Fallout Equestria: Uncertain Ties

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.”