Chapter Twelve: Anticipation

“Once we start this, there’s no going back, yeah?”

Finding oneself suddenly surrounded by friends and coworkers with tempered expressions was not a pleasant feeling. Misty Sparks stood in the center of the mass, Flare and Hammers flanking the silver mare like red curtains. Grease was beside her superior, an easy smile on her youthful face that only further worried Skyfire as the rest wore frowns or carefully neutral expressions. Sitting next to the Overmare was Healing Drops, her clipboard floating with magic as she prepared for whatever was about to happen. Glancing at Blaze who looked a fair bit nervous, Skyfire frowned. “H…Hello?”

“Hi,” Misty Sparks replied. “We uh… Well… There’s a lot to say.”

“I imagine so. What’s this about?”

“I viewed the memory orb,” Misty Sparks began. Flare and Healing Drops whispered to themselves as Skyfire’s monitors registered a jolt of nerves. The pegasus frowned and drew her wings close. “It explains a lot, but raises more questions. Firstly, I’m sorry.”

Gulping, Skyfire tittered, “Sorry?”

“For what happened. It’s… it’s not good Skyfire.”

“I assumed as much for me to have ended up crashing down here. Please, Misty, tell me.”

The little mare stalled and looked to her companions. Her mother and uncle both nodded encouragingly and she swallowed down her fears. “Well, it started with you repairing a vertibuck, so I think it was a normal day until… well Jolts arrived. He asked you to work on the Skyhawk and once you were there things got weird.”

“Weird?” Frowned Skyfire. “I guess he was a little unique but, weird how?”

“Well, he’d lied about the Skyhawk needing repairs.”

“Jolts doesn’t lie. He didn’t.”

Misty Sparks sighed and scuffed at the floor. “This time he did, though it was mostly to trick everypony around you. He started talking about some scary stuff, that his home was bugged and your ship had been too. He wanted to escape the Enclave.”

Skyfire shook her head. “He had wanted to see the surface for a while, but what happened? What pushed him over the edge? Why did I come along?”

“Jolts foal-napped you.”

A laugh rocked Skyfire, startling everypony. Ears fell back and glances were exchanged as the pegasus reacted. That hadn’t been the expected burst of emotion. Crimson wingtips wiped a tear from purple eyes. “Okay, you really scared me there. That was a good joke. The sergeants loved doing that, saying the worst thing they can think of to take you off guard. What really happened?”

“He foal-napped you,” Misty Sparks repeated, “it wasn’t a joke.”

The smile Skyfire wore slipped away like melting ice. “What?”

Sighing, Misty Sparks explained, “Jolts believed there was a conspiracy ongoing in the Enclave that put you and your friends in danger. He genuinely believed that escaping to the surface was the safest thing to do. You didn’t. A unicorn, Mercurydrops, stole your memory and put it in the orb at Jolts’ command when you refused to abandon your family. I know that’s a lot to process, you don’t have to say anything.”

“Jolts never lied to me, why would he steal my memory?” The monitors were beeping increasingly fast. Healing Drops frowned and approached the pegasus, only for Skyfire to jerk away. The doctor gave pause a few feet short. “Why would he foalnap me?”

“Do you remember Silver Edge?”

A wary nod was given. “A pilot with low-performance marks and routinely got in trouble for misbehavior.”

“They got reassigned, right?”

“Yes… Months ago.”

“Jolts didn’t think so. Jolts believed that ponies were being disappeared, not reassigned, and it seems connected to this Outpost Aurora. Your friend Mercurydrops was helping him look, and it got him into trouble. He said ponies were following him and listening to his conversations. Jolts spoke to your brother even, the SpecOps soldier. Jolts really seemed to think something horrible was going on, and that you were in danger.”

The pegasus shook her head in increasing tempo, mane growing steadily more frazzled. A hoof held her face, shielding her from the others. “Shining Arrow would’ve told me if I was in danger!”

“You said that in the memory.”

“I-I… This doesn’t make any sense,” Skyfire wailed. Wings spread and flapped in place, trying to fly away from the horrible words. Instead, she remained stuck in the bed.

Tears brimmed in lime eyes as Misty Sparks focused on the memory. She could recall every detail with a clarity she lacked in her own memories. A hoof pressed into her barding, pain swirling in her chest. “I felt your betrayal, Skyfire. I felt the anger and sorrow and confusion as the pony you trusted so much took away your choice. He said he loved you too much to not free you from it all. I could feel everything, Skyfire. I could feel your heart breaking. You told him you wouldn’t turn them in, and you’d even show him how to disable the transponder, but he… Jolts refused. The last thing you saw was his face, and he looked so genuinely remorseful. I think he regretted doing it, even then, but felt it was the best way to ‘free’ you.”

Skyfire stared at Misty Sparks, mouth moving silently for some time. The monitors filled the growing space between words, suffocatingly loud. Blaze coughed awkwardly and averted her gaze while Healing Drops approached with a sorrowful face. “What color were his eyes?” Skyfire asked suddenly, staring into crying lime eyes.

“Orange, bright like a fire.”

“You really saw that then.” Skyfire’s voice cracked. “H-He foal-napped me. He lied to me.”

“I’m so sorry Skyfire,” apologized Misty Sparks. A stampede of hoofsteps carried her to the pegasus’ side, Grease right behind her. The mares embraced the trembling pegasus as tightly as they could. “I’m so sorry.”

Skyfire didn’t hug them back. She didn’t stop them either. Instead, in a whisper, she spoke, “Tell me everything that happened, please. Every word.”

“Okay,” Misty Sparks replied, took a deep breath, and proceeded to do exactly that. The pegasus was a statue as she listened. She asked no questions and said nothing as Misty Sparks described the end of her life in the Enclave. Minutes passed with only Misty Sparks’ strained voice filling the air, everypony hearing the tale of a fallen fire. Nopony listening dared to interrupt, standing like sentinels as a tragedy was laid out before them. When Skyfire closed her eyes, she could almost see what had been stolen away from her.

Twenty sobering minutes later, with every detail mentioned at least twice, Misty Sparks' voice was strained more than ever. Extreme care had been taken to fill in the gap in her memory. Misty Sparks was still tenderly hugging Skyfire.

Grease stroked her hoof slowly, calming the pegasus the smallest bit she could. "T-that all happened the day you fell from the clouds. I'm so sorry Skyfire,” squeaked Misty Sparks.

Skyfire shifted to hug her friends back with her silky soft feathers, opting to cry into a rag she had. "I-I feel violated to be missing this entire memory. It's just fog, trying to remember before I was hurtling towards the ground."

"From what I can deduce, the orb literally extracted and stored her memory… such powerful magic," Healing Drops murmured from the side. "It's too powerful to be used commonly, we need to keep these safe."

“Do you… do you think the other orbs are more of your memories?” Asked Grease in a soft voice.

Brow furrowing, Skyfire shook her head. “I don’t… I don’t feel like I have any other gaps. It sounded like the orbs were supposed to go to Outpost Aurora, so Jolts could get answers.”

“If he was willing to abduct you…” Cautiously started Grease. She trailed off as Skyfire’s jaw grew taut and wings pulled back. “I’m sorry, you’re processing a lot.”

Skyfire’s rough nod answered Grease. The pegasus pulled back from her friends and looked away. Tears burned in purple eyes as Skyfire sniffled and tried to stop the tears that were streaming. The rag was well soaked through already. “I don’t- I don’t know if I can trust anything now, not even my own memory. He lied to me!”

Seeing the state of Skyfire made Misty Sparks’ heart ache anew. Even knowing the discovery had to be shared, she felt guilty about delivering the world-shattering news. A hoof took hold of Skyfire’s, grounding the pegasus in the moment. “I know what it’s like to have somepony you trust horrendously betray you. My mentor, Flask, made it almost impossible for me to trust again.”

Tension sparked across the stable ponies at the name. Flare lowered her gaze as Hammers protectively held her. Blaze poked the floor and tucked her head while Grease reached over to Misty Sparks. Skyfire squinted and then slowly dared. “That’s who Rusty said Flare couldn’t protect you from…”

Misty Sparks inhaled slowly and nodded. Lime eyes fixated on a distant point just above Skyfire’s shoulder. “Yes. He murdered my father, and… and violated me.”

“I-“

“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad for me. It’s not a secret either, the whole stable knows. I’m sharing this with you because I understand the pain you’re feeling. Somepony you trusted completely betrayed you and took something from you. It’s not going to heal quickly, it might not ever heal completely or at all.” Misty Sparks squeezed Skyfire’s hoof. “That’s okay. We’re here for you, even if you can’t believe that right now.”

Skyfire lowered her head and focused on their hooves. Sniffles could be heard from the amassed ponies, Hammers’ voice too low to understand but still be heard as he soothed Flare. Her eyes drifted to the bandaging on Misty Sparks’ rear left leg. “I want to trust you,” she rasped, “you have done nothing against me. But… I just hurt so much. What if I’m wrong about you too?”

“I think Jolts really did love you,” Misty Sparks replied, “and ponies do bad things for those they love. He believed he was doing the right thing. He’s not Flask, who acted on selfish desires. That just makes it worse, doesn’t it? What if I do the same, thinking I’m helping you but really just hurting?”

A mute nod responded.

“I can’t promise I’ll never hurt you, but I promise I’ll be as transparent as possible with you. I’ll never make a decision for you.”

Skyfire couldn’t get her mouth to form words, a deep sorrow within her chest clutching her heart far too tightly for her to breathe. She struggled to voice her mind, to speak to truth the roil of emotions that consumed her. Eventually, the pegasus gave up and flopped against the bed. Crimson wingtips concealed her face, hiding tear-streaked cheeks.

“It’s hard to trust,” Grease soothed, “especially right now.”

“I’ve lost my best friend, my home, and my family.”

“Well,” came Flare’s voice, getting Skyfire to peek between her feathers. “We have a solution for two of those. I know we could never replace your family, but my daughter and niece seem to like you. You’ve already proven your loyalty to us. We know you’re not Flask and you never will be.”

Approaching with her horn aglow in violet magic, Flare pulled a small device from her saddlebag. Skyfire’s heart skipped as she realized it was a pip-buck. It was placed gingerly upon her lap. Ears tilted back and eyes squinted. “I don’t understand.”

“A pip-buck is a sign of citizenship. You can’t go back to the Enclave, but we want you to find a new home here, in Stable 36.”

Skyfire gasped and put a hoof on the surprisingly slim device. It looked so much bulkier when worn. “I can’t go back,” she whispered as if it was completely registering.

Flare frowned softly, gaze fixated on the mare. In as soothing a voice as she could, she replied, “I don’t think you can, no.”

“Jolts… took me away from everything. My father, my mother, my siblings- everything!” Wings flapped as if Skyfire wanted to take off into the sky.

Beeping cried out from the monitor and Healing Drops wore a pronounced frown. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but let’s try not to panic. Breathe filly.”

Skyfire’s eyes remained wide until Misty Sparks embraced her. She nuzzled into the pegasus’ chest fluff carefully, mindful of her horn. When she spoke, it was with a strained voice, “It’s… it’s hard. Very hard. This hurt so much to experience it. I can only imagine the heartbreak you’re feeling right now. I felt what you did before in your memory, though I bet this feels worse.”

Trembling wings wrapped around the unicorn as Skyfire collapsed into Misty Spark’s hooves. They pressed against one another intensely, as if trying to squeeze the pain out of the other. “It’s surreal. I didn’t even do anything directly.”

Flare leaned over to pat the pegasus, sympathy in her eyes. “Sometimes life happens like that, unfortunately. All we can do now is help you move forward in life.”

“I never got to say goodbye to Mom or my brother, hell even Dad and my sister.” Skyfire sobbed out, tears streaking down her cheeks as she adjusted. “I’m afraid they got yelled at for what happened to me. What if they got in trouble because of me? Demoted? Kicked out?” The mare threatened to ramble on forever with what-ifs.

“Sky-dear,” Healing Drops commented quietly again, “Breathe, focus on your breathing, we’re all here for you. It’s going to be hard.”

“Yeah, Sky. Look. Look at my eyes if you can,” Misty Sparks murmured gently, adjusting to push up towards her friend’s face. A pair of bloodshot purple eyes shakily met hers, the unicorn gave a soft look before starting to wipe away her tears. Her hoof lingered with a painful familiarity. She suspected she’d be wiping away many more tears before the night was over. “We’re here for you. Every step of the way.”

“I-I know,” Skyfire started with a choking breath as she focused on her friend, rubbing her head quietly. “You all have given me a welcome that I’ve earned. And I’m thankful, I have some friends here who I have come to really like.” She looked away from Misty Sparks, having to pull back slightly from how close they were now. Teary eyes took in Grease, Blaze, and even Hammers. They each were sympathetic, with frowns, and concern on their faces. It struck a chord within her that not a single one of them had wings. “But I’ve lost my home. A-and my family. Even if Sis and Dad didn’t like me the best…”

Flare gave a slow nod and gestured to the pip-buck. The embracing ponies split apart with a small murmur of gratitude. “I know. I want to give you a new one. I know it will never replace your birthplace, your family, and all the memories of the Enclave. I just hope that you can one day call this place home as well.”

Words died in Skyfire’s mouth when she tried to speak, stuttering a few times. “Take your time Feathers,” Blaze soothed. Skyfire could only whimper and clutch the pip-buck as reality set in. She stared down at it, thinking about all it represented. A new home was open before her, with ponies she trusted. Yet also, accepting it would mean completely stepping away from the Enclave, from her family. It chilled her to her core to consider. Then she looked up at Misty Sparks and saw hope in lime eyes.

Her heart made its choice.

Skyfire pulled the contraption onto her right arm, a latch clicking into place. A rush of text covered the screen and she blinked as strange things filled her vision. Before she could explore her new device, Flare cleared her throat. “I have a mission for you. We’ve already discussed it somewhat but as you are now an official citizen, I have orders for you.”

A hoof brushed her nose and Skyfire gave a slow nod. Blaze shifted closer expectantly while Misty Sparks perked up. The ponies within the room moved, Hammers and Healing Drops sitting down across the way. Grease stood slightly awkward in-between, unsure where she should go. At Flare’s gesturing, she crossed over to the bed and gave a half-smile to the others. “The Skyhawk must be repaired, and in order to do that, we will need a tremendous amount of resources. As we have already discussed, Blaze will be protecting Skyfire as part of her exile. However, it will take more than the two of you to accomplish this.”

Tension ran over Misty Sparks’ body as her mother fixated her gaze on her. For a few moments, all the unicorn could see was Flare, exhaustion pulling at icy eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder just how her mother was supposed to handle everything going on and worry about a surface mission. “I understand it’s not safe for me right now,” Misty Sparks said as Flare hesitated.

There was a hint of a smile on Flare’s face. “Not only that, but they’ll need a good medic. Your skills saved Skyfire, and as much as I have said it isn’t your job… I can’t deny their usefulness. If somepony gets hurt out there, which is extremely likely to happen, you can’t just rely on a few healing potions and bandages.”

Warmth flickered over Misty Sparks’ body. She sat up a bit straighter. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will. As for you, Grease, I am officially putting you into a secondary position. I know your father was a wonderful expeditioner, and I understand he’s taught you a lot of what he learned. We cannot afford to have you out there as much as these three, but for missions closer to the stable your assistance will be much appreciated.”

Ears pulled back with thought and Grease scrunched up her lips. “I guess you could say ‘ol Brass Tacks passed along his hard-learned lessons. Lesson number one, don’t look down the barrel of your gun, especially when it’s a battle saddle.”

“I’ll be relying on that knowledge to keep these mares safe,” Flare chuckled, “when we can spare you that is.”

“That won’t be often,” Hammers interjected from across the way, “but Flare and I have already had that discussion. You’re not skipping work that easily Slick.”

Grease stuck her tongue out at Hammers. Skyfire giggled softly at their antics. It helped her focus on the moment, rather than the past. “Sure thing boss, just don’t get bitten up by radroaches while I’m out.”

“Shush,” Hammers laughed.

“Four is a rather small amount for an expeditionary team, don’t you think?” Misty Sparks asked in a careful tone. “It’s because of Blaze, isn’t it?”

“That and I don’t know who I can trust with your life in particular,” Flare replied after a moment of hesitation. “It’s best if we keep it small. At least to start. As progress is made. We can ramp things up to help provide the necessary hooves. Plus there’ll be a detachment of security ponies at the crash site. ”

Skyfire nodded. “Can we… Have some time before we head out? I know this is a punishment for Blaze but a-after today I could use some… time.”

“Of course. I’ll have details for you in a few days. I just… wanted to give you something to look forward to.”

“Thank you,” Skyfire said with a whimper. “I am glad I’ll be with friends at least.”

Blaze spoke before anypony else could. “I’ll protect you no matter what, Feathers. I promise.”

Skyfire blinked at her, and her heart ached at the words as she smiled. “Thanks.”

The next few days of recovery and training seemed to fly by in Skyfire’s eyes. She had barely gotten herself officially invited to be a stable member of Stable 36, and already she was getting prepared to leave her new home for the foreseeable future.

With the good care of Healing Drops, Skyfire was cleared out to mostly regular duty on the fourth day and continued working on helping maintain the stable. While Skyfire objected to it, Sundance was never far from view, his dark brown eyes keeping a protective watch on the former Enclave pegasus. It was distracting, but Skyfire saw past that as she got to spend more time with her new friends. Grease and Misty Sparks were both great company, even if the latter was also being watched by Rocky Cold. It added a few more heads to the lunch table at least.

A few things were on the pegasus’ mind, particularly her ‘new’ room, especially after the mare had gotten used to Blaze’s company. Luckily for Skyfire, Misty Sparks had found her quickly right as she was finishing up her shift. Purple eyes lit up as the pair practically bumped into each other.

“Skyfire!” Misty Sparks called out, stopping a hair's breadth away from bumping directly into her friend. “I’m glad I found you before you took off for your room.”

“Why’s that?” Skyfire asked as she clocked out of her shift. She held up a hoof as Misty Sparks started to speak. The pegasus stretched out with a little squeak, her wings flapping gently as she loosened up.

“Well, that was cute, firstly. But… I wanted to go with you to see your room!” Misty Sparks offered with a happy smile. “I procured some snacks and drinks so you can relax on your first full day back to work. And, if it wasn’t cleaned I wanted to offer a hoof. You shouldn’t need to clean up after Blaze,” She added the last part sheepishly.

Crimson brows furrowed into a frown as Skyfire nodded. “I suppose I had been curious how I was going to find… my room. It feels weird to say that. I know there’s room for another bed, but Flare said I deserve my own room.” The pegasus looked around, rubbing her shoulder before glancing back, curiously asking. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to join?”

Misty Sparks felt a soft rush in her heart at the question before she shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “Mom- err the Overmare insists that family stick together, for safety and to help her in preparing me. At least you’ll have room for something you want to do?”

Skyfire turned around with a flick of her tail, as she started to walk slowly as her friend accompanied her. She thought about Misty Sparks’ remark for a moment. “I could maybe set up a workshop. Your rooms do have good power. Wouldn’t I need to get permission before renovating?”

Misty Sparks paused for a moment, thinking quickly. “I’m sure if you explain why you want to do that, you could maybe get permission for it. Do you really want a workshop in your room? Don’t you fiddle with scrap enough at work?”

“Maybe. I’m still thinking about the fact I have my own room. I never had that back in…” Skyfire stiffened a little bit. “Back when I had a home in the clouds.”

A silver hoof booped Skyfire, causing her to squeak again. Misty Sparks openly wore concern before she nodded. “I suppose that’s really fair. Not many here get to have their own room. Maybe I can help decorate it? Or rather help clean it up.”

“Sorry. Still getting used to it, but I do know I have a few friends here who genuinely like me being around. You, being one of them.” Skyfire started smiling again, booping Misty Sparks in return. The unicorn grinned in delight. “Maybe I could leave room for friends to visit if they want? I do want to do some project work on some things if I end up with the tools available.”

“Well it depends on what projects you’re wanting to do, little firecracker,” Sundance cut in at that point with a smirk, having previously been talking to his brother.

“She’s as tall as you, though,” Misty Sparks defended her friend who merely shook her head.

“I am taller! And am I really that emotional to get called firecracker?” Skyfire asked with a curiously nervous expression. Wings fluffed and she glanced around the maintenance area. “I know I’ve had a few breakdowns.” The pegasus sighed as she nearly walked into one of the walls. She blinked at the safety poster plastered to the steel wall and sighed.

“You’ve been through a lot, Sky,” Misty Sparks jumped in again, soothing tones spilling forth.

Sundance frowned and waved a hoof. “Yeah you have, I didn’t mean it like that. I know a few of the things you’ve been through, I survived one of them with you. I’m sorry.”

Skyfire sighed and rubbed her head. “No it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s fine. I’ve been a bit of a mess. I don’t like being this jumpy.” She looked at Sundance and Rocky Cold. It felt a bit strange to her to have to look ever so slightly down to meet their gazes. Everypony back home felt so large, or perhaps she’d always been hunched to hide herself. “Would it be alright if Misty Sparks and I retire to my room?” Her eyes fluttered for a bit. “You heard that she offered to help clean up, didn’t you?”

“Knowing Blaze and Blitz, there might be a mess to clean up.” Rocky Cold rolled his eyes, nudging his brother. “I think you two could take some time to try and relax.”

“Shouldn’t we be watching them?” Sundance asked before blinking as Rocky Cold bopped his nose.

“Nah that’s her room, I think after that fight, we can trust the two of them together,” Rocky Cold insisted, “Sides I think a little privacy for the two of them would be good. We have been watching them for the past few days.”

“Just let us… make sure your room is safe then,” Sundance murmured with a nervous sigh.

“Oh-okay,” Skyfire nodded, sniffling a little as she stepped aside.

“Just check the room, Skyfire is a stable pony now and deserves some respect to get to live life peacefully,” Misty Sparks insisted with a frown, following after the security ponies. They entered the security elevator and queued up the earth pony floor of the residential quarter.

“Right, it is her room,” Rocky Cold commented a moment later. The elevator lurched and lifted with little complaint, but the motion still startled Skyfire. “Still not used to this?”

“Usually we just flew to change levels,” Skyfire replied sheepishly.

“I thought you had unicorns?” Sundance inquired. The steady tick of floors passing filled the space of silence that followed. “Skyfire?”

The pegasus cleared her throat. Visions of Mercurydrops filled her head. “Yeah, but unicorns live separately from the pegasi. They have access to places via talismans, which means there’s a lot of areas they can’t go to.”

A frown pulled at the sunny stallion’s lips. “That sounds awful,” he muttered as the elevator door opened. They were silent as they trotted down the corridor, passing a few others fresh off duty. Curious stares burned into their hides and Skyfire fought the urge to hide behind her wings.

Rocky Cold frowned as the door refused to open. He fiddled with a set of keys but it wouldn’t turn the lock on the hydraulic panel. “I thought Blaze’s room didn’t lock because of all those incidents.”

“Yes…” Misty Sparks sighed with a tense smile and interjected herself between their guards. It was almost comical the way they had to look down at her. “Skyfire isn’t a pony with that kind of history so she gets regular security.”

Skyfire tilted her head. “Overmare access then?” Skyfire asked quietly, lifting her pip-buck.

“Oh yes! Sorry! Just eager to relax,” Misty Sparks stammered with a blush. She fiddled with the cable on her pip-buck and the door came open with a whoosh.

“You two can relax once we clear your room,” Sunset insisted, floating a flashlight inside and looking around curiously. “Wow… it’s clean,” he murmured. “I wonder if she missed anything.”

Skyfire stood there a bit nervously, rubbing her wing with a hoof while the brothers cleared the room. She focused on Misty Sparks who was tense. Her weight was shifting from hoof to hoof in a steady rhythm. “D-do you think ponies really want us dead?”

“A few of them maybe, but those all got driven out. The rest here should be fine. And we’re both training on how to protect ourselves,” Misty Sparks sighed and walked in. Ears flicked forward with a huff. “If you haven’t found any ponies in there, please, let our friend get to relax after quite a long week. I can help her from here.” She pointed to the door.

“Right right,” Sundance commented, lifting a hoof to stop her. “We agreed to it, and we’re signing off that we’re stopping the watch for now… Just let us know when you all go out again. Don’t want to upset the Overmare. Celestia forbid the one time you go out without us around and someone tries to pull something stupid,” He murmured in resignation, tugging his brother out. The pair turned to wave to Skyfire who meekly returned the gesture.

Once the door closed Skyfire ambled over to the couch and flopped on it, wings up in the air in a tizzy. “I know this is my new home, but it doesn’t feel like it yet.”

“Is that because you didn’t read the letter from… Hammers?” Misty Sparks murmured, an eyebrow raised as she floated it up. Her head tilted as she took in the mare. “Are you comfortable like that, Sky?”

An exhausted whine replied from Skyfire who slowly rolled to have her back to the couch, wings splayed lazily. “That’s better on my back at least. Could you read the letter?” Purple eyes looked up to an approaching Misty Sparks who giggled and sat on the bit of open space next to Skyfire.

“I was planning on it because a certain exhausted pegasus deserves to relax and rest a bit in her own room,” Misty Sparks giggled softly, flashing a warm smile before clearing her throat. She took on a deeper tone as she imitated Hammers’ voice. "Skyfire, while I'm not the mare in question about to be exiled, our talks of late have helped me realize I can at least attempt to be the father I should have been for Blaze. She was stubborn at first about wanting the punishment of cleaning her room by herself. But she quickly changed tune when I threw a ball of hayburger wrapper at her, telling her that we could bond over helping her start her new part of her life by taking care of things over letting them build up."

Misty Sparks giggled a little at that, "You know with how much she didn't pick up, I am... surprised to see how well it cleaned up."

Skyfire gasped a little, sniffing the air. "I wonder what sanitizing agents they used to uhm, clean out a few of Blitz's stains."

This prompted a blush and a squeak from Misty Sparks who waved a hoof, her eyes wandering around before she focused back on the letter again.

"I know she will protect you and Misty Sparks, but she also needs some protecting herself. Her addictions are powerful ones and while she's sober right now, Melody told me that when in stress the urges might come back. Please be a friend to her, like we're being a friend to you, helping start the next chapter of your life.

“I am not very good at these sorts of things, as you could guess by how things went with Blaze for so long, but you've been a good worker, and I'm happy to listen to things if you want to vent to someone who isn't an immediate friend."

Misty Sparks paused for a moment. There was a scribbling of things that had been erased a few times.

"Not sure what this part was, but maybe you can read it over another time,” she muttered before she adjusted to continue reading. "Part of me doesn't know why I'm writing this as I could tell you all this. But part of me wants you to know that we're hoping you end up calling this place your home, one you like and look forward to. Your forepony, Hammers"

"Wow, that was pretty nice of him," Skyfire remarked, rubbing her shoulder with a hoof before blinking as Misty Sparks let out a series of giggles. "What's up?"

"There's more! I, uhm, didn't see it under my hooves!" Misty Sparks smiled before leaning over to gently continue. She adopted a different voice as if her words came out like a growl. "Feathers! Dad told me I should write this too as a way of giving myself peace? Whatever that means. He said this sort of cleaning is good for the soul. I guess he might be right. It was really cool to watch my, our, your room look like the rest of the stable. We even got you fresh sheets so your room wouldn't smell like Blitz!"

Skyfire blinked a few times, blushing as she processed the statement. "O-oh... Do you have any fabric cleaners? I might want to do a second pass myself."

"Maaaybe, but the clean sheets should be fine," Misty Sparks chuckled back before continuing in her Blaze impression, "I do hope that you end up calling this place your home. While it sucks why you're stuck down here. I am happy to see you and Sparky doing well. She really needed a friend like you.

“PS! There's some leftover alcohol Hammers let me leave behind if you two want to party sometime! I'm guessing you wouldn't be in your room alone the first time so party it up with Sparky for us! Just remember to clean up, or whatever. Dad says it's nice to get in the habit of keeping things clean. Your friend (hopefully), Blaze."

Skyfire laid there for a moment, thinking about it before giggling quietly. I grew into laughter seconds later as the pegasus smiled and took the note, hugging it gently.

"What is so funny?" Misty Sparks asked, ears flicked in confusion while a smile tugged at her lips. The strange pegasus made her heart flutter.

"This is probably the first thing they have done together willingly in years… clean up her room. I wonder if they had good talks themselves. I'm glad Hammers helped. He… he's trying again I think, more than my dad… ever did." Skyfire started trembling and whining again, kicking a hoof at the couch.

"Sky, I'm- I'm sorry." Lime eyes looked over with concern as the unicorn scooted over, gently brushing one of her friend's wings.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm crying over… a home that was ready to try and k-kill me. I know it wasn't my choice," Skyfire choked out, struggling not to burst into tears as she turned to wrap her hooves and wings around Misty Sparks. The small unicorn was completely enveloped in crimson feathers. "I know J-Jolts is gone, I miss him a lot. B-but he died trying to get me away from something. I know he'd want me to keep loving and make my own life. I have ponies here I c-can trust. Friends, friends who care for me. You care for me and were the first to lend a hoof, to offer me something. I-I-I-" It was then that her restraint failed, and tears flowed free.

"I feel like a complete mess!" Skyfire cried out, staining her friend's shoulder. The weight of Skyfire’s grief was a burden Misty Sparks was willing to carry. "Scared I'm going to lose you all, or mess up, or- or my home, no my former home might come looking for me. But not to rescue. They're weeks overdue for that."

Concern filled Misty Sparks’ eyes as she gave a nod, thinking hard about their situation. “I think, to help with your nerves, we would have seen any sign of them. Flare has actually increased our scouting patrols and had our eyes out for anything in the sky after the rescue hadn’t shown up for a week. I understand being afraid of retribution though. Come here.” She adjusted to hug Skyfire back tightly, patting her back in slow soothing motions.

Skyfire gently sobbed into Misty Spark’s embrace for a few moments, perhaps finally letting out a fear heavy in her chest. A few attempts at talking later Skyfire whined and gently reached out for one of the drinks Misty Sparks had mentioned earlier. Misty Sparks giggled, her horn and the drink both illuminating in a brilliant green glow as she floated it over gently. The pegasus drank the bottle of juice in a few needy gulps then sighed happily. A moment passed as Skyfire adjusted gingerly, leaning into Misty Sparks still, her voice eventually found again. “Thank you. For staying around, for being here. I don’t know how I’d be doing by myself right now.”

Misty Sparks didn’t move to break the embrace, nodding softly. “I had a feeling, you’ve been smiling and talking, but trembling sometimes. And I caught your eyes misting over again. You deserve to have company right now… Company you can trust.”

“Y-you’re right, I wanted to be alone, but I think that was wrong of me.” Skyfire sighed faintly, rubbing her eyes before hiccuping a little bit, whining a bit more before throwing her hooves up, exasperated. “I just want to feel like I can breathe without worrying I’m going to break down!”

“Well I’m not the expert, but that juice helped put a bit of pep back in you, shall I bring out all the snacks?” Misty Sparks offered tenderly, patting her saddlebags.

“I hadn’t planned on getting much to eat tonight for dinner,” Skyfire confessed nervously, squeaking as a container of baby carrots was pushed into her face.

“Start with these.” Misty Sparks stuck out her tongue before floating a carrot over to herself within seconds of Skyfire obliging and opening the tupperware.

“I did mention how much better your carrots taste than the sky carrots. Wait… Baby carrots?” Skyfire tilted her head, sniffing gently as she bit down. “They taste the same!”

“They’re not actually infantile! They’re chopped up to be smaller bites, excellent for foals who complain it’s too much!” Misty Sparks giggled as she floated out a pair of Sparkle-Cola bottles. “Now have some of our lovely soda. It’ll help put a bit of a giggle in you.”

“Sparkle-Cola was a hot commodity back in Neighvarro.” Skyfire paused for a moment and quickly popped the cap off. She took a big sip, burped, and blushed with a quiet squeak. “Sorry about that!”

“It’s customary!” Misty Sparks answered, a burp escaping her lips seconds after she had her own sip of the refreshing drink. “And there’s plenty more carrots both regular and baby to come. Would you ever like to help out in agriculture?” She asked as she opened a small container of pre-sliced oranges, offering a few. “I can personally say they’re all full of flavor and nutrition. Perfect for a healing pegasus like you.”

Skyfire’s eyes widened as she leaned over to take a slice, munching down on it, her wings fluttering in delight as the pegasus devoured the citrus snack. “These are delicious! Do you have more things like these? I didn’t remember seeing them in the cafe!” Purple eyes pouted at learning she had been denied such wonderful flavors.

“Well, a lot of these are exports, we have the controlled environments and the research into what care needs to happen to make these grow well! Because of that, we don’t usually put it on our menu. Sorry, they’re usually for special occasions,” Misty Sparks apologized before perking up, “But we can stock up on them and buy them individually. I thought you would enjoy them and it seems I was right.”

“Individual, I guess I am one…” Skyfire started before shaking a hoof. She blinked rapidly as if trying to cement some thought or another. “I mean I know I’ve always been myself, but I have my own room now. Flare said I’ll be getting paid enough to buy personal things,” Skyfire paused for a moment, her tail flicking as she took another baby carrot. “C-could you help me with shopping sometime? Grease mentioned I’d want to personalize my room with things I buy. I’m struggling to think of things that aren’t tools.”

“You want me to go shopping with you?” Misty Sparks asked, her heart speeding up a moment. Warm faintly radiated across her cheeks. “For anything in particular?”

“I know you’re living with your mom, but what would you decorate your room with if you had all the say in the world?” Skyfire asked curiously, her wings fluttering for a moment.

The unicorn pursed her lips with thought and munched down another orange slice. “Posters from the rest of the world, some paintings that show what still looks beautiful. Things from outside the stable like cool rocks or plants. Maybe some motivational posters.”

Skyfire giggled loudly at the last part. “The cheesy ones I see plastered all over my workspace in the maintenance bay? I suppose they’re nice reminders, I think I’ve been lucky to have friends helping keep me motivated.” The pegasus beamed gently to her friend.

“Ooookay maybe something a bit farther away from home,” Misty Sparks giggled, waving a hoof. “They’re the right kind of cheesy. I like them… They have a warmth and hope I want to spread in our world.”

Skyfire smiled at that. Then she began stretching out slowly, wings draping over the sides of the couch as she kicked a hoof gently and groaned. “One thing I miss from home are the times mom would come over and we’d groom each other a little bit.”

“Groom how?” Misty Sparks leaned over curiously. “Brushing is one I’m going to guess.”

Skyfire smiled gently and made a brushing motion. “I usually brushed my mom’s mane, and she’d preen my feathers out nicely to make flying more enjoyable. Though after hoofcamp I got to grow out my mane when I became a civvie.” The pegasus ran a hoof through her mane before sitting up a little bit, leaning over to gently nibble on her wing. “It’s not too hard to do. I think it’s best with a friend.”

“Would you want me to try and help?” Misty Sparks’ offered, her eyes drawn towards her feathered friend’s wings, heart skipping a beat thinking just how soft those feathers must be. Even though she’d felt them a few times already, every thought was electrified at the chance. “I have a spare brush if you want...”

“Oh!” Skyfire let go of a few feathers, her wings fluttering at the notion as she scooted over on the couch. “S-sure why not, I can show you how I like to preen. There’s a method to make sure they’re all lined up, and damaged feathers are maintained until new ones can replace them.” Any trace of the anxiety was gone at that point, the pegasus eager to be preened. “It’s a nice experience, though your mouth might get dry from all the feathers. So make sure to bring the water and juice over! I’ve really come to love all the things you can make out of real fruit down here. ”

“It is something we tend to take for granted, now that I think about it,” Misty Sparks giggled quietly as lime magic surrounded the beverages on the counter.

The water and juice, along with the other snacks were brought over with haste as Misty Sparks ambled onto the couch and sat next to her friend. She looked over a much more relaxed Skyfire who was bent over with a wing out on display to her unicorn friend. “So I like to start from the base of the wing, because if I align my feathers here, the rest can follow more easily, and I can account for any damage further down the line.”

“O-oh, it’s a pattern in your wings?” Misty Sparks had already gotten a notebook, causing Skyfire to raise an eyebrow. “W-what! I want to take notes on how pegasi properly take care of themselves, you’re the first one here remember. And, I want to help make sure you’re able to fly properly.”

“Ah okay, I suppose that’s a good point. Now feel here,” Skyfire instructed, tugging Misty Spark’s hoof over to a point at the base of the wing. “We call this the shoulder and this is where my scapulars are. They’re not the most useful for my flying, but they help keep the structure and pattern going. Moving outward near the top of my wing are the coverts which help control how I cut through the air… the aerodynamics,” Skyfire rambled out, showing each of the feathers and how they were differently shaped and lengthed.

Misty Sparks, the ever studious pony, was scribbling down everything she heard until her hoof was suddenly brushing into those soft, almost silky feathers. “O-Oh! These are really soft! They feel softer than the last time I touched them,” she gasped happily, stroking up and down gently, the feathers giving way and forming through her exploring.

“Y-yeah!” Skyfire giggled a little bit, bringing the wing up to gently brush her friend’s face. “They’re softer because I’ve been taking good care of them and not getting shot at. Dirty feathers gunk up and make it hard to fly. Pranks that involve tarring up feathers were frowned upon, and retribution was usually severe. So uhm, please don’t mess my feathers up?” She asked gently, paused to take a sip of the juice, and cooed happily.

“Mess? Why would I want to do anything to these? They’re so soft, I’d be happy to help out a friend with keeping her wings clean,” Misty Sparks refuted back with a giggle as she brushed into the wings, sighing happily. “They’re so soft I’m jealous you have walking pillows behind you at all times.”

“They’re that soft?” Skyfire blushed a bit before giggling, “I’ll keep that in mind, but, you were taking notes?” She nudged her friend towards the notepad left on the side of the couch, Misty Sparks blushing as she pulled it up with her magic, coughing. A line of text trailed off into the lower section of the paper.

“Ahem yes I uhm, notes… actually Skyfire? Can I take those notes later? I want to help try and preen you. After all, you wanted to relax and you said it’s more relaxing doing it together, right?” Misty Sparks said as she set down the notepad. Skyfire nodded gently and extended her wing past the unicorn’s face.

“Oh yeah, that’s fine! You saw how I was using my teeth gently, that’s the best way to do it. Do you have that brush? Your mane is a bit frazzled so I wouldn’t mind helping you too, oh wait.” Skyfire quickly rummaged around before gasping and presented a worn out brush. “I have one on hoof!” She’d exclaim, giggling before adding, “It’s quite important to have one for a pony with a mane as long as mine.”

Misty Sparks sat there for a moment, her heart jumping quietly as the wing fluttered gently. “A-ah okay. I uhm... Up by your wing shoulder?” She murmured half to herself, the notepad getting brought over to refer to what she had managed to write down. “Start with these scapulars and make sure they’re aligned?” She asked.

“Yeah! Work from my inner feathers towards the tips, you’ll find some are a lot longer so you have less to work with.” Skyfire smiled, cooing gently and leaning into Misty Sparks for support a moment later as the unicorn started gently nibbling through her ashen feathers. A moment passed as Misty Sparks experimentally did her best. “A bit more gentle if you can, they’re not fragile little cobwebs, but they only need a gentle guiding touch.” She shivered softly as the unicorn quickly adjusted. “Yeah, that’s better. You’ve found a few feathers out of alignment already, good job.”

After a few moments, Misty Sparks paused, smiling gingerly as she took a sip of the water. It hardly quenched her growing thirst. “This isn’t as hard as I thought it would be…” She took another sip before leaning down to quickly nuzzle the offered feathers. Her cheeks burned hotter and she whispered, “These are precious.”

Skyfire blushed, her heart speeding up for a bit at that as she adjusted to bring her other wing over and cover Misty Sparks, smiling gently. “In that case, you get this nice flock of feathers to enjoy. If you’re not going to harm my feathers… I trust you to enjoy the pillows.”

Misty Spark squeaked out in surprise before giggling, “Ah-ah this is nice! Unexpected but I kind of wanted this, if I’m being perfectly honest. So thank you!” Her heart had raced into a higher tempo, the unicorn giggling away, nuzzling into the silky smooth paradise.

A few moments passed, Skyfire’s eyes flitting between her new room and her cuddling friend. It felt a little warm as her heart kept thudding. Before she knew it her eyes were drooping, Misty Sparks looking up as Skyfire’s head pressed against hers. “Ahh, the day caught up with me…. This is nice,” she whispered, “Thank you for helping me trust you.”

Lime eyes shimmered happily as Misty Sparks giggled a little bit and brushed her hooves over Skyfire’s feathers. “I’m glad that you feel a bit better. You’ve had a lot going on since you landed here, and I told you horrible news so recently. I understand that it’s hard to feel like you can trust.”

Skyfire gently put a hoof to Misty Sparks’ lips, shushing her with a yawn that turned into a giggle. Crimson spread across silver cheeks and her eyes were caught in shimmering purple seas. “You came to me as soon as you could. I appreciate that. And-” Her voice cracked a little as she frowned for a moment. “I-I don’t think that you all are going to throw me out or force me to become something like my dad wanted. This. This is nice and comfy, with a room of my own, and hot water. A friend who wants to preen me again.” Skyfire giggled quietly and tickled the other mare with a feather. Misty Sparks’ voice caught in her throat but she nodded as Skyfire adjusted gently, stretching out more.

“I might just have to lay there to make sure you stay comfortable.” Misty Sparks’ suggested quietly, as she adjusted to get comfortable, her heart racing faster.

“I like that idea, mostly because I’m too tired to get up, and my wings are already here,” Skyfire whined gently, a giddy smile on her face as her eyelids slumped down, the pegasus comfortably around the smaller unicorn already. “T-thanks again. I didn’t want to be alone right now. Now I feel like I’m in good company.”

The smell of cigarettes was commonplace in the shop Blaze entered. Guns hung from the walls in display cases or simple racks, a whole arsenal on full display. Every inch of the metal walled shop was covered in paraphernalia, from ammo to posters to weapons. A prized minigun battle-saddle was mounted on a mannequin in the corner, polished to perfection. Blaze could remember how many times she begged Blitz to let her try it out, but not even Blitz was willing to risk damaging her boss’ prized possession.

Leaning over the counter was Blitz, her curling burgundy hair framing her face as beautiful as ever. Blaze smiled at her, but her marefriend was focused on a customer who was melting in front of her. “Now a strong stallion such as yourself can handle something this big, can’t you?”

“O-of course!” He stammered, flushed nip to tail. Blaze rolled her eyes and leaned against a display as she watched. “I’ll make sure everypony back home knows where I got it too!”

“Where would home be again for you? You don’t have anypony waiting for you?”

“Hoofsten, and n-nope! Just me and my pa.”

Blitz pounced with a purr. “Then I’ll have to make sure I got something to bring you back here for, don’t I? I’ll miss seeing your handsome face.”

He gave a vigorous nod and pulled the assault rifle onto his back. Caps transferred hooves and Blitz winked at him as she swept them into her till. “I-I’ll come all the way back here just to see you! I- I’ll save up for another gun!”

“Awh sugar, I look forward to that day. You travel safe now, you hear?” She blew a kiss and he practically skipped out of the shop. Blaze watched him depart with a glare but said nothing. Blitz tidied up her counter and then hopped off her stool. She gave a quick peck on Blaze’s cheek and then locked the door.

Blitz turned back to her marefriend and eyed her for a few moments. A pout was pulling at Blitz’s lips before Blaze had even blinked. “You know I get better tips when I treat the customer like that,” she defended.

“I didn’t say anything,” Blaze replied evenly.

“But you have that angry look in your eye. We’ve been dating for two years. I know that look, darling.”

Blaze shrugged casually and pushed off the display case. “C’mon, I leave in a week. Let’s not fight.”

“Could we… wrasstle?” Suggestively purred Blitz, pushing up to the taller earth pony. Blaze snorted in good humor and kissed her brow. Blitz pouted when nothing followed. “Awh, okay.”

“I guess you can just hang out while I work then? Look pretty over in the corner for me.”

“Yeah-yeah I can do that and give you some eye candy while it’s just us. That’d be nice. I’ll shut up when you have customers, go ahead and flirt and get your extra caps. Goddesses know you don’t get enough as it is,” Blaze replied with a dismissive wave of a hoof.

The smaller earth pony moved to unlock the door, only to pause. A certain glint filled her eyes as she looked over her shoulder at Blaze. “Wanna… get high? I have a stash in the back.”

Blaze grimaced and set her jaw. Emeralds fixated on a random gun, hardly taking anything in. “It’s been… Fuck, two weeks? I’ve only had a reduced amount of my prescription. I’m not really… Look-”

“You don’t want to,” concluded Blitz with a sigh. “How boring.”

“I could fucking die, or kill somepony,” Blaze growled, face snapping back to Blitz.

The lithe mare tensed. “You’ve gone this long without any issues, I don’t think there’s really anything at risk here. You take chems, you feel something. If you ask me, you’re more likely to hurt somepony when you’re sober and hurting. Are you itching yet? What about the shakes? Headaches? I know what you’re like when you feel ill and I doubt Sparky or Feathers will be able to handle you like I can.”

Emeralds lowered to the floor. “I’ve been trying to ignore them,” she said slowly.

“We both know why you OD’d at the crash site,” Blitz said in an even tone. “Just stay away from rads and you’ll be fine.”

Blaze clenched her jaw harder, molars grinding. Her tail flicked behind her, brushing against the wall. “The wasteland is irradiated all over, it’s impossible for me to just ‘avoid’ it.”

“Rad-x and radaway then,” Blitz said, “there’s a fix to everything. Tartarus, there’s even a thing called fixer. Why doesn’t your cousin give you those?”

“It’s a temporary thing that doesn’t fix physical issues. It’s a suppressor,” Blaze said in a dull tone. She’d been hearing all about that the last few days. “Even flushing my system clean doesn’t get rid of the mental issues and cravings.”

“Oh right, but therapy does,” Blitz growled. An extra edge crept into her voice that disturbed Blaze. “Talking things out could help, sure, but it’s not going to fix you like a magic pill.”

“But actual pills will?” Challenged Blaze. Blitz blinked at her, taken aback. Their eyes remained locked for a tense moment before Blaze looked away. Muscles relaxed and she sighed slowly. Scratching her foreleg, Blaze spoke, “Look I said I don’t want to fight, please can we just… not?”

Turning away, Blitz muttered under her breath. Blaze squinted and she cleared her throat. “I said, I’m going to miss you.”

“Awh, really?” Blaze brightened, a flash of sincerity she soon cast aside with sarcasm, “You sure you won’t just find another bed to fall into?”

“I’ll wait at least two weeks, promise!” Blitz snickered.

“I’m surprised you’d even wait three days. You’re helpless without somepony fucking you, I’ve known that since before we became a thing,” Blaze jeered, no real edge to her words. She knew well how much Blitz slept around. The fact that at the end of the day she knew where Blitz’s heart rested was enough comfort for her. After all, she didn’t think anypony else would put up with her shit.

Blitz batted lavender eyes endearingly and leaned in close. Her breath warmed Blaze’s neck. “You fuck me better than anypony else.”

Chortling, Blaze shook her head. Heat rushed over her cheeks and she tried to hide it. “You better keep saying that. If I come back and you’re living in somepony else’s room I’m going to be upset.”

“I would never think of doing that,” Blitz said with a sultry tone. “Your bed is the biggest around by far. Though it feels mighty small when we’re in it together…”

Lips pulled back into a slow grin, drinking in Blitz. The mare had quite an effect on Blaze. “You’re all horned up aren’t you?”

“Like a unicorn,” purred the mare.

Blaze gave a long sigh and chuckled. “Insatiable.”

“Oh come on, I’ve been good! I haven’t jumped anypony else’s bones while you’ve been recovering!”

“That’s supposed to be an accomplishment?”

Pouting once more, Blitz whimpered. “I can be faithful. You know I love you, I just have broad tastes and a free spirit.”

“Yeah yeah, sure,” huffed Blaze. She idly fiddled with the zipper of her stable barding. She glanced back to Blitz who pushed herself up on her hooves with a pleading expression. This close Blaze could see the fine details of Blitz’s brown coat, well-groomed and smelling faintly of lavender. “Oh for- fine. I’ll miss it too. But afterward, I want to talk! I have shit on my mind!”

“Yes ma’am!” Nearly squealed Blitz as she jumped back and rushed to the storage closet. Blaze found herself stripping faster than she thought was possible, stumbling to the back. Blitz’s giggles filled the air like a siren’s song, speeding up Blaze’s heart.

An hour later Blaze sat in the backroom of the gun store, resting on a crate of ammunition. Her back ached from the grain of the container and the angle at which she and Blitz had gotten adventurous. The room was hot and muggy, making her cough as fresh smoke mixed in the air. A different kind of smoke lingered in the room, the kind that excited Blaze.

She took the blunt from Blitz when it was offered. She couldn’t remember when the drugs had been broken out, but the moment she saw them she couldn’t resist. Blitz had a power over her she didn’t understand, numbing her mind just like the drugs. She inhaled deeply and focused on the way it felt, the itchiness slowly fading from her limbs. “Fuck,” muttered the freshly intoxicated mare, pushing pink and red hair from her sweaty face.

An energy rolled down her spine, brushing every nerve along the way. A heaviness settled over her. Hooves tingled as that sensation worked its way lower, pooling over her withers. Someone hummed, too low to be Blitz. Blinking rapidly, Blaze gasped as it worked lower down her spine, passing ribs and trickling over her barrel. Her mouth was dry, eyes aching, lungs tight. Track marks burned beneath her coat. It spread out, overflowing, a drip bursting into a waterfall. It settled at last on her tailhead, flicking out with the motion of her short tail. She realized she was the one humming.

“What the fuck.”

“Hmm?” Muttered Blitz in a sleepy tone, laid out on storage boxes. A pillow was tucked under her head, safely stashed between rests.

“I lost control all-fucking-ready,” hissed Blaze. “What the fuck?”

Blitz blinked reddened eyes and tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m high, that’s what!”

“...Okay?” Questioned Blitz.

Blaze slammed a hoof into the wall, causing the merchandise on it to jostle. Her head ached at the noise, ears falling back. “I told Sparky I’d try to get sober and one hour with you and I’m already high. What the fuck am I going to do when I’m alone?”

“I mean, I am actively encouraging you because I think it’s a bunch of horseapples that you’re supposed to cut it all off,” Blitz said flatly as she stretched out. She offered the blunt again. “Also don’t punch my walls.”

“Blitz-” Blaze gasped and shoved the blunt away. Blitz only blinked in further confusion. “I’m going to lose control. I’m going to fuck up even worse out there, I can feel it.”

“So you fuck up, that happens. They don’t honestly expect you to stop perfectly, do they?”

“No, but, still! Melody said-”

Blitz jolted upright now, startling Blaze. “You actually saw that therapist? Did they hold you at gunpoint?”

Blaze snorted at that and shook her head. “No, they didn’t hold me at gunpoint. For the first time in…years, I talked to one, willingly. It was brief, just… A starter to talk about expectations and shit but yeah.”

Lavender eyes squinted with clear judgment, tension running along the mare’s jaw. Just when Blaze thought she was going to rant, the slender mare pulled back. “Think it’ll help?”

Blaze blinked slowly. “I mean… I don’t know. Maybe? Sparky says that over the past couple of years I’ve cooked up a wicked addiction to cope with trauma and that eventually, I’ll have to face it.”

“You’re not broken, you were never broken,” said Blitz with a zeal that further took Blaze off-guard. Blitz seldom spoke so passionately about anything that wasn’t a source of immediate gratification. “You’re not some vase they can piece back together. It’s not right for them to say who or what you are. I know who you’ve said you are, I listen to you. They just give orders.”

Shifting away from the slender mare, Blaze gave a ragged sigh. “I think they tried actually listening, once. But now I’m so deep in this hole that they can’t be soft or kind anymore.”

“Tough love, is that it?” Blitz inquired bitterly. “Yeah you’re hurt but you’re not broken.”

“Like you?”

“What?”

Blaze swallowed dryly. “You’re hurt too, aren’t you? That’s why you take chems almost as much as me. I can’t imagine you’d be doing all this if you weren’t… Definitely not for this long.” She reached out and Blitz flinched at the touch of her heavy hooves. The space between them felt too warm, rising tension heating them from the heart out.

A canister of chems rested on a nearby crate. Blitz took the pills from the metal tin and popped them into her mouth. “Chalky,” complained the mare as the mentats started to flow through her system. “You ever try these, Blazey Wazey?”

“No,” grunted Blaze, confused by the lack of an answer.

“Oh. Well, these specifically are great for my job, help me put on the charm. Maybe if I took these more I wouldn’t need to offer blowjobs to get you out of trouble.” Blitz shrugged as if she wasn’t all too bothered by the idea. “Party-time Mint-als, they’re unfortunately rare for traders to bring and your cousin doesn’t cook these up yet. So I save them for special occasions.”

Snorting, Blaze pointed accusingly at the mare who exuded confidence. “Like right now?”

Blitz met her gaze with a soft smile. “You’re the most special thing there is to me.”

“That the chems talking or you?”

“Why not both?”

Brow furrowing in growing confusion, Blaze looked away. Her skin crawled as she thought about the benefits of her chems. Buck gave her strength and stampede gave her the rage to commit unspeakable violence. Dash helped her slow down and think, to figure things out more than SATS did. Despite the voices of her family telling her chems did nothing but hurt her, she couldn’t deny the point Blitz was making. “What if I lose control out there, Blitz? Like I already have with you? Like I did with Lily?”

Soothing tones of velvet and silk encased Blaze as Blitz moved closer, whispering in her ears. “You’re going to need every advantage you can get out there. It’s just going to be the three of you, isn’t it? How in Equestria are you supposed to protect Sparky and Feathers without the extra hoof? They can’t honestly expect you to do all that on your own, can they?”

Hooves began to shake. Blaze stared at the floor. “The docs did an intensive flush of my system. The physical withdrawals, they’re all over already. It’s all… mental they say now, which is why I have to see the therapist.”

“Right and they’re sending you outside where no therapist can see you?” Blitz said in a non-confrontational manner. Blaze frowned.

“Melody said she’d meet me on the surface…”

“But how often will you be around while you chase after Feathers’ pipe dream? You could go days, weeks, months even between visits. What happens when you slip, as you very likely will you’re only a pony, and those two get hurt? What if you keep taking your chems, your meds? You’d be able to keep them safe all the time, and you’ll have fun doing it too! You don’t deserve to be sad and wallow in self-pity.”

“I-Blitz, I’m still taking my meds. I’m not gonna die from that, well… soon. I’m on reduced dosages. They’re not cutting me off.”

A hard edge crept into beautiful lavender eyes. “They have no right to cut you back on medicine that keeps you from dying. Where’s the sense in that?”

“They… They said they can’t trust me not to overdo it right now, and if I’m out there when it happens then we’re fucked. I’m fucked. No way can Sparky take care of me if that happens. So, fewer meds, means I have to take less or risk running out early. I guess they’ll resupply us somehow so I don’t have any missed doses.”

“So your actual dosages are smaller or are they just giving you a smaller supply?” Blitz pressed.

Begrudgingly, Blaze replied, “Supply. A third of what I usually get issued.”

Hooves slammed into the floor and Blitz produced an unflattering grunt. “So they’re kicking you out but holding onto the one thing you actually need? Sounds like they’ve got a yoke around your neck Blaze. ‘Behave and we’ll let you live, don’t and we’ll kick you out completely.’ Exile without real freedom. Don’t you see it?”

Her shoulders trembled as Blaze struggled with the surge of emotions she felt. Something welled in her eyes and Blaze sniffled. A slender hoof wiped the budding tears away. “I don’t know what to do other than listen. They’re all saying the same thing and after what I did… I killed somepony Blitz, and I didn’t even mean to. The pony I actually tried to kill survived but some random mutineer gets his skull crushed by my kick. What am I supposed to make of that?”

Blitz squinted at Blaze for a few moments before she closed the distance between them and touched their brows together. Startled at the intimate gesture, Blaze could only blink a few times before slowly accepting the strange embrace. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“...Partly.”

“I know you and I talk big about kicking ass and taking names but… Yeah, I guess I never thought it’d actually happen. Were you… Uh, overdosing then?”

Blaze gave a tiny shake of her head, crimson mane intermixing with burgundy and pink curls. She could just see the way their locks played against one another, a strange sensation filling her chest. Her ribs felt tight. Blood pumped rapidly through her veins. “Completely sober.”

“So even then, you weren’t in complete control? Sober, high, you don’t have that grasp you want?” Blitz suggested. A small nod was all Blaze could manage as she sniffled once more. “Oh, Blazey Wazey, you know better than anypony else that sometimes shit just happens. Sober you isn’t the same, you don’t know what that’s like. You can’t control yourself like that. Look, if they’re not going to give you access to your meds proper, then I’ll smuggle them out to you. I don’t want you to ever feel so out of control again.”

“H-how? I didn’t control myself earlier… I don’t even remember when the smokes came out. It wasn’t here one minute and the next it was. How can I trust myself not to OD again?”

“Remember to take your rad-x, especially when your pip-buck starts ticking.” Blitz pulled back and reached around for their stable suits. Finding the heavy construction barding attached to Blaze’s, Blitz rummaged through her pockets. “They’re going to give you armor, right?”

“Yeah, I think so at least.” Blaze frowned, confused by what Blitz meant.

“So you’ll have even more pockets. I’ll send you something to leave with. When you visit, I’ll give you more. Nopony would think twice about you visiting your marefriend. Take enough to keep yourself in control. Change what pocket you hide them in so they don’t find your spot. Give the extra to Sparky if you absolutely must. Just don’t deny the possibility entirely because you’re afraid. I’m not dating a wimp, so don’t start acting like one now. Shit is really fucked up right now, but you’ll come out of it okay.”

“What if I hurt Sparky? She could refuse to give me the extra meds and if I snap-”

“You have to trust yourself, Blaze,” Blitz said with a tender tone as she slipped a package into Blaze’s barding.

A long pause filled the air between them. “I don’t though. I’m starting to think I didn’t for a long time now.”

“...Then maybe you do need that therapist,” sighed Blitz, “for something at least. I think they’re wrong for what they’re doing to you. It sounds to me like they’re putting you on a leash or extorting you. Your life is hanging in the balance while they make decisions for you.”

Emerald eyes closed as Blaze scrunched her face with thought. It was clear just how many different thoughts were racing through her mind. Blitz watched patiently for Blaze to speak, jaw tightening and relaxing repeatedly. “So, I have to make some decisions myself?”

“Yes.”

“What if I fuck up?”

“Then you fuck up and try again.”

“But-”

“Take your chems, take the help they give. Listen to Sparky and Feathers. Listen to Melody. Listen to me. Make your own choices.” Heat rushed over Blaze as she found a cigarette in her hoof. She still couldn’t tell when it’d gotten there. A lighter was resting nearby on a crate. “Just don’t stop being who you are. Please, I miss the fun we had and I don’t want our last days together to be dreary and depressing. You’re the one thing aside from chems that makes me actually feel good.”

Blaze took the lighter and turned it over in her hoof. She gave Blitz back the cigarette and tossed aside the lighter. “You make me feel good too, you’ve made the last two years and change worth getting out of bed,” she murmured as she leaned in close.

Red flashed over brown cheeks as Blitz was taken by surprise. “That a choice you making, Sugar?”

“Let’s enjoy the last few days together, yeah. Come here,” Blaze whispered. “I’ll miss you.” Blitz was all too happy to agree.

“It feels strange to be in here but not working,” said Misty Sparks as she unlocked the chem shop. She strode in with three mares at her rear, each increasing in height. Blaze kept her gaze averted to the floor. One glance from Misty Sparks had Blaze hunched down in a corner, not letting herself even so much as look at the product on display. A small sigh preceded a twinkle of neon green magic that cleared the shelves. Chems were quickly secured in a crate and pushed into the back by Skyfire and Grease.

“Thanks,” muttered Blaze with burning cheeks.

A silent nod was all Misty Sparks gave as she began rummaging through her saddlebags. “We have a lot to talk about, and while Flare is making sure we’re all healed from the mutiny, time is running out. Eventually, Blaze will have to start her exile, and we’ll have to go with her.”

“Sorry,” Blaze replied, looking at the smaller mares. Her skin crawled as wafts of chemicals tickled her nose, scents that lingered in the wood. Clearing her throat, she nodded. “So we’re going for parts to fix up the Skyhawk. I’m the mule and muscle yeah?”

Skyfire nodded with excitement. “We should start by finding something for the engine.”

“You said that even a transport chariot could work, right?” Misty Sparks inquired.

“I can make do with that, yes. It would have to be for a larger sky chariot, something that would carry dozens of ponies most likely.”

A map of the area was laid out across the floor, a printout from a pip-buck. There were lines of green across a darker tone that made Blaze dizzy to look at, but Grease and Skyfire only cooed with interest. A silver hoof pointed out a cluster of buildings to the southwest, nestled between hills. “There’s an old manufacturing factory here that hasn’t fallen into a sinkhole, at least back from the last expedition’s report.”

“Good ol Pops,” said Grease with a snicker. “That looks like more than just a factory. A whole industrial district maybe. Plus a few small towns along the way, with a remnant of a road we can follow.”

“At least twelve hours one way,” confirmed Misty Sparks. “There’s a lot of sinkholes along the way that could have expanded and we’ll have to be careful, but given it’s previously scouted it could be a good place to start. Your dad’s team did not enter because at the time it was occupied by rabid animals.”

Crimson wingtips pointed at a spot on the map halfway between the stable and destination. “We could probably rest here.”

Snorting, Blaze shook her head. “Sparky won’t last six hours of pure marching. She’ll need a break at least three hours in if we’re walking at a casual pace.”

Skyfire blinked and pointed a feather at the unicorn. “Really?”

“I’m… not… I have short legs okay,” Misty Sparks mumbled with a blush.

“I’d noticed but still. Alright though, once we’re out in the wastes it would be better to not push ourselves to a breaking point wouldn’t it?” The others made their agreement known and Skyfire began to circle a few spots on the map. “Then we can rest here, assuming they’re safe.”

“What about once we arrive? Those animals could have been cleared out by something worse,” Grease said as she began to run through a mental list of supplies. “Assuming we have good stock headed out, that’s only three of us with guns. How would you want to approach hostiles?”

“Standard operating procedure, words first, bullets last. Perhaps we can negotiate with whoever takes up residence now, or we’ll be lucky and nopony will be there at all,” instructed Misty Sparks.

A frown slipped across the heavy earth pony’s face. “I don’t like luck being such a big factor,” grumbled Blaze, “makes me twitchy.”

“Just let me do the talking, okay?” Misty Sparks sighed. Blaze held her hooves up and pouted. “We’ll be issued a wagon to bring back supplies, maybe we could trade for what we need. Either way, violence is our last response.”

“Not mine,” Blaze added.

Skyfire huffed, taking the large mare by surprise. “We’re well aware of that. Let’s try not to make more enemies, okay?” Blaze could only dumbly nod in response. Skyfire swiftly turned back to the others, leaving Blaze blinking at her. “I’m the main eye for parts, but Grease helping me would be very useful. Even if I identify something, I’ll need an extra hoof dismantling salvage.”

“Easy,” Grease said, “We make a great team at work, we’ll do it again no problem.” She held a hoof out to Skyfire and the pegasus hoof bumped her. Misty Sparks’ ears twitched as the pair began to giggle and talk about inside jokes that had already formed a work. The unicorn looked to Blaze who was still staring at the floor at her chastisement. She made a mental note to herself that Skyfire might be able to handle the difficult mare better than suspected.

Clearing her throat, Misty Sparks brought them back to the matter at hoof. “If we all keep to our roles we should be successful. I’ll lead, charm, and heal. Skyfire can make great use of her wings scouting, on top of finding what we need. Grease can provide covering fire and salvaging aid. Blaze-”

“Yeah yeah I know,” interrupted Blaze with a wave of her hoof. “I’ll pull the damn cart.”

“And focus on getting better,” Skyfire added, taking a hold of Blaze’s hoof. The mare blinked a few times before meeting purple eyes that shone with intensity. “Don’t forget about yourself, okay? We want you to get better and be happy again.”

Hesitating, Blaze could only manage a slow nod. “Okay.”

“More than cargo, we’ll need you protecting us,” Misty Sparks said with a comforting tone that drew her cousin’s attention. “You noticed those ghouls before I did back at the crash. You can see danger coming, and that’ll keep us safe. A bruiser for when things get tough will save on ammunition, which saves on weight, which also saves on caps. From a tactical standpoint, so long as we can get you in close, our enemies are as good as defeated.”

The earth pony perked up at Misty Sparks’ analysis. “Yeah, yeah okay. I can do that. When you give the word that is, of course.”

“You’re going to have to listen to me, you know that right?” Pressed Misty Sparks. The others looked at the tall mare with slight hesitance.

Skin crawled where Blaze was slowly regrowing her fur, and she sighed. “Yeah. I’ll… I’ll try, okay? I get caught up in my head too much sometimes, even struggle to listen to Blitz.”

“I’ll take it,” Misty Sparks replied with a smile. Her horn glowed as she lifted a set of heavy books out of her saddlebag and passed them out. Skyfire took the manual with an eager smile while Blaze openly scowled. “Most of this will follow standard expedition procedure. These will inform you of every protocol as dictated by Stable-Tec. Please make sure you read them so you’re familiar with how we shall proceed.”

“Boring,” complained Blaze as she rejected the manual.

“Boring or not, it has valuable information. Survival skills like pitching a tent and boiling water, on top of how to engage strangers.” Misty Sparks flipped through her manual to a page. “It even has pictures!”

“...Okay maybe I’ll read it when I’m absolutely bored or something,” muttered Blaze as she opened her’s. “Pictures… are nice.”

“Good! Let’s all be read up by the time the exile is officially passed!” Misty Sparks instructed.

Grease and Skyfire were already flipping through the pages, while the pegasus grabbed a notebook from nearby. “This is similar to the Enclave training books,” she remarked, “though it is interesting to see it from a grounder’s perspective. You can’t just fly away from your problems after all, or kick a cloud for rainwater.”

“Aren’t the clouds radioactive or something?” Asked Blaze. “The whole world is poisoned ain’t it?”

“Some! You have to be careful,” replied Skyfire with a tone far too cheery for the subject matter. “This has good stuff. Can we read together over dinner?”

Misty Sparks brightened at the request and nodded rapidly. “I’d love to have dinner with you, to study and spend time and uh…” She trailed off with a growing blush. Her eyes settled on crimson feathers. “Studying. We should all study, right now!” Blaze and Grease snickered at the unicorn who threw herself into the manual. Skyfire could only tilt her head before shrugging off the unicorn’s nervousness. They had hundreds of pages to read, and not much time to do it.

“I can’t believe you’re going out there,” Sergeant Cuffs’ voice was a careful rasp. He was recovering well from his injuries, despite how grievous some of them had been. A segment of his brow was likely to scar from a baton blow and he wore an eyepatch for now. “I wish I could join you, but I know the reasons.”

Misty Sparks gave him a half-smile as she examined the training pistol in front of her. Standing in other stations were Blaze, Skyfire, and Grease. The pegasus struggled with the 10mm pistol in her mouth as Grease coached her through how to use it.

“Why can’t I use my laser pistol?” Skyfire mumbled after spitting out the pistol for a moment.

“We don’t have any ammunition for it, sparkle packs, or whatever you call them. So we don’t want to use the precious amount you already have outside of absolute emergencies,” Grease calmly said. “Besides, you’re trained with that?”

“I. Am. Trained. Yes. This. Is. Heavy!” Skyfire attempted to reply, wincing as Blaze fired down range precisely with a lazy ease that disturbed Misty Sparks. Skyfire looked over to Blaze who shrugged at her as she emptied the magazine. “I suppose I can buy my ammo,” the pegasus managed without pausing every shot

Misty Sparks gave herself a shake and focused on Cuffs. “As much as I would feel safe with you at our side, Flare can’t risk looking like she’s protecting an exile. I understand the risks of going with her, but it’s worth it.”

“An airship would be mighty useful,” agreed Cuffs. “I just worry about you getting hurt. That bullet wound looks like it’ll scar. I would hate for you to get another.” He gestured to her hind leg where she’d been shot during the mutiny. While her limp had eased up some, it still hurt when she focused on it.

Wearing a forced smile, the little mare soothed the fretting sergeant. “I’ve got plenty of ponies to protect me. And this way, I suppose I’ll never forget my lesson.”

“Shouldn’t have had to learn it that way,” mumbled Cuffs. “No pony should ever have to.”

“No, but it’s best I learn it isn’t it? Something good ought to come out of that mess. We can’t change what happened, we can only do something about it.”

The periwinkle stallion eyed the young mare. “You’re getting wise.”

A genuine chuckle escaped Misty Sparks. “It had to happen at some point right?”

Cuffs shook his head with a laugh. “Don’t speak ill of my future overmare, you were already well on your way to being wise. If nothing else, time on the surface will be quite the education for you.”

“Exactly,” Misty Sparks said, and then cleared her throat. “Now are you ready?”

“If you are, ma’am.”

“Gosh, please don’t do that.”

He patted the mare’s shoulder. “Haha, sure thing Miss Misty Sparks. Now, you know the basics, but let me show you just what a unicorn can do.”

He politely took the pistol from her and pointed it down range with his magic. He tilted it with ease despite its respectable heft and examined the sides. “Now while you could theoretically shoot from any angle, bear in mind that the ejection port only faces one way. You’ll want to always make sure that direction goes with gravity, so the side or down, so it doesn’t fall back and jam the gun. Spent ammunition can and will burn your hide so always keep it far enough that’s a minimal risk if you must shoot the gun in an abnormal position. Obviously as well, accuracy will change dramatically when at abnormal angles.”

Misty Sparks nodded attentively as he demonstrated the potential firing positions. After a few examples, she took the pistol and copied what he’d done. She practiced grabbing the pistol with her magic and rapidly moving it a specific distance to make it feel more natural. “Good. Now you can use your pip-buck to target things. That will help with the angles. Simply activate the SATS spell in your pip-buck, pick your target, and fire.” He took the pistol back and held it so far and high from his head he couldn’t possibly see the sights. A split second later the pistol turned in his magical grip and fired thrice at one of the training dummies. Each bullet impacted the dummy’s head.

“Woah!” Skyfire shouted, looking over her pip-buck. “How did you do that?”

“SATS,” Cuffs easily replied. “I’ll have to activate your pip-buck so you can access the weapon spells, but it’s very useful. I'm sure you could use it with your feathers holding the pistol even, if you can support that much weight.”

Skyfire frowned with thought. “I could hold it but I don’t think the recoil would be good for my wings.”

Cuffs snickered as he returned the weapon to Misty Sparks. “Ah yes, I hadn’t thought about that. It will take some getting used to I’m sure but with proper training, you’ll be an expert soon enough.”

“Think I could get that activation too?” Grease inquired from her booth with a shake of her pip-buck.

The sergeant crossed over and fiddled with her pip-buck first, having to connect his own to a port on the side. A flurry of green text cycled over the screen and then a cheery-looking Stable Colt cheered before the pip-buck returned to normal. “There you are. You’re next Miss Lumia.”

Skyfire held out her arm with an excited squee, her focus captivated by the process. It still felt strange to have something so heavy resting above her hoof. At least the interior padding was comfortable, and it was securely in place. If only she could take it off whenever she wanted. As Cuffs finished activating SATS for her, she tilted her head. “Wait, how do I… use it?”

“With your mind of course. It’s a spell.”

Wingtips pointed at Skyfire’s face as she spoke, “Pegasus, remember? I can’t do magic.”

The others laughed as Cuffs rolled his eyes and prodded her pip-buck. “Ah, but thanks to Stable-Tec you can now. SATS is short for Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting System. It is part of a matrix of spells that is available for use by anypony who wears this marvelous piece of tech.”

Sniffing the strange wearable device, Skyfire blinked at Cuffs. “It’s a terminal on my arm…”

“Ah, a doubter, of course,” Cuffs snickered. “Miss Blaze, you are familiar with some of what your arm terminal can do right?”

Blaze snorted and leaned out of her booth. “Uh, yeah?”

“Like the inventory sorting spell?”

“Oh yeah, I can’t lose shit thanks to that. Put it in my bag, and boom it knows. No fucking idea how though,” Blaze said as she riffled through her saddlebag for only five seconds before pulling out a wrapper of gum. “See! How the fuck does that work?”

“Magic,” Cuffs said.

“Bullshit,” retorted Blaze as she popped a stick of gum in her mouth and obnoxiously chewed.

With a roll of yellow eyes, Grease gestured for a piece of gum. Blaze squinted suspiciously for a few moments before relenting and giving the fellow earth pony some. Immediately she smiled and started chewing just as obnoxiously. Blaze grinned at her fellow. “I reckon it’s a mixture of desire sensing and spatial awareness, like what EFS does. If it can tell if something is friendly or not, it stands to reason it can tell if you’re friendly to something as well, right?”

“But objects don’t have emotions,” countered Misty Sparks as they began to speak in the theoretical. Emerald eyes began to glass over and Blaze leaned back into her booth. Misty Sparks gestured to her pip-buck. “There are most assuredly spells for identifying something, clairvoyance for example. It could be as simple as that. I’ve even heard stories that if you give yourself a ‘quest’ it can help figure out where to go. That just sounds like a bunch of speculation though.”

“Magic,” Cuffs repeated, this time less snarky.

Skyfire wiggled her foreleg around and examined her new tool with new appreciation. “That sounds great and all, but how do I use it?”

“The same way a unicorn uses magic, will,” he explained, “you will it into being. Focus on what you want, focus on your target and time will feel slow to you soon enough. Pick a target, you just have to look where you want and will it and it will happen. Can work with melee and close combat too.”

“Wait, is that all magic is, willpower?”

“It’s not everything, but it’s a major factor in casting. Think of the pip-buck as a conduit for the spells built within, focus on what you want to do, and boom, it happens.”

Scrunching her nose in determination, Skyfire turned back to the shooting range. The pistol felt strange and tasted funny in her mouth. Her ears twitched and quickly her jaw started tingling at the weight of the gun. Energy weapons were considerably lighter than ballistic weaponry, and it would take her a considerable amount of time to get used to it. However, she knew well that would only come with practice.

Focusing on the target, Skyfire felt everything slow to a crawl. Green light formed in her vision blocks segmenting the target into three parts; the head, chest, and legs. Skyfire eeped in shock and the spell immediately failed. “Wh-what was that!” She shouted, looking at the others who could only laugh goodnaturedly.

“SATS, silly,” Grease teased. “Try again.”

“Right, right,” Skyfire said and shook herself for getting surprised. She had just been instructed after all. Heat crept along her ears. Breathing in careful measures, she fixated upon the target once more. The spell activated with the same impressive speed as before, and she focused intently on the head. A small bar of green filled her lower right vision, and the more she thought about shooting the target’s head the less green she saw. With a final decision, she pulled the trigger.

Her tongue moved with a foreign speed and the pistol jolted against her jaw. Skyfire yelped and dropped the pistol, two unicorns diving to catch it but a grey aura surrounded it before it clattered to the ground and misfired. They all looked up to see Hammers walking into the range, a brow arched as he took in the training. “Caught you by surprise, didn’t it Feathers?” He asked as he crossed over.

Feathers ruffled, Skyfire could only nod and look away. “Awh don’t feel too bad,” Grease soothed, “SATS is pretty powerful, it takes everypony by surprise!”

“You’ve used it before?” Blaze snorted.

“Yeah, though only for practice. You?”

A sly smirk pulled at the large mare’s lips. “I’ve had it unlocked for years.”

“Those friends of yours in Security?” Hammers asked in a careful tone. Blaze stiffened up at him, an ear flicking in response. “At least it means you’re prepared for what you’re getting into.”

Blaze smiled sincerely, surprising everypony around her. “Yeah! I’m the most prepared you’ll get in Stable 36 to go kick some wasteland ass!”

“Oh yeah?” Challenged Hammers. “Show me how you shoot.”

“Fuckin’ easy,” Blaze said as she spat out her gum and drew her pistol. She held it peculiarly, not bothering to use the sights in any capacity. When she shot she easily absorbed the recoil, having planted herself firmly. Her bullets hit the target in the chest, a notable horizontal pathing to them.

“Not awful,” Hammers said, “but you’re wasting bullets.”

“It’s good for crowds, like ghouls.”

“Self-taught hybrid style I take?” He asked with an analytical tone. Blaze bristled in anticipation. “Decent, but you could be better. Shoot down the sights, you’ll hit your one target and can adjust for the next.”

“But then I can’t easily swap to my sledge for when they get close,” Blaze countered, relaxing slightly. “I’m a close-combat specialist, but I can shoot.”

He half nodded in agreement. “Decently. SATs for the extra boost and you’ll be a deadeye for sure. But ammo counts out there, and you won’t be getting refills easily.”

Pursing her lips in thought, Blaze huffed. “Well, I guess I can keep a knife in my tail if they get too close before I can swap.”

Hammers blinked. “...You can do that?”

“Oh fuck yeah!” Blaze chortled and drew a knife from a pocket in her barding, alarming Cuffs tremendously. She tossed it into the air and caught it with her tail, brandishing it as firmly as Skyfire would in her feathers.

The other ponies leaned in with awe, Skyfire the most curious of them. She sniffed the large earth pony’s short tail as if she expected to find something hidden within it. “That’s really cool! How do you do that?” She flicked her tail in an attempt at replicating the motion but to no avail. “Can you show me how to do that sometime?”

Beaming with pride, Blaze nodded. “Sure! It’s mighty useful!” Then she caught Cuffs’ stare and with a huff, she slipped her knife away. The sergeant gave a wary nod and looked back at the targets.

Hammers patted his daughter on the shoulder, a gesture wholly unfamiliar to them both. His hoof lingered for a moment as if expecting her to recoil, but she did not. Blaze flicked an ear in acceptance, and Hammers smiled. “Let me show you a few tricks to save on ammo and improve your accuracy. It’ll keep you alive out there longer. Or at least cut down on the caps you’re spending keeping reserves up.”

With only a bit of hesitance, the large mare slowly nodded. She gave her pistol to Hammers who held it in his mouth as an earth pony would. “Yeah okay… Sure. Just make sure you help Feathers out too, she needs it more than me.”

“Course gotta keep my new technician alive,” Hammers said with a wink to Skyfire around the grip. “Now pay attention.”

“Heh, thanks,” Skyfire replied as Cuffs cleared his throat. “Okay, so… This time I won’t drop it. I hope.”

“Let’s hope together!” Grease teased with her wink before she gently took the pistol Skyfire was training with, looking it over with her hooves. Skyfire ruffled her feathers, even more, a bit embarrassed. “Now… if you really are struggling with handling the recoil, we could replace the grip with a softer one so you can get a better bite on it.”

“Just focus on your breathing and keep your mouth taut,” advised Misty Sparks.

Cuffs gave a reassuring smile. “Practice makes perfect. Let’s get to it.”

Level Up! \ Blaze (5) - Winding Road: You’ve got quite a journey ahead of you. Take care where you step. +1 to INT
Quest Perk Added! \ Blaze - Tail Trick: This allows you to use your tail as a prehensile limb, capable of handling or throwing small items (much like a hand).

Level Up! \ Misty Sparks (5) - Crash Course: You might have skimmed a few of the pages but you still got the gist of it! Books have a 50% chance to be twice as effective upon reading.
Quest Perk Added! \ Misty Sparks - Expeditionary Lead: Setting off into the wastes is dangerous, but a few good connections might help! +10% chance to persuade potential allies.

Level Up! \ Skyfire (5) - Egghead: They just can't manage to peel you off those books! You add +2 skill points each time you gain a new experience level.

Author's Note

Sorry, this took a while, life happened, one of us moved, another started college, and we wanted to make sure that this was a good chapter! Extra thanks to the editors for helping polish this up!