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.