. Withering plants scrabbled at the surface for any hint of sunlight that filtered through the complete cloud cover. Rusted sky chariots and old earth pony carts were all over, some with skeletons resting in various states of distress. It made her sad to see that much of the surface was still in such a state of disrepair.

Skyfire flicked an ear and frowned. “Ghouls… Those are those things that you erm… took care of, at the crash site, right Blaze?” She asked cautiously. She had vague memories of her rescue, but most of it was clouded by extreme pain.

“Yup,” Blaze grunted, “ferals though. You know what they actually are, right? Or are you cloudheads that ignorant?”

Skyfire bristled. “We know what ghouls are! We have scouts and recon teams after all.”

“Blaze-” Misty Sparks began but a security pony cut in first.

“We know. Enclave recon sometimes wipe out whatever they perceive as a threat.”

Shears nickered at the guard who cast their gaze aside. Skyfire’s frown deepened and she stepped closer to the guard. “I… Don’t understand. You’re not the first one to say something like that. I’m sure they were only acting in defense.”

The guard looked to Shears who gave a withering sigh before nodding. “Go on Pumpkin, speak your mind.”

Pumpkin nodded sternly, as if even that was an order that had to be executed in a stable-tec approved fashion. “You see, down here ponies struggle to get by. I’m sure it’s a struggle up there too, but without sunlight it makes it all the worse. Some ponies get desperate, and others just plain go mad. Your people don’t take kindly to a unicorn holding a hoe ‘cause they were farming and they dropped down from the sky. Sure, maybe the farmer got a bit aggressive, but if heavily armored people in a strange flying contraption of steel and clouds start asking questions and taking your food, you’d get a bit uppity too wouldn’t you?”

“Taking food… That doesn’t sound right. Sure we scavenge from ruins too but that’s only because cloud farming only produces so much.”

“And the farmer who’s now buried out back whose wife comes telling the tale and asking for help?” Pumpkin questioned. “Their little farm only produces so much.”

Skyfire stopped walking, eyes far away. There had never been any such reports. The patrol stopped alongside her, most of them watching the horizon for any dangers. Misty Sparks sighed and came up to Skyfire’s side and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Desperate ponies do things they shouldn’t,” she said in a sad tone, “desperate ponies with power do even worse.”

“These have to be outliers,” she argued, reflexive. Her heart was racing as she pictured homesteads forced to give their supplies at gunpoint. In times of war things could happen, and the Enclave was still at war. Unlike the surface, they had never given up against the zebra Legion. Or at least, that’s what she was always told. “Like you said, desperate ponies.”

“Y’all sure are desperate enough that it’s your major reputation,” drawled another security pony as they scanned for targets. “Maybe things aren’t as bright and shiny as ya thought it was.”

“Alright enough prattle,” Sergeant Shears interjected, “we’re supposed to get this pegasus to her crash site so she can bury her friend. Eyes on your EFS ponies, we’ve still got an hour to go.”

Purple eyes focused on Misty Sparks who could only grimace and tuck her head. “They could be outliers,” she tried to comfort, “bad news travels faster than good news these days.”

“Who knows,” Blaze said as she walked past, “you could be the outlier.”

Misty Sparks cringed, and offered to continue walking. Skyfire rose to her hooves and accompanied her. The veil of hope she’d been wearing was completely absent now.

“Are you sure you should be touching that?” A security pony asked slowly around their canteen of water. Misty Sparks had requested they stop for a quick water break, her short legs aching from all the traveling. She spent most of the day sitting on a stool or manning chemistry sets, not traversing the rocky wasteland.

Skyfire blinked up from the plant she’d squatted next to, wings gingerly nudging a bud of pointed purple flowers. “It’s perfectly safe,” Skyfire offered a sheepish smile, “I think so, anyways.”

“You think?” Drawled the security guard.

Misty Sparks sniffed the air and approached. “What is it?”

“Mallow! Or at least, it was once upon a time. It looks different from my survival books but I’m pretty sure that’s mallow.” Skyfire gave the plant a long look before nodding. “Both the flower and leaves are good for treating respiratory issues and even bellyaches.”

Misty Sparks stepped a bit closer and examined the flowers. They were growing out of an old tree that had withered away, its barren branches giving them as much exposure to sunlight as possible beneath the grey clouds. They seemed rather hardy with palmately-lobed leaves a dull green color. “You know about herbology?” She sniffed it, a pleasant and safe smell filling her nose.

“Well, Jolts and I always talked about gardening. He wanted to grow crops to eat, but I always liked the idea of herbs. There’s all kinds, some for teas, some for medicine and some just for fun. We have survival books that are mandatory to read in case of sudden grounding that include a section of poisonous and edible plants.” Skyfire plucked a few petals and leaves and tucked them into the inner pocket of the cloak.

A frown was pulling across the unicorn’s face. “That… makes sense. I wonder how outdated that is now though. I should study the samples before you do anything with them though, just in case.”

“Sure,” agreed Skyfire. “I can teach you what else I know if you’d like.”

Lime eyes roamed the pegasus’ form, as if rethinking the potential knowledge she might possess. “Certainly. I try to learn everything I can, and herbs are just the raw forms of chemical ingredients.”

“Got any you can smoke?” Blaze interjected.

“Uhm, not that I was taught,” Skyfire said slowly.

“Damn, that’s a shame. I’ve heard tons of stories about plants that when you smoke it, it makes you feel all sorts of things,” the mare went on. “I bet there’s even some that make you feel super strong!”

“You know cigarettes are made from tobacco leaves right?” Misty Sparks inquired.

Blaze blinked, and then gave a nod. “Yeah, so take those leaves and make them do something crazy cool. Buck that you inhale!”

Misty Sparks mused on the idea for a few moments. “That isn’t entirely impossible. I’ve heard of a drug called dash, makes you feel like you’re going really fast. If I tried to vaporize buck I might be able to get it to mix into it. A lot of chems are just experiments on compounds and seeing what you get.”

“I know a few recipes that are supposed to be weaker, organic health potions,” put in Skyfire optimistically. “Broc flower and xander root can be combined into a powder to apply directly to wounds, while if you steep it with sageroot in clean water it’s a good tea.”

“I think I’ve heard a few wastelanders mention that,” Shears said, “one while trying to bribe me out of arresting him. Knowledge is almost as valuable as caps out here, sometimes more than..”

Blaze squinted at him. “You didn’t let him off, did you?”

The sergeant scoffed. “I’m insulted by the mere notion that I would. No, he spent his time in the slammer as required for assaulting a citizen of Stable 36. You’re rather familiar with that sentence aren’t you?”

The large mare bristled and took a menacing step towards him, but Lily interjected herself before it could get ugly. “We’re just a bit away from our destination now,” she said, “just over the next rise right?”

“Should be,” Misty Sparks softly put in. There was nothing she could really do if Blaze attacked the security detail.

“You feel rested?” Lily asked the little overmare, who nodded shyly. “Great, let’s get going then. The sun is almost up.” The wasteland was a pale grey hue now rather than darker smoky tones. To Skyfire it felt like early dawn still, a part of her expecting to see the beautiful blues of the sky. She strained her head up towards the endless clouds, hoping to see a speck of blue between the fluffy greys and whites. Instead she was met with the cold face of an unending ceiling. It felt like having heavy blankets strung above her between the chairs at home, reminding her of the blanket forts she’d build with her big brother. Lightningbreeze never joined in the fun.

Bodies brushed against Skyfire, jolting her back to reality. The stable ponies were continuing the trek. Misty Sparks was waiting a few paces ahead, looking back at the pegasus who hadn’t moved. She felt so insignificant there, staring up at the sea of grey on a background of muted browns and debris. Would she ever feel the softness of a cloud beneath her hooves again? Her ears rang as the wind picked up around them, condensing into a shrill tone that made her dizzy.

Her body might never recover enough to carry her to the clouds, to carry her home. Her legs shook as the world tilted around her. Something burned in her chest, a void that spread throughout her body. Just over the next rise was the crash site. A hoof was on her shoulder, jolting her back to the present. Her breathing was frantic. “You okay?” Misty Sparks asked.

Skyfire shook her head and blinked. “No… Not really no.”

“Are you scared? It’s okay if you are.” The others were mostly carrying on, only Lily and Shears waiting for the pair. The pegasus gulped, taking in the two guards before she stepped back from Misty Sparks. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were for the both of them, or just Misty Sparks.

Swallowing the anxiety and existential dread, she nodded. “Let’s catch up… thanks.”

Neatly piled sandbags surrounded the crash site, something that caught Skyfire’s eyes as the group descended into the valley, walking past the roughly made perimeter. A trio of tents were pitched near the burned grove with a radio antenna protruding from the largest. Stable ponies in heavy armor watched their approach passively, guns at the ready for other arrivals. It reminded her of a proper military outpost, with easily established defenses and the tired eyes of soldiers with no recreational reprieve. It was almost comforting to see something akin to home, dreary as it was.

“I suppose it’s a good thing that this crash is at the bottom of a hill.” Skyfire admitted after a moment, frowning. “Not easy to find when it’s not a smoking crater,” the mare added with a wince, cringing as she looked around, her eyes widening nervously. “Where’s… Jolts?” Skyfire anxiously murmured, her ears tucking back for a few seconds before a calm hoof brought her mind back down, purple eyes focusing on Shears, who gave a sympathetic smile. Despite how rough he seemed around the edges, he came off as genuine to the pegasus.

“Well the guard shift saw fit to help prepare for the burial, he’s resting by the grave they dug for us. Little bit on the other side of the crash.” The gruff voice calmly came out, hiding the fact that the rotating guards had to watch over a body for a few days.

Skyfire’s relief was immediate, the nervous tic fading into an embarrassed smile. “Oh they did that? You all are really nice. I was preparing myself to start digging the grave.”

“You really think our kind would make you do something like that, Feathers?” Blaze interjected, smirking a little before she too set a hoof on Skyfire’s shoulder. “I respect the commitment though, no little bird. When we do bury our members, Stable 36 does it as a group. It’s a way of looking after each other, ya know?” She’d admit, giving a rather tender look before glaring as she caught Lily smirking.

“Oh the brute cares about little Skyfire?” Lily sang out before quickly ducking a half-hearted kick from Blaze who snorted, staying silent. The unicorn was tensed for a fight, her more lithe frame taut while Blaze turned towards her.

Lime green magic gently pulled the pair apart as Misty Sparks nudged Skyfire, a soft smile on her face. The brewing duo walked away from one another, making Misty Sparks sigh in relief. “We do bury as a group, I hope it’d be alright if Blaze and I at the least could help put him in, and cover him.”

“Oh, I uh-” Skyfire started, tears quickly welling up in the corners of her eyes as she started to move, slowly making her way around the crashed aircraft. “I’d be really thankful for you two, and I think Jolts would appreciate it too. He said there were friends to be made on the surface. He never quite believed all the stories about savages and murderers.” Skyfire’s voice fell quiet soon after. Her legs were trembling visibly as they walked over to the freshly dug grave. Skyfire gasped softly, noticing how Jolts’ helmet was resting where the head should have been. Blaze’s declaration that Jolts had lost his head was burned into her memory. “They found his helmet?” She’d gasp, the tears trailing freely down her face by then.

Lily cringed at that point and coughed. “The helmet also has his head, which for posterity, we sealed up. I was on the first shift out here to secure the site,” She admitted, blanching as Skyfire turned to stare at the mare for a moment.

“I suppose it’s better than not finding it.” Skyfire whimpered softly, “He loved flying, so I think he’d be happy you managed to let him rest with his flight suit.” She walked on over to put a hoof on the helmet, closing her eyes, lost in thought for a moment. In her mind’s eye all she could see was his devilish smirk and burning orange eyes. She missed his smile.

Misty Sparks at that point peered into the grave, her eyes widening before Blaze snorted softly, “Yeah, it’s deeper than you.”

“Not. Now.” Misty Sparks cringed, looking over nervously before sighing as Skyfire was still lost in thought. “You’re right though, that’s deep. It feels smaller than the last grave I saw though.”

Skyfire opened her eyes at that point and paled. Her ears fell sharply back as she took in the grave. “It is deep, but Jolts wanted to be part of the world down here, he’d be happy… being buried on solid soil like this.” Skyfire then attempted to pick up Jolts, struggling to do so before yelping softly. Her side flared with pain and she stepped back panting. After a moment to catch her breath, she tried again, only to shout as a glowing lime hue enveloped Jolts’ body. Skyfire looked over to see Misty Spark’s face scrunched up, her horn glowing brilliantly.

“I’d. Be. A bad. Friend. If I didn’t help out!” Misty Sparks squeaked out, her horn’s glow intensifying as Jolts slowly floated over the grave, then started descending.

Blaze’s eyes widened and she let out a soft whistle towards the end. “Someone’s been practicing her magic,” She remarked respectfully once Misty Sparks was finished.

“We do this together,” Misty Sparks said back, panting lightly, looking somewhat exhausted from the magical strain before she waved a hoof to a smiling, yet still crying Skyfire. “You’re one of us now, and we take care of our own.” Those words only furthered to intensify Skyfire’s crying.

The next few moments went by quietly, save for the sounds of shovels striking into fresh earth, Blaze and Skyfire shoveling the dirt in while Misty Sparks took a breather. Soon there were three shovels in action, then five as Shears and Lily joined in as well, sharing looks with the rest silently.

Time went by slowly. It was hard for Skyfire to tell how much had passed, with that lack of a sunrise. She couldn’t keep track of time without the sun's position, and her mind dwelled on that for a little bit. Hadn’t the princesses done that? Was that some final spell they did to let the world survive without them? She didn’t have too long to dwell on it in her mind before Misty Sparks nudged Skyfire, a glowing ration bar floating closely in front of the pegasi’s nose.

“Hungry?” Misty Sparks inquired, a soft smile on her face. The rest of the group had all taken a break to eat food, drink water and take care of duties. The hole was almost filled, maybe another half hour of work left.

“I…” Skyfire began, before her stomach answered her, growling loudly, bringing a bright blush to the gray pegasi’s face. “I suppose I am hungry. Travel bar?” She asked, sitting back on her haunches to relax a moment, sniffing at the pressed food.

“Yes, not quite like what we had last night,” Misty Sparks began, cringing a little as she floated the bar up to munch on it, chewing it slowly. “Hard to get used to the flavor though.” She said before staring as Skyfire started digging in.

Skyfire apparently didn't mind the flavor, munching away at a pace that made Blaze raise a brow, the pegasus would smile and giggle for the first time that day. “This is about what I ate on the daily for breakfast. So it’s something I just go past.” Skyfire smiled a bit, looking over to Misty Sparks. “Thank you though for checking up on me. My mind was wandering.” Skyfire took a moment to guzzle down some water before sighing, smiling a bit more. “You know this feels alright, doing this all with you here. Thank you for coming with me.”

“Don’t mention it, you’ve made life more lively here, in a good way,” Lily commented quietly, Shears nodding at that sentiment. The other security guards had mingled their way with those posted at the crash, muttered agreements coming from all around.

“It’s certainly been a memorable last week or so, to meet and get to know a pegasus who’s friendly like yourself,” Shears added after a moment of thought, the rest of the guard patrol echoing similar sentiments. Even Pumpkin, the guard who’d been accusatory of the Enclave earlier, expressed a degree of fondness for the grey mare.

Their words drew an increasingly embarrassed smile out of Skyfire who’s wings slipped out from the cloak to hide her face as she glanced away. “I’m honored, you’re all a lovely bunch.” She squeaked, tracing a hoof on the ground after she finished her snack.

A silver hoof found its way through Skyfire’s plumage, and accidentally booped Skyfire, causing the mare to squeak and giggle. “Hi!” Skyfire yelped out, pulling her wings down with a nervous smile, looking over to see Misty Spark gazing at her wings, blinking a few times. The unicorn looked absolutely enthralled with the crimson tips.

“I was trying to look at your feathers, they look so soft when they’re extended out like that!” Misty Sparks admitted, giving a nervous smile, before it transitioned into a more steady one as Skyfire slowly unfurled a wing and scooted over to let Misty Sparks get a better look at it. Misty Sparks inhaled briskly, a hoof hovering with uncertainty.

“You going to ask how to preen them next?” Blaze snorted out with a smirk, causing Skyfire to blush as deep as her mane, followed by Misty Sparks as she noticed Skyfire’s reaction.

“I was just looking at them!” Misty Sparks shouted back, pausing a moment before adding more quietly, “what’s the matter with preening though?” Skyfire gave a nervous smile.

Skyfire fully extended out her right wing and gently preened a few feathers back into alignment, shivering silently as she did. “It’s something that you let somepony you like or trust do to your wings. Trust is important.” She informed the unicorn, giving a shy smile, “If somepony were to mess up our feathers we’d have a hard time flying, and well, they’re sensitive!”

“I guess you don’t talk to the Dashites much then? I’ve even heard about that.” Blaze laughed a little bit before she’d grunt out, “Though that’s smart to be careful of who you let touch your feathers. I doubt Sparky here would do anything wrong intentionally.” She’d admit, rolling her eyes at Misty Sparks’ protests before standing up again. Skyfire was frowning heavily at what Blaze had said, unaware of just what she’d meant by ‘Dashites’. “Anyways, I’ll get back to it.” Blaze said simply, and before long there were five shovels filling in dirt once again.

Another half hour or so passed before the dirt was all piled up properly, and a piece of the aircraft had been stuck atop the head of the grave, Jolts’ name and rank etched into it. Skyfire was crying a little again, but she was all smiles this time. With a careful hoof, she dug out just enough dirt to bury the tree seed Flare had sent along with them. Skyfire held the seed with her wingtips, admiring the life that could spring from it. Her heart sang as she knew this was exactly what Jolts would have wanted. Gingerly the seed was placed in her best friend’s grave and covered with dirt.

Skyfire leaned into Misty Sparks who pressed against her comfortingly. She was trembling, tears dripping down to the freshly moved soil. The others were respectful as she mourned, a mixture of closure and grief flowing over her. The pegasus dipped her head and wiped her tears away with her wing. Silence filled the space besides her sobs, and eventually Sergeant Shears cleared his throat. “Are there… any words you’d like to say, Miss Lumia? Something to say goodbye to your friend?”

Sniffling, the mare gave a nod, her voice strained. “Well… There’s…. There’s at least one Enclave tradition I think he’d like. I j-just hope I don’t mess up the words.” The others looked to her with confusion as she gathered herself, inhaling in preparation. What came next was a foreign tune with a pained voice, singing words beautifully around them.

“Of all the bits that e'er I had
I spent it in good company
And all the harm I've ever done
Alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To mem'ry now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be to you all

“So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate’er befall,
And gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

“Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I gently rise and softly call
Good night and joy be to you all

“If I had bits enough to spend
And leisure time to sit awhile
There is a fair maid in this town
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips
I own she has my heart in thrall
Then fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.

“A colt may drink and not be drunk
A colt may fight and not be slain
A colt may court a pretty mare
And perhaps be welcomed back again
But since it has so ought to be
By a time to rise and a time to fall
Come fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all
Good night and joy be with you all.”

What followed was a solid moment, maybe two of silence that stretched onwards into awkwardness. Skyfire’s eyes opened slowly, and she looked back nervously as she rubbed a hoof, “I hope I didn’t do too bad.” She murmured. The stable ponies had all shifted away from her, expressions dumbfounded and mouths agape.

“What did you just… do?” Blaze asked, tilting her head, before she glanced over to Misty Sparks. “Didn’t she just… sing? That’s what singing is, right?”

“Yes!” Misty Sparks shouted, jolting back into action as she trotted over to put a hoof on Skyfire’s shoulder. She tugged the confused pegasus over a little bit, smiling very nervously. “The thing we’re uh, not allowed to do.”

Skyfire’s eyes widened as she gasped nervously, her face turning a paler hue than Misty Sparks’ coat. “Oh I-” A silver hoof nearly slapped her mouth shut.

“It’s. It’s. It’s fine! You didn’t know!” Misty Spark gritted as she’d interject quickly giving a nervous look around to see Shears take his grip off of his hoofcuffs, they stayed on his barding as he took to Misty Sparks’ lead. The rest of the security relaxed slowly, though the discomfort was plain to see. They shifted their hooves and glanced to the others as if they expected one another to start arresting. Lily stepped away from her coworkers and pointedly glared at them.

“You sure?” Skyfire whimpered out and looked away nervously for a few seconds, her eyes returning to Misty Sparks for her verdict. It suddenly felt like standing in front of flight sergeants, one action out of line all it would take for them to verbally eviscerate her.

Lime eyes widened with emphasis and Misty Sparks smiled. “Yes. You one hundred percent did not know it’s against the rules in the stable.” Misty Sparks gestured as if it were such an obvious fact, sighing softly as the rest of the security detail relaxed as well, easing into their second snacks. Many of them glanced between Shears, Skyfire, and Misty Sparks, but things remained rather light hearted at that point. Skyfire motioned Blaze and Misty Sparks closer after a few minutes of thought, a nervously eager smile on her face now.

“Yeah what did you want?” Blaze huffed out, eyeing up Skyfire suspiciously before growling as a pair of grey and red wings tugged the cousins into a hug.

“Well I wanted to give my two friends a big hug, thanking you both for coming out here with me on this. It means the world to me to not do this alone, and the rest the stable as well. I said it before but I know Jolts is smiling. And well, I want to help out more back in the stable, make up for everyone going out of their way for this.” Purple eyes wandered for a moment before Skyfire pulled out the mallow leaves. “If I find enough of the herbs I know, I want to try and make you both, and the security detail some tea I’ve read to be delicious.”

“You want to make us… a drink?” Blaze would cock her head, a touch confused. “Look you don’t need to make it up for sing-” Her words were cut short as Misty Sparks nudged the earth pony, shaking her head, smiling all the more. It was too wide a grin, making her eyes bulge a bit and emphasize the discomfort the unicorn felt. Blaze snorted with disgust.

“I think that’d be a swell way to try and pay back, once we make sure it’s all safe, you were wanting to try and teach us about the herbs you found weren’t you?” Misty Sparks would add.

“Well there’s this recipe I’ve always wanted to find, and you might actually have heard of some of the ingredients!” Skyfire started, her wings twitching as she folded her wings back up. The cloak wasn’t too heavy but it was a strange sensation regardless. “You take sage root and you grind it up, then you boil it for a while, after which you steep broc flowers in it… the result is refreshing, like a rich evergreen taste.” She said, “Which sounds a lot better than the very dull tea we were given back in the cloud barracks.”

“You know that does sound refreshing, I think we have what's-it-called, sage? Back home.” Lily piped up which prompted a nervous squeak from Skyfire.

“Oh you could hear me?” Skyfire asked gingerly.

“I don’t think anypony here didn’t hear your eager chattering, but it sounds tasty.” Blaze smirked, earning a laugh from Shears who nodded. “It does sound yummy, but I’m not sure if we have any broc flowers.”

“We do have broc flowers, Blaze. I’ve used them actually in tests, just never thought of combining them.” Misty Sparks hummed quietly, thinking about it. “Both are safe enough though, so I think perhaps we could… make it up at my chemistry station when we’re back?”

A collective eager cheer answered that question, Skyfire gave a nervous smile before leaning in to hug Misty Sparks, whispering into her ear, “Thank you uh, I noticed hoofcuffs being grabbed until you intervened, how bad of a rule did I just break?”

Misty Sparks gasped softly before whispering back, “It’s one of the biggest rules, I uh, singing and recreations are distractions which cause us not to be productive, so they’re banned. We let the surface ponies play their radios, because we don’t want to scare away trade… but it’s distracting and makes it hard to focus. Ponykind played too much during the war, and now we’re here. It’s up to us to make things right and learn from their mistakes.”

“I have thoughts about that, but I understand. And. I won’t- I won’t do it again. Thank you so much. I was really afraid.” Skyfire whimpered under her breath, “Really afraid I had fucked up, and lost the two friends, and the place that was being so kind to me. You all looked like I had just shot one of you. I uh… wow.” Her words tumbled out in a rush, and Misty Sparks pressed her hoof to the pegasus’ lips.

“Ssshshhhhhh, it’s fine it’s fine. It scared me because I was afraid the others would... and.. Let’s just move on. Shears respects the decision enough to be smiling, and I think the drink will help make a better memory of this whole thing. You weren’t told, you can’t be punished for not knowing,” Misty Sparks managed out quickly, giving Skyfire a quick few pats before separating back to stand up.

Blaze poked Skyfire and the mare jolted back. “Hey. I break rules all the fucking time,” she encouraged, “don’t worry about it. They’re all a bunch of softies in the end.”

“We are not!” Shouted Lily.

Blaze snickered, “Luna’s ass you aren’t! Come on Feathers, it’s okay. You gave your friend a real good funeral. I liked the song, if that makes you feel any better.”

Sniffling, Skyfire gave a small nod. “Thank… Thank you Blaze… it does.”

The deviant of a mare gave a comforting smile and patted the pegasus’ mane. “Like I said, you’re one of us now. I’ve got your back.”

Chapter Ten: Fallout

Chapter Ten: Fallout

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”

Thirteen years ago

A rhythmic beeping noise stirred the filly from her slumber, its constant drone one she found difficult to ignore. She hadn’t gotten much sleep with all the machines that surrounded her. Wet sand-colored fur bristled at the prick of needles and rough texture of bandages and she coughed into the oxygen mask that covered her muzzle. Even at the age of ten, Blaze was an abnormally large filly and the adult-sized mask had to be secured with extra straps. Bleary emerald eyes scanned the familiar medical room, taking in encouraging posters with Stable-Colt telling her to take her medicine and wash her hooves. She rather hated him.

“How are you feeling today, Blaze?” Came the sharp voice of Healing Drops. Even when she was trying to be kind, her words always grated along Blaze’s skull. Or, perhaps, that was all the medicine she was taking distorting her senses. The matronly mare came into view from Blaze’s flank, a clipboard hovering in her magical grip nearby. It annoyed Blaze that it hurt to turn her head much and look around, so she remained inert on the bed.

“The same,” she replied in a frail voice.

“It’ll get better… Eventually,” Healing Drops said in that somewhat condescendingly sympathetic voice of hers. Blaze huffed and fogged up her oxygen mask. “Now, now, it will. These things take time and lots of it. You likely will never be the same, but you’ll live and that’s what matters.”

Blaze whimpered and trembled where she lay. “Can I see her yet?”

The unicorn grew stiff, a grimace pulling at her wrinkled lips. “Well, we can’t stand you up yet so-”

“Cart me in then. I want to see her.”

“It’s only been two weeks, you have to understand-”

“I want to see my mom!” Blaze lurched as much as she could in the bed, jostling the tubing around her. She winced as the IV in her elbow nearly came out, and Healing Drops was quick to fix it. With a defeated sigh the filly flopped back against the bed and let the doctor fret around her.

Twenty minutes passed before Blaze tried again. “Please.”

A tense moment passed before Healing Drops sighed and faced the filly. Wrinkles pulled at the edges of her face, drawn further into severity as she frowned. “You understand what you’re asking, don’t you? Your mom… What happened left her in a very bad state.”

“I have to see her, please. I haven’t since-”

“The incident,” Healing Drops supplied when Blaze choked on her words. Blaze nodded as much as she could. Eventually, the old mare relented. “Okay. Let me get your father first, alright?”

“Okay.”

It was half an hour later before Hammers was shuffling into the room, and Blaze had been transferred into a wheelchair. Haggardness clung to the stout stallion like his barding which was far messier than normal. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. He didn’t so much as glance at Blaze as he waited by the door, and the filly gulped. “D-dad?”

“Let’s just do this,” he replied in an emotionless voice.

Healing Drops nickered as she pushed Blaze along, scolding Hammers in far too soft of tones for the filly to overhear. Her own heart was pounding in her chest now and the wheels of the wheelchair made the attached IV and oxygen tank clatter over the tile floor. Each door they passed made her grow colder and colder, that terrible sensation rooting itself in her stomach. Which one was their destination? How bad would it be? Would her mother even recognize her, as distorted as she was? She glanced at the hints of her skin that poked out between layers of bandages. The nub of her tail felt especially pronounced with how it dug into her leg, no hair to soften it. She missed her mane and fur. Bugs crawled along beneath her dressings, biting and scratching her flesh so much she wanted to scratch it all off. More than once they’d had to restrain her from doing exactly that.

They stopped in front of a door with a specialized entrance, the most intensive care needed beyond. Blaze gulped and reached for her father’s hoof. He silently held her, impassive almost. It opened with a hydraulic hiss and the same beeps of machines that kept Blaze awake flooded outwards. The filly pressed back into her wheelchair, ice filling her veins. “M-mom?” She’d expected her mother to be much the same as her; covered in wrappings with healing salves applied to severe radiation burns, IVs, and other equipment connecting to a frail mare. What she saw could more easily be described as a heap of flesh, bulbous tumors wiggling their way free from a formerly yellow hide. A sheet had been pulled to conceal the worst of it, only making the filly’s mind race with possibilities.

The thing that hurt the most, however, was the way her mother simply lay there asleep on her belly. Her burned back was all the filly could look at, taking in the way blackened skin and flesh sloughed off and tumors burst like overeager flowers. Only the monitors reassured Blaze her greatest fear had not come to pass. “She’s too young to see this,” Hammers intoned. He sounded far away to Blaze.

“She’s been begging since she woke up,” Healing Drops said softly, as if afraid of further upsetting the filly in question. “It had to happen eventually, better while Ember is still… With us.”

Blaze stiffened. “Is she going to be okay? With enough time, like... I will?” She looked up at Healing Drops, trembling in her chair. She already knew the answer.

“I’m so sorry… but no. Your mother is… She’s-”

“She’s dying,” Hammers interjected, voice a shattered note, “and she’s never going to be able to say goodbye.”

The acrid smokescreen still shielded the Skyhawk and an uneasy silence fell inside her as Blaze lay there in shock. The bar on her pip-buck lowered slowly, not slow enough. She couldn’t tear her eyes off that little meter, the ticking pounded into her skull. The rad-away had run its course already. All too soon, it inched upwards so slowly it almost was imperceptible, but she knew exactly what it was doing as it jostled in place. Tick after tick, she crept closer to death. A grimace split across her face and she once more buried her face in her hooves. Try as she might, the images of the past wouldn’t leave her mind. Hollowness filled her from the inside out, reaching her fetlock hooves and leaving her inert there on the floor.

Skyfire laid out across the bay, her purple eyes wandering as she looked for something to focus on. She’d been watching Blaze for the last while but satisfied that the large mare didn’t seem to have much desire to do anything, she’d let her focus shift back to what else was going on. More than once she had been caught trying to poke her head out to look around. Misty Sparks had distracted her the first time, but the pain of her wound demanded her attention now. “How long has it been since Pumpkin and Sundance left?” She asked quietly.

“Least an hour. I didn’t have the time to properly mark when we made the distress signal,” Misty Sparks murmured back softly. “I should have been ready to write it down-”

“If we hadn’t been shot at literally seconds after you sent the message, I’m sure you would’ve.”

“I suppose you’re right. Quick thinking is why we made it to where we are now.”

Rocky Cold leaned over and smiled, hints of warmth in dark brown eyes. “Quick thinking, a desire to protect your friends, and a lot of bravery got you here. Don’t discount yourselves.” The earth pony had busied himself going through every scrap left inside the Skyhawk. Unfortunately, Skyfire had been rather thorough the last time she was here. All he’d managed to find was a pair of emergency healing potions and a shot of adrenaline. “We’ve got a few medical supplies in case things get dicey. Can you close the bay, Skyfire?”

“Manually I could if we had ten minutes of peace and quiet. One of the hydraulic pistons is broken, not to mention I pulled out one of the power cells,” Skyfire said back sheepishly, looking at the opened power pack section. Her ears twitched at the hiss of where that battery had ended up.

“Not likely then, and I doubt the lock would hold well with the damage it has. Are you sure you can repair this thing?”

“Yes, yes I am sure of it. We’ve almost completely gutted and rebuilt these things from scratch back home.” Skyfire frowned softly and brushed her mane. “It might take a while, but it will be very useful. Assuming we make it through the next few hours.”

“Don’t worry about that, your gas seems strong...ish,” Golden Haze pointed out, having looked out to witness several ponies attempt to brave the caustic spray. “It’s enough to make all but the thickest ponies back off, though I can’t say anything about long-term effects on their lungs.”

“Wouldn’t you all have gas masks, by the way?” Skyfire inquired with a curious look. “You all seem so prepared for hazards and toxic air was one of those initial things everypony was afraid of with the radiation.”

Misty Sparks balked before giving a soft smile. “Initially all the exploration was done with as much radiation protection we had stored, which included fully sealed hazardous materials masks. Now that we know the area isn’t irradiated we don’t supply them for routine things. This outpost was supposed to be something more routine.”

“So you’re saying that it’s good luck they weren’t prepared for something like this?” Skyfire sighed softly. “I’ll take luck.”

“Well, it’s more that, aside from the sinkholes we’ve scouted out, the ambient radiation has been exceedingly low in the area.”

“Oooh okay, well I doubt anyone thought to sweep the Skyhawk too much,” Skyfire murmured, glancing at a rather rigid Blaze. “It would mean we need to pull out the other battery and fix it if it’s the cause of the leak. The one I punctured needs to be repaired.”

“Can you actually fix that?” Golden Haze asked, an eyebrow raised.

“I-” Skyfire started before pausing as a large cacophony of whinnies all sounded out.

“Looky here you five. You’re stuck in there as much as we’re stuck out here waiting. I have a critical proposition for you, a trade if you will,” Rusty called out as loud as he seemed like he could. The edges of his voice were sharp like knives, cutting into those within the wreckage. He was likely using magic to amplify himself. “I have Cuffs and Shears here nicely tied up. You have Blaze, the reason this whole… kerfuffle even happened. I am offering to trade them over for Blaze. So we can do the justice that needs to happen.”

Silence filled the inside of the Skyhawk, none of the ponies could tell if Blaze had even registered the demand. Her head remained buried beneath her hooves. A soft ticking filled the crushing void. Lime eyes darted around, desperately trying to think. Misty Sparks’ response started soft, only to pitch with fervor. “I-I-I... I don’t know what to do!”

“They won’t let us walk out of here alive,” Golden Haze murmured. “They know they can’t have any witnesses if they want to talk their way out of the wrath of the overseer. You said the transmission you sent was scrambled, they don’t know exactly what happened. That’s their hope I suspect.”

“Blaze, for Cuffs and Shears,” Rusty called out again. “I know you can hear me. The wind isn’t that bad.”

“We need to say something soon,” Skyfire fretted quietly. “They might hurt them more if we don’t talk.”

The pegasus paused as a scuffle erupted outside with quick shouts before they faintly heard Cuffs. “Misty don’t-”

There was a crack! It was followed quickly by a loud yelp.

Shears’ strained voice split the air. “Don’t do it Misty! They want you gone-”

Another crack! A few more rapidly followed as Rusty quickly shouted out, “They might be loyal to you, but do you really want their blood on your hooves, trying to save the life of somepony who deserves justice?! Don’t you care for the sergeants of your stable? The crowd out here just wants Blaze. She’s the one who’s been causing issues, hurting ponies, doing damage to the safety of our stable for years.”

Misty Sparks’ eyes watered and she flinched from the yelping. “They’re hurting both of them after they risked so much to get us here.”

“They believe in you Misty Sparks,” Rocky Cold said. “They knew the risks of helping and still went for it. They don’t want you to die out here.”

“Shears didn’t get a chance to pick a side,” Misty Sparks argued, picturing him laid out in the command center. There had been so much blood.

The earth pony shook his head. “I saw him side with you in the field hospital. He believes in you.”

“What about Blaze?”

Rocky Cold paused for a moment, thinking. The way he scrunched his nose made it clear he was picking his words precisely. “Most of us have issues with Blaze, but we don’t believe that she should be hanged on the spot for what happened. We have a system of law, and we want to go through that. It’s what separates us from the lawless wastes where emotion and impulse rule the lands.”

“Rusty would seek to save his own flank, and knowing we all know too much, we’d tell the truth at least about this mutiny. They’re getting desperate,” Golden Haze interjected as he looked down. His golden eyes burned with intensity, a hoof pressing into the cargo bay floor until it strained. “They want you all out there so they can control you or kill you.”

“Misty,” Skyfire started, looking over to her friend. “I know you’re the next overmare, but I don’t think we should give Blaze over. I think that Golden Haze is correct. I get the feeling that seeing we called out for help, they know we’ll tell your mom everything.” The pegasus nibbled at her feathers in swift motions, ruffling crimson easily.

Golden Haze coughed quietly, “Skyfire is right-”

“I know she’s right!” Misty Sparks squeaked out, her face red with emotion. Tears brimmed in her eyes and trailed down freckled cheeks.

Skyfire fluffed up as she took in her friend. A wing gingerly placed itself on her shoulder, and Misty Sparks calmed herself. “I won’t squander them, and I hope they’re bluffing.” She turned and cleared her throat, calling back out of the end of the Skyhawk. “No, we’re not going to trade Blaze. You’re going to try and kill us with her because you want the Overmare to not know about this mutiny!”

There was a moment and various voices filtered into the reach of the group’s hearing. It was mostly unintelligible, but the emotion was strained. They weren’t happy about it. “Now why would I want to kill you all?” Rusty called back out, “That goes against everything the stable stands for. No, we want justice because Blaze has been ducking under it and abusing her status as a relative of the Overmare. We want her to be treated like the rest of us. Where her actions have consequences. That’s not unreasonable now is it?”

A pair of gunshots rang out, muffled through the interior of the Skyhawk. Skyfire and Misty Sparks both yelped, light pouring in through the small hole that had pierced above the unicorn’s head. They’d swapped to armor-piercing rounds. Shouts from the mutineers were more clear now, fragments of sentences reaching the trapped ponies. “They certainly don’t seem happy,” Skyfire whined, adjusting gingerly away from that side. “I hear more talking, there’s a bit of a hole. Let me see if I can see what’s going on.”

“You might get shot,” Golden Haze warned. “Poke your head through a hole instead of the exit, you’ll have more cover.”

“I can’t stand not at least trying to watch, I know we’re in a corner here, but I like Cuffs and Shears, and. I need to see if…” Skyfire’s voice died out as she adjusted, scooting over to a hoof-sized hole, coughing quietly. “The smoke isn’t too thick anymore. I can see silhouettes.”

“What do you see?” Misty Sparks asked softly, her eyes widening as Skyfire’s face twisted into fear.

A consistent noise of thumps and squelches pierced the smoke. Skyfire’s ears fell back and she gulped. “I can see rifles and hooves going down on something. I think they’re mad.”

“C-Cuffs?”

“I can’t- I can’t tell. They’re moving about, I see lots of ponies moving around, most of them, they seem energetic, nervous?” Skyfire started, wincing as another pair of gunshots rang out. Everypony inside flinched and ducked low, save Skyfire who remained to peer outside. “It doesn’t look like they’re shooting at the Skyhawk.”

Skyfire watched for a moment before gasping, “A bunch of the forms are moving off, they’re galloping, they didn’t even grab whatever they were attacking.”

Seconds turned into minutes of silence.

A barrage of gunfire started off in the distance, sending everypony ducking, expecting the Skyhawk to disintegrate around them. Skyfire dropped low from the hole and covered herself with her wings this time. The gunfire continued for a minute, a sharp rapport that sounded like angry barks. Curses and thundering hooves filled the gap of gunfire. “Maybe ghouls showed up?” Rocky Cold murmured. “A group found the Skyhawk when it first crashed, right?”

“It could be raiders who were eyeing all the ponies and equipment set up here,” Golden Haze counter-offered with a sigh. “Either way it’s probably bad news.”

“Least they’re not shooting here,” Skyfire said, slinking back towards the hole, her wings fluttering nervously.

There was a striking noise against metal, then another as familiar voice cleared their throat. “Attention everypony inside that stupid wreckage, this is your final offer. Your smokescreen is starting to falter, and we’re getting impatient. We want Blaze, but if you’re all so insistent on not giving her over, we’re going to take her, and Flare will understand that you all wanted to stop the will of the stable. Even if we have rules, sometimes ponies dodge them and have to face justice in another way.” Rusty paused and took a deep breath, sighing loudly. Misty Sparks thought she almost heard fear coloring his words. A hoof settled on her pistol.

“The old stable knew that justice needed to be served, or we’d all lapse into those in power abusing what they could to get away with what they wanted. Far too long has power rested in the Auras! Your family has had total control over the stable, doing as they pleased for two centuries now! You don’t get to be held above the rest of us, you’re no royalty! Blaze might be your cousin Misty, but she’s gotten away with too many things for too long. She nearly killed Lily! She’s a threat to us all! She’ll kill you too if you get in her way.”

“He’s right,” Blaze mumbled suddenly, everypony inside looking over at the formerly statuesque earth pony who hadn’t moved through all of the talking and gunfire. She’d finally emerged from beneath her hooves, staring at her radiation meter. It was still yellow. Bugs skittered beneath her skin, biting and scratching in an attempt to eat her from the inside out. Another clump of hair fell. “I’m a monster, and you all shouldn’t die for me.”

Misty Sparks balked. “This entire situation isn’t right Blaze, but you going out there isn’t going to solve anything.”

“You all dying here isn’t going to fix anything either Sparky. You and Feathers? You have futures ahead of you, and you actually both get along,” Blaze murmured back, dull, emerald eyes meeting distraught lime eyes. The earth pony stared down at her cousin, slowly shifting to sit up. “At least if I die, you four can get out of here.”

“Well, unfortunately, your martyrdom won’t earn our freedom, they intend to kill us all if they can so they can lie about what happened,” Golden Haze cut in dryly. “Though caring about other ponies besides yourself certainly is an improvement.”

For once, she didn’t tell him to be quiet with his snark. Rather the mare stepped towards Misty Sparks with careful motions. She winced with each movement, stiff like a machine. “I can buy you time then.”

“I’m not giving you up!” Misty Sparks vowed.

“It’s not your choice anymore,” Blaze rasped. Skyfire attempted to stand in her way but the pain of her injury caused her to shout and collapse. Golden Haze dashed to her side, horn glowing with healing magic. “Yours either, Feathers. Take care of Sparky for me, okay?”

“Blaze-” whimpered Skyfire.

“Trust me for once,” Blaze begged, eyes focused on her cousin. Misty Sparks stared up at her, time moving so very slowly around them. Gunfire was sparking outside, pinging off the Skyhawk and away at something else. Something was coming, and it could be more dangerous than what they were facing. “Please Misty Sparks.”

For a moment, Misty Sparks felt like a foal. Blaze stood before her, not a bloodied, pained mess but instead something softer. A filly, with hope in emerald eyes that Misty Sparks hadn’t seen in a long time. Her jaw set itself back and forth, unable to look away. A smile flashed across lips that hadn’t given such a sincere expression in years. She tried to reach for her but her body hurt too much. Blinking away the vision, Misty Sparks tucked her head. “I trust you,” she whispered. “Don’t you dare die.”

Rocky Cold sputtered and stepped closer. Blaze looked at him, exhausted, but he froze in place. “You’re kidding, right? After everything you’re going to let her out there and give in to what Rusty wants?”

“We’re just buying time now right?” Blaze asked, barely any emotion in her voice.

They all gave slow nods, looking at one another. Nearly two hours had passed overall. “Promise me you won’t let them kill you,” demanded Misty Sparks. A second spray of gunfire tore into the Skyhawk and Rusty’s feral demands followed. Blaze was the only one that didn’t flinch away.

“…I won’t let him.”

Before anypony could change their minds, Blaze pushed forward. Her steps grew a degree of confidence they had not yet seen in her since her awakening. The ticking of her pip-buck rang in their ears as she drew closer to the entrance, the hissing battery exuding radiation. She felt her strength returning steadily the longer she basked in the radiation. Her gut twisted and her heart quaked. She wanted to puke but steadied herself. Ponies that mattered were counting on her. “Rusty!” She screamed, stomping her hooves into the metal. It reverberated like a dinner bell.

“There you are, you bitch!” Rusty screamed back.

“Yeah yeah, that’s me. If you think I’m coming out of there without some assurances though you’re a fool,” she replied.

“Like what?”

“Send your hostages out of camp. Let them go,” she demanded. “I’m not coming out until I see them moving.”

Cackles came from the assembled mutineers, slipping between the hisses of the battery. Blaze squinted through the wisps of smoke, just able to make out the center mass of former security guards. “As if you’ll come waltzing out the moment they’re clear? You don’t care about anypony but yourself.”

“I care about Misty Sparks.”

More gunshots cracked on the perimeter, making Blaze frown. “What in Tartarus is out there?” Golden Haze whispered behind her. She glanced back to the others, taking in who she was trying to protect. Her chest grew tight and she set her jaw.

The forms shifted, a glimpse of Shears and Cuffs filling Blaze’s vision before they were gone. She’d seen guns held to their heads. “Enough stalling,” Rusty growled, his voice startlingly closer. “I know where you are now, Blaze. Let’s end this.”

Tick-tick-tick.

Blaze bellowed and darted forward. Acrid smoke burned her body and lungs. Pain lanced her body, mixing with something instinctual. Emerald eyes shone like stars. The more she stood in the smoke, the stronger she felt. It coiled along her spine, pulsating with the rapid tick of her pip-buck. A crack of a gun deafened Blaze, a bloom of light to her left. Blood sprayed across the Skyhawk’s hull, a shriek coming from the mares inside. Blaze’s hoof scraped along the ground until it struck the battery. With a crack of noise, it went flying from her mighty kick. The mutineers shouted in alarm and many fled the sudden projectile. One unfortunate stallion went limp as the battery impacted his skull, a wet noise muted by the hissing gas.

The smokescreen was gone, Rusty was visible skulking near the entrance of the wreckage. Blaze shifted on her hooves and drew a 10mm pistol. Misty Sparks balked from inside as she realized hers was missing. Blaze had taken it. With a muffled scream the earth pony pounced and dodged most of Rusty’s barrage of bullets. More blood spilled from her as a pair tore through her shoulder, and a third skimmed her cheek. She closed the small gap and pressed the pistol to his neck, only to stop short of pulling the trigger with her tongue.

The unicorn lifted his head away as much as he could but froze in place. “Go on!” Rusty screamed, “Do it! I’m dead anyway!”

Emerald eyes burned and the mare was tense, poised to do exactly that. Then something caught her attention and she smirked. Dropping the pistol, she sneered, “And rob you of true justice?”

Confused, Rusty stepped back and looked at his followers. Several of them lay disabled by Blaze’s punt, choking on acrid air and stumbling away. Stable-Tec clad ponies were pouring in over the hills, stampeding through the barricades. They were a wave of blue and yellow, armed to the teeth and unstoppable. Several were unicorns with protective shielding cast, some mutineers still trying to shoot them and unable to penetrate the wards. They engaged the mutineers with surgical precision, subduing small groups at a time. Several of the mutineers were immediately surrendering. At the head was a bright red mare with ice blue eyes, her gaze fixated on the pair. Rusty brought his gun around, aiming for Flare, but he wasn’t fast enough.

An implosion of magic deafened all, a shockwave of blinding light smashing into bodies immediately. It was as if a miniature balefire bomb had gone off, light and magic so potent it could be tasted in the air. There was no escaping the overcharged spell. Blaze smiled as in a singular instant everypony who had mutinied was frozen in place. Many of them were in the middle of running or fighting, batons and guns ignored and the perpetrator held still. Violet twinkling magic encased Rusty and his compatriots, spectacular tendrils dancing through the air back to the source. Overmare Flare held her head high with a scowl so fierce Blaze gave a moment of pause. Her aunt had never, not even after Ratchet’s betrayal, looked so furious.

She looked as if she wanted to kill.

“You can come out now,” Blaze said over her shoulder, feeling the resurgence of strength fade away. Bodies were being dragged away from the sputtering makeshift gas bomb, and each one restrained was released from Flare’s magic. The Overmare’s power made it an easy task. For once Blaze admired the skill of Security. Flare had brought the best.

“Mom!” Screamed Misty Sparks as she emerged from the wreckage. Relief melted ice blue eyes as Flare heard her daughter and began running to her, only to stop short as she took in her state of being. Misty Sparks limped and pressed against Flare, embracing her tightly.

“You’re hurt,” Flare said in a measured tone.

“I am but I’ll be okay now! You came! You saved us!” Tears bubbled in lime eyes and the silver unicorn buried her face in her mother’s chest. “I was s-so scared!” Flare made a shushing noise and held her daughter close. Her eyes remained on Rusty, growing harder with each moment.

Skyfire was carried out on Rocky Cold’s back, Golden Haze fretting next to her as they passed Blaze. The mare sagged and sat down, feeling the dirt and lingering radiation. Blood trickled down her limbs, pooling beneath her. Blaze felt too tired to move. The adrenaline was gone, leaving her trembling and limp. She knew well, however, that wasn’t all that had been fueling her.

Her radiation meter was reading in the low red.

“I don’t fucking get it,” Blaze rasped, watching others clean up her mess. She hated it.

“What a shock,” hissed Rusty, trying in vain to wriggle free.

Blaze flicked an ear. “Going after me makes sense, but you threatened Sparky. You made the worst mistake possible.”

“What choice did I have when she took my rank? Everything I had ever worked for, stripped by a blue-blooded brat.”

“Anything aside from killing anypony who disagreed with you?”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

Blaze huffed, barely able to keep upright. Her eyes drooped and she coughed. “Whatever.”

Flare came stalking forward, only Rusty left in her magical grip. The others were being corralled near the command center. Pumpkin and Sundance lingered nearby, speaking with Chief Smokey. Misty Sparks followed her mother while Skyfire was laid down nearby. Golden Haze refused to let her move and began to properly tend to her wounds. A trio of medics came running over as they spotted them, and Golden Haze smiled at the assistance. Blaze watched her aunt’s approach with a hint of fear, wondering just how much Flare knew was her fault. A bit of her was relieved to see the cold rage was focused exclusively on Rusty.

The overmare took one look at her niece and cast a healing spell, stopping the bleeding. Blaze mumbled her thanks, eyes half-closed. All her life Blaze had known her aunt to be a talented magician, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen such a display. It forced her to reconsider a few things. Misty Sparks was at her mother’s flank like a foal. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” Flare said without a hint of emotion, stopping a few feet away from her captive.

Rusty spat on the ground before her. “Your family is rotten to its core, all the way back to the first!”

“Not a great start,” Flare said.

He gave an unhinged smile, only able to manipulate his face in Flare’s magical grip. “Fine. Tell me what you think happened, Overmare, and I can fill in the gaps.”

“I’d rather hear what a murderous traitor like yourself has to say first,” an edge of emotion slipped into her voice. “You tried to kill my daughter, my niece, and seven others. Pumpkin and Sundance already told me much, but I am willing to hear your side before casting judgment.”

“Your father should’ve been in charge.”

Misty Sparks whimpered and leaned into her mother who stiffened. “Excuse me?” Flare asked softly.

“You heard me,” Rusty replied, “Ratchet was right. It’s wrong that power has passed on only through your family while everypony else has to earn their place. Clear Falls was a fool for risking lives on the surface. You’re an even greater fool investing our resources where raiders can so easily steal them. Your daughter is an arrogant brat who thought she could take what I have earned because of a remark she didn’t like.”

“You threatened to kill Blaze!” Misty Sparks shouted. “To outright murder her!”

“I should’ve been quieter about it, I see that now,” Rusty grumbled, “done it the way Ratchet would have. I thought a show of what’s wrong with this stable would make a clear message, but if I only waited… poisoned the addict like your father nearly did you.” Blaze scowled at him, steadily dropping lower and lower. She felt like she was wilting away. A medic darted over from Skyfire and started looking her over, and she was too weak to refuse.

“How many of my father’s allies still infest my stable?” Flare asked in a tight voice, slowly pointing her horn towards him. She had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. Rusty smirked. “Tell me!”

“No. I owe a tyrant nothing.”

“Tyrant?” Flare scoffed. Misty Sparks recoiled as she saw her mother shift before her own eyes. The overmare was no longer present, the mask had fallen completely away. Flare loomed towards Rusty, magic tightening until he squirmed in pain, coughing slightly. Her horn was pointed at his throat. “My father wanted nothing but power. I have only ever tried to protect us!”

Rusty smiled, the look of a stallion who knew he had only his life left to lose. “Like you protected your daughter from Flask?”

Flare screamed. Rusty became a blur of purple and orange as Flare threw him with her magic. He slammed into the Skyhawk with a sickening thud, eyes bulging in agony. Something cracked loudly and split the air. “How dare you!” She bellowed as she drew him close, easily lifting the larger pony with her magic. Even in her grip, he was wilted, twisted in a foul manner. Her magic bathed everything in a purple hue as her control of herself vanished. “You try to murder my guards, my niece, and my fucking daughter- and you dare accuse me of being a tyrant! You are the one who forgot what it means to be Security! You are the one who used force to inspire others to follow your twisted orders! You are the one who nearly killed several ponies because you did the unforgivable! You abused your position and status to break one of our most important laws!”

Rusty screamed breathlessly as he was slammed into the ground yards away. The imprisoned mutineers watched with horror as the Overmare displayed her power and worse yet, her fury. Those who had accompanied Flare seemed just as scared, Chief Smokey the only one not gaping or wincing. Misty Sparks took in the state of Security, and a pit formed in her gut. “Mom…” She whimpered.

“I’ll be sure to purge you and the rest of your revolutionaries,” Flare growled as she stalked towards Rusty’s twitching body. Her magic grew even tighter around his throat. Her forehoof pressed down onto his neck, suffocating him. Rusty kicked and struggled, but it was all in vain. Flare was half his size, and yet she had complete control. “I’ll get rid of every last one of my father’s sympathizers!”

“Mom!”

Flare froze.

“Overmare, please,” Misty Sparks cried as she ran up to her mother, limping heavily. She positioned herself between Flare and Rusty, pushing against Flare. “Don’t become what he says you are.”

“He tried to kill you, both of you,” Flare rasped.

“He’s willing to martyr himself here, look at him!” Misty Sparks gestured to the stallion. He was smiling between the blood and pain. “Look at him. He wants to make you the monster he claims you are.” She pointed to the onlookers. They shirked away from their overmare. Flare gaped and stepped off her captive, magic dying in a flourish. Rusty moaned and rocked in pain.

“I…”

“He deserves true justice, like anypony in our stable. He’s the monster, not us,” Misty Sparks said in a softer voice, trying to calm her mother. Flare looked between her wounded daughter and the stallion who had caused such suffering. “Don’t give him what he wants, please.”

Ice blue eyes took in her audience. Her herd recoiled from her. Flare turned away, shame washing over her face. “Chief Smokey,” she called out in a trembling voice, “arrest this former sergeant. Now.”

The charcoal stallion rushed forward to obey. Flare looked between her family and her duty, tears brimming in her eyes for only a moment. Pulling the mask back into place, she shook herself. “Everypony, secure this site and get the wounded back to the stable! We have a mess to clean up.” They obeyed with notable speed.

Misty Sparks sighed in relief.

The Next Day

Skyfire was getting used to seeing the interior of Medical. Stable-Colt posters decorated the walls with cheerful smiles and educational phrases. It raised the mare’s spirits somewhat to see, reminded of civility. Mixed between them were guards, a dozen of heavily armored loyalists Flare had made absolutely certain would protect the three mares recovering in the room. Medical equipment was more numerous than their guards, and Blaze was in a specialized medical pod that had been slowly removing the radiation that had seeped into her body. More than once the mare had puked during the process.

Most of the time back from the outpost had been spent asleep, naturally or drug-induced to encourage rapid recovery. Her side ached and her wings felt heavy, but otherwise, she was better off than her companions. Misty Sparks had been fortunate for the medical care she’d received, as her bullet wound had become infected due to how long it had remained in her body. Blaze had managed to avoid contracting any such illness. Instead, she’d spent the last day in that pod, vitals carefully monitored and oxygen cycled through. It was rounded and surprisingly smooth, with a viewing glass down the long top while the sides kept her concealed. Much like a bed, she rested in it horizontally. Blaze had told Skyfire it was reasonably comfortable inside unless one was claustrophobic when she’d asked.

Skyfire grimaced as she heard the door open and Healing Drops entered, flanked by a younger unicorn and Golden Haze. The unknown mare was a beautiful white with fluffy red hair. “Most ponies don’t get my personal care this often,” Healing Drops remarked as she crossed over. “But the Overmare insists only those she can… trust, tend to you.”

“I can’t blame her after what just happened,” Skyfire murmured.

“Neither can I, but she best take care not to make enemies out of allies. It is a difficult line to tread.” Healing Drops gestured to the young mare at her side who smiled. “This is Tenderheart. She’s a medical technician and will be assisting me. Golden Haze is here for that as well. Flare views his actions earlier as proof of his intentions.”

Golden Haze gave a polite nod, while Tenderheart shyly waved. Golden Haze adjusted his collar and smiled at them flatly. Despite his bright appearance, he was rather muted in personality. “Guess I’m not a field medic for the next while. At least until Security is restructured.”

Misty Sparks winced. “What’s become of them?”

“It’s a full-blown investigation.”

“A long overdue one if you ask me,” Healing Drops grumbled as she started checking over their vitals. A frown tugged at wrinkled lips as she examined Blaze, a small panel showing her what the pod was doing. “Ever since Ratchet tried his coup, things haven’t been the same. Smokey has done his best, but without a full restructuring, things aren’t going to get any better.”

Misty Sparks and Skyfire shared a look, grimaces pulling at their faces. “If I could ask…” Misty Sparks began, only to struggle with the words and give up.

A knowing look slipped across Healing Drops’ face, and she turned to the mares. “You were too young to understand when it happened, and even less so why. At least he waited until you were born to try what he did.”

“I know a few things, from what mom has told me over the years. The picture I have of Ratchet in my head is a… complicated one.”

“He was a bastard,” Blaze’s exhausted voice came from her pod, a speaker amplifying it so she could be heard. Much the same existed so she could understand them, voices tinny from the process. Golden Haze examined Skyfire, muttering soft orders so as to not interrupt their conversation. The pegasus winced as her wings were stretched and her rib ached.

Healing Drops snickered. “She’s right. I grew up with him, attended classes, and saw a heart of darkness within him when others didn’t. Oh, sure, he got good grades and could charm most any mare, but I could see that anger within him. Your grandparents got married for political reasons, an arranged marriage set up by their parents to consolidate power.”

“They didn’t love each other? Not even a bit?” Misty Sparks asked in a small voice. She looked at her hooves, frowning heavily. The thought was a troubling one.

“That happens a lot back home,” Skyfire remarked with a glum tone. “Alliances are secured through marriages, and powerful families maintained.”

Healing Drops shrugged. “I can’t honestly say. What I do know is that he didn’t treat her right; always undermining her and second-guessing her choices. He had risen to a senior position in Engineering, but he would later be surpassed by his own son. I know he took it badly when it happened. If Hammers wasn’t such a prodigy, Ratchet's allies might have accused Clear Falls of nepotism for approving Petunia’s pick.”

Blaze chuckled in an exhausted tone. The speaker gave her an extra gravelly edge, like rocks rolling across one another. “Yeah, he can fix just about anything. Except me.”

The old mare sighed and muttered a few instructions to Tenderheart. The white mare gulped and began to review the healing pod’s control panel herself. “One of the reasons I suspect Ratchet became an expeditionary lead was to get him away from the stable. Clear Falls had a meeting with the chiefs when we considered exploring the surface. Ratchet had practically demanded to attend, but she managed to keep it private. Of course back then it was Chief Petunia, Hammers was still a teenager.”

Things were written on clipboards and IVs were checked. Golden Haze nickered at something and Tenderheart was quick to provide him with fresh bandages. He gave a thankful nod and refreshed Misty Sparks’ bandaging. Her hide itched as he worked, and she nibbled on her cheek. As if seeking a distraction, she regarded Healing Drops. “He didn’t hurt her, did he? Grandma Clear Falls?”

A shadow crossed the elderly doctor’s face and she gave a heavy sigh. “Never in public. I would tend to her back in my day as a senior doctor. We kept it private, Clear Falls was too proud to let anypony know what was going on. She always said it was shameful, but didn’t do anything about it. She was as big as you, Blaze. Ratchet was no larger than me. If she had ever wanted to she could have laid him low with one kick, but she was too kind. Too hopeful he could become better.”

Blaze shifted in her pod and looked out the clear top. Her eyes were bloodshot and skin tinged purple, visible where she’d been shaved to remove the bullets received from Rusty. Skyfire was suddenly grateful for the concealing pod. “Really? As big as me?”

Healing Drops nodded. “A little taller even.”

The abnormally large mare gave a half-smile, looking down at herself. Small patches of her fur were missing thanks to all the radiation she’d taken in, but they were healing with surprising speed. She stretched her legs, taking herself in. “I always wondered where I got it from…”

“Oh, she and I were such good friends,” Healing Drops said with a whimsical smile. “Golden Haze, would you go fetch the medicine?” He gave a polite nod and trotted out. The guards shifted out of the way so he could exist, barricading the doorway afterward. Healing Drops returned to inspecting the smaller two mares, testing their vitals, and writing things down on her clipboard. They complied without complaint.

“So… Why did he try to kill mom?” Misty Sparks questioned when silence had lapsed.

A frown pulled at wrinkled lips, and Healing Drops shook her head. She pulled a stool up with her magic and sat on it with a creak of bones. Tenderheart glanced over to her with concern but the chief waved it off. “Come on, settle in. Half of this is just seeing how you all are doing mentally anyways. When Golden Haze comes back you’ll take your medicine and we’ll have to perform a thorough radiation purge on you Blaze.”

“Yay… my favorite thing.”

“Cut the sass, it’ll save your life.” Healing Drops carried another stool from across the way to rest beside her and patted for Tenderheart to sit down. With a little nod, the technician obeyed. “Now, as for that powder keg of a question, there’s a few ways to break it down. Firstly, power. Your mother wasn’t an adult yet, very nearly, but still not yet. He wanted to claim the position of overstallion due to the heir not yet being of age. Unfortunately for him, all of us chiefs saw through the blatant power grab and voted Flare in.”

“So they had faith in my mom, they knew she could do it?”

“Some. Others didn’t trust Ratchet. Not after Clear Falls’ sudden death with suspiciously untraceable causes. My autopsy showed a foreign substance in her bloodstream, but I couldn’t identify what. It came from outside the stable. Only a select few had ever been outside in those days.”

A chill ran down the spines of the young mares. “You’re suggesting poison- murder,” Misty Sparks gasped.

“Would it truly be that shocking, considering what he tried to do to your mother? It’s no suggestion either. I couldn’t prove it was him, but I tested the substance for months. I still don’t know what it’s properly called in the wasteland, but I developed a cure. When he attempted to poison your mother, my cure worked. Fortunately for Flare, it has a distinct symptom of bleeding from the nostrils. You’d almost mistake it for radiation poisoning at first, but it kills far too silently.”

Skyfire’s wings puffed at the words, making her side ache anew. “To kill his own wife and try to kill his daughter- that’s horrible!”

“That’s grandpa,” Blaze mumbled.

“That he was. See, Ratchet didn’t take kindly to his daughter being chosen over him. He even tried to argue that it should go to Hammers instead, as he was the eldest and an adult. Hammers refused to get involved in his father’s scheming and backed up his sister. I’ll admit, it is a bit strange to me that it goes to the eldest daughter, but it’s tradition.”

Misty Sparks lowered her head, frowning. “It’s wrong. Mom always said only an overmare can prepare the next one, that you spend your whole life training and that’s why it’s hereditary, but why not train the eldest? You wouldn’t even know if you would have more even.”

“Most overmares have been single children, in part to avoid that question. What if a sibling killed the eldest to achieve their position? The fifth Overmare was the second born after her elder sister died suddenly. She was so underprepared that it was… a disaster.”

“Why though. Why is it like this?”

“Because Stable-Tec said it should be. The early days of the stable are a mess in the records. Overmare Starburst made a lot of hard choices, and many died. But she saved the stable, in large part because she followed what Stable-Tec dictated. They warned us that should we deviate, bad things would happen. No overmare has wanted to find out just what that punishment would be.”

“Like how you don’t allow singing?” Skyfire asked in a careful tone. She certainly didn’t want to offend anypony but it bothered her that something so intrinsic to her was forbidden. There were many nights she’d lay on the roof watching the stars and listen to old holos to find some peace. Hundreds of those memories were colored by orange eyes and electric blue hair, Jolts at her side. She missed him so much.

The old blue mare sighed and gave a slow nod. “Yes. It’s not just singing though, music of any kind is against our laws. Stable-Tec forbade us from participating and engaging in any non-productive recreation. Before the bombs dropped, ponies would play away whole days, filled with wasteful parties and dangerous decadence. Stable-Tec sought to find a way to improve, to prevent us from making the same mistakes as our ancestors, and so they were forbidden.”

Skyfire gaped, purple eyes bulging. It would have been comedic, were the setting different. “No fun whatsoever? How can you stand that? Even the Enclave believes in parties!”

“We have fun,” Misty Sparks corrected, a bit defensive. She tucked her hooves against her chest, trying to seem dignified laid out in a medical bed. “Productive fun. Sports train the body, competitive academics train the mind. It’s not to say we don’t celebrate things. A special cake is made for weddings and birthdays and when a pony gets their cutie mark, but we don’t waste an entire day on it. Our stable was a third short of its population on the Last Day. We’re so understaffed we cannot afford frivolous things like the old world could. If we’re going to survive this world we need to be diligent and have a strong work ethic. We have so much to do, and a startlingly finite amount of resources to accomplish it with.”

“But why no music? It lifts the spirit and that makes ponies more productive,” argued Skyfire.

Grimacing, Misty Sparks shook her head. “Spontaneous music breaks? Choreographed dance numbers? All that to accomplish what a good day’s work and praise from a superior can? Ponies tried to keep their music, and they would get distracted and hurt. After an accident during Overmare Starburst’s term, it was clear we had to leave those ways behind. I know it doesn’t make much sense to you, but please understand that’s how things are here.”

“But music is so important to ponies,” Skyfire continued, shaking her head, “and even more so, not everything has to be productive. You’re going to burn yourselves out always trying to accomplish something when things should be enjoyed for the simple fact that they are fun.”

“We don’t have the leisure you’re used to,” Misty Sparks replied, “We came into our stable a third short of our targeted population. Stable-Tec was right, we have to do better than the old world.”

“Better doesn’t mean working yourselves to the bone,” countered Skyfire.

“I agree with Feathers,” Blaze cut in, coughing and wheezing right after. “Everypony is too wound tight.”

Skyfire smiled over at Blaze, but she couldn’t see the gesture in her pod. “If you don’t allow yourself to be able to completely unwind, to enjoy something for the sake of it rather than some lofty goal, you’ll burn out. It will eat you up to always have to be productive, because the moment you aren’t, you’ll feel guilty.” Lime eyes flashed and Misty Sparks tucked her head. Skyfire frowned. “You feel that way, don’t you?”

“You… might be correct. But that just means I need to work harder, keep trying to improve myself! I still have ways to grow, and I have to be a good overmare.”

Groaning dramatically, Blaze tapped on her pod’s window. “You don’t get it Sparky. Feathers is right. If you only ever work you’ll never be happy… be satisfied with life.”

“You never work and you’re not satisfied,” countered Misty Sparks.

“Maybe because I don’t work enough,” Blaze remarked softly. “Maybe there’s… a balance in between?”

“My word,” Healing Drops remarked, “is this actual philosophy? You three need to rest more if you can debate such matters. Things are the way they are, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Remember that well, Misty Sparks, for when you’re in charge. You will have ponies who want change, and others who want to stick to tradition. You can’t please them both, but you shouldn’t ignore them either. The path forward is usually somewhere in the middle.”

The little unicorn gave a slow nod as she took in Healing Drops’ words, trying to take to heart her advice. It was easy to see where all she went wrong, and harder to see where she’d done the right thing yesterday. Her body ached and the gunshot wound worsened if she focused on it. Yet, still, despite the horrors of the day before she felt a degree of confidence she hadn’t before. Perhaps she’d come out of the fire a little bit tougher.

“Do we seem mentally stable?” She asked the medical experts, remembering what they’d said they were there for earlier. Tenderheart had been jotting things down as they’d spoken, quietly observing them. If she wasn’t so accustomed to Melody doing that in therapy sessions she might have been offended.

Healing Drops gave a humorless smile. “About the same as before. I know you two have a bad history and would recommend Blaze that you see a specialist.”

“No.”

“Still?”

“Look-” Blaze cut herself off with a series of coughs, violent hacking emanating from her pod until she calmed down. “Look… I know that I really fucked up this time. But whatever Aunt Flare decides to do with me, I’ll accept it. Nopony was supposed to get hurt for me, and instead so many almost lost their lives. I- I’m ashamed of that. I don’t even remember hurting Lily.”

Skyfire and Misty Sparks blinked at the medical pod, wishing so very much that they could see Blaze’s face. She sounded sincere, at the very least. “You know this isn’t the first time others have gotten hurt because of you, right? The worst certainly, but it’s happened before,” pressed Healing Drops.

“I… I didn’t realize.”

“Truly?”

The large mare shifted in her pod, a scratchy noise coming through her speakers. “Yeah, I mean, maybe? Maybe I just… didn’t want to see it before.”

“Denial is a surprisingly powerful thing, especially when we’re not ready for the truth,” she said carefully.

Long moments of silence passed before Blaze simply said, “I guess.”

“What if she decides to exile you?” Healing Drops asked. Misty Sparks and Skyfire bristled at such a suggestion, but Blaze didn’t seem to register what the old mare had said. “Blaze? What if-”

“I guess I’m a lot like grandpa,” Blaze replied, “I wouldn’t deserve much better than he did.”

Misty Sparks jolted upright and slammed her hooves into her bed, wincing with regret immediately. Healing Drops shot her a glare but said nothing. “Don’t you dare say something like that! Grandpa had no good in him, not like you!”

“There’s good in me?” It was a genuine question, shattering Misty Sparks’ heart.

Settling down, Misty Sparks nodded. “You were willing to give yourself up to protect us, and in the end, it wasn’t just because you were suicidally depressed. Grandpa only ever cared for himself, I know that much. You… You still care for others sometimes, beneath the chems and the pain. There’s good in you, buried beneath it all.”

There was a sharp intake of air, followed by brisk gasps. Blaze began to cry. They could just see her hooves rise to wipe her face. “Shit… fuck being sober, I’m such a mess.”

“I prefer this kind of honesty,” replied Misty Sparks.

“Yeah but I have to take my meds, if I don’t I’ll die.”

Skyfire grimaced and shook her head. “There has to be an alternative to your situation. The answer can’t be sober to death or overdose. Healing Drops, you surely know something that could help, right? The answer is somewhere in the middle, isn’t it?”

The old mare gave a half-smile and then nickered. “Somewhere, yes. I’ll speak with your provider Blaze because one thing is clear, this cannot continue as it has. You abuse your medication, and I suspect take other chemicals to dull the pain. Add in alcoholism and sex as a coping mechanism, and your refusal to be seen by a specialist, and this is a very bad path before you. It is not, however, your only one.”

“Why bother improving? I’ll just fuck it up like everything else. I wish you’d all just let me die already, I’d no longer be a burden.”

“Because we care about you!” Misty Sparks wailed, “You still don’t get that?”

“Why though? I don’t understand why. I know you do but fucking why? I should’ve died thirteen years ago. Every day since has just been agony. Why not end it all? Is it because we’re so understaffed you’d keep even a lazy fuck like me around? It doesn’t seem worth the effort and damage I cause.”

“Why do you care about us?” Interjected Skyfire.

A long minute passed before the pod’s speaker crackled. “What?”

“Think about it, Blaze. Why do you care about us? You’ve said many times that you want to protect us. You cleaned up our room even when you could’ve just let it remain a mess. You did that for a reason.” Skyfire stared at the medical pod, trying to break through to the mare. The heart monitor had picked up in pace.

“...Because you deserve better. You deserve to be happy.”

“Why?”

“Well, because you just do.”

“So do you,” replied Skyfire.

“No-”

“Yes. You do,” Misty Sparks interjected. She gripped her bedding tightly. “Everypony deserves a chance to be happy, even you.”

“What if I’ve thrown that chance away?”

Skyfire smiled softly. “Then you get a second chance. A third and fourth chance even. Just don’t give up on yourself, not while ponies still care about you.”

“I… I don’t know if I can… I-” Blaze fumbled with her words, more sobs intermixing them.

Wishing she could embrace her cousin then, Misty Sparks gave a slow sigh. “Just, think it over okay? Actually consider getting better for once?”

“...Okay. I’ll think about it.”

The three ponies had gotten a bit of respite for the last while, the nurse visits having tapered off to give them almost an hour of peace to themselves. Blaze had resigned herself to lay about in the radiation pod, complaints of wanting to leave subsided with the talk of Blaze living longer than the week. Skyfire twitched about tiredly, wings fluttering enough to draw the attention of Misty Sparks every so often. For the most part, the unicorn had kept herself busy reading medical journals happily given to her by Tenderheart. Topics as varied as immune systems to spells to heal broken bones decorated Misty Sparks’ bed.

Eventually, the contemplative silence was broken by a whine from Skyfire as she flopped back onto her bed. From her new position, she eyed the heavily armored guards by the door, lingering on their pistols. Huffing crimson locks out of her face, she spoke, “I don't like waiting here. Some of my acquaintances got held hostage."

"You injured your ribs again. You need to relax Skyfire, you wouldn't want to cause another panic attack," Misty Sparks said quietly, a worried expression on her face for more than a few reasons. "We're under guard for our safety, they can't protect us if we're wandering around."

"After what just happened I don’t blame her for not liking armed ponies behind riot helmets surrounding her,” Blaze muttered faintly through the pod. "Can we be sure they’re loyal?”

Skyfire watched Misty Sparks’ eye twitch and grimace as she looked at the radiation tank. The pegasus pulled her ears back preemptively. “We can’t start questioning everypony like a paranoid dictator. That would only prove Rusty right.”

“You can’t… trust anypony Sparky.”

“You’re wrong,” Misty Sparks hissed.

“She… has a point,” Skyfire interjected as she sat back up. Misty Sparks stiffened and focused on the pegasus. “Back home things were very scary. The surface is different, but not completely.”

The unicorn frowned and pulled back slightly on her bed. She looked over Skyfire, taking in her bandages and lingering on grey hooves. The blood had been cleaned away long ago, but she could still picture it. Her blood had stained grey just as Skyfire’s had stained silver. A question tugged at her heart, and Misty Sparks grimaced. “Where did you learn how to fight?”

“What?”

“I thought you were a civilian. The way you took down that mutineer outside the command tent was beyond impressive,” Misty Sparks said. She tried smiling but her exhaustion turned it into a grimace. “I don’t want to question your loyalty, you proved it today. However, we said we wanted to get to know each other. Acquaintances who get held hostage, a civilian who can neutralize a trained guard? Not to mention you knew how to make a bomb. Who are you Sky?”

There was a rustle from the pod. Blaze’s bloodshot eyes were just visible over the lip. She looked half like a ghoul, one eye a pinprick and the other as wide as her sclera. “Wait, she took down a guard? How?”

Skyfire fluffed up, wings quickly moving to conceal herself. Her monitors picked up in tempo at the rising emotions. “Well- I m-mean with my hooves. I didn’t want to shoot a-anypony, and that would’ve given us away!”

“With your hooves?” Blaze nearly shouted. Her own monitors beeped in time with excitement. The guards shifted across the way, watching them carefully.

Crimson wings concealed the grey mare all the more. “How else? I wouldn’t bite him!”

Blaze cackled, shifting herself up as much as she could. “I would!”

“We know you would,” growled Misty Sparks.

“Come on, how’d you learn to fight with your hooves? I wanna know now too.” It was as if new life had been breathed into Blaze, shifting up to see the pegasus as much as she could. Skyfire cringed at the purple and sandy mare, bandages concealing only the worst. Her condition had deteriorated rapidly on the journey home.

“I- well I told you my family is nothing but soldiers,” started the frazzled pegasus. “I tried b-but I failed.”

“So you got combat training?” Asked Misty Sparks in a far more calm voice. She didn’t want to upset her friend any more than recent events had.

“It’s mandatory for everypony to serve for two years when you become an adult in Neighvarro. I’ve heard it’s not like that in every city but my home is one of the military epicenters. Afterward, you can decide to leave or continue on.” Despite her words coming out without stutter, there was a speed to them that made it hard to follow.

Blaze blinked and gave a shaky nod. “So you went to boot camp?”

“Effectively. I knew that I wasn’t made for that kind of life. I-I always wanted to be an engineer. I specialized in the military as one even for those two years. But afterward…” She ran a hoof through her mane and her wings twitched. “Father forced me to keep training at home. My brother supervised when he could but… it was rough. Harder than Boot. Lightningbreeze was always such a cruel training partner.”

Misty Sparks reached out to the mare only for the pain to make her recoil back. “That’s your older sister, right?”

Wings lowered with resignation, a hint of moisture to purple eyes. The longer she spoke the more her voice quivered. “Yes. She wants to follow in her father’s hoofsteps but she’s too eager for his approval. Eager for anypony’s. Since I didn’t want to be a soldier that meant I was lesser. For a long time, Jolts was my... one escape. He’d find an excuse to keep me working on the Skyhawk that even Old Irontail couldn’t deny. I was important to him, to the rest of the crew and team. I had a place there.” She shuddered and paused, eyes far away with memory. “Jolts made everything okay, even when Father punished him and his friends for ‘tainting my mind with gears and wrenches’. He never gave up.”

Skyfire lifted a hoof to the fluorescent ceiling lights, a wistful look to her face. She could almost picture the clouds, through the layers of dirt and stone and open air. The mental image of Jolts and his team filled her head. To her frustration, the faces of her fellow mechanics were blurry. The hoof fell back to the bedding.

“And now you’re here,” Misty Sparks said softly.

“Now… I’m here.” She smiled. “I like it here, surprisingly. I like you, and Hammers and Grease, and even Blaze. I know I’m not going back, not anytime soon. So, I’ll do what Jolts wanted me to do. I’ll live a better life.”

Several moments of silence passed. The pegasus seemed content as if she truly felt a sense of hope. Misty Sparks ruminated on what she’d said, frowning heavily. Blaze, however, latched onto one thing. “So you can fight.”

Purple eyes blinked, having to double back to that part of the conversation. “If I absolutely need to.”

“Okay. So as soon as we’re both healed up, we’re fighting.”

“What? No!”

“Yeah! Come on, I have to know who’s stronger!”

“You obviously! I saw what you did to Lily!”

“But we can’t know for sure until we fight!”

Misty Sparks opened her mouth before closing it with a meep as the door came open, a haggard-looking Flare walking in past attentive guards. She stopped a few paces from their beds, examining them keenly. "Haven’t you had enough fighting to last a lifetime? Also please keep your voices down, Lily is in the other room recovering."

A gasp escaped Skyfire who gave a warm smile. "She's going to be okay?"

"Not exactly, she'll survive, but she'll likely never speak again. "

There was a stunned silence.

Moments later Misty Sparks found her voice. "What about her provoking Blaze? Both are at fault for the fight."

Ice blue eyes focused on Misty Sparks and the overmare sighed. "She's not free of justice either, having no voice Lily is not fit to work in security where quick wit and a steady voice are required. She's not working in security anymore, and her injury is a punishment in its own right."

“R-right,” Skyfire commented sheepishly, looking over to a stunned Misty Sparks. “I think that ultimately that’s okay for her, neither she nor Blaze were in the right there, and her provoking another member of the stable isn’t in good faith for what Security wants to be?”

“Correct. Security is supposed to uphold the integrity of what separates us from the wild wastes.” Flare nodded sharply. “We have values that we hold dear to us, values that you’ve picked up quickly, to be honest.”

“Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and lastly, Personal Courage. L.D.R.S.H.I.P.” Misty Sparks jumped in with a nervous smile, her eyes lighting up as Flare nodded with a half-smile. Black circles rested beneath her eyes.

“Yes, you know them quite well, Misty Sparks, but it appears Skyfire has picked up our core tenets without needing to hear them directly. She was everything we aimed to be yesterday during the incident, even if she was protecting her friends. She still acted as our stablemates should.”

Purple eyes started raining tears again, Skyfire sniffling and hiding her face behind her wings. “I was trying my best to keep everypony safe. Misty Spark and Blaze are my friends. And everypony who stayed true to Misty Sparks treated me like I was one of you all when I stayed. It felt nice to feel accepted by more than just the friends I’ve made so far.”

Skyfire stiffened as she felt hooves wrapping around her, looking over to see Misty Sparks hugging the crying mare. She hadn’t heard the smaller mare get up from her bed. “Ponies are afraid of pegasi because of the Enclave, and you are from the Enclave. They saw beneath that yesterday Skyfire. They saw the real you, somepony who cares and is willing to put herself at risk.”

A second set of hooves wrapped around Skyfire, the pegasus reacting less severely as she noticed Flare extending the hug. “She’s correct, you have shown that you do truly care about the stable. You could have left. Your actions, while admirable, are not why I’m here though.” The overmare commented, removing herself from the embrace, standing up properly. “Lily, and through her Blaze, is why I am here.”

“I knew it,” Blaze grunted out, having remained silent since Flare had shown up. She’d lowered herself back into her pod, only the tip of her muzzle visible now.

“Well, it ties in nicely I believe. While Skyfire has shown what we strive to achieve as ponies of Stable 36, Lily, and also you, have not,” Flare commented. She glanced back at the guards who watched, most of them outside along the windows. When her gaze turned back to the mares, she was notably more rigid. “Lily gets the luxury of having time to heal before her fate is truly set in stone. Her injuries will take weeks to fully heal, if ever.”

“Right, right… that leaves me, yes?” Blaze sighed and flicked a hoof. “Should we just string me up now or later?”

“No, we’re better than the wasteland, and I can tell you’re still painfully sober, for the first time in many years,” Flare curtly replied, shaking her head. “You’re not free from the justice of your actions, combined with your record of misconduct.”

“So what are you going to do to Blaze then?” Skyfire asked, her tears wiped away. “If you’re not going to kill her, what would satisfy the ponies who think she deserves more than a slap on the hoof?”

Flare let out a deep sigh at that point, pacing around the room before focusing on Skyfire. It was strange to Misty Sparks to see her mother so uncomposed. The strain of the last day was clear, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. "Well, it is not easy doing this punishment. We have laws and order in this stable but we're not soft." Flare walked over to tap Blaze's pod. "We need ponies to trust that justice will continue to be served. Or else they can't trust that order to be maintained."

Misty Sparks coughed for a moment before she began, "Yes but we really don't kill ponies, it's a hard reach even if they killed somepony. We usually end up-"

Flare cut in bluntly, "Exiling them to the wastes, sometimes permanently."

Blaze exhaled slowly, her monitors giving away the spike of fear that ran through her. “So Lily gets to retire dishonorably, and I get exiled to the wastes?” Her words were not outright a snarl yet, but the fire was burning within them.

“As I said, her punishment is still in question-”

“But I can go straight to Tartarus, right?” Snapped Blaze.

“I thought you said you’d accept exile,” Misty Sparks interjected. “Were you lying earlier?”

“No- But it’s not fair for only me to be punished so severely for what happened. You’ve all said it, Lily caused this too!” Blaze put a hoof to the glass of the pod. “Exile me, fine. But don’t let her get away with what she did. What about the others? What about Rusty?” Misty Sparks and Skyfire muttered softly their own desires to know the fate of the mutineers.

Flare grimaced. “I broke Rusty’s back when I slammed him into the Skyhawk. He is now a threat only of voice and is in isolation. Chief Smokey himself is watching him. For now, he is being incarcerated for the rest of his life and will be interrogated to understand the full scope of my father’s remaining sympathizers. Many of the mutineers were acting out of fear, and those who have proven that are being put on probation. Others have been fired, demoted, and out on probation. The testimony of your protectors has gone far to identify who harbored true malice and those who were swept up with herd mentality. The three who were incapacitated for attempting to stand up to the mutineers are receiving care and will return to duty when able. As we sort things out I expect the brig will see many faces on the other side of the glass. It’s likely we will have the first instance of a true prison, and some may end up being exiled more harshly. They betrayed everything the stable stands for when they acted against a citizen.”

“A citizen you’ll exile.”

“I’m not throwing you to your death,” Flare said evenly. “You’ll be allowed to heal before your departure, and you will still serve Stable 36’s interests. Lily hasn’t had a chance to speak in her own defense. Plus, with the number of guards I am interrogating right now the story is still unclear. One thing, however, is certain. You are dangerous and have been for some time. You ripped a mare’s throat, Blaze. You abuse your medicines and inflict physical and mental trauma on others. You’ve traumatized your cousin with your toxic behaviors, and I’m quite sure if given a gun you’d kill yourself with it.”

Blaze pushed up in her pod, staring down at her aunt. Flare met her gaze without falter. The horrible radiation wounds did nothing to compromise Flare. “I know I’m a fuckup. That’s nothing new, Overmare.”

“Then is it news to you that there are consequences for your actions? I have protected you for far too long, look at where it’s brought us.”

“I never asked you to,” Blaze replied, emerald eyes narrowed.

“You don’t ask anypony for help,” Flare replied with a hint of exasperation. “Not even your own father.”

“I don’t remember the last time he treated me as his foal,” spat Blaze. “He’d sooner adopt Skyfire than recognize me as his kin.”

Skyfire fluffed up and pulled her wings around herself again. “I-”

“I know you wouldn’t dare try something like that,” Blaze interjected, “you’re too kind. Too good. I’m the damaged fuckup. So yeah, throw me outside, let the wasteland finish me off.”

“Did you not hear me?” Flare asked tightly. “You’re still part of Stable 36. You are being exiled from the structure itself. You can visit the surface town but you have the same privileges as a wastelander. If you want to ever be welcomed inside again, then you’ll have to prove yourself. Serve the stable for a change.”

Blaze gave a deranged smile. “Why the fuck should I try to prove myself to ponies who’d rather hang me up than talk to me?”

“Because you are my niece!” Flare shouted, her composure slipping. Misty Sparks recoiled at the sound of her mother’s raised voice. “Because I love you, and want you to become better! Because your father would die if he lost you too!”

“He lost me the moment he turned his back on me.”

“He’d lost his wife, and the investigation had given rise to grave concerns. My brother has always been terrible with his emotions. He’s just as hurt and lost as you are Blaze.” Flare stomped a hoof, tears in her eyes.

There was a shift in the rage that painted Blaze’s face, a crack of her own. “He should’ve told me that himself.”

“Yes, he should have. Give him a chance to make things right.”

“Like he’s given me?”

“Somepony has to do it, one of you. If he can’t bring himself to do it, then you need to step up. Or things will never get better.”

“Well how good can they get if I’m about to become a wastelander?”

“You’re not-” Flare stopped herself before she shouted again. A long moment passed as she tried to calm herself. Misty Sparks and Skyfire stared on, quietly holding one another. Hooves were careful of where they held, aware of bandages and wounds. Blaze glowered and watched the overmare. “You are going to serve Stable 36 in a critical mission. The restoration of the Skyhawk has become a major concern to me. We cannot maintain the outpost indefinitely, however, the reward of repair far outweighs the potential salvage. Skyfire has proven she is our best shot for doing this, and it would only be right for her to lead this. However, she needs somepony to protect her.”

“How did you know our plan?” Misty Sparks asked, she hadn’t had a chance to discuss it with her mother yet.

“Shears and Cuffs told me in their debriefing. I had already been considering what we could do with it, but if you’re wanting to go ahead with this I think now is the time. The Skyhawk would be a tremendous asset to us, especially with our recent downsizing in Security.”

“Wait- you’re letting us do it? What about Blaze, and Misty?” Skyfire asked, eyes wide.

Flare shook her head. “Blaze cannot come home. This is a mission that will take time and need strength, brains, and charisma. Skyfire, you’re the only one who can identify what we need. You’re the only one who can repair the Skyhawk. Blaze can and will protect you.”

“I don’t hear you asking me if I want to,” grumbled Blaze. Flare gave her a hard look. “I do, I’ll protect Feathers with my life. Just saying you’re making this choice for me.”

“Well unfortunately most of your recent choices have been bad ones.”

Misty Sparks frowned and raised a hoof. “What about me?”

Flare met her gaze, pain behind ice blue. “It’s not safe for you here. Not right now.”

“But… but this is my home!”

“Hasn’t been mine for a long time,” muttered Blaze.

“Misty, please listen to me,” Flare said in a soft voice that stopped any more protests. “I don’t know who I can trust right now, and there are ponies who want you dead because of who you are. They don’t care about your own actions or beliefs, It’s because of what Stable-Tec put in place.”

Misty Sparks glanced at the guards and winced. They impassively watched from the door. “Are you sure we should have this conversation here?”

“Yes. I want transparency with those who still believe in me, in our system. I want witnesses.”

“That’s a first,” remarked Blaze. “You always separate yourself. The Overmare and Flare. You finally gonna be the same person at once?”

A gasp came from Misty Sparks and she bristled at her cousin only for Flare to dismissively wave her hoof. “I should have a long time ago. I’ve allowed you to become what you are. As your aunt and your Overmare, I have failed you. That ends today.”

Blaze sniffled and turned her face away. “By throwing me out? I get it, I’m dangerous, but what good will that do?”

“It gets you away from ponies who want you dead.”

Eyes widened and bodies stiffened. “You’re… you’re still trying to protect me,” Blaze whispered. “Why?”

“You’re family, Blaze. I firmly believe that there is good in you that could be of great use to the stable. We all have a part to play and you can still do yours. But more than that, I want you to be happy and healthy. Your world was shattered at such a young age, and I’ve wanted nothing more than to be able to see you smile genuinely again. For that guilt to be gone.”

“I… I don’t know…” Blaze lowered her head into her hooves.

“Blaze, I cannot include this as part of your punishment, but I do have a request. You can say no.”

One bloodshot eye peered up from fetlock hooves. “What?”

“See Melody, the therapist. She’s proven wonderful for Misty, and I think she could do the same for you. I can’t make you do it though, or it’ll never work. You have to want to get better yourself. You have to want to improve and grow. You have to act.”

Blaze’s lips moved but no words came. A strained noise instead slipped out and she rubbed her eyes as tears welled. She could vaguely remember Misty Sparks suggesting she do the same in the diner some days ago. It felt like a lifetime away now. With great effort, she looked at the pair of mares who comforted one another, the genuine fear in their eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that they cared for her, though she couldn’t understand why. Not after everything she’d done.

Seconds that felt like minutes passed, Flare looking back over at Skyfire and Misty Sparks. The refugee Enclaver had done in under two weeks what she thought would take years. Somepony besides Blaze that she trusted with her daughter’s life unquestionably and friendship. To her own surprise though, she trusted the outsider more than her own kin for such a daunting task. Repairing the Skyhawk was a massive undertaking, but she did not doubt the pegasus could do it.

The growing silence hung heavy in the air, save for the radiation-purging machine drowning out everypony's breathing. Flare shifted, uncomfortable, and starting to pace. Her movements were watched by the injured mares with a hint of fear. Just as Flare went to speak, Blaze grunted quietly, "Fine.”

The atmosphere lightened as Misty Sparks smiled, letting out a breath. Skyfire perked up next to her, stars in her eyes. "I'm so glad you-"

Blaze snorted, this time with resignation instead of anger. "Don't expect a miracle… But I'll try. You all still believe in me for some reason."

"One key thing I learned with therapy is that you have to believe that it can help, or else you'll sit there miserably and nothing will be accomplished, and it'll be a lot of heartache," Misty Sparks chimed in with a helpful smile, Skyfire nodding alongside the unicorn.

The pegasus' wings fluttered faintly, Skyfire comfortable now as she added on to the advice. “You have to believe you deserve a chance too. The change will come from within yourself."

Blaze looked at her hooves. “Right… Can uh- fuck.”

“What is it?” Flare asked, no longer pacing.

“I know I have to stay in the pod so I can get better, but I uh… I could really use some… physical encouragement.”

Flare blinked, while a smile crept across the young mares’ faces. “Do you want… a hug?”

“I mean you gave them one and I’m a little- yeah okay. Don’t fucking tell anypony though okay?”

“Did seeing them get a hug make you jealous?” Flare teased as she crossed to the pod. Skyfire and Misty Sparks were quick to shuffle over, careful not to disturb their IVs.

“Maybe…”

“Awh, Blaze… You’re still a little filly at heart aren’t you?” Flare cooed, putting her hooves on the glass window.

Misty Sparks wiggled her way under her mother’s arm and smiled toothily at her cousin. A blush colored Blaze’s cheeks and she looked away, only for Skyfire to be there. Softness graced grey features, framed by purple eyes. “No!” Retorted Blaze. “I just- I-”

“It’s okay,” Flare reassured. “I love you, Blaze. I’m so glad you survived, that you’re still here. I know that you can do this, that you can overcome your demons. There is a good mare inside you, even if she’s buried beneath the pain and anger. You’ll get there one day, and I’ll help you make it this time. You’re not alone. Not anymore.”

Sniffling, Blaze pressed her forehead to the pod’s window. They pressed back in kind, a strange embrace that caused a stirring in her chest. “I love you too, Aunt Flare. Thank you… for not giving up on me.”

“None of us have. Now, you have to finally believe in yourself again.”

“I… I’ll try. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Okay. Then let’s make this right,” Flare replied in a quivering voice. Tears welled in her eyes.

Blaze nodded softly, her heavy breathing fogging the window. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll do my best.”

Level Up! \ Blaze (4) - Radical Element: Radiation does more good than bad for you. Exposure to radiation grants +1 to STR, END, and AGI. This scales with higher levels of exposure. However, you suffer -1 INT, PER, and CHR. This also scales with higher levels of exposure. Additionally, you suffer serious radiation burns, exhaustion and take longer to heal.

Level Up! \ Skyfire (4) - Salvage and Repair: Eh, they’re basically the same thing anyway right? You can salvage materials from one object and repair another with them, even if they’re only a little similar. Only applies to mechanical and electrical objects.

Level Up! \ Misty Sparks (4) - Burgeoning Leader: You’ve made some good calls, you’ve made some bad calls. You’ve learned from them both. Ponies follow your lead more easily, and you grant bonuses to your team. 10% more damage resistance and 5% better stealth rolls.

Chapter Eleven: Tarnished Memories

Chapter Eleven: Tarnished Memories

“Sometimes, when we look back, things aren’t the same as we thought.”

Half a week had passed with the three mares guarded in the medical wing. Books littered the smaller pair’s side of the room, a mix of medical books and technical manuals. An assortment of notebooks intermingled between the old texts. Misty Sparks’ hoofwriting was magically assisted and thus clean and easily legible. With her wings hurting, Skyfire was using her mouth to write and the quality of her penmanship had severely dropped. They’d laughed more than once on who seemed to have a doctor’s quality more than the other.

Meanwhile, Blaze had kept herself occupied by throwing a ball against the lid of her pod. More than once she’d missed and hit herself in the face, but she’d refused to stop. Likewise, she’d refused any offer of reading material unless it contained provocative images. Nothing of that sort was forthcoming. That morning she had been released from the healing pod and allowed to stretch her legs, something highly encouraged by Tenderheart. Blaze had immediately exercised until the nurse was calling for Healing Drops to prevent the earth pony from overexerting herself. It had been a bit amusing to Skyfire to see the old doctor and young nurse drag Blaze into bed like a disobedient foal.

Since then she’d been throwing the ball once more, hitting the ceiling and plaintively asking Misty Sparks to fetch it with magic when she missed. Those requests had been met with a soft smile and laugh. Blaze grumbled her thanks each time. In time the ball’s arcs grew more unpredictable, deforming from the vigorous use.

Around noon the other two had taken a nap after lunch, screens pulled between them each for privacy. Blaze kept hers open, moreover because she couldn’t reach it other than wanting herself open for visitors. There was a small bit of her that hoped somepony would come and see her. So far only Flare had come by, but she knew that others were permitted. Still, her father hadn’t visited.

She tossed the ball to the ceiling in an easy motion, catching it each time. The door opening startled Blaze and she missed the catch. The red ball smacked off her face and she cursed as it bounced across the floor. A hoof picked up the rubber runaway and lavender eyes examined the well-used stained ball. “Bored, dear?” Demurred a curvy mare, burgundy and pink curls framing a sultry smile.

“Blitz!” Blaze gasped before she cleared her throat and more calmly replied. “Bored outta my mind. They won't even let me workout.”

“Shame to let such an impressive figure waste away,” Blitz purred as she crossed the room. She tilted her ears towards the sheets.

“Ah, Feathers and Sparky are sleeping, no need to worry. We’ve got as much privacy as we can with a hundred guards surrounding us.”

Blitz rolled her eyes and chuckled. “I think that’s an exaggeration.”

She stopped a few paces from Blaze’s bed and tossed the ball over. Blaze caught it and wore a ragged smile. “It's really nice seeing you,” Blaze said. As a thought slipped across her mind, her smile faded. “Took you four days to get here though.”

“That first day you were completely comatose,” Blitz replied casually and wiggled a rich brown hoof. “And you know I can’t stand to see you in that pod, all… purple and black. It’s disgusting.”

Blaze grimaced and looked at herself. The discoloration was gone, mostly thanks to the pod rather than her own healing abilities. Her fur hadn’t regrown any, and she brushed her hair back and wilted that so much of it was gone as well. It always felt thinner after accidents like this. “I guess that’s fair, but it would’ve been nice to see you sooner.”

“Oh don’t be like that Blazey-Wazey,” Blitz purred and pinched the large mare’s cheek. Blaze huffed and pulled away. “I’m here now, aren’t I? Isn’t that what should matter?”

“I suppose you did beat the old stallion…”

“You’d think almost getting lynched would have him running to your side…”

“Guess I'm still not worth the effort,” muttered Blaze.

“Oh come now, you’re worth plenty. Now how about we pull this curtain for some privacy?” Blitz winked as she took a hold of the stable-tec blue sheet.

Blaze’s frown grew. “I’m not exactly feeling like doing anything… exhaustive.”

“We can keep it simple. I’ll only eat you out, no toys.”

“Blitz!” Blaze yelped.

“You’re right that would get too energetic, I’m too good… how about a gentle hoofing?”

“I’m not doing anything like that here, two beds from Sparky!”

The smaller earth pony pulled the curtain and sat upon the bed, letting her legs dangle. She was far more feminine compared to the stout mare, the pair such utter opposites. Blaze was hard and sharp, with a spiky back flowing mohawk of crimson. Blitz was all soft curves with curling locks of pink and burgundy. She pouted at Blaze, something the mare would never do. “Don’t you think some fun would cheer you up?”

Emerald eyes narrowed as a jaw grew taut. “Now isn’t the time for ‘fun’ Blitzy. This shit is serious.”

Flicking a hoof dismissively, Blitz rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, your aunt will cover you as always, I’ll suck off a few guards and in a week you’ll be in the clear. Then we can go back to getting high and having fun. I hear a new chem is on the scene, they say it makes you see the future for a few seconds, and if not it’s the best trip you’ll ever have.”

“You really don’t see how fucked up this situation is?”

Blitz scrunched her face and leaned towards Blaze. “Okay, I guess it’s a bit more fucked than usual… two weeks then. Maybe some community service? I’ll cheer you up in your room afterward, show you a new move I’ve learned, maybe try out that-”

“I’m getting exiled.”

Any pretense of flirting vanished from Blitz’s face. Her lips quivered and she pulled back to stare at her hooves. “What?”

“Exiled, as in I can never return to the stable. Flare has some plan for me to redeem myself but I’ll be gone until Celestia knows when.”

“What about the surface town?”

“I’ll have the same rights as any wastelander.”

“Oh… okay well you can visit my shop!”

"And?"

"I can close the shop for a 'coffee break' and we can help you relax and unwind."

"They won't like it if I just come by to fuck Blitzy."

Blitz paused at that, her curly tail flicking as she ran a hoof up Blaze's chest, mostly keeping to a path that stayed on what fur the mottled earth pony still had. "Well the last pony they exiled was way worse than you. Nopony would dare confuse you for him, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Blaze relented with a ginger sigh.

"You'll be fine, you'll be able to come and go with what work they give you. And I can supply us with the things to have great wild nights. I have a cot you can cuddle me on."

Blaze looked away for a moment, something Blitz used to push over and rub her marefriend's side. "I've got a hit of dash I snuck in if you want the energy to have a quick go~"

Blaze flicked her tail against Blitz, looking up to her, eyes misting over before she shook her head. Her mouth was parched, and her skin tingled at the thought. “Blitzy no, I want some time to think and talk about it."

"What's it dear?"

"The whole incident. I kind of lost it enough to almost kill somepony."

"Honey, you've pummeled more ponies for less."

"It's different this time, even if Lily is an ass, she's still part of the stable. Nearly killing her was my fuck up."

"You fuck up ponies who have it coming."

"But she was upset about me being so high I couldn't think straight. There are times I've almost hit you or Sparky,” Blaze pointed out with concern.

Blitz waved a hoof playfully as she shook her head. "Babe you know I like it rough."

"Rough enough to break bones?"

"We have hydra for that…"

"That's not the point. I could snap and nearly kill you if I can't see straight."

Blitz blinked and focused on the vitals monitors. The beeps were fairly standard. "Wait, you're sober right now?"

"Completely, they had to flush out everything to help save me, and so I calmed down. It feels like shit but I can think for the first time in forever."

Blitz frowned before producing a syringe, shaking her head. "Why didn't you tell me, I have the cocktail of your favorite stuff."

"Not now, at least not while I'm all hooked up. They're monitoring me. They'd see it all. " Blaze commented nervously. "If I'm high they'll know it's because of you."

"Since when did you care about consequences?"

Blaze paused to look over at the curtains, nodding at them. "Those two fought tooth and hoof to protect me, and they both got hurt for it. Nopony is supposed to get hurt but me." The large earth pony sighed and shook her head. "There are ponies who didn't do anything wrong who got hurt in that mess. Maybe it's best I'm going."

A long frown pulled across Blitz’s face, at odds with her soft features. "Blaze, you seriously are different when you're sober… it's not as fun."

At that point, the pair could hear shuffling and a deep cough behind them, the curtain was drawn to reveal a haggard Hammers who frowned. "Miss Blitz, could you avoid riding my daughter while in the medical facility. I know her thinking and reflecting might be boring to you, but she clearly wants to right now."

"Well look who finally decided to ruin the only fun his good daughter was going to get before she gets exiled to the wastes,” Blitz replied curtly back to Hammers.

"I've spent the last few days convincing any therapist to give Blaze a chance. Most of them won't leave the stable."

"Why would she need therapy?" Blitz asked with a raised brow.

A squeaky, yawning voice cut in as a now awake Misty Sparks joined in, pulling the curtain back to reveal herself and a bleary-eyed Skyfire. “Because running away from your trauma means it'll never heal and she'll always be using things to cope. I know I needed it desperately. My cousin does too. She needs a chance to be free of her past haunting her.'

Skyfire yawned loudly before nodding with a groan. "She may have messed up badly, but she's shown a lot of remorse for this. And it helps her, I think, to be with a clear mind."

"Bored minds often find things to be upset about… that's why we get high," Blaze mumbled softly, her heart not in it. Her hide prickled as the private moment with Blitz became a semi-public affair. She looked away from her father, unable to meet his gaze.

"You get high because feeling the hurt you've been burying down is killing you slowly like it's killing me,” Hammers confessed with a sigh. "I should have been there with you. It was just so hard. Not to get angry… Angry that ponies wanted your mom dead. I couldn't let you see me that angry."

"Ponies want me dead too, Dad, I get angry about it but none of them have the balls to try anything,” Blaze replied more evenly this time, still looking away.

"You can't just kill them all, hon."

"I… I don't want it to come to that. To what happened to Lily."

Blitz snorted at that. “She's the fun police though."

Blaze turned to look at her marefriend. Her mouth worked works silently before finally speaking, "Maybe she's right that I went too far with how much I took. Sparky warned me about… tolerance and how it'll make it harder to get high.”

"Fine, you can save the high for the next time we visit. I have to get to the shop,” Blitz commented with defeat as she adjusted to give Blaze a kiss that made Skyfire blush. There was more tongue in that exchange than the mare had ever seen before. "Don't be a stranger,” she called, serenely moving her body back to the door. Blaze stared after her, cheeks flushed.

"Well, uhm. Thanks," Blaze commented lamely once Blitz was gone. "You all keep defending me. Feels weird."

"You stood up for yourself too, you know. And it’s going to be hard with the withdrawals," Hammers murmured with a quiet sigh. "All the asking and reading I've done says as much. The next month is going to be the hardest. After that, your daily life should improve."

“Thanks… dad?" Blaze asked in confusion. Blaze finally looked at him. “I can’t just stop taking my meds, Dad. I’ll die.”

“Or die taking them and hurting everypony around you?”

Tension ran up her spine and the mare set her jaw. “So only I should hurt, right?”

Hammers scowled. “Isn’t that preferable to hurting everypony, including you? Of course, it isn’t ideal, that’s why you need therapy. That’s why you need to make a change for the best, and reaching some kind of sobriety would help tremendously.”

“Me me me, It’s all my fucking fault right?” Snapped Blaze. Misty Sparks and Skyfire looked at one another and very slowly started pulling the curtain back. “Don’t you fucking go anywhere,” demanded Blaze.

Skyfire eeped, wings rising. “Huh?”

“I want you to see this. I want others to know exactly how he treats me. Finally coming to actually talk to me in years and you’re already lecturing me without taking any responsibility.”

“I said I should have been there-”

“What else should you have done? What else could you and should you have done? Maybe visited me more than once after Mom died? Maybe come by whenever I had radiation accidents? What about the first time I OD’d? Where the fuck were you, Dad?”

Hammers’ ears fell back and for a few moments, it looked as if he was going to scream. Blaze braced herself, clutching the blankets around her. Creased brows knit until a single line like an assaulting front, dominating his face. Blaze watched him struggle, jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly until finally, he relaxed with a long sigh. “You’re right.”

Emeralds widened. “Excuse me?”

“You’re right. I’ve been a horrible father. I pushed you away and buried my feelings in my work instead of talking to you. I never let myself really speak with you, especially about what happened.” Hammers pulled a chair over with his magic and sat in it with a grimace. Blaze stared at him as if he had three heads. “So… Can we talk?”

As if she was too afraid of what she might say, Blaze only nodded shakily. Her monitors beeped with a frantic pace, and for once she didn’t bother hiding her anxiety. She couldn’t remember her father ever apologizing. “Flare has been speaking to me, the last few days. She’s pretty upset, as you can imagine. But she’s spoken to me about this… about you, many times before. I’m stubborn, and old, and stupid.”

“I’m already two of those,” muttered Blaze.

“You’re more stubborn than I,” agreed Hammers with a chortle. Blaze half smirked. “But you’re not stupid. You were a kid, and I should have known better. I thought that if I hid what I was feeling you wouldn’t suffer more than you already were.”

A slow shake of her head came before a hint of tears welled in Blaze’s eyes. She wasn’t sure if they were there because she was sad or angry. “I need to know, Dad. Who do you blame?”

His lips drew tight. “For what?”

“You know what.”

Hammers ran a hoof over his black mane, short and well-trimmed. It looked half as bad as Blaze remembered it after the incident. He looked to his niece and Skyfire, almost as if buying time. Blaze already knew what he was going to say upon his delay. Dark circles were beneath deep green eyes. Words caught in his throat, dying before he could get them out. Misty Sparks grimaced and made an encouraging motion but it was too late.

He lowered his head in shame.

“Me. It’s me. I fucking knew it.” Tears fell down Blaze’s cheeks and she threw her blanket off. Hammers jolted upright as his daughter struggled off the bed. “You can’t even say it to my face, after all these years!”

“Blaze-”

“Just admit it! You already think so!” She was in his face, medical equipment straining against her. The door came open as Tenderheart raced in, wiggling between the alarmed guards.

“Please Blaze just-”

“The only thing I want to hear you say is the fucking truth. You might not lie, Chief Hammers, but you damn well hide the truth.” Tenderheart pushed against Blaze in an attempt to make her rest but the bulky mare stood still. Hammers stared at his daughter. There wasn’t a whiff of chems to cloud her voice. Dark emerald eyes glimmered as the toughest stallion in Stable 36 fought a battle. A battle that time had not helped, no matter how much he had tried. The therapy, the counseling, and many long talks; none of them helped.

“Who’s to blame?” Hammers asked softly. Skyfire and Misty Sparks watched with horror as he grew quiet once more. Blaze strained forward. The nurse huffed and moved the medical equipment closer to avoid any damage. The clattering of IV and monitor’s stands filled the growing silence. It was most assuredly better to go along with Blaze than get in her way at that point.

Misty Sparks wiggled closer, just able to put a hoof on Blaze’s shoulder. Blaze blinked down at her cousin who gave a small smile. It was strained, but the message was clear. Her cousin had her back. “What were you hiding Dad? What did you refuse to tell me as a foal? What do you refuse to tell me even now, when you ask to talk?”

A minute passed of silence, Hammers attempting to speak only for the words to die in his throat. Eventually, he settled for something else and lowered his head. "She loved you so much Blaze. She loved you more than anypony in this stable, even herself," Hammers meekly commented, flinching as Blaze stood there, her unblinking eyes watching her father cry.

Hammers couldn't meet the intense gaze for long. The stallion stomped a hoof against the tile, cracking it as he looked down again. "Celestia damn it all. Why? Why did it have to be between you two?" His voice cracked, grief leaking out with every word.

"Go on. Tell me," Blaze growled out, the fire in her eyes unsatisfied.

"By the time I knew, she was already in there getting you, saving you… sacrificing herself."

"Closer. Tell. Me. Do I need to put the words in your mouth?" Blaze sneered back, ignoring the words of protest sounding around her. Right then only her dad existed. This hateful, judging, angry, punishing stallion who had refused to admit the truth for over a decade.

Hammers said something back that didn't register, even though she heard it. His tone was regretful. Her eyes widened, the mare's fire quivering for a moment. "S-say it again."

Hammers looked up, eyes red from the tears that refused to stop falling. For a pony so stoic it was utterly foreign to see. "I hate myself for letting myself blame you. Letting myself hate you. We were both your parents, and I would have done the same had I been close enough. I only wish it had been me."

"Why do you wish that?" Blaze asked, the fire gone, wide eyes looking at a broken father. He trembled where he sat.

"Blaze, Ember wouldn't have let her grief control her to hate her daughter who was too young to know… she wouldn't have stopped being your mother if it had been me."

Tender wings touched both the large ponies and they looked up with a jump to see Skyfire fighting back her tears, trying to be supportive. A smile pulled across her face, purple eyes shimmering. "I know you two are having a moment, but remember to breathe."

Blaze blinked gingerly before letting out a tremendous sigh, leaning forward to offer a hoof to her dad. "The others couldn't help but talk about how much Mom turned you into a happy pony. I miss her too, Dad."

Hammers let out the collective breath he had been holding, erupting into sobs as he took Blaze's hoof. Two fetlock hooves held one another for the first time in a decade. Blaze couldn’t remember her father’s hoof feeling so small, but she had grown much in those years. "I've been a terrible father. I was hardly a good one before…"

The mare looked away, catching her cousin’s broad smile. Misty Sparks made an encouraging gesture, helping Blaze find the words she wanted to say. "Here's… Here’s a chance to start now, Hammers. I mean, Dad."

The haggard pony nodded soberly. "It is, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid I'm too late to be somepony who can help."

At that point, Tenderheart coughed and nudged both of them. "This is tender to my heart to see, but Blaze you need to sit back down before you pull out all your instruments. We need to make sure you heal up properly." Father and daughter both chuckled lamely as Blaze was helped back into her bed, this time with Hammers' unsure hoof as if he was afraid of being able to help.

Ten minutes later a gently smiling Tenderheart moved aside to let Hammers closer to Blaze, the father leaning over with nervous movement. Without a stable suit to conceal her, and only bandages, he could see the tapestry of hiding and fur that comprised Blaze. "You've got so many scars, hon."

"Most of them aren't too bad… only one of them itches. This one on my leg," Blaze replied with caution in her voice. Speaking to her father was new. It went against her life to explain herself to Hammers. The declaration that he was trying to be a better father shook her to her core. For once, she wanted to believe what he said was the whole truth.

"What happens- can I ask what happened?" Hammers murmured, swallowing as he asked instead of demanding. "Was it a badass moment?"

Immediately a chorus of laughter came from the young mares. Skyfire laughed until her side hurt, and Tenderheart gave her a nicker to calm down. "Dad it sounds weird when you say badass- but no. It wasn't..." Blaze commented, gathering herself. "I was strung out on a mix of drugs, trying to not think about, well everything. It was sort of working until the biggest radroach I've ever seen tried to bite my nose off! I didn't have Hammers Jr, so I had to use my hooves."

Blaze wasn't focused on her father, more caught up in the story and what it felt like to tell Hammers. So she didn't notice how enraptured he was, listening to his daughter.

"I missed a bunch of swings, those weren't a good combination of drugs. Too jittery, not good shit like Sparky makes. Anyways, the bug leaped for my face and got a big chunk of my leg! It hurt and bled a lot! I was somewhere in the vents, and didn’t have the most space to move around in.”

“Wait, you can fit in the vents?” Misty Sparks interrupted.

“Some. Barely. I was maybe twenty pounds lighter back then.” Blaze dismissively waved a hoof. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is it was me and this giant fucking radroach in the vents and it got me good. I just flew into a rage then, figured if I could barely move around it wasn’t going to get to do the opposite. Squashed it real good with my back.”

Blaze laughed at that point, glancing over to Skyfire. “Feathers could probably be one of your vent monkeys, going about inspecting things. She’s got a nice dainty figure even if she’s nearly as tall as me.”

Hammers scoffed at that and waved a hoof. “Honestly, she’d be much better spent in some of our more sensitive tasks. The filly really knows her way around most of our tech, and she’s only been here a few weeks.”

Skyfire blushed at that point, waving a hoof gently. “I had to read a lot of complex manuals back-to-back in the cloud city.” The pegasus glanced at a giggling Misty Sparks. “It’s hard to take a compliment from somepony who is serious and I look up to!”

“Nonsense, you earned at least a single compliment. You’ve adapted quickly and asked questions to things you’re not sure about, saving us the risk of you doing something experimental with no idea,” Hammers murmured a bit more evenly before sighing. “I wish more of Stable-Tec was willing to read over the service manuals. They have a lot of tips in them.”

“I think Hammers might be right in saying that. You’ve been really helpful and friendly to everypony,” Misty Sparks cooed teasingly, the pegasus floofing up her wings to hide in embarrassment.

“It’s probably because most ponies would rather do something recreational, like a cocktail of drugs over reading something dryer than dirt, Hammers-er… dad,” Blaze commented in thought a moment later. “I know I’d rather get high than be reading something about the ahem, tensile strength of rebar reinforced concrete.”

Hammers grimaced and scratched at his chin. While he didn’t have a beard he had the habit of stallions that did. “Do you get strung out often?”

Blaze shrugged. “Some weeks more than normal. I always get so high I can’t remember shit on the anniversary.”

“Which one?”

“All of them. Best chems for that are dash and stampede. Dash makes everything feel slow like I’m faster than everypony else. Stampede is a fucking rush, makes me angry, powerful, combo that with dash and nothing can stop me. I’ve been trying to get Sparky to make them brewed together.”

Misty Sparks shook her head. “It’s possible, sure, but dash is inhaled and stampede injected. I’m not sure it would be exactly the same as what you’re wanting. Besides, I make chems to help ponies, not just for fun.”

“It helps me kick-ass,” replied Blaze. She scratched at pinpricks along her right arm, drawing Hammer’s gaze. Track marks speckled her forearm, visible with no fur to conceal them. “Dash can really help me calm down though, especially when I start freaking out. If everything just slows down for a bit, I can think.”

“Do you think using chems instead of coping mechanisms only fuels your need for them?” Hammers asked in a careful tone. It was clear he was uncomfortable but wasn’t trying to lecture as he had for years. “That was at least one thing therapy helped with, how to calm down.”

Blaze squinted at him. “Dad…”

“I know you need some chems, your actual medicine,” he replied swiftly, “just please, take it easy? You’re more fragile than you think.”

A scoff came from Blaze and she shook her head. “A single rock isn’t gonna shatter me. Buck gives me strength and endurance, dash lets me catch my breath and stampede lets me kill.”

“...Have you ever killed somepony, Blaze?”

“Not yet.” She shrugged. “Nopony’s pissed me off that much yet.”

“Then that’s changed.”

A pin dropped. Blaze stared at the ceiling while the mares to the side shuffled. Tenderheart preemptively pulled out a tranquilizer. “I didn’t kill Rusty,” Blaze whispered.

“The stallion you hit with the battery bomb, you crushed his skull in. He was dead immediately, so no suffering at least. It’s been ruled as self-defense, so that’s good. I don’t know what Flare would do if you were accused of murder too. Multiple confessions point to him being a willing mutineer, including Pumpkin’s report. He was trying to kill you, Blaze, but instead, you killed him.”

“That kick wasn’t strong enough for that,” argued Blaze. “It couldn’t possibly have killed him.”

“I saw the corpse, Blaze. If you can do that sober, then please think about what you can do on chems. Think about the ponies around you, those you might hurt.”

Blaze growled and looked at her hooves. “Well you said it already, it was self-defense”

“I just don’t want you to become a killer, Blaze. Your mother wanted you to have a happy, healthy life. Maybe we can’t get the healthy part, but happiness is still possible. Please… don’t lose yourself any more than you already have to the chems.”

Blaze trembled softly. She couldn’t remember his face, but she knew she wasn’t upset about killing him. What stabbed at her heart was there was truth to her father’s words. Just how dangerous was she? Emeralds flickered to Skyfire and Misty Sparks. She could vaguely remember attacking her cousin more than once. What would have happened if she’d laid a hoof on her? “I’ll think about it, okay?”

Hammers gave an awkward smile and patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Rest up. I’ll be by before you’re released, okay? Misty, Feathers, you get better too alright?”

“Goodbye Hammers,” replied Skyfire when Blaze remained quiet. He watched his daughter for a moment, before nodding and turning out. “Blaze?”

The earth pony laid back on the bed and turned away. “Don’t talk to me right now, okay? I… I need to think.”

A day of rest later and a pair of yellow eyes settled on the healing trio as Grease slipped into the room, wearing a sheepish smile. Her eyes wandered over each of the mares, lingering on the pegasus for a moment later before she sheepishly trotted over to offer hugs. Skyfire murmured greetings into a green coat, relieved to see her free. When Misty Sparks hugged Grease she was surprised to find the mare smelled of lemon soap.

The third mare pulled back, refusing the embrace. “You’re offering me a hug?” Blaze asked with a raised brow, glancing over at the softer pair of ponies frowning at her rejection.

“Look, a little mouse told me you were going to try and get better about your chem addictions, and I’ve heard stories of how hard it is. I know you’re also not going to be here very long. If you don’t want it, that’s fine. I’ll give another hug to Skyfire and enjoy her feathery embrace,” Grease replied, sticking out her tongue.

A blushing Skyfire watched as Blaze grumbled and tugged Grease over into a hug, giving the fellow earth pony a noogie. “Everypony really seems to like her feathers, probably apt to just call her Feathers then… And thank you. What brought you here though?”

Misty Sparks opened her mouth with a huff, “Maybe she just wanted to see friends? Skyfire was working with her in Maintenance, right?”

“Yea, she’s been helping me get used to how everything runs here and being a friendly face,” Skyfire murmured, a light blush still lining her cheeks. Her conversation with Misty Sparks in the Skyhawk flickered through her mind. The pegasus sighed quietly and shook her head. “There’s a lot of small details that go into helping keep the place running, I sometimes wish I could just see it all from her eyes as she explains it. At one point Grease explained how to maintain a generator and I was looking at the wrong panel out of the two the entire time.”

“Like one of those memory orbs you were telling me about?” Misty Spark asked curiously, a glint in her eyes.

“Yes exactly!” Skyfire started before frowning, “Well that’s what the unicorns told me, you need something specialized for the rest of us to view them.”

“Perhaps then there might be something useful in those memory orbs you had with you? Err… well Jolts had with you both. I’ve been thinking about them since we got back. I remember there was one with your name on it. I imagine it was meant for you to see, even if it’s hard to use them outside of being a unicorn. Maybe Jolts had a way for you to view it where you were going? Since we can’t know that though, maybe there’s an alternative method?”

Purple eyes widened as the pegasus realized. “Y-you want to go watch one of them? For me? What if there’s a bad memory in there?” Skyfire asked timidly.

“Jolts thought this all necessary enough to get you out there Skyfire,” Grease pointed out quietly, “shouldn’t you find out why?”

“Yeah, and he probably wanted you to see it, or hear it from somepony who could,” Blaze joined in, to the surprise of the other three. “What? It makes sense, unicorns are more common down here right?”

“We had a few unicorns because their magic was so useful, and they were descendants of the mountain stables,” Skyfire admitted. “No earth ponies though.”

Misty Sparks glanced back to the guard across the way and lowered her voice as she continued, a determined look growing in her eyes. “Perhaps then I can go view this. For you and Jolt’s sake at least.”

“Sparky, are you going to go against your mom’s rules to do this? Remember how I’m in the process of getting kicked out for breaking rules...” Blaze frowned at her cousin in an equally soft voice. They drew conspiratorially close so their words remained unknown.

Misty Sparks smiled nervously, brushing some mane out of her face before taking a deep breath. "This would be… my first time I believe, defying a direct rule from Mom at least. But this might help Skyfire. I could argue several good reasons why. I have to get my way into Steel's office to view them. She has the orbs in a bin."

"I could get in with you needing something like a power core for one of our welders. They're the same kind that the industrial drills use so they're secured. You could be… acquainting yourself with how the stable works, for when you’re overmare,” Grease piped in with a smile. "If this can help Skyfire, or maybe give her more peace. I'm game to see what I can do."

"You all are too nice, I don't want you to get in trouble," Skyfire protested at that point, her feathers fluffing up in embarrassment. "You're both like Jolts, so ready to risk yourself."

"Wouldn’t you do the same for them?" Blaze questioned, smirking as Skyfire blushed again.

"I see your point. I would because they and you treat me like I'm normal, or well, you don't gawk or whisper when I walk by. You're my friends. I'd do the same back to help you all." The pegasus rubbed her head with her hooves. "Just please be careful, okay?"

Grease whistled before winking back at Skyfire "Oh you're adorable Feathers, worrying for Misty Sparks and me. I'm a smooth talker, and she's the next overmare, full of intelligence with sharp, cunning eyes. Together Steel won't see us coming."

Misty Sparks blinked and chuckled lamely, rubbing her snout. "I'm not that well-spoken, and her last friend who did something risky… well, you know."

Grease nodded as she adopted a more serious look. "Right, I didn't forget. But this is less risky, and we need answers. Alright, let's all give a group hug for luck." The earth pony nickered as she helped Misty Sparks down and over to an awaiting Skyfire. The unicorn took a moment longer, limping the first few steps before managing a good stride.

"Hugs are nice, and if they give good luck I'll give lots of them," Skyfire replied, giving a tight wing hug to the pair, sighing nervously. "Be safe."

"We will, and uh if anypony asks, Grease is helping update me on some maintenance reports," Misty Sparks added quickly, her eyes drifting between Skyfire and Blaze.

The large mare gestured discreetly to their first obstacle. “How are you gonna get out of here?”

Grease arched a brow and hummed in thought. “You still have any weapons you owe Steel?”

“Course not.”

“What are you talking about, you gave me your knife earlier, remember?” Grease flashed a smile.

Blaze grinned. “I like you.”

“Makes me one of those few you do that ain’t high,” Grease snickered and started towards the door. Misty Sparks was quick to follow.

The guard stepped in their way. “You’re under strict orders to remain in this hospital room.”

“C’mon now, she’s been cooped up here for over half a week. Let the little mare stretch her legs,” said Grease.

The guard scowled. “Overmare Flare was very clear.”

“What if you tag along? If you don’t trust that I could keep her safe myself.”

Misty Sparks gave a smile. “You’ve done so well, I’d trust you. We’ll stick to the upper levels. I just want to see Steel. I owe her some rented weapons after all.”

“We already returned your equipment,” the guard replied.

“Even Blaze’s knife?”

The guard blinked then squinted down at Misty Sparks. “She had a knife?”

Grease nodded and pulled a sharp knife out of her pocket. “Yeah, she passed it over to me. Didn’t you see?”

“Uh… no.”

“Well, let us take care of this and give the little Overmare a walk. You can keep an eye on these two.” Grease patted the guard on the shoulder as they stepped aside, letting them out. “Thanks.”

It struck Misty Sparks as peculiar that nopony had dared to stop them. They had passed dozens of her fellow citizens, mostly medical and security personnel, but with Grease at her side, they hadn’t been questioned. Using the overmare override they rode up to the quartermaster via the security elevator, which naturally was unoccupied. Still, the wide berth given to her by her fellow stable citizens hurt, though the lack of any questioning confused her more than anything. Perhaps nopony wanted to seem disloyal for questioning the heir after what Rusty had done.

She hated such a thought.

There was only a singular pony talking with Steel when they’d arrived, and to her delight, it was a familiar face. “Melody!” She greeted, limping over to her therapist.

A polite smile drew across the greyscale mare’s face only for it to slip into concern at the limp. “I’ve got open slots for an appointment this week,” she began, “though I’m preparing for… another potential client.”

“Blaze, I know. She’s considering it, for a first.”

“That’s good. Whoever ends up getting her will be well equipped to handle her… delicate situation.” Melody had a gentle voice that matched her name, soothing to hear. Anxiety simply melted off Misty Sparks’ shoulders at her reassurance. “I’m just getting refreshed on office supplies. What’re you doing here though, shouldn’t you still be recovering?”

“I’m wondering the same thing,” Steel’s matured voice added. “Tagging along with Grease now?”

The considerably younger earth pony huffed. “Hey, I’m an important pony too, you know?”

“Yes yes Second Technician Grease,” Steel said, “now what do you want? Trouble I assume.”

Grease made a playful scoff before puffing out her chest. "Actually I was here with Misty as my witness to announce we managed to recover a sought-after knife. One of Blaze’s hidden knives…" Grease paused for a moment, inhaling dramatically. "I convinced her to give it up because she might get bad feelings now that she's trying to go sober."

The greyscale mares blinked before Steel reached out expectantly. “You actually managed that?”

“You know I can be convincing when I want to be, right?” Grease said with soft offense, squinting at the old quartermaster.

Melody snickered. “My cousin lacks tact, we’ve talked about that before.”

“Shut up you,” replied Steel with a scowl. Grease produced the knife and Steel took it with glee. “I’ve been trying to get these for years! I had security flip her room last time we found a weapon on her.”

A chuckle came from Grease and she tilted her head. “What about her sledgehammer?”

“It technically qualifies as ‘work equipment’ so she gets away with keeping it with her at all times. The same goes for any other construction pony but they all leave theirs at the surface administration building.”

“Ah, but of course, technicalities and loopholes,” Grease said slowly, emphasizing her words dramatically. Steel gave a disgruntled huff but Melody only chuckled at her antics. “Classic Stable-Tec standards and procedures right there. Anywho, you mind if I do some work while I’m up here?”

Steel arched a brow suspiciously. “Depends on the type.”

“I just need to double-check the fusion cores for our welders. With the changes to Security, I want to be sure things are in working order.”

Ears fell back indigently and Steel pushed up on her counter. “Are you implying my security measures are ineffective?”

“Of course not,” Misty Sparks reassured, “but it would be pertinent for us to look after what’s happened. You might not know if it’s been tampered with and what if there’s an accident?”

Slowly calming down, the old quartermaster reclined into her seat behind the counter. She glanced at her cousin who could only shrug. “I suppose that makes sense. I’m no expert on those things, just logistics. Fine, but why’s Misty Sparks with you?”

A wave of fear crossed lime eyes and Misty Sparks coughed. “After… Well… I want to be a good overmare when the time comes, and that means understanding the stable. Maybe not to the nitty-gritty but certainly more than I do now. I… It- well it is something I need to do. Please, Steel.”

Melody gave a long sigh and patted the small mare on the shoulder. Despite her age, the only hint of weariness were her eyes, silvery tones that drifted if she wasn’t careful. Misty Sparks found her quite comforting to be around. “When do you want an appointment?”

“The sooner the better, probably. Once I’m not limping?”

“Next week then likely,” Melody agreed. “I’ll be sure to give you a longer session, I imagine there’s much to unpack after this… coup.”

A nervous chuckle came from Misty Sparks, a habit more than intentional. “Yeah… Yeah. So, Steel?”

“Ah… fine c'mon kid.” She relented and unlocked the half-door. Grease and Misty Sparks smiled and uttered their thanks as they skirted inside the quartermaster’s domain. Now that she wasn’t still shaking off sleep, Misty Sparks took in the extremely well-organized supply. Shelves with immaculate labels held everything from provisions to armor and tools, while weapons were secured in large racks bolted into the walls. She gulped at the heavy-duty battle saddles that rested behind an additional cage of security. Guiding lines brought them to the technical supplies which were secured behind a chain-link fence. Steel unlocked it and gestured the mares inside, then turned back to her counter, leaving the key in the padlock.

The fusion cores were meticulously laid out with tags of information attached to them. Misty Sparks sniffed at them, almost expecting to smell magic within but they were properly sealed. Grease started humming as she took one into her hooves, the core as long as her pip-buck. “You know just one of these could kill a pony if it were to explode?”

“Uh… No, I didn’t.”

“Yup, that’s why they’re locked up. Negligence is the biggest cause of accidental deaths, and even a few good dents could lead to build up within, a ticking time bomb of magic and science.”

“Shouldn’t you be careful with that then?” Misty Sparks asked as Grease flipped it around in her hooves, examining it with an almost reckless speed.

“I know what I’m doing by now, don’t worry.” She glanced up to see Steel chatting away with Melody mostly out of view and smiled. Grease spoke next in a whisper, “You go looking for that memory orb, okay? I’ll keep acting like I’m teaching you something.”

With a subtle nod, Misty Sparks snuck away. As Misty Sparks started her search in the armory, she noticed a trend. The stable was rather marked in its published history books, but here she saw among the weapons and tools were many memories. Books of notes in a case labeled ‘Starbursts ramblings’ caught her attention first. Surrounding it were portraits of ponies only recognizable by their names on the bottom, former chiefs of the many branches within the stable. That was interesting to the young mare, but her eyes locked onto a modestly sized, but strikingly beautiful figurine.

It could be none other than their late master of friendship and minister of arcane science, Twilight Sparkle! The deep purples were all painted with love and care. The attention to detail about the stripe in her mane and tail were striking, almost every strand visible. Misty Sparks had neared the figurine so slowly she didn't realize her nose had started touching the glass before an alarm chirped for half a second.

"- And that is what happens when any of our collections are touched, Miss Aura," Grease quickly said, loud enough for Steel to hear. The quartermaster grumbled too softly for Misty Sparks to understand but she sounded calm. "Rest assured anything you wish to keep that doesn't fit in your office within reason can be stored here or in the lower level warehouse." The earth pony had predicted Misty Sparks’ actions quickly enough to be at the alarm shut off.

"Now as I was saying," Grease added loudly before quieting down, smirking as she crossed over to Misty Sparks' side, poking her gently with a hoof. "How did I know you'd get distracted by the pony all unicorns aspire to be?"

"I-I, we have a figurine of one of the ministry mares? And yes she might be my favorite. It's just history we have that I’ve never seen, even if it's little,” Misty Sparks protested back quietly before looking around. "I never realized we kept so many memories."

"It's partially why the armory had been expanded twice. To keep memoirs and relics from the past overmares. They get a bit of a free written legacy even if it ends up collecting dust to a degree inside here. But c’mon we talked our way in here to help our feathered friend." Grease nudged Misty Sparks again with a chuckle. The earth pony returned to the technical area, rambling about proper calibration of welders and fusion cores.

Glancing after Grease, Misty Sparks gave herself a shake. Pushing past the historic mementos brought Misty Sparks to another chain-link fence, this one with a dark mesh behind it that obscured some of what it held within. There was no mistaking the soft glow of the memory orbs on a shelf, however. Misty Sparks tugged on the padlock with her magic only to have her suspicions confirmed. Without a clue on how to pick locks, the unicorn smiled as a much easier and faster solution presented itself. She picked out a spot of the floor she could make out on the other side and focused upon it. Magic began to flow around her body and coalesce at the tip of her horn, before spreading outwards in a brilliant implosion of neon green.

Safely on the other side of the fence, Misty Sparks gave herself a proud nod at her hoofwork and then turned to the shelf. There were a variety of strange assorted objects held within the cage, mostly in boxes or crates with scribbled tags. The translucent hard case of four orbs was like a siren’s song and she quickly picked it up with her hooves. She pulled out the one labeled ‘Skyfire’ and glanced around with a hint of hesitance. Nopony had any idea how long she would be viewing the memories within if it took only a moment or was experienced in real-time. With no way to find out other than trying, she swallowed down her nerves.

Neon green magic focused on the memory orb. With a rush of blackness, Misty Sparks collapsed, the case clattering to the ground, and viewed orb rolling away. It felt like being pulled underwater in a single riptide, consciousness slipping away.

Sensations completely foreign to Misty Sparks were the first things she noticed. Her body was bobbing back and forth like a rubber duck on water, lifting and lowering with each wave. However, she was entirely certain she wasn’t going for a swim. The soft flap of wings brushed her ears, a noise she’d slowly grown accustomed to thanks to Skyfire, but it was far too close. With startling realization, Misty Sparks understood her situation. She was Skyfire. The rhythm of fluttering in place was jarring if not a little nauseating, but Misty Sparks did her best to settle herself out. She didn’t want to know if puking in this mental space meant she puked in real life.

Her host held a welding torch in her hooves and wore a mask that made things a bit easier for Misty Sparks to adjust. Arcs of brilliant light were dimmed through the tinted viewport, shielding them both from any harm. Eventually, Skyfire stopped welding and pulled back from whatever surface she had been near. Misty Sparks balked as the mask was removed, revealing a machine of steel suspended by rigging from a sky crane. It was an airship, similar in design to the Skyhawk but larger and more intimidating. Misty Sparks mentally gulped as she spotted heavy machine guns on its wings.

Testing out her new state of being, Misty Sparks quickly confirmed a few things. Firstly, she could feel everything Skyfire did, but not her thoughts. The interior mechanisms of the pegasus continued to elude her. Secondly, she could only see what Skyfire did. There was no out-of-body experience beyond the extremely literal sensation of being in another pony’s body. Where Skyfire looked, she looked, though she could focus her attention separately of where the pegasus had to take in more details. Thirdly, she could feel Skyfire’s emotions. Without the associated thoughts it was hard to decipher, but the physical effects of emotions were palpable.

Pride rippled throughout Skyfire’s body as she settled on a catwalk, taking in her hoofwork. Music was blaring from nearby, a strange noise that rattled Misty Sparks but left her host happy. Wailing instruments and harsh voices belted incomprehensibly from a radio just within sight. A hoof was absentmindedly keeping with the beat, further confusing Misty Sparks. She’d never danced before, not even so much as a hoof tap. A scandalized sensation ran over the mare’s mental body in stark contrast to the pleasant sensations of her host.

Skyfire double-checked the weld and then trotted to where a clipboard rested against a pillar of metal. Just how so much heavy metal was floating in the sky was beyond the unicorn’s understanding. The clipboard was only in view for a minute, but Misty Sparks did her best to read as much as she could. The aircraft was a vertibuck, a separate model from the vertihawk, and had been built over a decade before the Last Day. With great interest, Misty Sparks noted the date Skyfire signed at the bottom for repairs was the same as when she’d crashed. This memory was perhaps only hours before whatever event had brought the pegasus falling from the sky.

The music cut out. Skyfire blinked over to see a teal stallion with an electric blue mane in a regulation military style. His green wings gestured at the mare, amazing Misty Sparks at the dexterity of them. Each green feather curled in an enticing manner. Orange eyes were full of mischief as he smiled at her, dressed in a flight suit. Misty Sparks gaped. Even before she read the nametag on his suit, she knew exactly who he was. Jolts, alive and fully intact, eyed Skyfire with a clear plan working through his brain. Misty Sparks knew exactly how that would end.

“Skyfire~” He called in a sing-songy voice. “You all finished here? Think I could steal you away for some maintenance on the Skyhawk?”

“Only if you’re really nice,” she chuckled before flying over to him. They embraced in the playful manner of old friends and he ruffled her crimson mane. She squealed and darted back, fixing her mane with a pout.

Jolt flicked his tail further down the catwalks. “C’mon, the Skyhawk is acting a little weird. I’m hearing a noise when I start her up that isn’t normal.”

“When did this start? I checked her over two days ago,” Skyfire replied as they started walking. She glanced down briefly as they went down a stairwell. To Misty Sparks’ utter shock the steel beams of the maintenance structure were supported only by clouds. Thick, puffy clouds truly did support everything the pegasus city was. A sense of vertigo consumed Misty Sparks as she imagined the distance to the surface. Pegasus magic was marvelous.

Jolts disregarded her question and instead started talking about the latest news, regaling Skyfire in the most recent marathon fliers event. They wound their way through maintenance bays that varied from whole airships like the vertibuck from earlier, to large steel panels just as large. Once more Misty Sparks was in awe of the sheer scale of engineering, while her host barely paid a second thought to it. She had to wonder if this was the same way Skyfire felt in the stable, surrounded by foreign marvels. Another part of herself was simply amazed to see things from such an elevated perspective.

Eventually, they arrived at the Skyhawk. Seeing the aircraft in its proper glory sent a chill down Misty Sparks’ spine. It was smaller than the vertibucks and certainly more geared to recon operations. Its name was proudly painted on the nose, a burst of lightning dashing underneath it. The pair walked across clouds the final few feet to enter its opened cargo bay, Misty Sparks’ focus entirely on the foreign sensation. Clouds were just as soft as she’d imagined, if not softer.

Skyfire carried herself calmly as she started examining the aircraft, staring at a spread of switches and knobs that dizzied Misty Sparks. With an ease that surprised the unicorn, Skyfire turned the Skyhawk on. In a singular moment, Misty Sparks understood why Skyfire wanted to fix the crashed aircraft. A rush of excitement jolted through the pegasus, instinctual and utterly thrilled. Every inch of her vibrated as the engine roared to life, loud enough to deafen anypony outside without hearing protection. Jolts wore a similarly excited expression, one that Misty Sparks doubted her host had questioned. With her knowledge of hindsight, she could see fear edging at the corners of orange.

Foreign as the entire ordeal was to Misty Sparks, she was grateful when Skyfire tilted an ear. “I don’t hear any noise.”

“It’s real quiet, here I’ll show you where I’ve heard it,” Jolts said, guiding her to a more secluded section of the cockpit. They were obscured from all eyes now, the transparent glass of the cockpit revealing them only to an open bay door. Not a single pegasus flew by.

“What’s this really about?” Skyfire asked when enough time had passed and no noise had been heard. “You never lie to me.”

Jolts winced and gave an apologetic hug with his wings. Misty Sparks fixated on the sensation. His green feathers felt coarser than Skyfire’s, as if not as thoroughly groomed. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t lying to you, just everypony around. I need to talk to you in absolute privacy.”

She gave a slow nod. Unease and nervousness replaced the steady confidence the pegasus had been feeling earlier, rippling through Misty Sparks with uncomfortable familiarity. “Why not after work at your place?”

“My house is bugged.”

“What? By who?”

“Sky you know by who,” grumbled Jolts. “Funny thing is the Skyhawk honestly was making a weird noise when I turned her on. It was feedback. They bugged our baby too, though she’s clean now.”

Skyfire jostled in place and glanced out the open cargo bay. Nopony was around, but there was a familiar-looking crate in the bay. Misty Sparks gasped, it was the smashed crate the memory orbs had been found in. “Okay. What’s this about? What’s going on?”

“We’re in real danger and our only hope is escape.” Skyfire’s heart leaped in her chest. “I know that’s a lot but it’s the truth. I do not lie to you Sky. I’m serious.”

“Is this about Silver Edge?”

“Partially. Silver Edge was a bad pilot I know, and they acted up a lot. But I don’t think they just got disciplined. They’re gone, Sky.”

Skyfire whinnied and shook her head. “We’ve already talked about this, your conspiracy theories are dangerous. Even if you’re remotely right, what are you going to do about it? This is the Enclave we’re talking about, and sometimes it’s best to keep your head low so you’ll keep it.”

“You’re just scared of your father,” he replied, “and I don’t blame you. Look at everything Irontail has done to you. You know he’s why you haven’t been promoted, right?”

The mare’s breathing was coming swiftly, panic filling her from the hooves up. Misty Sparks listened with absolute attention. “I keep getting denied by the upper brass, that’s all. Father might be a brigadier general, but he’s in charge of the Rotor-Wing Division, not Engineering. He can’t-”

“Mom has told me herself.”

“General Sweetpea wouldn’t stand for my father interfering with her division!” Skyfire yelped. “She’s like an aunt to me!”

Jolts hissed in frustration and shook his head. “I know, that’s why she admitted it when I asked her. He’s been pulling strings for a few years now, Sky. The only reason you’re even on the Skyhawk is because your skill cannot be denied. You should be wearing stripes by now, but you’re still junior enlisted!”

“I don’t k-know if I’m ready for that kind of r-responsibility,” countered Skyfire with increasing fear. Misty Sparks wished she could comfort the mare, but she knew all of this was in the past. What was done was done. “I’m no leader, I c-couldn’t handle that.”

“That’s your father’s poison talking,” sneered Jolts with surprising zeal. There was no doubt to the spectator that the stallion cared deeply for Skyfire. “You could be the best mechanic the Enclave has ever known if he’d just let you spread your wings.”

Skyfire started playing with her mane, a nervous tick Misty Sparks had long since picked up on. “It’s not so bad being junior enlisted, sir,” she replied, glancing at his second lieutenant rank on his flight suit. “You’re respected and by extension so am I. I like gears and wrenches, I love repairing. I’m… I’m happy here.”

“Or are you just content?”

“What?”

“You’ve asked about flying before, Sky. Goodness gracious it’s in your name, you were meant to be free! Your father has been punishing you ever since you followed your heart instead of his plans. That’s not right!” Despite his impassioned words, Jolts kept his voice to a low whisper well hidden in the roar of the Skyhawk. “So I found a way to be free. We have a mission.”

Skyfire blinked at him, breathing with a focused effort to level herself out. There was a hint of recognition in Misty Sparks’ mind, she did those same exercises. Once more she felt a little bit more alike to the foreign mare and found it a comforting thought. “What do you mean, we? I don’t go on missions.”

Nodding with enthusiasm, Jolts gestured to the pilot’s seat. “This time you do. I need a copilot and a mechanic, in case things get a little… rocky. That crate over there has critical data, data we’re going to deliver to some ponies who can do something with it hopefully for the better. Once we do that, we’re free.”

“Free? What do you mean free?”

“Exactly what that sounds like. No more Irontail, no more drills, no more Enclave. We’re going to the surface Sky. General Sweetpea has approved the mission, and it’s not just us two going. Mercurydrops will be here soon, we need him for what’s inside the crates plus I’m scared he’s disappearing next.”

Puffing up like a scared animal, Skyfire stepped back from her friend. “You want to desert!”

“Escape! Haven’t you noticed all the ponies going missing these last few months?”

“They’ve been reassigned! The Enclave does that all the time, especially to lower-performing ponies.”

“You’re not that naive Skyfire. Silver Edge left without even saying goodbye. I even spoke with your brother and he tipped me off that I’m not just going crazy. Something big is going on and this cargo will take us to the heart of it without tipping anypony off. We’ve swapped in as the initial courier, and once we get to Outpost Aurora we’ll know exactly what’s going on. Shining Arrow gave me a name, somepony he trusts. If we give them the data then I think answers will come out. Then you disable the transponder and we’re free!”

“You think you’ll get answers? You’re acting off theories and wild conjecture!”

“Your brother admitted something is wrong, your brother in the SpecOps remember?”

Snorting, Skyfire shook in place. “I know what my brother does.”

“At least on paper,” Jolts grumbled. “He couldn’t give me much, but what he did seemed to scare him. Please if you can’t believe me, believe your brother.”

“He’d be here telling me to run if he thought it was the best thing to do,” Skyfire rebuked. “I won’t turn you in, Jolts, but I can’t betray everything we’ve ever known for superstitions. This is our home.”

“This is a prison,” Jolts replied in an even tone. “And I’m busting us out.”

There was a heavy noise from the cargo bay that startled Skyfire. A baby blue unicorn stood there, sorrow in ruddy eyes. “I told you she’d never go for it,” he said to Jolts. “She’s too much of a believer. She’s too pure to see the corruption.”

“I’m not some innocent foal,” rebuked Skyfire. It startled Misty Sparks just how much anger the mare possessed. She was twitching in fear and rage, broiling emotions making the experience entirely uncomfortable for the unicorn. “I know things aren’t perfect.”

Mercurydrops approached with slow steps. Jolts shifted next to Skyfire. She suddenly became keenly aware she was between her two friends whose loyalties were no longer shared. Her best friend touched her shoulder, pleading, “Don’t make me do this, Sky. Come with me.”

“It would break my mother’s heart.”

“It would break mine to leave you here a moment longer.”

“That’s not your choice,” she replied. Wings fluffed defensively. “I don’t b-believe what you’ve said, because if it’s true then that means u-unspeakable evil lives in the Enclave.”

“I’m not lying! I’ve never lied to you!”

“But you could still be wrong!”

The blue unicorn had drawn near, his eyes full of sorrow that had condensed into determination. “He’s not, Skyfire. I know it’s awful, but it’s all true. I’ve been helping Jolts investigate, and my questions have gotten me pegasi tails and unicorn listeners. My supervisor sent me home on administrative leave because they found ‘threatening documents’ on my terminal. The Bureau of Investigation is trying to make me look like a terrorist in the making or some psycho who’s going to snap from wartime stress disorder!”

“You’re one of the calmest ponies I know,” Skyfire argued, “that’s impossible.”

“Not with enough planted evidence. I can’t just fly away from my problems like you two, I’m stuck in the mountains or unicorn accessible sectors. I’m only standing here now because of my people’s magic. The talismans that give your aircraft flight let me walk on clouds, but only where they’ve been planted. I’m treated like a second-class citizen up here Skyfire, and now because I’m asking questions on where ponies are going they’re going to string me up and make it look like I did this to myself. I don’t doubt they followed me here too.”

With a heave, Skyfire stepped away from them to the cargo bay door. “T-this it… It doesn’t make sense.”

Jolts sighed and walked alongside her. She blinked at the fact that he wasn’t trying to stop her. “Everything we’ve ever been told growing up was how grand the Enclave is, right? How we’re going to inherit Equestria and restore it to not only its former glory but improve upon it. Did you ever notice how our name is the Grand Pegasus Enclave? Where in that glorious plan do the unicorns fit in?”

Skyfire paused. “I… don’t know. I never really thought about it.”

“Because we’re brainwashed not to.” Horror crept along Misty Sparks’ spine in unison with her host’s. Jolts was holding a small orb in his hooves, cloudy white roiling inside it. A memory orb. “I have proof.”

The mare stepped away, bumping into Mercurydrops. Heart racing and face hot, Misty Sparks could feel the anxiety and anger building within Skyfire. Even without knowing her thoughts, the unicorn was certain Skyfire was thinking the exact same thing as she would have been if somepony had suggested corruption at the core of Stable 36. “If what you say is true, if… if Mercurydrops is being set up, then fine. Go. But I’m not joining you. I can’t abandon my family. I’ll show you how to disable the transponder but I cannot leave. My brother and I can work together on finding out the truth, he’ll keep me safe.”

Jolts stared at her. He truly regretted the action he was taking but believed it was right, Misty Sparks was sure of it. Mercurydrops’ horn began to glow behind Skyfire, bathing them in a pale blue. “The fact is two, three, even ten ponies can’t stop this. We’re cogs in the machine, and the best way to do something is to break free. Otherwise, we’ll just get grinded down into dust, or removed. Come with us, Skyfire. I promise we’ll live a better life. We’ll see the surface, listen to music and grow a real garden. Don’t you want to know what it’s like down there?”

Skyfire tilted her head up, wings poised to take off. Every inch of her body was tensed. “I will not abandon my family.”

“I’m sorry… I love you too much to not free you from it all,” Jolts said as he nodded his head. Skyfire moved with a burst of speed that shocked Misty Sparks despite all the preparation, only for her limbs to go slack. Magic surrounded her and she struggled against it. The stallion walked into her line of vision as something began pressing down on her mind, darkness swirling with increasing potency. It felt like a knife was stabbing along her brain, cleaving a piece out to put somewhere else. “I promise, it’ll all be worth it. I’ll explain it all over to you again.”

“J-Jolts-” She whispered. The last thing she saw was remorseful orange eyes.

With a thunderous noise, reality came crashing back in for Misty Sparks. She felt a series of emotions all cascading together, and a rising urge to vomit. As her senses trickled back, Misty Sparks realized she was on a medical bed, with more than a few upset-looking ponies staring at her.

“What do you mean you don’t know what the hell she did?” A rather upset Flare cried out, her face deep red with emotion and barely kept rage.

A confused, if not curious Healing Drops swayed a hoof away at Flare. “Firstly, I will not start to experiment on a patient of my stable if I don’t know what the hell happened to cause this situation.” It seemed like she and Grease had been found out.

“From what Skyfire said it wouldn’t be anything crazy,” Grease protested, glancing over towards Misty Sparks. She didn’t notice the unicorn’s return to consciousness yet. Misty Spark’s eyes were barely open, and her entire body felt numb from the end of that memorable journey. The back of her mouth was dry and her back ached with the loss of her wings. It took her a moment to remind herself she’d never had them in the first place.

“I don’t care, Grease, why she wanted to do it. She went against the rules and interacted with something we haven’t had time to study yet!” Flare curtly commented to a restrained Grease who had been sitting there patiently, a friend who indeed was taking the fall for Misty Sparks.

“Flare!” Hammers shouted from the side where she couldn’t see, laid out on her left side. Flare’s eyes snapped to her brother, fury, and worry leaking out as she snorted.

“What!?”

Hammer’s pointed to a twitching and groaning Misty Sparks, her eyes open enough for them to notice. “You can calm down now, Firecracker.”

“Nghh… Mom… Hammers?” Misty Sparks started before squeaking as Flare fawned over her daughter. Ribs ached at the pressure of a mother’s embrace.

“Not. Another. Word. Missy. You just came out of a coma, after touching that thing!” Flare insisted in a fervor. The orb in question was on a table with a machine attached to it. “You take a moment to collect your thoughts while Healing Drops checks you over now that you’re awake, then you start explaining.”

At that point, Healing Drops gently pushed Flare to the side to start looking over the Overmare’s daughter. Misty Sparks obeyed the doctor’s instructions, muttering a few trace syllables before squeaking as Healing Drops pressed a stethoscope to her chest, prodding and looking over things, horn glowing brightly. “Right right, Misty Sparks, breathe in, breathe out. Alright. Nothing here, nothing there.” Healing Drops turned back to Flare, nodding away. “She’s as fine as she can be, nothing residual, other than her wincing. Which I’m sure she can explain.”

Flare huffed and moved back next to the bed, getting down to be eye to eye with her daughter. “I’m sure you have a very good reason that begins with our feathered friend, but you cannot risk your own life and limb. We have no idea what that was, and you just, you activated it!”

“Mom, Overmare Flare,” Misty Sparks began, her head aching as she waved a hoof. “That’s a memory orb, there are more in that box that was with Skyfire in the crash. This one contains a memory of Skyfire, taken from her by her friends.”

There was a stunned silence for a few seconds before Healing Drops coughed, eyeing the orb. “So what you’re saying is, that is a memory of Skyfire’s, copied over?”

“No, it was ripped from her, hence why she can’t remember anything immediately before the crash.”

“That’s barbaric.”

“It also proves without a shadow of a doubt that Skyfire was kidnapped by her friends, trying to ‘rescue’ her from something up in the clouds.”

Flare snorted softly before sighing and nodding. “It sounds like Jolts was trying to defect with friends to escape the Enclave, which would explain why they were shot down, and why no one has tried to rescue them.”

Misty Sparks smiled faintly. “Y-yes, that’s my thought. And if we go look at the other orbs I’m sure we can find-”

“There will be no looking into the other orbs.” Flare stamped down firmly. “Regardless of what can be gleaned, we don’t know enough about how they work to do it safely. What if the memory imprints something on you?” A ghosting of wings filled Misty Sparks’ mind. Tapping her horn, she reminded herself that she was a unicorn.

Flare squinted at the gesture. “The fact it was ripped, voluntary or not. Is a travesty against the sanctity of our minds. Who knows what else could have been taken from her or any other pony? Where did this technology even come from?”

“At least let me tell Skyfire, you remember how confused and afraid she was, and she still talks about how she wishes she could tell us what happened before the crash. She needs to know,” Misty Sparks insisted, a fire growing in her eyes. “She’s my friend, and she trusted me with checking out something deeply personal to her.”

Flare gave pause to the passion and emotion erupting out of the now fully awake Misty Sparks. The little unicorn sniffled a little bit. “She really wanted to try and help fix whatever was going on. They talked about a place, Outpost Aurora. One of their friends was being framed as a traitor for asking questions, and they were scared he would be relocated. Jolts tried to convince her to leave but she refused to abandon her family. She doesn’t know she basically indirectly deserted.”

“She might not take it that well,” Hammers cut in softly with a sigh. “She’s probably pieced it together partially though. She was so hopeful about going home on the first day she was working under me. She talked about life up there, the good, the bad, and how it was still home to her.”

“It’s better I tell her,” Misty Sparks insisted again, emotions running rampant. “Though in a way I’m glad she doesn’t have the memory of her best friend lying and forcing her away from her home, kidnapping her and stealing her mind. I could feel her emotions throughout the memory, and she felt nothing but pain and dread as she realized Jolts wasn’t going to let her stay up there.”

“You realize at this point, she doesn’t have a home to look to,” Grease added in, weathering the withering look Flare gave her. “Offer her one here, she’s more friendly to your daughter than most of the stable here. She works hard and wants to be a good addition to the team even with ponies distrusting her because of her origins.”

“That’s above your paygrade, Grease,” Hammers commented quietly before blinking as Flare held up a hoof.

“You were also willing to risk your own position and tenure in this stable to help Skyfire, yes?” Flare asked directly, narrowing her eyes.

Grease retorted without a thought. “Yes, I did help Misty out because Skyfire is my friend and one who’s gone through a lot in the time she’s been here. It might be above my paygrade, Sir, but I definitely am not the only pony who thinks she’s more than earned her right to call our stable home. Even as far as to say she can be a citizen.”

Tension ran through the air and Flare stared off at some distant point. Misty Sparks watched her mother openly process her emotions, anger, and fear raging a war with logic and compassion. It felt surreal to see the mask no longer in place. “The last time we gave an outsider citizenship, it ended badly. Flask committed horrible crimes.”

“Skyfire isn’t Flask,” said Misty Sparks. Flare winced under her daughter’s intense gaze. “We can’t treat her the same, she’s already proven herself. Flask would’ve run away, or even given me up to save his own hide. Skyfire fought and almost died for Blaze and I.”

“You’re… right,” admitted Flare.

Clearing his throat, Hammers spoke up, “I trust her too. She’d be a wonderful permanent addition to my section. Once this whole, vertihawk situation is taken care of.”

“Fine. Okay. I’ll draft up the paperwork and get her official before they depart on their mission,” Flare conceded. She stood with weariness, shaky on her hooves.

It was clear to Misty Sparks her mother was crashing from the panic. “I’m sorry for the scare, Mom.”

Nostrils flared, the overmare looked at her daughter. Eventually, she sighed and gave a shake of her head. A proud smile slipped across her face. “You did what you thought was right. Next time think things through better, alright?”

She nodded.

Hooves wrapped around the young mare and pulled her into a tight embrace. Misty Sparks winced as her lungs protested. “Stop scaring me, please. I’m getting too old for this kind of excitement.”

“I’m older than you,” grumbled Hammers, “what’s that say about me?”

“You’re one hoof in the grave big brother,” chuckled Flare with a nervous edge. Misty Sparks returned the embrace in full, focusing on what it felt like. Her venture into another pony’s body made her all the more appreciative of her own.

“Sorry, Mom.”

Chapter Twelve: Anticipation

Chapter Twelve: Anticipation

“Once we start this, there’s no going back, yeah?”

Finding oneself suddenly surrounded by friends and coworkers with tempered expressions was not a pleasant feeling. Misty Sparks stood in the center of the mass, Flare and Hammers flanking the silver mare like red curtains. Grease was beside her superior, an easy smile on her youthful face that only further worried Skyfire as the rest wore frowns or carefully neutral expressions. Sitting next to the Overmare was Healing Drops, her clipboard floating with magic as she prepared for whatever was about to happen. Glancing at Blaze who looked a fair bit nervous, Skyfire frowned. “H…Hello?”

“Hi,” Misty Sparks replied. “We uh… Well… There’s a lot to say.”

“I imagine so. What’s this about?”

“I viewed the memory orb,” Misty Sparks began. Flare and Healing Drops whispered to themselves as Skyfire’s monitors registered a jolt of nerves. The pegasus frowned and drew her wings close. “It explains a lot, but raises more questions. Firstly, I’m sorry.”

Gulping, Skyfire tittered, “Sorry?”

“For what happened. It’s… it’s not good Skyfire.”

“I assumed as much for me to have ended up crashing down here. Please, Misty, tell me.”

The little mare stalled and looked to her companions. Her mother and uncle both nodded encouragingly and she swallowed down her fears. “Well, it started with you repairing a vertibuck, so I think it was a normal day until… well Jolts arrived. He asked you to work on the Skyhawk and once you were there things got weird.”

“Weird?” Frowned Skyfire. “I guess he was a little unique but, weird how?”

“Well, he’d lied about the Skyhawk needing repairs.”

“Jolts doesn’t lie. He didn’t.”

Misty Sparks sighed and scuffed at the floor. “This time he did, though it was mostly to trick everypony around you. He started talking about some scary stuff, that his home was bugged and your ship had been too. He wanted to escape the Enclave.”

Skyfire shook her head. “He had wanted to see the surface for a while, but what happened? What pushed him over the edge? Why did I come along?”

“Jolts foal-napped you.”

A laugh rocked Skyfire, startling everypony. Ears fell back and glances were exchanged as the pegasus reacted. That hadn’t been the expected burst of emotion. Crimson wingtips wiped a tear from purple eyes. “Okay, you really scared me there. That was a good joke. The sergeants loved doing that, saying the worst thing they can think of to take you off guard. What really happened?”

“He foal-napped you,” Misty Sparks repeated, “it wasn’t a joke.”

The smile Skyfire wore slipped away like melting ice. “What?”

Sighing, Misty Sparks explained, “Jolts believed there was a conspiracy ongoing in the Enclave that put you and your friends in danger. He genuinely believed that escaping to the surface was the safest thing to do. You didn’t. A unicorn, Mercurydrops, stole your memory and put it in the orb at Jolts’ command when you refused to abandon your family. I know that’s a lot to process, you don’t have to say anything.”

“Jolts never lied to me, why would he steal my memory?” The monitors were beeping increasingly fast. Healing Drops frowned and approached the pegasus, only for Skyfire to jerk away. The doctor gave pause a few feet short. “Why would he foalnap me?”

“Do you remember Silver Edge?”

A wary nod was given. “A pilot with low-performance marks and routinely got in trouble for misbehavior.”

“They got reassigned, right?”

“Yes… Months ago.”

“Jolts didn’t think so. Jolts believed that ponies were being disappeared, not reassigned, and it seems connected to this Outpost Aurora. Your friend Mercurydrops was helping him look, and it got him into trouble. He said ponies were following him and listening to his conversations. Jolts spoke to your brother even, the SpecOps soldier. Jolts really seemed to think something horrible was going on, and that you were in danger.”

The pegasus shook her head in increasing tempo, mane growing steadily more frazzled. A hoof held her face, shielding her from the others. “Shining Arrow would’ve told me if I was in danger!”

“You said that in the memory.”

“I-I… This doesn’t make any sense,” Skyfire wailed. Wings spread and flapped in place, trying to fly away from the horrible words. Instead, she remained stuck in the bed.

Tears brimmed in lime eyes as Misty Sparks focused on the memory. She could recall every detail with a clarity she lacked in her own memories. A hoof pressed into her barding, pain swirling in her chest. “I felt your betrayal, Skyfire. I felt the anger and sorrow and confusion as the pony you trusted so much took away your choice. He said he loved you too much to not free you from it all. I could feel everything, Skyfire. I could feel your heart breaking. You told him you wouldn’t turn them in, and you’d even show him how to disable the transponder, but he… Jolts refused. The last thing you saw was his face, and he looked so genuinely remorseful. I think he regretted doing it, even then, but felt it was the best way to ‘free’ you.”

Skyfire stared at Misty Sparks, mouth moving silently for some time. The monitors filled the growing space between words, suffocatingly loud. Blaze coughed awkwardly and averted her gaze while Healing Drops approached with a sorrowful face. “What color were his eyes?” Skyfire asked suddenly, staring into crying lime eyes.

“Orange, bright like a fire.”

“You really saw that then.” Skyfire’s voice cracked. “H-He foal-napped me. He lied to me.”

“I’m so sorry Skyfire,” apologized Misty Sparks. A stampede of hoofsteps carried her to the pegasus’ side, Grease right behind her. The mares embraced the trembling pegasus as tightly as they could. “I’m so sorry.”

Skyfire didn’t hug them back. She didn’t stop them either. Instead, in a whisper, she spoke, “Tell me everything that happened, please. Every word.”

“Okay,” Misty Sparks replied, took a deep breath, and proceeded to do exactly that. The pegasus was a statue as she listened. She asked no questions and said nothing as Misty Sparks described the end of her life in the Enclave. Minutes passed with only Misty Sparks’ strained voice filling the air, everypony hearing the tale of a fallen fire. Nopony listening dared to interrupt, standing like sentinels as a tragedy was laid out before them. When Skyfire closed her eyes, she could almost see what had been stolen away from her.

Twenty sobering minutes later, with every detail mentioned at least twice, Misty Sparks' voice was strained more than ever. Extreme care had been taken to fill in the gap in her memory. Misty Sparks was still tenderly hugging Skyfire.

Grease stroked her hoof slowly, calming the pegasus the smallest bit she could. "T-that all happened the day you fell from the clouds. I'm so sorry Skyfire,” squeaked Misty Sparks.

Skyfire shifted to hug her friends back with her silky soft feathers, opting to cry into a rag she had. "I-I feel violated to be missing this entire memory. It's just fog, trying to remember before I was hurtling towards the ground."

"From what I can deduce, the orb literally extracted and stored her memory… such powerful magic," Healing Drops murmured from the side. "It's too powerful to be used commonly, we need to keep these safe."

“Do you… do you think the other orbs are more of your memories?” Asked Grease in a soft voice.

Brow furrowing, Skyfire shook her head. “I don’t… I don’t feel like I have any other gaps. It sounded like the orbs were supposed to go to Outpost Aurora, so Jolts could get answers.”

“If he was willing to abduct you…” Cautiously started Grease. She trailed off as Skyfire’s jaw grew taut and wings pulled back. “I’m sorry, you’re processing a lot.”

Skyfire’s rough nod answered Grease. The pegasus pulled back from her friends and looked away. Tears burned in purple eyes as Skyfire sniffled and tried to stop the tears that were streaming. The rag was well soaked through already. “I don’t- I don’t know if I can trust anything now, not even my own memory. He lied to me!”

Seeing the state of Skyfire made Misty Sparks’ heart ache anew. Even knowing the discovery had to be shared, she felt guilty about delivering the world-shattering news. A hoof took hold of Skyfire’s, grounding the pegasus in the moment. “I know what it’s like to have somepony you trust horrendously betray you. My mentor, Flask, made it almost impossible for me to trust again.”

Tension sparked across the stable ponies at the name. Flare lowered her gaze as Hammers protectively held her. Blaze poked the floor and tucked her head while Grease reached over to Misty Sparks. Skyfire squinted and then slowly dared. “That’s who Rusty said Flare couldn’t protect you from…”

Misty Sparks inhaled slowly and nodded. Lime eyes fixated on a distant point just above Skyfire’s shoulder. “Yes. He murdered my father, and… and violated me.”

“I-“

“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad for me. It’s not a secret either, the whole stable knows. I’m sharing this with you because I understand the pain you’re feeling. Somepony you trusted completely betrayed you and took something from you. It’s not going to heal quickly, it might not ever heal completely or at all.” Misty Sparks squeezed Skyfire’s hoof. “That’s okay. We’re here for you, even if you can’t believe that right now.”

Skyfire lowered her head and focused on their hooves. Sniffles could be heard from the amassed ponies, Hammers’ voice too low to understand but still be heard as he soothed Flare. Her eyes drifted to the bandaging on Misty Sparks’ rear left leg. “I want to trust you,” she rasped, “you have done nothing against me. But… I just hurt so much. What if I’m wrong about you too?”

“I think Jolts really did love you,” Misty Sparks replied, “and ponies do bad things for those they love. He believed he was doing the right thing. He’s not Flask, who acted on selfish desires. That just makes it worse, doesn’t it? What if I do the same, thinking I’m helping you but really just hurting?”

A mute nod responded.

“I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you, but I promise I’ll be as transparent as possible with you. I’ll never make a decision for you.”

Skyfire couldn’t get her mouth to form words, a deep sorrow within her chest clutching her heart far too tightly for her to breathe. She struggled to voice her mind, to speak to truth the roil of emotions that consumed her. Eventually, the pegasus gave up and flopped against the bed. Crimson wingtips concealed her face, hiding tear-streaked cheeks.

“It’s hard to trust,” Grease soothed, “especially right now.”

“I’ve lost my best friend, my home, and my family.”

“Well,” came Flare’s voice, getting Skyfire to peek between her feathers. “We have a solution for two of those. I know we could never replace your family, but my daughter and niece seem to like you. You’ve already proven your loyalty to us. We know you’re not Flask and you never will be.”

Approaching with her horn aglow in violet magic, Flare pulled a small device from her saddlebag. Skyfire’s heart skipped as she realized it was a pip-buck. It was placed gingerly upon her lap. Ears tilted back and eyes squinted. “I don’t understand.”

“A pip-buck is a sign of citizenship. You can’t go back to the Enclave, but we want you to find a new home here, in Stable 36.”

Skyfire gasped and put a hoof on the surprisingly slim device. It looked so much bulkier when worn. “I can’t go back,” she whispered as if it was completely registering.

Flare frowned softly, gaze fixated on the mare. In as soothing a voice as she could, she replied, “I don’t think you can, no.”

“Jolts… took me away from everything. My father, my mother, my siblings- everything!” Wings flapped as if Skyfire wanted to take off into the sky.

Beeping cried out from the monitor and Healing Drops wore a pronounced frown. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but let’s try not to panic. Breathe filly.”

Skyfire’s eyes remained wide until Misty Sparks embraced her. She nuzzled into the pegasus’ chest fluff carefully, mindful of her horn. When she spoke, it was with a strained voice, “It’s… it’s hard. Very hard. This hurt so much to experience it. I can only imagine the heartbreak you’re feeling right now. I felt what you did before in your memory, though I bet this feels worse.”

Trembling wings wrapped around the unicorn as Skyfire collapsed into Misty Spark’s hooves. They pressed against one another intensely, as if trying to squeeze the pain out of the other. “It’s surreal. I didn’t even do anything directly.”

Flare leaned over to pat the pegasus, sympathy in her eyes. “Sometimes life happens like that, unfortunately. All we can do now is help you move forward in life.”

“I never got to say goodbye to Mom or my brother, hell even Dad and my sister.” Skyfire sobbed out, tears streaking down her cheeks as she adjusted. “I’m afraid they got yelled at for what happened to me. What if they got in trouble because of me? Demoted? Kicked out?” The mare threatened to ramble on forever with what-ifs.

“Sky-dear,” Healing Drops commented quietly again, “Breathe, focus on your breathing, we’re all here for you. It’s going to be hard.”

“Yeah, Sky. Look. Look at my eyes if you can,” Misty Sparks murmured gently, adjusting to push up towards her friend’s face. A pair of bloodshot purple eyes shakily met hers, the unicorn gave a soft look before starting to wipe away her tears. Her hoof lingered with a painful familiarity. She suspected she’d be wiping away many more tears before the night was over. “We’re here for you. Every step of the way.”

“I-I know,” Skyfire started with a choking breath as she focused on her friend, rubbing her head quietly. “You all have given me a welcome that I’ve earned. And I’m thankful, I have some friends here who I have come to really like.” She looked away from Misty Sparks, having to pull back slightly from how close they were now. Teary eyes took in Grease, Blaze, and even Hammers. They each were sympathetic, with frowns, and concern on their faces. It struck a chord within her that not a single one of them had wings. “But I’ve lost my home. A-and my family. Even if Sis and Dad didn’t like me the best…”

Flare gave a slow nod and gestured to the pip-buck. The embracing ponies split apart with a small murmur of gratitude. “I know. I want to give you a new one. I know it will never replace your birthplace, your family, and all the memories of the Enclave. I just hope that you can one day call this place home as well.”

Words died in Skyfire’s mouth when she tried to speak, stuttering a few times. “Take your time Feathers,” Blaze soothed. Skyfire could only whimper and clutch the pip-buck as reality set in. She stared down at it, thinking about all it represented. A new home was open before her, with ponies she trusted. Yet also, accepting it would mean completely stepping away from the Enclave, from her family. It chilled her to her core to consider. Then she looked up at Misty Sparks and saw hope in lime eyes.

Her heart made its choice.

Skyfire pulled the contraption onto her right arm, a latch clicking into place. A rush of text covered the screen and she blinked as strange things filled her vision. Before she could explore her new device, Flare cleared her throat. “I have a mission for you. We’ve already discussed it somewhat but as you are now an official citizen, I have orders for you.”

A hoof brushed her nose and Skyfire gave a slow nod. Blaze shifted closer expectantly while Misty Sparks perked up. The ponies within the room moved, Hammers and Healing Drops sitting down across the way. Grease stood slightly awkward in-between, unsure where she should go. At Flare’s gesturing, she crossed over to the bed and gave a half-smile to the others. “The Skyhawk must be repaired, and in order to do that, we will need a tremendous amount of resources. As we have already discussed, Blaze will be protecting Skyfire as part of her exile. However, it will take more than the two of you to accomplish this.”

Tension ran over Misty Sparks’ body as her mother fixated her gaze on her. For a few moments, all the unicorn could see was Flare, exhaustion pulling at icy eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder just how her mother was supposed to handle everything going on and worry about a surface mission. “I understand it’s not safe for me right now,” Misty Sparks said as Flare hesitated.

There was a hint of a smile on Flare’s face. “Not only that, but they’ll need a good medic. Your skills saved Skyfire, and as much as I have said it isn’t your job… I can’t deny their usefulness. If somepony gets hurt out there, which is extremely likely to happen, you can’t just rely on a few healing potions and bandages.”

Warmth flickered over Misty Sparks’ body. She sat up a bit straighter. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will. As for you, Grease, I am officially putting you into a secondary position. I know your father was a wonderful expeditioner, and I understand he’s taught you a lot of what he learned. We cannot afford to have you out there as much as these three, but for missions closer to the stable your assistance will be much appreciated.”

Ears pulled back with thought and Grease scrunched up her lips. “I guess you could say ‘ol Brass Tacks passed along his hard-learned lessons. Lesson number one, don’t look down the barrel of your gun, especially when it’s a battle saddle.”

“I’ll be relying on that knowledge to keep these mares safe,” Flare chuckled, “when we can spare you that is.”

“That won’t be often,” Hammers interjected from across the way, “but Flare and I have already had that discussion. You’re not skipping work that easily Slick.”

Grease stuck her tongue out at Hammers. Skyfire giggled softly at their antics. It helped her focus on the moment, rather than the past. “Sure thing boss, just don’t get bitten up by radroaches while I’m out.”

“Shush,” Hammers laughed.

“Four is a rather small amount for an expeditionary team, don’t you think?” Misty Sparks asked in a careful tone. “It’s because of Blaze, isn’t it?”

“That and I don’t know who I can trust with your life in particular,” Flare replied after a moment of hesitation. “It’s best if we keep it small. At least to start. As progress is made. We can ramp things up to help provide the necessary hooves. Plus there’ll be a detachment of security ponies at the crash site. ”

Skyfire nodded. “Can we… Have some time before we head out? I know this is a punishment for Blaze but a-after today I could use some… time.”

“Of course. I’ll have details for you in a few days. I just… wanted to give you something to look forward to.”

“Thank you,” Skyfire said with a whimper. “I am glad I’ll be with friends at least.”

Blaze spoke before anypony else could. “I’ll protect you no matter what, Feathers. I promise.”

Skyfire blinked at her, and her heart ached at the words as she smiled. “Thanks.”

The next few days of recovery and training seemed to fly by in Skyfire’s eyes. She had barely gotten herself officially invited to be a stable member of Stable 36, and already she was getting prepared to leave her new home for the foreseeable future.

With the good care of Healing Drops, Skyfire was cleared out to mostly regular duty on the fourth day and continued working on helping maintain the stable. While Skyfire objected to it, Sundance was never far from view, his dark brown eyes keeping a protective watch on the former Enclave pegasus. It was distracting, but Skyfire saw past that as she got to spend more time with her new friends. Grease and Misty Sparks were both great company, even if the latter was also being watched by Rocky Cold. It added a few more heads to the lunch table at least.

A few things were on the pegasus’ mind, particularly her ‘new’ room, especially after the mare had gotten used to Blaze’s company. Luckily for Skyfire, Misty Sparks had found her quickly right as she was finishing up her shift. Purple eyes lit up as the pair practically bumped into each other.

“Skyfire!” Misty Sparks called out, stopping a hair's breadth away from bumping directly into her friend. “I’m glad I found you before you took off for your room.”

“Why’s that?” Skyfire asked as she clocked out of her shift. She held up a hoof as Misty Sparks started to speak. The pegasus stretched out with a little squeak, her wings flapping gently as she loosened up.

“Well, that was cute, firstly. But… I wanted to go with you to see your room!” Misty Sparks offered with a happy smile. “I procured some snacks and drinks so you can relax on your first full day back to work. And, if it wasn’t cleaned I wanted to offer a hoof. You shouldn’t need to clean up after Blaze,” She added the last part sheepishly.

Crimson brows furrowed into a frown as Skyfire nodded. “I suppose I had been curious how I was going to find… my room. It feels weird to say that. I know there’s room for another bed, but Flare said I deserve my own room.” The pegasus looked around, rubbing her shoulder before glancing back, curiously asking. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to join?”

Misty Sparks felt a soft rush in her heart at the question before she shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “Mom- err the Overmare insists that family stick together, for safety and to help her in preparing me. At least you’ll have room for something you want to do?”

Skyfire turned around with a flick of her tail, as she started to walk slowly as her friend accompanied her. She thought about Misty Sparks’ remark for a moment. “I could maybe set up a workshop. Your rooms do have good power. Wouldn’t I need to get permission before renovating?”

Misty Sparks paused for a moment, thinking quickly. “I’m sure if you explain why you want to do that, you could maybe get permission for it. Do you really want a workshop in your room? Don’t you fiddle with scrap enough at work?”

“Maybe. I’m still thinking about the fact I have my own room. I never had that back in…” Skyfire stiffened a little bit. “Back when I had a home in the clouds.”

A silver hoof booped Skyfire, causing her to squeak again. Misty Sparks openly wore concern before she nodded. “I suppose that’s really fair. Not many here get to have their own room. Maybe I can help decorate it? Or rather help clean it up.”

“Sorry. Still getting used to it, but I do know I have a few friends here who genuinely like me being around. You, being one of them.” Skyfire started smiling again, booping Misty Sparks in return. The unicorn grinned in delight. “Maybe I could leave room for friends to visit if they want? I do want to do some project work on some things if I end up with the tools available.”

“Well it depends on what projects you’re wanting to do, little firecracker,” Sundance cut in at that point with a smirk, having previously been talking to his brother.

“She’s as tall as you, though,” Misty Sparks defended her friend who merely shook her head.

“I am taller! And am I really that emotional to get called firecracker?” Skyfire asked with a curiously nervous expression. Wings fluffed and she glanced around the maintenance area. “I know I’ve had a few breakdowns.” The pegasus sighed as she nearly walked into one of the walls. She blinked at the safety poster plastered to the steel wall and sighed.

“You’ve been through a lot, Sky,” Misty Sparks jumped in again, soothing tones spilling forth.

Sundance frowned and waved a hoof. “Yeah you have, I didn’t mean it like that. I know a few of the things you’ve been through, I survived one of them with you. I’m sorry.”

Skyfire sighed and rubbed her head. “No it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s fine. I’ve been a bit of a mess. I don’t like being this jumpy.” She looked at Sundance and Rocky Cold. It felt a bit strange to her to have to look ever so slightly down to meet their gazes. Everypony back home felt so large, or perhaps she’d always been hunched to hide herself. “Would it be alright if Misty Sparks and I retire to my room?” Her eyes fluttered for a bit. “You heard that she offered to help clean up, didn’t you?”

“Knowing Blaze and Blitz, there might be a mess to clean up.” Rocky Cold rolled his eyes, nudging his brother. “I think you two could take some time to try and relax.”

“Shouldn’t we be watching them?” Sundance asked before blinking as Rocky Cold bopped his nose.

“Nah that’s her room, I think after that fight, we can trust the two of them together,” Rocky Cold insisted, “Sides I think a little privacy for the two of them would be good. We have been watching them for the past few days.”

“Just let us… make sure your room is safe then,” Sundance murmured with a nervous sigh.

“Oh-okay,” Skyfire nodded, sniffling a little as she stepped aside.

“Just check the room, Skyfire is a stable pony now and deserves some respect to get to live life peacefully,” Misty Sparks insisted with a frown, following after the security ponies. They entered the security elevator and queued up the earth pony floor of the residential quarter.

“Right, it is her room,” Rocky Cold commented a moment later. The elevator lurched and lifted with little complaint, but the motion still startled Skyfire. “Still not used to this?”

“Usually we just flew to change levels,” Skyfire replied sheepishly.

“I thought you had unicorns?” Sundance inquired. The steady tick of floors passing filled the space of silence that followed. “Skyfire?”

The pegasus cleared her throat. Visions of Mercurydrops filled her head. “Yeah, but unicorns live separately from the pegasi. They have access to places via talismans, which means there’s a lot of areas they can’t go to.”

A frown pulled at the sunny stallion’s lips. “That sounds awful,” he muttered as the elevator door opened. They were silent as they trotted down the corridor, passing a few others fresh off duty. Curious stares burned into their hides and Skyfire fought the urge to hide behind her wings.

Rocky Cold frowned as the door refused to open. He fiddled with a set of keys but it wouldn’t turn the lock on the hydraulic panel. “I thought Blaze’s room didn’t lock because of all those incidents.”

“Yes…” Misty Sparks sighed with a tense smile and interjected herself between their guards. It was almost comical the way they had to look down at her. “Skyfire isn’t a pony with that kind of history so she gets regular security.”

Skyfire tilted her head. “Overmare access then?” Skyfire asked quietly, lifting her pip-buck.

“Oh yes! Sorry! Just eager to relax,” Misty Sparks stammered with a blush. She fiddled with the cable on her pip-buck and the door came open with a whoosh.

“You two can relax once we clear your room,” Sunset insisted, floating a flashlight inside and looking around curiously. “Wow… it’s clean,” he murmured. “I wonder if she missed anything.”

Skyfire stood there a bit nervously, rubbing her wing with a hoof while the brothers cleared the room. She focused on Misty Sparks who was tense. Her weight was shifting from hoof to hoof in a steady rhythm. “D-do you think ponies really want us dead?”

“A few of them maybe, but those all got driven out. The rest here should be fine. And we’re both training on how to protect ourselves,” Misty Sparks sighed and walked in. Ears flicked forward with a huff. “If you haven’t found any ponies in there, please, let our friend get to relax after quite a long week. I can help her from here.” She pointed to the door.

“Right right,” Sundance commented, lifting a hoof to stop her. “We agreed to it, and we’re signing off that we’re stopping the watch for now… Just let us know when you all go out again. Don’t want to upset the Overmare. Celestia forbid the one time you go out without us around and someone tries to pull something stupid,” He murmured in resignation, tugging his brother out. The pair turned to wave to Skyfire who meekly returned the gesture.

Once the door closed Skyfire ambled over to the couch and flopped on it, wings up in the air in a tizzy. “I know this is my new home, but it doesn’t feel like it yet.”

“Is that because you didn’t read the letter from… Hammers?” Misty Sparks murmured, an eyebrow raised as she floated it up. Her head tilted as she took in the mare. “Are you comfortable like that, Sky?”

An exhausted whine replied from Skyfire who slowly rolled to have her back to the couch, wings splayed lazily. “That’s better on my back at least. Could you read the letter?” Purple eyes looked up to an approaching Misty Sparks who giggled and sat on the bit of open space next to Skyfire.

“I was planning on it because a certain exhausted pegasus deserves to relax and rest a bit in her own room,” Misty Sparks giggled softly, flashing a warm smile before clearing her throat. She took on a deeper tone as she imitated Hammers’ voice. "Skyfire, while I'm not the mare in question about to be exiled, our talks of late have helped me realize I can at least attempt to be the father I should have been for Blaze. She was stubborn at first about wanting the punishment of cleaning her room by herself. But she quickly changed tune when I threw a ball of hayburger wrapper at her, telling her that we could bond over helping her start her new part of her life by taking care of things over letting them build up."

Misty Sparks giggled a little at that, "You know with how much she didn't pick up, I am... surprised to see how well it cleaned up."

Skyfire gasped a little, sniffing the air. "I wonder what sanitizing agents they used to uhm, clean out a few of Blitz's stains."

This prompted a blush and a squeak from Misty Sparks who waved a hoof, her eyes wandering around before she focused back on the letter again.

"I know she will protect you and Misty Sparks, but she also needs some protecting herself. Her addictions are powerful ones and while she's sober right now, Melody told me that when in stress the urges might come back. Please be a friend to her, like we're being a friend to you, helping start the next chapter of your life.

“I am not very good at these sorts of things, as you could guess by how things went with Blaze for so long, but you've been a good worker, and I'm happy to listen to things if you want to vent to someone who isn't an immediate friend."

Misty Sparks paused for a moment. There was a scribbling of things that had been erased a few times.

"Not sure what this part was, but maybe you can read it over another time,” she muttered before she adjusted to continue reading. "Part of me doesn't know why I'm writing this as I could tell you all this. But part of me wants you to know that we're hoping you end up calling this place your home, one you like and look forward to. Your forepony, Hammers"

"Wow, that was pretty nice of him," Skyfire remarked, rubbing her shoulder with a hoof before blinking as Misty Sparks let out a series of giggles. "What's up?"

"There's more! I, uhm, didn't see it under my hooves!" Misty Sparks smiled before leaning over to gently continue. She adopted a different voice as if her words came out like a growl. "Feathers! Dad told me I should write this too as a way of giving myself peace? Whatever that means. He said this sort of cleaning is good for the soul. I guess he might be right. It was really cool to watch my, our, your room look like the rest of the stable. We even got you fresh sheets so your room wouldn't smell like Blitz!"

Skyfire blinked a few times, blushing as she processed the statement. "O-oh... Do you have any fabric cleaners? I might want to do a second pass myself."

"Maaaybe, but the clean sheets should be fine," Misty Sparks chuckled back before continuing in her Blaze impression, "I do hope that you end up calling this place your home. While it sucks why you're stuck down here. I am happy to see you and Sparky doing well. She really needed a friend like you.

“PS! There's some leftover alcohol Hammers let me leave behind if you two want to party sometime! I'm guessing you wouldn't be in your room alone the first time so party it up with Sparky for us! Just remember to clean up, or whatever. Dad says it's nice to get in the habit of keeping things clean. Your friend (hopefully), Blaze."

Skyfire laid there for a moment, thinking about it before giggling quietly. I grew into laughter seconds later as the pegasus smiled and took the note, hugging it gently.

"What is so funny?" Misty Sparks asked, ears flicked in confusion while a smile tugged at her lips. The strange pegasus made her heart flutter.

"This is probably the first thing they have done together willingly in years… clean up her room. I wonder if they had good talks themselves. I'm glad Hammers helped. He… he's trying again I think, more than my dad… ever did." Skyfire started trembling and whining again, kicking a hoof at the couch.

"Sky, I'm- I'm sorry." Lime eyes looked over with concern as the unicorn scooted over, gently brushing one of her friend's wings.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm crying over… a home that was ready to try and k-kill me. I know it wasn't my choice," Skyfire choked out, struggling not to burst into tears as she turned to wrap her hooves and wings around Misty Sparks. The small unicorn was completely enveloped in crimson feathers. "I know J-Jolts is gone, I miss him a lot. B-but he died trying to get me away from something. I know he'd want me to keep loving and make my own life. I have ponies here I c-can trust. Friends, friends who care for me. You care for me and were the first to lend a hoof, to offer me something. I-I-I-" It was then that her restraint failed, and tears flowed free.

"I feel like a complete mess!" Skyfire cried out, staining her friend's shoulder. The weight of Skyfire’s grief was a burden Misty Sparks was willing to carry. "Scared I'm going to lose you all, or mess up, or- or my home, no my former home might come looking for me. But not to rescue. They're weeks overdue for that."

Concern filled Misty Sparks’ eyes as she gave a nod, thinking hard about their situation. “I think, to help with your nerves, we would have seen any sign of them. Flare has actually increased our scouting patrols and had our eyes out for anything in the sky after the rescue hadn’t shown up for a week. I understand being afraid of retribution though. Come here.” She adjusted to hug Skyfire back tightly, patting her back in slow soothing motions.

Skyfire gently sobbed into Misty Spark’s embrace for a few moments, perhaps finally letting out a fear heavy in her chest. A few attempts at talking later Skyfire whined and gently reached out for one of the drinks Misty Sparks had mentioned earlier. Misty Sparks giggled, her horn and the drink both illuminating in a brilliant green glow as she floated it over gently. The pegasus drank the bottle of juice in a few needy gulps then sighed happily. A moment passed as Skyfire adjusted gingerly, leaning into Misty Sparks still, her voice eventually found again. “Thank you. For staying around, for being here. I don’t know how I’d be doing by myself right now.”

Misty Sparks didn’t move to break the embrace, nodding softly. “I had a feeling, you’ve been smiling and talking, but trembling sometimes. And I caught your eyes misting over again. You deserve to have company right now… Company you can trust.”

“Y-you’re right, I wanted to be alone, but I think that was wrong of me.” Skyfire sighed faintly, rubbing her eyes before hiccuping a little bit, whining a bit more before throwing her hooves up, exasperated. “I just want to feel like I can breathe without worrying I’m going to break down!”

“Well I’m not the expert, but that juice helped put a bit of pep back in you, shall I bring out all the snacks?” Misty Sparks offered tenderly, patting her saddlebags.

“I hadn’t planned on getting much to eat tonight for dinner,” Skyfire confessed nervously, squeaking as a container of baby carrots was pushed into her face.

“Start with these.” Misty Sparks stuck out her tongue before floating a carrot over to herself within seconds of Skyfire obliging and opening the tupperware.

“I did mention how much better your carrots taste than the sky carrots. Wait… Baby carrots?” Skyfire tilted her head, sniffing gently as she bit down. “They taste the same!”

“They’re not actually infantile! They’re chopped up to be smaller bites, excellent for foals who complain it’s too much!” Misty Sparks giggled as she floated out a pair of Sparkle-Cola bottles. “Now have some of our lovely soda. It’ll help put a bit of a giggle in you.”

“Sparkle-Cola was a hot commodity back in Neighvarro.” Skyfire paused for a moment and quickly popped the cap off. She took a big sip, burped, and blushed with a quiet squeak. “Sorry about that!”

“It’s customary!” Misty Sparks answered, a burp escaping her lips seconds after she had her own sip of the refreshing drink. “And there’s plenty more carrots both regular and baby to come. Would you ever like to help out in agriculture?” She asked as she opened a small container of pre-sliced oranges, offering a few. “I can personally say they’re all full of flavor and nutrition. Perfect for a healing pegasus like you.”

Skyfire’s eyes widened as she leaned over to take a slice, munching down on it, her wings fluttering in delight as the pegasus devoured the citrus snack. “These are delicious! Do you have more things like these? I didn’t remember seeing them in the cafe!” Purple eyes pouted at learning she had been denied such wonderful flavors.

“Well, a lot of these are exports, we have the controlled environments and the research into what care needs to happen to make these grow well! Because of that, we don’t usually put it on our menu. Sorry, they’re usually for special occasions,” Misty Sparks apologized before perking up, “But we can stock up on them and buy them individually. I thought you would enjoy them and it seems I was right.”

“Individual, I guess I am one…” Skyfire started before shaking a hoof. She blinked rapidly as if trying to cement some thought or another. “I mean I know I’ve always been myself, but I have my own room now. Flare said I’ll be getting paid enough to buy personal things,” Skyfire paused for a moment, her tail flicking as she took another baby carrot. “C-could you help me with shopping sometime? Grease mentioned I’d want to personalize my room with things I buy. I’m struggling to think of things that aren’t tools.”

“You want me to go shopping with you?” Misty Sparks asked, her heart speeding up a moment. Warm faintly radiated across her cheeks. “For anything in particular?”

“I know you’re living with your mom, but what would you decorate your room with if you had all the say in the world?” Skyfire asked curiously, her wings fluttering for a moment.

The unicorn pursed her lips with thought and munched down another orange slice. “Posters from the rest of the world, some paintings that show what still looks beautiful. Things from outside the stable like cool rocks or plants. Maybe some motivational posters.”

Skyfire giggled loudly at the last part. “The cheesy ones I see plastered all over my workspace in the maintenance bay? I suppose they’re nice reminders, I think I’ve been lucky to have friends helping keep me motivated.” The pegasus beamed gently to her friend.

“Ooookay maybe something a bit farther away from home,” Misty Sparks giggled, waving a hoof. “They’re the right kind of cheesy. I like them… They have a warmth and hope I want to spread in our world.”

Skyfire smiled at that. Then she began stretching out slowly, wings draping over the sides of the couch as she kicked a hoof gently and groaned. “One thing I miss from home are the times mom would come over and we’d groom each other a little bit.”

“Groom how?” Misty Sparks leaned over curiously. “Brushing is one I’m going to guess.”

Skyfire smiled gently and made a brushing motion. “I usually brushed my mom’s mane, and she’d preen my feathers out nicely to make flying more enjoyable. Though after hoofcamp I got to grow out my mane when I became a civvie.” The pegasus ran a hoof through her mane before sitting up a little bit, leaning over to gently nibble on her wing. “It’s not too hard to do. I think it’s best with a friend.”

“Would you want me to try and help?” Misty Sparks’ offered, her eyes drawn towards her feathered friend’s wings, heart skipping a beat thinking just how soft those feathers must be. Even though she’d felt them a few times already, every thought was electrified at the chance. “I have a spare brush if you want...”

“Oh!” Skyfire let go of a few feathers, her wings fluttering at the notion as she scooted over on the couch. “S-sure why not, I can show you how I like to preen. There’s a method to make sure they’re all lined up, and damaged feathers are maintained until new ones can replace them.” Any trace of the anxiety was gone at that point, the pegasus eager to be preened. “It’s a nice experience, though your mouth might get dry from all the feathers. So make sure to bring the water and juice over! I’ve really come to love all the things you can make out of real fruit down here. ”

“It is something we tend to take for granted, now that I think about it,” Misty Sparks giggled quietly as lime magic surrounded the beverages on the counter.

The water and juice, along with the other snacks were brought over with haste as Misty Sparks ambled onto the couch and sat next to her friend. She looked over a much more relaxed Skyfire who was bent over with a wing out on display to her unicorn friend. “So I like to start from the base of the wing, because if I align my feathers here, the rest can follow more easily, and I can account for any damage further down the line.”

“O-oh, it’s a pattern in your wings?” Misty Sparks had already gotten a notebook, causing Skyfire to raise an eyebrow. “W-what! I want to take notes on how pegasi properly take care of themselves, you’re the first one here remember. And, I want to help make sure you’re able to fly properly.”

“Ah okay, I suppose that’s a good point. Now feel here,” Skyfire instructed, tugging Misty Spark’s hoof over to a point at the base of the wing. “We call this the shoulder and this is where my scapulars are. They’re not the most useful for my flying, but they help keep the structure and pattern going. Moving outward near the top of my wing are the coverts which help control how I cut through the air… the aerodynamics,” Skyfire rambled out, showing each of the feathers and how they were differently shaped and lengthed.

Misty Sparks, the ever studious pony, was scribbling down everything she heard until her hoof was suddenly brushing into those soft, almost silky feathers. “O-Oh! These are really soft! They feel softer than the last time I touched them,” she gasped happily, stroking up and down gently, the feathers giving way and forming through her exploring.

“Y-yeah!” Skyfire giggled a little bit, bringing the wing up to gently brush her friend’s face. “They’re softer because I’ve been taking good care of them and not getting shot at. Dirty feathers gunk up and make it hard to fly. Pranks that involve tarring up feathers were frowned upon, and retribution was usually severe. So uhm, please don’t mess my feathers up?” She asked gently, paused to take a sip of the juice, and cooed happily.

“Mess? Why would I want to do anything to these? They’re so soft, I’d be happy to help out a friend with keeping her wings clean,” Misty Sparks refuted back with a giggle as she brushed into the wings, sighing happily. “They’re so soft I’m jealous you have walking pillows behind you at all times.”

“They’re that soft?” Skyfire blushed a bit before giggling, “I’ll keep that in mind, but, you were taking notes?” She nudged her friend towards the notepad left on the side of the couch, Misty Sparks blushing as she pulled it up with her magic, coughing. A line of text trailed off into the lower section of the paper.

“Ahem yes I uhm, notes… actually Skyfire? Can I take those notes later? I want to help try and preen you. After all, you wanted to relax and you said it’s more relaxing doing it together, right?” Misty Sparks said as she set down the notepad. Skyfire nodded gently and extended her wing past the unicorn’s face.

“Oh yeah, that’s fine! You saw how I was using my teeth gently, that’s the best way to do it. Do you have that brush? Your mane is a bit frazzled so I wouldn’t mind helping you too, oh wait.” Skyfire quickly rummaged around before gasping and presented a worn out brush. “I have one on hoof!” She’d exclaim, giggling before adding, “It’s quite important to have one for a pony with a mane as long as mine.”

Misty Sparks sat there for a moment, her heart jumping quietly as the wing fluttered gently. “A-ah okay. I uhm... Up by your wing shoulder?” She murmured half to herself, the notepad getting brought over to refer to what she had managed to write down. “Start with these scapulars and make sure they’re aligned?” She asked.

“Yeah! Work from my inner feathers towards the tips, you’ll find some are a lot longer so you have less to work with.” Skyfire smiled, cooing gently and leaning into Misty Sparks for support a moment later as the unicorn started gently nibbling through her ashen feathers. A moment passed as Misty Sparks experimentally did her best. “A bit more gentle if you can, they’re not fragile little cobwebs, but they only need a gentle guiding touch.” She shivered softly as the unicorn quickly adjusted. “Yeah, that’s better. You’ve found a few feathers out of alignment already, good job.”

After a few moments, Misty Sparks paused, smiling gingerly as she took a sip of the water. It hardly quenched her growing thirst. “This isn’t as hard as I thought it would be…” She took another sip before leaning down to quickly nuzzle the offered feathers. Her cheeks burned hotter and she whispered, “These are precious.”

Skyfire blushed, her heart speeding up for a bit at that as she adjusted to bring her other wing over and cover Misty Sparks, smiling gently. “In that case, you get this nice flock of feathers to enjoy. If you’re not going to harm my feathers… I trust you to enjoy the pillows.”

Misty Spark squeaked out in surprise before giggling, “Ah-ah this is nice! Unexpected but I kind of wanted this, if I’m being perfectly honest. So thank you!” Her heart had raced into a higher tempo, the unicorn giggling away, nuzzling into the silky smooth paradise.

A few moments passed, Skyfire’s eyes flitting between her new room and her cuddling friend. It felt a little warm as her heart kept thudding. Before she knew it her eyes were drooping, Misty Sparks looking up as Skyfire’s head pressed against hers. “Ahh, the day caught up with me…. This is nice,” she whispered, “Thank you for helping me trust you.”

Lime eyes shimmered happily as Misty Sparks giggled a little bit and brushed her hooves over Skyfire’s feathers. “I’m glad that you feel a bit better. You’ve had a lot going on since you landed here, and I told you horrible news so recently. I understand that it’s hard to feel like you can trust.”

Skyfire gently put a hoof to Misty Sparks’ lips, shushing her with a yawn that turned into a giggle. Crimson spread across silver cheeks and her eyes were caught in shimmering purple seas. “You came to me as soon as you could. I appreciate that. And-” Her voice cracked a little as she frowned for a moment. “I-I don’t think that you all are going to throw me out or force me to become something like my dad wanted. This. This is nice and comfy, with a room of my own, and hot water. A friend who wants to preen me again.” Skyfire giggled quietly and tickled the other mare with a feather. Misty Sparks’ voice caught in her throat but she nodded as Skyfire adjusted gently, stretching out more.

“I might just have to lay there to make sure you stay comfortable.” Misty Sparks’ suggested quietly, as she adjusted to get comfortable, her heart racing faster.

“I like that idea, mostly because I’m too tired to get up, and my wings are already here,” Skyfire whined gently, a giddy smile on her face as her eyelids slumped down, the pegasus comfortably around the smaller unicorn already. “T-thanks again. I didn’t want to be alone right now. Now I feel like I’m in good company.”

The smell of cigarettes was commonplace in the shop Blaze entered. Guns hung from the walls in display cases or simple racks, a whole arsenal on full display. Every inch of the metal walled shop was covered in paraphernalia, from ammo to posters to weapons. A prized minigun battle-saddle was mounted on a mannequin in the corner, polished to perfection. Blaze could remember how many times she begged Blitz to let her try it out, but not even Blitz was willing to risk damaging her boss’ prized possession.

Leaning over the counter was Blitz, her curling burgundy hair framing her face as beautiful as ever. Blaze smiled at her, but her marefriend was focused on a customer who was melting in front of her. “Now a strong stallion such as yourself can handle something this big, can’t you?”

“O-of course!” He stammered, flushed nip to tail. Blaze rolled her eyes and leaned against a display as she watched. “I’ll make sure everypony back home knows where I got it too!”

“Where would home be again for you? You don’t have anypony waiting for you?”

“Hoofsten, and n-nope! Just me and my pa.”

Blitz pounced with a purr. “Then I’ll have to make sure I got something to bring you back here for, don’t I? I’ll miss seeing your handsome face.”

He gave a vigorous nod and pulled the assault rifle onto his back. Caps transferred hooves and Blitz winked at him as she swept them into her till. “I-I’ll come all the way back here just to see you! I- I’ll save up for another gun!”

“Awh sugar, I look forward to that day. You travel safe now, you hear?” She blew a kiss and he practically skipped out of the shop. Blaze watched him depart with a glare but said nothing. Blitz tidied up her counter and then hopped off her stool. She gave a quick peck on Blaze’s cheek and then locked the door.

Blitz turned back to her marefriend and eyed her for a few moments. A pout was pulling at Blitz’s lips before Blaze had even blinked. “You know I get better tips when I treat the customer like that,” she defended.

“I didn’t say anything,” Blaze replied evenly.

“But you have that angry look in your eye. We’ve been dating for two years. I know that look, darling.”

Blaze shrugged casually and pushed off the display case. “C’mon, I leave in a week. Let’s not fight.”

“Could we… wrasstle?” Suggestively purred Blitz, pushing up to the taller earth pony. Blaze snorted in good humor and kissed her brow. Blitz pouted when nothing followed. “Awh, okay.”

“I guess you can just hang out while I work then? Look pretty over in the corner for me.”

“Yeah-yeah I can do that and give you some eye candy while it’s just us. That’d be nice. I’ll shut up when you have customers, go ahead and flirt and get your extra caps. Goddesses know you don’t get enough as it is,” Blaze replied with a dismissive wave of a hoof.

The smaller earth pony moved to unlock the door, only to pause. A certain glint filled her eyes as she looked over her shoulder at Blaze. “Wanna… get high? I have a stash in the back.”

Blaze grimaced and set her jaw. Emeralds fixated on a random gun, hardly taking anything in. “It’s been… Fuck, two weeks? I’ve only had a reduced amount of my prescription. I’m not really… Look-”

“You don’t want to,” concluded Blitz with a sigh. “How boring.”

“I could fucking die, or kill somepony,” Blaze growled, face snapping back to Blitz.

The lithe mare tensed. “You’ve gone this long without any issues, I don’t think there’s really anything at risk here. You take chems, you feel something. If you ask me, you’re more likely to hurt somepony when you’re sober and hurting. Are you itching yet? What about the shakes? Headaches? I know what you’re like when you feel ill and I doubt Sparky or Feathers will be able to handle you like I can.”

Emeralds lowered to the floor. “I’ve been trying to ignore them,” she said slowly.

“We both know why you OD’d at the crash site,” Blitz said in an even tone. “Just stay away from rads and you’ll be fine.”

Blaze clenched her jaw harder, molars grinding. Her tail flicked behind her, brushing against the wall. “The wasteland is irradiated all over, it’s impossible for me to just ‘avoid’ it.”

“Rad-x and radaway then,” Blitz said, “there’s a fix to everything. Tartarus, there’s even a thing called fixer. Why doesn’t your cousin give you those?”

“It’s a temporary thing that doesn’t fix physical issues. It’s a suppressor,” Blaze said in a dull tone. She’d been hearing all about that the last few days. “Even flushing my system clean doesn’t get rid of the mental issues and cravings.”

“Oh right, but therapy does,” Blitz growled. An extra edge crept into her voice that disturbed Blaze. “Talking things out could help, sure, but it’s not going to fix you like a magic pill.”

“But actual pills will?” Challenged Blaze. Blitz blinked at her, taken aback. Their eyes remained locked for a tense moment before Blaze looked away. Muscles relaxed and she sighed slowly. Scratching her foreleg, Blaze spoke, “Look I said I don’t want to fight, please can we just… not?”

Turning away, Blitz muttered under her breath. Blaze squinted and she cleared her throat. “I said, I’m going to miss you.”

“Awh, really?” Blaze brightened, a flash of sincerity she soon cast aside with sarcasm, “You sure you won’t just find another bed to fall into?”

“I’ll wait at least two weeks, promise!” Blitz snickered.

“I’m surprised you’d even wait three days. You’re helpless without somepony fucking you, I’ve known that since before we became a thing,” Blaze jeered, no real edge to her words. She knew well how much Blitz slept around. The fact that at the end of the day she knew where Blitz’s heart rested was enough comfort for her. After all, she didn’t think anypony else would put up with her shit.

Blitz batted lavender eyes endearingly and leaned in close. Her breath warmed Blaze’s neck. “You fuck me better than anypony else.”

Chortling, Blaze shook her head. Heat rushed over her cheeks and she tried to hide it. “You better keep saying that. If I come back and you’re living in somepony else’s room I’m going to be upset.”

“I would never think of doing that,” Blitz said with a sultry tone. “Your bed is the biggest around by far. Though it feels mighty small when we’re in it together…”

Lips pulled back into a slow grin, drinking in Blitz. The mare had quite an effect on Blaze. “You’re all horned up aren’t you?”

“Like a unicorn,” purred the mare.

Blaze gave a long sigh and chuckled. “Insatiable.”

“Oh come on, I’ve been good! I haven’t jumped anypony else’s bones while you’ve been recovering!”

“That’s supposed to be an accomplishment?”

Pouting once more, Blitz whimpered. “I can be faithful. You know I love you, I just have broad tastes and a free spirit.”

“Yeah yeah, sure,” huffed Blaze. She idly fiddled with the zipper of her stable barding. She glanced back to Blitz who pushed herself up on her hooves with a pleading expression. This close Blaze could see the fine details of Blitz’s brown coat, well-groomed and smelling faintly of lavender. “Oh for- fine. I’ll miss it too. But afterward, I want to talk! I have shit on my mind!”

“Yes ma’am!” Nearly squealed Blitz as she jumped back and rushed to the storage closet. Blaze found herself stripping faster than she thought was possible, stumbling to the back. Blitz’s giggles filled the air like a siren’s song, speeding up Blaze’s heart.

An hour later Blaze sat in the backroom of the gun store, resting on a crate of ammunition. Her back ached from the grain of the container and the angle at which she and Blitz had gotten adventurous. The room was hot and muggy, making her cough as fresh smoke mixed in the air. A different kind of smoke lingered in the room, the kind that excited Blaze.

She took the blunt from Blitz when it was offered. She couldn’t remember when the drugs had been broken out, but the moment she saw them she couldn’t resist. Blitz had a power over her she didn’t understand, numbing her mind just like the drugs. She inhaled deeply and focused on the way it felt, the itchiness slowly fading from her limbs. “Fuck,” muttered the freshly intoxicated mare, pushing pink and red hair from her sweaty face.

An energy rolled down her spine, brushing every nerve along the way. A heaviness settled over her. Hooves tingled as that sensation worked its way lower, pooling over her withers. Someone hummed, too low to be Blitz. Blinking rapidly, Blaze gasped as it worked lower down her spine, passing ribs and trickling over her barrel. Her mouth was dry, eyes aching, lungs tight. Track marks burned beneath her coat. It spread out, overflowing, a drip bursting into a waterfall. It settled at last on her tailhead, flicking out with the motion of her short tail. She realized she was the one humming.

“What the fuck.”

“Hmm?” Muttered Blitz in a sleepy tone, laid out on storage boxes. A pillow was tucked under her head, safely stashed between rests.

“I lost control all-fucking-ready,” hissed Blaze. “What the fuck?”

Blitz blinked reddened eyes and tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m high, that’s what!”

“...Okay?” Questioned Blitz.

Blaze slammed a hoof into the wall, causing the merchandise on it to jostle. Her head ached at the noise, ears falling back. “I told Sparky I’d try to get sober and one hour with you and I’m already high. What the fuck am I going to do when I’m alone?”

“I mean, I am actively encouraging you because I think it’s a bunch of horseapples that you’re supposed to cut it all off,” Blitz said flatly as she stretched out. She offered the blunt again. “Also don’t punch my walls.”

“Blitz-” Blaze gasped and shoved the blunt away. Blitz only blinked in further confusion. “I’m going to lose control. I’m going to fuck up even worse out there, I can feel it.”

“So you fuck up, that happens. They don’t honestly expect you to stop perfectly, do they?”

“No, but, still! Melody said-”

Blitz jolted upright now, startling Blaze. “You actually saw that therapist? Did they hold you at gunpoint?”

Blaze snorted at that and shook her head. “No, they didn’t hold me at gunpoint. For the first time in…years, I talked to one, willingly. It was brief, just… A starter to talk about expectations and shit but yeah.”

Lavender eyes squinted with clear judgment, tension running along the mare’s jaw. Just when Blaze thought she was going to rant, the slender mare pulled back. “Think it’ll help?”

Blaze blinked slowly. “I mean… I don’t know. Maybe? Sparky says that over the past couple of years I’ve cooked up a wicked addiction to cope with trauma and that eventually, I’ll have to face it.”

“You’re not broken, you were never broken,” said Blitz with a zeal that further took Blaze off-guard. Blitz seldom spoke so passionately about anything that wasn’t a source of immediate gratification. “You’re not some vase they can piece back together. It’s not right for them to say who or what you are. I know who you’ve said you are, I listen to you. They just give orders.”

Shifting away from the slender mare, Blaze gave a ragged sigh. “I think they tried actually listening, once. But now I’m so deep in this hole that they can’t be soft or kind anymore.”

“Tough love, is that it?” Blitz inquired bitterly. “Yeah you’re hurt but you’re not broken.”

“Like you?”

“What?”

Blaze swallowed dryly. “You’re hurt too, aren’t you? That’s why you take chems almost as much as me. I can’t imagine you’d be doing all this if you weren’t… Definitely not for this long.” She reached out and Blitz flinched at the touch of her heavy hooves. The space between them felt too warm, rising tension heating them from the heart out.

A canister of chems rested on a nearby crate. Blitz took the pills from the metal tin and popped them into her mouth. “Chalky,” complained the mare as the mentats started to flow through her system. “You ever try these, Blazey Wazey?”

“No,” grunted Blaze, confused by the lack of an answer.

“Oh. Well, these specifically are great for my job, help me put on the charm. Maybe if I took these more I wouldn’t need to offer blowjobs to get you out of trouble.” Blitz shrugged as if she wasn’t all too bothered by the idea. “Party-time Mint-als, they’re unfortunately rare for traders to bring and your cousin doesn’t cook these up yet. So I save them for special occasions.”

Snorting, Blaze pointed accusingly at the mare who exuded confidence. “Like right now?”

Blitz met her gaze with a soft smile. “You’re the most special thing there is to me.”

“That the chems talking or you?”

“Why not both?”

Brow furrowing in growing confusion, Blaze looked away. Her skin crawled as she thought about the benefits of her chems. Buck gave her strength and stampede gave her the rage to commit unspeakable violence. Dash helped her slow down and think, to figure things out more than SATS did. Despite the voices of her family telling her chems did nothing but hurt her, she couldn’t deny the point Blitz was making. “What if I lose control out there, Blitz? Like I already have with you? Like I did with Lily?”

Soothing tones of velvet and silk encased Blaze as Blitz moved closer, whispering in her ears. “You’re going to need every advantage you can get out there. It’s just going to be the three of you, isn’t it? How in Equestria are you supposed to protect Sparky and Feathers without the extra hoof? They can’t honestly expect you to do all that on your own, can they?”

Hooves began to shake. Blaze stared at the floor. “The docs did an intensive flush of my system. The physical withdrawals, they’re all over already. It’s all… mental they say now, which is why I have to see the therapist.”

“Right and they’re sending you outside where no therapist can see you?” Blitz said in a non-confrontational manner. Blaze frowned.

“Melody said she’d meet me on the surface…”

“But how often will you be around while you chase after Feathers’ pipe dream? You could go days, weeks, months even between visits. What happens when you slip, as you very likely will you’re only a pony, and those two get hurt? What if you keep taking your chems, your meds? You’d be able to keep them safe all the time, and you’ll have fun doing it too! You don’t deserve to be sad and wallow in self-pity.”

“I-Blitz, I’m still taking my meds. I’m not gonna die from that, well… soon. I’m on reduced dosages. They’re not cutting me off.”

A hard edge crept into beautiful lavender eyes. “They have no right to cut you back on medicine that keeps you from dying. Where’s the sense in that?”

“They… They said they can’t trust me not to overdo it right now, and if I’m out there when it happens then we’re fucked. I’m fucked. No way can Sparky take care of me if that happens. So, fewer meds, means I have to take less or risk running out early. I guess they’ll resupply us somehow so I don’t have any missed doses.”

“So your actual dosages are smaller or are they just giving you a smaller supply?” Blitz pressed.

Begrudgingly, Blaze replied, “Supply. A third of what I usually get issued.”

Hooves slammed into the floor and Blitz produced an unflattering grunt. “So they’re kicking you out but holding onto the one thing you actually need? Sounds like they’ve got a yoke around your neck Blaze. ‘Behave and we’ll let you live, don’t and we’ll kick you out completely.’ Exile without real freedom. Don’t you see it?”

Her shoulders trembled as Blaze struggled with the surge of emotions she felt. Something welled in her eyes and Blaze sniffled. A slender hoof wiped the budding tears away. “I don’t know what to do other than listen. They’re all saying the same thing and after what I did… I killed somepony Blitz, and I didn’t even mean to. The pony I actually tried to kill survived but some random mutineer gets his skull crushed by my kick. What am I supposed to make of that?”

Blitz squinted at Blaze for a few moments before she closed the distance between them and touched their brows together. Startled at the intimate gesture, Blaze could only blink a few times before slowly accepting the strange embrace. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“...Partly.”

“I know you and I talk big about kicking ass and taking names but… Yeah, I guess I never thought it’d actually happen. Were you… Uh, overdosing then?”

Blaze gave a tiny shake of her head, crimson mane intermixing with burgundy and pink curls. She could just see the way their locks played against one another, a strange sensation filling her chest. Her ribs felt tight. Blood pumped rapidly through her veins. “Completely sober.”

“So even then, you weren’t in complete control? Sober, high, you don’t have that grasp you want?” Blitz suggested. A small nod was all Blaze could manage as she sniffled once more. “Oh, Blazey Wazey, you know better than anypony else that sometimes shit just happens. Sober you isn’t the same, you don’t know what that’s like. You can’t control yourself like that. Look, if they’re not going to give you access to your meds proper, then I’ll smuggle them out to you. I don’t want you to ever feel so out of control again.”

“H-how? I didn’t control myself earlier… I don’t even remember when the smokes came out. It wasn’t here one minute and the next it was. How can I trust myself not to OD again?”

“Remember to take your rad-x, especially when your pip-buck starts ticking.” Blitz pulled back and reached around for their stable suits. Finding the heavy construction barding attached to Blaze’s, Blitz rummaged through her pockets. “They’re going to give you armor, right?”

“Yeah, I think so at least.” Blaze frowned, confused by what Blitz meant.

“So you’ll have even more pockets. I’ll send you something to leave with. When you visit, I’ll give you more. Nopony would think twice about you visiting your marefriend. Take enough to keep yourself in control. Change what pocket you hide them in so they don’t find your spot. Give the extra to Sparky if you absolutely must. Just don’t deny the possibility entirely because you’re afraid. I’m not dating a wimp, so don’t start acting like one now. Shit is really fucked up right now, but you’ll come out of it okay.”

“What if I hurt Sparky? She could refuse to give me the extra meds and if I snap-”

“You have to trust yourself, Blaze,” Blitz said with a tender tone as she slipped a package into Blaze’s barding.

A long pause filled the air between them. “I don’t though. I’m starting to think I didn’t for a long time now.”

“...Then maybe you do need that therapist,” sighed Blitz, “for something at least. I think they’re wrong for what they’re doing to you. It sounds to me like they’re putting you on a leash or extorting you. Your life is hanging in the balance while they make decisions for you.”

Emerald eyes closed as Blaze scrunched her face with thought. It was clear just how many different thoughts were racing through her mind. Blitz watched patiently for Blaze to speak, jaw tightening and relaxing repeatedly. “So, I have to make some decisions myself?”

“Yes.”

“What if I fuck up?”

“Then you fuck up and try again.”

“But-”

“Take your chems, take the help they give. Listen to Sparky and Feathers. Listen to Melody. Listen to me. Make your own choices.” Heat rushed over Blaze as she found a cigarette in her hoof. She still couldn’t tell when it’d gotten there. A lighter was resting nearby on a crate. “Just don’t stop being who you are. Please, I miss the fun we had and I don’t want our last days together to be dreary and depressing. You’re the one thing aside from chems that makes me actually feel good.”

Blaze took the lighter and turned it over in her hoof. She gave Blitz back the cigarette and tossed aside the lighter. “You make me feel good too, you’ve made the last two years and change worth getting out of bed,” she murmured as she leaned in close.

Red flashed over brown cheeks as Blitz was taken by surprise. “That a choice you making, Sugar?”

“Let’s enjoy the last few days together, yeah. Come here,” Blaze whispered. “I’ll miss you.” Blitz was all too happy to agree.

“It feels strange to be in here but not working,” said Misty Sparks as she unlocked the chem shop. She strode in with three mares at her rear, each increasing in height. Blaze kept her gaze averted to the floor. One glance from Misty Sparks had Blaze hunched down in a corner, not letting herself even so much as look at the product on display. A small sigh preceded a twinkle of neon green magic that cleared the shelves. Chems were quickly secured in a crate and pushed into the back by Skyfire and Grease.

“Thanks,” muttered Blaze with burning cheeks.

A silent nod was all Misty Sparks gave as she began rummaging through her saddlebags. “We have a lot to talk about, and while Flare is making sure we’re all healed from the mutiny, time is running out. Eventually, Blaze will have to start her exile, and we’ll have to go with her.”

“Sorry,” Blaze replied, looking at the smaller mares. Her skin crawled as wafts of chemicals tickled her nose, scents that lingered in the wood. Clearing her throat, she nodded. “So we’re going for parts to fix up the Skyhawk. I’m the mule and muscle yeah?”

Skyfire nodded with excitement. “We should start by finding something for the engine.”

“You said that even a transport chariot could work, right?” Misty Sparks inquired.

“I can make do with that, yes. It would have to be for a larger sky chariot, something that would carry dozens of ponies most likely.”

A map of the area was laid out across the floor, a printout from a pip-buck. There were lines of green across a darker tone that made Blaze dizzy to look at, but Grease and Skyfire only cooed with interest. A silver hoof pointed out a cluster of buildings to the southwest, nestled between hills. “There’s an old manufacturing factory here that hasn’t fallen into a sinkhole, at least back from the last expedition’s report.”

“Good ol Pops,” said Grease with a snicker. “That looks like more than just a factory. A whole industrial district maybe. Plus a few small towns along the way, with a remnant of a road we can follow.”

“At least twelve hours one way,” confirmed Misty Sparks. “There’s a lot of sinkholes along the way that could have expanded and we’ll have to be careful, but given it’s previously scouted it could be a good place to start. Your dad’s team did not enter because at the time it was occupied by rabid animals.”

Crimson wingtips pointed at a spot on the map halfway between the stable and destination. “We could probably rest here.”

Snorting, Blaze shook her head. “Sparky won’t last six hours of pure marching. She’ll need a break at least three hours in if we’re walking at a casual pace.”

Skyfire blinked and pointed a feather at the unicorn. “Really?”

“I’m… not… I have short legs okay,” Misty Sparks mumbled with a blush.

“I’d noticed but still. Alright though, once we’re out in the wastes it would be better to not push ourselves to a breaking point wouldn’t it?” The others made their agreement known and Skyfire began to circle a few spots on the map. “Then we can rest here, assuming they’re safe.”

“What about once we arrive? Those animals could have been cleared out by something worse,” Grease said as she began to run through a mental list of supplies. “Assuming we have good stock headed out, that’s only three of us with guns. How would you want to approach hostiles?”

“Standard operating procedure, words first, bullets last. Perhaps we can negotiate with whoever takes up residence now, or we’ll be lucky and nopony will be there at all,” instructed Misty Sparks.

A frown slipped across the heavy earth pony’s face. “I don’t like luck being such a big factor,” grumbled Blaze, “makes me twitchy.”

“Just let me do the talking, okay?” Misty Sparks sighed. Blaze held her hooves up and pouted. “We’ll be issued a wagon to bring back supplies, maybe we could trade for what we need. Either way, violence is our last response.”

“Not mine,” Blaze added.

Skyfire huffed, taking the large mare by surprise. “We’re well aware of that. Let’s try not to make more enemies, okay?” Blaze could only dumbly nod in response. Skyfire swiftly turned back to the others, leaving Blaze blinking at her. “I’m the main eye for parts, but Grease helping me would be very useful. Even if I identify something, I’ll need an extra hoof dismantling salvage.”

“Easy,” Grease said, “We make a great team at work, we’ll do it again no problem.” She held a hoof out to Skyfire and the pegasus hoof bumped her. Misty Sparks’ ears twitched as the pair began to giggle and talk about inside jokes that had already formed a work. The unicorn looked to Blaze who was still staring at the floor at her chastisement. She made a mental note to herself that Skyfire might be able to handle the difficult mare better than suspected.

Clearing her throat, Misty Sparks brought them back to the matter at hoof. “If we all keep to our roles we should be successful. I’ll lead, charm, and heal. Skyfire can make great use of her wings scouting, on top of finding what we need. Grease can provide covering fire and salvaging aid. Blaze-”

“Yeah yeah I know,” interrupted Blaze with a wave of her hoof. “I’ll pull the damn cart.”

“And focus on getting better,” Skyfire added, taking a hold of Blaze’s hoof. The mare blinked a few times before meeting purple eyes that shone with intensity. “Don’t forget about yourself, okay? We want you to get better and be happy again.”

Hesitating, Blaze could only manage a slow nod. “Okay.”

“More than cargo, we’ll need you protecting us,” Misty Sparks said with a comforting tone that drew her cousin’s attention. “You noticed those ghouls before I did back at the crash. You can see danger coming, and that’ll keep us safe. A bruiser for when things get tough will save on ammunition, which saves on weight, which also saves on caps. From a tactical standpoint, so long as we can get you in close, our enemies are as good as defeated.”

The earth pony perked up at Misty Sparks’ analysis. “Yeah, yeah okay. I can do that. When you give the word that is, of course.”

“You’re going to have to listen to me, you know that right?” Pressed Misty Sparks. The others looked at the tall mare with slight hesitance.

Skin crawled where Blaze was slowly regrowing her fur, and she sighed. “Yeah. I’ll… I’ll try, okay? I get caught up in my head too much sometimes, even struggle to listen to Blitz.”

“I’ll take it,” Misty Sparks replied with a smile. Her horn glowed as she lifted a set of heavy books out of her saddlebag and passed them out. Skyfire took the manual with an eager smile while Blaze openly scowled. “Most of this will follow standard expedition procedure. These will inform you of every protocol as dictated by Stable-Tec. Please make sure you read them so you’re familiar with how we shall proceed.”

“Boring,” complained Blaze as she rejected the manual.

“Boring or not, it has valuable information. Survival skills like pitching a tent and boiling water, on top of how to engage strangers.” Misty Sparks flipped through her manual to a page. “It even has pictures!”

“...Okay maybe I’ll read it when I’m absolutely bored or something,” muttered Blaze as she opened her’s. “Pictures… are nice.”

“Good! Let’s all be read up by the time the exile is officially passed!” Misty Sparks instructed.

Grease and Skyfire were already flipping through the pages, while the pegasus grabbed a notebook from nearby. “This is similar to the Enclave training books,” she remarked, “though it is interesting to see it from a grounder’s perspective. You can’t just fly away from your problems after all, or kick a cloud for rainwater.”

“Aren’t the clouds radioactive or something?” Asked Blaze. “The whole world is poisoned ain’t it?”

“Some! You have to be careful,” replied Skyfire with a tone far too cheery for the subject matter. “This has good stuff. Can we read together over dinner?”

Misty Sparks brightened at the request and nodded rapidly. “I’d love to have dinner with you, to study and spend time and uh…” She trailed off with a growing blush. Her eyes settled on crimson feathers. “Studying. We should all study, right now!” Blaze and Grease snickered at the unicorn who threw herself into the manual. Skyfire could only tilt her head before shrugging off the unicorn’s nervousness. They had hundreds of pages to read, and not much time to do it.

“I can’t believe you’re going out there,” Sergeant Cuffs’ voice was a careful rasp. He was recovering well from his injuries, despite how grievous some of them had been. A segment of his brow was likely to scar from a baton blow and he wore an eyepatch for now. “I wish I could join you, but I know the reasons.”

Misty Sparks gave him a half-smile as she examined the training pistol in front of her. Standing in other stations were Blaze, Skyfire, and Grease. The pegasus struggled with the 10mm pistol in her mouth as Grease coached her through how to use it.

“Why can’t I use my laser pistol?” Skyfire mumbled after spitting out the pistol for a moment.

“We don’t have any ammunition for it, sparkle packs, or whatever you call them. So we don’t want to use the precious amount you already have outside of absolute emergencies,” Grease calmly said. “Besides, you’re trained with that?”

“I. Am. Trained. Yes. This. Is. Heavy!” Skyfire attempted to reply, wincing as Blaze fired down range precisely with a lazy ease that disturbed Misty Sparks. Skyfire looked over to Blaze who shrugged at her as she emptied the magazine. “I suppose I can buy my ammo,” the pegasus managed without pausing every shot

Misty Sparks gave herself a shake and focused on Cuffs. “As much as I would feel safe with you at our side, Flare can’t risk looking like she’s protecting an exile. I understand the risks of going with her, but it’s worth it.”

“An airship would be mighty useful,” agreed Cuffs. “I just worry about you getting hurt. That bullet wound looks like it’ll scar. I would hate for you to get another.” He gestured to her hind leg where she’d been shot during the mutiny. While her limp had eased up some, it still hurt when she focused on it.

Wearing a forced smile, the little mare soothed the fretting sergeant. “I’ve got plenty of ponies to protect me. And this way, I suppose I’ll never forget my lesson.”

“Shouldn’t have had to learn it that way,” mumbled Cuffs. “No pony should ever have to.”

“No, but it’s best I learn it isn’t it? Something good ought to come out of that mess. We can’t change what happened, we can only do something about it.”

The periwinkle stallion eyed the young mare. “You’re getting wise.”

A genuine chuckle escaped Misty Sparks. “It had to happen at some point right?”

Cuffs shook his head with a laugh. “Don’t speak ill of my future overmare, you were already well on your way to being wise. If nothing else, time on the surface will be quite the education for you.”

“Exactly,” Misty Sparks said, and then cleared her throat. “Now are you ready?”

“If you are, ma’am.”

“Gosh, please don’t do that.”

He patted the mare’s shoulder. “Haha, sure thing Miss Misty Sparks. Now, you know the basics, but let me show you just what a unicorn can do.”

He politely took the pistol from her and pointed it down range with his magic. He tilted it with ease despite its respectable heft and examined the sides. “Now while you could theoretically shoot from any angle, bear in mind that the ejection port only faces one way. You’ll want to always make sure that direction goes with gravity, so the side or down, so it doesn’t fall back and jam the gun. Spent ammunition can and will burn your hide so always keep it far enough that’s a minimal risk if you must shoot the gun in an abnormal position. Obviously as well, accuracy will change dramatically when at abnormal angles.”

Misty Sparks nodded attentively as he demonstrated the potential firing positions. After a few examples, she took the pistol and copied what he’d done. She practiced grabbing the pistol with her magic and rapidly moving it a specific distance to make it feel more natural. “Good. Now you can use your pip-buck to target things. That will help with the angles. Simply activate the SATS spell in your pip-buck, pick your target, and fire.” He took the pistol back and held it so far and high from his head he couldn’t possibly see the sights. A split second later the pistol turned in his magical grip and fired thrice at one of the training dummies. Each bullet impacted the dummy’s head.

“Woah!” Skyfire shouted, looking over her pip-buck. “How did you do that?”

“SATS,” Cuffs easily replied. “I’ll have to activate your pip-buck so you can access the weapon spells, but it’s very useful. I'm sure you could use it with your feathers holding the pistol even, if you can support that much weight.”

Skyfire frowned with thought. “I could hold it but I don’t think the recoil would be good for my wings.”

Cuffs snickered as he returned the weapon to Misty Sparks. “Ah yes, I hadn’t thought about that. It will take some getting used to I’m sure but with proper training, you’ll be an expert soon enough.”

“Think I could get that activation too?” Grease inquired from her booth with a shake of her pip-buck.

The sergeant crossed over and fiddled with her pip-buck first, having to connect his own to a port on the side. A flurry of green text cycled over the screen and then a cheery-looking Stable Colt cheered before the pip-buck returned to normal. “There you are. You’re next Miss Lumia.”

Skyfire held out her arm with an excited squee, her focus captivated by the process. It still felt strange to have something so heavy resting above her hoof. At least the interior padding was comfortable, and it was securely in place. If only she could take it off whenever she wanted. As Cuffs finished activating SATS for her, she tilted her head. “Wait, how do I… use it?”

“With your mind of course. It’s a spell.”

Wingtips pointed at Skyfire’s face as she spoke, “Pegasus, remember? I can’t do magic.”

The others laughed as Cuffs rolled his eyes and prodded her pip-buck. “Ah, but thanks to Stable-Tec you can now. SATS is short for Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting System. It is part of a matrix of spells that is available for use by anypony who wears this marvelous piece of tech.”

Sniffing the strange wearable device, Skyfire blinked at Cuffs. “It’s a terminal on my arm…”

“Ah, a doubter, of course,” Cuffs snickered. “Miss Blaze, you are familiar with some of what your arm terminal can do right?”

Blaze snorted and leaned out of her booth. “Uh, yeah?”

“Like the inventory sorting spell?”

“Oh yeah, I can’t lose shit thanks to that. Put it in my bag, and boom it knows. No fucking idea how though,” Blaze said as she riffled through her saddlebag for only five seconds before pulling out a wrapper of gum. “See! How the fuck does that work?”

“Magic,” Cuffs said.

“Bullshit,” retorted Blaze as she popped a stick of gum in her mouth and obnoxiously chewed.

With a roll of yellow eyes, Grease gestured for a piece of gum. Blaze squinted suspiciously for a few moments before relenting and giving the fellow earth pony some. Immediately she smiled and started chewing just as obnoxiously. Blaze grinned at her fellow. “I reckon it’s a mixture of desire sensing and spatial awareness, like what EFS does. If it can tell if something is friendly or not, it stands to reason it can tell if you’re friendly to something as well, right?”

“But objects don’t have emotions,” countered Misty Sparks as they began to speak in the theoretical. Emerald eyes began to glass over and Blaze leaned back into her booth. Misty Sparks gestured to her pip-buck. “There are most assuredly spells for identifying something, clairvoyance for example. It could be as simple as that. I’ve even heard stories that if you give yourself a ‘quest’ it can help figure out where to go. That just sounds like a bunch of speculation though.”

“Magic,” Cuffs repeated, this time less snarky.

Skyfire wiggled her foreleg around and examined her new tool with new appreciation. “That sounds great and all, but how do I use it?”

“The same way a unicorn uses magic, will,” he explained, “you will it into being. Focus on what you want, focus on your target and time will feel slow to you soon enough. Pick a target, you just have to look where you want and will it and it will happen. Can work with melee and close combat too.”

“Wait, is that all magic is, willpower?”

“It’s not everything, but it’s a major factor in casting. Think of the pip-buck as a conduit for the spells built within, focus on what you want to do, and boom, it happens.”

Scrunching her nose in determination, Skyfire turned back to the shooting range. The pistol felt strange and tasted funny in her mouth. Her ears twitched and quickly her jaw started tingling at the weight of the gun. Energy weapons were considerably lighter than ballistic weaponry, and it would take her a considerable amount of time to get used to it. However, she knew well that would only come with practice.

Focusing on the target, Skyfire felt everything slow to a crawl. Green light formed in her vision blocks segmenting the target into three parts; the head, chest, and legs. Skyfire eeped in shock and the spell immediately failed. “Wh-what was that!” She shouted, looking at the others who could only laugh goodnaturedly.

“SATS, silly,” Grease teased. “Try again.”

“Right, right,” Skyfire said and shook herself for getting surprised. She had just been instructed after all. Heat crept along her ears. Breathing in careful measures, she fixated upon the target once more. The spell activated with the same impressive speed as before, and she focused intently on the head. A small bar of green filled her lower right vision, and the more she thought about shooting the target’s head the less green she saw. With a final decision, she pulled the trigger.

Her tongue moved with a foreign speed and the pistol jolted against her jaw. Skyfire yelped and dropped the pistol, two unicorns diving to catch it but a grey aura surrounded it before it clattered to the ground and misfired. They all looked up to see Hammers walking into the range, a brow arched as he took in the training. “Caught you by surprise, didn’t it Feathers?” He asked as he crossed over.

Feathers ruffled, Skyfire could only nod and look away. “Awh don’t feel too bad,” Grease soothed, “SATS is pretty powerful, it takes everypony by surprise!”

“You’ve used it before?” Blaze snorted.

“Yeah, though only for practice. You?”

A sly smirk pulled at the large mare’s lips. “I’ve had it unlocked for years.”

“Those friends of yours in Security?” Hammers asked in a careful tone. Blaze stiffened up at him, an ear flicking in response. “At least it means you’re prepared for what you’re getting into.”

Blaze smiled sincerely, surprising everypony around her. “Yeah! I’m the most prepared you’ll get in Stable 36 to go kick some wasteland ass!”

“Oh yeah?” Challenged Hammers. “Show me how you shoot.”

“Fuckin’ easy,” Blaze said as she spat out her gum and drew her pistol. She held it peculiarly, not bothering to use the sights in any capacity. When she shot she easily absorbed the recoil, having planted herself firmly. Her bullets hit the target in the chest, a notable horizontal pathing to them.

“Not awful,” Hammers said, “but you’re wasting bullets.”

“It’s good for crowds, like ghouls.”

“Self-taught hybrid style I take?” He asked with an analytical tone. Blaze bristled in anticipation. “Decent, but you could be better. Shoot down the sights, you’ll hit your one target and can adjust for the next.”

“But then I can’t easily swap to my sledge for when they get close,” Blaze countered, relaxing slightly. “I’m a close-combat specialist, but I can shoot.”

He half nodded in agreement. “Decently. SATs for the extra boost and you’ll be a deadeye for sure. But ammo counts out there, and you won’t be getting refills easily.”

Pursing her lips in thought, Blaze huffed. “Well, I guess I can keep a knife in my tail if they get too close before I can swap.”

Hammers blinked. “...You can do that?”

“Oh fuck yeah!” Blaze chortled and drew a knife from a pocket in her barding, alarming Cuffs tremendously. She tossed it into the air and caught it with her tail, brandishing it as firmly as Skyfire would in her feathers.

The other ponies leaned in with awe, Skyfire the most curious of them. She sniffed the large earth pony’s short tail as if she expected to find something hidden within it. “That’s really cool! How do you do that?” She flicked her tail in an attempt at replicating the motion but to no avail. “Can you show me how to do that sometime?”

Beaming with pride, Blaze nodded. “Sure! It’s mighty useful!” Then she caught Cuffs’ stare and with a huff, she slipped her knife away. The sergeant gave a wary nod and looked back at the targets.

Hammers patted his daughter on the shoulder, a gesture wholly unfamiliar to them both. His hoof lingered for a moment as if expecting her to recoil, but she did not. Blaze flicked an ear in acceptance, and Hammers smiled. “Let me show you a few tricks to save on ammo and improve your accuracy. It’ll keep you alive out there longer. Or at least cut down on the caps you’re spending keeping reserves up.”

With only a bit of hesitance, the large mare slowly nodded. She gave her pistol to Hammers who held it in his mouth as an earth pony would. “Yeah okay… Sure. Just make sure you help Feathers out too, she needs it more than me.”

“Course gotta keep my new technician alive,” Hammers said with a wink to Skyfire around the grip. “Now pay attention.”

“Heh, thanks,” Skyfire replied as Cuffs cleared his throat. “Okay, so… This time I won’t drop it. I hope.”

“Let’s hope together!” Grease teased with her wink before she gently took the pistol Skyfire was training with, looking it over with her hooves. Skyfire ruffled her feathers, even more, a bit embarrassed. “Now… if you really are struggling with handling the recoil, we could replace the grip with a softer one so you can get a better bite on it.”

“Just focus on your breathing and keep your mouth taut,” advised Misty Sparks.

Cuffs gave a reassuring smile. “Practice makes perfect. Let’s get to it.”

Level Up! \ Blaze (5) - Winding Road: You’ve got quite a journey ahead of you. Take care where you step. +1 to INT
Quest Perk Added! \ Blaze - Tail Trick: This allows you to use your tail as a prehensile limb, capable of handling or throwing small items (much like a hand).

Level Up! \ Misty Sparks (5) - Crash Course: You might have skimmed a few of the pages but you still got the gist of it! Books have a 50% chance to be twice as effective upon reading.
Quest Perk Added! \ Misty Sparks - Expeditionary Lead: Setting off into the wastes is dangerous, but a few good connections might help! +10% chance to persuade potential allies.

Level Up! \ Skyfire (5) - Egghead: They just can't manage to peel you off those books! You add +2 skill points each time you gain a new experience level.

Author's Note

Sorry, this took a while, life happened, one of us moved, another started college, and we wanted to make sure that this was a good chapter! Extra thanks to the editors for helping polish this up!

Chapter Thirteen: A 'Clean' Expedition

Chapter Thirteen: A ‘Clean’ Expedition

“Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.”

It was time.

Emerald eyes stared at the cog-shaped door of Stable 36. Not too long ago Blaze had stood there, waiting in the lobby to leave the safety of her home. The last time she’d left with so many ponies, she’d expected to come home in one piece. Now, she stared at the heavy machinery with a yawning emptiness within her. She had no idea if she would ever see this side of the stable again.

Ponies were gathered around her, talking in groups as the four mares prepared to depart. Misty Sparks was heavy in conversation with her mother, their personable voices mixing with the chatter of Hammers and Grease. Three ponies Blaze had never seen before spoke with the Second Technician. Blaze assumed they were her father and roommates judging from their appearances. The older stallion was the same green hue as Grease and was built similarly. They wore their manes alike as well, something that chewed away at Blaze’s gut. She didn’t care to inspect Spritz and his marefriend.

Hammers was still talking with his protege. Security guards lined the back of the lobby, most of them dressed for a riot. Blaze couldn’t help but sneer. She knew Overmare Flare wouldn’t have ordered them there to make sure Blaze left. They were likely Chief Smokey’s final farewell. Only one of them garnered any interest from Blaze, Sergeant Cuffs who was politely standing aside awaiting a chance to speak with Misty Sparks.

Skyfire stood next to Blaze and laid a wing on the larger mare’s back. She caught where Blaze was staring now. Hammers was deep in conversation with his sister. “He’ll be along soon,” she said with a soothing tone.

Blaze snorted and tapped a hoof. “Course, course…”

“How have things been between you two?”

“Better. We talk, which is… well better.”

Skyfire smiled up at her and hummed. “He’ll miss you, I’m sure of it.”

Blaze hesitated at the sincerity of the pegasus. She was so different from everypony else in the stable. The cynicism Blaze was used to and doled out in equal parts was so absent from the pegasus she often found herself struggling to believe Skyfire. Perhaps along their journey of her exile Blaze would finally understand just how the pegasus kept so chipper.

“Where’s Blitz?” Asked Skyfire as she looked around.

Tensing, Blaze looked away. “I don’t know. I hope she didn’t sleep in.”

“It is really early…”

“0400,” Blaze muttered. “I haven’t been up this early in… Fuck I don’t know, a while.”

“I’ll admit it’s early even for me,” agreed Skyfire. “I got up by 0600 at the latest. We’ve been up since 0200.”

“You ever gonna not talk like the Enclave?” Challenged Blaze with a soft laugh.

Purple eyes squinted. “You use military time too though.”

“Yeah but-”

“Don’t be mean,” Skyfire interjected with a frown.

“It’s a joke, Feathers,” Blaze tried to soothe.

The grey mare squished her lips as she debated the response, before shrugging. “Maybe it’s too early for me after all.”

“I know I’ll be flopping back in bed after you’re gone,” Hammers’ voice interjected as he approached. Skyfire and Blaze brightened immediately, and he smiled wide. “I took a late shift today for a reason.”

Blaze stepped to her father only to pause in hesitation. “I guess the apprentice gets first dibs on the goodbyes?” She scoffed.

Nickering, Hammers used his magic to tidy up Blaze’s armor. Leather covered her stable barding heavier than that of the other mares. She swatted the magic away ineffectually, and he sighed. “I wanted to have the most time with you. It was just a quick goodbye for her, some reminders of what to do out there. You though…”

“Sure you’re not here for Feathers?” Blaze challenged.

Skyfire coughed and looked away. “I see you’re being petulant again,” he dryly replied. “Jealous? Or scared?”

“Fuck no, I ain’t scared of anything.”

“Bullshit,” Hammers flatly said. “But if you don’t want to confide in me, I don’t blame you. Just make sure you tell your friends what’s on your mind while you’re out there, okay?”

Her ears flickered as she processed his words. Usually, he would force her to either flee or shout. Accepting her hostility was different. “Uh, yeah, okay.”

The stallion offered a hoof and she took it with even greater hesitancy. She had expected terse words of warning or a snarl of advice. Things had been more pleasant than in the last several years, but there were still heavy moments of tension. They were avoiding certain topics like her pending exile for most of their conversations. Now, on the precipice, there was no way for Blaze to run from it any longer. “Keep her safe,” he ordered.

“I will,” the mares said in unison.

Hammers smiled. His eyes were reddened and he sniffled. Blaze squinted. “Have you been… crying?”

“Yes, are you surprised?” he replied, sniffling a little. He’d stopped concealing things. It had been the greatest change in his behavior and took the most for Blaze to get used to. She wasn’t used to full honesty.

“I’ll be back, Dad. I won’t die out there.”

“I know you believe that,” he said simply. “I’ll pray for your safe return. Don’t forget to talk to Melody when you come back. I’d like to have a meal at the bar when you do, after of course.”

A laugh escaped Blaze and she slowly shook her head. “You want to share a drink with me?” She asked.

“I said meal, but I wouldn’t say no to a drink either. I’ll pay if you have some good stories to tell even,” he said. Before she could reply, Hammers pulled her into a hug. She blinked and hesitated, before returning the gesture. Her heart fluttered and Blaze swallowed a surge of emotion down. It wouldn’t do her good to get caught up right then.

Hammers turned to the pegasus and smiled. “Feathers, you better eat well out there.”

“The MREs Steel packed are better looking than most of the fresh-made meals I had back home,” Skyfire snickered. “I’ll be just fine.”

“And drink water,” he advised.

Groaning dramatically, Blaze threw her head back. “Oh come on, Sparky will nag us enough you don’t have to.”

“I’d like to be first, I have years of being a dad to catch up on,” Hammers laughed. A fetlock hoof lifted and adjusted her armor and this time she didn’t stop him. Moisture dampened his eyes. Blaze stepped forward and embraced him. “I…” His voice caught in his throat and he held her close. “I love you, Blaze. Make sure you come home one day.”

“I will,” she said slowly, barely able to keep her voice calm. “I’ve gotta protect these little ponies don’t I?”

“And we’ll protect you,” Skyfire vowed. She rested her wing over Blaze’s back once more. The large mare blinked and then smiled. She wordlessly hugged Skyfire.

Despite the rocky start of the fallen pegasus’ recent journey- from the enraged first meeting at the crash site to Blaze cleaning out her former room to let Skyfire truly have a home within the stable- Blaze found herself feeling good about this journey alongside Skyfire. Things had changed rapidly for each of the mares, both learning to trust more. Blaze found herself glad Skyfire was at her side while the others socialized. It was strange to think that somepony aside from her cousin could make her feel so at ease.

The lack of judgment for her past was refreshing, something the crimson-maned pegasus mirrored equally. Being scorned back home for not wanting to be a soldier, Skyfire had quite enjoyed her growing fit as a mechanic in the Stable. It was something that Blaze supported, having been the first pony to encourage her to stay on in such a position.

Out of every pony going out into the wastes, Skyfire was the one Blaze found herself worrying the most about. While Misty Sparks was the future heir of the stable, something Blaze knew to be incredibly important, Skyfire was a pegasus. Further, she was potentially a Dashite, something Blaze had heard of but never met before. Something about the uncertainty of Skyfire’s future made her want to protect the mare even more than her cousin.

Grease and her group of fellow earth ponies came over. Misty Sparks and Flare joined them as well, soft smiles on their faces as they took in the embracing pair. Blaze broke out of the hug with a blush, uncomfortable with so many ponies seeing her display affection. Nopony remarked about it, but the approval in their eyes was clear. She scowled to assure that they stayed quiet.

“Well,” Flare said to move things along. “Today is the day.”

“Glad to finally be throwing my fat ass out?” Blaze challenged with a sardonic smile.

“Couldn’t be sadder,” Flare replied frankly. Blaze’s smile fell. “But I know it’s for the best. The four of you will do just fine out there, I have full confidence in you.”

“At least somepony does,” Grease laughed. A battle saddle rested on her back, a multitude of personal etchings in the metal. Her father, Brass Tacks, kept checking how she was wearing it.

Misty Sparks cleared her throat and squinted. “More ponies do than not, I think,” she said. “Are… you ready though Blaze?”

Another sarcastic laugh escaped the large mare and she closed her eyes. “Even if I wasn’t, Smokey is no doubt counting down the seconds. If I’m not out by then, he’ll shove me out himself.”

Sergeant Cuffs frowned awkwardly and coughed into his shoulder. “Actually… he is. Yes.”

Blaze snarked in vindication. “Fucking knew it.”

The security guard shrugged. “He truly is not a fan of yours.”

“Good, ‘cause I truly ain’t a fan of his either. I’m glad the feeling is mutual.” Blaze stomped a hoof in emphasis. “Now is that everything? Everypony said their goodbyes?”

A multitude of eyes skimmed over the assembled ponies, final double checks and triple checks being taken. Blaze was tired of waiting. The anticipation was killing her. She stomped her hooves. “Open the fucking door already!”

“What about Blitz?” Skyfire asked as Sergeant Cuffs went to the control panel.

“She didn’t show?” Questioned Misty Sparks, “Really? I expected at least… I don’t know, a kiss. Did you two…” She trailed off and gestured vaguely. Her ears pulled back and she blushed as her mother arched a brow.

“Yes,” Blaze huffed, “but no, she’s not here. Whatever, I’ll see her again soon enough right?”

The whirring siren of the stable door unlocking and sliding open sent a jolt of energy down the mares’ spines. Despite how many times Blaze had been around for the nearly ritualistic procedure, the wailing sirens, and the heavy motor revving up, she felt tense. This time it felt, different. This time might be the last time she would ever get to see it open from this side.

The cool morning air seeped in as the stable door swung out to the side, sending a breeze that rattled Blaze’s concentration. She’d be living out there, from now on. Before the stable door had finished opening Blaze was walking out, not wanting Smoky’s baton nudging her out. She was ready, unlike a certain lime-eyed unicorn who froze up. “I-uh forgot how loud it is this early in the morning,” Misty Sparks lamely admitted, her ears pinning back. She yelped as a fluffy crimson wing patted her back.

Skyfire gave her best-encouraging smile, before quickly yawning. “Ah I, uh, I’m still waking up,” Skyfire giggled quietly, waving a hoof over her mouth before stretching out. “You know, I was finally getting used to not having the sky above me, and here I am going out into the wild blue yonder again.”

“Wild… blue?” Cuffs asked quizzically as he peeked outside. Down the tunnel of the hill the stable was built into was dim light. “It’s grey.”

“It’s a saying!” Skyfire protested, yawning again with a flurry of giggles. “I might need a pick me up, though I doubt anyone is making coffee this early.”

“It’s a pretty saying,” Misty Sparks giggled back towards Skyfire, taking a few steps forward with the pegasus. The moment of levity had broken the hold over the unicorn. She walked down the steel-grate pathway and through the threshold.

“Goodbye new home,” Skyfire commented quietly, blinking as she blushed. “I uhm, meant to think that. I need to wake up more.”

“You’ll be plenty awake by the time the sun is up Feathers!” Grease teased gently, snickering as Skyfire blushed, whining softly.

“I’m not a morning pega, I like my coffee!” Skyfire protested with a groan. “I should have asked to pack some with us.”

“I’m sure we can pick some up, there are a few traders I see up, and the general store probably is open, I asked yesterday if we could make some early last-minute purchases,” Grease chimed out with an innocent smile. “I recalled a certain tired pegasus liked her coffee~”

Misty Sparks balked at the earth pony, “How’d you convince her that? And I didn’t realize you needed coffee that badly, Sky.”

“Morning shift is rough,” Skyfire admitted with a relieved smile. “Come on, I can share some of the favorite brews I’ve found so far!” She added with an eager smile to the unicorn. Misty Sparks’ expression softened as she trotted over, nodding happily.

Blaze walked over curiously to nudge Grease, glancing at the pair trotting towards a nicely lit general store. “Did you do that to get them running off together?”

“Maaaaybe a little bit, I just know that Skyfire pretty much needs it. She wasn’t sleeping the best sharing a room with you, no offense…. I think?” Grease offered with a shrug. “She never complained about you, just that she didn’t sleep well.”

“Right right right. I hope she buys enough to stay alert. Sparky is ditzy enough that we’ll need every pair of eyes we can, and Feathers can fly at least to scout,” Blaze grunted softly and rubbed her temple for a moment. With an arched brow, she paused as Grease stood there smiling at her. “What?”

“Look at you thinking about the safety of the group, maybe there is hope!” Grease trilled, her head up high with a giggle as she trotted off towards the surface, causing the fellow earth pony to grumble in protest, trudging after her. Blaze glanced once over her shoulder, catching the eye of her father from the threshold. He smiled, the only bit of encouragement she needed, and she gave a sharp nod.

Then the stable door yawned shut.

Blaze paused for a moment, watching it latch closed into place. Nothing could penetrate it without great effort. She was truly separated, the image of Hammers and Flare watching her seared into memory. A grimace came from the mare and she looked at the dirt. Voices came from the end of the tunnel, cheery, light, and full of hope. Blaze glanced up at where Grease waited at the end of the tunnel, the other two already far onto the street. A sigh dredged itself out of her and then her hooves began to move.

She left Stable 36 behind her.

No sunlight basked the mare as she walked into the open. Only the soft yellow glow of streetlights warmed her hide as Blaze strode onto the wooden sidewalks. Grease had fallen into step alongside her without a word. At the early hour, there were a dozen or so guards and little else on the surface. A groggy stallion glared at them from across the street as he scrubbed graffiti from the walls of the weapon shop. Three guards muttered darkly, watching Blaze with obvious hate. Stiffening, Blaze lifted her chin and kept at the same pace.

“Don’t mind them,” whispered Grease, “they’re just jealous they can’t go on an adventure.”

“I highly doubt that,” growled Blaze. The laughter of her cousin and Skyfire came from ahead. One guard glanced that way and she bit her cheek at the flash of warmth in his eyes before he returned to whispering with his coworkers.

Grease snorted. “Then don’t give them the satisfaction.”

“Not like I really care what they think,” Blaze growled.

The shorter earth pony took her in, the tension in the mare’s stride, and the way her ears flicked. “Sure,” she said, “let’s just get some coffee. Maybe Sky got us some too.”

“I hope not, I don’t want either of them spending caps on me.”

The pair hadn’t gotten a dozen steps closer to the store before the door swung open, Misty Sparks leading the way outside. Skyfire trailed closely behind with a box on her back. Blaze’s fears materialized when the pair practically bounced over to them.

“Blaze! Grease! I got us all coffee!” Skyfire vibrated with an energy uncharacteristic of her. “I might have uhm gotten a cup myself and drank it and it was super yummy so I wanted to make sure you all got some!”

“And she got herself one for the road,” Misty Sparks added with amusement, the pegasus whining in defense.

“I also got a pound of it, and a few things to prepare it on the road!” Skyfire admitted, dodging the subject of the fourth drink on her back.

Grease giggled loudly as Blaze stood there, visibly fuming. “What was I just saying?” Blaze snorted before sighing and rolling her eyes. “Well, she shouldn’t have a third cup. I suppose I can have this. It’s just coffee right?”

“Just coffee?” Skyfire huffed gently, puffing up her wings before pushing a cup each into the earth ponies’ hooves. “No, this is a nice dark roast which is smooth and not too much caffeine in it! It’s actually tasty.” She giggled quietly, sitting down as Misty Sparks levitated both the drinks for a moment.

“When did you get so coffee astute?” Grease asked with a laugh before sipping at her coffee. “Don’t tell me the Enclave has bad coffee?”

“Yes!” Skyfire whined quietly, huffing energetically, “It’s really terrible, and you only ever down it in small shots, extra concentrated. Outside of when they could import good stuff grown on the ground.”

“Like espresso?” Misty Sparks offered, slightly confused.

Skyfire blinked. “Like what now?”

“Well I think, Blaze, you should try it then. Entertain Feathers,” Grease added then, ribbing the taller earth pony.

Blaze’s temper threatened to build up before she relented with a nod. “Alright, it’s a small gift for the road. And apparently, the next greatest thing to walk this land,” Blaze grunted out, taking a gentle sip before blinking, and looking at Skyfire. “What’d you put in this? It’s edible.”

“Nothing! That’s why I’m happy. This is a dark roast,” Skyfire giggled before sighing and sipping her second cup. Her ears fell back as she took quick sips. “It’s a nice pick me up. And something I will happily invest good bits into making sure we have something warm to help wake us up. Now. I uhm.” Skyfire sheepishly looked around. The early shift guards watched them openly. “I think we might want to finish these before walking, only one of us can levitate them.”

“I’ll go buy a few supplies myself,” Grease commented quietly, finishing her cup with a happy sigh before smirking. “Like reusable cups so captain caffeine over here can get her fix every day.”

That left Skyfire sputtering, spitting a bit of her drink out as she sheepishly nodded. “G-good idea!”

Misty Sparks giggled and sat down properly to start going through her bags. “You know, we’re not supposed to be out that long, but I packed extra healing potions and medicine, in case-”

Blaze snorted and coughed out a bit of her drink as she grunted, “In case I fuck up or do something stupid. I know.”

“No actually,” Misty Sparks retorted, looking hurt. “In case anypony tries to do anything stupid to us, I want everypony to have an extra potion. Both of us aren’t exactly the most popular right now,” The unicorn commented softly, her smile fading as she looked past Blaze to see more glowering faces on the guards.

“I suppose we can both take solace in the fact that ponies are happy to see us go,” Blaze sighed after a moment of thought.

“Hopefully we don’t have anypony trying to kill me because they found one of my feathers.” Skyfire quipped with downcast eyes. “I’m glad Steel found me this cloak, I dislike my wings being so bundled up, but it beats getting shot on sight. We truly are an odd bunch.”

“Then there’s me!” Grease chuckled, already back, her saddlebags looking rather full. “The regular one who happens to be friends with all three of you. I guess that makes me uniquely the normal one here!”

“You’re the one they’ll ask questions to when one of us does something stupid,” Blaze snorted, “Or if I don’t shape up I suppose.”

Skyfire leaned over to boop Blaze quietly with one of her wings, shifting to stick out her tongue. “You’re out here, you’re already shaping up. And you’ve got this air to you that’s different. You got this, Blaze.” She smiled, finished up her cup of coffee, and hummed. “I think we’ll be fine. Now.. uhm..” The pegasus looked around, “Didn’t you say there was a wagon?”

“In a moment Feathers,” Blaze admitted, the lightest flush covering her face as she sipped away at her coffee to avoid blurting things out. A hot moment passed as the earth pony managed to enjoy the drink before speaking, “You gave me a gift, it’d be rude to rush it. Yes?”

Grease giggled quietly at that and shook her head, “Yes it was, but you were definitely hiding something with that.”

“Shut up!”

Misty Sparks leaned over to Skyfire and nudged her. “This is legitimately tasty… and I’m proud of what we’ve managed to do with this. The coffee you have here is actually consisting of the ripe seeds of coffea arabica, a proud export of ours we managed to save and continue growing. It’s best grown in a greenhouse because it needs to be tropical, and definitely can’t stand frost!” The unicorn started vibrating herself, a faint blush on her face as the pegasus focused directly on her, leaning back into Misty Sparks to listen.

“A-And! At first, we have to make sure it’s entirely dry, which you have to be careful about because we dry it with heat…. But that’s just the roasting process. The interesting part is that the caffeine you love is only roughly two percent of the seed! Imagine how much more intense your coffee could be if we could double that!” The unicorn giggled excitedly, sipping the coffee again before snorting. “The flavor is an interesting but common reaction called the Maillard Reaction! It’s when amino acids react with carbo-”

A sandy hoof semi-forcibly pushed Misty Sparks’ mouth shut. The little unicorn squeaked as Blaze leaned over, her eye twitching. “Sparky, that sounds fascinating, you really are having fun talking about it. But uhm, perhaps we can do it while we’re on the road?” She asked diplomatically, “Else it might become a full-day lecture, which well, we’re out here for a reason.”

“Right! I can uhm, talk about it on the road when we’re walking on it with the wagon. The one by…?”

“The jailhouse, they held it for us so we could keep it safe,” Grease interjected with a soft smile, “Come on though, you can walk with your drink at least. Let’s help get Blazed hooked up.”

Rhythmic clattering as wooden wheels rolled over broken asphalt had quickly threatened to lull the tired mares into a stupor, only the caffeine in their veins keeping them alert. The first length of their journey had been blissfully uneventful as if the wasteland wanted to keep on sleeping until more sensible hours. The first interruption had been a flock of large birds that hissed when the mares had passed their nests along an irradiated pond. Misty Sparks had quickly identified them as geese and ordered the group to leave as swiftly as possible. Blaze had laughed, the idea of being afraid of a bird absurd. Her armor now had tomia marks from the furious mother goose.

Hours had stretched into one another with the kind of peace that made Blaze paranoid. She kept glancing to the horizon and checking her EFS as if some beast would manifest from their nightmares. No such thing had come, save the geese, and that only set the mare more on edge. Light conversation passed the time, mostly stories about work the last few days for the mares who hadn’t been restricted to the infirmary. Blaze half-paid attention, staying alert instead.

The hills of Stable 36 extended for some distance. Mucky dirt and ruined homes comprised the majority of the scenery. Periodically there would be something to break up the banality. A pond, a particularly fascinating-looking tree, or a former public attraction like a park or building. Grease kept checking her Pip-Buck as they walked, making annotations to her maps. For the most part, the wasteland was what the three stable-raised mares expected. To Skyfire, it was an entirely new world.

“Ponies used to live in those?” Asked Skyfire with a shrill gasp as she pointed to a complex half sunk into the ground. Most of their surroundings were in such a state, reduced to rubble or half consumed by the very dirt they walked on. More than once they’d had to detour around a segment of the road that had suffered such a fate.

“Yup,” replied Blaze, “apartments I think.”

“It’s a bit like a dormitory,” Skyfire said, “like we have in Neighvarro.”

“I think everypony had their own home in there though,” Misty Sparks jumped in, “rather than an open space of bunks.”

“That sounds… lovely,” whispered Skyfire. “Like the stable.”

Grease nodded, squinting at the roof that was painted white. Now reduced to streaks along shale, something caught her attention. The mare looked at her Pip-Buck as her lips scrunched with thought, before shouting. “Yes! That has to be it!”

The other three blinked at her as Grease took off in a gallop. Skyfire immediately took flight while Blaze shouted, “Stick to the road! I can’t take this wagon off easy!”

Cutting in front of her friend, Skyfire gave a wide-eyed smile. “What is it?” Her hooves touched long-since dead grass. The cracked concrete sidewalk was splintered from nature slowly reclaiming Equestria.

Grease strained to look over Skyfire at the building, beside herself with excitement. “My dad gave me his maps, all the annotations he made on his expeditions! That building is where he took shelter from a radstorm. He said there was a safe inside that nopony on his team could get open. I’ve always wanted to give it a try!”

Purple eyes calmed and Skyfire patted Grease’s head. “Don’t just go running off like that, silly. I’m sure we can look inside. Salvaging for supplies is important, right?” She peered back at Misty Sparks and Blaze who were unfastening the bulky mare from the wagon.

“I don’t like it,” protested Blaze, “it looks unstable.”

“I’ll admit caution too, but moreover for our timetable,” Misty Sparks added. Grease’s ears fell back and she frowned. “But… we built in rest breaks and I suppose we’re due for one. Half an hour okay?”

Squealing, Grease jumped into action. “At least wait for us!” Shouted Blaze.

Skyfire gave a half-salute with her wing and followed Grease inside. The entryway had collapsed, leaving only a lobby with slanted stairs ascending to the upper floors that were now not nearly as impressive as they were before. Shag carpet that had molded scrunched underhoof and with a frown, Skyfire began to hover. Grease ignored the filth as she scaled the stairs. The ruined apartment complex was striking to Skyfire. She had gotten used to the clean, sharp angles of Stable 36, and even the surface town. Now the walls sagged and timber groaned with every passing breeze, a trickle of water somewhere she couldn’t quite narrow down. Checking her EFS, she was relieved to only see the green dot of Grease who was headed down the hallway. The apartment numbers had mostly vanished, paler marks on the wallpaper the only sign they were once there. Each step Grease took caused a low creak and Skyfire found herself wondering just how right her friends were on the stability of the building.

After clambering up what felt like an eternity of stairs, the earth pony stopped outside room 65. A flash of light came on from her Pip-Buck, casting a low amber tone across the area. “This is it…” She whispered so softly Skyfire barely heard her.

“What, scared now? We’ve already rushed in,” Skyfire asked as she caught up to her.

“Uh, sorry,” Grease said with a shake. She pushed on the door only for it to strain. “Blocked. Fuck.”

“We could ask Blaze for help,” suggested Skyfire.

“No, no there has to be another way in. Dad wouldn’t have been able to block it on his way out after all.” Grease began looking around, waving her light to help. Skyfire shrugged and joined in. Old paintings with faded scenes of windswept hills and beautiful beaches were checked behind. A ratty rug was pulled up to no avail. Once Skyfire tried peeking behind a trash can their search was rewarded.

Skyfire pulled the large can out of the way with a few huffs. She half didn’t want to know what refuse was inside it given the stench it was producing. “Hey, look here, your dad isn’t that big a guy, right?.”

A half-rusted hatch led into the wall, a series of locks on it. Grease smiled. “Oh, okay I can take care of that.” She settled down next to the hatch which they’d have to crawl through once it was open, and pulled out a set of bobby pins and a screwdriver. “Go find the others and bring them up here yeah? This might take me a bit. Why did he lock it five times?”

“Maybe he thought there was something extra good inside?” Suggested Skyfire as she began to flit down the hallway.

Grease gave an unsure murmur, her focus shifting entirely to the obstacle. The first lock clicked open by the time Skyfire had reached the collapsed stairs. Her ears swiveled as she tried to hear where her friends were, only for a furious shout and sloshing noise to quickly point them out. She flew over the debris of the stairwell and arrived on what was once the second floor. The sight she found made her chuckle. She was quick to hide that humor.

Halfway through the floor, Blaze cursed rapidly as Misty Sparks tried to pull her free with telekinesis. Her armor was wet, mane stuck to her brow, and the splashing noise was enough to clue Skyfire in on what happened. “Grease didn’t have that problem,” said Skyfire as she kept aloft. Misty Sparks shot her a frustrated look but said nothing.

“Well sorry, I’m a giant!” Snapped Blaze. “Fuck, something’s got my hoof. Can’t get it free.”

Skyfire grabbed the mare’s shoulders while Misty Sparks kept pulling with magic, teeth gritted with strain. They heaved together, Blaze doing her best to shake free. A wrenching noise preceded sudden momentum, all three of them crashing into the wall. The earth pony huffed and shook herself. “Ew,” she muttered as she looked at her hoof. A pale red substance was stuck to it. Glancing at the hole she was now free from, she grimaced.

The other two gasped. “Is that a head?” Shouted Misty Sparks.

“Oh I’m going to be sick,” whispered Skyfire, her face paling as she turned away, starting to heave.

“Some poor sod got stuck between the floorboards,” said Blaze as she peered closer. The agape mouth of a highly decomposed pony floated along the water’s surface. It was more bone than flesh now. “Been here a while by the looks of it.”

Skyfire once more began to fly. It only stung a little to sustain it. “We’re safe though, right?”

“It’s probably someone from when the building collapsed,” said Blaze with calmness the other two lacked.

Nodding hesitantly, Misty Sparks averted her gaze. “Without animals to eat the corpse, it would decompose much slower in water than on the surface. I hope there aren’t many others here.” She then blinked at Skyfire and frowned. “Where’s Grease?”

“Upstairs, picking a bunch of locks.”

“Bunch?”

“Yeah. She found the room her dad stayed in. Come on, I’ll show you the way.” She started flapping back over to the stairs only to pause. “Should I… try to carry you?”

Emeralds squinted. “I’m not a fatass,” Blaze growled.

“I’m not saying that, but it’s a bit, er, unstable.”

“I’ll help too,” offered Misty Sparks.

Blaze stiffened further, and then with a growl pushed past both of them. “I’ll be fine!”

Creaking wood with an ominous squelching noise made the smaller mares wince, but they followed behind, Skyfire pausing for a moment, “Should we… bury them?”

Misty Sparks blanched and shook her head, lowering a hoof towards the water. That eerie ticking ‘pleasantly’ alerted them of another factor. “Aaaand it’s radioactive…. I don’t think it’s safe either way. Sorry.”

Skyfire’s gaze drew back to the corpse in spades, her shuddering and shaking her head. “I abhor the idea of dying somewhere nopony would ever find you… but we can’t risk joining them trying to give them a proper send-off.”

Lime eyes shimmered and the short mare stood up to hug Skyfire gingerly. “I can understand that sentiment, but we’re likely to join them if we pull them out. Let’s go.” Misty Sparks murmured, gingerly starting to walk again.

The hatch was unlocked and there was no sight of Grease when they arrived on the sixth floor. More than once Blaze had cracked a step on the way up. Skyfire led them to the apartment and poked her head into the hatch. The amber light of Grease’s Pip-Buck shifted inside, casting the mare’s shadow across the peeling wallpaper. It wasn’t too hard for Skyfire to crawl through and even easier for Misty Sparks. When it was Blaze’s turn however she simply stared at the hatch, squatted down to look through at the others, and laughed. “Fuck no.”

“Come on, you can do it,” Skyfire encouraged.

“Don’t you patronize me.”

“I’m not!”

Misty Sparks arched a brow. “I am.”

“Fuck off Sparky. Come on, what’s wrong with the door?” Blaze demanded.

“Barricaded,” Skyfire replied, squinting at the dresser blocking its path.

“Okay, stand back,” Blaze warned before moving over to it. Skyfire and Misty Sparks shuffled over to where Grease was, hunched behind a flipped-over bed frame, the mattress making a musty roof to the small space. The rest of the apartment was equally trashed, with broken wood pieces and split linoleum flooring in the kitchen. It was for the most part a single-room space, with a bathroom on the far side. An explosion of debris came from the door, wood splintering like confetti. Skyfire eeped and shielded herself and Misty Sparks with her wings.

When the dust cleared, Blaze stepped through the collapsed door and over the dresser’s remains. Grease ignored all of them, focused entirely on the safe she was cracking. “Shit place,” Blaze remarked, “What makes it worth looking in?”

“Her dad came here,” Misty Sparks said.

“So?”

“I know you’re grumpy I’ve detoured,” Grease said as she broke a lockpick and tried again. “But have a seat and rest. Maybe you can find some good salvage here. Whatever’s in the safe has to be worth something though.”

Blaze huffed and quietly listened, perusing through the broken furniture for anything of worth. Skyfire and Misty Sparks did the same, rummaging mostly fruitlessly. Then a satisfying click came from the safe and Grease cackled. It opened with a hissing creak and she shined her Pip-Buck’s light in, casting its interior in soft amber. Immediately she frowned. She reached in and grasped a note with her name on it. “Grease,” she read aloud, “if you’re reading this then you’ve broken into that safe I said I never got open. Whoops, I lied. I always hoped you’d follow in my hoofsteps one day, even if you’ve got a knack for repairing things. Expedition parties need repair ponies too you know? I left everything in here for you, plus a pouch of rifle ammo. You always were eyeing it so I bet you have it right now. You’ll go far kid, and make sure you hit those other stashes I left behind. Love, Brass Tacks. PS. If you’re not Grease, please leave this safe alone. I can’t reward you obviously, but you’ll get good karma for it.”

Tears brimmed in her yellow eyes as she lowered the note, a broad smile pulling across her face. “That old scoundrel,” she chuckled. “Sounds like we might have some extra supplies scattered around we might be able to make use of.”

“Sounds like a worthwhile detour to me,” Skyfire said, “and your dad sounds sweet.”

Grease wiped her eyes dry. Blaze looked away while Misty Sparks grimaced. “Yeah, he’s the best. Now let’s see what he left us.” She began pulling out the safe’s contents. First was a bag of bits, totaling thirty. They weren’t entirely worthless, but certainly not as valuable as they were pre-war. A bottle of rad-x, three health potions, and the aforementioned rifle ammo came next and they stored the medicine in Misty Sparks’ saddlebags. At the very back was a model toy of a sky carriage, hoofmade by the look of it with a name stenciled on the bottom, Skyheart.

“Hey, that’s a similar model to what we’re looking for. This is a CT-30, a really common sky chariot back in the pre-war days.” Skyfire said as she peered at the toy. Her muzzle was close to Grease’s ear as she got a better look. If they were lucky, there would be a chariot like this one at the industrial complex, with a long fuselage and rear engines to assist the pegasus team. It was akin to a bus with passenger windows. The paint on the toy was chipped, cracking along where metal rivets would be on the real one. “It’s funny in a way, the engine to our scout prototype was the same model used in modern families. It was way over-engineered. And perhaps secretly designed to be to military specs. Though that was a rumor.” Skyfire winked gently, caught up in geeking about engineering details.

“And this might be your cousin, long lost Skyheart,” Grease nickered with a wink.

A whinny escaped Skyfire as she pulled back, ears flopping. “W-what, no! I just mean…”

“That’s the kid,” said Blaze, interrupting the teasing. “I found uh, some photos. Skyheart was their filly.” She held out a photo frame. A purple unicorn filly with a lilac mane smiled up at her parents, similar-looking unicorns. One of them wore an engineering uniform with a logo emblazoned on the collar, a golden hoof with a singular wing. Misty Sparks immediately recognized it.

Lime magic enveloped the frame as Misty Sparks levitated it closer. “That’s the logo of the factory, Good Wing. They must have worked there.”

“I wonder if they might have something that could help us then,” said Skyfire with a shake of her wings. “Keys maybe?”

Blaze scrunched her nose and started searching more carefully. They quickly set to the task, poking their snouts into every nook and cranny. After ten minutes of searching Blaze stomped a hoof, breaking the floorboard beneath her. “Nothing,” she declared. “You guys?”

“Nope,” Grease said with a sigh.

“Same,” Skyfire admitted and scuffed the floor.

Misty Sparks shifted as she checked under insect-eaten clothing. “I think… Here we go!” She pulled out an employee badge and smiled at the others. “This might help with security systems. I heard pre-war factories had a lot of insane security measures to prevent zebra espionage.”

Blaze tilted her head and appraised her cousin. “Good find Sparky. Okay, that’s enough time spent here. We have to get moving.”

“You don’t want to scavenge the rest of this place?” Grease protested.

“Thirty minutes, remember?”

Misty Sparks snickered as she tucked the badge away and looked at the other two. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Blaze grimaced and tapped a hoof. “I just… Ugh, forget about it. Do what you want.”

“No no, talk to us,” Skyfire said. She put a wing on Blaze’s back and the mare slowly relented. “What’s on your mind?”

The large mare lowered her gaze. “We had a rather… specific timetable set for this. I don’t want us to be late getting back with the parts. Aunt Flare will panic if something delays us too much and maybe not let you mares keep doing this. I… Don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand us being careful and taking our time versus rushing into things,” Skyfire soothed.

A quick nod came from Misty Sparks. “Oh yeah, big time. She’ll understand when we explain. Maybe though… this place is falling apart. Let’s get a move on for now, okay?”

Blaze gave a faint smile and nodded. “Yeah, okay. Uh… Good find Grease. It wasn’t a waste of time at least.”

Grease chuckled and gave Blaze a playful shove. “Of course it wasn’t, Dad wouldn’t steer us wrong! Now stop worrying, it’s a weird look on you.”

“Shut up,” growled Blaze.

“Don’t break the rest of the place on our way out!” Grease taunted. Blaze huffed and stepped after her, only for another floorboard to crack. “No seriously, please...”

“... Float me out the fucking window.”

The collapsing apartments grew smaller as the team continued down the road, a landmark soon to be swallowed by the hills. Skyfire’s ears perked up as she looked over at Grease, a thought lingering in her mind. “Say Grease, you seem like the pony who gets along… with most everypony, right?”

“Well yes, I’m pretty good at using my head to not get into stupid situations,” Grease nickered with a wink, glancing back at a huffing Blaze before tilting an ear. “Why do you ask?”

Purple eyes focused on her green friend as the pegasus picked up the pace enough to walk alongside her. “Well I suppose, I’m curious. About your parents. Blaze doesn’t have the best relationship with her dad, but you talk fondly about yours all the time.”

Lime and emerald eyes went wide as Blaze and Misty Sparks both held their breath. Grease’s yellow eyes narrowed and her jaw tensed. “I uhm… well it’s a bit complicated,” the earth pony murmured distantly, her gaze going down the road, not meeting Skyfire’s.

“Complicated?” Skyfire asked, narrowing her eyes. When Grease continued to avoid her gaze, she glanced back at Misty Sparks and Blaze who both wouldn’t answer her curiosity. Blaze’s ears pinned themselves back and Misty Sparks chewed on her lip.

“Well it’s complicated, but there’s not much to say, I uh….” Grease shook her head. “Some other time? I want to focus on the mission right now.”

“S-sure,” Skyfire said back with a nervous gaze. Her pace fell short, letting Grease take the lead, Grease obliging her quietly.

An uneasy silence lingered for the next while before Blaze coughed and picked up again, nickering playfully. “You know we’d be even farther now if we weren’t matching shorty-mc-short-shorts over here!” Blaze teasingly ribbed her cousin.

“Well I never, I’ve been keeping up with you this whole time!” Misty Sparks blushed faintly. “If I was any taller you couldn’t make the short jokes!”

“Well maybe you should grow up so I can find something a little bit more meaningful to tease you about, Cos’, you got plenty of things you can rib me about.” Blaze stuck her tongue out and dodged a rock lazily tossed in her direction. It rolled off into dead bushes, a crow taking off and startling all of them.

They watched the bird circle around before darting off into the horizon. For a moment they remembered just how vast an area they were in, alone from anypony else. Shaking the pang of fear, Skyfire tried to lighten things up just as Blaze had. “Maybe one day she’ll have a really late growth spurt and be as tall as me. You know, her shortness has helped her when she didn’t want to be caught, something your larger size struggles with.”

“I often don’t care if I’m caught!” Blaze defended with a brave smirk. It faltered when Misty Sparks giggled profusely.

“I don’t know Blaze, you’ve been seen running down the hall more than once trying to avoid security catching you out after curfew.” Misty Sparks winked before yelping as Blaze picked up the pace, forcing her to start trotting. Skyfire and Grease both let the eager earth pony take the lead and watched.

“You know if you’re really gunning to go this fast… we could just put her in the cart. It is empty right now.” Grease offered with a smirk, watching Misty Sparks nearly have to canter to keep up.

Hooves clacked loudly on the road. “Or we could go at a reasonable pace! It’s not a race!” Misty Sparks whined out, watching the cart gain distance, Blaze pushing into her own canter with a snort.

“She’ll never get stronger if she doesn’t push herself!” Blaze declared with a laugh. Squeaks rose from the cart as she went faster, wheels clattering over broken asphalt in a manner that made Skyfire yelp.

“And we’ll never get anywhere if you break this rickety cart!” Skyfire protested, dashing in front of Blaze using her powerful wings to speed up and forcibly slowing the mare down by controlling her pace. “I don’t want to be repairing a two-hundred-year-old cart!”

“Fine, fine!” Blaze groaned as she slowed back down, watching Misty Sparks nearly run into the cart. She caught herself at the last moment and cursed under her breath. “At least Sparky can run a little bit if she needs to,” Blaze drawled moments later. She gasped as a series of rocks flew over her head. “But she needs to aim her rocks better, still can’t hit anything.”

Words were muttered darkly behind Blaze. “Oh, I’ll hit something soon.”

One ear flicked at the threat but Blaze otherwise paid it no mind. Misty Sparks rarely made good on such threats. They kept moving at a pace the unicorn could keep up with easily, slowly adding more distance between themselves and Stable 36. After fifteen minutes the bending hills flattened out into a clearing. The earth pony squinted her eyes before gasping softly, slowing down ever further to a near stop. “I suppose this road has been traveled before. Or at least attempted. Milky Boys… more than a few ones.”

“Milky what’s?” Skyfire murmured as she examined the clearing. Her ears fell back with a gasp, “O-oh, skeletons. A lot of them.”

“Oh come on… it’s like… ten maybe,” Blaze huffed and continued walking. “It happens out here, they look old. Nothing left but bone… Must have been a fight or… I don’t know. Something! Skeletons happen!” The earth pony tried to play it down, waving a hoof.

“Yeah, but these ponies had a story.” Misty Sparks frowned as she stepped close to the skeletons. “It seems they never even got to get buried properly. No honors were given. If we weren’t on a mission I’d want to try and help lay them to rest.”

“I’d be happy to help if we have time in the future,” Skyfire offered a sympathetic smile, flinching as Blaze snorted and stomped a hoof down.

“The way I see it, they probably were a group of raiders, and their kind doesn’t treat each other with respect. It’s probably best we do-” Emerald eyes widened as she noticed a tiny skeleton partially laying on the road, held by a larger skeleton. She stared at them, her heart sinking fast. A clicking filled her ears and she began to breathe heavily. Blaze stepped back, hind bumping into the cart. She felt trapped. “O-okay. Maybe they weren’t raiders,” she whispered.

Skyfire offered with a sympathetic smile and fluttered down to pat Blaze’s shoulder. “Would you want to join us sometime?”

“Raiders probably got them though, bones are picked clean but not gnawed on,” Blaze said, not quite hearing Skyfire. A crack in the foal’s skull rooted the large mare in place.

Grease stepped into her line of sight, blocking the grim image. Blaze blinked rapidly and looked away. “Maybe they were good or bad ponies, but they still died, and a road to nowhere is not the best place to lay for all eternity,” said Grease.

“Fiiiiiine. I would at least want to be tossed in a hole when I die.”

Misty Sparks gasped and narrowed her eyes. “Blaze!”

“It’s progress at least. Remember when Blaze didn’t even talk about death?” Grease commented. Skyfire frowned as she scanned the clearing.

“That’s because I still don’t fear it! So why talk about it!” Blaze protested half-heartedly shaking her head as she picked up speed, getting past the skeleton pile with extra haste. The others were slower to follow. Skyfire lingered, torn between a quick burial or keeping up. “Come on! They’re not getting any less dead!” Blaze shouted without stopping.

Sighing, Skyfire caught up and they continued their journey.

The next time they stopped, Grease was cursing up a storm. “It’s supposed to be here!” She shouted, looking from her Pip-Buck to the crumpled tree stump in front of her. The other three watched with apparent confusion. “Who fucking destroyed it?”

“Destroyed… what exactly?” Skyfire squeaked.

“Another cache! Dad left a marker that there should be a cache in this tree stump, but-” Her words were strangled in her throat as she swung a hoof at the destroyed stump. The mare buried her head in her hooves with more primal noises.

Blaze sniffed, glancing back at the others curiously. “Is this what I’m like?”

“Yes-”

“No-”

Misty Sparks and Skyfire squinted at one another. “Yes,” Skyfire said again, “very loud.”

“You’re louder, actually,” Misty Sparks cut in. “And more physical.”

“She’s literally kicking the stump,” Blaze deadpanned, waving a hoof over towards the somehow angrier earth pony. Grease had taken to violence, and what remained of the stump was soon nothing more than splinters. “Don’t shift your weight like that, you’ll strain something.”

Grease shot her a glare. “Are you correcting my form?”

“Yes.”

“What a bitch, I can’t even be mad freely,” Grease’s voice was edged with laughter.

Blaze smirked and the fellow earth pony calmed with a few more kicks at the long-dead tree. “I can show you some tricks later. Now, what was this one supposed to be?”

Skyfire and Misty Sparks approached while Blaze remained on the road with the cart. Grease let out a heavy sigh and found a section of bark. A thunderbolt so distinct was engraved in it that Skyfire froze. “Dashite,” she whispered.

“Yeah, an old Dashite cache,” Grease confirmed, “they leave supplies for others in all sorts of hidden places like this. The stump was hollow according to my dad, but now…”

“Think someone smashed it up for a reason then?” Asked Blaze, tapping her hooves against the road. If there weren’t so many fallen logs she would’ve joined them, but that’d require unhooking from the cart.

Skyfire stared at the mark. She’d only ever seen it before in history books, the mark of the traitor. It made her skin crawl and she swallowed dryly. “Dashites are… I don’t know anymore. It all makes me uncomfortable. I’ve heard the stories, but also…” Her voice trailed off into a somber silence, eyes lost in thought.

Misty Sparks frowned and stepped closer to her friend. Skyfire was trembling. “Sorry, should we move on?”

Grease glumly started back to Blaze. The pegasus shifted her weight, feeling every feather against the cloak. She lifted it so she could see her cutie mark, grateful the cog and wrench still adorned her flanks. As much as Dashites had been taught to her as traitors and selfish ponies, she never thought stripping their cutie marks was right. To take away the very thing that made a pony a pony was horrifying. The black and white world she had known above the clouds felt so grey beneath them, muddled hues intertwining into something difficult to even see let alone understand.

For a moment she could taste the clean air and feel the warmth of the sun on her feathers. She could taste sunlight itself. Skyfire closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, trying to hold onto that feeling. The softness of clouds against her hooves. The chill of moonlight, enveloping all within sight. She was floating, lost, and yet exactly where she needed to be. Then Blaze coughed and it all whisked away. Brown mud sucked at her hooves. Muggy air absent of the sun’s warmth made sweat trickle down her skin and crimson stick to her face. It was heavy and oppressive, cast in grey from an endless cover.

Skyfire focused on their faces, tight smiles, and fallen ears. Misty Sparks stepped closer only to hesitate. Grease held no such uncertainty and drew near. Her muddied hoof fell on Skyfire’s shoulder, grounding her. “You alright?” Grease asked.

She was where she was supposed to be. Skyfire shook the homesickness off and began to join her friends. Grease walked at her side. They were just as dirty as her, just as cast in grey, but they smiled and cared for her. Her forelimb was heavy, a machine of great power granted to her by those who she was trusting were sincere in their intentions for her. “I’ll be okay,” she said with a grimace. “Thanks though.”

“Radio Raven?”

“What?”

“Radio… Raven?” Skyfire repeated, squinting at something in the corner of her vision. She waved a hoof as if pawing at something in front of her. “I just… I saw something. Text. It said a new radio signal was found, Radio Raven?”

The mares blinked, before looking at their own HUDs. “Oh, yeah,” Grease said, “We must have entered their broadcast range.”

“I think I’ve heard of Radio Raven,” Blaze said with a thoughtful hum. “In the bar.”

Misty Sparks scrunched her nose. “Radio is kinda risky, they could be news or music.”

“News would be useful,” Skyfire replied. “Especially with how big and empty everything is out here. Where do they broadcast from?”

The largest mare shrugged as she continued walking, the others following by instinct. “Baltimare I think. Hills around Stable 36 mostly block it out. We’d need to build like, an antenna or something to get a better signal but since radio has music sometimes it’s a no-no.”

“Please don’t start this argument again,” grumbled Misty Sparks, dragging her hooves.

Blaze arched a brow. “I mean… Is it really an argument or just you being a stubborn mule?”

An indigent whiny was her only response. Skyfire rolled her eyes. “Well, we’re outside the stable and have to survive, so it seems silly to me to reject potential intel.”

“You’re just saying that because you want a chance of music coming on,” teased Grease. Skyfire flushed. “You’re not wrong though.”

“Hah! Hear that Sparky? We just outvoted you!” Blaze cackled.

A hoof stomped the broken asphalt. “This isn’t a matter up for a vote,” Misty Sparks rejected. “We’re still a Stable 36 expedition, we abide by the rules.”

“I’m an exile, remember? I can do what I want now. Feathers put it on!”

Skyfire blanched at the mix of gazes on her. Misty Sparks was frowning so deeply she looked like she’d eaten something sour. Blaze meanwhile was egging her on, intense emeralds encouraging the deviant behavior. Grease simply shrugged. “Intel is intel and could save our lives. We could just… turn it off if a song comes on?”

Nodding, Skyfire brought her Pip-Buck to her face and kept walking on three hooves, an awkward gait that threatened to make her trip on the shoddy road. After a bit of fumbling with the toggles to select the radio, she tuned in and made sure her volume was at max so all could hear. Immediately the soft noise of a piano dying out danced in the air, five seconds at most of a somber tune before it faded into static. It was beautiful and Skyfire nearly cried at the simple notes. She’d almost forgotten what a piano sounded like.

Then there was a crackle, a shifting of something against a microphone, and the sharp inhale of a pony preparing to speak. “Gooooood morning everyone! I hope you’re awake now because that song nearly put me back to sleep. Beautiful one though, don’t you think? For those of you just tuning in, it is a dim and cloudy day with a high chance for rain and an even higher chance of violence. This just in, Baltimare is once more undergoing a drastic shift. I’ll remind you all again, stay out of the flooded tunnels. I know I know, you wanna find that good shit washed away after the bombs dropped. But when the fish-mutes get you, that loot ain’t gonna do you any good. According to my Eagle Scouts, three more buildings sunk into the bay yesterday, following a minor earthquake. I’d keep moving inland if you live along the coast, though what kinda ya-hoo is these days? Ghouls only I think, that water is way too irradiated if you’re not prepared.”

Cautious glances were shared between the mares. “Did he say… fish-mutes?” Grease asked.

Before any of them could answer, the DJ continued. “Next up in your morning news, missing cases. Now before you start tuning out what I’m about to say, yes, ponies go missing daily. Yes, so do non-ponies. And yes, it’s just a fact of life in the desolate hellhole we call home. But we can’t act like it’s okay. Normal, sure, but okay? Nah.” He cleared his throat and there was a shifting of papers.

The energy in his voice was more subdued as he spoke next, “Pasturenack Garrison has reported three more missing ponies, two pegasi and one earth pony. They’re all in their golden years, so it’s odd for slavers to take them. They’re also all stallions. If anypony has heard of or seen a Wild Ace, Onyx Bolt, or Mister Dare, please call the Eagle Scout Hotline via your radio on 640 AM or 1240 AM. Sherrif Denton is offering a reward of 500 caps for any useful information, each. These three make it a total of seven to disappear in the last month, and it’s getting downright concerning.”

They’d slowed down, listening intently to the ominous newscast. Misty Sparks wet her lips. It was horrifying to think of seven of her stablemates simply disappearing. She glanced at the others and saw similar discomfort. “Oh! And Radio Raven would like to give a big shoutout to whoever keeps throwing shit at my windows! Go fuck yourself. Tune back in on the hour for your next news segment. A little bit of friendly advice before the music comes back, don’t piss off your local radio jockey. This was Axel Rod, and up next is Talk to Me by Koa.”

A low whistle of a bird was followed up by a crack of a whip, and then a spirited ukelele kicked off accompanied by percussion and claps. Before the first word had even been sung, Misty Sparks’ magic turned off the radio. The others blinked at her. “News on the hour,” she said firmly. “No music.”

“B-but," Skyfire started, her voice falling suddenly like the music cutting off. Skyfire stared down at her Pip-Buck. The brief transmission still clung in her thoughts, things felt different. She was connected again in a way. She couldn’t say anything, but she could listen again like she often did in the clouds when there was free time. The pegasus fiddled with the Pip-Buck to look over a surprisingly decent list of past radio stations. It helped connect this lost pegasus again. The world felt so much larger again, and she was in the middle of nowhere, but for a moment she wasn't lost.

The names of missing ponies and a settlement she had no idea existed before swirled in her head. Ten minutes of walking had passed before Skyfire spoke up. “Do you think they’re alive?”

Blaze shook her head. “Elderly stallions wandering off most likely. Minds go when you get old.”

Misty Sparks tensed and looked at the horizon. “Grandpa Speckle is…”

Her cousin huffed. “Look, you either die young, die old, or fucking disappear. That’s the way things are. Your dad’s parents are still around, my mom’s parents got cancer and died. I’ll probably die way younger than them or wander off. You’ll live to the ripe old age of ancient.”

“What about me?” Grease interjected.

“Old.”

“Me?” Skyfire asked.

“Old.”

“Everypony but you then?” She challenged.

Blaze walked without a pause, eyes dead ahead. She ignored the concerned faces around her, the way Misty Sparks stared with a frown or Grease shook her head. “Yup. I’ll be crazy, cursed, or downright dead.”

Sighing, the pegasus gave a shake of her head, crimson framing her weary face. “I do hope you’ll change your mind someday soon.”

“What, it’s better than me wanting to off myself, right?” Growled Blaze, jaw taut.

“Marginally,” Misty Sparks replied, walking closer. Blaze lifted her head to keep the short unicorn out of her vision. A huff told her how effective that was.

“Baby steps yeah?”

Misty Sparks grumbled but said nothing, picking up the pace. The others followed.

When they crested the last hill, the mares were all tired. Twelve hours of walking, even with rests, was a lot of exercise. Misty Sparks sat down with shaky legs the moment Blaze told them to rest. “I… don’t know if I’m cut out for this,” she said as she floated out a canteen.

Skyfire stretched a few feet away while Grease sighed and flopped down beside the little unicorn. “Reminds me of Basic,” she said, “and it was another reason in the long list of why I wanted out.”

Blaze huffed, “It’s just walking. I’m the one hauling the cart.”

“The mostly empty cart,” Grease countered, “you’ll be feeling it later if we’re lucky.”

“So then you definitely have nothing to complain about,” Blaze snorted. The two earth ponies stepped towards one another with flattened ears.

Waving her canteen between them before they could start arguing, something that had been unfortunately common on the journey so far, Misty Sparks cleared her throat. “Look, we made it. On time too, more or less. 1646 hours.” She looked over her Pip-Buck with a small smile. “We even made up some time from our pitstops.”

Her cousin glanced over at her and then gave a half-shrug. She turned away from Grease who was happy to do the same. “How about a fifteen-minute rest then we head in?” Suggested Grease, pulling out her own canteen.

“Sure,” Misty Sparks replied. The other two voiced their agreement. “We can scope it out from here and make a plan while our bodies recover. I’ll take the first look while you stretch and rest a moment.” The lack of a complaint was agreement enough for her.

She stood up, wincing at the way her legs ached, and then moved to the edge of the hill. For the most part, it was a barren area, the usual destroyed buildings, and old burned trees all that decorated the landscape. Down the hill was their target, the Good Wing factory. She floated out a pair of binoculars and lay against the hilltop. Struggling sprouts of grass and cracked rocks concealed the silver mare.

It was just as much a ruin as the rest of the wasteland. High chainlink fences were reinforced with barbed wire at the top, rusted from centuries of exposure to the elements. A gate large enough for supply chariots was shut, large sheets of metal concealing anything on the other side. From the elevated position, she could make out the three buildings that composed the industrial complex. The largest was on the east side, the factory proper she suspected. Sections of the roof were collapsed or its interior struts were exposed like the ribs of a beast. The wall facing the fence looked reinforced as if at one point or another someone had attempted to live there. There was an exterior stair that led into a side door on the north side, half concealed by rubble.

Opposite the factory was a warehouse, its innermost corner also heavily damaged. She was half reminded of a tin can with the lid pulled back, revealing the bones of the structure. In the southeast corner was an L-shaped building that rose four stories, progressively collapsing the higher it went. The further from the stairwell in its corner, like a hinge, the more deteriorated it was. She guessed it was once the administrative building, judging from how many desks she saw rotting on the upper floors. Thick pillars held what was left up, stitching limbs together the best they could.

With the remaining sections of the factory’s roof, it was impossible to see much into the spaces between the buildings, though she suspected it was more rubble and detritus. The walls were once pleasant blue and white colors. Now they were faded, and cracked, the logo of the company barely visible in some places. There was no smoke, lights, or even sounds of ponies living down there. Neither did she spot any turrets, though a section of the ground outside the fence looked disturbed. She wondered if it were ponies who had circled the place, trying to find any entry point only to give up. There were no obvious defenses aside from the imposing fence. It looked abandoned.

The road up to it would provide little cover, only a few destroyed chariots running up to the gate. Nothing filled her EFS, though it was too far to be of any real use. Misty Sparks hummed as she sat up. “It might be safe,” she said.

“Might?” Questioned Skyfire, glancing curiously at her friend.

Misty adjusted and took another hard look, shaking her head. “It’s hard to tell. It looks unoccupied but there could be basements or the sort.”

Skyfire trotted next to her and fanned a wing over her eyes to block the cloud-filtered sunlight of the late afternoon. Misty Sparks blushed as crimson feathers tickled her cheek. “Should I give it a flyover?”

“No,” Blaze grunted, “if anypony is there they’ll see you then. That collapsing building could have a sentry hidden inside we can’t see. You’ll be easy pickings for any sort of an ambush.”

The pair nodded thoughtfully. “It’s best we stick together. If somepony is there, we might be able to trade with them. Scouting it like that might make them think we’re looking for targets,” Misty Sparks said as they started walking back from the hillside.

Grease was pulling on her battle saddle and arched a brow at Misty Sparks’ deadpan. “What? Better ready than not. We brought this, and I’d rather explain why we walked in armed than get caught naked.”

“I suppose. Yes. Just keep your mouth off the trigger if we find somepony to talk to,” she ordered.

The green mare gave a playful bow. “Yes ma’am, whatever you say.”

“She’s not Overmare yet!” Snarked Blaze. “Stop treating her like she is!”

Snickering, Grease stuck out her tongue. “So, how we going in?”

“Well either we break our way in through the fence somewhere, or we go through the front,” Misty Sparks said. “Given Blaze has the wagon, and we don’t want to break in to a potential base, I vote for the gate.”

Blaze nodded dramatically and stomped a hoof. “Fuck squeezing this bitch through chainlink.” Nods were given by Skyfire and Grease. “Alright, we good?”

“I think so,” Misty Sparks said. Tension ran along her spine and she swallowed her growing nerves down. “I just hope this goes smoothly.”

Her cousin chuckled lowly as she started walking. The wagon rattled over rocks and twigs, something about the noise striking Misty Sparks’ heart. “You know that ain’t gonna fucking happen Sparky. Let’s be ready for when it doesn’t.” The little unicorn gulped.

With a heavy clank, the gate came open, pulled back by all but Blaze who awaited in the middle of the road. Nothing had changed in their approach to the complex. The lack of bullets or fierce words emboldened them. Once it had opened just enough for the party to enter they continued on. Heavy rubble blocked most of the path, making them curve around with an uncomfortable stench rising from the debris. It took a few times for Blaze to wiggle through the gate, the wheels of the wagon catching in the grooves. She cursed at every instance of it getting stuck.

Skyfire crinkled her nose and muttered a few words to herself. Wings flapped ahead. A low buzz intermixed between, not one of electricity. The mares froze in place, ears swiveling. Their EFS had a few green dots ahead, shuffling around. Quick looks for silence were passed around, and they advanced carefully. A caravan was a few yards further in, brahmin slaughtered with luggage still attached. Fresh corpses littered the road. Flies buzzed about bodies, a few birds pecking at flesh between ruined armor.

She could smell the rotting corpses with a single, sharp breath. A churning in her stomach once more made her want to vomit, the pegasus staggering to cover her mouth as she fought the urge to retch. Purple eyes stared as the scavengers ripped meat from former ponies. The squelching noise shot through Skyfire. She took a step back. Her hoof caught the edge of a rock and it went rolling.

Immediately the birds began to squawk, warnings echoing out. Black feathers flashed in threat, sharp beaks, and keen eyes stared back at the group. Their flesh was exposed in places, tumors riddling their small bodies. Blood dripped from their maws as they screamed. “Fuck off!” Blaze shouted back.

The birds puffed up further, hopping around their lunch. The EFS in Skyfire’s vision turned red. Her body wouldn’t move, rooted in place as she stared at the macabre avian feast. An eyeball had been pierced, milky fluid intermixed with blood. It became a visceral quilt of guts the further down the body she looked. The mounting disgust solidified as her gaze fell on the barrels of the dead ponies.

They all had wings. “Fuck fuck fuck.” Skyfire squirmed, is this what Jolts would have smelled like had she stuck around? Would they even get the dignity of a burial? This place screamed at her senses to turn around and run until her hooves fell off.

A surge of movement snapped her into reality. She recoiled further, wings fluttering up beneath her cloak. Blaze charged the birds who immediately scattered. They did not go far, settling on the collapsing roof of the warehouse nearby. They were watching, waiting. “Brave shits,” Blaze cursed. She caught Skyfire’s gaze. “Hey uh, you okay?”

“N-n-n-n-”

“It’s uh… different when they’re fresh,” Blaze tried to comfort her, but even she looked unsettled by the scene.

Misty Sparks leaned into Skyfire’s flank. They could feel one another trembling, seeking comfort. Her eyes were wide, fixated on the slaughtered caravan. “Blood,” she whispered, her body tensing, muscles twitching as she fought to stay calm.

“Yeah there’s a lot of it Sparky,” Blaze deadpanned.

She lifted a hoof and guided the others’ vision. “Trail.” One of the pegasi had tried escaping into the factory. They’d nearly made it, only a yard short when they’d fallen. Their guts had trailed behind their failing body and clearly had been pecked at by the birds. Skyfire lurched away with a spasm, face pale white before she puked into a patch of scraggly grass.

Grease was sat at the edge of the threshold. The usual openness of the mare was gone. In its place was a cold mask. She couldn’t hide the way her hooves shook or her tail flicked. Only Blaze remained in control of herself. “What the fuck happened?” Grease squeaked, ears pinning back in disgust.

“An ambush,” Blaze said. “Get me unhooked, now.” Without a word Misty Sparks obeyed. Her telekinesis made short work of the latches and Blaze quickly grabbed her sledgehammer. Like a trained dog, Blaze sniffed the air and examined the bloody scene. The other three were staying as far away as they could. “Bullet wounds. Given the runaway, likely from the warehouse. We should avoid there for now.”

“Or leave?” Suggested Grease, eyeing the way they had come in through, the chance to slip out still there.

Blaze shook her head. Her voice came out clipped as she stepped onto dried blood. “These bodies are days old. They could be gone. This engine is too fucking important to give up and walk twelve hours back empty-hoofed. I don’t like any of this either, but we came here to do a job. We’ll do it, safely as we can. We all knew this had risks, and you know I’m here to be your meat shield”

A small nod came from Skyfire. She gargled water from her canteen to clean out her mouth. With quick words, she kept her gaze off the corpses. “It is… without it we can’t do anything for the Skyhawk. A-also Blaze, you’re more than a m-meat shield, you’re a friend, even with the exile.” The pegasus tried to maintain a semblance of confidence, her voice shaking in waves.

“We knew this shit would be dangerous,” Blaze replied, “but we haven’t been shot yet. So either we’re safe…” She lifted her head and scanned the horizon. Nothing moved other than the birds who impatiently awaited their chance to resume eating. “Or we’re being watched.”

“The admin building?” Suggested Grease, squinting across the complex at the collapsing structure. The top floor looked like one strong gust of wind might blow it over, but it appeared unoccupied. “A good place for a sniper.”

“Why not shoot already?” Blaze questioned, the gears in her head working. “Either there’s nopony up there, or they’re waiting for us to make the wrong move.”

Grease exhaled slowly, willing her nerves to calm. “And just what would that be?”

“Guns out,” ordered Misty Sparks, her voice sounding distant even to herself. “Blaze stay ready. We remain cautious, but not aggressive. The caravan could have… initiated violence. We need to get out of this plaza, now.”

Weapons drawn as commanded, the four mares began moving to the factory where the fleeing pegasus had failed to escape to. The earth ponies flanked the unicorn, instinctively shielding Misty Sparks while Skyfire went ahead to scout, loaned pistol gripped tightly in her mouth as she had been trained. A grey hoof raised to push open the factory door, lingering on the blood, when she pulled back. “L-ess hek-he se,” she suggested, stumbling with the words, gun in mouth before coughing. She took the gun out of her mouth and cleared her throat, “Let’s check the side.”

The others nodded. Skyfire flapped over to the edge of the factory where the fence ran parallel. A small alleyway with debris was vacant of any ponies, but a rickety set of stairs rose to a platform about one story up. With a flick of her tail for her friends to follow, she rounded the corner. The gentle flapping of her wings was masked by the banal drone of a light fixture. A wave of uncertainty rippled through the mares. Power was equally a benefit and danger to them. Pressing forward, Skyfire landed on the platform and gave a cautious tug to the rusted door.

“Locked?” Grease whispered up at the rattle. Skyfire nodded vigorously and hovered so Grease could take care of it. As the average-sized mare climbed the stairs the wood creaked and yawned. The mare winced and was careful of the remaining steps. It only took her a minute to pop the lock and it slid open with a soft hiss. Skyfire entered first, followed by Grease. Next, the cousins ascended the failing stairs. The large mare suppressed a stream of curses when one of the planks cracked loudly and she nearly fell through. A familiar green glow of magic saved Blaze’s chin from impacting and with a begrudging mutter of thanks, Blaze allowed Misty Sparks to lift her to the platform.

Once all four of them were inside a dimly lit entryway, Skyfire pushed open the next door. Immediately golden light flooded out, enveloping the pegasus first before trickling onto the others behind her. She blinked at the shift in illumination, and then again at what was basked in those warm tones. An office space once likely filled with desks and terminals was now a sleeping quarter, ratty bedding piling up haphazardly across its dirty shag carpeting, pressing into grimy windows one could hardly see through.

Resting on some of those beds, little more than blankets piled together, were the filthiest ponies she had ever seen. Their clothes were splattered in blood and dirt, their fur patchy or matted, scars smattering their coats in equal amounts as bandages. Piles of spikey armor lay next to the wounded ponies, no pegasi amongst them. To Skyfire, they looked like they were in need of help, perhaps sheltering from whoever had killed the caravan outside.

However, to Blaze, they were precisely one kind of pony. “Raiders,” she hissed lowly, advancing towards one with her sledgehammer drawn.

“Raiders? How do you know?” Whispered Skyfire in shock, the word making the other two stiffen. Grease turned back to the way they’d come, guarding for any followers. Blaze glared at her to be quiet. Her hooves crossed as lightly as they could carry her, scraps of paper and empty bottles like auditory landmines. The rotting carpet absorbed any sound she made. Misty Sparks pulled a rope from her saddlebag. When she looked up at her cousin, intending on floating it over to her, she nearly screamed.

Blaze had switched to her knife, a glint in her eyes.

Telekinetically thrown rope smashed into Blaze’s face. She stumbled and dropped her knife to bite into it, assuming it was an unseen attacker. When she realized what it was, she scowled and spat it out. Misty Sparks had already crossed over to her, moving the potential sources of sound rather than creeping around them. Skyfire simply flew over. None of the ponies asleep stirred as the three immediately began to argue in hushed voices.

Misty Sparks took the knife in her magic and floated it to Grease. Blaze sneered and reached after it but the unicorn’s magic was too swift. “What the fuck are you doing?” Misty Sparks demanded in as quiet a voice as she could manage.

“Wait, were you just going to kill them?” Skyfire questioned in a whisper-shout, the pistol back in her hooves to talk.

Blaze arched a brow. “Yes.”

“What!?” They balked in unison.

A fetlock hoof pointed aggressively at the unicorn covered in blood, sleeping just as fitfully as when they’d arrived. “Raider.”

Misty Sparks dragged back Blaze’s accusing hoof with a hiss, ears pinned back. “We don’t know that!”

“Yes- we do!”

Before there could be any more questioning, a door clicked open from the factory’s side. They were all suddenly keenly aware of the red dots in their EFS. “Who the fuck are you?” Shouted the new arrival. They were dressed in the same armor as what lay on the ground, nothing but sharp edges and leather. Six ponies flooded the room at the same time Misty Sparks cast a bubble shield, instinct overriding every other thought. Grease spun around, left unshielded but with her battle saddle, she was far from unprotected.

Neon green light overpowered the centuries-old lightbulbs, enveloping the unicorn’s horn like a beacon. Her limbs trembled and her eyes were stretched as wide as they could, jumping from the new threats that fanned out to block the factory entrance. The pounding in her chest was as fast as Skyfire’s panicked breathing in her ear. Blaze growled more like a dog than a pony, sledgehammer in her mouth and splintering beneath the force of her bite.

The pony who discovered them, a stallion unicorn with a cutie mark of a skull proudly on his flank, stepped closer with a growing jeer. His compatriots all had weapons of their own drawn, knives and pistols in equal measure, all trained on the shielded mares. “Now what exactly are a bunch of stable-dwellers doing in our factory?”

Skyfire and Blaze looked to Misty Sparks. It took her a moment to realize they were waiting on her to speak. Clearing her throat, the little unicorn tried to straighten out of her reflexively defensive posture. It was impossible for her to project the level of calmness her mother did in a situation like this. “Scavenging,” she said, “do you live here? We thought it uninhabited until now.”

“Live, yeah sure,” laughed the stranger. “And you’re trespassing. What were you about to do to my friend there?” He pointed at the pony who remained asleep. Their wounds were severe to be unconscious still.

“We were figuring that out, actually,” she admitted.

“Figuring…” The stallion repeated before his face cracked into an uncomfortable smile. “You have no idea what you’re doing. What a bunch of soft idiots you are.” His friends snickered ominously, their strained voices echoing around the filthy quarters.

“We don’t have to fight,” Misty Sparks stated. Blaze put more of herself between the stallion and Misty Sparks. Skyfire stood behind her, not cowering but unable to hide her fear at so many weapons pointed at them. “We could perhaps trade, or simply leave. Save us all a lot of trouble.”

“Perhaps save you trouble,” he drawled as he pressed his horn against her bubble shield. Neon flared, crackling as a spark of magic came from his horn. “Not so much us.”

Forcing herself to not back down from what was likely their last chance at diplomacy, Misty Sparks tilted her head back. “We have a battle saddle.”

“We outnumber you.” An air of smug confidence radiated from the group, smirks and grins weighing their chances with a battle saddle-clad mare.

Grease shouted from the back, “And I have a fucking battle saddle!” The mare cycled the bolt loudly for emphasis.

There was a wickedness to the leader’s eyes that sent ice down Misty Sparks’ spine. A feral intensity she had only seen in the worst of her clients. “I am a medic,” the words sprang forth with an edge of desperation. “There are dead ponies outside, and injured ones here. I’ll heal you all if you let us trade and leave.”

The stallion’s smile faltered, and he considered it for a moment. Bloodshot eyes roamed over the four mares, contemplating. She pleaded silently for him to take her offer, to choose a path of nonviolence. When his smile returned it was horrible, twisted like barbed wire. “I’d rather just slap a collar on you and make you do that anyways.”

Gunfire erupted in the office space with an overwhelming boom. Misty Sparks lowered herself and focused on her magic. The neon barrier warbled as a barrage of bullets impacted it but did not crack. Grease shouted as she came around the side. Her words were lost to the hail of bullets that followed, her battle saddle roaring. Immediately one of the slavers dropped. Crimson splattered over the new corpse. Another raider dove behind them and threw their former comrade with a powerful shove. Grease narrowly dodged it, furniture cracking behind her.

“Fuckin’ subdue them, you idiots!” Shouted the leader as he stabbed the barrier with his horn. Magic crackled around it, consolidating into a lance that tore right through Misty Sparks’ barrier. It fizzled out around them. Exposed, Misty Sparks stumbled backward. Blaze didn’t wait for a second. Her sledgehammer met the unicorn’s jaw, a single note of pain escaping him before his neck snapped. He fell in a heap.

Shouts of fury resonated around the room, three earth ponies charging with knives drawn. Hind hooves kicked one away while the other two closed the distance. With a frightened cry, Skyfire opened fire. One of them stumbled as a bullet tore through their leg. The last knife-wielding slaver jumped around Blaze, aiming for Misty Sparks. In unison, Blaze and Skyfire attacked the stallion. A rending sound followed the stallion’s curses as Blaze smashed him with her sledgehammer. Armor and flesh both pulled free from his shoulder. Skyfire’s desperate attack missed by a wide margin, instead knicking one of the unconscious slavers still asleep in their rotting bed.

Stomping hooves became a cacophony that deafened Misty Sparks. Her legs refused to move as she watched her friends fight. Magic flared around her horn, desperate to throw up another shield, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the dead leader. His eyes were fixated on her. Something brushed along her side and she flinched. Grease had joined them, shooting in rapid succession at the melee slavers scrapping with Blaze. Skyfire pressed into Misty Sparks’ other side, the pair defending her. Yelping with each shot, Skyfire tried to hit the remaining pistol-wielding slaver, but she couldn’t hit her mark.

“SATS!” Grease shouted in a break of fire.

“Waf?” Skyfire asked back, still shooting.

“Use your SATS! You have a Pip-Buck!”

Realization clicked in Skyfire’s eyes, and she slipped into the Pip-Buck’s spell matrix. With lightning speed, she fired a trio of shots into the slaver’s chest. They fell with wheezing breaths, still alive but out of the fight.

The heavy crack of bones breaking filled the beat of silence that followed Skyfire’s attack. Two slavers were down now, limbs bent in all the wrong ways. A shriek came from Blaze as she descended on one of them, not letting them crawl away. She bit their tail and pulled them back, dragging them to the other. “Fucking! Pieces! Of! Shit!” Came a flow of hate.

“On your right!” Warned Grease as she charged into the last slaver, out of ammo. Sharpness filled her lungs, the knife glancing her neck. Blaze bellowed a beastly challenge and forgot her injured prey. Whirling with singular intent, Blaze forced Grease out of the way and pounced upon her attacker. He screamed as her teeth sunk into flesh. That scream gargled into incomprehensible gurgles as she ripped back, spitting out his throat. With a heavy thud, the last slaver fell.

“Sweet Celestia, Blaze!” Shouted Skyfire as she lowered her pistol. “Was that really necessary?”

Heaving, Blaze looked up at her with a bloodied maw. She said nothing and instead spat out blood. Shuddering, Grease turned to their leader. Misty Sparks hadn’t moved. She looked like she was barely breathing. “Fuck, Sky can you-”

“On it!” Skyfire said as she lowered herself to meet Misty Sparks’ gaze. The moment the horrific stare of the dead unicorn was gone, the silver one blinked. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s done. It’s over.”

Gulping, Misty Sparks shook her head a few inches. “No,” she whimpered, “it’s not.”

“It is. We didn’t kill all of them- Blaze!” She snapped away from Misty Sparks as Blaze stomped past her. “Stop!”

“Slavers don’t get to live! They’ll come back and fuck up more communities, steal fillies, and murder their parents!” Sneered Blaze as she readied herself.

“We’re better than that!” Argued Grease.

Blaze huffed, pausing only because she heard the soft whimper of her cousin. “I broke their legs. This one is bleeding. If we don’t kill them now, the Wasteland will take them.”

“Then it’s the Wasteland who took them, not us,” Grease countered. “We don’t have to kill them.”

“If anything I’m giving them mercy,” Blaze growled. “And what about the ponies outside? They had to be the ones who killed them! They’d have killed us too!” Her legs shook from the fight, but not with fear. She wanted more. Bruises speckled her hide where she’d been hit, only a few spots exposed.

Skyfire held Misty Sparks with her wings, trying to calm the panicked mare. “We’re not murderers,” she said. “Please. We can heal them and tie them up. They won’t hurt us.”

“Y-yeah!” One of the earth ponies with broken legs said, “Promise!”

Snorting, Blaze shook her head. “A slaver’s word means nothing. They’ll just hurt somepony else either way.”

Horror washed over the maintenance mares. She was right. “No- no I promise! I’m done!” The same earth pony pleaded. His companion barely managed to say the same, crying through the pain. “Please spare us!”

The large mare loomed toward them. She drew her sledgehammer and looked back at her cousin. The trembling unicorn met her gaze. Struggling to speak, Misty Sparks examined the room. Such a short and bloody conflict had barely changed the interior. It was just as filthy as before. “Why did you attack the ponies outside?” She asked, voice sounding distant.

“What?” The slaver balked.

“Why?”

“For cargo!”

“Were you going to sell them?”

“No. Maybe. Some probably. What else would we do with them?”

Lime eyes fell on one of the corpses, the one Grease had shot at the start. They couldn’t have been much older than the mares were. “Life means… nothing to you, doesn’t it?”

“I- uh-” They fumbled. Blaze stepped on one of their broken legs and they screamed. “Shit- Please! Stop!”

Grease and Skyfire shouted in unison, “Blaze!”

The soft radiance of magic formed on Misty Sparks’ horn. “I want to believe you, that you would change,” she said as she rose to her hooves. “But we gave you a choice. You choose this.” The light grew and spread out to the three living slavers. Immediately their eyes glazed and they drooped, a peacefulness to their faces. “Put them down, Blaze. Quickly.”

With a happy smile that unnerved the mares, Blaze quickly crushed their skulls. Each meaty, crunchy squelch echoed in the mares’ ears. After the last one, Blaze cleaned her sledgehammer off on some rags. None of them looked at the grotesque remains. Skyfire looked at Misty Sparks with horror. “What did you do?”

“I made it painless,” replied the unicorn, “more than they deserved.”

“But- we-”

“It’s a fucked up call,” Grease sighed, “but I guess it’s the right one.”

Blaze nodded. “They killed those ponies, Feathers. It’s justice at the very least.”

Skyfire shook her head and moved over to the door, trying not to puke again. “This… How could you do it so easily? So happily?” She balked at Blaze.

She shrugged, picturing a mutineer. “Isn’t my first time killing.”

“What?”

“Slavers attack Stable 36 from time to time,” Blaze growled, “they’re worse than raiders if you ask me. Raiders, they’re fucked in the head. But these bastards though? They just don’t care. They want caps, or power, or a fuck-slave. They’re not insane, they’re just evil. Raiders sometimes get my sympathy, life sucks. You go insane. Slavers make a choice. If given the chance, they’ll do it again.”

“I don’t want to kill ponies,” whispered Skyfire, looking down to her hooves, sighing “I will if they force me, but I really wish these ponies could listen. Th-this feels exactly like what the Enclave said, ponies like this that don’t value other ponies beyond the caps they can get out of them.”

“I don’t want to kill either,” Misty Sparks said as she crossed over to Skyfire. There was an edge in her eyes that hadn’t been there before, a cold distance that alarmed the pegasus. She looked like Flare. “But these ponies weren’t ponies anymore. They were monsters.”

Crimson locks swayed as Skyfire shook her head. “That… isn’t our call to make.”

“Maybe. But I can’t live with myself knowing that they were spared and hurt more ponies.”

“We- we could’ve spared them,” she replied, not really believing it herself. There was no way to know for sure if the slavers would’ve done better. It would have been cruel to leave them injured or prolong their suffering. Releasing them to harm others was equally cruel. “I… I don’t like this.”

Grease gave a slow shake of her head as she reloaded her battle saddle. “Welcome to the Wasteland, Feathers. There’s nothing to like about it.”

Grey haunches slide back as Skyfire sat down, pouting for a moment, ears pinning back. “You’re right that… we couldn’t have known what they would do. You all took a chance with me, what made-”

“You for one didn’t enslave ponies,” Blaze grunted, interrupting her. “You also were given a chance to show your colors, like Sparky here tried her absolute best. I wanted to fight right away, to crush their skulls. Part of me wished her silver tongue could have gotten them to give up the fight.” The mare spat on one of the dead bodies. “But at least we stop one more foalnapping today.”

“You…” Purple eyes clouded up before she looked over to Misty Sparks who nodded somberly. “You’re right on that. Come one… let’s go check for any living. They’re slavers, so there must be ponies out there alive.”

Grease gave Skyfire a quick hug, patting her back, “There’s probably more inside, they would keep more important ponies away from the radvultures.”

“So what, going from liberating some scrap to liberating some souls?” Blaze asked as she threw her sledgehammer into its barding loop.

“I guess,” Skyfire said slowly, nodding. “I- I like that at least.” They all looked at their leader, whose face was a stony mask.

“Let’s go,” Misty Sparks said without ceremony.

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, college, and life happened!

We wanted to make sure this was a good chapter and not rush things!

Chapter Fourteen: Grim Reality

"Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway."

The door to the factory floor swung open with ease. They were on an upper catwalk that gave them a perfect view of below. Skyfire sucked in a breath of air at what they saw. A maze of rubble sprawled across the factory floor, obvious traps set along them though from up here none of them appeared lethal. The old equipment was mostly disassembled and repurposed into violent traps. Flickering lights nauseated the pegasus, swinging with the wind that blew through large holes in the walls. Fortunately for them, if they used the catwalk they could completely avoid the maze.

“Movement,” hissed Blaze, tugging them to the reinforced railing. There was another office across the way, the windows just as dirtied as the one they had just fought in. Red dots filled each of their E.F.S., skittering alarmingly close.

A shout rang out. “I swear I heard gunfire!”

“Check outside, maybe somepony else came in!” Hooves trampled, compounding as slavers reacted. Five of them were coming down the catwalk directly toward the hidden mares.

Blaze readied herself while Skyfire and Grease looked to Misty Sparks. Her face still a cold mask, Misty Sparks grunted and nodded. Like a dog let off its leash, Blaze whirled around the railing with an all-too-cheery laugh. Startled, the slavers struggled to slow down from their full gallop. The head of Blaze’s sledgehammer immediately crushed one’s skull, sending them over the railing into the maze below. A trap hissed and popped, gas filling the air now. Bullets pinged off Blaze’s armor, more than one digging into the exterior leather.

“Move!” Ordered Grease as she now came around the bend. Her battle-saddle whirred to life just as Blaze jumped back. Two more fell at the outburst, with no space to dodge without descending into the maze as their deceased comrade had. The remaining two were unicorns who threw up shield spells, the very same Misty Sparks used. Skyfire flew around behind them, cutting off an escape. The pistol wavered in her grip.

One slaver focused their magic and they teleported to the other end of the catwalk where they’d come from. “Shit!” Hissed Blaze who immediately pursued. The others followed, Skyfire eeping as they passed her and she was swift to join. A franticness overcame Grease and Skyfire, afraid that more slavers than they could handle would rush in if warned.

Misty Sparks cast her own teleportation spell, cutting them off as Skyfire had. She pressed the barrel of her pistol to one’s skull and shook her head. “Sit!” She demanded. They obeyed, startling Misty Sparks slightly. She hadn’t thought it would work. Blaze was galloping over at top speed, while Grease lagged. Skyfire was far faster in the air. Distracted as she glanced to check on their progress, she didn’t see magic surround the slaver’s horn until it was too late.

A concussive blast impacted the short mare, breaking her concentration. Her pistol went sliding across the catwalk. The other slaver drew a knife and stabbed her. Misty Sparks howled as it sank into her flank. He withdrew it to strike again. A blur of gray and crimson crashed into him. Skyfire kicked and stomped, something crunching beneath her hooves. His friend bit her tail and heaved Skyfire back. She flipped over the guardrail, wings catching her just in time before she fell. Neon magic exploded as Misty Sparks struggled to heal herself. Blood flowed from the stab wound.

“Get the fuck back!” Blaze bellowed as she reached them. The unicorn slavers turned their guns on her and fired. Then their heads exploded in a torrent of 7.62 bullets. Gore and viscera sprayed everywhere, coating Misty Sparks on the ground. Grease cursed lowly as she released the trigger of her battle-saddle.

The little unicorn wheezed on the floor, horn sparking as she tried and failed again to heal. She ardently kept her eyes closed. Her flank burned and she fumbled with applying pressure. It felt worse than getting shot. The cold touch of a healing potion pressed against her lips, and she downed it urgently. Coughing when it was withdrawn, she blinked up at three extremely worried mares. “I-” She stuttered, taking in the gore that dripped down her armor. Her mane stuck to her head, sticky in a manner that made her blood go cold. An eyeball on the floor stared at her in accusation.

She lurched over the railing and threw up.

“Sparky, we have to move,” Blaze said as she grabbed Misty Sparks’ by the barding, hauling her back over the railing.

“J-j-just-”

Gunfire came from the front of the factory. Ponies started flooding into the floor, clearly aware of the traps and moving through them with practiced ease. “Get her inside!” Grease shouted. Blaze grunted and threw Misty Sparks through the ajar office door. Grease and Blaze kept attacking, using the higher ground to their advantage. Misty Sparks slid for a few feet, spinning from the momentum, until coming to a stop in front of five collared ponies.

They were clearly hungry, but not starving. Bruises and cuts speckled their filthy coats. Three of them were stallions, one a teenager. The two mares stared at Misty Sparks with disgust, recoiling violently. They all had a stark resemblance to one another. Misty Sparks couldn’t pull her eyes off the glowing red light on the collars. She had heard the stories. She knew exactly what they were: bomb collars.

One of the stallions took a hesitant step forward, looking over Misty Sparks to the fighting earth ponies. Skyfire was closer to the door, but she was backing up Grease and Blaze. “Are you… Here to rescue us?” Asked the stallion in a rumbling voice. He had a sheriff star for a cutie mark, though it was hard to see under the matted blood.

There was no time to feel bad about herself or disgusted. The stallion’s question snapped Misty Sparks into reality. “Yes,” she said with wide eyes. He was a unicorn, and on his horn was a small ring. “They suppressed your magic.”

Grunting, he nodded. “Yes.” The other adult stallion was also a unicorn, as was the teenage mare. They each wore a horn ring, runes inscribed to keep them from being removed.

Before she could perform a proper inspection on the rest of them, Blaze, Grease, and Skyfire retreated into the office. The windows exploded with a hail of gunfire. Shattered glass fell across them. Blaze barreled into Misty Sparks protectively, taking the brunt of the shards. A scream came from the teenagers. “Slaves?” Shouted Grease as she realized who was in the office with them.

“We have to protect them,” ordered Misty Sparks. She pointedly ignored the way Blaze was smeared red now. “Grease, you requisitioned grenades didn’t you?”

“Affirmative!” Grease said, pulling a frag grenade from her saddlebag.

“I’ve got one too!” Blaze shouted.

“You what?” Skyfire hissed. Before any explanation was given both earth ponies pulled the pin and threw their explosives through the shattered windows. Shouts of alarm came from the slavers, curses only just spoken before dual explosions ripped the factory apart. A meaty noise followed, the carnage hidden from view. Silence followed. Nothing red crossed their E.F.S.

Slowly, the mares calmed. “How in the name of Celestia do you have a grenade?” Misty Sparks asked tightly, “And when were you going to tell us?”

“Uh, when we needed it. Like, now?” Blaze squinted, more confused than anything. “Also how else? Blitz stashed it for me last night.”

“Of course she did,” muttered Misty Sparks. “I think we’re clear for now. Grease, watch that back door. Blaze, watch the front,” she briskly ordered. They obeyed with nods. Grease only paused long enough to cut the ropes binding the slaves. She eyed the older mare but said nothing.

The slaves glanced around, clearly nervous. “Uh- my name is Lonestar,” the stallion who had spoken earlier introduced himself. “Thank you for this, but it won’t mean much with these collars on. They should have some keys on one of them.”

“I’ll go look,” Skyfire offered, “I can get around easiest.”

“Watch out for those traps,” warned Misty Sparks. Nodding, Skyfire flew out of the office.

Relief flickered across the slaves' faces, exhaustion making their bodies droop. “This is my wife, Pecan Pie,” Lonestar introduced the rest of them, gesturing with clear pain. The adult mare gave a smile, but her eyes were full of sorrow. “My youngest two, Pistol and Blue Grass.” The teenagers, an earth pony stallion, and unicorn mare respectively, gave weak nods. “And this is my brother, Spurs.” Misty Sparks gasped as she took in the final stallion, a unicorn, but what took her by surprise were his eyes. Long slashes cut through them, fresh and covered in dried blood and infected scabs. He was blind.

Something clicked in Misty Sparks, and she immediately began to pull out health potions and rations. She used her magic rather than hooves to avoid contaminating them. “Drink these,” she said as she offered them. The family obeyed, downing them so fast Pistol choked. “You’re from the caravan out front, right?”

Lonestar winced. “Yes. It’s been almost a week. We thought this place was safe.”

“Are there any others?”

Pecan Pie sniffled. “Our eldest kids. They took them somewhere else, the admin building I think.”

“How many?” Misty Sparks asked as she examined Spurs. He was a large unicorn, rivaling Blaze almost. The cuts were infected, and if the wound hadn’t taken his eyes that surely would have. “I’m a medic, I can help but I need you to trust me, okay?”

Spurs gave a weak nod. “Okay.”

“I can help,” Blue Grass offered, “I’m an herbalist.”

“Can you clean the wound then?” Asked Misty Sparks.

Blue Grass nodded and quickly searched a nearby container. She made a happy noise as she pulled out an herb bag. “Hey, most of our stuff is in here! Even Nectar Yawn’s medkit!” She happily pulled it out and opened the yellow box. A veritable treasure trove was nestled within. Relief flickered through Misty Sparks. She didn’t want to have to use all her medical supplies with an entire trip home left, but she certainly couldn’t not help these ponies.

“Who’s Nectar Yawn?” Asked Misty Sparks as she examined Pistol. He seemed overall okay now that he’d had a health potion.

Blue Grass paused in her stride. Purple eyes lowered to the filthy floor. “My brother, our medic.”

“I see,” Misty Sparks said slowly, trying to find the right words to comfort them. “If there’s a chance they’re still alive, we’ll save them. I promise.”

“They got taken a few days ago.”

“Any idea why they were separated?”

“Well…” Pecan Pie sighed and the sound of feathers flapping filled Misty Sparks' ears. She whipped her head around. Cream-colored wingtips caught her eye, the same color as the mare’s markings against her brown coat. “Probably something to do with them all being pegasi.”

Gasping, Misty Sparks struggled to find what to say when Skyfire flew back in with a rattling keychain. “I found them! We can-” she cut herself short as she took in Pecan Pie. The gray mare landed, crunching shattered glass beneath her hooves. “You…”

Wincing as she waved a wing, Pecan Pie smiled. “Hi. You still have your cutie mark, so I assume you’re a grounder like my kids?”

Skyfire inhaled briskly. “No. I’m…”

“Oh,” Pecan Pie perked up. “You’re like me?” She lifted the dirty barding that concealed her flank. The very same brand that the mares had seen on the tree stump was there. The mark of a Dashite. The mark very notably absent from Skyfire’s flank.

Skyfire was stiff, taking in the words the Dashite had said. Then it all erupted with nervous energy, wings twitching, hooves poking together, and voice stuttering. “O-oh well, see, I never officially got bra-ra-anded. I- my friend- he uhm, foalnapped me. To save me! Or well- he thought he was… and ma-maybe he really was- but anyways-”

Grease grabbed one of her shoulders and gave a firm shake. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Purple eyes stared at her, focused intently on her friend. A slow nod came and she caught her breath. No longer shifting in place, she slowly spoke, “I have… never met a…” Skyfire gestured at Pecan Pie’s branding. “I’m not even sure if I’m a…”

“Dashite,” concluded Pecan Pie, the word incapable of passing Skyfire’s lips. She gave a muted nod. “It’s okay. Foalnapping sounds… well it makes sense why you’re not branded then. Don’t let them catch you and take away your mark, okay?”

Gulping, Skyfire gave a few brisk nods. “Okay. Yeah.”

“I would like to hear what it’s like back above the clouds,” Pecan Pie added cautiously, “if we’re… all alive to hear it.”

“Sure.” The word was clipped, an instinct almost. “Let’s uh. Get you ponies out of here first.”

Misty Sparks floated the keys to everypony’s collars, unlocking them with great care. She didn’t want to accidentally trigger some failsafe and kill the already abused ponies. When at last all of them were free, she sighed in relief. They each rubbed their necks, relief, and pain flickering across their faces. Lonestar grimaced as Misty Sparks removed the anti-magic ring from his horn. “That felt awful,” he mumbled. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She examined them once more, Grease and Blaze carefully watching for any threats from outside. Skyfire nibbled on a wing, blatantly staring at the branding. “You’re exhausted, dehydrated, and famished. I would not recommend you continue into danger with us. Stay here and rest.”

Immediately the recently liberated family whinnied their refusal. “Those are our kids in there,” Lonestar growled. “I will not leave them in the hooves of strangers if I can help it. No offense.”

“I wouldn’t like it either,” Blaze mumbled. Misty Sparks glared at her. “What? It’s true! Family shouldn’t turn their back on their kin!”

“Pistol is in no condition to fight,” Misty Spark carried on, neglecting to give a verbal response to her cousin. Blaze chuffed and turned back to the door. “Spurs will be lucky to even survive another day as is.”

Blue Grass moved closer to her uncle, medkit in hoof. “I can tend to him. Pistol, guard me.” Immediately he nodded, rummaging up a namesake gun from the container. Grease gave an approving nod to the way he kept his mouth grip firm.

Pecan Pie and Lonestar armed themselves as well, dual revolvers floating by the unicorn and a long rifle in the pegasus’ grip. “We appreciate what you’ve done for us, but we have to try. They already got taken from us once,” Pecan Pie said slowly as she reloaded with trembling hooves. Lonestar placed a hoof over hers, stilling Pecan Pie for a moment. A slow inhale rolled over the mother, and when she exhaled her resolve was set. “We have to get them back. We appreciate the help, but you’re not stopping us.”

Regarding them with a hint of frustration, Misty Sparks let it go. “Of course,” she replied with a nod. She couldn’t blame them at all. She might even have made the same choice if the horseshoe was on the other hoof. “Take my canteens at least, drink up while the rest of us scout for a plan. When we’re ready, we’ll make our move, together.”

Lonestar took them with a grateful nod, copper magic swirling around the neon green as he pulled them close. “Thank you.”

“Move in five,” Misty Sparks’ whispered, eyes trained on the upper roof of the admin building. So far she had yet to see the glint of a scope, but Lonestar had sworn a sniper rested up there. There was an uncomfortable amount of open terrain between the factory ruins and the crumbling offices. Movement flickered through the exposed sections now and then, enough to assure them that somepony was in there.

Blaze took a few steps forward, sniffing the air. She nodded after a few moments, nostrils flared with anticipation. Grease took a few preparatory stretches, Lonestar’s magic gathered around her to make the battle saddle jostle less and hopefully less noise. A few flaps of wings were the only indication that the pegasi were ready to bolt. They would keep low to the ground to avoid catching any attention.

That left Misty Sparks in the unusual situation of being a distraction. Hooves tingled in anticipation, but she was the only one who could teleport away to safety. “Go!” Before a stampede of hooves could alert the slavers inside the offices, Misty Sparks teleported as close to the center of the industrial complex as she could. A flare of magic shot into the sky, exploding into a beautiful firework like her mother’s would. It set the courtyard in neon green, shimmering stars slowly descending like embers. For a moment she was proud it looked like Flare’s. Then that pride was snapped back into combat.

Immediately gunfire cracked, a torrent coming from broken windows and between shambling pillars. Brilliant neon magic shielded her, focused more on the one direction she was sure of. Jaw clenched, the mare strained against the absolute downfall of bullets. A louder, heavy crack split the air, heard even over the explosion of violence. The shield of neon broke and a sharp pain split the mare in two. Before a second shot could strike home she teleported behind better cover.

Misty Sparks cursed lowly as she examined the wound, blood already seeping through the thick blue fabric. Her shoulder ached, the pauldron nothing but shredded kevlar plates barely hanging off her frame. More gunfire ate away at the concrete in a cacophony. The rapid speed either meant multiple shooters or one very powerful unicorn with a full arsenal. Chugging a healing potion to save her magic, Misty Sparks let out a scream as she made for the gate. Her hooves were loud and frantic on broken asphalt. A shield prevented most of the rapid gunfire from striking her down, others missing as the distance grew. She swerved around debris, doing everything she could to focus her breathing.

Another louder crack. Misty Sparks teleported just in time, sliding several feet and slamming into a rusted carriage. She ducked low while trying to ignore the headache that had given her. Only a few were still shooting her from the building. She knew that the sniper was the one behind the more powerful shots. Heart racing, she didn’t let herself stop for even a second to think. Concrete exploded next to her. Rebar nearly tripped her but she managed to jump in time.

Something wet popped ahead. Gore splattered the already filthy ground. Misty Sparks barely realized it was one of the caravan corpses. Something twisted in her at the sight, reminded of the cruelty of these slavers. “Fuck you!” She screamed, shifting her weight and skidding. Her legs were screaming, both from wounds and exhaustion, but she couldn’t stop. The moment she did she was dead.

Again she gathered her magic for a flare. This time her horn was aimed directly at the ruins. She poured her fury into it, the lively magic sparking like firecrackers. Everything became neon as she launched it, washing out any other color. Shouts and blind gunfire came, but she had succeeded. With the last bits of magic she had, Misty Sparks teleported to the edge of the ground floor.

Hooves shaking beneath her, the little mare barely kept from collapsing. Sweat dripped down her silver body. The tips of her mane were singed from the rapid casting. Smoke hissed around her, a burn mark barely visible on the floor against the already present damage. She was vaguely aware of ponies grabbing her, whispers of relief and anger flowing. Crimson feathers tickled her cheek. Copper magic shoved a canteen to her lips. For a moment she wanted to kick, but then logic overcame her. She was with her friends.

“That was fucking epic!” Blaze whisper-shouted, giving a high hoof. Misty Sparks blearily tried to return it, only to smack the mare’s face. Blaze snickered.

“You’re a brave one,” Lonestar praised, “but we don’t have time to waste.”

She could only whimper in agreement. They couldn’t afford to linger. Blaze took up the lead, Misty Sparks in the back with the weakened parents. Red dots skittered across their E.F.S. but it was difficult to tell if they were on the same elevation as them. Skyfire kept twitching as one passed over them. There was nopony on the lowest floor and they rushed to the stairwell.

A throng of corpses greeted them instead. Fresh blood pooled on the filthy floor, tiles long since cracked now further desecrated by death. They were all slavers, dressed like the others they had encountered. No weapons were on them and only a single bullet hole through the skull indicated their cause of death. The team’s blood chilled as they took in the sight. “What the fuck happened?” Grease mumbled. Skyfire could just be heard retching, stifling another urge to vomit.

“I don’t know,” Misty Sparks lied, moreover not wanting to think about it. She had a strong suspicion. Rumors of such tactics spread quickly above the surface, stories of slavers sending a strong message. As they carefully crossed the miniature sea of death, Misty Sparks closed her eyes.

All but Blaze had reached the base of the stairwell. Misty Sparks turned back to her. Every inch of the mare was tense, staring at the corpses. They had been executed, coldly and cleanly. “Wheat from chaff,” she mumbled.

“What?” Lonestar scowled. “Quit standing around, we need to go.”

“Wheat from chaff,” repeated Blaze, snapping her eyes to Grease and Misty Sparks.

Skyfire whimpered, hovering in place. “What? What does that mean?”

“It’s a tactic,” Misty Sparks explained, mostly just so they could get away from the ghastly scene. “Put down dissenters, intimidate the remaining force.”

Eyes widened. “You mean… Did they murder scared ponies? Their own ponies?”

“Something like that,” Misty Sparks carefully said.

Pecan Pie took a few cautious flaps up the stairwell. “It doesn’t matter. My kids are here. Let’s go!”

“Yeah,” Lonestar urged. “Hoof it or we’re leaving you.”

With a single sigh, Blaze shook off the realization and joined them. Misty Sparks examined her team with a quick look. Fear and disgust were as prevalent as anger and anticipation. The parents were near to sprinting up into unknown danger. “Take it slow,” ordered Misty Sparks, “we rush and we die.”

“As long as we’re moving,” Lonestar relented with a sigh.

The second floor was full of rotten cubicles, a break room half collapsed on the exterior wall. As soon as they had cleared the landing a deluge of gunfire wailed towards them. Fortunately, they had been expecting an ambush. Lonestar put up a shield long enough for the first barrage. With an exhausted grunt, Misty Sparks lent her own magic. Blaze leaped around it in a blur. Several slavers were popping in and out of cover, trying to kill the exposed giant. Skyfire and Pecan Pie lifted above the barrier just enough to lay down covering fire.

A scream ripped through the air as Blaze found her first target, followed by a heavy crunch. “Don’t look away!” Grease bellowed as the slavers shifted to stop Blaze. A few snapped their weapons back all too late. A long burst of 7.62 deafened those around Grease, heads exploding as she cut a long line.

More screams came, not just angry but terrified. The civilized ponies sowed death at an exponential rate. “What kind of stable ponies are you?” One of them demanded, dancing with Blaze who was narrowly missing him.

“The kind you fucks should’ve put down when you had the chance,” Blaze snarled. Powerful legs rose as she shifted her weight. The stallion shouted as she kicked his chest. A rifle shot tore through his stumbling head. Pecan Pie grunted in satisfaction. An explosive clattered across the office space. Skyfire shouted as she dove. A pipe bomb hissed in her hooves, and with an eep, she tossed it out the crumbling opening. Mere seconds later it exploded, shaking the entire building.

Losing her balance, Blaze slid into an exposed space between cubicles. A shotgun retorted, buckshot impacting her chest. Ribbons of blood followed a heavy grunt. Layers of kevlar absorbed most of the blow, but blood soon blotched the material. The average pony might have tried to fall back to cover after a wound such as that. Blaze, however, charged. A single curse was all the slaver managed before teeth had set upon their throat. The wet squelch of flesh was buried beneath gunfire as Grease took out another pair of slavers aiming for Blaze.

The large mare spat blood onto the corpse, ripped the shotgun free with ease, and tossed it back to her friends. Lonestar caught it with his magic and immediately started firing. “Where. Are. My. Kids!” He demanded between each retort. Only battle cries responded.

E.F.S. was the only warning that came as slavers from the third floor descended. Misty Sparks shifted her magic, enveloping all five of them in a bubble. Unfortunately, the three mares had been shooting. Various calibers ricocheted in the bubble. Lonestar shouted in pain as a trio of 10mm struck his hind legs. He knelt in pain, magic fizzling out entirely. Pecan Pie darted to him, trying to pull him back into the stairwell but she wasn't strong enough.

Grease's 7.62 tore right through it, faltering the bubble. With a crackle it exploded a second later, leaving them all completely exposed. A scream ripped from Pecan Pie as the slavers pressed the advantage. Lonestar aimed his revolvers with shakey magic and each bang rang through the stairwell. Bodies started dropping, many rolling a few steps down. One unicorn lifted a corpse as a shield. Blood splattered with each shot in what was now little more than meat. Fresh red painted weather-stripped gray concrete.

The metallic sound of a grenade pin came between bursts of gunfire. It dropped down the stairs. Immediately copper magic engulfed it. Rather than throw it outside as Skyfire did, Lonestar let it cook in his telekinetic grip. Just before it would explode he chucked it back up. The slavers didn't even have a chance to curse, meaty sounds following the explosion. The already weak stairs started crumbling. It shifted. Jagged pieces pulled in different directions. Rebar stabbed out from the previously exposed areas and Lonestar screamed as one stabbed his leg.

Misty Sparks was desperately trying to gather her magic. Her horn darkened as she drew on an empty well. Her ears rang from all the gunfire and explosions. Everything faded between black and painfully white in her vision. Skyfire dove down and grabbed her by the collar. With a powerful heave, she threw the little unicorn out onto the second floor. The world spun as Misty Sparks settled out, barely catching sight of Skyfire doubling back to help the others. Grease managed to jump out of the stairwell. Thunder roared and blooms of white and yellow filled the floor as she laid into the slavers. A bloodied mare stood over Misty Sparks. Blaze dropped a health potion into her cousin’s hooves. The haze of pain lifted as she downed it.

Everypony was on the second floor now. The slavers had pulled back, though Grease still fired in shorter bursts to make sure nopony came down after them. Skyfire was scanning the second floor for any more threats, but they had been taken care of. Lonestar cried behind the bloody cubicle he’d been hauled into. He was unable to hold back the tears as the pain overwhelmed him. Both his legs had been severely injured now. Pecan Pie tried to staunch the blood with frantic motions. Something about the sight snapped Misty Sparks forward.

“Grease, Blaze, keep us covered.”

The pair shifted with clipped responses. Misty Sparks tore open her first aid kit and politely moved Pecan Pie aside. “You need healing too,” she said and shoved a health potion into the pegasus’ trembling hooves. “Take care of yourself, I’ve got him.”

“This fuckin’ hurts,” whimpered Lonestar.

“Getting shot fucking hurts, I know, but still feeling things is good. Now stay still, got it?” She pressed the bandages against him with all her weight. On instinct, she went to do the same with her magic to the other leg. A burst of pain filled her skull, white dancing in her vision.

“Shit!”

“You okay?” Shouted Blaze over the gunfire.

“Yeah- fuck. Shit. Don’t worry about me! Pecan Pie, take these bandages and apply pressure to his other leg like I am!” The pegasus obeyed with wordless nods. Misty Sparks doubted it was the first time the mare had seen her husband in such a state. She intended it to be the last for some time. Together they applied pressure to staunch the bleeding. Unable to use her magic, Misty Sparks stabbed packaging with her horn or picked them up with her teeth. They swapped out the blood-soaked bandages in unison. A healing poultice was applied by Misty Sparks in rapid succession. New bandages were wrapped by the pair, Misty Sparks’ significantly neater than Pecan Pie’s.

Another healing potion was offered to Lonestar who weakly took it with his hooves. Pecan Pie helped him drink it while Misty Sparks injected him with painkillers. “You have to stay here,” she said with a grim frown.

“But our kids-” Pecan Pie began.

“Do you want to be alive when you find them?”

The parents blinked at her, a haze over Lonestar’s reddened eyes. “Yes…”

“Then you protect him, Pecan Pie. He shouldn’t bleed out, but if somepony comes around he cannot fight. Pull him into the back, hide under the fucking bodies if you have to. Do not get caught.” Misty Sparks pulled out two more healing potions and slid them to the pegasus. Her gaze was cold as she stared into the significantly older mare’s terrified eyes.

With a cautious wing, Pecan Pie took them. “Okay. Just- please… get us when it’s clear okay? If our kids aren’t up there we have to look together.”

The unicorn nodded. “Okay. Now hide.”

She rejoined the others with her pistol in her mouth. Her fellow stable ponies balked at the sight. “You’re out of magic,” Blaze stated, staring at her burned horn. Misty Sparks nodded slowly.

“Just us from here on out?” Grease asked, eyes trained on the stairwell but there were no targets to shoot. Another nod came. “I’m going first then.”

A few gestures with her hooves got them moving, silence falling over the four mares. Grease cautiously ascended the stairwell, doing her best to ignore the way corpses squelched under her hooves. Skyfire hovered over them. Once more she felt like puking but kept it together. The cousins walked through it with only a focused expression, the gore fading from their minds to become just another decoration of the wasteland. If they got caught up in it, they would become more adornments like the slavers.

The third floor was clear. A few red dots filled their E.F.S. but none of them seemed on this floor. Given the ponies that had tried flanking them from the stairwell, it made sense. Still, Grease and Blaze searched it to be sure while Skyfire and Misty Sparks watched the stairs from a safe distance. Within a minute they gave an all-clear. Nothing of use turned up on the quick search as well. Prepped, they moved toward the remaining floor, the upper roof that most assuredly the sniper was waiting for them.

“Should I go out the side?” Skyfire inquired, gesturing to the extremely deteriorated external wall. From here they could see out of the industrial complex. At the very least it appeared that no reinforcements were approaching.

“And get fucking shot?” Snapped Blaze.

“If we all come from the stairs they’ll be ready for us. Like the stairs below!”

Misty Sparks spat out her pistol. “It makes sense. We would’ve died if not for Lonestar catching that grenade. I didn’t even see it coming.”

“Then we go up first, she comes around after,” Blaze relented. “And by we, I mean me.”

“No, me,” Grease countered. “My battle-saddle will make quick work of them. There can’t be much cover left up there.”

Growls rose between the pair of earth ponies as they argued over strategies. “Shut up!” Snapped Misty Sparks. “Skyfire, go when you hear fighting. Grease up front, and move out enough that Blaze can come out behind you. Your chest armor already got shredded.” She jabbed a hoof at Blaze who pulled her ears back. Before anypony could try to put up any resistance, Misty Sparks stomped towards the stairwell.

“Well… I guess we’re doing this,” Blaze mumbled.

The stairwell loomed as they began to ascend it, Grease at the head. An access door blocked them from just running into the open. The trio stacked up with Misty Sparks at the back, counting the seconds as they prepared themselves for what was hopefully their last fight. A kick from Grease snapped it off its hinges. Six slavers spun around to face them, all of them unicorns. Immediately a dark-coated unicorn with a sniper rifle in his grip caught the mares’ eyes. He had already been aiming at them.

Blood exploded from both sides as Grease chomped the trigger, only for Blaze to shove her aside. Grease cursed as her spray went wide. Two slavers crumpled in heaps immediately while the others cast magical barriers. Blaze coughed blood as she stood over a now prone Grease. “Fuckin… snipers,” Blaze groaned.

“Move!” Shouted Misty Sparks as she dove out behind the others. Her hooves kicked up a flurry of dust as she slid behind a half-broken pillar. Grease scrambled into cover as well.

Blaze wheezed where she stood, legs wobbling. Blood pooled out of her torso. A hoof reflexively patted her barding, only to find no chems. She sputtered, head fuzzy. She wasn’t sure just what had been shot, but it hadn’t killed her immediately at least. “Blaze, move!” Screamed Grease as she laid down covering fire. The unicorn’s shields were strong, barely rippling from her attacks. The sniper had moved out of sight. Misty Sparks tried to help but it was clear she was unused to manually shooting a pistol.

“Saved your fuckin’ ass!” Blaze jeered as she shifted her weight. Moving hurt almost as much as breathing. With a grimace, she swayed. Normally she’d stab some Stampede into her veins and go feral on those that hurt her. That or chomp on some Buck to regain her strength. Instead, all she found was some Med-X and she injected it with a sigh. “Fuck fuck fuckity fuck!” Hooves stomped as she rallied.

A burst of movement came from the edge of the roof. gray hooves kicked a unicorn square in the chest, toppling them over with pained gasps. Caught completely off-guard by the pegasus’ arrival, the slavers tried to take out the flanking mare. Skyfire was quick, but not so fast as to dodge bullets at such a close range. A few chewed at her armor as she dove low. One unicorn tried to offset her with a wind spell. “We’ll pluck those feathers off you!” They threatened.

“I don’t think so!” Grease bellowed, taking the chance to gun them down. The remaining two normal slavers threw everything they had at the mares as Skyfire zipped over the edge and back, using the entire building as cover. Misty Sparks managed to shoot one in the leg, stumbling them. Blaze bellowed as she rushed forward, unable to carry her heavy sledgehammer. Instead, she held her knife between her teeth. The stumbled unicorn could only yelp as the knife plunged into their neck, gurgles of blood soon replacing that pathetic noise.

Another thunderous boom cracked as a sniper round grazed Blaze, armor and momentum from her follow through of the stab keeping her safe from any further damage. Sliding with a savage growl, Blaze knocked the legs out of the next pony. She crushed their skull underhoof with a trio of stomps. Breathless, Blaze laid down behind a rusted metal pillar and chugged a health potion Grease rolled over to her.

All that was left was the sniper. “We have you outnumbered!” Misty Sparks shouted before coughing, the strain of the fight catching up. “Lay down your weapon and we won’t kill you!”

A low rumble that could have been a laugh echoed across the rooftop. There weren’t many places to hide, yet they couldn’t spot him without risking getting shot. Skyfire was somewhere in the air below. “I will not impune the honor of Stockade by surrendering,” he growled in a deep voice. “I already cut the wheat from the chaff, I will not join them.”

“You’re the one who killed them!” Grease screamed as she reloaded her battle-saddle’s feed box with quick motions. More than a few stripper clips were catching on each other, forcing her to load again. “Why would you do that to your own ponies?”

“Stockade does not accept the weakness you Stable Dwellers do. Either you die, or I die, there is no alternative here.”

Blaze wheezed a few times, blood pooling on the ground with each pant. Misty Sparks looked between her and Grease, taking in their poor conditions. There was a faint flapping of wings from below, and immediately she understood where Skyfire was. She needed to provide a distraction for an aerial attack. “What kind of honor does a slaver settlement have?” Challenged Misty Sparks, voice cracking.

There was a loud chuckle before the lone pony cleared their throat, humoring Misty Sparks. “For one, the last time we fought, your meager defenses could barely hold an expedition from our forces. We have power. Two, we have presence. Creatures around here know our name and fear our wrath. Three, we have stability. Creatures not strong enough to defend themselves provide the foundation for the rest of us to build a society. Four, we have equality. While your lands still hate Zebras and shroud them in mystery, we have survived together since the day the bombs dropped. And lastly, while you struggle to leave your cave, we have been thriving, rebuilding, working towards a new future.”

An eerie silence followed for a moment before there was a shrill cry. “You what?!” Grease turned around to level her guns over her barricade, panting with wide eyes, “It was your group who massacred our home!” She growled fiercely, mouth wrapped tightly around the trigger of her battle-saddle. Yellow eyes searched for the source of such misery.

A glint out of the corner of her eye was all Grease had to comprehend before ducking away as part of her cover exploded into concrete dust. “Fuck!” Grease shouted. She flinched away to clean her eyes. Blaze and Misty Sparks both glanced up in time to notice the far pillar barricaded with scaffolding, rotting wood, and other debris. There stood a confident unicorn, horn glowing with a smooth gray aura. The source of pain and death, a rather heavy sniper rifle, floated freely over the barricade.

Misty Sparks ducked as he aimed at her. “Blaze!” Misty Sparks shouted as a chunk of her cover disintegrated. “Don’t do something stupid.”

“What do you want me to just crouch here? That’s stupid?” Blaze coughed out. During the sniper’s speech, she’d managed to bandage herself up.

“Okay don’t do something really stupid-” Misty Sparks started before realizing Blaze had charged out from cover. “Blaze!” She shouted, trying to quickly aim the pistol. Her shots went wild; desperate and unskilled.

“Never can expect cleverness from a Stable Dweller,” he snickered as he snapped his rifle into position with the ease of somepony who’d practiced hundreds of hours with his instrument of death. The unicorn had barely closed his non-shooting eye when suddenly a solid horseshoe thundered into his jaw with a crack loud enough for Misty Sparks to hear from where she was.

Skyfire skidded to a stop next to the unicorn, with shaking wings as the sniper tumbled head over hooves into the edge of the barricade. “F-Fuck.” Skyfire huffed, watching wearily.

More curses came from Blaze as she lost her balance, slipping across the cracked rooftop. A corpse softened the impact but she gasped regardless. Stumbling from exhaustion, Misty Sparks rushed to Blaze’s side to start performing first aid. The giant mare wheezed blood and trembled against her little cousin. Skyfire snapped her attention to the pair, her stomach churning at the bloodied sight of her friend.

Then the sniper’s jagged breathing grew, blood oozing out of a shattered mouth, his eyes tearing up in pain. Skyfire regarded him cautiously, unsure what to do. It wasn’t in her to kill a downed enemy. Seconds passed tensely as Misty Sparks tended to Blaze and the sniper writhed. A hoof scraped the rooftop as he slowly tried to stand up. From his shattered maw came a howling noise that quickly devolved into gurgling. His gray magical aura sparked rapidly as he tried to bring his weapon up only to falter.

The most damning thing to the pegasus was the fury that screamed out of the look that the unicorn gave. Skyfire stood stunned for a moment then yelped as the unicorn pulled out a syringe and stabbed his shoulder. Before she had a chance to react he was leaping up with a sweeping kick. Skyfire reflexively jumped into the air. She spun back her own kick into the raging unicorn’s chest with surprising speed. Another loud crack resonated in the air, followed by a mangled scream. Grunting and panting soon was all that could be heard.

“C-Come on, surrender!” Skyfire begged as he once more struggled to stand.

His response was another kick. Skyfire jolted back and he followed with a roar. Wings kept her moving just out of reach of the main force of his strikes. Others she parried, his strength quickly decreasing. Sloppy jabs became desperate ones. Hooves danced over the rooftop, Skyfire’s eyes fixated on his attacks and nothing else. Drugs alone kept him moving. Swears gargled in his mouth. “Stop, please!” Skyfire kept begging as she blocked or evaded his wild blows. “Just give up!”

A blur came from the side as he delivered a roundhouse kick. As if on instinct, Skyfire struck his knee and the sniper screamed as something else broke. Momentum carried him a few paces away, stumbling and crying. One last desperate attack came as he tried to swing his rifle around. The pegasus launched herself into the air and then thrust forward like a bullet. Three precise kicks to the chest propelled the unicorn off his legs and over the edge.

Eyes a horrifyingly similar shade of purple as Skyfire’s stared at her, wide and full of regret. Then the sniper plunged out of sight. Milliseconds later a sickening splat followed his silent descent. No curses or howls followed him to his death; only fear.

Skyfire panted as she shakily returned to all fours, coat disheveled and quite a few bruises swelling up, her eyes were shut as she trembled. “F-Fuck…. Why wouldn’t he… quit?” She whimpered, yelping as a familiar presence pressed into her side.

“He had his pride… and died with it.” Misty Sparks grunted softly. She nudged the trembling mare with a shaking hoof. “Come, sit a moment.”

Skyfire’s trembling increased as she attempted to sit down, legs sliding out ungracefully. A second later she was leaning into the embrace of Misty Sparks who gave a comforting smile. They sat there for a minute, listening to Blaze’s slowly steadying breathing and Grease’s muted curses. “Why though, it’s worth living… isn’t it?” Skyfire murmured, slowly leaning to hug her unicorn friend. “He was going to kill Blaze if I didn’t attack then. And he wouldn’t quit. I had. I had to kill him.”

Heavy hooves brought Grease over. She was bloodied, but standing. “Breathe Feathers, we’re all alive on this roof because of you. He would have kept slaving,” Grease muttered. She winced and continued trying to get the dust out of her eyes. “Anypony got drops?”

Misty Sparks perked up. “I d-” Her reply turned into a yelp as her medical kit tumbled out of her bag. “And no magic. Fuck.”

The trio looked between themselves before slowly starting to repack the medical kit. Grease was sorted out and she sighed in relief. “I’m taking his gun.”

“I don’t think anypony here would have a problem with that,” Misty Sparks commented with a weak chuckle. “Besides, it’s powerful enough to break all our combat armor, it shouldn’t get left here.”

They watched Grease limp over and inspect the rifle. “Maybe he thought he could keep cheating death with the gun.” Skyfire sighed, “I never gave up on living, why couldn’t he do the same?”

“Maybe he knew he’d likely get killed by others for surrendering,” Blaze muttered. She leaned against the barricade, exhausted in every way. “Slavers like this don’t get sympathy, they get killed.”

Skyfire’s ears pinned to her side at that, unable to say much back. Misty Sparks rose from their tired embrace. “We need to go check on Lonestar and Pecan Pie,” she announced. Muttered agreements came. The four mares were trembling with exertion and residual fear. Grease and Skyfire flanked Blaze who couldn’t walk without assistance. The trio carefully began descending the stairs, curses rising steadily.

Misty Sparks checked over the bodies briskly. A part of her skin crawled at the thought of looting them, but the rate at which they were draining her medical supplies forced her to at least check. With a scrunched nose and breath held, Misty Sparks found a single health potion alongside a syringe of chems. She suspected it to be Stampede, but it was so filthy she couldn’t be sure. She chucked it off the roof and followed the mares down.

By the time she reached the second floor, the others were already situated. Lonestar was sat in a chair, Pecan Pie next to him. The fresh blood on their clothes suggested they had in fact used the corpses to hide. “Anypony come behind us?” Asked Misty Sparks as she gave the health potion to Blaze.

The large mare squinted. The medkit had come down with them. “Where did you get this?”

“He was dead, wasn’t he?” Misty Sparks flatly replied. Blaze arched a brow but said nothing. She downed it in a few quick gulps, visibly brightening as it took hold. “Lonestar, Pecan, how are you feeling?”

“We’ll survive,” hissed out Lonestar. “Just fuckin’ hurts.”

“It’s going to for a while. Does your daughter have painkillers?”

Pecan Pie gave a nod and scratched at haphazardly applied bandages. “She should, yeah.”

“We need to bring them over. There was no sign of captives up top, so they have to be below.”

“Ten caps it’s locked,” Grease said.

“I’m sure you’re right, so pass,” Misty Sparks replied. “Grease, can you search the corpse?”

“The sniper?”

“He’d have it if anypony did.” Grease gave as snappy a salute as she could, and started drudging down to the ground floor. “Pecan, can you get the rest of your family? I’ll look over Lonestar. Blaze, sit down and rest for five fucking minutes.”

The large mare caught rifling through a cubicle huffed but obeyed nonetheless. Skyfire flashed Misty Sparks a smile. “You’re pretty good at giving orders, you know?”

Exhausted lime eyes warmed ever so slightly. “Thanks. Now you sit the fuck down too. Everypony needs to rest for at least ten minutes or I’m going to collapse.”

Fifteen or so minutes later the entire party was trudging down the stairs to an impressively reinforced door. Skyfire raised a brow and sniffed the thick metal, pinning her ears back. “I don’t think we would have gotten in here easily without that key.”

“Thankfully that sniper’s belt was organized,” Grease grunted, walking up with a keyring containing two brass keys. A combat knife glinted on her armor, freshly taken from the sniper as well. The first key fit into the lock and turned with a solid click. The door swung inward from sheer weight, producing a painful screech.

Darkness awaited them below. Lonestar swore. “They kept my kids down in this abyss? Double fuck them.” Pecan Pie helped him forward, the pair somewhat pushing Grease out of the way. They made it ten steps into the darkness before there was a pause. A reluctant thick voice filled the gap. “Uhm stable ponies, can you take lead on this? Much as I want to trudge off into the unknown- your darn pip-bucks shed so much light, and I know your magic is drained worse than mine.”

“I can help Dad,” Blue Grass coughed and stepped past Misty Sparks who was grimacing. Blue Grass’ horn lit up a weak pale blue. “Enough to not trip at least.”

“We’re coming, keep your bridle on,” Grease added, her pip-buck erupting into a beacon of light.

Within seconds all four pip-bucks’ cast a light into the darkness, washing out Blue Grass’ light immediately. The mare sighed and stopped her spell. Pistol leaned against his twin who gave a half smile. Spurs, their uncle, rested on the bottom steps. His blind gaze stared at the ceiling, slow heaving breaths that turned into coughs were the only sign he was conscious. Beside him rested Blaze, just as out of sorts and taking a long pull of a health potion. Her armor was as red as her mane.

Neon green revealed a room that felt increasingly empty until illuminating a half cage of rusty bars in the far corner. Three terrified faces greeted them, squinting at the immense bright lights. There was a singular, large lump in the back. Skyfire’s heart fell into her hooves. “Somepony died down here?”

The three pegasi shook their heads, trembling as they clung to the bars of the cage. A mare a similar brown shade as Pecan Pie shook her head and hissed out quietly, “N-no! Just something we don’t want to upset.”

“Mocha Bird, what do you mean something?” Lonestar coughed quietly. Grease supported him over, keys in her mouth while Pecan Pie limped behind. Lonestar held his daughter’s hoof through the bars, tears brimming in his eyes. The other two reached through and held his arm, trembling yet relieved. “Never mind that, let’s get you out if it’s dangerous.”

A moment later the click of a lock was followed with a screechy racket as the door swung open. Pegasi burst free in a flurry of feathers, tackling their parents with such force they skidded several paces back. Grease yelped as she just managed to avoid getting caught up in the family reunion. Mutterings of incomprehensible relief threatened to grow loud, yet the former captives still seemed cautious of whatever lay within the cage. After taking just enough time to hug his parents, the mustard yellow stallion eagerly slammed the door shut at that point, the metal ringing loud enough to make everyone jump. “Nectar Yawn?” Questioned Pecan Pie at his wild orange gaze.

Before he could respond, Misty Sparks crossed over. “You all look… okay at least?” She remarked. Tired lime eyes inspected the pegasi for any injuries, only to find dirt and bruises at worst save one mare. “You’re all remarkably healthy.”

“Y-Yeah,” Mocha Bird started, feathers curling to shield herself from the light now directly in her eyes. Misty Sparks politely pointed it the other way. “They wanted us to be kept well for the pony buying us.”

“They just wanted pegasi?” Skyfire asked nervously, her wings fluffing up. A long moment passed as the siblings stared at her, a mixture of joy and caution in their eyes. Skyfire whimpered when the pale blue pegasus nodded.

Pecan Pie fussed over the mare. She was the only one sporting any greater injuries, a series of superficial cuts across her face and neck. “They hurt you.” Pistol and Blue Grass joined their mother, the unicorn mare already pulling out a poultice.

“Ashen Lace fought back,” Nectar Yawn replied softly. The mare gritted her teeth as Misty Sparks gave her a healing potion but downed it anyway. She kept still as Blue Grass started cleaning her wounds, only wincing at the sting. “The pony in charge took a liking to her, said she’d make a good fighter if she wanted to join them.”

“As if I’d do that,” she spat. “They thought half-starving us and withholding water would make us submit. As if we would give one another up.”

Mocha Bird opened her mouth to add something before retching. A trio of canteens were offered to the pegasi, and they downed them with abandon. More than once they sputtered and choked. “They said we were special cargo or something,” Mocha Bird rasped between gulps of water.

The stable ponies let the family recover. Blaze limped away as they joined Spurs at the stairs, words turning into a babble of overlapping voices. Yet they still remained in a more hushed tone. Ears flickering, Blaze squinted at the cage only to lose her footing and slip. “Shit-” Hard concrete met her eagerly, and the mare’s proceeding curses were only marginally sensible. Grease and Misty Sparks helped her up, while Skyfire stayed transfixed in one spot.

“Fuck this place.”

“Yeah I hear you,” agreed Grease.

Misty Sparks checked her over, and once satisfied turned to the family. “You all… need time to heal. Us too honestly. How about you come back with us to our Stable? We treat everypony fairly, and we’re eager to trade.”

Relief flooded over them. Lonestar and Pecan Pie sighed audibly at the show of hospitality after an already generous rescue. “You’re a saint in these parts, Misty Sparks. We’ll happily come and trade our worth to earn a safe place of rest.”

“Nonsense, we’ll figure something out, you’re all in a bad sort and we don’t want to take advantage of that. Every decent pony deserves a chance to get on their hooves,” Misty Sparks replied firmly. She shook the parents’ hooves before glancing back at her team. Skyfire caught her eye. The mare had been staring through the bars, what little color her gray coat had steadily drained. Blaze and Grease were fixated on the same thing she was.

“Sky?”

Jolting, Skyfire slowly pointed a hoof at the lump in the corner. “Well.. what would you say about every creature? Because that’s uh- well-”

“Creature?” Misty Sparks balked, raising a brow. The three rescued pegasi had also gone pale. “What does Skyfire mean by creature?”

There was a shift that froze them all in place. Every eye but the blind fell on the lump in the cage that slowly sat up. Something elongated drew closer, catching the edges of green until a scaled face with golden eyes reflected the light at them. Skyfire gave a terrified chuckle, wings spread and coat fluffed. She smiled at Misty Sparks with all the strain one could fit in a single expression. “Would you give a dragon a second chance?”

Reptilian eyes watched them passively, a hollowness to them that immediately made Misty Sparks’ heart clench. “What… is a dragon doing in there?” She questioned between clenched teeth. The family shuffled further up the stairs. Pistol and Blue Grass immediately hauled Spurs out, voices tight and frantic. The pegasi siblings shielded their parents, quaking that the creature had awoken. It maintained its stare, no words or explanations coming forth.

Blaze took a cautious step closer. Misty Sparks dashed to her and shoved the mare back. Given her state, Blaze was easily pushed. “Hey!”

“Stay back- it’s a dragon, Blaze!”

Grease pulled on the larger mare’s barding. Blaze snarled but couldn’t break free. “A dragon who hasn’t eaten the pegasi yet!” She snapped back.

Her words made the others frown. “It… It’s true,” Nectar Yawn spoke up. “We thought he would but he never tried. Didn’t really move the entire time either.”

“How long have you been in there?” Skyfire asked as she drew close. The dragon shirked back, whimpering at the intensity of her pip-buck’s light, pupils thinning. A larger quadrupedal body could just be made out, browns and blues smattered with speckles and bandages in equal measure. Large wings were tied to his long torso with chains, revealing pronounced ribs and a sallow stomach.

“Oh- sorry.” She turned it off.

A forked tongue flicked out. The family shuddered and eeped. “I don’t know,” a voice raspy from disuse replied, stones scraping over one another like a rockfall. “No day down here. Only dark.”

“Have you eaten anything?” She pressed. Misty Sparks took slow steps to the cage. Blaze struggled against Grease to no avail. “We… have some food. Do you eat pony food?”

The dragon squinted. “Safe?” He asked, “They tried to feed me. I got sick. I stopped eating.”

Skyfire grimaced. “Well, I can’t say I know what’s safe for dragons to eat. We don’t exactly have meat.”

“Feed him the slavers!” Shouted Blaze. “Maybe they can be useful for something after all!”

“Blaze!” Shrieked Misty Sparks. “Absolutely not!”

“What- Dragons eat meat don’t they?”

“Gems,” he rasped. “Gems. Meat… yes, but gems.”

Misty Sparks’ hooves felt hot. Her entire body twitched at the admission. “We don’t have gems.”

“Then I don’t eat,” he replied.

“Bullshit,” Grease snapped. She was shaking behind Blaze, trying to keep a strong front on but there was no hiding the utter fear in her eyes. “Now that the slavers are gone he could eat us and leave. He doesn’t look like he could’ve busted out on his own but just the few of us? Hurt as we are? Easy pickings.”

A low cough came from Lonestar. “We are far from a fighting force now.”

The dragon pulled back into himself, probably thrice the size of even Blaze. In his emaciated state, however, it was hard to believe him as great a threat as one would think of a dragon. “No fight. Let me out or leave, don’t care,” his voice softened, dripping with a tone all too familiar to the stable ponies.

With a heave, Blaze broke free of Grease and stumbled to the cage. Misty Sparks tried to grab her but one fierce glare had her recoiling as they had of the dragon. “You don’t give a shit what happens to you,” Blaze accused, hooves gripping the bars of the cage now half to support herself. Neon green light was cast nauseatingly from the position. The dragon once again shirked back, trying to shield himself from the mare’s sudden fury.

“Why would I?”

“Because you’re still alive you dumbass!” Blaze boomed. She shoved her pip-buck through the bars. He pressed himself into the chipped wall entirely, eyes closed and fangs bared as if the light itself burned. “You’re a fucking dragon!”

“And that is good?” He questioned with a whine.

Blaze bared her teeth right back. “Well, it means you don’t have to take shit from little ponies! How the fuck did they even catch you? While you were asleep? Did you even fight back?”

“...No.”

“Why!”

“Why would I?”

The words made her scream. Everypony moved back from her. Lonestar and Pecan Pie edged up a few steps. A silver hoof grasped her shoulder and Blaze shrugged Misty Sparks off. “Because you’re alive! You have a chance to escape this shithole and you’re just going to lay there and die? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I won’t leave if I have to fight,” he replied with a hint of a growl.

“You some sort of pacifist dragon? Those monsters did this to you and you just let them?”

Skyfire moved to Blaze’s side and tried to ease her back. “Hey maybe let’s not yell at-”

“No this is bullshit!” Blaze bit at her and Skyfire jumped back with an eep. “This is pissing me off! Who the fuck would let somepony do this to them and not fight back?”

“Someone with no reason to live!” The dragon snapped. He broke into a fit of coughing from the volume. It worsened, wheezes and gasps overwhelming him. Hurriedly, Skyfire slid a canteen through the cage to him. Claws picked it up, a hand nearly as big as Misty Sparks’ head, and then emptied the canteen. Golden eyes flickered as relief came, thirst slackened in who knew how long. He collapsed onto the filthy floor and struggled to breathe, a pitiful creature far from the legends of powerful beasts that had razed Equestria for the zebras.

Skyfire and Misty Sparks exchanged looks. “He’s… dying, isn’t he?” Skyfire whispered.

“On his way to it,” Misty Sparks replied. “If… We don’t help.”

“We’re helping.” The pegasus’ voice rose. “You helped me. We help him.”

“You’re a pegasus, Sky, not a dragon!” Countered Misty Sparks.

“I’m also Enclave! A group you know is dangerous to surface ponies! You can’t honestly think he’s dangerous.” She gestured to the starved beast. “Look at him!”

Lime eyes begrudgingly obeyed, taking in his utterly abysmal state. “Anypony- anyone starved and dying will act unpredictably to survive.”

“Yeah he’s pretty unpredictable,” snapped Skyfire. “But not a danger.”

Misty Sparks grumbled and shook her head. “No… not a danger. Dragon- er… what’s your name?”

He blinked, just as wary of them as they were of him. “Comet Starchaser.”

“Are you… an adult? I don’t know how big your kind gets as juveniles.”

“Yes, I’m an adult.”

She squinted, accessing him. “Do you get smaller when malnourished?”

“What?”

“Improperly fed.”

“Oh… I have always been like this,” Comet replied in a low voice. “Always hungry. Always alone.”

Blaze made a strangled noise. “Shit. Fuck. I- We can’t leave him.”

“You too?” Misty Sparks balked.

“He’s depressed as fuck and just going to let himself starve. We can’t let him do that!” She argued. Skyfire gave a resounding nod. “Everypony gets a second chance?” Blaze continued, echoing both mares from earlier. “If I can get a second chance- a known fuck up and violent chemhead- then the starving dragon who refused to eat the pegasi does too.”

Every eye on Blaze, Misty Sparks let out a dumbfounded noise. “Well fuck. You seriously want to show mercy to a dragon? They helped burn Equestria."

"Look at him, you think he's old enough to have been one of them?"

"No, but-"

Blaze drew as close as she could. Foul breath made Misty scrunch her nose. She turned her face away. "We killed the world as much as the zebras. We took everyone else down with us."

"We were defending ourselves!" She retorted, flabbergasted they were even discussing such a topic. Every stable pony had been taught the same thing; the war and downfall, the zebras' relentless zeal, the attempts at peace, the assassination attempt of the Goddess, and the slaughtering of innocent ponies. Equines who would stop at nothing to end Equestria. A menace from another land that ultimately destroyed their home.

Predators with hooves and stripes.

Teeth clamped down on a worn sledgehammer. Blaze faced the cage, legs shaking beneath her. A blackened horn pressed against Blaze's throat. "Misty-" Skyfire gasped. Blaze glared down at her.

"I didn't think you'd outright mutiny so quickly," Misty Sparks rasped. Her eyes burned with tears. "He's a predator!"

"So am I if I want to be," she sneered around her sledgehammer. Misty Sparks stiffened.

"It's her call, Blaze!" Shouted Grease.

"Dog," accused Blaze.

Skyfire edged between them, the cousins rigid like statues. "You both need to calm down. You can't be serious about hurting her!"

"She's already wounded and has lost a lot of blood. She isn't thinking straight. She's going to get us killed!"

"At least I'm not a fucking coward!"

"Coward? I have been far from that today!" She snapped back. Crimson feathers started turning away Misty Sparks' horn. She did not resist. "I'm the only one being logical about this between us three. That is a killer, a predator, and while he may not want to eat us now he might yet in the future when his strength is recovered."

Blaze whinnied with a roll of emeralds. "A lot of unknowns. Future talk you can't prove."

"At least I'm thinking about the consequences!" Her horn turned closer and Skyfire forced her back. Blaze lowered her sledgehammer as Misty Sparks was moved a safe distance away. "You two honestly want to unleash Goddesses knows what upon us? We live outside now! A fire-breathing dragon would make short work of us!"

"Why would I burn your home?" Comet spoke up, mouth twisted into a frown. Blue horns and spikes caught the glint of neon light and made Misty Sparks bristle. "I do not want to hurt anyone."

Taking the chance to get answers directly from the dragon, Skyfire stepped to the cage. "Why not? Blaze is right that you were treated horribly. Most poni- people would want revenge."

Comet's brow scales shifted, furrowing almost. "Because it's wrong to hurt others?" Words dripped with disbelief that he had to tell them such a thing.

The ponies stared at him. Comet shifted, tucking himself closer to the corner. Slowly Misty Sparks looked away and examined the others. Pegasi that would've made easy meals protected their parents. They wore wounds inflicted by their own kind. She looked next at the blood on her armor, splattered to her hooves. Blue soaked a deep purple that might not wash out without magic. The horrors they had seen washed over her. Corpses, traps, death, and gunfire woven around suffering and desperation. She couldn't help but wonder just how much she was prey or predator there, a life hanging in the balance when she had already ordered others to die. Self-defense as it might have been, she had chosen it. She had accepted what was necessary to save ponies and help her stable.

Did she truly have the right to judge a stranger by his species? Ponies themselves could be as vile as monsters after all. "Mom isn't going to like this," Misty Sparks muttered.

"Like what?" Blaze challenged. Comet and Skyfire perked up, a smile crossing the mare's face.

"You know what," she snipped. "Grease… let Comet out. Keep your gun on him but let's give him a chance. Please don't make me regret this Comet."

The dragon’s pupils slimmed as Grease fiddled with the lock, becoming pinpricks of possibility. She threw the cage door open and shuffled back. Skyfire, Blaze, and Misty Sparks all stood a fair distance back, giving him space to exit. The pegasi retreated entirely out, carrying Lonestar in their hooves. It was only the stable ponies and the dragon in the basement now. His head came out first, large enough to fit Misty Sparks whole should he give it enough effort. Small fins that wiggled like ears twitched as he sniffed the air. Each inhale was loud, and focused, as if he was weighing their intentions as much as they were him.

A long neck proceeded next, half the length of a grown pony. Like a snake, his neck raised to the full height of the ceiling. His wings were chained to his starved body, little meat left on him. Browns and cream scales comprised the majority of his body, while the more heavily armored sections, spikes along his back, and sharp horns were a dull azure blue. Four legs held up his trembling body, a long tail slinking back into the corner of the cage. He was overall thrice their size, but there wasn’t an ounce of violence in his exhausted body.

“So,” Misty Sparks gave a strained chuckle. “You’re sure you aren’t gonna eat us?”

Comet gave the barest hint of a smile, revealing sharp white teeth. Every mare tensed further. “Yes. Can we leave?”

Perhaps only half as eager as the dragon, Misty Sparks started for the exit. Grease followed last. Comet wriggled up the stairwell that had been more than spacious for the ponies. The chains binding him rattled like furious bugs. Natural light enveloped them as they emerged. Cold, humid air clung to exhausted bodies. The trader family was a relatively safe distance away, balking at the creature’s arrival. Misty Sparks and Grease trotted back, watching him. Blaze and Skyfire however, remained at Comet’s side as he craned his neck up.

Golden eyes squinted at the brightness of cloud-filtered light. Everything was gray or bloodied, but it was far better than the dark of the basement. His fins flickered as he inhaled deeply. “I…” came a rasped word, fumbling in his throat as if struggling to find what to say. The chains fell loose with a clatter, simultaneously heavy and liberating. Large wings tried to unfurl but Comet winced at how stiff they’d become chained as they were. A hoof rested against his shoulder from either side.

“It’s a lot nicer out here, isn’t it?” Skyfire asked with a smile. Blaze leaned into him, supporting his weight as his lethargic limbs trembled.

Comet blinked down at her. The smile was a bit wider. “Yes. It is.”

Level Up! \ Blaze (6) - Shrug It Off: It looked worse than it felt. You can ignore cripple penalties at the cost of HP. The more penalties, the more HP it costs.

Level Up! \ Misty Sparks (6) - Deepend Reserves: You know your limits, and how to push past them. +10% chance to not suffer magical burnout.

Level Up! \ Skyfire (6) - It’s All Coming Back - That mandatory unarmed combat training you received in basic training, the muscle memory kicked in. It saved your flank. Unarmed skill tagged.

Chapter Fifteen: An Uneasy Respite

"No matter how much you prepare your speech, you can't guarantee their response.”

The world was utterly dark as the ponies set up a small camp in the ruins. Thick clouds rained irradiated water, forcing them to hunker down as much for rest as protection. The industrial complex's warehouse proved advantageous both to take shelter in and scavenge. Further, it was free of corpses.

Rows upon rows of shelving units and shipping crates filled the rotting structure. Half of the roof was gone, but there was an elevated catwalk like the factory that would keep them dry under the remaining section. Pip-bucks cut through the gloom only half good enough. The caravaners set out a few lanterns at the edges of their camp. It was drafty, cold, and eerily open to attack. Yet it was the best they would be able to do. At least there were both walls and an outer fence.

Spurs and Blaze rested on a mish-mash of blankets closest to a fizzling campfire. Damp wood didn't burn well, but one puff from Comet set it alight. He rested beneath the catwalk on a large slab of concrete, able to stretch out in ways he couldn't within the cage. Despite their best efforts, he hadn't spoken much after their initial conversation. Leaving him be, the ponies settled in for an uncomfortable night. It wasn't as if they were much in the mood for talking either. Exhaustion smothered them, enveloping them so powerfully limbs sagged and eyes drooped.

Mumbled words slipped between bites of food. Mocha Bird and Nectar Yawn had found the slavers' food storage. It was delightfully overflowing with travel meals yet far from delicious. The dried fruits and ground vegetables at least satisfied the gnawing hunger gripping their bones. There had even been dried meat. Lonestar had been sure it was rabbit. Comet had been given every last strip, but it was far from enough. His stomach growled beneath them louder than the slamming rain on a metal roof.

"Did you find anything useful?" Misty Sparks asked Skyfire as she joined them. Grease waddled behind her, huffing from exertion. Fortunately, the security badge they’d discovered in the crumbling apartments had proven useful in expediting the process. They had been almost non-stop after a brief rest. Skyfire helped Grease along to a cushion. The green mare flopped onto it with such a heavy noise Misty Sparks winced.

Exhausted purple eyes caught her gaze. "Not as much as I'd like considering the size of this place, but yes. Despite all the elemental exposure, there's still a working engine, pristine even. We couldn't possibly carry it back however."

"Too large?"

"And we're too hurt."

Misty Sparks scrunched her nose. "Maybe Comet would be willing…"

"The wagon is fitted for a pony," countered Skyfire.

"There's got to be enough rope to make a harness," she argued back. "But given his state of health, that also seems doubtful. Plus there might be a road but it’s gonna be muddy from rain. It risks getting stuck in the open. I guess we'll just have to see what tomorrow brings."

A wistful sigh escaped Skyfire. Hooves slid out lazily until she melted against the grated steel. Discontent grumbles followed as she tried to get comfortable. Eventually she gave up. "As long as it's only half as exciting as today."

Chuckling drearily, Misty Sparks shrugged. "Can't promise that."

"Boo…"

Misty Sparks reached down and patted Skyfire's head. An ear flicked and the mare chuffed. "How are the wounds?" Misty Sparks asked as she moved aside crimson locks. Bruises and cuts speckled a gray coat, nothing too severe.

"Better than yours," Skyfire mumbled.

"And the mental ones?"

Tensing, Skyfire turned her head away. "I'm trying not to think about it. At least until we get back home."

The unicorn settled next to her. While she had downed plenty of health potions and recovered enough magic to edge the team back from severe, every wound still ached. The stabbing on her flank burned the worst. "Just don't not think about it for too long," she cautioned.

Purple eyes glanced at her. The emptiness in them made Misty Sparks stiffen. She had often seen that same hollowness in a mirror. "What do you suggest then?" Skyfire's voice trembled. Moisture dampened her cheeks. She rubbed her face with a sniffle.

Stalling to form her thoughts properly, Misty Sparks looked at the others. Lonestar and Pecan Pie were asleep, surrounded by their children. Ashen Lace watched one side where something could arrive, peering into the dark without a hint of emotion. Mocha Bird sat next to Grease, letting the gunner rest while keeping an eye on the other direction. Soft mumbles flitted between them, too quiet to be heard. Everypony was exhausted, not quite recovering from the violence of the day nor their imprisonment.

A stone settled in Misty Sparks' gut. Would they be able to make it home? "I might not have delivered a killing blow, but I not only asked but ordered you all to kill ponies. Bad, evil, cruel ponies, yet ponies nonetheless. Blaze was eager to kill. Grease accepted it. Lonestar and Pecan Pie demanded revenge. I can't blame them either."

"They would've killed us, and them. They killed their own ponies," whimpered Skyfire gently before she stiffened, “Or apparently taken me prisoner?” Clouded eyes stared away for a moment. “It was only winged creatures in that cage. I bet had there been a griffon they would have been there too.”

"Probably," replied Misty Sparks. "It worries me why they focused on winged creatures. Is somepony, or creature, out there trying to make an air force? Labor force? Slavery is disgusting enough as it is. Stopping them was the only thing we could do."

"Why couldn't they just talk to us?" Questioned Skyfire, jaw clenched.

"Because four Stable Dwellers, even with a big gun, is nothing. It's only a miracle we're alive."

Wings flapped as Skyfire shook her head. "We shouldn't be doing this to each other. Comet was right, ponies shouldn't hurt ponies."

The weight in her gut only grew. Misty Sparks sighed. They'd washed the blood off, but her armor was stained. She would carry the slavers all the way home. Perhaps long after even. "The world… it doesn't let us be soft- kind. It shouldn't be like this, but it is."

"So we become like it?" Skyfire challenged, eyes wide and ears back as if she'd seen a monster. A grim thought mused that it was Misty Sparks.

"...as little as we can. Sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes death is the only way to protect ponies. That doesn't mean it isn’t fucked up, that we shouldn't try every other option first. It just means we have to try harder, do better, make the world less shit."

“That’s the difference between… between these slavers, and you? Us?” Skyfire asked after a moment of thought. “You and Blaze risked so much to give me a chance. I had to pass that chance on to Comet.”

Skyfire looked beneath the catwalk and observed Comet. Between him, and everypony else, the group looked quite bizarre. “I might be wrong about him one day, but I like to think he’s a bit like me.” Purple eyes clouded up as Skyfire started crying for a moment. Soft, whimpering noises of both exhaustion and pain rose. “We both were abandoned it seems. Maybe that’s why it resonates so much for him to get a chance.”

Misty Sparks started to say something, before scooting closer to hug Skyfire. Rough leather reinforcements made it far from comfortable, but neither pulled away. “You are probably right on all those things. There’s a chance of it. But his unwillingness to attack ponies gives us the best chance of finding an ally… perhaps even a friend."

Crackles of fire filled a moment of pause. Both mares peered at Comet. He was not intimidating despite his nature, at least after the initial shock. He reminded Misty Sparks of a lost dog, desperately in need of a home yet not knowing where to find it. Though this dog was far larger and sharper toothed. “Mom’s going to kill Blaze, thinking she coerced me into this.”

“Wasn’t that me as well?” Skyfire asked. Her sniffling subsided as she smiled faintly and leaned deeper into the hug. “We both did our best.”

"You and I both know she likes you too much to stay mad," snickered Misty Sparks. Lingering for as long as she dared, Misty Sparks pulled away with a sigh. "And the only trouble you've caused wasn't your own fault. I think she will come around. Might need your help though.”

“Part of me wonders what he will end up wanting. It’s a little unfair to compare my goals to his if he really was that alone.” Skyfire murmured, staring a little longer at the resting dragon. With a shudder she adjusted to look at Misty Sparks. Lime eyes surrounded by exhaustion met her, a glimpse of light within them. “I wanted so desperately to go home but I’ve since realized I found somewhere that could be a great home. I don’t think the old one is going to ask me to return anyways.”

“I’m sure Mom would be happy if he found a new home one day,” Misty Sparks admitted. She paused as she found herself looking back at Skyfire. It felt like looking into a mirror. The day’s events flashed through her mind. With gritted teeth, Misty Sparks shifted her weight against Skyfire. Soft warmth filled the small space between their coats. “And she would accept it if you wanted to go somewhere else too… eventually.”

Skyfire thought for a few seconds, then shrugged her wings. “It’d have to be a really cool place for me to even consider right now. Neighvarro is where all my foalhood memories are, the Stable is where my friends are. I can’t go back, so why would I give up the good in my life?”

A small smile pulled at Misty Sparks’ face, one she didn’t bother stopping. So much of the day had felt like wearing a mask. Something sharp and cold had settled over the little unicorn so unfamiliar it scared her. The slipping thought that it was the mask her mother always wore burrowed its way into her. “I… am glad you like it here, with us,” she whispered. Her hooves trembled and she blinked rapidly.

Crimson drifted into her vision. A hoof took her own, firm like solid metal. “I am too.”

Blinking away the swell of emotion, Misty Sparks let herself slump against the pegasus entirely. Skyfire made a soft noise then shuffled a wing free. Neither of them spoke as Skyfire draped it over Misty Sparks’ back. The silent comfort was plenty, a reassurance as undeniable as any words. With steadily deepening breaths, Misty Sparks relented to the weight upon her body. Lime eyes fluttered closed as Skyfire watched on. The gray mare’s face slowly turned a similar shade to her mane as Misty Sparks fell asleep. Skyfire glanced at the others, but they were as sleepy or self-reflective as the pair had been. Allowing herself to admire her friend, Skyfire wiggled into a comfortable spot and tugged the small mare closer beneath her wing. Sleep, despite the day, was not something that would come easily.

“Rise and shine little ponies!” Lonestar’s heavy twang was accompanied by the sharp rapt of a metal rod against something even stronger. Shouts came from the snuggling mares. Blaze continued to snore louder than the clanging.

Misty Sparks glared up at the stallion who appeared far too chipper for the early morning hour. “Aren’t you in tremendous pain?” She growled and tucked her head back against Skyfire.

“Oh, incredible amounts of pain! But that means I’m still alive right?” He snickered as he strode past.

Violent murmurings were muffled against the pegasus’ neck. With a huff, Misty Sparks began to rise. Every inch of her body ached, an even deeper pain in her chest from the magical burnout of the day before. Equally pained noises followed her as Skyfire began to stretch. To Misty Sparks’ surprise, the entire trading caravan was awake and getting ready. Grease was chatting with Mocha Bird in chipper tones. The brown and cream mare chuckled at some joke Grease said. Cream feathers mindfully tugged on a pair of goggles. The rest of the caravan siblings were tending to their parents or uncle. One glance through the catwalk revealed Comet had likely not moved an inch the entire night.

A flurry of crimson feathers whisked past Misty Sparks as Skyfire flew down to the dragon. Leaving them be for now, Misty Sparks approached her still-yet-snoring cousin. “Blaze,” she groused, “come on. We need to get moving.”

One ear twitched and little else came. Lonestar limped past them and clanked the portable cookware a few more times. Blaze remained unstirred. “Is she dead?” Drawled Pecan Pie from where she was packing supplies up.

“No, just very very tired,” Misty Sparks grumbled. “I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so annoyed.”

She began prodding Blaze with her hoof. Each poke was met with no response until she reached the mare’s neck. Snapping forward like a sprung trap, Blaze bit the air. Lonestar tugged Misty Sparks back with his magic just in time. “Sweet Celestia you are feral!” He chastised.

Reddened emeralds glared at him. Blaze was breathing fast, ears alert and tail twitching. “Shut up,” she ordered as sluggish limbs attempted to stand. “We’re leaving?”

“Here soon, yes,” Misty Sparks mumbled. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit.”

“Naturally. Can you walk?”

A few wobbly steps carried Blaze forward, only for her to stumble into Misty Sparks. The mare staggered and focused her magic to keep Blaze from toppling her over entirely. “Not really. Can I have some chems? That’ll square me away.”

Lime eyes squinted. “Absolutely not. We’ve barely been gone over a day.”

“I have a daily prescription.”

“And that’s all you’ll take.”

Blaze clacked her teeth loud enough to draw the attention of the others. She pulled back from Misty Sparks with a growl. “Go get them for me then, doc. I can’t exactly go far without them, even if I hadn’t taken so many bullets protecting you all.”

Incapable of finding a retort, Misty Sparks shuffled to her saddlebags. Grease trotted over to her, yellow eyes fixated on the giant mare. “You shouldn’t let her talk to you like that,” she whispered.

Misty Sparks sighed as she used her Pip-buck’s organizer spell to find Blaze’s daily dose. “She did push herself hard for us yesterday,” she conceded. “Plus she does sincerely need these meds.”

“Chems, meds, it’s the same thing isn’t it?”

“Intention has a factor. I don’t see how any of us will get back home if we have to put her in the wagon. Who else can pull it? Spurs will need to go in there too given his state.”

“Sounds like we need the dragon to pull the wagon after all, even if it weren’t for the salvage we’ve found.” Grease rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. “Okay, I’ll get Blaze in a less cantankerous mood, you see to Comet and Feathers.”

Nodding, Misty Sparks passed the marked bottle off. The grated stairs creaked with each step. The familiar sounds of Skyfire’s cheery voice brought a smile to the mare’s lips without her realizing it. Despite the incredible power the dragon had, the many teeth he could snap her in two with, the sharp claws and fire he could create with a single puff; Skyfire smiled at Comet and offered him her canteen. He took it carefully. A claw slipped along its edge and perforated the metal. It immediately began to leak. In a moment of panic, he shoved the entire canteen into his mouth.

Confusing both mares further, Comet swallowed.

“Uh-” began Misty Sparks though she had no clue what to actually say. “You can… do that?”

Comet’s ear-like fins were folded back and he looked at the concrete beneath him. “It like eating rocks… it won’t… kill me.”

“Aren’t gems just really sharp rocks?” Questioned Skyfire. “They come from rocks. Also did you just eat my canteen? We could’ve fixed it.”

He gave no answer. Misty Sparks sighed, rubbed her brow, and then sat down. “Okay we’ll just… okay. Comet, I hate to ask you this but we need some help. Blaze is too hurt and we need to get not just us but Lonestar Caravans back to our stable. It’s a solid half day away at a normal pace, but I imagine we’ll be going less than that in the condition we’re all in.”

The dragon tilted his head. “You want me pull wagon?”

“Yes. We can figure a way to fit it on you, but otherwise I don’t see us getting home nearly soon enough. There’s a solid chance that the slavers could have reinforcements or the sort coming. As much as I wish we could sleep more, Lonestar is right that we need to get a move on.”

“I wish he less loud about it,” Comet remarked in a soft grumble. Skyfire snickered, patting his side. The dragon squinted and moved his lips with care, clearly putting more effort into his words. “I can do, yes. I would like help.”

Misty Sparks perked up. She’d expected it would take far more convincing to get him to agree. “Really? That’s fantastic, thank you. Grease and Skyfire can get you rigged up. Everything should still be in there from last night, right?”

Crimson feathers curled into a salute. “Everything’s there. Ashen Lace said she checked it three times over. Apparently she couldn’t sleep.”

“I don’t blame her, but hopefully that doesn’t mean another tired pony on the wagon. It’ll be pushing it to have those two big ponies on it.” The unicorn's voice dipped into a calculating tone.

Purple eyes met lime ones as Skyfire gave a confident smile. “I can guide Grease through rigging that harness up to fit Comet. We’ll have it done shortly.”

A brief smile broke through Misty Sparks’ rapidly increasing thoughts. “Thanks,” she said with a flick of an ear. The logistics of the journey back were rising like procrastinated paperwork. She mentally weighed how equipment would need to be parsed, who would carry what supplies, and just when they would need to stop to rest. She absentmindedly left the pair, studying her Pip-buck as she exited the warehouse.

Muck dirtied her hooves. She didn’t bother trying to shake it off, every bit of her armor was soiled from the fighting. A sharpness lingered in the air she didn’t like, setting the back of her neck alight. There wasn’t a hint of danger anywhere she looked. Yet every part of her body wanted to leave the blood-soaked place. Birds swarmed the office building. She didn’t need to see them to know they were devouring the corpses left within. At least the sounds of feasting avians wasn’t enough to make her lose what little appetite she had.

Once more she felt the kind of discomfort as when they’d left the stable. There were far too many possibilities for what the Wasteland held for Misty Sparks to feel any kind of confidence. It was an undeniable fact that they were far from a fighting force now, though it was hard to suggest they were beforehand. Ammo was low, with healing supplies barely any better. She tapped her blackened horn with a grimace. Even if she could cast a spell, it would not be a powerful one. It somehow felt more daunting to return home than leaving its safety after all they had been through. A worrisome thought that Flare would somehow be upset at their condition alone before even taking the dragon into consideration would steadily grow louder with each mile closer they’d get.

A weary sigh escaped Misty Sparks and she trotted to a turned over barrel. Rust adorned it so thickly she hesitated and instead opted for a large rock. She pulled up her Pip-buck’s map and scanned the area for anywhere they might rest, but there weren’t many options beyond what they had already scouted. The vague memory of a blasted out shopping strip wriggled free of her mental fog, and she marked it down. By the time her companions had shuffled out of the warehouse she had found three more options. Comet led them, a hodgepodge of ropes fastening him to the wagon laden with ponies and loot. His ribs were more pronounced from the strain, but his eyes held calm anticipation.

Skyfire flapped over and laid a dirty hoof on Misty Sparks’ shoulder. The little unicorn did her best not to show her dislike of the smell. A spark of relief that they would have warm showers waiting for them and proper meals soothed her. “Everything is set,” Skyfire said with a smile. The corners of her lips were too tight, strained like pulled string.

Rather than point out the obvious, Misty Sparks gave a nod. “Blaze?” She called out. The mare waved a hoof from the back of the wagon. “And Spurs?” Another hoof, this time dark rather than wet sand colored, flicked in the air. The low rumble of a snicker followed but Misty Sparks couldn’t tell who had laughed. She didn’t quite care either.

“My brother won’t be able to walk at any point,” Lonestar said as he did a quick final check of his children. The pegasi scanned the area with a level of scrutiny Misty Sparks appreciated. They would make fine lookouts on the road.

“I wouldn’t want him walking in his condition. What about you though? Your legs got hurt pretty bad after all.”

Lonestar gave a snicker and shake of his head. “Nah, I’ll make it on my own as long as we rest every so often. I don’t want to exhaust the dragon any more than hauling those two and the loot around. Maybe if Spurs wasn’t so damn fat we could fit three ponies!”

“I’m not deaf,” came a low grunt. It was the first Spurs had spoken since the caravaners had been found.

Misty Sparks chuckled softly and shook her mane out a bit. “Anything else before we get going?”

Pecan Pie fluttered close. The bags under her eyes were marginally smaller than they had been the day before. “Thank you again for this. We won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”

Warmth blossomed in the little unicorn’s chest and she tucked her head. “It’s the right thing to do,” she deflected.

“You’d be surprised how many ponies specifically do that opposite,” the Dashite chuckled. “You’re good folk. Let’s get to your home.”

Over an hour had passed before anypony spoke beyond simple warnings. The early hour after such a harrowing encounter clung to them like rot. The family’s hooves were the heaviest, clacking over the worn down asphalt with a disjointed pace. More than once a curse followed somepony tripping over the poor condition of the road. Misty Sparks’ braced for an ankle to get sprained, but fortunately no such event had occurred. She suspected it wasn’t that far off however. Only birds and beasts on the horizon greeted them, staying far from posing a threat. Every so often Mocha Bird did a scan from the air. So far no slavers had been spotted, and they intended on decreasing the likelihood as quickly as their exhausted bodies could carry them.

“So is nopony going to ask?” Pistol’s voice split the relatively peaceful silence.

“Ask what?” Drawled Lonestar.

“Why in the name of Celestia there’s a dragon with us? How did they capture you?”

Comet tilted his head down at the earth pony. Immediately the young stallion tensed at the fire-breathing creature’s attention, as much as he had summoned it. “I told you.”

“Not really,” he countered with a brave face. Blue Grass rolled her eyes and tugged him a few paces away from Comet. “You said you didn’t fight back and you weren’t asleep.”

One by one the ponies looked up at Comet, though no one asked their burning questions. Misty Sparks was wary of pushing him, but she too wanted to know. It would certainly play a factor on what would become of the dragon. There was a part of her that also was simply curious, and she could see it on the others’ faces. Skyfire was practically fluttering in place to know more. Golden eyes skimmed over them, hesitant, before sighing. “I was alone.”

“Are dragons always alone?” Inquired Skyfire.

“No.”

“Why were you then?” Grease asked next, keeping her eyes on the road for any obstacles. The potholes were more numerous than the clear sections of roads. “If… that’s okay to ask.”

Comet grimaced and lifted his head to the thick expanse of clouds. “I… been alone long time. Not know why.”

Skyfire’s ears folded back. “I’m sorry.”

“Why? You did nothing.”

Blaze cracked a snicker from the back of the wagon. Before she could give some snarky remark Misty Sparks spoke up. “How long have you been alone?”

“What… year it?” The ponies stopped walking while the dragon carried on for a few paces. He swiveled his long neck around at them. Scale eyebrows furrowed and his fin ears flattened against his neck.

Misty Sparks gestured to her Pip-buck as if it would give him the answers. When he only blinked at her she blushed. “Year two-hundred Post-War.”

They resumed walking as he ruminated on the time passed. After a minute he confessed, “Ah. That… no help me.”

“Have you been alone that long?” Balked Grease. She cursed as she tripped on a rock, stumbled a few feet, and then stabilized herself. Skyfire trotted over with wide eyes, but the earth pony waved her off and mumbled she was fine.

The dragon gave a low sigh. “I… stopped counting. It cold twice before I left grotto.”

“Two winters then,” Lonestar said, “so two years. Well- depending on what you claim cold is since it’s rarely warm these days.”

“More than two,” Comet whispered. His eyes were no longer focused. Instead they stared into the past with a pain Misty Sparks knew all too well.

“Where was your grotto?”

Comet blinked, and then scanned the sky. In a painful realization, he shrugged. The movement jostled the wagon and the wheels creaked ominously. “Behind?”

“So you have no idea how long you’ve been alone, or where you are?” Scoffed Blaze. “Great.”

“There was lot of water nearby,” he offered.

“The coast, or Smile Lake,” Pecan Pie suggested. “They’re the largest two bodies of water nearby. Anything else you remember?”

The dragon puffed out his cheeks as he reached into what could only have been a haze of memory. “Mountains?”

“That’s a question?” Once more prodded Blaze.

Misty Sparks whinnied and slowed her pace to glare at her cousin. “Can you not be rude to the dragon kind enough to pull your wounded body all the way home even though he’s starved?”

Sharp emeralds pierced Misty Sparks. The little unicorn lost her anger immediately, cast into the bruiser’s shadow. “Maybe you should try not pissing me off for five minutes?”

“Blaze-”

“Quit whining. I’m the only one not quivering in her boots at his presence.”

Pistol sneered quietly, “Because you’re not in the blast radius.”

“What was that?” She snarled and pushed up as much as she could against the wagon’s side. “Wanna say that louder you little punk?”

Lonestar limped between the mare and his teenaged son. The braces for his legs were only part of the fix for him, pain medicines and a hefty healing spell getting him stable enough to make it a short while between rests. “I appreciate you saving us, but that doesn’t mean you get to talk to my son like that.”

“Awh, he needs Daddy to step in? Can’t fight his own battles?” The lilting mockery dropped into a low hiss. “Maybe he shouldn’t pick them if he can’t stand on his own.”

“Are… Are ponies, always this… hostile?” Interjected Comet, peering back at them in a manner that suddenly made Misty Sparks recalculate just how large that ‘blast radius’ of his was. “You friends, right?”

The unicorn gave a low sigh. “Tired, hurt, stinky ponies fight more often than otherwise,” she explained poorly.

“You stink? You smell better than cellar.”

Misty Sparks snickered and shook her head. “I suppose so.” The others gave small laughs of their own, the sudden tension defusing. Blaze grunted and leaned back against the veritable mountain of scrap. The way her hooves tapped and ears flicked made Misty Sparks’ hide itch. She suspected there would be more flare ups as they went.

“I hope I stop smelling like cellar,” Comet muttered a moment later. He rolled his shoulders as he walked, trying to relieve some pressure but all it did was rattle his passengers and loosen a rope. Lonestar helpfully tied it back with his magic.

“That’s really easy, we have some industrial grade cleaner if it really is stuck in your… scales?” Misty Sparks said, turning to look at him. “When’s the last time you had a shower?”

“When it rain,” Comet replied simply.

Skyfire turned back, blinking “That’s not a shower. That’s dirty radiated water most likely. Have you ever gotten into nice hot water and been scrubbed clean?”

“No.”

“And I thought Enclave life was sparse,” Skyfire muttered. “What you need is some good food and rest, topped with a nice soak!”

Misty Sparks squinted at some distant point on the horizon. “That… would be a lot of water.” Skyfire arched a brow at her, as if daring her to refuse. The unicorn sighed. “We just need to find a big enough tub is all.”

The satisfied snort Skyfire gave made Misty Sparks wilt a little. Her steps slowed and a large unicorn brushed her side. “Mares,” Lonestar chuckled in her ear. “They know just how to work you, don’t they?”

“W-what?” Yelped Misty Sparks, a blush lining her cheeks.

Lonestar nickered and kept trotting, leaving the stupefied mare standing there for a few seconds before she picked up the pace. Distracting herself with her pip-buck’s map, she gave a small sigh. It would still be a while before their first break. With a huff she pulled back to the head of their little herd, silent as Skyfire peppered Comet with more questions. His answers came in a rasped, exhausted voice. Yet there wasn’t a moment he sounded insincere, if anything the conversation was breathing an energy back into him absent that morning. Perhaps the journey wouldn’t be too arduous.

Bags dropped onto an old concrete slab with exhausted heaves. No one had spoken for thirty minutes. Rain splattered down on the road they’d pulled off of, heavy enough to ground the pegasi. “Well,” drawled Lonestar, “I suppose we were due for a rest anyways.”

“We’re not nearly far enough along,” Misty Sparks replied, mane plastered to her face. Muddy silver hooves wiped blonde strands from her eyes. “If it keeps up we might need to brave it in a lull.”

“And get sick?” Blue Grass asked.

“Or get caught by slavers,” Pistol countered. “We can’t stay in place for too long.”

“I didn’t see any signs of reinforcements. If they’re going to the Good Wing factory, it’s not from this direction.” Nectar Yawn, the mustard yellow pegasus, reassured as he downed an entire travel ration. His sisters stretched their wings with winces. Ashen Lace started poking her head through the old convenience shop they’d taken shelter in. Mocha Bird followed with a rifle strapped to her side. Without being asked, Grease trotted after them as they verified it was safe for them to rest in. Glass and trash rustled beneath their cautious hoofsteps, but no warnings came.

Pistol and Blue Grass shuffled Spurs onto a turned-over barrel with sacks of what was likely once apples spilling out of its sides. Any such smell was long gone. Blaze grunted as Misty Sparks helped her limp to the gathering group. Fresh potions were pulled from an uncomfortably lighter satchel. A bottle of Rad-X was given to Blaze who chomped a pair of pills down. A slow, steady tick came from their pip-bucks. When the rain worsened, the ticking became faster. Glassy emeralds stared at an old poster for a half-off sale on Sparkle-Cola as Misty Sparks began administering Radaway. Exhaustion kept the giant of a mare from acting upon the pit of dread in her gut at the familiar ticking.

Detached from the wagon’s rig, Comet curled up behind the ponies most in need of rest. His tail twitched periodically as his fin ears drooped, alert yet finding a chance of his own to recover. Debris formed a half-cushion, better than cold concrete but not by much. Blaze scooted closer to him with a hint of hesitance, before deciding to commit and resting against him. Warily, Misty Sparks followed to patch her cousin up.

Lonestar glanced around before huffing and sitting down, horn glowing as a faded deck of cards floated out of the unicorn’s bag. The case was cracked open. Worn cards glided with a flourish as the unicorn shuffled absentmindedly. Tired red eyes looked around for who was interested. Pecan Pie, Nectar Yawn, and Pistol all gathered with Lonestar around a half broken table without needing to be asked. Cards were dealt out with a precise flick of copper magic. It was a ritual, well trained into the family of merchants.

“You know, something feels fishy, looking back,” Nectar Yawn murmured, glancing between them as he picked up his cards. Orange wingtips curled invitingly to Skyfire. She pushed over a stool and settled in. Skyfire sniffed down at her own before lifting them with her feathers. She sneezed at the old smell. Pecan Pie chuckled as she sorted her cards and Skyfire blushed.

“Yeah? You might be right,” Lonestar sighed, ears pinned back. He took his hat off and let it dry on a nearby shelf. “It’d be one thing if they were camped out, but that looked like it was a long-term outpost. The razor wire, the barricades; those were all post-war modifications… recent too by the looks of it.”

“Do you think then somepony wanted us to get captured?” Pistol asked. His tail twitched as the game played out silently, hooves tapping, gesturing, and cards flying. This was a family game to unwind, yet Skyfire slipped immediately into the flow. She had played countless games with Jolts’ team.

Pecan Pie sighed softly and folded her cards for the round. “Somepony in Dryrock clearly didn’t like us then.”

“Well Sharp was the first one who said this area was safe, no raiders for days,” Lonestar huffed out, laying out his cards with a winning hoof. The group chuckled for a moment as they looked over each others’ cards. Pecan Pie grinned at her wise choice of folding, while Skyfire had lost big. Pistol gave the mare a brief smile before the next round started, cards floating out quickly. Lonestar paused for a moment to light up a limp cigarette, the faint glow shimmering as they picked back up the game.

“Sharp’s not the only one. Though I guess they weren’t raiders!” Nectar Yawn chuffed for a moment, his tail lashing. “Failed to mention the slavers, though that’s not what I asked Trails at the Quartered Horse. The folks there have usually been good with giving those ever so important details.”

Pistol fumbled his cards at the suggestion. “Do you think that somepony really wanted us dead? We have a good reputation as a caravan team.”

“Someponies don’t like competition, son,” Lonestar sighed. “We’ve had more than a few groups wanting to get in on the action. We make good caps on these runs after all, eventually you get attention. Not everypony is willing to play fair.”

The teenaged stallion frowned at his father, not quite understanding. “And we didn’t because they weren’t good partners?”

Nectar Yawn leaned over his cards and ruffled Pistol’s black mane with a wing. “This is a family caravan Little Gun. We’re a tight group. Family can trust family to be honest, but most other ponies in this game not so much.”

“We tried to raise you all with a sense of honor. The wastes might not have any, but we do,” Pecan Pie rasped quietly.

Skyfire leaned into the conversation, accidentally brushing Nectar Yawn. He squinted and pulled his cards away. “What’s Dryrock?” She asked slowly.

“Home. Simply. Home.”

“Do you have ponies waiting for you back there? Or uhm, a place that’s kept safe?”

Immediately Pecan Pie gave a whimsical sigh and leaned back on her makeshift seat. “Oh darling, don’t we ever? Lonestar here has enough family to fill a whole stable! What, between the cousins, uncles, aunts, and your… six siblings?”

“Seven.”

“Oh yeah, I always forget Ginny. Either way, Lonestar Caravans has enough kin to have a sizable voting block in Dryrock. If you ask me, that gets us enemies too.”

Pecan Pie threw down a winning hand. Nectar Yawn grumbled. Skyfire revealed a higher hand, and they all cheered her victory. The grin she wore earned a blush from Pistol. “So, is Dryrock a large town?”

Nectar Yawn folded the moment he looked at his hand. “Fuck me, you’re dealing me dirty,” he accused Lonestar.

Gray blue feathers swatted him upside the head. “Go find some manners if you’re going to be a sore loser. Your sisters aren’t back yet, check in on them.”

He slipped from his barrel seat with a dramatic grumble. “Fine, fine.”

“Put him in a hole for a few days and he loses all sense,” she chided, sighed, then addressed Skyfire. “Dryrock is south of here by a long ways, where the ground turns to red clay and the trees are mighty short. What’s left of them anyway. Ponies are getting things decently together down there, but food is hard to come by so we started a trading company. My handsome husband worked hard to get us off the ground, and now here we are.”

Pistol’s voice was tight as he spoke up. “A wonderful place that is…”

Her eyes lowered to the half-broken table. “I know… I’m sorry. This isn’t what any of us wanted, but it’s a risk in this life.”

“Not as much if ponies don’t sell us down the river,” Lonestar growled. “Maybe our pals in Hoofsten can help us figure out what happened.”

Skyfire cleared her throat. They’d all stopped playing. “I’m sorry you’ve gone through all of this. It’s just horrible! Betrayal is… unfortunately common in the wastes it would seem.”

The parents shared a look before Lonestar sighed, releasing the tension. “We survived thanks to you all. We’ll find out who’s responsible and go from there.”

“And by that you mean…?” Skyfire trailed off quietly. The glint of guns in magical glows caught her eye.

Pistol slammed his nearly forgotten cards onto the tabletop. “We’ll make them pay!”

“Pistol!” Pecan Pie scolded. “We don’t act on impulse like that.”

“They got Uncle Spurs blinded! They got our guards killed! They tried to sell us!” His words came erupting out, buried beneath finally let loose. “What else is there to do but make them regret cheating us?”

Lonestar cleared his throat and floated his hat onto Pistol’s head. The colt immediately calmed at its weight. “They will see justice. Your mama is right though, impulse gets ponies killed. We’ll be smart about it, find out who’s at fault, and put them in the ground; literally or metaphorically.”

Quelled, Pistol plopped back down onto his seat. Skyfire awkwardly shrugged, lost on what to do. It reminded her of watching her parents bicker over Lightningbreeze’s latest attempt at impressing Father. She almost expected Shining Arrow to slip in a calming word before a fight broke out. Instead, Nectar Yawn came back with a deep frown. “They’re fine,” he prefaced before anypony could question him. “Grease found a safe and is trying to open it. Apparently, I blocked the light when it was coming from her damn wrist. Ashen Lace is watching the rear so it’s just her and Mocha.”

“Probably more like they just want some quiet time,” mumbled Pistol.

Skyfire tilted her head, mane flowing to the side. “I think that helps lockpicking. You have to listen for the tumblers.”

Pecan Pie chortled, rose from the table entirely, and crossed to where Spurs, Blaze, and Misty Sparks rested. Lonestar followed with limping steps. Still wearing his father’s hat, Pistol asked Nectar Yawn to show him to Ashen Lace so he could help keep watch. The eldest pegasus smiled and together they left Skyfire alone. With a long sigh, Skyfire wilted onto the table and closed her eyes. Her body ached in ways she couldn’t quite remember. A short while later groggy purple eyes opened to reveal a large brown and blue mass, staring her head on. Several seconds later her brain recognized Comet. “Oh hi!” She hastily sat up, noticing his confused expression.

“Is it pegasi habit to nap with head on something sat like that? I saw one other doing that,” Comet murmured.

“Oh no, I just, it’s been a long day and the military makes it really easy to sleep just about anywhere. Even if… you weren’t in it long.”

“Has Baze been in mili-tary? She asleep within minute after Most Spurks left.”

“Uhm, it’s Blaze and Misty Sparks. Blaze is special,” Skyfire replied with a light giggle. “Anyways, you’re up and moving, do you feel any better with some time above the surface?”

Comet shuffled in place, looking down at his claws. He was hunched slightly beneath the peeling ceiling, water leaks made pronounced by the rain that now streaked down his emaciated body. “It nice to feel dirt again. Thankful. First time I talk with friendly ponies. You were, afraid.” He looked away uncomfortably. “Dragons have bad reputation.”

“How old are you Comet?” Skyfire couldn’t tell, dragons of myth and propaganda were said to be giant big fire behemoths who could shred cloud cities. This dragon was definitely a fair few sizes below cloud city smashing. In his condition, he might not even handle one ground dwelling.

“Am… adult. No remember number. Old enough go explore. Old enough be alone. I not like alone,” Comet sighed once more. “Thank you for listen. First time pony listen. Most run and scream.”

Skyfire’s face softened as she scooted her chair a little closer to the dragon. “I uhm, in other circumstances I might not be friends with these ponies here, but they gave me a chance. And I think you should also get that chance. It might not be easy to get others to, but I’m sure Misty Sparks can work her charm. She seems like she’s warming up to you. Helping others is always a quick way to prove you want to be friends, or at the least allies.”

That seemed to mollify Comet, who rested his head on the table, ear-fins flicking. “I would like have friends.”

“They tend to make things better,” agreed Skyfire. Purple eyes scanned him over, once more bewildered by just how harmless he looked despite the fangs, claws, and capacity for setting things aflame. “I’d be happy to be yours.”

With an almost comical noise, Comet tilted his head, ear-fins sagging with gravity. “You… would?” Flickers of light filled his golden eyes, something so far unseen by the intensity. Skyfire smiled back and gave a firm nod. “I… I like that. Friends.” Comet began to bob his head, repeating the word as if trying out how it sounded. A few more mutterings and he smiled. The corners of his mouth twitched as if the expression was unfamiliar to him. His tail curled around Skyfire. She eeped out of reflex as the dragon pulled her close, but again he showed no intent to harm her.

A hoof awkwardly patted his brow, uncertain if it was a belittling gesture to such a creature, but Comet only seemed to appreciate it. “We should get some rest if we can,” Skyfire said, allowing herself to relax against his scaled frame. Comet nodded once more and rested his head on a counter. Chuckling to herself, Skyfire closed her eyes. The soft noises of others shifting into places to rest or keep watch mixed with the constant downpour. Not far away Blaze snored loud enough to keep all but the most exhausted awake. Fortunately, Skyfire was one such pony.

“You can’t be serious,” Ashen Lace growled, staring ahead at the roadblock. The others were equally unhappy with the corpses that littered the path. There hadn’t been this many on their way down. “I thought you said this way was clear.”

“I said we didn’t fight anything,” Misty Sparks corrected. “There’s a difference.”

Grease stared down at her pip-buck’s map. “It’s the same place as before. Something came back through.”

Magic cautiously lifted the fresh bodies, likely no older than half a day. Unlike the skeletons of before, they were half-eaten. Rain made their mutilated corpses stink all the more. Birds flew lazy circles above, while a few were already picking at the ones further away. “I think I’m starting to hate birds,” Grease deadpanned. “Seem to always mean death.”

There was a chortle through the pegasi siblings, and Mocha Bird arched a brow. “Just because they see things from up high, it means they’re trouble?”

“Perhaps I like things closer to the ground, where an earth pony belongs,” Grease joked back. Their humor only earned a glare from Pecan Pie and Lonestar.

Comet stared at them with hollow eyes. Despite sleeping for nearly three hours, it wasn’t enough to give him back much energy. The fresh death was not helping that matter any. “Predator?” He questioned.

Lonestar grunted as he lifted another corpse, their guts spilling out. Immediately Pistol gagged. The unicorn trader gently lowered the body, trying to hide his own disgust. “Yes. Or somepony with a taste for their own kind. We should keep going before they come back.”

The steady rattle of the cart leaving the asphalt onto dead grass and loose stones was uncomfortable. Misty Sparks and Skyfire kept a keen eye on it for any weakening points. A low dip caused a sharp creak. Blaze grimaced and Spurs muttered a curse as they bounced painfully against the recovered scrap. “Any chance they’ll follow our trail?” Questioned Misty Sparks as another concerning noise came from the cart. The slaughter was uncomfortably large, spilling out on both sides of the road. More than a few appeared to have been running for their lives, spent ammo and broken healing potions telling of their struggle.

The scarred pegasus approached the bodies, her ears back in concentration. While she examined the area, her siblings searched for any useful loot. Skyfire again nearly puked as Blue Grass carefully prodded a mauled stallion with her magic. The family took to it with such ease the stable ponies, even Blaze, were disgusted. Pistol appeared to be the only one uncomfortable, brown eyes fixated on the body with the spilled guts.

Misty Sparks swallowed dryly. “You’re just… fine with all that?”

“Corpses don’t need supplies,” Pecan Pie said in a firm voice. “We’ll only grab what we can quick.”

Ashen Lace was the only one of them not looting. Instead, she sniffed and twitched her ears. Bright blue fixated on the east. “It’s a pack,” she declared. “At least six, maybe even ten. Mongrels are mean things when they’re hungry.”

A confused noise escaped Blaze before she shifted on the wagon. It was a mistake, as her weight change caused them to veer a little. Comet grunted, she gave an awkward apology and then spoke up. “How can you tell?”

“It’s what I do. I handle the animals,” her voice was flat as she considered the scene. Comet pulled the wagon back onto the road and grumbled with effort. It was far smoother on the broken road than off it.

As promised, the others rejoined the caravan, an assortment of supplies such as medicines and food now in their possession. Mocha Bird gave Grease a fresh box of 7.62, a sangria colored feather wiping away most of the blood. Hiding her grimace, Grease accepted it with a nod. “Will they find us?” Lonestar called.

She shook her head and joined them with a winged bounce. “No. They’ll be full from this. Other scavengers will come soon enough though. Blue Grass, cover our tracks.”

Within moments the herbalist had pulled out a small pouch and was tossing something powdered behind them. The fluidity of the family’s movements was a marvel to Misty Sparks. Only dedicated security squads who had been at each other’s sides for years had displayed such familiarity and prediction of one another’s movements. She glanced over at her team and saw no such unity. Blaze was sure to cause another scene should it fit her whims. The speed at which she’d defied Misty Sparks’ orders was troubling in many ways. There wasn’t a single part of her that doubted they’d face more grueling scenarios. She wasn’t sure if she could talk Blaze down again.

She hadn’t even then when she thought about it.

Stones weighed down in her gut. Misty Sparks stared at the road as they continued walking. They were alive by miracle and little else. She hadn’t even kept them from arguing, threatening, or nearly falling apart. The tip of her horn burned as she attempted, and failed, to summon some magic. Teeth gritted as she recalled what they’d been through, trying to process it before they got home. Breathing grew labored at just what she would tell her mother. How would she explain pointing her horn at Blaze, or the dragon? How long would it take them to work with a fraction of the trust the Lonestar Caravan did?

She feared they would crumple apart before they got the chance.

Hills of dull browns and grays were a welcome sight to the caravan as they neared Stable 36. A watch tower disguised well with some debris was just within view, meaning they were at most fifteen minutes of walking away. Exhaustion had given way to nerves. Misty Sparks had been practicing what she’d say for hours, working every possible response she could think of. Skyfire had been happy to help point out what needed refinement, but it didn’t negate the terror. It was time to find out just how open-minded her mother was.

Sharp blue exploded above them, rippling across a blanket of clouds. The sun had set, leaving them awash in the glow of the signal flare. It wasn’t half as beautiful as the Overmare’s spells. “Quite the clever thought,” Lonestar whistled as the watchtower gave a return signal, a trio of colored flashes in their perch. “So they won’t shoot us on sight now?”

Grease chuffed and picked up her pace. “They would never! If Comet was alone though…”

“Great,” a tired mutterance came from the dragon.

Another series of colored flashes caught their eyes. Grease froze in place. The rest of the caravan staggered to a stop, with Skyfire nearly walking into the heavily armed earth pony. “Sorry!” She squeaked. “What’s going on?”

Misty Sparks sighed and sat down. “Orders are to stay put. They’re coming to meet us. Probably doesn’t want Comet in town where he could hurt ponies. Not that you would, but they don’t know that. Overmare Flare is the cautious type.”

Travel-weary noises sounded out in near-perfect union as they all settled down to wait. Pecan Pie took a pull from a flask and offered it to Lonestar who simply shook his head. Shrugging, she had more. “How long before they arrive?” He inquired.

Rubbing her brow, Misty Sparks shrugged. “They’ll bring out plenty of guards in this case. Probably some doctors too. It’ll be… maybe you could take a nap?”

Immediately he cackled, nearly throwing his hat off with the sharp movement. “That long huh?”

Blaze’s rough voice followed a chuckle of her own. “Stable-Tec has some precise rules for strange happenings and they’ll be sure to follow them line by line.”

“It keeps us alive,” mumbled Misty Sparks.

“What was that? Can’t quite hear you from up here,” Blaze jeered.

“Knock it off,” interjected Grease. “We want Comet to be allowed to stay, yeah? So play nice!”

While the short unicorn huffed but said nothing, Blaze simply waved her off. “Whatever. I’ll make sure they let him stick around.”

“And how are you going to do that, oh exile?”

There was a lapse of silence. “Fuck you.”

“Yeah yeah, fuck you too. Now be quiet,” Grease ordered. To everypony’s relief, Blaze obeyed. More than a dozen small or otherwise arguments had broken out With Blaze involved in some form. Demands for meds, dubiously legitimate given her injuries, was the most recurring battle. Skyfire had nearly taped both of the cousins’ mouths to get them to stop.

With everypony's nerves fried and bodies nearly collapsing, Grease spoke up confidently. “Everything will be alright. We're almost home.”

While most of the caravan wore hesitant or exhausted expressions. Mocha Bird smiled. Warmth filled purple eyes as she turned to Grease. Immediately the earth pony straightened up. “You haven't led us astray so far.”

Spurs gave a long sigh from the back of the wagon. “Forgive me if I don't feel comfortable at the thought of a little army approaching while we sit here under a sniper’s barrel.”

An equally tired sigh from Misty Sparks replied. “I don't blame you after everything you've been through. However, I promise we will do right by you, proof is coming.” The blinded stallion nickered, voice rough like rocks. He and Blaze began to mutter to one another, quickly rising into sarcastic jabs. Misty Sparks did her best to tune them out.

The others were chatting idly, save for Comet. The dragon simply stood there, gaze fixated on the watchtower. The glint of glass caught Misty Sparks’ eye, and despite how much she wished otherwise she knew it was a scope. Comet was undoubtedly under the sentry's crosshairs. Were he healthy it wouldn't have done much, but in his present state Comet was vulnerable. A knot twisted her stomach. She moved next to him, a hoof gingerly touching his elbow. She couldn't reach his shoulder when he stood. “It'll be okay,” she reassured, half as much for herself.

“I not scared,” he rasped.

Ears flicked back. “You're not?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Comet tilted his head and curled his neck to look at her. Exhaustion clung to his starved frame, yet he gave a small smile. “Skyfire is friend.”

Lime eyes flickered to the gray pegasus. Somehow the mare had dozed off, head back and wings twitching every so often. Heat rushed across the unicorn's cheeks at how it made her chest fluff more pronounced. “Skyfire is good to have as a friend,” she replied awkwardly. “She'll keep you safe.”

“And you?”

Lips thinned and one ear flickered. “I'll do my best.”

A smile was given, a precious treasure almost. “Then I not scared.”

Humbled, Misty Sparks waited beside him.

“You know, this isn’t how I expected you to return,” Overmare Flare’s voice was firm as she took in the group of injured ponies. She hadn’t taken her eyes off Comet since her whole squadron of Security ponies had arrived, armed to the hoof in riot gear and battlesaddles.

Misty Sparks awkwardly smiled. “Well, neither did any of us,” she joked. Flare frowned. “Sorry. We are all relatively okay, though. At least nothing urgently in need of healing. My spells and the potions kept that at bay.”

Flanked by guards who were all but aiming at Comet, Flare advanced. “If I understand the situation correctly, you found these caravaners at the Goodwing factory?” Lonestar and Pecan Pie gave polite nods, both of them waving their hats. Sharp blue eyes softened at their friendliness, and she nodded in return. Stopping in front of Comet, she tilted her head up to meet his weary eyes. “And this… dragon?”

“Comet,” he introduced himself. The disused quality of his voice made it sound more like a growl. A wave spread over the stable ponies, some flinching towards the bits of their guns.

Flare whistled. Everypony returned to their previously tense position. “Comet. I am Overmare Flare. My watchponies say you’ve done nothing but stand here while you waited. Apologies that was nearly a half hour, I wanted to make sure we were… prepared for our meeting.”

“Ponies fear dragons,” he grunted. His shoulders swayed as the long day of hauling a wagon wore down on his already exhausted body. Having such a break while still attached to the wagon only brought the discomfort back to the forefront. Comet panted lightly, the struggle of talking more than a few words after so many months of silence pushing the dragon.

The familiar mask of caution Overmare Flare wore made Misty Sparks shift her weight. She had hoped to see that less often, but she couldn’t exactly blame her mother for it right then either. They had been asked to bring home aircraft parts and instead came with a predator with a bad history with Equestria. Shaking those thoughts away, Misty Sparks stepped beside Comet. “He was a slave, just like Lonestar Caravan. He’s been nothing but kind since we freed him.”

“Has he eaten?” Flare inquired. “Is he going to need something full of protein?”

Lime eyes narrowed as she thought of the right words to allay her mother’s fears. “He eats more than meat,” she clarified, “crystals are even better for him. We have some, don’t we?”

Flare turned her attention to her daughter, blatantly staring at the blackening of her horn. Misty thinned her lips as that focus lowered to her bloodstained armor, then drifted over her team. Skyfire and Grease were less sullied, while Blaze was kept hidden by the wagon. Only her ears over the railing confirmed where she rested. Cold ice turned to Misty Sparks, ever so slightly sharper. “Valuable ammo, magical foci, and crucial engineering crystals, yes. Ones we can spare for a dragon to eat, not so much.”

“I no eat ponies,” Comet reaffirmed. The firmness of his voice, despite how much it quivered in his state, made Flare step back. Again the guards shifted. “I tell them all before, I tell you now.”

Lonestar limped over to the unicorn pair with a soothing smile. “It’s true, ma’am. Comet here was locked up with my eldest kids for a few days. Prime chance to have some pegasi snacks, yet he didn’t. He’s even been so kind as to pull the wagon so my brother and Blaze can rest on our trip here.”

Immediately the pegasi trio voiced those facts from where they stood. Nectar Yawn carefully trotted next to them. “On my life I swear, he had every reason to eat us. They had him for weeks ma’am! Chained up where he could barely move and starving because he refused to eat any kind of pony meat. If that doesn’t tell you enough about his character, I don’t know what will.”

Head tilted, Flare hummed. “Rather promising testimonies for a dangerous creature. I try not to judge by species alone, but I hope you can forgive my concerns, Comet. The closest I’ve come to a dragon is history books, and they aren’t exactly kind to your kin.”

“He’s not one of them,” Skyfire cut in, projecting her voice with more confidence than expected. There was no hiding the way her legs trembled, or wings fluffed, yet she did not back down. Brow arched, Flare bid Skyfire to continue. “If you're willing to give an Enclaver like me, a group you believe your enemy, a chance then Comet Is even more deserving. He's far too young to have fought in the Great War, he's as blameless as all of us… maybe even more so.”

Emboldened by her friend, Misty Sparks pushed. “More than that, we’re trying to do better than our ancestors right? That’s the whole point of Stable 36’s ethos, isn’t it? We’ve given up so much to do more than survive but to learn from the past and thrive. If we’re going to adapt to the surface we can’t let our history rule us. We have to be better.”

A weight clung to the air that only grew the longer Flare looked at her daughter. Shorter than the average height of any adult mare, Flare still had to tilt her head down to meet Misty Sparks’ determined expression. “You’ve thought long and hard on this, haven’t you?”

“I wouldn’t have brought him if I hadn’t.”
Staring at the little mare, Flare gave another thoughtful hum. It felt strange to Misty Sparks to see her like this, far more composed than expected at the potential threat she’d brought to their door. Worries that there would be a more private argument began to prickle down her hide, biting at already strained nerves. There were plenty of reasons for Flare to act one way and think another, especially after the mutiny.

Taking her attention off her mother, Misty Sparks scanned the squadron of guards. Most of them trembled in their boots. Even starved, a dragon was a creature of legend, and Comet rose well above any of their heads. Surely if absolutely pushed, he could kill at least a few of them. Misty Sparks knew by now, trusted even, that he wouldn’t. Her fellow stable ponies had no such proof. Hot-headed debating would only set a pony panicking, and eventually, intentional or not, somepony was going to shoot. There was only one option that kept them as safe as possible, and Overmare Flare had chosen that long before she’d arrived.

Once again she felt respect and humbled by her mother. There was so much she would need to learn, intricacies of leadership she felt far from skilled in. For a moment it felt as if she were at the bottom of a valley, while Flare shone upon a mountaintop. Doubt, especially after this voyage, that she would ever reach the same heights bit at her. She forced them away as best she could. Some still lingered.

Another hum and a flick of an ear was all Flare gave as she addressed Comet. “It would seem you have my daughter vouching for you. And given the way the rest of this caravan, my ponies included, are acting I trust they feel the same. So, let us try something, Sir Comet.” She held up a hoof. Cautiously he lowered his head enough to sniff it. The corners of her eyes creased, but she did not comment. “You will be allowed to rest and recover in the surface town of Stable 36. You will, by no means, enter the stable itself. Aside from how you would scare everypony I watch over to death, I doubt you could even comfortably fit in most of its corridors. If you can eat things other than meat, I think we can spare enough energy ammo to get you more stable on your feet.”

“That… would be nice,” he rasped. “Thank.”

Nodding, Flare gave a brisk order for the guards to stand down. They obeyed in waves, rippling with far less discipline than Misty Sparks would like. Many of them wore new stripes entirely, likely some of the replacements for the mutineers. “I have faith in my daughter, even when I don’t agree with her choices. I will give you this one chance. Do not make me regret this.”

Comet gave a lethargic nod. “Thank you.”

Flare’s hoof was still lifted. Fin ears flapped as he observed her. “I assume you don’t know what I’m doing,” Flare chuckled and set her hoof back down. “Dragons don’t exactly have hooves to shake after all.”

“Oh!” He half-shouted. “No. Sorry. Shake hands… I think?”

“You think?”

“Long story,” Misty Sparks piped up.

Conceding, Flare smiled at the dragon. “Let’s get you out of that saddle, and have my strongest guards take over. You look like you’re about to collapse. I think you could rest well near the barn.” Already the bravest of Security were moving, a few barely even trembling as they grew close enough to the dragon could bite them in two.

Comet silently watched as ponies gingerly removed the makeshift harness, giving him ample time to limp out from the setup. The moment the weight was removed from his torso he slumped. His lungs ached anew as if the relief hurt almost as much as the strain. A hoof against his shoulder remained while the guards began saddling up. He blinked down at Skyfire, who had kept quiet like the rest of the stable ponies.

With grunts and muttered curses at how the dragon even managed to lug the heavy cart so far, the stable guards descended the hill. Blaze gave a wave as she and Spurs were far less smoothly brought to the surface clinic. The rest of the caravan followed after, with Grease escorting them. Comet stared after them until Misty Sparks cleared her throat. His eyes blinked out of sync as he looked down at her. Next to Flare, she looked even smaller.

“The barn? Let’s get you somewhere you can properly rest,” Misty Sparks started. Skyfire was already leading the way, a gentle smile on the pegasus’ face. Emboldened by the soft cheer of her companion, Misty Sparks let herself relax. Things had turned out much better than she could have hoped for, though she did not doubt there would be plenty of further discussion with Flare. At the very least, he had been accepted in some form. Whatever problems would arise next could wait until after a very long nap.

Chapter Sixteen: Alliance

Chapter Sixteen: Alliance

“It’s funny how much your opinion of someone changes when you actually talk to them.”

Pneumatic gears locked in place, leaving Misty Sparks alone in the Overmare’s office. Dim light from the atrium window cast an ominous glow behind Flare. Misty Sparks waited in a seat as Flare reviewed some reports, doing her best not to fidget. It was even harder to sit up straight. Every inch of her body crawled with the rewards of her mission; bruises, cuts, wounds, and sheer exhaustion. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Her gaze kept drifting to the door leading into their apartment. Her bed was so close, she could hear it calling.

Icy blue eyes glanced up at the little unicorn. “I'll be quick, I promise,” Flare reassured.

Misty Sparks gave a slow nod.

Five minutes later Flare signed something and then cleared her desk. “You were successful?”

“Yes. We found what we need for an engine.”

“And it appears you have made some allies. You're confident in all of them?”

Another drooping nod preceded Misty Sparks placing a token on the desk, something Lonestar had given her along the trip. It bore the same design as his cutie mark, a sheriff's star, as well as a pair of wings presumably representing Pecan Pie. “With this, we have proof of allyship with Lonestar Caravans. They have a few permanent shops in the area. With this, we would get a discounted price. I can only see this as a positive for us. We need good trade partners.”

“Comet?”

Taking a moment to decide the right word, Misty Sparks grimaced. She wished Skyfire or Grease were at her side, even Blaze, but Flare had ordered this to be private. The others needed healing and rest, and as much as she did the same it was the burden of leadership. Some things she had to do alone. “I trust him. We can consider this a probationary period, just like Skyfire had.”

“She was far less capable of razing our town,” Flare countered.

“The Enclave wasn't.”

Flare's nostrils flared. The calmness of earlier was steadily melting away. Misty Sparks braced herself. “He's a dragon, Misty. Even if he behaves himself, what of everypony else? Who will trust us with him living here?”

“Lonestar Caravans.”

“And our ponies? You saw how on edge the guards were! Most of our citizens faint at the sight of a radroach. An incident is inevitable. I doubt you didn’t consider this and more. Who’s idea was this? Skyfire?”

Misty Sparks pushed back. “I agreed to it. Blaze wanted this too! She of all ponies wanted to spare him!”

The noise Flare made was sharp enough Misty Sparks stiffened. Every hair was raised as if she anticipated full condemnation. “Of all the times for her to show mercy, she chose a dragon. There are so many reasons this will do nothing but harm, yet she got her way. What happened? How did she convince you?”

Misty Sparks looked away.

“What happened?” Repeated Flare, firmer this time. “Misty.”

A hoof tapped the blackened tip of her horn. “We fought. I… threatened her. Skyfire had to stop us. Had to stop me.”

“Pardon?”

Tears welled in lime eyes. Breath hitching, she fumbled out her response, “It was awful Mom. What we saw out there. I knew it would be bad, I did, but it was so much worse. They killed their own ponies, they mutilated the Lonestars, and they almost killed us so many times. Somepony exploded on me!”

Flare stared at her.

“And that's barely half of it! I almost got us killed. Me. I could barely keep us together, we fought, and I put my horn to Blaze's throat for finally showing some empathy! Yeah, he's a dragon but he really is innocent! He's been alone for years and wanted to die down there! We- I- We had to bring Comet. Skyfire's right, he deserves a chance! Blaze too, he can't just give up. We have to fight to live and show each other some kindness and maybe this was a mistake but I stand by it!”

She didn't realize the tears were flowing, stinging her eyes and darkening her soiled uniform. Her hooves trembled. Heartbeats drummed away in her ears and she struggled to catch her breath after screaming it all away. Flare came around her desk without a word and pulled her into a hug. Immediately Misty Sparks leaned into it, clinging to her mother as if she was a little foal again. “It was horrible-” she wailed.

“I'm sorry dear… We're done talking for the night, okay? Go get some sleep. I'll ask Melody to see you in the morning. Is that alright?”

Whimpering nods split the sobs just long enough before another wave crashed over her. Expression softening, Flare held her daughter close. “I'm overjoyed you came back,” she whispered. “I was terrified.” The reassurance only set Misty Sparks off into louder crying. Flare squeezed her tighter.

Soft hay was a simple, yet earnest relief to the exhausted dragon’s aching body. Freed of the wagon, he almost felt as light as a feather and as heavy as a stone. He fell into the hay bales without concern for how sturdy they were. Immediately they crumpled, turning formerly neat piles into scattered debris. Comet sighed as his eyes closed, ready to drift off to sleep in the strange barn. Unfortunately, Skyfire felt like chatting. “I can’t believe that went so well!” She exclaimed as she sorted out nearby tools. Despite her exhaustion, the promising resolution on the hill sent her nearly aflutter.

“It nice,” he sleepily grumbled.

“Yeah! Oh- don’t you want a blanket?”

He opened one eye. “No?”

“That’s comfortable?” She questioned further, pointing at the beige stalks pressing against his scales.

“Soft. Warm. Yes.”

A quirk came to Skyfire’s lips and she shook her head with enough energy her crimson mane bounced. “I suppose that’s a perk of being a dragon then. Most ponies would find that a bit itchy after a while. I could fetch you one to go over you.”

“More warm?”

“Much more warm.”

Comet licked his lips and gave a slow nod. “Please.”

Skyfire rummaged some quilts from a storage box and laid them across his back. They stuck up where they caught on his spines, tapering pyramids of smooth blue. To her impress, they were not damaged, only dirtied from his imprisonment. “I could see about getting you cleaned up tomorrow if you’d like.”

Steadily deepening breaths signaled his fast approach to sleep, yet still Skyfire did not notice. “Bath you offered?” He rasped, ear fins perking up.

“Yup!” Crimson feathers flapped rapidly as Skyfire finished laying the blankets across him. “Phew, we might need to make one just for you. Six of them barely cover you as is!”

“I big,” he mumbled, well aware of that fact. “You have water?”

“It’ll take a while to get enough for you. Probably just a soak rag to scrub your scales clean with than a proper sit.” Comet licked his lips again, more dramatically this time. “Oh. Oh right.” She quickly found a bucket and a small service sink. The pipes sputtered and rattled for a few moments before cold water erupted. Skyfire rushed to turn it to a lower pressure, eeping as she was sprayed. Now soaked but task completed, she dragged the bucket over to Comet. The dragon wriggled in his hay bed so that he could stick his muzzle into the bucket. Immediately he stiffened at the temperature, before plunging his entire muzzle in.

Skyfire watched in awe as he gulped down the entire bucket. He pulled back gasping, rivulets streaking down his brown and blue scales. “Cold!”

“Groundwater usually is,” she replied with a soft laugh. “I didn’t realize you were so thirsty. Let us know sooner okay?”

He gave a nod. “More?”

The mare chuckled, and once more fetched him a bucket of water. When he finished that one in a similar manner, she found herself laughing as he sheepishly asked for a third bucket. “Be careful not to overdo it. Whenever I drink too much water at a time, my stomach starts to hurt.”

Golden eyes, only briefly holding sleep back, squinted. “Never me.”

“Really?”

“Never enough water. Always little. Food same.”

Humor died. Skyfire glanced at the ceiling. “Where I grew up, we were extremely tight on rations. You couldn’t go a single drop over your allotment, and the higher your rank the more you were allowed. I know I was lucky to have what I did. I can’t quite imagine what having that little is like.” Skyfire hauled the bucket back to the sink. “I see the Stable as heaven almost. They have so much food, and it tastes good too. We had water, given the clouds and all, but pure clean water isn’t as easy to get as you’d think up there.”

Comet tilted his head, eyes fixed on the rapidly filling bucket. “Up there?”

“Oh! Uh, yeah. I’m from the Enclave.”

He blinked at her.

“Er… How to- uh… A bunch of pegasi went into the clouds when the bombs dropped, and some unicorns too. We live up there now.”

Fin ears flipped up. “Clouds! You live clouds?”

The intensity of his response startled Skyfire. She nearly tipped the bucket over. Quickly recovering, she gave a sheepish nod. “I did. Now I live here. Stable 36 will treat you well, so long as you do the same to them.”

The dragon stared at the ceiling, wooden beams and sheets of metal hiding the broiling blanket of thick grey. “I want live clouds,” he whispered. Skyfire chuckled, trying to hide the fresh pain such a statement brought. Once she brought the bucket over, Comet drank from it slower. It was clear he only did that for her benefit. “It safe?”

“The clouds?”

Comet nodded.

Ears pinned back and she thinned her lips. Letting herself lean into the hay, Skyfire reached a hoof out. Comet immediately pressed his nose against her. Something bubbled in her chest, and she shook her head. “Not anymore. I don’t think it ever was, honestly. It’s not very safe down here either, but I can at least trust everypony around me.”

“Moist Spurks nice,” he mumbled in agreement, nose still against her hoof. His hot exhales were almost like flashes of heat from a fire.

Skyfire didn’t bother hiding her laughter. “Misty Sparks,” she corrected.

“Ah. Sorry.”

Hoof shifting up to his brow, Skyfire gave him a reassuring pat. “It’s okay. I bet you’re sleepy. I should probably let you rest.”

“Please.”

Again she laughed at his bluntness. “I’m sorry for keeping you up.”

Comet shook his head and momentarily dislodged one of the quilts on his shoulder. Skyfire immediately fixed it. “You bring warm and water. Thank. See tomorrow? Maybe warm water?”

“You like things warm, don’t you?” She inquired as she shifted up from the hay. Several straws of hay stuck in her mane.

A slow nod and another steady drink of water stalled for a few moments. “Cold for long time. I want warm. Warm nice. Please warm?”

“Despite living alone for so long, you somehow still have manners,” she teased playfully as she shook out the hay. Only a little came free, and with a grumble, she began to comb through her long mane.

Pupils became slits as Comet stared across the barn, taking in deep brown wood. “I learn once. I try remember. No much remember.”

Skyfire frowned. “From your family?” He gave a solemn nod, then yawned. Dozens of sharp teeth were on display. Despite herself, her chest tightened and her fur stood on end at the sight. “Well, hold onto what you can. I’ll let you rest. I should too, now that I think about it. It’ll probably be late before I’m up, but I promise I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Tomorrow.” The dragon’s yawning increased, and he shifted on his hay bed. “Sleep.” Nearly a second after the word escaped him, Comet had slipped into the bliss of rest. Skyfire watched him for a few moments, marveling that such a creature could look so soft. All he needed was a teddy bear and he would be the picture of innocence. It was an even stranger thought at how little he knew. Questions of just what history the dragon knew filled her head, swirling like a building storm. She flapped them away, for now, she needed to rest. The way her hooves moved as she slipped out of the barn told her that burst of energy was about to end dramatically.

Lingering in the doorway, Skyfire decided it would take far too long to reach her room. She turned on her hooves and stumbled back to Comet. The others had been safe enough at the rest stop after all. Tucking in against the dragon’s side, Skyfire settled in.

“Warm…” Came a sleepy muttering as Skyfire found herself pulled closer.

She suppressed an eep, not wanting to disturb his rest any further. A quilt fell around her while a long arm hooked her against Comet’s ribcage. He was sallow, starved, yet safe. Despite every instinct telling her to run far away from the predator, Skyfire forced herself to relax in his grip. The hay was a bit scratchy, and the position was strange, but there was no denying how warm it felt.

Not even a month of sleep would be enough for Misty Sparks to feel rested after that adventure. Mud sucked at her hooves as she and Flare arrived outside the barn. Fresh rain pooled across the farm fields. Crops were replenished but were as strained as ever with the lack of sunlight. Waiting a few paces ahead, Sergeant Cuffs checked his pistol. Despite Misty Sparks’ protests that it was unnecessary, Flare had insisted he come armed. She didn’t bother voicing her uncertainty that he could even shoot properly with his eyepatch. The stallion had nearly given his life for her, she wouldn’t question him if she could help it.

Violet magic tugged on Misty Sparks’ collar, drawing her attention to Flare. “You look dreadful,” she muttered, brow knit together.

“Sorry.”

“If we could postpone this I would, but we need to learn about our new… friend,” Flare trailed off with a grimace. “Do you want me to do this alone?”

Barely a moment of consideration passed before Misty Sparks shook her head. “I’m responsible for him.”

Flare slowly nodded. “Alright then. Sergeant?” Cuffs immediately slid the door open. It would have been pointless to lock it, given the dragon could simply smash his way through its predominantly wooden walls. None of the trio were prepared to find Skyfire encircled by the dragon, a massive head resting across her lap like a pet. Both of them snored, Comet loud enough to disturb the water in a nearby bucket.

“What the hell’s bells is this?” Sergeant Cuffs sputtered.

“Perhaps we should come back later after all?” Misty Sparks proposed.

Overmare Flare entered the barn. “Comet,” she called in a firm but friendly voice. “Skyfire.”

Immediately the dragon opened his eyes, pupils slitted and sharp. As he focused on who had awoken him, they slowly calmed. “Morn,” he rasped and raised his head.

Skyfire grumbled and reached after him like a stolen blanket. When the warm pressure did not return, she stirred. “Oh,” yawned the pegasus. “Good… morning?”

Ice took them in. “Good morning.”

“What are you doing here?” Sergeant Cuffs stared as if he’d found Skyfire unicycling over a live minefield. His magic focused on his horn, but nothing was in his grasp. He was prepared, but not actively on the defensive.

“Sleeping?” Skyfire squinted. She tried to rub away whatever dreams clung to her mind. They were too vague to recall, but she knew well enough they hadn’t been pleasant.

Cuffs scoffed, then began to check the entire barn over. Comet watched him without moving, eyes trailing after the large stallion. A low growl came from the dragon’s stomach, and he grimaced. Cuffs stared at him. Neither said a word. Before the awkward tension could grow any stronger, Misty Sparks advanced into the barn.

Immediately Skyfire perked. “Misty!” The warmth of the greeting brought a smile to the little unicorn. “Sorry if I made you worry, it just seemed like too much trouble going back into the stable after I got Comet settled in.”

Misty Sparks neglected to inform her that no one had been aware she wasn’t fast asleep in her bedroom. None of the expedition team had to report to work the following morning after all. “Is he a good bedmate?” She tilted her head at Comet who still stared down Cuffs.

“Yeah,” Skyfire admitted, ears back and eyes averted. “He just wanted to be warm.”

“I like warm,” Comet remarked. Cuffs squinted and took a few steps closer. The dragon leaned his head forward, meeting the periwinkle unicorn’s caution with curiosity. Ear fins flickered and his forked tongue tasted the air.

Overmare Flare cleared her throat and the pair snapped their attention to her. She appeared unafraid, face calm and ears forward. Misty Sparks caught a brief tremble in Flare’s legs before it was settled. “I am glad you slept well last night, Comet. It would appear Skyfire made sure you were comfortable.”

“Much better cellar,” he replied with a slow nod. “Warm. Soft. Thank.”

The edges of Flare’s eyes softened, and she smiled faintly. “You’re welcome. I believe we also have another need to tend to. I had our quartermaster sign off for this request.” With a burst of violet magic, she carried in a crate Cuffs had brought ahead of them. It settled a few feet away from Comet, who immediately stiffened. His pupils thinned into slits and he began shuffling to his feet with awkward motions. The lid had barely been removed before the dragon plunged his head into it. Splinters and hay exploded. Cuffs pulled his pistol out. Skyfire yelped and dashed behind Flare who kept a stoic expression. Misty Sparks nearly yanked the pegasus out the door.

Crunching noises and a desperate growl emanated from the crate. The dragon gulped down whole scores of what was within. His tail wagged hard enough the spade end cut into a pillar. Wings flapped as if life was being breathed back into him. It wasn’t until he’d devoured every last piece that he pulled back and belched. Flare arched a brow as Comet sat down with a dramatic heave, a new light in his golden eyes. “That good?” Inquired the Overmare as she peered into the crate once laden with crystals.

Relieved, Cuffs holstered his pistol.

A hiccup rocked through the dragon and he gave an awkward laugh. “Yes. Rubies. Love rubies.”

“Gems?” Skyfire asked with a tentative smile. “I thought you couldn’t just give a bunch away?”

“All of those had faults that wouldn’t allow us to use them for their intended purpose. Nearly an entire year’s worth… devoured in barely five minutes.” Flare sniffed at the box before giving a soft sigh. “I suspect you’ll need such an amount regularly?”

Comet gave a sheepish smile, ear fins back and eyes cast away for a moment.

Flare squinted. “Please don’t tell me you need more than that.”

“I can… do with little. I have for a long time.”

“I will not starve you,” Flare refused, “but a diet might be necessary until we can get this worked out. Perhaps some pony food will work for you as well?”

Immediately the dragon scowled, a flicker of fire on his lips. Before Cuffs could draw his gun again, Misty Sparks shouted. “She means food that ponies eat! Not that you would eat ponies!”

Every ounce of hostility dissipated like steam on a mirror. “Oh. Good,” Comet said.

“By the Goddesses, you actually thought I meant I would sacrifice ponies to you?” Flare blanched.

A forked tongue slid over fangs. “Bad ponies did.”

Flare stepped closer, voice lowering with conviction. “We are not like those ponies.”

Golden eyes glanced over the four, lingering on the armed stallion, then drifted to the soft bed beneath him. “You not them.” A slow nod became deeper, an awkward half-bow that bobbed like one trying not to fall asleep.

A thin grimace pulled at Misty Sparks’ lips. Skyfire nudged her closer, a silent plea in her eyes. With a barely contained groan, Misty Sparks approached Comet. “I told Mom what you told us, about the slavers and what they did to you. I also told her about what you did for us. We’re not here to judge you. What you went through is your own business. If you’d be willing to share some of that, we would feel more comfortable having you around our citizens.”

“I try?” He offered after a moment of hesitation.

“Please. Maybe we could help you find a way back home.”

The burst of life the gems gave him began to dim. “Not… much go home to.”

“Because you were abandoned?” Flare inquired. She settled onto a clear spot and began to clean up the shattered wood with her magic.

Comet only gave a nod.

“Do you know why?”

“Little.” Comet curled back up like he’d been in the cage, trying to make himself small despite the impossibility of that fact. Even undernourished he dwarfed all of them.

Skyfire took a cautious step or two forward, then fully committed and settled next to Comet. The dragon gave a low bellow and looked away. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”

Golden eyes narrowed and Comet puffed a bit of smoke. “No. Story short. I had clan. Then one day… they gone.”

“Did something hurt them?”

“Hunger.”

Flare frowned. A hoof brushed past her flank, slightly plump compared to most wastelanders. “They starved?”

“No.”

“Then… They just left you? Alone? How old were you?”

“Not adult. They… said stay. I stay. Until…” Rough words tapered out. Comet’s fin ears were flat to his head, eyes on the wooden ceiling. “I go look.”

An edge sharpened already piercing blue eyes. Flare’s voice came out low and measured. “So they abandoned you, truly and sincerely. No cause given? No promise of return? They simply left a child in a… what cave?”

Comet nodded.

“By the Goddesses that is deplorable,” Flare snarled. Everypony stared at the burst of anger, barely a fraction as powerful as what she’d shown at the crash site outpost but it was still a terrifying display. “No one should leave a child like that. I am sorry they did that to you, Comet.”

Blinking, Comet lowered his head and sniffed. “Thank.”

“Do you want to find them?” Asked Skyfire. “That’s why you left, right?”

“Yes.”

“Any sign of them?”

“No.” Comet exhaled a heavy breath and shifted in his nest of blankets. “I… gave up.”

Cuffs sighed loudly. “Kid… kid? Sir? Er, Comet, I can’t say I blame you. How does that get you caught by slavers though? They’re a twisted lot by far.”

Tension rose up Misty Sparks, tracing along her spine until she stood rigid. She glanced at the sergeant and cleared her throat. “We already discussed this.”

“Sure, when he hadn’t eaten or had a proper drink in Celestia knows how long,” Cuffs replied. “I’m just hoping he feels a bit more talkative.”

“I no fight back. Why would I?”

A brow raised, Cuffs tilted his head. Flare watched him just as closely. “To survive?”

“Why I want to survive?”

Silence engulfed the ponies. Comet stared blankly at them. Every second that passed grew heavier. Skyfire kept her gaze fixated on the ground. Cuffs looked ready to bolt while Misty Sparks scrunched her face. Flare was the only one to keep his stare. “I am not a therapist,” she replied calmly. “I could recommend a few that might be willing to speak to you. However, that is not a question I could answer by any means that would help. Life is to live. It’s up to you to decide if you should, and what for.”

Comet’s nostrils flared as he debated her answer. “I… no like how…” Struggling for the word, he waved a hand limply.

She arched a brow. “Vague?”

“Yes.”

Flare chortled. “I can’t tell you what matters in your life, Comet. I can just tell you that I think it’s worth living. It sounds like yours has barely begun. Take some time to recover. We’ll talk again when I have dinner sorted for you.” She flicked her tail and Cuffs opened the door. Misty Sparks and Skyfire, after some urging, started outside. Purple eyes were wide as Skyfire took in the contemplation on the dragon’s face.

“...Thank.”

The Overmare gave a polite smile. “Until then, how about you try to figure out what you want. You’re somewhere safe, you can stop to think instead of wander. I’d recommend you take advantage of it.”

The normally cozy surface clinic could presently be described as overflowing. An entire trade caravan coming in at once for a variety of ailments tended to do that, especially in a fairly sleepy town such as theirs. What supplies were traditionally on hand were quickly expended, and backup had been fetched from the stable. Thankfully for Blaze, she had her own little corner. A worn privacy screen was drawn around her medical cot. Three IV bags hung next to her loosely on an IV stand. Blood, Radaway, and a vaguely blue liquid all slowly fed into a rather grumpy Blaze. Her eyes periodically flicked back to the sizable pile of pills she needed to consume regularly. Rad-X, Med-X, and a slurry of other pills are all required to keep her going. Much to Blaze’s horror, the taste was awful for every one of them.

The privacy curtain parted and revealed a concerned Hammers. He glanced over at her medicine table and sighed. “You know you need to take those if you don’t want to keep ending up here.”

Blaze’s ears pinned back briefly and glared at him. He simply stared back. Giving in, the mare grumbled and grabbed the bowl of pills. Without any pretense of manners, she dumped them all into her mouth and then presented the now-empty bowl.

“You have to swallow them, Blaze.”

The scowl returned with a low growl, Blaze quickly swished her mouth with water from nearby. She let out a huff and rolled her eyes when finished. “You didn’t come here to make sure I took my meds.”

“No, I came in to check on my daughter.”

That got a momentary soft smile out of Blaze. Something crossed her mind like a visible shadow. Her expression hardened and she let out a long sigh. “Shame I can’t be inside getting treated like Grease is.”

“We both know why you can’t… Maybe one day you can again.”

Blaze’s gaze averted as she scoffed. “Assuming I’m alive by the time Flare has a change of heart, unlikely. We got lucky with that fight.”

Dark green eyes became as soft as fairytale grass as he took her in. The stallion scooted to the edge of the bed. A hoof awkwardly reached for her leg, only to hesitate and pull back. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Why? I know plenty well enough about fighting to make sure Sparky and Feathers come home safely. Even if it means having to dirty my hooves. The other two don’t handle it well though.”

Hammers raised an eyebrow. “And you do better?”

“Well yeah! There are ponies in this world way worse than I could ever be. They don’t stop to ever think about what they do to others,” Blaze admitted, “I don’t think the world will mind more corpses of that type.”

Jaw tense and body stiff, Hammers watched his daughter. The mare did her best to maintain eye contact. He simply stared. Ears flicked and teeth pressed together. Eventually, she grunted, “What? You have a problem with that? I think some ponies take their chance and shit on it, a big fat dump.”

“I can see why you think that, but that’s… a concerning outlook, Blaze. Following that logic, what do you think about the pony you killed during the mutiny?” He leaned closer, shifting the weight of the already straining medical cot.

Blaze pouted and looked away. Only the dull privacy screen greeted her. “Dad... That was an accident. I kicked a battery, and it hit somepony in the face. They died. That’s… different. It’s something I didn’t mean to do.”

“That doesn’t make you a bad pony?” He challenged. “One that it’d be plenty fine to put in a grave?”

“Accidents don’t make you a bad pony,” she growled, but there was no fire to her words. “But if I can do that without meaning to, I could do that to ponies I know and care about.”

Hammers nodded slowly. “I’m glad you’re aware of the risk.”

“I’m not dumb.”

“I didn’t call you that.”

Blaze said nothing about that fact. Steadily the silence grew. Blaze didn’t dare meet his gaze. She laid further back on her cot. The lapse of conversation only grew. Both of them stewed in what had been said. Finally, as he went to break it, a voice called out from deeper in the clinic. “Hammers, are you in here? Someone from engineering wanted to update you about that blown water heater down in the kitchen.”

Hammers cocked his head and perked an ear. “The what? Give me a moment Blaze. Duty calls.” The large stallion grumbled and reluctantly pulled away from his daughter.

Not a second had passed after the privacy screen once again blocked the rest of the clinic before a blur of burgundy and brown dove under the covers. Blaze gasped and reflexively kicked out. “What the-” She started, before a familiar hoof pressed her mouth shut.

“Not much of a sneaky relief job if you get us both caught, hon!” Blitz giggled. The blanket concealed all but her muzzle.

Blaze shuffled to make room for the curvy mare, only for Blitz to put more pressure on her. Huffing, Blaze allowed the mare to remain laid on her torso. “Been a little while. You weren’t around when I got kicked out.”

“Oh-” Blitz paused. Her ears twitched and she looked away. “It was way early, and I might have been up too late the night before. Sorry.”

Blaze frowned down at her. Immediately Blitz reached up and rubbed her shoulder. To her shock, Blaze flinched away. Before either of them could process that, Blaze growled, “You said you’d see me off in the morning. Get distracted after I went back to my room?”

Blitz paled and touched her hooves together, “There was this big caravan who were playing hard to get with a sale. They needed a good night’s rest to be convinced.”

That did little to wipe away the look on her lover’s face. “Are you fucking serious?”

“I was then, yeah,” Blitz laughed.

“Babe.”

“I was fine, promise. Just took more energy out of me than I expected. I set an alarm and everything, but I slept right through it,” Blitz mumbled swiftly. Lavender eyes looked away and she puffed her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

A thick brow arched and Blaze snorted. “You’re what?”

“Sorry.”

“Can’t hear you muttering down there,” snickered Blaze.

Immediately Blitz puffed her cheeks even more, reminding Blaze of a filly about to throw a fit. “Don’t be mean!”

“I thought you liked it when I’m mean.”

“Not when I haven’t seen you for a few days!” She replied, but a laugh still rang through. Blushing, she pressed her face into Blaze’s chest. What she said next was lost in wet sand colored fur.

Rolling her eyes, Blaze prodded the mare. “I really can’t hear you when you talk like that.”

It took a few more prods for Blitz to look up at her. Immediately Blaze’s breath caught in her throat at how Blitz pouted. “I missed you,” Blitz confessed.

Heart fluttering, Blaze smiled. “You did?”

“Of course I did!” Blitz stuck out her tongue, ever deflecting as if sincerity was a sickness she would die from catching. Blaze stroked her muzzle. She could feel the heat in Blitz’s cheeks. A soft hum escaped the smaller mare as she leaned into the touch. Not bothering with words, Blaze leaned down and kissed her marefriend. Practically melting, Blitz met her in kind. They pushed against one another with increasing passion. Soft noises grew and Blitz shuffled up to better rest against Blaze.

Hooves held one another as they paused, hearts thumping away. Blaze smiled as Blitz pressed their noses together. “I guess you really did miss me,” she teased.

“Oh I can show you all the ways I did Sugar,” Blitz purred and kissed her neck.

“Ah- well… I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to such a display.”

Blitz snickered and messed with Blaze’s mohawk. “I’d need somewhere more private for all that though. I might like the risk of being caught, but that screen isn’t near sound-dampening enough.”

Flushed, Blaze chortled. “What, not that brave?”

“I’m not the one willing to go into the wasteland, now am I?”

An ear twitched. “Willing, sure. Want is a different thing.”

“Awh, Baby you know I didn’t mean it like that,” Blitz tried to soothe. “Don’t get all pouty on me now. I’m sure it’s not without its positives. Nopony can tell you to get back to work, and lunchtime can be whenever, and you get to have an adventure! It’s so boring here, all we get are stories from outsiders.”

A growl rumbled out of Blaze like a dog’s warning. “It was only one trip and I’ve already seen some fucked up shit Blitz. It’s not a game out there.”

“I know but-”

“No, listen. I still get bossed around. I still have to do the dirty work. Now though, there’s no Security to break things up when they get bad. The safety net is gone Blitz, and if I fuck up we all suffer.”

“You found a dragon,” countered Blitz with a shake of beautiful locks. “That’s an adventure.”

“At the bottom of a slaver den with no will to live. Yeah, it was real fun having to yell at him until he got up.”

“I’m sure you just wanted to protect Sparky…”

“I’m the one who wanted him out first.”

Blitz blinked repeatedly. “Wait, really? To… fight?”

Nostrils flared and Blaze shook her head. “Not like there’d be a good fight against something that doesn’t want to live. He might not be suicidal, but he sure doesn’t give a shit about his own life. He didn’t even want justice for what the slavers did to him!” Thinking upon the dragon made her heart race and hooves twitch. Blaze huffed and laid back against the cot. It wasn’t nearly comfortable enough for her liking.

Shifting to rest beside her, Blitz pouted. “I… I’m not sure what to say.”

“That’s a first.”

“Rude.”

“Yes, and?”

Blitz wearily smiled. “Ever honest, aren’t you? Look, you can’t deny something like that would never happen around here. That’s exciting.”

Blaze squinted. “You want the adventure, tag along next time.”

Immediately Blitz waved it off with a chuckle. “Come on, they wouldn’t let me within a hundred yards of your little team.”

“Sneak out then.”

“Blaze, be serious.”

“I am being serious. I would love having you actually there with me.”

Blitz frowned and pulled back. “I can’t fight.”

“You can shoot better than half of security,” Blaze argued, reaching for what she already knew would never happen. “Yeah Sparky won’t like it, but you have the charm to convince her!”

With a grunt, Blitz got down from the cot. “Stop it, this isn’t happening.”

“Why not? You said you missed me! You want adventure! Well, shit you are right there is adventure out there. It’s just also super fucked up.”

“I don’t want that part,” retorted Blitz. “I don’t have the constitution for it.”

Limbs shuddered as Blaze’s vision became red. “Don’t get all wistful about it then! You can’t have the fun without the danger.”

“It’s called daydreaming Babe, you used to be familiar with it,” Blitz snapped.

“Used to?”

“Yeah, before you became this fuddy-duddy!”

Something twisted like a knife. Blaze slammed her hooves down into the cot. Blitz stumbled back into the privacy screen. The bristling mare stiffened as the screen was pulled aside. Returned with a deep scowl, Hammers stood there with his namesake tool. “Why is it the moment I hear news about something that was in fact fixed last week, you show up?”

The mare returned only a pitiful attempt at an answer. She took a step towards Blaze, only to hesitate at how ready to bite the mare was.

Hammers shook his head. “No no no, she needs medical attention, not sexual attention. You can talk to her if there’s time after she’s discharged. Blaze needs her rest especially.”

Tensed, Blitz looked up at Blaze with big lavender eyes, only to balk as Blaze shook her head. “Fine. Not like anything was going to happen anymore,” Blitz grumbled. She withered under Hammers’ stern gaze, anger fading entirely, then left the pair.

Hammers watched with ears pulled back. When Blitz slipped out of the clinic, he snorted and faced Blaze. Immediately his frown shifted at how she held her face in her hooves. “Blaze?”

Equipment chirped away her elevated stress. He carefully approached her cot. As he went to touch her shoulder Blaze snapped up. While she was not crying, the heartache she endured was blatant. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Don’t touch me.”

“Come on… Let’s be honest here,” he carefully replied.

“I am not talking to you about girls,” Blaze growled. “Not… Just no.”

Wincing, Hammers settled into the chair beside Blaze. She bunched the edge of her blanket and tensed her jaw. “You know, we could… talk about boys?” Hammers tried to joke.

Utterly taken off guard, Blaze burst into a ragged laugh. “Shit. That was awful.”

“It worked.”

“Also no though.”

“Yeah I guess I missed that opportunity a decade or so ago,” he admitted with a strained smile.

Blaze snickered, “Absolutely.”

“Can we talk though? About anything, honestly. I… want to know my daughter,” he slowly asked, debating every word.

Blaze arched her brow and tilted her head. “Anything?”

“Yes. I don’t imagine you want more lectures, right?”

“Fuck no.”

It was Hammers’ turn to laugh. “Alright. Well, when was the last time you ate?”

She squinted at some random point on the ceiling. “Like, something good? Because I don’t count these ‘nutrient bars’ as eating good.”

Grimacing in sympathy, Hammers replied, “I was thinking more hayburgers? I can get us some.”

“And sweet potato fries?” Dared Blaze. Her eyes twinkled like a child asking to stay up past bedtime.

Hammers admired the mischievousness and nodded. “Sure. Sparkle Cola too?”

Thoughts of medicine, the wasteland, and even Blitz faded from Blaze’s mind as the too sweet of an offer was presented. Even she had to admit she wanted to learn more about just who her father was. She’d shut him out for years as much as he did her. It was obvious he was trying to do better like he’d claimed he would. There wasn’t a glaring reason to reject his attempt, and Blaze would score a free meal out of it. It sounded like a good way to spend the afternoon. “Alright, go get that, and we can talk about… I don’t know, hoofball?”

“Did you get banned from the stable team?”

“Yeah, now go get food.”

“Yes ma’am,” he chuckled.

With a yee-haw, the shot glass slammed onto the bar counter. Fire colored Misty Sparks’ cheeks as she watched the Lonestar Caravan indulge. The surface town inn was undoubtedly making a fine amount of caps on the tab they were racking up. Nearly a dozen travelers were listening to Lonestar retell their liberation, adding quite the emphasis to the talents of the Stable 36 team. The blush she wore grew with every passing sentence. Worse yet, he’d been telling such stories for the past three days from what she’d gathered.

“It’s not that bad,” Skyfire chuckled, seated across the table. “I think it’s nice even. Nopony back home would talk about me like this.”

“Does he have to keep mentioning I told him ‘getting shot fucking hurts’?”

From across the bar floor, Lonestar shouted, “Damn straight I do!” Another bout of cheers and laughter came from the listeners. Misty Sparks buried her face in her salad. A few tables over Pecan Pie was enjoying lunch with her children. The six of them occupied more space than Misty Sparks’ entire family. They were almost as rowdy as their father, with Pistol being the worst of them. The young stallion looked ready to join Lonestar at the bar, but Pecan Pie’s stern voice kept him rooted to his chair.

Misty Sparks and Skyfire had arrived twenty minutes ago after Lonestar invited them to lunch, only to find him surrounded by wastelanders. A waitress danced between the crowded dining area, while the barkeep was sliding one shot after another down to Lonestar. He looked like a hero returned from war, yet the names he laid praise upon were those of his rescuers, not his family. Misty Sparks was beginning to suspect that was the point of the invitation as eyes steadily turned to the pair.

Lonestar jumped onto his barstool, braced legs wobbling beneath him. Misty Sparks squinted but said nothing, he was the surface clinic’s patient now. “I’ll tell you what,” he drawled as he held out his latest shot of whiskey. “I never thought stable ponies could do what those young mares did. Don’t think they’re soft for wearing blue my friends, they’ve got hearts as strong as horses!”

Hooves stamped and whistles reverberated in the inn, deafeningly loud. Skyfire’s feathers puffed and she did her best not to hide, while Misty Sparks smiled awkwardly. “Thanks for the story,” she called over. “Not sure why you’re shouting it to everypony though.”

The stallion broke into laughter and shook his hat dramatically. “Well, not like you listen to the radio around here. How else are ponies going to know what you did if not word of mouth?”

A few of the travelers raised their glasses and dipped hats of their own. Misty Sparks’ ears fell flat as she realized what he was doing. A small part of her was satisfied she’d guessed right, while another squirmed at all the attention. “Oh.”

Half hiding beneath her cloak, Skyfire leaned closer. “What? I don’t understand.”

“They don’t have caps to pay us back, but they do have a reputation,” Misty Sparks whispered, gaze drifting from the chattering bird to the chuckling mother hen. Pecan Pie threw back her hat and winked. “That goes farther than anything else these days.”

“A few good words are better than caps?”

“From the right pony, yes.”

Skyfire nodded slowly. “Like a general’s recommendation.”

“Sure?”

Flashing a smile that immediately deepened Misty Sparks’ flush, Skyfire lifted the glass of tea she’d been sipping. “Considering what we did for them, I’d rather they tell everypony they can trust us, rather than lose what little caps they have left.”

“I do too. I’m just not used to so much… attention.”

One long ear flicked back and Skyfire tilted her head. “Really? You seem to get plenty of it to me.”

Silver hooves rubbed freckled cheeks, lime eyes setting themselves anywhere but the pegasus whose mane flowed like a river. “Nothing this positive, let alone from strangers.”

“You deserve it.”

“I don’t know-”

“Misty we saved those ponies. No matter what else happened, we saved them and Comet. You deserve recognition.” The firmness in Skyfire’s voice further took Misty Sparks by surprise. “Ponies like us go unnoticed plenty, enjoy when somepony finally sees you did something good.”

Catching the wistful taste of familiarity, Misty Sparks inquired, “Did you never get recognition in the Enclave?”

Shifting beneath her cloak indicated large wings were twitching. Skyfire finished her tea. “Not by the ponies I wanted it most from.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well… it doesn’t matter now,” she replied with a forced laugh. “I’m here now.”

Trying not to let themselves get swallowed in the dark thoughts, Misty Sparks smiled. “I’m very glad you are.”

Skyfire demured and waved a hoof at Pistol as the young stallion approached their table. “Howdy,” he said. His eyes lingered on the way Skyfire’s mane flowed, and immediately Misty Sparks found herself squinting. “Ma wants to talk to you.”

“And she couldn’t come over herself?” Misty Sparks asked. “Or just wave us on?”

Pistol cleared his throat. His ears fell back and he tore his gaze away from Skyfire. “I just wanted to be polite!”

“Of course you did,” Misty Sparks huffed. Skyfire blinked between them. “Tell your mom we’ll be over in a minute. Let me finish my food real quick.”

“Sure sure,” Pistol mumbled, stole one last glance at Skyfire, then trotted back to his family. Nectar Yawn patted the earth pony’s shoulder as the teenager slumped in his seat.

Misty Sparks chomped down the last of her salad. “That wasn’t the nicest way you could have put that,” Skyfire softly chastised.

“He has a crush, Skyfire.”

The pegasus tilted her head and she looked at the family. Pistol only appeared dejected as Blue Grass spoke to him. “Oh. Hmm, can’t say I blame him.”

A snort echoed in the space between them. “Never thought you’d be so confident.”

“Me…?”

Their eyes met. “You’re kidding, right?” Misty Sparks balked.

“I don’t see why I would?” Skyfire’s voice lilted with her question of a statement.

Straightening up, Misty Sparks rolled her eyes. “Everypony gives you stares, Sky. You’re beautiful.”

Crimson quickly colored grey cheeks. Skyfire tugged at her cloak. “It’s not just the wings?”

“Pistol grew up around pegasi, didn’t he?” She challenged.

“I suppose you’re right…” Ears tilted forward and Skyfire snapped her gaze to Misty Sparks. “Wait- you think I’m beautiful?”

Heat dashed across Misty Sparks’ face now, and she fumbled for a response. Her attempt at something neutral yet positive jumbled out in a quick stream. “O- Of course you are. You’re very aesthetically pleasing!”

Despite how loud the inn was, the air between them was heavy with silence. Skyfire began to comb her hooves through her mane. She was steadily fidgeting more. Misty Sparks tapped a hoof against her seat and looked away. A heavy rock settled in her gut as she struggled to make it any less awkward. What Skyfire said next only made it worse. “How so?”

Before Misty Sparks could further embarrass herself, Pecan Pie hollered, “You look like you’re done eating, come on over!” The unicorn practically threw herself from her table.

Skyfire blinked after her, then slowly slipped down from her seat. Ashen Lace slid down the bench and allowed Skyfire entrance to their meeting. Nodding, Skyfire hopped into place next to Misty Sparks. A map was sprawled across the tabletop, held down at the corners by drinks and plates of mostly eaten hayburgers. Pistol shyly smiled at Skyfire, who only awkwardly waved. “Nice to have you join us,” Lonestar chuckled from where he sat beside his wife. Pecan Pie leaned into him with a content smile.

“What’s on your mind?” Misty Sparks asked with blatant need to move away from the conversation she’d just escaped. Skyfire frowned but said nothing.

“To put it simply, I would like to ask for your considerable talent once again,” Lonestar began, “but this time, with a far more tangible reward.”

Silver ears flickered. “Not sure I’d put it that way, but what do you mean?”

Lonestar chortled. “Talent, not skill. You have some great potential, and I won’t deny some of you have already refined that into something fierce. You need more experience, and this could give you that, get us some extra guns, and maybe end up with a fat pile of caps for the both of us. Or, if you’d prefer, scrap?”

Lime eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Misty Sparks took in the map. It was a rather large scale showing the entire region. Down southwest in the dried plateaus was an annotation for Dryrock. Clearly marked around the central area was Stable 36, a recent addition judging by how crisp the marking was. About a five-day trek, judging from the scale reference to the northeast was a place called ‘Hoofsten’. She’d heard of it, a scrapper town many of their visitors passed through. There was idle chatter that it had a relative sense of security, but she didn’t know too many details beyond that. Catching on quickly to Lonestar’s meaning, she gave a low whistle. “That’s pretty far.”

“Maybe by your standards,” chuckled Nectar Yawn. “This route should normally take us a month, this is the final stretch.”

“Hoofsten has done right by us in the past, but after the slavers, I’m not so sure anymore,” Lonestar explained. “You ponies were looking for salvage, right? I don’t know any place shy of Baltimare itself gleaming with good scrap, and it’s a fraction of the danger to get it.”

Skyfire nodded vigorously. “We want to repair a downed vertibuck, a vertihawk model specifically.”

Pecan Pie stiffened. Pink eyes widened and she shifted closer in her chair, no longer leaning against her husband. “You… what?”

“Er… It’s the ship I crashed in.”

“Is its black box still working?” Pecan Pie demanded.

“No,” Skyfire replied firmly. “A decent amount of the engine can be repaired, but certain functions have been lost entirely. I doubt it will ever have the same firepower especially, and vertihawk models are a lot weaker. They focus on scouting.”

The Dashite stared at her, mane bristling and feathers raised. “You’re from Neighvarro.” It was an accusation, almost, if not for the lack of menace in her voice. Immediately the rest of her family looked at Skyfire. The mare eeped and Misty Sparks found herself half shielding the significantly larger mare from their intensity.

“Y-yes? H-h-how do you know that?”

“Only Neighvarro has that class of ships. Griffons inspired it, right?” The usual softness to her voice, like the touch of a fresh blanket, was utterly absent.

Skyfire meekly nodded.

“It’s a rare one too, isn’t it? Even over there?”

Again Skyfire nodded.

“Your ships killed my family.”

The chatter of the bar felt distant, as if over the hill rather than in the same room as the stunned ponies. Pecan Pie trembled. Lonestar put a hoof on her shoulder and she stilled. Their children glanced between the two pairs. “I d-don’t understand,” Skyfire whispered.

Pecan Pie pointed to a spot in the middle of nowhere on the map. Skyfire however immediately recognized it within the general vicinity of Neighvarro’s outermost borders. “The Enclave doesn’t like grounders, we all know this. Pegasi who turned their wings on the rest of our kind when they closed up the sky. Not everypony even knew what was happening, let alone agreed with abandoning all else. Equestria was our home.”

“We’re going to rebuild Equestria,” Skyfire began. Even if she’d already accepted she would never go back, a lifetime of their dogma did not wash away in a few months, perhaps even years. “It just t-t-takes time. It’s too dangerous for all the p-po-oonies up there to come down.”

“Does it seem as dangerous here as they said it was?” Pecan Pie countered.

“N-n-no…”

“Because it’s a load of horseapples. They use fear to control us up there. A vertihawk is never a good sign, little flame. When they show up, something black ops is happening. Something that they will do anything to keep nopony from knowing about.”

Skyfire vehemently shook her head and found her voice. “Jolts wasn’t a black ops pilot! I would know if I was working on aircraft performing such missions.”

“Would you?” Lonestar asked, his voice far less hallowed.

“Yes! He w-would have told me if no-nothing else.” Skyfire jabbed a shaking hoof at Pecan Pie. Misty Sparks took hold of her other hoof. “I was still a civilian engineer, they’d ne-ever have l-let me work on that!”

Pecan Pie grimaced. “Maybe not all of them,” she conceded. “All the ones I’ve ever known though, they were. Apparently, some wastelanders were sending up beacons. Hot air balloons with toasters for engines. Somehow a signal got through, even if their beacon was destroyed. My Pa picked it up. They wanted to know if anypony was alive up there.”

“And?” Misty Sparks prompted when Skyfire couldn’t speak. The rigidness of her body already told she knew what was coming.

“Contact with the surface is forbidden. Pa didn’t care. He and those ponies talked for nearly a month before the soldiers showed up, trading all sorts of ‘state secrets’ as the officers put it. Treason! When he refused to give the names of the ponies he was speaking with, they executed him. They branded the rest of us for not turning him in and sent us to the ground to be with the ‘dirt dwellers’ we so loved.”

“We’re told there’s nop-p-pony peaceful down here,” Skyfire whispered in horror. She gritted her teeth as her stutter only grew more pronounced. “That if t-there’s any life, they’ve all long since lost their m-or-rality. Only monsters live on the surface… At least that’s w-w-what they always said. I know that’s not t-t-rue anymore.”

The elder pegasus shifted back in her seat. “They put us in their ships and took us under the clouds. I got to see Equestria for the first time, only to get hoofed down to it from a vertihawk, wings tied.”

“That’s worse than an execution,” gasped Skyfire. Misty Sparks clutched her hoof tighter.

A sardonic smile replaced all the kindness they had seen in Pecan Pie. She looked like she had in the outpost, haunted and willing to fight the world. “They gave us each a knife.”

Skyfire gulped. “How did you survive?”

Some tension left Pecan Pie as she gestured to her husband. “I would be dead if it wasn’t for Lonestar here. He was in the area trading, doing a piss poor job of it too, but saw us.”

“Heard you more like,” he mumbled.

“Either way he’s got a lot of magic, and an even bigger heart. He caught me.”

The singular word hung heavy.

“Just you?” Misty Sparks ventured.

“Just me.”

Eyes were anywhere but one another as the ponies sat in the dreadful words. Pecan Pie stared at the ceiling with Lonestar stroking her wings in an attempt to soothe her. Misty Sparks squinted and lifted a hoof to mimic the gesture on Skyfire, only to flinch at the dark cloak between them. Purple eyes were fixated in the opposite direction of pink ones, burning a hole in the wooden table. Skyfire was painfully still. Nectar Yawn slid out of his seat with a grimace. “I’m gonna find the bathroom.”

“Oh, let me help,” Pistol said and the pair quickly excused themselves from the increasingly awkward scenario. Blue Grass huffed after them but clearly wished she’d come up with an excuse of her own.

Ashen Lace cleared her throat, a surprising softness to her sharp features. “The Enclave hasn’t done much to inspire goodwill in this family. You’re clearly different, Skyfire. We’d still love to have you on this trip to Hoofsten with us.”

As if blinking out of a trance, Skyfire’s ears fell back. “Are you sure?”

“You saved our lives.”

It was such a simple yet profound fact that Skyfire only gave a numb nod. Misty Sparks sighed and fiddled with her ponytail. “It can be hard to separate people from where they’re from. I appreciate the willingness to cooperate further.”

The animal handler gave a nod, clearly not used to smoothing issues over but trying nonetheless. It reminded Misty Sparks of her uncle for a moment, gruff and stiff yet sincere. Lonestar smiled at his elder daughter and she tucked away a smile. “Ponies can’t be judged only by where they’re from. Actions count the most,” he said.

Pecan Pie sighed and wilted in her seat. “I apologize for the… intensity.”

“N-no I understand,” Skyfire gulped. She took a few steadying breaths and then forced her words out more cohesively. “I would get worked up too! It’s quite the rare connection.”

“Yeah… I think I’m gonna get some air myself. Honey, can you handle all the details?”

Lonestar nickered and nuzzled her cheek. Smiling with weary eyes, the matronly pegasus departed from the table. They all watched her walk out of the inn onto the quiet street of the stable town, body drooping as if she’d just fought an entire army of raiders. It wasn’t until she was out of sight of even the windows that Lonestar began to speak. “It’s not hard to shake a stick and find someone with pain these days. You’re liable to find more injured than not.”

There was a moment of pause from the stable ponies. Misty Sparks rolled her lips as she debated her precise response. Skyfire was still holding her hoof from earlier, and she focused on it. “It’s an unfortunate commonality,” she agreed. “But that doesn’t mean we have to be ruled by our past.”

Immediately light flickered in the stallion’s eyes. “I like the can-do-attitude. I presume your mom will need to approve the plan, but I would appreciate you tagging along to protect us.”

“How soon till you leave?”

“Well my stupid fucking leg still needs to heal properly,” he lamented with a thick chuckle. “And your brute of a cousin does too. We’ll need a bit anyway for some full proper rest. I’d like to leave my brother here for now.”

“He would only be dead weight,” Ashen Lace explained at Skyfire’s confused frown.

Blue Grass huffed once again. “Rude.”

“Am I wrong?”

“...No. But you shouldn’t talk that way about Uncle Spurs.”

Lonestar waved his hat between the pair and they pulled apart before any sibling bickering could erupt. The brothers still hadn’t returned. Misty Sparks suspected they might have someone gotten ‘lost’. “Your doctors are the best I’ve ever seen, and we’ll come back this way on our return so it’s perfect.”

“That makes sense,” Misty Sparks agreed. “He shouldn’t be going anywhere in his condition.”

“Glad we agree. How long before Blaze is ready to hoof it?”

Puffing a cheek out in thought, Misty Sparks found herself focusing all the more on Skyfire’s presence. Fortunately, as Skyfire had been injured the least, she was already back in full health. Grease and Misty Sparks were nearly better entirely. Every wound ached with thought, or jostling, but it was certainly improved. Blaze was an entirely different matter. “At least until the end of the week,” she said. “I can’t be sure given her condition.”

“She does seem to need some… extra attention,” Lonestar remarked carefully. “Her muscle will go a long way though, especially bringing back scrap. Is Comet going to tag along too?”

Misty Sparks frowned. Skyfire squeezed their still clasped hooves. “I especially don’t know that. I suspect Mom will want to discuss this thoroughly. Comet is free to make his own choices, and who knows if he’s ready to get a move on anyways, or if he would want to. I’m not going to force him to do anything.”

Lonestar snickered. “I’m not saying you have to. I was just curious, he seems to have taken a liking to you is all. I’m not sure if dragons are like dogs where they stick to your side when you save them. If he does come along, I won’t mind. As long as he can keep the fire breath pointed in a safe direction.”

Skyfire flicked an ear. “He doesn’t seem to have much strength for that right now. The small puff he gave at the warehouse is likely the strongest he can do for now.”

“It might be more now that he’s eating three times a day,” suggested Ashen Lace. “On top of plenty of water, room to stretch, and a good scrub he probably feels wonderful. I’d expect his capabilities to have increased, but years of malnutrition do terrible things to a body.”

A brow arched, Misty Sparks smiled. “Are you a doctor?”

Ashen Lace shrugged. “I know animals, and we aren’t exactly that different. Some things are pretty universal.”

Lonestar affectionately mussed with her grey mane, and the pegasus puffed up in some failed attempt at looking larger. He only increased the teasing. “My little flyer is so clever, I just couldn’t be prouder.”

Relieved for the jovial moment after such an intense previous conversation, Misty Sparks and Skyfire admired the father and his daughters. There would be plenty to sort, plan, and consider, but at least there wasn’t the same rush of needing to leave before Blaze was shut out of the stable. Nor were there potential slavers nipping at their heels. The idea of embarking on such an adventure, with the very real reward of allyships and salvage, was beyond tempting. If their expedition needed to continue in order to get the Skyhawk operational again, it seemed the obvious next step. Taking in Lonestar as he ruined both of his daughters’ nicely combed manes, Misty Sparks allowed herself a smile. They would be pleasant company and experienced enough to trust where the stable mares’ experience and skills lacked.

Perhaps this expedition trip would go a lot smoother.

Chapter One: Welcome To The Wastes

“Glorious Equestria”

“Jolts, where are we going?”

Silence.

“Jolts I know you’re flying this thing- I can’t remember five minutes ago but I know for a fact we’re in your dumb Vertihawk, I can see the stencil of your personalized name for it painted onto the cabin door.” Skyfire commented sharply, rubbing her throbbing head as she listened to the rising whine of the engines as it warmed up. She only had a crate in front of her in the cramped cargo compartment, taking up the small floor space within. She was strapped in, no notes, no memory of a briefing, and that throbbing headache.

She tried undoing the mesh harness holding her against the padded seat, but it had been secured too tightly for her frazzled head. Looking around, her confusion only grew at seeing she was the only one in the metal compartment in the back half of the Vertihawk. It was rare to only have a two pony crew for a stealth and reconnaissance vehicle.

“Jol-”

“Skyfire we’re going to deliver that crate to Aurora, I figured you’d remember but I suppose you did trip and bump your head just a few minutes ago, we’re about to take off,” came the tense response of the pegasus’ long time friend. Skyfire wasn’t quite all there, with that excruciating headache, but she could hear voices shouting outside as the aircraft lifted up swiftly, before the mare was thrown back against her seat.

“ W-why didn’t they bring somepony else if I just injured myself, that’s standard protocol.” The mare fired back, her ears perking up as she heard an explosion of angry talking from a nearby headset. She struggled against the acceleration to unclip her harness so she could grab the headset and listen into what Jolts was dealing with, feeling uneasy as she could catch bits of the hasty responses he was firing back into the airwaves.

The cacophony was silenced as the stallion in the front cut the audio, sending a small chill down Skyfire’s back. He was silent for a bit longer, piloting through the clouds, low running lights that ran along the floor to the the door ramp dimmed in the darkness. “Look- Sky we’re getting out of here and going to deliver this now, then it’ll be a better life for us, one where you’re free from Irontail’s scowl and able to do whatever you want.”

“Jolts! Why would you do this? Things were fine enough, and yeah my dad hated my decision to not become a soldier but he wasn’t going to kill me. I’ll be fine up here in Neighvarro, I’ll figure out some way to console him.” The mare shouted back, unable to ignore the growing unease as the gap in her memory gnawed at her more and more.

“If I had bumped my head hard enough to not remember- Why are warning sirens are going off Jolts?” Skyfire barely started her accusation when the sudden barrage of sounds from the cockpit caught her attention. “Is that a missile lock noise, what the hell did you do?” She shouted up at him, grunting as the Vertihawk suddenly pitched up, slamming her back into the seat. Her wings ached from the impact, grey and crimson feathers ruffled with nerves.

The increasing intensity in the alarms only worsened her fears as the mare felt herself thrown back and forth, the aircraft screaming through the sky. She cursed the lack of windows in the cargo compartment, only able to glance through the small corridor connecting to the cockpit, purple eyes widened as she realized they had cleared the clouds. She could see for the first time the ground of Equus, muddy browns mixing with dead greens and greys as hills rolled and mountains rose up towards the clouds, even piercing a few as they passed at a neck-breaking speed. Her jaw fell open slightly in awe.

Jolts broke his silence, glancing back into the bay to give his bravest smile to the mare. “You’ll understand once we’re safe and out of harm's way. Just trust me on this,” he started saying before swearing and pulling back on the yoke, slamming Skyfire back into the seat hard enough to worsen her headache.

Her vision blurred as the worsening spikes of pain began to make her nauseous; she fought to lift her head so she could look Jolts in the eyes when she became aware of a distinct screaming noise behind her. Unable to resist looking, the mare scoffed at herself, knowing there wasn’t a window to look at what she was pretty certain was behind them. There was no denying that aggressive and powerful noise.

Turning back to look through the cockpit her eyes widened as she noticed Jolts was staring back at her, orange eyes betraying his fear. She’d never seen him so afraid. A second later her vision exploded into stars as her head slammed violently into the hull. Skyfire barely registered the explosion as she faded from consciousness.

A soft bubbling noise filled the chemical shop, accompanying a large mare’s bored sighs as she sat on a barstool watching an ongoing experiment. Blaze spun around slowly, looking up at the metal ceiling, rust picking at the support beams. She yawned, emerald eyes lidded, before looking down at the small silver unicorn beside her. “I’m bored!”

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed,” drawled Misty Sparks, lime green eyes narrowing at the large mare besides her. “Can you bring me those supplies?” She inquired, gesturing with a hoof, though she wasn’t quite looking at the storage area. She easily could have grabbed it with her magic, but she wanted breathing space from the stench clinging to Blaze.

“Fine,” muttered Blaze, jumping down from the barstool she’d been occupying and crossing the way to the shelf. There was a large crate resting just in front of it, something the muscular mare could easily lift or drag over. She lifted her hoof and paused, resting it on the lid. “Only if I get a hit,” she demanded with a leering smile.

Misty Sparks looked up, squinting at Blaze. She didn’t say anything at first, but the telltale glow of a green aura surrounded her horn, manifesting around the crate at the same time. Blaze sat on it before Misty Sparks could lift it, a cheeky expression on her face when the unicorn grunted with effort before relenting. “Fine.” A delighted squeak escaped the earth pony, Blaze happily dragging the crate across to Misty Sparks’ work counter. She smashed the lid off with a sledgehammer, rather than simply removing it. She kept it on her person at all times. Misty Sparks shielded her face with her Pip-Buck, from the flying splinters.

With a sigh, Misty Sparks floated out the ingredients she needed for her current concoction, an experimental mix between Dash and Stampede. It was work, and she loved it, but some days her cousin’s never ending demands for samples could grate on her last nerve. If she didn’t suspect Blaze only stuck around for the chems, she perhaps would have been more strict with her. Maybe even kick her out of her chem shop entirely, but then she’d have been all alone. It wasn’t like there were many other chemists in Stable 36, just herself and the mare who worked the other shift. Nopony else was devoting themselves to the creation of chemical concoctions.

Digging through one of her lockboxes, Misty Sparks offered Blaze her payment for the help, and the wet sand colored mare greedily snatched the container of Buck. “You know that stuff is bad for you right?” Misty Sparks inquired with a defeated tone as Blaze gobbled a few tablets down, stuffing the rest in her construction barding.

“Yeah and?”

With a roll of her eyes Misty returned to her equipment, watching the bubbling chemicals that worked their way through glass tubes into other beakers. As much as she loved experimenting, it didn’t take long for her mind to drift, wondering how much longer she had on her shift, and thusly how long before she could escape Blaze. She was dangerously close to the end of her patience for Blaze. Unfortunately for her, Stable 36 ran a tight schedule with long hours for its workers, and she was maybe halfway finished with her shift. Misty sighed with a bored look on her face, she had to agree with Blaze on a few things, the days could be rather dull.

Jumping down from her barstool, the notably smaller unicorn trotted past her inebriated hulk of a cousin, Blaze laid out on the floor with a content smile upon her face. Misty Sparks couldn’t hide her scowl, and opened the door to the dirt street outside. “Looks like another day with no customers,” she drawled, scanning the street. She helped run the chem shop on the little surface town cropped up around Stable 36 down the road.buried beneath a massive hill Between the small shops, an inn, and a surface jail, she couldn’t spot anyone who wasn’t sporting a Pip-Buck on their right foreleg. She could just make out the farm between the buildings, the soft buzz of the artificial sunlight lamps the only thing giving them a decent harvest with the constant cloud cover courtesy of the Enclave. The farm lamps sounded a bit louder than normal, making her wonder if they needed maintenance again, almost everything seemed to break as soon as they were working again.

While being located hours away from anything of note had worked in their best interest in the early years after the Last Day, now Stable 36 was little more than a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, nothing but hills, scrubby farms, and the occasional blasted out ruin. It was a wonder it was doing as well as it was, seeing as Red-Eye was making his approach out of Fillydelphia, but their remote location lessened her worry of him cresting the hills and enslaving them all. It made things boring, but she would take that over danger any day.

“Alright Blaze,” Misty Sparks called, turning back into the ramshackled shop. “I need your-”

Her words died in her throat as a deafening roar split the sky, sending her jumping forward and yelping. The walls of the chem shop shook, product on display and beakers shattering on the floor. Blaze waied in dismay at the loss. “What in Celestia was that!” Screamed Misty Sparks, looking at Blaze who was trying to lick the drug reagents off the ground. “Blaze!”

Bloodshot emerald eyes flicked up to her, paused mid-lick. “Huh?”

“Are you- ugh!” Misty Sparks made a noise of disgust, spun on her hooves and galloped out the store. Ponies were filling the street, staring up at the sky and neighing in fear. A security pony was levitating binoculars from his belt, but even without them Misty Sparks could see the cause of the roar. A trail of smoke hurtled across the sky in the northwest, dark and terrifying, headed northeast of town, a few spots thicker as if whatever it was had exploded multiple times, one thick ring just above the town. She could just spot a hulk of black before it vanished behind the rising hills.

“Oh fuck,” the security pony muttered, “looks like an Enclave ship got shot down.” The gathered stable ponies began to panic. “Calm down everypony, I’m sure they won’t land too close to us,” he said as reassuringly as he could. “I don’t think they’ll come poking around the stable anytime soon.”

There was a second roar, this one crunching and almost wet. Misty Sparks pinned her ears to her skull in terror. She was trembling, bodies pressing against her as the herd of ponies struggled with not panicking further. “Everypony!” A large periwinkle unicorn called, horn glowing as a spell amplified his voice. “Return to the stable immediately! Until we have a grasp of the situation we are going to treat this as a serious threat to the safety of Stable 36! Chief Smokey will have a squad out to investigate shortly!” He turned to the pony with the binoculars. “Help establish a perimeter, we can’t have anypony going and investigating on their own.”

“Yes, Sergeant Cuffs!” He replied, snapping a salute and then galloping away.

Misty Sparks slunk back into her shop as the rest of the crowd was practically pushed to the stable entrance, her small frame helping her sneak away. Heart racing as she closed the door behind her, Misty Sparks was shocked to find Blaze no longer slurping up half cooked chems, and instead tugging on her saddlebags. “Blaze?”

“Heya Sparky,” she grunted, fiddling with the leather straps.

“What are you doing?”

“Uh, what’s it look like?” Blaze snarked, finally getting them in place. She ran a hoof through her punk cut red and pink mane, shaking it with distaste at the grime from her unwashed hair. She looked back at Misty Sparks, blinking as if surprised she was still there. “Whatever just crashed is the most exciting thing to happen around here in- what, years? I’m gonna find out what it was.”

“But Sergeant Cuffs said-”

“Do I look like I care?” Blaze cut her off, stomping a hoof and looming closer. Misty Sparks’ ears fell back as she recoiled against the door. “You can come with if you want, probably somepony hurt out there after all, but if I find out you tattled, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”

The unicorn yelped, almost melting into the metal door as she cowered. “Okay! If you go alone you’ll definitely hurt yourself!” She said, trying to stand up to Blaze but she couldn’t hold that courage for even a moment. “Let me get my stuff too okay?” Blaze grunted, but stepped back enough to let her slip past. She practically flew across the shop to where she kept an emergency pack, pulling it on with practiced ease. Her frantic movements paused on the 10mm pistol she kept under the counter.

“Take it,” Blaze ordered suddenly in her ear, startling Misty Sparks.

“You think I’ll need it?” She gulped.

“Cuffs ain’t wrong about one thing, it could be dangerous,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “So keep your magic on the trigger and I swear if you shoot me, I will grind you into dust.”

Giving a small nod, Misty Sparks slipped it into her saddlebag with the one magazine of ammo she kept with it. She double checked she had enough magical bandages, healing potions and other emergency supplies before nodding at Blaze. “Okay, I’m ready. We’re uh, going to have to sneak out though.”

There was a knock at the door, and a voice distorted by the thick metal called in, “Anypony in there? We’re evacuating to the stable!”

Misty Sparks gulped, and closed her eyes as she expected them to come bursting in and stop the pair before they could run off to the crash site. She almost wanted that even, but the thought of an injured pony was starting to itch at the back of her mind. Opening one eye when no voice barked at them to go home, she blinked in confusion at Blaze who rolled her eyes. She was carrying her sledgehammer now, looped into her construction barding. “It’s locked Sparky, now come on, we’re going out the back.”

“Oh… Right.”

“And keep quiet!”

The dark, ragged mess of clouds seemed to loom ever closer as the earth pony and unicorn trotted across the barren wasteland. What once was lush fields of grass spotted with birch trees was now nothing but sand and dirt, the shriveled up remains of the grand foliage little more than a mockery of what once was. As her hooves swiftly moved Misty Sparks across the rocky surface, she narrowed her eyes to inspect the still rising plume of smoke. There must have been a lot of fuel for it to still be so thick and strong after a few hours, only growing larger the closer they got and a pit formed in her chest. She couldn’t stop the gnawing anxiety that there was going to be nothing but corpses on the other side of the hill, that the ground would be stained red and littered with appendages.

She shuddered, pausing to shake her head clear.

Had Blaze been less drugged up she might have even thought to pause and make a comment of Misty’s nervous actions, instead her mind was focused on the smoke rising up into the sky. She was far less winded than she would have been if she had gone alone, Misty Sparks’ lack of endurance slowing them down. This earned the unicorn quite a few angry glares and comments whenever the short legged mare needed to pause to catch her breath. Blaze’s drug addled mind made it all but impossible not to snap at her cousin but she was doing her best, knowing that it was preferable to the egghead running off and getting hurt. She’d have to chase after her and then argue some more and no doubt return to the stable early. That’d involve a lot more yelling from all the bigwigs in the stable, and Blaze hated getting yelled at.

The withdrawals were starting to kick in, every thought giving the stubborn mare another kick in the head. Her breath felt heavy, a thickness to her chest that was almost burning, eyes starting to itch and burn. Every so often her short tail would twitch, ears flicking as she had heard something, half disbelieving it had even really existed. To top it all off, her patience was also at its end, a different kind of fatigue settling in her bones, one that could only be cured with another dose of Buck. “We’d have been there and back if you kept up,” Blaze hissed. It felt like the millionth time they had to pause for a break, Blaze nearly trotting in place, if one could consider stomping the ground angrily trotting in place. “I wanna get to the adventure before it all dies!”

Misty Sparks pinned her ears back, not quite liking Blaze’s whole mentality about the situation, treating it as if it were some game. “I’m trying.” Her lime green eyes widened slightly in fear. She wasn’t sure if the sandy mare would leave her behind or start threatening her; she couldn’t decide which was worse as she slid down onto the ground panting.

“Damnit Sparky, you want us to get there just late enough for somepony to die in your hooves?” Blaze snarled out, narrowing her eyes as she snorted and stomped at the ground further. The unicorn narrowed her eyes in return, not a fan of the concise nickname her cousin had given her ages ago. She didn’t like being called ‘Sparky’, nor did she appreciate being guilt tripped.

Blaze only rolled her eyes at her cousin’s lack of spine, wishing she had dragged along a sturdier pony for once; turning back and trotting up the hill before stopping dead in her tracks. Her eyes shot wide, ears perked up in alarm as she was presented with the view of a fairly mangled up, smoldering hunk of metal that definitely was once an Enclave aircraft. The remains of gnarled trees sprung up around it, some still burning and feeding into the billowing smoke, while others were husk and ash.

“S-Sparky… You might wanna get up here…”

Misty Sparks knew a few things about Blaze, and chief among them was that she was rarely so taken aback, making her realize that whatever was beyond the hill was enough to astound the mare. That alone was enough for the unicorn to shift away her annoyance, and focus her interest on what lay ahead. Shakily getting to her hooves, she crested the hill. “What Blaze? What is-” Her jaw dropping open as she saw the mangled up aircraft.

The first thing that caught the unicorn’s attention, aside from the burning hunk of metal, was a massive puddle of a dark liquid. Blood? She couldn’t figure out what it was but there was too much to be from one pony. That only heightened her fears that she would find something gruesome. Her hooves moved on their own, carrying her into the burning grove of trees. Large hunks of metal were cast out from the crash, a few sparked with fried circuitry while others were nothing more than black and twisted from the heat. Stopping just short of the main body of the crash, Misty Sparks stared at the dark pools that seeped into the ruddy earth. She found herself leaning down to sniff at the liquid, causing Blaze whom hadn’t moved yet to jump as she realized that her wimpy cousin had already started surveying the wreckage.

Blaze started moving over to comment on how much oil the machine could hold to have caused such a fire when she realized the unicorn was shaking. “You know… That’s not blood right?” Blaze couldn’t help but ask sarcastically, letting out a snicker at the end, her expression one of major amusement. She knew that it was mean to tease her cousin but she couldn’t help it. The little unicorn almost made it too easy sometimes.

Misty Sparks couldn’t help but turn and scream back in return, “Blaze dammit, I- fine, my anxiety got the best me! I’ve just never seen anything like this!” The mare stomped the ground twice during one of her rare moments of vocal anger, and as quickly as it happened, it was gone. The mare quickly sighed as she became weary once again, glancing around with ears flat.

“Neither have I,” Blaze replied, brimming with excitement. “Fun ain’t it?”

“Only you would say that,” Misty Sparks muttered, before looking back at the puddles of oil. It did look like blood at first, but it was really just red oil that had soaked into the ground. “I don’t want to find a dead pony.” She admitted a bit sheepishly, kicking at a piece of scrap.

“If you didn’t want to find dead things then why did you come with me to a crash site?” Blaze asked, raising an eyebrow as she wandered around, kicking various pieces of scrap, lifting up debris, glancing for any signs of life. “I suppose you might get lucky in that regard.” She added finally, flinching as she heard a grating wheeze. She looked around, ears flicked forward, trying to detect the source of noise. There was something off about the sound, sending a chill down her spine as she heard it once more only heavier and growing closer.

Her E.F.S., Eyes Forward Sparkle, was starting to turn red. One solid red dot was in the corner of her vision. Then another joined it, and another, until there were five slowly ambling in what felt like closer to them. “Sparky,” she hissed briskly, backpedaling towards Misty Sparks who looked up at her. “You seeing this?”

The unicorn looked around, confused, until she noticed the growing red in her own vision. Her horn glowed green as she withdrew the 10mm pistol from her saddlebag. “Uh- what do you think it is?” She moved closer to Blaze, shaking.

“Shush,” Blaze ordered, “lemme listen.”

The wheezing was mixing with a low rattle, like something bouncing in a cage of bones before slipping out of a fleshy exit. Emerald eyes widened with realization, the stories of travelers springing to the forefront of the chem-head’s mind. Just as she went to tell Misty Sparks the first one came around the corner. A ghoul, a formerly normal pony subjected to the horrors of magical radiation to an extreme point, stared at them with soulless black eyes. Its flesh was either rotting or sloughing off its body entirely, with some patches of colorful fur left. Its limbs were twisted and deformed. This particular one was lacking the bottom of its jaw, cancerous tongue lolling out with a dripping ichor that wasn’t quite spit. The wheezing noise emanating from its mindless body was overwhelmingly loud now. There were ghouls who hadn’t gone that far, who still held their mind and sanity and were more like horribly deformed ponies. This was not one such ghoul, instead feral and cannibalistic and all it saw before it was dinner.

“Sparky, move!” Shouted Blaze as she pulled her sledgehammer out, the ghoul screaming something monstrous as it charged with fervor, jumping right at the larger of the two. Dodging to the side, Blaze swung the sledgehammer now gripped between her teeth, and it collided right with the ghoul’s skull. It slammed into the nearby burnt hull, Blaze crying out as she pursued it. The ghoul kicked out with its hooves, Blaze swerving towards its head only for it to try and bite her. She narrowly pulled her forehooves back in time, then grunted and brought the sledgehammer down into its half crushed skull. The sick wet noise of its brains being smashed made Misty Sparks vomit, while Blaze wore a manic smile.

“You killed it!” Accused Misty Sparks in horror once she’d finished spilling her lunch.

“And it would’ve killed us,” Blaze snarled back, lifting her sledgehammer back up. “We got more coming!” She shouted around the hilt of the now bloodied hammer. “Get back!” Misty Sparks’ jaw fell open, shuddering and frozen in place. “Sparky I said-” Her words were cut off as a pair of ghouls rounded the corner, already running at a full gallop. They screamed with voices like broken souls, rasping and vile, hooves carrying them towards the pair of stable dwellers with violent intent. Blaze shoulder checked the first one, swinging her hammer around but her aim was off, glancing off metal rather than crushing flesh.

The second smashed into her side, teeth digging into her right ear, but before it could tear anything off Blaze threw all her weight to the side and they fell together. The ghoul cried out, biting now at her face as she crushed it, its hooves trying to force her off as well. “Sparky, you just gonna stand there and watch?” She screamed, kicking the second as it came at her and catching its legs to make it stumble.

“Oh! Uh!” Misty Sparks snapped out of the terrified trance she’d fallen into, and looked for her pistol, which she’d accidentally dropped. “Where is it!” She cried, her fear solidifying into pure panic, whirling around trying to spot the glint of metal but with all the debris it was easily lost to her.

“Sparky!”

“I’m trying!” She screamed back, still unable to find the gun. The ghoul that wasn’t pinned was rushing for Blaze again, her powerful legs all that kept it away. The one beneath her bit and thrashed, unable to free itself but keeping Blaze down all the same as slimey limbs wrapped around her. Desperate for a few more seconds, Misty Sparks lowered her forehead towards the trio and an orb of green light collected at the tip of her horn. It wasn’t an offensive spell, hardly more than a simple parlor trick if anything, but the orb of light that exploded between them was enough to blind the ghouls, and Blaze, at such a close proximity.

“What the fuck!” Blaze screamed, finally struggling free as the ghouls were stunned. “Where’s your fucking gun?”

“I don’t know!”

“Oh for Luna’s sake!” Blaze seethed, rushing towards her with blood upon her hide. Misty Sparks paled, a hoof raised, half expecting Blaze to start punching her. Her eyes were unfocused and wild, scaring Misty Sparks all the more. “Get into the wreckage!” She ordered, “I can’t fight them if I have to protect a useless unicorn!” Stomping her hoof to emphasize the urgency, Blaze swung around towards the ghouls, reaching into her saddlebag for something.

“I-”

“Go!”

Yelping, Misty Sparks darted into the wreckage of the Enclave ship, squeezing herself through a hole just as the ghouls regathered their senses. Their unholy screams followed Misty Sparks into the darkness, followed by Blaze crushing something glass underhoof, and the manic laughter of a pony on Stampede. All she heard was noises of the damned behind her.

The wreck popped and crackled with damaged circuitry, smoke making her eyes burn but the worst of it seemed to be contained to the exterior. Oil coated her hooves, making her a bit worried should she encounter any flames, but it seemed decently clear as she wormed her way through the wreckage. A dim glow drew her attention, flickering com-lights from a stack of machines now half crumpled beneath the weight of itself. Something liquid was on the ground, but the new stench wasn’t like the metallic tang of oil.

This time she was certain of it.

It was blood.

“Merciful Celestia,” whispered Misty Sparks, ears pinning back, eyes widening as she tried not to vomit again. She spotted two dark shapes that she couldn’t discern any details of, but they were certainly equine in shape. One hoof trembled as she activated the flashlight upon her Pip-Buck, casting the interior of the Enclave aircraft in a neonic green glow. Ponies, one a grey mare with crimson mane and feathers, and the other a teal stallion missing a head. Misty Sparks tried to vomit, retching instantly as the stench hit her nose in a solid wave, but all she managed was to dry heave onto a ruined seat.

When she’d found the strength to move, the sounds of fighting that followed her into the wreck encouraging her to hurry up, Misty Sparks shakily looked at the mare. “Oh Goddesses,” she muttered in horror, spotting a large metal spike embedded in the mare’s flank just below her shoulder along with various other wounds from burns to lacerations. The stench of blood only intensified as Misty Sparks struggled through the wrecked rear compartment, stumbling over a shattered crate until she managed to pull herself over to the wounded mare.

Focusing on her E.F.S. for a moment, Misty Sparks was relieved the magical spell could detect at least a faint bit of life left in the mare. It was an arcane spell built into her Pip-Buck, projecting an ambient field that extended a considerable distance and detected the hostile or friendly intents of another living being. In that particular moment she was very grateful for it, helping her nerves calm that at least one pony had survived the flaming crash.

“Okay I need to get that thing out of you immediately,” she said to the unconscious mare, trying to ignore the corpse behind her. Sitting down on the ground next to the unconscious mare, Misty Sparks opened her saddlebags up while remaining focused on the embedded spike. She accidentally jostled the pegasus, not noticing her eyes slowly opening, clouded and dazed. Misty Sparks pulled out potions, bandages, and surgical scissors with thread, laying them out on a relatively clean piece of the aircraft nearby. “Ready?” She asked, trying to steady her own nerves.

Fixing her magic around the end of the spike, the unicorn inhaled sharply before pulling back with all the telekinetic power she possessed. To her horror, the pegasus followed along with it, purple eyes shooting fully open as an agonized cry escaped the mare. A hoof caught Misty Sparks right on the horn. She gasped painfully, falling back. Her magical grip upon the spike lost, it clattered away into the darkness, joining the rest of the debris. She rubbed her throbbing horn, smearing more blood and oil on her silver coat, not realizing the terrifying sight she might be.

“You’re awake!” The pegasus was far from sensible, screaming in pain, and thrashing her wounded body. “Hey!” Misty Sparks said urgently, grabbing the mare with her magic. Jumping back over she tried to add her own weight to the strength of her magic, hoping to restrain her. “Calm down! You’re going to make the injury worse if you move before I’ve healed you!”

“Get off of me!” The mare screamed in terror, trying to kick her away. Misty Sparks wasn’t known for being large, in fact quite the opposite, so even injured as she was the pegasus was putting up a good fight. Misty Sparks gasped as a hoof met her gut and she was knocked away, magic erupting once more with a twinkling noise. Purple eyes stared at her, ready to kick her away again if Misty Sparks dared try to restrain her once more.

“Please I’m just trying to help you,” she pleaded, “you’re hurt, in shock, and probably only moving right now because your body is swimming in adrenaline. If I don’t tend to that wound soon you could bleed out!”

“Don’t touch me!” She screamed sharply, breath panicked and eyes wide. It was a sight that made Misty Sparks’ heart ache. “Where am I? What happened!” She tried to look around the wrecked aircraft, but cringed in pain when she tried to turn her neck.

“You crashed,” Misty Sparks said in a level voice, remembering her lessons on bedside manners. Don’t fuck up, don’t fuck up. “You got really, really hurt. May I please heal you?” Her horn glowed green with magic, gathering herself for a healing spell, when the pegasus screamed again and this time it wasn’t at her. The wheezing grunts of before had returned, only it was right on Misty Sparks’ neck, rancid and warm. Looking over her shoulder with rising terror, Misty Sparks stared into the sunken soulless eyes of another ghoul, teal feathers stuck to its flesh with tufts of electric blue hair. A solid red dot hovered in her E.F.S.

“Hello?”

The ghoul screamed violently, its discordant voice battering her ears as much as its hooves as it leaped at her, bowling the mare over easily. She kicked out with her rear hooves, trying to push it off but the ghoul was at least twice her size, sickly flesh squelching upon impact and little else. Screaming, Misty Sparks brought her forehooves up just in time as it bit down at her face, half broken teeth snapping around the casing of her Pip-Buck instead of soft flesh. The flashlight was distorted with it biting into her Pip-Buck, spit and ichor dripping onto her face and casting it into a demonic glow, Misty Sparks’ heart almost bursting in terror.

“Get away!” Shrieked Misty Sparks, horn flaring with magic, and she was enveloped in a bubble of vibrant green before disappearing entirely, the ghoul falling flat where she had been. Reappearing a few feet away in another bubble of light, blonde mane frazzled and eyes as wide as the moon, Misty Sparks struggled to find a means of arming herself. It snarled and snapped, rising back to its hooves as it spotted her, and began to charge, fumbling over the mess of the wreckage just like she had earlier. “You’re a monster!” She shrieked in fear, jumping to the side just in time, the ghoul leaping into the smashed cockpit behind her.

Her hoof sent something clattering away, Misty Sparks daring to look down for a brief moment to see a flash of a laser pistol before it fell away into darkness. Misty Sparks desperately plunged after it, waving her Pip-Buck around as she threw debris in the air, hurling the wreckage back at the ghoul to buy herself a few more seconds. Just when she found it, the ghoul had grown enraged, surging at her with a roar so fierce she yelped and froze in place.

Finding herself once more pinned beneath the ghoul, Misty Sparks screamed and kicked, magic wrapping around the laser pistol. It lurched down to bite her, only this time it didn’t meet the plastic casing of a Pip-Buck, and instead the end of a barrel. Firing as many times as she could, red lasers streamed from the pistol through the ghoul’s rotting skull and against the ceiling, searing a hole straight through bone. Smoke rose from the ghoul, not a sound escaping the now deceased rotting corpse as it pitched to the side and collapsed. Misty Sparks lay there on the ground, a terrified cry caught in her throat, eyes staring at where the lasers had left scorch marks on the dark ceiling. She couldn’t look at the corpse next to her.

It took a few moments for Misty Sparks to actually feel her heartbeat, it racing so fast she couldn’t think as she laid there panting from the sudden fight. She’d killed something. A part of her mind easily rationalized that it had been entirely in self-defense, that the ghoul was fully intent on killing and eating her, but still she felt awash in guilt and shame. “Celestia,” she begged in a whisper, “Luna… Forgive me…” She felt like she would cry, coldness filling her from the hooves up, but something just wouldn’t let her. Then she remembered the wounded pegasus.

Her gaze flicked back to the stranger, having to look at her upside down and noticing the Enclave uniform on her. It was obvious in hindsight to the unicorn, but right then it finally sunk in she was dealing with somepony who lived up in the clouds. Somepony who might have no idea what the surface was like. “A-Are okay you okay m-miss?” she asked, trembling as the rush of adrenaline started to leave her. The crimson maned mare hadn’t said a word since the fight broke out, her eyes scrunched up in pain.

“H-hurts.” Was all the mare could manage, twitching as she tried to curl up, yet the injury made it too painful to do so. There was also the matter of the blood draining out of her at an alarming rate since the spike had been removed, her grey fur quickly matting over red.

“Oh fuck,” Misty uttered, the growing pool of blood spurring her into action as she quickly got to her hooves, shakingly getting back to the mare’s side and leaning down to push a potion up to the pegasus’ muzzle. There was no time to dwell on her confusing emotions, she had a job to do and she was Goddesses damned determined to do it. “Drink. It’ll heal you.” She ordered as calmly as she could given the situation. The mare’s fearful glance up to the unicorn prompted her to add, “Don’t worry, I came here to see if I could help any survivors. Your crash was really loud. I’m not going to hurt you.” The mare nodded weakly and opened her muzzle, drinking down the potion with a bit of assistance, it’s regenerative properties reacting promptly and restoring some of the pegasus’ vitality.

“Fuck! T-that hurts!” The pegasus gasped as she lifted her head up enough to observe her own wound clearly, eyes going wide as she whimpered out, “I-I’m fucked aren’t I?” Turning back to look up at the unicorn her eyes fluttered as she noticed the first-aid equipment nearby, fortunately undisturbed from the fighting, her expression turning to that of pained hope.

“My goal is to save you, I’d rather not have the first pegasus I meet die in my hooves.” She paused, before giving a small smile. “My name is Misty Sparks, and you’ll get to meet my cousin Blaze soon enough. She’s a bit rough around the edges, but she’s family,” the unicorn soothed, hoping her effort to keep the mare distracted enough to not start hyperventilating worked. She levitated over the emergency surgery kit, threaded the needle and cast a quick spell to sanitize it.

Misty Sparks looked at the gaping wound, and frowned as she changed her mind on her next step. “Okay I’m going to cast a healing spell to help further what the healing potion is doing. Please close your eyes, it’s a bright flash and I don’t want to disorientate you.”

“I’m Skyfire,” the mare managed to reply at last before closing her eyes in anticipation of the spell. Misty Sparks then leaned down until her horn was hovering a few inches away, closing her own eyes as she cast the spell. The moment the light had faded and Misty Sparks pulled back, Skyfire peeked one eye open. “W-where am I? And what happened to the Skyhawk?” She was still dazed and in pain but the combination of healing techniques dulled the agony enough to let her think clearly at least for the moment. She squeaked out in terror when she glanced down and realized she could still see blood and meaty flesh, something that one usually did not.

Misty Sparks let out a quiet, bated sigh of relief as she truly started to calm down, not hearing the random crashes and thuds that were still going on outside. She once more floated up the sewing needle and took a deep breath. Smiling in a manner to keep her at least relatively calm, Misty Sparks caught Skyfire’s eye. “Nice to meet you Skyfire, you’re lucky enough to be close to Stable 36, which is where we’re from. Now I’m going to sew up the rest of your injury, I know it’s scary to look at, and you’re in pain, but you’ve got to be strong and not move around so I can fix you up. Think you can do that?” Skyfire gave a weak nod. “Perfect, see, you’re doing splendid.”

“Stable 36? I’ve heard about stables… Thank-thank you again for doing this,” Skyfire said in return, giving a very shaky smile, which lasted only a few moments, scrunching her eyes closed again in fear. “J-just please make it go away, I don’t want to see my insides… ever again.” Skyfire put her hooves over her eyes at that point, not letting herself look down at her gaping injury.

Misty Sparks winced in return, feeling for the poor mare. She suppressed a stray thought about how much pain the mare had to have been in mere moments before. Still, she had to do this, her magic alone wasn’t enough to heal an injury this severe. The unicorn shifted about, centering her thoughts before methodically weaving the sewing needle back and forth, stitching up the wound. Her years of medical training paid off as she disposed of the used needle into the hazmat container in her kit, gently touching Skyfire’s now stitched up side. “You’re all closed up now sweetie, I’m going to go ahead and give you another healing potion to help kick start your body. In a little bit we can see if you’re okay to walk, or if Blaze needs to carry you.”

Skyfire’s purple eyes greeted the unicorn again as the pegasus started looking around again, finally taking in the devastation of her friend’s ship. She sighed a bit as she finally was given a moment to start processing what went on. “I wish I could remember what happened, It’s all a blur, bits and pieces.” Rubbing her head quietly as she started looking for a familiar face. “Have you seen Jolts anywhere by the way? Lighting blue mane, teal body, and orange eyes?” Her expression was hopeful, she had survived, and Jolts was tougher than her by a long shot!

That expression crumbled as Misty Sparks failed to hide the shock on her face as she was forced to remember the other body in the mangled aircraft. The unicorn quickly fumbled for that healing potion, pressing it up to the mare’s lip, silencing her from asking any other questions. “I-I wanted to focus on helping you first. B-before uhm… I got to that…” Her voice trailed off as she fought for the right words to say.

“Find any live ones Sparky?” Blaze asked casually as she suddenly appeared next to Misty Sparks, having scrabbled in after her cousin, hearing her rambling about something inside the ship.

“Blaze!” Shouted Misty Sparks in alarm, practically jumping into the air. Blaze cracked a crooked grin. “Give a pony a bit of warning would you?” Misty Sparks demanded haughtily, before softening with the passing of her terror. “Are you okay?” Misty Sparks asked, looking Blaze over for injuries. Her body was covered in wounds, bloodied gashes and darkening bruises covering her sandy hide. Her limbs twitched with exertion, jaw a bit more slack than normal from having used her sledgehammer for so long. There was a telltale puncture mark on her left forelimb from a Stampede injection.

“Oh looks like you did!” Blaze leaned towards Skyfire, ignoring Misty Sparks’ concern, emerald eyes pinpricks that focused on her. Misty Sparks’ ears pinned back at being so easily disregarded. She shrank back as her large cousin dominated the tight space of the wreckage. Ears perked at the ghoul corpse, Blaze sniffing down at it before her eyes snapped up to Misty Sparks. “Maybe you’re not useless in a fight after all.” Misty Sparks scowled. She glanced at the laser pistol hesitantly. It was small with a brilliant yellow micro-sparkle pack and a squared off from that the focused red beam came from. Silently, she floated the pistol into her saddlebag.

Skyfire frowned, looking at Misty Sparks with confusion, and was clearly discomforted by the large mare’s appearance. “I thought she was M-Misty Sparks.”

Blaze only laughed and walked over to nudge against her cousin playfully. Misty Sparks scoffed and shoved her back with surprising force, not quite in the mood at the given moment. “It. Is. Misty Sparks! Sparky is a dumb nickname she came up with and she’s the only one who uses it!” Misty Sparks fired back, casting a glare at an amused Blaze, who blew a raspberry back in return.

Misty Sparks hadn’t even a second to try and warn Blaze to not mention the dead pegasus just a few feet away, when the earth pony noticed and did just that. “Oh! There was a dead one too! Told you!” Blaze shouted out, still tweaking out on her hit of Stampede. Her ears pulled back in a moment of regret as she noticed the heartbroken look on Skyfire’s face.

For a few painful breathes Skyfire was like a piece of glass, a small crack forming upon the surface, before everything shattered entirely. A single tear ran down Skyfire’s cheek at first as she nearly lost herself in the news, realizing Misty Sparks had been trying to find a way to soften the blow. “Jolts? He’s… He’s dead?” The mare managed to whisper out before taking a deep breath, breaking down into tears right after.

“Damnit Blaze, can you ever be considerate about anything?” Was all Misty Sparks muttered before turning to hug the winged pony. “Hush Skyfire, I-I’m sorry but he was long dead before I found you, and I want you to focus on my voice, alright? It’s… It’s going to be okay, alright.” Her voice shook as her she tried to console Skyfire. It was a losing battle.

“It’s not my fault!” Blaze snapped defensively.

“Yes it is!” She accused briskly, trying not to shout and further upset Skyfire. “You just can’t keep your mouth shut!”

“What? And I killed him? He doesn’t even have a head!”

Skyfire’s sobs doubled. “Blaze!” Misty Sparks seethed.

Stomping a hoof, Blaze scowled at the mares. “Whatever, what are we gonna do with her? Take her back?”

“We have to, there’s nowhere else we can take her that she’ll get healed,” Misty Sparks said, patting Skyfire’s back as she cried. “Hush now… It’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Don’t fucking lie to her,” Blaze snarled, “you don’t know that.”

Gritting her teeth, Misty Sparks pulled back from Skyfire enough to look into her eyes. “Hey, don’t listen to her okay? She’s just swimming in chemicals and starting to crash, makes her real mean.”

“Am not,” cut in Blaze. “I never crash.”

Ignoring her, Misty Sparks continued, “Would you like to come back to Stable 36 with us? I promise it will be clean and safe and you’ll get all better in our medical ward.” She smiled sincerely.

“I- I-” Skyfire babbled, devolved to a senseless mess.

“Shush… It’s okay. Just nod if you want to come with us.”

Skyfire nodded weakly, whimpering in grief. “Good,” snorted Blaze, “can we go now?”

“Aren’t you the one who wanted to come out here?” Questioned Misty Sparks icily, trying to protect the vulnerable in every way possible mare from Blaze giving her a jolt of confidence. “Are the ghouls all gone?”

“Yeah, smashed ‘em real good.” She leered, far too proud of the fact for Misty Sparks’ taste.

“Thank Celestia,” uttered Misty Sparks, before looking her over. In the glow of her Pip-Buck the large mare almost looked more wound than flesh, but they also seemed to be mostly superficial. “Do you need a healing potion?” She tried again, concerned for her well being.

Shrugging, Blaze gestured for one and downed it once Misty Sparks telekinetically floated it into her hoof. She crunched it underhoof once finished, smirking while her tail twitched. Misty Sparks gave a small sigh at her wastefulness. “We gonna leave then? Don’t see much point hanging around.”

Turning back to Skyfire, Misty Sparks gave a tender smile. “Are you ready to leave? You can ride on Blaze’s back once we’re out of the wreckage.” Before Blaze could protest the short mare scrunched her nose up and glared at her, lime-green eyes burning into the slowly calming earth pony until she sighed and gave an agreeing nod. Having somepony who’s life was in danger gave her the courage to face Blaze, something that took her off-guard. Misty Sparks almost never stood up to her. “See, it’ll be okay.”

“I- I need to get away from here,” Skyfire whispered, voice broken from her crying. “Please.”

Patting her as comfortingly as she could, Misty Sparks then helped Skyfire to her hooves, legs shaking beneath her. “Blaze,” she instructed softly, “go out first.”

“Think you can help her out?” Blaze questioned, “You’re not strong.”

Wincing a little, Misty Sparks gave a nod. “You and she can’t fit through at the same time so I have to.” Blaze eyed her for a few moments, before giving a shrug and started back the way she’d come. Misty Sparks waited a little while for the sounds of Blaze’s hoofsteps to soften, watching Skyfire who swayed and moaned in pain. “It’s going to be okay,” she promised.

Skyfire looked at her, purple eyes wide. “Thank you.”

Blushing a bit, Misty Sparks shrugged. “No problem,” she said, and then started leading her out the tight passage of metal, slightly surprised Blaze had managed to get through at all. It was certainly difficult to get Skyfire out of it, having to stop a few times when the tight walls were too much for Skyfire and she began to panic, screaming at least twice in pain and fear before they were outside. The sky was darkening as evening approached, not quite twilight but enough for Misty Sparks to notice once they were free of the wreckage. She was grateful slightly, that the soft darkness had not set Skyfire into a disorientated panic.

Blaze was awaiting them nearby, ghoul corpses lying around her, poking one with her sledgehammer boredly. Her eyes were glassing over, movements sluggish as if she were underwater. When they limped over to her she gave a disgruntled sigh, digging through her pack for the rest of the Buck Misty Sparks had given her earlier and chomping down the tablets. Within seconds there was a rejuvenation of her strength, cocky and proud, and she lowered herself enough for Skyfire to be helped onto her back. Once she was settled, too exhausted to voice anything beyond an ‘ouch’, Blaze rose to her hooves. “All aboard the pony express!” She shouted loudly, Skyfire cringing.

“Blaze…” Cautioned Misty Sparks.

“Buzzkill,” accused Blaze with a huff, but began walking home nonetheless. Misty Sparks walked alongside her, fretting over Skyfire who could no longer keep her eyes open. Blaze paused, making Misty Sparks frown at her in worry. Angry emerald eyes glared down at her, the earth pony gesturing with a hoof at something on the ground. “Dropped something?”

Misty Sparks blinked down, stiffening at the sight of her pistol, lost in the fight with the ghouls. “Oh uh…” She picked it up with her magic, tucking it away into her saddlebags. “Whoops?” Blaze gave a disapproving snort, and started walking once more.

As they rose into the hills the fires continued to burn up the trees, but the Skyhawk had at last extinguished itself, the smoke tapering off in smaller puffs now. They’d gone perhaps ten minutes before Skyfire had passed out, slung onto Blaze’s back like a captured kill, rocking with the stocky mare’s steps. “So…” Blaze started to say, glancing down at her cousin. “What are we gonna do with her? Keep her as a pet?”

“Don’t be absurd,” uttered Misty Sparks, shaking her blonde short mane furiously. It stuck to her brow from the mixture of sweat and blood, making her sigh in disgust. “We’re going to take her home so she can get better. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Says who?”

“Says common decency?”

Blaze scoffed, pausing for a moment to glare down at the silver unicorn. “That stopped being a thing when the world died.”

“Not everypony believes that,” Misty Sparks said as bravely as she could, only to shirk under Blaze’s glare, her burst of courage fading.

“Oh yeah? Well plenty do. Enclave is the reason we don’t see the sun right? So clearly they aren’t thinking about the ‘common decency’ of letting us grow some damn crops or I don’t know- see the fucking sky!”

“She’s not all of the Enclave Blaze, she’s just one pony! One pony who nearly died and just lost somepony dear to her!”

“Oh wisen up Sparky,” hissed Blaze, “sure she probably didn’t blow up on purpose, but who just shot her down? Raiders with a missile launcher? They could be coming right now to check out what they just did, and we’re gonna take her back to our home? What if it’s all a ruse? Or what if she says ‘thanks’ when she’s all better and flies up into the sky to bring her friends back to enslave us because we could heal her and she wants that for the Enclave?”

Putting her hoof down, Misty Sparks gritted her teeth, horn flaring with magic as her temper spiked. “I’m not an idiot. I’m not just going to blindly trust her. But I am not just going to leave her to the wastes! She needs our help, and I’m going to give her it!”

Blaze glared down at her, chemical fogged brain trying to figure something out, before she heard something and snapped her head up. Her E.F.S. was filling with green. “Looks like we won’t be making the decision after all,” she said flatly.

Misty Sparks blinked, turning to look to the southwest, the direction they were headed in. “Oh…” She muttered, noticing the squad of security ponies cresting the hill to meet them. A frowning periwinkle stallion was at the head. “Hiya Sergeant Cuffs.”

Level Up! \ Blaze (2) - Bruiser: You like to get up close and personal with your enemies. +5 Melee & +5 Unarmed \ Misty Sparks (2) - First in Class: You might be an egghead, but at least you’re a healthy egghead. +5 Science & Medicine \ Skyfire (2) - Extra Special: The Wasteland has dished out its best and you’ve endured. +1 Endurance

Author's Note

This is the beginning of a fine collaboration with HiddenFaithy

Chapter Eight: A Line In The Sand

Chapter Eight: A Line In The Sand

“There’s no going back now.”

With Jolts laid to rest, Skyfire tried to focus on the present. The Skyhawk could generously be called a mess, more realistically an utter disaster. The pegasus gave a sad sigh as she examined it from the outside, her inner engineer weeping for the damaged vehicle, not yet ready to enter within. The stable ponies had righted it, for the most part, no longer nose down in the dirt. A few wooden struts had been constructed to support its damaged frame, obviously from the burned grove due to the blackening along the surface. It made it a bit hard to see where the aircraft and the wood met, similar in hue and the metal sheen was dulled from burns and impact. The image felt particularly sad to Skyfire, having seen the vertihawk in all its glory before.

The guards had all gone back to their posts, watching the wasteland with careful scans. There was a small encampment on the tallest hill, giving them a view of the surrounding area while still mostly hidden behind strategically placed debris and sandbags. She had to admit, the stable ponies knew how to blend in. Barbwire ran along the perimeter, a trio of stallions patrolling alongside it with battle saddles ready for any potential danger. They conducted themselves much like the soldiers back home, once more comforting Skyfire. Flare had mentioned that there was a significant enough presence of military ponies in the founding days of Stable 36 to influence a love of hot sauce, but she was surprised to see such regimented professionalism in how they carried themselves on the surface.

She found herself at a loss of what to do now, her friend was buried and she felt some semblance of peace but there was so much unknown on the horizon. Looking for some guidance, she shuffled after where she’d seen Misty Sparks go. The tent was overflowing with electronics, an impressive radio stationed in the center. Outside, an antenna made it clear that this was the center of operations. Misty Sparks was speaking with a pair of stallions, Sergeant Shears, and a lavender one with sergeant stripes on his uniform. They were both bulky, with pronounced muzzles. They could almost be brothers if they weren’t such drastically different colors. Shears reminded Skyfire of a sheep, with a brown mane, while the other was shades of pinks and purples as well as a unicorn.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the lavender unicorn was saying as Skyfire approached. “We don’t know if they have radioactive materials in the engines or any other part of the machine.”

Shears scoffed. “That’s a coward’s answer and you know that. There are enough materials in that thing to keep the whole stable going for years if we ration it properly.”

Misty Sparks grimaced as they continued what seemed to be a recurring argument. Her eyes met Skyfire’s and she shrugged. “I don’t think we have the right to decide what happens to it,” she interrupted and gestured to the approaching pegasus. “This isn’t our crash.”

“Pardon?” Skyfire eeped, her mane rising on end as all eyes fell upon her. “I uh- what’s going on?”

The unicorn stallion politely nodded and offered a hoof. “Sergeant Cuffs, I was in charge of the patrol that brought you back to the stable. I’m glad you’ve recovered. I’ve been posted here since, and we’re trying to decide what to do with the wreckage. We can’t stay encamped here forever, it’s not realistic, and since we know the Enclave isn’t coming to pick you up anytime soon, we have to decide what comes next.”

“We should salvage it,” Shears replied, “there’s good stuff in there.”

“If it’s not seeped in radiation,” countered Cuffs, “outside seems safe enough but we detected some rads in the fuselage, which could be leaking out of the spark reactor. Open her up for scrap and we could all get sick or end up like the ghouls Blaze killed.”

“Well if the housing is cracked that’s an easy repair,” Skyfire cut in, “if it’s more than that we’d just need a replacement and a bit of a radiation scrub.”

They blinked at her, Misty Sparks relieved for the expert advice of the engineer. “It’s that simple?” Cuffs questioned.

Skyfire nodded. “Yeah. Vertibucks and all the subsequent variations are made interchangeable parts so that the various variants all typically use the same parts. Now of course we’d need to find a spark reactor larger than most vehicles’, but not near big enough to power your stable. I’m sure a factory that made transportation chariots could swap in easily enough. The biggest difficulty would be properly setting it into place, they’re heavy and would need rigging to lower into the fuselage safely.”

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Shears said thoughtfully.

“But that’s if we’re wanting to invest in fixing it,” Cuffs said as he stomped a hoof thoughtfully. “I suppose it would be best to repair that and make the rest of the wreckage safe.”

“Or, we fix it,” Skyfire suggested. The thought of tearing apart the Skyhawk hurt her as if she would be reducing what she had left of Jolts to little more than materials.

Misty Sparks blinked at her and then smiled. “You really think you could fix it? It blew up and crashed, it’s bound to be some degree of inoperable.”

Skyfire hummed and tilted her head as she debated the possibility. “I’ll need to give it a full check before I can accurately say, but she seems pretty together from the outside. The spark battery is the biggest concern, without it she isn’t taking off anytime soon.”

“What use would there be in fixing it?” Questioned Shears. “There’s more caps in it for us if we break it down. The metal seems to be high quality, and I know that maintenance is always asking for our scouts to find deposits for repairs.”

The pegasus scowled. “Just because it’s easier to scrap something doesn’t mean that’s the best thing to do. If I get her flying again, you could go just about anywhere so long as you don’t go so high the cloud defense systems activate.”

“The… what?” Cuffs asked.

“Well… to prevent any surface ponies from just going up there one day, there’s a defense system throughout the cloud cover. It’s mostly just around population centers, but metal aircraft would get destroyed. I can’t… really say more,” she grimaced. She was still trying to come to terms that she was stuck down here for the foreseeable future. “Point is, don’t go too high and you’re just fine.”

They debated her words, mulling on the possibilities. Misty Sparks frowned so heavily her brow nearly became one. “If we could have a flying machine, we could scout the area so effectively we’ll finally know what’s beyond our little town for a fact. There are rumors and a few old scouting expedition reports, but we could have an actual concrete map with this. Potentially, we could find out about incoming raiders hours in advance. We could reach places we thought logistically impossible… We could go to Baltimare. How far can the Skyhawk get on one tank of gas?”

“It doesn’t need gas, it’s all powered by the Spark Reactor Battery. That would require recharging, however, but that is with time or magical accelerants. Without cargo or passengers, just a pilot and maybe copilot?” Skyfire squinted, recalling the specs. “1500 miles. That’s the maximum operating range without stopping to recharge in the field. It’s designed for recon, so it can only hold a squad of four outfitted ponies, plus the flight engineer in the back.” Skyfire paused for a moment to smile shyly. “The Skyhawk has two modes, helo, and recon. In recon, the propellers shift to go straight forward, like the prewar propeller aircraft you might see wreckages of… It takes a skilled pilot to shift between the modes while flying.”

“That… went a bit over my head,” Misty Sparks admitted.

“Oh, uhm,” Skyfire flushed, her wings rising to partially conceal her frame before she remembered the cloak that prevented her from doing so. “Basically, it’s made to recon areas, so it’s fast, light, and has a smaller carry capacity compared to the standard vertibuck. The vertihawk was inspired by griffin aircraft, hence the name. It’s agile, swift, and strikes hard but isn’t as much of a personnel carrier. Most vertibucks can take eight to ten troops, but the vertihawk can only carry four soldiers after a crew of three. There exist troop transport craft that are meant to carry upwards of twenty-five or more, but those aren’t used often.”

“That’s smaller than most of our scouting expeditions,” Cuffs muttered thoughtfully. “But with armament like that, I can see it being worth sending fewer people.”

“Less chance of falling into a sinkhole in the sky,” Shears added. “It sounds capable, but where would we even get the supplies to fix her? I don’t know of anywhere that has aircraft parts.”

Misty Sparks began fiddling with her pip-buck, flicking through its screens until she pulled up a map of the area. It was mostly geographical data, but a few squares annotated locations such as Stable 36 and the crash site they were currently at. She panned around using the knobs and frowned. “There’s an old airfield to the north of here, near Hoofsten. Southwest there’s a munitions factory that was discovered in one of our earlier expeditions. There’s also a chariot factory in that area, some sort of old industrial complex.”

“Why do you have that on your pip-buck?” Shears questioned, trying to look over her shoulder.

“I’ve always been curious about what’s beyond our stable, so I updated my maps with what’s in the library terminals,” Misty Sparks explained. She openly let him examine her pip-buck’s screen.

“I don’t have access to those files… Only expedition teams or admins do,” Shears muttered, giving her a jealous look.

The little Overmare-to-be grimaced, not sure what to say. Instead, she continued explaining. “The industrial complex is about six hours southwest of the stable. That was found in the first expedition. Hoofsten was found recently thanks to traders sharing its location, but it should be a pre-war settlement. Apparently, they survived, or somepony moved back in once the radiation had lowered.”

Skyfire blinked and tilted her head. “There’s more settlements out there? Proper ones?”

“Oh yeah, totally,” Misty Sparks said with a smile. “Hoofsten is about two hours from the airfield, a small one mostly used for airshows rather than transportation. That and crop dusters I suspect. I think we could find a reason to salvage there, and maybe set up a trade deal with the town.”

“Good luck convincing your mother,” Shears said, “she’s very cautious about risks like this. Scrapping is still a safer route, not to mention who will fly the damn thing?”

All eyes turned to the pegasus who squeaked. “Uhm, I mean I could sometimes help as the co-pilot, but I’m mostly just an engineer. I know how to get her flying, Jolts was the pilot. At best I could fly it in helo mode, rather than recon. That means it wouldn’t be at its max speed.”

“Better than any of us,” Shears intoned. “If you want to repair your ship, you’ll have to have a solid plan on what to do with it. That’s an awful lot of investment instead of scrap.”

“A dangerous investment,” Cuffs added, “salvaging isn’t safe, there are raiders and mutants all over the wasteland. Between here and Hoofsten are at least six ghoul dens we’ve spotted, not to mention the wildlife isn’t very docile these days. If you can get this going, I doubt she’ll want to put either of you on the teams.”

“I’m the only one who knows what to look for,” Skyfire countered, the thought of actually repairing the Skyhawk giving her a surge of energy. This was her ship, after all. “I c-can’t just write down what it looks like, an expert is the only way to make sure the trip is successful.”

“Blaze could make great protection,” Misty Sparks mumbled thoughtfully, “if she can be kept calm.”

“Something she only relatively does around you,” Shears pointed out. “And your mother wouldn’t dare send you out there.” Cuffs nodded heavily in agreement. Misty Sparks recalled how tense he had been in her mother’s office. He would never go against Flare’s orders.

“If Blaze finds out about this, there’s no way she’d refuse to not be a part of it,” Misty Sparks muttered, an idea taking root. “Mother might even approve given it’s a productive task and she’d be away from the stable to cause any trouble.”

“Right but she’s not going to find out,” Shears said firmly. “I’ve got Lily watching her across the camp. Last I know, she went off to take her meds.”

The little unicorn grew tense and then gave a nod. “I need to use the latrine, I’ll be right back okay? Skyfire, can you keep talking with these two about what will be needed to fix the Skyhawk?”

“O-Oh, yeah sure,” Skyfire nodded, her ears falling back swiftly. Misty Sparks tilted her head as the pegasus hesitated, purple eyes skirting the tent before focusing back on the unicorn. “We’ll write it down so it’s easy to remember later.”

Parting with a smile, Misty Sparks left the tent with steady hoofsteps. The voices of the trio followed her out into the muggy air, Cuffs still voicing his concern about safety and how to repair the aircraft without anypony getting radiation sickness. It made the little overmare proud to hear the concern of her security ponies, but that they were still willing to take a risk. To Misty Sparks this was the greatest opportunity in her life, the literal world was at their hooves if they managed to repair the Skyhawk. Lime eyes hovered over the wreckage, taking in the damage. To her it looked unsalvageable, but if Skyfire thought it possible she would believe her.

There was a small nagging thought that Skyfire would just immediately use it to return to the Enclave at the back of her mind, niggling in with doubt and hesitation. It was possible, and perhaps only fair, but perhaps they could get some use out of the aircraft before Skyfire returned if she so chose. A logical part of her told Misty Sparks that the aircraft belonged to Stable 36 now, but she couldn’t forget the sentiment of what it meant to Skyfire. This could be her one way home after all, though how she’d get past that supposed defense system was beyond Misty Sparks. Perhaps she ought to make sure Skyfire felt a vested interest in the stable, to convince her to think of it more as a home than temporary. Admittedly, she also didn’t want the beautiful pegasus to leave her just yet.

Misty Sparks started towards the far side of camp, closer to where they’d buried Jolts. She passed guards on relief, resting in the shade with meals and canteens. It was definitely a boring posting, but to Misty Sparks that just meant it was safe. If they managed to convince her mother to go in on this, it would be the start of something new. She couldn’t help but get excited; the potential to put her mark on the history of the stable seemed clear, this would take them to the next level. There would be no concern about being stuck in the middle of nowhere if they could take a flight to Baltimare. All the stories of the metroplex left mostly untouched by the bombs filled her mind, making her giddy like a foal.

That giddiness was immediately cut in half as Blaze’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Back the fuck off Lily!” Misty Sparks started running, coming around burned trees to see the pair standing off in the small grove. Disposed chems littered the muddy ground, a bottle of buck catching her eye. To her further confusion she spotted bottles of rad-x among the syringes and refuse. The pair reminded her of dogs, growling, and postering supremacy. Blaze was rabid, drool dampening the ground while pinprick pupils focused on the considerably calmer security pony.

There was a horrifying sharpness to the security guard that Misty Sparks was quick to notice. She wasn’t presenting herself as a protector, but instead an enforcer. Muscle was just as taut as the bulky earth pony, jaw set with thinly restrained malice and ear flicking with anticipation. They were a pair of storms meeting with building violence, a flurry of violence sure to break out.

“Am I supposed to just ignore you getting stoned?” Lily snarked, “you’ll knock yourself out and I’m not carrying you back to the stable.”

“You’re not, you’re staying here remember bitch? You’re the relief duty,” Blaze replied, looming towards the slightly smaller mare. Misty Sparks was surprised she could string words so well in her condition.

Lily scowled, blue eyes narrowed into daggers. “Would you believe that I actually don’t want my fellow guard dealing with your bullshit?”

Blaze set her jaw, tension making her stand taller than normal. “You mean you care about others? Fuck off, Security is just in it for themselves. Half of you act like you’re tough shit because you’ve got a baton but I could kick all your asses into Tartarus.”

“Oh please, if I’d let you take another pill you’d be comatose right now,” Lily declared, stepping closer. Her horn began to glow with blue magic, a baton raised in a promise. “You want another go? I’ll actually put you in your place instead of doing my job as I did in the cafe.”

“There will be none of that!” Shouted Misty Sparks, interjecting herself between the pair. Instantly Lily stepped back, while Blaze grew a menacing smirk. “Both of you calm down!”

“Apologies, Miss Aura,” Lily said briskly, a semblance of professionalism reclaiming her.

With a slow exhalation, Blaze drew near and faced Lily. “Excuse me, I’m an Aura too,” Blaze snarled, “where’s my apology?”

Lily scowled, eyes flickering between the two as she debated something. Finally, her jaw slackened. “I apologize that I stopped you from overdosing or otherwise incapacitating yourself. I will try not to infringe on your right to fuck yourself.”

Before Misty Sparks could blink her cousin had moved, snapping forward like a catapult. She jumped over the small unicorn and barrelled right into the other, bringing Lily to the ground in one fluid motion. A hoof came back and smashed across Lily’s face, blood following after. A baton cracked into the earth pony’s skull, stunning her just long enough for Lily to kick her off. “Bitch!” Seethed Blaze as she stumbled back.

“Please stop!” Screamed Misty Sparks, frozen in place.

Lily got to her hooves and spat blood into the dirt. “Try that again, I dare you.”

“Don’t!” Misty Sparks pleaded.

Blaze didn’t respond. She came charging once more. Lily dodged her and swung at the mare’s ankles. Blaze stumbled slightly but turned with more speed than anticipated and shoulder checked Lily into a tree. The unicorn blocked a punch with the baton and kicked out. Blaze was feral, snarling like a monster. The pinned security guard struggled, while Blaze brought down a torrent of pummels that left her gasping. Something crunched, a spurt of blood following a tan hoof and the baton fell from the air. A cackle followed, Lily cursed, and Blaze reached for her sledgehammer. Lily sent the hammer flying across the clearing in a blue blur. Misty Sparks yelped and dove away from its desperate flight. With a quick glance, she noticed something further changing in Blaze.

Her anger consolidated into an inferno.

She ripped Lily’s helmet off. Something flashed between them, an attempt at a spell, but the massive mare bit the unicorn and pulled back. A burst of blood concealed the true damage dealt. Lily slipped, legs giving out as Blaze pushed all her weight against her. There was a meaty thud as she impacted. Crimson darkened the dirt. Blaze shouted, her hooves raining down. A pair of guards came rushing from beyond the trees, drawn by the noise. They hauled Blaze back from the wounded unicorn. Lily struggled to breathe, ribs undoubtedly bruised if not outright cracked.

A headbutt made one guard stumble back, helmet protecting them from the worst of it but before they could act Blaze pursued. She grabbed them by the shoulder and shoved them into the dirt with a meaty thunk! The other guard jumped at her back, trying to pull her off them as she stomped on padded flanks. The telltale sound of bones cracking split the air. Not even all that armor could protect the smaller pony from Blaze’s power.

Blaze bucked her opponent off and screamed, nothing coherent or civil in her mannerisms as she charged the stallion. He sidestepped her awkwardly, panicking in his motions as magic tried to manifest around the mare’s hooves but she was moving too fast. One ethereal hoofcuff would appear only for the chain to break as Blaze punched and kicked like a wild mule. He tried to maneuver the burned trunks between them but Blaze simply threw her whole weight into charging them, splinters and ash exploding like paper-mâché models as sections of them were destroyed. With horrifying noises the trees came toppling down, whole scores obliterated in her frenzied path.

The unicorn’s panic was palpable. Misty Sparks gritted her teeth and found she could watch no more. Green magic coalesced around her horn and erupted between the fleeing stallion and berzerker mare. An orb of green light blinded the pair, taking them both by surprise. Unlike the last time Misty Sparks had tried such a thing, Blaze didn’t let herself be stunned. The mare kept moving, shoulder checking a tree as the guard dove to safety. She hesitated, blinking away the spots in her vision just like her opponent.

Misty Sparks raced over, focusing her will into a new shape she had seen many times over. She couldn’t let Blaze hurt anypony else. Picturing the familiar shape in her mind, Misty Sparks felt her magic erupt like a geyser. Every fiber of her being screamed that she had to stop Blaze, had to rein in the fury and bloodthirst. She couldn’t let Blaze escape.

A pair of neon green cuffs materialized around Blaze’s forehooves. They sparkled with a unique shape, sturdier than that of the average security pony. Blaze tripped with a growl and wriggled to a half-standing position. Frantic, Misty Sparks cast it again and chained her cousin’s back legs. An ethereal chain tied the front and back set with a piercing chunk! Blaze fell like the trees she’d destroyed, dust and ash billowing out upon impact. The curses she threw were soon overwhelmed by half a dozen hoofsteps.

“Step back Misty Sparks,” commanded an approaching stallion sergeant.

Her steps came to a stop halfway to her struggling cousin. “Please, she’s out of her mind!”

“We can take it from here,” reassured the sergeant. He scanned the area with disgust, taking in the discarded chems and his wounded coworkers. The five other guards swarmed Blaze like a downed beast, magical chains tying her to the nearest tree as she resisted. Her words were little more than feral cries, teeth snapping at anything that got too close. Emeralds shifted to the neon green cuffs that stood out amongst the blues and pinks of the security guards’, and understanding rippled over Blaze. She stopped moving and her protests ceased. A chill ran down Misty Sparks’ spine as all the hate centralized on her.

Blaze knew who had captured her.

Misty Sparks was barely able to focus her magic into a healing spell to help Lily, eyes fixated on her cousin. She didn’t even recognize Blaze at that moment. Awkwardly shifting after the wounded guards, she tried to fix the mess her cousin had made. As blood smeared her hooves when she reached Lily, her heart sank. There was no easy fix to this.

“One broken nose, two broken ribs, a concussion, multiple minor lacerations and to top it off, her jugular was almost ripped out. She’s lucky to be breathing, and I don’t think she’s going to be talking anytime soon,” the medic’s voice was devoid of any judgment as he listed Lily’s injuries. “The others have minor abrasions, a few concussions, and one is suffering from bruised ribs. These wounds were inflicted by one chem-fueled mare.”

Cuffs and Shears stood like sentinels in the center of the cramped field hospital tent. It had been set up as a precaution, a necessary feature in any well-established outpost. It hadn’t been used until now beyond a place to catch a few extra winks or the occasional stomach ache from the MREs. Now it was overflowing with wounded, and at the center was Lily. Misty Sparks grimaced as she took in the bandaging and rapidly applied healing salves. Some cots away, restrained by manacles, was Blaze. She’d been forcefully sedated by the medic upon arrival, but three guards stood nearby with spells at the ready should she awaken just as angry as she’d been brought in.

“She’s really done it now,” Shears hissed after a few moments of silence. The medic gave a nicker before returning to his charges. Misty Sparks watched his movements, fixated by how he tended the wounded. A flicker of magic ran over her horn as she tried to memorize his spells. Among the much larger stallions, she blended in the background.

“I can’t… I can’t really believe she could do all this,” Cuffs said, “without her sledgehammer especially.”

“She was an animal,” came the snarl of the sergeant who’d arrested her. “If she hadn’t been taken down when she was, she might’ve torn through the whole camp.”

“I doubt it would have gotten that bad, Rusty,” Shears snarked. “We’re not all so easily taken down.”

“Are you saying Lily was easy to beat?” Rusty challenged, stepping forward. “She took on that feral and nearly lost her damn throat!”

“Calm down,” Cuffs urged as he forced himself between the pair. He was just barely the tallest between them but notably the calmest. There wasn’t an inch of the stallion that seemed eager for violence, unlike the other two. “Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to do any good.”

Taking a small step back, Shears nodded. “You’re right, we need to figure out what to do about Blaze. I think after this, Flare can’t protect her anymore. She deserves every bit of punishment coming her way.”

“Why did she do it though?” Demanded Cuffs, stomping a hoof. “She’s not senseless, even when intoxicated.”

“Does a dog need a reason to bite? She’s always been one bad trip away from killing somepony. She’s lucky Lily isn’t dead, because if she was that bitch wouldn’t be waking up,” Rusty decreed. “I’m tempted to put her down as it is.”

“Say again?” Misty Sparks’ soft voice came, interrupting their squabbling. All three sergeants stiffened, Rusty swallowing his words immediately. Misty Sparks stepped closer and slipped back into the forefront of their attention. Her face was cold and detached. “No, please, speak your mind, sergeant. Clearly, you’re feeling talkative, so why don’t you let it all out.”

The brownish-red unicorn took a step back, averting his eyes. “I-I was just angry. I apologize.”

She squinted at him, not at all shocked he was trying to walk back those heinous words. “Are you sure? Because I would think a sergeant with as much experience as you would know that saying something like that goes against everything we instill in our security team. You’re supposed to protect ponies, not pass judgment. The laws are not enforced through violence.”

Cuffs and Shears were silent, leaving Rusty to lie in the bed he’d made. “You saw her fight, Miss Aura. She nearly killed those three. If you hadn’t intervened they might just be dead. A killer has no place in the stable.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Misty Sparks asked, still cold. To the sergeants, it was as if Flare stood before them, no hint of anger in her expression. “I begged them both to stop, and neither did. Lily is as much at fault for this as Blaze.”

“How?” Balked Rusty, “the chems on the ground are proof she was in a psychotic state.”

“I didn’t know rad-x caused psychosis,” Misty Sparks remarked, sniffing. “I do know that shirking one’s duty and threatening to allow a pony in need to cause harm to themselves upwards of suicide though, is a neglection of one’s duty.” Confused blinks and shifting glances ricocheted between the sergeants, and Misty Sparks gave a huff. “Isn’t it?”

Cuffs coughed awkwardly. “Uhm, yes… it is.”

“I thought so.”

“Are you implying… Lily did that?”

“I believe her exact words were ‘I apologize that I stopped you from overdosing or otherwise incapacitating yourself. I will try not to infringe on your right to fuck yourself.’ To which Blaze took exception to that.”

“Lily didn’t make Blaze take a dangerous amount of chems,” countered Shears, “I saw the cases on the ground. Rad-x was there too, you’re right, but it isn’t like she wasn’t under the influence.”

Misty Sparks gave a slow nod and looked at the wounded. A part of her winced at the sheer scope of violence. “Blaze is more capable of violence than any of us suspected she is, and this is a clear sign that she is dangerous, yes. However, Lily was goading the fight, inviting danger and eager for it even. We all know they hate each other, and instead of doing her job and de-escalating the situation, Lily openly antagonized a Stable 36 citizen who was not in a healthy state of mind.”

Grimaces were worn all around, and the sergeants dug at the ground. Nopony wanted to admit Misty Sparks was right. She scowled and pointed at Lily. “Blaze went too far, but Lily grossly neglected her duty and played as much of a part in this fiasco as Blaze. So, if I hear anypony else suggest that Blaze deserves anything short of civil justice I will take your rank and let you rot in the brig. It is a disgrace that you would even consider such a thing, Rusty. I assure you, my mother will know of this and you will not wear those stripes for much longer. Get your personal effects together and be ready to return to the stable post-haste.”

Eyes bulging, Sergeant Rusty stumbled into the cots behind him. He looked to the others, hoping that one of them might come to his defense but Shears regarded him coldly and Cuffs openly scowled. “This- You- I- You can’t do that!” He bellowed. “I worked hard to earn this rank! You can’t take it away, you’re just the heir!”

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” Misty Sparks replied, “because you’re the one who turned his back on what it means to be Security.”

“Spoiled brat! I’m twice your age and deserve thrice the respect that you get for the fact that you were born! Do you know what I had to do to get here? Do you think-”

“Shut the fuck up Rusty,” Shears interrupted, looking over to see Cuff’s horn glowing in threat. “She’s right, now go in silence or go in disgrace.” Whinnying, Rusty rapidly took his leave, his fellows watching with grim faces. As he passed through the entrance flaps, Skyfire came walking in. He shoved past her with a violent snarl, startling the pegasus.

Wings raised defensively around herself, Skyfire crept into the field hospital. “What in the name of Celestia is going on?” She eeped.

Misty Sparks tried not to show she was shaking where she stood and gave a thin smile. “Nothing good I’m afraid.” Her heart was racing, pounding so loudly she was afraid everypony could hear it. A fetlocked hoof rested on her shoulder, and she blinked up at Cuffs who gave an encouraging smile. Sighing, she let the tension roll off her body. “How’s the Skyhawk?”

“Uhm… Well, I’m not sure if that’s the most important thing right now…” Skyfire muttered as she approached, taking in the damage. “Did something attack us?”

Cringing, Misty Sparks shook her head. “No, er… Blaze got into a fight with Lily.”

“Really? I suppose they were at each other’s throats the whole way here but still, I didn’t expect they’d actually come to blows.”

“Blaze was high, but Lily pushed her over the edge,” Misty Sparks confirmed.

Skyfire blinked. “She was antagonizing Blaze quite often…”

“They have a bad history,” Shears interjected, “but we can’t just pretend like it’s all Lily’s fault.”

“I never said I was,” cut Misty Sparks.

“Security ponies back home are supposed to protect ponies, even from themselves,” Skyfire said with a scowl. “Lily seems competent, I’d think she could do that if she wanted to.”

“Of course she’s competent, she’s one of our best junior enlisted!” Shears huffed.

“So then she didn’t want to protect Blaze,” suggested Skyfire. She’d seen the way those two treated one another, and while she couldn’t defend all of Blaze’s actions, she certainly didn’t like the idea of her roommate being unfairly punished.

“I- Ugh, yes, I guess she didn’t,” Shears admitted. “Look, I’ll write up the report later and try to be as unbiased as possible, but Chief Smokey isn’t going to like this.”

“Misty Sparks is a key witness, and he isn’t going to just brush that aside,” countered Cuffs. “But… Overmare Flare can’t protect Blaze like she used to after this. Blaze would have killed her if you hadn’t intervened.”

Skyfire gasped and looked at her friend. “Would she really?”

“...She wasn’t thinking, not even a bit. All she wanted to do was fight. We can’t blame a kicked animal for fighting back though,” admitted Misty Sparks.

Purple eyes flitted over to where Blaze rested, and back to Lily. They both were bloodied and bandaged, but only one was missing part of her throat. Gulping, Skyfire gave a small nod. “I guess so… I just hope everything will be okay. She’s been kinda nice to me, especially letting me stay in her room. If I can help her not go to jail for the rest of her life, I’ll do what I can.”

For a moment Misty Sparks seemed shocked, and then she gave a tired smile. “Thank you, that means a lot. It’s definitely going to be messy, but maybe things will be okay in the end.”

“Whatever ‘okay’ looks like,” muttered Shears. “I’m going to write my report, Miss Skyfire, please debrief Cuffs on the status of the vertihawk.” With a respectful nod, the older sergeant departed, a notable weight upon his shoulders.

Cuffs sighed and shook his head, before turning to Skyfire. “Let’s step outside, shall we?” A bit eager to be away from the wounded, Skyfire and Misty Sparks followed him out. The camp was buzzing with energy now, rallying on the fight. Many of the guards could be spotted chatting amongst one another, angry words about ‘justice’ and ‘get what’s coming to her’ reaching their ears at the top of the hill. Misty Sparks sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Hey, it’s too early for that,” said Cuffs as he nudged her.

“They’re all angry.”

“She hurt one of us, it’s how we are. Security is tightly knit, tighter than the rest of the stable.”

“I don’t blame them, but if they let their anger cloud their thinking Blaze is doomed,” said Misty Sparks, ears fallen. “Even if Flare punishes her in accordance with our laws, I don’t think it’ll be enough for them.”

Cuffs shook his head and patted her shoulder once more. His eyes hovered over the gathering ponies below and grimaced. “Not everypony is as bloodthirsty as Rusty. I’ll keep an eye on him until he’s dealt with, okay?”

“Rusty?” Inquired Skyfire. “That stallion I bumped into a bit ago?”

“Yes, him. He’s a bad apple, so don’t go anywhere near him alright? He’s got a bit of sway in the ranks, but with Shears and I both giving accurate reports he can’t get away with suggested murder.”

Wings swept upwards and a jaw fell open. “Suggested what?”

A silver hoof stomped the dirt as tears dampened the soil. They both blinked at Misty Sparks. The brave mask she’d worn broke away in shards, conflicting expressions roiling across her freckled face before finally she openly wept. Skyfire rushed to embrace her, trying to calm the unicorn but she was inconsolable. “He-he’s not… alone. Others might t-try to get justice for Lily. Bl-blaze is fucked.”

“You don’t know that,” cooed Skyfire, crimson feathers wiping the tears away as quickly as possible but they kept coming. “There’s good security ponies too, like Sergeant Cuffs here.” The stallion blushed and returned his gaze to the camp. The call for blood was rising. “It’s going to be okay. If others try something, then they’re bad guards who don’t deserve their badges. Chief Smokey will sort them out, I’m sure.”

“He hates Blaze!” Misty Sparks nearly yelled, only to choke on her tears. “He’s been waiting for an excuse to toss her in the brig and throw away the key.”

“He could leverage this against her,” admitted Cuffs in a low voice. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted more guards talking, the name of the accused reaching his ears far too often.

“Mom can’t just do whatever she wants- she has to keep the stable happy! Blaze has a history of violence and breaking the law. Half of Security hates her on a personal basis. If enough of them want her to get- get capital punishment Flare will have to concede or risk another mutiny!”

“Another?” Questioned Skyfire in a hushed tone.

Misty Sparks buried her face in her hooves. “Grandfather had more than a few conspirators before he tried to conquer the stable with raiders. Not all of them were found out. Rusty is going to get supporters because he’s right, I can’t take his rank. I can only report him, and until then he’s got power.”

Shaking her head rapidly, Skyfire tried to stay optimistic. “I’m sure there are others who will support you! They can’t all be bad apples.”

“Sometimes it just takes the fear of retaliation to keep good ponies from speaking out against bad ones. Grandfather was very good at that.” Misty Sparks shook her head, gritted teeth just visible. Her words came spewing out, almost too fast for Skyfire to understand. “He didn’t like that after my grandmother died, Flare took over as Overmare at a young age instead of him. He had always been petitioning for more power and authority, and many agreed that the Overmare position isn’t a princess. Several think it shouldn’t go to their child, but somepony… deemed worthy. Even I’ll admit it’s weird it’s the eldest daughter and not just the eldest child. Uncle Hammers would’ve been a great Overstallion!”

“None of this makes sense to me,” Skyfire replied, wings flaring and head shaking. “Do you mean… There have actively been conspirators in the stable since your grandfather? Ponies who want you dead because of the rules of succession?”

Misty Sparks looked up to Skyfire, messy and red-eyed. A deadly stillness overcame her. “Ratchet tried to poison my mother. Hammers caught him and that’s what led to his exile. He wanted to seize power by any means, but we’ve always known he had quiet allies. Rusty… He might’ve been on the fence but I think I just pushed him over the edge.”

Skyfire blanched and looked to Cuffs who hadn’t looked at them in a while. Suddenly the stallion rose and urged them both up. Shouts were growing from the front of the camp, hoofsteps clamoring between them. There was a chill that cut through the heated air. “What’s going on?”

“We need to get Blaze out of here,” he said, startling them with his intensity.

“Why? What’s happening?” Misty Sparks sputtered.

He looked at them with palpable fear. “They’re going to lynch Blaze.”

Chapter Nine: Breaking Point

Chapter Nine: Breaking Point

"The wounds that aren't visible often hurt the most."

The demand for Blaze’s blood rose from the camp with haunting fervor. Already ponies were moving in a herd, braying for Blaze to pay for what she’d done to Lily. Rusty’s harsh voice was unintelligible amongst the cacophony, but it reached the trio on the hill to chilling effect. Cuffs threw open the tent flap and shoved the mares inside. The air was thick with anxiety, vibrating on the verge of sheer chaos at the approaching mob. Those within were confused and on edge, but uncertain of the approaching danger. Skyfire sailed across the tent to Blaze and her guards, drawing confused shouts. One guard attempted to block her path but Skyfire flapped above him and landed atop Blaze.

“Halt!”

“We have to go, now! Your comrades have gone mad and want to lynch Blaze!”

Her words stopped them cold. Among them was Pumpkin, the vocal guard on the journey to the camp. She stepped forward and looked between the puffed-up pegasus and the frantic unicorns. “Rusty?” She questioned, focused on Cuffs. He gave a brisk nod. Pumpkin looked at Misty Sparks. “This is your fault.”

“Pumpkin, politely fuck off with that, she doesn’t need this right now,” the brown-colored stallion snorted, giving the yellow earth pony a death glare.

“I don’t know Rocky Cold, I think that it at least needs to be said,” Pumpkin started before yelping as Rocky Cold got in her face.

“Do you think she doesn’t know it already smarty pants? I really wonder if she doesn’t,” Rocky Cold hissed before grunting as he was pulled away by an orange unicorn. The trio looked ready to start a scuffle until Misty Sparks sharply cleared her throat, causing all three to look over.

“I know. I know, this is my fault, and I really know now. Thanks,” Misty Sparks admitted with a sigh, looking up to the three security guards a moment later, “but I’m going to need help to fix this.”

“We have to evacuate Blaze, Misty Sparks, and Skyfire,” Cuffs ordered, refocusing the group. The others started unshackling the accused and grunted as they hauled her onto their backs. As large as she was, the stallion pair of them had to lift her together. Sundance, the orange unicorn, added his magic to lessen the weight, but he soon grimaced at the strain and relented.

“What about the other wounded?” Pumpkin inquired. Misty Sparks scanned the tent, her gaze lingering on Lily. The bandages were already bloodied and in need of changing, but there wasn’t any time to tend to Lily. Her hooves started to quiver beneath her. Just how badly would any of them get hurt, and would she be able to heal them?

Cuffs shook his head. “They’ll be fine. Rusty and the others wouldn’t dare risk hurting them. They’ll come in to get Blaze, not shoot the tent up. They want to hang her, they want a show, nothing quick.” His words sent ice through Misty Sparks’ body, but the guards all gave small nods of understanding.

“We have to call for help,” Misty Sparks said, darting to the medkit that hung nearby. She threw it open and shoved everything into one of her saddlebags. The medic nudged her to follow him to his supplies and unlocked a heavy chest with his pip-buck. A sigh slipped from Misty Sparks as she took in the treasure trove of medical equipment. They could heal a small army with all of this. “Thanks,” she whispered, voice quivering.

“If they’re really doing this, then we’re going to need everything. Prioritize the healing potions,” Golden Haze instructed. “All of you, over here!” Emergency supplies were handed out swiftly, Skyfire barely got one thing tucked away before another was being shoved into her muzzle. She eeped as splints and bandages were stuffed into her saddlebags in equal measure.

“If we’re going to radio for help, we need to get to the command tent,” Cuffs said as he checked outside, barely poking his head through the tent flaps. He pulled back with a whinny and held a hoof to his mouth, then pointed at the backside of the tent. One by one they crept out, Pumpkin at the front. Misty Sparks winced at the shift in light, the midday cloud-filtered sunlight stinging her eyes. She glanced at the others, uncertain if she should lead or follow. Fortunately for her, Pumpkin made that decision and gestured to a set of burned trees they could use to break line-of-sight from the tent.

By the time all eight of them were hidden from view, the sounds of the mob had arrived. The tent became a silhouette play as magical lights illuminated its interior. “Where the fuck is she?” Rusty’s harsh voice rose above the shouts and snarls of the mob. “Where’s Blaze?” Misty Sparks watched from just around a burned tree, mouth agape as she spotted guns and batons in equal numbers against the tent’s walls. Rusty’s distinctive form cut across to the back, growing smaller the closer he became. Misty Sparks yelped and ducked behind the tree just as he looked outside.

Sweat prickled along the little unicorn’s neck as she tried to press her entire body into the tree, a hoof to her mouth to keep from making another noise. Pumpkin gripped her baton in preparation, while the unicorns refrained from focusing their magic to avoid giving them away. She could only pray they were far enough and hidden enough to avoid EFS detection. After what felt like an eternity, the sound of the tent flapping back into place made the tension dissipate. “Fan out! The bitch couldn’t have gotten far! Misty Sparks and her Enclave friend are to be captured alive. Sergeant Cuffs is probably going to do all he can to stop us from enacting true justice. Kick his ass, but don’t kill him.” A cacophony of affirmatives followed his orders, and the sound of many hooves dispersing got the group moving again.

Pumpkin snuck along several paces ahead, her bright green mane and yellow coat standing out against the dark ground and burned trees. Despite this, however, she vanished from sight not long after she’d set off ahead. Misty Sparks frowned, looking everywhere for a sign of the mare but she might as well have turned invisible. No green marker appeared on her EFS, further relieving Misty Sparks that they could remain hidden. Skyfire pressed against Misty Sparks, shivering beneath her cloak. “This is bad,” whispered the pegasus.

“I know… We need to get some distance from camp, or at least this side of it,” replied Misty Sparks. Cuffs’ head was on a swivel as they went, holding his baton in a hoof, making him walk with an awkward gait. The grumbling of the other two security guards was overwhelmed by the crunching of broken sticks and rocky soil. Golden Haze tugged his stable barding periodically, muttering things too quietly for the others to hear.

“Sergeant Shears should be in the command center,” Cuffs said in a hush. “He went there to give his report on the situation. If Rusty is smart, he’ll go there before his treachery can be revealed.”

Misty Sparks winced. “He wouldn’t… kill… Shears right?”

“If he wants me alive he might feel the same of Shears,” Cuffs said in a low voice. “Especially if he takes Shears by surprise, prevent much of a fight.”

Gulping, the mares shared a long look and crouched further. They weren’t exactly the quietest, but they had enough distance already that they weren’t afraid every noise would alert the mob. In a few minutes, they’d reached the edges of the camp, sandbags and barbed wire denoting the perimeter. Misty Sparks took a cautious step out of the grove, only for Skyfire to bite her collar and drag the mare back into the shade. A moment later a patrol of six ponies came racing past, weapons brandished. They did not slow, but to Misty Sparks’ horror, she could see another not far along in the distance. Where sandbags were powerless to stop their escape, constant patrols were another matter entirely.

Skyfire tugged Misty Sparks a few paces back, ears pinned flat in emphasis. “Thanks,” whispered Misty Sparks. Skyfire gave a speedy nod and looked to the others. “What do we do?”

Cuffs grimaced and watched the patrols. “The relief team was still getting settled in, so we’re at twice the standard capacity of personnel. Rusty has a lot of horsepower at his hooves. Our best bet of making any progress is sending out an SOS. There’s no cover out there, you can see for miles from a hilltop.”

“Escaping now would only mean we’d get chased down later,” Skyfire concluded. Purple eyes focused on the stallions carrying Blaze. “We wouldn’t make it far, not with the barbed wire in the way. A patrol would be around before we were halfway through.”

“Even if there weren’t such constant patrols, we’d be spotted from the watchtower in a short time,” added Cuffs. “Dammit.”

“So… it’s best to hole up somewhere in camp?” Asked Skyfire. She glanced at her silent friend, noting the tension along Misty Sparks’ body. The unicorn was rigid, her chest barely even moving as she breathed. Fallen ears and wide eyes were telltale signs of the encroaching panic as she listened. “What… What about the wreckage?”

Cuffs blinked at her. “It’s… Well, I suppose there is only one entrance right now. We’d be trapped.”

“One tight entrance, we’d have to funnel in, but so would the mob. They can’t take us in their numbers like that.” Skyfire stood a bit straighter as she plotted. “The hardest part would be getting there, it’s the center of camp.”

“A distraction would do,” Golden Haze inputted, nodding along to Skyfire. “Make them think Blaze is elsewhere and they’ll swarm like the thoughtless ponies they are.”

A mumble of discontent came from Sundance. “They’re not thoughtless. They’ve been whipped into a frenzy, there’s a difference.”

“A murderous frenzy,” Golden Haze said flatly. “I will have no part in this violence. I’m a healer, not a killer.”

“They’re not killers, they wouldn’t actually hurt anypony that didn’t deserve it,” Rocky Cold defended his cohorts.

Cuffs stepped dangerously close. “Are you saying Blaze deserves this?”

“N-no! I just mean they’re confused! Rusty is filling their heads with nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense,” Misty Sparks finally spoke up. They all turned to her in unison. She still looked as panicked as earlier, but she did her best to stand tall. Or at least, as tall as her diminutive frame would allow her to. “I caused this.”

Skyfire frowned and placed a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “You didn’t-”

“I caused this. This is my fault. I overstepped, I put Rusty into a corner, and now he’s biting back. I fucked up.”

Grimacing, Skyfire tilted her head and looked between the others. Their agreement with Misty Sparks’ words was unsaid yet obvious. “Then you have to make it right. We’re here to help.”

Shivering as if she’d been doused in cold water, Misty Sparks lowered her head. Several moments passed of silence, only the hoof falls of patrolling guards and distant shouts filling the air. “To get to the Skyhawk, we need a plan. A good plan. We can’t just hide in it and think they won’t check it. You’re likely to hide in there given your history. We need a specific route through the camp that will avoid patrolling eyes, and to send the SOS. Afterward, we can double back to the Skyhawk and entrench ourselves.”

“We can’t possibly sneak Blaze into the command tent and the Skyhawk,” argued Rocky Cold in a shrill tone. “Where do we go, what do we do? We’re fucked!”

“Maybe not panic,” Pumpkin’s voice cut in, the mare returning with mud on her hooves. Her sudden appearance made a shout rip from Sundance, and she scowled. “For fuck’s sake.”

Cuffs grunted and cut off any fighting before it could happen, glaring at them each in turn. When the burdened unicorn had calmed, he nodded to Pumpkin. “What did you see?”

“Even if we make it out, we’ll get spotted and caught. I’m sure you already figured that out,” Pumpkin stated, getting nods all around. “Good. Rusty has security guards tearing through camp looking for Blaze and Misty Sparks. Most of them seem as much hungry for vengeance as they are afraid of what he’ll do to them. I saw at least three of them get knocked out for refusing and that was just a warning.”

“What?” Asked Skyfire. “He’s threatening his fellows?”

“Rusty has always been a high-strung prick thinking he’s too good for his position. He wanted to be the next Chief. Now, with his technical firing, he only sees one way out.”

“A mutiny,” intoned Skyfire. Her cloak shook as her wings flared beneath it. Misty Sparks squinted, unsure if the pegasus wanted to fly away or appear more intimidating by being larger. “If he kills Blaze, captures Misty Sparks and anypony who stayed loyal to her, he could spin this however he wants.”

Pumpkin gave a slow nod and squinted at Cuffs. “I overheard a patrol say they need to make it look like raiders attacked.”

“Oh fuck,” Cuffs uttered, shook himself, and stomped a hoof. “He’ll silence anypony who speaks against him and force the others to swear away the truth. If he’s going that far, to fake an attack…”

“Can he actually get away with this?” Golden Haze questioned.

“He’s a bastard with technicalities,” Cuffs replied, “he can spin almost anything to his benefit. I’ve bumped heads with him more than once. The only way for his plan to work means…” He trailed off, unable to say it.

“He’ll kill us,” whispered Rocky Cold, his words a dropped pin. “He’ll actually do it.”

Skyfire stepped closer to Misty Sparks and hugged her. Tears were brimming in the little Overmare’s eyes, her body stiff. The semblance of calm she’d reclaimed evaporated at the grave words. The others looked to her, frowning, shifting their weight in the shadows. The camp that was supposed to protect them from the wasteland had become a bear trap, waiting for them to misstep and set it off.

With a small sigh, Skyfire nudged Misty Sparks away from the others, trying to give her space to calm. Sundance and Rocky Cold let Blaze slide to the ground while they rested, mumbled words of planning followed the pair of mares as they secluded themselves. Long dead forest detritus crunched underhoof as they sat down, a particularly large tree isolating them. Skyfire pulled her cloak off and rested a wing across Misty Sparks’ back. She said nothing, letting her friend think. Finally, Misty Sparks’ voice came in a hagged whisper. “I fucked up so bad.”

“You couldn’t have predicted this would happen,” comforted Skyfire.

“Mother would’ve.”

Skyfire knickered, and leaned against her friend. “You’re not your mother.”

Gritted teeth and narrowed lime eyes were accompanied by a series of stomps. Misty Sparks punched at the dirt and her horn glowed as she threw a heavy branch deeper into the grove. “She never would’ve gotten here. The ponies who are sworn to protect the stable are trying to kill my cousin and likely will kill me too.”

“I won’t let that happen,” vowed Skyfire. “Neither will the others.”

“Why are you even here?” Misty Sparks snarled, taking Skyfire aback. “You could fly out of here, couldn’t you? Even if you are injured you’d probably be able to escape.”

Crimson wings sprang up into the air, and hooves recoiled. A twinge of pain lanced along her side. “I c-couldn’t leave you and Blaze h-ere to die! I w-wouldn’t be a v-very good friend if I did!”

Misty Sparks glared at her, taking in the way Skyfire so viscerally reacted. “Fuck.” She lowered her head. Misty Sparks’ entire body shrunk like a wounded pup. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me.”

“I know you’re s-scared right now,” Skyfire replied, the accusation bringing out her stutter. “Y-you’re just… lashing out.”

“Still wrong. I keep screwing up,” Misty Sparks sagged, almost melting into the ground. “I don’t know what to do. If I mess up again, ponies could die. I can’t, I can’t be responsible for ponies dying!”

Skyfire took a minute to calm down, focusing on her breathing while Misty Sparks wilted further. Once she was leveled out enough, Skyfire reached out for Misty Sparks. She was met with no resistance and the unicorn rested against her. “Breathe for a second. I know this is… well it’s absolutely awful.” Misty Sparks closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, muttering a number count under her breath. Skyfire watched with a hint of curiosity as the unicorn worked through a grounding technique. Eventually, she gave a slow nod. “They’re all looking to you to lead them, even if they’re taking charge at the moment. This is… it’s… you need to find that bit of yourself that I’ve seen already. You saved me from Bullet, you stood up for me to your mother, and you calmed the situation down when we were leaving the stable.”

“Flare wouldn’t have sparked a mutiny,” mumbled Misty Sparks.

“You’re not your mother,” repeated Skyfire in a voice that brokered no debate.

Misty Sparks looked at her and sighed. “I guess not.”

“Don’t say it like that,” she nearly growled, surprising Misty Sparks all the more with her fervor. “It’s a good thing. You’re you and that’s what matters. Don’t try to be your mother because you’re not. Be yourself.”

“But I don’t know what I would do. I’m inexperienced, untested, unproven!” Misty Sparks stomped the forest floor once more. “All I do is fuck up!”

Skyfire caught her hoof and pushed against Misty Sparks, easily overpowering the little mare. Purple eyes burned like a reactor, intense, impassioned, entrancing. A gasp died in Misty Sparks’ throat as she found herself against a burnt tree. She was suddenly reminded of how much larger Skyfire was, crimson wings encasing them. The rest of the world ceased to be, only Skyfire and she against the tree. With more power than she ever thought Skyfire was capable of, the pegasus spoke. “Stop saying bad things about my friend.”

“But-”

“Not another mean word.”

Heat colored silver cheeks and Misty Sparks averted her gaze from Skyfire’s intense stare. Her heart quickened in a different manner, and she cleared her throat. There was a point in the pegasus’ words she could see. “I’m just making things worse saying these things, aren’t I?” Skyfire nodded so rapidly her hair fluffed out further, cascading around her grey frame. Misty Sparks inhaled and gave a huff. “Right. Okay.”

“What would Misty Sparks do?”

“Try to fix this…”

“How?”

“Mom could use magic to subdue everypony. She can jam weapons, stun, even freeze a pony in place. She could stop the immediate physical threat and then calm everypony. My magic isn’t nearly that strong so I have to… I have to play to my strengths.” At the encouragement of Skyfire, Misty Sparks sat back up. Wings retreated from their guarding position and the unicorn deflated somewhat.

Skyfire nudged Misty Sparks and smiled. “You’re still good at magic, but yes focus on what you can do.”

Lime eyes glanced at the others where they spoke quietly, looking at them periodically. They were risking their lives to protect her and Blaze. She had to be strong for their sake as much as her own. However, there was no faking this. Realizing now she needed to dig deep within herself, Misty Sparks began to breathe slowly. A hoof brushed her cutie mark, a solid reminder of her skills. “Okay,” she said with growing confidence and looked at Skyfire. “I need your help if this is going to work.”

A manic grin lined the pegasus’ face. “You have it.”

For the first time in her life, Misty Sparks felt genuine fear at the sight of Stable-Tec barding. Pumpkin scouted ahead with the surprising talent she possessed and showed the rest of the party how to navigate the veritable minefield camp had become. Skyfire, Cuffs, Pumpkin and Misty Sparks made slow but steady progress towards the command center tent. While there were only three pitched tents, the field hospital and quartermaster comprising the other two, the camp had an impressive amount of construction. A shooting range had been erected on the east end, to which the group stayed well away from. The corners of the camp were guarded by watchtowers with clever camouflage to blend into the natural scenery.

To her slight chagrin, they snuck along the northern woods, latrines dug into the small area of privacy. The reek was difficult to not focus on as they awaited Pumpkin’s intermittent returns. What couldn’t have been more than half a mile of distance crept away with each winding step. More than once they’d had to quickly retreat back, patrols sweeping the woods themselves. Soon enough the guards would figure out they hadn’t snuck out and focus their efforts on the interior of the camp. Sweat and dirt caked Misty Sparks’ silvery hide and she grimaced at the state of herself. Cuffs had dawned his helmet and disguised himself as any other security guard, and fortunately only once had been spotted but not interrogated as he pretended to relieve himself as they passed the latrines.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they’d arrived. The command tent felt larger than before, perhaps only due to the fact that a herd of guards encircled it. “How do we get in there?” Hissed out Skyfire in shock as they took in their odds. Misty Sparks pushed Skyfire back down into the brush and kicked a bit of dirt over her crimson tail to better hide her. The pegasus gave a sour look but little else.

“Golden Haze should be in place by now,” whispered Cuffs.

“We just need to signal him,” replied Misty Sparks with a slow nod. Something brushed against her side, and she jolted at the sudden sight of Pumpkin. “How do you do that?” She briskly demanded.

The earth pony mare gave a crooked grin. “Practice. If you three are ready, I’ll double back and let him know it’s time.”

“Be careful, they’ll know you’re with us by now,” Misty Sparks said, reaching for Pumpkin.

She let Misty Sparks pat her shoulder, having to reach up significantly, and then smiled. “Don’t worry, they’ll never see me.” With a respectful nod to Cuffs, Skyfire, and one more to Misty Sparks, Pumpkin trotted away. It took seconds for them to lose sight of her.

“I want to learn how to do that,” Skyfire murmured, then addressed Cuffs. “You’re absolutely sure you know how to operate the radio?”

“I’ve done it plenty already. We just need a minute to send out the SOS.”

“Then I suppose we… wait.” Skyfire lowered herself as much as possible to the ground, the other two following her lead. They did their best to make as little noise as possible, but even in spite of the noise Skyfire did end up making, the rambunctious, wild, and chaotic ponies running around outside disguised most of it away. As they waited, Misty Sparks did her best to remain calm, eyes closed and mind solely on breathing. Skyfire took notice and laid a wing across the unicorn’s back. It helped significantly, and Misty Sparks gave a silent thanks.

Ten minutes later the sky was nothing but gold. Explosions of harmless magic rippled across the clouds, reflected by the ceaseless overcast. Immediately its intended effect was felt, as the security guards raced towards its source. Golden Haze wouldn’t have long to escape, but with Pumpkin aiding him he surely would. Cuffs was the first to move, dashing out of cover and shoulder-checking one of the two guards who’d remained behind. The second shouted, but the fireworks overshadowed his cry of alarm. Skyfire pounced with a powerful thrust of her wings, and Misty Sparks gaped as the stallion’s legs were swept out beneath him. Grey hooves slammed into an exposed belly, and his voice cut short. Skyfire panted as she landed with shaky legs, and smiled back to Misty Sparks whose mouth hung open. Cuffs quickly knocked out the remaining guard and dragged the unconscious bodies into the tent.

Misty Sparks crossed the distance to the entrance. Before she could question Skyfire on her hoof-to-hoof skills, the pegasus shoved her inside. The tidy setup of electronics was utterly absent now, replaced by chaos. Terminals were tossed about, half-broken with components spilling outwards. Splatters of what concerningly looked like blood led to a white earth pony crumpled against the center radio apparatus. “Shears!” Shouted Misty Sparks and she galloped to him. She grabbed him by the collar and attempted to hoist him up, but he was far too heavy for her. Cuffs aided her, and they moved him to the ground so she might examine him. Skyfire winced and dashed to the radio.

“He’s still breathing,” rushed Misty Sparks as she focused her magic. “They beat him to a pulp, but he’s alive!”

“Thank Celestia,” Cuffs said. “He must have resisted Rusty.”

“Why not just kill him?” Misty Sparks questioned as healing magic flowed from her horn in a neon green hue. She winced at the thought that her magic could be seen from outside as they had seen the unicorns in the field hospital tent, but Golden Haze’s fireworks were still exploding.

“If Rusty gets Shears on his side, this is said and done,” Cuffs intoned. He shifted to the radio and neighed shrilly. “They fucking broke it!” Skyfire was examining it with a keen eye, wingtips nudging bits and pieces. “Can you fix it?” Purple eyes blinked at him, as if annoyed at her concentration being broken. He gave an apologetic smile.

“I think so. Keep watch so nopony suspects something is going on please,” Skyfire replied. Cuffs nodded and readjusted his helmet before darting outside.

“You can do it?” Misty Sparks asked, pulling bandages from her saddlebags and whispering her thanks; they’d raided the supply. “It looks smashed.”

“It’ll be more static than not, but it’ll work. I need some duct tape and a terminal. See if you can find one that isn’t absolutely ruined,” Skyfire instructed as she pulled off the dented cover. “I need solid wires, and most of the debris is cut short, or fried from their destruction. I’ll need to solder some.”

“You’ll need to do what?”

Skyfire paused before smiling faintly. “I do have some flux and soldering tools so you don’t need that.”

Misty Sparks almost questioned how Skyfire could tell from such a brief glance but thought better of it. Skyfire was an aircraft mechanic, and at that moment she demonstrated it more than all the technical talk of earlier. Misty Sparks trusted Skyfire, and that was what mattered. “Okay, he’s stable,” she reported and started sifting through the wreckage. Her magic made short work of it, mentally reaching out to grab everything, and something that denied her normal skill of telekinesis caught her attention. She rushed to a large terminal that was mostly just knocked over and unplugged and dragged it to Skyfire with some difficulty.

“Great! Now, I could use some light,” Skyfire said as she descended upon the terminal like a vulture. Misty Sparks used her pip-buck’s light to save on magical exertion and watched in awe as Skyfire cannibalized the terminal for parts. “Perfect. You know you’d be a great assistant for when our lives aren’t on the line,” Skyfire remarked with a somewhat forced tone. Sweat trickled down her brow and wings trembled, clear for Misty Sparks to see.

“You can do this,” the unicorn encouraged, a hoof finding its way to Skyfire’s shoulder. “Don’t get stressed out like I was. Breathe, right?”

Skyfire blinked up at her, splitting her attention for only a moment. A smile broke free from her stern concentration. “Okay. Yeah.” The pegasus jostled herself and inhaled stiffly, exhaled, repeated it more naturally, and returned to the task with renewed vigor. She called for tools and scrap with the clipped precision of a surgeon, reminding Misty Sparks of her early lessons in medicine. The radio was a massive unit of engineering with wires crossing along paths that loosely reminded Misty Sparks of muscle tissue, corded together along vacuum tubes and feeding back out. She didn’t understand exactly what Skyfire was doing, but she could tell Skyfire was starting to look less scared.

“Nothing over here!” Came the sudden shout of Cuffs though his voice was off, an attempt at disguising it. The pair tensed, pressing into the ground with frantically scanning eyes. Hoofsteps trotted past, nopony came bursting through the tent flaps, and with a sigh of relief, they got back to work. Five more minutes of rapid repairs crawled, sweat and fear mixing with determination in the tent. Between the repairs, Misty Sparks checked on Shears and applied more healing magic, but he was not deteriorating.

With a muted shout of triumph, Skyfire slammed the cover back onto the radio and flipped the switch. It came to life with a cough and some sparking, but it did come to life. Misty Sparks hugged Skyfire frantically, shaking the pegasus back and forth, and then pounced upon the hoofset. Static poured out loudly and their ears fell back to shield themselves from its pitch. The tent flap fluttered as Cuffs galloped in. “You did it!” He said in a brisk whisper. “Amazing! Let me through, I’ll get it on the right frequency.”

They parted so that he might get it adjusted, Misty Sparks and Skyfire sharing a few more moments of excitement. “I know I helped you but I can barely believe it,” Misty Sparks praised as Cuffs fiddled with the dials. “You really know your stuff.”

Cheeks turning crimson like her mane, Skyfire smiled. “T-thanks.”

“Fuck, we need your overmare override he changed the encryption keys,” Cuffs interjected.

Misty Sparks unplugged the interfacing cable that rested on the back of her pip-buck into the designated port and quickly tabbed through to her files. Her pip-buck’s screen flashed a series of codes and then the radio chirped out fresh static. Once more keying the mic, Misty Sparks nearly screamed. “Mayday mayday mayday! This is Crash site Outpost requesting immediate support! There’s a mutiny! I repeat there is a mutiny! Please, somepony, send help immediately, Rusty is trying to kill Blaze! Mayday mayday mayday!”

The radio crackled, a voice just barely coming through. “Repeat? You’re breaking-”

“Dammit,” hissed Cuffs as he started to lift Shears onto his back. “Try again! Make sure they hear you.”

“Mayday mayday mayday!” Misty Sparks wailed, heart near to bursting. They were on the stable’s emergency frequency, and every security guard’s pip-buck could pick it up. The mob was coming, she was sure of it. “Crash Site Outpost requesting immediate support! Rusty has mutinied! I repeat, Rusty has mutinied over!”

“Is that- Parks- Cra- anger?”

“Yes! It’s Misty Sparks!” She jumped. “We need the Overmare, or Smokey, anypony that can quell a mutiny! Rusty is trying to kill Blaze, and me over!”

“Under- sending- be there -our.”

“When over?”

“Two hours over!”

Before she could respond the radio exploded as a bullet tore through it. Misty Sparks dove away, grabbing Skyfire along the way while Cuffs scrambled backward. “Fuck!” Cuffs shouted, horn glowing as he cast a shield around them. The tent flap was split open with a pistol brandished, the furious face of a security guard following after. “Out the back, now!”

The mares galloped as bullets began to fly, Cuffs’ shield doing its job. “You picked the wrong side Sergeant!” Shouted the mutineer.

“Tell yourself that!” Cuffs retorted as he slowly backed up. Misty Sparks threw open the rear flap and cursed briskly at the mob approaching. Her call had been heard. “Go!”

“We’re not leaving you,” Misty Sparks screamed, projecting her own magical shield to protect them from the gunfire of the mob. She winced as a burst tore across the neon green surface and her knees quaked. “You or Shears!”

Cuffs looked back at her as the front of the tent was enveloped by the mob. They were utterly surrounded. He gave a pained smile, sage green eyes full of something that made Misty Sparks want to scream all the louder. “You’ll be a good Overmare because you care about ponies, but only if you live to that day. Go!”

Skyfire discarded her cloak and grabbed Misty Sparks around the waist. The unicorn struggled, trying not to lose focus of her magical shield as bullets came fully to bear. There was a strange sensation as the pegasus flapped her wings, lifting them from the dangerous situation with a grimace. Several firing lines trailed after them as Skyfire adjusted to the lighter weight of Misty Sparks, struggling to hit a flying target. Magic failed, tearing through the protective bubble and narrowly missing the duo. Beneath them a magical explosion ripped through the tent, sending cloth flying. Misty Sparks snapped her gaze down just in time to see Cuffs surrendering, fallen to his knees but alive. Shears lay in the muck nearby, holding a gun to his skull. Mutineers began to beat Cuffs, batons landing with meaty noises. He fell completely.

Pain erupted across Misty Sparks’ world as a bullet struck true. Blood sprayed out as her vision turned white. Skyfire flinched as she noticed a splash of red on her coat. “Misty!” She shouted, careening for a moment.

“Fuck!” Misty screamed, squirming and wriggling as she looked back to see the wound, her heart spiking. “I got shot!”

“Shot?!” Skyfire’s voice hitched as she stalled her ascent. “H-how bad?”

“My fucking leg. I’m-I’m fuck fuck fuck,” Misty Sparks quickly grunted out, pushing her hoof onto the wound, leaving Skyfire careening.

Pain lanced along the pegasus’ side, and she forced it from her mind. “I can’t really fly with you shifting… we need a place to get that checked out!” She called out and frantically looked around. Skyfire yelped and flinched, rising up higher into the air as bullets whizz past them. She twisted and jerked to remain hard to hit. The unfamiliarity with an aerial target was showing as the shots were increasingly wide.

“S-Skyhawk, like we planned! Keep breathing Sky!” Misty Sparks managed out as she groaned and forced herself to hold onto Skyfire’s hooves. Magic flowed around her horn as she tried to heal herself, but her concentration was shattered and she screamed in pain. “M-make it quick!”

Misty Sparks regretted her request as Skyfire tucked forward and dove towards the Skyhawk. All the bullets missed wildly as the mutineers tried to silence them. “Fuck!” Heat and pain roiled over the overexerting pegasus as her unicorn cargo bled. Her vision faltered as tears welled, burnt treetops whizzing past.

Skyfire let out a cry of agony.

CRACK!

Skyfire flared out her wings to slow them to a survivable speed. “Shit!” She bellowed as her wings spasmed and failed to stop them entirely. A blur of brown was all the pair could see before Rocky Cold caught them roughly, falling back onto the ground. Arms wrapped around them and they skidded a few feet from their momentum, a grunt of pain coming from their rescuer.

“Wasn’t expecting that kind of an escape… and you’re both hurt, fuck!” Rocky Cold shouted and adjusted to drag both of them, much to the protest of both the younger mares. The earth pony grunted with effort but steadily retreated into the safety of the Skyhawk. Dark brown eyes scanned the area but there was no sign of the sergeant, only the mutineers who were coming running. “Where’s Cuffs?”

Rocky Cold’s words didn’t register to the pegasus, and even less so to the unicorn. Skyfire whined in shallow breaths, her chest ragged as she clutched her side. She curled inward with limp wings. “I-I think I b-broke so-so-something, again.” Hooves of various colors grabbed at them, pulling them into the dark. Skyfire screamed as somepony touched her wounded side. Once they were securely in the damaged belly of the vertihawk they were laid out in nearly the same spot as where Skyfire had awoken after the crash. Blaze slept a few feet away, still sedated. The security guards rushed to the small entrance, which had been righted more than its initial impact had left it in, with their weapons at the ready for any pursuers.

“You’re both going to need some time off work after this,” Golden Haze levelly remarked as he pulled out a first aid kit. In the din of the Skyhawk, it was nearly impossible for Misty Sparks to see beyond the range of her pip-buck’s light. “It’s a good thing we raided my stash earlier.”

Misty Spark’s eyes were wide as she quickly started bandaging herself, magic shakily moving the wrappings. “C-can’t pull out the bullet right now. Golden Haze- whatever you have to numb my leg, I-I need it, Yow!” The mare flinched as Golden Haze stabbed her with a syringe seconds after she started talking.

“I was already doing that, but good, you’re remembering your training. And you’re not panicking… Entirely at least.” The stallion gave a rare smile and patted her hair before adjusting to guide a potion over towards the other wounded mare. “Skyfire?”

“Y-y-yes?” Skyfire’s voice cracked out.

“Drink this potion, then lay here for now. I’m hitting you with painkillers,” Golden Haze calmly instructed, causing the purple-eyed pegasus to open her eyes, tears streaming out. Her entire body trembled and her sense of balance was twisting. She felt like she might fall through upwards into the sky. Skyfire shakily drank the potion with the unicorn’s help, spilling some of it on her muzzle before squeaking as she was stabbed with the pain killer. Half a moment later that squeak became a sigh of relief and she sagged into cold metal.

Sundance glowed a bright orange for a few moments as he focused his magic into a spell, and lines of light washed over each of them. It was a very unique spell that would save them, hiding them from EFS detection. A moment passed as the pair sat there catching their breath, the sound of approaching danger mixing with their murmurs of pain. Rocky Cold leaned over and patted both of their backs. “Now that you both can actually breathe without choking, what happened to Cuffs?” He asked tenderly, Skyfire flinched as she coughed from the stress.

“I couldn’t carry both of them- I’m sorry,” Skyfire mumbled numbly as she looked around, trying to avoid looking into anypony’s eyes. Only Pumpkin actively sought her out, and she ducked her eyes away.

Rocky Cold’s eyes softened for a moment and he shook his head. “You’re healing from being hurt, you managing to carry Misty Sparks is a miracle you didn’t hurt yourself even more than this.” He reassured calmly, gesturing to her side. She winced at the mere thought.

“That doesn’t excuse the fact we just left him there to take the brunt of my m-mistake,” cut in Misty Sparks. “What if they torture him for helping me? What if they kill him?”

Skyfire set a hoof on Misty Sparks, coughing again and shuddering as the potion slowly worked its magic. “Th-they shouted to keep him alive, Misty Sparks. That means-”

“They’re holding him hostage then,” Golden Haze interrupted, nodding slowly. “And I suppose that means they’re making an actual plan then, probably for Blaze.” He added, nodding to the unconscious mare in the back of the Skyhawk. They all stared at Blaze who snored quietly where she lay. A twinge of anger shot through Misty Sparks that her cousin was sleeping through all of this, but the alternative was disastrous.

Misty Spark’s face turned pale as she stammered, “I uhm, fuck, what do we do then?”

Golden Haze looked Misty Sparks in the eyes and firmly sighed. “You’re the next Overmare, we protect you. It’s what we all signed up for, at least the ponies who still believe in the Overmare.” He said, adjusting his barding quietly. He patted down where he kept potions and bandages and gave a little nod. “Cuffs believes in what you wanted to do here, even if you made a critical mistake.”

Skyfire put a hoof on Misty Sparks’ shoulder gently and attempted to hug her friend, only to fail and wince. “L-look, we believe in you, even if these ponies have rioted to try and kill Blaze. T-that’s not how you do things, right? We got the signal out, w-we just have to h-hold out.”

“Do you think our original plan will still work?”

“It’s the only real option, isn’t it?”

“No one in Security is particularly technologically inclined,” Sundance added in, “I’m among the smartest in my squad. I’m the only one who knows the EFS hiding spell, and that’s because I studied incredibly hard. It should still work, though I’m not sure for how long.”

“Can we last two hours?” Asked Misty Sparks in a quiet voice.

At that point a light green matte of mane crossed into the pip-buck’s light, Pumpkin eyeing both of them. “You both need time, we all do, and I have another distraction in mind. Sundance!” She called out, lifting up a smoke grenade. “I need you to help me make it look like we’re making a break for it. I can obscure the area and you make it look like we’re running. Can you fake EFS signals?”

Sundance gave a proud nod after looking at Skyfire and Misty Sparks. “They definitely need the time to heal up, before we go with our original plan. These little ponies have done their part, for now, we’ll do ours.” He stood up and grabbed a second smoke grenade from Pumpkin. “We’ll want to make sure it looks convincing. My illusions don’t hold up to close inspection.”

Pumpkin gave a nervous grin, orange eyes a faint bit too wide to conceal her true feelings. “That’s why I have lots of smoke grenades, we’re going to make a trail to show where we’re ‘going’. Come on, let's get moving.” She quickly pulled the pin and rolled the first grenade outside. A quick chorus of gunfire smashed into the Skyhawk, vibrating the metal hull around them. Skyfire barely suppressed a scream, while Misty Sparks covered her ears. The shooting subsided as the smoke thickened, voices calling out from outside. Taking her chance, the earth pony quickly jumped out, throwing another primed smoke grenade as she went.

Sundance whistled softly and jaunted out after, the pair disappearing quickly into the smoke. Golden Haze grunted at that point and quickly turned off Misty Sparks’ pip-buck light, partially to help obscure them as the voices decreased, hoofsteps and shouting fading away. Golden Haze lowered himself so that they could just see each other in the din, only smoke diffused sunlight further hidden behind clouds wafting through the holes of the wreckage. They waited until the noise had faded entirely, certain the ruse had worked, before anypony made a sound.

“You need to lay down now and not move around,” instructed the medic.

Skyfire nodded shakily, no longer crying actively as she gingerly laid out on her back, breathing more steadily now. Golden Haze comforted with a smile and patted her arm. “Now you both are injured, but keep an eye on each other,” He ordered. “Misty Sparks, your turn. Lay next to Miss Skyfire.”

Lime eyes squinted down to Skyfire before Misty Sparks quickly obliged, hooves uncertainly carrying her over. She gasped softly as she realized Skyfire had extended a wing down to let her rest against. The pegasus gave a nervous smile at that point, focusing on the mare next to her instead of everything stressful right then. With the noises gone, it was surprisingly easy to do just that. “That shield spell was quick thinking to protect us till we got out of the tent,” she murmured.

“Cuffs gave me the idea,” whimpered Misty Sparks.

“You still cast it yourself.”

“And you have flown twice with your injured body!” Misty Sparks protested, before calming down and giving a heavy sigh. “Yet, it’s probably the reason only I got shot and once at that, but you hurt yourself again! You need to stop taking such risks.” At that point, Misty Sparks adjusted enough to feel Skyfire’s wing herself rather than through her barding and stiffened. A hoof brushed crimson feathers, and she spoke her thoughts aloud, “Your wings really are that soft.”

“Is that something of a rumor?” Skyfire asked curiously as she fluttered her free wing softly, a small blush forming on her face.

“Oh uhm, I suppose it is, ponies mentioned how they’d love to bury their heads in them…” Misty Sparks admitted with a quiet smile as she eyed her friend's feathers in the din. She could just make out the way they swept away from a lithe grey body. A hoof shakily reached up to caress Skyfire’s plumage and hesitated. The pegasus twitched softly at the unspoken question but smiled back at her friend slowly to give permission. Misty Sparks stroked along the forelimb of her wing, surprised at just how firm it was. “I understand being able to lift me, but Uncle Hammers even when injured so? You’re so much stronger than I thought, and the way you took out that guard- I really don’t know you Skyfire.”

The pegasus tucked her head. “There’s a lot I can’t talk about… but I’ve always been stronger than others think… even myself. I forget it until I really need it. I have to dig deep to find it but it’s always there.”

“I hope one day you can talk about it. I want to know the mare who risked her life for me and my stable,” Misty Sparks whispered. “I feel like you’re my friend, but a stranger at the same time. If we make it out of this… I want to rectify that. Please.”

“I… I would like that a lot, actually,” Skyfire admitted. “I suppose I do know more about you than the reverse. Y-you’ve been very open to me. I want to return that favor.”

“You will,” Misty Sparks said with growing confidence. “We just need to buy time.”

“I don’t know if I should move right now though,” winced Skyfire. Golden Haze knickered his advice to not try, and she gave a small nod. “I can instruct you what to do though, how to remove the parts so we can make the gas bomb. If Sundance is right, then it should scare them back.”

“We have to make entering the Skyhawk too risky,” agreed Rocky Cold, “And your plan sounds like it’ll work. Sounds like they’re still buying into Pumpkin and my brother’s trick.”

“At least ten more minutes,” guessed Golden Haze. He focused his magic to cast a healing spell, and they both sighed in relief at its effects. The pain started to subside, but the damage done to them both was still very real. The bullet ached in Misty Sparks’ leg, the wound mostly closed over it now which would make removal later frustrating, but it was better than the alternative. Skyfire’s rib was still hurting something fierce, but it wasn’t blindly terrible anymore.

“That gives us enough time though I’m going to hate wasting this battery later, I’d rather be alive to whine.” Skyfire gritted her teeth gently as she twisted her body carefully to look around, pointing to a compartment in the front section of the Skyhawk. “Golden Haze, can you go over to that panel, and open it up, here’s the correct screwdriver type to open the hatch.”

Golden Haze moved without another word, only to pause for a moment to look back. “Miss Skyfire, is it the same proverbial passage up in the clouds? Righty tighty, lefty loosey?”

Skyfire let out a quiet snort and nodded with a smile. “Yes, I was happy to learn that Equestria mostly all follows the same idea of how to screw things tight,” Skyfire answered back with a sigh, adjusting to try and get comfortable again. Her wound made most positions aggravating after a point. “On-once that’s open, there’ll be two power cells, we’ll be taking the one with any charge left, and I want you to bring it over.”

Several minutes passed as Golden Haze succeeded in opening up the power panel, and found that pulling out the power cell was harder than imagined. The unicorn cleared his throat and looked over to Rocky Cold. “Would you mind helping me with some of that earth pony strength you all talk about?”

Rocky Cold snorted and quickly walked over, adjusting to get leverage before he gave a mighty heave. There was a scraping noise of metal on metal, loud enough to make the ponies flinch before the power cell gave way and lurched out. “That probably should have been removed a while ago?” He asked Skyfire who gave a nervous nod.

“We probably should have, but this is the first time I’ve been able to really look,” Skyfire protested weakly before sighing, “It’s a good thing they’re still here though. I am glad that unicorns can charge up batteries or this would be a lot harder.”

“Wait, you all do that up there in the clouds as well?” Misty Sparks asked, smiling as the pegasus nodded back quickly.

Skyfire mirrored the smile back, adjusting enough to focus on the battery. “The unicorns that are part of the Enclave help power a lot of things when we’re away from a power source in the cloud cities. If you all know the spells to do it then this is a lot simpler, we’re going to charge it up to near capacity. Then I’ve got a bit of a primer here that we’ll use to overcharge it. That’ll disrupt… well it’ll make it build up excess gas in the reaction.”

“Won’t it explode then? I thought we didn’t want to kill ourselves,” Rocky Cold quickly said, frowning as he looked over the battery, a small monitor on the side indicating its charge level. It was nearly empty at its current state.

“Well, I’m going to do something incredibly stupid. I’m going to pierce it with my utility knife, right after I start the overload process,” Skyfire started with a nervous smile, “Then I need somepony who can throw it precisely so it’s close enough to shield us. It’ll obscure itself with the smoky gas that a unicorn can’t see to pick it up.”

“I can still do that, my magic is coming back to me,” Misty Sparks offered quickly and leaned over to look at the battery. “How much smoke will it produce?”

“Well, that depends on the hole I make. I want it to be fairly big so it makes a lot of gas, we’ll have to hope it doesn’t blow our way,” Skyfire started before she thought quickly, looking around. “It’s designed to be pressurized, and well, there’ll be a few seconds when I trigger it to overcharge before it starts spewing gas.”

“So I’ll have maybe five seconds to throw this where I want before it floods out with gas?” Misty Sparks asked softly, her ears pinned in thought. “There’s only really one way in here right?” She asked for confirmation from Golden Haze.

“Let me verify,” he answered back calmly before he moved to look out of the bay, scanning the area. A moment later he quietly licked his hoof and leaned out of the Skyhawk, observing for a moment. “The wind is blowing south, we’ll be covered if you throw it out to the right side.” He turned back to Misty Sparks. “I won’t advise you to move, but you two did plan this out.”

Misty Sparks gave a frown, looking up at him. “Are you saying you want to do it instead?”

“I’m saying I trust you two in your plan, and I trust you to throw it far enough, my magic isn’t as strong as yours,” he answered back with a gentle sigh. “You’ll make the throw where you really want it to go.”

Misty Spark’s eyes softened for a moment. “That means a lot to hear. Thank you, Golden Haze.”

“You do realize that while you made a mistake, we do believe in you still, and while Blaze did well… everything that happened, Lily had her hoof in it too, and this is out of protocol to just lynch her,” Rocky Cold commented sternly, his gaze not wavering as he looked to Misty Sparks. “You’re the future Overmare, and you’ve done your best to make yourself a worthy one.”

Before Misty Sparks had the time to reply, her mouth agape, Skyfire nudged her. “Remember, no talking bad about my friend. We have a plan, and we have our friends here working to make sure we all get out of this alive.”

Misty Sparks made a flustered noise before sighing, “Right right, you all believe in me. That helps, but when do we want to do this?”

“Sometime soon, we probably don’t want to use it before we need it,” Skyfire sighed nervously, glancing toward the entrance. She couldn’t hear any mutineers outside it like earlier, and while the bomb would be effective, they had a long timespan they had to make it last for.

“Use… What?” Came a raspy voice from the cockpit, causing a jolt to run down each of their spines. “Where… What the fuck is going on?”

Misty Sparks bristled as a pip-buck’s light flickered on, basking them all in its neon light. Emeralds were bleary and dilated, red and pink hair was disheveled and a torn stable suit bloodied and dirtied. Blaze had awoken. “You’re supposed to be sedated,” Misty Sparks immediately said.

“What?” The earth pony sluggishly rose her head. “Why- no?”

“Yes. Golden Haze, if she gets enraged-”

“I don’t have any more tranquilizers,” Golden Haze interrupted with more inflection than he normally spoke with. “I went for healing agents instead.”

“Can’t you just knock her out with a spell?” Misty Sparks’ voice pitched.

Blaze winced at the volume and waved a hoof, setting the light jilting in a nauseating manner. “Sparky… what the fuck is going on?”

“Do you… not remember?” Asked Skyfire in a soft voice. The unicorns whispered briskly to one another on what to do, and Skyfire sighed. “We’re in danger.”

“Danger?” Blaze blinked, mouthing the word several times. “No, we’re not. We’re at your crash site. It’s boring out here now. Wait… Why the fuck are we in the wreckage, and with the fucking medic?”

“You-”

“No!” Misty Sparks cut Skyfire off. “Do not set her off.”

The large mare groaned and slumped against the metal walls of the vertihawk. “Sparky, I literally could not go off if I wanted to right now. My legs feel like whatever was in my sink last week.” She wiggled a hoof for dramatic effect, and the unicorns squinted suspiciously.

“She has a right to know,” Skyfire said firmly, “before somepony dies.”

Her words made Blaze jolt upwards. “Dies?” She looked from Skyfire to her cousin, ears swiveling forward. Misty Sparks leaned away. “You’ve been fucking shot, you’re bloody. Who the fuck hurt you?”

“I don’t know, a lot of ponies were shooting at us.”

“Raiders?”

“Security has mutinied, or at least most of them,” Skyfire confessed when Misty Sparks tensed up. “We’re hiding here because it’s the safest place around. Can… Can you please turn off your light?” Blaze obeyed without hesitation. “Thank you.”

“I’ll kill them,” vowed Blaze.

“You can’t even walk, let alone maim right now,” Golden Haze interjected, crossing over to her. “I’m not going to sedate you with magic right now because I need to avoid burning myself out on wasteful tasks.”

Snorting, Blaze glared at him. “Jeez, you’re a peach aren’t you?”

“You caused this. Misty Sparks, Skyfire, and several of us have been risking our lives to protect you while you slept. It’s not because we, or at least everypony but these two, care about you. It’s because it’s the right thing to do. Lily crossed a line, so did you. Killing one another isn’t the fucking answer. Some of us actually have morals.”

Tension ran along the large mare’s body, muscles trying to lift her only to fail. “When I can move-”

“You won’t do anything but what you should. You owe these mares your life. Rusty wants you dead, and he will stop at nothing to accomplish that. Your actions have endangered your cousin Blaze. Do you understand? It’s not just you getting hurt anymore.”

Blaze glanced from him to the others. Rocky Cold watched the entrance silently. Skyfire and Misty Sparks were staring at her, pleading silently. Her eyes settled on the bandages Misty Sparks wore. With a twitch of an ear, she forcefully looked away. “That’s not how this is supposed to work.”

“How is it, then?”

“I get fucked up, I get fucked. Nopony else.”

“Your actions ripple across the entire stable you dense filly. Do you honestly think it has only ever been you that’s been hurting? Lily’s mute now, you almost killed her.”

“I don’t remember doing that.” Blaze refused to meet his gaze. He lowered himself so she could not avoid his intense eyes. Recoiling, she swallowed dryly. Skyfire and Misty Sparks found themselves without words as they watched, the unicorn trembling against her friend.

“Of course you don’t, you were higher than this aircraft was before it crashed. Lily picked a fight with you as much as you did her. She fucked up. You fucked up. This was only her first time, how many is this for you?”

“You don’t know me-”

“You don’t let anypony know you,” he cut her off. “Not since-”

“Don’t you fucking say it,” Blaze shouted, snapping up at him. He swiftly pulled back, avoiding her teeth. “You don’t get to say that- nopony does!”

“Lower your voice,” he scolded. “Or do you want to get us killed?”

“You… you don’t get to say that. Nopony does,” she repeated, voice weakening. “You weren’t there, you don’t get to pass judgment.”

“I saw the funeral. I remember seeing you in the clinic, so young and so hurt. That filly could have been saved, but the mare before me now? All I see is a broken knife stabbing anything that gets close.”

Tears brimmed in emeralds that just faintly caught the light. Blaze lifted herself as much as she could, knees wobbling as she could only get halfway there before she collapsed. Panting from the exertion, she gritted her teeth and swore. “I don’t remember asking you for the fucking therapy session doc,” she hissed out.

“Consider this one on the house,” Golden Haze spat, “I’ve seen enough guards with PTSD to see it in you. Unlike those ponies though, they wanted to get better. You just want to suffer, don’t you?”

“Fuck off.”

“I thought as much.” The medic crossed the wreckage and began to scan outside with Rocky Cold. An uncomfortable silence settled between the three mares, Blaze hyperventilating while the other two trembled.

Skyfire looked from a stunned Misty Sparks to her struggling roommate. Words failed to form, and she instead let her wing rest on Misty Sparks more, pulling her into a silent embrace. Misty Sparks immediately leaned into her, muttering softly into grey and crimson. Blaze glanced at them, and her jaw went taut. “I was just taking my prescription,” she defended, “that’s the last thing I remember.”

“Prescription for what?” Asked Skyfire in a squeaky voice. Misty Sparks tensed further.

Blaze stared at her, the words dying in her throat. “My problem,” she finally managed. “My stupid fucking problem.”

“If it’s the reason you’re an add-”

“I am not an addict!” Screamed Blaze, lurching forward. Skyfire yelped and recoiled into Misty Sparks. They both looked at her with palpable panic. The pair guarding the entrance whirled around, a baton ready to defend the mares. For the first time in years, Blaze felt her heart ache at such a sight. Blaze wilted, collapsing into the ground. “You… Ponies are trying… to kill you… and more you’re scared of me?”

“Blaze…” Whimpered Misty Sparks from behind Skyfire’s wings. “I’m… I’m trying to save you, a-and you’re just… you’re still so angry.”

“Somepony shot you.”

“I c-can heal that,” said Misty Sparks between growing tears. “I- I can’t heal you.”

Blaze stared at her cousin. She only saw a trembling little filly beneath the wings of a stranger, finding comfort in somepony more unknown than her own flesh and blood. The ground slipped away from beneath her, sending her falling into the void below. Blaze didn’t fight back, letting the familiar black consume her. It suffocated her, no comfort in its tight embrace, not even a hint of care within its all-encompassing touch. She let it claim her.

“You should have let them kill me,” whispered Blaze, nearly catatonic. She did not whimper or cry, only lay there. “Ended all this. Saved yourselves.”

Misty Sparks reached out towards her, only to wince and recoil her hoof. “Blaze…”

“I should have died that day too.”

“Blaze!”

The mare shifted, and to everypony’s horror, she rose. It was a sloppy, lethargic rise to her hooves that was more akin to a ghoul shuffling upwards than a proper healthy pony such as her. “Lay down,” ordered Golden Haze. Blaze didn’t hear him, didn’t hear any of them. She took a few painful steps, nearly collapsing beneath her own weight. With a groan, she threw herself forward and used the momentum to cross halfway before sliding into the metal floor. Golden Haze and Rocky Cold pounced upon her. She didn’t resist them, instead, hindlegs kept her crawling forward.

“What are you trying to do? Do you think you can go out there and fight them?" Rocky Cold demanded, distressed to find the mare not so much as resisting and yet still creeping forward. It was as if she were possessed of singular thought. “You can’t even walk!”

“Should’ve ended this,” muttered Blaze, pushing against them. Golden Haze and Rocky Cold simply weren’t enough weight even against the lethargic massive mare.

“She’s trying to give herself up,” whispered Skyfire in realization. “Misty Sparks-”

“I swear I heard something in there!” A shout came from outside, ripping through all but Blaze who kept on her journey. “I’m telling you, that was a trick! They’ve been in there the whole time!”

“We’re out of time!” Hissed Skyfire, “Misty Sparks we have to do this now- right now!” She shook her friend, jolting the mare out of her horrified trance. “Focus your magic on it, charge it right now!”

“I-”

“Blaze is going to kill herself!”

The words broke Misty Sparks free of the mental chains, spurring her onwards. The interior of the Skyhawk became neon green as she charged the battery. It was a spell meant for a slow, steady transference of magic. Misty Sparks took no time for care or caution. Golden Haze cast his magic to it as well, yellow and green lights blinding those within. It spilled out of the Skyhawk through every crevice, a beacon of desperation to all. Without waiting, Skyfire plunged the knife into the battery. A scream ripped from the little mare as she put everything she was into the spell. Gas started to puff out of the puncture hole, hissing and belching like miniature dragon fire.

With a scream rivaling Blaze’s fiercest battle cries, Misty Sparks sent the battery flying out of the exit. A pair of mutineers who’d been about to enter were immediately caught in the explosion, screaming as acid and light bathed them. They retreated from the cloud of acrid smoke. Misty Sparks collapsed against Skyfire, completely absent of breath or energy. The pegasus embraced her wholly, despite the resurgence of pain in her ribs. Shouts from the outside battered the hull of the Skyhawk, confusion, and frustration boiling over. At that moment, the ponies inside the wreckage knew it had worked.

They were safe, for now.

Misty Spark’s pip-buck read that twenty-three minutes had passed since they had hurled their smokescreen. In that time the five ponies had accounted for all the supplies they had between them. Three short-range pistols, a baton, a few grenades, a dozen healing potions, and a set of varied emergency medical supplies. Skyfire sat up against the fuselage of the Skyhawk, giving a sigh as she fiddled with her laser pistol. It couldn’t match the firepower of the sheer number of ponies outside. Her eyes were so focused that she didn’t notice how the now-familiar blonde mane leaned over her shoulder gingerly.

“Is it damaged?” Misty Sparks asked quietly, gasping as Skyfire looked up with a quiet squeak. “Oh you were focused, I’m sorry,” she quickly added. Her ears perked up as Skyfire shook her head quickly and a nervous smile formed on her face.

“N-no not at all. I guess I’m just focusing on this. I don’t know what else I can do,” Skyfire admitted quietly, her eyes drawn up to Misty Sparks’. “I hear coughing outside every so often, so I think some of them are trying to brave the smoke, but it’s quite toxic, I’m afraid of how many will need medical help. I’m hoping through the end of this all, some of them will surrender back into Stable life.” More than once a stun grenade had been lobbed in, only for Rocky Cold to swat it back like a hoofball. The mutineers had stopped after the fifth attempt.

“Else we’d lose almost a fourth of the security department,” Misty Sparks added with a nervous whine. “Mom will have her hooves full regardless, I’m worried for the future.”

“We can worry about the future and train new more level-headed security when we’re all safely back at our home,” Rocky Cold said quickly, sighing as he checked over everything he could as well. “She’s also not wrong to look for anything that might make it less effective right before a fight. Why don’t you look over yours with her?”

Misty Sparks dug through her saddlebags gingerly, wincing as a few gunshots fired outside into the hull. They pinged off metal with an angry reverb. “I was hoping to not need to use this, especially on other ponies.” A moment later she found it, buried under her small stash of medical supplies.

“Why are you all still doing this? I’m the fuck up here, and they want my head, not any of yours. Especially not you, Sparky. You don’t deserve to get shot because of me,” Blaze whined plaintively from the corner she hadn’t moved from after finally being convinced by Golden Haze and Rocky Cold to calm down. “This is my fuck up, it’s supposed to affect me, you shouldn’t even be here getting shot helping me. Feathers you shouldn’t have broken your rib again either,” she muttered more to herself.

“You’re my cousin,” Misty Sparks answered back, “And besides, even if you fucked up, killing you isn’t what we do. We’re civilized, and Flare will punish you and Lily, even if she got hurt. She had more than a minor part in causing the fight.”

“Still, it’s not your fault. This is all supposed to just be on me. Like it’s always been,” Blaze huffed back, looking over to her cousin with defeated eyes. “I can still get them off you if I give myself up. It’ll be enough.”

Crimson wings fluttered up as Skyfire pointed a hoof at Blaze, catching her attention. “Nopony deserves to be lynched over being pushed into a fight by somepony you have issues with. You’d get court-martialed, sure, but you wouldn’t get executed. Besides, even if you wanted to go, the gas is still pouring out, and we have help on the way, just wait, okay? Even if you fucked up, you're somepony I want to call a friend. You treated me normally when most everypony couldn't stop staring at my wings."

“Feathers you don’t want to be my friend, ponies who are my friends get hurt by me or just being close to me. No matter how hard I try and keep it all to myself.” Blaze struggled to bark back, pain in her voice as she lowered her head. Heavy hooves trembled beneath her, shivering as if she’d been drenched in cold water.

“Why do you act like this? Why do you push everypony away? I know ponies in the stable hate you, but I’m somepony who hasn’t seen all that,” Skyfire asked softly.

“You- you don’t want to really know. You don’t want to deal with my shit. Nopony does.”

“I do. You’re hurt, from something in your past. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a decent pony because of it.”

“I-I, you don’t understand Feathers,” Blaze started, her eyes widening as she sniffled, realizing she had started crying. “Fuck I’m getting emotional-”

“That’s probably because you’re the soberest you’ve been in years,” Golden Haze cut in with a resolute stare. “When we sedated you I gave you a detox solution because you were lethally overdosing. You’re unable to mask and hide your emotions through layers of drugs to haze over your mind.”

“Then maybe there’s a chance of you taking to heart that we still care about you,” Misty Sparks murmured quietly, rubbing her hoof gently with another nervously. “You’ve fucked up before, not quite like this, but you’re somepony who can get better-”

“Better? I don’t deserve better. Not if you are getting hurt because of me, or any of you here.” Blaze snorted quietly, the tears streaming along her muzzle, dribbling into the bay of the Skyhawk. “I don’t deserve to be alive right now.”

“Why?” Skyfire asked softly, her eyes shimmering with confusion as she leaned over towards Blaze. “What did you do?”

“If you knew you’d never want to talk to me again,” Blaze grumbled back, “Fuckin hell why can’t I stop crying?”

“Probably because no matter how much you bury your trauma, it’ll rise back up until you actually deal with it,” Golden Haze answered with a shake of his head. “You really do need therapy.”

“I need therapy like I need a hole in my head!” Blaze growled back, doing her best to give a scowl, failing quickly with the endless stream of tears. The mare tried to stand up but sobriety had its own curse, with withdrawals making her twitch and sweat the more she existed without her hit. The fuzziness of the sedatives was long gone now, leaving itchiness and aching pain within her. Her limbs were sluggish from fatigue and she could barely lift her snout without lances of pain. A headache pulsated in time with her heartbeat, and her eyes hurt whenever she looked towards the light. Normally one felt weak after detox, but she already craved her chems. She limply patted her barding down and found they’d been confiscated.

Nausea roiled in her guts as the ground and ceiling began to tilt in her vision. She couldn’t remember sobriety being so disorientating, or perhaps that was the withdrawals moreover. With a hiss of pain, she tucked her nose under her pip-buck, trying to warm it. It was then that she heard it. The occasional tick had been muted beneath angry voices and the hissing of the gas but pressed against her pip-buck there was no escaping that dreadful sound. Slow, rhythmic, like a dying heartbeat, and yet there it was. Every fiber of Blaze’s body tensed. “How long have we been here?” She asked in an emotionless voice.

“Around an hour,” Rocky Cold replied.

“All of us?”

“You, Sundance, and I got in here first. Closer to two for us.”

Blaze’s body ran cold. “And none of you have checked your fucking pip-bucks?”

Various looks were cast between her and the aforementioned device. Finally, they took notice. “There’s a radiation leak,” whispered Misty Sparks.

“Minimal, one good scrub and we’ll be fine,” Golden Haze soothed.

“For ponies as undamaged as you, yes. Me?”

“Do you feel the symptoms of radiation poisoning?” Golden Haze asked with a frown.

Blaze chortled, revealing far too many teeth for Skyfire’s liking. Something about her twisted, eyes growing too wide and ears too alert. “I feel the symptoms of existence right now, doc. I’d rather get shot down by a firing squad than catch the silent death.”

“We’ll get you looked at once we’re home,” Misty Sparks reassured, straining where she lay. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.”

More laughter rocked through the mare, and she ran a hoof through her mane. A few strands of red came with her hoof, and her laughter pitched into a scream. Skyfire fluffed up and clutched Misty Sparks, wincing in fresh pain. Blaze lurched, eyes pinpricks not from chemicals but something much more instinctual. A primal urge consumed the massive mare who started tearing at her own mane, pulling clumps of it now. Golden Haze rushed to restrain her, barking orders to Rocky Cold who was hesitant to leave his posting by the entrance. Incoherent screams came from Blaze, tears rushing anew. She unhinged completely before their eyes, trapped in an irradiated crash. It didn’t matter how many times they tried to calm her with reassurances that they would be safe soon, that it was only a matter of time before help came and they were free. All she saw was her radiation meter.

It was halfway through the yellow bar.

A stab of a needle was an all too familiar sensation for Blaze that brought euphoria, but what followed it wasn’t her usual cocktail of chemicals. Instead, a cold, invasive liquid crept through her veins, purging her greatest fear. It weakened and healed her all the same, legs drooping with the emergency rad-away injection. A foul taste filled her mouth as she was guided to sit. Fragments of dialogue latched onto her ears, pulled past by a rush of terror. Misty Sparks was trying to calm her, Skyfire was confused by how she was in such grave danger and they weren’t. Their voices were muffled as if cotton was in her ears, the rapid beat of her heart overlaying everything now.

If she focused enough she could imagine the radiation seeping into her body, violating her. It would lay itself into her bones and tear asunder her organs, changing them to its whims. A hoof brushed along her torso, the prospect of another transplant rising. How long until she needed another? Would anypony volunteer this time? Golden Haze was saying something about withdrawals aggregating her fears, that she was worsening her condition through sheer terror, and she blinked at him. Through the painful clarity of sobriety, she could tell one thing, and it was that he was right. Yet, despite this realization, she could do nothing to stop it. She was helpless.

Both blonde and golden manes moved about in front of her, Blaze unable to process most of what was said from Misty Sparks and Golden Haze. A potion hovered in front of her face, and she swatted it away weakly, it wouldn’t do somepony like her good. She was already doomed with the radiation ticking up. That subtle ticking drove its way into her skull. It was all she could hear at this point, even if the bar was going down it’d never be enough to save her. The ticking got louder, and louder even though it never actually got worse. It was all she could see, the flashback to her youth. That damned memory.

Chapter Seventeen: Recurrence

Chapter Seventeen: Recurrence

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”

“For the love of Celestia,” came the low growl of a security guard, “could you not for five seconds?”

Comet blinked up from his temporary shelter, water dripping from his maw from his most recent full submersion attempt at drinking. Rather than sip from the bucket or even tip some of it, the dragon simply elected to shoving his whole head in as if it was the only thing that could keep him alive. “Huh?”

The unicorn rubbed his face with frustration. “You’re making a mess everywhere! The hay will get moldy if you keep doing that, and you’re wasting it otherwise!”

“Waste?”

“You know, not using it right? Spoiling it? Discarding it? Making it go bad! Does any of that make sense to you?” The guard grumbled with increasing irritation. Comet simply blinked at him then shoved his face back into the bucket.

A thin chuckle froze the guard in place as Flare trotted up. “Try not to upset our guest, hm?”

“Overmare!” He shouted as he whirled around to her. “I don’t think I am, he barely seems to understand me. It’s just a waste you know! He’s drunk more water than my family uses in a week.”

Flare arched a brow and drew closer to Comet. The dragon was already looking considerably healthier than when he’d been discovered. Light filled his eyes as he regarded her in return. “We can afford it,” Flare declared.

“And the gems?” The security guard pressed. “We can’t exactly give him all our scrap, it’s still good for trade most of the time.”

Nostrils momentarily flared, the Overmare looked back at the guard. “Stalwart, I know you have every reason to be concerned about the situation. This is a dragon afterall, who could if he so desired burn us all and gobble us up.”

Fin ears pulled back and Comet puffed his chest. Before he could argue, Flare held up a hoof. He begrudgingly waited.

“Look at this creature and tell me you think he’ll do that,” Flare continued.

Stalwart frowned and examined Comet. He still looked like an injured animal brought in from the rain. “Not now, no, but what about later? If we give him supplies at this rate we’ll be dry.”

Flare tilted her head and hummed once more. “We have more in our stock than you seem aware of. I wouldn’t put the health of the stable at risk for a stranger, but we must be gracious hosts. Afterall, Comet here helped our team return safely and with salvage. I see this as repayment for a service rendered. Does that sound fair?”

“Well… Yeah, that does,” Stalwart admitted.

“Do you believe me when I say I won’t put us at risk for a stranger?” She pressed.

Stalwart shifted his hooves. “Respectfully ma’am… You’re taking a lot of risks for strangers as of late.”

“Are ponies not mean, too?” Comet inquired from his nest of blankets and hay.

“Yeah, we can be mean.”

The dragon pushed, “Nice?”

“We can be nice too,” Stalwart admitted. “We just have to pick the right ponies, er, creatures to show that kindness. Plenty of folks will bite your hand or act nice and steal what matters most to you.”

Flare sighed and rubbed her eyes. Blatant exhaustion clung to her body despite the midday hour. “And we know just as many of those threats can come from inside our stable.”

“I’m not a traitor,” Stalwart growled.

“Did I say that?” Flare challenged.

Comet could only blink as they spoke of matters completely foreign to him. What he did recognize however, was the look of burgeoning hostility in Stalwart’s hard gaze. Frighteningly long limbs revealed themselves as Comet slinked off his nest. He was nearly as tall as the barn was as he stretched. Stalwart immediately balked as the beast he had been yelling at revealed his very real might. Flare blinked up at him as well, further confused when Comet stepped partially in front of Flare.

Fangs flashed for a brief moment. “Ponies no hurt ponies! Stop!”

“I’m not hurting her!” Stalwart retorted.

“Sound like are!”

Flare brushed Comet’s arm and he had to tilt his entire head to look down at her. “It’s okay. Sometimes ponies argue, that doesn’t mean we’re hurting one another.”

“Word can hurt.”

“It can…” She conceded. Then she fixated Stalwart in place with a firm calmness. “I was making no such implication about you Stalwart. History proves that there are threats both within and without our home. Asking if you believe in me is not accusing you as a traitor.”

“Oh, and if I were to say I don’t? That I think you’re making a mistake?” He growled and stomped a hoof. “Half of Security has already been swept away because of the hateful moron. Are the rest of us to walk on eggshells and act like yes stallions?”

Not rising to the jab, Flare shook her head. “I want honesty! Please in fact tell me if you think I’m doing something foolish.”

The unicorn stallion drew closer. Wet hay scrunched under his hooves and he briefly scowled down at it. “Fine then, with your explicit permission then ma’am; this is a fool’s end. Housing a dragon, a predator, isn’t the same thing as taking in a hurt wanderer. Sending your daughter out into the wastes searching for scrap alongside her chemhead cousin and an Enclave stray is equally foolish. She’s going to get killed out there, and that will break you, Overmare.”

“I am keenly aware of how much danger I am putting her in,” Flare replied tightly. “At least out there however, I don’t have to worry about a pony stabbing her in the back.”

Stalwart nickered, but his rage was tempered slightly. “Do you have such little faith in Security?”

Stepping around the still confused yet protecting dragon, Flare sighed. “I have little faith in anyone, Stalwart. I wish I could say otherwise, but attempts on my own life and now even my daughter and niece… You can see why that has me on edge, can’t you?”

Again fin ears flicked up at Comet clung onto that piece of information. He had thought stable ponies were supposed to be kind and loyal to one another. It was how Misty Sparks had made it sound at the least, though Blaze had expressed a different opinion. A spade tipped tail twitched and ruffled many blankets. The ponies glanced at him, but when he did not speak up they continued their slowly cooling conversation. “I can’t say I blame you ma’am,” Stalwart admitted.

“Thank you.”

Stalwart backed up to his post against the door. “I suppose we’re all on edge these days. A dragon doesn’t help.”

“I promise you I am trying to resolve this in the best way I can. Would you have me throw him back to the wastes?” Her voice wilted. From the way Stalwart’s eyes widened, Comet guessed it was not a common thing to hear.

“I… No, I guess I wouldn’t. He did help our mares.” He lifted his helmet off with his magic and combed out a dark blue mane. “I’m sorry Overmare, I let my anger get the best of me.”

“You’re forgiven,” she replied. The tension left her body immediately. “Perhaps you should go have a break? You’ve been here all day haven’t you?”

He nodded as he slipped back on his helmet. “Yeah. Only a few ponies came by poking around, but nopony has made any trouble.”

Relieved, Flare tapped a hoof. “Splendid job then. Go find your relief, I’ll watch Comet until then. Please tell the others in Security they are welcome to express their grievances. So long as it does not come in the form of a weapon.”

With a grim chuckle, Stalwart smiled. “Yes ma’am.” Then he slipped away from the barn and out of sight.

Flare remained standing for a few moments, staring after him. Comet nudged her when she hadn’t moved for some time. “Over…” The title jumbled itself on his tongue. It felt significantly drier now. “Flare?”

Hollowed icy eyes rose to meet golden slits of the same kind. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said as the strength left her legs. Flare wobbled to a seated position, even then looking like she might melt into a puddle and stain the hay a deep red and blonde.

Comet winced as he laid back down. While his strength had been returning to him thanks to the plentiful food and water provided by the stable, his limbs still ached from his confinement. He didn’t dare try stretching his wings in the old wooden structure. “All not well?”

“No, it is not,” she replied slowly. “The short and sweet of it is that the stable is not confidently safe. So, Misty Sparks is potentially safer out in the wild wastes than in her own home.”

“Daughter?” Comet asked for clarification. He was nearly certain, but there had been so many ponies with similar appearances the last few days he was a bit confused. It befuddled him that they all wore nearly the same thing. An idle part of him wondered if they only had two colors of fabric.

Flare cracked a smile. “Yes, my daughter. More than that, the most important thing in my life. Nothing matters to me more than keeping her happy. I know I have so many responsibilities, but I… I need to be a better mother. She’s already lost so much and she’s been an adult for only a few years. She lost even more before then, honestly.”

A paw gingerly reached out and brushed Flare’s horn. It was the best attempt at patting her like the vague memories of his mother doing so to comfort him as a hatchling he could make. Despite how weak he felt, he was terrified of hurting those who were helping him. “I help keep safe,” he promised.

“Pardon?”

“Keep safe!”

“I… Thank you,” she fumbled for the words as she awkwardly pushed his paw to her shoulder instead. Large claws were concerningly near her throat, but there wasn’t an ounce of hostility from the young dragon.

Flare watched him for a few moments more, then spoke the reason she’d even come to the barn in the first place. “They’re going on another expedition. Lonestar Caravans needs an escort to a nearby town. We’ve only interacted with those of its populace who visit us, but we’ve never been there ourselves. I want you to go with them.”

Comet tilted his head until he looked at Flare upside down, showing off his long neck and bright blue throat scales. She quirked a brow at the odd movement. “Me?”

“Stalwart is right about a few things, ponies don’t feel comfortable with you here. We can continue to house you when you return but I think it best for you to stick with those who trust you.”

“Misty Sparks, Skyfire, Blaze, and Grease,” he listed off with fierce focus to not slip up a name again. While he had enjoyed the way Skyfire laughed at his error, he doubted Flare would feel the same.

Flare nodded and straightened up. Purpose rose up her body like a beacon and Comet felt a stirring in his chest at her determination. “It’s sad I can trust strangers with my daughter more than my own ponies, but it’s where I’m at. Plus she can do real good for the stable out there. Establishing alliances, trade partners, finding salvage to expand our reach via a vertibuck will not only grow the stable but establish what kind of Overmare she will be. Having her sit around at home with traitors in the mist, a strung out cousin exiled, and her new friend searching alone out there is a disaster waiting to happen. This way, at the least, they’re all together in one place.”

“Uhm…” Comet shuffled his tail again. “What?”

“Oh.”

“I do no… understood?”

A chuckle broke free. Another followed swiftly. In a millisecond Flare found herself wheezing from laughter and tearing up. Comet could only balk and twitch, half afraid he would need to call for help. He pushed the bucket of water to the Overmare and much of it sloshed over onto the hay and her hooves. Flare’s laughter grew. “You okay?” He yelped.

One hoof waved in the air weakly. “Yes. Yes, I am! I just- I suppose I forgot how unfamiliar all of this is to you. I apologize.”

“Accepted.”

She smiled. “I can’t pretend to be the best judge of character, especially these days, but I trust my daughter’s word about you. So, I entrust you with this task; keep her safe. No matter what happens out there, Misty Sparks must come home. She is the stable’s future, but more than that she is my daughter.”

“And others?” Comet asked in a softer voice.

“Protect them too, please. They’re extremely important too! They all are. I just will not deny my care for Misty Sparks is the greatest. As much as I hate to admit it, the stable can endure without the others. It would be dreadful, horrible, painful- but it could be done. If we lose Misty… There is no surviving.”

Awed at both the trust and the significance of the task requested of him, Comet bowed his head to the floor. While it was incredibly painful to think about much beyond the immediate of his needs, there was no denying the growing fondness he had for the four mares. They had plucked him from the darkness where he was more than willing to rot. He did not know what else he would do, then repay them for their generosity. Something felt natural about the fact, as if by instinct he was meant to work alongside ponies.

Heat flickered across his chest as he pictured Blaze, full of fire and fury. She confused him. He did not understand why she had been so angry at his own admission of lost hope. When he looked at her, he could see the same listlessness he knew well. Skyfire made his heart grow light, comforting like the blankets he rested on or the way his scales shined now. She was caring, even for a creature that by all rights should have eaten her. Grease was a strange pony of laughter and sharpness, just as willing to leave him there as give him a chance. Then Misty Sparks filled his mind like waves of gold, a complicated mixture of fear and hope. She made him think he could live, and perhaps even a reason as to why. Otherwise he would only drift onwards, lost as always.

Protecting his savior made the most sense anything had that day. “I keep safe,” he vowed. “All them. Misty most.”

At least this time as the expedition team prepared to depart, sunlight burned behind the ever present gray clouds. Comet stretched experimentally as he was hooked to the wagon once more. “How’s it feeling?” Skyfire inquired as she tugged a few securing straps.

“Better,” he grunted approvingly. The makeshift leather harness had been swapped for something far better suited. The padding along its interior didn’t pinch at his emaciated body like the previous one. Similarly the wagon had gotten a bit of tweaking with stronger wheels. The cargo stocked on it weren’t particularly heavy, mostly simple travel rations and lightweight goods. Steel and Flare were reviewing the inventory with a keen eye one last time. Similarly Lonestar counted every bullet he had while his kids sorted personal packs. Pecan Pie fretted over Spurs by the clinic, only for the blind stallion to wave her off with a smile. He was sticking around the stable for the far more dedicated medical facility than Hoofsten would have.

Misty Sparks trotted over with a clipboard in her magical grip. She flipped a few pages, checked something off, and smiled. “We should be squared away. Anypony seen Grease?”

“She’s not with you?” Skyfire frowned.

“I thought she was with you.”

“Uh… no.”

Grumbling, Misty Sparks rubbed her eyes. “I expect this kind of behavior from Blaze, not Grease.”

Lonestar chuckled as he finished counting ammo. “Little filly, she’s around I assure you. She and Mocha Bird tucked off somewhere.”

“Are they getting something you need?” Misty Sparks inquired as she reviewed her checklist. It appeared full, save the missing ponies. She squinted as she scanned the area for Blaze and came up empty.

A knowing grin made both mares’ cheeks warm as Lonestar shook his head. “I’d say grandfoals, but I don’t think that’s happening without some powerful magic.”

“Gross!” Pistol shouted. “Ew, no! Ugh! I asked Mocha to get me some extra gun oil and cleaning rags. Grease offered to show her to the store.”

A hat was tilted up with gusto. “You mean the gun store twenty feet away? That we’ve visited every day? That gun store?”

“...Yeah.”

“Thought so.”

Misty Sparks watched closely as Skyfire’s ears drew back. The pegasus’ jaw tightened and she quickly busied herself with triple checking Comet’s saddle. Fin ears tilted at the shift. Comet tilted his head like a bird. Before he could inquire, the chiming bell of the gunshop sounded and the pair in question trotted out. Laughter bubbled between them. Skyfire pulled a strap slightly too tight and Comet winced. “Sorry.”

Mocha Bird tossed the request to her young brother. “Here. Nopony else forgetting anything?”

“How would I know if I’ve forgotten it?” Shouted Nectar Yawn.

“So funny.” Mocha Bird rolled her eyes. The rest of her family chuckled however. She huffed as Grease joined in. The casual mood of the caravaners was a stark difference to the rigidity of the stable ponies. Mutterings of cross-referenced lists came from the administrative mares. Misty Sparks idly wondered if they’d ever get such ease for expeditions, or if they’d always be nerve wracking affairs.

Crashing came from an alley. Guns were drawn by the caravaners in a blink. Covered in sweat and mud, Blaze stumbled into view. She blinked at the firing line. “Shit, you caravaners are built different.”

“Keeps you alive,” grunted Pecan Pie as they lowered their weapons. “Why are you a mess filly?”

“An asshole needed a good kick. Turned out he wanted to return the favor.”

Flare glared at her. “Over what?”

“Blitz.”

Immediately Flare muttered into her clipboard. Misty Sparks trotted to Blaze with a healing spell primed, only for Blaze to push her back. “Save your magic. It’s nothing more than bruises.”

“On top of your major wound recovery!”

“Save your magic,” Blaze growled more firmly. “Just give me a second to wash off.” She stumbled to a water tank for any fires and blasted herself in the face with the hose. Comet jerked in place only for the wagon to stop his instinctual movement. It creaked loudly. Everypony glanced his way except Blaze who was rising the rest of herself off. Dripping wet but no longer muddied, the earth pony smiled forcefully and joined the others. Hammers, who’d been waiting nearby, perked up and began speaking with her. Blaze smiled slightly.

Relieved she could at least check off her cousin, Misty Sparks joined her mother and Steel. “So we’re ready, right?”

“Barring any angry stallions looking for payback,” Flare deadpanned.

“Great!”

Ice blue eyes took in the little unicorn. Flare frowned. She tapped a hoof then fixed a stray lock from Misty Sparks’ mane. “No matter what happens out there, even if you have to go far beyond the stable, promise me you’ll come home.”

Misty Sparks paled a shade lighter. “Of course I will… Something got you worried extra this time?”

“Well there is the matter of strangers, one of which is a dragon,” Flare deflected.

“And the biggest reason?” Demanded Misty Sparks.

Flare sighed yet smiled. “You’ll be gone longer. You’ll probably make enemies and allies out there. I know you’ll do the stable proud. I just want to know you’ll come back.”

Confused, Misty Sparks nodded. “Where else would I go? This is my home. It’s my past, present, and future. Stable 36 is everything to me.”

A twinge darted across Flare’s face despite her attempt at hiding it. She chewed her cheek. Her voice dropped lower and she hugged Misty Sparks. “I promise that when you come home for good, things will be safe again. The stable won’t always be a viper nest. When you’re Overmare, nopony will want to kill you for your grandfather’s crimes.”

Heart thumping, Misty Sparks hugged her mother just as tightly. “Make sure you stay safe too, okay? You’ve been through enough as it is.”

The comforting laugh Flare gave reassured Misty Sparks despite the unknown. “Well that’s why I have Hammers, isn’t it? My big brother will always protect me.”

“Good!” Misty Sparks joked back loud enough for her uncle to hear. “Else what good is he for?”

Hammers shouted, “Plenty that’s what! Now get over here and say goodbye!” Chuckling, they both obeyed.

A sharp bird call cut the relative peace and quiet, Lonestar and his crew immediately reached for their guns. The Stable 36 team took a few seconds longer to react, not used to the caravan’s signaling system. Up above Mocha Bird signaled with a hoof, pointing off to the east.

Comet looked up in alarm, skidding the wagon to a stop in the dirt. “W-What got a-all stop?”

“Mocha Bird sees somepony or something foul. She’s our best pair of eyes,” Lonestar answered as he floated up an aged hunting rifle. He grumbled as he sought out the interruption. An ear twitched and he shifted his stance.

Pecan Pie stood at the front of the caravan, shotgun hanging on a strap at her side. She braced to reach for it with a wing before softening. “Looks like a hurt pony stumbling around!”

Hide itching, Misty Sparks stretched up on her tippy hooves next to Comet, trying to see past the larger ponies. She cursed how short she was under her breath. A figure darted in front of her and Lonestar pushed to the front of the caravan. His rifle slipped back in its holster and he beckoned the stranger over with a telekinetic wave of his hat. “Sir, you don’t look like you’re doing too well. Do you need medical help?”

Razor blades scraped along wet flesh in a thick growl. “Of fucking course I do… Ain’t it obvious? I need meds, chems, whatever you fucking got.”

The young unicorn froze. She knew that voice. Before she could stop herself she was moving. She pushed through the caravan like a frantic snake fleeing a hawk. Pistol and Blue Grass complained loudly, while Nectar Yawn and Ashen Lace let her wiggle past. Grease grabbed her by the collar before she tumbled free to the front. A grunt escaped Misty Sparks and little else as she was snapped back, fixating instead on the wounded arrival.

Bullet.

The haggard stallion stared at Lonestar with bloodshot eyes, tail flicking rapidly and half starved. Infected flesh pocked his scarred face, oozing a concerning yellow the same hue as his sclera. Misty Sparks spared a glance to find Skyfire. The mare was hiding behind Comet. She tugged the cloak closer to conceal her wings. At her side Blaze took a heavy step in front of Skyfire, face paled and eyes wide.

Rotten teeth gnashed. Misty Sparks’ focus returned to the dangerous pony. “What do you mean you don’t have Stampede? What caravan doesn’t have Stampede?”

Lonestar scoffed, taking a step forward to stand his ground. He tipped his hat down with magic and leaned over Bullet. “Well for one buckaroo, while we do have medical supplies we don’t carry the hard stuff.”

“Habah? Why the actual fuck wouldn’t you keep the real important shit?” A belligerent Bullet pushed his snout into Lonestar’s face. He inhaled with a hissing noise and puffed up, only to wheeze back out like a deflating balloon.

“Back it up, sir,” Pecan Pie barked, shoving her shotgun’s butt up against the earth pony’s shoulder.

Dust kicked up as Bullet staggered, trying and failing to regain his footing. There hadn’t been much force behind Pecan Pie’s push. He shouted and coughed up blood. “Motherfucker, I need this! I can’t live without it! You’re all useless! What in Tartarus did I expect from featherheads?”

The mood of the caravan shifted in waves, prickling along hides and twitching down wingtips. Pecan Pie glanced back at Nectar Yawn who was scrounging through their bags. Pale blue magic joined him as Blue Grass came to his aid. Ashen Lace gritted her teeth in a manner that only distorted her new scars and glared daggers at the vulgar pony. Without speaking it they debated chasing him off for bigotry, or giving him something that could help out of pity.

Far in the back, Blaze shifted uncomfortably. She stamped at the broken road and looked away. Hide itching and track marks burning, she pressed against Skyfire as if to protect her further. Two shaking mares leaned into one another. A dragon inched forward. By the time Nectar Yawn shook his head at Pecan Pie a short blur of blonde thundered past. Misty Sparks was red in the face and as tense as an attack hound.

The addict turned to meet the newcomer with a growl, only for Bullet to blink at the unexpected mare. “You!”

“Yes me!”Misty Sparks snorted and glared down at him.

Bullet fumbled to his hooves. “You fucking did this to me!”

Pecan Pie frowned and shifted closer with her shotgun ready. Pointing a hoof at him, Misty Sparks replied, “You should know why you’re in this position!”

“Misty?” Lonestar questioned slowly.

“I saw this ‘patient’ a few weeks ago for this very addiction. I offered to help him-”

“Help?” He interrupted with a deep wheeze. “You sold me chems, you didn’t do shit-”

The unicorn returned the rude interjection with her own, “I always try to give you proper care! You never take my supplementals! You don’t even listen when I tell you to drink water-”

“I never went to you for doctoring you stuck up-”

Lonestar stomped a hoof and whistled loud enough they both shirked back. “Enough! So he’s a client of yours?”

She stiffly nodded. “Not anymore. He flew off the saddle the moment he saw Skyfire for merely being a-”

“Filthy pegasus! Yes I did! The Enclave and their kind ruined life for all of us!” Bullet erupted out spitting fury, and body trembling with rage and coughing. He took a few steps forward and cast a hoof at Pecan Pie. She jutted her chin out and glared. “If their kind opened up the clouds we wouldn’t be down here starving!”

Rather than back down in the face of a shouting beast, Misty Sparks kicked up dirt as she pushed her muzzle into Bullet’s face. “Not every pegasus is responsible for that! Get your head out of your ass and realize we’re all struggling! Most of these pegasi were born down here even, your bigotry has no basis!”

“Why in Tartarus should I care? They fucked us, and keep fucking us! Their little outcasts are competition now! I wouldn’t need my damn Stampede if the clouds were open!”

“Listen to yourself, you’re practically foaming at the mouth,” Misty Sparks rebuked, pushing her hoof into Bullet’s chest. The frazzled stallion stumbled back, hissing as he tried to catch himself.

Bullet refused to relent. “You don’t realize! You’re defending the enemy! They’re going to betray you one day!” Bullet shouted, his speech speeding up as he started convulsing. His bloodshot eyes shifted rapidly between Misty Sparks, Pecan Pie, and Lonestar. “I know you filthy wing lovers are hiding Stampede. Give. It. To. ME!”

Lonestar looked back to Nectar Yawn with a pleading expression. A second check would be worth it to get this addict out of the caravan’s path. He didn’t have time to get any answer back as a shotgun racked in his ear.

Pecan Pie snapped her own up. “Hold it!”

There was a chorus of shouts behind her as the wagon screeched. Asphalt churned and pebbles danced. The caravan leaped out of the way of a charging Comet, most of them dodging to the sides with cries. Pecan Pie remained where she was, shotgun aimed at Bullet while the unicorns stumbled back. Comet’s voice was like sudden thunder. “No hurt Misty! No hurt Misty Sparks!”

Bullet for all of his bluster, dropped the gun in astonishment. “What the actual fuck is that? What sort of monsters are you hauling!”

“No hurt Misty!” Comet belted with a strained growl as he came to a sliding stop. Wood cracked as the wagon lost a wheel in the commotion. It spiraled away with a spray of dust and loose rocks. “You no hurt friend, go away!”

Fangs glinted above the cruel stallion, framed by blue and brown scales, spikes, horns, and burning orange eyes. Bullet froze like caught prey. “F-fuck this, I only need Stampede! You’re all insane! Luna damned insane!”

“Fuck off Bullet. We don’t have Stampede, nor would we give it to somepony like you,” Lonestar grunted, floating up his rifle with a low growl. Misty Sparks stood behind him, just as stunned as the wastelander. Her heart felt like it might explode.

There was no verbal answer as Bullet backpedaled far enough before turning tail to hobble back in the direction he had come. Then a fusillade of swearing came only ended once he was out of range for most attacks. Lonestar kept his rifle trained on him until Mocha Bird gave another signal. Tension did not slip away easily from the ponies despite the all clear. “Misty Sparks, do you have any other fine friends we’re likely to run into on our journey?” Lonestar asked with a sigh and fanned his hat. “He’s gone at least, hopefully not coming back anytime soon.”

Misty Sparks took a steadying breath before shaking her head. It didn’t do her much good. “No, Bullet was the only pony who lost their royal shit at the mere sight of a pegasus. Every other customer at the stable town could restrain their racism. Though Skyfire was our first resident, so maybe the others just didn’t get a chance.”

“Nopony gave us shit while we were there,” grunted Pecan Pie as she stowed her shotgun.

“Yeah, with our cart full of goods and guns,” Lonestar replied. She nickered. “Okay let’s get the wagon fixed. Misty, you should check on your ponies.”

She gave a ragged nod and trotted over, unable to keep the energy subdued. Blaze and Skyfire were in the exact same spot as earlier, only now with Grease at their side. Earth ponies flanked the pegasus who shuddered beneath her cloak like a soaked cat. “Are you all okay?” Misty Sparks inquired.

“No,” Grease replied when the others didn’t speak. Blaze was as stiff as a statue with an arm across Skyfire’s back. Tears bubbled in purple eyes. She tugged the cloak close. Grease joined Blaze in embracing Skyfire. With a hesitant step, Misty Sparks settled in front of her friend. She took one hoof and squeezed. The dam broke and Skyfire cried.

Despite the delay in their journey Misty Sparks stood satisfied at the progress the caravan had made before Comet started complaining about being exhausted. There had been grumbling from Lonestar about making up for lost time. It had taken longer than any of them would have liked reseating the wheel on the wagon. Misty Sparks had calmed him with a succinct ‘Your answers will likely still be waiting there for you one more day.’

Quick practiced motions had begun setting up camp before the stable ponies even blinked, showing once again their synergy. They’d found a blasted out cottage a bit off the road. An old barn with heavy locks rested at the edge of the former homestead. Rotted wooden fencing scarcely marked where the property ended, most of it turned to short yellowed grass or ashen rock. The upper floor was still viable for sleeping with slatted windows and the majority of a roof keeping it sheltered. However, the heavier travelers like Comet and Blaze were best left to the shredded couch occupying what likely was once a playroom for foals given the faded butterfly wallpaper. Comet wouldn’t be able to rest more than his head on it.

By the time everything was in place and Comet was getting unhooked from the wagon outside the cottage, Lonestar had simmered down. “Sorry Lawnstar, not used drag thing,” Comet apologized once he was free of the binding. Wings flapped like a bird debating taking off, only for the dragon to wince and recoil.

Lonestar balked at the young dragon’s reaction, before waving him off with a hoof. “Make sure you are still drinking water, kid.” The mention of water sent Comet scampering off to Blaze beside a water pump outside with his bucket hanging from his mouth. Ashen Lace had helpfully painted his name on it. A startled yell announced Blaze was not prepared for an emaciated dragon to charge her with a clanking wardrum. Blaze nearly tackled the dragon on reflex and instead stole his bucket. Comet began to cry like a foal. Blaze increasingly panicked at how to calm a six-hundred pound dragon and looked to the others, most of which watched in amusement.

“What a motley crew,” chortled Lonestar. Wings flapped as Ashen Lace darted to assist.

Misty Sparks sheepishly shrugged. “We’re not all that abnormal.”

“Let’s not retread already stamped ground, shall we?” He snickered. Magic waved his hat for a faint breeze. Unlike the previous trip with foul weather abound, it was nothing but oppressive humidity without any sign of breaking.

Ashen Lace was negotiating the return of Comet’s bucket with Skyfire’s help as the dragon began crying louder. Misty Sparks sighed and sat down on her bedroll. “You… You have a point, yes.”

Head tilted in victory, Lonestar offered the fellow unicorn a Sparkle-Cola. She gratefully took it, returned the cap, and sighed at the cold relief. He leaned toward her and smiled. “So how’s that mighty checklist of yours look? You seem so keen to follow it, I’d hate to stray so soon into our trip.”

Half suppressing the urge to roll her eyes while she still drank the gift, Misty Sparks cleared her throat. “All that’s left is to establish who’s on which watch rotation. These ruins should keep us mostly concealed, but we’ve already learned there are plenty of nasties out here.”

Lonestar sniffed the air, grimaced at some foul scent, and downed his cola. “Look, leave it up to my family for the night, okay? They know all the little tricks they need to do, and you stable ponies can get a few extra winks. You’ll need more sleep than us.”

“I got all the rest I needed back home,” argued Misty Sparks. “You asked us to help keep you safe, that includes watch duty. So how do you want to split the load?”

Plum red eyes took in the little mare, sweat already making her mane stick to her horn and the thousand worries running through her head clear to see. He sighed and scratched his healing leg. Misty Sparks nickered, he stopped, and she harrumphed. “Doctors, I swear,” he laughed. “How about some of your crew help set up the defenses? Ashen Lace knows lots of traps, comes with the animals part of her job. Pistol is a good guard, so he takes a lot of watch time. Mocha gets us an aerial every so often.”

“Skyfire could help with that,” offered Misty Sparks. “She’s really stealthy.”

Lonestar deadpanned. “Her mane is a fierce red.”

“Dark red,” she countered. “Plus her coat is such a really pretty gray, she’ll blend into the sky!”

There was a pause. Heat crept up Misty Sparks’ body, culminating in her cheeks. Lonestar tipped his head and plopped his hat onto the blushing mare’s head. “Pretty, huh? I suppose she is, though my eyes aren’t wandering from Pecan. Sweet Celestia, how I love that mare.”

Words were jettisoned with such a speed Misty Sparks barely took a breath. She pulled the hat on more to try and hide from her obvious affections. “Wow I’m super glad you have a very happy relationship with your wife.”

“Me too little filly,” he snickered.

“I’m not a filly.”

“Sure sound like one with a crush,” he teased harder. “Just like Nectar Yawn when he fell for that stallion in Clydes. He tried so hard to get that fella to join us, can’t believe it paid off.”

Ears perked beneath the cowpony hat. Misty Sparks lifted it with her magic just enough to peek at the far older unicorn. “Nectar Yawn has a coltfriend?”

Lonestar snickered again before settling down next to Misty Sparks. The voices of the others were beginning to settle. Ashen Lace had managed to calm Comet enough there was no risk of a spontaneous bonfire. Old wood creaked around them in the wind eerily enough for Misty Sparks to wince. “Is your stable not all that safe?” Lonestar asked in a tone Misty Sparks struggled to parse. “For ponies like you, and my son?”

“Of course it’s safe,” she replied, “it’s the safest place around.”

“I don’t mean that kind of safe.”

Misty Sparks’ frown grew. She fidgeted with her pip-buck and looked away from his softened gaze to the ruins. His voice reminded her of a ghost from the past, conjuring images of a silver stallion with nearly the same shade of green eyes. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“We need more ponies, after all. It’s expected to have foals, regardless of other factors,” Misty Sparks explained in a flat voice, as if reciting facts for a test. “Especially ponies like me.”

Dirt and wood chips were kicked away as Lonestar sat next to Misty Sparks. He raised the brim of the hat as if lifting a blanket off a hiding child. “Whatcha mean?”

Every instinct within Misty Sparks told her to remain quiet. She had already said too much as it was. Yet for a stark moment it felt like speaking to her father. Wearing his hat, she felt small, sheltered from some terrifying monster just as Silver Shock always did. Lonestar was quickly growing in her trust. He was safe to discuss such a matter with, somepony outside the stable with years of experience beneath his hooves. His own children were testament enough that he cared for them regardless of what side of the barn door they were on.

Exhaling, she did her best to relax from her rapid tensing, coiled like a snake to strike or flee. “Nopony judges you for who you like in the general sense. The individual is another story, sure, but it’s not like it’s ‘unsafe’ to be yourself. However we face a severe labor shortage which naturally means boosting our civilian population. Only one job in the entire stable is dependent on your lineage, that of the Overmare.”

“You’re the heir, aren’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“So, you gotta have a kid?”

Misty Sparks nodded slowly. “Which means marrying a stallion. It wouldn’t be fair to be with a mare when they can’t… We couldn’t… For the betterment of the stable, I have to make a sacrifice. I will wield the greatest power, and with that comes sacrifices of myself.”

A long whistle escaped Lonestar. “Damn. I couldn’t imagine having to get married for politics, rather than love. Even more so if I wasn’t remotely interested in the pony.”

“We live different lives I suppose.”

Lonestar shook his head. “That doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness. Even I can see Skyfire has caught your eye. Why not give it a try regardless?” He urged.

The mare produced an ugly noise and shifted. She could hear Skyfire’s calming voice between Ashen Lace’s orders for Blaze to apologize. It was, quite naturally, a near impossible task. Crimson feathers gestured for peace, yet it only seemed to rile Blaze up further. Comet slumped with his bucket hanging from his maw. Pecan Pie grumbled as she joined them. Immediately the motherly tone that snapped through them brought silence. Misty Sparks felt reassured the situation would get sorted at the least, letting her focus instead on how Skyfire looked in the din. She was enchanting, utterly and completely beautiful.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Misty Sparks admitted.

“So you’ll hurt yourself?”

Her answer came without hesitation despite the weight in her chest. “Easily.”

Lonestar stared at her, mouth fallen slightly open. Something swirled in his eyes Misty Sparks immediately hated. “Little pony-”

“As much as I enjoy your presence, I don’t intend on speaking more about my nonexistent love life,” she interrupted curtly. Her expression hardened into stone. “Can we just get a duty roster made?”

“I… I’ll take care of it. I promise some of you will be on it.”

“Acceptable,” she replied as she got to her hooves. Misty Sparks floated the clipboard over, nodded politely, and trotted to the edges of the ruined cottage. It wasn’t as if she could get far, but a bit of breathing room was precisely what she needed. Everypony else was speaking or preparing the camp. She only needed a few minutes of privacy. Long shattered glass crunched beneath her steps. Cobweb curtains draped the edges of the blasted out window. Lime eyes scanned the dull horizon, muddy browns and dark clouds blended into a ceaseless banal hue. She mused how easy it would be to get lost out there, especially once the rains started, and simply never have to face another ounce of responsibility.

Without a doubt Lonestar had meant well, she knew that. It didn’t stop the fresh ache at having to confront those feelings. Misty Sparks knew she’d been letting her attraction to Skyfire grow too strong, distracting her and entertaining ideas that could never be. No matter how much she yearned and pined there was no changing this fate. Besides, she reasoned, Grease and Skyfire clearly got along. With their mutual interests some sort of spark was almost inevitable. Such a relationship was far healthier, happier, and without the strife a relationship with the Overmare entailed regardless of the queer complications.

Dangers mounted within her skull until they had a physical weight. Flashes of the mutiny rose; blood on stable suits, ponies once trusted now braying for blood, Rusty’s broken back and Flare’s furious scream. Stable 36 was no longer safe for her in the far more literal sense then Lonestar alluded to. How many more traitors were seeded in their ranks, not just security? Would there be another attempt at Flare’s life while she was in the wastes? How would she even know? That was before she even considered the countless needs of ponies who would one day be her direct responsibilities. She was no princess, how could she protect them from such a violent world when even within their walls was such cruelty?

Limbs trembled and eyes burned. Teeth clenched together until her jaw hurt. The worries flooded in rather than come one at a time. Misty Sparks shuddered as she tried not to sob. It was too early on their expedition to dare have such a lapse. Ponies were depending on her. Having a functioning aircraft would change everything for the stable, she sincerely believed it would. Yet how much would they end up sacrificing for it? Did it come at not only the personal cost of those working on the repairs, Skyfire most of all risking death in a surface world that hated her kind, but even that of her home? Would slavers find them once again with the increase in activity? Disgusting corpses filled her vision, the foul stench of decay clogging her lungs. Her hide burned from gunshot wounds and spilled blood. Skeletons and bloated bodies squelched around her. Explosions rattled her bones. A pocked yellowed face spat hate and blame.

The low rumble of a fatherly voice shifted into a scream. A silver hoof reached for her across the engineering corridor. Blood was spilled with each crack of a baton. Eventually a horn broke free. It slid across the floor in a filly’s hooves. Pain incapacitated her. A vile laugh ricocheted off tight metal. The faint light of a pip-buck caught on glasses as the monster delighted in the torture.

Something brushed Misty Sparks’ side. The wasteland returned with sharp clarity. She shouted and scrambled away with a flare of magic drawing her pistol. Crimson framed grey in the shape of a pegasus. Skyfire eeped and held her wings up. “Woah hey! Not an enemy!”

Immediately Misty Sparks put the gun away. “Sorry! Sorry sorry!”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing!”

Skyfire poked her head out from behind her wings. “Uh… clearly not. Misty, what happened?”

Misty Sparks tucked her head, cheeks burning and heart thumping. Shame washed up her body, the only thing strong enough to sweep away the anxiety. “I got in my own head, that’s all.”

Skyfire took a small step closer only to hesitate. Instead she sat down and peered out the window Misty Sparks had earlier. Desolate wastes rolled on into eternity. “About what?”

The unicorn remained where she had retreated to. Heat itched over her skin. Chattering from the rest of the team felt muffled at that moment. All of her focus was on the pegasus already galloping through her mind. She felt foolish for getting so worked up over something as trivial as romance. Entertaining the already dangerous notion of seeking a relationship had only opened the hatch on everything else she’d shoved deep within to stay on task. There was too much at risk for failures. Ponies' lives were on the line, there and at home. What was an idle crush in comparison to that?

“Nothing important,” she lied.

Ears swept back as Skyfire tilted her head. “Please don’t do that.”

Misty Sparks twitched, wishing to be anywhere else yet rooted in place. “Do what?”

“You know what- lie.”

“I’m- I just… I can’t really explain it even to myself, okay? I don’t know how to say it.”

Saddened purple eyes flickered to her. Exhaustion clung to them. Her words came out with great effort yet smooth. “So, yes, you lied.”

Magic flickered over Misty Sparks’ horn. She nearly teleported away like some panicked foal. Taking a deep breath instead, she smoothed out her mane and lowered her head. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m on edge but that doesn’t excuse it.”

Crimson wingtips twitched invitingly and Misty Sparks sat next to her on a tattered rug. “What can you explain?” Skyfire asked gently. “I want to help you.”

Heat flashed across Misty Sparks’ heart and she clenched her jaw. “It’s just so complicated. It’s uh… Stable related.”

“Not that surprising, all things considered,” Skyfire replied in a tone that reminded Misty Sparks of Melody. Immediately her shoulders tensed and the unicorn did everything she could not to look at the pegasus who’s focus had shifted to her.

After a few moments a tired sigh slipped free. “I’m sorry.”

Skyfire brushed her wings along Misty Sparks in a soothing motion. “It’s my home now too, isn’t it? I know things are scary but… well we can’t just ignore it right?”

“I’m not ignoring it. I just don’t know how to fix it.”

“What specifically?”

Misty Sparks crinkled her nose. She wanted to tell her but the words stopped before they could even leave her lungs. Everything was so heavy. Pinpricks stabbed down her legs until her hooves felt numb. How incredibly selfish she was acting, worrying her friend, wounding herself, letting a simple infatuation grow into a risk. If it was anything else she might have laughed at how silly she was being. There was nothing silly about Skyfire. The mare was the closest thing to sunshine Misty Sparks had ever found. She couldn’t let it get shrouded in an endless sea of gray again, but she couldn’t dare try to hold it close. Both of them would only get burned.

Exhaling slowly to control herself, Misty Sparks straightened her posture and looked into vibrant purple eyes. “I’m worried about the future. There’s a lot of choices I’m going to have to make with far reaching ramifications that I’m not certain I can handle.”

Skyfire tilted her head and sent thick crimson locks bouncing. “Haven’t we been here before?”

“What?”

“The mutiny. I had to calm you then when you were paralyzed by fear of responsibility,” she spoke so gently Misty Sparks felt fresh shame wash up. Skyfire was right and that fact bit deeply at her. “This time nothing is threatening us.”

Misty Sparks stamped at the degrading rug and chuffed. “So my mind has space to wander and no immediately pending doom.”

A hoof settled on her own. Tender heat radiated from the pegasus who nearly leaned into Misty Sparks. “I know what that is like… I know how easy the thoughts start flying away. Please… Don’t… I want to help. I can’t if you keep it to yourself.”

Fluttering desires were pushed down by sheer willpower as Misty Sparks reminded herself that it would only cause more pain in the long run. She pulled her hoof away. “I can’t let you get hurt,” Misty Sparks confessed, keeping the truth obscured yet blatant.

“I don’t need you protecting me,” Skyfire replied firmly, “I’m not broken anymore. I’m all better because of you.”

“Great!” Misty Sparks forced through a smile. “So how about I don’t ruin that!”

Skyfire flapped her wings and puffed her chest out. “We’re teammates now, aren’t we? That means we have to support each other! I can’t do that if you don’t talk straight to me!”

“Well shit here I am hurting you anyways!” Lamented Misty Sparks as she jolted to her hooves.

“Great!” Skyfire shouted back, “So stop and talk!” The unicorn froze in place. Such a tone from Skyfire stopped her dead in her tracks. Shuddering huffs radiated off Skyfire where she stood, wings flared and eyes burning with denied tears. “I-I am tr-rying to help!”

“Sky…”

“Talk to me!” Demanded Skyfire with a stomping of forehooves. “You l-lied! You w-won’t s-say what you are s-scared about! N-now you’re t-t-t-treating me like a foal!”

Misty Sparks took a hesitant step closer, only to pause. Lime eyes averted to the rotting cottage. It looked about as good as she felt. “I’m sorry. That’s the last thing I want to do.”

“So stop!”

“...You’re right.” Misty Sparks couldn’t meet the mare’s intense gaze. “I’m acting entirely inappropriate. This is unbecoming of me.”

Wings lowered slightly and Skyfire frowned deeply. She took a steadying breath but her voice still jolted. “W-w-hat?”

“As your friend and expedition leader, I’m acting like an asshole and hurting you. This isn’t fair to you, and for that I apologize.”

The pegasus drew closer only for Misty Sparks to retreat. “Look at me,” she demanded with all the strength she could.

Such a thought stung deep. She didn’t want to see the sun so dimmed from her foolishness. Yet still she did, and wanted to chomp glass at how Skyfire trembled. “I was imagining something awful happening to you. Something that never should,” Misty Sparks confessed as closely as she dared. “Something I’ll make sure never will, even if it’s the last thing I do. I want you safe, healthy, and happy Skyfire.”

“I w-want that for you t-too,” she replied with a shake of her head. Ears were flattened back and mane frayed. Brimming tears made purple eyes shimmer. “I d-d-don’t understand w-w-what’s going on.”

With a pained smile Misty Sparks retreated to the edge of the destroyed room. “Something that will never repeat, I promise. Get some good rest, Sky. I’m going to take the first watch, alright? Maybe you and Grease could bunk together. She’ll keep you safe.” Left wordless and near to crying, Skyfire watched her leave, hiccuped, and dropped onto a torn couch.

“What was all the shouting about?” Grease demanded the moment Misty Sparks came into sight. The unicorn grimaced and kept walking. “Misty!”

“Sparky come on,” grunted Blaze. She had taken her armor off as the bucket battle ended with her soaked. Without it she looked only marginally less intimidating.

Still Misty Sparks said nothing and ascended the precarious steps to the second floor. Grease grunted after her and rushed to aid Skyfire. Blaze frowned, shifted her hooves then followed her cousin. Each half rotted wooden step groaned beneath her. She passed the brothers where they slept on a chewed up twin sized mattress. Pecan Pie and Blue Grass glanced up at the giant of a mare from their bedding as she passed. Every step was announced with such weight Blaze grimaced. A blasted window led out to the sloping roof, just enough debris in the way for her to watch her step as she clambered up.

Angry mutterings increased as she scrambled up to the lookout point. The thatching of the roof had long since rotted away, leaving only beams like desiccated ribs. Misty Sparks was at the apex of the roof scanning the near endless gray horizon with a pair of binoculars. It had darkened considerably. Rather than try a subtle or gentle approach, Blaze spoke bluntly. “What did you do?”

Misty Sparks tensed further, already as rigid as stone. “Take watch duty,” she deflected.

Hooves crunched an old beam and Blaze snorted. “Don’t play games.” She sat next to the significantly smaller mare like a tree casting shade. Once the looming bulk of Blaze might have terrified Misty Sparks, however she was too tired and had accepted Blaze intended on protecting her. Never before would she have followed Misty Sparks to speak on any matter unless it was drug related. Her cousin was a changed mare, at least a little.

Every moment Misty Sparks neglected to answer made Blaze tense. Nearly about to spring free, the unicorn sighed. “I am a moron.”

“No, that’s me. Don’t steal my thing.”

“Shut up.”

“Start talking.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you!”

Silver hooves were thrown up in the air and Misty Sparks flopped onto her back. “Fuck you!”

A laugh bellowed from Blaze. “Wow you are worked up! Did you try to kiss Skyfire and she rejected you?”

“No! No no no!” Lime eyes squeezed shut. “The opposite.”

Head tilting so far her ears hung at an angle, Blaze prodded, “...She tried to kiss you?”

“Goddesses I wish,” she confessed. “I’m just being emotional and foolish. Skyfire and I can’t be together, and it’s only hurting to think about it, and we both know I can’t fall for anypony. I don’t get the choice.”

Blaze chuffed. “Who says that?”

“Stable-Tec. I have to produce an heir, a filly even. Two mares can’t do that!”

After a brief pause, Blaze laid on her back next to Misty Sparks. Splinters immediately scratched her hide. The brief sensation of insects crawling down her limbs nearly consumed her. A furious specter filled her mind, adorned in the same kind of scars she was. Blaze chomped the air a few times, uncertain if they were phantoms, then huffed. “So don’t obey Stable-Tec.”

“Hah! As if!”

“I’m serious.”

Misty Sparks rolled her eyes. “Sure- sure you are. You don’t obey anypony, especially not the dead. You and I are not the same. Unlike you I can’t escape my responsibilities.”

Blaze’s nose crinkled. She set her jaw repeatedly in an attempt at not spouting the first furious thoughts that sprung forth. “Get off it Sparky,” she growled, “Nopony says you can’t just adopt or something.”

“Stable-Tec does, actually! It’s in the rules. The Aura family has to maintain a bloodline for any in the position of Overmare. The first Overmare was exceptionally magically talented, and that magic is critical to remain in the family. Adopting… Well there’s no guarantee that the foal would have that same inclination.”

For a few moments, Blaze stared at the clouds. “Wait… What about an earth pony?”

“Their child would still likely have innate magic, and earth ponies have their own form as well,” muttered Misty Sparks, “besides all Overmares have been unicorns. Haven’t you noticed?”

Emerald eyes slowly blinked. “No.”

“Have you ever even looked at our family tree?”

“Not past our grand-asshole,” she remarked flatly. Misty Sparks winced at the term despite its validity. “Look, none of this shit matters. Stable-Tec can try to make us royalty if they want but you don’t have to keep to it! Those fucks would probably keep us underground until we were all Auras or something. You like mares! It’s simple!”

Hooves smacked the beam beneath them as Misty Sparks rolled to face her cousin. The terrifying level of sobriety shrouding Blaze gave her a moment of hesitation. Then she swallowed her nerves and pressed forward. “This is simple, you’re right. I need to stop feeling like this for a mare I could never-”

“Shut up!” Blaze interrupted and grabbed freckled cheeks. Misty Sparks wriggled but couldn’t escape. “Stars above shut the fuck up Sparky. Do you want to become like your mom?”

“...Yes?”

“An emotionally-void mare who everypony is scared of? Some masked manipulator-”

Magic flared so violently Blaze didn’t get a chance to counter. Misty Sparks teleported behind her and used telekinesis to shove away the large mare. “Don’t you dare call her-”

Blaze leaped to her hooves and grappled Misty Sparks. The unicorn once again vanished in a flash of neon green magic. She reappeared with a puff of smoke from the rapid casting and pointed her horn in accusation. Blaze stomped down on the roof so hard another beam cracked. “She is and you know it! She has the best intentions I know but there’s a reason you’re out here and not back home! It’s not safe! Ratchet did everything he could to undermine Flare, and she kept everything so close to the chest nopony knew what she really thought until she broke Rusty’s back!”

“A good leader doesn’t share every worry-”

“And they don’t act like they have everything under control when they don’t either!”

“What would you know about good leaders?” Scoffed Misty Sparks. Heat pounded throughout both mares' bodies, coiling in their chests to burst into action. The already familiar urge to fight with tooth and hoof was near to consuming Blaze. To her credit, Misty Sparks did not falter as she stared down the beast that before would have sent her fleeing.

A step closer was measured, not an inch too far. “I know a bad one when I see one, met my fair share of them. I know when one gives a shit about their ponies too, and Aunt Flare does. What I’m saying is she’s made mistakes and wearing that mask is one of the biggest ones. You going to do the same?”

Skyfire’s question earlier of repeating things rose to the forefront of Misty Sparks’ mind. Oh how desperately she’d wished to be her mother as the mutiny sparked around them. Flare wouldn’t have caused that situation, and could have squashed it as immediately as when she had arrived. Flare would’ve been able to handle the fighting in the slave outpost better. Her magic was stronger, her wits more honed, and her courage always present. She wouldn’t have let fear control her.

Legs shook beneath the small unicorn. She blinked away tears. An ear flicked and her tail lashed. “I have to be a good Overmare, Blaze.”

“Then be a good Overmare Misty Sparks,” demanded Blaze with a stomp and flare of her nostrils. “Not a mini Flare.”

Neon crackled away. Misty Sparks lowered her head and scratched her neck. A bullet scar burned on her left hindleg. “What… What if I don’t know what that’s like?”

Slowly untensing, Blaze exhaled raggedly. “Then find out, and tell me one day.”

Misty Sparks breathlessly laughed and shook her head. Blonde locks bounced free from her ponytail and she tried to swipe them back into place. “Sober you is… strange.”

A more sincere laugh cracked through Blaze’s firmness. “Fucking tell me about it. Are you okay?”

“I think so. I’m sorry for yelling and cursing at you,” Misty Sparks apologized.

A blush colored wet sand cheeks. Blaze cleared her throat and looked away. “Ditto.”

Snorting, Misty Sparks wiped her eyes dry. “Ditto? So mature.”

“You got actual wisdom out of me, let me be,” she growled back.

“Forgiven.”

“...Ditto.”

Laughter filled the air, bubbling between the pair in small bursts until it came in whole heaving sections. They sat beside one another with rare smiles and settled in to take watch together. Conversation never dipped to such a seriousness again. Both of them avoided the sensitive topic of Bullet and the way his appearance had left Blaze shaken. Instead they spoke of nothings, foalhood memories, and favorite desserts. For the first time in a decade, Misty Sparks felt like she had a friend in her cousin.